The First Gongsheng of Ming Dynasty

on the grassland.

It snowed heavily for several days, and the ground was covered in white. It was impossible to tell the road ahead.

The Ming army has been stationed in the same place. It is not because they do not want to march forward in the wind and snow, but because the road ahead is really difficult to walk on, and they cannot fight under such conditions. They can only wait for the wind and snow to pass before thinking about a retreat.

Xu Jing appeared beside Tang Yin holding an iron basin.

At this time, a large pot of meat soup was still cooking in front of the campfire next to the snow pile, and Xu Jing was waiting for people to come and eat.

When marching quickly, they would basically just slaughter the captured cattle, sheep, horses, etc. and roast them for food.

However, as firewood became increasingly scarce during marches in the snowfields, they had to boil instead of roast. Fortunately, snow water could be boiled and used as clean water on snowy days, and broth was more practical than barbecue for the soldiers who were resisting the cold winter.

"Bohu."

Xu Jing squeezed in next to Tang Yin and sat down.

Tang Yin just said "hmm" softly as a response. In such horrible weather, he was too lazy to even say anything.

There is a tent next to it, so they cook the meat soup when the snow stops for a while. Usually, some soldiers cook directly in the tent, and the fire will also bring some warmth.

"Let's march." Xu Jing said, "Head south, follow the direction of the compass and see this..."

As he spoke, Xu Jing took out his compass, which was a must-have item for an expedition to the grassland. However, only middle-level and above generals in the army had this item.

Tang Yin said: "I can't go back."

Just one sentence made Xu Jing feel disappointed.

"We shouldn't wait here. In such weather, even if the Tartars don't come to kill us, we might still die here." Xu Jing said.

Tang Yin asked, "Isn't it good here? At least in the past two days, there have been no reports of soldiers dying of starvation and freezing."

Xu Jing was wrapped thickly.

The winter clothes of the Ming Dynasty soldiers were also very thick. If they felt that their clothes were not thick enough, they could directly fill their clothes with the wool they had plucked. After all, in this battle on the grassland, they not only killed a lot of Tatar soldiers, but also obtained a large number of Tatar cattle and sheep.

More than half of the space in the Ming army camp was occupied by cattle, sheep and other livestock.

Moreover, these things do not need to be fed. When they die, they can be used as food directly, so there is no need to worry about the meat spoiling, and the fur can be used directly to keep warm.

And because of the support of Zhang Zhou's textile industry, the soldiers who went on the expedition at least did a good job in keeping warm. Each man had two horses, and the other two horses were equipped with a large number of daily necessities, including coal and spare clothes, in addition to the necessary weapons and rations.

"But our soldiers don't have much experience after all." Xu Jing said, "Those Tartars live on the grasslands, and they have unique conditions to withstand this kind of weather. We should find a way to move, even if it is for fighting. It's good."

Tang Yin said: "We are already very far north, and the desert is all around us. Can you tell the difference between the desert and the grassland today?"

"This……"

Xu Jing felt speechless.

Tang Yin sighed, "Get a heater and go inside to warm yourself up. I know you don't want to come out. I still have to discuss the march with Pinglu Hou later. If you don't want to participate, don't come."

"No." Xu Jing said, "I want to hear it. Since I'm here, I have to go back alive, right? I've been through these hard days... I always feel like I have no hope for tomorrow."

……

……

It was almost night.

Another heavy snow is coming.

The soldiers were shoveling snow outside in batches, and they also had to carry out daily patrols and defense in the camp.

When Zhang Rui and Ma Yi arrived at Tang Yin's tent, it was almost completely dark. There was a brazier lit inside and Tang Yin was guarding the brazier. In addition to Tang Yin, even the personal guards around Tang Yin were guarding the brazier.

In this environment of minus 20 to 30 degrees Celsius, warmth is very important for the Ming Dynasty soldiers.

"The temperature may continue to drop." Tang Yin said this just as Ma Yi and his companions came in from the door and the guards were still trying to close the tent curtains tightly.

Ma Yi exhaled and said, "Lord Tang's tent is warmer than other places."

Tang Yin said, "Call a few more soldiers over tonight to make up for the loss. We will combine the big tents in the future. If that doesn't work, we can use the Tartar's tents. We have captured quite a few of them before."

The thing that the Ming soldiers were most lacking in preparation for this expedition was probably the large tents.

