The First Gongsheng of Ming Dynasty

Chapter 285
At nightfall on the third day of June.

Wang Shouren and Ma Yi's surprise attack team on Weininghai had just passed Daqing Mountain. After the team experienced a mountain range, it was considered to have passed Yinshan Mountain, and the soldiers were already exhausted.

"Master Wang, I'm afraid it will be difficult for us to move forward." Cao Shun ran to Wang Shouren to complain, "It has been two days and two nights, and we have just passed Daqing Mountain, and we are nearly two hundred miles away from Weining Sea. How about a day and two nights?" Can it arrive? The soldiers still need to rest now. If it is too late, I am afraid that this battle will not be fought. Otherwise, let’s withdraw.”

The team's progress was obviously hindered by the terrain.

First of all, the soldiers of the Ming Dynasty were not familiar with the terrain of the grassland, and when they arrived at Daqing Mountain, it rained a lot. In addition, in order to carry artillery through the mountain, the journey was slowed down.

When crossing the mountains, people can dismount and walk, but the artillery must be carried by the horse.

At this time Ma Yi, Sun Shangqi and other generals accompanying the army also came over, and they also came to seek Wang Shouren's opinion.

It seems that this group of troops was led by Ma Yi himself, but Wang Shouren, as the head of the Ministry of War, is a civil servant with the army, and has a special status in formulating strategies. Moreover, Cao Shun is also the eunuch guarding the Xuanfu, and his status is higher than Ma Yi.

"We have already passed Daqingshan, do you want to turn back from here?" Wang Shouren asked a very real question.

After finally coming here, you guys are going to retreat?

Ma Yi said: "My lord, the morale of the army... is a bit low. The morale was high during the expedition, but after two days of trekking through mountains and rivers, the soldiers are... very tired. Why don't you go on marching tomorrow morning after a full night's rest? !"

Compared with Cao Shun's proposal to withdraw troops, Ma Yi's request is relatively more realistic.

The soldiers are too tired, it is better to rest first, and continue to set off after resting.

Wang Shouren said firmly: "The three armies can only rest for two hours... I will give you another half an hour, and you must set off at midnight! From here to the west, the road is smooth, and the horse rides all the way without stopping!"

"Tossing people!" Cao Shun almost wanted to sit on the ground and roll over.

Sun Shangqi said: "The deadline Zhang Zhitai gave us is to arrive at Weining Sea tomorrow night, and after a short rest, we will raid Weining Sea the next morning. Even if we set off at midnight, we are still nearly two hundred miles away from Weining Sea. Li, marching day and night is also very fast. There is no room for slack."

Sun Shangqi came to supervise the army. He was responsible for not only supervising Ma Yi, but also Wang Shouren and Cao Shun. He was equivalent to the representative sent by Zhang Zhou to the army.

With Sun Shangqi's support, it was easier for Wang Shouren to carry out his marching arrangements.

……

……

After midnight, the army continued to set off.

One person and two horses, each carrying its own weapons and rations, and some horses also carried artillery and shells.

During the march, Wang Shouren was always close to the artillery, not to mention old acquaintances. In case of any encounters, the group of people who dispatched the artillery battalion could also maximize the advantage of this long-distance raid on soldiers and horses.

"...Teacher Wang, the brothers have all seen it. The shells are not damp, but some of the oilcloths on the barrels of the cannons are broken, and there is water in them. After dawn, if the sun rises, you can tear the tarpaulins and dry them. .”

The previous rain made Wang Shouren very nervous.

If the artillery and firearms are damp and cannot be used, for this group of people, without the support of firearms, it seems that it is difficult to compete with the Tatars only by relying on the cold weapons they carry.

Even if the main forces of the tribes around the Weining Sea gathered in the west to fight, how could there be no people left behind in the Weining Sea area?

