In Hongwu, we started as rebels

Chapter 902 I'll just tag along, let me in.

Beneath the walls of Xijing, Aliza, the commander of the Doyan tribe, gazed at the tightly closed city gates and the towering city walls.
His eyes were filled with regret, and he slapped himself hard.

"oops!"

The surrounding Doyan tribesmen also wore expressions of disappointment and regret.

Sighs and lamentations instantly filled the entire group.

Their eyes were bloodshot as they stared intently at the raised drawbridge and the tightly closed city gate.

They were so close, so very close, to using the speed of their warhorses to rush into Xijing.

Such a large city, how much money must be inside?
Unfortunately, the snowstorm subsided.
This allowed them to expose themselves earlier, giving the Xijing garrison time to react.

On the city wall of Xijing, the commander of the city defense army slumped to the ground, covered in sweat, his eyes filled with lingering fear.

It was so close, just a few dozen feet away, and Xijing would have been finished.

Some soldiers leaned against the battlements, panting heavily.

Looking at the Jurchen cavalry slowly gathering below the city, a deep fear flashed in his eyes.

The Jurchens have really arrived!

Just then, the light sound of horses' hooves came again.

Looking down from the vantage point, one could see a troop of cavalry galloping towards them.

With the help of his guards, the defending general managed to stand up and peered down through the gaps in the battlements.

That cavalry unit was even more imposing and majestic, with superior armor.
Especially those long spears that stood up,
He found it even harder than the elite soldiers he held in his hands.

"Where did these Jurchens come from?"

At the foot of the city, Lu Yunyi and Tuoluhuchaer and others arrived.

Before he could even speak, Tuoluhuchaer launched into a tirade of curses.

"What's going on? We're only a few dozen feet away, how come we can't get through!"

Tuoluhuchaer's eyes were bloodshot, his whole being exuding murderous intent, and he gritted his teeth.

Even the usually good-tempered Azashili kept sighing and shaking his head, unsure of what to say.

"My lord, I was too hasty!"

Ariza slapped himself hard again.

For him, heaven and hell were just a moment apart.

This is Seogyeong, the capital of Goryeo, a city teeming with powerful and wealthy people.
If we can get in, we'll have the money for road repairs next year.

Even if we turn back now, we'll still make a fortune.

But... he just didn't rush in!

"Impatient! One word, 'impatient,' can explain it all!"
Do you even know how much of a loss this is?!

Tuoluhuchaer gritted his teeth, clenched his fists, and pounded hard on the saddle.

The surrounding soldiers also turned their gazes toward him, their faces showing regret.

Money enough to last several lifetimes slipped away unnoticed, and no one could sit still.

"Hmm."

Even among the original charging troops, some soldiers had red eyes and began to cry.

An eerie atmosphere began to permeate the air.

Lu Yunyi frowned slightly, keenly sensing that morale was beginning to decline, and shouted:
"Alright, since we're here, let's make the best of it."

If we miss it this time, we can win it back next time.

"What a pathetic sight! Who are you trying to impress!"

"Ariza! Today you are demoted to the rank of 100 households."
All officers of the Vanguard Army at the rank of Banner Commander and above will be demoted by one rank.
Vacancies will be filled in order of merit, and the list will be updated by tomorrow!

Tuoluhuchaer was stunned, looking at Lu Yunyi in shock, and said:
"My lord, this is a crime too serious to be committed."

However, Azashiri's eyes flashed with a glint of shrewdness, and his face showed admiration.

Lu Yunyi ignored his pleas and spoke decisively:
"A mistake is a mistake. Rewards and punishments are clearly defined in the military; the rules cannot be changed."
Now, mobilize troops and continue westward, executing Plan Three, and advance to the pre-designated location!

"Alright, stop standing there, get moving!"

The military order was given, and the messenger waved colorful flags.

As the military order was relayed, the entire unit came alive again.

Under the watchful eyes of the Xijing city defense forces,

The Jurchens bypassed Xijing and headed west along the official road.

