Di Ming

Chapter 249 Heaven has forsaken me! Heaven has forsaken me!
The group quickly came up with an idea: to bring the bodies back to the camp and then give them a proper burial.

In this way, the bodies wouldn't stay outside the camp for too long, and there would be no need to use a large number of people in the camp to bury them. By the time the large contingent of Mongol cavalry arrived, all the bodies had been taken back.

Immediately, Li Rusong's cavalry marched out of the camp to drive away the Mongol cavalry harassing the area. The Mongol cavalry harassing the camp numbered only three thousand and dared not confront Li Rusong's army head-on, so they had no choice but to leave temporarily, while simultaneously informing the camp of the truth.

After driving away the Mongol cavalry, Zhu Yin immediately ordered 10,000 infantrymen to be dispatched to urgently transport the corpses from the camp.

The bodies of the rebel soldiers and their horses were all carried back to the main camp. The whole process took less than a quarter of an hour.

By the time more than 10,000 Mongol cavalrymen arrived in force, the Ming army had already returned to their camp, and all the men and horses outside were gone.

Burying the corpses couldn't have been done so quickly, especially the bodies of thousands of warhorses; they were difficult to bury. The Mongol cavalry weren't stupid, and they quickly realized that the enemy had carried all the bodies back to their camp.

Moving a body is certainly much faster than burying it.

The truth is, Taiji's plan was so easily foiled.

The news brought back the truth, and only then did he realize that his seemingly vicious plan was actually worthless. Not only had he played the villain for nothing, but he had also become a laughingstock.

All the corpses were transported back to the Ming army camp. The bodies of the rebel soldiers were immediately buried in pits, but the usable armor and weapons were left behind.

As for the dead horses, their internal organs were removed, and the horse meat was cut off. The horse meat was then distributed to the soldiers, and the rest was buried.

All the horse meat was cut up. The carcasses were also buried in deep pits. Each large pit was half a meter deep, and the soil on top was firmly packed down to mask the stench of the dead.

It only took a little over an hour to deal with the corpses of several thousand dead people and several thousand dead horses.

Moreover, each soldier in the Ming army was given dozens of kilograms of horse meat, and they ate a hearty meal that day.

The entire camp was filled with the aroma of horse meat.

When the Mongol nobles heard the truth, they were even more frustrated.

In the following days, Zhenzhen no longer engaged in direct combat with the Ming army, but instead constantly harassed them with cavalry, making a racket of gongs and drums outside the camp all night long.

As the days went by, the Ming army was increasingly annoyed by the harassment, and the hot weather only exacerbated their suffering.

For a time, the two armies were locked in a stalemate. The Ming army had successfully tied down the main force of the rebel cavalry, thus achieving its objective.

The truth awaits reinforcements from the Western Sea, while Zhu Yin and Qi Jiguang await news from Ruian Fort and Jincheng Pass.

Zhu Shuaixin, on the other hand, sent people back to Liangzhou several times to report the news and began to make arrangements for an escape route.

.........

Leaving aside the confrontation between Zhu Yin and the truth, let's just talk about Jincheng Pass, which is now in dire straits.

As the sun set, the area outside the city gates had become a swamp of blood. Broken wolf banners lay submerged in piles of corpses, and wounded warhorses, dragging their entrails, whimpered across the battlefield, treading on thick, sticky blood.

The smell of burnt flesh, the strong stench of blood, and the smoke of gunpowder permeated the area for miles. Dust from gunpowder drifted through the barbican of Jincheng Pass, lingering like a thick fog that stung people's throats.

The rebel army attacking Jincheng Pass was defeated once again.

As the last ray of light was swallowed by the blood mist, only two sounds remained: the continuous gongs and commands from the city gate, and the muffled groans of wounded Mongol soldiers as they were finished off.

Xiao Ruxun stepped on the blood-soaked bricks, thick blood still dripping from the tip of her spear. Today's bloody battle had killed or wounded over seven hundred soldiers, but they had slain over a thousand enemy troops.

The corpses, their faces shattered by musket fire, their lungs burned through by poison fire, their internal organs shredded by swords and spears, were slowly stiffening in the twilight.

