Southern Ming Rebel Army

Chapter 462: Changes in Yunnan (3)

In the fourth year of the Yongli reign, there were flames of war everywhere in the world. War was the main theme of this era. And in this year, which was also an extremely critical year, the final winner in the north had emerged. With the power of Meng Zhou, the King of Zhou no longer had any strong enemies in the world.

The knowledgeable people in the world either despise or sigh that the Kunming court, the emperor and his subjects, are in a state of confusion and are unaware that the country is about to perish.

Wu Sangui’s army camp.

At this time, Wu Sangui was very depressed. Although Meng Jun had not started to attack Xiangyang, even if the troops began to gather, the huge pressure made Wu Sangui almost breathless.

Wu Sangui was now like a meat bun, sandwiched between Zhou's army and Li Dingguo. Facing Gao Qilong's letter of emergency, Wu Sangui could only order Gao Qilong to take strict precautions. At the same time, Wu Sangui urgently sent military orders to Shaanxi, ordering all the passes leading into Guanzhong to be closed and never let the method he used to enter Shaanxi happen again.

Just then, Fang Guangchen came to Wu Sangui's main tent.

"Your subordinate greets His Majesty," Fang Guangchen's voice rang out.

"Tingxian, you're here, please sit down." Wu Sangui stood up and motioned Fang Guangchen to sit down.

Fang Guangchen did not sit down, but immediately bowed to Wu Sangui and said, "Your Majesty, the spies hidden in Li Dingguo's army have sent a secret report that Li Dingguo's army only has enough food and grass for eight days, and new food and grass will not be delivered to the army until tomorrow."

Wu Sangui was delighted when he heard this and asked anxiously, "Have you found out the grain transportation route?"

Fang Guangchen said to Wu Sangui with a serious face and a sharp gaze, "Your Highness, according to the information I have, six middle-level generals who were originally under Sun Kewang have become dissatisfied and have secretly defected to our side. They have told us in detail the transportation details of the military rations, which are through Huilong Road. This road is steep and rugged, and the guards are relatively weak. If we can intercept this batch of military rations, we will win."

Wu Sangui narrowed his eyes when he heard this, and Fang Guangchen added: "More importantly, the general stationed at Huilong Road has expressed his loyalty to us and is willing to be an insider. This man is named Yang Wu and is a subordinate of Liu Wenxiu.

After Liu Wenxiu was defeated in Sichuan, Li Dingguo took away all of Liu Wenxiu's military power. Yang Wu was extremely dissatisfied with Li Dingguo. In addition, the Kunming court and Li Dingguo were in frequent internal strife, and Yang Wu felt that the future was worrying. So he took the initiative to contact our army secretly and was willing to open the gates to let our army pass. "

Wu Sangui was shocked when he heard this. This was undoubtedly a major turning point. Wu Sangui said excitedly: "This is a godsend opportunity. If we can use this to cut off Li Dingguo's food supply and then lead the army to bypass him and form a siege, we will be able to defeat his main force in one fell swoop."

Fang Guangchen nodded, and said in an excited tone: "Your Highness, that's right. However, Huilong Road is narrow, and the narrowest part can only accommodate three carriages running side by side. Therefore, those sent must be elite soldiers!"

Wu Sangui hummed, and then as if he remembered something, he said to Fang Guangchen hesitantly: "Tingxian, if we win this battle, I am afraid that we will become a tool for others!"

Fang Guangchen was stunned. Suddenly, he did not expect Wu Sangui's worries, so he asked, "What does your Highness mean by this?"

Wu Sangui said in a low voice: "If we can march straight into Kunming, but if the Ming court collapses, then Meng Jun will be able to make further progress without any obstacles!"

Fang Guangchen was silent for a long time after hearing this, and then he slowly said: "Your Highness, the situation in the world is changing too fast, so we are caught off guard. Therefore, the Kunming court, especially Emperor Yongli, must not lose this person. As long as we control him, we can then rule the southwest under the banner of Ming and look for opportunities to seize Huguang and Jiangnan!"

