On the day when Liao Nilu delivered the loot to Hengyuan Fort, a strange Mongolian scout cavalry also came near Hengyuan Fort.
There are only a dozen of these cavalrymen, but they march in a highly consistent manner, and their every move reveals a powerful aura. The horses they ride are unusually tall and different from ordinary Mongolian horses.
Different from the usually arrogant and arrogant Mongolian cavalry, this team of reconnaissance cavalry behaved very low-key, which can even be described as quiet.
Facing the driving force of the Perak Army, they just retreated calmly without firing a single arrow. According to the observation of Cao Ergou who was stationed at Hengyuan Fort, this team of reconnaissance cavalry should be the personal guards of the Mongolian commander, not the Mongolian cavalry stationed in Dayi and Yongkang.
The Mongolian cavalry in these two cities often come to harass the Hengyuan Fort, so they can tell them apart. The troops stationed in Dayi and Yongkang were actually Mongolian and Han troops, not Mongolians, and they mostly spoke Chinese.
The occasional loud shouting by these scouts also exposed their identity as Mongolians. These scout cavalry lingered near Hengyuan Fort for two days before retreating. During this period, Cao Ergou also ordered people out of the fort several times to drive them away, but chasing the cavalry with infantry obviously had no effect.
These scouts were like flies flying around in front of his eyes, which really upset Cao Ergou, and he finally resisted the idea of shooting with artillery.
It is said that the results of Huang Dagen's sneak attack on Chengdu made him eager to try, and he wished he could lead his troops to Chengdu to directly destroy the Mongols.
It's just that Ouyang Xuan's order to him was to take six companies of the field battalion to hold on to Hengyuan Fort. Artillery was not allowed to be used unless the Mongols attacked the city on a large scale.
In fact, not only in Hengyuan Fort, but also in various places under the rule of the Perak Army such as Wugen Mountain, Meihua Village, and Xinjin City, the Mongolian cavalry was extremely active.
A group of cavalry even traveled through Wugen Mountain for half a day. The people in the mountain had already hid under the warning, and the Mongolian army did not gain much.
The Perak Army scouts also discovered that there were frequent travels between various states and counties under Mongolian control to convey military information.
The Mongols in Chongqing Fucheng even drove a large number of civilians to cut down trees and lay wooden piles in the river in an attempt to block the passage of ships. Liao Nilu and his men pulled them out at night, but the Mongols refused to give up.
According to Ouyang Xuan's order, Liao Nilu led two companies of the navy battalion, one heavy artillery ship and four light artillery ships to be stationed in Huaguoshan and Huangjiadang.
When Liao Nilu went to pull out the wooden stakes for the fourth time, he found that the Mongolians had spent all their money and connected the wooden stakes together with thick iron chains.
To destroy this thing, it is not difficult for the Pili Army with gunpowder. It just requires a few more blasts.
Just when Liao Nilu was about to take action, Ouyang Xuan's order came, telling him not to attack but to lie dormant.
In fact, since the Mongols never discovered the Huaguoshan and Huangjiadang camps, they did not know that there was a Pili army and navy in the upper reaches of Fucheng.
Since the Mongolian army in Fucheng did not have a naval force, and the wooden stakes in the Liao Loach tug-of-war were all at night, they did not know whether the attack came from upstream or downstream.
Without interference, the Mongolian army quickly completed the project of locking the river with iron chains, and built a wooden fort on the west bank of the river to protect the chain.
In this way, the Mongols achieved their goal: cutting off the connection between Hengyuan Fort and Xinjin City. This action of the Mongols made many senior leaders of the Perak Army worried. They were worried about the safety of Xinjin City.
Ouyang Xuan is not worried about this. In his opinion, although the city defense of Xinjin City is not as good as that of Hengyuan Fort, it has been reinforced with steel and cement by the construction company's technicians, making it far stronger than ordinary cities.
Xinjin City is surrounded by water on three sides. The only part of the city wall facing the land has a moat that is wide and deep enough for boats.
What's more important is the fortress artillery of Xinjin City plus the artillery on the warships. The Mongolian army cannot attack the city without ten thousand people.
