Uncle from a poor family

Chapter 852 No Way Forward
After returning home for a short rest, Li Zisheng received the emperor's formal order and went directly to the new army camp. At this time, the supervising eunuch and the accompanying military officers had already arrived with carefully selected troops from the Beijing garrison. Li Zisheng then used the pretext of training exercises to lead the army directly to Jizhou.

Meanwhile, the civil officials were making connections to prepare a memorial to be submitted at the morning court session, collectively opposing Li Zisheng's appointment to Jizhou. Upon hearing the news, it was too late to stop him.

It was 3:45 PM.

Anxious and worried, Liu Jian went to the Ministry of War to discuss the matter with Yu Zijun. He learned that Li Zisheng had already led his troops eastward in the afternoon, so he immediately went to find Xu Pu.

After a brief discussion, the two decided not to wait until the next day's court session to speak up, but instead to send someone directly to the inner court that day to convey their message, hoping to persuade the emperor to rescind his order through a private audience.

Soon, several eunuchs on duty at the Directorate of Ceremonial received the news. Finally, after consulting with Zhu Youcheng and obtaining authorization, Qin Chang personally went to the Cabinet to communicate.

At this time, the cabinet not only included Xu Pu and Liu Jian, but also Xu Qiong, who had been sidelined before.

"Three Grand Secretaries, regarding the matter of Li Zisheng leading troops into battle, although His Majesty makes decisions unilaterally, didn't he consult you beforehand? Why did he suddenly object?"

Qin Chang asked curiously.

Liu Jian said, "There were rumors that His Majesty intended to change officials in the border towns, but he never mentioned letting Li Zisheng lead the troops. This man has almost no military talent. He only has the experience of the Battle of Pianguan. If he is to manage Jizhou Town for a long time, I'm afraid he is entrusting it to the wrong person."

Qin Chang smiled and said, "Since he has experience leading troops, the situation isn't too bad. Besides, Minister Li is very popular, especially among the military officers; they all fawn over him..."

"What? Li Zisheng also has connections in Jizhou?"

Liu Jian's expression turned very unpleasant.

No one ever uses an official's popularity or dislike to determine whether they can be an official, or whether they can be a good official.

Previously, we had no choice but to let Li Zisheng, this Taoist priest, control the selection of officials in the Ming Dynasty, making him essentially an uncrowned Minister of Personnel...

The problem is that he has now been ousted from the center of power, so why should he be allowed to lead troops in the local areas?

Qin Chang said, “Since His Majesty has made a decision, why don’t you all wait and see? The court doesn’t need to provide him with money and provisions, nor does it say that he should go to Jizhou to command troops. All that’s needed is some connections and methods. Why not let him try by bringing some troops from the capital?”

"What His Majesty needs now is the territory of Jizhou Town. There is someone who can cheer for Wang Yue in the Hetao region. There is no need to do anything. At most, he can just lead his troops to take a trip to the old territory of Daning and then come back."

The ancient land of Daning mentioned by Qin Chang has a heartbreaking story behind it.

In September of the 20th year of the Hongwu reign, Emperor Taizu of Ming, Zhu Yuanzhang, established the Daming Military Command in Daming Guard to strengthen the defense of the northern frontier. In July of the following year, it was renamed the Beiping Military Command and was led by Zhu Quan, the seventeenth son of Zhu Yuanzhang and Prince of Ning. It became the most important military and political institution in the north in the early Ming Dynasty, governing the five guards of Daming (front, rear, left, right, and central) and more than ten guards including Huizhou Guard.

The city of Daning, where the Northern Regional Military Commission is located, is situated at a strategic point on the upper reaches of the Liao River. It controls Songmo to the east and connects to Xuanda to the west, and is known as the "key to the northern gate." Controlling this place is equivalent to blocking the passage for the Mongol cavalry to the south, which can ensure the peace of the Ming Dynasty in the north.

