The First Family of the Red Mansion

Chapter 13 Leading an army alone, ordered to launch a surprise attack

Standing before Jiayuguan, Liu Hu looked at Gushi Khan, who dared to come to the appointment with only a few hundred men, and was speechless.

"This guy's got some nerve, thinking he's Li Erfeng. Isn't he afraid the Great Zhou will just arrest him?"

Liu Hu was unaware that, historically, Gushi Khan was actually a very kind person. He was a follower of the Yellow Sect and a devout Buddhist.

In order to avoid fighting with the Oirat Dzungar tribe, the Khoshut tribe, which was far more powerful than the Dzungar at the time, ceded their territory and went south to the plateau, which led to the rise of the Dzungar tribe.

"General, we have too many people on our side right now, should we just...?"

Zhao Zhong, who had come with Jia Daishan to keep the appointment, glanced at Suledin of Gushi Khan in the distance and cautiously spoke to Jia Daishan in front of him.

"Don't act rashly. Although Gushi Khan is the Great Khan of the Oirat, he has no control over the other four tribes except the Khoshut tribe. Capturing him now will not only bring no benefit, but will also make the Oirat people more united because of their hatred."

"If we really want to capture him, we can only wait until we defeat the Oirat coalition."

Jia Daishan actually wanted to do it too, but he really couldn't. Not only would it damage the reputation of the Great Zhou, but it would also do more harm than good to the upcoming war.

"Liu Hu, come with me to meet this Gushi Khan."

When the two sides were about a mile apart, Jia Daishan looked at the Gushi Khan's entourage, which had stopped, and said to Liu Hu behind him.

Although Liu Hu was very unwilling, his face showed a firm resolve.

"Yes, Commander!"

So, when Jia Daishan rode out into battle, Liu Hu followed.

Gushi Khan also only brought one person, but that person was not a general; judging from his attire, he was a lama.

"The Duke of Rongguo?"

Gushi Khan looked to be quite young, probably around thirty years old.

"Gushi Khan!"

Jia Daishan, mounted on his horse, scrutinized the nominal Khan of the Oirat Mongols, his face expressionless.

"Has the Great Khan summoned me here today to surrender and submit?"

"Hehe, Amitabha!"

Gushi Khan was not angry upon hearing Jia Daishan's words. Instead, he chanted a Buddhist prayer and looked at Jia Daishan with a smile, asking in return, "The Oirat people can lay down their knives, but I wonder if the Great Zhou is willing to let go of the hatred in its heart?"

Looking at Gushi Khan, Liu Hu had a general idea of ​​what kind of person he was: he seemed like a nice guy, but he was actually a cunning old fox.

Indeed, how could someone who could become the Great Khan of the Oirat Mongols, ruling the plateau, be just a clay idol?

"How to deal with the Oirats is up to His Majesty the Emperor of the Great Zhou. If the Great Khan does not wish to commit unnecessary bloodshed, he should make the Oirats lay down their weapons."

Although Jia Daishan's voice wasn't very loud, it was enough for the person on the other end to hear him clearly.

"And then, like the Huit tribe, become lambs to the slaughter?"

Gushi Khan's face darkened. Although he had no control over the Khoshut tribe, even the Durbet tribe had a greater influence on the Khoshut tribe than he, the Great Khan, did.

But in the end, he was still the Great Khan of the Oirat Mongols, and he was furious to see his people being slaughtered by the Great Zhou army.

"No! We are repaying evil with justice!" Jia Daishan replied firmly.

"The Great Khan tells us to put aside our hatred, but have you ever asked whether we can let go of the tens of millions of people from the Central Plains who died under your swords more than sixty years ago? Whether we can let go of the countless innocent souls who starved to death three hundred years ago? Whether we can let go of the hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians who jumped into the sea at Yaishan?"

"For hundreds of years, the harm your Mongols have inflicted on the Central Plains is simply too numerous to recount. How can I, Great Khan, forget it? How dare I forget it?"

Jia Daishan's forceful questioning echoed in the silent Jiayuguan Pass.

Upon hearing these words, the soldiers of the Great Zhou's eyes began to redden, and they glared fiercely at the Oirat people opposite them.

At this moment, Gushi Khan also seemed to show a look of shame, closing his eyes and silently reciting Buddhist scriptures, as if this could alleviate the sins of the Oirat people.

"Amitabha!"

After a short while, Gushi Khan opened his eyes and looked solemnly at Jia Daishan, saying:

"When will this cycle of revenge end? If those who perished deserve an explanation, then what does it matter if I, the Khan, take my own life here?"

"Great Khan! No...!"

Upon hearing this, the lama who had come with Gushi Khan immediately knelt before Gushi Khan's horse and cried out.

Jia Daishan glanced indifferently at Gushi Khan: "That's all I have to say. I hope Your Majesty will not make a mistake!"

"drive!"

