In Hongwu, we started as rebels

Chapter 692 No Food, No Troops

The Liaodong Military Command, with 30,000 guards.

The atmosphere inside the garrison was terrifyingly heavy. The soldiers and civilians coming and going all looked worried, glancing from time to time at the Tianjin Three Garrisons stationed to the north of the camp.

Three days have passed since the three Tianjin guards arrived here.
The fighting on the front lines has been going on for two days.

However, the three guards of Tianjin showed no intention of going to the front lines.
Their mere presence within the 30,000 guards is both puzzling and frustrating to observe.

From time to time, soldiers and civilians pointed and whispered at the lazy soldiers.

There are words in his mouth:

"The front lines are in complete chaos, yet these reinforcements haven't moved an inch."
I don't know if they came to help or to act like royalty.

A middle-aged man, holding a hoe, had just returned from digging in the ground not far from the camp.

He felt like his back was about to break from digging the trench.
A young man beside him changed his expression, looked around, and whispered:
"Uncle, keep your voice down, these guys all look like thugs."

"What's there to be afraid of? In our Thirty Thousand Guards, how can outsiders cause any trouble?"

The middle-aged man stood still and took the hoe from behind his back.

He slammed his fist on the ground, knocking off the dirt, then sighed.

"I wonder how those lads at the front are doing, whether they're dead or not."

"Uncle, don't worry. It's been almost two days, and there's still no movement at the front. It should be nothing serious."

The middle-aged man thought about it carefully and realized it made some sense.

He looked at the endless rows of military tents and sighed heavily:
Hopefully they can send troops soon.
Spring is just around the corner; let's get through this winter first.

Before the words were finished, a rough and tired voice sounded from behind:
"Rest assured, with me here, the 30,000 guards will be safe and sound this winter."

The young man turned around and was suddenly startled.
A middle-aged man leaped down from his warhorse, looking disheveled, his cloak stained with blood.
Surrounded by four soldiers, he strode quickly toward the gate of the garrison.

"This humble subject pays respects to the Marquis of Runan."

The young man and the middle-aged man were about to kneel down,
Mei Yi stepped forward and helped the two of them up.
"Get up! We men of Liaodong are not so weak."

We can't rely on others; we have to rely on ourselves.

After saying this, Mei Yi walked towards the camp where the Tianjin garrison was stationed with a gloomy expression.
The two were left staring at each other, their hearts filled with turmoil.

Before long, Mei Yi arrived at Huang Yingzhi's tent with a gloomy expression.

Upon entering, one is greeted by Huang Yingzhi sitting leisurely at the head of the table, quietly sipping tea, looking completely relaxed.

Upon seeing this scene, Mei Yi felt his blood boil and his anger surged.

"General Huang! What are you doing?"

Huang Yingzhi raised her head.
Upon seeing that it was Mei Yi, he immediately stood up and smiled.

"It's you, Lord Marquis. This humble general was having tea at the time."

I've heard that this is spring-ripened tea from Liaodong; I've heard about it before.

I just tasted it today, and it truly has an extraordinary flavor.

Mei Yi's face darkened, and several black lines appeared on his forehead:

"General Huang, the battle at the front is already fierce, how can you still have the mind to enjoy tea here?"

We were supposed to rest for two days, but it's already the third day. When are we going to the front lines?!

Huang Yingzhi was slightly taken aback by his angry expression, and quickly said:
"Quickly, Master Mei, please sit down and calm down."

If he gets sick from anger, the Liaodong front will truly be without a leader.

Mei Yi plopped down, looking at Huang Yingzhi with rapid breathing:
"General Huang, you are a senior figure."

I have been by Your Majesty's side since the very beginning of your campaign, and we have been fighting for nearly forty years. Do you not know how urgent the situation is on the front lines?
The Jurchens launched another fierce attack today, and the three thousand elite soldiers are already exhausted.
If we don't rotate the players soon, morale will plummet.

