Brother Zhu Youxiao

Chapter 248 Kou can go to me or go
On the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, when the people of the Ming Dynasty celebrate and spend the Lantern Festival together, the Ming army at the five fortresses under the command of Sun Chuanting launched a sweeping campaign, and Zhu Youjian led [-] cavalry out of the fortress.

In the first lunar month, the Qiantao grassland was still covered with snow, with dead grass buried under the three-inch thick snow.

Under such weather, whether it is the tribes in the southern part of the monastery, Khalkha in the northern part of the monastery, or Oala in the western part of the desert, Horqin and the Kingdom of Jin in the eastern part of the desert...

They all stopped conquering other forces, and obediently stayed in their grazing land, waiting for the snow to melt.

In addition, today is the Lantern Festival for the Han people, so no one would have thought that the Ming army would choose to go out at this time.

"Pfft..."

In the vast white eastern part of the Qiantao Grassland, a tribe with a size of only a thousand people was attacked as weapons were drawn from the flesh and blood.

The simple fence was knocked down, the land in the grazing land seemed to have been plowed, the ground mixed with sand and snow looked messy and damp, the tent was lit with torches, and corpses could be seen everywhere.

Blood flowed from hundreds of corpses, but before the blood flowed out too much, the wounds and blood were frozen.

But it does not mean that there are no living people here. On the contrary, at the entrance of the stockade in the grazing land, thousands of cavalrymen of the Ming army are cooperating with some herdsmen to drive the cattle and sheep captured in this battle into the stockade to prevent them from freezing to death. In this early spring.

The Ming army coming and going was very majestic. Occasionally, some people who were injured in the battle were quickly treated by the surgeons and apprentices accompanying the army.

The generals of the Ming army were still calculating the capture of this battle at the gate of the village, but they didn't want to hear the sound of rumbling horseshoes in the distance.

The dense sound of horseshoes shook the snow on the head of the village.

When they fell into the muddy snow, a touch of red appeared on the edge of the white sky in the distance.

"drive--"

"drive!"

The flag of the Ming army rose in the sky, followed by [-] cavalry of the Ming army rushing towards the camp.

As they gradually approached the camp, the sun and moon flags that appeared among the flags represented their identities as Shangzhi.

The army "reclaimed" a long dark road from the white snow field, and when the army arrived, a nimble general also rode forward with his personal entourage:

"Qianhu, a former soldier! Don't you know we can stay for a long time? What are you doing?"

Familiar voices and figures appeared, and Zhu Youjian appeared under the guard of Sun Shoufa, Cao Wenzhao, Cao Wenyao and hundreds of cavalry.

Seeing this, Qianhu of the former army trotted forward all the way, then bowed and said:
"Your Highness, these livestock and..."

"Leave them all and bring them back to the herdsmen in Ulutt, and don't let them become our burden."

Zhu Youjian interrupted the other party's words, and after giving instructions, he turned around and said humanely behind him:

"The whole army changed horses for three quarters of an hour, and checked the status of their horses."

After Zhu Youjian finished speaking, he also got off his horse and checked his horse.

If you look down from the sky at this time, you can see that the number of the Ming army is actually only [-], and there are more than [-] people at the end of the team, who are Ulut herdsmen who put on mandarin ducks and jackets.

Behind them is a herd of tens of thousands of war horses and a herd of rough horses accounting for one-third of the number.

The difference is that the war horses were unsaddled and allowed to follow the army freely in the way of wild horses, while each of the rough horses in the rough horses carried two bags of beans on their backs.

As for the soldiers of the Ming army marching ahead, each of them had ten catties of military rations wrapped around their waists, and a small cloth bag was hung on their belts, which contained salt crystals, vinegar cloth, and dried wild vegetables.

After ten catties of military rations are boiled, they can support a straight iron cavalry for ten days. Although the taste is like chewing wax, it is enough to eat enough.

Under the order of Tang Qi, a large number of Ming soldiers began to dismount and rest, and began to change horses in units of thousands of households.

The herdsmen in Ulutt skillfully dispersed the war horses and rough horses into seventeen regiments, so that each thousand households could know where to change their war horses.

"Your Highness, don't tell me, after having Ulut's brother, we are much more relaxed."

Cao Wenzhao, who got off his horse, came to Zhu Youjian's side, and Zhu Youjian, who was looking at the map, nodded slightly, then looked up and said:

"According to the map, this place should be near Yunchuan, but I don't know exactly where Yunchuan is."

