Chapter 88 The Terrible Feng Sheng
Chapter 88 The Terrible Feng Sheng
As soon as it got dark, torches were lit around the king's tent.
Orange-red flames shot up into the sky, illuminating the majestic royal tent and the guards.
A faint fragrance began to spread inside the king's tent, but the atmosphere was a little solemn.
Usar Khan and the princess sat at the top, and not far from the princess sat a middle-aged woman.
He is in his forties, tall, with light wrinkles at the corners of his eyes, and his eyes show a calm demeanor.
The woman was the wife of Emperor Zhaozong of Yuan and Biriktu Khan, the Goryeo 'Queen Quan'.
Tianbaonu and Dibaonu sat in the first chairs on the left and right sides.
Below him was the thin, dark-skinned Grand Tutor Harazhang.
Taiwei Manzi, who was of strong build and fierce appearance,
The old man with a goat beard, Prime Minister Shi Lie Men,
The Privy Councilor, whose age is unclear, came to
A little further away was Wang Baobao's younger brother, Toyin Temur, the co-director of the Chancellery, and Dorji, the King of Wu of the Yuan Dynasty, a descendant of Hechiwen.
There were only eleven people in the king's tent, which seemed a bit empty.
But these people controlled most of the power, wealth and soldiers of the Northern Yuan Dynasty, and were truly extremely important.
The atmosphere in the king's tent was solemn. Everyone was silent, with their heads down thinking silently, and a trace of panic flashed in their eyes from time to time.
Not long after, the ground guard sitting on the right took a deep breath, looked up with slightly solemn eyes, and asked in a deep voice:
"Khan, is the news true?"
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone present slowly raised their heads and looked upwards.
Usar Khan pursed his lips and nodded heavily:
"Seven days ago, we received news that the Ming army was gathering in the direction of Liaodong, but their whereabouts are unknown.
Three days ago, I received news that the Ming army was not going to Liaodong, but to Qingzhou.
There are already nearly 50,000 soldiers stationed there, and more will arrive continuously.
According to news yesterday, several princes of the Ming Kingdom have arrived in Gyeongju with 40,000 troops.
There are now more than ten dukes and marquises in Qingzhou, with more than 100,000 soldiers, but there is no way to find out their food, fodder, and weapons.”
The atmosphere in the king's tent gradually became more solemn, and everyone's eyes showed a trace of fear.
Especially Di Baonu, his eyes were filled with horror and disbelief, as well as a hint of unwillingness.
He thought of what Arsleng had told him that day about the "general situation of the world".
Arsleng once said that the loss of Liaodong would completely unbalance the two sides.
With sufficient iron ore, the Ming Dynasty might launch an expedition to the north once a year.
But I didn’t expect that it would come true in just ten days!
The Ming people gathered 100,000 troops in Gyeongju. It goes without saying why it was for the Northern Yuan Dynasty.
And if the Ming people mobilized troops, what could the royal court do?
He could only flee in a hurry, thus losing the opportunity to change the army, and even the current good situation would be lost.
The slave clenched his fists tightly, a trace of unwillingness flashed in his eyes, and he slowly lowered his head, clenching his teeth! !
Usar Khan's voice came again:
"Previously, we believed that the Ming Kingdom was deploying troops on the border in preparation for the next northern expedition, so the royal court expanded the army by more than 10,000 soldiers to prepare for any emergency.
Judging from the current news, the Ming Kingdom is fully prepared and only needs to march forward."
Usar Khan's eyes dimmed, and he continued:
"It will take at least ten days to send a letter from Gyeongju to the royal court.
There are too many variables in these ten days. It is possible that the Ming army has already dispatched troops. We don’t have much time left to make a decision.
What do you think, whether to leave or stay? "
The descendant of Hachiwen, the Mongol Wu King 'Duo'erzhi' was a skinny grassland man with a long beard. A hint of hostility flashed in his eyes, and he spoke first:
"Khan, we can't go any further.
The king's court had come all the way here just to find a place to stay. Now the Ming army was coming fiercely.
