The Ming Dynasty: Starting with the border troops, it was overthrown and the Qing Dynasty was destro

Chapter 171 Li Zicheng's Enlightenment

After figuring out the true strength of the enemy soldiers, Zuo Liangyu was furious.

If you, Shangshanhu, send your elite troops, I can give way.

But you think you can force me to retreat by sending such a lowly soldier?
This is simply unreasonable!
Zuo Liangyu hardened his heart and mobilized all the soldiers in the army who could handle swords and spears, barely managing to gather more than 1,200 men.

In this battle, he was determined to annihilate this band of rebels.

Ever since the enemy soldiers crossed the river, his troops have been treated like easy targets and relentlessly attacked. Now that they have encountered an even easier target, Commander Zuo will naturally not let them go.

"Gather all the mules and horses in the army!"

Zuo Liangyu gave the order in a stern voice.

Soon, a cavalry unit of three hundred riders was hastily assembled.

To assemble this assault force, Zuo Liangyu even brought the mules and horses used for transporting supplies to the battlefield.

"Zhang Qi!"

"The general is here!"

"You will lead three hundred cavalry as the vanguard and act on my orders!"

"As ordered!"

"Meng Geng!"

"exist!"

"You will lead three hundred infantrymen as the left flank and go to lure the enemy."

"Yes!"

Subsequently, Zuo Liangyu personally led two hundred elite retainers as the central army, set up another two hundred as the right flank, and finally divided two hundred men to cover the rear, forming the rear guard.

A standard five-sentry formation (front, center, left, right, and rear) was set up in a very short time.

At Zuo Liangyu's command, Zuo Menggeng led three hundred infantrymen and slowly pressed towards the enemy's formation.

On the high ground, Li Zicheng, Liu Guoneng, and others were keeping a close eye on the movements of the government troops below.

Seeing this, Zuo Liangyu curled up a cold smile. He deliberately arranged the five sentries in a loose formation, leaving considerable gaps between them.

From a distance, it looks like a pile of loose sand, easily broken apart.

When they saw Zuo Liangyu divide his already limited forces into five loose square formations, Liu Guoneng and Li Jinwang's eyes lit up.

"Look, General!"

Prince Li Jin excitedly pointed downwards.

"The government troops' formation is loose, with large gaps between the units; he has already found a way to die!"

Liu Guoneng echoed:
"Excellent! Our forces outnumber the enemy several times over. If we charge forward in one fell swoop, we will surely rout the government troops!"

Li Jinwang and Liu Guoneng were both eager to try their skills.

They both thought that the government troops had retreated earlier because they had led their troops to defeat them.

These two men were clearly completely unaware that the previous attack launched by the government troops was merely a probing attack.

Li Zicheng, who was behind him, did see through the situation, but seeing Liu Guoneng and Li Jinwang's eager expressions, he didn't know how to dissuade them.

Although Li Zicheng was nominally the commander-in-chief of this army, it was clear that the other two leaders had their own ideas.

The composition of this team meant that he couldn't command his troops as easily as Jiang Han.

Apart from his own force of over a thousand men, he had little direct command over other troops.

In terms of actual combat, it still depends on Liu Guoneng and Li Jinwang each leading their troops. If they disagree, the battle cannot be fought.

Li Zicheng felt a vague unease. Zuo Liangyu was a general of the Ming court. How could he make such a low-level mistake?

However, seeing that the opportunity was fleeting, Liu Guoneng and Li Jinwang could not wait any longer.

"Look! The government troops have only sent three hundred men to meet the enemy; they are simply overestimating themselves!"

"Brothers, today is the day to annihilate the government troops!"

"Charge with me!"

They saw this as a golden opportunity, and without waiting for Li Zicheng's order, they shouted and led their nearly two thousand men down the hill like a tidal wave.

That's exactly the effect Zuo Liangyu wanted!
His intention was to use this seemingly loose formation to lure the eager bandits into launching an attack, thereby disrupting their plans.

Li Jinwang and Liu Guoneng's troops, like two torrents, headed straight for the left flank led by Zuo Menggeng.

Zuo Menggeng led three hundred soldiers from the left flank and charged forward against the enemy's advance.

As soon as the two sides made contact, Zuo Menggeng immediately retreated while fighting, as if he could not withstand the attack, and slowly moved towards the left rear of the main camp.

This retreat, instead of alerting the enemy soldiers, seemed to energize them.

