Ji Han Da Sima

Chapter 580 Another Battle of Chrysostom

"Da Sima, although Zhongli is close to the Huaihe River and the ditch is deep, it may be difficult to defend it for a hundred days." Huang Quan hesitated a little and said, "Although the Xiapi City is large, its troops are sparse, so it will be difficult to defend it for a hundred days." That’s it!”

Zhao Yun looked worried and said: "This is July, and in a hundred days it will be deep winter. The Huaihe River has dropped, and a single horse can cross the Huaihe River. After three months, Da Sima wants to fight with the bandit army, but I am afraid that the situation will not be favorable for our army!"

"But if it lasts more than a hundred days, I'm afraid Huaiyin and Xiapi won't be able to hold on." Fei Guan said with a pen.

"What can Boyan say?"

Seeing that everyone had some objections to his deployment, Huo Jun asked.

"Da Sima, the thieves are building many ships in the Central Plains. Today is Shouchun. The enemy is obedient and we are against it. We are advancing on land and water. It is not easy to defeat the enemy. But as Da Sima said, it is not impossible to contain most of the thieves' army."

Lu Xun frowned and thought, and said, "In my opinion, Da Sima may send more troops into the city and extend the order to defend the city. When the spring water comes back again, we can look for opportunities to defeat the enemy or force the enemy to retreat!"

"Can the Second City be defended for so long?" Wu Yi questioned: "When spring comes, it will last for five months, a full one hundred and fifty days."

Lu Xun shook his head helplessly and said: "Leave the boat behind and go ashore to fight with the thieves on foot. I'm afraid that before the formation is completed, the thieves and cavalry have arrived!"

"Boshu's words make sense!"

Huo Jun held the tea cup, nodded and said: "You must defeat the enemy in spring!"

With that said, Huo Jun glanced at Fei Guan and said, "Draft the military order again, Uncle Bin will remember it again!"

"promise!"

"Order Gao Chen to lead his sergeants to sneak into Zhongli to increase the strength of Xu Sheng's tent. Replace the military order and order Xu Sheng to stick to Zhongli for five months. It will not be a crime to surrender after five months. If he surrenders within five months, he will be beheaded."

"Order Tang Zi to lead the sergeants from his headquarters to rush to Xiapi to increase Huo You's strength. Hold on to Xiapi. If Xiahou Shang floods Xiapi, then withdraw and defend the inner city. Be sure to block Xiahou Shang's headquarters for no less than half a year."

Huo Jun clasped his hands behind his waist and said: "General Lu Xun of Chariots and Cavalry led the three battalions of Chen Dao, Fu Xu, Feng Xi and Wu Chu County soldiers, with a total of 55,000 troops. They stationed in Huaiyin to aid the two cities. If the two cities are not satisfied in May, they will be destroyed. If it is broken, it will be dealt with by military order."

Lu Xun stood up from the table, raised his hands and said in a deep voice: "The general has accepted the order. If the city is defeated before the fifth month is over, I am willing to be punished."

"good!"

Huo Jun pointed to the document and said: "I ordered General Pang Tong to follow the order. He was the deputy governor of Jianghuai. He left Liu'an and gathered troops from Huaixi to station in Hefei. He kept a close eye on the Huainan rebels. No matter what happened during the period, there was no one like me. The military orders are not allowed to be mobilized. If the bandits go south, just stick to the city walls!"

"Order the former general Wen Pin to lead ten thousand soldiers from Jianghan to the north, and Lu Ziming and the Xiangfan sergeants will be at his disposal; General Zhao Yun of the guard will lead ten thousand infantry and cavalry, and he and Shi Ran will station at Xiakou to consolidate the capital; General Huang Quan of the left will assist me in training the soldiers and horses of the imperial army. If there is a military order, follow me and fight."

"promise!"

After a while, Fei looked at the contents of his shorthand and asked, "Does Da Sima repay Prime Minister Ge?"

Huo Jun pondered for a while and said: "Copy two letters and submit them to His Majesty, and send them west to Chengdu."

"promise!"

Seeing that Huo Jun had no military orders for him, Zhang Fei couldn't bear it anymore and asked: "Da Sima, the country is in a difficult situation today. Lian Zilong still has military orders, why don't I have military orders now?"

"Yi Degui is the captain of the Sili school, how can you do anything lightly!"

Huo Jun smiled and said: "I am stationed in Wuhan with Jun now, and we will observe the situation on the battlefield."

