For the fastest update, the Commander-in-Chief of the Southern Conquest Army is Li Guobao, Commander-in-Chief of the Third Group Army. He is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Southwest Military Region. This time Wan Lei personally ordered the troops to enter Annan because he has been proficient in mountain warfare for several years in the Southwest and is the commander-in-chief of the expedition. Annan's perfect choice
As the commander-in-chief of the Third Army, Li Guobao was the third veteran of the Peking Army, second only to Zhou Tianshou and Zhao Quanjie. He was originally in charge of the Huguang and Sichuan areas. When the Peking Army marched into Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan, he was appointed to serve as the commander of the Southwest Military Region. And Guangdong and Guangxi have an absolute strength of 150,000 troops, a great history of feudal frontiers
Different from Zhou Tianshou and Zhao Quanjie, Li Guobao was promoted by Wan Lei later. His personal prestige in the army was far inferior to that of Zhou Tianshou and Zhao Quanjie, who were surrounded by old troops. However, Li Guobao was also very sensible and thought-provoking. He was a good commander and led good soldiers without forming cliques. Forming factions and not competing with many people in politics
What Wan Lei appreciates the most is not forming cliques. This is the reason why Wan Lei trusts him to entrust a large military region to him. You must know that not only the administrative system of the Peking Army is also full of gangs, Wan Lei coordinates with many parties to maintain unity. Wan Lei also knew that if he retreated, this united situation would be broken. In order to prevent it from falling apart, he had to support centrists like Li Guobao who did not form cliques. People like him were there to support the situation. Don’t dare to go too far when fighting
It was precisely out of the original intention of supporting the centrists that Wan Lei personally selected Li Guobao's generals and asked him to go to the battlefield to make more achievements, accumulate more prestige, and gain more say in order to form a checking and balancing force. Wan Lei also made a private promise to Li Guobao. After he retired from the front line, the position of chief of general staff was left to him, and he was also appointed as the dean of the Peking Military Academy.
In fact, although the major military regions in the Peiping Army have great autonomy, they are still under the direct leadership of the Central Military Commission. The commanders of each major military regions are also deputy positions of the Central Military Commission. The Chairman of the Central Military Commission is generally held concurrently by the President, and there are subordinates under the Central Military Commission. There are three major departments: the General Staff Logistics Department and the Military and Legal Affairs Department
Among the three major departments of the Military Commission, the Staff Department is an agency that directly implements the orders and instructions of the Military Commission. It is responsible for collecting and providing intelligence, formulating and organizing the implementation of strategic campaign plans and mobilization plans, commanding and deploying, and coordinating the various services, military regions, theaters and various armed organizations. combat operations
All in all, the General Staff is the military executive organ. The Chief of Staff has great power and is at the same level as the commanders of the major military regions. However, the Chief of Staff is also the "spokesperson" of the Chairman of the Military Commission and can often issue orders to the commanders of the major military regions. The major military regions generally do not dare to disobey orders. disobey
We must know that under the premise of nationalizing the military, the real power of the Central Military Commission is still great. If you defy the Military Commission, you will not end well. Even if those elders want to form gangs, they only recruit some old officers to strengthen their own momentum and dare not call the army privately. Come to fight for power, let alone separatism.
Firstly, they cannot mobilize the army; secondly, to mobilize the army privately without going through the Military Commission is treason. All the elders have come out of the sword and blood, and they know the stakes well. Even the president of the Ming Dynasty can play cripples. No one who knows himself dares to play with fire
In addition to the nationalization of the army, the modernization of the army is also an issue that Wan Lei focuses on. The Logistics and Equipment Department has been developing new equipment, and the Staff Department has also been innovating in strategies and tactics to improve the overall combat capabilities of the Peiping Army. This time, the Southern Army used Annan Kingdom to grind it. Knife and Stone are also testing the technological and tactical innovations of the past few years.
In order to observe the combat process at close range, Wan Lei left Peiping as early as mid-March and made a special trip to Nanning, Guangxi to sit down. He even set up several telegraph lines directly to the front line to report the war process as soon as possible. Of course, Wan Lei only read the battle reports. Not interfering with the command authority of frontline generals and even trying to create maximum convenience for frontline soldiers in terms of logistics
Without any constraints from above, Li Guobao could naturally go ahead and start the expedition in April. The vanguard of the Southern Army completed the strategic siege of Thang Long City. Li Guobao also followed up with follow-up troops. A total of more than 70,000 troops were hoarded in the company camp outside Thang Long City. It looks spectacular for miles.
The Southern Army of Thang Long City was sent out to plunder and loot everywhere. It seemed very cruel, but none of the countries in Southeast Asia dared to say anything. They had a look on their faces. The rabbit was dead and the fox was sad, but in his heart, he was secretly glad because Annan Country had become an epidemic area, which was a scourge to them. The Zhengnan Army had cleaned up all those scourges. They were also secretly relieved that they no longer had to worry about the spread of the plague.
The conquering army was carrying out the two-guang policy outside the city. King Chen Jikuo of Annam was also actively preparing for war. At this time, the soldiers and civilians of Thang Long City had just recovered from the plague. Although tens of thousands of people died, there were still hundreds of thousands alive. Even though my face is covered with pimples and scars, I don't look like a human or a ghost, but I can still go into battle if I pull it out and practice.
Not only did Chen Jikuan think this way, but he also did this. The entire Sheng Long City, regardless of men, women, old and children, was forcibly recruited into the army as long as they were still alive. Regardless of whether they had combat effectiveness or not, as long as they could fill up the number. Of course, he himself also knew that he relied on these temporary recruits. The patient cannot win the battle. He has drawn out the strong men and is busy training them into elephant soldiers as weapons for victory.
Chen Jikuo's actions of training troops and preparing for war naturally could not escape Li Guobao's eyes. However, Li Guobao was not in a hurry at all. He still stationed troops outside the city and sent people to persuade him to surrender every day. He had no plans to attack the city, as if he was waiting for something.
Of course, the target of persuasion to surrender was the Annan people in Thang Long City, not the king of Annan Kingdom. They even very "fairly" marked King Annam and his subordinates with two different prices: capture alive or kill. At that time, the common people in the city were The eyes he looked at the government didn't look right. If it weren't for the brutal suppression in the city, Sheng Long City would have been in chaos.
In general, Chen Jikuan was in a very passive situation. On the ninth day of April, he could no longer bear it anymore and took the initiative to open the North City Gate and send troops out of the city to fight. He himself also draped himself at the top of the city to supervise the battle. For this battle, he sent his most reliable elephant soldiers. When we come out, it looks like we are really going to die.
The defenders marched out of the city in a mighty manner. At the base camp of the Conquering South Army not far away, Li Guobao couldn't help but tilt his mouth slightly upward because this was what he had been waiting for for so many days.
"Send orders to all ministries to act according to the predetermined plan."