In the 26th year of Zhizheng (1366 AD), Emperor Ming Zhu Yuanzhang was 39 years old (in lunar years), and it had been 12 years since he joined the army.
In March, the Ming king's army assembled and marched north through the canal, heading straight for Dadu.
On March 20th, Xu Da's vanguard army arrived at Haijin Town, which is later known as Tianjin.
The newly installed Ming Wang cannon on the ship fired at the important buildings in Haijin Town, forcing the Haijin defenders to abandon the city and flee. In less than an hour, the Ming Wang army occupied Haijin Town.
Long-range artillery began to show its power.
The commander of this artillery battle was Chen Biao, because he was the only one who could calculate the range through the telescope and determine the firing angle of the Mingwang cannon.
In that era, men had their hair tied up at the age of fifteen, but Chen Biao was not old enough to do so.
The age limit for joining the Ming King's army was fifteen years old or above, so Chen Biao was the only one in the army who had bangs and a small bun, which made him very conspicuous.
Xu Da led the vanguard army, and Chen Biao followed Xu Da in the vanguard army; Prince Ming commanded and dispatched the troops in the middle of the army; Lady Xiuying was responsible for logistics dispatch at the end of the army.
The family of three went to the battlefield and was located in the front, middle and back of the army.
Those who knew that Chen Biao was the prince of Prince Ming couldn't help but sigh that His Majesty Prince Ming was really brave.
In truth, His Majesty the Prince of Ming wouldn't dare. However, the most elite troops in Xu Da's vanguard consisted of the troops of Deng Yu, Zhao Desheng, Zhu Wenzheng, and Li Wenzhong, along with Chen Ying's new musket team. Almost all of the mid- and low-ranking officers in the vanguard had experienced the Battle of Hongdu. Upon hearing that the young military advisor was traveling with them, these men immediately suggested that Xu Da follow his advice, which would guarantee a successful start.
Zhu Yuanzhang did not give any specific orders, but asked Chen Biao to stay in the rear and let Xu Da take charge.
"Anyway, if anything happens to Biao'er, you shouldn't come back."
Zhu Yuanzhang said that this was definitely not a bluff or threat, but as Biao'er's uncle Xu, Xu Da could not protect Biao'er, so shouldn't he commit suicide out of shame?
Xu Dasi thought about it and decided that it was just a matter of giving advice, so there would be no danger. Since Biao'er had joined the army, he should definitely make some contributions. Since the vanguard trusted Biao'er, he decided to give him a chance.
When Xu Da asked Chen Biao, Chen Biao was holding a map under his arm and came to offer advice.
"Let the ships equipped with new artillery try it first. If the information I got is correct, we may be able to quickly occupy Haijin Town without spending a single soldier." Chen Biao spread out the map and pointed at the area with a red circle on the map.
The circle he drew marked the location of the Haijin Town forts—each of which was equipped with crossbows or cannons, serving as the "long-range heavy firepower" stronghold for the Haijin Town defense; the location of the Haijin Town military camp headquarters; and the location of the Haijin Town maritime transport warehouses—Dadu, plagued by repeated natural disasters, relied entirely on the grain transport provided by Zhang Shicheng and his men. Haijin Town was one of the most important grain transport transit points, and its warehouses stored a large amount of grain transport supplies.
Xu Da frowned: "Without spending a single soldier?"
Chen Biao said, "These strongholds are not far from the riverbank. With the range of the new artillery, we can fire at them from a safe distance. Let's give it a try. Even if we can't destroy the enemy's important strongholds, using artillery to greet them can boost our morale and lower theirs."
After thinking it over, Xu Da agreed: "Okay. Do as you say. I'll take charge."
Chen Biao sighed, "I'm the only one who can command this battle, otherwise we won't be able to hit accurately. I'll take all the credit for this."
Xu Da immediately refused: "You want to go to the front line? Too dangerous? No!"
Chen Biao said, "If they don't even go ashore, how can it be dangerous?"
After Chen Biao's persuasion, Xu Da had no choice but to agree to let Chen Biao give it a try.
Xu Da was originally thinking about how to persuade the generals to agree to Chen Biao's attempt.
Winning the first battle was considered the first achievement, just like being the first to reach the top of a city during a siege. It was one of the most important and prominent achievements in the Northern Expedition. He was worried that his generals would compete for the credit.