After the outbreak of the Jingnan Campaign, in order to get rid of the predicament of insufficient troops and being attacked from both inside and outside, Emperor Chengzu Zhu Di personally led his army to Daming to seize the Prince of Ning, who was enfeoffed there, and abducted the Prince of Ning and his family. He also transferred all the guards of the Beiping Military Command to his command to accompany him south to fight against Emperor Jianwen Zhu Yunwen. At the same time, he received help from the three guards of the Doyan, including the Mongol Uriyangkhai.

After this incident, the northern military stronghold of Daming miraculously lost the Ming army.

With the end of the war, Zhu Di, who ascended the throne, transferred the Prince of Ning to Nanchang, moved the Beiping Regional Military Commission to Baoding, and gave the former territory of Daming to the Uriyangkhai and other Doyan tribes who had contributed to the pacification of the Ming Dynasty. Historical records state that Zhu Di and the Doyan tribes "agreed to be external vassals, to scout and protect when in residence, and to defend when in danger," intending for the Doyan tribes to guard Daming for him and become a shield for the Ming Dynasty.

Not long after, the Doyan Three Guards betrayed the Ming Dynasty, and the entire area north of the Great Wall once again became a pasture for the Mongols. Among the enemies Zhu Di faced during his several northern expeditions was the Doyan Three Guards, which can be considered Zhu Di's biggest strategic mistake, causing immense harm to the Ming Dynasty and leaving its legacy to the present Hongzhi reign.

It can be said that the former territory of Daning was a taboo subject for the Ming Dynasty.

"What? Li Zisheng is leading troops out of the Great Wall? Are they going that far?"

Xu Pu asked with dissatisfaction.

"Ah...is this...really considered far?"

Qin Chang waved his hand dismissively and said, "Da Ning, after all, was once the territory of the Ming Dynasty. If the court generals lead troops to inspect it, even if they do nothing, it will still be an explanation to the founding emperor... Just consider it as sending someone to worship heaven and earth!"

……

……

North of Yinshan Mountain.

With the arrival of another heavy snowfall, the land was truly frozen over for thousands of miles, and the Ming army found itself in a difficult predicament, caught between advancing and retreating.

It's not that they had no way out; in fact, the Tatars didn't dare to send troops to block the Ming army's retreat. It's just that their commander, Wang Yue, was unwilling to give up.

Wang Yue wanted to find an opportunity to defeat the grassland army, which was united by more than a dozen tribes, in one fell swoop. At first, he did just that, but soon found that the mobility of his troops was the biggest problem he was facing.

When you attack, the Tatars retreat.

Once you are stationed here, the Tatars will harass your camp every day, banging drums and gongs, and occasionally firing rockets in an attempt to set the tents on fire from a distance.

You can't just not drive them away, because if the Tatar light cavalry really get close and set fire to the tents, food, firewood, etc., the Ming soldiers will have serious problems with warmth and supplies, and the result will be that the men and horses are exhausted.

Unable to endure the Tatars' relentless harassment day and night, the attacking troops chose to retreat. As a result, the Tatars followed and approached again, creating a stalemate.

In short, the Tatars will keep bothering you day and night, without engaging in direct combat, but they will still annoy you from a distance of tens of miles.

You could certainly send out your formidable lancers to engage them in close combat, but as soon as you leave the camp, they will consciously retreat and keep their distance, desperately trying to lure you forward. Once your pursuing troops are exhausted, the Tatars will begin to outflank and encircle you, constantly exchanging their arrows for the Ming army's bullets, their intentions are obvious.

Wang Yue was very careful.

Because he was terrified of becoming a sinner against the Ming Dynasty.

As a military commander who was unmatched during the Chenghua era, Wang Yue's courage and boldness were unparalleled among the military... But now he was also trying his best to maintain stability, because he already had some military merits. If the army were to fall into a passive position and suffer one or two defeats, losing soldiers and generals, it would be a question whether the emperor would reward him with merits when he returned.

The court officials would not easily give him credit.

To gain merit, one must give one's all on the battlefield, leaving no regrets, so that upon returning, one can request commendation from the emperor and even obtain the strong support of Zhang Luan and his son... There is almost no other way.

