Chapter 695 Bait, Warning
The army is on the march.
As we got closer to Datong City, the villages on both sides began to gather together, and many people heard the noise and came out to watch.
"The army from the capital is coming."
The people were rejoicing, and the children ran along with the marching army, looking back and shouting as they ran.
Yan Song was watching this scene with a smile. At this time, someone came to report, "Yuan Fu, it is 20 miles away from Datong. I am afraid we can't reach Datong City today."
According to the original marching speed, the army should arrive at Datong City tomorrow afternoon. However, Yan Song ordered the army to speed up, resulting in missing the deadline.
"Where can we go today?" Yan Song asked.
"It's probably about ten miles from Datong City."
"Ten miles." Yan Song estimated, "We can get there before noon tomorrow, just in time for lunch."
"Yes."
Several riders came galloping over, and Zhang Yuan said, "They are the attendants of the Minister of Public Administration."
Zhao Wenhua's followers approached and said, "Prime Minister, the Minister of Public Affairs has told me to report that Chang Wei Bo has ignored all dissuasion and insisted on leading the army to attack."
Yan Song was startled, "Why attack?"
The attendant said, "The scouts got the news that the enemy army was heading northwest with the looted civilians, and Majiao Village was under siege. Chang Wei Bo ordered the deputy general You Qing to lead his troops to reinforce Majiao Village, and he himself led his troops to attack, saying that he was going to rescue those civilians."
"Stupid!" Zhang Yuan sighed, "Is this an attempt to build momentum? If the leader of the Mohist School personally leads the army to rescue the people, the soldiers and civilians of the nine borders will surely be grateful..."
Yan Song thought that was not the case. He thought of what Jiang Qingzhi had done in the past few years...
"When Chang Wei Bo was in the court of King Altan, he risked his life to rescue the captured Ming soldiers. Mr. Zhang is judging others by his own standards!"
Du He rode over with a gloomy look on his face, "Prime Minister, Chang Wei Bo must have had a thorough plan for his attack."
"What's the plan? Capture a few civilians and then build momentum... Instead of rescuing Majiao Village, the commander of the army went to rescue those civilians. This is putting the cart before the horse." As a staff member, Zhang Yuan had been studying this battle before setting out and was familiar with the terrain around Datong.
Most of the civil servants and military officers present felt that this was correct.
In this era of clear class division, the common people are just tools, cattle and horses in the eyes of meat eaters. Their only purpose of living is to work for meat eaters.
Du He sneered, "If it weren't for those people, where would Mr. Zhang get rice and flour to eat? Would he have to farm on his own?"
"You are speaking in the tone of a Mohist scholar." Zhang Yuan, as an aide to Yan Song, looked down upon military merits like Du He. "The overall situation is more important. What is the overall situation right now? Altan's army is not far away. I seem to hear the sound of drums and horns, and the sound of fighting. This is the overall situation."
As for some civilians, they were just taken away. Anyway, every year many civilians from the Nine Borders were bewitched by the White Lotus Sect and went to the grassland.
Du He glanced at Yan Song, who was deep in thought. Du He said, "Chang Wei Bo once said that the duty of farmers is to cultivate the land, provide food, and support officials and soldiers. The duty of officials is to govern the country, and the duty of soldiers is to defend the country. Those who eat the blood and sweat of the people but turn a blind eye to their suffering are... worse than animals!"
"Du He!" Zhang Yuan shouted, "The Prime Minister is here, do you want to shake the morale of the army?"
"I dare not take the charge of shaking the army's morale, but Mr. Zhang, you open your mouth to the Mohist school, but close your mouth to the people who are worthless. Is this for the sake of the overall situation?"
"Enough!" Yan Song frowned, "Where is the vanguard?"
"Yuan Fu, the vanguard is less than ten miles away from Datong City."
"Tell them to rush to Datong City today."
"Yes."
Yan Song looked back at the army and said, "Faster!"
"Yuan Fu, don't overwork before the war." Someone said.
Du He agreed with Yan Song's opinion, "We can rest after entering the city."
"Hurry up!"
The military order was issued and the marching army began to speed up.
Du He looked at those dark faces and said to Qin Yuan, "I don't know why the uncle attacked."
As the commander of an army, Jiang Qingzhi can order the troops to attack and he will be in charge of the overall situation.
Du He didn't think Jiang Qingzhi was doing this to create momentum.
"I do have an idea." Qin Yuan said, "When the Ministry of War analyzed the generals under Altan Khan, they said that Lin Siyuan was bold in his use of troops."
"You mean... Master wants to use this opportunity to fight with Lin Siyuan..." Du He narrowed his eyes, "Yes. Master said earlier that the first battle has a great impact on morale. The first battle must be won, and it is best to win cleanly and neatly, which will make people happy!"
"The fall of Changxin Village is an encouragement to the enemy. As one side gains, the other loses. The morale of the Datong defenders has dropped..."
"Master strikes... This is a counterattack!"
The two looked towards the north, and Du He felt his blood boiling. "Those fools don't know the Lord's intentions, and they judge others by their own standards."
"This battle is very exciting!" Qin Yuan said, "One is a wise general under Altan Khan who has made great achievements in battle, and the other is... a famous general of the Ming Dynasty. What will happen?"
……
As the sun sets, more than a thousand people stagger across the grassland.
There was a child crying, and the mother was trying to comfort him while looking at the cavalrymen on horseback in fear.
Earlier, a child was burned to death by these people because he cried.
That scene frightened everyone.
The leading enemy general said to those around him, "Pay attention to your surroundings."
"Don't worry, Qianhu."
The enemy general glanced at the sun and said, "The governor said Jiang Qingzhi would definitely come, but the sun is starting to set. Where is he?"
