Strategy for the Revitalization of the Late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 92: The Qing Army's Defenses Broken

Chapter 92: The Qing Army's Defenses Broken

Although Duoduo was not the best at fighting among Nurhaci's sons, he had many brave generals and tens of thousands of strong soldiers under his command. The Huai River had many tributaries and stretched for thousands of miles. Wading through the river was not a difficult task for him.

Although Zhu Cilang had cavalry and a navy that could move like the wind in the flooded Huai River and constantly harass the Qing army, he was unable to completely block the small groups of Qing cavalry from crossing the river from different locations at the same time.

Almost overnight, Duoduo sent thousands of cavalrymen with three days' worth of dry food from Jingshan to the river section of Xincheng Village, divided into more than a dozen groups, hoping to force a quick crossing.

However, all the bridges over the Huai River had been demolished long ago, and the ferry crossings on the north bank had all been burned down. Although Duoduo acted as if he was determined to win, he still could not change the reality that the ferry crossings needed to be rebuilt.

As a result, thousands of Eight Banners cavalrymen who were originally full of high morale wasted a day because the surrounding trees had already been cut down by the Ming army, and the Qing army had to go to farther places to look for wood.

If Duoduo had not made some preparations in advance, it would probably be more than just a wasted day.

The navy sent by Zhu Cilang frequently attacked at this time, braving the artillery positions deployed by the Qing army on the river bank, and constantly interfered with the Qing army's river crossing operations.

Not only that, the infantry and cavalry of the Tianqi Camp and the Jing Camp also launched an attack on the scattered Qing troops who were sneaking across the river. The infantry even set up Portuguese cannons and bombarded the Qing troops on the opposite bank who were rebuilding the ferry and trying to cross the river.

Most of the section of the Huai River from Jingshan to Xincheng Village is only more than 200 steps wide. Even if the distance to the artillery positions is taken into account, the Qing troops near the shore are still within the range of the Ming army.

Although the Qing army had built a lot of shield carts in advance, they still suffered a considerable blow and had to bring in their cannons. The two sides then engaged in a fierce exchange of attacks across the Huai River.

Under the joint obstruction of the Palace Army and the Navy, the Qing army's actions were hindered and its repeated raids were repelled. However, the Palace Army had limited cavalry, and Zhu Cilang only wanted to wear down the Qing army's morale. After two days of obstruction, he withdrew.

The Qing army eventually lost more than 300 cavalry, more than 200 infantry, and several artillery pieces, and it took another two days before they were finally able to cross the Huai River smoothly.

But Duoduo never expected that when Zhu Cilang ordered the Palace Army to retreat, he laid hundreds of large and cost-effective mines made of sufficient materials on the west bank of the river. As soon as the Qing cavalry landed, someone stepped on them and exploded them.

After more than a dozen explosions were heard in succession and dozens of Qing cavalry were killed or injured, the morale of the Qing army's vanguard was obviously hit, and many cavalry did not dare to gallop on their horses for a while.

Soon, the Qing army crossing the river began to drive the captured civilians to explore the way, but this method was useless. One person stepping on it could not create enough pressure to light the flint, and in the end they still had to ride horses to pave the way, which caused the Qing army to lose dozens of horses.

However, these mines are basically made using ancient Pharaoh technology, and the technical level needs to be improved. Not only are the triggers insensitive, but the ignition of the flint is also very unstable. The most critical thing is that the ignition rate is less than 20%, and the quality is worrying.

But precisely because of the poor quality, even though the Qing army had sent people to explore the road, many landmines could not be discovered. Then, when they were stepped on by cavalry next time, they would suddenly ignite and explode with a "boom".

As a result, the sudden explosions that occurred from time to time made the Qing soldiers crossing the river feel insecure and extremely nervous. Many of them even developed psychological trauma and only dared to continue marching by holding their horses.

Of course, such a little trick did not cause much actual damage to the Qing army, but it made Duoduo, Bolo, Tunqi and others so angry that they gritted their teeth and wished to tear Zhu Cilang to pieces.

As the main force of the Qing army crossed the river, its troops in Huainan quickly gained an absolute advantage. The gap in strength between the two sides was too large. Zhu Cilang was unwilling to waste his precious cavalry, so he immediately ordered the Tianqi Battalion to withdraw into the city, and the navy continued to look for opportunities to harass.

After crossing the river, the Qing army immediately occupied a piece of flat land on the southern foot of Tushan Mountain and intended to set up a camp there.

But the areas near Tushan had also been cut down and burned by the Ming army long ago. There was not a single tree on the entire mountain except for the top. If the Qing army wanted to set up camp, they had to look for wood from other places.

