Uncle from a poor family

Chapter 846 A Strangers' Journey

The Ming army began to turn north.

Until noon, the Tatar cavalry seemed to make no move. After retreating eastward, they stopped and seemed to be observing.

However, when they discovered that the Ming army was accelerating its northward march, even turning into a forced march, as if it were trying to catch up with the Ming army, and had sent two more light cavalry units northward to provide reinforcements, the Tatar troops, in a panic, also began to split up. One group headed north, while the other group detoured south, seemingly trying to outflank the Ming army from the rear.

Dusk.

The Ming army marched about twenty li north, maintaining a distance of about thirty li between itself and the advancing Tatar troops.

After discovering the information, Zhu Yong was amazed by Wang Shouren's keen insight and Wang Yue's control over the entire battle situation. He quickly went to Wang Yue's central command tent to inquire about the next move.

"General, just as you predicted."

Zhu Yongdao said, "The Tatars are not avoiding war, but just want to keep tying us down! It seems there is something in the north that they don't want us to face."

At this time, Zhu Yong could not easily conclude that there must be women, children, the elderly, and livestock of the Tumed tribe migrating to the north.

Wang Yue said, “From here northwards, there’s no way to directly cross the mountain ridge; we have to go through a fork in the road. So we have to go west for more than twenty miles and then turn around… Then from the fork in the road northwards for another sixty or seventy miles, and we should be able to catch up with the vanguard! I wonder if Bo’an and Dong Yang have discovered any traces of the Tatars’ migration.”

Zhu Yong clasped his hands in a fist and said, "This humble general is willing to lead two thousand troops to rush to the rescue."

"no need."

Wang Yue waved his hand and said, "I have already sent two groups of five hundred cavalrymen each to scout ahead. We may have to march until midnight tonight... The soldiers will not get much rest in the next two or three days. You must try your best to calm the morale of the soldiers. At this time, we cannot afford to make any mistakes."

Zhu Yong said with a bitter face, "The conditions for marching now are indeed a bit tough... I saw that the sky was not good at dusk, so I asked the guides who were leading the way. They said that a lot of dark clouds were drifting in from the north. If the situation continues to develop, it is very likely that there will be rain or snow tonight or tomorrow morning."

Wang Yue sighed, "Snow would be best. If it's rain... I'm afraid the soldiers won't be able to withstand it! It's already very cold!"

The soldiers had to march and endure freezing rain in sub-zero temperatures, which was a huge disaster for them.

Zhu Yong said, "I asked the guides, and they said that in this weather, it's normal for anything to fall."

"Ugh!"

Wang Yue sighed, "I hope God will help us, preferably just snow! But in any case, we should at least gain something from this trip."

Zhu Yong's eyes lit up. He realized that Wang Yue didn't really trust the promise of "pacifying the grasslands" made by the Zhang family.

It can be said that Wang Yue was a very pragmatic person. His hope was to seize the former title of Earl of Weining by killing and capturing the Tartars, obtain the hereditary title, and pass it down from generation to generation.

As for pacifying the grasslands... that's just shouting slogans to attract everyone's attention and earn fame for oneself.

"Duke Baoguo, you are responsible for leading the troops behind and observing the reactions of the Tatars who are following from the rear."

Wang Yue ordered, "Beware of the Tatar light cavalry; they may use their mobility to launch a surprise attack."

Although Zhu Yong was reluctant to stay behind, he thought that his son had already cooperated with Wang Shouren to pave the way, and might even catch up with the Tumed tribe's migrating herders, giving him the opportunity to make a name for himself and seize great merit. As a father, he had to serve the overall situation.

Wang Yue put a lot of thought and effort into dealing with the father and son.

Although this arrangement was intended to prevent Zhu Yong from gaining military merit, it was a perfect example of one side lifting the other up and the other stepping down on them, leaving no room for criticism.

Isn't it only right to have the general lead troops to cover the rear and guard against the only remaining threat from the Tatar forces that are currently following behind? Do you think you can make a name for yourself?

Nobody else wants to?
……

……

That night, the Ming army marched at full speed.

After nightfall, the sky was covered with dark clouds, and no stars or moon could be seen.

Unlike when we crossed the Yinshan Mountains in the Hetao region, the snow that day was gentle and almost harmless, filling us with the pride and joy of "the army rejoicing after its victory."

But right now, the fierce winds blowing from the north are howling past, the mountains are being scraped by the sharp winds, making a shrill buzzing sound, and the earth seems to be trembling violently. Every Ming soldier felt the unknown and fear brought about by the hasty march in unfamiliar environment.

Many people still have a vague understanding of the Yinshan Mountains and the Hetao region after reading this, so let me explain.

