Rule over Ming Dynasty

Chapter 175 Yi Di Serves China (Monthly Ticket Plus)

The prairie in May is full of greenery.

The side wall of Datong stretches across this prairie. The excavated stones and fired city bricks form a section of the Great Wall that is more than 300 kilometers long, becoming the strongest line of defense for Ming Dynasty against Mongolia.

"kill!"

"kill!"

……

The vast prairie suddenly became murderous, and [-] cavalry, like hungry wolves, rode their horses towards the city wall of Datong with Mongolian scimitars in their hands.

Due to years of hunting and the constant battles of many Mongolian tribes, these battle-tested Mongolian cavalry are filled with a murderous spirit.

Surprisingly, the leader of the army turned out to be a sturdy young man, his eyes were full of killing intent, he ran towards the city wall and said, "Kill!"

After years of erosion, this more than 300-kilometer-long city wall has gradually broken down in some places, like a gap in a dam.

Unfortunately, this kind of breach always occurs at an inopportune time, and it takes a lot of effort and money to repair it, so it has become a breakthrough for the Mongolian cavalry.

"How to do?"

Although the soldiers of Datong had detected the movement of the grassland in advance, they couldn't help but panic when they saw the Mongolian cavalry rushing towards here.

Although they have often confronted Mongolia in recent years, it is very rare to face such a large-scale invasion.Even if the Xuanfu army will come to support, it is only on the way.

"How to do?"

Zuo Yu, the governor of Datong, was an old man in his sixties. He was squinting his eyes and looking at the Mongolian cavalrymen who were billowing in smoke, his hands trembling involuntarily.

Although he has been an official for more than [-] years and has quelled civil uprisings in the local area, he has never experienced a single-faced Mongolian cavalry, let alone such a large-scale cavalry invasion.

If one is not handled properly, not only will his head be lost, but his family may also be affected.

Zuo Yu was originally greedy for power, but now the new monarch is a practical monarch, and he is destined to be hard-pressed to get important tasks, so he can't help but regret why he didn't hand in his resignation earlier and return to his hometown in Shandong to enjoy the blessings.

"Brothers, prepare to fight!" Although Chen Jian, the deputy general of Datong, realized that the situation was very serious, he organized the soldiers of Datong to defend immediately.

At this moment, how much he wished that history could repeat itself and turn the time back directly to the period when Wang Yue and Wang Zhi were in power.

At that time, Datong not only had two brave and shrewd coaches, but also two thousand elites had not been killed by the eunuch Cai Xin of the Datong Army and Xu Ning, the noble general of Datong.

With the configuration at that time, why should we be afraid of these Tartars?
Even if Datong really wanted to fight the Mongolian cavalry, it would be able to severely defeat the invading enemy, and with the help of Daming's family background, they could go straight to the Mongolian cavalry again.

It's just a twist of fate that the two most capable military commanders in Datong are serving in the southeast, and the two thousand brave men have become dead souls.

"Kill!"

The [-] Mongolian cavalry were getting closer and closer to the collapsed wall, and the raised waist knives flashed white light, as if a stream of iron was rushing here.

Datong Governor Zuo Yu's mouth was trembling, but he suddenly made a decision and said: "Retreat, let's retreat to the town, and... deal with it again!"

At this moment, he already felt afraid, and the courage he had earlier had already disappeared without a trace.

He doesn't have the courage of Wang Zhi, nor the military talent of Wang Yue. At this moment, he only thinks of Cai Xin who is greedy for life and afraid of death, but he knows that cracks can save his life in the town.

"Governor, we can take advantage of the advantageous location here to defend. It's not appropriate to retreat in a hurry to hurt morale. Please think twice!" Chen Jian, deputy commander of Datong, didn't expect Zuo Yu to be so greedy for life and fear of death, so he stepped forward to dissuade him.
"The terrain here is flat, Kou Zhi is invulnerable, and the Lord's army returns to the town to keep Datong safe. You are in charge of defense here!" Zuo Yu, the governor of Datong, saw that there is no advantage of the mountainous terrain here, so he just slipped away. typical.

The two generals are Zuo Yu's confidantes, and they are also afraid of the Mongolian cavalry, so Dang even happily escorted Zuo Yu back to the town.With the city walls of the town, they can be guaranteed safe.

Is Datong safe?

Seeing that Zuo Yu could not be stopped from leaving, Chen Jian, the deputy general of Datong, could not help but have a bitter smile on his face.

What Zuo Yu wants to protect is actually the Wushamao. He chose to station troops in Datong Town, so naturally he doesn't have to worry about the Mongolian cavalry.With the strength of the city wall of Datong, it is impossible for the Mongolian cavalry to attack it.

"Datong is safe" is just "Datong's town and city are safe", but the surrounding areas of Daming cannot survive alone, and must be looted by the Tartars again.

