Prince Chongzhen

Chapter 423: Even though reinforcements have arrived, it is useless
When Dayan was a teenager, the Khoshut tribe had always been caught in the middle. After he became an adult, tribes like the Kazakh and Khalkha continued to squeeze the Khoshut's living space due to various factors. Even though his father was not a mediocre leader, he was forced to move south to survive under such circumstances.

Growing up in such an environment, Dayan would not be a person who underestimates the enemy.

Although the Ming troops in Yangping Pass retreated completely into the pass as soon as they arrived, and although this plain area was the most suitable place for the Mongolian cavalry to exert their combat power, he still kept an eye on any movement around him while sending his warriors out to graze.

Therefore, when a large group of Ming troops entered Yangping Pass, he received the relevant information at the first time.

To be honest, this news was not beyond his expectations.

After all, tens of thousands of Ming troops were trapped in the Hanzhong Plain. Any regime would have to make rescuing these troops their top priority.

not to mention.
"Your Majesty, the Ming army reinforcements have arrived. I'm afraid I don't have enough manpower here."

As soon as the soldier finished speaking, Dayan was immediately delighted, but he still had a fearful expression on his face. After thinking for a moment, he said something hesitantly.

To be honest, he led more than 20,000 cavalrymen and was not afraid of making enemies with anyone in this plain area. It was not difficult for him to allocate some men to help the Manchus guard the grain route.

But then again, he had previously thought that this was just an ordinary battle, and the price he offered was not very profitable.

Now that we know that the Ming Emperor is involved in Hanzhong, this deal is another story. If the Qing army really does not have enough sincerity, it is not completely impossible for them to collude with the Ming Dynasty.

"When I came here, the prince said that since Taiji has come from afar, we cannot just thank him with ordinary things. It just so happens that there is no one to inherit the position of Tusi of the Lu family, so Taiji should accept it on his behalf."

"Lu Tusi?!"

As soon as Luo Luohun finished speaking, Dayan was so surprised that he made a strange sound, as if these conditions were far beyond his expectations.

This Lu Tusi was conferred by the Ming Taizu himself. His ancestor Toghan was the great-great-grandson of Kulejian, the sixth son of Genghis Khan. He also served as Prime Minister in the late Yuan Dynasty and was the King of Anding in the Jin Dynasty.

If we talk about the Miao Hong's genuine roots, they can leave the Khoshut tribe far behind.

However, this was not the real reason why Dayan was so surprised. It was because the location of Tusi Lu was indeed very critical.

When the Ming army captured Beijing, Tuohuan followed Emperor Shun of Yuan to flee north. Later, he fell behind and drifted to Hexi. After surrendering to the Ming Dynasty, he was settled in Liancheng.

Liancheng is the border between Xining Wei and Zhuanglang Wei. If you go east from there, you can easily bypass the important town of Jincheng and directly enter the Hexi Corridor.

Faced with such conditions, it was absolutely impossible for Dayan not to be tempted, but he was also very clear that if he wanted to take over this piece of land, he would have to pay a corresponding price. When he met Luo Luohun's gaze, he couldn't help but hesitate a little.

"Taiji, rest assured. You only need to allocate a few thousand troops to guard the grain road for our army. Once my prince has dealt with the Ming army in Hanzhong, you can lead the troops back."

"Then the Ming army's reinforcements..."

It was obvious that Dayan's heart was completely shaken, but the words of the soldiers just now were still echoing in his ears. He wanted to discuss the matter again, but who would have thought that before he finished speaking, Luo Luohun's face suddenly darkened, and before he could react, the other party's words had already reached his ears.

"We are all men on horseback, why is Taiji so unhappy?" Luo Luohun looked directly into Dayan's eyes, obviously very disappointed with his performance: "If the Ming army's reinforcements are infantry, you can just delay and harass them. If they are cavalry, has the eagle on the grassland been broken by the Ming Dynasty?"

The method of provoking someone is very simple and obvious.

But even though Dayan knew that it was Luo Luohun who was provoking him, he still felt so angry that his face turned red.

They, the Khoshut, were the leaders of the various Oirat tribes, and Dayan had a very clear understanding of their own history.

The Mongols were first driven out of the Central Plains by the Ming Dynasty, and then beaten by the Ming Dynasty so badly that they could no longer gain a foothold in the east.