Despite its name, Jincheng Pass is not an easy place to defend; it has geographical disadvantages and its walls are not high. Its only advantage is that it facilitates the transport of grain and supplies.

The imperial court once ordered the repair of Jincheng Pass. However, most of the allocated funds were embezzled, resulting in a perfunctory repair. This led to numerous defensive vulnerabilities in Jincheng Pass, making it impossible to repair in a short period of time.

Perhaps the imperial court did not expect that one day the entire Hexi region would fall, and thus neglected the importance of Jincheng Pass, which was left in disrepair for a long time.

This greatly increased the difficulty for Xiao Ruxun in defending the city.

The low city walls and the wide, flat southern suburbs allowed Mongol cavalry to easily participate in the siege and shoot down the defending soldiers.

The high, rugged northeastern plateau facilitated the enemy infantry's assault on the city. The enemy cavalry and infantry coordinated their attacks, launching a fierce and relentless offensive.

Xiao Ruxun's 8,000-strong garrison has held out here for seven days. In order to load the grain onto the ships and to repel the enemy's repeated attacks on the city, he has already paid the price of more than 3,000 casualties.

The rebel army, numbering 22,000 infantry and cavalry, suffered no fewer than 8,000 casualties.

The rebel army still had 14,000 men available, but he only had 4,000 to 5,000 men and was also responsible for transporting grain onto ships, so he was already in a precarious situation.

Both sides fought a bloody battle for seven days, with no way to retreat and determined to fight to the death. While the rebel army had no way out, the Ming army also demonstrated great resilience.

Xiao Ruxun stood atop the city wall, clad in armor, gazing at the shimmering Zhuanglang River; her silhouette resembled a stone statue.

If the rebel army fights to the death and refuses to retreat, he can only hold out for another seven or eight days at most. If reinforcements do not arrive after seven or eight days, Jincheng Pass will fall.

Even a single soldier knows what it would mean if Jincheng Pass fell.

"Pass on my orders." Xiao Ruxun's voice rang out slowly, hoarse and deep.

"All the 'fire dragons emerging from the water' rockets in the city were placed at the water gates and tied to the floating rafts to protect the civilians loading grain ships."

"The river must be under our control. Tonight, all one hundred-plus boats must be fully loaded and set off immediately."

...

Several miles outside Jincheng Pass, the bandit camp, along with Hunertu and Bahai, the Taijis of the Greater and Lesser Songshan Mountains, and Ma Huaizhong, the Han general, all watched the smoke-filled pass.

The faces of the men were ashen.

Seven days of bloody battle have passed. The army has suffered eight thousand casualties, yet it still cannot capture the not particularly strategic Jincheng Pass!
For the past seven days, they have tried every possible method, but they still have no way to get rid of Xiao Ruxun.

If they continue fighting like this, even if they capture Jincheng Pass, their losses will be unbearable.

Ma Huaizhong was a local general from Gansu, and he understood the weaknesses of Jincheng Pass better than the Mongols. In his view, Jincheng Pass was dilapidated, its walls were crumbling, and he also had firearms, making it actually quite easy to attack.

But to my surprise, Xiao Ruxun was so difficult to deal with. With only this small force, she managed to defend the Jincheng Pass, which was riddled with weaknesses.

Hun'ertu stared at the figure on the city gate with murderous intent, gritting his teeth and saying, "So many people have died, we can't give up. I must take Jincheng Pass, cut off Xiao Ruxun's head, and make it into a chamber pot!"

Ma Huaizhong remained silent, but his expression was one of deep worry.

He was very worried!

If they lose this battle and lose Hexi, the Mongols can simply flee back to the grasslands, but what about these Han generals who rebelled against the Beijing court? They can't just go to the grasslands with the Mongols, can they?

Even if someone is willing to accept it, wouldn't that mean we're still at their mercy, living under their roof? What can we do?
We must win this battle no matter what!
Looking at the Zhuanglang River, Ma Huaizhong couldn't help but feel deeply moved.

His current title is "Marquis of Zhuanglang," but it's uncertain how long he can hold that title.

