Breaking the Ambush

At Mao hour in winter, everything is silent.

It was dim everywhere and the sunrise was still early.

Li Zijing led his dark brown war horse and followed Liu Fangliang to Yuanwang Valley.

Only by personal experience can we understand why Duduo would rather wait for Kong Youde's red barbarian cannon for thirteen days than get involved in it.

Along the way, there are criss-crossing ravines in the distant valley. Trees, vines, and weeds block the view. It is difficult to see the plateau from the bottom of the ditch, and it is easy to set up an ambush.

Suddenly, Liu Fangliang stopped.

"Everyone, come out."

As soon as the words fell, in Yuanwanggou, which was empty just now, 1,500 people from Dashun Old Camp appeared in black tunics and arrow jackets.

Some people were hiding behind trees, some were hiding under the terraces, and some were crouching on the spot among the bushes.

Like Liu Fangliang, they had all changed their arrow jackets into cotton armor before the night attack, so as to avoid making too much noise and keep out the cold.

Once the army is trapped, it will be as difficult as climbing up to get out. No one will take the initiative to crawl into the grave.

The veterans of the Dashun Army looked at each other in shock. Many people still don't understand why the smear campaign has been going on for so long and their whereabouts are suddenly exposed.

"There are a group of wildebeests running away in panic at the bottom of the gully. There must be enemy troops lurking!"

Liu Fangliang drew out his saber and looked around with wide eyes.

This is a big gamble!

Historical facts prove that Duduo was indeed right in his bet.

Li Zijing looked around, walked to the tree, broke off a small branch, and held it to his mouth for gestures.

Liu Fangliang frowned and slowly put down his sword, feeling doubtful.

Suddenly, a group of panicked wildebeest jumped out from under the ravine.

Looking over the ditch, the view is wide.

"There is a volt!"

Liu Fangliang spat.

The old battalion soldiers in Dashun had never experienced such cold weather, and many of them were already shivering from the cold.

But at the same time, Li Zijing was also observing the surrounding situation.

"A man has a title and a horse has his hooves bound"

You shouldn't listen to this little intruder's nonsense and engage in hidden night attacks!

If he had fought according to his own ideas, he might have broken through the Qing army's camp by surprise!

Beads of sweat gradually formed on Li Zijing's forehead wearing a helmet. He was anxious and murmured: "Ambush, ambush, where are you hiding?"

Since this was a hidden march at night, orders could not be sounded and could only be transmitted manually. The team of 1,500 people was not large, but it was spread out in a long and narrow way in the Yuanwang Valley.

In an instant, Li Zijing understood why Liu Fangliang was defeated in history.

A hail of arrows passed by the old camp, and not even the slightest movement was heard.

Liu Fangliang smiled and shook his head, then raised his eyes and looked around.

Liu Fangliang frowned and repeated a few words in a low voice.

It was so quiet at the bottom of the gully, and there was still no sign of an ambush.

The old campers have all boarded the Yuanwang Valley and led their horses slowly towards the Qing army camp.

If the historical records are correct, the only possible place to set up an ambush when going to the Qing army camp is down this gully!

Under the dark night sky, these two words were like thunder, suddenly hitting the heads of the old camp soldiers. Everyone's hearts trembled and their steps subconsciously stopped.

Stretching down from the steep plateau wall of Niutou Plateau is a series of gullies, dotted with wild grasses and vines, intertwined with the exposed mounds of soil, giving it an indescribable desolation.

"Those who are frightened by beasts will be overthrown!"

We have been moving forward for so long, but there is no movement at all. Could it be that the historical records are wrong?

From Li Zicheng to the general of the night attack, Liu Fangliang, no one thought that the Qing army would set up an ambush outside the camp in advance after a day of fierce fighting.

In the Central Plains, soft bows and long arrows were the standard equipment of the Ming army. The Dashun army's own ordnance manufacturing technology was not yet mature, and the old camp also uniformly used the Kaiyuan bow captured from the Ming frontier army.

It is this series of gullies under Niutou Plateau!

The gully is a downward-dented terrain, with sloping loess slopes on both sides. In some places, it is extremely deep, making it easy for people and horses to get stuck. It is a natural death place.

"Ahead of the ditch, shoot arrows!"

When I heard it was his order, I obeyed it without saying a word.

The old campers are all veterans who have been fighting for many years, and some of their reactions are engraved in their bones.

Li Zijing thought about it for a long time before saying.

Li Zijing ignored the strange looks coming from around him and knew that talking was useless. He bit the branch and led his horse slowly up the slope.

"Could Duduo's ambush be hiding at the bottom of the ditch?"

Li Zijing's eyes widened as he watched an old soldier stand up from the bushes at his feet. He sighed inwardly that he didn't notice at all.

