Chapter 234 Those who are good at fighting have no great achievements
Due to the long distance and almost cut off transportation, the actions of the Han armies in Hexi and Yulin in Mobei could not be spread to the country in a short time. The great achievements of the troops coming to Yanran and galloping outside the territory will still need time to accumulate and ferment.
The Han cavalry going out from the north are actually like kites with broken strings being flown out. They are basically out of control, and it is difficult to provide timely and effective feedback on any situation. The central court in Xijing does not even have to worry about logistical supplies. All it can do is silently*
*,bless.
In fact, just like the war in the Western Regions, the imperial court did not have too many expectations or requirements for these two armies. This was the first time since the founding of the Han Dynasty that Qingqi went out of the extreme territory in large numbers and was able to show its power beyond the Great Wall.
The first time also means trying, and there is room for error.
In comparison, Liu Tinghan's army on the front line of Shanyang deserves more attention. The first has more troops, more than 30,000, all of which are the elite cavalry of the Han Dynasty. Both of them have been since the Liao army retreated to the north and the Han army advanced.
, Liu Tinghan's army is closest to the capital of Liao State, Shangjing. If any army can threaten Liao's capital, Shangjing, it is only Liu Tinghan's army from Shanyang.
The military layout of the Han Dynasty's Northern Expedition, Liaodong is the head, Hexi, Yulin is the tail, and Shanyang is the waist. In the situation where it is already top-heavy, the waist needs to be strengthened even more.
However, while Guo Jinjun was advancing with great success, and Yang Ye and Wang Yansheng were advancing directly, the Han cavalry led by Liu Tinghan was still tepid and did not make many achievements.
After receiving further permission from the court to relax the rope and delegate power, Liu Tinghan also led his army out of the fortress for the second time and penetrated deep into the Liao territory, but the result was still unsatisfactory.
The Khitan tribe in Monan retreated too cleanly. Within three hundred miles, the Han army was not able to seize their tracks. The only one who gave them a chance was Han Kuangmei, the recruiting envoy in southwestern Liaoning, who led the army to resist.
The two armies had a confrontation at Yuanyangbo, about two hundred miles northeast of Baishuiluo. Later, because the Han army was stronger, the Liao army took the initiative to withdraw. With the support of the Liao reserve troops, they calmly got rid of the entanglement of the Han army.
In the battle of Yuanyangbo, both sides used a lot of troops, but the result was somewhat anticlimactic. The Han army captured less than 2,000 soldiers. Although its own casualties were not large, Liu Tinghan was obviously not satisfied with this result.
You must know that Han Kuangmei led not the elite of the Liao army. They had no heavy armor, no guards, and no hide rooms. What was Liu Tinghan's purpose of going to the fortress? It was to contain the strength of the Liao army and effectively attack and kill its troops and subordinates. However, then,
Due to the Liao Kingdom's contraction strategy, this intention was not realized.
After suffering a loss, Han Kuangmei learned the lesson and no longer had rash contact with the Han army. She became conservative again, avoided fighting blindly, and started guerrilla warfare with the Han army in the northern part of the Monan Grassland.
After all, this is the home ground of the Liao army. The Han army punched hard, but the air was knocked out with one punch. It was very uncomfortable. It was not that there was no contact between the two sides, but it was a small group of reconnaissance cavalry. The scouts were fighting, no matter how fierce it was.
But it is difficult to affect the overall situation.
By May, Liu Tinghan once again went hundreds of miles northwest, but other than the Liao scouts who discovered those insights and tested his own army, nothing more was gained.
At this time, starting from Yunzhou, the Han army had already advanced more than 500 miles. Naturally, it was not as fast as the Hexi and Yulin roads. However, in this eastern grassland, the Liao army was obviously stronger and the tribal troops were stronger.
More concentrated.
Under such circumstances, Liu Tinghan's army did not have many choices. If he wanted to break the situation, he could either be bolder like Yang Ye and Wang Yansheng, completely abandon the rear, advance into Mobei regardless, and burn the war to the Liao Kingdom.
Most of the tribes in Monan of the Liao Kingdom migrated northward. They could escape for five hundred miles, but they could not escape for a thousand miles.
However, this determination is difficult to make. Unlike the situation in the northwest of the desert, if you rush northward, the greater possibility is not to reap the miraculous effect of sweeping across the desert and opening up the situation, but to get stuck and unable to get out. The risk is too great!
The other option is to have a clear goal, attack the key points directly, and march towards Liao Shangjing. At this time, Liu Tinghan's army is located in the middle of the desert. The straight-line distance from Liao Shangjing is only about 600 miles. Liu Tinghan's army has enough troops.
