In late winter, the snow is still heavy and it is very cold sitting outside in the evening, but the good thing is that there are no mosquitoes at all.
It was very quiet all around, not even the noise of insects in the summer...
The only sound was the distant chime of a bell.
Because of maritime trade, a large number of self-ringing bells have become standard equipment in the palace. They are found in almost every palace, and there are at least hundreds of them in the Forbidden City.
Being able to check the time anytime and anywhere is far better than water leakage.
However, the ticking sound is a slight noise, and Zhu Yixi never puts it in the bedroom.
At this time, he was wearing fur clothes and mink, sitting on a soft couch, holding a fishing rod in his hand, and his face was full of leisure.
In front of him, there was a piece of ice that had been sawed open. There were constant fragments of ice, and the air was gurgling. The bait was hanging in it, waiting to be baited.
Thick ice blocks cover the lake surface, which is not only suitable for walking, but also for walking animals. Fishing is naturally very simple.
As an emperor, he would naturally not be so simple on the lake, but a palace on the lake, with an open-air lake open for fishing in summer and winter.
Cooking by the fire, lying on the stove, fishing, not to mention how beautiful it is.
Winter fishing is also a luxury activity nowadays.
Of course, even though it was extremely cold, he still held a smooth jade hand in his palm, his eyes passing over the scene on the lake from time to time, and he fell into thinking.
His dream once was just to have a woman of his own in a place that belonged to him, and to fish with him without any complaints or regrets.
But now, that little wish is nothing to Zhu Yixi. He can even fulfill other people's wishes with just a raise of his hand.
"His Majesty."
I don’t know how much time passed, but the fish buckets on the side were filled with fat koi carps. At this time, Liu Afu came to report tremblingly:
"News from the Northeast."
"oh?"
The emperor received the memorial.
The person who wrote the pen was none other than Jilin General You Shilu.
Since last autumn, Chahar, Liaodong, Jilin, and Heilongjiang have been recruiting troops continuously, and now there are nearly 60,000 soldiers.
Together with the 20,000 Beijing troops who rushed there, the scale exceeded 80,000.
In order to provide food for these armies, Liaodong directly prepared two million stones of grain and grass, which can be said to be a dedicated effort.
You Shilu was granted the title of General of Cruelty, commanding an army of 80,000, and was responsible for the conquest throughout the Northeast.
After You Shiwei left the Fifth Army Governor's Mansion and lost his authority, You Shilu took over his brother's position and became the representative of the You family in the military.
Therefore, it is appropriate for him to be granted the title of General Tulu.
"It seems that You Shilu is ready."
Zhu Yixi looked at the lake. The ice and snow were still there. Winter had not left yet and was still ravaging the entire city of Beijing.
And if he guessed correctly, it would probably be even colder in the Northeast, and it would be easy to snow heavily.
It would be unwise to send troops at this time.
"What's the date today?"
"Your Majesty, it is the twenty-fifth day of the first lunar month."
"Then by the time I get back to him, it will be early February."
The emperor showed a trace of thought.
In this way, although it is still winter, it can still be regarded as light snow!
You Shilu wanted to capture Horqin in one fell swoop.
The emperor suddenly understood.
Because of the wind and snow, it would naturally take him by surprise, and he could take down the entire left wing of Horqin who was sheltering from the snow at once.
At the same time, because of the wind and snow, it was difficult for the Manchu and Qing Dynasties to provide direct support.
"Moreover, because of canned food, winter has become a weapon for the Ming army."
"Yes."
The emperor casually ordered: "Let the cabinet write down and agree to You Shilu sending troops."
"yes."
Liu Afu was stunned for a moment before he agreed.
As someone close to the emperor, he naturally understood the meaning of sending troops.
The war in the Northeast is about to begin.
Then, the price of mutton should not be increased?
Liu Afu felt excited, this seemed to be another good opportunity to make money.
…
"Hurrah!"
You Shilu was sitting in the military tent. After receiving the emperor's reply, he was overjoyed: "This is a great time for our generation to make contributions."
"Brothers, the time has come for you to be granted titles, lands, and wives. I don't want anyone to hold you back."
"yes!"
The generals agreed with a roar.
In the 20th year of Shaowu's reign, on the seventh day of the second lunar month, 30,000 cavalrymen came out of Jilin and attacked Horqin's left wing and the Nenjiang River Basin.
This is where Horqin's fertile pasture is located. Wooden boards that cattle and sheep like grow on the black soil, so it is a favorite winter pasture for tribesmen.
"Rumble..."
