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

Chapter 193 Bloodbath at Qujing Fort
Upon receiving Shao Yong's message, Jiang Han was overjoyed, as his current situation was far from ideal.

While Shao Yong was stirring up trouble in Yinchuan, Hong Chengchou had already stationed himself in Weizhou, cutting off Jiang Han's army's retreat.

Zhang Yingchang and He Renlong's troops launched an encirclement and suppression campaign against Jiang Han's forces from two directions: Hongsipu in the south and Shigoucheng in the east.

Fortunately, Jiang Han's forces have more than doubled, not only repelling the two men's attack but also having the strength to capture Wuzhong Fort on the east bank of the Yellow River as a temporary stronghold for the army.

Although he had won a few minor victories, Jiang Han was well aware that the imperial army was definitely heading towards Ningxia in large numbers.

Hong Chengchou's strategic intention was very clear: he wanted to keep Ma Shilong firmly stationed at Lingzhou, thus containing Jiang Han's main force from the front.

Then he mobilized troops from various places to completely annihilate this bandit army at Wuzhong Fort.

General Yang Jiamo of Gansu and General Yang Lin of Guyuan have already detoured to Guangwu Camp, preparing to attack the enemy troops from the west.

If the government troops were to surround him from all sides, Jiang Han might really have met his end in Ningxia.

Fortunately, Shao Yong's message came just in time.

Upon receiving the message, Jiang Han immediately summoned all his generals to the tent for a meeting.

"We've got news from Yinchuan! We need to get moving!"

He pointed to the map, his tone resolute:
"We're not attacking Lingzhou anymore!"

“I decided to bypass Lingzhou, build a pontoon bridge overnight, cross the Yellow River, and march towards Yinchuan from the Yuquanying and Ninghuazhai line.”

Upon hearing this, all the generals in the tent were alarmed, realizing that such a military tactic was far too risky.

Bypassing a heavily fortified city guarded by enemy troops is a major taboo in warfare.

First, cities are usually located on major transportation routes, so bypassing a city means giving up control of those routes.

The enemy can use cities to organize troops to continuously threaten the flanks and rear of the bypassing army, thus cutting off its rear.

Furthermore, in ancient warfare, logistics were of paramount importance. Once the city's garrison cut off the supply lines and destroyed the supplies, even the most elite army would collapse without a fight.

Even more fatally, the isolated army that bypassed the city would face a desperate situation of being attacked from both sides by the defending troops in front and the pursuing troops behind.

At that time, with fortified cities in front, pursuers behind, no reinforcements on either side, and supplies cut off, even a god would find it difficult to save them.

However, Jiang Han had his own considerations.

Seeing the surprised and doubtful looks on the faces of the generals in the tent, he carefully explained:

“I know you are worried that going around the city might be dangerous, but times have changed.”

"Shao Yong sent word that he will create chaos and launch an uprising in Yinchuan City in three days. We must take action."

"First of all, our army doesn't have any supply lines at all. Our food supplies are carried by the troops. We eat wherever we fight, so we're not afraid of being cut off."

“The soldiers under my command are all elites. If Ma Shilong dares to go out of the city to fight in the field, I dare to kill him in battle.”

"At most, he relied on his superior troop strength and defensive fortifications to stop our army from advancing, thereby cooperating with Hong Chengchou's encirclement and suppression forces."

"The most crucial point is that I don't believe he would dare to sit idly by and watch Yinchuan descend into chaos. If we can withstand several attacks from the pursuers within three days, I don't believe he will be able to sit still once the news of the incident in Yinchuan arrives."

After listening to Jiang Han's analysis, the doubts of the people in the tent gradually dissipated, and they went to make their own preparations.

At the second watch of the night, the army mobilized overnight and quickly erected several pontoon bridges on the banks of the Yellow River.

The crossing of the river went exceptionally smoothly; Ma Shilong had not set up any defenses on the banks of the Yellow River.

His defense plan was to rely on the numerous fortresses scattered throughout the heart of Ningxia Town to launch layered attacks on the enemy troops and deplete their manpower.

When Ma Shilong heard the news that the rebel army had bypassed Lingzhou and crossed the Yellow River, he was first stunned, then let out a sneer of utmost contempt.

He shook his head dismissively, then picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and looked at his deputy, Lou Guangxian, beside him:

"Hmph, a bunch of idiots."

"I thought this bandit leader must have some skill to be able to raise such a large army, but I didn't expect him to be just an arrogant brute."