At this point, Fang Guangchen paused and sighed, "It's a pity that Meng Jun started his army in the southeast and has a strong foundation, and Li Chengdong and Zheng Sen are both insignificant!"

Fang Guangchen really could not have imagined that Li Chengdong would fight Annan to the death, while Zheng Sen would insist on going to war with the barbarians who came to the Central Plains to do business, and the fighting would never end. Fang Guangchen was really angry at these two for not fighting back.

Wu Sangui narrowed his eyes and thought for a long time, then said to Fang Guangchen: "As long as Li Dingguo is defeated, I will send Sun Wenhuan to attack Kunming immediately and control Emperor Yongli in one fell swoop!"

"General Sun made great contributions to the conquest of Shaanxi for His Majesty. He is both wise and brave, and will surely make new contributions for His Majesty!"

...............

Wu Sangui would naturally not miss the good opportunity. Therefore, after discussing with Fang Guangchen, Wu Sangui ordered his general Gao Linmao to select 3,000 elite men and sneak into Huilong Road that night.

It was a dark and windy night, and the ground was pitch black. Gao Linzhu only dared to light a small candle with more than ten people between him and head towards Huilong Road in the dark. Although Yang Wu, the commander of Huilong Road, was already one of his men, Gao Linmao had no choice but to do so in order to prevent secret leaks and being discovered by Li Jun's scouts.

Along the way, almost every member of this surprise force fell several times, and nearly a hundred of them even fell into the mountains and forests one after another. They lost their combat effectiveness due to serious injuries. Although the process was a bit difficult, Gao Linmao still quietly approached Huilong Road.

Huilong Road is winding, with steep cliffs on both sides and a narrow road winding through it. It looks narrow from a distance, but it is not that narrow when you go inside. Of course, if a large army is marching, it is indeed not wide enough.

According to intelligence, this was the throat of military ration transportation and the key to Wu Sangui's plan. Just as Gao Linmao approached the designated position, suddenly, a low whistle pierced the night sky. It was a pre-agreed signal.

Gao Linmao knew that this was a signal to contact the internal supporter Yang Wu. Soon, several torches gradually lit up at the entrance of Huilong Road, and then a group of soldiers appeared, led by Yang Wu. He waved his hand and led the team to make way, obviously preparing to welcome the arrival of Wu Jun.

When Gao Linmao saw this scene, he felt excited. He knew that everything was going according to plan. He ordered his men to speed up and quickly enter the passage under the cover of night. The soldiers entered one after another.

Later, Gao Linmao discovered that there was a short section of road suitable for an ambush, so he immediately ordered his soldiers to ambush there. At the same time, he arranged for a part of the troops to take over the defense of Yang Wu to prevent any accidents. After everything was arranged, he only had to wait for the grain team to pass by, and it would be time to close the net.

They waited for most of the day. Gao Linmao was too embarrassed to make a fire and cook, and the ambushed soldiers could only eat raw food. Not long after the soldiers finished eating, they heard the sound of horses' hooves stepping on stones in the distance. Gao Linmao urgently ordered the entire army to be silent.

As the sound of horse hooves became more and more frequent, Gao Linmao looked over and saw that the grain team had arrived as promised.

When the grain team entered the attack range of the ambush, Gao Linmao gave an order and the ambush troops sprang up in all directions, with shouts of killing shaking the sky.

When the Wu army soldiers saw that the ambush was successful, their morale was immediately boosted, and they rushed into the grain team in an instant like a tiger descending from a mountain. Li Dingguo's soldiers who were transporting the grain were all second-line soldiers. Faced with the sudden attack by the enemy, they panicked on the spot and had almost no power to resist.

The battle lasted much shorter than expected, and was almost one-sided. Less than 20% of the grain transport soldiers were killed or wounded, and most of the rest surrendered. The whole process was clean and neat. Gao Linmao said happily: "This battle was a great pleasure!"

