I

If students from the Nanjing Military Academy were asked to analyze this military deployment, they would probably give it a zero score.

Two hundred miles north of Chifeng, 11,000 Datong troops were stationed on the banks of the Xilamulun River.

Two hundred miles further north, 11,000 Datong troops were stationed on the banks of the Heimulun River.

Eighty miles further north, 11,000 Datong troops were stationed on the banks of the Uli Jimulun River.

Two hundred miles further north, 11,000 Datong troops were stationed on the banks of the Huolin River.

Forty-four thousand troops were dispersed like this. It was no longer a long snake formation, but four biscuits were scattered out, waiting for the Khalkha army to come and eat them one by one.

Li Dingguo dared to propose such a military plan, and Zhang Tieniu really dared to adopt it and implement it immediately.

Li Zheng, who had a conservative personality, was speechless when he led his army to join them. He could not overturn Zhang Tieniu's arrangement, so he could only try to remedy it. He personally led two infantry divisions to sit on another section of the Uli Jimulun River so that he could coordinate with other troops. He also asked Wang Tingchen to lead the cavalry division to join forces with Zhang Tieniu. .

Zhang Tieniu, Li Dingguo, and Wang Tingchen led mobile troops to continue the pursuit north. The Khalkha army is still retreating northward, and has quickly retreated to the main line of the Greater Khingan Mountains.

However, Chahu Dorji's younger brother Gulu Shixi took 10,000 cavalry and a large number of livestock and detoured southward to cut off the Datong army's food route.

When Gulu Shixi detoured from Tongliao to Xiliao River, billowing smoke suddenly appeared on the south bank. Immediately, every few miles, wolf smoke would rise, extending westward to the Datong Army's camp.

There were only a few dragoons at each beacon point. After setting off the smoke, they immediately rode away before the enemy could cross the river to pursue them. On the river, there are occasionally some small boats that deliver food to the beacon points along the river. When they see the smoke, they quickly row away.

The grain road was farther west. When the grain transport team saw the smoke, they withdrew to the nearest Datong military camp. Each ministry deployed all its dragoons as a mobile force to cover the grain transport team at any time. If they did not retreat in time, they would assemble to fight according to the smoke situation.

Gurushixi did successfully cut off the grain road, but he didn't even touch the shadow of the grain transport team.

This guy brought 10,000 Khalkha cavalry with him, and he was suddenly confused and didn't know which way to run. He could continue to block the grain road, but he would always feel like he would be surrounded because he had strayed too far away from the main force.

A few days later, dragoons from six divisions, totaling 12,000 people, gathered in Kailu County, later to look for traces of Gurushixi everywhere.

After searching for two days, I finally identified the traces on the grassland.

Jiang Quan, who was a general in the Ming Dynasty, looked at the trampled and messy grass and said depressedly: "This guy is running very fast. It seems that he has been away for two or three days. There is no need to chase anymore. It's more important to go back and cover the camp."

Chahu Dorji further north was unwilling to fight the main force of the Datong Army, so he seized the opportunity and chose to go south in a roundabout way. He detached a partial division and trampled the grassland back and forth, guiding Zhang Tieniu to pursue the northwest. He led the main force back to the south from the southeast, preparing to defeat the Datong Army's camps one by one - each Datong Army camp blocked his way back to Mobei.

When we rounded back to the western part of Tongyu County in later generations, the riverside was also lit with smoke, and the smoke exposed it.

Chahu Dorji sneered: "What's the use of this method? Divide your troops and go south at full speed, harass every river, let the enemy all light up the smoke, so that the Han army doesn't know where we will attack from. Then come back immediately to join us, and we will go Attack the Han army in the direction of Huolin River!"

There were several rivers in the north and south, and in the next few days, smoke was rising everywhere.

Li Zheng, who was in the middle and providing support, kept receiving similar news. His mind was almost dizzy and he could not figure out the true situation of the enemy at all. He ordered: "Send out all the dragoons. Don't be too far apart from each other. You must detect the direction of the enemy's main force. Also, quickly go to the north and inform Governor Zhang (Zhang Tieniu) that the main force of Khalkha must be in the south. Let's They should stop pursuing us further north.”

