The city of Datong was tall and majestic, sturdy and precipitous, with all kinds of defensive facilities. It could be said to be a model of Ming Destiny's vigilance in times of peace. Of course, whether it was safe or not was still up for debate.
The city walls of Datong were all built with neat stone strips, stone slabs, stone squares and stone pillars as the foundation. The walls were made of 'Sanhe soil' layer by layer, and the outer layer was lined with green bricks. A medium-sized brick weighed 35 jin, which showed the sturdiness of the city walls and the difficulty of building them.
Yang Ling came to the bottom of the city wall and looked up. He couldn't help sighing to himself, "A mighty pass, it really is a mighty pass! This kind of magnificent city wall simply makes people lose the courage to attack at first sight. I really don't know how the Tatars almost broke into this kind of big city the year before last, causing the Acting Prince to run back to the Capital like a wisp of smoke to complain tearfully to the Emperor Hongzhi. "
The main wall of the city wall of Datong was three zhang high, and on the main wall there was also a parapet wall. On the parapet wall there were brick stacks, and between the brick stacks were the lookout holes and shooting ports for the defending officers and soldiers. On the city wall there were also magnificent city gate towers, corner towers and watchtowers, standing at intervals. The top of the towers was of the Xieshan style, surrounded by pillars, and below it was a horse path.
These buildings of different heights formed a three-dimensional line of defense on the city wall, allowing observation, concealment, movement, shooting, support, height control, and the commanding officers to command.
Yesterday, Yang Ling had already sent someone to inform the suicidal Inspector of Datong, Hu Zan. When the defending officers saw the imperial envoy's army, they hurriedly opened the city gates and lowered the drawbridge. Yang Ling's cavalry rumbled out. Yang Ling was in the middle of the Fire Artillery Battalion.
The front and middle troops left the city gates of Datong, and the rear troops followed. Yang Ling reined in his horse and moved to the side of the road, looking back at the tall and majestic city walls. Outside the special gear-shaped city walls, there were four solitary watchtowers. There were no passageways or stairs below, and only the top of the towers, which were connected to the city walls by wooden planks, could be used to attack the enemy from behind, support them, and observe the enemy's situation.
Yang Ling couldn't help but sigh in admiration. The so-called copper and iron bastions were probably nothing more than this. In the city, three hundred imperial guards armed with long steel-encased podaos and sharp arrows and longbows rushed toward the city gate as fast as lightning.
Since the Song Dynasty, the division of soldiers in the army was very clear. It was no longer like the armies of the Tang Dynasty, where all the soldiers, regardless of whether they were long spears or short blades, were equipped with bows and arrows, and could attack from afar and close range. Yang Ling's soldiers were all mounted on the ground, and could fight from afar and close range. Therefore, every soldier had a bow. The guards of the Imperial Household were not only skilled in martial arts, but were also skilled in riding and archery. Not only were they equipped with bows, they were also equipped with three stone bows.
Not only were the imperial guards skilled in martial arts, but they were they as well as they could. Not only were they skilled in archery, but they were also of archery. of Yang Yang Army.
Before the general guarding the city could give the order to close the gate, he saw another group of well-armoured cavalrymen rushing over. Someone in the cavalry shouted, "Don't close the gate, the rear army is not here yet."
Before he could ask any more questions, the three hundred cavalrymen had already galloped past, their hooves clattering loudly on the suspension bridge. These three hundred Imperial Bodyguards and the rest of the officers and soldiers had traveled all the way to Datong, so they were already familiar with each other. Those hard crossbowmen who lined up at the back did not know the inside story of the Emperor's army, and even more did not know that Yang Ling had ordered these three hundred men to stay behind. Seeing them chasing after them, they thought that the Grand Marshal had specially arranged for them to guard the rear camp, so nobody raised any objection.
The city guard saw that they were wearing the same equipment, and the soldiers of both sides were familiar with each other, so he did not ask any more questions. After the cavalry had rushed out of the city, he raised the drawbridge and closed the city gate again.
