Thousands of doors are unlocked and thousands of lights are lit, and the imperial capital is moved in the middle of the first lunar month.
Three hundred people danced with sleeves, and for a while the sound of lyrics was heard in the sky.
——"Lights on the Fifteenth Night of the First Month" by Zhang Hu (Tang Dynasty)
…
Starting from the Battle of Chishui Lake, Liu Zhan's navy fought with the Tang army on and off for three weeks. These three weeks were the three weeks when the rebels' logistics supplies continued to deteriorate.
The rebel navy was first frustrated at the gates of Jiangning, breaking its plan to make a quick victory and go straight to the lower reaches. Then it suffered a major defeat at Chishui Lake. After returning to Jiangning, the two armies fought on the Yangtze River, fighting three times in four days. In the battle, the Tang navy clearly had the upper hand.
Liu Zhan fell into Bai Fu's plan and stayed in Jiangning for too long, running out of food and grass. The food and grass allocated by the rebel general Fu Ziang from Jiangning was intercepted by the Tang army.
Before heading down the river to attack Baisha, Liu Zhan sent hundreds of boats to plunder Dangtu's grain. Bai Fu sent Jiang Sharer and frogmen to sneak into the water and launch a surprise attack, burning all the rebel grain boats. Liu Zhan didn't grab a grain of rice.
Liu Zhan ran out of food and supplies, and his situation became increasingly difficult.
The rebels' strategic goals failed one by one, and the soldiers of the three armies were shaken, including coach Liu Zhan. This was more fatal than the loss of men, horses, food and grass.
Next, the two armies faced off in the Baisha area. For four consecutive days, the two sides were either fighting or repairing ships in preparation for war. This series of battles was an unexpected encounter for the rebels. The rebels' strength was seriously damaged and they needed to rest and recuperate. , buy time to formulate new strategies within your capabilities.
General Wang Zhongsi once said to Bai Fu that when two armies confront each other, they may appear to be thousands of troops, but in fact, the real confrontation is often only between the chief generals of both sides.
At the Tang army's camp, the cannons were fired and the tents were raised.
After several days of argumentative discussions, Liu Zhan finally overcame all opinions and made an arbitrary decision: even the warships and the formation of battle formations!
Bai Fu stretched out his hand to pull out the command arrow: "Ding Jiuqu, Sheng Hailiu listens to the command."
This is the most difficult and cruel test for the master:
The war is about to break out.
Now, Liu Zhan's rebels have no time. They are impoverished and at a loss of ground. They must either give it a try or sit back and wait for death.
During this period of time, Huyan Tieyi and Yuchi Hussar led the Anbei Tingqi cavalry respectively, swept through several rebel infantry and cavalry armies, and completely controlled the land routes in Yangzhou and Runzhou.
Bai Fu made up his mind to intercept the rebels in the Guazhou area and prevent them from reaching Jiangyin. If the rebel navy wanted to break through the blockade, it must first break through the shore defense of Baisha, and then engage in a decisive battle with the Tang army's navy in Guazhou.
On the commander's desk are placed the commander's seal, the command flag, and command arrows, as well as the Thousand Ox Sword given to Bai Fu by Su Zong, which is actually the Shang Fang Sword. It means that His Majesty the Emperor is watching here.
As soon as these words came out, Liu Yin was very anxious and hurriedly advised: "Brother, no! Cao Cao used this tactic during the Battle of Chibi. As a result, Zhou Yu burned Chibi. Hundreds of thousands of Cao's warships were destroyed, and their ships and oars were reduced to ashes."
Bai Fu stood up, cupped his fists and said, "Generals, the decisive battle is imminent. As the commander-in-chief, I am responsible for the lives of tens of thousands of soldiers. I will obey the law and will not be lenient.
Different positions lead to different opinions. I bet someone has ulterior motives and wants to lure you into a trap. Even if it is a loyal father, son and brother, it does not mean that his suggestion is necessarily the best option.
This navy camp is well-established and well-organized. Twenty-four water gates in the water village open to the south, and warships surround the city. There are water alleys inside. Small boats are hidden in the middle, and small boats can go back and forth. There are lanes with orderly ups and downs, making it very convenient for water battles.
You only have one chance.
After the navy of the Tang Army arrived at Guazhou, they set up camp and set up fortifications.
The drums of the three generals gathered together, and Bai Fu strode into the big tent with the curtain raised.
The generals gathered at their heads to sound the drums, all the generals wore helmets and armor, their robes were belted, their belongings were tied up, and their whole bodies were neatly dressed;
Even if there are a cloud of counselors and a rain of fierce generals, it is just that when making decisions, everyone speaks their own opinions in your ear and lets you make a choice.
The generals of the Tang army cheered for joy, as auspicious omens were especially needed before the battle.
Winning doesn't necessarily mean you can win once and for all.
In the end, it is up to the commander to pool his wisdom and act arbitrarily.
Bai Futong, dressed in military uniform, sat down on the big tiger-skin chair, looking majestic and murderous. The generals' ambitions suddenly rose.
All generals obey the order!"
Bai Fu stretched out his hand to pull out the second command arrow: "Yue Huzhu, Pei Pokong listens to the command."
