Chapter 538 537 Melee

Five thousand Xuanfu cavalrymen rushed eastward from Huairou, fearing that the Tartars would get out of the border wall first and make their days of running in vain.

After running day and night, they were only twenty miles away from the mountains, and the closest distance to the Great Wall was only thirty miles.

After all, the Great Wall built by the Ming Dynasty was built according to the mountain terrain and on the edge of the mountains.

Perhaps, the builders at the beginning also wanted to reduce the labor of mobilizing troops. When they reached the foot of the Great Wall, they were already exhausted, so they deliberately left the long mountains for the enemy to climb.

Moreover, building the Great Wall in this way is not only convenient for construction, but also very conducive to the supply of the Ming army.

Ma Fang was running in front of the team at this time, following the army flag.

Follow the general to have meat to eat.

This is what the Ming army soldiers said in their hearts. They are also willing to fight with generals like Ma Fang who always care about the soldiers, so although it is hard along the way, few people complain.

To make achievements, the military households actually have their own dreams.

Although they were often bullied by the general flag and the hundred households, they also dreamed that one day they could become one of them, so making meritorious deeds on the battlefield was their only way out.

To be selected into the cavalry, one must naturally be the best among the military households, not only brave and fearless, but also have superb martial arts.

As for being proficient in archery and horse, only a very small number of horse households can do it, and most of them gradually learn it after being selected into the army.

However, although the archery and horse of the Ming cavalry are slightly inferior to those of the Mongolian cavalry, they have great advantages in equipment, so the combat power of both sides is basically equal.

While rushing forward, two fast horses came quickly in the distance. Ma Fang knew that they were scouts sent out by his side.

Soon, the two horses came close, and Ma Fang reined in the reins and waited for them to convey military information.

At this time, he might encounter the Tatars at any time, which is why he came to the front of the army so that he could be notified in the first time.

He was in the front, so he could command flexibly, at least without making any mistakes.

"General, a large group of Tatar cavalry was found 20 miles ahead, about 2,000 people, and wheel tracks were found on the route heading north."

"There are many Tatar scouts around here, and it may be difficult for a large army to hide."

The two scouts began to report and supplement each other's information.

"They caught them."

Ma Fang knew that he had arrived in time this time, and the Tatars should still be walking around the border wall, looking for a slope to leave the Ming territory.

"What is the terrain ahead? Will we meet them if we go this way?"

He asked loudly immediately.

"It's a plain, suitable for cavalry charges and battles. The enemy cavalry is not fast, and our army can stop them."

After receiving such an answer, Ma Fang knew that this encounter could only rely on the combat power of the army. There was no terrain advantage, so there was no need to make too many arrangements.

"The whole army should rest and restore horsepower, and order Dong Yikui's troops to rest and slow down, and serve as the rear team."

Knowing that there were only 2,000 Tatars ahead, Ma Fang certainly would not choose to attack with the whole army.

This time, the Tartars entered the pass with tens of thousands of people. It is difficult to tell whether these two thousand people are the rear team or the vanguard. In other words, there may be cavalry around.

If all the troops are put into it at once, once the Tartar reinforcements break in when the battle is in full swing, the outcome is unpredictable.

Leaving Dong Yikui's troops as a reserve, he can deal with it calmly regardless of whether there are Tartar reinforcements in front or behind.

The three thousand Ming troops attack the two thousand Tartars, and the chance of winning is still very high.

After the order to rest the horses was issued, the Ming cavalry stopped advancing, but just dispersed several waves of scouts to drive away the Tartar scouts approaching around.

After the Ming army dismounted, they took out bean cakes from their backpacks and broke them into pieces to feed the horses, and then took out marching water bottles to feed the horses. At this time, it is most important to let the war horses eat something to maintain their physical strength.

After the war horses were fed, they took out the dry food and ate it mouthful by mouthful. When they were thirsty, they drank a few sips of water.

In cavalry battles, the first thing to ensure is the horses, but they are behind the war horses.

Ma Fang was just like the soldiers at this moment, except that he was sitting on the ground chewing dry food, and his warhorse was taken care of by his personal soldiers.

After resting for a while, he looked at his mount, which seemed to have recovered a lot.

For people like Ma Fang who deal with horses all year round, he can know the horse's condition by looking at its movements.

Although he had been rushing all the way before, Ma Fang also retained a little horsepower to launch a charge.

After resting for a while, the horse's physical strength was obviously restored a lot, enough to support a battle.

Slowly getting up, Ma Fang walked to his warhorse and gently stroked it.

The moment he stood up, the surrounding Ming army knew that they had rested enough and were going to fight.

