Jiuxi

Chapter 905 903 [As You Wish]

Inside Yongqiu City.

Liu Shouguang, Marquis of Anlu and Grand Commander of Jingzhou, looked solemn, standing with his hands behind his back, looking at the giant map hanging on the wall.

Wuyan Shu led an army of 160,000 to make a comeback, and divided his troops into three groups to attack Jingzhou.

Teng County in the east, Yanwu City in the west, and Taikang City in the north of Yongqiu were all under the attack of Jing's army.

Lu Chen knew that the Jingzhou Governor's Office was not as strong as before, so he asked the Guangling Army and Panlong Army to share some of the pressure and help Liu Shouguang defend the eastern defense zone.

But this does not mean that Liu Shouguang can feel at ease.

The main force under Wuyan Shu stayed in the north of Taikang City. Even though he had not launched an attack, Liu Shouguang still did not dare to be careless. He had to deploy sufficient troops along the line from Taikang, Yongqiu to Baimaquan to prevent the other side from launching a surprise attack.

In other words, Liu Shouguang could not mobilize much mobile force to deal with the pressure from the east and west fronts.

"Wu Yanshu is sending reinforcements to the east. Is he trying to force us to transfer all our reserve troops there, and then attack Yanwu City?"

Zhang Xu, Marquis of Yongding and commander-in-chief of the Beijing Army's Wuwei Camp, stood beside Liu Shouguang, his tone slightly solemn.

"This possibility cannot be ruled out."

Liu Shouguang nodded and sighed, "If we turn a blind eye, he can turn his feint into a real move, attack Teng County and continue to advance southward."

This is the dilemma of being short of manpower. Even though we know the enemy's plan, it is difficult to launch an effective counterattack.

In a situation where the combat power of the two armies is evenly matched, Wu Yanshu, who has the advantage in troop strength, has more room to maneuver, while the Qi army can only choose one direction to go all out, which may lead to them falling into the opponent's trap.

If nothing is done, the situation will only get worse.

Zhang Xu pondered and said, "It seems that we can only follow the prince's plan."

Liu Shouguang looked at him with a little surprise.

Both of them were once independent commanders of the Beijing Army system, and each had many supporters. They also had one thing in common, which was their impeccable loyalty to Da Qi.

However, around that stormy night in Beijing last year, their position quietly changed.

Liu Shouguang acquiesced to the Dingbei Army and the Feiyu Army passing through Jingzhou to cross the river and head south. No matter what his original intention was, to outsiders it could only mean one thing, that is, he had clearly sided with Lu Chen, otherwise he would not have agreed to such an act that was almost like treason.

At that time, Zhang Xu was stationed at the Feiniao Pass front in Shazhou with his troops. If he was still in the capital, based on his usual temperament, he would definitely not be able to accept the fact that Lu Chen was not held accountable afterwards.

When the matter was done, Zhang Xu could only remain silent.

This does not mean that he will obey Lu Chen's words in the future, so Liu Shouguang has been very cautious when facing him and tried to avoid talking about the changes in the capital last year.

Sensing the mood of the Grand Commander of Jingzhou, Zhang Xu said calmly: "Grand Commander, now that the Jing army is coming aggressively, we should work together to fight against the foreign enemies. To be honest, I do not agree with some of the actions of the Prince of Huai'an, but considering the current situation, the internal disputes should be put aside for the time being."

He said this, so Liu Shouguang naturally did not doubt it, and said admiringly: "That's very good."

Zhang Xu stopped dwelling on this matter and turned to look at the map and said, "At first I disagreed with the prince's idea, because Wu Yanshu must want to consume as much of our army as possible. Under the premise that Emperor Jing is marching south with the whole country's strength, conquering cities is not the primary goal of the Jing army. The gains and losses of a city or a place are not important. The key lies in who can be more patient."

Liu Shouguang asked: "Why did you change your mind?"

A complicated look appeared in Zhang Xu's eyes, and he said slowly: "Because I figured out why the prince did this. He wanted to help relieve the pressure on the Jingzhou defense zone as much as possible, and then concentrate all his efforts on dealing with the main force of the Jing army led by Emperor Jing. The prince is indeed a natural talent. He stands higher than us and sees farther than us. The purpose of this battle is not to show off, but out of overall consideration."

Liu Shouguang was completely relieved.

He had to stay in Yongqiu and was not allowed to leave without permission. He was also responsible for the important task of supporting the Taikang garrison in the north at any time. Therefore, if someone was to lead the troops to cooperate with Lu Chen, there was no more suitable candidate than Zhang Xu.

If Zhang Xu got into a dead end and did not understand the deeper meaning of Lu Chen's arrangement, he would probably be a drag on the battlefield. Liu Shouguang certainly did not want to see such a situation.

As if knowing Liu Shouguang's thoughts, Zhang Xu bowed and said, "General, I am willing to lead the army to fight!"

Liu Shouguang supported his arms and said seriously, "Please!"

Zhang Xu took a deep breath and said solemnly, "I will definitely live up to your expectations!"

……

North of Taikang is the Jing army camp.

The stalemate had lasted for more than half a month. During this period, the Qi army in Taikang City held its ground and refused to come out. Wu Yanshu did not seem to be in a hurry. He had more patience than he had two years ago.

The main force of the Jing army gathered here, but this was just an appearance. In fact, as early as seven or eight days ago, Wuyan Shu began to deploy troops and stayed here to confuse the generals of Southern Qi, secretly making adjustments according to the changes in the battlefield situation.