In the eyes of others, this meant that the Mongols could not defeat the Ming Dynasty, and even their proud cavalry was not enough to compete with the Ming Dynasty. However, Dayan knew very well that it was just the end of a dynasty, and it had nothing to do with the type of soldiers and weapons.

Just like the previous Ming Dynasty, they had firearms far more powerful than the Russians and military strength far exceeding that of any other country, but when the entire country was already in ruins, they were beaten back to the south by the Manchus who had only a few hundred thousand people. Does this mean that muskets are inferior to bows and arrows?

You have to know that the Russians used firearms that were inferior to those of the Ming Dynasty to put the Mongolian tribes under great pressure, otherwise why would the Khoshuts be forced to move south to survive?

"Since the prince has promised me the land of Lu Tusi, I, Dayan, will accept this kindness."

The atmosphere in the tent was no longer as harmonious as before. Even Dayan's words were filled with anger. However, in this situation, Luo Luohun still kept a smile on his face. He did not even take it as an offense when Dayan sent him out of the camp with a sullen face.

"Taiji, the Emperor is being held in Hanzhong. I'm afraid the Ming Dynasty will do its utmost to stop him."

As Luo Luohun left, a general beside Dayan said something tentatively, but Dayan had already retracted his angry expression at this time, and said with a sneer after hearing this.

"Let's see what happens. If the Manchus can defeat the Emperor Ming, then we can just fight with the reinforcements for a few days. In this land, who can we be afraid of?"

After hearing this, the general didn't say anything more, but in his heart he always felt that his Taiji was somewhat blinded by profit. However, after so many years of hardships, Dayan was not the kind of person who would take advantage of others.

He knew very well that although his father Khan established the Khoshut Khanate, they were just outsiders in the Tibetan territory.

At the beginning, those lamas had to lead them father and son into the snowy area in order to compete for believers.

By this time, the lamas had not only wiped out other sects, but also the Khans such as Tsangpa Khan. If they and their son wanted to maintain long-term peace and stability, they had to add more power to their hands.

Under such circumstances, controlling the gateway to the Han area became an unavoidable choice.

In the original history, the Khoshut Khanate also went down this path.

However, the Qing Dynasty had already swept across the world by then, and in the end they had to give up even the Xining Guard that they had swallowed up.

As an outsider, the Khoshut tribe continued to lose strength in the struggle with the Lama forces, and was eventually destroyed by the Dzungar Khanate a few decades later.

It is obvious that for the Khoshut, which is caught in the middle, the only way to survive is to take advantage of the chaos in Central China to expand into the Han area. To do this, it is acceptable to pay some price.

"Go check before the pass."

Watching Luo Luohun's figure going away, Dayan finally turned his attention to the enemy he was about to face. After half a cup of tea, the group arrived at the mountain north of Yangping Pass. Although a group of Ming troops were entering the city, his tension gradually relaxed.

"I'm afraid there are only a few thousand cavalrymen."

"Taiji has good eyesight. Most of the Ming army's reinforcements are infantry."

As he heard one response after another, Dayan finally confirmed his judgment. He then gave some instructions and returned to his own tent after assigning tasks to each department.

Since the Ming army is configured like this, he has nothing to worry about.

No matter what, the Ming army is mostly infantry. As long as they can delay them for a few days, they will have completed the deal with Hauge. By then, what can they do even if the Ming and Qing dynasties fight to the death?

just
"Send a message to all camps to rest overnight and be on duty tomorrow."

"General Li, please be patient."

As soon as Li Chengdong entered the pass, he gave orders to his soldiers, but he was interrupted by Fan Yiheng who came with him before he could finish his words.

Seeing this, he was naturally dissatisfied, and without waiting for the criminal to say anything, he directly retorted.

"Let the commander know that our army from the south of the Yangtze River has followed Your Majesty in battles across the country and has seen many difficult and dangerous situations. However, we have always been at the forefront and will never sit idly by and watch Your Majesty be surrounded!"

It was obvious that Li Chengdong was angry. Even though the person in front of him was a top official of the Ming Dynasty, his words did not leave any room for maneuver.

This is not to say that he is loyal to any extent. It is just that Zhu Cilang's safety is related to the future of his army, so it is understandable that he complains.

He was forced to surrender outside the city of Suzhou. Not only were his troops reorganized under the supervision of the army, but many disabled members of the Advisory Council were also placed in the army.

