Lao Dong allocated one-third of the income from the salt ponds in Hedong to Ding Yuan to support the army.
But forget about the reinforcements Ding Yuan wanted.
This is not because the old Dong wants to do things so decisively, but at this time, Kansai is in the midst of a war between the east and west fronts.
To his west, the reclamation rebel army that rose up in Liangzhou was sweeping across Liangzhou. Together with the rebel armies of Beigong Boyu and Han Sui, they threatened the Sanfu area.
Dong Zhuo's Liangzhou Army has fought many battles with the Bian Army in the Chencang area, and now it is at a critical point in the Chencang battle, and it is impossible to dispatch a single soldier.
This is especially true for the Weihan section of the Eastern Front. This time, the Kanto side was uncharacteristically uncharacteristic and began to actively mobilize troops to launch several battles against its own side on the Kansai front line.
This greatly exceeded Dong Zhuo's early expectations. In his eyes, Kanto, which had experienced the White Horse Temple Incident, was almost like bones in a grave. He never imagined that it could still make a big splash now.
However, this is probably his last breath, so Dong Zhuo will not send troops from the Weihan front line to Bingzhou at this time.
Besides, in the end, don’t you still have Yanmen Pass and Loufan Pass in Bingzhou? Can they stop the Hu people, but not the Taishan Army?
So Dong Zhuo made an assessment and believed that the Taishan Army's move south was indeed serious, but at present it was not the most critical, so he allocated military forces "reasonably".
But when Ding Yuan sent another military report, he said that not only Yanmen Pass was lost, Fanzhi was also lost.
At this time, Dong Zhuo finally couldn't sit still. He had served as the governor of Bingzhou before, and he knew the shape and victory of Bingzhou very well. Once Yanmen Pass was lost, the two major basins in the heart of Bingzhou would be directly exposed to the iron cavalry of the Taishan Army.
And once Fanzhi is also lost, it means that the area in Hebei occupied by the Taishan Army and Bingzhou are completely connected.
Previously, a very important reason why Dong Zhuo was able to sit firmly on Diaoyutai was that he knew the difficulties in the Pingcheng area.
Although it is also a basin, it is very difficult for the Taishan Army to obtain supplies there because of the sparse population and the halo-alkali soil.
In order to transfer from Hebei, it is necessary to bypass the Taihang Mountains from the north. This transportation difficulty alone will make the Taishan Army unable to support it.
Therefore, Dong Zhuo judged that as long as Yanmen Pass was guarded carefully, the Taishan Army would definitely retreat.
But now that Yanmen Pass and Fanzhi have been lost, the situation is really critical.
Just when Dong Zhuo was calculating which of the soldiers he had could support Bingzhou, Bingzhou sent another military report.
But it was the good-for-nothing Ding Yuan who, in order to strengthen the walls and clear the country, turned against the great people and the people of Yuanping. The local Guizhou leader, led by Yang Feng, a Baibo bandit general, gathered a crowd and raised troops to respond to the Taishan Army.
At this time, the only defense left in northern Taiyuan was Yangqu.
In Ding Yuan's own words, people in Taiyuan were panic-stricken at this time, and countless people left the city to seek refuge every day. If there were no more reinforcements, Taiyuan would not be safe, and Bingzhou would not be safe.
Dong Zhuo, who was still hesitant about rescue, could only summon the generals of the army to discuss together.
His general, Ushisuke, was very direct. He said this:
"The Taishan army is at a sharp front, and it is difficult for our army to compete with it. But once it is reluctantly mobilized, we will immediately be in a dilemma on the east and west sides. Therefore, it is better to abandon the land of merging states and guard Kansai."
Niu Fu's words represent a large number of military generals. They are all front-line generals on the east and west battlefields. They know very well that the two-front war has reached a critical period.
If Bingzhou in the north is distracted at this time, the war on both sides will reach a stalemate, and the advantages gained through blood and sweat will be lost in one fell swoop.
So what they wanted to do was to exchange land for time, let that old boy from Ding Yuan lead the Bingzhou people to defend Taiyuan, let them calmly deal with the enemies on both sides, and then go north for rescue.
However, Niu Fu's views were opposed by Li Ru.
As Dong Zhuo's mastermind, Li Ru analyzed the overall situation:
"Taiyuan is the backbone of the world. If you abandon Bingzhou, the east of the river will be unprotected. The east of the river is full of labor, the soldiers and horses are strong, and the capital of the capital is capital. If the Taiwei abandons it, the army will be in a state of disarray. It is better to allocate 30,000 elite soldiers to rely on the central government.
Articles, build a line of defense. If you advance, you may be too far to support, if you retreat, you may protect the east of the river."
As the mastermind, Li Ru naturally thought further than Niu Fu. He analyzed the necessity of rescue for Dong Zhuo from a political perspective.
That is, although Dong Zhuo seems to be defeating the Kansai armies, in fact, his direct lineage is divided into two parts.
