King Xiang of the Red Chamber

Chapter 719 I Just Want to Win the Slope
When Liu Cheng heard that the deployment needed to be adjusted, he suddenly became nervous, so he immediately gestured to the distance, and someone immediately brought paper and pen.

At this time, Zhu Jinghong turned around and looked into the distance, going over all the troops under his command in his mind.

While he was giving it his final thought, Liu Cheng and two other staff officers were already ready to take notes.

One is particularly afraid of mistakes when conveying military orders. If Zhu Jinghong says too much, it would be very difficult for one person to remember it all.

"Use the three cavalry guards of Qinghai Xingdusi, plus the Lizhou Guards, Suzhou Guards, Liangzhou Guards, Qingyang Guards, and Hanzhong Guards that have recently delivered military rations, to strengthen the defense of the grain storage camp!"

"Four imperial infantry guards, eight imperial infantry guards, as well as Jurchen cavalry and Mongolian cavalry, will resist the enemy's main force head-on!"

"Use the Valiant Right Guard... to block the Junggar cavalry from entering the mountains, and at the same time support our army's southern wing..."

"The Right Guard of Xieyong, the Central Guard of Shenwei, the tribes of Anxi Xingdusi, and the tribes of Tibet are the second echelon of our army!"

"Shenwu Central Guard and Yangwu Left Guard monitor Wucheng to ensure the stability of our rear..."

"The Huben Youwei are the reserve army. Repeat it to me!" Having said that, Zhu Jinghong turned around and looked at Liu Cheng and the other two.

Zhu Jinghong didn't speak fast, so when he saw the three of them stopped, he walked closer and said, "Repeat it to me!"

Liu Cheng glanced at the paper, confirmed it was correct and read: "As the Qinghai Xingdusi..."

Ten seconds later, Liu Cheng finished reading all the military orders, and then bent his waist and waited for Zhu Jinghong's instructions.

"Quickly inform all the departments, and summon the two governors, three generals, and several commanders of the personal army!"

"Yes!"

As night fell, several senior generals came to Zhu Jinghong, they were all commanders of the front lines.

According to Zhu Jinghong's arrangement, Liu Fang will be responsible for the safety of the grain storage camp, and Shi Guangzhu will be responsible for the safety of the northern wing of the central army.

The three generals of the Beijing camp and several commanders of the imperial army will be responsible for the advance of the central army and will bear the greatest pressure.

In addition to being responsible for the overall command of the entire army, Zhu Jinghong himself will also specifically command the second-tier reinforcements and the security of the defense of the southern wing of the central army.

When the generals arrived, even in poor lighting, one could see that they all looked extremely solemn.

Zhu Jinghong’s latest order undoubtedly foreshadows the arrival of the decisive battle, which has arrived earlier than everyone expected.

Inside the military tent, Zhu Jinghong motioned for everyone to take a seat.

Seeing everyone's expressions, Zhu Jinghong smiled and said, "I don't understand... why everyone is so sad, as if this ancient battlefield in the northwest is destined to be a disaster for us!"

Everyone present felt awkward when Zhu Jinghong directly told them what he was thinking, but fortunately Zhu Jinghong did not pursue the matter further.

At this time, the guards came into the tent and served tea to everyone present.

"Everyone, these teas sent from the tea palace are said to be the most precious of all treasures. Jiangnan only pays tribute of five kilograms a year!"

"Only those who are close to His Majesty can be rewarded!"

"This year, the Crown Prince received one catty, and Prince Rui and I each received half a catty. We are using them to entertain you all today... It's not considered as neglect, right?"

Even though they were in a heavy mood, everyone smiled when they heard these words.

"Since this is good tea, you should savor it carefully. If you look sad... you won't be able to taste the good flavor!"

"Everyone... please!"

Seeing Zhu Jinghong so calm and even inviting everyone to have tea at this time, everyone really admired his ability to withstand pressure.

Although what Zhu Jinghong said made sense, no matter how high-quality the tea was, it didn't taste good to everyone at the moment.

At this moment, they realized more deeply how far behind Zhu Jinghong they were!

No wonder they can always win battles, their determination is unmatched in the world... Everyone has a unanimous opinion.

But what Zhu Jinghong was thinking at this moment was that it would be even more perfect if there were cigars, coffee and steak at this time!

Putting aside these messy thoughts, Zhu Jinghong said to everyone: "Everyone, tomorrow is a critical day. It is a crucial day in the past hundred years... or even in the next hundred years!"

"It is said that heroes are made by the times. It is a rare opportunity for you to personally experience commanding a battle!"

"Tomorrow, according to the enemy's deployment, there will be a more detailed battle deployment. You just need to do your best to complete it. Don't worry too much!"

