Chapter 261 Overnight, the situation changed drastically
Chapter 261: Overnight, the situation changed drastically
The junction of Yongzhou Prefecture in Huguang and Guangdong and Guangxi provinces is at the end of Nanling.
In the south of Yongzhou Prefecture, there are many small ethnic groups, so the Ningyuan Guards Office in Yongzhou Prefecture is also located in Daozhou, at the southern end of Yongzhou Prefecture. Further to the south, there are Taochuan, Loquat, and Jintian, which guard this place with strong folk customs.
At this moment, north of Jintian Suo in the southeastern corner of Yongzhou Prefecture, is the famous Jiuyi Mountain.
The reason why Jiuyi Mountain is famous all over the world is not only the majestic peaks, caves and stream landscapes, but also mainly because of one person: Shun.
Legend has it that this is where Emperor Shun's mausoleum is located, and that Queen E's daughter Ying came here to look for Emperor Shun. After learning that Emperor Shun died, she shed her blood and tears and left behind the Xiang Fei Bamboo.
For thousands of years, Qu Yuan, Sima Qian, Cai Yong, Li Bai, Li Shangyin... countless literati and poets have left poems here. Since the Qin and Han Dynasties, many emperors of the past dynasties have also paid tribute to Emperor Shun from afar, or sent officials to worship on his behalf.
At the eastern foot of Jiuyi Mountain is Lanshan County, which is under the jurisdiction of Guiyang Prefecture under Hengzhou Prefecture. This Lanshan County still guards the annexed Ningxi Prefecture.
At this moment, a thousand-household house that originally had less than a thousand people had grown to nearly 4,000 people, guarding the southwest corner of the rebel forces in the second prefectures of Hengzhou and Chenzhou.
With less than 4,000 men able to defend here, the first reason is because of the rugged terrain, and the second reason is that the 5,000 men and horses mobilized from Guangdong have to be divided into two places.
In the direction of Lechang, they attacked Lanshan County of Hengzhou Prefecture and Yizhang County of Chenzhou Prefecture.
In the process of implementing the new law in Guangdong, it was really difficult to mobilize all the troops, so the army crossed the Nanling Mountains and invaded Hengzhou Prefecture and Chenzhou Prefecture.
Dai Yunlai from Qianhu in Ningxi Institute has been "promoted" to the rank of general, and now he just feels very relaxed.
There is really a lot of time left for him, so he is now more and more prepared.
Even if the Yongzhou Prefecture's Ningyuan Guards, Taochuan, Loquat, and Jintian could mobilize more troops, they would still have to cross Jiuyi Mountain to attack Lanshan County.
Even if the Guangdong soldiers crossed the Nanling Mountains, he could still lead his troops on the boats that had been prepared, sail down the Kuai River, and quickly retreat to Guiyang Prefecture and even Leiyang.
At least for now, Guiyang Prefecture, Changning County and Lanshan County in the north are still in close contact, and everyone is safe and sound.
Dai Yunlai patrolled the city defenses and nearby outposts outside the city as usual.
The strategy is very simple, just defend the city.
The location of Lanshan County itself is like a pass, with a very high terrain. Several large rivers originate from Jiuyi Mountain and flow from southeast to northwest.
If the imperial army does not attack Lanshan County but goes deep into the hinterland of Guiyang Prefecture, the capital of Hengzhou, it will be attacked from both sides. Even if it wants to retreat, the mountains of Nanling are no joke.
And if it is just to defend the city and surround it ten times, how can the imperial court mobilize tens of thousands or even twenty or thirty thousand troops to surround this small Lanshan County?
"Is there any movement to the west and south?"
"The outpost on the mountain came to report every two hours, but no trace of the enemy was seen."
Dai Yunlai nodded relaxedly.
Or is it that the Governor is planning Wushuang? Why should he go to Changsha Prefecture? How can Changsha Prefecture be as easy to defend as Hengzhou Prefecture?
