Strategy for the Revitalization of the Late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 364 Rout
The constant roar of explosions and gunfire shook them even more. Many, unable to endure the psychological pressure, began to retreat, some even losing their will to fight. These baoyi soldiers were, after all, only soldiers, not rigorously trained elite troops. Their fighting spirit and combat experience were far inferior to those of the Eight Banners cavalry.

Faced with such a powerful enemy and the threat of artillery fire, their morale had already collapsed. Although some soldiers were still desperately holding on, the entire front had completely collapsed and began to retreat in all directions.

The Ming army, relying on the powerful firepower of their firearms and their tight formations, quickly broke through the Qing army's defenses. "A defeat is like a mountain collapsing." This saying has been repeatedly fulfilled on the battlefield, and at this moment, the Baoyi troops under Hermu's command were in deep defeat.

As the front lines of the army suffered heavy losses, the mentality of the baoyi soldiers collapsed instantly, the originally tight formation became fragmented, and the soldiers lost their fighting spirit as if their backbones had been pulled out.

Most of the Baoyi soldiers completely disobeyed orders, seemingly torn into countless scattered fragments, and began to flee spontaneously. Baoyi soldiers were essentially the "chess pieces" that followed the main force on the front lines. Only in favorable times could they play a role—for example, during a wave of victory, they could join the charge, pick off kills, or even expand the victory.

However, when the situation turns against them and morale collapses, they are often the most vulnerable to collapse.

You must know that the baoyi soldiers lacked a firm will to fight, and their mentality was fundamentally different from that of the regular army of the Qing army. Especially at the critical moment of life and death, any trace of panic or any pressure was enough to destroy their resistance.

At this moment, Hermu witnessed his troops collapse in just a few minutes, and an indescribable anxiety suddenly rose in his heart.

Despite his desperate attempts to issue orders and stabilize the situation, the situation was completely out of control. The Baoyi soldiers and the Eight Banners cavalry retreated in a chaotic manner, and some cavalry were even swept into the enemy's fire range.

Although the Eight Banners cavalry's combat effectiveness should not be underestimated, they were now helpless and their combat effectiveness had dropped dramatically. However, the Ming army did not miss this excellent opportunity. Seeing the enemy formation begin to collapse on a large scale, the subsequent operations were completely in their rhythm.

As the central army's flag signal sounded again, a sharp military bugle call echoed across the battlefield. The Ming army's archers were already ready. Thousands of bowstrings vibrated in unison, and arrows streaked through the sky like a violent storm, emitting bursts of "swoosh, swoosh" sounds. Then, almost simultaneously, thousands of arrows poured down towards the center of the Qing army's position.

The precise strikes of bows and arrows alternated with the relentless bombardment of artillery and muskets, creating an earth-shattering assault. Under this intensive suppression of firepower, the remaining 5,000-odd soldiers had completely lost the ability to resist.

Although bows and arrows were far less lethal than artillery and muskets, under this high-density volley, the Baoyi soldiers' formation had completely collapsed, and their fighting spirit had long since vanished. Even those Baoyi soldiers wearing iron armor could not avoid mental collapse in the face of the tidal wave of arrows.

Although arrows could not penetrate the armor, the terrifying atmosphere and endless attacks caused their morale to plummet. Panic spread to the hearts of every soldier, ultimately accelerating the defeat of the entire army.

Even the Eight Banners cavalry were swept up in this panic. Some of the cavalry, who were supposed to charge, became hesitant, losing their former agility and courage. The rhythm of the battle was disrupted, and the Qing army's formation completely collapsed. Faced with the Ming army's relentless offensive, Hermu was unable to command his troops to launch an effective counterattack.

The Ming army did not stop, but instead accelerated the pace of the attack. The war drums in the central army position sounded again. At this time, the three rows of musketeers in front of the Ming army quietly changed from a horizontal formation to a vertical formation, leaving several passages about three steps wide in the middle of the formation, as if preparing for the upcoming charge.

Under cover of arrows, Chen Fu personally led his 8,000 cavalry in a fierce attack from both wings. Following closely behind were the special forces on both wings behind the central army, totaling 13,000 elite warriors. They formed a vertical formation and charged from both sides of the Qing army with lightning speed.

This sudden attack completely disrupted the already fragmented Qing army formation. After years of rigorous training, the Ming army's special forces quickly completed the battle and rushed towards the Qing cavalry at the fastest speed.

