lovenovelstory Chapter 139 The Mandate of Heaven
Chapter 139 The Mandate of Heaven
At the front of Sheng Yong's formation, sturdy shields were lined up in a row, layer upon layer, impervious to swords and spears, making them quite a headache.
Zhu Di had prepared a wooden drill with iron nails with hooks on it in advance, which could be used to pull the shield.
At a command, the Yan soldiers threw out their wooden drills in unison, and with their combined strength, their shields were pulled together and lifted up. Sheng Yong's troops lost the protection of their shields and were exposed to the Yan cavalry.
Then, the Yan army unleashed a barrage of arrows.
Arrows rained down, and without the protection of their shields, Sheng Yong's left flank soldiers retreated in disarray. Before they could even fire their weapons, the Yan soldiers pounced fiercely, and a chaotic melee ensued.
Seeing the enemy formation in turmoil, Tan Yuan immediately spurred his horse forward and charged ahead. He possessed immense strength and could draw a bow with a draw weight of two stones.
Seeing Tan Yuan stirring up the battle formation with fierce and unstoppable attacks, Zhuang De, a fierce general under Sheng Yong, spurred his horse forward to meet him and fight to the death.
In the midst of the fierce battle, Tan Yuan's horse stumbled and fell to the ground. Zhuang De raised his sword and slashed fiercely. Tan Yuan was unable to dodge in time and died on the spot.
Zhu Di lost another great general.
Seeing the enemy's morale soaring, Zhu Di knew that a direct assault would be difficult to win. He immediately devised a plan, leading Zhu Neng, Zhang Wu, and other elite cavalry to quickly circle around to the enemy's rear. Under the cover of night, they launched a fierce attack, flanking the enemy from both sides.
Zhuang was in the midst of a fierce battle when he was unaware that the Yan army was launching a surprise attack from the rear. He was seriously wounded and died in battle.
Tan Yuan's death in battle caused Zhu Di great distress and uncontrollable rage. He personally led more than ten riders in a relentless pursuit. Before they knew it, night had fallen and they could not see their own hands in front of their faces, so they had no choice but to spend the night in the wilderness.
As dawn broke, Zhu Di opened his eyes and realized he was in the enemy camp.
Zhu Di gave his men a look, signaling them not to panic. Then, taking advantage of their unpreparedness, he leaped onto his horse and galloped through the camp.
Sheng Yong's troops never expected that the Prince of Yan would be staying at their camp. While they were staring at each other in astonishment, Zhu Di had already rushed out of the camp and left triumphantly.
Back at his camp, Zhu Di quickly assembled his troops, prepared for battle, reviewed the previous day's battle, and summarized the lessons learned. He told his generals, "In general, in battle, it is essential to assess the situation, know when to advance and retreat, and to use strategy to defeat the enemy."
"In a battle between two armies, the brave will prevail. This is why Emperor Guangwu defeated Wang Xun," Zhu Di shouted, boosting morale.
In battle, the key is to adapt to changing circumstances, advance and retreat freely, make good use of strategies, and employ flexible tactics in order to remain invincible.
Zhu Di abandoned his previous aggressive and reckless tactics and adopted a new battle strategy that fully utilized the mobility of cavalry. In the midst of the chaos, cavalry would quickly maneuver back and forth, discover the enemy's weak points, and launch a fierce attack.
As dawn broke, both sides deployed their troops, preparing for another battle.
The Yan army deployed in the northeast, while Sheng Yong stood ready in the southwest.
As planned, the elite cavalry of the Yan army galloped across the battlefield, charging back and forth.
Sheng Yong's troops lived up to their reputation as an elite force. Their formation was broken and then quickly reformed. Although this happened repeatedly, their formation remained intact.
The Yan army could not find a weakness in the enemy and therefore could not launch a fatal attack.
The two sides were locked in a stalemate, fighting fiercely. The sounds of clashing weapons and shouts of battle were deafening and deafening, rising and falling in waves.
The two sides fought fiercely, remaining locked in a stalemate for four hours without a clear victor.
At this critical moment, a timely strong wind rose again, dust flew, and yellow sand covered the sky.
Sheng Yong's troops fought against the wind, and the sandstorm blinded them, suddenly turning the tide of battle.
With the help of the strong wind, the Yan soldiers moved with the wind, their morale soaring, and they unleashed astonishing fighting power, quickly turning the tide of the battle.