For generals, sometimes the casualty rate of soldiers is not the first thing they consider, but the merit is.
But unexpectedly, when the generals heard that Chen Biao was in charge of the first battle, they all smiled happily.
"I knew that the young military advisor would have a solution."
"Without sacrificing a single soldier? That's indeed the young military advisor's style. The young military advisor is most concerned about the casualties of his soldiers, and would rather work harder himself."
"When I learned that the young military advisor was in the vanguard, I knew that it would be easy for us to defeat Dadu this time."
“Whether it’s easy or not, it’s okay to say I’m sure to win.”
In the vanguard army led by Xu Da, the generals second only to Chen Biao's three brothers were Zhao Desheng and Deng Yu.
The two men and their old subordinates simply regarded Chen Biao as a genius military strategist. When they heard Chen Biao's suggestion, they had no dissatisfaction at all and just wanted to go to the vanguard ship to watch.
Xu Da held his forehead, feeling something was wrong.
Why does he feel like he is being sidelined in the Vanguard Army?
Being emptied by the standard...
Xu Da even had an absurd idea: if Chen Biao won this first battle, he could simply hand over the vanguard to Chen Biao. This would allow him to coordinate and manage the other troops, saving him some time. But it was just a thought, because the vanguard had to go to the front, and he didn't dare let Biao go.
In this way, Chen Biao gained the power to command the first battle of the Northern Expedition and then won the victory with ease.
The generals crowded together on the side of the ship, vying for the noble handmade telescope made by Chen Biao with crystal lenses.
The defeated soldiers on the shore were in chaos, and some of them even knelt down and kowtowed towards the shore, as if they were being punished by the gods.
The generals were amazed. They had seen cannons before, so why were these people so surprised? It was just that the cannons had a slightly longer range and a slightly more accurate landing point.
Xu Da punched and kicked the generals: "Get over here! Get over here! I'm the marshal! Let me see first!"
Zhu Wenzheng retorted, "What's wrong, Marshal? I'm Biao'er's cousin! Let me see first!"
Chen Biao sat on a high watchtower and observed the battlefield situation with a telescope. When he was sure that the defenders on the river bank had collapsed and fled, he breathed a sigh of relief and put down the telescope.
The range and accuracy of the cannons were certainly not comparable to modern artillery, and they were only able to destroy large targets along the riverbank. However, in this era, it might have been considered a dimensionality reduction strike.
The era of hot weapons and the era of cold weapons were indeed a dimensionality reduction attack.
When Chen Biao was about to climb down from the watchtower, he saw a group of people crowded on the side of the ship and couldn't help but get angry: "What are you doing?! We are at war now!!"
Chen Biao had not yet reached the stage of voice change, and his voice was very clear and high-pitched, and his roar made the generals below tremble.
Chen Biao slid down from the watchtower like a monkey, rushed forward and roared again: "After the fire attack, immediately put the entire column ashore and pursue the victory! You are all veteran generals, do you still need my guidance? What are you doing fighting in a group now? Do you think you are sightseeing?!"
Xu Da: "...Yes! What are you doing! Hurry up and form a column and set off!"
Chen Biao glared at Xu Da fiercely.
Xu Da: "...I'm leaving too."
Zhu Wenzheng laughed and said, "You were scolded by Biao'er, right? Biao'er is very serious on the battlefield. He attaches great importance to military discipline and military orders. Even I would be scolded."
Chen Biao said with a stern face, "If you say another word, you will be beaten with a military stick."
Zhu Wenzhen immediately shut up and went to straighten the line obediently.
All those present were veterans. Although there was some confusion for a while due to the rare long-range artillery attack, after being awakened by Chen Biao's shout, they immediately reorganized the army and prepared to land.
Chen Biao stopped Xu Da's order to let the spearmen team land first with the cooperation of the shield team, and let Chen Ying's fire gun team land first.
"Those on horseback on the shore have already fled, leaving only the infantry. Infantrymen generally don't wear armor. The musketeers will land first, line up on the shore, and advance gradually, which will help us avoid casualties."
"Archers follow the musket team. If they encounter a relatively orderly army, they will fire a round to disrupt their attack. Once they are within range of the musket team, they will fire a second round."
