Chapter 21 Chapter 20 The Last Famous General—Sapphire

Li Shanchang's death finally brought a small end to the ten-year Hu Weiyong case.Officials can finally breathe a sigh of relief. Zhu Yuanzhang did not relax, he seemed to be a person with unlimited energy. While dealing with Hu Weiyong and Li Shanchang, he also won victory in another battlefield. The loser on this battlefield is Bei Yuan who has fled to the desert. Although Bei Yuan's strength has been severely weakened in several wars in the early Ming Dynasty, they still have enough troops to continuously attack the border of the Ming Dynasty. invasion. Zhu Yuanzhang did not relax his attack on the Northern Yuan Dynasty because of its weakened strength. He always believed that the Mongolian cavalry was always the biggest threat to the Ming Dynasty.Frankly speaking, in terms of military affairs, you have to admire Zhu Yuanzhang's vision. His prophecy was unfortunately fulfilled decades later.

Zhu Yuanzhang organized troops and launched two expeditions to Beiyuan in February of the 13th year of Hongwu (1380) and the first month of the 14th year of Hongwu (1381). Both expeditions were victorious, but they did not deal a fatal blow to Bei Yuan.And Bei Yuan also realized that it is impossible to win a frontal battle with the powerful Ming Dynasty. They broke up the whole into pieces, adopted the guerrilla tactics of hit and run, and ran and fought again to constantly harass the border of the Ming Dynasty. At this time, the ruler of Beiyuan was the son of Emperor Yuanshun, Aiyou Shili Dala who escaped from the rebellious army. He succeeded as Emperor Beiyuan. It is understandable to adopt this policy. After all, the father who was originally the emperor in Dadu was also forced to move, and most of his relatives were arrested by the Ming Dynasty and eaten in prison.This enmity is really irreconcilable.

And the more important reason is that he also wants to eat.As nomads, when the mutual market is not open, there is only one way to obtain products in the Central Plains—robbing.And this method is not too strenuous, although there are losses, but the gains are not small.In economics terms, it is called low opportunity cost.This kind of business is naturally to be done frequently. Zhu Yuanzhang was soberly aware of this. He knew that if he wanted to completely eliminate the threat of Beiyuan, he had to make this Aiyouzhili Dala lose all his old money and never be able to turn around. But Zhu Yuanzhang also has a problem, that is, the famous generals in the early Ming Dynasty are almost dead.Of course, many of them were killed by himself. Among the few who were most capable of fighting, Chang Yuchun died early, Li Wenzhong was dismissed and exiled by him, and although Feng Sheng and Deng Yu were still alive, they were already very old.And the first general Xu Da also died of illness in the seventeenth year of Hongwu (1384), which is considered a good death.

It is worth mentioning that many books record that Xu Da could not eat steamed goose after he got sick, but Zhu Yuanzhang just gave him steamed goose, and Xu Da died of hatred.This statement is not credible. Xu Da is not only an important general of Zhu Yuanzhang, but also saved Zhu Yuanzhang's life in Hezhou. Killing him will not do Zhu Yuanzhang any good, and he is low-key and never ostentatious.Taking a step back, even if Zhu Yuanzhang wanted to kill Xu Da, he didn't need to use such a stupid method, find someone to prescribe some poison, and send two Jin Yiwei to solve the problem.Why bother to kill Xu Da in such a blatant way as giving steamed goose.

Xu Da was an excellent general of the Ming Dynasty. He was born as a commoner, but he was an unborn military genius. He started as a soldier, followed Zhu Yuanzhang from birth to death, and grew up to be the best general in the late Yuan and early Ming in the cruel war.He is good at commanding large armies to fight, has a deep understanding of strategy, is generous, has experienced dozens of battles, and is sure to win every battle and win every attack. The battle with Wang Baobao, the number one general in the Northern Yuan Dynasty, was the pinnacle of his military career. He told us that an ordinary person can become a famous general through his own efforts.

And his illustrious military exploits and legendary experience also told everyone: I, Xu Da, are the well-deserved number one general! Xu Da's era is over, and a new era of famous generals has arrived. This era belongs to another person, and this person is Sapphire. Lan Yu was from Dingyuan, Anhui. He was Chang Yuchun's brother-in-law. Chang Yuchun was proud, but he admired his relative very much, and recommended him several times in front of Zhu Yuanzhang.But Zhu Yuanzhang did not believe Chang Yuchun's words. It was not until Lan Yu followed Xu Da to participate in the Hongwu five-year expedition and performed outstandingly that he was entrusted with the important task.

It's a heavy responsibility, but it doesn't count. Sapphire's luck was actually not good. In his era, there were too many famous generals.No matter in terms of qualifications and ability, he is still a bit short, so he can only help those seniors obediently. In the 20th year of Hongwu (1381), Zhu Yuanzhang ordered another expedition. At that time, it was an honor for every general to be able to participate in the military operation of conquering the desert (it was clearly called the expedition to the North Yuan as conquering the desert).However, Sapphire only played a supporting role a few times in the previous expeditions to the desert, but the supporting role did not go well. The performance in Hongwu's fifth year was still chased by Wang Baobao.