The city's garrison commander saw that the Jurchens had left without attacking the city.
Overjoyed, he shook off his guards' support and shouted:

"Quickly, quickly, the Jurchens have headed west! Send this message back to the court!"

From this moment forward, all city gates of the Western Army are closed, and no one is permitted to leave the city until the main force arrives!

The Jurchen army, far from Xijing, slowed down.

Walking openly and blatantly on the official road,
The long queue stretched out like a black dragon, with no end in sight.

Many Goryeo merchants were furious when they saw them.

They abandoned the carriage on the official road and ran hastily to either side.

Some soldiers would go out of curiosity to see what goods were being transported.
But all they found were old rags and cabbages, which was quite disappointing.

Tuoluhuchaer rode his warhorse at the forefront, constantly sighing and complaining.

On the one hand, they regretted not being able to break into Xi'an.
On the other hand, he was heartbroken by the demotion of his trusted subordinates.

Seeing his appearance, Azashiri approached him and asked with a smile:

"What's wrong? Feeling guilty?"

"No, it's just a pity that not only did we not enter the city, but our brothers were also punished," Tuoluhuchaer replied.

"It's a bit of a pity we didn't get into the city, but it's not a bad thing that Ariza and his men were punished."

"What do you mean? Could it be that their journey has been too smooth, making them complacent?"

Azashiri shook his head:

"No, punishing them was a case of raising the bar high but letting it fall lightly."
If they are not punished, what will others think of them?
"Don't start fighting before the enemy even arrives."

Tuoluhuchaer looked thoughtful and quickly figured out the key point.

Yes, the superior has punished him for this; ultimately, there has been some form of punishment.

No one else could say anything more, which helped maintain team unity and morale.

He nodded in realization.

“I understand, you’re right, this is a good thing for them.”

"That's good. We'll set up camp when it's completely dark."
You should speak clearly with Ariza and tell them not to hold grudges or feel too much guilt.
"It's just a city, nothing to worry about."

Toruhuchar had a different opinion on this, and he shrugged:

"I still feel very sorry about this, let alone what they must have felt."

If we can break in in one go, we won't have to worry about money for almost two years.

"Hahaha, when marching and fighting, never be greedy."

In the central command position, Lu Yunyi sat on his warhorse.

What he held in his hand was intelligence about the Northwest Circuit that Wang Junping had obtained from Xijing.

It must be said that this intelligence is extremely detailed.

The most recent recorded transfer was three days ago.

It is clear that the royal family and their entourage...

They had been secretly monitoring Yi Seong-gye's elite troops in the Northwest Province.

Moreover, there were far more soldiers in the Northwest Circuit than he had imagined.

Although the regular army numbered only over 30,000, they were distributed across several border towns.
However, several local cities still had large local militias, mainly composed of local farmers.

They usually farm and receive some military training.

During the off-season for farming, they would carry out some security tasks, such as suppressing bandits and capturing outlaws.

Now, a group led by Yi Seong-gye is implementing land reform, which is particularly successful in the Northwest Province.
The local militia were all potential recruits.

In some cities, the local militia and the local army were evenly matched, forming a local defense.

Seeing this, Lu Yunyi admired the methods of the Goryeo prime minister; no wonder he was able to succeed in the rebellion.

Lu Yunyi stopped examining the documents, looked at his personal guard, and gave the order:
"Order scouts from the front, middle, and rear armies to spread outwards, and be wary of the Goryeo militia."

Report any unusual activity immediately! "Yes, sir!"

The messenger hurriedly ran off, while Lu Yunyi continued to peruse the documents.

But before he could even turn two pages,
A rapid sound of hooves came from ahead, and a scout from the vanguard came galloping up.

Upon arriving at the front of the formation, he said urgently:
"Sir, there is a group of people gathering five miles ahead."

There were approximately three thousand men, of whom over sixteen hundred were enemy soldiers, and the rest were civilian laborers.