After leaving the Great Wall, the Ming army was like a blind man. They didn't know where they were, where they were easy to be ambushed, and where others could be ambushed.

However, just as Zhu Youjian was saying this, the sound of horseshoes came from a distance.

As Saihan, the Yin Shanbo of the Ming Dynasty, although Zhu Youjian had said that he was not required to accompany the army, he still followed the army out of the fortress, and assumed the role of the Ming army's guide outside the pass.

"Woo..." Saihan, who was wearing a mandarin duck jacket and armor from the Ming army, got off his horse and bowed to Zhu Youjian:
"Your Highness, our army has reached seventeen miles northeast of Yunchuan, and thirty-five miles to the north is the Huihe River."

"However, the Gray River and the Black River are connected. They meet fifteen miles west of Bansheng City, and the origin of the river is in the mountains."

"Therefore, I suggest not to cross the Gray River and the Black River because of the short distance, but to gallop to the northwest for forty miles, finish off the Dubobu stationed in the upper reaches of the Heihe River, and then rest overnight in the Dubobu."

"Tomorrow morning, when the army crosses the Heihe River, they can rush to the east for [-] miles and attack the nobles in Su Nang and Bansheng City!"

Saihan's words gave Zhu Youjian the best plan, which made Zhu Youjian understand why Ming Chengzu, who liked to sweep the North, always liked to bring some Mongolians by his side.

A good guide can completely let the Ming army covertly attack the various tribes in Hetao, and touch the bottom of Bansheng City without anyone noticing.

"How long will it take for the two hundred five-jin guns to arrive here?" Zhu Youjian didn't answer Saihan directly, but asked Cao Wenzhao next to him.

Regarding this, Cao Wenzhao also bowed and said: "Tangqi reported back a quarter of an hour ago, and they are thirty miles away from us."

"Then it should be in time by tomorrow..." Zhu Youjian put away the map, turned to Saihan and said:

"Uncle Yin Shan, how many males are there in the Metropolitan Broadcasting Department?"

"No more than four thousand. To deal with them, you must first deal with the shepherds on the periphery." Saihan said seriously, and Zhu Youjian nodded slightly:
"Follow the route you said, and Tang Qi's release distance will trouble you."

"It's my honor to find the way for Your Highness." Saihan didn't feel that he was a "traitor". After all, in this era, Saihan cared more about the successor of his Ulut tribe than his identity as a Mongolian. identity.

They and Su Nang were originally in an alliance relationship, and it's normal to separate now that they can't reach an agreement.

Saihan said so, and Zhu Youjian also took out his pocket watch from his arms.

The golden pocket watch was imitated by the students and craftsmen of Yanshan Academy based on Western pocket watches.

Since it has not been imitated for a long time and the price is still very expensive, only commanders and envoys can own pocket watches.

Zhu Youjian checked the time. It was the second quarter of the hour (13:30), and the army could rest for a quarter of an hour. They had to go to the Dubobu, which Saihan said, and rest overnight after leveling the Dubobu.

Since the army was marching outside the Great Wall in armor, without losing too much horsepower, it took about an hour and a half to cover the forty miles.

According to the speed of the two four-wheeled carriages, it would take at least four hours to arrive, and the battle should have ended by then.

"Pass the military order, let the rear army protect the artillery, and must arrive at the grazing area of ​​the Dubobu at [-]:[-]!"

"The last general takes orders!"

Zhu Youjian issued an order to Cao Wenzhao, and Cao Wenzhao responded subconsciously, then turned around and ordered someone to deliver the order.

Ten teams of [-] Tangqi hundred households complied with the military order, and then rushed towards the rear army.

After a quarter of an hour, Zhu Youjian glanced at his pocket watch to confirm the time, and immediately ordered the whole army to get on their horses, ready to surprise the Dubobu.

It's just that when he was about to leave, a team of more than a hundred cavalry came rushing in from a distance, and such a team should not appear on the battlefield outside the pass.

"Stop!" Zhu Youjian raised his hand to signal everyone to stop, and then watched the Tiqi team getting closer, and when they finally ran in front of him, Jin Yiwei Baihu on the horse turned over and got off the horse, took out a long wooden box from behind, Hands up:

"Your Highness, this is something that Wanzai ordered someone to send urgently in eight hundred miles."

"Huh?" Zhu Youjian frowned slightly when he heard that his imperial brother sent something, then took the things, opened the wooden box, but found a scroll inside.

