Uncle from a poor family

Chapter 880 Seeking advantages and avoiding disadvantages
Wang Shouren was very worried.

If this war drags on for too long, it is very likely that it will end in a dismal failure for various reasons, and the Tatars will not be able to be destroyed in one battle.

"With the current strength of the imperial army, there will always be opportunities in the future... Where have you ever seen a thousand-mile raid chasing after the Tatars before?"

In the stillness of the night, Wang Shouren set up his tent on a high slope on the north side of the valley so that he could observe the surrounding environment nearby.

This place was three or four miles away from the camp at the foot of the mountain, but because there were signs of division within the Tatars and the various tribes could no longer unite as one, he was not worried about his own safety.

Zhu Hui sat beside him and offered words of comfort.

Wang Shouren said with a helpless expression, "I am not an official in the court. After returning from here, I will focus on the imperial examination and cannot join the army. It is a great regret that I cannot witness what you said."

"Why not just become a military household?"

Zhu Hui said, "With Brother Wang's merits, even if it's not enough to be granted a title, it shouldn't be difficult for him to become a deputy commander of the guard or a hereditary commander of a thousand households, right?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Shouren turned his head to look over, his expression a half-smile.

It's as if they're saying, "My father is a Hanlin scholar in the imperial court, and my family is a family of scholars. Do you think my elders would agree to let me become a commander of a thousand households?"
Zhu Hui pointed to the grassland ahead shrouded in night and said, "The Tartars haven't completely calmed down these past two days. They're still mobilizing troops, and that Zhang Guojiu must be looking for a good opportunity for a strategic decisive battle. And that time will probably come very soon, perhaps even sooner than we expect."

Wang Shouren said, "I don't understand him."

"You mean Zhang Guojiu?"

Zhu Hui laughed upon hearing this, "Who in the court can understand it? And his father, his divination skills are unparalleled, he even incurred divine punishment, they are all legendary gods!"

"It is said that the Tartars' luck has run out when they encounter this father and son. The Ming army will surely be invincible in the world in the future."

Wang Shouren smiled and asked, "What do you plan to do after you go back?"

"The battle is still going on, Brother Wang, why are you already thinking about the future?" Zhu Hui said as he stood up, yawned, and said, "It's getting late, I'll find a tent nearby to sleep in and won't be going back to camp tonight."

What if something happens in the military?

Wang Shouren asked casually.

Zhu Hui said, "It won't even take a quarter of an hour to get down the mountain from here. The brothers can handle it... Hey, the stars are everywhere. Let's enjoy the night view of the grassland right here. It's a really novel experience!"

……

……

Later in the night.

Zhu Hui was fast asleep in the simple single tent when Wang Shouren pulled him awake, leaving him momentarily dazed.

He instinctively gripped the musket beside his pillow, and when he realized the person in front of him was Wang Shouren, he asked in surprise, "What is this...?"

"A fight broke out down the mountain."

Wang Shouren said solemnly.

"What time is it? It's not even dawn yet, why are you fighting?"

Zhu Hui got up and followed Wang Shouren out of the tent. They quickly went to the highest point of the nearby hill, where a servant immediately handed him a pair of binoculars that had been prepared beforehand.

Because he was sleeping in his armor, Zhu Hui found it very inconvenient to move around. When he straightened up and looked down the mountain with his binoculars, he saw a fire burning and the faint sounds of battle shouts coming from an area about four or five miles ahead.

"So close, it seems like it's right under my nose."

Zhu Hui was startled and quickly said, "We need to gather manpower and go up to provide reinforcements immediately."

Wang Shouren said, “We have no less than seven or eight thousand Tatar cavalry ahead of us, and our ammunition is extremely limited... There is really no need to take any risks at this time.”

"Isn't a pincer attack from both sides a good idea?"

As Zhu Hui spoke, he turned to leave and discovered that three or four teams of a hundred people were already waiting at the bottom of the slope behind him.

In other words, immediately after the incident, Wang Shouren had already ordered some troops to be mobilized and ready to be deployed at any time.

Wang Shouren waved his hand and said, "No rush, no rush, let's wait and see."

……

……

in the dark.

The number of troops approaching from afar is increasing, and it seems that some changes are taking place within the Tatar tribe.

The once united alliance of grassland tribes had long since broken apart and were now fighting their own battles under the powerful threat of Ming Dynasty firearms.

If they weren't afraid that their retreat would lead to them being targeted by both the Ming Dynasty and the Tatar prince Batu Mongke, the various tribal forces present might have already fled.

Even so, with Li Zisheng leading his troops into the battle, the battlefield situation underwent a fundamental change.

The three guards of Duoyan chose to defect at the last minute.

The remaining tribes also seemed unwilling to be buried in this war where the strength was unequal... After the war started, it was even difficult to distinguish friend from foe. The Tatars were almost all fighting their own battles, trusting only their own troops, and would directly retaliate against the intervention of neighboring tribes.

