weaving

The matter of requesting reinforcements in Chapter 1600 should not be mentioned again.
March 4th.

The Manchu Bordered Red Banner, the Mongol Plain Blue Banner, and the Han Plain Blue Banner left Zhaoxianzhuang and Tinggou, and marched to the vicinity of Wang'erzhuang to join forces with Hushibu and Liu Zhiyuan, preparing to launch a joint attack on Cao Bianjiao and Tang Tong's Ming army in Wang'erzhuang.

However, Hu Shibu suffered heavy losses due to Cao Bianjiao's night attack. Not only were many northern barbarian soldiers killed or wounded, but much of the army's supplies were also burned. Moreover, the soldiers had not slept all night and were no longer able to launch an offensive against Wang'erzhuang.

In particular, Liu Zhiyuan's Han army Bordered Yellow Banner suffered heavy losses. Not to mention the casualties of the soldiers, most of its artillery was destroyed or burned, and most of the gunpowder carried by the army was also ignited and exploded, greatly weakening its ability to attack fortified positions.

The three Tartar tribes of Shuo Tuo, Wu Lai, and Li Bayan were also newcomers. Although they had the strength to fight, they dared not be careless in the face of a powerful enemy like Cao Bianjiao. They set up camp around Wang'erzhuang, surrounding it from all sides, and prepared to launch a full-scale attack the next day.

…………

"Brother Zhou, listen to me, let's withdraw our troops."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yuji's expression darkened. He glared at Zhang Dengke and said in a deep voice, "Governor Zhao ordered us to come here to annihilate the Jurchens entrenched in Juzhou. How can we retreat without authorization just because the Jurchens are attacking? If this jeopardizes Governor Zhao's grand plan, we will be in trouble."

Can General Zhang bear such a sin?

Zhang Dengke's face showed a look of fear and difficulty, and he said in a low voice: "Brother Zhou, as you know, in yesterday's battle, nearly half of my camp was lost. Now the soldiers have no fighting spirit. If the Tartars attack with all their might again, I'm afraid we will not be able to hold them off."

Zhou Yuji sighed inwardly, but said aloud, "General Zhang, you see that the Tartars did not attack today. This shows that although the Tartars had a slight advantage in yesterday's battle, they also suffered heavy losses. Otherwise, why would they have stopped fighting?"

"Brother Zhou, how do you know that the Tartars aren't waiting for reinforcements, intending to annihilate us all here?"

"General Zhang, please say no more. I, Zhou, will obey Commander Zhao's orders and lead my soldiers to hold this place firmly. I will not retreat even a step."

Zhou Yuji stared intently at Zhang Dengke, his eyes blazing, and said, "If you dare to retreat without a fight, I, Zhou, will not allow it..."

As he spoke, he drew the sword from his waist and shouted, "This sword in Zhou's hand will not agree, nor will the four thousand men in my camp!"

Upon seeing this, Zhang Dengke immediately softened. He smiled broadly, stepped forward, and said with a forced smile, "Brother Zhou, why is this? I was merely making this suggestion. If you are determined to defend Sucunji, I will stand shoulder to shoulder with you to fight the slaves. How could I possibly flee alone?"

Seeing that he spoke like this, Zhou Yuji stopped dwelling on it and immediately sheathed his sword. He raised his hand and patted Zhang Dengke's shoulder, encouraging him, "Although the Tartars are brave, they are still made of flesh and blood. They will die just as easily when swords and spears are used against them. What is there to be afraid of?"

As fellow commanders-in-chief, we should inspire all soldiers with passionate and righteous spirit, urging them to fight bravely and slay the enemy. We must not utter any reckless words within the army, lest we undermine morale and fighting spirit.

Zhang Dengke solemnly clasped his hands and said, "Please rest assured, Brother Zhou, I am aware of this. I will immediately return to the camp to find those gossiping fellows and deal with them according to military law. This will stabilize the morale of the army and help you control the enemy."