"In a large-scale battle, there will be countless moments of close combat and life-and-death battles. But there is only one opportunity that is most suitable for a decisive battle. Those who can seize this opportunity are the heirs of military strategists!"
Now, it is the first month of winter, and the northwest wind blows on the river. Only the southeast wind can send the fire to the north of the river. It is extremely difficult to attack with fire."
Bai Fu didn't talk much, and his orders were concise and clear.
For a fire attack to succeed, the key is the direction of the wind. Therefore, there is a saying that "Zhuge Liang borrows the east wind".
…
Our army occupies the upper reaches of the Shangjiang River and has a terrain advantage.
…
"I have appointed you two as vanguard officers, each leading a fleet to open the way and intercept the rear, to set an example for the entire army."
"Obey the order." Generals Ding and Sheng stepped forward to take the order arrow and stood aside.
Bai Fu wears a bright silver three-chambered helmet with handsome characters on his head, with red tassels floating in the air, and pheasant tails inserted into both sides. He wears soft armor, a plain satin-colored war robe, and a sword under his ribs. Although it is not unsheathed, he has a murderous intention.
Although Jiang Sha'er was standing in the corner of the tent, Bai Fu's majesty had already overwhelmed him.
"promise!"
Liu Zhan held combat meetings for several days in a row to brainstorm and summarize the experience of these days of naval warfare. The generals agreed that the reason why Liu Zhan's navy suffered repeated defeats was because the fleet failed to implement coordinated tactical principles and failed to bring all parties together.
The ships work closely together to maximize their advantages in terms of the size of the giant ship.
"Order you two to be the second group of troops, and lead two infantry and cavalry troops to station in Baisha and Dangtu respectively, and lock them across the river to block their return route."
…
"Here!" All the generals shouted in unison: "Commander, please give me the order."
"Stand back and stand on both sides." The civil and military personnel stood on both sides, and the whole tent was silent.
Ding Jiuqu and Sheng Hailiu each led a fleet, cruising on the Yangtze River slightly upstream of Guazhou, crossing the river and inviting them to return.
Everyone must strictly abide by military orders, and anyone who disobeys them will be killed!
In addition, Dangtu in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River also set up fences and garrisoned troops for defense. The mission of the Tang army in Dangtu was: if the rebel general Fu Ziang from Jiangzhou came to rescue, they would be the last barrier to Fu Ziang's navy. If Liu Zhanjun went up the river,
Fleeing up the river, Dangtu's troops alone could intercept the rebels and prevent them from escaping to Jiangzhou.
If the Tang army wants to go upstream and attack our army, it must rely on oars. Ordinary warships fight against the current, which is often thankless and laborious, and they may lose troops or generals if they are not careful.
After the battles of Chishui Lake and Jiangning, the rebel navy suffered heavy losses, but it did not collapse and was probably stronger than the Tang navy. Bai Fu had to use the infantry forces from Baisha and Dangtu to supplement the Tang navy.
shortcomings.
All the civil and military officials bowed and saluted: "See you, Commander-in-Chief."
As soon as the general order came out, the carpenters and blacksmiths in the military industrial camp rushed to work at night. In just three days, Liu Zhan's warships were all nailed together, connected with front and rear iron cables, and the decks were covered with wide and thick wooden boards. The warships lined up on the riverside, like a It was a small island, flat and stable. The rebel infantrymen jumped back and forth on the ship as if they were walking on flat ground. Not only people could fight, but even the horses could gallop and charge on the deck.
The drums of the generals of the second group were beating, the sword and ax hands, the binding hands, the middle officers and the flag officers gathered in the big tent;
Bai Fu finally gave the order for the main force of the Tang Army's navy to move to Guazhou.
There are only firewood and kerosene on the fire ship, and no one is there. If the fire ship is allowed to go upstream, it must rely on the wind, and it must have a strong wind that lasts for a long time and is strong enough to blow northwest. If there is no wind, the Tang army will launch a fire attack. To steal the chicken but lose the rice, burn your own warship first.
After the order was issued, Yue Huzhu and Pei Pookong led two infantry and cavalry armies to station in Baisha and Dangtu respectively, locking the river with iron locks and erecting fences for defense.
While the main force of the Tang Army's navy was sailing, a strange phenomenon suddenly appeared on the Yangtze River:
"There were two big fish with abnormal scales. They appeared in the waves. They got on the boat and went straight upstream past Xiaogu. Everyone thought they were dragon clouds."
Liu Zhan realized that a fleet of large warships would naturally be deployed in a concentrated formation. To take full advantage of the strengths of his giant ships, it was necessary to ensure group assaults. However, ships traveling at different speeds could not guarantee uniformity, so he creatively came up with the idea An idea: connect the ships with iron cables! In this way, you can turn a water battle into a land battle, and your own Songzhou cavalry can charge and gallop on the deck to repel the enemy.
Just when Bai Fu was dispatching his troops and generals, the rebels were not idle either.
"Here!" Generals Ding and Sheng lifted up their shirts and stepped out to receive orders.
However, Xu Yi and other generals did not think so, saying: "Soldiers have no constant momentum, and water has no constant shape. This moment is the same as that moment.
But if you lose, you will lose everything.
If one son falls, the general will be destroyed, the country will be destroyed, millions of corpses will be buried, and blood will be shed for thousands of miles!