The First Gongsheng of Ming Dynasty

Chapter 268

The battle outside Piantou Pass lasted a day and a night.

Zhu Feng stood on the Ming Tower on the north city wall of Pianguan, and the rain kept falling, splashing on his armor. He thought about it for a long time, but he didn't understand why this battle took so long.

Didn't you say it was a raid?You should come back when you're done.

But the thousands of cavalry sent out now are still going around outside, and they didn't say anything about encountering the enemy head-on. The battle seemed to be fought all day and all night, but it seemed that nothing was going on.

"Zhijie, why are you outside in the rain? Come in and talk." Wang Qiong talked with Liu Jin for half an hour in the Minglou, but when he came back, he found Zhu Feng was drowning outside, so he couldn't help calling from a distance.

Only then did Zhu Feng return to the place where the tiles covered his head.

The servant next to him wanted to help him take off the armor, he raised his hand and said: "The battle is not over, the armor will never leave the body."

"Ha ha."

Liu Jin couldn't help laughing after hearing such two-faced words.

Wang Qiong asked someone to pour a cup of hot tea for Zhu Feng, and said a few words of comfort to him: "...there is nothing wrong now, so it means that nothing will happen. Probably the Hulu retreated in spite of the difficulties, but some people still think that there is a possibility of making progress and making contributions. Feeling troubled, I chased it for tens of miles, and guessed that all the people from all walks of life would come back after dark."

"Ah."

Although Zhu Feng had many things on his mind and envisioned many possibilities, he had to listen to Wang Qiong.

Because it is too much work for him to use his brain, he still likes to let go of the thoughts in his head and go out to get some rain to calm himself down.

Otherwise, when the war broke out, there would be a sense of dryness all over the body.

However, Liu Jin was in a hurry to pour a cup of hot tea for Wang Qiong, and asked, "Then Wang Zhongcheng, do you think it should be good news?"

Wang Qiong stared at Liu Jin.

For Wang Qiong and Zhu Feng, after experiencing the first battle in Ningyuan, they have almost calmed down about this tug-of-war with the Tatar army, and they didn't say how much victory they must win.

But Liu Jin is different. After all, this is Liu Jin's first decent battle, and Liu Jin very much hopes to have a "successful victory".

Wang Qiong said: "Whether the victory is won or not depends on whether there is any contact. If the Hulu are only driven away, the victory cannot be reported."

"Uh..." Liu Jin was very embarrassed.

Feeling white makes me excited all day and night?With so many troops mobilized in the Northwest War, there is still no contact?Then fight for a day and a night?No wonder that Marquis An Bian wanted to go out to get wet in the rain.

"The heat in my heart is really hard to calm down. Why don't we let our family go out to get in the rain?" Liu Jin said, as if she really wanted to get up and walk to the door.

Wang Qiong stopped him with a smile, asked him to sit down again, pointed to the sky outside and said: "Today, neither we nor the Hulu can fight head-on. Let's wait for the result first."

……

……

As Wang Qiong expected.

Before dark, sure enough people from all walks of life came back.

The result is... indescribable.

Li Wei was the first to lead the troops back, but he was the one who sent the troops the farthest. After returning, Li Wei complained: "Before dawn, I took the Erlangs out of Saibaili, but there was no sign of a turtle bastard." See, the camp is not here, who said that the Tartars are here? Those sentries should be damned! It has made the city uneasy these days!"

Liu Jin hurriedly asked, "Are there no Tartars?"

This is something Liu Jin can't accept.

The intelligence clearly stated that the north was full of Tartars, as if the Tatars were about to overwhelm the border at any moment, but after the troops left the fortress, they didn't even encounter a single sentry from the Tartars?

So the previous intelligence was just a joke?

Zhu Feng asked: "Is it possible that the Tatars were indeed active around the Pianguan before, but then... they left?"

"Where did you go?" Liu Jin asked quickly.

"This..." Zhu Feng couldn't answer.

When Chen Xun, who sent troops from another route, came back, it had been dark for an hour, and the rain outside still didn't stop, but Chen Xun brought back the results of the battle.

"You've lived up to expectations!" Chen Xun jumped off his horse, and when he arrived in front of the General Military Mansion, a group of people greeted him with umbrellas.

Li Wei was surprised and said, "Old Chen, you walked on the two wings and met the main force of the Tartars?"

"The main force didn't see it, but they killed three Tartars, three heads...really three heads!" Chen Xun looked excited, as if he had killed 3000 people.