Yang Ling was completely unaware that there were now three hundred more elite soldiers in the rear formation. The news was too secretive, and the result was that it sometimes led to a greater oversight. The army advanced all the way. After more than two hours, they arrived near Zhenqiang Castle.
The scouts at the front sent back news that right now the Tatar Boyan Khan was personally leading the cavalry to battle with Yang Zongzhi's army outside the pass. Right now Yang Zongzhi had no time to turn back, so he asked the imperial envoy to first go up the pass and watch the battle.
Hearing this, Yang Ling's spirit was aroused, and he immediately ordered the army to speed up. Zhenqiang Castle was also a pass built on the mountain. On the left and right was the Great Wall, winding like a dragon. About two li away from the pass, there was a reinforcement pass that led directly to the beacon tower on the mountain.
Before they could reach Zhenqiang Pass, they heard shouts of battle shaking the sky from outside the mountain. A reinforcement pass appeared on the side, climbing up to the beacon tower. This place was built on a dangerous mountain peak, easy to defend and difficult to attack, so the Tatars did not attack this place. However, from here they could hear the deafening sound of battle.
Yang Ling immediately dismounted from his horse and ordered the army to wait for orders. He himself only took two hundred Imperial Bodyguards to climb the pass. Arriving at the beacon tower, a garrison commander hurriedly stepped forward to greet the imperial envoy. Yang Ling anxiously asked, "How is the battle?"
The commander was also tired from fighting. Although he was very respectful of the imperial envoy, and although he heard shouts of battle shaking the sky, when the battle was mentioned, he replied nonchalantly, "Imperial Envoy Daren, please be at ease. The Tatars will come for a battle every two days. The thunder is loud but the rain is small, they won't be able to break in."
Only then did Yang Ling and Zhang Yong relax. They hurriedly went to the battlement and looked down. At this moment, the sun was high up in the sky, and the sunlight was shining down. Between the mountains, there was a layer of pure white snow, illuminating the flat gorge in front of the pass of Zhenqiang Castle. Looking down from this mountain peak, it was clear at a glance.
The endless shouts of battle reverberated through the empty mountain and ravine. Yang Ling and Zhang Yong could not help but be subdued by the scene in front of them. Not only them, the two hundred personal guards were also valiant warriors who did not fear death. However, among them were some officers and soldiers who had never fought on the frontier, as well as Zhengde, who had quietly led twenty personal guards up the mountain. They were all lying on the ground with their eyes wide open and their tongues tied.
Was this a battle where the thunder was loud but the rain was small?
The Great Wall was built along the winding mountain. In front of this dangerous peak was a short mountain, and below it was a valley. Two li ahead was Zhenqiang Pass. Relative to this place, the Great Wall stretched out in a different direction, so from here, they could clearly see everything in front of the pass.
The shouts of battle and the sounds of weapons and horses mixed together to form a deafening sound. Wave after wave of people and the sound of weapons clashing against each other clearly entered the eardrums. Everything that was close at hand, due to the terrain of the mountain, could not be smashed into the Tartars even if a stone was thrown down from above. They could only watch as the Tartars charged wave after wave towards the pass on the right.
Densely packed, tens of thousands of people and horses attacked the pass. From time to time, the cold glint of weapons pierced into their eyes. Yang Ling held his breath and watched all of this. For a long time, he could not say a word. Even Zhang Yong, who was used to bending his back and had a fawning smile on his face, had a solemn expression on his face.
Zhengde clenched his fists tightly. His heart almost jumped out of his chest. He muttered in a low voice, "This is war?"
This scene clearly caused him, who had only seen the awe-inspiring phrase of commanding an army of a million in military books, to receive a violent shock in his simple mind.
This was a glory paved with blood and lives. How cruel. Tens of thousands of people and horses were fighting in the snowy wilderness outside the pass, in the valleys and in the pass.
In this world, only humans, the most intelligent of all creatures, had the ability to organize so many lives, only they had the ability to destroy so many lives. Should humans be proud or sad?
The shouts of battle below the pass filled the air. The black mass of cavalry galloped forward. Using their outstanding archery skills, they continuously shot arrows at the top of the wall, covering the advance of the people who were like a tide with scaling ladders and siege chariots.
