Southern Ming: A boy soldier at the beginning, supporting the world

Chapter 183 Victory
The death of Jueluo Guoke made the Qing army even more chaotic. The Red Army, Tusi soldiers, and Yunnan cavalry all swarmed in, using their numbers to overwhelm the minority, trying to completely wipe out the Bordered White Banner Eight Banners.

The Qing army still refused to admit defeat and fought bravely. Both the bannermen and the baoyi were able to form small teams and fight hard and unyieldingly.

A deputy general in white armor tried to gather his bannermen and break out of the Ming army's encirclement. Hu Yiqing led the Yunnan Division to attack the deputy general and killed him.

The Red Army infantry also caught up, using spears, sickle spears and other weapons to beat the fallen dogs. The Qing army was even more isolated and helpless, and when they ran out of arrows, they were doomed to defeat.

From the beginning of the Wei hour to the end of the You hour, the two sides fought three times for nearly three hours. The Ming army became more and more courageous, while the Qing army became fewer and fewer. At dusk, when it was getting dark, the remaining two hundred or so Qing soldiers took the opportunity to break out and escape like a fish that slipped through the net.

The Ming army cleaned up the battlefield overnight and searched and killed the remaining enemies.

The moon was bright and the stars were sparse, and the bonfires were connected. At midnight, the battlefield, which had been noisy for a long time, finally returned to peace.

In the Red Army camp at Qijialing, Cen Danchu set up a table with some wine and entertained generals such as Hu Yiqing, Kuang Shi, and Cen Xun to celebrate today's victory.

After two glasses of wine, Danchu's fatigue was mostly relieved, and he said, "Thanks to your dedication, our army won a great victory today, which is really a cause for celebration. Since the Ming army moved south, it has become increasingly sluggish, and often collapses when it sees the Manchus.

"Today, our Red Army, the Imperial Yunnan Camp, and the chieftain of the Cen family, the three armies are united and determined to accomplish this great feat. We will annihilate this giant bandit, relieve the worries of the emperor and father, and boost the morale of the people. Come, let me toast you all again!"

Everyone drank it all.

Hu Yiqing sighed sincerely, "I am from Yunnan. Since I started my rebellion, I have traveled thousands of miles and fought against the Tartars for many years. I may have achieved some success in the battles against the Mongolian Tartars and the Han Tartars, but I have lost more than I have won against the Manchu Tartars.

"Brother, you are a master at commanding troops and you have made good arrangements. In today's battle, our army killed no less than a thousand Manchu Tartars. This is the greatest victory we have seen in many years. Brother, you have personally witnessed a great event today and beheaded six people. You should also feel proud and get rid of the bad luck in the past."

Danchu also sighed, "Today, we are fortunate to have the help of the Yunnan Division and the Tusi soldiers, so the Red Army can win the battle. These Manchurian Tartars are indeed extremely brave, and most of them are veterans with superb archery skills. They should not be underestimated.

"Our army built a strong camp, fought a stupid battle, used trenches and chevaux de frise to stop the enemy, and ambushed the cavalry on the hills, using the majority to defeat the minority, and only then did we win with great difficulty. In the future, when we engage in battle with the Manchus, we must be cautious and make full preparations."

"The commander is right." All the generals echoed, and Cen Xun said: "Today's battle is of extraordinary significance. In the past, when Tusi soldiers followed the army to the battlefield, they often lost when they encountered the Manchus. Over time, Tusi soldiers became afraid of the Manchus and even fled without fighting.

"Today's great victory is enough to break the myth of the invincibility of the Manchus. The Tusi soldiers also gained confidence. In the future, when they fight against the Manchus, they will never flee from the battlefield."

"Yes. To fight a war, you need confidence. Confidence depends on daily education and more importantly, on victory on the battlefield. With more battles, soldiers will naturally be tempered. With more victories, soldiers will naturally have confidence."

……

Even at the banquet, Danchu still couldn't find time to relax, as the staff from the camp office came to him from time to time to ask for instructions.

"General, the statistics of the battle results and losses have been compiled. Please review them."

The man who spoke was named He Jin. He was originally a student from Zhaoping County. His official position was the staff officer of the Performance Examination Section of the Training Bureau of the Red Army Camp Affairs Office, responsible for statistics on battle results.

"Everyone at the table is one of us, just read it directly."

He Jin received the order and read out: "Our army beheaded 728 enemies, captured 105 enemies, captured 881 horses, 28 camels, more than 7,600 taels of platinum, more than 260 taels of gold, and countless other captives. Our army lost 373 people in battle, 436 were seriously injured, countless were slightly injured, and lost 98 war horses."