Ma Shilong slowly sipped his tea, his face full of confident composure.

Where is he planning to go?

"Did he think that by bypassing my heavily guarded Lingzhou Fortress, he could advance straight to Yinchuan without any resistance?"

He slammed the teacup down on the table with a sharp crack, his tone full of sarcasm:

"If you can't even understand such a simple principle as not bypassing a city when deploying troops, how can you be qualified to lead an army?"

"madness!"

Having said that, Ma Shilong stood up unhurriedly and gave orders to Lou Guangxian, Lieutenant General Bu Yingdi, and others:
"If he crosses the river, I'll cross the river too! Let's see where he can escape to!"

"You two, with your standard battalion and mobile battalion, totaling five thousand men, will cross the river with me and garrison Li Jun Fort."

"Just wait for these stupid thieves to walk right into our trap!"

There's a reason why Ma Shilong is so relaxed; he now has a large and well-trained army at his disposal.

He not only gathered all the Ningxia defenders near Zhongwei, but also mobilized the Ningxia defenders in the Huamachi area as a reserve team.

He now has as many as 10,000 soldiers at his disposal.

More importantly, if the rebels wanted to bypass Lingzhou, what would block their way was a defensive zone nearly a hundred miles deep, consisting of six fortified outposts, including Yuquan Camp, Qujing Fort, and Lijun Fort.

With absolute advantages in terrain and manpower, Ma Shilong had no worries about the enemy soldiers being able to break in.

In his view, the bandits were now like fish on a chopping board. If they hadn't lost their composure, who would have resorted to such a desperate measure?

As he had imagined, the enemy troops had just crossed the Yellow River and launched an attack on Qujing Fort, which stood in their way, the very next day.

The fighting was fierce.

boom! boom! boom!
After three rounds of artillery fire, Jiang Han did not hesitate at all and immediately ordered the entire army to launch a fierce attack.

He didn't intend to break through the defense line directly, but rather he needed to capture a fortress and establish defensive fortifications before He Renlong and Zhang Yingchang's pursuers arrived.

Although Qujingbao is small, it is not something that can be easily taken down.

The more than 1,000 government troops inside the fort, led by Commander You Yao, relied on the dilapidated fortifications to fight desperately against the enemy.

"kill!!"

At the command of vanguard Li Laowai, eight hundred elite vanguards, clad in double armor and carrying long shields, charged straight toward Qujing Fort.

"Release the arrows! Shoot them hard!"

On the earthen wall, Qianhu Youyao, his eyes bloodshot, brandished a steel knife and roared hoarsely.

He dared not allow these heavily armed infantrymen to easily approach the fortress.

These border forts in Ningxia Town had long been in disrepair, and the rammed earth walls were in ruins after several rounds of shelling, with several gaps blasted open.

"Damn it, these aren't bandits, their equipment is better than mine, a commander of a thousand!"

As You Yao watched the bandits holding up their shields to withstand the rain of arrows and lead bullets, a deep sense of powerlessness welled up in his heart.

Oh no, the enemy soldiers are about to break in.

Seeing the enemy soldiers rushing into the fortress through the breach like a tide, You Yao dared not be negligent and immediately led his personal guards to prepare to meet the enemy.

As soon as they entered the fortress, due to the cramped and narrow battlefield, the elite troops led by Li Laowai immediately dispersed and formed small teams to wipe out the defending troops.

They worked in groups of five, with two holding shields, two carrying knives, and one holding a gun. They coordinated perfectly and proceeded cautiously step by step.

Arrows and bullets kept flying from the surrounding barracks and around the corners, hitting them.

Fortunately, these elite soldiers were well-equipped. Their exposed and concealed armor provided them with the best protection. Arrows and lead bullets that hit them could only produce a series of teeth-grinding "clanging" sounds and produce a few white dots, but could not cause fatal damage.

Relying on their gleaming armor, these elite soldiers rampaged through the camp, charging into the surrounding buildings with their long shields, and swarming and killing the guards who were hiding in the corners and firing arrows.

Seeing that the situation was not good, Qianhu Youyao had no choice but to bite the bullet and lead his troops forward to meet the enemy.

But in close combat, they are no match for them.

"Pfft!"

Just as a government soldier pierced the bandit's arm armor with his spear, before he could even pull it out, the bandit's comrade lunged forward, thrusting his waist knife upwards and viciously into the government soldier's abdomen.

