In late October, the cold current has invaded the Jianghuai land.
The wilderness in the early morning was covered with frost and was completely white.
A river flows from west to east, winding through the land in the eastern part of Chuzhou. Clouds of mist are rolling on the river and spreading to the wilderness on both sides.
A group of cavalry broke through the stillness of the early morning and advanced rapidly eastward along the river bank.
The war horse snorted and blew out hot white steam.
Li Pu stopped the horse's head and reins, and looked hesitantly at the three thousand elite cavalry behind him.
At this time, a small group of cavalry waded over from the south. A junior colonel dismounted and ran to Li Pu to report: "The ship of Master Zheng, the censor Zhongcheng, has docked in Jiangdu an hour ago. It should be on horseback by now."
Raise your whip and gallop to Yangzhou City, waiting for the Duke of Guo to lead the right Shenwu Army cavalry to meet up and take over the Hangou Waterway!"
Fanliang Lake, Hongzepu and the Yangtze River waterway are connected by many streams and rivers, such as Shiliang River, Ojin River, Shitang River, etc. However, the channels of these rivers have not been dredged in decades, and the dams have not been vigorously repaired in decades.
Affected by floods, river courses were changed and siltation was serious.
Small boats and small boats can pass through these rivers without obstruction, but hundreds of naval warships, often carrying six to seven hundred stone, or even thousands of stone, with a draft of more than ten feet deep, want to enter Hongzepo through these rivers, even if there are arrangements along the coast.
A large number of trackers may block the passage for more than half a month.
In this way, not to mention the surprise attack, the remnants of the Shalou Ship Army were caught off guard. It is possible that the Huaihe River and Hongzepu were frozen before they could enter Hongzepu.
Taking over the Hangou waterway, the left and right Wuya Army navy warships took advantage of Shaobo Lake and Fanliang Lake to enter Hongzepu as quickly as possible. This was the key to the surprise attack.
By walking through Hangou, the main forces of the left and right Five Tooth Army naval forces on the river south of Guazhou Port can be assembled one after another at the earliest this afternoon and at the latest before noon tomorrow. It only takes three days for all the forward navy troops to enter Hongzepu.
In other words, even if the Anning Palace rebels had an informant lurking in Yangzhou and rushed to Shouzhou to report the news, it would be too late to mobilize troops and generals. At most, the remnants of the Louchuan Army Navy would be withdrawn from Hongzepu and to the Huaihe River waterway.
Go inside.
However, as long as they can seize the opportunity to seize the west bank of Hongzepu and defend the empty Haozhou cities, they will achieve the fundamental purpose of the raid.
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"Yushi Zhongcheng Zheng Chang is just outside the city gate with the emperor's decree!"
Wang Wenqian was diligent in his political affairs. When it was daylight, he had already sat in the study and handled official duties for a while. At this time, he was sitting in the small hall having breakfast with his daughter Wang Jun and his concubine Yang.
The military officer guarding the South City Gate hurried over to report that Zheng Chang, the Censor Zhongcheng, was outside the South City Gate at this time. He was startled and almost knocked over the porridge bowl on the table.
It is normal for Yang Yuanpu to have his edict circulated, but what extremely important edict requires the censor Zhongcheng Zheng Chang, who had an old friendship with him, to go to the trouble of making this trip in person?
Wang Jun also sat up straight in shock.
She knew that it was no small matter that Zheng Chang came to convey the order in person, but she could not guess at this time that there was any important order that required Zheng Chang, the censor Zhongcheng, to make this trip.
In any case, as long as Zheng Chang did not lead the army, Wang Wenqian had no reason to block people outside the city. While sending people to notify Yin Peng and Zhao Zhen, he arranged for people to go to the south gate to welcome Zheng Chang into the city.
Zheng Chang entered Wang Wenqian's governor's residence, and Yin Peng, Zhao Zhen and other major generals stationed in Yangzhou in Huaidong also received the news and rushed over.
Zheng Chang had nothing to hide, so he directly took out the imperial edict and announced the battle plan for the main force of the left and right Wuya Army's navy to raid Hongzepu. He asked Wang Wenqian and the Huaidong garrison in Yangzhou to immediately leave Hangou from Hangou when they received the imperial edict.