Moreover, it is unknown who informed the front lines that Tianjin was coming to reinforce them.
Now that I've arrived at the front lines, the brothers there are practically pointing their fingers at me and cursing me.
Unfortunately, I couldn't say anything, and I felt so frustrated!

Mei Yi spoke faster and faster, and by the end he almost shouted it out.

Even from a distance, Huang Yingzhi could feel the spittle flying onto her face.

He wiped his face without any attempt to conceal it and said solemnly:
"My lord, the situation at the front is urgent, and I am also very anxious."
Unfortunately, our army lacked sufficient food supplies, and the soldiers were all hungry.

I humbly request that Your Excellency allocate provisions.

Once the supplies arrive, we will all set off!
Not only did they have to defend against the Jurchen raids,
We should also take this opportunity to launch a counterattack.

The Jurchens have dared to invade the territory of our Great Ming Dynasty!

Despite his indignant tone,
But no matter how Mei Yi looked at him, he had no intention of sending troops, and his breathing became rapid again:

"General Huang, hasn't the Marquis already allocated half of the grain supplies?"
"Just use it for now; it should last for more than twenty days, right?"

Huang Yingzhi looked a little embarrassed:
"Please forgive us, Your Excellency, but the three guards of Tianjin only eat steamed buns in Beiping."
The grain supplies in Liaodong were rice, but that doesn't keep you full for long.

The brothers ate three large bowls, but their stomachs were empty of oil and fat, and they soon became hungry again.

It's said to last more than twenty days, but if a real battle breaks out, the consumption will be enormous, and the food might be gone in seven or eight days.

I humbly request that Your Excellency allocate more resources.
The soldiers have all heard that food supplies are scarce in Liaodong, and even I, a lowly general, cannot get them moving.

He sighed as he said this.

"My lord, in fact, I already wanted to force them to go to the front lines yesterday."

But the soldiers cursed their subordinate.

They also said they would only go if there were sufficient provisions.
Otherwise, they wouldn't have gone to their deaths.

Upon hearing this, Mei Yi's brow twitched violently, his fists clenched tightly, and his face flushed red.

He never expected that Huang Yingzhi would be such a shameless scoundrel.
He doesn't seem like a military person at all; he's more like a seasoned, shrewd shopkeeper.

Mei Yi didn't say anything more, but sat there lost in thought.

After a long while, he suddenly stood up, uttered a single sentence, and turned to leave:

"I will deliver the provisions to you this afternoon."

I hope General Huang's soldiers will obey orders.

The sound faded into the distance, and the smile on Huang Yingzhi's face gradually disappeared.

He put down the tea he had just picked up, and his expression became serious.

He looked at Yao Xiujie beside him and asked:

"Have the brothers who went to the front lines yesterday returned? Are they sure there's fighting going on at the front?"

Yao Xiujie said softly:

"The twenty-odd brothers who went on the first trip witnessed firsthand how the Jurchens were trying to break through the border blockade."

The fighting didn't stop in the jungle; it happened even on the trails.
The brothers who went yesterday haven't returned yet; they might have to wait until tonight.

"Okay, then we'll wait. We'll wait until the supplies arrive."

Huang Yingzhi spoke calmly, showing no concern whatsoever about offending Mei Yi.

Yao Xiujie, however, looked towards the entrance of the military tent with some concern:
"My lord, I'm afraid we're in trouble."

"What are you afraid of! We don't depend on him for food."

With His Highness the Prince of Yan here, how could he be intimidated by a mere hereditary marquis?

Huang Yingzhi pursed her lips and let out a helpless sigh:
"Your family member was born in the wrong place."
If I were also from Chuzhou, even if I were from Fengyang,

"If I'd lived this long, I could have earned a noble title and wouldn't have needed to spend all my time studying canal transport!"

Yao Xiujie felt like his ears were about to fall off; he had heard this at least ten times.

He spoke as usual:
"My lord, you are the Assistant Commander."
Many commanders were quite envious.

He was in charge of part of the grain transport, and the amount of silver he handled each year was countless.

