Chapter 113: The War is Hindered
Chapter 113: The War is Hindered
Eighty miles northeast of Buihuerhai Lake,
This is where most of the fleeing vanguard troops of the Northern Yuan Dynasty court were stationed, and it was also the location of the camp of Grand Tutor Halazhang.
Taiwei Manzi was killed in battle, and Prime Minister Shi Liemen was defeated and fled.
As the last support force of the Northern Yuan Dynasty,
Grand Tutor Halazhang built a stronghold and resisted to the death!
Lu Yunyi once made a calculation on the Taishi Harazhang tribe.
There are about 20,000 households and nearly 100,000 people under its jurisdiction.
After the fall of Nahachu, it was the largest force in the Northern Yuan Dynasty.
Although he was affiliated with the Northern Yuan Dynasty, he was not seen in court meetings or daily meetings.
He would only go to the Northern Yuan Dynasty's royal tent during some important gatherings.
Lu Yunyi had only seen him once during the New Year on the grassland and had never spoken to him.
At this moment, Lan Yu was in the army's temporary camp.
Looking at the military reports in his hands, his face was gloomy!
The 30,000 troops of Lan Yu's confidant, Zhang Yi, Marquis of Heqing, and Duke of Shen, Deng Zhen, fought against Grand Tutor Ha La Zhang.
There were also more than 20,000 troops led by Xiongwu Marquis Zhou Wu and Dongchuan Marquis Hu Hai, who arrived later.
Because the battle in the central army broke out suddenly, although the Northern Yuan Dynasty court had little time to react, it was quickly defeated.
But the front troops, which were far away, had a chance to react.
Setting up camp and building fortifications in time caused great trouble to the army.
As the strategist of this war, Lan Yu had already anticipated this.
Therefore, Xiongwu Hou Zhou Wu and Dongchuan Hou Hu Hai led their troops to annihilate the enemy and quickly arrived here to meet the enemy together with Deng Zhen and others.
But they still underestimated Grand Tutor Halazhang.
After a night of fierce attacks, no results were seen until this morning.
Now military reports came in one after another, and the soldiers suffered heavy losses, which made Lan Yu very angry.
They were attacking the camp, and the battle should have ended with a crushing defeat.
But the resistance of Grand Master Ha La Zhang was more tenacious than he had imagined.
This was also the most elite force of the Northern Yuan army he had ever encountered.
In the central military tent, as the shouting and killing outside gradually subsided,
Many generals gathered in the military tent, waiting for orders.
At this time, the atmosphere in the military tent was somewhat solemn.
Lan Yu sat at the head of the table, looked at Heqing Marquis Zhang Yi, and asked in a cold voice:
"Why didn't you stop the Northern Yuan army before they attacked yesterday?"
Heqing Marquis Zhang Yi is a middle-aged man in his forties.
In his early years, he followed Lan Yu in his campaigns. In the 17th year of Hongwu, he was granted a title and became a general under Lan Yu.
At this moment, he looked a little embarrassed, with his head armor in his hand and his hair disheveled.
There was some dirt on his face, some blood on his armor,
He looked unwilling and sighed heavily:
"General, this Grand Master Harazhang has evil intentions.
There were spies stationed near the Northern Yuan Dynasty's royal tent.
As soon as the battle broke out near the king's tent, he received the news and deployed defensive fortifications.
When I arrived with my army, they had already taken possession of the mountain and were fully prepared.
Most of his cavalry, after charging twice without gaining any advantage, hastily gave up and waited for Duke Shen to arrive with his infantry.
I suspect that this Harazhang has long had rebellious intentions.
Even the defensive fortifications were prepared early.
I'm afraid they are not defending us, but the Northern Yuan Dynasty."
Lan Yu's face was solemn, he sat high up with deep eye sockets,
To ensure the success of this war,
He decided to attack the Northern Yuan Dynasty's central army first, disperse Usar Khan and other powerful people, and then deal with the front and rear armies.
Because of this, the rear army, which was slightly closer to the main army, was defeated by Wang Bi, and the central army was defeated by him leading 20,000 cavalrymen to attack the camp.
The army far ahead was in a stalemate.
Taking a deep breath, Lan Yu snorted:
"The military order was not completed, so why should there be so many excuses?
We have many soldiers and horses, and they are well-armored. If we fail to defeat the enemy, we will be punished after the battle."
Heqing Marquis Zhang Yi slowly lowered his head, looking ashamed.
Zhang Yi was Lan Yu's confidant, and it was common for him to be scolded in public to establish his authority.
So he was somewhat used to it.
