w "Why is the order wrong? I am very interested in hearing about it." Yan Liang said curiously.
Lu Meng picked up the branch and started drawing on the sketch on the ground.
"Xiangyang is adjacent to the Han River in the north. When the lord originally attacked Xiangyang from Fancheng, although he had a pontoon plan, he could not confidently and boldly besiege Xiangyang until Cai Mao's navy was annihilated. However, Jiangling is adjacent to the Yangtze River in the south and Xiangyang in the south.
The road to Jiangling is smooth and there is no water system to block it. With such a change in the geographical situation, the order of using troops should naturally change."
After hearing what Lu Meng said, Yan Liang fell into deep thought and once again recalled those buried memories.
He remembered that in the original history, when Cao Cao took Jingzhou south, didn't he go south from Xiangyang with light cavalry, and after defeating Liu Bei in Dangyang, he took Jiangling directly.
At that time, Xiakou was still under Liu Qi's control. Cao Cao didn't even have a warship, but he still took Jiangling by land.
But now that Xiakou is in his own hands, why must he destroy Huang Zu's navy first?
This series of questions gradually made Yan Liang's thinking suddenly clear.
He suddenly realized that he and his counselors had actually fallen into a misunderstanding. They had preconceived the idea that if they wanted to win between Jiang and Han, they must first obtain water control rights.
The fact is that if Jiangling City is located on the south bank of the Yangtze River, obtaining water control rights is naturally crucial. However, Jiangling is located on the north bank. This slightly different location determines that water control rights are not the decisive factor in capturing Jiangling.
Yan Liang, suddenly enlightened, couldn't help but look at Lu Meng with admiration and thought that he would recruit this general. It was indeed a big profit. If Lu Meng hadn't reminded him like this, he would have taken a detour in taking Jiangling.
"I understand, Zi Ming, I have indeed read you correctly, continue." Yan Liang affirmed Lu Meng's knowledge.
Lu Meng secretly remembered this in his heart and became more energetic. He said hurriedly: "So the general thinks that my lord does not have to fight with Huang Zu's navy. He only needs to send a navy up the river to the west. He threatens to attack Baqiu, and Liu Qi will shield the downstream.
, will inevitably lead Huang Zu to lead the navy to reinforce Baqiu. In this way, Jiangling's military strength will be equal to half. At the beginning, only one general will drag Huang Zu in Baqiu, and the lord can lead the infantry southward from Xiangyang.
If we besiege Jiangling at will, why worry about the city not being broken?"
Lu Meng spoke eloquently. To put it simply, it was a feint attack by the navy to divert Liu Qi's troops and horses, and then use the advantage of the land to turn the Battle of Jiangling into a simple land battle.
Once the order changed this time, the advantage turned to one's own side.
After figuring out the pros and cons, Yan Liang appreciated Lu Meng as his beloved general even more. He smiled happily and said: "Very good, Lu Ziming, I completely agree with your analysis. Since you proposed this plan, then
I have ordered you to lead five thousand naval troops to the west of the Yangtze River and drag Huang Zu to Baqiu. Can you do it?"
Lu Meng was excited when he heard Yan Liang's approval, but he couldn't help being surprised when he heard that Yan Liang actually entrusted him with military power.
"My lord, the general is just a new recruit, but you trust me so much that you entrusted me with five thousand naval troops. Aren't you afraid that the general will survive?"
Lu Meng asked in surprise.
Yan Liang burst out laughing and said, "I, Yan Liang, have always used people without trust and without trust. Ziming, you have shown me your confidence. If I, the general, are still suspicious of you, how can I accomplish great things if my masters and ministers cannot trust each other?"
"
Yan Liang's words were generous and upright, and Lu Meng was so moved that he bowed his head and said with emotion: "My lord is so magnanimous, I really have met the master of the Ming Dynasty, how can I not go to the fire for my lord?
No more excuses."
