Strategy for the Revitalization of the Late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 120 Sweeping the Qing Army
On the hillside of Jingshan Mountain west of the Huai River, Etuhun was horrified when he saw that only three cavalry groups had broken through the Ming army's formation. This meant that it was very likely that more than half of the remaining troops led by Tulai would be killed in Huainan.

In other words, after this battle, Tulai will lose at least two to three thousand men. If Bolo fails to provide support, the situation will only get worse. It is still unknown whether those armored soldiers who have just broken through can successfully cross the river.

Although Etuhun was a battle-hardened Bayara and brought his bondservants south with him, he was at most a low-level officer in the Eight Banners system.

Of course, to put it nicely, he is the backbone of the Eight Banners, the foundation of the Eight Banners, and the backbone of the Eight Banners. The Eight Banners cannot do without these powerful old soldiers.

But now, even such a mainstay, the foundation and the backbone of the Eight Banners, is filled with fear and panic when he sees the battle situation on the other side of the river.

If he had just witnessed the Ming navy bombarding the Eight Banners armored troops that had once swept across the battlefield and were invincible on the river without restraint, and those armored troops were unable to fight back, he could still comfort himself by saying that his army was not used to naval warfare and that firearms were unorthodox.

Now, looking at the Ming army's infantry formation that successfully blocked half of the offensive of the Eight Banners, the faith that Etuhun had built up over many years of fighting seemed to have collapsed.

However, no one noticed this on the battlefield, or perhaps it was the subtle changes in the hearts of countless Eight Banners soldiers!

As half of the Eight Banners cavalry successfully broke through the Ming army's infantry formation and fled to the south, the Ming army infantry formation originally deployed on the south side of the battlefield also launched a full-scale attack. Flags were flying on the front line and military bugles were sounded incessantly.

Under the command of officers at all levels, a number of irregularly organized small formations were dispatched, with their swords and spears constantly slashing and stabbing, forcing the Qing cavalry in the front to retreat step by step.

They brandished sharp spears and swords and charged into the chaotic Qing army lines. With round after round of slashing and stabbing, clouds of blood mist spurted out, killing the Eight Banners armored men who had lost their fighting spirit and causing them to collapse. The corpses gradually piled up on the ground.

These Eight Banners cavalrymen did try to fight back. Under the organization of some officers, they launched two consecutive attacks, but were both repelled by the Ming cavalrymen who came from the flank. Countless Eight Banners cavalrymen died from the charge and killing of the Ming cavalrymen.

You know, such a fatal impact is irreversible for a feudal army. The Qing cavalry, which has lost its commander, no longer has any strength to fight back.

The battlefield was still noisy and the fighting continued, but as Tulai and Baiyintu's flags broke through and headed south one after another, the Qing army, which was still fighting fiercely, quickly lost its will to fight, and some of the Qing troops even collapsed directly.

As large groups of cavalry began to scramble for the opportunity to break out from the place where the army had just broken through, trying to escape, the Qing army in the formation quickly fell into great chaos, and the other three cavalry groups that failed to successfully break through soon could not hold on.

Zhu Cilang immediately sent two battalions of reserve troops, including the imperial camp, to the south to prevent Tulai from leading the Qing cavalry that had broken through the encirclement to return and launch a surprise attack. The mobility of cavalry on the plains was no joke.

Although he judged from the performance of the Qing army that the other side no longer had the ability to launch a strategic offensive, he still did not dare to take it lightly.

Chang Denggui and Chen Fu led the Tianqi Battalion and their personal guards and quickly launched a fierce attack from the side on the Qing army that was struggling to hold on in the encirclement.

After a fierce and violent charge by the cavalry, the Qing cavalry, which had some ability to fight back in the melee, was quickly cut into several sections. Hundreds of Eight Banners horsemen were knocked down and chopped down by the Ming cavalry that passed by at high speed, and screams resounded throughout the earth.

The corpses of the Qing soldiers and horses that fell in the formation soon became a clear dividing line, dividing the Qing cavalry group into several parts. The infantry advanced in a square formation, continuously compressing this huge encirclement that was nearly six or seven miles long from north to south and east to west.

After the Qing cavalry group was cut off in the middle, pushing and squeezing soon occurred during the process of retreating step by step. Many Eight Banners horsemen in the rear who reacted quickly saw that the situation was not good, and then turned their horses around in groups of three or five and left the formation.

At this time, the officers and Bayala who were holding the rear were unable to stop the defeated soldiers who turned their horses around and swarmed in. They were also swept away and became part of the fleeing army.

