Uncle from a poor family

Chapter 853 Differences Between Civil and Military Officials
Under the leadership of Wang Shouren and Zhu Hui, the Ming army launched another fierce attack on the Tatars.

The Tatars did not retreat in panic. Instead, they used light cavalry to skillfully maneuver around the Ming army. After the Ming army fired their muskets, they began to organize a counterattack and repelled the attacking Ming troops.

In such battles, neither side had the opportunity to engage in close combat. They relied entirely on ranged weapons for area-of-effect attacks. The Tatars were also equipped with a small number of outdated firearms, which they would fire once to make a sound and then discard, before using bows and arrows to attack.

In contrast, the new flintlock muskets used by the Ming army were much lighter and faster to load than the old muskets, allowing a single person to clean the barrel and reload, but they could never match the speed of continuous fire of arrows.

The flintlock musket was incredibly powerful, but it had to sacrifice mobility. After all, cavalrymen needed to be stationary to aim when firing and their horses had to stop to reload, making it impossible to carry out long-distance charges and pursuits.

Wang Shouren led his troops in two attacks, both of which ended in failure. The Tatars did not pursue them further, and the two sides maintained a certain distance, confronting each other outside the range of the Ming army's artillery.

Wang Shouren dismounted and walked to the top of a relatively high earthen slope, where he took out his binoculars to observe the situation of the Tatar troops opposite.

Zhu Hui arrived looking disheveled.

Hearing footsteps, Wang Shouren looked at Zhu Hui and noticed that the man was covered in dirt, the red tassel on his helmet was askew, and his face was bruised and swollen. He asked in surprise, "General Zhu, what happened to you?"

"When we retreated earlier, the Tartar army's counterattack was so loud that the ground trembled violently, accompanied by a piercing shriek. My warhorse was startled and reared up. I was caught off guard and fell off the horse... It was a really hard fall, it hurt terribly!"

Zhu Hui didn't seem to think it was a disgraceful thing, and continued to talk eloquently, "The Tartars we're facing are incredibly cunning, like slippery eels. They weren't like this before..."

Wang Shouren asked with a curious look, "What were they like before?"

Zhu Hui's face first showed surprise and doubt, then he thought of something and shook his head with a wry smile: "Oh dear, I forgot that you, Brother Wang, have never been on the battlefield before and have never seen how arrogant the Tartars used to be... They are truly straightforward, never back down, and even use their power to intimidate others!"
"Even when our troops were left to guard the fortresses and strongholds, they actually set up camp five or six hundred paces away from the city walls, making our brothers suffer..."

"Won't the soldiers take the initiative to attack?"

Wang Shouren was completely bewildered and asked in shock.

"The weapons weren't good enough back then."

Zhu Hui said with a heavy heart, "Firearms weren't as good as they are now. One person couldn't even lift them. If you wanted bullets to go further, you had to use heavy weapons, and you were afraid of them exploding. So they had to be made unusually heavy... Back then, it was better to bring bows and arrows and rockets to war than firearms. At least you could be more accurate."

Wang Shouren nodded thoughtfully, then asked, "Right now, the Tatars are avoiding direct confrontation with us. Do you have any good ideas?"

"no way."

Zhu Hui said, "We've been ordered to step up our defenses after nightfall. These days it's freezing cold, and the guide said there's a high chance of a blizzard coming. The howling north wind will drown out any troop movements, and the Tartars might take advantage of the situation to attack! Of course, this might also be our only chance to win..."

Wang Shouren frowned slightly and asked, "Who issued this military order? Was it from Vice Minister Wang?"

"hehe."

Zhu Hui smiled but did not answer.

Wang Shouren said coldly, "The Tatars came with great force, but they are avoiding battle, clearly intending to wear us down. We can't rely on our supplies now, and can only rely on our existing reserves. If we don't achieve any results in the next few days, we will have no choice but to withdraw."

"This is a good thing."