What's more critical is that the Mongolian army does not have the right to control water. Even if it pays heavy casualties to break the city, it will get an empty city.
The Perak troops in the city can retreat to the boats and retreat to the mountains through waterways. Not to mention that the iron chains in Chongqing Fucheng cannot block the Pili Army's artillery and warships. Even if it can be blocked, the Pili Army's navy can retreat down the river to Jiading Prefecture and other areas controlled by the Song Army in order to survive.
There is a prerequisite for the strategic location of Xinjin City, which is to control the water. The Mongols dominate the world not only because of their powerful combat power, but also because they have many strategic and tactical masters who obviously understand this truth.
Therefore, Ouyang Xuan was sure that the target of the Mongolian army's attack was Hengyuan Fort. Only by storming into the mountains and uprooting the foundations of the Perak Army could the rule of western Sichuan be stabilized and become a stable rear for Meng Ge Khan's attack on eastern Sichuan.
To say that the Mongols' attack in the mountains was obviously using their shortcomings to overcome their strengths, but they had to do it. To invade Wanjiaping, Hengyuan Fort and Wanjiabao are the two mountains that lie in front of the Mongols.
There were only six companies of the Cao Ergou Field Battalion stationed in Hengyuan Fort, equipped with more than 40 large and small artillery pieces. There were even fewer personnel in Wanjiabao, with only three companies of the garrison battalion led by Yu Zhu, including the teaching company.
Although the number is small, Ouyang Xuan believes that the Mongols can be defeated by adopting conservative tactics.
Of course, he also knew that the Mongolian army, which was known for its cunning, would definitely not come to kill someone stupidly, but would do anything to win.
Therefore, he reminded Cao Ergou to be cautious and confident in winning, but not to be blind and arrogant.
He told Cao Ergou according to the words of a great man: "Strategically, you must despise your opponents, and tactically, you must pay attention to your opponents."
As expected, as Ouyang Xuan expected, Mongolian troops from all over western Sichuan began to gather in Hengyuan Town in early July.
The commander of the Mongolian army who attacked Hengyuan Fort was Mi Zhe Huoli. He brought 7,000 people this time, including 2,000 cavalry and 5,000 new auxiliary troops.
You must know that the Mongolian army only has 5,000 cavalry in western Sichuan and about 10,000 new auxiliary troops. Apart from the troops guarding important cities such as Chengdu and Qiongzhou and military important places such as Yunding City, the Mongols are dispatched this time.
In addition to the army, the Mongols also drove away 15,000 civilians on this trip for transportation and logistics of grain, grass and equipment.
In addition, the Mongolian army even brought camp prostitutes. It seemed that they were fully prepared for a long-term attack and would not give up until the Perak army was defeated.
More than 20,000 people poured into Hengyuan Town at once, causing a constant flow of people and horses around Hengyuan Fort. If there were no weapons and equipment, it would be a lively scene.
Due to the large number of Mongolian troops and the scorching heat, in order to prevent the epidemic, the Mongolian military camps were not concentrated, but were divided into four camps.
The best camp was naturally occupied by the Mongolian cavalry. The cavalry camp is located three miles east of Hengyuan Fort. Not only is the terrain here high, but there are also large tracts of woods to protect from the heat. The secreter's big tent is also located here.
Because the new annexed army was the main siege force, they set up camp on the flat land two miles south of Hengyuan Fort. It is opposite the south gate of Hengyuan Fort and close to the Wenjing River. Although it is convenient to get water, there are few trees. The scorching sun and heavy rain are always unavoidable.
But in the eyes of the Mongols, these new auxiliary troops are just cannon fodder. If they don't station here, do they want the old Mongolian men to station here?
A little further away from the newly attached army camp is the civilian camp. Between the newly attached army camp and the civilian camp is the grain and grass supply camp. The fences of this camp are higher, the trenches are deeper and wider, and the Mongolian army also sent troops to protect it.
If the Perak Army wanted to attack the grain and grass supply camp, it would have to pass through the new annex camp and would also be attacked by Mongolian cavalry from the side.