This is really disgraceful for a soldier. What is the greatest honor of a soldier?It is not how many cities were conquered, how many enemy troops were killed, nor how many cattle and sheep were captured. For a soldier, the greatest glory is to find the person who defeated him, and then completely defeat him! Lan Yu will never forget the five years of Hongwu's war. Wang Baobao's army suddenly appeared and caught him off guard. He was defeated without even seeing what Wang Baobao looked like.Although this defeat was not his responsibility, he understood that the best way to fight for his own glory was to confront Wang Baobao again, defeat him completely, and then stand in front of him and proudly say to him: I am Sapphire, Sapphire who was once defeated by you, now, you are my captive!

Since then, Lan Yu has been thinking hard about how to use troops. He constantly summed up his experience and read military books. What he always thinks about is fighting Wang Baobao again.However, his wish came to nothing. In the eighth year of Hongwu (1375), Wang Baobao died in Mobei. Sapphire lost his goal for a while, but he soon found a new direction - to completely eliminate Beiyuan! Although he has great ambitions and has repeatedly asked for orders to command the campaign to conquer the desert, there are still a few veterans standing there, so it's his turn.He successively followed Fu Youde to Yunnan and Dali, made illustrious military exploits, and was named Yongchang Hou (Marquis).Although everyone has recognized his military talent, in their eyes, Sapphire is still just Sapphire, and it is impossible for him to surpass such famous generals as Xu Da, Chang Yuchun, and Li Wenzhong.

Sapphire is a strong person, he will never admit that he is inferior to anyone. But he also understands that in order to gain everyone's recognition, the only way to do what his predecessors Xu Da and Chang Yuchun failed to do is to eliminate Bei Yuan. Therefore, this expedition in the 20th year of Hongwu (1387) undoubtedly provided Lan Yu with the best opportunity. Zhu Yuanzhang agreed to Lan Yu's request and gave him the position of the right deputy general. As soon as you heard the name of the right deputy general, you knew that Lan Yu was the deputy again this time.But he really has no reason to strive for a higher position, because the coach is Feng Sheng.

Lan Yuxin was unwilling, but set off helplessly, he knew that it was not his turn now. But there is always such a thing as chance, and Sapphire's years of hard work will bear fruit in this expedition, albeit in a way no one could have imagined. The goal of this expedition is to occupy the vast area north of the Songhua River. Threatening the borders of the Ming Dynasty. Zhu Yuanzhang wanted to pull out this nail a long time ago, because only by getting rid of Nahachu can he attack Beiyuan with confidence and boldness. As in the past, major military operations were deployed by Zhu Yuanzhang himself. According to the situation, he gave Feng Sheng the following instructions: Your troops should be stationed in Tongzhou (now Tongxian County, Beijing) first, but don’t rush into action. Send people to inquire about the news of the Yuan army first. Launch an attack, but the army must not move at all, but the cavalry should be sent to launch a surprise attack on it first.Only after the vanguard troops capture Gyeongju can the army start to attack, and the battle will surely win. Zhu Yuanzhang paused for a moment, and said in a more emphatic tone: But before occupying Qingzhou, you must not use troops, otherwise you will lose. Zhu Yuanzhang's words seemed to be fortune-telling. Before the battle was fought, he had already predicted the whole process of the war.Even outstanding generals like Feng Sheng and Lan Yu didn't dare to believe Zhu Yuanzhang's words. In many military decisions of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang was a minority, but the truth was often on his side.This time is no exception. And at the same time of this expedition, Zhu Yuanzhang secretly arranged a plan. It was later proved that the successful implementation of this plan completely disintegrated the 200,000 troops sent by Naha. Zhu Yuanzhang, what a strange person! On the second day of the first lunar month, Zhu Yuanzhang appointed Song Guogong Feng Sheng as the general who conquered captives, Ying Guogong Fu Youde and Yongchang Hou Lanyu as the left and right deputy generals, and led an army of 200,000 people to Liaodong. On the third day of February, Feng Sheng led his troops to Tongzhou. He obeyed Zhu Yuanzhang's arrangement and did not send troops. Instead, he sent people to inquire about the news of Gyeongju. To his surprise, Naha Chu had indeed arranged heavy guards in Gyeongju. There is no need to hesitate in the next step. Feng Sheng sent a cavalry vanguard to attack Gyeongju, and Lan Yu naturally snatched the position of this vanguard. Sapphire finally got the chance. He looked at the cavalry behind him. Although there were not many of them, and although the trip might be dangerous, his heart was full of excitement. Finally, the day I waited