Strategy for the Revitalization of the Late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 365 Confusing the real with the fake
Seeing the situation becoming increasingly tense, Zhu Cilang had to adjust his command and redeploy his troops.

Zhu Cilang had already made up his mind about the rapid advance of the Qing army. He had to disperse his troops and use intensive firepower from artillery and infantry to deal with the pressure of the Qing cavalry.

At this time, the Qing army was ready to launch the most fatal attack.

Dorgon did not give the Ming army any chance to breathe. He knew that the initiative of the battle was in his hands and he could not afford any delay. When the Qing army advanced to within about 200 meters of the Ming army formation, he ordered the troops to reorganize their formation and prepare to launch a new offensive.

This time, the Qing army not only used the Baoyi soldiers as the vanguard, but also placed 8,000 Eight Banners cavalry in the rear, ready to provide support at any time. The front row of the Qing army formation was still those Baoyi soldiers holding shields, responsible for providing cover for the archers, musketeers, spearmen, and sword and shield soldiers in the back row.

These baoyi soldiers did not have strong combat capabilities, but the shields they carried were extremely sturdy defensive weapons that could effectively resist the rain of arrows and artillery from the Ming army.

As these Baoyi soldiers advanced, the archers in the back row began to fire arrows one after another, while the spearmen and sword and shield soldiers prepared to charge the enemy at close range. More importantly, as the intensity of the battle continued to increase, the Eight Banners cavalry had quietly entered combat mode, ready to deal a fatal blow to the enemy at any time.

However, despite Dorgon's full preparation, he was still uneasy about the combat effectiveness of these Baoyi soldiers. After all, although these Baoyi soldiers had received some military training, there was still a big gap compared to real elite infantry or cavalry.

Therefore, after issuing the order to attack, he immediately issued a military order: Anyone who retreats in battle and looks back will be killed; those who are not killed will be treated as guilty!
There was a cold light in Dorgon's eyes. If they retreated in the battle, it would directly affect the morale and combat effectiveness of the entire army, and might even lead to the defeat of the Qing army at a critical moment.

Soon, the Qing army's shield arrays approached the Ming army's lines from the west, south, and north like a tide, forming an interlocking pressure. Behind each line, there was a forest of swords and spears, majestic and imposing, like a huge net, silently encircling the enemy.

On the flanks and rear of the attacking phalanx, the Eight Banners cavalry were arrayed in neat formations, ready to provide support to the main force at any moment. Their steps were heavy and rhythmic, and the sound of each hooves hitting the ground was like the rhythm of war drums, shaking the entire plain and instilling an invisible pressure on the Ming soldiers. The tension in the battlefield almost reached a peak in an instant.

As the Qing army drew closer, Zhu Cilang ordered a fire counterattack without hesitation. Although the Ming army's firepower was not as concentrated as the Qing army's and lacked sufficient cavalry support, only through a resolute counterattack could they find a glimmer of hope in the enemy's offensive.

"Boom! Boom! Boom..." Following a deafening burst of cannon fire, the artillery in the Ming army's formation roared first.

When the Qing army's shield line advanced to about eighty steps, dozens of Ming army's artillery fired in unison, and the shells poured down like a rainstorm, suddenly hitting the Qing army's front line.

The roar of cannons and explosions filled the air, sending clouds of dust and smoke billowing. Immediately afterwards, over two thousand musketeers opened fire simultaneously. The musketry whistled like a sharp tear through the air, and the sparks of ammunition flew everywhere, tearing through the Qing army's defenses almost instantly.

At the same time, swarms of arrows followed, shooting into the Qing army's formation, like raindrops in a strong wind, almost covering the entire battlefield. However, despite the fierce firepower of the Ming army, the Qing army's response never stopped.

The shield formation continued its steady advance, the spearmen and sword and shieldmen in the front following closely behind, their steps steady and orderly, like an impenetrable wall of steel. In the rear, the archers paused and began to unleash their arrows. Thousands of arrows rained down like a torrential rain, fiercely impacting the Ming army's lines with bursts of crisp crackling.

As the arrows fell, the Ming soldiers in the formation let out painful cries, and casualties gradually increased. While the Qing army was under fire, it continued to advance steadily. As the position continued to advance, the casualties of the Baoyi soldiers became more and more serious.

The front-line Baoyi soldiers continued to fall, suffering heavy casualties, and their formation was temporarily thrown into disarray, especially after being hit by artillery fire. However, under the strict supervision of the Qing commander Bayala, the Baoyi soldiers did not collapse, but instead quickly resumed the rhythm of the attack.

