Chapter 693: A Trap for Jiang Qingzhi
"Two thousand cavalry pushed back five thousand enemy troops?"
When Yan Song received the news, he couldn't help but stroke his beard and said, "It's really Chang Wei Bo!"
Zhang Yuan, an aide to him, said, "Prime Minister, Jiang Qingzhi's preemptive move is not a good thing for us."
Yan Song frowned, and Zhang Yuan said, "Nominally, it is Yuanfu who is leading the army this time. Jiang Qingzhi's move has greatly increased his own prestige. This is a case of one gaining while the other loses! Yuanfu!"
Yan Song was the nominal commander-in-chief. When Jiang Qingzhi decided to take two thousand cavalry and advance ahead, Yan Song advised him against it, but Jiang Qingzhi insisted on his own way.
When the battle report came in, Jiang Qingzhi's insistence on his own way became a wise decision, while Yan Song became a negative example, being timid and ignorant of military tactics.
Yan Song is a veteran in the officialdom and is well versed in such matters.
Zhang Yuan whispered, "I think this matter should be suppressed and only known to the generals."
Suppressing Jiang Qingzhi's influence would help Yan Song control the army and expand his own influence.
After all, there can't be two tigers in one mountain.
Zhang Yuan smiled.
Yan Song stroked his beard and looked towards the north calmly, "Send the news to the whole army to encourage the soldiers."
Zhang Yuan was stunned, "Prime Minister, this..."
Yan Song glanced at him and said, "The overall situation is more important!"
"Wan Sheng!"
"Wan Sheng!"
The news reached the army, and the marching troops burst into cheers.
Amid the thunderous cheers, Yan Song said in a deep voice: "Everyone says that I am a treacherous villain. What is a treacherous villain? Only those who disregard the country and the people are treacherous villains. Remember, the overall situation is the most important!"
Zhang Yuan looked unwilling and lowered his head, "Yes."
Several civil servants rode over on horseback, looking quite happy.
"Prince, there is news of victory before the army arrives. This is a good sign!"
"Yes!"
Yan Song smiled and said, "Send the battle report to the capital quickly."
Capital…Everyone turned around and looked to the south.
I can still vividly remember the eager looks of the people of the capital as they saw me off before I set out on the expedition.
The emperor personally saw them off and even said something that greatly boosted the morale of the entire army.
“Horses trample the grassland!”
The army sped up, Yan Song was greatly encouraged, and he summoned the generals to discuss the matter.
"The enemy's vanguard is approaching Datong. Where will Altan's army be?"
Yan Song asked.
Qin Yuan said: "Prince, it depends on Altan's purpose. If he wants to fight quickly, then the army will follow. If he wants to fight steadily, it will take some time for the main force to arrive."
Du He said: "We are still two days away from Datong, and we will definitely arrive earlier than Altan's army. But the only thing to worry about is the number of troops in the enemy's vanguard."
Yan Song had not told the generals about this news until the victory report came. He then said, "More than 10,000."
The generals gasped and one said, "These are Altan Khan's elite troops. The Datong defenders are no match for them."
"Chang Wei Bo only has 2,000 light cavalry, Yuan Fu, we must hurry on our way."
Qin Yuan said: "Chang Wei Bo is an expert in military tactics, so he must know the importance of being cautious. He only needs to defend the city, and once the main force arrives, the enemy's vanguard will naturally retreat."
This man was quite steady and composed. Yan Song took another look at Qin Yuan. In the eyes of outsiders, this commander who relied on nepotism to control the army was a scum.
But as a general valued by Jiang Qingzhi, Yan Song did not think that Qin Yuan would be useless.
"Then, go and tell Chang Wei Bo to wait until the army arrives." Yan Song readily followed the advice, and the atmosphere immediately became much better.
The generals gave their advice on how to fight the enemy and successfully made the old prime minister very happy. He wished he could fly to Datong and command the army to fight.
Du He and the others then left. He rode his horse side by side with Qin Yuan and said, "Someone is targeting Lord Bo!"
Qin Yuan nodded. "Those idiots, you didn't see it just now. When the battle report came, several civil servants were whispering and looking ugly, as if their parents had died."
"They only care about their own Tao. What did Lord Bo say? The Tao they are talking about is actually fame and fortune." Du He saw those civil servants and sneered, "Go back to the battlefield and find an opportunity to kill a few of them."
Qin Yuan warned: "Master Bo said that the overall situation is important, so don't cause trouble."
"Don't be afraid of a bird!" Du He patted Qin Yuan's shoulder, "You don't know the temper of the uncle. If he doesn't like someone, he will hit or kick them no matter what time it is."
Qin Yuan smiled bitterly, "This is in the army."
Du He raised his voice and said, "The soldiers are armed with knives. I, Old Du, am here to say that if anyone dares to stab you in the back, I will stab him with a white knife and take him out with a red knife!"
Several civil servants glanced at him, and Du He responded with a ferocious smile.
This is not the capital, but the army!
……
Lin Siyuan retreated. After hearing the news, Bals said to the generals, "This man is arrogant, but he is still a veteran general after all. He has determination at the critical moment."
Some people said: "Wan Hu, Lin Siyuan used his troops boldly, but 4,000 of them did not dare to attack Jiang Qingzhi. This so-called boldness is overrated!"
Bars nodded. "At that time, the Datong defenders were nearby. Lin Siyuan was not sure he could defeat Jiang Qingzhi quickly. Once he was entangled... the Datong defenders would surely launch a mad attack. He would definitely lose this battle."
"That would be a wise move."
"When we meet, I will ridicule him."
Bals ignored the discussions of his generals and frowned, saying, "Is Lin Siyuan not here yet?" According to the pace, Lin Siyuan's troops should have arrived at his periphery by now.
“Not coming.”
