Shen Lie's eyes narrowed as he recalled the huge storm in which a hundred thousand Tatar troops invaded Gyeonggi during the Longqing period.
That year.
The Tatars were murderous, but the Ming army was invincible.
The situation is indeed very critical.
Shen Lie was still a naughty boy at that time, and his family was fairly well off. He still remembers the anxiety on his parents' faces, the fear of his neighbors, and even the fact that many rich and powerful people moved their families south.
Fortunately, Gao Gong, the chief minister at the time, planned with the cabinet minister Zhang Juzheng, and signed a city alliance with the Tatars without restraint.
Emperor Longqing settled the matter by agreeing to confer the title of King of Shunyi to the Tatar leader Anda, and also agreed to open eleven trading ports to the Mongols in Jiubian.
Past experience guide for the future.
The catastrophe that happened just a dozen years ago is still vivid in our minds.
thus.
Zhang Juzheng, who was strongly stimulated by such humiliation, made up his mind and took advantage of the death of Emperor Longqing to defeat his chief minister, Gao Gong, and then began a vigorous Wanli New Deal.
When had Daming ever been so angry?
After Zhang Juzheng's New Deal, he began to rectify the Nine-Border Army.
In Liaodong, he promoted and re-employed Li Chengliang and built an invincible Liao army. He also transferred Qi Jiguang and the Zhejiang army from the south to Jiubian, and established a large camp in Miyun to train troops.
What does Zhang Juzheng want to do?
nature.
He is preparing a major counterattack against the Tatars.
But God did not follow people's wishes. The up-and-down New Deal had not yet been completed, and the Nine-Border Ming Army had not yet completed its training. Zhang Juzheng, who was not yet sixty years old, fell ill.
Think about this.
Looking at the mountains to the north of the official road, the Great Wall, and the slightly dilapidated military fort, Shen Lie's eyes became dim, and the entire escort and horse team also became quiet.
As the population becomes sparse, the road ahead becomes difficult.
Amidst the bumps.
It was approaching dusk, and we were only a third of the way to Datong Mansion.
Two veterans of the Zhejiang Army eagerly rode forward and whispered: "Sir... we can't go any further... let's set up camp."
I looked at the barren mountains and ridges on both sides of the road.
Shen Lie felt awe-struck in his heart and nodded: "Okay."
This section of the road looks very unsafe. The merchants and escort teams that pass by are all in groups. In fact, this trade route has never been safe since the defeat of Tumubao.
even though.
During the ten years that Qi Shuai was in charge of the Miyun camp, he commanded the nine-sided troops and fought several battles with the Tatars. He always came back with great victories, knocking away some of the arrogance of King Shunyi of the Tatars.
But the Tatars resorted to their old methods again, and began to break up into parts and harass everywhere, making horse bandits rampant on the border, and even colluded with bandits in some places to cooperate inside and outside.
During the conversation.
Dongchang's horse team escorted the three large carriages and slowly left the official road and drove to the campsites beside the road. They were called campsites, but in fact they were just abandoned military forts.
There is a water source and simple houses in the fort for passing caravans to spend the night.
"Arm up!"
With Shen Lie urging in a low voice and handing over the power of setting up camp to two veterans of the Zhejiang Army, the cavalry team quickly made preparations.
They drove three large carriages carrying valuable cargo to a secret place in the abandoned military fort, gathered the horses, and all the cavalry dismounted to eat.
Eat enough, drink enough.
Shen Lie leaned against the building, folded his arms, and watched the two old soldiers arrange night guarding and set up the light and dark sentries.
Along with this, muskets were taken out one after another.
Loaded.
Behind the gate, hidden sentries were set up on the roof, and there was even crossfire. This arrangement was an eye-opener for Shen Lie, and he had to praise it.
This is called professionalism!
These are old soldiers who have fought bloody battles with Japanese pirates for many years and crawled out from among the dead. They have so much experience in battle. Shen Lie feels...
Under the guidance of these two veterans, his team is developing towards an elite level.
Something moved in my heart.
Shen Lie walked out of the camp gate and stood on a remote official road and looked back. Not far away, he saw the horse team of the Pingyao Escort Bureau also starting to set up camp.
Shen Lie waved to the pacesetters in good faith.
Said hello.
But at this time, Mr. Li, who was in charge, was not there, and the Pingyao escorts who were encamped turned a blind eye to Shen Lie, and even showed some resistance, and they all looked away.
Pretending not to know.
"Why?"
Shen Lie touched his head awkwardly.
That’s all.
Why put a hot face against a cold butt?
After walking back from the official road, it was already dark. Shen Lie took out his spear and lay down with his back against the abandoned military fort building.
While eating the dried meat that I brought with me, I looked at the northwest sky.
The night is dark.
Shen Lie's thoughts began to wander again.
It has been two hundred years since the founding of the Ming Dynasty.
However, this front line of the Great Wall has gone back and forth and has never been stable. The Tatars are close at hand, there is the threat of the Oara people in the distance, and there are restless Jurchens in the northeast.
During the Yongle period, more than a dozen Northern Expeditions failed to completely eliminate the Mongolian forces. Later, during the Chenghua period, the Ming army also failed to thoroughly clean up the Jurchens in Jianzhou.
Why is this happening?
Is it because the Ming army cannot fight?
If the Ming army could not fight, how could they have driven Bei Yuan out of the Central Plains and killed the remnants of Bei Yuan on the prairie?
Why couldn't the Ming army fight against the remnants of Bei Yuan?
Does this make sense?
If the Ming army could not fight, then where did the Liao army, now invincible in the world, come from?
So here comes the question.
Maybe someone was holding back the Ming army. I thought of those scholars who were content with enjoying themselves but were afraid that the Ming army could fight and the emperor was a martial artist.
Shen Lie sneered again and again.
at this time.
Not far away, a sentry shouted: "Stop, those who come!"
Shen Lie stood up.
Looked over.
Under the faint starlight, he saw an escort in red clothing standing not far away. He was pointed by a sentry with a musket, raised his hands and whispered.
"Wait a minute!"
The bodyguard obviously didn't expect that Dongchang's team was so elite. He was startled and quickly defended: "Don't use guns... It's bitterly cold at the frontier. My young master specially ordered someone to send some food. Please accept it."
As the escort carefully looked at the sentry, he placed a bundle in his hand on the ground.
Shen Lie whispered in the darkness: "Thank you very much."
Feeling anxious.
The escort walked away with his hands raised.
Not long after.
The sentry handed the baggage over, and Shen Lie opened the baggage casually. He saw these dried meat preserves and other items inside, and couldn't help but smile again.
But I didn't taste it.
in mind.
I couldn't help but picture the heroic appearance of the young brother and sister.
Then a silence fell in the camp.
There was only a slight ups and downs of snoring.
I don’t know how much time passed.
got windy.
But as a deep sleepiness hit him, Shen Lie fell into a deep sleep without realizing it. While he was sleeping soundly, he was suddenly pinched by someone.
Shen Lie woke up suddenly.
In the dim light.
But I saw an old soldier with gray hair squatting in front of him, looking over with burning eyes, and said softly: "Sir, something is wrong."
"ah?"
Shen Lie was excited and said hurriedly: "Say."
The old soldier of the Zhejiang Army suddenly knelt on the ground, put his ear to the ground and listened. After a while, he whispered again: "The enemy is attacking."