Chapter 1037 I want to say that giving up is not easy
On May 15th of the first year of Tianyou, following the order to withdraw the troops, they arrived at the Qingkou front line. Each unit took turns to cover and left in turn.
Almost at the same time as them, the Huai army also withdrew to the south of the Huai River with the assistance of the navy.
Since May, the rain has gradually increased. Although it is not a heavy rain, it is very annoying.
The roads were muddy, the water was turbulent, the transportation of grain and grass and military supplies was slow, and various reserves in the army were declining day by day. The firewood was also wet, and smoke billowed thickly when it burned, and it could not even be ignited. The sergeants chewed dry food and could not eat a few hot meals. Morale is low and patience is reaching its limit.
This was a tacit retreat with both sides, but it was limited to clearing the mouth. As for other aspects, Yang Xingmi had not yet made up his mind.
However, he had not thought about it, but others had already thought about it.
On May 16th, brothers Zhu Jin and Zhu Xuan left without saying goodbye. They took their horses and mules and carried more than ten days of food and grass. They first fled on horseback, then dismounted and walked into Sizhou territory, fleeing all the way south.
Tuoba Renfu had already crossed the Huai River and entered the territory of Chuzhou.
Jia Gongduo complained repeatedly. One time he said there was a shortage of food and grass, and another time he said there were many diseases. He didn't know whether it was true or not. Anyway, he just wanted me to withdraw to the south of the Huai River, or the next best thing was to go to Linhuai.
The Lianshui garrison did not surrender, but he was also panicked. If Li Shenfu, the governor of Chuzhou, had not crossed the river in person, he might have abandoned the city and fled.
In the entire Surabaya battlefield, there is only one oddity, and that is Zhou Ben.
After escaping back to Qingkou, he was afraid that Yang Xingmi would blame him, so in the context of panic and a large-scale withdrawal of troops, he took the initiative to go north and raid along the river, saying that he would attack Suqian.
Yang Xingmi had already left Linhuai and stepped onto the dock, feeling indescribable.
He didn't even see Shao Shude's face, so he lost several games in a row. Each garrison was like a dummy made of grass and trees, dull, sluggish, slow in action, and at a loss.
This is not their true level, they shouldn't be so bad. Even Haizhou soldiers, Qizhou soldiers, and Sizhou soldiers shouldn't be so bad.
But the fact is that it cannot be changed. Generals Qin Shiqiu and Chen Hanbin died in battle, Zhou Zunzhi died in civil strife, Feng Jingzhang only escaped with his own life, Zhang Jian returned in defeat, and the 20,000-strong army collapsed. If it hadn't been for the heavy rain, the situation would have been critical. If you are tired of eggs.
He was tired, and his heart was tired.
When we fought with Sun Ru, the thieves were fierce and cruel, but everything was clear. Where the enemy was stationed, how many troops there were, and whether they could fight, it was clear at a glance. But this time, the enemy we faced was as if they did not exist. There is no trace of the enemy, and by the time he appears, it will be too late.
This battle is won!
"Actually, the king's previous strategy was not wrong." Gao Xu observed the words and expressions and saw that Yang Xingmi was in a bad mood, so he consoled him.
Yang Xingmi looked at the smoke-like drizzle outside the pavilion and said nothing for a long time.
"To deal with an erratic opponent like Xia Thief, we can only take the initiative to attack, attack him, save him, and force him to fight decisively. The king gathered the main force and marched along the Bian River. In fact, the strategy is not wrong." Gao Xu said.
Everyone knows that cavalry is highly mobile. So how do you stop them from moving and fighting? The best way is to attack them and save them.
If the wind direction is favorable, a ship can travel more than ten miles in an hour without any problem, and it can travel at night. In terms of maneuverability, it actually surpasses the cavalry. The consumption is very small, the supplies are fully carried, and the soldiers' physical strength is maintained very well.
, is a better infantry vehicle than mules and horses.
The main force moves north along the Bian River. If Suzhou can be captured, the Xia Army's cavalry activities will be restricted, and they will even look for the Huai Army to fight. The initiative will suddenly return to the Huai Army - the battle for the initiative in the war.
It's a very important thing.