Zhu Yong, as the commander-in-chief, was actively pushing for the withdrawal of troops.

Because of the battles over the past few days, he had come to realize that the Ming army seemed to have a huge advantage, able to confront the Tatars' elite forces, which outnumbered them several times over, with a small force. However, once the Ming soldiers relaxed their guard and were surrounded by the Tatars, they might end up dead without a burial place, with more than 20,000 soldiers lying dead in the wilderness.

“General Wang, the weather is getting colder and colder, and the land is covered in ice and snow. The soldiers are not used to the harsh northern climate. There are no fortresses to rely on here. If we continue to fight, we may be taken advantage of by the Tatars.”

That day, after the military conference ended, Zhu Yong went to talk to Wang Yue privately.

This was also because he was the highest-ranking military officer in the army, and he felt that he was qualified to talk to Wang Yue. “Look at the position of our army now. From here, we have to go at least 500 li south to enter the territory of the Ming Dynasty. If we want to go around the Hetao, we have to go another 200 to 300 li.”

Wang Yue asked knowingly, "Is it because the army's food supplies are insufficient to sustain them?"

Zhu Yong said, "Because of the spoils we seized from the Tumed camp, our army's food supplies are not a problem at the moment. However, the continuous fighting has consumed a lot of resources. If this stalemate continues indefinitely, our food supplies will eventually run out. We still need to make more plans."

Wang Yue shook his head and said, "We have to persevere until the very last step, even if we have to eat grass roots... Our army is clearly in the superior position right now. The Tatars don't even dare to fight us head-on. If we retreat now, how many people will laugh at us? Will we still have a chance to attack in the future?"

"General Wang, you are most considerate of your subordinates. In fact, the soldiers are willing to follow you and die for the court... Otherwise, how about we use a strategy to fight the enemy? We can feign a retreat, and when we cross Yinshan, we can ambush them on the mountains on both sides of the gorge. When the Tatars come after us, we can suddenly attack from all sides. At that time, the Tatars will be caught off guard and will be at our mercy..."

Zhu Yong's suggestion was actually a veiled way of saying he wanted to withdraw troops.

Based on past experience, the Tatars would never easily launch a pursuit in the gorge. Previously, when Zhu Yong set up an ambush, the Tumed cavalry pursuing from behind were not fooled. The Chahar generals, who now have a deeper understanding of the power of Ming army firearms, would naturally not make the same mistake.

Wang Yue saw through Zhu Yong's thoughts, waved his hand casually, and said with a serious expression, "We must not give up until we are at our wits' end. I had anticipated the current predicament and was prepared, but I did not expect that when I faced it in person, I would still feel inexplicably heartbroken and feel a sense of helplessness and sorrow."

Zhu Yongdao: "So... General, do you have a better plan?"

"What kind of arrangements can we make? It's nothing more than trying anything as a last resort, trying to create chaos and see if we can find a way to break the deadlock from the disorder."

Seeing Zhu Yong's confused expression, Wang Yue immediately explained, "I asked Wang Bo'an to find an opportunity to lead troops out to break through and roam around the perimeter, supporting the central army, and see how the Tatars will react."

Zhu Yong quickly said, "Judging from all the previous signs, the Tatars have long intended to seize our army's new muskets in order to copy them... We absolutely cannot give them this opportunity... Dividing our troops is really not advisable."

Wang Yue's attitude was very firm: "Just take good care of your own troops. At present, no part can make the slightest mistake. I have tried to contact the court and let them know the situation we are facing."

Zhu Yong asked curiously, "We've come this far, why do we still need to report to the imperial court?"

“What’s there to be embarrassed about… Do you think I’m too ashamed to mention it?” Wang Yue rarely smiled and said, “Actually, there’s no need to be! This battle has yielded great results. Although they are not the main force of the Tatar prince’s Chahar troops, they are all the heads of elite Tatar cavalry, and there are so many prisoners. It’s not shameful to bring them back.”

