In fact, Chengyun was so panicked that his legs were shaking.
He had never experienced a major rout, nor had he experienced a rout when his two brothers were not around. At this time, the whole army had no backbone. On the contrary, because of his bloodline, he was taller among the dwarfs and was forced to become the backbone.
It just so happened that his own family knew their own affairs. At this time, Liu Chengzu and Liu Chengzong were able to carry this big beam to reorganize the team and stabilize the front. He was the only one who could not do it among the three brothers.
It is not difficult for him to gather the defeated troops and stabilize the front, but where should he stabilize the front? The carrier doesn’t know.
The most damning thing is that there is no one around him who can make up his mind. Basang and Xie Erhu are the two weakest brigade marshals in the Marshal's Mansion. All the generals of the two Tunmu brigades are tied together, and their ideas are not as good as those of the field camp. General.
But Chengyun can't blame them. He knows very well that Basang and Xie Erhu have maintained super-level performance in this battle that lasted for nearly four months. It is true that our strength is limited and we are third-rate players. We are super-level. His performance is second-rate.
The only way we can survive this long is to work together to overcome all difficulties. It would be rude to have any higher expectations.
Since Xie Erhu's troops retreated outside the city and Bai Guangen attacked Zhuanglangweicheng, Chengyun's brain was numb. Basang and Ah Liu came forward to suggest a breakout, and Mimi Huhu agreed and followed him out.
It wasn't until people arrived at Xi Datong River Fort that Cheng Yun's mind became a little clearer and he began to think about what he could do. While sending people to look for Xie Erhu, Weasi and Ahai Daiqing from Hehuangdong Pass, he summoned Basang and Ah Liu. , asking why you came here.
Fortunately, Basang and Ah Liu were not running around. They were frightened by the combat power of Cao Wenzhao's cavalry. They discussed breaking out from the first day Bai Guangen attacked the city. After two days of discussion and repeated arguments, they came up with this idea. Run to the Liancheng Mountain area to defend the West Datong River Fort.
The enemy is outnumbered and we are outnumbered. If they stay in the city, they will die a hundred times. If they run south to fight with the Ming army in the field and run into Cao Wenzhao, they will die a thousand times. They can only run to the mountains to the west.
The Fan soldiers were not flexible enough to form large formations in the plains, but they were able to make use of their strengths and avoid their weaknesses when traveling through mountains and rivers as if they were walking on flat ground, and fighting the Ming army in the mountains and forests.
Chengyun understood this and asked: "Liancheng, can you hold it for three months?"
Basang and Ah Liu looked at each other, not knowing.
Basang led the soldiers to fight several bad battles with the chieftain in Kangning Mansion, but they were all fast forward and fast retreat, and no battle lasted more than ten days.
Ah Liu was quite experienced, having fought hundreds of battles with She Chongming when he was young, but even with his experience in defending the city, he was not confident, and the city that She Chongming captured was eventually lost.
Now Chengyun asked them how long they could defend based on the Liancheng Mountain area. How could they know?
The two of them were silent, and Cheng Yun probably knew what was going on. He thought that this would not work. I may not trust your strength, but you must not doubt yourself!
My confidence as a general has been shattered. Isn’t this going to end sooner or later?
Therefore, he encouraged: "Although Zhuang Langhe is defeated, the two generals should not be discouraged. We are just a partial division on the battlefield. The more troops and time they waste on us, the easier it will be for my brother. Isn't this the truth? ?As long as my brother wins, we will lose a hundred times and win in the end!"
In fact, Chengyun himself didn't know what he was saying. Anyone in northern Shaanxi who dared to behead someone or sell someone for sale was stupid and bold. If he picked anyone at random, he would be reliable.
He is different from others. He is timid. Deep down, he never thinks that he is a reliable person. He just forces himself to be reliable at critical moments.
Fortunately, Liu Chengzong's prestige is as solid as Mount Tai in Basang's heart. When Chengyun brought up his second brother's name, Basang was no longer afraid and nodded: "Yes, even if we die to the last man, we will not ruin the commander-in-chief's affairs." .”