"There are just two things to remember. First, each of you must have a complete command team. Second, unless it is an extremely urgent situation, you must never give orders to lower levels!"

Zhu Jinghong put forward these two points after learning profound lessons from Nazi Germany's Waterloo and a certain transport captain.

But in the final analysis, these two points are about the same thing, which is to ensure the smooth flow of the chain of command.

Under the current communication conditions, launching such a large-scale battle and fully mobilizing all units to participate in the battle is itself the most difficult task in war.

"Also, I allow you to use the camera, but please be extremely careful!"

Next, Zhu Jinghong talked more with everyone, mainly discussing their overall combat strategy for tomorrow.

Generally speaking, the enemy had more infantry, while the Ming army had more cavalry.

So in the end everyone thought that they should use their own infantry to defend the main line, and then use the superior cavalry to attack the enemy's flanks, so that the enemy would reveal a flaw and then the central army would wait for an opportunity to attack.

Half an hour later, everyone left with a map. This was the distribution map of the army after it was deployed tomorrow.

That night, Zhu Jinghong didn't fall asleep until the late night. As a human being, he was of course very nervous and anxious.

The high-ranking generals of the "Eight-Nation Alliance" on the opposite side became extremely nervous after noticing the various movements of the Ming army.

Although Constantine had been on the battlefield for a long time, he was also a little nervous, but like Zhu Jinghong, he did not show it.

Constantine summoned the adjutant of staff overnight and discussed countermeasures with everyone. He also went to bed in the second half of the night.

June 15, the 16th year of Zhengtong.

Before dawn, the Ming army had already eaten breakfast and brought two meals of food and water.

Following the military order from Zhu Jinghong, the supreme commander, the various garrisons moved to their designated locations one after another, and an hour had passed.

The "Eight-Nation Alliance" on the opposite side had also completed the deployment of its troops, and the vanguards of both armies were thirty miles apart.

At such a close distance, neither side has any way to retreat. Retreating means basically a dead end, and there is no possibility of a safe withdrawal.

As time went by, the Ming army took the initiative to advance forward, and the distance of thirty miles was gradually narrowing.

At the center of the front line, Zhu Jinghong, wearing a red dragon robe, was summoning the Jurchen and Mongolian generals.

In order to further reassure his men, he wore the more formal uniform of a prince, which really stood out among the fully armored troops.

"Everyone, after defeating the enemy coalition and taking over Junggar, the seized property... will be distributed according to military merit!"

The Jurchens and Mongols came to join the war because they were conscripted by the imperial court to work for free. If the court wanted them to work hard, it had to give them benefits.

After this matter was agreed upon, Zhu Jinghong gave a few more instructions before letting everyone go.

At this time he had learned that the enemy was also advancing in parallel and the two armies were getting closer and closer.

Another half hour later, near noon, the battle finally broke out. The first to engage were the northern wing troops, and the cavalry from both sides charged.

As soon as the war started, the previously orderly deployment of troops gradually began to go awry.

At Zhu Jinghong's side, scouts kept coming to report the situation, and the staff officers were working non-stop, marking the latest situation on the sand table.

Zhu Jinghong sat in a chair, quietly watching the changes in the battle situation and making corresponding military arrangements.

"Tell the Right Guards to lock up the 10,000 Junggar troops and never let them escape... Also tell their commander to be prepared to have one of his thousand households taken away!"

"The cuirassiers in Wucheng are remnants. If they leave the city, the Qinghai Xingdusi can send cavalry guards to contain them. Unless it is a critical moment, the Yangwei Left Guard and the Shenwu Central Guard must not move!"

"Let the Jurchen cavalry charge out and block the Dzungar cavalry on the opposite side. We can't let the enemy cavalry attack our southern wing infantry!"

Orders were issued one after another, the battle became more and more intense, and in the blink of an eye, another half hour had passed.

At this time, in the central army position, Zhu Jinghong could already see the enemy coalition forces marching in neat formations on the Gobi Desert ahead.

A mile ahead of him were four infantry guards of the Imperial Guard, and on both sides were four guards from the Beijing Camp following behind.

The distance between the two sides was getting closer and closer, and finally the vanguard stopped at a distance of seven or eight hundred meters, which was the maximum range of their respective artillery.

Rumble…

When the bombardment began, the artillery on both sides were busy from the initial trajectory correction to the adjustment of the artillery position and firing angle. At this moment, Zhu Jinghong's main energy was all focused on the front line.

"Your Highness, the enemy infantry phalanx has begun to advance!" Liu Cheng reminded.

