Prince Chongzhen

Chapter 320 Caught off guard
The sudden appearance of the Ming navy caught Ajige off guard.

But wouldn't Zhu Cilang be caught off guard by the scene before him?

According to his original plan, once the fleet approached Ganzhou, the army would build a line of defense as quickly as possible under the cover of its own artillery fire.

To this end, he not only loaded some sand, gravel and wood onto the ship, but also asked military generals at all levels to patiently tell the soldiers what to do along the way.

But who would have thought that this plan would fail as soon as they saw the Qing army camp.

In the eyes of ordinary people, failure is failure.

The troops led by Hu and Zhang have already entered the Qing army camp. As long as there is an army to cooperate, the battle will no longer be suspenseful.

But how can things be that simple?
If there had not been this Ming army that broke into the Qing army camp, Zhu Cilang would have first relied on the navy to gain a foothold on land, and then proceed step by step with caution.

After all, with the arrival of reinforcements, the strategic initiative and passivity will be completely reversed. Even if Ajige has great ability, he can no longer attack Ganzhou as recklessly as before.

As long as Zhu Cilang can stay here and ensure that Ganzhou is not lost, the Qing army will be doomed.

But now the fighting has already started on the shore, and the troops that broke into the Qing army camp seem to be in danger.

Under such circumstances, steady and cautious tactics must be turned into swift and windy tactics. How could an army of tens of thousands of people possibly turn around in such a short period of time?
"Fang Yuanke, Hou Shilu."

"exist!"

"You two don't need to build any defenses. Once you land, pretend to attack the Qing army camp and make a big noise."

"Order!"

"Fang Guoan, Hou Chengzu."

"exist!"

"Your troops will land on the east and south sides of Ganzhou, and make sure the enemy in front of you cannot be distracted."

"Order!"

"Xiang Rensheng."

"exist!"

"Once the shore is clear, your troops will land there. If you can defeat the enemy camp, you can go directly into the city. If not, you will rescue friendly forces."

"Order!"

"Zhang Pengyi."

"exist!"

"Have the cannons on the ship continue firing to delay the Qing army's assembly as much as possible."

"Order!"

As military orders were issued one after another, the generals took orders and left one after another. When Hu Yiqing was the only one left in the cabin, Zhu Cilang stopped talking and just frowned in thought.

It was obvious that he divided his men into three echelons.

There is no need to say much about Fang Yuanke and Hou Shilu. After all, they were originally planned to be the first group to land and build defensive fortifications.

Although their mission had changed at this time, it was just a feint attack. Even if their combat effectiveness was not strong, it was enough to divert the attention of the Qing army.

Zhu Cilang was naturally not worried about this group of people, but what really worried him was the landing speed of the two veterans.

According to the original steady and cautious plan, this landing site would be enough for the entire army to land in an orderly manner. However, now that the war situation has exceeded expectations, this landing site will definitely not be able to allow tens of thousands of people to set foot on land in a short period of time.

Therefore, he had to send them to the east and south sides of Ganzhou according to his memory, trying to shorten the landing time of the entire army as much as possible.

This is the biggest challenge that the sudden situation brings to the Ming army.

After all, the army is a war machine. Once a change occurs somewhere, the entire process will go astray.

If we do not respond in time, even if the change appears to be beneficial on the surface, it may lead to an unfavorable final result.

"Your Majesty, our army is familiar with the waters near Ganzhou. Generals Fang and Hou will surely be able to land smoothly."

Just when Zhu Cilang was constantly thinking about what mistakes he had made, Hu Yiqing, who had been acting as his bodyguard, tried to persuade him.

Although he did not lead an army alone, he knew how much pressure these changes brought to His Majesty.

To put it bluntly, we do not have an advantage in terms of military strength.

If they proceeded steadily, they could have trapped the Qing army here with the help of the navy. However, due to this change, the original plan of defeating the enemy with momentum had to turn into a head-on battle.

Even though a group of troops had previously broken into the Qing army camp, it was far less certain than what they had originally planned.

Under such circumstances, this seemingly meaningless persuasion is the only thing he can do now.

"Well, it should be safe to go ashore."

In response to Hu Yiqing's advice, Zhu Cilang simply replied indifferently and didn't say much.

He didn't know whether Hu Yiqing's persuasion was because he saw the potential risks or simply because of his expression.

However, his long experience as a superior made him instinctively not spread unnecessary worries among his subjects.

