Chapter 401 The blessing of being greeted by the top civil and military scholars together
The two men's scalps were numb, not only because of Yan Chunsheng's unparalleled bravery, but also because of the 30,000 to 40,000 women and children left in darkness in front of them and the more than 4,000 young cavalrymen who were most loyal to Gunbilik.
How to control it without causing trouble?
Now, we can only rely on the Ming army to form a large circle, with arrows, guns, and muzzles pointed at them.
On the edge of the Yellow River, there were still people crossing the river, and the bombardment continued. Some of the people who had just gotten ashore by chance looked up and saw their lord and his bodyguards, being escorted and kneeling in front of a man wearing a red official robe of the Ming Dynasty.
"Send the message across. If you haven't crossed the river yet, don't cross. Wait in the south!" Tang Shunzhi looked at Gunbilik, "I am the governor of the Ninggan Border Region appointed by His Majesty. How should I deal with you and your tribe?
Your Majesty’s heavenly grace is so great that he will not kill them all.”
"...my injury..."
"The sooner things settle down here, the sooner you can be treated."
"my son……"
Tang Shunzhi's eyes were incomprehensible: "There are heavy troops on the ancient ferry at the mouth of the river, and they must have started fighting a long time ago. Whether he comes to rescue you or flees by himself, it is no longer your concern. The governor is sending orders now. If the war continues,
, I can let the remnants of your Ordos troops pass through the border."
The situation of tens of thousands of households in Ordos is over, and the more than ten thousand soldiers led by Noyendala are of no use.
It was not without artillery fire to greet Noyendala crossing the river from the east.
Even if you really escape, so what?
With such a victory in this battle, it will take a long time for the Ming Dynasty to consolidate the results. The inheritance of Jinong on the right wing has not been extinguished, and Noyendala must re-gather the tribes in the north. Frightened by the first battle, he did not dare to go south easily, so he would only fight with
Internal strife among other tribes.
As for Gunbilik, Ordos did not completely sever the favor from the Ming Dynasty, so he could help the Ming Dynasty appease his captured subordinates and people.
Even though the entire Ordos tribe was captured and destined to be dispersed.
Tang Shunzhi sighed in his heart. If the Ming Dynasty had enough troops, they might not be able to surround and kill them steadily. If they rush to the Yellow River or something, it might be easier to deal with them than now.
However, capturing Gunbilik alive is a great achievement after all. The Loop is so big and the defense line has not yet been deployed. It may not be a bad thing to have more captive manpower.
As for whether they will cause chaos, rebellion, and internal and external attacks in the future, it all depends on the future tactics of the Ming Dynasty.
At this time, chaos broke out again by the Yellow River. Some soldiers who had just crossed the river had never seen how this battle was lost, and now faced with the siege of their old enemies, they did not dare to put down their weapons easily and were trying to break out.
Who knows what it would be like to be a prisoner of the Ming Dynasty?
Some people thought so, and even turned around and jumped into the river to go south after getting a sharp look in their eyes.
The first one was followed by the second. Suddenly, the Taolu who had just landed turned around and jumped into the Yellow River.
Tang Shunzhi watched all this with cold eyes: "Anyone who refuses to surrender will be killed."
Once the order was given, the Ming army on the shore would not relent. The sound of cannons, muskets, and bows and arrows started again. Gunbilik watched the scene helplessly and shed painful tears.
Although the surrounding Gonbilik guardsmen had been disarmed, they were still looking at it with eyes wide open. Many people stood up and shouted, as if they were about to break out in resistance.
Tang Shunzhi suddenly frowned: "How many Han people have you kidnapped and killed over the years?"
He lifted up the hem of his official uniform and tied it tightly, grabbed the spear carried by the guard beside him, and ran straight over.
Although his opponent was unarmed and was unable to defeat him, Tang Shunzhi charged into the crowd of prisoners alone, regardless of whether the guards behind him could catch up.
Yan Chunsheng and Zhu Qi were dumbfounded. They didn't know why Tang Shunzhi took action himself. If he wanted to suppress them, it's not like there weren't Ming troops nearby. What was the big deal if he killed the prisoners himself?
"Don't come here!" Tang Shunzhi shouted coldly, "If you feel unwilling to do so, you can capture this governor, so what if I let you cross Yinshan Mountain?"
Yan Chunsheng opened his mouth, he couldn't understand.
Seeing Tang Shunzhi being so arrogant, Gunbilik felt even more incredible after hearing what he said.
"The governor keeps his word!" Tang Shunzhi stood there, taking off the official robe he had just put on to accept surrender with one hand, and holding a gun with the other hand, "Gunbilik, I want you to pick a hundred people."
