After occupying Shengjing Pass, the leading troops of the Ming army, which had been attacking for thousands of miles, were at the end of their strength and could not penetrate Lu's silk.
Mu Ying and Jin Chaoxing stopped their advance as planned. While resting and reorganizing their troops, they organized manpower to build bridges and open roads to welcome the arrival of the army.
On the other hand, His Royal Highness the King of Chu also met with the leaders of the three tribes who revolted on the verge of battle, and greatly appreciated their wise move to rein in their horses and turn around. Not only did he pardon their sins, but he also said that as long as they behaved well, after Yunnan was pacified, they would
They wrote to the imperial court and conferred them the title of Xuanfu envoy.
The three chieftains were treated obediently by him with carrots, sticks and cakes. In order to offset the merits, they highly cooperated with the court's actions and cooperated in all aspects. By the end of October, the eight hundred miles from Guizhou to Qujing were covered by Wumeng.
The mountain road is completely smooth.
Subsequently, the imperial army, carrying heavy supplies of food and fodder, continued to march to Shengjing Pass through this mountain road. At the end of winter, the army of 100,000 and 80,000 civilians finally gathered in place, known as the army of 300,000, and the troops were directed towards Qujing.
His Royal Highness the King of Chu and General Fu Youde of the Southern Expedition also moved to Shengjing Pass with the last batch of troops, and the last combat meeting was held on the second day of the twelfth lunar month.
Mu Ying, Jin Chaoxing and other senior generals of the Central Route Army all attended the meeting, listened to Marquis Yingchuan's explanation of the latest battlefield situation, and gave the final combat order.
"The original plan was to capture Shengjing Pass in May next year, then rest the army, and then attack Qujing after the autumn cool."
"But under the wise leadership of the prince, and with the concerted efforts of the former army officers, especially the two generals Xipinghou and Xuandehou, we achieved the first phase goal half a year ahead of schedule!" Fu Youde said with joy: "Your Majesty asked
Longyan is very happy, and has issued a decree to commend you all!"
The generals were all happy. This battle was indeed a beautiful one, and the emperor would definitely not be too stingy.
"However, this is all foreplay. The next attack on Yunnan is the highlight." Fu Youde changed the topic again: "You must guard against arrogance and impetuosity, and must not raise your tail. Especially in away games, you must be cautious to avoid making mistakes.
If it’s good, it will capsize in the gutter!”
"Understood!" All the generals agreed in unison.
"It's not just our side, the other two armies are also progressing smoothly." Fu Youde went on to introduce: "The North Route Army, under the leadership of Guo Ying, sent troops from Yongning, Sichuan. They took advantage of the heavy rain and the rising water to cut down trees to make rafts and ride on them.
At night, we crossed the Chishui River and defeated the Yuan army on the other side in one fell swoop. Our troops were pointed directly at Wusha, and they were almost about to attack the city."
"The South Route Army, under the leadership of Yongchang Marquis, has also opened up the ancient Yunnan-Guangxi Road and began to attack Guangnan. However, according to the plan, these two routes were feint attacks. The purpose was to hold back the Duan and Yang armies and create opportunities for our Middle Route Army.
Create a one-on-one opportunity with Liang Wangjun!"
After speaking, he said to Mu Ying: "During this period, the Marquis of Xiping has conducted a detailed investigation of the enemy situation in Qujing. Now let's ask him to explain it to you."
"Yes!" Mu Ying responded in a deep voice, pointing to the model representing Qujing on the sand table and said: "After investigation, we found that, as the emperor had expected, King Liang had indeed concentrated all the troops he could mobilize in Qujing——
"
"There are now a hundred thousand troops in Qujing, led by Pingzhang Dalima. They are fortified on the banks of the Baishi River outside Qujing City, trying to use this fast-flowing river to block our army!"
"Good fellow, this is a game that will determine life and death." All the generals were stunned. They didn't expect that King Liang, who had been unable to retreat, was so gambling.
