Ming Dynasty entry: I am Chongzhen, the greatest emperor of all time!

Chapter 107 Counterattack!

Hauge's gaze darted back and forth between Liaoyang, Sarhu, and Shengjing.

These three places are strategically located, and all are within 150 li (approximately 75 kilometers) of each other.

The Taizi River and the Hun River intersect and flow through it.

In order to make the most of his more than 20,000 men, he deliberately set up camps in three different locations.

However, the scouts he sent out didn't even know where the main Ming army was.

Liaoyang is especially close to the Taizi River.

The Ming army had many ships, which allowed them to maneuver back and forth.

At first, he thought the Ming army was at Sarhu, but later, when the Iron Man Army appeared, he thought the Ming army was at Liaoyang.

But then, the smoke of war rose again in Shengjing.

Now his army is caught between three places, and nowhere is the right place to go.

They were afraid of falling into the Ming army's trap and having their weaknesses exploited.

After a moment of hesitation, Hauge finally decided to return to Shengjing to provide assistance!

Regardless of whether the attack on Shengjing was actually carried out by the main force of the Ming army, he had to return to reinforce it.

I can't gamble, and I don't dare to gamble.

The order has just been given.

The shouts of battle from the north bank of the Hun River suddenly shifted westward.

Zheng Chenggong gazed at the smoke rising in the direction of Sarhu, his fingers lightly tapping on the copper tube of his telescope.

The heavy armor of Shi Lang's Iron Man Army reflected a dark red hue in the morning light, like a red-hot anvil embedded in the Plain Blue Banner army formation.

The flanking maneuver, a tactic commonly used by the Eight Banners cavalry, became a joke in the muddy swamps, with each step the warhorses took sinking into the thawing mud.

"Report! General Shi has breached the right flank!"

The young general's leather boots with sun and moon patterns crushed the ice shards. "Order the left-wing rattan shield bearers to sneak along the Prince River and fire three rockets every half quarter of an hour as a signal."

The Cangshan fleet has approached the confluence of the Hun River and the Taizi River, and the twenty newly cast sky-piercing cannons are being adjusted for firing.

Zheng Ping suddenly pointed northwest and exclaimed, "The great banner! It's Hauge's great banner!"

A six-zhang-tall brocade dragon banner pierced the morning mist, revealing rows of musketeers from the Wuzhen Chaoha Camp beneath the blue flag.

Zheng Chenggong's pupils contracted slightly. These Han Chinese soldiers had mounted red-coated cannons on ice sleds, and the muzzles were constantly adjusting their direction as the warhorses dragged them along.

"Lower the sails!"

The roar was drowned out by the booming sound.

Three solid bullets grazed the mainmast and plunged into the ice, the flying ice shards carving deep craters into the deck.

Zheng Chenggong grabbed the overturned gunpowder barrel and roared, "All warships turn sideways! Use the broadside breech-loading cannons to bombard the Jurchen artillery!"

The explosions echoed like muffled thunder across the river.

When the Zhenglan Banner artillery unit was trapped in the ice cave, Shi Lang's heavy sword had already cleaved through the last shield wall of the Zhenglan Banner.

The Iron Man Army, covered in blood, suddenly spread out to the sides, revealing three hundred Leiden soldiers behind them, each armed with a Rumi gun.

"put!"

A hail of lead bullets swept over the retreating Eight Banners soldiers, and the Gushan Ezhen of the Plain Blue Banner was thrown from his horse by a bullet from twenty paces away.

Shi Lang leaped onto his warhorse, stepping over the corpses of Qing generals, his Japanese sword pointing at the dragon flag faintly visible atop Liaoyang city walls. "My men! Today is the day we take the city!"

When the garrison at the east gate of Liaoyang saw the Cangshan boats drifting on the Taizi River, the city walls had already been riddled with holes by artillery fire.

Just as the defending general Akdun pushed the last two red cannons onto the city wall, three plumes of red smoke rose from the southwest, the flames of the granaries outside Shengjing.

"My lord! The main force of the Ming army is in Shengjing!" Goshha's scream plunged the city walls into chaos.

Akdun swung his sword and cut down the fleeing soldiers, but when he turned around, he saw countless rattan shield bearers emerging from the swamp south of the city.

These Fujian soldiers, with short knives in their mouths, slid through their specially made wooden clogs with a creaking sound, and most of the arrows fired by the defenders embedded themselves in the oil-soaked rattan shields.

With Hauge withdrawing to Shengjing, the Liaoyang garrison was virtually defenseless and was easily outmaneuvered at the city gates.

The sun rises.

Smoke rose from the barbican at the south gate of Liaoyang.

When Shi Lang's vanguard cavalry broke through the city gate, the remnants of the Zhenglan Banner were burning down the granary.