The Hetao region generally refers to the area east of the Helan Mountains, west of the Lüliang Mountains, south of the Yin Mountains, and north of the Great Wall, including parts of the Yinchuan Plain, the Ordos Plateau, and the Loess Plateau, which later belonged to the provinces of Ningxia, Inner Mongolia, and Shaanxi.

In this region, the Yellow River first flows north along the Helan Mountains, then east due to the obstruction of the Yin Mountains, and finally south along the Lüliang Mountains, forming a "几" shape, hence the name "Hetao".

The Hetao region is generally divided into the Yinchuan Plain, also known as the "Western Hetao," located between Qingtongxia and Shizuishan in Ningxia, and the "Eastern Hetao," which is part of Inner Mongolia. Often, "Hetao" is used to refer only to the Eastern Hetao, alongside the Yinchuan Plain. The Eastern Hetao is further divided into the Bayannur Plain, between Bayangol and Xishanzui, also known as the "Rear Hetao," and the "Front Hetao," which later encompassed the Chulechuan Plain and the Hohhot Plain, located between Baotou, Hohhot, and Lamawan. Therefore, the Hetao region is often referred to as the Hetao-Tumochuan region.

The Yinshan Mountains, located in the central part of what is now Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, consist of the Daqingshan, Wulashan, and Langshan Mountains. They stretch over 1,000 kilometers east to west and 50 to 100 kilometers north to south, with a terrain that slopes from south to north and from west to east. The terrain is primarily composed of blocky low and medium mountains, intermontane basins, and hills. The Yinshan Mountains form a significant dividing line between the northern and southern climates of Inner Mongolia, resulting in significant differences in landscape and agricultural production on both sides. The area south of the mountains is agricultural, while the area north is pastoral.

By the mid-Ming Dynasty, with the Ming army's southward retreat, the area north and south of the Yin Mountains had become the Tatars' domain. The Ming army was also making arduous marches in the central foothills of the Yin Mountains, where the iron anvil was towering. On the eastern ridge, there were Tatar armed forces that appeared and disappeared intermittently, giving people a great sense of oppression.

Behind them, Tatar cavalry were flanking and pursuing them, growing larger and closer. Various unknown situations also arose ahead… They had to endure the cold and exhaustion, struggling to keep up with the main force in the darkness; none of the officers and soldiers dared to fall behind…

In the current situation, falling behind means death; there are no other options.

No one wants their wives, children, and elderly parents to lose their protection and face a bleak future, so no matter how hard it is, the soldiers have to grit their teeth and persevere.

As midnight approached, after the army had been marching for nine hours, Wang Yue finally ordered his soldiers to set up camp and rest.

That night, the Tatars in the rear did not launch a rash attack.

The Tatar pursuers camped less than twenty miles behind the main army, seemingly trying to lure the Ming's mobile forces to engage them. However, neither Wang Yue nor Zhu Yong rashly dispatched troops, as no one knew whether it was a carefully designed trap by the Tatars.

Under the current circumstances, it's better to stay still than to take any action. First, take care of yourself and recover your energy.

Wang Yue did not rest that night, but instead inspected the camp and comforted the soldiers in various places.

Although some soldiers were pulled from their sleep to see their superiors, when they saw the highest commander of the army, just like them, exhausted and travel-worn, yet still appearing before them with a forced smile, warmly greeting and exchanging pleasantries, they found it hard to believe that the person before them was the Ming Dynasty's legendary military genius, Wang Weining, who had been praised to the skies.

Some soldiers developed blisters on their feet from continuous forced marches. Wang Yue would take the initiative to bring silver needles and candles, kneel down, heat the silver needles with the flame, puncture the blisters, apply wound medicine to the soldiers' feet, and carefully bandage them. Then he would present them with a pair of fine cloth shoes with multi-layered soles, which moved the soldiers to tears.

Wang Yue simply walked around the army, and the soldiers felt what it meant to share joys and sorrows. They felt that with such a commander, no matter how hard or tiring it was, it was all worth it.

After all, ordinary soldiers may never be able to meet high-ranking officials and celebrities like Wang Yue face-to-face in their entire lives, and communicate with them like elders and nephews in the family, saying comforting words that warm their hearts.

Zhu Yong did not accompany Wang Yue on the inspection.

Because he needed to keep a close eye on the Tatar pursuers behind him and maintain strict defense.

With the mountains blocking their way, the Tatar forces advancing from the east have found it difficult to cross. The greatest threat now comes from Tatar troops that are flanking from other directions.

Even though the Ming soldiers were exhausted, they still managed to send out a portion of their troops to patrol at night. After completing the deployment, Zhu Yong also took the time to go into his tent to rest.

