The mountain road leading to Zhennanguan is not wide. Except for the city gate, which is wider, the widest part of the road in the distance is only two feet, and the narrow part is less than one foot.
On the winding mountain road, black waves surged, and noises, curses, and whippings were continuously transmitted to the mountains on both sides.
In the darkness, the sound did not travel very far before being blocked by countless trees.
"These are the plundered people of the Ming Dynasty, mainly young and strong. Sir, let's kill them out, shall we?"
Huang Gui of Qianhu lay on the edge of the stone and looked at the mountain road carefully. There were torches lit at intervals at intervals underneath. There were Annan soldiers guarding him along the way. However, these soldiers were too scattered and there were not many in number. As long as they rushed down, they would surely be defeated. Can capture Zhennanguan.
Zhang Fu squinted at Zhennanguan and saw that there were many sergeants on top of the city tower, and there were also several cannons. If he fought all the way through and failed to control the city gate and tower at the first time, it would lead to disaster.
"Wang Yuanxing, you take five hundred sergeants, sneak into the people from that dark place, follow them into the city, and then control the city gates and towers. You are only allowed to succeed, not fail!"
Zhang Fu pointed to the forest not far away and said.
Wang Yuanxing smiled and promised in a low voice: "Even if we fight to the last person, we will capture Zhennanguan!"
Zhang Fu asked him to lead the people away, and then ordered: "Huang Gui, take five hundred sergeants to explore along the mountain road to see where Annan's team of plundering people has gone. Block the mountain road ten miles away. The more the better!" All the gunpowder we brought was used."
"As commanded."
Huang Gui led people away.
Zhang Fu looked at Pan Cheng beside him and said: "You take five hundred people and disperse them in the mountain road. When the battle begins, you order the sergeant to shout, 'Hu Du has been beheaded, the Ming army is coming', and then lead I chopped off Sergeant Annan who was detaining the people!"
Pan Cheng nodded heavily, said nothing, stood up and took people to make arrangements.
Zhang Fu waved his hand and said to Yuan Yue: "I heard that you are quite courageous and performed well in Yongping Village. This time I will give you 1,200 people. Do you have the courage to penetrate Zhennanguan and face Annan directly? Heavy army?"
Yuan Yue was overjoyed, filled with strength and fighting spirit, and vowed: "I will live up to your great trust!"
"Take action!"
Zhang Fu gave the order, and the sergeants behind him kept leaving. Huang Ying thought about it and said to Zhang Fu with some worry: "Is it too thin to only leave more than two hundred people?"
"What, are you scared?"
Zhang Fu glanced at Huang Ying. In the darkness, he could only see a vague outline.
Huang Ying moved easily and replied: "We soldiers don't know how to be afraid!"
Zhang Fu knew how powerful the soldiers were, but they were powerful, but Zhang Fu was unwilling to use this group of people. The reason was very simple. Although these people obeyed the orders of the Ming court and had strong combat effectiveness, they also had a fatal flaw:
Intermittently obedient.
It is inappropriate to say that they are disobedient. When they really need to be mobilized, they will obey and go into battle to kill the enemy.
but!
If the war is fierce and the losses are large, and they think it is difficult to resist, they will not obey the orders of their superiors, but will make their own decisions and leave at will...
Compared with the life of the chief officer, they think their own life is more important.
This logic seems to be correct...
The key is that Zhang Fu himself is the chief officer. If he uses this group of people as the main force, he may one day be faced with the situation of running away without anyone calling him.
If we wanted to deal with them afterwards and charge them with escaping before the battle, it would be impossible.
Because these soldiers belong to the Ming court in name, but actually belong to the local chieftain!
The toast system!
This ancient system is extremely unfamiliar to many people in later generations and is full of mystery.
In fact, the emergence of the chieftain system originated from the "restriction policy."
"Historical Records: Biography of Sima Xiangru" records: "It is said that the Emperor's treatment of Yi and Di is just a matter of righteousness and restraint."
This is the policy of restraint.
In a nutshell, the imperial court conferred official positions on ethnic minority chiefs, allowing them to express their submission to the imperial court, but the imperial court did not interfere with their internal affairs.
From the Qin to the Song Dynasty, all dynasties in the past dynasties basically pursued the policy of restraining the ethnic minorities in the southwest.
In the Tang Dynasty, Ji Mi states and counties were widely established and ethnic chiefs were appointed as governors and county magistrates. The Ji Mi policy reached its peak.
The Yuan Dynasty was very poor in many places and was unpopular, but its policy of restraining Mi was worthy of praise and recognition.
The emergence of the chieftain system began in the Yuan Dynasty.
"Mongols and barbarians participated in the law of governance, and officials were divided into local people", which marked the birth of the chieftain system.
What needs to be explained is that in the dynasties before the Yuan Dynasty, although they pursued a policy of restraining taxes, they also required Jizhou and counties to pay rent and taxes, but in fact, people could pay if they wanted to, and if they didn't want to, you could not. Any way.
For example, during the Zhenzong period of the Song Dynasty, there was a memorial from the provincial governor asking these counties to pay taxes. Zhenzong of the Song Dynasty believed that "if the land is deserted and no tax is collected, it is not allowed." Later, "the caves are not for rent or tax" became the norm.
However, during the Yuan Dynasty, the establishment of the chieftain system directly stipulated the transmission and payment of taxes and must be implemented.
The rulers of the Yuan Dynasty believed that only by losing taxes and paying taxes could they truly surrender!
Zhu Yuanzhang expressed his high approval and recognition for this point. He bluntly said that chieftains from all over the country "are paid with taxes and servitude, and they are subject to my control." He also set up a number of chieftains in Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangdong, Huguang, Guangxi, and Shaanxi. .
