Huangming

Chapter 358 Bloody Battle of Fushun, The Way to Break the Stalemate
The cold winter winds blew from the northern grasslands, relentlessly striking the Ming army camp outside Fushun City day and night.

The temperature dropped day by day, and at night it was bitterly cold.

When the soldiers went out to relieve themselves, their urine would freeze into ice as soon as it hit the ground, and even their breath seemed to freeze into frost flowers in the air.

Even though the imperial court had already distributed winter cotton-padded clothes, news of soldiers suffering from frostbite still came from time to time in the camp. In mild cases, their hands and feet would swell from the cold, while in severe cases, the frostbite would fester and ooze pus, requiring them to be carried to the rear for treatment.

Even though there are rewards and promotions for winning battles, they still affect morale to some extent.

now.

Inside the Chinese army's tent.

Despite wearing a thick fox fur coat, Xiong Tingbi still felt the biting cold.

He stood in front of the model of Fushun City, his brows furrowed.

The siege is scheduled for tomorrow. Although Fushun is a small city, its walls are quite strong. In addition, Sahalian has built an ice fortress and trenches. If the Ming army launches a direct attack, they will likely pay a heavy price.

"Commander Chen, tell me, how many cannons are there in Fushun City right now?"

Xiong Tingbi suddenly turned around, looked at Chen Ce who was standing to the side, and asked.

Artillery is crucial in siege warfare. If the Jurchens had enough artillery, the Ming army's charge would have suffered heavy losses.

Chen Ce stepped forward, bowed, and replied, "Reporting to the General, based on the reconnaissance over the past few days and the confessions of the prisoners, there are not many cannons in Fushun City. At most, there should be no more than ten."

He paused, then added, "The Jurchens never had the ability to cast cannons. The cannons they had were either captured from the Ming army in the early years or smuggled from inside the Great Wall by Shanxi merchants."

However, ever since our army captured Shenyang and seized a large number of cannons, coupled with the imperial court confiscating the property of the eight major Shanxi merchants and cutting off their supply lines, the Jurchens have had fewer and fewer cannons. The few that remain are mostly poorly maintained, resulting in a significant reduction in their range and power.

"Ten cannons..."

Xiong Tingbi muttered to himself.

Ten cannons may not seem like many, but in the narrow siege battlefield, they were enough to inflict considerable casualties on the Ming army.

Especially when the Ming army set up ladders and charged the city walls, a volley of artillery fire from the Jurchens could tear open a gap and disrupt the Ming army's offensive rhythm.

"We must first locate the enemy's artillery positions, and then destroy them with the breech-loading cannons."

"The range of the breech-loading cannons is longer than that of the Jurchen cannons. As long as we can find out the deployment of their cannons, we can eliminate these threats one by one from outside their range."

He walked to the sand table, picked up a wooden pole, and marked several possible locations on the city wall:

"I have a plan. Tomorrow during the day, we'll use oxcarts to drag wooden cannon models and launch a feint attack on the east and south gates of Fushun. The wooden cannon models will be covered with red cloth, so from a distance they'll look exactly like real breech-loading cannons."

When the Jurchen defenders see this, they will assume we are about to launch a forced siege and will inevitably deploy their arquebusiers and artillery for defense. At that point, their firing positions will naturally be exposed.

"After that, we'll use real breech-loading cannons to accurately strike based on the identified locations, wiping out their artillery and musket teams in one fell swoop."

"In this way, we will encounter much less resistance during the general offensive tomorrow morning."

Upon hearing this, a hint of admiration flashed in Chen Ce's eyes:
"General, you are wise! This plan is both safe and will reduce our casualties. It is truly ingenious!"

After praising him, a bitter smile appeared on his face.

"However... it would be even better if we could lure the Jurchens out of the city to fight. After all, our chariot and infantry units have a greater advantage in open field battles and can also avoid casualties during sieges."

He sighed, his tone tinged with regret.