Above and below the wall, banners and banners danced in the air. The Tatar army used catapults, crossbows, and other siege weapons to hurl huge rocks and burning fireballs at the top of the wall. When they hit the wall, there was an ear-piercing explosion.
The people on the top of the wall also returned the favor. From afar, they used catapults, arrows, and cannons. At closer range, they used rolling logs and boulders. Looking from afar, people who were halfway up the wall continuously screamed miserably as they fell from the top of the wall, falling into badly mangled corpses. Broken scaling ladders and burning siege chariots were scattered everywhere.
On the pass, the soldiers were moving back and forth incessantly. Some were moving equipment, some were roaming around shooting arrows, some were holding hooks and sickles to push scaling ladders, and some were continuously throwing rolling logs and boulders at the bottom of the wall. Amidst this kind of concentrated firepower attack and defense, there were still waves after waves of Tatars who were not afraid of death continuously climbing the top of the wall. After a round of counterattack, they were turned into a pile of minced meat.
A large and sturdy battering cart, supported by several dozens of soldiers, charged toward the city gate. The front end of the cart, which was more than a zhang long, revealed a sharp end that slammed into the thick and sturdy city gate. The battering cart was equipped with a fan-shaped protective roof. Even if the rocks were smashed on it, the arrows would not be able to harm the Tatars below.
Even Yang Ling's heart was in his throat from the top of the wall. At this moment, several clay jars were thrown down from the top of the wall, smashing into the battering cart's protective roof and smashing it into pieces. Immediately after, a torch was thrown down and the entire battering cart burst into flames with a loud bang. Several Tatars whose bodies were splashed with oil, because they were all wearing thick cotton clothes and animal robes, in a flash they were turned into flaming men. They howled and rolled all over the ground, trying to extinguish the raging fire.
Yang Ling watched from the top of the city gate, his heart was shaken to the core. Right at this moment, another group of troops charged toward the Tatar army that was fiercely attacking the city. There were layers upon layers of mountains, undulating peaks and ridges. Among the mountains, there were two ravines leading to Zhenqiang Pass. One was much more spacious, at least three zhang wide, which was precisely the path that the Tatar army used to attack the pass. The other was only a dozen zhang wide, winding its way into the depths of the mountains. On the distant mountains, the Great Wall rose and fell. This road should be the only path that led to the other pass from the outside.
The troops that were transported inside the pass could move directly on the Great Wall. Originally, they did not need to pass through the snow-capped ravines. However, at this moment, there was a large army that was advancing at high speed. Moreover, they quickly formed an acute attack formation.
It was the flag of Ming Destiny's army. This army was mostly infantry, there were only a few horsemen at the front. Facing the Tatar warriors who were all mounted on horses, it was obvious that their intention was to disturb the enemy. In the formation, there was a battle general, the drummer, the bugle player, the golden-sounding player, and the flag-bearer were all in formation in front of him. Behind them was a commander's flag with the character 'Wang' written on it.
The commander guarding the beacon happily said, "Wang Fujiang has come from the Green Ox Ridge to help."
Hearing this, Yang Ling's heart was moved. He busily asked, "Which Wang Fujiang?"
The commander replied, "Reporting to Daren, it is Yang Zongzhi's Fujiang, Wang Shouren. He is guarding the Green Ox Pass, which is only three li away from here."
"Oh," Yang Ling exclaimed. He quickly leaned against the battlement and looked toward the flag. He saw a general in full armor, wearing a light green cloak, calmly reining in his horse and standing in the middle of the army. From a distance, he could not see his face clearly.
Swords and spears stood in a forest, the soldiers in full armor stood solemnly. Under the cover of the huge shields, the archers nocked arrows one by one on their longbows. Between the gaps of the huge shields, there seemed to be rows of wolf fangs protruding out.
Discovering the Ming army attacking from the flank, the Tatars howled and turned their horses around to charge toward them. At the same time, they nocked arrows and shot at the Ming cavalry.
