The wind rises at the end of the Ming Dynasty

It is 9:00 AM.

The cold sun hangs high in the sky.

On the plains of the eastern outskirts of Jining, the grim military formations, like a vast crimson ocean, exuded a chilling silence, surging without a trace.

Crimson armor and banners converged into a boundless forest of bayonets.

Chen Wang spurred his horse slowly, leading a dozen or so armored cavalrymen past the front of the formation.

He wore a gilded, pointed iron helmet, with a bright red feather rising high from the top, trembling slightly in the headwind.

The outer layer of dark gold fish-scale armor, reaching waist-high, was densely packed with blades that shimmered with a cold and understated luster as the horse's back rose and fell.

Beneath the armor was a brocade cloud-shoulder robe with sleeves and knee-length hems, the giant python embroidered in gold thread surging under the pale sunlight.

This python robe was bestowed upon him by Emperor Chongzhen after he marched south to Jingzhou and Xiangyang, subdued the various towns, and forced the surrender of the Western Army, when Chongzhen issued an imperial edict to confer upon him the title of Earl of Jingnan.

The chestnut horse beneath him was tall and strong, draped in a riding coat with red trim.

This warhorse was a congratulatory gift from Cao Wenzhao to celebrate his promotion to the position of Assistant Commander of Hanzhong. Since then, it has accompanied him on his long campaigns.

Behind him, armored cavalry solemnly carried the royal command flags, while three flag bearers firmly held up three large crimson banners.

The last two flags were both 15 feet tall, with red tassels at the head and pheasant feathers at the tail, and the bands were crimson.

One side is inscribed with four characters: General Who Pacifies the Bandits.

The other side bears the inscription "General Commander of Jingnan Town".

The first banner was eighteen feet tall, with a pheasant-tail tassel on the pole and a dark gold band eight feet and five inches long.

The flag is square, with a crimson background and dark gold border, and decorated with python patterns.

The inscription contains seven characters.

"Governor-General of all military affairs, both inside and outside the capital!"
In the biting north wind, the flag bearers of each formation shouted and raised their military flags, while countless armored soldiers roared and raised their weapons, the cold light instantly converging into a forest of metal.

Along the long battle line, countless banners waved, military music played, and the deep beat of war drums resounded one after another, all paying tribute to their commander.

However, there was an even louder voice that drowned out all of this.

It burst forth from every formation, from the very depths of the hearts of 87,000 soldiers, like a mountain collapsing, like a tsunami, rolling in with deafening cheers.

"Long live!"

"Long live!!"

Long live the Emperor!!!

Chen Wang led his warhorse at the front of the formation, raising his lance high and saluting each soldier who was shouting at him.

When Chen Wang reined in his warhorse and stopped, the army's morale and fighting spirit had already reached their peak amidst the earth-shaking cheers!

Chen Wang stood alone on horseback, spear in hand, before the army of ten thousand. The shouts and military music had ceased, leaving only desolation.

As far as the eye could see, in the distant wilderness, the five-colored banners of the Qing army were fluttering violently in the wind, like a restless jungle.

The icy air, when inhaled, stirred a powerful fighting spirit within me.

Chen Wang gripped his lance tightly, slowly pointing it forward, the tip pointing towards the endless Qing army formation ahead.

The next instant, a high-pitched swan-like cry soared up from behind him, clearly spreading to every corner of the entire battle line.

Immediately afterwards, the seventy-two drum platforms displayed behind the battle line seemed to be moved by the same string, responding in unison.

Seventy-two enormous cowhide war drums were struck with great force by the drummers.

The deep, resonant drumbeats merged into a tremendous roar that could shake the heavens and the earth, crashing into the chests of everyone with irresistible force.

"forward!"

"forward!"

"forward!"

Military orders were shouted out by the generals in each battalion headquarters and repeated by countless soldiers and officers.

The command was passed down layer by layer, repeated again and again. These two simplest and most direct words merged into the deafening drumbeats amidst the roars of the crowd.

The disciplined red army moved at the command, and the massive war machine was finally set in motion.

The central formation of the Jingnan Army, a large formation consisting of 87,000 Jingnan soldiers, slowly began to move forward.

The resounding drumbeats echoed one after another, while heavy footsteps resounded simultaneously on the eastern outskirts of Jining, quickly merging into a thunderous roar.

