Liu Yan looked at the anxious Liu Xuan and said meaningfully: "Axuan, our foundation is in Nanyang, so the Green Forest Army doesn't care and can evacuate Nanyang at any time, but we can't. We can't leave all our relatives behind. , the clan members didn’t care, and allowed themselves to be slaughtered by the reckless army, while they escaped alone.”
Liu Xuan wanted to speak, but he carefully noticed that everyone present looked at him in a strange way.
He swallowed back the words that came to his lips, shook his head and said, "I tried to persuade General Wang and General Chen in the same way, but they didn't listen to my advice at all and insisted on withdrawing."
After a pause, he asked again: "General, if the Green Forest Army withdraws, how should we... deal with the hundreds of thousands of reckless troops?"
How to deal with it? Liu Yan secretly smiled bitterly. He said word by word: "What we can do now is to fight to the death with the reckless thieves, even if it is only one soldier who fights to the last!"
Liu Xuan was silent. It was a fantasy for the Zhutian Army, which only had a few thousand people, to stay in Jiyang and resist the attack of a hundred thousand capital troops.
After a while, Liu Xuan handed over to Liu Yan and said: "General, I will return to the camp first to take orders! After that, I will return to the city and stay in Jiyang to fight against the reckless army with everyone!"
Liu Yan only nodded and said nothing more.
Now he and the generals of the Zhutian Army have no intention of taking care of Liu Xuan anymore. One hundred thousand Mang troops are approaching Ji Yang. The Green Forest Army does not dare to stay and is preparing to withdraw. Next, they can only fight against the Mang troops alone. , there is really too much preparation work to do.
Liu Yan stood up and said, "Axiu!"
"General!"
"Axiu, you are responsible for the defense of the North City, reinforcing the city gates, collecting as many logs and stones as possible, and transporting them to the top of the city."
"Yes!" Liu Xiu agreed.
"Liu Jia!"
"General!"
"You are responsible for the defense of East City."
"Yes! General!"
Liu Yan began to issue successive orders to distribute the city defense work in the four cities of Jiyang.
Finally, he looked at Deng Chen and said: "Wei Qing, if you gather strong men in the city, if there are those who are willing to join the army, it would be best. If you are not willing to join the army, it would be nice if you can help."
Deng Chen stepped in to salute and said: "I obey!"
It can be seen that the Zhutian Army really does not intend to withdraw, and wants to stay in Jiyang and fight to the death with the Mang Army.
Liu Xuan shook his head secretly, he was seeking death! If a hundred thousand troops passed by, wouldn't they crush your little Jiyang City to the ground?
He did not stay any longer, bid farewell to Liu Yan, returned to the Green Forest Army camp outside the city, and returned to Wang Kuang.
After listening to Liu Xuan's reply, Wang Kuang secretly sighed. Compared with the Zhutian Army, his side's performance was indeed embarrassing, but there was no way. The Mang Army had too many troops and too strong combat power. Even if they use all their strength, I'm afraid they won't be able to do anything to the reckless army.
Chen Mu laughed out loud and said: "Since the Zhutian Army wants to stay in Jiyang and wait to die, then let them die on their own. We can't control so much. We have to withdraw our troops quickly before the Mang Army arrives. !”
Wang Kuang thought for a while and said: "Now that the Zhutian Army is blocking the Mang Army in Jiyang, our army does not have to retreat in a hurry."
Chen Mu raised his eyebrows and asked dissatisfiedly: "What? Doesn't General Wang want to imitate the Zhutian Army and stay in Jiyang to die?"
Wang Kuang waved his hand and said: "What I mean is that we can retreat slowly and make plans after seeing the situation in Jiyang clearly!"
What if the Zhutian Army really blocked the Mang Army here in Jiyang? With our own slow withdrawal, we don't have to take the lead, but we can also respond in time, killing two birds with one stone.