"promise!"

Zhang Fei sighed with dissatisfaction, but he also knew the key to his identity. The Sili Xiaowei holds a prestigious position and has the right to inspect all officials. Once he leaves and there is a riot in the capital, it will be difficult to deal with it.

As the military meeting ended, the generals took orders and retreated one after another.

Huang Quan walked a little slower, hesitated a little, and asked: "Da Sima, the situation in the Jianghuai River is urgent now. Why don't you personally lead the troops and horses to the Huaihe River and let Lu Xun command the army. Although Lu Xun has a great strategy, he may be uncomfortable under the army of thieves and bandits. It’s a big task to defeat the enemy!”

Huo Jun sat back on the table and said with a smile: "I know that Lu Boyan is very resourceful and has outstanding military strategy. Now that he has the advantage of the navy, he can lead a strong force to the north, which is enough to protect the two cities. Now Cao Pi's army is at its peak, so when Use up his energy.”

Although Huo Jun's evaluation of Lu Xun seemed to be inconsistent, while talking to Zhuge Liang, he believed that Lu Xun was unable to shoulder the responsibility of the Northern Expedition; while on the other hand, he learned of Cao Pi's southern expedition, but handed over the responsibility of defending the enemy to Lu Xun.

In fact, Huo Jun had in-depth contact with Lu Xun and discussed military tactics with him many times before he made such a comment.

Lu Xun's military prowess was enough to rule the roost at the end of the Han Dynasty, and his intelligence was outstanding. His military style has obvious characteristics, that is, making decisions before taking action. He only takes action when he needs to establish an advantage. This is not only the advantage of Lu Xun's use of troops, but also the disadvantage of his use of troops.

In a defensive battle, the enemy's troop deployment route is relatively certain. Lu Xun can choose a suitable battlefield and use his own advantages to restrain his opponent. In this way, Liu Bei was forced to camp in the mountains, and then burned the entire camp, replicating Cen Peng's battle to destroy Shu.

In an offensive battle, the enemy is at an advantage, and the whereabouts of enemy reinforcements are unknown. Lu Xun is unable to obtain specific information about his opponent, making it difficult to establish a battlefield advantage. For example, during the Northern Expedition, Lu Xun learned that Man Chong was attacking him, but he lacked the battlefield advantage, so he retreated upon hearing the enemy.

Such tactical characteristics are why Lu Xun's performance on the battlefield was high and low. On the other hand, Zhuge Liang's military style is even more amazing. His marching and camping are impeccable, his military discipline is strict, and his sergeants can serve him to the death. Therefore, when facing Sima Yi, who was known for his good attack, Zhuge Liang made it impossible for him to make a move, and because he was good at training troops, he beat Sima Yi to the point where he could not leave the house.

If Liu Bei were replaced by Zhuge Liang, he would definitely not choose to camp in the mountains and forests, nor would he let Huang Quan easily cross the river, nor would he abandon his boat.

The different military styles of generals represent different battles that generals can conduct, and the results of the battles that occur between them are also different.

Now Huo Jun was asked to choose the commander of the army to resist Cao Pi's southern expedition. Apart from Lu Xun, he couldn't think of anyone else who could do the job.

Lu Meng was guarding Xiangfan and could not move. Huang Quan lacked experience in large army operations, so Lu Xun was qualified for the moment.

Not to mention that Huo Jun persuaded Huang Quan, and the remaining generals arranged operations according to military orders.

Liu Chan in the palace learned about Huo Jun's military order to dispatch troops and generals from Guan Xing.

"Cao Pi is commanding the army to move southward and is threatening to sweep across the Yangtze and Huaihe Rivers. How can Grand Sima not personally lead the army to stop it?"

Liao Li looked a little worried and said: "Although the generals of chariots and cavalry have strategies, they suddenly occupy a high position and lack prestige. Now that we have unified the Jianghuai army, I am afraid that the Jianghuai generals and the old generals in the army will not be convinced."

Liu Chan held the bamboo slip and explained: "Perhaps Father Zhong has other arrangements, or the strategy of a chariot and cavalry general is enough to repel Cao Pi's army."

Although Huo Jun overstepped his control of military strategy, Liu Chan was not angry because of it. He himself was a young monarch, and his military power was not only handed over to Huo Jun by the late emperor Liu Bei, but also handed over to Huo Jun by him.

