Tumeng: I am a national advisor in the Golden Family

When an expedition suddenly ended, ordinary Mongolian soldiers didn't feel anything at all. Anyway, the Khan said whatever he said, and they just had to obey his orders.

There were a large number of thousands of families from the Tuo Lei family, as well as some kings from the east and west. Although it was a little strange, they didn't say much. This expedition was originally decided suddenly, and there is nothing wrong with returning now.

The military tent of the Mongolian Great Khan was closely protected by the Ogedai family and Zhang Yong's 2 cavalry, in order to make the entire army believe that Guyou was still alive. The soldiers of the Wokuotai family discussed with Zhang Dingguan.

It was decided to find a stand-in, who usually wore Guyu's clothes, put on a helmet, covered his face, appeared in front of the entire army, and led the troops for a while.

This was used to stabilize the morale of the entire army. As for Guyu's body, it was stored behind the carriage.

For five consecutive days, the army traveled in the morning and set up camp to rest at night. However, it was easy to come here, but it was really difficult to withdraw. First of all, the problem of food and fodder was a big problem.

According to Guyu's original plan, they did not bring much food and grass supplies this time, but adopted the nomadic style of fighting along the way.

Part of the military food was obtained by grazing, and the other part of the military food was provided by the Chahotai Khanate. The price was that the Chahotai Khanate did not need to send soldiers to participate in this Western Expedition and could maintain a neutral state.

But here's the problem. After they entered the territory of the Utuore family, according to Guyu's plan, they robbed the Golden Horde's food along the way to supplement the army's rations.

But now this goal obviously cannot be achieved, because the army cannot open the golden tent at all, and the Khanate's territory has to return the same way. In this case, the Chagatai Khanate gave up.

It has been 3 months since you entered my country. I have been providing you with food and grass for the whole 3 months. How about now, you can come and leave as you please?
Your original plan to go back was in three or even four years. At that time, the Chagatai Khanate would naturally be able to provide you with food and fodder for your return. You yourself would send herdsmen over in advance to carry out some animal husbandry, plus rob the Golden Horde. forage.

The problem of food and fodder for this army has basically been solved.

But if you go back now, where can I find so much food and grass for you? The Chagatai Khanate has provided Guyu's army with food and grass for more than three months. Now that you are driving to the border and starting to return, isn't this a trap for our Chagatai Khanate?

Therefore, the Khan of Chahotai Khanate immediately sent his envoy to Guyu's army.

"I want to meet Guiyu Dahan. This is not what we agreed before. Our Chagatai Khanate has provided so much food and grass for your army, food and grass for hundreds of thousands of people! In these three months, How many of our herdsmen are starving?
It's better now. You will go back as soon as you say, and you still want us to provide food and grass. How is this possible? Our Chagatai Khanate does not have so many livestock and grain. "The envoy of the Chagatai Khanate looked at Zhang Dingguan and a group of Mongolian officers and said angrily.

The Mongolian officers present also lowered their heads or turned away, because this matter was indeed their fault. The Chawatai Khanate had already contributed a lot to this expedition.

The food, fodder and needed livestock for the hundreds of thousands of troops were all provided by the Chagatai Khanate.

Three months is already their limit. If they are about to ask for food and grass from them again, a large number of herdsmen in the Chahotai Khanate will starve to death, and even the entire country will be in great turmoil.

At this time, Zhang Dingguan also looked embarrassed. He had no choice but to bring a month's worth of food and grass, which he had already eaten on the way.

This sudden withdrawal of troops began to return, and the food and grass consumed along the way could not be plundered from the Golden Horde according to the original plan.

"There is nothing we can do about it. The Great Khan is seriously ill. We can only go back the way we came. We will speed up the march and try to leave the territory of your Chahotai Khanate as quickly as possible, but we will still have to trouble you with the food and grass supplies along the way. "Zhang Dingguan said.

What can I do if I don’t ask you for help? Uncle Guyu, you really made a mess for me!
"That's impossible. If we provide you with food and grass, what will our herdsmen in the Chagatai Khanate eat?
In the past three months, you have completely exhausted our Chagatai Khanate. I would like to ask, does Guyuk Khan also mean this? Are you trying to force our Chagatai Khanate? "The messenger shouted very angrily.

You ask for it, but also see if we can afford it. You have already eaten up the surplus food at home. Where can I find the leftover food for you?
Do you mean that I want to slaughter my own herdsmen and then provide food and fodder for your army? This is an army of hundreds of thousands. How many civilians do I have to kill to gather food and grass?
Zhang Dingguan also looked embarrassed when he heard this. Food and grass are indeed extremely difficult, but for an army of 170,000 people, it is not that easy to find supplies.

Whether it is hunting or anything else, it cannot meet the needs of the entire army. If the soldiers are extremely hungry, 170,000 soldiers may scatter to plunder the herdsmen of the Chagatai Khanate.

When the time comes, the Khan of the Chagatai Khanate will definitely concentrate his forces to deal with them and fight their army to the death. After all, you are not letting them live.

