Zhang Shigui's troops wandering in the hinterland of Jingxiang became a lone army.
The cavalry came and went erratically, and Zhang Shigui fully displayed his characteristic of taking advantage of the opportunity.
Every time we go to a place, we first try to capture the city. Most of them just leave after a short while, wandering around for a while, capture a few county towns, and seize some food and grass.
If there was an opportunity, he would intercept the grain convoys and merchant brigades, and defeat the Liang army coming for reinforcements. Until the atmosphere of terror spread, he would lead his troops to continue southward.
The so-called harm is not great, but it is extremely insulting.
Wherever Zhang Shigui passed, no large-scale sabotage was carried out, but all the county and county officials in Liang were frightened. They stepped up their vigilance and called for help from other places.
The people who had experienced Zhu Can's rebellion also fled one after another. Some fled into the mountains, while others gathered in various cities. As the chaos emerged, the emptiness in the rear of Liang became more and more clear. There were not enough people.
Troops came to pursue and intercept Zhang Shigui's troops.
It wasn't until Zhang Shigui led his army into Jingling County that the situation changed.
As the army deepens, the terrain in the south becomes increasingly complex.
The northwest of Jingling County is where the southern foot of Jingshan Mountain and the western foot of Bashan Mountain meet. Although the terrain is low, years of rain erosion have formed countless ravines, which greatly limits the cavalry's ability to maneuver and charge. It is easy to
Was blocked by infantry.
On the east side of the Han River, there is the western foothills of Dahong Mountain. The terrain is higher, full of hills, and the terrain is undulating. Until the longevity of Jingling County reaches a high point, then the central and southern parts are plains, but there are also lakes.
,swamp.
For the cavalry, this is simply a hell-level copy.
With the right time, place and people, the Liang soldiers finally put up effective resistance, and the situation of Zhang Shigui's troops became increasingly difficult.
The fatigue of the long journey and successive battles began to show on the soldiers of the Tang Dynasty, which made Zhang Shigui realize that his ambition to break through the obstruction of Liang Jun and reach Jiangling City might not be realized.
After leading the army to attack Lexiang Pass, Zhang Shigui made a decisive U-turn and returned to Xiangyang County for a short rest...
……………………
Jingling County, the gateway to Jingchu.
Although Zhang Shigui's troops entered Jingling County not long ago, the damage they caused to Liang Guo was obvious.
When the news reached Jiangling, the whole court was shocked. How optimistic they were before, they were now more pessimistic.
The war in the past two months has caused ups and downs in the mood of Liang's monarchs and ministers.
The two armies marched north together, and everyone in the Liang Kingdom was excited. Before long, the voices of singing praises could be heard all the time. Everyone was enjoying themselves, and they were really proud for a few days.
Especially in early June, when Qiu He led his troops to quickly occupy Luoyang and there was no movement from the Tang army, the optimism in the Liang Dynasty reached a climax (harmony).
The worries and warnings from the West Route Army and the general manager of Huangzhou, Zhou Faming, were put aside. They were suppressed by Xiao Lang, the internal history order, without even going to the emperor's desk.
Emperor Xiao Mian also took this opportunity to pay homage to the Xiao family ancestral temple. The ministers were all in high spirits, and the ministers headed by Xiao Lang, the internal historian, were also thinking about the bright future of the founder of the country.
The courtiers are like this, not to mention the people in Jiangling City. They are also extremely happy. The streets and markets are becoming more and more prosperous. Teahouses, restaurants, and fireworks alleys are full of officials and scholars talking about military and political affairs. The Mingjun of the capital is in office.
With all the virtuous people in the dynasty, great achievements can be expected.
The aristocratic families were behind them, adding fuel to the flames, heading west to Chang'an, and there were calls to settle the two capitals. Even some wise people who were worried could not help but be swayed by the fierce discussions at this moment and became optimistic.
If you come to Jiangling in the first half of June of the second year of Yuanzhen of the Tang Dynasty, you will definitely think that you have arrived at the most beautiful city since the war in the late Sui Dynasty.
Pedestrians in the market are smiling and polite, dignitaries are tolerant and well-groomed, and the city is full of vitality, prosperity and stability.
From this we can actually see that no matter how many shortcomings the emperor Xiao Mian had, he did have his merits in governance.
But in the second half of June, the place looked completely different.
After Donglu Qiuhe's army of more than 100,000 troops entered Luoyang, they soon lost contact with each other. The news that came was definitely not optimistic, and it was suspected that their retreat was cut off.
The army of the West Route garrisoned in Nanyang did not form a rivalry with Qiu He's troops, but reported one after another that the Tang army had sent troops to Henan and was encircling Luoyang.
In the imagination of many people in the Liang Dynasty, the Tang Army would not send troops to Henan. Their reason was that the Tang Army only had a battle with Li Yuan last year. Although Li Yuan was defeated, Li Ding'an must not have a stable foothold in Guanxi.
Moreover, in the eyes of southerners, the Kansai aristocrats have always been arrogant and stubborn, and they are also unruly and tough. Li Yuan is just that. He is a top figure in the Kansai family and a member of the Kansai family. Li Ding'an, a lowly family member, cannot compete with him.
Compare it.
Therefore, it can be concluded that Li Ding'an is cleaning up the chaos in Kansai and has no time for him to care.
They regarded themselves as Zhuge, and without any intelligence support, they came to a clear conclusion, which was supported by most people. Maybe this is the reason why people's hearts are good, right?
