Late Yuan Dynasty: I am the true emperor

Chapter 497 Blitzkrieg-Style Northern Expedition (Part 1)

The central army was responsible for the Shanxi direction, which was slightly different from Shaanxi. In Shaanxi, heavy troops blocked the gates, and once the gates were captured, the rest of the city was empty, so they could just occupy it directly. But Shanxi was different.

Shanxi has a large population, abundant grain, and naturally a large army. Historically, it was the focus of contention between two warlords at the end of the Yuan Dynasty, Bolot Timur and Li Chahan. Whoever controlled Shanxi had a large number of soldiers.

Historically, when the Ming army launched its northern expedition and Xu Da and Chang Yuchun attacked Shanxi, Wang Baobao was able to muster 100,000 troops in Shanxi, demonstrating the strength of Shanxi's military force. This time was no exception; under the command of the Shuo Sijian, 100,000 troops were also recruited in Shanxi.

However, the deployment of these 100,000 troops was quite interesting. 20,000 of them were sent to the Shandong front to confront Zhu Liangzu in Liaocheng and prevent the Shengwu Army from continuing its northern expedition, while the other 80,000 troops remained in Shanxi.

Of these 80,000 men, the Shuo Si Jian divided them into three parts. 20,000 were stationed in Yuanqu, responsible for guarding Zhiguan Pass, the southernmost of the Eight Passes of Taihang. Another 10,000 were stationed in Zezhou (Jincheng), guarding Taihang Pass, one of the Eight Passes of Taihang. The remaining 50,000 troops were all placed in Taiyuan by the Shuo Si Jian.

Such a troop deployment, with lighter forces in front and heavier forces in the back, seems somewhat puzzling, but in fact, the Imperial Guard had its own reasons for it.

First, Chuosi overheard Hama saying that Lu Jin was preparing to attack Guangdong and Guangxi and Fujian this year and had no plans for a northern expedition. This led him to make a strategic misjudgment. Since the Shengwu Army was not planning a northern expedition this year, why should he put all his troops on the front line? He could just send 20,000 to 30,000 men to confront the Shengwu Army in Huaiqing Prefecture and prevent them from penetrating into the heart of Shanxi.

The second reason is that Shuo Sijian was unaware of Lu Jin's Northern Expedition strategy; simply put, he did not know where Lu Jin would launch his troops.

If Lu Jin's Northern Expedition had started by attacking Shanxi, then he could have concentrated all his forces in the Yuncheng Basin in southern Shanxi and used the terrain to fight a blocking war against Lu Jin.

But if he puts all his forces in southern Shanxi, and then Lu Jin goes to attack Hebei first, and then launches a surprise attack on Jingxing Pass from Zhending (Shijiazhuang) in Hebei, and occupies Taiyuan from his rear, then the Shengwu Army will attack him from Taiyuan and Henan from both sides, blocking him in the southern Shanxi basin, which would be very tragic.

Conversely, this current troop deployment, with lighter forces in the front and heavier forces in the back, allows Shuo Sijian to feel more at ease. He believes that placing 30,000 troops in Yuanqu and Zezhou is enough to hold off the Shengwu Army for a period of time. If the Shengwu Army shows signs of launching a strong attack from southern Shanxi, it will not be too late for him to lead the main force south from Taiyuan to provide support.

If Lu Jin attacks Hebei first and ignores Shanxi, then Shuo Sijian can also send troops from Taiyuan through Jingxing Pass to Hebei to defend the capital.

There is also a third possibility: Lu Jin might advance to Hebei, but instead of going directly to Dadu, he might plan to first capture Zhengding and then attack Jingxing Pass from there. In that case, Shuo Sijian could remain in Taiyuan and calmly send troops to support the southeast and southwest.

His idea wasn't actually wrong, because in the original history, Xu Da and Chang Yuchun fought the Northern Expedition of the Ming army in the same way.

At that time, the Ming army first attacked Hebei, driving Xiao Tieguo to Shangdu. After taking Hebei, the Ming army turned around to attack Shanxi. Xu Da led one force from southern Shanxi to the north, and Chang Yuchun led one force from Zhenxiang to the west. The two forces attacked from both sides and defeated Wang Baobao's main force in Shanxi.

Shuo Sijian's plan was not bad, but the outbreak of war in September this year caught him completely off guard.

He never expected that Lu Jin would be so shameless. Not only did he plant spies in Dadu, but he also managed to contact the Yuan court's prime minister, Hama, and deliberately leak false information to them, playing a strategic deception game with them. They had agreed to attack Guangdong and Guangxi and Fujian first this year, but then suddenly launched a northern expedition without saying a word.