The general on the horse calmly stood under the commander's flag. The first batch of arrows arrived. "Duk, duk," they hit the huge shields that were as tall as a person. This batch of Ming cavalry did not have many riders. Hidden under such tall shields, it would be very difficult for them to be hit by arrows. But if the cavalry got close, it would be a one-sided battle.
The Tatar cavalry galloped very fast. When the first row of riders was less than two arrows' distance from the Ming army, the general suddenly waved his arm fiercely. It seemed to be a light shout. The Ming army's dense rain of arrows flew over like locusts. The arrows flew, the horses galloped, the two clashed. When the cavalry reached an arrow's distance, they just happened to meet the first round of arrows. For a moment, people shouted and horses neighed. The Tatar cavalry, who lacked good protection, seemed to have tripped their horses and immediately fell down.
At this time, the second round of arrows arrived.
There were only five thousand Ming soldiers in the valley, but there were at least thirty thousand Tatars attacking the Zhenqiang Castle. Although they had the upper hand for now, once the Tatars got close, it would be a one-sided massacre. Yang Ling did not see any pikemen among the army holding huge spears that were several meters long. Also, they had rushed over in a hurry. It was clear that they could not have set up horse repelling stakes, horse traps, or tripping ropes in the valley.
Looking down from the ridge, all four sides were white. The strong wind was vast and strong. A layer of snow had accumulated on the valleys and mountain plains. It looked like a relaxing mountain dance, a silver snake galloping on the plains like a wax elephant. But in the valley, the neighing of the warhorses and the shouts of battle shook the heavens.
A Tatar leader pointed his long spear at an angle. The warhorse under him had already charged forward like lightning toward the Ming army. This person swung the spear in his hand like a whirlwind, knocking down the arrows that were shot at him. The Tatar army behind him was like a prairie fire engulfing everything. The horses' hooves thundered, the earth shook. The charging cavalry let out an intimidating howl. The momentum was extremely frightening.
The Tatar formation attacking the city was in chaos. More and more soldiers began to surge toward the narrow valley entrance. The Ming archers retreated. "Bang! Bang! Bang! " A thick cloud of smoke shrouded the entire valley entrance. The shield-bearers split up. The concentrated sound of gunfire rang out. The large rapid-fire cannons fired concentrated fire, forming a frighteningly concentrated wave of attacks.
The Tatars fell uniformly. Before the smoke had dissipated, the thousands of men and horses in the valley had already turned around and fled into the depths of the valley under the leadership of the general on horseback. The Tatars were mad with anger. They had just driven their horses into the mountain pass when the seemingly panicked Ming army split up and suddenly fell to the ground.
"Boom boom boom!!!" The deafening sound of cannons rang out. Each cannon fired a hundred grains of iron sand. This kind of close-range attack was very frightening. The rain of bullets covered the sky and covered the sun. The nearly four hundred Tatars at the front, including that valiant spear-wielding general, completely disappeared after this wave of cannons. Only a few warhorses, soaked in blood and not yet dead, struggled and wailed sorrowfully, swaying on the battlefield that was covered with corpses.
On Zhenqiang Pass, the battle drums thundered. The gates were opened. The burning battering rams were pushed to one side. The cavalry was in front, like a flood coming out of a dam. The light-armored cavalry fired a rain of arrows. After each shot three arrows, they slowed down and dodged to the side. The heavy-armored cavalry then pounced forward and converged with the Tatars' iron stream.
Looking from the pass, it looked like the instant the two huge waves of the Qiantang Tide met, the galloping, the moment it stopped, and then men and horses were thrown over, flesh and blood flew everywhere. Occasionally, people would be picked off, chopped down, stabbed down. On the battlefield of flesh and blood, everyone was risking their lives to extinguish their lives. Those who had just been risking their lives to kill others might now be a pile of meat paste under the hooves of the horses.
* * *
The Khan's main tent was large enough to accommodate fifty to sixty people sitting cross-legged, but at this time, there were only seven or eight people inside. These seven or eight people were already the supreme rulers of the entire desert and grasslands. On the thick camel hair carpet, eight blazing braziers were set up in the corners of the tent, but it was still a little dark where the people sat in the middle of the tent.