Liu Jin was originally excited, waiting for Chen Xun to report a big victory, but when he heard that there were only three heads, the smile on his face almost froze.

"It's not bad, it's not bad." Li Yan envied him, "I'm on the right path, and I haven't met a single Tartar. It's good for me to see a few herdsmen."

Several people stared at Li Wei.

My heart said what do you mean?
Do you still want to kill someone and pretend to be meritorious?
Chen Xun hurriedly explained: "I am killing a serious Tartar."

Liu Jin was smiling wryly in his heart, how could he meet "unscrupulous" tartars?What kind of unorthodox law is that unorthodox?
……

……

People from all walks of life came back, and peace was restored in the city.

As if this night attack had never happened before, all the officers and generals in the room looked a little serious, because everyone felt that this battle seemed a little different.

Li Yan said: "Marquis An Bian, I dare to ask you, is it really calculated by that Master Zhang Xian?"

"Huh?" Zhu Feng didn't know how to answer.

This is what Wang Qiong said, not me, why ask me?
Wang Qiong asked back: "What's the matter, driving the enemy away is just a waste of time in your eyes? Isn't this credit credit?"

"Alas!" Li Yan sighed heavily, "A credit is a credit, but... why is it different from the previous...?"

The officers and generals present also looked at each other in blank dismay.

They also have the same doubts in their hearts.

Look at the previous two battles, Biantouguan and Ningyuan, the first match won a victory of 3000 people, and even if the second match was close, they nearly captured and killed nearly a thousand Tartars. Come back and only kill three people?It doesn't have to be a genuine tartar, maybe it's killing a good man and pretending to be a meritorious deed?
Wang Qiong asked: "How much is your loss?"

The officers and generals present all looked at Chen Xun.

They didn't think about this issue before. It stands to reason that you took one or two thousand cavalry out and only killed three people, so there shouldn't be any damage, right?

But when they saw Chen Xun's troubled eyes, they knew that things were not that simple.

Chen Xun said: "I broke one... fell off the horse and landed on the stone, and a tartar just happened to come... cut him off, but brought back his head..."

Liu Jin frowned and said, "Uncle Wu Ping, are you a storyteller or a playmaker? How can a dead person die with such bizarre twists and turns? You're a good catcher!"

"what?"

Chen Xun didn't expect Liu Jin to speak so harshly, without a word of swearing, but his words made him lose face.

This is because they don't understand the character of these East Palace eunuchs. They usually think about how to please the little prince and how to intrigue, and they can't teach the prince bad by saying ugly words. Several are industry experts.

"Maybe..." After all, Li Wei has been working with Chen Xun for half a year, and now I have to say a few words for Chen Xun, "The dead one, the idea is so small?"

Liu Jin couldn't bear it anymore, and began to rebuke on the spot: "Our family has heard it. It's a big victory, and one victory is thousands of hundreds of people. If we win this victory, we will play three? One of us will die? That's embarrassing." Report it up?"

Li Wei looked embarrassed and said: "Speaking of it, it's really different. Maybe the purpose of that Master Zhang Xian is not to kill a few more Tartars, but to make Pianguan stable again before Old Master Qin comes over?"

A group of people looked at Wang Qiong and Zhu Feng again.

That look seemed to be questioning.

Is that the war planned by Zhang Zhou?Why is it also planned by Zhang Zhou, we don't have the treatment of Wang Weining and Zhu Zhijie, and we are given [-] cavalry to go out of the city, so we come back lonely?
Wang Qiong's face was somewhat lost.

After all, he is now the official governor with his head off, and the civil servants are headed by him. At this time, he also needs to come out to calm people's hearts. He raised his voice and said, "What's wrong with the three heads? Did it affect the success? Or are you not going to report it? Are you willing to endure like this? But you guys have to make it clear, if you don’t succeed this time, you don’t know when the Hulu will come again next time!”

"This……"

A group of generals looked at each other again.

Although it's a bit embarrassing to kill only three tartars, it's better than none. Aren't mosquito legs meat?
Wang Qiong said: "That is to say, you are used to thinking that every battle in the Northwest can be fought with an earth-shattering momentum? The most important thing in the defense of the Northwest is to be safe. Whether it is His Majesty or the courtiers and generals, what you want to see The border is safe, and the common people also hope to live and work in peace and contentment. If you are a general and you only come here to make great achievements in battle, then go back and defend the capital as soon as possible!"