Zhang Jing looked at Yan Chunsheng, and then looked at Tang Shunzhi thoughtfully.
The people on the bank were still killing the captives in the river, but here Tang Shunzhi made a bet with Gunbilik.
Gunbilik said nothing.
Tang Shunzhi took off his official robe, which was covered with armor. At his feet were the Tatars he had just assassinated, and the others had already surrounded him. Tang Shunzhi pointed his gun at Gunbilik: "I will definitely stay in the Hetao.
From now on, your tribe will be under the control of this governor. Even if there are hundreds of elite men with scimitars in their hands, they will not be able to do anything to this governor. You and your tribe will no longer have the desire to surrender and revolt. If you really capture this governor,
, isn’t that a situation where you can hold me hostage again and leave safely?”
Gunbilik thought to himself, are you good at fighting? Why would you say such childish words? If there is a chance, it is still conceivable to surrender and rebel again.
Now, he only felt that Tang Shunzhi hated the Mongols very much and wanted to induce him to agree, and then simply kill all these young men.
However, after Yan Chunsheng heard these words, his heart moved and he understood something. He laughed and said in Mongolian: "Let's compare. If Tang Dutai loses, I can guarantee that I will let you go."
Gunbilik looked at him blankly.
Yan Chunsheng grinned.
Finally, the competition began.
The hundreds of people selected by Gunbilik all had their scimitars returned. The Ming army formed a large circle and let them fight inside.
The fate of the nearly 40,000 people in Ordos seems to be tied to this competition.
Tang Shunzhi stood calmly, while a hundred prairie warriors watched him eagerly.
After the battle began, Yan Chunsheng began to explain.
"We Han people have a saying, every inch is long and every inch is strong. Even though the Mongols are still brave after dismounting their horses, they are nothing to be afraid of."
"Of course, if a hundred people fight against one person, that person must be a person with superb martial arts skills."
"You don't know something. Our Tang Dutai's martial arts skills are even better than those of Han Hai Bo Yu Dayou. General Yu, you know that, right? I am only good at archery, and my fists and kicks are no match for General Yu."
Gunbilik's eyes were dull as he watched Tang Shun's spear shoot out like a dragon.
Yu Dayou? Can’t beat him?
You can't beat Yu Dayou?
So this time to attack Hetao, Jinong, our majestic right-winger, is not worthy of Yu Dayou once again leading his troops to surround us from the east?
"You may be wondering why Tang Dutai is so strong in martial arts but not a general? Because Tang Dutai's strongest skill is not martial arts, but the art of war."
Yan Chunsheng smiled and murmured to Gunbilik, and when Tang Shunzhi's spear tip continued to bring out blood stains, he said slowly: "This time, Tang Dutai has predicted that you will probably cross the river from here, and there will be ice crossing to the east.
He's cavalry. Originally, I was stationed at the pass of Yinshan Mountain to block you, Zhang Futai went around from the desert to the west of Yinshan Mountain to block you, and Marquis Funing came to block you from the east."
"As soon as you made any movement south of the Yellow River, Tang Dutai changed his strategy again and sent orders to all directions. Look, I have caught you now."
"Your Majesty wanted to march to the north. Originally, he had no plans to repeat the expedition this year. But Tang Dutai presented the strategy, and His Majesty arrived in Taiyuan, and then went to Kaiping with peace of mind."
"Guess why? His Majesty has great trust in Tang Dutai because he knows his abilities. It's just a matter of routine, and Tang Dutai is enough to preside over it alone."
"He can scheme and he can kill, and he can kill as well."
Gunbilik stared blankly as the most valiant warriors under his command fell one by one, his heart cut by a knife and his face ashen.
Yan Chunsheng's words were like the devil's whisper: "It's all my fault for capturing you alive. Now that you have too many people, I'm afraid it will easily lead to chaos in the future. If you disobey in the future, Tang Dutai will be as merciless as he is now."
Kill on earth. If you are obedient, Tang Dutai will not have to make any excuses, understand? Tang Dutai was born as a scholar, and he has no problem in governing and educating. If it had been General Yu, this battle would probably not be the same.
I am the same, I caught you so recklessly and killed you. Cut the flesh with a blunt knife, grind it into pieces, kill all the young and strong, leaving only the women and children, why is there so much trouble?"
Gunbilik felt frightened.
Staying in Hetao, he naturally knew that the Ming governor in the south was the emperor's favored young minister and the champion of Wen Dynasty.
But he really didn't know that Wen Zhuangyuan was so good at fighting.
