Chapter 108 Strategic Deception The Southern Expedition Begins
"We will enter Sichuan to fight at the end of the month. Now various places are mobilizing troops and transporting food, and there is a lot of movement.
This situation must not be hidden, we must find a way to deceive Zhu Xieyuan.
Let him think that the target of our attack is Huguang.
Many passes and cities in Sichuan are inherently easy to defend and difficult to attack.
We can't transport our heavy artillery.
Zhu Xieyuan has increased his troops in Sichuan, and it will be very difficult for us to continue this battle."
Su He strictly kept their combat goals secret in order to prevent Zhu Xieyuan from getting the news in advance and making preparations for war.
Starting a war will cost a huge amount of money. Without accurate information, the Ming army will respond very slowly.
Su Changsheng put forward his suggestion: "Commander Su, our secret guards found several exposed Ming spies in Hanzhong City.
They have royal guards and people who were bribed by the Ming Dynasty.
There are also some local gentry in Hanzhong.
They still have collusion with the Ming Dynasty.
I followed Commander Su's instructions and put a long line to catch big fish.
These people have not been arrested, and now is the time to do something with them.
It is completely possible to use these royal guards to deliver false news to the Ming Dynasty.
Some time ago, Wang Jiayin, the leader of the Northern Shaanxi Uprising Army, wrote to us, asking us to attack Hong Chengchou and Cao Wenshao together.
The news caused quite a stir at the time.
We passed false news to the spies, saying that we accepted the request of the northern Shaanxi rebel army and were preparing to join them in a flanking attack on the Ming army in Shaanxi."
When Su He heard Su Changsheng's method, he said happily:
"This is a good way to pass on false information.
But when we mobilize troops and transport food, we transport it from north to south. This cannot be concealed at all.
In particular, the large grain depot in Hanzhong has been completely disclosed, and no one believes it even if it is said about the Northern Expedition.
But the Northern Expedition can be told through Hanzhong Weekly.
This kind of publicity on the surface will make Zhu Xieyuan and others judge that this is fake news.
We are delivering more realistic false news to spies.
Zhu Xieyuan should not give clear goals. These smart people are more convinced of the results they can achieve.
It is best to pass the information to the spies to make Zhu Xieyuan think that we are preparing to attack Huguang."
After hearing Su He's plan, Li Fengming added: "The third division is now on the Weihe defense line.
Commander Su prepared to let the third division defend Xing'an Prefecture where the situation was even more severe.
When we enter Sichuan to fight, we can't even transport heavy artillery.
It happened that the Third Division was transferred to Xing'an Prefecture, and they were asked to enter Xing'an Prefecture with a large number of heavy artillery.
Then send some soldiers from the Ming Dynasty who have not joined the army. Most of them are workers and have stronger discipline than the Ming army.
Let them put on their clothes, disguise themselves as troops, and follow the Third Division.
Even if Ming generals observe them in person, they will think that these are soldiers.
In this way, people who don't know our true plan will definitely be misled."
When Su He heard this plan, he was very satisfied.
He asked Li Fengming and Su Changsheng to discuss the details of this plan.
This is also a tactic to conceal the truth. The key to its success is to create realistic details.
…
"Hanzhong Weekly" published the news of the Northern Expedition, causing many people to discuss the matter in restaurants.
A very mediocre-looking businessman in silk ordered more than a dozen jars of sweet potato wine and treated the diners in the restaurant to drinks.
"Sweet potato wine is cheap and delicious, I'll treat everyone to a drink.
Dear fellows, what do you think of the news that the army is about to embark on the Northern Expedition?"
A man dressed as a scholar took the jar of wine, took two sips and said:
"This is completely misleading, how stupid can anyone believe what it says.
Now the Ming army in northern Shaanxi can't even defeat the rogue bandits who are holding the people hostage, so they still need us to attack them.
Besides, normal people, who would attack the barren land in northern Shaanxi?
