Zhang Yin didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Why had Boyan's army returned to the pass at this exact moment? Had the plan to assassinate the Emperor Ming Destiny succeeded?
No matter what, under the watchful eyes of the public, if he wanted to continue hiding in the army, he could only do his best to intercept Boyan's army. If the Emperor was not dead, Boyan would be like Yang Hu, a lackey who had lost his value. His troops had delivered themselves to his doorstep, which was a great merit for him and made it easier for him to continue hiding in the court.
If the Emperor was dead, he could take the opportunity to weaken Boyan and support King Ning to ascend to the throne. He could use his military merits to seize military power and easily take over his country. Do you really think I will cede Gansu, Qinghai, and Liaodong to a fool like you?
Zhang Yin smiled coldly. Without waiting for the generals to ask for orders, he quickly shouted, "Commander Deng, quickly form a circular crescent formation to block the enemy. Commander Guan, lead the army to occupy the high ground beside the gorge. Our soldiers, form a square formation!"
By this time, the Tartars had also discovered that there was a large Ming army blocking the enemy at the pass. This was their only way out of the Great Wall. If they charged through, they would die. If they stayed, they would be in danger of being annihilated. The fleeing Tartars, on the verge of death, once again aroused their ferocious nature. As they charged, the cavalry began to quickly gather together, forming a 'wild boar' formation for a decisive charge.
This formation was similar to the cone-shaped attack formation of the Central Plains, but it was more compact. Almost any stone thrown in could hit a soldier or horse. The fast horses galloping at the same time wanted to use their powerful momentum to break through the pass.
Deng Xueying couldn't help but be aghast at the sight of this frightening might. However, he couldn't care too much about it at this moment. Under his command, the spearmen immediately rushed to the entrance of the valley and hastily laid down a nine deep semicircle blocking formation.
The best way for infantry to deal with such a ferocious cavalry charge was to use war chariots. However, this unit had rushed to Datong with the intention of reinforcing the pass that had been attacked, so they hadn't brought any war chariots with them.
If the heavy infantry only used their spears to block the enemy, they would have to form three circular formations that were sixteen rows deep and separated by five to six feet in front and behind. Only then would it be possible to stop the charge of a large cavalry. But at this time, it was too late.
When the Tatar army launched a surprise attack on Mount Baideng, originally they wanted to win the battle in one fell swoop, thereupon they brought an excess of arrows with them. Each person brought sixty wolf-tooth arrows, right now each person's pouch still had a dozen or so arrows left. From a distance they released the arrows in unison, tens of thousands of arrows pierced the air, their momentum was frightening.
The border army spear squad let out a shout, all of them crouching on the ground. Their right hands held the two zhang long red tasseled spear, the handle heavily pressed against the ground, their left hands holding a round shield over their heads. The small round shield wasn't large, but when the soldiers crouched on the ground, the small shield was enough to protect the soldiers' vitals.
However, the Tatars' arrows were really too concentrated, with a 'shua' sound, it was as if a large expanse of wild grass suddenly grew on the snow-white ground. The arrows that were a little tricky still hit some soldiers. Immediately afterwards, the Tatar cavalry, as graceful as a dragon, arrived.
This kind of two zhang long red tasseled spear had a white wax shaft as the body, bamboo as the handle, and then it was densely wrapped with many layers of silk and hemp, each layer of fine lacquer and glued together. In the end, the entire spear was painted black. The spear shaft was a combination of hardness and softness, it was incomparably tough. Ordinary knives and axes would find it difficult to damage it, it could withstand great force without breaking. Its toughness was not inferior to a spear shaft made of steel, and it was also relatively light and portable.
The Tatar cavalry had arrived. They knew full well that they were going to die, but they had no other choice. If they hesitated for even a moment, they would be crushed and trampled to death by the endless stream of cavalry behind them. They could only charge forward, whether they were afraid or not, whether they were willing or not.
The long spears that were as concentrated as a forest flashed with a dazzling sharpness, pointing upward at a thirty-five degree angle. Before the warhorses even touched the tip of the spear, the rider on the horse gave a wild roar of despair, straightened his back and brandished the broadsword in his hand and hacked down fiercely.
The sound of 'pu pu' and 'kacha' was incessant. That was the sound of the long spears piercing into the flesh and blood of the horse and the human body, and the sound of the spears being broken by the tremendous force. The rider on the horse was screaming, the spearmen on the ground were also screaming. Men and horses were thrown off their feet, blood splattered everywhere.
