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

Chapter 25 Breaking the Camp
"Swish, swish, swish..." Arrows were flying towards us like locusts and heavy rain.

The rainy day was humid, the bowstring was damp, and the arrows were less powerful. Despite this, some arrows were still able to penetrate the armor and injure the skin.

Cen Danchu was unmoved and rode his chestnut horse closer to the deer fort. He was hit by several arrows in the chest, two of which penetrated his armor, causing him great pain. Danchu gritted his teeth and pulled out the arrows. The flag bearer followed closely behind him, dismounted, and dismantled the deer fort.

The stag beetle is a common defensive facility that serves to block and delay enemies. Its defensive effect is not as good as that of the chevaux de frise, but it is flexible and detachable, easy to carry and transport, and is often used in the military.

Facing the arrows, Cen Danchu led his men to open a two-meter-long deer trap, then mounted their horses and galloped towards the Qing army archers.

"Whoosh whoosh..."

The rain of arrows continued, and Danchu was hit by two more arrows, but fortunately they were not serious. He pulled out the arrows, and suddenly came to the archers, swept the horse lance, and three archers fell down.

The Qing army had no chance to shoot arrows. The Ming cavalry rushed in like a tide, and the Qing soldiers were killed one after another with swords and spears.

The gap in the fortress widened, and more soldiers poured into the camp. Judging from its size, this camp could accommodate five or six hundred Qing troops. Most of the infantry did not have time to leave the camp and form a battle array, and were still in the camp.

The Ming army rode their horses back and forth in the camp. The cavalry had a great advantage in charging the infantry, just like chopping melons and vegetables, and they killed the Qing army in panic.

The Qing army set up dozens of camps outside Wenchang Gate, stretching for more than ten miles. The camp that Cen Danchu attacked was the first camp in the northeast corner.

The battle on the battlefield is often concentrated at the forefront, and the outcome of the war is often determined by the victory or defeat at the forefront.

The Qing army's frontline commander was Xian Guoan, who was also from Dongjiang Town and had followed Kong Youde for many years. He was very experienced. He knew that if the frontline camp was lost, it would easily lead to a chain reaction, so he kept sending troops to reinforce.

Cen Danchu had already led his troops into the camp. They were confident of victory, so naturally they could not retreat. The soldiers killed and chopped off the enemy's heads.

A fortress is not only an enemy camp, but also a treasure house filled with money, food, weapons, and war horses. Even prisoners are valuable human resources that can be used as unpaid labor and to compensate for the supply of soldiers.

Fighting a war is like doing business. If you win, you can share the spoils; if you lose, you not only lose your troops but also your capital.

At present, the third and fourth teams have occupied the Qing army camp, and victory is in sight. As long as the main force of the follow-up infantry catches up, they will definitely be able to repel the Qing army. Even if Cen Danchu completes the task, the two teams can also enjoy the spoils of war.

Taking the time to look at the right wing, Jiao Lian had also led his troops into the Qing army camp. Cen Danchu smiled knowingly, and a feeling of admiration rose in his heart. As the commander-in-chief, he could still lead the team to charge into battle, which was really admirable.

In addition, as soon as Jiao Lian arrived on the battlefield, he was full of confidence. He dared to take the initiative to fight and dared to divide the cavalry into three teams to attack the three enemy camps separately when the infantry was out of service.

This was indeed a risky move, but it worked wonders. Who said the Southern Ming army was vulnerable? Who said the Eight Banners were invincible?

Cen Danchu's confidence increased greatly. He looked around at his comrades and found that the soldiers were also becoming more and more courageous as the battle went on.

That's exactly what happened! It's inevitable to be afraid when going to the battlefield. There are very few recruits as brave as He Guoju.

The fear on the battlefield comes from the lack of self-confidence and the exaggeration of the enemy. Once the soldiers have fought with the enemy with real weapons and defeated the enemy, they will naturally build up confidence.

Cen Danchu realized a lot more, and suddenly laughed out loud, shouting, "Brothers, kill!"

This was not a standard military order. Everyone on the battlefield was extremely nervous. The flag bearer at the side was stunned for a moment, and then he beat the war drum.