Most places in northern Shaanxi are thousands of miles apart, and there is no food at all.
Now there are at least 90,000 refugees arriving in our Hanzhong Prefecture.
I heard from the refugees that most of them died on the road.
In northern Shaanxi, there is no rooster crow for thousands of miles.
In places where drought is severe, every village has been wiped out.
Most of those who did not die fled the famine.
In the early days, many people fled to Henan and Shanxi, and even to the Tatars.
In the later period, they mainly fled to our Hanzhong Prefecture.
If it weren't for this year's bumper grain harvest, we wouldn't be able to feed these people here.
If we really want to go to the Northern Expedition, there are still many refugees there. Do we need to feed them?
There is such a large population in northern Shaanxi, and the food in our Hanzhong prefecture cannot feed these people at all.
If I were a general leading an army, I would definitely attack areas where food is abundant. This way, the benefits would be greater.
What's more, when cooperating with a bandit, who is the leader and who is the deputy?
Without clarifying the name, it will be impossible for the two armies to cooperate until life and death is at stake."
Many diners in the restaurant agreed with this scholar's statement.
They can all see that the Tongcheng Mansion is not a bandit.
Once you conquer a place, you must establish a solid rule there.
When the time comes to conquer northern Shaanxi, we are all Shaanxi people, so we cannot watch the people starve to death.
I want to save people, but I don’t have enough food to feed them.
If there is insufficient food preparation, we will not attack northern Shaanxi at all. This is completely thankless.
A businessman with a big belly drank several jars of wine and said drunkenly:
"I'm telling you something, please don't spread it.
I just returned from transporting salt from Huguang the day before yesterday.
I saw a large number of soldiers, tens of thousands of them, rushing to Xing'an Prefecture by boat.
Especially the cannon on the ship, its muzzle is thicker than mine.
When the army saw that I was a merchant transporting salt, they stopped me directly and asked me to transport the salt to the camp.
The things in the camp really opened my eyes.
Alas, you can't talk about these things, or I'll get into trouble."
There were also many diners who agreed that this was a businessman.
"I also saw many soldiers walking on the cement road."
"I've seen this too. The troops in yellow clothes can't be seen at a glance.
They all carry knives, and some of them look very fierce."
The drinker heard the reactions of the surrounding diners.
He thought about what the businessman had just said.
He showed more enthusiasm and kept chatting with the businessman, hoping to find out more things from the businessman.
He reluctantly bought two bottles of good wine, completely confusing the businessman and extracting more useful information.
After getting the businessman drunk.
The man hurriedly walked out of the restaurant and kept circling Hanzhong City.
He soon came to a shop selling linen cloth.
"I have received important news, please pass it on to Governor Zhu immediately."
"Sir, I drank so much that I finally told this man what happened."
Su Changsheng was hiding in the corner. He saw the fish taking the bait and smiled on his face.
"This group of people should be careful. Such stupid spies are really rare.
When we go after the other group, we must let him escape with serious injuries.
Bring out the information he thinks is true.
We must not make a deadly move, and we must not let others see that we are holding back."
…
Zhu Xieyuan has been in Wuchang Mansion. He has dealt with the mess left by the rebellion of She Chongming and An Bangyan.
We plan to stay in Guizhou, thoroughly clean up the chieftains in Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan, and the Shangshu court will implement the policy of returning locals to locals.
Unexpectedly, thieves in yellow appeared in Hanzhong Mansion and directly killed Yang He, the governor of the three sides, making Emperor Chongzhen furious.
The imperial court is now unable to carry out a large-scale campaign against the yellow-clad thieves because it has no money.
However, Emperor Chongzhen gave him an imperial edict that the thieves in yellow must be contained in Hanzhong and must not be allowed to develop and grow.
Train troops locally to raise funds, find a good opportunity, and annihilate the thieves in yellow in one fell swoop.
Zhu Xieyuan could only lead his troops back to Wuchang Mansion and focus on dealing with the thieves in yellow.
