"Your Highness, the three guards of Daning's Yingzhou have nearly 20,000 riders. They are brave and good at fighting, with strong soldiers and horses. King Ning also manages the army well, and he also guards the city with heavy firearms."
"Although our Yan army has nearly 60,000 elite troops, they are all light cavalry and are inconvenient to carry heavy firearms for siege."
"Even if we capture Daning City, it will be a waste of people and money, and it will take several months."
"Looking back, by then, the entire camp was full of wounded soldiers and the generals were lost. Instead of increasing the Yan army's combat power, it suffered heavy losses."
"How will we organize an attack on the Southern Army next?"
Zhang Yu analyzed.
"Yes, but what can be done about this?"
Zhu Di lowered his head and sighed:
"Ning Wang Zhu Quan has an ambiguous attitude towards the current situation. He is neither helping the Southern Army nor our Yan Army. He is sitting on the mountain watching the tigers fight with ulterior motives."
At this point, he could only stomp his feet and throw away his hands, frowning and worrying.
"Please don't be impatient, Your Highness. The general thinks that our Yan army can recruit a large number of mercenaries to replenish the team."
"Of course this is very good, but where can we find such a suitable team?"
Zhu Di's eyes flashed brightly, but then darkened.
"There is an existing team, Your Highness."
Zhang Yu pointed to the sand table and nodded to Zhu Di:
"They are the three Wuliangha guards currently stationed in Daning's jurisdiction."
"What...the three guards of Wuliangha?" Zhu Di was shocked.
Yao Guangxiao, who had always been calm, also stood up when he heard the sound. He stared at the sand table with wide triangular eyes for a long time and said to Zhang Yu:
"General Zhang, how confident are you in persuading the three guards of Wuliangha to join King Yan?"
"I don't dare to say it fully, but I am still 70% to 80% sure, master. Let me wait and see what the general has to say..."
Then, Zhang Yu pointed at the sand table and described in detail.
Wu Liangha Sanwei is a descendant of Temujin's younger brother Temujin brother Ochijin.
Strictly speaking, they are members of the 'Golden Family', not direct lineage but offshoots.
The status of side branches is very embarrassing.
They were not recognized by the Golden Family, were ostracized, and even expelled by other tribes in Beiyuan.
They had no stable pasture and wandered around like a pack of stray dogs, suffering from hunger and cold.
Zhu Quan took them in a few years ago and allowed them to graze and live in Daning's jurisdiction.
The condition is to obey King Ning's order and jointly resist the invasion of the remnants of the Mongolian Yuan Dynasty or other tribes.
Such conditions are definitely a timely help, and the Wuliangha people readily accept them.
In addition to allowing grazing, King Ning also provided small amounts of salt, grain, and even weapons to the Uliangha people from time to time.
In order to avoid internal turf wars within the Ulliangha, Zhu Quan defined boundaries for the Ulliangha people.
The Duoyanwei are nomadic in the upper reaches of the Qulieer River.
Tainingwei are nomadic in the Tar River Basin.
Fu Yuwei nomadic in the Nenjiang River Basin.
The distance between the three guards is more than a thousand miles, and the nearest tribe is more than 600 miles away from Daning City.
In addition to the old, weak, women and children, the three guards of Wuliangha have a total combat strength of more than 60,000, but they are all battle-hardened Mongolian and Yuan cavalry.
Among them, Duoyanwei is the most powerful.
"The last general was an official in the Privy Council of the Northern Yuan Dynasty, and he had the best relationship with Tolu Huchaer, the current leader of the Duoyan Guards. We were of the same age and got along well, and eventually we became brothers with different surnames."
"This time I plan to find him first and convince him that there should be no problem. Then he will come forward and bring the leaders of the other two guards together to discuss it. Then something big can be done."
Zhang Yu said with confidence.
"Okay, I will collect all the gold, silver and jades in Prince Yan's palace and bring them to you. You must persuade them to come over. If the event is successful, I will reward the soldiers heavily."
