Strategy for the Revitalization of the Late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 360 Awareness
At this moment, on the distant city wall, the Green Camp soldiers were terrified.

Those Qing cavalrymen who were once arrogant and domineering and who were in charge of the country were suddenly filled with deep fear when they saw themselves being defeated by the Ming army.

However, even though they were already panicking, they still couldn't react.

Because they understood that the Manchu leaders under the city would not allow them to hesitate, and those Green Camp soldiers who dared to resist were regarded as traitors by the rulers.

Even though the situation was critical, they still did not dare to change their position easily. When the last part of the Qing cavalry was killed or forced into the city, it was already too late.

After all, the chaos on the battlefield is often unpredictable.

In addition to the Eight Banners soldiers who would choose to escape in moments of crisis, the baoyi soldiers might not be able to remain calm. When the Qing army retreated and fled in all directions, the scene was extremely chaotic.

Everyone tried to escape, losing their minds in the pushing and panic.

At this time, some of the baoyi soldiers lost their balance while fleeing, and with a "bang", they fell into the deep moat and disappeared under the waves.

Even the elite Eight Banners cavalry could not avoid accidents and were almost pushed down by the crowd or knocked down by enemy cavalry during the retreat.

This situation spread rapidly, and thousands of soldiers fell into a state of collapse. The battle was no longer a fight between soldiers, but the spread of fear and chaos.

The Qing army's front had long since collapsed and lost its original order.

Although the Eight Banners soldiers showed considerable bravery at the beginning of this out-of-control battle, they could not avoid the fate of defeat under the extreme battlefield environment.

Even those cavalry troops that should have been in good order were unable to maintain their formation due to the pushing and shoving of the crowd. Instead, they were forced to retreat and were even defeated one by one by the enemy in the panic.

When the last batch of Qing troops had not yet completely withdrawn into the city, the Ming cavalry had already followed like tigers.

They chased and killed the fleeing Baoyi soldiers without mercy. Without stopping, they felled the Baoyi soldiers who had fled into the city one by one, and the city's defenses quickly collapsed under these continuous attacks.

At the same time, the Green Camp defenders within the city also lost their fighting spirit in this sudden attack. The newly recruited soldiers and civilians, who were originally filled with fear, no longer had any power to resist in the face of such a powerful enemy.

The five hundred Green Camp soldiers on the city wall had almost no ability to resist. They chose to surrender in a very short time. Some even dropped their weapons and raised their hands high.

After all, most of these Green Camp soldiers were civilians captured from inside the Great Wall. Many of them were not even familiar with the military rules and were forced to serve as a defensive force to guard the city.

But now, facing the sharpness of the Ming cavalry, their faith had long since collapsed. The emergence of this Green Camp Army was originally a force specially established by the Qing court to maintain public order in order to resolve the conflicts between the Manchus and the Han people, with the aim of strengthening local control.

However, as a unit that had just experienced a battle, their combat effectiveness was obviously not as good as the Qing court expected.

Although they are nominally part of the army, in reality, they do not have sufficient training and experience. Once they face a real enemy, they are like a group of unarmed sheep, at the mercy of the butcher's knife.

Li Xiaolin watched all this from a distance. He had never expected that after defeating the Qing army's Eight Banners cavalry, the remaining Qing army would be so vulnerable.

The Ming army's offensive surged like a tide, and the defenders in the city had almost no power to resist. The Green Camp soldiers surrendered collectively, and the Baoyi soldiers and Eight Banners soldiers who retreated into the city were almost completely wiped out in the street fighting with almost no chance of counterattack, except for a very few who successfully broke through.

All this made Li Xiaolin feel a little unreal. The Qing army's defense line was so fragile that it collapsed quickly without encountering strong resistance.
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At this moment, Lor had returned from outside the city.

Just now, he commanded his troops to successfully expel the 1,000 Ming troops under Hu Maozhen, and Hu Maozhen chose to retreat because his army was surrounded, and in the end there were only dozens of casualties.

Although the small victory was worth celebrating, Lor was filled with uneasiness.

He knew clearly that the battle was not over yet and the Ming army's defeat was only temporary.

Looking at the battle situation in front of him, Lor suddenly realized that his previous guess was completely wrong.

I originally thought that there would be an ambush of the Ming army outside the city. In order to prevent a surprise attack, I was very cautious and even made excessive preparations.

