In the early morning, heavy snowflakes were falling from the leaden sky, and the sky and the earth were completely white. The field of vision was blocked by the wind and snow, and I couldn't see very far. When I raised my head, I felt the biting cold wind blowing on my face like a knife.
Cao Shixiong wore a blue-black cloak over his armor to resist the wind and cold. He sat on his horse and watched the soldiers filing out of the city with a look of complaint on their faces.
"With such a heavy snowstorm, they may not be able to reach Caocheng Village before dark. The Chihu people can. Why don't they just insert themselves between Shuozhou and Xishan and intercept Shuozhou's soldiers and horses?"
As a general, Meng Ping was usually physically strong and energetic, but ever since the Chihu people declared war brazenly and defeated the Yan army, they had not slept well for several nights in order to plan big things.
This time, he made arrangements to send out troops overnight. Even though he was a tough guy, he was a little unbearable at this time.
He rode his horse to Cao Shixiong's side, and couldn't help complaining that Hulkian urged them to send troops too hard.
"It's useless to talk more. The scouts kept sending back messages from Shuozhou, confirming that the Tongbai Mountain soldiers evacuated Shuozhou City without stopping last night and retreated to the Western Mountains via Houerwu." Cao Shixiong frowned and said to Meng Ping, "
Although the heavy snow will slow down the retreat of Tongbai Mountain Soldiers, especially since Tongbai Mountain Soldiers also brought some women and children with them as they retreated from Shuozhou, no matter how difficult or slow they were, as long as they retreated into Xishan, they would always head towards Fuzhou.
Make progress step by step. If we don't move here, we really haven't made any progress."
"The Chihu people don't want to rush to besiege Shuozhou at this time. They can just let us come. They can arrange the cavalry to take charge of the flanks. This is better than attacking Xishan!"
Meng Ping said dissatisfiedly.
As a general of the Han army in Shuozhou, Meng Ping, like Cao Shili, was not only outstanding in martial arts, but also very good at commanding troops in combat. He knew very well that the six-chambered troops and horses they commanded currently only had an absolute advantage in terms of military strength compared to the soldiers of Tongbai Mountain.
, barely able to master the array operation.
At this time, the most suitable combat method for them is to enter the open area and form a formation, so that they can fully deploy their superior forces and crush the enemy; the second is to use their absolutely superior forces to build camps, dig trenches, and attack the enemy.
Enemies surrounded the city and surrounded it, and then built weapons to attack it. They could chew it down bit by bit.
They can also master the rhythm of war.
The most unfavorable way to fight is to engage in encounters with elite enemy troops in narrow mountainous areas where it is difficult to arrange troops. This will completely expose their shortcomings. Superior forces cannot be deployed, and the various units can only disperse into the mountains to fight, head to tail.
It is difficult to balance both, and it is difficult for them to grasp the overall picture of the battlefield, and the middle and low-level military attachés do not have the ability to lead small teams of soldiers and horses in combat.
If he had a choice, Meng Ping would rather lead his troops to attack Shuozhou City. Even if the Shuozhou City Wall is thick and cannot be defeated for a while, he can still use his advantage to surround Shuozhou City and cut off the grain crops in the city.
"The remnants of Xiao Linshi had not completely withdrawn from Huairen and Jincheng by then, handing over the two cities. However, the remnants of Xiao Linshi were able to annex the Shanhu forces in the northern part of Xishan and evacuate most of the women and children from Yingzhou in advance.
When we arrived at the southern foot of Yinshan Mountain, it was obvious that there was a deep tacit understanding between Shuozhou and them," Cao Shixiong said.
The main cavalry is sent to the area west of Huairen, and obviously there is still some fear of Xiao Linshi. If we really want to besiege Shuozhou City, how do we know that Xiao Linshi will not take action?"
Cao Shixiong was still wary of Xiao Linshi, and he could see through Xiao Linshi's thoughts. If he had other options, he would rather attack from the south of Xishan Mountain, so that he could defeat the troops retreating between the northern Xishan Mountain and the southern foothills of Yinshan Mountain. The remnants of Xiao Linshi kept a distance.
"Since everything is immature, it is better to let these defeated soldiers go," Cao Xuanwen said from the side. "I think my father said that there must be choices in everything and be able to look forward and consider the future!"
"It is true to say so, but it may not always be our turn to choose in everything," Cao Shixiong said to his eldest son Cao Xuanwen with a gloomy face, "The Chihu Iron Cavalry swept across Yunshuo and won the victory. The two armies of Xuanwu were completely defeated. Although Hedong In Xinzhou and Taiyuan, the soldiers and horses of Yanmen are all panic-stricken and have nothing to worry about. The difficult soldiers of Tongbai Mountain have no time to take care of themselves at this time, but I leave you with too few soldiers and horses to garrison Kelan. You have to be careful. There may be some unusual movement in Kelan City and the south building..."
This time we sent troops to Langu County. In addition to leaving a group of soldiers and horses to garrison the cities such as Ningwu and Yangkou in the north, Cao Shili will command four groups of infantry to follow Yangkou Village at the northern foot of Guanluan Mountain and Guangwu. The border wall built between the villages goes westward and directly enters the southern foothills of the Xishan Mountains.
On Kelan's side, Cao Shixiong and General Meng Ping personally led 3,000 elite troops from Huanglongpo Post Road through Guanchuan Mountain to the west, and rushed to Caocheng Fortress first.
Cao Shixiong also hoped to use the force of a lion to fight a rabbit. He would first intimidate Zhu Run and Lei Teng from the territory of Langu. After seizing Caocheng Walled, Langu and other fortresses, he would then start to attack Guangwu Village in order to quickly Enter the Western Mountains and clear the obstacles.
