eldest son of Ming dynasty

Chapter 202 Kou Bian!

On all sides of the northwest, Yansui is in danger, Ningxia and Gansu strangle rivers and mountains, but the land from Huamachi to Lingzhou is wide, and the castles are sparse.If the Tatars are going to invade this year, the area around Huamachi will be quite dangerous.

The top of Huamachi is at the forefront of the Hetao Plain, which belongs to the land east of the river. The land is flat and there is no danger to defend.When Qin Hong was in charge of the Trilateral Command, he wanted to build castles and forts here, but it only took four or five small forts to build. According to the general configuration of the Ming army, a fort must be guarded by a garrison general.

It has been less than a year since Yang Yiqing took office, and he has not had time to make much change to this status quo in the future. Now the road is Qianniu Fort, Wugong Fort, Iron Guard Fort and Ten Star Fort.

The general of Qianniubao is always a guard from Gansu, named He Yanheng, he is a typical northwestern man, he has no culture, but he is not a coward, a 40-year-old man has been a soldier all his life, nothing else, he just wants to keep his father The two sons are taken care of.

But in his team, a young man named Yu Zizai came from the Beijing Military Academy. The superiors said that these people knew about Tatars, so every fort had to have one, and they said it was a treasure.

But He Yanheng likes to make him uncomfortable.

Because of this uneasiness all day long, it means that the walls of the fortress were not repaired well, or that their soldiers were not trained enough. It stands to reason that they are remnant soldiers, but then they said that they should not always avoid the Tatars, but should be brave enough to fight with them. People fight.

Damn, there are a lot of problems, and I have to work hard,

Doesn't this make them commit suicide?

The wind in the northwest was biting, He Yanheng opened the curtain and came to his stable. He chewed hard on the frozen rye buns, and his breath was full of water vapor.

Behind him, his little brat stepped on the ice and made a sound of "咵咵咵咵", "Father, that Yu Zizai led a dozen people and went out again."

He Yanheng glanced at his son and almost lost his temper, "I told you to put on the plain clothes, who the hell made you wear blue?! Go back and change it!"

"Oh, there are plain clothes inside. I don't think it's warm, so I added another one."

boom.

He Yanheng kicked him without saying a word, "Then you can walk in reverse, now it's a national funeral, and someone will file a lawsuit. My father, brother, you and I will all have their heads cut off. Hurry up! Grandma, bear, This Yu Zizai has already made me very uncomfortable, and you also come here to make me uncomfortable."

"Okay." The old man has a bad temper, and the boss has no choice but to give in first.

"You come back!" After He Yanheng fed the last bit of beans to the horse, he clapped his hands and turned around, "When did you feel uncomfortable? Why don't I know?"

"Didn't you quarrel with him yesterday? He left last night. He hasn't returned all night now. I'm just worried, so I came to tell you."

"Didn't come back all night?" He Yanheng's expression changed when he heard this, he looked to the north and pondered, "I feel like something bad is going to happen, pack up your things, and take my father and your brother to Ningxia City. Big and safe."

"What about you, Dad?!"

"I am a garrison general, I escaped, who of you can live?!"

The boss has a broad face and a short neck, with a full face, "Then we won't go either! Tell the second brother to take grandpa, and I will stay. Brother Yu is right, a good man has ambitions everywhere!"

"That's right!" He Yanheng suddenly seemed to hear some noise, while running in the wind and snow, he turned his head and pointed at his boss, "Hurry up and do what I say, or I won't spare you when I come back!"

The boss shook his head, a little annoyed, "It's not like the captives in the north have never seen it..."

What He Yanheng heard was the muffled sound of horseshoes vibrating the ground. He ran a few steps on the ground and listened to confirm it. Then he hurriedly pressed his hat down to cover his ears.

"The Tartars are coming!"

"The Tartars are coming!"

……

The small fort suddenly turned around because of such a cry. Previously, they were hiding in the house to avoid the wind and snow like an uninhabited fort, but now all gray heads poked out.

He Yanheng's scalp exploded when he heard it, "Who the hell yelled! Disturbed my army's morale, I beheaded him!"

But when he looked up, it was that uncomfortable person!
He Yanheng stepped up a few steps and grabbed the scholar-like collar in front of him, "Shut up! What are you yelling?"

