Ming Dynasty: Pick up attributes from the battlefield to create the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 141 Zhu Ying: Li Jinglong really has no ability!
Guo Ying's eyes were as sharp as torches. Without any hesitation, he looked at Lan Yu and said loudly.

Upon hearing this, Lan Yu stood up without hesitation, bowed, clenched his right fist, and pounded it heavily on his left chest, shouting, "I obey your command!"

And the next moment.

Guo Ying's gaze slowly fell on Zhu Di.

now.

Guo Ying narrowed his eyes slightly, revealing a complicated expression: "Your Highness the Prince of Yan."

Although his tone was gentle, it also revealed helplessness: "You are of noble status. Although you are the nominal commander this time, the emperor originally intended to let the Prince of Yan join the army for training and learning, so this battle will be led by General Li."

"Prince Yan must not go into danger. Please follow my camp this time."

Hear the words.

Zhu Di's eyes, which were originally full of expectation, dimmed in an instant, and there was an unconcealable disappointment on his face.

However, the generals in the tent were not surprised at all.

Zhu Di's identity was clear: a prince, a high-ranking official of the Ming Dynasty. If he really made a mistake on the battlefield, how could Guo Ying explain to Zhu Yuanzhang who was far away in Yingtian?

There are many capable and battle-hardened generals in the camp now. For Guo Ying, Zhu Di is no exception. His first priority is to ensure that Zhu Di is safe and sound so that he will not be punished.

Otherwise, even if the Northern Yuan Dynasty was defeated, if something happened to Zhu Di, the crime would be as serious as the sky.

"I understand." Although Zhu Di was full of disappointment, he was also aware of his own identity. He lowered his head slightly and replied in a low and hoarse voice.

Zhu Di knew very well that even if he asked for permission, nothing would change in the end.

Being the son of Zhu Yuanzhang gave him many unique advantages, but if he had no ambition, this position would have reached its limit and there would be no room for further development.

Seeing that Zhu Di did not refute, Guo Ying nodded slightly, and his originally slightly worried expression eased.

Followed by.

Guo Ying turned his gaze to Li Jinglong again and said in a deep voice, "General Li."

Upon hearing the call, Li Jinglong immediately stood up straight, bowed, and responded loudly: "I am here!"

"I will leave the task of capturing the five northern Yuan border towns to the west to General Lan Yu."

"Then the five Beiyuan border towns in the east will be handed over to you."

"I order you to lead an army of 150,000 to capture the five border towns, with the so-called Zhenxia City as the main one."

"After the two generals complete their mission, we will charge into Northern Yuan territory, capture any city we encounter, and defeat the Northern Yuan."

Guo Ying looked serious and spoke every word, not daring to make any mistakes.

"I obey your command." Li Jinglong replied loudly without hesitation.

At this time, the war had just begun. The Northern Yuan Dynasty may have known that the Ming Dynasty was going to use military force against them, but they did not take much action.

Now that the Ming Dynasty is taking the lead in the attack, dividing the troops into two routes is the best way to utilize the manpower. Once the Northern Yuan Dynasty responds, Guo Ying will change the tactics according to the battlefield situation.

"Generals!"

Guo Ying's eyes were serious as he scanned the generals in the tent. He raised his voice and said, "The Northern Yuan Dynasty has disturbed the northern borders of the Ming Dynasty, killed Ming people, and massacred innocent Ming people. These crimes are too numerous to list."

"You all know this."

"I will not waste any more words on this Northern Expedition."

"Everything will be counted and pacified. Anyone who has made contributions to the country and killed enemies for the country will be considered a merit."

"During the Northern Expedition, you must seize this opportunity to make meritorious contributions. Once the Northern Yuan Dynasty is pacified, there will be fewer opportunities to make meritorious contributions on the battlefield."

These words.

Guo Ying naturally had a deep meaning in what he said.

It also tells all the generals that this may be their last chance to achieve merit on the battlefield in these few years.

The voice fell.

All the generals in the tent stood up in unison and shouted in unison: "I understand!"

At this moment, everyone, including Zhu Ying, looked solemn and dignified. Every general knew clearly the significance of this battle, and knew that this was an opportunity to accomplish great deeds.

