The wind rises at the end of the Ming Dynasty

It was 8:45 AM.

The cold sun hangs high, and the clouds and mist have dispersed.

The thin mist that had been obscuring the eastern suburbs of Jining was also dispersed by the biting north wind sweeping in from the north.

On the plain, the scenes within the two armies' formations were clearly visible to the soldiers of both sides.

The right and left flanks of the two armies had already engaged in fierce fighting, with artillery fire coming one after another and shouts of battle rising higher and higher.

The battle at Balapu had reached a fever pitch. The Qing army, with the soldiers of the Two Red Banners as the backbone, drove the outer Mongol vassals and their bondservants to launch continuous attacks on Balapu.

Outside the Jingnan Army's position at Balapu, piles of corpses lay, resembling a living hell.

Over a long period of time, the sound of gunfire in the Balapu began to slow down, as both firearms and manpower were running out.

After repeated firing, the barrel of the musket would overheat, posing a risk of exploding. Therefore, it could not be fired indiscriminately.

The soldiers' physical strength was also limited, and they could not maintain a high fighting spirit indefinitely.

The Jingnan Army in Balapu had the advantage of having a position to rely on and powerful guns and cannons, but its small number of troops and the need to support three sides made it somewhat inadequate.

While the Qing army, as the attacking force, lagged behind in terms of firearms, the large number of skilled archers in the army made up for this deficiency.

Meanwhile, the total number of Qing troops deployed outside Balapu exceeded 50,000, twice the number of troops deployed by Chen Wang inside and outside Balapu.

Chen Wang frowned, staring intently at the situation around the Eight Wax Shop.

Cao Bianjiao has already led his troops out to attack, but he has been unable to lift the siege of Balapu.

The armored cavalry of the Bordered Yellow Banner were right next to them. Cao Bianjiao led his troops to charge forward several times, but they were all repelled by the Bordered Yellow Banner cavalry. He could only harass them from the outside, putting some pressure on the Qing army attacking the west of Balapu, so that they could not launch a full-scale attack on Balapu.

An individual's martial prowess can influence the course of a battle to a certain extent.

However, in such a battle involving tens of thousands of cavalry, the role of individual martial prowess was inevitably diminished to an extreme degree.

Even the valiant Xiang Yu could not break Zhang Liang's ambush plan.

Even a valiant warrior like Li Rusong perished in resentment under the siege of tens of thousands of Mongol cavalry.

Although Cao Bianjiao was brave, he could not turn the tide of the battle in a short time.

Among the Qing army, the Manchu Eight Banners were the absolute elite.

The two Yellow Banners were undoubtedly the elite of the elite among the Manchu Eight Banners.

The Qing court was never Huang Taiji's sole authority, and the system of the Eight Princes' Council has not been abolished to this day.

Huang Taiji wanted to become the true emperor of the Qing Dynasty, but the mess left to him by Nurhaci forced him to compromise with reality.

Huang Taiji appeared to have a firm grip on power in the Qing court, but in reality, he only relied on Lian Sheng's prestige, the benefits of territorial expansion, and the military strength of the two Yellow Banners under his command to win over some people and suppress others, thus maintaining his power in his own hands.

This is why the strength of the Eight Banners was never equal.

The two Yellow Banners were known as the Inner Two Banners. After Huang Taiji succeeded to the throne, he continuously strengthened the power of the two Yellow Banners by constantly drawing troops from other banners and conscripting elite soldiers from various places to maintain his power and weaken the opposition.

One's own family knows one's own affairs.

Although it absorbed a large number of cavalry from the Western Army and various Ming garrisons.

However, in terms of cavalry strength and numbers, the Jingnan Army still lagged far behind the Qing Army.

Before absorbing the cavalry from various towns, Chen Wang only had seven or eight thousand cavalrymen under his command, and these seven or eight thousand cavalrymen had indeed undergone repeated training.

Their weaponry was superb, and they consistently employed modern tactics and training methods, making them a veritable modern cavalry force.

However, the cavalry of the Western Army and the various Ming garrisons were only integrated into the army in the fifteenth year of Chongzhen's reign, which was less than a year ago. Their combat strength was naturally much weaker than that of the elite armored cavalry of the Eight Banners.

Compared to the elite of the Eight Banners, such as the Bordered Yellow Banner, they were far inferior.

A direct confrontation would undoubtedly be no match for the Qing cavalry.

In particular, to protect the right flank, Chen Wang entrusted almost all of the well-trained new cavalry to Chen Gong.

The cavalry led by Cao Bianjiao were basically the Western Army that had surrendered and the cavalry of various Ming garrisons after reorganization.

