After learning that there was no one in Hengyuan Village, there were two opinions within the Perak Army on whether to go down the mountain and occupy Hengyuan Village. The first is to advocate occupation. They believe that Hengyuan should be occupied before the Mongolian army. Otherwise, if the Mongols gain a foothold at the foot of the mountain, they will firmly block the road in and out of the mountain and seal the Perak Army in the mountain. This group of people Led by Du Daquan, they mainly represented the opinions of the citizens of Hengyuan. They believe that although the mountain road between the mountains and the outside world is not the only one through Hengyuan Town, there are other hidden paths that can lead to the plains below the mountains, and there are even wild trails that can lead to the Fan area. However, these paths are extremely dangerous and can only be used by a small number of people. In addition to being economically unfeasible, it also makes little sense militarily. The main reason is that these trails are extremely difficult and dangerous. Even traveling over mountains and ridges with light equipment is very taxing on the body, which will cause the soldiers' physical strength to drop sharply in a short period of time. This is also the reason why the secret trail in Liuliba is now abandoned by the Pili Army. Another opinion is that there is no danger to defend Hengyuan Town. In addition, there are wars under the mountains, the economy is in decline, and it is difficult to supply food and grass. The gains of occupying Hengyuan Village are really not worth the losses. This group of people is mainly led by Shi Zhongshu and represents the opinions of the mountain people. Both opinions have their own advantages and disadvantages, and no one can agree with them.
Ouyang Xuan suppressed the dispute between the two opinions. In his opinion, it is better not to go down the mountain for the time being. However, out of respect for the former opinion, he still asked Dong Hu to lead a capable team to Hengyuan. In addition to reconnaissance intelligence, he also scraped some saltpeter on the walls of the houses in the village. Also going at the same time were surveying and mapping technicians from the construction company. They went with them to measure the terrain and prepare for the next step of construction in Baoling, Hengyuan Town.
Ouyang Xuan explained in detail the reasons for his decision and won everyone's recognition and support. In fact, both he and the top brass of the Pili Army understand that the sooner they get off the mountain and develop, the better. Although the development momentum in the mountains is strong now, there are hidden worries. In the short term, although there is no shortage of food in the mountains and efforts to open up wasteland have been stepped up, with the increase in population and the development of various undertakings, coupled with the military operations of the Perak Army, food shortage is an inevitable problem. There must be limited gentle slopes in the mountains, and the climate is relatively cold. Blind burning of wasteland will also cause the soil fertility to decrease, and food production will only become lower and lower. Without food support, there is no development at all. In addition, the mountains lack salt, copper, zinc and other minerals, and sooner or later the iron ore will be mined out. Only by getting out of the mountains as soon as possible can we avoid the dilemma of resource depletion. On the other hand, going down the mountain is also necessary for the development and growth of the anti-Mongolian cause. If the Perak Army remains trapped in the mountains, in addition to being unable to gain political momentum, it is more likely that they will be called bandits like Xiong Ben.
More importantly, only by going outside the mountains can we obtain more strategic materials and have the capital to compete with the Mongolian army. Although the mountains are rich in minerals and trees, it is really the first choice to avoid disasters and save life in troubled times. However, the population can be limited, and the location is very remote, and the transportation is very inconvenient. It is really difficult to obtain strategic materials from the outside world. Take the most important raw material of gunpowder - saltpetre. The current production potential of the saltpetre mines in the mountains has reached its limit, so that the output of gunpowder has been unable to increase. At present, whether it is mining, road construction or military production, large amounts of gunpowder are urgently needed. Lu Dezhi once mobilized the mountain people to scrape soil from the walls of old houses to boil saltpeter. However, most of the houses in the mountains were made of bamboo and wood, and very little saltpeter could be scraped. Only the rammed earth houses at the foot of the mountain could scrape large amounts of saltpeter powder.
