Fu Shanhe

Chapter 453 Misfortunes never come singly
Right Route Army.

"Report!"

"Admiral, a large force of Northern barbarian cavalry has been spotted sixty li away, and they are advancing towards our position..."

Upon receiving this news, Jing Yifeng's expression changed.

They were marching within the Great Wall defense line when the enemy crossed the Great Wall, and they didn't even receive news of such a major event.

If it weren't for the scouts being sent far enough to discover the enemy's movements in advance, we would have suffered a great loss.

"Pass down the order: find suitable terrain to set up camp and prepare to meet the enemy's attack!"

Without a moment's hesitation, Jing Yifeng issued the battle order.

In open field marches, infantry cannot outrun cavalry.

The only way to counter enemy cavalry is to rely on military formations.

The Battle of Changping proved that volley fire tactics were very effective against cavalry.

If they hadn't run out of ammunition, the Marquis of Wuyang's troops would definitely have been able to hold out until reinforcements arrived.

Compared to the army led by the Marquis of Wuyang that day, the right wing army had a larger number of troops.

In theory, if the Northern barbarians wanted to swallow them whole, they would definitely break their teeth.

Unfortunately, the weather is not on Yu Jun's side; it is currently the coldest time of the year.

The right flank suffered severe non-combat casualties, which affected morale and significantly weakened its combat effectiveness.

The camp was only halfway set up when the sound of cavalry hooves rang out.

Without the commander-in-chief giving an order, the troops spontaneously split into two waves.

Some continued to set up camp, while others picked up weapons, formed ranks, and prepared to meet the enemy's charge.

Standing on the makeshift observation platform, Jing Yifeng involuntarily clenched his fists.

Reason told him that the enemy was coming for them.

The fact that the enemy was able to quickly cross the Great Wall and accurately pinpoint their location strongly suggests that there was a traitor who betrayed them.

Although the government troops stationed along the Great Wall were nominally armed by noble families, they were actually mainly composed of sons of border generals.

It wasn't that the nobility didn't want to control the border troops; the main problem was the shortage of middle and lower-ranking officers, which forced them to appoint these sons of military families.

Since the full-scale military reorganization began, many generals have been in office for less than a year.

Being able to repair the Great Wall defenses and train the army to a basic level would be considered quite good.

There was simply no time to sort out the internal situation and unite the troops into a cohesive force.

Of course, the main problem is that people haven't learned how to do it.

Most of the generals from the nobility faction came from the Yangzhou camp.

As a newly established unit, it did not have as many bad habits.

From the moment we enlisted, we grew up in a relatively clean environment.

Subsequent expansions were all built from scratch, which saved a lot of trouble.

After he went north to take up his post, the situation changed.

In order to rebuild the Great Wall defense line as soon as possible, the newly formed troops in each town absorbed a large number of the original garrison troops.

Even though some members were expelled during training, the team's integrity still remains a serious problem.

This was the first time they had encountered such a problem, and there was no successful experience to draw upon. How to solve it was entirely up to the generals to figure out on their own.

The fact that smuggling trade could not be completely shut down speaks volumes.

They were either generals from noble families who, after arriving in the northern frontier, were corrupted and dragged down, becoming members of a smuggling interest group.

Either there is insufficient control over the troops, or there is no ability to fully control the troops.

In either case, it would be extremely disadvantageous for the right flank army.

The imperial court's assessment of the situation in the northern frontier was far too optimistic, and it lacked contingency plans.

"Pass down the order to have the artillerymen and musketeers prepare."

The enemy has approached within 200 meters of the camp; immediately begin firing and teach them a lesson!

Upon seeing enemy cavalry appear on the horizon, Jing Yifeng immediately issued an order.

In the blink of an eye, the Northern barbarian cavalry appeared before them.

The momentum of ten thousand horses galloping was like dark clouds pressing down on the city.

Finally, streaks of fire appeared, followed by the deafening roar of cannons.

Shells ripped through the sky, explosions tore through the dark clouds, and the clash of blood and fire became a final, tragic event.

……

At dusk, the right flank army's command camp.

"Your Excellency, the enemy is coming with great force, and their numbers are probably no less than 100,000."

Our army has limited supplies and cannot hold out for long. Let's request reinforcements from the imperial court!

General Song made the suggestion.

The fierce fighting during the day did not cause Yu's army to suffer too many casualties, but it did consume a lot of ammunition.

The imperial court was pressing for reinforcements, so the troops that came to provide support were mainly traveling light and with minimal entourage.

Aside from carrying more than half a month's worth of rations and some winter supplies, they didn't even bring heavy artillery.

"Ok!"

"However, the Northern barbarians are cunning and have made such a big show of force. Their real target may not be our detachment."

