Spring plowing ends in May. Although the rain is heavy this year, the people's enthusiasm for work is very high.
Especially with last year's flood warning, starting from the second half of the year, Song Yang asked various regions to focus on farmland water conservancy projects.
Many irrigation areas and drainage canals have been built in various places, minimizing the impact on crops in flooded areas.
Completely different from the south, the situation in the north is extremely pessimistic.
Affected by last year's floods, grain production decreased significantly. Luo Xin Group, which was not very wealthy, finally fell into a food shortage.
Although the food crisis was alleviated to a certain extent by looting northern tribes and obtaining food from the gentry class.
But this year's lean period is the most difficult to get through.
In addition, the risk of floods this year is still very high, and many people have not returned to their hometowns at all.
Especially the people who came to Shannan East Road, most of them stayed there because of the good policies.
No one grows food, flood risk, food crisis.
Under the impression of multiple factors, Luo Xin Group began to make moves.
Zhao Wenbin continued to instigate invasion from the south, and Luo Xinxin also wanted to go to the prosperous Jiangnan to enjoy life.
Originally, Luo Xin's generals planned to go south after the autumn harvest.
There are dangers now. If we don't find a way out, we may starve to death in the North.
The thieves were not good at management and hired a prime minister, Zhao Wenbin, who was also a boaster.
The food in the entire Northland is completely dependent on the sky.
Even basic farmland water conservancy has not been built.
A few years ago, God blessed us with food, and if we sow some seeds in the ground, we would have enough food.
In the past two years, God has turned against me, and it is no longer possible to think of lying down and eating.
The thieves and bandits became officials in name, but in fact they had the same temperament as the bandits.
If there is no solution, the only solution is to rely on robbery.
In this way, Zhao Wenbin's idea succeeded.
Luo Xin also finalized the invasion of the south, and the date will be around late May.
At that time, more than 200,000 troops will be divided into three groups: east, middle, and west, and attack the flowery world south of the Yangtze River.
…
In mid-May, urgent news came from Jiangbei that Luo Xin's 200,000-strong army began to prepare and would move south within fifteen days.
It is not a good idea to go south in this season, but Luo Xin has nothing to do, and he really can't resist the autumn harvest.
If we fight now, we can still get two months of military rations. If we don't fight now, in two months we will have to chew tree bark to fight.
After receiving the information, Song Yang immediately held a preparation meeting.
Jiangzhou Group has not rested in recent years.
Especially since Luo Xin swallowed up the Sumo tribe last year, the Jiangzhou Group has been at the highest level of combat readiness and can even launch a unification war against the Northland at any time.
Luo Xin has long had the idea of invading the south, everyone knows this.
Song Yang did not give up his plan to regain the lost ground.
With this large-scale mobilization in the North, the spies knew that Luo Xin was going to invade the south without much effort.
"First of all, I emphasize that since they have moved, we must respond immediately and move before they do!"
"The thieves dare to invade the south. Then this year, no! Now! It will be the beginning of the unification war!"
"Since the war has begun, it must be resolved quickly to minimize all war losses in the shortest possible time."
"I have ordered that all the Renaissance Army be ready to attack from now on!"
"We must complete the unification of the Central Plains and even the entire northern region within two years!"
"Now, the specific combat plan will be formulated by everyone."
"Okay, everyone, let's share your opinions."
Song Yang set the tone, and the overall direction was this.
And a rough time is set.
The reason why the two years is stipulated is because in this era, there is no transportation advantage.
Song Yang's Renaissance Army was mainly infantry and relied on two legs to regain the northern land. It should allow more time.
As for the specific battle plan, everyone still needs to discuss it.
Yu Ming, as the first military attache of the Song Yang Group, was the first to stand up.
There is a map hanging on the wall of the large conference room. The map is very detailed and different from all maps of this era.
In recent years, spies in the Northland have been investigating intelligence on bandit groups, and another task is to update the map.
With this map, Song Yang can say that he knows the Northland better than Luo Xin.
Yu Ming walked to the map, pointed at it, and expressed his opinion:
"The total strength of the bandits is between 240,000 and 280,000, of which the most elite veterans number about 70,000 to 80,000. Of course, the other 200,000 have also participated in the war in the northwest and Sumo tribes.
In terms of combat experience, they have certain advantages."
"In addition, they also have 20,000 newly formed cavalry. Although these people are cavalry, they have one year of training, so fighting on horseback should not be a big problem. We are short of horses, which is also one of their advantages."
"But they still have to guard against the border troops and the Western Expeditionary Army. They may all come out of the cave. According to common sense, at most 200,000 people can actually go south."
"In terms of military garrison, the southbound troops are mainly distributed in Luoyang, Ruyang, and Xuzhou."
