Rule the Ming Dynasty Alone

More than ten fast horses returned from the east. This was the night they were sent out by the army earlier. The captain headed by them came directly to Wang Yue to report the situation.

"Set up camp!"

Wang Yue learned that the military situation ahead was unclear and immediately issued an order.

"Camp again?"

When the eunuch Zhang Yong and the commander-in-chief of Liaodong Zhao Chengqing heard Wang Yue's order, they couldn't help but look at each other.

The army sent troops from Shanhaiguan, passed through Shahe and Ningyuan, and left Jinzhou. Now it went straight to Jianzhou Jurchens and Binjiang River, planning to rebuild the main force of Jianzhou Jurchens.

It's just that as the commander-in-chief of the three armies, Wang Yue was extremely cautious and ordered the army to set up camp at every turn. This was also the most critical factor why they were still hundreds of miles away from the Binjiang River after marching for nearly a month.

Of course, the Ming Dynasty's Eastern Expeditionary Army was going out to fight, and the current supply line extended from Shanhaiguan to Shanhaiguan, which was indeed too long. Once the main force in the front is surrounded, the lack of supplies will be unimaginable.

The biggest problem in an expedition has never been the combat power of the army. The most important thing has always been logistical support, and the Tumu Fort Incident was a stark lesson.

As the commander-in-chief's order was issued, this Eastern Expeditionary Army to suppress Jianzhou Jurchens immediately set up camp at a nearby location, and at the same time continued to send out troops at night to inspect the enemy's situation ahead.

Intelligence warfare received great attention in this war, especially since Wang Yue almost never left the map.

"Commander, the terrain here is indeed very complex, which is conducive to Jianzhou Jurchen ambush. But if our army does not pass through this time, it may have to go north for half a month, and the supply line will be even longer!" Zhao Chengqing pointed in front of him! The map with complex terrain seems to seriously emphasize the necessity of passing through this road.

Since Jianzhou has not undergone large-scale reclamation, many roads are now completely impassable, resulting in not many options for routes to Jianzhou Base Camp.

Wang Yue looked at the densely packed ambush points marked on the map, but said calmly: "I can't eat hot tofu in a hurry! In this case, let's send more scouts to investigate the enemy situation in front and make sure there are no ambush troops in front before marching. Let’s wait here for ten days!”

Ten days?

This... has to wait ten days?

When Zhao Chengqing and others heard Wang Yue's decision, they looked at Wang Yue in disbelief.

Soldiers have always been quick and valuable! The Battle of Weininghai led by Wang Yue and Wang Zhi fully illustrates this point. It was Wang Yue and Wang Zhi's surprise attack that achieved a great victory, but Wang Yue actually did the opposite this time, but it was too late. It was too late to move the troops.

Now, facing the possibility of unfavorable ambush terrain ahead, Wang Yue actually chose to stop advancing and camp here for ten days.

With Wang Yue's cautious approach, he was already looking forward and backward before actually arriving at Jianzhou Jurchen's base camp. He didn't know how much time he would spend in the next few hundred miles.

Wang Yue had no intention of bargaining with everyone, and seemed determined to arrange for his men to set up camp, while continuing to send the most elite Ye Bushou to the surrounding areas.

puff! puff! puff!

Wu Jingbo and Zhao Chengqing, the commander-in-chief of the Eastern Expeditionary Army, were not idle. Facing the Jianzhou Jurchens who were herding sheep scattered around, he immediately and ruthlessly harvested the lives of these Jurchens who were both herders and soldiers.

One kill!

Two kills!

Three kills!

…

Zhao Chengqing vented all his dissatisfaction. Facing these herdsmen armed with bows and arrows, he launched his cavalry to ruthlessly eliminate them.

"We have nothing to do with the Aisin Gioro family!"

"You can't kill us, we didn't harm the Ming border residents!"

"Spare your life! We don't dare to do it anymore, please let me go this time!"

…

The surrounding herdsmen were probably unwilling to give up their herds of cattle and sheep, or they were hoping for a chance, but they all wanted to ask for a way out.

puff! puff! puff!

Although the killing has begun, it cannot be ended hastily.

For the generals above, the purpose of this is to train troops. But the soldiers below are enjoying it because according to the latest regulations of the Ministry of War, these are military merits.

The strongest mercenaries, Duoyan Sanwei, were also not idle. They mainly focused on the herds of cattle and sheep in the pasture.

Since the Ming Dynasty had allowed them to take cattle and sheep as trophies, they became more active and would bloodbath every pasture wherever they went.

For Duoyan Sanwei, he had no family ties with the Jianzhou Jurchens at all, but he became an active member in the suppression of the Jurchens.

Starting from the Western Liaoning Corridor, the Ming Dynasty had wiped out more than a thousand herdsmen alone, and even wiped out a Jianzhou Jurchen tribe with nearly a thousand warriors in one fell swoop.

Although their march was slow, the harvest was actually not small at all.

At least many soldiers have already obtained a real military merit, and there will be more and more in the future, causing the current number of soldiers to increase rather than decrease.

The progress of the Eastern Conquest Army is indeed very slow, but like an old ox plowing the ground, it is razing everything it goes, leaving pastures stained red with blood.

