After discussion, Wang Feng, Wang Chang, and Liu Xiu finally decided to divide their forces into three groups.
Wang Feng, with 10,000 troops and horses, stayed in Kunyang as the general support for his side. Wang Chang, with 7,000 troops and horses, continued eastward, taking Dingling, Linxian and other places; Liu Xiu, with 3,000 cavalry,
Head north towards Xiangcheng.
After the battle plan was formulated, the generals went back to prepare.
Liu Xiu returned to his tent, looked at the map of Yingchuan drawn on sheepskin, and fell into deep thought.
While he was thinking about it, Long Yuan's voice came from outside the camp: "My lord, General Wang Chang has arrived."
Hearing this, Liu Xiu stood up, walked out of the tent, and welcomed Wang Chang in. He smiled and asked, "Brother Yan Qing, why are you here?"
Wang Chang said: "It's boring to be in the tent, so come and take a look!" As he spoke, he saw the map placed on the table and asked: "Uncle Wen, this time you only led three thousand troops to go north.
Isn’t it a bit...weak on our own?"
He led 7,000 soldiers to attack the relatively weak east side of Yingchuan, feeling very unsure. However, Liu Xiu's route was to go north, approaching Yingchuan County, but he only brought 3,000 soldiers and horses, and so did Wang Chang.
It worries him.
Liu Xiu waved his hand to Wang Chang and motioned for him to take a seat. After the two sat down, Liu Xiu gently rubbed the jade plaque hanging on his belt and said with a smile: "Although my goal is Xiangcheng when I go north this time, I want to
Expand the scope of the attack, strike when you have the chance, and move elsewhere if you don’t have the chance!"
Wang Chang heard this and nodded repeatedly. He felt that this guerrilla tactic was quite reasonable.
The three thousand soldiers under Liu Xiu's command are all cavalry and are not suitable for siege warfare. It is impossible to expect them to capture a certain city by force. The only way is to use the high-speed movement of the cavalry to surprise and attack them unprepared.
Fang has a chance to win.
Wang Chang smiled and said: "It seems that Uncle Wen has already planned the corresponding tactics in his mind, so I don't need to worry about it!"
Liu Xiu was delighted and said, "Brother Yan Qing, if you have a good plan, I would like to hear the details."
Wang Chang waved his hands repeatedly and said: "If you ask me to lead the infantry in battle, I may still be good at it. If you ask me to lead the cavalry in battle, I am also a layman!"
For this, he quite admired Liu Xiu.
Liu Xiu is an all-rounder. If you ask him to lead the infantry, he can lead it very well. If you ask him to lead the cavalry, he can also lead it very well. Even if it is a combination of infantry and cavalry, he can use it with great proficiency.
People who know Liu Xiu know that he studied "Shang Shu"; people who don't know him probably think that Liu Xiu studied calligraphy!
While speaking, Wang Chang looked down, saw the jade plaque hanging on Liu Xiu's waist, and said with a smile: "Uncle Wen's jade plaque is very beautiful!"
Wang Chang noticed this jade plaque hanging on Liu Xiu's armor as early as when he sent out troops, but he didn't have the nerve to ask more. Now that Liu Xiu was still wearing it, he couldn't help but be curious.
Liu Xiu slowly rubbed the jade plaque and said, "This jade plaque is the amulet given to me by Lihua."
Wang Chang was stunned for a moment and said suspiciously: "Miss Yin?"
"Exactly!"
Wang Chang also heard about Liu Xiu and Yin Lihua. He smiled understandingly and said, "Uncle Wen, I have heard that Miss Yin is a well-known beauty with many suitors. If Uncle Wen and Miss Yin are really
You two are in love, so don't delay."
After a pause, he said with a smile: "With Uncle Wen's talent, it will not be difficult to be crowned king and prime minister in the future. In my opinion, it is more than enough to match the young lady of the Yin family!"
