Di Ming

Chapter 216 The Final Battle Erupts!

Amidst the jubilant roar of ten thousand horses ahead, tens of thousands of Ming soldiers, their banners and drums echoing, slowly came to a stop between the Yellow River and Wuliangsuhai Lake. The noise was deafening, yet orderly and without any chaos.

Zhu Yin climbed to a high place with his binoculars and looked out. He saw the blue waves rippling and the aquatic plants growing lushly, stretching as far north as the eye could see.

Wuliangsu Lake is located south of the Yellow River and north of the Serteng Mountains, spanning over a hundred miles from north to south. It forms the boundary between the Ordos and Tumed tribes.

The Mongols called lakes "seas." So, Mongolia had seas, which makes it unsurprising that it later possessed a navy.
Marching on the grasslands is so convenient. If these tens of thousands of troops were marching inland, they could only manage sixty or seventy li a day at most, but on the grasslands they could cover a hundred li a day.

The journey from Datong to Wuliangsuhai, a distance of over a thousand miles, takes only ten days.

To ensure a faster march, Zhu Yin only brought one month's worth of provisions.

This was also thanks to Zhu Yin's intelligence capabilities, which allowed him to identify the easiest route for the army to march. One section, more than 500 li long, was a straight grassland road built during the Liao Dynasty, which was very conducive to rapid marching.

This place is beautiful and is located on the right wing of the Ordos tribe. Several small tribes are nomadic here, as well as many Bansheng Manor farms cultivated by Han Chinese serfs.

But at this time, all the herdsmen and serfs fled to the other side of the lake, taking all the cattle, sheep and tents with them. However, the rice, wheat seedlings and mulberry trees in Bansheng Manor were still lush and green. Outside many simple tents, you could still see looms and spinning wheels that they hadn't had time to take with them.

Occasionally, you can still see some corpses, all of them Han Chinese serfs. They were probably killed by their masters because they refused to be moved.

Lee Hyun-sung rode up to Zhu Yin's carriage and handed him two wax pills.

Zhu Yin crushed the pieces one by one, opened them, and smiled slightly after reading the intelligence.

During this period, intelligence from various Mongol tribes was sent almost every three days.

He had a thorough understanding of the situation in each region. As expected, the main force of the Ordos Mongols left their stronghold to support Bo Bai in Ningxia.

The Oirat people north of the Khangai Mountains have already sent tribal leaders south, and they can send at least 20,000 cavalry south to seek revenge.

In fact, there was no need to make too many promises. As long as the Oirat people knew that tens of thousands of Ming troops had taken the initiative to cross the border to attack the Ordos tribe, they would definitely not give up the opportunity to take revenge.

They've arrived and should be almost at the Khangai Mountains by now.

The Oirat people and the "Great Ming Jin Dynasty" were mortal enemies. If they missed this opportunity, they would never be able to reclaim the Khangai Mountains.

So far, everything is going according to plan. There are some variables, but they are unlikely to be significant.

With a steady stream of new intelligence, Zhu Yin became even more confident.

His biggest concern is the changes brought about by the butterfly effect.

History has already changed somewhat. The current unrest in Ningxia could very well lead to unpredictable changes due to the butterfly effect.

Zhu Yin handed the intelligence to Qi Jiguang, who said with a somewhat solemn expression:
"The Oirats and Tatars have been fighting each other for over a hundred years. If you send people to contact and entice them, they won't give up the opportunity to march south. But they might be inviting trouble and invade the Hetao region. Wouldn't that be doing all the work for the Oirats?"

Qi Jiguang's concerns were valid, and his words reflected his mature understanding of the country. However, Zhu Yin knew that his worries were unnecessary.

As a time traveler, he knew very well that after Altan Khan, all the Mongol tribes that had converted to Lamaism were declining and no longer had the power to resist the Central Plains regime.

This is the general trend of history.