"It's so lively, but I don't understand it at all!"

Zhu Hui examined the object closely through his binoculars. After a long while, he frowned and asked, "Why do I see crossbows clashing against each other? And why are there so many close-quarters combat incidents? Are Ming troops involved? It doesn't seem like it at all."

The battlefield ahead, illuminated by firelight, showed that none of the combatants were using firearms.

It was a direct battle using cold weapons!
This left Zhu Hui completely bewildered.

Wang Shouren stroked his chin and made his deduction: "It should be that the tribes from the eastern grasslands attacked and clashed with the tribal forces that were blocking their way, and both sides immediately chose to go to war."

"What? The Tatars are killing each other?"

Zhu Hui looked incredulous.

According to the established plan, shouldn't the various Ming forces have coordinated their efforts on the battlefield, utterly defeating the Tatar cavalry? And shouldn't the Tatars have completely submitted when the Ming troops finally joined forces in victory?

Why is it that the Ming army hasn't made any major moves yet, but instead internal strife has broken out among the Tatars?
They even started fighting?
Wang Shouren said, "We already knew that the Doyan Three Guards had submitted to the Ming Dynasty. Now that they have taken the initiative to attack, isn't it only natural?"

"Hey, how is that reasonable?"

Zhu Hui corrected him, "Brother Wang, you're too naive about border affairs to know the situation here. My father and I have fought many campaigns against the grasslands, and I've long understood the true nature of those Tartars. They used to claim to submit, but it was all a pretense. Even when there's a battle, they mostly just go through the motions without putting in any real effort. How could they... act as vanguards and invest their resources like this?"

When the Ming army attacked the grasslands, were the armed forces of the eastern border tribes sent to lead the charge?

In the past, it would have been like a dream.

But this time, it seems that the tribes of the eastern Mongolian grasslands, in order to make a good impression on the Ming army and sell themselves for a good price, spared no expense and acted as the vanguard to attack the camp of their former allies.
In Zhu Hui's view, it was simply sensational.

Wang Shouren, however, had a different view: "Even a beast of burden will assess the situation when faced with life and death, so it is not surprising that it has come to this predicament."

It's like telling Zhu Hui, "Don't be surprised."

Just as we didn't know the new firearms could be so powerful, the Tatars are now fighting desperately to survive.

Previously, they must have regarded the bloodline of the Golden Family of the Grasslands as the legitimate dynasty and regarded the Ming Dynasty as an enemy.

The situation is different now.

The Emperor of the Ming Dynasty is the true ruler, and we are his subjects. Anyone who doesn't behave well will face extinction.

Isn't the choice obvious?
"Rumble..."

Amidst the firelight, the sound of cannons suddenly rang out.

Zhu Hui asked in surprise, "Huh? Has the Ming army joined the battle and opened fire?" Wang Shouren listened carefully and shook his head, "No, judging from the sound of the cannons, they should be the Mongols' own cannons... well, those heavy, clumsy cannons with very short range and extremely limited power."

Zhu Hui exclaimed in surprise, "There are many stars tonight, but no moon. How could you tell that? Brother Wang, you're amazing!"

Wang Shouren did not answer.

Several squads of Ming soldiers, each a hundred men long, lined up along the ridge, all intently watching the battlefield below. Although they didn't have binoculars, simply watching the Tatars fight amongst themselves was a rare treat for the Ming soldiers.

Sit back and watch the tigers fight...

Idioms seem to have become more concrete.

……

……

Before dawn, the chaotic battle came to an end.

The Tatar tribes from the east, namely the various Eastern Mongol tribes that had submitted to the Ming Dynasty, had completely occupied the target area.

The Tatar forces that had originally been stationed in front of Wang Shouren and Qin Yun's troops were defeated and either died or fled. By the time the sun came out, a large open area had formed in front of them.

"Why don't we go up and cut off our ears? Or leave them all to those Tartars?"

Zhu Hui couldn't wait to go down the mountain and claim the credit.

Wang Shouren was both amused and exasperated, shaking his head and saying, "General Zhu, look at the situation now, besides us, which other force cares about collecting the heads of the Tartars?"

Zhu Hui chuckled self-deprecatingly and said, "There's nothing I can do; it's a habit formed over decades, and I can't change it. It's strange, isn't Li Zisheng already here with his troops? Why doesn't he send someone to seize the heads?"

"Ah... I understand. Those cowards from the Uriyangkhad will conscientiously cut off their heads and bring them back to Li Zisheng. That way, Li Zisheng won't have to lift a finger and will get the credit directly."

Wang Shouren thought to himself, "You really have a rich imagination."

With the road ahead cleared, Wang Shouren and Qin Yun's troops were no longer trapped by the Tatars. In addition to being able to retreat from the rear, the road ahead was also unobstructed.

Even within a radius of several dozen miles, there were no longer any Tatar tribal forces loyal to Batumonk.

