(Originally, according to the outline, the two months of the southern line stalemate should be written from the perspective of the timeline to write the war drama between Guan Yu and Zhuge Liang and Yuan Shaojun in Bingzhou.

But everyone has a high voice for writing Sun Ce's battle in one go. In order to make the plot coherence, they have to temporarily adjust the battle of the Eastern Wu and then go back to write the Northern Line. This will lead to a timeline retracement in the subsequent plot. I hope everyone understands and stay patient.)

Since Li Su tricked Sun Ce and Zhou Yu firmly and stood up with the Han army in the Nanjun battlefield, a month and a half passed in a flash.

Both sides continued to build up deep trenches, strengthened defenses, rectified their internal transportation lines and supplies, and never launched a large-scale offensive battle.

Sun Ce and Zhou Yu further strengthened several important water transportation logistics nodes on his rear road. They built solid water villages on the north bank of Jiangjin, Hanjin and Dongting Lake. In the past month and a half, they were crazily logged and destroyed the greening, and brought the cut wood to strengthen fortifications.

In this way, Zhou Yu can ensure that each water camp can defend against Li Su's sudden attack with less force, and even if it is attacked, he can hold on for a longer time to drag the main force of the navy to come to rescue.

Li Su's side also built a long land corridor in the past month and a half, stretching for nearly a hundred miles, from Dangyang to Yicheng, and there was also a camp that Li Su was confronting Jiangling City in the middle.

The material of the corridor is nothing more than digging soil to form a long trench, and the dug soil is piled up behind the trench to form a rammed earth wall. In this way, just digging a three or four-foot-deep ditch can ensure that the relative height of the bottom of the trench to the top of the wall exceeds one person's height, which is enough to protect the grain channel.

The key points of the key sentry can also be repaired with wood and sharpened fences and arrow towers, and the view towers can be strengthened.

Before Li Su built these fortifications completely, whenever Li Su tried to transport grain from Dangyang to Jiangling Beidaying, or to Yicheng, Sun Ce also sent a tentative grain robbery and grain burning team on a small scale.

But Li Su's defense was very tight. Zhao Yun personally led the cavalry to patrol and protect the grain. Sun Ce gave up after failing a few times.

As the morale of both sides gradually became slackened, Sun Ce sometimes couldn't help but think: "How long can Zhou Tai's surplus grain in Hanyang City be eaten? It was originally said that it was at least enough to eat until the end of the spring famine, which should be true. But it is definitely not possible to eat the autumn harvest next year.

It has been two months since the battle began. Can Zhou Tai eat more than four months? Then it will be necessary to fight for at least five months, force Zhou Tai to death, and then make a decision to consider whether to focus on Li Su or turn back against Gan Ning...

Now we must not act rashly, and Li Su's troops are not as disadvantageous as us. 50,000 to 90,000. If we attack Li Su for any solid fortress, our morale is weak, and we suffer too much casualties when attacking him. If Li Su finds the right time to help, the 50,000 people may also defeat the tired army under the strong city..."

This painful stalemate was not until the 17th day of the twelfth lunar month that a little stirred up with the progress of a new military situation.

On this day, Huang Gai, who was responsible for the daily cruise of Xiashui-Xiaze defense line, returned to Jiangling again from Hanjinkou to patrol, reported to Sun Ce a situation that he felt was a bit dangerous:

"Lord! The last general encountered some trouble when he returned to the voyage after inspecting Hanjin Kou Shui Village the day before yesterday. The two deep-drawn crafts in our army, which were between the crafts and the bucket ships, were still stranded in the deepest part of the main channel of Xiashui!

Moreover, during the two days I returned to the voyage, I also observed that the water level continued to drop. Unless our army now recruited soldiers without hesitation to dig the canal's labor force and dredge the deepest section of the summer water.