When the news came that the Tang army was swarming out of the east and quickly entered Henan, everyone was not too embarrassed to be slapped in the face. After all, they were just talking and would not bear the final responsibility.
At this time, the optimism in the Liang Dynasty was still permeating according to inertia, and some people even congratulated the emperor, because they believed that sending troops to Henan before Guanxi had settled down must be a helpless move by the other side.
The Tang army was poorly prepared, so it was a good time to join forces with Dou Jiande to defeat them in one fell swoop.
At this time, they had forgotten that in the spring, the scouting report said that the Tang army was in Tongguan in large numbers and Hongnong gathered. In their "wisdom" discussion, the Tang army seemed to have rushed into the army and did not wait until Liang Jun came north.
Reluctant to attack.
This was the mainstream view in the Liang Dynasty in mid-June. It undoubtedly catered to the atmosphere at that time. Even the internal history order Xiao Lang and others persuaded the emperor to immediately order Zhou Faming to go north to join Qiu He in order to find fighter planes for a decisive battle with the Tang army.
At this time, the evil consequences of Xiao Mian's purge of the kings' factions appeared. There were few people in the court who knew the military. Even if there were, most of them had followed Zhou Faming on the expedition. The few remaining ones would not jump out to follow Xiao Lang and others at this time.
If someone is against you, you are just making yourself uncomfortable.
In these days, civil servants who were not familiar with military affairs were rare in the north, but common in the south. The civil servant group surrounding Xiao Mian completely misjudged the situation and wanted to dictate strategy, which showed that Liang Guo was gradually in embarrassment.
realm.
However, before Xiao Mian could issue the edict, the main force of the Tang army had already bypassed Luoyang and entered Nanyang. The news spread to Jiangling, and for a while, the Liang Dynasty was silent.
The "good situation" took a turn for the worse, and both armies were in trouble.
There was no news from Qiu He's troops, and Zhou Faming's troops were besieged in Nanyang. Xiao Mian was so shocked that he almost didn't believe what he heard was true. It wasn't until the detective reports came back to Jiangling one after another that people in Jiangling gradually realized the reality.
cruel.
Fear quickly spread in Jiangling City, and the previous prosperity fell into silence after a flash in the pan.
Along with the fear came Xiao Mian's anger, and Xiao Mian's roar echoed in the palace. After being the emperor for several years, Xiao Mian, who thought he was the man of destiny, revealed his ferocious face at this moment, which made people shudder.
.
The guys who were jumping around the most and saying the nicest things that caught Xiao Mian's ears the most, all fell to the ground one after another...
But this could not change the current embarrassing situation caused by the total strategic bankruptcy of Henan. Xiao Mian successively summoned ministers to discuss matters, and even Lu Wang Wan Zan and Yan Wang Xu Xuanche, who had retired at home, were recalled to the court.
After several discussions, Du Wenxiu, the Minister of Civil Service, finally agreed with Xiao Mian's suggestion.
Du Wenxiu thought that Zhou Faming's more than 200,000 troops stationed in Nanyang were enough to resist the Tang army's attack and firmly drag the Tang army within Nanyang.
And the main force of the Tang army is about to arrive in Nanyang, so Qiu He and his troops have nothing to worry about. It is impossible for the Tang army to surround Nanyang and attack Luoyang with all its strength. If the stalemate between the two sides continues, it will not be beneficial to the Tang army.
For the current plan, it is better to write books to Dou Jiande and Du Fuwei. If they can send troops to help the battle, there should be a chance to break the situation.
His suggestion was supported by most people. While Xiao Mian was deeply convinced, he also felt a little relieved. He immediately wrote several handwritten letters and passed them on to Dou Jiande and Du Fuwei. Well, mainly because he was afraid that something would happen in the middle.
Lost, so I have to write more.
It took time to go back and forth, and despite being on tenterhooks, the battle situation was just as Du Wenxiu expected. The Tang army stalled in Nanyang. Although there was still no news from Qiu He's troops, it should not be a serious problem.
The monarchs and ministers of the Liang Kingdom gradually calmed down, but compared with before, they seemed to be in a completely different world.
In the midst of the ordeal, the people who went to Dou Jiande's side disappeared, and it was not known whether they arrived at Dou Jiande's place or what Dou Jiande's reaction was.
Du Fuwei responded quickly, but it was not Du Fuwei himself who wrote the reply, but his sworn brother Pu Gongtuo who wrote the letter on his behalf. He only said that his lord was at sea and that no one else had the right to make the decision. He had to wait for the lord to come back.
Reply to Emperor Xiao and so on.
The joking reply almost made Xiao Xian's nose crooked with anger. He really wanted to go to Jiangdu and ask those people face to face. Was all the respect he had shown before faked? Could it be that all those words he said came from a dog's mouth?
Could it be that it was vomited out?
Yan Wang Xu Xuanche and others secretly suggested that they lead troops to reinforce Xiangyang.
How could Xiao Mian dare to let them go? After Zhang Xiu and others died, these people were suppressed from all aspects, so you don't have to think about what they have in mind.
Let them lead troops to Xiangyang, probably not to support Zhou Faming, but to cut off Zhou Faming's retreat.
Under suspicion, the impatient Xiao Mian swung his sword again, beheaded Xu Xuanche and Wan Zan, and exterminated their clans, finally killing all the kings.
This time it didn't cause much trouble. Even when Zhang Xiu was killed, it was only a single blow. Now the factions of the kings have long since disappeared. The whole dynasty is under the control of the powerful families, and there is no one to speak for them.