Han Qian and Li Zhigao arranged for the first Longque Army generals not to camp at the western foot of Dahong Mountain designated by Du Chongtao, but to approach Xiangzhou directly by water, so that they could gain more initiative in defense.
Of course, Li Zhigao and Han Qian will not enter Xiangzhou City to meet Du Chongtao during this period, but they cannot really hide in Jingzikou.
In fact, in addition to leaving a group of scouts to keep an eye on Liang Jun's movements in the direction of Shaoxi Mountain and Xiongyu Valley, and hiring local civilians in Jingzikou to continue building the village courtyard in Jingzikou, Han Qian and Li Zhigao led dozens of
People followed the Danjiang Valley Road and returned to the Nanyang Basin.
While actually exploring the terrain within the Nanyang Basin, I waited for the first Longque Army to come up by boat from the Han River.
Five days later, when the first two thousand generals of the Dragon Bird Army arrived in the east of Xiangzhou City on the naval warship of the Louchuan Army, the third prince Yang Yuanpu also arrived in Xiangzhou on a fast horse, escorted by Chai Jian, Li Chong and others.
Zhou, met Han Qian and Li Zhigao.
Li Zhigao had expected that it would take half a month for the three princes who set off with the second batch of the main force of the Longque Army to arrive in Xiangzhou. However, in fact, Yang Yuanpu thought that it was too slow to sail westward, so he landed with Chai Jian after passing Chizhou.
Li Chong and others led the guard battalion first, and the main force of the Longque Army, 5,000 generals, was led by Chang Shi Shen Yang, military supervisor Guo Rong, deputy capital commander Chen De, Zhou Shu, Guo Liang, Gao Chengyuan and others.
Then take a boat upstream.
Encountering the messenger sent by Li Zhigao in the north of Huangzhou, knowing what happened after Li Zhigao met Du Chongtao and the decision of Li Zhigao and Han Qian, Yang Yuanpu hurriedly went north, and finally arrived in Xiangzhou when the first Longque Army arrived.
He rushed to the foot of Xiangzhou City and met with Li Zhigao and Han Qian.
After all, Yang Yuanpu had to travel three hundred miles a day by horseback from Chizhou to Xiangzhou.
Han Qian and Li Zhigao went first and rode horses to Xiangzhou at such a fast speed. Of course they knew how hard it would be to go this way. There were more than a hundred people who didn't know how many horses they would have to waste. There were many elite soldiers in the army.
, it is difficult to persist.
Chai Jian and Li Chong both looked tired. Han Qian and the third prince Yang Yuanpu had not seen each other for half a month. The third prince might have lost several kilograms of flesh along the way.
Han Qian secretly felt that if Yang Yuanpu could really be so diligent and not afraid of difficulties, they would really have no chance. He said with a smile: "Since His Highness has arrived, we have to adjust our plan!"
"How to adjust, not to enter Xiangzhou City directly?" Yang Yuanpu asked hesitantly.
He got the news and took Chai Jian and Li Chong over day and night. The main reason was that his cousin-in-law Du Chongtao was ruthless. Even if several battalions were arrested and beheaded, the Dragon Bird Army could not afford such a loss at this time.
"After the first troops enter Fancheng, we will accompany your highness to see Du Chongtao." Han Qian pointed to the ruined city on the north bank of the Han River, across the river from Xiangzhou City.
Yang Yuanpu was a little confused and couldn't figure out Han Qian's intention of temporarily adjusting the original plan.
"Okay, since His Highness is here, we should directly enter Fancheng." Li Zhigao knew the art of war and the secrets of defense deployment.
The Deng-Xiang defense line presided over by Du Chongtao mainly relied on the newly built Xiangzhou City and the Han River. Even if most of the Liang Army came in by then, he had no intention of hastily fighting the Liang Army in the north of the Han River.
Although the dilapidated Fancheng is across the Han River from Xiangzhou City, Fancheng can be regarded as a prominent position in the entire Deng-Xiang defense line.
Du Chongtao is currently the coach of Deng Xiang's defense line, and Yang Yuanpu is the nominal deputy coach. If Yang Yuanpu joins Du Chongtao after entering Xiangzhou, the master-slave relationship will be clearer.
If Yang Yuanpu did not enter Xiangzhou City, but stationed himself in Fancheng on the other side of Xiangzhou City, the meaning would be subtle.
If Du Chongtao did not cross the Han River and entered Fancheng, Yang Yuanpu, as the Marquis of Linjiang, the deputy envoy and the commander of the Longque Army, would have the power to demand that all troops and horses north of the Han River obey his control, which would actually become
The frontline commander of the northwest camp.
Du Chongtao would not face such a situation and would either agree to their request or move his own general's tent across the Han River to the north to Fancheng.
The third prince led his troops to station in Fancheng, which was also close to Hanzi. He could even directly intercept the grain transport ships coming along the Han River, forcing some of the grain and grass to meet the needs of the Longque Army stationed in Fancheng...