Otherwise, with dry and rainy winter, the water level in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River will drop, and until February next year, our army's veins will not be able to pass through the Xia water. Our army currently relies on the Xia water to quickly communicate with the river, and the situation on the two major water battles in the Han Dynasty will also be broken.

At that time, our army would have to choose either to concentrate all its main forces on the Jiangjin side, or to divide some of its troops into Hanjinkou, blocking Li Su's warships from the river to transport grain to Zhou Tai in Hanyang.

Otherwise, if there is no troops left to defend one side of the Han River channel, wouldn’t the previous attempt to block the Zhoutai Grain Road be wasted? If you don’t do this to the end, it will be a failure! If you are not sure about surrounding Zhoutai, maybe our army will withdraw its troops…”

When Sun Ce first heard about this risk, he also paid more attention to it, which was indeed a bit unexpected to him.

On the one hand, the main water war generals of the Eastern Wu relied on Zhou Yu, Huang Gai and others, Sun Ce himself and Han Dang, who were also northerners. In fact, water war was not very talented, and Sun Ce did not need to personally direct the water war.

Secondly, even if Sun Ce and Huang Gai are familiar with water nature, they understand water wars, and they also understand Jingzhou's geographical environment. However, the shipping hydrology of a place is the most difficult to master quickly, and it requires years of accumulation of local practical experience.

If it weren't for Xiaze, the locals who had been driving the boat for many years would not have deliberately remembered the professional knowledge of "what months of this river can drive a boat with a deep water in each year."

This is a very complex scientific knowledge system. If it is so easy to master, later shipping companies would not have to spend a lot of money to find port water diversion personnel.

This was the first day when Sun Ce realized this problem and hurriedly sent someone to summon Zhou Yu. Zhou Yu was not in Jiangling City at that time, but during the stalemate period of Jiangjin Water Village, Zhou Yu's main task was to keep an eye on the mouth of Dongting Lake in the south and prevent Gan Ning from smuggling grain to support Zhou Tai.

So, another day later, Sun Ce hurriedly recalled Zhou Yu.

After Zhou Yu arrived, Sun Ce and Huang Gai sat down together and the three parties discussed the risk.

After Huang Gai described his concerns clearly, Zhou Yu was also stunned for a moment, secretly blaming himself for not doing enough hydrology, and did not thoroughly understand how deep each part of the Xiashui channel was in advance.

However, even if we re-define the combat power of both the enemy and us based on the current new objective conditions, Zhou Yu quickly came to the conclusion that he felt that there was no need to withdraw his troops, and he could still continue to cut off Zhou Tai's food route until Hanyang was completely surrounded.

Zhou Yu said confidently: "Bo Fu, in the past two months, the enemy and us have fought several times. It is nothing more than our army trying to cut off Li Su's land grain transport corridor and isolate the communication between the three strongholds. Li Su also tried to harass our various water camps and transport grain to Zhou Tai.

The overall record is that we have three small defeats in the land battle, and two small defeats in the enemy's water battle, and no equal. From this we can see that the Northern Army is still very disadvantageous in the battle between Jiangdong and our Jiangdong.

Even if Xiashui and Xiaze have a shortage of flights, we don’t have to worry about not being able to continue to maintain an advantage over the northerners’ naval forces after the division of troops. Moreover, in the past two months, we have been continuously strengthening the water camp. Now the troops needed to defend Hanjin and other places are much less than two months ago.”

(Note: During the two months of temptation to lure the enemy, Li Su made the same move to let Gan Ning learn from Taishi Ci, pretending to try to transport grain from Baqiu to Hanyang by water, and then he just encountered Zhou Yu's interception and decisively defeated and retreated.

Therefore, Zhou Yu's confidence in thinking that he was invincible in the world, but Gan Ning learned from Taishi Ci's lesson. Although he was defeated, he did not suffer much loss. It was a matter of leaving as soon as he got involved.)

After hearing Zhou Yu's bold words, Sun Ce pondered for a while, and in the end, the youthful and bold spirit of taking risks prevailed and decided to gamble with Zhou Yu.

