Chapter 20 The Last Famous General — Lan Yu

  Li Shan-chang's death finally put a small period to the decade-long Hu Wei-yung case. The officials can finally breathe a sigh of relief.

  Zhu Yuanzhang did not relax, he seemed to be a man with boundless energy, while dealing with Hu Weiyong and Li Shanchang, he also won victories on another battlefield.

  The losers on this battlefield were the Northern Yuan, who had already fled to the northern deserts. Although the power of the Northern Yuan was severely weakened in several wars at the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, they still had enough troops to continuously invade the borders of the Ming Dynasty.

  Zhu Yuanzhang did not relax his attacks on the Northern Yuan because of its weakened strength, and he always believed that the Mongolian cavalry was the greatest threat to the Ming dynasty. To be frank, in military terms, one has to admire Zhu Yuanzhang's foresight, and unfortunately, his prophecy came true decades later.

  Zhu Yuanzhang organized his forces and launched two expeditions against the Northern Yuan in February 1380 and January 1381, during the 13th and 14th years of the Hongwu era.

  Both expeditions were victorious, but did not deal a fatal blow to the Northern Yuan. The Northern Yuan also recognized that it was impossible to win a direct war with the powerful Ming dynasty, so they dispersed and adopted guerrilla tactics, constantly harassing the Ming border.

  At this time, the ruler of Northern Yuan was Ayushiridara, the son of Toghon Temür, who had escaped from the chaotic army. He succeeded as the emperor of Northern Yuan and implemented a policy of resolute confrontation with the Ming dynasty. In fact, it is also understandable that he adopted this policy, after all, his father, who was originally the emperor in Dadu, was forced to move house, and most of his relatives were caught by the Ming dynasty and put in prison.

  This enmity is irreconcilable.

  But more importantly, he also needs to eat. As a nomadic people, in the absence of open markets, there is only one way to get goods from the Central Plains - plunder.

  Moreover, this method is not too troublesome. Although there are losses, the gains are not small either. In economic terms, it's called low opportunity cost. Such business is naturally to be done frequently.

  Zhu Yuanzhang clearly recognized this point, he knew that in order to completely eliminate the threat of Northern Yuan, he must make this loving Yu'erzhida pay all his old capital and never turn over.

  But Zhu Yuanzhang also had a problem, that is, those famous generals of the early Ming dynasty were almost all dead. Of course, many were killed by him himself, among the few who could fight, Chang Yuchun died early, Li Wenzhong was demoted and exiled, Feng Sheng and Deng Yu were still alive but already old. And the first general Xu Da also died of illness in the 17th year of Hongwu (1384), which is considered a good end.

  It is worth mentioning that many books record that after Xu Da fell ill, he could not eat steamed goose, but Zhu Yuanzhang specifically gave him steamed goose, and Xu Da died with resentment. This statement is not very credible.

  Xu Da was not only an important general of Zhu Yuanzhang, but also saved Zhu Yuanzhang's life in Hezhou. Killing him would bring no benefit to Zhu Yuanzhang, and Xu Da was a low-key person who never sought to show off.

  Even if Zhu Yuanzhang wanted to kill Xu Da, he wouldn't need to use such a clumsy method. He could have just found someone to poison him and sent two Imperial Guards to take care of it. Why would he use the obvious method of gifting a poisonous goose to kill Xu Da?

  Xu Da was an outstanding general of the Ming Dynasty, born as a civilian, but he was a military genius who never came out. He started from a small soldier and followed Zhu Yuanzhang through life and death. In the cruel war, he grew into one of the best generals in the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties. He was good at commanding large-scale battles, well-versed in strategy, and generous. After dozens of battles, he won every battle and took every city. His battle with Wang Baobao, the first general of the Northern Yuan Dynasty, was the peak of his military career.

  He told us that an ordinary person can also become a famous general through his own efforts.

  And his illustrious military achievements and legendary experiences also told everyone:

  I, Xu Da, am undoubtedly the first great general!

  Xu Da's era has come to an end, and a new era of famous generals has arrived.

  This era belongs to another person, and this person is Lan Yu.

  Lan Yu was a native of Dingyuan, Anhui. He was the brother-in-law of Chang Yuchun and was highly respected by him. Chang Yuchun was arrogant but recommended Lan several times to Zhu Yuanzhang. However, Zhu did not trust Chang's words until Lan followed Xu Da on his campaign in 1372 and performed exceptionally well, after which he was entrusted with important tasks.

  It's said to be a heavy responsibility, but in fact it doesn't count. Lan Yu's luck was actually not good. In his era, there were too many famous generals. He was still one step behind in terms of experience and ability, and could only obediently assist those seniors.

  In the 20th year of Hongwu (1381), Zhu Yuanzhang once again issued an order to go on a distant expedition. At that time, participating in military actions against the desert (the Ming dynasty referred to the campaign against the Northern Yuan as "conquering the desert") was an honor for every general. However, Lan Yu only played supporting roles several times in the campaigns against the desert and did not perform well even in those roles. In the performance during the 5th year of Hongwu, he was still chased back by Wang Baobao.

  It's really shameful for a soldier.

  What is the greatest glory of a soldier? It is not conquering many cities, killing many enemies, or capturing many cattle.

  For a soldier, there is no greater glory than finding the one who has defeated him and then thoroughly defeating him!

  Lan Yu could never forget the war in the fifth year of Hongwu, when Wang Baobao's army suddenly appeared and defeated him before he could even see what Wang Baobao looked like. Although this defeat was not his responsibility, he understood that to gain his own glory, the best way was to fight against Wang Baobao again, thoroughly defeat him, and then stand in front of him proudly and say: I am Lan Yu, the Lan Yu who was once defeated by you, now you are my captive!

