Tang Dynasty Mingyue Song Dynasty Pass

Chapter 856 Each Has Its Pros and Cons
It was already daybreak, and Cao Bin led the army to retreat dozens of miles in an orderly manner until they reached Linhuai City. This place was the granary of the Song army, and all the supplies needed for the front line were transferred and circulated here.

Cao Bin's retreat this time was intended to defend Linhuai with all his strength, as the city's geographical location was critical and could not be lost.

Pan Mei led his army in pursuit, and although he successfully devoured the rear of the right army and killed more than 20,000 enemies, coupled with the attack on the vanguard camp, the Song army suffered heavy losses overnight, with 40,000 to 50,000 soldiers bleeding on the battlefield. However, even so, Pan Mei failed to hurt Cao Bin's main force, which made him regretful.

After landing on the bank of the Huaibei River, Pan Mei could not help but feel a lot of emotion. Cao Bin, this old acquaintance, was a steady military commander and a formidable opponent. Although it was a pity that he failed to completely annihilate Cao Bin's army, it was also reasonable. After all, the opponent was one of the famous generals of the founding of the Song Dynasty. His strategy and wisdom were extraordinary and could not be easily defeated.

"Pass on my order," Pan Mei said solemnly, "Immediately organize the battlefield and strengthen the defense to prevent the Song army from coming back and seizing the camp."

At this moment, the Wu army had landed on the north bank of the Huai River and set up camp with their backs to the river. The situation was extremely dangerous. If the Song army attacked, the Wu army would be trapped in a desperate battle with no way out. At that time, the soldiers would either rise up to resist and fight for their lives, or be terrified and completely collapse.

Pan Mei knew this very well and did not dare to slack off. Although he had firearms in his hands, which were of great help, he was in the heart of the Song Dynasty, surrounded by enemies and undercurrents. He had to be vigilant against sneak attacks and harassment from all sides at every moment. Food and grass supplies were the lifeblood of the army, and the responsibility of protecting them was heavier than Mount Tai.

"General Pan, should we continue to march directly to Linhuai City?" a deputy general asked anxiously.

Pan Mei shook his head slowly, his eyes deep: "Don't advance rashly. It is a taboo for military strategists to advance alone. We need to move forward steadily and wait for further instructions from Marshal Su. From now on, every step must be taken carefully. The battle of Linhuai City may become a life-and-death contest between Wu and Song."

He already knew clearly that the Song Emperor Zhao Kuangyin had been defeated by Su Chen and was fleeing south with 70,000 to 80,000 defeated soldiers, intending to meet up with Cao Bin's imperial guards in Linhuai in order to make a comeback.

Even so, with their combined strength, they still have 150,000 people. In addition, the Song Dynasty court will inevitably mobilize local troops from all over the country, and the number of people is likely to rise to hundreds of thousands in an attempt to stop the fierce offensive of the Wu army.

Pan Mei calculated that if he could defeat the main force of the Song Dynasty in Linhuai and force them to retreat to the capital, the Wu army would be able to march straight to the north, approach Bianliang at lightning speed, besiege it, and quickly decide the outcome, thus achieving a great cause that would last for generations.

At this moment, Su Chen was busy mobilizing troops and marching from Shuyang to Suqian, cutting off the main traffic route between Sizhou and Bianjing. With this deployment, Su Chen was like an iron gate, firmly blocking Zhao Kuangyin's retreat to Bianjing. Together with Pan Mei, they formed a pincer attack from the north and south, making it difficult for the Song Dynasty to take care of both ends.

However, although this plan is brilliant, it is also dangerous. Su Chen's troops are also under attack from the north and south by the Linhuai army and the newly sent reinforcements from Bianjing. There are pros and cons, and the outcome is unpredictable. It depends on who can stand firm in this storm and withstand the opponent's storm.

