Yang Tinghe was startled for a moment, then he flew into a rage. He raised his horse and stepped forward, shouting: "How dare you! Do you know who the people in front of you are? "
Even though these three men had left the capital in the middle of the night and looked battered and exhausted, but looking at their imposing attire, Liu Dabichun felt that they must be some great high-ranking officials. He rolled his eyes and said: "Who are you?"
Yang Tinghe saw that the army had sped up, but this scoundrel soldier in front of him had formed a line with twenty bodyguards, blocking the entrance to the mountain. He could not help but feel anxious. He said sternly: "The three people in front of you are the three great scholars from the cabinet from the capital. They have an urgent matter to discuss with General Yang. Get out of the way quickly, if you delay this important matter, I will have your head."
Hearing the other party's background, Liu Dabichun's imposing manner could not help but be stifled. But then he remembered that Marshal Yang had placed such importance on a lowly soldier like him. If he let them pass so easily, not only would he betray the Marshal's trust, but he would also inevitably be ridiculed by his comrades in the army. Liu Dabichun gathered his courage and said: "By the Marshal's order, I invite the three of you to return to the capital. I have a military order, I dare not let you pass!"
Yang Tinghe did not expect a mere lieutenant to dare to contradict him like this. He could not restrain his anger. He pointed his horsewhip at Liu Dabichun and angrily shouted: "You … how dare you! How many brains do you have? "
Liu Dabichun threw caution to the wind. He hardened his heart and said with his nose in the air: "Military orders must be obeyed. Even the Heavenly King's father cannot pass."
Jiao Fang did not expect Yang Ling to send a soldier who did not know anything to negotiate with them. Yang Tinghe was full of knowledge, but he could not reason with this impetuous soldier. Moreover, he could not suppress his official prestige. Jiao Fang saw Yang Tinghe's embarrassment and was secretly pleased.
Li Dongyang stretched out his hand to stop Yang Tinghe, who was about to lash his whip in anger. Stroking his beard, he said to Liu Dachui amiably, "This military officer, those who do not know are not guilty. You are a soldier in the army, presumably you do not know that the three of us going out of the capital together is such an important matter.
You are loyal to your duty, which is very commendable, but this matter is of great importance; it concerns the empire, the country, and the Great Ming's millions upon millions of common people. This official advises you to step aside immediately and let us pass. At the very least, you should relay my words to General Yang and see if he has changed his mind. If we are delayed, you, as a lowly commandant, cannot afford to bear the consequences. You must know that even if the current Emperor were here, hearing that the three of us have come together, he would know that there is an earth-shattering matter to report to him, and would not delay even one step. "
As soon as Liu Dachui heard this, he was amused. Seeing this old gentleman speaking in a genteel manner, he suddenly thought of a play. With his head held high and his head held high, he cleanly replied, "When a general is outside, the ruler's order must be obeyed!"
Yang Tinghe was so angry that he laughed. "Official Li," he said, "This lowly soldier is vulgar and uncultured, he does not understand the affairs of the world. Talking to him is simply playing the lute to a cow. Guards, charge forward for me. I want to see what a little military officer like him dares to do to us!"
As soon as Yang Tinghe gave his order, his attendants lifted their horses and moved forward. Jiao Fang, on the other hand, turned her horse around and dodged to the side. She signaled her Imperial Bodyguards with her eyes, and then deliberately moved to the back.
Liu Dachui was anxious; he raised his Shang Fang sword high and shouted in a stern voice, "With the Shang Fang sword here, we can act first and report later. I want to see who dares to come forward!"
Hearing this, the attendants hesitated. Yang Tinghe also shouted in a stern voice, "This matter concerns the fate of the country, let alone a sword, even if the current Emperor were here, why can't we charge forward? Charge forward for me! "
Liu Dachui saw that the attendants were really going to charge forward as soon as they heard his order, but he did not dare to brandish his sword to chop them. In a moment of desperation, he was quick-witted; hastily he inserted the sword into his waist, and picked up an eight chi long iron rod. 'Whoosh!' he swung the rod in a circle and struck the leg of an attendant's horse that was charging at the forefront. The horse neighed and fell to its knees with a loud crash. The Imperial Bodyguard on the horse tumbled down from the horse, blocking the path of the Imperial Bodyguards behind him.