Some time ago, he received a report from his subordinates that the thief in yellow was going to make a big move.
Immediately arrange for spies to contact the gentry whose interests have been harmed in Hanzhong to find out about the thieves in yellow.
Just after She Chongming and An Bangyan were wiped out, a more powerful group of thieves in yellow appeared.
The Ming Dynasty is really in troubled times right now, with Hou Jin attacking the capital in the north and thieves in yellow posing in the west.
Zhu Xieyuan could tell that the next target of the thief in yellow was the area under his jurisdiction.
Hanzhong Prefecture has four directions: east, west, north and south, with Shaanxi in the west and north.
The current situation in Shaanxi cannot support an army at all.
If you can't even farm, how can you feed the army?
From what Su He, the leader of the yellow-robed thieves, did, Zhu Xieyuan knew that this man was very smart and would not be able to do anything early without profit.
He will never attack Shaanxi.
This leader of thieves in yellow will not do anything that does not yield definite benefits.
The thieves in yellow can choose the direction of attack. There are only two roads, which are to go east along the Han River to Huguang, or to go south to Shu.
Zhu Xieyuan judged that Suhe's choice was to go eastward, accounting for more than 80% of the total.
It is easiest to go east to Huguang.
The road to Shu is difficult, and it is difficult to reach the blue sky.
Not only is it difficult to get out of Shu, but it is also very difficult to enter Shu.
When the thieves in yellow invade Huguang, they only need to send a small number of troops to block the Ming army in Sichuan.
If the thieves in yellow really dare to enter Shu to fight, they can only choose to attack Jianmen Pass.
Zhu Xieyuan believed that with the majesty of Jianmen Pass, there would be no problem in blocking it for half a year.
After such a long time, he had already led his troops into Hanzhong City.
"Master, the spies we sent, the imperial guards, and the gentry who took refuge with us all sent us information."
After he finished speaking, he handed the compiled information to Zhu Xieyuan.
Zhu Xieyuan carefully opened each piece of information and kept making notes on the paper beside him.
Based on various intelligence, he judged that the next target of the thieves in yellow was to attack Huguang.
They prepared a large amount of grain, grass and heavy artillery, and transported them all to Xing'an Prefecture.
The military strength of Xing'an Prefecture has also reached more than 90% of the total strength of the yellow-robed thieves."
When Zhu Xieyuan saw the news, his own judgment was confirmed.
"Inform the generals of each battalion to be ready to leave at any time and go to Xunyang Mansion to face the yellow-robed thieves."
Zhu Xieyuan issued the order.
He can't wait here, the thief in yellow is very strong.
There are a lot of unscrupulous people in Xunyang Mansion. If the thieves in yellow really occupy Xunyang Mansion, he will be in big trouble.
…
Su Changsheng reported to Su Hehui: "Commander Su, our secret guards have sent back information through pigeons.
I asked the secret guard to bring over the three pairs of pigeons we had trained during this period.
Now a pair of pigeons have returned. I didn't expect that the homing pigeons could fly back after flying so far.
Zhu Xieyuan has already transferred troops to Xunyang Mansion. He has also transferred troops from Guizhou and Guangxi to Huguang.
We have completed the strategic deception and Zhu Xieyuan did not send more troops to Sichuan.
In the short term, we only have to face Sichuan officers and soldiers."
Su Changsheng was very happy. He discovered another intelligence weapon. Pigeons are really amazing.
The secret guards obtained detailed information and sent people to send it back by boat, which would take more than ten days.
The carrier pigeon flew from Wuchang Prefecture to Hanzhong Prefecture in just a few days.
Nowadays, homing pigeons are difficult to train and are easily lost.
But the ability to transmit information in a timely manner offsets all the shortcomings of homing pigeons.
"Okay, great."
Su He was very happy when he heard this information.
In ancient times, roads were difficult to travel, it was extremely inconvenient to mobilize troops, and the transmission of information was also slow.