Boyan Khan's eyes had turned blood red from anger. He sat on the main seat with his hands on his knees. He was wearing a roe deer skin hat and a leather coat. His eyes were filled with anger as he glared at the people in front of him and shouted, "Say no more. Our warriors came to the Han people's land to hunt, drank all the strong wine at home, and ate all the cattle and sheep at home. Now we haven't even caught a single prey. If we retreat now, how can we face our people?"
Boyan Khan's tiger eyes swept across the people in front of him. They lowered their heads slightly, not daring to meet his eyes. Only a strong man in his forties with a face full of hardships and hawk-like eyes sat cross-legged, indifferently not speaking or moving.
Boyan Khan was in his thirties and was in the prime of his life. His large and burly body stretched impatiently, and he looked discontentedly at the silent man on his knees. He said, "The Ming army has about the same number of men and horses as us. They need to divide their forces to defend, but we only need to attack one point. They have a dangerous pass to defend, but we have more men and horses to attack the city. We choose the place and time to attack the city, but we have fought dozens of battles, big and small, and have not gained any advantage at all!"
The hawk-eyed man, who seemed a little rebellious, turned his head in a slightly unruly manner. Boyan Khan swept his tiger eyes over him and said coldly, "Fire Sieve, what do you think?"
The hawk-eyed man said indifferently, "Great Khan, my men lack clothes to wear. Even their warhorses have no strength, how can they display their battle power?"
A man who had been silent with his head lowered immediately raised his head and sneered, "The Ming army has fought with us, and every tribe has suffered heavy losses. Only your men and horses have not suffered heavy losses. It is as if the Ming army is afraid of your bravery, Fire Sieve, and has avoided fighting with you everywhere. Fire Sieve is a hero who distinguishes between gratitude and grudges. Naturally, he has to return the favor. "
Fire Sieve flew into a rage and said, "Meng Li, what do you mean by this? Our league has fought with the Ming army and has never fallen behind. When have we ever had any selfish motives?"
Boyan glared at him fiercely for a while and then burst into laughter. He said with a laugh, "Meng Li, don't talk nonsense. Fire Sieve is the hero of our grasslands and my most trusted general. How can he have selfish motives and compromise with the Ming army to protect his own strength?"
The leader called Meng Li only laughed coldly and did not say anything. Fire Sieve was so angry that his face turned ashen. At this moment, a burly man wearing a leather robe opened the tent flap and walked in in big strides. Seeing him, Boyan could not help but say happily, "Qi Kenong, you have returned. Have you seen their men?"
Qi Kenong looked around the tent and saw that everyone was the leader of the Tatar tribes. He felt relieved and said, "Yes, Great Khan, I have already seen their Protector."
Qi Kenong stepped forward and bowed in greeting. He then told them in detail about the Maitreya Sect's Protector Yu. Hearing this, everyone's spirits were lifted. Boyan took a deep breath and suddenly stood up. He said coldly, "No matter what, we must persevere. Right now, our goal is Zhengde, not the victory or defeat of the old defense!"
"The Emperor of the Han people is like a little chick. When he sees the shadow of a soaring eagle, he will tremble in fear and hide in the embrace of his mother hen." Boyan looked up to the sky and laughed loudly. He waved his hand and said, "Order the army to retreat. Create the illusion that they are tired of fighting and want to gradually withdraw from the battlefield and return to the grasslands."
"Hua Dang is not a fool. He will not crawl into the Ming court's pocket. We must leave a safe place for them to meet with the Ming Alliance. Give up Zhenqiang Fort and move our troops to Pingshun and Hu Guan!"
He finished with a smile and said to Fire Sieve, "Fire Sieve, your alliance will cover the rear. On one hand, stop the Ming army's pursuit. At the same time, when the Maitreya Sect sends news, send a small group of elite soldiers to plunder the rations and restrict the Ming army stationed here. This will prevent us from being attacked on two sides!"
Fire Sieve secretly sneered. Boyan spoke in a dignified manner. It was clear that he did not trust him very much. However, it looked like he only suspected that he had a tacit understanding with the Ming army in order to preserve his strength. He did not suspect that he had defected to the Ming court. That was why he left him to face the main Ming army alone and forced him to fight the Ming army. Otherwise, he would not have kept him as his rear flank.