In terms of the total number of troops, the Chagatai Khanate is inferior to the coalition forces. They can gather up to 70,000 to 80,000 people at most. But the problem is that Batu of the Golden Horde is eyeing them!

The news of the withdrawal reached the ears of the other party, and coupled with the war with the Chagatai Khanate, as long as it was a far-sighted general.

They will bring troops to attack. Not only will this army be destroyed, but the Chagatai Khanate will also be kicked to the side of the Golden Horde.

But what can we do in this situation now? Uncle Guyu is dead. Where can I find the Mongolian Khan for you to meet?
"Messenger, as the eldest son of the King of Guanzhong, I promise you that you will provide us with some more food and grass, anything as long as it is food.

We are not picky either. After I returned to the Central Plains, I immediately asked my father to send 300,000 livestock over.

There are also 500,000 stones of grain and grass to compensate for the losses of your Chahetai Khanate. Do you think it's okay? "Zhang Dingguan said.

Now he finally knows how difficult it is to lead troops to fight. Before the troops and horses are moved, food and grass go first.

Food and grass are indeed very important. Once the supply of food and grass cannot keep up, the combat effectiveness of the entire army will have major problems.

When his father fought in the war, he had already developed his territory very well. In every war, Zhang Yong's army had no problem in supplying grain, grass, weapons and ammunition.

His father has always been worried about these things. He has never worried about it, but this time, he really understands how difficult it is. In the past, he felt that his father had more food and grass.

But after arriving on the grassland, once the food and grass supplies are cut off, there is really no way to do anything! But as long as we return to the Central Plains, there will be plenty of food and grass.

Moreover, some vegetables have been grown on the grasslands in recent years, which were improved by his father, and some large-scale breeding farms were also established. Zhang Dingguan felt that the Chagatai Khanate had gritted its teeth and could still help.

"The Great Prince of Guanzhong, we believe in the financial resources of the King of Guanzhong and his ability, but we really have nothing to give. This time, I sent you some milk dumplings and some highland barley noodles. This is what we The last thing Jaghatai could give the Great Khan.

If the Great Khan is unwilling to see me, then I will go back and report to my Khan. If I still want something, then we can only meet on the battlefield. "The messenger said.

Unless it is absolutely necessary, the Chagatai Khanate really doesn't want to show off, but they can only take out this little thing from the treasury.

Three months of supplying food and grass to the army has already hollowed out the Chahotai Khanate. If you still want it, then we will fight each other. If you don't let me live, then you won't be able to live either.

At this time, Wanhu, a member of the Wokuotai family standing next to Zhang Dingguan, shook his head and whispered.

"Grand Prince, you don't know the situation on the grassland. Providing three months of food and grass is already the limit of the Chahotai Khanate. If you continue to force them, they will have no choice but to fight with us."

"Envoy, please stay here temporarily while I discuss it with the generals." Zhang Dingguan said.

"The Great Khan doesn't want to see me, so why should I stay here and take my leave." After the envoy of the Chagatai Khanate finished speaking, he left angrily.

Zhang Dingguan did not stop the envoy's departure. After all, it was indeed their alliance's fault. The Chagatai Khanate had completed its agreement with the Great Khan Guiyu, but you suddenly returned and asked the Chagatai Khanate to provide The food and fodder needed for the return journey was a bit unsatisfactory.

After the envoy left, Officer Zhang immediately summoned everyone in his tent. The generals of the Wokuotai family, as well as the generals around him, all ten thousand households and one thousand households gathered together.

"Alas! Tell me. How much food and grass do our entire army have now?" Zhang Dingguan asked.

"There are also some cattle and sheep in the Auru baggage camp that the eldest prince is accompanying the army, plus some grain, which is probably enough to feed the entire army for four days. Plus some cheese sent by the Chagatai Khanate this time. There are also highland barley noodles, which can only last for more than ten days at most." The quartermaster stood up and said. "From now on, the whole army will only have one meal in the morning and one meal in the evening. All meals will be changed to soup. Don't throw away the bones of cattle and sheep. Pick some wild vegetables on the road and make soup for the soldiers. In this case, you How long do you think it can last?" Zhang Dingguan asked.

"Eldest Prince! In this case, we can survive for another half month at most, which is one month, but after one month, we will definitely run out of food.

After the food is cut off, if we drink horse blood, all the soldiers should be able to survive for a few more days, but there is no other way. "After the quartermaster calculated it, he said.

Let all the soldiers drink the soup, add some bones and beef and mutton jerky, make it thinner, and eat some wild vegetables on the way, but it will last a little more than a month at most.

"After one month, if there is no food, we will kill all the spare horses. Each soldier will only ride one horse, and all the remaining horses will be slaughtered." Zhang Dingguan gritted his teeth and said.

This is the last resort. You can't ride on the grassland without horses. Otherwise, you may not be able to get out even if you walk for a few months, let alone a year.

However, the number can be reduced. One soldier rides one horse, or two soldiers ride one horse. Killing horses and eating horse meat along the way should be able to last for a while.

"In this case, we should be able to hold on for two months, but there is still a long way to go from Harahorin, the headquarters of Mongolia. It is not even certain whether we can even get out of the Chagatai Khanate." A thousand Hu opened his mouth and said.

