Time flies by like water, and before you know it, another three days have passed.
After Jia Heng paid a visit to the Marquis of Annan's Mansion, he released the news that the Ministry of Internal Affairs was preparing the Royal Bank and the Ocean Company, which spread widely among the gentry. The noble gentry in Jinling rushed to inquire about the news.
At this moment, the situation in the northwest war was changing, and the Heshuote Mongols were finally unable to retreat. They gathered nearly 80,000 soldiers and horses in Ketu, northeast of Qinghai Lake, and camped against Chen Han's army.
The camps of nearly 200,000 soldiers and horses on both sides were located in valleys and hills, stretching for several miles.
In just three or four days, the troops of both sides fought against each other more than ten times, winning or losing.
After a few days of confrontation, the weather has gradually entered mid-July. The sky is high and the clouds are clear, the wind is blowing and the grass is low. The cattle and sheep are in groups on the green grassland, bleating incessantly.
Surrounded by more than ten riders, Liu Fang climbed onto the grassy hill and looked up at the white tents in the distance.
There was a trace of contempt in his eyes under his thick eyebrows. He turned to Shi Guangzhu and smiled: "Heshuote Mongolian soldiers and horses are really vulnerable!"
Shi Guangzhu smiled and said: "The Mongolia in the northwest are far behind the Tatars in the north."
During this period, the Beijing camp troops and the Heshuote Mongolian cavalry were equally matched, which gave the two of them great confidence.
"I heard that the boy has a telescope that can see mountains and rivers thousands of miles away. It's a pity that he can't bring it back with him this time. Otherwise, if we can see whether the sweat is real or not, we can lead thousands of riders. Capture the chieftain and return him!" Liu Fang said with a bold look on her face now.
Shi Guangzhu smiled and said: "That telescope was specially made by Duke Wei, but the prince has one. It was given by the emperor in the palace before he left. After we return to the capital this time, we will ask the Holy One for a reward." pieces."
Although Jia Heng took the Hongyi cannon away, Emperor Chongping still had a pair of telescopes, which he reluctantly gave to the Prince of Nan'an before he left.
The prince of Nan'an County suddenly felt like he had found a treasure.
Liu Fang's eyes suddenly turned sinister and she sneered: "Child Jia Heng thinks that we can't win this war if we don't let us bring telescopes and Hongyi cannons. That's a big mistake."
Shi Guangzhu snorted coldly and said: "Who in the civil and military circles of the Han Dynasty knows that a child is jealous of talents and talents? After this incident, the civil and military ministers of the Han Dynasty can see his face clearly!"
Liu Fang said with emotion: "Yes, I am just uneasy and well-intentioned. But if the Hongyi cannon is here, it can blast a cannon from a long distance. Qinghai Mongolia has already been scattered in panic. How can I wait for such a rush."
Shi Guangzhu looked to the northwest and said: "If we wait to pacify Qinghai and regain the Western Region, we may even be granted the title of Marquis."
Liu Fang nodded lightly and said, "What Brother Shi said is that the hometown of the Han and Tang Dynasties is the foundation for our achievements. The recovery of the Western Regions and leaving a name in history will be just around the corner!"
"Two generals, the prince calls the two generals over." Just as the two were thinking, a burly general came quickly and called to the two.
Shi Guangzhu and Liu Fang looked at each other. Accompanied by his entourage, they descended the hill, galloped for a quarter of an hour, stopped in the barracks, and entered the central army tent of Prince Nan'an.
As soon as I stepped into the big tent, I felt that the atmosphere was extremely light.
The overwhelming momentum in the past few days has undoubtedly given great encouragement to the Nan'an County Prince and other generals. Now the morale is so high that the generals are vying for the lead.
The old king of Nan'an County glanced at the generals below, and when he saw the generals gathered, he whispered: "Generals, our army has been delayed for too long with the enemy, and the bandits are still gathering from various tribes in Qinghai. It is necessary to launch a battle while their foothold is not yet stable, so I will start to allocate troops, and we will have a decisive battle with the Mongolian Tatars tomorrow!"
When the generals below heard the words, their expressions were serious and they bowed their hands and obeyed the order.
"Next, I will start to mobilize the generals, General Liu!"
"Here you are." Liu Fang held her head high and said with her fists clasped.