"In order to lure the enemy out of the city, I dug a circular ice ditch two hundred paces away from the camp. The ditch was ten feet wide and covered with a thin layer of snow and dry grass for camouflage. When the Jurchen cavalry pursued us, we would let them fall into the ditch and then annihilate them in one fell swoop."

However, in the past few days, although the Jurchens had ventured out of the city several times, they had always fought cautiously, retreating halfway through their attacks and completely ignoring the trap, thus wasting its potential.

Upon hearing this, Xiong Tingbi couldn't help but smile: "Daishan is, after all, the Great Prince of the Jurchens. He has fought for many years and is very shrewd. If he were so easily fooled, he wouldn't be worthy of being our opponent."

He patted Chen Ce on the shoulder, his tone softening.

"But you don't need to feel sorry. Although the trap was not used, it made the Jurchens wary and dare not leave the city easily. This is already a considerable gain."

At this moment, Man Gui, the military commander of the Beijing garrison, suddenly stepped forward and asked in a deep, gruff voice:

"General, since we are going to attack Fushun, why not use our artillery advantage to blow up one side of the city wall and have the army rush in directly? It will save time and effort!"
If we were to forcibly scale the city walls and attack, our casualties would be considerable. Why send our brothers to their deaths in vain?

Man Gui was a veteran of the battlefield and could not bear to see soldiers sacrifice themselves needlessly. When he thought of the mountains of corpses and seas of blood that might appear during the siege, he couldn't help but ask directly.

Many of the generals in the tent nodded in agreement.

The Ming army now possesses dozens of breech-loading cannons, far surpassing the Jurchens in firepower. If they were to bombard the city with full force, it would not be difficult to collapse a section of the city wall.

Upon hearing this, Xiong Tingbi slowly shook his head, his tone tinged with helplessness: "General Man, you only know one side of the story. Our artillery shells are limited. If we were only attacking Fushun, five thousand shells would indeed be enough to flatten it. But we still have two fortified cities, Tieling and Kaiyuan, to attack. Those shells are meant to be saved for critical moments."

Although he didn't say it out loud in front of others, he knew it perfectly well.

Although His Majesty has attached great importance to firearms since ascending the throne.

But the time is still short.

There were many things that hadn't been sorted out yet.

The Bureau of Armory was understaffed and plagued by internal corruption.

The supply of artillery shells was already insufficient, and since the war in Liaodong last year became more intense, the supply of artillery shells has been in dire need of time.

The breech-loading cannon was powerful, but its cost was also staggering. The cost of raw materials and casting for a single breech-loading cannon shell alone exceeded ten taels of silver. After layers of corruption by local government and military officials, the actual cost paid by the imperial court was probably more than double, reaching over twenty taels.

This is hardly a war.

They're clearly throwing silver at the battlefield!

Since last year, the military expenditure in Liaodong has reached several million taels of silver, and the number of laborers mobilized is in the millions. The imperial treasury is already stretched thin.

If the Ming army were to squander all its cannonballs for the sake of Fushun, it would lose its firepower advantage when attacking Tieling and Kaiyuan later.

Moreover, with such extravagant spending, he was truly afraid that the court would not be able to sustain the supply of provisions, and even more afraid that His Majesty would not be able to withstand the criticism from the officials in the court.

After all, every penny in Liaodong came from the taxes paid by the people inside the Great Wall, and not a single penny could be wasted.

"I see."

Ma Shilong suddenly realized that he had previously thought that directly bombarding the city was the safest option, but after hearing Xiong Tingbi's explanation, he understood the difficulties involved and immediately nodded in agreement.

"General, your considerations are far-sighted; it is I who have failed to think things through. In that case, please give the order, General, and we will certainly obey!"

Seeing that his generals understood his considerations, Xiong Tingbi nodded slightly, walked to the sand table, picked up a wooden pole, and began to make detailed plans:
"Tomorrow we will attack the city, and we will proceed in three steps."

