The First Family of the Red Mansion

"We only have about 10,000 men left to fight, but the Oirat army outside has more than 40,000."

Hu Cunmeng hurriedly grabbed Putila, fearing that he would really go out to fight the Oirat people.

"But we can't just sit here and wait. What about the general? If something happens to him, what's the point of us guarding this place?"

Putila stared at Hu Cunmeng, who was holding him, and asked him unkindly.

"Then we have no choice but to trust the general and believe that he can hold the line."

Hu Cunmeng said firmly.

"Remember, I am the one appointed by the general as the commander of Yumen Pass," Hu Cunmeng said through gritted teeth in a low voice to Putila.

"you……"

Putila was stunned for a moment when she saw Hu Cunmeng's unyielding gaze.

After spending this time together, Putila believed she had figured out Hu Cunmeng's personality.

He's somewhat easygoing, unwilling to take any risks, and always has a friendly demeanor towards everyone.

But now, he saw a change in Hu Cunmeng, who seemed to have acquired a bit of Liu Hu's domineering and authoritative aura.

"Isn't this the quality a qualified general should possess?"

One who is kind-hearted cannot command an army, one who is sentimental cannot accomplish anything, one who is righteous cannot manage finances, and one who is benevolent cannot be an official.

Didn't Hu Cunmeng want to rescue Liu Hu? Putting aside Liu Hu's kindness in promoting him, even in a normal superior-subordinate relationship, he couldn't just stand by and watch something happen to Liu Hu.

But he knew he couldn't go. If something went wrong on his end and the Oirats took the opportunity to capture Yumen Pass, not only would he and Liu Hu be in trouble, but even the hundreds of thousands of main forces on the front lines of the Great Zhou might be defeated.

At that point, it won't be a question of whether or not to save Liu Hu, but rather how they, including Liu Hu, will die.

So all he can do now is his job, and leave everything else to the general!

"I hope the general can hold on!" Hu Cunmeng looked up at the setting sun in the distance, ignoring the cold wind blowing in his face from the city wall, and said in a low voice.

It's going to snow!

Liu Hu, mounted on his horse, looked at the gloomy sky, feeling extremely anxious.

Once it snows, it means winter has arrived, the weather will get colder and colder, and the situation will become increasingly unfavorable for Da Zhou.

"Report!"

"General, there are 30,000 enemies west of Yumen Pass, of which about 5,000 are Oirat people."

"There are more than 10,000 enemies to the east, all of them elite Oirat troops."

When they were still thirty li away from Yumen Pass, Liu Hu ordered the entire army to dismount and rest, and the scouts immediately sent back a message.

"General, I think it would be better to attack the Oirat people in the east first. They are fewer in number there. Once we defeat them, the scattered soldiers in the west will be no threat."

"No way!" Upon hearing He Qianhu's suggestion, Liu Hu took a bite of dry rations with the water from his water bag and waved his hand decisively.

"Although the Oirat people in the east are few in number, they are all elites. Although we have 20,000 troops here, the vast majority of them are newly annexed people from the Western Regions."

"It's better to hope that the newly annexed Western Region people and the Oirat elites will overthrow the Oirat rule themselves than to expect them to fight head-on."

"Hehe!" After listening to Liu Hu's analysis, Commander He smiled sheepishly and said, "I was just saying. When it comes to fighting, I just follow the army's arrangements."

"Alright!" Liu Hu ignored his antics and turned to the scout, asking, "Have you made contact with Commander Hu and the others?"

"We can't get in touch. The Oirat army of more than 40,000 has surrounded Yumen Pass tightly, and we don't have any carrier pigeons to contact Yumen."

The scout replied with remorse.

"If we can't get in touch, so be it. Commander Hu isn't that inflexible. As long as we make a move, he'll know what to do."

Liu Hu said indifferently.

He then stood up and said to the messenger, "Notify all units that we will depart in half an hour. We will first deal with the enemy west of Yumen Pass."

"yes!"

"It's snowing!"

Just as all the units were gathering and preparing to wait for me, fine snowflakes, like grains of salt, began to fall from the gray sky.

Seeing this, Liu Hu couldn't help but feel a little anxious.

He tightened the lining of his armor, mounted his horse, and shouted to the army behind him, "Let's go!"

"It's snowing!"

At this moment, not only Liu Hu sighed at the fine snow falling all over the sky, but also Gushi Khan, the leaders of the Durbet and Torgut tribes on the front line, looked at the snow falling all over the sky and sighed.

However, they did not show the excitement one might expect. Gushi Khan looked helpless, while the leader of the Torgut tribe looked solemn but also relieved.

For the leader of the Durbert tribe, this was utter despair.

