The First Gongsheng of Ming Dynasty

The second day of November.

On this day, there was a heavy snowfall around Daning. Although the soldiers got up in the middle of the night to prepare for the snow disaster, when most of the soldiers got up in the morning, the heavy snow had already covered the entire camp, many tents collapsed, and many people were clearing away the snow.

The horses also looked sick because of the snow. Quartermasters and generals in various parts of the army were counting the men, horses and supplies in their respective camps.

Cui Yuan personally went around the camp to inspect the damage, and then he went back to find Zhu Feng.

As the deputy commander, Zhu Feng should be more hands-on, but obviously Zhu Feng is not as patient as Cui Yuan when it comes to logistical supplies, nor is he as approachable as Cui Yuan seems to be.

"Zhijie, the current situation is not good. If things go wrong, we will have no choice but to go back home. This is...returning without success."

After all, Cui Yuan does not have the courage of Wang Shouren.

As rumored in the military, Cui Yuan is the man most like Xin Xin Bo. He has always existed under the aura of Xin Xin Bo No. 2. Others will also think that he is very brave in leading troops in battles. Two hundred people dare to fight against ten thousand Tatars. People, even compared to Xin Xin Bo, are no less generous.

But the actual situation of Cui Yuan is that he is a sensible scholar... In other words, he uses caution as reason. He also knows that his future is obtained by marriage. At this time, saving his life is more important than anything else.

Zhu Feng said with a self-blaming look on his face: "It's all my fault. If I hadn't suggested leading troops to Daning, I wouldn't have missed the opportunity to fight. Now there's no chance."

Zhu Feng looked up at the vast snowy field outside, his face full of self-blame.

Cui Yuan put his hand on Zhu Feng's shoulder and sighed softly: "I can't blame you. We just don't want the Tatars to cause trouble in Daning. Even if His Majesty knew about it, he wouldn't blame us too much. Besides, military orders I gave the order, and if I have to take responsibility, it will be me."

"Brother Cui, you are really responsible. I... admire you very much."

Zhu Feng looked at Cui Yuan with grateful eyes.

There is a feeling of finding a confidant. It may be that Cui Yuan has given Zhu Feng a lot of advice recently. At least in Zhu Feng's eyes, Cui Yuan is not as "cold" as Zhang Zhou. It seems that he will discuss everything with him. It just made him feel so close.

And Zhang Zhou...

In Zhu Feng's mind, he was more like a mysterious semi-immortal.

Cui Yuandao: "We have passed through Daning for more than three hundred miles. If we continue walking, there is no guarantee that we will not encounter any special circumstances. In my opinion, it is better for us to go directly to Liaodong. From Liaodong, we will return to Jizhou."

"This won't work." Zhu Feng said, "If we go to Liaodong, our soldiers and horses will not be on the same side as them, and they will cause trouble for us in matters such as customs clearance. We may not even be able to enter the customs... which will delay our trip. , when the court calls for accountability, we will shoulder the responsibility."

Cui Yuan nodded and said: "You better understand the joints. If we don't go to Liaodong, we can't go directly from Daning. Not to mention the hardships along the way...Forget it, let's go east again, like this To avoid the Tatar invasion, let’s go south towards Jizhou.”

"Yeah, okay." Zhu Feng had no objection this time.

Cui Yuandao: "You will lead the way."

Zhu Feng looked confused and said: "I thought...Brother Cui, you know the way...there should be someone in the army who can lead the way."

"This……"

Cui Yuan also looked a little embarrassed.

But fortunately, Cui Yuan is a sincere person and does not hide anything. He explained: "At first, we followed the map, but starting from three days ago, we are no longer taking a formal path. The ancient roads are not included. I asked the guide and he said that this is the territory of the Tatars. Unless it is during the Northern Expedition, otherwise... the Ming Dynasty soldiers may not come here in their lifetime. I refused to let them explore the road at night, saying that it was from the surrounding area. The terrain is very undulating, so in order to prevent avalanches and difficulty in walking, it is best for us to choose a major road."

Zhu Feng asked: "Where is the main road?"

"Uh..." Cui Yuan looked confused, "Still looking."

Zhu Feng also seemed speechless.

After working for a long time, the army has been "lost" by now? !

No wonder you, Cui Yuanli, are mainly heading east. You are afraid of falling into the trap of the Tatars, so you choose the safest path...

Zhu Feng said: "It was easy to find the road before, but with this snow, the situation may not be good."

"Who says it's not the case? If we go back the way we came, the mountains on the road... after the snow, the road will be impossible to walk. But if we don't go the way we came, we can only explore the road by ourselves... the situation may be even worse."