The first step is to send elite troops to eliminate all strongholds outside Fushun City, while simultaneously using breech-loading cannons to precisely strike the artillery in the city. It is imperative to clear the obstacles outside the city and destroy the enemy's firepower before noon.

The second step involved dividing the attacking force into eight battalions, each with 1,000 men, with an additional 10,000 men as a reserve force to provide support at any time.

Of the eight battalions, the main force of the fourth battalion took turns attacking the south gate day and night.

The south gate city wall is relatively weak, and it is the place that receives the most sunlight throughout the day.

The remaining four battalions would feign attacks on the east and north gates, displaying numerous flags and creating a diversion to draw in troops from within the city, thus relieving pressure on the main attack on the south gate.

At this point, he pointed to the west gate of Fushun City.

"As for the West Gate, we will not attack it; we will leave it as an escape route for the Jurchen and Mongol soldiers in the city."

Once the siege becomes protracted and casualties reach a certain level, deserters will inevitably appear in the city, and the west gate will be their 'way out'.

The more they flee, the more demoralized the defenders in the city will become, and the easier it will be for us to attack.

Upon hearing this, the generals' eyes lit up.

This strategy of "surrounding three sides while leaving one open" not only prevented the enemy from putting up a desperate resistance, but also reduced the casualties of the Ming army. It was quite a clever trick.

Xiong Tingbi was very satisfied with everyone's reaction, but he didn't stop talking.

"Commander Chen, lead the cavalry battalion to form a battle line south of the city and closely monitor the movements within the city to prevent the Jurchens from launching a field attack that could disrupt the siege. I estimate that they will not defend the city to the death; they will definitely harass our siege."

Upon hearing this, Chen Ce immediately accepted the order.

"I will obey your orders!"

Xiong Tingbi turned his head and looked at the three adjutants of the Beijing Garrison.

"Man Gui, Ma Shilong, and He Gang, the three of you will jointly supervise the attacking troops to ensure that they maintain their offensive and do not give the defending troops in the city a chance to catch their breath; as for the area outside the west gate, I will leave that to General Li Bingcheng."

He looked at a general in the tent wearing the armor of a deputy general and added, "General Li is the commander-in-chief of Fengji Fort, with more than 10,000 men under his command. This time, he has sent all his troops to ambush the enemy three miles outside the west gate."

"We can spare the fleeing soldiers, but we must prevent the main Jurchen force from breaking out through the west gate. If we encounter a large-scale enemy breakout, we don't need to fight them head-on; we just need to buy time until the attacking army arrives."

Li Bingcheng immediately stepped forward, knelt on one knee, and said in a firm voice, "This subordinate obeys! We will not allow the main force of the Jurchens to escape through the west gate!"

"it is good!"

Xiong Tingbi raised his hand and waved his hand, his gaze sweeping over the generals in the tent.

"At 3:45 AM tomorrow, the entire army will assemble and launch the attack on the city at dawn! In this battle, we must not only capture Fushun, but also demonstrate the might of the Ming Dynasty and let the Jurchens know that the land of Liaodong is not something they can occupy as they please!"

Those who take land from my Great Ming Dynasty must pay the price!
And this price is one that you barbarians cannot afford!
"The last general takes command!"

The soldiers responded in unison.

The next day.

Outside Fushun City, before dawn, the thick night was like ink, with only the direction of the Ming army camp lit up with torches, like a giant beast lurking in the darkness, slowly awakening.

Just after dawn, the camp was filled with the urgent sound of bugles. The whistling bugles pierced the cold wind and echoed across the snow-covered plains.

The Ming soldiers, already fully armored and armed, marched out in formation from their various camps.

As dawn broke and the first light of day appeared in the east, the Ming army's siege formation had already been deployed outside Fushun City.

Tens of thousands of soldiers were lined up in neat square formations. The front row consisted of infantrymen holding shields, while the rear row was filled with breech-loading cannons. The chariots of the wagon battalion were linked end to end, forming a solid barrier. From a distance, the black armor was like a tide, and the banners were like clouds, creating a terrifying sight.