With the support of the navy's artillery, he was not actually worried about whether the generals could land smoothly. His real worry was about the time required.

It's ridiculous to say that one army has obviously attacked the enemy camp. As long as all the armies cooperate well, it is possible to win with a smaller force tonight.

But as the supreme commander of the Ming army, Zhu Cilang sincerely hoped that everything would go according to the original plan and that such surprises would not occur.

Why?

Ganzhou had been under siege for half a month, and the defenders must have been longing for reinforcements.

At this time, an army broke into the enemy camp first, and then a huge fleet followed closely. If anyone were in Wan Yuanji's position, the only idea they would have was to send troops out of the city to support this.

But this was all beyond the plan.

Not only was Zhu Cilang not prepared for a decisive battle with the Qing army as soon as he arrived, he was not even sure how much time it would take for his army to successfully land.

If Ajige really took advantage of the gap in the middle to break into Ganzhou.
"Is there any movement in the city?"

"Your Majesty, it seems that only a few torches were lit, and there was no other movement."

As Zhu Cilang's not-too-loud voice rang out, soldiers outside the cabin immediately came to report the situation in the city.

After hearing this, his worries were slightly relieved, and he immediately asked about the landing situation of each unit.

"Generals Fang and Hou have already led their troops away by boat.

Most of the troops of the two generals, Fang and Hou, have already landed.
In addition, the imperial guards are also preparing and will be ready to put on their armor within an incense stick."

The soldiers' report did not mention the situation of the navy. After all, the rumbling sound of the artillery was not only much more rapid than before, but also much more dense than before. It was possible to know that General Zhang was carrying out military orders without reporting to His Majesty.

"Hu Yiqing."

"Your Majesty." "A group of guards from the imperial guards are coming ashore. You should go with them."

"This"

Faced with His Majesty's arrangements, Hu Yiqing was a little hesitant.

He did not hesitate because he had only twenty or thirty cavalrymen under his command, nor did he hesitate because the situation ahead was uncertain.

The truth is that ever since Xiang Rensheng took over the guard job, all the officials in the court have told him, either explicitly or implicitly, "You must protect His Majesty's safety and never let His Majesty go to the battlefield again."

How could a general like him, who had just entered the court, dare to leave His Majesty's side so easily?

"It doesn't matter. I'll just stay on the boat and not go anywhere."

"The last general takes command!"

Since His Majesty had made the promise, Hu Yiqing responded and went to prepare happily.

For Zhu Cilang, keeping such a brave general by his side was not just for his safety.

The battle situation was chaotic at the moment, and it was the time for Hu Yiqing to play a role. How could he detain him on the boat?

With Hu Yiqing's departure, Zhu Cilang was the only one left in the cabin. After about half an incense stick of time, he felt a little bored, so he stood up and walked to the deck.

"Your Majesty, the wind is strong on the river. If there is any movement, we will report it in time. You should return to the cabin first."

"I'm not made of clay. I just came out to get some fresh air. It's okay."

Although Zhu Cilang was extremely worried about the problems in Ganzhou, he still smiled and responded to the guards' concern before turning his attention to the distance.

At this time, night had already fallen on the city surrounded by the Gan River. Although he tried his best to make out something, he could only see the dim torches on the city due to the interference of the constant flashes of light on the river and the fire in the Qing army camp.

"It should be fine.
After all, so much has been done.”

Thinking of this, Zhu Cilang returned to the cabin when he saw that he could not make out anything.

His thoughts could be considered reassuring, but it was undeniable that even though Ajige was a veteran on the battlefield, he could not spare much time to think about such falsehoods.

"Report~~~! Your Majesty, the northern camp wall has been attacked, and General Wang Deren has led his troops to reinforce."

"Report~~~! Your Majesty, the Ming army's artillery has completely covered the western camp. Our army has suffered heavy losses. Several Ezhen and generals request to withdraw to the northern camp."

"Report~~~! Your Majesty, the eastern and southern camps are under artillery attack. According to the scouts, it seems that the Ming army is landing."

It had only been a cup or two of tea since the Ming army's artillery attack, but even within this short period of time, the continuous military reports had made Ajige completely lose his composure.

"We are surrounded by the Gan River on the east, west and south. The only solution now is to withdraw all troops to the north."

After hearing the scout's report, Shang Kexi thought for a moment and then gave a countermeasure. However, after waiting for three or two breaths, there was still no response from Ajige, so he repeated his previous words in a stronger tone.

