Sweep Yuan

Chapter 233 Chang Yuchun Breaks Through the Enemy's Formation and Captures the General (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
While Bian Yuanheng, Chang Yuchun, and others were still clearing out the last remaining enemy forces resisting on Caishiji, Zuo Junbi had already led the Loyal Guard troops ashore and were advancing rapidly towards Dangtu City behind Caishiji, preparing to take advantage of the chaos and defeat of the Caishiji garrison to capture Dangtu.

Before the battle, Zhou Wendao, the head of the Rongjun Society, asked Marshal Shi for permission to join the army and try to persuade the Dangtu garrison to surrender, hoping to reduce the casualties of the soldiers during the siege.

Ishiyama declined Zhou Wendao's request, citing that "the Veterans Affairs Bureau is busy, and one should not be distracted by military affairs."

The affairs of the Veterans Affairs Bureau were indeed very complicated, but not to the point that he was unable to leave them for even a moment. Ishiyama's decision not to take Zhou Wendao with him on the expedition had deeper considerations.

Firstly, according to intelligence gathered before the war, Dangtu originally had no city walls. They were hastily built after the Yuan court issued the "City Construction Order" last year. The walls were thin and only 27 feet high. The defending troops were mostly local militia temporarily recruited, and their combat effectiveness was limited.

With Dangtu and Caishi combined, the main defensive focus of Taiping Road is still Caishiji. As long as the Red Flag Battalion can quickly capture the strategically important Caishiji and open up the advance route, the isolated city of Dangtu will surely fall. There is really no need to try to persuade them to surrender, as this would only increase the uncertainty.

Secondly, and more importantly, but not to be told to outsiders, Shishan and his soldiers were mostly from Jiangbei and were "Han Chinese"; while the garrison and people of Dangtu and even the entire Jiangnan region were "Southern Chinese".

Although the two sides share the same language, race, and bloodline, the more than one hundred years of north-south separation and foreign rule have led to subtle but significant changes in cultural identity, social atmosphere, and even psychology.

Even if Shishan successfully conquers the world militarily and forcibly unites the North and South, the side with greater cultural confidence and superiority will naturally dominate in the short term.

It is clear that the prosperous and wealthy Jiangnan region, the former territory of the Southern Song Dynasty, was culturally superior to the turbulent Jiangbei region just across the river.

No matter how far ahead of his time Shishan's vision may be, he cannot change this reality on his own within a few years.

But if he wants to truly lead the era's transformation and reshape China, he must seize the initiative in cultural change. He cannot win the military battle but lose the cultural battle from the very beginning, allowing future development to be controlled by the literati and officials of Jiangnan.

Therefore, even knowing that the Yuan army's defenses in many prefectures and counties in Jiangnan were weak and that they could be subdued with a mere proclamation, Shishan had to confront them head-on first, using a powerful army to shatter any remaining sense of superiority or will to resist that the "southern people" might have.

Only in this way can we gain crucial discourse power and initiative for implementing new policies and leading cultural integration and change in the future.

Of course, these are all long-term plans.

The most urgent task at present is to capture Dangtu, and then set our sights on Jiangning, to first firmly establish a foothold in Jiangnan.

When Gong Wu personally led the elite of the Moon Guard to escort Shi Shan to the temporary dock below Caishiji, the battle on the rock had basically subsided, leaving only sporadic resistance and the cleanup of the remaining enemies.

The air was thick with the smell of blood and gunpowder, and charred wooden fences and scattered weapons and arrows were everywhere, indicating the intensity of the battle that had taken place not long ago.

A captain sent by Zuo Junbi was anxiously waiting at the dock. Upon seeing Shi Shan land, he immediately went forward to report:
"Marshal! There is a fierce general among the Yuan dogs of Dangtu City named Nahachu, who is extremely brave! Taking advantage of the fact that our army had just arrived at the city and had not yet established a firm foothold, he suddenly opened the east gate and launched a counterattack, breaking through two of our vanguard formations in succession."

The Left Commander specifically sent me to report that the Marshal must be extremely careful and guard against the enemy's desperate act of launching a surprise attack on the central army!

Even in an era when firearms and artillery were beginning to emerge, exceptionally brave and fierce generals could still create miracles on the battlefield.