Liu Xiu smiled and said: "When I returned to Jiyang from Wancheng, I planned to take time to go to Xinye to propose marriage. However, I was delayed by the election of the emperor. I have been busy since then and I really can't spare the time."
Wang Chang snorted, sighed softly, and said, "If we can get through this safely, Uncle Wen can go to Xinye to propose marriage!"
But it is not easy to get through this situation safely!
Liu Xiu sighed secretly in his heart. This time Wang Mang spent almost all his wealth and devoted all the power of the country to destroy his own side. With less than 100,000 troops, could he defeat the hundreds of thousands of Mang troops?
the next day.
Wang Chang led his army to leave Kunyang, march eastward, and attack Dingling east of Kunyang.
On the third day, Liu Xiu also led his army northward and rushed to Xiangcheng. The distance from Kunyang to Xiangcheng was not close, and Xiangcheng was right in the middle of Kunyang and Yingchuan County.
Liu Xiu led three thousand cavalry all the way north. On this day, they marched to the Pingding Mountain area.
The shortest distance from Kunyang to Xiangcheng is through Pingdingshan, but the mountainous area of Pingdingshan is not small. Liu Xiu was not familiar with the environment here. If he got lost in the mountainous area, it would delay the big event.
When Liu Xiu was thinking about whether he should go around Pingding Mountain, Feng Yi and Fu Jun rode up to Liu Xiu. The former said: "My lord, Pingding Mountain is ahead!"
"Yes!" Liu Xiu raised his eyes and looked at this large mountainous area, which could not be seen at a glance. The mountainous area was green and full of trees, blocking the sky and the sun. He said: "We want to pass through Pingding Mountain, but it may not be possible.
easy!"
Feng Yi smiled and said: "Have you forgotten, my lord, that Ziwei is from Xiangcheng? He can't say that he is familiar with every plant and tree in this area of Pingding Mountain. At least he is familiar with the roads!"
When Liu Xiu heard this, his eyes suddenly lit up. Yes, how could he have forgotten Feng Yi and Fu Jun! They are both from Yingchuan County. The former's home is in Fucheng, and the latter's home is in Xiangcheng, which is not far from Pingdingshan.
Far.
Seeing Liu Xiu looking at him with bright eyes, Fu Jun immediately stepped in and said, "My Lord, when I was young, I often practiced archery in the Pingding Mountain area, and I am quite familiar with the terrain here."
After getting along for such a long time, Liu Xiu understood Fu Jun's personality very well. Fu Jun had always been low-key and steady. Even if he did something that he was 100% sure of, he would only say that he was 70% or 80% sure, and would never be full of words.
He can say that he knows the topography of Pingding Mountain, so he must be very familiar with it. Liu Xiu asked with a look of joy: "Ziwei, is there a road for horses in the mountain?"
Fu Jun nodded and responded: "My lord, I know a mountain road that can pass war horses!"
"Great!" Liu Xiu smiled and said, "Ziwei, I'll trouble you to lead the way this time!"
Fu Jun leaned forward and said, "My lord, you're welcome."
With Fu Jun, a local, as their guide, Liu Xiu and his cavalry entered Pingding Mountain. When they first entered, although the mountain road was rugged, it was not too difficult. However, as they went deeper, the mountain road began to become difficult.
Especially when we walked to a canyon area, the ground was full of uneven rocks. People couldn't ride a horse at all. They could only lead the horse and walk forward slowly.
Liu Xiu, Fu Jun and others were walking in front. He looked at the rocky valley and the cliffs on both sides. He couldn't help but said quietly: "This is really a good place to set up an ambush!"
Fu Jun said: "My lord, although Pingding Mountain is not inaccessible, there are indeed not many people who know this path, and the mountain road is too difficult to walk, making it difficult for the army to pass!"
Their three thousand cavalry were lightly armed and did not carry any supplies. They each carried their own rations, so they could barely pass through this mountain road.
If you bring baggage and carriages with the army, you won't be able to walk this way.