"Everyone in the vanguard team should report the achievement of being the first to reach the summit. There's no need to fight for credit. Marshal Xu, you and I will make this promise to them together."
After Chen Biao offered his suggestion, before Xu Da could say anything, the generals nodded in agreement.
"Just do as you say, little military advisor. We all trust you."
"Don't worry, we are all old comrades. Why fight for credit? It would be a great achievement if we could capture more cities before the army arrives."
"We will keep the soldiers in check. Little Military Advisor, feel free to do what you want!"
Xu Da: "...I'll do as you say." I'm really being sidelined, right?
Chen Biao looked up and waited for Xu Da's consent.
Xu Da's eyes softened and he said, "I'll listen to you. I believe you."
Chen Biao said, "I don't understand the strategy of marching and fighting. I only know how to suppress the enemy with firepower, and how to achieve the greatest results at the lowest cost when strategy is not needed. Marshal Xu, rest assured that the suggestions I offer now are all 100% certain. Even if there is a 10% chance of failure, I will not speak."
Xu Da said helplessly, "If you have a 70 to 80 percent chance of winning, you can speak up without worry. I'm here to check it out. I believe in you, and you have to believe in me too."
Chen Biao clasped his fists and said, "Yes, I will obey your orders."
Xu Da felt very sad when he saw Chen Biao looking like a young general on the battlefield.
Why did he feel that not long after he went out to fight, that little, round and cute girl like a dumpling was about to turn into a reliable young man?
Time flies so fast.
Following Chen Biao's suggestion, Xu Da adjusted the formation, letting the musket team and archer infantry land first, with the cavalry battalion guarding on both sides.
If the enemy's formation is not broken up by the musket team, the cavalry battalion will attack from both sides and use the advantage of mobility to cut off and destroy the enemy.
The city of Haijin was right on the shore, and even if they only advanced steadily with infantry, they would soon reach the edge of the city.
Because the defenders abandoned the city and fled, the city gate was half open.
To be on the safe side, Chen Biao ordered his men to push out the small Guorui cannon that could be mounted on a cart and fired a few rounds at the city gate.
People on both sides of the city gate immediately came out to surrender. They were obviously frightened by the unreasonable bombardment. They thought that the small Guorui cannon was the thunder-like artillery fire that had hit the shore before, and completely lost the mood to resist.
Zhu Wenzheng said excitedly: "They fled to Tongzhou? I will order a cavalry to pursue them!"
Xu Da frowned: "Don't advance rashly!"
Chen Biao thought for a moment, tugged at Xu Da's sleeve, and said, "Perhaps. Marshal Xu, do you remember how the Jin army marched southward in history books? The frightened defeated soldiers only needed a small number of troops to pursue them, and they would flee without resistance."
Zhu Wenzheng immediately said, "Right! If the defeated soldiers from Haijin Town attack Tongzhou, perhaps we can capture the gateway to Dadu in one fell swoop!"
Tongzhou is the confluence of the Grand Canal and the Tonghui River, which leads to Dadu. It is the gateway to Dadu. As long as Tongzhou is captured, the Yuan Dynasty Dadu is almost in its pocket.
Deng Yu thought about it and said, "This plan is feasible. The enemy will never have expected us to capture Haijin Town with such a thunderous force. As long as we can capture Tongzhou today, the city will probably have a hard time reacting, and we may be able to make them suffer!"
Chen Ying thought for a moment and said, "I'll go with Wen Zheng. The improved musket team can also fire from horseback."
Li Wenzhong said, "After Bolo Timur captured Yuan Dadu and became Prime Minister, the garrison of Yuan Dadu was basically composed of Bolo Timur's men. I heard that the treacherous Yuan Crown Prince and Kuokuo Timur were preparing to attack Bolo Timur. According to intelligence, when we sent troops, Bolo Timur happened to send part of his troops to Datong to resist Kuokuo Timur's attack. Yuan Dadu is now under defense, so perhaps we can advance a little."
The information Li Wenzhong had said flashed through Xu Da's mind, and he finally became interested.
When Zhu Yuanzhang decided to attack Yuan Dadu, it was only because of "God's will."