for, my moment has arrived! Sapphire looked at his subordinates, who had been handpicked by him, who were about to go out to gain greater glory. At this time, heavy snow fell from the sky, everything was covered by snow, the world was vast, and the mountains, rivers and earth seemed to have no boundaries.The army will set off in such an environment, advancing towards the unknown front. Before going out, Lan Yu said to his soldiers: "We are going to go out soon. We must win this attack. You must fight hard to kill the enemy!" Is it God’s will to make immortal achievements and heavy snowfall today! I hope that you will pledge your life to the country, never give up until death, make meritorious deeds, and leave your name in history!” After saying that, he got on his horse and set off for Qingzhou. This army started marching in the white wind and snow. Under the severe cold, everything seemed to have lost its vitality. In the silence, only the sound of horseshoes galloping forward and then drifting away.The horseshoe prints were soon covered by heavy snow, as if no one had ever passed by. Lan Yu has followed Chang Yuchun for many years, although he is named as a relative, he is actually a master and apprentice, and he has learned the essence of his art of war. His fighting style is also similar to Chang Yuchun's, he has always frightened the enemy with surprise attacks.Often the enemy is defeated before he can react. Chang Yuchun, who knows that he has such descendants, should also smile. During the Battle of Gyeongju, Lan Yu gave full play to his ability to use troops, and ran overnight without stopping. When he arrived in Gyeongju, the enemy was unprepared, the gates of the city were wide open, and they were cooking.When they saw these snow-covered, ghost-like people rushing towards them with sabers in their hands, they were stunned. Without wasting much effort, Lan Yu wiped out the enemy army, killed Beiyuan Pingzhanguolai, occupied Gyeongju, and captured a large number of prisoners. He is not complacent, because he knows that the next step is the most important. Feng Sheng got the good news from Lanyu in Tongzhou, and he realized that the time for the decisive battle has finally arrived. On the first day of March, Feng Sheng personally led an army out of Songting Pass and stationed in Daning (now Ningcheng, Inner Mongolia).Feng Sheng was very cautious in deploying troops, and he would never use troops easily. After ascertaining the enemy's situation, he finally made up his mind. On May 21st, Feng Sheng left 50,000 troops to garrison Daning. He led his army straight to the Liaohe River, won a small victory, and opened the passage to Liaodong. Naha is just around the corner! Just when Feng Sheng and Lan Yu joined forces to prepare for a decisive battle with Naha, an unexpected news disrupted their plan. Unlike ever, this is good news. While Zhu Yuanzhang dispatched Feng Shengyuan for the expedition, he also summoned a person and assigned him a mission.The name of this man was Nahachu, and he was Nahachu's former subordinate. His mission was to persuade Nahachu to surrender. Zhu Yuanzhang has never been a reckless person in the military. He knows very well that it is easy to defeat Bei Yuan, but it is difficult to completely eliminate the threat of Bei Yuan.So he used another weapon to attack Bei Yuan while he was on a military expedition. This weapon is more powerful than any sword, sword, halberd or musket cannon, and its name is money. Zhu Yuanzhang analyzed the situation objectively. He realized that it is difficult to eliminate Bei Yuan by force alone. A more effective method should be adopted. After many confrontations with Bei Yuan, Zhu Yuanzhang found this method. The Northern Yuan Dynasty was a regime composed of nomadic peoples, and its economic strength could not be compared with that of the Ming Dynasty. What they relied on was only the tradition of being brave and good at fighting.That being the case, use your own strengths to attack the other's weaknesses.The soldiers of the Northern Yuan Dynasty were good at fighting, so Zhu Yuanzhang used a lot of money to lure the Mongols to move inward, and distributed the land to the Mongolian nobles.This trick is very effective. After all, who would like to eat sand in the desert every day? The Central Plains is better, with delicious food and drinks, as well as entertainment programs. This tactic was so powerful that many Mongolians moved to the Central Plains, and the population of the Northern Yuan Dynasty gradually became thinner. At the same time, Zhu Yuanzhang also adopted an enlightened ethnic policy. He treated all ethnic groups equally and did not engage in ethnic discrimination.As early as when Xu Da attacked Dadu, he strictly ordered Xu Da not to massacre Mongols after entering the city, and did not adopt a purge policy against the princes and nobles of the Yuan Dynasty, and even sent people to guard the palace to strictly prohibit killing.On the day when Xu Da conquered Dadu, the life of the residents in the city was as usual, and the shops were open as usual. Under his enlightened policy, even in the early