Once the troop deployment order is issued, it will take a lot of time to adjust it.
Su He mobilized his troops in an orderly manner until all the food and grass were transported in place and the soldiers arrived at the designated location.
The time has come to enter Shu and fight.
In the third year of Chongzhen, it was October 21st.
Wuyingdian Staff Department.
All the senior generals who participated in the battle into Shu came here, waiting for Su He to issue combat orders.
Su Ying said to the senior general:
"All division leaders, come and report."
"Commander of the First Division, Su Xiong."
"Chief of Staff of the First Division, Wang Shiyuan."
"The First Division belongs to Master Zhu, Li Zhengfeng."
All military commanders of the first division came out.
"Second Division Commander, Su Zhuang."
"Chief of Staff of the Second Division, Tong Yunpeng."
"The second division belongs to Master Zhu, Wen Jingming."
All the military commanders of the Second Division came out.
"Commander of the Fourth Division, Wu Jie."
"Chief of Staff of the Fourth Division, Fu Xiucheng."
"The Fourth Division belongs to Master Zhu, Wang Zhixin."
All military commanders of the fourth division came out.
"Commander of the Fifth Division, Su Li."
"Chief of Staff of the Fifth Division, Pang Jian'an."
"The Fifth Division belongs to Master Zhu, Zhongli Qing."
All military commanders of the fifth division came out.
"Commander of the Guards Division, Li Dazhuang."
"Chief of Staff of the Guards Division, Duan Ruide."
"The Guards Division belongs to Master Zhu, Pan Hongcai."
All military commanders of the Guards Division came out.
Senior generals attending the ceremony included Zhang Yuliang, commander of the artillery brigade, and Li Qingmu, commander of the naval brigade.
Su He looked at the generals standing neatly. He now had seven divisions, two special brigades, and more than 100,000 people under his command.
With only the young men in Hanzhong, he could not recruit so many soldiers.
From the 70,000 Ming Dynasty official troops who were captured, 50,000 elite soldiers were selected to join their ranks.
There were also more than 100,000 refugees who fled from northern Shaanxi during this period, and a total of 20,000 people chose to join the army.
"This time almost all our troops are dispatched to fight in Shu.
Next, Chief of Staff Li Fengming will arrange a specific combat plan."
When Li Fengming heard Su He's instructions, he took a few command flags and walked to the large sand table of the staff headquarters.
He first planted two khaki flags in Baoji County and Xing'an Prefecture.
“Unexpected victory and anticipated defeat, Hanzhong Mansion will never allow any mistakes.
Everyone who comes to the staff headquarters is a general who is preparing to participate in the war in Shu.
According to the order of Commander Su, I established a guard corps. It consists of the third division and the sixth division. It is commanded by Su Hu and is responsible for defending Hanzhong Mansion.
The three divisions, which have been trained for a long time, mainly defend the direction of Xing'an Prefecture.
When we enter Shu to fight, Zhu Xieyuan will definitely let the Huguang Ming Army attack Xing'an Prefecture.
Hong Chengchou and Cao Wenzhao are currently encircling and suppressing the rebel army in northern Shaanxi.
But we also have to guard against it. We conquer the Sichuan and Chongqing areas, especially Rongcheng Prefecture.
Chongzhenhui was so anxious that he jumped over the wall and ordered Hong Chengchou to attack us.
With the Weihe Defense Line and the Sixth Division, it’s not a big problem to defend there.”
Su He arranged two divisions for defense.
The Fifth and Sixth Divisions are composed of half veterans who have been training for half a year and half new recruits who have been trained for half a year.
The Sixth Division was stationed on the Weihe River defense line, hiding behind cement bunkers to defend. With their sharp firearms, there was no big problem.
Heavy artillery could not enter Shu, so it was all shipped to Baoji County and Xing'an Prefecture.
The Ming army was unable to attack with artillery fire.
