While Dong Fang led his troops in Xinshi to block Youzhou's sudden cavalry return to the north, Zhang Dan's troops, who were pursuing straight from Sanhe Pavilion, had also marched to less than ten miles away from Xinshi.
But at this time, Zhang Dan also encountered the same problem as Dong Fang, that is, due to traveling long distances, various departments were severely disconnected.
At present, Zhang Dan can only control the three battalions of the Chinese army and his guards, a total of less than 2,000 people.
Therefore, what was more urgent for Zhang Dan at that time was to establish a former enemy command post and get in touch with the battalion heads under his command.
However, the news returned by the dispatched sentries was not optimistic.
Zhang Dan sent out a total of ten five-man teams, but in the end he could only contact the leading captains who set out first. They were 2,000 people led by Xie Bitong. They have now moved to a place less than five miles away and will be here soon.
Convergence.
Accompanying the Sentinel Cavalry was Xie Bi's deputy, Xie Kun.
From Xie Kun, Zhang Dan learned about the situation and location of Xie Bi's troops.
In fact, Zhang Dan knew the reason for the current situation.
They set out from the eastern foothills of Taihang Mountain, marched in heavy rain for two consecutive days, and could not walk in a straight path, which made most of the soldiers confused.
For example, Xie Bibu was obviously walking at the beginning, but as he walked he walked behind Zhang Dan.
Pan Zhang, Wei Zhou, Wang Zhang and other troops also lost their way and now they don't know where they are.
However, it is good news that Xie Bibu can be found.
So, while Zhang Dan was waiting for Xie Bi's troops to come closer, he asked his troops to make repairs on the spot.
These right-wing army officials quickly picked up dry food and drank cold water to restore their strength.
Zhang Dan also fell asleep leaning on the haystack amidst the noise.
I don't know how long it took, but Zhang Dan was shaken awake and it was Luo Gang, the lieutenant of the Central Military Academy.
Luo Gang looked anxious and said:
"Commander, the sound of killing in the north is loud. Commander Dong has already started fighting with the thieves."
Zhang Dan woke up immediately, jumped off the baggage truck, and immediately asked:
"Has Xie Bibu come closer?"
Luo Gang nodded quickly, and while running behind Zhang Dan, added:
"We're already approaching. Lieutenant Xie is on his way to the tent."
Zhang Dan ordered a guard and directly ordered:
"Don't let Xie Bi come to the Chinese army. Let him lead his troops directly across Zishui. We will directly surround them from above and below."
After receiving the order, the guard quickly mounted his horse, then waded through the muddy water to convey the order to Xie Bi's troops who were coming from the west.
In order to maintain the surprise, Zhang Dan did not use the golden drum to gather troops. Instead, he released all the guards around him and directly gave the command.
Soon, the officers of the right army, who had not rested for long, packed their bags under the orders passed from person to person. The auxiliary soldiers also took up the armor of the main army and followed each team through the water in turn.
After the entire army crossed the river, Zhang Dan ordered the entire army to set up flags and identify themselves to Dong Guangmin.
But Zhang Danbu's arrival did not bring victory.
Before he encircled Dong Fang's troops, the Youzhou Cavalry finally opened a passage to the north.
As soon as the passage opened, Gai Tong took the lead in breaking out with his troops, and other troops also caught up. The passage was very narrow, and it was probably a double cavalry row.
Therefore, when the subordinates behind Dong Fang were tired and came to block the gap, the Youzhou Assault Cavalry was not actually able to break through many people.
After being surrounded on all sides, the remaining Youzhou Tuqi chose to surrender.
After the war, counting, including the corpses left on the battlefield and the abandoned wounded soldiers, showed that the Youzhou Cavalry lost a total of 1,200 riders and 800 surrendered prisoners. Later, six more were captured in the subsequent pursuit.
Hundreds.
On the Taishan Army's side, Zhang Dan's troops suffered almost minimal losses, with only ten dead and eighty wounded. However, the casualties of Dong Fang's rear army were not small.
They lost a total of 1,200 people before and after them, most of whom were surrounded and killed in the three barriers in front.
But Dong Fang had reason to be proud. It was precisely because of his tenacious style that the operation to encircle and annihilate Youzhou's sudden cavalry was a complete victory.
In the end, except for the remnants of thousands of soldiers who managed to break through, the entire Youzhou Cavalry army that went south was wiped out.
…
The afternoon of August 5th.
When Gai Tong's followers rushed into Lunu, Lu Zhi finally learned of the fiasco in Xinshi.
After Gaitong broke through, he did not choose to continue going north to Lunu to meet Lu Zhi, but moved directly along Zishui and moved eastward.
Gai Tong told Lu Zhi that he had an old relationship with the powerful people in Anping and Hejian, and he planned to go east to recruit troops and then return to help in the war.