But even the bravest general would find it difficult to break through a densely packed and equally fierce elite enemy force. Shi Shan, protected by the elite Pengyue Guard, was not afraid of any Yuan general's attack; he was more concerned about the losses inflicted on the Red Flag Battalion by the Yuan counterattack, and asked in a deep voice:

"What are the casualties of our troops?"

The captain's face darkened, and he bowed his head to report:
"Commander Sun Deyan fought bravely and died in battle, and Commander Ye Sheng was wounded. The initial count of casualties in both battles is about one hundred."

Sun Deyan had served in Shishan for over a year and could be considered a veteran in the army.

This man had no great ambitions and was somewhat complacent in the early stages, thus remaining at the rank of commander. It wasn't until Shishan's decisive victory over the Yuan army of 100,000 men in the Battle of Xuzhou that Sun Deyan seemed to be awakened and truly began to pursue progress. He became extremely strict with his daily training, and his performance improved considerably.

During this crossing of the river, Shi Shan, recognizing his significant change in character, intended to give him a chance to earn merit and set an example for the army of someone who could admit his mistakes and reform. However, he never expected that this man would be so unlucky, losing his life at the foot of the city in this first battle south of the Yangtze River.

Ye Shengsu was known among the generals of Hefei for his bravery, but he was defeated by Naha. It seems that this Yuan general was indeed quite brave and not someone to be trifled with.

However, the bravery of these individuals was of little use against the overall war machine of the Red Flag Battalion.

The Red Flag Battalion's success in attacking and defeating the enemy relied on its tight organization, strict discipline, sound tactics, and excellent training, rather than the reckless courage of individual generals. Shi Shan did not want his generals to develop a fear of the enemy or a reckless mentality driven by a desire for revenge because of this minor setback.

"How is the battle going?" Shi Shan continued to ask, his tone calm and unwavering.

"The Left Commander has suspended the siege, rallied his troops, stabilized the situation, and blocked Nahachu's forces that had come out of the city at the Meishan area in the southeast corner of the city, preventing them from retreating back into the city and from attacking our main force again."

"Good! Very well handled."

Upon hearing this, Shi Shan felt immediately at ease. Zuo Junbi remained calm and composed in the face of battle, demonstrating the demeanor of a great general.

He looked up and saw that on the simple dock beside Caishiji, warships were docking one after another, and squads of Red Flag Battalion soldiers were quickly landing. Under the leadership of their respective generals, they quickly formed ranks and merged into the increasingly large military formation on the shore.

Shi Shan turned his head and gave an order to Peng Zaozhu, the leader of his personal guards, beside him:
"Zaozhu, go up to the islet immediately and find Commander Chang. If the battle on the islet is over, tell him he doesn't need to worry about the trivial matters of inventory anymore. He should go down the mountain immediately and return to his command post!"

"Understood!" Peng Zaozhu clasped his hands in acceptance, turned around, and led two personal guards to quickly run towards the rock.

"The rest of you, come with me to the walls of Dangtu!"

Shi Shan shook the reins and, surrounded by the elite Pengyue Guards, headed towards the pre-arranged central command position in the north of Dangtu City.

To facilitate the river crossing operation, the Military Command made meticulous plans before the battle. Based on the results of months of adaptive training, elite troops from various units were selected to form the first beach landing detachment, and some combat battalions were temporarily reassigned.

Overall, the four-tiered command structure of garrison-township-battalion-team remains intact to ensure the smooth operation of the command system.

Due to the limited transport capacity of warships, the first batch of land troops crossing the river, in addition to naval officers and soldiers, were mainly selected from the three guards of Qingri, Pengyue, and Zhongyi, in order to ensure smooth command in the early stages of the landing and to be able to fight tough battles.

This is one of the reasons why Shi Shan resolutely refused Chang Yuchun's repeated requests to serve as the vanguard of the beach landing, despite his unparalleled bravery—he needed Chang Yuchun to command his troops to carry out more important tasks after landing, rather than just serving as a spearhead in the charge.

"marshal!"