The heavily armored infantry of the Iron Man Army charged into the warehouse amidst the raging flames, their barbed hook-and-sickle spears specifically targeting the lower ranks of the Eight Banners soldiers.

As Shi Lang stepped onto the Liaoyang city wall, riding on the back of the Plain Blue Banner officer, Zheng Chenggong, who had been following Haoge, finally arrived outside Shengjing.

Although he only had 30,000 troops behind him, Zheng Chenggong pretended that he was about to break through the city.

"Order the entire army to change to the sun and moon flag." The young general took off his gunpowder-stained cloak. "Raise the town's command flag to a height of three zhang!"

When E Shuo, the garrison commander of Deshengmen, saw the Ming army fleet that suddenly appeared outside the city, he almost fell off the battlements.

Even more terrifying were the messengers rushing in from the southeast. These scouts brought not reinforcements, but the devastating news of Liaoyang's fall.

"Release the carrier hawks! Release all the carrier hawks!" E'shuo's roar startled the crows on the city wall. "Tell Prince Rui that if Shengjing falls, the ancestral graves of the Aisin Gioro clan will be dug up by the southern barbarians!"

Seventeen gyrfalcons soared into the sky. Zheng Chenggong raised his hand to shield his eyes from the blinding sunlight, a smile playing on his lips.

"Shoot a few down, and let the rest go and report the death of that old thief Dorgon!"

Zheng Chenggong turned and walked into the main tent.

"Have the men tie surrender letters to arrows and shoot them into the city. Every half hour, they should shout three times, telling Hauge that the town has given him two hours to consider whether to open the city gates to welcome the royal army or wait to be bombarded to dust by the Red Barbarians."

The grassland outside Xifengkou was soaked in blood and turned brownish-red.

Another day of fierce fighting, another tacit withdrawal.

It seems that killing, eating, withdrawing troops, and sleeping have become the daily routine for the 150,000 people in Xifengkou these past two days.

Zhu Youjian traced an arc on the map with his fingertip. "Where is Shi Kefa?"

"Your Majesty, we have just passed Cangzhou." The messenger's robe was still dripping wet.

“Cangzhou…four hundred li, which means it will take another six days to travel…” Zhu Youjian murmured, then shook his head, “It’s too late, we can’t wait any longer.”

"Issue an imperial edict to Shi Kefa, ordering him to join forces with the King of Zhou, pass through Tianjin, and proceed to Shanhaiguan to await my orders."

Then Zhu Youjian suddenly drew his imperial sword and chopped off the corner of the table. "All generals, listen to my command!"

All the generals in the tent knelt down in unison.

"In tomorrow's battle, each unit will take turns resting. Meals will be prepared at 9:00 PM and troops will leave the camp at 11:00 AM. Li Guo's unit will advance from the west, and Huang Degong's unit will advance from the east. Qi Jiguang's army will be in the central formation, and the Mongol tribes will follow me. We will advance from both directions. The Imperial Guards will not raid the camp at night. Once the Jurchen camp is ablaze, all units will launch a general attack."

"In this battle, anyone who dares to cower in the fray, who is afraid of death, who disobeys orders, who fails to come to the rescue, or who misses the opportunity to fight, will be executed by me personally, just like in this case!"

“Abunai, go down and tell those Mongol leaders that if they want provisions, they should exchange them for the heads of Jurchens. For each headheaded person, the reward is five bushels of wheat; for each Baturu killed, the reward is ten acres of land! For each Niru tribe wiped out, the reward is a hundred miles of grassland, and the tribe can recommend ten warriors to be enfeoffed as a thousand households.”

The crowd shouted in unison, "Your humble servant obeys the decree!"

Within the Eight Banners camp, which was only thirty miles away.

Dorgon was about to eat something and rest.

Five black dots suddenly appeared in the southwestern sky.

The messenger falcon from the Plain Blue Banner brought a plea for help from Hauge, which made Dorgon's knuckles turn white as he clenched his fists: "The Ming army has surrounded Shengjing with 40,000 troops, Liaoyang has fallen, reinforcements are needed immediately!"

Fan Wencheng glanced at the contents of the letter, and the hand warmer in his hand fell to the ground with a thud. "Your Highness, now..."

"Shut up!" Dorgon shouted angrily.

"Forty thousand Ming troops couldn't take Shengjing! Hauge has no brains, but don't you?!"

"If we retreat now, all our previous efforts will be in vain. Even if the Ming army captures Shengjing, we cannot retreat!" Dorgon practically roared.

"Hold on for two more days, and the capital will surely fall! By then, the outcome will be uncertain!"

……

Nothing to say for a day.

Late at night, most of the Ming army, which had been prepared, began to prepare for battle.

However, Zhu Youjian's request to prepare rice at Hai hour (9-11 PM) was not carried out.

Huang Degong said that if they cooked at night, the firelight would reveal their established strategic objectives.

