At dawn.
The fighting on both sides of the Huangshui River has not completely subsided, and the ground is covered with red and white ice and snow mixed with blood.
When Lu Wan's Chinese army arrived, the Ming Dynasty soldiers almost massacred the tribesmen of Duoyan and Taining, and none of the cattle, sheep, and livestock of these tribes were spared.
Zhang Heling had a sullen face, his face was covered with ice and snow, and only a little bit of heat was coming out of his nostrils. He walked out for a few steps, and suddenly his feet sank into the water. Only then did he realize that he was actually standing on the ice of Huangshui. On the surface.
"Hou Ning Hou, are you okay?"
The general next to him quickly supported him.
"Where is Governor Lu? Where are the others?" There was a previous battle and the team was very scattered.
Even Zhang Heling, who had never been on the battlefield seriously, felt that the killing last night was completely unorganized.
The general said: "Master Lu has led his troops to the north to ambush the soldiers and horses on the other side. There are only more than 10,000 troops left on the river bank to clean up the mess. There were originally more than 3,000 prisoners, but a group of them escaped and one was killed. Batch… now there are not even 600 people.”
"Why did you run away?" Zhang Heling frowned.
At this time, Zhang Yong also crossed the ice and came to the south bank of Huangshui. When he saw Zhang Heling, he was not so panicked to find Lu Wan. Like Zhang Heling, he seemed to be leading the troops, but in fact he would not rush to kill at critical moments. forward.
"Marquis Shouning, we need to evacuate quickly! From here to the east, there are Chahar troops. The escaped Ulyanha troops are going in all directions. This road is difficult to follow and there is no way to pursue them."
Zhang Yong came to urge Zhang Heling and prepare to lead his troops to withdraw eastward.
Zhang Heling said: "Didn't Governor Lu lead his troops to the north? No more waiting?"
"It's a different mission! They are going to stop the Tatars from retreating eastward. What does that have to do with us? Let's clean up the mess and retreat quickly. We will probably not be able to return to Shenyang Zhongwei from here for ten or eight days. We have already penetrated deep into the grassland. The hinterland!" Zhang Yong sighed.
Zhang Heling was agitated and asked: "Old Zhang, is it far from the Ming Dynasty? Or is Weininghai far away from the Ming Dynasty?"
Zhang Yongdao: "Of course it's far away from here. It's at least four hundred miles away, and Weininghai is only two hundred miles away from Datong..."
"I'm an old lady. You said you were cheating me, but you are really good at cheating me. I didn't see the Tatars all the way. I thought I was still wandering around the territory of the Ming Dynasty. My feelings made me go to the rear of the Tatars to die. ?Go quickly, go quickly!”
Zhang Heling was frightened when he heard this.
At the beginning of the march, because it didn't snow and the road wasn't very busy, Zhang Heling had horses to transfer to, so he felt pretty good.
He had been busy chasing for the past two days, and he was suffering at the limit of his body. He didn't care about how far he had run. Only now did he know... It turns out that I went deeper into the grassland this time, deeper than Wang Shouren and Ma Yi. , further away from the Ming garrisoned pass... I was simply deceived into boarding a pirate ship!
When Zhang Yong saw Zhang Heling's cowardice, he suddenly understood why Lu Wan and Wang Xian had not taken him with them when they led troops to fight the other three guards of Duoyan.
Maybe someone like Zhang Heling, even if he is the commander-in-chief, is only suitable for cleaning up the mess.
"Hou Ninghou, there is no need to be alarmed. The two armies of the Ming Dynasty numbered forty to fifty thousand. They fought last night. Even the Tatars who escaped could not judge the number of soldiers and horses of our three armies. Unless the little Tatar prince comes in person, otherwise ordinary We don’t need to be afraid of the tribe. After cleaning up, the three armies will retreat first and go fifty miles away before stationing and resting. The river here is narrow and the water is fast, and the river has not yet completely frozen, so it is not suitable for garrisoning."
"Go, go, go!"
Zhang Heling couldn't help but say that he just wanted to return to Daming as soon as possible.
Even now he was very tired, but thinking that he was in danger, he would rather take a nap on the horse than stay in danger for another moment.
…
…
The first ambush battle was fought across the north and south banks of Huangshui River, and the battle was almost flawless.
But after the first battle, when he tried to go north to double-team Fuyu, Duoyan and other people who had gone separate ways, he could only chase after them.
"Lu Zhongcheng, we can't pursue him any longer."