As Ma Huaizhong was pondering, a personal guard hurried over, handed him a letter, and whispered, "My lord, it's a letter from His Highness the Crown Prince."

"Your Highness the Crown Prince?" Ma Huaizhong was quite surprised. He had no relationship with the Crown Prince and was not one of his men. Why would the Crown Prince write him a letter?

Ma Huaizhong curiously opened the letter and his expression immediately became extremely strange.

He put down the letter and couldn't help but look westward. West of the Hexi Corridor lay the Western Regions!

Ma Huaizhong was surprised, but suddenly became a little excited.

A true man should strive for merit and fame! His Highness the Crown Prince's suggestion might actually be feasible and a good way out.

Looking at Jincheng Pass again at this moment, Ma Huaizhong's state of mind has changed.

He had previously been determined to capture Jincheng Pass at all costs, but now his resolve had wavered.

“His Highness the Crown Prince is truly a young hero; perhaps he is destined to be a wise ruler,” Ma Huaizhong murmured, as he used a tinderbox to burn the letter to ashes.

……

Qilian Mountains, Riyue Pass.

As the sun set, the fierce shouts of battle finally fell silent once more.

The Ming army once again repelled the Tatar cavalry from the Western Sea grasslands.

Xiong Tingbi, his armor stained with blood, sat exhausted in the valley, leaning on his sword, a relaxed smile on his heroic face.

His smile grew wider and wider, and suddenly he burst into laughter.

"Hahaha!"

His loud laughter echoed through the valley, reverberating in waves.

The remaining one or two thousand Ming soldiers looked at Xiong Tingbi, wondering why their general had suddenly burst into laughter.

Before Xiong Tingbi's smile had faded, he suddenly stood up and pointed to the boundless peaks to the west, saying:
"The rebel reinforcements number no less than ten thousand, at least three times our strength. They have been attacking Sun and Moon Valley for so many days, suffering no less than four thousand casualties, yet they still cannot cross the line! But they still refuse to retreat. Are they going to die here in the Qilian Mountains?"

"What reason would they have to fight to the death for the false Ming and the truth? I bet they will retreat, and our army can finally rest for a few days!"

What? The rebel army has retreated? The Ming soldiers looked at each other, somewhat incredulous.

This bandit reinforcement force from the Western Sea Grasslands numbered at least ten thousand. Among them, no fewer than three thousand were armored.

They fought fiercely for many days, suffering heavy casualties. However, their own force of over three thousand soldiers also lost nearly half of their strength.

At this juncture, the bandits have given up?
But Xiong Tingbi said, "They originally looked down on the royal army, but today they are terrified. They have lost all hope in the false Ming and the truth. Therefore, I predict that they will definitely retreat!"

No sooner had Xiong Tingbi finished speaking than a desolate horn sounded from the west of the valley.

When the Ming soldiers climbed to a high point, they saw that the large band of rebels was retreating like a tide and never returning. They were going further and further away, even abandoning the high ground they had previously captured.

The rebel army indeed retreated!

Ming scouts immediately went to investigate and finally confirmed that the enemy reinforcements had indeed withdrawn. The heavy losses and slim chances of victory led them to retreat regardless of the cost.

Xiong Tingbi said, "Issue the order to rest on the spot for two days and speed up the construction of stone blocks at the valley entrance to prepare to block the truth from escaping back to the West Sea!"

He turned to look north, where Ruian Fort and Liangzhou were located.

The key now lies in whether Qin Liangyu has captured Ruian Fort. If Ruian Fort is captured, the entire battle situation will be completely settled!

Xiong Tingbi had anticipated their inevitable retreat, but he was unaware that the bandit reinforcements he was blocking were the strongest of the three, numbering 12,000 men, with over 3,000 armored soldiers.

The other two groups of bandit reinforcements attacking Lenglongling Pass and Dadoubagu Pass were much weaker in both number and armor than this group.

Therefore, Li Rubai, who guarded Lenglongling Pass, and Luo Shangzhi, who guarded Dadoubagu Pass, successfully blocked the enemy reinforcements.

