Di Ming

Chapter 221 We can't let Bo Bai get away!
Zhu Yin knew that the historical Cao Wenzhao was from Datong and was about the same age, so they must be the same person.

“I want to meet this Cao Wenzhao in person,” Zhu Yin said. “A soldier who is only sixteen years old can kill several Mongol cavalrymen, which shows his bravery.”

This was a capable general from the late Ming Dynasty. Zhu Yin certainly wouldn't let him go.

At Zhu Yinyi's command, a tall, handsome young man was brought into the military tent.

Upon seeing the tent full of generals and Zhu Yin in his crimson official robes, the young soldier became very nervous. He quickly stepped forward and knelt down, his voice trembling slightly, and said, "This humble cavalry soldier, Cao Wenzhao, pays his respects to Your Excellency, Governor!"

How could Cao Wenzhao not be excited? He was summoned not only by the Grand Marshal, but also by Mr. Zhihu, the reincarnation of the God of Literature.

There is a temple dedicated to child prodigies near his hometown.

"Get up," Zhu Yin said with a kind smile. "You can answer while standing."

"Thank you, Governor!" Cao Wenzhao's expression relaxed, and he kowtowed. He stood up with his hands clasped, his waist slightly bent, but he still could not hide his heroic spirit.

What a heroic young man!
Zhu Yin was delighted to see this and said, "You are skilled in archery and horsemanship, and your martial arts are superb. I heard that you can already defeat ten men. You are truly a son of a general. I intend to promote you and make you a role model for the soldiers. Can you read?"

Cao Wenzhao clasped his hands and said, "Reporting to the Prime Minister, I only studied at the local school for five years, and I can only recognize the entire Thousand Character Classic."

"Knowing the entire Thousand Character Classic? That's enough for now." Zhu Yin nodded and smiled. "Among the soldiers, you are the first in terms of merit, so I will release you from your post, recommend you for the position of probationary centurion, and appoint you as the cavalry platoon leader."

Zhu Yin has already selected 3,000 soldiers as his own governor's standard battalion, including 1,000 cavalrymen divided into eight squads.

According to his authority, he could recommend soldiers with military merits, and those below the rank of commander of a thousand men would be appointed by the Ministry of War, while those below the rank of captain could be directly appointed.

Cao Wenzhao could hardly believe his ears. He was being recommended as a trial centurion and appointed as a squad leader?
Suddenly, he became a sentry in charge of more than a hundred cavalrymen.

He immediately realized it was true!
"I am Cao Wenzhao, thank you for your kindness, General!" Cao Wenzhao knelt down again, banged his head on the ground with a loud thud, and then raised his face, a small pebble still stuck to his forehead.

He was just a cavalryman before, and now he's a trial centurion and a full-fledged squad leader!
Cao Wenzhao was overwhelmed with gratitude and excitement, his blood boiling.

"I, Cao Wenzhao, am willing to die for my benefactor, even if it means sacrificing my life!"

The term "benevolent minister" does not refer to a noble person who is a prime minister.

"Get up, get up and speak." Zhu Yin adopted the air of a refined scholar-official. "Not to die for me, but for the Ming Dynasty. Cao Wenzhao, do you have a letter?"

Cao Wenzhao felt greatly appreciated and clasped his hands, saying, "In reply to Your Excellency's words, Cao Wenzhao is but a common soldier and dares not accept a courtesy name."

Zhu Yin shook his head and said, "Hey? How can a real man be without a courtesy name? Since you have no courtesy name, then how about I bestow one upon you?"

Cao Wenzhao was overjoyed and bowed his head, saying, "Wenzhao thanks the Prime Minister for bestowing this calligraphy upon me!"

Upon seeing this, the generals couldn't help but marvel at Cao Wenzhao's good fortune, as he was appreciated by Zhu Yin and not only was he immediately promoted to the front lines, but Zhu Yin also bestowed upon him a courtesy name.

With this opportunity, Cao Wenzhao can now fully claim to be a disciple of Zhu Yin, which means he has a powerful backer.

Zhu Yin pondered for a moment and said, "Your name is Zhao, which means to announce, so let's call you Deyu."

Cao Wenzhao was overjoyed, "Thank you, Your Excellency!"