It was not until the evening of the second day after crossing the river that the five large camps of the Qing army were basically completed on the plains in the southwest and west directions of Fengyang City. The scattered soldiers sent out to collect wood and firewood even had to ride horses, which made these Qing soldiers complain repeatedly and feel suffocated.

However, the military literacy of these Eight Banners soldiers was still very high. Zhu Cilang subsequently sent cavalry to harass them many times, but failed to achieve any breakthrough.

At the end of the Shen period on the second day, the main force of the Qing army began to cross the river on a large scale. Tens of thousands of soldiers and horses crossed the river in a mighty manner across more than a dozen pontoon bridges. Dozens of large camps also spread from the southwest, west to the south, and east of Fengyang City.

On the plains around Fengyang, thousands and thousands of laborers and bondservants, densely packed like black dots, were holding tools, digging trenches and setting up wooden fences.

In the direction of Huaiyuan, countless troops were coming in continuously. Some pontoon bridges were being reinforced in preparation for transporting red cannons. From the artillery positions nearby, rumbling sounds were heard continuously. The Ming navy tried to harass, but was eventually repelled.

At the same time, in the north of Fengyang, Nikanzheng led the Qing army and set up five large camps in the north of Fengyang City according to the original plan. Two Jiala Eight Banners soldiers and more than 5,000 surrendered soldiers were stationed there. Together with the Qing army in Huainan, they surrounded Fengyang on all sides.

After the battles in the previous few days, Duoduo became more cautious and sent more than 2,000 soldiers to Mengcheng. On the second day after the army set up camp, they set out north, preparing to establish a transit station based in Mengcheng to ensure the transportation of food and military supplies.

The Qing army lacked ships, and the transportation route from Henan to Fengyang required huge manpower. Going south along the Woshui River, although the terrain was flat, the transportation relied on civilians carrying goods on their shoulders or using pack horses, and the consumption was still huge.

During this period, Zhu Cilang also began to send out scouts to harass the Qing army again. Although he was aware of the Qing army's actions in these directions, he was unable to take measures to stop them for the time being.

There were more than 100,000 Qing troops outside the city, most of whom were elite warriors who were brave and good at fighting. With his current strength, he would be no match for them if he went out of the city and fought in a random battle.

You should know that in addition to the moat and artificial fortifications connecting the Huai River in the north and the Haoshui River in the east, Fengyang also has Tushan and Haotang Mountain, which are more than 30 miles away in the west and south. The other places are basically flat plains.

This was a huge advantage for the Qing army, which had an advantage in manpower and was mainly composed of cavalry. But for the Ming army, without the cover of the city walls, fighting outside the city would be tantamount to suicide.

The Ming army's surprise attack and counterattack could only be stopped when they saw the opportunity, especially after Duoduo quickly organized a large counterattack force.

Therefore, the battle between the two sides was not fierce, and there were not many casualties. The generals sent by Zhu Cilang strictly followed the predetermined plan, and the force of each attack was not great.

The morale of the troops in the city is indeed high now, but Zhu Cilang cannot be arrogant, otherwise it will be a disaster for the Jianghuai War.

He had less than 3,000 elite cavalrymen in the city, so they naturally could not fight against the Qing army outside the city. However, as long as he continued to wear down the enemy, and when their food and grass gradually dried up and the temperature rose in June and July, the Qing army's combat effectiveness would gradually weaken, and that would be the time for him to launch a thundering attack.

However, cavalry battles between the two sides outside the city and in the surrounding mountains and fields were still inevitable. Although the Ming army was temporarily unable to go out of the city in an organized manner for field battles, it was still more than enough to send some elite cavalry to confront the Qing army and prevent the other side's reconnaissance and provocations.

Of course, Zhu Cilang still maintained considerable restraint. Under his orders, Chang Denggui, Chen Fu, Hu Maozhen, Tian Xiong, Bai Yongfu and others took turns training troops and continuously sent out scouts for raids.

Their actions were very cautious and irregular, and the Qing army was completely unable to defend against them.

This was naturally within the expectations of Duoduo and others. The Qing army continued to strengthen the barracks and dig fortifications while beginning to conduct reconnaissance in the south. At the same time, they began to dig trenches and set traps in some areas outside Fengyang City to isolate the Ming army in the city.

Duoduo and a group of Manchu nobles and generals stood on the newly built platform south of Fengyang City, looking at the magnificent Fengyang City in the north, which looked like a sleeping beast, without saying a word.

Fengyang City originally had three city walls. As long as there were strong soldiers guarding it, it would be absolutely difficult to conquer. Now that such a huge fortification has been built on the periphery, the two outer earth walls alone are not easy to take.