……

"Chen Wang!"

Huang Taiji gritted his teeth, his eyes filled with fear. The unpleasant sensation that made him dizzy and painful returned, and his temples throbbed again.

His goal was indeed to force Chen Wang to advance, but what he didn't expect was that Chen Wang would order the entire army to attack at this moment, without even making initial contact, and directly launch a full-scale attack.

Huang Taiji felt frustrated and his mind became increasingly foggy.

He didn't understand why Chen Wang dared to commit the entire army.

Doesn't he understand that at a time like this, taking the initiative to attack would put his side at a disadvantage?

They had the upper hand in the battles on both the left and right flanks.

At this moment, the main force of the Jingnan army advanced forward and reached their front lines, where they would be the first to suffer casualties from their artillery fire.

Secondly, their flanks would also be threatened by their cavalry.

If there is any loss, the entire army will be routed!

Huang Taiji closed his eyes slightly, trying his best to suppress his physical discomfort.

Years of fighting had made him acutely aware of what was wrong, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't figure out the key to it.

Although he had never faced Chen Wang directly before, he had never underestimated or acted rashly when reviewing Chen Wang's previous achievements.

Chen Wang has always been known for his caution, prudence, and careful planning before acting. He was famous in his time and was considered a top-notch strategist.

This battle is of paramount importance, enough to determine the course of the world.

Even though Chen Wang now controls the Southern Kingdom and has hundreds of thousands of armored soldiers under his command, he still cannot bear the devastating consequences of defeat in this battle.

Since Chen Wang dared to order a full-scale attack and launch a crushing assault, he must have been confident of victory.

Huang Taiji watched the Jingnan army's formation slowly encroaching, his mind racing.

As the Jingnan army advanced step by step, his mind became increasingly agitated, as if a thick fog had obscured his vision.

He had absolutely no way to see through the illusion and understand Chen Wang's true intentions.

Huang Taiji clenched his fist and exhaled a deep breath.

The servants' reports grew more urgent with each passing moment.

With the main force of the Jingnan army pressing forward, the situation was now irreversible, leaving him no time to hesitate or think.

"Since you... are so arrogant..."

Huang Taiji raised his head and looked at the approaching Jingnan Army formation.

A biting wind swept across his flushed face, completely dispelling the slight agitation caused by his confusion. Years of military experience and willpower allowed him to quickly suppress all unnecessary emotions and regain his icy composure.

Since I can't understand it, I might as well just put it all behind me.

On the plains, a direct confrontation, a dignified battle, a righteous banner—all conspiracies and schemes are futile.

For the head coach, the greatest test lies in making decisions and directing the team in the ever-changing battlefield.

In this respect, Huang Taiji does not believe that he is inferior to Chen Wang in any way.

"Just let me see..."

Huang Taiji's eyes slowly sharpened, an undisguised killing intent surging within them.

"Your skill is something else..."

……

"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom boom boom!"

The deafening roar of cannons suddenly erupted from the front lines of the Qing army, and thick white smoke billowed into the air.

Thirty-five newly cast Shenwei General cannons roared in succession, ten-pound shells propelled by gunpowder rapidly leaving the barrels and whistling toward the Jingnan Army's formation, which was already about two miles away.

Two miles was an extremely long distance for artillery of that era.

Although instruments such as rangefinders had appeared in the West during this period, most gunners still relied on their experience in operating guns to fire.

Limited by its weak industrial base, even when these muzzle-loading cannons were fired at the same angle with the same propellant charge, the point of impact would still deviate considerably.

The hit rate is indeed very high when facing such a huge target as a city wall.

However, when facing moving enemy formations, the hit rate will naturally not be very high.

Moreover, in order to prepare for the impending artillery bombardment, the Jingnan Army's formation was not entirely clustered together.

The Jingnan Army was organized into units called "si" (司), with each unit consisting of four to five hundred men.

The soldiers of the fifth and sixth detachments of Henan Town, led by Li Dingguo and Ai Nengqi on both flanks, marched forward in five horizontal ranks, with two ranks of spearmen in front and three ranks of musketeers behind.

Meanwhile, the Second Division of Henan Town, led by Chen Yongfu, and the Third Division, led by Gao Qian, were line infantry divisions fully equipped with Type II mortars, and they marched in three ranks.