Zhu Yin then said to Kangxi, "I will reward Deyu with a set of iron armor, a horse from Hexi, a pound of milk candy, and a top-quality Japanese sword."

Kangxi accepted the order and said, "Yes, sir!"

This is the advantage of being in a position of power. Zhu Yin easily won Cao Wenzhao's loyalty, and he was willing to die for him.

After Cao Wenzhao withdrew, full of gratitude, Zhu Yin continued:

"The Hetao region has returned to the hands of our Great Ming. In addition to building cities and stationing troops, we also need to relocate people to strengthen the border. However, the people are attached to their homeland and are reluctant to leave. Even if the court issues an edict, it will inevitably be suspected of being an oppressive policy."

"In my opinion, since those 27,000 Han serfs who were rescued have been in the Hetao region for many years, they should simply stay there and cultivate land for the army."

"The Bansheng Manor in the Hetao region is the most fertile farmland in southern Mongolia, so let them cultivate it. The annual land tax will not be paid to the national treasury, but will be directly used to supply the garrison. In this way, they will have land to make a living, the garrison will have military rations, and the military and civilians can guard the Hetao region together. Isn't that killing three birds with one stone?"

Qi Jiguang laughed and said, "It's killing four birds with one stone. The governor forgot that these people are all young and strong. They can farm during the busy farming season and train during the off-season. Although they are Han Chinese, they have lived in the Hetao region for a long time and are good at riding horses. They can train at least several thousand local soldiers."

The two of them, working in unison, quickly decided on another important matter. No one had any objections.

This time, Zhu Yin gave Zheng Guowang and Hao Yunlai face, pretending to ask them if they agreed.

Although the two men were dissatisfied with Zhu Yin, they had no choice but to agree, because it was indeed a good idea. They didn't need to oppose it for the sake of opposing it.

But Hao Yunlai still made his presence felt by saying, "General, gentlemen, all this discussion is based on the assumption that the court agrees to recover the Hetao region. But what if... the court doesn't want to recover the Hetao region? Who can guarantee that His Majesty will agree? You and the others should know the story of Emperor Shizong's reign, right?"

Upon hearing this, everyone frowned slightly.

Hao Yunlai's words were not without merit. If the Emperor were to abandon the Hetao region, all these discussions would be meaningless.

The Emperor isn't incapable of doing it. And even if the Emperor agrees, he might change his mind.

Zhu Yin narrowed his eyes slightly. Although he had been working to reclaim the Hetao region, and Zheng Guowang had agreed to cooperate temporarily to persuade Wanli, given Wanli's temperament, it was hard to guarantee that he wouldn't change his mind.

He is the old Taoist priest's grandson.

Back then, the old Taoist priest was prepared to agree to restore the Hetao region after repeated advice from Zeng Xian and Xia Yan.

However, at this time, a landslide occurred in Chengcheng, Shaanxi. The old Taoist priest thought it was a warning from heaven. In addition, many ministers opposed the plan, so the old Taoist priest believed that it was impossible to recover the Hetao region.

Then, using this as a pretext, they shamelessly killed Zeng Xian, who advocated for the recovery of the Hetao region.

In reality, whether or not a landslide occurred in Chengcheng, Shaanxi, and why it occurred, was determined by a report submitted by officials who opposed the restoration of the city.
What did Jiajing, a man with only petty cleverness and no great wisdom, know?

Thus, the Hetao region became the biggest loophole in the Ming Dynasty's nine border regions, continuously draining the Ming Dynasty's resources.

Hao Yunlai continued, “Emperor Taizu said in the ‘Imperial Ancestral Instructions of the Ming Dynasty’ that a vast territory is not a long-term solution for peace and stability, and that the hardship of the people is a source of easy chaos. Emperor Taizu also said that the various barbarian tribes in the four directions are all confined by mountains and seas, and are located in remote corners. It is not enough to supply the army with their land, nor is it enough to command their people.”

"The founding emperor's ancestral instruction was that we must not expand our territory, is that what he meant?"

Zhu Yin said indifferently, "Indeed, territorial expansion is forbidden. Does Master Hao mean that there will be ministers in the court who oppose the recovery of the Hetao region, citing the 'Imperial Ancestral Instructions' to demand that His Majesty abandon the Hetao region?"

