Strategy for the Revitalization of the Late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 352 Cavalry Decisive Battle
At this time, Ma Bao and Lin Changfeng both felt an inexplicable tension and excitement in their hearts. Since Zhu Cilang's northern expedition, the elite troops of the Ming army have not had a real battle with the Eight Banners soldiers of the Qing army on the front battlefield.

Although there had been several small-scale battles before, the main force of the Qing army had not been fully committed at that time, and the battles often ended with a slight victory for the Ming army.

However, the situation today is different. The Ming army is about to face the Eight Banners cavalry of the Qing Dynasty. This will be a real contest.

Although Zhu Cilang was full of anticipation, he also knew that this was not just a physical fight, but also a psychological battle.

This confrontation will certainly create a huge psychological shadow for the Qing cavalry, making them realize that the Ming army is no longer an opponent they can underestimate.

After the cavalry led by the two generals arrived at the designated location, Zhu Cilang did not hesitate and immediately ordered Chen Fu and Chang Denggui to personally lead 5,000 cavalry to start crossing the river, and in the most open and aboveboard way, creating the most earth-shaking noise.

The Ming army's move was intended to attract the Qing army's attention and lure the Qing army's ambush troops to launch an attack.

In Zhu Cilang's mind, the outcome of this war may not depend entirely on the strength of the troops, but more on how both sides use strategies.

The Qing army commander Dorgon was planning his offensive deployment at this time. He thought he had set up a perfect situation and intended to use clever tactics to easily defeat the Ming army.

However, he did not realize that the Han people hiding in his camp were already dissatisfied with the rule of the Qing Dynasty.

Once the situation takes a turn for the better, they might choose to surrender without hesitation, or even turn against the enemy. Although Dorgon was scheming, he failed to see through this potential internal and external threat.

At this time, Zhu Cilang had a similar prediction in his mind as Dorgon, but he knew very well that the longer the time dragged on, the smaller the chances of the Qing Dynasty winning.

Now, the morale of the Qing army has been somewhat shaken, and the supply lines of the Qing army have gradually become weak due to the continued war.

If this continues, the Qing Dynasty will inevitably face more difficulties. And now is the best time for the Ming army to counterattack.

Just as Chen Fu and Chang Denggui led 5,000 cavalrymen to cross the river smoothly and prepared to advance steadily, Ma Bao and Lin Changfeng were also gradually advancing in the thick fog, always alert to the movements around them.

Suddenly, the two heard a roar coming from afar, and the sound was like thunder that resounded through the sky.

After a moment's hesitation, Ma Bao realized that this was the sign that the Qing army was beginning to move.

He and Lin Changfeng exchanged a glance, and both understood almost at the same time that this was exactly the situation the Ming army had expected—the Qing army's ambush troops were indeed hiding in the support troops sent four days ago, preparing to encircle them on three sides and attack them halfway across the river.

Ma Bao knew very well that although the Qing army's tactics were extremely cleverly hidden, Dorgon had underestimated the Ming army's anti-reconnaissance capabilities and vigilance.

In order to avoid exposing their whereabouts, although the Qing army sent out ambushes, they had to start encircling from a farther distance to avoid exposing their intentions in advance.

But despite this, Ma Bao and Lin Changfeng, two experienced veterans, can still judge the general movements of the enemy in an instant with their years of combat experience.

"That sound should be the large-scale deployment of the Qing army's cavalry." Lin Changfeng frowned slightly and said in a low voice.

Ma Bao nodded, his voice steady:
"That's at least 20,000 to 30,000 horses! If we include their infantry and artillery, I'm afraid the scale of this ambush is far larger than we imagined."

A hint of vigilance flashed in Lin Changfeng's eyes:
"No, we're too close. If the Tartars are really surrounding us on three sides, then this ambush isn't just about trapping us in the fog, but is actually setting us up for a trap."

Ma Bao took a deep breath and said in a deep voice:

"It's time to act. We can't wait any longer. Now that the Qing army has taken action, the time for the Ming army to counterattack has arrived.

We must break through their defenses and disrupt their deployment before the Qing army completely surrounds us."

The two men had already made up their minds. Ma Bao quickly mobilized his 3,000 cavalrymen, quickly divided the troops and deployed them in formation, preparing to break out quickly before the enemy surrounded them.

Behind all this, Zhu Cilang's heart was also full of expectations.

He knew that if he could successfully defeat the Qing army's ambush and use this as an opportunity to launch a counterattack, the Ming army would surely win a historic victory.

At the same time, in the Qing army camp, Commander Dorgon finally realized the seriousness of the situation.

He originally thought that his trap had been prepared properly, but when the Ming army's counterattack began to unfold gradually, he found himself in a dangerous situation.