A night raid is all about surprise.

This is the experience of a seasoned general on the battlefield, something Zhu Youjian completely lacked.

Even with such a small point, how many generals in the vast Ming Dynasty could possess it?

Midnight. Dew condensed on the leaves of the armored carapace, and the iron boots of the elite Tiger Guard heavy infantrymen rolled across the frosty meadow.

Zhu Youjian climbed the earthen slope with his hand on the hilt of his sword. In the distance, the torches of the Eight Banners camp glowed orange in the thick fog.

Li Guo rushed over, removed the iron armband, and spat out a mouthful of blood. "The Mongols just reported that another Jala has headed south, seemingly to support the capital."

"That's Dorgon's smokescreen." The emperor used his sword sheath to open the map. "Your troops will feign an attack on the west side at six o'clock in the morning. Huang Degong will launch rockets from the east. When the Mongol light cavalry disrupts the northern camp and the night scouts burn their supplies in the chaos, you will lead your old guard and personal troops straight to the Jurchen rear camp."

Li Guo's Adam's apple bobbed twice. "Among my 20,000 infantrymen, some are night-blind."

"I know." Zhu Youjian suddenly grabbed his shoulder armor. "That's why I want you to lead the team personally. Remember, you must divide up the Jurchen rear camp!"

Li Guo nodded emphatically and rode away.

Before long, the cowhide war drums exploded in the southwest.

This was also Huang Degong's idea. Dorgon's troops were all elite, and scouts were sent out everywhere.

Without some cover, the elite guards and night watchmen of the raiding camp would have no way to get close.

"Those southern barbarians are coming to their deaths again!"

Upon hearing the war drums, a night watchman, a Jiala Zhangjing, walked out of the main tent, cursing and swearing.

This has happened countless times in the past two days, and the Qing army has become accustomed to it.

They assumed it was just another small-scale night raid.

He then led his 1,500 cavalrymen to engage in battle.

As soon as they rushed out of the camp, the Ming army's formation in the thick fog began to break apart.

Jiala Zhangjing was even more disdainful.

"Men, kill!"

Seeing this, Li Guo suddenly ripped open the hidden clasp of his armor, revealing a Mongolian fur robe underneath. "Change the flag!"

Twenty thousand soldiers rolled over their mandarin duck battle jackets in unison, instantly transforming into the attire of Ligdan Khan's former troops.

"It's the Mongols!" The scout's cry of alarm was drowned out by a hail of arrows.

Jiala Zhangjing was even more disdainful.

He knew better than anyone the fighting prowess of the Mongol cavalry.

They immediately led the majority of their troops into the trap that Li Guo had already set out.

Seeing that Li Guo's side had succeeded, Huang Degong on the east side also began to take action.

They successfully drew the Qing troops from the west to that side.

This created an opportunity for the Imperial Guards and the Night Scouts to raid the camp.

Shortly after, an explosion was heard.

When Dorgon hurriedly lifted the curtain and stepped out of the tent, the firelight from the northern granary had already illuminated half the sky.

A Niru Ejen knelt down, holding a broken telescope, and said, "Master, the Ming dogs have changed into Mongol attire, and all the banners have relaxed their vigilance."

"Who knew the Ming army would take the opportunity to attack the camp!"

"Shut up!" Dorgon kicked his attendant to the ground. "Have the red-coated cannons of the Ujin Chaoha Battalion turn northwest and blast those fake Mongols to smithereens!"

He suddenly pressed his throbbing temple. "Wait, where is the main force of the Ming army?"

As if in response to his question, a deafening explosion came from the southeast.

A bloodied officer rushed into the tent, shouting, "Fourteenth Brother! The Ming dogs' Qi Family Army has breached the front line!"

Dorgon grabbed a flintlock pistol from his personal guard, loaded it, and ordered the light cavalry to assemble. He wanted to meet Zhu Youjian in person!

He pulled open his sable coat to reveal a golden armor underneath, and said, “Tell my sons, whoever kills the Ming Emperor will be rewarded with ten thousand gold pieces and granted the title of Prince of the First Rank!”

Zhu Youjian was staring at the retreating Eight Banners front line and sneering.

Huang Degong's troops suddenly attacked from the flank, and the iron shot fired from their three-barreled guns forced the remaining troops at the front to retreat.

It was night again, and the front and rear teams were entangled together.

Just as the emperor was about to order a general offensive, the sound of rapid hoofbeats came from the northwest.

"Report! General Li's troops have been attacked by the Jurchens!"

Zhu Youjian turned his telescope to the west, where Li Guo, covered in blood, was being chased by three hundred heavy cavalry.

Those heavily armored Bayara were like wolves that had smelled blood, specifically targeting lone infantrymen.

