Han Shizu

Chapter 903 The Battle of the South Exit 4
When the Nankou Han army was struggling to resist the heavy siege of the Liao army, the aid division they were looking forward to did not come quickly.Gao Huaide is eighty miles away from the south entrance, and Youzhou south entrance is less than a hundred miles away. There is news of war at the south entrance, but it was reported to two places early.

Of course, there is a reason for the slow movement.Xinqi rode fast, Gao Huaide's side, before arriving at Sichu, received a military report from An Shenqi to attack the Liao army.

However, Gao Huaide did not send troops immediately.He led the cavalry in the center, supported the two armies, and ensured the smooth flow of the surrounding area, but he focused on it. On the 23rd, it was also the time when Murong Yanzhao's army officially launched an attack on Tanzhou.

In the previous imperial meeting, the basic policy of the battle was to attack from the east and defend from the west.Therefore, when the Han army made a big move in the direction of Tanzhou, and Nankou changed again, Gao Huaide inevitably hesitated in his heart and did not dare to be self-confident.

However, in a very short period of time, Gao Huaide had a basic judgment on the situation and responded.Instead of sending troops directly, he dispatched his confidant officers to Youzhou to report the matter to Emperor Liu Chengyou.

But at the same time, Gao Huaide gathered the cavalry in Niulan Mountain and made preparations for the attack.Although he didn't dare to be self-reliant, Gao Huaide's heart was of course inclined to attack Nankou. After all, the hundreds of thousands of Liao troops were not a small force, and the Nankou Han army might not be able to deal with it calmly. Wan Shoujun, where do you need him to sweep the formation.

On the other hand, Gao Huaide himself was very moved by An Shenqi's idea of ​​gathering and annihilating the Liao army.Since the Northern Expedition, there has not been a collective dispatch of more than [-] Liao troops, and their initiative to attack, in Gao Huaide's view, is a fighter.

Although heartbroken, Gao Huaide's "conservative" choice delayed the reinforcements' arrival at Nankou by nearly two hours.

Youzhou is a little farther away, so the time when Emperor Han, who was stationed in Bicheng, received the news from Nankou was later.For An Shenqi's report, Emperor Liu Chengyou had only one reaction, surprise, surprise.

At that time, Liu Chengyou was concerned about the situation in Tanzhou. After all, that was the main direction of attack, and Murong Yanzhao had reported in advance, and launched a general attack on the 23rd.

However, the situation in Tanzhou has not yet come to a conclusion, and there is something wrong with Nankou.However, Liu Chengyou showed great importance to the news from Nankou, not for anything else, but for the hundreds of thousands of Liao troops who took the initiative to attack.

However, he didn't act upon hearing it, and immediately ordered the Youzhou army horses to rush north to the south entrance.It is not advisable to act directly without distinguishing the truth from the false news upon hearing the news.

Liu Chengyou summoned the accompanying civil and military officers, monarchs and ministers, etc. to listen to the messenger's report and carefully question the details.After we have basically figured out the situation at Nankou, we will discuss this matter with Wen Wu.

Similar to the emperor's attitude, Chai Rong also expressed unusual concern about this, with a little bit of vigilance in his concern.On the other hand, Zhao Kuangyin directly pointed out that such a change in the Liao army must have a plan and a sudden attack. The actual situation may not be as optimistic as An Shenqi imagined, so we must pay attention to it.

As for the proposal to send troops, Chai Rong and Zhao Kuangyin also agreed. After all, with the strength of the Han army in Nankou, it may not be so easy to deal with the Liao army who is dispatched on a large scale.Zhao Kuangzan, King of Yan, also supported this proposal. With the endorsement of these three parties, other people have no room to object.

It's just that there is a certain dispute over the number of troops sent.The Han army staying in Youzhou is mainly composed of the Longxi Army, part of the Iron Cavalry Army, the Great Nei Army, and the Yan Army, as well as some local soldiers and a large number of Youji civilians.

What Liu Chengyou meant was that, except for the Great Neijun and some auxiliary soldiers, the remaining nearly [-] cavalry should be handed over to Chai Rong and Zhao Kuangyin to lead the army to Nankou.

In this regard, several accompanying ministers expressed their opposition in groups. The reason is very clear. If this is the case, there will be fewer troops defending the emperor, and the risk is too great. Also pointless.

After all, it was a piece of honest advice, and it was also for his own consideration. Although he was not satisfied, Liu Chengyou still showed an attitude of accepting advice with an open mind, and shared his own considerations with the ministers.

Liu Chengyou's consideration is also very simple. The hundreds of thousands of Liao troops are acting impulsively. There were no obvious signs before, and they obviously came prepared.Even if Youzhou marched northward with [-] infantry, they would not have an absolute advantage in terms of military strength. It would not be easy to defeat or even annihilate them.If something unexpected happens, the Han army in Nankou may even encounter a crisis, which must be avoided as much as possible.

Liu Chengyou was afraid that the number of troops sent would be reduced, so how could he care about the military situation in Nankou for the sake of his own safety.As for his safety, with the strong city to rely on, and the big internal army and Yanmin guards, there will be no major problems.

The Han army in Nankou is related to the entire Northern Expedition, and there can be no mistakes.Speaking of the excitement, Liu Chengyou even directly stated that if he was afraid of his safety, then he would personally raise troops to go north, with a large army guarding him, he would be safe.

