Chapter 361: Westward Advance 2

At daybreak, the river valley was already completely under Ming forces' control.

Zhu Yong sat on a large Stone, gnawing Dry Rations, watching the soldiers clean the battlefield.

About two thousand prisoners were captured, a few hundred died, and the rest fled.

Zhu Di walked over, his face excited, saying: "Second Prince, this battle was so exhilarating! Baye Jide tried to ambush us, but we turned the ambush on him!"

Zhu Yong swallowed the Dry Rations in his mouth and said: "It's only just begun; the Kizil River valley stretches three hundred li, Baye Jide couldn't have set only this one ambush.

He sent the order: the whole army rests for one hour, then continues westward."

One hour later, the main force continued westward along the valley.

When the sun rose overhead, scouts reported: another Ottoman camp was spotted Thirty Li ahead, about five thousand men, blocking the valley.

Zhu Yong did not act personally. He had Zhu Di lead ten thousand men in a frontal feint, while Zhang Wuhe and Chen Heng each led five thousand men to flank around the mountains.

The fight lasted less than an hour; the Ottomans were routed, leaving over a thousand corpses, and fled westward.

Thus, the main force marched westward, fighting all the way.

The Ottomans set up three defensive lines, each easily shattered by the Longxiang Army.

Baye Jide tried to trade space for time, but the Longxiang Army's advance was too swift; he never had time to reorganize the defenses.

On the third day of the fifth month, the main force reached fifty li east of Ankara.

Baye Jide deployed his formation here.

Fifty thousand troops, with their backs against Ankara City, formed a front line.

Cavalry on the Right Wing and left wing, infantry in the middle, archers in the frontmost rank.

Zhu Yong halted his horse, squinting as he surveyed the opposing Formation.

"Fifty thousand men are indeed far stronger than those scattered bands before," Zhu Di urged his horse forward.

Zhu Yong shook his head: "It's not fifty thousand, it's thirty thousand. Look at their Formation: the front‑row archers are sparse, the infantry in the middle isn't thick enough, and the cavalry on the wings is even fewer."

Baye Jide still had at most thirty thousand men in hand; the remaining twenty thousand were empty shells, meant only to intimidate.

Zhu Di examined closely and indeed found it so; the opposing Formation looked large, but a careful count showed the manpower was at least half that.

"Second Prince, how did you tell?" he couldn't help asking.

Zhu Yong's mouth twitched slightly as he said: "After fighting for so many years, you can gauge strength from a Formation. If he truly had fifty thousand, he wouldn't spread the Formation so wide; he'd concentrate troops in the center, wait for us to charge, then let the cavalry on both wings encircle."

"Now he spreads the Formation to make people think he has more troops."

"Then how shall we fight?"

Zhu Yong thought for a moment, flipped off his horse, and took two Double Hammers from the saddle.

"You take twenty thousand men, press from the front, don't rush to charge, advance slowly, force them to fire arrows; when their arrows are mostly spent, open the middle path, and leave the rest to me."

Zhu Di was startled and said: "Second Prince, you charge alone?"

"Not one man, but a thousand. You hold them at the front, I'll slash in through the middle, seize the central camp; once Baye Jide flees, those thirty thousand will scatter."

Zhu Di gritted his teeth and said: "Fine, I'll follow Second Prince."

Half an hour later, Zhu Di led twenty thousand Longxiang Army forward slowly from the front.

The Ottoman archers began to unleash arrows.

Arrows fell like rain, but the Longxiang Army wore plate armor; the arrows clanged off their bodies, unable to wound.

Zhu Di walked at the front, brandishing a sword, shouting loudly: "Brothers, walk steadily, don't rush! Wait until they finish firing, then we charge!"

The twenty thousand moved at a steady pace forward. Ottoman arrows grew denser, but the Longxiang Army's plate armor was too thick to be pierced.

Baye Jide, in the Central Command Tent, watched the scene, his face turning iron‑blue.

He had fought a lifetime, never having seen such an army.

Arrows could not kill, swords could not cut; clad in iron armor, they stood like iron lumps.

