Strategy for the Revitalization of the Late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 384 Defeat
Hong Xu's initial illusion of victory was ruthlessly shattered by reality, and the situation on the battlefield took a sharp turn for the worse, with danger lurking everywhere.

At this time, Li Xiaolin was leading his army to gradually compress the living space of the Hong army.

You know, Hong Xu's army is full of a large number of newly recruited refugees, who often collapse and fall apart immediately when faced with adversity. However, Li Xiaolin still maintains a high degree of vigilance and decides to send the few scout cavalry in his army to the two wings.

This was to disrupt the morale of the Hong army through a quick attack, thereby creating chaos and disrupting the enemy's position.

Li Xiaolin understood that although the main force of the Hong army was not strong, once the enemy was given a chance to breathe, they would likely counterattack and cause greater losses.

He knew very well that the most feared thing in marching and fighting was carelessness, especially underestimating the enemy and advancing rashly. This momentary contempt would often lead to the destruction of the army.

Therefore, even though the situation seemed under control, he remained highly alert and took every step carefully.

At the same time, Wu Yao and Liang Chao, with their troops, had been quietly lurking inside the Hong army. They deliberately chose a position that was easily overlooked and stuck in the middle of the Hong army's formation.

Wu Yao and Liang Chao knew clearly that the Hong army was in chaos, with scattered troops and low morale. Their task was to find opportunities to disrupt the formation and expand the chaos at this critical moment.

The troops they led were not elite and were all Hong troops. Their goal was not to engage in a head-on confrontation with the Hong army, but to disrupt the enemy's formation, disrupt the morale and command of the Hong army, and put the enemy into a state of chaos.

This force consisted of only a few dozen elite soldiers, and behind them were a large number of local militiamen who had fallen behind to avoid the battle.

Most of the militia had already scattered when faced with real combat, and the remaining ones were just inexperienced soldiers with extremely limited striking power.

At this moment, Wu Yao and Liang Chao had to quickly decide on their next move, because they were only three hundred steps away from the main force of the Ming army.

They nervously observed the movements of the Hong army. Through the gradually dispersing enemy lines, they could see the "field army" charging array surging like a black torrent in the distance.

That was the elite force of Li Xiaolin's army, well-equipped and extremely powerful. Wu Yao and Liang Chao couldn't help but feel nervous.

Although their hidden position inside the Hong Army is not easy to be detected, once the "field army" arrives and starts to attack, they will be in unprecedented danger.

At this time, the two looked at each other tacitly, and they all understood that their key task was to take the opportunity to create chaos, so that the remaining soldiers could be defeated, and then take the opportunity to find an opportunity to approach Hong Xu's main force.

Once they can successfully get close, they can take the opportunity to launch a surprise attack, disrupt Hong Xujun's command and morale, and help Li Xiaolin achieve the final victory.

However, Wu Yao and Liang Chao did not believe that this hastily assembled Hong Army could withstand the attack of the "Field Army".

After a long period of training, the field army's training level had far surpassed that of the Hong army, which had no combat experience. Especially at the beginning of the battle, the Hong army's soldiers were not fully aligned, and their tactics were disorganized, making them unable to cope with the field army's attack.

At the same time, the supervisors of Hong Xu's army were also ready to fight. If the situation was unfavorable at this time, the supervisors would inevitably cause panic among the soldiers, leading to the collapse of the entire formation.

Not only that, the Ming army's scout cavalry had quietly circled around the rear of the Hong army and began to attack their rear, cutting off their retreat route.

Li Xiaolin's tactics had been prepared long ago. The cavalry entered the enemy camp first and created chaos.

The Hong army's scouts obviously did not expect that this Ming cavalry could appear behind them so quickly, cutting off their retreat route. The defeat of the Hong army seemed inevitable.

These Ming cavalry scouts were experienced, adept at both horseback archery and close combat. Even in head-to-head battles with the Hong army, the Ming cavalry held their own, especially when the Hong army failed to fully form a battle array, demonstrating their mobility to the fullest.

As rounds of arrows were shot, the Ming cavalry began to gallop and quickly approached the Hong army's position.

As the battle progressed, the Hong army's front was increasingly compressed, and many soldiers who were supposed to hold their positions fled in all directions in the face of the attack.