The Qing Dynasty was able to control Mongolia not because the Qing army was so powerful, but because the Mongol tribes had declined so drastically.

The Dzungar Khanate, which was later touted as a formidable force, couldn't even muster 40,000 cavalrymen, far inferior to Dayan Khan and Altan Khan.

However, Qi Jiguang lacked a historical perspective and failed to see this point. He still believed that the Mongol tribes were very strong and worried that the Oirats would seize the Hetao region.

Given the current strength of the Oirat people, they'd be lucky to recapture the Khangai Mountains. And even then, they'd need our cooperation.

"Don't worry, Godfather," Zhu Yin chuckled softly. "Caiwei has a caravan in the Oirat region. They say the Oirat are weak and dare not contend with the Ming Dynasty."

Qi Jiguang said, "The Oirat Mongols, who were once invincible during the Zhengtong era, have really fallen? That's good. However, we still need to be wary of the Western Mongol tribes. They are not far from Ningxia, only separated by Liangzhou, and our cavalry can reach them in ten days."

Zhu Yin frowned slightly upon hearing about the Western Sea Mongols, as he had not received any news about them.

After all, Huya has only been established for a few years, and Xihai Mongolia is not a key area of ​​surveillance, so there is currently no intelligence network there.

But Zhu Yin was still worried.

My godfather was right!

"Li Xuancheng!" Zhu Yin shouted.

Lee Hyun-sung appeared immediately and whispered, "My lord, please grant my request."

Zhu Yin also whispered, "Does the Western Sea Mongols have any family?"

"West Sea Mongolia?" Li Xuancheng was taken aback, then quickly remembered where West Sea Mongolia was and answered:

"My lord, please forgive us. The Western Sea Mongols have always been insignificant, and we haven't had time to settle our families yet. Our energy is focused on the capital, the Nine Borders, the Northern Frontier, Liaodong, Korea, and Japan."

Zhu Yin said, "It's not your fault. You should make the arrangements yourself immediately. I need to know the news about Xihai Mongolia right away. Xihai and Ningxia are only separated by Liangzhou. I'm worried about them."

Zhu Yin was actually distrustful of the Liangzhou Guard. He dared not overestimate the Ming Dynasty's border troops.

Zhu Yin felt somewhat relieved after Li Xuancheng left.

Better safe than sorry. Now that history has changed somewhat, if he continues to play by the same rules exactly, it's like trying to find a lost sword by marking the boat – he'll likely suffer a great loss.

"Waaaaah—"

Suddenly, a desolate bugle call, faintly carried by the wind, came from the opposite shore of Wuliangsuhai Lake.

On the other side of Uliangsuhai Lake, the lords must already be gathering large numbers of Mongol cavalry, preparing to repel the invading Ming army.

At this very moment, the Ming army also stopped on the narrow passage between Hebei and Hunan. This passage was no more than three miles wide, but it was trampled solid by the fleeing horses and serfs.

Li Rubai, the vanguard of the cavalry, arrived wearing leather shoes and reported:
"General Fu, shouldn't all the crops in the manors by the lake and river be destroyed and used to feed the horses?"

Zhu Yin shook his head and said, "Do not destroy the crops. This is our future food supply. Pass on my military order: do not trample the crops."

Qi Jiguang also ordered them to set up camp on the spot. Soon, the entire chariot camp, along with the supply wagons and camels, formed a huge rectangular camp.

This is one of the uses of a car camp; it can be designated as a campsite at any time.

Zhu Yin and Qi Jiguang jointly ordered that they rest here for three days to recover their strength.

Zhu Yin and Qi Jiguang's extravagant three-day rest was, of course, a tactic.

He needed to give the Mongol tribes of the Ordos region a chance: a chance for them to gather their remaining cavalry.

Giving the enemy the opportunity to assemble is creating an opportunity for a decisive battle to annihilate them.

At the same time, time was needed for the Oirat people to move south and attack the northern tribes of Ordos, so that the northern tribes of Ordos would be unable to support the Hetao region.

