"Lu Siye, write a notice to calm the people." On April 12, Shao Shude personally led more than 8,000 people from the Tielin Army to Wenchi County. Except for Chen Cheng, the judge of the Tielin Army, the only scribes accompanying the army were the newly arrived Jie.
Lu Siye, the secretary of Duzhang.
Generally speaking, the deputy envoy of Jiedu is the chief staff of the commander-in-chief of the feudal town. This kind of deputy envoy is different from ordinary literati. He needs to learn a lot of military knowledge, but after searching the four states, there is no one who meets the requirements.
, so it can only be left empty, which is quite a pity.
Lu Siye was a Jinshi, and he grew up reading all the sages and sages. After being recommended by the Hezhong Feng family to the shogunate of the Dingnan Army, he also took the time to make up some military skills, but the time was still short and no results could be seen.
Shao Shude saw his efforts in his eyes, but if he couldn't do it, he just couldn't do it. His ability was enough to be the secretary of Jieduzhang, but he was not qualified to be the deputy envoy of Jiedu and the marching commander. And these two positions have always been.
They are the two most powerful positions in the shogunate.
"Write it plainly so that people can understand it." Shao Shude ordered again.
"I will obey the Commander-in-Chief's order." Lu Siye is a scholar in his thirties. He is not tall but has a good temperament. Perhaps the wandering life in recent years has smoothed his edges and corners, and he does not look like an ordinary person.
The noble Jinshi of Qing Dynasty was so proud. After sitting down, he wrote the notice in just a moment.
"Commander." Lu Siye handed the written manuscript to Shao Shude.
Shao Shude took it and looked at it, and saw that it read: "The commander-in-chief hereby tells you to live in peace and live in peace, and the market is not allowed to stop. If the soldiers plunder the people, they will all be killed!"
"Okay, the writing is good, straightforward and easy to understand. Seal it and post it." Shao Shude ordered.
Several low-level officials under Lu Siye came forward and transcribed multiple copies respectively, then handed them over to be sealed and posted everywhere in the city.
Everyone knew before setting off that this Western Expedition was going to be not only a military battle, but also a political battle.
After Han Lang and Kang Yuancheng attacked and killed Li Yuanli, the commander of the festival, they allowed the sergeants to plunder and committed many crimes. Since Marshal Shao was appointed as the envoy to the east camp, he would naturally carry out "condemning the people and crusading against crime", "eliminating violence and bringing order to the good", etc.
The big flag wins people's hearts.
And the banners he raised are quite convincing to be honest. At least in the four Dingnan states, the people live and work in peace and contentment, taxes are light, and life is slowly getting better. At the same time, they have also accepted many refugees from inland states and counties who cannot survive.
He went to Yinzhou to cultivate fields. Compared with the towns in Guandong that were violently conquered, and compared with the soldiers and horses of Shatuo who looted the people, Marshal Shao was simply a saint!
Although Wenchi County was captured in less than a day, that was because they had few troops and the Dingnan Army did not give them enough preparation time. As far as the process was concerned, the fighting was actually quite fierce, and the defenders tried their best.
But it was precisely because of this that he was very unhappy. The warriors of these days relied on kindness and interests to each other. They had big trees with deep roots and layers of relationships. He had never heard of Han Lang, Shuofang in the late Tang Dynasty.
Jiedu made a group of people named Han, and they must be related to each other. It can be seen that Han Lang's success was not a fluke.
Han's network in Lingzhou should not be underestimated!
"How is the transportation of grain and grass going?" After walking around the room, Shao Shude sat down again and asked.
"Commander, most of them have been transferred to Yanzhou. Sui, Yin, and Xiazhou are still transporting supplies to Youzhou." Li Yanling replied.
Youzhou is now the transportation hub for money, food and equipment of the Dingnan Army. The arms, money and silk from Suizhou, the millet and wheat from Yinzhou, and the cattle and sheep equipment from Xiazhou all need to be transported to Youzhou for storage. Wu Lian, the marching commander of the shogunate,
The officials and assistants who led the Sicang, camped the fields, and supported the various Cao si were almost permanently stationed there. Tens of thousands of fathers and wives were mobilized in the three states, and nearly 10,000 Dangxiang troops from Pingxia Party Department were dispatched, including carts, pack horses, and camels.
They all go into battle and are transported hundreds of miles to the general grain station in Youzhou, and the cycle repeats.
As for Youzhou, they initially collected thousands of party items, but later found that they were not enough and did not hide them. The Yeli Second Department mobilized a large number of strong men and women to go down the mountain to help transport supplies to Yanzhou.
When we arrived in Yanzhou, there were still a lot of troubles. The main force on the South Road and the partial division on the North Road both needed a large number of masters to engage in transportation support. For this reason, the Yanzhou Party Xiang was mobilized again, and Wu Zang even mobilized the Dongshan Party Xiang Faction who had recently voted there.
People came down the mountain to help transport food and equipment.