But their pace will not stop. What is really valuable is the land close to the river, and leading the Binjiang River Basin is the biggest goal of the Ming Dynasty army this time.

Since today is another good day for a big harvest, the Ming army has obtained groups of cattle and sheep, and a dinner full of meaty aroma is naturally inevitable.

Nearly a hundred miles away, a large Jurchen army stationed in Jianzhou set up an ambush here.

Snapped!

Tuoluo saw a large flower mosquito land on his arm, and immediately found the right moment to hit it hard, beating the mosquito to pieces.

Since the terrain on three sides is sloping, as long as the Ming army passes here, they can use cavalry charge to easily disperse the main force of the Ming army and then slaughter them.

Unexpectedly, the opponent actually chose to rest and recuperate again, and had already started setting up camp hundreds of miles away, without giving them any chance to make a surprise attack.

"Chief, what should we do?"

"What else can we do? Keep waiting!"

Tuoluo personally directed the battle this time and led the main force of the Jianzhou Jurchens to wait for the Ming army at this best ambush point. However, things did not go as expected, but he continued to fight mosquitoes and persisted.

When things got to this point, he could only be patient with Wang Yue. I just hope that Wang Yue will suddenly underestimate the enemy and advance rashly, thus providing their Jurchen tribe with a chance to fight back, thus forcing the Ming Dynasty to withdraw its troops.

The situation changed, and a summer rain came along with a storm.

The first turmoil was not in Jianzhou, but in the capital thousands of miles away.

The war in Jianzhou has attracted the attention of the whole country. In view of the three battles and three victories in the previous war in Jianzhou, the capital is full of confidence in victory, but it believes that it will not take long for good news to come back.

"What the hell, why is there no news about the war in Jianzhou?"

"I heard that the fighting hasn't started yet. It's a complete embarrassment to our Ming Dynasty!"

"It seems that Wang Yue is really old. I suggest that the court should replace him with a more capable coach!"

…

Things went against expectations. As time went by, although Wang Yue was not defeated, such progress was questioned by many, but there were constant calls for coaching changes.

This kind of noise is naturally caused by someone adding fuel to the flames, and Jin Yiwei also has something to do.

Because it was a special time, the imperial court had tighter control over public opinion in the capital.

Since ancient times, people have been famous for their right and wrong, but Wang Yue could not escape the fate of being impeached after all.

After Wang Yue came back from Anluzhou, his life suddenly changed. Not only did he become the second-rank imperial censor of the Imperial Palace, but he also became the first coach of the Ming Dynasty.

Faced with an official like Wang Yue who was defined as a civilian traitor, and the fact that the Metropolitan Procuratorate under Wang Yue's control actually targeted all civil and military officials, many officials were always looking for opportunities to overthrow Wang Yue.

After learning about the situation of Wang Yue's army, Li Guang, the patrol commander of Liaodong, was the first to attack: "I impeached the commander of the Eastern Expedition, the censor of Liaodong patrol, the censor of Zuodu, Wang Yue, who went on the expedition for a month, but sometimes he was afraid of the enemy. In the past, the opportunity to fight was delayed... I sincerely request your Majesty to remove the commander Wang Yue and select another commander to take up the important position."

Overthrowing Wang Yue was not the goal, but someone took the opportunity to recommend it: "He Qiaoxin, the Minister of the Ministry of Punishment, has made great achievements in his duties as governor and governor. Now the Jianzhou War is related to the Ming Dynasty's Northeast grain strategy. Therefore, I sincerely request that Wang Yue be removed and replaced by the Ministry of Punishment." Minister He Qiaoxin takes over!"

Don't move forward in fear of the enemy!

Delay the war!

No talent to lead the army!

…

Even though Wang Yue had great military exploits and was the most outstanding commander in the entire Ming Dynasty, someone like He Qiaoxin was not worthy enough to carry Wang Yue's shoes, but he was still demoted to be worthless by these unscrupulous officials.

It's June, and the grass in Taiye Pond is full of fish.

Zhu Youtang had always allowed Ke Dao to speak to the officials, but when faced with their words and deeds, he immediately handed these two memorials directly to Li Yu, the Minister of Civil Affairs.

"I obey the decree!" Li Yu picked up the two memorials on the ground and immediately expressed his stance respectfully.

After a day, the sky in Beijing cleared up.

The Ministry of Civil Affairs issued two latest documents. Li Guang, the inspector of Liaodong, and Xu Liang, the military commander, was dismissed from his post because he failed to pass the examination of the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

"Isn't this a coincidence?"

"Don't even think about it, it must be related to their impeachment of Wang Yue!"

"Don't talk nonsense. The Ministry of Civil Affairs and Yamen made it very clear that they did not meet the standards in the assessment!"

…

Faced with the two officials from the Department of Science and Technology who had just come forward to impeach or recommend a coaching change, although they had some suspicions in their minds, the officials chose to bear everything.

Unlike previous dynasties, the appointment and dismissal of personnel no longer required the emperor to personally take action, and many matters were handled directly by the staff.