"Qian Hu, maybe he's on the way!"
"On the way, the scout should have gotten the news, right?"
Just five miles to the left of this migrating team, Lin Siyuan and his subordinates were walking slowly.
"Governor, if Jiang Qingzhi doesn't send troops, Bals will get the credit for capturing Majiao Village, but we will have made a wasted trip." A general said impatiently.
Lin Siyuan said: "He will come."
"The scouts are back."
A team of scouts came galloping over and reported:
"Governor, Jiang Qingzhi has sent out his troops."
"How many troops?" Lin Siyuan asked.
"More than a thousand."
"it is good!"
A hint of joy flashed across Lin Siyuan's face. "Be on guard. Also, send some scouts back so as not to disturb our distinguished guests." The generals laughed.
Then the news kept coming.
"Jiang Qingzhi is speeding up!"
"The enemy's scouts are very powerful and are driving our scouts away. Our army is no match for them..."
"It is indeed the Tiger Guard Left Guard." At this point, Lin Siyuan's last bit of doubt disappeared.
Only the scouts of the Huben Zuowei have this ability.
"Is it that Ye Bu Shou?" A general cursed, "Damn it, those hundred or so riders are as cunning as foxes and as brave as tigers. Last time we chased them for a long time, but they still escaped."
Lin Siyuan squinted his eyes and looked at the setting sun. "The Khan once said that the Ming Dynasty is like the setting sun, not far from setting. What we need to do is to pull the setting sun into the abyss."
He stretched out his hand, grabbed the setting sun in the west, squeezed it tightly, and then pulled it down with force.
"Use Jiang Qingzhi's head as a witness to this!"
……
Majiaozhai.
More than a thousand enemy soldiers were attacking the city, and hundreds of enemy soldiers were watching not far away, but their posture was alert.
"Wan Hu ordered us to attack more slackly and wait for news from Lin Siyuan before launching a full-scale attack. But now the sun is about to set and there is still no news from Lin Siyuan..."
"Qian Hu, Lin Siyuan is still far away!"
"That's right." The enemy general laughed and said, "Majiao Village is vulnerable, but we have to hold back on attacking. It's uncomfortable."
Everyone laughed.
"Enemy attack!"
someone shouted.
A black line can be seen surging in the distance.
The defenders who were struggling to defend the city were overjoyed and cheered.
"Who is it?" the enemy general asked calmly.
"It's... You Ziqi."
"You Qing? Good!" The enemy general smiled and said, "As long as it's not Jiang Qingzhi, it's fine. Our job is done. The rest depends on Lin Siyuan. Retreat!"
The enemy withdrew cleanly and efficiently.
The defenders felt as if they had been pardoned, and some even knelt on the city wall and cried.
You Qing led his troops to the scene, "Scouts follow the enemy to gather information and report back at any time."
"Yes."
The gate of the village opened and the guard came out to greet them.
"Thank you, Deputy General, for saving me. I am grateful!" The general thought he was doomed, but unexpectedly, he managed to escape death. The drastic psychological change made him weak all over.
You Qing asked, "The enemy only has over 2,000 troops, but Lin Siyuan?"
The garrison commander was startled. "I had forgotten about this. At the beginning, the enemy army was flying the flag with the word 'Lin' on it. Someone shouted 'General', so I thought it was Lin Siyuan. But later I found out that it was not true..."
"Hmm?" You Qing asked, "What's wrong?"
The defending general said: "The enemy's attack is neither fast nor slow, and the command... Excuse my rudeness, I think the commander is mediocre."
"Not too fast or too slow, and the command is mediocre." You Qing was shocked, "This is... a bait. Quick, scout the surrounding area."
The garrison commander asked, "Is the deputy commander worried that this is a trap?"
You Qing's face was grim. "This is a bait. Be alert! Be alert!"
You Qing's vigilance was in vain. As the scouts continued to return with news that there were no enemy troops nearby, he himself was stunned.
"Why is the enemy attacking so slowly?" You Qing murmured.
The garrison commander said: "The enemy almost broke through the city several times, but then they sounded the horn, as if they were just playing a trick on us."
"Then the attack here is undoubtedly a bait. The enemy is... using Majiao Village as bait. Lin Siyuan led the army to attack Majiao Village, so there must not be many troops to escort those civilians."
You Qing turned his horse around and looked northwest. "But Lin Siyuan is not here, so where is he? Not good!"
You Qing's face turned pale. "Quick, chase after Chang Wei Bo on horseback and tell him that Lin Siyuan is near those people. Be careful of an ambush!"
……
The sun was setting further and further to the west, and birds could be seen flying in the sky with graceful postures.
Autumn is the season for all things to be stored. Animals will work hard to collect food, or eat and drink, to accumulate energy and prepare for winter.
That’s why there is the health-preserving method of harvesting in autumn and storing in winter.
The team was moving at a staggering pace, and at this rate they would have to set up camp no more than two miles away.
The enemy general became a little impatient and kept looking at both sides.
"Why hasn't Jiang Qingzhi come yet?"
"Does he want to attack at night?"
"No, if we launch a night attack, the civilians will surely suffer heavy casualties. The governor said Jiang Qingzhi would definitely not agree."
"So……"
"Enemy attack!"
shouted the sergeant monitoring the perimeter.
The enemy general looked in the direction of the sound and saw a cavalry suddenly rushing out from the right.
Instead of being sad, he rejoiced, “Blow the trumpet, blow the trumpet!”
Oh oh oh!
The horn blows long!
Lin Siyuan heard it.
He took a deep breath.
"Prepare to attack!"
(End of this chapter)
