Ming politicians

(Thanks to the hungry mountain lion and Shanzi Wei'an for casting valuable monthly tickets, thank you.)

The actions of the Jiangning battalion were very fast and methodical. In fact, each battalion was always ready to go. As long as the order was issued, they could start immediately. What's more, the artillery battalion was following the action this time.

Su Tiancheng had no idea, that prisoner was one of his greatest reliance, if this prisoner refused to give in and refused to tell the actual situation, then he could only find a guide who was familiar with the path when he left the Ningxia rearguard station Yes, but the guide here cannot be very clear about the location of the Xibe and Daur tribes.

When the time for a stick of incense came, Su Tiancheng was very nervous when the captives were brought in.

Conquest is inherently a gamble, so it's good to have everything ready.

After the prisoner came in, he knelt down on his own initiative.

"My lord, I am a guilty person, I just thought about it clearly."

Claiming to be my subordinate, he is obviously a scholar, a gleam of light flashed in Su Tiancheng's eyes.

"Oh, if you think of something, say it."

"My lower Liu Ji, a native of Yan'an Prefecture, was a student of Yan'an Prefecture in the fourth year of Chongzhen. At the end of the fourth year, because of the landing of the township examination, I traveled around with a few classmates and came to the Ningxia guard station. Unexpectedly, I met the Mongolian Tartars. , all died in the chaos of the war, barely survived, and were escorted to the Hetao area, only to find out later that they were taken captive by the Xibo tribe."

"I also thought about it, everything is over. I have been looking for death for years. It was also a chance. I met the leader of the Xibe tribe. The leader saw that I was unusual, so he noticed it, so I went to the leader's side. I once thought, How can a dignified scholar commit himself to the barbarians of a foreign race, but the enthusiasm and generosity of the people around him has moved me, and I often think about it. If I were a scholar in the Ming Dynasty, I would be as bold and open as the Xibo people, how could the current situation be formed."

"The military adviser who was hired as the leader of the Xibe tribe also came up with some ideas and gained their trust. But two months ago, the old leader died of illness. I am a Han Chinese and I don't like it. The new leader can't be trusted. The Han people, so I have become dispensable people. This time the leader sent troops to enter the customs to plunder, and asked me to participate. After all, I am a Han, and I am familiar with the situation in the customs. I also know it. A few hundred people entering the customs is equivalent to Suicide. Maybe this is a trick set up by the leader, just to make my subordinate die."

A smile appeared on Su Tiancheng's face.

"Hehe, it seems that you are also a down-and-out person. The leader asked you to enter the customs. You originally thought that you would die. But you didn't expect that the sergeants of Ningxia Guard would not dare to contact you at all and let you plunder, so I said. You have the desire to survive, and you want to build up your achievements. After returning to the tribe, you can resume your glory and gain the trust of the leader, because you have lived in the tribe for many years and know their habits well. They will not kill people for no reason, and your mind is magnanimous Some, just want to kill someone, but also ask him to complete an impossible task, if this person can return to the tribe, his status will change immediately."

Liu Ji's face turned pale, and his body shook.

"How do adults know these things?"

Of course Su Tiancheng knew that he was a time traveler, and he had a good grasp of Mongolian boldness and etiquette among friends. When he was in college, he had two Mongolian classmates.

"Okay, I know these things, since you have revealed your identity, I think, you probably want to say something else."

"The sinner just saw that the army is preparing, presumably the lord is ready to take action."

"Your observation is very careful. I might as well tell you that the Jiangning Battalion is about to enter the Hetao area. The target is the settlements of the Xibe and Daur tribes. They have plundered the customs for many years, and they should pay the price."

"If your lord can trust the sinner, the sinner is willing to be the guide of the army, but I beg you to spare the sinner's family."

"That's not a problem. I'm a straightforward person. If you have any other demands, please say so. You and I agree. I don't want to use force to overwhelm others."

Liu Ji's body trembled, and he spoke word by word.

"The sinner wants to regain his status as a student and be able to take the imperial examination. The sinner doesn't want his previous experience to be exposed. The sinner wants to be a new man."

"It's reasonable, there's no problem. I also have a request. If you try your best to help Jiang Ningying, I will not only help you hide everything, but also recommend you to the examiner during the rural examination. But if you are half-hearted and go back on your word, I will The official digs your ancestral grave."

Liu Ji's behavior was very strange. After looking at Su Tiancheng, he burst into tears.

After a while, Liu Ji calmed down.

"My lord, sinners never dare to be half-hearted. For so many years, what sinners miss most is their parents, and they are most sorry for their ancestors. Sinners don't even dare to think about the future. As adults are sinners' reborn parents, how dare sinners go back on what they say..."