Originally there were horses specifically for transporting these, but basically all they wanted was a tent to shelter their heads. There weren't many large tents, usually just five-person tents, and a team of five only needed to carry one.

But when you get to the grassland and encounter bad weather, the importance of a big tent becomes apparent.

The tent is big, and although it is drafty, at least it can accommodate a lot of people, and they can also make a bonfire inside, or even two bonfires. When there are more soldiers, there will be some warmth. If the outside is covered with ice, snow or white cloth, it will have a better insulation effect.

Zhang Rui said: "The soldiers in Dongying are already setting up new tents, but unfortunately there is too little wood to be found. This place is very close to the river beach, and it is difficult to find trees on the grassland."

Xu Jing laughed and said, "Why else would it be called grassland? It must be all grass."

"There are thorns too," said Ma Yi.

Xu Jing said cheerfully: "Thorns are good things. They make a crackling sound when burned, giving people a sense of security. If you burn hay, no amount of hay will be enough."

Tang Yin asked, "Do the soldiers have enough coal?"

Zhang Rui shook his head helplessly and said, "It's not enough. We brought too little. We didn't expect to encounter such bad weather. Some camps have run out of coal and have to transfer it from other places. If the snow doesn't stop and the weather continues to be so bad, I'm afraid..."

Zhang Rui was too embarrassed to continue saying those bad words.

Because the environment the soldiers encountered was too bad.

Xu Jing smiled and said, "It's better than the beginning of the year. I find that every winter is like this. But before, it was with different generals of our Tang army, but this year it's you. Isn't this bad luck?"

Tang Yin said with a straight face: "Is this what you should say?"

Xu Jing smiled helplessly and said nothing more, continuing to warm his hands.

In the past two years, Xu Jing and Tang Yin have suffered a lot.

It was again in Duobi City, and last year he led the Korean troops to suffer in the bitter cold of Liaodong.

Zhang Rui sat down and asked, "How was the situation last year?"

"It's much worse than this." Xu Jing said helplessly, "Last year, the Koreans didn't even have basic winter clothing. The weather wasn't this cold, but too many people died, many of them simply froze to death. This year is not so bad, our Ming soldiers are much better equipped than them."

Ma Yi said: "If you expected this, maybe you should bring more resources. Otherwise..."

Tang Yin asked: "I know what you are thinking, and I also know what the soldiers are thinking. Do you think it is easy to withdraw to Ming Dynasty now?"

When asked, no one said a word.

As generals, those present were well aware of the difficulty of their current situation.

Let alone retreating to the Ming territory, even asking them to walk dozens of miles in this weather would be almost impossible. Xu Jing asked, "What if the Tatars come to attack us now..."

"No." This time it was Ma Yi who made the conclusion directly. "The Tartars are not gods. No matter what kind of animals they are, they can't move on this day. And... what our army lacks most right now... is probably fodder. It's okay for people to have food to eat, but fodder for animals... Lord Tang, we must make plans."

Tang Yin was also helpless.

Horses are the driving force for the troops to advance or retreat. After all, the soldiers do not rely solely on their own legs to walk. Without horses to carry so many supplies, they would not be able to get out of the grassland at all.

But horses eat differently from humans.

Horses need fodder, but they can't find fodder in this kind of weather, and it's impossible to feed the horses directly with beef or mutton...

People could survive, but the animals were starving to death.

Zhang Rui said, "The Tartar captives said that if we go one or two hundred miles further east, there might be a larger Tartar camp. They should have stored a lot of fodder for the winter. But we can't just go there like this."

"Fuck him." Xu Jing said, "I can't live a good life, but I have to suffer like this here."

It was originally discouraging words, which really hurt the morale of the soldiers.

Ma Yi seemed to know Xu Jing's distress, and said, "If we go back now, sleep on a warm kang, with a wife to warm the bed, how happy would that be?"

This one sentence not only gave Xu Jing a boost of spirits, but also boosted the morale of the guards next to him.

Zhang Rui smiled and said, "The Tartars have quite a few female captives this time. Do you want to send them to the soldiers in each camp?"

"Forget it, I can't stand it." Ma Yi waved his hand and said, "The women on the grassland are different from those in other places. It may be because they eat meat. The women in the Ming Dynasty are better. They look delicate."

Xu Jing said with a smile: "Old Ma, where did you get this pretty girl? Did you steal her?"

Zhang Rui grinned, his lips bleeding, mainly because of chapped lips. After all, among the people present, he was the most pampered one.

