The grassland is green again and stretches as far as the eye can see.
The sound of horses' hooves dug up the soil and grass; the sounds of shouting, yelling, exclamations and screams filled the grassland.
"Kill!" The Ming cavalry, after reorganizing, launched another attack on the Mongols with overwhelming force.
The wind whistled in his ears. Gao Yingxiang narrowed his eyes, half-raised the sharp saber in his hand, and charged side by side with his comrades.
Attack, attack, and attack again!
The cavalry wall tactic is to charge forward courageously, and even if there is a mountain in front of you, you must flatten it and knock it down.
The Mongolian soldiers in the distance were already scattered. Although they still outnumbered the Ming army, they were beaten into a mess.
On the battlefield, collective strength is crucial, and the days of fierce generals fighting their way in and out of battle are long gone.
The Jianlu, who were better equipped and more courageous than the Mongols, were no match for the Ming cavalry. How could the severely degraded right-wing Mongolian tribes resist?
Faced with the cavalry advancing like a wall, the scattered Mongols finally realized that defeat was inevitable. Few dared to charge forward to fight, but instead turned their horses around and began to flee.
A wall of cavalry pushed forward, accompanied by the clash of weapons and the screams and neighs of horses and men, and the Mongols who rushed to fight were cut down one after another. A gap appeared in the cavalry wall, but they quickly adjusted and continued to charge forward.
Hundreds of cavalry, arranged in rows of thirty to fifty, galloped across the grasslands, mowing down the enemy. Sabres flashed, blood and flesh splattered as they routed the Mongols, renowned for their mounted archery.
Boom! The volley of musket fire almost made a loud noise.
Thick white smoke rose as lead bullets rained down, throwing men and horses to the ground. The lancers who had arrived at the battlefield quickly dismounted and formed up, striking a fierce flank attack on the Mongols in a line formation.
"Kill!" Gao Yingxiang stared with his eyes wide open, and with a roar, the sharp saber split the enemy's armor. A few drops of blood splattered on his face, but he couldn't blink, and he kept staring at the enemy in front of him.
The wailing horns sounded like howls and cries. The Mongolian soldiers turned their horses around and fled into the distance in panic, leaving a mess and blood on the ground as if they had been pardoned.
The grasslands were still vast, with no end in sight. But the defeated Mongols had been so frightened by the Ming army that they could hardly muster the courage to return to their pastures.
Recapturing Qiantuo was the strategic goal, and engaging the Mongols in a fierce battle served as a deterrent. This battle could have been avoided if the Ming cavalry had not pursued them relentlessly.
But if we let the Mongols go this time, we will have to deal with their invasion next time. Only by giving them a good beating and scaring them off can we buy enough time for the development and operation of the former set.
It wouldn't take much, just six or seven months, and in the autumn the local garrison would have a harvest. With food, long-term garrisoning would become possible.
The fifteen or sixteen thousand flying cavalry and spear cavalry were both galloping soldiers and farmers carrying hoes to till the land.
Dongshengwei City is close to the Yellow River and is located at the junction of plains and hills. It has convenient water and land transportation, which is more conducive to reclamation and development.
Gao Yingxiang let out a long sigh, jumped off his warhorse, patted his old friend's neck gently, and walked slowly with it.
His gaze suddenly stopped. A wounded warhorse on the grass was neighing sadly. It tried to stand up several times, but fell down weakly.
Killing people was nothing to Gao Yingxiang. Even when corpses were right in front of him and wounded soldiers were groaning not far away, he didn't even blink.
But Gao Yingxiang's eyes softened towards the injured horse.
Walking closer, he bent down and stroked the horse's head, comforting it while checking its injuries.
Finally, Gao Yingxiang sighed helplessly and sadly, hesitated for a moment, drew out his saber, and killed the injured horse with a broken leg.
Leg injuries in horses are difficult to treat. Even racehorses are often euthanized. Yes, it's that cruel.
He kills without blinking an eye, yet he feels sorry for a wounded horse. Human emotions are very complicated, and Gao Yingxiang is no exception.
"Sir." A messenger came galloping over and saluted from his horse, saying, "Lord Cao has ordered us to assemble and return immediately."
"Stop chasing him?" Gao Yingxiang asked unwillingly, "Let's rest our horses and chase him for another hundred or eighty miles. We'll definitely catch him."
The messenger shook his head helplessly and rode back to deliver the order.
"Old Gao, don't be so anxious to achieve success." A general flag officer named Zhang came over and comforted Gao Yingxiang, "It's enough to defeat the right wing of the Mongols. Wait until Hu Duntu arrives, then we'll have a big fight!"
Gao Yingxiang smiled and said, "Then you should drink less wine. The wife at home needs money!"
"If you're short on money, just let me know," said Zhang Zongqi. "You need to change your extravagant habits. You're always treating dozens of people, as if you have a lot of money."
Gao Yingxiang smiled wryly and nodded, then defended himself, "We are all comrades, and after we go into battle, maybe—"
Gao Yingxiang waved his hand vigorously, as if to shake off this bad idea, and said: "Actually, our family is doing well. My wife just wants to save more money for an emergency in the future."
"It's an idea for making a living." Zhang Zongqi jumped on his horse and said, "We'll talk about it when we get back. I'll treat you."
Gao Yingxiang chuckled, waved to General Zhang, mounted his horse, summoned his subordinates, and gathered to return to the army.
The emperor treated the army with the same kindness as always, which meant that the army had sufficient food and wages, and that rewards were not delayed or in arrears.
To put it bluntly, it was their duty, and the soldiers deserved what they received. But even this was unimaginable a few years ago.
Moreover, the emperor also drew a blueprint for soldiers who wanted to make great achievements. Dongsheng Guard was just the beginning. In the future, there would be Ningxia Guard and a showdown with Huduntu.
Later on, they would march into Qinghai and the Western Regions to repeat the power of the Han and Tang dynasties.
The emperor's plan was not very secretive, and Ningxia, Qinghai, and even parts of the Western Regions were part of the Ming Dynasty's territory during its heyday.
If they couldn't even surpass Taizu's achievements, how could they talk about the majesty of the Han and Tang dynasties? The current emperor was ambitious and had never stopped expanding his territory, both on land and overseas.
This was the best era for soldiers. From the governors of three borders to the commanders of a town, down to ordinary officers and soldiers, everyone felt this way.
Even from the perspective of supporting a family, military service was a good choice. The military pay for one person was basically enough to support the family. Furthermore, with the court's preferential policies for military families, there was no need for soldiers to contribute to the family income.
"There will be no problem in getting promoted to general flag. After two more battles, I will almost be able to try out for the rank of centurion." After assembling the troops, Gao Yingxiang was on his way back with his men, making calculations in his mind.
Suddenly he thought of his nephew Li Hongji, and Gao Yingxiang grinned, thinking to himself: This coward insists on doing other things to make a living. It's not so comfortable to be a soldier and get food and salary.
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