Di Ming

Chapter 498 No Royal Court in the Southern Desert!
"Am I the same kind of person as Zhu Zhihu?" Zheng Guowang shook his head with a self-deprecating smile. "I don't think I can reach his level, nor do I have such a broad mind and spirit."

"Without his support of food and intelligence, it would have been difficult for us to defeat the Mongols this time."

"Even if I resemble him somewhat, it's just that I'm deliberately imitating him. Even if we are truly the same kind of person, we are irreconcilable enemies."

She raised her lonely and aloof face and looked at the vast sky. "Zhu Zhihu once said: 'There is only one stroke between old friends and enemies. With one more stroke, it becomes a matter of life and death.'"

Zheng Que said, "Fourth Master is a loyal minister, and he is a traitor. Naturally, it's a matter of life and death for him. This is what Fourth Master meant by 'the Han and the traitor cannot coexist.'"

"The Han and the traitor cannot coexist? Ha." Zheng Guowang's smile was bitter. "But is he really a traitor? Only Heaven knows who is right and who is wrong. Since ancient times, the pen of history has only been in the hands of the victor. But I have no choice."

Zheng Que respectfully reminded him, "Fourth Master, these words should not be spoken to anyone else. What if they reach the Emperor's ears..."

Zheng Guowang stroked his mustache and said, "You are my most trusted retainer, so I'm only saying a few words to you. I wouldn't even utter these words to my elder brothers, let alone to outsiders."

"Zheng Que, you may leave. You will handle the arrest yourself, but do not harm those spies from the puppet dynasty."

"Yes!" Zheng Que replied, but didn't move. Instead, he whispered a reminder with a strange expression:

"Fourth Master, your beard... another half has fallen off. I think it's best if you don't touch it, since it's fake. If you develop a habit of stroking it, you might unknowingly pluck some off, which could easily give you away..."

After hearing these kind words, Zheng Que quickly lowered his head.

"Understood," Zheng Guowang said through gritted teeth. "I'll be careful. Go now!"

"promise!"

Zheng Que accepted the order and left, making sure to close the door behind him. He also told the guards, "Guard this door strictly. No one is allowed to enter without a personal summons from Fourth Master."

As Zheng Guo watched Zheng Que leave, her brows furrowed, and she couldn't help but let out a soft groan of pain, clutching her lower abdomen with a pale face.

Damn it, I have period cramps again. It happens for days every month! Is there anything worse than this?

Zheng Guowang drank a cup of hot tea and then pulled out an exquisite paper box from under his bed.

The words printed on the cardboard box clearly read: "Yu Jie Brand - Gui Jin - Manufactured by Ning Yin Trading Company".

The so-called "Gui Jin" is a new name given to Ningyin Trading Company, but the product is indeed very useful. Nowadays, throughout the country, and even in Korea and Japan, most discerning women have switched to using this kind of Gui Jin.

Zheng Guowang secretly unbuttoned his undergarment, changed into a new handkerchief, burned the old one, and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

It's like doing something like stealing.

It was truly unfortunate that bad luck struck just before the decisive battle.

Zheng Guowang then found a fake beard that he had prepared beforehand, carefully glued it on, and then added a few eyebrow pencils to his somewhat charming willow-leaf eyebrows, changing them into sword-shaped eyebrows.

In this way, his feminine charm faded considerably, and he became like a handsome man again.

After tidying up her appearance, she found an exquisitely crafted black mask, which resembled a mask but was quite ferocious.

She put on the mask, and her face, which resembled Consort Zheng, was immediately covered up, replaced by a terrifying ghost face!

……

The Ming generals on the various ridges and along the Great Wall received the good news that the enemy chieftain had been captured during his rear meeting, the Tartar army was leaderless, and they might be fighting amongst themselves.

The morale of the 190,000 Ming troops was further boosted!

These Ming soldiers, who had already received their pay and new armor and weapons from Zheng Guowang, had a completely new look and their morale was greatly boosted. When they learned that the Mongol army was leaderless, their morale soared.

Emperor Wanli's imperial treasury funds were not wasted.

The various Ming army units within a radius of several miles were preparing for a full-scale counterattack, awaiting only the order for the general offensive.

