On November 25, the third year of Qianning (896), Langshan County in Caizhou was captured after three days of resistance.
The Wei Sheng army swarmed in and killed all the county officials as a warning to others.
The massive eastward advance of Wei Sheng's army was actually expected by Liang Jun. But the trick is that even though he expected it, he was unable to make any response.
There was only Caizhou left in Fengguo Town, and the Yamen army was completely lost in last year's war. Zhang Quanyi gathered the defeated troops and recruited some new people, bringing the size to more than 5,000. Then he waited for the troops sent from Bianzhou The equipment and materials were hastily trained for less than a year, and the combat effectiveness was very limited.
These 5,000 yamen troops, together with the state and county soldiers, totaling more than 8,000 people, can only defend the three cities of Ruyang and the surrounding areas. There is no spare power to support other places, and Zhang Quanyi is not so courageous.
The six or seven thousand men from the Zhongwu Army Yang Shihou's department were really helping to defend Caizhou. However, he was recently transferred to Shangcai. The first unit of the pursuit Feilong Army was actually transferred here, and he was also very alert and simply refused to stop. Move, lest you be defeated on the march.
Therefore, the Liang people did not have a so-called defense line in Caizhou. They had few troops and could be easily attacked. If the Xia army did not launch a large-scale attack, it would be okay. Once the main force attacked, they would basically end up with a weak left and right.
Can you say that Pang Shigu didn’t know soldiers? No. In fact, he knew very well where the loopholes were, but he only had so many troops and a huge area to defend. What did you ask him to do? And Xia Jun was not like what he had encountered before. In fact, other opponents are very mobile. If they can defeat them, they will fight. If they cannot defeat them, they will withdraw. They will not give you the chance to pursue, encircle, and annihilate them.
The Feilong Army has been jumping up and down in Caizhou for so long. When forced, they retreated to Shen, south of the Huaihe River. They took shelter for a while and then came back after the limelight passed. Recently, they severely damaged Dai Siyuan, and their reputation was shaken. What can you do?
In fact, the most appropriate way is to resist at different levels. From Yingshui to Xuzhou, deploy a large number of state and county soldiers, Tu Tuan villagers and Yamen troops with weak combat effectiveness to guard the cities and forts. Place the elite troops at the back and wait for the Xia army. When they came to kill, Dun's troops were unable to attack for a long time under the fortified city, and then suddenly launched an attack, attacking from inside and outside, and defeated the Xia army.
But this strategy is difficult because the Xia army's fighting style is very different from that of ordinary armies. They like to send out a large number of highly mobile cavalry and mounted infantry to attack you deep in the rear, leaving your front line without food, arrows, or soup. There is nothing to treat the sick, and there is nothing to cover the wounds. And once they find that the city is difficult to break, they may not force it, but move all the people away, leaving no chickens or dogs behind. Anyway, Henan Prefecture and Ruzhou have large areas of white land waiting for people to fill it. , what can you do?
Furthermore, under the current situation, Xuzhou cannot retreat any longer.
You can't just think about the problem from the military perspective, you have to think more from the perspective of people's hearts. If you retreat again and again, what if Chen and Xu Erzhou surrender directly? This is not just a military war, but also a political war.
"Langshan County, I came here once before, but was beaten away by Ding Hui." After Da Ma Jin Dao sat down, Zhe Zongben didn't feel embarrassed at all and said with a smile.
The generals laughed and didn't take it seriously.
This is what it is like to be in a rising group. A temporary failure or setback cannot dampen their confidence. They always look positively at the future and believe that greater victories are still waiting for them to create.
"Now that I'm here again, who will drive me back?" Zhe Zongben snorted softly and said: "Sooner or later, the account with Ding Hui will be settled. In these years, he has invaded Tang Dengsui several times and killed me.
Sergeant, plunder our people. We only came back after collecting some interest during the battle in Ruzhou in the first half of the year. It's still early."
Everyone agreed.
