On November 18th, the fourth year of Dashun, Shao Shude hosted a banquet for Lu Huaizhong at Longchi Palace.
Lu Huaizhong brought his family over from Lingzhou, which was Shao Shude's request. Today's reception banquet, his whole family is also invited.
Small details reflect Lu Huaizhong's status in Shao Shude's heart.
He is not the top thug, but he is the most trusted general. When he leads his troops on an expedition, he can be left as his absolute confidant.
"The situation in Nanyang is chaotic. If we gain a firm foothold in the future and even seize several states, I will send you, Lao Lu, to Ezhou." The women were talking in low voices, and the children were playing around. Shao Shude and Lu Huaizhong were looking for
We found a quiet place and started chatting...
Zhe Fangmai personally brought a pot of tea over and poured it for the two of them.
Lu Huaizhong quickly stood up to express his thanks and said: "How dare you trouble the princess."
Zhe Fang Ai's belly was slightly swollen, indicating that she was pregnant, but she insisted on pouring a bowl of tea for Lu Huaizhong and said with a smile: "General Lu is the most trusted and trusted person of my husband. He has worked hard and deserved this gift."
Lu Huaizhong thanked him again and again.
After pouring the tea, Zhe Fangxiao said goodbye and left to talk to Lu Huaizhong's wife, Han.
"Lao Lu, when you were in the Wuchang Army, the Hubei soldiers couldn't fight, right?" Shao Shude invited Lu Huaizhong to drink tea and asked casually.
"At that time, I could still make gestures, but it was no longer possible. The number of soldiers was 30,000, but in fact they were only a little over 20,000, and they were scattered everywhere. As soon as Wang Xianzhi's army of hundreds of thousands came, they dispersed like birds and beasts." Lu Huaizhong is from Huainan.
, but he served as a junior colonel in the Wuchang Army and was later exiled to Fengzhou. Judging from the result, he actually avoided the disaster of Wang Xianzhi's attack on Ezhou, which can be regarded as a blessing in disguise.
"Du Hong is named the leader of the six states, but he only has Ezhou. Anzhou and Yuezhou are relatively deferential. Qizhou and Shenzhou are both subordinate. In Huangzhou, Wu Diao and Yang Xing are close friends. He is just the governor of Ezhou." Shao Shude laughed.
Said: "If there is a situation in the Shen, Guang, An, and Cai areas in the future, would Lao Lu be willing to take charge?"
Lu Huaizhong was shocked. Does this mean to establish Huaixi Town? To serve as the military governor of Huaixi?
Although he is a rough man, he is not stupid. Over the years, he has been letting his staff tell him about history, which has broadened his horizons a lot. Is the commander-in-chief worried that once the situation in the south opens up, Zhe Zongben will be too powerful and wants to share his power?
It is better to have Tang, Deng and Huaixi towns side by side than to be united under one big Huaixi town.
With decentralization of power, checks and balances, co-optation, and kindness, the commander-in-chief is becoming more and more like a hero in troubled times.
"The commander-in-chief has given orders, and I will do my duty without hesitation." Lu Huaizhong paused, then smiled and said: "It's much closer to Luzhou Township. In the future, if I defeat Yang Xingmi, I will go back to my hometown to have a look."
Shao Shude laughed.
Lu Huaizhong's words were not all a joke. Yang Xingmi now has three options. One is to go north to collect the three states of Hao, Shou and Chu that have surrendered to Zhu Quanzhong and consolidate the Huaihe River defense line; the other is to go south to attack Qian Liu and Dong Chang, especially Qian Liu.
He was the military governor of Zhenhai and the governor of Runzhou, but Runzhou was under the control of Yang Xingmi, which was a major conflict point; the third was to attack westward to capture Jiangxi and Eyue Town, which had been swept away by the remnants of Sun Ru.
Basically, it is similar to the choice made by the ancient Wu and Yue regime. To defend the river in the north, the Huaihe River must be defended, and in the upper reaches of the west, there must be Jingzhou. Otherwise, it will be very difficult, and the country will definitely not last long.