Upon seeing Shi Shan arrive with his personal guards, Zuo Junbi immediately went to greet him. Knowing that Shi Shan disliked idle talk and was more concerned with how the battle would proceed, he refrained from dwelling on the previous losses suffered in the enemy's surprise attack and went straight to the point:

"The soldiers in Dangtu City are few in number and their morale is low. I am confident that I can conquer them in one fell swoop!"

Then, he pointed to the small, abrupt hill in the southeast corner of Dangtu City, his tone turning serious, and said:
"But that Tatar general Nahachu is really brave and fierce. He took advantage of our unpreparedness, broke through the formation and occupied Meishan there, which prevented our troops from attacking the city with all their might. I have ordered the craftsmen in the army to speed up the manufacture of siege equipment, and we will launch a general attack once the reinforcements arrive."

"It doesn't matter!"

Shi Shan's primary purpose in personally arriving at the front lines was to stabilize morale and boost the fighting spirit that might have been affected by the initial setback, rather than to urge an attack. Zuo Junbi's response was correct, and Shi Shan naturally wouldn't urge him to blindly attack the city.

"I have ordered Peng Zaozhu to go to Changchun Yuchun. He should be leading the Qingri Guard troops to reinforce us soon. It's still early, and our reinforcements are continuous. There's no need to rush the attack. You should focus on making preparations and prioritize stability!"

In fact, with just the three elite battalions of the Pengyue Guard who landed first, Shishan was confident enough to stop Nahachu on Meishan.

However, as the leader of the force, he knew that his safety was crucial to the morale of the entire army and even the course of the entire battle. With the Qingri Guards about to arrive, there was really no need to risk his life to buy a little time and add unnecessary variables to the battle.

On Meishan Mountain, Nahachu, the commander of the Yuan army's Taiping Road "righteous army," also saw the striking red "stone" banner in the north of the city from afar.

A sudden surge of excitement welled up in his heart. If he could lead his men straight over there, startle or even capture and kill Shi Shan, the commander of the Red Flag Battalion, the current crisis might be easily resolved.

But reality quickly brought him back to his senses. The two armies were several miles apart, with open terrain in between. Even if his troops were all cavalry, he couldn't possibly charge up to the enemy unnoticed. Moreover, Shi Shan was surrounded by a large number of well-armored elite guards, making him a tough nut to crack.

Meanwhile, from the direction of Caishiji, a steady stream of Red Flag Battalion troops were still heading towards the area, rapidly converging around the "Shi" character banner. Each unit was in perfect formation, with banners fluttering like a forest.

At this moment, a rash attack on the enemy lines would be tantamount to throwing an egg against a rock, leading to one's own destruction.

A pang of regret welled up in Naha's heart.

Meishan, despite its name, is actually just a small hill that is slightly higher than the surrounding polder fields, and it is isolated and helpless.

To its south lies the wide Caishi River, to its east is the even higher Tashan Mountain, and to its north lies the Yanghutang area, crisscrossed by waterways. Nahachu led his troops to retreat here, seemingly occupying the high ground, but in reality, the Red Flag Battalion, with its swift response and numerical superiority, had compressed them into a small, desperate situation.

The garrison in Dangtu City was already small, and those who could be considered brave and capable generals were even fewer.

After the Red Flag Battalion captured Caishiji in one fell swoop with such terrifying weapons that no one had ever heard of before, the morale of the defending troops in the city plummeted.

Left with no other choice, Nahachucai had to take a risky gamble, personally leading elite government troops and some brave volunteers out of the city to launch a counterattack, attempting to boost the morale of the defenders and disrupt the Red Flag Battalion's siege plan.

As a result, he launched a sudden counterattack with his personal martial prowess, catching the enemy off guard. He broke through two formations of the Red Flag Battalion, killing enemy generals and greatly boosting the morale of the defenders on the city wall.

However, the Red Flag Battalion's reaction speed and adaptability far exceeded Nahachu's expectations. They quickly formed a solid line, not only blocking his offensive but also forcing his troops back and isolating them in the dead end of Meishan.

Now, Nahachu faces a dilemma: either try to break through the Red Flag Battalion's formation and retreat to the east gate of Dangtu—but this move could easily lead to enemy pursuit and even capture of the city.

We can either continue to hold Meishan and wait for the Red Flag Battalion to launch another major attack on the city, then seize the opportunity to find a weakness and launch another surprise attack. If we can create a miracle and capture Shishan, that would be the best outcome.