As dawn broke, snowflakes began to fall from the sky.

Although the snowflakes quickly covered the soldiers, forming a thin layer, it wasn't actually that cold. Wang Yue, who was still patrolling the camp, looked at the sky and felt a chill in his heart. The arrival of this snow would inevitably cause additional injuries and illnesses in the army, significantly weakening the fighting capacity of his soldiers.

Of course, the Tatar troops would not fare any better.

Start cooking in the early morning.

The soldiers could not find enough firewood to start a fire on the spot, so they had to use the firewood they carried with them to cook a meal.

Because coal stoves were inconvenient to carry, there were not many honeycomb briquettes available in the military, but there was plenty of coal available for starting fires and keeping warm.

Most of the soldiers who weren't on patrol duty huddled around the fire to warm themselves, since they would soon be setting off again after breakfast.

At this time, Wang Yue's mission to inspect the military camp was not yet over. Finally, exhausted, he walked into Zhu Yong's army, which was responsible for the rearguard action of the entire army.

Upon hearing the news, Zhu Yong got up and walked with Wang Yue for a while.

Wang Yue forced himself to stay alert and said, "There's still no news from Bo'an and Dongyang, but I estimate that they've probably already encountered the migrating Tatar herders, or are in the midst of a final pursuit."

"Alas! If I had known this would happen, I should have completely trusted Bo'an and listened to him. The army could have turned back north directly, and we wouldn't have... wasted a day's journey." Zhu Yong, however, had a different opinion: "The central army has a lot of supplies, so their marching speed won't be too fast. I'm afraid it will be difficult to catch up."

Wang Yue pointed to the surrounding mountains: "This is a rare area with a high density of branch roads in the middle section of Yinshan Mountain. The surrounding terrain is constantly changing. To the north is the area controlled by the Tatar Golden Family. We may soon find ourselves in a situation of being attacked from all sides. The Tatars may come out in full force at any time."

"This is a good thing!"

Zhu Yong's eyes lit up, and he said, "Just as you said before, General, we can't wait for the Tatars to gather and fight us in a face-to-face battle. Then we can use our firearms to defeat them in one fell swoop. After that, it will be time for us to cleanse the grassland tribes and set rules for them. Perhaps we can restore the glory of the Han Dynasty!"

Wang Yue shook his head and said, "Our ammunition will eventually run out. Defeating one enemy force is already the best we can do. If the Tatars really launch a full-scale attack, given this weather..."

As the two were talking, someone next to them shouted, "It's raining?"

These words made Wang Yue and Zhu Yong gasp in shock.

What was falling from the sky before was snowflakes, but now it has turned into raindrops, and it is the kind of freezing rain with a bone-chilling cold.

This is exactly the outcome they least wanted to see.

……

……

A sudden freezing rain completely disrupted the marching rhythm of Wang Yue's troops.

Wang Yue had no choice but to immediately order the army to march.

In such weather, the soldiers struggled to march... and with pursuers behind them, their morale gradually waned.

After marching for more than an hour, the freezing rain still hadn't stopped, and almost every soldier was soaked to the bone.

Zhu Yong quickly found Wang Yue and pleaded, "General, let me lead the troops to fight the Tartar soldiers chasing us! Regardless of victory or defeat! The morale of the army is low right now, and I'm afraid the Tartars will take advantage of our unpreparedness and launch a surprise attack!"

Wang Yue looked around and shook his head helplessly: "The terrain here is rugged and not a good place for fighting. We need to get out of this valley as soon as possible. After we get out of the canyon, you take four thousand troops and block the exit of the canyon. I will lead the troops to continue forward."

"what do you mean……?"

Zhu Yong looked at Wang Yue, his expression shifting between light and dark.

Wang Yue said, “At the foot of Yinshan Mountain, from west to east, although our Ming army has rarely come here in recent decades, in the past, this was the land of the Han people. Lü Bu and Zhang Liao were famous Han generals here! We must not only pursue the Tatar tribes’ herdsmen, but also leave some troops behind to keep the rear route open and prevent the route back to the Hetao from being cut off.”

Zhu Yong seemed somewhat reluctant upon hearing this.

He even regretted coming to Wang Yue. Wasn't this tantamount to him asking to fight the Tatar pursuers behind him, and Wang Yue just let him take the lead in covering the rear and stopped advancing?
Wang Yue said with a hint of reliance, "If we want to achieve success in this battle, we must leave troops behind to block the pass. There is no fortified city to protect the pass ahead, but during the Western Han Dynasty, there were continuous passes on both sides connected by the Great Wall, which were later all destroyed by foreign barbarians. You stay here to ensure that the troops ahead can successfully retreat back to the Hetao region!"