Li Rubai, at the Lenglongling Pass, was also exhausted.

"Young General," the head servant suddenly pointed west, "the enemy army has retreated! It seems they've withdrawn."

What? Really? Li Rubai couldn't believe it.

“They really have withdrawn their troops back to the Western Sea. I saw it clearly,” Bai Chang said.

Li Rubai still didn't believe it, but when he ran up to a high place, he saw a Tibetan fox face and was immediately overjoyed.

"Good, good, good!" Li Rubai stamped his foot happily, "The enemy army has retreated! The enemy army has retreated!"

Suddenly, he felt something was wrong with his feet. He looked down at his leather shoes and found that they were cracked.

Li Rubai sighed, his joy fading slightly. He could only take off the once exquisite leather shoes and have his personal guards put them away.

The guard said with a smile, "Young General, these shoes are so extraordinary. The soles have been glued back on and they're still wearable. The uppers and soles are in excellent condition."

Li Rubai nodded approvingly upon hearing this, and the Tibetan fox's face was full of satisfaction.

Then, he took out a pair of boots, put them on, and ordered, "Although the enemy has retreated, we must not be careless! We shall rest and recuperate on the spot!"

.........

Ryan Castle.

The defending general, Wang Gan, has been holding out for nine days with 20,000 Han troops.

Not only could he defend the city steadily, but he also had the capacity to transport grain to Zhenxiang and Ma Huaizhong via the Zamu River. Moreover, he served as a shield for Liangzhou, protecting the "capital." Bo Bai had not misjudged Wang Gan; he was indeed a talented general.

The 20,000-strong army led by Qin Liangyu, Chen Lin, and Zhang Jiong was unable to capture Ruian Fort.

However, the Ming army's attacks were not fierce; there were constant skirmishes but no major battles. It seemed that they were trying to preserve their strength and dared not attack fortified cities.

They also knew that with only 20,000 men, it would be difficult to capture Ryan Castle, which was defended by 20,000 men, or even to completely besiege Ryan Castle.

However, Wang Gan had no intention of launching an attack on the Ming army outside the city. Although both armies numbered 20,000 men, he was well aware that his troops were no match for the enemy.

His task was simply to hold Ryan Castle. Ryan Castle had enough provisions to supply an army of 100,000 for two or three months, and as long as Ryan Castle did not fall, the situation would not get out of control.

However, Wang Gan dared not relax at all; not only did he not dare to relax, he also couldn't sleep soundly.

The Ming army's siege was rather perfunctory. They not only failed to invest heavily in the siege, but they also failed to seize the waterways and ships.

The elite border troops should not be like this.

Is it really because the opposing commander is a woman, too soft-hearted, unable to bear casualties, and afraid to fight a tough battle?
Or rather, what are they waiting for?
Wang Gan couldn't help but feel uneasy. Just as he was pondering what tricks Qin Liangyu might be up to, he received a letter.

A letter from the main force camp.

The person who wrote the letter was none other than Crown Prince Zhu Shuaixin!

After reading the letter, Wang Gan remained silent for a long time.

...

In the central command tent of the Ming army camp outside the city, Qin Liangyu, Chen Lin, and Zhang Jiong were standing beside the sand table.

Qin Liangyu was tall and fit, dressed in a white suit of bright silver armor, and radiant with a beauty that made people afraid to look directly at her.

"Today is the ninth day; it's time for a real siege."

"The military supervisor sent by Bo Bai has arrived at Ruian Fort."

Chen Lin laughed and said, "After waiting for so many days, we have finally received the supervisor sent by the pseudo-Ming. It is a pity that Bo Bai and Wang Gan do not know that this supervisor is a person from the imperial court."

"Wang Gan is skilled in military command and city defense, a true general. It's a pity he wasn't given important positions by the court; he was just a guerrilla commander before. Without an inside man, it would have been almost impossible to capture Ruian Fort."

Zhang Jiong said, "Although we have found an inside agent, this agent does not have any directly subordinate troops, so it is really not easy to get him to open the city gate."