Ah Liu and Basang had nothing in common. Hearing this, he frowned and said, "If you want to die, you can die. I haven't raced with Liu Guoneng yet, so I can't die. Third General, leave the defense of Liancheng Mountains to us."
After that, Ah Liu glanced at Basang. In any case, it is always a good thing to have friendly troops who do not take his own life seriously. He said: "General Ba will not let the Ming army enter Hehuang from here before he dies."
Ah Liu immediately led the officers of the Yongning Battalion to deploy defenses in the mountains, dig trenches and lay traps; Basang called on the Xifan Battalion to fight to the death and issued military orders that those who died without merit would not be saved and reincarnation was prohibited.
Liu Chengyun's mission is even heavier. He must ensure that He Huang can survive until the day Liu Chengzong wins.
The first place he wanted to go was Dongguan Town in the Five Towns of Hehuang. There were five enemy towers built by Liu Chengzong by taking out the bricks of Xigu City. It was also the direction in which Xie Erhu's Mongolian brigade fled.
On the road, Cheng Yun's mind was filled with all the things he should do. He had to stabilize people's hearts first, and then stabilize his defense.
The situation in Hehuang was unprecedentedly chaotic. Compared with the Xifan Brigade, whose military morale was still stable, Chengyun was more worried that the Mongolian brigade's military discipline would deteriorate after the defeat, and that the defeated army would attack the five towns in Hehuang.
Therefore, before they arrived at Dongguan Town, they had already sent two of their victorious followers to the five towns with orders. First, they summoned rural soldiers. Second, they sent orders to rural officials to mobilize the people to recruit soldiers. Third, they... broke the news of the defeat on the front line. Inform Liu Xiangyu and ask his second uncle to prepare in the Xincheng and Xining areas.
The news of the collapse of the front line was too dangerous for them. People's hearts were agitated. At best, they looted, hoarded, and killed people to buy goods. At worst, the powerful chieftains rebelled. If a careless battle did not result, the civil strife would end first.
After winning and returning, he rushed to the five towns, and Chengyuan received a message from Xie Erhu...not for him, but for Mr. Liu of Xincheng.
What he was most worried about did not happen. Although Xie Erhu was defeated neatly, he did not flee without hesitation. He led his army to a rout. It looked scary, but this was also the ancestral strategy of the Mongolian army to advance when it was advantageous and retreat when it was unfavorable. .
The Mongolian soldiers were accustomed to being defeated. After being defeated, they would reorganize and retreat normally. During the normal retreat, Xie Erhu temporarily transferred Darhan from the army to form a forward selection team with 133 cavalry. , all of them are masters who can shoot a hundred-jin war bow.
However, Cao Wenzhao's army first lost touch with its infantry and cavalry as the pursuit deepened, and then the cavalry group changed into small groups. Instead, they were attacked by the Mongolian soldiers who had restored the organization of Xie Erhu while they were camping and eating. They first disrupted the organization with close-range shooting from the vanguard, and then used The light cavalry charged headlong and swallowed up the 200-horse team with more strikes and fewer blows.
In addition, Ahai Daiqing was also sent to maneuver in the opposite direction from Hexi to overwhelm 800 infantry.
Xie Erhu said in his heart that his grandfather could not do anything else. He followed the commander back and forth from Xining to Qamdo. He was accustomed to traveling thousands of miles. Running dozens of miles here was nothing!
After several small-scale counterattacks, Cao Wenzhao's dispersed cavalry were beaten out of their heads, and they gathered in the camp for defense. The subsequent infantry also walked tremblingly, and the marching speed was significantly reduced.
However, despite the argument, Xie Erhu still had a clear understanding of the strength of the enemy and ourselves. He could not assemble the troops to fight head-on and could not defeat him. He refused to accept it, but Zhuanglang Guard City had to save it. After all, he did not know that Basang had run out with Chengyun.