Cui Yuan was also worried.

Only then did Zhu Feng realize how bad it would be to find someone who was also a head coach and led an army for the first time as his boss.

Everything is explored, even the way to fight has to be found by oneself.

Zhu Feng asked: "Then shall we stay here for a few days?"

"No." Cui Yuandao, "We can only... explore while walking."

"Ah."

Zhu Feng nodded.

There seemed to be no better way for him at the moment.

……

……

Zhang Yong arrived at Santun Camp and didn't leave for three days.

He would visit Zhang Zhou every day, saying that he wanted to learn from Zhang Zhou, but in fact he just wanted to get acquainted with Zhang Zhou so that he could give Zhang Yong another chance when he had a major task next time.

On this day, when Zhang Yong went to meet Zhang Zhou in the courtyard where he lived, he saw Zhang Zhou studying the topographic map, which was around Daning.

Zhang Yong instinctively felt that there might be a war between Cui Yuan and Zhu Feng. He asked: "Mr. Zhang, I heard that it is snowing in the north. The snow is quite heavy. It will not affect your strategic plan." ?”

Zhang Zhou said: "Eunuch Zhang, can I say that I actually know almost nothing about the situation in the north? It has even been many days since Jingshan Bo and Anbian Hou sent anyone back?"

"Then...they..."

Zhang Yong didn’t understand either.

The army went on an expedition and actually lost contact with the border?

Before this changes, we must be prepared for the entire army to be wiped out.

Zhang Zhou sighed: "They did not march according to the established plan. They decided to change the road temporarily. However, from Daning to the north, it does not mean that there is no way to go. If it snows again, they must avoid being caught. The Tatars attacked."

Zhang Yongdao: "That's quite worrying. How about... sending people for reinforcements?"

Zhang Zhou smiled and asked: "Where can we go for reinforcements?"

"This..." Zhang Yong didn't know how to answer.

The other party is lost, so we send troops to reinforce it. Don't even end up getting lost ourselves. Then it will be interesting...

Zhang Zhou said: "But according to my analysis, if they just go east instead of west, it will not be difficult to retreat smoothly. But I guess they won't be able to fight the Tatars head-on."

"Mr. Zhang, this group of people...has accomplished nothing?" Zhang Yong asked.

Zhang Zhou shook his head and said: "It's not certain. Now the Tatars have obviously hidden all their main combat forces. They also know that our Ming troops cannot stay on the grassland for a long time... With their familiarity with the terrain, Come and deal with us. If what I predict is correct, they will definitely disperse their troops and station them in some places they think are safe."

"Where is it safe?"

Zhang Yong was very excited.

He really wanted to know where the Tatars were. If he could lead a group of people to raid, wouldn't it mean that he had received the credit?

At present, the advantage of Daming firearms over the Tatars lies in Zhang Yong's eyes.

Zhang Yong is not afraid of fighting.

Zhang Zhou made some gestures on the map and said: "Either they are stationed very far north, or they are scattered in some areas that are convenient for advancing and retreating. They can take advantage of the terrain to detect the movements of our troops and horses at any time, and follow their directions." Be familiar with the terrain and do avoidance to ensure that Ming’s troops cannot catch up with them.”

"where?"

Zhang Yong's eyes widened and he almost turned over the map to look at it. He just didn't know where the so-called good place was.

Zhang Zhou smiled and said: "If I knew where it was, I would lead the troops myself."

"This...is also the same."

Zhang Yong was also slightly embarrassed.

However, in Zhang Yong's view, this may be because Zhang Zhou was unwilling to give him the credit and deliberately hid it, but this is only a possibility.

In order to show that he knew the military, Zhang Yong also analyzed: "Sir, do you think we are right? If we follow the previous pattern, it is possible for the Tatars to go north or hide. But as the weather turns colder and the sky is covered with snow, it is no longer convenient for them to continue walking north, do you think that’s right?”

"Yeah." Zhang Zhou nodded.

Zhang Yongdao: "As far as we know, in addition to the people from Ji Town in the east, even Xin Xinbo is looking for the Tatars. But the main force of the Tatars is closer to Ningxia. After all, they have just invaded the border from Ningxia. The smoke has not been dissipated yet.”

Zhang Zhou smiled and said: "It doesn't necessarily have to be in Ningxia. The grassland is so big. They will divide their troops in different places. What's more, the composition of the Tatars is different from ours. They are based on tribes, just like the Duoyan Three Guards. They They are also gradually migrating and adapting.”

