Although the horses' hooves were nailed with shoes, Zhang Chen, who was sitting on the horse, could hardly hear the sound of the horses' hooves when they were struck on the thick grass.
It's early summer. The vast green climbs over the low sand dunes underfoot, spreads over the shallow depressions, and surges to the horizon. The mountains in the distance are like lazy giants lying at the end of the field of vision, because the clouds in the sky are quite dark.
Many times, Zhang Chen could still see wisps of golden sunlight dividing the giant green carpet into light or light patches.
In front of his field of vision, the 4,000 troops of the West Route Army were like a long and twisted snake, moving slowly on the grassland. In fact, the speed of this team was not slow, but in Zhang Chen's view, compared with the vastness of the world, these people were as small as
It's a tiny ant, squirming under the upside-down pot.
There was a "sudden" sound of a bowstring, and Dai Qin beside Zhang Chen suddenly nailed a hare to the grass. Zhang Chen's soldiers rode over, leaned over on horseback, picked it up, and pulled out the hare.
The Queen of Arrows came back from the horse and handed it to the eldest son of Quemonk Tashara. The rabbit was put in the bag of the Queen of the Army.
Zhang Chen reined in the horse and asked the horse to stop and wait for Dai Qin. He smiled at him and said, "Ta Da, you have sharp eyes." Dai Qin is the number one in Mongolian, which means leader - Tas.
It seems that there is no problem for Zhang Chen to call Hara's first son Ta Da.
Dai Qin, who had prairie red on his cheekbones, said in broken Chinese: "Rabbit, grab the grass, even if you are thin, you will die." Zhang Chen nodded, touched his beard and said with a smile: "There is a lot of meat, eat it.
No harm."
Dai Qin said with a bitter face: "Junmen, I want to eat noodles." Zhang Chen laughed loudly. He turned around, pointed behind him with his riding crop and said: "There is plenty of rice and noodles, just go and keep accounts."
Behind the two of them, nearly a hundred heavily loaded carriages were like a thick and long python, chasing the queue in front.
This is the East Route Army caravan formed by the Yulin Chamber of Commerce, which is responsible for providing some supplies to the army. Of course, in addition to being able to obtain orders from the court, merchants who provide supplies also have the exclusive right to purchase fur goods and all specialties of the expeditionary army - this
This is the biggest motivation for them to follow the army all the way.
At the end of May in the thirteenth year of Wanli, the Eastern Route Army led by Zhang Chen had entered Mobei. Behind this army, dotted bastions were being built in full swing on the grasslands and deserts - from the fortresses in the sand
Huangbo Fort (Saeyinsanda) all the way to Baicheng (Bayanwula) not far behind Zhang Chen.
These bastions are like chains, dividing the northern Xinjiang beyond the border wall into fragmented pastures. The bastions are also the market, where lamas and Han and Mongolian merchants live, and there are also Han officials and Mongolian officials in charge of the market.
The officers are usually Han chief and Mongolian deputy. At the same time, Han soldiers and Mongolian soldiers are also organized into a team to maintain the security of the city.
For the Mongolian nobles, they can easily see that these bastions control the water sources, oases and key points of the grassland. The beacon tower on the top of each bastion is like a beacon on a border city - as long as one spot is lit, the bastion controls the area.
It is self-evident what will happen to the Mongolians in the country.
But for the Mongols at the bottom, the existence of the bastion is simply the greatest blessing, because there are all the necessities of life in it. From needles and threads to large iron utensils, as well as salt, tea and even clothing and medicine, as long as you have sheep,
Horses, skins, all these are at your fingertips.
In addition to the materials that can be exchanged, there are also lamas who uphold justice in the bastion. They not only explain the past and present life, and each of them is superb in Buddhism, but they also resolve hostility, solve problems and resolve grievances. If there is a conflict between the herdsmen, as long as both parties are willing, they can
There is no need to go to the lord to bother you, you can go directly to the bastion to find a lama to do justice when you are shopping - these lamas always live in the best houses in the bastion, and that is natural.