Lu Zhi knew that Gai Tong was worried about being defeated by military law, but if Gai Tong really pulled out another army from Hejian and northern Anping, he could threaten the Taishan bandits in the east.
So Lu Zhi endured this, even though half of the Youzhou sudden cavalry that he relied on at this time were lost, and now there are only more than 5,000 cavalry left.
Afterwards, Lu Zhi did not make any announcement and held a banquet tonight for the powerful men and women of Zhongshan Kingdom as usual.
In recent days, he has been banqueting powerful people from all over the world in Lunuguang. It was supposed to show off the power of Zhenbei Army, but he didn't expect that this moment would have a miraculous effect.
Now Lu Zhi decided to recruit these powerful tribes as another group of soldiers to defend Lu Nu with him.
In fact, Lu Zhi was very surprised and surprised at this moment. He did not expect that the Taishan bandits would be so eager to fight and even take the initiative to intercept the retreat of Youzhou's sudden cavalry.
The opponent's troops are obviously so weak, how can this little thief find the confidence to fight him in a decisive battle?
Lu Zhi asked his servants to continue preparing for the banquet, while he thought under the map screen:
"Now the Taishan thieves have defeated my cavalry forward, so that there is not much difference between me and him in terms of cavalry strength. At this time, once there is a decisive battle, the number of infantry will become the decisive factor. Although the infantry of our Zhenbei Army is good, it is not what it is after all.
Chang. It seems that we still need to recruit the halberd warriors from Zhongshan, so as to increase our chances of winning."
Then he looked at the map again and thought to himself:
"Now the Taishan bandit's troops have arrived in the Xinshi area, and it looks like they are chasing me. And the place where I am in Lunu is not a good sign."
Lunu, Lunu, isn’t it that I, Lu Zhi, am a slave?
So Lu Zhi focused on an area on the map, where he had prepared a decisive battle.
But before withdrawing his troops, he had to ask these Zhongshan powerful men to hand over their troops.
When Lu Zhi thought about the banquet and returned to the atrium, the banquet was already ready. However, the powerful people present were no longer as relaxed as they were in the previous few days, and they were all whispering to each other.
Obviously, the news of Gaitong's defeat in Xinshi has spread.
So this time the banquet was obviously a little different, and these powerful people were looking forward to Lu Zhi's explanation or encouragement.
Naturally, Lu Zhi did not disappoint these people. He constantly emphasized his determination to defend Zhongshan and called on the powerful to organize together to defend his hometown.
Lu Zhi told everyone that now he is not fighting for anyone, but for himself. If this battle fails, he can still retreat to Youzhou, but what about you Zhongshan people? Do you have to abandon the tombs of your ancestors and go to Youzhou with him?
Is the wind blowing in the state?
The powerful people in Zhongshan have been agitated now, and they all agree with Lu Zhi. It's time to put aside their past grievances and fight with those despicable Taishan thieves.
The most powerful group among the powerful people in Zhongshan is the Liu family of the Han Dynasty. They are the Liu family of Anguo, the Liu family of Weichang, the Liu family of Wangdu, and the Liu family of Puyin. They are all the queens of King Jing of Zhongshan.
These royal families who have been rooted in Zhongshan for many generations have huge energy in the local area. At this time of life and death, they do not lack the courage and courage to fight decisively.
Among them, the leaders of the Four Liu Dynasties took the initiative to ask for help after receiving Liu Zhi, and asked to lead troops to garrison at Dingting, an important place southwest of Zhongshan, where they could compete with the Taishan bandits.
Lu Zhi had no objection at all, and encouraged Liu Zhi to have a unique vision, knowing that Dingting was an important transportation place and could be the gateway to Lu Nu.
So he asked Liu Zhi to gather Zhongshan's powerful troops and go to Dingting first, while he dispatched troops for him in the rear.
After Liu Zhi gained military power, he asked Lu Zhi to transfer the Hejian cavalry stationed in Anxi to him.
Now Lu Zhi was in a dilemma.
In fact, he had somewhat forgotten about this wave of Hejian cavalry before. Now Liu Zhi suddenly asked for it in court, which reminded him of it. This wave of cavalry was the side troops he asked the Hejian Kingdom to assist when he went south.
He didn't care before, but now he is a little reluctant to part with it. Although he has never seen this group of cavalry and doesn't know their combat effectiveness, cavalry is cavalry after all, and there is never too little.
But Lu Zhi couldn't act stingy. The powerful Zhongshan power had just acted so "generously", so he couldn't be stingy anymore.
So Lu Zhi nodded in agreement and sent the 500 Hejian cavalry under Liu Zhi's command.
In this way, Liu Zhi was satisfied and rushed to Dingting with 3,000 powerful infantry, where he waited for the 500 Hejian cavalry.
After the hasty banquet was finally over, Lu Zhi also began to order the battalion leaders stationed elsewhere to gather troops.