Ming Dynasty, many Mongolians held official positions in the government.As mentioned earlier, Daotong is Mongolian.This policy also became his basic policy in dealing with ethnic issues. Just before Feng Sheng was about to attack Nahachu, Naiciwu also arrived at Songhua River and persuaded Nahachu to surrender.Naha was persuaded, but he felt that it was too embarrassing for him to bring so many people to surrender.He hesitated many times, said to surrender and then backed down. After going back and forth a few times, both Feng Sheng and Lan Yu felt that this person was really a guy who would not give up on Huang He.They issued an ultimatum to Nahachu, and set up the barracks at the gate of Nahachu. Naha made an estimate of his own strength. He still had some self-knowledge. The opponents were Feng Sheng and Lan Yu. "Heaven will never make me have such a crowd!" After lamenting, Naha led 200,000 troops to surrender to the Ming army. Surrender always requires a ceremony, and this one is no exception. After all, Naha brought 200,000 people to surrender, and he has a lot of capital. In order to show his respect, Sapphire is going to treat him to a meal. It is said that eating is a good thing. Wouldn't it be great if the contract was signed. But this meal turned out to be a surprise. Naha brought hundreds of people to the surrender ceremony (it seems that so many people are not needed to surrender), Lan Yu warmly received him, personally welcomed him into the barracks, and hosted a feast for him. Lan Yu also paid attention to saving face for the other party , try not to mention such words as surrender, and the atmosphere between the two sides is very harmonious. Just when everything was going smoothly, a move by Sapphire completely broke the harmonious atmosphere. At that time, Naha Chu was toasting Lan Yu, and he probably said something like that he would not be a good brother if he didn't drink. Lan Yu saw that Na Ha Chu's clothes were shabby, so he took off his coat and asked Na Ha Chu to put it on. It should be said that this is a friendly gesture, but Nahachu refused, why?This is Sapphire's negligence. He didn't expect that he and Nahachu are not of the same nationality, and the clothing habits of the two sides are different. Although Sapphire has good intentions, in Nahachu's view, this seems to be the victory of the winner against the defeat. A compulsion and a gift of the beholder. Sapphire thought that the other party was being polite, so she repeatedly asked Nahachu to put it on, and said that if Nahachu didn't wear it, he would not drink, but Nahachu went along with the flow and said that if Sapphire didn't drink, he would not wear this dress. Both sides are military generals, they don't know how to be a literati, they are very tough-tempered, and neither one is willing to give in. So a question that was originally very simple turned into a logical defense of whether it is a chicken or an egg. Sapphire said that if you don’t wear it, I won’t drink it, and Naha said that if you don’t drink it, I won’t wear it. After arguing like this, everyone gradually became angry. Naha showed a straightforward character, and turned his face first. He poured the toast sapphire wine on the ground, and his attitude was quite arrogant.But what Naha didn't expect was that there was someone more violent than him. This more violent person is not Sapphire. This person has also appeared in our article, but due to his limited ability, he has never had the opportunity to show up.He is Chang Yuchun's son Chang Mao. Chang Mao inherited Chang Yuchun's title and temper, but not his military talent, and has been running around with Lan Yu all along.Seeing that Lan Yu had lost face at this time, she was furious, and without saying a word, she drew out her knife and slashed at Naha, just like today when there was a disagreement at the wine table, she picked up the wine bottle to fight.Naha, who was born in many battles, reacted quickly and avoided the vital part, but was still cut in the shoulder. At this time, the situation took a turn for the worse, and the soldiers on both sides outside the camp heard the movement and gathered around to prepare for a group fight.If left unchecked, Naha would not survive, but neither would his 200,000 men surrender again.At this critical moment, the governor Geng Zhong kept calm, and he quickly called the sergeant around him to help Naha out to meet the coach Feng Sheng. Feng Sheng is a mild-tempered and cautious person. When he saw Naha in a panic, with injuries on his body, he kept yelling in Mongolian, which he could not understand.Then I roughly understood what happened.He immediately comforted Nahachu with kind words, which stabilized Nahachu's mood.At this time, Nahachu's subordinates also got the news, thinking that Nahachu was killed, and they all expressed their desire for revenge.Feng Sheng immediately sent Naha to descend and general Guan Tong to explain the situation, and he was finally recruited smoothly. This incident shows Lan Yu's personality flaws, that is, she doesn't think carefully about things, and her personality is too domineering. For