When Liao Yong'an and Chang Yuchun's army of over 100,000 appeared at the gates of Yuanqu City, Shuo Sijian was still completely unaware, inspecting the newly printed counterfeit banknotes in his Taiyuan prefecture.
The second unexpected thing was that the Holy Martial Army's determination to launch this northern expedition was so firm, their attacks so fierce, and their advance so swift that it completely exceeded his expectations!
Knowing the exact time of the troop deployment, Liao Yong'an and Chang Yuchun led their army to the northwest border of Huaiqing Prefecture, the closest place to Yuanqu, at the end of August. When September arrived, the army began its rapid march towards Yuanqu before dawn.

The central army was led by a newly formed cavalry regiment, commanded by Zhou Dexing, a veteran battalion officer under Zheng Yong. On the first day of the ninth month, just as dawn broke, this vanguard cavalry regiment crossed the Zhiguan Pass and arrived at the city of Yuanqu.

There were 20,000 Yuan troops stationed in Yuanqu City, so Zhou Dexing was not in a hurry to attack the city. He led two battalions to circle around the city, scaring the Yuan troops in the city into not daring to come out. He also sent two other battalions to scout around the city and intercept messengers who came out of Yuanqu to ask for help. He also sent a small group of cavalry to guide the main force behind them.

On the first day of the ninth lunar month, the main force of the central army arrived at the city of Yuanqu at noon. They had started their forced march at four o'clock in the morning and covered fifty or sixty miles in one morning to reach Yuanqu.

Seeing the hundreds of thousands of troops descending from the sky outside the city, the Yuan army garrison in Yuanqu City felt their scalps tingle. However, what happened next left them completely baffled.

Chang Yuchun, who had just arrived at the foot of Yuanqu City, did not even glance at the city before urging the soldiers of the Ninth Army to continue advancing northward, showing no intention of attacking the city.

The long procession marched for more than an hour before the city's defenders finally saw the Holy Martial Army flying a different flag. The main force of the Third Army Group, led by Liao Yong'an, had also arrived. However, Liao Yong'an seemed indifferent to the city and did not stop at all. He led the main force to continue northward, leaving the Yuan army defending Yuanqu City completely bewildered.

What exactly do these Red Turbans mean? Are you still going to fight or not? Why did you just leave?
It wasn't until late afternoon, around 4 PM, that the tail end of this army of over 100,000 men was finally seen. Xu Da's 119th Division, responsible for covering the rear of the entire army, and Gu Cheng's 5th Imperial Guard Division, totaling more than 23,000 men, finally stopped at the foot of Yuanqu City and began building artillery emplacements, preparing to attack the city.

There were only 20,000 defenders in Yuanqu City. For the Shengwu Army, which was used to fighting siege battles, such a small city was not a concern for Liao Yong'an and Chang Yuchun. Therefore, in order not to delay the main force's march, they simply handed over the small city to Xu Da, who was in charge of the rearguard, to take. Once Xu Da had taken Yuanqu, he would lead his troops to catch up with the main force.

Although it was a battle of 23,000 against 20,000, Xu Da, as the attacker, did not have the advantage in troop strength. However, Gu Cheng's Fifth Imperial Guard Division was no ordinary force. At least the garrison in Yuanqu City discovered the difference between this unit and other units.

Aside from the unit number, the flags of the Holy Martial Army generally do not bear the general's surname or any other random words. However, among these blank flags, the flag of the Fifth Imperial Guard Division stands out because it actually has words on it.

Surrounded by a group of heavily armored black infantry, a bright red military flag fluttered in the wind, bearing the words "Heroic Regiment of Dongjing River". Next to it, in the musketeer regiment, there was also a flag embroidered with "Model Regiment of Marquis of Mianyang". Beside Gu Cheng, the newly appointed commander of the Fifth Imperial Guard Division, stood a commander's flag that read "Commander's Division of Marquis of Dingyuan".

This is a model heroic unit that earned two marquises in a single battle at Dongjing River in Mianyang!

That evening, just as the fortifications were completed, Xu Da and Gu Cheng launched a fierce attack on Yuanqu. Under the cover of artillery fire, Gu Cheng, the newly appointed commander of the Imperial Guard Division, took the lead and was the first to climb the city wall of Yuanqu. He then began a brutal massacre of the Yuan army inside the city.

When Gu Cheng was still a battalion commander, he killed three generals of Asilan in battle at Dongjing River. He also chased and killed other Yuan soldiers like chickens. This time, the attack on Yuanqu was no exception. He led a group of heavily armored infantrymen and charged around the city wall. In a short time, he killed dozens of people at the stairs behind the city wall. The Yuan soldiers were crying out for their parents and thought they had seen a ghost.

