Volume 1: The Wind Rises in Tumubao Chapter 6: The Southerners Are Vulnerable
On the banks of the Guishui River, there is the camp of Alazhiyuan, the right wing of the Oirat.
"Report! The Ming army is gathering and launching an attack on our position!"
A'la's expression changed, and he ordered, "Investigate again and report back!"
"yes!"
Immediately afterwards, a horn sounded, and within a moment, a group of generals rushed to the tent, talking in a flurry.
"Master Zhiyuan, I heard that the Ming army is coming?"
"Didn't they say yesterday that the Ming army agreed to negotiate peace? Why did they suddenly change their minds?"
"The southerners are insidious and cunning. Can their words be trusted?"
"What should we do now, fight?"
Facing the generals' questions, A La put down his hand and said, "There is a saying in the south that if the fish dies, the net will be broken. It seems that they are ready to launch a decisive battle!"
Someone said, "Sir, please give the order!"
A La nodded and said, "Pass the order down, all tribes prepare to fight!"
At this time, a tribal leader said with a slightly worried look: "But... the Ming army has artillery..."
"What are you afraid of?" Another tribal leader beside him said disdainfully, "Once the war starts, Taishi Yesen will definitely send troops to attack us from both sides. The southerners won't be able to hold out for long!"
"I have seen the speed at which the southerners march. When they went to war, they even brought more than a thousand carts of baggage. By the time Taishi Yesen's troops arrive, they will probably still be halfway on the way!"
The generals couldn't help laughing as they discussed the matter.
Then, another person said, "If that's the case, we should take the initiative to attack, otherwise the credit will be taken away by others!"
He does not mean that.
Ala is now the head of the Privy Council and is in charge of the right wing of the Oirat. In comparison, although Yesen holds the position of Grand Tutor of the Yuan court, he has long been out of the control of Khan Toghtobukha and has become the actual controller of the various tribes on the grassland.
If this battle could wipe out the main force of the Ming army in one fell swoop, Yesen's strength would definitely increase greatly, and it would only be a matter of time before he replaced Toghtobukha and proclaimed himself Khan.
But who doesn’t want to dominate the grassland?
If he defeated the Ming army, or even captured their emperor, he would have the capital to compete with Yesen.
Why can you be the Grand Tutor while I can only be the Dean?
Thinking of this, A'la's attitude became more resolute, and he immediately ordered: "Everyone, return to the camp immediately to count your troops, and launch an attack on the Ming army's position in an hour!"
The generals received the order and returned to the camp to reorganize their troops and horses.
Ala took out the map and studied it carefully. The Ming army they were going to face this time had 80,000 soldiers and firearms, so they should not be underestimated.
"Father, what are you looking at?"
At this time, a burly young man came over holding a suit of armor.
This person is Ala’s eldest son Angkotu, who just turned twenty years old this year.
The grassland is not stable, and fighting between tribes often occurs. Therefore, almost all the men here are warriors.
Angkotu followed his father in battles across the country, and although he was young he had already accumulated rich combat experience.
"The Ming army has firearms. We must fight this battle quickly and not give them time to prepare. Also, if our army is defeated, we must find a way out for ourselves."
Obviously, Ala was not blindly confident, and he was still very cautious when it came to fighting.
Ang Ketu disagreed and said, "Father thinks too highly of the southerners. It is said that their troops are all under the command of a eunuch. Jiming Mountain and Yaoer Ridge were taken advantage of by Yesen for nothing. If we don't take action, they will eat up all the fat meat!"
Ala certainly understood this logic, but since the Ming army dared to attack him, they must have been well prepared. What he had to consider in this battle was not only how to annihilate them, but also how to minimize casualties.
Otherwise, if all his men were killed, what would he use to compete with Yesen?
Ang Ketu continued, "The southern army is not worth a single blow. It would be better for me to lead the charge and take their little emperor's head to use as a wine jug for my father!"
A La laughed and said, "The emperor of the southerners cannot be killed. He can be sold for a lot of money!"
Ang Ketu also laughed and said, "Father said he couldn't be killed, so I will capture the little emperor alive!"
