Zhu Yuanzhang in the cellar

Chapter 141 Zhu Yuanzhang's Snowstorm Attacks Jinshan
In late November of the 14th year of Hongwu, it was snowing in Guangning Wei.

In fact, it was not just Guangningwei, the entire Northeast region was snowing. The thick snow was more than ten centimeters high and deep enough to reach the ankles.

Zhu Yuanzhang led an army of 100,000, but the number of troops was more than 100,000, but reached 300,000.

Because in addition to the 100,000 soldiers, he also needed a large number of civilians to escort military supplies. In addition to bullets and shells, the most common supplies were cotton-padded winter clothes.

Zhu Yunfeng opened a textile factory in modern times. He also bought a large number of sewing machines and cotton and sent them to Ming Dynasty, where the female workers there wove clothes.

Over the course of a year, hundreds of thousands of winter clothes were produced, but they did not flow into the civilian population. Instead, they were first supplied to the soldiers and their families.

As a cavalry emperor who personally led troops to fight, Zhu Yuanzhang might not really feel sorry for the lower-level soldiers, but he was very clear that the Zhu family's empire was conquered by the lower-level soldiers.

Therefore, there must be no ambiguity on whether the soldiers can wear warm clothes and eat enough, and food and cotton clothes must be supplied to the army first.

This is a matter of right and wrong.

After arriving in Peiping, the army began to distribute supplies.

The army then rested for a day in Peiping and arrived in Guangning in late November.

Go to Guangning Wei and distribute the supplies to the local garrison.

Moreover, with a wave of Zhu's hand, local garrisons all received extra monthly rations and silver coins as rewards.

All of a sudden, those originally miserable local garrison soldiers were all ecstatic, and their loyalty to Zhu Yuanzhang increased rapidly and significantly.

After receiving the pre-war rewards, they continued to head north without stopping.

At this time, the snow in Guangning was very deep, and the artillery was stuck in the snow and could not move. Both people and horses could only walk slowly, one step deep and one step shallow.

Zhu Yuanzhang had to abandon the artillery units and let them stand by in Guangning. He only led 30,000 Shenjiying and 50,000 infantry forward.

This made Lao Zhu quite regretful.

Because Liaodong was not without cities. Starting from the Goguryeo regime of Buyeo and Yemok, the northern nomadic and fishing and hunting peoples gradually learned how to build cities.

It reached its peak during the Liao and Jin dynasties.

For example, during the Yuan Dynasty, even in the northern grasslands where building materials were extremely scarce, a city like Horqin was built.

Changchun, Jilin and other places built cities as early as the Han Dynasty.

From the Jin Dynasty to the Yuan Dynasty, it continued to undergo many repairs and maintenance to cope with mutual attacks among the Han nationality, nomadic peoples, and fishing and hunting peoples.

For example, during the Liao Dynasty, these cities were used to suppress rebellious tribes such as the Jurchen, Shiwei, and Bohai in the northeast.

The Jin Dynasty used it to guard against nomadic peoples such as the Mongols and Khitans.

Therefore, the Northeast at that time was not a barren land, there were many cities and various defense facilities.

Although Jinshan, where Nahachu was stationed, was not a big city, it had at most some rammed earth walls. However, if the enemy defended the walls, hand-to-hand combat would be inevitable, resulting in certain casualties.

Old Zhu did not want his World War I army to be injured by a cavalry of a primitive nomadic tribe. Even the casualty of one soldier would be a shame.

But that’s okay.

They brought grenades, which should be enough to blow down the rammed earth walls. If one grenades doesn't work, then use ten. If ten doesn't work, then use twenty. They don't believe that they can't blow through the Jinshan County city.

The Ming army marched northward from Guangning, passed Taining, which is later known as Fuxin City in Liaoning Province, and entered the Khorchin grassland.

There is no human habitation in the vast area of ​​hundreds of kilometers, and lakes are everywhere. Even with the Guangning Guards who are familiar with the terrain leading the way, the Ming army still had a hard time.

Zhu Yuanzhang no longer rode in a carriage, but traveled on horseback.

He was wearing a bright red cotton jacket and a cotton hat on his head, which was a bit like the dog-skin hat of Northeast China in later generations, with the sides drooping to protect his ears and cheeks.

The Ming army all dressed like this.

Their horses are all Mongolian horses, which can survive in harsh environments as low as minus 40 degrees Celsius, but in the wind and snow, they can only march thirty to forty kilometers a day.

A few days later, the snow and wind stopped.

In the evening, the Ming army found a place to camp near an frozen lake to draw water and rest.

A large number of soldiers led their horses to the lake to break the ice and get water.

The rest of the soldiers took out the tents from the baggage vehicles, set up camp on the spot, and made fires to cook, boil water, and keep warm.