The Oirat people ultimately did not lay down their weapons, and the Great Zhou also began preparations for war in earnest.

"It seems that the Oirats are not going to defend Jiayuguan, but are only using it to threaten our northern flank. They have only sent 30,000 men to garrison the area."

"The main force is stationed in the west, and it seems they want to fight a war on the plains with us."

"Their entire defensive line, from south to north, consisted of 30,000 Khoshut and Dörbert troops guarding the southern part of the battlefield, 50,000 Khoshut and Torgut troops forming the central army, and 30,000 Dzungar troops stationed at Jiayuguan, threatening our northern border."

Jia Daishan pointed to the sand table and addressed the generals in the tent.

"This battle won't be easy. It's a plains war, and the Oirat cavalry outnumber us. We'll be at a disadvantage!"

"The Han people have all been forcibly relocated to outside Yumen Pass by the Oirat people, so it's impossible to disrupt their supply lines."

"East of Yumen Pass, it's basically all Oirat people and people from the Western Regions, so it's very difficult for our people to get any useful information."

Other generals also chimed in.

During this period, the Great Zhou and the Oirat also clashed several small-scale battles, but both sides held their camps firmly, not giving the other any opportunity to take advantage.

Moreover, on the plains, the Oirat people, taking advantage of their superior numbers of cavalry, repeatedly inflicted heavy losses on the Zhou side.

Meanwhile, the Great Zhou, taking advantage of its strengths, prevented the Oirat people from breaching its camp, and the two sides remained deadlocked.

"The Oirat people are clearly waiting for winter. Once winter comes, the weather will no longer be on our side."

The Oirat people had long lived in the harsh, cold regions of the north or highlands, and the severe winter cold was nothing to them.

However, for the soldiers of the Great Zhou who had lived in the Central Plains for a long time, the severe winter had a much greater impact.

"Therefore, we absolutely cannot give in to the Oirat people's wishes and drag the decisive battle into winter," Jia Daishan said resolutely after thinking for a while in front of the sand table.

"Does the commander intend to send a detachment to cut off the Oirat's supply lines?"

Although the Prince of Xining did not want the court to pacify the Hexi Corridor and the Western Regions, he was, after all, a noble of the Great Zhou Dynasty and could not do anything that would lead to treason or betrayal.

After all, the Great Zhou Dynasty had only been established for sixty years, and its national strength was at its peak. The great calamity that had befallen China had only recently passed. As long as he did not want to isolate himself from the world, he dared not act recklessly at this time.

If the imperial court pacifies the Western Regions, he will still have the opportunity to return to the capital and live the life of a wealthy man. However, if he dares to collud with the Oirat Mongols, the barbarians will confiscate his property, which would be the least of his worries. He might even be remembered in history for his infamy.

"That's right. As long as we cut off the Oirat people's supply lines, the timing of the final battle will no longer be up to them."

Jia Daishan didn't hide anything and revealed his plan.

"As long as we send a detachment to cross the Dragon Head Mountain and traverse the desert, we can enter the Western Regions, which is the rear of the Oirat people."

"But Commander, who should be sent to lead this detachment?"

"You should know that according to your plan, this detachment will not only have to cross Longshou Mountain, but also traverse a thousand miles of desert. If they are not careful, they will be wiped out."

After listening to Jia Daishan's plan, a general looked at the sand table for a while, then looked up and asked a question.

If this plan succeeds, then Jia Daishan will become a famous general like Wei Qing and Huo Qubing of the Han Dynasty or Li Jing of the Tang Dynasty, whose name will be remembered in history.

Because only a handful of people have ever succeeded with this strategy.

"How is Liu Hu?"

Jia Daishan inquired.

Upon hearing Jia Daishan's suggestion, all the generals fell silent.

They now have a general impression of Liu Hu.

A farm boy was discovered by the current emperor and Jia Daishan, and then trained with Jia Daishan's personal guards.

He is a fierce general; it was thanks to his merits that Wushaoguan Pass was captured.

But he was too young, not yet twenty, and had previously been just a centurion.

"Is His Majesty planning to groom his own Marquis of Champion?"

Although the imperial court had not yet issued an official decree, they all knew that Liu Hu's appointment as a deputy commander was a foregone conclusion.

"Commander Liu, isn't he too young?"

The Prince of Xining had no selfish motives this time, although he was also unwilling for the emperor to expand his influence in the army.

But this decisive battle with the Oirat Mongols is crucial to the fate of the entire Great Zhou Dynasty.

We won, and the western part of the Great Zhou Dynasty will be stable for at least several decades.

If we lose, not only will the west fall into ruin, but other foreign tribes will also become restless, and the Great Zhou will never have peace.

His current wealth and status are closely related to the Great Zhou Dynasty. If the Great Zhou Dynasty falls, how can he guarantee his own wealth and status?