"Damn it, if I were a greedy person, that would be one thing, but I'm always trying to make money."

The key is that my family is rich; do we need that little bit of money for transporting goods by canal?

The more Huang Yingzhi spoke, the angrier he became, but he quickly calmed down and said in a deep voice:

"Let's not talk about that. The important thing is that we were able to come to Liaodong this time."

If the battle goes well, it could be a great opportunity to earn merit.

Find someone to pull some strings again.
"Perhaps I can be promoted even further, and then you'll have a bright future ahead of you."

Yao Xiujie's eyes were bright.

He doesn't believe there's anyone in this world who isn't interested in getting promoted and making money.

"However, I've come to understand the dangers of this trip to Liaodong."

"When we get to the front lines, we need to be prepared to face 30,000 to 50,000 enemy troops. I always felt there was something strange about these Jurchens."

Upon hearing the sum of thirty to fifty thousand, Yao Xiujie's eyes widened in shock:

"My lord, news from the front lines indicates that the Jurchens number only a little over ten thousand."

"We cannot let our guard down. Although the Jurchens are not a significant force..."
However, it is also appropriate to have one or two outstanding generals.

They succeeded last time, and this time, without a doubt, the commander will go to great lengths to defend.

The Jurchens, however, did not withdraw for a long time.

With only 10,000 people, achieving anything is extremely difficult.
Therefore, I speculate that the Jurchens probably still had a backup plan.

Just like when we went to Shaanxi to quell the rebellion seven or eight years ago,
The government said it was ten thousand, but they were actually hiding another ten thousand.
If we hadn't prepared in advance, we would have suffered heavy losses. We must learn from this lesson.

Huang Yingzhi's voice was solemn as he looked at Yao Xiujie:
"To become an excellent general, one must learn from past battles."

It would be truly absurd to fall into one trap only to discover another, disguised one.

Going home to farm earlier is a way of contributing to the country.

Yao Xiujie had long been familiar with the adults' sharp tongue and had figured out how to deal with it: to remain silent.

Unlike before, after giving his lecture, Huang Yingzhi did not speak again.
Instead, he sat there with a solemn expression, his fingers lightly tapping the armrest.

The shadow of war loomed over everyone.

Regardless of whether they are seasoned veterans,

Even ordinary people living their lives can feel a strong sense of oppression.

Around 5 PM, at the beginning of the You hour (酉时).

A row of fully loaded carts suddenly appeared on the official road outside the Sanwanwei, attracting the attention of many people.

From the familiar sacks on the truck, and the consistent loading method,
People already knew what was on the cart.

--food!
Bag after bag of grain.

"The food has arrived."

Someone shouted, and 30,000 residents rushed out of their houses.

Even though the sky was covered with dark clouds,

But upon seeing these grain carts, he still smiled.
Food can always bring joy, no matter the time.

But soon, the smiles of the gathered people vanished.
After the grain carts entered the camp of the 30,000 guards,

Instead of going to the designated granary, they headed directly towards the northern camp.
"Hey~ hey~ where are we going? Why aren't we delivering to the granary?"

The porters transporting the grain, wrapped in thick cotton-padded clothes, waved their hands:

"This is Tianjin's grain; there's no share for you."

These words caused an uproar.

A torrent of curses erupted without any attempt to conceal them.
The group launched a barrage of verbal attacks against the northern camp, using the most offensive and hurtful language imaginable.
They even swore in some local dialects unique to Liaodong, creating a cacophony of curses.

However, Huang Yingzhi, standing in front of the military tent, was not affected by these insults.

Instead, he smiled and looked at the grain carts ahead, feeling a little more at ease.

He said to his adjutant beside him:

"It seems that the Marquis of Runan had prepared the grain long ago, but he just won't give it to us."

"Yes, you said this morning that you would only send troops if they were given enough food, and the food arrived this afternoon."

"Perhaps the grain is already waiting several miles away," the lieutenant chimed in.

