Di Ming

Chapter 241 "The Ming Dynasty Will Surely Win!"

Outside the main hall, the wolf mane on the nine-stripe white banner billowed like waves in the desolate moonlight. As night fell, the bugles of Liangzhou City sounded softly.

Bo Bai tapped the table with his cane, and the bronze lampstand cast dancing shadows on everyone's faces.

The old Mongolian man, who had long been assimilated into Han culture, paused for a moment, waiting for the assembled generals to process his words, before continuing:
"The grain supplies in Hexi have now all been seized by our army. Zhu Yin's army can only rely on transporting grain supplies from Guanzhong and Hedong, which is a long journey. His decision to store all the grain supplies at Jincheng Pass was a last resort."

"Although Zhu Yin only has 20,000 cavalry, his army consists of elite soldiers, all fully armored. Our army is said to have over 80,000 men, with 40,000 cavalry, but less than half are armored. Moreover, Qi Jiguang is a renowned general with few defeats. This battle will be very difficult for our army; we must find the enemy's Achilles' heel. Where is it? It's right here!"

Bo Bai, as expected of a veteran general who had served the Ming court for decades, had a keen eye and was by no means an incompetent person.

"Jincheng Pass!" He tapped the location of Jincheng Pass on the sand table with his cane. "This! This is Zhu Yin's greatest weakness!"

"As long as we capture Jincheng Pass, Zhu Yin and Qi Jiguang will not only be cut off from food supplies, but their reinforcements will also be cut off. They will be imprisoned in Hexi and slowly worn down to death!"

The truth is that although most of the Mongol nobles disapproved of Bo Bai, they found his words quite reasonable.

Bo Bai's son, Bo Chengen, deliberately questioned, "Father, is it possible that Zhu Yin knew our army would target his supplies and would have laid an ambush beforehand?"

"Or perhaps Zhu Yin and Qi Jiguang, like my father, are eyeing our army's supplies? If so, how should our army respond?"

The reason he questioned it was because he knew his father already had the answer. He wanted his father to say it in public so that everyone would be more convinced of his father's strategy and respect his father as the Grand Tutor.

Upon hearing this, A-Yun and the others nodded in agreement. Indeed, capturing Jincheng Pass and cutting off Zhu Yin's supplies and rear was a brilliant plan, but what if Zhu Yin and Qi Jiguang had also foreseen this and set up an ambush?

It would be a real shame not to attack, since there aren't any better targets. But if we do attack, we're afraid it might be bait, and we'll fall into an ambush.

Bo Bai said without hesitation, "I have already guessed Zhu Yin's thoughts. He must think that I want to launch a surprise attack on Jincheng and cut off his supplies. He will definitely turn around and try to take our army's supplies as well."

"We'll first send an elite force to attack Jincheng Pass! We'll offer ourselves up to Zhu Yin to ambush us, but after this force, we'll have a second elite force!"

"Zhu Yin and Qi Jiguang probably never imagined that I would send two armies to attack Jincheng Pass one after the other! By the time his ambush surrounded our first elite force, our second elite force would have arrived. In that case, his ambush would be devoured by our two armies attacking from both inside and outside. What do you call that?"

Zhu Shuaixin immediately clapped his hands and said, "This is a counter-strategy! A scheme outside the game! Grand Tutor, what a brilliant plan! If Zhu Yin and Qi Jiguang could have foreseen our surprise attack on Jincheng Pass, their ambush would not have been able to withstand our two armies. If they couldn't have foreseen it, then there's no need to say more."

Bo Bai laughed and said, "There is a saying among the Han people, 'Use a plan against a plan,' so I will use a plan against a plan! Even if Zhu Yin sets up an ambush, it will be useless. Unless he can calculate that I will send two armies to launch a surprise attack on Jincheng from the front and the back."

"Furthermore, if he intends to launch a surprise attack on Ruian Fort, where our army stores grain, he is not afraid of my ambush, because the area around Ruian Fort is flat wasteland, which our army cannot ambush. In this way, Zhu Yin will surely feel at ease to launch a surprise attack on Ruian Fort, and will inevitably divide his troops."

Bo Bai then pointed to the location of Ryan Castle, saying, "I will give him this opportunity to send a large force to attack Ryan Castle, thus diverting his troops."

The truth finally spoke: "My dear Grand Tutor Bo Bai, your wisdom is like that of an elderly monk, and I cannot help but feel a deep respect for you. But what if the enemy really does capture Ruian Fort? Wouldn't that be too risky?"