  Since then, Lan Yu has been thinking about the way of using troops. He constantly summarized his experience, read military books, and thought day and night about fighting against Wang Baobao again. However, his wish was in vain. In the eighth year of Hongwu (1375), Wang Baobao died in the north of the desert.

  Lan Yu once lost his goal, but he soon found a new direction - thoroughly eliminating the Northern Yuan!

  Although he had great ambitions and repeatedly asked to command the expedition against the desert, there were still several old-timers holding on, where did he turn? He followed Fu Youde's expedition to Yunnan, Dali, and established a brilliant military merit, and was granted the title of Yongchang Hou (Marquis). Although everyone had recognized his military talent, in their eyes, Lan Yu was always just Lan Yu, he could not surpass Xu Da, Chang Yuchun, Li Wenzhong and other famous generals.

  Lan Yu is a proud person who would never admit that he is inferior to anyone.

  But he also understood that in order to gain everyone's recognition, he had to do what his predecessors Xu Da and Chang Yuchun had not done, which was to eliminate the Northern Yuan.

  So in the 20th year of Hongwu (1387), this expedition undoubtedly provided a good opportunity for Lan Yu, Zhu Yuanzhang agreed to Lan Yu's request and gave him the position of Right Vice General.

  As soon as he heard the name of the deputy general on the right, he knew that Lan Yu was again a deputy. But he really had no reason to strive for a higher position, because the commander-in-chief was Feng Sheng.

  Lan Yu's heart was unwilling, but he had no choice and set off. He knew it wasn't his turn yet.

  However, opportunities are always everywhere, and the years of hard work by Lan Yu will finally pay off in this expedition, although in a way that no one could have anticipated.

  The goal of this expedition was to occupy the vast area north of the Songhua River, where Yuan Taibei Nahacu was located. Nahacu was also an excellent general, and after Wang Baobao's death, he had 200,000 troops and occupied a large area of Liaodong, posing a serious threat to the Ming Dynasty's border.

  Zhu Yuanzhang had long wanted to pull out this nail, because only by getting rid of Nahachu could he boldly attack the Northern Yuan.

  As before, major military operations were personally deployed by Zhu Yuanzhang. According to the situation, he gave Feng Sheng the following instructions:

  Your troops should first enter Tongzhou (now Beijing Tong County), but by no means act hastily, first send someone to investigate the news of the Yuan army. If you find out about the enemy's movements in Qingzhou (now Inner Mongolia Balin Zuoqi), you must immediately launch an attack, but absolutely do not mobilize the entire army, and instead first dispatch cavalry to launch a surprise raid on them. Only after the vanguard troops capture Qingzhou can the main force begin its attack, and victory will be assured.

  Zhu Yuanzhang paused for a moment and said with emphasis: But before occupying Qingzhou, you must not mobilize troops. If you do, you will surely be defeated.

  Zhu Yuanzhang's words seemed to be a prediction, and before the battle had even begun, he had already predicted the entire course of the war. Even excellent generals like Feng Sheng and Lan Yu did not dare to believe Zhu Yuanzhang's words.

  In many military decisions of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang was often in the minority, but the truth often stood on his side. This time is no exception.

  Moreover, during this expedition, Zhu Yuanzhang secretly set up a plan. After the event, it was proven that the successful implementation of this plan completely disintegrated Naha's 200,000-strong army.

  Zhu Yuanzhang, what a strange man!

  Attack in the Snowy Night

  On the second day of the first month, Zhu Yuanzhang ordered Song Guogong Feng Sheng as the General of the Expedition against the Northern Barbarians, Ying Guogong Fu Youde and Yongchang Hou Lan Yu as the left and right deputy generals, leading an army of 200,000 men to advance towards Liaodong.

  On February 3, Feng Sheng led his troops to Tongzhou. He followed Zhu Yuanzhang's arrangement and did not send out troops, but instead sent someone to investigate the situation in Qingzhou. What surprised him was that Nahachu had indeed arranged for heavy troops to guard Qingzhou.

  The next step was no longer hesitant. Feng Sheng dispatched the vanguard of cavalry to attack Qingzhou, and this vanguard position was naturally taken by Lan Yu.

  Lan Yu finally waited for the opportunity, he looked at the cavalry behind him, although not many in number, and this trip may be very dangerous, his heart was filled with excitement.

  The day has finally arrived, and my moment is here!

  Lan Yu looked at his subordinates, these people were carefully selected by him and were about to go on an expedition to gain greater glory.

  At this time, the sky was falling heavily with snow, and all things were covered with white snow. The sky and earth were a vast expanse of whiteness, and the mountains and rivers seemed to have lost their boundaries. The great army was about to set out in such an environment, advancing towards that unknown front.

  Before the expedition, Lan Yu said to his soldiers: "We are about to go on an expedition. This attack must be won, and you all must fight hard! In the Tang Dynasty, the famous general Li Su descended upon Cai Prefecture in the snow, and with one battle, he eliminated the separatist regime, establishing an immortal achievement. Today, there is a heavy snowfall again, isn't this heaven's will? I hope that each of you will sacrifice your life for the country, never give up until death, establish meritorious achievements, and leave a name in history!"

  Having spoken, he mounted his horse and set off for Qingzhou.

  The army began its march in the vast expanse of wind and snow, under the severe cold, all things seemed to have lost their vitality, in the silence, only the urgent sound of horseshoes could be heard, rushing forward, then drifting away. The hoof prints were soon covered by the heavy snow, as if no one had ever passed through.