Zhu Jinghong ordered: "Our central army advances, and the small slope of fifty feet in front must be defended!"

There was indeed a small slope fifty feet in front of the army formation, which rose only about seven or eight meters on the Gobi Desert. It extended a hundred meters on each side from the height and then connected to the surrounding flat ground.

In this place surrounded by mountains and hills, this small hill looks inconspicuous, but at this moment it is located in the center of the battlefield and becomes particularly important.

The terrain here is seven or eight meters high. Whether setting up artillery or standing in a square formation, there is a huge advantage when facing the enemy.

The Ming army facing this slope was the Jinwu Zuowei led by Shi Chong, who were advancing towards the 200-meter-wide ridge in front of them.

On both sides of the Jinwu Zuowei, there were more imperial guards and Beijing camp guards advancing, occupying an area at least three or four miles wide, plus the second echelon which was two miles long in front and behind.

The infantry formation of the "Eight-Nation Alliance" on the opposite side was of similar size, only slightly larger.

The bombardment continued. After the Ming army advanced 150 meters as a whole, they stopped in formation and waited for orders. At this time, both sides had suffered losses.

"Inform all infantry guards, as long as we firmly hold the decisive slope, we will win!"

"Juesheng Slope" was the name Zhu Jinghong gave to that ordinary hillside, just to let the whole army know the key task.

The Ming army really only needed to hold on, and cavalry was the key to their victory. This is called playing to their strengths.

Of course, after several years of fighting on the battlefield, the Ming army's infantry also became very powerful.

Constantine also discovered the key to the problem, so he immediately ordered an advance on all fronts, especially the center of the army, to advance forward in order to take the decisive slope.

The first echelon of the coalition's infantry, a total of twelve brigades with nearly 60,000 men, advanced on the front line with a very imposing and oppressive look.

The Ming army fired artillery pieces one after another, while the front-line infantry had already reloaded their weapons and stood on the wall watching the enemy approaching from the front.

Six hundred meters, four hundred meters, three hundred meters...

As they got closer, all the soldiers became nervous, and only the brave ones were still chatting and laughing with their companions.

The calmer soldiers took out small porcelain bottles and drank the treasured wine inside.

The effective range of the Ming army's muskets at the time was about one hundred meters, but the maximum range required for reliable accuracy was seventy meters.

The opposing coalition forces, especially the Rakshasa Guards Infantry Brigade facing the Jinwu Left Guard, were also equipped with advanced equipment.

"Raise your gun..."

Shi Chong was riding a war horse at the rear of the army, opening his mouth to convey military orders downwards.

There are five thousand-household units under the Jinwu Zuowei, and each of them has ten hundred-household units, which makes a total of fifty small square units, lined up in two rows on the hillside.

It would definitely not be enough for him to shout alone, so messengers rode back and forth on horseback to pass on the military order as quickly as possible.

The enemy was still approaching, and both sides could see each other's faces, but they still refrained from opening fire.

Normally, whoever fires first will lose the opportunity, but Shi Chong himself didn't care much about this.

Because he knew that the enemy was still using ordinary loading ammunition, while his troops, as personal guards, had been equipped with the latest integrated charging ammunition.

Simply put, his men's reloading speed is at least half faster than that of the enemy.

So, when the enemy army approached within seventy meters, Shi Chong decisively ordered to open fire.

For a moment, the battlefield was filled with smoke, and the opposing elite Rakshasa infantrymen fell down one after another while marching.

The Ming army soldiers who had already opened fire took the initiative to retreat ten meters and began to reload. The soldiers in the second row immediately raised their guns and started a second round of firing.

At the same time, the Rakshasi Guards Infantry Brigade was also opening fire. The two sides were only sixty meters apart at this time, and even at such a close distance they both caused losses to the other side.

At this time, all the Ming troops were reloading, and the second marching formation of the Rakshasa Kingdom moved forward and opened fire, causing a lot of damage to the Ming army.

After two rounds of firing, each side lost three to four hundred people. The efficiency of such casualties was much faster than that of a fight with cold weapons. No wonder this kind of fighting style was called queue shooting.

The Ming army did reload faster, at least much faster than the Russians had imagined. The gunshots that sounded fifteen seconds earlier made the Russians panic.

Only ten seconds after one round, when the front row of the Russians reloaded, the Ming army launched the second round of shooting. Both sides opened fire almost at the same time.

In an instant, a large amount of gunpowder smoke was dispersed again. The Ming army fired one more round of shots, but because the fighting distance was closer, the Rakshasa side suffered nearly a hundred more casualties.

The Ming army occupied the high ground, and after quickly fighting two rounds, Shi Chong immediately ordered the front row to charge.