Chen Mu thought for a while, raised the corner of his mouth, and said: "This is a great plan! Take the lead and let the Zhutian Army fight! We are watching from behind. The situation is not right. We retreat immediately. The situation is favorable. We can take the opportunity to intervene. , take advantage."
That's what Wang Kuang meant, but he was embarrassed to say it himself. Now that Chen Mu said it for him, he pretended to sigh again and said: "This is the only way, otherwise, what can we do?! "
Liu Xuan told the Zhutian Army nicely that after going to the Green Forest Army to recover his life, he returned to Jiyang and fought side by side with the Zhu Tian Army. But in fact, he went to the Green Forest Army and never came back.
But now Liu Yan and others have no intention of paying attention to him. The entire Zhutian Army is hurriedly arranging city defenses and preparing for the upcoming decisive battle.
The Green Forest Army was not polite at all. They really left their ally Zhutian Army alone and withdrew first. However, according to Wang Kuang and Chen Mu's wishes, both armies retreated slowly and have been lingering in the southern border of Jiyang County.
The Mang army led by Zhen Fu and Liang Qiuci became more and more unscrupulous when they learned that the Green Forest Army had withdrawn from Jiyang City, leaving only a few thousand people from the Zhutian Army stationed in Jiyang City.
Zhenfu and Liangqiu Ci sent their troops southward, first arriving at Lanxiang near Jiyang. Then the Mang army hoarded grain, grass and baggage in Lanxiang. The entire army crossed the Huangchun River and reached the Xian River, setting up camp between the two rivers.
At this time, Zhen Fu suddenly made an incredible decision, which was to demolish the bridge on the Huangchun River and cut off his own retreat.
After learning of Zhen Fu's order, the entire army was at a loss. Liang Qiuci immediately went to Zhen Fu and asked him why he issued such a ridiculous order.
If the bridge is demolished, our 100,000-strong army will have no way out.
Seeing Liang Qiuci who came to question him, Zhen Fu asked with a sneer: "Does Master Liang think that our army will be defeated in Jiyang?"
Now there are only Zhutian Army left in Jiyang City, with only a few thousand people in total. In Zhen Fu's opinion, one of his own people can drown the thousands of Zhutian Army just by spitting.
Liang Qiuci frowned and said: "We are not afraid of 10,000, just in case. Master Zhen's approach is too risky!"
"Hmph!" Zhen Fu sneered and said proudly: "Back in Julu, after Xiang Yu crossed the Yellow River, he broke the cauldron and the boat, cut off his retreat, led an army of 50,000, and defeated the Qin army of 400,000. Today, our army must also have this invincible rule. With the courage and determination to die and fight to the death with the rebels, all the soldiers in the army can only move forward, not retreat!"
Liang Qiuci cursed his mother secretly in his heart. Can this damn thing be the same?
At that time, Xiang Yu fought more with less, and his disadvantage was too great. He had no choice but to take risks, risk everything, and fight with a last ditch effort. But now that his own side is the superior, why do you risk a desperate fight? Is it necessary to take that risk?
Seeing the complacent Zhen Fu, Liang Qiuci felt his teeth itch with hatred.
He obviously has no ability, but he still pretends to be good at using soldiers and fighting. He did this because he wanted to prove to the court that it was he, Zhen Fu, and not Liang Qiuci who led the victory in this battle. Well!
Liang Qiuci took a deep breath and said, "Master Zhen, we don't have to burn the boat in this battle..."
Before he finished speaking, Zhen Fu interrupted impatiently: "I have made up my mind!"
"Can……"
"Master Liang, Your Majesty has ordered that I am the commander-in-chief of the entire army, and Master Liang is only the deputy commander!" Zhen Fu reminded cheerfully.
Damn you! If looks could kill, Zhen Fu would have been stabbed into a hornet's nest by Liang Qiuci's looks.
Liang Qiuci held it in for a long time and said: "Master Liang, you and I have different ideas. I want to have an army and set up camps separately!"
