Daming: At the start of the showdown, Lao Zhu was stunned

Chapter 1132: Surprise Attack on Beldraig

Chapter 1132: Surprise Attack on Beldraig

The snowfall this year was unusually fierce. On the sixth day of the snowfall, the ground was already covered with deep snow, and the sky was still snowing. The Ming army organized the residents in the city to clean up the snow in the city, while the defenders in Kangju City transported food and grass for the frontline soldiers.

At the same time, it also brought very bad news: heavy snow blocked the roads in the rear and the food supply was blocked. The defenders of Kangju City and the troops of the three Sultans were trying their best to clear the food supply, but the next batch of food and grass would inevitably be affected.

Zhu Di was very worried about this and discussed the matter with Yao Guangxiao again and again. Then he called all the generals together and informed them of the matter publicly at the military meeting.

"The roads are blocked and the transportation of food and fodder is hindered. The situation is particularly unfavorable to us. If you have any plans in mind, you can tell me."

The generals looked at each other in bewilderment. Lack of food and grass was a matter of great importance to any army, and keeping it secret would affect the morale of the army. The commander Zhu Di actually announced this matter publicly, which really caused an uproar among the generals.

Yao Guangxiao sat next to Zhu Di, twirling his Buddhist beads with a gloomy face. Zhu Di sat in the main seat, holding his hands on the armrests of the chair and observing the reactions of the generals. He knew that the announcement of this news would cause unrest in the army, but it was also because of this that he could confirm whether the army still had the courage to fight.

There was a buzz of whispers in the hall, but Zhu Di remained silent. The first person to speak was Xu Zengshou, who came with Zhu Di. Seeing that his comrades were whispering and seemed to be undecided, the second son of the Xu family simply stood up and clasped his fists to Zhu Di, saying, "Fourth Prince, we are generals, what can we do? You are the commander-in-chief of the Western Expedition Army, so just tell us what you have planned."

"It would be a headache for us to make decisions on such matters. Whether to advance or retreat, just give the word and we will follow your orders."

"I just asked you to discuss the matter, not to make a decision." Zhu Di said. "You can tell me what you think. Zengshou, you go first."

"Then we will continue to march!" Xu Zengshou said. "We have come a long way and have not yet gained enough military merit. How can we return to the east in disgrace just because of a heavy snowfall?"

After saying that, he added, "...Of course, if the Fourth Prince feels that the food and grass are insufficient and orders the troops to withdraw, my Xu family is willing to obey your orders."

"If Your Highness wants to withdraw, we will certainly obey your order. But we are unwilling to do so!" Zhang Yu stepped out again. He looked around at the generals and raised his arms, saying, "We have won great victories all the way here. If we withdraw today because of the heavy snow, those Western barbarians will know about it and think that the Ming Dynasty is afraid of them!"

"That's right!" The generals were immediately excited. Even Mahamu, the Emir, and General Edigu of the Golden Horde expressed their unwillingness to withdraw their troops. They were now the leaders of their respective ethnic groups, leading their own ethnic groups to rely on the power of the Ming Dynasty to gain a foothold here. If the Ming Dynasty withdrew its troops and declared the Western Expedition a failure, the Ming Dynasty's influence in Central Asia would surely plummet, and the Crusaders would have to return next year.

Their ethnic group would inevitably face great disaster: pagans would be retaliated against, the Khanate would be invaded, and even Mahamu in Sindhu would not be able to suppress the Sindhu Brahmin nobles who were his vassals if he could not gain enough benefits from the Western Expedition.

"Okay!" Zhu Di slapped the armrest of the chair and stood up. "Since your army is willing to help, I have nothing to worry about."

"Xu Zengshou, Zhang Yu, listen to my orders!"

The two people whose names were called were startled and knelt on one knee in front of Zhu Di.

"You two will each lead your elite troops as the first formation, and tonight, follow me and march westward."

