In Hongwu, we started as rebels

Chapter 705 Truth and Deception, One Act Ends and Another Begins
Time passed, and night swept across the land.
A breeze began to whistle through the woods, weaving through the gaps and reaching a chaotic Jurchen camp.

Near the central army camp, the blood had long since dried, and the corpses were frozen stiff.
The warhorse, riddled with bullet holes, lay alone in a pool of blood, its eyes wide open.

Its hooves were stiff, yet it remained in a running posture.

The tents were overturned, and the fires had long since been extinguished.

All that remained was a dark skeleton and the occasional crackling of thunder.

Mengge Timur and his men led their elite troops to the place, breaking the silence.

When they pulled on the reins and saw what was before them, they were stunned.

what happened?
The camp before us looked as if it had been trampled by a herd of elephants.

The scene was one of utter devastation; hordes of elite soldiers lay dead, their bodies piled up like a small mountain.
On the contrary, the tribesmen who were not wearing armor died in all directions, as if they were killed while fleeing.

How could this be?
Mengge Timur dismounted and strode quickly to the spot where elite soldiers had perished.
He quickly realized something was wrong; his pupils suddenly contracted.
The longsword was still a smooth, silvery-white color, and there were no marks on the armor.
There wasn't even much dirt on his face.

How did they die?

As he drew closer, Mengge Timur clenched his fists tightly and held his breath.

The chests of these elite soldiers seemed to explode at that moment.
It had many bloody holes, the blood had long since drained away, and the blood had become hard and sticky, emitting a foul stench.

"what is this?"

He was filled with questions: what kind of weapon could kill his elite troops without any resistance?
He pulled out a curved knife that was under the corpse.

There was only bloodstains on it, no serrated edges from being chopped.

He was clearly killed without even having a chance to fight back.
As they pondered, Bayan and the others approached, their faces grave as they looked at the corpses strewn about.
"Ming dynasty firearms."

The Jurchen leader, Uleshi, spoke coldly, his brow twitching wildly, as if he had an urge to flee on the spot.

What kind of Ming Dynasty person is here?!
Bayan's expression changed drastically, and he couldn't help but take a step back, his fearful expression almost uncontrollable.

He thought about it more than Ullershi.
He now strongly suspects that the previous plan was a ruse by the Ming people.

The purpose was to gather the elites of their three races so that they could be wiped out in one fell swoop.

However, as the group calmed down, they regained some of their senses.

Bayan suddenly turned his head, looked at the soldier who had gone to report the news to the vanguard, and shouted:
"Can't you even tell the difference between Ming people and nomads from the grasslands?!"

The soldiers were full of questions, and one of them stepped forward and said:
"Your Majesty, they are all wearing grassland armor."

They're riding grassland horses; they're grassland people.

Many survivors nodded repeatedly and began to speak at once.

They charged like a cloud of yellow sand.
Phrases like "showing no mercy in killing the enemy"
The group of generals were filled with doubt, wondering whether they were Ming people or nomads from the grasslands.

Menggetemur, who had been examining the corpse, stood up, took a deep breath, and turned to say in a deep voice:

"Whether they are Ming people or nomads from the grasslands, we're in trouble."

Hurry up and catch up with them to stop their killing spree!
Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to explain it to my people at the front lines.

Ullech pursed his lips and nodded without hesitation.

The rear army was mostly composed of Jurchen barbarians, though those people were insignificant.
But no matter what, it's his power, and we can't let people slaughter like this!

"Hurry and catch up, whether they are Ming people or nomads from the grasslands!"
"Drive them out of the camp first, what do you think, Bayan?"

Bayan's expression returned to normal, and he nodded slightly.
"Victory is within our grasp, we absolutely cannot afford to lose our composure, we must return quickly!"

"right"

The two chatted back and forth, realizing they had been left out in their own words.
A fleeting shadow of gloom crossed Mengge Timur's eyes. He clenched his fists behind his back and silently swore an oath in his heart:
"I must reclaim the power that is rightfully mine!"

The group dispersed into the jungle, heading north in a grand procession to chase after the "grassland people."

Their actions were detected by a telescope projected from a tall tree.

"The Jurchen elite force numbered over eight thousand, half of whom were cavalry and the remainder were infantry, all clad in full armor."
They are currently heading north and are expected to make contact with the main army in half an hour.

