Chapter 226 Breaking the Game
Cai Fuyi's idea is to contain two sides, bloom in the center, and finally defeat each one. Specifically, Sichuan and Yunnan used heavy troops to besiege Chishui, Wusa, and Zhanyi respectively. In the early stage, the surrounding area was surrounded but not attacked. The Guizhou Ming army took the lead and went straight to Zhijin. They first took away An Bangyan's lair, and then killed his remaining troops. Whichever direction he fled to, he used the Ming army as an anvil. Guizhou The Ming army used the hammer to completely annihilate them, and then took advantage of the great victory to remove the last two strongholds, once and for all.
This idea is very good. In just a few months, Cai Fuyi keenly discovered the core of the entire turmoil: "Shuixi and the local officials of Yongning, Zhanyi, and Wusa are connected by land and have close relatives. If nothing happens, they will have disputes with each other. If there is anything, they will have disputes with each other. Come to the rescue."
The Southwest is boiling, and at first glance it looks like a mess. In fact, there are only four most powerful forces that pose a greater threat: Shuixian Bangyan, Yongning She Chongming, Wu Saan Xiaoliang, Zhanyi An Shaoqing, and other small chieftains. They are all subordinates, and there is no need to worry about them. As long as these rebellions are eliminated, order will be restored to the entire southwest immediately. Undoubtedly, the strategy proposed by Cai Fuyi is also very appropriate: Ming Dynasty has huge resource advantages. On the outside, Sichuan and Yunnan provinces have suppressed several forces so that they cannot support each other. Guizhou's heart blossoms, and they can be defeated one by one.
However, no matter how thorough the plan is, it still requires cooperation - and when it comes to cooperation... we know that Mr. Cai will definitely fail miserably.
When the report on the joint suppression of the three provinces came up, the court of course made it without saying a word. However, Lord Zhang Heming was very angry: Humph, the military administration of Sichuan and Guizhou Province is an official position of the headquarters. Why, you, the governor of Guizhou Province, actually commanded this governor? Already? This is not over yet, you have to reach out to Yunnan, and then find Huguang to coordinate logistics - it seems that your surname Cai actually has the ambition to manage the five provinces! You are so capable, where do you want me to put you? !
Out of anger, Master Zhang praised Master Cai's plan and said that he had already intended to do so and had been waiting for an experienced partner like Master Cai to work together to put an end to the rebellion. Sichuan Province had already done this. With complete preparations, both the court and Mr. Cai can rest assured!
An Bangyan couldn't sit still. This time the Ming army came in force, and it was obvious that they were completely different from the original group. Elder An knew very well that the Ming Empire he was fighting against was too huge. Every victory he won, no matter how brilliant, was almost worth mentioning in the Ming Dynasty. Soon, a larger empire would be reorganized. Attack; and as long as he fails once, he will immediately fall into the abyss of eternal destruction.
So An Bangyan decided to take a big gamble.
Not long ago, Liu Chao captured Puding, and An Bangyan designated this place as the battlefield for the opening game of this huge gamble. On that day, An Bangyan personally commanded the Shuixi Army to attack Puding, threatening to defeat it in one fell swoop. As soon as Cai Fu heard the news, he immediately ordered Lu Qin and Liu Chao to fight separately, and he led an army as backup.
Lu Qin took the lead in fighting An Bangyan at Wangjiachong (Songqi Town, Anshun City). Liu Chao arrived shortly afterwards and encountered another group led by A grasshopper at Jiangyizhai (today's Jiaoyi Village, Baiyan Town, Puding County). A new force. This was a close fight. In the afternoon, Cai Fuyi put the strategic reserves into the battlefield. The Shuixi Army began to lose support and retreated while fighting. The balance of victory began to tilt towards the Ming Army. In the evening, the main force of the Shuixi Army retreated across the Sichuan River (which is the Sancha River. As mentioned earlier, the same river is called Luguang River, Yachi River, Sancha River, Sichuan River, and Gulong River in different sections). Defeat towards Zhijin. Many Shuixi troops who did not have time to cross the river and ran away had to hide in nearby mountains. The Ming army searched the mountains with fire and killed more than 600 Miao Ni. Together with the results of the day, a total of 1,700 people were beheaded, and the Ming army itself suffered more than a thousand casualties.
In order not to give An Bangyan a chance to breathe, but also to realize his planned plan, Cai Fuyi led Lu and Liu's troops to pursue the victory and drove straight to An Bangyan's home base - Zhijin.
Guizhou is mountainous, and An Bangyan's lair has been there for many years. There are pass fortresses on every mountain top. The Ming army attacked the stronghold all the way, and when it was about to reach Zhijin, the smug Cai Fuyi, who thought he had a chance to win, was killed by a sunny day. Thunderbolt was stunned: a large number of Yongning thieves suddenly appeared in Luguang as if they came out of the ground. Their vanguard had already approached Longchangyi. Guiyang, the provincial capital, called the police overnight and was once again in danger!
Cai Fuyi looked at the map and was speechless: Didn't Lord Zhang Heming's military report vow to cooperate and have She Chongming firmly restrained in Chishui Guards, unable to move? How could he sneak for hundreds of miles and suddenly suddenly Jian Bingfeng arrived at Guiyang City?
