Volume 1: The Wind Rises in Tumubao Chapter 12: Momentum
"rush!"
Zhang Fu shouted loudly and rushed to the gate of the Wala camp first.
The Ming army at this time was in high spirits, as if they wanted to vent all the frustrations they had accumulated over this period of time.
Pingxiang Bo Chen Huai grabbed Zhang Fu and shouted, "Why are you rushing forward at your age? Stay and protect the emperor!"
After saying that, he rushed forward without looking back.
Zhang Fu was startled for a moment, then he reacted and said angrily, "You are only three years younger than me, why are you pretending to be young?"
Taking advantage of this gap, Xiangcheng Earl Li Zhen and others also rushed in. Zhang Fu looked back at the emperor's banner and sighed secretly .
He was a veteran general during the reign of Emperor Taizong, a veteran of many battles and full of experience. He was really frustrated on this expedition and was even prepared to die on the battlefield.
Now the war situation has suddenly reversed, all thanks to the emperor's strategic planning and proper command.
Chen Huai was right. If everyone rushed forward at once, what would the emperor do?
Zhang Fu was still very rational. Seeing victory in sight, he did not seek credit for himself, but instead turned around and gathered more than a thousand people to guard Zhu Qizhen.
The battle situation at this time had become one-sided. The Wala soldiers were bombarded by artillery fire and fled in all directions. They had long lost their will to fight. However, the Ming army was in high spirits and rushed into the enemy camp like a tiger descending from the mountain, killing indiscriminately.
The biggest advantage of the Wala soldiers is their cavalry. Relying on their mobility and speed, they can defeat infantry in field battles without any chance of fighting back.
But now, the cavalry had completely lost their advantage and were being madly killed by the Ming army.
The battle was over quickly and the Ming army won a great victory, annihilating more than 20,000 Oirat people. Only a small number of them escaped in the chaos.
Zhu Qizhen finally let go of the worry that had been hanging in his heart.
What he was most worried about was that Yesen would launch a sneak attack from the rear while he was fighting the Ala tribe. Fortunately, so far, Yesen's troops have not appeared.
Defeating the Ala tribe meant completely breaking through the blockade of the Oirat, and both sides were back on the same starting line.
In this way, Yesen would not be so scary anymore.
Through these two battles, the morale of the Ming army had reached its peak. Not to mention a mere Yesen, even if Genghis Khan came back to life, they would still fight.
"Pass the order down, hurry up and clean up the battlefield. We must cross the river before dark and set up camp on the east bank!"
Zhang Fu looked around and suggested, "Your Majesty, why don't you use this camp? It only needs a little repair..."
Zhu Qizhen waved his hand to interrupt him and said, "The terrain here is flat and there is no strategic location to defend. If Yesen launches a direct attack, our forces will be at a disadvantage and we will be in a passive position!"
After listening to this, Zhang Fu nodded repeatedly, and his admiration for the emperor increased even more.
"I will send someone to escort the emperor across the river right away!"
The location of the Ala tribe's camp was in the lower reaches of the Guishui River, which is the Guanting Reservoir in later generations. At that time, it was still a swamp. The deepest part of the river was only more than one meter, and the water surface reached the chest level of an adult.
This water depth is very advantageous for the Ming army. They can cross the river on foot and wait for the Oirat to catch up. They only need to set up a line of defense on the shore, making it difficult for the enemy to cross the river.
Eighty thousand people began to cross the river in batches. The Fifth Army Camp was relatively smooth. However, the Shenji Camp looked at the twenty General Cannons weighing more than a thousand pounds and fell into deep thought.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty!"
Chen Ying trotted over and said, panting, "Something bad is happening!"
Zhu Qizhen was startled and asked nervously, "Did Yesen attack?"
"No, that..." Chen Ying swallowed and said, "The cannon is too heavy, there is no way to cross the river!"
Zhu Qizhen glared at him and said in dissatisfaction: "Why are you making a fuss about such a small matter? I thought Ye had called first!"
Chen Ying said helplessly: "I've thought of all the ways, but this thing is too heavy..."
"Alright, alright!" Zhu Qizhen waved his hand and said , "Go to the Ala camp and find some wood, try to find thicker ones, and tie them to the gun!"
Chen Ying slapped his forehead and said excitedly: "Your Majesty, this is a good idea. I will do it right away!"
Finally, before dark, all the cannons crossed the river safely.