Cao Bianjiao's ability to fight the Qing army's Bordered Yellow Banner and over 10,000 Mongol light cavalry to a standstill far exceeded Chen Wang's initial expectations.

For this reason alone, Cao Bianjiao is already a worthy general.

Just as Chen Wang was deep in thought, Dai Zhenglin approached and reported.

"The Qing army's heavy artillery units deployed at Gongcunpu are being transferred towards the central region, while the Qing army is also transferring more heavy artillery from the north to cross the river."

Dai Zhenglin pointed to the due north, to the front line of the Qing army's central force, and reported in a deep voice.

"This time, the Qing army has brought all its heavy artillery with them when they marched south."

"Based on the battles of Songjin and Beijing, and combined with the intelligence gathered by the intelligence department, the Qing army possessed at least more than ninety heavy artillery pieces."

Chen Wang narrowed his eyes and turned to look north.

Many people have a common misconception about the Qing army.

The idea was that the Qing army was quite backward in terms of firearms.

This isn't entirely wrong.

But it's at least half wrong.

The Qing army had always placed great importance on firearms.

Not only did they train a pure firearms unit, Ujenhachao, but they also equipped the Eight Banners troops with a considerable number of firearms.

However, while the Qing army did value muskets less than bows and arrows, they valued artillery the most.

In the fourth year of Chongzhen's reign (1631), the Qing army established a special cannon factory and appointed Tong Yangxing as the commander of the Han army, in charge of Han official and civilian affairs and supervising the casting of Hongyi cannons.

Including casting and capture, the Qing army possessed a total of forty red-coated cannons at that time.

During the Songjin campaign, the Qing army mobilized twenty-seven cannons just to attack Songshan.

By the fifteenth year of the Chongzhen Emperor's reign, the Qing army had successfully manufactured thirty-five heavy cannons in Jinzhou, which were named "Divine Might General".

The newly cast cannons were made using the lost-wax casting method, making them lighter and having a longer and more powerful range than the previous Hongyi cannons.

The cannon had an iron core and an outer copper casing, combining an iron core with a copper body. Utilizing the durability of copper, the cannon barrel could be cast even thinner.

The cannon is eight feet five inches long, or about two and a half meters, weighs 3,800 catties, uses five catties of gunpowder, and can fire ten catties of shells.

Ten catties of cannonballs, converted to Western standards, are roughly equivalent to fifteen pounds of cannon, which already meets the standard of siege artillery.

However, if it were just these cannons, the Qing army's advantage in the number and firepower of heavy artillery would not be too great.

After all, Chen Wang brought a total of 48 heavy siege cannons with him on this northward journey, including 12 cannons weighing 24 jin each and 36 cannons weighing 18 jin each. Although they were slightly inferior in number, they were more destructive.

Moreover, the quality of their artillery was unmatched by the Qing army.

However, after the Qing army successively captured Jinzhou, Songshan, and the capital, which were originally important towns controlled by the Ming court, they dismantled many of the heavy artillery pieces used to defend these cities.

Chen Wang's previous planning and arrangements also made Huang Taiji feel threatened, so Huang Taiji transported most of these heavy artillery pieces to the interior of China.

According to official Ming court data, many of these heavy cannons used to defend the city were capable of firing shells weighing at least 15 jin (7.5 catties). Some were even super-heavy cannons capable of firing shells weighing over 30 jin (15 kg), but these cannons were utterly useless in open field battles and could not possibly be deployed for use.

After acquiring these cannons, the Qing army discarded some of the old and worn-out ones, but still managed to produce an astonishing ninety cannons.

"It seems that the Qing army wants to use the advantage of heavy artillery range to force our army to take the initiative to attack."

Dai Zhenglin's expression was grave. The Qing army's numerical advantage in heavy artillery had always been the biggest concern for the General Staff.

The Qing army's current formation is exactly the same as the most unfavorable scenario that the General Staff had previously simulated.

"Since Huang Taiji is determined to flank us from both sides and defend the center, and wants our central army to take the initiative to attack, then let's go along with his plan."

Chen Wang sneered and did not continue to stand in front of the railing of the observation deck, but sat back down in the seat behind him.

"General..."

Dai Zhenglin was slightly taken aback, and his expression changed slightly.

"If we advance now, won't we be hitting the bullseye...?"

"It doesn't matter."

Chen Wang waved his hand and said calmly.

“I know Huang Taiji’s thoughts all too well.”

"Everything I see is what he wants me to see out in the open."

Chen Wangyuan gazed at the solemn formation of the Qing army to the north and said calmly.