simple things, you just drink a toast from the other party. If you give the other party face, the matter can be successfully completed.This also paved the way for his later tragedy. This expedition in the twenty-three years of Hongwu (1387) ended successfully in this way, and Nahachu was forced to surrender.The Ming army captured more than 200,000 people from the Northern Yuan Dynasty and seized countless luggage, which finally wiped out the Yuan Dynasty's power in Liaodong. Unexpectedly, the coach Feng Sheng was convicted and arrested by Zhu Yuanzhang after returning to the teacher, and Lan Yu got the coach position he had dreamed of for more than ten years in such a funny way.He had imagined his glory when he got the handsome position countless times, but he never expected such a situation. Of course, what he didn't expect was that his future fate would be even worse than Feng Sheng's. Of course, this is something to say later. At least now, Lan Yu has realized his dream, and he will gain even greater glory in this position. This opportunity is coming soon. Since the twenty-seventh year of the Yuan Dynasty (1367), Zhu Yuanzhang and the Yuan Dynasty started a full-scale war. The two sides have come and gone, fighting endlessly. Although Zhu Yuanzhang drove the ruler of the Yuan Dynasty out of the Central Plains, the threat from the Mongolian grassland has never stopped. In order to deal with this old opponent, Zhu Yuanzhang used all means, although it was effective, but he never eradicated this stubborn enemy. He can't wait indefinitely anymore, Bei Yuan must be wiped out in his hands! Only in this way can he leave this world with peace of mind, and leave the empire he created with his own hands. Hongwu's 20-year expedition wiped out Beiyuan's influence in Liaodong and relieved Zhu Yuanzhang's worries about the future. His keen military intuition told him that the moment of the final decisive battle was coming. He has been waiting for twenty years. During the twenty years, how many soldiers stepped on their horses and never returned after embarking on a journey. In the frontier fortresses and in the desert, the bodies of soldiers who died in battle were everywhere, and countless families were lost. Father, husband, son.In order to relieve Bei Yuan's threat, the price paid was too great. Can't wait any longer, let's do it all! History is often unexpected. Twenty years ago, it bestowed upon Xu Da and Chang Yuchun the glory of recovering Dadu and destroying the Yuan Dynasty. Today, twenty years later, it entrusts the mission of eradicating the Northern Yuan Dynasty to a man who has never been held before. The coach's sapphire. When Lan Yu took over the seal of command from Zhu Yuanzhang, he felt a kind of uncontrollable excitement. His hard work for more than ten years was finally not in vain. God gave him more than he asked for. I can finally create my own great career, and I will be like those famous generals in the legends, and my name will go down in history, and I will be admired by thousands of people! Zhu Yuanzhang looked at the young man in front of him.What an amazing time this is!So many great generals are my subordinates. They led their troops across the world and made immortal feats. Xu Da, Chang Yuchun, Li Wenzhong, they are all so outstanding.But they are gone, and I am too old to go out. Sapphire, I believe in your ability, you will definitely be able to inherit their wishes and complete their unfinished business! In the military, Zhu Yuanzhang has almost never made a wrong judgment, and this time is no exception. In March of the 21st year of Hongwu (1388), Zhu Yuanzhang handed over 150,000 troops to Lanyu. This was the same strength as the expedition in the fifth year of Hongwu, but the difference was that this time there was only one marching route, and the only The commander is Sapphire. Sapphire will command an army of 150,000 people to fight the final battle. Zhu Yuanzhang saw Lan Yu off in person, and told him: "Go ahead and reach the imperial court", "Clean up the desert, in one fell swoop!" Sapphire, I entrust this mission to you, I believe you will not let me down! At this time, the emperor of the Northern Yuan Dynasty was no longer Aiyou Shili Dala.He had died in the eleventh year of Hongwu (1378), and his son Tuogusi Timur succeeded Beiyuan Emperor, named Tianyuan. According to historical records, this Tugusi Timur was probably bought by Li Baca who was captured by Li Wenzhong in Yingchang in the third year of Hongwu (1370).In order to show leniency, the Ming government returned it to Beiyuan in the seventh year of Hongwu (1374) after receiving a guarantee that it would no longer be an enemy of the Ming Dynasty, but it turned out that this was a person who broke his promise. After he succeeded to the throne, he continued to harass the borders of the Ming Dynasty, provoked wars, and continued to confront the Ming Dynasty.This confrontation has been going on for ten years. Zhu Yuanzhang had already expressed enough sincerity to this confrontational successor, and kept sending envoys to communicate with him, but it never worked.His stubbornness