weaving

Chapter 1520 Unable to make a decision, report to me immediately.

November 15th, the fifteenth year of the Chongzhen reign of the Ming Dynasty.

Li Jian'e, the military commander of the western route of Xuanfu Town, led his 1,500 cavalrymen from Geyubao to Shangzhuangbao.

His cavalry unit will be one of the main forces launching an attack from Yehuling, and Li Jian'e will be the deputy commander of this route. The commander of this route will be Liu Guangwu, the deputy commander of the western route.

Shangzhuangbao will serve as the forward base for this expeditionary force. At this moment, it has gathered 2,500 cavalry, 2,000 infantry, 100 chariots and 100 black chariots, and 3,000 chariot soldiers.

The Xuanfu army along the Yefuling route will advance north to capture Xinghesuo and Shacheng, which originally belonged to the Ming Dynasty. After crossing the Halawusu River, they will turn west to Chahannaoerhai, and from there turn northwest to attack Mingai and Qindai. After that, they will turn northeast again to raid Dalucheng.

This route mainly focused on harassment and attacks, aiming to cut off the connection between the Tumed Mongols' Guihua City and the Jurchens, and to support the Xuanfu Army that was leaving the pass through Dushikou, in order to recover the former territory of Kaipingwei.

They will primarily employ cavalry for rapid infiltration and assaults, while the accompanying infantry will mainly be responsible for temporarily stationing themselves in the captured castles to provide timely support when the main army retreats.

The wagon battalion that travels with the army serves three purposes: first, to ensure the army's supplies; second, to provide some fire support; and third, to provide defensive support in the event of an attack in the field.

On the 17th, Yefuling was opened to traffic.

First, Li Jian'e led a 1,500-strong cavalry force out of the pass in a grand procession. They sped northward like lightning and soon disappeared into the vast wilderness.

Following closely behind were the chariot and infantry battalions, who, under Liu Guangwu's command, marched north, following the cavalry contingent, and charged into the vast Mongolian grasslands.

…………

On the 18th, large groups of cavalry, infantry, and chariots and supply wagons also appeared at Dushikou.

The 800 cavalrymen at the front were led by Ren Jilong, the garrison commander of Dushikou. As the garrison force of Dushikou Fortress, they had been scouting outside the area for many years and were more familiar with the terrain and tribes there, so they were the ones who led the way.

In fact, ever since Su Laohu and his small tribes sought refuge with Zhang Cheng, this vast land outside the Great Wall has become less dangerous than before. After all, they have their own people who are familiar with the grasslands. They know exactly where the tribes are and where the water sources are!

The main commander of this route was Wu Zhizhong, the commander of the Weiyuan Battalion of the Yongyi Army, and the deputy commander was Liu Zhongshi, the deputy commander of the central route defense. The route had a total of 4,000 cavalry, 3,500 infantry, 100 chariots, 200 supply wagons, and 4,000 chariot soldiers.

An army of over ten thousand stretched for miles across the vast wilderness, its sheer size and power were truly astonishing.

Wu Zhizhong had begged the Earl of Yongning for a long time to get this opportunity to lead his troops into battle, and he naturally cherished it immensely, because for this one-armed general, this might very well be his last battle as a general.

Their final destination was the former site of Kaiping Garrison near Wolong Mountain.

Their marching route was to first capture the original Kaiping Qiantunwei area, and then use it as a military base outside Dushikou to stockpile food and weapons, and leave infantry to garrison there as a barrier outside Dushikou and to support the logistics of the northern expeditionary army.

After that, the army set off from Kaiping Qiantunwei and headed north, passing through Xining. They first captured Ming'anbao near Baihaizi, then went north along Shangduhe to capture Lilingyi and occupied it as a transit base for military supplies.

After a brief rest at Lilingyi, the army, mainly composed of cavalry and chariots, will continue northward, capturing Huanzhou and Shuangta along the way, and heading straight for the former territory of Kaipingwei City. They will occupy and develop this area, and if possible, use it as a forward base for advancing into the grasslands.

…………

The two armies from Xuanfu had only two main objectives: to recover the former territory of Kaipingwei and to sever the connection between the Jurchens and the Tumed Mongols, hoping to lure the Tumed Mongols away from Jianzhou. Even if they could not submit to the Ming Dynasty, they could at least weaken the power of the Jurchens.