"Pull him away." Zhu Youjian asked several soldiers to pull the scroll away.

The seemingly ordinary picture scroll is three feet long when it is pulled open. When Zhu Youjian watched from right to left, the first thing he saw was wearing a black cap and light blue embroidered gold uniform, looking at eunuchs and boys. A portrait of Zhu Youxiao who set off fireworks and firecrackers.

In the second section of the picture, Zhu Youxiao changed into red uniform, stood on the right side of the stone platform in front of Zhongji Hall, and looked lovingly at some young eunuchs in the square surrounded by the peddler's cart, which was full of beautiful things.

In addition, there are standing portraits of Zhu Youxiao holding Zhu Ciran and Zhu Shu'e, and Zhu Youxiao's portrait sitting on the horse with the emperor's armor.

If it was an ordinary time, Zhu Youjian would read it with great interest, but right now he is fighting, so he motioned for people to put it away after a quick look, then looked at Jinyiwei Baihu and said:
"Brother, do you have anything else to say?"

"Long live said that letting His Highness go to the battlefield made him feel guilty, so please don't march recklessly, Your Highness must pay attention to safety."

Baihu lowered his head and replied, but Zhu Youjian frowned at these words.

With his royal brother's character, he would definitely not take the initiative to say the words "reckless march", because the other party believed in him.

The reason why he said this must be because he heard a group of rotten Confucian officials who didn't know about soldiers in the court, so they asked worriedly.

This group of rotten scholars didn't even know what the Hetao looked like, so they were ashamed to blame themselves for the timing of sending troops.

If you really wait until all the snow has melted, Su Nang and the others will run away if they can't beat them.

Now there is still some snow, but the season that does not affect the march is just right for the Ming army.

Su Nang and the others could run even if they marched, but under the snow there were scattered small amounts of hay, and a large number of horses would starve to death before they could run far.

Zhu Youjian chose to send troops only by seizing this time, and any general who has experienced the climate of Hetao will understand the cause and effect.

"Long live also said that Nanyang has been recovered, and the five countries will pay Daming [-] million taels of compensation. We, Daming, have opened up thousands of miles of sea and territory. Please quickly resume the plan and preside over the relocation of Nanyang."

Baihu's words made Zhu Youjian frowned after hearing the words, and responded in a slightly better tone:

"Understood, tell the emperor brother, you can prepare to celebrate the success of the set."

"drive--"

After all, Zhu Youjian shook the reins of the horse, led the troops into the snow, and rushed to the northwest.

Immediately afterwards, a large number of upright cavalry rushed to follow, and in the end only more than two hundred Ulut herdsmen were left to defend the horse camp.

Eighteen thousand iron cavalry acted as the main force to attack, two thousand iron cavalry scattered around as pond cavalry, and ten thousand iron cavalry served as the rear army to protect the artillery and supply lines.

Under the guidance of Saihan, the army marched rapidly in the snow. Even if someone's horse fell due to frostbite, no one stopped.

The pampered horses are destined to be unable to adapt to the battlefield, and if this battle is won, the number of horses in the Ming army will increase exponentially!

"kill--"

While Zhu Youjian was preparing for a surprise attack, hundreds of miles to the southwest and sixty-five miles to the south of Hongyanchi were experiencing this unilateral massacre at the moment.

The snow on the loess high slope was even rarer than that of the previous set. Not only were the [-] galloping cavalry not affected at all, but they began to rush forward relying on the condescending terrain.

Under the low slope is one of the forty-two branches of Ordos, the grazing land of the Zhasak tribe. With a population of only [-], they can only pull out less than [-] males.

The grazing land was surrounded by a simple seven-foot-high earthen wall, and at this moment they were standing on the earthen wall, trying to fight back with bows and arrows against the iron cavalry of the Ming army outside the city.

"put!"

"Bang bang bang-"

The cavalry dismounted, put the rifles in their hands, raised them fifty steps away from the earth wall of the grazing land, and pulled the trigger following the general's order.

The muffled sound of frying beans came one after another, and the solid lead bullets were shot out, blowing dust into the rudimentary earthen wall.

The men of the Zhasak tribe who could not wear iron armor were constantly shot down, because the earthen walls were too short, and they had almost no place or opportunity to find cover.

"Ming Jin, the front army retreats three hundred steps, and then pulls up the cannon!"