Zhu Yin certainly knew who would oppose the recovery of the Hetao region: first, the stubborn conservatives; and second, the vested interests who smuggled goods across the border.

"Indeed." Hao Yunlai nodded. "If any court official were to cite this passage from the 'Imperial Ancestral Instructions of the Ming Dynasty,' His Majesty might abandon the Hetao region. General, don't forget, our expedition this time is to quell the rebellion, not to reclaim the Hetao region!"

"Suppressing the rebellion is certainly a merit. But in the eyes of His Majesty and some ministers, subduing the Hetao region may not only not be a merit, but may even be a crime!"

"This great victory at Wuliangsuhai may not only fail to bring us rewards, but may also become a crime against us!"

Although Hao Yunlai and Zhu Yin were at odds, Hao Yunlai was also a participant in the recapture of the Hetao region, and naturally hoped that the emperor would agree to the recapture of the Hetao region.

On this point, everyone here shares the same interests.

Everyone knows the emperor's temperament; such a thing is not impossible.

Qi Jiguang snorted coldly and said, "Master Hao's concerns are reasonable and not unfounded. However, even if someone brings up the 'Imperial Ancestral Instructions of the Ming Dynasty,' they cannot target the Hetao region. Why? Because recovering the Hetao region is not about expanding territory, but about restoring lost land!"

"During the reigns of Emperor Taizu and Emperor Chengzu, the Hetao region was still under the control of the Ming Dynasty and belonged to the Ming territory. Now it has simply been taken back. Is this considered territorial expansion? Emperor Taizu certainly said that we could not expand our territory further, but he did not say that we could not recover lost lands!"

Zhu Yin laughed and said, "General, you've hit the nail on the head. Gentlemen, taking back the Hetao region is not territorial expansion, and it does not violate the 'Imperial Ancestral Instructions of the Ming Dynasty.' If anyone denies our achievement in recovering the Hetao region, this is the principle we're talking about, and it will leave them speechless."

Everyone nodded, feeling much more at ease.

However, everyone knew that the Mongols would definitely send a delegation to the capital to use both soft and hard tactics to demand the 'return' of the Hetao region.

It is not impossible that Your Majesty and the court might abandon the Hetao region in order to appease the Mongol tribes and save trouble.

Zhu Yin sneered inwardly.

Recapturing the Hetao region may not be a meritorious achievement, but abandoning it is absolutely unacceptable.

This is his bottom line!

……

The next day, Zhu Yin ordered the construction of a monument to the fallen soldiers, where the soldiers who died in the Battle of Wuliangsuhai were buried, their names were inscribed on the monument, and he personally wrote a eulogy to commemorate them.

The monument to the martyrs stands on the west bank of Wuliangsuhai Lake. On the third day, Zhu Yin went to the ruins of the surrender city at Langshan Pass. Amidst the lush weeds and ancient tombs, he found the broken walls and ruins of the Tang Dynasty surrender city.

Zhu Yin personally set up an earthen altar to worship the soldiers of the Han and Tang dynasties who were stationed in the Hetao region, and wrote a poem:
"Outside Langshan Pass, the surrender city stands, gazing afar at the Five Mausoleums of Chang'an. The moon shines on the crumbling walls, casting Han shadows; frost falls on the broken steles, dreaming of Tang lamps. In the deep of night, the faint sounds of the Yellow River and Luo River dialect drift, while the high wind carries the faint sound of the Huqin. We offer sacrifices to the royal army once more, and present a pot of turbid wine to the ancient tombs."

On the fourth day, Zhu Yin and Qi Jiguang bid farewell, and the two officially separated their troops.

Qi Jiguang led 20,000 troops to garrison the Hetao Plain.

Zhu Yin led 6,000 cavalry and 12,000 infantry, a total of 18,000 men, and the captured Mongol nobles, across the Yellow River southward, through the Hetao Plateau, and south to Lingzhou!

At this time, many cities in Ningxia had fallen into the hands of the rebels, while Lingzhou, second only to Yinchuan, was still in the hands of the imperial court.

……

Zhu Yin led his army across the Hetao Plateau, and ten days later they arrived east of Yinchuan.