These cavalrymen should have had an advantage due to their mobility, but at this moment, they seemed helpless. Although the Qing army had a large number of cavalrymen, due to the collapse of the Baoyi soldiers, many of the cavalrymen had greatly reduced their mobility and their morale was seriously low. They were completely unable to withstand the cavalry charge led by Chen Fu.

Chen Fu personally led his troops to meet the enemy. He galloped on horseback, slashed with his sword, and quickly broke through the enemy's defenses. The Baoyi soldiers and Eight Banners cavalry in front of him were almost powerless to fight back and allowed him to charge at all costs.

Under Chen Fu's leadership, the Ming cavalry rushed into the Qing camp like a tiger descending from the mountain. With every blow, the Eight Banners cavalry and the Baoyi soldiers fell like sheep under Chen Fu's attack, unable to resist.

Although some of the Eight Banners cavalry still struggled, they were quickly and completely defeated by the powerful cavalry charge. Seeing the battle gradually turn to the Ming army, Hermu felt a darkness before his eyes, and all his command ideas seemed to be shattered.

By this time, the Qing army's combat effectiveness had already widened considerably from that of the Ming army. Without elite troops like the Two White Banners, perhaps Zhu Cilang wouldn't have needed to go to such lengths to devise such elaborate ambushes and tactics. With his current superior combat power, he could have simply launched an attack and ultimately won the battle.

But even so, Zhu Cilang still did not let his guard down. He knew that any detail in the war could determine the final outcome, and even the smallest mistake could bring unpredictable consequences.

Although victory was at hand, he remained calm and vigilant, his eyes fixed on the Qing army position in front of him which had not yet completely collapsed.

If the two armies were to deploy their troops and engage in a head-on confrontation, with eight thousand against five thousand, Hermu would still be confident of maintaining a certain level of combat effectiveness thanks to the mobility and powerful impact of the Eight Banners cavalry.

At least it wouldn't be like the current situation, where they were completely defeated and couldn't even organize an effective counterattack. The current situation was far beyond anyone's expectations. Hermu was deeply trapped and had no way to recover.

The Eight Banners cavalry on the front lines were in complete disarray, their morale low, and they could no longer form any effective defense. Hermu, filled with anxiety and resignation, had originally planned to reorganize Bayala's cavalry, launch a counterattack, and restore the situation.

But before he could issue an order, the situation suddenly worsened. The disintegrating cavalry surged towards him like a tide, and the command center in front was no longer able to control it. Even Hermu was swallowed up by this chaotic wave.

At that moment, he finally realized the situation was completely out of control. An indescribable rage surged within Hermu. He gripped the reins tightly, trying to rally himself, but the cavalry around him was gripped by fear and chaos. The once meticulously organized Eight Banners cavalry now resembled a loose pile of sand, unable to form an effective formation. Hermu knew that if he didn't make a decision, he would completely lose control.

He gritted his teeth and decided to retreat with the dozen or so Bayalas and dozens of cavalrymen around him. Continuing to confront the enemy would only lead to their own deaths. It would be better to turn around and retreat, find a chance to reorganize their forces, conserve their strength, and wait for the next opportunity to counterattack.

However, to Hermu's surprise, the Ming army did not pursue the victory as expected, but instead chose to stop when it was clear that it had the upper hand.

The Ming army did not advance decisively, but instead gave Hermu some breathing space, which seemed to contradict Dorgon's expectations. He originally thought that if he could lure the enemy deep into his territory, he could surround and destroy them in one fell swoop, but reality slapped Dorgon in the face.

Dorgon stood in his tent, watching Hermu's disastrous retreat, and his heart was filled with rage. He had hoped to win a brilliant battle by luring the enemy deep into his territory, but the result was that his troops were almost completely annihilated, suffering heavy losses and unable to organize even a basic counterattack.

Anger filled his heart, anger, regret, and even a little shame. But he was not in a hurry to vent these emotions, because he knew that the current situation required a calm and rational decision.

However, Dorgon was not simply angry because of his mistake, but because he was extremely confident in his 20,000 Eight Banners cavalry. He was confident that as long as this cavalry engaged in close combat, the Ming army would be unable to stop it.