But it happened that the emperor and the warlord Bola Temur who occupied Yuan Dadu had a dispute at the beginning of the year. The prince who escaped from the capital and the warlord Kuyuk Temür in Gansu took this opportunity to attack Bola Temur's territory in Shanxi.
When Zhu Yuanzhang sent out his troops, Kuyuk Timur and Bolo Timur also sent out their troops.
The Yuan Dynasty still believed itself to be very powerful, and did not expect that someone would launch a northern expedition without making any noise.
Moreover, Zhu Yuanzhang's decision to launch the Northern Expedition this time was too "casual", and he almost did it on a whim.
If Zhu Yuanzhang did not have strong control over his army, and if logistical supplies were not extremely abundant after years of cultivating the well-field system and could be allocated immediately, it would be impossible to announce the Northern Expedition in the first month of the year and set off on the first day of March.
Even when Zhu Yuanzhang was deploying his troops, others did not believe that Zhu Yuanzhang would launch a northern expedition.
They would rather believe that Zhu Yuanzhang would fight Zhang Shicheng than believe that Zhu Yuanzhang would fight to the death with the Yuan Dynasty first.
Even if they knew Zhu Yuanzhang was coming to attack Yuan Dadu, it was impossible for Kuyuk Timur and Bolo Timur, who had already started fighting, to stop fighting immediately. This buffer period was the most suitable time for Zhu Yuanzhang's army to capture Yuan Dadu at the lowest cost.
No one knew when Kuyuk Timur and Bolo Timur would cease fighting, so the Ming army had to race against time to take advantage of this buffer time.
Xu Da originally had no intention of taking advantage of this time difference.
Because even if Kuyuk Timur and Bolo Timur delayed further, they should have received the news of the Ming army's northern expedition about ten days after the Ming army set out.
Even if they had a deep blood feud, when it came to matters concerning the survival of the Yuan Dynasty, they would reluctantly shake hands and make peace, and then return together to support Dadu.
Xu Da roughly estimated that if they were decisive enough, half a month would be enough for them to reach Yuan Dadu.
On his side, attacking the two fortified coastal cities of Haijin and Tongzhou would take about ten days, even at a fast pace. Adding the travel time, by the time he reached Yuan Dadu, Kuyuk Timur and Bolo Timur might have already returned to support him.
Therefore, in the strategic plan to capture Yuan Dadu, Xu Da counted all the armies of Kuyuk Timur and Bolo Timur as enemies and conservatively estimated the number of enemies that the Ming army needed to deal with.
But they didn't expect that they would quickly capture Haijin Town, an important military and material transit town on the canal, as soon as they arrived. Perhaps this plan could be adjusted.
After Xu Da thought about it, a new strategy quickly took shape in his mind.
He closed his eyes and let the strategy in his mind proceed, just like Chen Biao did in Hongdu, playing a game of military chess in his mind.
"The infantry will remain, and all cavalry will attack to drive back the fleeing troops." After opening his eyes, Xu Da made a decision even bolder than Zhu Wenzheng's request. "Biao'er, you and Yan Qian will lead the heavy artillery battalion and continue advancing via the waterway. I'll leave you with an infantry battalion. These men will only obey your and Yan Qian's command, so you can act as you see fit."
Chen Biao frowned. "I'm going to command the battle?!"
He looked up at Yan Qian, then at Xu Da, took a deep breath, clasped his fists and said, "I obey your orders."
Yan Qian also clasped his fists and said, "I will obey your orders."
Xu Da said, "If we can successfully attack Tongzhou, the Yuan emperor will likely abandon the city and flee. Zhao Desheng, Deng Yu, march quickly around Juyong Pass and approach the Yuan capital from there!"
Deng Yu and Zhao Desheng clasped their fists and said, "I obey your orders."
Xu Da said, "I will stay in Haijin Town to support the follow-up army. Zhu Wenzheng, Li Wenzhong, and Chen Ying, please write to me as soon as you occupy Tongzhou."
Zhu Wenzhen, Li Wenzhong and Chen Ying clasped their fists and accepted the order.
After the order was given, the vanguard army quickly split into three groups and set off.
Before setting off, Chen Biao asked Xu Da, "Marshal Xu, do you want to cut off the troops coming from Gansu and Shanxi?"
