Zhao Mengji went to Pingyang Prefecture in early July to serve as the inspector of the newly established Hedong Province, while Han Donghu, who was appointed commander of the Second Central Military Commission, was moving the dental tents from Xingyang to Mengzhou.
After completing the reorganization and formation work of the First Central Central Battalion Army, its main force will enter Qinshui and join the Taiyue Marching Camp Army led by Li Xiu stationed there. In the early stage, it will march eastward along the Qinshui River Valley and be responsible for attacking Yangcheng in the west of Zezhou.
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As for the Second Central Camp Army led by Han Donghu, in addition to being responsible for monitoring Bianliang, Weizhou, and the Dongliang Army in Huaizhou, the main force also had to cross the southern foothills of Taihang Mountain from Taihangxing in the early stage after the war started, and directly attack Zezhou Prefecture.
Southern area of Jincheng.
Because during the great victory of Zhiguanxing, the former had captured the most important Qinshui City to the west of the southern foot of Taiyue Mountain when the enemy reinforcements were insufficient, and had already captured the dangerous and strategic area from the west of Qinshui City to Yicheng County.
It's in your hands.
Afterwards, troops were sent out along the Qinshui River Valley to advance towards Yangcheng. There were no particularly dangerous passes along the way.
However, Taihangxing, which starts in the north of Qinyang County, is much more dangerous.
Taihangxing, also known as Danxing, is located at the southern end of Taihang Mountain. It is three steps wide and more than 40 miles long. It can be said that the tunnels are like silk, winding and winding.
In addition to a large number of defenders guarding Jincheng, the Mongolian army also stationed elite soldiers and horses at Tianjing Pass, eighty miles south of Jincheng.
Tianjing Pass is not a city pass, but refers to a series of defense systems including Tianjing Pass, Hengwang Pass, Xiaokou Pass, Wanzi City, Xingjinyi and other pass cities.
At that time, Zhu Yu led the elite Liang army to march north through Taihangxing and Baixing. However, it was too difficult to attack the passes at these two passes and the casualties were too great. As a result, when the troops arrived at Zezhou City and Luzhou City, they had to choose to besiege and trap the city for a long time.
The war in southern Shanxi dragged on for more than two years without ending, and the Mongols finally took advantage of it.
Han Donghu was stationed in Mengzhou, and he also took charge of the establishment of the Mengzhou government, and was responsible for the military and civilian affairs.
He is not in a hurry. In addition to the rear garrison at Hulao Pass that the Second Central Battalion Army needs to build, he is currently in Mengzhou mainly promoting the strengthening of the defense of Mengzhou's eastern flank.
In response to the enemy forces in the direction of Jincheng, he simply ordered the Qinyang defenders to build a walled city at Tianping Ridge outside the Xingnan Pass in Taihang, widen the post road from Tianping Ridge to Qinyang, and renovate the bridges across the rivers and rivers, so as to prepare for the large-scale use of troops in the later period.
At the same time, a large amount of manpower and material resources were concentrated to continue excavating the dam in the southeast of Mengzhou City.
At the end of May, the water level of the Yu River completely rose.
Part of the river water continued to pour into the Jialu River and Shaying River along the gap in the south bank of the east bank of Xingyang City, but some of the river water also flowed into the old Yuhe River through the gap dug at the beginning of the year, but this was not enough.
According to Han Qian's arrangement, all the river dams must be dug out before next spring, and the gap in the embankment east of Xingyang must also be repaired, so that the water of the Yu River can completely return to its original course.
In this way, the warships of the Luoyang|Navy Army will be able to go directly to Weibo and other places downstream along the Yu River outside the ice period next year; and as the floodplains on both sides of the Yingshui and Wushui rivers recede,
The Henan camp army can also enter the eastern Henan area on a large scale for mobile operations to prepare for the subsequent recovery of Wuzhi, Bianliang and other places.
Of course, the prerequisite for recovering Wuzhi, Bianliang and other places is that the war in southern Shanxi can be successfully concluded.
Although the Mongolian army mobilized a large number of manpower and materials in the early days to transport earth, cut off the river, and build a dam, the water in the Yu River rose and overflowed the gap. For Mengzhou's soldiers and people, the gap was now widening step by step, allowing the river water to sweep away the sediment.