Soon, General Zheng Guowang issued a military order: once the entire front is attacked, attack the left flank Mongol camp first, and ignore the right flank Mongol camp for the time being!
When the order reached Li Chengliang's camp, his son Li Rumei asked in bewilderment, "Father, what does the Duke of Lu mean by this? Why attack only the left flank and not the right flank?"

Li Chengliang couldn't help but stroke his beard and laugh loudly, "Brilliant! The strategist is brilliant! This must be a plan to sow discord! First, let the left and right wings of the Mongols attack each other to break their alliance, then attack the left wing of the Mongols with more troops first, and then attack the right wing of the Mongols with slightly fewer troops! Concentrate your forces to defeat them one by one! This is killing two birds with one stone! Minister Zheng is truly a great general!"

...

Meanwhile, the two Mongol armies that were probing and attacking outside Yefuling also met the messengers who brought the news.

"What?! The alliance meeting was a trap set by Third Sister? Third Sister laid an ambush and attacked the Great Khan? Did she want to annex our Left Wing Mongol tribes? Or had she been colluding with the Ming army all along?"

Aruttaiji, who was temporarily in charge of military affairs at the Left Wing Mongol Camp, was filled with shock and anger upon hearing the news.

"Taiji!" a subordinate general said, "I told you long ago, Qingcheng is absolutely untrustworthy! The alliance is a conspiracy by Third Sister and Prince Shunyi. They are using the banner of anti-Ming, but they never actually intended to rebel against Ming! They are helping the Ming against us!"

"What should we do then!" Arutaiji's eyelids twitched. "Third Lady and Prince Shunyi have detained the Khan and the tribal leaders. Aren't we going to be attacked from both sides?"

"Strike first, strike hard!" the general gritted his teeth. "The Khan has given us a secret order to attack the Left Wing Mongols immediately. We can't let them join forces with the Ming army and make the first move!"

Arutaiji glanced at Chechen Khan's handwritten letter again, but before he could make a decision, a personal guard rushed in.

"Taiji! The troops of the right wing camp have ceased their attack on Yehuling and are regrouping, seemingly preparing to change direction..."

"They intend to join forces with the Ming army to attack us!" Arutaiji roared. "By order of the Great Khan, we are to conquer Qingcheng! Only by defeating them can we rescue the Great Khan and the others! Quickly gather your troops and attack the right flank camp! We cannot allow them to get there first!"

At a single command, the imposing left-wing camp was immediately filled with the bugle call to regroup and assemble.

The Mongol army, which was probing the Ming army camps in various parts of Yehuling, turned their horses around and retreated back to their camps.

At the same time, Dai Qing, the right-wing Mongol general who had received the order from the Third Lady and seen the Qingcheng Tiger Tally, was also filled with shock and anger and ordered an attack on the left-wing camp.

He was the Third Lady's trusted general, and obeyed her every command. Since the Third Lady had issued the order to attack the left flank before being attacked by Chechen Khan, he had to carry it out resolutely.

"After Anda Khan passed away, Baicheng considered himself the supreme ruler of the Mongols and wanted to annex our Right Wing Mongols! The struggle between the two sides has never stopped! But today, Chechen Khan actually used the alliance meeting to deceive us and detained his wife and Shunyi Prince! He wants to take advantage of our leaderless state to attack us and annex the Right Wing Mongols!"

Dai Qing was furious. "Then let's settle this once and for all! Only by defeating them decisively can we force them to hand over the people! The Lady and the Khan have ordered that we strike first and attack the left wing camp!"

"Woo woo woo!" Amidst the tense and stirring bugle calls, 200,000 cavalrymen from the two Mongol camps assembled, forming distinct ranks. The vast army seemed to stretch across the entire Bashang Grassland, like two enormous black clouds.

Both sides wanted to occupy advantageous terrain, so they had no time for idle talk and sent out cavalry to seize the northern battle position, which would be advantageous for the cavalry to maneuver around the enemy lines.

As for the threat posed by the Ming army, both sides surprisingly ignored it at this point.

Firstly, they did indeed have military orders to attack the enemy.

Secondly, the generals who remained at the main camp were not figures of prestige or strategic acumen.