"You just shut up! Can't you hear the hooves of the horses?" Yu Zizai took off his hat and his hair was a little disheveled. He must have just ran back, and his eyes were a little swollen at the moment, "The Tatars are here! "

He Yanheng swallowed his saliva.

"Light a cigarette!" Yu Zizai shouted again, but the soldiers on the side hesitated and kicked him, "Go!"

"Old He, I'm going to find out the enemy's situation. I know that the Tatars have dispatched at least 4 to 1 people this time, and at least 3000 people are heading in our direction. Our Baozi said that there are 1000 people on the surface, but in fact It’s only two thousand, and there are only more than [-] who can fight. But it doesn’t mean that we all have to die here. The Tatars want to plunder wealth and people, and don’t like to attack fortified cities, so we want to be a fortified city!”

"Cut." He Yanheng shook off his hands on his shoulders, "I have been at the border for 15 years. You learn from other people, but I learn from horses. I am good at how to deal with Tatars."

"What are you talking about!" Yu Zizai said with a suppressed voice, "You know why I came here to find fault with you! Because the number of castles built by the imperial court on this road is not enough! Moreover, the terrain in this area is open, we are very dangerous, you Did you know?!"

"Scare me? If this is the case, won't the court know before you? Will you build a few more forts here?"

"It's also difficult for the imperial court to cover everything. But it's too late to talk about this at this time. My suggestion is to find a way to contact the other three castles that are close to each other, and take care of each other, otherwise it will be really dead!"

He Yanheng grabbed a handful of snow and rubbed his face, "In this world, if you expect a strong wind from God to blow them back, it's more effective than relying on others. I'll go and gather the troops. Find a hole and stay by yourself."

How is this possible? Yu Zizai has been tired for several hours, but he still has to continue fighting at this time. Those who came out of the military academy have a sense of honor, and they have their own pride.

He gathered the twenty or so men who were usually around him, and said softly, "Are you afraid?"

It would be a lie to say that they are not afraid. Tatars have also come here in previous years, burning, killing and looting. Among the people they know, they have become the souls of the sword.

"Yu Qianhu, you know a lot in the capital, do you think the imperial court cares about us?" asked some ten-year-old, child-like child soldiers.

"Take care! I promise you!"

"But the Tartars come here almost every year, and I haven't seen any movement from the court."

Another person also said: "In previous years, there was less control, and this year it is estimated that there will be even less control. The emperor's grandma died, and he probably doesn't have time to talk to us. Anyway, we can just get through these few months."

"Everyone must trust me!" Yu Zizai was very afraid of such a loss of morale, "I dare not tell others, but the crown prince will definitely take care of it!"

"What is a prince? Is he older than the emperor's official son?"

"Stupid, the crown prince is the emperor's son!"

"The son has to listen to my father!"

Snapped!
He Yanheng didn't know where he came from. At this moment, he was already wearing armor and a scimitar hanging from his waist. "Don't think about the emperor and prince at this time. You can't count on it. Count on it, count on this sword. Take it!"

Young people are a little timid.

He Yanheng pushed the knife directly to his chest, "Son, no one cares about your shyness at this time."

Turning around, he asked: "Uncomfortable, I have summoned the officers and soldiers. I heard that those taught by the military academy are all supernatural. Tell me, how do you fight this battle?"

"Receive food and distribute it according to the needs of each household, and stick to it."

He Yanheng was still a little surprised, "I heard you usually said exciting things, but now you're getting mad again."

"The military academy will not teach you how to fight to death."

boom!boom!
While speaking, the sound of horseshoes became louder.

Looking at the sky and the earth, there is still a vast expanse of white snow, but the sun is hot, and the whole plain reflects dazzling light under the light. There are black mountain shadows in the distance, and the turrets built by Baozi are nearby.

There is an urn city above the city gate, and in order to strengthen the defense of the city gate, He Yanheng also ordered people to build wing cities on both sides.In fact, the side of the city gate was repaired into a "concave" shape, so that when the enemy attacked the city gate, they could attack from the flanks.

He and Yu led a group of generals to stand on the city tower. Hearing the deafening sound of horseshoes from far to near, the city wall trembled slightly. Team man!
Bright banners fluttered in the wind under the sky, the armor of the Tatars also shone dazzlingly, and the horseshoes on the ground made heavy rumbling noises, rushing forward with an unstoppable momentum, raising snowflakes, and the black heads were like The tide is general and creepy.