One part is the Liangzhou army following him, and the other part is the Hedong army. The two major armaments are like the two wheels of a chariot, one on the left and one on the right guarding Dong Zhuo's military group.
And if the Taishan Army is allowed to take Taiyuan, then Hedong will definitely not be protected. And if Hedong cannot be saved, the Hedong soldiers will be disheartened. At that time, one of the wheels of the Taishi Mansion's carriage will collapse and it will be in danger of capsizing.
Not to mention, if the Taishan Army occupied Hedong, they could threaten Chang'an and Luoyang from the east and west. After all, Dong Zhuo was the governor of Hedong before. It goes without saying how he used the geographical location of Hedong to build walls on the east and west sides.
That's why Li Rucai immediately stated that reinforcements must be sent.
But this rescue requires more strategy. Li Ru means to build a defense line in Hedong and just hold on to Hedong. It depends on how well Ding Yuan fights in Taiyuan.
Dong Zhuo didn't speak. He pondered for a while, and then asked a thin person in the crowd:
"Wenhe, what do you think?"
After Jia Xu heard this, he respectfully came out.
He naturally had opinions on this matter, but if Dong Zhuo had not asked before, he would not take the initiative to mention it, especially since Li Ru had already expressed it. But now that Dong Zhuo had taken the initiative to ask, he would not hold back, even if Li Ru had already expressed it.
.
The former and the latter may seem different, but in fact they both share the same attitude, that is, not daring to be the first.
Jia Xu said this:
"Grand Master, now our troops in Guanxi and Taishan are familiar and strong?"
Dong Zhuo pondered for a moment, feeling a little embarrassed, but he still told the truth:
"In terms of military strength, we are at a dead end with them. He has Youyan's cavalry, and I have Liangzhou's horses. He has Jizhou's riches, and I have Yizhou's Tianfu. He has elite soldiers who have fought in hundreds of battles, and I am not bad either.
The Yong, Liang, and Yi soldiers under my command are all veteran soldiers. That is..."
Jia Xu is very direct:
"It means that the soldiers in Taishan are more united, but I in Kansai are divided into different factions?"
Dong Zhuo hesitated after hearing this, but still admitted:
"I won't hide it from you, it is indeed the case. Listen to us, aren't they all the old brothers we have brought out over the years? You expect the troops inside and outside Xiyuan to work hard for us, that is unrealistic. If you talk about Yizhou, now that Liu
Yan is making more and more small moves. I heard that his behavior in Chengdu is comparable to that of the Emperor. Even his chariots and carriages are imitated by the Emperor. What can you tell me about his attitude?"
At this time, Dong Zhuo's nephew Dong Huang intervened in ignorance:
"How could it be possible? Aren't Liu Yan's two sons in Kyoto? How dare he rebel against us?"
Dong Zhuo choked and cursed:
"You idiot, why don't you back down?"
It's not that he doesn't care for his nephew, but what he asked was too stupid. He dares to be the emperor, so who cares about his son's life or death? Besides, doesn't he still have a young son by his side? That would make him even more emboldened.
Not to mention Liu Yan, when Dong Zhuo raised troops in Hedong and entered Chang'an, wasn't his younger brother Dong Min also a hostage in the capital? Did Dong Zhuo care?
Don't say this too much, as it will also affect the relationship between brothers.
No one cared that Dong Huang left angrily. Everyone was looking at Jia Xu to hear what else he had to say.
After receiving Dong Zhuo's answer, Jia Xu asked:
"In fact, the Taiwei also understands that when we compete with the Taishan Army, we can only rely on the danger of mountains and rivers. But in this case, why should we give up the rivers and mountains of Bingzhou? Even if we defend the east of Hedong, the Taishan Army will still
You can cross the river from Longmen and enter Guanzhong. At that time, what's the difference between keeping Hedong and not?"
At this time, Li Ru's face was already a little stiff, and then Jia Xu continued:
"Grand Master, after all, Bingzhou is not our territory. The one who is more anxious than us is Ding Yuan. As long as we bring reinforcements to Bingzhou, Ding Yuan will continue to fight. Only by giving him hope can he hold on. And we can consume it at the minimum cost.
Taishan Army."
Finally, Jia Xu concluded:
"Instead of handing over the soldiers and civilians of Bingzhou to the Taishan Army, it is better to let them turn into scorched earth, and see how many people the Taishan Army can die with every inch of mountains and rivers filled with blood!"
Dong Zhuo understood, and his attitude towards Jia Xu became more complicated.
This person is really easy to use. During the White Horse Temple Rebellion in Kanto, this person only slightly influenced a few key people, causing the little emperor Liu Bian who had the advantage to lose everything.
Then it’s inexplicable that He Jin even wins.
He might never have thought that it was the thin and small man in front of him who saved his life.
But this man was indeed a bit ruthless in his work, which conflicted with Dong Zhuo's rough and arrogant Kansai temperament. Dong Zhuo admitted that he was not a good person.