But this is obviously impossible.

The layman looks at the excitement and the insider looks at the doorway.

Just by observing from afar the efficiency, solemnity, and discipline displayed by the various units of the Red Flag Battalion as they converged, assembled, and deployed towards the central army, Nahachu understood that his previous success in breaking through two enemy lines was likely due in large part to luck, in addition to his personal bravery and the suddenness of the battles.

Replicating previous successes, or even expanding the gains, is now an impossible task.

Fortunately, his dilemma didn't last long.

The battle at Caishiji was completely over. After receiving the order from Peng Zaozhu, Chang Yuchun immediately handed over the trivial matters of clearing out the remaining enemy, gathering prisoners, and counting the spoils to Bian Yuanheng, while he himself rushed down the mountain.

Just then, the two battalions of the Qingri Guard who had first landed gathered at the dock. Chang Yuchun did not delay and immediately led them to the city of Dangtu.

"Marshal! Let me capture that Tartar general, Nahachu!"

Chang Yuchun strode up to Shishan, clasped his hands in a fist and asked for permission, his voice booming. He had already heard the news that Naha had displayed his prowess and broken through two of his own formations, and his competitive spirit was immediately aroused.

Since the siege mission was to be undertaken by Zuo Junbi's Loyal Guard, and preparations for the siege had already been made, it was not appropriate for Chang Yuchun to try to seize it. Therefore, defeating or even capturing and killing the most threatening Yuan general and his troops outside the city was the best objective for his Qingri Guard in its first battle.

Looking at Chang Yuchun's face, which was covered in sweat from his hurried journey but brimming with fighting spirit, Shi Shan felt gratified, but also worried that his eagerness to win might lead him to underestimate the enemy and advance recklessly, thus falling into the enemy's trap. He calmly advised him:
"Your main task is to hold off Nahachu's forces and cover the Loyal Guards' efforts to break through the city. Fight if you can. Whether the Tatar generals live or die is not important to the overall situation, so don't force yourself."

Chang Yuchun had served as the commander-in-chief for a long time and was no longer the fierce general who only knew how to fight. He naturally understood that the primary tactical objective of this battle was to quickly capture Dangtu City.

However, he also knew that compared to the brutal siege, defeating or even annihilating the elite force outside the city, personally led by the enemy commander, in open battle would not only greatly damage the morale of the city's defenders, but also create more favorable conditions for the Loyal Guard to break through the city.

As for Naha's bravery? His spear, in Chang Yuchun's hands, was equally formidable!

"This subordinate understands! Please rest assured, Marshal!" Chang Yuchun clasped his hands in acceptance of the order, his tone firm.

As Chang Yuchun turned and left, his murderous aura surging as he charged straight towards Meishan, Shishan, without further hesitation, issued the order for a general offensive:

"Beat the drums! Attack the city!"

The soldiers of the Loyal and Righteous Guard had been eagerly awaiting their turn. As soon as the central army's war drums sounded, Zuo Junbi ordered all battalions to launch a fierce attack on the east, west, and north walls of Dangtu.

On the other hand, although Chang Yuchun had the ambition to compete with Nahachu, he did not rashly order the entire army to launch an attack, nor did he rush out to find Nahachu and fight him one-on-one. The last time he did such a foolish thing was in the Battle of Lu'an last year.

At that time, Zhu Liangzu, the garrison commander of Liuan who was charging out of the city, had been surrounded by the soldiers of Qingri Guard and could be killed or captured soon.

Chang Yuchun, however, was so impressed by Zhu Liangzu's superior martial arts skills that he insisted on a one-on-one duel with him on the battlefield. As a result, he was unexpectedly injured by Zhu Liangzu's hidden meteor hammer, which allowed Zhu Liangzu to break through the encirclement and cause a battle that should have been easily resolved to be delayed for a long time.

Finally, it was only after the marshal personally led a large army that they were able to capture Lu'an and Zhu Liangzu.

Chang Yuchun was defeated as a result, and afterwards Shishan punished him by making him a personal guard for a full ten days. He didn't want to suffer this lesson a second time.

