There are 3,000 horse infantry soldiers under the control of Zhengzhou Jiedushi. Most of them are Xiao Qian who followed him when he surrendered to Datong. The Tibetan people who have fought in the south and north for many years have accumulated rich combat experience and are well aware that their hands are full of the Central Plains.
The blood of the Han people is so sinful that even if they surrender, there will be no way to survive.
In the open streets and alleys, they were unable to withstand the sudden charge of Chushan's armored cavalry. After the array was ruthlessly torn to pieces, they either broke out in groups or stayed in the houses and courtyards to resist. However, those who surrendered and begged for their lives could not.
many.
The rows of houses and courtyards in Zhuxianyi have experienced the devastation of two wars. There are broken walls everywhere, and most of the people have fled, but the buildings are still dense and the streets and lanes are crisscrossed.
In order to preserve his strength, reduce unnecessary casualties as much as possible, and reduce the burden of retreating south, Xu Huai ordered the peripheral cavalry to retreat to both sides of the Xinqu Dam to set up camps, and opened the siege of the town. Wang Zhang, Zhou Luo, and Liu Yueting
, Han Qihu and other generals led a small group of elite rebels and returning rebels, relying on the military stronghold, to clear out the enemy soldiers from east to west, from the inside out, and expel the stubborn enemy soldiers.
The clearing operation lasted until daylight and came to an end.
Because fire attacks were mostly used in clearing operations, there were still many remaining fires in the towns and houses, and pillars of black smoke shot straight into the night sky.
Xu Huai came down to the river embankment surrounded by a dozen riders, dismounted and walked onto the river embankment, and saluted Han Changfu, Zhou Xuyi and other rebel generals who were ready to go:
"The rivers and Huaihe Rivers are broken, and the mountains and rivers are overturned. Fortunately for the imperial court, the princes are trapped in the enemy's territory but do not forget their ambition to serve the country. Zheng has fallen into the enemy's hands and may not be recovered within three to five years. The princes are hiding in Songshan Mountain. The struggle will be difficult, but what is the need?
, send people to Chushan and say a word, Xu Huai will do his best to raise funds for you!"
The enemy in Zhengzhou suffered heavy losses. Xiao Qian, He Qin and other enemy generals fled to the east to Tongxu County to collect their defeated troops and meet up with the enemy in Yongqiu. At this time, the evacuation channel from Zhuxianyi to Songshan Mountain had been opened.
Considering that the captive soldiers would conduct more brutal raids in the future to attack the resistance forces in Hehuai, after urgent discussions, it was decided that Han Changfu, Zhou Xuyi and other rebel generals would directly lead a part of the rebel soldiers to cross the dam on the east side of Zhuxianyi.
Caihe River, along the road on the south bank of the Caihe River Old Road, the injured and injured were evacuated in the direction of Songshan Mountain first.
Han Changfu and other rebel generals were also in ups and downs at this moment, and their thousands of words turned into deep bows. After bidding farewell to Xu Huai, they all got on their horses and led their troops to evacuate in the direction of Songshan Mountain.
Xu Huai stood on the river embankment and watched groups of rebel generals embark on a new journey.
Xiangcheng is still garrisoned by the Shenwu Army, but after the Zheng family withdraws from Heluo, Chushan will take over the defense of Xiangcheng.
Xiangcheng stands on the north bank of Shuishui-Rushui River, at the southeastern foot of Songshan Mountain, very close to Xuzhou, an important town in the Hehuai River. And if the Shuishui River can eventually be successfully redirected, Xiangcheng will control the upper reaches of the Shuishui-Yingshui River.
The strategic position will be more prominent.
To give full play to the strategic position of Xiangcheng, it is far from enough to send thousands of elites to garrison the city of Xiangcheng in a rigid manner.
Xu Huai hoped that part of the rebels would withdraw to Songshan at this time. After Chushan took over the defense of Xiangcheng, he would focus on opening up the deep connection between Xiangcheng and Songshan, and support the rebels to launch guerrilla operations based on the dangerous terrain of Songshan, thereby weakening the resistance of the rebels.