At this time, in Hedong, although there were nearly 20,000 Jinxiang troops led by generals such as Yin Chao and Wen Hengyue in Xinzhou and Taiyuan, these soldiers and horses were weak in combat effectiveness, and Wen, Yin and others were weak, so Cao Shixiong was not worried. What will happen to them?
Cao Shixiong thought that as long as Yanmen Pass fell and the red cavalry flowed south like a torrent, Wen, Yin and others would probably surrender directly if they saw that all hope was gone.
Therefore, Cao Shixiong left a thousand soldiers and horses for his eldest son Cao Xuanwen to garrison Kelan City to prevent some restless forces from remaining in the local area. Before leaving, he was afraid that Cao Xuanwen would not have enough experience, so he couldn't help but give more instructions with sincerity, and he also wanted to stay with him. Meng Jian of Kelan took more care of it.
"Father, you are leading your troops to Langu. We are only a hundred miles away from each other. If anything happens, I will send someone to ask for instructions from my father. I will get instructions from my father in as little as half a day!" Cao Xuanwen said with a smile, "Father needs it. How many times have you given instructions without details?"
"The Commander-in-Chief should also ask Xuanwen to try to make his own decisions, so that you and I need to worry about everything for him!" Meng Ping said.
Cao Shixiong also smiled, and he and Meng Ping rode their horses to meet up with Hulkien's headquarters, who had been out of the city with the front team for a while.
The Huanglongpo Post Road that passes through the middle section of Guanjuan Mountain has been continuously repaired over the years, and the terrain chosen for road construction is also very easy. Despite the wind and snow, three thousand people and horses managed to reach Caochengzhai before nightfall.
At this time, not only the guards at Caocheng Village had already left the city, but the scouts who went to the direction of Langu County for reconnaissance rushed back and reported Lei Teng. Second General Zhu Run led his troops to abandon the city and fled in the afternoon. The southwest direction of the county is heading over Shiliang Mountain to the Fuzhou border.
Flee inside.
"Should we pursue Zhu Run and Lei Teng's troops?" Meng Ping asked.
Caocheng Village is at the west entrance of Huanglongpo Post Road, and the pass from Langu County to Fuzhou passes through Shiliang Mountain, and is only more than 20 miles west of Caocheng Village. Even if they set off, they should be able to catch up with Zhurun and Lei He sent two troops to catch up before crossing Shiliang Mountain.
"Master Baihu, what do you think?" Cao Shixiong looked at Hulejian and asked.
If Hulejian advocated pursuing Zhu Run and Lei Teng's troops, Cao Shixiong would of course comply with his wishes, so he was delayed for several days and failed to capture the main force of Tongbai Mountain Soldiers in the Western Mountains. No one would blame him. Move slowly.
"Yue Hailou said that Zhu Run and Lei Teng are only minor troubles. Even if they are asked to flee to Fuzhou, they will not be a disaster. We still have to go north to attack Guangwu Village as soon as possible. If Shuozhou soldiers and horses are allowed to escape, I and I will I'm afraid General Cao will inevitably be punished." Khuljian thought that Cao Shixiong was really asking him for advice, so he said seriously.
Seeing that even a small hundred households in Hulejian were not fooled, Cao Shixiong could only give up the idea of leading his troops to pursue Zhu Run and Lei Teng, and asked the scouts about Guangwu Village in the north and about the progress of Cao Shixiong's troops.
"The second general led his troops to march west from Yangkou, but encountered enemy troops intercepting them in front of Sanzhu Taogou. The wind and snow in the north of the mountain were even worse, and the road was blocked for a while!" the scout reported.
Guangwu Village and Yangkou Village were built at the northeast and northwest corners of Guanlui Mountain respectively, with side walls built along Polan in the middle to separate them from the Xishan Mountains belonging to Khitan in the north.
Narrow passages were also opened along the border wall for the passage of border patrol troops and horses.
However, it is sandwiched between Guanchuan Mountain and Xishan Mountain. The terrain is rugged and uneven, and the traffic conditions are even worse than Huanglongpoyi.
If Tongbai Mountain soldiers entered the narrow pass in advance to intercept them, it would be difficult for Cao Shili to break through the pass no matter how many elite troops he had.
After hearing the news, Cao Shixiong did not dare to neglect, so he asked Meng Ping to lead his troops to repair in Caochengzhai first. He led 800 cavalry and Hulejian to take over Langu County first, and then went to Guangwu in the north early tomorrow morning. March into the village.
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The wind and snow on both sides of the Huihe River became more violent and did not stop after nightfall.
In such bad weather, the Red Husband Cavalry, which has always been hardy and hardworking, had to retreat to the captured villages to avoid the wind and snow.
The wind and snow had not stopped, and there was a vast expanse of white everywhere, which became the best cover for Xu Huai and his three hundred cavalry to jump out from Jingong Mountain.
Unfortunately, the snow on both sides of the Huihe River was shin-deep by night.
Unless traveling on horseback, it is very difficult for ordinary infantry to trudge through the snow without the aid of tools, and they are likely to be overtaken by the main force of the enemy's cavalry halfway through.
Xu Huai could only lead three hundred elite cavalry to break out of the encirclement on a snowy night and jump out of the encirclement of the enemy cavalry.
However, Xu Huai neither evacuated to Shuozhou City nor to Hou'erwu. Instead, he crossed the frozen Hui River and went straight south. The footprints he left behind were quickly covered by the violent wind and snow. Although some scouts were arranged on both sides of the Huihe River, the area to be targeted was too vast. No one noticed that a cavalry passed through the hole in the border wall east of Yangkou Village and sneaked into Lan without any trace. Within the state...
