Chapter 59: Triumphant Return to Zhangcheng, Good Intentions Lead to Bad Results
Chapter 59: Triumphant Return to the City, Good Intentions Lead to Bad Results
On a snowy night in the north, the murderous aura is still there.
Silvery-white snowflakes and dark red bloodstains intertwined, smearing on the ground like a painting.
The remaining eight hundred soldiers were like dead branches after a storm.
Thrown helplessly on the cold ground, the armor was covered with snow, blending into the night.
The knife marks on the armor and the wounds that were still bleeding were faintly visible.
The night is as dark as ink, swallowing up all the colors.
The war was over, and open flames were lit openly, swaying gently in the cold wind.
The despair on their faces was vividly reflected.
The air was filled with the smell of blood and rust, and every rise and fall of my chest became heavier.
It was as if I wanted to inhale all the cold air into my lungs to resist the chill rising from the bottom of my heart.
There was no reluctance in their eyes, only deep fear.
Especially when they caught a glimpse of the young figure wandering around the periphery, they dared not look up.
In front of them, the leader they had barely found on the battlefield was lying in front of them, his limbs thrown together in all directions.
The half head that was trampled by the warhorse had a feather arrow embedded in the forehead.
The bloodstains on it had long been frozen, but a hint of bright red was retained, which made the soldiers feel even colder.
The soldiers of the vanguard army were somewhat incredulous. While cleaning the battlefield, they stole glances at the broken head.
There are many archers in the army who can shoot accurately from a hundred paces away, but there are only a few who can shoot so accurately in the dark.
What's more, he can still maintain such great strength.
The soldiers were mixed together, and the soldiers of the vanguard army whispered to the scouts in front:
"How well does General Lu shoot his bow?"
The soldier glanced at the half-head, a trace of envy flashed in his eyes, and he shook his head slightly:
"I don't know, but Lord Lu can pull the hardest bow in the army."
Some of the surrounding vanguards had a flash of horror in their eyes.
I could accept the fact that I could shoot through the enemy general's head from a hundred steps away.
Not far away, Liu Heiying saw them mumbling around and immediately started cursing:
"Don't dawdle. It's freezing cold. Quickly pack up your military supplies and prepare to return."
As he spoke, he pulled out the feather arrow that was stuck in the grassland man's chest, looked at the arrowhead, and put it into the quiver with satisfaction.
Gyeongju was short of ironware and had little military supplies, so if possible, the swords and horses of high-ranking officials, as well as the gold, silver and jewelry from the grassland people, would be taken away.
As for the leather armor on the grassland people, take away the ones that are intact.
Those that cannot be taken away will gather in the center, and after the final fire, heavy snow and rain will bury them.
Lu Yunyi was standing with Lu Baochuan at this moment, staring at the Tatar deputy general in front of him with a look of suspicion.
"Is this true?" Lu Baochuan frowned and stared at the deputy general with murderous intent on his face.
The man slowly raised his head and glanced at Lu Yunyi secretly.
After noticing a pair of cold eyes, he shuddered and said quickly:
"My Lords, I dare not hide anything, but the specific details are only known to Lord Amin."
Lu Yunyi took a deep breath and scratched his head gently.
Amin had already been shot dead by him, so why ask this question?
However, Lu Yunyi did not regret this matter. As long as the fighting could be ended quickly, these small costs could be borne.
At least we now know why the Tatars came here.
It was not intended to tip off the enemy, but to be a reply to the Northern Yuan court.
Lu Baochuan looked solemn and looked at Lu Yunyi:
"We must return quickly, report this to the general, and send a message to Xuanfu and Datong, saying that the Tatars may invade the border."
A trace of gloom flashed in his eyes, his brows knitted, and he muttered in annoyance:
"When did the Northern Yuan Dynasty collude with the Tatars?
This Tatar is also strange. For the sake of the safety of the Northern Yuan Dynasty, they actually agreed to invade the border? It's really strange."
The military reports that Lu Baochuan had seen earlier all said that the grassland people in the northwest had broken with the Northern Yuan Dynasty.
The Tatars and the Oirat have already divided the land and established themselves as kings, and will not obey the imperial edict.
Now there are so many twists and turns, which makes him a little confused.
