Everything that happened in Ying Tianfu was unknown to Xu Da, and he didn't know that his request for military rations had already been rejected. Zhu Yuanzhang's edict was on its way to the army at this moment, and soon after another division of troops, namely Xu Da's own unit, had just finished clearing the battlefield and was resting.
Since the victory of Ningcheng, the entire Northern Expedition Army can be said to have high morale, and the five million cavalry were even more frightened and retreated. Adding that Haba had no intention of fighting back, so the Northern Expedition Army advanced all the way into the grasslands unimpeded.
At this time, Heba Tuo, who had been retreating smoothly, also had to stop his steps after receiving the order from Yuanding Khan. The army set up camp and prepared to block Xu Da's large army, but in this situation, he couldn't stop the enemy's tens of thousands of troops either. Relying solely on his 50,000 cavalrymen charging forward would be suicidal. It was unknown what had frightened the Khan into making such a decision. Moreover, at present, the soldiers were not eager to fight and the generals were not eager to win. Once both sides clashed, he would surely lose miserably.
But Da Han's order he could not openly defy, although Nai Er Nu Hua was sent away, another inspector envoy still remained in the camp.
"General! We've been camping here for a day and night, if we don't leave soon the Ming army will be upon us." Haba Dagu's deputy general couldn't help but say.
"Leave? How to leave? Don't I want to leave? I also know that the Ming army is about to kill us, but the Khan's order was not unheard of in one night. If I retreat without a fight now, wouldn't that be disobeying the Khan's orders? When the time comes, how can I explain it to the Khan?" Haba Doro was also full of grievances. Who doesn't want to leave at this time? But the key is whether we can leave or not.
"Actually... General, there is a way... I'm just afraid it might damage your reputation." The deputy general hesitated for a moment before speaking carefully.
"Oh? Tell me about it. If we can retreat with these 50,000 cavalrymen, then the commander's face will be saved, what's the harm in that?"
"This... Please, Your Excellency, forgive me! I thought that if you were to lead the troops out to meet the Ming army when they arrive and pretend to fall off your horse during the formation of the two armies... then naturally, as the commander-in-chief, you would be unable to lead the troops, and we lower-ranking officers would also lose our morale and be unable to command the army. At that time, our side could retreat in an orderly fashion. It's just that... Your Excellency would inevitably suffer a loss of face, and the morale of our soldiers would also plummet."
The vice commander hesitated and finished speaking, his eyes darting to the expression of the commander he led. If he found that the commander was angry, he planned to kneel down and apologize, after all, this method would forcibly find an excuse for the inspector to see. However, people in the imperial court, including the Khan, were not fools, and doing so might be punished by the Khan when they returned, more importantly, it would damage the commander's reputation.
Haba tugged at his chin thoughtfully for a long time, and the servant had no choice but to stand by stiffly waiting for the decision of his master.
"Alright! It's settled then. When the time comes, I'll take the fall myself, but you must control the troops and prevent them from scattering. We need to withdraw from this place in an orderly manner, so that we can also give a perfect account to Lord Left Chancellor. Ha Ba Tie still managed to save his own face in the end, let others laugh if they want to, he's shouldering the blame with a heavy heart, as long as he can protect the 50,000 cavalry of North Yuan, that's what matters most..."
"Great General! What are those Northern Yuan people up to? Their commander somehow mysteriously fell off his horse!" Xu Sheng pointed at the opposite side, puzzled and bewildered, as he hastily went to rescue Heba Nuo's Yuan soldiers.
"It's still unclear, but it seems that Haba is not willing to fight us, I was wondering why he seemed to be waiting for us on purpose, it turns out that this was his plan." Xu Da said with a smile.
"Ah! That great general, let's hurry and launch a surprise attack!"
"Never mind, look at the Yuan army's retreat formation, it's neat and tidy, obviously there is a deputy general commanding on the spot. He deliberately slowed down to avoid fighting with us, just to ensure a safe withdrawal. If we chase them now, wouldn't that ruin their plan?"
Xu Sheng was perplexed and couldn't understand what Haba Dagu had left for them, wondering if the Northern Yuan general had even left them a gift.
"You, usually I teach you to read more military books and strategies, otherwise how can you just be my house general, a Wei commander is not even 90% reliable." Xu Da looked at the bewildered Xu Sheng and shook his head in frustration, this guard captain of his simply did not like reading books, no matter what he said he wouldn't listen.
"Hehehe!" Xu Sheng was scolded by his own grandfather, but he just scratched his head and laughed, obviously this wasn't the first or second time.
"The Khan of the Khalkha Horde retreated on his own accord, and from then on all the tribes to the north were under the blade of our great army. These small tribes are what Ha Ba Tao left us as a legacy, in exchange for which we did not pursue him."
"Oh..." Xu Sheng nodded as if he understood but didn't really understand.
"Never mind, it's useless to tell you these things. Since you don't like reading military books, just give the ones I gave you to that young kid who's good at them. In the Battle of Ning City, he single-handedly charged into the enemy formation and came out unscathed, showing his bravery. I also asked Zhu Neng about him, and it turns out that kid is from Wudang Mountain, not only skilled in martial arts but also well-read. So if you think so highly of him, give him the military books, just don't say they're from me, lest Zhu Neng gets any ideas." Xu Da said indifferently to Xu Sheng as he turned his horse around and headed back to the formation.
"Good!" Xu Sheng responded with joy. The ancient military strategy and tactics were either passed down through generations or inherited through military books, but since ancient times, there has been a saying that military books should not be spread outside. Xu Da was able to give Xu Sheng a copy of the book, which was an unprecedented reward. Now that he is allowed to give it to Zhang Feng, how can Xu Sheng not be delighted?
Just as the Haba Tuo was being pulled away, Xu Da divided his troops into two routes. Tang He and Fu Youde led one route to march northeast, while he led another route directly north, with the two armies advancing separately.
Xu Da had just crushed a small tribe along this road, and it was already the twenty-fifth small tribe they had broken through. Although there were no large tribes to gain as much from, they still accumulated quite a few cattle, sheep, and horses, and their combat strength remained intact, unlike the difficult-to-chew Dabie Mountains.
As for the Northern Yuan people in the tribe, it depends on whether they are willing to move south. If they are willing, they will be detained in the army and wait for the troops to return together. If they are not willing, then they can only be sent to see the eternal sky.
It was the troops under Zhu Neng's command that were responsible for the attack. Zhang Feng and his men were now familiar with counting their spoils, laughing and boasting about how many military merits they had obtained today. They had also become accustomed to the cruelty of the battlefield, formally transforming from old soldiers into top-notch elite troops, and were one of the only elite troops under Zhu Di's command to be thrown out as the Right Guard.
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