Xu Da smiled and said, "They all say you're a talented general, Biao'er. You're right on target. If Tongzhou were truly stormed by the defeated troops, the Yuan emperor, with his foolish and cowardly character, would surely abandon the city and flee. The Yuan capital wouldn't be a threat to us. I'll remain in Haijin Town awaiting news. If Zhu Wenzheng and his men are victorious, we can detach a unit and march westward, waiting for them to tire themselves out and defeat Kuyuk Timur."
After Xu Da finished speaking, he sighed, "The emperor of the Yuan Dynasty is nothing, but the exiled crown prince and that man called Kuokuo Timur may become a serious threat to our Ming Dynasty."
Chen Biao nodded: "The Yuan Dynasty's crown prince is useless. That Kuyuk Timur must die."
Chen Biao knew another name of Kuyuk Timur - Wang Baobao.
Wang Baobao is the prototype of the brother of the heroine Zhao Min in The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber. Almost all men of his age have read Jin Yong's novels, and some of the settings have been studied in detail by them.
Wang Baobao was the primary contributor to the Yuan Dynasty's transformation into the "Northern Yuan." Without his decisive defeat of the Ming army in the Northern Expedition, the Yuan Dynasty would not have been able to continue lingering on the grasslands.
Therefore, the emperor and the crown prince of the Yuan Dynasty are nothing, Wang Baobao is the most important.
Chen Biao warned: "Don't try to persuade him to surrender. It won't work and it will be a waste of our people trying to persuade him to surrender."
When Xu Da heard Chen Biao's high evaluation of Kuyuk Timur, his vigilance towards Kuyuk Timur increased to a higher level.
He smiled and said, "Okay, I won't try to surrender him. I will also advise my lord not to try to surrender him."
Chen Biao nodded and left with the fleet.
Xu Da watched the fleet going farther and farther away, and his eyelids began to twitch wildly.
He forced himself to go back to the temporary residence to rest, and as soon as he closed the door, he began to bang his head against the wall.
"Xu Da! What are you doing? How can you let Biaoer go to the front line and stay here by yourself?"
"How come you've become such a different person the moment we start marching and fighting? You insist on following the best strategic direction for everything? If the boss finds out, you'll be doomed!"
"Don't be reckless, don't be reckless, don't be reckless! Before the Northern Expedition, you wrote ten articles with the inscription "Don't be reckless." Have you forgotten?"
Xu Da muttered to himself for a long time, then squatted down with his head in his hands, and even wanted to roll on the ground.
Even though he knew Chen Biao would be safe on the ship, sending Chen Biao to the front line...
Haha, he could already foresee that the old man with a very black heart and a very small mind would find fault with him for the rest of his life.
Although the boss would not punish himself as long as Biao'er was fine, he would definitely find many ways to torture himself.
"But I can't help it. The heavy artillery battalion led by Biao'er is truly formidable. If we make good use of it, we might be able to capture the Yuan capital at a minimal cost." Xu Da muttered to himself, holding his head. "Now, apart from Biao'er, no one can utilize the heavy artillery battalion to its full potential. If you want to blame someone, blame the boss. Why did he suddenly decide to launch a northern expedition? Couldn't he have Biao'er train a group of generals who could use artillery first?"
Yes, it’s all the boss’s fault.
After comforting himself, Xu Da stood up, tidied his appearance, and returned to being the calm and composed Marshal Xu.
On the side of Chen Biao and his brothers, Zhu Wenzhen, Chen Ying and Li Wenzhong led the cavalry to drive away the defeated soldiers like driving sheep.
The fleeing soldiers ran for their lives, and the military camps and small towns along the way were dispersed one after another, and then a larger torrent of fleeing soldiers was formed, rushing towards Tongzhou City.
When the wind is in your favor, you will be unstoppable.
Such battles have been recorded many times in history books . For example, one of the more famous battles was when Huo Qubing led a small force and "got lost" in the Xiongnu camp, and captured Xiongnu soldiers who were much larger than his own.
People's emotions are easily infected by the group. When everyone around them is running for their lives, those who are swept up in the crowd will not even think of resisting. They will just throw away their weapons and run for their lives.
They don't look at how many people are chasing them, nor do they think about whether they can defeat the pursuers by uniting. They only worry that they are not running fast enough and cannot outrun the people around them.