The two parties were probably familiar with each other a lot, so they didn't need to identify them at all. Suddenly, one of the large troops in front of them sped away and came towards their small castle.

The Tatars swung their horsewhips and screamed strangely. In the eyes of the Ming army, these were clearly animals instead of humans.

"Beat the drums! Play the semaphore, prepare to guard against their first wave of bows and arrows!" He Yanheng also hid in the house, after all, the Tatars are still very powerful with bows and arrows, "Damn it, dare to beat them without saying hello, Grandpa He!"

Yu Zizai gave a difficult smile, "Don't believe me, Lao He, this is the first time I have fought so many Tatars."

"Scared?"

"Hahaha, I am a strong Han Chinese, how could I be afraid of the northern captives!"

"It's full of bitter words. I don't care if I'm a Han Chinese or not, I want to be a living person."

boom! !

Suddenly there was a loud noise in the city, and they also heard a wave of shaking. He Yanheng's face turned pale, "Too bad, they used cannons. It's uncomfortable, we might have to be dead."

"Dead Chinese!"

Ahh! !
This sound is attacking the city!
With a crash, He Yanheng opened the door and was about to go out, but as soon as he got up, a flying arrow flew past his face, and stuck in the back of the hand of the person behind him.

"Damn! It's too much to bully! Go out and kill!"

Yu Zizai knew that the Tatars were not very good at attacking fortifications, but small fortresses like theirs would pass by and attack them. What if they could be defeated?Secondly, it is a warning to kill the forces here so that they dare not leave the city.

Although He Yanheng was uneducated, he was the first to fight in battle. He personally went to the city gate tower to fight with the Tartars who were climbing up.

Bodies are everywhere, and so is blood.

He Yanheng just bent down and knocked down one, when he looked up, he saw a Tatar wearing a hat next to the city gate slashing at him with a machete.

"Father!" The boss rushed over desperately and stabbed him fiercely.
The knife "咵红" penetrated into the flesh, and the blood rushed straight to the sky, but it seemed that people could never be killed, covering it like ants, and soon many Tatar soldiers gathered around the boss.

"Boss!" He Yanheng yelled hoarsely, "Ah! I will fight with you!"

Yu Zizai had been running for a while before, and his strength was exhausted. He only slashed and killed a few people, but he felt a sharp pain in his mouth, and he couldn't even hold the knife.He knelt down on one knee, and the scene when he was training in the military academy had already appeared in his mind.

"I am the general of Ming Dynasty! I am the master of this land!" He shouted at the top of his voice, "Invader! Kill!!"

"General, I'll help you!" It was the little doll from before, about thirteen or fourteen years old, everyone called him Twelve Lang, I don't know why, but that's what he called anyway.

Yu Zizai looked at the Tatar soldiers in front of him, and then at the baby soldiers behind him, and couldn't help smiling boldly, "Okay! I'm not incompatible with the bandits, but if it's a man, the baby soldiers should go too!"

For a moment, this small castle was full of flying sand and rocks, and the sound of killing shook the sky...

……

And in Guyuan Mansion and the Governor's Mansion, there were also people who reported the news like Yang Yiqing in a panic.

"The hall! It's smoking!"

Yang Yiqing put down the military newspaper in his hand, stood up and took a few steps forward, "Which direction?!"

"Flower Horse Pond!"

Qi Chengsui stood beside him with a sullen face, "Sure enough, it's not as expected. If the Tatars violate the border, they must pass through Huamachi. If we have Datong Yang Shangyi, we have to go out of the city to ambush them!"

boom!
Yang Yiqing's heart sank, everyone around him wanted it, but this speed was beyond his expectation, it came too fast.The plain clothes should have just been hung up at the border, when the Tatars came.

"They want to take advantage of this chaos to make the imperial court unable to look north and stir up the situation."

At such a big moment, Yang Yiqing also fell silent, he had to think carefully.

But because of the winter, Xu Jin, who had not had time to return to Beijing, persuaded him: "Yang Butang, the Tatars are coming at this time, and they are sure. Our ministers must focus on the overall situation. Now the funeral of the late Empress Dowager is being held in Beijing. , Your Majesty and His Highness have no time to care about him...Yang Butang, I think it's more important to be safe, let's get through this calamity first, after all, the Tatars just want to plunder some property."

"Stability is the main thing?" Qi Chengsui asked first: "Can Xu Shilang make it clearer, why is stability the main method?"

