Because the marching route cannot stray too far from the water source, Wang Zheng's army has been marching along the river these days, and the route is roughly in a wave shape.
In the dead of winter, rivers freeze, lakes and streams dry up, and it takes a lot of time to cut ice to collect water. In addition, many factors such as the baggage fleet are taken into consideration, so the team's progress slows down.
When they reached the outermost peaks of the Taiyi Mountains, Zhang Rao and Pan Zhang combined the words of some elders in the team and inferred that they had officially entered the territory of Xuzhou Langya Kingdom.
If we count it from Linzi, this is already the twenty-third day of the army's departure.
After estimating the progress and looking at the sky, Wang Zheng took appropriate measures and issued the order to set up camp.
In accordance with Wang Zheng's request, the army found a flat place as much as possible and began to set fire to the forest.
Of course, there are certain things to do when setting fire to open space. Otherwise, if a forest fire breaks out and 10,000 of your own troops are burned in, it will be ridiculous.
As the ground burns to white ash, it not only becomes much harder to walk on, but also by spreading a layer of hay or branches and placing bedding on top, it will be warmer when you sleep on it at night and you will not get damp.
The simple camp was ready, and more heavenly troops were busy.
The Tianfu soldiers from the brigade carried wooden barrels to fetch water from a stream more than a mile away. There were also dedicated personnel to cut down trees and cut firewood, level the camp and set up tents, patrol and light fires, and boil water for cooking...
As a time traveler, the first real science popularization that Wang Zheng has given his subordinates so far is that drinking raw water is strictly prohibited.
No matter how thirsty you are, you must boil water.
It relies on strict regulations like these that have been stipulated since the beginning of the army and that many people do not understand at all (such as the corpses of both the enemy and ours must be buried immediately on the spot, etc.).
Coupled with the physical enhancement after the blessing of the system, since the incident, his team has been free from the diseases that most other armies in this world often suffer from.
It is said that one of the reasons for Cao Cao's defeat in the Battle of Chibi was also because the northern soldiers were not accustomed to the acclimatization of the south, and there was widespread sexual violence.
...
It was very busy and lively outside the tent.
In the tent, Wang Zheng and a group of generals stared at a map at the same time and started discussing it.
"Is Yunting ahead?"
Looking at Zhang Rao, Wang Zheng asked.
"General, that's right." Zhang Rao replied respectfully, with a face filled with emotion.
"Yunting is the only way for me to go from Qingzhou to Xuzhou. Now that I see Yunting, Dongguan is not far away, and Langya has already set foot on it."
"Langye Country County No. 51, the Shu River flows out of the northwest mountain of Langye Dongguan. It seems that this is the right direction." Yu Jin added from the side: "According to historical records, Yunting is facing a natural iron ore to the east.
, in the past Spring and Autumn Period, the State of Lu built a city for this reason.”
"Is this true?"
Wang Zheng raised his head and looked at Yu Jin in surprise. He saw that the other party thought for a moment, as if reminiscing, and then nodded affirmatively. Wang Zheng thought for a while and said:
"In this case, we will inform the whole army later that we will take a short rest tonight, take Yunting first tomorrow, and then rest for a day, and then we can visit Langya again in the next year."
You were so impatient to set off before, but now you've arrived at Langya, why can't you stand still?
The generals of the Heavenly Army looked at each other, then looked at Wang Zheng looking east, and suddenly realized.
That's right. The journey in the cold winter has already allowed my team to survive with difficulty. If we go to attack the city again, it is really not suitable.
What's more, although the Heavenly Army started out with less equipment than other Yellow Turban armies, it has always been at a disadvantage compared to the official army.
Since there is an iron mine in Yunting, it is a good opportunity to forge iron and improve the army's equipment by one or two...
A small town like Yuting can be visited in half a day, and the Heavenly Army has plenty of food, and there is also the Shushui River nearby, so there is no shortage of water sources.
They can rest here for a while and take the opportunity to train their troops. It seems more appropriate to wait until the ice melts and the snow disappears and the spring flowers bloom to launch the offensive.
"The soldiers really need to recuperate for a period of time to restore their morale." Xu Fang pondered for a while and said: "Just like this, it is inevitable that we will lose the advantage of being unprepared."
"The attack on Yunting is just like that of Zhao County." Wang Zheng smiled confidently: "As long as we don't let people go, the officers and soldiers of Langya will only know that a group of bandits have entered the country."
"good!"
Pan Zhang echoed: "It took less than a month for my army to rush here from Linzi. The road in the cold winter was difficult and the wind and snow were thick, but it happened to cover up the whereabouts of my army along the way. It can indeed conceal our true identity in a short period of time."
Wang Zheng nodded.
In fact, he has another idea.
Needless to say, Xuzhou's original power was severely damaged by Cao Cao's massacre, so even if it was discovered, it would actually be fine.
And according to the calculation of time, Cao Cao and Lu Bu are currently fighting fiercely in Puyang, so it doesn't matter if they wait until the end of the month.