Although the Ming army was indeed very strong and its defenses were extremely tight, he always believed that with his well-trained elite cavalry, no matter how strong the enemy was, it would be nothing but a tough nut to crack and he would eventually crush it. However, the current situation was worrying.

Hermu's retreat was not as smooth as he had expected. Perhaps the main general of the Ming army had seen through his plan, or perhaps the commander of the Ming army was sufficiently afraid of the Eight Banners cavalry's field combat capabilities, so he chose not to pursue.

This situation obviously made Dorgon realize the complexity of the problem.

After all, this was not a simple battle between cavalry and cavalry. The Ming army's ability to respond and control the battle situation also forced him to re-examine the opponent.

But Dorgon was not discouraged by this, instead he became more determined. He knew that victory in war was not determined by temporary schemes and tactics, but by overwhelming strength. Facing the enemy's defenses, he believed that his absolute military superiority would ultimately lead to victory.

He smiled contemptuously, showing no concern for Hermu's defeat. He then turned to instruct his men to start the action immediately.

His order was concise and direct: the five Jiala Ezhens were to lead their troops and attack immediately, besiege the Ming army, and break through the enemy's defenses in one fell swoop. This time, Dorgon no longer hesitated. He decided to deal a decisive blow to the enemy, win the battle himself, and end the current chaos.

Although Hermu retreated in a panic, he knew very well that the current situation was not only related to his own honor and disgrace, but also to the battle situation of the entire Qing army.

Although the failure in front of him made him a little discouraged, he did not give up. Retreat did not mean the end of the battle, but a temporary adjustment and reorganization. Only when the time was right and the strength was regrouped could he challenge the enemy again.

But Dorgon's plan was more direct and ruthless. In his mind, this battle had entered its final stage. He believed that relying on his cavalry, besieging the Ming army's defenses would be a sure victory.

He no longer paid attention to any details before him and directly ordered a three-sided encirclement, striving for victory with one strike. The Qing army's offensive was like a tiger descending from the mountain, with thunder and lightning. In addition to the main force of more than a thousand Baoyi soldiers and thousands of Eight Banners cavalry, there were even more Baoyi soldiers acting as vanguards in the form of human shields.

Before the Ming army, Zhu Cilang calmly watched the Qing army's advance, but his heart was filled with turmoil. He was currently in an extremely difficult situation.

The Qing army's formation pressed forward like an iron wall. Although their own army seemed to have an advantage in terms of manpower, it was very vulnerable to the cavalry's charge. In particular, the Qing army's more than 15,000 Baoyi soldiers, although relatively weak in combat, were enough to act as "human shields" to provide cover for the subsequent Eight Banners cavalry.

Their attack was not intended to directly defeat the Ming army, but to draw the Qing cavalry to a suitable distance and eventually launch a fatal attack in front of the Ming army's position. The Qing army's goal was clear, that is, to force the Ming army's position to expose weaknesses through constant probing and harassment.

Because of this, Zhu Cilang ordered all firepower to be concentrated in the front, using intensive firepower to suppress the vanguard of the Baoyi soldiers and prevent them from getting too close.

However, although the Ming army's firepower temporarily gained the upper hand, the Qing army's numbers and pressure always loomed like a shadow. The Qing army's real purpose was to lure the enemy deep into the enemy's territory and pave the way for the subsequent decisive battle.

With the Baoyi soldiers at the front and 4,000 Eight Banners cavalry supporting them on the flanks, the entire offensive formation appeared disorganized but concealed a murderous intent. Just as the Ming army was exhausted, the Qing army seemed undaunted and continued to advance towards the Ming positions, using the Baoyi soldiers as their vanguard.

Each round of the Qing army's attack was like a torrential downpour, fiercely hitting the Ming army's defenses. Although the Ming army once had the upper hand, facing such a fierce attack from the Qing army, they could only constantly adjust their formation, disperse their artillery, musketeers and archers, and try to strengthen their resistance to the Qing army's offensive.

Although the Ming army's cavalry was numerous, they were already struggling against the pressure of the Qing cavalry. The thousands of Ming cavalry on both wings should have provided cover at this time, but now, not only did they fail to exert their due combat power, but due to the lack of strong firearms support, they gradually became a breakthrough point for the Qing cavalry.

Without powerful artillery and infantry support, it would be difficult for the thousands of Ming cavalry to effectively confront the Qing cavalry on this open battlefield.

(End of this chapter)