It would be much easier to wash it downstream.
Several dredgers are anchored in the gap with giant anchors, and the water directly hits the impellers on both sides, driving the winch and the scraper wheel plate fixed together with a fine iron vertical shaft, stirring up the sediment on the bottom of the ship and letting the water flow away.
The gap is expanding rapidly almost every moment. Han Donghu predicts that the main body of the dam can be dug before the water level drops by the end of August, and only dredging will be strengthened later.
Compared with the optimistic estimates of Han Donghu and the Mengzhou army and people, Zhu Rang, who proclaimed himself emperor of Bianliang, and the generals of the Dongliang Army were in a much more uncomfortable mood.
Xingyang was defeated, Liang Shixiong and 20,000 Wei Bo's elite troops were completely annihilated, the Mongolian army was defeated in the Fenshui River Valley, and Zhao Mengji returned to Luoyang. They were already severely hit and did not even dare to send troops from Huaizhou and Bianliang to threaten Mengzhou.
However, the bad news did not stop there. Before they could recover, Wang Xiaoxian and Wang Yuankui were annihilated. Yongqifeng, Yuanqing, Yanlin and other prefectures were completely under the control of Luoyang.
Used for three months.
This means that Luoyang has completely solved the security problem on the west wing, and the strategic focus will then completely shift to the northern and eastern fronts.
Of course, after June, Luoyang, on the one hand, moved the troops and horses in Guanzhong to Hejin for rest and recuperation, and on the other hand, it transferred part of the troops and horses in Xingyang to Mengzhou on the north bank of the Yu River. It was obvious from all aspects that Luoyang's next battle target was southern Shanxi.
Zelu two states.
However, can Zhu Rang and the generals of Dongliang Army feel lucky?
Liang Shixiong died in the battle, and Bianliang City did not have many elite soldiers and generals, but people like Wuyang Hou Liangren had experienced many wars over the years, and they still had basic strategic vision.
If southern Shanxi falls, they will be unable to defend Huaizhou, and the Luoyang military front will extend from Fukouxing and along the Yu River into Weibo, which will cut off their connection with the Mongolian army. They will be able to resist the crossing to the east of Yingshui on their own.
Did the Luoyang soldiers and horses enter?
Lips are dead and teeth are cold.
Wusu Dashi sent Wang Chi to Bianliang, asking them to strengthen the troops in Weihuai and Huaizhou, and to contain Luoyang's troops in Mengzhou from the east, making it difficult for them to move north along Taihangxing with all their strength. But the problem is that after these years of
After a hard battle, more than 20,000 of Wei Bo's elite soldiers were buried in Xingyang City along with Liang Shixiong.
Zhu Rang recruited strong troops from Bian, Song, Wei, Bo, Qingzi and other prefectures. He currently has more than 70,000 troops and horses in Bianliang, Wuzhi and other places. But the problem is that these 70,000 troops lack training and even lack of armor.
Complete, what qualifications do you have to fight with Luoyang elites in the wilderness between Meng and Huaizhou?
Zhu Rang could only send envoys to Xuzhou and Bozhou to urge Xu Mingzhen and Sima Tan to send elite troops northward.
Compared with Sima Tan's claim that the Chu army was harassing the border and was unable to spare a single soldier, Xu Mingzhen sent his adopted son Xu Jin and general Zhao Mingting with 3,000 cavalry to Bianliang to await orders, which was quite proactive and polite.
However, even with Xu Jin, how effective could the three thousand cavalry led by Zhao Mingting be?
Zhao Mingting, who is over 50 years old, is wearing armor and riding a horse on the embankment. Looking at the Wuzhi Dam, the gap has been opened more than 200 feet wide by the flood. There are also five dredgers parked side by side in the middle, which are constantly agitating.
The mud was allowed to flow downstream. Looking at the river east of the Wuzhi Dam, the turbid waves were already rolling in, and I felt a lot of powerlessness in my heart.
It had been nine years before and after the Yu River stopped flowing, and the mud embankments on both sides from Wuzhi to the east had not undergone any repairs or reinforcements for nine years.