Where else can the royal court go? It is better to fight to the death in Buiyuer Lake."
Everyone present turned their eyes to this man, knowing exactly what he was thinking.
Buyuer Lake was the territory of the Khanate of Hechiweng, and Wu Wang Duoer stayed in Buyuer Lake.
The Ming army attacked, if you escape
He was completely unable to stop the Ming army by himself, and could only flee with Wang Ting.
The Khanate of Hechiweng, which had been struggling to survive, would be completely annihilated, and he would become a lost dog like everyone present.
"We can't fight. We need to leave quickly." A gentle but cold voice sounded.
Queen Quan, who was sitting at the top, looked solemn and spoke slowly:
"We lost in Helin, we lost in Jinshan,
Now that we have fled to Bui'er Lake, the Ming people still do not intend to let us go.
I can't continue to fight like a tyrant. I would like to ask you gentlemen,
How is the royal court today compared to one year ago, and how is it compared to ten years ago? Has it become weaker or stronger?
What about the Ming army? Has it become weaker or stronger? We couldn’t defeat them back then, and we can’t defeat them even more now! "
The hearts of the people present sank, not to mention compared to ten years ago,
Compared to last year, the royal court is more than 50% weaker.
Last year, Captain Naha led his army to defeat Jinshan, and Liaodong was completely returned to the Ming Dynasty.
The Northern Yuan Dynasty lost 200,000 soldiers and troops, as well as all kinds of minerals on which it depended for support.
It is no exaggeration to say that today's Yuan court cannot even defeat the Nahachu tribe last year, so how can it fight against the increasingly powerful Ming army?
"Run, run, run, where can you escape to? Are you really going to live with the wild people in the North Mountain?" Duo'er just kept repeating it annoyedly, with some irritation in her voice.
At this time, Usar Khan sighed:
"I have already contacted the barbarians in the northern mountains. We can head northeast and become their neighbors.
The Khan originally planned to rest and recuperate in Buir Lake.
We will wait until autumn to march north again, and use this time to train our troops.
But the Ming people didn't give us a chance to breathe." Usar Khan smiled bitterly.
There was a trace of reluctance in the eyes of Dibaonu and Tianbaonu.
They all wanted to use the excuse of military training to expand their strength, but the news from the Ming people disrupted their deployment.
"Are you really leaving, Khan?" Toghon Timur, who was sitting below, slowly raised his head, his face full of bitterness and his pupils shaking slightly.
Wusar Khan sighed: "The Ming people want to kill us all, we can't act rashly.
I know you have been wanting to avenge the King of Henan for years, but now... is not the time."
Toyin Timur's face turned red, and he looked unwilling.
But he could also see the current situation clearly. He sighed deeply and said nothing more.
Wusar Khan turned his gaze to the Grand Commandant Manzi and Grand Master Harazhang, who were in charge of the Yuan imperial guards, and asked:
"What are the thoughts of the Grand Commandant and Grand Master, should they fight or flee?"
Taiwei Manzi said coldly: "Since the Khan has already made the decision, why ask us?"
Usarhan clenched his fists suddenly, and a hint of anger flashed in his eyes!
Grand Tutor Ha La Zhang's attitude was much more relaxed. After thinking for a while, he asked in a deep voice:
“Khan, is the news reliable?
If this is fake news spread by Ming people just to make us run around in a hurry, what should we do? "
Wusar Khan took a deep breath, suppressed his anger, and nodded:
"The news is reliable."
"May I ask Khan, who brought the news? Why are you so sure?" Harazhan continued to ask.
Usar Khan looked solemn and hesitated for a long time. A hint of determination flashed in his eyes, and he said as if he was deflated:
"The messenger has a lot of business dealings with the royal court. They sell us salt, iron, tea and grain.
In exchange, some animal skins and mineral deposits discovered in the royal court will be sent to the Ming Kingdom.
And in order to maintain their business, if the royal court is facing a life-or-death crisis, they will lend a helping hand.”