One of them led the guards of Yan Wang under the command of Yan Wang Zhu Di, and the other led the elite troops of the Xu family. Although the number of soldiers and horses was small, they were the most elite among the Ming army in the Western Expedition. In previous battles, these elite troops were usually used as the rear troops at the bottom of the box, and had not been sent to the battlefield in the first wave. Therefore, when Zhu Di named these two people, the generals were very surprised. Wang Xian stepped out and asked, "Your Highness, what about us?"

"Your Highness, we Mongolian warriors also want to join the war!" Mahamu put one hand on his chest and knelt down to ask for battle.

"Your Highness, we in the Golden Horde are also willing to go through fire and water for the Ming Dynasty!" said General Edigu of the Golden Horde.

"Your Highness, don't forget us!" The Emir, who led the Central Asian Christian army, also knelt before Zhu Di. "Emperor Haotian, we are also willing to fight for the glory of the Ming Dynasty!"

"Of course you are indispensable." Zhu Di said. "Five days later, you will lead our troops to move to the Danube River. Once there is news from the front, you will immediately send troops and press forward with your entire army."

As he spoke, he revealed a strange smile. "Although our food and fodder are running low."

"But those barbarians' camps... must still have a lot of food and fodder."

Oh... All the generals suddenly realized that the way for His Highness to solve the food and grass crisis was to rob the enemy's food and grass...

Seeing that Zhu Di had a plan in mind, the generals stopped making noises, received the order, and went to gather their soldiers. Zhang Yu and Xu Zengshou each led their elite troops and quietly gathered outside the city. Taking advantage of the darkness of the night, they left Xinxianyang City with Zhu Di and quietly headed northwest.

In the snowy season, people were seldom seen. In addition, Zhu Di's elite troops only camped and rested in secluded places during the day and only marched at night. Therefore, they were unnoticed as ghosts all the way north. It was also God's blessing that the heavy snow stopped temporarily on the third day of the march, saving the Ming army from many difficulties.

On the eighth day, the elite troops led by Zhu Di successfully arrived at the designated position on the banks of the Danube. Looking at the twinkling lights in the distance on the snowy night, Zhu Di, hiding behind a pile of snow, smiled coldly.

The sphere of influence of the Ming Dynasty's Western Expedition Army and the European Crusaders is now roughly divided by the Danube River. The castle on the opposite bank is called Belgrade Castle, a defensive castle built relying on the Danube River and the surrounding terrain. It is also the headquarters of the current Crusaders... These days, the Western Pope has been calling for conscription, and the Western headquarters on the opposite bank have obviously gained a lot more troops, and the fire in the castle looks dim.

"Your Highness, we can launch a surprise attack." Xu Zengshou said. "We should be careful along the way. I don't think these Western barbarians have discovered our tracks."

"If we make a commotion and attack the fortress now, we may be able to break it on the spot."

Zhu Di held up the telescope and watched intently, saying, "The noise of attacking the city may scare the Western barbarians."

“But they rely on the strength of their fortress, so they may not be scared to abandon the city and flee.”

"If they don't abandon the city, do they want us to fight a siege battle with them outside the city in this cold winter? This is exactly what they want."

Belgrade Castle has a very advantageous geographical location. It is located at the confluence of the Danube and Sava rivers, connected to the middle Danube Plain, namely the Vojvodina Plain, in the north, and the Šumadija Hills, an extension of the Old Mountains, in the south. It is located on the main water and land transportation route of the Danube and the Balkan Peninsula. It is an important contact point between Europe and the Near East and has great strategic significance, so it is known as the Key to the Balkans.

It was for this reason that the Crusaders sent a large army to confront the Western Expedition Army here. They spent a lot of effort to build this castle. Not only did they gather many Crusaders in the city, but they also stored a large amount of baggage, just to wait for an opportunity to counterattack the Ming Western Expedition Army.

There is very little chance that they will be scared away like a frightened bird.

(End of this chapter)