The sound of hooves thundered, the second row of cavalry arrived with incomparable swiftness. Before the blood in the air had even landed on the ground, their hooves had already mercilessly trampled the warhorses and human bodies to the ground. Then there was the muffled sound of spears piercing into human bodies and horses, followed by the soldiers' screams of despair.
What if this camp was a forest of spears and halberds? The Tartars surged forward like the tide. The warriors charging at the front were like waves crashing against a rock. Roaring fiercely, they rose up, and then fell heavily to the ground, their bodies smashed and their bones crushed. The waves behind continued to crash forward without any hesitation.
The nine rows of dense spear formations could not stop the unstoppable Tatar army. The 'wild boar heads' finally stumbled and broke through the blocking formation and continued to flee for their lives into the valley. The corpses of men and horses were strewn all over the valley entrance. The fleeing army slowed down.
By this time, Zhang Yin's own troops had spread out into four large square formations outside the valley, continuously firing sharp arrows at the Tatar cavalry that was surging forward. This was the entrance to the valley. Boyan and Huo Xi knew that if they continued to fight here, the Ming army, who had already occupied the high ground at the valley entrance, would be able to leisurely set up their defenses. Then they would lose their momentum. Once the pursuing troops arrived, the Jicu Gate would become the Valley of Annihilation. Therefore, they had no desire to continue fighting. They only strictly ordered the army to withstand the rain of spears and arrows and charge through the valley as fast as possible to meet up with the troops bitterly defending the Jicu Gate.
"Swoosh!" A sky full of white feathers whistled through the air. "Ah …" Shrill screams sounded from the troops. Those who were hit by the arrows fell off their horses with half of their feathers still attached to their bodies. The cavalry behind them used the momentum to continue charging forward.
The Tatars had never fought such a stupid battle. If it was a frontal battle, the four square formations the Ming army had set up at the valley entrance would not be able to withstand the charge of their cavalry. Once they were split up and the Ming army's flag and command flags were cut down, these Ming infantry and cavalry who had lost their organization and command would not be able to withstand two hours of their charge.
Who knew how many more Ming reinforcements were still coming? If they ate this Ming army, it would mean that their entire army would be buried here. The fast horses charged and the people were as dense as a stream. They could not even fire arrows to counterattack. They could only charge, charge, charge, charge under the rain of arrows and the attacks of the guns. People constantly fell off their horses and people constantly died.
The Tatars who had charged into the valley saw the Great Wall pass in the distance. But just as a trace of joy floated onto their faces, they were greeted by the deadly rain of arrows from Deng Xueying's troops who had already occupied the high ground. "Raise shields! Raise shields! " Someone shouted in Mongolian. But the Ming army was on high ground. Even though the wooden and iron leaf shields were taken down while they were galloping, they still protected the people and not the horses. Wherever the arrows landed, blood flowed like a river.
"Split up and attack the mountain, take that high ground!" Someone shouted the order. Two Tatar generals howled loudly and led thousands of soldiers and horses to charge wildly up the slope. They did not really hope to take this high ground, they only wanted to pin down the Ming army and cover the main force to successfully charge through.
The slope was not suitable for riding horses but the Mongolian soldiers who jumped off their horses were still skilled with bows and arrows. Their arrows were faster and had a longer range than the Ming army. They temporarily suppressed Commander Deng and used their lives to buy precious time. The Tatars in the valley continued to charge forward like a flood toward the Ju Fu Gate.
More than half of the Tatars had charged into the valley. Under the continuous attack of the Ming army, there were dead bodies everywhere inside and outside the valley. Behind them, the Ming army's pursuers had caught up. Zhang Yin was riding on a low slope with a long spear in his hand, the handle of the spear resting on the ground. He was observing the situation on the battlefield. Suddenly he saw the Ming army's flag in the distance. His eyes narrowed and as he watched, a trace of disappointment flashed across Zhang Yin's eyes.
Jing Fuer, who had chased closely behind the Tatars, had chased them all the way to Datong. He was using a thirty-catty broadsword which was really too heavy and the warhorse could not bear the burden. Moreover, he had rushed back from the Flying Fox Crossing with all his strength and had not stopped the whole way. He really could not continue the chase. As soon as he saw that the siege of Datong had been broken, he got off his horse and went to see his yifu. Right now the troops and horses of the two deputy generals under Wang Shouren were chasing behind him.
In the distance, Ming Destiny's pursuers were lazily stopping more than a stone's throw away, as if they were sending off the remnants of the Tatars out of the pass. Where was the slightest bit of intention to avenge his father? If one said that their horses were not good, but when they saw there were friendly troops blocking in front of them, they suddenly sped up and galloped forward. Seeing this, Zhang Yin knew that Boyan had failed.