Chen Jian knew that the broken wall he was guarding could not be lost, so he held his sword and glared at the invading Mongolian cavalry, planning to fight the Tartar tribe to the death.

Not to mention the various enmities that had been forged earlier, just the blood debt four years ago, the Datong soldiers and the Tatar tribe would be at odds with each other.

Appeal!
Dayan Khan reined in his horse only a few hundred meters away from the city wall, and was staring at the hole in the wall, and at the same time, he was looking at the soldiers of the Ming army who seemed to be facing a big enemy.

Originally an orphan, he was accepted by Mandulu's widow Mandu Haihatun because of the blood of the Golden family.After marrying Mandu Haihatun, he inherited the Khan throne at the age of seven.

From an unknown orphan to the most powerful Khan in Mongolia, this kind of encounter is like a dream.

In the early years, he was tied behind his back to fight by his wife Mandu Haihatun, which made him a very impressive military achievement.Now he is a 14-year-old boy, so he has the ability to fight independently.

This time he personally led [-] cavalry, which can be regarded as his true independent leadership of the battle, and the spearhead was directed at this powerful Central Plains dynasty.

"Brothers, drive out the barbarians and show off our country's prestige!"

Chen Jian, deputy general of Datong, saw Dayan Khan who had already approached the city, so he encouraged the soldiers and shouted loudly.

"Get rid of the barbarians and show off our country's prestige!" Datong soldiers were not affected by Datong Governor Zuo Yu's retreat back to the town, and Dang even responded authentically.

Born on this land, they are destined to become soldiers for generations, and they need to fight against Mongolia.After so many years of confrontation, blood feuds have already been accumulated.

Fortunately, now that Kaizhongfa has been restored, they don't need to worry too much about military supplies, and now they actually have the ability to fight against Mongolian cavalry.

call out!
Just at this time, Dayan Khan sent a fast horse galloping towards here, bent his bow and set an arrow nearby, and shot an arrow into the sky.

As expected of a nation on horseback, that arrow landed on the city wall without bias.

At first, Chen Jian thought it was a sign of Mongolia's massive attack, but he soon noticed that the arrow was carrying something, and he didn't know it was a brocade letter until his subordinates delivered it.

The brocade book is made of silk, and it is written in Chinese and Mongolian characters, and there is even a great yuan jade seal.

"We are not here to invade Daming, but to ask for tribute and exchange between the two countries! Our sweat said that we will come back on June [-]th, and wait for the emperor's imperial edict to come back!" A Mongolian leader looked very arrogant, Then he shouted at the city wall.

Holding the brocade book in his hand, Chen Jian said seriously: "June [-]th, this time is too hasty!"

"Ben Khan didn't come to discuss with you! On June [-]th, it's either war or peace. Let's go when you Ming Emperor replies!" Dayan Khan raised his chin, looking arrogant and authentic.

Although they led a full [-] cavalry this time, the main purpose was to intimidate the Ming emperor, force the Ming emperor to admit his identity as the Great Yuan emperor, and at the same time open up the exchange of tribute between the two countries.

Although he wants to restore the glory of his ancestors and re-enter the Central Plains, the current situation simply does not allow it.

The first is the interior of Mongolia.Although he is a descendant of the Golden Family, and he was also Garthlan and Yismain who eliminated the grand masters of the same tribe, the Nekli tribe, a lord with a different surname, has always opposed the unification of Mongolia.

Second is the external issue.Although they learned that the two main generals of Datong, Wang Yue and Wang Zhi, had been transferred away successively, Mandu Haihatun took the opportunity to send troops to attack. They just used the ten cavalry as bait to lure the stupid Ming army out of their ambush circle, but After all, the Ming Dynasty owned Wang Yue and Wang Zhi, and the Ming army's defensive strategy could only loot the villages around the Fucheng.

Finally, there is the material issue.After experiencing so many Mongolian unification wars, their material consumption was very serious, so they needed to exchange horses for materials to tide over the difficulties.

Just like that, he and Mandu Haihatun hoped to focus on unifying the interior, forcing Daming to admit his status as the Great Khan of Tianyuan, and at the same time complete supplies through Daming.

Saying that, Dayan Khan ignored the reaction of Chen Jian, the deputy general of Datong, and returned north with [-] cavalry, appearing to be in a hurry.

It's just a pity that Zuo Yu, the governor of Datong who was frightened out of his wits, didn't dare to stay here to fight at all, but hid back like a tortoise in the impregnable Datong town.

Datong Town has a circumference of thirteen miles, a height of four feet and two feet, and a trench depth of four feet and five feet. Both have urn cities.

Due to the large number of military households and border people, this city has the dual specifications of a city and a frontier defense town, and the Datong governor's office is naturally located here.

After Datong governor Zuo Yu learned of Dayan Khan's intentions, he was overjoyed and said, "Dayan Khan just wants to exchange tribute with Daming?"

