The First Gongsheng of Ming Dynasty

Deep in the grassland.

The area in the valley where Tang Yin's troops were located was gradually compressed by the Tatar cavalry, so that around the 20th of the first lunar month, the area they could move in was reduced from dozens of miles at first to only twelve or thirteen miles at last.

"In front is the main force of the Tatars, with 130,000 to 140,000 cavalry, and in the rear are 50,000 to 60,000 Tatars, a total of nearly 200,000 troops."

"I suspect that the Tatars have used all their available troops in this battle."

Ma Yi was exhausted both physically and mentally when facing Tang Yin.

During this month, Ma Yi had weathered a snowstorm on the grassland and passed through numerous obstacles to reach the heartland of the Tatars and found the location of the Tatar Khan's court. After a battle, the Tatars had compressed their range of activities. Although Ma Yi had tried his best, he still saw the situation gradually becoming beyond redemption.

Xu Jing asked: "How much food and grass do we have left?"

Ma Yi said, "The food and grass can only last for ten days at most. If we add the horses and other animals and slaughter them... maybe we can last for another ten days or so. Now the camps have started to tighten their belts. Fortunately, the Tatars have no intention of charging at us yet."

Zhang Rui said, "The Tartars are also afraid of our cannons and guns. If we fight head-on, we will surely win. If we really can't, we can only abandon our current position and break out."

Xu Jing looked at Tang Yin eagerly and said, "Since they haven't formed a siege yet, why don't we break out now? Just go south. The Tartars won't dare to come into close contact with us."

Tang Yin said, "In this area, we have water sources, mountains and valleys to rely on. If we follow the river south, the Tatars have set up many obstacles along the way and have taken turns to fight us. Do you think our soldiers have enough strength to deal with them?"

Xu Jing looked dejected and asked, "Am I going to die here? How far is this place from the Ming Dynasty?"

Ma Yi said, "Lord Xu, we captured the Tatar prisoners earlier and asked about the location of this place. We learned that the nearest border to the Ming Dynasty is more than 1,300 miles away. If we go to Weining Sea, it is more than 2,000 miles away. The nearest way here is still to go through the Hetao area. Unless reinforcements arrive, we can only fight alone."

Zhang Rui also said: "The food is not enough to support us to return to the Ming Dynasty. A battle with the Tatars on the way is inevitable."

Tang Yin smiled calmly and said, "Isn't this good? Previously we always complained that the Tartars didn't fight us head-on, but now they have come to their senses and want to fight us. Are we still scared?"

"But we don't have any artillery." Xu Jing said, "There are only a few light artillery pieces, and not many shells. Even the soldiers have used up more than half of their fire bombs. The Tatars are only trying to fight us. If they charge us in full force, I'm afraid..."

Xu Jing was very scared at this time.

I originally thought that with the powerful weapon like the musket, even if we couldn't win on the spot, we would at least have a chance to return to the Ming Dynasty.

And now Tang Yin didn't even plan to break out, as if he was waiting to die here, which gradually undermined Xu Jing's willpower.

"Reinforcements will come." Tang Yin said.

Xu Jing asked: "Where are the reinforcements coming from? Xinjianbo? It will take us at least a month to return along the same route. How can we guarantee food and grass? Who knows where we are now? How many reinforcements are needed to eliminate the Tatars in one go?"

Zhang Rui said, "Master Xu, let me put it this way. As long as the Ming border troops start to enter the grassland, the Tartars will be overwhelmed. Then we may have a chance to retreat unscathed."

"Forget it, you are really a bunch of lunatics." Xu Jing said, "I don't know why I want to be with you. Bo Hu, you don't care about your life now, but the soldiers still want to go back alive. Besides, we are the elite soldiers of the Ming Dynasty. Didn't we say we want to pacify the grassland? If you kill these elite soldiers, you will be a sinner of the Ming Dynasty."

Tang Yin looked indifferent.

I'm already dead, why do I still care if I'm a sinner? You, Xu Jing, are really funny.

……

……

Zhang Rui immediately went to take charge of the camp defense, and also had to lead troops to capture the camp that the Tatars had just set up.

The sound of explosions could still be heard in the night sky; that was the Ming using gunpowder to blow up the Tatar camp... but the Tatars had the upper hand in numbers after all, and at night they would constantly test the weaknesses of the Ming's defenses, set up camps from different directions, and gradually advance forward, compressing the Ming army's range of activities step by step.

Ma Yi went to Tang Yin's tent to pay a personal visit.