During the Battle of Hongdu, Chen Biao left the city gates wide open and all the defenders went out to attack, using the only 10,000 elite soldiers left at the time to pursue Chen Han's hundreds of thousands of defeated troops; or in the Battle of Gaoyou, Zhang Shicheng led more than 1,000 elite soldiers out of the city to charge and chase tens of thousands of defeated Yuan Dynasty soldiers, which was also an application of this strategy.
Now Zhu Wenzhen, Li Wenzhong and Chen Biao once again implemented the "herding sheep" strategy, driving the defeated soldiers to Tongzhou without sleep along the way.
The fleeing soldiers grew bigger and bigger like a snowball, and slammed heavily into the Tongzhou city gate.
The water route is faster than the land route, so Chen Biao waited in the river near Tongzhou in advance.
When he saw the defeated soldiers rushing towards the Tongzhou city gate, he ordered all artillery to fire and bombard the gate of the Tongzhou city.
It was the familiar scene of only hearing the sound of cannons but not seeing the shadow of the cannons. The terrifying memories in the hearts of the defeated soldiers from Haijin Town were triggered. They cried and smashed the city gates and walls, looking completely crazy.
The artillery shells inevitably fell among the fleeing soldiers, creating a bloody mess.
Chen Biao clenched his fists, and scenes of hell on earth from the Battle of Hongdu emerged in his mind , but he did not give the order to stop firing.
Under the attack of artillery and the almost crazy hacking of weapons by the fleeing soldiers, a small gap was smashed into the Tongzhou city wall.
The defeated soldiers immediately poured into Tongzhou City through the small gap. When the defenders of Tongzhou City saw the defeated soldiers wearing Yuan Dynasty uniforms like them, they were stunned for a moment and then were immediately swept in by the defeated soldiers.
They were like small stones in a river, quickly swallowed up by the torrent of fleeing soldiers. Some were beaten to death, some were trampled to death by the fleeing soldiers, and some smart people turned around and ran, blending into the torrent of fleeing soldiers.
Zhu Wenzhen and others stood on their horses, watching the scene in a daze, without sending any troops.
After the defeated soldiers and Chen Biao's artillery opened a small hole in the city wall, Zhu Wenzhen and others sent scouts into the city to open the gate and rush in through the gate.
When the cavalry of Zhu Wenzhen and others rushed into the city, the defenders who were still preparing to resist immediately lost their will to fight. Some knelt down to surrender, and some followed the defeated soldiers to flee towards Yuan Dadu.
At this moment, some of the defeated soldiers had been running for half a day and had been chopping at the city wall at the gate for a long time. They were already exhausted.
But they didn't dare to stop. Even though their bodies had lost consciousness, they kept running forward, as if there was a ferocious beast chasing them and they would be devoured by it if they stopped.
Human limits were thus stimulated. Like the zombies in modern movies, TV shows, and games, Chen Biao ran tirelessly forward. Some collapsed mid-run, trampled to a pulp by those around them.
After Zhu Wenzhen and three others left their deputy general to occupy Tongzhou, they continued to drive away the defeated soldiers and headed towards Yuan Dadu.
Chen Biao also led a fleet, leaving the canal and entering the Tonghui River, heading towards Yuan Dadu.
At this time, it was just getting dark.
In just one day, Haijin Town and Tongzhou, the gateway to Yuan Dadu, fell one after another.
Tongzhou, the gateway to Yuan Dadu, even fell into the hands of the fleeing soldiers and had little to do with the Ming army.
The people sent back by Zhu Wenzhen gave the first credit to Chen Biao's heavy artillery battalion. After all, the artillery played a role in breaking down the city wall.
Xu Da took a few deep breaths, then couldn't help but clench his fists and waved them a few times. "Good! Good! Tell the King of Ming this news immediately! Divide the army in half and march westward!"
Xu Da excitedly sent a letter. Zhu Yuanzhang stared at the letter for a long time.
In just one day, Haijin Town and Tongzhou fell into my hands?
My three adopted sons and my Biaoer went to attack Yuan Dadu without waiting for the arrival of the army?
That big fool Xu Da even said, if I had arrived too late, Biao'er and my three adopted sons might have been able to take down the Yuan capital with such a small number of people?
You're making me laugh!