The Wuzhi Dam was opened only this year
Due to a partial gap, the water level of the old road east of Wuzhi is only half of what it was in the summer and autumn before the closure. However, in places such as Caozhou and Puzhou on the south bank and Changyuan in Weibo on the north bank, several remaining embankments have been washed away by the flood.
Floods flooded the fields and houses on both sides of the river.
Over the past two to three hundred years, sedimentation has unknowingly caused the river bed of the Yu River from Xingyang to the east to hang over the plains on both sides. The consequences of the long disrepair of the embankment were completely exposed after the beginning of summer this year.
This year, part of the water from the Yu River will still be released into the Jialu River, and the Shaying River will seize the Huai River and flow into the sea. If Han Qian sends troops and horses to completely block the gap to the east of Xingyang until next year, the water of the Yu River will completely return to its original path. The old path of the Yu River east of Bianliang
What kind of flooding will happen in the areas on both sides of the Taiwan Strait?
Zhao Mingting must consider at this time, if they go all the way to the east of Puzhou to cross the Yu River and reinforce to the east of Mengzhou, when the Bianliang soldiers and horses are blocked by the Yu River on the south bank, if the Luoyang soldiers and horses are not in a hurry to attack
In the southern Shanxi region, troops were sent from Mengzhou to attack the two states of Wei and Huai in the east. Together with the local defenders of the two states of Wei and Huai, they only had 15,000 soldiers and horses. How long should they wait?
Although Zhao Mingting was well aware of the fact that lips and teeth were cold, and they had been fighting bloody battles with Liang Jun for many years, with no possibility of easing, he also argued with Xu Jin that their small number of troops and horses, invested in the area east of Mengzhou, were not enough to fill the gap between teeth.
of.
If the Mongolian army could not defend southern Shanxi, they should have made other plans early.
Because Xu Jin was brave and good at fighting, he was adopted as an adopted son by Xu Mingzhen. He can also be said to be the most brave general in the Shouzhou Army. However, over the years in the Tangyi Army, he suffered too many losses at the hands of Liang Jun. Looking at him,
The rolling turbid current did not need Zhao Mingting to remind him, and he could not breed much pride and ambition in his heart.
People always have to bow to reality.
The 130,000 elite Mongolian troops were wiped out in the north and south of Wangwu Mountain. Wang Xiaoxian and Wang Yuankui's more than 80,000 soldiers and horses were unable to defend Guanzhong for three months. How could the few soldiers and horses behind him fill the gap between his teeth?
At this time, Zhao Mingting noticed that several groups of cavalry were coming from the direction of Mengzhou City on the north bank and stopped near the embankment on the north bank to strengthen their vigilance.
Zhao Mingting thought that they were observing the enemy situation on the south bank, which attracted the attention of General Liang Jun. Someone from the other side also went to the other side to observe the enemy. Soon they noticed that the scale and level of Liang Jun's alert on the other bank were much higher than they imagined.
Even in the upper reaches of the Yu River, there were several armored warships quickly approaching the gap in the dam.
Han Qian is in Mengzhou at this time?
Zhao Mingting suddenly realized this. After waiting for a stick of incense, he saw a group of cavalry coming from the direction of Mengzhou City towards the embankment on the other side. Judging from the size of the cavalry, there was no doubt that Han Qian was behind them.
Zhao Mingting even thought of a possibility. When everyone thought that Liang Jun would launch an offensive in southern Shanxi this autumn, would it be a false shot and send troops to attack Wuzhi and Bianliang?
It seems that Liang Jun's deployment at this time is to use troops against southern Shanxi, but Zhu Rang really wants to transfer a large number of troops to Weihuaizhou on the north coast to contain Liang Jun who is attacking Taihangxing from Mengzhou to the north. Liang Jun gathered in Hejin.
Tens of thousands of soldiers and horses from Mengzhou, together with the soldiers and horses stationed in Xuzhou and Chenzhou, launched a large-scale attack on Wuzhi and Bianliang. How should they respond?
The dam is almost dug. The Liang Army has a strong naval force, and it is extremely convenient to mobilize troops and horses from the north and south of the Yu River. However, Huaizhou, Weizhou and Bianliang controlled by the Dongliang Army seem to be across the river, but
To avoid the front of Liang Jun's navy, the soldiers and horses in the two places had to go around to the east of Puzhou to cross the river safely. This meant that the soldiers and horses in the two places were forced to be separated by thousands of miles.