He heaved a heavy sigh in his heart. Only then did he rouse his spirits. He raised his long spear and pointed it forward. He sternly shouted, "Three armies move out, cut off the Tatars' rear. Kill!"
While saying that, he kicked his horse's abdomen with both legs and led his personal troops forward.
Zhang Yin looked like a Confucian general, but his horse-riding skill was indeed superb. His long spear was like a poisonous snake spitting out its tongue, suddenly to the left, suddenly to the right, crisscrossing the enemy's formation, shuttling back and forth, picking, stabbing, stabbing, sweeping, the power of the spear came and went, it was difficult to find any trace of it. In an instant, five or six Tatars were thrown off their horses.
His several hundred personal troops followed closely behind, like a sharp blade cutting off the last thousand or so Tatars' escape route. They were only slowed down for a moment before the large Ming army had sealed off the valley entrance. Behind them came the sound of horse hooves, two guerrilla warfare generals were also leading more than ten thousand cavalry, rushing over.
In front of them was a dense forest of spears, ready to fight. The archers with their bows and muskets were coldly staring at them from the flanks. As soon as the Ming high-ranking military officer holding his spear in front of them gave the order, the archers and muskets would be fired. By this time, the sound of horse hooves behind them was like thunder, they were getting closer and closer.
The Tatar thousand-man commander Kuo Kuo Tai pulled the reins and spurred his horse forward. His eyes roamed all around. Suddenly he unwillingly raised his saber high to the sky and sang with grief and indignation, "The stars and the sky are spinning, various countries are at war, we don't even have time to go to bed and sleep.
Snatching and pillaging each other. The world is turning, various countries are attacking each other, we don't even have time to go to bed and sleep.
Fighting and killing each other, we don't have time to think, we can only do our best.
There is no place to run, only to charge and fight. "
More than a thousand Tatar cavalry raised their blood-dripping weapons high and sang in unison. That majestic and desolate voice echoed endlessly in the valley entrance.
Although they did not understand their language, each Ming soldier could tell from their expression and voice that these more than a thousand Tatar cavalry were determined to fight the tens of thousands of Ming soldiers in front and behind them to the death, they would not surrender.
"Go where you say go, and smash the hard stones; attack where you say go, and smash the hard rocks; cleave the high mountains, and dry up the deep waters; so bravely kill the enemy, and turn the whole earth into a pasture for the Mongols!"
No one gave the order. When the last line was finished, all of the Mongolian cavalry reined in their reins and turned around, raised their sabers, kicked their legs, and lightly lifted their butts. They charged toward the pursuing Ming Destiny cavalry. It was true that they were cruel, bloodthirsty, and greedy, but at the same time they were courageous, courageous, and proud. They would rather fight to the death with the other nation's cavalry as heroes on horseback.
"Bang! Bang! Bang! " The sound of the guns rang out. Kuokuo Tai had just turned around when four or five arrows pierced deep into his back. Blood spurted out along the arrow shafts. At the same time, his leather robe was blasted into pieces by the dense pellets.
He widened his eyes in anger. "Why … why don't you let me die a hero?" Kuokuo Tai wanted to turn around and question the Ming army, but his strong arm could not even hold on to the reins. His body only swayed a little before he fell off the horse with his eyes wide open in anger.
"A bandit is a bandit. Although he is brave … he is just a brave bandit. When have you ever seen an officer talk about rules when killing a bandit?" Lu Erniu, a gunner who would be promoted to a baihu two years later, spoke eloquently to his soldiers when he mentioned this battle.
※ ※ ※
The Emperor set off to return to the city. All the people in the city had heard of the heroic deeds of the young Emperor who had come up with a brilliant plan to defeat the Tartar cavalry. If they were only curious about the Emperor who lived in the Forbidden City when they saw Huang Luoluo Umbrella leave the city to go to Mount Baishan, then their welcome now came from the bottom of their hearts.
The Emperor was the representative of the Han people. His glory was the glory of the entire Han people. Who did not want their leader to be a hero that they could be proud of?
At the frontier, the Tatars left behind one crime after another. Because of them, how many people's families were broken up and their families were broken up, how many people were frightened because they had to leave their homes. Although all kinds of rumors quickly spread among the marketplace were absurd, bizarre, and illogical, and the Tatars' death toll had increased several times over, so much so that it had already surpassed the total population of the entire prairie and desert, the common people were willing to spread it, moreover, they believed it. Who dared to utter a word of doubt? Immediately a group of people cursed them with spittle flying in all directions, and ran away with their heads in their hands.
