Chapter 169: It's easy to start a war, but hard to end it
Chapter 169: It's easy to start a war, but hard to end it
In August in Liaodong, the sky gradually sinks into dusk.
The setting sun poured over the contours of the mountains like molten gold, painting the sky a brilliant orange-red.
In the blink of an eye, the night came quietly like a tide.
Just like the battle in Liaowang County, the battle ended quietly during the day, and the soldiers of both sides slowly withdrew.
Their steps were heavy, and the shadows of their horses stretched out in the twilight, looking particularly tired.
The battlefield was in disarray.
Countless broken weapons were scattered on the bloodstained land, with blood clots and pieces of flesh still hanging on the broken blades.
The battle flag was torn into tatters and hung limply on the ground, with only a few fragments left.
The dead bodies of horses and soldiers were lying on the ground in all directions.
There was still fear in their eyes, and the wounds on their bodies were bleeding profusely. The blood was drying up bit by bit, and in the hot weather, it already gave off an unpleasant smell.
On the left side of the battlefield, the bodies of the grassland people piled up like a mountain.
The air was filled with a strong smell of blood and burning, which was disgusting.
Behind the pile of corpses, flames shot up into the sky.
The camp of King Huining was set on fire by rockets streaking across the sky, and the orange-red flames tried to illuminate the sky.
But because the war was over, it was eventually put out.
In the camp, the grassland people who had survived by chance wailed, and the sounds came one after another.
Most of them were lying on the ground, blood on their bodies and numbness on their faces.
They will only scream when the pain reaches its extreme, and then it will soon return to normal and there will be no life. They are all abandoned people.
The battle in the afternoon was even more brutal than that in the morning. In less than an hour of fighting,
Prince Huining and Marshal Duoyan suffered two defeats.
More than a thousand soldiers were killed easily.
The "Northern Yuan remnants" attacked the camp.
In the end, they retreated hastily because it was getting dark.
King Huining stood in the camp, his old body trembling slightly.
Looking at the miserable appearance of the tribesmen in front of him, a trace of pain flashed in his eyes.
These were his soldiers, his people whom he had spent a lot of money and food to feed.
Unlike the young and strong men who were captured, these people in front of him were the real strength he could rely on.
He could not accept the death and injury of more than 600 people, which was already 20% of the soldiers he brought with him.
"No. We can't continue to fight. If we continue, we will lose everything we have."
King Huining's voice trembled, echoing in the darkness.
Marshal Duoyan beside him had a dark complexion, his tall body nailed there like a wooden stake, silently watching the chaotic scene in front of him.
Another big defeat.
This made him doubt his own judgment.
Why didn't the Ming people attack the weak right battlefield, but instead attacked the left battlefield with a large number of people?
At the final moment of the battle, there was not even a single soldier on the entire right side of the battlefield.
The half-built camp just stood there empty, why did no one pay any attention to it?
He couldn't understand why the Ming people were fighting to the death in front of the completely repaired left camp.
Could it be that the trap in the camp on the right has been discovered?
Marshal Duoyan had this thought in his mind, but he quickly shook his head and denied it.
This trap was only set up today, how could the Ming people discover it so quickly?
He stood still, completely ignoring King Huining's muttering, and instead pondered in his mind.
In the end, he put it down to luck.
The rapid defeat on the right side of the battlefield gave the Ming people the opportunity to leave the battlefield and support the central battlefield.
If he had made further arrangements, he would not have made the right side of the battlefield so weak.
Instead, they had to fight with the Ming people there, so that the Ming army on the left side of the central battlefield would gather towards the right side battlefield!
In the end, all it takes is a slight defeat, and those Ming people will rush into the camp on the right and fall into the trap.
Thinking of this, Marshal Duoyan's eyes lit up little by little, and the heavy weight in his heart fell away. He heaved a sigh of relief.
He looked at King Huining on the side, his tone full of confidence:
"I have already discovered Mingren's weakness. I will make him fall into a trap in the next fight!"
The strong self-confidence made King Huining feel a little dazed, thinking that what he said was true.
But soon, King Huining shook his head violently and said quickly:
"The messenger sent to Liaodong has not returned, and the military equipment, food, and support that should have arrived long ago have not yet arrived.
What does this mean? These people are really Ming troops!!!
We can't continue to fight them. If we surrender early, we can save our lives.
The Liao King’s camp had been surrounded a long time ago. If they wanted to break through it, they would have done it long ago. Why hasn’t it been broken through yet?
These Ming people want us to surrender. They need us to stabilize Liaowang County. They will not kill us all.
It was you who insisted on competing with him, causing so many of us to die in vain.
We should have a good talk with the Ming people, so that we can preserve our power."
Prince Huining kept chattering while Marshal Duoyan Toluhuchar's face turned dark, his brows twitched wildly, and the brutality in his eyes could hardly be concealed!
"Enough! If we can't win on the battlefield, all the promises are empty words!!"