Zhu Ying's heart was boiling with passion, and he was filled with longing. He thought to himself: "I will do my best to achieve the success of the Northern Expedition, to conquer the Wolf's Lair, and even to capture the Northern Yuan Emperor."

"Once caught."

"Earl promoted to Marquis."

"He was even promoted to the capital."

In this regard.

Zhu Ying was full of anticipation.

After the military meeting in the camp was over, the generals of each army returned to their respective main camps.

Inside the main camp of Zhu Ying's Second Northern Expedition Army, Li Jinglong stood before a map, his hands clasped behind his back, his brow furrowed. He looked at the three generals before him and asked, "Three generals, five border cities. According to intelligence gathered by our Ming Dynasty, the Northern Yuan Dynasty has at least 200,000 troops stationed on the border. These ten cities serve as bulwarks against our Ming Dynasty. If we capture one, they might retreat to the second. So, what are your opinions on this battle, generals?"

As he spoke, his eyes scanned the area, but they mainly fell on Zhu Ying.

Zhu Ying was extremely outstanding in the Liaodong battlefield. The two most difficult cities to capture in the Ming Dynasty were both conquered by Zhu Ying. Therefore, Li Jinglong placed the highest expectations on Zhu Ying. After all, he knew very well how much ability he had to command troops, and he knew exactly what he was worth.

"The five cities protect each other."

"But in this battle, our army has a clear advantage in manpower. Even though the Northern Yuan Dynasty is still strong, they are in constant internal disputes, and they don't know the strength of the Ming Dynasty's military. This time, as long as the Ming Dynasty moves its troops quickly, we will be able to catch the Northern Yuan Dynasty off guard." Zhu Ying said calmly and thoughtfully.

Zhu Ying's voice was not loud, but in the quiet tent, every word was clear, as if carrying a convincing magic.

The generals around him also nodded in agreement.

"General Zhu, in this battle, how about we concentrate our superior forces and storm Zhenxia City, the border city closest to our Ming Dynasty?"

Li Jinglong looked at Zhu Ying with a hint of inquiry and expectation in his eyes, as if waiting for Zhu Ying to give a perfect answer.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Ying glanced at Li Jinglong and secretly complained in his heart: "Li Jinglong is indeed just as the history records, he has no talent for commanding troops. After all, it is because of his father that he is praised too highly."

Zhu Di on the side also looked at Li Jinglong with a strange look, his eyes full of surprise, as if he was also wondering why Li Jinglong said this.

After all, Zhu Ying had already said that military superiority and surprise were the keys to defeating the enemy. Simply storming a city would suit the Northern Yuan's wishes.

The Northern Yuan Dynasty could also focus on defending one city.

So what is the military advantage of the Ming Dynasty?
Is it a forceful attack?

To engage in a war of attrition?

"For this battle, we should divide our forces."

"While attacking Zhenxia City, we must also attack the cities connected to it. This will disperse the Beiyuan garrison."

"In this way, breaking through the Beiyuan defense line will become much easier."

Zhu Ying spoke in a serious and clear manner.

As he spoke, Zhu Ying gestured on the map with his fingers, fully displaying the attack route.

Upon hearing this, Li Jinglong nodded vigorously without any objection: "Just do as General Zhu says."

Zhu Ying also smiled in response to this.

"Zhenxia City is the city that the Northern Yuan Dynasty faces directly against the Ming Dynasty, so its military defense must be even more stringent."

"In that case, I am willing to lead the Daning border troops to attack Zhenxia City." Zhu Ying immediately stepped forward and asked for orders with a fist salute.

Although Li Jinglong is useless and has no ability to command troops, he is still the commander-in-chief of the second army. If you want to mobilize troops, you have to go through him.

Of course, although Zhu Ying was constantly criticizing Li Jinglong for doing this, he was still relatively satisfied. After all, in this way, Li Jinglong would not interfere too much with his military action.

Compared to a general who has no ability to command troops but likes to give orders randomly, Zhu Ying prefers Li Jinglong, who is not ashamed to ask questions and does not care about his own face.

"I am willing to assist in the attack on Zhenming City and attract the Northern Yuan guards." Zhang Yu also stepped forward, clasped his fists and asked for orders, with a firm look on his face.

"Then I will follow General Zhu to attack Zhenxia City." Mu Sheng was not willing to be left behind, so he stepped forward to ask for orders, his eyes showing an eagerness to try.

after all.

