Uncle from a poor family

Chapter 864 The Conquest of Langjuxu is Nothing More Than This
"Gentlemen, the Tatars were not entirely unaware of our journey here... They were probably on alert, but all their current energy was focused on dealing with another force of our Ming army..."

At this point, Wang Shouren began to consciously boost the morale of his troops.

"What? Could it be that General Wang has led his troops here?"

"Impossible! The troops from Yansui have already retreated, how could they be here?"

A group of people started discussing it again.

Wang Shouren looked at Zhu Hui and gestured for him to speak: "Let General Zhu explain to you all."

"This……"

Zhu Hui glared at Wang Shouren and said with displeasure, "Brother Wang, you could have just come yourself, why did you call me?"

“You come from Datong Town… You should know better than anyone what the situation in Datong was like before you set off for Yansui Town. Moreover, you are a commander and understand the war situation. It is most appropriate for you to explain what is happening on the battlefield now.”

Wang Shouren said with a smile.

Zhu Hui thought to himself, "You only remember to drag me into this when you're trying to scam someone."

Not only do they want to kill me, but they also want to make me lose face in front of my soldiers.
Are you testing me specifically?
Zhu Hui said loudly, "Now that things have come to this, there's nothing left to hide... His Majesty originally planned to send two armies to completely conquer the grasslands. The army led by General Wang, the commander of the three border regions, was just a feint, a deliberate attempt to keep the Tatars busy, while the real main force was in Datong."

This left the generals and soldiers present utterly shocked.

So all our hard work, running around, crossing the Yinshan Mountains several times, and fighting many tough battles, have we just been used as decorative ornaments? Are we just cow dung used as a backdrop for others?
Suddenly going from the main character to an insignificant supporting character is hard for anyone to accept.

"Then...Young Master, how did Datong send out its troops, and why was it chosen as the main force? Besides, with a hero like Wang Weining who is renowned among foreign tribes, is there any need to create a false impression? Wouldn't it have been just as easy to secure victory by attacking directly from the Hetao region?"

"That's right, if even Wang Weining couldn't win this battle, who else could? Could it be Yan Xiao?"

A group of people seemed very unconvinced.

Whether we want to fight or not is our own business. You high-ranking officers cannot insult us like this.

We are the main characters in this war; don't treat us like supporting characters.

Zhu Hui solemnly said, "The troops in Datong are commanded by the Zhang family's young imperial brother-in-law, that is... Zhang Yanling."

Those present looked at each other in bewilderment upon hearing this name.

Many of the soldiers came from the New Army system. After all, when Zhu Hui led his troops from Datong to Yansui, he brought with him a large number of New Army soldiers trained in the capital.

Although it was under the guise of Wang Yue, with Wang Yue in charge of training the new army, the soldiers below were no strangers to the name Zhang Yanling...

After all, the new weapons were all manufactured and supplied to the entire army by Zhang Yanling and his men.

Wang Shouren asked, "Do you know who he is?"

"This one……"

A low-ranking officer stepped forward and said, "Of course we know. Isn't the young imperial brother-in-law of the Zhang family the great man who manufactured firearms and trained the new army? Wasn't it him and his father who orchestrated the battle between Minister Li and the Tartars at Pian Tou Pass? There are many rumors about this in the army..."

Wang Shouren appeared very surprised.

As the commander, I know less about this person than even the lowest-ranking soldiers.
I thought that when I mentioned this person's name, a group of people would come out and question who it was.

"If the young imperial uncle of the Zhang family is going to lead troops, why didn't he inform us? Why did he have to do it secretly? Where is he now? Has he already led his troops into the grasslands?"

"Yeah, now that we're deep in the grasslands, we should be able to spot some people, right? We've been cooperating for so long, providing cover for them, we can't just let it all go to waste, can we?"

"Where is he?"

The group started talking all at once again.

Wang Shouren said loudly, "If I'm not mistaken, their troops should be within a hundred miles... and the Tatars in front of us have probably just fought with them and retreated."

"what?"

A group of people were whispering among themselves.

Why does it seem less and less reliable the more I listen to it?

Within a radius of 100 li?

Why don't you say it's within a thousand li? It's less than two hundred li from here back to the Ming Dynasty, right? With a little effort, we might be able to get back in two or three days.

Wang Shouren said, "The Tatars in front of us are clearly a group of defeated and remnant soldiers, and are not worth fearing."

Zhu Hui said with a bitter face, "This... Brother Wang, you can't say that, can you? The Tartars outnumber us by a lot, and they are skilled in tactics and horse archery. Just like before, when we fought them many times north of Yinshan, apart from the first successful sneak attack, we didn't gain much advantage afterward, did we?"