He intends to attack the crucial defense point of the Hetao Mongols: the Eight White Chambers!

Zhu Yin was a former intelligence agent; he would never engage in a direct confrontation with the enemy without absolute certainty.

Much of his work was done outside the battlefield; he relied on intrigue and stratagems to mobilize forces outside the battlefield and seek the best tactics to defeat the enemy.

His work was already done. He would not participate in the command of the subsequent battlefield operations, but would hand them all over to his adoptive father, Qi Shaobao.

After Zhu Yin and Qi Jiguang discussed for a while, Hao Yunlai and Zheng Guowang, who were traveling and looked travel-worn, came to Zhu Yin's carriage. Both of them had gloomy expressions.

Zheng Guowang directly questioned, "General Zhu, why do you need to rest for three days? Speed ​​is of the essence in war. We should take advantage of the fact that the Mongol tribes have not fully assembled and defeat them one by one! Aren't you afraid of missing the opportunity and putting your army in danger? If something happens to tens of thousands of troops, even if you are a great sage of the Ming Dynasty, you probably can't bear the consequences."

Hearing her so impolite, daring to be disrespectful to him because of her status as the "Imperial Brother-in-law," Zhu Yin coldly snorted without any politeness:

"Master Zheng, my military orders have their reasons. Why should I explain them to you? You just need to obey orders."

“You…” Zheng Guowang’s chest heaved with anger. “General, don’t forget, I am also a military supervisor! According to the Ming Dynasty system, the Imperial Censor has the right to intervene! Even if you have the royal decree and the imperial warrant, you cannot act arbitrarily.”

Hao Yunlai also cupped his hands and said, "General, our army is, after all, in enemy territory, and we are an isolated force deep in enemy territory. If the Tartars catch up and surround us from all sides, our army will only have half a month's worth of rations left. How dangerous would that be? Resting for three days is really too much of a gamble!"

"In my humble opinion, we should immediately cross the river south and head south, without giving the Tartars a chance to calmly assemble their troops. If tens of thousands of troops are lost, how can the governor face the emperor and the court?"

Zhu Yin sneered, "Since ancient times, there has never been a war without taking risks! The two Taoist priests are also considered supervisors, but the imperial envoy's seal is with me, and the royal command flag is also with me. The general has no objections, so you should say no more and step back!"

He knew their concerns were valid, but he wouldn't explain it to them.

If they're not one of our own, can he even explain himself?
Zheng Guowang gritted his teeth and could only retreat angrily, cursing Zhu Yin in his heart over and over again.

Zhu Yin, I will definitely impeach you!

Hao Yunlai could only retreat dejectedly, his face full of worry.

He was a little scared. Afraid of dying on the battlefield.

I wish I hadn't come. Zhu Zhihu, Zhu Zhihu, your stubbornness and self-will have ruined me!

Don't force me to file a lawsuit against you!
Li Rusong, Qin Liangyu, Chen Lin, and others received the military order to rest for three days. Although they were somewhat puzzled, they did not raise any objections.

Because the order was issued not only by Zhu Yin, but also by Qi Jiguang!

Therefore, there must be a reason for taking three days off.

Li Rusong gazed at the vast Wuliangsuhai Lake, lost in thought.

The general and his magistrate ordered three days of rest, undoubtedly waiting for the perfect opportunity. Waiting for what? Could it be that the Oirats would advance south?

Over the next three days, the Ming army fed the horses, changed their horseshoes, repaired the wheels of their chariots, sharpened their swords and spears, and tested their cannons, muskets, and bows and arrows.

Qin Liangyu's White-Handed Army took out tung oil and applied it again to the rattan armor and shields. The oil was thick enough that it wouldn't be a problem even if it got damp from rain.

Qi Jiguang gave a special order: on the last day, everyone should pick lice off each other. Only after they had picked off all the lice should they go into battle to fight the enemy.