Zhu Yuanzhang got off his horse. It was his first time to Liaodong. Looking at the vast expanse of white, he sighed: "The reputation of the Northeast for being cold is well-deserved."

Xu Da followed Zhu Yuanzhang and said, "It was only after I came here that I realized how bitterly cold it is here."

"Ah."

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded and said, "How far is this place from Jinshan?"

A guide from Guangning Guard who was familiar with the terrain said, "Your Majesty, to the east is Liaohe River, more than 30 miles away. Going north along the Liaohe River for more than 50 miles, you will reach Jinshan, which is about two days' journey."

"Two days' journey?"

Zhu Yuanzhang thought about it, pondered for a moment and asked: "Will the Yuan army go south on a snowy day?"

The guide replied: "It has happened before, but rarely."

"Why?"

"They usually come in autumn, grab enough food and then go back. Unless the snow is too heavy and the cattle and sheep cannot find food and die of hunger and cold, they will not take risks."

"Ah."

"only."

"Just what?"

"But they will send rangers to patrol the area around the tribe, to find suitable pastures to drive the cattle and sheep through the winter, and also to be on guard."

"Do they graze in winter? I thought they prepared hay in advance."

Zhu Yuanzhang smiled.

The guide said, "Your Majesty, no matter how much hay we have in reserve, it will eventually run out. The south of this grassland is their winter pasture, right here. Even though it's snowing, we can still get hay after digging through the snow."

"I see."

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded. Although he had led many northern expeditions, he had never been to the frontier. This was his first time going out of the frontier, and he was very interested in this new knowledge.

Xu Da saw what Zhu Yuanzhang was thinking and said with a smile, "Your Majesty, are you planning to take advantage of the snowstorm and march quickly to attack Jinshan?"

"There's no need for that. I'm just worried that they'll run away."

Zhu Yuanzhang walked with him in the snow, found a small hill, picked up a telescope and looked into the distance, saying: "I feel so powerful now. I always feel that if the enemy encounters me, they will have to flee in panic. I am afraid that my efforts will be in vain."

The counterexample of the fourth and fifth expeditions to Mongolia is right there.

When the Mongols saw Zhu Di coming with hundreds of thousands of troops, they ran away without leaving a single hair behind for Zhu Di.

Although he also knew that the Fourth Brother's expedition to Mobei was not completely fruitless.

In addition to killing thousands of Mongols, the most important thing was that they were forced to migrate long distances in non-corresponding seasons.

Ordinary people don’t know the pros and cons of this, but Lao Zhu does.

When the cattle and sheep do not grow fat, they are forced to move long distances, which results in them not having enough food to eat and dying of starvation and exhaustion during the migration, which will have a great impact on the food and property of the Mongolian tribes.

For example, in the process of avoiding war, Alutai's cattle, sheep and population decreased significantly, and his vitality was severely damaged.

But on the other hand, the Mongols adopted the principle of saving people but losing land, and both people and land were saved, avoiding a decisive battle with the main force of the Ming army and allowing the various tribes on the grassland to catch their breath. As a result, the Oirat rose up a few decades later and the Battle of Tumu took place.

Therefore, in Zhu Yuanzhang's view, in order to truly defeat the Mongols, it was necessary to annihilate their tribes in one fell swoop and kill or capture all the people and livestock.

Only in this way can we truly defeat the Mongolian tribes and make them submit to the Ming Dynasty. Xu Da said: "If this is the case, we don't have to worry about them escaping. It is not easy for the Yuan people to find winter pastures. In addition, Jinshan stores a large amount of fodder and livestock. If they run away, they will have food to eat. They will definitely hold on to their death."

"That's good."

Zhu Yuanzhang noticed that there were birds flying and landing on the treetops in the distant woods, so he took the ultra-long-range thermal imaging device from the guard next to him and scanned the woods. Suddenly, many red dots appeared on the image.

Xu Da was amazed and said, "This thing is really amazing. I wonder where Your Majesty got it from? It would be great if the army had this thing."

"Should I tell you that I spent over 30,000 yuan on this online shopping?"

Zhu Yuanzhang thought to himself.

"This was made by my craftsmen using transparent, spotless glass. It has a special device that can see the heat from a person's body. Even if they are hiding in the dark, it can be seen clearly."

He explained casually, then focused his eyes slightly and noticed several tall red dots standing out in the woods.

This is an image of a man on horseback.

Mongolians also ride Mongolian horses, which are drought-resistant and have excellent endurance. They can walk and run even in snowy weather as long as the snow is not 20 to 30 centimeters deep up to the knees.

It is snowing heavily now, and the snow is probably up to the ankles. It is barely possible for people to run, let alone horses.

Obviously, this should be a Mongolian scout nearby.

Zhu Yuanzhang looked up at the sky and saw that it was not completely dark yet, so he said to his guards, "Let's take a look with the drone."

The guard took out the preheated battery from his arms and skillfully loaded it into the drone.