  Lan Yu followed Chang Yuchun for many years, although nominally a relative, in reality he was a disciple. He deeply grasped the essence of Chang's military tactics and his combat style was similar to Chang's, often using sudden attacks and swift strikes to shock and intimidate the enemy. Often the enemy had not yet reacted before they were already defeated.

  Often meeting spring water below, knowing oneself has such a legacy, should be smiling with gratitude.

  In the Battle of Kaesong, Lan Yu fully demonstrated his unique military tactics, making a night raid without any pause, and arrived at Kaesong when the enemy was completely unprepared, with the city gates wide open and people cooking meals. When they saw these snow-covered, ghost-like men charging towards them with swords in hand, they were shocked and stunned.

  Lan Yu didn't exert much effort and annihilated the enemy army, killing Bei Yuan Ping Zhang Guo Lai, occupying Qingzhou, and capturing a large number of prisoners.

  He didn't feel complacent because he knew that the next step was the most important one.

  Feng Sheng received news of Lan Yu's victory in Tongzhou. He realized that the moment for a decisive battle had finally arrived.

  On March 1, Feng Sheng personally led the army out of Songting Pass and stationed troops in Daining (now Ningcheng, Inner Mongolia). Feng Sheng was very cautious in using his troops and never lightly mobilized them. After clarifying the enemy's situation, he finally made up his mind.

  On May 21, Feng Sheng left 50,000 troops to garrison Danning and led the main force to attack Liaohe River, achieving a small victory and opening up the passage to Liaodong. Nahachu was just ahead!

  Just as Feng Sheng and Lan Yu were about to join forces and prepare for a decisive battle with Nahac, an unexpected piece of news disrupted their plans.

  Unlike in the past, this is good news.

  Victorious in a hundred battles is not the highest excellence; to subdue the enemy without fighting is the supreme excellence.

  The Art of War by Sun Tzu.

  Zhu Yuanzhang, while sending out Feng Sheng on a distant expedition, also summoned another person and gave him a mission. This man was named Nalawu, originally a subordinate of Nahacu, and his mission was to persuade Nahacu to surrender.

  Zhu Yuanzhang was never a reckless person in military affairs, he knew that defeating the Northern Yuan was easy, but thoroughly eliminating the threat of the Northern Yuan was difficult. So while carrying out military campaigns, he used another weapon to strike at the Northern Yuan.

  This weapon is more formidable than any knife, gun, sword, spear or cannon, and its name is money.

  Zhu Yuanzhang objectively analyzed the situation and realized that relying solely on military force would be difficult to eliminate the Northern Yuan, so he should adopt a more effective method. After several clashes with the Northern Yuan, Zhu Yuanzhang found this method.

  The Northern Yuan was a regime composed of nomadic ethnic groups, and its economic strength was no match for that of the Ming dynasty. All they relied on was their traditional bravery in battle. Since this was the case, Zhu Yuanzhang used his strengths to attack theirs. The soldiers of the Northern Yuan were skilled in combat, so Zhu Yuanzhang used large sums of money to entice the Mongols to move inland and gave land to the Mongolian nobles. This tactic was very effective, after all who would want to eat sand every day in the desert? The Central Plains were much better, with good food and drink, as well as entertainment programs.

  This move was very harmful, and many Mongolians moved to the Central Plains, and the population of the Northern Yuan gradually thinned out.

  At the same time, Zhu Yuanzhang also adopted an enlightened national policy, treating all ethnic groups equally and not discriminating against them. As early as when Xu Da attacked Dadu, he strictly ordered Xu Da not to massacre Mongolians after entering the city, and did not adopt a purge policy towards the royal nobles of the Yuan Dynasty. He even sent people to guard the palace and strictly prohibited killing. On the day Xu Da captured Dadu, the daily life of the residents in the city remained unchanged, and shops operated as usual.

  Under this enlightened policy, even in the early Ming, many Mongols held official positions in government. As mentioned earlier, Dao Zhong was a Mongol. This policy also became his basic policy for dealing with ethnic issues.

  Just as Feng Sheng was about to attack Nahacu, Nayan arrived at the Songhua River and advised Nahacu to surrender. Nahacu was persuaded, but he felt that it would be too humiliating to surrender with so many men. He repeatedly hesitated, saying he would surrender and then changing his mind, going back and forth several times. Feng Sheng and Lan Yu both thought this man was really someone who wouldn't give up until he reached the Yellow River. They issued a final ultimatum to Nahacu and set up their military camp at his gate.

  Naha estimated his own strength and still had some self-awareness. His opponents were Feng Sheng and Lan Yu, both of whom were elite generals. The only way to fight was to die.

  "Heaven will no longer make me have such a multitude!" After uttering this lament, Nayan Temur led his 200,000 troops to surrender to the Ming army.

  Surrender always has a ceremony, and this is no exception.

  After all, Nahashi came with 200,000 people to surrender, which is quite a capital. To show respect for him, Lan Yu prepared to invite him to dinner. It's good to eat, and after getting drunk and full, the surrender contract was signed on the dinner table, isn't it beautiful?

  But this meal unexpectedly turned out well.

  Sow the seeds of calamity

  Naha led several hundred people to attend the surrender ceremony (it seemed that surrender didn't require so many people), and Lan Yu warmly welcomed him, personally escorting him into the camp and hosting a grand banquet for him. Lan Yu also paid close attention to giving his counterpart face, avoiding mentioning the word "surrender" as much as possible, and the atmosphere between the two sides was very harmonious.

  Just as everything was going smoothly, a move by Blue Jade completely broke this harmonious atmosphere.

  At that time, Naha was toasting to Blue Jade, probably saying something like if you don't drink, it's not enough for brothers. Blue Jade saw that Naha's clothes were old and worn out, so he took off his own outer garment and wanted Naha to wear it.

