Chapter Fifty-One: Desperate Struggle

  Following the direction of Wang Jinbao's finger, the Qing army turned their heads and found that if they wanted to climb to the top of the valley, they had to climb from the side of this valley. It was a slope covered with low plants, climbing up to the ridge can continue to turn left and go deep into the mountain belly, or turn right and go straight up to the top of the valley, attacking the ambush enemy.

  King Pinbao realized that this would be a tough battle. Either defeat the enemy and continue to implement the detour, or the whole army would perish in this valley. Although he had not yet seen the enemy on the slope, he made the fastest judgment based on his many years of war experience.

  Wang Jinbao's judgment was not wrong, the mountain ridge was indeed the Ming army's position. It used to be an ancient tea-horse road that had long been abandoned. Due to the trampling of horses and men for many years, the ancient road on the mountain ridge was trampled into the ground more than one meter deep, forming a natural trench several kilometers long and more than one meter wide.

  Looking down from the natural trenches, the valley is a flat ground, in military terms, it's called open terrain. The slope of the mountain is covered with dense thorny vines that entangle people's legs and shrubs that are knee-deep but cannot provide shelter. In the era of hot weapons warfare, advancing upwards would be extremely difficult, while going downwards would result in being tripped by the thorny vines, becoming a death rope to drag away lives for King Yan.

  That carpet-like green, with blooming wildflowers, if filled with the bodies of dead soldiers, what a scene it is! A desolate beauty, Zhu Yongxing's impoverished vocabulary can only think of this. And now, this place is not the expeditionary army's sea of fire, but the Qing army's burial ground.

  With the help of the Zheng family and a guide familiar with the terrain, it was as if they had tens of thousands of troops. This effect would be even more pronounced later on, Zhu Yongxing firmly believed. Looking at the Qing army in the valley, he sneered coldly. Occupying the geographical advantage is just a matter of fighting with men, and the Qing army will surely lose?

  At this time, Wang Jinbao's mind was gradually calming down, dispelling the idea of launching an immediate attack. The soldiers were exhausted, hungry and terrified, and it was clear that throwing such a force into battle without a moment's rest would only increase their difficulties under already unfavorable circumstances.

  He left behind a picket, and the rest of the soldiers ate dry rations and drank from the stream, taking turns to rest. His calmness affected the morale of the Qing army, and the panic and unease that had just been caused by the sudden attack gradually dissipated. This was also a battle-hardened team, and unexpected situations were not unprecedented. The commander was unhurried, and the soldiers' emotions gradually stabilized.

  "Your Highness, this is an elite troop of the Qing army." Chen Yeyao, a high-ranking general under Huirong Hou Wu Zisheng, had a serious expression on his face as he solemnly reminded Zhu Yongxing: "They were able to stabilize their troops so quickly, and the Qing army commander has also been through many battles. He didn't launch a hasty attack, which shows that he is quite strategic and shouldn't be underestimated!"

  Zhu Yongxing narrowed his eyes slightly, things were a bit beyond his expectations, but the confidence in victory was still there. After a brief moment of contemplation, he smiled faintly and asked Chen Yiyao: "It seems that it will be an intense battle now, General Chen, do you still have the assurance to annihilate the enemy?"

  "The Qing army is elite, but exhausted and weak. Fighting for survival is just like a desperate beast. Chen Yiying couldn't show weakness in front of Zhu Yongxing, so he hastily said: "Please don't worry, Your Highness, I will lead the soldiers to annihilate the enemy on the mountain slope."

  "The enemy is not in a hurry, and it's likely that their subsequent attack will be all-out, seeking to make up for it." Zhu Yongxing nodded in approval and said, "Since we're already prepared, there's no need for us to hide our heads and tails. Let's raise our flags and form an array to boost our military prestige?"

  "Your Highness is wise, I will go and make the arrangements." Chen Yiyao also agreed with Zhu Yongxing's suggestion. The sudden plan to shock the enemy army was obviously not easy to succeed, so it would be better to set up the chariots and horses openly and make the deployment in front of the array more complete.

  "I'll provide support from behind the scenes to General." Zhu Yongxing followed closely with dozens of his personal guards. At this point, he had to go all out and there was no need to hold back. Although he couldn't fight on the front lines, being present at the rear could still boost morale. Moreover, there was a special weapon that he wasn't too comfortable letting others use, so he wanted to go and supervise personally.

  With a roll of drums, the Ming army appeared on the mountain ridge in front of the Qing army. Small trees with thick trunks were placed in front of the formation, with branches facing the slope, forming a simple abatis. Wooden logs simply tied and trimmed were arranged neatly behind the abatis, forming a screen.

  Is this the enemy's means of blocking our army's advance? Wang Jinbao pressed his hand on the hilt, looking at the mountain ridge, and his thick eyebrows jumped twice. The number of enemies seemed not to be too many, but this might be a suspicious soldier's plan, and it was not a basis for underestimating the enemy.

  When the troops are in a desperate situation, they must fight to the death. Wang Jinbao knew that no matter how the enemy was deployed, he had to charge forward and kill them, it was no longer a time for strategy and planning, on a narrow road, the brave one wins, he had no other choice.

  The Ming army, after completing this series of tasks, sat down on the ground to rest and recover their strength. In fact, the Ming army that was able to hold out until now had many experienced generals and soldiers who were seasoned in battle, and it was also a matter of luck. Moreover, compared to the Qing army that had been marching through mountains and rivers, they had an advantage in terms of physical strength; being stationed on high ground, they also had a psychological advantage.

  Time was ticking away, Wang Jinbao began to deploy his troops and prepare for the attack. The small-scale probing attack was unnecessary, and it would be easy to be defeated by the superior enemy, which would hurt the overall morale of the army. He divided the entire army into six formations, with the vanguard also having a probing nature; the left and right formations were archers, responsible for covering, suppressing and killing enemies at long range; The remaining formations were more than 30 meters apart, one after another, forming a continuous and uninterrupted attack.

  "Brave warriors!" Wang Jinbao drew his waist knife, waved it and shouted loudly to his subordinates: "There are enemies in front, the road behind is cut off, our army must bravely advance forward, seek survival in death, we cannot lose the prestige of our Green Camp elite, nor can we lose the face of our Gansu braves."

  "Fighting bravely and defeating the Ming army." A bodyguard shouted with raised arms.

  "Fighting bravely and defeating the Ming army." Facing desperate situation, this instead stirred up the ferocity of these Qing soldiers, who brandished their swords and guns, howling like wolves.

  "Advance, no retreat." Wang Jinbao nodded in satisfaction and pointed his knife towards the mountain ridge.

  "Advance, no retreat." The Qing army shouted, one wave after another, swords and guns gleaming, helmets and armor shining, quite a formidable sight.