Using Lu County to mobilize Youbeiping, and then using Youbeiping to mobilize Western Liaoning, this is a big move and requires a lot of preparations in advance.
Liu Xiang sent scouts in disguise to inquire about the situation in the two counties, and also found people familiar with Lu County to inquire about the defenders' intelligence as a basis for formulating a plan. This took time.
During this period, Liu Xiang decided to capture Anle and Pinggu counties first.
Anle is a lower county, forty miles southwest of Hunu. The yellow book records that there are more than 6,000 households and less than 40,000 people.
Pinggu is even smaller, more than 80 miles east of Hunu, with more than 2,000 households and a population of more than 10,000.
During the time when the fox slaves were dividing their fields, more than 10,000 people fled Anle. Liu Xiang was worried that all the people in Anle would be gone in a few days.
Mainly because he was worried that these people would starve to death in Hunu, he ordered Cui Yi to gather them all and told the people that in a few days he would bring them peace and quiet and then allocate their fields to them.
These people are very enthusiastic and shout every day: "Restore peace and happiness, abolish the harsh government and divide the land, so that everyone has food to eat and clothing to wear."
With the support of these people, Liu Xiang led his troops to march to Anle City, and people continued to join him all the way, which was quite a bit like eating pots of pulp to welcome the king's army.
This time Liu Xiang led the Fifth Battalion of the Chinese Army and the Anping Left Army. After half a month of recruiting troops, the Fifth Battalion of the Chinese Army had added 5,000 men.
The number of Xiaoqi is one thousand two hundred.
Hu's cavalry numbered one thousand four hundred.
The guard army and the shooting sound are all thousands of people.
Four hundred hit the bases.
Equipped with 2,400 iron armors and 2,600 leather armors.
In addition to the three hundred iron armors and one thousand leather armors of the left and right armies, the armor in Yuyang's treasury has been exhausted. After that, the formation of the front and rear armies can only wait for the craftsman to supervise the construction.
Along the way, more than 15,000 Anle people gathered to help transport the luggage. The large group of people shouted the slogan "Abolish the harsh government and divide the land", and their morale was very high.
Five miles away from Anle City, the army was camped. It was risky to camp so close to the city. Liu Xiang had his own plan.
It is said that if there are more than 10,000 people, there will be no borders. When marching, I just felt that the team was very long and I couldn't see the edge at a glance. Now they gathered together to set up camp. Liu Xiang really understood what it meant to be surrounded by mountains and plains.
Those who cut down trees and build strongholds, dig trenches, level roads, and place deer antlers all saw human heads everywhere, just like dug ant nests. Liu Xiang was very glad that he did not have trypophobia.
The Chinese army set up camp in the front, the left army guarded the baggage at the back, and the people camped alone at the back.
When night came, Liu Xiang and Cui Yi patrolled the camp together, chatting while walking.
"My lord, Anle is a small county, why do you need to go to such trouble?"
"Zi'an didn't know that he received a report the day before yesterday that the Yellow Turban Army had captured Jixian County and captured the entire territory of Guangyang.
Anle is not far from Guangyang, and I'm afraid Cheng Zhiyuan will go north."
Cui Yi suddenly realized.
"My lord insists on setting up camp five miles away from the city, is it because he and An Le are at odds with each other to resist the Yellow Turbans?"
Liu Xiang nodded and said: "We will go out to perform martial arts tomorrow. If Anle does not surrender, we will have no choice but to attack the city. I don't like to attack the city forcefully, as the damage will be too great."
"My lord, no one will die in a war. Don't be too soft-hearted."
"I also know the principle of not being in charge of troops. I just want to minimize casualties. Zian advises me that I already know it and will pay attention to it in the future."
"Everyone knows how much my lord loves his nurses and soldiers, and everyone is grateful."
Liu Xiang waved his hand, saying that it was useless to listen to such flattery, so he changed the subject and said: "The night watch must be arranged properly, so as not to be attacked at night."
"Don't worry, my lord, there are lighting fires outside the camp, a watchtower has been set up in the camp, patrols and security personnel are in place, and sentries have been sent to the four gates of Anle. Anyone who dares to attack at night will never come back."
The two chatted for a few more words and then went back to their tents to rest.
On the second day, cook rice at Mao hour and leave the camp at Chen hour.
Groups of soldiers formed up outside the camp, leaving a thousand soldiers from the left to guard the camp.
Guard the army, shoot the sound, the middle base is the center army, the left army is the left wing, the Hu cavalry is the right wing, and the Xiao cavalry is the rear formation.
