In the early morning, the thin mist has not dispersed yet.
The desolate horn sounds and the rumbling war drums sounded at the same time, instantly blowing away the beauty of the early spring. Flags were flying, gold and iron were chiming, and a chilling atmosphere was rising between heaven and earth.
In the south of Jinyang City, nearly 100,000 troops stood up and marched south one after another with people shouting and horses neighing.
In fact, this is just part of the prelude to the beginning of the war.
Prior to this, the army of scouts had spread all over Jiexiu, Pingyao and other places. The furthest ones had even bypassed Jiexiu and penetrated deep into the Queshu Valley in the southwest of Jiexiu.
With Pingyao as the center, everything within a hundred miles is within the sight of the army.
At this time, Wenshui, Taigu, Qixian, Pingyao and other counties had almost all been reduced to empty cities. Most of the people moved south, and some followed the Wang family's children to Jinyang.
On that day, the Wang family rebelled against the Tang Dynasty, and chaos broke out repeatedly in Xihe County. These counties were the first to bear the brunt, and Jinyang fell first. Then Li Yuanji escaped from Jinyang in embarrassment and took a large number of young people from these counties with him when he went south. Therefore, these Jinyang
Ancient cities have become war buffer zones.
However, there are still some Tang troops guarding Xicheng, the county town of Xihe County on the west bank of the Fen River. In fact, the situation in Xicheng, which is backed by Luliang and east of the Fen River, is not good.
Since the war in the late Sui Dynasty, there have been many rebel armies around Xicheng, and a large number of people have fled into the Luliang Mountains to become bandits. Since Xicheng is not on the main route to the south, it is difficult to exterminate the mountain bandits, so the Luliang bandits have now grown stronger.
It reached a certain level and continued to wreak havoc near Xicheng.
Therefore, a large area in southern Bingzhou has been empty for most of the year, becoming a nest for refugees and birds and beasts.
Of course, these places will not be empty for long.
Whether the Tang army went north or the army from the two states went south, they would occupy these places as a place for the army to settle down or where food and grass were gathered.
The Tang army did not dare to come north, that was for sure.
Except for Xue Ju, Li Gui, and Liang Shidu in the northwest, and even under the command of the Tang army, there are some powerful cavalry brigades that can compete with the Daizhou cavalry. The rest of the anti-kings, let alone how many troops you have, are all about cavalry.
Among the ashes.
However, after the Daizhou cavalry won consecutive battles, they were no longer as unknown as before. Only one battle in Hebei made them famous all over the world, and they became the hidden champion of all armies.
If there are no soldiers, it will be a big disadvantage to get too close to Jinyang.
The cavalry comes and goes like the wind. Maybe by the time you see the shadow of the cavalry, the city has already been surrounded.
The generals of the Tang army were not stupid, so they would not easily come north. They built strong walls and cleared the fields in these places, leaving nothing behind for the troops heading south. If the Fen River hadn't flowed by, they would have wiped out all the water sources.
When he captured Jinyang last year, Li Po was able to take advantage of the situation and move south to wipe out these counties.
But at that time, the army was about to move north, and there was no way to disperse the troops. Otherwise, the starting point of the army now should be Pingyao.
The army marched across the wilderness on desolate ancient roads, rolling up smoke and dust all over the sky. The dull thunderous sound of horse hooves completely shattered the tranquility of the ancient city of Pingyao.
Pingyao's city wall is dusty, and it looks like it is not made of bricks and stones, but rammed earth. The city wall is not very tall either. It stands there alone, as if someone has abandoned an old woman. There is a sense of twilight in the desolation.
.
This was a city as silent as death. Li Po stood under the banner and only looked at it briefly before ordering the whole army to pass through the city and continue southward.
It was already past noon, and the center of the cavalry was not moving very fast. The vanguard, Luo Shixin and Wang Zhibian, had already been swarming here for a long time.
The cavalry and infantry were widely separated. Li Po ordered the cavalry to go ahead and commanded the cavalry center, leaving the infantry to the command of Yu Chixin and Chen Yuan. It is estimated that the infantry will not be able to arrive here until tomorrow.
When passing Pingyao, an episode happened.
There was an old man in ragged clothes and gray hair on the roadside, kneeling on the left side of the road. The army passed through the city. Only a small soldier took off his leather bag from his horse and threw it next to him. The rest of the soldiers turned a blind eye.
Li didn't even take a glance at it when he broke through. Once the army formed an army, like most people in the army, his cold heart would become cold and hard.
He has also been a refugee and knows the humiliation and pain of refugees. He has also seen their ferocity and mania.
But at this moment, except for things that are beneficial to the army, he will not have any compassion. Every move he makes is tied to the morale of the army and cannot be moved lightly.
Soon, the army left the lonely Pingyao behind.
……………………
At this time, the Tang army in Jiexiu had been alerted.
The Tang army, which had been keeping an eye on Jinyang, became alert after news from Beibianer was cut off.
Li Zhongwen hurriedly sent people to the south to request reinforcements to arrive as soon as possible. On the other hand, he recruited Jiang Baoyi and Zhang Lun to discuss Jiexiu's defense.
In fact, there is no need for much discussion. If Li Ding'an leads his army to attack, the Tang army will have to defend Jiexiu and wait for reinforcements. This is the consensus of the Tang army.
The performance of those cavalrymen in the north is getting more and more frightening. Fighting with them in the field... forget it, King Li Yuanji of Qi has learned a lot from the past, and no one wants to make the same mistake again.
But after a discussion, other than asking Nan Bian'er for help quickly, several people's opinions turned out to be inconsistent.
