In reality, Liu Zhangkuan did have provisions.
The Great Ming, when campaigning from Yunnan and Guizhou, would stockpile provisions either in Yongchang or Mengzi. These provisions were supplied by military garrisons and supplemented by half-farming, half-military households, so shortages were rare. Even when large armies were assembled, the mobilization from various prefectures could guarantee several months of supply.
Liu Zhangkuan said this because he understood Mu Chaobi's intentions perfectly. Mu Chaobi specifically needed a crisis so that he could use the army to control the situation. In a month's time, after he had squeezed everyone dry, there would naturally be provisions.
By creating this scene today, with urgent matters of state, no one could object. Mu Chaobi ordered everyone to investigate and report back in three days, expecting to find only a marginal shortage. Without enough provisions, the army would be unable to march, and would have to remain in Yongchang Prefecture for ten to twenty days. This time lag and tense situation was exactly what Mu Chaobi desired.
Inside the central tent,
The atmosphere suddenly shifted. You Jujing, worried about further complications, immediately said:
"Why aren't you all hurrying to get it done! My Lord, we still have to wait for provisions to arrive before we can march. Shall we rest in Yongchang Prefecture for a few days?"
Mu Chaobi sighed, "The state of the nation has degenerated to this point... Alas, what can be done? Then we shall rest here!"
He shot Liu Zhangkuan a glare and then stormed off.
Zhu Mo and Yang Shen had chatted for a while and now found it uninteresting, so they bid farewell to everyone. He thought that Mu Chaobi might make a drastic move, so he asked You Jujing to stay with him, and at the same time, had three hundred arquebusiers camp separately at the foot of a mountain, a little distance from the main camp.
As night fell,
After a simple meal, You Jujing was restless and said:
"Scholar Zhu, why don't I go into the city to have a look? What exactly is going on in Yongchang Prefecture? They've been preparing provisions for two months, why isn't it done? I truly don't believe it..."
Zhu Mo also did not believe it.
After all,
Yongchang Prefecture had vast fertile lands, a dense population, and historically light taxation. How could two months of preparation still not be enough for the monthly needs of fifty thousand men?
Therefore, he was not worried about this at all. Instead, he was concerned that Mu Chaobi might make a move against him and You Jujing in the next few days, and he currently had no means to resist him.
After thinking for a while,
Zhu Mo decided to leave first, to get away from this troublesome place. He immediately said:
"Zhuowu, Lord You, I don't think we should go into the city. Let's head south first, camp by the Lujiang River, and claim it's to guard against a sneak attack from the Xiongnu... What do you think?"
You Jujing nodded.
Li Zhi also felt that this journey was very strange. Moreover, this was a region of miasma, with peculiar local customs. The unusualness of everything made him very uneasy, and he immediately said:
"Good! Zixuan, we must leave!"
Zhu Mo worried about any unforeseen trouble during the night, so he ordered the arquebusiers to set up three shifts of guard duty, all the way until dawn. Then they would pack up and leave.
...
That night,
The three slept in their clothes in the central tent.
Zhu Mo felt very tired and had a strange dream. He woke up in a cold sweat and quietly stepped out of the tent... He looked up, only to see the moon shining brightly like frost, as if it were day, and everything was silent. But within this silence, a subtle sense of unease could be felt. The distant Yongchang city had sparse lights, appearing like a wild village.
"Am I, Zhu Mo, going to fail here?"
As he murmured to himself, a thought suddenly surged into his mind: Why don't I leave now? Why not seize Yongchang City first? Then send a letter to Jiangnan and the Grand Secretariat, asking them to immediately send high officials down. Or, go all out and have the arquebusiers tie up Mu Chaobi right now? Then let You Jujing take charge of the overall situation?
After much thought,
He could not make up his mind.
Just then, four or five lights sped towards them, and the army camp suddenly erupted in flames, instantly becoming a sea of fire.
"Mang Yinglong has broken through!"
"Mang Yinglong has broken through!"
Those four or five lights turned out to be scouts, who, along with their horses, charged into the main camp.
You Jujing also came out at this time, exclaiming in shock, "What? Mang Yinglong has broken through?"
Zhu Mo ignored him, and after observing intently for a moment, felt it was not fake. He immediately strode into Mu Chaobi's main camp, thinking this was divine intervention and perhaps an opportunity to turn the tables.
...
Inside the tent,
The atmosphere was frozen.
As soon as Mu Chaobi saw Zhu Mo enter, he handed him an urgent dispatch and said, "Military advisor, Mang Yinglong is personally leading an army of fifty thousand from Mubang. They are divided into two routes... The Xiongnu are also crossing the river with twenty thousand men... Coupled with the tens of thousands from Mubang, the enemy already exceeds one hundred thousand..."
As he spoke,
His face had become extremely grim.
Zhu Mo read it carefully and thought: Yu Dayou has not yet reached Malacca, or perhaps he has arrived, but the message has not yet reached Bogu City. Mang Yinglong has escalated this time... This man is truly a formidable hero...
At this moment,
The military situation was like fire, and it completely exceeded Mu Chaobi's expectations. All internal contradictions instantly vanished, and everyone felt the real danger this time, temporarily putting aside their grievances.
You Jujing sighed,
"My Lord, we have no provisions internally, and powerful enemies are pressing from the outside. By our side, there are also rebellious chieftains, and in Yongchang Prefecture, the officials and people are in discord... Alas, this situation has indeed taken a sharp turn for the worse..."
Mu Chaobi's surprise and uncertainty at this moment were even greater than everyone else's, because he had originally thought that Mang Yinglong was merely raiding the border, and at most would capture Mubang, never daring to invade. Ultimately, these were just external forces coordinating with the Ming dynasty's internal affairs. How could it suddenly become a real fight? Had the Yan family not considered this?
Thinking of this,
He glared angrily at Wang Daren, cursing in his heart: You ghost Taoist! If you had captured You Jujing in Kunming, why would I have had to come to Yongchang Prefecture? Now, the Xiongnu are coming from the Lujiang River, and it will only take half a day to reach Yongchang City by afternoon tomorrow. My army is caught in a dilemma, how can I explain this to the court? If Mang Yinglong captures Shunning or Yongchang, I will not only be letting down the court but also my ancestors!
At this time,
Qujing Guard Commander Wang Fu suddenly said:
"My Lord, shall I lead my contingent to the east bank of the Lujiang River to intercept the Xiongnu?"
Mu Chaobi nodded and sighed, "That is the only way... Wang Fu, He An, you two each lead a route. Wang Fu goes to the east bank of the Lujiang River, and He An goes to Shunning, heading directly for Mengding, to hold the passes first..."
As he said this,
He suddenly looked at Zhu Mo, thinking that this person had some reputation, and whether he might have a good strategy at this moment.
He immediately asked:
"Military advisor, what do you think?"
Zhu Mo pondered for a moment and said in a deep voice:
"My Lord, since the enemy already numbers one hundred thousand, I believe we still need to make overall deployments. Generals Wang and He's two routes are naturally feasible, they should hold for as long as they can. In the current situation, our army is insufficient, so we must seize the time to find more reinforcements..."
Humph,
Mu Chaobi scoffed and said:
"Of course, I know we are short of troops, which is why I am asking the military advisor for a solution!"
His subordinate generals immediately cast contemptuous glances, all thinking to themselves: This Zhu Mo, despite his great fame, is just a smooth-talking dilettante when it comes to crucial moments...