Liu Dachui laughed coldly and shouted, "If you want to beat people, hit the horse first. I want to break the horse's leg for me. I want to see how their two legs can overtake four legs!"
Hearing this, the twenty Imperial Bodyguards brandished their spears and struck the horse's leg. The three Grand Scholars' Imperial Bodyguards were ordinary officers and soldiers; when they left the Capital in a hurry, they only had a saber with them. In addition, they were wearing thin clothes, they did not have a fur coat to cover them. Their hands and feet were numb from the cold, their movements were not agile. Their horse-riding skill was not as good as these twenty Imperial Bodyguards'; how could they evade?
The spear was not as good as the iron rod; although it did not break the horse's leg, it struck the horse so hard that it neighed in pain and jumped around in confusion. Ignoring its master's command, it turned the horse around and ran with all its might. After galloping for several dozen zhang, the Imperial Bodyguards managed to rein it in. However, no matter how they scolded or kicked the horse's belly, the horse did not dare to come any closer.
Since they had shed all pretense of cordiality, Liu Dachui's habit of being a bandit flared up. When Yang Tinghe personally drove the horse over, Liu Dachui brandished his rod and chased the horse away. After a moment of chaos, the three Grand Scholars' and dozens of attendants' horses' legs were broken and injured; they could only limp and walk with difficulty. Liu Dachui turned his head to look at the distant mountain ridge where the main army was. He only saw a sea of banners fluttering in the wind; he could not restrain himself from bursting into laughter. Turning the horse's head, he led the twenty Imperial Bodyguards and galloped away.
Even though Li Dongyang was a shrewd man, he was still angered by this unreasonable soldier that his face turned ashen. He stood on the ground, holding the reins of his half-bent horse that was constantly whining in grief. Looking at the distant main army, he was speechless for half a day.
When the Juyong Pass garrison general received the report, he put on his helmet and armor and rushed to the city pass. As soon as Yang Ling's army arrived and verified the Imperial Envoy's official seal, he immediately opened the city gates. Yang Ling did not bother to exchange pleasantries with him, the main army immediately crossed the pass.
Yang Ling was worried that Liu Dachui would not be able to stop the three Grand Scholars, so he waited at the rear of the army. When he saw twenty-one warhorses galloping over like the wind and lightning, he asked about the process of stopping them and found out that the three Grand Scholars were not injured. Yang Ling could not restrain his joy and immediately led the rest of his troops out of the pass.
The garrison general closed the city gates with a loud rumble. Yang Ling's heart finally returned to his stomach. The garrison general did not recognize the three Grand Scholars. They came in such a hurry that they would not have brought the clearance document issued by the army. Even if they managed to catch up to the pass, they would not be able to persuade the garrison general of Juyong Pass to open the gate and let them pass.
The main army took a circuitous route to the southwest, advancing rapidly all the way. Along the way, they did not turn into small counties and set up tents where they rested. Today the main army set foot on the ancient road of Lingqiu. The area around Lingqiu County used to be the place where King Wuling of Zhao 'opened up the land for a thousand miles', where Emperor Liu Che of Han attacked the Xiongnu in the north, where Cao Cao of the Three Kingdoms stationed his troops to farm … where the Yang Family of the Northern Song Dynasty defended the border against the Liao Dynasty.
Along the way, whether it was the army or the lodging, Zhengde always walked with the soldiers. On flat ground, on foot on mountain roads, he never once stepped into the carriage. Even if he was a spoiled young master of a big family, he would not be able to endure this kind of hardship, let alone Zhu Houzhao, who was cared for like a treasure since he was a child.
Unexpectedly, he had this kind of perseverance, which was a far cry from his usual idleness and playfulness. Not only Yang Ling, even Zhang Yong was greatly surprised. The main army followed the ancient road and came to a steep ridge surrounded by mountains. Suddenly, they saw an army stationed in front of them. It seemed that there were at least three thousand soldiers.
