That day the Ming army broke out of the Tatars' encirclement and immediately fled towards the Chicken Crow Inn, leaving all the carriages and supplies behind at the Five Gates Ridge. Because the Tatars had abandoned their cavalry and mixed in with the Ming army, they were swept up by the frenzied flow of people and involuntarily rushed forward.
On the plains in front of the Chicken Crow Inn, an unprecedented battle scene appeared. The generals and officers of both sides were surrounded by at least a hundred or so personal soldiers, the rest were mixed in with each other. At the very front was the Ming army, behind them were the Tatars, and then behind them were the Ming army. Each one of them ran with their helmets crooked, their battle flags and bugles were all thrown away, they were like streaky meat rolling forward.
The Tatars running at the very front did not want to pursue, but when they turned their heads to look, they saw the Ming army was charging toward them in a formidable array. If they stopped, perhaps they would not be killed, they would be trampled to death. Therefore, they had no choice but to run forward as if their lives depended on it. Following behind the Ming army were the Tatars who were originally on the flanks of the mountains. Seeing their own people in front of the Ming army and not seeing their leader give the signal to retreat, they also followed the flow and rushed forward. As they ran, they fought each other. The strength of the soldiers was about the same, so for a moment there was no clear winner.
Ever since Yang Ling rushed out of the yamen to deliver the news, County Magistrate Min was worried and ordered people to carry him to the top of the city wall to wait. At this time in the distance he saw the flood of soldiers charging towards them. County Magistrate Min was startled and quickly ordered the remaining soldiers to set up the cannons and prepare to meet the enemy.
When the rebel army fled to the bottom of the city wall, County Magistrate Min saw this spectacle that he had not seen in a thousand years. For a moment he was tongue-tied, his eyebrows jumped up. He really could not figure out if the Ming army was in a mutiny or if the Tatars had surrendered. When he saw the rebel army at the bottom of the city wall were still fighting non-stop, he finally guessed the reason.
If the city gate was opened now, the Tatars would certainly take advantage of the chaos to enter the city. If this army of more than ten thousand people used the Chicken Crow Inn as a battlefield, this ancient city would undoubtedly be destroyed. Min Wenjian made a prompt decision and immediately ordered Jiang Bin's troops to strictly guard the city and not let a single person in.
The Ming soldiers at the bottom of the city wall shouted for the gate to be opened. Magistrate Huang supported County Magistrate Min and stood on top of the city wall and shouted, "Killing the enemy is your duty, defending the land is my duty. If the Tatars do not retreat, the gate will not be opened!"
Sometimes extreme fear can give rise to the courage to kill. The Ming soldiers, who had not recovered from their fright, had no way out. Turning their heads around, they saw that the Tatars, who used to be big and strong, coming and going like the wind, were now just like them, drenched in sweat and battered and exhausted. Immediately their courage rose. Without waiting for the general's order, they began to fight each other.
County Magistrate Min moved more than four hundred soldiers from the three cities to the southern city wall. They used bows and arrows to assist the Ming army below the wall. From time to time, they would shoot cold arrows. Although the enemy and their allies were mixed and their killing power was limited, the psychological deterrence was great.
Magistrate Min and and, and of the Magistrate Ming. to. they, Ming army, the Ming Dynasty, they, and, and, he of, and, they, Army, they, and, and, Yang, and,.,., and, and, and, and,, and,., and and, and, and, and, Army, Ming Ming, Boyan Meng, who had chased after them, did not expect the battle to turn out like this.
At this time, he had a slight advantage in numbers over the Ming army, and his close combat ability was far superior to that of the Ming army. But, to kill one thousand, he would lose eight hundred. If he really wanted to wipe out these red-eyed Ming soldiers who were risking their lives, he was not sure if the remaining people would be able to return safely.
He did not forget that the General of Zhuolu's Stone Horse Camp was leading his army towards him. Even though General Wei Guang's army had been led away by another group of people, General You Ji's Yang Family Dragon's two thousand elite soldiers were also advancing towards Huailai. If he did not end the battle quickly, he would be surrounded. Therefore, Boyan Meng could only lead his army to attack for a while before he had no choice but to gather his troops and retreat.