Tang Yin pointed at the map hanging in the candlelight and said, "If we send a group of people to head straight to the direction of Weining Sea, how many days will it take to get back?"

"It will take fifteen days even if it's fast," Ma Yi said. "People can bear it, but horses can't. It's more than two thousand miles, and we have to cross mountains and rivers. It's probably not easy. If we want to send a message back, we may be able to pass through some tribes that have nothing to do with the two countries and go south to the Hetao area, where we may have a better chance."

Tang Yin asked: "If the Ming army starts to rush to our aid now, how long will it take for them to reach us?"

This question stumped Ma Yi.

Tang Yin turned around and looked at Ma Yi and said, "Marquis Pinglu, do you think that Duke Cai can make every possible plan?"

Hearing Tang Yin mention Zhang Zhou, Ma Yi perked up and said, "From what I have seen, I have never seen anyone who understands tactics and military strategies better than Duke Cai. If everything is as Duke Cai expected, I think reinforcements are on the way now."

"I also think so."

Tang Yin said, "Before I left the capital, Duke Cai told me that once I got to the three borders, as long as there was an opportunity to send troops, I should definitely bring them out and not rush back. No matter where I was, he could bring troops to help me."

Ma Yi was surprised and asked, "You mean, Duke Cai had already predicted today's situation?"

"Maybe." Tang Yin sighed, "In fact, I don't quite understand his intentions. I only know that in the past few years, whenever I led troops out, I would encounter unprecedented difficulties. As long as I stick to the difficulties and don't lose my mind, I will be able to turn danger into safety, and even achieve success. And Duke Cai used me to fight in the northwest, maybe because of this... He is waiting for me to be in danger, and then use my experience and wait for the opportunity to come."

Ma Yi thought about it and said, no wonder Lord Tang is so calm. He is in danger but can still arrange everything calmly.

Since he had often encountered such things in the past, and he also believed that he had great trust in the Duke of Cai, he believed that the Ming Dynasty would not give up such an army, and that it was very likely that all of this was planned.

Tang Yin said: "Before the Tatars decided to fight us, I didn't understand why there was such an arrangement. But now, I seem to understand."

Ma Yi asked in surprise, "You mean, the Tatars thought that we have less than 10,000 soldiers and horses, and they could defeat us, so they fought us at all costs, even at the cost of losing soldiers and generals? They thought that as long as they won this battle, they would have a chance to fight the Ming Dynasty in the future? But in fact, this was already expected by Duke Cai. As long as they sent troops to help, they could fight the main force of the Tatars, and there would be no question of avoiding the battle."

Tang Yin asked: "Do you think there is a problem with this idea?"

"No problem." Ma Yi said, "If we want to fight the Tatars when we have the advantage, we have to take a risky move." Tang Yin shook his head and said, "But I think there is a problem. Even if reinforcements come, why would the Tatars want to fight them? Relying on us to attack from both north and south, and cooperate with each other? Then, won't it be a tug-of-war?"

Ma Yi was speechless for a moment.

Tang Yin said, "Back then, when Xinjian Bo led his troops into the grasslands, he had the opportunity to chase down the main force of the Tatars with his skills. At that time, he also relied on pursuit and interception to gain a lot of benefits, but in the end, didn't he... quit while he was ahead?"

Ma Yi asked, "Are you saying that this battle has no chance of pacifying the grasslands, and can only cause some losses to the Tatars? In fact, I think... everything depends on human efforts. I don't know the plan of Duke Cai."

Tang Yin sighed, "Our situation has become increasingly difficult. If we had known earlier, we should have brought more food and supplies. We didn't have to move so fast. We have killed many enemies and captured many prisoners, but we can't keep these prisoners now."

"You mean..."

"We don't have enough food and grass. We must go all out now. Kill all the Tatar prisoners. Enrage the Tatars and make them come down the river to fight us! From now on, we will not take any prisoners!"

There isn't enough food for ourselves, and we still have to leave some for the prisoners?
It was obviously not in Tang Yin's interest to release the captives, and the final result was... a desperate battle with the Tatars.

……

……

On the twenty-second day of the first lunar month, Zhang Zhou had been on the grassland for nearly ten days.

At this time, the soldiers' marching speed could still be maintained at about 100 miles a day, which was much slower than in the Ming Dynasty, but it was basically the limit of grassland marching. In the middle of the journey, not even a single figure was seen. It can be said that they were galloping on a deserted grassland.