On the low slope, Man Gui, who was observing the battlefield, overlooked the Zhasak grazing land surrounded by the red tide. At the same time as the order was given, the sound of golden bells sounded rhythmically, and the red tide army in front began to return to defense.

At the same time, artillery pulled by four horses appeared on the low slope.

When one hundred five-pound cannons were lined up and fixed on the low slope, when the Ming army retreated, all the Zhasak Mongols looked up at the place where the sound of gold was heard.

Everyone was almost suffocated at this moment, just because in their eyes, the one hundred five-jin Yanshan General Cannons lined up neatly would become the last straw that crushed them.

"Fixed shot reloading, direction [-]:[-] noon... let it go!"

With the general waving the flag, the gunner ignited the fire, and amidst the sound of "chi chi" burning, "the sound of the booming artillery echoed around the entire trough."

"Boom boom-"

Intensive and continuous artillery sounds appeared, and hundreds of solid iron bullets slid across the sky, most of them fell into the Zasak Tucheng, but many of them hit the Tucheng according to the command of the artillery battalion general. Earthen wall at the southwest corner.

Because he didn't know the technology of three-component clay, and he didn't think that the Ming army would organize a large army to sweep north, so Zasak's simple earthen wall hardly played a blocking role.

However, after being hit by more than [-] solid iron bullets, the four-foot-wide earth wall began to be dusty, and even collapsed with some gaps.

The power of solid iron bullets is much greater than that of granite stone bullets, but it is too troublesome to carry.

Under normal circumstances, the Ming army in the pass would carry artillery and a small amount of granite stone bombs. When the siege was to make siege equipment, the craftsmen accompanying the army would dig rocks and make stone bombs.

But the Hetao was different. The yellow sand all over the ground and the hard soil in winter made the Ming army have to prepare solid iron bullets that were easy to carry and powerful.

"Clear the chest!"

The artillery battalion general ordered the chamber to be cleared, and this operation would last for a cup of tea.

In this era, even the Ming Army's General Yanshan Cannon can only make [-] shots per hour for small cannons and [-] shots for large cannons.

Any more, and there is a risk of the barrel overheating and blowing up.

As the commander-in-chief, Man Gui is not in a hurry, because compared with Jianlu, it is too easy to fight the three captives.

Jianlu has crude cannon-casting technology. Although they can't beat the Ming army on the frontal battlefield, they have the least.

Not only that, the [-] heavily armored infantry with one man and four horses that entered Liao at the beginning is still fresh in Man Gui's memory.

But if the cooperation of the Ming army was even worse at that time, the [-] heavily armored infantry with one man and four horses would definitely be able to escape from Liaodong.

Once such elites escape from Liaodong, I am afraid that Liaodong will not be so stable now.

In comparison, hundreds of thousands of captives could not even pull out three thousand people with triple armor, which is why Nurhachi and Huang Taijin were able to sweep Monan.

But now the situation has changed, it's not that they are going to sweep Liaodong, but the Ming army is going to sweep Liaodong!

"Three rounds, after three rounds of shelling, the whole army charged from the gap."

Putting down his binoculars, Man Gui saw how weak the dusty earth wall was.

Only three rounds of bombardment were needed, and what Zhasak had to face was not the artillery, but the charge of the Ming army's iron cavalry.

"Snapped--"

Suddenly, the sound of arrows came from the north, and Man Gui said to the left and right lieutenants unhurriedly:

"The captives from the north came to help, and the cavalry retreated to the low slope."

"Yes!" Hearing the words, the left and right lieutenants began to order the army to retreat to the low slope, and the sound of ringing gold sounded in an orderly and rhythmic manner.

The cavalry dismounted and began to climb up the low slope, which was only a few tens of meters high and did not consume much of their energy.

Before sweeping north today, Man Gui slaughtered thousands of gazelles and made them full.

Today's people, not only don't feel hungry, but panicked and have endless energy.

If it wasn't for the order of the Chinese army, they would definitely keep their eyes on Zasak Tucheng, just for the captive head of the twenty taels of silver!

Eat and drink enough, well-equipped, beheaded for meritorious service...

In such a state, the Ming army can achieve brilliant results no matter where it is pulled in the world!
The time for a cup of tea gradually passed. Seeing that Tang Qi in front hadn't responded yet, Man Gui also knew that the enemy's support was still some distance away, so he said to the left and right lieutenants next to him:
"Another round of artillery battalion fire, clear the chamber after the fire, and wait for my military order."

