A large army spread out for tens of miles, maintaining the marching speed of the Ming army, silently marching towards Kaifeng City.
The entire army was silent except for the tramping of the horses, the friction of the armor and stomachs of the officers and soldiers, and the creaking of the carriages loaded with ordnance on the road.
Muying, Marquis of Xiping in the Ming Dynasty, rode a tall black horse. This was a tribute from the Western Regions that the emperor personally rewarded him after he returned to Beijing from Yunnan Road.
Mu Ying is covered in heavy armor, with two red ropes tied under the shoulder armor extending behind her, and she is wearing a bright red cloak.
Beside him were a group of Beijing army generals, such as Heqing Hou Zhang Yi and others. As for Jingchuan Hou Cao Zhen, who also followed Mu Ying out of Beijing to support the situation in Henan Province, he had already led five thousand cavalry.
, rushed to Kaifeng City to support the war there.
Zhang Yi rode beside Mu Ying.
Although they are both marquises of the Ming Dynasty, they are also ranked higher and lower.
Just like Zhang Yi's war horse was obtained by himself from elsewhere, Mu Ying's war horse was a gift from the emperor.
Furthermore, Mu Ying has been in charge of Yunnan Dao all year round, and his military might and authority are beyond what they can match.
Zhang Yi glanced at Mu Ying indifferently, and then said: "I still can't understand why the general decided that Kaifeng City would not always choose the strategy of defending the city?"
Mu Ying smiled and looked back at the nobles and nobles around her: "Do you really think that I was worried about the safety of His Highness the Grand Sun, so I teamed up with the Prince of Qin and the Prince of Yan to get His Highness out of Kaifeng City?
of?"
The nobles here know that the emperor's grandson, who originally insisted on sticking to Kaifeng City, was taken out of Kaifeng City today in conjunction with the Marquis of Xiping due to the concerns of Qin Shizi and Yan Shizi.
Zhang Yi shook his head: "I'm sorry that it's hard for me to guess the general's intentions."
Hu Hai, the Marquis of Dongchuan, said in a low voice: "General, do you want His Highness Taisun to go into battle in person?"
Zhang Yi immediately looked at Hu Hai who said this, with an expression of disbelief on his face, and finally cast his eyes for verification on Mu Ying, who was riding half a horse forward of the two of them.
What Hu Hai said is not impossible.
It's just that it's hard for Zhang Yi to believe that Xiping Hou Muying, who clearly has such a personal relationship with the royal family and the emperor's grandson, dared to ask the emperor's grandson to do such a dangerous thing.
He even urged the army to go north in advance, and ordered Jingchuan Hou Cao Zhen to lead almost all the cavalry on this trip north to Kaifeng to support the battle under Kaifeng City.
Mu Ying tightened the reins in her hands and slowed down the war horse from the Western Regions so that it could be level with Zhang Yi and Hu Hai.
At this time, Mu Yingcai spoke softly: "The Ming Dynasty is now full of flowers, blooming on all sides. The nine borders are getting stronger and stronger. The Japanese country has an annual income of millions, and places such as Jiaozhi Road and Zhancheng Road are even more prosperous. But do we have any thoughts?
Ask a question?"
Zhang Yi and Hu Hai looked puzzled at the same time.
Mu Ying continued: "Do you still remember how old His Royal Highness the Emperor is now?"
When he said these words, Zhang Yi and Hu Hai opened their mouths, with a tacit expression of surprise and surprise on their faces.
His Royal Highness the Emperor Taisun is only eighteen years old!
A huge sense of contrast hit Zhang Yi and Hu Hai, making them feel an earth-shaking feeling.
In the past two years, many things and changes have taken place in the Ming Dynasty, so much so that they subconsciously thought that the emperor's grandson should be an old and mature man, but they were completely unaware that the emperor's grandson was just a mature man now.
The Year of the Crown.
Mu Ying snorted twice. If it weren't for his special status, how could he have reacted to this matter: "The emperor's grandson is so young. It can be said that the Ming Dynasty has been in the hands of His Highness in the past few years.
With so many changes, do you think His Royal Highness the Emperor Taisun will be content with the status quo and remain stagnant in the future?"
Zhang Yi and Hu Hai shook their heads at the same time.
Nowadays, in Yingtian Chaotang, a group of officials with Xinxue as the core and walking in Wenhua Hall, led by Hanlin bachelor Xie Jin, have already appeared.
These people naturally gathered together under the influence of Confucianism.
And behind these people is His Royal Highness the Grand Prince of the Ming Dynasty.
The imperial court continuously introduced new policies and expanded its territory.
