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
The army trudged through the icy and snowy grasslands for nearly two months, from mid-October to the beginning of December, when the army's food and fodder had been used up and more than 200,000 soldiers were exhausted.At this time, cheers came from the front, and countless people heard the noise and looked around. In the hazy wind and snow, people finally saw the vague shadow of the city tower in the distance."Kaiping Wei!" A place name was mixed in the shout.As the army gradually approached the city, the government troops and soldiers who stayed in the warehouses came to greet them outside the city, beating gongs and drums. It was so lively! In the vast white wilderness, it was like a festival today.Kaipingwei had a warehouse with stored food. The granary was immediately opened, and soldiers from various camps entered the city to receive food. Smoke from cooking rose from all over the city. The Ming army soldiers, who had eaten so much horse meat
At the end of December, the Ming Emperor personally led the northern expeditionary army into Juyongguan Pass and marched to the southern foot of Jundu Mountain. The Yongle era was completely over, and the first year of Wude was about to begin.The army was stationed near a garrison at the foot of Jundu Mountain. Along the foot of the mountain along the post road, the soldiers opened up a large cemetery; the bodies of the fallen soldiers brought back from the battlefield were buried here one after another.During this festive season, people not only feel the chill of deep winter, but also an inexplicable atmosphere of fear.On the post road at the foot of the mountain, the captured enemy heads were piled up in a new cemetery, which reminded people of the "Jingguan".It is said that in ancient times, cruel monarchs would kill countless people after conquering a place, and pile up the bodies into Jingguan to shock the world. This time, the Ming army place
The army arrived in the capital in late February. Princess Lee Hyun-hye of Joseon remembered that Zhu Gaoxu had told her that it was the most beautiful season in the capital.As the ferry sailed across the vast river, Li Xianhui stood by the railing on the deck, looking at the long city walls, clusters of houses, towering pagodas, and looming towers on the east bank of the river. The vast city was on the other side. The most prosperous capital in the world was getting closer and closer.She completely forgot about the bumps and fatigue along the way, and her heart was filled with inexplicable excitement.The cool breeze on the river surface carried a faint fishy smell. In the distant harbor, a ship as big as a palace floated, and the sound of copper bells could be heard faintly. The dock on the other side was full of people. In addition to the crowd waiting there to welcome the emperor, there were also many porters, merchants and pedestrians carrying things.