So, they all stood up.

Although the Ming army farther away could not see Ma Fang's movements, they saw that the comrades in front of them were all standing up, so they all stood up and moved their hands and feet.

This is an army. The actions of some soldiers will affect the entire army, and they don't need to convey them to the soldiers behind them, and they can also feel a lot.

Because they are a whole.

No one got on the horse, and they all just waited quietly for this moment to come.

The soldiers nearby all looked at Ma Fang, while the soldiers in the distance stared at their comrades in front.

Finally, Ma Fang stopped what he was doing, not only stroking his comrade, but also checking the horse gear. After that, he checked his armor, grabbed the saddle and climbed on the horse, with clean and neat movements.

Following his movements, the personal soldiers and Ming army soldiers nearby followed suit, and quickly spread, sweeping from the front army to the rear army like a wave.

Looking at the big flag erected beside him, the big "Ma" character on it was waving in the wind, and the small characters "General of Xuanfu" next to it showed the identity of the commander of this army.

Ma Fang's heart moved. Now he is no longer a slave captured by the Tartars, but a general of a town in the Ming Dynasty.

His name also spread to all parts of the grassland with one victory after another.

"Put away the general flag and use it again when launching a charge."

The terrain restrictions cannot use troops flexibly, but some small moves can be made.

In Ma Fang's view, with the reputation he has accumulated over the years, the elite among the Tartars must know him.

This trick may be useless to ordinary Tartars, but he does not believe that the elite cavalry around the Mongolian nobles will not know his reputation.

"Forward."

Ma Fang waved his hand and rode forward first, followed by his personal soldiers, and then the vanguard cavalry of the Ming army.

Although the Ming army sent out many sentinels, the vibration and smoke of the marching army could not be concealed.

At this time, at the foot of Yanshan Mountain, a marching Tatar cavalry had received a report from the scouts that a group of Ming troops appeared in the west. The number of people was unknown, but judging from the battle formation, it was undoubtedly cavalry.

"Why did the Ming cavalry appear here?"

The leader was Dalai Sun. According to Huang Taiji's order, he led the 1,000 people of his army and the Tatars who besieged Zhengguantun at the beginning, which was indeed more than 2,000 people.

They were responsible for the rearguard of the cavalry.

In fact, if Ma Fang's troops arrived half an hour earlier, they would have seen the main force of 3,000 cavalry led by Huang Taiji and a large convoy transporting property.

Dalai Sun thought for a moment, but he didn't understand why the Ming army had a large group of troops here.

Shouldn't the Ming army still be near Shunyi and Sanhe now?

Based on his many years of experience fighting the Ming army, the Ming people should be helping them clean up the battlefield in Zhengguantun at this time.

Yes, they came from the west.

Dalai Sun suddenly thought of his original target, the Ming Miyun cavalry.

That army had only over a thousand people, so their number should not be as large as theirs.

With this judgment, Dalaisun quickly figured out that Huang Taiji must have been overthinking at the beginning, and the Miyun Ming army did not leave the city to participate in the battle.

It is very likely that the retreat here began, and the Ming army also discovered some clues, so they asked the Ming army in each city to attack.

The troops from Miyun ran here, and they should be here to see them off.

I remember that it was the same when I followed Altan Khan into the Ming Kingdom last time. When they were looting, the various Ming armies did not move, and only began to pursue them when they retreated.

Later, I heard that the various Ming army units were fighting each other, saying that they defeated and expelled the Mongolian cavalry.

What a joke.

Except for Ma Fang, I am not afraid of anyone.

At this moment, Dalaisun thought with disdain.

The last attack, that is, the Xuanfu army that arrived last, caused them a little casualties, that is, the Ming army led by Ma Fang.

In just a few years, Ma Fang was already the general of Xuanfu in Ming Dynasty, and they had repeatedly attacked Xuanfu but did not achieve much results.

Fortunately, this is Jizhen. Am I afraid of your Miyun cavalry? Hehe

Dalaisun thought that this battle, let Baduer grab the great merit and kill the general of Jizhen in Ming Dynasty, while he hardly got any credit.

Miyun cavalry, just treat it as a gap in teeth, better than nothing.

"Pass the order down, the army is in formation, we will kill this Ming army before leaving."

Dalaisun thought about it and immediately ordered to prepare for the battle.

"General, do you want to inform Taiji as well?"

A confidant behind him reminded him.

"It's better to send someone to tell him, otherwise the glory this time will be taken away by Baduer."

Dalaisun ordered.

Soon, a fast horse broke away from the big team and accelerated forward, chasing the team in front.