Those nobles and imperial relatives of the former Ming dynasty couldn't see this point, and now where are they?

"Then tell me yourselves, besides Liu Hu, who else can lead this detachment?"

The number of troops in the detachment will certainly not be large, at most a few thousand cavalry.

Leading several thousand cavalry deep into the heart of the Oirat territory, they might not be able to return.

At that point, it won't be a question of merit or demerit, but rather how one will die.

"Commander Zhao, the Marquis of Zhongyong, is a veteran of many battles. I think he is the most suitable person to lead this detachment this time," a general said after thinking for a moment.

"Don't drag me into this. I'm almost sixty and can't take any more trouble."

"Moreover, I lead heavy cavalry, which is fine for charging into battle, but not for long-distance raids..."

When Zhao Zhong realized that he had been dragged into this, he quickly shook his head and said with a distressed expression.

He understood that Jia Daishan wanted to promote Liu Hu to the position, so why should he make things difficult for himself?

How many more years can I fight? I shouldn't provoke the emperor.

Seeing that Zhao Zhong refused, the others really couldn't think of any better candidates.

Even though a few cavalry commanders wanted to give it a try, they sat down and shook their heads when they thought about the difficulties involved.

It's difficult. Not to mention crossing Longshou Mountain, they weren't confident they could lead the team out of the vast desert.

They can't bring them out, but Liu Hu can!

Upon hearing the task Jia Daishan had given him, Liu Hu thought for a moment and then accepted it.

Time was of the essence, so after a brief rest, Liu Hu led three thousand elite cavalrymen on their journey.

The group traveled eastward, bypassing the Oirat defenses, and headed directly north.

"General, if I die this time, please take care of my family."

Hu Cunmeng was taken by Liu Hu and became his personal guard commander.

Along the way, he stared at Liu Hu with a resentful look. Although it was a good thing that he had been promoted, he was still a little scared to follow Liu Hu on such a dangerous mission.

He just wanted to make a living, so how did things turn out like this ever since Liu Hu became his superior?

"Cunmeng! Don't take your good fortune for granted. It's only because you're doing this that you're so lucky. Look at Zhang Qian, I probably wouldn't even want him!"

Liu Hu could only offer words of comfort.

Hu Cunmeng was already one of my former subordinates with potential. Although he lacked ambition and was a bit cowardly, he had good judgment.

With the development of firearms, future battles could no longer rely solely on individual bravery.

Hu Cunmeng, a talent who can foresee the future development of firearms, is precisely the kind of talent that the Great Zhou Dynasty currently lacks most.

After this western expedition concludes, Liu Hu should start planning for the future.

At the very least, we can't let the technology of the Central Plains fall behind the West like it did in my previous life, otherwise, wouldn't it be a waste of time to travel through time?

However, thinking about this, Liu Hu began to have a headache again. If he wanted the court to pay attention to science and technology, it would be much more difficult than completing the Renaissance in the West.

The Western Renaissance only required breaking the oppression of the Church.

But in the Central Plains, there was a monster even more terrifying than the Church: Confucianism.

For thousands of years after Emperor Wu of Han dismissed all other schools of thought and exclusively honored Confucianism, Confucianism controlled all aspects of life in the Central Plains. Anything that threatened the status of Confucianism was eliminated in its infancy by the scholars who controlled the world.

Even technologies that promote social development are regarded by Confucianism as strange and frivolous skills.

Even though Zhu Yuanzhang, who came from humble beginnings, initially looked down on Confucianism, he not only massacred civil officials but also suspended the imperial examinations for more than a decade.

In the end, they had to compromise and even grant the gentry a special exemption from taxes.

Because in the Central Plains, if you don't use Confucianism, there's no one else you can use.

As Liu Hu led his army into Longshou Mountain, reports of the western expedition also reached Shenjing.

With a rapid thud of hooves, the people who were queuing to enter the city suddenly heard the messenger's shout.

"Urgent dispatch from Hexi, 800 li away!"

The once orderly city gate suddenly erupted into chaos, and the soldiers at the gate immediately came out and drove the people to both sides.

This is an urgent message, delivered over 800 li (approximately 400 kilometers), concerning a critical matter for the imperial court. Anyone who dares to obstruct it will be killed without mercy!

As the messenger sped away, order was restored at the city gate, but the people began to murmur amongst themselves.

"Niu Er, do you think the western expeditionary army has won another battle? Didn't they already invade the Hexi Corridor?"

"How would I know? But this is definitely a big deal. Last time, when we stormed into the Hexi Corridor, the battle report was only sent by express courier at a speed of 400 li!"

"..."

People living near the capital, regardless of their social status, could always say a few words about important court affairs.

The morning court session is currently underway, and the discussions revolve around issues such as droughts in the north requiring the allocation of funds and grain, or autumn floods requiring funds to repair dams.

But the ministers all knew that this was just the appetizer; the real big events were yet to come.