xymnovel Chapter 22 The Final Battle is Approaching
Chapter 22 The Final Battle is Approaching
"Report!"
"Great Khan, a report has come from Jiayuguan that the Dzungar tribe absconded with the grain and fodder from inside the pass last night and abandoned the pass to the north."
"This morning, the Great Zhou army launched a fierce attack on Jiayuguan. The remaining troops could not withstand the attack and have retreated to our side."
"Jiayuguan Pass has fallen!"
Last night's heavy snowfall did not wash away the worries in the hearts of the Oirat people. Gushi Khan looked at the still dark sky and remained silent for a long time.
"Great Khan, we cannot delay any longer, give the order!"
Upon hearing that the Dzungar tribe had withdrawn without authorization, the leader of the Torgut tribe hurriedly spoke to Gushi Khan.
"withdraw?"
Gushi Khan turned to look at the Torgut leader, who had already given up hope, and said sadly, "If we retreat, we will not only lose the Hexi Corridor, but also the Western Regions and the former Tibetan lands will be directly exposed to the military might of the Great Zhou."
"Furthermore, the Western Region people in the rear have begun to cause trouble. Under these circumstances, do you think the Great Zhou will allow us to withdraw with peace of mind?"
Although Gushi Khan was sometimes somewhat sentimental, he was definitely a qualified commander and a great Khan.
He understood that the Great Zhou would definitely not let them leave so easily at this point.
Because once these people return, the wavering Western Region people behind them will definitely settle down quickly.
At that time, it will be much more difficult for the Great Zhou to attack the Western Regions.
The Great Zhou army would never let go of the opportunity to press their advantage and thoroughly defeat a defeated foe.
If a large portion of these people are eliminated here, the Oirat rule in the Western Regions will collapse, and the Western Regions north of the former Tibetan territory and south of the Tianshan Mountains will be pacified by a single proclamation.
"So, what does 'Great Khan' mean?"
The leader of the Duerbote tribe hesitated for a moment and said, "It is definitely not a good time to fight the Great Zhou army."
"After the Dzungar Khanate retreated north, and considering the losses we've suffered during this period, our current forces are less than 60,000, while the Great Zhou still has 100,000 elite troops..."
His meaning was clear: "Great Khan, stop fooling around! Quickly order a retreat! While our main force is still intact, let us hurry back and stabilize the rear!"
"We must evacuate, but from where?"
"To the east are the elite forces of the Great Zhou, to the north is the desert, to the south is the Qilian Mountains, and to the west the Zhou army has cut off our retreat."
Gushi Khan said with a look of resentment.
"Retreat from the west!"
The leaders of the Durbet and Torgut tribes said in unison.
We can't defeat the main force of the Great Zhou, so we dare not touch them, but we absolutely cannot let that isolated army in the west get away with it.
If they hadn't cut off their own supply lines, they could have definitely held out against the Great Zhou until winter, at which point the outcome would have been uncertain.
Furthermore, retreating from the north would be a much longer detour, and their food supplies were already insufficient; they might starve to death in the desert.
The more than 10,000 people of the Dzungar tribe can't make it through the desert, their 60,000-strong army can't!
"And what about the Hui Te division?"
In the end, the leader of the Duerbote tribe, out of consideration for the fact that the Huit tribe had once been his subordinate, couldn't bear it and asked a question.
However, they were met with indifferent gazes from Gushi Khan and the Torgut leader.
Finally, Gushi Khan sighed helplessly, stepped forward, and patted him on the shoulder: "This Khan has let down the people of the Khoid tribe!"
He then said with a sorrowful expression, "When we retreat, we need someone to cover our retreat. The Huit tribe has been living comfortably on the southern front for so long; it's time for them to do their part."
Gushi Khan avoided mentioning the sacrifices made by the Khoshut tribe at Wushao Pass.
After all, once they leave, the Huit tribe will lose its territory. If they were to be accepted, whose territory would they be divided from?
Moreover, the Huit tribe wasn't exactly peaceful either; decades ago, it was a subordinate of the Durbert tribe.
After entering the Central Plains, they slaughtered many Han Chinese with their brutal methods.
However, it was through this very practice that they plundered even more wealth and people, and immediately became independent after being driven out of the Central Plains.
Anyone who dares to accept him at this time will definitely become a major target of the Great Zhou's attack, a fight to the death.
"Alas!" The leader of the Durbet tribe sighed silently after hearing Gushi Khan's words.