After hearing this, Harazhang suddenly understood and nodded:
"In this case, if the royal court is destroyed, it will not be a good thing for them, so it is understandable that they leaked the news.
May I ask the Khan, is the help they mentioned just a tip-off?"
Usar Khan said in a hollow voice: "I met their messenger a few years ago, and they promised me,
If the Ming army really marched north, they would inform the enemy at the same time.
Obstruct the Ming army's food and grass transportation and buy us enough time to evacuate.
In addition, they would also do their best to stop the Ming Dynasty's northern expedition.
Now it seems that he cannot be stopped. The old emperor of Ming has gone mad."
The people present looked at each other and narrowed their eyes. Many of them looked at each other in confusion.
Dibaonu and Tianbaonu were stunned. They had no idea about this matter.
Usar Khan took in the expressions of these people, and a trace of gloom flashed through his heart.
In this royal court, the only ones who had no connection with the Ming people were his two foolish sons.
With a soft sigh, Usar Khan collected his thoughts and spoke in a deep voice:
"Since the Ming Dynasty has sent a letter, it means that the situation has reached an irreversible point. You should prepare quickly and retreat to the northeast." "Khan, who is the Ming general? Is it Feng Sheng again?" Taiwei Manzi asked, with deep fear and a hint of dread in his eyes.
When it comes to Feng Sheng, this is what everyone present thinks.
For twenty years, the grassland has never won even one victory at the hands of this man.
Usar Khan shook his head:
"It's Lan Yu. The left and right deputy generals are Tang Shengzong and Guo Ying. Tang Shengzong is recruiting soldiers, and Guo Ying is guarding Liaodong and forging military equipment."
Some people present looked puzzled, and Toyin Timur explained:
"I fought with Lan Yu in Liaodong last year. He was Feng Sheng's deputy general at the time."
Taiwei Manzi also knew Lan Yu's name, but he had never fought with him, so he asked, "How do you fight?"
Toyin Timur did not answer directly, but snorted coldly:
"Among the great generals of the Ming Dynasty, which one is the most easy-going?
Guo Ying has been in Liaodong for three years and has fought with us countless times, but we have never gained any advantage. Lan Yu must be very capable to be able to defeat Guo Ying."
Queen Quan looked thoughtful, with a gleam in her eyes:
"I remember this man. Sixteen years ago, during the battle with Lin,
He was the vanguard under Xu Da. That time, Xu Da's central army was defeated, and only Feng Sheng in the west inflicted heavy losses on us.
Now Feng Sheng is gone, but the Ming army is strong.
We can't underestimate Lan Yu, so we should head north as soon as possible and not stay here for too long."
Usar Khan glanced at the military tents and saw that they were all silent. He breathed a sigh of relief and said in a deep voice:
"In this case, the news of the Ming army's northern expedition will be blocked first.
Everyone, go back and get ready quickly. Once all the soldiers have gathered, we will leave quickly."
"Yes"
There were sporadic voices coming from the army tent, which were not noticeable.
Usar Khan just sat there and watched them leave quietly.
What comforted him was that Tianbaonu and Dibaonu did not leave, but waited there quietly.
It was not until there were only four people left in the king's tent that Usar Khan began to laugh:
"In the end, we still have to face it together."
A trace of sadness flashed across Princess Beiyuan's brows. She gently held his big hand and said softly:
"Khan. The royal court will definitely survive this crisis."
Usar Khan smiled and said, "Sure."
He looked at his two sons below and asked:
"Why don't you leave?"
Tianbao Nu was the first to speak: "Your Majesty, the news came too suddenly, and I was caught off guard.
Recently, my subordinates have been out selecting young and strong men to prepare for the expansion of the army and training.
This news from Ming Country comes at a really bad time."
A complex expression flashed across Tianbaonu's face, and he felt extremely depressed.
Originally, he could have relied on this military expansion to openly possess soldiers, but now it was suddenly disrupted. How could he be willing to accept this?
The same idea also came from Dibaonu.
After listening to Arisleng's words, Dibaonu thought that this was one of his few chances, but the Ming Kingdom intervened and ruined his plan.