Duoduo had some battlefield experience. He knew that the earth wall looked less than two meters high, but there was a trench more than two meters wide outside the wall. If he set up a ladder to get there, the length would probably be more than three meters high.

Not only that, the outer layer of those earth walls actually has jagged protrusions, and there is a small watchtower every hundred steps on the wall. Between the watchtowers are half-person-high breastworks, with a large number of firearms deployed in them. The black muzzles are daunting.

These cannons were incredibly effective against shield carts and were the key to the city's defense. Even with cannons, it wasn't easy to bring down such a thick earthen wall. However, the muskets and cannons on the wall, from their high position, made it easy to repel the attacking army.

However, there was no trace of anger on his face at this moment, only two big dark circles under his eyes were particularly eye-catching, as if he had not had a good sleep for many days.

The Ming army demonstrated strong combat effectiveness and a strong desire to attack in these scattered battles, which was a huge blow to the Qing army, which had been harassed by landmines and various hidden weapons since crossing the river and besieging the city.

After going through untold hardships and spending almost three days, they finally repelled the Ming army that was blocking their way across the river and arrived at the city of Fengyang. The fighting spirit they had built up since the southern expedition seemed to have been exhausted in the preliminary battle that had just ended.

Duoduo looked at Bolo, Tulai, Kong Youde and others with serious expressions, then looked at Nikan who was eager to try, gathered several people together, and finally set his sights on Tulai.

This veteran general has been very calm and reliable throughout the entire southern expedition. Among all the generals in the army, he trusts Tulai the most.

"Tulai, if we concentrate thirty red cannons to knock down this outer earthen wall, how long will it take?"

"This earthen wall is probably nearly two zhang thick. Scouts have discovered the trench outside is over ten zhang deep. Emperor Ming must have mobilized over 100,000 men and spent the better part of half a year building it. If we rely solely on artillery to bring it down, I'm afraid we won't have enough ammunition for the rest of the siege."

Tulai frowned. He had been sending more scouts to approach the earthen walls outside Fengyang for reconnaissance in the past two days. However, as more news about Fengyang's city defense came in, his mood became heavier.

"Moreover, on the plain outside the earth wall, the Ming army has dug countless ditches, crisscrossing each other. The densely packed pits on the outermost edge are used to block the rapid advance of our shield carts. Those horse-blocking ditches should not be underestimated.

If we don't resolve these obstacles in advance, even if we bring down the earth wall, the army won't be able to advance quickly and take the opportunity to attack the city.

The Ming army deployed so many firearms on the earthen wall, relying on the terrain and blocking the enemy layer by layer, it would be easy for them to buy time to repair the collapsed earthen wall.

"So, we have to think of some clever tricks, otherwise we will fall into Emperor Ming's trap." Duoduo took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down.

Tulai's meaning was actually very clear. If he wanted to attack by force, he had to be prepared to lose soldiers and consume ammunition. He had to fight hard and clear the obstacles on the outside first, buy time to transport more gunpowder and artillery shells to Fengyang, and then use artillery to defeat and scare the Ming army in Fengyang City.

But Duoduo obviously did not approve of this method. Although he trusted Tulai, he still followed his own ideas in everything. Such a strong attack would require too many shells and gunpowder, and it might not be really effective. All these made Duoduo very hesitant.

After all, the Qing army only carried more than two months' worth of food and fodder when they marched south this time. If they wanted to besiege Fengyang for a long time, they would have to find people to continue transporting food or replenish it from the Huai River.

Although a lot of artillery and ammunition were seized in Xi'an after defeating the Shun army at the beginning of the year, it is hard to say whether they are enough to deal with such a fortified city.

"The Emperor Ming's performance is even worse than that of the rebels. After we crossed the river, he didn't dare to send troops to fight again. The rebels also attacked us at least several times at night. I'm afraid we won't be able to fight in the field." Seeing this, Nikan immediately said:
“But when we were in western Liaoning, we had the ability to attack such a strong city. We simply surrounded Dalinghe and Jinzhou and trapped them for a year or two. I don’t believe they could store so much food and their morale would not drop.

When the time comes, Emperor Ming will be unable to sit still and will naturally call for troops from all over the country to support him. We can do as we did with Changshan and Songjin, surround their points and attack their reinforcements, and destroy those so-called troops to support him. Then we will naturally have food, fodder, and laborers."

"What Prince said makes sense. As long as we deploy heavy troops in Fengyang and surround it tightly, Emperor Ming will definitely not be able to sustain the attack. As long as he goes out to fight, he will surely be defeated." Tunqi also spoke in support.

