Those Things in the Ming Dynasty Part 1 The Great Emperor Hongwu _ Chapter 14 Revenge
To be fair, Chen Youliang and Zhang Shicheng are indeed his strongest opponents, but from a personal emotional point of view, he has no hatred towards these two people, and even feels sympathy for each other.
But the Yuan Dynasty was different. It was under the rule of this brutal dynasty that Zhu Yuanzhang lost his parents, his family was ruined, he was homeless, begging to survive, and he rebelled as a last resort.
In Zhu Yuanzhang's heart, there was deep hatred for Yuan.
There is not only family feud, but also national hatred.
During the war in which Zhu Yuanzhang defeated Chen Youliang and Zhang Shicheng, in order to paralyze the Yuan Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang did not proclaim himself king or emperor, and secretly stated that he would not be an enemy of the Yuan Dynasty. He also sent generous gifts to Chahan Timur, the then general of the Yuan Dynasty.
From this point of view, he is indeed a master of relationships.
From the perspective of the Yuan Dynasty, this was a country bumpkin who just wanted to get some benefits from the war, so just give him some benefits.
If they investigate Zhu Yuanzhang's tragic childhood experience and then think about who caused Zhu Yuanzhang's pain, they will find how absurd their idea is.
Zhu Yuanzhang's strategy achieved great success.
When he defeated Chen Youliang and was about to wipe out Jiangnan, the Yuan Dynasty government quickly sent Zhang Chang, the Minister of Household Affairs, to make him an official. They always felt that this person could be used by them, so they just gave him some money.
Zhu Yuanzhang's reaction was beyond their expectations. He resigned from the official position, but kept Zhang Chang. Zhu Yuanzhang poached Yuan's influence and said to Liu Ji: The Yuan Dynasty sent me a wise man. You can have nothing to do with him.
He talks more.
If this behavior cannot make the Yuan Dynasty understand Zhu Yuanzhang's true intentions, then they are too stupid.
When Zhu Yuanzhang fought with Chen Youliang and Zhang Shicheng, fighting to the death, the Yuan Dynasty government was very happy to be a bystander in a boxing match. For them, the best result was that all three men fell down, and then they went up to announce it.
victory.
The most stupid thing about the Yuan Dynasty government was that they didn't know that this game was a knockout, and the prize for victory in the end was the qualification to fight with themselves!
When Zhu Yuanzhang went through all the hardships and walked out of the blood river of corpses and climbed up from the corpses of Chen Youliang and Zhang Shicheng, the Yuan Dynasty government was horrified to find that this winner was more terrifying than any previous opponent.
He has an excellent army, decisive counselors, and brave generals. What he leads is no longer the kind of peasant uprising army that can be defeated in one attack, but a powerful division whose combat effectiveness is no less than his own.
In order to save their own destiny, the Yuan Dynasty government tried every means. They sent a large amount of gold and silver treasures to Zhu Yuanzhang, hoping that he would accept the recruitment and continue to be their slave.
But they slowly discovered that the Zhu Yuanzhang in front of them not only wanted his money, but also his life.
The game is about to begin.
Background introduction of contestants
Before the game starts, we would also like to introduce Zhu Yuanzhang’s opponent, Yuan.
The Yuan Dynasty was a political power established by Mongolia. Mongolia's power began in the 12th century. In 1206, the Mongolian leader Temujin unified Mobei, which represented Mongolia's entry into its heyday.
It should be noted that many people believe that Mongolia only became powerful after Temujin. This view is debatable. In fact, the Mongols have always been quite powerful in combat, and they are natural warriors.
The reason why this powerful nation has never been on the stage of history is just because of its own divisions. When Temujin solved this problem, its terrible destructive power and war capabilities were released to all parts of the world like a violent storm.
It is not uncommon in history for culturally advanced nations to be conquered by relatively backward nations, such as the demise of the Western Jin Dynasty and the Northern Song Dynasty. However, there is a misunderstanding, that is, people have always believed that these backward nations can become conquerors because they
The reason why soldiers are brave and good at fighting is not because their military institutions are advanced.
In the eyes of those people, how could these barbarians who didn't even know a word, and just relied on their so-called bravery to fight, be better in military strategy than the officers of an advanced nation who had been trained in systematic military theory for a long time?
It turns out they might be wrong.
Military and economic development are often separated. This sentence has been proven many times by history.
Although the Mongolian military system is simple, it is very practical. They do not have the useless bureaucracy of the Southern Song Dynasty. They use small groups of cavalry to test and then use surprise attacks to attack weak parts of the enemy. Once the attack is frustrated, they immediately withdraw.
Then look for opportunities to break through from the side.
Mobility is the greatest advantage of the Mongolian army.
What is even more unbelievable is that the weapons of the Mongolian army were more advanced than those of the Southern Song Dynasty. They geniusly invented the most terrifying bow at the time, with a range of up to 300 meters. No matter how thick the armor was, it was difficult to withstand it. Only the most elite
The Divine Arm Bow equipped by the Southern Song Dynasty army can be compared with it. But in war, weapons are never the most important. The soldiers who fight are the key to victory or defeat.
Fighting with the Mongols is a very painful thing, because they do not fight with each other directly with swords, and their most important weapons are bows and arrows.
When you encounter the Mongolian cavalry, your nightmare begins. Shoot arrows before attacking, shoot arrows during the attack, and even shoot arrows when he escapes. You can't catch up with him, and you can't hit him. This is similar to
The rogue style of play is enough to drive people crazy!
This is also the reason why when the Mongolian army later attacked Eastern Europe, those Europeans who were much stronger than them were beaten to pieces.
Basically, they were not hacked to death with swords, but shot to death with arrows.
Another characteristic of the Mongols that everyone is familiar with is the massacre of cities.
The Mongols have always followed this pattern when they fought from East Asia to West Asia, and then to Europe. Their massacres are quite unique and worth mentioning.
Judging from various sources ("Duosang Mongol History" and "Yuan History"), the massacre of the Mongols was not caused by indulging military discipline. Their massacre had obvious political overtones (pay attention to this feature).
The purpose of massacre is to make the opponent surrender.
Before attacking a city, they will usually say hello that if they surrender, they will not massacre the city. If you don't surrender, you should think about the consequences yourself.
But their shortcoming is that if they don't surrender, they will definitely massacre the city, but they will not let go if they surrender. Why is this?
This is to protect the needs of the rear. They believe that it is not safe for people to stay behind them, and they must kill them all before they can feel at ease (because the Mongolian soldiers do not want to have residents in the rear areas, so as to make them worry about their future).
The Mongol craze swept the world, but Europeans seemed to have more self-discipline. They believed that such horrible guys came out for no reason because they made too many mistakes and God used a whip to teach them, so they called the Mongols "the whip of God"
”.
This is the second time in European history that this honorary title has been awarded. The first time was given to Attila the Hun.
Historians have given this massacre by the Mongolian army a very precise definition - state terrorism.
It seems that some people in the Mongolian army are quite fond of performance art. The specific manifestation is that in the battles in West Asia, they cut off the heads of the killed and piled them into a triangular mountain.
In addition, they also had quite a dark sense of humor. For example, after capturing Baghdad, they locked the supreme leader, the Khalifa, in a house filled with gold, silver and jewelry and let him starve to death.
They solved the problem of feeding tens of millions of people around the world, but they used the most cruel method - massacre.
This is a terrible enemy, and their destructive power is extremely astonishing. Here we will list a few figures. These figures make people shudder.
The numbers of the remaining population when the Mongols conquered the Jin Kingdom are as follows:
When the Jin Dynasty was at its peak (1207), there were 7.68 million households. When Mongolia destroyed the Jin Dynasty (1234), there were only 870,000 households left, a decrease of 89%.
The numbers of the remaining population when Mongolia destroyed the Southern Song Dynasty are as follows:
In the 16th year of Jiading in the Southern Song Dynasty (1223), there were 12.67 million households. When the Mongols destroyed the Song Dynasty, there were only 9.37 million households left, a decrease of 26%.
From this point of view, Mongolia was quite lenient towards the Southern Song Dynasty. Of course, there were reasons for this, which we will talk about later.
