Uncle from a poor family

Chapter 858 Having fun
Wang Yue led his army back to the Hetao region.

In other words, Wang Yue's northern expedition has officially come to an end.

However, before leading his troops back, Wang Yue allocated a thousand elite soldiers to Wang Shouren, who was left to guard the north bank of the Yellow River. The soldiers were basically equipped with three horses per person, enough food for ten days, a relatively sufficient supply of firearms and ammunition, some large pack animals for transport, and a dozen or so cannons...

Wang Yue valued Wang Shouren highly, and he gave him almost all the best things in the army.

Zhu Hui was also reserved for Wang Shouren.

This almost made Zhu Hui want to ride his horse through the ice hole and drown himself in the Yellow River to start anew.

"Brother Wang, it's clearly you who wants to stay on the grasslands, why do you insist on dragging me along? Isn't this just harming someone?"

Zhu Hui thought it was outrageous.

As a young master, he has a bright future ahead of him, so he had no intention of asking to stay.

However, simply because Wang Yue felt that the two had cooperated very well before, he made a decision on his own this time to let Zhu Hui stay and assist Wang Shouren. In order to avoid being influenced by the Duke of Baoguo's mansion, he did not allow Zhu Hui's direct subordinates to accompany him. The vast majority of the troops transferred were new troops temporarily transferred from Wang Yue's central army.

In other words... the two of them will lead a completely new group of men, along with the new troops under Wang Shouren's command, to complete the next battle.

Wang Shouren shrugged, looking helpless: "This is Wang Zhongcheng's arrangement. As the saying goes, military orders are like mountains, and we can only obey them."

If you're unsure what to do, just bring out the high-ranking official that the young master on the other side can't afford to offend, and see how he handles it.

Zhu Hui said with a long face, "Wouldn't it be better if I kept some of my own men with me? At least it wouldn't be an obstacle to commanding them..."

Wang Shouren sighed and said, "It's because we used them to spy on various places so often that many warhorses died from exhaustion and every soldier was exhausted. So, Wang Zhongcheng was understanding and let those who couldn't keep up go back to rest, and transferred a new batch of strong men over... Don't worry, they are all elites carefully selected by Wang Zhongcheng."

"hehe."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Hui could only shake his head and offer a wry smile.

Wang Shouren continued, “Our food supply is only enough for seven or eight days. In such harsh conditions, if we do nothing, the soldiers will have to endure ten days of hardship. Moreover, because the Yellow River is frozen, we cannot catch fish, and it is difficult to find grass roots and tree bark to temporarily fill our stomachs.”

"What?"

Zhu Hui asked in surprise, "We've been working so hard to stay on the grassland just to scavenge for grass roots and tree bark to eat? That's ridiculous!"

Zhu Hui was speechless.

Although you helped me achieve military merits, your current actions are clearly detrimental to me.

Wang Shouren pointed to the north and said, "There are many places with abundant water and grass around Yinshan Mountain, where many tribes gather to spend the winter. Right now, we can completely sustain ourselves through war."

"What?"

Zhu Hui nearly vomited blood upon hearing this.

Leaving me on the grasslands to cooperate with you is for the so-called "using war to sustain war"?
Where are the points where battles can take place?
Wang Shouren patiently explained: "Previously, our army moved too slowly in the area around Yinshan, which allowed the Tatars to know our whereabouts very well. We were in the open, while the Tatars were in the dark."

"Right now we only have two thousand men. The heavier supplies have already been taken back to the interior. Next... we'll split our forces and launch an attack..."

"wait."

Zhu Hui stared wide-eyed and asked, "Divide the troops? Divide them in what way? How many men do we have? Only about two thousand in total... Could it be that Commander Wang has specially assigned a contingent of troops to you, ready to be at your disposal at any time?"

Zhu Hui found this very puzzling.

Why split up your forces when you only have two thousand men?

Is this person trying to die even faster than expected?
Do you still think that the Tatar cavalry were made of paper?
Wang Shouren didn't think there was anything wrong with his decision at all. Looking at Zhu Hui, he slowly said, "If we don't divide our troops, with the current number of our troops, we will still be too big a target. Wherever we move, the Tatars will still be aware of us. I once suggested to Wang Zhongcheng that we divide our troops... but he was too cautious and did not agree to my suggestion."

Zhu Hui said, "But...in the end, didn't we also divide our forces? And we even achieved results, annihilating thousands of enemy soldiers..."

"I mean, break up the whole force into more than a dozen groups, each completing its own combat mission on the grassland, without any command or control between them."

Wang Shouren spoke eloquently, his eyes gleaming, "Only in this way can the Tatars not figure out our tactics and be unable to deal with us..."

Zhu Hui interrupted Wang Shouren and asked, "This may indeed confuse the Tatars, but if the main force is broken up into smaller units, can it still engage the Tatars in a direct battle?"

Wang Shouren countered, "If the whole army moves together and advances and retreats in unison, we will have fighting power, but will the Tatars give us a chance to fight?"