In early October of the lunar calendar, the weather suddenly turned cold, and there seemed to be signs of imminent snow.

Guru Shixi's 10,000 cavalry finally successfully merged with Chahun Dorji, and the main force of Khalkha suddenly ran wildly along the Huolin River. Along the Huolin River, beacon fire and smoke ignited again, clearly becoming the target of the enemy's main attack, but the friendly forces in the north and south were still 200 miles away.

The Datong garrison there was led by Wang Hui from Hunan, and his deputy was Huang Fei, a surrendered general of the Ming Dynasty. The original strength of 11,000 men was transferred to 2,000 dragoons, but now there are only 9,000 men left. Counting the civilians, there are only more than 10,000 men.

The main force of Chahun Dorji was more than 90,000 people.

"Before the enemy rescues us, quickly level this place!" Chahun Dorji ordered.

These guys didn't have a telescope, so they could only climb a nearby slope to roughly observe the battlefield. Then he sent a rider to run over and get closer to observe the details.

Soon the Khalkha cavalry came back and reported: "Great Khan, deep ditches have been dug around the enemy camps."

Chahu Dorji said: "Let Lama Shixi's cavalry dismount and fill up the deep ditch there!"

Lama Shixi was very unhappy, but who made him defect halfway, so he could only send soldiers as cannon fodder to fill the trenches.

"what is that?"

At this moment, a hot air balloon suddenly rose above the Datong Army's camp.

Lama Shixi felt that his opportunity to show off had come, so he galloped over and said, "Great Khan, that is a Han people's magical weapon. It can ascend to heaven to observe the battlefield."

Chahu Dorji said: "This is a good thing. I stood on the slope and couldn't see the overall situation clearly. When the enemy rose to the sky, they could all see clearly how I arranged my troops."

Lama Shixi added: "When the Jurchens are fighting with the Han people, the Han people like to dig trenches. Khan, the Han people have powerful artillery. When we fill up the trenches, the Han reinforcements are coming soon. I think we should not attack here by force, but should go Fight the Han reinforcements. Separate 30,000 cavalry and hide in the nearby mountains. When the Han reinforcements arrive, rush out and kill them by surprise!"

"I think so too," Chahun Dorji nodded, "withdraw the camps one after another, divide the troops to go to the mountains in the south at night, and start filling in the trenches tomorrow morning!"

Datong Military Camp.

The lookout on the hot air balloon constantly delivers messages through semaphores.

Lieutenant General Huang Fei said: "The enemy has retreated. They probably saw the trench and are not ready to attack directly. We will attack slowly after setting up the camp. Do you want to go out to attack the camp tonight?"

"No need," Wang Hui shook his head, "most of our army's dragoons have been separated, leaving only five hundred cavalry. The enemy has many cavalry, and if the night attack does not go smoothly, we will be the ones who suffer. Hold on slowly, and The enemy drags us here and waits for the friendly forces to come to rescue us."

Huang Fei worriedly said: "We have not blocked the entrance to the mountain. What if the enemy's main force flees westward along the river valley? After crossing the river valley, they can return to Mobei."

Wang Hui smiled and said: "The enemy cavalry can escape, so many cattle, sheep and grain can be taken away? If they don't bring enough food and baggage, they will encounter heavy snow on the way and they will all freeze to death on the grassland."

Wang Hui squatted down, grabbed a handful of soil, and said with emotion: "There is also black soil here. I heard from the Han people over there in Chifeng that this black soil is very good for growing food, and there is no need to compost it. I have to go to the imperial court and immigrate here. They occupied all the places with black soil.”

In the vast Horqin Grassland, there are a large number of river plains, and many of the flat lands along the rivers are black soil.