Li Jinwang and Liu Guoneng had no suspicions, believing that the government troops were easily defeated. They immediately ordered their troops to advance and relentlessly pursue the government troops, attempting to crush them in one fell swoop.

Unbeknownst to them, their formation was stretched out longer and longer, gradually widening the distance between them and Li Zicheng's central army behind them.

It's now!

A cold glint flashed in Zuo Liangyu's eyes, and then he gave a stern order:

"Sound the bugle! The outposts are moving out! The main force is preparing!"

woo-

As a mournful horn sounded, Zhang Qi, the commander of a thousand households who had been waiting for a long time, led three hundred cavalrymen and charged like arrows released from a bow.

Three hundred cavalrymen merged into a torrent, stirring up clouds of dust, like a red-hot branding iron, instantly cutting off the enemy's long and thin column in the middle.

"General, follow me!"

The moment the cavalry tore open the breach, Zuo Liangyu did not hesitate at all. He personally led two hundred elite troops from the central army to follow closely behind and rushed in through the opening created by the cavalry.

Three hundred cavalry and two hundred infantrymen, like a wedge, were firmly driven into the waist of the rebel army, preventing them from supporting each other!

As Zuo Liangyu's central army gained a foothold, Zuo Menggeng, who had been feigning a retreat, immediately blew his bone whistle and led his left flank to turn around and launch a counterattack, fiercely attacking the enemy's right flank.

At the same time, two hundred soldiers from the right flank also flanked from the other side and launched a fierce attack on its left flank.

The government troops moved too quickly, cutting off Li Jinwang and Liu Guoneng's forces in the blink of an eye.

On the high hill, Li Zicheng's eyes were bloodshot with rage.

He was still hesitant about whether to send troops to pursue them, but now that his allies were surrounded, he was anxious.

Without saying a word, Li Zicheng led the remaining thousand of his troops to rush up and provide support.

Just as the last of the rebel troops were about to engage in battle, the Ming army's rear guard, which had been holding back, suddenly moved!

The last two hundred soldiers at the rear outpost executed a brilliant maneuver, circling directly behind Li Zicheng and blocking his retreat.

By this time, the enemy troops had been surrounded.

The government troops moved with lightning speed. From the cavalry charge to the completion of the encirclement, the whole process was smooth and efficient, taking less than a quarter of an hour!
Caught in the middle, Li Jinwang and Liu Guoneng, though still commanding nearly two thousand soldiers, felt as if they were surrounded by shouts of battle and gleaming swords and spears.

The unit's organization was completely disrupted, the soldiers panicked and fought independently, and command was completely lost.

Zuo Liangyu's tactics were actually not complicated; they were the most basic Ming army tactics of splitting up and attacking from different directions.

The Ming army was accustomed to dividing its troops into five tactical units: front, rear, left, right, and center. These five units could either fight independently or coordinate with each other in group battles.

This tactic may have limited effectiveness against well-trained regular armies, but it is remarkably effective against these ordinary peasant armies.

Once divided and surrounded, these peasants could easily lose their way in the chaos, develop the illusion that they are surrounded by enemies, and thus completely collapse.

Although the combined attack from multiple outposts is a basic tactic, it is not something that ordinary armies can use.

Zuo Liangyu's move clearly demonstrates his skill in commanding troops.

Zuo Liangyu's five sentries were like a meat grinder, frantically devouring the besieged bandits.

Inside the encirclement, Li Jinwang and Liu Guoneng's troops were completely stunned.

They felt as if they were surrounded by gleaming swords and spears, and as if the government troops were launching a tidal wave of attacks from all directions.

Their formation was repeatedly torn apart and broken through, and their brothers fell in droves, unable to even organize a complete counterattack.

The instinct to survive overwhelmed everything.

"Brothers! Charge towards the central camp with me!"

"Capture and kill Zuo Liangyu, or we'll all die here!"

With bloodshot eyes, Liu Guoneng shouldered his broadsword and, leading his personal guards, charged towards Zuo Liangyu in the center of the battlefield.

Li Jinwang, on the other side, followed closely behind, gathering his personal guards and fighting to the death.

However, Zuo Liangyu was a seasoned warrior and had long been prepared for this.

He commanded with composure, and the soldiers of the central army formed a thick gun emplacement, like an unbreakable reef. No matter how Li Jinwang and Liu Guoneng's remnants charged, they only crashed and bled, splashing up futile bloodstains.