There are also differences among the so-called champion top laners.

Ajige's military record was certainly impressive, but his first half of life on the battlefield was too smooth, and he was slightly inferior to Shang Kexi, who fought his way out of adversity.

This does not mean that he is inferior to Shang Kexi in military strategy. It is just that he has never encountered setbacks and is inevitably less resilient.

If everything goes smoothly, nothing will be noticeable, but if things are going badly, there will be some difference between the two that is enough to determine the outcome of the battle.

The Manchus were self-aware. When they entered the Pass, they paired Duoduo with Kong Youde, and Ajige with Shang Kexi. If you also count Wu Sangui who followed Haoge, they could be said to have helped him get on the horse and sent him on his way.

"Withdraw? Isn't that just waiting to be killed?"

After hearing Shang Kexi's words, Ajige immediately asked a question in return.

Ganzhou City is surrounded by water on three sides, and only the north is protected from the Ming army's artillery. If we only consider the situation tonight, withdrawing all troops to the North Camp is naturally a proper solution.

But doing so would be tantamount to giving up the siege of Ganzhou. Not to mention the threat that the combined forces of the internal and external Ming armies would pose to the army, the fact that they could not advance or retreat was something Ajige could not accept.

But how could Shang Kexi not understand this?
He could see clearly that given the current situation, there was no need to think about Ganzhou.

Now gather all the troops in the North Camp, and look for an opportunity to break out after daybreak, and it may be possible to bring back 400 to 500 million men.

If we don't give up the plan to capture Ganzhou now, what other possibility will there be in the end except that our entire army will be annihilated?

"If we can capture Ganzhou, we can retreat into the city. If not, we can only wait until dawn to find an opportunity to break out."

Shang Kexi's original intention was to make Ajige face the reality, but who would have thought that after he finished speaking, the other party actually started to think about it seriously, which made him feel a little amused.

"Send the order! Command."

"Are you crazy?! You couldn't defeat him during the day, how can you possibly succeed now?!"

Facing Ajige who was about to deliver the message, Shang Kexi did not care about the difference between Manchus and Han people. However, after he finished speaking, the other party not only did not show any signs of losing control of his emotions, but instead explained very calmly.

"Even if we can break through, most of our troops will be killed. How can we stop the Ming army's counterattack if we are not strong enough?"

Unstoppable.

Relying on the advantage of its navy, the Ming army was naturally able to thrive around Poyang Lake.

If they could have held on, why would Duoduo have retreated to Jiangbei in such a hurry?
In the face of Ajige's question, Shang Kexi remained silent, but he also knew the consequences of losing this battle.

As long as the green mountains remain, there will be no shortage of firewood.

Even if he retreated to Jiangbei, he could still save some of his men. It was better than betting his entire fortune and ending up with no capital to make a comeback.

"I bet that Ganzhou's army will come out of the city to support us. This is our chance. If we can open the city gates at night, we can turn defeat into victory!"

Fake opening of the city gate?

Hearing this, Shang Kexi felt a little hope in his heart.

But now they were all just guessing. Not only did they not know which general the defenders would send out to support them, they also didn't know whether the defenders had really sent troops out of the city.

If they try to open the city gate under such circumstances, wouldn't they be treating the defenders as fools?
"This battle concerns the fate of the Qing Dynasty. We must fight. I will lead the army to Ganzhou for a while, and the command of the camp will be handed over to you."

Having said that, Ajige dismounted and bowed to Shang Kexi. After standing up again, he waited for the other party's answer with a burning gaze.

Honestly speaking, Shang Kexi did not approve of this kind of gambler's behavior. In his mind, the safest way was to give up Ganzhou and look for an opportunity to break out.

But at the same time, he could also understand Ajige's anxiety.

As the Ming Dynasty regained its foothold, the Qing Dynasty was gradually sliding into a strategic disadvantage. If it really returned empty-handed, then all the land south of the Yangtze River would fall into the hands of that kid.

Not to mention invading the area south of the Yangtze River again, I'm afraid the Qing Dynasty would gradually lose its ability to fight back amid Zhu Cilang's repeated northern expeditions.

How could the Manchus have a good ending then?

"Since you have made up your mind, I will take this gamble with you."

Shang Kexi's answer seemed extremely hesitant, but no matter what, he finally agreed to Ajige's request.

But when he looked at the troops galloping away, he could not hide his worries. In the end, he could only say in his heart: "May God bless the Qing Dynasty."

(End of this chapter)