Chapter 49 The Qing Army's Detour

  It was indeed a heavy casualty. Zhu Yongxing looked at the slope dyed red by the sunset, as if it were a pool of blood. He couldn't imagine how hundreds of years later, the expeditionary army would finally eliminate the stubborn enemy on the mountain after countless sacrifices, but he had already made up his mind that he would never let the small country of Yizhou bully China like that again, nor would he allow that painful history to happen again on this high ridge of Gaoligong Mountain at an altitude of over 3,000 meters.

  A strong attack will inevitably be countered with a pincer movement. Zhu Yongxing judged that the Qing army would likely adopt the same tactics as in history, and the road for the pincer movement was narrow and treacherous, requiring them to travel light to pass through the valleys. In this case, the Qing army could only use a small number of troops to carry out the pincer movement. Since he had already anticipated this, Zhu Yongxing had long been preparing to counter the pincer movement and ambush the Qing army that entered the mountainous terrain.

  After a day of blocking battle, Zhu Yongxing already had a plan in mind. The first line of defense with 500 people should be able to hold on for several days. To be on the safe side, he left another 500 people at the second line of defense, which could support the defense of the first line and also respond to the retreat of the first line.

  The front was arranged, and Zhu Yongxing left the Wang flag to disturb the Qing army's judgment. Then he led a coalition of 1,000 Ming soldiers and 1,000 Mangshan Kezu warriors to march towards the left wing of the mountain. If it was an ambush, these two thousand men were enough to wipe out three or four thousand Qing troops; if they were defending from a height, they could also make the lightly armed Qing army return without success. As for the right wing, it was the responsibility of the 2,000 Mangshan Kezu soldiers led by Zhai Zhuang.

  As for the hesitant Dabai Long, Zhu Yongxing did not trust him and was afraid that he and his subordinates would cause trouble for the troops who were attacking head-on, so he took him and 500 Dai ethnic minority guards with him. With 2,000 soldiers at hand, even if Dabai Long had ulterior motives, he did not dare to act rashly, let alone his family members were still in the rear.

  ……

  In less than a day's battle, seven or eight hundred people were killed and wounded, and the enemy's defense line had not been broken. It can be said that there was no achievement at all. This result was somewhat unexpected by Zhang Yong, who listened to Wang Jinbao's slightly guilty report with a gloomy face.

  "...The fake Zong Shi's flag is on the mountain, and Mo Jiang thought of taking a deep breath and attacking, capturing and killing the fake Zong Shi. This expedition would be considered a great success." Wang Jinbao looked gloomy and said hesitantly: "Now that I think about it, I was too impatient, which led to the loss of soldiers and generals. Please, Commander, punish me."

  Zhang Yong's face was expressionless, as if he were deep in thought, and also seemed to be brewing a thunderous rage. Until Wang Jinbao anxiously broke out in a cold sweat, he slowly said: "The pseudo-Ming imperial family would have such guts, dare to personally take the battlefield? Hmm, observing them making a big show of themselves in Tengchong, it's not impossible."

  "Yes, I also thought so." Wang Jinbao followed Zhang Yong's words and said: "It's just that the damn terrain gave the enemy an advantage, but the enemy's firearms were fierce, and they didn't stop firing. Two layers of armor couldn't withstand it either."

  "They started fighting and didn't stop, Ji Xinyu's new book mentioned that the fire gun troops have single-line, double-line, multi-line formations, the enemy must be using a multi-line formation, taking turns shooting, bullets are endless." Zhang Yong thought for a moment and said: "Fire guns are most suitable for defense, it's a difficult problem to solve."

  "Commander, I've thought it over and feel that a frontal assault would be extremely difficult. However, if we were to attack from behind, we could gain the upper hand." Wang Jinbao put forth his own suggestion.

  For the expedition against Guizhou, Wang Jinbao had a successful battle. When Zhang Yong and Wang Jinbao led their army to Shimian Creek, they were met with steep cliffs and General Luo Dasun's defensive forces. After a prolonged attack failed to yield results, Wang Jinbao led a contingent of elite soldiers in scaling the cliffs and launching a surprise attack from behind, defeating Luo Dasun and earning promotion to Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Right Route.

  "The valley is deep and the forest is dense, the mountain is high and the road is treacherous. Dividing troops to surround them is a risky plan! If the enemy is prepared..." Zhang Yong hesitated and shook his head slightly.

  "Governor, the tactic of marching in a hazardous manner is also a way to achieve victory!" Wang Jinbao saw that Zhang Yong's opposition was not firm, so he continued to speak: "The remaining Ming army will gather, how many soldiers can they have? Tengchong needs to leave troops to defend this place, and the pseudo-imperial family needs to guard it heavily. Where can we get so many soldiers to defend everywhere? Our army advances lightly on both sides, encircling the enemy from behind. As long as one side succeeds, we will cut off the enemy's retreat route, and the enemy will surely be defeated!"

  Zhang Yong lowered his eyelids and fell into deep thought. The danger of the gray slope, he had personally inspected it, so he didn't blame Wang Jinbao's reckless attack for failing. If he followed a normal attack, he couldn't think of a better way either, and he was very worried that they were blocked as soon as they went out to battle.

  "The enemy will surely be arrogant and careless after their initial victory during the day, our army can launch a surprise attack on their flank at night, greatly increasing the chances of winning." Wang Jinbao thought of another reason and hastily continued to add.

  Zhang Yong's heart was moved, and he raised his head. The primary purpose of this expedition was to fight a quick battle and achieve a swift victory. If they couldn't heavily damage the enemy, even if they captured Huishan, it would still take time and effort to overcome the various dangers and strongholds that lay ahead. This was absolutely not what he wanted to see. In military campaigns, stability and security were of course ideal, but clever strategies and tactics were also indispensable. Marching into danger was unavoidable.

  "Two elite troops, each with two thousand soldiers, divided into left and right wings to encircle the enemy at Huishan Slope." Zhang Yong, under the temptation of a quick victory, finally made up his mind in the face of the danger and difficulty of attacking Huishan Slope. "Set out at midnight, advance lightly and quickly, do not let the enemy become aware."

  "The general is willing to lead the left wing troops to encircle and attack the enemy from behind." Wang Jinbao stepped forward, bowed his head and saluted, and asked to take on the task.

  Zhang Yong knew that Wang Jinbao was eager to make a name for himself, because he and Zhao Liangzhen had never gotten along, and Zhao Liangzhen was now above him, which made him resentful. However, he really didn't want his top generals to take risks.

  Zhang Yong's face showed hesitation, and Wang Jinbao hastily requested again: "Commander, the final general was defeated in the first battle, which frustrated our army's morale. It should be punished, but I hope the commander will give me a chance to redeem myself."

  Zhang Yong sighed helplessly and said, "Xianwu, when leading the army to encircle, be sure to be cautious. If the enemy is prepared, then withdraw immediately, do not be greedy for merit and advance rashly."

  "Please be at ease, General. I will definitely follow your teachings and be cautious first." Wang Jinbao bowed deeply and left with gratitude.

  ………

  The azure constellation had tilted, the night wind was cool, and Zhu Yongxing suddenly woke up from his dream in the tent. It was a nightmare that made his forehead full of cold sweat. For a long time, his mood didn't calm down, but he couldn't fall asleep immediately, so he kept thinking about his next move in his mind.

  To be honest, Zhu Yongxing's confidence is weakening in the environment of Gaoligong Mountain, not that he has no confidence in the blockade, but he is beginning to worry about the will of the troops he leads and the smoothness of logistics.