  It should be said that this was a friendly move, but Nahacu refused. Why? This is the negligence of Blue Jade. He didn't think that he and Nahacu were not from the same nation, and their dressing habits were different. Although Blue Jade was kind-hearted, in Nahacu's eyes, this seemed to be a strong demand and charity from the victor to the defeated.

  Lan Yu thought the other was being polite, so he repeatedly asked Nahatou to put it on, and said that if Nahatou didn't wear it, he wouldn't drink wine. Nahatou then went along with it, saying that if Lan Yu didn't drink, he wouldn't wear this piece of clothing.

  Both are military generals and won't give in to each other's literary tricks, both have strong tempers and neither will yield.

  It's a simple question that turned into a logical debate about which came first, the chicken or the egg. Lan Yu said "If you don't wear it, I won't drink it", Na Ha said "If you don't drink it, I won't wear it".

  Everyone slowly got angry from the constant arguing, Nahaochu being straightforward and hot-tempered, was the first to lose his temper. He splashed the wine offered by Jing Lanyu onto the ground, with an extremely arrogant attitude. But what Nahaochu didn't expect was that there were people even more arrogant than him.

  This more arrogant person is not Lan Yu. He has also appeared in our article, but due to his own limited ability, he has never had the opportunity to show up. He is Chang Mao, the son of Chang Chun.

  Chang Mao inherited Chang Yuchun's title and temperament, but not his military talent. He had always followed Lan Yu around. At this time, seeing Lan Yu lose face, he became enraged, drew his sword and rushed at Nahacu without saying a word, just like someone who picks up a wine bottle to fight on the dinner table today. Nahacu was a seasoned veteran with quick reflexes, dodged the vital parts but still got hit in the shoulder.

  At this time, the situation suddenly turned for the worse. The soldiers on both sides outside the camp heard the commotion and gathered around, ready to fight a group battle. If things were allowed to develop further, Nahacu would not have survived, but his 200,000 men would not have surrendered either. At this critical moment, General Geng Zhong remained calm and hastily summoned the soldiers beside him to escort Nahacu to meet Commander Feng Sheng.

  Feng Sheng was a gentle and cautious person. When he saw Nahaote in a sorry state, injured and shouting in Mongolian which Feng didn't understand, he roughly understood what had happened. He immediately comforted Nahaote with kind words, calming him down. At this time, Nahaote's subordinates received the news, thinking that Nahaote had been killed, and they all expressed their desire to avenge his death. Feng Sheng immediately sent Nahaote's subordinate General Guan Tong to explain the situation, which finally led to a smooth surrender.

  This incident reveals Lan Yu's character flaws, that is, he is not thoughtful in handling matters and his personality is too overbearing. Originally, it was a simple matter, the other party toasted you to drink, gave the other party face, and the matter could be completed satisfactorily. This also laid the groundwork for his later tragic fate.

  The expedition in the 23rd year of Hongwu (1387) ended with Nahacu's forced surrender. The Ming army captured more than 200,000 people from the Northern Yuan and seized countless supplies, ultimately eliminating the Yuan dynasty's influence in Liaodong.

  It was unexpected that after returning to the army, Commander Feng Sheng was arrested and sentenced by Zhu Yuanzhang. Lan Yu obtained his dream position as commander in such a ridiculous way. He had imagined countless times the glory of getting the commander position, but he also did not expect it would be under such circumstances.

  Of course, he could not have imagined that his own future fate would be even more miserable than Feng Sheng's. However, this is a later story. At least for now, Lan Yu had achieved his dream and would gain greater glory in this position.

  This opportunity will come soon.

  Since the 27th year of Zhuyuan (1367), Zhu Yuanzhang and the Yuan Dynasty have been at war, with both sides coming and going, fighting incessantly. Although Zhu Yuanzhang drove the Yuan rulers out of the Central Plains region, the threat from the Mongolian steppes never ceased. To deal with this old enemy, Zhu Yuanzhang used every means possible, achieving some success but never completely eradicating this stubborn foe.

  He can't wait indefinitely like this, Bei Yuan must be eliminated in his hands!

  Only in this way can he leave this world and the empire he founded with peace of mind.

  The expedition in the 20th year of Hongwu eliminated the power of Northern Yuan in Liaodong, relieving Zhu Yuanzhang's worries. His keen military intuition told him that the final decisive battle was about to come.

  He has been waiting for twenty years. In these twenty years, how many soldiers rode war horses and set out on expeditions never to return? There are corpses of dead soldiers everywhere in the border towns and deserts. Countless families have lost their fathers, husbands, and sons. The price paid to eliminate the threat from Northern Yuan was too high.

  Can't wait any longer, let's finish it off in one go!

  The Final Battle

  History is often unexpected, twenty years ago it gave the glorious recovery of Dadu and the destruction of the Yuan Dynasty to Xu Da and Chang Yuchun, twenty years later today, it again entrusted the mission of eliminating the Northern Yuan to Lan Yu, who had never been a commander-in-chief before.

  When Lan Yu took the commander's seal from Zhu Yuanzhang, he felt an irrepressible excitement. His efforts of over a decade had finally not been in vain. Heaven had given him more than he had asked for.

  I can finally start my own great undertaking, and I will be like those legendary famous generals, leaving a name that will be remembered for ages, admired by all!

  Zhu Yuanzhang looked at the man in front of him, who was not particularly young. What a wonderful era this is! So many great generals are under my command, they lead their armies to conquer the world, establishing immortal merits.

  Xu Da, Chang Yuchun, Li Wenzhong, they were all so excellent. But they are no longer here, and I have grown old, unable to go on campaigns anymore.