"Your Excellency, he claims to be Dayuan Tian Khan, which clearly wants us, Da Ming, to admit that he is the Emperor of Dayuan!" Chen Jian frowned slightly, and immediately corrected him.

Zuo Yu, governor of Datong, took the brocade book as if he had found a treasure, and said: "This is not important! Report this good news to the imperial court immediately, the little prince of the grassland is going to surrender to our Daming!"

surrender?

Chen Jian couldn't help being taken aback, always feeling that this term was very inappropriate.

Zuo Yu, the governor of Datong, didn't pay attention to these details at all, and even reported the news to the capital through the Tangbao.

It’s just that this time he was really scared. After thinking twice, he realized that Daming might refuse to recognize Dayan Khan’s identity as Emperor Dayuan, so Dang even decided to hand in his resignation.

Over the years, he has accumulated a lot of wealth, so he can't afford to stay in this position and take the risk of losing his head. Now the best choice is to retreat bravely.

The capital city in May is destined to be an eventful autumn.

"Tonggong? I think that little prince is harboring evil intentions and probing the truth of our frontier army!"

"We have always been indifferent, and the pictures of Mongolia are nothing more than our tribute!"

"This kind of person is a wolf's ambition after all. I think it's just a matter of refusing to give it!"

"Yes, if we don't trade tribute with Mongolia, if they really want to fight, we should abandon our pens and join the army!"

……

As the news spread in the capital, Dayan Khan's request for tribute soon aroused discussions among the ruling and opposition parties, and the direction of public opinion in the capital tended not to agree.

"The voices and teachings of the barbarians are not added, and their latent names are from their old ways. There is no such thing in China. Although the words are arrogant, they have come from the imperial army since ancient times. I will not reject them. The previous dynasty also gave tolerance. Today Since he is waiting at the border, it is appropriate to issue an imperial edict to the guards of Datong to announce that the chiefs will pay tribute sincerely, and the number of those who should be sent by the little prince will be counted. Please send important officials at home and abroad to welcome them. If you can't wait and see, Also listen to it, I still strictly guard our soldiers with cameras.”

"Since ancient times, the way to control the barbarians has always been to use softness as the best policy. Today, the little prince is grateful for the emperor's heirs and sends envoys to pay tribute. If he doesn't obey his feelings, he will feel ashamed and discouraged. He is threatened by strong skin on the outside. , If you want to come, you can’t, if you want to go, you will be uneasy, unless you invade the bandits on a large scale, you will have nothing to do.”

……

After all, the people in power in this era are not vigorous scholars, but those important ministers and warriors who like to share the blessings of peace. Many of them want to value peace and share the blessings of peace.

"It is said that there are tens of thousands of Oirat elite soldiers, so there is no desire to covet China? The little prince's tribe is especially isolated, and the contacts must be false before they can enter. The imperial court can make peace with the little prince. Make it a foreign vassal. Although Wala is strong, how can he enter the country when he is younger than the prince?"

"Nowadays, rebellious captives are called paying tribute to the outside world, but domestic animals are plotting. I am afraid that the general officials who translate the characters will worship the captives. They will go back and wait for their bribes. Tell them about China's affairs. It will do a lot of harm. I beg the Ministry of War for a list."

……

Of course, the imperial court also had some voices of opposition to the matter of paying tribute between Daming and Dayan Khan.

It's just that no matter how the main battle and the main peace quarrel, it is Zhu Youtang who really makes the decision now.Zhu Youtang has now fully grasped the court situation, especially after the Jiangxi incident, Zhang Ying and Xu Pu have completely quieted down.

Zhu Youtang, as the real decision-maker of the incident, also felt embarrassed in the face of this matter.

He knew that as long as he agreed to Dayan Khan's request this time, since Dayan Khan needed to continue to unify the Mongolian cause, he would not harass Ming Dynasty in the next few years.

It's just that there are hidden worries. After all, once Dayan Khan wins the unification of Mongolia, not only will he frequently invade the border areas of the Ming Dynasty, but Mongolia will become a cancer that the Ming Dynasty will persist from beginning to end.

It was the concession of Ming Dynasty that made Dayan Khan successfully unify Mongolia, thus ending the situation of Mongolia's division, which led to Mongolia's frequent southward plundering of border areas in the future.

What's more, they invaded Shanxi several times, and even went to Beijing to force Emperor Jiajing to agree to the mutual market, and then used the looted gold, silver and jewelry to buy daily necessities.

Zhu Youtang knew that he should not only focus on the gains and losses in front of him, but to take a long-term view, so he wrote on the paper: "Since ancient times, emperors have come to rule the world, and they have lived in China to control the barbarians, and the barbarians lived outside to serve China. The little prince wants to be emperor and stand on his own, but he refuses to surrender, which is beyond my power! Heaven will order my Chinese people to be safe, and the barbarians who dare to offend my power will be punished even if they are far away! Therefore, I would like to inform you that you should know."

(End of this chapter)