The charge of the Ming cavalry directly broke the last resistance of the Qing army. The remaining cavalry in the formation instantly became a mess, squeezed each other, and completely lost their mobility, waiting for the infantry soldiers to rush up and reap the rewards.

Chang Denggui and Chen Fu, as well as other Palace Guards who commanded the infantry, were the generals of the Beijing Camp. Looking at the countless backs and horse buttocks that were running for their lives with their backs to them, and even colliding with each other, they immediately ordered the buglers following behind to blow the charge.

Passionate charge horns also sounded one after another from the Ming army formation in the west. The wide and dense formation surged across the plain like a tide, engulfing everything on it.

Seeing this, the morale of the Ming cavalry and infantry who were charging rapidly from the south was greatly boosted. The front line of the Qing army had already been in a state of collapse. Many people realized later that the flags of Tulai and Baiyintu had disappeared from the battlefield, and their fighting will collapsed instantly.

The Qing army's line, from south to north and from east to west, gradually evolved into several defeated troops fleeing northwest to the southern foot of Tushan, where there was no Ming army to block them.

Bolo was still in Jingshan at this time. He watched helplessly as a group of hundreds of Ming cavalrymen made a detour and rushed towards the flank of the Eight Banners armored troops in the encirclement in front of them. Then, countless weapons and helmets were thrown into the air, and there were screams and shouts, but he was helpless.

If he was commanding troops on the south bank, he would naturally be able to take measures to deal with the current situation, but the river between them left him completely helpless.

However, he was actually somewhat relieved. If it weren't for the river, he would probably be in the same life-or-death danger as Tulai.

Zhu Cilang concentrated a total of 5,000 naval forces, more than 100 large and small warships, nearly 10,000 infantry, as well as the Tianqi Camp, Jing Camp, and 3,000 cavalry including scouts in Fengyang City. With more than three times the advantage in strength, he launched this pursuit, which was difficult for Tulai to stop.

Looking at the thousands of Eight Banners cavalry fleeing in the wilderness on the opposite bank, Bolo's heart tightened. Without hesitation, he immediately ordered the leader Bayala beside him to gather the last troops and head upstream of the Huai River.

He knew that he was no match for the Ming Emperor, but he also didn't want to see the tragic scene of the Qing army being completely annihilated!

Soon, the last Qing army near Jingshan disappeared on the plain, and the defeated Qing troops led by Tulai and Baiyintu, after breaking through the encirclement, were fleeing for their lives along the Huai River.

At this time, the victory of the Ming army was already decided. Zhu Cilang looked at the remnants of the encircled army who were fleeing to Tushan in the north, and he was overjoyed and full of high spirits. He immediately rode his horse across the battlefield. Countless soldiers were shouting "Ten Thousand Victories" as they charged forward, and their offensive was unstoppable.

Under the fierce attack of the Ming army, the Qing army's formation was quickly shattered. The tidal rout made any effective counterattack a fantasy. Only a few cavalrymen took advantage of the chaos to break out, while more fled to Tushan.

"Kill, kill, kill!!!"

Thousands of soldiers shouted in unison and charged forward continuously. They held on to the fleeing Qing army and stabbed these enemies who had just been very ferocious with their sharp spears.

As the encirclement continued to shrink, rows of corpses fell to the ground. The collapsed Qing army became more and more crazy under such attacks, and there were even many cases of mutual slaughter.

Zhao Zhengdong and Gu Defu were both blood-thirsty at this time. They completely ignored the blood all over their bodies and forgot about their fatigue and fear. They stepped on the corpses of the fallen Qing soldiers and strode forward to chase the defeated enemy. The sharp tips of their guns raised clouds of blood mist.

Zhang Huangyan was also at the front line at this time. He had just killed two Eight Banners horsemen who had fallen off their horses and were struggling to survive. Looking at the Qing army that was being defeated, he laughed and shouted:
"Charge, charge, kill all the Tartars! Kill all the Tartars!"

Zhu Cilang was standing on the stirrups, closely watching the battle situation in the west. After Tulai and Baiyintu's flags broke out of the encirclement, he immediately ordered Lin Changfu and Tian Xiong to lead their troops to the south to repel the Eight Banners cavalry who wanted to make a detour to support other defeated soldiers.

He was not worried at all that the Qing army would flee towards Tushan. The navy led by Zheng Hongkui was no pushover. The Huai River was now a natural barrier that the Qing army could not break through. Those Qing troops fleeing to the north were completely trapped.

At the same time, the rolling hills for several miles at the foot of Tushan Mountain greatly slowed down the speed of these infantry and cavalry, and the few passages were crowded with Eight Banners cavalrymen who were scrambling to escape.