This was a real warrior who had achieved the feat of "hundred-man kills" on the battlefield. With such a brave commander leading the charge, the other soldiers of the vanguard were not to be outdone. They fought like a pack of mad tigers in the city, causing the Yuan army to collapse and dare not advance to engage in battle.

Gu Cheng led the vanguard regiment to quickly open the city gates from inside the city. Xu Da immediately commanded the main force of several regiments to rush in. With the main force entering the city to join the battle, the Yuan army in Yuanqu City quickly collapsed completely. Some died, some surrendered, and some tried to escape through the north gate, which was surrounded on three sides but left open on the other, but they were intercepted by more than two hundred cavalrymen who were lying in ambush outside the north gate. In the end, none of them escaped.

On the first day of the Northern Expedition, the evening of the first day of the ninth lunar month, Yuanqu, the southern gateway of Shanxi, was captured by the Shengwu Army. Xu Da did not immediately pursue Liao Yong'an's main force, but instead sent a cavalry messenger with the heads and banners of the Yuan generals in Yuanqu to Zezhou (Jincheng) in the east to persuade the 10,000 Yuan troops there to surrender. If they did not surrender, he would go and fight again with Gu Cheng.

At the same time, facing the vast 'empty cities' north of Yuanqu with no troops stationed there, Liao Yong'an showed no mercy, leading the main force on a high-speed northward assault while sending out small groups of troops to persuade the nearby cities to surrender.

The central army maintained a very high marching speed. Even when encountering stubborn cities that refused to surrender, they did not stop at all. Just like when they attacked Yuanqu, the main force continued to advance directly, leaving the rear guard to slowly gnaw at the city.

They arrived in Yuanqu at noon on the first day of September. By evening on the second day of September, the vanguard of Chang Yuchun's Ninth Army Group had reached Quwo, 140 li away. Quwo was undefended. Seeing such a large army suddenly approaching the city, the county magistrate wisely surrendered.

The magistrate wasn't stupid. He knew that there were 20,000 troops guarding Yuanqu in front, but the Shengwu Army could suddenly appear in Quwo behind Yuanqu without making a sound. That meant that the 20,000 troops at the front had been completely wiped out, and not even a messenger had managed to escape. Under such circumstances, why should he surrender and wait to die?

However, Chang Yuchun did not stay in Quwo for long. He only ordered the surrendered county magistrate to collect wooden basins and buckets, and then had every household in the city boil water for them. He then organized a foot bath for the entire army, and everyone changed into a pair of socks or foot wraps.

For long-distance, high-intensity marches, wearing leg wraps to prevent varicose veins and calf congestion is one aspect, but more importantly, and simply the simplest, is to wash feet frequently, change shoes and socks often, and maintain foot hygiene. If possible, soaking feet in hot water is the best way to maintain foot hygiene during high-intensity marches. The Ninth Army, which marched over 200 li (approximately 100 kilometers) in two consecutive days, had most soldiers wash their feet and then immediately fall asleep wrapped in blankets on the streets of Quwo city. Training officers and soldiers stood guard in the city to ensure the soldiers got proper rest.

Chang Yuchun rested for only one night in Quwo. The next day, at four o'clock in the morning, before dawn, the Ninth Army once again embarked on the Northern Expedition.

On the afternoon of the third day of the ninth lunar month, Chang Yuchun led the vanguard of the central route army to Jinning (Linfen).

On the fifth day of the ninth month, the army arrived at Lingshi;
On the sixth day of the ninth month, Chang Yuchun's vanguard had already reached the walls of Pingyao, and Zhou Dexing's independent cavalry regiment was even faster, having arrived at Yuci first and occupied the Fen River ferry crossing there, constructing a pontoon bridge to allow the main army to cross the river. Yuci was now only sixty li away from Taiyuan.
Shi Heng, the former training officer of the 13th Regiment, has now been promoted to the chief training officer of the 5th Army. This time, he also led a group of political cadres, riding horses to follow Zhou Dexing's cavalry vanguard.

They always led the way, first using cavalry to force cities to surrender. If a city surrendered, they would have local officials organize the people to boil water for the army to wash their feet. If they passed through larger villages and towns, they would send out a large number of instructors to find local gentry and wealthy households, organize the people to slaughter pigs and sheep, and prepare meat and dry rations to supply the army along the way.

The grain used to make dry rations is usually bought with IOUs, which are then repaid when the main grain transport team arrives. Pigs and sheep used to make meat are bought directly with salt and iron coupons, ensuring that they can exchange these coupons for salt and iron in the future.