Usar Khan took in the expressions of his two sons, sighed softly, and had a complicated look on his face:
"The old emperor of Ming is really going to die, and he is getting more and more anxious.
Last year, 200,000 troops were mobilized to march north. Less than a year later, another 100,000 troops were mobilized. The Ming Empire was getting stronger and stronger.
I wanted to rest and recuperate here, but now it’s not possible.”
Usar Khan's eyes flashed with disappointment, but he forced himself to cheer up and asked with a smile:
"How are the troops you two training?"
The landkeeper spoke:
"Reporting to the Khan, after learning that the Ming army stationed troops in Qingzhou,
I have ordered Arsleng to lead the troops to investigate in the south.
He also promised me that he would teach me the scouting methods of the Naiman tribe.
Tian Baonu bowed slightly and said, "Boershu is already teaching the soldiers how to charge into battle formations.
I have been there to see it, and it has already begun to show its power, but it is a pity that the Ming Kingdom does not give us time."
Usar Khan nodded with satisfaction:
"You have done a good job. Although the Ming army has arrived, the soldiers can still be trained.
It will take some time for us to go north.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, all the young and strong men outside the camp were incorporated into the new army so that they could learn as much as possible.
If the Ming army attacks, let them go and resist."
As they spoke, a trace of unwillingness flashed in Tianbaonu and Dibaonu's eyes.
Although those were "sinners" and the new army, they were still their soldiers after all.
Seeing that the two were still silent, Princess Beiyuan said softly:
“You have to understand the Khan. The royal court is in crisis and people’s hearts are scattered. It is not easy to get those adults to send troops.
As princes, you must follow the example of others and set an example for others."
Usar Khan's face was full of frost, and he said in a cold voice:
“The tribesmen outside the camp serve as a barrier. They will not send out troops until all of them are dead.
Now that Arsleng and Borshu are here, let them resist the Ming people first.
They are from outside the tribe. If they died in battle, the elders in the tribe would have no reason to obstruct the troops from going out.”
Tianbao Nu looked unwilling, but he also knew that this was the only way.
Everyone present just now had soldiers and horses in their hands, and they pretended to obey Wang Ting but actually disobeyed him.
At this moment, Dibao Nu's resentment was many times greater than Tianbao Nu's! !
Arsleng was under his command, and Borshu also showed some submission.
As long as he continues to develop, he will soon be able to control all the new troops and defeat the Tianbao slaves in one fell swoop.
But now, because of the arrival of Ming people, it has become nothing.
Many days of planning went down the drain.
Usar Khan's eyes dimmed and he sighed softly:
“Don’t be reluctant, the decline of the royal court is not due to the soldiers, but to the generals.
Compared to the Ming Kingdom, my royal court still has to rely on outsiders, which is really ridiculous."
The land security slave was still a little unwilling, a gleam of light flashed in his eyes, and he raised his head suddenly:
"Khan, I still have some doubts. Why didn't our people notice the news of the troops gathering in Qingzhou?"
Usar Khan sighed, took out a letter from the side and handed it over:
"The secret agents sent by the royal court have been strangled to death by a general named Lu Yunyi from Qingzhou.
Ming's friends initially speculated that the army would march north based on Lu Yunyi's military achievements.
It was not until those princes arrived in Gyeongju that it was fully confirmed.
By the way, the Ming army that Arisleng and Borshu encountered outside Qingzhou must have been strangled by him, and that person was promoted because of this. "
Dibaonu took the letter and looked at it. Tianbaonu also came over.
When he saw the contents of the letter, he was shocked.
Arisleng and Borshu are the generals whom the two men rely on. They know their abilities very well and admire them very much.
But now the letter told them that these two were defeated by the same person and were beaten badly, which made them unable to accept it for a while.
Usar Khan forced a smile:
“I tell you all this to tell you that those two are defeated generals. If you abandon them, you abandon them. Don’t be reluctant to let them go.
When you two find a general like Lu Yunyi, it will be too late even if you are reluctant to let him go."
"I understand, son."
(End of this chapter)