Although the bastion has such benefits, it is extremely difficult to build. Two years have passed since the Saihanba meeting, and almost all the bastions have not been completed, and the situation is getting worse as you go north. Although Huangbo Fort is located in the desert,
It is nearly completed, and the Baicheng bastion project has just begun. In the convoy following Zhang Chen, there are several carriages loaded with the latest building materials: cement.
At this time, the guide accompanying the Chinese army came to Zhang Chen on horseback and said: "Junmen, through the mountain in front, there is the Onan River."
Although Zhang Chen had strengthened his studies over the years, he didn't know what this river represented. Seeing the solemn look of the Jinyiwei spy, he looked at him and waited for him to proceed.
The man smiled and said: "The banks of the Onan River are the place where Genghis Khan ascended the throne. There is Feiyun Valley in the northeast ahead, which is where Genghis Khan defeated Benyasili and Trutai during his northern campaign against the Tartars."
When Zhang Chen heard the words, he couldn't help but look at Dai Qin. Dai Qin didn't care at all. He looked around on the horse and continued to search for rabbits and marmots in the grass.
Since the authentic descendants of Temujin had no intention of reminiscing about ancient times in the Onon River, Zhang Chen did not intend to stop at Feiyun Valley. He shook his head, clamped the horse's belly, and the horse rushed out and chased the team in front.
go.
...
The progress of the East Route Army starting from Yulin was quite smooth. However, the progress of the West Route Army starting from Luntai and preparing to cross the Sayan Mountains was not slow either.
The commander-in-chief of the Western Route Army was Ma Dong, the first-class bravery officer of the Western Region Governor's Mansion stationed in Hami. After Ma Fang captured Luntai, the frost of the Western Regions suddenly destroyed his body. Although he was treated by military doctors trained in medical schools,
There was no way to recover, and he died of illness in Luntai.
Ma Fang was rewarded by a third-class duke during his lifetime, and after his death he was granted the title of king. His son was demoted to the first-class title according to the law, and the Ma family also entered the ranks of honorable families.
Ma Dong's temperament is different from that of Ma Fang. Although he is very brave, he is good at poetry and reading, and does not like military affairs. However, as the eldest son, he has to be humble to his father, so he has never pursued a career and has followed a step-by-step approach in the army.
Worked until the governor.
During Ma Fang's campaign in the Western Regions, Ma Dong had been following his father in action, and Ma Fang taught him everything he could through words and deeds. After Ma Fang passed away, Ma Dong naturally took over the leadership of the Luntai Commander-in-Chief.
Luntai is thousands of miles away from the capital, and the governor of the Western Regions Governorate, Fang Fengshi, makes the final decision when the situation arises. Ma Dong led the new army under his command to fight against forces such as Yeerqiang Khan, and they were basically crushed. Therefore, Fang Fengshi made a decisive move towards Ma Dong.
Gao took a quick look and recommended him in last year's secret report to lead the troops to the north.
Later, the imperial court decided on the candidates in the summer of the twelfth year of Wanli, and Ma Dong had no room for shirk. He used Luntai soldiers as the backbone, mixed with half of the new soldiers who had changed defenses, and made up 6,500 cavalry, with two or three horses.
——According to the march route given by the imperial court, he will start from Hami and go north when the weather is warm, pass through the Altai Mountains and the Sayan Mountains, and finally set foot on the Luo wilderness.
For Ma Dong, the Western Route Army's offensive will be a long journey. Because the area is too large, there are no merchants behind the 6,500 soldiers to provide supplies, and they completely rely on the court's logistical support - Ma Dong can foresee that he will follow him
Ma Fang's father encountered the same problem, except logistics, it was still logistics.
However, logistics is extremely difficult. After calculation, every kilogram of grain transported to the Sayan Mountains consumes more than eight kilograms. This is simply a nightmare-like pressure. Therefore, when the plan of crossing the Sayan Mountains was calculated in the temple, it was not far away.
It was not as good as the Eastern Route Army crossing Mobei. It was unable to obtain supplies from the grasslands. Ma Dong had to be highly vigilant every day - there was no room for any mistakes on the food route.