finally exhausted the patience of the Ming government, so let's use the sword to solve it! Sapphire's army went out. He set off from Daning and attacked all the way. After arriving in Gyeongju, there was information that Tugusi Timur was stationed in Yuyuerhai (now Lake Baikal).Sapphire made a prompt decision and decided that the army should immediately advance towards the target. This is a difficult road. Not only is the distance long, but the road also passes through a barren desert, and logistics is difficult to guarantee. Once lost, the consequences are unimaginable, and the morale of the army will also be shaken. But Sapphire was confident. Later facts proved that what he had was the most powerful army at that time, and it was the excellent quality of this army that ensured the victory of the war. So what kind of quality army can be called the most powerful army? This is a question worthy of analysis. The victory of a war is the result of the joint efforts of generals and soldiers. In my opinion, the strength of an army can be reflected in its external performance.Roughly divided into four classes. The fourth-class army is a mob. They have no military discipline, rob everywhere, and have no discipline.As long as such an army is attacked by an organized army, it will disperse in a rush. They are definitely not strong. The third-class army has a complete organizational structure. They have a neat appearance and a consistent pace, but their fighting spirit is not high and their morale is not high.Although they are stronger than the fourth class, as long as they encounter enemies with more fighting power, they will definitely be defeated.They are not strong either. The second-class army not only has a unified command system, is well-equipped, but also has high morale. During the march, they often shout the slogan "kill the enemy and serve the country", and the soldiers are eager to show their bravery.This grade of troops has momentum and drive.Fearing no enemies, they can be called a formidable army, but unfortunately, they are not the strongest either.They also lack one quality compared to the most powerful armies. That quality is silence, and the strongest army is a silent army. This silence does not mean that everyone in the army is dumb, or does not speak. The so-called silence should be such a situation: The commander stood on the high ground and spoke to his 150,000 troops. The 150,000 troops spread all over the mountains and plains, occupying the valleys and plains in darkness. They have different appearances, different nationalities, different places, and different habits, but they are crowded in the same place, listening to the same voice, looking in the same direction, and there is no sound. This is the true meaning of the so-called silence, and this is the most important quality of the army. Sapphire led exactly such an army. They climbed high mountains, crossed great rivers, and entered the desert. In this barren land, there were only dazzling sunshine and windy sand in the sky, and their logistics could not be guaranteed. , the soldiers could only carry heavy dry food by themselves, and some people fell down constantly, but the rest continued to move forward. Soldiers are hungry, thirsty, and tired, but none of these can stop them from advancing. This is a tenacious army, and what supports them is their belief and goal in their hearts - to completely destroy the enemy. Sapphire looked at his soldiers. He was proud of having such subordinates, but he also understood that the key to this war was not to form troops, but to find the enemy. Obviously, Bei Yuan already knew the Ming army's plan of action, and they hid. This is not a hide-and-seek game that children usually play. There is a vast desert, and there are no reconnaissance satellites. Where can they find someone? The troops have been away for a long time, and now there is not enough food and water. Although the morale is still high, how long can they last? He summoned Wang Bi, his most trusted general, and asked him, "Where are we now?" Wang Bi replied, "This place is called Baiyanjing, and it's about forty miles away from Yuyuerhai." Hundred-eye well?There is actually a well in the name of this place?This place is already very close to the fishing sea, but not only is there no enemy, there is no water. Could it be that the intelligence was wrong and the enemy moved again?That's quite possible, but where did they go? While Lan Yu was thinking, the general Guo Ying reported to him the shortage of food and the depletion of water sources. Lan Yu understood that it was time to make a decision. In combat movies, by this time, the following scene often appears: a soldier with an angry expression on his face shouts to the commander of the unit (usually the platoon leader or company commander): "Company commander, fight!" Another soldier also ran up and shouted: "Let's fight! Company commander!" All together: "Company commander, give the order!" At this time, the camera zoomed to the company commander's face for a close-up. The company commander showed a calm expression on his face, then walked around