Shao Shude's forces have penetrated deep into the Han River area, only one step away from the Yangtze River. Can Yang Xingmi not be nervous?
I heard that Du Hong recently threatened Wu Tao, the governor of Huangzhou, and asked him to send troops and food to attack Zhao Kuangning. Wu Tao did not want to, and the two had openly quarreled. Yang Xingmi took the opportunity to win over, and Wu Tao is likely to defect to Yang Xingmi. Considering that Yang Xingmi's current ambition is to recover
The traditional old land of Huainan includes the five prefectures of Nashen, Guang, Huang, Qi, and An. If one of them fails, they will move westward.
Moreover, Yang Xingmi was a far-sighted person. If Zhu Quanzhong showed signs of decline, the conflict between the two could be reconciled. By then, it would not be impossible to coordinate the interests of the north and advance westward with all his strength.
It's hard to say whether this person is a friend or an enemy. After all, this situation is very different from history.
"Let's not talk about this for now." Shao Shude picked up the tea bowl and took a sip, and said: "Now only Tielin, Feilong, and Wuwei armies are left in the river. The Tianxiong Army will soon return to Lingxia to rest and recuperate. There is a real shortage of troops. Wuwei Army,
There has been no war for some years, so I let the men go into battle to practice, so as not to forget how to fight."
The battle that Shao Shude was referring to was of course the ongoing battle at Wangwushan.
The four armies of Tianzhu, Tianxiong, Yicong, and Shunyi returned to Lingxia, Heyuan, and Jishi and headed for Xingfengliang. Only the five armies of Guide, Baoyi, Chishui, Wuxing, and Guzhen who would fight on the front line were thirty thousand.
Seven thousand horsemen.
There will be more soldiers next year. Shao Shude is now like an ant moving, dumping things into the river little by little. Longchi Palace was originally in the wilderness, but now a small town has appeared: the inn has appeared and was handed over to a Tielin
They were run by veterans who had retired from the army; various shops appeared, selling all kinds of goods; a large number of mansions were built, which were the residences of members of the increasingly large bureaucracy, and so on.
The city with Longchi Palace as its core appeared out of thin air.
However, it seems that no one has any plans to build a good house. Some officials did not even bring their wives and children, but just found a local concubine and started living their lives again. Everyone seems to understand that they may have to move in the future.
There is no need to plan to stay for a long time.
"Wuwei Army, the last time we fought a serious battle was probably in Helong." Lu Huaizhong also agreed with Shao Shude and said, "What's going on over there in Qiziling now?"
"The dead and injured are lying there, it's too horrible to look at." Shao Shude sighed and said: "Every method has been tried. A small group of people turned over and crossed the mountain, but the road was too difficult to walk. In some places, it can be said that one man is blocking the way and ten thousand people can't open it. They were attacked
Retreat. Fake defeat to lure the Bian army out of the border to pursue pursuit. It succeeded once and wiped out more than a thousand Bian troops, but failed to break through. Lure to surrender had limited effect, and alienation was of no use. The newly arrived strong men from Helong and Fan attacked.
In one month, there were more than 5,000 casualties, and some people even mutinied and were suppressed. Wang Yao's troops suffered more than 3,000 casualties and retreated to rest. Yesterday, they started a fierce attack again, with more than 1,000 casualties in one day. Shuofang's army suffered fewer casualties.
Some, but Tianxiong, Chishui, and the Yi Congjun before they withdrew, also suffered more than 4,000 casualties before and after. Qiziling is really a millstone of flesh and blood."
Lu Huaizhong also became a little pale after hearing this.
Some terrains, such as Jiguan, Zhiguan, Xiashiguan, and Hanguguan, if you can't take them by surprise and can only fight hard, the casualties will be very high, and you may not even be able to conquer them.
In those places, it doesn't actually matter whether there are city walls or not. Just build a stronghold and rely entirely on the terrain for defense.