Third, the Ming army had been strictly guarding its camps during this period, like a coward, and had never taken the initiative to attack. The Mongol army greatly underestimated the Ming army, believing that the Ming army would only stand by and watch and would not dare to take advantage of their civil war to launch an attack and gain an advantage.

What they didn't know was that the Ming army's seemingly cowardly defense was actually a ruse created by Zheng Guowang to lull the enemy into a false sense of security. Each step was meticulously planned in advance.

The goal was to make them believe that the Ming army would not dare to launch a proactive attack, so that they could confidently and boldly wage civil war against each other.

The two Mongol armies thus engaged in a large-scale civil war right under the Ming army's nose. The cavalry on both sides repeatedly outmaneuvered and attacked each other, recklessly wasting horses, manpower, and arrows.

"Boom boom boom—" Two hundred thousand cavalrymen, on a battlefield spanning several miles, were like two enormous black dragons, strangling, entangled, and tumbling. The sound of hooves and battle cries shook the heavens and the earth, their spirit as powerful as mountains and rivers.

The Ming soldiers, awaiting the order to attack, looked down upon the breathtaking cavalry battle from their high vantage point. Everyone was mesmerized and filled with awe.

How magnificent! How magnificent!
Since the Yongle Emperor, there has been no cavalry battle of this scale!

Many Ming generals found it absurd. The Mongol armies on the left and right flanks had finally marched south together, only to find themselves locked in a bloody battle on the Bashang Grasslands, while they watched as if they were merely spectators. What happened to the promise that the Mongols wouldn't fight each other and would unite to restore the Yuan Dynasty?

At this point, the fighting between the two sides intensified, with casualties occurring constantly. Unless San Niangzi, Chechen Khan, and others returned together, no one could stop this civil war.

"For the sake of the Great Yuan! Traitors who conquered the Mongols!"

"Mordaga!"

Both sides suffered heavy casualties, and large herds of warhorses, now without their masters, escaped the battlefield and roamed the surrounding grasslands.

Many Ming soldiers, their hearts pounding with excitement, were eager to launch a full-scale attack, but they were waiting in vain for Zheng Guowang's orders.

Everyone could only turn their heads repeatedly, looking towards the direction of the central army camp. Only veteran generals like Li Chengliang remained calm and composed, wiping their weapons repeatedly, appearing as if they were sitting on a fishing platform.

At this moment, on the North-Looking Terrace, Zheng Guowang, draped in a black cloak, quietly watched the Mongol army fighting fiercely. In his clear pupils, he saw endless cavalry traversing the battlefield, as if it were the most magnificent painting on earth.

After a full hour of fierce fighting, seeing that the right flank of the Mongols had suffered tens of thousands of casualties and was gradually losing ground, Zheng Guowang slowly raised his right hand, his tall and slender figure full of strange tension.

The guards on either side, seeing her slowly raise her right hand, knelt down with excited expressions, their throats bobbing.

Zheng Guowang suddenly slashed with his right hand, "Attack!" "Yes, sir!" The guards who had been waiting for the order shouted and received the order, their faces full of excitement.

Then the group jumped up together, some rushing towards the drum platform, some towards the bugle platform, some towards the flag platform, and some towards the horses.

Immediately, the sounds of drums and horns rang out.

"Knock knock knock knock—"

"Waaaaah—"

This was the sound of the Ming army's general offensive, and at the same time, the banners for the general offensive were raised.

"Kill! The Ming Dynasty will surely win!" A deafening roar suddenly erupted from the ten-mile radius of Wild Fox Ridge and the Great Wall.

The 190,000-strong Ming army, which had been prepared long ago, led by several hundred generals, swooped down from the mountains and charged out of the Yefuling Great Wall. At the forefront were veteran generals such as Li Chengliang and Deng Zilong!

All 190,000 Ming troops launched an attack, selectively targeting the flanks and rear of the Mongol left-wing cavalry, seemingly oblivious to the presence of the right-wing cavalry!

The over-seventy-year-old general Li Chengliang, with his white beard flying, wore a bright silver armor, a six-lobed gold helmet bestowed by Emperor Wanli, and held a nine-ringed sword given to him by Zhang Juzheng. He was at the forefront of the charge!
Behind him stood a full thirty thousand Ming cavalry! His trusted personal guards, carrying his iron-rimmed bow and armor-piercing heavy arrows, surrounded the old general, roaring together:
"Grand Tutor Li of Liaodong has arrived!"

