This was Lan Yu's objective; he felt his surprise attack had thrown the Tartars into disarray. However, at this point, something crucial was still missing. He knew the Tartar commander was still alive, as were some of their chieftains.
"General, that's the Khan's tent!" one of Lan Yu's close followers exclaimed excitedly, grabbing a grenade and shouting, "General!"
Lan Yu became even more excited. Last time, he had let a Khan escape. Now he was going to capture another Khan. Only in this way could he live up to his title as Duke of Liang, and only in this way could he rightfully become His Majesty's number one general!
There was no need for hesitation now, and they could continue to create chaos. However, once the Khan of the Tartars escaped or was beheaded, the Tartars would naturally collapse in one battle, and they would be completely unable to stop any decent offensive.
By then, perhaps we could conquer Karakorum. Although the Tatar and Oirat Mongol nobles were constantly at war with each other, Karakorum remained the nominal capital of the Tatars. In reality, it was the city established by Ögedei Khan, and it was the capital of the Mongol Yuan Dynasty before that!
Yesu panicked a little. At this moment, he no longer hesitated. His attendant brought a horse, and Yesu immediately mounted it.
The Khan had fled, and naturally, the others followed suit. Although Lan Yu was constantly leading his men in pursuit, the Tartars had very few horses. Most importantly, with the Tartar army numbering nearly 100,000 and constantly fleeing, Lan Yu was frustrated to find that he had completely lost track of Yesu.
Returning home, even though we didn't kill or capture the Great Khan of the Tartars, the Great Khan's Golden Horde was still a merit.
Even capturing the Golden Wolf Banner, the Crown, and other items belonging to the Great Khan would be a remarkable achievement, enough to give Lan Yu a sense of pride. Even if he couldn't secure the ultimate victory, he would still have earned some military merit.
Of course, Lan Yu knew this was a good start. This great battle had only just begun; more real clashes were to follow, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, a decisive battle between the two armies would ensue. This attack had only broken the enemy's morale, or rather, disrupted some of the Tartars' war plans and arrangements.
These are all good things. Lan Yu knows that these small victories, when accumulated, can turn into a great victory that will bring about a decisive triumph!
Fu Youde led his army forward steadily, but suddenly a scout reported that he had spotted a small, disorganized group of Tartars. This surprised the scout; it wasn't a reconnaissance mission at all, but rather a Tartar army fleeing.
Fu Youde acted decisively and immediately roared at Fu Rang, "Lead the vanguard to the aid of the Duke of Liang immediately and obey his orders! It must be because the Duke of Liang has defeated a part of the Tartars that the Tartars will gather troops to come to his aid."
Fu Rang immediately accepted the order. It seemed most likely that the Duke of Liang's forces had defeated a group of Tartars, which was why the Tartars were fleeing in disarray. Judging from the Tartars' escape route, it could only be that the Duke of Liang's forces had defeated a portion of the Tartars, or even a large part of the enemy.
We must rush to their aid now, for we fear that the Duke of Liang might lead his army deep into enemy territory alone!
Fu Youde acted decisively because he recognized the opportunity. While sending out the vanguard, Fu Youde also ordered the main force to accelerate, sending valiant mid-level officers like Zhang Yu and Qiu Fu to lead their respective troops in pursuit of the fleeing enemy.
Most importantly, we must capture some prisoners and find out which Tatar tribes they belong to, so that we can formulate a battle plan. A small victory, a major victory, or even forcing the Tatars into a decisive battle ahead of time are all possibilities.
The initiative in the war must be seized by the Ming Dynasty!
Zhang Yu, Qiu Fu, and the others were extremely excited. They all knew that the heads of the Tartars would be their merits in battle. If they won this battle decisively, they might even be ennobled and appointed as generals, truly entering the Ming court, becoming a force in the military, and rising to the rank of high-ranking officers!
No one ever thinks they have too much merit, especially for those who fight on the battlefield. War is their best stepping stone to advancement, and the heads of these Tartars are their achievements!
For these soldiers on the battlefield, defeating the enemy is their greatest glory!
As for others, perhaps they also need to do their job well in order to be worthy of their salary and conscience.
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