Strategy for the Revitalization of the Late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 383 Cavalry Appears
Furthermore, since Hong Xu's army was using cavalry as the primary attacking tactic, if the cavalry broke through the defenses, the consequences would be disastrous. To avoid direct losses in a head-on confrontation, Zheng Hongkui decided not to fight head-on here, but instead chose to stall the battle, seeking further delays while waiting for Li Xiaolin's reinforcements to arrive.

At this critical moment, Zheng Hongkui quickly commanded the vanguard to meet the enemy, relying on the mobility of the vanguard cavalry to pin down the Hong army's vanguard. At the same time, he ordered his generals to lead more than a hundred cavalry to assist in the battle, further hindering the Hong army's advance.

Zheng Hongkui understood that while this battle was difficult, it wasn't irreversible. As long as he could buy enough time for Li Xiaolin's incoming reinforcements, the situation could turn around. To further stall, he even dispatched over thirty of his retainers and cavalry, commanding them to disperse and harass the Hong army's two wings.

In this way, the Hong army's forces were dispersed, and the speed of the attack would naturally be restricted.

At the same time, Zheng Hongkui personally led the main force, maintaining its formation while slowly retreating eastward, tempting Hong Xu to send out an intercepting force. If he could successfully lure the main force of the Hong army to attack, he would be able to welcome Li Xiaolin's reinforcements in a more favorable position.

However, all this did not go as Zheng Hongkui had hoped. Hong Xu's tactics were equally meticulous. Not only did he anticipate that Zheng Hongkui would adopt this retreat strategy, but he had also already deployed outflanking troops on the east side of the valley, ready to encircle and annihilate the enemy's remaining troops at their most vulnerable moment.

Although the Hong army's strength was not as strong as Zheng Hongkui's, the Hong army's cavalry was flexible and maneuverable in this narrow river valley, fully utilizing the terrain to force Zheng Hongkui into a passive position. Even though Hong Xu's troops were far inferior to Zheng's, the situation here prevented Zheng's advantages from being fully utilized.

However, Zheng Hongkui still has thousands of "human shields" in his hands - most of these soldiers are from the people. Although their combat effectiveness is not strong, they are enough to consume the manpower of the Hong army and create opportunities for the real main force.

The shouts and cries of killing on the hillside were getting louder and louder. Zheng Hongkui's eyes were always looking towards the vast river valley leading to the east, hoping to see Li Xiaolin's reinforcements arrive soon and completely change the course of this war.

At the same time, Li Xiaolin's troops were also speeding up. Although they had successfully driven away Hong Xu's scouts, there was still a certain distance between the two armies, and Li Xiaolin's troops had not yet completely approached.

If Zheng Hongkui's main force could not withstand Hong Xu's offensive at this time, the entire situation would fall into an extremely unfavorable situation.

"If we can delay for a moment, we can turn the tables." The cold sweat on Zheng Hongkui's forehead quietly slid down.

Zheng Hongkui's retainers were renowned for their elite strength. These battle-hardened warriors were not only well-equipped but also well-prepared. Upon receiving orders from their officers, they charged into battle without hesitation.

At this time, more than a hundred soldiers in the vanguard were following closely behind. The two worked together and used precise volleys of arrows to quickly interrupt the original overwhelming offensive momentum of Hong Xu's troops.

Hong Xu's ambush had not yet fully formed, and the militiamen, lacking armored guards, fell one after another under the baptism of arrows, with deafening screams. The militiamen in these places still held on to a glimmer of hope at the beginning, and seemed to have some morale.

But once they encountered a counterattack, they were virtually defenseless. After suffering dozens of casualties, their position began to falter, and morale plummeted. Had it not been for Hong Xu personally leading the charge, accompanied closely by his elite "veteran soldiers," these inexperienced militiamen would have been routed long ago.

This battle once again proved an ironclad fact: such improvised, poorly trained troops were completely ineffective on a real battlefield, especially when pressed by the enemy's elite forces, where their weakness and vulnerability were fully exposed. Although these militiamen served as "human shields" for Hong Xu's army, mitigating the losses of their elite soldiers, they were unable to maintain the stability of the entire battle.

Hong Xu knew that his "old soldiers," though battle-hardened and well-equipped, were not omnipotent. Facing Zheng Hongkui's powerful and well-trained troops, the veterans were under tremendous pressure.

In the process of fighting against Zheng's army, Hong's blocking troops gradually felt exhausted. With the increase in casualties and the disadvantage in troop strength, their combat effectiveness gradually declined, and the situation began to develop in an unfavorable direction.