I heard that the troops and horses under the founding father have marched thousands of miles westward from the Champa Road. Those thousands of miles of land can now be regarded as the territory under the rule of the Ming Dynasty.
It's just because there are not enough officials in the court now, and because the situation there is not clear and stable enough, that no new road has been established.
Thinking about it now, in just a few years, the Ming Dynasty has already gained two more territories. Every year, on these newly opened territories, it can acquire countless ships that can be described as connected end to end.
Complete supplies.
Will Ming Dynasty be content with the status quo or remain complacent?
Zhang Yi and Hu Hai thought about their respective fields on Jiaozhi Road and Zhancheng Road and their annual income, and they felt that even if they risked their lives, no one would be willing to give up those massive benefits.
Zhang Yi's eyes flickered and he whispered: "I can't stop..."
Yes.
In the face of countless benefits, no one is willing to stop.
Hu Hai also said: "The general did it intentionally this time, and he was not just worried about the safety of His Highness?"
If everything is conceived this way.
Zhang Yi and Hu Hai couldn't help but look at each other. If this was really the case, there might have been negotiations in Yingtian City.
Mu Ying hummed and said: "Your Highness's safety? He has not yet had to consider his personal safety. Liang Guogong thought that by ignoring the safety of His Highness Kaifeng City, he would get the credit for pacifying Henan Road, but didn't he
Have you ever thought that His Highness is the one who needs this merit most?"
Zhang Yi's eyes sparkled and he echoed: "His Highness is still so young. Only the greater his achievements are, the more convinced he will be that what he is doing is correct, and he will also..."
What will happen?
Zhang Yi didn't say anything, but Hu Hai nodded silently.
As long as the things His Royal Highness the Emperor Taisun has done over the years are proven to be correct, and the military strategy of opening up foreign territories is correct, then people like them will be able to stand like evergreen pines at the center of political power of the Ming Dynasty. p>
Mu Ying's eyes had a hint of edge: "These days, some people are impeaching His Highness the Crown Prince, or even colluding with the party, trying to use public opinion to ask Your Majesty to depose the Crown Prince? Now as long as His Highness has the merit of quelling the rebellion in Henan Province,
All the troubles in the court will fall apart."
Zhang Yi and Hu Hai nodded repeatedly.
Although they are here, the news from the imperial court has never been lost, and reports from the imperial palace are always delivered to them.
Hu Hai thought for a while and couldn't help but shook his head and said with a smile: "The Duke of Liang is still a little impatient. Now that I think about it, the Duke of Liang asked Henan Province to carry out the entrapment military strategy, which was the end of the rebellion in Henan Province and focused on Luoyang City.
.
Just like now, the battle situation in the west city of Kaifeng is definitely the most anxious. And he only needs to lead the troops from the direction of Luoyang City to get this military merit."
"So, this is why I sent troops in advance, and even asked Marquis Jingchuan to take all the officers and soldiers of the Ma Army Camp to Kaifeng City." Mu Ying showed a trace of helplessness on her face. She was not only doing it for the Ming Dynasty's grandson, but also for the Ming Dynasty's grandson.
It was also for the sake of his son-in-law. He said softly: "Your Highness is outside the city now. He will definitely hear that Marquis Jingchuan is bringing him. At that time, can Your Highness give up?"
"It's impossible."
Zhang Yi and Hu Hai said in unison.
Mu Ying nodded and said: "As long as His Highness does not give up, the achievement of quelling the rebellion in Henan Province will be in His Highness's hands."
There was nothing wrong with what Marquis Xiping said. Zhang Yi and Hu Hai had some thoughts in their minds that they had not had before.
After a while.
Zhang Yi spoke in a low voice: "This time in Kaifeng City, we may be able to build streets above the court. But if His Highness Taisun really takes what we think, it will inevitably lead to slander from the court officials, and we will also
Being impeached is suspected of being militaristic."
"Civil official?"
Mu Ying sneered, and then said: "After what happened here, how many good days do they really have?"
Zhang Yi and Hu Hai looked at each other, with an unspeakable look flashing in their eyes.
Then, the two of them smiled slightly.
Mu Ying gently lifted the reins in her hand, and the imperially gifted Western Region war horse beneath her seat completely let go of its hooves. The muscles all over its body were in groups, highlighting its sculpture-like shape, and it burst out with strong power and headed towards Kaifeng City. ……
Kaifeng Nancheng.
The number of rebels exceeds 10,000. As the rebels outside the south city who have the same mission as the rebels who crossed the river from the north city, their only mission is to launch a sheep attack on Kaifeng City, which involves the defenders at the top of the city to surrender and cannot divide their troops to support the main battlefield in the west city. The plan is obvious.
