Volume 1: The Wind Rises in Tumubao Chapter 17: Angry Ala
A La sighed, his face full of regret.
"Yesterday, the Ming army suddenly gathered all its forces and launched a charge towards our position. I sent Ang Ketu to lead 8,000 elite cavalry as the vanguard, and personally commanded the central army, preparing for a decisive battle with the Ming army. However, an hour later, news came from the front that all 8,000 cavalry were killed!"
Boyan couldn't help but gasp. Eight thousand elite cavalry were completely lost in just one hour. It was really unbelievable.
After all, you are cavalry. Even if you can't win, can't you run away?
Can't a four-legged creature outrun a two-legged creature?
"And then? Even if you lost 8,000 cavalry, you still have more than 20,000 men. How could you lose the position in one day?"
A La shook his head and said, "When I got the news, the Ming army's artillery shells had already arrived. They first destroyed the camp with long-range firepower, and then launched a general attack. I only saw the mountains and plains were full of Ming troops. Our army... was defeated..."
Seeing Ala's depressed look, Boyan was also touched.
If it were in the past, hearing that more than 30,000 people from the Ala tribe were wiped out, people would definitely think it was a joke.
However, having just experienced a great battle and witnessed with his own eyes the power of the Ming army, he could not help but believe it.
"Boyan, there is something I don't understand!" Ala suddenly asked, "The Ming army raided our army, didn't Master Yesen know about it at all? Why didn't we get any reinforcements?"
Boyan obviously hesitated for a moment. Yesen did know about this, and he knew about it a long time ago, but the problem was...
"Of course, Grand Tutor Yesen received the intelligence, but the large army needed to be prepared before it could set out, so he ordered me to bring 50,000 cavalry to support us. However, he did not expect the Ming army to act so quickly, and your army actually... Alas!"
To be honest, Boyan felt very guilty at that time. There was clearly a traitor who brought intelligence to him, but he was suspicious by nature and insisted that it was a trick of the Ming army, and thus missed the best opportunity to send troops.
Ala didn't think much about it, because in fact it was just as Boyan said, he had more than 30,000 elite soldiers and generals under his command, but they were defeated at the first touch of the Ming army's attack.
At this point, I can't blame anyone else but myself for underestimating the enemy. If I had insisted on holding on, the Ming army would never have been able to cross the Guishui River so smoothly.
Now that they have regained the water source and the troops are in high spirits after the great victory, it is hard to say who will win this battle.
Boyan picked up the wine glass on the table and took a sip, frowning and saying, "This battle was fought in a very strange way !"
"Oh?" A'la asked subconsciously, "What's wrong?"
"Did you know that when the Ming army launched an attack on your unit, they actually left all the supplies behind and didn't even dismantle the camp!"
Ala was stunned for a moment. If the facts were really as Boyan said, the Ming army would be desperate!
Giving up baggage supplies just to pursue speed meant that if they failed to win the battle, they would not even have dinner.
You know, the Ming army has always been known for its steadiness. It is said that in order to wait for the baggage carts, the large army had to stop on the march. Why would they worry about the army trampling on the crops and have to walk on the ridges of the fields? Why did they suddenly change their style and become so aggressive?
At this moment, he felt more regretful. If he had known the situation of the Ming army, he should have focused on defense.
I was careless!
However, from another perspective, the person who made this decision had such courage and vision!
He put himself in a desperate situation and then survived, and actually turned a dead end into a revival. If it were me, would you dare to make this decision?
Seeing Ala lost in thought, Boyan continued: "Through today's battle, I have a feeling that the Ming army seems to have changed its commander."
A La suddenly raised his head and asked, "Isn't the Ming army led by the young emperor himself? Who else dares to compete with the emperor for the position of commander?"
"I can't figure it out!" Boyan shook his head. "Since the young emperor went to war, the Ming army has been defeated all the way, and more than half of the 200,000 soldiers have been killed. Why did they suddenly change their tactics?"
"It's meaningless to guess these things now. Let's discuss how to fight next. The current situation is very unfavorable to our army!"
