Women Wearing Men: The Growth Path of the Bastards of the Aristocratic Family

Chapter 120 The Tatars Invade
In the fourth year of Jingfeng, late spring in March.

In the middle of the night, the palace gates of the imperial city were closed, and the crimson palaces stood solemnly in the darkness. Under the reflection of the cold moonlight, they cast huge and vague shadows on the ground, like silent giants, solemn and majestic. People are afraid.

Outside the pitch-black city wall, a rush of horseshoes suddenly came from far to near, carrying the unmelted wind and snow in northern Xinjiang, and knocked on the stone road crisply and forcefully, stirring up bursts of flying dust.

The postman grasped the reins tightly with one hand, and held up the military newspaper with the other, his voice was torn and high-pitched, like thunder, shattering everyone's dreams:
"Urgent military situation! The Tatars gathered 20 troops and violated our border! Xuanfu Town is in critical condition—"

-

The next morning at the court meeting, listening to the noisy voices of the servants below, Emperor Jingfeng Li Zheng frowned without saying a word, his face was gloomy like water.

Seeing that the emperor did not make a statement, the Minister of the Ministry of War was so anxious that his mouth was blistered, he simply stepped out of the ranks of hundreds of officials, and said loudly to Emperor Jingfeng above:
"Your Majesty, this time the Tatars are coming fiercely. Although Xuanfu Town has Duke Dingguo sitting in the town, it will not be attacked for a while, but after all, the opponent has 20 troops, while Xuanfu Town has less than 15 defenders. Even if you can't stand firm, it's hard to resist for a long time. The most urgent thing is to increase food and troops as soon as possible, and go to support!"

The Tatar cavalry grew up on the grasslands, and they were famous for their bravery and combat skills. If we fought on the plains, our troops and horses would have to outnumber the opponent by at least half, in order to have a greater chance of winning.

Although defending the city was easier than direct confrontation, there was a [-] gap between the two sides, which could not stop the frequent intrusions of the Tatar cavalry. If the opponent continued to send more troops, Xuanfu Town would not be able to resist for long.

The most terrible thing is that because of the stability of the frontier in recent years, the imperial court has been laying off troops to reduce military expenditures. It was only at the end of last year that 3 people were withdrawn from Xuanfu Town and returned to the mainland.Who would have thought that at such a critical moment, the enemy would send troops to invade.

Of course, it is also possible that the Tatars saw the emptiness of the frontier and specifically chose to invade the south at this time, hoping to catch the court by surprise.

Obviously, they achieved their goal.

As soon as Shangshu of the Ministry of War finished speaking, an official from the Ministry of Households immediately jumped out: "Master Shangshu said it easily. Where will the food be transferred from and where will the food be transferred? Where will the troops be increased? There was a big locust plague in the north the year before last, and last year In order to build water conservancy projects to resettle refugees, I don’t know how much money was spent, and the imperial court still hasn’t slowed down.”

"Now the national treasury is empty, if it is not for the income from the sea trade, I am afraid that even the salaries of the adults will be owed! The Ministry of Households really can't afford this money, please learn from your majesty!"

The Minister of the Ministry of War glared at him, "If you don't adjust the food and increase the troops, are you willing to watch Ding Guogong stick to the last soldier and let the Tatars fight all the way to the capital?"

The officials of the household department stuck their necks and refused to enter: "No matter what, it's good to increase the levy, or to raise donations, or Mr. Shangshu thinks highly of the next official, so he cooks me up and sells it for a few taels of silver. Anyway, the household No money at all!"

"You!" The Minister of the Ministry of War held his breath in his chest, so angry that he almost pouted.

Perhaps it was because the water conservancy project consumed too much money last year, the minister of the Ministry of Industry felt a little sorry, and quickly stood up to smooth things over: "My lords calm down. It is a fact that the frontline war is urgent, and it is also a fact that the Ministry of Households cannot afford money. They are all standing on their own. For the sake of the imperial court, no one is right or wrong."

"It's better than this. First, we will send some military rations from the nearby Fuzhen to support Xuanfu Town. Let Dingguo Gong stay as long as possible. After a few months, the summer tax comes up, and the household department has money, then we will increase it." Send food for the soldiers. As for which prefectures and towns to transfer from..." As he spoke, the minister of the Ministry of Industry rolled his eyes, "I think Datong Town is the most suitable."

As soon as this remark came out, it was like a spark ignited the powder keg, and the ministers in the court immediately exploded.