Although Gao Linmao knew that even a fool could win this battle, it would not prevent him from adding such an achievement to his list of merits in the future.

When the news that the grain route had been successfully cut off reached Wu Sangui, he was overjoyed and ordered Xia Guoxiang to lead his troops to take a detour to cut off Li Dingguo's retreat. Wu Sangui himself led the main force to launch an all-out attack on Li Dingguo.

And in Li Dingguo's army.

With the food supply route cut off, Li Dingguo felt as if struck by lightning, his brows filled with worry.

At this time, inside the central military tent, Li Dingguo looked around and saw that everyone he saw had an anxious look on their faces, and the air was filled with the uneasiness of the generals.

After a long while, Li Dingguo said hoarsely, "Military rations are the foundation of a military strategy. The Wu bandits have cut off our food supply route, and we only have eight days' worth of food left. The army is in such a state because of the internal strife. If the food runs out and the army loses its morale, how can we fight against the bandits?"

As soon as the words fell, all the generals fell silent, and the atmosphere was extremely depressing. After a moment, Jin Tongwu stood up and clasped his fists and said, "Your Highness, the army's food has been attacked, and with the speed of Kunming's food transfer, I'm afraid that when the army runs out of food, it may not be able to be transported again. In my opinion, it is better to retreat to Kunming quickly and defend the city."

At this time, Jin Weixin on the side also advised: "Your Highness, what General Jin said makes sense. We should retreat to Kunming while there is still food in the army. Otherwise, once the food runs out, even a million-strong army will be dispersed immediately!"

Seeing that Li Dingguo remained silent for a long time, Jin Weixin whispered again: "Now Wu Sangui's rear is under pressure from the army of King Zhou, and there is also the King of Zhennan in Guangdong. Our army can still ask for reinforcements. Your Highness, we should make a quick decision!"

Li Dingguo closed his eyes and thought deeply, then opened them again and said, "The Wu bandits are cunning, and we expect them to take advantage of the situation to advance. Moreover, they can launch a surprise attack without making any noise and enter the Huilong Road to attack our army's food. It must be Yang Wu who has surrendered to the bandits. Once Yang Wu surrenders to the bandits, the Wu bandits will be able to go around to our army's rear wing."

At this point, Li Dingguo's eyes flashed with determination, and he said in a deep voice: "Even if the Wu thieves really cut off our retreat, our soldiers have experienced hundreds of battles and are all brave and valiant. Why should we fear a battle!"

Therefore, Li Dingguo ordered the entire army to prepare and turn towards Kunming.

The 9th day of October, the 4th year of the Yongli reign.

Wu Sangui ordered Xia Guoxiang to lead two thousand elite cavalrymen to cross Huilong Road, detour twenty miles to the southeast, march secretly along the river valley, and go around to the rear wing of Li’s army to block his retreat.

Upon noticing Li Dingguo's movements, Wu Sangui did not dare to delay and immediately summoned all his generals to discuss countermeasures in the central military tent.

Wu Sangui said hurriedly: "Li Dingguo seems to be planning to withdraw his troops and is leading his army south. Prime Minister Xia has been ordered to lead 2,000 elite cavalry along the river valley to intercept his retreat. However, if we cannot contain Li Dingguo's main force, I am afraid that Prime Minister Xia will not be able to stop Li Dingguo in time."

At this time, Gao Linmao on the side suggested: "Your Highness, in my humble opinion, Li Dingguo's troops don't even have enough food and grass for ten days. Why rush for a decisive battle? It would be better to delay Li Dingguo and wait until his food runs out and his troops collapse on their own. Isn't that wonderful?"

Hu Guozhu immediately refuted: "Your Majesty, Li Dingguo is already uneasy because of the cut-off of food and grass. Now is the time to mobilize the army and put pressure on his troops. You should know that the longer the night, the more troubles there are. Your Majesty, we can't delay any longer!"