As long as the imperial army is unable to attack for a long time and has a slight intention of retreating, he can lead the army to attack Ningyuan and Daozhou. If he can conquer the Yongzhou First Guard and the Three Prefectures, Hengzhou, Chenzhou, and Yongzhou will be easy to defend but difficult to attack.
, the Guangxi army that has reached the west of Hengyang City has no way out!
"How's it going over there at Canghe Fort?"
This Canghe Fort is now an important pass on the west bank of the Kuishui River in the north of Lanshan County. Dai Yunlai divided 400 elite troops and 600 brave men to go there. It was Ningxi's retreat in case the situation went bad.
"Safe and safe!"
"Okay, don't slack off! As long as winter comes, you can sit back and relax."
When Dai Yunlai thought he was at peace, there was a continuous mountain range to the north of Canghe Fort, called Dupan Mountain.
A large river also originates from Pangling, formerly known as Zhongshui. After it met with Kuishui not far north of Canghebao, a larger river was formed, named Chunlingshui, which finally ended in the northeast of Changning County.
It flows into the Xiang River.
The reason why it is called Chunling is that it is named after a famous figure in history: Liu Xiu.
Liu Mai, the grandson of Emperor Jing of the Han Dynasty, was titled Marquis of Chunling. If it weren't for the story behind it, there would be no need for this river to be named after him.
But after Wang Mang usurped the Han Dynasty, Liu Xiu, the fifth generation grandson of Liu Mai, organized the so-called Eight Thousand Chunling Army and finally restored the Han Dynasty. The story is different.
Chunling was the place where Longxing flourished in the Eastern Han Dynasty. The river flowing out of Liu Mai's fiefdom was named Chunling Water, and the Kuishui River became a tributary.
Now, Luo An appears in Baimian Village, located in the northwest corner of the intersection of Kuishui River and Chunling River.
This Baimian Village is still within the territory of Yongzhou Prefecture. It is also a pass at the junction of Hengzhou Prefecture and Yongzhou Prefecture. It is more than 20 miles away from Sizhou Village where Hengzhou Prefecture is located.
Luo An stood on a high place and looked far away. He couldn't see the movement in the distance, he just looked in the direction over there.
But behind him, in the Baimian Village, the military was at its peak!
The army could not be seen at a glance, stretching from Baimian Village to Xintianbao further northwest. Between the two places, there were camps everywhere along the valley formed by the upper reaches of the Chunling River.
Luo An looked at the Huangming Bell that his subordinates took out, and counted the time with his eyes closed.
"It's time to set off. You have had nearly half a month's rest. It's time to take Guiyang Prefecture in one go and cut off the retreat from Ningxi."
Luo An turned around and looked at Lei Quanyi: "General Lei, are you sure?"
"How many people are there in the Hengzhou Guards? Now we still have to guard Hengyang. Even if there are many people in Guiyang City, they must be dominated by local braves! I will lead the army down the river, but they will flee in the wind!"
The selection of forwards for the Fifth Army Battalion led by Lei Quanyi was really a long journey this time.
After arriving all the way to Jingzhou Prefecture, he received an order not to enter Sichuan again - Gao Kewei was arrested so quickly, Yang Junlin also confessed, Sichuan's Xue Lun and Fei Hong had been taking full action since the spring, and the other water patrol censor Zhang Jing
He is actually quite knowledgeable in military affairs, and Sichuan has been unable to make waves.
Lei Quanyi coincided with the rebellion of King Ji, and thought he could participate in the attack on Changsha, but was deprived of the credit by the Shenji Battalion.
Can't we attack Hengyang next? The imperial court's strategy is not like that.
After being led by Luo An all the way to Yongzhou Mansion, Lei Quanyi was already gearing up.
Luo An looked at his eagerness to try, and solemnly reminded him: "General Lei, your five military battalions have appeared in the hinterland of Hengzhou. You must attack with one attack. The rebels must have military orders. If you are unable to defeat them, you should preserve your strength to defend them."
Hengyang. When you go, your top priority is to attack your heart."