On the third day, Zhu Yin received another intelligence report. The Mongols on the other side had finally amassed over ten thousand cavalry. Ten thousand cavalrymen was a huge piece of meat, definitely worth taking.

Zhu Yin did not issue any further military orders. He only promised that everyone would be rewarded after the great victory, and he took out 10,000 catties of milk candy that he had brought with him and distributed it to all the soldiers.

Each soldier received thirty milk candies, and cheers erupted as they shouted that victory was certain!

Many soldiers ate the milk candy, smelled the beautiful candy wrappers, and looked completely delighted.

The three thousand White-Spear Army soldiers were all poor mountain people who had never tasted milk candy before. Many of them burst into tears as soon as they tasted the milk candy.

Qin Liangyu, however, was not surprised at all.

Several years ago, she had tasted Moon Rabbit Milk Candy at Cen Xiubing's place. It was said to be the family secret recipe of Ning Caiwei, Zhu Yin's betrothed, and a royal dessert of the Tang Palace. The Ning family ancestors were granted the title of baron because of it, but she didn't know if it was true or not.

Zheng Guowang chewed on the Moon Rabbit milk candy he had been given, not forgetting to curse as he ate:
"Thirty milk candies per person were enough to win over the army's morale. Zhu Zhihu is truly young and hypocritical. Hmph, if we lose this battle, all the candies we eat will be in vain."

Hao Yunlai, who was also chewing on a milk candy, shook his head and said, "Ten thousand catties of milk candy, but he paid for it himself. Milk candy is in short supply these days; you can't just buy it if you have money. Even if you did, it would be milk candy worth more than ten thousand taels of silver. If you call this hypocrisy, then you're being unfair."

Zheng Guowang stroked the milk candy in his hand, his autumn eyes full of mockery. "We should save it. Zhu Zhihu only brought a month's worth of military rations, and now only half is left. If our army is besieged, we may run out of food. This milk candy could be a lifesaver in a critical moment!"

"Running out of food?" Hao Yunlai shook his head. "Brother Yueying, aren't you exaggerating? Even if we run out of food, we have so many livestock in the army. We can just slaughter them for meat. How could we possibly run out of food so easily?"

Zheng Guowang sneered: "Brother Huaji is really confused. Once trapped, are you going to kill the livestock and eat raw meat? How will you cook meat without firewood? Are you going to burn the White Spear Army's guns or their chariots? Eating raw meat will make the soldiers sick quickly, and they will vomit and have diarrhea. What will be the result?"

Hao Yunlai was stunned. He wrapped up the milk candy that he had already peeled.

He felt that these milk candies could serve as military rations in critical moments and should not be eaten casually.

Hmm, Zheng Guojiu is really meticulous. How come I didn't think of that?
.........

North bank of the Yellow River, south of Langshan Mountain.

Jinong (Deputy Khan) Ting.

This is the headquarters of Ordos, the Golden Horde of Jinong, and the location of Genghis Khan's Eight White Chambers.

The Ordos tribe boasted 100,000 cavalrymen and controlled the entire Hetao Grassland, as well as vast pastures stretching from the Yinshan Mountains to the Khangai Mountains. The banks of the Yellow River were among the most fertile and water-rich areas in southern Inner Mongolia.

As a tribe that has guarded the Eight White Chambers (Temujin's mausoleum) for generations, the Ordos have always held a superior position among the Mongol tribes.

It sounds like Ordos is very powerful.

However, although Boshuoketu, the fifth-generation Jinong and Commander of the Ordos tribe, was nominally the chief of the Ordos tribe, he was actually no longer able to control the nobles of his tribe.

It is still nominally one, but in reality it has long been torn apart.

During the time of his grandfather Jineng, Ordos was divided into nine Otog tribes.

By the time of Bosoktu, the Ordos region had been further divided into forty-two smaller tribes. The larger ones had two to three thousand cavalry, while the smaller ones had one to two thousand cavalry.

