weaving

Chapter 1616 What are the chances of winning?

The vinegar factory was surrounded on three sides, leaving only the east side. Because it was close to the riverbank, the soil was soft and muddy, making it difficult to dig trenches. That's why the Ming army didn't dig trenches or station troops there, which can be considered as giving Buyandai a break.

However, precisely because the soil here is soft, cavalrymen can easily sprain their horses' legs while riding on it. Therefore, for Buyandai, although there is this escape route, it is a deadly path that he dares not choose unless absolutely necessary.

At this moment, Buyandai stood on the northwest corner tower of the outer wall of the vinegar farm, looking at the crisscrossing ditches and mounds of earth about two miles away, his expression constantly changing.

As the sun set, the outer perimeter of the Jiannu camp in Cuzhuang was surrounded by three layers of moats and earthen walls, completely sealing off Buyandai. Not even a rabbit could escape, let alone a living person.

Beyond Buyandai's sight, outside the outermost layer of the moat surrounding the vinegar village, lay numerous short trenches of varying lengths, some only a few feet long, others more than ten feet long, some horizontal, some vertical, and some even diagonally excavated.

These trenches varied in length and width, and most of the short trenches did not have earthen walls. Only a very few short trenches had low earthen walls built on the side facing the enemy.

These occasional earthen walls are also quite distinctive. They are not tall, but rather short and thick, making it impossible for cavalry to cross them on horseback, as if they were specifically designed for the Tatar cavalry.

“Gushan, judging from the Ming dogs’ posture, we’re probably doomed to fail. But Master Yile and Shi Tingzhu’s reinforcements have been intercepted by the Ming dogs. We can’t just sit here in this vinegar shop and wait to die.” A Jiala Zhangjing said to Buyandai.

"How much can a mere ten thousand or so Ming dogs accomplish?"

Buyandai was unwilling to admit defeat in front of his subordinates, clinging to his pitiful pride and firmly believing that the situation was still in his favor.

"Ben Gushan is using himself as bait to lure all the Ming dogs here, so that he can invite Tuerge Gushan to lead the warriors of our Great Qing Empire to capture them all in one fell swoop, and let the Ming dogs in the Central Plains know the consequences of being enemies of our Great Qing Empire."

Although the Jiala Zhangjing was somewhat dismissive, he dared not say much. However, after much hesitation, he still added, "But, Buyandaigushan, the supply route from Lord Yile's side has been cut off by the Ming dogs, and the transportation of grain has also become a problem. With the grain in our camp alone... I'm afraid we won't be able to hold out for more than a few days."

"Hmph..." Buyandai was quite dismissive of this: "What's there to be afraid of? If we run out of food, we still have the captured people, right? When the livestock are all gone, we can still eat the 'two-legged sheep'!"

The Jiala Zhangjing seemed somewhat prepared for Buyandai's words and wasn't particularly shocked. However, he heard Buyandai say, "Besides... I'm afraid it won't be more than two or three days before Turge and the others lead a large army to reinforce us. Perhaps... General Abatai will also arrive from Qingzhou. At that time..."

Buyandai pointed to the outside of the camp as he spoke, and continued, "If we work together from the inside and outside to slaughter all these more than ten thousand Ming dogs, and our Mongol Bordered Red Banner uses itself as bait... that would be a great achievement."

“Haha…” Buyandai became more and more excited as he spoke, and suddenly turned around and patted the Jiala Zhangjing on the shoulder: “Back then… you might have been able to advance further with this achievement.”

Upon hearing this, Jiala Zhangjing was overjoyed and hurriedly clasped his hands in thanks, saying, "It's all thanks to Lord Gushan's guidance." ...

"General, if we just stay here like this, will the Tartars really come to us on their own?"

The Earl of Yongning glanced at Zhu Zhicang, who had spoken, but did not blame him for his abrupt words. Instead, he smiled at him, after all, Zhu Zhicang's military career was still short and his experience was limited, which was understandable.

Moreover, Zhang Cheng intended to cultivate such a figure from the bloodline of the Ming imperial family, but there was a prerequisite—Zhu Zhicang had to be a member of Zhang Cheng's faction first!

"Yiqian, what are your thoughts on the questions raised by Zhu Zhicang?" The Earl of Yongning did not offer any explanation himself, but instead called on Yuan Fucheng to speak.

Yuan Fucheng, being from a family of scholars, possessed a mature demeanor beyond his years. He stepped forward first, bowed deeply to the Earl of Yongning, and then slowly spoke: "Reporting to the Commander, I, Fucheng, am dull-witted. Although I have a rudimentary understanding of literature, I have no expertise in military affairs. I am truly ashamed of my ancestor's name, Keli Gong."

Seeing that he said this, Zhang Cheng did not make things difficult for him. He just smiled slightly and then looked at Guo Jinyi and said, "Jinyi, you are quite knowledgeable about military affairs. Do you have any opinions?"

Guo Jinyi's face was as calm as an autumn lake, without a ripple. Like Yuan Fucheng, he stepped forward first and bowed deeply to the Earl of Yongning before saying, "Reporting to the Commander, according to my guess, the Tartars will surely come to rescue Jiebuyandai from his crisis. We only need to calm down and wait for the enemy."

"Oh...you must have a reason for making such a statement. Please explain in detail."

Guo Jinyi naturally knew that the Earl of Yongning was testing him on one hand, and on the other hand, he wanted to use him to answer the questions of Zhu Zhicang, a guerrilla officer from the royal family.

He pondered for only a moment before speaking, "There are three reasons why you dare to make this assertion."

"Firstly, the Tatars under Buyandai are also one of the main forces of the Jurchens. They will not be given to us to wipe out here for nothing. Otherwise, it will greatly damage the morale of the Tatars who have invaded our Great Ming."

Secondly, Buyandai is strategically located in the middle of several Tartar camps on the west bank of the Shu River. There is also a stone bridge to the north that leads to the east bank. It is extremely important and must be the place that the Jurchens must save. It must not be lost.
Thirdly, since their invasion, the Tartars have been attacking and destroying prefectures and cities, achieving victory after victory. Their arrogance is undeniable; they have long since disregarded the Ming army. Now that they know of our more than ten thousand troops stationed here, they will surely mobilize a large force to annihilate this fighting force of ours.

Guo Jinyi concluded with absolute certainty: "It is precisely because of these three reasons that we dare to assert that the Vinegar Manor is a place the Tartars will definitely save, and our army only needs to wait for the Tartars to take the bait."

Seeing that everyone nodded in agreement after listening to Guo Jinyi's analysis, Zhang Cheng said no more and turned his gaze to Sun Qiang, asking him, "Sun Qiang, in the eleventh year of Chongzhen's reign, the Tartars invaded our capital region. You defended Gaoyang City for several days and fought a bloody battle with the Tartars. Now tell me, what are the chances of our army winning if we wait in comfort and wait for the Tartars to tire themselves out and block them here?"

When Sun Qiang was called out by the Earl of Yongning, he was slightly surprised, but after hearing the meaning behind Zhang Cheng's words, he smiled slightly, immediately understanding the implication. He stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Reporting to the Commander, Sun Qiang believes that our army has the advantage of being well-rested and waiting for the enemy to tire themselves out, and we also have impregnable trenches. Furthermore, our army is well-equipped with armor and weapons, sharp cannons, and ample ammunition. Therefore, we should have a 100% chance of winning this battle against the Jurchen reinforcements!"