Lu Yunyi, who was standing by, acted extremely relaxed. He pointed at the corpse on the ground with the long knife in his hand:
"It's just that the lips and teeth are cold, but now it's not important.
We intercepted the messenger team in time, and the Northern Yuan court will not know about this."
Lu Baochuan thought about it for a moment, then a smile suddenly appeared on his face and he nodded:
"General Lu is right. Fortunately, we arrived here in time to stop them.
Otherwise, if the Northern Yuan Dynasty really gets to know the news, it will be bad.”
After the words fell, Lu Yunyi on the side slowly shook his head and sighed:
"This news must be sent to the Northern Yuan court to let them know about this."
"Why?" Lu Baochuan's face was full of surprise.
Lu Yunyi curled his lips and said: "If the Tatars invaded the border, the Northern Yuan Dynasty would not be so anxious to flee.
When my army arrives, we will destroy them."
Lu Baochuan frowned, clenched and unclenched the fists at his side, and a look of astonishment gradually appeared on his face.
That seems to be the truth.
"Then I'll wait"
Lu Yunyi shrugged: "Good intentions lead to bad consequences."
He turned his body and shouted to Liu Heiying:
"There's a change of plan. Clean up the entire battlefield, bury all the bodies, and take away everything that can be taken away!"
Liu Heiying crawled out from the pile of corpses and shouted "Yes" without hesitation.
Then he ordered the soldiers present to start cleaning the battlefield again.
Three hours later, a raging fire was burning in Feiquan Valley. The front army scouts and the vanguard troops rushed towards Gyeongju with the spoils and prisoners.
One day later, outside the city of Gyeongju, soldiers guarding the city suddenly noticed a tiny black spot on the horizon. It gradually expanded.
It changes from being as small as a soybean to being as large as a millstone, and finally forms a long winding black dragon.
Soon, they welcomed the advance messenger, who announced loudly:
"Open the city gates, and the army will triumph!"
"Open the city gates, and the army returns to the camp!!"
"Which unit is it?" the general guarding the city asked loudly.
"General Lu's scouts and General Lu's vanguards have won a great victory. Open the city gates immediately!"
The general guarding the city was delighted.
"Open the city gate!!"
Soon, wearing black armor and red helmets,
The soldiers, packed full of horses, rushed into the city at full speed.
The war horses trampled on the bluestone road, making a deafening sound.
The people spontaneously flocked to both sides of the road, stopped and watched.
Soon, they saw a familiar figure.
"Hey, isn't that a black eagle? It's getting darker and darker."
"Black Hawk!!! Did we win?"
Liu Heiying turned his head and saw Aunt Li from the east of the city. He smiled and said:
"That's natural, a big win!"
Liu Heiying's voice was so loud that smiles immediately appeared on the faces of the people of Qingzhou, and the coldness in the whole city dissipated a little.
When the onlookers saw the young figure in the center of the army, their eyes lit up with brilliance.
The pretty woman quickly stood on tiptoe and waved her hands gently, her voice sounding like the chirping of birds:
"General Lu."
The children also stared at Lu Yunyi with their eyes wide open and their mouths wide open, shouting:
"General Lu, General Lu"
The clear voice of a child always attracts attention.
Lu Yunyi looked in the direction of the voice, immediately smiled, waved at them and shouted:
"Study hard and learn to read."
The children's faces suddenly fell.
They want to be generals and fight in battles.
Not far away, some young ladies bit their lips with their pearly teeth, their heads slightly lowered.
His eyes were fixed on the figure, and when he noticed his gaze moving towards him, the faint smile on the corner of his mouth could not be wiped away.
Her face was flushed, her whole body was hot, and she gently covered her chest with her palms.
"Ah~ General Lu is so handsome, but it's a pity... I have no chance to be with him."
Lu Yunyi was used to this kind of situation. It was always like this when he was the general flag bearer. Soon, the soldiers rushed into the army camp.
The loud sound of horse hooves attracted countless soldiers to stick their heads out, and when they saw the flag of the front army, they looked surprised.
You're returning to camp so soon?"
At the front scout camp, Lu Yunyi led the soldiers back and stopped at the parade ground.
He rode his horse and looked at the soldiers present, and shouted:
"The military merit list is in the clerk's office. All soldiers can go and check it. If you have any objections, please raise them in time.