Before long, the snow on the trees began to sway.

A figure jumped down from it.
The person vanished into the night like a ghost!
Five miles north of the central army, screams of agony could be heard incessantly.

The horses' hooves pounded the earth, instantly shattering the Jurchen battle formation that tried to stop them.

After the soldiers had charged, some looked back in surprise.

It looks like it's made of paper.
Compared to the grassland people and the Luchuan people, the Jurchens here were far too weak.
Even their armor and weapons were crudely made, and they lacked shields and spears specifically designed to counter enemy cavalry charges.

All they could do was rely on their courage and their physical strength to endure it.
Unfortunately, the long swords that charged through the enemy lines would leave them with corpses strewn across the field.

The vanguard scouts proceeded cautiously from the beginning, with five thousand-household units working together to wipe out a single camp.
Now, five thousand-household units are simultaneously clearing out five military camps.

The rate of casualties was increasing rapidly, aided by the fleeing soldiers.
It was even much faster than the previous breach of the camp.

Damage is also decreasing rapidly.

Lu Yunyi also changed his usual style of being the first to charge forward.

Instead, he listened attentively to the messenger's continuous reports of the battle results, leisurely lagging behind the rest of the column.

"Report! Wu Fu's six divisions led three hundred soldiers to clear out the routed troops in the forward camp, while the rest burned down the camp and killed or wounded the enemy!"

"Report—Zhang Huai'an's troops have discovered an enemy rear supply depot two miles away, have already occupied it, and killed or wounded eight hundred enemy soldiers."

"Report—Wang Xingbang's troops charged ahead and engaged in fierce fighting with two thousand reinforcements from the rear, killing almost all of them and suffering thirty casualties."

The messenger finished speaking quickly and ran off.

They were to rush north to hear the latest military reports, and then return to report back.

Not far away, clerk Yao Tongchen and his subordinates were diligently taking notes.
Writing swiftly
The battle records of each unit will be reported in a short time.

After the war, these documents were to be submitted to the military discipline department for verification.

Only when both sides agree can the victory be counted as a result of the unit's battle!
The entire forward scout unit is now like a sophisticated machine, with each member busy with their own tasks.

On the contrary, Lu Yunyi, the commander, was quite relaxed and had nothing to do.

Soon, their leisurely time of killing enemies was broken by scouts rushing in from behind.

"Sir, the enemy has gathered more than 8,000 men and is chasing us from behind. They are about two miles away."

As he spoke, he handed over the documents.

Lu Yunyi took it and quickly opened it, while Feng Yunfang also brought the torch over to illuminate the surroundings.

Lu Yunyi quickly skimmed through the document, his eyes gleaming with a sharp light. He decisively gave the order:

"Order the entire army to leave the Jurchen camp and head east, then converge three miles away!"

"Yes!"

The messenger ran off quickly.

Another scout came running up ahead, calling out loudly:
"Sir, our scouts ahead have spotted unidentified enemy troops."
They are launching a continuous attack from behind the Jurchen camp.

Progress is rapid; they are almost at contact with our army!

Upon hearing this, the expressions of the hundred or so people around them turned solemn, and the atmosphere instantly froze.

Lu Yunyi laughed after hearing this and gestured for Lu Yunyi to stop.
"Don't panic, those are the reinforcements I've found."

Now, proceed with the final plan to disengage from the battlefield and hand these men over to them.

"Reinforcements?"

Everyone looked bewildered, exchanging bewildered glances.

Zou Jing reacted immediately, his expression turning somewhat grave:

"Sir, why weren't the General Staff and the Military Discipline Department informed of the arrival of reinforcements?"
Changing the battle strategy now is not part of the plan.

Lu Yunyi, somewhat embarrassed by his questioning, touched his nose.

"We'll discuss this when we get back; fighting the war is the priority."

Zou Jing said in a deep voice:
"Sir, if there are any unforeseen changes in the plan next time, please inform the General Staff in advance so that we can make changes as needed!"

"Don't worry, this is a special case. I'll definitely let you know in advance next time."

Lu Yunyi smiled awkwardly, knowing he was in the wrong, and quickly pressed his hand down.

According to the battle plan, the vanguard scouts should have penetrated from the center and then advanced directly to the rearguard.
Then they engaged in a direct battle with the arriving elite vanguard.
They defeated the enemy in one fell swoop and completely quelled the turmoil in Liaodong.