Zhu Yuanzhang asked those around him, "Do you think this letter is genuine or fake? Was Xu Da's letter intercepted and altered into a fake?"
Liu Ji complained, "My Lord, why didn't you mention that Marshal Xu suffered a crushing defeat at Haijin Town and was driven mad by the irritation?"
Wang Xi said excitedly, "My Lord! Let's speed up! Otherwise we really won't be able to catch up! The prince is really amazing!"
Zhu Yuanzhang was in a daze for a long time before he said, "Okay, speed up. Wait, if this is true, that big fool Xu Da sent my troops to the front line? He was even in the rear, and he sent my troops to the front line! How dare he!"
Liu Ji said expressionlessly, "My Lord, you should bear the greatest responsibility for this matter."
Zhu Yuanzhang angrily exclaimed, "Bullshit!"
Liu Ji said, "Almost all the generals of the vanguard army had experienced the Battle of Hongdu that day, and they worship Biao'er like a god. If Biao'er offered a suggestion, they would definitely try their best to convince Marshal Xu. Marshal Xu has the talent of a true marshal. He can distinguish the best strategy. So it will be very easy for Biao'er to convince Marshal Xu."
Zhu Yuanzhang was slightly stunned, then continued to curse: "How is this possible? Are military orders a joke? Why can't Xu Da control Biao'er!"
Liu Ji shook his head. "It's not that he can't control me, it's that he's been persuaded, just like our lord was persuaded by Biao'er to allow him to march north. If Biao'er can guarantee his own safety and achieve greater results, why wouldn't Marshal Xu agree? If he doesn't agree, will his generals agree?"
Ye Chen sighed, "That's true. If the vanguard troops Biaoer followed were all unfamiliar generals, even though they knew Biaoer's reputation as a young military advisor, they might still subconsciously reject Biaoer's advice because of his age, and would not let Biaoer go to the battlefield. But the former defenders of Hongdu had fought side by side with Biaoer, and they trusted him very much."
Zhu Yuanzhang scratched his hair hard.
After being reminded by his advisers, he also realized that the current situation was doomed after he transferred all the generals who fought alongside Chen Biao to Chen Biao's side.
His original intention was to allow Chen Biao to act more freely. However, the consequence of this freedom was that if Chen Biao came up with a practical plan, this group of people would work together to persuade Xu Da to accept it.
Moreover, they did not know Chen Biao's true identity, so they did not know that Chen Biao's life was more important than making meritorious service.
In their opinion, Chen Biao's strategy was so good, and Xu Da's refusal to accept it was a deliberate attempt to suppress Chen Biao and steal his credit.
If Xu Da could not come up with conclusive reasons to refute Chen Biao, he would not be able to convince the people, which would cause dissatisfaction among the generals and affect the morale of the entire vanguard army.
What's more, Xu Da himself was persuaded by Chen Biao.
But if Zhu Yuanzhang had known this would happen, he would have made the decision he did today, because he absolutely could not let Chen Biao suffer any injustice.
Zhu Yuanzhang cursed for a long time, then tidied his appearance and hair, and gave a shocking order.
He personally led an army to land and march westward, guarding the pass where the Yuan army in Gansu and Shanxi entered Yuan Dadu to fight against Kuyuk Timur.
The others continued to move north, following Xu Da's command and attacking Yuan Dadu.
It took several days for Ma Xiuying to hear about Zhu Yuanzhang and Chen Biao's actions.
Ma Xiuying was stunned for a long time, then burst into tears.
After crying, Ma Xiuying wiped away her tears and continued to lead the women in transporting grain.
Now that the troops are divided into two groups, she also needs to coordinate logistics and make changes to ensure that the westward-moving army led by Zhu Yuanzhang has no worries about food and clothing.
Ma Xiuying wanted to pray to all the gods and Buddhas in the sky to bless her Biaoer and her husband, but when she was about to pray to the gods and Buddhas, she suddenly remembered that Biaoer himself was a fairy boy.
Biao'er once said that gods don't care about mortals' affairs. If they want to care, they should become mortals themselves and experience the affairs of the world together with mortals.
Therefore, it is useless to pray to gods and Buddhas, because the gods and Buddhas who can listen to people's heart sounds are already in the mortal world.
You still have to rely on yourself for everything.