Seeing this, Wu Yao and Liang Chao knew that the time had come, so they immediately ordered their soldiers to disperse, taking the opportunity to mix with the defeated soldiers of the Hong army and advance to the rear.

As the battle progresses, the resistance of the Hong army gradually collapses, and the tasks of Wu Yao and Liang Chao gradually become clear - they must seize this opportunity to quickly find Hong Xu's main force and help Li Xiaolin defeat the Hong army in one fell swoop and completely reverse the situation.

Most of the Hong Army, composed of local militia, were not equipped with armor, and even lacked shields. They could only rely on their fragile bodies and thin equipment to resist the enemy's attacks.

At first, the Ming army's archers began firing frantically, with sharp arrows raining down like raindrops, piercing the air and piercing the Hong army's positions. Although the arrows were not extremely accurate, their number was extremely large, and the sound of the bowstrings was like thunder.

Soon, shrill screams rang out from the front. The local militia, who had been holding their ground, collapsed instantly under the hail of arrows. More than a dozen soldiers fell like slain prey, blood splattering and howling in agony.

These poorly trained militiamen completely lost their fighting capacity under these circumstances, and their charging formation quickly became chaotic. Fear spread like a plague, spreading from the battle in the front to the rear. Some soldiers began to flee in panic, while others were at a loss as to what to do.

The army's morale was shaken, the front began to crumble, and the situation took a sharp turn for the worse. Some of Hong Xu's veterans, seeing this situation, could not help but feel anxious. If they did not act decisively at this time, the entire army would be defeated in the chaos.

Their opponents, the Ming cavalry, were obviously not as easy to deal with as this group of militia.

At this time, Hong Xu's two adjutants decisively led dozens of experienced soldiers to attack the local militiamen who fell behind and ran slowly. These militiamen were forced to fight like pigs and were hacked to death one by one. The scene was extremely bloody.

"Kill them!" An officer waved his spear and led his soldiers to ruthlessly tear open the militia's defense line.

These veterans, clad in iron armor and armed with spears, rushed into the enemy camp like a moving iron wall in this chaotic battlefield.

The local militia was simply unable to withstand their attack. Although some soldiers fought hard, the training gap was too great, and many fell before they even had the chance to draw their weapons.

Hong Xu had already grasped the urgency of the situation. As a seasoned general, he knew that if he couldn't control the situation in time, the entire army would likely collapse in the chaos. Unfortunately, the troops he relied on were mostly untrained recruits, and the veterans, while experienced, weren't invincible. Especially in the face of a sudden Ming attack, even with the restraint of the veterans, they might not be able to hold the army steady.

Hong Xu immediately ordered Tang Ma to advance, attempting to inform his officers to quickly organize a retreat, ensuring they could at least take away some of their elite troops to preserve their strength. However, the time left for retreat was extremely tight, leaving little time to organize an effective response.

Hong Xu was anxious, but he knew that no matter how urgent or fierce the order was, it would not be possible for the entire army to react in an instant.

At this moment, curses and cries of killing mingled from behind him, and the soldiers' fear swept through the entire camp like a storm. The appearance of the Ming army further disorganized Hong Xu's already exhausted army, gradually disrupting their rhythm and completely disrupting their original attack plan.

As the Ming army approached, Hong Xu's army finally lost all order under the attack of the "field army". The charging force had been divided into several small teams, and most of these teams were no longer able to organize an effective counterattack.

The veterans in the army tried their best to maintain the most basic order, but they were unable to curb the trend of disintegration in the army.

"The formation is broken! Broke!" an adjutant shouted at the top of his lungs.

Although he tried his best to control the situation and tried to restrain the soldiers with orders, the effect was minimal.

At this moment, the Ming army's offensive came like a tide, and the right side of Hong Xu's army began to flee. Most of the soldiers were completely frightened and no longer dared to fight the enemy.

Some elite troops that were supposed to be in the battle had already begun to retreat en masse. However, the most fatal blow came from the side.

While Hong Xu's troops were still struggling to maintain their formation, the Ming army launched a powerful attack from the flank. The shield soldiers formed a neat defensive line, their spears like a forest, their tips flashing coldly. Every thrust was accompanied by the soldiers' cries and blood.

