"It seems that Dong Yuan has sincerely given up resistance this time..."
In the Xingyuan Council Hall, Gao Zongting marked on the map Deng Yu's troops heading north to Fangli Mountain, and the movements of Huaixi and Suizhou surrender troops were also clearly marked on the map, clearly indicating that they were heading north.
During the movement, the vanguard troops had crossed the Huaihe River from near Pingchang Pass and headed north.
Those currently staying in Xinyang and along the Shihe River are mainly the remnants of the Nanyang Army led by Yuan Guizheng, Liang Chengyi, and Liang Chengdong.
Liang Chengchong led his troops to retreat from Nanyang east to Tanghe and was defeated by the enemy cavalry. Liang Chengchong was wounded by an arrow and fled to Tongbai Mountain for lack of medical treatment and medicine. He also failed to escape to Xinyang in time through Yanhu's blockade. His injuries gradually worsened and he was only
He ordered his troops to flee into Pingchang Pass with the corpses, and the remaining Nanyang army was returned to the Yuan Dynasty, under the control of Liang Chengyi, with more than 10,000 troops.
Song Fu turned around and stared at the map for a moment, nodded and said, "As long as Dong Yuan doesn't jump over the wall in a hurry, the threat on the flanks will be weakened a lot, and the main force on the southern front can safely move northward..."
"With his eggs and eggs in his hands, Dong Yuan jumped over the wall and was not afraid of tearing off his own eggs first?" Zhou Pu said disdainfully.
Lin Fu laughed and discussed the military deployment with his left and right: "Don't worry about Dong Yuan jumping over the wall and biting our flanks. I want to adjust the deployment. Zhang Gou and Zhao Bao will lead their troops to cross the Han River on foot and ride from Jingmen to the north to pursue the enemy's rear troops.
The horse should be limited to Nan Zhang and should not go too deep to avoid a strong counterattack by the enemy of Xiangyang. After Chen Zhi immediately led his troops to the north, he followed Zhou Tong into Fancheng and expanded west and north to contain the enemy; from Aocanghai
He led Zhang Gou and Yu Wencheng to the north to take over Pinglin Port. The first line of defense in Zaoyang was mainly concentrated in Zaoyang, and was ready to move north to regain Nanyang at any time. Hu Juer immediately led his navy to follow Ao Canghai and go north from Shicheng -
—Do you think this arrangement is good?"
Although it would take several days for the main force of the Huaidong Water Camp to arrive from the lower reaches of the Han River, as of the 30th, the main force of the Huaidong Army assembled at the Shicheng front line included Chen Zhi, Zhang Gou, Zhang Jiheng, Yu Wencheng, Zhao Hu,
Zhou Pu and Hu Yuer's navy troops, together with Liu Zhenzhi, Huang Zuyu, Sun Zhuang and other troops who had already entered Fancheng and Zaoyang, had nearly 140,000 elite infantry, cavalry and navy troops available.
Ge Cunxin led the Second Water Camp with a main force of more than 20,000 men and four to five hundred warships. They have already sailed from Hanjin to Changlin. It will take seven or eight days to advance from Changlin to Zhongyi and the Longzui Mountain line.
In addition, Cao Ziang led Tang Fuguan's 156,000 soldiers and horses to garrison Suizhou, Lishan, and Chaishan to ensure that the flanks of the Huaidong Army's main force going north were not threatened; in Hanjin and Huangpi, Fu Qing led Su Pinxiao's navy and some
There were more than 15,000 infantry and cavalry, a total of 80,000 prisoners of war were in custody, and the food routes and retreat routes for the Huaidong army going north were ensured.
Zuo Chengmu looked at the dazzling signs on the map and sighed in his heart: Although Yanhu is in Xiangyang, the total number of troops on the Nanyang front line is as many as 150,000 to 60,000. In terms of pure military strength, it is no better than Huaidong.
