Chen Qing's plan was indeed to attack from the north and south and block the main force of the Jin army on the two hundred-mile long closed valley road between Luojiao County and Qingquan County. This was also the main purpose of sending Niu Gao to guard Fushi County.
But when the news came that the Jin soldiers had captured Yichuan County in Danzhou, Chen Qing immediately realized that the most unlikely thing had happened. The Jin soldiers gave up the Luoshui Road and took the Wuren Trail instead. It was not unreasonable to take the Wuren Trail.
Okay, but what about their baggage and carts?
Chen Qing then sent someone to bring in Fu Lin, his army aide, for discussion. Fu Lin was a disciple recommended to Chen Qing by the old man Wei Zhan. He was from Bianliang Taixue. He studied arithmetic at Taixue and was good at astronomy, geography, and surveying. He was considered a professional.
However, Chen Qing needed such talents and appointed him as the doctor of Jingzhao Taixue in preparation. For this expedition, Chen Qing needed road surveying and surveying, so he took him with him as an aide.
Fu Lin was about thirty-five or sixteen years old, tall and thin, and quite shrewd. After hearing what Chen Qing said, he stroked his beard and said with a smile: "I have been to Wuren Road many times. It is a must-pass for business travelers. I have seen it with my own eyes."
Some people use mules to carry grain, just like the day before yesterday when the army passed through the Shenchuan Grand Canyon in the north of Tongguan County. The carts couldn't move in the narrow place, but didn't the camel team come over the same way?"
"You mean the other party doesn't use carts, but uses mules and donkeys to carry grain?"
"This is what humble duty means!"
Chen Qing pondered for a while and said: "Even if grain and grass can be transported by mules and donkeys, what about the siege baggage and other weapons and supplies?"
"A siege ladder can actually be used. I have seen a four-wheeled vehicle in the mountainous area. It is specially used to transport logs. The logs are tied to the four-wheeled vehicle. The narrow path can also pass through. Except for particularly large siege weapons,
Other smaller supplies can be transported by mules and horses. The Xuanfu envoy has never seen those merchants. In order to transport goods, there are any methods."
After a pause, Fu Lin said again: "Actually, there is another possibility."
"What's the possibility?"
"Another possibility is that all the baggage went to Pujin Pass by water, which facilitated the Jin soldiers to move lightly on the Luoshui Road. Once the Jin soldiers entered the pass, all kinds of baggage could be transported directly in from Pujin Pass.
Yet?"
Chen Qing nodded, this possibility is indeed possible.
At this time, the soldiers reported at the gate of the main tent, "I would like to report to the capital, the eagle letter sent from Tongguan County!"
"Send it up!"
The soldiers walked into the tent and presented a red eagle message tube. Chen Qing took a look and saw that it was urgent information sent by Niu Gao of Fushi County.
He hurriedly shook out a tube of Ying Xin, unfolded it and read Ying Xin. He sighed and said to Fu Lin, "It's exactly as Mr. said!"
The Jin soldiers entered Danzhou to seize Yichuan County in order to build a logistics supply center. The Jin soldiers' grain and grass supplies must have gone from Wuren Road to Yichuan County. From this, it can be judged that the main force of the Jin soldiers did not carry much grain, but only carried ten
Half a month's worth of dry food.
Without food support, the main force of the Jin army could not continue to stay in Luoshui Road. They should have also gone to Danzhou. After receiving food supplies, they returned to Luoshui Road from Danzhou.
This means that the main forces of the Song and Jin Dynasties are in Yanzhou, Fangzhou, and Danzhou, and a war is very likely to occur between these three states.
Both Yanzhou and Danzhou have loess plateau terrain, with undulating mountains and crisscrossing ravines. There are two official roads, one leads from Luojiao County to Yichuan County, and the other leads from Yichuan County to Fangfang County.
County in central part of the state.
In addition to the two official roads, there are more than a dozen small intestine trails, but these trails are very hidden and only locals are familiar with them.
The most important thing now is intelligence, and grasping the movements of Jin Bing is the top priority.
Chen Qing's army was still stationed in the central county in the north of Fangzhou and did not lead the army northward. He ordered the scout commander Tang Qian to send out fifty scout teams to find and track the movements of the main force of the Jin soldiers...
Scouts are Chen Qing's most valued army. The former commander of the scouts was Zhao Xiaoyi, but as the army expanded, Zhao Xiaoyi's ability was no longer up to the task. First of all, his illiteracy was his biggest weakness, so Chen Qing transferred him to the commander of the transport army.