"This one……"

Zhu Hui was unable to answer for a moment.

Wang Shouren continued, “I have heard from Wang Zhongcheng that a force from Datong will be sent to attack the grasslands, heading straight for Weininghai and threatening Guanshan… If our allies take active action, and we respond in kind, it could be a good opportunity to win.”

Zhu Hui was full of doubts and shook his head, saying, "Do you really believe that a force from Datong will come out? At this time of year, in the dead of winter, with heavy snow and ice, it's difficult to travel... I'm afraid that force only exists in your imagination."

Wang Shouren said, "The recent movements of the Tatars have fully demonstrated that there is a huge threat behind them... If it is not internal strife among the Tatars, it can only be that the Ming army that set out from Datong is causing trouble behind the Tatars!"

"Eh...you...are you familiar with the people of Datong?"

Zhu Hui was quite surprised.

Zhu Hui, who had met Zhang Yanling's brother-in-law many times in Datong, simply couldn't believe it because Zhang Yanling might lead troops into battle. On the contrary, his father, Zhu Yong, had high expectations for it.

Wang Shouren had nothing to hide at this point, and said directly, "This was told to me personally by Wang Zhongcheng, so it should be true."

"hiss……"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Hui gasped in shock and asked, "So, that young imperial brother-in-law has likely already led his troops into the grasslands, and the Tatars are mobilizing their forces to intercept him? If that's the case, why doesn't Commander Wang himself lead his troops to stay behind? Are our few remaining men enough?"

Wang Shouren said, "Just as General Wang himself said, the older he gets, the more conservative he becomes. If we hadn't gained merit from the Tumed tribe, he might have fought desperately. But now that we have the merit, as the commander of an army, he is hesitant to make any decision, for fear of losing the military merit he has gained."

"Of course, General Wang isn't inactive. Didn't he keep us here? As long as we continue to achieve military merits, he will share in the credit. This will provide an explanation for the court, His Majesty, and the Zhang family. As the saying goes, man proposes, God disposes. Now the opportunity has been given to us. Next, I will wipe out the Tatar camp that the night scouts I sent out previously discovered."

"What? You have a goal?"

Zhu Hui had not anticipated this at all.

Wang Shouren nodded and said, "I have already scouted out a valley in the middle of Yinshan Mountain where a group of Tatars has gathered. There are at least two or three thousand of them. We will split our forces and go there, then regroup and attack. This will earn us military merits, and we can obtain the necessary rations by slaughtering their livestock. Then we can proceed step by step and find new targets to attack."

Zhu Hui was speechless.

Wang Shouren wasn't just talking the talk; he truly dared to think and act.

However, upon closer examination, it makes sense. In the previous battle at the northern foot of Yinshan Mountain, Wang Shouren insisted on leading a group of men into battle, and Wang Yue was unable to make up his mind at the time. Yet Wang Shouren, a young man who had never experienced military life, had the courage and keen insight that Wang Yue could not match.

Zhu Hui asked, "What if the Tatar camp changes?"

"will not."

Wang Shouren said decisively, "They have been hiding there for a month. Now that the Ming army has just withdrawn, they feel safe and will not rashly change their habitat... General Zhu, I will allocate five hundred men to you. You will be the vanguard. Can you complete the mission?"

"I'll listen to you, I'll listen to you completely." Zhu Hui spread his hands, seemingly completely convinced. "It's not impossible for five hundred men to wipe out a camp of several thousand people in a surprise attack. Plus our firearms... If we don't win this battle, it's not just a bad start, but we won't even have enough food to continue our operation. We'll have to endure hunger and obediently retreat back into the pass... The start determines the future and the final outcome."

Wang Shouren said, "That description is indeed correct. Since the first battle is so important, then General Zhu must be the vanguard of the entire army. Three days later, we will celebrate our victory in the Tatar camp!"

……

……

After losing Wang Yue's control, Wang Shouren was able to completely unleash his power and lead troops independently.

The first step is to divide the forces.

Zhu Hui led 500 men as the vanguard, advancing rapidly, while Wang Shouren himself led 800 men as the central army, following closely behind.

The remaining seven hundred or so people were basically kept in scout mode, casting a wide net of reconnaissance to investigate the movements of the Tatars and to gather information to Wang Shouren for analysis.

The scout teams agreed on signals and left special marks... all in order to find the main force on the vast grassland.

But in reality, the so-called main force was only a few hundred people, so the scout squads didn't feel abandoned. After all, they were fighting on their own, so there was no real danger. At worst, they could just retreat to the area south of the Yellow River.

Ever since.

Not only did Wang Shouren completely unleash his potential, but his soldiers also felt an unprecedented sense of ease.

It was also because Wang Yue had previously led his troops to sweep through the grasslands, which boosted the morale of the Ming soldiers.

It turns out that the Ming army could penetrate deep into the grasslands and keep the Tatars from fighting. It turns out that our weapons could overwhelm theirs by so much, and even win with fewer troops... As long as we don't get surrounded by the Tatars, we can turn danger into safety, and even drive them away with a small number of troops...