But now, the forward scout unit is to withdraw from the battlefield and implement a new operational strategy.

This undoubtedly renders the previous strategy obsolete.

He knew perfectly well how much effort the military staff had put into perfecting and supplementing this operational strategy.

"Alright, the forward scouts are disengaging from the battlefield."

Send someone to inform Tuoluhuchaer to arrive at my position within fifteen minutes!
Furthermore, we will share the intelligence we previously obtained!

Duoyan Three Guards?

Almost instantly, many people suddenly realized that it was the Duoyan Three Guards.

"My lord, how many men from the Three Guards of Doyan have come to our aid?" A staff officer asked, quickly sketching and writing.

"Five thousand."

With the war already underway, Lu Yunyi no longer needed to hide it.

"Five thousand."

Many people began to calculate, and their solemn expressions gradually relaxed.

Although the battle plan was disrupted, the original 70% chance of winning is surging!
This battle cannot be lost!

After the atmosphere eased a bit, everyone got to work.

Lu Yunyi also pulled on the reins and walked towards the east fence:
"Alright, let's get out of the battlefield quickly."

"Speed ​​up the advance of the Doyan Three Guards and stop these Jurchen reinforcements!"

"Yes!"

The messenger carried the military order to the five thousand-household garrisons of the vanguard scout unit.

Although they looked completely bewildered and had no idea what had happened.
However, they resolutely carried out the military order, decisively withdrew from the battlefield, and headed east!

As Mengge Timur and his party traveled, their faces grew increasingly gloomy.

"A wise man, he must be a wise man!"

He gritted his teeth, his face terribly grim.

Regardless of battle damage or the speed of breaching the stronghold,

Only the Ming Dynasty had the destructive power to harvest wheat!
Bayan and Ulexi, standing nearby, shared the same opinion, looking at the wrecked camp.

But the news that followed made their faces turn extremely grim.

"My lord, we have spotted steppe cavalry three miles ahead, galloping towards our troops!"

"They are the Three Guards of the Uriyangkhai, people of the grasslands!"

"Led by Marshal Doyan, Tuoluhuchaer!"

"King Azashili of Liao is here too!!"

More and more information began to converge.
The group stood there stunned, overwhelmed with a sense of shock and disbelief.

Were they people from the grasslands or from the Ming Dynasty? What exactly happened?
Before they could think, a muffled sound suddenly came from the camp ahead, and everyone's eyes turned towards it.

Next, a cavalry unit of over a hundred men appeared on the horizon.

Half of their bodies were hidden in the darkness.

The faint light from the torches and the burning tents illuminated their figures.
But you can still see their attire.
Leather armor, scimitar, and a tall horse.
Are they really grassland people?

Mengge Timur's expression was strange, as were Bayan and other Haixi Jurchens.

But the grassland people were not giving them time to think.

Their charge paused only briefly before sweeping in again in an instant.

The dull thud of hooves turned crisp, and the earth began to tremble slightly.
The steppe cavalry are getting closer and closer!

Menggetemur reacted the fastest; he drew his long sword and shouted:
"Wodoli tribe, prepare for battle!!"

At his command, there was almost no hesitation.

The Jurchens behind him shouted and rushed forward to greet him.

Urguchen Bayan's expression was solemn.

As more and more grassland people emerged from the camps and forests ahead,
Then he looked at Mengge Timur, whose face was full of excitement.
He keenly sensed something was amiss.
It seems like something went wrong.

Ullashi didn't think too much about it, gripped the long sword in his hand, and let out a soft chuckle:
"Look. This is what a child who has been suppressed for too long looks like."
"Given an opportunity to seize power, they rush in without hesitation."

He turned to look at Bayan and asked:

"How are we keeping up?"

Bayan shook his head thoughtfully:

"Wait, something feels off."
Those people were clearly killed by Ming weapons, and we assumed they were Ming soldiers too. How did they suddenly become Uriyangkhai?

Ullershi smiled:

"Don't forget, the Uriyangkhai are now part of the Ming army, under the jurisdiction of the Beiping Regional Military Commission."

It would be strange if there were some firearms and Ming dynasty weaponry; it would be odd if there weren't.

After hearing what he said, Bayan also felt that it made sense.