This battle was a vexing one. He did not want to be the vanguard for Boyan again. Fire Sieve cupped his hands in acknowledgment of the order. At the same time, he was secretly thinking about how to avoid a decisive battle with the main Ming army. He wanted to take the opportunity to plunder some rations and feed the stomachs of his soldiers.
Boyan said again, "Order the troops attacking the pass to retreat immediately. Let the Ming army be proud for a few more days."
The other tribe leaders heard that they could avoid the headache-inducing Yang Yiqing and Wang Shouren and go to a county that had not been plundered to eat. They all smiled happily and stood up to accept the order.
After everyone left, the smile on Boyan's face slowly disappeared. He gently sat back down on the large furry chair and sighed tiredly. The curtain at the side of the tent was lifted. A graceful young girl dressed in white quietly walked out. The tent was a little dark. She tiptoed to the two butter lamps hanging from the tent in front of the throne. She took a small curved knife from her slender waist and gently flicked at the flame.
The flame was higher and the inside of the tent became much brighter. Most Mongolians were tall and strong, but her delicate body was much more slender. The bright light shone on her face. Her smooth and delicate chin reflected the light. One side of her face was bright and the other side was dark. The contours of her face were beautiful and delicate.
The two guards beside Boyan quickly put their hands to their chests and respectfully said, "Chabi Kedun!"
Chabi Kedun means empress in Mongolian. Only the concubines of the Great Han or the princes could be called Chabi Kedun. Everyone knew that Boyan married his distant great-aunt Mandu Haisqin when he was seven. It was under her assistance and his status as a direct descendant of the Gold family that he became the king of the grasslands.
But this delicate young girl in front of him looked less than twenty and could not be the Mandu empress who should be in her sixties. In reality, Mandu Haisqin gradually disappeared from people's sight after Boyan came of age. Her whereabouts were a taboo topic.
"You can leave." Boyan waved his hand for his two attendants to leave. He said affectionately to the young girl in white, "My Salimuer, come to my arms."
The young girl in white smiled sweetly and walked lightly to his side. He hugged her and lightly jumped onto his knee. The young empress smiled and said, "My great khan, the battle is not going well. We can just return to the grasslands. Why worry? Aren't the Han so scared by you that they don't dare to come out of seclusion? "
Boyan chuckled and hugged her slender waist. "Zhuo 'er, what I worry about is never the Ming court, but the tribes under me. When we won the battle and captured cattle, sheep, and slaves, all of them were happy. Now that we have lost the battle, every chief is calculating their own interests. How can Huo Sieve be the only one with disloyal thoughts?"
Salimu Zhuo 'er gently wrapped his arms around his neck and kissed him on his firm and rough cheeks. He chuckled and said, "Don't worry, my king. Under the gaze of an eagle like you, who would dare to do anything untamed?"
Boyan laughed heartily. One of his large hands had already reached into her bosom and grasped that plump softness. He whispered into her ear, "You're right, so … no matter how many people we lose now, no matter how many despicable fellows talk behind our backs, I will still act according to my plan."
The young empress was like a dying fish under his touch. She struggled weakly in his arms, panting and unable to speak. The two of them had already rolled all the way from the large chair onto the thick carpet. Their belts were untied, and their clothes were thrown onto the ground one by one. Very quickly, a bronze-colored muscular body pressed down on a soft, fragrant, white, and tender body.
Boyan's hot breath blew on her full and towering chest. He looked down at the soft and plump peaks and said in a low voice, "Kill Zhengde, get Liaodong, Gansu, Qinghai, and then seize the entire world and return to Dadu! My empress, accompany me to kill all the way back! "
With a moan, two plump and soft thighs clamped around his waist. With a muffled grunt, Boyan viciously attacked …
* * *
On the Great Wall, Yang Yiqing was smiling as he walked side by side with Yang Ling and Zhang Yong. The soldiers stood solemnly on the pass of the Great Wall, the end of which couldn't be seen. The smoke had not dissipated and the smell of blood was still clear. But the morale of the soldiers was high. For them, to be able to win the battle and to be able to live was the happiest thing.