Huguang had the largest number of Ming Dynasty officers and soldiers, and Zhu Xieyuan's defense focused on Huguang.
Su He dispatched Su Hu and his third division, mainly veterans, to station beside the Hanyin Fort to block the Ming army in Huguang.
With the terrain like Xing'an Prefecture, large-scale troops can only be transported through the Han River.
Li Fengming took out two red flags and placed one at Bazhou and the other at Jianmen Pass.
"The Eastward March Corps was established, with Su Xiong as its commander-in-chief.
The Eastward Army Corps consists of the 1st Division, the 5th Division and the Marine Brigade.
The first goal is to capture Bazhou along the Rice Cang Road.
After capturing Bazhou, capture Chongqing Prefecture as soon as possible, then march eastward to Kuizhou Prefecture and blockade the Yangtze River.
The main task of capturing Chongqing Prefecture was to block the Yangtze River waterway and stop the Ming army in Huguang.
When you take Bazhou, you must pay attention to the safety of food roads.
Large grain trucks cannot be used on the rice warehouse road, so people have to carry grain by hand.
Capture Bazhou, eliminate all Ming troops, and ensure the safety of the grain road.
In the later stage, the Ministry of Industry will use gunpowder to blast the mountains and build cement roads to ensure smooth grain routes."
"The Westward March Corps was established, and Commander Su personally led the troops.
This is the main force, consisting of the Second Division, the Fourth Division, the Guards Division and the Artillery Brigade.
Our mission is very clear, take Jianmen Pass, follow the Jinniu Road, fight all the way to Rongcheng, and seize the largest city in the southwest."
After Li Fengming finished explaining the battle plan, he immediately retreated, leaving his position to Su He.
Su He looked at the extremely excited general and said seriously: "From now on, whether we are a dragon or a worm depends on this war.
By capturing the southwest, our entire strategy has been revitalized. We can advance, attack, retreat or defend.
This time I have two requirements, and I will try my best to achieve them.
The first requirement is to capture Jianmen Pass. No matter how heavy the casualties are, this majestic pass must be captured.
We have no choice but to fight tooth and nail.
The second is to seize Chongqing Prefecture as soon as possible. From Bazhou to Chongqing, there are many rivers blocking it.
In the most extreme case, all ships were destroyed by the Ming army and all trees were burned.
If you can't find a wooden boat, you can even ride on a pigskin raft, but you still have to swim across the river for me and capture Chongqing Prefecture."
Su He looked at Su Ying and Su Changsheng again.
"The Military Justice Department established military tribunals with the army, and officers and soldiers who violated laws and disciplines must be dealt with seriously.
Especially for deserters, if they are discovered, they will be dealt with seriously and must not be tolerated.
Su Changsheng sent professional secret guards down to the regiment level.
We must let frontline officers know clearly the strengths of both the enemy and ourselves.
The roads of Shu are very good, and they, who are familiar with the roads, can lead the way of the army."
When Su Ying and Su Changsheng heard Su He's request, they both stood up and promised that nothing would go wrong.
Su He looked at the generals with solemn expressions.
"Tomorrow morning, we will vow to march south.
Everyone, go back and be prepared. You can also study the tactics based on your respective mission objectives.
If you have any requests, you must tell me clearly before setting off for the expedition."
The generals obeyed Su He's instructions and they all left the staff headquarters.
Mobilize the army and prepare for battle.
Su He came to the Wenhua Palace to meet with senior civil servants of the Tongling Mansion.
They have all smelled the smoke of gunfire, especially during this period of time when the army was constantly mobilizing. Everyone knew that the war was coming.
"The battle into Sichuan is about to begin. All your work is centered on serving the victory of the war."
For the first time, civilian officials heard the strictly confidential operational objectives.
Wang Zhongce, Gao Xuanming and others were not surprised. They knew the army's goal in advance.
Su Wuniu was surprised. He would not believe the report in Hanzhong Weekly that they would make the Northern Expedition.