Although they all came from the Golden Family, the small tribes were not willing to submit to each other and often fought each other for the Ming Dynasty's "market rewards," pastures, slaves, and livestock.

Boshuoketu maintained his nominal position as the supreme ruler of Ordos by using the titles of Jinong and Tongzhizhi, and by relying on his status as the chief priest of the Eight White Chambers.

However, his personal cavalry force numbered only seven or eight thousand. With the addition of the tribes of his brothers and uncles, he could only muster a total of thirty thousand cavalry.

The other smaller tribes were completely untouchable, and there were many ambitious individuals who wanted to take their place.

He and his uncles and brothers occupied the best pastures in the Hetao region, which had long aroused the jealousy of other tribesmen.

Therefore, Boshuoketu secretly supported Bo Bai's rebellion against the Ming Dynasty, planning to use his support for Bo Bai to invade and plunder the Ming Dynasty, and take this opportunity to unite the various small tribes that did not obey him and unify the Ordos tribe.

His plan was quite ambitious. If Bo Bai conquered Shaanxi, he could take the opportunity to move south and occupy Ningxia and Yansui.

However, just as his painstakingly assembled 30,000 cavalrymen marched south to support the rebels, the Ming army appeared behind him! They were only a hundred li away from the Eight White Chambers he was guarding, and could arrive in a day!

His main force of 30,000 cavalry had already left their headquarters and split into two groups. One group went to Helan Mountain to join up with Bo Bai in Yinchuan, while the other group went directly south to attack Lingzhou.

If any cavalry unit were to be recalled, it would take at least half a month for the round trip!

Too late!
In just half a month, he was left with only three thousand cavalry and tens of thousands of old, weak, women and children. How could he possibly withstand tens of thousands of Ming troops?
He never expected that when he sent troops to Ningxia to support Bo Bai, the Ming army would take advantage of the situation and attack his own stronghold.

totally unexpected!
Why did the Ming army change its tune? What happened? Did they change the Khan? Or the Grand Secretary?

Upon receiving the news, Boshoktu sent envoys to other nearby tribes to mobilize troops, while also sending messengers to retrieve the 30,000 cavalrymen who had come to support Bobai.

Fortunately, the name of Jinong still had some use. Some small tribes were unwilling to see Genghis Khan's Eight White Houses fall into the hands of the Han army, and immediately sent troops to help.

Although they usually don't obey orders, it's different when the Han army attacks.

So, just as Zhu Yin led his army to Wuliangsuhai, Boshuoketu, under the pretext of protecting the Eight White Houses and the Hetao region, hastily gathered some cavalry and assembled them west of Wuliangsuhai, preparing to rely on Wuliangsuhai to resist the Ming army and wait for more reinforcements to arrive.

He needs time!
The tribal chiefs who came to fight were also incredulous, initially thinking it was a trick by Boshoktu.

The Ming army rarely ventured beyond the Great Wall on its own initiative. Even when they did, it was usually a small group of cavalry to scout ahead, and they would quickly retreat back to the Great Wall. The Mongol cavalry, on the other hand, frequently raided southwards.

Therefore, the Mongol tribes were not worried about the Ming army's large-scale expedition beyond the Great Wall, and did not regard the weak Ming army south of the Great Wall as a threat. They also did not expect that tens of thousands of Ming troops would suddenly attack this place.

Dark under the lamp!
What they had always worried about was the Oirat people north of the Khangai Mountains. They weren't afraid of the Han Chinese, but rather of attacks from other tribes.

But this time, what we were worried about didn't come; what we weren't worried about came instead!
On the black Mongolian Suluding banner, Boshoktu rode a white horse, dressed in the luxurious armor of a Mongolian nobleman, looking majestic and imposing.

But this second most honored man in the Ming Dynasty's Jin Kingdom couldn't help but feel a little apprehensive when he saw tens of thousands of Ming soldiers on the opposite bank.