Zhao Mingting felt a chill running down his tailbone. Even though he was aware of this, he was unable to do anything.
Is it possible that Han Qian gathered 100,000 elite troops to attack Bianliang, and Xu Mingzhen and Sima Tan dared to use all their strength to come to the rescue?
The Shouzhou Army retreated to Guoshui, and the land between Surabaya and Surabaya has been around for some years. However, the wars have been endless over the years, the people's livelihood has deteriorated, and the 40,000 to 50,000 soldiers and horses are exhausted.
Not only were the Shouzhou Army unable to break through Lin Haizheng, the Xia Cai and Xu Chen defense lines led by Zhao Wuji were also penetrated by Liang Jun's Xia Cai and Xu Chen lines from time to time in recent years, infiltrating and abducting hundreds of thousands of people.
With the fall of Xingyang, part of the Yu River flooded into Guishui, and the Shouzhou Army's situation became even more difficult.
Relatively speaking, Xu Sijun's situation is much better.
First of all, Xu Si's army and Yang Yuan's Huaidong army have lived peacefully on both sides of the lower reaches of the Huaihe River in recent years, mainly on the northeastern coast of Hongzepu to guard against attacks by Liang Jun's navy.
The military pressure borne by Xu Si's army was much lighter than that of Shouzhou's army, which directly faced Liang Jun's attack on Cai and Xu and Chen.
Secondly, the Sima family took Xuzhou as its foundation and took root for more than 30 years. After joining Zhu Rang, it took the opportunity to expand its power to Jeju, Mizhou, and Yizhou in the north. Based on Xuzhou, it governed the four prefectures of Jeju, Mizhou, Yizhou, and Sihai.
Millions of soldiers and civilians.
Logically speaking, Sima Tan had more than enough to recruit 100,000 troops and horses from Xuzhou. However, Sima Tan, an old fox, faced Zhu Rang's edict and did not want to send a single soldier to contain the enemy who was likely to attack Taihang from the north from Mengzhou.
Could it be that the Liang Army at Xing County still expected Xu Si's army to enter Bianliang and fight the main force of Liang Army in a decisive battle?
Are Sima Tan and other characters in the Sima family already having other ideas?
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"There are quite high-level enemy generals on the other side watching this side..."
Han Donghu reined in his horse and reported to Han Qian.
Han Qian had no intention of taking the bronze telescope to observe the enemy situation on the other side. The Yuhe River leaked through the gap in the dam. The water was so fast that even small and medium-sized boats could not withstand the whirlpool, and the Dongliang Army did not build large ships.
ability.
On the other side, Wuzhi and Bianliang gathered 780,000 Dongliang troops. Even if they dared to fight with them, they could only look at the water and sigh.
At this time, Han Qian came to Mengzhou in person to inspect the military situation and defense. However, in addition to Li Zhigao, Guo Rong and other entourages, he was also accompanied by government officials such as Zhou Daoyuan from the You Neishi Mansion to inspect the water conditions in Mengzhou.
Huatong Prefecture, Luoyang, and Hejin Prefecture, Jiangzhou Prefecture, and Yu River on the north bank are surrounded by mountains such as Huashan Mountain, Mang Mountain, Songshan Mountain, Xiangshan Mountain, and Lishan Mountain. No matter how big the water is in summer and autumn, it is difficult to damage both sides of the river.
, the water conservancy projects in Luoyang are mainly to prevent and control floods in the Yiluo River.
Even within Xingyang Prefecture, most areas are on high ground, so there is no fear of flooding from the Yu River.
However, from Xingyang and Mengzhou to the east and into the plain areas, the flooding in the Yu River becomes serious.
The more critical point is that to the west of Xingyang, the Yu River is surrounded by mountains, with fast water flow, little sedimentation, and no siltation on the river bed. However, heading east of Xingyang and entering the plain area, the river channel widens several times and the water flow suddenly slows down.
A large amount of sediment was carried down from the upstream and settled.
