Chongzhen revived the Ming Dynasty

"Can we win against 100,000 elephant troops?"

Looking at the densely packed Annamese soldiers and the towering war elephants, the Annamese general next to Zhang Shan said.

The surrendered Annamite soldiers, in particular, were trembling with fear, their flags trembling slightly.

For decades, the Trinh family has been the most powerful force in Annam.

Neither the Mo family nor the Wu family suffered much at the hands of the Zheng family.

Those sent by the Mo family to guide them were terrified of the Zheng family's power.

However, Zhang Shan was not afraid at all and rebuked him:
"Don't panic, just follow my orders."

"Anyone who disobeys orders will be immediately subjected to military law."

He gestured to the guards around him, who then took up muskets and acted as the supervisors.

The Annamite soldiers trembled at the sight of the dark muzzle of the gun. Having been defeated by the Ming army with muskets, they were terrified of firearms.

Seeing this scene, Zhang Shan had no doubt about winning.

After easily defeating the Mo family's forces with five hundred guards, he had great confidence in the new army's combat capabilities.

When reviewing the situation with Zhang Jingxin, he regretted not being bold enough in the past and not achieving enough accomplishments.

In his view, if the British Royal Guards hadn't been all new recruits and hadn't been cautious enough not to advance further south, their 15,000-strong new army, equipped with modern muskets, could have easily swept through Annam.

As far as he knew, the newly appointed Governor-General of Annam, Zhu Xieyuan, planned to rely on only 15,000 troops.

If he had enough new troops under his command, he would even dare to confront the Annamese soldiers:
"If only we had three thousand new soldiers."

"It's a pity there are only eight hundred!"

Looking at his five hundred guards and the three hundred new soldiers sent by Zhang Shize, Zhang Shan felt extremely regretful.

If he had a battalion of 3,000 new soldiers, he would really dare to attack Thang Long.

Unfortunately, he was of low status and his words carried little weight, and the other generals were too cautious. In the end, he could only lead 800 newly recruited soldiers as a supervisory team to lure the enemy with 10,000 surrendered soldiers.

He needs to lure Zheng's forces there to win this battle.

Knowing his mission, Zhang Shan directed his subordinates to arrange their troops in formation, and everything seemed very serious, showing no signs of being just for show.

His training at the Warriors Camp and during martial arts rehearsals was now on full display.

Regardless of their actual combat strength, at least on the surface they look respectable, like an elite force.

Zheng Jian, who was on the opposite side, also felt that the Ming army should not be underestimated:
"The formation was neat and the armor was gleaming."

"The Ming army is much stronger than the Mo family's, it's just that they have fewer men."

“We have 100,000 elephants, while they only have 10,000.”

Looking smugly at his 100,000 troops, Zheng Jian felt that he could overwhelm them even if he had to resort to force.

However, to be on the safe side, he first sent out war elephants to disrupt the enemy's battle formation.

Elephants are enormous, and when they run, they are even more imposing and unmatched.

When the Mo soldiers saw this, they were immediately filled with panic.

Even Zhang Shan was somewhat alarmed, feeling that without firearms, these war elephants would be difficult to deal with.

However, things changed after the advent of firearms, especially since the Ming Dynasty invented armor-piercing projectiles such as cone-shaped and arrow-shaped projectiles in order to penetrate the armor of the Jurchens.

Even the thickest hide on an elephant can't stop these bullets.

For a fleeting moment, Zhang Shan really wanted to order his men to open fire and kill the war elephants.

However, remembering the orders he had received, Zhang Shan still gave the order:
"withdraw!"

"Let the Mo troops on both sides retreat first!"

The generals of the Mo clan beside him hurriedly issued orders to the troops on both sides, as previously agreed.

The Mo family troops on both flanks of the Ming army immediately left their positions.

Zheng Qian saw this from the opposite side and immediately burst into laughter:

"The Mo family's troops have fled!"

"Hurry up and chase after them!"

He ordered his soldiers to charge into battle alongside the war elephants.

First, take down the Mo army on both flanks, then encircle the Ming army.

Zhang Shan, dressed in the armor of a Ming general, seemed determined to use force to turn the tide upon seeing this scene. He picked up a silver spear and spurred his horse toward the war elephants.

His courage was commendable, but when his horse approached the war elephants, it was startled by the elephants' distinctive scent and began to run wildly in the battle formation.

This not only prevented him from leading his troops into battle, but also completely disrupted the formation of his army.

Zheng Zhi laughed wildly upon seeing this, feeling that Heaven was helping him:
"The Ming army doesn't even know that horses are afraid of elephants, yet they think they can defeat us in Annam?"

"All of you, charge! Annihilate this group of Ming soldiers!"

One hundred thousand troops were all committed, determined to annihilate the enemy in one fell swoop.

Riding his warhorse, which was terrified of war elephants, Zhang Shan led his soldiers in a desperate flight, occasionally firing a few arrows backward to demonstrate the army's fighting prowess.

This further convinced Zheng Jian that the Ming army on the other side was elite.

They were simply tricked by Mo and, unfortunately, rode warhorses that were afraid of elephants, which is why they were easily defeated.