Shao Shude was grateful to Ye Li Jingchen and Bu Zang Qingxiang, as he owed them too many favors. By the way, Wei Cai Sudu was also very wise. Not only did he send Wei Mengbao to bring a large number of troops to help in the battle, but also
A lot of cattle and sheep were donated as supplies for the army. The cattle and sheep could walk on their own, and they could be driven with only a few manpower, which greatly reduced the consumption of military rations.
The Dingnan Army is basically a grassland now. The mixed logistics model of the Han army also transports grains forward. There are also herdsmen driving countless cattle and sheep with the army. Many sergeants even eat dairy products. Anyway, the logistics is a bit messy, and they are basically caught.
Eat whatever you want.
After conquering Lingzhou, I have to discuss it carefully with the shogunate officials. The current logistics supply model is okay and can continue to operate, but it seems that there are still parts that can be optimized.
In addition, he originally wanted to build a warehouse city in Youzhou, but unfortunately he was short of time and failed to do it. As a result, he did not expect that the situation in Lingzhou changed so quickly, and it caught him off guard. This was a mistake.
However, after Lingzhou was captured, there was no rush to build the Cangcheng in Youzhou. The most urgent thing was to build the Cangcheng in Yanzhou. This location is too critical. Going south, you can go to Huizhou, which is controlled by the Tubo tribe, or to Xingning.
, you can go to Hetao in the north, reinforce Lingzhou in the west, and support Xiazhou in the east. It is located in a strategic location, so you must build a large-scale warehouse city and send generals to guard it.
After the Yanzhou Cangcheng is built, the original Cangcheng in Xiazhou can be expanded, and a new one can be built outside the city. On the Yinzhou side, it is best to build a new Cangcheng. Once troops are used against the north, Yinzhou Cangcheng will provide them.
supply.
These logistics depot systems must be improved one by one.
In fact, Chen Cheng and others had previously proposed that after conquering Lingzhou, they could move the shogunate there because the agricultural conditions there were so good that they could be connected to the south of the Yangtze River. But Shao Shude rejected it because Sui and Yinzhou had more registered households, so he
The granary and money bag, Pingxia Dangxiang, and Hengshan Dangxiang are also indispensable parts of his rule. If you go to Lingzhou, it is very inconvenient to communicate with the east. Only Xiazhou is in the center of Suiyin and Lingyan.
, just taking care of both ends.
"It's 160 miles from Yanzhou to Wenchi County, and 140 miles from Wenchi County to Lingzhou. Long-distance transportation is very hard for soldiers and people." Shao Shude said: "Let's wait in Wenchi first and see Han Lang in Lingzhou. Will you come over?"
Among the six counties of Lingzhou, Mingsha and Wenchi are isolated and far apart. Huaiyuan, Baojing, and Lingwu are all to the west of the river. There is Huile County to the east of the river, which is Lingzhou City. The army led by Zhe Siyu The partial division has moved to Hexi, so it should not be a big problem to capture those prefectures and counties. What will Han Lang do? Sit back and watch the partial division move in his rear area, or send troops to encircle and suppress it?
This is a dilemma. After all, there are few soldiers and there are internal problems.
Use the more to attack the less, and use the strong to attack the weak. This is Marshal Shao's art of war.
If the enemy has many soldiers and high quality, then this battle should be avoided as much as possible. Or try to weaken the enemy's strength and lower their morale, and at the same time adjust your own state to the best before fighting.
Taking risks while marching troops will make a battle ups and downs and soul-stirring. Even if you win in the end, this kind of battle is not in line with Marshal Shao's philosophy. It is irresponsible to yourself and others.
Before Shao traveled through time, he also thought that ancient battles were very exciting and exciting. But after serving in the army for so many years, he discovered that 99 out of 100 battles were very boring and looked ordinary. As long as there are some bright spots, they are worth it. Literary men write great books, but how could it happen to you by such a coincidence?
This time we are attacking Lingzhou, using 30,000 troops with high morale to defeat 10,000 rebels who are hesitant, lack money and food, and have low morale. They are clearly bullying you and pushing back. What can you do?
"An order was given for Ye Liyu to lead Yi's army forward and advance toward Lingzhou. They could only travel twenty miles in one day and not move too fast. The Wuwei army led by Lu Huaizhong marched forward to thirty miles west of Wenchi and prepared to attack Mingming. Sha. The general's army was ordered to speed up its operations and escort grain, grass and equipment to Wenchi. Tielin's army stayed at Wenchi for two days, waiting for grain and grass. In addition, Tielin's and Wuwei's armies, all four thousand cavalrymen, moved out to search and advance. When encountering enemy scouts or messengers, immediately surround and kill them. When Ruyi joins the army, the Wuwei army will quickly provide support when encountering the police, and must stay behind when attacking the enemy." A series of orders were quickly issued, and the troops were stationed within dozens of miles of Wenchi. The more than 10,000 troops within the range immediately took action.
In April and May, the spring grains had just been planted, and last year's grain reserves had been almost used up. He didn't believe that Han Lang could survive in the turtle shell.
******
In the pouring rain, more than 7,000 soldiers reached the river bank with difficulty.
Kang Yuancheng wiped the rain off his face and looked at the dark sky, silent.