  Lan Yu, I believe in your ability, you must be able to inherit their will and complete the great undertaking they left unfinished!

  In military terms, Zhu Yuanzhang rarely made mistakes, and this time was no exception.

  In the third month of 1388, Zhu Yuanzhang handed over an army of 150,000 to Lan Yu. This was the same number as in the expedition of 1372, but this time there was only one line of march and only one commander-in-chief, namely Lan Yu.

  Lan Yu will lead an army of 1.5 million people to engage in the final battle.

  Zhu Yuanzhang personally saw off Lan Yu and told him: "March forward in a hurry, go straight to the enemy's court", "Clean up the desert, do it all at once!"

  Lan Yu, I'm entrusting this mission to you, and I believe you won't let me down!

  At this time, the emperor of Northern Yuan was no longer Ayurshiridara. He had died in 1378, and his son Toghon Temür succeeded as Emperor of Northern Yuan, with the era name Tiānyuán.

  According to historical records, this Toghon Temür was probably the Buyan-Temur who was captured by Li Wenzhong in Yingchang in 1370. The Ming government, in order to show its magnanimity, returned him to the Northern Yuan in 1374 after obtaining his promise not to be an enemy of the Ming again. However, it turned out that he did not keep his promise and continued to harass the Ming borders, provoking war and continuing to oppose the Ming. This confrontation had lasted for ten years.

  For this heir who opposed him, Zhu Yuanzhang had shown enough sincerity, constantly sending envoys to make amends, but to no avail. His obstinacy finally exhausted the patience of the Ming government; since that was the case, then let swords settle it!

  Lan Yu's army set out, starting from Daining, attacking and advancing all the way. After arriving in Qingzhou, there was news that Toghon Temür was stationed at Boyerjiang (now Lake Baikal).

  Lan Yu made a decisive decision and decided that the army would immediately advance towards its target.

  This is a difficult road, not only is the journey long, but it also has to go through desolate deserts, logistics are also hard to guarantee, once lost, the consequences are unimaginable, and morale will be shaken.

  But Lan Yu was confident, and the facts proved later that what he had was one of the strongest armies at that time. It was the excellent quality of this army that guaranteed the victory of the war.

  So what kind of army can be considered the strongest?

  Powerful Army

  This is a problem worth analyzing, the victory of war is the result of the joint efforts of generals and soldiers. In my opinion, whether an army is strong or not can be reflected in its external performance. It can be roughly divided into four levels.

  The fourth-rate army is a mob, they have no military discipline, looting everywhere, and no discipline. Such an army will be defeated by an organized army, and they are absolutely not strong.

  Third-rate troops have a complete organizational structure, they are neat in appearance and uniform in pace, but their morale is not high and their spirit is not strong. Although they are stronger than the fourth-rate, as long as they encounter more powerful enemies, they will inevitably be defeated. They can't be considered strong either.

  The second-rate army not only has a unified command system, but also has excellent equipment and high morale. During the march, they often shout out two slogans "Kill the enemy and report to the country". The soldiers are eager to show their bravery. This level of army has momentum and impact. They fear no enemy and can be called a powerful army, but unfortunately, they are not the strongest. Compared with the most powerful army, they still lack a kind of quality.

  This is the quality of silence; the strongest army is a silent one.

  This silence does not mean that everyone in the army is mute or doesn't speak.

  What is called silence should be such a situation:

  The commander stood on high ground and addressed his 1.5 million troops, who filled the mountains and valleys, a sea of black that occupied the entire landscape.

  They differ in appearance, ethnicity, place of origin, and hobbies, yet they squeeze into the same space, listening to the same voice, looking in the same direction, without a sound from the crowd.

  This is what is meant by the true meaning of silence, this is the most important quality of an army.

  The army led by Lan Yu was just such a force, they climbed over high mountains, crossed great rivers, and entered the desert. In this desolate land, there was only the dazzling sunlight and the wind and sand filling the sky. Their logistics were unable to keep up, and the soldiers could only carry their own heavy dry rations and equipment. People kept falling down, but those who remained continued to move forward.

  Soldiers are hungry, thirsty and tired, but none of these can stop their advancing footsteps. This is a tenacious army, supported by the beliefs and goals in their hearts - to thoroughly eliminate the enemy.

  Painful Decision

  Lan Yu looked at his soldiers, he was proud of having such subordinates, but he also understood that the key to this war was not in deploying troops, but in finding the enemy.

  It's clear that the Northern Yuan had already found out about the Ming army's plan of action, and they hid themselves away. This wasn't a game of hide-and-seek played by children on ordinary days. The vast desert stretched out endlessly, and there were no reconnaissance satellites to find people with. Where could they go to look for them?

  The troops have been marching for a long time and now they are running out of food and water. Although morale is still high, how much longer can they hold on?

  He summoned his most trusted general Wang Bi and asked him: "Where are we now?"

  Wang Bi replied: "This place is called Baiyanjing, and it's about 40 miles away from the sea where we caught fish."

  Baiyanjing? There's actually a well character in this place name? This place is already very close to the Fishing Boy Sea, but not only are there no enemies, there isn't even any water.

  Could it be that our intelligence was wrong and the enemy has moved again? This is quite possible, but where have they gone now?

  While Zhenyu was thinking, General Guo Ying reported to him the situation of food shortage and water depletion. Zhenyu understood that it was time to make a decision.

  In war movies, by this time, the following scene often appears: a warrior with an angry expression on his face shouts to the commander of the troops (usually the platoon leader or company commander):

  "Come on, let's fight!"

  Another warrior rushed up and shouted: "Fight! Company Commander!"

  "Everyone shouted: 'Company Commander, give the order!'"