Those with minor injuries will wait in the military tent, where military doctors will come to treat them.
Don't worry, you should take care of the seriously injured brothers first.
After that, everyone will receive guidance and treatment from the military doctor.
Remember, everyone, no one is exempted, this is a military order."
Lu Yunyi looked at the few horses wrapped in white cloth at the back, sighed softly, and said loudly:
"The dead brother helped him to collect the body and the spoils,
In addition, the ten ranks killed by our troops will be divided among them and the ranks will be deducted from the officers.
In addition, the brothers have made great contributions in the battle, and I believe many of them have made some achievements.
This time I will go to the general and ask for a reward from you!
Okay, let's go and rest."
The soldiers cheered and dispersed in great joy.
Now I can finally have a good new year.
After doing all this, Lu Yunyi took a deep breath and waved to Liu Heiying.
He immediately leaned over and Lu Yunyi said:
"Let those people from the Qianhu Office come over to help and participate.
We had a lot of spoils from the previous battle, so we took some meat from them and gave it to them.
Since we didn't bring them with us in this fight, we should at least give them some benefits, otherwise it would seem that you, as a superior, are redundant."
Liu Heiying's eyes flickered and he nodded repeatedly.
He was from a merchant family and was good at measuring things. He chuckled:
"Brother Yun'er, don't worry, I will make sure everything is arranged.
Those people don't like fighting, they just like staying in the barracks.
Now that they can get meat for work, they will be so happy.”
"You make the decision yourself. I'm going to the central army tent now."
"Okay, Brother Yun'er, you go ahead."
When Lu Yunyi was about to leave the tent, he looked back.
The soldiers all had smiles on their faces, and happily rushed towards the military clerk.
Confirm their own achievements, even if they have confirmed them countless times.
Lu Yunyi smiled, took off the head armor and put it in his arms.
He wiped the blood off his face and strode out of the front military camp.
Soon, Lu Yunyi arrived at the central military tent where Lan Yu was, with a slightly strange look on his face.
He had previously gone to the front army tent where Wang Bi was, but was told that Marquis Dingyuan asked him to come here.
Shi Zhengyu was still on duty. When he saw Lu Yunyi coming, he laughed out loud:
"Congratulations, General Lu, for winning this battle!"
"Brother Shi, you are too kind. The brothers in the vanguard army really cooperate well." Lu Yunyi smiled lightly.
Shi Zhengyu waved his hand:
"Hey~ Don't be modest, I know your abilities.
I heard from Lu Baochuan that you shot an arrow through the head of the Tatar general? You must have had a lot of strength. "
"What a coincidence." Lu Yunyi smiled and asked:
"Is Lord Dingyuan in the military tent?"
"Yes, come in, the general has been waiting for you for a long time."
Lu Yunyi walked straight into the military tent. The tent was much more spacious during the day than at night, but also looked more simple.
There was a map sand table, a long table piled with documents, and a figure sitting quietly behind the table.
The difference is that Wang Bi, Marquis of Dingyuan, and Geng Bingwen, Marquis of Changxing, were sitting on one side drinking tea.
The skinny Lu Baochuan stood still like a quail, with a respectful look on his face.
And there was another person in front of the map, he was tall, strong and had a fair face.
Lu Yunyi's eyes flickered, and after a little thought he knew who this person was.
General of the Cavalry, Deputy Commander-in-Chief Yu Tongyuan,
He had two older brothers. One was Yu Tonghai, a naval general before the establishment of the Ming Dynasty, who made the greatest contribution in pacifying Chen Youliang.
The other is Yu Tongyuan, Marquis of Nan'an, one of the twenty-eight marquises.
His father, Yu Tingyu, was a deputy privy councilor and was killed in the attack on Anqing.
Two generations of loyal martyrs, with deep military experience,
Today, the navies in various places were previously their private armies.
Thinking of this, Lu Yunyi sighed silently.
This was the case during the Hongwu dynasty, where people were related to each other everywhere, and if you offend one person, a whole chain of people would be implicated.
Seeing that Lan Yu was still dealing with the correspondence, Lu Yunyi did not say anything, but bowed to a few people and stood aside.
But at this moment, Lan Yu raised his eyes and snorted coldly:
"Since you're here, why didn't you inform me? Did your father teach you that?"
