Bright Spring

"Take Tuo Huan down." Zhu Gaoxu looked up at the guard behind Tuo Huan.

After he left, Zhu Gaoxu got up, took the woolen coat, and walked outside the tent.When he turned his head, he saw Duan Xuehen also stood up.He gestured and said: "It's very cold at night. Girls are afraid of the cold, so you don't have to come out, just stay."

Duan Xuehen nodded, her eyes seemed very gentle in the firelight.

When Zhu Gaoxu walked out of the tent, he really felt a biting chill on his face.It's not yet October, and it should still belong to the late autumn season in terms of time, but the night here is like winter.

The air was very cold, but the sky was still bright with stars overhead.

The faint sparks and torches could be seen on the ground, and the military camp at this time was far less bright than in Daming; the previous camp was full of flames at night.Still because the grassland was short of fuel, everyone mowed the grass and burned it for a while. After heating the ground and covering it with felt, they stopped burning the fire.

Zhu Gaoxu gradually felt that the darkness seemed to swallow everything.The vast grassland seems to be depressing; but perhaps it is not the environment that makes people feel depressed, but the decision-making...

The next morning, before dawn, a drum was played outside the big tent in the camp, and all the generals came to have an audience one after another.

After everyone saluted, Zhu Gaoxu waited for a while, and seeing that the general had no new ideas, he directly made arrangements.He ordered Qu Neng to be the commander-in-chief of the former army. After he was ready, he led the army to pursue in the direction of Luqu River.

The former army has a strength of [-], and it is composed of [-] elite infantry with horses and [-] cavalry selected from each army.Zhu Gaoxu specially appointed Yin Desheng, Marquis of Heyang, as a general to march northward with Qu Neng, Duke of Ba.Because during the battle of Huguang, the left wing of the Jingnan Army almost collapsed, but Yin Desheng's troops stood firm; Zhu Gaoxu still remembered his performance and thought that this man was worthy of a hard fight.

The elite [-]-step cavalry will gather today, and the horses will be fed with beans and fine grains; tomorrow they will leave the main force of the army and set off first.

At that time, Qi Tai, Minister of the Ministry of War, came to the vanguard army, met Zhu Gaoxu, and reported the situation of the army's rations.Qi Tai reminded: According to this consumption, the army should return within half a month at most, otherwise they will face the dilemma of insufficient food and fodder on the way back.

Usually when marching, the soldiers save horsepower and food, and the cavalry marches on foot.But before and after the battle, the consumption of military rations will inevitably speed up.

No matter what, Zhu Gaoxu decided to prepare for the battle ahead!This battle may be the last battle of this Northern Expedition, and the military rations cannot support it, and we will wait for the arrival of the next fighter.

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Chapter 688 Desolation

Groups of horses are jogging, and the muscles of Ming army horses are full of strength under the smooth fur.The pale sunlight shines on the earth, but the surroundings are full of desolation.

A small nearby lake froze and remained silent and looked lifeless; apart from the army, there seemed to be no living thing in this place!

An impressive crack can be seen on the ice, like a wound split by someone with a giant axe.It is said that it is because the water here has just frozen and the ice surface is thin; in addition, the temperature difference between day and night is too large, and there will be obvious cracks in the ice surface at noon.

Yin Desheng in the horse team looked up, and there was a Haidongqing that had just arrived here and was circling in the air.His face is cold, but his body is a little dry|hot.

Since this expedition, he has lived in the army, but he feels that life seems to have become familiar again.It was a strange feeling. After entering Beijing at the beginning of the year, Yin Desheng was suddenly granted the title of marquis. He lived in a comfortable mansion, served by maids and servants, and received a salary. He hadn’t gotten used to it for a long time. Only after this expedition did he gradually find the days he has been used to for many years .

The emperor treated him so favorably, allowing his brothers to be pampered and well-clothed; Yin Desheng knew very well that this meant that the brothers should give up their lives at critical moments!But it's easy, just follow orders.

Yin Desheng also recalled that Liu Dagen and others, who were all thinking of becoming a marquis, had never had a good day; he felt that it was not a pity that he died.

Yin Desheng, as one of the Marquis and Ba Guogong's generals, participated in the decision-making and planning, and he already understood that the situation this time was probably another fierce battle under siege...

The infantry of the former army accounted for [-]%, but the soldiers marched on horseback at a very fast speed; faster than the average cavalry brigade!When the cavalry of the Ming army marched, they often dismounted and walked on foot. The horsepower of the cavalry was reserved for the time of life and death.The infantry didn't have to pay too much attention to whether the horses were tired, because they didn't need horses when fighting anyway.

Everyone started from the southwest of Yuyuerhai, and headed towards the north-west direction.It takes three days to reach the Luqu River (Kerulun River) on the west side of Kuoluanhaizi (now Hulun Lake, which is translated as a lake like the sea by the Han people).

The military situation in this direction comes from the captive Tatar prime minister's love.However, it is also in line with the speculation of the Chinese military.

The generals of the Chinese army believed that most of the Tatars would retreat and would not go northeast.Because there is a vast mountain forest (Daxing'an Mountains) going deeper into the other side, and the road is difficult, which is not suitable for the large-scale migration of Tatar tribes.