As the coach of another team, Wang Xian met Lu Wan who had just arrived.
From last night to now, Lu Wan's group of troops were the most tired, but they didn't get much military exploits. Most of the major achievements were taken by Wang Xian's troops who ambushed them along the way.
Wang Xian pointed to the messy scene along the way in the distance and said: "When the Tatars retreated, they threw away everything they could to avoid being annihilated. If we continue to pursue them, we will easily encounter the main force of the Tatars!"
Lu Wandao: "Is it only a few dozen miles away?"
Wang Xian sighed: "There are no more people setting up an ambush in front of us. Going forward, there will be more changes on the road, and there will be more people and horses from the Tatar tribe. If it is a good day, we can push all the way, but the number of our people, horses and artillery Not allowed."
"Report..."
A messenger brought news.
"Speak!" Lu Wan didn't seem tired at all.
In comparison, the troops led by Wang Xian were even more tired.
"Captured sixty-two Tatar prisoners and more than three thousand cattle and sheep."
"take away!"
Lu Wan had to bow his head now.
When they came from the southern front, Fuyu and Duoyan had already gone about sixty or seventy miles. After chasing for a while, there was no sign of catching up. There were abandoned cattle, sheep, property, etc. along the way. Duoyan and the three guards wanted to Escape for one's life is really going to completely ruin your family's fortune.
Lu Wan said with regret on his face: "This time I sent out troops and failed to destroy the three guards of Duoyan at once, which is really a big regret in my heart."
Wang Xiandao: "Very good."
Lu Wan turned around and glared at Wang Xian. Although the tactics were completed by both sides, the main credit for killing the enemy was in the ambush, and it was the 40,000 soldiers and horses that Lu Wan brought with him to make the long journey. Also the most.
While Wang Xian's side was full of cavalry, Lu Wan's side was dragging all kinds of cannons that were three to four hundred kilograms apart.
Peng Quan rode over and looked very nervous and said: "My lords, we have sent spies to investigate. The Tatars have gone westward for nearly a hundred miles. According to the current speed of the advance, it will only take two or three days to catch up."
Wang Xian said: "Evacuate."
Peng Quan asked: "Should we evacuate towards Daning or towards Shenyang?"
This involves a problem.
Wang Xian and Peng Quan came from Jizhou, that is, from the southern route.
Lu Wan came from the eastern front, that is, from the Zhongwei side of Shenyang, Liaodong.
Before Wang Xian could answer, Lu Wan here said resolutely: "If we go south through Daning, the road is much closer, but we may encounter the main force of the Tatars. Although the road eastward is a hundred miles long, both sides The men and horses looked after each other, and the Tatars did not dare to attack directly.”
Lu Wan still has enough say on the issue of troop withdrawal.
It seemed that Wang Xian and he each brought a group of people.
But Wang Xian was just a temporary general. Like Wang Shouren who led the troops into Weininghai at that time, he had the power to lead troops but did not have a high official position.
Lu Wan was the governor of Liaodong. In the absence of economic strategy in the mid-Ming Dynasty, Lu Wan could be said to be the highest military and political officer in Liaodong.
Moreover, Lu Wan also analyzed the advantages and disadvantages of going south and east based on the actual situation.
Peng Quan just looked at Wang Xian. He came with Wang Xian. In the hearts of the soldiers, there was a clear distinction between who led the troops and who was responsible for the command. They had to listen to their immediate superiors when taking orders.
Wang Xiandao: "What Lu Zhongcheng said is absolutely true. If you go south, it will be easy for the Tatars to set up ambushes and interceptors along the way. Even if the road is close, it will be easy for the Tatar main force to outflank you. Although it is a long way to go east, it will be extremely difficult for the Tatars to outflank them, and The two sides are moving in a straight line, and the Tatars have little chance of catching up.”
The road was short, but it was also short for a Tatar pursuit.
And you can also double-team from the south.
Go east, that is the territory that was once occupied by the three guards of Duoyan, and the Tatars want to pursue them from the west.
Originally, the Ming Dynasty's troops were chasing the three guards of Duoyan. If Dayan Khan's main force came, they would be chasing the Ming Dynasty's army. Naturally, it would be safest to go in a straight line.
"Command the three armies to move eastward! Rest after nightfall!"
Lu Wan also knew that the current soldiers in the army had reached the limit of their physical strength, but they still couldn't rest.