The autumn wind was rustling, and the murderous aura was pressing.

At the foot of Langwo Mountain, the Ming army and the Mongolian cavalry were facing each other from east to west.

The two armies stopped five miles apart. At this distance, neither side dared to move in a marching formation. They could only deploy their formations against each other. Only by defeating the opponent could they continue their actions.

"Marshal, the formation is ready."

The personal soldiers reported loudly behind Ma Fang.

"Beat the drums."

Ma Fang ordered immediately.

On several carriages behind him, several shirtless men beat the drums.

"Dong Dong Dong"

The drum beats were slightly chaotic at the beginning, then became neat, and then gradually accelerated, indicating the arrival of the last moment.

The dense drum beats also stimulated the secretion of adrenaline in the Ming army soldiers, so everyone was waiting for the marshal's order.

On the opposite side, after the Ming army's war drums sounded, the whistles were also blown.

This was a tacit understanding between the Ming and Mongolian armies, and both sides were ready.

"Why are there so many people in the Miyun Ming army?"

At this time, Sun Ye, who was in the cavalry formation, found that something seemed wrong.

In fact, he realized something was wrong the moment he confronted the Ming army. The number of Ming cavalry was a bit too large.

But at this point, it was redundant to think about anything else.

Only by defeating them could he lead the army to leave here safely.

"Million victory. Million victory"

A roar like a tsunami suddenly broke out in the ranks of the Ming army.

Then, there was the sound of "clang clang clang" of horses' hooves hitting the ground.

The Ming army on the opposite side began to move, and the horses began to move forward slowly under the control of the knights.

"Haorui."

Sun did not dare to show weakness, and suddenly raised his right arm and waved the sword in his hand, shouting loudly.

"Haorui.Haorui"

Behind him, countless Mongolian men also shouted loudly. As he slowly draped his sword forward, the Mongolian cavalry also began to move.

At the beginning, the two armies advanced slowly, but this was just to give the horses time to adapt. As the two armies approached, the speed of the horses on both sides increased at the same time.

"Raise the flag of the commander."

In the rear of the Ming army, Ma Fang saw the army gradually moving away and ordered loudly.

As the flag with the word "Ma" was raised, the drummer tried his best to beat the war drum desperately, just to suppress the sound of the horn from the opposite side.

When Ma Fang's flag was raised, he was seen by Sun Dalai at the first time.

Although he couldn't see the small words next to it because of the distance, he was familiar with the big flag.

Huang Taiji had fought in Xuanfu in these years and had fought with Ma Fang. The moment he saw the big flag, he knew who his opponent was.

But what's the use of knowing it now?

It's too late.

"Report to Taiji, Xuanfu Ma Fang's troops have intercepted my rear team."

Immediately, Sun gave the order.

He couldn't even say the words "ask for reinforcements".

"Bang, bang, bang"

When the two armies were about to meet, a cloud of dust burst out from the front of the Ming cavalry. It was the Ming cavalry using firearms to shoot the enemy on the opposite side. At the same time, he saw dense arrows above the cavalry.

The archers on both sides shot arrows at the opposite side, but the Ming army had fewer arrows than the Mongolian cavalry.

Soon, on the plain, the two cavalry units collided fiercely. For a while, people and horses were thrown to the ground on the battlefield. Soldiers on both sides swung their weapons at the opponent fiercely at the moment of meeting.

No one would show mercy to the enemy on the opposite side. The weapons in their hands fell with all their strength, just to directly chop off the opponent's head or knock the opponent off the horse, and the fight was only a moment.

With the speed of the horses of both sides, there is only one chance to attack the enemy, and then they have to guard against the enemy later. The formations arranged by both sides before quickly became chaotic and fragmented.

Blood and anger can be easily aroused in such an environment.

Both sides are confronting head-on, and soon the formations are squeezed together, and the horse speed is lost.

Both sides have little room for maneuver, and neither of them keeps the horse speed to charge back and forth, just hoping to defeat the opponent with combat power.

The situation where the two armies staggered and charged back and forth did not happen here, and both sides soon fell into a melee like synchronized pawns.

This is naturally Ma Fang's purpose, to entangle the opponent and defeat them with his own advantages in numbers and equipment.

If he charges repeatedly, it is hard to guarantee that the Tartars will choose to turn around and go north after a charge.

They are all cavalry. If he pursues, it is hard to guarantee that he will not be hit back by the Tartars in front.

This is not conducive to maintaining the results of the battle to the maximum.

In such a melee situation, the side with more people will naturally have an advantage, and there is hope that they will be completely destroyed.