Lei Quanyi nodded, and then asked: "Commander Luo, won't you go to Guiyang Prefecture with us?"
Luo An shook his head: "I will go to Changning via Sizhou Village. After General Lei Shen captures Guiyang Prefecture, he can order two thousand elite soldiers from Guangxi to encircle Lanshan County and persuade Ningxi to surrender, while you will move to Huangling Mountain and suppress it from afar.
Yizhang, Chenzhou."
He was not a military talent, but this was a strategy planned by the imperial court and approved by Gu Shilong.
The key blow now is whether they can capture Guiyang Prefecture and Changning County south of Hengzhou. This will not only cut off the retreat of Ningxi in Lanshan County, but also put greater pressure on Hengyang City from the south.
Lei Quanyi was a little confused: "Commander Luo is going to Sizhou Village or Changning? He only has this few troops...how to go?"
Luo An smiled: "Then it depends on General Lei's ability. If you take Guiyang Prefecture, my dignified Jinyiwei Commander will be able to defeat an army of tens of thousands. If you can't take Guiyang Prefecture quickly, I will
Just make some preparations first."
Lei Quanyi felt more than that: How can you make fun of your own life?
But Lei Quanyi didn't know what the layout of Jin Yiwei was.
Two moments later, there was a big movement in Baimian Village.
The sentinel of Canghe Fort soon came back in shock to convey the news, and then rode straight to the south.
Dai Yunlai jumped up from his chair when he heard the news: "You read that right?"
"General, you can't be wrong! You can't see the end of the army at a glance. The number of people and horses may exceed ten thousand. There are the flags of the fifth military camp, the flags of Guangxi Funing Marquis, and the flags of Ning Yuanwei!"
"Going east?"
"It's in the direction of Guiyang Prefecture! They don't care about our Canghe Fort at all!"
One of Dai Yunlai's men looked ugly: "General, no wonder the Guangdong army in the south has been standing still! Hengyang City said that Fu Ninghou Zhu Qi and Ning Yuanwei's men are all in the west of the city. I'm afraid it was Gu Shilong's command who pretended to be there. If the governor sat and watched the fifth army camp
Together with the Guangxi soldiers and the Ningyuan Guards, they have captured the south of Hengzhou, which means they are really surrounded on all sides. If troops are sent to help, Gu Shilong will definitely take the opportunity to attack Hengyang!"
He analyzed these in a hurried tone, hoping that Dai Yunlai would consider Ning Xi's situation.
Guarding the southernmost point of Hengzhou Mansion, now it’s time to decide what to do.
The sudden appearance of over 10,000 troops in the hinterland of Hengzhou, and the flags of five military camps, can only mean that the dispatch of the imperial army has been completely completed.
The selected forwards from the Fifth Army Battalion who were supposed to enter Sichuan came here. Is this a joke?
"Guiyang Prefecture City is not that easy to attack!" Dai Yunlai said subconsciously first.
"General, there are more than thirty large ships on the Chunling River. Didn't you hear from the sentry that the water is very deep? Tang Peiyu and the Changsha Guard elite were defeated by the Shenji Battalion's new artillery! Shenji
If the camp has it, won’t the Fifth Army Camp also have it?”
Dai Yunlai hesitated.
Even if Ning Xi divided his troops to help, how many troops would be needed?
At this moment, another subordinate came hurriedly: "General, the Guangdong army has moved!"
Dai Yunlai was shocked: "What did you say?"
"Between Jiuyi Mountain and Huayin Mountain, five outposts were uprooted at almost the same time."
It was also at this time that Dai Yunlai felt shocked.
The distances from Canghe Fort to here and from the outpost in Nanling Mountain to here are different.
The time for the dispatch of the large army and the Cantonese army there was calculated so well. It was obvious that they wanted the news to reach Lanshan County almost at the same time.
"It's a plan!" Dai Yunlai said flatly, "It's a lie to attack Guiyang Prefecture, but it's true to hope that we abandon the city and set up an ambush on the way to escape! If Lanshan County is abandoned without a fight, the incoming troops from Guangdong will be able to enter Hunan without any effort. Hurry up.