The speed at which Yang Yiqing returned to support had reached the limit of an infantryman. But in the end, he could not keep up with the speed of four legs. The tens of thousands of troops received the news that the Emperor had returned to the city halfway and that his troops were waiting outside the city of Datong to welcome him.
His troops arrived at the city of Datong in a grandiose manner. They looked well-organized and their armor was bright. They did not look like they had fought in a war at all. In the eyes of the people, it further confirmed the rumor that the Emperor had personally led the troops, the soldiers were vigorous like dragons and tigers, and that Boyan Khan had thrown away his helmet and armor and fled at the sight of them.
The Prince of Dai, Hu Zan, Yang Yiqing and Du Renguo were at the city gate of Datong to welcome the Emperor's arrival. As soon as the Emperor Zheng De arrived, they immediately knelt down on the ground and did not get up. Yang Yiqing had a heavy heart along the way. As the commander-in-chief of the three passes, he was responsible for the defense of the entire theater. Now that the Emperor had not encountered assassins and bandits, but the entire main force of the Tatar Emperor had openly entered the pass and killed their way up Mount Baishan, he really could not think of any reason to excuse himself.
The imperial carriage stopped. Emperor Zhengde walked in big strides to the front of them. That small face of his had been wiped clean. Of course it was better not to let the officials see the Emperor's sorry state.
The Acting King pressed his well-maintained hands on the dirty snowy ground. He knelt for a long time and said in a trembling voice, "Your Majesty was attacked. This subject cannot escape the blame. Your Majesty, please punish me severely!"
Hu Zan, Yang Yiqing, and Du Renguo kowtowed together and said, "This subject deserves to die ten thousand times. Your Majesty, please punish me severely!"
The generals and officials who had come to welcome him all knelt down one by one. The tens of thousands of troops also knelt down solemnly. There was absolute silence.
Among them, the only ones who were genuinely worried were the Acting King, Hu Zan, and Yang Yiqing, three people. Yang Yiqing was the current commander-in-chief of the three passes, needless to say. Hu Zan was the inspector-general of Datong. Before Yang Yiqing controlled the three armies, he was in charge of the military affairs of Datong single-handedly. All officials below the rank of qianzong were appointed under his signature. Although he was a civil servant and did not understand military affairs well, Wang Hu and Li Yi, the two traitors, were recommended by veteran generals in the army and then appointed by him, but who could he explain this to?
As for the Acting King, as the border king guarding Datong, although he usually did not interfere too much with military affairs, he was still the highest official in name. Moreover, he had the power to command and deploy troops during wartime. If a spy appeared in the army, he would be guilty of negligence. If the Emperor was in danger, he would be even more guilty of shutting his door and not rescuing him. How could he not be afraid?
When Zhengde got off the sedan chair, he was full of joy. When he heard these words, he suddenly remembered the thrilling scene at Mount Baishan and his face immediately darkened.
The more he thought about it while sitting in the sedan chair, the happier he became. This battle had dealt a heavy blow to Boyan. Boyan's position as the Great Khan might not be stable anymore. The flames of civil strife on the grasslands could be exchanged for at least ten years of peace at the border. Moreover, with the cooperation of the three Duoyan guards and the internal division of the Tartars, if everything went according to Yang Ling's plan, it was possible to unify the desert during his reign. That was the land of several provinces.
Although Zhengde was young, he knew what it meant. Opening up new territory! In the ancestral temple, his position would surpass his father and ancestor, becoming the ruler second only to the founding Emperor. Many emperors conscientiously ruled the world for their entire lives but could not obtain such a great merit. But he had just changed the name of the dynasty to Zhengde and became the Emperor of Ming Destiny, and he had already done it.
With his childish temper and fear gone, he began to think about beautiful things: Didn't Yixian like heroes? Didn't she say that her future husband must be an indomitable hero who had the ability to protect her and the people of the Great Ming Dynasty from being bullied by others? Didn't we do it?
Hey! When I went to the Shihua Pavilion with Yang Ling, I got beaten up and met Tang Yixian. This time I went to Mount Baishan with him and got poisoned by arsenic croton, but I achieved great merit. He is really my lucky general. In the future, the more I suffer a small loss and gain a big advantage, the better.
