1627 Rise of the South China Sea

Chapter 3891

Ding Baoguo and a group of military officers stood on the city gate tower of Jinxian Gate in the south of the city, gazing at the place where black smoke was rising in the distance outside the city, and the occasional sound of gunfire could be heard from that direction.

That was the location of a military horse farm outside the city. After the Haihan Army entered Jiangxi, the military horse farm became one of the cavalry garrisons outside the city, with a maximum of about three thousand cavalrymen stationed there.

The primary task of these cavalrymen was not to fight against the Haihan Army, but to act as messengers to contact various places and to carry out various reconnaissance missions that required getting close to the enemy. The risks involved were considerable, and as a result, they suffered great losses during this period.

In just two months, the number of cavalrymen stationed at the military horse farm was reduced by nearly half.

As the Haihan army approached Nanchang City step by step, leaving less and less room for the cavalry to operate outside the city, Ding Baoguo had no choice but to order the remaining cavalry to withdraw from the military horse farm, which had become a dangerous area, in batches.

Nanchang city had limited resources and could not possibly accommodate a large number of troops and horses for long. If the siege lasted for one or two months, these horses would have to be used as rations. Therefore, some cavalry and horses had to be moved out of Nanchang in order to preserve strength.

The northwest and southwest sides of Nanchang were cut off by the Gan River, making it difficult to organize a large number of boats to cross the river. Just a few dozen miles to the east lay the Fu River basin, with its dense network of waterways, which was also unfavorable for cavalry operations.

The only way out is to the south. If the cavalry can break through the blockade line of the Haihan Army in the opposite direction, they may be able to find an opportunity to cross the Gan River in the upper reaches. Then they can head west to Ruizhou and Yuanzhou and retreat to the Huguang region, while also bringing the last letter of appeal for help from Nanchang to the local government.

However, the Haihan Army, which was stationed south of Nanchang, was the 2nd Division of the Army that had fought its way north from Guangdong. They had already set up a complex network of blockades in the southern suburbs of Nanchang, cutting off almost all roads from north to south.

Moreover, this blockade is gradually advancing northward at a rate of several miles per day, like a noose slowly tightening around someone's neck, its target being the city of Nanchang.

Today, the Haihan army's advance has reached the military horse farm, only a few miles from Jinxian Gate south of the city. There are still at least several hundred horses that were unable to evacuate in time, as well as about two hundred cavalrymen. However, judging from the current situation, no large number of horses have been seen to have left the area, suggesting that their fate is likely grim.

Ding Baoguo gripped the crenellations of the city wall with both hands, gazing at the scene of the incident outside the city, his face ashen, and remained silent.

He wasn't distressed about the troops and cavalry outside the city, but this battle confirmed that the enemy had blocked all escape routes from Nanchang. If Nanchang fell, it would be difficult for the remaining troops inside to break out and escape.

The Art of War states, "Do not block an enemy army that is retreating, leave an opening for an army that is surrounded, and do not press an enemy that is on the verge of defeat."

This was not only to preserve one's own strength when having a clear advantage and to avoid excessive losses due to the enemy's desperate fighting, but also to shake the enemy's fighting will and make them unwilling to defend their positions.

If the enemy's objective is to capture the city, a tactic of surrounding three sides and leaving one side open would certainly be more reasonable than a complete encirclement. However, the current posture of the Haihan army is designed to make it impossible for the defending forces to escape. This clearly indicates that they intend to take this opportunity to annihilate the last remaining Ming forces in Jiangxi. For a moment, Ding Baoguo even doubted whether his decision was correct. Was it really more prudent to defend Nanchang and wage a war of attrition against Haihan than to abandon the city and flee west to preserve strength?

If all these tens of thousands of Ming soldiers were to perish at the gates of Nanchang, and fail to prevent the Haihan people from occupying Jiangxi, would the court approve of the choice I, Ding Baoguo, made?
But as a high-ranking official who controlled the military power of a province, his will was not easily shaken, and he quickly suppressed such self-doubt.

Even if they abandoned Nanchang and fled west, where could they escape to? It's only been three years since Nanjing fell, when large numbers of Ming troops retreated to Jiangxi. Escape ultimately cannot solve the problem; only by truly defeating the Haihan army on the battlefield can their relentless encroachment on the Ming Dynasty be stopped.

"Pass down the order: seal Jinxian Gate with stone slabs today, organize laborers to quickly transport logs and stones to the south of the city, and deliver them to the city wall before tomorrow morning. Also, transfer the artillery battalion that is preparing for war in the city to the south of the city and be ready to deploy at any time."

Ding Baoguo immediately issued a series of orders to strengthen the defenses of the southern city.

He believed that since the Haihan Army had deployed heavy troops to besiege the south of the city, it was highly likely that this area would become the main direction of attack next, and it was necessary to make corresponding adjustments in advance.

However, some people present raised doubts: "Lord Ding, the Haihan people's combat command is located in Zhao Family Village in the east of the city. We cannot afford to relax our vigilance on the east side either!"

Ding Baoguo said, "I think the Haihan people deliberately exposed information about Zhao Family Village to draw our attention to the east. However, when they launch the siege, their main attack direction may change to the south. We must be wary of such tricks, which are a mix of truth and falsehood!"

Ding Baoguo stuck to his own opinion, so naturally no one else dared to voice their opposition to his arrangements.

After the peace talks presided over by Left Provincial Governor Zhao Mingyu failed, only one voice remained in Nanchang City: all those who opposed or questioned Ding Baoguo were now categorized as Zhao Mingyu's faction. The military officers patrolling the city's defenses alongside Ding Baoguo were undoubtedly his staunch supporters.

But it wasn't long before they realized that the debate about the main attack direction was meaningless. Neither Ding Baoguo nor anyone else could accurately predict the main attack direction of the Haihan Army.

The Haihan army did not attempt a main attack but instead launched a feint attack from two directions. Organized Haihan artillery units appeared on the outer sides of the city's east and south sides, and began to slowly set up artillery positions outside the range of the city's defensive cannons.

However, this was not all. Reports from the north and west of the city indicated that a large number of Haihan warships had appeared on the Gan River, many of which were troop transport ships, suggesting that they were still preparing to launch a landing operation in these two directions.

Ding Baoguo was somewhat puzzled. According to the enemy situation he had previously grasped, the total strength of the Haihan Army that had invaded Jiangxi this time, consisting of three routes, was only about 20,000 men. After occupying many prefectures and cities, they would need to station troops to guard them. Therefore, the number of troops that could be deployed to the Nanchang battlefield should only be around 10,000.

Even if the Haihan army is stronger than the Ming army, with such a small force, the Haihan people still want to launch a combined land and sea attack and encircle the city from all sides. Isn't that a bit too much of an underestimation of the defenders in Nanchang?