Today's war is urgent. Huo Jun decides on his own military deployment and just informs him later. After all, Da Sima had military power inside and outside the governorship, and the power of Tuogu minister was not in vain.

Liao Li stroked his beard and said: "There is no clear strategy for defeating the enemy in the military orders issued by Da Sima. He can only order the generals of chariots and cavalry to contain the enemy troops and help the two cities of Huaiyin and Xiapi to hold on until spring comes. This is not a good strategy! "

"Could Father Zhong want to use the fortified city to hold on and force Cao Pi to withdraw his troops?" Liu Chan guessed.

"If you stay for a long time, you will suffer losses. Your Majesty should act with caution."

Liao Li pondered and said: "Although the Grand Sima is undefeated, it is inevitable that some things have been left behind. In my opinion, Your Majesty might as well recruit the Grand Sima into the palace to ask him about his detailed military strategy!"

Liu Chan hesitated a little and said, "Now that Father Zhong is tired of military affairs, how can we recruit him into the palace? I should go and consult!"

As soon as he said it was done, Liu Chan led his personal entourage out of the palace and came to see Huo Jun at the Chancellor's desk.

In the pavilion, Huo Jun saw Liu Chan's figure and stood up from the table to salute.

"Your Majesty is here, but I am not welcome from afar!" Huo Jun said.

"Father Zhong is so polite!"

Liu Chan held Huo Jun's hand and sat down, with a particularly respectful look on his face, and said: "Now Cao Pi is marching south to the Yangtze River and Huaihe River. Father Zhong did not lead his troops to go there personally, but ordered the chariot and cavalry generals to be the commanders. Could it be that the chariot and cavalry generals relied on 60,000 men to lead them? Can you retreat Cao Pi’s army?”

"Maybe, or not!"

Huo Jun understood what Liu Chan meant and said with a smile: "The Chariot and Cavalry Generals have few troops and can contain Cao Pi's troops. If you want to retreat or defeat Cao Pi, you may have difficulties."

"Why don't Father Zhong personally lead his troops to Jianghuai and quickly retreat Cao Pi's troops to ensure peace on the border?" Liu Chan asked.

Huo Jun shook his head and smiled and said: "Your Majesty, you don't know. Cao Pi mobilized the whole country to march south, which has both advantages and disadvantages for our Han Dynasty. Your Majesty once asked the minister about the Battle of Changping, and the minister said that after the Battle of Changping "The only person in the world who can stop Qin from unifying the world is Qi!"

As he said that, Huo Jun stroked his mustache and said with a smile: "Since the confrontation between the north and the south, I have been thinking about breaking Shouchun, so I drove the commander to take Heluo. But the thieves are afraid of fighting and cannot come out, so they have no hope of Shouchun. Now Cao Pi is making a big move. Come here, just as I want!"

Liu Chan instantly understood Huo Jun's intentions and said with a smile: "Does Father Zhong want to use the cities of Xiapi, Zhongli, Huaiyin and other places, as well as the terrain of Jianghuai, to have the generals of chariots and cavalry wear down the rebel army, and then attack Cao Pi?"

"Of course!"

Huo Jun nodded slightly and said with a smile: "This battle will be like the battles of Jinkou and Changping. If we defeat the bandits, we will be able to achieve longevity, then take Henan, and then plot Heluo!"

"color!"

Liu Chan clapped and cheered, and said excitedly: "This is a service to trouble Father Zhong with troops."

It was not difficult for Huo Jun to force Cao Pi to withdraw his troops. But the difficult thing is how to fight another Battle of Chrysostom and annihilate the Wei army on a large scale as he said.

The Battle of Chrysostom established the pattern of division between north and south. In order to plot the Central Plains, Huo Jun must try his best to achieve a result comparable to the Battle of Chrysostom. Otherwise, not only would the Southern Han Dynasty's plans for the Central Plains be hopeless, but it would also be difficult for him to fulfill his past heroic words.

In order to prevent Cao Pi from retreating in the face of difficulties, or to weaken the morale of the Wei army. Huo Jun decided to send Lu Xun, and let him, Xu Sheng, and Huo Youzhi rely on the Xiapi and Zhongli defense lines to cause as much damage to the Wei army as possible.

When the morale of the Wei army is low and there is a chance of victory, Huo Jun will personally lead his troops to Jianghuai and command the army in battle.

As for how to use troops in the future, or how to defeat Cao Pi, it depends on the changes in the situation on the Jianghuai battlefield!
(End of this chapter)