This was Mu Sheng's first time experiencing such a major war.

Different from the minor fights in Yunnan Prefecture.

Seeing this, Li Jinglong smiled and nodded repeatedly, very excited: "Since the three generals have requested orders, I will agree."

"Let's follow the offensive strategy suggested by the three generals."

Obviously, Li Jinglong should be secretly delighted at this moment. He didn't need to give orders, just make a decision, and Zhu Ying had already made a plan for his advance.

Knowing Zhu Ying's ability to command troops, Li Jinglong naturally trusted him very much.

"Prince of Yan, what do you think?" Li Jinglong asked Zhu Di, who was standing beside him, with a smile that was both flattering and expectant.

"I have no objection."

Zhu Di also smiled and nodded, but his eyes then fell on Zhu Ying, with a hint of curiosity and anticipation in his eyes: "I have long heard that General Zhu is not only good at facing the enemy head-on, but also good at attacking and breaking cities. Fortified cities like Jincheng were easily conquered by General Zhu. In this battle, I must witness General Zhu's actions of breaking the city with my own eyes."

In this regard.

"Prince Yan, you are too kind."

"Everything will be revealed on the battlefield." Zhu Yingze smiled and said nothing more.

However, looking at the confidence in Zhu Ying's smile, it was obvious that he had no fear at all about this battle.

The main camp military meeting was over, and the troops originally stationed at the border between Peking and the northern border of Daning Prefecture broke camp one after another.

The soldiers were busy packing up the tents, carrying tent poles, rolling up bedding, and loading boxes of supplies onto the carriages.

The war horses neighed, the hooves clattered, and the soldiers' shouts rose one after another.

The flags fluttered and danced in the wind.

The Ming Dynasty’s battle flag represents military might.

The army was divided into two routes, like two surging steel torrents, charging towards the Northern Yuan Dynasty.

On the other side, the capital of the Northern Yuan Dynasty, Xindu.

When the Northern Yuan Dynasty ruled the Central Plains, it established three capitals in the Central Plains, namely Shangdu, Dadu, and Zhongdu.

As the Yuan Dynasty was defeated in the Central Plains and driven out of the Chinese territory, the Northern Yuan Emperor did not withdraw to Karakorum, the real capital of his Mongol Empire, but built a new capital near the Ming Dynasty.

Besides the Northern Yuan imperial family who enjoyed the extravagance of the Central Plains, many nobles were reluctant to leave its prosperity. Another reason was that the Northern Yuan wanted to use the Xindu to declare to the Ming Dynasty and all Han people that their capital was located near Shenzhou, and that their cavalry could march south at any time to retake the Central Plains and ultimately conquer the world. The Xindu was even larger than Liaoyang City in Liaodong.

The city wall is tall and thick, like a winding giant beast lying on the ground. The battlements on the wall are arranged neatly, and at the city gate, the huge iron gate is closed.

Outside the capital city is a wide moat with a suspension bridge pulled high over the river, like an insurmountable chasm. The entire capital city adopts the construction regulations of a capital city, which is grand and majestic, easy to defend and difficult to attack.

Inside the Great Hall of the Northern Yuan Dynasty, various pearls and gems were inlaid on the pillars and the ceiling.

These jewels reflected colorful light under the sunlight shining through the windows, making the entire palace look glittering and magnificent.

Perhaps, seeing that the Northern Yuan Dynasty went to the Central Plains and became so extravagant and ostentatious, their ancestors would be so angry that they would jump out of their graves.

Of course, although this hall is luxurious, it is not in the Han style, but in the Mongolian style.

The high and mighty Northern Yuan emperor wore his Mongolian-style dragon robe. He sat on a tiger-skin chair, overlooking the court.

The ministers below were also wearing official robes similar to fur and furry official hats, which were also inlaid with various gems. The entire court had a strong Northern Yuan Dynasty style.

An exotic style for the Ming Dynasty.

"Your Majesty." Northern Yuan Prime Minister Shi Liemen stood up, his brows tightly furrowed, his face full of anxiety.

Subsequently.

He said anxiously, "The barbarians of the Ming Kingdom are about to launch an attack on our Yuan Dynasty."

"They have already stationed their troops in Beiping Prefecture of the Ming Dynasty and are ready to attack at any time."