Marshal Duoyan turned around abruptly, looking down at King Huining, breathing heavily and speaking in a hurried tone:
"How could I not know that these Ming people wanted us to surrender?
But if you surrender like this, not to mention the power in your hands,
Even our lives and property are decided by the wise.
You are willing to put your life in the control of others, but I am not!
Even if we have to surrender, we must make the Ming people realize how powerful we are and make them fear us, so that we can keep the power in our hands!! "
King Huining stared at him blankly, his brows furrowed, a trace of sadness on his face, and his pupils trembling violently.
He sighed softly and said slowly:
"Toluhuchar, your father wrote to me before he went to war, asking me to take good care of you.
You did not disappoint us. Now you are the most capable general in Liaowang County. The Jurchens dare not fight with you, and the Khan also praises you a lot.
But you are still young. Don't act rashly.
It is not wise to show off your strength in front of a strong enemy. It is better to surrender.
Nearly 200,000 soldiers of the imperial court were swept away by the Ming people.
The grassland has been defeated. We are no match for them. Let's surrender."
Marshal Duoyan stood there, his expression changing back and forth.
His breathing became a little faster, he stretched out his hand to support his forehead, and finally said:
"One last time. One last try. No matter if we win or lose, we surrender."
"More people are going to die?" King Huining suddenly felt a dull pain in his heart.
Marshal Duoyan's face was half hidden in the darkness, and the candlelight illuminated his complexion, which was flickering:
"At least we should let the Ming people see that the grassland people of our Liaowang County are brave enough to fight and die.
It will also make the Ming people more cautious in dealing with us in the future.
If we can’t defeat the Ming people now, we can just look for an opportunity later.
I heard from the royal court that the old emperor of the Ming Dynasty is about to die.
We can wait until the Ming Dynasty is in chaos, and we will still be the king of Liaowang County."
King Huining's expression changed back and forth.
He wanted to tell Toluhuchar based on his sixty years of experience.
The Ming people have already gained momentum, even if there is chaos, it will only be temporary.
When the Ming people recover, they will attack them again.
The Liaowang County in the northeast was too small, so small that they could not move freely.
The Ming people only need to take a light step to turn them into ashes.
King Huining's eyes flashed with sorrow, and he spoke slowly:
"Let's fight again as you said. I will send someone to deliver a document tonight to express our intention to surrender to the Ming Dynasty. This will be considered as early preparation."
A trace of unwillingness flashed across the eyes of the young Marshal Doyan, Toluhuchar, the corners of his mouth drooped slightly, his breathing became a little rapid, and his palm hanging at one side was clenched tightly, his knuckles turned white.
After a moment, the reluctance faded away, replaced by a helpless and bitter smile.
He sighed softly, nodded imperceptibly, and uttered a word:
"it is good."
As the night deepened, several people from the front scout camp came hurriedly.
It was Lu Yunyi and his companions who had come from the lower reaches of the Nawu River after taking a detour down the mountain.
He only brought a few guards with him on this trip, and most of them stayed on the mountain, which is behind Marshal Doyan’s military camp.
The soldiers patrolling the perimeter were startled when they saw Lu Yunyi coming, but then they smiled:
"Sir, you are finally here!" Lu Yunyi blinked his eyes and looked at the person in front of him, who sounded familiar.
He soon remembered the name of the man in front of him, and his face turned cold.
"Zhang Wu!! Why are you patrolling here when you are not with the Vanguard?"
Zhang Wu is the top general of the vanguard of the front army scout unit.
He was indeed not afraid of pain as he said. He would always fight first in every battle, exchanging injuries for his life, and achieved great success in the Northern Expedition.
Now he was patrolling the camp here, which made Lu Yunyi wonder in his heart whether he was being suppressed?
Zhang Wu chuckled, twisted his sturdy body, and said a little embarrassedly:
"These grassland people are too weak to fight. My master was afraid that I would be exposed, so he didn't let me go to the battlefield."
Lu Yunyi was stunned for a moment, then his expression relaxed, his facial features softened, and he shook his head helplessly:
"I'm glad I didn't get bullied. Okay, take me to the big tent."
Zhang Wu laughed again: "Master, follow me."
Soon, Lu Yunyi entered the central army tent and saw Wu Fuliu and Zhang Yu, who were a little sloppy and full of gray air.
Most generals in the army will not have the chance to sleep and rest once the war begins, and they will become like this. The same is true for Lu Yunyi during the Northern Expedition.
The two of them were scratching their heads and frowning in thought over a letter on the table. They didn't even look up when they heard the footsteps.
"looking at what?"
It was not until Lu Yunyi asked that the two of them suddenly raised their heads.
He was stunned at first, then startled, then he stood up suddenly and exclaimed:
"grown ups!"
"Why are you here?"
The sudden standing up caused the two of them to stagger a little.
Lu Yunyi quickly approached and supported them, saying helplessly:
"If you don't rest for a long time, and don't sit up and down in a hurry, you may lose your life."