But one thing Dong Zhuo can guarantee is that he will not play such dirty tricks. If he wants to kill you, he will kill you with a knife on the spot. He did the same when he killed those handsome Qiang people. In the past, everyone was enjoying drinking and eating meat, but because
This group of people were shouting and shouting in front of him, so he drew his knife and killed them all on the spot.
This is the character of a Kansai man. If he wants to kill you in the morning, he will not leave you until night.
This is Dong Zhuo's advantage, so he often wins the hearts of officials and everyone is willing to die for him. But this is also his shortcoming, that is, he is not smooth enough in politics, especially in power struggles.
This is what Dong Zhuo has reflected on recently.
He discovered that political struggles, especially power struggles, cannot involve naked bloodshed, otherwise everyone will think you are fighting for power. It often escalates into a struggle for ideas and lines.
For example, the previous gang of elites from aristocratic families fought to the death with the eunuchs. Wasn't it just for power and profit? Wasn't it just for the quota of filial piety and incorruption every year?
But Qingliu described all this as a confrontation between positive and negative, to help the world and save the Han Dynasty?
Laughing to death, as a Kansai warrior and a frustrated person outside the center of power, Dong Zhuo really wanted to ask:
"The world is so corrupt. Isn't it the fault of families like you?"
In the past, Dong Zhuo may have said this immediately, but now he understands those people after taking control of the government.
This power struggle really cannot be the same as on the battlefield.
Therefore, even though he felt uncomfortable with Jia Xu's methods, he still convinced himself that he should accept it and learn more.
I am no longer the helpless Dong Feifei with nothing but resentment, but the Grand Master of the Han Dynasty! The real guardian who can make the Han Dynasty great again.
In fact, at the beginning of the meeting, he himself was inclined to rescue Bingzhou. This was not from a political point of view, but from a strategic intention.
As a first-class commander who also belonged to Huangfu Song, Dong Zhuo had a vague idea of who the Taishan Army was targeting.
Is Zhang Chong really attacking Bingzhou to attack himself? Dong Zhuo doesn't think so. With the strength and size of Kansai, Zhang Chong should know very well that this must be a protracted battle.
Therefore, the end point of Zhang Chong's military deployment will not be Chang'an, because he will be stuck in the quagmire of the Kansai battlefield. When the princes in the Central Plains consolidate their strength, Zhang Chong will be the worst off.
Since it's not Chang'an, it's Luoyang.
At this time, Luoyang was like a stag with its head covered. He thought he was still the protagonist, but he didn't know that he had long been prey in the eyes of others.
If Dong Zhuo were Zhang Chong, he would also attack Luoyang. By conquering Luoyang, relying on the natural barrier of Weihan and the strategically placed Bingzhou, he would be able to completely lock Guanxi to the northwest.
At that time, Zhang Chong can calmly conquer the Central Plains.
Dong Zhuo had never had a head-to-head confrontation with Zhang Chong, but he knew that if he thought so, then the little thief Zhang Chong must also think so.
Maybe this is what heroes think alike.
Dong Zhuo is a hero, and the little thief Zhang is not bad at all. He is considered a half-hero, so it is normal to think of one.
After thinking for a long time, Dong Zhuo finally made up his mind.
After the meeting, Dong Zhuo finally ordered his general Hu Zhen to lead 3,000 Bingzhou soldiers, 30,000 Xiyuan soldiers, and more than 10,000 Liangzhou soldiers, with a total force of 50,000, to cross the river from Puban to support Bingzhou.
After all, Grand Master Dong still wanted to take the soldiers of Xiyuan as the enemy and go to Bingzhou to fight for every inch of mountains and rivers and every inch of blood.
Not to mention Grand Master Dong's "shrewdness", at this time, Ding Yuan also reached his most critical moment.
…
Taiyuan County, Yangqu, Yikou.
As the backbone of the world and the key to the North, Bingzhou is uniquely endowed with geographical defense. It is surrounded by mountains on all sides and has a dangerous terrain, with Taihang in the east, Luliang in the west, Hengshan in the north, and Zhongtiao in the south.
And Yanmen and Loufan, which rely on these mountain systems, firmly guard Taiyuan in the basin. It can be said that if you stay in Taiyuan, you will retreat to defend the country, and if you advance, you will control the mountains and rivers.
But unfortunately, once Yanmen Pass is broken through, there will only be one pass along the Fen River from north to south that can protect Taiyuan.
That is Xinkou.
This place is the only way to go to Taiyuan from the north to the south. It is surrounded by mountains on both sides, Wutai Mountain to the east and Yunzhong Mountain to the west. The mountains are undulating, and the Hutuo River runs through it in the middle.
The army must move along the waterway, so Xinkou is the last barrier to Taiyuan.
Of course Ding Yuan, the governor of Bingzhou, also understood this, so when the original civilians rebelled, he immediately ordered General Guo Lin to lead 5,000 troops to advance to Yangqu, with Yikou being the most important.
Thus, surrounding this dangerous pass, the first bloody battle of the Battle of Bingzhou began.