However, after all, Mr. Cai had rich official experience both in the local area and the capital. It didn't take long for him to figure out the whole story. He couldn't help but let out a long sigh, wiped away his old tears and hurriedly led the army back to Guiyang to save Guiyang - this was the moment An Bangyan was waiting for: The purpose of the previous active attack on Puding and then retreat to Zhijin was to have a strategic decisive battle with the Ming army on their own preset battlefield!
Sancha River.
An Bangyan's invasion of Puding was just a bluff feint. The two Miao soldiers totaled less than 20,000 people. The other main force of more than 20,000 people was led by An Xiaoliang, who had already ambushed the west bank of the Sancha River, waiting to intercept the retreating troops. The Ming army. After withdrawing from Puding, An Bangyan asked Ah Chaoyong to lead some suspicious troops to fight and retreat, and led the Ming army in the direction of Zhijin. He led 10,000 troops straight north to join An Xiaoliang's ambush force.
Strike it before it is halfway across.
A textbook ambush.
To the north was the Liuchong River blocking the road. In order to return to the army as soon as possible, Cai Fuyi could only build a pontoon bridge to cross the river between Rouyuansuo and Yachi. During the two days when the Ming army camped by the river and waited for the pontoon bridge to be built, the surrounding hills were lit with fire at night, and there were countless thieves lying in wait. People in the Ming army camp were in panic, and the days were like years. Finally, the pontoon bridge was built, and everyone rushed to squeeze onto the bridge. Liu Chao's troops crossed first, and Cai Fuyi led the Chinese army to Lu Qin's rear. Mr. Cai had just crossed the bridge when several small rafts floated down from the upstream. The guard boat was about to paddle upstream to check. Flames shot up from the rafts and hit the pontoon. Within a moment, the pontoon was burned down. Everyone was in disarray, and An Bangyan also took advantage of the situation to launch an attack... In half a day, more than 2,000 Ming soldiers fell into the water and drowned!
Lu Qin was desperately rescued by his own soldiers, dragged into a small boat and rowed to the east bank. On the bank, he watched tens of thousands of Shuixi troops surrounding the Baoding Ming army who stayed in Hexi. The one who knew how to swim took off his armor and jumped into the river to still have a chance of survival. The others were either killed or captured to do cool labor. Lu Qin almost collapsed on the spot. However, this was only the beginning of the nightmare: the place where the Ming army in Hedong temporarily camped was Liumuze River - the place where Xie Zhongren of the front line was ambushed! She Chongming made a plan to attack Guiyang from Longchangyi, but secretly he asked She Yin to lead an elite Yongning army to quietly ambush here.
That night, the Yongning army launched a night attack. Liu Chao protected Cai Fuyi and led the remaining soldiers to rush back to Yachi, but Lu Qin did not run away. After learning that the fortresses were being breached one after another, and seeing that the defeat was irreversible and that his Baoding Army had suffered 70% defeat, Prime Minister Lu Qin, who was rated as "the most courageous general in the Southwest", drew his sword and killed himself in grief and anger!
An Bangyan won this huge bet.
An Bangyan was indeed making a big gamble - as long as Zhang Heming could contain the Yongning Army of the Chishui Guards, not only would he be driven out of his nest by Cai Fu, but the situation on the entire southwest battlefield would fall into a completely hopeless situation that was beyond control. However, even though he had no direct dealings with him, Elder An was still prepared to predict Zhang Heming's attitude, and joined forces with She Chongming to take dangerous risks and mobilize the Ming army to act according to his own intentions. Every step fell into their calculations.
Not long after, the punishment from the capital came down: "I was greedy for merit and rashly advanced, and was taken advantage of by thieves. I repeatedly failed the court's expectations. I lost my teacher, lost my land, and was dismissed from my post." Fortunately, Cai Fuyi only lost all his official positions and was not jailed. It's a blessing indeed. When Lu Qin died for his country, the imperial court would certainly reward him: he would posthumously award Prince Shaobao, Zuo Dudu, and Shiyin to command the general affairs. As for the person directly responsible for this total collapse, Mr. Zhang Heming, not only did nothing happen, but he was completely relieved - Mr. Zhang had already passed through the old disciples and reported the "relapse of the old disease", left this mess, and added the crown prince. With the honor of being a master, he returned to the capital to enjoy his blessings!
The great changes in the southwest have been going on for many years. Sun Jie, who was full of ambitions to quell thieves, has been kept idle in Sichuan Province by Zhang Heming for more than two years. Master Zhang left, but Sun Jie didn't have any hope. He only hoped that the new master would listen to him and not let Sun Jiajun die here. However, his opportunity will come soon, because the Holy Emperor finally learned from the pain and decided to appoint a plenipotentiary minister as the five-way supervisor to be responsible for commanding the southwest war.
Zhu Xieyuan!
Seize love. If an official has been in the system for less than twenty-seven months, he will be re-appointed directly by the Emperor Sheng, which is called seizing love. With the chaos in the southwest, Emperor Sheng was determined to re-enable Zhu Xieyuan to restore order as soon as possible. The deadlock finally came to an end.