Just give them time to ferment and let them fight until both sides suffer, and then you can attack Xuzhou unscrupulously.
At this time point, it is perfect!
As the generals expressed their agreement one after another, Wang Zheng wanted Wu Sheng to go out and spread the news to the entire army.
After learning that the Heavenly Army would take a month's rest after capturing the small county ahead tomorrow, the entire camp was shaken by cheers.
I had a lot of complaints and doubts due to the snowstorm on the road, but now I can finally breathe a sigh of relief.
...
But everyone in the tent continued to discuss.
How to capture Langya.
Or to be more precise, Xuzhou.
In the current Heavenly Army, this kind of topic is still prohibited from being initiated by people who have both strategy and experience.
And knowing that he will achieve great success in the royal government in the future, he is also happy to do so.
"Xuzhou has five counties: Langya, Pengcheng, Donghai, Xiapi and Guangling."
Yu Jin pointed to the simple map and talked: "Langya is in the northernmost part of Xuzhou. Above it are Qijun and Beihaijun in Qingzhou. Qijun is where we came from, no need to say more."
"Beihai, the county guard is currently Kong Rong, who has good relations with Tao Qian of Xuzhou. When Cao Cao attacked Xuzhou, he was weak and did not dare to help, but if we wait..."
Having said this, Yu Qing paused, looked at Wang Zheng, and stopped talking.
"We and the Yellow Turban Rebels are naturally not as important as Cao Cao here in Kong Beihai." Wang Zheng smiled and looked at Zhang Rao:
"Captain Zhang, I remember that you spent some time in Beihai before. What is Kong Rong's military strategy ability? What is his army's combat capability?"
"The civil society is acceptable, and the people's popularity is also high." As an old rival, Zhang Rao did not criticize directly, but said relaxedly: "If we attack Beihai, if he climbs up and shouts, the unity of the army and the people may be a little difficult to grasp. If we take the initiative to attack.
..Hey."
"We also need to mention one or two." Wang Zheng concluded and signaled Yu Jin to continue.
"To the west is Taishan County, which is now Cao Cao's sphere of influence." Yu Jin said: "But he is currently fighting with Lu Bu in Puyang. Even if he wins, I am afraid he will try his best to regain the entire territory of Yanzhou first, followed by Qingzhou, and then Xuzhou and Xuzhou.
It’s unlikely that we’ll be in trouble.”
"Cao Cao in Puyang will be defeated!"
Wang Zheng said categorically.
Everyone was stunned. Just as they were about to ask questions, Wang Zheng pointed his halberd to the sky before even saying anything, so they all said "Oh". They understood and were immediately convinced.
"Then Xi Mian has nothing to worry about anymore." Yu Jin looked happy, and the person who once scorned him the most has now become a fanatical believer.
"To the east of Langya is the sea, so it doesn't matter."
"The general terrain is like this. General, in my opinion, assume that we have captured Langya County."
Yu Jin picked up a stick and clicked on the map:
"To the west, there is no need to think about it. To the north, Qi County has no soldiers and generals, its vitality is severely damaged, and Beihai is more than defended. The limited army troops are not enough to guard against us. We have to go out to attack. Kong Rong does not have such courage!"
"To the south are the two counties of Donghai and Pengcheng. Pengcheng has just been massacred by Cao Cao. I'm afraid that even if Tao Qian returns this place, he won't dare to transfer his soldiers easily to prevent accidents."
After analyzing the three directions, Yu Jin made a conclusion about the situation in Langya County.
"In the next period of time, if we capture Langya, we only need to capture Kong Rong of Beihai in the northeast!"
After saying this, he looked at Wang Zheng, waiting for the other party to speak.
The analysis of the situation could be done by his subordinate Yu Jin, but the strategic decisions could only be made through the mouth of the king.
Obviously, Wang Zheng had already planned how to attack Langya and even Xuzhou.
"After capturing Langya, we immediately went straight to Pengcheng without stopping!"
Wang Zheng is located in the far west of the Xuzhou map.
Pengcheng, together with Yanmen Pass, Tongguan, Xiangyang, Hanzhong and Shanhaiguan, is one of the six great passes in China since ancient times.
The so-called "an important town in the south, the key to the north gate".
There is a saying that the gains and losses of Pengcheng are the rise and fall of the north and south of Zhuanguan.
This was an important military town in the eastern part of the Central Plains in ancient times. It was a hub of water and land transportation. It could be said that it was at the junction of the three states and a battleground for military strategists.
Like Linzi, Pengcheng also has a high wall of more than ten meters and a wide moat.
Different from Linzi, a world-famous pass like Pengcheng is already extremely "easy to defend but difficult to attack"!
Most of Xuzhou is a plain area, but just around Pengcheng, it is surrounded by high mountains and rivers.
This became an excellent defensive fortress on the Huanghuai Plain.
Of course, Pengcheng has been attacked many times in history, and its invulnerability is not as impressive as that of Xiangyang.
But it is worth mentioning that most of the failures were caused by the city defenders taking the initiative to attack.
