Chapter 291 Support Team

On the Tushan Mountain, more than two thousand soldiers under Wang Shouren were extremely excited, but they were also arranging their troops and horses to prepare to join the main force of the Ming Dynasty.

But for the more than 10,000 Mongoljin prisoners who were captured, the scene before them was almost a death sentence for them. Even if they did not die, they would be resettled inland by the Ming Dynasty in the future. They farmed the land and became slaves under the army. The days of grazing on the grasslands, where cattle and sheep were barely visible, seemed to be gone forever.

And the men in their family may never see them again in their lifetime.

The ones outside may be their husbands, their sons, or their fathers

"Boom, boom, boom"

The Ming army at the foot of the mountain After coming over, the cannons were fired in the distance, and the sound of the cannons needed to spread far to reach them.

Even Wang Shouren was puzzled by this move.

Obviously all the cavalry of Meng Guoljin's tribe have fled, where are they going to fire the artillery?

Ma Yi rode up to Wang Shouren and asked for instructions, "Major General Wang, the troops and horses have already been fired." After the preparations are completed, you can go to join Zhang Zhitai's Chinese army at any time."

Wang Shouren said, "How can we be sure that Zhang Zhitai's troops are stationed in place and are waiting for the envoy from the mountain?"

"This"

Ma Yi and other generals could not understand.

Obviously the Ming Dynasty’s army has arrived, and Mongol Jin’s troops have retreated. How come the head of the Ministry of War is still so cautious after winning two battles? This is because he is afraid that the Tatars will pretend to be officials of the Ming Dynasty. Army

The officers and soldiers of the expeditionary force on the mountain were all waiting. After the Ming army was stationed at the foot of the mountain, a group of people came up the mountain first, headed by the deputy commander-in-chief Zhang Heling.

“Oh, it’s quite lively.”

When Zhang Heling came, he saw cattle and sheep everywhere on the mountain. The feeling was no different from when Grandma Liu entered the Grand View Garden. He immediately felt that the mountains and plains were filled with mountains and plains. The scenery was very fresh, and his expression didn't look like he was here for a fight at all.

When Wang Shouren saw it was Zhang Heling, he personally went out to greet him.

After giving a simple salute, Wang Shouren immediately asked where Zhang Zhou was.

"Mr. Zhang is at the bottom of the mountain. You didn't go to greet him, but you were very negligent. However, he didn't bother to argue with you, and asked me to come up and inform you to rectify the troops, pass Maoerzhuang, and enter Datong. Pass"

Zhang Heling smiled.

When he saw groups of prisoners tied to carriages, he felt even more amused.

Wang Shouren said, "Why would you fire cannons in the distance?"

"Ask Mr. Zhang yourself. Let's go."

Wang Shouren nodded, and then Call Ma Yi, Guan Jing and others to come over and organize people and horses to drive all the captives and livestock down the mountain.

The camp of Daming under the mountain is only a temporary station, but it is not an offensive formation. It is a bit defensive.

Wang Shouren led 200 people from the front army to the camp at the foot of the mountain. When he saw Zhang Zhou already under his horse, he greeted him from afar, with a face on his face.There was a soft smile on his face.

"Zhang Zhitai"

Everyone got off their horses. Guan Jing, Sun Shangqi and others who came with Wang Shouren hurriedly saluted Zhang Zhou.

If Wang Shouren had won their respect before, then Zhang Zhou has always been deeply respected by them. Just like Wang Shouren judged heroes by their military exploits, Zhang Zhou had more military exploits than Wang Shouren. .

Moreover, the battle in front of us was all planned by Zhang Zhou. Even if Zhang Zhou did not personally participate, Zhang Zhou still had to rely on him to bring reinforcements at the critical moment and give Mengol Jin troops and horses. Force back.

Wang Shouren stepped forward first, and then handed over his hand, "I have met Zhang Zhitai."

"You're welcome, you're welcome." Zhang Zhou said with a smile on his face, "Congratulations to Bo'an." You, you have shown the majesty of the Ming Dynasty in two battles on the grassland, and the champion is no more than that."

"Don't dare"

Wang Shouren knows very well how much he weighs.

He said, "Without Zhang Zhitai's powerful gunpowder, artillery, and flint muskets, the results of the previous two battles would have been difficult to predict. All of this was due to Zhang Zhitai's strategic planning."

Wang Shouren also knew this.

The victory was all due to the gunpowder and firearms given by Zhang Zhou. He just had to temporarily dispatch the command to make these gunpowder and firearms effective, and none of his subordinates could compete with the leader

Guan Jing came over and clasped his fists and said, "Zhang Zhitai, the bandits have just withdrawn within an hour, why not transfer a few thousand cavalry to the general, who is willing to pursue them."