When Nikan heard someone support him, he became more excited and said:

"So, let's just build shield carts, set up cannons, and bombard them for ten days. Once we fill up those trenches, holes, and ditches on the periphery, the Ming army will surely be restless and will leave the city to counterattack. That will be our chance."

They all agreed in their hearts that the Ming army would never be able to defeat them in a field battle. As long as he could force the Ming army out of Fengyang City, he would definitely win the battle.

But at this moment, facing such a strong city, it was not so easy for them to force Zhu Cilang to send troops. Moreover, the surrounding area of ​​​​more than 100,000 Qing troops had already been cleared by Zhu Cilang, so if they wanted to hold the city for a long time, the supply of food and military supplies would be even more difficult.

"Filling those trenches isn't easy. We have to be honest and work hard, bit by bit, filling them with troops!" Tulai then added, "Don't try to find shortcuts. In the end, you'll waste time and troops."

He knew that Nikan and Tunqi were thinking too simply. Seeing that Duoduo was still taking a chance, he didn't want to say anything more, but he couldn't help it.

After hearing this, Duoduo looked up at Fengyang City in front of him again. He was still very hesitant at this time. The Ming army had demonstrated its impressive strength in the previous outpost battle. If it weren't for the small number of cavalry, it would probably take him several days to cross the river.

"Your Highness, there must be countless people and food in the various prefectures in Huainan. We don't need to worry. If Emperor Ming concentrates his main forces in Fengyang, the defense in the south will inevitably be empty. At that time, Your Highness will send a detachment to Luzhou and Yangzhou, and it will surely be unstoppable." Kong Youde hesitated for a while and then spoke.

"Emperor Ming is not that simple. He would not fail to think of this. We can pretend to march south in a large scale to lure him out of the city, but it is wishful thinking to think of achieving any results in Yangzhou." Duoduo shook his head, but did not say anything else.

Kong Youde didn't dare to refute, and then pretended to be in deep thought. Then, as if he suddenly realized something, he nodded abruptly and retreated back to Geng Jimao in disappointment.

"The Ming Emperor is very vicious. The scouts have basically reconnoitered the situation in the past few days. The trenches are filled with ghost arrows, caltrops, sharp wood, and mines. The pits are dug deep and there are many traps. The city walls are piled with stones, wood, and artillery. If we want to attack by force, we will definitely need kerosene and gold juice."

Bolo couldn't even finish his words in one breath. Zhu Cilang's thorough preparation and heavy defenses had made him quite defensive. He was so angry that his face turned blue.

"If we want to take a section of the trench and attack the earthen wall, I'm afraid it will be impossible without the loss of three to five thousand men."

As soon as Bolo opened his mouth, the Manchu nobles could no longer hold back and started cursing. Where had they ever fought such a frustrating battle? When they besieged Dalingcheng, Ningyuan, and Jinzhou, they never felt that they could not break through.

But the current Fengyang City made them feel powerless. Within a ten-mile radius of Fengyang, there were hardly any trees, and even less grass. And the Haotang Mountain to the south was full of traps, making it difficult to move forward.

"Enough!" Duoduo couldn't bear it anymore when he heard these people's complaints, so he immediately stopped them.

The Manchu and Han generals quieted down after hearing Duoduo's scolding. Duoduo narrowed his eyes, set a stern face, and tried to calm himself down, and then gradually calmed down the irritability in his heart.

He followed Huang Taiji to fight against the Dorlot tribe when he was fourteen years old. In the series of wars that followed, he had never been forced to this point by the Ming army. Every time, the Qing army besieged the city and the Ming army was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan.

However, Duoduo was not only feeling annoyed at this moment, but also feeling both hatred and joy.

After all, if he could capture Fengyang and capture Emperor Ming under such circumstances, his prestige in the army would soar.

Duoduo never thought that he would lose. It was just that he had fought too many battles with favorable conditions, and this time he finally met a tough guy, and he felt a little uncomfortable.

"Shanhai Pass, Tongguan, Taiyuan, Xi'an, these thousand-year-old passes, century-old cities, we have conquered them all. There is no so-called strong city or pass that the Qing Dynasty cannot break through, never!"

Duoduo glanced at the generals in front of him, his eyes gradually focused, and his face looked full of confidence:

"Since the Ming Emperor has tried every possible means and racked his brains to make it clear that we must attack by force, then I must let him know how powerful the Qing Dynasty is and make him understand that everything he has done is futile and useless.

"Propagate this king's military order. All units must mobilize their troops and horses, gather wood, and build shield carts and ladders. Three days from now, the army will begin the siege. The first person to scale the walls and defeat the enemy will be rewarded with a thousand taels of silver. After the city is taken, any horses and men captured may be taken as they please."

(End of this chapter)

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