Ma Xiuying looked at the flag with "Mrs. Xiuying" beside her, and her expression became more determined.
…
Chen Biao crossed the Tonghui River and arrived at the gate of Yuan Dadu.
The defeated soldiers, just like they did in Tongzhou, madly hacked at the walls of Yuan Dadu.
But as the capital of the Yuan Dynasty, the thickest part of Yuan Dadu's city wall was tens of meters high, making it impossible to cut through.
The defenders of Yuan Dadu shot arrows at the fleeing soldiers from a high position, completely ignoring the fact that the fleeing soldiers were also their own people.
The defeated soldiers fell one after another, killed by their own arrows.
Chen Biao couldn't help but close his eyes.
"Biao'er..." Yan Qian said worriedly, "You should rest for a while. I'll call you when there's a result."
The result is that the defeated soldiers are killed or they break open the city gates.
If the Yuan emperor was determined to defend the city, then the fleeing soldiers would not be able to break through the city gates. They would just wait for the fleeing soldiers to consume the bows, arrows, ammunition and energy of the Yuan Dadu defenders.
The cavalry led by Zhu Wenzheng and others had no siege equipment and could not attack the city. They simply surrounded the gates of Yuan Dadu, surrounded the enemy and attacked the reinforcements, waiting for Yuan Dadu to run out of food and surrender, or to break out of the city.
Chen Biao shook his head: "No, I will watch. I think the emperor will definitely flee immediately."
Yan Qian was puzzled: "Why? He could wait for Kuyuk Timur's reinforcements."
Chen Biao said, "The emperor and the crown prince are now at loggerheads. Kuokuo Timur, who supports the crown prince, is no help to the emperor. If Kuokuo Timur comes, even if Yuan Dadu is relieved, the emperor will immediately abdicate. But if the emperor breaks through the siege and heads for Yuan Shangdu, he can continue to be the emperor."
Chen Biao laughed sarcastically and said, "If he can't even be emperor, what's the point of the Yuan Dynasty? So he knows that when he can't defend the Yuan capital with his own troops, he will definitely flee. Besides, Bolo Temur is also in Dadu. If the Yuan prince's army enters Dadu, Bolo Temur will surely die. Send a message to my brothers, pretending to attack the city gates with the defeated soldiers, leaving the gate leading to Juyongguan unattacked."
The messenger immediately took the order and left.
Chen Biao looked up at the sky and said, "I'm afraid the Yuan capital will fall into our hands today. The Yuan Dynasty will be destroyed."
Even though the Yuan Dynasty still had Gansu, Shanxi, Liaodong and the grasslands, the Central Plains had basically fallen into the hands of the Ming army.
Moreover, sometimes the demise of a dynasty is marked by the fall of its capital.
This is how the Northern Song Dynasty perished.
Even if the Yuan Dynasty was still alive, it would become the Northern Yuan Dynasty, just like the Northern Song Dynasty became the Southern Song Dynasty.
The Yuan Dynasty will no longer exist.
After sighing, Chen Biao calmed down and ordered the bombardment of the gates of Dadu to put more pressure on the Yuan Dynasty emperor.
If the city gates were captured, the Yuan emperor would have no time to escape.
While Chen Biao ordered the ship-borne artillery to attack the city gate, he also ordered the heavy artillery battalion to move other heavy artillery off the ship and install them in front of the city gate.
Zhu Wenzheng and his men ruthlessly surrounded the fleeing soldiers, preventing them from escaping. The fleeing soldiers could only wail at the city gates and attack them with all their might, hoping to escape and survive.
Chen Biao led the heavy artillery battalion to move the large and small Guorui cannons and the large and small Mingwang cannons to the front of the city gate. He also brought bags of cement, took water and mud on site, and made bases for the cannons.
The infantry battalion lined up outside the city gate and raised the flag of the Ming King, as if Zhu Yuanzhang's large army had arrived, was setting up camp, and assembling large siege equipment.
In the palace, the old emperor had changed into a military uniform that he had not worn for a long time. Together with his son and concubine, led by Bolo Temur, he ran towards the city gate where the Ming army was the least.
Just as Chen Biao guessed, the importance of Yuan Dadu to the Yuan emperor and Bolo Temur was far less important than their status and lives.