Strategy for the Revitalization of the Late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 350 The battlefield is like a chess game
With the continuous bombardment of artillery fire, the Ming army's soldiers gradually advanced forward. With the cover of artillery, the vanguard team had approached the outskirts of the deserted village.

The Ming army's artillery fire did not stop, but continued to cover, and even began to launch precise strikes on the possible hiding places of the Qing army.

As the Ming army's infantry advanced, they gradually approached the earth wall at the edge of the village, and the position of the Qing army's musketeers was exposed to the Ming army's sight.

"beat!"

The Ming army commander gave the order, and the infantry immediately concentrated their firepower and opened fire fiercely at the Qing army positions behind the earth wall. The sound of muskets continued, like bursts of thunder breaking the dead silence.

However, despite the deafening sound of artillery fire, the musket fire did not bring the expected deterrent effect. The Qing army's position did not seem to be greatly affected, but remained as solid as a rock.

In fact, the Han Eight Banners musketeers of the Qing army were an elite force that had undergone rigorous training. When faced with such artillery attacks, they had long been accustomed to the turbulent waves on the battlefield.

Despite the rain of artillery fire, the soldiers of the Eight Banners of Han remained as steady as a rock, maintaining the stability of their positions. They were neither in a hurry to counterattack nor in a hurry to retreat.

Standing on the command platform, the Han Eight Banner officers observed the movements of the Ming army ahead while trying to guess the enemy's intentions. Despite the fierce artillery fire, these experienced Han Eight Banner officers were not greatly affected, but instead appeared more calm and composed.

Some musketeers even lowered their heads to check the barrels of their guns and the firearms in their hands, seemingly not disturbed at all by the artillery fire of the Ming army in front of them.

However, as the Ming army infantry approached, the officers of the Eight Banners of Han began to feel a little uneasy.

As the distance shortened, the enemy infantry gradually entered the range of the muskets. Despite the continuous artillery fire, the Ming army infantry finally gradually approached the position. For the Han Eight Banners officers responsible for directing the musket fire, this was a critical moment.

However, seeing the Ming army on the opposite side advance to about a hundred steps and then stop, the Han Eight Banners officer in charge of directing the musket shooting was confused for a moment, not knowing what tricks the other side was playing.

The sound of explosions and the roar of artillery fire were like thunder at dawn, shaking the entire village. Nearly four quarters of an hour of shelling had filled the battlefield with smoke, and the entire sky seemed to be shrouded in thick black fog.

The Ming army's artillery bombarded continuously, and the shells exploded on the earth wall, splashing large pieces of rubble and tearing apart the surrounding Qing army positions.

This fierce bombardment caused the morale of the Qing army to collapse, especially those low-ranking baoyi soldiers. Seeing the heavy casualties around them, the fear in their hearts had reached its limit.

Whenever the sound of cannons rang out, the huge vibration would shake the soldiers' hearts violently, and even the earth walls next to them would shake in the artillery fire. With the collapse of earth blocks and the echo of screams, the morale of the Qing army gradually collapsed.

Many soldiers were pale, their eyes glazed over, as if they had lost the will to fight. The Baoyi soldiers, in particular, were terrified to see their fear spread to every corner. This army, composed of ordinary farmers and conscripted civilians, was on the verge of collapse in the face of such a horrific battlefield.

In this situation, although there were still people on the battlefield giving loud commands and the Qing soldiers continued to resist, they had already lost their minds.

Just as the cannon fire suddenly stopped and the sound of falling gravel was still echoing in my ears, a fierce flame suddenly broke out from the Ming army's position.

Thousands of muskets fired at the same time, and bullets penetrated the thick smoke like a rainstorm. The dense firepower instantly covered the entire Qing army position.

The Qing army's position was filled with smoke, and the air was filled with the smell of scorched earth and blood. The soldiers screamed and dodged in chaos.

At this time, the Qing army, which could not see the enemy's specific position in the thick smoke, also realized that the Ming army had been quietly advancing in the smoke, and realized that the current situation was no longer under their control.

The Qing army commanders hurriedly ordered a counterattack, but because the muskets they used were still under improvement and the formula of gunpowder was not yet mature, their firepower was far less accurate and swift than that of the Ming army.

The Ming army's musketeers' advantage in firepower is not only reflected in their accurate shooting, but also in their soldiers' proficiency in weapon operation and their ability to cooperate in combat.

However, despite this, the firepower of the Qing army could not be underestimated, especially after the first round of shooting, some musketeers in the Qing army position hurriedly adjusted their formation and raised their guns to aim again.

But they did not realize that the Ming army's musketeers had quietly broken through the original distance and the distance was close to fifty to sixty steps.