"So I speculate that the rebels will go south in three routes: east, middle and west. The east route will enter Huainan Road to threaten Jiangning, the west route will invade the state capitals on Shannan East Road, and the middle route will definitely go straight to Jiangzhou."
"So after discussion with several generals at the guard station, our suggestion is that we also divide our troops into three groups."
"The East Road has the Jiangnan East Road Renaissance Army as the main force, stationed in the various states in Huainan Road, just to prevent the thieves from going south to threaten Jiangning."
"On the West Road, the main force is the Renaissance Army from Shannan East Road, Fengzhou, Langzhou and other places, stationed at the border of Shannan East Road to resist the bandits from going south."
"On the middle road, Jiangzhou, Hongzhou, Ezhou, Tanzhou and other revival armies are the main force, and the enemy's main force is driven directly towards Xinyang."
Yu Ming's combat strategy is relatively conservative, with two lines of defense and one line of attack.
Concentrate superior forces along the Jiangzhou route and go directly north to defeat the enemy.
This plan had been reported to Song Yang before, but Song Yang did not fully agree with it.
But I still asked Yu Ming to speak out at the meeting, which was considered as a way to attract others.
After Yu Ming spoke, he returned to his seat. Song Yang looked at the crowd and said:
"Lao Yu's plan is to win steadily, but the speed is a bit slow."
Finally, Song Yang's eyes fell on the old teacher Gao Liangping.
"Old Master, what do you think?"
Gao Liangping trembled and tried to stand up.
Song Yang lowered his hand and said, "Old Master, just wait and see."
The old man was infected with wind and cold a few days ago and is recovering a little, but is still a little weak.
"Thank you, Your Majesty. That would be rude of me."
The old master clasped his fists and sat back.
"The policy mentioned by Lord Yu just now was completely acceptable before the natural disaster. But now, especially since the prince has decided on a quick war and quick decision, this strategy needs to be slightly adjusted."
"The combat effectiveness of all armies of our Renaissance Army is extremely strong, especially the three armies of Jiangzhou, Jiangning, and Fangzhou, which have been equipped with musket battalions and artillery battalions."
"With such powerful firepower, how can you worry about the attacks of those bandits?"
"In the opinion of an old minister... advance in three directions! The east road drives directly to Kyoto, the west road captures Chang'an and Luoyang, and then goes north to conquer the border with the Western Army. The elite troops on the middle road defeat the main force of the enemy army, go straight to the enemy's base of Xinyang, and seize the entire
Henan Province and the Central Plains region!”
Song Yang smiled, the old teacher Gao Liangping had the same idea as him.
The three major corps of the Renaissance Army have been equipped with enough firearms, and the enemy is vulnerable to a single blow in the face of poor weapons and equipment.
Yu Ming's tactics are actually not wrong, after all, there are few people in Jiangzhou.
If you are afraid that the thieves will defeat them one by one, if you defend first and then counterattack, you can safely eliminate the enemy.
But Song Yang didn't want to wait any longer.
The previous five years were spent waiting for firearms. Now that the firearms are available and equipped, it is time to take back the Northern Territory.
After the old master finished speaking, Song Yang looked at everyone again, and Ma Cheng took it after thinking about it.
"Your Majesty, in terms of combat effectiveness, our Renaissance Army is not afraid of any enemy, but after all, the number of people is a little small."
"The total number of troops that the Renaissance Army can mobilize from all over the country is only about 200,000. There are still people left to guard against the barbarians in the west of Qianzhong Road and Lingnan Road, and there are also people to defend at home. By the way, there are also Japanese pirates in the east.
If there is any intrusion, some people should be left to guard against it.”
"As a result, the number of soldiers available to fight is only one hundred thousand or even less."
"Among them, the three major corps are the main ones. Each corps can fight about 30,000 soldiers. Plus the navy has 10,000 troops, which can equal 100,000 soldiers."
"If the enemy penetrates the defense line and goes south, it will easily cause trouble in our rear."
Ma Cheng's worry is not unreasonable. There are many thieves and bandits, and they are relatively mobile.
"If the navy doesn't move and only stays on defense, can the rebels be blocked in the north of the Yangtze River?" Song Yang looked at Ma Cheng and asked.
Ma Cheng shook his head and said, "The number of people is smaller."
"Then mobilize people from all over the country to patrol the river, increase patrol ships, reduce commercial cargo transportation, and focus on preventing thieves from slipping through the defense. Is it feasible?" Song Yang asked again.
"This...if we do this, it should be feasible, but the economy of various places in Jiangnan may be affected." Ma Cheng hesitated and said.
Jiangzhou is the economic hub of Jiangnan. If commercial ships are stopped, the economies of various places will be greatly affected.
