When a large number of Mongolian cavalry came for reinforcements, the Perak Army had finished cleaning the battlefield and returned to Guankou Village. Facing the camp that turned into a piece of scorched earth, the Mongolian generals were extremely angry. It's just that when he faced the high walls and artillery of Guankou Village, he had no choice but to retreat with his troops in frustration. After the Mongolian army retreated, Cao Ergou also led two infantry battalions of the field brigade back to Qiongzhou City. Before that, the cavalry battalion of the field brigade had already headed to Pujiang. The reason why they were anxious to return to Qiongzhou was because the special battalion of the Internal Guard Brigade had made new moves in Danling and Pengshan counties in Meizhou. Ouyang Xuan ordered them to go to Pujiang to prevent any unexpected events. As for the defense of Guankou Village, there is no need to worry. The checkpoints and walls of the village have been reinforced and are indestructible. Under Ouyang Xuan's order, artillery and ammunition were transferred as a priority and many landmines were laid. Even if the Mongolian army sacrificed their lives, it would be difficult to capture every stronghold and every pass that was armed to the teeth.
Pengshan County, controlled by the Mongolian army, is connected to Pujiang County, which is under the control of the Perak Army. The two sides face each other across the Pujiang River. The terrain on the north bank of the river is mostly plains, while on the south bank there are hills and low mountains. The Pujiang River is a tributary of the Nanhe River. Both its width and water volume are far less than the Nanhe River, and it is also not as good as the Xiejiang River, another tributary of the Nanhe River. The Chengdu Plain has abundant water flow. Although the Pujiang River is not very wide, there is no problem in sailing on weekdays. Even the gunboats of the Perak Army can move freely. Only during the low water season in winter can only small boats with shallow drafts pass. Since the beginning of winter this year, there has been a drought in western Sichuan. The water in the Pujiang River has also decreased a lot, and large areas of shoals have been exposed in the river. Many places can even be waded through. Several cavalry units of the Mongolian army that wreaked havoc in the territory of the Perak Army some time ago waded across the river here.
As a key node of the Perak Army's southern defense, Pujiang City is located on the north bank of the Pujiang River. Its location near the water can not only defend against danger, but also facilitate the activities of gunboats and transport ships. Unfortunately, the hilly and low-mountain areas on the south bank of the river were completely destroyed by the Mongolian cavalry because Yu Xing's tribe retreated without a fight. This is actually not Yu Xing's fault. This area belongs to Pengshan and Danling counties, which are far away from Jiading and Meizhou. The supply line is long and easily cut off by the Mongolian cavalry. If the troops stationed are few, they cannot defend it at all, but if they want to defend it, they must send heavy troops to defend it. Yu Xing is now unable to even capture the important city of Meizhou, let alone send heavy troops to defend this barren hilly area. On the other hand, although the Mongolian garrison in Pengshan was small, they relied on the mobility of the cavalry to control the area with only a small number of rangers.
During the Battle of Jiading, the special battalion passed through this area to attack the Mongolian troops in Pengshan City and Meizhou. It also passed through this area to bring tens of thousands of refugees to the area under the jurisdiction of the Perak Army. After the Battle of Jiading, the retreating Mongolian army tried to regain control of this area and sent a large number of cavalry and new auxiliary troops in an attempt to kill the special battalions still operating here. Because the Mongolian army controlled the traffic roads and the fortresses in the mountain dams, and relied on its rapid mobility, it had an absolute advantage in logistical supplies. On the other hand, although the special battalion has good combat capabilities, it faces the disadvantages of sleeping in the open air and difficulty in supplying supplies. Although this is no big deal in the short term, it will seriously weaken the combat effectiveness of the special battalion in the long term. If you don't want to give up on this area, you must think of a surefire way to stick to it for a long time.
When the military and political joint meeting discussed the matter, Le Quan'an spoke on behalf of the Navy Brigade - Huang Dagen was suspended and he entered the joint meeting as a replacement. Le Quan'an first reviewed the navy's inability to block the river, and then put forward his own idea - to build a fort and lock the mountain. In Le Quan'an's view, the Pujiang River was a weak area for naval defense. The Mongolian army could cross the river and approach the core jurisdiction of the Perak Army. To solve the defense problem of winter water shortage, a buffer zone must be established on the south bank of the Pujiang River to delay and prevent the Mongolian cavalry. The best way is to build forts at various dangerous intersections and mountain tops, so that a small amount of troops can lock this hilly and mountainous area. In addition, although this area has a sparse population, it has a lot of resources. If it can be controlled and developed, the cost can be fully compensated and there may even be a surplus.