In the end, despite the fierce confrontation between the two sides, the Hong army's blocking troops were still unable to effectively stop Zheng Hongkui's main force. They could only fight and retreat, trying to maintain their formation.

Hong Xu didn't rush to a conclusion. He knew that if he could continue to suppress Zheng Hongkui's main force and force it to retreat to a more unfavorable terrain, he would have a greater advantage in the subsequent battles. To obtain more information, he decided to continue observing and waiting, trying to find a breakthrough in this battle.

After nearly two quarters of an hour of fierce fighting, Zheng Hongkui's troops finally began to show signs of fatigue and began to retreat to the wide river valley flatland to the east. Seeing the situation turn around, Hong Xu secretly rejoiced that his ambush plan seemed to be successful.

However, Zheng Hongkui's reaction was not as slow as he had expected. Hong Xu led an ambush force, originally preparing to attack the enemy if they retreated to unfavorable terrain. However, he soon discovered that Zheng Hongkui's main force did not seem to be in a hurry to withdraw. Instead, they were deliberately adjusting their formation in the rear, as if waiting for a certain opportunity.

Hong Xu finally realized that he might have made a judgment too prematurely and was too eager to attack, which led to him acting rashly before the battle situation was fully clear.

Therefore, Hong Xu decided to wait again and observe Zheng Hongkui's next move. He ordered his troops to reorganize, remain vigilant, and slow down the advance.

At this moment, Zheng Hongkui's main force had successfully retreated from the narrow river valley area and entered the more open plains to the east. Hong Xu's eyes fixed. If he continued to delay, his ambush might miss the best opportunity. Just as he was about to mobilize the ambush, another Hong army's flanking force quietly approached from the side and rear of the valley.

Hong Xu's trap seemed to have the conditions for success, but Zheng Hongkui reacted extremely quickly at this time. After knowing the enemy's intention, he decisively ordered to keep the formation unchanged. On the one hand, he was on guard against the enemy's surprise attack, and on the other hand, he gradually retreated to the flat ground to relieve the pressure on the front line.

This move caught Hong Xu off guard. Not only that, Zheng Hongkui also deliberately chose a location that could effectively delay time, forcing Hong Xu's original ambush troops to readjust their positions.

When Hong Xu's ambush troops were finally ready to launch an attack, Zheng Hongkui's retreat had entered its final stage. Under his pre-set tactics, the Hong army's blocking troops also began to gradually retreat, trying to reorganize their formation to prepare for the fierce battle that was about to begin.

However, Hong Xu did not relax his vigilance because of Zheng Hongkui's retreat. He immediately ordered his ambush troops to speed up and prepare for a head-on attack. His goal was to quickly force Zheng Hongkui's troops to make a decision and force them into a more unfavorable situation.

Seeing the opportunity to retreat, the ambushing troops charged without hesitation, their roars resonating like thunder as they charged down upon the slowly retreating Zheng army with overwhelming force. Seeing the situation gradually gaining favor, Hong Xu directed his main force to continue advancing. Despite Zheng Hongkui's fierce resistance against the sudden onslaught, the disparity in strength made the battle extremely brutal. When Hong Xu's second wave of ambushes descended the gentle slopes south of the valley, the entire battlefield descended into chaos.

Hong Xu's soldiers surged forward in waves, filling the mountains and plains with their might, putting immense pressure on Zheng Hongkui's troops. Facing a battle with virtually no escape route, Zheng Hongkui knew his troops would either break through or face total annihilation.

His heartbeat intensified, but his calm mind remained focused as he awaited Li Xiaolin's army. Hong Xu's army had already gained the upper hand in their confrontation with Zheng Hongkui, but when the flags of their rear camp fluttered, their morale soared like a shot of chicken blood.

The Hong army's "outflanking" strategy successfully impacted the Zheng army's front line, instantly giving the Hong army the upper hand. Especially with the addition of those poorly trained migrant soldiers who only knew how to cover their rear, Hong Xu's camp seemed to have an overwhelming advantage.

But in fact, although Hong Xu's army had the upper hand in terms of manpower on paper, the combat effectiveness and training gap of most of the militia meant that the outcome of this battle would not be so simple.

In contrast, although the combat capabilities of Zheng Hongkui's soldiers are generally stronger than Hong Xu's migrant soldiers, and they even have stronger infantry and cavalry forces, they still need the right opportunity to easily tear through Hong Xu's defense line.