"If the Ming Kingdom mobilizes its troops, they will certainly have a lot of them. The 200,000 troops stationed in the ten border cities will definitely not be enough."

"Your Majesty, please quickly summon the leaders of all tribes and have them send more troops to garrison the border to resist the Ming army."

As he finished speaking, many officials in the court also looked worried.

Some ministers lowered their heads slightly, frowned, and talked in low voices with the people next to them, their faces full of anxiety. Some looked up at the emperor, their eyes full of anxiety. Of course, there were also those who remained calm and watched the show.

The Northern Yuan Emperor, who was sitting on a tiger-skin chair, also had a worried look on his face. He leaned back slightly, feeling helpless.

Although he has always wanted to counterattack the Ming Dynasty and go south to the Central Plains again, the Northern Yuan Dynasty is no longer the former Yuan Dynasty.

Many tribes within his territory no longer obeyed his orders as emperor, and he finally managed to cultivate a Nahachu.

However, when the Ming Dynasty attacked Liaodong, the Northern Yuan Emperor wanted to send reinforcements to protect Nahachu. However, there were many disputes in the court, and they were always wavering between sending troops and not sending troops. In the end, Nahachu was destroyed by the Ming Dynasty, and they could not come to a conclusion.

And the most crucial thing is that after losing Nahachu and Liaodong.

The sword that he had finally set up hanging over the Ming Dynasty was removed.

The Northern Yuan Emperor wanted to mobilize troops and station them at the border, but many of his ministers and tribal leaders were unwilling to do so.

A garrison of 200,000 troops was already the limit for the Northern Yuan emperor. Furthermore, he had to dispatch troops to other locations to intimidate the various tribes.

"Have you found out how many troops the Ming Dynasty mobilized to invade?" The Northern Yuan Emperor asked in a deep voice with a serious expression, his eyes sweeping over everyone in the court.

"Your Majesty, when the Ming attacked Liaodong, they had no fewer than 300,000 troops."

"This time, they mobilized such a large army, without even a cover, to attack our Yuan Dynasty. It is conceivable that the Ming army will definitely not be less than 300,000, or even 400,000 or 500,000."

"The barbarians today are no longer the barbarians of the past. They have a larger population than our Yuan Dynasty and more resources. It is easy for them to raise an army."

"That is why I implore His Majesty to quickly mobilize the troops in the northern border to reinforce the border."

Shi Liemen spoke in an urgent tone and with a serious expression.

As he spoke, he waved his hands, as if this could make the Northern Yuan Emperor more deeply aware of the severity of the current situation.

"Now, how many troops can our Yuan Dynasty still mobilize?"

The Northern Yuan Emperor asked with a frown.

When he asked this question, his eyes were actually wandering over the military officials and many powerful people who held great power.

Although he is the emperor and is still on the throne, his control over this huge empire is obviously insufficient.

There was a hint of helplessness and expectation in his eyes, expecting these military officials and dignitaries to give him a satisfactory answer.

"Return to the Emperor."

"Although the population of our Yuan Dynasty is smaller than that of the Ming Dynasty, all the men on our grasslands are soldiers. As long as the emperor gives the order, our Yuan Dynasty can easily mobilize more than 600,000 troops to fight against the Ming Dynasty." Shi Liemen said immediately.

He deliberately raised his voice very loudly, as if to remind his colleagues in the court.

but.

No one responded.

See this.

The Northern Yuan Emperor couldn't help it.

"Generals, don't you have anything to say?"

The Northern Yuan Emperor cast his gaze upon the group of military officials once again. His eyes held a hint of majesty and a hint of inquiry.

Facing his gaze, a general stepped forward and shouted, "I am willing to mobilize 100,000 men from my tribe to fight against the Ming army."

"Good, good. As expected of the great general of our Yuan Dynasty, you can tell the true heart of the people at the critical moment."

"General Guilichi, you must mobilize the tribal army immediately. As soon as possible."

The Northern Yuan Emperor immediately showed a look of joy on his face and nodded repeatedly.

A look of joy finally appeared on his face. It was obvious that the general who stood up at this moment was of high status. With his standing up, the Emperor of Northern Yuan also breathed a sigh of relief.

as predicted.

After this general spoke, several other generals stood up.

"My tribe can mobilize 50,000 men."