The prince of Nan'an County said: "Tomorrow, you will lead your troops out of the left wing..."
Just after the King of Nan'an County dispatched his troops, when night fell, a bright moon hung high, and the mountains on both sides were winding and rolling. Under the bright moonlight, the outline of the mountain shadows was looming. Yue Tuo led 20,000 troops and hid for many days. Finally, the attack reached Da Nanwan, north of Huangyuan County.
"Your Majesty, Huangyuan County is just ahead." Lieutenant General Leng Eli's dark face, his eyes as bright as stars, said in a low voice.
Yue Tuo pondered and said: "How many defenders are there in the city? Can you figure it out clearly?"
Leng'erli whispered: "Your Majesty, the Han army left 16,000 soldiers and horses to guard the granary, but they can enter part of it through the tunnel as internal support."
The prince of Nan'an County is not a fool. Huangyuan is a transfer station for grain from Xining, so the importance can be imagined. Nan'an also has heavy troops stationed to guard it to prevent it from being taken advantage of by the enemy.
Yue Tuo said: "Capture this city tonight and burn their food and grass. With the fire here, the army will fight and win tomorrow!"
Leng'erli responded in a low voice, and the Mongolian cavalry behind him approached Huangyuan County in the distance under the cover of night.
At this moment, the officers and soldiers of Chen Han in Huangyuan City, as well as the third-rank Weiyuan general Ma Shang, the third-rank Weiyuan general Chen Ruiwen, the grandson of Ma Kui, the leading military general and the ruler of the country, and the third-rank Weizhen general Chen Ruiwen, the two generals still know nothing about it!
That night, Yue Tuo led an army of 20,000 men to storm Huangyuan City. He was attacked by the internal forces who had sneaked into the city from the tunnel. The grandson of Ma Kui, the ruler of the country, who was stationed at the rear, and Chen Ruiwen were defeated.
Chen Ruiwen, the third-class Weizhen general, died in the battle, while Ma Shang led 3,000 remaining soldiers and fled madly towards Xining Mansion, retreating from the East Canyon.
The fire in Huangyuan City was raging, burning almost half of the sky, and the food that could supply an army of 100,000 people for nearly a month was burned out all at once.
Yue Tuo stood on the city wall and saluted Leng'e, the deputy general beside him, and said in a deep voice: "You lead 10,000 troops to camp at the entrance of the East Canyon. Do not retreat even half a step. I will lead the remaining troops to defend Huangyuan and resist for three days." , wipe out the Han army in one fell swoop!"
The entrance of the East Canyon was to block the reinforcements from Xining Prefecture, while Yue Tuo led 10,000 troops to fight against the Han army rushing to reinforce from Haiyan and trying to open up a retreat.
Above the sky, a bright moon as big as a jade plate hung high in the sky. The moonlight shone on the vast land, while the sound of horses neighing and the clash of soldiers' armor came from outside the military tent.
The Prince of Nan'an County was wearing armor and was looking at the map in the military tent. He murmured: "Since the fall of the Four Guards of Guanxi, the people in the northwest have no longer seen the majesty of my Han official. Now is the time for my great Han to show off his majesty."
My heart was filled with great pride, when suddenly there was a noise outside the military tent, which was particularly clear in the quiet night.
Prince Nan'an frowned and shouted: "Come here, what's going on outside? Is it so noisy?"
At this time, a young general and five or six other generals quickly entered the military tent. The heavy and chaotic footsteps gave off an ominous atmosphere at this moment.
The young man at the head was none other than Hou Xiaokang, with a solemn look on his resolute face, and he said urgently: "Your Majesty, something bad has happened. Huangyuan has been conquered by the Heshuote Mongols. At this moment, fires are burning across the sky. Our army's food and supplies are probably going to be burned by it." Empty."
After all the grain was burned, their 70,000 to 80,000 troops had their escape route cut off and could only be trapped on the front line of Haiyan City.
When the Prince of Nan'an County heard this, his face turned pale and he was shocked. He didn't say anything for a long time. After all, he had been in the army for many years. He immediately realized the seriousness of the problem. He took Hou Xiaokang's hand and asked: "Where are Ma Shang and Chen Ruiwen? After that, There was an enemy attack on the road, why didn't you report it?"
At this moment, the prince was already in chaos.