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Du Chongtao is just forty years old, with a thick short mustache on his lips. Among the generals who founded the Chu Kingdom, he is relatively young.
They are both much bigger than Du Chongtao.
At this moment, Du Chongtao's face was as thin as a rock that has been weathered for many years. He stood on the gate tower of Xiangzhou City facing the Hanshui River beach, expressionlessly watching dozens of warships docking at the river beach on the north bank.
More than two thousand Longque Army generals jumped onto the river beach, then climbed up the river bank and gathered at the south gate of Fancheng.
Although without his order, the Fancheng defenders refused to open the city gate and let the Dragon Bird Army in. However, the third prince Yang Yuanpu, surrounded by more than a hundred elite cavalry, stood on the north bank and looked over, showing no intention of compromising.
The naval warships of the Lou Chuan Army were responsible for transporting the Longque Army soldiers to Xiangzhou City, but they were not responsible for staying in Xiangzhou to assist in the battle. Therefore, after the generals disembarked, they turned around without any intention of staying.
Go east across the rapids and then go south.
Even if they want to obtain some supplies locally, they plan to wait until Yingzhou.
The naval captain of the Louchuan Army who was responsible for transporting the Longque Army was not an idiot. He knew that they were not subject to the control of the northwest camp at this time, but once the war broke out, Du Chongtao or the third prince had the power to mobilize all Deng Xiang.
The combat resources within the territory include other troops and horses temporarily staying in Deng Xiang's territory.
However, except for the naval warships of the Lou Chuanjun that turned around and returned eastward, Du Chongtao saw three other warships docked on the north bank and did not leave.
These are the three warships led by Yang Qin of the Xuzhou Ship Gang.
Although Han Qian absolutely did not want Zuo Si to take on the logistical responsibility of the Longque Army, which would only crush Zuo Si, who was still quite fragile at this time, but he had used such a tough attitude to expand Zuo Si's power before.
To limit the infiltration control of Zuo Si by Xinchang Houfu and Wanhonglou in order to maintain a relatively independent status, the third prince and Shen Yang gave their support. At this time, he still wanted Zuo Si to play a corresponding role.
In this case, after the war, Xinchang Hou Li Pu still wants to pick on Zuo Si, and the third prince and Shen Yang will have more reasons to speak for him.
Therefore, Han Qian still ordered Yang Qin to lead three war sailing ships, collect a batch of supplies, and leave Xuzhou first. They would meet up with the first Longque Army heading west at the mouth of Hanshui River and then enter the Hanshui River and go north, so that they could reach Xiangzhou from here.
, can seize more initiative.
In addition, if they really wanted to intercept grain ships arriving in Xiangzhou from other places, they would need two or three warships!
With just a piece of paper, how could the grain security officers in Jiang'e and other places ignore Du Chongtao's order and hand over grain and grass to the Longque Army?
Then you’ll have to rely on robbing!
Of course, the Xuzhou fleet does not have warships and corresponding elite escorts. After arriving in Yuezhou, it will be temporarily led by Feng Xuan and others to stay in Yuezhou and wait for orders.
"The third prince is really willful. If he creates another mess on the north bank, how will this battle be fought?" Ma Xun, the prince of Tanzhou Jiedu, who has led 5,000 reinforcements from Tanzhou into Xiangzhou, said,
Standing next to Du Chongtao, he curled his lips and said.
In this battle, in addition to the 15,000 defenders under Deng Xiang and Du Chongtao on the west wing, and the 7,000 reinforcements mobilized by the Dragon Bird Army, the imperial court initially ordered one to three troops from the twelve states along the Yangtze River west of Jiangzhou.
Thousands of soldiers and horses are gathering in Xiangzhou; and the grain, grass and other materials needed for the war are currently mainly allocated from the twelve states along the Yangtze River.
Not only the Tanzhou soldiers and horses led by Ma Xun, but also the Jiangzhou camp envoy Zhong Yanhu and other state generals also led their troops to Xiangzhou one after another, obeying Du Chongtao's control and resisting the Liang army.
If the fighting on the west flank further intensifies, Jinling's military mobilization in the area west of Jiangzhou will be larger and deeper.
"Let's cross the river to see His Highness!" Du Chongtao said expressionlessly.
Others couldn't understand what Du Chongtao's mentality was before he decided to lead his generals across the Han River to see the third prince. Of course, even if Du Chongtao was the coach of the West Wing and took the initiative to cross the river to see the deputy commander, spreading the word would only show that he was serious about the situation.
God bless the emperor, respect for the authority of the royal family; this cannot be regarded as breaking the rules.
Of course, the biggest question is what Du Chongtao will do. What will other reinforcements, local soldiers, civilians and officials in Xiangzhou think when they see it?
Would you mistakenly think that Du Chongtao would bow his head in front of the young third prince and give up the control of the war on the west wing?
And what would the young boy on the other side think of Du Chongtao's move?