the room a few times, and said in a calm tone: "Comrades, don't fight!" The development of the plot tells us that the company commander is always right. This is not a joke. At that time, Sapphire was facing the choice of company commander. As we said before, whenever you make a decision on a major military decision, there will be a group of people chattering around you. One says to move forward, another says to retreat, this one says east, and that one says west.Anyway, if you say it right, you will get the credit. If you say it wrong, it is you who make the decision, and the responsibility cannot be shifted to yourself.Everyone will pick this kind of cheapness, and the most pitiful one is the commander, because he is the final decision maker and the bearer of responsibility. This responsibility cannot be solved by losing some money or apologizing, because if the judgment is wrong, the price paid will be the lives of hundreds of thousands of people! Lan Yu finally understood Xu Da's frustration and loss after being defeated, and now he is also in this pain, what should he do? Sapphire thought over and over again, and decided to call the generals together and listen to their opinions. Unsurprisingly, some of the generals said to retreat, and some said to advance, and most of them suggested retreat, while Wang Bi firmly advocated to continue to advance (going deep into Mobei, getting nothing, and rushing to teach, why should he return).But his opinion was quickly drowned out in a sea of ​​opposition. Sapphire finally understood that it was useless to summon these generals, and he had to take his own ideas. Do you want to go back here?Then wouldn't my ten years of painstaking efforts be in vain, after waiting for so long, at the critical moment, my success fell short?No, I will never be reconciled! So move on?But where is the enemy? There is not much food and water left. If the troops can't last for a few days, hundreds of thousands of people may die of starvation or thirst here.At that time, he could only ride a horse and flee back through the corpses of countless soldiers, so what face would he have to meet the emperor? To advance or to retreat, that is the question. Everyone stopped talking, they understood that it was now a critical moment. The soldiers looked at the generals, the generals looked at Sapphire, and Sapphire looked at the sky. It would be great if God could help me make up my mind. It is easy to make a choice, but if I make a wrong choice, can God give me a second chance to correct it? Sapphire, you have to understand that the cruelest part of this game is that you only have one chance.Just like the final word in the auction house, the high and low must buy, and the high and low must sell! At this point, the art of war is useless, and no one can tell me where the enemy is. If I want to make this decision, what else can I rely on? intuition?Yes, it is intuition!The sky is full of yellow sand, the land is barren, and there is no human habitation, but I can feel that the enemy must be nearby! But is intuition really reliable? There is no intelligence, no clues, no traces.Just make such a major judgment based on your own feelings? I have struggled silently for many years in order to reach today's judgment. Yes, I have to believe in myself, I have to believe in the experience accumulated from countless battles on the battlefield, and I have to believe in the efforts of countless nights of reading military books and thinking hard under the lonely lamp. No reason, no clues, no evidence, but the enemy must be nearby! go ahead!This is my judgment!My judgment is right, my judgment must be right! He made up his mind, and calmly said to the generals waiting for him: "Go forward, the enemy is nearby." No one asked any more questions, because they had already seen the confidence on Sapphire's face, and this confidence infected them and the entire army. Thus, the army of 150,000 set off, and the soldiers took another step towards an unknown destiny, but this army in the desert did not hesitate or waver.Because they believe that no matter how difficult it is, Sapphire must have a way, and this person will definitely be able to lead them to victory and return home alive. Whoever desires the same thing wins! Sapphire led his army to continue deep into the desert. They were very careful on the march, and they had to dig a hole in the ground before cooking, and cook in the hole to prevent the smoke and fire from being noticed by the enemy (the sergeant cooks in the ground) , no fireworks).This is really a terrifying army. In the vast desert, such details have been noticed. This army is like a scorpion in the desert, advancing quietly, hiding in the shadows, and only when it sees the enemy will it send out That fatal blow. When the army reached the south of Yuyuerhai, Lan Yu finally found the traces of the Beiyuan army, but he didn't know how many people there were and how high the leader was.In any case, this was the best opportunity, and he immediately ordered Wang Bi to be the vanguard, marching northeast of Yuerhai, in order to annihilate the Northern Yuan army in one