The New Destiny of the Ming Dynasty

When Yang Zhen met Yang Zhan'ao, he heard Yang Zhan'ao say this to him. He was very moved to see how responsible Yang Zhan'ao was and how he always thought of and rushed things for him.

However, this was not a good time to have a proper conversation. So, after listening to Yang Zhan'ao's words, Yang Zhen took his hand, patted it hard, nodded, squatted down on the ground to take a closer look, and used his hand to probe the horse trap that Yang Zhan'ao and his men had dug.

Each horse trap was about the size of the rim of a large wooden bowl used by the advance troops for eating, and about two feet deep.

"That's enough! The size is perfect, and the depth is just right! It's great!"

If the trap is too big, it won't break the horse's leg or hoof; if it's too small, the horse's hoof won't fit in, and it won't be able to serve its purpose.

As Yang Zhen spoke in a low voice, he stood up and looked ahead. Under the clear moonlight, he saw that in a large area in front of him, there was a dark hole every two or three feet square, densely packed together, probably no less than two or three hundred.

Yang Zhen looked at the area filled with horse traps, which basically covered the entire open area from the woods to the reeds on the riverbank, and was extremely satisfied. He then said to Yang Zhan'ao:

"Zhan'ao, you've worked hard! You've solved a major problem! The horse trap issue is resolved! That's more than enough!"

Having said that, looking at Yang Zhan'ao, who had worked hard all night, Yang Zhen thought for a moment and then continued, "However, there are still important things to do! We have enough horse traps, but relying solely on them won't be enough to stop all the Tartars, and Tartars who fall off their horses are also a great threat! We need to dig another I-shaped trench!"

As Yang Zhen spoke, he strode forward, walking about twenty steps eastward from the pitted horse area toward the saline-alkali land in front of the reed marshes. Then, from south to north, he used his feet to draw the shape of the "工" (gong) shaped trench he had mentioned.

Then, Yang Zhen called over Yang Zhan'ao and the others, and said to Yang Zhan'ao, "I know you've been working most of the night without rest, and you've worked very hard! But the left and right flanks of the musketeer team and the left and right flanks of the grenadier team all have their own important tasks now, so this trench can only be finished by me and everyone else! Brothers, let's put in some extra effort and finish this before we rest!"

After saying these words, Yang Zhen put his musket down on the ground, then took the short-handled shovel off his back and started working on it without a second thought.

Upon seeing this, Yang Zhanao didn't hesitate. Following the route drawn by Yang Zhen with his feet, he found a spot and started digging. The others had nothing to say and could only continue to work hard.

Without waiting for Yang Zhen's instructions, Guo Xiaowu turned around and went to the woods where he had been hiding to continue his lookout duty.

Fortunately, the land between the coastline and the Xiaoling River is mostly loose sandy soil, with occasional layers of pebbles and gravel, but overall it is relatively easy to excavate.

In mid-March, the temperature at night in western Liaoning was still quite low, and the sea breeze was quite cold. However, Yang Zhen, who was focused on his hard work, did not feel the cold at all. On the contrary, he was covered in sweat after half an hour.

At this time, the first trench of the I-shaped trench he drew was basically completed.

The trench was about four feet deep, and with the bunkers made of the excavated sand, the depth could reach about five feet.

As for its width, it is wide enough for one person to turn around easily, but it is not wide enough for two people to pass side by side.

For Yang Zhen, that was enough, because even if he had the time and ability to dig wider and longer trenches, he didn't have many men to deploy here.

Another half hour later, Yang Zhen, who had been working hard and sweating profusely, was so tired that he could barely lift his arms.

It was at this moment that Li Lu arrived with the left wing of his grenadier squad. They were numerous and had already completed their mission.

Yang Zhen was able to take this opportunity to catch his breath and rest in the trench for a while.

Yan San, who came along, also fetched a water bag full of fresh water from the nearby Xiaoling River for Yang Zhen to drink, and took the shovel from Yang Zhen's hand to continue digging.

Another half hour passed, the moonlight dimmed, and the darkness before dawn had arrived. Yang Zhen's envisioned second line of defense against the Tartars was finally completed.

In this ambush, Yang Zhen set up a total of five death lines: the first of which was the horse trap that Yang Zhan'ao and his men had dug beforehand.