Most of the cannonballs fired by the Qing army either flew over the army formation with a heart-stopping whoosh and crashed into the frozen ground in front of them, splashing up large amounts of water and mud.

They either landed directly in front of the advancing Jingnan army formation, or bounced once or twice on the muddy ground and then remained motionless.

The continuous rain made the soil in the open fields on the eastern outskirts of Jining extremely soft, and some of the shells even got stuck in the mud.

However, some shells were lucky enough to find their targets.
A Qing army cannonball flew low overhead and landed right in one of the Jingnan army's formations.

The heavy projectiles, like iron plows used for spring planting, pierced through the well-organized infantry formation of the Jingnan Army in an instant.

In an instant, severed limbs and shattered armor flew through the air, tearing a bloody gap in the neat formation of the Jingnan Army.

Then several more shells hit their targets in succession, exploding between several of the Jingnan Army's formations.

A piercing scream suddenly rang out; few could bear the intense pain without making a sound.

The soldiers of the Jingnan Army are also human beings, made of flesh and blood.

No matter how high morale is, it cannot turn people into bodies of steel to stop the whistling shells and gunfire.

Humans get hurt, humans bleed, and humans die.

On the battlefield, there is never any distinction between which side is righteous and which side is evil.

just.

The piercing screams and the bloody, mangled scene did not shake any of the soldiers in the Jingnan Army's formation.

The crimson tide did not scatter; instead, it continued to advance with a breathtaking determination.

All of them knew what was about to happen as they crossed the river to the north.

When they crossed the river, the tragic plight of the people who had fled from the northern lands filled them with sorrow.

The devastation and scorched earth they witnessed along the way filled them with indignation.

If you do not wish for the southern lands to suffer such calamity, if you do not wish for your wife, children, and elderly parents to endure such humiliation.

they.

Only by moving forward, only by fighting!
Their steps did not falter; they silently strode past the bodies of their comrades and the ravaged battlefield.

The gaps in the formation were quickly filled, and the sound of drums continued to echo steadily among the various military formations.

In the silence, the Qing army's cannons roared in one burst after another.

One musketeer fell, and another musketeer took his place.

The drummer who was playing the drum fell down, so the replacement, Gu Shou, started playing the drum he was carrying again.

No one stopped.

The casualties did not affect their morale; on the contrary, they fueled their hatred.

More artillery fire came, and a shell suddenly slammed into the artillery array at the forefront of the Jingnan Army's formation, hitting a moving 7-jin cannon.

The bronze cannon barrel deformed under the heavy impact, and the wooden gun carriage was instantly torn to pieces with a teeth-grinding cracking sound. Several artillerymen nearby were caught in the blast and their screams of agony echoed throughout the area.

As the distance closed, the Qing army's artillery became increasingly accurate, and the casualties of the Jingnan army gradually increased.

Huang Taiji sat atop the central command tower, his heart trembling.

At this moment, he also discovered the biggest difference between the Jingnan Army and the ordinary Ming army.

The Jingnan army advanced from a distance of more than two miles to almost one mile, during which they only regrouped three or four times. Such quality undoubtedly represents an extremely high level of organization.

What's even more terrifying is that the Jingnan Army didn't waver in the slightest under the bombardment of artillery fire.

Such morale and such willpower are unmatched even by the two Yellow Banners directly under his command.

but……

Is this why Chen Wang dared to directly send his army into battle?
Huang Taiji calmed himself down, his gaze sweeping across the battlefield like that of a hawk.

However, this level of tenacity alone does not seem sufficient to motivate Chen Wang to push forward with such a desperate gamble.

However, what happened next made Huang Taiji's pupils shrink suddenly, and he abruptly stood up.

His heart began to pound wildly at that moment.

An indescribable, chilling fear suddenly surged from the deepest part of his heart, instantly gripping his limbs and bones.

He saw the Jingnan army's formation suddenly stop about a mile away.

Immediately afterwards, a high-pitched swan-like cry pierced through all the roar and noise on the battlefield, clearly penetrating his eardrums.

Huang Taiji was shaken to his core, as if he had been struck hard by an invisible hammer.

In an instant, all the fog dissipated.

He finally understood why Chen Wang dared to order the entire central formation to be deployed.

Why did Chen Wang dare to withstand their artillery fire, abandon his defensive advantage, and advance forward...? (End of Chapter)