Bayala shouted orders, ordering the troops to maintain their formation and not allowing any soldier to retreat in battle. However, they continued to advance steadily with their numerical advantage.

When the Qing army was about thirty steps away from the Ming army's position, the white smoke on the battlefield had almost blocked their vision, and the Ming army's position fell into chaos.

Amidst the white smoke, sudden explosions erupted again. Thousands of lead and stone bullets flew out, heavily pounding the Qing army's shields and armor. Even many of the Baoyi soldiers fell to the gunfire. A dozen Eight Banners cavalrymen on both wings were also injured in the battle, temporarily slowing the entire position's advance.

However, all this did not stop the Qing army's attack. Although the Ming army's firepower temporarily slowed down the Qing army's advance, under Bayala's command, the Qing army's attack did not stop.

As the white smoke on the front line gradually dissipated, Zhu Cilang ordered a counterattack again. He ordered the musketeers at the front of the formation to reorganize their formation from a horizontal formation to a vertical formation, preparing for the upcoming decisive battle.

At the same time, thousands of soldiers rushed out from the white smoke, like a sharp sword, quickly piercing the smoke, and rushed towards the Qing army's shield line in a tight formation.

Under the counterattack of the Ming army, the Qing army's positions also issued a rumbling sound of war drums. The Eight Banners cavalry quickly rushed out from both wings and pressed towards the Ming army's line like a storm.

At the same time, the Qing army's Baoyi soldiers also laid down their swords and spears, suddenly broke through the shield formation, and rushed straight into the Ming army's position. The forces of the two armies began to collide, and the entire battlefield became increasingly chaotic, with arrows flying, weapons clashing, and shouts of killing being heard continuously.

Despite significant flaws in the organization and discipline of the Qing army's baoyi soldiers, they relied on countless casualties to advance, leveraging their numerical superiority to press the Ming army's defenses tighter and tighter. The roar of muskets, the explosion of artillery, and the sound of flying arrows intertwined, and the battlefield was filled with the scent of blood and fire.

The two steel torrents finally collided in the center of the battlefield. The entire plain seemed to be shaken by this huge collision, like a sweeping storm, sweeping away everything. The battle situation became more and more complicated, the smoke filled the air, and the battlefield seemed like a sea of ​​blood.

Zhu Cilang gripped the reins tightly, his eyes sharp as he commanded the army to charge forward. At the moment when the Qing army's baoyi soldiers' formation was slightly disordered, the Ming army's cavalry quickly launched an attack, and their speed caught the enemy off guard.

The Ming infantry surged toward the front like a tide, striking like a thunderbolt, instantly forcing the Qing baoyi soldiers into retreat. Zhu Cilang, with his command, quickly seized the initiative and, for a time, pushed the enemy back into the shield line.

As the Qing baoyi soldiers were pinned down by the Ming infantry, the tide of battle seemed to be turning. However, the Eight Banners cavalry emerged from the baoyi formations and quickly penetrated the Ming lines, encircling and containing the attacking Ming cavalry. The Ming cavalry, entangled by the Qing cavalry, temporarily lost their momentum. Although the soldiers attempted to form a defensive line based on their formation, they gradually began to show flaws under the heavy blows of the Qing army.

They originally had a solid line of defense, but facing the joint attack of the Qing cavalry and the baoyi soldiers, the disadvantage in manpower was inevitable and the front began to waver.

At this moment, Zhu Cilang felt an unprecedented pressure. He realized that although he had once had the upper hand, the Qing army's cavalry advantage had gradually become apparent. Especially without the support of firearms, the infantry was extremely vulnerable in a direct confrontation with the cavalry.

The change in the battle situation was completely beyond his expectations. If he did not adjust his tactics quickly, he might soon fall into a passive situation. Meanwhile, Dorgon watched all this coldly from behind his own army, his heart filled with confidence and satisfaction.

He watched the Ming army's infantry line gradually collapse, his mouth curled up slightly, and a surge of ecstasy surged in his heart. For him, this moment was not only a victory in battle, but also the revenge he had waited for many years.

He knew that the Ming army initially thought that the attack of a few thousand Baoyi soldiers could destroy their positions, but they did not know that they had just fallen into a cleverly designed trap.

"The Ming army's continuous defeat is just like a rehearsal." Dorgon thought with a sneer.

