I am Emperor Wanli

Chapter 326: Ming soldiers, never retreat until death
After crossing the Huang River, the grassland gradually became desolate and lonely, as if the endless grass carpet had been blown thin and sparse by the wind and rain.

There are no longer rivers like Huanghe and Tuhe that meander for hundreds or thousands of miles.

There is a river here, not very big. I don't know where it flows from the foot of the mountain, winding for dozens or hundreds of miles, and then disappearing somewhere silently.

The north wind is blowing hard, carrying snow and sand with it, coming towards you from afar, hitting your face and body hard, as if grabbing your collar and telling you that cold winter is coming.

The sky was gloomy, like a dozen layers of straw paper. Everyone couldn't help but look up, wondering when and where the heavy snow would fall.

Tens of thousands of cavalrymen marched forward against the wind, each of them riding three horses, with the spare horses carrying a lot of supplies. In the distance behind them, there were hundreds of high-wheeled carts, arranged in three rows, following at a fast pace.

A huge flag with the Chinese character "Ming" was held high, fluttering in the wind like a towering tree.

Hundreds and thousands of flags of all sizes surrounded it, forming a forest with no end in sight.

"This should be the Yingchang Road and Quanning Road of the former Yuan Dynasty's Central Secretariat. Beyond this is the Lingbei Province, their Mobei lair. No Ming army has set foot here since the Hongwu and Yongle years.

Ruqi, you and I are the first Ming generals to lead troops to the north to chase the enemy here in the past hundred years."

Xu Wei was wearing a fur coat, a fox collar, and a fur hat, and he was pointing the horsewhip in the air forward.

Li Chengliang was wearing a set of armor, with a cotton-padded jacket inside and a fur coat outside. It was bulging and his body looked bigger.

He held up a telescope and observed the front, responding to Xu Wei's words: "We will be the first Ming general to set foot on Buer Lake (Bail Lake) and Xuanming Pool (Hulun Lake) again in the past hundred years.

Three hundred miles north of the Wulu River are the two lakes. There is abundant water and grass there, and it is an important pasture for the Chahar tribe. We must wipe out the grass and tame it as well!"

"You are extremely ambitious. You will surely achieve unprecedented merit this time and be awarded a title of nobility."

Li Chengliang turned around upon hearing the voice, his eyes filled with naked heat.

Qi Jiguang could be granted the title of Earl, I want to be granted the title of Marquis!
Xu Wei knew what he was thinking. He smiled faintly and nodded to him with an encouraging look.

"Report!" A military school student came running over on horseback.

"Forty miles ahead, we found a large number of tents. The scouts caught several tongues and obtained intelligence. The interpreter and guide confirmed that this was the Tumen Khan's tent.

His twelve wives, concubines, thirteen sons, and other relatives were all stationed here, scattered around the Ulus River. There were about fifteen thousand tents and sixty to seventy thousand people, but not many were young and strong, and most of them followed Tumen Khan to Liaodong.

Li Chengliang was overjoyed. He turned around and waved his hand, signaling his followers who were standing at a distance behind him to come over.

"Pass on my military order. All my camps will spread out and deploy in a line towards the Ulus River. Slowly approach and wait for my order to attack. Tell my men that today is the day to achieve success!"

"Follow the order!"

An hour later, Li Chengliang and Xu Wei could see the tent in the distance. The huge tent was like a round house, white all over, with a radius of forty or fifty meters. It stood at the foot of the mountain and by the river, like a white porcelain bowl upside down on the ground.

It is obvious that tents like this are not those owned by ordinary herdsmen. They must be owned by the rich or noble. Moreover, tents of this size must belong to the richest and most noble people on the grassland.

At first glance, there were as many as six such large round tents near and far.

The king’s tent without a doubt!

Li Chengliang and Xu Wei looked at each other in surprise!

Tumen Khan, you took a detour and attacked our Liaodong; we rushed over and destroyed your royal tent and lair!

"General Li, the time is almost right. If we get any closer we might alert the enemy." Xu Wei reminded from the side.

Li Chengliang was full of confidence and ambition. He drew his sword and said to his followers, "Give the order!"

Three flares swayed up into the sky and could be seen clearly within a radius of hundreds of miles.

Li Chengliang brandished his long sword and shouted at the six kings: "Soldiers, kill! Great Ming will win!"

"The Ming Dynasty will be victorious!"

