weaving

Chapter 1583 This battle... is inevitable!
Although Wang Yuanjing was the garrison commander of Xiao Yuan's camp, and his position in the army was second only to the commander-in-chief Yuan Shizhong, he was mindful of his status and was afraid of causing some unnecessary misunderstandings.

Since joining Yuan Shizhong's camp, he has always adhered to his duties and never interfered in military training and combat, thus earning the respect and acceptance of various generals, including Yuan Shizhong.

Just like today, Zhu Chengju and Liu Jingyi immediately thought of him...

…………

On the 21st day of the first lunar month, in Jining Prefecture.

Zhang Cheng stared at the map in front of him, remaining silent.

After a long silence, he slammed his fist against the wall and said coldly, "Let's give him a good beating in Tancheng."

Upon hearing this, Liu Yuchi stepped forward, seemingly wanting to say something, but Liu Chengzhu interrupted him: "Commander, according to reports, a large number of Tartars have also gathered near Juzhou in Qingzhou Prefecture, estimated to be at least more than 10,000."

Zhang Cheng turned his head and stared at him, remaining silent for a long time, but his resolute expression completely revealed what he was thinking.

Liu Yuchi was no longer in a hurry to offer advice. Instead, he secretly observed Hu Yiwen's expression, waiting for Hu Yiwen to express his attitude first.

Since joining the Yongning Earl's staff, Liu Yuchi has always been cautious and timid, completely adopting the attitude of "not seeking merit, but only avoiding mistakes," and no longer showing the same enthusiasm he had when he was by Yuan Shizhong's side.

Perhaps he was also observing Yongningbo, trying to figure out Yongningbo's temperament and style of doing things, so that he wouldn't accidentally ruin his own reputation and also let Yongningbo see through Xiao Yuan's camp.

“Commander, Chengzhu’s concerns are not without merit.”

Hu Yiwen continued Liu Chengzhu's line of thought: "The two Jurchen forces are less than two hundred miles apart, and there are no high mountains or great rivers to obstruct them. Given the speed of the Tartar cavalry, if they advance rapidly, it will take them less than two days. Even if they advance normally, it will take them three days, or at most four days."

Our army is scattered in various places. If we were to gather our troops now, it would be difficult to reunite them within three or four days. Even if a large army were to gather, how could we guarantee that we could defeat the Sword Slaves on the banks of the Shu River within four days?

Zhang Cheng shook his head and said, "The Jurchens have camped along the Shu River for more than fifty li, as if they were in an empty land. This shows how arrogant they are. They have already regarded our Qilu region as their own backyard."

"Don't be fooled by the fact that the Tartars have set up more than thirty camps. Most of them are used to hold captive civilians and store the looted money and grain. If we can find the key points, we can suddenly rush out, infiltrate their ranks, divide them up, and then defeat them one by one."

As he said this, he looked at Liu Chengzhu and Hu Yiwen and said, “As for the Tartars in Juzhou, we can ask Zhao Guangbian, the governor of Jizhou, to send troops to contain them. I will also send a part of my troops to dig trenches and build camps along the way to block them. Even if we cannot defeat them, it should not be a problem to hold them off for three or four days.”

Liu Yuchi was not familiar with the Jurchens, and Hu Yiwen had only joined the shogunate after the Liaodong War. Therefore, both of them looked at Liu Chengzhu, asking for his opinion with their eyes.

"Commander, the Jurchens are known for their ferocity and cruelty. Although there is the scenic spot of Jinzhou, Shandong is flat and undefended, which is exactly what the Jurchen cavalry like. Even if we defeat them, it will be difficult to seriously damage them."

Moreover, engaging them in a decisive battle now is uncertain. If we lose, the Emperor might be furious and hold us accountable, for imperial orders cannot be recklessly waged. Even if we win, the losses would likely be heavy, making it a losing proposition! Commander-in-Chief…”

Zhang Cheng remained silent, turned back to look at the map hanging on the wall, and after a moment, squeezed out a sentence: "This battle... is unavoidable."