The Ming army's pursuit was swift and powerful. Nearly 10,000 soldiers and cavalry cooperated closely to block the Qing army from the front and back, forming a double encirclement, constantly squeezing the fleeing Qing army's battlefield movement space and driving them towards Tushan and the Huai River.

Not only that, under Chang Denggui's order, several teams of cavalry bypassed the battlefield between the two armies directly from the east and came to the eastern foot of Tushan to intercept the fleeing Qing army.

The Qing army was now surrounded on all sides by the Ming army. Countless small warships were approaching from the Huai River to the north and west. The gunners on board leveled their cannons and fired wildly at the Eight Banners troops retreating to the riverbank. "Boom, boom, boom!!!"

Countless shells were fired from the black muzzles of the guns. The Qing troops who had retreated to the shore in panic suffered such heavy casualties that they all collapsed. They kept rushing forward to survive, and the corpses of men and horses slowly piled up in the trampling and slaughter.

Under the relentless assault of the Ming army, the wilderness surrounding Tushan was littered with corpses. In decisive battles of this era, the heaviest casualties often occurred at this point—the victorious side, after securing victory on the battlefield, would unilaterally massacre the defeated.

As night fell, the mopping-up operations on the south bank of the Huai River and near Tushan soon came to an end. Hundreds of Eight Banner soldiers and civilian laborers stranded on the south bank could no longer hide on Tushan, which had already been chopped bare. Under the encirclement of the Ming army, they had to go down the mountain and surrender.

Of course, there were still some Eight Banners cavalry who fled in panic, and the Ming army was unable to wipe them all out at once, so they could only set up sentry points and arrange ambushes around the temporary camp.

The situation has completely reversed. Zhu Cilang is not worried about not being able to wipe out these stragglers. In comparison, the withdrawal of the Qing army under Duoduo is what he is most concerned about.

But with the end of this great battle, except for ordering Chang Denggui to lead a small number of cavalry to pursue Tulai for bluffing, most of the Ming army's troops no longer had the strength to take the initiative to attack.

In the wilderness south of Tushan, seven simple new camps were quickly built, with each camp as a unit. Barrages and traps were meticulously laid around the camps, but no trenches were dug.

The camp gates were equipped with chevaux de frise and simple watchtowers to prevent night attacks by the defeated Qing soldiers. Countless bonfires were lit surrounding the Ming army's camps. Looking down, they looked like a sea of ​​stars on the ground, brilliant and dazzling.

Of course, under such a heavy blow, the only organized army had already fled and was pursued all the way by the Ming army. It was no longer possible for the Qing army to launch a large-scale raid, and at most it could only carry out small-scale harassment.

The bonfires around were actually more to prevent the defeated soldiers who were scattered in the wilderness from escaping under the cover of night. The navy in the Huai River was not a pushover. Even if Duoduo led his troops back, it would be impossible for him to cross the river smoothly.

By the second half of the night, as the civilians in Fengyang City had rushed to support, the armor and weapons scattered on the battlefield had been basically collected and were now simply piled up in the wilderness around the camp.

When Zhu Cilang was preparing for the pursuit, he ordered Gao Hongtu to be ready. As soon as the order came, the civilians in the city had to set off immediately. They arrived in less than three hours, despite a distance of more than 30 miles.

At the same time, thousands of Eight Banners soldiers' bodies in the wilderness were quickly burned by the Ming army after their heads were chopped off. The fallen war horses became roasted meat for the soldiers and horse meat porridge for the wounded.

It was almost dawn when Chen Fu finally arranged all the deployments of the temporary camp and quickly rushed back to the central military camp to prepare for the military meeting.

Since the Qing army marched south, every time a major battle ended, he would stay awake for several consecutive days and nights to coordinate the affairs of all parties. This has become a habit.

Of course, it's not just him. Even Zhu Cilang is the same. After every battle, there are heavy dark circles around his eyes.

This is the norm when commanding a large-scale military operation involving tens of thousands of people. Countless things require judgment and decision-making, and in the end, it’s all about your body!
When Chen Fu arrived at the central army tent, it was already filled with generals from various camps who had come to pursue the enemy. They all surrounded Zhu Cilang, chatting happily, and bursts of hearty laughter could be heard from time to time.

Of course, at this moment, the big tent was filled with smoke and flashes of fire, and cigarette butts piled up on the ground. The whole scene looked as if several rounds of muskets had just been fired, and Zhu Cilang was also puffing out smoke.