"Send the order: the Right Wing cavalry charge, encircle them!" he barked.

Ottoman cavalry surged from both wings, their hooves sounding like muffled thunder.

Zhu Di had been waiting for this moment.

"Left Wing! Right Wing! Meet them!"

The Longxiang Army cavalry on both wings also charged out, Flintlock Guns firing in unison, the Ottoman cavalry at the front falling in rows.

The Formation broke.

Zhu Yong moved.

He hefted the Double Hammers, leading a thousand elite Longxiang troops, thrusting straight into the Ottoman central camp from the middle.

A thousand against thirty thousand is a death sentence at any time, but Zhu Yong never argued with reason.

He charged at the front, swinging the Double Hammers left and right; each strike took a life.

An Ottoman cavalryman charged forward, his spear thrust toward Zhu Yong's chest.

Zhu Yong's hammer struck the spear shaft, snapping it in two; the rider's throat burst open, blood gushing.

The second hammer slammed into his chest, sending both rider and horse flying, toppling several men behind.

Another cavalryman charged, a curved blade slashing at his neck.

Zhu Yong didn't look back, swung a hammer backward in a sweeping strike, the hammerhead crushing the horse's head; the warhorse let out a mournful whinny and fell, the rider was flung off, his neck snapped.

Zhu Yong alone pierced through the thirty thousand's Formation.

The thousand Longxiang troops behind him followed his path, charging forward, Flintlock Guns firing together, sabers slashing, tearing a huge gap in the Ottoman Formation.

Baye Jide, in the Central Command Tent, watched the blood‑soaked figure draw nearer, his legs trembling.

He had fought forty years, never having seen anyone like this.

One man, two hammers, the thirty‑thousand Formation could not stop him, nor could a five‑thousand cavalry charge.

"Retreat! Quickly retreat!" he shouted hoarsely.

The messenger soldiers waved the flags, and the orders reached the front line.

The Ottoman Formation was completely thrown into chaos.

Those in front ran backward, and those behind, not knowing what had happened, also ran.

Thirty thousand men, like a panicked flock of sheep, fled toward Ankara City.

Zhu Yong did not pursue.

He stood in front of the Central Command Tent, hung the hammer back on the horse's back, and wiped the blood from his face.

His body was covered in blood, but it wasn't his.

Zhu Di rode over, his face excited, and shouted, "Second Prince! Victory! Thirty thousand, routed!"

Zhu Yong nodded and said, "Messenger, pursue for Thirty Li, don't let them run into Ankara City."

"Yes!"

The Longxiang Army began the pursuit. The routed soldiers were scattered everywhere; the fast ones had vanished, the slow ones knelt on the ground and surrendered.

Zhu Yong sat on the chair in the Central Command Tent, watching the chaos strewn across the ground.

Chen Heng handed over a jug of water and asked, "Prince, are you injured?"

"No." Zhu Yong took the water and took a sip.

Chen Heng looked at his blood‑stained clothes and swallowed a mouthful of saliva.

One person broke through the formation of thirty thousand men, without a single wound on his body.

He had followed the Prince for over ten years, was long accustomed, yet each sight still shocked him.

"Prince, what shall we do next?" he asked.

Zhu Yong stood up, looked toward the western sky and said, "Reorganize the troops and head to Ankara. Baye Jide won't get far."

On the fifth day of the fifth month, the main army arrived beneath Ankara City.

This city was far larger than Fan City, its walls thick, and it was the Ottoman Empire's most important stronghold on the Anatolian Plateau.

The walls were lined with soldiers; archers drew their bows and nocked arrows, and spearmen formed a strict line awaiting.

Baye Jide did not run into the city. He set up camp outside, deployed the remaining over twenty thousand men, and prepared for a fight to the death.

Zhu Yong halted his horse, watching the enemy formation.

This time, Baye Jide was not playing lightly.

Over twenty thousand men, formation tight, front rank heavy infantry wielding lances, rear rank archers, and cavalry on both wings.

A few thousand garrison troops remained on the walls, ready to come out and support at any moment.

"Second Prince, this battle is hard to fight." Zhu Di rode over.