They must also wait until they have passed the battlefield area and reached an area where the terrain is relatively easy to resist the Tatar invasion, and then rest and recuperate.
…
…
The armies of the Ming Dynasty entered the grassland in two ways and came out of the grassland in one line.
After noon, the soldiers really couldn't walk, especially the infantry who walked on two legs. Even though the wind and snow had stopped at this time, there was so much snow on the road that it was difficult to tell where they were coming from. , the gray sky is connected to the vast white grassland, and you can only move forward in one direction. Only the people in front of you know what the road ahead is, and the people behind you are walking according to the ruts and footprints of the road ahead.
Seeing that the soldiers could no longer march, Lu Wan could only order the three armies to be stationed. In this weather, it was difficult to even light a fire to make food. Fortunately, the army also brought charcoal and so on. After barely making a fire, they could finally eat. A mouthful of hot soup and hot rice.
Inside the Chinese army's tent.
Lu Wan took off his official uniform, which was almost frozen by the ice water. As a civilian official accompanying the army, he would not be wearing armor during this journey.
There was a big cloak outside, but because of the heavy wind and snow last night and the torturous journey, when I took off my clothes, I found that the official uniform inside was covered with a layer of ice.
"The water is frozen!"
Wang Xian brought Ma Yongcheng into the tent. Ma Yongcheng wanted to drink water, but found that the water in the leather bag had already frozen.
Wang Xian said: "The soldiers outside have already started chewing snow water. If we keep going like this, I don't know how many people will fall by the time it gets dark."
"Report... General Zhang's troops are already five miles south, and the vanguard troops have entered the camp to rendezvous..."
The troops led by Zhang Heling and Zhang Yong to clean up the mess joined the main force.
After waiting for a long time, Zhang Heling and Zhang Yong also appeared in the Chinese army's tent. At this time, except for Peng Quan, who was still responsible for patrolling with cavalry, the remaining bosses gathered in a tent. Inside.
Ma Yongcheng looked excited and asked Zhang Yongdao, who had just come in: "How many heads and prisoners are there?"
Zhang Heling cursed and said: "You have the nerve to ask? There are headless half-bodies everywhere on the river bank, bloody and bloody. Are you greedy too? You won't even keep a head?"
Ma Yongcheng looked embarrassed.
In the Ming Dynasty, the rules of the first attack have not been fundamentally improved. After the battle last night, Wang Xian and Peng Quan's ambushing troops were afraid that Lu Wan's chasing troops would steal the credit, so they first swept the battlefield and cut off all the heads they could. He cut it up, tied it to his horse, and then pursued it.
This left Zhang Heling and others who were cleaning up the battlefield to take in the previous prisoners, and it was difficult to find a head to get some credit.
Wang Xiandao: "About 1,600 heads were taken away, not counting those that were blown to pieces, but there were also intact ears that were cut off. Not the left and right ears, but both ears."
Zhang Heling sat down and grabbed the newly boiled water. He wanted to drink it but found it was very hot. He was still cursing: "Aren't those ears all the same? Do you have to get a pair together? Are you looking for ears all over the place? Daming Ming Dynasty doesn't have them. Such rules.”
The most depressing person is Zhang Heling.
But in fact, he is also the lightest.
As the commander-in-chief and leader of the troops, he had nothing to do when he went to the battlefield and charged into battle. There were so many complaints about cleaning up the battlefield. However, after a battle, Zhang Heling's inner growth was also the smallest, because others clearly came here for military glory... Zhang Heling still hasn't returned to what he was doing.
I feel like I'm being tormented, and I have nothing to do with fighting. When I clean up the battlefield, I find that my head has been cut off, and I've captured a bunch of prisoners and run away a lot.
What’s the point of toiling for so many days?
Zhang Heling almost doubted his life.
Lu Wandao: "To sum up here, the first meritorious service is about three hundred. Whether the total reaches two thousand depends on the calculation. As for the prisoners, many were captured before... some were killed directly, and some were old and weak. Those who can be easily taken away will probably be killed... If we join them together, there will be about four to five hundred prisoners left..."
Ma Yongcheng said happily: "That's good, another battle achievement of more than two thousand."
Lu Wan said with a stern face: "Compared with the losses in the previous Ming wars, Liaodong went through so much trouble in this battle, but the achievements gained are disappointing."
To put it bluntly, the main mission of sending troops is ours in Liaodong, and your troops in Jizhou are just setting up an ambush, and your heads have been stolen by you, and the prisoners can be considered as yours. We are responsible for the loss of feelings, but it is you. Eat meat and we drink soup?
