Chapter 937
The King Has Made Up His Mind
Chapter 937 The King Has Made Up His Mind
The moon is bright and the stars are sparse, the magpies are flying south!
The army was heading south, with tents everywhere and flags fluttering. The wind on the plains gradually grew stronger, making the tents whistle.
The wind blows outside, but it seems to blow in people's hearts.
In the central tent,
The lights were bright and a solemn atmosphere was overwhelming. On the main seat, a black wooden chair was covered with a blanket. Zhang Jinyu sat there with a broad horse and a golden sword. On the right was the seat of His Royal Highness Prince Jin, who was wearing a bright yellow robe and a jade belt around his waist. He sat quietly on the east side. The two had already discussed that they would fight with all their strength tomorrow. It would be better to break one of his fingers than to injure ten, so they had to fight hard.
On both sides of the tent, the generals of the Beijing camp and the chief commander of the imperial guards had been waiting for a long time.
"Everyone, I and His Highness have discussed that after tomorrow's march, we will rest for two more hours. After noon the next day, we will be able to see Daliang City from afar. If the enemy army is still there, we will fight hard and try to inflict heavy damage on them. If the enemy army retreats without a fight, we will take the opportunity to attack and weaken them. But the situation has changed today."
There was no solemnity in Zhang Jinyu's eyes. As the saying goes, it is difficult to catch a turtle that hides its head, but it is easier to catch a bird that sticks its head out. Since the Taiping Sect has led its army northward, the chances of winning this battle are 50%. Thinking of the wars in previous dynasties, without a stable base, the so-called Northern Expedition would result in a death toll. I don't know who gave the order. I remember that the Taiping Sect had two leaders. One was surnamed Zhang, whom I had never heard of. The other was a well-known person in the court and the underworld, named Chu Yiyue. Wow, he was awesome.
Ning Bian, who was behind him, took a step forward from the side and introduced;
"Generals, today we received a report that Daliang City is still in the hands of the court, but the Taiping Sect in Linshan County has been replenished and has gathered more than 200,000 troops. The main force marched north. General Dingbei walked for another half a day. Scouts discovered the enemy army and then withdrew. It is estimated that the enemy army will arrive here tomorrow morning after a night of rest. In addition, the follow-up army of the Beijing Camp has already set off for the first camp, one day behind."
A brief and clear introduction to the deployment of troops from various departments before and after, creating a time difference, can be said to be the upper hand of the court, waiting for the enemy to tire out.
It was the first time for King Zhou Ding of Jin to attend such a meeting. He leaned forward slightly, put his hands on his knees, and looked focused. Although he had heard it once before, he still had no idea how to respond.
While Luo Yunhou was speaking, the generals of the Beijing camp sat upright, led by the generals with the Chinese character Ding in their names, sitting on both sides. In particular, General Dong'an Yang Shixiong sat behind General Dingbei. He was wearing heavy armor and had a cold face, which made him stand out among the many generals.
Zhang Jinyu glanced around the tent. The generals of the Beijing camp were really used to being lax. Some of the generals in front actually took off their armor and came here to discuss matters in military uniforms. How could this be considered improper?
"My Lord, I think that since the enemy army is heading north, they must have a perfect plan, but they probably didn't expect us to come so quickly. So, I think we can set up an ambush here and wait for them to tire themselves out."
The person who spoke was General Dingdong Song Yutian. Although he was a little thin and had a gaunt face, his eyes were bright and shining. With his light soft armor, he was indeed a wise general of the Beijing Camp.
"General Song, an ambush may not be useful. The people of the Taiping Cult are not fools. My Lord, I think our army is strong and our morale is high. We don't need too many strategies. We only need to attack head-on and we will surely defeat the enemy. I am willing to lead the way with General Yang."
Dashishi's words were like thunder, causing a little agitation among the people in the tent. What he said made sense. Although the Beijing army was divided into two parts by the Marquis, the front part had 300,000 soldiers and horses, so they had a chance of winning no matter how they fought. Why should they give up the main road and take the small road?
Marquis Luo Yun and King Jin looked over and saw that it was General Xuanwu Ling Yuantao, a capable general, but too reckless.
"General Ling is courageous, and it makes sense to defeat them head-on. However, General Ling, what I want is to completely defeat them in one battle, and strive to annihilate them completely, rather than to crush them. This is what we are discussing today. Your Highness and I will discuss this. If the enemy army heading north is completely annihilated, what do you think of the entire southern part of Beijing?"