Zhu Yong nodded and said, "It is hard, but we cannot forgo fighting; Ankara is the gateway of the Anatolian Plateau. If we don't take Ankara, we cannot enter Asia Minor."

He thought for a moment, dismounted and said, "Messenger, line up the whole army; Longxiang Army in front, Yan Army behind. I will lead the vanguard, you follow me in the charge."

Zhu Di hurried, "Second Prince, you intend to charge alone again; this time the enemy has over twenty thousand men plus archers on the walls…"

"Who said one person… I will lead five thousand men in the vanguard, smash through their front line. You take ten thousand men behind, wait for them to break, then you flank from both sides.

Zhang Wu leads five thousand men around the north gate, lest Baye Jide escape." Zhu Yong glanced at him and said.

He lifted the Double Hammers, remounted and said, "Advance."

Five thousand Longxiang Army soldiers straightened their backs in unison, loaded their Flintlock Guns, and drew their bayonets.

Zhu Yong rode at the front, the Double Hammers resting on the horse's back, flashing a dark‑gold light.

The Ottoman Formation opposite began to stir.

The front‑rank heavy infantry gripped their lances tightly, while the rear‑rank archers drew their bows and nocked arrows.

Zhu Yong gave a firm grip to the horse's belly, the warhorse whinnied once, and charged out.

The five thousand Longxiang Army followed closely, their hoofbeats like muffled thunder, shaking the earth.

Arrows rained down, Zhu Yong neither dodged nor evaded.

The arrows struck him, clanging and scattering; those that hit the horse bounced off its armor, causing no injury.

He surged to the front of the formation, the Double Hammers swung together, smashing the front‑rank lancers.

Boom!

The hammer head struck a man's torso, his breastbone shattered, the body flew outward, toppling three or four lancers behind him.

The other hammer swept horizontally, sending five or six more people flying.

Zhu Yong's horse maintained its speed, charging into the formation.

The Double Hammers arced left and right; each hammer strike claimed a life.

There were no fancy techniques, just the simplest smash, sweep, and swing. Yet even these simple moves no one could block.

The hammer was so heavy that a hit meant death, a graze meant maiming.

The lances and scimitars in the Ottoman soldiers' hands were like paper in front of the hammer; a single touch broke them.

Zhu Yong alone carved a bloody path.

Behind him, the five thousand Longxiang Army followed his trail, surged into the formation, firing Flintlock Guns in unison, and slashing with sabers.

The Ottoman vanguard was ripped open by these five thousand men.

Baye Jide watched from behind, his face ashen.

He did not expect the Ming army to fight like this.

He never imagined five thousand men could crush his vanguard.

"Messenger, flank from both wings! Trap them!" he ordered loudly.

But it was too late.

Zhu Di led ten thousand men to charge from behind, splitting into two groups to flank the Ottoman wings.

Flintlock Guns fired in unison, and the Ottoman cavalry at the front fell in rows.

Zhang Wu led five thousand men, looped around to the north gate of Ankara City, blocking the retreat of the routed troops.

Baye Jide looked at the Ming forces in all directions, and finally understood that in this battle, he had lost.

"Retreat… retreat into the city!" he turned his horse's head and rode toward Ankara City.

But the drawbridge of the city gate had already been raised.

Zhang Wu's men were blocked at the north gate; the defenders inside dared not open the gate, fearing the Ming forces would charge in.

Baye Jide paced anxiously beneath the city, and more and more routed troops gathered behind him, clogging the gate entrance to the point of no passage.

Zhu Yong chased down to the foot of the city and with one hammer blow smashed the Ottoman Marshal's banner.

That flag embroidered with a crescent and a curved sword fell with a roar.

Baye Jide leapt from his horse, knelt on the ground and said, "I surrender, I surrender…"

Zhu Yong halted his horse, looked down from his height and said, "If you had done this earlier, wouldn't it have been better?"

Behind him, more than twenty thousand Ottoman soldiers knelt on the ground.

The sound of weapons hitting the ground rang out, clanging like rain.

Ankara City, taken.