Yo! This is to separate the family from him! Zhen Fu looked up and laughed, looking at the gloomy Liang Qiuci, he nodded happily and said: "Okay, since Mr. Liang is not willing to fight with me,
Then it’s okay to separate! I can give Mr. Liang 20,000 soldiers, and he can camp wherever he wants!"
Liang Qiuci suppressed his anger, bowed his hands to Zhen Fu, turned around and left.
He really didn't want to work with Zhen Fu, but the problem was that now that Zhen Fu had demolished all the bridges in Huang Chunshui, it was impossible for him to station elsewhere.
In the end, Liang Qiuci could only station his 20,000 soldiers between Huangchun River and Xian River, only a few miles away from the camp of Zhenfu's main army.
The discord between the generals has always been the biggest problem for Nanyang County. It was Wang Mang's problem to let Zhen Fu, a civil servant, be the chief general, and to let Liang Qiu, a general who knew how to use troops, be the deputy general.
No matter what, a hundred thousand troops led by Zhen Fu and Liang Qiuci were already in the middle of the two rivers, burning cauldrons and sinking boats, ready to fight to the death with Zhu Tian's army.
The spies of the Zhutian Army, headed by Yao Qi, continuously transmitted intelligence and movements of the Mang Army back to Jiyang.
In the Chinese military tent.
After receiving the detective report, Liu Xiu immediately walked to the map and looked at it carefully.
One hundred thousand Mang troops were stationed between the Huangchun River and the Xian River, and they also demolished the bridges on the Huangchun River. The Mang army was imitating Xiang Yu back then and adopted the strategy of breaking the cauldron and sinking the boat to fight with a last ditch effort.
But the Mang army clearly has an army of 100,000 and has a huge advantage and initiative. Why do they still adopt such risky tactics?
Liu Xiu rolled her eyes and said firmly: "The person who ordered the demolition of the Huangchunshui Bridge must be Zhen Fu!"
Only this prefect would do such a thing.
Yao Qi pointed at the map and said: "It is reported that a part of the Mang army has separated and is stationed here. It seems that it is five or six miles away from the main army."
Liu Xiu thought for a while, smiled, and said: "This separated reckless army should be part of Liang Qiuci. If I were Liang Qiuci, I would not want to fight side by side with Zhen Fu!"
Liu Ji, who was sitting on the side, interjected: "Damn, with an army of one hundred thousand, you still have to resort to burning cauldrons and sinking boats. I really don't know if Zhen Fu's brain is filled with water."
"He is very shrewd! In Zhen Fu's view, this battle is a must-win battle. No matter how it is done, there is no reason for the county government to lose. The purpose of setting up a desperate situation is to make it easier to ask for credit from the court in the future!"
Liu Xiu clicked on the map and said, "It's a pity that the Green Forest Army cannot be reused. Otherwise, our army can try to take the initiative!"
"Take the initiative?" Liu Ji's eyes flashed, he stood up and walked to Liu Xiu's side, looking down at the map.
Liu Xiu asked: "Brother Ji, can you see that there is a big problem with the Mang army's layout?"
Liu Ji looked at the map, blinked, and asked, "What's the big problem?"
Liu Xiu pointed to Lanxiang and said: "The food, grass and supplies of the Mang army are all stored in Lanxiang, but the number of Mang troops stationed in Lanxiang is less than a thousand. The defense of such an important place is so negligent. Once attacked,
How should the reckless army respond?"
The key is that the Mang army also demolished all the bridges on the Huangchun River. Even if they learned that Lanxiang was under attack, it would be difficult for the army to rush to the rescue immediately.
Once the food, grass and supplies in Lanxiang are destroyed, what will the hundreds of thousands of troops eat? What will they use? The morale of the army will definitely be in chaos. In this case, our own opportunity will come.
Unfortunately, our own troops are too small. Even when the morale of the reckless army is in chaos, we are unable to take the initiative to attack. Otherwise, these 100,000 reckless soldiers, in a desperate situation with no retreat, are really just 100,000 people waiting to be slaughtered.