Jiang Baoyi became as excited as if he had been given blood. Maybe he felt that the time had come to perform a meritorious service? Who knows, anyway, people said that it is a taboo for military strategists to defend a city without leaving the city to fight.
It seems that I have been thinking about it for a long time, and it makes sense. Jiexiu City is small, and the city wall is not much higher than that of Pingyao, and it is also made of rammed earth.
More than 30,000 Tang troops gathered in the city and could not get out. Once the city wall was captured and the city gates were opened, everyone would become a turtle in a jar. Well, in short, 30,000 Tang troops were crowded together and unable to use their skills.
.
This makes sense. The other two have been leading troops for a long time and are well versed in battle formations. They did not refute, they just waited for Jiang Baoyi to talk about his plan.
In fact, there is not much hope of retribution. It is almost the consensus of Li Zhongwen and Zhang Lun that this person is a idiot.
What Jiang Baoyi said was true. He set up a stronghold outside the city, dug deep trenches, and relied on the Jiexiu city wall to hold a stalemate with the enemy.
Li Zhongwen and Zhang Lun looked at each other and saw contempt in each other's eyes.
It's just talk on paper. It sounds reasonable, but it's not feasible.
How many camps should the 30,000 Tang troops set up? If they only set up a fort in the north of the city, would the enemy be stupid? They must attack your fort?
If fortifications were to be established in all four cities, it would not be enough if all 30,000 Tang troops left the city.
It's just a purely imaginary idea, and I can't comment on it.
Zhang Lun scratched his beard and seemed to be listening seriously, nodding his head from time to time. As soon as Jiang Baoyi finished speaking, he asked, "If General Jiang wants, who will be stationed at the camp outside the city?"
Jiang Baoyi glanced sideways at Zhang Lun, "Don't be afraid, General Zhang. As the governor of Jiezhou, you will naturally sit in the city with the general manager. As for the outside of the city, Jiang is not talented and is willing to lead the army to guard it..."
Well, no matter what Jiang Baoyi's talents are, his loyalty is unquestionable.
Zhang Lun seemed oblivious to the sarcasm in his words, and said with a smile, "Then there is General Lao Jiang."
Li Zhongwen coughed at the right time, and while secretly scolding Zhang Lun for being cunning, he said with a straight face, "The enemy is at hand, and the enemy troops are coming unexpectedly. You two must listen to my orders, otherwise... if Jiexiu makes a mistake,
Both you and I will die a hundred times for our sins."
Zhang Lun's face turned pale, and he immediately clasped his fists and said: "I will wait for the orders of the general manager."
Jiang Baoyi looked at Li Zhongwen with hope.
Li Zhongwen smiled bitterly in his heart and had to coax him, thinking that he has never been so tired of dealing with my children.
"I am fully aware of General Jiang's loyalty and bravery, and I will repay it to the Supreme Being after this battle. But you and I both know that the enemy's army is too powerful, and if we go out to fight from the city, we will be defeated by it."
"The enemy's troops are mostly cavalry and are not good at attacking the city. As long as we defend the city well, we will be able to block their army. When the reinforcements gather, it will be easy to defeat them at the foot of Jiexiu City."
"General Jiang does not need to personally take part in the danger and fight against him outside the city..."
Jiang Baoyi then argued for a few words, but when he couldn't get the point, he clasped his fists and left angrily.
This time Zhang Lun did not leave with him, nor did he want to speak ill of Jiang Baoyi again. Although this man was a man of extraordinary wealth, he should be able to defend the city, right?
Zhang Lun hugged Li Zhongwen and said, "General Manager, the enemy is coming. Although I have not seen it myself, I should have expected the strength of Li Ding'an's troops..."
Having said this, he paused and looked at Li Zhongwen who nodded slightly before continuing: "Although General Jiang's strategy is rash, it still has some truth to it. The general thinks that...it is really a bad idea to defend Jiexiu..."
"Oh?" After hearing this, Li Zhongwen couldn't help but perked up, and his beard trembled, "Does General Zhang have a good plan?"
Zhang Lun grabbed his beard, smiled bitterly and said: "I don't know the strength of the enemy's army now, so I can only prepare for the worst. If the enemy comes and sees that I am not able to get out of Jiexiu, they may surround me with light troops."
In Xiu City, divide the troops into Queshu Valley and go south."
"If reinforcements come and are eager to join me, wouldn't they become a siege to the city and fight for reinforcements?"
Li Zhongwen's eyes flashed, and he felt that his beard was a little itchy.
"In General Zhang's opinion..."
Zhang Lun gritted his teeth and slammed the table hard, "General I think it is better to abandon Jiexiu and go to Queshu Valley to garrison, and wait until the reinforcements are reunited, and then we can reason."
Li Zhongwen's brows furrowed deeply. Zhang Lun's plan was different from Jiang Baoyi's joking military strategy.
But how can he do it?
Abandoning Jiexiu and defending Queshu Valley will not only buy time for the arrival of reinforcements, but also allow for a smoother rendezvous with the reinforcements. It can also prevent the enemy from moving south. If you think about it, it is indeed much better than defending Jiexiu.
.
But having said that, as the general manager of Jiezhou, he retreated without a fight and handed over the important territory of Jiexiu to his opponents. No matter how much he preached after that, how much could others listen to him?
Zhang Lun may be fine, will Li Shentong spare him and Li Zhongwen?
Seeing his hesitation, Zhang Lun glared and added, "Don't worry, manager. I will bear the blame for Jiexiu's failure..."
Li Zhongwen glanced at him and said to himself, hum, that sounds nice, can you afford it when the time comes?