Now, Liu Bei is the strongest. If he dares not take risks or gamble at all, then sooner or later, chronic blood loss will gradually be eroded.

How can one not take any risk if one wins the strong with the weak and seizes food from a tiger's mouth?

Sun Ce is not Sun Quan. His blood and impulsiveness are very strong. He belongs to the kind of person who gives him two options: "A 30% probability of getting the whole world, 70% probability of losing everything. A 80% probability of controlling one side, but he has no chance to win the world", then Sun Ce will definitely choose one.

A real man wants to fight for the supreme power.

Sun Ce said suddenly: "Gongjin, tell me, how many troops do you think are needed to divide Hanjinkou? Do you leave a large ship? How many? How to deploy Jiangjinkou and Dongtinghukou?"

Zhou Yu: "The total strength of our army is 90,000, so we will leave 20,000 on the Han River, such as Xiashui, Jingling, Hanjin, etc., and 70,000 on the Yangtze River from Jiangling to Dongting Lake.

The defenders on the Han River side left eighty ships that could carry more than 200 people, plus the battleships seized from Cai Mao’s surrender, a total of ten ships, and the rest were relied on ordinary boats and whistle ships.

Until before the peak water season in February next year, the Han River garrison and the Yangtze River garrison could not quickly support each other. However, I believe that these 20,000 people can definitely deal with all the enemy threats on the Han River side.

In the upper reaches of the Han River above Yicheng, Li Su did not deploy any newly built warships in the Liu Bei camp in the past few years. All warships were collected by Liu Biao when he surrendered. These ships and equipment were definitely not our opponents.

However, I have never figured out how much strength Ganning has hidden in the upper reaches of Dongting Lake and even the estuary of Xiangjiang River. After all, those places are the direct territory that Liu Bei has been operating for at least three or four years. I have always heard that they have prepared warships. Later, after Lu Su went to Jiaozhou, he had many new preparations.

However, our army has 70,000 people on the side of Jiangling. Even if Gan Ning hides a good ship, it is powerless. This winter, even if we encounter any accident, with the fact that everyone in Jiangdong is a water-like child, 70,000 people are tied together, and there are plenty of tower ships, crossbows and catapults. With the vastness of the Yangtze River, are you afraid that you cannot retreat?”

If it weren't for the sudden change in the termination of the flight today, Zhou Yu would never have thought of the issue of "retreat along the Yangtze River" in such detail, because he never thought that Wu Jun would face this most embarrassing option.

Now, he is at least willing to be completely serious and alert. The consequence of being alert is that he still feels that this bottom limit can be held up! Fearless!

"Okay, let's divide the troops like this." Sun Ce made a decisive decision, then turned to Huang Gai and solemnly entrust:

"General Huang, this winter, the 20,000 troops and horses in the Hanshui Defense Zone on the East Line, ten bucket ships and eighty boats, as well as Jingling City and Hanjinkou defense zones, will be entrusted to you all!

In the middle of winter, it is inconvenient to use troops. Even if you seem to have a chance, don’t underestimate the enemy. As long as you keep the troops safe and steadily and delay for another two months, next spring will be the time for us to use our skills again."

Huang Gai bowed and took the order: "Don't worry, lord, but with the last general, I will definitely let 20,000 soldiers and horses on the east road be safe."

...

After Sun Ce made the decision to divide his troops to deal with the winter, the dispatch of the troops was also obvious.

However, within two or three days, Zhao Yun, Huang Zhong and other generals who had been with him for a long time also noticed the changes, and the courier of the fast horse returned to Li Su, who was in charge of Xiangyang in the rear.

That's right, how could a person like Li Su, who is arrogant, extravagant and lewd, be stationed in the field barracks for several months in advance when the risk of fierce battle is still unclear? That doesn't fit Li Su's character.