The sound of horses' hooves roared and didn't stop for a moment.
Dai Qin wore simple leather armor and led his army in hot pursuit, non-stop.
He turned to look at his men and horses, who were in a mess.
Although there were only two thousand horsemen, they quickly pursued the enemy as soon as they broke through. It was impossible to maintain the military formation. Everyone was riding horses and racing with the crowd, and the horses were like a chaotic army.
However, he didn't care. The left and right tribes generally followed their respective generals.
He couldn't stop because he felt so happy! There was nothing more pleasurable than breaking through the formation and galloping wildly!
The war horse under his crotch does not belong to the tribe, but was rewarded by the Ming army.
It was faster and more enjoyable than any horse he had ever ridden before.
His whole body was filled with blood, but it quickly turned to ice, and his brain was very excited.
He never knew that fighting could be such fun.
As one of the barbarian Jurchens in the Ming Dynasty, Dai Qin did not expect that he would be so reused, commanding the powerful men of the two haras.
This heavy trust made his heart extremely complicated.
"Brothers, these Tatars are afraid of us, so they continue to attack and kill, don't stop!"
He raised his iron spear high, summoned the cavalry to follow his banner, led his troops around to the left wing, and then launched an attack.
Jog, control speed, accelerate...
Dai Qin grabbed the iron gun, and the whole process happened so skillfully and swiftly.
The missing arrows hit the armor like hailstones, and Dai Qin shouted at the right time: "Kill!"
Twenty steps later, the heavy iron cavalry flew out with the speed of a war horse and the power of a powerful throw.
Many people fell in front of the enemy formation, and the roaring and heavy heavy cavalry took the opportunity to rush in front of them. The Mongols immediately turned around and ran away, ignoring them.
In an instant, the entire Mongolian camp was destroyed.
Many young and old cried non-stop and did not dare to resist.
He didn't want to continue to fight against these incompetent people.
Whether in the grasslands or in the mountains, it has become an unspoken rule not to kill the young and old.
Outside this group of yurts, You Shilu and other generals looked at the yurts on the mountains and felt quite emotional for a while.
"A mere two thousand people actually overwhelmed a tribe of three to four thousand tents——"
A certain pot-bellied man exclaimed: "This is a total of six thousand cavalry, and they were defeated in less than half an hour."
"This group of Daur people is really unexpected."
The generals nearby agreed.
This was the first time they had seen such a ferocious army.
He has sharp archery skills and superb riding skills. He is also good at raising animals and can detect nearby tribes at any time.
Although morale and equipment are important factors affecting victory on the battlefield, the source of troops is also extremely important.
This group of Daur people is truly extraordinary.
You Shilu thoughtfully said: "These people are like wild beasts on the battlefield. If their faces were painted with colors, they might be misunderstood as evil ghosts."
"The savage Jurchens are limitless!"
At the same time, a strong fear emerged in his heart.
The savage Jurchens were divided into hundreds of tribes, large and small, and there were even many clans among them, such as Orchun, Daur, etc., and they were ruled only if they were not united.
But if someone like Nurhachi emerges from among them, it will probably be a blessing to the Ming Dynasty.
As for the savage Jurchens, it seems that they must be organized into households as soon as possible and become the army of the Ming Dynasty.
"The wild Jurchens are good at riding, strong in archery, strong in body, and not afraid of life and death. They are really the best mercenaries."
You Shilu mumbled, wondering if this group of people could withstand the heat. The group of southwest barbarians were most afraid of these people who could climb mountains better than them.
Half an hour later, Dai Qin's body was covered in blood, but it had frozen into blood clots and was so sticky that it was very embarrassing.
There were already several cuts on his face, and there was blood, but he didn't care.
"General, we have captured it."
After a few months, Dai Qin could barely speak a few words in Chinese. He knelt down on one knee, not caring about the ice and snow on the ground.
"very good."
You Shilu patted his shoulder, laughed and said, "There are rewards for every effort."
Immediately, boxes after boxes of silver coins were carried up.
A group of Daur people's eyes shined.
Even though their horses were loaded with captured items, they still paid special attention to these silver coins.
During their stay in Jilin, they had a deep understanding of the purchasing power of silver coins. Instead of carrying heavy seizures, it would be better to use a few silver coins.
Dai Qin is no exception.
However, several months of training made him understand what military discipline and obedience are.
It was precisely because he was so knowledgeable that You Shilu trusted him: "Two silver coins per person, half of the loot."
"Thank you, General."
Dai Qin raised his head happily.
When the Ming Dynasty introduced war horses and armor weapons, they had already established capture standards. The spoils were divided into half, and there were additional rewards.