The Khalkha army gradually retreated towards the west with their baggage and camped on a mountain. If they don't continue fighting, they can get into the mountains, follow the valley through the mountains, and then return to Mobei without any hindrance. However, the river valley winds for more than 200 miles, and the march, carrying a large amount of logistical equipment, cannot go very fast at all, and it is easy to be overtaken by the Datong cavalry.

At night, more than 30,000 Khalkha cavalry crossed the upper reaches of the Huolin River and hid in the Hanwula Mountains.

If the Datong Army from the south comes to rescue them, these Khalkha cavalry hidden in the mountains will most likely attack the Datong Army from behind.

Until now, Chahun Dorji has not yet decided whether to quickly eat up the Datong army in front of him, or whether to change the combat goal to encirclement and reinforcements.

The second day.

Lama Shixi's Horqin soldiers were sent out to fill the trenches with soil. It is all extremely fertile black soil. Instead of being used to grow crops, it has become material for filling trenches.

"Boom boom boom!"

The Datong Army's artillery fired in turn, and Horqin soldiers carrying dirt on their backs rushed forward with the shells on their backs.

After rushing towards each other, they fled one after another.

These Horqin soldiers did not want to fight at all. To be precise, they don't want to fight for the Khalkha. They live a good life here, but they follow their leader to join the Khalkha for no reason, and now they are used as cannon fodder to fill the trenches. Who is willing to let it go?

Several times in a row, Chahun Dorji finally got angry and called Lama Shixi over: "If your soldiers are afraid of life and death again, I will deal with them according to military law. You... go and supervise the battle in person!"

In desperation, Lama Shixi could only bite the bullet and personally command his troops to fill the trenches with soil.

Chahun Dorji thought about it and felt that he could not catch Lama Shixi and bully him alone. As a result, the conquered tribes from the Hulunbuir Grassland were also organized to fill in the trenches.

Immediately afterwards, thousands of Khalkha cavalry were sent to stand at the rear to supervise the battle. Anyone who dared to retreat would immediately shoot arrows.

The supervising team obviously "boosted" the morale, and there were actually more than 2,000 Mongolian soldiers who rushed dozens of meters outside the trench while carrying the shells.

"Tiger Crouching Cannon, reload everything!"

After the reform, the Datong Army was equipped with many Crouching Tiger Cannons. Although most of the dragoons of this division were transferred away, the Crouching Tiger Artillery remained.

With the sound of cannons, countless small cannonballs were fired. Iron eggs, lead bullets, and even stones were thrown at the Mongolian soldiers at close range like a goddess scattering flowers. The smallest cannon was only as thick as a thumb.

"Ah, my legs!"

"I was punched through the stomach!"

"Run!"

Chahu Dorji looked at the battlefield from a distance and said in shock: "Why do the Han people have so many artillery? Call Lama Shixi back quickly!"

He also had artillery, which he bought from the Cossacks. But I only bought a few of them, and the barrels were only calf-thick, so two people could carry them around. Even so, due to the lack of gunpowder, the small cannons were sparingly used and were generally used as secret weapons to frighten other tribes.

Lama Shixi, who was personally supervising the battle, quickly ran back on horseback.

Chahu Dorji asked: "Why do the Han people have so many artillery pieces?"

Lama Shixi reluctantly replied: "Great Khan, I have said before that the Han people have many artillery, more than the Jurchens' artillery. Not only are there artillery, but there are also countless firecrackers, which can be fired from a long distance."

"Bastard, you only said there were many artillery pieces, but you didn't say there were so many!" Chahun Dorji scolded, "Do other armies of the Han people also have so many firearms?"

Lama Shixi nodded and said, "It's all like this."

What a slap in the face!

Only then did Chahu Dorji realize that something was wrong, and called the leaders of various ministries: "Send all the slaves you captured to fill the trenches. We only have two days to fight. If we can't defeat them in two days, we will immediately go into the mountains and withdraw our troops." !”

"Great Khan, many of the slaves snatched from Horqin are Han people who know how to farm..." Darhan said.

Chahun Dorji interrupted: "Shut up, it doesn't matter whether he knows how to farm, now we are going to fight!"