To be honest, Li Chengdong was full of dissatisfaction at that time, and he just wanted to find an opportunity to bring his troops back to the Qing Dynasty.

But who would have thought that the Ming Dynasty, which was on the verge of extinction, not only recovered, but also fought one battle after another until it defeated the Qing Dynasty, which seemed to be sweeping the world, without any chance of fighting back.

At that time, he thought about working hard under the young emperor. If he could get a military post like Hu Maozhen, it would also leave a mark in history books.

But while he kept waiting, his army was only continuously training in Suzhou and Songjiang. Even though the battles were one after another, his troops never received a call.

Good things come to those who wait. Just when Li Chengdong thought that his troops had been forgotten by the young emperor, the order to transfer them to Sichuan finally came.

Afterwards, he happily led his elite troops upstream, always hoping to show his prowess in Sichuan.

But the turn of events finally turned out to be beyond his expectations. When he landed in Chongqing, the news that the little emperor was trapped in Hanzhong had already reached him.

Faced with this situation, he was naturally dissatisfied with the various tribes in central Sichuan, but at the same time he could not help but worry about his own future.

All in all, he was not optimistic about the Ming Dynasty. Even though the Ming Dynasty had turned around at this time, if anything happened to the little emperor, it would not take long for it to return to its original state.

Of course, leading the troops to surrender to the Qing was also an option, but he had no choice but to do so in the first place, and later he had no choice but to return to the Ming. The situation had not yet settled, so he still wanted to wait and see.

Therefore, he did not have a good attitude towards the people in Sichuan who had put him in this situation.

"The commander didn't say he wouldn't send troops, but the enemy situation is unclear and we have to investigate a bit."

"shut up!"

When Li Chengdong's rather unfriendly words came out, the young and energetic Zeng Ying was about to retort a few words, but to his surprise, he was interrupted by Fan Yiheng before he could finish his words. Then, the Governor-General of Sichuan and Shaanxi actually bowed deeply to him.

"General Li is right. Your Majesty is trapped in a siege. I will never redeem myself, but in this situation, we have to work together to resolve the predicament of Hanzhong. I hope General Li can put this matter aside for now."

Seeing that the other party had made such a gesture, Li Chengdong didn't know how to continue to attack. However, people like him couldn't change their attitude quickly. He just nodded and watched quietly how Fan Yiheng responded.

At this point, Fan Yiheng finally breathed a sigh of relief. After all the generals present had taken their seats, he asked Liu Wenxiu, "General Liu, we are all new here, but we still need you to tell us about the current situation."

"Yes," Liu Wenxiu replied, and then turned to the generals present. After seeing their faces clearly, he began to speak: "At first, the battle situation was quite favorable for our army. When General Li Guo led his cavalry to Hanzhong."

After a moment, Liu Wenxiu's words fell completely, and the generals present had a clear understanding of why the situation had developed to this point.

However, people knew it, but these tens of thousands of cavalry blocking the grain road in Hanzhong would eventually become a trouble.

If they cannot be dispersed, even if the infantry coming to rescue can reach Hanzhong smoothly, they will fall into the same situation because their food supply route will be cut off.

In essence, the cavalry can maximize their mobility in this plain area. Unless there is an equally powerful cavalry that can restrict it, the initiative will fall into the hands of the Mongolian cavalry.

"Commander-in-chief, can we do this?" As Liu Wenxiu finished speaking, Yang Zhan was the first to step forward. He then gave a fist to everyone present and said, "The infantry will march forward in formation, while General Li's cavalry will patrol and scout the surroundings. If the Mongols come, the infantry will stop to meet them, and then continue marching after they retreat."

"No."

As soon as Yang Zhan finished speaking, Li Chengdong had already completely and cleanly denied it.

Seeing this, Zeng Ying was about to rush forward and say a few words, but before he could make a move, Fan Yiheng's rather stern gaze swept over him.

"It's not that we underestimate you. Most of you have only faced bandits and robbers, but you have never seen Mongolian cavalry. Those people can rely on livestock for food and clothing. If they just stop around, will the large group of people leave or not?"

As Li Chengdong's words came out, not only Fan Yiheng and others showed a thoughtful look, even Zeng Ying, who was quite dissatisfied with him, was stunned for a moment.

However, according to the current situation, there is no other choice except this. Zeng Ying said directly after he came to his senses: "Since this method doesn't work, then please ask General Li to give us an idea."

(End of this chapter)