Lu Yunyi's face froze, and he bowed quickly:
"This humble general greets the general, the two marquises, and the governor."
Yu Tongyuan turned around and looked back and forth between the two of them, with a look of surprise on his face, and soon nodded with a smile.
The general was telling himself that this was his confidant.
Under everyone's surprised gaze, Lan Yu let out a long sigh.
He casually threw the document in his hand away, stood up, moved gently, and asked:
"How is the battle going? Have the elite Tatars got in?"
Lu Yunyi glanced at Marquis Dingyuan, then at the general, and said in a deep voice:
"Reporting to the general, this battle went very smoothly.
We rushed to the valley south of Feiquan Valley a day ago and divided our forces to block it.
Finally, at night, they blocked the Tatars' elite troops.
The front scouts and the vanguard troops blocked the enemy from the front and back and strangled them easily.
More than 700 enemies were killed and 800 captured. Their leader Amin Borshu was beheaded on the spot.
Lan Yu smiled and nodded slightly:
"Not bad, how many casualties are there?"
"Reporting to the general, twenty-one scouts in the front army were killed and forty were injured." Lu Yunyi replied.
Lu Baochuan on the side also replied: "The vanguard army lost 70 lives and 110 were injured."
A hint of satisfaction flashed in Lan Yu's eyes. Such casualties in exchange for more than a thousand elite men could be regarded as a great victory.
"Yes, the rewards for this battle will be distributed before the New Year."
Lan Yu looked at Lu Yunyi with a half-smile:
"You have always been thinking about those soldiers. I have now issued all the rewards in advance. I think you will not have any complaints."
Lu Yunyi was stunned, and quickly said: "Reporting to the general, I have no complaints."
"Oh? The Tatars came at a bad time and almost made you spend the New Year outside the city."
Lan Yu's voice was so rhythmic that it caused Lu Yunyi's mouth to twitch slightly.
When no one was in the military tent, he looked aloof.
With so many people and so many weird people around, Lu Yunyi couldn't figure out Lan Yu's thoughts.
I could only smile awkwardly:
"Please be considerate, General. The soldiers have been training hard, and we just want to have a few days of fun during the New Year."
"Okay, I'll satisfy you. I'll keep my word.
The rewards for this battle will be distributed tomorrow. Go to the quartermaster to collect the silver."
"Thank you, General!" Lu Yunyi and Lu Baochuan bowed repeatedly with happy expressions on their faces.
After Lan Yu's interruption, the three big shots looked at Lu Yunyi with different eyes.
This is not a confidant at all, he is clearly a son.
However, Lu Yunyi was also very capable and found the enemy so easily.
Lan Yu returned to the table and sat down, snorting coldly:
"Now that we have discussed rewards, it is time to discuss punishments.
I heard that you shot the Tatar leader to death with an arrow? And he holds some secrets?"
Lu Yunyi suddenly felt embarrassed and quickly told him about the cooperation between the Tatar tribe and the Northern Yuan court.
"So, if the letter from the Tatar tribe was not delivered, is it possible that Yuan Ting could escape?
Would it be a disaster if we strangled him?" Lan Yu's face darkened, with a fierce look in his eyes.
The atmosphere in the military tent was also somewhat solemn. Everyone present had read the military strategy and could take a general view of the situation.
Know the importance of keeping the Northern Yuan Dynasty court in place.
At this time, Dingyuan Marquis Wang Bi spoke in a deep voice:
"General, this Tatar tribe killed nearly a thousand people in Peking.
Now that they have come to Gyeongju, who knows what they are doing? You cannot punish them for something you have not yet found out."
Geng Bingwen, the Marquis of Changxing, looked at Wang Bi and said in a deep voice:
"Hey~ You are narrow-minded, old man. The general is broad-minded. Why would you punish them for this? There is clearly a reward!"
The two of them sang in unison, and the solemn atmosphere in the military tent was completely dispelled.
Yu Tongyuan's expression became more and more strange as he saw all this. These people were not easy to talk to on a normal day.
Lan Yu snorted coldly and looked at Lu Yunyi with a sharp gaze:
"The news that the Tatars are planning to invade the border must be sent to the Northern Yuan Dynasty no matter what. You come up with a plan."
(End of this chapter)