He looked like this because he was lamenting that he had wasted a great opportunity to make a contribution.
"I am willing to be punished, but please give me another chance.
I swear that I will capture the camp of Harazhang within five days!"
"Five days?" Lan Yu's eyes widened, his face full of anger.
"The army is now attacking the camp, and this will take five days.
If we were to attack openly, wouldn't the battle last until next year?"
Heqing Marquis Zhang Yi slowly lowered his head, pursed his lips and clenched his fists.
Lan Yu ignored him and looked at Deng Zhen:
"How much military supplies, food, fodder and weapons are left? How many days can it last?"
Duke Deng Zhen of Shen State had a serious look on his face. He took out the booklet from his arms, glanced at it, and said loudly:
"General, because we came in such a hurry, our army has little food and grass left.
Fortunately, the captured grain and grass from the Northern Yuan Dynasty were quite a lot, and preliminary estimates showed that they were in the central and rear armies.
There are 110,000 cattle and sheep alone, and 3,000 carts for transporting supplies and food, enough to sustain our army for several months.
If more of those grassland people died, it would be enough to sustain for half a year.
Lan Yu listened with no expression and nodded silently, while Deng Zhen continued:
"There are some missing weapons, although we brought craftsmen with us.
However, due to the shortage of iron in the Northern Yuan Dynasty court, the arrows, bows and crossbows as well as the soldiers' swords could not be replenished and could only be repaired with difficulty.
Moreover, they can use the long swords and crossbows of the Northern Yuan Dynasty to solve the urgent problem.
It’s just that armor is hard to replenish, and the grassland people have very little armor.”
Lan Yu nodded slightly and ordered in a cold voice:
"The long swords and bows will not be repaired, and the remaining fine iron will be used to repair armor."
"Yes." Deng Zhen looked solemn and took note of the matter.
Lan Yu thought for a moment and spoke again:
“Order all 30,000 of Wang Bi’s vanguard troops to come here and join the attack. Make sure to capture the camp within five days.
In addition, Lu Yunyi was ordered to gather 10,000 grassland captives and send them here along with the Princess of the Northern Yuan Dynasty."
After these words were spoken, the people present looked at each other in bewilderment.
Most of them have read Lu Yunyi's letters.
Knowing that the Princess of the Northern Yuan Dynasty had an extraordinary rule over those "criminals" on the grassland,
I'm afraid the general's move...
Deng Zhen, who had the highest status, hesitated and whispered:
"General, we defeated the enemy with our captives.
If this gets out, I'm afraid it will give me a bad reputation, and the Princess of Beiyuan may not be willing to cooperate."
"It's not up to her." Lan Yu snorted coldly and looked at Deng Zhen:
"How many prisoners were captured by the Central Army and the Rear Army? Is there any preliminary estimate?"
Deng Zhen flipped through the booklet and said quickly:
"Nearly 100,000 men and women were captured, and more than 2,000 Northern Yuan dignitaries were also captured.
The specific number still needs further overall calculation and there is no definite number yet. "
As soon as these words came out, a touch of joy spread in the military tent.
With these prisoners, no matter how the war ends, it will be an unprecedented victory.
Only then did Lan Yu's serious expression relax a little.
What he valued was not the nearly 100,000 captives, but the Northern Yuan dignitaries.
Judging from the miserable state of the Northern Yuan Dynasty today, without these powerful people, the grassland people would be in disarray.
"Since there are so many captives, it would be a waste of food to keep them. We should make the best use of them and gather 20,000 captives to attack the Kharajhang camp!"
A hint of cruelty flashed across Lan Yu's face.
The war is almost over. It is no longer the time to spare no expense.
It would be better for the grassland people to die than for our own people to die.
The generals in the military camp also knew about this.
But they have already started to think about the aftermath and the finishing touches.
It would be bad to abuse prisoners and report it back to the country, as the civil officials would impeach us.
Deng Zhen, the current head of the Shen Guo Mansion, pursed his lips, sighed softly, and still wanted to dissuade him.
"General, since the war has been decided, I think we should not let those grassland people die. It will cause trouble."
Lan Yu's cold eyes glared at him instantly:
"You're afraid of the words of those civil servants? If the grassland people are not killed, then are our own people going to die?"
"General, the officials in the court don't think so.
Our Great Ming is the Celestial Empire, and all the barbarians have submitted to us. We must treat foreign nations well.
If they start making trouble, both His Majesty and His Royal Highness will have a headache."
Deng Zhen is now in his thirties, and he speaks with an air of maturity and sincerity.