The Mongolian army's attacks on the Central Plains countries were indeed powerful. It took twenty-two years (1205-1227) to destroy the Xixia Kingdom, and it took twenty-three years (1211-1234) to destroy the Jin Kingdom, which had once swept the world.
At this time, Mongolia realized their terrifying strength, and they pointed their next finger at the Southern Song Dynasty.
In their view, the Jin people who were as strong and brave as them were also vulnerable, let alone the thin Southerners who could only recite poetry and paint all day long.
In the first year of Duanping of the Southern Song Dynasty (1234), the Mongols made all preparations to attack the Southern Song Dynasty.
They believed that the Song Dynasty would be destroyed within ten years.
But they didn't expect that this battle would last for nearly fifty years and cost the life of a great Khan.
Under the threat of massacre, these weak southerners did not seem to be afraid. From Lianghuai to Xiangyang and then to Sichuan, they all encountered fierce resistance.
They suffered the greatest setback in Hezhou.
In February of the first year of Kaiqing in the Southern Song Dynasty (1259), the Great Khan Meng Ge personally led an army to attack Hezhou, Sichuan. The battle lasted for five months. General Wang Jian held fast to Diaoyu City in Hezhou and not only repelled the attack of the Mongolian army
, and also wounded Meng Ge, the Great Khan, in the battle.
Everything that happened made the Mongolian nobles confused. What kind of power supported these weak people and made them so strong?
They are determined to find out.
Although the Southern Song Dynasty put up fierce resistance, it was ultimately unable to stop the Mongolian cavalry.
In 1279, after experiencing fierce resistance, Lu Xiufu, the last wartime prime minister of the Southern Song Dynasty, saluted the young emperor Zhao Bing at sea and said his last words:
"The country has reached this point, and His Majesty has no choice but to pledge himself to the country."
Then he carried the emperor on his back and jumped into the sea.
The Southern Song Dynasty perished, but the mystery in the hearts of the Mongolian nobles has never been solved.
At this time, they found that they might find the answer from one person.
This person's name is Wen Tianxiang.
moral
At this time, Wen Tianxiang had been in prison in the Yuan Dynasty for a long time. He raised an army at the most critical moment of the Southern Song Dynasty, organized volunteers to resist the Yuan Dynasty, and was captured after defeat.
Such a person who knew what was impossible but did it was the ideal research object for the rulers of the Yuan Dynasty. What supported him to do such an impossible thing?
So, from the surrendered Song Dynasty Prime Minister to the Emperor, and then to the Yuan Dynasty Prime Minister and Emperor, everyone came to persuade them to surrender, but they all got the same answer.
Never surrender.
In repeated confrontations, the Mongolian nobles realized that there was something in this man's heart that was supporting him.
This kind of thing is called morality.
What is morality?
It can't be seen or touched, but the Mongolian nobles still grasped one thing, that is, as long as they surrender this person, they can set an example and morality can be defeated.
So they tortured Wen Tianxiang in different ways, from comfortable greenhouses to smelly black cells, from soft to hard, using everything.
But Wen Tianxiang refused to take hard or soft advice.
Wen Tianxiang persisted in his beliefs under difficult circumstances and wrote an eternal masterpiece - "Song of Righteousness".
There are two sentences in it that reflect his inner feelings:
The time has come and gone, and the pictures are drawn one by one.
A person's integrity and dignity are reflected in the most difficult times.
The Mongolian nobles had no choice but to let Kublai Khan appear.
Kublai Khan was a man who had received Chinese education for a long time. He knew that it was easy to kill Wen Tianxiang, but it was difficult to conquer the belief in his heart.
In an almost pleading tone, he said to Wen Tianxiang, you are a real talent, please stay with me and be a prime minister.
Wen Tianxiang rejected him.
Kublai Khan's repeated persuasion had no effect. He really had no choice but to say to Wen Tianxiang: Whatever you want to do, you can say it yourself.
Wen Tianxiang raised his head and said: I just want to die!
Isn't it good to live well? Why must we die? Is morality so important?
He admired this man, but he didn't understand him either.
May it be fulfilled for you.
In 1283, Wen Tianxiang was taken to the execution ground in Dadu (today's Beijing). When he arrived at the execution ground, he was surrounded by countless people who would watch this brave and unyielding man being executed.
Wen Tianxiang asked the last question in his life, which direction is south, and people immediately pointed it out to him.
He knelt down and bowed to the south, then sat down and calmly said to the executioner:
My business is over.
On this day, Wen Tianxiang was the real winner.
He told everyone with his courage and determination that in this personal war against the entire state machine, he was the out-and-out winner.
He never gave up his beliefs until his death.
The rulers of the Yuan Dynasty still did not find the answer.
In fact, the answer is hidden in Wen Tianxiang's belt, which is also his suicide note——
Confucius said it is benevolence, and Mencius said it is to obtain righteousness. But when righteousness is exhausted, benevolence is the best.
What did you learn from reading the books of sages? Now and in the future, you will feel no regrets.
The body can be conquered, but morality cannot be conquered.
Wherever the Tao is, even if there are tens of thousands of people, I will go there!
In this way, the Yuan Dynasty began its rule. They did not know what the people under their rule were thinking, and they did not want to understand. However, Wen Tianxiang served as a role model and became the spiritual idol of the ruled.
Such rule will not be strong.
The Mongolian nobles pay great attention to maintaining their own national characteristics. They do not accept Chineseization and do not intermarry with Han people (those who dream of marrying Zhao Min should give up). The gap between them and the ruled is getting wider and wider, and they cannot reach a consensus.
From time to time, a few nobles came out and clamored to drive away the Han people and use the farmland to raise cattle and sheep. Fortunately, the prime minister at the time, Tuo Tuo, stopped him and this stupid idea was not realized.
It should be noted here that this Tuotuo is not the later Tuotuo. This Tuotuo in the early Yuan Dynasty was an out-and-out good man. It was because of his suggestions that the Yuan Dynasty army did not massacre local residents after capturing many cities.
It is the continuous development of agricultural civilization, and this person is really indispensable.
In the large families of the Yuan Dynasty, the head of the family seemed to have no affection for the family members, and would grab whatever he liked, as if the family was not his own at all. This situation lasted for decades, and the more the two sides looked at each other, the more they disliked each other.
, since we can’t get along, let’s separate the families.
But the problem is that the people who work in this family are all family members. Without them, these Mongolian nobles cannot survive. If one party wants to divide the family, but the other party refuses to give up, they have to use domestic violence.
However, these Mongolian cavalry who once dominated the world have sunk in the hedonistic life. Some of them can't even ride horses. They have no other abilities except bullying the unarmed servants at home.
And when these servants picked up the kitchen knives and hoes they usually used to work and resisted, the former rulers would be at a loss.
For example, the Asov Army, the most elite unit in the Mongolian army, is outstanding even among the powerful Mongolian army and has made great achievements. When the uprising broke out, they were sent to suppress it. After receiving the order, this unit
Set off immediately, travel day and night, and use lightning speed to rob the common people first.
But bad luck. After returning from the robbery, he happened to encounter the rebel army. As soon as he saw the opponent's flag, the leader of the team shouted "Ab, Ab" (run quickly). This is how the most elite army retreated.
After retreating, he repeatedly emphasized that he was defeated only after encountering an insurgent army several times his own.
It was this kind of military quality that made the Yuan Dynasty's army vulnerable in the early days of the uprising.
But as the uprising expanded, the rulers of the Yuan Dynasty realized the seriousness of the problem. The blood of Genghis Khan revived in their veins. They reorganized their troops, restored their combat effectiveness, and suppressed the uprising everywhere.
Astride the horse, you are the descendants of Genghis Khan.
The most outstanding of these descendants was called Kuokou Timur.
He also has a well-known name: Wang Baobao.
The name Kuokou Timur is too difficult to pronounce, so let’s call him Wang Baobao.
Wang Baobao was the nephew and adopted son of the famous Yuan Dynasty general Chahan Timur. After Chahan was killed, he assumed the mission of guarding the Yuan Dynasty and became the main enemy of the Ming Dynasty.
This name will be on our radar for a long time.
Goal, yuan!