The number is not important, the point is to catch the opponent by surprise, and then use firearms to suppress them, in order to win... Otherwise, the combat quality of Ming soldiers is still far inferior to that of tribes on horseback.

After dawn, to Wang Shouren's luck, he finally saw the sun that day.

"It's empty here."

Liu Gui rode on the horse.

Less than a year ago, he was just a low-level gangster in Nanjing who couldn't even earn a living, but now he went out with the army, still as a hundred households of Jinyiwei.

In his opinion, this grassland also has a beautiful scenery, which makes him feel relaxed and happy.

At least it was much better than the cloudy and rainy weather the day before.

Wang Shouren said: "Order the front, middle and back three departments to speed up the march, march at least thirty miles in an open space, and only bury the stove after entering a hundred miles!"

……

……

Just as Wang Shouren was marching at the northern foot of Yinshan Mountain.

The Chinese army led by Zhang Zhou was in the south of Yinshan Mountain, and also quickly advanced in the direction of Maoerzhuang.

Compared with the tranquility and peace at the northern foot of Yinshan Mountain, the south of Yinshan Mountain is full of the atmosphere of beacon fire and smoldering smoke. As the main force of Zhang Zhou's army is marching, signs of tribal activities can be seen everywhere.

"Didn't you say that we came out to shoot eagles? I'm exhausted!"

After two days of marching, Zhang Heling and other pampered ministers couldn't take it anymore. After listening to Zhang Zhou, they thought that this group of troops was just to support Wang Shouren, and they came out to cover, and they would not have any battles with the grassland tribes at all. It would be too fast, but it turned out that... the march has been hundreds of miles every day for the past two days.

This is too fast for the march of the general army.

Because Zhang Zhou's side is not Wang Shouren's light soldier raid, this side is carrying food, grass, and more importantly, more than 70 artillery pieces. Wait, the march is already very fast.

When the team was resting, Zhang Heling ran to Zhang Zhou to complain.

At this meeting, Zhang Heling also looked ashamed, as if he hadn't washed his face for decades, and his whole body was like coal balls.

Zhang Zhou pointed to the west and said: "Our progress is too slow. If we can't reach Mao'er Village within the set time, we won't be able to repel Di Yi over there. There will be no vanguards who surprise Weininghai. Back off!"

Zhang Zhou knew that his marching speed was not as fast as Wang Shouren's.

But he couldn't delay either. His mission was to go to Mao'erzhuang and other places close to the Daming Fortress to clear the way for Wang Shouren to go south and return to the Daming Pass after his surprise attack on the Weining Sea.

The road on his side is relatively safe, because almost all the attention of the grassland tribes is currently on the generation of Chi'er Mountain, six to seven hundred miles west of Weining Sea, which is the main battlefield for annexation within the grassland.

Looking at the exhausted appearance of the soldiers below, Zhang Zhou knew that luckily he didn't expect this group of people to have a big fight with him. The Ming Frontier Army hadn't experienced a decent battle in the past ten years. It is the gap of a generation. Unless he is given three to five years or even ten years to reorganize the army, it will not be so easy to completely flatten the grassland.

It's not that the soldiers can't do it, it's that none of them can do it except Zhang Zhou.

No one is as eager as he is to change the situation in the Northwest.

Most of the frontier soldiers are thinking about maintaining the status quo, which is a very real problem... If the grassland tribes disappear, what will they fight and eat?Are you going back to farming?Where is it?
"Traveling hundreds of miles a day is too common for marching on the grasslands. Are you all so slack in claiming credit?"

"I didn't ask you to go to the front line to kill the enemy, but just raised your voice and shouted for the former army. If you still want to evade, then just don't come to the northwest!"

These words are specially said for people who sing a different tune like Zhang Heling.

At this time, Zhang Heling was a negative example, which also allowed Zhang Zhou, the coach, to find a target. If he did not teach Zhang Heling a lesson at this time, but directly taught the generals in the army, he would probably be resisted by those soldiers.