It may even basically come to a standstill.
"It doesn't matter! The unification war has begun, and everything must make way for the great unification! Let's start the economy after the world is unified!" Song Yang said, tapping the table.
With Song Yang's words, it basically confirmed the idea of the old teacher Gao Liangping.
Everyone's opinions were similar, and they basically all tended to go for a full-scale attack.
Finally, Yu Ming stood up again and cupped his fists and said:
"If you want to attack in an all-out way, you need to be the commander of the three routes. Your Majesty, you are in a humble position and have no talent, so you have to lead the central route from afar!"
"Okay. Then Lao Yu will be the commander of the middle route. The west route army will be led by Wei Nan."
"My humble position must live up to the prince's high expectations!" Yu Ming said, cupping his fists.
"I obey! I will definitely fight this battle well!" Wei Nan said while rubbing his hands.
Wei Nan and others also came to attend the meeting, and the main responsible persons from various places came to Jiangzhou.
This is a great cause of unification, and all important figures must be present.
"Eastern Route Army... Lao Gao, can you do it?" Song Yang looked at Gao Junyan.
Gao Junyan waved his hands hurriedly and said: "Your Majesty is just a civil servant. It's okay for us to govern the people, but fighting... is really not possible."
"That's right. Who is willing to be the commander-in-chief of the West Road?" Song Yang looked at everyone.
Everyone looked at me and I looked at you, but no one took the initiative to speak.
It's not that I don't have the ability, it's that I don't want to stretch my hand that far.
Most of the Eastern Route Army members were close to Gao Junyan. Gao Junyan himself did not serve as the coach, firstly because he really did not know how to fight, and secondly to avoid suspicion.
If other people get involved, they may not be able to control those officers and soldiers.
"I, the king, should do it." Seeing that no one said anything, the seventh uncle Song Tong raised his hand and said.
"Uncle Qi, your body..." Song Yang was a little worried about his body.
Song Tong waved his hand and said, "Don't worry, it won't be a problem. Besides, the weather has eased, so there won't be anything wrong."
Song Yang nodded and said, "Then it's Uncle Lao Qi!"
It was inappropriate for others, but it was okay for Seventh Uncle Song Tong. His status was noble, and no one dared not listen to him.
Moreover, he retired right after leading the army, and there was no struggle for power or gain.
"Okay! The commander of the three-pronged army has been decided, and this battle will be fought!"
"The general direction is as mentioned just now, the three main goals are Kyoto, Luoyang, and Xinyang. There are no restrictions on other small goals, and the armies of each group can make their own progress!"
"In addition, defensive matters will be left to Lao Ma! The remaining armed forces such as the Renaissance Army, Minzhuang, and Yamen at home must accept and obey Lao Ma's arrangements."
"Shipping, freight, and commercial transportation, the loading and unloading of original cargo will be completed within seven days. All ships will be dispatched by Ma Cheng, and bandits and rebels must be prevented from crossing the river in the chaos."
"Everywhere should pay attention to patrols, especially in areas along rivers and waterways. River beaches, sandy areas, and meadows must be inspected every day. If signs of a large number of people landing are found, they must be reported as soon as possible."
"To prevent fish that have slipped through the net from invading the south of the Yangtze River, starting today, all prefectures and counties will implement a curfew system. Patrols within all counties, prefectures and prefectures must also be strengthened, and the initiative of the people's stronghold team must be mobilized."
Song Yang made a series of arrangements, and the relevant personnel continued to record them.
The work and defense matters are now arranged.
"Lao Fang, I need you to pay more attention to logistics. The supply of food and grass, the transportation of weapons, and the maintenance of equipment must be properly arranged."
Fang Zhe was a civil servant, so the war was not his turn, but the logistics was under his control.
After accepting the task, Fang Zhe stood up, cupped his fists and said:
"Yes! Your Majesty, the local government offices will make unified arrangements, and the Minzhuang transportation team has already been on standby. The grain, grass, and materials in the warehouse are sufficient and complete, and the carriages, horses, and cargo ships have also been overhauled."
"I can guarantee that after the war begins, wherever our team fights, our supplies will be delivered!"
Song Yang smiled with satisfaction and motioned for Lao Fang to sit down.
He looked at Chen Fu who was sitting aside.
"Old Chen, how are you doing over there?"
"Replying to the prince, the railway from Daye to the dock will be completed this month! According to your instructions, we are studying while repairing the roadside, and now we have mastered certain rapid road construction technology. If we are building such a railway, I promise
It only takes half the time before!”
Chen Fu patted his chest and promised.
Song Yang had long mentioned to Chen Fu that railway construction technology must be continuously upgraded and the construction speed must be continuously accelerated.