The main force of the army was weak, but after losing Fancheng, Yanhu's 150,000 to 60,000 soldiers and horses were separated by the Han River on the north and south lines, with only the narrow channel of the Danjiang River on the west line for communication, and they completely fell into the stagnation situation mentioned in the military manual.
It was as if Huaidong was holding his neck in his hands, and the harder he struggled, the weaker his strength became.
Of course, the Huaidong Water Camp is limited by wind direction and water flow, and the main force moves northward very slowly. It is difficult to completely cut off the Han River before the main force of the Yanhu South Line withdraws north. The victory of Jingxiang is determined. Recovering Xiangyang and Nanyang are all problems.
However, as long as Ye Ji Luorong knows how to be patient and does not dream of still occupying Nanyang in the face of Huaidong's strength, and shrinks to Guanzhong via Wuguan, Zuo Chengmu does not think that the main force of Huaidong's army will go north at this time.
We can inflict heavy losses on the main force of Yan and Hu's western front.
Fu Qinghe stayed in Hanjin to supervise the rear and grain crops. In front of the army, Gao Zongting, Song Fu, Ao Canghai, Zhou Pu, Song Jia and others assisted Lin Fu in making military decisions. Zuo Chengmu, as an envoy to observe the army, could also attend the military meeting.
Gao Zongting looked at the map and said: "Ye Ji Luorong is not slow in his actions. He assembled 200 warships east of Xiangyang to prevent our naval vanguard from directly penetrating in. He also assembled another 200 warships at the polishing ditch in the west of Gucheng.
The boats ferry people and horses to Baiyang Pass. There is less than fifty miles of waterway from Damogou to Baiyang Pass. Two hundred boats can go back and forth day and night and ferry three to five thousand people and horses across."
"We have 4,000 elite navy troops and 80 warships in Shicheng, which are enough to break through the enemy's naval blockade east of Xiangyang!" Hu Jie'er, the navy general who entered Shicheng first, called for battle. He was unwilling to obey orders.
He just led his troops to the front line of Longzui Mountain to wait for the fighter plane.
"Let's see if Zhou Tong can cause chaos in the enemy's navy upstream, otherwise it will be difficult for you to lead your troops from Longzui Mountain to the north to capture the fighter plane. From Xiangyang to Zhongyi, the Han River turns at a right angle, and the water surface suddenly widens from three to four hundred paces
At more than 2,000 steps, the water conditions are very complicated, and the advantage upstream is too great. The Han River from Longzui Mountain to the north is too shallow, and Jiyun-class warships may not be able to maneuver flexibly in that waterway. The enemy can completely
They sank a few ships to delay us for two or three days; they did not block this waterway, but they just wanted to launch a beautiful counterattack to boost morale, and we cannot do what they want..." Lin Fu said.
Lin Fu personally vetoed his proposal, and Hu Juer smiled bitterly and refused to fight again. The Battle of Jingxiang was so grand and grand, but there was no chance for Shuiying to show off, which made him feel regretful.
Lin Fu saw the disappointment on Hu Yu'er's face and smiled to comfort him: "The military strategists are planning to surrender to the enemy without fighting. Even if you don't have a chance to show off this time, don't be angry. You really want to fight, this battle
I'll transfer you to Haidong, don't complain!"
"Hu Yu'er will never fail to obey the envoys sent by the Privy Council." Hu Yu'er responded.
Gao Zongting tapped the map lightly and said: "It was also because Dong Yuan delayed us for a few days that Ye Ji Luorong had a chance to stabilize his position. If Zhou Tong's side can succeed, it will be a hard fight..."
Zuo Chengmu also knew what Gao Zongting meant.
Now at least three to four thousand enemy soldiers can evacuate across the river from Gucheng to Baiyang Pass every day. And the main force of the Huaidong Water Camp advances from Changlin to Zhongyi. It will take at least six or seven days to defeat Zhongyi from the north.
The enemy's blockade in the east of Xiangyang may take seven or eight days - such a long time is enough for the main force on the west bank of the Yanhu Han River to retreat to the area west of Wuguan via the Danjiang and Wuguan Rivers!
