Chapter 288 The Difference Between Grassland and Luchuan
Chapter 288 The Difference Between Grassland and Luchuan
In the Jinchi Guard, Feng Cheng watched the front army scouts gradually disappearing into the forest.
I couldn't help but show emotion.
He is now more and more satisfied with these nephews and sons-in-law.
He has the ability to know when to advance and when to retreat, and he is not at all the domineering of the northern border people.
He seems more like a wealthy and powerful person from Beijing.
He looked at Deng Zhizhong who was standing beside him.
"Zhizhong, you must seize the opportunity. Not everyone can have such a chance to make great achievements."
Deng Zhizhong stood aside with a respectful look:
"Sir Feng, I will definitely seize this great achievement.
The Dragon and Tiger Guards have been fully assembled and will be setting out soon."
Feng Cheng nodded slightly after hearing this.
As his eyes turned, he looked at the neatly built fortifications of the Golden Tooth Guards.
There were also soldiers repairing the houses near the Sifang Fortress. Their eyes moved and they spoke lightly:
"Master Deng, there are 30,000 Luchuan soldiers in Pingshan Valley.
Among them there are at least 10,000 soldiers who can fight.
The Dragon and Tiger Guards only have less than 6,000 men. Although they are well-equipped, we are outnumbered and it is inevitable that there will be some danger."
After these words came out, Deng Zhizhong's face froze.
In an instant, he understood what Feng Cheng meant. His eyes dimmed and he sighed in his heart.
However, his expression remained normal, and he even showed a hint of surprise, and he quickly said:
"I was just about to tell you about this, Your Excellency.
If you can allocate more troops to help,
Then there will be no omissions in this battle, and the enemy will be annihilated in one fell swoop."
Feng Cheng turned sideways, looked at him with great satisfaction, and said softly:
"Since you said so, then send Hong Fuwei to follow.
With these two forces joining together, with more than 10,000 people, it would be easy to capture Pingshan'ao."
After saying this, Feng Cheng looked at the young man standing not far away and spoke loudly:
"Mu Sheng, when you lead the Hongfu Guard to Pingshan'ao, you must not be arrogant.
We must obey Lord Deng's orders and strive to seize Pingshan'ao in one fell swoop."
Hearing this person's name, Deng Zhizhong's eyes widened slightly and he looked in the direction of the voice.
The young man looked arrogant, with his back straight.
There was a smile on his face, like ice in winter.
If I remember correctly, Lord Mu's second son is named Mu Sheng.
Mu Sheng looked sharp and bowed to Feng Cheng:
"Please rest assured, sir. I will fight on the battlefield in this battle."
The voice was loud and clear, but it made Deng Zhizhong feel awkward.
Feng Cheng also shook his head helplessly:
"You'd better not do such dangerous things.
Your father has repeatedly told me to take good care of you."
Mu Sheng was somewhat unconvinced, and raised his neck like a proud phoenix.
"Sir, my brother is always on the front line, and my brother-in-law is often like this.
If they can do it, why can’t I?”
Brother-in-law?
Feng Cheng and Deng Zhizhong were stunned, with confusion flashing in their eyes. Who is the brother-in-law?
Soon, Feng Cheng knew who he was talking about.
He quickly lowered his voice and scolded:
"What nonsense are you talking about? He is not your brother-in-law yet.
You are ruining your sister's reputation like this, be careful she will beat you."
Mu Sheng's youthful vigor caused him to hesitate.
But he quickly stiffened his neck and pretended to be fearless:
"My sister has always liked great heroes. My brother-in-law has made such great achievements.
My sister would definitely marry him, why not my brother-in-law?"
Feng Cheng scratched his head, feeling awkward, and turned to look at Deng Zhizhong.
Deng Zhizhong immediately understood and spoke quickly:
"Sir Feng, I still have to manage the army and prepare for the expedition, so I will take my leave now."
Feng Cheng let out a long sigh and waved his hand:
"go Go."
After he left, Feng Cheng looked at Mu Sheng and grabbed his ear:
"You will be twenty years old after the New Year, and you don't know how to be more stable.
Don't you know how dangerous it is to charge into battle? A stray arrow can kill you.
There are 30,000 people in Naluchuan.
Being led by Hanba, they are definitely not cowards.
The main force of this trip is the Dragon and Tiger Guards, you stay behind,
Just take the credit, but don't make any mistakes."
