weaving

Chapter 1279: If the bandits are not pacified, the world will not be at peace!
"It's wet on the head and dry on the tail!"

Henan General Chen Yongfu then said: "Looking at this situation, I'm afraid this year will be another drought year."

Yongning Earl Zhang Cheng glanced at him and said, "General Chen is indeed a pillar of the court. He not only cares about the country, but also the people."

Chen Yongfu smiled slightly, clasped his fists and said, "Lord Yongning, you are joking. With you here, it is not my turn as a mere warrior to worry about the country and the people."

Zhang Cheng smiled and did not argue with him. He just said, "Do you think these 'folk proverbs' are really that accurate?"

"Ah...this..." Chen Yongfu didn't know how to answer for a moment.

Sun Shixiang saw this and came to his rescue, saying, "These proverbs are the summaries of the ancients' experiences over thousands of years, and most of the time they are still very effective. I remember a proverb that goes 'When the east wind blows in June, it rains like a mother calling her daughter'. Uncle, don't you think this proverb is quite true?"

Looking at the drizzle outside the tent, Zhang Cheng nodded and said, "What you said has come true. But I hope Chen Shuai's words will not come true again."

"Hahaha..." Everyone burst into laughter when they heard this.

…………

It turned out that after the letter from Earl Yongning was delivered to Kaifeng, Zhang Fuzhen, on the grounds of old age and weakness, only dispatched his deputy general Zhang Dechang to lead 2,000 troops from the standard camp to Xinchengji to assist in the battle. The entire deployment was at the sole discretion of Earl Yongning, while he himself continued to stay in the city of Kaifeng.

Chen Yongfu asked to serve in the army of the Earl of Yongning because there was no alarm around Kaifeng. He also led more than 2,000 soldiers and camped in the north of Xinchengji together with his deputy general Zhang Dechang and the commander of Zhending Guard Cao Shixi.

Nowadays, more than 35,000 elite troops of the Ming Dynasty have gathered in the Xinchengji area. Although the number of troops is not large, their camp stretches for more than ten miles and has a great depth.

There are four camps in Xinchengji, among which the military camp is located in Xinchengji, which is also the headquarters of Yongning Bo.

The Weiyuan Camp of the Yongyi Army had 500 elite Yulin cavalry, 500 elite Tiger Guard cavalry, and two baggage carts; the Suzaku Camp had 500 heavy cavalry, 500 rangers, 1,000 light cavalry, one chariot, and one baggage cart; the Xuanwu Camp had three divisions of the central army and the elite rear infantry; He Zhenxiong's Xuanzhen Biao Camp had 2,000 cavalry; and Chen Zhong's Yanhe Camp had 3,000 infantry and cavalry; Chen De's 1,000 elite cavalry, totaling more than 15,000 infantry, cavalry, and charioteers.

The left camp is located at Beiliangfen, three miles northwest of Xinchengji. It is home to the camp of Wang Pubia, the general of Datong, with more than 6,000 infantry and cavalry.

The right camp was located in Xincang, four miles away from Xinchengji, where more than 4,500 infantry and cavalry of Li Fuming, the general of Shanxi, were stationed.

It can be clearly seen that although they are both generals, Wang Pu is much stronger than Li Fuming. Don’t think that the difference is only 1,500 troops, which is almost the strength of a mobile battalion.

The North Camp was located in Gengtangzhuang, four miles north of Xinchengji, where were stationed two thousand elite cavalrymen led by Henan General Chen Yongfu; the Hu Camp with more than 2,500 soldiers led by Hu Zichen; the Baodu Biao Camp with more than 2,000 soldiers led by Zhang Dechang; and the Zhending Camp with more than 2,000 soldiers led by Zhending Guard Commander Cao Shixi. A total of more than 9,000 government troops were stationed here.

The elite troops stationed in the four major camps added up to a total of 35,000 elite soldiers. If you add the civilians and laborers temporarily recruited from Kaifeng, there are still 50,000 to 60,000 people.

Even if the more than 20,000 Yongyi Army soldiers from Liuzhuang, Xianggongmiao and Daguantou were added, the total number of government troops assembled in the south of Kaifeng was only about 60,000.