Zhu Hui said with a look of excitement, "Brother Wang, it's not that I want to pour cold water on things, but look at the morale of the soldiers in the army right now, and then look at the Tatars on the other side... They are protecting their own families and property, so how can they not go all out? The timing, the location, and the people are not on our side, so do you still think we are the one with the advantage?"
"If we move far to fight, and we cannot achieve a quick victory, we will surely suffer from the war... Brother Wang, you are wise and resourceful, do you have any good ideas?"

Even Wang Shouren was speechless.

Having been well-versed in military strategy since childhood, he knew that Zhu Hui's words were all reasonable and that the Ming army was indeed in a great predicament.

As the two were talking, a messenger rushed over and shouted, "My lords, the bugle is sounding again from the east. It sounds like the Tatars are attacking again. They're urging us to send troops out to meet them and drive them back! Listen... we can already hear cannon fire."

Zhu Hui drew his sword from his waist, waved it wildly in the air a few times, and cursed loudly: "This is never going to end! If this continues, who has the energy to last a day? Living in constant fear, anyone would be driven crazy if this goes on."

Wang Shouren said, "Pass down the order: let's form ranks and charge forward, trying to create a barrage of musket fire... Have officers at all levels supervise us, and make sure there is no slackening during the decisive battle... If we can seize the opportunity to break through and fly the Tartars' kites, the rest of the battle might be easier!"

Zhu Hui curled his lip and shook his head, saying, "They say it's a decisive battle, but how many times have they said that? The Tartars just won't fight us head-on. They retreat as soon as they make contact, and once we run out of bullets, they come back. They're like a leech that we can't shake off!"

"Given the current situation, let alone breaking through, once you lose rear support and fight alone on the outer lines, the Tatars won't give you any chance to rest and recuperate. You'll be exhausted to death."

……

……

In the blink of an eye, bonfires had been lit on the grassland.

After a day of hard fighting, both sides had exhausted their physical strength and energy.

But when the count was taken at nightfall, there weren't many casualties on either side.

Among them, Wang Shouren's troops suffered the heaviest casualties among all the Ming army forces, and a special summary and analysis was conducted after the battle.

Sixteen died.

Amidst the crowd, several wounded soldiers cried out in pain as they received treatment and bandaging from the army medic. Zhu Hui watched as he reported the situation to Wang Shouren: "There are about twenty or thirty with minor injuries, and these are the ones with more serious injuries... It's not so bad to get arrow wounds in winter; as long as they're not in vital areas, they can usually pull through."

Wang Shouren asked, "Have you obtained the head of a Tatar?"

"We wanted to take it, but they wouldn't give us the chance."

Zhu Hui shrugged and said, "It's like if our brothers died in battle, they wouldn't rush over to take them."

Because the two sides were fighting at a distance, they were both very restrained in taking heads to claim credit for themselves. After all, if they were not careful, they would not only fail to gain credit but also end up taking credit for the other side.

Wang Shouren asked, "Do you know how many people on the other side were injured?"

"I don't know."

Zhu Hui continued to shake his head, then said, "According to the reports from the brothers below, about one or two hundred of them were killed. Of course, this number is exaggerated, as everyone is trying to exaggerate their own merits."

"However, I estimate that their casualties should be heavier than ours, especially the wave that charged in the afternoon. When we were closest to them, we were only a few dozen paces away. Our troops were hit by their arrows, let alone when our guns were fired... The chances of being hit at that distance were very high."

Wang Shouren frowned: "They were running and we were chasing them... Since we had already made some gains, why didn't we bring back their heads cleanly and efficiently? Even if we didn't behead them, we should have brought back their ears."

Zhu Hui said, "Isn't it because they have powerful backers? We still have too few people! There are tens of thousands of people on the other side, and we only have... around two thousand. Just the route we're chasing probably has five or six thousand people. If you jump off your horse and don't follow the main force, you might fall behind and get surrounded by the Tatars who are flanking you from the side, and you'll never be able to get back."