Qin Liangyu shook her head: "Mr. Zhihu's use of spies is meticulous and far-sighted. How could it be so simple? I suspect that there must be other accomplices among the rebels in the city."

"However, this inside man may be of low rank and few soldiers, and cannot handle the situation alone. He needs the cooperation of the supervising officer to open up Ruian Fort."

"In short, now that we have received the signal, we should prepare to attack the city tonight."

"The commander has tied down the main force of the enemy in the south, which makes it easier for us to take Ruian Fort. If we miss this opportunity, it will be difficult once the main force of the enemy returns to reinforce it."

...

into the night.

Disturbed, Wang Gan hastily received the military supervisor from Liangzhou, introduced the supervisor to the generals, apologized, and then personally went to inspect the city gates.

After the military supervisor met with the generals, he spoke some polite words on behalf of the Grand Tutor and the Emperor, and then went to his tent to rest.

The military supervisor was over forty years old. He was originally a secretary in Bo Bai's household and was highly trusted by Bo Bai. Now that the Western Ming Dynasty had been established, he was also appointed as the Grand Censor.

Seeing that there were no outsiders in the tent, one of his young attendants immediately said:
"Liu He, tonight it all depends on you. We spent a lot of money to get you here to supervise the army in Ruian. We've said so much before, you absolutely can't mess this up. If you can't take Ruian Fort, the lives of your family in Longxi... they're all relatives of traitors."

"If you take Ryan Castle, your money will be paid as usual, your family and clan will be safe, and you will be innocent and meritorious. This is your only chance, so don't go back on your word at the last minute."

After the young attendant finished speaking, he picked up a cup of tea and looked at Liu He with a cold gaze.

As a key agent of Tiger Fang, he had long since resorted to any means necessary. What did it matter if it was clandestine, as long as he could accomplish his defection and intelligence missions?
"I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare!" Liu He said with a forced smile. "I am loyal to the court. Bo Bai and Prince Qing are both traitors. I didn't even have time to abandon the darkness and embrace the light, how could I go back on my word? Even if it weren't for my family's lives and gold and silver, I would still serve the court and swear to kill the traitors!"

Even then, he still thought the other party was a member of the Imperial Guard. As for Tiger Fang and Records Office, he had never heard of them.

Liu He glanced at the "attendant's" expression and cautiously continued, "However, although I am the military supervisor of Ruian Fort and have met with the generals, I do not have my own troops..."

The young attendant laughed and said, "It was prepared for you long ago. Commander Zhao Ji is also a man of the imperial court; he has five hundred soldiers."

“Sir, five hundred men?” Liu He frowned. “Is that... enough? Ruian Fort is a fortified city with both inner and outer walls.”

The other party's smile was sinister: "Of course it wouldn't be enough. But with you as the supervising officer, it will be sufficient."

"As the military supervisor, you also have the authority to deploy and mobilize troops. As long as you use your authority as the military supervisor to issue an order for the change of garrisons, and then let Commander Zhao guard Jing'an Tower, then the matter can be accomplished."

Liu He nodded and said, "But won't Wang Gan become suspicious?"

The attendant shook his head. "You are the military supervisor, and a trusted old confidant of Bo Bai. Wang Gan is just a surrendered general who recently joined Bo Bai. What right does he have to suspect you? On the contrary, you have the right to suspect him."

Upon reflection, Liu He realized that this was indeed the case, and he couldn't help but feel a chill at the other party's cunning.

Secret agents of the Embroidered Uniform Guard are truly terrifying.

So Liu He then inspected the checkpoints under the guise of being a military supervisor, pretending to examine them carefully, as if he were nitpicking.

Immediately afterward, Liu He consulted with Wang Gan on a perfunctory basis and then ordered a change of garrisons. The defense zones of all the generals were readjusted, the reason being to prevent anyone from colluding with the enemy.

Wang Gan was immediately displeased.

Are the Grand Tutor and the Emperor doubting me?
Although he was displeased, Wang Gan had no doubts whatsoever. He knew very well that if he opposed Liu He at this moment, he would only confirm Liu He's suspicions about him.

Then, the Grand Tutor and the Emperor would become suspicious of him.

