Chapter 005: The Way of Soldiers and Generals
At this point, Zu Dashou's expression noticeably dimmed. He let out a heavy sigh before saying: "When Supervisor Yuan was present, he often taught us that as soldiers, one must advance without hesitation; as generals, one must assess the situation and adapt accordingly, never allowing personal bravado to overshadow the greater picture..."
After hesitating for a moment and seeing Wu Sangui's eager gaze, I thought about being all alone in this era, unfamiliar with the surroundings, and considering that Zu Dashou is Wu Sangui's uncle, I would inevitably have to rely on him more in the future. The already lazy Zhu Bin quickly agreed.
Wu Sangui, grateful for Zhu Bin's life-saving grace, noticed that Zhu Bin was of a similar age and proposed to emulate the Peach Garden and become brothers with him
Both embarrassed and angry, Yishiha lined up two thousand soldiers at the foot of Jianchang City, only calling out the names of those two young men from the Ming army yesterday.
The Ming soldiers in Jianchang City quickly assembled, and a large number of Ming generals surged onto the city walls. At this moment, the original Ming generals of Jianchang City and the Liao generals under Zu Dashou soon displayed their differences. The Ming generals, upon seeing the imposing and arrogant demeanor of the Jurchens, all showed expressions of fear; whereas the faces of the Liao generals were filled with disdain and contempt.
He was unaware that these Liao troops were inherently fierce; apart from their direct superior within the Liao army, they held no regard for any other commanders.
"General of the Main Camp." A thousand-man commander of the Liao army stepped forward and said, "This young general is willing to lead our troops out of the city to engage in battle. Within an hour, we can completely eliminate these Jurchen dogs!"
Only death matters, " replied Zu Dashou with a serious expression.
"What if the situation on the battlefield changes and all of this becomes useless?" Suddenly, Zhu Bin asked curiously
The vanguard general Yishiha of the Later Jin army learned that in yesterday's battle, the Ming army was led by merely two young lads, accompanied by fewer than twenty servants, who managed to rescue the besieged Ming soldiers amidst thousands of troops. He was instantly filled with rage. Since joining the military, Yishiha had always charged forward bravely in every battle, never retreating when faced with combat. To be defeated today by two youngsters, if this were to spread, how could he face the world in the future?
Before the previous day's turmoil had settled, and before Zhu Bin could ascertain what was happening in the Ming army camp, on the following day, as the sun finally rose, the forces of the Later Jin had already advanced with great momentum.
Before long, Zu Dashou and Wu Xiang appeared on the city tower with Zhu Bin and Wu Sangui. A garrison officer from Jianchang, surnamed Chen, saw Zu Dashou's arrival and hurriedly stepped forward to say: "Commander, the enemy is formidable, and we should not engage them lightly. I believe the best strategy is to close the city gates tightly and request reinforcements from Lord Sun Chengzong..."
Chen Shoubei cast a fierce glance at the thousand-man, forcefully swallowing his anger
"General, why is Lord Zhao not allowed to leave the city to fight the enemy?" Wu Sangui asked curiously as he set down his bowl.
Regarding their ages, Wu Sangui was eighteen years old, and Zhu Bin was a year younger than him. They did not burn any yellow paper or bow in reverence; instead, they began to address each other as "big brother" and "brother." Wu Sangui's father, Wu Xiang, and his uncle, Zu He, were already grateful to Zhu Bin for his contributions in this endeavor, and thus they began to regard Zhu Bin with special favor.
Zhu Bin smiled slightly, lowered his head, and continued to eat in silence. Although this Zu Dashou spoke in such a manner, he himself had not acted accordingly. The shame of surrendering to the Tartars would soon manifest in Zu Dashou.
In response to his nephew's question, Grand Master Zu Dazhou smiled and said: "In warfare, relying solely on individual bravery is insufficient. Even if we manage to win today, can we always depend on reckless actions for victory? The forces of the Later Jin are currently at their peak; if we strike hastily, even if we can repel them, our army will still have to pay a considerable price. When Supervisor Yuan was here..."
As soon as this request was made, Zhu Bin was immediately taken aback. He never expected that the first person he would encounter upon arriving in this era would be Wu Sangui, and that this historically infamous traitor would actually want to become sworn brothers with him. If history were to follow its original course, and Wu Sangui rebelled against the Ming Dynasty, on which side would he stand?
The area surrounding Jianchang City is mountainous, with rolling hills extending endlessly. It is clearly impossible to capture Jianchang with just 2,000 soldiers relying on maps and books. Even the seasoned warrior Yishihaya understands this point well, yet he cannot swallow his pride and attempts to regain lost face through a small victory
Quickly, wow
Zhu Bin, who was clearly watching from the side, let out a quiet sigh. The enemy was just outside the city, yet the Ming generals within the city had already begun to fight among themselves. This Chen Shoubei was indeed timid, but that Qian Zong from the Liao army was also rather arrogant. After all, he could be considered your superior, and it would be appropriate to speak with a bit more courtesy.
When the sun rises high, billowing smoke and dust fill the air. The two thousand cavalry of the Later Jin, adorned in the pure blue banners, surge forth like torrents from all directions. Looking out from the city of Jianchang, one can see the fierce Jurchen cavalry everywhere, letting out roars of fury
Having spoken, Zu Dashou truly turned around and walked down the city tower, leaving behind the captain named Zhao Qizhong standing dazed on the tower.
Sucuna, wow! (Jurchen language: Sucuna, charge; wow, kill)
Zhu Bin, who was incorporated by Zu Dashou, like Wu Sangui, although he achieved military merits, was still not appointed by the court and remained merely a commoner. The efficiency of the Ming court has always been low; it is feared that from the time a report is submitted until it is approved, one cannot expect it to take less than half a year.
Upon encountering a Qianzong of the fifth rank, who dared to speak to him, a dignified Shoubei of the same rank, in such a manner, Chen Shoubei could not help but feel a surge of anger. Just as he was about to erupt, he heard Zu Dashou say: "With the great enemy at hand, we should not quarrel among ourselves. Chen Shoubei, we have been fighting against the Jurchens for quite some time; in fact, they are not that formidable. There is no need for you to react so strongly."
Who would have thought that Zu Dashou glanced at him and suddenly spoke: "Zhao Qizhong, you are to monitor the enemy's movements from the city tower. Without my orders, you are not permitted to engage in battle. Those who disobey will be executed. The rest of you, come with me to have dinner."
"However, just two thousand Jin soldiers have frightened you to the point of losing your courage." A cold smile appeared on the face of a Qianzhong among the Liao army leaders: "Back in the day, under the command of Supervisor Yuan, we defeated 138,000 elite cavalry with just 10,000 remnants, yet we were not as fearful as you, Sir Guard..."