The result of three to four hundred years of siltation is that the middle and lower reaches of the Yu River have become a semi-suspended river, and the embankments on both sides are getting higher and higher.
However, at that time, all embankments were made of mud. Except for floods in summer and autumn, the Yu River also had flood seasons in cold winter and early spring. If you were not careful, floods or ice would break through the embankments and invade the fields and houses on both sides.
Floods occur almost every year, and are more serious than those along the Yangtze River and Huaihe River.
Han Qian asked the newly established Yongzhou Province to pay attention to the forest, grass and water and soil conservation on both sides of the Wei River. However, how to manage the riverbed downstream that has been raised by muddy water sedimentation is a difficult problem.
The reason is very simple, and has been summarized by later generations, mainly focusing on the eight characters of "containing water to attack sand, diversion of floods and siltation".
However, along both sides of the Yu River, how to build strong narrow embankments that can trap the water and make it turbulent, as well as leaving buffer zones for flood discharge and diversion at necessary places on both sides, is a complex systematic project.
For this reason, Han Qian set up the Yuhedu Water Supervision Bureau directly under the You Neishi Mansion last year to study the issue of controlling floods in the Yuhe River. At this time, he planned to set up a special government office in Mengzhou and start preparing some work now.
, instead of waiting until the Hehuai area is completely recovered before considering these.
"Most of the people in Mengzhou are the people of Daliang. They were invaded by rebels and barbarians before and had a hard time living. The Water Supervision Office concentrated on eradicating the floods in Mengzhou. Not only did the local money and food increase, but the people also benefited from it.
Then, I will return to my heart..."
Han Donghu is also the envoy of Mengzhou Prefecture, but his main focus is on military defense. If the war in southern Shanxi ends successfully, he will inevitably be transferred from Mengzhou.
Han Qian's words were mainly intended for the attention of the Capital Water Supervisor, Anji Xiang, Gu Mingfu and other local officials.
At this time, an official ship moored at the Nanguan River Pier. Han Donghu looked over and said, "It should be Mr. Feng Yi, accompanying the Shu envoy Cao Qian."
"Then let's go to Nanguan River Bridge and wait for them to come." Han Qian said.
The Nanguan River Bridge was originally a pontoon bridge. Li Xiuchi came to Yuanqu's aid and took the Nanguan River Bridge to move westward through the southern area of Mengzhou. At this time, near the pontoon bridge, an iron bridge over a hundred steps long was being erected...
After the iron bridge was completed, there was a post road for heavy-loaded carriages to the east leading to Weihuai and other places. Along the east bank of the Nanguan River, one could also take the land route to Qinyang, and then directly deliver combat supplies to the south entrance of Taihang County.
Iron bridges use concrete pillars as bridge piles. The current bridge is based on the standard of heavy-duty horse bridge running in both directions. It is eight paces wide. From the perspective of later generations, it is extremely narrow, but in the current world, it was considered a large-scale project.
What's more, Daliang currently builds dozens of such iron beam bridges every year, and the national strength reflected is even more jaw-dropping.
Accompanied by Feng Yi, Cao Gan got off the boat and transferred to a carriage, traveling north along the dirt road on the west bank of the Nanguan River for six or seven miles, and rushed to the Nanguan River Bridge to meet Han Qian.
After Zhao Mengji returned to Luoyang, Han Qian sent Chen Zhiyong and Wang Zhi to Chengdu to meet Wang Yong on behalf of Daliang in March, telling the generals and military attachés that some of them wanted to return to Shu and settle there. Han Qian also hoped to send some of them to Shu.
The families of generals and military attachés moved to Mengzhou and settled in Luoyang to naturalize people's hearts.
Wang Yong treated Chen Zhiyong and Wang Zhi very politely and had no intention of quarreling with each other, but he ignored Han Qian's request.
Chen Zhiyong and Wang Zhi stayed in Chengdu Prefecture for a month and then rushed directly to Xuzhou to replace Qiao Weiyan whose term had expired. Zhang Guangdeng served as the governor of Xuzhou Prefecture and the military commander. The relationship between Daliang and Shu barely maintained the status quo.