The second trench was the "I-shaped trench" that Yang Zhen personally led everyone to dig out, sweating profusely.

The third minefield was a large area laid by Li Lu and Pan happy, along with their grenadier squad.

The fourth trench was dug behind the minefield by Zhang Chen and Zhang Guogan, who led the musketeer team about twenty paces along the edge of the reeds.

As for the fifth line, it was reserved for the left and right flanks of the artillery to be set up along the edge of the reeds, with tiger-squatting cannons, breech-loading cannons, and snipers positioned on the inside side of the reeds!

Yang Zhen absolutely did not believe that the Tartar cavalry, after breaking through the horse traps, dodging the grenadiers on the second death line, and even breaking through the minefield, could still evade the musketeers on the fourth ambush line and the artillerymen and matchlock gunners on the fifth ambush line.

If the Tartars' fighting strength is truly that heaven-defying, then Yang Zhen wouldn't need to try to change the fate of the Ming Dynasty anymore; he could just buy a block of tofu and smash his head against it.

Finally, as dawn was about to break, thanks to the combined efforts of all the soldiers, the five "blocking lines" envisioned by Yang Zhen were all connected.

A crescent-shaped trench traversed the area where "Ten Thousand Enemy" and Dragon King Cannons had been buried, connecting the I-shaped trench behind the horse pit area with the "one-line trench" dug by the musketeers behind the "minefield," and penetrating the musketeers' "one-line trench," directly penetrating behind the artillery's reserved position hidden beside the reeds.

Yang Zhen led the group from the zigzag trench behind the horse trap, trying to walk all the way down into the reeds. Only then did the group fully understand why Yang Zhen insisted on digging such a complex trench.

With this set of underground trench fortifications, if the number of Tartar cavalry is small, they can be completely annihilated; if the number of Tartar cavalry is large, they can retreat safely along the trenches that extend directly into the reed marshes.

After leading everyone on the tour, Yang Zhen was generally satisfied. He then addressed the group, who were full of praise, saying, "Our basic fortifications are complete! Now it's up to you all!"

At this point, Yang Zhen looked at everyone, thought for a moment, and then said, "Yang Zhan'ao and Yan San, you two will be in charge of the horse trap. Take the boatmen and oarsmen who dug the trap and bring some dry reeds and withered leaves over there to cover it up! At the same time, you two must remember to remind Xu Changyong not to lead his team through this area!"

After Yang Zhen finished speaking, he looked at Yang Zhan'ao and Yan San, who quickly agreed and then turned to leave.

Next, Yang Zhen said to Li Lu, "In a little while, you and Pan happy will be in charge of marking all the locations of the 'Ten Thousand Enemy' and 'Dragon King Cannons' that you've buried! At the locations of the fuse bundles, cover them with some easily ignitable dry reeds with stones, just in case!"

At this point, Yang Zhen glanced at the location of the "I-shaped trench" in the distance, pondered for a moment, and then said, "The I-shaped trench behind the horse trap will be guarded by Pan happy leading the grenadier team on the right flank! Prepare plenty of all kinds of hand grenades!"

"Once the Tartars break through the section of ground where the horse pit is located, you must throw grenades as hard as you can! Kill as many as you can, or at least wound them!"

"As for Li Lu, do you see that grove of trees over there? You will lead the left wing of the grenadier squad and ambush them in the grove. After Xu Changyong leads his cavalry to lure the enemy through the grove, you will block the pursuers behind them and force the Tartar cavalry to go around the grove!"

"If the Tartars are too numerous and you cannot stop them, you and the left flank of your grenadier squad can hide directly in the reeds at the far left end of the woods! If you wish, you can also dig trenches in that woods to avoid the Tartar cavalry charge!"

"I only ask that you can do something to slow down the Tartar cavalry and separate Xu Changyong's troops from the pursuers. That would be a great achievement for you! But you cannot follow behind Xu Changyong and risk crossing the area where you have laid down enemy positions!"

Yang Zhen had no intention of using the "minefield" he had personally set up, which would ultimately lead to the destruction of both the enemy and his own people.

Upon hearing Yang Zhen's words, Li Lu naturally understood what he meant and immediately agreed.

Pan happy received the order, turned around and left immediately to arrange and deploy the task of defending the trench.