The Soldier of the Red Mansion

Chapter 314 Foundation
It has been three years.

Starting from Dabansheng, he embarked on a journey, inflicting heavy losses on the Shenghu tribe in the Wangji River area, laying the foundation for unification. Next, as long as the remaining enemies are completely wiped out, he can head south to the Great Zhou.

On the banks of the Tamir River.

Cattle and sheep graze by the river, and tents dot the grassland like clouds.

One of the richest lands in the desert, it has abundant grasslands and has been a place fought over by various tribes throughout history.

Ouyanhu had already declared himself Khan, and his golden tent was surrounded by layers of people.

Children were playing and chasing each other by the river when a herd of horses suddenly started running in the distance. They gradually quieted down as the herdsmen chased them away. Further away, a group of nomadic cavalrymen roared past.

"Great Khan, turning back now would result in too great a loss. If we keep pursuing them, we might just catch up with the Chaolu tribe."

Ou Yanhu gazed at the distant hillside, a look of hesitation on his face.

Bi Sheng, who was behind him, couldn't help but step forward to persuade him.

Everyone already knows that the Khan's determination to unify the Hu people has been shaken. After learning of Zhou's northern expedition, the Khan could no longer hold on.

The Khan was deeply shocked after the Zhou army invaded the Dabansheng region.

Ou Yanhu turned around and glanced at the generals of the various departments.

Some were from the former headquarters, while others were taken in by other departments.

For example, Bi Sheng, who was originally a general under Mo Bisheng, was the reason why I was able to easily subdue Mo Bisheng's troops; otherwise, there would have been a lot of unnecessary trouble.

And along the way, they conquered and eliminated many barbarian tribes, and also absorbed many people.

Such as Sukh, Mari, and Erythrine
Ou Yanhu said, "Datong has changed."

Since the fall of the Yuan Dynasty more than two hundred years ago, Ouyanhu has been one of the few people who came closest to the goal of unifying the grasslands.

Despite the stain of poisoning and ambushing Mo Bisheng, which made many people look down on him, Ou Yanhu's prestige was extraordinary in the eyes of many, especially considering his great achievement of unifying the Hu people.

Behind him stood a group of figures who had once dominated the grasslands, now all standing respectfully before Ou Yanhu.

Ou Yanhu spoke as if he were talking about someone else, his expression calm, and his tone of voice conveying confidence.

"The situation in Datong was within my consideration. As I had anticipated, if we hadn't harassed Datong in recent years, the officials there would have simply reported it as a victory to the Great Zhou court. Who knew that Wang Xin would become such a variable?"

Ou Yanhu sighed, a look of regret on his face.

The burly, dark-faced man, Suhe, retorted, "The Khan knows the Great Zhou inside and out and has a perfect plan. The current situation is not the Khan's fault."

No one objected.

I don't know if it was because of Sukh or because of what Sukh said.

In the past two or three years, the one who rose the fastest was this dark-faced man from a non-Han ethnic group. He was the most trusted by the Khan and became the Khan's most loyal and trusted general.

Ou Yanhu shook his head.

Perhaps it's due to age, or perhaps it's because one has reached a certain level.

I regret many things.

For example, by poisoning and ambushing Mo Bisheng, although he took a shortcut, he left behind too many hidden dangers.

If I had been more decisive back then, less opportunistic, and willing to pay a greater price—though it would have been painful—I suppose I could have walked a more steadfast path.

"The Great Zhou is one aspect, but I also underestimated the resistance of the various tribes of the Hu. It has been three years, yet it has still not been quelled. A mistake is a mistake, there is no need to dwell on it."

Ou Yanhu summoned everyone not to admit his mistake, nor did he intend to.

"Defeating Zhou's army and reclaiming Dabansheng will only delay things by two or three years. What is this hardship? I will lead you on another northern expedition to continue conquering the various tribes of the Hu people."