With Zhou Dexing's cavalry regiment in charge, the local gentry of Shanxi had no choice but to comply, even if they were extremely unwilling. Shi Heng had made it very clear that they were just the vanguard, and there were still hundreds of thousands of troops behind them. If they cooperated honestly, they could make a small profit. If they didn't cooperate, they could wait for the main army to arrive and settle accounts with them personally.

With cavalry and instructors leading the way, Chang Yuchun's Ninth Army maintained a high marching speed, but the soldiers were always able to eat meat and drink meat soup along the way, and even soak their feet in larger cities.

However, the high-intensity march over the past few days has inevitably resulted in non-combat casualties. From the start of the attack on Shanxi in early September until now, in just six days, the Ninth Army Group has already lost more than 2,000 men, almost half of its regiment.

Some had sprained ankles, some had blisters on their feet and couldn't walk anymore, some had their leg wraps not tied properly and their feet and legs were swollen like buns, and some even died from exhaustion from running. All of these people were left behind.

Liao Yong'an, who was following behind the Ninth Army Group, turned into a shelter, taking in all the wounded soldiers who had fallen behind and settling them in various cities along the way to recuperate.

Such a high-intensity forced march, disregarding casualties, naturally brought extraordinary benefits. On the sixth day of the ninth month, Zhou Dexing's vanguard cavalry had already reached sixty miles southeast of Taiyuan. The commander of the Taiyuan city, Shuo Sijian, had only just learned about the Shengwu Army's northern expedition to Shanxi, which greatly alarmed him!
He had deployed 30,000 troops to defend the passes in Yuanqu and Zezhou, so why did the main force of the Shengwu Army get right under his nose without even a messenger? Why?
Because Chang Yuchun's marching speed was too fast, coupled with the cavalry clearing the way and intercepting messengers from all directions, and the fact that Chang Yuchun's marching speed was even faster than the messengers sent by the Yuan army, the Shuo Sijian had not received news of the Shengwu Army's northern expedition.

Now, even if he knew, it would be too late.
On the seventh day of the ninth lunar month, Chang Yuchun's vanguard arrived in Yuci, crossed the Fen River, and set up camp on the north bank of the Fen River in Yuci, while the main force of the Ninth Army Group behind him was also arriving in droves.

Shuo Sijian wasn't stupid. After the initial shock and fear, he immediately realized that Chang Yuchun was leading a tired army. If he waited for Chang Yuchun's main force to arrive at Taiyuan and let them rest for two more days, he would really be out of options.

Therefore, the best course of action is to take advantage of the fact that Chang Yuchun's position is not yet secure and his army is exhausted, and to take the initiative to go out of the city to meet the enemy and annihilate this exhausted army outside Taiyuan. Only in this way can there be a slight chance of victory.

So Shuo Sijian immediately mustered 30,000 troops, leaving only 20,000 to guard Taiyuan, and then marched swiftly towards Chang Yuchun in Yuci.

However, the Holy Martial Army was not to be underestimated. Although only two divisions and a cavalry regiment had arrived at the vanguard, making an offensive operation difficult, they could still hold their ground at the ferry crossing for a day or two.

So on the night of the seventh day of the ninth month, Shuo Sijian led the Yuan army to attack the camp. Unfortunately, Chang Yuchun was prepared. Before Shuo Sijian's Yuan army could get close to the camp, they were discovered by Zhou Dexing's cavalry.

After receiving the cavalry's alarm, the army immediately organized a defense. When the Yuan army's night raiding force charged up, they were met with a dense barrage of muskets and countless grenades. Then, Chang Yuchun led several thousand elite troops in a short counterattack, followed by the cavalry's final interception. The first round between Shuo Sijian and Chang Yuchun ended in a direct defeat for the Yuan army. Of the five thousand elite troops sent out by Shuo Sijian for the night raid, less than a thousand managed to escape.

The fact that the exhausted army could still unleash such astonishing combat power during a passive night raid immediately gave Chuo Sijian a bad feeling.

So he set up camp on the spot, preparing to launch a formal attack after dawn the next day.

However, before dawn the next day, that very night, a long line of torches began to converge on Chang Yuchun's camp from the south bank of the Fen River. The scouts sent by the Shuo Sijian roughly estimated that the reinforcements from the Shengwu Army numbered over 100,000.

This completely stunned Shuo Siting. If the Holy Martial Army really had over 100,000 men, then what was the point of his 30,000 troops fighting in the field? Oh right, he now had less than 30,000 men left. After that failed night raid, he only had a little over 26,000 men left.
Upon hearing that the Holy Martial Army had sent over 100,000 reinforcements that night, Shuo Sijian dared not linger any longer. He immediately led his troops back to the walls of Taiyuan City, where they formed a defensive line with their backs to the city to meet the enemy. He would assess the situation the next day, and if they were truly outmatched, he would retreat back into the city.