Withdrawing along the coast, Duke Li Pu of Changchang led the First Shenwu Army on the right and the Second Capital Cavalry to take over the dams and gates along the Hangou to ensure that the main naval force of the left and right Wuya Army passed through the Hangou and entered Shaobo Lake as quickly as possible!
"The situation is serious, Wen Qian needs to ask His Highness for instructions." Wang Wenqian finally suppressed the shock in his heart and said with a gloomy expression.
"Your Majesty's imperial edict is directly issued to Lord Wang and the generals stationed in Yangzhou. There is also an imperial edict directing Jiang Huo, the deputy supervisor of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, to go to Chuzhou to give His Highness King Xin. Lord Wang does not need to worry about it." Zheng Chang, as the emperor,
Shi Zhongcheng was ordered to run over. To put it bluntly, he wanted to not give Wang Wenqian a chance to delay the opportunity.
Wang Wenqian can either resist the decree or comply with it. There is no third way to choose.
Zheng Chang stared at Wang Wenqian and asked him to give an answer now.
Wang Wenqian has experienced countless strong winds and waves in his life, but at this moment he still feels like mountains pressing on his shoulders, making it difficult for him to breathe.
"Can you allow me to think about it for a while?" The matter was so important that it was difficult for Wang Wenqian to make a decision and weigh the pros and cons in such a short time.
"The Duke of Chang led the cavalry of the Shenwu Army on the right to march at night. In less than an hour, they will be able to enter the west bank of Hangou." Zheng Chang said.
"Master Zheng, please stay in the hall for a while." Wang Wenqian knew that he had to make a decision within an hour whether to let out of the Hangou Waterway, so he left the censor Zhongcheng Zheng Chang and his entourage in the hall for a while.
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Wang Wenqian was about to invite Yin Peng. Before Zhao Zhen moved to the side hall to discuss the matter, he couldn't help but ask Zheng Chang: "I dare to ask Mr. Zheng, does Wen Qian know that His Majesty has decided to send the main force of the navy to attack Hongzepu?
Who came up with this plan?"
"Your Majesty, Duke Chang Guo." Zheng Chang is marching and needs Huaidong's cooperation in many areas. He has told Wang Wenqian the detailed military plan before, so naturally he doesn't mind that Wang Wenqian knows more, and he doesn't even mind that Wang Wenqian guesses this.
The matter has something to do with Huaidong's intentions.
Wang Wenqian nodded and walked to the side hall with Yin Peng and Zhao Zhen.
Wang Jun was standing in the side hall with a lacquer tray. When he saw his father, Yin Peng, Zhao Zhen and others walking in, he hurriedly said to his father: "My daughter thought that there were some sealed Mingqian Yun inscriptions in the house, so she came over to invite them.
General Zhao, Uncle Yin tastes it."
Wang Wenqian knew that his daughter couldn't restrain her curiosity and ran over to eavesdrop on the news. He didn't know if she heard anything while hiding in the corridor just now, so he didn't say anything.
Yin Peng and Zhao Zhen were not thinking about tea either.
Walking into the side hall, they looked at each other for a long time, and then Yin Pengcai asked hesitantly: "Is it because the Xuzhou merchant ship entered Yangzhou?"
Wang Wenqian nodded.
At the end of September, Xuzhou merchant ships entered Yangzhou. Less than a month later, Jinling fundamentally adjusted its combat strategy against the Anning Palace rebels. They wanted to use the main force of the navy as a partial division to attack the remnants of the Benlou naval force in Hongzepu.
How could there be no connection between the two?
And Zheng Chang just made it clear that this policy was proposed by Li Pu, Duke of Chang Kingdom, so he was even more certain that it was aimed at Huaidong and Xuzhou. After all, Li Pu was most afraid of Huaidong and Xuzhou.
Yu Xuzhou suffered the biggest loss.
If someone like Shen Yang or Yang En offered advice, he would think about another possibility.
Then a careful analysis of the situation around Hongtaekpo also supports this judgment.
Haozhou is located on the west bank of Hongzepu. The place is dilapidated. Currently, except for the remnants of the Louchuan Army stationed on the west bank of Hongzepu and the counties along the coast, the Anning Palace rebels do not have many troops stationed there. After all, Shouzhou and Huozhou to the west are Xu Mingzhen. A base camp built over many years of operation.
The main force of the water camp of the left and right Wuya Army rushed into Hongzepu. The Anning Palace was very likely to abandon the dilapidated Haozhou and hastily evacuated the remnants of the Louchuan Army from Hongzepu into the Huaihe River north of Shouzhou.