The generals were shocked. They didn't expect that Marquis Luo Yun had such a big appetite. They saw the Marquis stand up, spread out a white brocade and hang it on the bracket behind him.
"Everyone, take a look at the geomancy map of this place. General Hu spent two hours painstakingly carving it around the camp. To our east, there are endless plains, and to the west, there are the edge of the Anyang Mountains. There are also dense forests, which can be used to hide troops. But it is blocked by the small river in the west. The branch of Anhu Lake is where we are now camping and fetching water. The rest is the existing official road, which goes straight from north to south."
So, even if it was an ambush, there was no geographical advantage to use, and some were just ingenious strategies. The generals held their breath and stared at the brocade map to search. The only place where they could ambush was the Anyang Mountains. Unfortunately, there was no dense forest on the edge of the mountains, and people could not be hidden.
"My Lord, I have also noticed the dense forest. There is a lot of dense forest on the road ahead. It should be possible to hide, but not many people can hide. However, there is a concave area in the waist of the mountain. Can we make good use of it?"
General Yang Shixiong of Dong'an, when the army had finished their meal, took his personal soldiers to walk south for a distance to check the terrain. He found this inconspicuous piece of land and thought that if he made good use of it, he should gain something.
A burst of discussion broke out. Some generals agreed with the ambush, while others were dismissive, thinking that what General Ling said made sense. It was better to just charge forward instead of ambushing later and missing the opportunity to fight. As for ambushing there, if they were discovered by the enemy, wouldn't all their efforts be wasted?
His Royal Highness Prince Jin sat there quietly, listening to everyone's discussions. He felt that everyone was right. Although his face was expressionless, his eyes were always fixed on Marquis Luo Yun.
Zhang Jinyu did not speak. He looked at the simple map again and again. There could be ambushes, but not too many. In addition, the timing of the attack had to be grasped well. Also, to use the false to attack the real, the difficulty lay here in order to achieve the effect. The concave point ahead should be on the mountainside. The distance was not far, but it would take a long time for people to go down the mountain. Whether they could come down at the right opportunity and block the retreat was the most important thing.
General Yue Songlin, who had been silent the whole time, coughed a few times, and everyone in the tent came back to their senses. With Marquis Luo Yun and His Highness here, how could they act rashly? Their voices gradually became much quieter.
"My Lord, I wonder why the Taiping Cult has the courage to march north and capture Linshan County City, defeat the imperial reinforcements, and then besiege Daliang City. How many troops are needed to win three battles in a row? I don't understand."
This question,
This is the key point. When everyone heard this, their faces changed. It was true. Even for the imperial army, after several battles, the wounded and reduced personnel could not be replenished so quickly.
"Haha, good question, timely."
Zhang Jinyu laughed, his face straightened, he turned around and sat down again, then looked at the generals and said;
"This is indeed strange. The court has not had accurate information about Jingnan. It is hard to believe that no one is interfering. Of course, there is another person who knows, and that is Jingnan General Gu Ping. Unfortunately, he has not arrived yet, but he has a secret letter sent to the capital, saying that the governor of Linshan County surrendered to the enemy, so the county was lost. If this is the case, the Taiping Rebellion Army only defeated the court reinforcements, and it cannot be said that they won three battles in a row."
After all, one hasn't really been hit yet, and the other hasn't been hit yet, so it doesn't count.
This was the first time that King Zhou Ding of Jin and all the generals had heard such words. How could it be possible that the Governor Yu had surrendered to the enemy? Who could believe it? King Zhou Ding of Jin finally spoke out.
"My Lord, this matter has been concluded. The Governor Yu Shiyuan is a veteran of two dynasties and a highly respected person in the literati circle. How could he surrender to the enemy of the Taiping Sect?"
This question concerns important civil officials of the imperial court, and one cannot help but ask. Yu Shiyuan is already old, and although he may be confused, he is not so confused as to wonder if there were any misunderstandings or something strange during his time as he defected to the enemy.
"Yes, Lord, although I am in the Beijing camp, my father has also recommended you, sir. You have many students and friends throughout the court and the country. If he surrenders to the enemy, what will happen to the court?"
General Xuanwei Li Zongbao was full of disbelief. A person in such a high position, as long as he was not confused, would rather commit suicide and leave a good reputation than go along with the corrupt. How could he join the Taiping Sect? Even if he was surrendering to the enemy, he would have joined the White Lotus Sect.