Fortunately, the Ming army was fighting on their own and were unable to organize an effective counterattack. The chaotic battle continued until midnight before Boyan Meng was able to gather his remaining troops and retreat back to the outside of the gourd valley.
Magistrate Min finally opened the city gates and led the remaining troops into the city. The frightened Ming army hurriedly returned to the city, not even having the courage to sweep the battlefield. In this battle, the Ming army lost two thousand soldiers. The other three hundred chariots and eight hundred warhorses were all lost in the gourd valley.
General He stood guard at Chicken Crow Inn for another three days before receiving orders from the commander-in-chief to withdraw his troops and return to the city. City Secretary Bi's troops stayed behind to guard Chicken Crow. General He knew that his career was bleak and he had to obediently wait to listen to the report.
After Yang Ling returned, he wrote down some of the knowledge he had learned about strengthening the quality of soldiers and the use of firearms and sent it to General He. In Yang Ling's view, the current situation was one where the general did not have many soldiers. When the two armies met, it all depended on the general's bravery. If the general was brave, the soldiers would be like lions. If the general was not brave, the soldiers would be scattered like sand. There was too much of a problem. It was just that as soon as he left, he was thrown off the table by General He with a sneer. What could a mere scholar have to say about military affairs?
Eunuch Liu, on the other hand, quietly picked up the letter and put it in his pocket. Right now, anything that was unfavorable to General He was evidence that he was trying to escape responsibility and was too arrogant. This uneducated Eunuch Liu actually wrote a high-level memorial to the capital: Our army suffered heavy losses and a fourth-ranked official died in battle. It was all because General He was domineering and arrogant. He was greedy for achievements and rashly advanced, giving the Tatars an opportunity to take advantage of him.
On the seventh day after the battle ended, Old Master Yang was worried about his family property. As soon as the situation stabilized, he couldn't wait to lead his clan back to the Yang Family. Yang Ling let out a big sigh of relief. In these seven days, he finally understood how deep a family's imprint on a person's body was. If one person in the family stood out, then no matter how close or distant the relationship was, he had a great responsibility to the entire family. There were sixty to seventy members of the Yang clan, some of whom were from the same branch as him from nearly a hundred years ago. When they entered the city, they all confidently asked him for food and shelter, as if it was his duty to do so.
Moreover, everyone else, whether it was Young-niang or his fellow countrymen, all thought that this was a matter of course. From Yang Ling's point of view, this was something he really couldn't understand. After finally sending off these people with great difficulty, Yang Ling returned to the courier station with a relaxed body. A low-ranking official came forward to report, "Milord, there is a gentleman who wishes to see you. He has been waiting in the guest hall for a long time."
Yang Ling threw the reins of his horse to a courier and hurried to the small guest hall of the courier station. He saw an old man in a green robe sitting on a chair with his legs crossed, leisurely sipping tea. Yang Ling knew that the tea leaves in the courier station were divided into four grades. If it wasn't for the officials who were personally entertaining them, the low-ranking officials wouldn't have served the best tea. To be able to drink such a tasty fourth-grade tea, it seemed that this person wasn't an extraordinary person. He relaxed and calmly smiled, "Sir, I am this county's courier station deputy. What can I do for you?"
The old man in the green robe held a cup of tea in one hand and used the other to lightly beat a drum on the table. He looked pleased and content. Looking at his appearance, he was about fifty years old. His face was thin and his eyes were slightly closed. When he heard Yang Ling speak, he opened his eyes slightly and looked him up and down. He chuckled and said, "Brother Yang, you've returned? Do you still recognize me? "
As he spoke, he gently placed the teacup on the table. Yang Ling caught a glimpse of a jade-green ring on his hand. At that time, there weren't any man-made artifacts. Looking at the warm luster of the ring, it must have been worth a lot. Yang Ling's heart skipped a beat. He was curious about this person's identity. Looking at him carefully, he really did look a little familiar, but he couldn't remember where he had seen him.
The old man in the green robe saw that Yang Ling was a little embarrassed and couldn't help but chuckle. He stood up and said, "The last time you and I met, it was also in this courier station. At that time, I was a guest, and you were also a guest. I just didn't expect that after a month, you, the guest, would become the host."
