Chapter 133: A sudden turn of events
Although he did not feel that the Mongolian cavalry under his command was inferior to the Ming army's cavalry, he had to admit that the Ming army's cavalry had considerable combat effectiveness. There was a fierce battle between the two sides. Win or lose, there will be heavy casualties.
The Mongols really couldn't afford the loss.
Now in his hands. Known as two hundred thousand cavalry. In fact, they are all men.
Many of them are already gray-haired. Older than him. But what can be done? If you don't fight, you will die. Fight, die now.
He can do it. It means seeking life from death.
Tamerlane was not opposed to peace talks, but he knew that all negotiations were based on strength. He put the greatest pressure on the Ming army. So that the Ming Dynasty would know that his Yuan Dynasty still had strength. Weigh the pros and cons and it is better to negotiate than to fight. A peace agreement between both parties can be reached.
How can we put the greatest pressure on the Ming army? If we can pull out Changchun Fort, it would be great.
But is it possible?
Tamerlane knew that it was impossible.
Perhaps if we had attacked by force, it would have been possible to win. But now that the Ming army has been operating for several years, it is no longer possible to defeat it. Even if it is defeated, the losses will be heavy. So, he chose another path. That is to avoid the truth and attack the fictitious.
As mentioned earlier, there is neither a border wall nor a Great Wall in Liaodong today. But it's just with the help of natural terrain. It only forms a line of defense with the Liaohe River.
There are gaps, and only those who have them can break through.
Tamerlane also knew that Liaodong had been prospering in recent years. He will not attack Changchun Fort. It penetrated directly into the hinterland of Liaodong and turned Liaodong upside down. The best result would be to capture some people and take them back. The second best result was that Liaodong's vitality was seriously damaged, which affected the deployment of troops.
Buy Yuan Ting a few years.
Of course, doing this is not without risk.
The biggest risk is nothing else.
Even after leaving several Ming army guards behind, do you really think that all the people in this city are dead? Falling into the hinterland of the Ming Dynasty, it is easy to get in but difficult to get out.
However, now that Tuoyin Timur has a bad deck of cards, there are not many ways he can choose to play. How can he do it without using his troops to make dangerous moves?
This is the situation King Yan faced.
He thought he would face a fierce battle. Unexpectedly, the Mongols retreated. King Yan did not have many soldiers and horses. More than 5,000 people guarding Changchun Fort is enough. But went out of the city to pursue the Mongols. Just fell into the Mongolian plan.
The Mongols often used this method during their wars. Circling the city, if the defenders leave the city to pursue or intercept, they will naturally eat the people. A city without anyone to guard it is of no use. If you don't care, then they are really going straight ahead. Without rear support, a city cannot be defended for long.
This is the principle of not defending a lonely city.
In short, it is a dilemma.
King Yan thought about it for a long time and said, "Peace."
Ping An said: "The end will be here."
King Yan said: "Choose warriors in the army. I want a thousand people who dare to die. Follow me out of the city."
Ping An said: "Your Highness, this is absolutely impossible. How can Your Highness, with his body of gold, do such a thing. If Your Highness is not here to stay, I will choose warriors to leave the city."
King Yan said: "No need, it's just a small battle. It won't trouble me. I have made up my mind on this matter. Just obey the order."
Ping An hesitated for a long time, and could only lower his head and said, "Yes. It's just that Your Highness, please allow me to follow you."
King Yan said: "Who will give the Changchun Fort to?"
Ping An said: "Your Highness will handle it. If I don't fight with His Highness, I am afraid that after this battle, the general will not have any good fruits to eat. Please forgive me, Your Highness."
King Yan laughed. He knew Ping An was right.
King Yan has confidence in himself.
King Yan has been practicing martial arts since he was a child, so he can't say how good he is, but if he can walk around the battlefield a few times, there won't be any problems. Not to mention that the guards in his hands and the soldiers of the Changchun Guard are all elites. The armor is complete and the weapons are sharp. Even if they were surrounded by tens of thousands of Mongols. It can also kill three in and three out.
Of course, this is not the most important thing.
The most important thing is that King Yan can't swallow this breath.
