Chapter 276 Men, women, old and young join the battle
The next day, before dawn, more than 20,000 Ming troops and 5,000 Tumut cavalrymen began to assemble in the Ming army camp.
This time Huang Degong only brought five battalions, one of which was a cavalry battalion with a total of 6,000 Han cavalry, and a chariot battalion with a total of more than 600 various chariots.
Among them, 200 are three-wheeled light tanks, 100 are three-wheeled medium tanks, and the remaining 300 are four-wheeled heavy tanks.
These four-wheeled heavy tanks are actually not used to charge into battle, but to carry people and cargo.
Each four-wheeled chariot is pulled by four horses and can carry eight fully armed infantrymen, as well as ten stones of grain or other supplies.
The entire chariot battalion has about 4,000 troops and 2,000 horses. It is completely an alternative version of the mechanized rapid response force created by Zhu Cixiang. It is fully capable of carrying out long-distance raids with everyone riding in carriages, traveling hundreds of miles a day.
If paired with a cavalry battalion, it can be almost perfect to attack, defend, and pursue. When it comes to attacking, the cavalry chariots can attack, and when it comes to defending, the four-wheeled chariots can form a circle, and the infantry can defend after dismounting.
In pursuit, the cavalry and light tanks can catch up and intercept, while the medium tanks and four-wheeled tanks can follow behind.
It can be said that if Tuxietu chooses to escape, the cavalry battalion and chariot battalion alone can consume them alive.
Of course, chariot battalions are only suitable for fighting on the grasslands. If you go to the Central Plains with many rivers and fertile fields everywhere, you will have to fight blindly. They are far less convenient and useful than cavalry and infantry.
In addition to the cavalry battalion and the chariot battalion, the remaining two battalions are an infantry battalion and a mixed battalion that is half a firearms battalion and half a baggage battalion.
This battalion only has more than a hundred furlong machine guns and two thousand artillery soldiers. The other more than four thousand people are logistics personnel, including medical soldiers, craftsmen, etc., and there are nearly a thousand heavy baggage vehicles, and except for more than two thousand
A medical soldier and other support personnel also have combat capabilities and weapons.
The infantry battalion is pure, with a standard of 6,000 men, 1,000 spearmen, 2,000 pikemen, 2,000 sword and shield bearers, and 1,000 archers.
Therefore, the actual infantry of the more than 20,000 Ming army only accounts for a quarter, but the combat effectiveness unleashed by the cooperation of multiple arms is definitely not something that a single arm can withstand.
Not to mention the 40,000 Mongolian cavalry that were cobbled together here and there, even the 50,000 Jurchen cavalry would probably lose more than they win against the more than 20,000 Ming troops led by Huang Deqiang.
That's why Huang Degong didn't pay attention to Tu Xie Tubu from the beginning to the end. If the opponent doesn't run, it's better to be simple and direct. If the opponent wants to run, it will only cost a lot more.
Outside Guihua City, Agula gritted his teeth when he saw that the Ming army was coming, and ordered the warriors to mount their horses and assemble. Half an hour later, he led more than 30,000 horsemen to meet the Ming army in a mighty manner.
There are only 5,000 young and strong men and women left in the city to protect the old and weak cattle and sheep. If 10,000 Huihui were not coming to kill them, this kind of life and death battle would have to be fought by the entire clan.
As for relying on the defense of Guihua City, Agula and all the leaders have never thought about it, because this is not their strength.
If they take the initiative to attack, they still have a chance to defeat the Ming army, but if they stay and wait for the Ming army to attack, they have absolutely no chance of winning.
Huang Degong only left the mixed battalion to defend the main camp, and then led the other three battalions and 5,000 Tumut cavalry to press forward.
Even the two thousand musketeers and one hundred artillery pieces were left behind in the camp, apparently to prepare for the ten thousand to sneak attack on the camp.
Compared with attacking, firearms can be used for defense to maximize their power. With more than 2,000 firearms soldiers, plus nearly 4,000 logistics troops, let alone 10,000 troops, even 50,000 troops are more than enough to hold the camp.
Seeing hundreds of Ming army chariots lined up and rolling over, ten thousand cavalry, either one man with three horses, or one man with two horses, and followed by a neat infantry square formation, all the Tuxietu people had expressions on their faces.