Mu Sheng was grabbed by the ears, but he still looked unconvinced, with a hint of stubbornness on his young and handsome face:
"It's no use picking up merits. If you join the army, you should be like my elder brother and brother-in-law, and be the vanguard of the army!!"
Feng Cheng's face darkened and he twisted his ear hard:
"Your elder brother needs to inherit the title and guard Yunnan in the future.
Lu Yunyi needs to make military achievements and ascend to a high position.
What do you want to do? Just stay home."
The breeze blew by, and Mu Sheng's eyes widened. A firm look flashed in his dark pupils, and he spoke in a resounding voice:
"I will take the title myself!"
Feng Cheng couldn't do anything to him, so he just waved his hands.
He shook his head and sighed slowly, his voice softened a little:
"In short, this trip to Pingshan'ao is of great importance.
Don't cause any trouble. If anything goes wrong,
You can never think of leading an army again, just stay at home and be a rich young man."
"There is no need for the Dragon and Tiger Guards. The Hongfu Guards alone can capture them all. Why would we need to do this?"
Such arrogance almost made Feng Cheng's eyebrows jump, and his face darkened.
"Marching and fighting is not just about fighting and killing, it also involves the human relationships and worldly wisdom.
The location of the valley was what Lu Yunyi had learned from Hanba.
He did not attack, but gave the opportunity to the Dragon and Tiger Guards.
You should learn this method of dealing with people well."
A hint of surprise flashed across Mu Sheng's eyes. Pingshan'ao was actually discovered by his brother-in-law?
"Why don't you go there yourself, brother-in-law? With the ability of the front army scouts, five thousand people are enough."
Listening to his brother-in-law, Feng Cheng couldn't help but look very strange, and said:
"Capturing Hanba is already a great achievement.
What's the point of making those achievements again? It will only make people jealous.
Besides, Luchuan has no intention of stopping now.
If a war breaks out, he will certainly make contributions. If all the credit is given to him,
Would you be convinced? Would Deng Zhizhong be convinced just now? "
Mu Sheng also understood this principle, but he just felt dissatisfied.
"Why should I give up my own credit to others?"
Feng Cheng's eyes showed some relief, but also some helplessness. He sighed:
"You are such a fool,
You will understand this method of retreating to advance when you grow up. I cannot explain it to you in detail.
I can only tell you that if you take one step back now, you can take ten more steps in the future.
This is much more important than the feat of annihilating 30,000 people."
Seeing him in deep thought, Feng Cheng breathed a sigh of relief and said:
"Alright, alright, think about it yourself. Anyway, don't cause any more trouble in this war, and don't make things difficult for me."
After saying this, Feng Cheng walked away quickly, as if he was escaping in a hurry.
“Advance by retreating”
"Retreat in order to advance?"
Until the evening, the army marched out of the camp.
Mu Sheng was still muttering "retreat to advance".
He has read many books, but still cannot figure out some things.
What is the connection between retreating in order to advance and giving up credit?
The night is as dark as ink, and the drizzle is like a weave, soft and delicate, falling silently.
The raindrops brushed against the leaves, making a rustling sound like a whisper.
More than 10,000 elite Ming troops from the two guards were advancing silently.
They were dressed in iron armor, holding spears and sharp blades, and walked slowly.
The rain slowly slid down their helmets and armor.
It drips on the muddy ground, making a subtle and clear sound.
Torches dotted the team, and the faint light penetrated the rain, like lanterns in the mountains and forests.
The army had been marching until midnight, but showed no intention of stopping and continued to move forward.
Mu Sheng was still thinking about retreating in order to advance, but he just couldn't figure it out.
Beside him, Dragon Guard Commander Deng Zhizhong cast his eyes over.
There was some hesitation on his face, not knowing how to start.
I don't know how to deal with the second son of Lord Mu.
But since it involves fighting and killing, I still have to talk about it.
He took a deep breath and wiped the moisture off his face.
He then took out a document from the horse bag on the side and said softly:
"General Mu, this is the strategy and battle plan for this war. Would you like to take a look?"
After a moment, his hands froze.
Mu Sheng didn't react at all. His brows were furrowed and his eyes were empty, as if he was thinking about something confidential.
Deng Zhizhong's face flashed with embarrassment, and he called out a few more times.
Until this moment, Mu Sheng's eyes gradually fixed, and then he turned to look over, with a puzzled look on his face. "This is the strategy and battle plan for this battle.