He is the eldest son of the late Ninghe King Deng Yushu.
Because of the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children, the officials of the imperial court almost caused him to lose his family title.
In the end, it was the crown prince who spoke up and helped him settle the matter, and only then was he able to inherit the title after three years of mourning.
Although the title did not fall to anyone else,
But he had seen the eloquence of the officials in the court, and he was always wary of them.
Over the years, he has always been using his status as the eldest son of a concubine to make trouble, disturbing him. It is conceivable that when the news of the capture of the enemy was reported back to the country,
It will definitely cause a stir, and will be mentioned frequently for many years to come.
Although it can reduce the casualties of soldiers, it will cause endless troubles.
If he were given a choice, he would rather have more people die so that he could have peace of mind.
Lan Yu knew what he was thinking. He had also experienced the experience of those civil servants.
But he had made up his mind, and said simply:
"This matter is settled. Tell Lu Yunyi to come here with Princess Beiyuan as soon as possible."
Having said that, Deng Zhen couldn't say anything more.
He pursed his lips, sighed softly, and said "yes".
Seeing that the atmosphere in the military tent was somewhat gloomy, Lan Yu simply sat at the head and drank tea quietly:
“Are there any young talents among the army in this battle?
After the war, the names of the names must be reported to the Five Military Commander Office for further training in the future."
As soon as the topic was opened, the atmosphere immediately eased a lot.
Heqing Marquis Zhang Yi thought for a moment and spoke first:
"General, the three He brothers are great.
The eldest, He Rong, was a brave warrior, the second, He Guiren, was a good commander, and even the sixth, who was a good clerk in the army.
The heroic Marquis Zhou Wu was a burly man with white skin and long beard. He nodded repeatedly at this moment:
"Yes, these three brothers have lived up to their father's reputation."
Deng Zhen also remembered something, and his face showed sudden realization:
"Are they Dongguan Bo Hezhen's three sons?"
"Yes, yes, yes. I didn't expect that He Zhen is now a civil servant, and his son's fighting skills are still there." Heqing Marquis Zhang Yi nodded repeatedly.
Lan Yu chuckled:
"He Zhen served as the governor of Zhejiang and Huguang, and he helped coordinate the military laborers.
He told me that he wanted his son to achieve merit, and I agreed. I didn't expect that he would be such a capable man?"
During this northern expedition, the important figures in the Ming Dynasty court,
Most of them have children in the army.
Anyone with a discerning eye could see that this was the most important northern expedition during the Hongwu reign.
If we fight well, we will be able to establish the Ming Dynasty in one fell swoop.
As a result, everyone wants to get a piece of the pie and add something to the resume of their own children or nephews.
When the critical moment comes in the future, you may be able to get ahead of others with this qualification.
For example, if Deng Zhen had not accompanied Xiping Hou Mu Ying to pacify the Western Barbarians in the 11th year of Hongwu and made great contributions,
There are more twists and turns in his life as Duke of Shen.
Heqing Marquis Zhang Yi's face was solemn:
"That old fellow He Zhen is dying.
The last time I saw him in Beijing, he was so old that he needed someone to support him even when he was walking. Fortunately, his sons have done a good job.”
He became angrier and angrier as he spoke, and pounded his leg hard:
"My sons spend their days in debauchery and committing crimes.
Sometimes I want to chop them up, but after all, they are my own children, so I can’t bring myself to do it.”
The atmosphere was a little solemn at first, but as he spoke, many princes and dukes present began to laugh.
Deng Zhen looked at General Lan Yu and asked with a little curiosity:
"General, how is Lan Chun doing in the army?"
Lan Chun is Lan Yu's eldest son. He is now in his twenties and is in the army.
But no one present knew which one it was.
Speaking of Lan Chun, Lan Yu's face froze, a trace of anger flashed across his brows, and he snorted coldly and cursed:
"It's better not to talk about useless things!"
From the information he received,
Lan Chun led his hundred-man team and got lost in the army after yesterday's attack.
So when they found the main army again, the battle for the rear army had already ended.
After hearing this news, he wanted to chop Lan Chun to death! !
The people present had strange expressions on their faces. They looked at each other silently and saw the helplessness in each other's eyes.
These people all emerged from a sea of blood and corpses.
But the strange thing is that most of the sons are not ambitious, and they have even become accustomed to the reputation of being a good son.
At this moment, a tall figure rushed in.
Before the person arrived, the voice came first: "General, General~, General!"
When they saw the person coming, everyone's face showed joy. It was Wang Bi, Marquis of Dingyuan, holding two swords.
"What are you yelling about?"