"Yes."

Zhu Yong's expression showed a hint of regret as he said this.

He was thinking, "I came here to help you achieve great things, but at this crucial moment, you'd rather trust a young man than give me the opportunity."

However, at least my son got a share of the spoils along with that fellow Wang Shouren. Judging from the current situation, when it comes to rewarding merits in the end, I'm afraid my son's contribution will be ranked lower...

In his quest to reclaim his title, Wang Weining sometimes resorted to utterly unreasonable tactics.

……

……

That night, it was quiet.

The Ming soldiers in the camp lived an extremely difficult life.

Fortunately, they were well prepared before this expedition. In addition, they had captured a lot of dead warhorses and cattle and sheep killed by arrows and musket bullets in the previous battle. The prisoners were cut up, some were salted and cured into cured meat, and some were roasted into jerky.

The weather is now extremely cold, so food does not spoil easily. In addition, there are large numbers of cattle and sheep that can produce milk, and they can be slaughtered to satisfy hunger if necessary. Therefore, there has been no famine in the army so far.

However, when Wang Shouren led his troops into battle, injuries and illnesses were inevitable. In such a long period of sub-zero temperatures, it was nothing short of torture for the soldiers.

Wang Shouren, accompanied by the bodyguards specially assigned to him by Wang Yue for personal protection, patrolled the army.

These past few days, he has been leading from the front, showing great care and concern for his soldiers. Because he has no barriers with ordinary soldiers, this young man has quickly established himself in the army.

Every soldier who sees him will stand up to greet him, because in the army, those who are capable are more respected, regardless of age.

"Mr. Wang, are you still awake?"

Zhu Hui emerged from the shadows in front of a tent.

Wang Shouren looked over and saw Zhu Hui holding a torch, smiling at him.

Wang Shouren initially wanted to have the torch extinguished, but in the end he said nothing, simply nodding politely to the other party, somewhat unwilling to acknowledge Zhu Hui.

Previously, Wang Shouren greatly respected Zhu Yong and his son. This time, Zhu Hui followed him into battle, and after a long period of getting to know him, he realized that this guy was good at everything except fighting. The current Duke of Baoguo and his son were more like politicians than brave soldiers fighting for honor on the battlefield.

"It's getting late, it's time to rest."

Zhu Hui smiled apologetically, "The commander's tent sent someone to inquire about your situation earlier, and I told them that I was preparing to go on the expedition tomorrow... which means we will be fighting side by side again tomorrow."

Wang Shouren said, "If Your Excellency feels this is inappropriate, I may lead the troops out on my own."

"Hey, what kind of talk is that? How is it inappropriate?" Zhu Hui forced a smile and said, "The brothers are all hoping to make new contributions. Look at them, one by one..."

Wang Shouren sensed the hidden meaning in Zhu Hui's words and replied bluntly, "Please speak frankly."

Zhu Hui's face twitched, suppressing his displeasure, and leaned closer to whisper, "With more than half of winter already gone, and we've secured our military merits, shouldn't we consider withdrawing our troops?"

"What? You're just giving up like that?"

Wang Shouren asked in surprise.

"What else can we do? We've come all this way, saying we'd pacify the grasslands in one fell swoop, but with our small force, how could we possibly achieve that?"
"General Wang doesn't have much support in the court. Bringing troops here is already a great display of the court's power and a deterrent to the villains in the northern desert. When we return, with our merits, we'll be living the high life and have whatever we want."

Zhu Hui, speaking in a tone meant to deceive newcomers, said in a gentle and persuasive manner, "After you go back, someone will definitely recommend you for merit. By then, you will have already made a name for yourself before you even enter the court as an official... Perhaps you won't even need to take the imperial examination in the future."

"so what?"

Wang Shouren was disgusted by Zhu Hui's politician mentality of prioritizing personal gain, which was nothing like that of a pure soldier. He frowned and said, "This battle is a once-in-a-lifetime event, and we are extremely honored to be a part of it. Every generation hopes to have the same opportunity as us to establish merit and be remembered for eternity."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Hui glared at Wang Shouren, his expression turning cold: "Brother Wang, to put it bluntly, our achievements probably end here."

