When the sky dawned, under the drizzle in the early morning, the entire coalition camp came to life. Of course, the surrounded Dragon Army camp also came to life, but due to its size, it was undoubtedly covered by the coalition camp. .
Especially today, the morning of February 15th, the coalition camp seems to be extra busy and noisy.
And soon, during breakfast time, an accident broke out in the Dongdu Army camp on the other side of the river... Hundreds of people took the opportunity to gather in front of a rammed earth platform in front of a military camp while the meal was being served, and surrounded the "tent" in progress. The officers in the camp before the meal asked about matters in the Eastern Capital. However, the officers themselves had a guilty conscience, so how could they deal with such a thing? After a few brave words were broken, the riot quickly spread.
It wasn't until General Qutuda arrived and tried his best to appease them that the riot was calmed down.
After the turmoil calmed down for a while, Qu Tuda also knew that the matter could not be settled so easily, but he was worried and immediately went to Duan Wei.
The two sides met outside the grain depot of the southern camp. Qu Tuda first told the story, and then asked seriously: "Mr. Duan, I haven't received the official military report yet, but it has been spread among the army that the Western Front is really Also defeated?"
"Yes." Duan Wei, who rarely put on armor, answered in a muffled voice while holding his sword. "I have also just received a summons from Duke Bai. Specifically, it was a great defeat on the Western Front. Nine thousand people were lost, and five or six thousand were lost. I don't know whether they were dead or injured. Captain Ding of Linfen is gone, and Bai Liben's life or death is unknown. Chanyuan has arrived in the past. Liyangcang, the western half of Jijun's cities have all fallen...these are the areas you controlled before."
Although they were just outside the grain depot, as the top two figures in the army, the two of them naturally had many followers beside them. Although these people had heard a lot of words due to the commotion, they could not help but be shocked at this time.
"It doesn't matter." Qutuda frowned even more when he heard this. "The key is that the Deposed Dragon Gang easily killed these 6,000 people, and then killed the generals and captured the city. I wonder how many of the main forces from Henan came. Can you tell me?"
"have no idea……"
"There are hundreds of thousands of people, and they need 5,000 shi of corn per day. If the logistics are cut off, let alone ours, just the whole army, how long can the military rations be sustained?"
"It should be enough. I just saw that our camp should be able to sustain it for a few days."
"Also, everyone in the camp suddenly said that Sima Zheng had arrived at Zhiyuan Pass three days ago and may have occupied the Eastern Capital now, right?"
By this time, the surroundings had already become silent.
Duan Wei was silent for a moment after this question, then sighed and answered seriously: "General Qutu, why are you forced to this point?"
"Why did Mr. Duan say this?" Qu Tuda sneered, looking a little helpless and a little angry. "You are the leader of the Dongdu army, and tens of thousands of people are counting on you! Besides, if something happens in Dongdu, we will lose our foundation, and we must take it seriously."
Duan Wei was silent for a while again, then slowly shook his head: "What does General Qutu mean?"
"I heard the news and saw that there was a faint boiling trend in the camp, so I came here to ask for advice." Qutuda became more helpless and just bowed and saluted in the rain. "Mr. Duan is the leader, how can you ask me?"
"I'm asking for your idea." Duan Wei stared at the other person's bun with an expression unchanged. "I'm not asking you to make a decision, so why can't you say it?"
Qu Tuda was startled, and then he lowered his head for a moment, gritted his teeth and replied seriously: "My subordinate's intention is very simple. Otherwise, let Li Ding take over the camp here, or other companies can send thousands of people to guard it." This side of the river is... let's go back! By the way, we can take back Li Yangcang for Mr. Bai! Otherwise..."
"otherwise?"
"Otherwise, I am afraid that the army will extricate itself... But in the current situation, once the army extricates itself, I dare to ask Mr. Duan, what will be the result for us?" Qu Tuda slowly raised his head and raised his head with his hands in hand. "Are you going to Xidu?"
"Isn't it okay to go back to the West?" Unexpectedly, Duan Wei's tone became gentler, and he even smiled. "How long has it been since everyone moved out of Xidu? Who didn't grow up in Xidu? It's better to be in Xidu!"
"The Western Capital is good, why don't we need the Eastern Capital?" Qu Tuda asked. "The Eastern Capital has been established for almost twenty years. It is located in the middle of the world. Do we have to abandon it? Moreover, we can abandon the Eastern Capital, but can the sergeants below abandon it? And if we don't have the sergeants, we will reach the Western Capital. Don’t we also want to be empty-headed hangers-on under Dou, Sun and others, and prepare the big numbers in front of the tent? We entrust our lives to Duke Duan, and Duke Duan wants to put us in this situation? "
The people around him had been silent for a long time, and Duan Wei didn't know what to say. He could only say: "General Qutu, you can't just care about yourself, you must be public-minded..."