In less than three days, Zhu Hui's troops had reached a place 120 li east of the Yinshan Pass. They had traveled nearly 200 li in total. Since each man had three horses, it only took them two days, which was a very fast marching speed.

"Young Master, a report has come from the front that we have indeed discovered Tatar spies."

A scout came to report to Zhu Hui, "The Tartars haven't spotted us yet. It's almost dark. Should we take advantage of the darkness and rush in to wipe out their stronghold?"

"Don't be impulsive. First, we need to figure out how many troops they have!"

Zhu Hui calmly said, "If we blindly rush in like this, we might end up getting surrounded and ruining ourselves!"

There are about 500 people. Although the exact number has not been counted, it is roughly the same, probably just a dozen or twenty more.

With such a small force, they think they can wipe out a Tatar settlement?
Even if the Tatars were incompetent, they would still have left a considerable number of troops stationed there, right?

“Young Master, we used the same method when we followed you before. Back then, we only had two thousand men, while the enemy had tens of thousands, and we still managed to win…”

Zhu Hui wanted to wait, but his men were unwilling.

Why leave the credit that's already in your hands to those who come after you?
They're slow, and they think they're right?

Zhu Hui looked around and saw that all his men had bloodshot eyes and seemed eager to rush over... Let alone being afraid of fighting, they wouldn't leave even if you whipped them.

"Huh? One by one, they're all fearless of death?"

Zhu Hui asked curiously, "What, have you changed your mind?"

"Young Master, we were completely outmaneuvered by the Tatars on the grasslands before, and we've been holding a grudge ever since. Those Tatars used to love showing off their power, but now they're running faster than rabbits. We finally found their lair, so why not take this opportunity to wipe them out? If not now, when?"

"Yes! Young Master, please order the troops to be dispatched!"

A group of people were talking at once, and they almost raised their arms in a shout.

Zhu Hui quickly stopped him: "No, no, no, keep your voice down, don't reveal our whereabouts!"

“We only have this many people… how could the Tatars possibly know?” someone nearby laughed. “We’re surrounded by mountains on both sides. If we hide here, they’ll never find us in their lifetime.”

Zhu Hui said, "That's true. The grasslands are different from the Ming Dynasty's territory. The Tatars don't fight us head-on. They hide in valleys amidst the intersecting peaks. We can't search for them one by one. They avoid battle, and we really don't have any good solutions."

"However, this also shows that Brother Wang is very clever. By sending out more people to investigate, no matter how well the Tatars hide, there is always a chance to find them."

"Young Master, shall we fight or not?"

"Let's attack! Tonight, but we still need to wait... If reinforcements don't arrive in an hour, then we'll charge! At worst... we'll fight them to the death!"

……

……

That night, the stars and moon were nowhere to be seen, and it was pitch black.

To ensure that the Tatars did not discover the situation in advance, the Ming army did not even light torches.

Soon, Zhu Hui received a follow-up message from Wang Shouren, instructing him to lead his troops into the Tatar camp at all costs and set it on fire as a signal.

"What does that Military Advisor Wang mean?" The person next to Zhu Hui seemed very confused. "If we charge in, and there are no reinforcements, wouldn't that mean..."

Zhu Hui packed up all his gear and said coldly, "Brother Wang tells us what to do, so we'll do it... What a great opportunity to make a name for ourselves! It's just a Tatar pasture; if we charge in, a mountain of credit awaits us. We've arrived here first, and they're handing over the credit to us. Aren't you satisfied? Who was it that was shouting and urging us to charge forward earlier?"

No one answered.

"Good heavens, I thought you guys had changed your ways and were waiting to steal the credit, but it turns out it was all just talk?" Zhu Hui said. "You really disappoint me."

“Young Master, it’s not that we’re afraid, it’s just that Military Advisor Wang’s intentions are hard to understand. He seems to know that this battle will be difficult, and he’s sending us to be the suicide squad.”

The group initially wanted to fight, but Zhu Hui stopped them, saying he needed to discuss it with Wang Shouren.

Wang Shouren now means that it's possible to fight.

This group of people is not happy about it again.

"Danger……"

Someone spoke again.

"Danger my ass!"

Zhu Hui shouted, "Remember, Brother Wang's men will arrive soon. Otherwise, why would he have sent the message so early to reassure the troops? This is to let us fight first, and he will arrive later."

The generals were completely bewildered.

Is this a stroll in one's own backyard? They're fighting here first? And the commander-in-chief will arrive soon? It sounds like they're just playing around, not like a real battle.

Zhu Hui seemed to realize he was bad at talking, and waved his hand, saying, "Hurry up and prepare for battle. By the time the reinforcements arrive, it will be too late! Be quick, show the same spirit as before, charge in and we can solve the problem. If we don't have time to cut off heads, we'll cut off ears. We'll use the ears as credit when we get back."

(End of this chapter)