But he thought he would attack Huguang this time. Attacking Huguang by water would be much easier than attacking Sichuan by mountainous roads.
Su He saw surprise on many people's faces. He was very satisfied with the confidentiality work.
If he wants to achieve strategic deception, Zhu Xieyuan can be fooled.
You must reveal something real and deceive your own people.
"This time I will personally lead the troops to attack Shu, so you don't have to worry about the safety of Hanzhong Mansion.
Yimen Hou Su Hu will command two divisions to protect the security of Hanzhong Prefecture.
We only had two divisions at that time, and we were able to defeat the 100,000 Ming army in Shaanxi.
This time Su Hu commanded elite soldiers and relied on the city to conduct defensive operations.
The Ming army's 200,000 troops could not defeat Hanzhong Prefecture."
Su He gave the civilian officials reassurance that as long as the Ming army could not attack, the rear would be very stable.
It can provide a steady stream of materials and weapons to supply the frontline army to conquer the city.
He looked at the officials in front of him and told him his arrangement.
"I grant Wang Zhongce the authority to manage all government affairs of the Commandery Mansion."
After Su He finished speaking, he took off the sword he was carrying and gave it to Wang Zhongce.
"The city of Hanzhong will be handed over to Zhong Ce. If anyone disobeys the order, you can kill him first with a sword and then punish him."
Wang Zhongce took the sword with both hands and said excitedly: "I, Wang Zhongce, will definitely live up to Commander Su's trust."
Su He handed over Hanzhong City to his wife's second brother, who was very relieved.
Based on what Wang Zhongce did, especially his participation in the execution of King Zhu Changhao of Rui.
He will never surrender. If caught by the Ming Dynasty, he will definitely be executed by Ling Chi.
Su He continued to make arrangements.
"Li Zhisheng is responsible for allocating grain, grass and supplies to the army."
"The army entered Sichuan and occupied a stable territory. Su Wuniu, the minister of the Ministry of Industry, immediately organized workers to build cement roads.
Especially for the Micang Road, plan the route, use gunpowder to blast the mountain, and at least build a cement road that can handle wheelbarrows."
"Officials and doctors preparing to enter Shu are on standby in Hanzhong City.
We captured a city and conducted a short period of military control.
Officials must be replaced immediately to establish stable rule in the local area.
Strengthen the training of officials so that they can master the methods of attacking the gentry and dividing their fields, so as to draw all the people into our ranks."
Su He chatted with these officials until half the night and explained many things.
When he returned to the apse, Wang Wenjun was waiting for him to eat.
"Husband, you have so many generals under your command. I don't need you to go out personally. I'm afraid..."
Su He looked at his wife's bulging belly and knew that she was worried about him.
"Wenjun, don't worry.
I am not in great danger and am mainly responsible for commanding the army.
This battle in Shu will be the moment that determines our destiny.
I have to personally lead the army on the expedition, and I don't trust anyone who can entrust the army to me.
Me personally leading the troops can also greatly boost the morale of the soldiers and increase the chips for victory."
Su He was not worried about his own safety at all. The army was victorious and there was no problem with his safety.
Su He is a commander-in-chief leader and will not go to the front line to charge.
Unlike Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong, he was a fierce leader who could easily be beheaded by the enemy.
He himself was threatened, and the situation was so severe that he was about to be destroyed.
In this case, he would have suffered the same fate if he hid in Hanzhong.
…
In the third year of Chongzhen, it was October 25th.
It's just dawn, west of Hanzhong City.
Tens of thousands of troops lined up quietly, with the Great Wall military flags fluttering in the wind all around.
The sound of huge drums kept sounding.
Su He stood on the general platform, facing tens of thousands of troops.
He was in a surging mood, looking at the resolute yet childish faces.
"I order, let's go."
Su He issued the order, waving the military flag in his hand and pointing in the direction of Rongcheng Mansion.
Violent drumbeats sounded, and the soldiers marched toward the goal in neat steps.