At this moment, Liu Fang and Shi Guangzhu also heard the news and led their generals over. They looked at the ugly-faced Prince of Nan'an County and exclaimed: "Your Majesty, something happened."
It is worth mentioning that General Jin Xuan of Fuyuan used the excuse of organizing the funeral of his nephew Jin Xiaoyu. Except for sending a deputy general with 6,000 troops to help, he did not send any troops to accompany him. He even persuaded the prince of Nan'an County not to rush. pursuit.
But how could Prince Nan'an listen?
After Liu Fang and Shi Guangzhu's troops rushed to Haiyan, they ordered Ningxia's commander-in-chief Hu Kui and Lanzhou's commander-in-chief Ma Kuang to divide their troops into 20,000 troops each, and together with the 60,000 troops in the Beijing camp, they led a total of 100,000 troops to arrive day and night. Haiyan.
Jin Xuan had no choice but to lead his troops to defend Xining City and wait for news about the army with the King of Qi who was raising provisions in the rear.
The king of Nan'an County said: "General Hou, I order you to immediately take 15,000 troops and horses from your headquarters to recapture Huangyuan as quickly as possible. The remaining troops will retreat to Haiyan early tomorrow morning and march towards Huangyuan at any time."
Hou Xiaokang looked troubled and said in a deep voice: "Your Majesty, Huangyuan was attacked and the enemy's situation is unknown. Since General Ma can't defend it with more than 10,000 troops, how can the last general with more than 10,000 troops recapture it?"
In other words, even if we have few soldiers, we probably won’t be able to take it back.
Prince Nan'an pondered for a moment and was also a little undecided.
It's not enough if he keeps too few troops here. If Qinghai Mongolia gathers a large army to attack, too few soldiers and horses can't resist it, and the army collapses. What's the point?
At this moment, Hu Kui, the commander-in-chief of Ningxia, said: "Your Majesty, the general is willing to lead our troops and horses to join General Hou's 30,000 troops to try to recapture Huangyuan first. According to the general's estimation, the enemy invaders can be silent." Hidden far away on the ground, if we secretly attack Huangyuan, we must have a small number of troops, not more than 20,000, otherwise our army would have discovered it long ago."
Hu Kui, the commander-in-chief of Ningxia, was originally the son-in-law of Jin Cheng, the previous king of Xining County. He accepted the order from Nan'an County King and mobilized 40,000 elite troops from Ningxia to join the Beijing camp. 20,000 troops stayed in Xining to guard, and he personally led 20,000 troops to accompany Nan'an County King. Go to war.
In addition, Ma Kuang, the commander-in-chief of Lanzhou, led 30,000 troops to help, and he also personally led 20,000 troops to join the Nan'an County Prince.
In other words, the Prince of Nan'an and the 60,000 soldiers and horses from the Beijing camp dispatched a total of 100,000 troops, with the 60,000 troops from the Beijing camp as the main force, preparing to defeat Qinghai Mongolia in one fell swoop.
Prince Nan'an muttered, "Then let's do this first."
In fact, there is no chance to save this situation, that is, to mobilize heavy troops to retake Huangyuan.
Moreover, when Xining heard that Huangyuan's retreat was cut off, they would definitely send troops to help.
But it takes time, and this fleeting fighter opportunity was carefully calculated by Yue Tuo, and he gave Dorji of Heshuote Mongolia a complete plan, which was to attack with the entire army and storm the Nan'an headquarters without giving any Opportunity to escape.
For a time, the situation in the northwest collapsed and became extremely dangerous!
The Prince of Nan'an County was pacing back and forth, standing in front of the map with a gloomy face. Then he looked at Shi Guangzhu and Liu Fang and said, "General Shi, General Liu, if our army returns to Haiyan tomorrow, the enemy will definitely take advantage of the situation." If we cover up the attack, the army will be in danger of collapse, and the two generals hope that each of them can seize control of their respective bases and protect our army from loss."
Shi Guangzhu, Liu Fang: "..."
At this moment, the King of Nan'an County still has about 70,000 troops, and he has probably allocated nearly 13,000 troops to Shi Liuliang, all of whom are elites from the Beijing camp, to prevent the encirclement of Taiji from the Dorji tribes, and then return to Haiyan.
Shi Guangzhu hurriedly greeted him and said, "Your Majesty, the army cannot retreat. Once we retreat, the entire army will collapse very quickly."