Chen Fu has been working overtime recently, and the railway will be completed ahead of schedule.
Railways will be the main mode of transportation in the future.
Now, Song Yang already wants to apply railways to war.
"That's right. Since technology has been innovative, why not use this war to test the results!"
"When the work in Daye is completed, you can go to Jiangbei and build a railway from Jiangzhou to Xinyang!"
Song Yang was full of expectations for Chen Fu.
Chen Fu had no choice but to face his scalp and promise: "I will do my best!"
He really didn't dare to speak too slowly. If he failed to do what he said, he would be subject to military law.
Song Yang smiled and said, "Don't get excited. I didn't give you an appointment time. They beat theirs, you fix yours! Just use it wherever you fix it."
"Yes. I understand." Chen Fu took a breath and said with fists in his arms.
"Your Majesty... what should we do if the traitors cut into the rear and raid the railway construction?" Fang Zhe asked worriedly.
In his opinion, when doing engineering work, of course it must be done in peace.
"Fight them! Aren't railway soldiers soldiers? If you pick up tools, you are railway workers, and if you pick up weapons, you are railway soldiers!"
"Give Chen Fu weapons! There are so many people, even a blade in each hand is enough for them to drink a pot!"
Song Yang slapped the table and said.
"Don't worry, Your Majesty, although I don't know how to fight, if you really want to give us enough weapons, it won't be a problem to kill 8,000 bandits!"
Chen Fu said with his chest raised.
He has a construction team of more than 30,000 people!
If so many people really want to be armed, it's really quite a force.
All issues regarding offense, defense, and logistics and transportation have been resolved.
Song Yang looked at the crowd and said, "Everyone, is there anything else you want to add?"
Wan Qianyan, who had not spoken much, raised his hand.
He is not used to raising his hands to speak, and he looks around while raising his hands.
"Master Wan, if you have anything to say, just ask. We always speak freely in meetings." Song Yang pressed his hands, indicating that he could put down his hands and speak.
Wan Qianyan stood up and hugged Song Yang.
Then he paused for a moment before saying, "Your Majesty, do you want to contact the Northern Frontier Army and the Northwest Expeditionary Army?"
No one had raised this matter before, and everyone had ignored that those two companies were still trying to do something big.
"What's the old master's opinion?" Song Yang looked at Gao Liangping.
Gao Liangping closed his eyes slightly for a while and said: "Zhangye can let me know. As for the northern border troops... they are leaderless and have never been in contact with us. Don't pay attention to them. Wait until you capture the Luo Xin bandits and then talk to them."
.”
"It makes sense, then let's do what Grand Master Gao said. Lao Fang, please send an official document to Ganzhou. Uncle Qi, you will be in charge of the family letter. When Wan Shoubei returns tomorrow, he will take it back and send someone to deliver it.
Zhangye."
"Do you still have any questions?" After Wan Qianyan's questions were resolved, Song Yang asked everyone again.
"The Tokyo camp has occupied a small island on the Mingzhou side. After setting up camp, they will probably attack other Japanese pirates. Do we need a helping hand?" Gao Junyan asked.
"Help! Lao Gao, Uncle Wang is in charge of your Northern Expedition. You stay in Jiangning and take care of the affairs of the Tokyo Camp. If troops are needed, I will give you the right to mobilize troops from the three palaces."
Song Yang still had great trust in Gao Junyan. The three prefectures had a lot of power to mobilize troops. Although the state prefecture's soldiers were not strong, there were still three to five thousand people in one prefecture.
There are more than 10,000 soldiers in the Three Prefectures, which is also a good force.
"Don't worry, Your Majesty, I will definitely be optimistic about Tokyo Camp." Gao Junyan said, cupping his fists.
"Okay, everything that needs to be said is about the same. After the meeting, we will organize our armies. Today, tomorrow, you will come up with a list assigned by the generals. Those on the list must leave for the deployment place within three days."
After asking around again, there were no more questions, and Song Yang made a concluding speech.
The three-pronged army wants to go north. It cannot only have leaders, but also many generals at all levels.
The Renaissance armies in various places must also be mobilized and go wherever they go. There must be regulations for these.
In fact, Yu had a draft for tomorrow morning. When Song Yang asked, he took out the list he had prepared.
Song Yang took a look and was very satisfied with Yu Ming's distribution.
So with a stroke of his pen, he signed his name and the document came into effect.
"Let's adjourn the meeting. The entire army will be mobilized from tomorrow. There will be no general military mobilization. The swearing-in meeting will be held separately for the three armies."
"The specific date of the Northern Expedition is set on May 22nd! That is seven days later!"
"May our army be victorious and revive the Central Plains!"