"Haha. You really showed your style. Are the soldiers of the Ming Dynasty so confident in the plain grassland? General Xiaoguan, don't be too anxious. This is the territory of the grassland tribe. You see, I only brought 7,000 men and horses, but I still ride... There are so many artillery pieces that have to be transported all the way, and it will not be easy to deal with them if the Fire Sieve Headquarters comes over."

Zhang Zhou's words make it seem like he doesn't have much ability. Dare to compete with the fire sieve head on.

This is obviously different from the expectations of Guan Jing and other expeditionary force officers.

What's going on

You are very discerning. The head of the Ministry of War who was directly selected from among the new scholars is so awesome. You brought more soldiers and horses. It doesn't make sense that they are just here to cover our retreat

This is unreasonable.

Facing the puzzled looks in Guan Jing’s and others’ eyes, Zhang Zhou sighed, “Speaking of which, I gave nearly all the mighty gunpowder available to the Xuanfu to your troops for the surprise attack on Weininghai. The horses are mounted, and there are not many left. Why do you think I fired at them just now? Actually, I don't want to show my cowardice. We don't have many artillery shells. I came to the grassland to practice artillery on the emperor's order. To put it bluntly, I used artillery to shoot rabbits. "

"Fighting outside Xuanfu is also fighting, and fighting in Maoerzhuang is not against the Majesty.Lower intention. It’s just that while hunting rabbits, with the help of Wang Zhongcheng, the grassland has achieved some results. If we don’t take the results back quickly, why are we delaying here?”

This time even Wang Shouren was surprised by Zhang Zhou’s humility. .

But then he also noticed the change in Zhang Zhou's address to him. He just assumed that Zhang Zhou was wrong and did not refute anything in front of Zhang Zhou. The people present said in front of everyone, "The king has done the most great service in this battle. After I return, I will recommend it to your majesty. I will appoint the king as the censor of Qiandu and patrol a town in the northwest." ”

“This”

These words made Wang Shouren a little embarrassed.

Although Zhang Zhou didn’t say it explicitly, the people present were relatively dull. It is also conceivable that Zhang Zhou probably asked Wang Shouren to patrol Datong or Xuanfu as the censor of Qiandu, and it was more likely to be the governor of Xuanfu. After all, Ma Zhongxi himself resigned, and Wang Shouren, who had achieved military exploits, replaced Ma Zhongxi. It couldn't be more reasonable.

Zhang Zhou smiled and said, "But this is just my wishful thinking. After the merits are announced, the soldiers who have made meritorious service today will definitely be promoted to a higher rank by the imperial court. Then I am afraid that I will be rewarded." If an official intends to keep Wang Zhongcheng on his side, his majesty may recall him to the capital and bestow him with a title. "

"What are you waiting for, Lord Protector? Why don't you hurry up and coordinate with my soldiers on the Ming expedition to help them bring the spoils back to the Ming Dynasty?"

Zhu Hui smiled and said, "Yes Order"

For Zhu Hui, although the expedition to Weininghai had little to do with him, according to the rules of rewards in the Ming Dynasty, even if he just led troops to Maoerzhuang, his contribution was not small.

Besides, he is also the commander-in-chief of the Xuanfu, and his contribution in this battle may not be as good as that of many frontline soldiers.

He does not seek a higher title and there is no room for advancement. , but the reputation he gained from this battle alone will be enough for him to protect the Duke's lineage for more than ten years or even decades in the future. This is the key point of the expeditionary force and Zhang Zhou. After the main force gathered together, they immediately set off southward and retreated toward Yanghekou around Fangshan Mountain outside Datong Town.

After a night of marching, the troops and horses began to station and rest. .

This night was Wang Shouren's first long rest after entering the grassland. He sat in the carriage and slept all night in a bumpy way.

With Zhang Zhou here, It seemed that he finally no longer had to worry about strategic matters and could rest peacefully.

"Is everything okay?" When Zhang Zhou saw Wang Shouren the next morning, he looked groggy. , obviously suffering from cold.

This was caused by fatigue.

Wang Shouren hurriedly saw that all the generals had left the temporary camp, and he seemed to have missed the important meeting. He said, “This is a subordinate who neglected his duty. "

"It's okay, I didn't let them bother you. Don't worry, I'm not trying to take credit from you. "Zhang Zhou smiled.

"I dare not speculate like this. "Wang Shouren was very ashamed.