They already knew that the army sent to clear the supply route had not only failed to do so, but one of the supply routes had also been wiped out, and even the son of the Torgut leader had died there.

They couldn't send any more troops to clear the supply lines, and besides, the Western Region people in the rear were starting to become restless.

It can be said that the defeat at Yangguan had far-reaching consequences!

Although the arrival of winter was advantageous for the Oirat people, they were already out of food, and to the south, the Khoshut tribe had begun to kill their warhorses to survive.

As for the Dzungar tribe stationed at Jiayuguan, they are probably already...

"Report!"

"General, there's been unusual activity from the garrison at Jiayuguan."

In Zhou Jun's command tent, Jia Daishan was unaware that the Oirat people had run out of grain and had even begun killing horses.

He was watching the snowflakes falling from the sky with a solemn expression, his face full of worry.

"What's wrong with the Dzungar Khanate waiting for me at Jiayuguan?"

After more than half a month of fierce attacks by the Great Zhou army, if the Oirat people hadn't broken through the blockade and allowed the Dzungar tribe inside Jiayuguan to receive support, Yumenguan would probably have been captured long ago.

It's a pity that all our efforts were in vain!

However, the defenders of Jiayuguan also suffered heavy losses. Jia Daishan believed that if he were given another three to five days, they could take Jiayuguan and completely eliminate the threat to the army from the north.

Jiayuguan is not an old pass like Yumenguan or Yangguan. Since the Yongle Emperor of the Ming Dynasty built the pass, it has always been the western gateway of the Ming Dynasty.

Tens of thousands of elite Oirat troops were stationed here, and relying on the strategic terrain, they managed to hold off the 60,000-strong army of the Great Zhou for half a month.

"Reporting to the commander-in-chief, since this morning, the number of Dzungar troops guarding the city walls has been decreasing, and now there are no Dzungar troops left on the city walls."

"Is the information reliable?"

Jia Daishan asked hurriedly.

"This is a message sent back from the front lines by the Prince of Xining!"

Jia Daishan frowned, pondering, "What new tricks are the Oirats up to now?"

"Could it be...?"

Jia Daishan suddenly realized something and immediately ordered the scout, "Go to the front line immediately and order the army to continue the fierce attack. Tell the Prince of Xining that the Dzungar tribe is going to take advantage of the heavy snow to escape."

North of Jiayuguan lies the desert. It seems the Dzungar tribe no longer wants to fight the Great Zhou to the death and plans to take advantage of the snowy weather when they don't have to worry about water to cross the desert and escape.

"yes!"

After the scout left, Jia Daishan couldn't help but excitedly pump his fist, muttering repeatedly, "Good lad, well done!"

"Finally, the morale of the Oirat army has been shattered!"

At this point, Jia Daishan could easily understand the situation on the Oirat side. The fact that the Dzungar tribe wanted to flee meant that the Oirat had not yet secured their supply lines and were already experiencing food shortages.

Liu Hu and his men thrust their needles directly into the back of the Oirat man's heart.

Even if the Oirat people could still requisition grain locally, don't forget what time it is now; winter is almost here.

Moreover, the Hexi Corridor is not a fertile land like the Central Plains, so how much food and supplies could the Khoshut tribe possibly have?

When Liu Hu and his men arrived at Yumen Pass, they immediately launched an attack on the Oirat army that was still besieging the city. For a time, the Oirat army was unable to support itself and fell into chaos.

The city's garrison did not disappoint Liu Hu's expectations. Upon seeing the large army that suddenly appeared outside the city and the chaotic Oirat army, Hu Cunmeng, who was in charge of defending the west, immediately gave orders.

"The entire army will march out of the city to meet the enemy and welcome the general's triumphant return!"

"roar!"

The thousands of defenders instantly forgot their fatigue and excitedly waved their weapons, seemingly cheering for Liu Hu and his men.

"General!"

After reuniting with Liu Hu, Hu Cunmeng's tired face could not hide his inner joy.

With a wide grin, he said to Liu Hu, "This humble general congratulates the general on his triumphant return and has come to report on my orders!"

Looking at Hu Cunmeng, whose body was wrapped in bandages, Liu Hu realized that the former flag officer who only thought about making a living had now developed the aura of someone who could command thousands of troops.

"Well done!"

Although Liu Hu was quite satisfied with Hu Cunmeng, he only gave him a brief compliment before immediately issuing the order.

"Can we still fight?"

"Yes!" Hu Cunmeng immediately replied loudly.

"That's good. You lead the team to flank from the right wing. This time, we absolutely cannot let the Oirat people escape again."

"yes!"

"Flank the enemy on the right flank!" Hu Cunmeng immediately mounted his horse and shouted loudly to the garrison he had brought.