The high mobility provided by the mules and horses can always reach Shangjing in as fast as ten days or as slowly as half a month.
However, this is also a dangerous choice, and the risk is greater than fighting in Mobei. Since the war began, after several trials, the Han and Liao sides have gradually become clear about their opponents. Previously, due to the information blockade, communication was not smooth.
The situations and circumstances that had led to ambiguity gradually became clearer.
Moreover, through the battles with Han Kuangmei in Monan and Desert, Liu Tinghan always had doubts in his heart. In his opinion, the strength possessed by the Liao Kingdom was definitely not as good as it appeared on the surface.
Of course, some situations can be explained. For example, the defensive pressure on Liaodong was too great, and the Liao Kingdom provided strong support. As a result, Mobei and Shangjing were not strong enough, so they adopted such a passive defensive method.
However, if you simply make such a conjecture and regard it as reality, it would be a bit deceptive. Liu Tinghan has been in town for some years. He has a basic understanding of the Liao Kingdom and the Liao Army, even if he is not familiar with the details.
of.
As a general who was favored by Emperor Liu, he was courageous and decisive, but also somewhat prudent. Under the "understandable" appearance of the Liao army in dealing with the Han cavalry, Liu Tinghan always felt uneasy in his heart.
Therefore, after advancing into the desert, he became cautious in every move he made, not daring to take advantage of others. His alertness was raised to the highest level, and the range of his scouts was expanded to fifty miles around.
The scouts of both sides were also engaged in a brutal fight in this ample space. The scouts were generally the most capable, keen, and experienced soldiers in the army, but in this kind of strangled fight, the Han army was completely
He lost more than 700 soldiers, so Liu Tinghan had to mobilize reinforcements. After all, on the vast grasslands outside the territory, on other people's territory, one must keep one's ears and eyesight, and no matter how big a sacrifice is made, it is necessary.
The desert seemed to have become a thunder pond. For more than a month, Liu Tinghan kept a cautious attitude, not daring to cross, as if taking one step forward would lead to an abyss.
In the army, there were many generals who could not stand this boring situation. They rode their horses out of the fortress to fight against the Khitan and make achievements, especially the forbidden cavalry assigned to Liu Tinghan.
In addition, taking the initiative and going deep into the grassland was Liu Tinghan's initiative. However, when the army moved north, you, the commander-in-chief, hesitated. You were afraid of the enemy and delayed your advance, thus wasting the opportunity to fight.
The war situation was murky externally, and the generals and schools were pressing against each other internally. Liu Tinghan was under great pressure, but it was this heavy pressure that made him even more afraid to be careless.
The generals under his command only need to follow orders and fight without thinking too much, but as a coach, especially a coach who was trained by Emperor Liu, Liu Tinghan cannot think so simply.
This is a general who has an overall view. He has to be responsible for the 30,000 soldiers accompanying him and the court. Half of the 30,000 cavalry under his command are forbidden by the court, plus the side cavalry and the conscripted Tibetan cavalry, this is a general.
With such a powerful force, it was not easy for the Han Dynasty to train so many cavalry.
In addition, this time out of the fortress, too many Han border troops were deployed in Shanyang and Yulin. If there was a problem with their strategic force and the Liao Kingdom sent troops south to knock the pass, it would be a new enemy for the Han Dynasty.
Stressed.
Even if such a situation can be withstood with a perfect defense system, it is unpredictable what impact it will have on the entire battle situation.
After all, Shanyang is no better than the west, and the vast Gobi desert is also a natural barrier for the Han Dynasty. This is also what Liu Tinghan really worries about.
Therefore, after hesitating for a long time, Liu Tinghan finally made up his mind not to move forward one step further. He even used the serious consumption of military supplies as an excuse to withdraw his troops two hundred miles south to receive grain and grass supplies from the rear.
What does it mean to obey the overall situation and not consider personal interests and merits? This is it!
In fact, Liu Tinghan's prudent approach was correct. His cautious and cautious behavior also made the Liao Kingdom uncomfortable.
Under Han Derang's planning, the Liao army had already set a trap for Liu Tinghan's army. It didn't take much as long as he advanced another hundred miles. Because of Liu Tinghan's hesitation, the Liao army even planned to release another bait, but Liu Tinghan withdrew.
Already.
In order to plan Liu Tinghan's army, all the elites from the Liao Kingdom came out. Yelvxian sent out all the guards and horses. The final outcome was that the duck that was about to mature flew away...