"Although the Fu River is not in a hurry, crossing it is still a troublesome matter. The Qing army's deployment capacity is limited. In just a few hours, tens of thousands of soldiers can only carry a limited amount of supplies and weapons across the river."

"The Qing army carried mostly small and medium-sized cannons when they crossed the river. The cannon fire coming from north of Balapu was almost uniform in volume, which should be their Shenwei General Cannons, those heavy cannons that can barely be considered for sieges."

"The rest of the Qing army's heavy artillery was of different shapes and extremely heavy, and could not be transported by pontoon bridge. It had to be transported by large ships, and loading it onto the ships alone would take a lot of time."

Chen Wang leaned back in his chair, raised his hand, and pointed to the distant Qing army's large formation.

"The Qing army's idea that our infantry would launch the first attack to gain the upper hand, and that they could hold their ground with artillery while our troops inflict casualties, is simply too naive."

Chen Wang gazed calmly at the Qing army's large formation.

"What Huang Taiji didn't know was... in this battle... I never intended to hold my ground..."

Huang Taiji truly deserves the high reputation bestowed upon him by later generations.

Without Huang Taiji laying the foundation and building the cornerstone for the Qing Dynasty, it would be impossible to achieve anything.

Even with constant natural disasters and dramatic changes in the Central Plains, the Qing army still couldn't take over the Central Plains.

The Qing Dynasty will ultimately only be a fleeting local regime recorded in history books.

In politics, Huang Taiji is a master of manipulation.

Beyond military strategy, Huang Taiji's vision was even more astonishing.

Whether focusing on the production and use of artillery or reforming the Eight Banners system, they were outstanding and far ahead of their time.

After just one fleeting glimpse of Jiazhuang, Huang Taiji began ordering his cavalry to emulate and learn the wall charge, a tactic typically used by modern cavalry.

After discovering that the Jingnan Army had won consecutive victories with the advantage of firearms, they began to mass-produce artillery and equip the army with it.

However, the limitations of the era ultimately restricted Huang Taiji's vision.

Previous victories and the inertia they had built led Huang Taiji to place more emphasis on large-caliber artillery with longer ranges, while overlooking the most important point.

Heavy artillery is indeed more powerful and has a longer range, which can give us the upper hand in many situations.

In the early stages of the European wars, many countries made the same mistake.

But in the end, countless bloody lessons and painful experiences made everyone understand.

In field battles, the twelve-pounder and six-pounder cannons were the mainstay and the most reliable artillery.

Heavy shells are a great advantage when attacking city walls, but when it comes to killing infantry, they are no more effective than twelve-pound or six-pound cannons.

The cumbersome siege cannons were already at a disadvantage in terms of reloading speed, making them even less efficient.

The Qing army's heavy artillery units had not yet been assembled; only about thirty 15-pound Shenwei General cannons were about to be deployed.

Now is the time to launch an attack.

Moreover, this was the opportunity that Chen Wang had been waiting for all along.

Chen Wang slowly raised his right hand, preparing to give the order.

But at the last moment, Chen Wang let go.

Facing the astonished gazes of the military officers and staff, Chen Wang stood up.

"Ready your horse."

Chen Wang's voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable power.

He wanted to go to the front lines himself.

"Commander-in-Chief!"

"A major battle is imminent, and the entire army relies on the General's strategic planning. We must not act rashly at this moment!"

Dai Zhenglin looked flustered and tried to stop Chen Wang, blocking his way.

"General, please think carefully! With a major battle imminent, how can you so easily relinquish your command?"

The military officers and staff were equally nervous. With the situation so urgent, how could Chen Wang, as the commander-in-chief of the army, leave his command post without authorization?

"I know my duty. As the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, I will never personally risk my life."

Chen Wang held his helmet and mounted his warhorse.

Looking down at the group of military officers and staff members offering their advice, Chen Wang's face remained calm and composed, showing no emotion whatsoever.

Chen Wang was very clear about his responsibilities and his identity.

A son of a wealthy family should not sit under a dangerous roof. As the commander-in-chief of an army, he must not continue to personally lead troops into battle as before.

That would truly be disregarding the bigger picture.

The armor he wore no longer represented his own life or death, but rather the lives of hundreds of thousands of soldiers and the fate of billions of lives in the world.

Chen Wang took the lance handed to him by his personal guard, then slowly gripped it tightly. He looked up firmly towards the Qing army's formation in the north.

He wanted to boost the morale of the entire army by personally leading the troops into battle!

The decisive moment has arrived!
This battle!

Definitely!

To achieve our goal in one decisive battle! (End of Chapter)