He was no longer a man fighting with bare hands, but a hundred prairie warriors with scimitars in hand.
He simply thought that the governor wanted to establish prestige, but Yan Chunsheng told him that this guy felt that there were too many captured Mongolians, so he would kill some if he found an excuse. To establish prestige is indeed to establish prestige, and it shows that he will only do it in the future.
Overwhelm their attitude.
He has that ability, that ability, and the trust of the Ming Emperor.
The one who saw through his entire plan and mobilized various armies to surround him was just the young man over there who was playing with a gun?
Gunbilik thought Yan Chunsheng was the commander-in-chief. Thinking about it now, how could the real commander-in-chief appear in the isolated and helpless north?
Yan Chunsheng patted his shoulder: "The mandarin duck formation that caused you great losses in Jingping was created by Tang Dutai. Tang Dutai and General Yu, two champions in literature and martial arts, were both teachers and friends. From now on Tang Dutai
The platform is in Hetao, and General Yu is in Datong. The two of them greet you with the blessings of Ordos, and think carefully about how to enjoy it."
After the words fell, Tang Shunzhi pulled out the tip of the spear from the throat of the last person, and watched coldly as Gunbilik approached step by step.
Blood was dripping from the tip of the spear. The old Gunbilik looked at his young face, thinking about the young Ming Emperor whom he had never met before, and his heart felt extremely cold.
Is my answer really correct?
What kind of young monarchs did the Ming Dynasty produce?
On the bank of the Yellow River, the Ming army raised its arms and shouted, while the prisoners' faces were ashen.
Some people in the special operations camp felt that Tang Shunzhi was trying to steal Yan Chunsheng's limelight, so Yan Chunsheng gave them a bad rap.
Zhu Qi listened to Tang Shunzhi's still relatively even breath, lowered his head and entered the rubbish introspection time again: The credit this time should be enough, His Majesty has great vision, and the future military glory stage of the Ming Dynasty belongs to them.
When the emperor asked him to come to Taiyuan Town, Zhu Qi thought that he would be the main force in the complex in the future.
Now he knew that the emperor asked him to come here to hug Yu Dayou's thigh, just like when he asked Guo Xun to go to Datong to hug Yu Dayou's thigh.
He was also extremely grateful for the letter Guo Xun sent to Guangdong at that time: Kneel down quickly, help the imperial envoy kill, and prepare to fight for your life.
With just one thought, today might be different.
In other words, with a single thought, there would be no today today - Zhu Qi can still remember the way Zhang Fuking looked at him at that time, that guy was really ready to kill him as well.
Does the emperor need these old ministers to fight the war?
…
Yan Chunsheng also couldn't understand the third level of what Tang Shunzhi wanted to do.
When the good news arrived in the capital, the government and the public were shocked.
The Hetao came back just like that, Gunbilik was captured alive, and nearly 40,000 Taolu were captured. From east to west, plus the previous battles, more than 20,000 enemies were killed this time, and the Yellow River still didn’t know how much was washed away.
There were still more than 20,000 captive soldiers and civilians left south of the Yellow River. Yan Chunsheng had previously captured nearly 30,000 prisoners.
Xia Yan murmured to himself: "Your Majesty knows people well..."
He still remembered the distrust of the government and the public when he came to the capital to serve as general staff and Tang Shunzhi became governor at a mere age of more than 20 years old.
After a few years, Outer Yunnan was surrendered, the Jiaozhi incident was completed, Malacca was restored, the Hetao was returned, and the decline of the northern barbarians was a foregone conclusion.
Zhang Fujing took a long breath: "So many cattle and sheep have been captured in the Hetao, so the military rations can give us a sigh of relief..."
What can Yang Shen say? Yang Shen can only sigh: "Bo Jingbian's talent and Zhen'an's courage are truly rare."
"Now we have to quickly discuss how to deal with the aftermath. The emperor is in Kaiping, what should we do if we offer victory or prisoners? Now that Hetao has returned, how will we send officials, station troops, and relocate the people..."
There are a lot of things to deal with. This is a happy twelfth lunar month, but also a troubled twelfth lunar month.
There is no doubt that Daming will have one more provincial border region, or even two - and the old Daning area south of Kaiping.
The extra territory must be governed as real land. The Loop is worth managing well, and the depth of Daning is also crucial to Beijing's security.
"Cheng Guogong, Yu Prince Consort, Qun Mu Supervisor, Tongyi Bureau, Transfer Operation, Construction Bureau..." Zhang Fujing quickly thought of many things, "We must make preparations in advance."
The repair and extension of post roads and inn stations, the construction of border cities and fortresses, racecourses, material transfer...