Liu Yu set out from Xu Si to attack Nan Yan. Along the way, the Xianbei cavalry kept harassing them. They didn't care at all, so they led the infantry straight to Guanggu, the capital of Nan Yan. As time went by, the initiative on the battlefield returned to Liu Yu's hands, and Xianbei
The cavalry had to give up harassment and come back for a decisive battle with the infantry. Naturally, there was no suspense about the outcome. In a head-on battle, even if the cavalry had an advantage in numbers, they were no match for them.
"If you attack the enemy, you must save it." Yang Xingmi sighed.
The prerequisite for attacking the enemy and rescuing it is that your infantry have a strong will to fight, are not afraid of horses, are skilled, and the commander will boost morale. But Yang Xing, who led an army of tens of thousands, hesitated outside Hongxian City.
It's not that he didn't dare to fight, but it was a pity to lose so many troops that could fight with Xia's army in attacking the city. The internal situation was so complicated, and once he suffered heavy losses in Hong County, he failed to overwhelm all parties.
The capital of the princes is gone.
"That's all, it's all over." Yang Xingmi said with an ugly expression: "Secretary Gao, how do you think we should handle the next incident in Xuzhou?"
"Retreat the troops." Gao Xu had no more words to say.
Yang Xingmi felt a pain in his heart, and subconsciously couldn't bear it. The existence of Xuzhou is not just a state, it represents too many meanings. Giving up is easier said than done!
"The seven counties of Xuzhou, including Feng, Pei, Qi, and Su, have been lost. Xiapi and Xiao counties will inevitably fall, leaving only an isolated city." Gao Xu said: "Xuzhou has experienced wars for a long time, and a large number of people fled south to the Yangtze and Huaihe Rivers.
This battle is like chicken ribs, tasteless to eat and a pity to discard."
"Weak ribs..." Yang Xingmi laughed bitterly.
"Your Majesty, retreat as early as possible. If it's too late, something unexpected may happen." Gao Xu advised.
"What's the way to retreat?" Yang Xingmi asked.
"Those who are willing to leave will be picked up by boat. Your Majesty has also arranged some favors in Xuzhou. The Pengcheng warriors will definitely not stay in trouble and not care about their feelings." Gao Xu said: "If you don't want to leave, let him go. It's easy to get together.
It's easy to disperse, so this is the best policy."
Yang Xingmi was silent.
He understood what Gao Xu meant. He was worried about military chaos in Xuzhou and would directly surrender to the enemy. To be fair, this possibility was extremely high and could even be said to be inevitable.
Xuzhou warriors were unwilling to surrender to Shao Shude because they did not want to lose their own interests. To a certain extent, Zhang Tingfan, the military governor of the Probationary Army, was also coerced by them.
The conditions given by Huainan are relatively loose, basically allowing Xu Zhen to be in a state of autonomy. At most, they go to Xuzhou to recruit troops every now and then. Xuzhou warriors are certainly dissatisfied, but since they have taken refuge in Huainan, they have to pay something, and it is impossible not to suffer any losses.
In addition, Huainan sends out some cloth, tea, salt, grain and the like as rewards from time to time, so I basically accept it.
Now the situation has changed dramatically again.
The Xia army marched south in a large scale, with a ferocious momentum - this ferocious momentum is not just a description, but a real charge and attack, as if they want to take down all the cities in Xuzhou, and anyone who dares not to obey will be killed on the spot. The attitude is very
Determined.
Moreover, their progress was also very fast. In the battle of Fengxian, Zhu Zhen's troops attacked and defeated the city quickly, regardless of casualties.
The battle of Peixian was also fast and violent. They first defeated the enemy in a field battle, then burned the reinforcement ships. At the same time, they attacked the city day and night without giving them a chance to breathe, and finally reaped the fruits of victory.
The cavalry on the southern front attacked repeatedly and won four battles and four victories. The main force of the Huai army was frightened and their morale was dampened.
After these news are transmitted back, the minds of the Xuzhou warriors will change again. There is no hope of victory, and the consequences are the same whether or not they defend. In such a severe situation, many people will do psychological construction for themselves and try to persuade them.
My good days are over, now I have to make sure I can survive.
The number of such people depends on Huainan's attitude. If he is willing to save, he can still delay for a while. If he clearly gives up, he basically won't be able to hold on for a few more days.
"Then..." Yang Xingmi opened his mouth, not wanting to say the second half of the sentence for a long time.
Gao Xu remained silent and waited quietly.
The southeast wind became stronger and stronger, and the rain drifted into the pavilion with the force of the wind. Yang Xingmi's robe was half wet, but he didn't notice it at all.