They were solemn and even a little scared, but no one chose to retreat.
Although they had an advantage in numbers, half of them were women and underage boys and girls, and with the Ming army in such a formation, Agula didn't have much confidence in his heart, so even though he had reached this stage, he still sent an envoy to negotiate.
In the last step, I really don’t want to go all out.
Ten Thousand Huihui finally arrived and stopped far to the west. While watching, they also sent envoys to the Ming army's formation.
Although the Tu Xie Tubu tried to win over them in every possible way, the 60,000 Huihui who were behind them never nodded and agreed to jointly fight against the Ming army. However, they also knew the truth of the death of the lips and the coldness of the teeth. They understood that after the Ming army eliminated the compromising Mongols, they would also come to eliminate them. I thought
It is simply impossible to stay out of it.
Therefore, after some weighing, all the cavalry in the clan were gathered to kill and convert. Although these ten thousand warriors were also cavalry, with one person and two horses, they were far inferior to the Mongols in terms of mounted shooting.
The plan of these Huihui is to negotiate with the Ming army first. If the Ming Dynasty agrees to let them live in the Hetao, they can help the Ming army fight the Mongols. If the Ming Dynasty does not agree, then they will wait until both sides suffer losses and help the Tuxie Tu
Let's destroy this Ming army first. As for whether the Ming Dynasty will retaliate in the future, we can't control it for the time being.
It can be said that he made a good calculation, but Huang Degong didn't even see him and just drove back the envoy he sent.
Although the second order of the Empress did not specify how to deal with Hui Hui, the meaning is there. These Mongols are still useful and can be subdued and kept for their own use. But in Hui Hui, except for fertile women, men will only be wasted.
food.
Based on his understanding of the imperial concubine's temperament, he naturally knew what to do, and he was certain in his heart that His Majesty must have gone to Nanjing again, otherwise the imperial concubine would not have followed his temper like this.
Huang Degong, the envoy sent by the Tuxie Tubu, did not directly drive him away, but ordered someone to bring him over.
"Dear General, as long as you are willing to withdraw your troops, my Great Khan is willing to follow you to the Ming Dynasty to pay homage to the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, and is willing to surrender to the Ming Dynasty from generation to generation and never betray!"
Apparently, Agula had planned to go to the capital of the Ming Dynasty to be a hostage for the sake of the entire Tuxietu tribe.
Faced with such a respectful attitude from the envoy, Huang Degong sighed in his heart, but said calmly on his face: "This is not enough. Except for you, the Great Khan, who is going to the capital, everyone has to put down their weapons and accept the arrangement of my Ming Dynasty.
But I can promise you that I will never kill anyone, and all the leaders can be canonized by me, the Ming Emperor, and live a life without worries about food and clothing from now on."
"Dear General, we Mongolians have always regarded our swords and bows as our lives. It is unacceptable for us to put down our swords and bows. We are willing to donate another five thousand good horses..."
"No need, this is what I have said, general. If you don't want to, then fight!" Huang Degong waved his hand. If the empress hadn't said that these Mongolians are still useful, once the war started, there would be casualties on his side. He really I don’t want to be verbose anymore.
"The 40,000 warriors of our Tuxietu are ready to fight tooth and nail. Does the general really want to ignore the lives of his soldiers and fight with us until the grassland is stained with blood?"
The messenger gritted his teeth and even showed a hint of sadness on his face.
He really couldn't figure out what these Han people were thinking. They had already chosen to surrender and were willing to sacrifice a large number of cattle, sheep, horses and women. Even big men were willing to be hostages. Not to mention that there was no grudge between the two parties under this condition. Even if there is a blood feud, any tribe would agree, right?
But the other side is still pushing hard and wants to fight to the death. Even the Mongolians don't know how to do such stupid things. Why are these cunning Han people so stubborn this time that they can't figure it out!
Huang Degong closed his eyes directly, waved his hand, and said no more.
"How about this, give us three days, and we are willing to move back to Mobei and never set foot in the Hetao?" The envoy did not give up and finally said.
"Go back and tell your Khan and your people that anyone who dismounts his horse and puts down his weapons at any time will be spared death, and the old, weak, women and children in the city will also live."
Huang Degong opened his eyes and said slowly.
Seeing what he said, the envoy knew that there was no room for return, so he turned around and mounted his horse and left.