He readily accepted this victory, even feeling that it was his destiny:
"The Ming army wasn't all that great!"

"Let's recapture Lang Son and launch a counterattack on Guangxi, the capital of the Ming Dynasty."

They were already considering invading Ming territory after recovering the lost lands.

However, some Annamese officials were uneasy, feeling that all of this was too coincidental, and suggested:
"The mountain road is ahead, we should be careful."

"Avoid ambushes."

They believed that they should stop while they were ahead and use this victory to negotiate peace with the Ming Dynasty.

If that's the case, Zhang Shan will be in a very difficult position, which is why Zhang Shize is unwilling to feign defeat to lure the enemy in.

Who knows if the enemy will fall into their trap? If they decide to back down while they're ahead, the one who feigned defeat will be left with nothing but tears.

Zheng Qian was also somewhat tempted at this point, because he knew that Annam's strength was far inferior to that of the Ming Dynasty, and even if he won this battle, he would still have to negotiate peace in the end.

However, his generals believed that since the Ming army had been defeated, they should press their advantage and retake Lang Son.

Otherwise, with Lang Son in Ming hands, Annam would remain unstable.

Zheng Qian didn't need to think much to know that Lang Son could not remain in the hands of the Ming Dynasty, and even the Cao Bang Mo clan had to be pacified, otherwise Annam would constantly face the threat of the Ming Dynasty.

He immediately gave the order:
"Chase!"

"Take back Lang Son!"

Under the banner of recapturing Lang Son, he encouraged his soldiers to pursue the enemy.

Hearing the shouts of the Annamese soldiers behind him, Zhang Shan finally breathed a sigh of relief and spurred his horse to gallop at full speed.

Just now, in order to keep the Annamese soldiers from chasing, he slowed down from time to time and shot an arrow from behind.

Now that we know they're going to chase us, there's no need to control the horsepower anymore.

Soon, they entered a narrow mountain path where Ming soldiers were lying in ambush.
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On the hilltop, Zhu Xieyuan, who was lying in ambush in the dense forest, saw this scene through his binoculars and exclaimed in admiration:

"This Zhang Shan is quite quick-witted; he even thought of the fact that horses are afraid of elephants."

"If it weren't for this move, feigning defeat wouldn't have been so difficult."

Retreat is more troublesome than attack; a single misstep can lead to a rout and being hunted down by the enemy.

Zhu Xieyuan was unwilling to feign defeat with his limited forces, so he sent the Duke of Yingguo to escort him. Zhang Shize was even more unwilling; his three guards were all carefully trained and would be crucial for his future expansion into a fiefdom, so he couldn't afford to waste them on this.

Ultimately, the task fell to the surrendered Annamese soldiers.

Zhang Shan was able to train these men so well, making them resemble the Ming army, and their defeat was so believable, which Zhu Xieyuan found remarkable.

Zhang Jingxin, who had come to observe the battle and make contact, knew that Zhang Shan had already caught Zhu Xieyuan's eye, and said with a smile:
"He is a warrior from the Warriors Camp, and a graduate of the Martial Arts Tournament."

"However, the commander-in-chief also knows that the army no longer needs brave soldiers and values ​​firearms more."

"Zhang Shan was assigned to practice wrestling because of his good looks, and he played the role of Zhao Yun."

"Therefore, he was very familiar with this kind of troop deployment and pretended to be the old Ming army."

This is the emperor's requirement; the acting must be as realistic as possible.

Therefore, the cold weapon battle formations of the Ming Dynasty were used in wrestling matches.

As the actor who plays Zhao Zilong, Zhang Shan naturally has to lead troops into battle, and he once led his soldiers to arrange and deploy troops on the training ground.

After understanding all this, Zhu Xieyuan nodded and said regretfully:

"How could someone so intelligent be assigned to acting?"

"There aren't many military generals who can lead 10,000 men without them becoming disorderly."

“Brave soldiers are not without wisdom; we should give them opportunities.”

The plan is to transfer Zhang Shan to their command and give him the opportunity to lead a battalion.

Zhang Jingxin knew that Zhang Shan had caught Zhu Xieyuan's eye, so of course she wouldn't object.

However, he also had a mission in Annam and hoped to have a force:
"His Majesty has ordered me to pacify the local forces in Annam. Most of these barbarians are afraid of power but do not appreciate virtue, so we need to have troops to deter them."

"I hope the commander-in-chief can let Zhang Shan lead a battalion alone, along with the Mo family's troops, to subdue the surrounding forces."

Zhu Xieyuan frowned slightly:
"With the Mo family's troops?"

"What use are they?"

"His Majesty said that after conquering Annam, he would try to transfer the powerful people there to other places and grant them fiefdoms."

“If you use the Mo family’s troops to subdue the local area, their influence will expand here.”

Zhang Jingxin was unaware of the court's intentions until now.

However, after consideration, he decided to use the Mo family's troops to explain to Zhu Xieyuan:

"Bringing the Mo family's troops along is like using them as a raft."

“When the people of Annam see that the Mo family has surrendered, they will naturally come to their aid.”