Seeing that Liu He's arrangements were without fault, Wang Gan pretended to agree with them.

"Bang, bang, bang—" the watchman's gong sounded from the army barracks, announcing, "It's the third watch; be careful with fire..."

Wang Gan returned to his tent, but instead of feeling sleepy, he opened the Crown Prince's letter again and read it once more.

Unexpectedly, the Crown Prince, at only fifteen years old, possessed such foresight and courage. If the Wanli Emperor in Beijing had had the Crown Prince's abilities, the Ming Dynasty might have been a completely different place.

He knew very well that if they won this battle, the imperial court could gain a foothold in the northwest and successfully establish a separatist regime if it occupied Hexi for a year.

It's still a situation similar to that of the Western Xia. There's even a possibility of them conquering the entire country.

But what if we lose this battle...

Wang Gan paced back and forth under the lampstand, lost in thought. The shadow cast on the curtain looked somewhat eerie.

Just then, three loud cannon shots rang out from outside, followed by shouts of battle!
Qin Liangyu attacked the city in the middle of the night? How could that be?

Wang Gan rushed out and was immediately stunned. How could he not know what had happened?
Something's happened at Jing'an Gate! Someone is an enemy mole who opened one of the city gates!
"Quickly! Block Jing'an Gate!" Wang Gan shouted sharply, sword in hand. "Hurry!"

But it was too late. The well-prepared White-Spear Army fiercely charged into Jing'an Gate, and the defending troops were no match for them. In the blink of an eye, over a thousand White-Spear Army soldiers had stormed in and completely occupied Jing'an Gate, with the Ming army surging in like a tidal wave.

Wang Gan reacted extremely quickly. He knew that his 20,000 men were no match for the enemy's 20,000 troops, and now that the city had fallen, it was impossible to hold it.

So he immediately led his five thousand most elite troops, opened the Zhen'an Gate in the north, and fled overnight!

Of the remaining 15,000 bandits, some were still putting up a spontaneous resistance, while others were running around like headless flies. Some set fires in their panic, while others fled.

The city of Ruian was in complete chaos.

This chaos, ironically, provided cover for Wang Gan, who successfully led 5,000 men out of the city. Many of the fleeing rebels also followed Wang Gan.

Wang Gan fled several miles, and had already gathered seven or eight thousand remaining soldiers around him. Looking back at the burning city of Ruian, he couldn't help but sigh and tears streamed down his face.

The city of Ruian fell in less than a month after it was garrisoned.

With the loss of Ruian Fort, the main force of the Truth Army will undoubtedly be defeated as well, and Liangzhou will be indefensible. The entire Hexi region will be lost forever.

Right now, the only option is to follow the Crown Prince's wishes, head north to Suzhou, meet at Jiayuguan, and together cross the pass to conquer the Western Regions!

"Pass on my orders!" Wang Gan roared, "Go directly to Suzhou! I have a secret decree from His Highness the Crown Prince!"

Meanwhile, Qin Liangyu stormed into Ruian City, suppressing the rebel army while simultaneously fighting the fire. She couldn't afford to pursue Wang Gan. Besides, being primarily an infantry unit, it would be difficult for her to catch him.

Although the rescue was timely, half of the grain supplies were still reduced to ashes. Fortunately, half remained, enough for the Hexi army to use for two months.

When news of Qin Liangyu's capture of Ruian Fort spread, the morale of the rebel armies in various regions immediately collapsed.

The first to receive the news was Liangzhou, which is closest to Ruian Fort.

"Heaven has forsaken me! Heaven has forsaken me!" Upon receiving this devastating news, the Heavenly Emperor couldn't help but wail a few times before immediately fainting.

Grand Tutor Bo Bai was on horseback at the time. Upon hearing the news, he was so shocked that he fell off his horse. Coupled with his old age and frailty, he broke his leg.

The entire Liangzhou court was thrown into chaos.

In the main camp of the rebel army, the first to receive the news was not the truth, but Prince Ximing.

Because Zhu Shuaixin was afraid that Ruianbao might be lost, he had been closely monitoring news about Ruianbao.

