Gou was a member of the imperial family in the late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 493: Anonymous in the Army
Working under a master who changes his orders every day and doesn't trust people is really... After Hei Yunlong figured it all out, he became disheartened and even more pessimistic about the current situation.

"Sir, how do we break this situation now?"

"Break? What can you break?" The man asked leisurely, "Could it be that Marshal Manchu disobeys his orders? Or did you disobey Marshal Manchu's orders?"

"This..." Hei Yunlong was speechless after hearing this. Yes, could he do this? Not to mention that he was the Lieutenant General of Xuanfu, and he had General Hou Shilu above him. Moreover, Xuanfu and Datong were integrated and were often referred to as the "Xuan Army". Man Gui was the commander-in-chief designated by Emperor Chongzhen.

Not to mention himself, even Hou Shilu couldn't do anything about it. Moreover, he had seen it in today's meeting. Man Gui didn't want to fight like this, but he couldn't help himself. Later, the emperor urged him to do it, and even sent eunuchs to supervise the army. Under the emperor's will, the commander Man Gui couldn't make the decision, let alone him, a mere lieutenant general?
When he thought about the war that he had no chance of winning, Hei Yunlong felt sad. He was not afraid of death, but he was afraid of dying without any meaning. Moreover, Xuan's army was no match for the Eight Banners. If he took the risk without any confidence, what difference would it make to die in vain?

"You don't have to worry. Once the war starts, I can't guarantee anything else. It should be fine if I just protect your retreat route." At this moment, the man spoke.

Hearing this, Hei Yunlong's eyes suddenly lit up. That's right! How could he have forgotten this?

"If you can lend a helping hand to me..." Before Hei Yunlong could finish his words, the man waved his hand and said, "Don't think about anything else. What? Are you planning to turn the tide with just a few people? Or even defeat the Jiannu? Haha, you know how fierce the Jiannu cavalry is. You and I are not gods. Even if I can protect your retreat, it will only be a stretch. You must know that the battlefield changes rapidly. No one dares to say that this matter is absolutely certain."

"That's true..." Hei Yunlong was suddenly reminded by these words. He had forgotten all these things, but with the other party's promise, Hei Yunlong felt much more relieved. He thought for a while and said to the man: "It is common for generals to die on the battlefield. Hei has long been aware of this. Hei is naturally not afraid of death, but I want to ask you for a favor."

"What's the matter?"

"Hei wants to hand my son over to you, sir. If you can save me once the war breaks out, I will be very grateful. If that is not possible, I hope you can protect my son, is that okay?"

"Of course there is no problem with this. General Hei, rest assured that I will live up to your trust."

"Okay!" Hei Yunlong raised his eyebrows and smiled, and said to the man in a serious tone: "After this battle, no matter whether Hei lives or dies, my Hei family will honor our promise and go through fire and water without hesitation!"

"Hahaha, you're too kind." The man laughed and said this, but his expression showed that he was very satisfied with Hei Yunlong's statement.

At this time, Hei Mingzhong's voice came from outside, saying that the wine and food were ready and asked if they should be sent in now.

Hei Yunlong explained to the man, who nodded and thanked him. Then Hei Yunlong let his son in. In a blink of an eye, Hei Mingzhong and a few others entered the tent with wine and food. When they were about to say goodbye and leave after setting the food and wine, Hei Yunlong asked the others to go out first, and stopped him. In front of the man, he told his son that he must follow the master from today on, and must not leave without the master's consent. He must do whatever the master tells him to do, even if he is in danger.

Hearing this, Hei Mingzhong was stunned. He looked at his father in surprise, but saw Hei Yunlong staring at him with a serious expression, and the man next to him also looked at him with a smile, as if waiting for his attitude.

Hei Mingzhong was about to say something, but under Hei Yunlong's stern gaze, he swallowed back what he was about to say subconsciously and finally nodded.

Seeing that his son understood his arrangements, Hei Yunlong felt relieved.

Hei Yunlong has many sons, and Hei Mingzhong is his fifth son, but among his sons, he values ​​Hei Mingzhong the most. If he were to ask who among the Hei family's sons could inherit him in the future, none of the others would be suitable, only the brave and resourceful Hei Mingzhong would be the most suitable.

He is old, and the war is fierce. It would be fine if he died. As a general, his life and death are unpredictable on the battlefield. But Hei Mingzhong is still young and has a bright future. Hei Yunlong does not want to let his outstanding son die in vain on this meaningless battlefield.

After explaining the matter, Hei Yunlong asked Hei Mingzhong to leave, and then he personally poured wine and raised a glass to thank the man. The man did not refuse, and drank two glasses with Hei Yunlong, and continued to talk about the current war situation while eating wine and food.

Because the battle had just begun and they were in the army, neither side drank much, and a pot of muddy wine was not enough for two people. After the wine was finished and the food was almost finished, Hei Yunlong stood up and said goodbye. Although this tent was Hei Yunlong's main tent, the man was now the owner here, and Hei Yunlong went to live in a small tent next to it. Hei Yunlong made such an arrangement very naturally, and the man did not refuse at all, as if he was the real owner of this army.