"These damn Ming troops!"

Seeing that their firepower was suppressed, the Qing soldiers began to panic. Some commanders even ordered to fire again in desperation, trying to make up for the disadvantage of their firearms by numbers.

However, the Ming army's phalanx had already reached the edge of the village, and the interweaving of gunfire and flames made the Qing army's defense line gradually shaky.

At this time, Zhang Huangyan's elite infantry troops no longer had any hesitation.

With an order, the vanguard of the Ming army quickly stood up and rushed towards the village.

The musketeers' positions behind them followed closely, and the vanguard of the infantry team had begun to charge, taking advantage of the gap when the Qing army had not yet completed the second round of shooting, and quickly broke through the Qing army's defense line.

However, all was not entirely smooth sailing.

Near the ruins of the village, some Qing soldiers still put up a stubborn resistance, especially some experienced musketeers, who tried to stop the advance of the Ming army through accurate shooting.

But the Ming army was well prepared. Zhang Huangyan had deployed a large number of cavalry before the battle to tie down the Qing cavalry behind the two deserted villages in the west.

In this way, the Ming army's infantry did not have to worry too much about sudden attacks by the Qing army's cavalry, and could focus more on head-on confrontations with the Qing army's infantry.

The Ming army infantry continued to charge. As the charge horn sounded, the vanguard soldiers kept shouting slogans and their morale was high.

Although dozens of soldiers were injured during the advance, they did not stop, but instead inspired the courage of the following troops.

Under such circumstances, the Qing army's musketeer positions were suppressed by more and more Ming troops. The originally orderly defense line had gradually become chaotic, and the soldiers' counterattacks became increasingly weak.

Soon after, the artillery of both sides gradually became silent due to the continuous high-intensity shooting, and the hot barrels made it impossible to continue to shoot accurately.

At this time, the Ming army's infantry had rushed to the edge of the village, and close combat in the ruins began.

The soldiers no longer relied on long-range firepower, but instead pointed their spears at the enemy, and the battle between the two sides gradually entered the stage of hand-to-hand combat.

Ba Ming stood on the roof of the village, looking at the close combat breaking out in front of him, and his heart was panicked.

A few days ago, the Ming army's firearms were still unable to break through the Qing army's defense line under external attacks, but today, why was the Ming army's offensive so fierce?

In less than an hour, the battle had developed into such a close-range hand-to-hand combat stage.

How did the Ming army break through the Qing army's defenses and make such rapid progress?
Ba Ming's heart was filled with doubts and panic. He knew that if this continued, the Qing army's defense line would be vulnerable and the balance of victory would soon tilt.

However, although Ba Ming was uneasy, he did not dwell too much on the details. The situation was already critical. If he did not take action, his troops might be in danger of collapse.

While he hurriedly dispatched scouts to request reinforcements from Dorgon, he personally led his troops and quickly entered the battlefield, attempting to stabilize the situation and prevent it from falling into a more serious predicament. To the west of the battlefield, two previously peaceful, deserted villages were now the scene of fierce fighting. Fighting had already broken out, with each village engaged in a battle within less than two quarters of an hour of each other, each mired in the quagmire of the chaos.

Outside the village, the Qing and Ming cavalry were confronting each other. Although the cavalry were evenly matched, they were very cautious. They fought like two wild beasts testing each other, ready to find the right opportunity to deliver a fatal blow at any time.

However, such a battle is still full of uncertainty.

The commander of the Qing army, Dorgon, did not order a full-scale attack, which made Zhu Cilang feel a little pressured. Although he knew that Dorgon was cautious, this caution seemed too slow in some cases, especially when facing the counterattack of the Ming army.

On the other hand, although Zhu Cilang had his own strategic arrangements, he also ordered Zhang Huangyan to remain restrained and not to blindly turn strategic deterrence into a full-scale battle.

He understood that the outbreak of a major battle might mean a full-scale confrontation between the two armies, but acting rashly and carelessly might lead to unexpected consequences.

Today, the "Battle for the Deserted Village" on the west side is the result of this delicate balance. Although the battle is very fierce, neither army has really exerted its full strength, and the situation is temporarily stalemate.

In the deserted village, the Ming army's position was very cramped. Although they had an advantage in manpower, they were unable to deploy a formation in the small space.

Although the battle between the two sides was extremely fierce, with swords flashing and shadows filled with thrilling murderous aura, due to the constraints of the terrain, neither side could overwhelm the other.

The situation in the two deserted villages on the east side of the battlefield was completely different.

The Ming army here was calmer than those on the west side. They did not launch an attack rashly, but took the opportunity to mobilize and adjust their troops.