It was made based on the terrain preserved in the Golden Tooth Guard. General Mu, please take a look."
Mu Sheng finally reacted and took it with a look of apology on his face:
"Master Deng, I was distracted for a moment, please forgive me."
"You're so polite?" Deng Zhizhong was stunned and smiled softly:
"It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter."
Mu Sheng took the document, opened it and checked.
A personal guard at the side opened an oil-paper umbrella to shield his body so that the drizzle would not wet the documents.
With the faint moonlight and firelight, Mu Sheng saw the battle plan.
There were more and more doubts in my eyes, and I looked at it again.
But not only did the doubts not decrease, they increased.
He closed the battle plan, looking thoughtful.
Deng Zhizhong on the side laughed, and a few wrinkles appeared on his slightly old face, like ripples in the darkness.
"General Mu, how is it?
Pingshanao is not far from Jinchisi.
We will arrive there later tomorrow if we travel day and night.
If General Mu has any objections or other opinions, please speak up.
We will coordinate these first, otherwise it will be difficult to change the plan once a fight breaks out."
Mu Sheng thought for a moment and spoke in a deep voice:
"Sir Deng, I got this position because I suppressed a rebellion, relying on my family background.
As for fighting and killing the enemy, there has never been such a thing.
This time I came here because the elders in my family wanted to hone their skills. Don’t blame me, Lord Deng.”
After these words came out, Deng Zhizhong's expression became even weirder.
The Mu Sheng now is completely different from the Mu Sheng I saw this morning.
Arrogant in the morning, modest in the evening, weird no matter how you look at it.
But he soon realized something and thought of his son in Beijing.
He acted as domineering as he could in front of himself and his uncles.
But once he goes out, he becomes a quail and no one dares to mess with him.
The Mu Sheng in front of him was born into a wealthy family and was bound by his family.
All paths are arranged by our parents, so it is natural for us to be rebellious.
Thinking of this, Deng Zhizhong's expression relaxed a little.
He was really afraid that the man in front of him was a domineering person and would cause trouble on the battlefield.
Deng Zhizhong smiled:
"General Mu, it's alright. Every general has gone through this. Just keep training yourself.
Now the Silun Law is coming with great force.
The soldiers in Luchuan are not that powerful, so this is a good time to train them."
Mu Sheng's eyes flickered, and he asked in a deep voice:
"May I ask Lord Deng, how do the people of the grassland compare to the people of Luchuan?
I heard that General Deng also followed the general to the northern border."
“Although I have never fought against the elite troops under Si Lunfa,
But it can be seen from the soldiers captured from the Golden Tooth Guards that
The Luchuan soldiers are no good. First, they are not brave. Second, they are not strong. Third, they have no intention. "
"Even when the grassland people were captured, some of them refused to surrender.
Once they gather in groups of three or five, they will rebel in an instant.
Therefore, the detention of grassland people was particularly harsh.
They can't even be allowed to work in groups of three or five.
The Luchuan people are a bit spineless, and most of the cleaning of the Golden Tooth Guards in the past few days was done by the captives."
"They are pale and thin, their limbs are weak,
Even the young and strong in the family were skinny, obviously they didn't have much food.
On the grassland, the meals of a small tribe must be given to the young and strong first.
So there will be scenes where men are strong, while children, women and the elderly are thin.
However, this plan can give the tribe a chance to survive.
As the saying goes, "It is better to have one full person than three hungry ones." This is the truth.
"Luchuan is not a big country, it does not rule the world, nor does it rise and fall in the four seas.
Their people do not have the pride that the citizens of the Celestial Empire should have.
When he sees people, he lowers his head and acts weak, and it seems that he can't stand a beating.
As for us Ming people and grassland people, one is feared by the world, the other is majestic and powerful.
The common people and soldiers all had a strong will, the kind that refused to submit to anyone.
General Mu, don't underestimate this spirit in your heart.
The Northern Yuan Dynasty was destroyed by the general, but the northern tribes were still causing trouble on the border.
In the fight for orthodoxy, blood is shed, relying on this kind of will. "
Deng Zhizhong's voice slowly echoed around.
Not only Mu Sheng fell into deep thought,
Even the soldiers around him lowered their heads in deep thought.
Thinking carefully about the differences between Luchuan soldiers, grassland soldiers and Ming soldiers...