Other generals, such as Ningxia Commander-in-Chief Hu Kui, looked solemn, and Lanzhou Commander-in-Chief frowned.
"What if we don't retreat?" Prince Nan'an said solemnly.
"Let's break the cauldron and fight the enemy to the death tomorrow!" Shi Guangzhu said with an aggressive look in his eyes.
The Prince of Nan'an County was silent for a moment, and said with a gloomy face: "Our army's food and fodder were burned, and our retreat was cut off. There are still three days of food and fodder in Haiyan City. If our army eats less, we can at least last for five days. I don't believe it." We can’t capture Huangyuan!”
"My lord, you must not do it! Once we withdraw to Haiyan, our army will lose all its vigor and all its branches will fall apart. In front of the Mongolian Tatars, we will have no choice but to be slaughtered by others." Shi Guangzhu said urgently.
Liu Fang's eyes flashed and she said, "Your Majesty, yes."
The Prince of Nan'an County said in a deep voice: "No, it's too desperate. Now the armies heard that the food route was cut off and there are no reinforcements. Once trapped, the army will collapse. Our army retreated to Haiyan, held the city and defended it, and headed towards Jin. Xuan asked for reinforcements, and the two sides are attacking Huangyuan. There is still a chance to turn things around!"
Once the entire army is wiped out, even if he is the king of the county, he will not be able to survive!
"Your Majesty," Shi Guangzhu said in a low voice with an earthy face.
The king of Nan'an County said: "Both generals are the pillars of the country. They held the elite cavalry of the Beijing camp to defeat the two cities, and defeated the Heshuote Mongolian ranger Zhifanfan. Come to think of it, they are no match for us now. I hope the two generals can defeat them."
When Liu Fang heard this, she secretly complained in her heart.
Shi Guangzhu argued: "That was the enemy's lure..."
The Prince of Nan'an County glared at Shi Guangzhu fiercely, and the latter suddenly realized that he could not say that he had fallen into the trap at this time.
If we don't say that we fell into a trap, then when we get through this disaster, we can still say that the thieves are cunning and ambushed elite soldiers to cut off their retreat.
The Prince of Nan'an County was also somewhat anxious at the moment. He looked at Ma Kuang and several generals in the Beijing camp and whispered: "General Ma, Xu Tongzhi, Zhang Tongzhi, let's set off."
In such an emergency, he could only let Liu Fang and Shi Guangzhu cut off the rear. Otherwise, if his confidants fled first, how would the generals in the capital view him?
Ma Kuang is a veteran with gray hair and a slender face. His ravaged face is full of weathered color. Although his heart is filled with a thick haze about the current war situation, he can only nod in agreement.
As the Nan'an County King's military order was passed down, the Han army, which was about to take a rest, began to move or riot.
The food roads and retreat routes were cut off, which undoubtedly shook the morale of the army. The Nan'an County King sent Hou Xiaokang and Hu Kui to lead troops to assist Huangyuan, which undoubtedly increased this panic.
Suddenly, rumors spread among the military and people were in confusion.
…
…
At this moment, in the Qinghai Golden Khan Tent, although it was late at night, there was still a full moon hanging high in the sky, and the moonlight spread across the earth like silver yarn. Occasionally, a few wolf howls came from the deep valleys and forests. sounded.
On the vast grassland, tents were filled with bonfires, and the sound of horses neighing could be heard from time to time.
Dorji was standing on the wooden watchtower at this moment, looking at the eastern sky. Under his eyebrows like mountain peaks, his cold eyes caught the faint firelight rising in the direction of Huangyuan, and he couldn't help laughing at it.
"Taiji, great things have happened!" the deputy general on the side said happily and in surprise.
Dorji smiled and said: "Early tomorrow morning, the whole army will attack. I will defeat the Han army in one fell swoop!"
After this battle, it is conceivable that his name, Dorji, will be resounding throughout the northwest. When Father Khan learns of this letter, he will also take a high look at him!
"Yes!" The surrounding generals responded in unison, their hearts lightened.
The next day, the sky was bright and it was another cloudless blue and sunny day.
Dorji led an army of 80,000 men and fought with nearly 20,000 cavalry troops led by Liu Fang and Shi Guangzhu. The two sides fought fiercely from morning to dusk.