Not long after Hei Yunlong left, a man dressed as a small flag of the Ming army came to the outside of the tent and quickly entered the tent.

"Sixth Master!" Li You bowed to Zhu Shenzhui.

The man who was drinking and talking with Hei Yunlong just now was none other than Zhu Shenzhui.

It’s a long story to explain why Zhu Shenzui was in Hei Yunlong’s army.

Two months ago, the Tengger tribe confirmed its ruling position in the Tumed grassland through the smallpox incident. This ruling position is no longer the nominal Tumed lord in the Bu Shitu period, but the real leader of the Tumed grassland.

Thanks to the blessing of the shamans (cowpox), the tribes of the Tumed grassland were lucky enough to escape the shadow of smallpox, the god of death. Coupled with a series of religious propaganda, ordinary herdsmen have recognized the rise of the Tenger tribe as the will of the Eternal Heaven. Although some clear-headed Mongolian nobles including the tribal taijis may not think so, they have to bow to the Tenger tribe under the general trend and acknowledge the rule of the Tenger troops over the Tumed grassland.

Taking advantage of this situation, Zhu Shencui used cowpox to force the tribes to express their views, and on the other hand, he instilled the Mongols living in Tumed with the will of Changshengtian. In addition, he asked the Taijis and leaders of each tribe to send their children to Guihua City. To put it bluntly, these children were hostages. Sending them to Guihua City not only showed the attitude of the tribe, but Zhu Shencui also intended to change the tribes on the grassland subtly by influencing these people.

After arranging all these, Zhu Shenzui had stayed in the grassland for a long time, and now he was ready to return to Ming Dynasty.

Because of the spread of smallpox on the grassland, the original road from Tumed back to the Ming Dynasty has been blocked, and the border near the original trade checkpoint is no longer passable. It's not that Zhu Shencui cannot take this road, but it is more troublesome to walk. Moreover, Zhu Shencui is not going back alone. Some of the new army and accompanying cavalry also returned with him, totaling more than a thousand people.

With so many people, even if they were divided into two or three groups, the number would still be considerable. In order to avoid trouble, Zhu Shencui considered and decided to take a detour, heading directly east and then turning back south, entering the Great Wall from the Heiyunlong defense line in Xuanfu, and then returning to Shanxi.

This route is absolutely reliable. Over the years, Hei Yunlong can be regarded as Zhu Shenzui's man. Zhu Shenzui rescued Hei Yunlong and his son when they were in trouble in Mongolia. Later, Zhu Shenzui helped him get in touch with Wei Zhongxian and arranged for him to return to the Ming Dynasty. Not only was he not punished for the previous defeat in Liaodong, but he was promoted instead. Now he has become a veritable lieutenant general.

Zhu Shencui had done a favor to Hei Yunlong and his son, and he also had leverage over them. Before Wei Zhongxian fell, Zhu Shencui helped Hei Yunlong and his son deal with their relationship with the eunuch party, and did not let Hei Yunlong get involved in the eunuch party incident, thus saving Hei Yunlong.

Hei Yunlong knew this very well. In addition, after the bilateral trade of Zhenlubao was handed over, Zhou Anmin took the initiative to give up and was no longer responsible for the trade between Daming and Tengger. But in fact, from before the bilateral trade started to now, the private trade or smuggling between Tengger and Daming still existed, and the trade contacts between the two sides had gradually shifted from Zhenlubao to Hei Yunlong's defense line. Hei Yunlong could be said to have become a vested interest in this regard. After these years of close cooperation, although Hei Yunlong was still unclear about Zhu Shenzhui's true identity, he was convinced by Zhu Shenzhui.

As a border general, Hei Yunlong's rank was not high, but he had considerable power. Moreover, he had been an official for many years and could see things clearly. As a Ming Dynasty man, Zhu Shenzhui could not only freely travel between Ming Dynasty and the grassland, but also possessed astonishing power in both places.

Not to mention the grasslands, before it was only the Tenger tribe, but now it is the entire Tumed grassland. Zhu Shencui's influence on the Tumed grassland is extremely strong. The same is true in the Ming Dynasty. Zhu Shencui can have a say in the Jinyiwei, the guards, and even the upper echelons of the court in Shanxi, and even the powerful Wei Zhongxian can get in touch with him.

Although Wei Zhongxian has fallen and the eunuch party has been wiped out, Zhu Shenzhui's network of contacts in the court is still solid. This series of power is real and could not help but shock Hei Yunlong. In addition to the shared interests of both parties and the previous life-saving grace, although Hei Yunlong cannot be regarded as Zhu Shenzhui's real subordinate, he is not far from the actual situation.

After determining the route back to the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Shenzui set off with his men, first heading east and then turning back south.

But not long after he left, he received information that Huang Taiji led his troops to the Mongol area outside the Great Wall from Zunhua to Jizhou. Upon learning of this, Zhu Shenzhui was not far from Heiyunlong's defense line, and he hurriedly ordered to speed up and return to Ming.

(End of this chapter)