The Ming Dynasty started with saving the eldest grandson

Chapter 265 Going straight to Huanglong
A pursuit battle is taking place on the grasslands near Gyeongju.

A Beiyuan tribe with about a thousand people was being chased by a small group of Ming troops.

In order to survive by cutting off their tails, the tribe sent dead soldiers to intercept them from time to time.

"kill……"

Xu Yungong roared excitedly and rushed towards the dead soldier blocking the front.

A shot pierced the throat of an enemy soldier, and he even saw horror on the other's face.

They are said to be dead soldiers, but they are actually herdsmen who raise weapons.

In just a moment, all the dead soldiers who came to intercept were beheaded.

Xu Yungong continued to lead people to chase him.

It was originally just an ordinary patrol, and I could stretch my hands and feet.

Target not found.

Among them is the royal court of Togu Si Timur.

This is a problem that farming civilizations have faced when attacking nomadic peoples for thousands of years.

Nomadic people live in pursuit of water and grass, and it is difficult to track their whereabouts.

In the military camp, it is easier to get some information.

Beiyuan Khan Togusi Timur, also known as Tianyuan Emperor, was stationed in Yuerhai (Bell Lake).

Don't wonder why the army has been dispatched and we still don't know where to fight.

There are also young men and women from this tribe who have been recruited.

Why can an ordinary tribe know where the emperor is?
It's very simple. When the Ming Dynasty attacked Liaodong last year, the herders living nearby were moved to the depths of the grassland.

Therefore, even though the opponent had a large number of people, they still started to run away when they saw their army.

But rather than going to unknown places, they are more willing to take risks and return to familiar surroundings.

Especially when facing the regular army, this gap is even more obvious.

They were frightened and confused. Didn't they say the war was over? Why are there still Ming troops on the grassland?

But it was too late to regret now.

What's more, in order to deal with emergencies, Beiyuan also mobilized young men from various tribes to form a temporary army.

Although Gyeongju was occupied by the Ming army, it was close to the border.

At this time, Lan Yu was also leading a group of subordinates looking at the map and worrying.

Unexpectedly, just halfway through, they were about to enter their pasture, but they encountered a Ming army's reconnaissance force.

Although he only brought more than a hundred people with him, and this Beiyuan tribe had thousands of people, about three to four hundred young men, he still rushed forward without hesitation.

Such as tea, salt, iron pot, etc.

The two sides fought for a whole day, and the tribe finally surrendered in despair.

After receiving the information, Xu Yungong ordered his men to escort the herdsmen back to Qingzhou, and he led several of his men to escort the leader of the tribe back.

What's more, being close to the border between the two countries, one can also purchase many necessities from the Ming Dynasty through mutual trade.

In early March, he led an army of 200,000 troops from Daning to Gyeongju as planned.

It is said that the people of Beiyuan become warriors when they mount a horse, but there is a completely different difference between a trained warrior and a herdsman who can ride a horse.

So many herders gathered together that it exceeded the capacity of the local pastures.

So they used all the information about Bei Yuan, including the whereabouts of Togu Si Timur, in exchange for a chance for their tribe to survive.

Later, after the war ended, the temporarily recruited young men returned to the tribes and spread all kinds of information.

A lot of information that you can't usually find out can be easily found out now.

This is the case for this tribe. Their original pasture is near Gyeongju.

How could he let go of the credit he had received?
The most important thing is that he wants to get more information from the other party.

With so many tribes gathered together, the news would naturally be very well-informed.

After interrogation, Xu Yungong obtained information that he couldn't believe.

Some small tribes began to leave.

Some ventured further afield, while others decided that the war was over and it was time to return to their original pastures.

As for whether Wang Ting will suffer a blow, it has nothing to do with them.

It is naturally impossible to expect ordinary herders to keep secrets.

However, where to hit next became the most troublesome question.

The so-called cutting off the tail to survive is nothing more than a desperate struggle.

Unexpectedly, he caught a Beiyuan tribe, which was really an unexpected surprise.

But how could the herdsmen with their families escape the pursuit of regular cavalry?

The point is, they can leave at any time.

Today you have the information. When the army is dispatched, they will be gone soon.

Lan Yu was also facing the same situation at this time, not knowing where the enemy was.

Langjuxu Mountain is naturally a very clear target, and there must be a large number of Beiyuan people living there.

But that's more than two thousand miles away from Gyeongju.

Leading an army of 200,000 across the entire desert is simply courting death.

The army either died of exhaustion or starved to death on the road.

Even if you barely make it, how much fighting power will you still have left?

Suppose further that the Ming army could still maintain its combat effectiveness. If Bei Yuan was not blind or deaf, he would not have escaped?

