Genius remembers in a second [Aishang Novel Network biquge.info] to provide you with wonderful novels to read.

If you ask the herders of the steppe what is the most important thing about marching on the steppe, the answer must be exactly the same, the first is a guide who is familiar with geography, and the second is sufficient food and water. With a geography-savvy guide, he can take you to areas with abundant water and grass to get supplies, and with plenty of water, you can get all the way to the depths of the desert where it is difficult for ordinary people to get to guò without any additional detours.

For the Xia army led by Kuching, there are not only qualified guides left by Tang Baoyi before but also the volunteer army formed by the Inner Mongolian tribes, so there is no shortage of the former. As for the latter, although Kuching made a hurried U-turn from the eastern front to the north, and the material preparations were slightly insufficient, the Chechen Khan's banners that had come to seek refuge brought enough cattle and sheep, which made him have sufficient supplies to ensure that he also had sufficient supplies.

Since both are complete, Kuching should be moving forward, but the Kuching department is steady and steady, and there is no intention of rushing forward. This is of course because of the relationship between the Xia army and the construction of trade stations along the way, but more importantly, it is to recuperate the horses that have lost weight due to the spring battle and wait for the Xia army's mixed-breed war horses to return to the front line after breeding.

Speaking of the trade post built by the Xia army, in fact, it was not built after Kuching went north.

After the Chengde Alliance, as an important measure to help the Mongolian banners that were damaged in the war, Huaxia had begun to spend money to recruit nearby Mongolian banners, and built trade stations between Zhijining County, Zhili Prefecture, Pingdiquan, and the Sunite Right Banner of Xilin Gol League, Zhangbei County, Xuanhua Prefecture between the Ordos Banner of the Chahar League and the Sunite Right Banner, between the Sunit Right Banner and Erren, and between Chengde and (Ba) Lin (Right Banner) through Chifeng.

These inns usually have one every two to three summers, and are usually in the form of a square fortress. Each of the four corners has a three-story watchtower with an outer diameter of ten summer feet square (about 36 m2), an inner diameter of eight summer feet square (about 23 m2), and a height of about nine summer feet (about 5.4 m), each watchtower is spaced at a distance of 100 summer feet (about 6om), and is connected by a wall with a summer foot thickness (about o.6m) and six summer feet (about 3.6m) high. The wall and the watchtower are the same as the gravel and cement on the grassland desert, only one door is opened on all sides, except for the wall on one side of the door, the rest of the wall is set up under the one layer of bungalows, respectively, the garrison barracks, the warehouse and the inn.

The purpose of the garrison barracks does not need to be repeated, such a fortress-like post station usually garrisons a team of about 30 people, and in wartime it can accommodate a sentry of 100 or even more soldiers and horses. Inns and warehouses were reserved for merchants, usually with two or three single rooms and a large shop that could accommodate more than 20 people, so that the caravans could choose to rest and store their goods in the post station, and the garrison could obtain a part of the financial subsidies for buying cattle and sheep and other meat from the surrounding Mongolian people. Moreover, in order to provide convenience for the merchants, the garrison barracks and the inn also have a kitchen for the garrison and the merchants to open their own gangs, and in winter, the waste heat from the kitchen can also be used to supply heat to the kang of the barracks and inn.

The opening of inns and warehouses to the outside world is certainly beneficial to both the military and the locality, but it is not without its drawbacks. After a long time, it is very likely that horse bandits or other hostile forces will come out of the caravan to infiltrate and come to a fortress to conquer from the inside. Therefore, the regulations on the stationing of the post station issued by the Ministry of Military Affairs of China clearly stipulate that the garrison's ordnance, gunpowder and grain reserves must be scattered and stored in the armament warehouse on the second floor of the watchtower, in addition, the garrison is not allowed to be stationed in the barracks, and a certain garrison must be maintained in the watchtower.

As a post station, stagecoaches are very important, so the livestock shed is specially set up at the wall on the side of the door, half of which is used to store military horses, and the other half is for merchants to store towing horses and pack horses. However, both barracks are semi-enclosed for ventilation, either for the post house or for caravans, but in winter they need to be covered with felt to prevent the cattle from freezing to death.

There is also a drinking water well in the central square of the post station, and if the post station is built in a place where water cannot be dug out, a water storage tank is built to meet daily needs and long-term persistence in the event of a siege.

Around the post station, a dry ditch was dug to allow for drainage in the event of a possible rainstorm, while also making it more difficult to storm the post station.

The Huaxia Military Department estimated that with the Mongols' siege capabilities, these posts could resist for more than a month without artillery, and even if the Mongols were equipped with cannons, they could ensure that they could hold out for five to ten days, which was enough for the main force of the Xia army in the interior to get the due warning and make appropriate responses.

"Lord Kuching," looking at Kuching for a long time, looking at a certain post station under construction, the Chechen Khan Umerke, who was standing beside him, said with some anxiety. "The army of the Celestial Empire has been in Mobei for two months, and the adults are still wandering on the border, if Wangzale Dorji takes the opportunity to annex the Zasaktu Khan, I am afraid that it will be too late for the adults to regret it."