Although this place was less than eighty miles away from Lingqiu County, Yang Ling dared not to be careless when an army suddenly appeared on this steep ridge. Judging from the tents, it seemed that they had been stationed for some time. He ordered the main army to rest on the spot and secretly be on guard, while he sent a Middle Officer to inquire about the army.
Not long after, the Middle Officer hurried into the main tent with a general. Zhengde, disguised as a guard, also stood behind Yang Ling and watched. The general was in his early forties and looked burly and energetic. When he saw Yang Ling from afar, he came forward with a face full of smiles. He cupped one hand in the other before his chest and saluted, saying, "I am Diao Huashen, the Commander of the Left Guards of Datong under the command of Lord Hu, the Inspector-General of Datong, Hu Zan. Nice to meet you, Mr. Yang. Mr. Yang, thank you for your hard work."
Yang Ling was puzzled. Why did Hu Zan send three thousand soldiers to be stationed here when the battle at the front was intense?
After exchanging a few words of greeting, Yang Ling invited him to take a seat and asked, "Commander Diao, what is this place? The front is in a stalemate with the Tartars and it is the time for war. Why is the main army stationed here? Is there any important task? "
Even the ministers of the court were not allowed to ask about military secrets. But besides contributing to the army, Yang Ling also had the power to inspect and control the entire battle at the front. When necessary, he could use the Golden Arrow of Command and the Imperial Envoy Seal to mobilize the army at the front. Therefore, it was not against the rules to ask.
Diao Huashen was a trusted follower of Hu Zan. The news that the capital had sent the Commander of the Inner Factory and the Commander of the Capital Camp to patrol the border had been sent to him through the military courier station. He knew Yang Ling's background and naturally did not dare to lie. He hurriedly said, "You may not know, Your Excellency. From here to Datong, the high mountains and lofty ridges are heavily guarded everywhere. Only this ancient road has no dangerous passes.
At the front, the Tartars are being held up by Commander Yang. Even if they wanted to retreat, they could not. Now that their rations have been exhausted, they cannot gain any advantage. Somehow, the Tartars spies found a small path and sent more than a thousand men and horses to Lingqiu through this small path to avoid all the passes. They took away a large amount of property and rations. When Inspector Hu heard the news, he was afraid that the Tartars had tasted the sweetness and sent more men to attack again. Therefore, he ordered me to lead the army and station here. "
Only now did Yang Ling understand the situation. He recalled the situation he saw just now. This was a narrow pass between the lofty ridges. If a troop of more than a thousand men and horses wanted to quickly pass through the mountains, this was the only unguarded pass that was easy to pass through. It was really difficult for those Tartars spies. I don't know how many twists and turns it took before they finally broke through this looting supply line.
Do not underestimate the usefulness of a road in battle. If the Tartars used this secret passage to continuously bypass the main army in front and obtain supplies from our rear, the outcome of the battle would be difficult to predict. Without this supply line, the enemy's morale will be greatly reduced. Even the valiant Tartars generals will lose the courage to continue fighting. No wonder in the dead of winter, these three thousand men and horses are still stationed in the mountains, painstakingly guarding this mountain ridge.
Yang Ling nodded his head and said, "I see. My main army will also station here tonight. Tomorrow morning we will continue our journey to Datong. That's right, what is this place called?"
Commander Diao said, "This place was known as the Bottle Shaped Stockade in ancient times. During the Song and Yuan dynasties, it was known as the Bottle Shaped Town. Because this ridge has a circumference of more than nine hundred feet, it is naturally flat and squarish. Therefore, after my Ming Destiny established the country, the Lingqiu County Annals renamed this place as the Flat Shaped Ridge."
After the two sides talked for a while, Yang Ling sent Commander Diao out of the main tent. Standing on the ridge, he gazed into the distance. At this moment, the sun was setting in the west. The afterglow was faint, and the layers of snow-capped mountains were shrouded in a faint red halo.