Zhu Yong pleaded, "This humble general also wishes to lead troops to confront the Tatars head-on."

"Don't argue over short-term gains or losses."

Wang Yue reminded him, "You stay here; you can attack or defend as needed. Remember, whether we can achieve great things this time, and whether we can successfully return to the Ming Dynasty's borders, all depends on whether you, Duke Baoguo, can hold this place."

"With you here, if any Tatars dare to come, just bombard them with cannons. You will surely gain military merit, and perhaps even the merits of the soldiers on the front line cannot match yours!"

……

……

Zhu Yong essentially accepted Wang Yue's empty promises.

The army advanced no more than twenty miles before the terrain began to flatten out. Wang Yue led the central army to continue advancing, while Zhu Yong needed to lead his troops to camp at the gap in the Yinshan mountain range, which meant occupying a relatively good position and waiting for the pursuing Tatars to walk into their trap.

Although Zhu Yong was quite annoyed by the assignment, his soldiers breathed a sigh of relief...

When going to war on the grasslands, everyone hopes to capture enemy leaders and make great achievements. Seeing others charging forward, no one wants to be a coward in the back.

However, it has been more than twenty days since the army officially set out from Hetao. The army is not moving fast and is exhausted every day. The weather is abnormal and they still need to march day and night. Everyone is suffering. Taking on the task of staying behind and waiting for the enemy to tire themselves out is actually a kind of invisible relief.

After Zhu Yong and his entire army had finished setting up camp, they immediately gathered half of their men and prepared to ambush the pursuing Tumed cavalry on the mountains on both sides.

Only then did the scouts arrive to report that the Tatar cavalry behind them had not pursued them into the gorge, but instead, after observing the area, turned back and headed northwest.

"Did we choose the wrong path?"

Zhu Yong was puzzled.

Just then, he saw a group of people retreating from the front, led by the supervising eunuch Cao Shen.

"Eunuch Cao? What is this...?"

Zhu Yong hurriedly stepped forward and asked.

Cao Shen practically fell off his horse, looking utterly disheveled. He shook his head and said, "My lord, I really can't walk any further... I truly cannot go any further, so I volunteered to stay with you, Minister Wang... Isn't serving with you the same as serving with the army?"

Zhu Yong asked in surprise, "There might be fighting on the front lines, and there are plenty of military merits to be earned. Would you really be willing to give that up, Father-in-law...?"

Cao Shen waved his hand, interrupting Zhu Yong: "Didn't we agree before that we were here to pacify the grasslands? You've led a force of ten thousand men deep into the barren lands, where have we ended up?"

"This one……"

Zhu Yong was somewhat embarrassed and could only explain, "Actually, we've only just left the territory of Shuofang during the Han Dynasty."

"Ah...where exactly is this?"

Cao Shen asked, looking completely bewildered.

Zhu Yong said, "From the perspective of the Han Dynasty, this place has not yet crossed the Han border, let alone gone deep into the grasslands."

"What? We haven't even entered the grasslands yet?"

Cao Shen was startled.

Zhu Yong explained, "Actually, starting from the early Ming Dynasty, the Ming Dynasty's passes and fortifications had already moved thousands of miles south, and the Hetao region had been ceded without the construction of fortifications for protection. In fact, historically, the real pastoral land was the area north across the Yin Mountains, where you wouldn't see any farmland along the way..."

Cao Shen asked, "Everyone talks about sealing the wolf's lair and the mountain. How far is it from here to the Wolf's Lair Mountain?"

"It's probably... about two thousand miles."

Zhu Yong kindly explained.

Cao Shen finally lost all his temper.

Cao Shen sighed and said, "How can we talk about pacifying the grasslands like this... We can only travel forty or fifty li a day. By the end of the year, we might not even reach the Tartars' stronghold. Besides, the grasslands are so vast, where can we find the main force of the Tartars?"

Zhu Yongdao asked, "Eunuch Cao, do you think it's more important to gain military merit and give His Majesty and the court an explanation right now, or... to pacify the grasslands?"

"They are all important."

Cao Shen's answer was impeccable, "We'll follow the orders of that Vice Minister Wang; whatever he says, we'll do. By the way, are there any tents? Let me go in and warm myself by the fire; I'm freezing!"

"How can you make a fire inside the tent?"

Zhu Yongdao.

Cao Shen patted his head and said to himself, "Look at me, I'm so cold I'm going crazy... At this point, I could at least find a brazier for me."

Zhu Yongxin thought to himself, "You're such a eunuch, you have so many problems."

So, you think you're the only one working hard while we're not cold or tired?

(End of this chapter)