The sound of war drums is meant to urge the crowd to attack enthusiastically.

Deputy team leader Feng Lin, who had been in battle for a long time, shouted loudly: "Brothers, the infantry are here! The infantry are here!" Everyone looked back and saw a surging crowd behind them, rushing towards the Qing army camp, and a large flag with the word "white" fluttering in the wind and rain.

It was General Bai Gui's troops who came out of Wenchang Gate.

Among the four generals under Jiao Lian, Bai Gui is the bravest, Zhao Xing is the strictest in military discipline, Ma Qijiao is mature and steady, and Zhu Minru is a rising star.

Bai Gui arrived, and the enemy camp was sure to be defeated! The morale of the third and fourth teams was greatly boosted, and they fought even more bravely.

Soon, Bai Gui's troops arrived, bypassed the front camp and launched an attack directly to the rear.

The Qing army lined up and waited, and the soldiers fled from the first three camps. The third and fourth teams completed their mission and broke through a camp, so they could take a break.

After Bai Gui, Zhao Xing and Zhu Minru each led their troops to the scene and engaged in a melee with the Qing army.

The drizzle continued, and there was no place to use firearms and bows and arrows. The Qing army was large in number, and the morale of the Ming army was high, so the two sides fought hard.

There was no time to take off the armor or heal the wounds. Cen Danchu commanded the third and fourth teams to collect the spoils and escort the prisoners.

At noon, Qu Shisi personally went out of the city, loading carts with rice, soup and vegetables to reward the soldiers.

Today, the soldiers had a snack at noon. They ate rice with their bellies wide open. Although there was no meat, there was broth. There was a layer of fat floating on the broth, which was a supreme delicacy for the hungry soldiers.

After traveling to the chaotic world of the late Ming Dynasty, Cen Danchu was not used to many things in life. The most uncomfortable thing was that the food was not oily and everything he ate was very bland.

The center of the standard camp raised two flags, one yellow and one black, which was a signal to summon officers. Cen Danchu rode to the center and saw Qu Shisi. He was holding a rice spoon and serving rice to the soldiers himself.

Danchu was very obedient. He walked forward and grabbed the rice spoon, saying, "Teacher, I will serve you rice."

Shi Si saw that his armor was pierced by arrows and there were several traces of blood seeping out. He couldn't help but feel distressed and said, "Zhuoru, you are injured, take off your armor and bandage it. Your master can't ride a horse to kill the enemy, so why not help to serve food?"

Jiao Lian laughed loudly and said, "Zhuoru, come here quickly, there are some good things."

There really was something good: a pot of braised pork. When Dan first saw the fatty pork, his eyes almost lit up. He and Jiao Lian were like father and son, so he didn't hesitate to grab a piece of fat meat and put it in his mouth. It was so delicious!

Danchu finally understood the joy of a warrior: killing people to gain merit, grabbing spoils, eating meat and drinking wine...

However, seeing Qu Shisi's awe-inspiring look, he was also startled:
As a man, you must always have some pursuits and strive for something! Being a warrior is enough to make a living, but he has to be more than just a warrior! Regardless of whether he can drive out the Tartars and restore China, at least he must be like Qu Shisi and Jiao Lian, who can kill the enemy and make meritorious deeds with martial arts, and can be a model for the ages with literature!

After eating the meat, Jiao Lian and others were very satisfied.

Qu Shisi said to Jiao Lian, "As you and I expected, Shang Kexi has kept his troops on the east bank of the Li River and is just watching from the sidelines. In Yangjiang, Marshal Jue can kill the bandits without any worries."

Jiao Lian nodded, with a plan in mind, and said, "Our army has already destroyed three bandit camps. After lunch, I will lead the standard battalion to support Bai Gui and his men, and try to capture three more bandit camps so that Bai Gui and his men can also share the spoils.

"Please dispatch the militia in time to help carry the weapons and escort the prisoners. I will gather the troops back to the camp at 3:00 pm. At that time, burn down the enemy camp, which will be the signal to retreat."

Danchu also said, "Teacher, you have great foresight, and Commander Jue is invincible. We can destroy the six enemy camps with a wave of our hands."

(End of this chapter)