In addition to the lack of key raw materials, the biggest problem in the mountains compared with the plains below is the production efficiency. For example, in terms of grain production, due to limitations of water and light and heat resources, grain can only be grown for one season in the mountains, and only dry crops that require less water, such as sorghum, soybeans, and buckwheat, can be grown. The yield per mu is only half of the yield down the mountain. It is even less comparable to rice that can only be grown on the plains. The western Sichuan plain at the foot of the mountain has a mild climate and fertile land. Since Li Bing and his sons built the Dujiangyan Irrigation Project, it has suffered from floods and droughts. It is known as the "Land of Abundance" and has become a major grain taxation area supporting the hegemony of the Qin Dynasty. It has always been "promoting one benefit and two" statement. Chengdu Prefecture, including Chongqing Prefecture, has three prefectures, eleven prefectures and sixty-one counties under its jurisdiction, with the Western Sichuan Plain as its core. It was the most populous and tax-rich area in the two Song Dynasties, second only to the Jiangnan region. However, after the Mongol prince Kuoduan massacred Shu, the Mongolian army invaded several times, and their wanton massacres turned the prosperous Shu land into a hell on earth. If the Perak Army can control the western Sichuan plain at the foot of the mountain, it can lay a solid foundation for survival and development, and then continue to grow and develop until the Mongols are completely defeated.
Hengyuan Town will definitely be the Perak Army's first foothold in the plains. But now is not the time to go out. With the current combat strength of the Perak Army and the steep terrain, it is more than enough to hold on, but it is simply unable to confront the Mongolian army in the plains. Now that they are developing down the mountain, in addition to exposing their strength prematurely, they will inevitably conflict with Xiong Ben, who occupies Yongkang City and Hengyuan Town. Although the Xiong Ben gang does all kinds of evil, they still have the name of the government. Xiong Ben is still the supervisor of Hengyuan Town. If the Pili Army captures Hengyuan Town, he will definitely complain to the bureaucrats of Yunding City due to his urine. When the time comes, he will not be able to prevent Pan Zongzhi from taking the opportunity to add insult to injury.
Not wanting to openly fall out with the government was not the main reason why Ouyang Xuan did not take Yokohara, but that now was not the best time. In his memory, General Atahu, the marshal of the Mongolian army, led his army into Sichuan to join Liu Heima in Chengdu before and after winter. At that time, the Mongolian army will use Chengdu as a stronghold to attack cities and plunder territory in preparation for the Mongolian Khan Meng Ge's military operation to attack Shu in the following spring. The Mongolian army faced off with the Song army in Yunding City in the prefectures and counties to the east and north of Chengdu City, and focused its attack on Chongqing Prefecture, Qiongzhou and other prefectures and counties to the west and south of Chengdu City. Under the offensives of Atahu and Liu Heima, the prefectures and counties west of Chengdu were either defeated or surrendered, and most of them fell into the hands of the Mongols. Although the Mongolian army led by these two men was mainly cavalry, they also had a large number of engineering troops composed of Jin, Khitan and northern Han people under their command, and they had extremely strong siege capabilities. Not to mention the fragile rammed earth and wooden walls of Yongkang City and Hengyuan Village, even the brick-clad city walls of Chongqing Fucheng could not withstand the Mongolian siege weapons.
Ouyang Xuan's plan was for the Pili Army to concentrate on development for a while, and after the Mongolian army drove Xiong Ben away from Hengyuan Village, they would then choose an opportunity to make a sneak attack, take it back from the strong and defensive Mongolian army, and quickly build a bastion with cement. During this period, Ouyang Xuan has been urging Li Saner, the manager of the industrial company, to increase the production capacity of the Wanjiaping Cement Factory, requiring that the cement stockpiled by then can meet the needs of building the bastion. He believed that with the fastened bastion and the heavy artillery being trial-produced, he could definitely resist the Mongolian attack and gain a firm foothold at the foot of the mountain. Although the lost territory regained from the Mongols instead of Xiong Ben could not stop Xiong Ben from complaining, I believe it would at least shut up the bureaucrats in Yunding City and Chongqing Mansion.