With Liu Chengyou's final statement, the accompanying ministers became anxious and dared not raise any objections.Preventing the emperor from coming to the front line in person was something that they tried their best to facilitate. In addition, the situation at Nankou was unknown, and Liu Chengyou described it as so urgent.The emperor was a man who could say what he could do, and he was also worried that he would really lead the troops in person, so he didn't dare to say more.

In this way, the matter of dispatching troops and the scale of dispatching troops has finally been decided.There is no room for negligence in military struggles, and Chai Rong and Zhao Kuangyin hurried down to mobilize the imperial battalion troops as soon as possible to prepare for the expedition.

Of course, Liu Chengyou also considered Gao Huaide's side, that is, he sent flying cavalry to send troops westward to fight with An Shenqi's army.Less than half an hour after the decision was made, Gao Huaide's messenger also arrived, and Liu Chengyou lost his temper for his invitation.

He has already given Gao Huaide a certain amount of autonomy to cooperate with the two armies to fight, but he doesn't even have the decisive power at all, so why come here to ask him for instructions?Of course, it's really not good to be too harsh, after all, this is also a manifestation of my uncle's awe of Emperor Liu's authority.

Liu Chengyou personally explained to Gao Huaide's envoy, returned quickly, and added another order.The Liao army made a big move, and things were different. When fighting westward, you must be careful. Whenever you encounter an enemy situation, you can make a decision on the fly, and you don't need to call back.

The imperial army in Youzhou is still dominated by infantry, sending troops northward, even with urgency, there are still many things that need to be prepared.However, under the overall planning and scheduling of Chai Rong and Zhao Kuangyin, everything seemed to be in order.

But before Youzhou's soldiers and horses were sent out, An Shenqi's second army reported for duty. This time, he asked for help directly.In this way, the emperor and ministers of the Han Dynasty realized that things had really changed, and the situation in Nankou was not optimistic.

Therefore, under the urging of Liu Chengyou, the preparation work of the relief team was immediately accelerated.After noon, [-] Han troops on foot and fully equipped, under the leadership of Chai Rong and Zhao Kuangyin, left Youzhou and marched towards Nankou.

But this time, the remaining [-] Yan troops stationed in Youzhou City were also sent out. So far, Youzhou City has no more soldiers from the original Yan army.Zhao Kuangzan, King of Yan, was left behind, and Liu Chengyou gave him the task of being responsible for the deployment of Yan people and assisting the city defense.

More than half an hour after the dispatch of troops, Liu Chengyou finally received a warning from Han Hui, and also learned the latest situation at Nankou.Only then did I realize that the situation of An Shenqi's army could no longer be described as "unoptimistic".

For the first time since the Northern Expedition, Liu Chengyou felt worried, nervous, and restless.I almost couldn't bear the urge to slap myself. This is a prophecy. As he said, the Han army in Nankou is related to the entire Northern Expedition. If something goes wrong, it will be equal to the previous victory. , all spit out, even hard to make up.

Moreover, if something goes wrong with An Shenqi's army, it will not be as simple as losing a battle or losing some troops, and the consequences and impact will be incalculable.Wanting to accept Yanyun will definitely come to naught, and for the Northern Expedition, the big man will pay the price, and it will inevitably become a bitter fruit. If it is serious, it is not impossible to cause turmoil in the country.

Just because he is well aware of its serious consequences, Liu Chengyou is worried about the war in Nankou and feels restless.Calm down, thinking about the large-scale counterattack of the Liao army this time, Liu Chengyou had to admit that he seemed to underestimate the enemy, and he seemed to overestimate the use of troops in the direction of Juyongguan.Unknowingly getting carried away with complacency has led to such a sinister situation.

He was too worried and eager to confide, so Liu Chengyou called An Shouzhong, who was in charge of the guard, to talk, and asked him: "Your father is in Nankou, and is besieged by enemy troops several times his own. Lead the troops, go north to support?"

Knowing the military situation in Nankou, how could An Shouzhong feel at ease.However, having served the emperor for many years, he also understood his temperament. As soon as Liu Chengyou opened his mouth, An Shouzhong understood that the emperor was worried about the danger ahead and wanted to go north.

Regarding this, An Shouzhong saluted solemnly, and said in a deep voice: "My father is in danger, a son of man, how can he be free from worries. However, the duty of the general is to protect His Majesty thoroughly, other than that, he has no other ideas!"

Looking at An Shouzhong and seeing his serious expression, Liu Chengyou couldn't help sighing, but he didn't express his thoughts about going to the front in person.

Looking to the north, in the eyes, the look of worry is constantly flashing.Under such circumstances, all he can do is hope that the Han army at Nankou can persist in resisting, the two reinforcements can feel it in time, and the soldiers can maintain their fighting spirit.

However, after a little consideration, Liu Chengyou sent Guo Tong to Tanzhou to inquire about the situation of the siege, and also gave Murong Yanzhao an order to divide his troops westward to support Nankou depending on the situation.

Even with the constant firm confidence in his heart, Liu Chengyou couldn't let go of the crisis in Nankou.Finally, in Youzhou City, after waiting for two hours, at dusk, Liu Chengyou couldn't sit still any longer, and led the Great Internal Army north to Nankou in spite of civil and military objections.

He didn't care about any dangers, he only had one idea, the emperor personally led the army, hoping to inspire the soldiers' morale.

　Been out all day today, come back and drive out this chapter.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)