  The camera zooms in on Lian Chang's face, giving a close-up shot. Lian Chang's face shows a calm expression, then he paces around the room and says in a steady tone: "Comrades, we can't fight!"

  The development of the plot tells us that Lian Chang is always right.

  This was no joke, as Lan Yu then faced a choice between two men.

  We've said before that whenever a major military decision is made, there will be a group of people around you chattering away. One says advance, another says retreat, one says east, and another says west. Anyway, if what they say turns out to be right, they'll get the credit; if it's wrong, it's still your decision, and the responsibility can't be pushed onto them. This kind of cheap trick is something everyone will try to pull off, but the most pitiful one is the commander, because he's the ultimate decision-maker, and also the one who bears the responsibility.

  This responsibility cannot be resolved by paying some money or apologizing, because if the judgment is wrong, the cost will be the lives of tens of thousands of people!

  Lan Yu finally understood the despair and loss that Xu Da felt after being defeated back then, now he was also trapped in this painful situation, where to go from here?

  Lan Yu thought for a long time and decided to gather all the generals together to hear their opinions.

  As expected, the generals were divided in their opinions, some advocating retreat and others advance, with the majority suggesting withdrawal. Wang Bi, however, firmly advocated for continued advancement (deep into the northern desert, gaining nothing, hastily withdrawing, how to report back). But his opinion was soon drowned out by a chorus of opposition.

  Lan Yu finally understood that summoning these generals was useless, and she had to take matters into her own hands.

  Should I just retreat like this? Wouldn't the heart and soul I've put in for over a decade be wasted, after waiting for so long, only to falter at the critical moment? No, I refuse to give up!

  So shall we proceed? But where is the enemy, and our food and water are running out too. The troops can't hold on for a few more days, and tens of thousands of people may starve or die of thirst here. By that time, I can only ride my horse back over the bodies of countless soldiers, what face will I have to see the Emperor?

  To advance or retreat, that is the question.

  Everyone fell silent, they understood that it had now come to a critical juncture.

  The soldiers looked at their commanders, the commanders looked at Lan Yu, and Lan Yu gazed up at the sky.

  The final verdict

  How great it would be if heaven could help me make up my mind! Making a choice is easy, but what if I choose wrongly? Can heaven give me a second chance to correct myself?

  Lan Yu, you have to understand that the cruelest part of this game is that you only have one chance. Just like in an auction house, where a single strike determines the price, whether it's expensive or cheap, it's all about buying and selling!

  At this point, military books are useless. No one can tell me where the enemy is. What else can I rely on to make this decision?

  Intuition? Yes, it's intuition! The sky is filled with yellow sand, the land is desolate and barren, without a single soul in sight, but I can feel it, the enemy must be nearby!

  But can intuition really be relied upon? Without intelligence, without clues, without any trace. Relying solely on one's own feelings to make such a major judgment?

  To make today's judgment, I have been silently struggling for many years.

  Yes, I must believe in myself, believe in the countless battles and killings accumulated on the battlefield, believe in the efforts of reading military books alone under the lamp at night.

  No reason, no clue, no evidence, but the enemy must be nearby!

  Forward! That's my judgment! My judgment is right, my judgment must be right!

  He steeled himself and calmly told the waiting generals: "Advance, the enemy is near."

  No one asked any more questions because they had already seen the confidence on Lanyu's face, and this confidence infected them, infecting the entire army.

  Then the 150,000-strong army set out, and the soldiers took another step towards their unknown fate. But this desert army did not hesitate or waver. Because they believed that no matter how difficult it was, General Lan Yu would definitely have a way to lead them to victory and return home alive.

  When both sides have the same desire, victory!

  Lan Yu led his troops deeper into the desert, marching cautiously along the way. Even when cooking meals, they would dig a hole in the ground first and cook inside it to prevent smoke from rising and being discovered by the enemy (soldiers dug holes in the ground to cook, lest smoke be seen). This was indeed a formidable army, paying attention to such details even in the vast desert. Like a scorpion in the desert, they advanced stealthily, hiding in the shadows, only striking when they spotted the enemy.

  When the army arrived at the south of Boyang Sea, Lan Yu finally discovered the traces of the Northern Yuan army, but he didn't know how many people there were or what level their leader was. In any case, this was the best opportunity, and he immediately ordered Wang Bi to be the vanguard, advancing northeast towards Boyang Sea, determined to annihilate the Northern Yuan army in one fell swoop.

  At this time, in the northeast of the Fishing Boy Sea, the supreme ruler of the Northern Yuan Dynasty, Toghon Temür, was holding a banquet with his ministers. He wasn't a fool; as soon as the Blue Jade army set out, he received news of it. He knew that usually, small skirmishes would end quickly and neither side could do much to each other, but this time Zhu Yuanzhang was serious, wanting to fight to the death. A good general never suffers losses in front of his eyes; he transferred his main force troops and all the big and small nobles to this place.

  This place has always been uninhabited, with vast deserts and no logistical support for Lan Yu's army. More importantly, the war horses had no water or grass. Lan Yu knew the way of warfare and would not venture deep into the desert (the army was short of water and grass and could not advance). As long as they waited until Lan Yu's supplies were cut off and their food and water ran out, they could turn defense into offense.

  During the waiting period, he had been uneasy, what if Lan Yu really came? But many days passed, not even a shadow of a person appeared. Gradually, he relaxed his vigilance and didn't even set up basic guards anymore. Every day, he would drink and have fun with the ministers. By the way, this time when he fled, he also brought along his wife and son, which was originally for their safety.

  But later, the development of things was completely opposite to his idea.