By then, the Ming army, which would be unable to obtain food supplies, would have no choice but to eat people.

Back then, Huo Qubing also marched with a partial division, and it took several military operations before he was able to seal the wolf and live in Xu.

Even if Lan Yu wanted to make meritorious deeds, she still knew that deciding the outcome in one battle would be a fantasy.

His goal is to advance slowly, advancing five hundred miles this year and another five hundred miles next year, and then seek a decisive battle.

"The imperial court's strategy is to build cities where there are water sources and then station troops to reclaim wasteland."

"Use this method to encroach on Mobei bit by bit, and eventually eliminate Beiyuan."

"So the purpose of our sending troops this time is not to kill many enemies, but to find a suitable place to build a city."

"As long as the first city can be built, we will turn from passive to active."

"Let's discuss where to build the first city..."

At this moment, the soldiers came in to report that General Xu Yungong was back, bringing important information and asking for a meeting outside.

Lan Yu frowned slightly, showing an unhappy look on her face.

A major meeting is being held here. Is there anything we can't discuss later? Do you have to rush this time?
But who gave Xu Yungong a special status? He still had to give him face.

"Let him in."

Soon Xu Yungong, covered in blood, walked in panting.

Everyone couldn't help but be stunned when they saw his appearance. What's going on?
This person has just returned from fighting on the battlefield. Is there any enemy who dares to come to Gyeongju to run wild?

Lan Yu quickly asked about the situation.

Xu Yungong told all the news he had learned.

Actually mastered the whereabouts of Emperor Tianyuan?
Everyone looked at each other and couldn't believe their ears.

Lan Yu was ecstatic. Isn't this just a sleepy pillow?

However, he still maintained his rationality and called the tribe leader over. After some questioning, he finally confirmed the authenticity of the information.

"Haha... OK, OK, Yungong, you have made a great contribution before the battle begins."

Xu Yungong couldn't hide his joy: "It's a lucky chance."

Lan Yu encouraged him a few more words and asked him to listen.

"Do you think this information is credible?"

The generals expressed their opinions one after another.

Some people think it is unbelievable. After all, how could a group of ordinary herdsmen know the whereabouts of the Beiyuan Emperor?
Even if it were true, would he be gone now?

Moreover, the road from Liaodong to Bell Lake must be full of spies from Beiyuan. The Ming army would not be able to go far before they would be detected.

Emperor Tianyuan had plenty of time to escape. Some people think it is credible because the source of the information is sudden, so there is no possibility of fraud.

And what the tribal leader said was completely logical.

Tang Shengzong analyzed: "Last year when the Ming Dynasty attacked Liaodong, the puppet emperor of the Northern Yuan Dynasty would not be too far away from Liaodong for the convenience of command."

"But for his own safety, he will not get too close to Liaodong."

"The Fishing Sea is 700 miles away from Liaodong, so it's neither far nor close, so it's very suitable."

Wang Bi also agreed: "If there is a lake, there will be water, and if there is water, there will be large tracts of pasture, so that we can support the royal court of the Northern Yuan Dynasty and the surrounding tribes."

"I think it is entirely possible for Beiyuan to place Wang Ting here."

The analysis of the two people has been recognized by many people.

In the end, Lan Yu made the decision and said: "Whether this news is true or false, we must go to the fishing sea."

"As you said, there are lakes, water and large pastures here, so it is naturally suitable for building a city and farming."

"It would be the best if we can really catch Bei Yuan Wang Ting here."

"If we can't find it, we'll build a fort here."

Someone questioned: "This is deep in the grassland. Is it too dangerous to build a city here?"

Lan Yu said: "There is nothing to worry about if there is cement. Besides, we are not just building this city."

"When the city is completed, forts will be built along the way to station troops."

"A defensive belt of hundreds of miles will then be formed to compress the activity space of the Beiyuan people."

Build cities and fortresses with cement to form a line, and then the line becomes a network to completely control the grassland.

This is a strategy that was proposed a long time ago.

Over the years, the military has been deducing the implementation plan of this strategy, and the court has been hoarding cement and raw materials.

Now it’s finally time to get down to business.

Seeing that Lan Yu had a detailed plan, the others stopped saying anything.

Afterwards, everyone discussed what to do specifically.

It would definitely not work to directly lead the army to attack. The Northern Yuan court must be full of spies in the direction of Liaodong.

When they discover the movements of the Ming army, they can completely retreat and let the army catch up.

Therefore, it is best for the Ming army to hide their whereabouts.

And this is exactly what Lan Yu is best at.

As a pioneer, what he is best at is secret marching and attacking.

A plan was made immediately: "Marquis of Yan'an, you lead 50,000 people to pretend to be the main force to attract Beiyuan's attention."