ZhangZhou Zhou now not only sympathizes with his hard work, but also sympathizes with his situation.

If he won the respect of the soldiers through two battles on the grassland, he also experienced the new gunpowder and artillery brought by Zhang Zhou through these two battles, and he had to accept the changes in the battlefield pattern. Let go of the arrogance that was unique to the officials' children before, and look at Zhang Zhou from the eyes of the people of the Ming Dynasty or the generals of the army.

He also seemed to understand why everyone in the army respected Zhang Zhou so much, and why the emperor trusted Zhang Zhou so much.

At this time, he also felt that his father and his father's colleagues seemed to have a paranoid prejudice against Zhang Zhou. Now he believes that this prejudice is undesirable.

Zhang Zhou said, "It's good that you didn't take the initiative to go down the mountain yesterday. If the soldiers and horses from Datong Town come over, it's hard to say what the result will be."

Wang Shouren originally wanted to talk to Zhang Zhou Explain that I didn't mean to neglect Zhang Zhou yesterday. When I saw the Ming Dynasty's soldiers and horses, I used my binoculars to confirm that they were not Di Yi's disguise, so I should have gone down the mountain without wasting time.

But the problem he was thinking about was that there might also be cases of power grabbing within Ming Dynasty.

More than 10,000 prisoners, as well as nearly 100,000 cattle, sheep and livestock, etc., would make a person jealous. The soldiers and horses in each town on the nine sides are doing their own thing. If the soldiers and horses in Datong Town insist on saying... What should we do if we give them prisoners and animals and then let them pass through the passes around Datong?

If there is no trouble, for the sake of this military exploit, the soldiers and horses of the two towns of Ming Dynasty will fight against each other in Maoerzhuang.

Obviously, Zhang Zhou, like him, understood the urinary nature of the Ming Dynasty's frontier troops.

Wang Shouren said, "Thanks to Zhang Zhitai's timely arrival, if it had been delayed for a few more hours, the result might have been very different."

Zhang Zhou sighed, "It can only be said that from the announcement, Even if we walk along the border, the journey is not smooth. We should have arrived a day early, but after all, unlike you, one person and two horses, the whole army can march in such a hurry, I don't expect it."

"I don't know why in Datong Town"

Wang Shouren asked half of the question but did not finish it.

What he actually meant was that the border gate of Datong Town is only over a hundred miles away from Maoerzhuang. Even if we start from Datong Town, the distance to Maoerzhuang is only over two hundred miles. Why haven’t we seen the reinforcements from Datong Town?

Didn’t you say that you had already given the order to Datong Governor Hong Han? He should have set off long ago

“Haha, the Ming Dynasty’s border troops, He has always adhered to the principle that more is worse than less, and no fault is merit. Even if he is willing to send troops, his daily march will not exceed ten miles, and it is still unknown whether he will approach the Maoerzhuang front line. ” p>

Zhang Zhou’s meaning.

How could Hong Han or the garrison in Datong Town come to the rescue if they learned that there were mengguoljin troops in Maoerzhuang?

Mengguoljin The troops in Maoerzhuang were not just a guise. They had deployed more than 5,000 soldiers and horses to prepare for the Ming Dynasty's northward march. It was precisely because these 5,000 soldiers and horses could defeat Datong Town.The effect of the garrison's deterrence was indeed very obvious. As expected, the soldiers and horses of Datong Town did not dare to rush northward.

It is also because the generals of Datong Town simply do not believe that Zhang Zhou's surprise attack on Weininghai plan will achieve any results, so they do not see any benefit in fighting Di Yi of Maoerzhuang. < /p>

When Wang Shouren heard Zhang Zhou's words, he felt a sense of anger in his heart, probably because he resented the failure of the soldiers in the border towns of the Ming Dynasty.

Zhang Zhou said, "The towns on the nine sides of the Ming Dynasty need reform, but this kind of reform cannot be completed overnight. Only when the soldiers have confidence and know that they can win the battle can they dare to fight. Don't look at the differences between the tribes in the grassland. The cavalry is brave, but as long as we defeat them a few more times, look at it now. If they had nearly ten thousand soldiers and horses before, would they retreat when they encountered our tens of thousands of soldiers and horses? This is a change."

Wang Shouren After thinking about it, he couldn't help but nod.

Zhang Zhou's seven thousand soldiers and horses came over, of which there were only three or four thousand cavalry, and there were three or four thousand infantry left, dragging artillery and so on, and there were not enough artillery shells.

Even if Wang Shouren's expeditionary force is included in the battle, the outcome is still unknown with the seven or eight thousand remaining cavalry assembled by Meng Guoljin's tribe in Maoerzhuang.