"My tribe can mobilize 60,000 men..."

Several generals spoke respectfully.

Obviously, now that the Ming Dynasty is attacking, they also feel threatened, and naturally dare not fail to mobilize troops.

Of course, there was also the leadership of the general before.

"My dear ministers, very good."

"As long as the people of the Great Yuan Dynasty are united, we will be able to stop the invasion of the Ming barbarians. No, as long as we stop them, we can counterattack the Ming Dynasty, march south to devour the Central Plains, and re-establish the prestige of the Great Yuan Dynasty."

"Those barbarians are only worthy of submitting to the feet of my Great Yuan."

The Northern Yuan Emperor spoke excitedly, leaning forward slightly, his eyes flashing with excitement, as if he had already seen the scene of the Northern Yuan cavalry crushing the Ming Dynasty.

Originally, the Northern Yuan Dynasty Prime Minister Shi Liemen had a solemn expression on his face, but when he saw that the generals who had always been shirking their responsibilities in mobilizing troops were now willing to do so, he also smiled with relief.

"This time, the crisis of my Yuan Dynasty can be resolved." Shi Liemen thought secretly in his heart.

"emperor."

"With the generals mobilizing a large army, there are more than 200,000 soldiers. Together with the 200,000 troops stationed on the border, we will definitely be able to resist the Ming army. The subordinate troops stationed in the northern border do not need to be mobilized for the time being."

Coming back to his senses, Shi Liemen said respectfully again.

Gui Lichi, who spoke first, had a change of expression in his eyes, a flash of urgency, and he immediately stepped forward and said, "The Ming Kingdom is advancing with overwhelming force, and our Great Yuan must use its absolute strength to crush the Ming Kingdom. Your Majesty! I believe that the 200,000 troops stationed in the heart of the northern border must also be mobilized immediately. Only in this way can we completely eliminate this major threat from the Ming army and let the Ming Kingdom know the power of our Great Yuan!"

Hearing this, the Northern Yuan Emperor looked hesitant and struggled with unwillingness.

To know.

The presence of these 200,000 troops stationed in the heart of the northern border is of extraordinary significance.

The fundamental purpose is to intimidate the various tribes that are dependent on the Northern Yuan Dynasty.

If there were no 200,000 troops guarding here, it would be a shock!
The Northern Yuan Dynasty had been in chaos for a long time, and there was no telling how many people in the court had already declared themselves kings.

The Northern Yuan Emperor was well aware of this.

And this moment.

Because of Gui Lichi’s voice.

The atmosphere in the court became extremely solemn. Everyone looked up at the Northern Yuan Emperor, not daring to breathe.

Obviously.

now.

All decisions rest with him.

"Two hundred thousand troops."

"If they are transferred, how can I still govern the northern border?"

"Will those tribes still be honest?"

At this moment, the Northern Yuan Emperor was extremely conflicted.

After all, the foundations of the Northern Yuan Empire and the Ming Empire are completely different.

The Ming Dynasty was an empire with a strict official system and strict control of military power, and all powers were clearly controlled.

Military power is supervised by the imperial court, and military tokens are required to mobilize troops. All government orders are based on the will of the Ming imperial court.

In contrast, the Northern Yuan Empire was different. They were just like the former vassal states.

Its territory is indeed vast and boundless, and even today its territory is larger than that of the Ming Dynasty.

however.

Their country was composed of many tribes, each of which was subservient to the Northern Yuan Dynasty, paid tribute regularly, and depended on the Northern Yuan Dynasty for survival.

It can be said that each tribe has its own leader, who possesses extremely high power and prestige within his respective tribe. If they do not respect the Northern Yuan Emperor, the leaders of those tribes will be the emperors of the tribe.

Once the 200,000 troops are withdrawn, the northern frontier will lose the deterrent effect of this powerful force, and the various tribes will inevitably become restless.

Conflicts may break out between tribes over resources and territory, and the already unstable situation will become even more chaotic.

The Northern Yuan Emperor was very clear about this. Although he was well aware of the danger of the Ming army's invasion, he still did not want to mobilize the 200,000 troops easily because he was afraid that after the withdrawal, the country would fall into endless chaos, which was a situation he did not want to see as an emperor.

More importantly, his authority will also be threatened.

……

(End of this chapter)