, Don’t fall into the trap, Canghe Fort can retreat to Maojun Town, and we can keep the passage from Lanshan to Linwu to Chenzhou Prefecture, and join forces with Guang’an in Yizhang County!”
"General, if this is the case, it will only be a matter of time before the imperial army takes over Changning County and even Leiyang in Guiyang Prefecture. In that case, why not go to Yizhang now!"
"Retreating without fighting. Most of the governors have been convicted. After going to Yizhang, do we still have a place in Ningxi?" Dai Yunlai insisted, "At least we have to defend for a while. Now only the Guangdong army has arrived in Lanshan County.
,What are you afraid of?”
Then he added: "Report to Hengyang City quickly, please give me your supervision!"
…
The distance from Lanshan County to Hengyang City is more than two hundred miles.
Even though the so-called "over 10,000" army sounds like a lot, it is impossible to cut off all the messages from the north to the south, not to mention that they have no intention of cutting it off.
It was more than two hundred miles, and I rushed all the way without hesitation, and I arrived in a few hours.
Pu Zitong, who received the news, was furious when he heard this: "What 20,000 troops! Where did the imperial court come from with so many 20,000 troops? Is Dai Yunlai timid and wanting to retreat?"
Lei Quanyi actually only had 3,000 selected forwards plus the second batch of 2,000 Guangxi soldiers left by Zhu Qi, but the number spread from the sentinels in Canghebao to Lanshan County became over 10,000, and from Lanshan County to
Hengyang City became 20,000.
This is for our own people, not to scare the enemy, so it should be a real number.
But Pu Zitong knew very well: in less than three months from the end of July to mid-October, the imperial court could count the number of troops mobilized from Huguang, Jiangxi, Guangdong, and Guangxi with just one finger.
In the current situation, which province cannot leave enough troops to defend the point? It is almost winter, and all borders must also guard against the northern invaders.
The imperial army outside Hengyang City is still there! Zhu Qi himself has appeared on the west side of the city, so why did he go to the south?
"Tell Dai Yunlai that at most one of the five military battalions can choose three thousand men! Three thousand people attack the city. What are they thinking?" Pu Zitong said with a gloomy face, "Lanshan, Changning, Leiyang, Guiyang Prefecture, Linwu, Yi
Just hold on to the cities of Zhang, Chenzhou, Yongxing and other cities! No matter how many soldiers come, if they dare to go deep into the hinterland of Hengzhou and cut off the food and grass, just attack and harass! If Hengyang City is not broken, Hengzhou will have no worries!"
Do these guys know how to fight?
The slightest sign of disturbance would scare him as if he were something else.
It was already night when the military orders began to spread further south.
But before Pu Zitong could prepare to sleep, he was woken up again.
He put on his clothes and went out to see that he was actually a soldier who had gone to Chang Ning to deliver orders.
"You can't go back and forth so quickly to Chang Ning. What happened?"
Changning is relatively close to Hengyang City. Hengyang, Changning, and Leiyang cities form a triangle and are only fifty or sixty miles apart.
At this time, the soldier's face was ashen, and Pu Zitong had a very bad premonition.
"...Changning City has surrendered. I met the Jin Yiwei who came to deliver the message halfway. They took me and let me back." The messenger nervously took out a letter, "It is said to be from the Jin Yiwei.
Commander Luo An’s personal letter should be handed over to the Grand Governor.”
Pu Zitong's heart sank, he quickly grabbed it, tore open the envelope with an oil lamp and started to read.
[The Pu family in Guangzhou, the Bu family in Quanzhou, the Wu family in Hangzhou, Yongchun, the Wu family in Zhaoan, and the Huang family in Dehua.]
[Three hundred Jin Yiwei took Changning County. Next, I command to go to Leiyang.]
[Pu Zitong, do you still remember what I, Huguang Xingxing, said to you? 】
This letter is so short and contains no solemn and awe-inspiring persuasion to surrender.