The night-blind soldiers trampled each other in the darkness, and the 20,000-strong army was scattered by a thousand men. Even though Li Guo led 10,000 veteran cavalrymen, he couldn't bear to draw his sword against his comrades, so he allowed the thousand men to approach him within twenty paces.

Once Li Guo dies, the western wing will surely collapse, and the collapse of the western wing will mean defeat in this battle.

Zhu Youjian never expected that Li Guo would give him such a surprise so soon after the war began.

There was no other way but to shout at the eunuch.

"Issue my imperial decree!" Zhu Youjian mounted his horse. "The Mongol light cavalry will accompany me to the rescue, and Qi Jiguang's army will continue its advance towards the central army!"

The iron-plated saddle was digging painfully into his thigh, but he couldn't care less; Li Guo's banner was teetering on the brink of collapse.

With a thunderous roar, forty thousand cavalrymen charged fiercely toward the western flank.

When Dorgon saw the bright yellow dragon flag through the telescope, a sinister smile spread across his face.

Suddenly, the most elite troops of the two Yellow Banners, the Gabushi Xianchaoha Battalion, charged out from the side. These heavy cavalrymen, clad in three layers of armor, pierced towards the emperor's personal guards like iron spikes.

"My lord's strategy is brilliant!" Gushan Zhangjing excitedly brandished his sword. "As expected, Zhu Youjian has come personally to rescue that bandit!"

Dorgon remained unmoved, neither pleased nor humble. "Is the Baiyala army assembled? I intend to personally take the head of the Southern Dog Emperor. Where is Mr. Fan? Tell him to quickly organize the defenses; we cannot give the Southern Dogs any opportunity!"

"My lord, the Gabushi Xian tribe has arrived. The emperor of the Southern people cannot escape!"

The imperial guards beside Zhu Youjian raised their shields to block the flying arrows. "Your Majesty, retreat quickly! They are heavily armored soldiers!"

Before he finished speaking, three armor-piercing arrows were already embedded in the shield.

The emperor suddenly reined in his horse and turned around, shouting to the Mongol cavalry, "Warriors of the grasslands! Whoever can hold out for half an hour, I will grant his tribe three hundred li of grassland outside Xifengkou!"

"If you can hold them off for an hour, you will be rewarded with eight hundred li of land!"

The whistles of the Mongol cavalry instantly echoed across the battlefield.

Dozens of lassos entangled the legs of the horses of the Gabushi cavalry. Although the nomadic cavalry were poorly equipped, they still had a mace, and heavy armor was of no use.

Dorgon watched as the most elite Bayara were dragged off their horses by the Mongols with cowhide ropes, and the veins on the back of his hand holding the knife bulged.

"Let Wuzhen Chaoha's battalion fire!" he roared, grabbing the messenger by the collar. "Regardless of friend or foe, bombard that depression flat for me!"

The roar of the six red cannons silenced the battlefield.

A cannonball landed right next to Zhu Youjian.

The mount was overturned, and as it rolled off, a piercing pain shot through my left arm.

The Imperial Guards rushed forward, using their bodies to shield the Emperor from the incoming arrows. "Protect the Emperor! Protect the Emperor at once!"

Dorgon's golden armor was equally conspicuous amidst the gunfire.

He personally led the last eight hundred heavy cavalry, like a poisoned dagger piercing the heart of the Ming army.

The Mongol cavalry had barely formed their ranks when they were smashed to pieces by the heavy cavalry's meteor hammers.

The Imperial Guards attempted to intercept them with spears, which were primarily used for ceremonial purposes, but sparks flew as they struck the three layers of iron armor.

"Zhu Youjian!" Dorgon's roar drowned out the shouts of killing, "Today I'll use your skull as a wine bowl!"

With the help of his guards, the emperor remounted his horse, the arrow wound in his right shoulder making it almost impossible for him to hold his sword.

The Mongol light cavalry were being routed under artillery fire, and the remnants of Li Guo's troops were being pushed back. The entire western front was on the verge of collapse.

He suddenly ripped off his blood-stained cloak and roared at Li Guo behind him, "Beat the drums! Beat the war drums!"

The twelve cowhide war drums shook the ground.

The Ming army, on the verge of defeat, suddenly discovered that the emperor's golden dragon flag had not retreated, but instead was moving forward towards Gebushixian's cavalry.

The night scouts, who were burning grain and fodder, threw down their torches and thrust their swords into the artillery positions of Wuzhen Chaoha's camp from behind.

Dorgon's heavy cavalry were only a hundred paces away from the dragon banner.

He could clearly see Zhu Youjian's pale face and even count the arrows on the other's chainmail.

Just as the iron-clad hooves were about to crush the last shield wall, the Xuanjia cavalry, now only six hundred strong, suddenly charged out from the chaos of battle.

Zhu Youjian looked at Dorgon opposite him and laughed.

"You're trying to hook me, and I'm trying to hook you. So, who's the fish?"

(End of this chapter)