After hearing the Khan's words, no one had any objections.

The Sheng Hu were defeated. As long as they turned back and defeated the Zhou army, wouldn't it be easy for them to make a comeback and defeat the remaining Sheng Hu tribes once again?

The people had great faith in the Khan.

Ou Yanhu revealed a gentle smile, completely unrecognizable from the Ou Yanhu of several years ago; he seemed like a completely different person.

soon.

Hu left the Tamir River and returned to Karakorum.

Hening is a famous place on the grassland.

It was originally the capital of the Mongol Empire, built deep in the grasslands on the site of the capital of the Kereit tribe or the Uyghurs, and the capital of the Lingbei Province of the Yuan Dynasty, an early center.

Its geographical location is extremely important.

There is a saying that goes, "The Heavenly Strategy controls the upper reaches, and the border is entrusted to the Jin vassal state. The rivers and mountains are connected to the Central Plains, and the wind and snow of the vast wilderness guard the northern tower."

It is located in the heart of the desert plateau, with dense forests and wildflowers blooming everywhere in the height of summer.

Later, after Kublai Khan declared himself Khan in Kaiping and defeated Ariq Böke, the political center moved south to Han China, and this place was no longer the capital.

After the fall of the Yuan dynasty, the Northern Yuan used this place as its political center, but it was reduced to ruins during continuous civil wars.

Even after the Great Zhou destroyed the Oirat Tatars, decades later, people from the surrounding areas migrated here to recuperate and thrive. Generation after generation, the so-called Hu people in the mouths of the Great Zhou came into being. From the perspective of the Zhou people, they were divided into the raw Hu tribes and the cooked Hu tribes.

In the hands of the Hu people, places like Helin were just fertile pastures, with only a few ruins and remnants scattered across the land.

Fan Wenping had never seen so many Hu people before.

Tents stretched to the horizon.

The elderly, children, women, and young adults.

"The Khan's strength has reached such a level, it's truly astonishing. Brother's decision was right."

Following his elder brother's instructions, Fan Wenping secretly came to Lin. The hardships along the way were nothing; what mattered was being able to do something for the family.

"Our Khan will soon unify the entire Hu tribe. At that time, even the emperor of your Great Zhou will probably have to curry favor with our Khan," the man leading the way said with a smile.

Without a guide, how could the Fan family so easily find the Khan's location?

The man leading the way pretended to be a member of the Fan family's merchant caravan. In the Hetao region, they passed through checkpoints smoothly all the way out of Zhou's territory, and only then did the man reveal his true nature.

This time, Fan Wenping did not argue with him.

Seeing the scene in Helin, Fan Wenping concluded that the man's arrogance was indeed backed by some reason, and that he was not, as he had previously thought, seeking their help.

Judging from their current strength, without the help of the Fan family and other families, Zhou's army would likely be defeated. Moreover, Zhou's army is divided into three routes, and their morale is not united, making them even less of a match.

The man held a high position in the tribe and soon had a group of followers around him.

Fan Wenping and several of the caravan's trusted men were leading two camels, on which sat two women, their faces filled with despair.

"This is a gift for the Khan."

Upon meeting the Khan, Fan Wenping spoke in a humble tone.

The two women had already washed up. Although they had been exposed to the wind and sun along the way, they were in good condition. Having lived in their boudoir for a long time, their skin was fair and delicate.

Ou Yanhu didn't pay attention to that, but instead asked about the situation in Datong.

Zhou Jun had many sources of information within Hu's forces, and Hu's forces also had sources of information in Datong. The Fan family was a prominent local family in Datong, and the information they knew was beyond what ordinary people could comprehend.

With information provided by the Fan family, the decisions and movements of the entire Datong, and even the Great Zhou court, will be clearly presented to Ou Yanhu.

Fan Wenping was taking such a big risk, of course, for even greater benefits. He didn't answer Ou Yanhu immediately, but instead looked hesitant and conflicted.