Xu Jin didn't procrastinate, and said directly: "Naturally, the main thing is to defend the city. If you go to war easily, it will lead to big consequences... How should the news of the defeat be reported at the time of the national funeral?"

"But if the court pursues it, shall we refuse to meet the enemy?"

Xu Jin became anxious, "Why didn't you meet the enemy? Doesn't it mean that you have to lead soldiers and horses to fight the Tatars in the field? You don't have to worry about Yang Butang at the court. I'll go and talk to Da Sima, and I'll take care of any crimes." !"

Yang Yiqing shook his head slowly, he looked at Xu Jin with calm eyes, "This old man is the commander-in-chief of the three sides, and he is responsible for guarding the soil. Whether it is now or in the future, if something happens to the three sides, I can't keep my head, and I can't talk about you. Take the blame for me, how can you take the blame for me? Besides, Jin Yiwei has already arrived, His Highness's meaning is very clear."

He lowered his head slightly, and began to order, "First, order the towns and guards to take precautions and strengthen communication. From the Governor's Mansion, all personnel must cooperate with each other, and they must not refuse to help, and must not fight alone!"

"Second, start immediately, and try your best to raise military supplies and supplies. Those that can be transported in time must be transported to storage, and those that are too late must be burned, and they must not be left to the Tatars."

"In addition, I will immediately write to the capital to ask for support."

"Support? What support?" Xu Jin didn't understand, the governor of the three sides, the biggest official is here, and all the soldiers and horses are under the command of Yang Yiqing, what else do they ask for?
"Does Yang Butang want to ask the imperial court to send a Beijing camp?!"

It's not the Beijing camp, it's Yang Shangyi's army.

Although Jin Yiwei's will said that the Tatars would attack again this time, the court meant to fight back, but how would the tens of thousands of Tatar cavalry in the wild fight back?

Is it impossible to rely on infantry? Yang Yiqing doesn't believe it at all. Even if the infantry is several times larger than the enemy, the cavalry is likely to disperse as soon as they charge, and they can't even catch up.

We can only rely on Yang Shangyi's troops to fight the Tatars, so that the infantry can get something behind.

But Datong's soldiers, how can he transfer them, and he can't communicate with Yang Shangyi in private to discuss and act.

"Xu Shilang, there is no need to say anything else. I always report the situation in the Northwest to the capital. As for how to do it, that is the meaning of the above. Neither you nor I can decide." Yang Yiqing is also a person with literary talents. Feng Zoushu was too simple for him, he finished it with a few swipes, then picked up his hat and walked out,

"My soldiers are still in the flames of war! Forgive me!"

……

……

Of course, the capital still couldn't hear the sound of cannons from the northwest.
In fact, the capital is still shrouded in a heavy atmosphere of grief. The funeral of the Empress Dowager Zhou can be completed according to the procedures. The current problem is the health of Emperor Hongzhi.

As the emperor's favored minister, Liu Daxia persuaded the emperor to drink the medicine that day, but to be honest, at this moment, except for the elixir, other medicines will not work.

Liu Daxia himself was also very sad. Although this accident was directly caused by the sudden death of the Empress Dowager Zhou and the emperor tossing himself again, in fact, it was the conversation between him and the emperor last year.

Fortunately, Emperor Hongzhi didn't really blame him. Instead, he kept his Qianqing Palace and talked to him as if he was smiling.

"...Shi Yong, the crown prince is very smart, but he is a bit strict. You...don't misunderstand him." Emperor Hongzhi couldn't get up anymore, so he could only lie down halfway, tilting his head to face Liu Daxia.

"How dare the minister."

"You may be complaining in your heart, thinking that I dote on the prince too much, but, I...just such a son. You have to understand me."

These right and wrong are actually not important to Liu Daxia, he knows what will happen to him in the future.

"I hope that Your Majesty will be in good health!"

"Hey, I know how my body is. After drinking the medicine for so many years, my mouth is tasteless." Emperor Hongzhi smiled with relief, "After I leave, you must continue to assist the prince. If you suffer If you are wronged, just take it for my sake, and blame me if you want to."

Liu Daxia couldn't hear such dejected words, but he seemed to know that that day would come soon, so he couldn't help crying and said: "Your Majesty, old minister, I miss you!!"

Hongzhi blinked his red eyes, which were also wet, "Who would I be willing to give up?"

(End of this chapter)