The New Destiny of the Ming Dynasty

"Does the Commander mean that we should just stay here and wait for the Tartars to attack us?" Zukeyong seemed to have grasped something after listening to Yang Zhen's repetitive words, and quickly asked Yang Zhen for confirmation.

"That's right! While the Tartars are besieging Songshan and Jinzhou, they absolutely cannot tolerate us being stationed here behind them! So they will definitely attack!"

"Therefore, what we need to do next is to determine the Tartars' attack route and lay ambushes and traps along their likely path, waiting for them to come!"

Yang Zhen succinctly outlined his plans for the future, speaking with unwavering conviction and confidence, which stirred the passion of those around him.

"The lord is right! We've set up ambushes and traps, so we can use all our muskets, cannons, and gunpowder shells! We'll wait for the Tartars to take the bait, and then we'll give them another big loss!"

Zhang Guogan, who was holding his rice bowl and listening to his superiors talk, suddenly interrupted and said this.

But as soon as he finished speaking, he was berated by his uncle, Zhang Degui: "You little brat! The adults are talking here, who gives you the right to interrupt! Get out of here!"

Yang Zhen stopped Zhang Degui and said to him, "Zhang Guogan is not wrong! But the most urgent task is the production of gunpowder and gunpowder shells! You and Pan Wenmao should discuss this matter and get it done quickly! I think you will be in direct charge of the left flank of your artillery unit from now on!"

"Transfer Pan Wenmao out and set up a proper ammunition depot on his own. Make him the ammunition depot ambassador! Have him draw some people from your artillery unit and grenadier unit to specialize in brewing gunpowder and ensure a supply!"

"Furthermore, transfer the blacksmith father and son, along with their two laborers, to Pan Wenmao's ammunition depot! This time, when distributing the gold and silver, include all four of them!"

At this point, Yang Zhen turned to Xu Changyong, who had finished eating and was picking his teeth with a piece of dry grass, and said, "We'll divide the gold and silver, and take Wang the blacksmith and the other three along. Brother Xu, you don't have any objections, do you?"

"Huh? -- No! No! It's not like we'll miss a few! Besides, if they're useful to you, brother, they're useful to our advance team! Sharing a little is only fair!"

Xu Changyong was delighted to see that Yang Zhen was also seeking his opinion on this matter, and naturally agreed to everything. However, he then asked:

"Brother Yang! I've heard you talk about firearms the whole time. I admit, firearms played a significant role in last night's raid on the Tartar camp. But if the Tartars attack us, and you still rely on firearms, what are we supposed to do? Are we just supposed to stand by and do nothing?"

Upon hearing this, even Zu Keyong, who was usually a bit aloof, couldn't help but laugh.

"Brother Xu, what are you thinking?! Have you forgotten that you are the vanguard scouts of the advance camp? You have a lot to do, and your mission is very important and dangerous!"

Yang Zhen said these words while laughing.

Upon hearing this, Xu Changyong's eyes widened immediately, looking incredulous and somewhat uneasy: "Huh!? Brother, what do you want Old Xu's cavalry to do?"

Yang Zhen laughed and said to Xu Changyong, "Don't worry! This kind of thing sounds dangerous, but as long as you handle it properly, it's not actually that dangerous! Besides, this is something your men are used to doing!"

At this point, Yang Zhen stopped joking and simply explained the plan he had been considering.

The arrangement for Xu Changyong's troops was to send them out to "scout," and then quickly retreat if they encountered any Tartar cavalry, but they had to retreat to a designated location.

Therefore, what is called scouting is actually a way to lure the enemy.

Xu Changyong's Mongolian cavalry generally behaved similarly on other battlefields, usually "retreating upon encountering the enemy" and rarely daring to engage in combat.

Having understood Yang Zhen's meaning, Xu Changyong's face became slightly flushed, but his dark skin made it difficult to tell.

"Ahem—it's just a trap! Old Xu, I get it! This is indeed what your soldiers are best at!"

"Lord Commander! What about us? Last night, the Ningjin cavalry were used as infantry, resulting in the loss of some brothers. It was truly a waste! This time, we must engage the Tartar cavalry in a direct confrontation. Even if we die, we will have no regrets!"

Zukeyong finished his meal, put down his wooden bowl, stood up, and gazed at the land beyond the reed marshes in the distance, his mind drifting back to a period of war and conquest.