Zhang Yongdao: "Is there any chance of finding the main force of the Tatars in the east?"

"It's possible. I only say it's possible, because I'm not a roundworm in the Tatar's stomach, and I can't answer your question, Eunuch Zhang."

Zhang Zhou seemed very indifferent.

I don’t know, I’m exploring, but I can’t verify it, so what else should I tell you?

Zhang Yong said anxiously: "Then Prince Consort Cui and the young prince from Duke Cheng's Mansion..."

Zhang Zhou shrugged and said, "It depends on their luck. If they are really ambushed by the Tatars, they will actually make a profit."

"what?"

Zhang Yong thought for a moment, then understood what this meant and said with a smile, "The Tatars will not take the initiative to fight them."

"Not necessarily. Eunuch Zhang should also know that this firearm is easy to jam in winter, especially when it is ice and snow, and the Tatars seem to be very good at fighting in winter. Maybe they have such courage?"

"Haha, sir, you are joking. Now the Tatars all know how powerful the Ming Dynasty's military power is. If they still want to wait until next spring to go hunting, they will not dare to attack, so... Uncle Xinjian dared to march straight in, but If Prince Consort Cui and the young prince don't have that kind of courage, as long as they withdraw, this military power will be reflected."

Zhang Yong tried to compliment Cui Yuan and Zhu Feng.

But Zhang Yong knew very well that these two men were not materials for a tough fight, and even their military exploits were more of a matter of luck.

Zhang Zhou said: "Then I can only wait for the news from them. If they don't come back, maybe I can only send people to look for them... Oh! It's like a lost child who went out to play, and the parents will inevitably worry."

When Zhang Yong heard this, could he still compare it like this?

He then smiled and said: "That's right, that's right. Sir, please pay more attention."

Zhang Yong was still a little disappointed.

You talked about children and parents in front of a eunuch... Aren't you sincerely trying to make me unhappy and make me sad?

……

……

Zhang Zhou was waiting for news from Cui Yuan and Zhu Feng, while Zhu Youtang was waiting for news from various people.

But overall... the situation is not optimistic.

When Zhu Youtang woke up this morning, it was already three o'clock in the morning. He was still recovering from his illness. He didn't have to go to court recently, but every morning he would ask Chen Kuan to sort out the battle report of the previous day and bring it to Qianqing Palace to tell him.

This day was another fruitless day.

Zhu Youtang frowned and said: "It doesn't matter if the British didn't find the Tatars, why is there no news even from Wang Qiong, Wang Shouren and Zhijie? Did the Tatars fly away out of thin air?"

Chen Kuandao: "Your Majesty, everyone is saying that the Tatars know how powerful the Ming Dynasty is and dare not invade. We are just like hunters... When they went out with firearms, the Tatars hid in the mountains and waited for the hunters to leave. They don’t want to be more outrageous.”

Zhu Youtang said angrily: "Emotions treat the borderland as their back garden. They can come and leave whenever they want, right? Can't they be eradicated?"

Chen Kuan lowered his head and said: "Maybe... the generals from all walks of life are also looking for the Tatars, but... the Tatars deliberately want to avoid them. They want to have a small chance of defeating us, but they have to hide in the vast grassland. It seems...it’s not that difficult.”

"It depends on Bingkuan..."

Zhu Youtang thought of Zhang Zhoulai again, and his expression seemed less anxious.

Chen Kuandao: "Cai Guogong has been at Santun camp these past two days. It is said that he is going to the port, but he has not left. Also... there seems to be no news from Anbian Hou and Jingshan Bo. "

"Is there a fight?" Zhu Youtang looked forward to it. "They sent troops under Bingkuan's direct instruction. If everything goes well, they will encounter the Tatars and win."

Chen Kuan looked very frustrated and said: "Back to Your Majesty, they were delayed due to marching and took a circuit from Daning. In fact, they missed the original route and missed... the opportunity. They may also... not have If you follow the established route, it might be..."

"Okay, just say they have improper strategy! I won't blame them! The purpose of their going to Daning is that they don't know the movements of the three guards of Duoyan. They want to help Bingkuan, but also want to scare the three guards of Duoyan. In this regard, they They have done a good job, and they should always have their own opinions when they are outside. I even think they should be rewarded."

"Your Majesty, having said that, it is..."

"No need to say it." Zhu Youtang stretched out his hand to interrupt Chen Kuan and said, "If you have news, bring it to me. If there is no news, it is not necessarily bad news. Maybe the next one will be good news? Bingkuan is in charge of military and political matters. Don't worry. It won't work this time... there will always be a next time." (End of Chapter)