The control of the Hehuai region can also gain greater living space for Chushan to establish a foothold in Huaishang.
exist
After the first batch of more than 2,000 rebel generals escorted nearly 1,000 wounded and sick people on the journey, Xu Huaicai returned to the military camp surrounded by more than a dozen cavalry guards.
"Xu Xin'an just sent a message. They arrived in Xiangcheng County last night. They should be able to control the Cai River to enter the Yingshui River mouth today!" Zhou Jing saw Xu Huai walking into the public house and reported the latest troops and horses on the southern front. Report the trends.
Xu Huai walked to the long desk and looked at the map showing the latest movements of troops and horses on the southern front.
Going south along the Cai River from Zhuxianyi, you only need to walk more than 200 miles of waterway to enter Xihua County in the north of Chenzhou. However, you can go upstream from Yingkou, pass through Ruyin, Shenqiu, Xiangcheng and other counties, and reach Caihua County. The river enters the Yingshui River at its mouth, but it takes more than 400 miles of waterway.
Therefore, Xu Xin'an, Xu Ling and the Chu Shanshui Army were able to reach the mouth of Cai River and Ying River today, and their actions were considered very fast.
Fortunately, the main force of the Yingzhou Navy had been lured into the Ru River before. Xu Xin'an and Xu Ling led their troops up the Ying River without encountering any obstacles along the way. It was also fortunate that until yesterday night, the battle of the Yingzhou Navy The boat then returned to Yingshui...
"Chen Zixiao has led his troops into the south bank of Yingshui River and set up camp in the Miaowanggou area, about fifty miles away from Xihua County. Yue Hailou was attracted to the west of Shangshui River to gather 15,600 cavalry to pursue and intercept him. In this case "Yesterday, Yue Hailou ordered the removal of the pontoon bridge between Wanqiu and Shangshui, and ordered the few ships to evacuate upstream to Xuchang,"
Zhou Jing clenched his fists uncontrollably and said excitedly,
"From this point of view, Yue Hailou did not have the confidence to use the pontoon bridge between Wanqiu and Shangshui to intercept Xu Xin'an and Xu Ling's troops in the Yingshui River east of Wanqiu. However, they surrounded Miaowanggou However, our troops and horses showed no signs of withdrawing to the north bank of Yingshui River. They must have made up their minds to build new pontoon bridges in Xuchang and Ruyin, receive enemy reinforcements, cross the Yingshui River southward, and then intercept us between Miaowanggou and Yingshui River. military……"
"It's only the end of August, we can't move too fast!" Xu Huai said with a frown.
"But it can't be too slow. The enemy's reaction speed is still faster than we imagined." Zhou Jing said.
There are more than 200 miles of waterway from Zhuxianyi along the Cai River to Xihua territory.
After the dykes along the Cai River were extensively destroyed, no large-scale repairs have been carried out.
Tens of thousands of them traveled on land and water side by side, especially those who took the land route. They had to pass through sections of flooded land along the way, so their speed would certainly not be fast.
The cities along the Cai River, such as Weishi, Yanling, Fugou, Xihua, Wanqiu and other places, are all under the control of the enemy.
If the enemy reinforcements are assembled faster, it is still very likely that the enemy reinforcements will be stationed in Fugou, Xihua, Wanqiu and other cities, and they will find ways to block the Cai River waterway from the land to intercept them.
"Should we organize manpower to dig out the weir and dam at this time so that boats can pass quickly when necessary?" Zhou Jing asked.
"Digging the weir will allow boats to pass quickly when needed, and it can also cut off the land passages on both sides of the Cai River's new canal and the old road, blocking the pursuit of the Bianliang defenders, but at the same time it will restrict our rapid maneuvering operations on both sides of the Cai River."
Xu Huai shook his head and said,
"Send people back to Bianliang now. In the afternoon, we will arrange for the evacuation of the families of the Guiyi generals. They will all gather at Zhuxianyi for a short rest. Yang Jingchen will only become more honest when he sees Xiao Qian being hit hard again. We
By continuing to travel overland, the cavalry might return to Bianliang at any time, but he did not dare to move."