Zhang Rui smiled and said, "Marquis Pinglu took in two concubines. Before they were even warm to the touch, they came to the grassland. They have been fighting in the past two years."

Zhang Rui hit the nail on the head, and Ma Yi sighed, "I've gotten used to it in the past two years."

Tang Yin said, "Let's just hold on. We can't bear it, and neither can the Tartars. This winter is exceptionally cold, with lots of snow and wind. That's why the Tartars won't be on guard. When the snow and wind stop, we'll charge out."

"it is good."

"must!"

Everyone is still encouraging each other.

But apparently it didn't work.

In such horrible weather, the only thing on this group of people's mind was survival. Only by staying alive could they have a chance to leave the grassland.

As for the subsequent wars, they seemed to have little to do with them, because they did not think that achieving more victories would bring them greater glory.

Life is the most important thing.

……

……

Under the same harsh winter weather, another group of people are about to embark on a "road of no return".

It was at this time that the crew of the fleet set out to sea, preparing to sail to America.

For most crew members, this was an opportunity they had actively sought...

The salary for each voyage is at least two hundred taels of silver, not counting the rewards that can be obtained through wars, etc. If some other rewards are added, such as promotion in military rank and the increase in annual salary... this voyage is definitely not a loss.

But for some people, this trip to sea is simply exile and a way to die.

For example, Liu Jin.

Liu Jin was transferred directly to Binhai City while serving as the military supervisor in the southern expedition to suppress bandits, and then he sailed out to sea.

This time, Liu Jin was only a garrison eunuch in the army, and the commander-in-chief was the Duke of England, Zhang Mao... Even Zhang Mao himself did not expect that he would become the leader of the fleet. Fortunately, he was not seasick, but he was dumbfounded after being on the sea.

What choice did I make?

After six or seven days at sea, Zhang Mao fell ill. There was nothing wrong with his body, but he was too worried. Thinking that he might not be able to return alive, Zhang Mao felt that he might die at sea or in a foreign country, without even the chance to be buried.

That day Liu Jin went to visit the patient.

Logically speaking, Liu Jin should not be on the same boat with Zhang Mao. This is the rule of sailing. It is necessary to ensure that if some ships capsize, there will be corresponding command and response functions on other ships.

But Liu Jin himself felt very miserable, so he took advantage of the relatively calm sea, used the cables between the ships, boarded the prepared lifeboat, and ran to Zhang Mao's ship.

"Eunuch Liu? You..."

When Zhang Mao saw Liu Jin, he did not feel sympathy, but felt that Liu Jin was coming to laugh at him.

Now everyone he sees is an enemy.

Liu Jin said, "Look, I've brought a doctor to you, sir."

Zhang Mao coughed twice and said, "Which ship doesn't have a doctor? There are more than 20 ships. Nothing happened later, right?"

"It's okay." Zhong Decai said, "Today's ships not only use sails, but also use things called steam engines. Especially the huge steel ships, they will not sink even if they encounter reefs."

Zhang Mao frowned and asked, "Have you tried it?"

"I..." Zhong Decai immediately realized that Zhang Mao was angry and was deliberately choking him.

Liu Jin said: "I heard that the following ships also include the former Duke Baoguo and some craftsmen..."

Zhang Mao was still a little sick, even dying, but when he heard this, he immediately sat up and asked, "Is his wife also on the boat?"

"No." Liu Jin said, "But there are women in the army."

Zhang Mao curled his lips and said, "How could I not know?"

During this voyage, the emperor specially allowed Zhang Mao to bring his female family members along, and the emperor was responsible for taking care of Zhang Mao's daily life on the ship.

But even so, Zhang Mao was still very dissatisfied.

Liu Jin said, "Sir, we are in the same boat. It will take at least two or three months to reach the new land. If things go wrong, even if we reach the land, it will take another one or two months to find the place where we camped before."

"The weather has become warmer..." Zhang Mao answered the question irrelevantly.

Zhong Decai said, "According to the navigation chart, we are heading towards the equator, which means we are heading south. It's not like the north, so the temperature is still acceptable. Don't worry, sir. After a few more days, maybe the weather will get warmer."

"That's good, that's good." Zhang Mao said, "If the weather gets colder, I'm afraid my old rheumatoid arthritis will flare up and I'll..."

"I won't die." Zhong Decai rolled his eyes, meaning, do you think you are the only one who has a problem with it? I don't have any? (End of this chapter)