Responsible for the transportation of the entire army.
The current scout commander is Tang Qian. He has made great achievements many times. Facts have proved that he is an extremely excellent scout leader.
Tang Qian personally led five groups of 100 scouts to rush eastward along the southern official road, which ran from the central county of Fangzhou to Yichuan County of Danzhou. This was also the reason why Chen Qing's main force could not go north. If
Moving further north, the main force of the Jin army will fight from the southern official road to the back of the Song army, and move southward to Guanzhong without any hindrance.
The official road in the south is about four hundred miles long, and each of the scouts is equipped with two horses, so they can complete the distance in two days.
At dusk, the scout team arrived near Fucheng County, Yanzhou, which was exactly halfway through the journey. Perhaps because it was close to the county seat, people began to gather on both sides of the official road, and occasionally the smoke from cooking stoves could be seen in the mountain col.
They were actually marching on a trail halfway up the mountain. At the foot of the mountain was a very wide valley, more than twenty miles wide. You could see large wheat fields and villages, as well as dense woods and rivers. The yellow-white official road was right next to the river.
Next to it, the following river meanders, and a county town is vaguely visible twenty miles away, which is Fucheng County.
"General, look!" a scout suddenly pointed at the official road in the distance at the foot of the mountain and shouted.
Tang Qian also saw it. There were about twenty people on horseback appearing on the official road in the distance. It was not clear who they were, but we could use the elimination method. The merchants were all mules and donkeys and could not ride horses. Other pedestrians and official officials would ride horses sporadically, but not
There will be more than 20 people, and the rest can only be the army, and the army except them is the golden soldiers.
"Intercept them!"
Tang Qian turned the horse's head and ran back. The other soldiers followed him and they went down the mountain from the other end.
This group of more than twenty cavalrymen was the Jinbing Sentinel Cavalry. They were ordered to go to Luoshui Road to explore the location of the Song Army's garrison. Unexpectedly, they were discovered by Song Army scouts on the way.
This cavalry was worried that there were Song Army spies in Fucheng County. Instead of entering the county, they walked around the county. More than ten miles away from the county, a forest appeared on the roadside in front. The centurion at the head shouted: "Go and rest in the woods!"
"
The cavalry urged their horses to rush into the woods. They were still more than twenty steps away from the woods. Suddenly, a large group of Song Army cavalry rushed out from the woods. They raised their crossbows and fired rapidly. They were all powerful divine arm crossbows. The Jurchen Ranger Cavalry dodged.
If they couldn't make it, they were all hit by arrows and fell off their horses.
In an instant, only ten of the twenty-four were left. They shouted and turned their horses to escape, but there was no chance. One hundred Song army scout cavalry surrounded them from all directions.
The ten ranger cavalry shouted loudly and ran wildly to break through, trying to carve out a bloody path. The Song army's cavalry faced them and stabbed them with dozens of short spears. The confrontation only lasted a moment, and all the remaining ten cavalry were stabbed by the Song army's sharp spears.
.
Tang Qian pointed his spear at two of the Jurchen cavalry who were pinned down by the horses and said: "These two are not dead, please catch them alive."
Twenty-two of the twenty-four sentry cavalry were killed, and only two were captured. Among them was the lieutenant of this cavalry. They were taken to the woods for interrogation.
Under the torture of the Song army, the younger Jurchen soldier finally couldn't bear to confess, and the Jurchen deputy centurion finally couldn't stand the torture and confessed honestly. After comparing the confessions of the two, they basically got a more authentic version.
's confession.
At present, 80,000 troops are still waiting for food in Yichuan County. Most of the people in Yichuan County have fled into the mountains. The food that was not taken away in time was confiscated by the Jin soldiers, and even livestock were slaughtered to use as food.
At present, Han Chang has not arrived at Wuren Pass. In his confession, Tang Qian discovered a flaw in the Jin soldiers, that is, the main force and the grain and grass are out of sync. The main force arrived first, but the grain and grass still have to go around the Qingshui River, the west bank of the Yellow River and the Wuren Trail.
Coming here, it was more than twice as far away, and the Jin soldiers had to force mules and donkeys to transport food. There was a time lag here.
Tang Qian immediately sent an eagle message to the central county, and he led a hundred cavalry to continue galloping towards Yichuan County.