Deep in the grassland.
In the river valley where Tang Yin's headquarters was located, the area that could move was gradually compressed by the Tatar cavalry, so that by around the 20th of the first lunar month, the area that could move increased from dozens of miles in radius to no more than a few dozen miles in the end. It looks like twelve or three miles away.
"In front is the main force of the Tatars, with 1,340,000 cavalry, and in the rear are 50,000 to 60,000 Tatars, totaling nearly 200,000 troops."
"I suspect that the Tatars have used all their available troops and horses in this battle."
Ma Yi was exhausted physically and mentally when facing Tang Yin.
In the past month, from a snowstorm on the grassland, through numerous obstacles to the hinterland of the Tatars, I found the location of the Tatar Khanate. After a battle, the Tatars reduced their scope of activities. , Ma Yi had tried her best, but still looked at the situation in front of her, gradually reaching the point of no return.
Xu Jing asked: "How much food and grass do we have left?"
Ma Yi said: "The food and grass can last for ten days at most. If we include horses and other livestock, they will be slaughtered... Maybe we can still hold on for ten or eight days. Now the camps have started to cut down on food and clothing. Fortunately, the Tatars have no intention of attacking us yet." Zhang Rui on the side said: "The Tatars are also afraid of us. We have guns and muskets, but we will definitely win in a head-on battle. If it is impossible, we can only abandon the position in front of us and break out."
Xu Jing looked at Tang Yin eagerly and said: " Since they haven't formed an encirclement yet, why don't we break out now? The Tatars don't dare to have close contact with us." Tang Yin said: "We are in this place. There are still water sources, and there are mountains and river valleys as support. If we go south along the river, the Tatars have set up many obstacles along the way and fought us in turn. How much strength do you think our soldiers have to deal with them? "< /p>
Xu Jing said with a dejected look on his face: "Are we going to die here? How far is it from the Ming Dynasty?"
Ma Yi said: "Master Xu, we were The Tatar captives inquired about the location here and learned that it was more than 1,300 miles away from the nearest border to the Ming Dynasty. If they were going to the Weining Sea, it was more than 2,000 miles away, or more. We still have to go to the Hetao. Unless reinforcements arrive, we will have to fight alone." Zhang Rui also said: "The food is not enough to support us halfway back to the Ming Dynasty. Fighting with the Tatars is inevitable."
Tang Yin smiled calmly and said: "Isn't this bad? We always complained that the Tatars did not fight us head-on, but now they have. Thinking about it, are we still afraid of a decisive battle with us?"
"But there are no artillery," Xu Jing said, "There are only a few light cannons, and there are not many shells, even for the soldiers. More than half of the fire bombs have been used. The Tatars are still just tentatively fighting us. If they charge in full force, I'm afraid..."
At this timeXu Jing was very scared.
I originally thought that with the help of a powerful weapon like a firecracker, even if we couldn't win where we were, we would at least have a chance to return to the Ming Dynasty.
And now Tang Yin doesn't even plan to break out, as if he is waiting to die here, which also makes Xu Jing's willpower gradually disintegrate.
"Reinforcements will come." Tang Yin said.
Xu Jing asked: "Where are the reinforcements? Uncle Xinjian? Let us return along the original road now. It will take at least a month. How can we ensure food and grass? Who knows where we are now? How many reinforcements are there? Can we deal with the Tatars at once?" Zhang Rui said: "Sir Xu, let's put it this way, as long as the Ming Dynasty border guards start sending troops into the grassland, the Tatars will definitely be unable to do anything at all. The opportunity is gone.”
“Forget it, you are really a bunch of lunatics,” Xu Jing said, “I don’t know why I want to be with you, Bohu, but you don’t care about this life anymore. The soldiers still want to go back alive. Besides, we are bringing the elite of the Ming Dynasty. Didn’t we still say that we want to level the grassland? If you lose these elites, you are the sinner of the Ming Dynasty."
< p>Tang Yinze looked indifferent.I am dead, but do I still care if I am a sinner? You Xu Jing are so funny.
......
......
Zhang Rui immediately went to take charge of the defense of the camp, and also led his troops out to pull out the Tatars' newly established 's camp.
The sound of explosions can still be heard in the night sky. It is the Ming Dynasty using yellow gunpowder to blow up the Tatar camp... But the Tatars have a complete advantage in the number of troops and horses, and they will continue to test the Ming Dynasty's defenses at night. They set up camps from different directions and gradually pushed forward, gradually compressing the scope of activities of the Ming army.
Ma Yi went to visit Tang Yin in person.
Tang Yin pointed at the hung map in the candlelight and said: "If we send a group of people straight to the direction of Weining Sea, how many days will it take to get back?"