Wang Shouren wasn't surprised by Zhu Hui's sudden change of attitude. After all, no one likes to keep trying to curry favor with someone who doesn't reciprocate. Instead, he laughed and asked, "General Zhu, what do you mean by that?"

Zhu Hui was slightly taken aback. Why was this guy's attitude suddenly so much nicer than when he was giving him a cold shoulder? Without thinking too much, he reached out his hand, intending to pull Wang Shouren aside for a chat.

After a moment's thought, Wang Shouren followed him to a secluded military tent where there was no one else around.

Zhu Hui said mysteriously, "Brother Wang, have you ever thought about why General Wang insisted on sending troops to the grasslands at this time? You also said before that we encountered difficulties and it was hard to break the deadlock... Do you know where the problem lies?"

"please say."

Wang Shouren waved his hand and said.

"I told you about that young master from Datong, do you remember him?" Zhu Hui whispered a reminder.

"You mean... the young imperial brother-in-law of the Zhang family?"

Wang Shouren said, "I didn't know before, but now everyone in the army knows. The training of the new army and the new standard firearms are all under the responsibility of Young Master Zhang. Although I have never met him, judging from his actions, he should be a young prodigy, right?"

Zhu Hui laughed and said, "That's right. I think the real main force to pacify the grasslands is not with General Wang... We're just here to distract the Tatars... There must be another force that has secretly infiltrated the grasslands from somewhere else."

"You mean... the imperial court will transfer troops from the Xuanda area?"

Wang Shouren asked, "Who is in charge of that group of men? Could you please be more specific?"

Zhu Hui said, "General Wang has never revealed anything to you before?"

"No."

Wang Shouren answered crisply, "Although I have discussed the gains and losses of this battle with Wang Shouren many times, he did not want to talk about it in detail."

Zhu Hui laughed and said, "Then you should know that when General Wang faces the powerful and influential, especially those in power, he is so obsequious... This is not a very appropriate way to put it, please forgive me."

Wang Shouren remained silent.

Although Zhu Hui's words were too blunt, even somewhat harsh, he was right about one thing: Wang Yue was indeed too weak-kneed when facing the powerful and influential, and there was something else inexplicable about it: he was always led by the nose by the powerful and influential, and because of this, he was often implicated.

Zhu Hui said, "If we're just going to be the scapegoats and someone else gets all the credit, can Brother Wang accept that?"

Wang Shouren said, "You mean... His Majesty is planning to send an army from Xuanda deep into the grasslands? How many soldiers would that require? And how would they be dispatched? How can we ensure they won't encounter the same predicament as us? The Tatars can come and go as they please, so how can we guarantee that this army will directly reach the Tatars' stronghold and achieve victory in one fell swoop?"

"This……"

Zhu Hui was surprised that Wang Shouren asked so many questions right from the start.

Wang Shouren said coldly, "General Zhu, if you want to persuade me to talk to Wang Zhongcheng about withdrawing the troops, you don't need to. A true man should die on the battlefield. I came to the north of Han territory at a young age, facing the vast desert and witnessing the bloodshed and cruelty of fighting against foreign invaders. My lifelong wish has been fulfilled. If I can fight the Tatars to the death here, even if I lose my life, I will not lose my heroic spirit."

"Ugh!"

Zhu Hui shook his head and sighed: "You are clearly a scholar, why are you so persistent?"

Instead of answering, Wang Shouren asked, "Where did you get the news that Xuanda was going to send troops? Can't you even tell me that?"

Zhu Hui sighed, "You wouldn't believe me even if I told you... My father and I came from Datong. If we had another chance to choose, we would never leave Datong Town."

"After all that effort and hardship, in the end... Brother Wang, we will not receive any more military merits in this battle. Accept your fate!"

(End of this chapter)