After their troops advanced, they steadily approached Meishan in a well-organized battle formation, and ordered their archers to fire suppressive shots from a distance.

On the contrary, Nahachu on the mountain saw that the Red Flag Battalion had launched another attack on the city, and saw that Chang Yuchun's troops, who were blocking his way, were in a tight formation and were advancing step by step. He knew that if he sat and waited for death, he would be in a desperate situation once the city fell.

With a determined heart, he seized the brief opportunity when Chang Yuchun's troops were adjusting their formation as they passed through the muddy area by Yanghu Pond. With a roar, he led his men to charge down the hillside, attempting to replicate his previous success and catch Chang Yuchun off guard.

This man was indeed incredibly brave and fierce. He took the lead and actually charged forward despite the dense rain of arrows fired by two battalions of the Qingri Guard. He wielded his spear and stabbed down several Red Flag Battalion soldiers who couldn't dodge in time, displaying tremendous momentum.

But the Sun Guards, having been tempered by bloody battles, are least afraid of head-on charges and fierce fighting!

After two volleys of arrows, the swordsmen and spearmen in the front row did not retreat. Instead, they roared in unison and, like rocks, met the sharpness of the Yuan army's charge and crashed into it!

In an instant, the sound of metal clashing against metal filled the air, accompanied by screams and roars.

At this point, the gap in training and organization between the two armies became glaringly obvious.

Although the Yuan army under Nahachu was brave and skilled in individual combat, they relied heavily on their individual strength or small teams of three to five people to fight independently after engaging in battle, lacking overall coordination.

Meanwhile, the Sun Guards maintained a tight and organic formation, with large shields blocking, short swords slashing, long spears thrusting, and crossbows in the rear firing precisely. The various troop types cooperated seamlessly, like a highly efficient killing machine.

If a comrade falls and a gap appears in the formation, the soldiers behind will fill the gap without hesitation, determined not to give the enemy any opportunity to exploit the situation.

Organized forces can defeat disorganized forces, and a disciplined army can break a chaotic situation. No matter how brave an individual opponent may be, it will be difficult to reverse the defeat.

In just one exchange, Chang Yuchun's troops completely crushed Nahachu's momentum, inflicting heavy casualties on the Yuan army and causing their formation to collapse instantly.

As Nahachu himself attempted to forcefully break through the formation, he was stabbed twice and hit by several arrows. Although his excellent iron armor protected him from being pierced and the wounds did not penetrate deeply, he was still covered in blood and his movements became sluggish. He immediately had the idea of ​​retreating.

"Where do you think you're going, Tartar chieftain!"

Just then, a thunderous roar exploded in front of him.

Chang Yuchun heeded Shi Shan's warning and stopped acting rashly, but he would not allow Nahachu to go berserk after being injured and harm his soldiers.

He had been calmly directing the battle from the center. Seeing that the enemy had collapsed and their commander was wounded and weak, he suddenly spurred his horse forward and charged like a whirlwind to Nahachu's side. His spear turned into a bolt of lightning, and with the help of the horse's momentum, he lashed Nahachu's back!
"puff--"

Naha was already seriously injured, how could he withstand such a blow from Chang Yuchun? He immediately spat out a mouthful of blood and was slammed to the ground by the force of the impact. The heavy armor hit the ground with a dull thud.

Before he could even struggle to his feet, the tips of more than ten cold spears were pressed against his vital organs.

Just then, Nahachu heard a huge cheer, like a mountain roar, coming from the direction of Dangtu City in the northwest. He had just seen the north city wall in imminent danger, and now the Red Flag Battalion must have successfully captured it.

It's over... It's all over... Nahachu stared at the gray sky, a chilling despair filling his heart.

On the eastern city wall of Dangtu, Jin Yi, the chief of Taiping Road, looked ashen-faced as he watched the collapse of Naha Chu's troops outside the city. He then looked back at the Red Flag Battalion soldiers surging like a tide on the northern city wall, and the morale of the defending troops inside the city had already collapsed.

He sighed deeply, straightened his official robes, a resolute glint in his eyes, and then leaped off the high eastern city wall, plunging into the winding Yongfeng River outside the city.

……

P.S.: Monthly tickets at the beginning of the month can increase the exposure of the work, please help!
(End of this chapter)