Wu Sangui pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "Guozhu's words are very much in my heart. Ten days, I can't wait ten days!"

Wu Sangui immediately mobilized all his troops, and the army, which was spread all over the mountains and plains and stretched as far as the eye could see, attacked Li's army in a mighty force.

Although Li Dingguo was eager to retreat, he remained highly alert and sent out scouts to investigate the surroundings. When he learned that Wu's army was chasing them, he immediately sent Jin Tongwu to send more than 4,000 troops from his own army to stop them.

Jin Tongwu was Li Dingguo's trusted and beloved general, and his subordinates were also Li Dingguo's veteran soldiers for many years. At this critical moment, Li Dingguo sent them out without hesitation.

When the two armies met, a fierce battle broke out immediately. Wu Sangui was eager to catch up, and his subordinates also believed that Li Dingguo's troops on the opposite side were already vulnerable. Therefore, facing Jin Tongwu's obstruction, a young general of Wu's army did not care, and went to the front of the battlefield and led his troops to rush forward.

Jin Tongwu looked back at the departing Li banner, then put on his tasseled hat, held up his spear, and shouted, "Kill the bandits!"

Jin Tongwu's subordinates were silent, and all of them held their weapons tightly, ready to meet the attack of Wu's army.

At this moment, the battlefield was filled with the sound of killing and arrows rained down. Jin Tongwu was stationed on the slope, and the Wu army was below, attacking upwards. As soon as they fought, the winner was immediately apparent. The Wu army was nothing more than the surrendered soldiers of the Green Camp in Hanzhong, while Jin Tongwu was an elite veteran soldier, stationed on a high ground and on the defensive.

In less than two quarters of an hour, the Wu army left behind a lot of corpses and fled in a panic. Jin Tongwu immediately reorganized the formation and ordered the soldiers to recover their strength.

After Jin Tongwu blocked two waves of Wu troops that tried to break through the defense line, a group of musketeers came up from the Wu army. Jin Tongwu's face changed when he saw this, as most of his troops were melee infantry.

The musketeers of this corps were captured by Wu Sangui when he seized Hanzhong and persuaded the Qing army in central Sichuan to surrender. Wu Sangui ordered his men to pick out the good quality ones and formed a musketeer corps of 2,000 people.

Jin Tongwu pointed his spear at the musketeers and shouted angrily, "Kill them!"

Facing the Wu army's fire musketeers' aiming gun barrels, Jin Tongwu's pupils shrank slightly. Jin Tongwu knew that the fire musketeers' power at close range was extremely terrifying, but only at close range could his melee infantrymen win.

Moreover, the situation was urgent and he had no way to retreat, so he could only choose to charge into the enemy camp.

"Shield bearers, front row shields! Push forward!" Jin Tongwu shouted loudly, and the soldiers beside him reacted quickly, raising their shields to form the first line of defense. They hid their heads behind the shields but kept moving forward.

The roar of the muskets suddenly sounded, one round, one round, and another round, four rounds of shooting in a row, the bullets rushed in like a rainstorm, even with the protection of the shield, it was impossible to completely resist the dense rain of bullets. Many soldiers fell, but Jin Tongwu was in the front row and was not hit by a single bullet.

After the fourth round of shooting, the Wu army's fire gun soldiers did not form Meng Jun's fixed gunpowder system, so it took longer to reload. Jin Tongwu seized the opportunity, swung his spear, and shouted: "Charge!!"

Jin Tongwu was the first to rush towards the musket formation, and the soldiers around him were also excited and followed closely behind, clashing with shields and stabbing with swords and spears.

The musketeers lost their advantage at close range and were unable to exert their firepower. They were dispersed by Jin Tongwu's troops. In the chaos, the musketeers' formation was thrown into disarray and many of them abandoned their weapons. This musketeer unit personally built by Wu Sangui was thus completely defeated.

(Today is the big...middle chapter!)