There is no requirement in this world that the civil servants like Sikong, who are ranked among the Three Dukes, share the joys and sorrows with the soldiers. Zhuge Liang, as the prime minister, could do it in history. That was Zhuge Liang's own noble character, but it could not be a general requirement.

Of course, Li Su is in Xiangyang City. Every day, she will bubble when she feels cold, eat hot pot, and spend the twelfth lunar month leisurely.

Moreover, he was not eating and drinking for nothing. During his time in Xiangyang, he had been worried about the internal personnel work that had been striking and fighting, and balanced the future of the newly promoted imperial examination officials this year. These work is also very important.

After Zhao Yun's military information was delivered, Li Su was rarely nervous. After watching it carefully, he didn't even ask for help.

"It's finally here. It seems that Sun Ce has been completely blocked from the north Xiashui-Hanshui road. Even if his main force wants to go, he can only gamble on the main channel of the Yangtze River.

Since that's the case, Gan Ning is in Baqiu, as long as he wants to intercept and seek a battle, he will definitely force Sun Ce and Zhou Yu to fight with him. We should also take out our last killer moves and give them some fun at once.

Alas, Zhou Yu, if you want to blame, you blame yourself for your love of plagiarism. You have learned all the equipment that our army took out two or three years ago. Even the small tactical skills and supporting equipment that our army took out were only taken out at the beginning of this year were also learned by you.

We had to hold on to the ultimate move for a long time, and take it out when we were sure to take it all out... Although after this battle, these things were still leaked and were imitated by the princes of the world.

But it doesn't matter, because the dividends of this hand are likely to make the Han Dynasty no longer have to consider the issue of "how to fight water on the Yangtze River". Just copy it, and there is no place to use it if you copy it.

It’s not that Cao Cao was so persistent that he copied my new warship and tactics to cooperate. He would use this thing to cross the sea to fight Japan.”

Li Su was proud for a while and asked the female slave Daqiao to help him dry and take a bath, change into fresh clothes, and lit up a furnace of animal charcoal to keep warm.

Only then did Li Su ask his slave to call the chief clerk Deng Zhi over and send an order to prepare to dispatch the troops.

"Go, tell Zilong and Hansheng that from Dangyang and Yicheng, 10,000 people were drawn from the front line of Dangyang and Yicheng, and walked through the Jushan Road, crossed the mountains and went to Yiling with light clothes, and then asked Li Yan to dispatch some small boats from Yiling, crossed the Yangtze River south to the mouth of the Youjiang River, and then trek by land to the other side of Baqiu, so that Xingba sent a ship to pick him up.

Let Xingba send people to fly a small boat around Zhou Yu to monitor him and send letters to Youping on the water. He also asked him to assemble troops. Once Xingba makes any moves and is about to fight Sun Ce and Zhou Yu, he has to withdraw 15,000 troops from Hanyang and join Xingba on the water to join the battle.

Just keep five thousand people to defend the city temporarily. In the cold winter, Sun Ce and Zhou Yu would not be able to siege the city hastily at this time. It would be a waste to keep too many people to defend the city. But there is no need to act rashly for the time being, just be prepared. I will see the final order myself."

Li Su also took advantage of Sun Ce and Zhou Yu being isolated into two parts because of the interruption of Xia Shui, and he was temporarily unable to make progress. So he also gathered most of the available mobile forces and forced Zhou Yu to launch a decisive battle when no other spare tire retreat routes were available.

No matter how the decisive battle is fought, it is necessary to concentrate troops first and wait for the best time. After this movement is over, there may be up to 35,000 mobile troops on Ganning on the southern front, and they can all take boats to participate in the battle by water.

In this way, with the advantageous equipment, it is more certain to deal with Sun Ce and Zhou Yu's 70,000 people, and from the number of people, it is not so scary that Sun Ce and Zhou Yu dare not respond at all, just want to cut off their tails and survive and escape.

For specific measures, after Li Su and the troops moved to Baqiu, they would naturally make the final decision.
Chapter completed!