To be honest, Ala was really tempted. Why should he let others take advantage of the military achievement right in front of him?
He looked at his son, who looked exactly like himself when he was young. He thought back then, he was also so high-spirited and arrogant.
"Well, you go and lead 3,000 cavalrymen to lead the charge. There are no cavalrymen in the Ming army now, but there are still firearms. You must be careful!"
"Don't worry, father. I understand!"
Angkotu was already accustomed to fighting. At this moment, he was eager to defeat the main force of the Ming army with his own hands, gain great military merits, and succeed his father as the new right wing leader in the future. Only then did the generals dare not raise any objections.
Ala thought further. At this time, the Yuan court had long lost its former glory. The capable ones would take over the grassland. If he could capture the young emperor of the Ming Dynasty in this battle, let alone become the overlord of the grassland, he could even recapture Dadu in one fell swoop and regain control of the Central Plains!
"Report!"
At this time, a spy came hurriedly.
"Report to the Lord, the Ming army is less than five miles away from our position!"
"What?" A'la raised his head, his face full of disbelief, "How could it be so fast?"
Ang Ketu raised his eyebrows and asked, "Please tell me clearly, are they the main force of the Ming army, or the vanguard? Or are they sentries out to gather intelligence?"
"It's the main force of the Ming army!"
Ala and Angkotu looked at each other, and disbelief was written in the eyes of both father and son.
Through the contact with the Ming army along the way, they had already figured out the enemy's combat style. Sometimes, the central army even had to stop and wait for the baggage train. How could such a force move so quickly?
"Did you see it with your own eyes?"
"Your Excellency, I saw it with my own eyes, there is no doubt about it!"
The spy's tone was very firm. It was indeed the main force of the Ming army, a massive crowd of tens of thousands of people.
Ala suddenly realized that something was wrong. When did the Ming army become so efficient in fighting? Was there a change of commander?
But, apart from the little emperor himself, who dares to be the head coach?
"Have you seen the Ming army's flag?"
"I see, it's the big dragon flag!"
Ala took a deep breath. The only person who dared to hang the dragon flag could be the little emperor himself. This was really weird and the style was wrong!
At this rate of progress, they would be at my doorstep in an hour!
"Pass the order down. All units must assemble immediately within one stick of incense. Those who violate the order will be punished by military law!"
"yes!"
Ala turned to Angkotu and said, "Something is wrong. You'd better not go!"
"Father!"
Instead, Angkotu became even more excited, his eyes full of desire for war.
"The southerners are marching in haste, so they are bound to be unprepared. This is a perfect opportunity!"
"But……"
"Father, there is no need to hesitate any longer. I am willing to fight!"
After weighing the pros and cons for a long time, Ala finally couldn't resist the temptation of capturing the emperor, and nodded and said, "Well, I will give you 8,000 cavalrymen from the Tumed tribe to fight against the Ming army!"
Angkotu was immediately surprised. The Tumed tribe was the core force of the right wing of the Oirat, the elite among the elite, and had always been directly commanded by Ala. Now, it was handed over to him.
This means that my father is ready to gradually transfer the power of the tribal leader to himself.
"I obey your orders, my child!"
Angkotu left the tent excitedly and immediately mobilized 8,000 elite cavalry from the Tumed tribe to launch a charge towards the Ming army.
In his eyes, there was no difference between 80,000 Ming troops and 80,000 civilians. As long as he could survive the first round of the most threatening firearms and charge in front of the Ming army, the enemy would surely flee in all directions.
Then, it was one-sided killing.
When he thought that the little emperor of the Ming court was just ahead, Angkotu became extremely excited. He took the lead and galloped as fast as he could.
See it!
Sure enough, it was the Ming army’s large dragon flag!
Under the dragon flag is the mighty army of the Ming army.
Ang Ketu became even more excited and shouted, "Look ahead, it's the flag of the Southern Emperor. The Lord of the Court has ordered that if you capture the Southern Emperor alive, you will be rewarded with 10,000 taels of silver and 10,000 cattle and sheep!"
The cavalry behind him waved their swords, roared, and charged even harder.