The two sides had not cooperated sincerely on the battlefield, but now that the war is over, the resentment has deepened.
Wang Xiandao: "What are you talking about, Lu Zhongcheng? This battle was won by both of us, regardless of each other."
Zhang Heling became angry when he heard this and cursed: "Then you still chop off all the heads that can be chopped off? You don't even spare the ears on the broken heads? How do you play when you perform the martial arts?"
Ma Yongcheng asked: "Has the credit been paid?"
Lu Wan shook his head and sighed: "Going south from here, it's still two hundred miles to Daning. It's more than four hundred miles to go back to Daming Pass from the old site of Daning. Let's wait until we get back to Daming Pass first."
"Two hundred plus four hundred..." Zhang Heling suddenly thought of something and asked, "How far into the grassland are we now?"
Zhang Yong told him before that it was about four hundred miles away from the grassland, which made him feel that he had been cheated. But now the conversation between this group of people made him realize that it was not only those four hundred miles.
Wang Xiandao: "This place is about seven or eight hundred miles away from Shenyang Zhongwei..."
"How many?"
Zhang Heling shouted and stood up.
Wang Xian frowned and said: "Marquis Shouning, you have walked for so many days after leaving the fortress, almost day and night. Don't you even know how far you have walked?"
Zhang Heling said with an annoyed look on his face: "After we left the pass, everything was so desolate. There were only mountains and grass. How could I know how far I had walked?"
Lu Wan was too lazy to argue with Zhang Heling. In order to prevent Zhang Heling from causing trouble for him, they could travel more than a hundred miles a day, but he told Zhang Heling that they only traveled fifty or sixty miles... Anyway, Zhang Heling had no concept of distance. Zhang Heling's request was just not to cause trouble for himself.
"The top priority right now is to escape unscathed." Lu Wandao, "Everyone, I hope you will be merciful when I commend you for your contribution."
The muscles on Wang Xian's face moved.
Now Lu Wan was putting pressure on him.
Although Wang Xian, like Lu Wan, had no actual experience in leading troops before, this time he achieved a feat that was difficult for others to achieve. If he was told to just let him go...who would accept it?
Neither Lu Wan nor Wang Xian are the kind of people who are easy to get along with. Both of them later reached the position of minister of the Ministry of War. They must have their own unique aspects in running the army and safeguard the interests of their own units. It is also the style a general should have.
…
…
"Master Wang, you just heard what Master Lu said. What did he mean?"
After leaving the Chinese army tent, Wang Xian took Ma Yongcheng to his camp.
Wang Xiandao: "Eunuch Ma, can't you understand this? The Liaodong side thinks their contribution is too small, and they feel that their contribution is no less than ours. Even more than us."
Ma Yongcheng frowned and said: "What's the use of having so many of them? We accomplished the fighting on the battlefield, but don't you look at how many men and horses we lost here? They just followed and took advantage."
"You can't say that." Wang Xian actually also had a headache.
When we come, we can separate our troops and not see each other, so there won't be so much mixing up.
But now the trouble comes when the troops are withdrawn. The big trouble is that people have to bow their heads under the eaves... Who knows that Lu Wan's side has strong troops and horses. They have 37,000 troops and horses, but his side only has less than 4,000. What about the cavalry?
The direction of withdrawal is not to Jizhou, but to the hinterland of Liaodong in the east.
After this is over, for some credit, we will fight internally...
"Eunuch Ma, no matter how Lu Zhongcheng reports, our own report cannot be ignored. When we meet the supervisory censors of Liaodong later, we don't have to be polite to them. After all, what we report... There is no basis for what we say, but we still have to read it. Where is the level?"
Wang Xian nominally surrendered to Lu Wan, but secretly he couldn't give in.
Ma Yongcheng asked: "What if they rob us?"
"It's not the same on the grassland, but if we enter the pass, we will have to explain it! We can't wait for the soldiers in Liaodong to go back to report the news, and send people in advance to spy on the military situation, and send more people back to the capital first... That’s all it can do for now.”
Wang Xian looked at the gray sky in the south with a look of emotion on his face.
"The most important thing right now is to escape unscathed. And I think that the omnipotent Zhang Shilang in the court can definitely calculate what we have experienced and pave the way for us. As for military exploits, now Worrying is futile.”
(End of chapter)