However, these 60,000 government troops are all elite. Even though the Tiger Camp and Kaifeng Army cannot match the Yongyi Army in terms of equipment and combat effectiveness, they are also veterans of hundreds of battles and are all elite soldiers.

Even Zhang Dechang's Baodu Biao Camp and Cao Shixi's Zhending Camp, which had the weakest combat power, were no match for the young and strong recruits of the rebels!

But no matter what, the rebel army still had hundreds of thousands of troops. Even if we only counted the combat soldiers, the number was at least 100,000, or even as many as 120,000 or 130,000.

Although Zhang Cheng, the Earl of Yongning, was not afraid of being outnumbered two at once, the situation on the battlefield was changing rapidly. The advantage of the Chuang army in terms of military strength would largely determine the direction and outcome of this battle.

…………

"Yes."

Sun Shixiang continued, "The people of Henan are suffering. I really hope there will be a good year with good weather and good harvests, so that the people can have some harvests and Henan, which is in such a chaotic state, can be stabilized."

"Humph, whether Henan can be stable or not is not determined by the people, it all depends on the rebels in the south." Chen Zhong continued angrily: "As long as the rebels are not eliminated, Henan will not be at peace!"

Li Fuming, the general of Shanxi, also sighed and said, "It's not just Henan that is in turmoil. The entire Ming Dynasty is in turmoil because of these bandits."

"Yes."

Zhang Cheng, the Earl of Yongning, said: "If the bandits are not pacified, the world will not be at peace!"

He turned around and said to the people around him, "This battle is very crucial. The outcome will determine the situation in the Central Plains, and even the survival of our Ming Dynasty. Therefore, we must remain calm, hold the defense line firmly, and be invincible. Then we can find opportunities to gradually consume the bandits."

"Yes."

Zhang Cheng added, "We are about to enter the dog days of summer. Shi Jianneng and Liu Huicheng, you two must be alert and take good care of the soldiers in each battalion and the horses and mules. Don't dare to let any disease occur!"

"Yes. Please rest assured, sir."

"Do we have enough medicine?"

Shi Jianneng replied: "There is plenty of medicine. Our medical department will prepare a summer heat-relief soup starting tomorrow for all soldiers to drink, to prevent the hot weather and dry ground from causing epidemics."

"Okay." Zhang Cheng nodded to show his satisfaction, then looked at the veterinary officer Liu Huicheng and asked, "Are there any problems with the Veterinary Department?"

"My Lord, the Veterinary Department has sufficient medicinal materials, which will ensure that the livestock in our camps are safe."

"Okay. You two should work harder and inspect each camp every day. You must take responsibility."

"Yes."

"Yes, please rest assured, sir."

Yongning Earl Zhang Cheng nodded, then looked at the commanders of each camp and said, "Today is the Lesser Heat. All of you camps should arrange to slaughter a live sheep. Cook sheep soup and make pancakes so that the soldiers can have a delicious meal!"

All the generals responded in unison, and each ordered his personal soldiers to go back and pass on the message immediately.

"A bowl of Fuyang soup, no need for a doctor to prescribe medicine!"

Shi Jianneng, the chief medical officer of the Yongyi Army, immediately praised: "Eating mutton and drinking mutton soup in the dog days is not only a great tonic. It can also generate heat, expel sweat and detoxify, and help expel the toxic gas and moisture accumulated in winter and spring from the body."

"Oh? Are there so many benefits?"

Yongning Bo smiled and said, "I only remember that eating mutton is good in the dog days, but I didn't know that it has so many benefits."

At this time, the middle officer Zhang Mingyuan interrupted, "Father, can we kill a sheep and make pancakes too?"

"Yes. We must kill the sheep. You all should stay in the camp and eat the sheep today. Don't go back to the camp and fight with the other men for the mutton."

He then added: "You can have some pancakes, but I want to eat dumplings."

"Dumplings in the first ten days, noodles in the second ten days, pancakes with eggs in the third ten days!"

Zhang Cheng first said a proverb, and then said: "In addition to the big cakes, please make some more 'steamed mutton dumplings'. I want to have a good feast today."

"Yes." Zhang Mingyuan agreed, turned around and went to pass on the order, arranging for the slaughter of sheep and making dumplings.