The Beijing camp cavalry was worthy of its reputation as an elite force. They fought against the Qinghai Mongols and lost more than half of them. However, they also effectively stopped Dorji's troops and bought time for the Nan'an County Prince. However, the price was that Shi Guangzhu was seriously injured and fell into a coma. Liu Fang led three to four thousand remnant troops to escort them, and fled all the way back to Haiyan County.
In the small county town of Haiyan, Hedgehog gathered an army of 50,000 to 60,000 people. As the Prince of Nan'an County said, the original three days of food and fodder could be sustained for five or six days due to the reduction of troops and horses.
This can be said to be a blessing in misfortune.
Dorji, on the other hand, led tens of thousands of elite soldiers from the eight Taijis of Qinghai and Mongolia, surrounded the small Haiyan City, and prepared siege equipment, almost recreating the scene of the defeat of Jin Xiaoyu, the prince of Xining County.
Hou Xiaokang and Ningxia Commander-in-Chief Hu Kui led 30,000 troops to attack Huangyuan County in preparation for a retreat. Jin Xuan, who was in Xining Prefecture, was even more shocked when he learned that Huangyuan had been lost and the Beijing army had been cut off. After losing his color, he summoned the generals to discuss matters.
Xining Mansion, among the government offices——
It was already the afternoon of the next day when Jin Xuan received the battle report from Huangyuan, but the soldiers and generals of Xining Mansion in the hall were crowded and talking at all times.
King Chen Cheng of Qi was sitting not far away with a group of staff, his face as dark as the bottom of a pot.
Originally, we were escorting a batch of grain and fodder over, but we didn't expect to encounter something like this.
Ma Shang, the grandson of the leader of the country, was being supported by two soldiers. His hair was disheveled, his face was bloody, his eyes were dazed, and his spirit was listless.
Jin Xuan still had his filial piety belt on him at this moment, and the middle-aged Shen Yi had a solemn look on his face and said: "Hurry up and report the military situation to the court at 600 miles!"
Seeing this scene with a strong sense of déjà vu for some reason, the general below raised his hands and said: "General, the army is trapped in Huangyuan and Haiyan, so we must send troops to rescue them as soon as possible."
In fact, at this moment, the Jinyi Palace Guards in Xining Mansion were already preparing flying pigeons to deliver messages to Shenjing and Jinling to convey the news of the critical situation of the army.
Although the two places are so far apart, it does nothing but increase worries.
Jin Xuan pondered for a moment and then said decisively: "I will personally lead the troops and go to Huangyuan for rescue!"
I'm afraid that the army is in danger at this moment, but if we don't send troops to rescue, I'm afraid that the court will settle the score in the end.
After saying that, he looked at his son-in-law Fang Jin and said, "You are stationed in the city and must protect Xining Prefecture."
Fang Jin hesitated for a moment, then walked closer and said in a low voice: "Master Yuezhang, I'm afraid that the enemy's situation is unknown. Besides, the two demons have been burned to nothing. I'm afraid that the army will be in danger now."
Jin Xuan said in a deep voice: "Don't speak nonsense! The imperial court's 100,000-strong army is trapped and cannot be defeated overnight. There is still a chance of recovery, and troops need to be sent for reinforcements."
Then, Jin Xuan did not allow Fang Jin to refute, and ordered his soldiers, and the army quickly rushed to Huangyuan.
For a time, the situation in the entire northwest became dazzling and complicated.
And Qinghai, Huangyuan County——
Yue Tuo has already welcomed the troops of the Han Dynasty, Hou Xiaokang and Hu Kui's troops, who are rushing to rescue. Thirty thousand people came almost day and night for rescue.
"Master, there are many Han soldiers coming this time!" Deputy General Ildon reminded with a solemn expression as he looked at the forest of flags and mighty Han troops.
Ang Ala murmured in Jurchen words: "Master, give the general three thousand men, and the general will go out of the city and defeat these Chinese dogs!"
At this moment, Yue Tuo was holding on to the crenellations of the city wall, looking at the Han army with flaming red flags in the distance, and said in a deep voice: "The bereaved dogs are coming in panic, so there is nothing to be afraid of."
He glanced at the Han army in the distance and said coldly: "Our army will defend the city first. We only need to hold it for two days. They are short of food and are tired troops. Then we can go out of the city to rest and wait for work, and we will gain full success."
(End of chapter)