Yang Ling let out an "ah" and happily cupped his hands together. He said, "I remember now. You are … you are the friend of the Ma Courier Station Deputy Ma, the great Sichuan and Shaanxi medicine merchant, Wu Jie."
Wu Jie, the great medicine merchant who had helped the Ma Courier Station Deputy persuade the Wang family to drop the lawsuit, also laughed when he heard this. Then he straightened his face and said seriously, "I am not the Ma Courier Station Deputy's friend, but his superior. Yang Yicheng, now … I am also your superior. "
Yang Ling's expression changed. Looking at this old man who was smiling like a spring breeze and suddenly had a murderous expression, a thought flashed in his mind. He couldn't help but cry out, "Old sir, you are … Jinyi …"
Wu Jie cracked a smile and said slowly, "Aren't you the same now? Mr Yang, Baihu Yang! "
Yang Ling was stunned. Baihu? Baihu was a rank six official, and it was a military position under the Guards Institution. When did he join the army and become a baihu?
Wu Jie saw his shocked face and laughed, waving his hand. "Don't be surprised. The Ministry of Appointments has already sent out the documents about you acting as the courier station deputy. I think you will receive the appointment soon. Although the courier station deputy of our Ming Destiny is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Revenue, everyone knows that this courier station deputy is a member of our Imperial Bodyguard.
I have already sent people to investigate you. You are a fifteen-year scholar in Hongzhi, with a clean family background. You are the descendant of the famous Yang Family of the Northern Song Dynasty. Today, I am under the orders of Governor Zhang of the North Discipline Officer to recruit you into the Imperial Bodyguard. You will be in charge of intelligence and investigation in the Huailai area. You will be given the position of baihu and will be directly under my command. "
Wu Jie said as he took out a scroll and a waist token from his sleeve. He smiled and handed them to Yang Ling. "Baihu Yang, Deputy Ma Courier Station has worked hard for half his life, but he has not been promoted to baihu. Although you have just been promoted, you have made a great contribution to Ming Destiny. That is why you have received this reward. Hehe, the baihu of my Embroidered Uniform Guard is thirty percent better than the qianhu of the army. Don't disappoint Prefect Zhang. "
Yang Ling took the waist token in a daze. He stammered, "Your Excellency, I … I really don't understand. When have I ever made a great contribution?"
Wu Jie laughed and said, "Claiming credit without being arrogant is indeed very good, but what should be yours, you need not be modest. The Tatar Little Prince set up an ambush at the Gourd Valley, he wanted to capture our army in one fell swoop. Luckily the secret agents of the Imperial Bodyguards received this information, and Yang Yicheng flew on horseback to report the news, thus the Great Ming's army was spared from a disaster. Isn't that a great merit?"
Yang Ling cried out, "What? How could there be such a thing? Qianhu Daren has misunderstood. When I received the news, it was already too late. If not for City Secretary Bi leading his army to forcefully open a path of blood, my army … "At this point, he suddenly felt a chill in his heart and could not finish the rest of his sentence.
At this moment, the lean and elegant Qian Hu Wu's eyes were cold. He exuded the coldness of someone who could decide the life and death of others at any time. He smiled faintly. After a long time, he said word by word, "The little prince of Tartar set up an ambush at the Gourd Cave to capture our army. General He was greedy and rushed in. The Imperial Bodyguard Deputy Yang rushed to report the news and saved Ming Destiny's army from being destroyed. Is that right?"
Yang Ling felt a chill in his heart. He said, "This … I … yes."
Wu Jie nodded slightly. Suddenly, he grinned and said, "You were originally a scholar, living far away from the imperial court. You don't know the affairs of the court, so you can't be blamed for not understanding some things. But now that you're a member of the Brocade Guard … there are some things you didn't understand before that you must understand now!"
Yang Ling could not help but say, "Your Excellency is saying …"
Wu Jie gently rubbed his chin with the finger wearing the jade ring. He said slowly, "The court needs a dignified person. The army needs a scapegoat. The Imperial Bodyguard needs this contribution. Do you understand?"
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