Hearing Lu Meng's confession of loyalty, Yan Liang was very pleased. He stroked his shoulders and laughed so happily.
In fact, the reason why Yan Liang dared to re-employ Lu Meng was not entirely due to "employing people without suspicion".
Lu Meng was young and had no wife or children in Wuzhong, so he had no worries or worries.
Furthermore, Lu Meng's status in the Wu army was still low and he had not yet received Sun Quan's attention, so he did not feel much gratitude to Sun Quan.
Yan Liang treated him favorably as soon as he came up. Various factors, plus Lu Meng's good character, made Yan Liang certain that since this man decided to surrender to him, he would never do it again.
On the same day, after Lü Meng was surrendered, Yan Liang promoted Lü Meng to Zhonglang General in the name of General Right and ordered him to go to Xiakou to take up his post.
…
A few days later, when spring plowing was over and young men could be used to transport grain and grass, Yan Liang mobilized the three armies and ordered a large-scale attack on Jiangling in the name of helping Liu Cong regain Jingzhou.
Based on Lu Meng's suggestion, Yan Liang readjusted his strategic plan.
On the Jiangxia side, Yan Liang ordered Man Chong and Gan Ning to lead 5,000 soldiers and horses to stay in Xiakou, and ordered Lu Meng to lead 5,000 naval forces to go upstream to the west of the Yangtze River and take Baqiu, threatening to cut off the Yangtze River and cut off the connection between Jiangling and the four counties in Jingnan.
On the Xiangyang side, Yan Liang sent Wei Yan, Xu You, and Jia Xu to guard Xiangyang. He led the generals Wen Chou, Zhang He, Lu Lingqi, Hu Che'er, and Zhou Cang, and Xu Shu was the leader of the army.
He rushed to Jiangling to kill him.
Just as Lü Meng expected, in order to avoid being attacked on both sides, Liu Qi had to send Huang Zu to lead 10,000 naval troops to Baqiu to stop Lü Meng's navy from advancing westward.
Lu Meng, on the other hand, followed the plan in advance and declared with great fanfare that he would fight Huang Zu, but he failed to move and dragged Huang Yi's troops to Baqiu.
As soon as Huang Zu's navy moved, Yan Liang immediately led the army southward. Within a few days, he conquered the counties of Dangyang and Maicheng, and reached the foot of Jiangling City within three days.
Liu Qi seemed to have been prepared for this. He knew that Lu Zhan was no match for Yan Liang, so he withdrew all 15,000 Jingzhou troops into Jiangling City, trying to defend it with the help of the high wall.
Jiangling is the second largest city in Jingzhou. During Liu Biao's management of Jingzhou for more than ten years, he built the city defense of Jiangling to be comparable to that of Xiangyang.
Moreover, Jiangling was the place where Jingzhou's supplies were stored. The grain and grass stored there were piled up like mountains, which could last for several years, and the ordnance and equipment were countless.
It was precisely because of this that Liu Qi had the confidence to defend Jiangling, and this was his only choice at the moment.
Yan Liang's infantry and cavalry totaled 30,000, twice as many as Liu Qi's army. Their combat effectiveness in the field was extremely strong, but when used in sieges, it seemed less.
Therefore, Yan Liang did not attack by force as soon as he came up. Instead, he divided his troops to attack Yiling upstream first, and then uprooted the Zhijiang and Yongxiang counties outside Jiangling, completely turning Jiangling into an isolated city on the north bank of the Yangtze River.
After completing the targeted clearing of the outer perimeter, Yan Liangcai divided his army into two battalions, the east and north battalions, to form an arc-shaped semi-encirclement around Jiangling City.
…
It was early morning.
Twenty thousand Yan troops gathered at the north gate of Jiangling. The flags covered the sky and the sun was blocked. The swords and halberds were thick like a forest. The mighty army rose into the sky.
Seeing such a high-spirited enemy, the Jingzhou defenders on top of the city were all secretly frightened.