Qin Yun brought dozens of people to the hillside to meet the two.

"Commander Qin, should we advance immediately to join forces with Zhang Guojiu?" Zhu Hui asked with a smile. "Is it finally time for the decisive battle?"

Qin Yun said, "We haven't received any further notification yet, but the Jizhou garrison has sent someone to the army to make contact, saying that Minister Li is preparing to personally come here for an inspection."

"Who?"

Zhu Hui asked in surprise.

Qin Yun thought to herself, "Are you deaf?"
Or did I not explain myself clearly enough?

"Minister Li."

Qin Yun emphasized.

Wang Shouren dusted himself off and stood up. Right now, he was the only one in the army who still cared about his image.

The others were already covered in dust and looked like mud balls.

Wang Shouren, however, still wanted to maintain the distinguished demeanor of a scholar.

Wang Shouren asked, "Why did Minister Li suddenly come to inspect the military camp? We are not under his command."

What is Li Zisheng trying to do?
Who does he think he is?
Last night's victory was not won by him personally leading the troops, nor did we ask him to come to our rescue.

What's wrong?

You rely on your rabble to wipe out the Tatars around us, and then you come to us to show off your power?
"This is Minister Li's intention."

Qin Yun said, "I'm just here to let you know. Also, the Second Young Master has sent people to negotiate with the Tatar prince, preparing to force him to surrender."

Zhu Hui asked in surprise, "Didn't we say we weren't going to talk about it anymore?"

Qin Yun corrected, "It was a process of fighting while negotiating, or rather, using fighting to force surrender."

"We didn't do anything special last night, yet we solved the problem just by relying on internal strife among the Tartars?" Zhu Hui asked. "Did we let that bastard Batu Mongke get away?"

Qin Yun said, "No, the position of the Tatars' central army has been located by our army, about forty miles northwest of here."

"I rely on!"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Hui almost considered leading his troops to charge forward regardless of the consequences.

Now that we know where Batumongk is, it's like knowing where the enemy's royal court is. So why don't we take action right away?
Wang Shouren placed his hand on his shoulder, meaning, "Don't get excited. Since Zhang Guojiu is willing to tell us the exact location of the Tatar prince, he certainly isn't worried about us stealing the credit."

When will Minister Li arrive?

Wang Shouren asked.

"We're almost there... Look, over there are Minister Li's troops."

Qin Yun pointed to the northeast.

Zhu Hui looked around, his smile as bright as a chrysanthemum, "I told you, the situation changed in the blink of an eye, no, it should be said that it happened overnight."

"Last night, the surrounding area was full of Tartar camps, the scene was tense and deadly, as if everyone was about to fight to the death. How come after a night of Tartar infighting, the surrounding area is so open? It's as if they've all become our people?"

Wang Shouren said, "Seeking advantage and avoiding harm is human nature, nothing more."

……

……

Wang Shouren met Li Zisheng, a notorious Taoist priest who wielded considerable influence in the court during the late Chenghua era.

Both sides reached a victorious meeting.

Because Qin Yun did not receive orders to lead his troops in a rapid advance, the meeting was only held less than five miles outside the valley. The plan was for Qin Yun and Wang Shouren's troops to join forces with Li Zi Province, receive his inspection, and have a brief exchange before returning to the valley area to garrison.

"I've heard so much about it for a long time."

After dismounting, Li Zisheng looked at the young Wang Shouren with immense admiration on his face.

On the contrary, he had little interest in people like Qin Yun and Zhu Hui.

Wang Shouren was puzzled. Did this sound too hypocritical? I am just a commoner, unknown before this battle. Where did you get the idea that you are famous?

He was also observing Li Zisheng's scarlet crane-patterned official robe, wondering how this guy could be so good at putting on an act.
It's the coldest time of year on the grasslands right now, and you're dressed so formally? Can you even fit a cotton-padded coat under your regular uniform, you're a high-ranking official?

Zhu Hui stepped forward with a smirk: "Minister Li, my father is the Duke of Baoguo. He has come here with troops on the orders of the King of Sanbian. It is my great honor to meet you."

Upon hearing this, Wang Shouren frowned and looked over.

He thought to himself, "You, Zhu Hui, were so disdainful of Li Zisheng before, how come you're suddenly so eager to curry favor? It's like you're facing your own father?"
Li Zisheng laughed and said, "Young Master, you led your troops out of the Hetao region, crossed the Yinshan Mountains several times, and made the Tatars howl in terror, achieving great military exploits. The fact that you can join forces with me here shows your bravery, and I admire you greatly."

Turning to Wang Shouren, he said, "Nephew Wang, may I speak with you in private?"

Even Qin Yun found this very strange.

Li Zisheng was a well-known opportunist in the court; to put it bluntly, he was a fence-sitter who would side with whoever was in power.

But why is Li Zisheng treating Wang Shouren, who is virtually unknown, with such great respect?
Could there be some secret behind it?
(End of this chapter)