"Well, what you said makes sense. I didn't believe it, but later, I had to believe it. The imperial court's reinforcements were heading south, and the Taiping Cult set up an ambush. How could the timing be so coincidental? This is one of the reasons.
Secondly, the grain stored in the official warehouse of Linshan County unexpectedly fell into the hands of the Taiping Sect intact. No one believed that they were an insider. Finally, they must have replenished their troops when they led the troops north this time. Who replenished them? Besides, Yu Buzhengshi surrendered to the enemy, not necessarily to the Taiping Sect. The same is true for those behind him."
Zhang Jinyu had only guessed before that Yu Shiyuan might have really found the former crown prince, or the trap set by the princes of Guannei, but firstly, he had no intelligence, and secondly, he had not seen it with his own eyes, so most of it was just speculation.
But today,
Not only can it prove that Yu Shiyuan surrendered to the enemy, but it can also prove that the former prince is still alive. Otherwise, if it were him, so many things would not have been given to the Taiping Sect for nothing.
so,
This battle is both easy and difficult to fight, but I have a way. Even if you have eaten pork, you have seen a pig run. There are so many classic cases in the previous life, and I have studied a lot of them. I can say that I am at the master level.
"Well, how could this be? I never thought of this."
Jin Wang Zhou Ding's face turned pale. He didn't know what Luo Yunhou said. He didn't know which uncle was behind it. Was it the King of Zheng or the King of Wu who dared to collude with the bandits? Did his father know?
Seeing that Marquis Luo Yun was confident, I guess my father knew about it.
"Your Highness, don't worry. The Emperor knows that they are just some low-ranking villains who hide their heads and show their tails. As long as they are exposed to the sun, everything will disappear."
"Then I wonder if you have any good ideas, my Lord?"
The King of Jin was not good at military affairs, but he had not yet come up with a countermeasure, so he was still a little anxious and asked anxiously. Seeing that the King of Jin was anxious, Zhang Jinyu smiled slightly. His Highness was not good at keeping his temper. In the whole tent, only three people remained calm. They were worthy of being the four commanders, and they were very capable.
"Don't worry, Your Highness. I have already thought of how to fight."
Everyone paused, looking at Luo Yunhou in disbelief. It had only been such a short time, and he had already come up with a good plan. They all stared ahead intently.
Zhang Jinyu clapped his hands and stood up, walked to the brocade map, pointed to the depression halfway up the mountain in front of him, and said;
"This place is good. We can hide 20,000 soldiers inside. But the most difficult thing is when to get down the mountain and when to cut off the enemy's retreat. The river is not deep, so we can just cross it. Since it is an ambush, we cannot leave footprints. So, we have to set out from the camp early tomorrow morning. Who is willing to lead the troops?"
The tiger opened his eyes and looked at the three people in front. The other generals did not take him seriously.
Song Yutian and his men were a little hesitant. This ambush not only required dexterity and dexterity, but also the timing. It was also dangerous and difficult to accomplish. However, Luo Yunhou's eyes were fixed on them, so they had to respond and stood up to greet him.
"My Lord, I am willing to go."
"Okay, General Song, tomorrow morning, your troops will go first. After the ambush, rest where you are and do not expose yourself."
Zhang Jinyu was worried and gave another warning. There were not many people, but the finale of this battle depended on Song Yutian.
"Yes, Lord, I know."
Song Yutian was also unambiguous. Since he had received the order, he had to think carefully.
The remaining generals were all excited. How could they not be excited when they saw the military achievement before their eyes? Zhang Jinyu pointed at the official road again, forming an angle, and said;
"The main battlefield is on the official road and the open fields on both sides of the official road. There are about 120,000 troops that can be placed horizontally. The shield formation in the middle is guarded by the right guard of the imperial army. The left and right wings are guarded by General Yang Shixiong of Dong'an, who leads 40,000 troops on the east side and moves at the command."
"Yes, Lord Marquis,"
The two men stood up and clasped their fists to receive the order. After sitting down, Zhang Jinyu placed his hand on the open space on the west bank of the river and said;
"General Xuanwu Ling Yuantao, lead 30,000 troops to protect the left wing of the western side of the Imperial Army's main camp. Attack as ordered. On the other side of the river, although the forest is not dense, it can still hide people. General Xuanwei Li Zongbao, you lead 15,000 crossbowmen and 5,000 spearmen to lurk on the other side of the river. When the enemy comes, shoot at the enemy's main camp. If the enemy army crosses the river, the 5,000 spearmen will be enough for you to resist."