"Don't worry! There will definitely be an opportunity! When the time comes, I'll find the perfect ambush spot, and you'll hide in the reeds or pine forest, waiting for the Tartars to come to us. Then we'll seize the opportunity and annihilate them in one fell swoop!"

While having breakfast, Yang Zhen had already decided on what to do next, and the two most important people in the matter, Xu Changyong and Zu Keyong, had accepted Yang Zhen's plan.

As for Yuan Jin's troops, there weren't many opportunities to use him in matters on land, so his influence naturally diminished.

Having explained these matters, Xu Changyong and Zu Keyong bid farewell and left to treat their wounded and allow their subordinates to rest.

Yang Zhen breathed a sigh of relief and, right there in Zhang Guogan's camp, had Zhang Degui, Li Lu, Pan Wenmao, and Wang Shoutang summoned.

Zhang Degui had already conveyed the news that an ammunition depot would be officially established in the advance camp and that Pan Wenmao had been appointed as the depot's ambassador; the people who had come were also aware of this.

Therefore, Yang Zhen cut to the chase and said directly, "Last night we burned down the Tartars' grain supply camp and killed so many Tartars and their collaborators. The Tartars will definitely not let this go! They will definitely come looking for us to settle accounts! Are you worried?!"

Those present were no longer young lads; they were worried, though they wouldn't say so. But Yang Zhen could tell whether they were worried or not.

After he finished speaking, Zhang Degui and Li Lu didn't react much and didn't seem to care at all.

Zhang Degui knew Yang Zhen's idea beforehand, while Li Lu had thought of it on the way back from the retreat.

Moreover, he knew that while launching a surprise attack and burning down the Tartars' grain and supplies camp was relatively easy, the real challenge would be withstanding the Tartars' relentless attacks and retaliations.

However, Pan Wenmao and Wang Shoutang reacted differently upon hearing this.

Pan Wenmao frowned, his face filled with anxiety, while Wang Shoutang stared wide-eyed, his face filled with fear.

Wang Shoutang and his men only found out this morning what the advance troops had been doing last night. Knowing that the advance troops had returned victorious and that they would have a share of gold and silver in the spoils to be distributed, they were very happy.

However, upon suddenly hearing that the Tartars might soon launch a large-scale attack to retaliate, his mood plummeted, and he became extremely frightened.

But in the military camp, he knew that military law was merciless, so he dared not utter a word of escape, nor a word of fear.

As for Pan Wenmao, he certainly knew what the government troops had been doing last night, and his worries were not out of fear.

What he was worried about was that the Tartars might soon find the sandbar where the vanguard was stationed, which meant they might soon retaliate and launch an attack. This meant he needed to produce as much good saltpeter as possible as quickly as possible.

He had already heard about what happened last night from Pan happy. The new type of ignition powder used in the muskets was very effective; it could be ignited with just a spark, and it didn't delay anything.

After being loaded with gunpowder he had prepared according to the gunpowder formula of Qi Jiguang's army, both the "Ten Thousand Enemy Cannon" and the "Dragon King Cannon" played an important role.

Even the so-called "grenades" that the grenadiers made on a whim by filling large conch shells with gunpowder proved very useful.

All of this made him very happy, and he felt that although he had not participated in the battle, he had still made contributions.

However, last night, the grenadier team had a limited number of personnel and could only carry a limited number of gunpowder shells, so everyone carried gunpowder shells filled with new gunpowder.

Moreover, all of these gunpowder shells were used up in a "night raid," which made him feel that time was extremely tight.

Now, the advance camp has no shortage of saltpeter, willow charcoal, or sulfur; the only thing it lacks is good saltpeter that has been boiled and purified!

With the second major battle imminent, Yang Zhen entrusted him with the advance battalion's ammunition depot, which inevitably made Pan Wenmao feel immense pressure.

"As the saying goes, fortune favors the bold! Mr. Wang! The iron whistle you made for me last night was excellent! Very useful! You'll have plenty of opportunities to earn merit while serving in the advance team. You're currently a craftsman, but if you perform meritorious service, you and your son could get official positions, wouldn't that be wonderful!? From now on, work under Ambassador Pan and produce the iron grenade I mentioned. Once the Tartars retreat, I guarantee you'll be freed from your craftsman status and given an official position!"