Now that it has been verified, it is really a surprise.
"Dai Qin has made a good start, so let's not be an exception and continue to attack."
You Shilu showed some yellow teeth.
"Yes!" All the generals agreed.
There are many snowmen, but the morale is strong.
You Shilu nodded with satisfaction.
"Dai Qin, I want you to fly the Dulbert flag."
You Shilu said in a deep voice: "There are tribes there that are as good as this one. Do you have confidence?"
"Yes." Dai Qin gritted his teeth and said, "But we need the necessary bows, arrows and armor."
"Here you go." You Shilu said casually: "Dulbert's tribe is north of the Nen River, and it is nearly a thousand miles away. You must be prepared..."
After Dai Qin and others collected the loot, they set off again.
There are countless tribes in the vast Modong grassland and the Nenjiang River Basin, but the Dulbert tribe is the leader. It is one of the Five Banners of the Left Wing and has strong strength.
There are at least three to four thousand tents in its camp, which should not be underestimated.
But today's battle gave Dai Qin great confidence.
The Mongols were no match for it.
The same number of Dulberts is naturally not worth mentioning.
After the long-distance attack, Dai Qin and others were working extremely hard with one person and three horses.
"Take a break."
He dismounted, took off the backpack of the horse on the other side, opened a bag of fried rice noodles, and fed it to the horse under his crotch.
Unexpectedly, the war horse turned its head after eating a few mouthfuls.
In this case, he could only smile bitterly, open the can that the Ming army distributed, and feed it to the war horse.
The canned food with a little bit of oil and water whetted War Horse's appetite and he ate it happily, but he could only eat fried rice noodles.
Although he thinks the fried rice noodles taste good and salty, no matter how delicious they are, they can't compare to canned rice noodles.
Turning around, I saw that the cavalrymen were all doing the same thing. They gave the canned food to the horses, and they could only eat dry and cold stir-fried noodles.
But they feel much better than in the tribe.
Many people have found Daiqin. Will they be able to eat canned food more often in the future?
Dai Qin said: "The Ming Dynasty is very rich and has never known hunger. As long as we help them fight, there will definitely be food."
Only then did everyone smile.
In the harsh environment, where he was hungry and cold, and everyone cared about life and death, he developed a character that was not afraid of death.
But it is still everyone's expectation that the family can fill their stomachs and not go hungry.
…
"Great Khan, it's bad, the Han people have invaded."
The Horqin Left and Right Banners, where Prince Darhan was stationed, suddenly became lively.
Prince Darkhan and Ta were enjoying the rare fun in winter.
As the commander of Horqin's left wing, his tent was located on the richest grassland. Even in winter, there were cattle and sheep that could dig through the snow and eat the weeds below.
However, a series of bad news ruined its interest.
"Ming army?"
He Ta was in disbelief: "Now that it's snowing heavily, are the Ming troops desperate for their lives?"
"Besides, how do they know about our Horqin tribe's pasture?"
When he said this, he suddenly realized: "There must be a traitor. Damn it, a bunch of traitors."
"How many people are there in the Ming army?" Heta asked impatiently.
"Anyway, among the five left-wing flags, three flags have already encountered unexpected events..."
"Damn it." Heta was panicked: "The Ming army is really here. It really wants to annex me, Horqin."
Thinking of the tens of thousands of soldiers and horses under his command, Heta had no confidence.
The Qing army suppressed the Mongolian army, and the Ming army suppressed the Qing army.
How could he muster the courage under such circumstances?
Thinking of this, he immediately shouted: "Immediately fire up the troops and move everyone to the north."
"In addition, send troops to notify the group of Manchus and tell them that when our Horqin tribe is completely devoured, the Manchus will be in danger."
The snow was still heavy, but at all costs, the Manchus still received the letter for help.
When Shunzhi heard this, he was horrified: "The Ming Dynasty had evil intentions and even swallowed up Horqin."
"Your Majesty, please send reinforcements as soon as possible——"
The messenger knelt on the ground and begged.
"Take the messenger down to rest."
Shunzhi rubbed his temples and asked, "What do you think?"
"We must save him." Ning Wanwo said solemnly: "The lips are dead and the teeth are cold. Horqin cannot afford to lose anything."
At this time, Batulu and Obai, who were highly trusted, also said in a deep voice: "The Ming Dynasty has been provoking Horqin in the past few years. Everyone knows his intentions. We, the Qing Dynasty, must not ignore it."
"I am not afraid of hard work and am willing to lead troops into battle."