"The Wu family should have done the same, but unfortunately Governor Yuan was too hasty, and we didn't have time to go over."

Zhu Xieyuan nodded upon hearing this idea, but frowned again at the mention of Yuan Chonghuan.

He had dealt with Yuan Chonghuan in the southwest before and knew that the man was difficult to manage and had his own ideas.

If it weren't for the emperor's support, this person would have even tried to oust him.

Now that he had come to Annam to oversee the military affairs, he would have to work with him again. Zhu Xieyuan was somewhat troubled and didn't know how to handle the situation.
"That troublemaker always knows how to cause problems."

"But he was a disciple of Chief Minister Han, and when I went south, Chief Minister Han instructed me to give my subordinates opportunities to achieve merit."

What should we do about this?

This was his biggest headache; he couldn't afford to disrespect the Grand Secretary.

However, Yuan Chonghuan's responsibility to recover the Three Xuan and Six Wei regions conflicted with his campaign in Southeast Asia, since most of the Indochina Peninsula fell under the jurisdiction of the Three Xuan and Six Wei regions.

This means they are bound to clash unless one of them is transferred.

Zhu Xieyuan did not want to clash with Yuan Chonghuan, or rather, Han Kuang behind him, but upon arriving in Annam, he had to make a decision.

Just as he was having a headache, Ai Nanying, the military commander of the Restoration Army, said:

“Yuan Chonghuan is in a tough spot this time. Even Grand Secretary Han is making things difficult for him.”

Zhu Xieyuan refused to answer and instead inquired:
"Oh, what's going on?"

"He's just experiencing a temporary setback; why would he put the Prime Minister in a difficult position?"

Ai Nan Ying explained:

"The Emperor granted the Privy Council command authority, limiting it to general strategies, while the front lines were commanded by generals."

"The strategy for attacking Annam was decided by the Privy Council. Yuan Chonghuan ignored it completely. Don't you think he offended the Privy Council?"

"The Privy Council already has limited command authority, and he has completely disregarded it. If he is not severely punished, how will he be able to command in the future?"

This was his opinion; he and many civilian military officers felt that the Privy Council would not let Yuan Chonghuan go.

Otherwise, if all the generals in command of troops follow suit, what authority will the Privy Council have?
Zhu Xieyuan hadn't considered this point at the time, because the Privy Council didn't exist when he was fighting in the southwest. However, after arriving in the capital and becoming the Commander-in-Chief of the Great Wall, he possessed powers similar to the Governor-General of the Beijing Garrison, usually receiving orders from the Emperor, and the Privy Council had no say in the matter.

Hearing Ai Nanying say this now, I realize that things are different now.

After the Privy Council was established, its power needed to be defined. Yuan Chonghuan disregarded the Privy Council's strategy and greatly offended it.

If he had played well, that would have been fine, but now that he has played poorly and violated the Privy Council's strategy, who else should be punished if not him?
Zhu Xieyuan keenly sensed the seriousness of the matter: the Privy Council, a newly established institution that had only been in existence for a few years, needed to use some military commanders to establish its authority and instill a sense of awe in the frontline generals.

In this way, some things become easier to handle.

Having previously ignored the Yunnan troops, he now felt he could find a way to capture them.

Thinking about this matter, Zhu Xieyuan changed the subject:
"The Annamese war elephants are coming up."

"Order the artillery to prepare, kill some of them, and separate them from the Annamese soldiers."

The cannons in the general's army were concentrated and used to shoot down war elephants.

These breech-loading cannons, similar to muskets, were 20-30 mm in diameter and were developed by the Equipment Department to penetrate the armor of the Jurchens.

Later, due to its excessive power and weight, it was deployed on the city walls to defend the city and damage siege weapons.

Therefore, it also has another name: the city wall musket.

However, in Liaodong, it was not only used for defending cities, but also for field troops.

Because its power is between that of artillery and muskets, it can fill some of the firepower gaps, and the Beijing garrison also equipped some of them, which they brought with them when they went south this time.

It was very powerful; a single shot could kill a warhorse.

Elephants are larger than warhorses, so Zhu Xieyuan requested that several cannons be used to deal with one war elephant.

And out of concern that he could not kill them all, he requested that only a portion be killed and that they be kept separate from the Annamese soldiers.

However, it turned out that his decision was too cautious.

Even though war elephants are larger, they cannot withstand the powerful mortars.

After they were ambushed, they were quickly killed by skilled archers.

Some war elephants were even killed by musketeers and ran amok in the battle formation.

Some of those who returned to the Annamese soldiers' camp further disrupted the Annamese battle formation.

This was something the Annamese soldiers hadn't expected; they never imagined that their war elephants would actually charge back.

Some soldiers tried to retreat, but the Ming army ambushed them with logs and stones, and blocked their retreat with muskets.

The Annamese soldiers who entered the mountain path were blocked by the Ming army.

They can't charge forward, and they can't retreat either.

Zhu Xieyuan ordered his 15,000 troops to wave multiple flags, pretending to be an army of tens of thousands, and demanded that the ambushed Annamese soldiers surrender. (End of Chapter)