Xu Huai had previously considered digging up the dam at Zhuxian Station, so that the soldiers and horses staying behind the palace in the southern outer city of Bianliang, as well as the returning generals and their families, could be temporarily stationary. When they finally evacuated, they would directly head south from Bianliang City by water.
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However, Xu Huai's previous main consideration was to give up control of the southern outer city of Bianliang prematurely. When Yang Jingchen saw the enemy reinforcements arriving from the outside, he might lead the Xiongzhou Army to counterattack in a large scale.
They once again severely damaged Xiao Qian's troops last night, and at the same time, they will once again frighten Yang Jingchen and other Bianliang surrendered generals and rebels who are ready to move, so that they dare not act rashly.
Xu Huai then decisively adjusted the established plan and decided to first gather the Guiyi generals, his family, and some of the rebel troops to Zhuxianyi in advance, and forcibly drag hundreds of large and small boats across the weirs and dams to create a new river channel.
Even if a large amount of supplies seized from Bianliang need to be unloaded and reloaded at Zhuxianyi, all aspects of the operation will be more complicated and slower than the original plan. However, there is no imminent threat in a short period of time. The weirs and dams will be retained to ensure that the cavalry can move forward in the Caihe New Canal.
, the possibility of rapid mobile combat on both sides of the old road is of greater significance.
Of course, they still need to quietly delay for some more time near Bianliang.
…………
…………
Zhuxianyi suffered a disastrous defeat, and the Chushan navy entered Yingshui and controlled the mouth of the Cai River into Yingshui. Xiao Qian's intention to intercept Chushan's sneak attack troops retreating south at Zhuxianyi was completely frustrated.
At this time, the messenger from Zhennan Zong's palace also rushed to Santanggang to meet Xiao Qian and Mo Lihu.
Even though Xiao Qian was worried that Xu Huai might abandon the rebel army and return to Yi, he led his elite soldiers and horses from Chu Mountain to the west and fled into Songshan Mountain. However, the messenger brought the opinions of the second prince Wu Lulie and ordered Yang Jingchen and Xiao
Qian, Yue Hailou and other departments, the most fundamental thing is to restore effective rule over the Hehuai area as soon as possible, fill the loopholes in the defense line, and prevent similar sneak attacks from happening again.
This also means that the Zhennan Zong Palace does not require the soldiers and horses of the Hehuai River to target Xu Huai personally.
After weighing the situation, Yuehai Tower built pontoon bridges in Xuchang and Ruyin, allowing reinforcements from all directions to quickly cross the Ying River and intercept Chushan's sneak attack troops heading south west of the Shang River. This became the best choice under the current situation.
In this way, even if Xu Huai leads a small number of elite soldiers and horses to escape into Songshan Mountain, they can intercept and annihilate tens of thousands of slow-moving rebels, returning generals and family members north of Yingshui River.
This would not only severely damage Xu Huai's personal reputation among the Hehuai resistance forces, but also weaken the resistance will of the Hehuai rebels, thereby further consolidating their rule in the Hehuai area, and it is of even greater significance.
After making up his mind, Xiao Qian handed over the Yunzhou cavalry that had gathered again to Mo Lihu to control them, harassed the Chushan troops and horses from the flanks, restrained their southward retreat, and coordinated with Yang Jingchen's troops to regain control of Bianliang City, and have
The remaining forces were divided into pursuit.
Xiao Qian himself returned to Zhengzhou, further mobilized troops and horses from various places to go south from Zhengzhou, crossed the Yingshui River directly from the south of Xuchang, and rushed to Shangshui County to meet up with Yue Hailou.
At the same time, Prince Ping Yanzong in Eastern Yan not only sent Wu Chi, the governor of Songzhou, to lead five thousand cavalry directly south, but also transferred ten thousand Yanji troops from Bozhou to surrender, and in total they crossed the Ying River from the west of Ruyin City and marched westward.
, rushed to Shangshui County to meet Yue Hailou...