Bo Bai laughed and said, "Of course we have to take risks. But how can we defeat such formidable enemies as Zhu Yin and Qi Jiguang without taking risks?"

Zhu Shuaixin chimed in, "The Grand Tutor's idea is to use our Ruian Fort to exchange for Zhu Yin's Jincheng Pass. Even if it's a one-for-one exchange, our army will still profit. If our army captures Jincheng Pass while Zhu Yin hasn't captured Ruian Fort yet, then our army will profit even more."

Bo Bai gave Zhu Shuaixin a very approving look. "Your Highness is absolutely right. We can afford to trade one for one, but Zhu Yin cannot. Even if we lose Ruian Fort, we can still abandon Liangzhou and retreat to Ganzhou. But Zhu Yin has no way to retreat after losing Jincheng Pass."

Zhu Shuaixin's ability to see through this gave Bo Bai even more confidence in the future of the Western Ming Dynasty.

Bo Bai suddenly stood up, his tall and strong body filled with a chilling fighting spirit.

"I have decided that this battle will be fought in six routes. I will personally lead the first route, with 10,000 Han soldiers and 3,000 cavalry to guard Liangzhou. Liangzhou is the emperor's temporary residence, and we must not abandon it unless absolutely necessary."

As the Grand Tutor of Ximing, in order to maintain control over Ximing, he would naturally remain in the "court" and would not easily take to the battlefield himself.

Bo Bai observed the expressions of the Mongol nobles, including those who had revealed the truth, and continued:
"The second 10,000 cavalry will set off in five days. Please have Ayun Taiji personally lead them to harass the Ming army heading north, keep them from having any peace, and exhaust them as much as possible."

"Yes, sir!" Ayun Taiji stood up to receive the order. He was a remnant of the Hetao Mongols. Previously, Boshuoketu had sent 30,000 cavalry south to support Bobai, but the empty Hetao stronghold was occupied by Zhu Yin and Qi Jiguang, and Boshuoketu was captured.

Zhu Yin instructed Boshuoketu to write letters to the 30,000 cavalry generals who had marched south to support Bo Bai, urging them to surrender to the Ming Dynasty. Only 10,000 surrendered; the remaining 20,000 refused. Without a master, they sought refuge with Huoluochi and Zhenxiang, leaders of the Western Mongol tribes.

Among the commanders of these 20,000 men was A-Yun.

Ayun initially joined forces with Huoluochi. However, Huoluochi personally led 10,000 cavalrymen to a major defeat in the Tengger Desert, and Huoluochi was also killed by Zhu Yin with an arrow.

Having lost her master once again, A-Yun simply sought refuge with Bo Bai and Prince Qing this time.

Bo Bai promised that, given the opportunity, he would help him reclaim his homeland, the Hetao Grassland, and restore the Ordos tribe. Thus, Ayun wholeheartedly supported Bo Bai, becoming Bo Bai's most trusted Mongol nobleman. His ten thousand Ordos cavalry became a crucial asset for Bo Bai.

Bo Bai and his son had no daughters to marry. In order to win over A Yun, Bo Bai even arranged for the noble princess, Princess Helan, the sister of Crown Prince Zhu Shuaixin and now the Princess of Liangzhou, to marry A Yun.

In this way, A-Yun became the so-called Imperial Son-in-Law Commandant, and became even more devoted to serving Ximing and Bo Bai.

Ayun did not resist Bo Bai's orders at all. He stood up, the gilded saber at his waist clanging against his chainmail, and declared in a firm tone:

"My warhorse will charge through the shadows of the enemy, leaving Zhu Yin and Qi Jiguang exhausted like battered rams! When they see the banners of the Grand Tutor and the Heavenly Mandate Khan (Prince Qing), they will tremble with despair."

Bo Bai then looked at Zhen Cheng, the most powerful among the Mongol nobles.

He patted his chest and said, “Truthful Taiji, hero whose fame resounds throughout the Western Sea, valiant member of the Golden Family, I, as the Grand Tutor of the Ming Dynasty, request that you be appointed as the Grand General, leading your 15,000 cavalry to fight Zhu Yin head-on. This is the central army. Ayun’s 10,000 cavalry will also cooperate with you.”

The truth is that the enemy is the strongest, so Bo Bai appointed him as the Grand General to confront Zhu Yin head-on. With A Yun's cooperation, they have 25,000 cavalry in the front.

“Very well, Grand Tutor, as you wish.” Zhenxiang said, patting his chest. “I, Zhenxiang Taiji, am the one who respects the elderly the most.”