There are many toasts in Guangxi. Except for Cangwu, there are toasts in other places!
In a sense, although the Ming Dynasty controlled ethnic minority areas such as Guangxi, it was these armed chieftains who really had huge influence on the bottom!
Some chieftains were disobedient, and Ming had to send people to beat them up from time to time.
If you don't accept it, fight until you are convinced.
It is precisely because of this that although the chieftain surrendered to the Ming Dynasty, he secretly did not surrender so thoroughly.
Zhang Fu did not have full trust in the chieftain army.
Seeing the Ming army blending into the ranks of the people entering the city, Zhang Fu stood up, grabbed the handle of the knife with his right hand, and said in a low voice: "It is true that the soldiers are brave, but it is also true that the Nanning guards are invincible! You see Go ahead, but all enemies who stand in the way of Ming Dynasty will die!"
Wang Yuanxing led his people into the city gate, but there was nothing strange about the guarding Sergeant Annan. He didn't even look at Wang Yuanxing and others and let them pass.
After entering the city, Wang Yuanxing looked around, arranged for his deputy to lead a hundred people to control the city gate, and then ran to the left with four hundred sergeants, silently and very quickly.
Sergeant Annan was confused for a moment, not knowing what was going on, but no one came forward to stop or ask questions.
Wang Yuanxing led the people onto the city climbing horse road, and when they successfully climbed onto the city tower, there was Sergeant Annan who thought he was changing the defense. However, the handover procedures for the city defense had not been completed yet, so Wang Yuanxing gave a loud shout, opened the opponent's face, and shouted loudly. : "Kill me!"
Only then did Sergeant Annan realize that Sergeant Ming had entered the city!
But before they could shout "enemy attack", in an instant, the sound of killing outside the city gate shook the field, as if tens of thousands of troops were charging towards them, and they were frightened to death!
Wang Yuanxing captured the city gate and wall. Yuan Yue led 1,300 soldiers without attacking both sides, like a sharp knife
The knife was inserted directly into the Annan military camp in Zhennanguan.
And Sergeant Annan in those military camps was still immersed in sleep!
Yuan Yue decided to let their dreams last longer and ordered them to be killed!
"Hu Du was beheaded, and the Ming army came to kill him!"
Pan Cheng ordered the sergeant to shout at the top of his lungs. Hundreds of people shouted the slogan together. The sound spread far away. After hearing this, Sergeant Annan who was detaining the people became even more panicked.
When they saw Sergeant Daming hanging down a rope from the mountain, they wanted to run away, but they didn't know who stretched out his leg and tripped him to the ground.
"kill!"
The cry of killing resounded throughout the world, and Sergeant Annan retreated in disgrace.
Can I retreat? Where can I retreat to?
At this time, Zhennanguan City Gate was under the control of the Ming army, and there were mountains on both sides of the road that were difficult to climb. The only fate left for them was death!
Zhang Fu stood in the dark and looked at the entire battle situation. He saw that although the battles on the mountain road were scattered, he had the advantage. Some people also took action to help the Ming army fight.
"Enter the city!"
Zhang Fu grabbed the rope and took the lead in rappelling from the mountain. Then after all the sergeants came down, he entered Zhennanguan!
As news of Hu Du's death and the Ming Dynasty's army continued to spread, Annan's army was confused and had no intention of fighting. They abandoned their helmets and fled.
Yuan Yue performed particularly bravely at this station. With only about 60 people, he dared to chase more than 500 Annan sergeants, even defeated them, and captured more than 300 people.
Boom!
The earth shook and the mountains shook. Ten miles away, rocks fell, blocking the mountain road.
Huang Gui knew that blocking the mountain road could not really stop Hu Du's army, but it could buy some time!
time is life!
What worries Huang Gui is that although there is no problem with Zhang Fu's arrangement, there is also a fatal flaw, that is:
Once Hu Du learns that Zhennanguan has been captured, will he stay where he is and wait for the decisive battle with Han Guan? If he no longer waits and marches directly to Zhennanguan, then Zhennanguan will become a place of life and death!
"Blow one more place!"
Huang Gui ordered his sergeants to cut wide gaps in the rugged rocks, then stuff gunpowder into them, ignite them and explode the rocks, causing them to fall and block the road.
Fortunately, the mountain is heavily lithified, and there are always some large rocks rolling down after the explosion.
By daybreak, the battle at Zhennanguan was over!
The more than 4,000 Annan sergeants who stayed at Zhennanguan were killed, and more than 1,800 were captured. The Annan reserve army south of Zhennanguan was also overwhelmed by Yuan Yue's men, and more than 30 people escaped. It just stopped.
"Report to the commander to rescue the 5,226 young men who were robbed!"
Wang Yuanxing reported.
Zhang Fu said nothing, but looked down at the casualty figures in the document, feeling secretly sad.
Zhennanguan can be described as a surprise attack. The enemy was unprepared and had no fighting spirit. However, despite this, there were 156 casualties!
"How much food is left in the city?"
Zhang Fu raised his head and asked.
Wang Yuanxing's face condensed and he replied: "We haven't found out clearly yet, but it doesn't seem to be too much."
"I only have one hundred and ten shi of food, which can barely last three days."
Pan Cheng hurriedly walked towards Zhang Fu and said worriedly.
Everyone knows that the next few days will be a difficult battle to defend the gate!
The most basic material for guarding the gate is food!
Zhang Fu stood up, looked at Pan Cheng and Wang Yuanxing coldly, and ordered: "There is not much food in Zhennanguan. Keeping prisoners will only consume food. Do you know what to do?"
