In late October, the cold wave raged for more than ten days. The temperature has gradually risen, but there is still no snow.
Su He read the reports compiled from various townships, and grassroots officials mobilized the people to prevent the cold.
Of the 120,000 people in the county, less than ten people froze to death. This is simply a miracle.
It is not as many people die from coal smoke poisoning.
Su He glanced at the thermometer. The temperature outside had now returned to twelve degrees Celsius.
He issued combat instructions to the staff, and on October 23, he officially sent troops to Hanzhong Prefecture and asked Li Fengming to formulate a combat plan.
At the same time, he issued official documents through the commander's office, mobilized grain from major granaries to be loaded onto trucks, and recruited young men and women to transport grain.
Early on the morning of the 22nd, Su He came to the Dashanguan General Staff Headquarters.
Zhang Wansi led the reconnaissance battalion to already explore the size of the Ming army in Chencang Road, drew a simple map and reported it.
Su Changsheng's men's meticulous work has already investigated the intelligence of four important cities: Fengxian, Lueyang, Baoxian, and Hanzhong.
There are also many detailed works lurking in these four cities.
Su He immediately convened a military meeting to make operational arrangements.
All officers at battalion and regiment level and above came to Dashanguan Staff Headquarters.
Li Fengming stood in front of a huge military map, holding a pencil in his hand.
"We are at Dashan Pass. Since ancient times, there have been three ways to march into Hanzhong.
Chencang Road, Baoxie Road, Ziwu Road."
He highlighted these three marching routes on the map.
"We won't talk about Baoxie Road and Ziwu Road. They are too far away from us. Our only choice is Chencang Road.
It starts from Dashan Pass, follows the Jialing River Valley, and reaches Feng County in Hanzhong."
Li Fengming took out a red pencil and drew a line on the map.
From Dashan Pass, we went south along the Jialing River Valley and drew a circle in Feng County.
Feng County went south to Lueyang and drew another big circle here.
From Lueyang, go east along Chencang Road and go straight to Hanzhong.
"By taking Feng County, our logistics supply line will be guaranteed, and then we can quickly move south to Lueyang.
If we capture Lueyang, we will have a smooth journey to Hanzhong."
Su Xiong waited until Li Fengming finished speaking, then he pointed at the map and asked: "Commander Li, after we occupied Feng County, why didn't we just go to Lianyun Road?
Cross the Qinling Mountains from Lianyun Road and enter the southern section of Baoxie Road near Liuba.
I think the total distance is faster than going straight to Chencang Road."
Li Fengming tapped the map with his hand and explained patiently: "It is close here, but it cannot guarantee the safety of the logistics supply line.
We took the Chencang Road, the old waterway of the Jialing River, which is very wide.
Lianyun Road is densely covered with planks and the enemy is burning the planks. We are in a dilemma.
Some parts of the Lianyun Road plank road are too narrow to allow grain trucks to pass through.
Why has Chencang Road and Baoxie Road been chosen in all attacks on Hanzhong from ancient times to the present?
Only these two roads have relatively gentle terrain and are wide enough to carry grain trucks.
There are no conditions for transporting grain trucks on other roads. How can the army fight if the logistics are cut off?
I have talked about Zhuge Liang's Northern Expedition route in "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms", but you haven't fully understood it yet."
When Su He saw that no one of the officers asked about the marching route, he stood up and said:
"The march route planned by Staff Officer Li is the safest march route.
Next, I will arrange the combat plans of each army."
"Second Brigade Commander Su Hu stayed in Baoji County, leaving behind the Second Brigade Artillery Battalion and the Second Brigade and Second Regiment.
If the Fengxiang Prefecture army attacks us, we can defend at the Weihe River defense line.
The governor of Shaanxi sent a large army to attack us and directly abandoned Baoji County and various villages.
Move all the people into the Qinling Mountains behind Dashan Pass.
We must stick to Dashan Pass, and we must not lose it here.
The heavy artillery of the artillery battalion cannot be transported through Chencang Road, and all of them are left at Dashan Pass for defense of the city."
Su Hu stood up and replied: "I guarantee the safety of Dashan Pass. With the heavy artillery defense of the artillery battalion, Dashan Pass will never be captured by the army."
While he was speaking, he glanced at Niu Siyuan, commander of the Second Brigade Artillery Battalion.
This Ming Dynasty general trained very hard and was very familiar with artillery.
Su He continued to deploy combat arrangements.