Among these Jingzhou soldiers, there were many survivors who escaped the battle of Xiangyang. The tragic scene of the seven-pronged siege by the enemy that night left a strong shadow in their hearts.
Now, facing these ferocious and brutal enemies again, how could they not feel afraid.
In the center of the tower, Liu Qi was wearing armor and carrying a sword. Although he looked fearless on the surface, he was really uneasy in his heart.
Recalling the terrible memories of that battle, when Yan Liang's cavalry was rolling in hot pursuit, and his own life was almost sealed, Liu Qi felt a chill running down his back.
Zhuge Liang, who was standing next to him, had a calm expression on his face. He was still wearing a green shirt, and he was not even wearing any armor. He was shaking his feather fan lightly, as if he was watching a play.
Seeing that Liu Qi seemed uneasy, Zhuge Liang said calmly: "Yan Liang's soldiers are only thirty thousand, and it will be difficult to break through the stronghold of Jiangling. The eldest son only needs to hold on for a few months. When the enemy's energy is exhausted, they will naturally retreat without fighting."
"
Zhuge Liang's words and demeanor were full of confidence.
Zhuge Liang's relief made Liu Qi feel relieved, so he secretly gritted his teeth, mustered up his courage, and bravely faced the fierce enemy outside the city.
"Yan Liang, I can't defeat you in a field battle, but it's not that easy for you to break through my fortified city!"
Liu Qi sneered, his eyes flashing with contempt.
The Jingzhou soldiers of the left general were infected by Liu Qi's confidence and calmness, and their uneasy mood subsided a lot.
The distant horn sounded, and changes began to occur in the Yan army's formation, and the attack seemed to be about to launch.
Liu Qi held the horse in hand and said loudly: "All generals, listen to the order and follow me to defend the city. Let that thief Yan Liang know that our Jingzhou soldiers are not easy to bully."
Amidst the high-pitched cheers, the Jingzhou army at the top of the city was filled with enthusiasm, and shouts of killing arose like a wave, creating a great momentum for a while.
In the Chinese army formation, Yan Liang sat high on his horse, holding his head high and looking down upon the city.
When he heard the sudden shouts of fighting from the enemy troops at the top of the city, a sneer appeared at the corner of his mouth.
"Liu Qi, do you think that I, Yan Liang, can't do anything to you just because the city wall is so thick?"
After looking dismissively, Yan Liang winked at Zhou Cang.
Zhou Cang understood and quickly conveyed the order.
Not long after, the various large and small military formations separated to the left and right, and hundreds of mules and horses laboriously dragged the behemoths to the front of the formation.
Those behemoths were none other than "Thunderbolt Chariots", weapons of siege.
When the Xiliang army attacked, Ma Chao used the thunderbolt chariot given to him by Cao Cao to launch a violent bombardment of Wancheng, almost not destroying Wancheng.
Not long ago, Yan Liang asked his wife Huang Yueying to draw production drawings based on the seized Perak cars, and asked craftsmen to build more than a hundred cars.
Yan Liang's previous few battles were either field battles or city defenses, so the Thunderbolt Chariot was naturally of little use. Now he finally encountered a "bullying" siege battle, which was the time for these siege weapons to show their talents.
More than a hundred thunderbolt vehicles were placed in front of the formation in a matter of seconds, and stone bullets as big as a bull's head were placed in place one after another.
On the top of the city, when Liu Qi and his Jingzhou troops saw the giant trebuchets, their originally high morale was suddenly suppressed, and everyone's faces flashed with surprise.
.
Even Zhuge Liang's calm and composed face couldn't help but feel a hint of surprise.
"Yan Liang, this man, actually used a thunderbolt car..."
Before the surprise was over, the sound of heaven and earth shattering rose into the sky, and hundreds of huge stone bullets rose into the air, roaring toward the city head with huge impact.
One of the stone bullets went straight to Zhuge Liang. Welcome to your support, it is my biggest motivation.m