But now is different from before.

Zhang Zhou came and fired a few cannons at the open space, and Mengoljin's seven or eight thousand soldiers and horses ran away in despair.

The change in battlefield confidence comes from changes in the battle situation, or changes in offense and defense, victory or defeat.

Wang Shouren talked to Zhang Zhou about his surprise attack on Weininghai with the expeditionary force. Zhang Zhou listened carefully to his story.

Wang Shouren said with emotion, "This is all thanks to the new firearms and gunpowder brought by Zhang Zhitai."

"Brother Bo'an, if you don't mind, you can call me Bingkuan from now on." Well, we are of the same age and work together, and you are a few years older than me, so there is no need to be so outspoken." Zhang Zhou smiled, "After going through this battle together, there will be many opportunities for cooperation in the northwest, even if I return to the government in the future. You are still staying in the northwest, don’t you need me to help you plan things in court and help you make more requests in front of His Majesty?"

"This"

Wang Shouren was a little bit confused by Zhang Zhou He was beaten straight and straight.

But what Zhang Zhou is saying now is all the truth.

After experiencing this battle, Wang Shouren certainly felt that he was confident that he could establish some achievements in the northwest and realize his ambitions. If he was allowed to return to the capital like this, he would feel that the imperial court was against him. His suppression may be due to Xun Chen or Zhang Zhou being dissatisfied with his achievements.

When Zhang Zhou said this, he clearly wanted to keep him in the northwest.

If he were in the northwest and faced with so many troubles in the officialdom and the military, not everyone would be as obedient to him as the soldiers of the expeditionary force.

In the end, Wang Weining still established his foundation by winning four or five games.Reputation, it was Wang Weining who organized his own troops and strategies to achieve victory, and he relied more on Zhang Zhou's ingenuity and weapons.

He needed Zhang Zhou. In addition to relying on Zhang Zhou's reputation, he also needed Zhang Zhou's connections in front of the emperor.

"Haha, don't mind, Bo'an." Zhang Zhou smiled.

"No."

Wang Shouren also smiled.

The estrangement between the two seems to have disappeared.

Just as he was talking, a message came from the door, "Report to the Tang Dynasty chief to ask for an audience."

"Let him come in."

Zhang Zhou asked Tang Yin to come in Inside the tent.

Tang Yin had been in charge of logistics matters before. He didn't go to greet Wang Shouren yesterday. When he saw Wang Shouren again today, he suddenly felt like "things have changed in the world, and people have changed."

Before the expedition, you were in charge and I was in charge. After just a few days, I was still in charge and you were already another famous "Wang Weining" of the Ming Dynasty and a famous general of the Ming Dynasty.

Isn’t it because I lacked the courage to make a surprise attack on Weininghai?

Why didn’t I go there?

Wang Shouren did not shy away from Tang Yin. He asked, “Zhang Zhitai, this time. Go to Yanghekou, what if the guards at the gate deliberately create difficulties?"

"Haha," Zhang Zhou said, "I am the commander-in-chief of Xuanda, who dares to stop me from entering the gate. If you stop me, I will blow up the city gate directly. The responsibility is not on me. Since I have to lead the troops, I naturally need to have some courage. Bo'an, you are so courageous in this battle, I think you will do the same."

After listening to this, Wang Shouren felt extremely ashamed.

Bombing the city gates of the Ming Dynasty

It was still a fratricidal bombing

Wang Weining has this courage, you Zhang Banxian also has this courage, but I dare not follow you Comparable.

Zhang Zhou said to Tang Yin who was listening to the excitement, "What are you going to tell the soldiers outside to rest until noon and then continue to set off? You will not stop for the next two days. If there are cattle, sheep and other people on the way, If the herdsmen are difficult to drive away, they must enter the pass within two days and arrive before nightfall the day after tomorrow."

Tang Yin hurriedly went out to deliver the order.

My inner chagrin has now become a messenger.

People are more infuriating than others.

Zhang Zhou took out a drafted battle report and handed it to Wang Shouren and said, "I have written a memorial for the report. Please read it in detail."

"Should I first Wait until you return to the border," Wang Shouren said.

Zhang Zhou smiled and said, "It's no big deal. If Huo Si comes after you in the next two days, you will bring the hostages into the customs and I will meet with him. Haha, as long as I am here, I think he will still be able to use the fire from Huo Si." Can it be burned? I will use him as a colander for the fire sieve." Please remember to bookmark it. The latest and fastest website is free to read without anti-theft