"That's strange to say."

Wang Shouren was not offended at all and directly raised his question: "In that battle, the Tatars were passive and avoided fighting, and used all kinds of tricks. Why are they now actively fighting?"

"What reason could they possibly have for doing this? Could it be that they believe the Datong forces are ones they can easily defeat, while our forces are ones they must avoid?"

In Wang Shouren's view, since the Tatars chose to avoid battle when fighting Wang Yue, there was no reason for them to fight Zhang Yanling head-on.

Unless they have a compelling reason to confront the battle?
Why fight if you can't win?

Didn't the guerrilla tactics work quite well before?

Zhu Hui said, "Let me make it clear first that whether the young imperial uncle of the Zhang family has led troops into the grasslands is still up for discussion. After all, we are deep in the heart of the grasslands and lack communication with the outside world. We are very isolated from news. It is still uncertain how the Ming Dynasty's military advance is going."

Upon hearing this, Wang Shouren glared at him, as if to say, "Are you trying to undermine me?"

Telling the soldiers below that Zhang Yanling's forces would at least reassure them and be helpful for their subsequent military deployment.

What now?
Zhu Hui added, "There's another possibility: internal strife among the Tatars. Only the Tatars themselves are unafraid of each other. They've long wanted to complete their internal unification, especially that little Tatar prince, Batumonke. Perhaps... we just happened to run into each other this time!"

……

……

Whether they were willing or not, Wang Shouren's soldiers had to stay for the time being.

They only hoped that Wang Shouren would not make them fight a losing battle against the Tatars head-on, because they were already exhausted.

But soon...

Bad news arrived.

"Damn it, the Tartars have spotted us!"

When Zhu Hui shouted the news, all the soldiers in the temporary camp seemed to realize that a major battle was inevitable.

Everyone grabbed their gear and rushed to their warhorses, completely disregarding the need for rest.

All eyes turned to Wang Shouren.

Wang Shouren shook his head and said, "We have been marching under the very noses of the Tartars. It's impossible that they only discovered us now... Was such a strong reaction necessary?"

The people around were all a bit confused.

What, are we not secretive enough in our march?
Didn't they say we were in the dark while the Tartars were in the light?

Why is it reversed now?
"The troops are well organized and ready for battle at any time."

Wang Shouren instructed, "General Zhu, come with me to scout out the enemy's situation."

"Me?" Zhu Hui was also confused.

Shouldn't I be in charge of reorganizing the troops right now?
You want me to go out with you, a scholar, to scout out the enemy's situation? If a real battle breaks out, and neither of the two highest-ranking commanders in the army is present, how can we fight the battle?
"Let's go!"

Wang Shouren's tone left no room for argument.

Zhu Hui could only compose himself and follow Wang Shouren out of the camp.

……

……

Sunset dusk.

It was still on a high slope covered with wild grass.

Wang Shouren and Zhu Hui each used binoculars to observe the Tatar camp ahead, only to discover that the Tatars were packing up their belongings, preparing to take them away.

"Why is this scene becoming increasingly incomprehensible?"

Zhu Hui remained completely bewildered.

From the moment Zhu Hui learned that there were Tartars in front of him, and that there were large numbers of Tartars, and that there might be another Ming army active in the heart of the grasslands, he felt that his mind was in a daze and that many things were difficult to understand using common sense.

Just like the Tatars in front of us, who clearly had a complete advantage in military strength, they were actually reorganizing their troops and planning to escape.

Wang Shouren smiled and said, "This shows they don't want to fight us."

Zhu Hui speculated, "Is it possible that the Tartars are just afraid of another group from our Ming Dynasty, and not that they are afraid of us?"

Wang Shouren tilted his head to look at Zhu Hui and said, "Are you also thinking that it's possible the Tartars are still fighting a civil war and don't want to be attacked by our Ming army, so they would rather avoid it and let the opposing tribes take the lead, using them as a tool to kill each other?"

"Uh...yeah, that's possible."

Zhu Hui said, "Brother Wang, I've always felt that there's an eerie atmosphere here since we arrived. Who was it that scouted out the enemy just now? How did the Tartars discover us?"

"Two patrols of Tartars came at high speed, heading straight for the high slopes on the left and right. We dared not make a move rashly, and as a result, they were able to spy on our camp at the bottom of the valley... In addition, several cavalry groups came from the flanks and also discovered our tracks on the high ground in the northwest."

The night watchman approached to report.

Zhu Hui said, "It's very likely that the Tatars are not clear about the number of our troops, and they may think that Wang Weining is behind us... They dare not act recklessly. It can only be said that Wang Weining's name is too intimidating."