After hearing this, Zhu Di excitedly punched the edge of the sand table, causing the small flag on the sand table to sway.
"You don't need all of it. You will be traveling a long distance at the end, so you must pack lightly and simply. Only bring part of the gold as a greeting gift and a deposit for employment."
Zhang Yu stood up and continued:
"The grassland tribes are most concerned about fertile pastures. In the opinion of the general, His Highness can promise to reward them with a piece of pasture after the project is completed."
Zhu Di was so happy when he heard this, he laughed and said:
"You can boldly tell them that I promise that when the big thing is accomplished, I will give all the land under the jurisdiction of Daningdu to the three guards of Wuliangha, and it will become their pasture and hereditary territory."
Zhang Yu was overjoyed after hearing this. He cupped his fists and bowed:
"With Your Highness's promise, General Mo is willing to issue a military order. In one and a half months, at most two months, I will bring the three guards of Wuliangha to the gates of Peking City to participate in the counterattack against Li Jinglong."
"well."
Zhu Di happily patted Zhang Yu's shoulders and said in a deep voice:
"Shimei, after you have successfully returned from this move, I will give you the first credit. In the future, you will be the first to contribute to the founding of the country."
"The general has never thought about this. He just hopes to reverse the passive situation of the Yan army and help His Highness to successfully suppress the enemy."
Zhang Yu said humbly.
"Well, the situation is urgent, let's stop chatting and get ready."
"As commanded."
After clasping fists and saluting Zhu Di and Yao Guangxiao, Zhang Yu turned around and exited the meeting hall, returning to the camp to prepare.
Looking at Zhang Yu's disappearing figure, Zhu Di said filial piety to Yao Guang:
"Master, do you think the odds of winning are controllable?"
Yao Guangxiao smiled and encouraged:
"It's the way of heaven, so of course the odds of winning can be manipulated."
"It's just that the poor monk heard that the three guards of Yingzhou are very powerful. If they fight hard, both sides will lose, but Jianwen will benefit."
"If you can outwit them, it's best to instigate them."
After Yao Guangxiao said this, Zhu Di suddenly thought of something.
He heard the princess mention that his father-in-law had secretly adopted several adopted sons in his early years, and it seemed that one of the three current guards in Yingzhou was included.
Who exactly, he didn't know yet.
"With the young master, I will go back to the backyard to discuss with the princess."
After Zhu Di finished speaking, he walked towards the backyard before he had time to say goodbye.
Yao Guangxiao was stunned, shook his head and left.
…
Late November, the twelfth lunar month of winter.
Outside the fortress, there is a land of white, ice and snow.
Daning City, in front of the gate of Prince Ning's Mansion.
"Fourth brother, you have had a hard time along the way."
Facing Yan King Zhu Quan who was riding into the city alone, Zhu Quan quickly stepped forward to greet him with a salute.
"Seventeenth brother, fourth brother thought he would never see you again."
Zhu Di, who was exhausted, hugged Zhu Quan's shoulders, his eyes were red and hot, and he shed a few heroic tears.
"Stop talking about Fourth Brother. Come into the palace and warm yourself up. I'll take care of Fourth Brother."
Zhu Quan quickly advised.
He held Zhu Di's hand and walked into the warm main hall.
Here are all single-story houses with stone and wood structures. The foundations are stone strips, and the vertical walls and roof beams are made of thickened wooden boards and thick trees.
The roof is laid with ultra-thin slates.
There are no bricks or tiles in the desert, only wooden-framed slate houses.
The brothers came to a hall with four doors.
Standing at the gate were four soldiers with sabers hanging on their waists. They were Yingzhou guards.
This should be King Ning's Chinese army camp.
"We're here, fourth brother, please come in with me."
Zhu Quan snorted lightly.
Entering the house, a warm current greets you.
The first thing that caught his eye were the two large charcoal fires in the house.
It was square and square, with a rectangular wooden table in the middle and fur felt underneath.
In addition to the maids and servants, there were three generals already standing there.