Here in the capital, we must first come up with a clear strategy and send it to Kaiping.
Naturally, the demarcation of the new border area and the selection of a governor for the Loop are also needed.
"...it can only be Tang Dutai." Xia Yan's eyes were incomprehensible, "In front of the Ordos people, he violently killed people with his own hands. He had an enmity with the captives. The Tatars were afraid of power and were not ethical, so they first used
It is natural to be strict with the law, and you should be like this evil person if you should be virtuous."
Zhang Fujing was noncommittal. He knew what Xia Yan really wanted to say.
Tang Shunzhi is too young, and now he has made such an unparalleled achievement. How will he take the next step?
It will take at least one generation to re-lay the foundation of the Loop. In this generation, there needs to be a person who can handle border affairs and deal with foreign races and has a complex internal situation. It also needs a person who can change the Loop and make it a fortress again.
People from Jiangnan.
There are no longer many military exploits there. If you just go there to get some official career experience, how can you accomplish great things?
Tang Shunzhi directly said there that he would be the future governor of the Hetao area, and then went on a killing spree against the captives in order to send a message to the emperor and the court officials: he could get things done in the Hetao, and everyone did not have to worry about him.
It may be self-respecting.
There is no doubt that there are so many captives who have surrendered, and His Majesty must find a way to appease them directly, and will not let them be controlled by Tang Shunzhi.
How to deal with this matter needs to test the sense of propriety of the monarch and his ministers.
The Ming Dynasty has not encountered this kind of situation again for who knows how many years. The problems in the three parts of Duoyan are all from the old almanac a hundred years ago.
The good news reached the capital as soon as possible, and the people in the capital who were about to celebrate the New Year were extremely excited.
Your Majesty's Northern Expedition is really unstoppable now.
The Hetao returned to the Ming Dynasty, and the right-wing Tatars closest to the Ming Dynasty were almost wiped out. Isn't this a sign of the prosperous times?
At least from now on, Shanxi, Xuanda, and Beijing will no longer have to worry about Tatar invasion from the south.
The firecrackers were taken out early and the "Ming Pao" outside number quickly spread the news: The victory was hard-won, and the first priority now is to support the border areas. Food and grass, military pay, settlement... All things are talking about looking forward to the future, but it is more obvious.
The earth is the one who attacks the prosperous places in the south of the Yangtze River.
His Majesty's triumphal return is inevitable. The worst he can do is not continue the war next spring. Returning to the DPRK with such power, there is no need to talk about Nanjing's national foundation. If the Loop, Xuanda and Daning are well managed, Beijing will be as stable as Mount Tai!
The literati mobilized by Lin Xiyuan and Wang Shenzhong recounted in the Ming Pao the scenic spots in the south of the Yangtze River in the past: In the first year of Zhou Xuanzheng's reign, Wu Mingche, the general of Chen Dynasty, was defeated and moved to Lingzhou. The people on the left side of the Yangtze River worshiped etiquette, loved learning, and had similar customs.
Because of this, it is called "Saibei Jiangnan". In the Tang Dynasty, Wei Chan wrote a poem "Send Lu Pan Shangshu Zhi Lingwu" which said: There are orchards at the foot of Helan Mountain, and Saibei Jiangnan used to be famous.
Once upon a time, there was a time when farming was developed in Hetao, with vast hectares of fertile land and numerous boats.
Now that the Sanggan River Reservoir has been completed, the Huaihua Waterway leads directly to Datong. The south of Yinshan Mountain is connected to the Ming Dynasty, and the road is connected. There will be endless opportunities in the Hetao in the future.
Needless to say these expectations and excitement, Zhu Zaiyi asked Sun Ming in the Forbidden City: "Mother, the Hetao is a great victory. Will my father directly drive back to Beijing to celebrate the New Year with his subjects?"
Sun Ming forced a smile: "You said you were going to spend the winter with the soldiers, how could you easily return to the court?"
"How cold is it out there now?"
"...It must be much colder. Since we are on an expedition, it is inconvenient..."
She did not continue, because Zhu Houcong himself said that he could not take anyone to sleep with him during the expedition.
Of course, the emperor would not be frozen, but Sun Ming had already heard the rumors. After having captured so many tribesmen, Zhen'anbo said at that time that they could follow the example of the three tribes of Duoyan, surrender and sacrifice their daughters.
When His Majesty returns to court in triumph, there will probably be more new people in the palace.
At this time, the good news has not yet arrived in Kaiping.
Zhu Houcong didn't think about venting his anger. It was freezing and snowy, so there wasn't much anger.