But the fact is that the Ming army did not attack as he expected. Instead, their attack was many days later than expected.

Although the delayed attack was still fierce, his assessment of the situation was obviously a bit too cautious, which led to excessive preparation and even missed the opportunity to counterattack at the right time.

This hesitation and caution made him lose the initiative.

Only then did Lor wake up from a dream. It turned out that he had been misled by false intelligence. At the moment when he should have attacked decisively, he delayed the troops' actions because of excessive worry.

Despite this, Lor did not give up, but instead became more determined to act cautiously.

He quickly adjusted his strategy, arranged his defenses, and decided to leave behind five hundred Eight Banners soldiers, one thousand Baoyi soldiers, and one thousand Green Camp soldiers to continue guarding the city.

He himself led the remaining 2,000 Eight Banners cavalry and more than 3,000 Baoyi soldiers out of the city to provide support, trying to ease the pressure in the city as much as possible.

However, Lore also understood that, although the Ming army had not reached the scale he had previously imagined, their offensive had already begun. He seized every possible opportunity and commanded his troops to reorganize the defense line, hoping to withstand the impending fatal impact.

Lor looked at the vast plain in front of him, his heart filled with complex emotions. As time passed, his thoughts gradually fell into contemplation - the current situation was irreversible.

No matter how fast he marched, the fate of the Empress's palace could not be changed, and he had missed the best time for rescue.

If the Empress's palace had already fallen, no matter how fast he marched, he would only see ruins when he arrived; if the Empress's palace was safe and sound, then even if he delayed his arrival until the next day, the situation would not have a decisive impact on the overall situation.

Instead of rushing for quick success, it is better to proceed steadily, ensure the stability of the team, and advance slowly and cautiously to avoid making irreparable mistakes in a hurry.

With this in mind, Luo Er took a deep breath and made his own decision—to advance cautiously and steadily. He ordered his troops to rest briefly at Yaozhou Post Station before setting out on the expedition again. Although the march would be slower, it would at least ensure the army's safety.

However, due to Luo Er's cautious march, his troops did not encounter any accidents. When he arrived near the Niangniang Palace, it was already evening.

Compared with the normal marching speed, the speed this time was almost half of the usual speed, and the soldiers who were physically and mentally exhausted also needed time to rest.

Fortunately, he had sent a large number of cavalry reconnaissance troops in advance, so the army's movements were always under control. More importantly, unlike other commanders, he did not rush through the foothills with fewer rivers and lakes, but resolutely chose the smooth road on the plains.

This decision made Li Xiaolin's ambush deployment ineffective - the ambush network set up by the Ming army on the plain was useless. They watched helplessly as the Qing army troops crossed the river safely one by one, but they could only sit there helplessly and dared not attack rashly.

Despite this, Luo Er knew that he was not completely out of danger. As they marched, the battle situation in Niangniang Palace City had changed. According to the latest intelligence, Li Xiaolin's northern army had successfully broken through the defense line of Niangniang Palace City.

Although the Qing army had defensive forces stationed in the city, the city's defense ultimately failed to withstand the nearly 10,000 Ming troops. After occupying the city, Li Xiaolin's army quickly set up camp and began to confront the Qing army.

This situation undoubtedly brought tremendous pressure to Lor.

The confrontation between the Ming and Qing armies outside the Niangniang Palace was not a simple positional battle, but a contest full of murderous intent.

Although the military strength of both sides seems equal, in fact, this is a contest of patience. Whoever can endure will win in the end.

The initiative of the war seemed to be completely in the hands of Li Xiaolin's side.

Lor knew very well that he had to eliminate the returning Ming army as soon as possible to buy more time for Dorgon's camp.

However, all Li Xiaolin needed was to hold them back and delay the Qing army's offensive until he could wait for external support. Although this strategy was time-consuming, it required great patience and flexibility.

The generals on both sides were waiting for the other side to make mistakes and miss opportunities. This seemingly balanced confrontation was actually a psychological battle, and both sides were testing each other's patience and decisiveness.

While the confrontation between the two sides outside the Niangniang Palace was in full swing, the situation on the other side of the war, that is, along the Qinghe River, also began to change dramatically.

Dorgon, one of the main forces of the Qing army, finally could not bear the inner anxiety after a long confrontation.

