eldest son of Ming dynasty

Chapter 490 There Are Answers to Everything

It was also in Zhu Houzhao's plan to let the little Tatar prince enter the pass to fight.

If the Huosie Department is added, the Tatars have an army of 10,000+. If the Ming Dynasty wants to win a decisive victory on the grassland, it must send an army of 50.

But not anymore.

Although there were some episodes in the process, and the loss of Zijing Pass surprised him, but as a person of the new era who has been educated by teachers, he can understand a sentence even if he follows the gourd:

Tactical victories do not make up for strategic deficiencies.

As long as Zhou Shangwen returns to Datong, his tactics will be successful.

But now, he also got inspiration from Wang Shouren's 'wearing the enemy' tactics, and began to continuously send troops to harass.

This aspect is arranged.

On the other hand, the matter between Datong and Zhou Shangwen still needs some more delicate operations.

Zhu Houzhao knew about Yuan Chonghuan. During the reign of Chongzhen, Yuan Chonghuan led the army to rescue the capital. How many things happened in the end?

As the emperor, how could he not make proper arrangements for this matter.

Needless to say,

The frontier general returned to aid the capital without an order. This kind of thing is actually quite sensitive.

You can say that you are returning to aid the capital, but you can also be falsely accused of showing signs of treason.

Because no one can tell whether you want the Savior or something else,

At the end of the Tang Dynasty, the Five Dynasties and the Ten Kingdoms, such things often happened. The emperor appointed a general to go out to fight, but the general returned his carbine and took the throne directly.

So the first article is to solve this political hidden danger.

And as long as you think about it, this is actually not difficult to solve.

Zhu Houzhao wrote an imperial decree to him in his own hand.

The second article, after Zhou Shangwen unraveled the secrets, he must rush back to help. How can such an army fight tough battles?Just running has already used up half of his life.

So he drew up a second will.

Article [-], he must inform him of the latest situation in the capital.

For example, there are food and soldiers in the city, and the countermeasures given by the court.

Everything is to try to ensure that the information is connected so as not to make misjudgments.

Fortunately, the road from Juyongguan to Xuanfu is accessible, so Zhu Houzhao ordered someone to copy the battle report to Xuanfu and Datong towns every day.

These things seem unimportant, at least not as important as directing a victory, but in fact, information can often determine many things.

Because information is the basis of judgment.If the information is wrong, how can we take the right countermeasures?
……

……

Yanghe at this time.

The damaged city hadn't had time to repair it. After being baptized by the flames of war, many people in the city hung white cloths.

Datong,

The same is true.

Chang Dacheng personally went to Yanghe to pick up Zhou Shangwen, the commander-in-chief.

It's only been more than a month, but the profound experience makes people feel like a world away, as if they haven't seen each other for a long, long time.

Zhou Shangwen found the tomb of the newly established Liu Jiangjie.

The deceased is the elder, so he must come to pay respects this time.

Chang Dacheng was by his side, besides the two of them, there were also Sun Xilie and Xu Zhenan. Sun and Xu followed him out of the Great Wall. So far, they have never met a Tatar in any serious way.

Four people knelt down in front of the tomb.

Zhou Shangwen said: "The eight of us made an oath together in front of the king, to be loyal to your majesty and to open up territories for the Ming Dynasty. At the beginning, I also thought that maybe some of us would not live to the day of success, but I didn't expect ..."

"Death on the battlefield is the home of soldiers. Lao Liu is a good man."

At this time, men don't talk much.

Zhou Shangwen just led them to kowtow, and every time he stood up, his eyes became more tenacious.

Finally, he held the knife and asked, "Dacheng."

"exist!"

"What's the latest move on the Tartars?"

"I heard the news last night that they are attacking Zijing Pass for three days."

"Zhen'an."

Xu Zhenan suddenly responded, "Yes!"

"The Tatars marched all the way from Yuxian County and Zijingguan. You immediately lead people through Xuanfu, and enter Gyeonggi from Juyongguan to meet the emperor. You take 3000 people to meet Yang Xing, the general soldier of Xuanfu, when you pass through Xuanfu. Take my handwritten letter and go to persuade him to send troops to enter King Jingqin."

The emperor wanted to contact Zhou Shangwen Department as soon as possible.

The same is true for Zhou Shangwen, he can't wait to ask for an imperial decree to tell him what to do.

As for the order he gave Xu Zhenan, half of it was fine.

But the other half, Xu Zhenan, was not sure.

"Brother, will Yang Xing listen to me?"

Zhou Shangwen took out something from his cuff, which was packed in a brown box, "This is the close relationship between the emperor and me at the beginning. Although there is no mention of asking him to borrow troops, this battle is related to the grand strategy planned by your majesty. You Just show him. If he listens, you can talk to him. If he doesn’t listen, you can tell him about the deeds of Yang Hong, the chief soldier of the Xuanfu during the orthodox era! If he still doesn’t know how to praise, then threaten him. After the war, I will definitely go to the king to participate in the performance! To participate in his crime of holding soldiers and horses and not saving the capital!"

That Yang Hong was the commander-in-chief of the Xuanfu during the Battle of Tumu Fort. At that time, the orthodox emperor was in distress, and he never sent a single soldier to rescue him. If Yu Qian hadn't suppressed the dissatisfaction in the court afterwards, Yang Hong would have ended badly.

There is also some unreasonable domineering in Zhou Shangwen's words.But he is not impulsive, he will do it no matter how many times he is asked to choose.

The emperor deliberately transferred him away, attracting Dayan Khan. Now that he has returned to Datong, Dayan Khan is still in the customs.