Besides, it wasn't like there was no one to serve him. After all, there were two girls in Taiyuan who caught his eye and brought them all the way here.
There was no big fanfare with any concubines from the harem, so on the surface it was okay.
But does an emperor really hold back for a year? Now it seems that when he was in Shanxi, the governor He Tang and Zhu Qi were also very accurate about him.
One is the daughter of Xinzhou Tongpan, named Mu Wan. The other is a branch of the Wang family of Shanxi merchants, named Wang Qingyin.
It was night now, one of them was sitting quietly waiting for greetings, and the other was warming the bed.
But Zhu Houcong was still reading.
There was no entertainment. After arriving in Kaiping for so many days, Zhu Houcong did not think of any good way to easily find the Tatars on the grassland in the future.
He was reading the records of Zhu Di's five northern expeditions. In the next three times, he basically spent most of his time looking for people, and it can be said that they returned in vain.
As long as the Ming army is strong, people can always escape if they avoid a decisive battle.
This is difficult.
"Your Majesty...the night is already deep..."
It was Huang Jin who came over to remind him. Mu Wan and Wang Qingyin did not dare to speak without permission.
His Majesty brought them here, but he didn't particularly like them and wanted to have a lot of fun. He seemed to be used to having them serve him and didn't ask for much.
Zhu Houcong put down his book, and Mu Wan quickly picked up the warm handkerchief next to him and wiped the emperor's eyes and forehead.
"Is there any new news from the Loop?"
"No. Your Majesty, there is no need to worry. We are already engaged in a siege. Uncle Jingbian, Uncle Zhen'an, and Marquis Funing are all here. There is no problem."
Zhu Houcong sighed: "After all, there are tens of thousands of people. It's a last-ditch battle, a fight against a trapped beast."
The general trend is winning, but who can be 100% sure?
He doesn't know the latest results of the battle yet, but he is thinking about the future: "Even if we can't achieve full success this time, the news of the Hetao will definitely spread to the north. If I answer, I will avoid the war next spring. From now on, this
North of Kaiping, it's the same old story again. Yan Chunsheng is indeed unparalleled in bravery, but the special operations camp only has so many people. If the Ming Dynasty didn't have another Huo Qubing and another more elite and larger cavalry, it would be difficult."
"Then let Zhen Anbo practice. I think Zhen Anbo is no worse than the champion!"
"Nonsense... It's much easier for a cat to catch a mouse. The mouse is in that area." Zhu Houcong is not so optimistic, "But if I become a gopher and hide everywhere on the endless grassland, it will be a waste of troops and energy.
Already."
After all, the era of mechanization has not yet developed. If you want to ensure both mobility and combat power on the grassland, you can only rely on elite cavalry.
The Ming Dynasty has been guarding the border wall for many years, and the cultivation of war horses and elite cavalry will take a long time.
After the great victory at Fengzhou Beach came, Zhu Houcong had mixed feelings.
A great victory is naturally a great joy, but if Yan Chunsheng is so fierce, the victory is so quick and simple, and the news spreads to the north, I am afraid I will be more cautious.
Come spring next year, I'm afraid we won't be able to win.
This was Zhu Houcong's worry. If he forced his way north to find the enemy, Yang Shen would be so anxious that sweat would break out on his forehead. If he didn't go out and defeat An Da, the enemy would still be in trouble.
If you are so great, I will kill you Zhu Houcong. Can your son and grandson be so strong? After a hundred years, they just come back. This is not the case only once in history.
So Zhu Houcong was worried.
A day later, the real victory in Hetao came again. The Northern Expedition camp cheered loudly. Zhu Houcong was overjoyed but even more sad.
With such a great achievement over there, the Northern Expedition army could not survive without fighting. The eyes of the soldiers were red.
Tang Shunzhi wants to kill him after the war to make himself feel dirty. What kind of great achievements does Yan Chunsheng want to achieve? Are others willing to do it?
However, Taolu should not be so exaggerated, and I would not fight the Ming Dynasty when its morale was at its highest.
It's just a waste of money and food.
From now to the Spring Festival, the Northern Expedition camp is not only celebrating the New Year, but also eagerly waiting for the spring to warm and the snow to melt.
Zhu Houcong could only place his hopes on the people Tang Shunzhi asked Yan Chunsheng to escort over: the old Taolu tribe who wanted to help in the war should be qualified as the leading party in Mobei, right?
In the bitter cold land of Mobei, Ma Fang, who had been running around for a whole winter, received a new task as a newly-confessed 100-member household: to lead a team of 100 people from the small Khalkha tribe who had surrendered, and to be responsible for investigating and guarding the movements in the southwest of the sweat camp.