However, the government troops were not entirely unscathed.

Among the rebel army, the soldiers trained by Jiang Han were also demonstrating considerable combat effectiveness.

They operated in groups of three or five, maintaining a tight, coordinated teamwork even amidst the chaos of battle. They were always able to deliver a fatal blow from the flanks or through gaps in the hail of bullets at the most unexpected moments for the government troops. Some even pulled out the thunder grenades they had bought earlier for self-defense and threw them at areas where government troops were concentrated.

The Changping soldiers under Zuo Liangyu's command were suddenly decimated by these elite troops, suffering several hidden losses.

But despite all this, the situation could not be reversed.

The defeat of the rebel army seemed to be only a matter of time.

Zuo Liangyu astutely discovered that the bandits, who were mixed in with the peasants, were quite powerful.

So he immediately selected two squad leaders to form a small team, specifically to surround and kill the elite bandits who were still fighting hard on the battlefield.

This squad, like hungry wolves, ignored the panicked and defeated soldiers around them; their eyes were only on the elite rebels who dared to resist.

In the midst of battle, a three-man team had just managed to knock down five government soldiers in front of them, and before they could even catch their breath, dozens of fierce government soldiers had already surrounded them from all directions.

A thick shield wall, consisting of more than a dozen long shields, quickly surrounded them.

The leading officer, with a blank expression, merely gestured casually with his lips, and dozens of javelins shot out from the gaps in his shield.

In an instant, the three militia soldiers were riddled with thorns, not even having time to scream.

Seeing the bandits fall, the squad didn't stop, stepping over the warm corpses and turning back to search for their next target in the battle.

On the battlefield, shouts of battle, screams of agony, and the clash of swords and spears filled the air.

Li Zicheng was caught in the middle of it all, watching helplessly as his comrades were ruthlessly crushed, and as those men who had been eating meat and drinking wine together just a few days before fell like wheat being harvested.

His fists were clenched so tightly that his nails dug deep into his palms, drawing blood, but he felt nothing.

A deep sense of powerlessness instantly filled his heart.

At this moment, he finally understood just how vast the gap was between himself and a veteran like Zuo Liangyu.

Not only were their previous elaborate plans exposed at a glance, but they were also easily divided and surrounded by government troops, and their annihilation was imminent.

Li Zicheng thought of Jiang Han.

The leader who always seemed calm and collected, as if he had everything under control.

Come to think of it, I've been following Jiang Han for quite a while now.

From their first meeting in Yan'an to their current collaboration on important matters, Jiang Han has generously shared his knowledge with him and all the leaders who have submitted to him.

Jiang Han never hesitated to teach tactics, drills, and even judgments about the overall situation of the world.

But Li Zicheng knew in his heart that there was always an invisible barrier between them.

Ultimately, he could not be considered Jiang Han's true inner circle; no matter how long he had followed him, he was still an appendage.

Jiang Han's personal guards, who were disciplined and highly capable, were his true foundation.

He had admired Jiang Han more than once, and had even tried to emulate him by training his subordinates according to Jiang Han's methods.

No matter how hard he tried, the soldiers he trained always seemed to be lacking something compared to Jiang Han's personal guard.

In the past, he always attributed this to the gap in the quality of the soldiers.

But today, seeing how Zuo Liangyu's army of only a thousand or so men could manipulate his own several thousand so easily, he was horrified to realize:
While the disparity in troop numbers certainly exists, the disparity between commanders is even more insurmountable!
He suddenly recalled a sentence Jiang Han had said during a casual conversation.

"General, remember this: the end of the Ming Dynasty was a brutal massacre."

"Everyone is in a cage, fighting each other. Only the most ruthless, the strongest, and the most adaptable can survive to the end."

"Battle Royale?"

Li Zicheng didn't understand what it meant at the time, but just hearing those three words conveyed a bloody cruelty.

Now, he understands.

What is "Battle Royale"?
This meat grinder in front of you is Battle Royale!

Without experiencing one bloody battle after another, without personally feeling the despair of being pursued and surrounded by government troops, simply shouting slogans and training in the camp will never produce a truly strong army.

In the past, he always felt content to follow Jiang Han, as long as he had meat to eat and battles to fight.

But now, when Jiang Han truly needed him to step up and take charge, he realized that he was still far from being up to par.

As he watched his comrades fall one after another before his eyes, an unprecedented ferocity erupted from Li Zicheng's chest!

out on a limb!