The implication is that he was only willing to obey Bo Bai's orders because Bo Bai was an elder.

Actually, that's not the case.

Whether it's the truth or Huo Luochi being shot and killed by Zhu Yin, as a great noble family of the Western Sea Mongols, they were certainly not content with merely herding livestock in the Western Sea.

They had always coveted the wealthy Han lands, hoping to acquire more children and wealth.

Over the years, they have constantly raided and plundered Longxi and Hexi. But this time, when Bo Bai rebelled against the Ming, although they expressed their support, they did not send troops in large numbers like the Mongols of the Ordos region.

What changed their attitude was Zhu Yin's initiative to venture beyond the Great Wall and occupy the Hetao grasslands where Genghis Khan's Eight White Chambers were located! When the news reached the Western Mongolian region, Huoluochi and Zhenxiang immediately decided to send troops. Because of the actions of Zhu Yin and Qi Jiguang, they understood that they had to unite and strike first.

Only by uniting can we prevent the Ming army from seizing Xihai as they did Hetao. On the contrary, we may have the opportunity to carve up the west and even occupy Guanzhong.

Bo Bai promised that in the future, the entire Hexi and Longxi regions could be given to them!
After Huo Luochi's defeat and death, Zhenxiang once considered retreating back to Xihai. However, Bo Bai told him that Zhu Yin would not let the Xihai Mongols go and that he should not let Zhu Yin defeat them one by one.

Therefore, the truth dictates that we must see this through to the end.

In order to win over Zhenxiang, Bo Bai had the "Heavenly Mandate Emperor" bestow upon Zhenxiang the title of Prince of Xihai and Grand Commander of the Left Army Commandery.

The truth, in a hoarse voice, said, “Those armored barbarians have been hiding behind the battlements like marmots! Now, if they dare to come out, I will send my iron cavalry across the Qilian Mountains, like the quicksand on the north bank of the Yellow River, to devour their courage and turn their heads into blood-drinking bowls.”

"Mongolian warriors will show even enemies who can't even keep their feet firmly on the stirrups what true cavalry is."

Seeing the truth, Bo Bai obeyed the military order and breathed a sigh of relief.

He looked intently at Ma Huaizhong, the Han general, and said, "Marquis Zhuanglang, your 10,000 Han troops will be the first force to raid Jincheng Pass. They will depart in five days. Don't worry, even if they are surrounded by enemy ambush troops, as long as you hold out for half a day, reinforcements will arrive."

Ma Huaizhong stood up and said, "This subordinate obeys the order!"

He was originally a guerrilla commander in the Ming army. Half a month ago, he killed a deputy commander in response to Bo Bai's call, demonstrating his loyalty. His several thousand soldiers were considered elite. Bo Bai trusted him greatly, replenishing his troops to ten thousand and bestowing upon him the title of marquis.

This time, he led 10,000 Han troops to launch a surprise attack on Jincheng Pass, which was of course a tactic of turning the tables on Bo Bai, exposing Zhu Yin's ambush if Zhu Yin had indeed set up an ambush.

Bo Bai then looked at Hun'ertu Taiji of Dasong Mountain and Bahai Taiji of Xiaosong Mountain.

"My two Taijis, please lead 12,000 cavalrymen and keep half a day's journey behind Ma Huaizhong, one in front and one behind! You will detour around the Great Wall and enter the pass from the north of Zhuanglangwei, but do not take the same route as Ma Huaizhong. When Ma Huaizhong is ambushed, attack the ambush troops. If there are no ambush troops, then attack Jincheng Pass together with Ma Huaizhong."

Hun'ertu immediately stood up: "Your Excellency Grand Tutor, when the vultures sweep across the Great Wall for the third time, my horse's hooves will shatter the bells and drums of Jincheng Pass!"

Bahai's Mongolian roar was like muffled thunder: "The warhorses of the Mongolian warriors will flatten the folds of the Zhuanglang River Valley! A sandstorm will appear beneath Jincheng Pass!"

The Mongols of the Greater and Lesser Songshan Mountains have always been restless. This time, their military expedition is not only for self-defense, but also for their ambition to seize control of the Han-dominated northwest.

They knew very well that only by uniting under the banner of the Mandate of Heaven Emperor could they have a chance to establish a separatist regime in the Northwest.

Now, they are all governors of the puppet Ming dynasty and have been granted the title of duke.

Bo Bai finally looked at the surrendered Ming general Wang Gan and said, "Lord Zhangye, please lead 20,000 Han troops to garrison Ruian Fort and protect the army's supplies. Unless Jincheng Pass has been captured by our army, you must defend Ruian Fort to the death."