"well."

As Zhang Dengke left the command tent, guerrilla commander Li Deng reminded him, "General, since Zhang Dengke has already decided to retreat, we must be on guard."

Zhou Yuji's lips curled up slightly as he said calmly, "Go and make arrangements. Tell the brothers guarding the gate that no one is allowed to leave the camp without my token."

"Here you go!"

While the situation in Juzhou is temporarily deadlocked, flowers are already in full bloom along the banks of the Shu River in the southeast corner of Yanzhou, making it a lively scene!

Early morning, March 4th.

Outside the vinegar factory, there was a huge crowd, but apart from the officers' shouts, there were only the neighing of warhorses and the creaking of wheels on the ground. There was no noise from the soldiers, and not even a single command could be heard.

At this moment, Buyandai, the Gushan Ejen of the Bordered Red Banner of Mongolia, was standing on a newly built wooden building at the southwest corner of the Vinegar Village wall. He was shocked as he looked at the densely packed Ming soldiers outside the village.

Buyandai wasn't shocked by the sheer number of Ming troops. His reaction stemmed entirely from the discipline displayed by the Ming soldiers outside. Nearly ten thousand Ming soldiers were able to dig trenches, deploy artillery, and organize attack equipment in such an orderly manner—something he had never seen before!
"Such strict discipline, with ten thousand men arrayed in formation without a single sound or disturbance, is something even the warriors of our Great Qing Empire would find difficult to achieve," Buyandai remarked.

"Lord Buyandai, should we send someone to ask Tuergegushan for help?"

Buyandai said without turning his head, "We sent someone to ask Turg for help before even fighting the Ming dogs. I'm afraid he won't come to our aid and will blame us for being cowardly and afraid to fight."

"But these Ming dogs are not only numerous and powerful, but their military discipline is also so strict. They may not be easy to deal with. Lord Buyandai must make some plans."

“Udai, don’t mention asking Turg for help again.”

Buyan Dai's tone was clearly unfriendly, and Wu Dai dared not insist on his own ideas anymore. However, Buyan Dai instructed, "Send some skilled warriors to rush out in the chaos and see what's going on with Yile, Wu Shoujin, and Shi Tingzhu. If possible, ask them to come and help us."

"Whoo."

…………

The Jurchens on the west bank of the Shu River acted with great restraint. They all strictly guarded their own camps and did not launch an attack on the Yongyi Army units that were nearby. The situation on the battlefield changed rapidly, and the initiative was firmly in the hands of Yongning Earl Zhang Cheng.

At dawn, the soldiers of the Yongyi Army were outside the vinegar village, setting up artillery positions, digging trenches and building defensive earthen walls, and eating breakfast. Buyandai in the vinegar village camp gritted his teeth, but there was nothing he could do.

The village was named after the vinegar it produced. Although there were some vinegar-brewing workshops, there were not many residents and the village was not very large. Naturally, it could not accommodate the Mongol Bordered Red Banner of Buyandai, let alone the more than 10,000 captive civilians.

Therefore, the vinegar village was only the center of the Buyandai Mongol Bordered Red Banner camp. There was another ring of camps outside the vinegar village, especially the eastern side, which was larger, since it was close to the banks of the Shu River and had convenient access to water.

Now, the Yongyi Army led by Marquis Yongning Zhang Cheng has only tightly surrounded the Cuzhuang camp from the south, north, and west. As for the east side, it is only a little over a mile from the Shushui River bank and is relatively soft. It is also a bit muddy due to the need to fetch water back and forth, so it is not suitable for large-scale military operations. Therefore, the siege of this side has been abandoned.

…………

Just after Chen Shi (7-9 AM), cannons were fired first from the west.

With a loud thud, a cannonball hurtled towards the Mongolian Bordered Red Banner camp in Cuzhuang, landing about thirty paces outside the camp wall and kicking up a cloud of dust.