The more Zhengde thought about it, the more beautiful it was. When he got off the sedan chair, he was still beaming with joy. But when he heard the Acting Prince and the others begging for forgiveness, his anger rose again. Zhengde was about to explode when Liu Bangchao suddenly shouted loudly: "Your Majesty is wise and powerful. You defeated Boyan Khan and formed an alliance with the three Duoyan guards. You are indeed a wise ruler of the present age, an emperor of all ages! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! "
"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! " Tens of thousands of soldiers knelt down and chanted in unison. Their voices shook the roof tiles and could practically make eagles and sparrows land on the ground. The shouting did not stop. The common people in the city also cheered.
Yang Ling took a step forward and coughed. He said quietly: "Your Majesty, all the soldiers and common people at the border are praising Your Majesty's merit." He looked at Liu Bangchao approvingly. Although this guy was illiterate, he had a good memory. He only taught him once and regardless of whether he understood the meaning or not, he could recite it word for word.
As soon as Zhengde heard Yang Ling's words, his anger disappeared. It was not good to spread the news of a spy in the army to avoid causing panic among the common people. Moreover, if the common people knew that his merit was obtained by accident, then there would be no glory. Maybe those old men in the capital would use this matter to make a big fuss. It was better to deal with this matter quietly.
Thinking to this point, Zhengde put on a smiling face. With a chuckle he said, "My beloved subjects, you have severely defeated the Tatars, you have performed a meritorious deed for the country, what crime have you committed? If not for Dai Wang Shu defending Datong to the death, refusing to fall into the enemy's trap and leaving the city alone to avoid being taken advantage of by the enemy, not only would Datong fall into the enemy's hands, tens of thousands of common people would also suffer a calamity. Zhen would also have no choice but to flee back to the capital in panic. As for minister Yang and the other generals, Zhen is clear in reward and punishment. As the saying goes, a flaw does not obscure a jade, a merit does not obscure a fault. Come, come, my beloved subjects, please rise. Follow Zhen back to the city first. Collaborating with the enemy and rebelling must be punished severely, but right now is a time of celebration for the whole city's army and people, so this matter can be put aside for now. "
Hearing him only mention Dai Wang and Yang Yiqing, but not a single word was mentioned, Hu Zan knew that he would most likely have to bear the black pot. However, those two spies were indeed appointed by him when he was the inspector-general of Datong's military affairs. Now that His Majesty had defeated the Tatars without any mishap, he could bask in this glory by only removing his official post and not beheading him; he had already gained a great advantage. What else was there to say? So he stood up silently and did not say a word.
Yang Ling's whisper to Zhengde was very soft, so Zhang Yin, who was kneeling behind him, did not hear it. However, he had observed the two's expressions very carefully. Zhengde first showed anger, and then he was able to silently endure and relax his guard. For such a major event as trapping the Emperor in danger, he must have listened to Yang Ling's whisper. This person's influence on the Emperor was truly too great.
The plan to use Yang Hu's hands to assassinate the Emperor had failed. The plan to use Boyan's hands to eradicate the Emperor had also failed. Each time, there was only a small accident. It was this small mistake that caused him to fall behind others and be passive at every step. The meticulously designed plan could not be changed again and again. He was really unwilling to accept this.
Was it Zhengde's destiny that had not run out, or was it that his luck was not good? Even Boyan's tens of thousands of troops could not assassinate the Emperor. It looked like he had to change his tune. If he could not get rid of Zhengde and ensure that King Ning succeeded the throne smoothly, then he would provoke King Ning's ambition and let Ming Destiny put on another good show of an uncle usurping his nephew's power.
Thinking of this, Zhang Yin secretly took a look at Yang Ling and thought, "This person is so impressive in front of the Emperor. Instead of spending so much effort to get rid of him, why can't I make use of him? Yang Hu is the number one hero in Bazhou, and Boyan is the hero of the desert. I can make use of their greed and play them in the palm of my hand. Why can't I make use of Yang Ling? Every man has a weakness. Is he greedy for power, wealth, fame, or lust for women? "
Zhang Yin carefully thought about the information he knew about Yang Ling and nodded almost imperceptibly, "This person is young and proud. What he desires is nothing more than power and lust! He was able to seek a doctor behind his wife's back and resist the imperial edict. It is obvious that he is young and full of passion for the woman he loves. This kind of person is not difficult to deal with. Perhaps I can plant a reliable spy by his side. Even if it cannot influence him, it will certainly allow me to grasp enough secrets of the court. "
Zhang Yin thought without batting an eyelid, "Sleeping drunk under a pomegranate skirt, remembering a small waist when awake. What the Emperor can give him is power. On the other hand, there are many beautiful women in our sect. To deal with this kind of young and powerful official, using beauty as a stepping stone is the most appropriate! "
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