At this very moment, he received new intelligence.

The main force of the rebels was still besieging Lingzhou. Bo Bai and a small number of troops were stationed in Yinchuan. The rebels had initially gained the upper hand, but after receiving news from the Hetao region, their morale collapsed.

The 30,000 Mongol cavalrymen who were originally prepared to support the rebels no longer dared to continue supporting them.

The rebels were immediately thrown into a state of panic. Bo Bai and his son discussed whether to surrender, resist, or flee into Mongolia.

However, after receiving news from the Ordos region and the surrender letter from Mongol nobles such as Bosoktu, the 30,000 Mongol cavalrymen who had previously gone south to support the rebels lost their morale and fighting spirit. Only one 10,000-strong unit surrendered to the Ming army and was settled in Yansui by Ye Mengxiong, the governor of Gansu, after disarming.

The other two 10,000-strong units, knowing that the Hetao region had fallen into Ming hands and their leaders had been captured, still refused to surrender. Instead, they withdrew from Ningxia, crossed the Helan Mountains, and headed towards Qinghai and Mongolia.

Intelligence reports indicate that these two 10,000-strong units will not surrender, but will instead seek refuge with the Qinghai Mongols, attempting to merge with them.

Zhu Yin was not surprised at all. He had never expected that all 30,000 Mongol cavalrymen who had gone south to support the rebels would surrender.

However, only 10,000 people surrendered, which was lower than Zhu Yin's expectations. He had originally thought that at least half of them would surrender.

Zhu Yin relayed the intelligence to Bosoktu, who, along with other Mongol nobles, launched into a tirade of curses.

They never expected that despite tens of thousands of family members being captured and themselves and a group of leaders being taken prisoner, Zhuolitu and Sengzai would refuse to surrender and instead seek refuge with the Qinghai Mongols!

What does it mean?
This is disregarding the lives of the leader and his family, wanting to start anew and establish their own independent entity!

"Those two wolf cubs, Zhuoli Rabbit and Sengzai, got their heads touched by Maowusi! Ambition has burned away their reason!"

Boschko felt humiliated.

His subordinates disregarded their own safety and the letter urging them to surrender, not only refusing to surrender but also defecting to the Qinghai Mongols. This was a shameful betrayal!

Hao Yunlai whispered to Zhu Yin, "Brother Zhihu, when I cast the divination before, there were still ominous signs for this battle that had not yet appeared. The battle had gone smoothly before, so I thought I had made a mistake. But now that 20,000 Mongol cavalry have defected to Qinghai, isn't that ominous sign coming from here?"

Zhu Yin said noncommittally, "So what? The rebels have been cut off from their reinforcements and their situation is hopeless. General Qi is in charge of the Hetao region, and Ye Mengxiong has 30,000 to 40,000 troops in Ningxia to maintain the situation. Once our 18,000 reinforcements arrive, the rebels will collapse."

He knew, of course, that things had taken a dramatic turn, but the overall situation was still in his hands.

Zhu Yin led his army south along the east bank of the Yellow River, and soon they saw the magnificent city of Ningxia, Yinchuan, on the opposite bank of the mighty Yellow River!

At present, only a few thousand rebel troops are stationed in Yinchuan. The main force of the rebels, however, is attacking Lingzhou, where Ye Mengxiong is located.

Lingzhou was the last major stronghold of the Ming army in Ningxia. If Lingzhou were captured, the rebels would gain momentum and have a chance to turn the tide.

With over 30,000 troops under his command, and the rebels cut off from reinforcements and demoralized, Ye Mengxiong was not only able to defend Lingzhou but also launch a counterattack against the rebels.

Therefore, there is no need for my 18,000 troops to go to support Lingzhou. Instead, I should cross the Yellow River to the east and directly attack the rebel army's weak stronghold: Yinchuan!
Zhu Yin and Shang Yang stood on the high slope of the riverbank, looking across the river with binoculars, searching for the best crossing point.

The army carried a large number of sheepskin rafts, which was enough for crossing the river.

This is a bend in the Yellow River, where the water is relatively calm, but there are marshy areas along the riverbank, making it difficult for sheepskin rafts to launch.