If Gao Zongting hadn't released the water, the time for Chen Zhihu and his troops to enter Nanyang would have been delayed for three to five days; if it hadn't been for Gao Zongting's threat to the flanks, the Huaidong Army could have crossed directly to the north without caring about the defeated troops at the southern foot of Dahong Mountain.
The battle may even annihilate Yan and Hu's troops on the western front - because of Gao Zongting's ambition and greed, the Huaidong Army had to delay on the southern front for a few days to first deal with the threat to the flanks from the Huaixi Army.
Just by delaying these five or six days, Ye Jiluorong's main force on the west bank of the Han River was able to calm down and be able to maintain its position, retreat to the Xiangyang line in an orderly manner, and carry out limited military deployment in the rear, and even
More than ten thousand soldiers and horses have crossed the river and retreated to Baiyang Pass.
Based on Dong Yuan's actions alone, Lin Fu did not request an order to kill him in front of the army, which was considered polite.
Lin Fu didn't care what Zuo Chengmu was thinking. After reaching an agreement, he asked Gao Zongting to draft the order directly, and asked Zuo Chengmu: "Should Mr. Hu come to Shicheng today?"
"As soon as I entered the city, I went to the posthouse to wash up and then came to see the Privy Councilor!" Zuo Chengmu said.
"It's a crime, it's a crime," Lin Fu said hurriedly. "Hu Gong is a minister of the family and the country. He guarded Jingzhou to contain the enemy's main force on the western front and contributed to the victory of Jingxiang. How can we be so negligent? Please accompany the left minister and other ministers.
I will go to the post house to greet Mr. Hu..."
Zuo Chengmu thought that although Hu Wen and Muleng father and son had completely given up their ambition to separate Jinghu, Lin Fu personally determined that they were the first contributors to the victory of Jingxiang, so glory and wealth were naturally indispensable. He also thought: The evidence for Yu Bijiang's surrender of the enemy is conclusive.
Yu Xinyuan must resign, so for the vacant deputy prime minister position, will Lin Fu let Hu Wenmu take his place?
At this time, although the prime ministers of the political affairs hall did not have great power, their status was far inferior to that of other generals. However, Lin Fu was the prime minister of the Yuan Dynasty. As the prime minister of the old dynasty, he was attached to the new dynasty and was recorded in the history books. He did not seem to have any special honor.
place, what choice would Hu Wenmu make: receive a title and return to his hometown, or replace his son with serving in Huaidong?
Thinking of this, Zuo Chengmu couldn't help but worry about his reputation after getting up, wondering whether he should resign and go back after this battle?
After Hu Wenmu and his son entered the city, they went to the posthouse to wash up and wait for Lin Fu to summon them. Hearing the bustle of people in the courtyard, they opened the door and saw Zuo Chengmu walking into the courtyard accompanied by several people.
With a sword and a short mustache, his appearance was exactly the same as that of Lin Fu in the rumors. He immediately bowed his head in fear and saluted: "Your Majesty, Hu Wenmu, failed to guard Jingzhou, so I came here to apologize to the Privy Council!"
"Hu Gong led his lone army to guard Jingzhou and fought bloody battles for more than twenty days without retreating. He restrained tens of thousands of Hu captives' elite soldiers and horses, so that our army was able to annihilate most of the enemies on the eastern front. After Hu Gong succeeded, he temporarily abandoned Jingzhou to comfort the soldiers, and the army was defeated.
With great virtue and great righteousness, what's the crime?" Lin Fu helped Hu Wenmu up, who was bowing in obeisance.
Hu Wenmu came to Shicheng just to get this statement. With this statement, as long as the Hu family follows the trend and sticks to their duties, no matter it is the old dynasty or the new dynasty, the Hu family's wealth is indispensable. It is impossible to have this in this world.
That's enough.