Liu Xiu didn't say anything more, he just kept this place in his mind and knew it well. When they were about to walk out of the canyon, a sharp whistle suddenly sounded outside the canyon.
Hearing the whistle, Liu Xiu was shocked and secretly thought something bad, there was an ambush. Before he could say anything, he saw a group of people running out of the canyon shouting.
These people were dressed up in a variety of ways, wearing everything. There were not many of them, only about one hundred and eighty at best.
Seeing this, Liu Xiu, Fu Jun, Feng Yi and others all breathed a sigh of relief. If there was an ambush by the reckless army here, our three thousand cavalry would have been destroyed.
The main reason is that this valley is too narrow, at most three people can walk abreast, and the ground is full of large and small rocks. Not to mention that the horses cannot run, and no one can ride the horse.
If there are ambushes on the mountaintops on both sides of the valley, there is no need to fight. Just throwing stones down will kill them alive.
After realizing that it was a false alarm, everyone was furious and looked at the group of people in front of them angrily.
"I opened this road and planted this tree. I want to pass by here and leave money to buy the road!" From the crowd on the opposite side, a round fat man walked out. This man was short in stature and had an unattractive appearance. He walked on the ground like a ball.
Similar.
However, it seems that he is very strong. He is carrying a big hammer on his shoulder. The round hammer head is almost as big as a face plate. I don’t know whether the hammer is solid or hollow. In short, it looks very scary.
Hearing the other party's words and looking at the other party's posture, Ma Wu became angry and said to Yao Qi: "Damn it, these bandits have committed robbery on the ancestors of the bandits!"
At that time, Ma Wu and Yao Qi also became bandits, and they would not know Liu Yan or Liu Xiu until they fought against them.
Ma Wu handed the reins of the war horse to the soldiers on the side. He held the nine-eared eight-ringed sword and said to Liu Xiu: "My lord, I will go meet them!"
Liu Xiu nodded first, and then reminded: "Those who come are not good, and those who are good will not come. Zizhang, be more careful!"
Although the other party is not a reckless army, they only have 180 people, and they dare to stop 3,000 of our own cavalry and rob them, so they must have something to rely on.
Ma Wu smiled and said: "Don't worry, my lord, I will take the head of that madman and come back as soon as you go!" As he spoke, he held up his long knife and walked straight towards the people on the opposite side.
"Ugly ghost, are you here to give money to grandpa?" The short fat man carried a giant hammer, tilted his head, and looked Ma Wu up and down.
Ma Wu's appearance is indeed not good-looking, with a dark face, a beard, a slender face, big round eyes, a lion's mouth, and a flat nose.
In addition, he is tall and burly, and when walking at night, if he bumps into him unexpectedly, he would be thought to be a blind bear who has become a spirit!
But when you hit someone, don’t slap someone in the face, and when you expose someone, don’t expose their shortcomings. Ma Wu is not very pleasing to the eye, but if you call him ugly in front of him, Ma Wu can’t stand it no matter how well rested he is, not to mention he has no rest at all.
, and the short fat man opposite was nowhere to be seen.
"Fat man, you are looking for death!" Ma Wu glared at the short fat man with his eyes wide, and his eyes were about to burst into flames.
Ma Wu hated people calling him ugly the most, and the short fat man also hated people calling him fat. His big mung bean eyes widened. He picked up the giant hammer on his shoulder and swung it with one hand.
, making a muffled sound of whining wind.
"Ugly ghost, if Grandpa Wang doesn't smash you into a pulp today, I will smash you into a meat pie!"
Liu Xiu and others who were watching the battle from behind had a row of black lines sliding down above their heads.
Ma Wu laughed angrily, gritted his teeth and said, "Fat man, if Uncle Ma doesn't chop you into minced meat today, I will chop you into minced meat!"
"Ugly ghost, come here if you have the guts!" The short and fat man yelled at Ma Wu.
Ma Wu was also furious and rushed over with a big knife.