Jing Yifeng rubbed his forehead and said.

The enemy's daytime offensive was not fierce.

If their true target is them, then a swift and decisive battle should be waged to eliminate them in the shortest possible time.

If the conflict drags on, Yu's reinforcements will arrive, and all previous efforts will be in vain.

However, the enemy did not choose to do that. Although they seemed to be coming on strong, they actually had spare capacity.

It's more like they're using force to pressure them into asking the surrounding Yu army for help, playing a game of besieging the city and attacking the reinforcements.

"Admiral, we have no choice now."

The right flank army consisted entirely of infantry. Without reinforcements, they would be trapped, starved, or frozen to death by the enemy.

On a flat plain, two legs can never outrun four legs.

The blame lies with the incompetent garrison along the Great Wall; they failed to issue a warning when a large enemy force crossed the wall.

If we had known the enemy's movements in advance, we definitely wouldn't be in such a passive position!

General Wei, who was standing to the side, couldn't help but complain.

The damage caused by a bad teammate is often greater than that caused by the enemy.

The right flank army was in trouble mainly because the enemy came too quickly, leaving them no time to prepare.

If it were ordinary Yu soldiers, they would have been routed by the enemy in daytime battles.

Under normal circumstances, when marching on one's own territory, few people would expect the enemy to arrive right under one's nose so quickly.

"When we came, the two Grand Secretaries gave us instructions."

Shanxi was the stronghold of Jin merchants, and these people had deep ties with the northern barbarians.

The local officials, gentry, and merchants were all beneficiaries of the smuggling trade, and they were the last people who wanted the Northern Barbarians to be eliminated.

If it weren't for the sudden invasion of the northern barbarians, the imperial court would have already taken action against these parasites.

Besides resisting the invasion of the northern barbarians, we also have another mission here: to purge the local corrupt officials.

Judging from the current situation, it is likely that someone has realized something and has chosen to collude with the Northern Barbarians.

The northern barbarian army in front of us was probably let in by these traitors.

While we appear to be fighting on home soil, in reality, hidden enemies are everywhere, ready to pounce and bite us at any moment.

In the upcoming battle, everyone must be on high alert!

Jing Yifeng said with a solemn expression.

On the battlefield, distinguishing between friend and foe is of paramount importance.

It's impossible that they encountered the Northern Barbarian cavalry on the plains without someone devising a plan.

If the main battlefield cannot be held, a strategic retreat will be necessary.

Even if we can't save the main army, we must find a way to save the core members of the army.

For the Great Yu Dynasty, as long as the core forces of the army are present, no matter how many soldiers are lost, they can be replenished.

In contrast, outstanding grassroots commanders are the scarce resource.

The faction of nobles is stronger than other Yu troops, not because their high-ranking generals are exceptionally capable.

The real advantage lies in the fact that during the previous suppression of the rebellion, everyone had trained an excellent team of household guards.

These people, serving as squad leaders and platoon leaders at the grassroots level, can quickly assemble a unit. Under the leadership of a group of veterans, and after some training, they can become combat-ready.

The loss of three towns in the Battle of Changping was a painful blow to the nobility, not so much for the tens of thousands of soldiers, but for the large number of key generals who had been lost.

If it weren't for the previous losses, there wouldn't have been such a severe shortage of generals during the subsequent expansion of the army.

As a result, the combat effectiveness of many newly formed units has been slow to reach the expected level.

……

Temporary palace.

"Your Majesty, something terrible has happened."

"The northern barbarians bribed the city's garrison commander, opened the city gates, and seized Datong Prefecture in one fell swoop."

The right wing army, which was heading to Datong to reinforce, was caught off guard and fell into the enemy's trap, and was surrounded by a large number of enemy troops.

The right-wing army didn't carry much food, and it was estimated that it wouldn't be long before they received Admiral Jing's urgent request for reinforcements!

Zheng Yingyi reported in a flustered manner.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard not only had the duty to supervise officials, but also the duty to supervise the surrounding barbarians, including the northern barbarians.

The fact that the Embroidered Uniform Guard failed to report this incident beforehand is undoubtedly a dereliction of duty.

However, there's no way to hold anyone accountable for this kind of thing.

The original intelligence network was destroyed, and a new intelligence network was just being established.

Constrained by funding, the construction of the Jinyiwei's intelligence network in the northern frontier was slow.

Many branch offices are currently vacant.

"what?"

"Datong Prefecture is lost!"

"The right wing army is surrounded!"

Emperor Yongning asked incredulously.

The impregnable Datong Prefecture, under normal circumstances, should have been able to withstand enemy attacks for several months.

Sending reinforcements not only reinforced the city's defenses but also served the purpose of launching a counterattack.