Wang Shouren shook his head: "We have already marched thousands of miles into the grasslands. If the Tatars still don't know the number of our troops and their equipment, then they don't need to survive on the grasslands! The Tatars in front of us must know our strength."

"You know but don't act? So you're afraid to fight us?"

Zhu Hui suddenly felt more confident.

It turns out that the small number of men I led were considered a fierce and ruthless army by the Tatars, and I was a renowned general!
It may seem insignificant in this era, but if we look at history and wait for future historians to record it... perhaps I, Zhu, will be remembered in a significant way, just like Wei Qing and Huo Qubing.

The victory at Fenglangjuxu is nothing more than this.

Wang Shouren said, "When the enemy retreats, we advance; it's time to take action."

"The Tartars are on guard, and the camp in front of us is full of their main force. Should we really charge in?"

Zhu Hui hesitated, saying cautiously, "It's not that I'm afraid, but judging from the situation, the Tartars must have supporting forces in the surrounding area. They will definitely join forces with larger tribal groups. If we charge in... we'd probably be nothing more than a drop in their oceans..."

"Shouldn't we know where their front line of fire is?"

Wang Shouren did not seem to intend to persuade Zhu Hui.

In any case, only he can represent Wang Yue in the army, and he can even directly give orders to Zhu Hui. As the commander-in-chief, if he still has to argue with Zhu Hui during wartime, that would be incompetent.

……

……

When Wang Shouren returned to the camp gate with Zhu Hui, the Ming army had already been reorganized.

It just looks like...

They all looked haggard.

Unlike their initial high spirits when they first set out, everyone now looks like a beggar—many of their uniforms are incomplete because, to keep warm, they can only wear thick cotton-padded coats over their uniforms, and then sheepskin coats over those...

In short, wear whatever you can on your body; as long as you don't freeze to death, starve to death, or die from exhaustion, you're still a hero.

Nobody cares about having to be perfectly in military uniform.

They looked more like a band of beggars.

"Military Advisor Wang, Young Master, we just discovered that the Tatars have retreated from their camp, but they have still sent troops to keep an eye on us from a distance... Should we eliminate them?"

The soldiers who had previously been passively avoiding battle and refusing to fight the Tatars with Wang Shouren suddenly became full of fighting spirit, as if injected with chicken blood, when they discovered that the Tatars on the other side, although numerous, were a bunch of cowards.

The momentum shifted instantly.

Zhu Hui said, "The Tartars also sent out scouts? How come we didn't notice before?"

"To the east."

A night watchman stepped forward to warn, "They split into two groups, focusing on us. We've discovered that their main force is retreating northeast. We've already sent men deep into that area to scout out the enemy's situation, but they haven't returned yet."

Zhu Hui looked at Wang Shouren and said, "It seems that Brother Wang's judgment was correct. The Tartars really don't have the guts to fight us. It must have been that battle north of Yinshan that blew them out of their spirits... Hey, now this grassland has truly become our territory!"

"Ah."

Wang Shouren simply nodded silently, seemingly thinking of something, but he didn't want to offend Zhu Hui.

Even at this moment, they still couldn't resist boasting and elevating themselves... Wang Shouren thought to himself, even I don't have the confidence to say that we scared the Tatars away.

Zhu Hui continued, "Brother Wang, give me a straight answer: are we going to fight, or what? If they retreat, it's probably just a smokescreen. They might send a large number of cavalry tonight to attack."

Wang Shouren said, "Let's wait and see how things develop."

"Ok?"

Zhu Hui was instantly thrown off balance.

You kept saying "fight, fight, fight," but I firmly disagreed.

Now that I've discovered the Tatars are full of cowardice, and I finally managed to change my mind and agree to fight alongside you, you actually say... we're not going to fight anymore?

Should we wait and see?
Wang Shouren said, "First we need to find out how many troops the Tatars have! With our limited manpower, it's not enough to fight the Tatars head-on... At most, we're here to disrupt the situation and contain the Tatars, but we can't forget our original purpose."

Zhu Hui said, "In such a turbulent place, why should we let others make the decisions? We can make our own decisions."

Wang Shouren said helplessly, "The key is that the current situation is not caused by us. If we force it, it may cause the Tatars to become desperate and retaliate... We will never be able to go back."

This is to protect your lives.

Why aren't you grateful?

Upon hearing this, Zhu Hui nodded and said, "Good, good, we'll do as Brother Wang says. Tonight, all the soldiers will be ready for battle. Let's light the campfires and keep the brothers warm... Finally, we don't need to hide anything anymore. Let's openly tell the Tartars that all our troops are here. If they have the guts, let them come and fight!"

(End of this chapter)