Zhao Wangcheng opened the city gate and warmly welcomed the arrival of reinforcements.
The combat effectiveness of the Western Expedition army has three levels. The first is the servants, the second is the Beijing camp, and the third is the regiment training. Now, it is the regiment training that actually repelled the Tumut people's final counterattack and relieved the siege of King Zhao's city.
This result surprised Captain Liu Sheng who was stationed in Zhaowang City.
The Tumuts' final counterattack failed. They will disappear in the long river of history and never make any waves again. They have less than 10,000 soldiers and have lost the vast majority of their tribesmen. They have no hope.
Those who cannot survive in the cruel grassland will soon be annexed by the desert Mongolia.
The regiment trainers paid a huge price. Of the 36,000 people who came, there were still about 20,000 people left. This victory was a tragic victory. However, the soldiers who survived were transformed after this battle.
Change. At least these people are already combatable soldiers.
The casualty ratio between them and the Mongols was 1.6 to 1. It was a miracle that these rookie infantrymen actually had such a casualty ratio compared to the cavalry.
Liu Sheng held Yan Yingyuan's hand and shed tears of excitement.
Without this support force, they would definitely not be able to hold on for long. The ratio of ten to one is enough to capture this city. It is just a matter of time.
Liu Sheng led the regiment into the city. Yan Yingyuan could feel the intensity of the Mongolian siege during this period by looking at the black marks on the rammed earth wall and the missing arrows densely inserted on the wall.
"How many people can be stationed with the water source in the city?" Yan Yingyuan asked.
"There are only three wells in the city, which can supply up to 10,000 people. Any more will not be enough to drink." Liu Sheng replied. This is still used for drinking, cooking, and horse water. There is no water for washing your face and clothes.
.
At this time, he no longer dared to underestimate these group trainings. He understood that Yan Yingyuan was considering how many people to keep.
This place is so important, it is a fulcrum of Jiuyuan's mutual horns.
Yang Fan will not give up. There may be more brutal battles to follow.
Yan Yingyuan nodded and said nothing more. He still wanted to take the large army back to Jiuyuan. There would be a greater siege. After all, the Mongolian army from the desert had not arrived yet.
"While the enemy has retreated, hurry up and transport food. The real battle is still to come. I will leave you five thousand men. Take advantage of this precious time to repair the city wall first. I will take the army to rest for a day and then
Retreat to Jiuyuan. This place cannot accommodate so many people," Yan Yingyuan said.
This place is not as close to the Yellow River as Jiuyuan. It is a really barren land. Due to the cooling of the climate in the late Ming Dynasty, the original pastures here have withered away. Under the attack of wind and sand, this place has almost turned into a desert.
Liu Sheng led Yan Yingyuan up to the collapsed tower at the north gate, pointed at the city with his riding whip and said: "In recent years, the climate has become colder and colder. Not only has the wind and sand increased, but it has also not rained for years. A hundred years ago, this place was still here.
There are more than a dozen small lakes that soldiers can still cultivate, but now they can’t do anything.”
"We are stationed here and rely entirely on Jiuyuan for supplies. It is really not suitable to put too many people in."
Yan Yingyuan nodded and said: "The city wall here is too poor. There is no horse surface. It would be great if it could be covered with bricks. If the city is stronger, we can use less troops, so the logistics pressure will not be so great."
Liu Sheng smiled bitterly and said: "There is coal in the open here, and there is clay when dug deep, so we can make bricks. But there is no such condition now. Maybe one day, the Mongolians from the desert will come to kill us."
Yan Yingyuan turned around and looked into the city.
There are some exotic buildings in the city. Most of them are stone buildings with pointed roofs and many towering crosses. There are also stone tablets engraved with patterns of unfamiliar cultural elements and statues full of Greek style.
"I know a Jesuit monk named Matteo Ricci in the capital, and many things here are very similar to theirs," Yan Yingyuan said.
"This place was built by Nestorians, which is similar to the religion practiced by the foreign monks in the capital. They are all melons on a vine. There are also some mixed-race people here. But they are not the same group. In the letter given to me by the Marshal
I have explained it in detail. The Nestorians here were introduced during the Tang Dynasty. Nestorianism is the Syrian branch of Orthodox Christianity, which was introduced to the Tang Dynasty from Persia. And the Jesuits you mentioned are Catholics. They are a bit like Taoism.
The difference between Li Zhengyi and Quanzhen is the same." Liu Sheng explained.
While the regiment training army was resting in Zhaowang City, the auction under Dongsheng City had ended.
Merchants from all over the country were all smiles. They snapped up all the cattle, sheep and horses. There were also a large number of precious skins, which were seized trophies. Now that the weather is getting colder year by year, these precious furs are soft gold, and they are the treasures of high-ranking officials and nobles.
's favorite.
Zhang Shize has been so happy lately that he can't close his mouth. This is really a fortune.
Not only was all the arrears of military pay paid to the soldiers in the four towns this time, but also the money for departure and the money for entering the battle were replenished. Those who were beheaded in the early stage were rewarded according to the Ming Dynasty's reward standard, a true Tatar head worth fifty taels of silver.
Immediately pay per person. One-hand money, one-hand goods, never default.
The officers and soldiers in the four towns burst into tears. They were full now. Those with the least arrears had more than 20 taels, and the officers with the most arrears had hundreds of taels. The rewards they won were not deducted at all, and they found silver directly. No banknotes were used.
Hu Nongren.
For a time, Yang Fan's prestige reached its peak. Uncle Dingyuan really didn't lie to these hard-working soldiers. He said he would reissue it, and it was exactly the same. He said he would reward him, and he gave it immediately, so as not to delay. This way
General, that soldier is unwilling to sacrifice his life for him.
In fact, the soldiers of the Ming Dynasty were not afraid of death, but they were afraid that death was not worth it.
After the merchants spent all their money, they drove their cattle, sheep, horses, and carts of furs away with satisfaction. The morale of the soldiers was high, and they took the initiative to fight. The commander-in-chief had given so much money, and if he didn't work hard, wouldn't he be worse than a pig or a dog?
.
Where else in the Ming Dynasty could anyone be so kind to these Qiu Ba and give them money so happily?
Early the next morning, the army came out of camp. The Beijing camp served as the general reserve force to supervise the battle. The soldiers from the four towns lined up in the north city, preparing to attack the city.
Looking at the vigorous soldiers of the four towns, Yang Fan said with emotion: "My soldiers of the Ming Dynasty are the best soldiers. It's not that they can't fight, but the court treats them badly. My soldiers of the Ming Dynasty are not paid usually, but they are full
The salary is invincible. As long as you don't deceive them and give them enough money, they will immediately change from sheep to lions."
Zhang Shize was also surprised to see that these Qiu Ba, who were all cowardly and timid before, were now gearing up and holding weapons with enthusiasm, ready to fight.
Because they knew that the marshal kept his word. A true Tatar head could really be exchanged for fifty taels of silver. They paid with one hand and delivered the goods with the other.