Since breaking into Shannan East Road, defeating Zhao Kuangning, and leaving Tangzhou, they have been fighting with the Liang people for years. Not only did the children of the Zhe family lose a lot of soldiers, but also many of the serious children of the Zhe family died in the battle. Now Wei Sheng
The army has expanded to more than 30,000 people, many of whom are experienced Liang people who have surrendered, and their quality has steadily improved. This expedition brought a full 20,000 infantry and 3,000 cavalry. It can be said that the main force was used, and everyone was embracing
I came with the intention of doing something big.
The Huaining army has 22,000 troops, and Zhe Silun has 14,000 in his hands. This time, five or six thousand troops can be sent north. Chen Su, the governor of Shenzhou, will also lead 2,000 troops to cooperate.
In addition to the Feilong Army's more than 10,000 troops, the total strength is more than 40,000. If we recruit some local peasants, the strength will be even larger.
As the commander of the Tangzhou camp, Zhe Zongben was determined to fight a good battle in the Huai River area.
…
"Hurry! Don't delay, soldiers are valuable and quick!" Outside Baigou City, Chen Su, the governor of Shenzhou, led 2,000 Huaining troops and 2,000 native Tuan soldiers to march north towards Zhenyang County.
Not far to the east of them, Cui Hongzheng was marching rapidly with 4,000 Huaining troops and 3,000 native Tuan folk. They set out from Xinxi County and moved in the direction of Baoxin and Xincai.
"Cui Hong, a man who has surrendered, can run so fast and is so eager to perform meritorious deeds!" Chen Su was riding the sacred war horse given to him by Shao Shude. He was cursing, but he was muttering in his heart. Cui Hongtai was also active. Could it be that he also surrendered?
King of Xia?
In the four states in Huaixi, Jiedu envoy Zhe Si Lun governed Guangzhou and controlled Anzhou. Zhu Jing, the governor of Shouzhou, had five thousand soldiers, and Chen Su, the governor of Shenzhou, had three thousand soldiers. They were both Huaining troops in name, but they were different internally.
It's so big.
Huaixi is in ruins and cannot afford to support so many troops. Although it has been recuperating for a year and a half, it still cannot make ends meet. So far, it has relied on long-distance transportation of money and food from the three towns of Xiangyang, Jinzhou, and Ezhou, making the local people miserable. These money and food are not worth it at all.
There is no doubt that they are all under the control of Zhe Silun, so under the circumstances of relatively tight overall finances, the more than 20,000 Huaining troops will naturally be divided into distant and distant relatives.
Shenzhou and Shouzhou are not direct descendants of Zhe, so of course they cannot get abundant logistical supplies. However, the Huaixi Yamen still have plenty of money and food, and generally speaking, they are firmly in the hands of the Zhe family. But Cui Hong
As for the man, Chen Su's evaluation was that he had "bad intentions" and was "capricious". Could it be that he had abandoned the Zhe family and secretly defected to King Xia? Otherwise, why would he be working so hard?
"Your Majesty, General Qibi sent someone to report that Xuzhou Yamen General Yang Shihou has descended from Shangcai to the south and is heading towards Ruyang." A civil servant rushed up and reported.
"Ruyang?" Chen Su subconsciously felt nervous. Although there were many troops and horses attacking Cai this time, he was still a little afraid of Yang Shihou, worried that his little arms and legs would not be able to do it, and he would be punished.
"Send someone to inform General Cui that our two armies should advance together to avoid being defeated one by one." Chen Su found a messenger and asked him to immediately go east to find Cui Hong.
"Yes!" After receiving the order, the messenger headed eastward and finally found Cui Hong's headquarters at the foot of Baoxin County.
The unit took only one attack and captured the empty Baoxin County.
The people here had been relocated in batches. The population was sparse, the fields were barren, and it was located on the front line. Zhang Quanyi didn't pay much attention to it and prioritized the development of other places, so it was quickly captured.