Twenty thousand Ming cavalrymen shouted, waved their sabers, raised their spears, and rushed into the Chahar tribe's royal tent and pasture like a surging tide, sweeping away everything.

The shouts spread across the grassland and resounded through the heavens and earth. The panicked Chahar people turned their heads one after another. They felt that they were surrounded by the shouts of "Long live the Ming Dynasty."
-
Zhou Guotai stood on the tower of the north gate of Kaiyuan City, looking into the distance. The armor on his body was tattered and black, and the original color could not be seen clearly. It was tightly attached to his body, as if it was cast on him and integrated with him.

He held out in Kaiyuan City for twenty-two days and had lost count of how many attacks from the Chahar tribe he had repelled.

The entire Kaiyuan City was just like him at this moment, in ruins.

Everywhere was the black color of smoke and fire, and the black color of coagulated blood. Outside the city was a mess, with broken siege equipment and corpses everywhere.

The Chahar tribe had no time to take care of their dead, or even the wounded, leaving them to die in the wilderness, howling in the cold wind.

The entire army was in a state of frenzy and they had to capture Kaiyuan City, otherwise everyone might die in the wind and snow.

Zhou Guotai gently touched the cannon beside him. The iron body of the cannon was extremely cold. If it was any colder, his hand would be frozen as soon as it touched it.

These sharp weapons have become scrap metal and the ammunition has long been used up.

The Chahar tribe surrounded Kaiyuan City, and it was difficult to deliver ammunition and supplies into the city.

More than half of the 17,000 soldiers in the city were killed or wounded. Everyone was exhausted but was gritting their teeth to hold on.

Zhou Guotai knew that as the weather grew colder, the outcome would soon become clear and the battle would become more and more dangerous.

If the Chahar people want to survive, they must fight to the death to capture Kaiyuan City.

In order to protect the country and the people, the soldiers of the Ming Dynasty must defend the city at the risk of their lives.

Both sides were fighting for their lives, and at the moment when both were on the verge of collapse, it all depended on who would give up first.

Zhou Guotai saw smoke rising outside the city and spreading into the mountains and jungles. Tens of thousands of Chahar tribesmen began to eat, and after they were full, they would start the attack again.

"Order! All units quickly eat and prepare for battle!"

"Yes!"

After Zhou Guotai conveyed the military order, he turned and looked to the south.

I wonder what the situation is like in Fushun City?

But Wei Jianping should be able to hold on.

He was facing 30,000 Jurchens, who were under less pressure than himself. So far, there was no sign of collapse in the rear, which meant that he had defended the city and kept the Jurchens in the east.

If he could grit his teeth and keep the Chahar tribe out of Liaodong, it would be the end of Tumen Khan after this winter. The heavy snow blocked the road, and his 60,000 troops could not safely withdraw to the pastures west of the Black Mountain.

There were not many pastures east of the Black Mountain, and most of them were inhabited by the Haixi Nuzhen tribe. They lived on fishing and hunting, and the land without abundant resources could not support 60,000 Chahar soldiers.

After a winter, I wonder how many people will be left.

When spring comes and the ice and snow melt, the Ming army will surely take advantage of the fact that the Chahar tribe is seriously injured and launch an all-out attack on them. By then, I can set out from Kaiyuan City, cross the Black Mountain, and head north to the grassland to avenge the brothers who died in Kaiyuan City!

Zhou Guotai was fantasizing about the future in his heart, but he knew clearly that it was still unknown whether he could see the sun rise tomorrow.

"The Northern Tartars have begun their attack!"

Amid the sound of the whistles, the soldiers who were resting on the ground stood up one after another, walked to their respective positions, holding their swords and guns, and ready for battle.

Zhou Guotai looked coldly at the densely packed Chahar tribe outside the city. Their faces were gloomy and crazy, and their eyes were fierce and violent. There seemed to be a lot more people than yesterday, and they were getting more and more desperate.

Then fight to the death and see who has the tougher life!
Zhou Guotai raised his long sword and shouted: "Ming soldiers, never retreat until death!"

On the city walls, tens of thousands of soldiers raised their swords and guns. Almost everyone of them was injured, with gauze wrapped around their bodies, heads, hands and feet to bandage the wounds.

But they looked resolute, and shouted in unison with Zhou Guotai: "Ming soldiers, we will never retreat until we die!"

(End of this chapter)