They were standing on a high place, and at this time nearly two thousand soldiers rushed down, bringing great oppression to the Rakshasa people who had suffered heavier losses.

Before their second round of reloading was completed, the infantry in front had already engaged in battle with the Ming army. After the attack, these people had no choice but to retreat.

It can be said that Shi Chong's side had a good start, losing nearly 400 men and killing more than 600 enemies.

As for other garrisons, they won and lost against various tribes, but overall, the Ming army achieved greater results.

On the one hand, the Ming army was well-rested and waiting for the enemy to tire themselves out, and on the other hand, some of their equipment was more advanced.

Because the war was going on all along the front line, the battlefield ahead was filled with smoke and dust, and it was difficult for Zhu Jinghong to understand the situation visually.

Fortunately, the communication and command chains were relatively smooth, allowing him to have a relatively good grasp of the battle situation.

The two sides fought back and forth, and soon the Luosha side launched a second wave of attack. This time the southern wing of the Ming army was pushed back, and only by temporarily withdrawing a thousand brave right guard cavalrymen could they barely stabilize the formation that had retreated nearly 200 meters.

Although they were pushed back, fortunately the Ming army's defense line remained intact and was not cut off or surrounded by the enemy coalition forces.

The Jinwu Left Guard on the Decisive Slope became a salient on the battlefield and was at the forefront of the battle between the two sides.

Because of this, the Jinwu Zuowei was under the greatest pressure and suffered the most violent attack from the enemy.

Seeing the importance of the Decisive Slope, Constantine mobilized more troops, even sending part of the second-tier troops, vowing to capture the Decisive Slope.

Normally, key locations like the Decisive Slope should be reinforced and the defense strengthened at this time.

However, because there were gaps in other places that needed to be filled, and the Jueshenpo area was too small, Zhu Jinghong transferred his troops to other fronts.

Danran, after the Jinwu Left Guard, there were two thousand households of the Yong Zuo Guard. At this time, Zhu Jinghong left behind fresh troops, ready to go to the decisive slope at any time.

However, it is not the last moment yet. There is no other use in going up there except to suffer bombardment and beatings.

By the afternoon, the Gobi Desert to the west of the decisive slope was littered with corpses.

Under the all-out attack of the enemy coalition forces, both its north and south wings retreated to varying degrees, but the Jinwu Left Guard remained firmly pinned on the slope.

Even though they were the most elite troops of the Ming Dynasty, and even though they had the advantage of geographical location, the difficulty they had faced in holding out until now under the heavy attacks of the Russians was unimaginable.

At this time, the overall battlefield situation was that the cavalry on the north and south wings achieved results, at least gaining a greater advantage at the cavalry level.

Zhu Jinghong estimated that if they continued to hold the line as they were now, their cavalry would be able to gain an absolute advantage in two hours at most, and then they would be able to encircle the enemy infantry.

Of course, the Ming army's infantry has now reached its maximum strength.

Even the reserve force he had appointed, namely the Juhu Ben Youwei, had already pulled out two thousand households and deployed them to the front line of the southern wing.

In Wucheng, behind the Ming army, the enemy's armored cavalry had already left the city an hour ago and started a battle with Yangwei Zuowei.

At the same time, one cavalryman and three infantrymen of the Junggar Khanate, totaling nearly 20,000 people, also marched out of the city and advanced westward, intending to attack the rear of the Ming army.

At this time, according to Zhu Jinghong's previous deployment, Liu Fang ordered two cavalry guards of the Qinghai Xingdusi, as well as the Suzhou Guard and Liangzhou Guard to block the advance of the Wucheng troops.

Now, what Zhu Jinghong needs is time, just two hours.

And these two most critical hours are destined to be the most tragic period.

Soon another hour passed, and a deputy captain of the Jinwu Left Guard came to Zhu Jinghong's command post to report military intelligence.

The battle report was passed on to the staff, and then Liu Cheng came behind Zhu Jinghong.

"Your Highness, the Jinwu Left Guard has reported that they have repelled the enemy's eighth attack. More than 2,000 of their troops have been killed, and more than half of the casualties of each thousand households have been taken. Commander Shi wants to ask... can the Huben Right Guard take over?"

Hou Jing, the commander of the Right Guard of the Huben Army, was at Zhu Jinghong's headquarters at the time, so he was naturally willing to take on this important task.

Liu Cheng continued, "Commander Shi said that if he continues to fight, his entire army will be annihilated. If he loses the position, then..."

Before Liu Cheng could finish his words, he heard Zhu Jinghong's stern voice: "Send another strict order to Shi Chong. I don't want his casualties, I just want the decisive victory slope!"

(End of this chapter)