This is the new military supplies sent from Nanjing, a total of 50,000 cigarettes. The high-standard cigarette workshop that Zhu Cilang had previously asked the Ministry of Revenue to lead the construction of has finally produced results.

Zhu Cilang also immediately ordered the strict distribution of the cigarettes, and at the same time set aside a portion as rewards to be given to soldiers who had made military achievements.

On the battlefield where life and death are unpredictable and mental tension is high, everyone, from the emperor to the most ordinary soldier, needs tobacco to relieve fatigue.

"General Chen is finally back!"

When Zhu Cilang saw Chen Fu approaching the tent, he immediately threw a pack of cigarettes on the table in front of him to him, opened the cigarette with his right hand, and smiled while puffing out white smoke:

“Try this, it’s strong enough!”
.
After Tulai successfully broke through, he retreated quickly. He led more than 2,000 soldiers and horses out of the battlefield. After joining forces with a few armored personnel who had broken out shortly afterwards, he immediately went up the Huai River, not daring to waste any time.

At first, he wanted to organize his troops to launch a roundabout attack, find an opportunity to reverse the defeat, and bring out more troops. However, when he saw the Ming army charging and saw that Zhu Cilang was well prepared and had sent out troops to block the attack, he had to give up this naive idea.

In fact, once they began to flee, these originally ferocious Eight Banners cavalry no longer had the ability to launch strategic offensives in the face of a well-trained and powerful army.

However, Tulai was still hoping for a lucky break at that time!

At this time, facing the swift offensive of the Ming army, Tulai was completely like a frightened bird. He just kept running away, fearing that the Ming cavalry behind him would catch up with him. He did not go all the way to Bagua Mountain near Shouzhou, where he contacted the scouts and learned that Bolo was leading his troops to build a pontoon bridge on the opposite bank. Only then did he finally order the army to stop.

Like Bolo and Tulai, he was very worried that the Ming navy would block his way from the north. The cannons on those small warships were powerful and the armor on the cavalry could not withstand them at all. The terrain near Bagua Mountain was conducive to the cover of the army, so he chose to build a pontoon bridge here to pick up the remnants of Tulai.

The most important thing is that both of them thought that as long as they delayed for half a day, the main force of the Ming army would immediately catch up, and the plains on the banks of the Huai River would most likely become the burial place of the remaining Tulai troops. Bolo did not dare to continue upstream along the river to where the river was narrower.

You should know that Tulai had previously asked Duoduo for four cavalrymen in order to have sufficient troops to deal with the Ming army. He speculated that the Ming army had only two or three thousand cavalrymen, and no more than ten thousand infantrymen capable of long-distance raids and field battles. Five thousand cavalrymen were more than enough.

But he never expected that the Ming army's navy would be so powerful that it directly broke the balance of military strength between the two sides, making the Ming army superior in combat power.

If not for this, Tulai would not have rushed out in such a hurry, and ended up like a stray dog ​​now!
Therefore, the Tulai army had to cross the river and head north as quickly as possible, otherwise the consequences would be disastrous. By then, Bolo would also be implicated and severely punished by Dorgon.

Of course, although Tulai was afraid, he remained calm and composed in front of Baiyintu and others. He looked resolute and trustworthy, and no one knew that he was pretending.

In fact, at this time, Bai Yintu and the other Eight Banners generals were all afraid of dangers and did not dare to take any risky actions for fear of being caught up by the Ming army and eventually being wiped out.

But at this time, the Ming army had already exhausted all its strength. The hundreds of cavalrymen led by Chang Denggui were just chasing from behind, intercepting and killing the scattered fleeing Eight Banners cavalrymen, but they could not actually catch up at all.

Although they were well-trained, their physical strength was limited. It was just that Tulai and the others had lost their fighting spirit and confidence and were no longer able to make accurate judgments.

It was not until dawn that Tulai led the last 2,000 white soldiers he had gathered across the river. During the more than 100-mile escape, hundreds of horsemen were separated, but he did not dare to wait any longer and was eager to escape from danger.

Tulai watched as the last Eight Banners soldier who caught up successfully crossed the river from the south and jumped onto the shore. His serious face was full of resentment and pain.

After the pontoon bridge was dismantled by the armored soldiers, Boro rode his horse to Tulai's side and sighed:

"Let's go, the Ming army will catch up soon!"

Upon hearing this, Tulai immediately turned his head to look at the other side. The horizon, which had already turned pale, was still quiet, with no trace of the Ming army's pursuers. He couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, but immediately said viciously:
"I, Tulai, will never let this blood debt go!"

(End of this chapter)