Attacking these passes actually requires a bit of luck. The defenders' negligence, lack of fighting spirit, lack of supplies, and even weather factors may bring you good luck. But there is good luck and bad luck, such as Deng Yu's attack on Jiguan.
, it was captured in ten days, but when it came to attacking Anyi County, it was theoretically much easier to attack than Jiguan, but it could not be captured for several months.
Huang Chao's attack on Tongguan actually only took one day, but it took three hundred days to defeat Chenzhou.
Qin Zongyan attacked Jiangling and fought for a year. Only dozens of households were beaten in the city, but in the end he failed to capture it.
Guancheng is special than these prefecture and county towns because its defense is not purely based on city walls, but more on terrain. In theory, it is more difficult to defeat than prefecture and county towns.
"But Qiziling has almost reached its limit." Shao Shude talked about the good side again: "According to the latest news, there is an epidemic in Guancheng, and the number of people killed by the disease may be more than what we have killed."
Lu Huaizhong grinned and smiled silently.
"My sworn brother Li Keyong has sent an envoy to reply quickly. He agreed to use the road and at the same time ordered Li Hanzhi and An Jinjun to 'act according to the opportunity'. This is actually very interesting. Xue Zhiqin of Luzhou and Kang Junli of Jinyang stood still.
, obviously do not intend to interfere in the various entanglements in the south." Shao Shude said: "The war with Zhu Quanzhong can only rely on ourselves."
"Have you not forgotten the reason why you raised the army in the first place?" After listening for a long time, Lu Huaizhong suddenly asked.
"No."
"Well, I will handle the matter of the Wuwei Army officers moving to Jinjiang. If any bastard dares to talk nonsense, I will kill him directly." Lu Huaizhong said: "Zhu Quanzhong and Li Keyong, let's wipe them out one by one."
…
In the early morning of November 21st, Shao Shude was woken up by his maid.
Feng Xuan lay in his arms, sleeping soundly. Not far away, on a specially made crib, lay their daughter, a cute baby who had just been born.
After getting up and putting on his military uniform, Shao Shude sat back on the bed and had a conversation with Feng Xuan. Then he strode out of Anle Hall and headed for the military camp outside the city.
One thousand personal soldiers have been assembled, and the Wuwei Army's nine thousand infantry and cavalry have also sorted everything out.
There was nothing more to say. Tens of thousands of people left the station and headed eastward along the post road.
Tielin's army stayed behind at Longchi Palace, and at the same time organized Confucius from Anyi, Xia and Wenxi counties to transport grain and grass.
On November 26, the army arrived in Wangwu County.
Shao Shude took a special look at this newly acquired land.
The narrow mountain valley is shrouded in thick fog, and the bloodstains of the fight two months ago have long disappeared.
The land was leveled piece by piece.
Yellow clods of soil were turned over, carrying grass seeds and crop roots. After next spring, these lands will be planted with crops, bringing hope of life to people.
The people who settled in Wangwu County are mainly Qiang from Hewei, mainly Tubo, Qiang, and Dangxiang. There are a total of 8,000 households and more than 10,000 Dingkou. However, this was the number at the time of departure, and now there are at most five left.
Thousands of men were born, and the human losses were serious.
Shao Shude randomly walked into a village.
The Tibetan tribesmen are carefully selecting the highland barley seeds they brought, trying their best to choose large and plump ones, smiling while choosing.
Dirty children led equally dirty goats to graze on the hillside.
The girls gathered together and knitted fabrics. The brave and fierce young men were wrestling not far away. They peeked here from time to time and saw the women pointing at them. They were full of strength and practiced meticulously.
Got up.
The wrinkled old woman knelt on the ground and kept mumbling.
Shao Shude, who was already proficient in Tibetan, chatted casually with her for a few words. After hearing this, the Tibetan tribesmen were all shocked.
This is the real Zamp!