Before the former Ming army arrived at Luqu River, they only found two small Tatar camps.Every time hundreds of cavalry attacked, the Tatar army was scattered and fled in one round of charge. The Ming army rushed into the Tatar camp, seized some pasture and livestock, and burned all the tents and other things.

The captured prisoners confessed that they saw a large group of people walking north a few days ago.There were Mongolians who surrendered in the Ming army, and they could communicate even with the locals.

Qu Neng's army passed through a desert and reached the south bank of Luqu River.The Tatar prime minister claimed that Benjali's sweaty tent was still on the south bank of the Luqu River a few days ago, and now it is estimated that it is not far from the north bank, and you can find it as soon as you cross the river!

Without any hesitation, the former army coach Qu Neng immediately ordered all the ministries to cross the river on horseback from the several crossings that the forward scouts had scouted!The ferry is shallow and the ice is thick, which can reduce the accidental casualties of soldiers.

After all the tribes crossed the river one after another, Yin Desheng received Qu Neng's military order: order the generals to lead the army and march northwest.

This section of the Luqu River generally flows in an east-west direction, but after about tens of miles to the west, there is a section that flows in a north-south direction.The Ming army marched to the northwest, and could reach the Luqu River Basin that day.As long as people are near rivers, digging can usually find groundwater.

... There are many lava rock mountains in the place where the army passed by in the morning.But in the afternoon, there are no longer any rocks nearby, and the surrounding fields are endless, full of withered grass.

If there is no sun, compass, etc., Yin Desheng feels that he can't even tell the direction!People will find that the scene seen at this time is no different from half an hour ago.

At this moment, the sergeant with the red flag rushed over.The sergeant glanced at Yin Desheng's military flag, and approached this side. He handed over the command flag with Qu Neng's own handwriting, and said, "Marshal's military order! All the ministries are stationed on standby. More than a thousand generals will come to the central army to discuss matters."

Yin Desheng clasped his fists and said, "The last general has orders!"

He spoke a few words with several vice presidents, and then rode to the big banner with the word "Qu" written on it.

Near the banner, some sergeants were bent over and desperately digging pits, as if they were looking for water.Qu Neng was riding on horseback, and around thirty generals gathered around him one after another.

"The scouts who just came back found a large camp of the Tatars in the north, about [-] miles away from here." Qu Neng said directly, "But the Tatars may have more than one camp nearby, our scouts have not yet turn up."

All the generals nodded.

Qu Neng raised his head and glanced at the gradually setting sun, and suddenly stopped talking.Everyone gradually began to talk, and the crowd was a little noisy.

After a long time, one of the soldiers who were digging the pit over there shouted, "Commander, there is water!"

Qu Neng waved his hand, looked back to the left and right and said: "Camp on the spot today. The terrain is also simple, and each department looks at the direction and arranges the troops on duty. Wait until tomorrow morning, if the enemy troops attack, then form an army in place Waiting for the order. If there is no enemy army, we will continue to march northwest.”

All the generals responded in unison.

At this moment, a general clasped his fists and said, "Commander, there is mud under this sandy soil. It's still early today. If we start to build trenches at this time, the barracks can be built tomorrow."

Qu Neng pondered for a moment, then said: "No fortifications are allowed! Early tomorrow morning, the army may continue to march, and the officers and men of all ministries need to rest up."

Everyone bowed one after another: "The last general waits for orders!"

Yin Desheng could understand: Marshal Qu's reason was probably just an excuse, he didn't build the fortification because he was afraid that the enemy would not come to attack him!Perhaps Yin Desheng was not the only one among the dozens of military generals present who understood the reason, but everyone didn't tell the truth.

The generals were ordered to return to the army and conveyed the commander's order.Gradually, the open wasteland became lively, and all the ministries were mobilized and came to the camp site.

The entire camp is on the endless grassland, open and unobstructed; the periphery of the camp is composed of many horizontal formations of hundreds of households in charge of security, roughly forming a square and wide hollow formation.Tents, horses, and cavalry are all in the middle.

The soldiers began to build dense tents, dig the ground to fetch water, and sent people to harvest weeds and make fire to make food.Today's camping time is very early, and everyone can have a warm meal.

Before the sun goes down, everything is relaxed and comfortable.Even the soldiers who are on duty are very light, and it is enough for people to sit and rest in place after forming the formation; because there is no enemy situation, the brothers can still chat with the brothers around them, and the army formation is very noisy and lively.

Yin Desheng was patrolling around on horseback, and heard a sergeant on the army formation who spoke Sichuan dialect, telling the people around him a kind of rice cake from his hometown.That young man is quite eloquent, and he speaks very carefully about the method, color, taste, and texture.Yin Desheng listened for a while, and his saliva was almost drooling.

But at night, the soldiers on duty are very uncomfortable.Although charcoal fires and torches were lit on the army formation, they couldn't stop the cold wind, and it was bitingly cold after nightfall!Everyone put on felt blankets, and some walked around to keep warm.

It was the end of the month, the moon was barely visible, and the fields were pitch black.There were many horseshoes in the distance.

The cavalry of the Ming army would not go out to camp in groups at night.All the soldiers knew that those hooves were Tatars!

There are infantry phalanxes around the camp, but there are no fortifications to stop them.People endured the severe cold and watched the dark distance with trepidation, worrying that the enemy might attack the camp at any time.

Yin Desheng didn't take off his armor, and he got up from time to time at night to ask about the military situation on the army formation.