"Su Xiong led the first brigade in the main attack, and I took the remaining troops of the second brigade and the Guards Regiment as reserve troops.
As the attacking troops, the engineering battalions and artillery battalions must be mentally prepared to fight tough battles."
"After returning to the camp, do a good job in the ideological work of the soldiers, and we will officially set off tomorrow morning."
After Su He finished issuing the combat mission, the officers all left.
Su He called the county magistrate Li Zhisheng who had been waiting for a long time.
Li Zhisheng walked into the staff headquarters and immediately said to Su He: "Commander Su, I have already done the logistics work.
Organize 3,000 young men and mobilize more than 500 mule carts to transport logistics supplies.
We prepared fifteen thousand dan of grain and thirty carts of fodder.
Commander Su will open up the Chencang Road, and we will gradually transport the logistics supplies to the front line.
I have notified Wu Donglin and the three township chiefs who have performed well, and they have arrived at Dasan Pass."
After Su He listened to Li Zhisheng's report, he expressed satisfaction.
When a large army goes on an expedition, it only needs to bring a small amount of logistical supplies.
Others require transportation of supplies from the rear, and logistics routes cannot be cut off by the enemy.
With a steady stream of supplies arriving, the morale of the army will not collapse and the combat effectiveness will be maintained at its peak.
"Li Zhixian, I will lead the army to attack Hanzhong. If the Governor of Shaanxi organizes an encirclement and suppression by officers and soldiers, he will abandon the county seat as soon as possible.
Mobilize all the people and take them away by force if necessary. You will all hide in the Qinling Mountains south of Dashan Pass.
Now we must gradually transfer the county’s grain and store it in Dashan Pass.”
Su He solemnly confessed that as long as he captured Hanzhong Mansion, the Ming Dynasty bureaucrats would never be able to hide it, and Emperor Chongzhen of the Ming Dynasty would definitely be furious.
There was Chongzhen's uncle Zhu Changhao, King Rui, in Hanzhong Mansion. He would be the first Ming vassal king to be attacked by the rebels.
Emperor Chongzhen might be so angry that he would mobilize the entire country's troops to surround and suppress him.
Li Zhisheng immediately responded: "Commander Su, please rest assured. If the government and army launch a large-scale attack, I will definitely evacuate the people as soon as possible."
Su He went to meet the three township heads who performed well.
Honeysuckle, Deng Haoman, and Baicai have been standing in the yard waiting.
They knew that they were about to achieve great success and would soon be able to govern a county.
Su He looked at these three people and said, "You are all outstanding township heads.
When we attack Hanzhong Prefecture this time, you will be appointed magistrates of the counties we occupy. Based on our experience, after stabilizing the places, we will carry out work such as loaning land, liquidating the gentry, and recruiting troops.
Do you have the confidence to do this well?"
The three of them replied in unison: "Please rest assured, Commander Su, we are confident."
Su He warned: "You are different from others. In order to stabilize the place as soon as possible, you must move with the army.
There are certain risks, so those who are afraid can quit now."
After the three heard this, none of them quit.
No matter how great the risk is, it can still be greater than serving as an official for rebels.
"Then get ready to leave tomorrow."
Su He and Li Fengming came to the arsenal.
Li Fengming introduced to him: "Commander Su, each of our soldiers carries five grenades, and each platoon has eighty landmines.
The engineer battalion also prepared siege mines with large charges. After testing, five siege mines can blow down the city wall of Dashanguan."
Su He knew about the siege mine, which was a large iron cabinet two meters long, one meter wide and one meter high.
It is filled with granular gunpowder, and the power of the explosion is very powerful.
This is the siege method they prepared since heavy artillery cannot be transported.
Su He made reference to the siege methods of Leader Hong's Taiping Army and created a big killer weapon.
Su Wuniu and Zhang Dezhi were already waiting for them at the factory gate.
Su He walked over and explained: "We occupy Hanzhong, and most of the factory's production capacity will be transferred to Hanzhong.
Now the factory continues to maintain the production of gunpowder and weapons, providing sufficient ammunition for the front line.
At the same time, we must ensure that key forces can be mobilized at any time to quickly establish new factories.”
After Hanzhong was captured, the factory had to be relocated, and there was no development at all in Shaanxi now.
The biggest factor restricting the development of a factory is water shortage.
The Wei River is almost drying up, and the county can only guarantee water for people and livestock.
Wei Shiming's steel smelting work has not made any progress because of lack of water.