"Follow orders." The left and right lieutenants responded, and then ordered the sentry cavalry to inform the generals of the artillery battalion.

"The target remains the same, all armies check."

The general of the artillery battalion checked to see if there was any problem with the angles of several artillery pieces, and after confirming that there was no problem, he ordered the troops to check.

After everyone checked, the general also asked everyone to wave down the command flag.

"Boom boom-"

The artillery sounded again, and at this time there was no living person walking on the Zhasak Tucheng. They either hid at the base of the city wall, or turned into corpses.

The dust is constantly flying on the Loess Plateau, corresponding to the continuous collapse and expansion of the gap.

After the artillery was fired, the gunner continued to clean the barrel, while Man Gui and the generals were waiting for the Tangqi ahead to report back.

About another incense stick of time passed, when the Tangqi of the Ming Army appeared on the plain north of the low slope, everyone looked at Man Gui, and Man Gui also said:
"Preparing for another round of bombardment, Tang Qi spent so much time, the enemy should still be more than ten miles away, enough time."

"Take orders!" The deputy generals on the left and right responded again, and the generals of the artillery battalion continued to order the shelling in an orderly manner.

In the sound of "booming" guns, Zasak Tucheng was knocked down with a wide gap, and this gap was enough for the Ming army to tear through their defense line.

However, Man Gui did not give the order to attack easily, but waited for Tang Qi to ride his horse up the slope, and then got off his horse:

"Captain, twenty-five miles to the north, Huo Luochi led [-] captive cavalry to the south."

"It seems that he has been waiting for us in the Red Salt Pond. It is estimated that he received the news not long after we defeated the Huerji tribe."

Man Gui heard the words, explained to the left and right lieutenants, and then said:

"Twenty-five miles, with one man and three horses in captivity, you can reach this place in three quarters of an hour."

"Hide the artillery under the low slope so they don't see it."

"The army went down the low slope and besieged Zasak City, making them think that we are going to storm Zasak City."

"Once the leader of Huoluochi tried to attack us, the army immediately retreated under the low slope, and the artillery battalion pushed up the low slope to shell Huoluochi."

"After the shelling, the army turned back and charged."

As he said that, Man Gui said disdainfully: "Compared to Jianlu, the brains and strength of this group of captives are too poor."

"What the governor said is that seizing captives is indeed no better than building captives." Some generals who used to be from the four northwest towns also echoed.

"Okay, get ready." Man Gui glanced at the left and right lieutenants, and the two began to direct the artillery battalion to pull the carriage, and hid the artillery on the reverse slope of the short slope.

In order to make it easier for the artillery to be pulled up to the top of the low slope later, the soldiers of the artillery battalion began to tidy up the back of the low slope with tools such as shovels, and it took a quarter of an hour to tidy up the back of the low slope.

However, after such sorting out, Huo Luochi and Tao Lu who went south would not be able to see them at all.

Man Gui glanced at the time on the pocket watch on his chest, and then ordered: "In a quarter of an hour, the army will go down the low slope to prepare to encircle the city."

"The last general takes orders!"

The generals received the order, and after a short rest, each listened to the sound of the drums and commanded the army to start rushing down the low slope.

When they rushed down the low slope, looking from the north, they could only see the Ming army trying to approach Zasak Tucheng, and there was nothing wrong with the surrounding low slopes.

The Ming army was small in number, but Huo Luochi had a large number.

Therefore, as long as Huoluochi's vigilance is relaxed, and the released Tangqi dare not go deep, there will be no problem with the Ming army's artillery plan to encircle and wipe out the Taolu.

Man Gui was ready, and the Zasaks, who hadn't heard the sound of artillery for a long time, also cautiously went up to the top of the city.

It's just that when they appeared at the top of the dilapidated city, what they saw was the "red tide" lined up in front of them, approaching them step by step.

When there are tens of thousands of people, it is boundless, not to mention that when they are all wearing the same clothes and armor, the sense of oppression brought by this vision is even worse.

When Taiji of the Zhasak Department wanted to surrender in despair, there was a piercing sound of arrows in the north. Such a sound made Zazak Taiji look ecstatic:
"Huo Chi Luo Tai Ji is here!"

"Here we come..." Hearing the sound of arrows, Man Gui, who was in the army, also subconsciously clenched the long knife at his waist.

Whether it is to encircle or chase, it all depends on whether Huo Luochi is hooked...

　There is one more at four o'clock in the afternoon

　　
　
(End of this chapter)