"If you defeat Zhou Jun, all the business outside the Great Wall will be handed over to you."

Ou Yanhu told him frankly.

Business can't be stopped, but you can decide who to do it for. Isn't that what the Fan family wants?

Fan Wenping's eyes lit up. He was overjoyed that the Khan was so easy to talk to.

"Although the Datong military garrison is said to have 200,000 troops, it actually only has 50,000 to 60,000 soldiers, and at most 10,000 elite troops," Fan Wenping answered readily, adding in one breath, "Moreover, the Zhou army is internally divided into three routes due to discord."

"Who has the armored cavalry?"

Ou Yanhu was more concerned about this.

When Fatty Feng was stationed in Datong, his thousand armored cavalrymen caused great suffering to various units.

War is not about having a large number of people.

Fan Wenping thought for a moment and said, "It seems they are still in the Yongxing Army."

Ou Yanhu frowned, dissatisfied with the answer, and pressed on, "I heard that Wang Xin also has armored cavalry. What's going on? Don't you know?"

Seeing the Khan's displeasure, Fan Wenping feared the Khan would retract his promise and racked his brains for a solution. "Wang Xin seems to have a force of armored cavalry."

Fan Wenping continued haltingly, "It was initially obtained from Feng Yong. The two fought a battle, and the Khan was aware of it. However, in recent years, Wang Xin seems to have not paid much attention to armored cavalry."

What is Wang Xin doing?

"Firearms."

Mentioning this, Fan Wenping perked up and said enviously, "Khan, you may not know this, but firearms are already in high demand outside Datong Pass. With the army's procurement, it costs tens of thousands of taels of silver every year."

"firearm?"

Ou Yanhu hesitated.

In the past few years of fighting against the barbarians, he had almost forgotten about firearms.

Fan Wenping didn't care and smiled confidently, "Wang Xin only has a little over ten thousand men, most of whom are militiamen, or in reality, just laborers. The Khan has a hundred thousand iron cavalry, so why should we care about this man?"

Ou Yanhu nodded.

There were certainly no 100,000 iron cavalry, but claiming to have 100,000 iron cavalry was enough to scare people to death.

However, Ou Yanhu had to consider one thing.

After losing the Dabansheng area, a large number of people in the tribe were displaced. Although some people settled down in the Helin area, they were ultimately a minority.

This incident not only affected the morale of the troops.

If the grasslands cannot be reclaimed quickly, the tribe will suffer heavy casualties.

Originally, he wanted to grit his teeth and let the tribe endure it until he defeated the Sheng Hu and completely eliminated the enemy before dealing with the Great Zhou and reclaiming the pastures for them.

Unfortunately, a year has passed in the blink of an eye.

The Hu people can run faster than the Hu people.

Now, a strange thought arose in Ou Yanhu's mind. He actually understood somewhat the feelings that Fatty Feng had when he led Zhou Jun to pursue the Hu people in the Hetao region.

This feeling of frustration is truly unbearable.

"Write down everything you know."

Ou Yanhu pointed at Fan Wenping and readily promised, "I keep my word. Once I defeat the Zhou army, the business outside the pass will be handled by you few."

Having received the promise again, Fan Wenping's doubts completely disappeared.

Promises may be false, but no one will easily break their own promises.

As long as the Fan family could perform great service for the Khan, the Khan would have no reason to break his oath. Therefore, Fan Wenping was very excited and quickly wrote down all the information he knew.

Seeing Zhou Jun's plan, Ou Yanhu couldn't help but smile.

After laughing for a while, Ou Yanhu frowned again.

"Father Khan, what is there to hesitate about? We just need to concentrate our forces and defeat the Zhou army one by one with our superior numbers."

A thirty-something Taiji rushed along the road.

Since learning that his younger brother Wu En had failed to protect Da Bansheng, resulting in its capture by Zhou Jun, unlike others, Ryan couldn't help but feel secretly pleased when no one was around.