As soon as he saw that Cao Wenzhao had been held back, he turned around and asked Lanzhou to move reinforcements. In his mind, the only field camp that could compete with the Ming army was the Marshal's Army field camp, and Wang Wenxiu had to be called out.
Therefore, Xie Erhu wrote to Master Liu, telling him not to worry. Although the front line was defeated, I was thinking of a way to follow Commander Wang to turn defeat into victory and rescue Liu Chengyun.
This letter made Chengyun feel quite warm in his heart, but he immediately wrote to Xie Erhu and Wang Wenxiu, saying that he had come out, Zhuanglang Guard City was no longer wanted, and Wang Brigade Commander must not abandon Lanzhou.
Liu Chengyun has his own judgment on the battle situation.
He estimated that his brother should have entered Jiayuguan by now, otherwise the Ming army would not have suddenly changed their tactics. But to fight from Jiayuguan, even if there was no fighting, it would take more than a month to march alone. Counting the fighting, even if the march was rapid, it would be short. It is inevitable in March, or as long as a year and a half.
In his letter to Wang Wenxiu, he mentioned that what the Marshal's Mansion needs now is not victory or defeat overnight, one city or one place. On the one hand, it is impossible to reverse the defeat and regain the lost territory. What is important is to form a long-term relationship with the Ming army in the Hehuang Valley. A stalemate.
At this point, abandoning Lanzhou and retaking Zhuang Langwei would be harmful to the overall situation. Wang Wenxiu must ensure that Lanzhou is in the hands of the Marshal's Mansion in order to better protect Hehuang.
This letter was sent to Wang Wenxiu who was stationed in Lanzhou, and the overall situation of Hehuang's defense was stabilized by Liu Chengyun.
The Ming army entered the Liancheng Mountains from the north and was defended by Basang's Xifan Musket Battalion; when attacking Dongguan Town, it had the Xie Erhu Mongolian soldiers on the one hand. Even if they were defeated, Wang Wenxiu, who was separated by the Yellow River and could not attack, could cut off its retreat.
Wang Wenxiu received the letter in Lanzhou, but he did not sit back and relax.
Although he personally led a field battalion, with three nearly full battalions under him: Luo Rucai, Li Wanqing, and Yang Chengzu, as well as the Lintao Brigade composed of the old Ming army under the command of three surrendered generals Shi Xiang, Li Zude, and Zhang Yunqi, the force was strong, but With the fall of Zhuang Langwei, he had to face the Ming army from the east and west, so he did not dare to be careless.
To the south of the Yellow River, he sent Li Wanqing to build camps and fortresses in Dongchuan, Xigu and other places; he sent Luo Rucai to levy all the ships on both sides of the Yellow River to Henan; and he sent Yang Chengzu to lead his army across the river to build camps in Shajingyi and other places north of the Yellow River. Set up a stronghold and send Tangqi through the mountains to the Zhuanglang River Basin to ascertain the enemy's situation.
The intelligence came and went in two days. Wang Wenxiu in Lanzhou City had a little understanding of the battle situation and couldn't help sighing that the fighter opportunity was fleeting.
In fact, he was more optimistic about Xie Erhu's original idea. If Basang defended Zhuang Langwei more resolutely and Cao Wenzhao was completely pulled away from the battlefield by Xie Erhu, he could take the opportunity to eat up Cao Wenzhao's entire battalion.
But now that Basang has abandoned the city and broken out of the siege, and the reinforcements from the three battalions behind Cao Wenzhao are converging, he will risk the Lintao Brigade's rebellion by sending troops again, and there is little chance of annihilating the enemy.
At this point, Wang Wenxiu fully accepted Chengyun's idea of three-pronged defense, and made one suggestion: ask Liu Chengyun to recruit troops in the five towns of Hehuang and recruit a large number of troops.
Wang Wenxiu's words were sent to Dongguan Town. Cheng Yun held the letter and read it several times before he realized that these words were two suggestions.