fell swoop. At this time, on the northeast side of the Yuer Sea, the supreme ruler of the Northern Yuan Dynasty, Togus Timur, was holding a banquet with his ministers. He was not a fool. He got the news as soon as Sapphire's army set off. .He knows very well that he usually fights and runs away after the fight, and the other party can't do anything to him, but this time Zhu Yuanzhang is serious, and he wants to play with his life. A hero never suffers immediate losses. He put his main force and Nobles, big and small, moved to this place. This place has never been inhabited, and the desert is vast. Lan Yu's army has no logistical support, and more importantly, the army horses have no water and grass.As long as the supply of sapphire is no longer available, and the food and water are exhausted, they can turn from defense to offense. During the waiting time, he also felt uneasy, what if Sapphire really came, but many days passed, and there was not even a single person. Slowly, he relaxed his vigilance, and even the basic guards were absent. Set it up again, drinking with the ministers every day for fun, by the way, this time he took refuge, he also brought his wife and son, which was originally for their safety.But then the development of things was completely opposite to his idea. Just when Wang Bi was advancing towards his big camp, he was sitting in his tent. It happened that the wind was blowing sand, and the sky was covered by a layer of yellow sand. No one could be seen within tens of meters, and the day turned into darkness. Well, it is said that in such weather, the Ming army is even less likely to launch an attack, so he should be more at ease, but the dust all over the sky seems to hit his heart, and an ominous premonition welled up in his heart. 在大漠和草原上英勇善战的蒙古民族，对于危险往往有种先天的预知，这是他们民族长期游牧的生活习惯养成的，可是脱古思帖木儿也说不出到底哪里不对，预感终究只是预感。 还是接着喝酒吧。 在脱古思帖木儿举行宴会上的帐外，一名百户长喝醉了酒，他向驻防的太尉蛮子打了个招呼，晕晕乎乎的走出了营区，漫天飞沙中，他也不知自己走了多远。等他有点清醒过来时，已经不认得回去的路了。 这可不是开玩笑的，他努力使自己镇定下来，分辨出了方向，便回头向大营走去，突然，他发现自己的前方出现了许多人影，由于天空被黄沙覆盖，根本看不清远处人的面孔，他以为这里就是自己的大营。连忙高兴的一路跑了过去，到跟前一看，他才发现迎接他的是一群灰头土脸，就像刚从沙里捞出来一样的士兵。要命的是，这些士兵穿的并不是自己熟悉的军服。 他们是明军。 这些明军士兵用恶狼般的眼神看着他，脸上露出欣喜的表情，还大声呼喊，很快，更多的明军士兵围拢了来，他们以看待珍惜动物似的眼神注视着他。他很荣幸地成为了第一个俘虏。 今天真是倒霉，出门忘了看黄历啊。 危机就在眼前，而北元贵族们却仍在饮酒作乐，但并非所有的人都丧失了警觉。 太尉蛮子就是一个比较清醒的人，根据史料推测，这个蛮子很可能就是洪武三年（1370）在野狐岭被李文忠击败的那个太尉蛮子。如果这一推测属实的话，他倒也真是个人物。十八年过去了，多少名将都雨打风吹去，这位仁兄却一直战斗在前线，也算是老当益壮吧。 他作为北元军队的统领者，敏锐的感觉到在不远处漫天风沙的背后，似乎有危险正在向他逼近。于是他增派了士兵加强守卫。可是天气实在太差，沙尘飞起，白昼如同黑夜。士兵们摸黑在营区里走来走去，调度极其困难。这位太尉正在为此发愁，一群人的出现彻底为他解除了这一忧虑。 此时，风声小了，代之而起的却是一阵急促的马蹄声，北元士兵们发现，距自己仅仅十几步之处突然杀出一队面目狰狞，凶神恶煞的骑兵！他们伴随着黑夜和飞沙而来，与传说中的妖魔鬼怪的出场方式一模一样。 他们不问来由，以千钧之势冲入元军大营，挥舞马刀，见人就砍，无数的北元士兵在黑暗之中恐惧万分，以为这些人真是地狱中的妖魔鬼怪，完全丧失了抵抗的勇气。 但太尉蛮子很明显是个无神论者，他很快就意识到了这些不速之客真是他们的死敌——明军，于是迅速跑到后军组织还未被冲击的部队进行抵抗。其头脑不可谓不冷静，反应不可谓不快，但他一个人的努力是无法挽救元军的。 他组织部队赶去与明军作战，此时的明军却是士气高涨，他们为了找到这些冤家，在沙漠里吃尽了苦头，受够了累，好不容易找到了对手，积蓄多日的怒火终于发泄出来，个个以一当十，而元军没有堤防，很多人还在饮酒作乐，哪里是他们的对手！明军时而分散，时而集中，把元军大营冲成几段，赶杀来不及上马的元军。太尉蛮子手忙脚乱，疲于应付，正在他指挥抵抗时，一个明军赶到他的身后，狠狠地给了他一刀。这位清醒的抵抗者就此沉睡了。 蛮子死后，元军更是大乱，没有人再想去组织反击，大家一哄而散，正是所谓：兵败如山倒，你跑我也跑。 营帐内还在喝酒的脱古思帖木儿听见营外大乱，顿时慌了手脚，逃跑也是有天分的，要先抢马匹，看准位置，然后突然冲出，才算大功告成。在这方面，王保保可算是个行家，可惜脱古思帖木儿没有王保保逃跑时的天赋和从容，慌乱之中只带走了自己的长子天保奴和丞相失烈门。把老婆和次子地保奴及十余万部下都留给了明军。 这回老底是彻底赔光了。 明军继续追赶着慌乱的元军，在他们心目中似乎没有缴枪不杀这一说，只是挥舞马刀四处砍杀，北元军完全陷入混乱，死亡的恐惧笼罩着每一个人，他们本是英勇的战士，他们曾经纵横天下，但现在，他们变成了待宰的羔羊。 皇帝已经跑了，统帅也死了，抵抗还有什么用呢，于是很多人放下了武器。 牢饭毕竟也是饭，就这么着吧。 当蓝玉来到北元军营时，他看到的是成群的俘虏和牛羊，是垂头丧气的北元贵族，是一场真正而彻底的胜利。 他遥望天际，仰天长啸：伯仁（常遇春字伯仁），终平矣！不负此生！ 捕鱼儿海战役就此结束，此战彻底歼灭了北元的武装力量，俘获北元皇帝次子地保奴、太子妃并公主内眷等100余人、王公贵族3000余人、士兵7万余人、牛羊十余万头，缴获了元朝皇帝使用了上百年的印玺。 以往无论元朝统治者如何败退，每次逃跑时起码还带着印，从大都到上都，从应昌到和林，再到捕鱼儿海，别管多差的地方，支个帐篷就能成立临时政府，大臣是现成的，抓走一批再任命一批，这次连印都丢了，这套把戏也就不用再演了。 胜利的消息很快就传到了朱元璋那里，他并没有大臣们想象中的兴奋和欣喜，而是静静的坐着，二十年的努力，二十年的战争，太长了，长的似乎永远没有尽头。 现在终于结束了，我的敌人崩溃了，和平和安宁将降临我的帝国和我的臣民。蓝玉，你没有辜负我的希望！ 他看着满朝文武，说出了他一生中对部下将领的最高评价：“蓝玉就是我的仲卿、药师啊！” （仲卿是汉大将军卫青，而药师就是唐时名将李靖） 蓝玉在极其困难的条件下，带领十余万大军深入不毛，奋勇作战，彻底击溃了北元，完成了他的先辈没有完成的伟大功业，他确实无愧于这一评价。 逃往中的脱古斯帖木儿却没有朱元璋和蓝玉的欢快心情，他的军队没有了，大臣没有了，甚至他的亲人也不在了。 环顾身边，只剩下了太子天保奴、知院捏怯来和丞相失烈门，十余万大军仅剩数十人。没有了臣民，没有了士兵，本钱没有了，再也不能去干打劫的买卖。这次是真的失败了。 为什么会失败呢，如果再走远一点，如果天气不是那么差，如果不是有风沙，如果能多种点树，搞好环境保护，如果还有如果，我会失败吗。 说这些都没用了，先到和林吧，王保保能在那里东山再起，我也可以，只要重整旗鼓，我一定能重振元朝，恢复我祖先的光荣！ 但这个梦想还没有到达它的目的地，就在中途破灭了。 梦想破灭的地方叫土剌河，脱古斯帖木儿在这里遇到了一个叫也速迭儿的蒙古人，让他想不到的是，正是这个蒙古人终结了北元。 也速迭儿到底是什么人呢，我们还要从一百多年前说起： 公元1259年，蒙古大汗蒙哥率军攻击钓鱼城，然而出乎他意料的是，城池没有攻下，自己却被城中发射的炮石击伤，加上水土不服，不久就死去了。 蒙哥的死造成了一连串的后果，正在攻击南宋的忽必烈立刻收兵回去争夺汗位，而他的竞争者就是自己的弟弟阿里布哥，在这场王位争夺战中，阿里布哥战败，被幽禁而死。忽必烈最终成为了元朝的开国皇帝，他胜利了。 相对于黄金家族（成吉思汗的子孙称黄金家族）的其他子孙而言，他的胜利延续了上百年，即使在被明军赶出中原之后，他的子孙始终牢牢地把握着至高无上的大汗之位。 但失败者是不会永远失败的，忽必烈的胜利在土刺河结束了，结束它的就是也速迭儿。他十分干净利落的杀死了脱古斯帖木儿和他的儿子天保奴，并夺走了大汗的宝座。 这个也速迭儿是脱古斯帖木儿的亲戚，但他还有一个身份，他是阿里布哥的子孙。一百多年过去了，他终于等到了这个机会。 仇恨往往比爱更有生命力，历史无数次地证明了这一点。 也速迭儿杀死脱古思帖木儿后，自己当上了蒙古大汗，称卓里克图汗。但他的胜利也没有延续多久，不久死去，而死亡的魔咒似乎就此附在了黄金家族的身上，他的继任者也都在登基不久后就死掉了，黄金家族的最后一位继承者坤帖木儿死于建文四年（1402），他的部将鬼力赤篡夺了汗位，取消了元的国号，恢复了鞑靼的古称。 元就此灭亡了，黄金家族的光辉消散了。 196年前，铁木真在斡难河（今蒙古鄂嫩河）召开大会，他豪情万丈的看着臣服于他的诸侯，大声宣告自己即蒙古国大汗位，他从此成为了蒙古的统治者，铁木真这个名字不再被人们提起，取而代之的是伟大的成吉思汗。 这个名字从此响遍了整个世界，从东亚到中亚、西亚，再到东欧，黄金家族和它的士兵们呼喊着这个伟大的名字征战全世界，横跨欧亚的帝国就此建立。 然而还不到两百年，这个大帝国和统治帝国的家族就此衰败了，这个曾经的庞然大物只剩下了捕鱼儿海的逃亡，土刺河的背叛和谋杀，和那夕阳下形单影只的身影。 It's over, it's over. 蓝玉开始班师，这一战使他的名望达到了顶峰，从此他不会再被人说成徐达第二或者常遇春第二，他的名字将和这些名将一起为人们所传颂。 捕鱼儿海战役是蓝玉一生的最高点，但在此之后，他却频频出错，最终走向了毁灭的终点。