"If we go quickly, it will take fifteen days." Ma Yi said, "A human can bear it, but a horse can't. It's a journey of more than two thousand miles, and we have to cross mountains and rivers in the middle. I'm afraid it won't be easy. If it's If we send the message back, we might have a better chance by going south to the Hetao through some tribes that do not agree with each other."
Tang Yin said: "If the Ming army starts to rush for reinforcements now, how long will it take. Can it reach our feet?"
This question stopped Ma Yi.
Tang Yin looked back at Ma Yi and said, "Hou Pinglu, do you think Cai Guogong can make a comprehensive plan?"
Hearing Tang Yin mention Zhang Zhou, Ma Yi mentioned Spirit said: "From what I have seen, I have never seen anyone who knows more about warfare and military aircraft than Cai Guogong. If everything goes as Cai Guogong expected, I would expect reinforcements to be on the way now."
"I think so too."
Tang Yin said, "Before leaving the capital, Cai Guogong told me that after arriving in Sanbian, as long asIf there is a chance to send troops, I must bring them out, and don't rush back. No matter where I am, he can bring troops to rush to my rescue. ”
Ma Yi said in surprise: “You mean, Cai Guogong expected to be in today’s situation early in the morning? ”
“Maybe. "Tang Yin sighed, "Actually, I don't know his intentions very well. I only know that in the past few years, whenever I lead troops out, I will definitely encounter unprecedented difficulties. As long as I stick to the difficulties and do whatever I want, If you don't mess with your original intention, you will definitely be able to turn danger into peace, and even make achievements. And Cai Guogong used me to fight in the northwest, or he took a fancy to this... He was waiting for me to be in danger, and then used my experience to wait for the opportunity to come. ”
Ma Yi thought for a while and said to herself, no wonder Mr. Tang is so calm and can arrange everything calmly even when he is in danger.
Because he has often encountered this kind of situation in the past. In this case, he thought that he had great trust in Cai Guogong and believed that the Ming Dynasty would not give up such troops and might have planned all this.
Tang Yin said: "The Tatars decided to fight. Before we fought, I didn't understand why there was such an arrangement. But now, I seem to understand. "
Ma Yi asked in surprise: "Are you saying that the Tatars think that our soldiers and horses, which number less than ten thousand, can be eaten by them, so they will fight us at all costs? Even at the cost of losing troops and generals? Do they think that as long as they win this battle, they will have a chance to fight with Ming Dynasty in the future? But in fact, this has long been expected by Cai Guogong. As long as he sends troops to help, he can fight with the main force of the Tatars. There is no way to avoid fighting? "
Tang Yin asked: "Do you think there is a problem with this idea? ”
“No problem. "Ma Yi said, "If we want to fight the Tatars decisively when we have the advantage, we must make dangerous moves. "
Tang Yin shook his head and said: "But I think there is a problem. Even if reinforcements arrive, why would the Tatars want to fight the reinforcements? Do we rely on us to attack from the north and the south and cooperate with each other from the outside? By then, it won’t be a tug of war? "
Ma Yi was speechless for a moment.
Tang Yin said: "I think back then, Uncle Xinjian led the troops into the grassland. With his ability, he had the opportunity to chase down the main force of the Tatars. At that time, They also relied on pursuits, interceptions and other battles to gain a lot of gains, but in the end, didn't they just... give up when they are good? "
Ma Yi asked: "Are you saying that this battle has no possibility of pacifying the grassland, and can only cause some losses to the Tatars? In fact, I believe that... everything depends on human effort. The humble post did not know Cai Guogong's plan. "
Tang Yin sighed: "Our situation is getting more and more difficult. If we had known earlier, we should have brought more food, grass and luggage, and there was no need to go so fast. Now we have killed a lot of enemies and captured many people, but now we cannot keep these prisoners. "
"You mean..."
"We don't have enough food and grass. Now we have to make a desperate move. Kill all the Tatar prisoners, anger the Tatars, and let them follow the river. Come and fight us! From now on, we won't take any prisoners! ”
MyselfThere is not enough food to eat, so why should it be left to the prisoners?
Releasing the prisoners was obviously not in Tang Yin's interests. The final result was... a desperate battle with the Tatars.
……
……
On the twenty-second day of the first lunar month, Zhang Zhou had entered the grassland for nearly ten days.
At this time, the marching speed of the soldiers and horses can still be maintained at about a hundred miles a day, which is much slower than in the Ming Dynasty, but it is basically the limit of grassland marching, and there are not even a single figure in the middle. I didn't even see it, it could be said that I was galloping on a deserted grassland.