In the end, he decided to fight the Taishan bandits first. No matter what plans he had later, the premise of everything was that the Zhenbei Army still had the courage to draw his sword and point at the Taishan bandits.
If all the Taishan thieves are facing the enemy and flee north, then forget about the morale of the army.
But even if Lu Zhi wants to fight again, he must first gather the scattered camps back together.
To be honest, it's not easy.
But one thing about Lu Zhi's Zhenbei Army was outstanding, and that was that it was very efficient in issuing orders to the various battalion heads under its command.
This is due to the fact that Lu Zhi has a smart and capable army.
As a great scholar in the North, Lu Zhi had thousands of disciples. Many of these people were descendants of powerful military families in the North. They were already good at riding and shooting, and had natural advantages in writing, expression, and connections.
They were eager for military glory and were willing to follow his division, so many defected to the Zhenbei Army. Lu Zhi also specially gathered these people into a battalion, named "Junzi Camp".
For ordinary military orders, Lu Zhi only had to dictate them orally, and then write them down by the staff, and then pass them on to the soldiers under the tent. These people spoke clearly and spoke the local dialect, so when they arrived at each ministry, they were also responsible for conveying the response orders from the battalion generals of each ministry.
However, there are many generals in the army who are unruly. In an emergency, the commands of ordinary guards cannot convince these powerful generals, so at this time, it is necessary for the officials of the Junzi Camp under Lu Zhi's account to convey the military information.
At this moment, Lu Zhi dispatched the troops to various ministries and they were the officers and men of the Gentleman Camp.
Each of them led three fast horses, held talismans and orders, and galloped at a speed of twenty miles an hour.
Obviously, Lu Zhi also wanted to gather troops as soon as possible and then go south to support Liu Zhi, so he used Junzi Camp as soon as he came up.
…
At this time, Li En led three northern horses and galloped down the straight road. There was no obstruction along the way.
He comes from the Fan Yangli family, and it is said that his ancestor Li Shi succeeded him. But whether it is true or not, Li En himself does not know. But even if he has really seen the name of this ancestor in the genealogy, it still cannot be changed.
The fact that Li En's family was poor.
In fact, Li En's father was very famous. He was a famous music expert in the north, named Li Yan. His father later moved his family to Zhuoxian County, and Li En became a disciple of Lu Zhi.
But soon, Li En's father died in prison due to an incident. Li En's situation began to become bleak.
Lu Zhi's sect has all three sects and nine schools, but among the inner sect, there is a clear distinction between the upper and lower sects, depending on their background, skills and knowledge. But Li En has none, so his status can be imagined.
Therefore, it was Li En who had the most difficult task of delivering the order this time.
He wanted to take military orders to Colonel Wei Duan who was stationed in Tang County in the north.
Infantry Colonel Wei Duan's unit of 2,000 men was the farthest unit from Lu Zhi's army. In order to meet the deadline, Li En could only change horses but not men, and marched continuously for several days.
As for horse racing at night, Li En didn't dare to do it. If he missed the mark, no one would know if he died in this place.
So, after his thighs were bruised and bleeding, Li En finally entered Wei Duan's camp.
When Li En met Wei Duan for the first time, he was impressed by this majestic general.
Wei Duan glanced at Li En's bloody shirt, nodded appreciatively, and then took the military order from Li En's hand.
Just when Li En thought Wei Duan would immediately order the dispatch of troops, he heard Wei Duan say:
"I understand, Captain. It's hard for you to travel on the road. Go to the military tent next door to rest."
Li En didn't understand, but he could only follow the Euphorbia soldiers who came in and leave the tent.
After that, the two Euphorbia warriors found a clean tent and gave Li En some water and millet to feed him. Although Li En was full of doubts, he was too tired and fell asleep as soon as he touched the mat.
I don’t know how long it took before Li En woke up.
At this time, the military horn sounded low outside the tent, which was the horn to gather troops.
Li En hurried out of the tent and saw many officials outside having a leisurely meal. They seemed to have not heard the trumpet and were laughing noisily.
Li En was very dissatisfied with their military discipline and was about to step forward to scold them for gathering troops.
I saw two people who were obviously military officials staggering over, obviously very drunk.
Li En couldn't help but said:
"Didn't you hear the call to gather troops? According to military law:..."
One of the military officers laughed loudly, pointed at Li En and said with a smile:
"Where did you come from? You're talking about military law with us. Didn't you know that the rallying horn has been blowing for half an hour?"
After saying that, the man ignored Li En's criticism and turned to his colleague:
"It's still early, why don't you go get some sleep?"
But the military officer said very philosophically:
"What's the point of sleeping? I might not be able to sleep for a long time in two days. What a waste of sleep now? Come on, let's continue drinking?"
After saying that, the two military officials hugged each other and smiled, then found a place to drink.
Looking at all this, Li En was filled with shock. Is this the world-famous Northern Army Infantry Battalion?