Many government troops, seeing the fully armed bandits before them, were at a loss for what to do. They swung their steel swords so fast that shadows were visible, but they still couldn't break through the armor and kill the bandits.

With no other option, You Yao could only lead his personal guards in a fighting retreat, abandoning the outer fortifications and retreating towards the command post and arrow tower inside the fortress.

Just as Youyao's defenses were about to collapse, deafening shouts of battle and hurried footsteps suddenly rang out outside the fortress!

A government army of over two thousand men marched into Qujing Fort from the rear of the battlefield. The general leading the army was none other than Lou Guangxian, Ma Shilong's deputy.

"Hold on! Reinforcements are here! Hold on, you bastards!"

Lou Guangxian's roar was like a shot in the arm, reigniting the fighting spirit of the nearly collapsed defenders.

Lou Guangxian led the General's directly subordinate standard battalion on this trip, and its equipment and morale were by no means inferior.

As soon as they entered the fortress, the reinforcements immediately took over the defenses and stood in front of You Yao, who was on the verge of collapse.

"Phew, I'm saved."

Having narrowly escaped death, You Yao plopped down on the ground and breathed a long sigh of relief.

The general's directly subordinate battalion was quite strong. Although only three or four hundred of his personal guards wore double armor, the combat strength and equipment of the other battalions should not be underestimated.

Lou Guangxian, relying on his superior numbers, launched a counter-charge against the invading bandits.

These reinforcements, fearless and valiant, surrounded the five-man squads of the vanguard from all sides. The shield bearers at the front protected the musketeers and archers behind them, firing their guns and arrows when they were within ten paces of them.

At such close range, even double-layered armor would have difficulty blocking it. Many people's armor was pierced directly by the enormous kinetic energy of the lead bullets, and they died on the spot.

Others were shot in the face by an arrow, letting out a shrill wail before collapsing into a pool of blood.

Lou Guangxian commanded his troops to form a shield wall, pushing the front line forward step by step like a bulldozer.

Faced with a numerical advantage, the previously invincible five-person team was decimated and forced to fight and retreat.

Seeing that they were about to be driven out of the fort, Li Laowai in the rear became anxious.

"Damn it, where did these reinforcements come from!"

He cursed angrily, then led his personal guards to pull out thunderbolts from their robes and ignite them.

"one two Three!"

At his command, more than a dozen thunderbolts flew into the densely packed army formation.

Seeing the iron balls flying overhead, many government troops instinctively wanted to scatter, but the lines had been so tightly packed that they couldn't be separated so easily.

Many people could only watch helplessly as the thunderbolts exploded beneath their feet.

boom!
With several deafening explosions, the military formation was blasted into pieces, and scattered pieces exploded in the crowd like a shower of flowers. Many people covered their faces and wailed on the ground, their condition extremely miserable.

Seeing this, Li Laowai decisively led his personal guards to charge back, while on the government army's side, Lou Guangxian also led his troops to meet the attack.

The two sides clashed violently once again.

The entire Qujing Fortress instantly transformed into a blood and flesh millstone, with both the attackers and defenders relentlessly expending lives to wear down the other.

While Li Laowai and his men were engaged in a bloody battle inside the fortress, another fierce battle was taking place on the plains a few miles outside Qujing Fortress.

Hong Ming was currently leading his cavalry, guarding the flank of Jiang Han's army.

Ahead of him were a thousand elite cavalry and two thousand infantry led by Lieutenant General Bu Yingdi.

Bu Yingdi received orders to harass Jiang Han's attacking forces and disrupt their deployment.

He organized his troops several times, attempting to break through Jiang Han's infantry lines from the flanks.

However, his attacks were repeatedly repelled by the bandit general leading his cavalry from a short distance away.

His infantrymen were also unable to break through the well-organized enemy formation.

The bandits' cavalry and infantry were well-coordinated. Not only were their cavalrymen highly skilled and adept at archery, but their infantry were equally formidable, each one fearless and valiant.

Most importantly, there seemed to be heavy bows and arquebuses among the infantry, specifically targeting the officers leading the troops.

Bu Yingdi had been hit by lead bullets several times, but fortunately his armor was of good quality, which saved his life.

Finally, seeing that it was getting late and the sound of retreating troops came from the direction of Qujingbao, Bu Yingdi knew that there was no chance to take advantage of the situation, so he could only lead his troops to retreat slowly.

In Ma Shilong's view, this bloody battle was more like a spectacular performance.