According to experience, the probability of survival for seriously injured soldiers is about one in two. A rough calculation shows that the Red Army will lose nearly 600 people this time, and the exchange ratio with the Eight Banners of the Manchus will reach 3 to 4.

Danchu frowned slightly, thinking that this exchange was a bit high, so he asked: "How are the prisoners? Did you get any valuable information? Are they willing to surrender?" "Most of the prisoners are very stubborn, and only sixteen are willing to surrender. I didn't get any valuable information. I only know that Tong Tulai is in Quanzhou, with about four hundred bannermen, and Yongzhou has one thousand bannermen and one thousand Han troops."

"The families of the Manchu soldiers are in the north, so it is impossible for them to surrender sincerely. All these prisoners will be beheaded tonight."

"Yes." He Jin asked, "May I ask the commander-in-chief whether the victory report clearly states the beheadings, captures, etc." He Jin asked knowingly in order to inquire about the battle results of the Yunnan Army and the chieftain's soldiers.

"Of course." Danchu reacted quickly and asked Hu Yiqing and Cen Xun, "Two brothers, how about the prisoners you have?"

The organizational ability of the Yunnan Division and the Tusi soldiers was not as efficient as that of the Red Army, so it was impossible for them to count the results of the battle so quickly.

Hu Yiqing thought for a moment and said, "Our army has captured about 200 people and 200 war horses."

Cen Xun's combat experience was not as good as Hu Yiqing's, and the Tusi soldiers were even more disorganized, making it even more impossible to accurately calculate the results of the battle. So he gave a general answer: "Our army's prisoners and deaths were equal to those of the Yunnan Division."

Danchu hesitated for a moment and said, "My two brothers, let me make a decision. The spoils captured by the Yunnan Division and the Tusi soldiers will belong to each of them and they don't have to hand them in. The spoils captured by me will also belong to the Red Army and will not be distributed to you two. How do you think?"

According to the rules of the Ming army, if a general made any gains on the battlefield, he had to give them to the commander-in-chief. The proportion varied, but usually half of the spoils were given. The commander-in-chief would distribute the spoils among the whole army, usually favoring his own troops.

Danchu's move was beneficial to the Yunnan army and the chieftain's soldiers, and Hu Yiqing and Cen Xun were both very happy.

He turned to He Jin and said, "According to the statistics just now, let Wang Yichang write a good report as soon as possible."

Wang Yichang was from Changshu and had great literary talent. He had once been in charge of clerkship in Qu Shisi's staff. Now he was a staff officer in the Operations Section of the Operations Bureau of the Red Army's Camp Affairs Office. He often drafted memorials to the emperor on behalf of Dan Chudai.

Soon, Wang Yichang came over with a few drafts and said, "Marshal, the victory report has been drafted. Please take a look."

"Please read it to me, Mr. Wang."

Wang Yichang shook his head and read: "... Hearing that the destiny of heaven has a destination, and the people's hearts are in favor, we can win a thousand miles away. Our army traveled a thousand miles, laid defenses at Tangjia, Xing'an County, built a strong camp, fought a stupid battle, dug deep trenches, and built a wall of chevaux de frise...

"At the beginning of the night, the Manchurian white banner attacked, led by Bayala Jiala Zhangjing Jueluo Guoke, with about 1,500 cavalry. Our army used trenches to resist the enemy, placed musketeers on the chevaux de frise, and ambushed Tusi soldiers and Yunnan troops on the mountains...

"From the beginning of the night to the end of the night, the battle lasted for three hours. It was extremely difficult and almost exhausted. Danchu charged into the battle and engaged Qu Shou. After a fierce battle of thirty rounds, he killed Jueluo Guoke. Yiqing...

"Our army suffered heavy casualties, but we finally won a great victory. We beheaded 1,257 people, captured 1,344 horses and 37 camels... Only a few hundred enemies escaped, and they fled all over the state..."

"This memorial is written to the Marquis of Xinxing. Brother Hu, you have made outstanding contributions. How about you take the lead?"

Danchu's position was not high enough to report the victory directly. According to the rules, he had to write a letter to Jiao Lian first, who would take the lead in reporting to Qu Shisi, who would then report the victory to the court.

After this battle, Hu Yiqing realized the strength of the Red Army and dared not take advantage of his seniority in front of Danchu. He quickly said, "Brother, the Red Army is the main force in this battle. You should lead this battle. Don't let me down."

Danchu smiled, signed his name on the victory report, Hu Yiqing co-signed it, and handed it to the seal-keeping officer for stamping.

Tangqi rushed to Xing'an overnight and delivered the victory report to Jiao Lian. Danchu had already sent him a verbal message, and this was a formal memorial, which was essential.

(End of this chapter)