However, they also possessed some simple weapons, somewhat resembling the auxiliary troops of the Northern Yuan.

Lu Yunyi's expression changed slightly; speak of the devil and he appears.

I just saw some local militia, and now they've actually appeared.

"Order Wang Xingbang and Temutengge to lead their troops forward to test the enemy's elite strength and carefully set up an ambush."

"Yes!"

Upon hearing the order, Wang Xingbang, who was at the forefront of the army, flashed a fierce glint in his eyes.

He couldn't help but tighten his grip on the long sword at his waist, a smirk playing on his lips.

"Great, after running for so long, we've finally found someone to stop us."

"These Koreans are truly useless; they haven't offered any decent resistance at all along the way."

The surrounding soldiers chuckled softly, a fighting spirit stirring within them.

Soon, Temutengge led a thousand soldiers to catch up.

He was a man in his forties from the grasslands.

He had a very rugged appearance, with a stubble beard and dry, cracked skin on his face.

He was originally the deputy commander of the Duoyan Guard.
But he was promoted to fill the vacancy because Ariza was demoted.

Upon seeing Wang Xingbang, he felt somewhat awkward.

Looking at this person who was much younger than himself, he felt somewhat ashamed.

The thousand or so men before us are the true elite of the Commandery.

He was also a close confidant who followed Lord Lu all over the country.
In terms of combat experience and military achievements, they are far superior to him.

Temutengge had already made up his mind about how to get along with him.

He approached, and although he was seated on horseback, he bowed with his hands clasped in greeting.
"Lord Wang, please give me your orders. My troops will obey."

Wang Xingbang froze on the spot, then quickly raised an eyebrow.
Unexpectedly, the newly appointed commander was quite sensible and saved him a lot of trouble.

Since the person has already shown a smile, he naturally won't try to win them over.

He smiled and waved his hand:

"You're too kind. As the vanguard, we are meant to fight side by side."
Feel free to share your thoughts on the upcoming battle; don't hold back.

We're at war; we can't hold grudges or suppress our anger, otherwise things will become very difficult to handle.

Wang Xingbang's attitude also pleased Temutengge, who quickly bowed again.
"Then, Lord Wang, let us rush forward quickly and create distance between ourselves and the central army."

Wang Xingbang nodded:
"Alright, send orders to both units: advance three miles ahead at full speed, and have all scouts engage the enemy and kill them all!"

"Yes!"

As soon as the words were spoken, the two hundred or so scouts at the forefront charged out without hesitation.

It dispersed outwards like a celestial maiden scattering flowers, and quickly disappeared from sight.

In addition, more than a hundred scouts surrounded the left and right flanks of the vanguard.

Three people per group, one telescope per group.

Keep looking around to make sure you won't be ambushed or surrounded!

Five miles away, in the fields,
Li Hongchang, the garrison commander of Shun'an City, sat in the army camp with an extremely solemn expression.

He glanced at the soldiers and local militia who had completely occupied the official road.

An inexplicable unease arose in his heart, and the chattering around him only added to his annoyance.

"General, the brothers all feel that we shouldn't go out of the city to meet the enemy."
It is now late, and the roads are dark; it will be difficult for the brothers to scout outwards!

Deputy General Shi Ziyan spoke up with a worried expression.
He looked at the anxious soldiers, his heart filled with worry!
Li Hongchang took a deep breath, his tone somewhat impatient:

"If I can stay in the city, would I want to come out?"
The city wall of Shun'an City was only one and a half zhang long, and it had been in disrepair for many years.

A section of the wall collapsed a few days ago and was rebuilt with mud bricks. What can this section of the wall possibly hold up?
The Jurchens could attack in no time.
At that point, the soldiers would be trapped inside the city and unable to resist.

"Coco...sigh."

"But sir, even if we go out of the city to meet the enemy, we still can't defeat so many Jurchens."

Shi Ziyan wanted to cry but had no tears.

"What's the panic! The Jurchens are all show and no substance, spineless cowards."