"Yes, sir!" Wang Gan, who had been granted the title of Duke of Zhangye, immediately accepted the order. "As long as I am here, Ruian Fort will stand! Even if I am shattered to pieces, I will not allow the false Ming to occupy Ruian Fort!"

Bo Bai nodded and said, "The Han army is good at defense, so Ruian Fort will be handed over to the Duke of Zhangye. Most of the army's gunpowder and cannons will be allocated to you."

He trusted Wang Gan completely. Wang Gan was originally the deputy commander stationed in Zhenfan. He took the initiative to kill the commander, opened the city gate to let him in, and led five thousand elite troops to surrender to him.

He not only killed the commander, but also took the initiative to capture Liangzhou and behead the Gansu inspector in Liangzhou. His pledge of loyalty was heavy, and there was no way out.

Therefore, after Bo Bai incorporated the surrendered Ming troops, he gave Wang Gan 20,000 elite Han troops and appointed him as the Duke of Zhangye and Minister of War.

Wang Gan was determined to defect because the previous Gansu General had humiliated his wife, leading to her suicide. Wang Gan complained to the governor and the imperial inspector, but they had received bribes from them and ignored his accusations.

The commander also reprimanded him for being nosy.

Upon Bo Bai's arrival, he immediately rebelled in response. The soldiers of Zhenfanwei were often in arrears with their rations and pay, unable to support their wives, and even had their cotton-padded clothes withheld in the dead of winter, resulting in many freezing to death or suffering from frostbite.

The court didn't treat them like human beings, so they simply joined Wang Gan in rebellion.

Only after assigning Wang Gan his tasks was Bo Bai's plan complete.

Bo Bai truly lived up to his reputation as a seasoned and experienced general. His entire set of tactics was both orthodox and unorthodox, combining feints and real attacks, and coordinating infantry and cavalry. The deployment of troops was also very prudent and appropriate.

No one can find fault with it.

Bo Bai said, "Zhu Yin and Qi Jiguang will definitely divide their forces, at least into three routes. Our army will use one route to block, one route to hold the line, and one route to launch a surprise attack. As long as one route is effective, we can combine our forces for a decisive battle!"

With over 80,000 troops divided into six routes, isn't that too scattered?

of course not.

Given the current terrain and situation, dividing their forces is actually the best strategy. Their main force is cavalry, which is highly mobile. If they achieve victory on one front, they can quickly regroup their forces.

Hearing Bo Bai's words, everyone's confidence grew even stronger.

Bo Bai concluded, “The outcome of this battle will determine the fate of the Northwest. If we can decisively defeat Zhu Yin, our army will be able to reach Guanzhong within the year. At that time, we will support His Majesty in ascending the throne in Chang'an. What more could we possibly want? If we are defeated, not only will we lose Hexi, but our lives and property will also be in danger. I urge you all to prioritize the overall situation and give it your all!”

"Even if we are not victorious for the time being, as long as we can establish a foothold in Hexi, heroes from all over the country will surely come to join us, and we can recruit 100,000 new soldiers in less than a year!"

At this point, Bo Bai raised his arm and shouted, "The Ming Dynasty will surely win!"

The Mongol and Han generals in the main hall shouted in unison with strange expressions, "The Great Ming will surely win!"

The atmosphere in the entire lobby was eerie.

The Mongol and Han soldiers outside, upon hearing the announcement from inside that "the Ming Dynasty will surely win," exchanged bewildered glances.

They felt something was wrong, but couldn't quite put their finger on it.

After all, the current emperor of Liangzhou is also known as the Emperor of the Great Ming Dynasty, and the country is also called the Great Ming Dynasty.

What exactly is wrong?
Zhu Shuaixin suddenly stood up and said, "Grand Tutor! I humbly request permission to go into battle! Please grant me five thousand men, and I am willing to join General Zhenxiang and General Ayun in a direct confrontation with the false Ming!"

P.S.: I broke my promise today; something came up unexpectedly, so I'll have to post a long chapter tomorrow. I was originally going to go straight to the war today, but I suddenly felt it was too hasty. I should have focused on the pseudo-Ming faction and described the rebel army's tactics. After all, I've been writing about the Ningxia campaign for so long, and it's almost over, so I need to bring it to a close. Tomorrow I'll definitely finish the major battle in a long chapter. Thank you to all my readers who have supported me; please vote, subscribe, and leave reviews. Goodnight!

(End of this chapter)