For the Manchu cavalry, close combat was their forte, while discipline and courage constituted their trump card, which the Han army could not match. It was precisely with these advantages that the Manchu warriors were able to defeat the Ming army in a head-on confrontation and achieve an overwhelming victory.

"This is what truly determines victory or defeat on the battlefield!" Dorgon's eyes flashed with fighting spirit, and his command was sonorous and powerful: "All cavalry, prepare, charge!"

He immediately whipped his whip and advanced towards the Ming army position in front. At this time, the remaining 8,000 Eight Banners cavalry also began to assemble, ready to join Dorgon in this crucial offensive that would determine the outcome of the battle.

The Qing army's attack was like a beast out of a cage, swallowing up the world with all its might. The Ming army positions that had just been resisting stubbornly had now completely lost their original resistance.

The Ming cavalry led by Chen Fu were the first to be defeated under the fierce attack of the Qing army. They were originally the backbone of the Ming army, but faced with the overwhelming advantage of the Qing army's Eight Banners cavalry, their formation was once in chaos and their morale collapsed instantly.

Those soldiers who had been struggling to hold on were also forced to retreat under the pressure of the cavalry. At this moment, Chen Fulai said that he was overwhelmed by an indescribable sense of anxiety and powerlessness.

Although he tried his best to command the cavalry to organize a counterattack, under the powerful pressure of the Eight Banners cavalry, the Ming cavalry's paper-thin defense line began to collapse. As the Qing army continued to advance, it became increasingly difficult to control the situation.

The Ming cavalry, who were supposed to be the main force of the counterattack, fell one by one, were shot, or were caught up and hacked to pieces, and the retreat speed was getting faster and faster. The Qing cavalry continued to pursue, wielding their sharp blades, chasing the defeated Ming cavalry all the way, not letting go of any enemy left behind.

The Ming infantrymen who tried to escape were like traces left by a sharp blade, gradually disappearing in the pursuit of the pursuers. The Ming army's line was no longer a complete defense, but a scattered fragment. The infantrymen had their backs to the pursuing cavalry and were completely powerless to resist. They could only continue to stumble back in the rolling dust.

Chen Fu watched as more and more Ming soldiers fell, and his own cavalrymen were killed one after another, and he felt uneasy and hesitant. He knew that if he could not win this battle, the entire Ming army would be in great trouble and might even lose control of the Liaodong battlefield.

At this time, he could only hope for reinforcements from afar, however, it seemed too late.

Zhu Cilang commanded the troops from the front, his gaze as sharp as a hawk. Although he was filled with anxiety about the development of the war, he remained calm and resolute. He knew that his army needed to hold on and defend until they found an opportunity to counterattack.

Firearms remained his only hope, and every advance of the Qing army was intended to force the Ming army's position and create opportunities for subsequent counterattacks. However, the development of the war did not seem to be as he wished.

Under the constant pressure of the Qing cavalry, the Ming army's line became increasingly weak, and the enemy's forces attacked his army wave after wave, as if a huge net was slowly tightening, waiting to catch everyone in one fell swoop.

When the last wave of Qing cavalry completely broke through the Ming army's defenses, Chen Fu and his cavalry had no way to retreat. As the Ming army retreated across the board, the Qing troops that had once surrounded the Ming army on three sides now concentrated on the only remaining side.

The atmosphere on the entire battlefield was in chaos. The Qing army's iron hooves galloped across the plains, chasing the fleeing Ming soldiers, wielding their long swords mercilessly and launching a bloody massacre.

The Ming army's front line had collapsed, morale was completely lost, and groups of defeated soldiers fled in all directions, but the Qing army still pursued them like wild beasts, slashing with swords and trampling with horses. Corpses were everywhere, and blood was spilled all over the ground.

Chen Fu stood on his horse, a mixture of emotions welling up in his chest. He looked back and saw a group of Ming soldiers attempting to escape, only to be overtaken and quickly slaughtered by Qing cavalry. With almost no chance of resistance, the Ming soldiers were mowed down like leeks, their bodies swiftly trampled into a pulp by the galloping horses behind them.

The sight of blood and flesh flying everywhere made him feel like his heart was being cut by a knife, but the current situation did not allow him to retreat or hesitate at all, otherwise how could he make the fake look real?

"For the sake of the overall situation, this is the price I have to pay." Chen Fu muttered to himself, his voice almost gritting his teeth.

There is never any room for turning back in war. On the battlefield, every decision is a gamble of life and death. In this ever-changing battlefield, there is no room for indecision.

(End of this chapter)