For example, in the past, when Chu and Han ministers, Liu Bang and Xiang Yu fought fiercely here, Liu Bang took the initiative...
That's understandable, at least there will be more Han soldiers.
But when Pengcheng was defeated recently, Tao Qian also took the initiative to attack Cao Cao and voluntarily gave up the unique geographical advantages of Pengcheng, which was incomprehensible to both the current and future generations.
The significance of Pengcheng to Xuzhou is like that of Jiange to Shuchuan and Xiangyang to Jingzhou.
Wang Zheng has even thought about the candidates to defend the city after he captures it. With his officially certified talent in the riding and slashing system and such a strategic location, it can be said that he has the right time, right place, and the best of all three.
He can then safely carry out internal purges in Xuzhou.
Moreover, the significance of Pengcheng is not only military, but also economically important.
Xuzhou has been an important transportation artery connecting north and south since ancient times, and is known as the "thorough of five provinces".
Rivers such as Surabaya, Yishui and the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal all flow through here.
Frequent business travel brings no tax or economic profit, which is not comparable to that of ordinary cities.
"So, do you understand the key point of our plot in Xuzhou?"
Wang Zheng introduced in detail, and Yu Jin supplemented. After talking like this for more than half an hour, Wang Zheng clicked on Langya County on the map, then clicked on Pengcheng, and finally clicked on the location of Yunting where the Heavenly Army is currently located.
Then he sat back in the main seat.
Having said all that needs to be said, Wang Zheng felt that it was time to test his generals.
In fact, the intelligence has shown that any qualified commander can come up with similar decisions. As for the generals promoted by Wang Zheng, except for a few initial laughs such as Wu Sheng, whether they banned Pan Zhang or Zhang Rao,
Chen Jiao was either a captain in the regular army or the leader of a party. Regardless of his level of military literacy, he at least had it.
"After we capture Langya, we will first pretend to attack the East China Sea and encircle it instead of attacking it, so as to attract Pengcheng officers and soldiers to come to rescue."
"Once Pengcheng's defenders come out, immediately eliminate them, and then either attack by force or pretend to be officers and soldiers to return from suppressing the bandits and trick them into opening the Xiongguan gate." Xu Fang pondered for a moment and was the first to speak:
"As long as we have Pengcheng in our hands, we don't have to worry about the intervention of several forces in the west, and can turn around and calmly deal with the remaining three counties of Xuzhou!"
Looking at Xu Fang's confident expression, Wang Zheng nodded approvingly.
There may still be details that need to be perfected, but overall, it's pretty much what he thought.
This is what heroes think alike.
...
It has been nearly a month since Wang Zheng left Linzi, but the city still has not welcomed a new ruler.
The noble gentry each have many talents, and they can cope with people's livelihood and government affairs, but the lack of enough troops makes everyone feel a little anxious.
Yan Mansion at this time.
Yan Chu, who was very good at nourishing qi, frowned unusually at the pile of bamboo slips in his hand.
This is a summary compiled after the Heavenly Army left Linzi and various prominent families sent a large number of manpower to Zhao County to investigate.
Put aside, there are also the results of the Yan family's own independent investigation.
Two investigations from different channels showed that Wang Zheng's life experience, including the final conclusions, were completely consistent.
That is, eight generations of Wang Zheng’s ancestors were honest farmers, and so was Wang Zheng himself. Until the beginning of the army, he had never even left Zhao County!
As for the other party's footprints when he participated in the Yellow Turban Rebellion in Qingzhou, it has not been known yet.
But in Yan Fu's view, that is no longer important.
Some things can only be determined by one’s birthplace!
However, looking at the handwriting on all the messages, Yan Fu had a look of disbelief.
Thinking of the opponent's various performances since the uprising, as well as the mysterious cavalry team of several hundred, Yan Chu shook his head subconsciously.
How can this be?
It doesn’t make sense!
At this time, Yan Chu happened to walk in.
"Who is responsible for investigating this information?"
Yan Fu looked at his son, snorted coldly, and asked suddenly.
"Zhao Lin."
"Huh." Yan Fu waved his sleeves and said angrily: "These people have become more and more perfunctory in the past few years since you have been in charge."
"I'm not so dim-sighted that I can't see people! How could a villager who has never left the county town, traveled around the world, and been taught by a famous teacher develop such a demeanor, vision, and style?"
"Are you going to tell me that the other party got it when a group of people were begging for food?"
"Also, I don't know if the other party was in the rebellion of the Yellow Turban bandits back then."
"You obviously didn't check carefully!"
"Father, calm down." Yan Chu quickly tried to persuade him, and at the same time expressed his position: "I also felt very conflicted when I received the information. But this information has been verified repeatedly by them, and there is no way it is false."
"impossible!"
Yan Fu categorically denied the authenticity of the information and said without any doubt: "Tell them to check again! Although Wang Zheng and the others have left, I have a hunch that this matter may not be over yet! He will most likely return to Linzi!"
"
“Only when you know yourself and the enemy can you win a hundred battles.”
"We must find out the real roots of this bastard!"