Once this group of people picks up their picks, the team will be unable to lead.

"Why do you give way to me? I'm tired! When will it be a head to walk like this? Forget about torturing the dead!"

Zhang Heling was just complaining.

Let him go back to the customs alone, and he can still go. If he was captured by Tatar stragglers on the way back, it would be a pity.

……

……

The fourth night of June.

Wang Shouren's soldiers and horses were less than fifty miles away from Weining Haizi. At this time, the soldiers and horses were resting for the last time.

After experiencing the extreme fatigue before, the spirits of the soldiers seem to have slowed down at this time. It is also because the soldiers know that they have penetrated deep into the hinterland of the grassland. .

Wang Shouren chose to take a rest before arriving in Weininghai, and he also planned not to do any rectification before the war.

That is to say, after eating and resting from here, marching again would directly raid the Weining Sea.

Win or lose here.

"Don't bury the stove, eat the dry food on hand." Wang Shouren said, "Eat and drink enough, we will have a battle tomorrow morning!"

At this time, there are still three hours before dawn, and there is only one hour to rest at most.

It was still very hard work to finish the fifty miles in the remaining two hours.

After the soldiers ate the dry food, there was no fire around them, and they were in a valley. The soldiers did not set up camp, so they went to eat and sleep in the open, giving them an hour to nap.

But when Wang Shouren inspected the barracks, he found that the soldiers slept very little.

"Why don't you rest? Close your eyes!"

Wang Shouren was afraid that this group of people would not have enough energy, so he was still urging them.

Ma Yi was patrolling outside, and the general Guan Jing said: "My lord, now that the soldiers know that there will be a battle in the morning, they can't sleep even if they want to sleep! It would be good if they can sit back and wait, after all, they will have to march in a hurry. Some of them are also afraid of falling asleep Can't wake up."

When Wang Shouren heard Guan Jing's words, he couldn't say anything more.

……

……

An hour passed quickly.

The surprise attack of three thousand cavalry continued to set off.

Before dawn, and before the fifty-mile journey was over, a sentry reported from the front: "I found it...there are camps everywhere...there are many camps on the top of the mountain."

Wang Shouren immediately ordered the three armies to stop advancing and start forming formations.

At the same time, he also took advantage of the night to climb up to a high place on a hill, looked through the binoculars, and shook his head: "It seems that there are only three or four hundred tents. Even including the old and weak, women and children, there may not be more than a thousand people."

Ma Yi heard the words and said: "Master Wang, isn't this enough?"

Wang Shouren thought about it, and it seemed to be enough.

When Wang Yue raided Weininghai, he captured more than 170 men, women and children alive, beheaded 430 people, and captured [-] horses, camels, cattle and sheep.

With so many tents in front of us and so many cattle and sheep, isn't it enough to grab?
"Prepare for battle!"

Following Wang Shouren's order, the whole army finally got excited.

The rapid march for three days and four nights seemed to be rewarded at this moment.

……

……

Because the terrain where the Ming army is located is relatively high, and the camps of the tribes below are in the low-lying lake.

In the night, the opponent seemed completely unaware of the arrival of the Ming army, so Wang Shouren didn't plan to use the artillery he brought.

The range of the artillery is only about one mile, but it takes four or five miles to charge down from the top of the mountain. It is better to charge directly with cavalry.

"Leave 300 men and horses to guard the luggage, and the rest carry firearms! Get your sabers ready and charge!"

In order to maximize the advantage of the Ming cavalry's surprise attack, and also to prevent the opponent from forming a formation to resist, Wang Shouren directly formed two long snake formations with two thousand soldiers and horses.

Then use [-] soldiers and horses to detour behind the enemy to complete the cover-up.

With the process he arranged.

The first line of cavalry, 1000 people entered the camp in a line. First, they fired a gun, and then ignited the oil with a bow and arrow to burn the camp of the opponent, making it difficult for the opponent to end the chaos.