The troops were waiting in full formation. Liu Xiang ordered the trumpets to be blown to wake up the troops, and the flag bearers of the guards raised the tooth flag high.
The tooth flag is the main general's flag. Liu Xiang's tooth flag is two feet high, red, with the word Liu embroidered on it. He did not prepare a large banner, and he felt that the current level was not enough.
Raising the fang flag is to tell the soldiers in the camp that the general is here.
Liu Xiang ordered the five-color flag to be waved. The five-color flag is the military flag, with green on the left and white on the right, red in the front and black in the back, and yellow in the middle. It is used to mobilize the front, rear, left, and right military formations.
The central army waved the five-color order flag, and each battalion also waved the smaller five-color flag, and the flags of each team also waved. All the soldiers shouted: "Wonderful victory!" This means that the military order is flowing smoothly, and this is the response flag.
Liu Xiang ordered the five-color flag to lean forward and beat the drums to urge the troops. The sound of the drums at this time was rhythmic, indicating that he was ordering all the troops to advance together. A single colored flag leaning forward meant that a certain group was ordered to advance.
The five-color flags of each battalion waved and leaned forward to indicate receipt of military orders. The flags of each team moved forward in accordance with the orders. The soldiers of each battalion maintained their military formation and marched forward to the rhythm of the drums.
Because there were many veterans serving as grassroots officers, the order delivery was relatively smooth. This was Liu Xiang's first time fighting in formation, and he was quite satisfied with the effect.
The army marched to Anle, and the Shesheng battalion pushed the oar carts and stopped one hundred and fifty steps away from the moat. Behind each oar cart was a team of crossbowmen, ready to advance forward to suppress the city and support the follow-up troops.
The guard camp lined up behind the crossbowmen to guard against enemy forces charging into the formation.
If necessary, Liu Xiang can organize civilians to fill the river with sand and soil at any time, and then order the left army to attack the city.
But he didn't do that. He was observing the reactions of the soldiers in each battalion. It was very good, at least he didn't see any cowardice and fear of fighting yet.
The military formations below the city stood quietly, but the city was in chaos.
Yesterday, the Anle County Magistrate wanted to open the city and surrender, but the big families in the city refused, so he had to recruit young men to defend the city.
Today, a large army is approaching the city, with a tight formation and all the war equipment. How can we defend it? The people under the city are not refugees, and the city wall alone cannot stop them.
He wanted to surrender again.
Liu Xiang saw the panic at the top of the city and the frightened defenders, so he sent people to persuade him to surrender: "In Anle County, the people are weak and weak, like tired eggs. Why not surrender early? If you provoke the anger of the army and break the city, you will all be killed."
General Anping punished the people and punished them, abolished the harsh government and divided the land, and everyone was fed and clothed. Why should the soldiers in the city work with others? If we don't surrender now, when will we wait?"
After hearing the people advising to surrender, and looking at the young man who was guarding the city with a strange expression, Magistrate Anle quickly said loudly: "I am willing to surrender, I am willing to surrender."
He was afraid that it would be too late and his head would be in danger.
Hearing him say surrender, the defenders on the city cheered. It was great that there was no need to fight.
The magistrate of Anle County quickly ordered people to open the city gate, took the yellow album, the map, and the seal ribbon. He led a group of envoys to kneel in front of Liu Xiang's horse, raised his hands high, presented the album, and said respectfully: "Chief Anle Qi Feng, with his
My subordinate envoy is willing to surrender to the general."
The purpose of training soldiers and making an emergency landing was achieved. Liu Xiang was in a good mood. He ordered people to collect the atlas and arranged for the guard camp to enter the city to take control of the city's defense. He also said to Qi Feng: "Qi Jun, please rise. Don't be afraid. If there is no disability,
I will not make things difficult for people if they harm their lives."
The Hujun camp was in charge of various city defenses, and after signaling safety, Liu Xiang ordered Yan Rou to lead Hu Qiying and Zuojun to the camp outside the city, and Cui Yi followed him into the city.
After reading the yellow book, he arrested powerful landowners, ordered Yan Rou to lead troops to sweep the forts outside the city, ordered Shu Zuo to imitate the old stories of the fox slaves, and led people to divide the fields one by one in each village.
Liu Xiang turned his attention to the Yellow Turbans in Guangyang, and the intelligence gathered by the scouts continued to gather. Cheng Zhiyuan gathered 50,000 to 60,000 Yellow Turbans in Jixian County, with unknown intentions.