"Remember not to overact and scare the false emperor away."

Although Tang Shengzong was unwilling, he did not disobey the order, and this was also a big achievement.

"I personally led 150,000 people from Gyeongju north to bypass Bukwon's front and hit him from the side."

"Send more scouting horses along the way and kill all the people you meet along the way. The whereabouts of the army must not be revealed."

One day later, Tang Shengzong led an army of 50,000 people, stretched his troops to look like an army of more than 100,000 people, and attacked south of Gyeongju.

The fishing sea is in the northwest direction of Gyeongju, just staggered.

Beiyuan didn't know that the location of his royal court had been exposed, and he couldn't guess Daming's true goal.

I just thought that Tang Shengzong led the main force of the Ming army.

While they sent people to monitor the Ming army, they also sent people to move away all the herdsmen in this direction.

Get ready for a clearing of the wilderness.

All attention is attracted to Tang Shengzong, and naturally, the power in other directions will weaken.

Three days later, Lan Yu led an army of 150,000 people and marched north with only a month's supply of food and grass.

Xu Yungong once again served as the vanguard general, leading 5,000 people to set off first and eliminate everyone he met along the way.

Moreover, they once again determined the location of Togu Si Timur from the mouths of people they caught along the way.

Twenty days later, the Ming army arrived at the southern shore of Yuerhai.

Lan Yu immediately ordered the army to rest, and then sent Xu Yungong to spy on detailed information.

Xu Yungong attacked a small isolated tribe and determined that the royal court of the Northern Yuan Dynasty was located eighty miles northeast of Yuerhai.

There is a plain washed out by a river, called Daor'er, which is rich in water and grass.

Naturally, such a good place can only be occupied by Wang Ting.

Beiyuan Khan Tuogusi Timur, Prince Tianbaonu, Zhiyuan Nie Yilai, Prime Minister Shiliemen, etc. were all there.

There are also 150,000 soldiers and civilians, all of whom are members of Wang Ting's headquarters.

After grasping the details, Lan Yu was overjoyed.

An attack plan was immediately formulated for a night attack.

This trick can be said to have proven successful time and time again.

I don’t know how many famous generals in history have used it, and Lan Yu himself has used it countless times.

After the plan was formulated, the army was ordered to dig holes and rest on the spot.

The battle begins tomorrow night.

Don't ask why the camp is not there, and don't ask why the nest is dug.

This time Lan Yu did not let Xu Yungong serve as the vanguard, but let Wang Bi take this position.

There are three reasons:
"First, you discovered the accurate information about Beiyuan Royal Court, and you have already made a great contribution."

"Secondly, this battle is very important. Marquis Dingyuan is brave and experienced in fighting. I feel relieved to have him take the lead."

"Thirdly, you are still young and have more opportunities to make meritorious deeds. Marquis Dingyuan is already old, and every battle you fight means one less battle..."

This is Lan Yu's explanation to Xu Yungong.

Xu Yungong was very moved. As the coach, Lan Yu wanted stability. It was normal, and there was no need to explain to him.

"Don't worry, Commander, the general will know what to do."

Lan Yu nodded happily. From a business perspective, he really didn't need to explain to Xu Yungong.

But from a personal perspective, Lan Yu decided to tell this junior to avoid misunderstanding.

In short, the matter is settled here, and the war will begin as soon as the army repairs and regains its energy.

But just in response to that sentence, the plan could not keep up with the changes.

The weather suddenly turned cold in the middle of the night, and strong winds began to blow.

A sandstorm is coming.

It was mid-April, a season with frequent strong winds, so it was not surprising to see sandstorms.

Lan Yu, who had been paying attention to external movements, woke up immediately.

After confirming the strong wind, he immediately ordered people to call several generals over.

"The weather changes suddenly, which is a good thing and a bad thing."

"Although it will affect our march, the Beiyuan Royal Court would never expect that someone would launch an attack at this time."

"I decided to change my plan and launch a raid early tomorrow morning."

None of the generals objected. The more times this happened, the more taboo they were against having different voices.

What's more, everyone thinks this strategy is good.

Warfare has always changed with the times, but now that there are sandstorms, night attacks are even more dangerous.

The effect is better if you take it during the day.

In fact, this was indeed the case. All the attention of the Beiyuan royal court was attracted by Tang Shengzong.

He didn't even know that his whereabouts had been exposed, and Lan Yu's 150,000 troops had already arrived at the city.

After the sandstorm broke out, they cursed God and closed the door to sleep peacefully.

Even the usual patrols have been reduced a lot.

Whoever comes to fight in this damn weather will risk his life.

Then they knew that there was indeed such a life-threatening army.

(End of this chapter)