"King Xiao Chuang, in the military books you have read over the years, are there any mentions of cavalry robbing camps?"

"Where is the ambush?"

"There is really an ambush, why haven't they been killed earlier?"

Liu Fangliang also began to regret why he didn't directly lead his men to charge into the Qing army's camp. After a fierce battle in one day, it was impossible for Duduo to set up an ambush.

"The weather is so cold in Guanzhong."

Liu Fangliang's march plan has changed from a brutal charge in history to a covert night attack now. As long as he can discover the location of the Qing ambush, he will have a chance to sneak behind the Qing ambush and take advantage of it!

Liu Fangliang's view was correct. If Duduo set up an ambush in advance, the best place would be on Yuanwanggou.

"Prepare for war!"

It still took some time to get word from Liu Fangliang's location to the ears of the veteran soldiers on both sides.

Liu Fangliang was quite helpless. After thinking for a while, he turned around and gave the order.

If Li Zijing wanted to command the army, Liu Fangliang would definitely ignore it, but in his opinion, it was just a matter of biting a branch, and Emperor Yongchang still had to give him face.

Although not many people noticed the moonlight and the faint glint of swords at the bottom of the gully, they still acted in accordance with the military orders as if they were facing a formidable enemy.

"call out--"

Li Zijing turned around and pulled out the Yanling knife with a loud sound.

The weather at the end of December, when we were in Guanhai, was also biting by the wind at night.

"What do the first three words mean?"

"Yes. A man has a title, and a horse has bound hooves."

As time passed, Li Zijing could already see a little irritability on the faces of some of the veterans, just because they were biting branches and could not curse loudly.

Duduo probably carefully explored the nearby terrain before and after arriving at Tongguan, and also made a detailed analysis of the Dashun Army's combat methods before setting up an ambush under the gully.

But along the way, the slope was always so quiet, without any movement.

"When marching at night, let everyone bite the branches to avoid making noise."

The surrounding old camp in Dashun has been fighting for many years, and has set up ambushes and defeated the army many times, but they have never heard of the principle of chewing branches while marching.

"Did you see that flash of light wrong?"

Li Zijing held the horse with one hand and pushed aside numerous vines and shrubs from the bottom of the ditch upwards. Some paths were long and narrow and could only accommodate one person and one horse, which was quite laborious.

There were a considerable number of archers in the old camp who could shoot bows. They immediately set up their bows and nocked arrows, and fired a hail of arrows at the bottom of the gully.

However, the veteran soldiers were the elite of the Dashun army after all. Liu Fangliang joined the frontier army in his early years and was one of the first Dashun generals to follow Li Zicheng. He had a high prestige.

"The ditch is winding and winding, making it difficult for a horse to move. If a clear dog sets up an ambush, it will be on the slope. When the time comes, we will really be unable to respond to the calls of the sky and the earth."

Liu Fangliang held the handle of the knife tightly with one hand and looked in the direction of Li Zijing's finger. After staring for a long time, his eyes suddenly tightened.

Soon, all the horses' hooves were wrapped with a layer of cotton cloth, and the 1,500 veteran soldiers clenched their teeth on the short branches and led the horses towards Yuanwang Ditch.

Li Zijing looked around, his eyes passing over the ravine under Niutou Plateau several times, but he didn't pay attention to it.

There is a distance of about five miles from Yuanwanggou to where the Qing army set up camp.

Li Zijing's expression was shocked, his anxious eyes froze, and five words from Sun Tzu's Art of War suddenly came to mind.

"Let everyone bite the branches, wrap the horses' hooves with cotton cloth and get out of the ditch!"

The dark clouds parted and the moon shone brightly.

The Kaiyuan Bow has a narrow bow surface and is easy to roll arrows, so it is very suitable for projectiles.

No one thought whether the Qing army would set up an ambush immediately after the daytime battle or secondarily. The most important thing was that Duduo's sword was off the mark. He chose the place where he was least likely to set up an ambush.

They whispered to each other, but no one thought it would be of any use.

Not to mention consciously exploring the gully that stretches for more than ten miles under the Niutou Plateau!

Fortunately, he has been with the camp for many years and his physical strength is still good.

After one round of shooting, the scene suddenly became quiet.

The next moment, countless shouts of death suddenly erupted from the bottom of the gully.

The Qing troops wearing armor had already climbed to the top of the ditch with gritted teeth and braved the rain of arrows from the Dashun army. They brandished their steel knives and charged towards the old camp with bared teeth and claws.

Mao Yuanyi's "Wu Jing Zong Yao"

"Yellow birch bow, black lacquer bow, white birch bow, and hemp-backed bow have different names, but they are actually the same. Today's Kaiyuan bow is powerful and durable. It is used by many soldiers on the nine sides and is the most powerful weapon."
Chapter completed!