Zhu Yuanzhang could finally do what he wanted to do, eliminate Yuan and avenge his parents, and the slogans he proposed resonated with people even more.
"Drive out the barbarians, restore China, establish principles and discipline, and save the people." This was what many people thought at the time.
We quote the words of the famous historian Mr. Wu Han to describe the situation at that time: "Under such circumstances, the nature of the war changed. It was no longer the original class struggle of the Red Scarf Army, but a national war between the Han and Mongolians.
.”
Today's Mongolians are part of the Chinese nation, but from a historical materialist point of view, it is unlikely that people at that time would have celebrated with the Mongolian cavalry.
In fact, they have been waiting for this day to arrive for a long time.
Yes, that's how it was then.
The beginning of the Northern Expedition
In October of the 27th year of Zhengzheng, Zhu Yuanzhang sent General Xu Da and Chang Yuchun to launch the Northern Expedition. This Northern Expedition had special historical significance. At the beginning of the 10th century AD, Shi Jingtang conquered Yanyun, a dangerous place in the north, for his own glory and wealth.
Sixteen states were ceded to Khitan.
This man can be called one of the biggest sinners in Chinese history. His shameless personality, despicable behavior, and thick-skinnedness will be difficult for future generations to match.
His behavior put the Central Plains Dynasty in an unsafe and passive position in the military struggle with the nomads. Since the Central Plains was dominated by infantry, and the nomads were dominated by cavalry, after the cession of the sixteen states, the Central Plains infantry
They would directly face the impact of the cavalry on the plains thousands of miles away.
To a certain extent, the entire Song Dynasty was destroyed in the hands of Shi Jingtang, and the soldiers in the Central Plains had to use their own flesh and blood to resist the invasion of nomads until the entire Song Dynasty collapsed.
Four hundred years after the fall of Yanyun, Zhu Yuanzhang began his Northern Expedition, starting a rare unification war from south to north in Chinese history.
Zhu Yuanzhang was faced with a new choice at this time - how to attack?
At that time, Zhu Yuanzhang had already occupied Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Huguang, but the Yuan Dynasty still occupied most of the north. To achieve the goal of overthrowing the Yuan Dynasty, a clear battle plan must be in place.
Zhu Yuanzhang did not choose the strategy of directly attacking Dadu, the capital of the Yuan Dynasty. He believed that in order to completely defeat the rulers of the Yuan Dynasty, he must first attack Shandong and Henan, and then attack Dadu.
This strategy proved to be correct, because the Yuan Dynasty was still very powerful at this time.
In order to boost the morale of the army, Zhu Yuanzhang said a word to his soldiers and generals before setting off to boost their morale.
"God's way is good, and China must do it; if the people follow suit, every man will take revenge."
I believe that this sentence was said through gritted teeth.
The Northern Expedition officially began. The leading generals were Xu Da and Chang Yuchun, who were regarded as the twins of the Ming Empire. They did not disappoint Zhu Yuanzhang. The Wu army, which had been tested by cruel wars, continuously broke through Yuan's defense lines and occupied Shandong in just three months.
This process is really nothing to write about, because the Yuan army is really vulnerable.
In Wang Baobao's mind, he did not take Zhu Yuanzhang and Xu Da seriously. In his opinion, there was no difference between Xu Da's army and the peasant uprising troops with loose discipline and poor combat effectiveness that he defeated. He used his main force to deal with them.
Li Siqi, who was fighting for power, only handed over the defensive task to his younger brother Tuoyin Timur. This Tuoyin Timur was also a good general, but he often fell in love with the superb Xu Da.
He is still far behind.
Xu Da and Chang Yuchun used their own military actions to teach him a lesson in military theory. Before he could recover from his illness in Jinan, he found that the flags of the Wu army had been planted all over Shandong where he was stationed.
Xu Da and Chang Yuchun did not stop for a moment. They set out from Shandong and divided their troops into two groups to attack Henan. Here, they encountered the strongest resistance on the Northern Expedition.
The person stationed here is Aruwen, the king of Yuanliang. He is a relatively capable general. At the critical moment, he correctly understood the situation, gathered 50,000 troops, and set up a formation on the north bank of Luoshui, waiting for the arrival of the enemy.
It should be said that he occupies a good position. This favorable terrain gives him two advantages. If the enemy dares to attack by force, he will gather troops to attack him halfway across the border, catching him by surprise. Moreover, even if the battle is unfavorable, it will be easier to retreat.
Escape.
Facts have proved that he still made full use of one of the advantages of the terrain, of course, not the former.
When Xu Da's army arrived in Luoshui, they did not hesitate as the Mongolian army imagined. Instead, they launched an attack as soon as possible, and the organizer of the attack was Chang Yuchun, who was always the vanguard.
He led the army across Luoshui like flying. Before the stunned Yuan army could even organize their troops, Chang Yuchun's steel knife was already placed on their necks. So, "The enemy was crushed and they ran after them."
More than fifty miles". King Aluwen of Liang became a prisoner.
Only then did Wang Baobao realize the terrifying opponent in front of him.
But it's too late.
Ming Dynasty established
Just when Xu Da and Chang Yuchun went to Shandong and defeated the Yuan army, a new dynasty announced its birth in Yingtian.
On the fourth day of the first lunar month in 1368, Zhu Yuanzhang proclaimed himself emperor in Yingtian, naming his reign as Hongwu and his country as Ming.
Of course, before this, a large number of ministers must have persuaded Zhu Yuanzhang to ascend the throne, and Zhu Yuanzhang's reaction was naturally very surprised, and then he refused again and again.
The ministers would definitely not give up, so they kowtowed to each other and sought death (just in words of course), as if they would not be able to survive if Zhu Yuanzhang was not the emperor.
In order not to make his ministers sad and to save those ministers who wanted to die, Zhu Yuanzhang had no choice but to ascend the throne reluctantly.
Of course, I have to say two more words at the end, such as I was forced, and you forced me. Note that when you say these words, you must have a very painful expression on your face, as if you are about to be pulled away.
It's as painful as beheading.
Everyone should be used to seeing this trick in history. It has always been like this. But it is impossible not to perform this trick. Everyone has their own needs. After the performance, the ministers can be promoted and make a fortune. After the performance, Zhu Yuanzhang can become the emperor.
It can be said to be a win-win situation.
The fourth day of the first lunar month in 1368, this day will always be remembered by history. On this day, a great dynasty was established.
Zhu Yuanzhang, the cowherd boy, sat on his throne, looking at the civil and military officials kneeling below, with mixed feelings in his heart.
He did not expect that this position would belong to him. In fact, all he originally asked for was a full bowl of food, a home, a wife, and if he was lucky, a cow to help him plow the land.
However, the cruelty of reality forced him to choose this difficult path. On this path, no one could accompany him. The only person he could trust and rely on was himself.
If you had to choose again, if you could have enough to eat and survive, would you still take this path?
It's meaningless anymore.
Once you embark on this path, you cannot look back.
Here, I would also like to introduce Han Lin'er. Where is this former emperor of Zhu Yuanzhang now?
Answer: It has been sinking at the bottom of the river for a year.
In 1367, Han Lin'er took a boat to Yingtian and was greeted by Liao Yongzhong, a general under Zhu Yuanzhang. As a result, there was a traffic accident on the way and the ship sank. Afterwards, Liao Yongzhong admitted that he had done it, but the question is whether he got Zhu Yuanzhang's instructions.
Woolen cloth?
I think this possibility is very high. Zhu Yuanzhang kept Han Lin'er just to blackmail the emperor and order the princes, but when he killed Chen Youliang and Zhang Shicheng, an embarrassing situation emerged.
When all the princes are gone, what do you want the emperor to do?
Zhu Yuanzhang confessed himself afterwards, saying that he had no intention of doing so and that it was Liao Yongzhong who made his own decision. He also publicly accused him, saying that if you hadn't done this yourself, with your merits, I would have made you a duke.
, now in order to punish you, I will only make you a marquis.
This is really a strange story. With Liao Yongzhong's merits, how can he still be awarded the title of Duke compared with Xu Da, Li Wenzhong and others? I'll give you a marquis and enjoy it yourself.
In any case, Zhu Yuanzhang got everything he wanted.