If the defenders at the southern city head of Kaifeng do not support the west city, then the rebels outside the city will continue to use wheel warfare to attract the energy of the defenders at the city head.
If the defenders at the top of the city divide their forces to support the west city, then the rebels outside the south city who are attacking will use all their strength to climb the city and finally break open the city gate.
Several rebel generals in the rebel army formation outside the South City gathered together and were discussing how long it would take for the West City side to take over Kaifeng City.
As long as Xicheng is captured and the army attacks the city, they will naturally be able to rush into Kaifeng City and loot the wealth that has been accumulated for decades in this thoroughfare city. Along with this, they will also be able to take down the man who forced Henan Province to rebel.
The grandson of the Crown Prince Laoshi was captured.
Under the city wall, the rebels from the previous round of siege have begun to retreat and return to the Chinese army's formation. A new batch of several thousand rebels who have rested have begun to move towards the city wall to take over.
The previous round of offensive held back the defenders at the head of Kaifeng's south city.
The rebel generals in the Chinese army's formation are very confident.
Right now, even the nearest imperial troops were two or three days' march away.
In Kaifeng City, there are only less than ten thousand defenders, all of whom are composed of Yamen servants and servants of various families in the city.
As long as they capture the city of Kaifeng in these two days and capture the young and ignorant emperor's grandson who is forcing him to rebel against Henan Province, they can exchange offense and defense with the imperial court and take the emperor's grandson to defend the city or retreat elsewhere. Victory has long been rehearsed in everyone's mind.
However, accidents always come on time.
Outside the southern city of Kaifeng, the sound of horse hooves could be heard in the boundless wilderness.
The gravel beats, and the sound of horse hooves is like a thousand-year war drum, stepping on the hearts of the rebels outside the southern city.
The generals in the rebel army looked back at the wilderness behind them.
I saw that the entire field of vision in the wilderness was densely covered with cavalry who did not know when they appeared. The number was not enough to count.
Is it a friendly force?
Or the imperial army and horses?
The rebel generals suddenly felt uneasy in their hearts.
There are not so many cavalry in Henan Road. Except for Jiubian and Yingtian City, the Ming Dynasty cannot find anywhere else where there are so many fully equipped cavalry.
The rebels outside Nancheng reacted immediately, feeling uneasy in their hearts.
This is the court's army and horses arriving!
No one knows why these imperial troops and horses suddenly rushed to Kaifeng City earlier than expected.
However, Cao Zhen, the Marquis of Jingchuan who came with his army, did not give the Henan Dao rebels, who were already visible to the naked eye, any more chance to think.
Thousands of cavalry lined up in a horizontal formation on the plain outside Kaifeng City, as if they were on the wasteland beyond Jiubian, and started the final speed increase in a large group charge formation.
The war horses move like thunder.
Wearing heavy armor, Jingchuan Hou Cao Zhen holds a thickened and lengthened spear, and two fist-sized tiger-headed copper hammers are inserted into his waist on both sides.
"Charge!"
Cao Zhen waved the spear in his hand and roared.
The army was like a black cloud pressing down on the city, and the top of Mount Tai was crashing down on the rebels outside the southern city.
The cavalry under Marquis Jingchuan are on their way to the formation.
To the east of the rebel formation outside the south city, Zhu Yunxi had already led the remaining cavalry who had gone through the battle in the east city and were outnumbered to come over.
Glancing at the imperial soldiers and horses who were already charging towards the rebels below the city in the south, Zhu Yunxi's eyes had already swept across the entire battlefield.
"Who is coming?"
Zhu Shangbing, who followed, looked at the imperial soldiers and horses that were charging towards the rebels, and then said: "It should be Cao Zhen, Marquis of Jingchuan, who came with his men. His spear has been used in the army several times, but none is longer than him."
It’s thicker.”
As he spoke, Zhu Shangbing leaned forward against the horse's back, and clenched the spear with a little more strength.
Now that Marquis Jingchuan has arrived with his army and horses, the charge will naturally begin here.
At this moment, the rebels outside the south city are in the process of rotating their battles again. The entire rebel formation is in a state of chaos, and this is the best time to attack.
Sure enough, Zhu Yunxi chuckled and looked back at Zhu Shangbing, Ma Hongqing, Zhang Hui, Tian Mai and others beside him.
"Generals."
"Follow me to the battlefield!"
Kaifeng City West City.
It was already past noon, and the battle for every city brick was so fierce that it lasted for most of the day.