The Ming army's camp was located 500 steps away from the east bank of the Guishui River. It was backed by a hill and there was a stream at its feet. In addition, there were cattle and sheep seized from the Ala camp, so there was plenty of water and food.
It is worth mentioning that through these two battles, 3,500 war horses were seized, enough to form a new battalion of 3,000.
It was already completely dark. In a makeshift tent, Zhu Qizhen was summoning key generals including Zhang Fu to discuss the next battle plan overnight.
"Your Majesty!" Minister of War Kuang Ye spoke first, "I think that since we have defeated Alazhiyuan, why don't we take this opportunity to march overnight and retreat to Juyong Pass to make plans."
Before Zhu Qizhen could speak, Zhang Fu could not help but ask, "Minister Kuang, tell me, who runs faster, a man or a horse?"
"Nonsense, of course the horse is faster!"
Kuang Ye felt that his IQ was insulted and couldn't help but roll his eyes at him.
"That's right!" Zhang Fu continued, "Yesen's troops are mainly cavalry, and we are all infantry, with heavy weapons such as cannons. How can we outrun the cavalry? Moreover, if we retreat for the purpose of defense, the soldiers will lose their fighting spirit. When Yesen catches up, they will only think about evacuating as soon as possible. The battle will be lost before it even starts!"
Wang Zuo, the Minister of Revenue, said: "Sir, you are suspicious by nature. You will not be able to make a judgment easily before you get accurate information. If we evacuate now, it will be the best opportunity!"
"Minister Wang is absolutely right!" Imperial Academy Scholar Cao Nai said immediately, "If we wait for Yesen to react, we won't be able to leave even if we want to!"
Although Zhang Fu looked down on these civil officials, he didn't know how to defend himself for a moment.
Seeing everyone arguing, Zhu Qizhen said, "What you said makes sense, but who can guarantee to me that Yesen won't catch up with us suddenly?"
"This..." Wang Zuo hesitated for a moment and said, "I just feel that Yesen has always been cautious and would not send troops so hastily."
Zhu Qizhen smiled faintly, and then said seriously: "Could Alazhiyuan have expected that we would raid the Guishui River in such a difficult situation? The fact is that we did so, and we also took back the water source and turned the tide of the war. We can launch a surprise attack, and so can Yesen. On the battlefield, things change rapidly, and we must never rely on luck, and we must always be prepared for the worst!"
Everyone was convinced by these words, and Zhang Fu quickly said, "Your Majesty is right. We must not take chances on the battlefield!"
Zhu Qizhen looked at these elderly ministers, and an idea came to his mind. He said, "Mr. Kuang, I have an important errand. After thinking it over, I think it would be more reassuring to let you do it."
Kuang Ye hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, please give your orders!"
" A large number need urgent treatment. Now each battalion is counting the number of wounded soldiers. Tomorrow morning, I will send you some men to escort the wounded back to the capital first. Lord Wang and Lord Cao, you two will come to assist."
Kuang Ye and the others looked at each other and said hurriedly, "The emperor is not out of danger yet, how can we leave on our own? Please take back your order. We are willing to stay at the front line and share your worries!"
Zhu Qizhen shook his head secretly. It was really useless to keep these civil servants who were full of nonsense around him. They gave blind advice all day long, and if a fighting broke out, he would have to send special people to protect them and share their worries. He begged them to have some shame and not cause trouble for others!
Zhang Fu seemed to understand what Zhu Qizhen meant, so he said, "The emperor asked you to escort the wounded, not to desert the battlefield. Isn't escorting the wounded a way to relieve the emperor's worries?"
Kuang Ye looked at Wang Zuo, and Wang Zuo looked at Cao Nai. They all secretly thought that escorting the wounded was also serving the emperor, and there seemed to be nothing wrong with it.
But why does it feel weird?
It's like being disliked...
Zhu Qizhen smiled and said, "Thank you for your help in escorting the wounded!"
Having said that, Kuang Ye and others could no longer refuse.
"Your Highness, I will obey your Majesty's order!"
After they finished talking, several people left first. Zhu Qizhen then secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He finally sent these civil servants away. He immediately felt a lot quieter.
As expected, Yesen has already started to act.
Over the years, there were constant conflicts on the border between the Oirat and the Ming Dynasty, and dozens of battles of varying sizes were fought, from Taizong to Xuanzong, and then to this orthodox emperor, who was already in his fourth dynasty.
Now, let’s put an end to it!