The value of Qujingbao has been demonstrated; rather than saying that the bandits breached the fortress, it would be more accurate to say that the government troops voluntarily relinquished it.

Ma Shilong intended to use fortresses to continuously wear down Jiang Han's military strength and morale.

Anyway, he still has five fortresses to defend, so he can just wait for the bandits to walk right into his trap.

"Pass down the order to transfer another two thousand infantrymen from Lingzhou, and replace all the wounded soldiers. Have your troops guard Yuquan Camp and Lijun Fort."

Ma Shilong said smugly to Lou Guangxian beside him,
"Tell the soldiers, don't rush, the real show is just beginning."

"Once the enemy's morale is worn down, it will be time for us to close the net."

Just as Ma Shilong was feeling smug, several scouts suddenly arrived from the fort:
"General Ma! General Ma! It's an emergency!"

The scout scrambled forward, stumbling and crawling, his voice trembling with sobs.

Something terrible has happened in Yinchuan!

Ma Shilong's heart skipped a beat, and he abruptly stood up:

"What is it! Speak quickly!"

The scout looked bitter:
"Yinchuan. A rebel army suddenly appeared in Yinchuan, gathering the city's low-ranking garrison and poor people, and raised the banner of rebellion in the city!"

"They burned down the military camp under cover of night, looted the armory, armed thousands of men, and then burned, killed, and looted throughout the city."

"The provincial judicial office and the military command office in the city center have been breached, and the rebels have now turned their attention to attacking the Prince's Palace!"

"what?!"

Ma Shilong was struck dumb, completely stunned. He grabbed the scout by the collar, his eyes bloodshot, and roared:
"Where is Geng Haoren? What is Geng Haoren doing?!"

"As the governor of Ningxia, he can't even suppress a group of rioters?!"

The messenger was terrified and stammered his report:

"The situation is urgent. Governor Geng risked his life to organize some of the garrison troops in the city, but there are just too many rioters!"

"Now, Governor Geng, Prince Qing, and all the other officials and generals are tightly surrounded by the mutinous soldiers inside the royal city and can only defend themselves by relying on the high walls."

"Governor Geng sent me here to request General Ma to return to our aid immediately, or it will be too late!"

Ma Shilong's mind went completely blank with a "buzz".

He finally understood why the bandits dared to take such a risky move and why they dared to swagger around Lingzhou.

Those damned bandits had planned this all along. The rebellion in Yinchuan was not spontaneous at all; it must have been caused by these thieves!

Ma Shilong dared not abandon Yinchuan.

There are over two hundred princes and grandsons of the Qing family in Yinchuan. Although they are not as powerful as the major princes in the interior, the lineage of Prince Qing has been passed down since the founding of the Ming Dynasty. If it were to end in the hands of Ma Shilong...
That's not something you can do by claiming illness to sever ties; it's a capital offense that could cost you your head and bring disaster upon your entire family!

But now, he can't just take his men and turn back to Yinchuan.

The enemy's thousands of elite troops are still eyeing Qujing Fort with predatory intent. If we make a move, the defense line might collapse and the enemy could break through unimpeded.

Ma Shilong paced back and forth inside the tent, as anxious as an ant on a hot pan.

After thinking for a long time, he finally gritted his teeth and made what he considered to be the perfect decision.

He summoned the two adjutant generals, Bu Yingdi and Hou Dehai, into his tent, lowered his voice, and secretly gave them the order:
"You two, immediately muster two thousand elite troops, slip away from the camp under cover of night, and rush back to reinforce Yinchuan!"

"Remember, you must be completely silent and not let the enemy soldiers detect any unusual movements!"

Ma Shilong repeatedly gave instructions and warnings, afraid of revealing even the slightest flaw.

He naively believed that as long as he remained at the front, the bandit leader would not discover that he had already divided his forces.

But he was wrong.

Jiang Han had long anticipated that Ma Shilong would send troops back to reinforce him, and he had timed it perfectly, waiting for the decisive battle.

The next day, just as dawn was breaking, Jiang Han led his troops to the outside of Li Junbao, where Ma Shilong was sitting.

The war drums sounded again.

This offensive is even more intense than yesterday's.

Jiang Han went all out from the start, sending all his elite troops, including his own personal guard, into the fray.

He personally braved arrows and stones, and together with his troops, they launched wave after wave of attacks on Ma Shilong's defenses, giving Li Junbao's defenders no chance to catch their breath.

　Here's one chapter, more to come.
　　
　
(End of this chapter)