Sheng Yong's troops could not withstand the fierce offensive, abandoned their supplies, and retreated to Dezhou.
"Another strong wind is blowing," the old emperor sighed upon hearing this.
Zhu Gaoxi could not justify his actions and could only wait for the old emperor's opinion.
"If it weren't for the help of the strong wind, your father's chances of winning would have been uncertain," Zhu Gaoxi said, squinting at his eldest grandson, seemingly suspecting him of cheating.
In all honesty, with your discerning eyes, how could I dare?!
Zhu Gaoxi's pitiful little eyes gradually dispelled the old emperor's doubts.
"With your father's fighting style, how did he manage to advance on the capital?" The old emperor, a seasoned veteran of many battles, immediately noticed something amiss.
"Grandpa, what are your thoughts?" Zhu Gaoxi asked casually.
"Don't ask us, just tell us the truth, don't embellish or lie to us, we can tell," the old emperor still had doubts about his eldest grandson's credibility.
Zhu Gaoxi pouted pitifully, blinking his big, dark eyes for trust. Seeing this, the old emperor casually picked up a milk stick and stuffed it into his hand, thus dismissing him.
Better than nothing, Zhu Gaoxi lamented inwardly, yet dared not disobey.
At every critical moment, a strong wind blows. Does this represent the will of Heaven?
In ancient times, science and technology were underdeveloped, and people were mostly superstitious.
Zhu Di may not have believed these things, but that doesn't mean he wouldn't try to win people's hearts in this way.
Perhaps, after Zhu Di ascended the throne, he intentionally or unintentionally cultivated the image of being the one destined by Heaven, and this may have even begun during the Jingnan Campaign.
Back then, not long after Zhu Yuanzhang captured Nanjing, he ordered it to be renamed Yingtian, meaning to comply with the will of Heaven.
Zhu Di has always been praised for being most like his father, and he would certainly have carefully considered his father's successful experiences.
There is only one throne. Only by mobilizing all resources and fighting for it can one have a chance to survive.
Zhu Di had no way out. His eldest nephew, the Jianwen Emperor, had forced Prince Xiang, Zhu Bai, to commit suicide by setting himself on fire. How could he be polite to him?
If he surrenders without resistance, he will most likely meet a violent end, just like his second son, Zhu Gaoxu, who was not only sentenced to death, but all his sons also perished.
The struggle for the throne has always been bloody and cruel.
It could suppress the opponent, increase his own chances of winning, and not deplete his troops. It was just a strong wind representing the will of Heaven. Why wouldn't Zhu Di do it?
With divine assistance, who would dare to try to stop a chariot with their bare hands and overestimate their own abilities?
That's how Zhu Gaoxi understood it anyway.
Even if the throne was seized through true ability, it wouldn't hurt to share some of the credit with the rightful leader.
It's definitely more effective at persuading others.
After this battle, the overall situation was reversed once again.
Despite repeated setbacks and relentless struggles for survival, Zhu Di, in his desperate and hopeless perseverance, finally turned the tide and regained the upper hand.
So, what was the real reason for Sheng Yong's defeat in the Battle of Jiahe?
Besides Zhu Di's relentless fighting spirit, Sheng Yong himself became complacent.
After twice severely beating the Prince of Yan, Sheng Yong's prestige soared to its peak, and various praises poured in, making Sheng Yong somewhat arrogant.
It is said that among the spoils of war captured by the Yan army were gold and silver utensils and luxurious robes.
What's the point of bringing all this stuff with you when you go out to fight?!
It was undoubtedly for celebrating a victory.
Sheng Yong thought he was sure to win, but he ended up losing badly.
But was defeating Zhu Di solely his achievement?
Obviously not, Ping An and Wu Jie have been quite busy.
Ping An, in particular, was always ready to fight to the death in every battle.
Seeing Sheng Yong stealing the limelight and becoming self-righteous, how could they possibly accept it?
When the battle between Zhu Di and Sheng Yong reached a stalemate, Ping An and Wu Jie could have rushed to Zhu Di's aid and attacked him from both sides. However, they hesitated on the way and did not offer any assistance until Sheng Yong was defeated.
Ping An and Wu Jie's unwillingness to cooperate with Sheng Yong inadvertently reduced the number of troops the court could commit to the battle, naturally tilting the scales of victory in favor of the Yan army.