The matter is not over yet, Zhu Yuanzhang still has an enemy. Only by destroying this enemy can he become the true master of China!
After successfully occupying Shandong and Henan, the Ming army moved towards its final goal of Dadu. Dadu was the capital of the Yuan Dynasty and the center of Mongol rule. As long as Dadu was occupied, the demise of the Yuan Dynasty could be declared.
This is undoubtedly very attractive.
Xu Da and Chang Yuchun were lucky, they got this mission that will go down in history.
On July 27, the first year of Hongwu (1368), Xu Da's army captured Tongzhou and approached Dadu. The goal was in front of him.
As the ruling center of the Yuan Dynasty, Dadu has very strong city defenses, and there are a large number of troops and food in the city, which is enough to hold on for more than a year. What is even more serious is that in Taiyuan, not far from Dadu, a hundred thousand troops commanded by Wang Baobao are watching.
, always ready to be the King of Qin.
Xu Da and Chang Yuchun fully estimated the difficulties and made preparations for various situations, and formally surrounded Dadu on August 2.
However, what surprised them was that there was no army stationed here, and there was no emperor of the Yuan Dynasty. When the man heard the news, he ran away with his wife and children on July 28th.
There are always many people who are afraid of death.
When Xu Da galloped into Qihua Gate, he did not realize that he had already left a heavy mark in history.
The Yanyun area, which had been lost to the Central Plains regime for four hundred years, was finally recovered. After the prosperous Tang Dynasty, after four hundred years of war, the Central Plains regime finally truly and completely took control of this land. On this land, in the Ming Dynasty
Under the protection of the dynasty, farmers worked hard, businessmen traveled back and forth, and advanced productive forces continued to develop.
This is an immortal historical achievement.
No matter what Zhu Yuanzhang did was right or wrong, and no matter how future generations evaluate Zhu Yuanzhang, no one can take away the glory that belongs to him, and no one can deny his immortal achievements.
Zhu Yuanzhang, history will prove your greatness.
By the way, the name of the emperor of the Yuan Dynasty at that time was Tuohuan Tiemu'er, and his posthumous title was Yuan Huizong. The title of Emperor Yuan Shun was not given to him by the Yuan Dynasty, but by the Ming Dynasty to the emperor of the Yuan Dynasty who perished.
A kind of ridicule; Zhu Yuanzhang had a sense of humor on this point, because he gave up the strong capital of Dadu and chose to escape. The Ming Dynasty thought that he was "complying with God's will", so it called him Emperor Yuanshun.
After Emperor Shun of the Yuan Dynasty withdrew from Dadu, he fled to Shangdu (now Kaiping, in the Zhenglan Banner of Inner Mongolia) and continued to be his emperor. Historically, it was called the Northern Yuan Dynasty. The era of the Yuan Dynasty as a national political power ended.
The Yuan Dynasty fell, but for Zhu Yuanzhang and his generals, the challenge had just begun.
The real showdown, Wang Baobao!
After the demise of the Yuan Dynasty that ruled the country, the Mongolian aristocrats still attempted to retake control of the Central Plains and continuously organized counterattacks. The situation at that time was not optimistic for Zhu Yuanzhang.
At this time, Wang Baobao led more than 100,000 troops and occupied Shanxi and Gansu. Prime Minister Naha led more than 200,000 troops to garrison Liaodong. There were still more than 100,000 Yuan troops in Yunnan, and even Goryeo (today's North Korea) still obeyed the rule of the Yuan Dynasty.
This is like when Zhu Yuanzhang was sleeping, a group of people with swords and long sticks stood next to him, ready to give him a blow at any time.
Under this situation, Xu Da and Chang Yuchun started to attack again. This time their target was Wang Baobao.
At this time, the Yuan army finally learned from the painful experience and reintegrated the army. Emperor Yuan Shun also recognized Wang Baobao's strength and handed over all military command to him. Wang Baobao finally got the military power he dreamed of, and he would legitimately lead the elite Yuan army.
The army fought a decisive battle with Xu Da, the first general of the Ming Dynasty who led the Ming army.
After Xu Da and Chang Yuchun captured Dadu, they divided their forces into two groups. Chang Yuchun went south to Baoding and attacked Shanxi from the north.
Xu Da's troops marched into Zhangde and attacked from the south. They prepared to attack Wang Baobao in Taiyuan and annihilate him in one fell swoop. Since Chang Yuchun, the first vanguard, became the commander-in-chief of the North Route Army, Tang He served as the vanguard of Xu Da's army. This Zhu Yuanzhang
His old friend wanted to take the lead so much that he broke in on his own and captured Zezhou without Xu Da's permission. In his opinion, Shanxi was just around the corner!
Facts have proved that they took Wang Baobao too simply.
It was this moment that Wang Baobao was waiting for. He took advantage of Tang He's lone army to go deep and gathered his army to attack Tang He overnight in Handian, Shanxi. The Ming army led by Tang He was defeated miserably, with thousands of people killed and injured.
Xu Dajun was in trouble. This was his first confrontation with his old rival Wang Baobao.
At this time, Emperor Yuan Shun suddenly had trouble. After returning to Xanadu, all he saw were grasslands and deserts every day. Big cities were better. He regretted why he had to escape from Dadu. Han Dian's victory inspired him.
, it seems that the Ming army is not terrible. So he ordered Wang Baobao to gather the main force, go north from Juyongguan, and recover most of the capital!
After careful preparation and planning, Wang Baobao led an army of 100,000 to attack Dadu. But in his mind, he had two plans. If Xu Da did not rescue him, he would take the opportunity to capture Dadu and welcome Emperor Yuan Shun's return.
If Xu Da came to help, he would wait for help, set a trap, and ambush Xu Da.
This is a foolproof plan. No matter which path Xu Da chooses, he will be the winner.
But Xu Da chose the third path, a path that made him dumbfounded.
After Xu Da received the news of Wang Baobao's attack on Dadu, he calmly analyzed the situation. He saw through Wang Baobao's plan and was determined to give him an unexpected surprise.
Don’t you want to attack Dadu? I will attack your Taiyuan!
Xu Da thought that most of the cities had large troops stationed and the city defenses were strong, so there was nothing to worry about. He retreated ten thousand steps and said that even if he lost it, he could just fight back and he could afford the compensation. But Wang Baobao was different. He rushed out and Taiyuan became
The city was empty, and the main force of the Ming army was very close to Taiyuan. Without Taiyuan, Wang Baobao would have no choice but to herd sheep outside the pass. So he led his cavalry to Taiyuan overnight.
In fact, Xu Da's goal was not Taiyuan, but Wang Baobao. He believed that Wang Baobao would definitely return to rescue.
Sure enough, Wang Baobao was greatly surprised when he got the news and immediately led 100,000 cavalry back to rescue Taiyuan. He fought back very quickly and encountered Xu Da near Taiyuan.
At this time, Xu Da's army was dominated by cavalry, but the infantry brigade had not yet arrived, and the number of soldiers was only half of Wang Baobao's.
The two cavalry units met in this way. This was also the first large-scale confrontation between the cavalry of the Central Plains regime and the Mongolian cavalry that dominated the world.
How to defeat cavalry
Since ancient times, cavalry has been one of the most powerful arms. With the help of horses, the originally weak infantry has become a force with high assault and mobility. Unfortunately, in Chinese history, except for a few
Outside the dynasty, their military strength was dominated by infantry, which caused them to suffer a big loss when facing cavalry.
But the cavalry is not invincible. Facts have proved that the heavy infantry of ancient Rome could restrain the cavalry with spear formations. However, the Chinese have never been in the habit of wearing dozens of kilograms of armor, and there was no Sino-Western exchange system at that time. The Chinese had
The Chinese method, they constantly studied the method of using infantry to control cavalry, and one of the successful ones was Zhuge Liang.
The Shu army under his command was a nightmare for Cao Wei's army.
He invented several weapons to restrain the cavalry. The first was the horse tripping nail. This thing was uniquely designed. No matter how you threw it on the ground, there would always be one side of the nail facing up. Before the battle, he scattered it in the area where the cavalry was about to attack. When the cavalry arrived,
, the horse's hoof will be punctured. The method of use is similar to that of today's bicycle repair vendors throwing thumbtacks on the road. Of course, the only difference is that after the horse is punctured, no one will help you repair it.