"It took only a few days for the troops to be sent out. Three groups of troops came out to Langshan. I have defeated the praise, but I don't think Chen Su can take down Zhenyang." Cui Hongsu smiled after receiving the news.
In fact, there is another way to the east, that is, the two thousand people who went north from Guang and Shou, together with three thousand native Tuan villagers, crossed the Huai River and went north, entering Yingshang County.
If the Huaining Army had not been held back by Yang Xingmi, who held back a large number of soldiers and horses, it would not be a problem to send more than 10,000 main troops to the north this time, but what!
However, there is a way to fight with more soldiers, and there is a strategy with fewer soldiers. Li Tangbin temporarily handed over the command of more than 10,000 Qi Binzhang's troops to Zhe Zongben, and Zhe Zongben ordered Qi Bizhang to serve as Huaicai
You Yi, the attack envoy, cooperated with the Huaining army in fighting.
At this point, the intention is obvious. It is not to occupy the land, but to annihilate the effective strength of the Liang army.
…
On November 27, more than 10,000 riders from the left wing of the Feilong Army broke into Xiangcheng County in Chenzhou. After failing to attack the city, they looted the city and replenished the supplies of grain and grass and the horses, mules and donkeys that died along the way. The whole army also happened to have a rest.
Straighten things up.
"What a wealthy countryside." Qibizhang sat comfortably on the Hu bed, looking at the exquisite decorations in the house, and said: "Thousands of miles of fertile fields, crisscrossed by streams, once you pass Luo Ru, the terrain suddenly opens up, and it can be used as the treasure of the emperor.
."
Almost every household grows winter wheat, and there are many open spaces and pastures in the countryside. Similar to Caizhou next door, the custom of raising mules is very strong, but no one has such a large number.
When he first came to the Central Plains, Qi Bizhang couldn't understand that there were horses instead of horses, but mules. But during the two years of fighting behind enemy lines, he really realized that if they were just used for pack horses or riding, they could be used.
Using a mule instead consumes less energy and is not necessarily much slower.
Some people in the army were killed or left behind. A while ago in Cai, Chen added some more, and the number reached more than 12,700. Many of them were actually deserters from the Liang army with tattoos on their faces. It can be seen that under the general situation, some smart people have become keen.
I smelled something and started to change the door.
Don't think that the big-headed soldiers don't understand anything. In fact, most of the governors, governors, generals and military academies of each vassal town started from the small soldiers. They are not as ignorant as Tian Shefu. Many people know that the current situation does not seem to be good.
exactly.
Battle reports can lie, but battle lines cannot.
"I just received a military report from Guangzhou. Your Majesty sent people to raid the Uighur tent, captured and killed tens of thousands, and captured hundreds of thousands of miscellaneous animals." Qibizhang waved the ultimatum in his hand and sighed: "I myself
Living in Yinshan since childhood, you should know how difficult it is."
Many officers in the left wing of the Feilong Army were from the Qibi tribe, and they were very surprised when they heard this.
The grassland people know the grassland best, and the Uighur tents have been destroyed. What else can’t the King of Xia do? The most ruthless thing is that he probably didn’t use the soldiers and horses of the three major camps in Huaizhou, Luoyang, and Tangzhou.
This great achievement was accomplished solely by the newly formed troops or the recruited tribal soldiers from Guanbei. It was really unstoppable!
"From now on, the grasslands and the Central Plains should all belong to the King of Xia. He is the supreme emperor, Khan. I will serve under the King of Xia, and I will be lucky for the rest of my life." Qi Banzhang said: "There are people in the Huaining Army.
We have the news. We will set off tomorrow and go south along the Ying River. You must not slack off and must fight bravely. Maybe in the future, there will be fewer and fewer opportunities to gain fame and wealth."
"Yes." The generals responded loudly.
Qibizhang simply stated the facts, which had the effect of mobilizing before the war and strengthened the confidence of those who had been fighting abroad for a long time to continue fighting.
This is the general trend, and it can withstand tens of thousands of troops on the battlefield.
