The sun was hanging in the sky, almost overhead.
In the relatively flat areas between the rolling hills and forests in the east, the roads were now filled with soldiers and horses. The surging army was like an iron dragon, and the countless swaying wide-brimmed iron helmets looked like shining dragon scales.
Ping An was marching eastward with 40,000 infantry and several thousand cavalry. The army planned to march eastward first, then northward, along the eastern foothills of the mountains and the area between the Zishui River.
As long as Ping'an's troops march more than ten miles and occupy the lower hillside heights over there, they will be able to bypass the government army's flank!
However, Zhang Fu was obviously prepared and was deploying troops to his flank and rear. Therefore, Ping An was ordered to attack with a large infantry and cavalry army, otherwise it would be difficult for the cavalry alone to break through the infantry defense phalanx.
Waiting is the most exhausting thing. Zhu Gaoxu was waiting for the result in the rear, but he was more anxious than going into battle himself. Moreover, Chen Dachui brought back news that the situation had changed and the battle had become more confusing, which made Zhu Gaoxu uneasy.On the Fuyi River, a team of boatmen were shouting and pulling the boat with great effort. The leader sang "Yoho..." in a long voice, and a group of people exhaled and pulled with great effort in unison.Zhu Gaoxu stood on the river bank, watching the sand boats on the river, moving slowly in the shallow water nearby. After a while, he raised his eyes and looked at the northern sky again.However, it was impossible to see the situation on the front line from here; only the cold north wind of winter blew on his face, and he felt his cheeks a little numb....As early as late September, Zhu Gaoxu led 80,000 surrendered soldiers and 7,000 to 8,000 Han Wang army cavalry and ma
On October 13, more than 200,000 infantry and cavalry from Sheng Yong and Qu Neng arrived at the shore of Fuyi River; they finally joined Zhu Gaoxu's nearly 90,000 troops. After the main force of the Han Wang army had completed the concentration of its forces, the number of troops was nearly 300,000! In addition, there were more than 30,000 prisoners.More than a dozen floating bridges were built on the Fuyi River, and countless soldiers, horses, and vehicles crossed the river to the east bank like a long dragon.There was a fishy smell in the air. The riverbed had been stirred up by the sand boats in winter, and in the last two days some soldiers had taken nets to the river to catch fish, and the fishy smell still lingered in the north wind.Zhu Gaoxu and his entourage sat on horseback, standing on the east bank, waiting for the generals to join them.After waiting for a long time, they saw a group of people galloping towards them, with a large flag w
In mid-October, the city of Beijing was already unusually dry and cold. Between the houses with narrow and short hip roofs, only fallen leaves were seen floating, with no trace of green leaves, giving off a bleak atmosphere.Zhu Gaosui, the Prince of Zhao in Beiping City, was in a state of mind at this time, just like the scene at the turn of autumn and winter, both desolate and chaotic.Zhu Gaosui was in a side hall, looking gloomy and worried. He sat on a chair for a while, then stood up and walked around, feeling very anxious.Chief Clerk Gu Sheng is reporting the military situation in Mongolia.Because when Zhu Gaosui was conferred the title of King of Zhao, the late emperor issued an imperial decree: the military and political affairs of Beiping must be reported to King of Zhao before decisions can be made and implemented. Therefore, the people in the Zhao Palace have learned a lot from the government; this is also the reason why Zhu Gaosui is ext
A few dozen miles west of Baoqing Prefecture in Huguang Province, the sky was overcast. The north wind was howling between the mountains and forests, and raindrops were flying in the wind. It looked like it was going to rain.Zhang Fu had already ordered the troops to choose a place to set up camp. The army that was advancing eastward gradually stopped advancing.Troops and soldiers can be seen everywhere, but the grandeur of hundreds of thousands of troops cannot be felt here! Hillsides, trees and even houses block the view, and the terrain is not flat; the view on the road is not wide. All you can hear is a "buzzing..." noise from all directions, and the neighing and shouting of horses one after another.There was a village not far from Zhang Fu's side. The cavalry of the Central Army had already gone there to requisition the houses, which was the temporary headquarters of the Central Army. Zhang Fu looked up at the sky and then galloped towards the villag
Xue Lu must have cut off his own retreat in order to show his loyalty to the false emperor; the fact that he is still able to serve as the Right Deputy General of Pinghan after the defeat in Sichuan is not unrelated to the massacre of Qu Neng's family.Qu Neng was convinced of the connection in his heart, but of course he could not forget the deep hatred!It was still raining outside, with strong winds and rain. It started raining yesterday and it hadn't stopped until this morning. Qu Neng sat alone on the futon, facing the window, looking at the rain outside.The day before yesterday, his soldiers had joined the Han army. After crossing the Fuyi River, they chose a place to camp... There happened to be a dilapidated temple without monks, so Qu Neng settled there as his headquarters. Ordinary people would rather live in the wilderness than in a dilapidated temple, but Qu Neng felt that he had killed too many people and had no taboos.The air was filled
The rain almost stopped after dark, but the wind was still blowing; the sparse raindrops left in the wind were even clearer under the firelight in the dark, flickering white shadows.Zhu Gaoxu could only truly feel the countless troops and horses here at night. In ancient villages, it was usually pitch black at night, and only faint lights like ghost lights could be seen; but it was different at this time. There were fires everywhere. Soldiers not only lit lamps, but also lit bonfires. Fires could be seen everywhere under the night sky, illuminating the sky on all sides.Zhu Gaoxu was in a very restless mood tonight, tossing and turning in bed, unable to fall asleep. Miao Jin had already fallen asleep, and Zhu Gaoxu tried to push the door open just now, but it was bolted from the inside.It is said that when women get close to others, they need the right atmosphere and mood. But Zhu Gaoxu personally felt that men don't need any mood. Even though he was anxio
In mid-to-late October, the capital was calm and rainless, but there was no hint of autumn. It had been cloudy for many days, with thick clouds pressing down on the sky, and the palace above seemed within reach.Since Emperor Zhu Gaochi ascended the throne, he had hardly ever left the palace. He moved mostly between the harem, the imperial gate, and the eastern warm pavilion. Zhu Gaochi always preferred quietness and did not like to move. He was mostly sitting or lying down. He usually rode the imperial chariot or had someone carry him in a sedan chair to go to those places.However, Zhu Gaochi was very diligent and spent most of his time every day reviewing memorials or summoning ministers to discuss matters.In the past, he had some resentment towards the late emperor in his heart; but after more than a year on the throne, he now understands the late emperor a little! Zhu Gaoxu personally felt that this position was really not easy to sit on, and once he s
Baoqing Mansion, about two thousand miles away from the capital, was not really a battleground among the thousands of miles of territory of the entire Ming Dynasty. At this time, Baoqing Mansion had a limited population, and the villages in various states, counties and villages were not very prosperous.There were not many civilians within a radius of dozens of miles of where the King of Han's army was stationed. Hundreds of thousands of troops had been stationed here for many days, and there was news that the army was heading south. Now all the civilians who could escape ran away!So in late October, this place seemed a little lonely.However, the battle here is undoubtedly being watched by hundreds of millions of officials and civilians in more than a dozen provinces and more than a thousand counties of the Ming Dynasty! Although the battle will break out in this place, the court and the Han Palace have been recruiting soldiers, collecting taxes, and trans