Wang Shouren said, "So, for the sake of personal safety, you even disregard the merit that is within your grasp?"

"Isn't that what you said? We can't afford to slack off in the slightest. We can only push forward with the whole army and can't stop." Zhu Hui said nonchalantly, "It's already good enough that we've come back unscathed. The war has come to this point, and we can't force things."

Wang Shouren was very annoyed. He couldn't understand the complacent mentality in the army. Even Zhu Hui, the future Duke of Baoguo, didn't have that strong fighting spirit, let alone the rank-and-file soldiers. His heavy punches felt like hitting cotton, with no force to strike.

Wang Shouren thought to himself, "Why weren't you killed by the Tatars when you fell from your horse?"
How could someone be so shameless?
With some resentment in his heart, and just as he was thinking about how to explain to Wang Yue, the messenger appeared again, summoning him to a meeting in the central command tent.

"Am I going too?" Zhu Hui asked casually.

The messenger said, "The commander-in-chief only wants Mr. Wang to go."

"Just right."

Zhu Hui covered his mouth and yawned, saying, "I'm exhausted after a long day and just want to rest... This awful weather, if I didn't go out, I might be able to live a peaceful life, but now I'm really suffering here. When will this misery end..."

Such complaints sounded extremely jarring to Wang Shouren.

But for some reason, the wounded soldiers and nearby soldiers were very pleased to hear this, and they all showed expressions of empathy, as if they regarded Zhu Hui as one of their own.

On the contrary, Wang Shouren found it difficult to resonate with these soldiers.

Wang Shouren initially thought that the reason those military men kept their distance from him was because he was a scholar and they lacked education...

But now he truly realized that perhaps it was because he lacked the roguish charm of a江湖人 (jianghu person, a person from the martial arts world), that sometimes others only showed him respect out of courtesy, and could not truly confide in him, or even entrust their lives to him.

……

……

In Wang Yue's central command tent.

Wang Shouren rushed over, only to find that the military conference had already ended by the time he arrived.

Because Wang Shouren was leading his troops at the very front of the army, furthest from the central command, he was the last to receive the notification and arrived even later.

“Bo’an, come and take a look.”

Wang Yue beckoned Wang Shouren to his side, speaking to him as if he were a close relative, “In the past two days, there have been new developments in the military situation. The main force of the Tatars has not moved south, nor has it continued to gather in the surrounding area... According to information obtained by the night scouts, the Tatars seem to be showing signs of retreating.”

Wang Shouren said, “Minister Wang, the Tatars are not engaging us in direct combat right now. Whether they are passively avoiding battle or withdrawing their troops, it doesn’t mean much to us. If we can’t completely wipe out their forces, they will soon rise again… After all, there is no royal city on the grasslands to attack, so we cannot fundamentally strike at the Tatars…”

His point was that the Ming Dynasty had fortifications, cities, and even the capital as targets. If a foreign tribe were to capture the capital, it would be a near collapse for the Ming Dynasty, meaning the loss of the country.

But how do you conquer the Tatars?

In name, as long as the Tatar prince is captured, the steppe people can be made to obey his orders and submit to the Ming Dynasty... But is it that easy? Won't the Tatars elect a new Khan?
Since we cannot win by capturing cities and taking enemy leaders, we can only use a simpler and more brutal method: to wipe out the Tatars!

Eliminating all the vital forces would be tantamount to conquering the grasslands in disguise.
Wang Yue said, “Bo’an, haven’t you noticed that since the Ming Dynasty was established, the influence of the northern barbarians on the Central Plains dynasty has not been as great as that of the Han, Tang and Song dynasties? In fact, in border affairs, we can still win by seeking victory through stability, and we can even gain the upper hand in battles against foreign barbarians?”

Wang Shouren nodded and said, "Yes."

Wang Yue asked, "Do you know why?"

Wang Shouren said, "The Ming Dynasty has built fortified cities and passes, and has recovered the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun, which are now defensible. More importantly, the emperor and his ministers are of one mind."