After Zhou Dexing's cavalry regiment discovered that Shuo Sijian had retreated overnight, they asked Chang Yuchun for permission to lead the cavalry in pursuit, hoping to crush Shuo Sijian's main force under cover of darkness. However, Chang Yuchun stopped them in the end.

Since the tens of thousands of reinforcements mentioned earlier were fake, he had already anticipated that the Shuo Sijian Association would send troops out for a night attack. Therefore, he sent someone to relay the order to the main force that had not yet arrived, instructing each of them to carry two torches and come to meet him under cover of darkness.

This created the illusion of 'hundreds of thousands of reinforcements' for Shuo Sijian. Shuo Sijian only saw a huge number of torches, but in reality, there were not that many soldiers. It was just the main force of the Ninth Army Group. Liao Yong'an's Third Army Group was even further behind. There were at most 60,000 to 70,000 soldiers here, and they were exhausted from days of high-intensity marching. They were too tired to fight without a proper rest.

Chang Yuchun knew his own situation well. He thought that if they rested first and waited for Liao Yong'an's Third Army to catch up, they would have a sure win. So why take the risk at this time?
Although Chang Yuchun was quite brave in battle and liked to personally charge into battle, it doesn't mean he was a brainless brute.

That night, the Ninth Army simply held its fortified camp on the north bank of the Fen River in Yuci, sending out Zhou Dexing's scouts to scout around. The main force did not make any rash moves, but rested well in the camp.

On the second day, the eighth day of the ninth month, when it was broad daylight, Chuo Sijian realized that he had been tricked by Chang Yuchun. There were not that many reinforcements the night before!
However, the Ninth Army Group should not be underestimated. It consists of two armies and four divisions, totaling 54,000 men. In addition, there is a Imperial Guard Division of 10,000 men and Zhou Dexing's more than 4,000 cavalry. Even after deducting the more than 2,000 men lost during the march, Chang Yuchun still has more than 65,000 men under his command, which is still twice the number of troops that Shuo Sijian has outside the city.

Seeing this, although Shuo Sijian was unwilling, he was still cowardly and led his troops back into the city when he saw Chang Yuchun personally leading a large army to press towards Taiyuan City. He closed the gates and prepared to defend the city to the death.

Although he wasn't confident of defeating these Red Turban rebels, as a loyal subject of the Yuan Dynasty, Shuosijian still fulfilled his duty by immediately dispatching people from all directions to Dadu to inform Xiaotieguo that the main force of the Shengwu Army had attacked Taiyuan.
At the same time, Chang Yuchun also relayed the news of his arrival in Taiyuan to the rear, sending someone to Dongchang on the front lines in Shandong to inform Lu Jin of their marching progress.

On the afternoon of the eighth day of the ninth month, Chang Yuchun arrived at the city of Taiyuan and surrounded the city on three sides, leaving Zhou Dexing's cavalry to watch the other side. However, he did not attack the city but waited.

Another day later, on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, Liao Yong'an's main force of the Third Army Group arrived. Chang Yuchun immediately left Taiyuan to Liao Yong'an to fight, while he led the Ninth Army Group to continue marching north at high speed.

Standing atop Taiyuan city wall, Shuo Sijian saw this scene and immediately realized something was wrong. If the Shengwu Army had only come to attack Shanxi, they could have stopped right now. Taiyuan was the most important strategic location in Shanxi. As long as Taiyuan and its main force were captured, other places could be pacified with a simple proclamation.

Chang Yuchun had already arrived in Taiyuan, but instead of participating in the siege, he led his troops on a high-speed northward march. What were they planning to do?
There is only one possibility: these Red Turban rebels wanted to outflank Dadu from Datong and attack Dadu or Shangdu from behind. Otherwise, he really couldn't understand why Chang Yuchun would do such a thing.

However, none of that mattered to him anymore; he needed to think about how to stop Liao Yong'an's attack first.

Meanwhile, Lu Jin, who was stationed in Dongchang, was looking at the daily march reports sent by the Central Route Army. When he saw that Chang Yuchun's vanguard had arrived in Yuci, he said to Xia Yu, "The Central Route Army is almost there. There's no need to wait any longer. Immediately send an order to Yang Jing in Dengzhou and Laizhou: the Eastern Route Army should board the ships immediately. Yu Tonghai's first wave should land in Jinzhou and immediately launch a high-speed assault on Songzhou without waiting for anything!"

"Yes!"

(End of this chapter)