Yang Ling said to Yang Yiqing, "Chief Yang, His Majesty heard that the army had won the battle and was very pleased. He first issued an imperial edict for Mister Yang to be in charge of the three sides. He also ordered this official to personally escort some goods to reward the army. Rice, meat, vegetables, fruits and vegetables, fish eggs, bedding, medicines to prevent frostbite, plague, diarrhea and stomachache, grease gloves to protect against the cold and warm, firewood, charcoal and other things. We have all shipped them over. They are now at the pass, please send someone to collect them."
Zhang Yong also smiled and said, "There is also the amount of money to reward the three armies, the amount of money to compensate the injured and disabled soldiers. Please draft a name list as soon as possible and ask the secretary to verify it before reporting. His Majesty is very happy with this great victory and the strategy of exhausting the Tatars and making them unable to steal the chicken. Oh right, why don't I see Eunuch Miao?"
Zhang Yong was a good soldier, Miao Kui was also a soldier. These two men, one was in charge of the Imperial Horse Supervisor, the other was in charge of the Military Camp. Their temperaments were compatible. Miao Kui's first battle was disadvantageous and he redeemed his crime by meritorious service. He was still in charge of the three passes, so logically speaking, he should also be at the pass.
Unexpectedly, Yang Yiqing was also startled when he heard it. He said, "I have already sent the news to the capital through the military relay station. Presumably with the speed of the military relay station, His Majesty should have received it long ago. Did His Majesty not inform the two imperial envoys?"
Zhang Yong and Yang Ling looked at each other in dismay. Yang Ling shook his head and said, "This … I think there was a delay on the road, we have not received the Capital's Imperial Bulletin." He spoke with a bit of a guilty conscience. The Emperor was in the army, even if the memorial reached the capital, only the three great scholars would be able to see it. Zhengde was also a secret, perhaps unless it was an extremely urgent matter, the three great scholars would not dare to send someone to deliver the memorial to the Emperor, so as to avoid the information being leaked.
Yang Yiqing said, "Oh, Eunuch Miao and zongbing Xu Tai are together …" At this point, he suddenly closed his mouth and lowered his voice, saying, "Let's wait until we enter the Pass Tower. The military mission that Eunuch Miao and Xu Tai are carrying out is extremely confidential, it is not suitable for too many people to know about it."
Yang Ling nodded his head in understanding. At the Pass, the soldiers who were helping the wounded and cleaning up the battlefield were still busy. Yang Ling continued, "Zongzhi Yang, the goal of dividing Boyan and Huo Sieve and consuming their provisions has been achieved. In the near future, we should step up our offensive and drive them back. After a month or so, spring will warm and the snow will melt, and the common people will start farming. We cannot drag them into a war of attrition here."
Yang Yiqing nodded his head and said, "What Imperial Envoy Yang says is correct. I am also considering this matter, but for the time being, we still need to delay them for a few days. As for the reason, hehe, it is related to that matter just now. I think the news should have come back in a few days. If we delay any longer, I won't be able to bear it.
There are millions of people in the Three Passes and more than a hundred thousand soldiers. As for the war horses, they consume even more rations and fodder. If the preparation of the army's fields is delayed because of the war, the court will not be able to afford the heavy supplies and fodder provided by the court. The soldiers and civilians will also have to go hungry. This is a serious matter. "
As the Zongzhi Yang, Yang Yiqing was not only responsible for the war, he was also responsible for matters related to military affairs and the preparation of the fields. The preparation of the fields for the soldiers could solve a large amount of rations on the spot every year. Its importance was no less than that of the war.
At this point, Yang Yiqing could not help but sigh. He was the Zongzhi Yang Yiqing of the Three Passes. The troops and horses under his command were made up of the commanders of Datong, Taiyuan, and Xuanfu. How could these proud and valiant generals who had been guarding the borders for a long time be so easily obedient?
A few years ago, the Zongzhi Yang Yiqing had treated his soldiers harshly. This group of soldiers who did not fear death when they fought but did not respect authority had rebelled and killed the Zongzhi Yang Yiqing, creating a huge ruckus. Even if the court wanted to arrest the troublemakers, they would not be able to find them.
