Wu Shigong was very happy today because he finally let go of a worry he had been having. Because after more than a month of hard work, the Western Expeditionary Army that patrolled the Zhou Dynasty finally successfully occupied Junzhou.
This Western Expedition was full of twists and turns. Logically speaking, the Runing Army also attached great importance to this Western Expedition. It sent the army's third-ranking figure, Zhou Xun Commander, not counting the Zhou Xun Commander. They also used spies to lure them inside and ten thousand people outside.
Five thousand troops.
You must know that the rules of the Runing Army have always been to pay double pay when they go on an expedition. In addition to the cost of bribing Wang Guangen and the others, the supply of logistics and food, and the land occupied in Junzhou can no longer make up for the cost of this western expedition. The reason why you
Ning Jun would do this regardless of the cost because he wanted to get a good start in the implementation of his overall strategy.
But as soon as the Runing Army merged with the troops of Zhang Renxue, the commander-in-chief of Henan, the two armies collided. Think about it: Zhang Renxue, the commander-in-chief, only has 7,000 people, while the Runing Army has more than 15,000. What is this?
Whose command should they follow? How could the military attachés in Zhang Renxue’s army feel comfortable?
If it was just like this, it would be fine. Anyway, at most they would march together, fight their own battles, and take care of themselves. But then the soldiers in Zhang Renxue's army discovered that the difference in treatment between the two armies was too great.
Just look at the diet! One side has two meals a day, the other has three meals a day; the other side eats half-full grains, and the other side eats meat and fish every meal. Not to mention the difference in equipment, horses, vehicles and clothing. It is simply a world.
.So Zhang Renxue and these military attachés became mentally unbalanced.
Another point is that the official ranks of the chief and deputy commanders of the Runing Army are too low. Zhao Degong is a thousand households, and Zhou Xun is a thousand generals. In Zhang Renxue's army, there are at least a dozen military attaches with higher rank than these two.
However, this is also a problem left over from the history of the Runing Army. In the Runing Army, except for Wu Shigong, who was the commander-in-chief, the other military attachés had very low official ranks. Because after Wu Shigong was awarded the title of commander-in-chief, an assassination incident by an imperial envoy occurred.
Although after this, the imperial court and the Runing Army restrained themselves from worsening the situation, the imperial court would no longer be interested in promoting these officers of the Runing Army.
Therefore, in the Runing Army, the imperial title of an officer does not reflect his actual official position at all. Often a commander becomes a regiment commander. He may even become a deputy commander. That is why the Battle of Blood Ridge occurred.
, the phenomenon that Huang Ding can always replace the command.
And Huang Ding's acquisition of the general flag was also very clever. In order to let his officers gain attention from Zheng Zhilong, Wu Shigong specially gave the Marine Corps a higher imperial rank. Otherwise, Huang Ding would not even be able to obtain the general flag based on his qualifications.
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Moreover, there are also officials with inverted positions in the Runing Army. For example, in the town of Taoxin, the town commander Tao Xin is the general manager, while the deputy commander Liu Guoneng is the garrison. Therefore, the Runing Army has always only looked at the official positions in its own army.
I won't compare the official titles of the imperial court.
However, Zhang Renxue and the others did not know this at all. Seeing the disparity in official ranks, they wanted to bully others and encouraged their soldiers to steal the supplies of the Runing army.
But who is the actual coach of the Runing Army, Zhou Xun? He was used to being domineering in the capital back then. Except for being beaten by Wu Shigong, he has never obeyed anyone in his life. And in these years, Zhou Xun, as Ru Ningjun
The supreme commander of the Ning Army in Nanyang, Ruzhou, and even the local magistrate and prefect were polite to Zhou Xun, let alone the county magistrate. Therefore, how could he take Zhang Renxue, a "little" commander-in-chief, seriously?
, so Zhou Xun’s response was in two words—tough.
But as a result, the two armies were in constant friction. If Zhang Renxue hadn't been confused, thinking that he was going to face the peasant army, a foreign enemy, and forcibly suppressed his own troops, the two armies might have been about to merge.
There was fratricide.
Then there was constant restraint and compromise. Finally, when the two armies restrained their impulses and officially set off, news of the tragic defeat at Luohou Mountain came.
As a result, the two armies gave up greatly on the next operation.
Because of Zuo Liangyu's disastrous defeat and the overwhelming strength of the peasant army, Zhang Renxue had to hold his troops temporarily and wait until other Ming armies gathered together before sending out troops.
But Zhou Xun was in a hurry to rush to Junzhou. He was afraid that after the peasant army became stronger, Wang Guangen and others would also continue to rebel, and the Runing army's operation to occupy Junzhou would be a lot of work.
However, Zhou Xun did not dare to give up at this time. After all, the reason for the Runing Army's dispatch this time was based on the transfer order of the Commander-in-Chief Zhang Renxue. If the Runing Army sent troops alone to occupy Junzhou now, how would it explain to the court in the future?
What? So Zhou Xun reported to Runing urgently and asked Wu Shigong to decide the next move.
When Wu Shigong suddenly heard about the change, he took it seriously and immediately gathered civil and military forces for discussion. After deliberation, he decided to send troops, even if he fought alone. Anyway, the fighting power of the Runing Army was there, and the peasant army couldn't attack it at all, and it was far away from you.
Ning was also nearby and could quickly provide reinforcements, so in the end it was decided to let Zhou Xun send troops.
But just as Zhou Xun was about to set out after receiving the order, the imperial court ordered to arrest Xiong Wencan and dismiss Zhang Renxue. As a result, the command system of the peasant army was paralyzed, and all the officers and soldiers were unable to retreat, and no one was left.
They took the initiative to attack. The Zhang and Luo coalition forces also became more powerful, and the Runing Army really became a lonely force.
What is even more troublesome is that with Zhang Renxue's dismissal, his troops also mutinied and fled continuously. In order to stabilize the situation in Nanyang, Runing's army stayed in Nanyang Mansion for more than ten days.
After finally setting off, when the Runing Army rushed to Junzhou, the situation there had changed greatly. Wang Guangen and other two battalions of peasant troops were finally persuaded by Lin Yufei and prepared to join the Runing Army, but the other three battalions of peasant troops
But seeing that Zhang and Luo's coalition forces were doing well, they also wanted to rebel again. As a result, Junzhou turned into a chaotic battlefield, with some fighting, some waiting and watching, some neutral, and some fleeing.
After the Runing army arrived in Junzhou, they united with Wang Guangen's two battalions of peasant troops to pacify the rebel areas one by one. It took a lot of effort to occupy them.
Then the Zhouxun patrol was to award meritorious service, stabilize the place, build cities and stockades, inspect and reorganize the surrendered peasant army, and after a lot of hard work, the Runing army finally occupied the first strategic point.
In order not to attract the attention of the court, Zhou Xun finally left Jiang Cheng's Independence Association in Junzhou, plus two regiments composed of Wang Guangen's two battalions of peasant soldiers (both small regiments of a thousand people), and then took you with him