At this time, the two sides were engaged in a fierce offensive and defensive battle, and the outcome of the battle had not yet been decided. The entire valley was filled with the smell of killing, corpses began to pile up in front of the two armies, and the smell of blood filled the air.

Hong Xu's army's flanking troops rushed down the hillside continuously. As each wave of attack unfolded, they quickly adjusted their formation, trying to suppress Zheng's army with a denser battle line.

However, these improvised migrant soldiers were extremely chaotic during their charge, especially at the foot of the mountain. Almost every charge was accompanied by a stampede, and some even lost control and scattered in all directions. However, this chaos did not shake the Hong army's confidence. After all, they believed that victory was only a matter of time.

Wu Yao and Liang Chao then realized that the Hong army's formation had developed significant flaws from the continuous charge, especially among the inexperienced troops, who were showing significant problems with command and coordination. Seizing this opportunity, the two quietly led dozens of their cavalry and circumvented the Hong army's flank.

The choice of this location can not only effectively avoid a head-on confrontation with the "field army", but also buy more time for future support from Hong Xu's main force.

"Victory is near." Wu Yao couldn't help but sigh in his heart, and he glanced at the battlefield ahead.

Hong Xu was riding on a horse, and the flag had quietly risen from the depths of the valley, followed closely by a dozen personal soldiers, looking majestic.

However, just as Wu Yao and Liang Chao's troops were preparing to march southeast to rendezvous with Hong Xu, a deafening sound of horse hooves suddenly rang out from the other side of the valley. Almost instantly, the atmosphere on the battlefield became tense and oppressive. Amidst the billowing dust, a fiercely prepared army suddenly charged out from the other side.

The army's formation was as solid as a rock, with infantrymen holding shields and spearmen lined up, like a Great Wall of Steel heading towards Hong Xu's army.

"What's going on?" Hong Xu's eyes suddenly widened. What he saw was almost unbelievable to him.

Li Xiaolin rode into battle, his "field army" rapidly gathering around him. Commanded by drums and bugles, they charged like wild beasts. Soldiers from six divisions quickly deployed, forming a broad front. The ranks of infantry, shields raised high, spears like a forest, their measured steps and the deafening crack of rifles practically blocked the entire flat valley.

Li Xiaolin, wearing elite armor, came with an imposing aura as vast as a mountain. His army was like an indestructible steel spear, aiming directly at Hong Xu's flank.

"Formation! Line up!" Hong Xu's face suddenly changed. He realized that his plan seemed to have been disrupted.

Li Xiaolin's army was clearly not the opponent the Hong army had initially anticipated. Their formation was neat and imposing, completely unlike any enemy Hong Xu had ever encountered. The two armies were already very close, and Li Xiaolin's infantry quickly began to advance. The troops, wearing black helmets and red tassels, rushed forward like a tide, almost completely covering Hong Xu's formation.

Li Xiaolin's army was not simply a combination of infantry and cavalry, but an elite force that had undergone long-term training and was strictly disciplined. His two rows of sword and shield soldiers were especially powerful, with almost no one able to withstand them.

The sword and shield soldiers were arranged in two rows, their shields densely packed like a solid wall of steel, their blades razor-sharp. Their neat formation and attacking pace made the Hong Xu army appear exceptionally vulnerable. Following closely behind them was a row of four spearmen, standing straight, their spears raised high, unstoppable.

Li Xiaolin did not rush to launch a full-scale attack. Instead, he relied on his powerful formation to suppress the kinetic energy of Hong Xu's army and quickly surrounded the flanks of Hong's army.

The Hong army's original strategy of encirclement and suppression became precarious at this moment. Faced with such strong resistance, Hong Xu's army was slow to respond and many soldiers had fallen into panic.

"Quick! Fight back! Retreat! Don't panic!" Hong Xu's eyes turned red with anxiety, but he soon discovered that his orders did not seem to be able to effectively organize troops to counterattack.

In this vast river valley, Li Xiaolin's military formation covered almost all the gaps, while Hong Xu's army seemed increasingly vulnerable due to the disordered command and chaotic formation.

Li Xiaolin's personal guards had already broken through the Hong Army's first line of defense. His sharp eyes quickly identified the flaws in the Hong Xu Army's formation and ordered increased suppression. His "field army" pushed forward with all their might. The clash of swords and guns echoed through the valley, and the Hong Xu Army's front began to crumble in an instant.

(End of this chapter)