Yang Yiqing was a civil official, but he had been in the army for a long time. He had long known that the army was a relatively independent organization. In the army, the most important thing was prestige, seniority, and status. Either one had outstanding military service, or one had sufficient seniority in the army. In short, one had to be able to control the situation. Otherwise, it would be very difficult for one to command the troops as one's own arm.
Leading troops, commanding troops, dispatching troops, and in battle, the relationship between officers and soldiers, trust, and support were even more important. Blindly using harsh methods would not be able to control these people who had rolled around in a pile of corpses. If they did not have food to eat, that would be even more demoralizing than losing a battle.
This battle had taken too long. Although it was more damaging to Bayan, it was also a big problem for Ming Destiny's money and rations.
Yang Yiqing sighed softly and said: "There are many mountains and little land here. The fields are barren. If there is another drought and locust plague, the harvest will be greatly affected. There are so many soldiers, soldiers, horses, and livestock in the Three Passes. Once there is a shortage of food, their morale will be unstable. I was thinking of getting the soldiers to chop down the mountains and open up more fields during the spring famine. It is only … a drop in the bucket, but better than nothing."
Yang Ling's heart stirred. He said happily: "Since these barren fields are like chicken ribs and will not have much effect on the grain reserves, I have a few new high-yielding crops. Is Zongzhi Yang willing to give them a try? First, we will plant them at the Field Garrison. Next year, when the harvest is good, we can give the seeds to the people. The Three Passes can also become the granary of the northwest. "
Yang Yiqing was moved. He said: "There is such a crop?"
Yang Ling nodded and said: "Yes, this imperial envoy can vouch for it. I have introduced a few crops from the Western Hemisphere: sweet potatoes, potatoes, and maize. Right now, a mu of sandy and barren land is planted with millet and wheat. The weather is good and the Heavens have given us face. Even if we break the sky, we can only produce three to five hundred catties. If we plant this kind of sweet potato, it can produce more than three thousand catties. Although it is coarse grain, it is an excellent crop to fill one's stomach. Moreover, it will not compete with millet and wheat for fertile land. What does Zongzhi Yang think?"
Hearing this, Yang Yiqing was moved. He said: "Three thousand catties per mu? I don't dare to think, I don't dare to think. If I don't compete for fertile land and don't look at the Heavens, I can already thank the Heavens and thank the Earth for a thousand catties per mu. As for coarse grain, screw it. People are so hungry that they're eating tree bark. Who cares about that? "
Yang Ling could not help laughing when he heard this famous general of the army, who had been a Jinshi, actually blurt out a swear word. By this time, the three of them had reached the gate tower above Zhenqiang Castle. Yang Yiqing stopped and said with a smile: "This place is very simple and crude, but at least it can shelter us from the wind and snow. Imperial envoys, please come in."
Yang Ling smiled and said: "Zongzhi daren is too polite." He turned his head and said to the two hundred Imperial Bodyguards: "You don't have to wait here. Go down to the pass and help the garrison to … food … food …"
Behind the crowd, a figure hurriedly hid behind several Imperial Bodyguards in the instant he turned his body. However, he was very familiar with this person. With just one glance, he was so shocked that his eyes widened and he refused to look away.
Yang Ling's strange behavior caused all the soldiers to turn their heads to look. For a moment, there was absolute silence on the pass. The young officer stood behind a tall Imperial Bodyguard for a while and then slowly came out again.
When Yang Yiqing and Zhang Yong saw this, their faces also turned snow-white. The three of them stared fixedly in that direction, not daring to believe their eyes for a moment. The Imperial Bodyguards saw the gazes of the three officials and moved to the sides with a swoosh, leaving the handsome and dashing young officer there.
Although Zhengde was the center of attention wherever he went, there had never been so many people who dared to stare at him with round eyes. It made him feel uncomfortable.
Zhengde smiled at them very bashfully and embarrassedly and slowly walked over. He was as bashful as a young girl and almost walked in the same direction.
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