The second move is carts. Zhuge Liang's army is equipped with wooden carts. When cavalry is found, the wooden carts are put in front of the infantry to block the cavalry attack. They are also considered mechanized troops.
The most ruthless move is the third move, which is also Zhuge Liang's most miraculous invention - the repeating crossbow. This is definitely the machine gun of the year. According to historical records, this kind of repeating crossbow can hit ten rounds with great lethality, so the Wei cavalry at that time
I am very afraid of fighting against the Shu army.
However, this method is too maneuverable and not suitable for offense, so it is not widely used.
In the Song Dynasty, in the battles with Xixia and Liao, infantry could not defeat cavalry for a long time. In order to change this passive situation, some genius thought of a way to form a large square formation with thousands of infantry.
It was also given a scientific name, the so-called "riding by foot". When they went into battle, the result was that they could not fight or run away. It was not until the genius general Yue Fei appeared and formed the Yue Family Army, a professional cavalry force, that the Central Plains regime was
With great pride, he withstood the attack of the Jin cavalry.
In the Yuan Dynasty, the Mongolian army, which started with cavalry, developed cavalry tactics to the extreme and relied on this tactic to conquer the world. They proudly believed that as long as they had horses, they did not have to worry about their rule being overthrown.
However, when the Mongolian cavalry roared majestically on the official road, and the southern people on both sides could only bow their heads to avoid it, those lowered heads were not just thinking about where to avoid, many of them firmly believed that
If there is a way to defeat these cavalry, there must be a way.
In fact, the method is very simple, but it is very difficult to implement.
Impact! Cavalry vs. Cavalry
Throughout history, all the powerful Central Plains dynasties had a powerful cavalry force, and the same was true for the Ming Dynasty at this time. Xu Da and Chang Yuchun were both very powerful cavalry generals. They were able to deploy their cavalry freely and choose the direction of breakthrough accurately.
The use of cavalry has reached the point of ease.
During the more than ninety years of rule by the Yuan Dynasty, the people of the Central Plains continued to learn the tactics of using cavalry and defeating cavalry from their enemies, the Mongolian cavalry.
After a long period of accumulation and waiting, the people who took up arms to resist finally came to the scene and had a decisive battle with their cavalry teacher, the Mongolian army. Xu Da and Chang Yuchun were the most outstanding representatives among them.
Now, they were facing Wang Baobao, the most courageous general of the Mongolian army.
On December 1, the first year of Hongwu, Xu Da led the Ming army cavalry to the city of Taiyuan and faced off with Wang Baobao's army who had returned to rescue. However, because his troops were inferior to Wang Baobao, Xu Da never launched an attack. Wang Baobao did not know where the enemy was.
What kind of medicine was he selling? He arrived in time. Xu Da's purpose of running to attack Taiyuan failed, but he actually didn't fight or retreat. He couldn't understand it, so he didn't dare to move for a while.
On December 4, after three days of observation and thinking, Chang Yuchun expressed his opinion to Xu Da: "Our infantry has not arrived yet. If we only use the current cavalry to attack the enemy, it will only increase our own strength."
If there are casualties, it is better to choose a sneak attack on the enemy camp late at night (although our cavalry has gathered but the infantry has not arrived, a sudden battle will kill many people, and we can achieve success in the night)."
This opinion is undoubtedly correct. Chang Yuchun is really a famous general with unique vision and accurate judgment. It seems that God is helping Xu Da. At this time, Taiyuan guard Huobi Ma sent an envoy to surrender and expressed his willingness to act as an internal agent (
This should be considered an adultery).
Everything is ready, the horses have been fed, the knives have been sharpened, and they are just waiting to start in the evening.
That night, Wang Baobao didn't sleep (he was lucky). This man who loved learning was sitting in the military camp reading military books at night by holding a candle. Suddenly he heard loud shouting outside. He knew something was wrong, so he made a quick decision and decided to run away.
He was quite embarrassed when he ran away. He ran out of the camp with one foot bare. He hurriedly mounted a horse and galloped out of the camp.
You ask what to do with an army of 100,000 people? If you don’t even want my shoes, why do you need an army? It can be seen that a famous general is a famous general. He knows how to weigh the pros and cons. After all, his own life is the most important. It is said that a thousand troops are easy to get, but a general is hard to find.
But without a leader, the 100,000-strong army was like a headless fly. 40,000 people were wiped out, and the rest all fled. Under the protection of the guards, Wang Baobao escaped hundreds of miles in one breath, but Chang Yuchun did not let him go.
.
Chang Yuchun knew very well the principle of eradicating evil, and launched an attack all night long. Wang Baobao complained incessantly, and fought while escaping. When he fled to Datong, only eighteen guards were left with him. Chang Yuchun pursued him all the way to Xinzhou before withdrawing.
This was a real battle of annihilation and the first great victory of the Central Plains cavalry against the Mongolian cavalry.
The wild geese fly high in the moonlight, and the chanyu flees in the night.
If you want to chase Qingqi away, the heavy snow will cover your bow and sword!
overwhelming
After capturing Shanxi, Xu Da led the army to continue to attack Shaanxi. At this time, Shaanxi was guarded by landlords such as Li Siqi and Zhang Liangbi. In Chinese history, due to terrain problems, attacking Shaanxi from Shanxi was extremely difficult and difficult to capture.
.From the beginning when the Qin State defended Hangu Pass and conquered the Six Kingdoms, to later when the Japanese invaded China, they risked their lives but could never step into Shaanxi.
But this time things are different.
Li Siqi has experienced hundreds of battles, but he does not want to fight. It is hard to say that he has any deep feelings for the Yuan Dynasty. He organized an army to fight against the rebels. In the final analysis, he was just afraid that those mud-legged people would steal his own food. So when Xu Dajun attacked,
He retreated again and again until he retreated to Lintao. He felt that he had done enough drama and had an explanation for the Yuan Dynasty, so he surrendered. However, Zhang Liangbi and his younger brother Zhang Liangchen were ignorant of current affairs. They surrendered first and then rebelled, and stayed in Qingyang.
, was later pacified by Xu Da, and it did not cause any big disturbance after all.
At this point, Shaanxi and Shanxi were pacified, and most of the northern region fell into the hands of the Ming army, making preparations for the decisive battle with the Yuan Dynasty.
The new dynasty has the habit of exterminating the old dynasty. For example, the remaining troops of the Southern Song Dynasty fled to Yashan (today's Xinhui, Guangdong). The Yuan Dynasty army did not let them go and drove them to the sea to eliminate them all. Time has changed, and now it is our turn.
Zhu Yuanzhang died.
Emperor Yuan Shun didn't like the desolate Shangdu and wanted to return to Dadu, but Zhu Yuanzhang didn't even want him to stay in Shangdu.
In June of the second year of Hongwu (1369), Chang Yuchun sent troops to start the Northern Expedition, but what he did not expect was that this would be his last expedition.
Accompanying him on the expedition was Li Wenzhong, who led 80,000 infantry and 10,000 cavalry on the expedition. Under Chang Yuchun's unique surprise attack method, the Yuan army was vulnerable. The Northern Expeditionary Army attacked Jinzhou first and defeated the Yuan army.
General Jiang Wenqing; then attacked Quaning and defeated the Yuan Prime Minister Ye Su; the army did not stop at all, attacked Daxingzhou, defeated the Yuan army and captured the Yuan Dynasty Prime Minister Tuo Huochi.
In just one month, Yuan carefully set up a defensive line that was said to be able to defend for twenty years, but it was as weak as tofu in front of Chang Yuchun. The first pioneer of the Ming Dynasty fully demonstrated his strength in the last battle of his life.
Showing unstoppable power, he led the cavalry non-stop and approached Xanadu!
Emperor Shun of the Yuan Dynasty was in Shangdu at this time. When he heard that the Ming army was attacking, he gave full play to his specialty - running away. He took his wife and children to escape through the night, and fled to Yingchang (now Dalai Nur Lake in Inner Mongolia) in a state of embarrassment.
.On his way to escape, he should be able to fully understand the mood of the Song Dynasty monarch a hundred years ago. And later facts proved that this was not the last time he moved.