"Your eldest son died in the attack on Qiziling, so this land will always belong to your family. From now on, let your second son farm the land well. He will not go to the battlefield again in the short term." Shao Shude ordered his soldiers to bring two pieces of silk to the old woman.
.
The old woman's second son was actually very anxious, worried that the land promised to his family would not be fulfilled. Hearing the words, he immediately rushed to the ground, knelt there quietly, and buried his head in the loess.
The family fortune you exchanged for your life is worth it! Even if you are called into battle again in the future, you will not be afraid even if you die. Your family and land will still be there, and your family will have hope.
"Commander." Shaozhou Yingtian Inspector Du Xiao rushed over and saluted.
Shao Shude nodded and continued walking in the countryside of Wangwu County.
The flat land has been opened up into farmland, and the gentle slopes have been transformed into orchards and pastures. What Wangwu County needs most now is sedimentation.
"Every inch of land in Shaozhou was obtained through repeated fighting by the soldiers." Shao Shude climbed up a hillside, looked far into the distance through the thick fog, and finally gave up.
"I have served in the army for more than ten years." Shao Shude continued: "On the grassland, I can storm more than a hundred miles a day, in Helong, I can defeat and surrender, and expand territory for hundreds of miles, and in Guanzhong, I can swallow two vassal towns in one go.
But in the war in Henan, every inch of land had to be fought for repeatedly, and it was still hilly and mesa land of little value. I know how difficult it is to fight."
Du Xiao glanced at Shao Shude in surprise.
"Shaozhou is the most difficult place for me to win since I started my army. Do a good job and don't let me down."
"As commanded."
"Maybe this thick fog today will surprise me?" Shao Shude looked at the fog that was still too thick to melt away and suddenly laughed.
Du Xiao understood and immediately said: "The commander-in-chief is here to supervise the battle, and there will definitely be gains in Gaodutou."
Shao Shude smiled and said nothing, still standing on the hillside, overlooking the hazy mountains and rivers.
The crisp sound of horse hoofs echoed in the mountain valleys, and Lubu's swift knights flashed past, leaving behind a powerful roar: "Liang Hanyong, the deputy commander of the Chishui Army, led eighty warriors to advance first and attack Zhongguancheng in Qiziling. The Bian thieves were defeated."
, destruction is imminent.”
Du Xiao glanced at Shao Shude in surprise.
Shao Shude was a little surprised and worried after hearing this: Liang Hanyong was so desperate, if he died, wouldn't he be a widow?
"Let Yang Liang come to see me." Shao Shude suddenly ordered.
Yang Liang quickly went up the mountain and saluted: "What are your orders, Commander-in-Chief?"
"There is no suspense for the Chishui Army to break through Qiziling. How can the Wuwei Army allow it to be more powerful than the previous ones?" Shao Shude said: "General Yang, take the two thousand cavalry of the Wuwei Army southward and take a small road to Heqing County and Baiyacang.
, let the Bian thieves see the demeanor of a powerful military man."
"As commanded."
Since the Eastern and Western Wei dynasties, Hedong, Luoyang, and Nanyang have been in constant tug-of-war for decades. Both sides have become crazy about building cities. You build a high-level city, and I build a low-level city to slap you in the face. You are in Hedong.
I built a series of military strongholds, and I also built thirteen forts in succession. Yu Wenzhou even built forts all the way from Shaanzhou to Xin'an County, which was absolutely crazy.
Both sides obviously had a large number of cavalry, but in the end they relied on fortresses and infantry to advance layer by layer, repeatedly pulling back and forth, and using any means. It was rare for the battle to be so brutal. In decades of war, both sides realized that relying on
One or two big battles cannot eliminate the opponent, so we can only fight in a protracted manner.
Shao Shude did not want to fight like this, because it would be too slow and expensive. When the Later Zhou Dynasty (Northern Zhou Dynasty) attacked Hedong, the first thing he did was to send a large army eastward to Wangwu Mountain to use the terrain to block the Qi army from coming to aid from Henan. Now he wants to do the opposite.