Ouyang Xuan fully agrees with Le Quan'an's idea. During this period, although the special battalion used ambushes, night attacks, etc. to exhaust the Mongolian army and killed and wounded hundreds of enemies, it was also exhausted. Although there were few casualties in the battle, many became sick due to exhaustion and malnutrition, and non-combat attrition was serious. Compared with the damage and consumption of weapons and ammunition, what is more important is that the special battalion, the main force of guerrilla warfare, is firmly contained in this area. If the strategy of building forts and locking mountains is successful, the area can be guarded by second-line troops. It can even be controlled by a militia composed of villagers and a small number of regular troops using a combination of farming and warfare.
"The essence of war is to fight the economy." This is the consensus of the top brass of the Perak Army. The reason why Ouyang Xuan agreed with Le Quan'an was not only because it was the least expensive and most durable method, but also because of political considerations. After the Battle of Jiading, Yu Xing wrote a letter requesting the return of Meizhou refugees, completely ignoring the fact that Meizhou City and Pengshan City were still in the hands of the Mongolian army. Now let these refugees return to Meizhou, even if they go to places like Qingshen and Danling, the refugees are afraid that they are unwilling. Before abandoning these places, the Mongolian army set a fire and burned these two cities completely. How will the refugees survive back there? Yu Xing was greedy and his subordinates followed the same example. They were not as good at exploiting the people as the Mongols. There were no refugees willing to go back.
Ouyang Xuan is preparing to mobilize Meizhou refugees to settle down and camp in this area. On the one hand, this is in response to Yu Xing's request. After all, these refugees have indeed returned to Meizhou. On the other hand, it is also in response to the voice of some refugees. Since ancient times, they have been unable to leave their homeland. "Shu people guard Shu soil", from a military perspective, this is also an effective way to fully stimulate the local people's fighting power.
After the strategic direction is determined, the next step is the implementation path and tactical issues. Everyone at the joint meeting expressed effective opinions. There are several main principles to be determined: First, the Changqiu Village, which is thirty miles southeast of Pujiang City, should be fortressed. This Changqiu Village has more than thirty households and one hundred people. It is built on a flat-topped mountain, surrounded by steep cliffs. Although it is only more than twenty meters high, it is easy to defend and difficult to attack. Before the Perak Army entered this area, it had resisted several Mongolian attacks on its own. However, due to its meager manpower and crude weapons, it was already in danger. After the special battalion arrived at Changqiu Village, they used firearms to completely put an end to the Mongols' idea of seizing the village, and they also had a resting place there.
Secondly, with Changqiu Village as the center, the settlement points were gradually extended eastward and southward. The core of these settlements was a courtyard protected by trenches and high walls. At the four corners of the courtyard were sturdy towers - the Perak Army version of the watchtowers in Fan District. However, due to the lack of stone, the tower was built with fired green bricks and cement mortar. In order to attract refugees for settlement, the joint military and political meeting decided that all the land within five miles around the courtyard would be owned by the villagers, with the exception of minerals.
The third issue is the issue of fort construction materials. The construction of Changqiu Fort required a large amount of cement and artillery. These items were first transported to Pujiang by waterway, and then carried by mules and horses along the mountain road to Changqiu Fort. Some of the materials needed for the rest of the settlements had to be transported through Changqiubao, and some needed to be obtained locally. For example, the green bricks needed for the settlements needed to be built in kilns and fired.
The fourth is safety issues during construction. In order to prevent the Mongolian army from attacking, in addition to the special battalion continuing to attack and harass the enemy, another battalion of the garrison brigade was deployed to garrison Changqiu Fort. The task of the field brigade cavalry battalion was to protect the smooth flow of transportation channels. As for the two infantry battalions of the field brigade, they will be led by Cao Ergou and stationed in Pujiang City. As soon as there is any change in the Mongolian army, reinforcements will be sent south.