They had no source of charging along the way, but they had plenty of power banks. They brought 1000 20 mAh power banks, each costing more than yuan, and all of them were fully charged.

I also brought a solar charging panel, but I can't charge it in the winter because there is no sun. When spring comes, I will fully charge the power bank and it will be enough to last me the rest of my life.

"Buzz buzz buzz."

The drone quickly took off under the control of the guards and flew into the woods.

The forest in winter is not dense, it is full of dead leaves.

Under the observation of the drone, they soon discovered that there were indeed a few sneaky figures in the woods, observing the Ming army who were building a camp from afar.

What the other party didn't know was that telescopes, thermal imagers and drones were all observing them from all directions.

Every move of the Mongolian scouts was exposed under the eyes of Zhu Yuanzhang and his men.

"Your Majesty, I will lead my men to surround them."

Xu Da suggested.

Zhu Yuanzhang pondered for a moment, shook his head and said, "Let them go back."

"Oh?"

Xu Da thought about it, and then said: "Your Majesty is still far-sighted."

Li Wenzhong, who had been silent, also seemed to be thinking about something.

If it was spring or summer and the other party had discovered them in advance, they would have to stay and prevent them from going back to report the news.

But it was winter now, and no matter how stupid Nahachu was, he knew that if they migrated now, countless cattle and sheep would be killed or injured.

So Nahachu was left with only one choice - fight to the death.

Judging from what the Mongolian scouts saw, the Ming army obviously wanted to take advantage of the heavy snow to launch a sneak attack on Jinshan and catch Nahachu by surprise.

But now Nahachu discovered them in advance.

Given this intelligence, what would a smart general do?

Nature does the opposite.

The Ming army would definitely think that they were the ones who launched the surprise attack, so they would just rush on their march and let down their guard.

At this time, Nahachu would launch a head-on attack, which would surely catch the Ming army by surprise.

So Lao Zhu did the opposite.

This is the flexible application of military tactics.

What's more, Lao Zhu has advanced technology, which makes him invincible.

So even if Nahachu launched a surprise attack, he was not afraid.

"Nahha has so many horses that it's not easy to catch them all in one fell swoop. Even if we lure them to attack, it will be easy for them to escape once they see the situation is not good."

Zhu Yuanzhang pondered for a moment and said, "We should split our troops into two groups. One group should continue with the original plan to lure Naha out and defeat him. The other group should immediately take a detour and head straight for Jinshan to cut off their retreat."

"Your Majesty, I am willing to go!"

Li Wenzhong said immediately.

Seeing that he had taken the lead, Xu Da glanced at Li Wenzhong, but in the end said nothing.

"No, I will go there myself."

Old Zhu smiled and said, "Back then, Cao Mengde personally led the knights to raid Wuchao and repelled Yuan Shao. I am not Cao Mengde, and Nahachu is not Yuan Benchu, but I am not too old to be unable to lead troops to fight. In this battle, I will sweep across the northern desert and eliminate the border threat of the Ming Dynasty forever."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Li Wenzhong knew that Zhu Yuanzhang's mind could not be changed, so he did not try to persuade him.

Zhu Yuanzhang continued to observe the Mongolian scouts in the forest. After they left, he stood with his hands behind his back and looked into the distance to the north.

He actually knew that it was not easy to completely solve the border problems of the Ming Dynasty.

The desert grassland is really too huge. The entire Mongolian grassland from east to west and from south to north covers an area of ​​more than three million square kilometers, which is equivalent to one-third the size of China in later generations.

With such a vast area and the Mongols' mobility, it was nothing short of a pipe dream to completely eliminate the nomadic peoples of the grasslands.

However, he was not discouraged, but was full of fighting spirit.

Because he knew very well that although he couldn't do it now, he would definitely be able to do it in the future.

The Mongols relied on nothing more than the vast grassland area and strong mobility.

If one day a train is built on the grassland, and off-road vehicles are driven on the grassland, and if machine guns are installed on the vehicles, then the people of the grassland will only sing and dance.

Therefore, the best option for now is to eliminate the threat posed to the Ming Dynasty by the forces surrounding the grassland, drive the Mongols out of the border, and wait for the Ming Dynasty to develop before conquering the grassland and forcing the Mongols to become one of the ethnic groups of the Ming Dynasty.

"Xu Da, Wen Zhong."

"The end will be here."

"You two and Fu Youde will lead the army and continue to advance."

"Yes."

"Let Zhou Dexing and Wang Bi each lead 5,000 soldiers from the Shenji Camp to follow me."

"Yes."

After conveying the military order, Zhu Yuanzhang went down the hill.

The Ming army then quickly took action.

The soldiers of the Shenjiying were tired after a day's work, but they still cheered up, mounted their horses, followed Zhu Yuanzhang, headed southwest, and took a detour to Jinshan.

(End of this chapter)