Even if the horses are killed to satisfy hunger and the number of cavalry is reduced to a minimum, all the spare horses will only be enough to feed the entire army for more than a month. There is still half a month or even a month before they will have nothing to eat.

"Big Prince! It's okay to kill horses and eat them, but all warriors must ensure that each of them has a horse, otherwise it won't work." Several thousand Mongolian households stood up and said.

You can't live without horses on the grassland. The first is the problem of marching. Without horses, the marching speed will be several times slower.

So at least everyone must have a horse, otherwise, we will be lambs waiting to be slaughtered!

In order to protect their own interests, the Chagatai Khanate would never mind massacring 170,000 infantrymen.

If 170,000 infantrymen appeared on the grassland, it would be a dead end.

"You are right. If you have spare war horses, kill them all, but each person should keep a horse that can be ridden.

Let the brothers suffer a little, send an army of 10,000 people to hunt on the grasslands every day, and remember never to harass the herdsmen.

The captured prey is brought back to the army and stored. As long as they can reach the Wokuotai family territory, everything will be fine. "Zhang Dingguan said.

There is still more than half a month left, no matter what you say, you have to grit your teeth and persevere.

“Eldest Prince, can we get supplies once we reach the territory of the Ogedei family?

I am afraid that in the territory of the Wokuotai family, there is no way to support an army of hundreds of thousands of people. " said a Wanhu member of the Wokuotai family.

For this Western Expedition, the Wokuotai family had already collected all the food and grass, and they had only been away for a few months. The grassland cannot produce so much food and livestock for their use.

Even if they reach the territory of the Wokuotai family, there may not be enough food and grass.

"I will immediately send an envoy to meet my father and ask my father to go to the border of the Ogedai family in advance to provide us with food and grass. We only need to complete this most difficult journey." Zhang Dingguan said.

At this time, he could only ask his father. He immediately sent an envoy to the Central Plains as quickly as possible and asked his father to quickly mobilize a batch of grain and grass to send to the grassland, hoping that there would be enough time.

What they have to do now is to quickly find a way to leave the territory of the Chahetai Khanate and avoid any conflict with the Chahetai Khanate here.

"That's true. Anyway, no matter what, we must not go to war with the Chagatai Khanate. Otherwise, Batu will definitely attack us." Some Mongolian households said.

"I know, don't worry! We won't go to war with the Chagatai Khanate. Let the soldiers eat less first, eat some wild vegetables, add some batter to the porridge, as long as they stutter and don't starve to death." Zhang Dingguan said.

There is really no suitable supply place on the grassland. It is really difficult to return this time! There is still more than half a month of blank period. I don’t know how to spend it. What will the soldiers eat during this half month?

The most terrifying thing that could evolve into is probably cannibalism. This is the last thing Zhang Dingguan wants to see.

"Eldest Prince! Maybe there is another way to solve the problem of food and grass. It shouldn't be difficult to get at least half a month's food and grass." Que Debuhua, who was standing aside, said.

"My dear Anda, what else can you do?" Zhang Dingguan's eyes lit up and he asked.

"Anda, in addition to wild wolves, wild yellow sheep, and wild camels, there are many lakes and rivers on the grassland. There are some large lakes and rivers in Chagatai.

We can catch fish. Although those fish have more bones, they are still edible. These fish should be edible for a while. "But Debuhua said.

"Well! This is indeed a good method. Anda, I will give you five thousand soldiers and horses. You go to these lakes and then go fishing. When our army arrives, you can drink fish soup." Zhang Dingguan said said.

"Okay! I'll take people there right now, Anda, don't worry, the grassland is so big, we can't all starve to death, right? Even in the end, we can eat grass like cattle and sheep, and we can survive eating hay , just for a change of taste.”

"Hahaha! Go quickly! I'm waiting for your good news." Zhang Dingguan also showed a wry smile.

He knew that his brother wanted to comfort him, and although the way of comforting him was a bit funny, it did relieve his heavy heart a lot.

After that, the Western Expedition army began to retreat, and Zhang Dingguan accelerated the march of the entire army. All soldiers will be exempted from lunch. Even dry food was not distributed, and we could only eat one meal every afternoon and morning when we set off.

This kind of behavior caused some resentment in the whole army. After all, they couldn't eat enough, which made many soldiers have low morale.

After the army marched for several days, Batu's Golden Horde army had also reached its border.

Then I received the news that Guyu's army was retreating.

"What did you say? Guyu suddenly became seriously ill, and then he returned with hundreds of thousands of troops?" Batu looked in disbelief after hearing the latest battle report.

He prepared for the worst and came to fight a decisive battle, but he didn't expect that just as he drove to the border, you suddenly told me that my enemy had escaped.

"Hahaha! It seems that Changshengtian is on our side in this war."

"Yeah! This bastard Guyu is actually sick."

Kublai Khan, who was standing aside, suddenly narrowed his eyes, then looked at the envoy and asked.

"Let me ask you! When did Guyu become seriously ill? How many days have they been retreating? Tell me all the details." (End of Chapter)