At this moment, Liu Hu watched as his soldiers rallied the fleeing troops and pursued the enemy, and for a moment he felt as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders.

"Finally, I can relax a bit." Liu Hu reached out and caught a snowflake, watching it melt in his palm, and sighed softly.

Having dealt with the enemies west of Yumen Pass, the remaining ten thousand or so Oirat people to the east wouldn't even require Liu Hu and his men to fight; they would make the right choice on their own.

As Liu Hu had predicted, after Liu Hu and his men finished the battle in the west, Putila rode over on horseback.

He first excitedly shouted, "General!"

"I heard that you disregarded Commander Hu's objections and even considered leading your troops out of the city to meet the enemy?"

Liu Hu ignored his excitement and instead asked him coldly.

"General, this humble general knows his mistake!"

Faced with Liu Hu's questioning, Putila's lips twitched, and she lost her previous agitation. She hurriedly knelt down to beg for forgiveness.

"You really don't trust me that much?"

"no……"

"What do you mean, 'not'? If you lead your troops out of the city and fail to quickly defeat the enemy, and instead get bogged down, allowing the Oirat people to the east to seize the pass, then you and I can only wait to lose our heads!"

Still seemingly not satisfied, he lashed Putila several times with the whip.

Of course, it's not that Liu Hu really blames Putila; after all, he was also concerned about him.

The purpose of whipping him a few times at this moment was partly to teach him a lesson: leading an army into battle is not something that can be done with just enthusiasm.

At that point, he might not only be unable to help others, but he himself could also find himself in danger.

On the other hand, it was also to protect her. He had already been punished, so Hu Cunmeng couldn't bring up the matter again.

Otherwise, if Hu Cunmeng were to reveal this in public, would Liu Hu punish him or not?

If we don't punish him, how will he lead troops in the future?

Punish him? How should he be punished? Given the circumstances, it was fortunate that Putila was stopped and didn't continue to act recklessly, otherwise he would have been beheaded.

Although he didn't actually lead his troops out of the city in the end, he couldn't escape the charge of disobeying his superior. After all, Hu Cunmeng was personally appointed by Liu Hu as his commander-in-chief, and he would definitely get a few beatings.

"Alright, get to the point!"

After pulling twice, Liu Hu saw that his wound had started to bleed again, so he immediately dismounted and helped him up, his tone becoming gentler.

"Don't be impulsive next time."

Liu Hu helped him up and said softly.

"Yes!" Putila replied softly, her eyes red, despite the pain in her body.

"General, the Oirat people in the east have begun to retreat. They haven't even returned to their camp; they're heading directly east."

Putila stood up and immediately became serious.

"Oh!" Liu Hu nodded with an expression that said, "I knew it."

He then asked him to lead the way to the east to check the situation.

"Have a drink."

On the way, Liu Hu tossed his water bag aside and casually said to Putila.

"Thank you, General!" Putila took the water bag with a look of surprise, opened it, and couldn't wait to take a few big gulps.

"Ah! The general's water tastes so good. I feel so much more relaxed after drinking it."

Seeing his exaggerated expression, Liu Hu couldn't help but think, "How could it not be good? They're all 100% pure."

Looking at the devastated Oirat camp, Liu Hu asked, "Have you sent anyone to follow them?"

"They've caught up!" Putila's face showed a hint of joy. He understood that as long as the Oirat people really retreated, it meant that they had completely abandoned the supply route, and they were completely safe this time.

"Now is not the time to relax. Send out all our scouts. If the Oirats want to escape, they will have no choice but to cross the desert during the snowy weather."

"But we also need to prevent them from resorting to desperate measures and eating us all on their way out."

Liu Hu gazed solemnly at the Oirat camp to the east and said earnestly to Putila.

"No way..."

Putila's heart, which had just settled, jumped again, and she asked uncertainly.

"Why not? The Oirat forces are our main force to the east. If they want to escape, they will definitely not confront the commander-in-chief head-on. To the south is the Qilian Mountains. Eighty or ninety thousand troops can cross the Qilian Mountains in the snow. The Oirat people will not choose this route unless they are crazy."

"Then they are left with only two routes: the west and the north."

"Although the north is unobstructed and there is no need to worry about water sources because of the snow, it is still farther than the road."

"So do you think they'd even consider our tens of thousands of remnants a threat if they were just trying to escape?"

After listening to Liu Hu's analysis, Putila lost her earlier ease and asked with trembling lips, "General, then we..."

"We'll meet force with force, and we'll dam water with earth. If Gushi Khan and his men dare to come, then we'll leave them here."

Liu Hu said firmly.

"Perfect timing! I was worried about not having enough military achievements, and Gushi Khan could be my bargaining chip for whether I could be granted a super-rank title!"