Sun Shangqi was responsible for serving as the vanguard officer in the army, personally leading 300 cavalrymen and responsible for exploring the road ahead.

After setting up camp that night, Sun Shangqi came back to report the situation to Zhang Zhou, but saw bonfires everywhere in the camp. Changing from the previous style of marching in secret, Zhang Zhou now wanted to make a big show of sending out troops.

"Sir, we have been several dozen miles ahead and still haven't seen any signs of Tatar activity. Not to mention Tatar camps or tribes, we haven't even seen any of their scouts or scattered tribesmen."

Sun Shangqi also seemed very puzzled.

As a member of the Imperial Guard, he was not suitable for spying, but this time Zhang Zhou asked him to lead the troops as a vanguard officer, which was something Sun Shangqi did not understand.

The troops led by Zhang Zhou himself were not the main force of the border army. After marching for a long time, the soldiers had actually begun to complain. It could be said that the morale of the troops was not high, and they were only holding on because of Zhang Zhou's strict orders.

Zhang Zhou said: "We are about to reach the border of Guanshan. This is the area where the Tatars are most frequented."

Sun Shangqi asked, "Aren't we going to rescue Tang Zhongcheng's troops? Aren't they in Guanshan?"

"No, they are about four or five hundred miles northwest of Guanshan. That means we can meet them in another five or six days. But the further we go, the harder it will be to move forward. The Tatars will soon find out where we are and send troops to intercept us."

Zhang Zhou said, waving his hand at Sun Shangqi, "Tell the soldiers that as long as the Tatars don't come to attack at night, there is no need to be too cautious. Just do what you need to do. We came to the grassland to enjoy the victory on the battlefield. As long as you don't desert and don't kill your comrades, I won't restrict you from doing anything else."

"Yes."

Sun Shangqi was even more puzzled.

Zhang Zhou's troops were known to be an elite force, but they seemed to be lax in military discipline.

Apart from the faster marching speed, it seems to have no other advantages... Of course, he also knows that Zhang Zhou is showing weakness to the Tatars, making the Tatars feel that they have an opportunity to take advantage of them, but what Sun Shangqi fears most is that the soldiers cannot understand Zhang Zhou's thinking.

He really wanted to remind Zhang Zhou that if the situation continued like this and the Tatars really came, the Ming army might not have the courage to fight a decisive battle.

But Sun Shangqi would appear very inferior in front of Zhang Zhou and would not give advice casually.

……

……

The twenty-fifth day of the first lunar month.

Zhang Zhou's troops had arrived at Guanshan. After setting up the altar, Zhang Zhou began to offer sacrifices to the sky with great fanfare.

The Tatars had already shown up and were watching from a distance of less than fifty miles from the Ming army, but they did not attack rashly because they knew that this Ming army was not simple.

At the same time, the news that the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty personally led the army and sent Zhang Zhou as the vanguard officer seemed to be spread without reservation. The news quickly spread to the grassland and was also known to the people of the grassland tribes. It turned out that the man who broke into the grassland was Zhang Zhou, who had been feared by the Tatar tribe in recent years and could stop children from crying at night.

The Tatars did not know whether the donkey from Guizhou was capable, but at least Zhang Zhou was famous.

The fact that he dared to lead three thousand soldiers into the grassland is something that no ordinary person could compare to.

They did not dare to engage in a direct battle with Zhang Zhou's troops, but they also could not withdraw and avoid fighting.

They had surrounded Tang Yin's seven or eight thousand troops, so why should they be afraid of three thousand reinforcements? Besides, Zhang Zhou's troops seemed high-profile, but there was no coordinated troops in front and behind, and the Ming Dynasty did not send a second reinforcement to the interior of the grassland.

this means……

Zhang Zhou's troops were still isolated.

"There is still no news from Tang Zhongcheng." That afternoon, the sacrifice ceremony was halfway through. Zhang Zhou even had people set fire to the grassland. The Ming soldiers felt very comfortable watching the weeds burn away with the wind.

The terrain around Guanshan is flat and the grass and water are very abundant. Even in early spring, you can still see some green here, which is basically invisible in other places.

Zhang Zhou said: "The Tatars will not attack, but they will not flee either. This is the most advantageous for us. We can show them our strength and make them think that we are nothing special... When we get close to the group trapped on three sides and the two armies are about to come into contact, they will choose to fight no matter what."

"I will rely on these three thousand soldiers to completely pacify the grassland!" (End of this chapter)