First of all, he himself will be unhappy all his life!
These days, the stagnation and anger in my heart must be washed away with the blood of the Tartars!

"Go!!"

Xu Zhenan trembled when he was called out, and when he looked up at Zhou Shangwen's eyes that seemed to be able to shoot flames, he seemed to understand a lot.

"Brother, take care!"

Zhou Shangwen's army returned to Datong and could not leave again.

Although the capital needed to be rescued, his troops had nothing to do this month but were marching, and for the next ten days or so they were in a hurry, so it could be said that they were non-stop day and night.

If you don't take a rest, you will really die.

At this time, the benefits of Chang Dacheng's defense of Datong became obvious. The army's food and grass could be supplemented, the soldiers could eat some oil and water, and the war horses could also be supplemented with fine beans.

But Zhou Shangwen did not rest when the army rested. He called Chang Dacheng, Ma Yihuai, Yan Xingkui, Ma Rong and others to discuss the war.

In the afternoon of this day, another battle report came, saying that Dayan Khan was still attacking Zijing Pass, and his casualties had exceeded [-], but the offensive continued unabated.

"What is this little prince going to do?"

Chang Dacheng was very puzzled, "Before he fought Datong, I felt that he was a little abnormal this time, and this time he went so hard to fight against Zijing Pass. Does he want to be a local emperor in the pass?"

"It's normal that General Chang can't figure it out. This time is different from the past. In the past ten days, we can't do anything, but we are discussing with each other, assuming some of his thoughts." Ma Rong said, " This little prince, let Huo Si invade Shaanxi, and lead the army into Datong, I think there are three layers of plans."

"The best possible result is that everything goes well, destroying the elite that Daming has trained in the past few years, and attacking the city of the capital, which can threaten the imperial court to cancel the blockade policy and reopen the border mutual market. In this way, for him Say everything and live. In other words, what he is attacking is not the capital, but the two strategies of 'suppression' and 'blockade'."

"The second point is to rob money, food, people, and livestock to make up for the loss of the blockade. At the same time, you can survive this winter in peace, and kill our prestige so that we dare not fight against him, so that he will not be blocked by the court. It was too miserable."

"The worst result is that there are not many things to grab, and the battle is not going well. However, no matter what it is, he has to fight. The imperial court's blockade strategy is to force him to fight. If he doesn't fight, he will die. one."

Chang Dacheng asked: "Can this explain why he stormed the Bauhinia Pass?"

"Yes!" After so many days, Ma Rong has already thought clearly, "No matter how much the Zijing Pass has lost, he still has [-] to [-] troops. At this time, the problem is on our side. Because behind the Zijing Pass is the The capital, we must not stay in Datong for too long no matter what. The soldiers and horses of the capital will not go out of the city. No minister in the court dares to make this suggestion. So he can relax and wait for work.

And the Ming cavalry led by Zongbing Zhou, counting the 3000 who had just been subdued by Yibu Shui, was only 4000.General Xu sent another 3000 troops.With 6 fighting more than [-] or [-], our army is still exhausted, how can we win? "

Zhou Shangwen caught up, "If we lose, it will be no different from what happened during the Zhengtong years."

The defeats were all elite, and the result was that Da Ming completely lost the ability to intercept the enemy army in the hinterland of the territory.

The only thing to be thankful for is:
At least this time the emperor didn't clamor for a personal conquest.

Hearing this, Chang Dacheng suddenly felt that Dayan Khan's role was more flexible at this time.

And looking at the people in front of him, although they all rested in Datong, how dare they rest?
The Bauhinia Pass was at stake, and they had already arrived in Datong, so they could only sleep for one night at most, even if they risked losing their heads and slept for two nights, they would have to leave the day after tomorrow.

"It's a pity that I really don't know what's going on in the capital and what your majesty's plans are. If you can ask your majesty for an order, the general will still suggest that we march safely."

Ma Rong has said this many times.

But this is a big question of right and wrong.

Everyone knows it's not feasible,
How could it be possible that the little prince of Tatar is already in Bauhinia Pass, so why don't you rush to rescue him?
So Ma Rong had to admit that the little prince's plan was really good.

However, there is a variable in this, that is, the emperor and Zhu Houzhao.

When they were halfway through the discussion, a nimble soldier came outside, entered the door, knelt down on one knee, cupped his hands and said, "I want to report to Zongbing Zhou, there are Jinyi guards outside, saying that they want to proclaim an imperial edict!"

Yes, the imperial decree issued by Zhu Houzhao had already sent Jin Yiwei to Datong, waiting for the day when Zhou Shangwen entered Datong from Yanghe.

Zhou Shangwen still didn't understand the situation, how could there be an imperial edict when he came back?Can the emperor predict when he will return to Datong?
But no amount of doubts could affect the acceptance of the order, and the original discussion on the military situation had to be suspended. Zhou Shangwen led a group of people to kneel down.

"Then accept the order!"

While speaking, the three guards in brocade clothes came in with each holding an imperial decree.

"Zhou Zongbing, Your Majesty has ordered me to wait here for many days. The little Tatar prince has raised his troops to Bauhinia Pass. It can be said that the thief has entered the game and the counterattack is imminent. In this battle, Your Majesty hopes that Zhou Zongbing will fight well. In this way, the oath of the year can be regarded as fulfilled.”

Being able to say such words as the oath of the year, Zhou Shangwen knew that the emperor must have ordered it himself.

"Minister, Zhou Shangwen, Chief of the Datong Army, accept the order!"

(End of this chapter)