The local militia had no protection at all. They had not yet fully recovered from the arrow injuries they had just suffered when they encountered close-range hand-to-hand combat.

These unarmored militiamen were unable to withstand the sharp weapons of the Ming army. The attacks of swords, spears, axes and halberds made it impossible for them to resist.

The weapons charged with force, sharp and swift. Every blow and every spear was like a messenger of death, stripping them of everything they had. Blood flowed freely, flesh flew everywhere, and screams, cries, and cries for help intertwined, plunging the entire battlefield into a bloody chaos.

Seeing this, some local militia turned and fled in desperation, but just as they tried to leave the battlefield, they were blocked by the soldiers behind them. The soldiers on both sides were already pushing each other, and the chaos in the army formation had reached an irreversible point.

Under the fierce attack of the "Field Army", Hong Xu's army completely collapsed, and the most tragic scene occurred - the veterans on the left were preparing to counterattack, but the right side was stuck in the rout. As a result, the teams on both sides squeezed each other, forming a stalemate.

This battle, from its initial complications to its final complete defeat, was already a foregone conclusion. Hong Xu responded quickly under his command, but it was obviously too late.

All the prepared plans and response strategies became pale and powerless in the face of the sudden attack and the chaos in their own camp.

All this gradually led to an irreversible end under the ruthless advancement of the Ming army.

Although there were still some veterans in Hong Xu's army who had experienced several uprisings and bandit suppressions in the Fuzhou area, they were still able to engage in fierce battles with the enemy with their combat experience and personal martial arts, and even occupy a place in the melee.

However, the enemies these veterans face today are no longer those scattered militias or ragtag armies.

The elite troops under Zheng Hongkui's command - the field army, have complete military formations and elite troops. They are well-trained and can cooperate tacitly in combat, forming an iron wall-like barrier between offense and defense.

The combat effectiveness of Hong Xu's army once frightened the enemy for a period of time, especially when suppressing rebellions and bandits, they repeatedly won victories with their rich experience and indomitable fighting spirit.

But now, Hong Xu’s army’s forces are mixed with the militia, especially with the addition of a large number of local militia. Although the number has increased, the overall combat effectiveness has been greatly weakened.

Most of the local militias have not received professional military training. They are only temporarily mobilized to maintain local security. Faced with the oppression of regular troops, they have almost no power to resist.

These militiamen are often afraid and become panicked when they see the enemy approaching. They may even start trampling on each other, losing basic order and coordination.

What's worse is that these militiamen are not just a group of guerrillas. Their psychological qualities are uneven. Many of them even hesitate in sudden battles, and when faced with strong enemies, they fall into extreme panic.

Upon seeing this, Zheng Hongkui adjusted his deployment without hesitation and commanded all the hundreds of soldiers originally used for defense to launch a counterattack.

With his order, the elite troops of Zheng army quickly formed a formation, and the cavalry attacked, launching a tidal attack.

Faced with the sudden counterattack, the morale of Hong Xu's army completely collapsed, and the once aggressive formation was torn apart in an instant.

The originally indestructible battle line collapsed in an instant under the offensive of Zheng's elite army. Seeing that their army was out of control, the soldiers of Hong Xu's army began to retreat.

With screams and wails, the defeated soldiers of the Hong Army rushed back like a tide. The local militia who had never experienced such a brutal battle had already fallen into panic. They no longer cared about honor and loyalty, and only wanted a way to survive.

The veterans of Hong Xu's army also made a calm decision at this moment - they did not fight to the death, but took the opportunity to retreat.

After all, rather than perishing together with these inexperienced local militiamen on this chaotic battlefield, it is better to take the opportunity to escape and perhaps save your life.

"Retreat! Retreat quickly!" The officers in Hong Xu's army shouted in panic.

Faced with the tide of fleeing soldiers, Zheng Hongkui did not relax his vigilance at all. He knew that victory or defeat on the battlefield was often determined by the final counterattack.

If the pursuit is not accelerated at this time, the veterans of Hong Xu's army may reorganize the counterattack force in the chaos, and even bring unexpected trouble to Zheng's army.

"Brothers! Killing the enemy only takes a moment, let's pursue the victory!" Zheng Hongkui's voice was sonorous and powerful, and he waved his sword and pointed it forward.

(End of this chapter)