In early October, the season finally entered winter, but Zhu Gaoxu and others felt that it had already been a severe winter here.
After the central army set up camp in the evening, Zhu Gaoxu received two reports from Qu Neng, the vanguard army. Judging from the signatures, they were sent out on the same day, but Zhu Gaoxu received them at the same time.
The first one roughly stated that Qu Neng’s troops were attacked by a large group of Tatar cavalry on the north side of the Luzhou River. The enemy dispatched at least 6,000 to 7,000 cavalry! Qu Neng had already formed a defensive formation on the spot. The second one stated that after the Tatar cavalry attacked, the two sides were facing each other across a mile.
Upon hearing the news, the generals in the central army were sure that the enemy had taken the bait! Everyone was excited and impatient. They were ready to march to the Lushan River and fight a big battle to vent their frustration after two months o
The formation of Liu Sheng's army was similar to a triangle, with the widest part facing east and the two wings shrinking towards the middle. Most of the cavalry of Liu Sheng's army were behind the numerous infantry phalanxes, and the two cavalry reinforcements that arrived this morning were located on the two wings of the formation.He did not set up a defensive formation, nor an offensive formation. Unless the Tatars went around the rear wing, the shape of Liu Sheng’s army would be like an arrow cluster formation.The enemy's main cavalry was already more than a hundred steps away, but the Tatars rode slowly, showing no signs of charging. Since the Song Dynasty and the Jin Dynasty, the armies of the various forces in China seemed to have rarely had heavy cavalry equipped with armor to charge into battle.Liu Sheng squinted his eyes and looked at the large group of Tatar troops not far away, but he could not see clearly; because he was facing the east, faci
On the deserted plains on the north bank of the Luzhou River, the Qu Neng tribe was continuously harassed by a large group of Tatar cavalry. This was already the third day.The land under the dark clouds was covered with smoke and dust, and it looked chaotic. Cavalry were rushing in all directions, and the rumbling sound of horse hooves was unusually loud.A trench wall had been built in the middle of the battle array, with tents and horses inside. But the main force of the Ming army's infantry was still deployed around the fortifications, arrayed outside.The Ming army stayed where they were and did not attempt to move their formation; the enemy attacked and shot at them many times but could not find an opportunity.The battlefield had been deadlocked for a long time, but suddenly, the enemy seemed to lose patience! Outside the battle formation, several groups of Tatar cavalry began to charge.Dust filled the air as the Tatar soldiers swept in.
In the middle camp of the army, screams could be heard from time to time, which was very scary. The Ming army was torturing the prisoners.Zhu Gaoxu had not gone to bed yet. He was pacing back and forth in front of a pot of charcoal fire.There was a map on the ground, but he did not look at it. He walked around for a while and then squatted in front of the brazier . The light of the charcoal fire reflected on his face, and he looked dazed.In addition to Zhu Gaoxu, there was another person in the tent, Duan Xuehen. She sat quietly beside him, sometimes closing her eyes, occasionally looking up to observe Zhu Gaoxu... He seemed a little restless at this time.Zhu Gaoxu turned around and said, "It's very late, you should go to bed first."Duan Xuehen raised his head and said softly, "I used to not sleep at night, and I was mostly alone. I feel great to be with His Majesty tonight."Zhu Gaoxu said no more. However, as the two of them stayed i
Under the gradually darkening sky, the snow on the ground was whiter than the sky. Zhu Gaoxu walked away from the frozen shore of the "Lake Like the Sea", with the military commander Chen Wu leading his brown horse behind him.Fires flickered in the military camps, and smoke curled in the air. The baggage soldiers had already prepared dinner, and the soldiers were queuing up with iron bowls to scoop up food.Zhu Gaoxu was not surrounded by many people; when he walked into the military camp, he was still recognized by many people. The soldiers came forward, clasped their fists and saluted, and greeted the emperor with words. Although the light was not very good, the group quickly attracted the attention of many soldiers."Soldiers who are not on duty, please go to the tent early after dinner." Zhu Gaoxu walked up to a sergeant and shook the snow off his shoulders. The sergeant stood there with his fists clasped, not daring to move.Zhu Gaoxu looked back
After snowing for several days, the weather finally cleared up, but the snow on the ground had not melted, and looking around, the fields were all white.Zhu Gaoxu felt the cold wind on his face and felt that the snow might not melt throughout the winter.Nearly ten days have passed since the central army decided to continue its advance northward, and it is now mid-October.The Ming army had almost no effective military supplies within a radius of a thousand miles. The food reserves for the return journey were getting less and less, and the soldiers had to eat dead horses to save food. The weather was extremely cold, and water literally froze into ice at night, making life extremely difficult. The soldiers were exhausted, and they had already traveled about three thousand miles since they set out on the expedition!However, Zhu Gaoxu often inspected the camps and believed that the Ming army still maintained considerable combat effectiveness and morale.
On the snowy wasteland, dozens of long columns of the Ming army were moving. To the west of the army was the "sea-like lake" (Hulun Lake), but now people could not tell the difference between land and lake."By tomorrow, we won't be able to see the lake anymore!" someone in the central army shouted.Everyone looked very bulky. The soldiers wore cotton and felt towels under their helmets and chain mail, which also covered their ears; so they had to speak very loudly so that others could hear them clearly.Zhu Gaoxu sat on horseback, opened the rough map and looked at it for a while, then looked at the scene in the sky, and estimated: tomorrow the army will be able to reach the northeast of the Sea Lake (Hulun Lake).There were almost no living things to be seen on all sides except the Ming army's flags and troops.Earlier this month, in the battle west of Buir Lake, the Tatar army suffered a head-on attack from Liu Sheng's troops and suffered heav
There is a piece of wasteland northwest of the Ruhai Lake, called "the land of abundant springs".In the Tatar camp, there was a huge round tent. Above the tent stood a large white flag with complex patterns painted on it, called the "Nine-flag White Banner". The many patterns surrounded a golden spear stuck in the mane of a black horse, also known as the "Sulide".Countless Tatar nobles and soldiers knelt in front of the big tent, worshipping the white flag. The Khan in a long robe turned his back to the crowd and recited prayers in Mongolian."Sulide, who can subdue fierce demons and stubborn enemies! Urgently call Jin Sulid! Holy Lord Genghis Khan Sulid, please send out your gift to bless the royal descendants and common people..."Dahan chanted for a while, and everyone bowed down together, raised their hands and cheered, "Su Lide!"Slaves and Han people from various ethnic groups in the distance were not allowed to approach and could only kn
"Good news! Good news..." Several cavalrymen rushed into the Ming army camp and began to shout loudly. Many soldiers heard the noise and looked in the barracks in the direction of the sound.Zhu Gaoxu and others in the Chinese army's camp were also alarmed, and they walked out of the tent.Only then did Zhu Gaoxu realize that at some point, heavy snow began to fall in the sky again. The numerous felt tents in the camp were already covered with a layer of white snow.The snowflakes in the sky seemed to add a bit of vitality to the originally barren frozen land.A rider who had just been let into the central army camp dismounted in the snow. He must have seen Zhu Gaoxu, so he strode forward, took out the sealed report, knelt on one knee and said loudly, "Your Majesty, the vanguard Duke E defeated the Tatar king's tent, and sent me back to report the victory!"The civil and military officials at the door of the big tent spoke and congratulated Zhu G