"General, the Dzungar Khanate has fled north from the Gobi Desert, and we have captured Jiayuguan. Shouldn't we now launch a pincer attack on the Oirats from the north and east, forcing them into a decisive battle?"
Inside the command tent, the generals of the Great Zhou Dynasty gathered together, discussing the upcoming attack plan with great interest.
"That's right, the Oirat people are almost at their limit. As long as we press on, we can definitely defeat them in one fell swoop."
Looking at his confident generals, Jia Daishan sighed helplessly.
Although Jiayuguan had been captured, eliminating the threat from the north, and the Oirat Mongols, having run out of supplies, no longer had the resources to continue the war against the Great Zhou.
But he absolutely did not believe that the Oirats would surrender easily. What he was worried about was whether Liu Hu's side could hold them off if the Oirats withdrew from the west.
After all, they had been fighting the Oirat Mongols for more than half a month, and now they were exhausted and on the verge of collapse.
"If Gushi Khan chooses to flee from the west, Liu Hu will be in danger."
Thinking of this, Jia Daishan slapped the table, and the generals below immediately quieted down.
"Although we have now cut off the Oirat people's supply lines and eliminated the threat of Jiayuguan."
"But don't forget, the main force of the Guwara did not suffer many losses."
"If they choose to retreat west at this time, do you think General Liu Hu's side will be able to stop them?"
Upon hearing Jia Daishan's reminder, all the generals present were stunned, and then broke out in a cold sweat.
Yes, and there's also Yumen Pass and Yang Pass, although they currently occupy Yang Pass and Yumen Pass.
But what if...
No, it's certain. The Oirat people didn't have enough food left to make their way around from the north.
Facing tens of thousands of desperate Oirat elite troops, if Liu Hu's side falls, the Oirat people can obtain the grain there, and rely on those two passes and continue to fight against the Great Zhou.
If the Oirat people can hold out for another month, then all their efforts will be in vain.
"General, I suggest we immediately issue an order to General Liu Hu, instructing them to hold off the Oirat army."
"Nonsense! General Liu Hu has been holding out for more than twenty days. The Oirats have never given up on taking back the supply route."
"Having held out for more than twenty days with only one force, how much fighting power do you think General Liu Hu and his men still have?"
"You're sending General Liu Hu and his soldiers to their deaths."
Zhao Zhong slammed his fist on the table and stood up, angrily rebuking the general who had just spoken.
"So what can we do now? The Oirat people certainly won't let us take them down so easily."
"As long as their rearguard holds us back for a while, they will be able to reach Yumen Pass."
"Silence!" Jia Daishan tapped the table, then asked the Prince of Xining, "Your Highness, how many cavalry can you spare now?"
"A maximum of eight thousand, any more and we'll be in danger."
The Prince of Xining thought for a moment, and then spoke.
Jia Daishan nodded and ordered Zhao Zhong, who was still furious, "Commander Zhao, take your 1,000 heavy cavalry and 10,000 light cavalry and set off from Jiayuguan immediately northward. You must reach Yumenguan before the Oirat people."
Once you arrive, you will be in charge of Yumen Pass, and Liu Hu will be in charge of Yang Pass. Under no circumstances should the main force of the Oirat army be allowed to escape.
"yes!"
Zhao Zhong immediately accepted the order and left.
"The other units, launch a full-scale attack on the Oirat defenses immediately. We absolutely cannot allow the Oirat people to retreat so easily."
"Boom! Boom!"
At Jia Daishan's command, Zhou's army unleashed a furious barrage of artillery fire upon the Oirat camp.
The soldiers responsible for defense at this moment were the Huit soldiers who had just arrived and hadn't even had a chance to catch their breath.
"Chief, they've completely abandoned us!"
A Khoid general looked on in despair as the Oirat army gradually disappeared from sight.
Based on the past actions of their Huit tribe, Zhou Jun will certainly not let them go.
Now they have been abandoned by their own people, and the commanders of the Huit tribe see no hope of survival.
The leader of the Khoshut tribe also stared coldly in the direction where Gushi Khan and his men had retreated, harboring resentment in his heart.
He would have surrendered long ago if he hadn't known that Zhou Jun would never accept his surrender.
"Since you are so heartless, then don't blame me."
"Chirmo!" the leader of the Huit tribe said to his subordinates.
"leader!"
"Follow behind them, and after they leave, gather as many tribesmen and provisions as possible."
"Once it gets dark, we'll head south immediately!"
"Is the chief planning to cross the Qilian Mountains?"
"That's right. Staying here means certain death. Heading south and crossing the Qilian Mountains is dangerous, but it's better than staying here and dying."