Li Wei smiled wryly and said: "Wang Zhongcheng, don't get angry, we all have the heart to make contributions, who is not a hot-blooded son of Ming Dynasty?"

Chen Xun said: "Actually, what Wang Zhongcheng said is right. If we stay at Pianguan in the future, does it mean that we will lose all opportunities to make contributions in the future? There is Zhang Xianshi who can pinch and count in the court, and there are famous generals like Marquis Anbian. Zi Xinbai, now that their infighting hasn't subsided, shall we just stay here with the inside facing the loess and the back facing the sky?"

Liu Jin's eyes widened when he heard that, and he said with a mocking smile: "Hey, I heard you guys are very good at fighting. Will you be able to charge ahead when you send troops to the grassland in the future?"

"Of course." Even though Chen Xun knew it was bragging, he still had to answer the words.

No matter how incompetent Liu Jin was, he was also a guard eunuch sent by the emperor to represent the emperor.

Zhu Feng said with a dejected look on his face: "It's good that the Tatars don't come again, I'll wait here and wait for the court to change its garrison."

All of a sudden Zhu Feng became the target of public criticism again.

The generals below also heard that the famous general in our eyes is a great power who is dedicated to being an idler.

Others are waiting to make contributions, but you are thinking of changing the garrison, meaning you want to return to the capital to live a stable life?
Wang Qiongdao: "Since you all have the heart to serve the country on the battlefield, Your Majesty will definitely be satisfied with you. Now that the Tatar Central Army's account is in the Hetao, when the Qin Dynasty reaches the remote pass, a war will start. , you will have the opportunity to realize your ambitions at that time."

"Suppression?"

Chen Xun shouted loudly just now, but when he heard that he was going to send troops to Hetao, his face clearly said, whoever you like to go, I will not go.

Liu Jin said: "Uncle Wu Ping, the opportunity is here, do you think there are too few opportunities? It's okay, let's suppress the tricks first, and we will seal the wolf and live in Xuxu later, without any ambiguity at all."

"Ha ha."

Chen Xun smiled wryly, and suddenly looked at Zhu Feng with sympathetic eyes.

It seems that he now feels that it is still the Marquis of An Bian who "knows the current affairs", and it is quite good to change his garrison and return to the capital to live a stable life at this time.

Wang Qiong didn't want to listen to this group of veterans in the army talking about it anymore. She was thinking in her heart, can I discuss with you if there is a war?When the time comes to send troops, you have to go if you don't go!

"Everyone, since the war is over, it's time to win. Have you captured cattle and sheep?" Wang Qiong asked.

"No." Chen Xun said.

"There are always horses?" Wang Qiong continued to ask.

"Two... horses, and one ran away..."

Chen Xun was also embarrassed.

It is said that three Tartars were killed. If the three Tartars don't even have horses, wouldn't they just tell others that they killed good men and pretended to be meritorious?
Now at least there are Tatar war horses as circumstantial evidence. Look, what we killed were really "serious" Tatars.

"Let's play." Wang Qiong said, "I'll wait until the side pass, and it will be considered a victory. I will reward the three armies. After the Qin Dynasty arrives, we will discuss how to send troops!"

"Ha ha."

Several bigwigs present were smiling wryly.

I was thinking in my heart, why does this sound so awkward?

……

……

The military council is over.

Liu Jin signed the first performance of the victory, and returned to the guest room where he stayed at the back, with a sad face.

Zhu Feng followed in, and seeing Liu Jin's expression was a little strange and said, "Since it's a victory, why does Eunuch Liu have such an expression?"

Liu Jin said helplessly: "Little General Zhu, you are a person who has made great achievements. You don't understand the pain in the hearts of these little people in our family, so you say that the crown prince has high hopes for our family to come to the northwest. What kind of war situation does our family have?" , we must go to the capital as soon as possible to inform the letter. You said that today is a victory, how can our family tell the prince?"

"Oh."

Only then did Zhu Feng realize why Liu Jin was so distressed.

In addition to Liu Jin's pursuit of meritorious service, it is also because Liu Jin has a "pushing" person behind him, who is the current prince.

"Then Eunuch Liu still needs to tell the truth." Zhu Feng reminded.

"Ah? General Xiao Zhu, what are you talking about? Even if you write a letter to the prince, you don't have to be too responsible, but our family still can't do the deceitful thing. It should be what it should be... It means that we can only send troops to suppress it. Only then will you have the opportunity to establish a great achievement, isn’t that right?”

