Wanli Xinming

Chapter 331 Logistics
Although the horse's hoof was nailed with hooves, Zhang Chen, who was sitting on the horse's back, could hardly hear the sound of the horse's hooves when he tapped on the thick meadow.

It's early summer.The vast green crawls over the low sand dunes underfoot, flows over the shallow depressions, and rushes all the way to the horizon.The mountains in the distance lie like lazy giants at the end of the field of vision. Because there are many clouds in the sky, Zhang Chen can still see wisps of golden sunlight dividing the green giant carpet into thick or light patches.

In front of the field of vision, 4000 people and horses are like a long crooked snake, moving slowly on the grassland.In fact, the speed of this team is not slow, but in Zhang Chen's view, compared with the vastness of the world, these people are like little ants squirming under the upside-down pot.

With a "sudden" bowstring, Dai Qin, who was beside Zhang Chen, suddenly pinned a hare into the grass.Zhang Chen's personal soldiers hit the horse, leaned over on the horse and picked it up, pulled out the arrow, hit the horse and handed it back to the eldest son of Kuimonk Tashara, the rabbit was placed in the In the bag behind the personal soldiers.

Zhang Chen eased the reins, stopped the horse and waited for Dai Qin, and smiled at him: "Ta Da, you have sharp eyes." Dai Qin means first, leader in Mongolian - Tas The first son of Hara, Zhang Chen seems to have no problem calling him Ta Da.

Dai Qin, who had prairie red on his cheekbones, spoke in unfluent Chinese: "Rabbit, grab, grass, thin and die." Zhang Chen nodded, stroked his beard and smiled: "Meat, more, eat, No harm."

Dai Qin said with a bitter face: "Junmen, I want to eat noodles." Zhang Chen laughed.He turned around, pointed his horsewhip behind him, and said, "Mi, you have some noodles, you just need to keep an account."

Behind the two of them, nearly a hundred heavy-loaded carriages were like a long and thick python, chasing the queue in front of them.

This is the East Road Army Caravan formed by the Yulin Chamber of Commerce, which is responsible for providing some supplies to the army.Of course, in addition to obtaining orders from the imperial court, the merchants who provided the provisions also had the privilege to purchase furs and all the specialties of the expeditionary army—this was the biggest motivation for them to follow the army for thousands of miles.

At this time, at the end of May in the 13th year of Wanli, the East Route Army led by Zhang Chen had entered Mobei.Behind this army, the dotted bastions are being built in full swing in the grasslands and deserts—from the Huangbo Fort (Saiyinshanda) in the sand to the Baicheng (Bayan Ula) not far behind Zhang Chen. .

These bastions are like chains, dividing the northern border beyond the side wall into fragmented grasslands.The bastion is also a city of Kui, where lamas and Han and Mongolian merchants live. At the same time, there will be Han officials and Mongolian officials in charge of the city, usually Han Zheng and Mongolian deputy.At the same time, the Han soldiers and Mongolian soldiers were also reorganized 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 towers at the top of each bastion are like beacon towers on the border city - as long as one place is lit, the bastions control the range. It is self-evident what will happen to the Mongolian within.

But for the Mongolian people at the bottom, the existence of the bastion is simply the greatest gospel, because there are all the necessities of life in it.As small as needles and threads, as large as ironware and household goods, as well as salt, tea, and even clothing and medicine, as long as you have sheep, horses, and hides, you can get all of this at your fingertips.

In addition to being able to exchange for supplies, there are also lamas who preside over justice in the bastion.Not only did they explain past and present lives, and all of them were exquisite in Dharma, but they also resolved hostility and grievances.When there is a conflict between the herdsmen, as long as both parties are willing, there is no need to go to the lord. , of course.

Despite all the benefits of a bastion, it is extremely difficult to build.Two years have passed since the meeting of Saihanba, and almost all the bastions have not been completed.Although Huangbo Fort is located in the desert, it is nearing completion, and the bastion project of Baicheng has just begun.In the convoy behind Zhang Chen, several carriages were loaded with the latest building materials: cement.

At this time, the guide accompanied by the Chinese army came to Zhang Chen and said, "Junmen, cross the mountain in front, and there is the Onan River."

Although Zhang Chen has strengthened his studies over the years, he does not know what this river represents. Seeing the seriousness of the Jinyiwei spy, he looks at him and waits for him to follow.

The man smiled and said, "On the Ornan River is the place where Genghis Khan ascended the throne. There is Feiyun Gorge in the northeast ahead, where Chengzu defeated Benyasiri and Trutai in a row when he attacked the Tatars in the north."

When Zhang Chen heard the words, he sighed and looked at Dai Qin involuntarily.That Daiqin didn't care, looked around on horseback, and continued to search for rabbits and marmots in the grass.

Since the authentic descendants of Temujin have no intention of pondering the ancient love in the Onan River, Zhang Chen also does not intend to stay in Feiyunhe.He shook his head, grabbed the horse's belly, and the horse rushed out, chasing after the team in front.

The East Route Army from Yulin was progressing quite smoothly.Starting from Hami, the progress of the Western Route Army preparing to cross the Sayan Mountains is not slow.

The commander-in-chief of the West Route Army is the first-class military officer of the Governor's Office of the Western Regions, waiting for Ma Dong.After Ma Fang captured Luntai, the Western Regions Frost suddenly broke his body. Although he was trained by military doctors from the medical school, he was unable to recover and died in Luntai.

Ma Fang was rewarded by a third-class prince during his lifetime, and after his death, he was awarded the title of king.

Ma Dong's temperament is not like Ma Fang's. Although he is very brave, he is fond of poetry and prose, and likes to read, and he doesn't like military affairs very much.However, as the eldest son, he had to be his father, so he never started a career, and worked step by step in the army to the governor.

During the period of Ma Fangping the Western Regions, Ma Dong was always by his father's side, and his father taught him by words and deeds, and taught him everything.After Ma Fang passed away, Ma Dong took over the commander-in-chief of the Western Regions Governor's Mansion.

Luntai is thousands of miles away from the capital, and it is the Governor-General Fang Feng who decides on the spot.Ma Dong brought the new army under his command to fight against Ye Erqiang Khan and other forces, and they were basically crushed, so Fang Fengshi took a look at Ma Donggao and recommended him to lead the army to the north.

Later, the imperial court decided on the candidate in the summer of the 12th year of Wanli, and Ma Dong had no room to shirk.With Luntai soldiers as the backbone, mixed with half of the new recruits who changed defenses, he made up [-] cavalry, two or three horses-according to the marching route given by the imperial court, he will set off northward when the weather is warm, cross the Altai Mountains and Sayan Mountains, set foot on the land of Luo wilderness.

For Ma Dong, the offensive of the West Route Army will be a long journey.Because the area is too large, there are no merchants behind the [-] soldiers to provide sustenance, and it depends entirely on the logistical support of the court. Ma Dong can foresee that he will encounter the same problems as his father Ma Fang, except for logistics.

However, the logistics are extremely difficult.After calculation, every pound of grain transported to Sayanling consumes more than [-] pounds.It was a nightmare stress.Therefore, the plan to cross the Sayan Mountains is far inferior to that of the Eastern Route Army crossing Mobei.Unable to get supplies from the grasslands, Ma Dong had to be highly vigilant every day - there was no room for mistakes in the food supply.

(End of this chapter)