With Liu Ji as a guide, the army will save a lot of trouble when entering the Hetao area. Liu Ji has lived in the Hetao area for five years, so he should be familiar with all the situations, not to mention that as a military adviser of the tribal leader, he must pay attention to his surroundings As for the situation of the tribes, the tribes of Mongolia, because of the harsh living environment, often fought with each other, and plundered the wealth and population of other tribes, so that their own tribe could grow stronger.

It took a few years for the Xibe people to grow. At the end of the Ming Dynasty, the Xibe people were not very famous.

Su Tiancheng suddenly had a strange idea. Could it be that the strength of the Xibe tribe has something to do with Liu Ji? The culture of the Mongolian tribes is far from being comparable to that of the mainland of the Ming Dynasty. Without culture, development will inevitably be hindered. Even the later Qing Dynasty, after entering the pass and unifying the Central Plains, paid attention to the development and inheritance of culture.

Liu Tiehan and others reminded Su Tiancheng that he didn't know if Liu Ji was reliable. Su Tiancheng told them that there is no need to use someone who is suspicious. If he doubted Liu Ji himself, he would not use Liu Ji as a guide. Of course, a strong His confidence also allowed Su Tiancheng to make such a decision.

The troops of the Mongolian tribes will not be too many. According to the distribution of troops by Huang Taiji, the total number of Manchurian Eight Banners is only 12, and each banner is 7500 soldiers. Certainly, for example, each Niu Luezhen of the Manchurian Eight Banners leads 300 sergeants, and each Niu Luezhen of the Mongolian Eight Banners basically does not reach 300 sergeants, and some even have only 150 soldiers.This situation is also due to the difficult living conditions in the Mongolian desert, which greatly hinders the reproduction of personnel, and the growth of personnel is very slow.

Based on this situation, even if all the soldiers of the Xibo ethnic group were gathered together, it would be impossible for them to exceed 2 people, and they would not be able to wipe out the 5000 people in the Jiangning Battalion.

After setting off overnight, Liu Ji followed Su Tiancheng. He began to introduce the situation of the Xibe tribe and the Daur tribe in detail. Su Tiancheng finally knew the general situation of his opponent.

The Xibe tribe and the Daur tribe are two groups that have recently risen slowly. They have become the leaders in the Mongolian grasslands and deserts. If it were not for the rise of Huang Taiji, the Xibe tribe and the Daur tribe might even The entire Mongolian tribe has begun to be unified. The two tribes have been stationed in the Hetao area for a long time. There is the most fertile grassland here. For the Mongolian tribes who rely on nomadic life, grassland is life.

With good pastures, coupled with frequent raids at the Daming border, the population of the Xibe tribe and the Daur tribe began to increase rapidly. The tribe developed at a speed beyond everyone's expectations. On the one hand, the expenses have also increased. Over the years, the tribes of the two ethnic groups have not only entered the pass to plunder, but also attacked other ethnic groups on the prairie.

The leaders of the Xibe tribe and the Daur tribe are both banner owners of the Eight Banners, each commanding an army. Among them, the army of the Xibe tribe has more than [-] people and is the most powerful. The army of the Daur tribe is also This time, Huang Taiji warned the tribes of Mongolia to pay attention to the Jiangning camp of the Ming Dynasty, and not to enter the pass easily. The banner owners of the two ethnic groups didn't care much, and the needs of the tribes increased significantly. Yes, so this time each sent a sergeant from Niulu to test the situation. If there is nothing wrong, a large-scale invasion is about to begin.

After learning about the situation, Su Tiancheng became even more anxious. The distance between the Xibe tribe and the Daur tribe is not very far, that is, more than 200 miles away. If one tribe is attacked, the other tribe will rush to help. In other words, the [-] soldiers led by Hong Chengchou will face about [-] soldiers from the two ethnic groups.

This kind of danger can be understood without much consideration.

Liu Ji marked the locations of the Xibe and Daur tribes in detail on the map.

Looking at the two dots on the map, Su Tiancheng was very anxious. At this time, he hoped that the soldiers led by Hong Chengchou would not be able to find a good guide, and would still be hovering in the grassland and desert, although this possibility is unlikely.

The army speeded up the march, and on the fourth day of the first lunar month, they arrived at the place where Fort Anning was located. From here, the army wanted to cross the Great Wall and enter the Hetao area.

The soldiers led by Ma Huabiao arrived here in advance, mainly to purchase supplies for the army, especially food and grass. The climate is cold, and the nutrition of the soldiers must keep up. Meat is indispensable, otherwise they will be weak in fighting in the grasslands and deserts. That's right, not to mention missing a fighter opportunity, you may also encounter danger yourself.

Commander Yu of the Ningxia rear guard has been following the army. At this time, he did not dare to delay. He prepared a large amount of mutton and pork for the army. After they were cooked, they were cut into strips for the soldiers to carry.

When leaving Anning Fort, Commander Yu appointed a guide for the Jiangning Battalion. These are sergeants who have gone deep into the Hetao area. (To be continued..)