"Humph"

Huang Yingzhi chuckled softly and shook his head:

"Alright, now we have the provisions, and the brothers have rested enough."

Once we receive news, if there are no changes, we should set off.

Huang Yingzhi's gentle face revealed a murderous aura, and a cold light flashed in his eyes:
"These mere Jurchens dare to run wild in the Ming Dynasty."
They really should see the might of the Ming Dynasty's elite troops.

As the provisions were gradually brought into the camp, darkness fell.

The scouts from Tianjin who went to the front lines have returned.
Under Yao Xiujie's leadership,

He hurriedly entered Huang Yingzhi's residence through the back door of the barracks, acting discreetly.

In the dimly lit room, the candlelight flickered gently, illuminating Huang Yingzhi's broad figure sitting at the head of the table.

He silently looked at the two rather disheveled scouts standing below him and asked in a deep voice:

"how?"

A scout took a document from his pocket and handed it over:

"My lord, there is indeed fighting on the front lines, and the number of Jurchens is increasing."

According to the brothers who stayed there,
The initial 5,000 men advanced in three routes.

From the intense attack by no fewer than ten thousand people to the present day, it has all taken only a day.

Judging from the battlefield situation, the Jurchens' attitude was very resolute.
Furthermore, the elite troops in Liaodong were very determined to defend the border.

By the time his subordinates returned, the elite border troops had already suffered heavy losses.

Based on our speculation,
If the Jurchens maintain their current determination to attack,

Perhaps in no more than five days,

The three camps on the border will then be breached.

His voice made the atmosphere in the room heavy.
But Huang Yingzhi and Yao Xiujie relaxed and breathed a sigh of relief.

No problem, the situation is clear.
As military leaders, they were not afraid of powerful external enemies.

The fear is that the situation is unclear, or that we might rashly get involved in the conflicts in Liaodong.

Huang Yingzhi looked at the document in his hand and read through all the records inside.
After asking a few questions, I already had a decision in mind:

"Go down and rest."

After the scouts left, Huang Yingzhi looked at Yao Xiujie and gave the order in a deep voice:

"We will begin assembling the troops tomorrow afternoon and depart in the evening."

"Yes!"

Yao Xiujie's eyes were sharp, and his young face radiated youthful vigor. He then asked:
"My lord, shall the entire army advance?"

"Leave three thousand garrison soldiers behind, the rest advance," Huang Yingzhi said.

"Yes!"

After Yao Xiujie left,
Huang Yingzhi sat silently in the dim light of a half-burnt candle, his expression growing increasingly solemn.

He stood up and walked quietly to the Liaodong map hanging to the side, looking at it intently.

The top is already marked with dense blue and red lines.
Where the blue and red lines meet, there are crosses and circles.

This represents the outcome of the first encounter between the two sides.

On the map, a red line stands out prominently.
They advanced straight from Lingchuanpo at the front line, penetrating deep into the heart of Sanwanwei, and reached the location of the government office.

Xu Cheng, the commander of the 30,000 guards, died in this battle.

Moreover, young men and provisions were also lost in this battle.

However, the Liaodong Jurchens arrived quickly and left just as quickly, disappearing in less than a day.

This caused the troops that followed from Tielingwei to arrive to find nothing.

Taking a deep breath, Huang Yingzhi's expression turned solemn.

He had already made up his mind that once he entered the front lines, he would use the Three Guards of Tianjin to hold the entire front.

The original elite troops of Liaodong were not used at all; instead, they were converted into auxiliary troops to handle logistical matters.

Firstly, to prevent collusion between insiders and outsiders.
After all, among the 30,000 guards were not only Yuan people, but also Jianzhou Jurchens and Haixi Jurchens.

Secondly, it is to maximize the capabilities of Tianjin's elite troops.

Establish a defensive advantage as quickly as possible, and then wait for the right moment to counterattack.

The imperial edict delivered to him was written very clearly.

—A blood debt must be repaid in blood.

Simply defending Liaodong is not enough.

(End of this chapter)