"Datong Town, like Xuanfu Town, is one of the important towns on the Nine Frontiers. We must always be prepared to resist the invasion of the Tatars. We have to draw troops and rations from Datong Town. Thanks to Mr. Minister, you can figure it out!"

"The distance between Datong Town and Xuanfu Town is only a few hundred miles, and there are only 12 soldiers and horses stationed in total. If the troops are divided out at this time, if the Tatars take advantage of the loopholes and turn around and attack Datong Town, what will we do then!"

"Once there is an accident in Datong Town, the Tatars will go straight to Juyongguan, and the capital will be in danger! Your Majesty, this must not be done!"

A hot-tempered censor scolded on the spot: "Tear down the east wall to make up for the west wall. As a result, Datong Town will be empty of troops. If the Tatars invade, it will be more critical than Xuanfu Town! What kind of strategy is this?" It's clearly a lie of subjugation! Wei Jin, what kind of heart do you have!"

Wei Jin, the servant of the Ministry of Industry, responded coldly, and asked in a cold voice: "Then Master He, tell me, what is a good strategy? I am all ears!"

Being questioned by Wei Jin in court, the censor who could only talk empty words suddenly choked up, blushing to the base of his neck, hmm, after a long time, he finally shut up embarrassingly.

Wei Jin snorted coldly, turned his head to Emperor Jingfeng and said, "Your Majesty, it is indeed a very risky strategy to deploy troops and rations from Datong Town to support Xuanfu Town, but we have no choice now. Tatar The 20 cavalry are coming fiercely, and if you want to support Xuanfu Town as soon as possible, you must deploy troops nearby."

"However, the nearby state capitals are full of guards who have not been on the battlefield. Where have they fought with the Tatars? Among the troops that can be dispatched quickly, only the soldiers of the Beijing camp are elite and can fight the Tatars. A cavalry battle. However, the Beijing battalion troops stationed in the capital have the responsibility of protecting the emperor and cannot be transferred away at will."

"Based on this calculation, it is the best choice to deploy troops from other important towns stationed at the border. Among the remaining eight border towns, Datong Town is the closest to Xuanfu Town, and can go to support as quickly as possible. Besides, The two are on the front line of Juyongguan. Datong Town is much more dangerous than Xuanfu Town, so it is not the first choice for Tatars to invade. Under normal circumstances, so many troops are not needed. It is better to divide half of the troops and go to support Xuanfu first. Town, let’s help Duke Ding repel the enemy.”

Wei Jin took his time, stated the joints in an orderly manner, and put the pros and cons one by one in front of everyone, so that Emperor Jing Feng raised his eyes slightly, and seemed a little tempted.

But some ministers still did not buy it: "Master Wei, you also said that under normal circumstances the Tatars will not invade Datong Town first, but what about special circumstances? If the wind leaks during the deployment of troops and the Tatars know, If they are not sure, they will immediately launch an attack on Datong Town."

"Furthermore, who can guarantee that the Tatars will not fight Dingguo Gong to death, and turn to Datong Town after seeing that Xuanfu Town cannot be attacked for a long time? What if..."

"Okay, don't say any more." Before the minister finished speaking, Emperor Jingfeng interrupted him, "At present, sending troops to support Xuanfu Town is the most important thing. If there is no better choice, then go ahead. As Wei Qing said, divide troops from Datong Town to support."

Emperor Jingfeng glanced at the officials, and said in a calm tone: "But Datong Town is one of the important towns on the Nine Borders after all, and the garrison soldiers should not be too small. Half of them are too many, so we will first allocate a third and send 4 soldiers to go there." Support Xuanfu Town."

"Also, from now on, all border towns must hoard more money and food, step up military training, and prepare for any eventuality in the war." After speaking, Emperor Jingfeng stood up, with a bit of fatigue in his voice, "Today we will Come here first, and if there is any new military situation, report it in time."

Seeing this, a winking old eunuch hurried forward to help Emperor Jingfeng's arm, and shouted in a shrill voice: "Back to court—"

All the officials knelt down and bowed: "I will send you off to Your Majesty—"

Soon, the transfer order from the capital was handed over to the border. Datong Town divided 20 troops, and immediately supported Xuanfu Town, where Duke Dingguo was stationed in person, to confront the Tatars' [-] troops.

Everyone only hoped that under Ding Guogong's insistence, the Tatars would retreat in the face of difficulties, withdraw their troops as soon as possible, and give up the southward invasion.

But things don't go as planned, so whatever you're afraid of will come.

(End of this chapter)