Lan Yu sat at the top and felt nervous for no reason, because Wang Bi was the commander of the vanguard army.
Wang Bi rushed into the military tent and saw many familiar faces sitting inside. He slowed down his pace and said in a teasing voice:
"You, they are all here. We don't need to fight anymore."
I noticed that his words were full of sarcasm.
Several people present frowned. Who had provoked him again?
Deng Zhen, Duke of Shen, explained:
"Please take a seat, Marquis Dingyuan. The general has just issued an order to mobilize 30,000 troops from the front army. We will attack together then. You have come just in time."
Wang Bi looked puzzled: "What's wrong?"
Deng Zhen recounted what happened in the front army.
Understanding flashed across his eyes, and he slammed the table hard again:
"You should have told me earlier to let Yu Tongyuan do the work. He would definitely like this job."
Several people present looked puzzled and frowned, not knowing what had happened.
Wang Bi saw that everyone present was his own people.
He then exaggerated what had just happened near the king's tent.
In short, there was a river of blood, infighting was rampant, and the killing was like ghosts crying and wolves howling.
When it comes to Yu Tongyuan dispatching troops to attack the king's tent, Lu Yunyi blocks it alone.
Lan Yu's body tensed up suddenly, and he slammed his palm hard on the table.
"How dare you! Where's Yu Tongyuan? Let him come over here to see me!!!"
Seeing him like this, Wang Bi felt a little gloating and said in a sarcastic tone:
"I took the soldiers to chase after Shi Liemen, and I won't be back for a while."
Lan Yu stood up with a bang, paced back and forth at the top, and his gritting teeth made many princes and dukes present secretly surprised.
What's going on?
"How is Lu Yunyi? He's not dead, is he?"
"General, you are looking down on me. How can he die as long as I am here?" Wang Bi said sourly.
In this way, some people present began to understand.
In the court, Wang Bi, the Marquis of Dingyuan, was a member of the "tiger father and dog son" group.
Needless to say, his son was well-known in the capital for his dandy ways.
Even His Majesty ordered him to reflect on his mistakes at home and read the books of sages.
Wang Bi should have felt that Lu Yunyi was a promising talent, but the general got there first.
Thinking of this, the atmosphere in the military tent became relaxed again, and smiles appeared on their faces.
Duke of Shen Deng Zhen smiled and said:
"Although Lu Yunyi is young, he is very capable.
Among all the young people, no one can compare with him.
I think this should be at the top of the list.”
"Yes, that telescope is really amazing.
If it weren't for it, Halazhang might have escaped with his troops."
Heqing Marquis Zhang Yi showed emotion on his face, then he turned his gaze to the long bronze tube placed at the top with a greedy look on his face.
I took the opportunity to say, "General, if I could use the telescope for a few more days,
I can issue a military order, I will never let Halazhang escape! ! "
"Wishful thinking!" Lan Yu's expression relaxed a little.
But Wang Bi, the Marquis of Dingyuan, felt unhappy. He sighed heavily and sat down heavily.
Whether it was moving a chair, taking a teapot, or putting down a long knife, the sound was extremely loud.
Lan Yu looked at Wang Bi with a half-smile:
"There is a young man under Lu Yunyi who is also good, his name is Wu Fuliu.
Even the 'Borshu' he pretends to be has enough battle skills and is worth training."
Wang Bi was a little unhappy and waved his hand casually:
"You are still in your twenties and you are not capable of taking charge of your own business. You are not ready to inherit my legacy."
"Then there's nothing we can do." Lan Yu shook his head.
Deng Zhen started to persuade him: "Lord Dingyuan, the times are different now.
There are fewer wars nowadays, so it is very difficult to find talented generals who can take charge of their own affairs in their teens.
Twenty plus is not bad, the title of the Double Sword King must be passed down. "
Dingyuan Marquis Wang Bi glanced at Lan Yu who was sitting at the top of the table and spoke angrily:
"It's not that we don't know the goods, but we should compare them. Even if he can't compare with us, at least he can't be worse than Lu Yunyi."
"Hahaha, then you'll have to look for it again. I'm afraid it will take a long time to find it." Dongchuan Hou Hu Hai laughed out loud.
It was a rare moment of leisure for the few of them, but Wang Bi felt more and more upset the more he thought about it.
After about a quarter of an hour, he suddenly stood up, grabbed a pair of swords, and walked out of the tent angrily.
"Where are you going? We haven't finished the discussion yet." Deng Zhen stood up and asked loudly.
"I'm going to mobilize the troops and kill that Harazhang."
(End of this chapter)