Volume 1: The Wind Rises in Tumubao Chapter 16 This Ming Army is Not Simple
As the Oirat cavalry retreated, thunderous cheers came from the Ming army's position.
Zhang Fu trotted over, smiling like a child in his seventies.
"Congratulations, Your Majesty! The Wala have withdrawn their troops!"
Zhu Qizhen let out a long breath and said, "Send the order, withdraw the troops!"
Zhang Fu nodded repeatedly and personally led people to clean up the battlefield.
According to statistics, in this battle the Ming army killed more than 5,000 enemies, while their own side suffered only dozens of casualties. It was a rare victory.
After hearing the news , Zhu Qizhen did not show much excitement, but only ordered: "The dead should be buried as soon as possible, and their remains must be transported back to the capital after the war, and the pension will be paid at double the amount."
When he said this, his expression was calm, but Zhang Fu's heart was in turmoil.
Since Emperor Taizong, the Ming Dynasty adopted a policy of recuperation. As wars continued to decrease, the status of military officers declined, and the power of civil officials took the opportunity to rise, with a subtle momentum of latecomers surpassing the upper hand.
On the battlefield, life and death are decided by God. Who cares about the life and death of every soldier?
On the contrary, after receiving the news of the great victory, the emperor's first thought was not how much merit he had made, but the aftermath of the fallen soldiers. Although he only said a few words, they were enough to comfort people.
Thinking of this, Zhang Fu immediately replied: "The emperor is benevolent and righteous, which is a blessing for the soldiers!"
"If it was really a blessing, these people would not have left their homes and died on the battlefield!"
Zhu Qizhen sighed and said with emotion: "A general's success is the result of the sacrifice of thousands of soldiers. War means death. I also want everyone to live a peaceful life, but the foreign enemies are all around us on the Mobei grasslands and have repeatedly invaded our borders. If we don't fight this war, the people on the border will suffer."
"Your Majesty is right. I, an old minister, also think that this battle should be fought, but..."
Zhu Qizhen laughed at himself and asked, "You mean I shouldn't have sent out the troops in a hurry, and I shouldn't have allowed Wang Zhen to command recklessly, right?"
Zhang Fu suddenly discovered that the emperor didn’t seem stupid at all, at least he was much smarter than he had imagined.
"I think it's better to be cautious when it comes to war. When Emperor Taizong launched the Northern Expedition, it took three months just to prepare. Are we... a little... too hasty?"
Zhu Qizhen nodded and said, "You are right. I trusted Wang Zhen wrongly. He wanted to be like Zheng He, but he didn't know his own weight and weight. As a result, he mistakenly sent hundreds of thousands of soldiers to die. The sins of all parties are mine. When I return to the capital, I will issue an edict of repentance to show the world."
"That's not what I meant!"
Zhang Fu hurriedly explained, "Your Majesty decisively executed Wang Zhen and personally led the soldiers to win three great victories. Now the army is excited and the momentum is high, but... Yesen still has 120,000 troops. I suggest that we retreat to Juyong Pass first. At that time, we can attack or defend, and the initiative will be in our hands. What do you think, Your Majesty?"
Zhu Qizhen shook his head and said, "Of course I know Yesen is powerful, but given the current situation, how easy is it to retreat to Juyong Pass?"
Zhang Fu's eyes turned, and he finally said what he was thinking: "Why don't I send 3,000 troops to escort the emperor to Juyong Pass to wait, and the army will arrive later..."
" No, absolutely not!"
Zhu Qizhen interrupted Zhang Fu without hesitation and said, "I will say this one last time. A great battle is coming, and I, as the commander-in-chief, must not retreat!"
"However, a decisive battle with the Wala in the wild will be very disadvantageous to our army. If the emperor is injured..."
"If you're injured, you're injured. What's there to be afraid of?" Zhu Qizhen frowned and said, "Even if you die on the battlefield, it's the king who dies for the country. At least you didn't bring shame to our ancestors!"
"Your Majesty!" Zhang Fu hurriedly explained, "That's not what I meant..."
Zhu Qizhen raised his hand and said, "Mr. Zhang, please stop talking. I will never abandon my soldiers and leave first."
Zhang Fu's eyes were red with emotion, and he said, "I obey your order!"
…
On the west bank of the Guishui River, the Wala camp.
After Boyan withdrew his troops, he could not help but feel very upset.
Yesen sent Bayan to lead the cavalry in an attempt to catch up with the Ming army.
They made it very clear when they came that if they could catch up, they would raid the Ming army's rear and attack from both sides together with the Ala tribe.
If the Ming army has already defeated Ala, do not act rashly and make plans after the main force arrives.
However, Boyan was reckless by nature. How could he remain patient when he saw that the Ming army had just crossed the river?
So they sent out troops rashly, only to find that they were unable to win and lost several thousand men, all of whom were elite cavalry. How would they explain this when they were questioned later?
Although he and Yesen are brothers, this is a war and other tribes are watching!
But then again, why could the Ming army’s muskets fire continuously?
Could it be that some advanced firearms have been developed but kept hidden?
He called several cavalrymen who were in the front to come forward and asked them about his doubts.
A centurion said: "The Ming army's firearms have not changed, but their fighting methods have changed. They divided the muskets into three rows. After each row fired, they retreated to the back row to reload ammunition, and then the second row went forward to fire, and so on."
Although Boyan was reckless, he basically understood everything about war.
Through the performance of the Ming army on the battlefield and the centurion's narration, he immediately understood the principle of the three-stage attack tactics. He couldn't help but admire it secretly in his heart. At the same time, he was also trying to think about the flaws of this tactic.
At this time, the door curtain was lifted and a guard walked in.
"General, Alazhiyuan wants to see you!"
Boyan was startled and asked, "Who are you talking about?"
"Alazhiyuan."
"He's not dead yet?" Boyan asked with a puzzled look on his face, "How many people did he bring with him?"
"There looked to be several hundred people, all of them injured, covered in dirt, like beggars."
"Humph!" Boyan sneered, "More than 30,000 people are left with only a few hundred. He has brought shame upon the Wala tribe!"
"General, would you like to see me?"
Although they laughed at him, Boyan still thought of the brotherhood and said, "Let them in!"
About a cup of tea later, a guard led Ala to the central military tent.
Boyan looked up and was stunned.
In the Wala tribe, Ala was the leader of the right wing, and his status was second only to Yesen. He was very powerful.
But now, there is a man standing in front of him with burnt hair and beard, tattered clothes and holes everywhere. If you don’t look carefully, who would have thought that this person is the famous Alazhiyuan on the grassland?
"Alazhiyuan, why did you become like this?"
"Boyan!" A'la was almost crying, and said aggrievedly, "This Ming army is not simple, you have to be careful!"
Boyan nodded silently and thought to himself, of course I know they are not simple people. They just beat me up so badly that my face was bruised and swollen.
But then again, you have lost more than 30,000 men and even our position. Do I need you to lecture me?
"What happened yesterday ? Why did the position fall?"