For the Anning Palace rebels, the situation would not necessarily become worse if they abandoned the dilapidated Haozhou.
For the Imperial Army of Chu, the situation was not necessarily very good if they forcibly inserted themselves into Haozhou between Shouzhou and Hongzepu. It might also directly prompt the rebels to completely surrender to the Liang Kingdom.
The only benefit is probably to cut off the direct connection between Huaidong and Shouzhou, right?
"Then should we give way to the water channel?" Zhao Zhen asked.
Currently, the garrison troops along Hangou are all the elite Yangzhou camp troops under the direct command of Zhao Zhen, but Wang Wenqian has to decide whether to give way or not.
"Let's give way," Wang Wenqian pondered for a while, then said, "if you don't give way, then Huaidong's resistance will not be revealed, and it will definitely give rise to collusion with the rebels; let's give way, let's see if the Wuya Army can fight when they enter Hongzepu. To what extent, we can discuss the future plans..."
Having said this, Wang Wenqian looked with some uncertainty at his daughter, who was standing aside holding a teapot and dragging her away.
Wang Jun sighed slightly in her heart. After hearing what her father said, she knew that her father was predicting how the situation would develop next.
In my father's opinion, as long as An Ning Gong evacuates the remnants of the Lo Chuan Army from Hong Taek Po in time and preserves this elite navy - there is still time for the An Ning Gong rebels to desperately withdraw the remnants of the Lo Chuan Army from Hong Taek Po - Since the main waterway between Hongzepu and the Yangtze River is under the control of Huaidong, it means that after this raid, even if the imperial court can capture Haozhou, the main force of the Forbidden Army's horse infantry and water camps will not be in Chuzhou. The basis for establishing a foothold in the north.
Emperor Yanyou's suspicious temperament, Yang Yuanpu, was stimulated by the contact between Xuzhou and Huaidong. In desperation, he might have the courage to carry out this raid, but he might not dare to let the main force of Da Chu's naval forces be exposed to the rebellion of Anning Palace for a long time. In the situation of pincer attack between the army and Huaidong.
In that case, the impact on Huaidong will be quite limited.
Of course, if the navy of the left and right Dragon Tooth Army severely damaged or even wiped out the main force of the naval force in this raid, then they would not be afraid of the threat from the Huaihe River in the future, then the situation would be different.
However, in any case, there is no need for Huaidong to resist the decree and block the Hangou Waterway now.
The biggest problem is that as the main force of the Da Chu Navy moves northward via Hangou, a large number of horse and infantry troops will inevitably approach the south bank of Hongzepu. If the west bank responds, Chishan will be at the Baiti Gang camp on the south side of Hongzepu, which is very likely to be exposed!
Wang Jun glanced at her father, Yin Peng, and Zhao Zhen, thinking that they had probably thought of this, but they seemed to have no intention of taking care of the Chishan Meeting at the moment. She said: "Dad advocated giving way, and the main forward warships of the navy , we can arrive at Zhuyu Bay as soon as noon tomorrow..."
Wang Wenqian looked at Wang Jun. In addition to feeling sad that the daughter was not allowed to stay in college, he also knew that his daughter's warning made some sense.
At this time, there were dedicated personnel from the Chishan Society staying in Zhuyu Bay to receive supplies and members who were migrating north. In other words, if Han Qian still stayed in the eastern part of Chuzhou and did not leave, the imperial court's intention of sending naval forces to attack Hongzepu could be inferred by tomorrow at the latest.
If Xuzhou had eyes on the Yangtze River, Han Qian might have gotten the news by now.
In other words, if he does not pass on the news, Han Qian or the people left in Xuzhou to preside over the Chishan Meeting will know the news tomorrow at the latest. If he sends people to pass the news, Han Qian will only know the news one day early at most. For the Chishan Meeting
For those who stay in Baitigang, there is no big difference.
However, for the relationship between Xuzhou and Huaidong, the meaning is different whether he can pass the news or not.
"General Zhao Zhen and I are going to see Zheng Chang. You should immediately go to Feng Yi to report this matter!" Wang Wenqian said to Yin Peng.
"Shall my daughter accompany Uncle Yin on a trip?" Wang Jun said.
Wang Wenqian hesitated for a while, then waved his hand and followed Wang Jun.