After steadying the two of them, he picked up the letter on the table and said:
"The mountain road has been opened. There is no point in staying there any longer. The sooner the war ends, the sooner we can return."
After finishing speaking, Lu Yunyi turned his gaze to the letter in his hand.
His eyes suddenly focused, and he uttered a soft "eh".
It turned out to be a letter of surrender sent by King Huining.
However, he did not explicitly surrender, but explained the pros and cons.
He claimed that if the Northern Yuan attacked him again, Prince Huining and Marshal Duoyan would surrender to the Ming.
Lu Yunyi's face turned strange, and he raised the letter in his hand:
"When was it delivered?"
"Reporting to the lord, just now..." Wu Fuliu answered while scratching his head, with a puzzled look on his face.
"Sir, does King Huining really not know or is he pretending not to know? Does he still think we are the remnants of the Northern Yuan Dynasty?"
"Of course they know, they are just pretending. What they say is not important. What is important is what they do and what they want to reveal."
Lu Yunyi smiled and sat down, fanning himself with a piece of letter paper while looking at the map.
It was very sloppy, with writing and drawing all over it.
The map was filled with blue, red and black lines, representing the entanglement of every cavalry charge.
"Sir, what do they want to do?" Wu Fuliu asked.
"I wanted to surrender. The reason I didn't say it in the letter was that I wanted to have more room for maneuver. I was just unwilling to give in."
In August, Liaodong was a bit hot and stuffy even at night, and the smell in the military camp was unpleasant.
Lu Yunyi simply took off his head armor, continued to fan himself with the letter, and then said:
"Since they have already expressed their intention to surrender, we cannot continue to fight with them. If we allow them to retain their strength, that would be bad."
Wu Fuliu and Zhang Yu looked at each other, a trace of pity flashed in their eyes.
These grassland people are so spineless that they want to surrender after just a few defeats. Damn it.
According to their calculations, most of Prince Huining and Marshal Duoyan's headquarters were still there, with at least 5,000 combat-ready soldiers.
In this corner of the Northeast, this is already a force that cannot be ignored.
If you keep it, it will cause trouble sooner or later.
Unfortunately, the Ming military law clearly stipulates that prisoners cannot be killed.
Otherwise, they would have captured the three camps in one fell swoop and killed the prisoners to eliminate future troubles, so why would they have gone to so much trouble?
"Sir, do you want to end the war?" Zhang Yu lowered his voice and asked slowly.
Seeing some hesitation on his face, Lu Yunyi asked, "What are you worried about?"
Zhang Yu was a little embarrassed, so he walked closer and spoke hesitantly:
"Brothers, we want to take this opportunity to make more achievements. Once the battle here is over, there will be no place to kill the enemy."
Lu Yunyi had a strange look on his face. He cast his gaze towards Wu Fuliu and saw that he was also excited and nodded repeatedly.
A few words suddenly popped up in Lu Yunyi's mind.
It is easy to start a war but hard to end it.
For the imperial court, ending the war required dealing with a variety of complex political, economic, social and military issues.
The more things are involved, the more vested interests there are, and the more difficult it is to end the war.
For the current front-line scouts, the resistance to ending the war comes from the soldiers' desire to kill the enemy and gain merit, which is equally difficult.
Lu Yunyi is the commander of an army. The power of the army is from bottom to top.
He is a chief general only if he has the support of his soldiers. If he loses the support of his soldiers, he is just a decoration.
The atmosphere in the military tent gradually became heavy. Lu Yunyi frowned and thought, and finally made a decision:
"I wanted to launch an offensive tonight, attacking both camps from the front and back.
Since the brothers want to kill the enemy and gain merit, then wait one more day.
Give the order that if the soldiers patrolling the perimeter spot the grassland people approaching, they should shoot them immediately without mercy! "
Zhang Yu and Wu Fuliu showed joy on their faces and stood up straight:
"Yes!"
This move cut off the chance for the grassland people to surrender. No matter whether they surrendered or fought,
The scouts at the front pretended not to know and focused on killing the enemy!
"Order the soldiers to go up the mountain and tell Liu Hei Ying to hide the mountain road and wait for another day."
"Yes!"
Zhang Yu left in a hurry to tell his soldiers,
Wu Fuliu bowed solemnly:
"Thank you, sir. Tomorrow I will arrange for the soldiers who have not made any achievements to move forward, so that they will have a chance to make achievements."
Lu Yunyi smiled and nodded repeatedly:
"Very good, let the brothers perform meritorious deeds during the day, and break into the stronghold at night.
It was agreed in advance that the frontal battlefield should be slightly relaxed during the night battle and maintain a stalemate.
Let the brothers in the back mountain also capture some heads, otherwise it will be difficult to do this."
"Yes!!"
Wu Fuliu giggled foolishly, with a look of joy on his face.
It is a blessing for soldiers to have a superior who takes such good care of them.
(End of this chapter)