He didn't even know whether the recruitment later was really necessary, or whether Brigade Commander Wang was looking for his face and just made a random excuse.
To put it bluntly, you, Liu Chengyun, should not be on the front line of the battlefield.
The Marshal Army is different from the Ming Army, but the people's hearts are the same. Where the vassal state is, the Ming Army generals will not dare to run unless they don't want to pass. The same goes for the Marshal Army generals. The place where Liu Chengyun is is surrounded, who dares Don’t want to save?
This is not a problem in itself, but Liu Chengzong dragged all the elite field regiments from the Marshal's Army headquarters to Gansu, leaving behind only second-rate or even third-rate regiments that are good at maneuvering and fighting, and they tied their feet and refused to let them go. How to fight? .
Liu Chengyun thought that since Xie Erhu had also gathered his troops and arrived at Dongguan Town at this moment, he would go to Hehuang Five Towns to recruit troops and escort grain and weapons to the front line, which was still his job.
But just the night before he was about to leave Dongguan Town, he received an unexpected letter.
The person who wrote the letter was from the Shaanxi Township Party. He said that he was now doing something, and had two battalions of elite soldiers and horses. He was tired from fighting outside, and wanted to borrow a place from the Marshal's Mansion to rest for a year, allowing him to buy and sell clothes freely. He gave him food and grass, made bows, knives and arrows, and helped him cast six heavy cannons.
In exchange, he was willing to offer thousands of taels of gold and relieve the siege of Lanzhou for the Marshal's Mansion, no matter who it was, Yang Yanchang, He Renlong or Zhang Yingchang, Lian Guoshi, whoever attacked whom.
The signature is Zhang Xianzhong, the Eighth King of Xiying.
To be honest, Cheng Yun was quite confused at first when he read this letter.
He didn't know who Zhang Xianzhong was. Even if someone talked about a policeman from Yan'an Prefecture, it was very likely that Zhang Xianzhong had seen him, but he had not seen Zhang Xianzhong.
Ren Quan'er has already informed the Marshal's Mansion about the gathering of Shaanxi bandits in Longxi. Mr. Liu is worried in Xincheng and hopes that these people will go elsewhere. However, Liu Chengyun has been in Zhuanglangwei recently and can't take care of those coming from the southeast. Leaders of all walks of life.
Leaders from all walks of life chose to come to Longxi in unison. Everyone knew their intentions. They wanted to cooperate with the Marshal's Mansion to attack and defend each other. The joint operation would have a higher chance of survival. They were all well-intentioned.
But in Mr. Liu's opinion, regardless of his intentions, it's a bad thing if he comes over... This is not because he is small-minded.
Liu Chengzong occupied such a large territory in the northwest, but he did not dare to raise 100,000 soldiers and horses; the four Oirat tribes occupied the northern foot of the Tianshan Mountains, but they did not have 100,000 soldiers; the three brothers Huo Luochi conquered Uzang, but still did not have 100,000 soldiers horse.
In terms of territory alone, Dunta Urus, which was nominally led by Khitan Khan Liu Chengzong, was larger than the eighteen provinces of Han Dynasty, with only about 200,000 soldiers and horses from all walks of life.
But now Gao Yingxiang, Li Zicheng, and He Yilong alone have eighteen battalions of soldiers. Counting other leaders and family members, the number exceeds 100,000 troops.
These are all people who need to eat food instead of producing, and a large part of them are soldiers who need to eat good food. What will the regiment eat in the not fertile land in the western section of Qinling Mountains?
Bark grass roots are not enough to eat.
Not only Liu Xiangyu saw this problem, but Gao Yingxiang and Li Zicheng also saw it. That's why the situation now seems a little embarrassing. They are clearly facing a hundred miles away, but no one opened their mouths to join forces, surrender or ask for help. , people are waiting for Liu Chengzong to come back.
Zhang Xianzhong took the initiative to find Liu Chengyun. The reason was simple - Zhang Xianzhong was out of food.