Shao Shude guessed right, Lingzhou was short of food, but they still did not dare to take the initiative to attack. The Dingnan Army was really famous in the northwest. They attacked Huangchao in Guanzhong and won many battles. After returning to Xiazhou, they expedition to the north and conquered the west. state, and also subdued several powerful party clans through political marriages and other means, and the momentum was huge.
Moreover, there were more than 30,000 of them, and they seemed to be quite capable of fighting. Han and Kang could not help but be careless.
"General Tuoba, you said that Shao thieves are not good at employing troops in deceitful ways, and they like to raise upright soldiers. Now that Wenchi has fallen, they will definitely lead the army to Kushui River. Is this true?" Kang Yuancheng ordered the sergeant to build an awning. After hiding inside, he looked at Tuoba Sigong who was following him and asked.
Tuoba Sigong borrowed 2,000 infantry from Hexi Party Xiang Pochou to come to the rescue, which gave him some weight to speak. At this time, when Kang Yuancheng asked, he immediately replied: "Kang will know the good teacher, Shao Thief."
He likes to use cavalry. Every time he goes to a place, he will send out cavalry to search and kill scouts and messengers. The cavalry team will raid the countryside and exhaust the enemy because of the food. When he is sitting in the sleepy city, lack of food and clothing, the soldiers and their families will be captured.
When complaints abound, lead your elite infantry forward and fight to the death."
"This thief is very ruthless in his military tactics." Kang Yuancheng sighed: "Fortunately, General Tuoba, the counselor, was able to understand Shao's treacherous plan."
Tuoba Sigong smiled bitterly, what's the use of insight? Shao Thief has too many cavalry, and his tactics are also very weird. It's not like the usual tactics of the Tang Dynasty cavalry, nor is it like the Dangxiang people's tactics. It's quite a bit of the essence of the Khitan cavalry.
.
A large number of cavalry will disperse and form groups to loot the countryside, cut off your supplies, and kill your scouts and messengers. Who can withstand this?
That’s not to say that it can’t be cracked, at least Tuoba Sigong came up with a way. Strengthen the walls and clear the fields, collect all the food in the city, and destroy the pastures at the same time. The consumption of the large group of cavalry is very alarming, if there is no way to resupply on the spot.
, it would be impossible to penetrate deep into enemy territory and loot.
But if you only achieve this level, it is still not enough, because they have baggage troops to transport food and fodder, which can replenish the cavalry. Therefore, you also need to send elite cavalry to attack their supply lines. Only with this two-pronged approach can it be possible to curb the Shao thieves' cavalry tactics.
Unfortunately, Lingzhou does not have such conditions.
Although it was raining heavily, the soldiers of Lingzhou still built the walled city in the rain under the pressure of the officers.
They chose a good location, not far from the city, and facing the most suitable crossing of the Kushui River. It not only blocks the river, but also forms a horn with the city. At the same time, there are 1,500 cavalry patrolling the river bank at any time.
It is indeed a very safe approach to find the troops in trouble crossing the river and immediately attack them halfway across the river.
Han Lang and Kang Yuancheng have only one strategy now, and that is to delay. Although Lingzhou is short of food, they also hope that the disaster-defeating army with a long supply line will be short of food. As long as it is not a big defeat in a short time, after a period of stalemate, maybe
Did the Shao thieves retreat when they ran out of food?
There is no other choice but to take a gamble.
The sound of horse hooves suddenly sounded in the distance. It was raining heavily and the grass was soft, but the knight was still running so fast. There must be something urgent!
"General, this is the Lingzhou messenger." Several soldiers came forward, took the urgent message from the messenger, and handed it to Kang Yuancheng.
Kang Yuancheng opened it and took a look, his face suddenly darkened, and he said: "Shao has sent his cavalry to cross the river in a detour to the north. The Dingyuan army has surrendered, and most of Huaiyuan County cannot be saved. Now our army is attacked from both sides."
Tuoba Sigong's expression also changed when he heard this. By detouring to the north, there was still a large group of cavalry, so the Hexi Party Xiang Po Chou Department and Mi Qin Department would be under greater pressure. Would they not dare to send more troops? Or maybe they would send more troops.
The men and horses were attacked and killed by Shao's cavalry?
After Han Liuli, he had just used his position as the governor of Yanzhou to win over the Po Chou family, and he had used his position as Hexi Dang Xiang's military envoy to win over the Mi Qin family. The situation had improved slightly, but this happened.
?
"General Kangdu, you must not disrupt your position at this time, nor let the soldiers know this news." Tuoba Si respectfully admonished: "After stabilizing the camp, wait quietly for Shao's thieves to come to delay the change."
Kang Yuancheng nodded in approval. He dragged the Shao thieves until they retreated. Then he might have a chance to pursue them and turn defeat into victory. He might even chase them all the way to Yanzhou and regain the salt pond, so that the Shao thieves would no longer dare to look westward.
The weak side can only do this. I hope Han Liu will be able to deal with the cavalry of the Dingnan Army that broke into Hexi. If they are allowed to wander around, they will indeed be a huge threat.