Zhengde walked to Yang Ling's side. Placing his hand on the awning, he gazed into the distance. He said, "Hmm, look at this group of mountains. Sure enough, this is the only narrow pass that can allow the army to pass through. If we charge straight down from the ridge, Lingqiu County Town will only be within our reach. The small county town has low walls and there are no strategic points to stand against. It is really dangerous.
It is just that it is too tiring to station the army on this ridge for a long time. Zhang Yong, remember this. After returning to the capital, have the Ministry of War build another pass on this Flat Shaped Ridge. It will be a natural barrier and will be listed as one of the important passes on the border. It will be called the Flat Shaped Pass. "
Zhang Yong repeatedly agreed. When Yang Ling heard this, he could not help but look at Zhengde in surprise. He thought to himself, "Flat Shaped Ridge, Flat Shaped Pass. Why did I not think of them just now? So … the famous Flat Shaped Pass was actually built by Zhengde."
Zhengde saw the strange look in his eyes and could not help but laugh. He said, "Why is Minister Yang looking at me like this? Did I say anything wrong? "
Yang Ling hurriedly laughed and said, "You are right. Building a pass on this strategic point can indeed achieve twice the result with half the effort to guard against the Tartars. But there is no impregnable pass in a passive defense. We should still …"
Zhengde interrupted with a laugh. "We should still enrich the country and strengthen the army. We should take the initiative to attack and destroy the invaders outside the country's gates. Isn't that right?"
The ruler and minister looked at each other and could not help but clap and laugh together.
※ ※ ※
The army finally arrived at Datong. Yang Yiqing, the commander of the three sides, led the army to be stationed on the pass on the Great Wall. They were currently at Zhenqiang Fort. There used to be a horse market outside the Great Wall. A horse market was built close to the Great Wall.
In order to make it easier to command nearby, Yang Yiqing set up the army camp there. The inspector-general of Datong, Hu Zan, personally escorted the provisions to Zhenqiang Fort. He was currently rushing back on horseback. Upon hearing the news, the various levels of officials from the inspector-general's yamen rushed to welcome Yang Ling's army into the city. Along the way, they saw that the originally bustling city was somewhat desolate. There were more officers and soldiers on the streets than there were commoners.
The crowd of officials welcomed the imperial envoy to the courier station. The courier station here could not be mentioned in the same breath as the Changping courier station where Yang Ling had stayed. The luxurious third courtyard of the courier station was specially used to receive the visiting ministers. The decoration was very extravagant. Yang Ling was stationed in the courier station. The inside and outside of the courier station were occupied by his two hundred bodyguards and three hundred imperial bodyguards. The rest of the officers and soldiers were stationed at the Education Palace and the drill ground.
After busying themselves for a while, they finally settled down. After seeing off the officials, Yang Ling returned to the courier station and welcomed Zhengde into the room that the courier station had arranged for him. He smiled and said, "Your Majesty, you've suffered all the hardships along the way. Now, you finally have a more comfortable place. It's better for you to stay here and conserve your energy. When I have informed Hua Dang and everything has been arranged, I will go to Mount Baishan to negotiate with him."
Zhengde nodded and asked, "Yang Yiqing is at Zhenqiang Fort. When can he return? I want to understand the details of the military situation. "
Yang Ling frowned and thought for a while before saying, "Boyan is anxious to get away, but this time he went for wool and came home shorn. His tribes have suffered heavy losses. The internal situation of Tartar is already unstable. If he doesn't gain some advantage, he won't be willing to retreat. Now he and Yang Yiqing are attacking and defending each other. The battle is fierce. I think it's better not to inform Mister Yang of Your Majesty's arrival. I will go to Zhenqiang Fort to see him."
Zhengde was greatly delighted. "Very good," he said, "I was just thinking of going to the pass to see the scene of the battle. I will go with you. That's right, the Acting Prince is the vassal king of Datong. Since you have arrived, according to etiquette, you should pay your respects. When are you planning to go? "
Yang Ling said, "It's already late, it's not convenient to go to the Acting Prince's mansion to deliver the invitation. I want to pay my respects tomorrow. Does Your Majesty also want to go?"
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