"Grand Tutor Li of Liaodong has arrived!"

The 30,000 Ming soldiers following behind roared in unison: "Grand Tutor Li of Liaodong has arrived! Grand Tutor Li of Liaodong has arrived!"

When the Mongol cavalry heard the words "Grand Tutor Li of Liaodong has arrived," many turned pale with fright. But when they saw the Ming army charging in, covering the entire field, they were momentarily stunned.

"The Ming army has attacked the left wing of the Mongols!" Dai Qing, the right wing Mongol general, was overjoyed. "Kill!"

The morale of the right-wing Mongols, who had been gradually losing ground, soared, and they spurred their exhausted warhorses to launch a fierce attack on the front of the left-wing Mongols!

As a result, a bizarre scene unfolded on the battlefield: the already weakened right-wing Mongols, in fact, joined forces with the suddenly appearing Ming army to attack the left-wing Mongols from both sides.

The battlefield situation changed abruptly, and the left-wing Mongols were suddenly put in an extremely unfavorable situation.

The three sides, with 400,000 troops fighting each other, seemed to have lost all light and become shrouded in darkness.

The thunderous sound of horses' hooves rolled across the grassland, and the sounds of battle soared into the sky, shaking the Yinshan, Yanshan, and Taihang Mountains!

In the central command tent of the Ming army, Zheng Guowang had already changed into armor, put on a ferocious demon mask, and mounted a white horse. Two thousand of Zheng's family retainers stood silently.

Zheng Guowang drew his Tang-style sword from Daishan from his waist and shouted, "Raise the flag! Attack!"

"kill!"

Amidst the thunderous roar of iron hooves, two thousand Zheng family retainers and cavalrymen, surrounding their commander Zheng Guowang, raised the Ming army's banner high and swooped down, charging into the vast battlefield!

When the Ming army saw the commander's flag appear, they knew that their commander-in-chief was personally leading the charge, and their morale soared. Everyone rushed forward with great enthusiasm!

Zheng Guowang, wearing a ghost mask, personally led two thousand fierce household guards and cavalry, creating a torrent wherever he went.

The left-wing Mongols, already exhausted, collapsed after being attacked from both sides for a short time.

Countless people died from trampling each other!

Losing their speed, the Mongol cavalry were surrounded by a large contingent of Ming infantry. Shield wagons blocked them from the other two sides, squeezing the left-wing Mongol cavalry into a narrow area of ​​several miles, crushing them like a millstone.

The Ming army's cannons and firearms finally got their chance, and they unleashed a barrage of gunpowder shells at the dense enemy forces within a few miles.

The Left Wing Mongols were plunged into annihilation.

Having lost their speed and maneuverability, many cavalrymen were surrounded by the Ming army and were doomed.

The Ming army's formation appeared chaotic, but it was actually completely orderly within the apparent disorder. The positions and tactics of each unit were all part of a pre-rehearsed Nine Palaces Formation. The key was to first surround, then squeeze, and finally attack.

At this moment, if the right-wing Mongols could break the encirclement, most of the left-wing Mongols could break out. However, the two sides have become enemies, so why would the right-wing Mongols break the encirclement?

After another hour of fierce fighting, more than 30,000 Mongol cavalry on the left wing broke through the encirclement and fled in panic to the northeast. The remaining cavalry were either killed or wounded, or abandoned their weapons and surrendered.

However, just as the exhausted right-wing Mongols were about to stop and send someone to make contact with the Ming army, eight thousand cavalrymen suddenly galloped in from the north. They were the most elite Ming cavalrymen who had attacked the meeting place earlier.

They were lying in wait in Black Wind Pass Canyon, but now they've returned to fight.

However, their target was the right-wing Mongolians!
This was, of course, part of Zheng Guowang's plan, and had been arranged long ago.

Although this cavalry force was small in number, it had been well-rested and was the most powerful Ming cavalry. When it encountered the exhausted Mongol right-wing cavalry, who had been fighting for half a day, it was a devastating blow.

The right wing of the Mongols was attacked by this Ming cavalry. Seeing that the enemy was dressed in Mongolian clothing, they thought it was a deserter from the left wing of the Mongols who had returned to fight. They never expected it to be a Ming army.