He turned around and said, "If you have any good ideas about how to play, you can bring them up so we can discuss them together. As for any opposing suggestions, please don't bring them up again."

Since the Earl of Yongning had made up his mind to fight, Liu Chengzhu and Hu Yiwen naturally could no longer object. At this moment, Liu Yuchi stepped forward, clasped his hands, and said, "Commander-in-Chief, since the decision to fight this battle has been made, I think our army should act quickly rather than delay."

"Yes. That makes sense. Jade Ruler, do you have any further suggestions?"

"Commander, Yu Chi thinks we can use the Shu River as a boundary, focusing on harassing and containing the Jurchens east of the river, while concentrating our main force to crush the Jurchens west of the river in one fell swoop. In this way, the pressure on our army will be much less, and the deployment and arrangement of troops will be much easier."

"Brilliant!" Hu Yiwen gave Liu Yuchi an approving look: "Military Advisor Yuchi's words are excellent. The Jurchens on the east and west banks are connected by several newly built pontoon bridges. If our army can seize these pontoon bridges first, we can isolate the Jurchens on both banks and prevent them from supporting each other. The pressure will be reduced by half immediately."

Liu Yuchi cupped his hands in greeting to Hu Yiwei and expressed a hint of his concern: "Commander, there is something I am still worried about."

"Please feel free to speak."

After a moment's thought, Liu Yuchi said, "Commander, although I have never actually fought against the Jurchens, I do not have an accurate assessment of their combat strength."

However, it is well known that the Jurchens are fierce in open field battles. The Jurchen Tartars are most skilled in infantry warfare and are extremely fierce. The Northern Tartars are especially skilled in mounted archery and often use harassment tactics to break enemy formations before launching a surprise attack. Now, it is also known that the Jurchens' newly formed Han army specializes in firearms and often relies on this army to attack cities and break through enemy lines.

Therefore, if my master wishes to launch a surprise attack on the Jurchen camp, it will indeed be quite difficult. We must not only plan meticulously but also have contingency plans in place, prepared for a bitter battle should the situation turn against us.

"Ah."

After listening to Liu Yuchi's words, Marquis Yongning Zhang Cheng paced back and forth in the hall, seemingly pondering Liu Yuchi's words.

Not daring to disturb him, the others returned to their seats, drank tea, and waited.

After a long while, Marquis Zhang Cheng of Yongning finally stopped in front of his command desk. He did not sit down immediately, but looked at the three men and said, "No matter what, this battle must be fought. It is better for us to take the initiative than for the Tartars to plan everything and come looking for us to fight."

Since this battle is inevitable sooner or later, we might as well take advantage of the fact that the Tartars are unprepared now and go to meet them head-on, giving them a good thrashing.

However, what Yu Chi said earlier is very good. We cannot gamble everything; we must have a backup plan in case things go wrong and we are left with no way to cope.

"Next, let's discuss the specific plans."

…………

One after another, fast horses galloped out of Jining City, heading in different directions...

They were always in groups of five, and even in the interior of Yanzhou, they dared not go out alone, lest they encounter the scouts of the Jianzhou Tartars and be unable to deal with them. At the same time, they also had to guard against the starving people who had fled to various valleys, hills and forests, as the Tartars might also attack lone cavalrymen, killing them, taking their horses and eating their flesh.

Meanwhile, the brave soldiers inside and outside Jining City also began to busy themselves with various preparations before breaking camp and leaving...

It was already afternoon, and there was no time to break camp and head south. It would be dark soon after they had traveled only a few miles. Therefore, the Earl of Yongning set the date for setting up camp at Chenshi (7-9 AM) the next day.

However, more than two thousand cavalrymen left Jining ahead of time. They were in groups of at least fifty or sixty men, and some groups had more than a hundred riders. They headed southeast to scout out the route for the main army and find a place to set up camp in advance.