But it was not Wang Yong, Cao Gan, Jing Qiongwen and other close officials who were so resolute. The essence was that in the face of the Liang army's successive victories on the northern front, the internal generals of Shu had great differences in the relationship between Liang and Shu.
After all, between countries, interests come first, and the most important thing is that no one can take advantage of the other, which is the basis for maintaining the alliance between the two countries. In other words, even the weak must have the confidence and strength to make the other party surrender.
No one would think that the Liang-Shu alliance could be maintained forever without deterioration.
In the battle of Zhiguanxing, the news that the Liang army had severely damaged the Mongolian army reached Chengdu, and it was unimaginable that the Shu monarchs and ministers were frightened.
Of course Wang Yong, Cao Gan, Jing Qiongwen and others knew that the Tangyi army under Han Qian's rule was extremely powerful, but the situation in Heluo was so clumsy and surrounded by enemies on three sides. Han Qian went to Luoyang to succeed the leader of the Liang Kingdom, and took over.
The remaining land and the remaining soldiers, not to mention the integration of the two armies is by no means easy, and the mutual suspicion is the most difficult to resolve.
They originally thought that even if Han Qian could barely hold on to Heluo, he would have to struggle to do so. It might take ten to twenty years before he had a chance to slightly change the situation.
At that time, Shu State did not hesitate to choose to send more troops to Yuzhou to threaten the western flank of Chu State. It also readily agreed with Liang State to purchase grain from northern Sichuan and transport it to Liangzhou to help Liangzhou soldiers and people survive the famine. At that time, they were worried that
Han Qian could not hold on in Heluo, causing Heluo and Hanzhong to fall to the Mongolian army, and then Shu would be trampled by the Mongolian cavalry.
They never expected that Han Qian not only defended Heluo, not only successfully completed the integration of the two armies, but also successfully used a group of old ministers and generals left by Zhu Yu under his command, and even won great victories one after another.
They did not expect that the Mongolian army would be so vulnerable.
After the Battle of Zhi Guanxing, it seemed that the newly added territory of the Liang Kingdom did not have a very large population. However, Wang Yong and Cao Qian knew in their hearts that the balance of power between Liang and Shu had actually changed greatly, and the balance had completely tilted towards the Liang Kingdom.
.
Of course, even if Shen Yang secretly sent his private officer Xue Ruogu to Chengdu to meet Wang Yong, Cao Qian and others, he hoped to join forces with the Shu State to interrupt the business contacts with the Liang State and interrupt the Liang State's continued dumping of goods from Chu to Shu.
The two countries suck blood.
Even though Wang Yong, Cao Qian and others were increasingly wary of the increasingly powerful Liang State, when it came to directly tearing up the alliance, they also knew how risky it was.
With the help of Han Qian's strategy, Wang Xiaoxian and Zhao Mengji blocked 70,000 elite Shu troops in Guanzhong. Wang Yong successfully launched a defeat and then secured his position as the leader of Shu. In recent years, he also recruited brave men and established 120,000 new forbidden troops.
Stationed everywhere.
However, they knew in their hearts that among the newly formed 120,000 Shu Imperial Army, not to mention ordinary soldiers, from senior generals to middle- and lower-level generals, there were very few who had experienced the severe test of bloody wars.
Almost all of the old generals and soldiers brought out by the Supreme King when he established the Shu Kingdom were in the armies of Wang Xiaoxian and Zhao Mengji.
Especially when Li Zhigao led his troops into Cheng and Wu states, Liang Jun had four roads bordering Shu. Under such circumstances, how courageous did Wang Yong and Cao Gan have to be before they could decide to turn against Liang?
Before Chu State set an example, they could only maintain closer contact with Chu State secretly, while maintaining a higher degree of vigilance against Xuzhou and Liangzhou.
Naturally, Wang Yong, Cao Gan and others would not agree to the return of Shu generals and soldiers. Who knows how many nails Han Qian would plant to infiltrate Shu?
They would not even do it if they gave away the families of Shu generals and soldiers to the Liang State for nothing to strengthen the Liang State.
If there is a further change in the situation, it is that after Zhao Mengji returned to the Liang Kingdom, Han Qian sent Li Zhigao, Feng Xuan, Kong Xirong, and Jing Zhen to recapture Guanzhong in less than three months...