Chang Yuchun always pursued fiercely. He chased for dozens of miles and killed the emperor Qingsheng Heping Zhang Dingzhu. In this battle, he also captured tens of thousands of Mongolian soldiers. While fighting, Chang Yuchun also took many things.
He brought back all the 3,000 horses and 50,000 cattle owned by Emperor Yuan Shun.
There was no suspense in this battle, and there was no fierce fighting. This was not because the Yuan army was weak, but because Chang Yuchun was too fast. He was like a skilled swordsman, holding a sharp sword. Before his opponent could react, he had already attacked him.
Insert your opponent's heart! Such an opponent is too terrifying.
Chang Yuchun, a member of the Shengli squad, died of a sudden illness when passing through Liuhe River. He was forty years old.
Lord Don't laugh when you are lying drunk on the battlefield. How many people have fought in ancient times?
Chang Yuchun's life spanned from volunteering in the Taiping War to leaving the desert in the north and becoming invincible. He used his actions to prove that he was a true military genius and a true first pioneer. His life was like a brilliant shooting star. Although
It's short-lived, but radiant.
At the same time as Chang Yuchun's Northern Expedition, Xu Da was also fighting hard in Guanzhong. He sent his general Zhang Wen (who was quite powerful) to capture Gansu. Zhang Wen made good progress and soon captured Lanzhou and other places. Xu Da won successive victories.
At this time, danger was approaching him.
Wang Baobao’s plan
After Wang Baobao was defeated and returned to Taiyuan, he did not take any major military action. He was observing Xu Da's movements. After the first two confrontations, he had clearly realized how terrifying the opponent in front of him was. If not
If there is a good opportunity, he will never attack.
When masters compete, the most important thing is to avoid being impatient. Wang Baobao's intuition told him that now he can only wait.
When he discovered that Zhang Wen's army had gone deep into Lanzhou and captured Lanzhou, Wang Baobao, who had been hiding at home and sleeping, keenly felt that the opportunity had come.
He immediately mobilized more than 100,000 troops, divided into two groups, and first besieged Lanzhou with tens of thousands of infantry and cavalry. However, Lanzhou was not his ultimate goal, just a decoy. He hid the main force and stationed 100,000 troops in Dingxi, a difficult terrain.
.This move is called encirclement and reinforcement in the art of war.
He believed in his own judgment. Lanzhou was too important to the Ming army. They would definitely send troops to rescue him. All he had to do now was wait for the fish to take the bait.
His judgment was correct, and soon the first fish came.
After learning that Lanzhou was besieged, Ming Yuguang led his troops to come to the rescue. When he arrived near Lanzhou, he found that he had been surrounded by the Yuan army. After fighting hard, the entire army was wiped out and Yu Guang died in battle.
Wang Baobao finally achieved the first victory in this plan, but there was one thing he did not expect, and that was the ability of Lanzhou defender Zhang Wen.
When tens of thousands of troops surrounded Lanzhou, Zhang Wen did not panic. After analyzing the enemy's situation, he correctly made the decision to take the initiative, so he personally led 3,000 men to raid tens of thousands of enemy troops outside the city.
He actually defeated the Yuan army and forced it to retreat dozens of miles, which bought time for the subsequent Dingxi War.
Of course, except for this incident that surprised Wang Baobao, everything else was as planned. He still adopted this method and waited for the second fish to take the bait.
The second fish did come, but it was a shark.
Wang Baobao's military actions attracted Zhu Yuanzhang's attention. On the third day of the first lunar month in the third year of Hongwu (1370), Zhu Yuanzhang held a military meeting. He saw through Wang Baobao's intentions and formulated a more complicated plan.
The plan was as follows: First, Xu Da was appointed as the general to conquer the captives, Li Wenzhong was appointed as the deputy general on the left, Feng Sheng was appointed as the deputy general on the right, Deng Yu was appointed as the deputy general on the left, and Tang He was appointed as the deputy general on the right to lead the army on the expedition. At that time, the Yuan Dynasty
Emperor Shun was in Yingchang, and Zhu Yuanzhang had always been a person who either didn't do anything or never did anything. He planned to ask Emperor Yuan Shun to move further away. It would be best if he could rush to Siberia, but even if it didn't work, he wouldn't be able to live comfortably.
.
He ordered not to rescue Lanzhou anymore, but to let General Xu Da leave Xi'an from Tongguan to directly attack Dingxi and fight Wang Baobao. On the other hand, he asked left deputy general Li Wenzhong to leave Juyongguan and enter the desert to attack Yingchang to help Emperor Yuan Shun move.
At the same time, in order to confuse Wang Baobao, he also ordered generals Jin Chaoxing and Wang Xingzu to attack the Yuan army in Shanxi and northern Hebei respectively to attract the Yuan army's attention and coordinate the main battle.
This plan was seamless, and Wang Baobao did not see through Zhu Yuanzhang's strategy. He was still waiting in Dingxi, but unfortunately his opponents were Zhu Yuanzhang and Xu Da, not the rabbit.
In February of the third year of Hongwu, the four armies set out at the same time, and chaos broke out for a while. On the 25th, Wang Baobao got the news that Jin Chaoxing had conquered Dongshengzhou. On March 23rd, he learned that Wang Xingzu had conquered Shuo.
Prefecture, and Li Wenzhong had already left Juyongguan. While he was in a hurry, the real enemy was approaching.
On March 29, Xu Da led his troops to Dingxi. Wang Baobao had no choice but to fight to the death.
Shen'eryu in Dingxi is about to become the battlefield for the decisive battle.
Wang Baobao’s response
This time, Xu Da led nearly 400,000 people to attack Wang Baobao. In order to achieve the effect of a surprise attack, he personally led 100,000 troops to attack Dingxi overnight. The Yuan army was ready to fight, but what happened next made them confused.
In the fog.
After Xu Da's 100,000 men arrived, they showed no sign of fighting. On the contrary, his army's first action was to find wood and build houses and camps. The Yuan army was puzzled. Do they want to live here permanently?
The commander-in-chief Wang Baobao understood Xu Da's intention. He couldn't help but sigh that Xu Da was really a man who knew the art of war. Wang Baobao's purpose of guarding Shen'eryu in Dingxi was to lure the enemy to attack and wait for an opportunity to counterattack. However, Xu Da could not catch up with him.
You should first establish your position and then deal with him slowly.
This person is really not easy to deal with.
What made him even more depressed was that the Ming army arrived on March 29th, but was not in a hurry to go to war. They only used a small force to test the situation, which made the Yuan army worried. On April 5th, the situation worsened.
Starting from April 5th, Xu Da divided his soldiers into three shifts and continuously sent soldiers to Wang Baobao's barracks to set fire and attack. If they didn't do these things, they were not idle either. They would beat gongs and drums in front of the Yuan army's camp, and even chant their voices.
Yes, there were even signs of starting a show. The Yuan soldiers were tired and hungry, and could not rest. They were in a hurry and wanted to attack, but because the enemy's stronghold was strong, they could only watch and worry.
Wang Baobao could no longer sit still. He understood that if this continued, the army would be defeated or defeated, and he would have to attack.
On the 6th, through the guidance of local people, Wang Baobao found a small road that could flank the Ming army. He sent a thousand elite troops to launch a surprise attack on the Ming army. The Ming army never expected that the Yuan army would suddenly appear, and the battle was in chaos.
The general of the left army panicked and left his command position, and the Yuan army was able to attack the inner camp. Seeing that the Ming army was about to be in chaos, Xu Da heard the chaos outside in the Chinese army tent. He did not panic like Wang Baobao, but
He listened quietly and relied on his military intuition to judge that this was just a sneak attack by a small group of troops, so he rushed to the flank on horseback and personally supervised the battle with his sword. When the soldiers saw his figure, their morale was immediately boosted, and the Yuan army general
defeated.
Judging the enemy's situation in critical moments and being able to respond promptly are the most important qualities of a general.
After the Yuan army was defeated, Wang Baobao thought that the Ming army would be more restrained. Unexpectedly, as soon as he withdrew his troops and returned to the camp, the Ming army started to perform again. Now Wang Baobao had no choice. He couldn't sleep at night, so he could only look at the opposite side with a wry smile and enjoy himself.