Li Zicheng made up his mind and prepared to lead his soldiers in a desperate charge.

He had already decided that he was not cut out to command troops. If he was lucky enough to survive today, he would voluntarily disband his troops and honestly join Jiang Han's army as a captain or sergeant.

Rather than being a bandit king who could be wiped out at any moment, and cooperating with a bunch of disobedient leaders, it's better to follow a true strongman and seek a way to survive!
At this moment, Li Zicheng's eyes became incredibly firm, and all his hesitation vanished.

"Raise the banner of 'Breakthrough' for me!"

Li Zicheng drew his sword from his waist and gave the order in a stern voice.

Upon receiving the order, the guards behind him immediately raised the banner with the character "闯" (chǎng, meaning to charge) high, making it stand out like a black lighthouse on the chaotic battlefield.

"All brothers who can still move! Come here! Get closer to me!"

His voice was powerful and reached the ears of the rebel soldiers around him who were still hesitant and fearful.

The surviving defeated soldiers, as if they had found their backbone, began to subconsciously converge on the large banner with the character "闯" (chǎng, meaning to break through).

"brothers!"

Li Zicheng stood on his horse in the center of the formation, pointing the tip of his sword directly at Zuo Liangyu's central army.
"We are now surrounded and have no way out!"

"Either we break through the government troops in front of us, or we die here!"

"I'll lead the charge today. If there are any other men who can handle a knife, come with me and charge into battle!"

"kill!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than he spurred his horse's flanks with both legs, charging fiercely towards Zuo Liangyu in the central command post like a cannonball!

Seeing their commander leading the charge, the surrounding soldiers also raised their swords and spears, letting out a roar:

"Come on!"

"Charge with the vanguard!"

Inspired by Li Zicheng's fierce spirit, the remaining rebel army quickly coalesced into a chaotic yet unstoppable torrent, crashing violently into Zuo Liangyu in the center of the battlefield.

At this moment, Zuo Liangyu was calmly directing the encirclement and annihilation of Liu Guoneng, completely unaware of the fierce counterattack he would face.

"Hold the line! Right scout, advance to engage the enemy; rear scout, attack the enemy's flank!"

Zuo Liangyu's expression changed, and he immediately ordered the flag signal to be displayed.

However, this time, the rebels' offensive was completely different from before.

Li Zicheng charged ahead, disregarding all tactics. His eyes were only on Zuo Liangyu's banner. He brandished his broadsword and carved a bloody path through the ranks of the government troops.

The rebel soldiers behind him also displayed astonishing courage at this moment.

Seeing the government troops' gun formation, they grabbed long shields from the ground, ignored everything, and charged straight in, just to create an opening for their comrades behind them.

Some men, seeing that they were seriously injured and would not live much longer, simply carried thunderbolts in their arms and charged into the ranks of the government troops, intending to perish together with the government soldiers in front of them.

In an instant, the battlefield was littered with flying blood and flesh, and severed limbs were everywhere.

The dull thuds of knives and spears piercing flesh, the crisp cracking of bones breaking, and the agonizing cries of the dying rose and fell.

Although Zuo Liangyu's troops were more elite than the rebels, they were outnumbered and exhausted after a fierce battle.

Faced with this group of suddenly crazed peasants, they were forced to retreat step by step.

Finally, after leaving behind nearly a hundred corpses, Li Zicheng managed to tear a gap in Zuo Liangyu's central army and successfully rendezvous with the remaining troops on the other side.

Zuo Liangyu frowned deeply as he looked at the battlefield strewn with corpses.

He glanced at the ragged bandits around him, whose eyes burned with a mad rage, and couldn't help but feel a chill.

It seems that if we want to completely annihilate this band of bandits who have gone berserk, we will inevitably have to pay a considerable price.

not worth it.

As for Cao Wenzhao, well, he can only pray for good fortune; after all, it was he who first spread false information.

After weighing the pros and cons, Zuo Liangyu could only reluctantly give the order:

"Ming Jin withdraws his troops!"

"Withdraw from the battlefield!"

Accompanied by the crisp sound of gongs, the well-trained government troops began to take turns providing cover, slowly withdrawing from the battlefield.

Li Zicheng, covered in blood, stood on the mountain of corpses, panting heavily.

He finally breathed a sigh of relief as the government troops gradually retreated.

Before Li Jinwang and Liu Guoneng could even step forward, he suddenly felt dizzy and fainted.

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(End of this chapter)