  Just as Wang Pi was advancing towards his camp, he was sitting in his own tent. The day happened to be very windy and sandy, the sky was covered with a layer of yellow sand, and nothing could be seen within tens of meters. The daytime became like night, and it should have been even more impossible for the Ming army to launch an attack. He should have been more at ease, but the swirling dust seemed to hit his heart, and a sense of foreboding surged up.

  The Mongolian people, who fought bravely on the vast desert and grasslands, often had a premonition of danger, which was cultivated by their long-term nomadic lifestyle. However, Tegus T?mür couldn't quite put his finger on what was wrong, after all, it was just a premonition.

  Let's keep drinking then.

  Outside the tent where Temur held a banquet, a hundred-household head got drunk and said goodbye to the garrisoned Taifu Manzi. He staggered out of the camp and walked for an unknown distance in the flying sand. When he sobered up a bit, he couldn't recognize the way back.

  This was no joke, he made an effort to calm himself down, distinguished the direction, and headed back to the big camp. Suddenly, he found many human shadows appearing in front of him. Due to the sky being covered with yellow sand, it was impossible to see the faces of people far away. He thought this was his own big camp. Rushing excitedly all the way, when he got closer, he found that the ones welcoming him were a group of ash-covered soldiers, just like they had been pulled out of the sand. The worst part was that these soldiers were not wearing uniforms he was familiar with.

  They were Ming troops.

  These Ming soldiers looked at him with wolf-like eyes, their faces showing joyful expressions, and they shouted loudly. Soon, more Ming soldiers surrounded him, gazing at him with the kind of eyes that cherished rare animals. He had the honor of becoming the first captive.

  Today is really unlucky, I forgot to check the almanac when I went out.

  Battle in the Yellow Sands

  Crisis is looming ahead, while the Northern Yuan nobles are still indulging in drinking and revelry, but not everyone has lost their vigilance.

  Ta Wei Manzi is a relatively clear-headed person. According to historical records, this barbarian was probably the same Ta Wei Manzi who was defeated by Li Wenzhong at Ye Hu Ling in 1370, the third year of Hongwu. If this inference is true, he is indeed a character. Eighteen years have passed, and many famous generals have been washed away by the rain and blown away by the wind, but this brother has been fighting on the front line all along, which can be considered as "old but still vigorous".

  As the leader of the Northern Yuan army, he keenly sensed that behind the wind and sand filling the sky in the distance, danger seemed to be approaching him. So he dispatched more soldiers to strengthen the guard. However, the weather was really too bad, with flying sand and dust, daytime like night. The soldiers were groping around in the camp, extremely difficult to maneuver. This commander-in-chief was worried about this when a group of people appeared, completely dispelling his worries.

  At this time, the wind subsided, and instead, a sudden and urgent horseshoe sound arose. The Northern Yuan soldiers found that just ten or so steps away from them, a group of ferocious and fiendish cavalrymen suddenly emerged! They came with the night and flying sand, exactly like the way mythical demons and monsters appeared.

  They didn't ask for the reason, with a momentum of thousands of troops, they rushed into the Yuan army's camp, waving their sabers and slashing anyone in sight. Countless Northern Yuan soldiers were terrified in the darkness, thinking that these people were truly demons from hell, completely losing their courage to resist.

  But Toghtogha, a clear atheist, soon realized that these uninvited guests were their mortal enemies - the Ming army. He quickly ran to the rear army to organize troops that had not been impacted by the attack to resist. His mind was calm and his reaction was swift, but his efforts alone could not save the Yuan army.

  He organized his troops to rush to fight against the Ming army. At this time, the Ming army was in high spirits. They had been searching for their enemies in the desert, suffering hardships and fatigue, and finally found their opponents. The anger they had accumulated over many days was finally vented out, and each of them fought with all their might. The Yuan army, on the other hand, was unprepared and many were still drinking and having fun, so they were no match for the Ming army. The Ming army sometimes dispersed and sometimes concentrated, breaking through the Yuan army's camp in several sections, killing the Yuan soldiers who had not yet mounted their horses. The Taishi Muzi was busy directing his troops to resist, but just as he was doing so, a Ming soldier rushed up behind him and gave him a fierce blow with his sword. This brave resistor fell asleep forever.

  After the death of Mozi, the Yuan army was in even greater chaos. No one thought of organizing a counterattack anymore. Everyone scattered in all directions, just as the saying goes: "When the troops are defeated, they collapse like a mountain." You run and I also run.

  Inside the camp, Dua Temur, who was still drinking, heard the great chaos outside and suddenly panicked. Escaping also requires a bit of luck, one must first seize the horses, look for an opportunity, and then suddenly rush out to be considered successful. In this regard, Wang Baobao can be considered an expert, but unfortunately Dua Temur did not have Wang Baobao's talent and composure when escaping, and in his panic, he only brought away his eldest son Tianbaonu and the prime minister Shilidemen. He left behind his wife, second son Dibao Nu, and over a million troops to the Ming army.

  This time I'm completely bankrupt.

  The Ming army continued to chase the panicked Yuan army, and in their minds, it seemed that there was no such thing as surrender without being killed. They simply wielded their sabers and slaughtered everywhere, and the Northern Yuan army was completely thrown into chaos. The fear of death shrouded every single one of them. They were once brave warriors who had dominated the world, but now they became lambs to be slaughtered.

  The emperor has fled, the commander is dead, what's the use of resistance, so many people put down their weapons.

  Prison food is still food after all, so be it.

  When Lan Yu arrived at the Northern Yuan army camp, he saw groups of captives and cattle and sheep, the dejected Northern Yuan nobles, a truly thorough victory.

  He gazed up at the sky and let out a long sigh: "Bo Ren (Chang Yu Chun's courtesy name was Bo Ren), it is finally over! This life has not been in vain!"