"That's right." Mu Ying nodded and said: "But King Liang had no choice but to do so. Qujing is only more than two hundred miles away from Kunming. Once Qujing is reached, the army can march directly to Kunming, so after losing Shengjing Pass, it must be heavily guarded.
Qu Jing is at peace."
"As long as we can defeat Dalima's 100,000-strong army, King Liang will be doomed!" He then said confidently: "In addition, Usa Guangnan will be attacked at the same time, and he will not even be able to gather the troops to defend Kunming.
Done!"
After a pause, Mu Ying raised her voice and said: "So the battle of Qujing is a decisive battle. The winner is the king and the loser is the bandit."
Fu Youde also looked at everyone with bright eyes and raised his voice: "Everyone, we have been waiting for this decisive battle for ten years. We must strive to win completely and not make a fool of ourselves!"
"Understood!" the generals responded loudly. Isn't it that they traveled thousands of miles to Yunnan just for this decisive battle?
"Tell me about the specific conditions on the battlefield." Fu Youde asked Mu Ying again.
"According to the on-site survey by the end general, the Baishi River is as wide as a hundred feet. Last month, there were continuous heavy rains, and the water level continued to rise, making it impossible to swim directly across it." Mu Ying said in a deep voice: "Dalima deployed heavy troops on the left side of the river and built buildings.
We have built many archery towers and set up firewood and deer firewood along the river, so if the army attacks from the front, it will definitely suffer heavy losses."
"Yes." Fu Youde nodded. Although he did not go to investigate in person, the sandbox model made by Mu Ying had intuitively reflected the danger of a frontal attack.
"In your opinion, how should we deal with the enemy?" He asked Mu Ying again.
"In General Mo's humble opinion, the general should personally lead the army to approach the north bank, build bamboo rafts, and prepare to cross the river to attack. The Yuan army is bound to be very nervous at the moment of the enemy. The wind is roaring, the cranes are roaring, and the grass and trees are all soldiers!" Mu Ying then explained the plan in detail:
"At the same time, the last general took advantage of the darkness to go upstream, and after crossing the river, he launched an attack with great fanfare, creating the illusion that the main force of our army had crossed the river. Based on our understanding of the Liang King's army, their combat effectiveness was far from comparable to that of the Yuan army, especially
There are a large number of local indigenous soldiers, so they can easily panic."
"So as long as our army suddenly appears on the other side and gives it a violent blow, it will definitely cause chaos. When the general sees the opportunity and orders to cross the river, he will be unable to take care of both the head and the tail, and will be unable to stop our army from landing!"
"What do you think?" After Mu Ying finished speaking, Fu Youde asked the generals again.
"This is a wonderful plan! It's just that the last general is willing to lead the cavalry across the river for Marquis Xiping. As the left deputy general, Marquis Xiping cannot always put himself in danger!" Marquis Xuande immediately expressed his stance.
"Then your right lieutenant general shouldn't take the risk. It's better to leave the opportunity to us!" The governors, fellow governors, and governors below all shouted.
"I'll lead the cavalry myself." Mu Ying said sternly: "The mission of the cavalry is very dangerous and requires the soldiers to work together. If I, the person who makes the plans, are not with them, how can I make the soldiers feel at ease?"
While the generals were still waiting to compete, Marquis Yingchuan waved his hand and said, "That's it. Marquis Xiping is a cavalry general, and his ability to command cavalry is second to none. Everyone is not as good as him."
Fu Youde said to Mu Ying again: "Two thousand cavalry are too few. I will give you all four thousand cavalry. Don't act recklessly."
"Okay, thank you, General." Mu Ying responded in a deep voice. In fact, that was his original plan, but he couldn't directly say that he would bring all the cavalry with him. He had to leave opportunities for his superiors to criticize and make corrections, so that the relationship between superiors and subordinates can be improved.