Shuhu led 10,000 infantrymen to the eastern battlefield. He did not deliberately hide his tracks. Instead, he marched to Teng County in a swaggering manner under the noses of Qi army scouts.

The 10,000 infantry and 5,000 cavalry led by Guiyou detoured to the north and went to support Miegudi unnoticed. The combined number of troops under the command of these two men exceeded 40,000, accounting for a quarter of the total strength of Jing Army. It is believed that they can penetrate the Qi Army's defense line in the west.

Inside the general's tent, a group of generals sat in silence, and from time to time scouts and officers came to report military intelligence. Wu Yanshu sat high on the commander's seat, his right hand supporting his face, staring at the sand table in front of him.

"Lu Chen now controls the Southern Qi border army. No one dares to disobey his orders, so you must be more cautious. In the early stages of the war, he should make plans before taking action. Your mission is to find a way to lure the Qi army out of the city pass, and if necessary, you can expose a flaw to the enemy. Remember, I appoint you as the commander-in-chief of the front army. I don't ask you to capture a certain number of cities, but to strangle the Qi army's vitality as much as possible."

These words were still fresh in his ears, and Wu Yanshu suddenly sighed.

He followed the emperor's instructions unswervingly, and it seemed that he had made some progress, but he always felt unsure in his heart, and he couldn't figure out what was wrong.

Judging from the current war situation, he placed baits on both the east and west fronts at the same time, and the Qi army would have to choose to take the next one.

However, perhaps the memory that Lu Chen left on him was too deep, and before the dust settled, he could not help but worry about gains and losses.

"Report!"

A hurried voice interrupted Wu Yanshu's thoughts.

He sat up straight and looked forward, only to see a dusty young general striding into the tent.

"Report to the Marshal, urgent military information on the western front!"

The man knelt on one knee and clasped his hands together.

Wu Yanshu suppressed the uneasiness in his heart and said briefly: "Speak."

A hint of joy appeared on the visitor's face, and he said loudly: "General, I am here on the orders of General Miegudi and General Guyou to report that our army has captured Yanwu City!"

"it is good!"

"happy!"

All the generals in the tent were excited.

Wu Yanshu's joy flashed across his face, and then he asked with concern: "Tell me about the process of this battle."

"Yes, Marshal."

The young general who came to report the news hurriedly said, "On June 13, General Guiyou led his troops to arrive, and our army launched an attack the next day. Because General Miegudi followed the general's order and did not move his troops, he did not expect that the defenders in the city would be vulnerable. On June 15, our army climbed the top of the city, and the brave warriors who climbed first opened the city gate to welcome the army in. The Qi army was defeated and fled in panic from the south gate of Yanwu City. General Guiyou personally led 5,000 light cavalry to pursue them, and found Qi reinforcements halfway, so he decisively withdrew his troops."

The stone in Wu Yanshu's heart fell.

He believed in the calmness and experience of Miegudi and Guiyou. Even if the Qi army intended to lure them, these two people would not be fooled. What's more, the other party took the initiative to give up Yanwu City, an important town on the western front, which meant that Liu Shouguang in the south should want to take the bait of Teng County in the east.

He stood up and paced for a while, frowning, "Send a message to Xi Lie, order him to lead his infantry to move more than 40 miles north of Teng County and enter the position I have set in advance."

An officer said loudly: "As ordered!"

Wu Yanshu walked to the sand table, looked at the logo of Teng County on it, and breathed a sigh of relief.

He was not afraid of the Qi army taking the initiative to attack, but he was afraid that the other side would defend the city and refuse to come out.

……

In the southwest of Dingzhou, there is the vast Lei Ze Plain.

This ancient battlefield has witnessed countless bloody battles that determined the fate of the world. Just a few years ago, when the frontline army had an absolute advantage, there was also a great war here that shook the world.

The summer breeze is gentle and the sunlight is a little dazzling.

A mighty cavalry marched southwest.

"Your Majesty, has Wu Yanshu never thought that the bait he deliberately threw out might turn into poison that kills Jing Jun?"

Li Chengen, commander of the Dingbei Army, asked with a hint of confusion.

The young man next to him was Lu Chen, the Prince of Huaian of the Great Qi Dynasty and the commander-in-chief of the military affairs of the three states in northern Jiangnan.

Hearing the question from his trusted general, Lu Chen smiled and said, "Compared to his last paranoia, Wu Yanshu has indeed made some progress, but he has fallen into another misunderstanding."

Li Chengen said respectfully: "Please teach me, Your Majesty."

Lu Chen looked ahead and said calmly: "From the overall perspective, our army is indeed at a disadvantage, and Liu Shouguang is even more helpless, so there is no way to pose a substantial threat to the Jing army. However, the army led by Emperor Jing has not arrived at the battlefield yet, which means we have a time difference that we can take advantage of. Before the main force of the Jing army arrives, as long as the border troops of Daqi work together and the commander can make decisive decisions, we can gain a local advantage."

Li Chengen nodded in conviction.

Lu Chen added: "Of course, that battlefield may also become a quagmire, trapping us deeply in it, and leaving us without the strength to deal with Emperor Jing's back-up plan."

He paused for a moment, his eyes gleaming with a sharp light, and he said softly, "That depends on whether the trap set by Wu Yanshu can withstand my all-out attack."

(End of this chapter)