Outside the city, more than 5,600 Yulin Right Guards troops commanded by Tang Bi rushed out of the city. At this moment, there were only more than 4,000 left.
Everyone was exhausted, sweating like rain, the palms holding the soldiers were constantly shaking, and waves of numbness came from the tiger's mouth.
The war horses of the Yulin Right Guards also began to breathe loudly. Even outside the West City, where artillery fire was blazing, people could easily hear the war horses' snorts clearly.
The officers and soldiers stretched out their hands and gently patted the war horse's neck. The place where they started was hot. This was the result of the war horse's continuous charging into the formation, which caused the blood in the body to continue to heat up.
It's just that the officers and soldiers of Habayashi's right guard who used to love their horses as much as their sons have no intention of feeling sorry for these comrades on the battlefield at the moment.
Completely crushing the rebels outside the West City is the most important task at the moment.
They have reached the point where they can hardly carry their guns, but the rebels outside the West City are also having a hard time.
After the Yulin Right Guards rushed into battle several times, the rebels outside the city had long lost their complete formation. The rebels had to guard against the Yulin Right Guards who had been ambushing Kaifeng City early in the morning and charged into battle again.
Also beware of artillery bombardment from the top of the city.
Both sides have reached the final bottom line. Whoever can tighten this string to support the other party will win the final victory and taste the fruits of victory.
And below the city gate on the west wall of Kaifeng City.
In the Ming Dynasty, Pei Benzhi, the dignified and second-ranking military envoy of Henan Province, Si Yamen Zuo, never stopped playing the piano.
The fingers of his hands were all red, and the sweat on his face was as big as beans.
The doors and windows of the city gate tower next to him had long been smashed to pieces by the rebel artillery under the city wall. The defenders on the city wall suffered heavy casualties. If Tang Bi had not led his troops out of the city to charge against the rebels again and again, he might have been killed.
At this moment, Kaifeng City has been breached.
The officers of the Chief Envoy's Yamen kept turning back to look at the slightly discolored strings, and looked at Pei Fangbo with worried eyes.
The officers were very worried that the chief envoy was not injured by the rebels, but his hands would be disabled because of playing the piano.
However, the effects are excellent.
As long as Pei Benzhi is playing the harp, and as long as the defenders on the city wall hear the Chief Envoy's harp playing, the rebel offensive under the city wall will become even more fierce, and no one will be afraid.
On the contrary, the rebels under the city wall were uneasy and tense under the constant charging of the Yulin Right Guards officers and soldiers and the roar of the two loudspeakers on the city wall.
"Charge!"
Outside the city, the officers and soldiers of the Habayashi Right Guards, who took a brief pause to breathe, reorganize their military formations, and replace their weapons, started shouting in unison without anyone leading them.
"Charge!"
Tang Bi held his spear horizontally and shook it slightly. The enemy's blood stained on the tip of the spear turned into raindrops and fell to the ground.
"The Ming Dynasty is mighty!"
With a sound.
One call and a hundred responses.
"The Ming Dynasty is mighty!"
"The Ming Dynasty is mighty!"
"The Ming Dynasty is mighty!"
More than 4,000 cavalrymen instantly overtook the momentum of ten thousand cavalrymen.
The land of the Central Plains is shaking, surrendering under the iron hooves of the invincible Ming army.
This is the moment.
From the direction of the south city of Kaifeng City, thousands of defeated troops came to the west. After the defeated army, thousands of cavalry were like ghosts of tarsal bones, constantly harvesting the defeated rebels who were slowing down.
Zhu Yunxi has already led his people to meet up with Jingchuan Marquis Cao Zhen in Nancheng.
Once the soldiers and horses of both sides merged, the rebels outside the southern city were already in a constant battle, and their defeat was only an instant.
The rebels who fled towards the west city were in opposite positions to the Yulin Right Guards troops who launched another charge under Tang Bi.
For a moment, it was like two forces attacking the rebels in West City.
In the southeast, Zhu Yunxi, Jingchuan Hou Cao Zhen and others led the army behind them, and like a steel knife, they slashed hard at the Xicheng rebel formation.
Chengtou.
A buzzing sound.
The guqin, which was inherited from the Western Han Dynasty, finally had its strings broken.
The young chief envoy's reddened fingers instantly opened a gash.
Blood, sprinkled on the piano, is like wintersweet in winter.
However, the young chief minister burst into tears, clapped his hands on the piano and laughed loudly.
“Dading, Henan!”
Pei Benzhi's eyes filled with tears, and he suddenly shouted in unison, expelling all the suppressed emotions in his chest and roaring filial piety in an extremely heroic manner.