In order to achieve this goal, the third Xuanfu Army needs to perform exceptionally well.

Therefore, more than half of the remaining 400-odd elite cavalry under Su Laohu's command were used on this route, while the Mongol soldiers of the Tiger Guards at Yefuling and Dushikou each numbered 100, and Guo Yingxian alone had more than 260. On the 18th, Su Laohu had already led his Mongol cavalry out of Shahu Pass.

They would use their Mongol identity to scout roads and water sources ahead of the main army, and try their best to contact the small Mongol tribes oppressed by the Jurchens, persuading them to join in the resistance against the Jurchens.

Guo Yingxian, the commander-in-chief of this route, has arrived at Datong Right Guard City in Datong Town and is waiting for the arrival of the follow-up troops so that they can join forces and then go out together to kill tigers.

Yang Tianfu, the deputy commander of the Xuanfu Zhennan Road Shunsheng Weiguang Military Command, was currently leading his 3,500 troops to garrison at Shahu Pass, quietly awaiting the order to leave the pass.

Compared to the other two armies that marched out of the pass, Guo Yingxian's side was naturally the most important. Moreover, since they needed to capture Guihua City, which was garrisoned by the Jurchens, they had no choice but to take the route of surprise attack.

After all, marching such a long distance into enemy territory makes it impossible to carry large siege weapons, and it also requires very secretive and rapid movement in order to achieve the effect of a surprise attack. Therefore, this route is almost entirely made up of cavalry.

To support Guo Yingxian, the Earl of Yongning, Zhang Cheng, even assigned He Zhenxiong's battalion to him for command, in order to strengthen the strength of this route.

In addition to He Zhenxiong's 2,500 cavalrymen, there were also Guo Yingxian's own 500 personal cavalrymen, Yang Tianfu's 1,500 cavalrymen, and 700 cavalrymen from other fortresses, plus Su Laohu's 270 cavalrymen, for a total of about 5,500 elite cavalrymen.

Yang Tianfu also had two thousand infantrymen under his command. After they followed the cavalry out of Shahu Pass, they would break away from the main force and act independently. With the support of a small number of cavalry, they would attack Jiulonggou and Shanyu City to serve as a base outside the pass.

The 20th.

On this day, the gates of Shahu Pass were also opened wide, and Yang Tianfu led his cavalry out of the pass, heading straight to the west.

Guo Yingxian led a large cavalry force in close pursuit, also galloping out of Shahu Pass, their target Guihua City.

…………

On the 20th, in Xuanfu Town.

The Earl of Yongning, Zhang Cheng, was bidding farewell to his wife, Ji Xuanzhu. His second wife, Yang Liying, was also by his wife's side. Her face showed both reluctance to part and eagerness to try.

"My lady, you need not worry about me. Just take good care of my mother and aunt. I will return to you next spring when the weather warms up."

Ji Xuanzhu looked at the Earl of Yongning with eyes full of reluctance, but knew that with the country in crisis, persuasion would be useless, so he could only say, "Ding'er and I are waiting for your safe return."

"Ah."

The Earl of Yongning turned to his second wife, Yang Liying, and instructed her: "The left wing of the Jianfu Battalion will be stationed at the old mansion, the right wing at the commander's mansion, and the central army outside the city, in case of any unforeseen circumstances. As for the city's defense, it can be entirely handled by the Inner Guard Battalion and the Military Academy cadets."

Yang Liying imitated the military officers, clasped her hands in a salute, and called out in a clear, soft voice, "Yes, sir!"

Zhang Cheng looked at her and couldn't help but chuckle before saying, "The military and political affairs of Xuanzhen are all handled in the name of the Marshal's Office. Normal matters can be decided by Shenzhi himself; in case of major events, he will come to you for instructions. If you dare not make a decision, you can discuss it with Shenzhi and Yan Qingrong; if you still cannot make a decision, report to me immediately."

"Yes. I... I've got it."

"Yan Qingrong will be transferred to the position of Assistant Commander of Wanquan County and will arrive in the town soon."

"Ah."

Ji Xuanzhu and Yang Liying knew that Zhang Cheng was about to leave, and although they were reluctant to part with him, they did not dare to force him to stay.