Hu Wenmu immediately presented the list of generals and ministers in Jinghu and said: "The war in Jingxiang has subsided, and there is no need to set up camps to guard the war. The Privy Council and the six ministries have also implemented a new system of direct jurisdiction over prefectures and counties. I have one more thing to do here, which is to invite
I have been laid off from the Jinghu camp to save national money and use it more for people's livelihood. I have been getting old and tired over the years. No matter how difficult it is for me to be competent in political affairs, I also want to resign and return home to enjoy a few days of peace and happiness..."
"The Hu barbarians have not been exterminated, the country is in crisis, and the Northern Expedition is about to happen. This country still needs Duke Hu's service," Lin Fu persuaded, "Moreover, the center also needs an experienced and knowledgeable veteran like Duke Hu to be in charge. Lin Fu
I dare to ask Mr. Hu to return to Nanshan in a later year..."
Hu Wenmu repeatedly declined, and Lin Fu repeatedly tried to persuade him to stay. Hu Wenmu reluctantly said: "I will do my best to serve the people, in the hope that the Privy Council will make the Northern Expedition a grand event..." He did not mention the word imperial court at all.
Seeing that Lin Fu wanted to keep Hu Wenmu in the center, Zuo Chengmu temporarily decided not to retire.
After the banquet, Lin Fu invited Hu Wenmu and Zuo Chengmu to discuss the military and political arrangements in Jinghu and Xiangtan.
Lin Fu intended to transfer Hu Wenmu to the central government, but his son Hu Xuechang was in the prime of life and would keep him as the magistrate of eastern Hubei, responsible for cooperating with the Jiangzhou Qing Dynasty to exterminate the remnants of Liang Zishou who occupied Mubu Mountain; but at the same time, Huangzhou and Qi on the north bank would be transferred
Spring and other counties were set aside, and Huangzhou Prefecture was newly established.
Jiangxia Prefecture, including Jiangxia, Hanjin, Huangpi and Changlin counties, borders Xiangtan to the south and Jingxiang to the north. It is the core area of the two lakes and will be the political, military and economic center for the governance of the two lakes in the future, and will also support Nanyang in the future.
, the core and depth of the Xiangyang War Zone, Lin Fu will directly put Fu Qinghe in charge of the military and political affairs of the two lakes and also know Jiangxia government affairs and military preparations, placing Jiangxia directly under the control of Huaidong.
The Cao family retreated to Liangchuan to rest and recuperate. Although the loss of Guanzhong greatly damaged the Cao family's vitality, the two Sichuan areas were vast and easy to defend and difficult to attack. We had to be prepared for the Cao family's ambition to go eastward. Jingzhou will build a town with water.
The main force was the army, with Su Pinxiao as the main general, and the naval forces in Xiangtan and Jinghu, which were not so strong at first, were integrated to prevent Cao Jiadong from marching out.
Since Hu Wenmu has completely given up his ambition to separate Jinghu, in addition to Huangzhou Prefecture and Linfu on the east bank of the Han River, he will also set up Suizhou, Xiaochang, and Shicheng Prefectures, including Jingmen and the cities north of Jingmen, as well as Nanyang and other places.
There were enough seats for Jinghu generals, so that he could give an explanation to the generals who had followed him for many years. Naturally, Hu Wenmu had no objection to Lin Fu's military and political arrangements for Jinghu after the war.
The elite Jinghu Army was almost exhausted in the battle to defend Jingzhou, but the remaining troops still numbered 30,000.
Lin Fu also extended the Huaidong Army's land reward order to the Jinghu Army, so that some of the Jinghu Army's meritorious generals could get enough land to return to the people to support the livelihood of Jinghu. As for grain fields, only Suizhou
There are millions of acres of farmland nearby that can be directly allocated to meritorious generals; tens of millions more acres of wasteland suitable for cultivation in the hinterland of Jingxiang can be used for cultivation, so there is no need to worry that these generals cannot be resettled.
Zuo Chengmu thought that if Jinghu had such an arrangement, it would be a good start and a good end. Without the strength to match, having only ambition would only lead to death...