Although everyone knew that Li Yu, the Minister of Civil Affairs, took the blame for the emperor, and some people gave Li Yu a name: Shadow Minister, Li Yu still went his own way.

In fact, Li Yu cannot be regarded as a complete flatterer. The reason why he is willing to become Zhu Youtang's yes man is not only to keep his position, but also because he has already been impressed by Zhu Youtang.

An emperor who sincerely cares about the people at the bottom, and an emperor who does not hesitate to bear the reputation of a tyrant in order to accommodate millions of refugees, is destined to be strongly supported by some ministers.

It was precisely because Li Yu stepped forward to deal with these two mad dogs that not only the war in Liaodong did not involve a sudden change of commanders, but also the discordant voices were quickly calmed down.

For nearly a month since then, Wang Yue still maintained a cautious style.

After the scouts have a clear picture of the military situation ahead, the large army will continue to advance. Especially after it was discovered that Toro intended to ambush, this kind of investigation work was done more meticulously, resulting in a greatly reduced marching speed.

This time, Wang Yue did not seem to come to clear out the Jurchens in Jianzhou, but more like he was leading the Ming army to show off his power.

In view of the lessons learned last time, although Wang Yue's progress is very slow and he is still a hundred miles away from leading Binjiang, the official of the Ministry of Science and Technology does not dare to impeach again, and naturally he no longer mentions the matter of changing the commander before the battle.

Before we knew it, it was already August.

As the temperature continued to drop, the marching speed increased to a certain extent, and the army led by Wang Yue finally approached Shubinjiang infinitely.

As the rolling river rushes toward the Sea of ​​Japan, a real decisive battle seems to be coming at any time.

It's just that war can never remain static. Although Wang Yue wanted to fight to the death at the Jurchen base camp in Jianzhou, Tuoluo had already made new arrangements.

Faced with Wang Yue's steady advance, an elite light cavalry force of 10,000 people turned into a surprise force of the Jurchen tribe and quietly moved around to the rear of the Eastern Conquest Army.

"kill!"

"kill!"

"Kill!"

…

After a long journey, they met a grain transport army that suddenly appeared in the field of vision. The light cavalry immediately bared its fangs and pounced on it fiercely.

Things have to start from last month. Facing the slow progress of the Ming Dynasty's army, the Jianzhou Jurchens could not sit still.

The Ming army relied on an abundant military food supply line, and their territory on the grasslands was gradually reduced, and their cattle, sheep and population continued to decrease.

Faced with the steady attack of the Ming Dynasty, Tuoluo decided to destroy the Ming Dynasty's supply lines, so he sent a team of elite cavalry to go around the rear of the Ming Dynasty, thereby cutting off the Ming Dynasty's transportation lines, or even cutting off the transportation lines in one fell swoop.

The commander-in-chief this time is Tuoluo's son Tuoyuanbao, a young man who has just set out at the age of twenty, but has a pockmarked face and a dirty braid.

This time he was ordered to lead his troops to bypass the eastern end of the Liaoxi Corridor, intending to completely cut off the Liaoxi Corridor by occupying Carp Valley, thereby cutting off the food and grass for the Eastern Expeditionary Army.

puff!

puff!

puff!

This grain transport team only had more than a hundred people, but they did not expect the Jurchens to come here. Faced with the sudden appearance of the Jurchen army, they immediately chose to flee.

It's just that the Jurchens in Jianzhou have ignored life since they were young. At first, they could only kill with swords, and then they used bows and arrows. As a result, more than half of the grain transport team died tragically.

"Which unit do you belong to, and how many people are there in total?"

"Bah, you will definitely die!"

"court death!"

Seeing that Tuo Yuanbao couldn't get the information he wanted, he stretched out his hand to wipe the spit from his face, and immediately slashed with a knife.

"There is actually dried meat here. Their supplies are so extravagant!" Someone found a large amount of rice and some dried meat on the grain truck, and he was suddenly happy and angry.

Naturally, they were happy because they finally got high-quality food supplies, and angry because the Ming army's food was so good that they had a psychological imbalance.

In the past battles, the lower-level soldiers of the Ming army were all the targets of exploitation. As a result, the current Hongzhi Dynasty has undergone such a big change.

"Bring the dry food, let's seize the fortress in front now!" Tuoyuan knew that soldiers are very fast, and the whereabouts of his strange army will soon be known, so he prepared to launch a surprise attack.

If you want to completely cut off the supply line of military supplies, it is very important to occupy the right location. Looking at the entire Jianzhou terrain, the most effective place is the Carp Valley on the east side of the Liaoxi Corridor.

Carp Valley is the only way from the Western Liaoning Corridor to Jianzhou. The terrain there is dangerous and easy to defend but difficult to attack. Not to mention tens of thousands of fine cavalry guarding the place, even if only a few thousand cavalry are stationed, it can make this place look like a natural chasm.

"kill!"

Before this Jurchen tribe had time to replenish supplies, they headed towards Carp Valley with their grain carts.

Using the guidance of the map, Tuo Yuanbao led his troops to seize the simple fortress at the mouth of Carp Valley, but when he came closer and saw the scene that suddenly appeared in front of him, he was dumbfounded.