weaving

The troops that suffered heavy losses in a surprise attack by Zhang Guangda's Zhuque Battalion were the two Tartar armies of Baiyintu's Jianzhou Bordered Yellow Banner and Wu Lai's Mongol Plain Blue Banner.

Because they had deployed troops from six banners, they already held an absolute advantage and never expected that the Ming army would dare to launch a preemptive attack on their camp.

Therefore, Baiyintu and Wu Lai were not very diligent in their defense. In the morning, they were busy urging the firemen to make breakfast quickly so that they could attack Jiagushao after they finished eating.

Faced with the sudden attack by the Ming army, they tried their best to organize resistance and counterattack, but the incident happened so suddenly that they could not quickly repel the Ming army. They had no choice but to ask the nearby Jurchens for help.

Upon receiving the news, Abtai angrily berated Baiyintu for his incompetence while simultaneously mobilizing troops to reinforce him.

Looking at the devastated camp before him, now a complete ruin, Abatai was furious. He was so enraged he didn't even have the energy to curse anymore. He immediately ordered his entire army to attack, surrounding the Ming army's Jiagushao position from all sides, determined to break through and slaughter the Ming soldiers to avenge this humiliation.

Before the Jurchens could complete the encirclement, they saw flames shooting into the sky from the direction of Jiagushao, followed by columns of black smoke rising into the air.

“Ming is going to run away!” Abatai immediately guessed the outcome.

He urgently ordered the Jurchen troops to immediately head south and pursue the fleeing Ming army with all their might, determined to kill them all to vent their hatred!
…………

Zhang Guangda had no intention of engaging in a protracted battle with the Tartars. He led his heavy cavalry southward, while sending out light cavalry and scouts along the way to create a diversion and delay the Jurchens' southward pursuit.

In some strategic locations, a few sentries would be left to ambush and block the enemy. Of course, those sentries who were left to block the enemy were those who were assigned mules and horses. After blocking the enemy for a while, they would retreat on horseback.

Although some casualties are inevitable during the blocking process, it can delay the Jurchens' pursuit and allow the main force to retreat safely.

After all, most of the chariot soldiers were not assigned mules or horses to ride, not to mention the many oxen that were being pulled, which were very valuable military supplies and were carrying a lot of necessary military supplies. How could they be abandoned?
Thus, while retreating, they organized interception efforts to fully cover the main force as it retreated southward along the west bank of the Shu River, carrying necessary military supplies.

…………

Li Fuming, the general of Shanxi, received the message from Zhang Guangda on the night of the eighth day of the third month.

Knowing Zhang Guangda's position in the Yongyi Army, he naturally dared not delay. He summoned all the generals in the camp overnight and sent someone to invite Ge Ruzhi, the Assistant Commander of Xuandu Yangbiao, to come and discuss the matter together.

The next day, early in the morning.

Li Fuming led his garrison cavalry out of the camp to the north to meet up with Zhang Guangda's troops who were heading south, while Ge Ruzhi stayed behind to reinforce the defensive positions.

Heeding Zhang Guangda's advice, the two completely abandoned the defense line on the east bank of the Shu River and concentrated all their troops on the west bank to resist Abatai's main force of southward-bound Tartars.

While Li Fuming was leaving camp to head north to meet Zhang Guangda, a small troop of cavalry also set off south. They were heading to the Yongning Earl's headquarters to report on the military situation there, so that the Yongning Earl could formulate a plan. ...

On the ninth day of the third month, the battle in Yanzhou was at its most intense and tense moment.

The Jurchen Tartar troops led by Turgh and the Yongyi Army led by Zhang Cheng, the Earl of Yongning, have been fighting fiercely for more than two days on the west bank of the Shu River. Both sides have committed their most elite troops and are suffering heavy casualties.

Of course, relatively speaking, the casualties on the Yongyi Army's side were less. After all, as the defending side, relying on the pre-set strong fortifications, coupled with sharp weapons and well-trained soldiers, the casualties would be much less no matter what.

Moreover, the Yongyi Army, as the defending side, has a natural advantage, as almost all of its wounded soldiers are in their own paint, making rescue and transfer very convenient.

Unlike the Jurchen Tartars, almost all of their wounded soldiers were on the front lines of the attack. If they really broke through the Yongyi Army's defenses, things would be a little better. Regardless of the level of battlefield medical care, at least the wounded could be withdrawn from the front lines and their condition could be improved.

However, most of the time they were unable to break through the strong defenses of the Yongyi Army, which made it almost impossible for their wounded soldiers to receive effective treatment. After all, it was difficult to even remove them from the battlefield, let alone treat them.
In fact, it wasn't that the Tartar leaders didn't want to rescue their wounded soldiers. After all, they were comrades-in-arms who had gone through thick and thin together, and veterans of the Jurchen army. They were invaluable and rare treasures in the Jurchen army!
However, after several attempts, the Gushan Ejen of the various banners of Jurchen had no choice but to give up in resentment—after all, relying solely on shields was completely insufficient to withstand the bombardment of cannons. If they could not even protect themselves, how could they possibly rescue the wounded soldiers?
…………

In the Yanzhou region, on the west bank of the Shu River, at this point in the battle, all the Manchu, Mongol, and Han soldiers from the six banners of the Jurchen forces—the Yile Mongol Plain Yellow Banner, Wu Shoujin Han Army Plain Red Banner, Shi Tingzhu Han Army Plain White Banner, Turge Manchu Bordered White Banner, Gadahun Mongol Plain Red Banner, and Zu Zerun Han Army Plain Yellow Banner—have joined the battle.

It can be said that on this battlefield, only the Bordered Red Banner of the Mongols of Buyandai seemed to be detached from the situation, becoming the most leisurely presence on the Jurchen side.

In fact, Buyandai did not want to remain neutral, but the Yongyi Army surrounded him without attacking, leaving him with no way to deal with the situation.

Although the number of brave and resolute soldiers left to besiege Buyandai was not large, four trenches completely surrounded the area, effectively isolating both sides.

Buyandai had organized several charges in an attempt to break through the Yongyi Army's encirclement and join forces with other Tatar troops from other banners who were coming to their aid. However, before they could cross or fill the trenches, their troops were bombarded by the Yongyi Army's cannons and were forced to retreat.

Therefore, he gave up the idea of ​​breaking out and waited for reinforcements to attack so that they could coordinate an attack from the inside!

…………

On the Yongyi Army's side, apart from Luo Rucai's standard battalion and right battalion troops who were rushing to the battlefield, almost all other Yongyi Army and government troops were engaged in the battle, including the government troops under Jiang Xiang in the far north, as well as the government troops under General Wang Pu and Assistant General Jiang Jianxun in Datong in the south.

This battle has reached a point where it's no longer a matter of victory or defeat; it's a matter of life and death. If nothing unexpected happens, the Jurchen Tartars under Turgh's command are doomed!

After all, Turgh's side was already at a disadvantage in terms of troop strength and had lost its obvious advantage in equipment. Their two or three layers of armor were almost unable to protect them from the muskets and cannons of the Brave Army. So how could he possibly win?
Even if it comes down to willpower and battlefield resilience, can the Tatar soldiers led by Turg possibly defeat the Brave and Resolute Army?

Now, the only variable on the battlefield in Yanzhou is the Tartar troops under Abatai, who are heading south from Qingzhou... (End of Chapter)