Only at this moment did Dorgon realize that although he had the advantage in military strength, in such a complex battlefield situation, any wrong judgment could lead to complete failure.

Today, along the banks of the Qing River, there is thick fog and visibility is extremely low, as if a thick white curtain covers the earth.

The two generals Ma Bao and Lin Changfeng were responsible for different defensive directions respectively. Ma Bao was responsible for the north, while Lin Changfeng led the cavalry to defend the east.

Due to the obstruction of fog, the two men's vision of each other was almost completely cut off. The only thing they could rely on was the sound of horse hooves coming from far away to estimate the approximate direction and distance of the Qing army's advance.

The atmosphere on the battlefield at this moment is extremely tense, and every second may determine the future situation.

In this hazy world, Ma Bao and Lin Changfeng both knew that although their vision was limited, it did not mean that the other party could easily pass through this sea of ​​fog.

The two were silent for a moment, then tacitly reached the same decision. Almost at the same time, they both gave orders, and the cavalry began to move.

"Let's go!" Ma Bao's voice was cold, and the sound of war horses' hooves immediately echoed. The cavalrymen quickly rode their horses towards the enemy positions in the north.

At the same time, Lin Changfeng also issued an order, and the cavalry in the east advanced quickly.

The two teams of cavalry continued to speed up and gradually widened the distance between them. The vanguard cavalry took the lead, and the subsequent cavalry followed closely behind, like two circling dragons wandering in the thick fog.

The fog seemed to be getting thicker, blurring the sky and reducing visibility to about a mile.

The cavalry of the two armies hardly saw each other. In the fog that filled the air, only the sound of horse hooves could be heard.

Suddenly, a burst of hurried horse hoof sounds came from the thick fog, followed by several Qing cavalrymen wearing double armor and holding heavy axes quickly emerging from the fog.

Following closely behind were dozens of Qing soldiers dressed in similar attire, full of murderous intent and unstoppable.

Ma Bao and Lin Changfeng were keenly aware of the enemy's movements and were prepared.

"The enemy has arrived, issue orders immediately!" Ma Bao's eyes were like an eagle, and he gave orders decisively.

The Qing cavalry were in high spirits, but they didn't know that they would be faced with a carefully designed ambush.

As the command was issued, hundreds of Ming cavalry in the north quickly started to move, rushing out of the fog like a meteor.
At the same time, Ma Bao and Lin Changfeng worked together to command, and thousands of Ming cavalry rushed towards the already chaotic Qing army camp like a hurricane.

The powerful cavalry charge made the atmosphere on the battlefield instantly more tense. The fog seemed to be frightened and began to dissipate at a faster speed, and the vision on the battlefield gradually became clear.

"Kill!" Ma Bao roared and led the cavalry to rush towards the enemy formation like a tide.

The cavalrymen held spears in their hands and, using the power of their horses' charge, the sharp spear tips were like lightning in a storm, instantly knocking the Qing cavalry in front of them to the ground.

Under this overwhelming attack, many Qing soldiers had no time to react before the spears pierced their armor and penetrated their bodies, spurting blood. Some unfortunate Qing cavalrymen were even thrown off their horses like kites with broken strings, collapsing to the ground.

Those Qing soldiers who were unfortunately overturned had no chance to struggle at all - right after them, the Ming cavalry's horses trampled on them one after another, like giant wheels rolling over the fields, instantly trampling their bodies into mud.

"Quick! Quick! Speed ​​up!"

Ma Bao's voice was filled with the anger of command, and the cavalrymen accelerated to their full speed, forcing the enemy into a desperate situation.

Even if the Qing cavalry tried to resist, they had no power to resist under the overwhelming attack of thousands of cavalry.

However, Saige's ambition did not stop. Although the situation on the battlefield was rapidly tilting, he still did not realize the approaching danger.

At this time, he had separated from the main force with 3,000 elite guards and continued to pursue the enemy.

Saige was full of confidence, believing that the Ming army was already a dying candle in the wind and no longer had the strength to resist. In his mind, victory was almost a foregone conclusion.

However, after a period of pursuit, Saige finally reached the outskirts of Dapianling Pass.

This is where Chang Denggui’s position is located.

Saige looked at the Ming army flag in the distance and felt a little uneasy, but still decided to take a risk. He ordered his troops to speed up and prepare to launch another attack.

However, to Saige's surprise, what he encountered was not a weak Ming army, but a strong resistance.

The one thousand cavalrymen commanded by Chang Denggui personally rushed forward and collided with Saige's five hundred guards.

Relying on his superior troop strength and personal bravery, Chang Denggui's cavalry advanced and retreated three times in a short period of time, killing five Qing soldiers in a row and repelling Saige's attack.