What the leader of the Huit tribe didn't notice was that the general who had just been so respectful to him had a look of despair on his face, then gave the Huit tribe leader a cold look before taking his orders and leaving.
Zhou Jun's attack continued until nightfall, but just as Zhou Jun stopped his attack, an uninvited guest arrived at Zhou Jun's camp.
Jia Daishan sat in his tent, looking at the middle-aged man with a thin face and a strong, unpleasant odor.
Why are you telling us this?
"You should know that given the deep-seated blood feud between our two races, even if you surrender, we will never spare your life."
After hearing the story of the Oirat man's origins, Jia Daishan looked at him scrutinizingly and said calmly.
"We know we are guilty of grave sins, but it is impossible for us to abandon our loved ones and people and run away alone. So we are willing to exchange our leader's head and our own lives for a chance to save our people."
The Oirat man calmly nodded, then looked at Jia Daishan with a pleading expression.
Jia Daishan stared at him for a while, and just when the Oirat man was about to despair, he said calmly, "I hope to see your leader first thing tomorrow morning."
Upon hearing Jia Daishan's words, the Oirat man bowed solemnly and said, "From now on, we entrust our people to your care, Commander!"
He then turned and left.
Late that night, shouts of battle suddenly erupted from the Huit tribe's camp, followed by flames soaring into the sky.
The shouts of battle continued all night, only ceasing just before dawn.
"Report!"
"General, a mutiny has broken out among the Oirat people for some unknown reason. A group of Oirat soldiers have surrendered to us, taking their leader with them!"
"Let's go out and have a look."
Having not slept all night and waiting for news from the Hui people, Jia Daishan immediately spoke to the others upon hearing the news.
"Chirmo, why did you betray me?"
"You should know that our ancestors' hands were stained with the blood of Han people. Even if you surrender to the Zhou army, they will not let you go."
The leader of the Huit tribe, who was now bound hand and foot, asked Chirmo, who was holding him by his side, with a puzzled look.
He knew he was doomed, but even in death, he wanted to die knowing the truth.
"At least our relatives and people can leave behind a bloodline."
Chiermo took a deep breath, looked at the Zhou army cautiously approaching from the opposite side, and whispered to Chief Huit.
Upon hearing Chirmo's words, the leader of the Huit tribe suddenly burst into laughter, "Haha, so that's how it is! So that's how it is!"
He then looked at his former subordinate with disdain and sneered, "When did our warriors of Huit become so sentimental?"
"As long as the tribe's warriors are still here, we can make a comeback, and it's not impossible that we can even replace Gushi Khan and occupy the former Tibetan lands."
"It's ruined. Now everything has been ruined by you, you despicable traitor."
The leader of the Huit tribe suddenly struggled and tried to pounce on Chirmo.
However, Chiermo merely glanced at him indifferently: "We've had enough of living under someone else's roof, a life filled with betrayal and being betrayed. Ending this kind of life completely might not be a bad thing for us."
"You..." Seeing that Chirmo was unmoved, the Huit chieftain could only glare at him resentfully: "Then let's see what kind of lives your people will lead from now on, under the witness of the Eternal Heaven!"
With the surrender of Khoshut, Jia Daishan mobilized his entire army, leading them across the former Oirat defenses and rapidly pursuing the Oirat army.
Meanwhile, on Liu Hu's side, after the Oirat people retreated, in order to resist the Oirat army that followed, he strengthened the city walls while sending cavalry to attack westward in all directions to capture more people to help defend the city.
Five days later, the Oirats replicated the marching speed of the Mongol cavalry of yesteryear, and their vanguard reached the outskirts of Yumen Pass.
Not long after the Khoshut tribe surrendered, Gushi Khan and his men received the news. In order to get rid of the main force of the Zhou army behind them as soon as possible, they had to abandon all their artillery and heavy crossbows except for their food supplies and travel light.
Having already received reports from his scouts, Liu Hu had already led 10,000 elite troops to form ranks below the city walls, quietly watching the approaching Oirat vanguard.
The heavy snow of the past few days had left the Oirat vanguard exhausted, both physically and mentally; even their warhorses seemed to be struggling to stay upright.
"Haha, it's really God's help! Look what they've done to these beasts."
He Qianhu immediately stood at the front of the battle line, looked at the disheveled Oirat vanguard in the distance, and burst into laughter.
"kill!"
Before the Oirat people could even establish their formation, Liu Hu, taking advantage of their unsteady footing, immediately ordered a charge.