"Pass down the order: first send shield wagons to drag wooden cannon models and launch a feigned attack on the south gate to probe the location of the Jurchen cannons!"

Xiong Tingbi, clad in armor, stood on the high platform, waved his command flag, and gave the order in a deep voice.

Soon, ten shield wagons slowly drove out of the Ming army's formation, each wagon towing a "cannon" wrapped in red cloth behind it.

It was a model carved from pine wood and painted red; from a distance, it looked exactly like a real breech-loading cannon.

The sled moved slowly forward, approaching the south gate of Fushun, its wheels leaving deep tracks as it rolled over the snow.

On the city wall of Fushun, Daishan and Sahalian were watching the Ming army's movements with bated breath.

"Father, the Ming army is about to launch a full-scale attack on the city!"

Sahalian pointed at the "cannons," his voice urgent. "Give the order immediately to have the artillery ready to fire! Don't let them get close to the city walls!"

Daishan gritted his teeth, raised his hand and shouted, "Cannons, aim at the Ming army's shield wagons, fire!"

A flurry of activity erupted on the city wall as five cannons hidden behind the battlements were pushed out, their muzzles aimed at the approaching shield wagons.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

After several loud explosions, cannonballs whistled towards the Ming army's shield wagons, but they all landed in the snow around the wagons, splashing up snow dust everywhere.

The Jurchen gunners were already poor at aim, and with the Ming army's shield wagons moving so quickly, not a single one hit their target.

However, these few shots inadvertently revealed the location of the Jurchen artillery.

A glint flashed in Xiong Tingbi's eyes as he stood on the high platform, and he immediately ordered: "Franklinan artillery unit, aim at the exposed cannon positions on the city wall and bombard them with all your might!"

The breech-loading cannons, which were already prepared, immediately adjusted their muzzles and fired simultaneously from dozens of cannons.

The deafening roar of artillery fire was deafening, and shells rained down on the south gate wall of Fushun.

The Jurchen cannons on the city wall were hit by Ming artillery shells before they could be moved.

Some cannons were blown to pieces, some gun carriages were broken, and the gunners suffered heavy casualties.

In a short while, all five cannons exposed in the city were destroyed, leaving only a few twisted cannon barrels lying askew beside the battlements.

"it is good!"

Xiong Tingbi cheered loudly, and the command flag was waved again.

This is the signal to attack the city.

Soon, hundreds of laborers, pushing light shielded carts loaded with earth and stones, rushed toward the moat outside the city.

Upon seeing this, the Jurchen defenders on the city wall immediately fired arrows, threw down heavy objects, and hurled logs in an attempt to prevent the laborers from approaching.

However, these laborers had already been trained and were able to nimbly dodge while pushing the shield carts. Even if a few were hit and fell down, the people behind them immediately took their place, and soon they filled in the moat outside the south gate, creating several passages.

Just as the Jurchen defenders were running out of logs and stones, the Ming army's artillery suddenly changed its ammunition, firing shrapnel filled with lime.

After a series of whooshing sounds, the shrapnel exploded in front of the city wall, and white lime powder spread out, forming a thick smoke screen that choked the Jurchen defenders on the city wall, causing them to cough repeatedly and completely obscuring their vision.

"Man Gui, Ma Shilong, He Gang, listen to my command! Immediately lead the attacking forces and launch a general offensive!"

"The last general takes command!"

Three loud responses rang out, and Man Gui, wielding a long-handled broadsword, leaped forward first. He was clad in heavy black iron armor and shouted sharply:
"Brothers! The Emperor's grace is boundless; today is the day for us to serve our country! Take Fushun, reclaim our lost territory, and charge with me!"

Ma Shilong and He Gang followed closely behind, each leading their soldiers in a charge toward the south gate of Fushun.

"To secure a position for one's wife and children, and to serve the country, the day is now!"