Bars was a little dissatisfied. "What is he going to do? Do whatever he wants?"
……
On a grassland more than ten miles away from Datong City, Lin Siyuan was thinking with his hands behind his back.
"Captain."
A general came over, "Scouts spotted Bars' men and hid them."
"Yes!" Lin Siyuan nodded. "Bars is not happy with me. If he knows what I am thinking, he will definitely try to stop me. It's best to avoid him."
The general was stunned. "The commander-in-chief wants to... continue to attack?"
"Why do you think I retreated?" Lin Siyuan said calmly, "Zhang Da is Jiang Qingzhi's man. Once I attack with all my strength, Zhang Da will definitely counterattack with all his might. Our army has less than 5,000 people, so we can only retreat with regret in the end. I don't care about this. What I care about is... the loss is too great. How can I find an opportunity to destroy Jiang Qingzhi in the future?"
"You want to destroy Jiang Qingzhi?" The general's eyelids twitched. "The scouts reported that Jiang Qingzhi has been in the city."
"Where are the people we looted last time?" Lin Siyuan asked.
"It's just over ten miles behind. Last time I said I would give it to Bars in the back, but you said to leave it there for now."
The right way to go is to have five thousand cavalry come and go like the wind. Lin Siyuan's decision at that time puzzled his subordinates, who felt that he was tying himself up in knots.
"The last time Jiang Qingzhi went to the royal court, he risked his life in despair in order to save the captives. What did he say?"
Lin Siyuan thought about it for a while, and a general said: "General, it seems that... if you kill one of my men, I will kill ten of yours."
"That's it." Lin Siyuan nodded. "This shows that this man is brave. If he knew that I had a group of robbed people, would he just sit there and watch?"
"Commander-in-chief, maybe it will happen."
"Yes!"
Lin Siyuan smiled slightly, "Let someone kill a few civilians, let those people watch, and then release more than ten people."
Seeing the generals pondering, Lin Siyuan sighed, "Those civilians who escaped back will surely spread the news of the massacre throughout Datong. Jiang Qingzhi risked his life for those captives last time. If he just sits and watches those civilians being taken away this time..."
"Reputation!" A general suddenly realized.
"He is a great Mohist master, and he always keeps his word." Lin Siyuan sneered, "Escort those civilians to Datong and let the Ming army scouts approach."
"This makes it difficult for Jiang Qingzhi to back down... We have more than 4,000 people, and last time... Ah! Did the governor retreat on purpose last time?!"
The generals thought of what happened last time and were all surprised.
"First suppress and then praise, so that the opponent will become arrogant, and then use it..." Lin Siyuan looked at the direction of Datong with his hands behind his back, "Two thousand cavalry can force back my four thousand cavalry, so, two thousand cavalry will attack and take back those captured civilians... Doesn't Jiang Qingzhi dare to do that?"
"It turns out that the governor has such a long-term plan." A general covered his forehead with his hands, his eyes full of respect.
"What a trick, Governor!"
"Will Jiang Qingzhi turn a deaf ear to it after learning about it?" Someone questioned, "After all, this is not the royal court, and he is not an envoy."
Lin Siyuan was alone outside, and he had to convince his subordinates of his decision before he could use it as he wished. He said, "Majiaozhai!"
The generals were stunned.
Lin Siyuan sighed, "After you capture Changxin Village, you should all attack Majiao Village in unison..."
Majiaozhai was also a fortress for early warning of Datong's periphery. If Majiaozhai was taken down, Datong city would lose an eye.
At that time, all the generals were eager for merit and suggested to attack Majiaozhai immediately.
But Lin Siyuan refused without hesitation.
"Leaving Majiao Village unattacked is a difficult problem I leave for my opponent."
Lin Siyuan squatted down, pulled out more than ten weeds, picked up small stones and drew a sketch on the ground.
"Changxin Village has been taken down, and Datong has lost an eye. Now Majiao Village is isolated and it will be a headache for the opponent whether to withdraw or stay."
Lin Siyuan looked up at the generals and said, "Retreat. If the Khan orders a light cavalry raid, no one in Majiao Village will warn you. If you stay, our army can destroy Majiao Village at any time."
He dropped the small stone and clapped his hands. "What would happen if Jiang Qingzhi knew that I was leading my army to attack Majiao Village?"
"On one side, there is Majiao Village giving warnings, and on the other side, there are the people being abducted. Jiang Qingzhi will definitely go there..."
Seeing the generals scratching their heads, Lin Siyuan couldn't help but sigh, "He is the emperor's confidant, and he is also a great Mohist master. The Confucianists in the Ming Dynasty are powerful and are calling for his death. It is not easy to accumulate the reputation of such a person. If he sits and watches the people being plundered, those literati and Confucian disciples will definitely criticize him..."
Lin Siyuan stood up and said, "This is a situation that Jiang Qingzhi cannot escape. Come here."
Lin Siyuan ordered: "Tell Bals my plan and tell him to send troops to Majiao Village. After this battle, 30% of the credit will be his."
"The governor wants Bars to lead his troops and pretend that we are attacking Majiao Village. Jiang Qingzhi will then think that there are not enough soldiers to escort the abducted civilians, so he will definitely send troops."
These idiots only understood at this moment... Lin Siyuan nodded slightly, "My appearance of being in conflict with Bars is also a layout."
All the generals bowed in submission!
Half a day later, Bals learned the news.
He pondered for a long time.
"Wanhu!"
The generals were looking at him.
"Lin Siyuan... What a great Lin Siyuan!" At this point, Bals had to admire this man's ingenious planning and far-reaching layout.
"Tell Lin Siyuan that I will send troops to Majiao Village!" Bars stood up and looked at the generals, "This is a trap that can bury Jiang Qingzhi!"
(End of this chapter)