This means that even though they knew they couldn't hide their troops, they still had to hide them, for the sake of Song Yutian's ambush. This arrangement was not understood by King Zhou Ding of Jin, and he was hesitant to speak, but the generals in the tent seemed to be thinking about it. Luo Yunhou's formation seemed to be irregular, but it was full of strangeness.
Zhang Jinyu did not explain, but pushed his hand to the east side and leaned back.
"Here, you can also form an east battle formation. The remaining 100,000 troops will all be deployed diagonally and will obey General Yin's orders. The vanguard will be led by General Yue Linsong and General Qi Ping. You two must keep your pace. I predict that once the enemy army finds our army here, they will definitely form a circle or a V-shaped attack formation. There will be no way to retreat. Once the enemy army arrives, you must surround them."
"Yes, Lord, I will obey your orders."
The two of them were very happy. They had never been the vanguard in the past when they were in elite battles. They were always placed in the sidelines. Now they could stop the enemy head-on. How could they not be excited? Fortunately, General Dingnan was in the rear army. He probably just arrived at the first camp to rest. If he was here, there would be nothing for them.
Finally, only General Dingbei Hu Shoucheng was left with an unpleasant look on his face. Everything was arranged except for him, so he couldn't help but ask;
"My Lord, do I have any mission?"
"Haha, General Dingbei is anxious. Youdao is the last arrangement and it is the most important. You must gather 30,000 cavalry and hide behind General Qi's army. When the battle starts and the battlefield is in a stalemate, you must outflank from the east and cooperate with General Song and his men to cut off their retreat. This is the key. When to attack, listen to my orders!"
Zhang Jinyu pointed to the eastern diagonal line, then made a big circle with his finger, and found the route behind an official road. This was the route of action, but he couldn't tell when to attack. The battlefield was fierce, the orders were unclear, and there was no time left. He could only rely on his feelings.
Hu Shoucheng's face flushed, he stood up and clasped his fists, saying;
"I will obey your orders and will never bring shame to you, Lord Marquis."
Seeing Hu Shoucheng's eyes shining, Zhang Jinyu had to give some advice.
"General Hu, we don't have to lock them all down. As long as we leave most of the troops behind, we can win this battle. Don't suffer too much loss. We will need your cavalry to help us later. After this battle, I predict that the Taiping Sect will be seriously injured. It will be just around the corner to recover the south of Beijing. Generals, if you have made military achievements, you can easily get your wives and children."
"Yes, Lord, I will keep it in mind."
Hu Shoucheng's face returned to normal and he suppressed his excitement. The Marquis' words came from the bottom of his heart. For a general, military merit is the most important thing. The generals in the Beijing camp lacked this only.
"Okay, sit down first. Now that everything has been assigned, everyone, for this battle, we will cook tomorrow morning, and then, according to your respective deployments, quickly organize your troops and march forward. You must win but not lose. Without military orders, no one is allowed to retreat even if everyone is dead. No matter who it is, anyone who retreats without permission will be executed."
"Follow military orders, this battle will be won,"
Everyone's faces were filled with excitement. If everything went according to the Marquis's plan, the main force of the Taiping Cult would be severely damaged.
It will certainly be severely damaged. At that time, it will be easy for the army to march south and recapture southern Beijing. By then, will there be any fear of not having military merit?
The morale can be used. Zhang Jinyu saw all the expressions of the generals. It was not in vain. The army can be deprived of its general, but the will of a common man cannot be taken away. If there is no blood and momentum, it is better not to fight this battle.
Seeing that the army was deployed tomorrow, King Zhou Ding of Jin had not yet come to his senses. He did not understand many deployments. Why would the imperial guards be used in the central battle formation of the official road? Wasn't the marquis afraid that they would retreat in the face of the battle?
Things in the palace,
He had heard from his mother that He Junling was the confidant of the retired emperor. Tomorrow's battle would affect the safety of the court and he could not be careless at all. He looked inside the tent and said to He Junling with a gloomy face,
"Commander He, tomorrow's battle is related to the safety of the court. No one should have the slightest fluke mentality. My flag will be erected behind the battle formation of the imperial army."
"Your Highness, absolutely not,"
Everyone was horrified. How could they let His Highness take risks? They wanted to persuade him again.
King Jin said coldly,
"My king has made up his mind, please stop trying to persuade me!"
(End of this chapter)