In my earlier years in Northeast China, I did kill some Jurchens.

They charged in disarray; once they managed to withstand the first wave of attacks, they became completely disorganized.
With our three thousand men, we might just be able to win.
Even if we can't win, we can still inflict heavy losses on them!

As Li Hongchang spoke, he looked around as if to encourage himself, and said:

"We have eight hundred cavalry. Once we spot them, we'll be the first to charge and catch them off guard."
If we could severely injure it, or even without severely injuring it,

As long as we kill some enemies, we'll have an explanation when the general asks later!

Shi Ziyan sighed, glanced at the dark sky and the scattered snowflakes, and nodded slightly:

"My lord, I shall proceed from here."
You must stay behind and oversee things; nothing can happen to you.

After hearing this, Li Hongchang patted him on the shoulder with some emotion:

"Good brother, all my years of nurturing you have paid off."

However, the brothers' morale was low.
If I, as the commander, do not step forward, I fear I will be hesitant to fight even before the battle begins.

"Therefore, you stay behind and guard the rear, while I lead the men to charge."

After saying that, Li Hongchang leaned closer and whispered:
"If I'm at a disadvantage, come save me!"

It doesn't matter if the others die or not, as long as we can escape.
"Winning or losing is possible, and getting promoted and making a fortune won't be difficult in the end."

Shi Ziyan pursed his lips, his throat feeling a little dry, and nodded emphatically:

"General, rest assured, I'll hold the line in the rear and be ready to strike at any time!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than a group of soldiers came running back in a disheveled state.
Of the twenty scouts, only four remained, and all of them were wounded. The two most seriously injured had lost an arm.
The leader, his face covered in blood, hurriedly came to the front of the formation, dismounted, and knelt down with a thud:
"They're here, General! They're only two miles away!"

"So fast!"

Li Hongchang's eyes widened, and he quickly mounted his horse, looking at Shi Ziyan:

"You lead your troops to advance slowly and get closer gradually. I'll take some men and go first!"

Having said that, Li Hongchang let out a loud shout:
"Brothers, today is the day for us to make our mark! The Jurchens are poor and weak, and you can kill them with just a light stroke of your swords!"

"Now, follow me, mount your horses, and let's meet the enemy!"

Li Hongchang led his men southward, the sound of their hooves particularly loud in the quiet winter night, the snow dust they kicked up billowing behind them.

He gripped the long sword tightly in his hand, his face radiating confidence!
The long swords used by his subordinates were all top-quality swords imported from the Ming Dynasty, more than twice as hard as those made by the imperial court, which was the source of his confidence!
Even if the Jurchens, these wild people from the mountains and forests, wore several layers of leather armor, they could not withstand such a long sword!
He stared intently ahead, and as time passed, he finally saw the group of "Jurchens" from a great distance. However, this one glance made his heart skip a beat.

The horses ridden by the Jurchens were incredibly tall, each one standing proudly with its head held high, resembling black behemoths in the night, exuding a chilling aura.

Moreover, their equipment seemed to be quite sophisticated; their armor gleamed coldly in the faint moonlight, and their spears were straight and sharp.

"This is quite different from the legendary Jurchens."

A soldier muttered under his breath, his voice trembling slightly.

Li Hongchang was also taken aback. Although these Jurchens were wearing leather armor, their clothes were also tattered.

But how come their spirits and energy are even higher than theirs?

Although he was somewhat flustered, he had already made his bold statement.

If we back down now, we'll never have the face to stand in the army again.

He took a deep breath, suddenly raised the long sword in his hand, and roared:
"Brothers, don't be intimidated by them!"

The Jurchens were nothing but a bunch of barbarians, nothing to be afraid of!

Today is our day to make a name for ourselves! Follow me and charge! Slaughter them all!

At his roar, the Goryeo soldiers gritted their teeth and continued to charge forward with him.

The sound of horses' hooves grew faster and faster, and the snow dust they kicked up rose higher and higher!

"Boom boom boom——"

(End of this chapter)