As a result, not only did Datong fall, but reinforcements were also trapped, putting Yu's army at a strategic disadvantage on the battlefield.

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Zheng Yingyi answered firmly.

He didn't believe his subordinates would dare to lie about such a crucial piece of news.

"boom!"

Upon receiving a definitive answer, the enraged Emperor Yongning overturned the table in front of him on the spot.

"waste!"

"The garrison commander of Datong is utterly useless!"

"Jing Yifeng is also a piece of trash!"

"They're all trash!"

……

A roar erupted, and everyone inside the tent trembled with fear.

This was the first time they had ever witnessed the emperor lose his composure like this.

However, this is understandable.

In the past, when bad news was received, it was always the ministers below who took charge of the situation.

This time, the emperor personally led the expedition and suffered a major defeat on the battlefield, which was naturally the fault of Emperor Yongning.

No matter how he tries to shirk responsibility, future history books will record the defeat on his head.

As for the specific people in charge below, it's likely that their information is just a general overview; minor figures like them aren't qualified for historians to describe them in detail.

At most, we might label them with negative comments like "incompetent" or "extravagant and dissolute."

"Your Majesty, please calm your anger!"

Only when the emperor had vented his anger did the others dare to offer advice.

"Calm down!"

"Datong has fallen, and the Right Route Army is also in imminent danger. How can I not be angry?"

Emperor Yongning waved his sleeve and questioned him.

The swift fall of Datong is undoubtedly the fault of the defending general.

The fact that the right wing army did not arrive in Datong Prefecture on time was naturally the responsibility of Jing Yifeng, the commander of the right wing army.

However, as the head coach, he himself is the one primarily responsible.

The right flank army moved slowly because the roads were slippery due to snow, which was an unavoidable event.

The rapid fall of Datong Prefecture was also related to power struggles.

Logically, during wartime, the garrison commander would be in charge of all affairs within the city.

All other officials, regardless of their rank, play a supporting role.

However, in order to strengthen control over the border troops, he ordered the governor of Shanxi to enter Datong and take charge of the city's military affairs before the outbreak of the war.

Since the highest-ranking commander became the Governor of Shanxi, the Governor of Shanxi would bear the primary responsibility.

He sent the people there, and now that Datong has fallen, he naturally has to bear the corresponding political responsibility.

For Emperor Yongning, this was not only a defeat on the battlefield, but also a political crisis.

If not handled properly, the imperial power will suffer a severe blow.

"Your Majesty, the deed has already been done. The most urgent task is to rescue the right wing army as soon as possible."

The imperial court has already lost the three towns of Datong; it cannot afford to lose the Right Route Army as well!

Xu Zhongen hurriedly tried to persuade him.

Being the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial during the Yongning reign was no easy task. He was known as the Inner Minister, but in reality, he was just a mouthpiece.

Emperor Yongning held onto power tightly, and there were not many things he could decide.

They act as messengers, yet bear the responsibilities of "inner ministers."

When the emperor makes a mistake, he becomes the scapegoat.

Since Emperor Yongning ascended the throne, he has been unfairly blamed for many things.

Fortunately, everyone knew what had happened in the past, and the civil and military officials didn't seize on him, which allowed for a smooth transition.

This time the situation is different; if the emperor's personal expedition fails, the political consequences will be far too severe.

"Summon officials of the second rank and above for a meeting, and remember not to disturb the two Grand Secretaries."

Emperor Yongning thought for a moment and then spoke.

He already had enough trouble, and he didn't want to create any more problems.

Both Jing and Li are recuperating from illness. If they were to receive bad news and die, the chaos would be even greater.

Deep down, he already had some regrets about launching this personal expedition.

The harsh reality told him that war could not be won simply by studying military strategy books.

The military encountered a series of practical problems that were not recorded in military books.

In essence, the Great Yu Dynasty was different from previous feudal dynasties.

Especially in the military field, there has been a tremendous change.

Traditional methods of using cold weapons are outdated in this era.

The biggest difference brought about by the era of firearms is that the military's reliance on logistics has increased dramatically.

According to the experience left by our ancestors, the logistical supplies prepared were simply insufficient to meet the needs of a large army.

"According to the order!"

Everyone agreed loudly, but they couldn't help cursing inwardly.

Given Jing Guoliang and Li Yuan's positions in the military, they probably received the intelligence as soon as the news came back.

The emperor is giving them far too much credit by issuing an edict to block the news now, trying to keep it from Jing and Li.

No sooner had he finished speaking than devastating news arrived from outside.

"Your Majesty, something is wrong!"

"The Duke of Cheng has passed away!"

Upon hearing this news, Emperor Yongning stood frozen in place.

The thing I feared most has finally happened.

(End of this chapter)