But the information revealed between the lines gave Pu Zitong a chill.
The Pu family and the surnames changed by the descendants of the Pu family who moved to Fujian after Hongwu were all listed in Luo An's letter.
Why did the three hundred Jin Yiwei capture Changning County? Have you ever fought this battle before? Even if there were Jin Yiwei who carefully planned the surrender of Kaicheng, they would have to do at least one battle!
But now Luo An reminds him of what the Jin Yiwei Hu Guang said that day when he walked to threaten Pu Zitong.
Of course there are fine works in Hengyang City, and Pu Zitong is aware of it.
With this "war result" in Changning County as evidence, a difficult problem now faces Pu Zitong: Who is the secret worker? Did the imperial army conduct a thorough investigation and cause chaos in the city before the army attacked the city?
Or, after the Jin Yiwei was dispatched in various places to completely eradicate the Pu family, and after the imperial army began to attack the city, there was a secret agent who caused chaos in the city during the critical period?
The most important thing is that if Changning County is lost like this, what will the Hengyang City defenders think?
Such big news cannot be kept secret!
Pu Zitong could only call Zhan Huabi first, his face extremely gloomy.
"Lao Zhan, the west of the city, including Changning County, is all left to you to guard." Pu Zitong looked at him.
Zhan Huabi led Chang Dewei from Baoqing Mansion eastward into Hengzhou Mansion. Most of his troops were in the west of the city, and 1,500 were in Changning.
"What's wrong with Chang Ning?" Zhan Huabi looked puzzled, "We just got revenge at 5:00 a.m., and there's no military information."
He knew the situation in the west of the city, and Pu Zitong's expression could only be attributed to Chang Ning.
Pu Zitong's face turned even darker.
It's only a quarter of an hour now. Changning County can report the situation to Zhan Huabi at a quarter of an hour. It doesn't take any time. The person who sent the order went over, was arrested, and then released. If we calculate the time, when the news received by Zhan Huabi was sent,
The garrison of Changning County had already surrendered.
"That Qianhu Dan Zhaonian surrendered." Pu Zitong said to him, "I also sent you fake military intelligence."
There is no way that the three hundred Jin Yiwei could capture Changning County without any effort, and it was definitely not just a momentary achievement because the enemy had appeared in the hinterland of Hengzhou Prefecture in the south today and Luo An had just arrived in Changning County.
Zhan Huabi's expression changed when he heard this, and Pu Zitong asked him again: "But Zhaonian came all the way with you, isn't it reliable?"
What he was puzzled about was why Zhaonian didn't resist at all. Even if there was a plan to open the city gate, Zhaonian followed Zhan Huabi all the way to plunder. How could Zhaonian escape death?
"...Do you doubt me?" Zhan Huabi heard something between the lines.
The oil lamp in the hall flickered, and the two looked at each other.
"How could I doubt you?" Pu Zitong spoke quickly, "Just overnight, the situation in the south changed drastically. Gu Shilong and Zhu Qi surrounded and refused to attack, I'm afraid this is what they have to wait for. If we don't understand it,
The reason is that I feel uneasy, and so do you, right?"
"...I don't understand either." Zhan Huabi accepted his statement, "After you raised the flag, Zhaonian was a Qianhu in our guard who strongly advocated joining me, and even killed a Qianhu who didn't want to follow me. If it hadn't been so
, how can I let him guard Chang Ning outside?"
The oil lamp in the hall was still flickering, and the two people's hearts were as heavy as the night outside.
"Why does he insist on surrendering? What kindness do you owe him?"
If we don't understand this reason, now the two rebel giants will probably become suspicious when they look at their subordinates.
This is not good, this is not good.
Before the two of them could figure out the reason, another soldier came to report: "The Governor, Chang Ning was on the garrison, and the guerrilla general Dan Zhaonian led more than 300 remnants of the army to escape to the foot of Huiyan Peak, and the city of Chang Ning was destroyed!"
Pu Zitong and Zhan Huabi were completely confused.