All three were generals who had received great favor from the emperor and had made outstanding contributions in the early years when they fought against the Jurchens in Liaodong. Their leading the charge at this moment further inspired the fighting spirit of the Ming soldiers.

"Charge! Kill!"

The shouts were deafening, and the Ming soldiers surged toward the city wall like a tidal wave, their weapons gleaming coldly in the morning light.

The siege ladders, shield carts, and siege engines that had been prepared beforehand were all deployed at the same time.

The siege ladder carts were pushed to the foot of the city wall, and dozens of siege ladders were simultaneously placed on the ice wall. Ming soldiers climbed up using their hands and feet.

The shield chariots protected the attacking infantry as they approached the city gate.

The siege engines rammed directly into the city gate, their massive wooden mallets pounding against it with tremendous force, causing even the iron nails on the gate to vibrate.

The breech-loading artillery did not stop, continuing to fire at the top of the city wall. The shells landed beside the battlements, suppressing the Jurchen defenders' counterattack.

Under the combined pressure of lime smoke and artillery fire, the Jurchen soldiers on the city wall were unable to resist effectively and could only passively wave their weapons, trying to push the Ming soldiers who had climbed the wall down.

The Ming soldiers were in high spirits, and one after another, they climbed the city wall and engaged in close combat with the Jurchen soldiers.

Xiong Tingbi stood on the high platform, his eyes fixed on the battle of the siege, his gaze darting around.

He knew very well that the sooner Fushun was taken, the better!

If the delay continues, it will not only deplete the morale and supplies of the Ming army, but may also give the Jurchen reinforcements time to arrive.

Nobody knows whether Nurhaci will send his elite troops from the Plain Yellow Banner to provide support.

Therefore, he spared no effort in using all the prepared siege tactics in order to break through Fushun City on the first day and deal a heavy blow to the Jurchens.

"You damned Jurchens! Die!"

"Ming Gou is asking for death!"

"Kill!"

The sounds of fighting on the city wall grew increasingly intense, blood stained the ice wall red, and corpses continued to fall from the wall.

Man Gui and Ma Shilong led their soldiers in a fierce attack on the city gate, attempting to break it open as soon as possible.

He Gang directed operations from below the city walls, constantly dispatching reserve forces to support the front lines of the siege.

The Ming army's offensive came wave after wave, but the Jurchen defenders in Fushun did not surrender.

Whenever the Ming army's ladders were placed on the city wall and the soldiers were about to climb up, the gates of Fushun would suddenly open, and Yue Tuo would personally lead his elite cavalry with the Bordered Red Banner out, his scimitars flashing coldly, cutting into the flanks of the Ming army's attacking force like sharp blades.

The cavalry's charge was already fierce, and with Yue Tuo leading the charge and his knights fighting fearlessly, the Ming army's siege formation was instantly shattered.

Although Chen Ce's Ming cavalry arrived quickly and, with the cover of the wagon camp, drove Yue Tuo's cavalry back into the city, the momentum of the siege had been interrupted.

The soldiers who scaled the city walls lost their support and were either killed by the Jurchen soldiers on the walls or forced to retreat back down, rendering all their previous casualties futile.

This happened several times, and the Ming army still found it difficult to gain a foothold on the city wall.

Yue Tuo's cavalry were like venomous snakes hiding behind the city gates, and each attack they launched inflicted considerable casualties on the Ming army.

of course.

Raids outside the city also come at a huge cost, especially when the Ming army is well prepared.

Daishan could see clearly from the city wall that whenever Yuetuo led his army back, a number of cavalrymen accompanying him would be missing.

If this happens a few more times, I'm afraid all of Yue Tuo's trusted men will be lost outside the city.

What troubled the Ming army even more was Sahalian's defensive strategy.

This guy often deliberately left a section of the city wall undefended, luring small groups of Ming soldiers to climb up the wall.

When the Ming soldiers thought they had succeeded and rushed into the barbican, Sahalian would order the barbican gates closed, and boiling oil, arrows, and stones would be poured down from the city walls, annihilating all the Ming soldiers inside.