Sun Shangqi served as a vanguard officer in the army. He personally led three hundred cavalry and was responsible for the exploration of the road ahead.
After stationing that night, Sun Shangqi came back to report the situation to Zhang Zhou. However, he saw bonfires everywhere in the camp. He changed his previous style of marching secretly. Zhang Zhou wanted to send troops at this time. There was a lot of fanfare.
"Sir, for dozens of miles ahead, there is still no trace of Tatar activities. Not to mention Tatar camps or tribes, not even their scouts and scattered tribesmen. Not a single one was seen."
Sun Shangqi also looked puzzled.
As a Jin Yiwei, he was not suitable for spying on intelligence, but this time Zhang Zhou asked him to lead the troops as a vanguard officer, which Sun Shangqi did not understand.
The soldiers and horses led by Zhang Zhou were not the main force of the frontier army. After the continuous march, the soldiers had actually begun to complain. It can be said that the energy of these people and horses was not high. He was supported by Zhang Zhou's strict orders.
Zhang Zhou said: "We are about to arrive at the boundary of Guanshan, which is the area where Tatars hang out most often."
Sun Shangqi asked: "We are not trying to save Tang Zhongcheng Are they in Guanshan?"
"No, they are about four to five hundred miles northwest of Guanshan. In other words, we can reach the enemy in another five or six days. They turn around. But as we get further back, it will become more difficult for us to move forward, and the Tatars will soon find out our tracks and send troops to intercept us."
Zhang Zhou said to Sun Shangqi. He waved his hands and said, "Tell the soldiers, as long as the Tatars don't attack at night, there is no need to be too cautious. Do whatever you need to do. We came to the grassland to enjoy the victory on the battlefield. As long as we don't deserters or kill our comrades, , I won’t restrict anything else.”
“Yes.”
Sun Shangqi was even more puzzled.
Zhang Zhou's group is known as an elite division, but they appear to be very slack in running the army.
In addition to traveling faster, there seems to be no other advantage... Of course, he also knew that Zhang Zhou was showing weakness to the Tatars, making the Tatars feel that they had an opportunity to take advantage of, but Sun What Shangqi fears most is that the soldiers cannot understand Zhang Zhou's thinking.
He wanted to remind Zhang Zhou that if the situation continued and the Tatars really came to kill them, the Ming army would not have the courage to fight decisively.
But Sun Shangqi would look very inferior in front of Zhang Zhou, and he would not comment casually.
……
……
The twenty-fifth day of the first lunar month.
Zhang Zhou's troops have arrived at Guanshan. After setting up an altar, Zhang Zhou started to worship heaven with great fanfare.
The Tatars have shown traces and are watching less than fifty miles away from the Ming army, but they did not attack rashly because the Tatars also know that the Ming army is not simple on this road.
At the same time, the news that the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty was going on a personal expedition and sent Zhang Zhou as the vanguard officer seemed to be unreserved. The news quickly spread to the grassland and became known to the people of the grassland tribes. It turned out that this sudden advance was The men and horses on the grassland are Zhang Zhou, who has been frightened by the Tatar tribe in recent years and can stop children from crying at night.
The Tatars don’t know whether Guizhou Donkey is capable, but at least Zhang Zhou’s reputation is well known.
Dare to lead three thousand soldiers and horses into the grassland, which is definitely not comparable to ordinary people.
They did not dare to engage in a direct decisive battle with Zhang Zhou's troops, but they could not do it if they were asked to withdraw directly and choose to avoid the battle.
Even Tang Yin's seven or eight thousand soldiers and horses were surrounded. Why were they afraid of three thousand reinforcements? Besides, Zhang Zhou's group seemed high-profile, but there were no cooperating troops before and after, and the Ming Dynasty did not send a second line of reinforcements to the interior of the grassland.
This means...
Zhang Zhou’s troops are still alone.
"There is still no news about Tang Zhongcheng." That afternoon, the sacrifice ceremony was already halfway through. Zhang Zhou even had people light the grassland. Watching the weeds burn away in the distance with the wind, the soldiers of the Ming Dynasty felt very comfortable.
The terrain around Guanshan is flat and the water plants are very abundant. Even in early spring, you can still see some green here, which is basically invisible in other places.
Zhang Zhou said: "The Tatars will not attack, but they will not avoid it. This is the most beneficial to us. We can show our muscles to them and make them think that we are nothing more than that. ...When we get close to the group of troops trapped on three sides and the two armies are about to come into contact, they will choose to fight no matter what."
"I will rely on these three thousand troops to fight completely. Pingding Grassland! "The transcoding has been serious recently, which makes us more motivated and updates faster. Please use your little hands to exit the reading mode. Thank you