Seeing that the cavalry had returned as planned, Zheng Guowang immediately issued a second military order: "Turn to attack the right flank of the Mongols!"

As soon as the Ming army flags changed, the formations of the various Ming army units on the vast battlefield also changed abruptly.

All Ming troops advanced rapidly westward, with cavalry flanking them from both sides and artillery bombarding the west, while also launching a full-scale attack on the right-wing Mongols who had previously been "allies."

Dai Qing was stunned. What was going on? Didn't the lady's letter say that the Ming army had agreed to cooperate? Why were they suddenly attacked?
By the time he figured out what was going on, it was too late.

Although Mongol cavalrymen typically rode two horses, they were exhausted after fighting for half a day. Both horses were severely weakened, and the riders' arms were too sore to shoot arrows; they desperately needed rest.

However, the Ming army not only had a large number of soldiers, but its strength had not been exhausted.

"Withdraw!" Dai Qing hurriedly gave the order, his voice hoarse and strained.

The bugle sounded for the Mongol army to retreat and flee. The remaining 80,000 cavalrymen desperately tried to break through to the northwest, but were entangled by the most elite cavalry of the Ming army.

"Kill!" Veteran general Li Chengliang led 20,000 to 30,000 cavalry to bite the enemy's northern flank, squeezing the Mongol cavalry southward.

To the east and south, there were densely packed, heavily armed Ming infantrymen, with chariots and shield wagons in front and firearms and spears behind, a dark mass of over 100,000 men approaching.

The strategy should be to surround first, then squeeze, and then attack.

Zheng Guowang also specifically assigned 30,000 infantrymen to guard the surrendered Mongol soldiers on the left wing who had abandoned their weapons. However, the number of Ming troops participating in the battle at this time was still as high as 150,000.

The Right Wing Mongols, already at their last gasp, suffered the same annihilation as the Left Wing Mongols.

They were surrounded by Ming troops on all sides, their space was squeezed, and they were in dire straits.

After another fierce battle, only 20,000 cavalrymen broke through the Ming cavalry barrier in the west and desperately fled westward.

Thus, both the left and right wings of the Mongol army suffered major defeats.

...

On the tenth day of the fourth month of the twenty-fifth year of the Wanli reign (the second year of the Taichang reign), the Ming army decisively defeated the 200,000-strong Mongol army on the left and right wings at Yehuling!

They captured 125 Mongol nobles, including the Northern Yuan Khan Chechen, Shunyi Prince Bushitu, Lady Zhongshun Sanniangzi, as well as princes, ministers, and Taijis from various tribes.

They beheaded 72,000 people, captured over 68,000, seized over 174,000 intact warhorses, and confiscated millions of taels of gold and silver, as well as countless weapons and flags.

The Mongol army suffered heavy losses, with most of its able-bodied men killed in the battle. The Mongol forces were severely weakened; their very backbone was broken.

Since Lan Yu's great victory at Buyur Lake, the greatest victory the nation has achieved against the Mongols has not been today!

After the great victory at Yefuling, Zheng Guowang rested for only two days before sending troops to send the prisoners to the interior of the pass for resettlement. Then, he divided his forces into two routes to pursue the enemy and wipe them out completely.

She personally led an army of 70,000 westward, and together with Third Sister and Prince Shunyi, attacked Qingcheng.

He ordered Li Chengliang to lead an army of 70,000 northwards to attack the Yuan Khanate in Baicheng.

While on his westward expedition, Zheng Guowang simultaneously submitted a memorial reporting his victories. At the same time, he petitioned the court to establish the Southern Gobi Provincial Administration Commission.

From then on, there was no royal court in the southern desert!

……

Just as the Ming army was decisively defeating the Mongol cavalry at Yefuling, another decisive battle broke out in distant Burma to the south.

On the tenth day of the fourth month, Zhu Yin ordered an attack.

The Battle of Morlo Town has broken out!
……

P.S.: Okay, the story has shifted to the little tiger in Myanmar. The national war in the north is over, now it's the south's turn. Last day of the month, please vote for me tomorrow, I need to climb the monthly vote rankings!

(End of this chapter)