…
In Yongzhou City, Fa Yang looked at a map of Bashu hanging in front of the hall with a livid face and said nothing for a long time.
The day before yesterday, a fire in the granary caused half of the food in the city to be reduced to ashes. This was something he had not expected. The daily supplies needed by the 100,000-strong army, especially in terms of grain and grass, were astronomical.
If there were no military rations and this place was far away from Chu State, would these Chu soldiers who were suffering from the high-pressure and terror rule break out an unprecedented mutiny?
Fa Yang didn't dare to think about it carefully. If this was the case, then his efforts in the past few years would definitely be in vain, and Chu State would be like those separatist forces. It would be short-lived and become Liu Ce's stepping stone to unify the Central Plains.
"It seems that the only way to divert the soldiers' attention is to continue fighting a war and vent all the resentment that the army has probably accumulated for a long time!"
Looking at the complex terrain of Bashu and Shu on the map, Fa Yang pointed directly to the boundary of Hezhou.
After many years of management by Wang Jian, Hezhou City has long been impregnable. Moreover, Hezhou City is located at a high altitude and is surrounded by rivers on three sides. If you want to break the city, you can only take the mountain road and fight head-on.
However, Wang Jian was worthy of being a famous general of the Shu army. According to Yujie's "mountain city defense system" strategy, the road up the mountain was built to be rugged and difficult to navigate, and the key position directly destroyed the mountain road, making a sneak attack almost impossible. , it is more appropriate to say it is a city than a military fortress.
In such a complex terrain, the Chu army's large siege equipment has no place at all. Fa Yang also understands that it is impossible to capture Hezhou in one battle. Even a siege is useless, because there are many enemies behind Hezhou City. A large amount of arable mountainous land is sufficient for the daily needs of the Chinese military and civilians.
However, Fa Yang did not expect to win Hezhou in one battle. Instead, he wanted to enter the territory of Hezhou and plunder the towns on lower ground. That was the first priority.
After all, the preliminary strategy for Yongzhou City has been a complete success, and the next thing to do is to expand the results.
Fa Yang also had some regrets in his heart. If he had not carried out the strategy of plundering the city the day before yesterday, maybe the granary would not have caught fire, and this Northern Expedition could be considered a success.
But Fa Yang knew his mistake but could not admit it. Once he admitted his mistake, there would be a fatal flaw in the national policy formulated by him, which would pave the way for the future demise of the Chu State.
"Come here, tell General Qin!"
Qin Zongquan was ordered to come and pay homage: "I have seen the Prime Minister."
Fa Yang said: "General Qin, you have made great achievements this time. When you return to Beijing, I will personally meet you and commend you."
Qin Zongquan was overjoyed: "The Prime Minister arranged everything properly, and my subordinates dare not take credit."
Fa Yangma: "This dynasty will never treat meritorious personnel in the slightest. General Qin, please relax. No one can take your credit.
But now I want to ask General Qin to handle a small matter. I wonder if General Qin is willing? "
Qin Zongquan cupped his hands and said: "I will obey the Prime Minister's orders and I will not hesitate to die."
"Okay!" Fa Yang nodded with satisfaction, "You should immediately instruct the troops and march to Suoyun Pass immediately after breakfast tomorrow. We must capture Suoyun Pass within two days!"
Qin Zongquan responded loudly: "I will fulfill my mission and conquer Suoyunguan Pass within two days."
…
On the other side, Wang Chang and others, who had not noticed any movement from the Chu army for two days and one night, did not relax their vigilance. Instead, they deployed defensive fortifications tightly and were determined to fight the Chu army.
Wang Chang and several non-commissioned officers gathered around, pointed to the map and said: "The Chu army is powerful, so we must not fight with it in the field. We should rely on the city walls to effectively annihilate the enemy and reduce casualties.
If what I expected is correct, as long as Wang Jian of the remaining rank is not in vain, he will receive the news within seven days at most after the war begins.
After careful calculation, as long as we stay here for a month, we can wait for reinforcements. Of course, this is the worst plan.
If the enemy's casualty rate can be increased to more than 10% in the future, the Chu army will most likely retreat. In short, whether it is waiting for reinforcements or defeating the enemy,
We must all hold on to Suoyun Pass. Now take a careful inventory of supplies, especially food. It is very uncomfortable to kill the enemy with an empty stomach.
At this time, there is no need to pay too much attention to it. As long as it is food, no matter how unpalatable it is, you have to swallow it. That’s it. Let’s prepare it. "
After Wang Chang finished speaking, everyone immediately went about their duties according to their duties.
At this time, Sun Xueyou came to report: "A total of 20,000 people have passed through Suoyun Pass, and no one has passed by now. Can the gate be closed?"
Wang Chang nodded and said: "That's almost it. Close the door and block it, and the whole army will be on alert."
After Sun Xueyou left, Zhu Xuan timidly walked up to Wang Chang and asked, "Sergeant Wang, what can I do?"
Wang Chang said: "Vice General Zhu is quite familiar with Shu. Let's do this. I would like to ask Vice General Zhu to go to the various government offices in Suoyunguan to ask for military support.
I really can't find it, so I hope to recruit some young men, even cooks. It's best to bring a few carts of food. The next battle will be extremely difficult.
It must be ensured that nothing goes wrong. "
Zhu Xuan said: "I understand. Let's go nearby to collect food and grass and recruit people."
"Well, thank you!" Wang Chang thanked him, and then lined up the fifteen Tiger Cannons he had brought with him and placed them on the top of the city.
A Tiger Cannon weighs thirty kilograms, and even an adult can carry it while marching. Although it is not very powerful, and its longest range is only seventy or eighty steps, if the barrel is filled with shotguns, its lethality is Very scary.
It happened that the artillery shells these interns brought to Shu for internship were all shotgun shells. Each artillery shot was filled with rusty iron filings, iron nails, quick ash powder and stones with sharpened corners.
"There's a situation!"
At this moment, the sergeant who had been observing the surrounding terrain at the top of the city exclaimed.
Wang Chang decisively took out his looking glass and took a look. Five or six miles away, he saw a banner with the word "Chu" and the word "Qin" printed on it. Qin Zheng was slowly approaching Suoyunguan Pass.
From the dust and sand rising all over the ground, Wang Chang judged that the number of enemy troops was less than 10,000.
Wang Chang put down the looking glass, patted down the crenel, and said excitedly: "Okay, I finally got you here! Brothers, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
We cannot disgrace the Far Eastern Military Academy, let alone live up to His Majesty's cultivation of us. Let these thieves see how powerful our Far Eastern Army is! "
"good!"
Wang Chang's response was deafening shouts of shouting.
Some of these interns were orphans, some were refugees who were rescued by the Han army, and some had fathers killed in battle by the Han army. Liu Ce did not abandon them and spent his own money to send them to school to become talents.
For Liu Ce, they decided to use their lives to repay him, so that they could live up to his trust.
Facing the upcoming war, these young non-commissioned officers sweated nervously, but more often than not, their eyes were shining with unprecedented excitement.