The Ming army numbered at least 30,000 to 40,000, with cavalry numbering at least 10,000.

On his side, only a little over ten thousand cavalrymen had gathered. And less than a hundred miles behind him was Genghis Khan's mausoleum: the Eight White Chambers.

Besides the eight white houses that must be guarded, there is also his Jinong City, and a large number of elderly, weak, women and children.

Ah, merciful Buddha, an enemy unlike any we've ever encountered has come from the Han lands, like a vast, ominous cloud.

Listen! If any enemy comes rashly, Fudo Myo-o will unleash heavenly thunder, and his wrathful form will appear in the northwest sky!

Boshoktu held the hilt of his knife with his left hand and stroked the prayer beads on his chest with his right hand, muttering incantations.

Even his braid had a bone bell, a ritual implement of Tantric Buddhism, hanging from it.

More than 10,000 Mongol cavalrymen, a dark and overwhelming force, filled the sky and the earth.

However, compared to the Ming army on the other side, they were nothing but a drop in the ocean.

The two armies faced each other on the north bank of the Yellow River, across the southern edge of Wuliangsuhai Lake, like two giants scrutinizing each other, and for a moment the world became quiet.

It seemed that both sides' warhorses and livestock had temporarily fallen silent under this immense pressure.

Under the Mongol army's Suluding banner, Boshoktu's face grew increasingly gloomy.

The mount beneath him also began to grow restless.

"Jinong Nayan!" A commander stepped forward, patting his chest, and said, "We have only gathered a little over ten thousand people. Those people from the northern tribes probably won't come back. Jinong Nayan, make a decision quickly."

Another commander said, “Your Excellency Jinong! Now is the most dangerous moment for the Ordos Mongols! More than 30,000 cavalrymen of the Golden Horde have gone to Han lands, and our headquarters is severely depleted, but we cannot retreat.”

Bosoktu took a deep breath, turned to a lama, and asked:

“Master Boqi, please recite the scriptures for subduing demons and monsters for me a hundred times. When the demon king descends, the Vajra protector will appear wielding eight weapons.”

The lama immediately began beating the sister drum and silently chanting scriptures: "The great terrors of the human world are all illusions of the defiled heavens. The appearance of the 100,000 heavenly soldiers protecting the Dharma is an endless visualization..."

Just then, a cavalryman galloped in in a panic.

He was panting heavily, covered in sweat, and his braid was disheveled.

“Jinong Nayan!” The knight knelt on the ground. “The cavalry from the seventeen northern tribes won’t be coming. They say the Oirats have crossed the Khangai Mountains and have twenty or thirty thousand cavalry! They can’t obey Jinong’s orders to join the battle; they must first stop those damned Oirats!”

"You dog slave!" Boshoktu's head buzzed, and he lashed the knight's head with his whip. "You've been bewitched by the Demon King and are lying to your master!"

"Aren't they warriors of my Ordos tribe? Would they disregard the safety of the Eight White Chambers where Genghis Khan's spirit tablet is enshrined?"

At this point, his face contorted into a grimace, and his eyelids twitched.

"You dog slave! You've disrupted my army's morale! I'll make you pay!" Boshoktu drew his scimitar from his waist, and with a single swing, the messenger knight's head rolled away.

Blood splatters!

"He gave false military intelligence and disrupted our morale. He should be brought to justice!" Boshuoketu said viciously.

When the generals heard this news, their faces turned ashen.

They knew very well that this was not a false report.

The Oirat people took advantage of the chaos to loot, and the reinforcements from the seventeen northern tribes were too busy to join them.

Just then, a burst of firelight suddenly appeared from the Ming army's formation opposite them.

Immediately afterwards, a deafening roar resounded.

"Boom boom—boom boom!"

The tiger-squatting cannons and breech-loading cannons on the Ming army's chariots finally opened fire.

The war breaks out!

(End of this chapter)