After several attempts, the Ming army suffered considerable losses and became increasingly cautious when attacking cities, which naturally slowed down their progress.

As the sun gradually set, its golden afterglow spilled onto the ice walls of Fushun City, turning the bloodstains a dark red.

The Ming army's siege force was still fighting fiercely under the city walls, but their morale was no longer as high as it had been in the early morning.

The all-day assault not only failed to capture Fushun, but also resulted in thousands of casualties. Although the Jurchen defenders on the city walls were exhausted, they still held their ground.

On the high platform, Xiong Tingbi looked at the gradually darkening sky, his brows furrowed, and finally helplessly raised his hand: "Sound the retreat."

The crisp sound of a gong rang out, and the Ming soldiers retreated slowly back to their camp like a tide, leaving behind corpses and broken siege equipment.

Xiong Tingbi stepped down from the platform, his face grave.

Today's losses far exceeded his expectations. Although the Jurchens also suffered heavy casualties, with more than a thousand of Yue Tuo's cavalry likely dead outside the city, the morale of the defenders in Fushun remained high. If they continued to launch a direct assault, the Ming army's casualties would only increase.

"Lord General, shall we continue the siege tomorrow?"

Chen Ce stepped forward, his voice tinged with weariness.

Xiong Tingbi shook his head and said in a deep voice, "There's no need to rush to attack the city. I've already sent someone to contact Ligdan Khan and urge him to send troops to attack Kaiyuan as soon as possible."

Once Ligdan Khan's cavalry arrives in Kaiyuan, Mangultai will be too preoccupied to support Fushun.

When the Jurchen garrison in Fushun learns of Kaiyuan's peril, their morale will surely collapse. We can then seize the opportunity to attack the city, achieving twice the result with half the effort.

After hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement.

The current stalemate is not beneficial to the Ming army. The safest strategy is to use Ligdan Khan's power to restrain the Jurchens.

After all, warfare requires flexibility.

Blindly rushing into action is irresponsible towards one's own soldiers.

Just as Xiong Tingbi was discussing follow-up plans with his generals, a personal guard hurried over, bowed, and reported:
"Reporting to the General, Buhe Taiji of the Khorchin tribe, along with his two daughters, has arrived outside the camp and requests an audience with you. Judging from their appearance, they seem to have been ambushed on the way."

"Buhe?"

Xiong Tingbi was taken aback at first, then a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.

He had learned from the messenger that the Khorchin tribe intended to form an alliance with the Ming court and even planned to offer their daughters to the palace. However, he did not expect that Buhe would arrive so quickly and personally send his daughters.

As for being ambushed?
As long as everyone is safe, everything is negotiable!
"Quickly! Invite them into the tent!"

Xiong Tingbi immediately gave the order.

The Khorchin tribe was an important force in the southern Mongolian steppe. If we could gain their support, we could not only boost the morale of the Ming army, but also completely cut off the Jurchens' aid to the Mongol tribes.

And
With the assistance of the Khorchin cavalry and the cooperation of Ligdan Khan, would the Jurchens in Fushun still have the will to defend the city?
They're probably terrified.

The sieges we're seeing today should be stopped.

I just don't know
What conditions will the Khorchin tribe offer?

If they ask for an exorbitant price, he, as the Liaodong Military Commissioner, will not satisfy them!

ps:
Today is Qixi Festival, also known as Chinese Valentine's Day.

Wishing everyone a night where you can ride horses with your loved ones!
The author was originally going to ask for a break.

But then I thought, I don't have a girlfriend, why should I ask for leave?

Forget it.

Moreover, the author is sadly surprised to find that an extra chapter is needed today for those who submit monthly votes.

I'm writing an extra chapter at home for Valentine's Day~
o (╥﹏╥) o
Who could be worse off than me?
so.
Please subscribe and give me a monthly pass, is that too much to ask?
(End of this chapter)