Both of them were important leaders of the Oirat Mongols and had been through hundreds of battles. Now they seriously discussed tactics and soon reached a consensus.
Although military weapons are powerful, they will eventually run out. After the consumption over the past two days, there will definitely not be many left.
As long as they can withstand the three attacks of the Ming army, the final victory will definitely belong to them.
But the question is, how to support it?
You can't just use your flesh and blood to resist...
What's more, Boyan had just suffered a defeat due to his reckless advance, and he was unsure and unable to make a decision for a while.
"The Ming army now relies most on firearms. The artillery has a very long range and can fire from hundreds of steps away. Then there are the muskets. They have now changed to a three-stage firing system, which can actually achieve continuous firing. Our cavalry charged in a dense formation and suffered a great loss. I've thought about it and decided that we need to find a new method ..."
A La nodded and said, "Why don't we hold our position from now on? The current Ming army formation is good for defense but not for attack. As long as we don't move, they won't move either. Let's wait for Taishi Yesen's main force to arrive before making plans."
"No!" Boyan frowned and shook his head, "If we don't move, what if the Ming army escapes? This place is less than 200 miles away from Juyong Pass. If we let them retreat to Juyong Pass, it will be even more difficult to fight!"
The biggest temptation that this Ming army brought to the Oirat people was the presence of the emperor in person, and he was an ignorant little emperor. Such opportunities were rare, and no matter how great the risk was, it would be worth it as long as they could capture the little emperor.
The two men fell into deep thought again. After a while, A'la raised his head and said, "If our cavalry disperses as much as possible when charging, will they not be able to concentrate their attacks?"
Boyan's eyes lit up and he said, "In this way, we can minimize the casualties. As long as we ensure that the large force passes through the enemy's fire blockade, their firearms will become ineffective. At that time, we will still have the advantage!"
The two men seemed to have found a way to crack the Ming army's firearms, and they became more and more excited as they talked.
A La asked again: "How many people do you have here?"
Boyan replied without hesitation: "There are more than 40,000 of them, all elite cavalry."
After listening to this, Ala picked up the wine glass, took a big sip, and then, without any warning, threw it to the ground.
The silver wine glass was spinning on the ground, and this sudden movement frightened Boyan so much that he shuddered.
Logically speaking, Bayan was the leader of the left wing of the Oirat after all, and he would not be so scared by a cup.
On the grassland, tribes often annexed each other.
These people are not all strong and simple-minded, they also use some strategies.
For example, someone pretends to get close to you, and the two of you are drinking happily, and then one of them suddenly throws the wine glass, and then several big men rush in and hack you to death.
When drinking, there are not many convenient props. You can't just pick up a lamb leg and smash it on the ground. Therefore, smashing the cup has become a standard signal for incest.
To the extent that the first thing Boyan thought of was that Ala wanted to kill him and seize power.
The moment this thought came to his mind, his hand reached for the hilt of the knife at his waist.
But at this moment, A'la wiped the wine stains from the corners of his mouth and sighed heavily, "I have been on the grassland for many years, but I have never felt so aggrieved. Damn it, I was beaten like a stray dog by that little emperor who hasn't even grown all his hair yet. I really can't swallow this!"
Boyan was relieved, quietly let go of the hand holding the hilt, and persuaded: "Victory and defeat are common in the military, okay, don't be angry."
"How can I swallow this? I must fight him to the death!" A La slammed the table and said angrily, "You give me 10,000 troops now, this time, I want to lead the charge myself!"
How could Boyan easily give him the power to divide the troops? Just as he was about to refuse, an idea came to his mind.
In today's battle, because of his greed for merit and reckless advance, he has lost five thousand soldiers.
If no results were achieved before Yesen arrived, he would definitely be punished.
Ala was even more miserable. More than 30,000 people were killed and the camp was also lost.
If we give Ala a part of the troops now and let him lead the team himself, if they win, he will have a share of the credit, but if they lose, all the responsibility will be put on him.
Too many lice won't bite. You have killed more than 30,000 people. I will give you another 5,000. Is that not too much?