If he watched helplessly, he would watch the enemy leave him behind. But he did nothing, and he would not be convinced no matter what.
And public opinion will be unfavorable to him. After all, the founding spirit of the Ming Dynasty is still there. Everyone respects heroes and despises bears. They dare not fight when they see the enemy and stay in seclusion. You will only be called cowardly. Rather than being mature and prudent.
And if Ping An allows the prince to fall into danger, then Ping An, the commander, will have no future no matter who he has as his backer. The choice of peace is also a last resort.
King Yan said: "Zhang Yu."
Zhang Yu immediately stepped out of the queue and said, "The general is here."
King Yan said: "You stay here, no matter what happens, I want to see the flag of the Ming Dynasty on the Changchun Fort."
Zhang Yu said: "I understand. I ask Your Highness to take an extra thousand people with you. This Changchun Fort only needs 3,000 people. There are still many young men and women who can be dispatched."
King Yan thought for a moment. Zhang Yu was his right-hand man in military matters. King Yan believed in Zhang Yu's guarantee. And a thousand riders is really too few. Said: "Okay then. Just do what you want."
Zhang Yu said: "The general's intention is to ask the prince to leave the city quickly."
King Yan said: "What do you mean?"
Zhang Yu said: "The general will be careful about the governor."
King Yan suddenly changed his expression after hearing this. He thought to himself: "No way. He Xi will not be so unlucky. And He Xi is still on the boat. Taking the water route. There should be nothing wrong."
But I don't know why. King Yan felt that his eyelids were twitching all the time. There was an ominous premonition in my heart.
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Fortunately, King Yan's premonition was not too accurate.
He Xi did not encounter the most unlucky situation.
After all, he brought more than a thousand guards, all of whom were elite soldiers. After all, He Xi never pays any temporary cost in strengthening his own protection. The soldiers on this ship were all in armor, with chain armor on the inside, iron armor in the middle, and cloth face armor, or cotton armor, on the outside. The weapons in hand include a long knife or a long spear. Conventional weapons such as shields and hand crossbows are used by cavalry, and a considerable number of soldiers are also equipped with fire blunderbuss. There are more than three hundred fire guns.
As for the artillery on the ship.
Because of the canal, large ships cannot travel here. Cannons cannot be used on this ship. Otherwise, if the cannon is fired, it will not matter whether the enemy is killed or not. His own ship sank first. That would be embarrassing.
However, even with this level of security, He Xi is not without danger. The only danger they have is that the canal is too narrow. It was the kind of distance that a Mongolian cavalry team could jump into the boat with their horses and men.
This puddle of water can't stop anything.
Fortunately, this journey was uneventful.
He Xi encountered three attacks, the last of which involved about three to four thousand riders. At that time, arrows were raining down like rain, and the Ming army's muskets and the Mongolian bows and arrows were shooting at each other across the ditch a few meters away. He Xi was naturally hiding below the deck. Only the sound of fighting could be heard outside. This sound represented arrows hitting the ship's deck. There was a roar from behind, which was naturally the sound of firecrackers and artillery firing.
After the third siege, it seemed that these Mongols knew that He Xi was not easy to chew.
On the other hand, it seems that the canal has reached its end. It flows into the Liao River.
Although this is the upper reaches of the Liao River, the river is not too wide. But it is much better than the canals dug manually before. At least the Mongolian cavalry never thought about rushing onto the ship and let He Xi go.
However, He Xi was not happy because he was safe. Instead, the whole person frowned.
There is no other reason. In He Xi's view, the industrial system being built in Liaodong is something more important than his own life. He thought to himself: "I'm careless. I didn't expect rabbits to bite people when they are anxious, let alone the land of ten thousand chariots. The Yuan Dynasty has some heritage after all. I don't know what other places are like."
He Xi actually attaches great importance to the safety of important industries. The factories and mines near Shenyang all built separate cities. But there are still many places without much protection. If the Tatars are allowed to run rampant, they will be in big trouble.
At this time, he couldn't do anything.
All he can do is believe in his subordinates, believe in Yao Guangxiao, Wu Gao, believe in Liu Jing and others. Even if he is not here, there will be a perfect plan.