Su Chen's strategy was to use Suqian as the key point, resist the southward reinforcements from Bianjing in the north, and attack the enemy in Linhuai in the south, intending to encircle Zhao Kuangyin and Cao Bin's main forces in one fell swoop. If Zhao Kuangyin could be captured alive, Wu would undoubtedly have an absolute strategic advantage and victory would be in its grasp.

However, this game is like a life-and-death game on a chessboard. The generals of both sides are in deep danger, and the chariots, horses, cannons and other chess pieces have also penetrated deep into the enemy's formation. Every move is related to the overall situation. If you are not careful, you may lose the whole game.

The army currently led by Su Chen has high morale and powerful firearms, which is its advantage. However, far away from the base camp, it is difficult to replenish soldiers and supply food and grass, which is its weakness. On the battlefield, victory or defeat is often a matter of a thought. If the war is not favorable and the morale is frustrated, it may trigger a chain reaction like a domino, leading to the collapse of the entire army. The long escape route adds a bit of crisis. "We can be said to be in a desperate situation and then survive." Su Chen entered Suqian City with an army of 100,000. He will command the front-line army here. The three armies of the east, west and center will encircle and annihilate the armies of Zhao Kuangyin and Cao Bin.

However, the reinforcements from the north had already left Bian Jing and would arrive in more than ten days. Su Chen would first have to face the attack of the Song Dynasty reinforcements, and then besiege Zhao Kuangyin.

But Zhao Kuangyin might also turn around and head north to attack Su Chen together with the reinforcements. The race between the two sides would be a race against time.

"Pass the order down, summon all the military commanders and generals above the rank of Du Yuhou to come and discuss matters immediately!"

Su Chen planned to discuss the battle plan carefully with the other generals, how to cleverly buy time, repel the reinforcements from Bian Jing, and wait for the arrival of reinforcements from the Wu Kingdom in the south. The troops were obviously not enough now, and the local conscripts could not be trusted for the time being.

Outside Linhuai City, Zhao Kuangyin, along with generals such as Dang Jin, Shi Baoji, Murong Yanqing, and Zheng Zhongzuo, led 70,000 to 80,000 elite imperial guards and arrived at the north gate in a mighty procession. Cao Bin had already heard the news and personally led his generals out of the city to welcome them and respectfully pay homage to Emperor Zhao.

"No need to be polite!" Zhao Kuangyin waved his hand, frowning, his expression unable to hide his anxiety, "The situation is critical now, we need to enter the city immediately to discuss the plan to defeat the enemy."

During these few days, Zhao Kuangyin could not sleep at night during the march, his mind was full of good strategies on how to defeat the enemy, but he was still unable to find a perfect plan.

Upon seeing this, Cao Bin knew that Emperor Zhao was preoccupied with state affairs and had no time for politeness, so he immediately accompanied the emperor into the Linhuai Governor's Mansion and used it as a temporary command post.

When Liang Kai, the governor of Linhuai, learned that Emperor Zhao was coming, he was surprised and happy, but he was also so nervous that he was at a loss. For a moment, he didn't know how to start his speech.

After everyone was seated, Zhao Kuangyin couldn't wait to ask Cao Bin about the current war situation.
Cao Bin did not dare to hide anything and reported the truth: "Our army unfortunately suffered a new defeat the day before yesterday, and now the Huaihe River defense line has been lost."

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"What?!" Zhao Kuangyin's face suddenly changed when he heard this, and his heart became heavier. "If the Huaihe River defense line is lost, then the reinforcements from Wu can march straight in and trample on the land south and north of the Huai River at will?"

Cao Bin gritted his teeth and continued, "The current situation is indeed precarious. However, if we can persuade Pan Mei to switch sides, perhaps we can turn the tide and wipe out all the Wu troops heading north in one fell swoop. By then, even Su Chen will not be able to escape death."

When these words were spoken, everyone in the tent was shocked.

Zhao Kuangyin's eyes flickered, as if he was weighing the feasibility of this strategy. However, how easy was it to persuade a famous general like Pan Mei to switch sides in battle?