  The Battle of Fishing Son Sea ended with this battle, thoroughly annihilating the armed forces of Northern Yuan. More than 100 people were captured, including Di Baonu, the second son of the Northern Yuan Emperor, the Crown Prince's wife and princesses, more than 3,000 royal nobles, more than 70,000 soldiers, and tens of thousands of cattle and sheep. The imperial seal used by the Yuan emperor for over a hundred years was also seized.

  In the past, no matter how badly the Yuan rulers retreated, they would at least bring their seals with them when they fled. From Dadu to Shangdu, from Yingchang to Helin, and then to Beihai, no matter where they went, as long as they set up a tent, they could establish a temporary government. The ministers were readily available, and they would simply take away one batch and appoint another. This time, however, even the seals were lost, so this play didn't need to be performed again.

  The news of victory soon reached Zhu Yuanzhang, who did not show the excitement and joy that his ministers had imagined, but instead sat quietly, twenty years of effort, twenty years of war, was too long, so long that it seemed to have no end.

  It has finally come to an end. My enemies have collapsed, and peace and tranquility will descend upon my empire and my subjects. Blue Jade, you did not disappoint my hopes!

  He looked at all the officials and said the highest evaluation of his subordinates throughout his life:

  "Blue Jade is my Zhong Qing, my Medicine Master!"

  Zhuo Yung was a great general of the Han Dynasty, Wei Qing, while Yao Shi was a famous general of the Tang Dynasty, Li Jing.

  Lan Yu led more than 100,000 troops to penetrate deep into the enemy's lair under extremely difficult conditions, fought bravely and thoroughly defeated the Northern Yuan, completing the great feat that his predecessors had not accomplished. He is indeed worthy of this evaluation.

  The curtain call of Northern Yuan

  Toghon Temür, who was fleeing, did not have the joyful mood of Zhu Yuanzhang and Lan Yu. His army was gone, his ministers were gone, and even his relatives were no longer there.

  Looking around, only Taizi Tianbao Nu, Zhizheng Niuqie Lai and Chengxiang Shiluomen were left, with over a million troops reduced to just dozens of people. There are no more subjects, no more soldiers, the capital is gone, and it's impossible to do business by plundering anymore. This time, we have truly failed.

  Why did I fail? If I had walked a bit further, if the weather wasn't so bad, if there was no wind and sand, if more trees could be planted, if environmental protection was done well, would I have failed?

  It's all useless to say these now, let's go to He Lin first. Wang Bao can make a comeback there, and so can I. As long as we regroup and reorganize, I will definitely be able to revive the Yuan Dynasty and restore my ancestors' glory!

  But this dream has not yet reached its destination and was shattered halfway.

  The place where dreams are shattered is called Tula River, and Dua Temur met a Mongolian named Yesudar here. What he didn't expect was that this Mongolian eventually ended the Northern Yuan.

  What kind of person is Yuesu Dier after all? We have to start from over a hundred years ago:

  In 1259 AD, the Mongol Khan M?ngke led his army to attack Diaoyu Castle. Unexpectedly, the city was not taken down, but he himself was hit by a cannonball shot from the city and died soon after due to unaccustomed water and soil.

  Mongke's death led to a series of consequences, and Kublai Khan immediately withdrew his troops from the Southern Song Dynasty to compete for the throne. His competitor was his own brother Ariq B?ke, who lost in this struggle for the throne and was imprisoned until he died. In the end, Kublai Khan became the founding emperor of the Yuan Dynasty and emerged victorious.

  Compared with other descendants of the Golden Family (Genghis Khan's descendants were called the Golden Family), his victory lasted for hundreds of years, and even after being driven out of Central Plains by the Ming army, his descendants still firmly grasped the supreme position of the Great Khan.

  But the losers will not fail forever, Kublai's victory ended at the Tula River, and it was Yesugei who ended it. He killed Togus Temur and his son Tianbaonu very cleanly and took away the Khan's throne.

  This also speedy is Toghon Temür's relative, but he still has an identity, he is the descendant of Ariq B?ke. More than a hundred years have passed, and he finally waited for this opportunity.

  Hatred often has more vitality than love, and history has proven this countless times.

  After also killing Dua Temur, he became the Khan of Mongolia and was known as Zoriktukhan. However, his victory did not last long, and soon died, while the curse of death seemed to be attached to the Golden Family, and his successors all died shortly after ascending to the throne. The last successor of the Golden Family, Gun Temur, died in 1402, and his general, Gulichi, usurped the khanate, abolished the Yuan dynasty's name, and restored the ancient name of Tartar.

  Then it perished, and the glory of the Golden Family dissipated.

  196 years ago, Temujin held a grand assembly on the Onon River (now Mongolia's Khentii Province), where he proclaimed himself as the Great Khan of the Mongol Empire, and from then on became the ruler of Mongolia. The name Temujin was no longer used, replaced by Genghis Khan.

  This name echoed throughout the world, from East Asia to Central Asia, West Asia, and then to Eastern Europe. The Golden Family and its soldiers shouted this great name to conquer the world, and a trans-Eurasian empire was established.

  Yet less than two hundred years later, the great empire and the family that ruled it had fallen into decline, leaving behind only the fugitive son of the sea, the betrayal and murder of the Tu River, and the lone figure under the setting sun.

  It's over, everything is over.

  Lan Yu began to surpass his master, and this battle brought his reputation to its peak. From then on, he would no longer be called Xu Da the second or Chang Yuchun the second. His name would be passed down along with those of these famous generals.

  The Battle of Fishing Boy Sea was the highest point in Blue Jade's life, but after that, he made mistakes one after another, and finally walked to the end of destruction.