You're right, let's take another look.
Let's see what kind of enemy they are, and let Meng Ge show off his skills."

Ullershi narrowed his eyes slightly upon hearing this.
He knew perfectly well why he did this.

Baturuhan was the ruler of the Jianzhou Jurchens.
They would be happy to see the two men become enemies or even grow apart.

On the front lines, the two sides began to clash fiercely.

Despite the trees obstructing their path through the mountains, their charge wasn't very powerful.
However, neither side had good armor, and both long swords and spears could easily cause death or injury.

Within a few breaths of the collision beginning,

The entire camp and forest had descended into chaos, with casualties surging!
Menggetemur was met by a troop of Uriyangkhai soldiers.

Upon first contact, the hardness of the curved blade surprised him greatly, almost comparable to that of the Ming army.

Moreover, their main generals were not wearing grassland leather armor, but Ming dynasty iron armor.

The longsword struck it with all its might, leaving only a deep white mark; the recoil was terrifyingly strong.

Mengge Timur's eyes were sharp, and he brandished his long sword wildly.

They quickly cut down two enemy soldiers.

But his expression was not good, and the expected overwhelming force did not appear!

He turned around abruptly, looking at the two people still watching the fight behind him.
His face darkened instantly, and he shouted:
"What are you all standing there for? Engage the enemy!!"

Before the words were finished, a fierce battle cry suddenly erupted from the camp ahead.
"kill--"

Not only were enemy troops stationed in the camps, but they were also scattered throughout the mountains and forests.

The leader appeared to be young, holding a knife in his left hand, and dressed in Ming dynasty black armor.
It was none other than the late Marshal Doyan, Tuoluhuchaer!

Upon seeing him, Mengge Timur's expression changed drastically, and his voice became even more stern:

"Don't just stand there, the enemy is already attacking!"

Behind him, Bayan saw Tuoluhuchaer and also Azashili.

A long-forgotten fear resurfaced in my heart, and my breathing became rapid.

Ullershi noticed his strangeness and drew his longsword:

"We can't wait any longer. Whether it's the Ming people or the Uriyangkhai, we must confront them!"

He turned to look at the Jurchen savages behind him, some wearing half-armor and a few fully armored, and roared:
"My people, fight the enemy with me!!"

"kill--"

As soon as he finished speaking, he rushed out first!
Bayan, seeing them rush forward as well, pursed his lips slightly.
Even though he felt something was wrong, he gritted his teeth and drew his long sword:

"Haixi Jurchens, prepare for battle!"

"Today, we will defeat the Ming people, defeat the Uriyangkhai!"

A sudden burst of chaotic shouts of battle erupted.

Three thousand people swarmed forward, and the battlefield instantly became even more chaotic!

At the Lingchuanpo battlefield, Tianjin's elite troops were mobilized in full force.

Huang Yingzhi and Chi Yunyi were among them, and at this moment they were already engaged in a fierce battle with the Jurchen Tiger Cavalry!
Huang Yingzhi swung his longsword down, colliding fiercely with a Jurchen cavalryman who had just left the camp.
I could clearly feel the longsword embedded in the enemy's longsword!

A smirk played on his lips, and a glint of light flashed in his eyes.

"Logically speaking, I am already nearly sixty years old,"

Even the most elite troops couldn't match the strength of these people, and now they're evenly matched.
I was right, these people are exhausted soldiers!

Thinking of this, Huang Yingzhi's eyes seemed to flash with divine light as she fiercely scanned the scene.

Although it is unknown why the Jurchens retreated in such a hurry.

But on the battlefield before us,

He saw his first chance at victory.
An opportunity to defeat the enemy's superior force with fewer troops, capture and kill the enemy's commander, and completely turn the tide of the battle!
Huang Yingzhi's facial features contorted in a ferocious expression, and the force exerted on the scene intensified dramatically.
After two sharp blows, half of the tiger rider's head was chopped off!
He raised his long sword high, his body covered in blood.

"Brothers, charge into the enemy camp!! Kill the enemy chieftain!!!"

On the high platform of the Jurchen camp,

Baturuhan watched helplessly as the Ming army marched out of their camp, his face extremely grave.
Without hesitation, he drew his long sword, his eyes cold.
"The entire army shall march out of the camp and follow me to utterly defeat the Ming army!"

(End of this chapter)