Kuching glanced at the uncontrollable Chechen Khan: "Don't be impatient, please be patient." ”

Although he had not yet received the seal robe and sword brought back by the envoy he sent to the mainland to make the pilgrimage to Zheng Kezang, Umerke, who already knew that he had become the king of Eastern Khalkha County, had the courage to ask: "Please also ask Lord Gu for advice, how long will this king wait?" ”

Kuching then asked the side, "When will the Darigang Aibu arrive at the meeting?" ”

As part of the Mongol Volunteer Army, Kuching participated in the crusade against the Korqin East Six Banners and the Eight Banners Princely Alliance, due to the continuous fighting and the movement of the bones, the vitality of the department was greatly damaged, and there were less than 20,000 men who could fight. It was precisely because of the consideration that the other party was not one-time cannon fodder, so at that time, half of the Mongol rebels were handed over to Kuching, who was appointed as the deputy of the Song Mo Metropolitan Protector to continue the Eastern Crusade, and he asked the ministry to temporarily return to Darigang to recuperate for more than a month to restore the horsepower.

Now that the rest of the month has passed, there is no sign of Darigang Aibu going out again, so Kuching is not suspicious, worried that after he attacks, the other party will rebel and copy his own back road.

"We have already contacted the Darigang Aibu and have sent 5,000 troops, and in about five days we will be able to come to the seventeen stations (north of Erren) to join our army. ”

Five thousand? Kuching did some mental calculations, the main force of the Xia army, the 4th Division of the Iron Cavalry Army and the 1st Division of the Flying Cavalry Army, but the Flying Cavalry Army Department is responsible for the garrison of the newly built military (post) stations in Eren and Khalkha and Xilin Gol, in fact, it should not be counted in the military strength, in this case, plus the 10,000 people of the Chechen Khan, the main force of the Xia Army and the Mongolian Volunteer Army is only more than 25,000 people, and the strength is limited even if it is stronger than the Tushetu Khan. Moreover, the Darigang Patriotic Department is very weak, and the Chechen Khan Department is also a poor army, and the only Iron Cavalry Army that can be counted on has to wait for the half-blood war horses to arrive, so it will not be able to enter the battle in a short time.

So Kuching, who had already considered it all, said lightly: "There is no definite number for how long to wait, if the opportunity comes, maybe tomorrow will attack, but if the opportunity does not come, then you have to wait until the opportunity comes." ”

"Opportunity?" Umerke looked at Kuching with some puzzlement. "What is the opportunity, please advise me."

"The prince also said just now that Wangzal Dorji will not fight the idea of the Chechen Khan alone, if he wants to be the Great Khan of Transkhalkha, he will inevitably have a conflict with the Zasaktu Khan." Kuching felt that there was no need to hide it, so he explained. "But why haven't the two families fought until now?"

"yes, why didn't you fight?" Umerke also found it strange. "It is said that Wangzale Dorji is now strong enough to annex the Zasaktu Khan, but why did he hold back and not make a move?"

"The reason is simple," said Kuching. "Because the imperial court has sent troops." Kuching explained further to the puzzled Umerk. "Wangzaldorji is a smart man, he knows that once he is pressed, the Zasaktu Khan will throw himself on the side of the dynasty, so that it is impossible for the Tushetu Khan to resist the forces of the three families."

Umerk was still a little puzzled and said: "This is exactly the reason why this king is in a hurry to send troops??????

Kuching interrupted unceremoniously: "But does the Zasaktu Khan have the intention of attaching themselves to the imperial court now?" No, no, they are still hesitating, hesitating whether to join the imperial court or join the Dzungars, and even the Oros are also their choice, so the official cannot send troops, lest he be married. ”

Kuching coldly compensated: "The slower the court goes north, the more Wangzar Dorji will feel that he still has a chance, then sooner or later he will fight with the Zasaktu Khan, once the battle starts, the Dzungar whip will not be able to reach the commander, and the Oros will not necessarily be in the fire, then the Zasaktu Khan will only have to join the imperial court, then the official march is justified." ”

Umerke was silent, of course he understood that Kuching was preparing to take advantage of the fisherman, and only when the two divisions were tired and disabled did Kuching send troops to lay the victory. However, this result was not necessarily the best for Umerk, and the position of the Chechen Khan in Transkhark could be strengthened only if both the Tushetu Khan and the Zasaktu Khan were weakened. It's just that from the perspective of the Mongols, Umerke feels very sad, it is the internal friction again and again that makes the Mongols, who once established a world-class empire, the object of slaughter, and the knowledge that his fate is not in his hands makes him even more powerless.

After complaining to himself for a while, the king of the Eastern Khalkha Prefecture of the Chinese Dynasty seemed to think of something, and said: "Once the war starts, it is best to take Jebtsundamba Dahu Tuketu in his hands, he is the religious leader of the steppe, the spiritual master of the Mongols, there is an old Chinese saying called coercing the Son of Heaven to order the princes." ”

Kuching nodded: "It should be so, but I still have to ask the prince to send someone to help, after all, I don't know much about the Great Living Buddha." ”

Umerke replied: "It is a matter of belonging to the Khalkhas, and this king should do his best to ??????"