Zhu Cilang had previously ordered the transfer of ordinary troops originally stationed at the front line, and personally commanded his most elite battalions to replace the front-line positions.

Such an adjustment is obviously based on more far-reaching strategic considerations: since the two deserted villages on the east side have a natural advantage in defense, the stability of the position can be guaranteed to the greatest extent by garrisoning elite troops.

Moreover, the eastern defense line was heavily armed with firearms, and the elite troops of the Manchu Plain White Banner were personally defending it, making it difficult to break through.

At this time, Zhu Cilang was not only thinking about the battle in front of him, his more far-reaching goal was how to use this battle to plan for the next war.

For him, the timing of achieving military exploits is crucial. The post-war resource allocation, especially how to balance the power between his own direct troops and non-direct troops, is what he cares about most.

The distribution of military merit is not only to highlight the victory of one side, but more to allocate resources in the future.

If he can make his confidants and direct troops achieve great military exploits, then the distribution of resources and manpower after the war will greatly favor them, thus providing strong support for him to consolidate his power.

Therefore, after careful consideration, Zhu Cilang ordered Zhang Huangyan, Lin Changfeng and others to restrain their attacks and ensure the continuity of the battle, but never let the situation develop to the point of an all-out war.

He did not want the war situation to become uncontrollable, and did not want to give the Qing army the opportunity to profit from it, especially in such a delicate game, where rash actions often meant failure.

At the same time, the situation before Zhu Cilang is not simply a game of strategy and tactics, but also has extremely complex political implications. He needs to balance the forces of all parties and ensure the coordination and stability of the army.

Although the retreat of non-direct troops such as Gao Jie seemed to be a strategic contraction on the surface, it actually laid the groundwork for the subsequent counterattack.

It was like Zhu Cilang's clenched fist. Although it was temporarily closed, once the time was right, he could suddenly attack and break the enemy's defense with overwhelming force.

If Dorgon dared to take advantage of the opportunity to launch a sneak attack, it would be his best chance to strike and repel the enemy in one fell swoop.

The battlefield is like a chess game. On this chessboard, Zhu Cilang is not only making plans for the battle at hand, but also laying the groundwork for future expansion of regime and power.

In this complicated battle situation, Zhu Cilang has accurately grasped the pulse of opportunity. His judgment of Dorgon is extremely clear and full of confidence.

He understood that if Dorgon dared to retreat, it would mean that his army's victory was inevitable, and he could pursue him openly and reap the fruits that belonged to him.

But if Dorgon dared to launch a sneak attack, it would mean that the trap he set had been successful and his plan of defeating the enemy with fewer troops would be perfectly realized.

For Zhu Cilang, the current situation is no longer just about the war in Liaodong.

More importantly, he wanted to end the war as soon as possible and return to Nanjing to consolidate his power base.

As various forces in the southwest are ready to move, he must quickly resolve the situation in Liaodong.

Once he returned to Nanjing, the first thing he had to do was to consolidate his power, suppress those local military leaders, gradually reduce their power, and ultimately achieve centralization and completely regain control of the empire.

"General, all the soldiers from each battalion are in place!"

Li Lixiong's voice was particularly loud amid the clamor of the battlefield. He reined in his horse, with an anxious look in his eyes, he reported to Gao Jie with a fist salute.

At this time, Gao Jie had been transferred to the second line of the battlefield and was stationed here as a support force.

Gao Jie raised his hand to block the sunlight with a slightly tired look. His expression was as solemn as ever, and his eyes looked towards the smoke-filled battlefield ahead.

"Is it true that Dorgon has not made any movement?" Gao Jie suddenly spoke, with a hint of imperceptible doubt in his tone.

Gao Jie actually had some guesses in his mind, and whether Dorgon could react at this time became the key.

If we do not move, we will be doomed; if we retreat too quickly, we may fall into the encirclement set up by Zhu Cilang.

The most dangerous thing is the psychological state he falls into when he is hesitant - this uncertainty can often amplify the enemy's sense of crisis and cause them to make wrong decisions.

However, as a general, Gao Jie did not dare to act rashly. He knew that no matter what he thought in his heart, he had to follow the orders of his superiors.

In any case, his power comes from Zhu Cilang's trust, and this trust cannot be replaced by anything.

If he loses the emperor's trust, everything he has will become meaningless.

Li Lixiong saw Gao Jie lost in thought and became a little anxious. He hesitated for a moment and said:

"General, apart from the two deserted villages on the west side where fierce fighting is taking place, there seems to be no movement on the center line or the east side."

"Could it be that the Qing army is really going to retreat this time?" Gao Jie frowned slightly and pondered in his heart.

(End of this chapter)