Then started fighting in the formation.

The second line of cavalry was in the rear, about a cup of tea away, and rushed in.

In this way, before dawn, the grassland tribes couldn't tell how many waves there were in the Ming army, nor could they tell how many people came in afterward. Under the chaos, they could only retreat hastily. At this time, the [-] cavalry ambushing behind The strangulation can be done.

"Do as much as possible... No one can escape!"

Wang Shouren knew very well that now they were in the hinterland of the grassland, and this could only be a camp of the grassland tribe.

I don't know exactly how many people there are on the other side, and whether there are reinforcements around.

All it can do is kill with one hit.

……

……

Originally, Wang Shouren wanted to wait until the formation was completed before making a surprise attack.

However, as the sentry cavalry patrolling by the other side spotted the presence of the Ming army, there were signs of returning by riding their horses, so Wang Shouren had no choice but to issue an order to send troops in advance.

As the deputy commander in chief, Ma Yi is also the highest military commander of this group of troops, leading the troops to rush to the front line.

And Wang Shouren rode his horse in the second line himself.

In the past few years, Wang Shouren has practiced horseback riding and archery for a long time, and it is also effective at this time.

In the first round of the Ming Dynasty's offensive, a thousand cavalry rushed forward quickly. When they entered the grassland tribe's camp, most of the people in the tribe had just ran out of the camp.

With the sound of "bang bang bang" firecrackers, many tribesmen fell to the ground one after another, including men, women and children.

And as the fire broke out in the camp, the first round of massacre by Daming achieved very good results. The number of troops stationed in the camp was obviously insufficient, not to mention forming an formation, even sporadic resistance was rare.

In the midst of the chaos, men, women, old and young could only flee westward in a hurry, but the people of the grassland tribes, both men, women, old and young, could ride horses, so they reacted relatively quickly when encountering such an attack on the camp.

But then, the second team led by Wang Shouren also came.

The men and horses on the opposite hill completed the encirclement of the tribal camp beside the lake in the valley...

……

……

A battle progressed very smoothly.

After everything was over, there was still no sign of dawn.

Wang Shouren ignored the inventory of the war gains and hurriedly sent people to put out the fire in the camp. This was to prevent these burning tents from forming beacon smoke and being discovered by distant tribal camps after dawn.

"Major General, more than 200 people have been arrested."

When Wang Shouren saw Ma Yi again, Ma Yi's face showed great excitement, "Beheaded more than 140 people! It seems...that no escape has been found yet."

A camp of 300 people...

It took three thousand troops and arranged so many tactics...

Wang Shouren also felt that he might be taking it too seriously.

He couldn't help looking disappointed.

"How many animals?" Cao Shun ran over from the rear army, that is, the place where the luggage was checked. He wanted to know the result of the battle.

This involves his immediate interests.

Ma Yi said: "At least two thousand. Are they driven back to Daming together?"

"Torture!" Wang Shouren ordered immediately.

"Why?" Cao Shun seemed puzzled, "My lord, if you despise those people as burdensome, just kill them, and it's the same with taking their heads back. It doesn't matter whether you kill the prisoners or not, even if someone wants to hold you accountable, our family will I will protect you. But torture... is really not necessary."

Wang Shouren pointed to a small lake in front of him and said, "You don't think this is Weining Haizi, do you?"

One question made everyone present quiet down.

Immediately, Ma Yi understood what was happening, and immediately entered the group of captives, and captured two young and strong men, and their family members seemed to be next to them.

The torture began.

But in fact, there is no need to torture too much. This tribe is obviously not a big tribe. In this battle, except for the young and middle-aged men who are going out, they are likely to be wiped out. Therefore, in order to preserve their strength, they can only judge the situation and follow the Ming Dynasty gangsters, hurry up and tell them what they know.