There are a large number of boats parked on the river in the distance.
The auxiliary soldiers shouted slogans and used all their strength to push the carriage that was stuck in the mud pit.
The people supported the old and the young and trudged forward in the mud, preparing to board the ship and go south.
Bitter wind and cold rain led to a hasty retreat.
"Well, Sizhou has almost retreated, how can we still protect Xuzhou?" Yang Xingmi smiled bitterly and said, "It's okay not to have some obsessions."
Gao Xu was a little surprised when he heard this. Has King Wu figured it out?
At the same time, he felt a bit unspeakably uncomfortable. However, he had been calmly persuading King Wu to abandon the Central Plains, use the Huaihe River as a line of defense, give full play to the advantage of the navy, and vigorously operate. But deep down in his heart, he really did not have such extravagant hopes.
Can we turn the tide and defeat Shao Shude in Huaibei?
Extravagant hopes are still extravagant hopes.
When Gao Xu heard with his own ears that King Wu had announced the abandonment of Huaibei Prefecture, Gao Xu was both relieved and disappointed. After the uncomfortable energy surged up, he almost shed tears.
The King of Wu is old. Huainan is like this. Now that the initiative is no longer in their hands, they can only hope that the enemy will make a mistake.
"Zhou Ben has already gone north to Suqian, which is good." Yang Xingmi said expressionlessly: "Let him take advantage of the surge in the Si River and the width and depth of the river to go straight to Xuzhou. Let Du Yuhousi draw up a plan on how to do it.
Bar."
"Yes." Gao Xu responded.
"Huaibei will leave Donghe City, Linhuai County, and Lianshui County. We will take advantage of the rainy season to stock up on food, grass, and equipment to strengthen the city." After making the decision, Yang Xingmi no longer felt sad about spring and autumn, and quickly cleared up his mood. Said: "Donghe City is still guarded by Qin Shiduo. Zhang Xun, the general of Xuyi Town, was appointed the governor of Sizhou and guarded Linhuai, leading four thousand troops. Zhang Jian went south with the army and was appointed the governor of Shengzhou and built the city wall. My son Wo was appointed the governor of Shengzhou. He will take office immediately. Zhang Hao is appointed as the envoy of Lianshui Town and leads 4,000 troops. There are more than 10,000 soldiers in the three cities. Those whose families are still in Huaibei will all move south, and rewards will be given to them to reassure them."
"Li Shenfu was appointed as the envoy to attack along the Huaihe River, and the troops and horses of the three states of Chu, Si, and Hao were under his control."
"Tao Ya was appointed as the training envoy of the Shedu regiment in Luchuchi, and all the troops and horses in the four states were under his control."
"If each department suffers losses in battle, soldiers from prefectures and counties will be transferred to supplement them. If there are vacancies in soldiers from prefectures and counties, they will be recruited separately. The new army of Xu people in Guangling will step up their training and they will be of great use in the future."
"For the sergeants who go to war this time, they will be given a piece of silk, a string of money, two husks of grain, and three measures of salt. If the sergeant dies in battle, he will be given a pension."
"The first part of the navy will move to Qingkou to put pressure on the Xia army. If there is an opportunity, they will march along the river, cut off their transportation, burn their reserves, destroy their bridges, and plunder their supplies, livestock, and people."
"The rest of the troops should return to Guangling."
Gao Xu listened silently. The series of orders given by King Wu were quite satisfactory and all aspects were considered.
Continue to maintain a military presence in Huaibei to put pressure on the Xia army and prevent them from advancing northward with all their strength. In addition, these fortified cities can also be used as starting bases for the army to go north, mainly cavalry, to take advantage of the situation and go north, hit and run, and plunder. Even if the number of people and goods is not enough, it can destroy the Xia people's production and reduce their tax sources, which can be regarded as an explanation to Li Keyong.
Li Shenfu and Tao Ya were older and more loyal among the elders of Yuancong, and their military skills were not bad. It was very suitable for them to coordinate the war in the west and north.
If nothing unexpected happens, from now on, we will defend from the north and attack from the south. Prioritize the mobilization of elite soldiers and generals to defeat Qianliu in Hangzhou and seize all the land in the two Zhejiang provinces.
Of course, it is also possible to attack Jiangxi first. After all, it is better to attack. It all depends on King Wu's decision.