His father valued his younger brother the most, and Ryan was anxious about it.

Although they have a tradition of the older children going out to make a living and the youngest children staying at home, how could Ryan let go of that? Could he possibly give up the Khanate to his younger brother?

Ryan could not agree.

Upon hearing his son's words, Ou Yanhu glared at him.

Ryan is too impatient, unlike Uon.

As for Wu En losing Dabansheng, Ou Yanhu did not think it was Lao Yao's fault. On the contrary, Lao Yao did a good job, did his best to protect the tribe, and always kept Zhou's army occupied in the Xiaohuanghe area.

Zhou Jun wanted to replace the Hu people with Zhou people, such a vicious plan. For years, Lao Yao had been secretly going south to kill Zhou people, and he would not let Zhou Jun's goal be achieved easily.

In contrast, the eldest son, Ryan.

Ou Yanhu sighed.

"It's easy for the army to march south, but who will protect the women, children, and infants?"

Seeing that his father was unhappy, Ryan shut his mouth, but he was still resentful.

Did I say something wrong? If it were my younger brother, my father wouldn't be impatient. My father is being too unfair.

The tribes of Chaolu were terrified and had been hiding in the shadows for the past few years, not daring to resist them at all, and only hiding underground like rats.

Moreover, concentrating all forces would allow the army to defeat Zhou's forces in the shortest time, which would be much safer.

Go quickly and come back quickly.

Then they pursued and seized the spoils from the various tribes of Chaolu.

"You can stay."

"Father Khan!"

Ryan's eyes widened in disbelief, wondering if he had misheard.

“You stay behind to protect the women and children of the tribe,” Ou Yanhu said solemnly, worried that Ryan might not realize the gravity of the situation. He added earnestly, “The tribe cannot afford to be lost. As long as the tribe is safe, you will have done a great service.”

Ryan left in a huff.

The father wanted to help his youngest son gain merit, so he sent him away.

"Khan."

Bi Sheng watched Ryan's departing figure with a hint of worry in his eyes, wanting to remind the Khan.

Ou Yanhu did not speak.

Although Ryan was impulsive, he fought very hard in battle.

Protecting the tribe must be entrusted to his own sons; Ou Yanhu will not entrust it to outsiders.

Bi Sheng said no more.

A few more days passed.

Having been preparing for some time, Helin finally organized the supplies and the army.

Ou Yanhu led an army of 70,000 south, leaving 10,000 able-bodied men behind to protect the tribe.

The army numbered 70,000, accompanied by cattle, sheep, and horses.

Boundless.

Like a vast, boundless torrent.
-
The Western Army of Datong was in Guihua City, while the Yongxing Army set off from Datong City, passed through Gudian, crossed Fangshan Mountain, but stopped in the Xiashuihai area, only a few dozen miles away from the farthest Great Wall.

As for the Tiancheng Army, they went further than the Yongxing Army, reaching Kanerhai.

The three armies were originally supposed to converge at the Little Yellow River to first wipe out the remaining Hu people in the area.

This plan is correct.

There weren't many Hu people in the area around the Yellow River, which was perfect for the three armies to practice their coordination. The Ministry of War of the Imperial Court was not incompetent; at least their military strategy was flawless.

Wang Xin sighed.

Success or failure is always determined by those below.

An eternal truth.

"Attack!"

Wang Xin waved his hand.

We must eliminate the enemies in the Xiaohuang River area before Ou Yanhu's army arrives, and weaken Ou Yanhu's strength by all means possible.

There are already four cities outside the pass.

These four earthen cities were controlled by the Western Army in Datong.

If the controlled areas can be stabilized, then 150,000 people can be supported.

By then, the strength of the Datong Western Army will be even greater, and it will control the Qiantao region with a population of 150,000. The Datong Western Army will no longer be a rootless duckweed.

(End of this chapter)