After getting the results, Ma Yi came to report: "They said that thirty miles to the northwest of here is Weining Haizi, and we have gone astray. There are probably a large number of camps and grassland herdsmen there, and there are countless They didn’t dare to go there because there were heavy soldiers there. They also said that when they went out to fight, the water and plants of the tribes on the right were divided.”

"what?"

After Cao Shun heard this, his whole body trembled.

Wang Shouren changed his previous disappointment, but instead said excitedly: "Let the soldiers rest and go to the northwest!"

Cao Shun scolded: "Master Wang, when will it be your turn to be the master here? You are just a sixth-rank head of the military department! Our family said... just withdraw like this! If you go again... your life is almost dead! No Have you heard? Even if Huoshai sent troops westward, he still left a heavy army to garrison Weining Haizi. We only have [-] troops, what can we do if we go there? It’s not enough for the Tartars to bite their teeth!"

Wang Shouren asked back: "Eunuch Cao, if we go south here, how long do you think these Tartars will be able to detect our whereabouts and catch up?"

"This……"

Cao Shun immediately realized that the current situation seemed to be a little bit wrong, but then he thought of something, and said, "Don't talk about Zhang Zhitai, his troops will meet us at Maoerzhuang, at worst, we will kill all these tartars , just bring your head back!"

"impossible!"

Wang Shouren said in a very firm tone, "In my estimation, no matter how fast Zhang Zhitai will arrive at Maoerzhuang, it will take three days for Zhang Zhitai to arrive at Maoerzhuang. If we go south like this, not only will there be no reinforcements, but the Manchu officials around Maoerzhuang will not be able to reach Maoerzhuang. The flag soldiers and horses will also form a front and back attack on us!"

"Then go to Daqingshan, and go back wherever you came from! Our family will not go to death!"

Cao Shun now figured it out.

You won everything, and you won beautifully, and your side has almost no losses, so you still want to get a big one if you don't hurry up like this?
Wang Shouren looked at Sun Shangqi, and Sun Shangqi immediately understood.

Sun Shangqi drew out his Xiuchun Saber, and said sharply, "Those who flee before the battle will be punished with death!"

"You...you dare to kill our family?" Cao Shun also got angry.

Who is used to your problems?You grandson still want to turn against the sky?
Wang Shouren also had to move out Zhang Zhou at this time, he said: "This is Zhang Zhitai, and he was also sent by His Majesty to Zhang Zhitai. Eunuch Cao, to put it bluntly, it's best not to raise the morale of the army at this time." Uneasy. Sometimes it is also feasible to sacrifice the necessary flags for the sake of the army's morale."

When Cao Shun heard this, he knew that this group of people was coming for real.

"Commander Ma, do you think so?" Cao Shun could only focus on Ma Yi at the critical moment.

You used to be the chief soldier of the Xuan Mansion, and our family is the guardian eunuch, you should always listen to our family, right?
Ma Yi said: "The humble post follows Zhang Zhitai's orders."

At this time, Ma Yi was not stupid. It would be easy for the retreating troops to fall into a tight siege and seek their own death. He still seemed brave when he continued to advance. Besides, as a general, he also felt that the Tatars had no defense against such a surprise attack and had a great chance of winning.

Even if it was rumored that Huozhai stayed behind with heavy troops, how heavy could it be?

This small tribe has a total of three to four hundred people left behind. Naturally, Weining Haizi has a heavy army, but they are the expeditionary force of the Ming Dynasty.

Regardless of whether there are heavy troops or not, isn't their purpose to surprise the Weining Sea?
After returning home, he said that he hadn't even arrived at Weininghai, so he was scared away... No matter how great the credit is, it will be greatly discounted.

Wang Shouren took out his usual cannon flag and shouted an order: "Decree to the three armies that no cattle, sheep or livestock will be left behind. The Tartars will be bound to horses and escorted to the north. After an hour, kill them and run to the north bank of Weining Sea!"

(End of this chapter)