Liu Jin looked eager.

He originally thought that he would guard the Piantou Pass, waiting for the soldiers to perform meritorious service, and then he would follow Zhanguang to achieve the convenience.

Isn't this the way Zhang Yong made contributions to Ning Yuan at Piantouguan before?
Why do I have to go out with the army, even enter the grassland, and take such a big risk?
Zhu Fengdao: "I don't know how Your Majesty will arrange it. I am more obedient. Brother Zhang told me before leaving, let me listen to Mr. Qin and Mr. Wang, and I will do it."

"You are really... obedient." Liu Jin unconsciously wanted to mock Zhu Feng.

The more I hate this kid Buqi, the more I want to scold him.

You said that you are a famous general in the dynasty, others regard you as Wang Weining's second, and you have a big backer like Zhang Zhou behind you, yet you actually told me that you intend to obey orders and be led by others?
To say you have no ambitions is an understatement.

"I'm going to sleep." Zhu Feng said.

"Heartless..." Liu Jin muttered.

Zhu Feng asked, "What did Eunuch Liu say?"

"Oh, it's okay. I mean you should rest early to prepare for another battle in the future. It's best if there is no wind or waves." Liu Jin explained with a smile.

He doesn't have to be so polite to others, if he satirizes you, he will mock you, how dare you blow your beard and stare at our family?
But for Zhu Feng...

Regardless of Zhu Feng's background, let's say that he, Liu, is still waiting to make contributions with Zhu Feng. Offending this big boss, he can't do his own job.

……

……

The performance of the three Jie Jie was sent to the capital with a fast horse.

Before sunset the next afternoon, the battle report spread to the capital, and it clearly fell into the hands of Zhu Youtang who was having dinner with his wife and children in Kunning Palace.

"Is it a victory? Good."

Zhu Youtang smiled and looked at Dai Yi who came to deliver the letter.

Zhu Houzhao on the side stared: "Is it Liu Jin? Let's say that Liu Jin has inherited the ambition of my son-in-law, so he must have won! Haha."

Zhu Youtang frowned.

Sure enough, this son is still uneducated, and he still inherits?Is Liu Jin the grandson of your son Zhen?Are you dead?

When Zhu Youtang opened the lead-sealed memorabilia and saw the contents above, the smile on his face remained undiminished.

For the generals at the top pass, the result of killing three people is really not worth mentioning, because they know that it will not have any impact on their titles.

But for the emperor, what was most important was that Zhu Feng and Wang Qiong dared to send troops to fight as soon as they reached the frontier, and even "scare away" the Tatars. This was in line with his strategic intention to take the initiative to attack. Three people... that's purely icing on the cake. It's like Zhu Hui and his five-way army suppressed Ordos in the 15th year of Hongzhi and suppressed loneliness. Anyway, the result is enough.

Otherwise, do you really expect a protracted war in the northwest, a battle to settle the grassland?

"How, how?"

Zhu Houzhao was beside him with an eager look on his face.

Zhu Xiurong sat there with a rice bowl in her hand, looking at her father and brother curiously, she still didn't understand what this meant at such a young age.

"Continue to eat!" Queen Zhang couldn't persuade her husband, she could only pull her son.

Zhu Youtang smiled and said: "Very good, the Pianguan sent troops for hundreds of miles, and the Tatars retreated in response to the situation. Daming Pianguan is stable and there is no need to worry about the impact of Weininghou's death. Next, I can let go and prepare to send troops to Hetao."

Zhu Houzhao blinked and asked, "How many Tartars did you kill?"

"Three." Zhu Youtang said these words to his son.

"Three?" Zhu Houzhao almost flipped the table when he heard it.

What about trouble?

Speaking so thrillingly, it seems that the Northwest is about to be pacified, but three people were killed in the end?
"Father, if the calculations are correct, there are at least 30 to [-] Tatars, right? Just kill three... Is it really safe to send troops? Are you afraid they will come back?" Zhu Houzhao was very dissatisfied with this result.

Zhu Youtang said: "You think of using the army as fiddle with the abacus beads? Hurry up and eat, and study hard in the scriptures in the future, and ignore the affairs of the Northwest battlefield! It's Bingkuan who led you to ruin! You don't want to think about it anymore!" Homework, I won’t let him teach you the art of war again! You decide for yourself!”

(End of this chapter)