"This... How is this possible!" Saige looked at the cavalry being repelled in front of him in shock, with a huge wave of anger rising in his heart.

However, at this point, he could no longer reverse the defeat.

Accompanied by the rumbling sound of horse hooves, the deafening sound was like thunder, echoing across the vast plain.

The Ming cavalry had already been ready and charged towards the ambush site in a tight cavalry formation. The main force of the Qing army, which had been hiding in a concealed position, was instantly exposed to the enemy's sharp sight.

The cavalry phalanx was like a steel torrent, invincible and unstoppable.

The dead Qing soldiers, who were already exhausted and defeated by the war, were barely maintaining their formation on horseback, trying to make a final struggle.

However, faced with the surging tide of cavalry, they had almost no ability to resist.

As the cavalry advanced, the dead Qing soldiers were instantly submerged, like sand swallowed by the waves, and instantly turned into bloody debris.

The sound of horse hooves echoed in the air like thunder, and the horses' hooves stomped heavily on the ground, making the earth rumble.

The Ming cavalry brandished their spears and heavy axes like a tiger descending from the mountain, attacking the vital points of the remaining Qing troops.

Every slash was extremely precise, blood splattered everywhere, and the battlefield was filled with screams and the sound of swords clashing.

Those Qing army dead soldiers who had no formation and no organization became the targets of ruthless slaughter by the Ming army and were killed almost instantly.

Those Qing army soldiers who managed to escape, although they controlled their out-of-control horses and escaped from the battlefield with difficulty, their fate was not much better.

Those useless soldiers who escaped from the battlefield were directly killed by Bayala, the Qing army commander in charge of supervising the battle, before they had time to return to the rear of the Qing army.

For the Qing army, the dead soldiers wearing heavy armor did not belong to the bannermen in the army, but were warriors with a status slightly higher than that of the baoyi Aha.

In the Qing Dynasty's military system, they did not have sufficient combat effectiveness and were often regarded as "waste".

Therefore, if these dead soldiers did not die in time on the battlefield but had the opportunity to escape, they would become a burden to the enemy, disrupt the Qing army's formation, and affect the offensive plan.

In this situation, Bayala, as the core combat force of the Qing army, would not hesitate to kill these useless soldiers to ensure the integrity of the front line.

In this brutal battle, the situation of the Qing army was not as smooth as Dorgon had expected.

Hundreds of dead soldiers were unable to break through the Ming army's defense line and were quickly eliminated.

The counterattack of the Ming cavalry was even more fierce, which was beyond the expectations of the Qing generals. Lor and Bahas responded very quickly and immediately mobilized the elite Bayara warriors to try to stabilize the front and prevent the situation from further deteriorating.

Although they succeeded in maintaining the stability of the defense line, the situation had reached a stalemate.

The originally planned raid now turned into a counter-raid by the Ming army. The Qing army's offensive rhythm was disrupted and the formation could not be adjusted in time.

Even the most elite troops would find it difficult to cope with this sudden change in such a short period of time. The troops of the two armies were now in a melee on the narrow battlefield, and the situation took a turn for the worse.

As the battle intensified, nearly 20,000 soldiers gradually became intertwined in the melee, advancing, retreating, and alternating between offense and defense.

The cavalrymen worked closely together, getting closer and closer to each other, leaving them with almost no chance to breathe.

The Qing cavalry once tried to break through the Ming army's defense line, but as soon as they broke through, they were driven away by the enemy's counterattack.

The Ming army's cavalry not only demonstrated powerful offensive power, but also showed amazing patience and resilience in every counterattack.

As soon as the retreating Qing cavalry turned around, the Ming army immediately launched a counterattack, and the speed of the counterattack left the Qing army with almost no chance to breathe.

Whenever a Qing soldier was killed, the Ming army would quickly fill the gap and advance without hesitation.

This was a battle that lasted almost non-stop. Every soldier fought with all his might, swords in hand and horses never stopping.

In this chaotic battle, the flags in the front fell one after another, representing the collapse and disintegration of one camp; and every time a flag fell, a brief gap would appear in the front line.

But then, a new flag will flutter in the air.

The two armies' lines intertwined, and the fierce fighting almost turned the entire battlefield into a cauldron, with blood boiling and flesh flying everywhere.

The battle was still not over. The cavalry of both sides were like two torrents colliding violently with each other. They fought with all their might, and blood dyed every inch of the battlefield red.

In this turbulent era, the Eight Banners Army of the Qing Dynasty was undoubtedly one of the most powerful military forces, especially in terms of cavalry, where its manpower and combat effectiveness had unparalleled advantages.

(End of this chapter)