In this long war of attrition, he found himself in a dilemma. Although the Ming army did not dare to attack easily, they were wearing down the patience of the Qing army.

The morale of the Qing army gradually declined, and logistical supplies became tight due to the long confrontation.

At the same time, signs of the Ming army's return and reinforcements became increasingly obvious. If any further delay occurred, the Ming army's reinforcements would inevitably pose a huge threat.

Dorgon's anxiety gradually became apparent. Faced with the increasing pressure from the Ming army, he felt that his strategy had made serious mistakes.

In order to win as soon as possible, he made a wrong decision in a hurry - launching an attack in advance, trying to break through Li Xiaolin's defense line with speed and decisiveness.

This move, though seemingly courageous, was a bad one, for victory or defeat in war is often determined by patience and timing, not by a rush for quick success.

When Luo Er received this news, he was filled with mixed emotions. Dorgon's reckless advance, while seemingly putting pressure on the enemy for a while, was unsustainable.

This decision undoubtedly laid the groundwork for the Qing army's subsequent battles.

Lor knew that the next battle would become more complicated and the Ming army's counterattack would be more fierce.

And I still have to remain calm and not be impatient. Only in this way can I seize the initiative in the complicated battle situation.

"Another Qing army has left the city?" Zhang Huangyan narrowed his eyes slightly, with a hint of surprise in his tone. He obviously did not expect that the Qing army would mobilize troops again.

It seemed that his disguise over the past few days had not achieved the desired effect, and the enemy had made a move. He sighed inwardly, wondering if his arrangements over the past few days were not far-reaching enough.
Seeing this, Sun Zhi, who was standing by, immediately stepped forward and saluted, saying softly, "General, the enemy troops leaving the city are only two or three thousand bannermen. They are not strong and will not have much impact on the battle situation."

Zhang Huangyan snorted coldly when he heard this, a hint of mockery flashing in his eyes: "Baoyi soldiers? If the Tartars use these Baoyi soldiers to deal with us, they are obviously underestimating us.

Doing so reminds me that they might be preparing for war with Your Majesty." He paused, his gaze distantly out of the city, his expression becoming serious. "A few days ago, the ambush planned by Dorgon completely failed. The situation at the Empress Palace is unclear. Right now, the two armies are facing each other on the east bank of the Qing River, deadlocked. I'm afraid both sides are waiting for our movements."

There was a hint of coldness in Zhang Huangyan's voice. He knew that the complexity of the situation was far beyond the simple confrontation on the surface.

The struggle between the Ming army and the Qing army was not just a direct conflict between the two countries, but also a game concerning the future pattern, and he was just one of the chess pieces.

Every small action may affect the direction of the entire battle.

Sun Zhi noticed the change in the general's expression and quickly stepped forward to add, "General, although the enemy has mobilized their forces, if it were only these two or three thousand bannermen, they wouldn't pose much of a threat to us. However, if the enemy's main force suddenly launched an attack, I'm afraid we would be unable to cope."

"Don't worry," Zhang Huangyan smiled calmly, looking back at Gao Jie standing beside him. "Although we have the advantage in terms of military strength, we can't let our guard down."

His words were full of confidence, yet implied deep thought. Faced with such a complex situation, numerical advantage alone could not completely guarantee victory; tactical decisions were equally crucial.

Just as he was about to continue explaining his strategy, Gao Jie in front of him hurriedly spoke up to dissuade him, "General, although the majority of the Qing troops in the city are baoyi soldiers, they still number over 10,000 men. Even if we have over 10,000 men, if we rush into a head-on confrontation, I'm afraid the outcome will be very unfavorable."

Gao Jie's tone was somewhat heavy, and he was obviously unwilling to rashly engage in a full-scale confrontation with the enemy.

In recent days, although the Ming army had won and lost in the battles with the Qing army under the city, the strength of both sides had made many generals wary, especially the armored soldiers stationed in the north of the city, who were not easy opponents to deal with.

Gao Jie wasn't the only one with this idea. Most of the other mid- and lower-level Ming army commanders outside the city preferred a defensive stance, believing that besieging the city and depleting the enemy was the safest strategy. After all, no one wanted to rush into a tough battle, let alone see their troops suffer unnecessary losses.

(End of this chapter)