The Ming army performing.
In fact, he won't be worried for much longer, because the Ming army's goal has been achieved and they are about to take action.
The collapse of Wang Baobao
Just when the Yuan army was disturbed by the noise but could do nothing, on the night of April 7th, the Ming army suddenly stopped making noise in the past. The Yuan army was overjoyed and began to rest one after another, although they also knew in their hearts that the Ming army was not quiet this time.
It was unusual, but the pain of being unable to sleep for a long time was really unbearable for them, so they all fell asleep.
While the Yuan army began to rest, Xu Da, who had been waiting for a long time, was reviewing his soldiers. He had waited for such a long time just for tonight! He knew very well that tonight was the best time and the only opportunity. Wang Baobao had the advantage.
, and there are hundreds of thousands of people who have come all the way, and the food and grass cannot be maintained for a long time. This opportunity must be seized. If he cannot defeat the opponent in one go, he will be the final loser. In order to win, he made a
Decide.
It is the responsibility of generals to maximize the combat effectiveness of soldiers. Generally speaking, generals use their own strategies and military dispatch to achieve this goal. However, when the battle reaches the most critical moment, all military wisdom can no longer play a role.
At this time, the generals had only one last resort left and went into battle personally.
Before Xu Da went on an expedition, he placed his troops at the forefront to ensure that all soldiers could see his flag. No matter where the soldiers were fighting, as long as they saw this flag, they would have the courage to fight on.
.
There is no other way, but it is also the only way.
Therefore, there are five ways to know victory: He who knows what can be fought and what cannot be fought wins, he who knows how to use the many and the small is victorious, he who has the same desire from above and below wins, he wins when he prepares for the unexpected when he is unaware of it, he wins when he can use the general but the ruler does not control him.
——"Sun Tzu's Art of War"
If you take all five of them, how can you be invincible!
When the Yuan soldiers were sleeping, Xu Da used the central breakthrough strategy to sneak attack the central army of the Yuan army. The Yuan army was so tired that some soldiers even heard the shouts and were unable to get up, so they became prisoners obediently. The Ming army was captured at Xu Da
Under the leadership of the emperor, the Yuan army was completely wiped out with thunderous momentum, and the 100,000-strong army collapsed.
At this time, Wang Baobao was resting in the Central Military Camp. It turned out that he was quite talented in escaping. In the midst of the chaos, this man still reacted very quickly, snatched the horse, and took his wife and children with him.
North fled. In the midst of chaos, he could still be so thoughtful, so he couldn't accept it.
In this battle, the Ming army defeated the Yuan army and captured more than 1,900 people including King Yuan Yan, King Yuan Ji and their ministers of civil and military affairs, and more than 84,000 Mongolian soldiers (terrible numbers). Wang Baobao was wiped out again. This time
, he didn’t even have eighteen guards, he only took his wife and children and fled to the Yellow River. Thinking of the miserable situation, he could only cry in his arms.
Many history books have been written down here, which is not very logical, because Wang Baobao does not have wings or a motorcycle, so it is impossible to fly across the Yellow River. It is not very kind to abandon Wang Baobao here. In fact, if you look at history
If you look at the many details in it, you will find many interesting places.
Carefully analyzing Wang Baobao's experience of crossing the Yellow River, we will find how important it is to learn several more techniques in daily life.
When Wang Baobao arrived at the Yellow River, there were no boats crossing the river, but the famous general would not be troubled. He found a piece of wood from somewhere and asked his wife and children to lie on it. The whole family hugged the piece of wood and crossed the river.
Across the river (Bao Bao, his wife and several others fled from the north of the ancient city to the Yellow River and found driftwood to cross it).
It can be seen that Wang Baobao must be very good at swimming, and he should also have the ability to control boats. In Dingxi, Gansu, is the upper reaches of the Yellow River. The current here is very fast, and it may not be possible to cross it with a boat, but he can cross the Yellow River holding a piece of wood.
It’s really a skill. He is really a versatile person.
After Wang Baobao landed, he looked at the scenery on the other side and was heartbroken. Not long ago, he had a huge army, but now only he, his wife and children were left.
A hundred thousand troops were destroyed in one fell swoop!
After bowing to the other side, he mounted his horse and ran towards Helin (southwest of present-day Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia), where he could make a comeback.
The matter is not over yet, I still have a chance.
At the same time that Wang Baobao was defeated, Li Wenzhong's troops were helping Emperor Yuan Shun move. After leaving Juyongguan, in early May, he continuously defeated Yuan Taiwei Manzi (not his nickname) who blocked him.
(the name is relatively long), and conquered Kaiping again. On May 21, he arrived at Yingchang, the hometown of Emperor Yuan Shun.
Emperor Yuanshun was indeed a poor man. After being forced to move in the second year of Hongwu, he only lived in Yingchang for a few months before he died. He was really a useless emperor. But before the memorial service could be held, the old man
The acquaintance Li Wenzhong showed up uninvited again. At this time, the Yuan Dynasty was quite stubborn and wanted to hold on. But holding on requires strength, not to mention that it was Li Wenzhong who attacked the city.
Li Wenzhong was not polite at all. Since you refused to move by yourself, he had no choice but to help you. His siege efficiency was amazing. It only took one day to capture Yingchang. Mongolian cavalry has always been famous for its fast speed and strong maneuverability.
, but faced with Li Wenzhong's attacking speed, they could only be dumbfounded.
Because they did not expect that Li Wenzhong was so powerful, the princes and nobles in the city did not have time to run away. All the wives of Emperor Yuan Shun were captured, and all the princes and ministers were arrested, including Libala bought by Emperor Yuan Shun's grandson.
The only one who ran away was Emperor Yuan Shun's son Aiyou Shili Dala, who later became Emperor Zhaozong of the Yuan Dynasty. He ran to Helin and met Wang Baobao. The two brothers held each other's hands and cried, determined to take revenge.
At this point, you may have questions, why do you still call Wang Baobao a famous general when he failed so miserably? This involves a very important question, what kind of person is a famous general?
How are famous generals made?
As mentioned before, we need to analyze some essential things in history, of course, in my way.
Many people envy the demeanor of famous generals, and also want to experience the feeling of commanding thousands of troops on the battlefield, so military forums are often overcrowded, and many people regret that they were not born in an era of war and iron horses.
But the actual situation is that there are only a few famous generals in history. Most of them are small soldiers in the game "Three Kingdoms" and were killed soon after entering the battle. And famous generals are not that easy to make.
I have read some military books and let me chat casually:
On the road to becoming a famous general, we have to go through six ups and downs. Let us mark them by six grades. Only by overcoming the ups and downs in front of us can we advance to the next grade. Of course, some talented students do not need to go through these six grades.
There are some people who are born with the knowledge of fighting, but they are very few and we can ignore them.
Well, the school for famous generals has started. The first grade will be about military theory. All those who want to become famous generals must learn some classic theoretical knowledge, including "Sun Tzu's Art of War", "Wu Zi's Art of War", etc., only in
Only after you have accumulated a lot of theoretical knowledge can you move to the next grade. But this grade has a very special rule. Because some students are poor and cannot afford books, they can only learn these theories in actual practice. They
The outstanding representative among them is classmate Li Yunlong.
It is true that children from poor families become masters early. These students who learn theory in practice will be able to skip the second process and directly enter the third process.
Together with most of our classmates, we will take a look at what we need to learn in the second grade. The content of the second grade is practical. This is extremely important. If those who are excellent in theoretical study cannot pass this level, they will
He will be awarded a glorious title - Paper Talk. The first recipient of this title is classmate Zhao Kuo, and the awarder is Zhao She, the grade director of the second grade.
Let’s explain why actual combat is so important. This is because although military theories are the experience summaries of senior seniors, when they wrote these things, the situation and the current situation were not exactly the same. In actual combat, if they are copied
You will suffer a big loss. Zhao Kuo cannot graduate because he did not study well.
As a student, if you want to become a famous general, you usually start as a junior soldier, except for the children of high-ranking cadres, such as Zhao Kuo. Since the grade director Zhao She is his father, he is a general from the beginning, which is inappropriate.