Bo Bai couldn't possibly have such intelligence; he should only know now that he led his army south and arrived on the east bank, separated from Yinchuan by a river.

So, he has four choices.

One option was to send troops to defend the riverbank and prevent him from crossing. However, he only had a few thousand soldiers in Yinchuan, which was far from enough to defend the Yellow River.

Secondly, they prepared to defend Ningxia City to the death and sent people to recall the main force of the rebel army that was attacking Lingzhou.

Third, seeing that his reinforcements had been cut off and the situation was hopeless, he lost confidence and abandoned Ningxia City, fleeing to the border region!

Fourth, surrender.

The first possibility is impossible. So, will Bo Bai defend Ningxia City to the death, flee to the borderlands, or surrender directly?
With these thoughts swirling in his mind, Zhu Yin ordered his men to cross the river as quickly as possible, demanding that they must cross the Yellow River within two days.

However, in the afternoon, as the Ming army was preparing to cross the river, the north gate of Ningxia City on the opposite bank suddenly opened wide.

Thousands of cavalrymen roared northward.

Bobo indeed abandoned the tens of thousands of Ningxia Zhenhan troops who had rebelled with him, abandoned his stronghold of Ningxia City, and led his Mongol retainers to flee to the borderlands!
Ever since news of the Ming army's great victory at Wuliangsuhai came, Bo Bai and his son began to lose their courage.

If it weren't for the loss of 30,000 reinforcements and the arrival of Zhu Yin's army, Bo Bai and his son would still have been confident of continuing the fight.

But by this time, the reinforcements had either surrendered or fled; they had lost all hope. Before the Ming army could completely besiege Ningxia City, the best course of action was to flee!

"Cross the river quickly! Pursue Bo Bai!" Zhu Yin hurriedly gave the order.

Zhu Yin suddenly realized that with the enemy completely losing their will to fight, the battle was also very difficult to wage. This was because the enemy simply ran away, giving them no chance at all.

Zhu Yin almost cursed out loud.

Everyone was extremely anxious. If Bo Bai and his son were to leave, the merit of suppressing the rebellion would be greatly diminished, and it could not be considered a complete success.

Moreover, they might be attacked by court officials, turning merit into crime!

At this point, we must pursue them; not doing so would be tantamount to letting the enemy escape.

Soon, the latest intelligence came in.

Not only did Bo Bai and his son escape, but they also took Prince Qing's entire family with them!
A large group of people, including Prince Qing, his wife, the heir apparent, the prince, the princess, and officials of the royal palace, were all taken away by Bo Bai and his son.

Hostages.

Zhu Yin was utterly speechless upon receiving the news.

I just arrived with my army, and you old codger ran away without even fighting a single battle?

What if you win? I'm not some legendary general, what are you afraid of?

Zhu Yin already knew that Bo Bai and his son might escape. But the problem was, even if he guessed they would escape, there was nothing he could do. They have legs; if they want to run, what can he do?
Historically, Bo Bai and his son failed to escape because Ningxia City was later besieged by the Ming army. However, history has changed. The rebels' morale collapsed too quickly, and they fled on their own before the Ming army could even surround Ningxia City.

This left Zhu Yin completely bewildered. Without historical guidance, he suddenly lacked confidence in fighting.

By the time the Ming army crossed the Yellow River, Bo Bai and his son had already fled with Prince Qing's family for more than a day.

By all accounts, the rebels have already fled more than a hundred miles.

While sending orders to Lingzhou, Zhu Yin led the Ming army in pursuit of Bo Bai!
Intelligence indicates that Bo Bai has conscripted many warhorses to attack Lingzhou, leaving his cavalry with insufficient horses, so each man can only ride one horse.

A single rider on horseback is no faster than an infantryman on a long march.

With two cavalrymen each, they could still catch up!
To expedite the march, Bo Bai only took three thousand of his loyal retainers, all of whom were Mongol soldiers. Although their numbers were small, their fighting strength was formidable.

Zhu Yin and Li Rusong, brothers, led 6,000 cavalrymen in the first pursuit.

Hao Yunlai, Zheng Guowang, Xiong Tingbi, Qin Liangyu and others led 12,000 infantrymen and followed!

We absolutely cannot let Bo Bai and his son escape!

(End of this chapter)