They suddenly realized that what he said was absolutely right.
Deng Zhizhong continued:
"According to the correspondence and messages,
The elite troops of Luchuan gathered under Si Lunfa's command.
Those soldiers should be more powerful, the rest are not worth mentioning."
"Those soldiers in the valley..." Mu Sheng asked.
Deng Zhizhong replied:
"They should be elite soldiers, after all, they are the soldiers Hanba uses to open up the second battlefield.
If they were not elite enough, they might be defeated by the Dali troops in one fell swoop.
Although our army of 10,000 is elite, we still have to be extremely careful in this battle."
"So General Deng decided not to confront the enemy head-on and to feign defeat?"
Deng Zhizhong nodded:
"It was the first time I faced off against the elite troops of Luchuan.
It is always better to be cautious, and Pingshan's terrain is long and narrow.
The road is narrow. If we fight deep into it, we will be constrained by the terrain.
If we had 20,000 men under such circumstances, we would certainly be able to push forward.
Now we have few men and the enemy is many, so it is better not to exchange our lives for injuries."
Mu Sheng's eyes flickered, and he also thought this was a good idea, but pretending to be defeated could turn into a big defeat if not handled with care.
"General Deng, is there any safer way?"
Deng Zhizhong was stunned for a moment, then he started laughing:
"Pingshan Valley is not very big. I don't know how much food 30,000 people and horses would need to eat in a day.
If there is a more reliable strategy, it would be to block both ends and block Pingshan Valley.
Wait until they starve to death and flee, weakening their morale.
But this will take too long, and the soldiers in Luchuan are not as cautious as we are, so we can just use a compromise method. "
"Is pretending to be defeated a way of retreating to advance? What do the two have in common?" Mu Sheng muttered to himself silently, thinking secretly.
"General Mu, what do you think of this battle strategy?"
Mu Sheng reacted and smiled:
"Of course it's excellent."
Deng Zhizhong breathed a sigh of relief.
In his opinion, stupid teammates are more terrifying than powerful enemies.
"In that case, my Dragon and Tiger Guards will pretend to be defeated.
How about having General Mu's Hongfu tribe set up an ambush in secret?"
Mu Sheng did not refuse after hearing this and nodded slightly:
"Just follow what General Deng said."
Deng Zhizhong was completely relieved. Without internal constraints, he was sure to win the battle.
He turned his head and saw Mu Sheng had a thoughtful look on his face and a frown on his face, obviously thinking about a battle strategy.
Deng Zhizhong showed a hint of hesitation on his face, and spoke slowly:
"General Mu."
Mu Sheng turned around with a puzzled look on his face, huh?
Deng Zhizhong spoke slowly:
“If General Mu is thinking about how to deal with the enemy, he might as well think about what General Lu would do.
Deng has fought for twenty years and thinks he has some skills.
But compared with the current development of the war, it is still far behind and can only be regarded as mediocre.
Although General Lu is young, I have to say that the strategies he uses to fight the enemy are all methods that we have never expected.
Every battle is different, but it works well.
Although Deng was unwilling to accept it, he had to admit that he was old. "
Mu Sheng looked thoughtful and muttered to himself, "What would my brother-in-law do?"
"Of course, we should block both ends and use firearms to train soldiers and kill enemies." Lu Yunyi looked at Li Jinglong and replied.
Li Jinglong looked puzzled. When he heard the word firearms, Xu Zengshou and Guo Quan also looked over with thoughtful expressions.
Lu Yunyi explained:
"Pingshan'ao is long and narrow, with crowded roads.
The large number of Luchuan people in the group can avoid infantry advances and ambushes to the greatest extent, and can also avoid cavalry charges.
But everything has its pros and cons.
It restricted the soldiers of the Ming Dynasty and also restricted the soldiers of Luchuan.
In this case, we need to look for something that I have that you don't have.
Firearms, of course.
If we go to attack, we will have to bring at least a thousand muskets.
With these thousand people, maybe they can use the Nine-Section Strike.
After a few rounds of volleys, the enemy collapsed without a fight."
After hearing this, Li Jinglong's eyes widened and he quickly wrote this down.
"When the terrain is narrow, use firearms to fight the enemy..."
He even planned to compile a family tradition like his father.
Write down everything you have learned, every aspect, don't leave anything out!
It's called Li's Book of War.
(End of this chapter)