"These are all secondary."

Wang Yue shook his head and said, "In fact, the fundamental reason is that the Ming Dynasty developed firearms based on the foundation of the former Song Dynasty, while the grasslands lacked new equipment. Therefore, the military strength of the Ming Dynasty was far superior to that of the former Song Dynasty, and was no less than that of the powerful Han Dynasty and the prosperous Tang Dynasty."

Wang Shouren asked curiously, "Why is Your Excellency bringing this up?"

“Bo’an, I only learned today that the Ming Dynasty actually has firearms that are even more powerful and easier to carry, and they are already in mass production and being equipped by the border troops,” Wang Yue said.

Wang Shouren asked with interest, "Where?"

"Datong" (Great Harmony).

Wang Yue said confidently, "The Datong New Army, which is the army of Zhang Yanling, the emperor's brother-in-law, possesses this new type of firearm. The reason he has been staying in Datong for so long and has not come to Yansui, nor has he participated in our army's deployment, is actually to prepare for the production of this new firearm."

"It is said that... these firearms can be loaded and fired immediately, firing six or seven fireballs at a time, and are lightweight and durable. They are most suitable for cavalry."

"Lord Wang, do you mean that Datong will send another force to the grasslands? And that they are better equipped, and perhaps even... led by the young imperial uncle of the Zhang family?"

Although Wang Shouren had previously learned a lot about Zhang Yanling through various channels.

But when these words came from Wang Yue, they carried a completely different weight.

Imagine if the person you respect and admire most suddenly told you that you were not the main character in this battle, how would you, Wang Shouren, stand?

Wang Yue nodded helplessly: "That's very likely the case."

Wang Shouren said, "Then why..."

“Bo'an, you shouldn’t have asked so many questions…”

Wang Yue interrupted Wang Shouren and said earnestly, "Many things were originally arranged by His Majesty. I shouldn't have gotten involved. In fact, in order to gain merit, I rashly sent troops before the second young master of the Zhang family and did not act according to His Majesty's plan."

Wang Yue's words, which sounded regretful, were like an earthquake to Wang Shouren.

“Lord Wang, in the Ming Dynasty, no one is better at military strategy than you.”

Wang Shouren said, “I have no doubt about this. We only had less than 20,000 troops to deal with tens of thousands of Tatar elites. Moreover, we were in an unfamiliar place, and our supplies and provisions could not keep up. If it weren’t for your flag standing there, this army would have been routed.”

Wang Yue smiled and said, "Perhaps without me, there would never have been this campaign to conquer the grasslands... We fought too casually in this battle, and that's precisely why the Tatars didn't give us a chance..."

Wang Shouren said, "As long as we can force the Tatars to fight us to the death, how can we not win this battle?"

"Your wish is good, but unfortunately, the morale of our army is gone!"

Wang Yue shook his head and said, "Moreover, the Tatars are now on guard. Next, they will definitely try to counterattack and try every means to block our way back. If we encounter trouble and suffer heavy losses, it may lead to the invasion and plunder of the three border areas, including Yansui, by the crazed Tatars... Do you want to see such an outcome?"

Wang Shouren said with a dark face, "I understand. On the battlefield, it's a matter of either advancing or retreating. If we are defeated on the grasslands, it will inevitably affect the stability of the Ming Dynasty's borders."

"It's good that you understand this."

Wang Yue said, "Initially, I also wanted to make a name for myself with advanced muskets and cannons and take back what I had lost. Now it seems that I was overthinking it!"
"I thought that in a direct confrontation on the battlefield, our army would be invincible and unstoppable, and from then on, no one could rival the might of the Ming army... Who would have thought that the Tartars were too cunning and would not give us a chance for a decisive battle... Alas..."

"Your Excellency need not be upset..."

Wang Shouren comforted him, saying, "As our army's firearms become more and more advanced, our Great Ming will one day be invincible under heaven..."

(End of this chapter)