Zhu Shuaixin received the news the following afternoon.

His worst fears have finally come true.

Zhu Shuaixin wanted to roar three times in anger; he was so frustrated he felt like he was going to vomit blood.

It's over! Hexi is finished! The tide has turned, the tide has turned!

Screw Wanli! You won this time!
He had no intention of telling the truth. He immediately notified his brother-in-law, Ayun, while ordering his remaining three thousand Han soldiers to prepare to return to Liangzhou.

When Ayun received the news, she was stunned.

"Your Highness, what do you suggest we do?" A-Yun was at a loss. "I told you, I'll listen to you from now on."

"Western Expedition!" Zhu Shuaixin grabbed Ayun's arm. "Brother-in-law, to tell you the truth, half a month ago, I suggested that the Grand Tutor and Father Emperor issue an edict to conscript 100,000 able-bodied men from Ganzhou and Suzhou to collect all the grain and fodder from the military farms in the two places, under the pretext of building the Jiayuguan Great Wall!"

"By now, the 100,000 able-bodied men and the provisions must be east of Jiayuguan. We must hurry north to join them! Wang Gan, Ma Huaizhong, Dong Dali, and the others will probably head north after receiving my letter!"

"Let's go together and make a name for ourselves in the Western Regions! Your ancestor Genghis Khan conquered the Western Regions, why can't we!"

Ayun was even more impressed by Zhu Shuaixin's prior preparations. He listened with great enthusiasm, "Great! My hometown, the Hetao Grassland, has been occupied by the Ming Dynasty, and I can't go back. Let's go to the Western Regions together!"

Zhu Shuaixin said, "Let's not worry about the Prince of Xihai anymore. He's arrogant and domineering, and he won't go with us. He'll definitely run back to Xihai and continue being his chieftain."

The two immediately led their troops away, using the excuse of going upstream to bathe.

Zhu Shuaixin had three thousand Han infantrymen, while A Yun had eight thousand cavalrymen left.

It was an hour later when the truth came out that Ryan Castle had fallen. Zhu Shuaixin and Ayun had already gone far away.

The truth was shocking: his warhorse only had three days' worth of fodder, and Hexi was not a grassland, so how could horses be raised anywhere?

Without the provisions from Ryanburg, what will his warhorses eat? If the warhorses can't run, then they're doomed.

Finished!

The truth was that they had no intention of pursuing A Yun and Zhu Shuaixin, who had fled first. Instead, they immediately led the remaining 10,000 cavalrymen westward toward the Qilian Mountains!
He intends to escape back to his old lair in the Western Sea via the Riyue Pass!

He no longer cared about his dreams of establishing a separatist regime in Hexi, dominating the Northwest, or rebuilding the Mongol Empire.

Having received prior warning, Zhu Yin and Qi Jiguang were both overjoyed to see the main force of the enemy army fleeing, yet they were not surprised at all.

After the fall of Ruian Fort, the Mongol cavalry ran out of supplies, and if they didn't flee now, they would have no chance.

But do they really have a chance to escape?
Upon receiving the news, Ma Huaizhong, who was attacking Jincheng Pass, immediately led his troops back north, heading directly for Jiayuguan!

Upon learning this, the Taijis of Songshan, both large and small, simply fled the Great Wall and returned to the Songshan Grassland.

The Ximing Allied Forces, numbering over 80,000, were either killed or fled, and collapsed in the blink of an eye!
The stalemate in the Hexi campaign, which had lasted for a month, had turned into a one-sided affair. The small court in Liangzhou, whose foothold was still unstable, was in grave danger.

After making arrangements, Zhu Yin personally led 20,000 troops straight towards Liangzhou!
P.S.: Okay, that's a long chapter of over 7,000 words. Little Tiger is going back to Beijing tomorrow. The war in the Northwest is now over, only the tail end remains. Tomorrow, this book will be renamed *Di Ming* (嫡明), I hope everyone remembers the name *Di Ming* so you don't lose track of it. The cover won't change; you can tell from the cover. Thank you to all my readers who are still supporting me. Goodnight!
(End of this chapter)