Because only the battlefield can make a person a real famous general. He must hold a knife to chase the enemy, see the cruelty of the battlefield, understand that people will die if they are cut by a knife, and understand that if you don’t kill me, I will kill you. This battlefield will always be
It is a truth that is not out of date. Only when they know that fighting means fighting with their lives, they will understand what a battlefield is and what actual combat is.
Most students will be eliminated at this level, and they will change careers and become military enthusiasts throughout their lives. This is not necessarily a bad thing for them.
The remaining students gradually understood the laws of war through cruel actual combat and began to truly embark on the road to become famous generals.
Okay, let's take the remaining students to the third grade. What the third grade has to learn is coldness.
To become a famous general, you must say goodbye to terms such as kindness and gentleness. He must be as stone-hearted and ruthless. Of course, there are many Confucian generals who are famous for their benevolence in history, but please note that their benevolence is towards soldiers and common people.
To put it bluntly, they are more ruthless to the enemy than anyone else. As the saying goes, benevolence does not lead soldiers, justice does not carry out justice, ruthlessness does not mean cruelty, it does not mean killing innocent people, but perseverance. For example, a good friend of yours violated military discipline, but you did it for
To enforce military discipline, you must kill him. Only in this way can you control the army. Even if he is your best friend or even your relative, you must do this.
This is true coldness.
The trainees will learn to be ruthless on the battlefield. They may be kind-hearted young people who never quarrel with others. But when they go to the battlefield and see their fellow countrymen and comrades being killed by the enemy, or being seriously injured.
The ground groans in pain. They will be inspired by anger and pain. They will kill all those who are hostile to them without mercy, patch up the wounded soldiers on the ground, and then mutter to themselves next to the corpse. Right here.
In a hellish environment, they changed.
From being afraid of seeing blood when killing chickens to being unaware of the enemy's brains and blood being splashed on their bodies, from being gentle to being ruthless, they graduated in a cruel environment. Those who failed will be eliminated, while those with a rock-hard heart will be eliminated.
Entering fourth grade, they are getting closer and closer to becoming famous generals.
What we need to learn in the fourth grade is reason. This is also an extremely important link. As ordinary people, our emotions will be affected by many things in our lives. For example, if you win a second prize of several hundred yuan in a lottery, you will be happy for a long time.
Not to mention making a lot of money by stock trading. But what if the game you play is betting on human life? How would you react?
When you have been in a stalemate with the enemy for a long time in an extremely tense environment, and suddenly the enemy retreats, can you contain your excitement and judge the situation first before pursuing the pursuit? When you cannot resist the enemy's attack, the entire army will collapse.
, can you calm down in time and discover the enemy's weakness?
Yes, this is too difficult. We are all mortals, we all have feelings and are easily excited, but our students must remain calm and rational and not be swayed by emotions at any time. Just like racing, racing is full of passion.
Shoot, but the driver must remain absolutely calm.
This is what fourth-year students have to do. There are very few people who can pass this level. For the remaining elites, let’s move on!
The fifth grade is the most important grade. In this grade, students have to learn judgment.
This is an important characteristic of a famous general. There is no need for reasons or evidence. All you can rely on is your own judgment. What you have to understand is that what you control is the lives of countless soldiers, and all of them are waiting for you to take it.
idea.
When a soldier encounters a problem, he will ask the corps commander, the corps commander will ask the hundreds of households, the hundreds of households will ask the thousand households, and the thousand households will ask the commander. You are the commander, who else can you ask?!
In the eyes of the soldiers, you are God, the God who rules the world! Whether they survive depends on you!
The key to the wonder of the art of war lies in the word "bian". The so-called person who is good at making surprises is as infinite as the sky and the earth, and as endless as the rivers and seas! The battlefield is an ever-changing world, and the decision is only between the lines. Attack or defense, advance or retreat, it is up to you.
Make a decision. There may be a large group of staff around you, but they often do not stand on the side of the truth. It is you who makes the decision. If the staff is smarter than you, why should you be the coach?!
If you can discover the mysteries of this unpredictable world and make correct decisions about it, then congratulations, you already have the most important qualities of a famous general. But there is still one level you must pass. Only
After passing this level, you are truly a famous general.
Now we come to the last grade, and what we have to learn in this grade is to be strong.
In a sense, this is a very important learning content. The so-called victory and defeat is common for military strategists, but it is just to comfort yourself. After a defeat and tens of thousands of people died, can you withstand such psychological pressure? How do you face it?
The families of those soldiers? How can you have the nerve to meet your superiors who handed over command to you? Those are tens of thousands of human lives, not tens of thousands of chickens!
However, your choice can only be to be strong. Even if you fail repeatedly, you must keep fighting! When you are defeated by the same person several times, you will be afraid of this person. This is how the so-called phobia comes from.
, even if you have outstanding military talents, you still cannot become a famous general if you cannot overcome your own weakness.
And those who are the best can get up from failure and challenge those who have defeated them many times. This is called strength.
When you meet all the above conditions, you will become a truly famous general, but there is one more thing you must have, and that is luck.
It seems a bit funny to say it, but it is also a very important factor. Maybe just when you are ready to show off your skills, a cold arrow comes and you die. That would be more unfair than Dou E. Everything about you
Neither ambition nor ability can be displayed. The only record in war history is that on a certain day of a certain year, a certain person was shot to death by an unknown soldier on the battlefield. The specific circumstances of the person are unknown.
Therefore, the road to becoming a famous general is a difficult one, and it cannot be undertaken by anyone without great wisdom, courage, and great fortune.
Therefore, soldiers have no constant momentum, and water has no constant shape. Those who can win due to the changes of the enemy are called gods.
In this ever-changing battlefield, if you want to become a true military god, you must survive repeated killings, watch people around you die, endure endless pain, learn war in war, and strive to gain the power that is not for you.
The secrets and laws that everyone knows, after countless failures, have the courage to stand up from the corpses of countless soldiers to defeat the opponent.
This is the true road to becoming a famous general, a painful, lonely, and bloody road. On this road, the only person you can trust and rely on is yourself. But as long as you reach the end, glory and victory will be waiting for you there.
.
Whether it is Xu Da, Chang Yuchun, Wang Baobao or later Qi Jiguang, Yuan Chonghuan are all such famous generals. This is how they grew up. They have every reason to be proud of their growth experience.
So for all the students who cannot become famous generals, you don’t have to be sad and disappointed because this job is not something that ordinary people can do. It can even be said that it is not something that people can do. Ordinary students, you should go back to being ordinary people. That is a happy life.
.
After successive victories against the Northern Yuan Dynasty, the Yuan army finally understood that the enemy in front of them was no longer the easy-to-bully Southern Song Dynasty regime, but a powerful opponent that could completely eliminate them.
Wang Baobao understands that all he has to do now is wait. There will always be a chance.
Two years later, the shrinking Yuan army finally slowly extended its tentacles towards the Ming Dynasty. They attacked from all sides and took advantage of the Ming army's retreat to occupy a vast area from Jilin in the east to Gansu in the west and northern Ningxia. With these, they
The fortress was used as a base, and they constantly attacked the Ming army, using the most annoying guerrilla tactics. If you hit them, they would run away, and if you left, they would come again.
Under this situation, Zhu Yuanzhang and his generals began to discuss how to deal with Bei Yuan. There were differences in the response methods. Most people, including Xu Da, were in favor of attacking and solving Bei Yuan in one go. But there were also some
People object.
There were two opponents, one was Liu Ji and the other was Zhu Yuanzhang.
Liu Ji believed that Bei Yuan still had great strength, and more importantly, Wang Baobao was still alive (baobao was not taken lightly). As for Zhu Yuanzhang, the reason why he opposed this attack was more based on his own military intuition.
Ten years ago, he might have insisted on his opinion, refused to send troops, and focused on defense, but it is different now.
He was now the monarch of a great country and could no longer show weakness to others, so he agreed to the request of Xu Da and others and formulated an attack plan.
From this situation, it can be seen that Liu Bowen's reputation is indeed not false. He perfectly explained the law that the truth is often in the hands of a few people. And Zhu Yuanzhang also proved that he won the world without any luck.