"Then please Mr. Duan, please uphold the public spirit and ignore the selfish motives of us officers. We only consider the whole army." Qu Tuda responded proudly.
Duan Wei nodded repeatedly: "In that case, I will go see Mr. Bai now! There is no way to avoid this matter anyway! You inspect the camp and come over quickly!"
Still didn't relent on his promise.
Qutuda nodded in agreement and watched the other party leave without holding on any longer. However, many of the surrounding generals and soldiers were in panic, but Qutuda comforted them with all his strength and only made everyone trust the British Duke.
In this way, for about more than an hour, the drizzle subsided slightly, and the long-awaited gathering drums from the other side were beaten all the way. After Qutuda solemnly explained the military discipline, he led several top lieutenants and generals in the army. Wei and Junjun turned to the other side of the river.
Arriving at the huge Taiyuan-Wu'an army camp, I transferred to the Chinese army and entered the big tent. The leaders and generals of the army, which numbered more than 100,000, had already gathered together, plus countless documents, arrangements for joining the army, and more. He looked nervous... Obviously, everyone also knew the news.
Qutuda found his seat under the guidance of a soldier. After sitting down, he looked around and saw that there were tea on the tables everywhere, and a few people also had fried fruits and other snacks on them. For a moment, , not to mention those who were having meals and tea, the rest of the people were mostly whispering, but it seemed a bit noisy. What's interesting is that the key leaders in the actual army, such as Xue Changxiong, Li Ding, Feng Wuyi, Wang Huaitong, and Luo Shu, were mostly silent and just sat there thoughtfully.
Qutuda himself said nothing.
After a moment, Bai Hengqiu, accompanied by Duan Wei, entered the large tent. Everyone stood up together, even Xue Changxiong stood up slowly before sitting down.
After sitting down, everything was quiet. Bai Hengqiu did not speak directly. He only looked at Liu Yangji who was following him. Upon seeing this, Liu Yangji immediately stood up and stood in the open space in the tent. After looking around, he said: "Everyone, last night and night. I received an urgent military report, and there is additional military information this morning. I can’t say that the situation is completely clear, so I’ll explain it to everyone first!”
As he spoke, he actually explained the defeat situation on the Western and Eastern Fronts.
Not only that, everyone here quickly realized that the other party's introduction was much clearer and more true than the previous rumors... because some details on the battlefield and some specific results were not clear to them before. More importantly, according to Describing it, this failure was worse than the rumors and myself imagined.
After saying a few words, there was silence for a moment, as if stunned, and then there was an uproar, and everyone started talking.
"alright!"
Bai Hengqiu suddenly spoke up. His voice was not loud, but it seemed to be heard from all directions in the camp. Everyone present felt that he was speaking specifically to them, so they immediately fell silent. "Do you have anything to ask?"
"Mr. Bai, I dare to ask Li Ting, is it true that there is no assistance from the Deposed Dragon Gang's large army?" Qi Ze, the captain of Zhao County, immediately stood up and avoided the table, and asked with his hands raised.
"I'm not sure if some experts came to help, but generally speaking, the local defenders were left to their own devices. The leaders were a military commander who had just been promoted to the rank of leader, and a deputy commander who had been the deputy captain of Qinghe County... the previous battle They were the ones who ruined Shi Huaiming." It was Liu Yangji who replied to Qi Ze. "What the defeated soldiers said is very consistent. Even among the soldiers stationed in the six villages in the city, no real large-scale reinforcements have been seen."
No one dared to make a noise at this time, but upon hearing this, many people present frowned.
However, it is conceivable that the people in the tent must have different ideas. Some people are simply shocked by what happened. A group of field soldiers, the commander and deputy commander, defeated two groups of serious troops one after another. It is scary to hear it;
Some people are worried about the impact of the war, because Shi Huaiming was just a serious general, but after all, Ji Zeng was the main general of the Eastern Capital, and he was defeated by the opponent. Even from the perspective of the huge coalition army, it was At least it's the same feeling as if someone had cut off a thumb, and it's bleeding and it's hard to hold it anymore;
There are also some people who think more deeply, and they are keenly aware that this phenomenon seems to be an accident and a special case, but in fact it is the combined effect of the trend of the war situation and the strength of the Deposed Dragon Gang... because this kind of thing has not happened for a long time in this world before. There are traces in history. In difficult wars, some heroes suddenly emerged. This is not nonsense or bragging, but that war has tempered people and given them opportunities.
But the appearance of such a person on the opposite side is really not a good sign... In fact, it requires extreme vigilance.
Others don't know, but Bai Hengqiu himself thinks this way at least. He doesn't care about Tunzhang Huang and Han Erlang. What he cares about is the appearance of these two people, and he cares about them extremely!
"Then I dare to ask General Liu, General Bai's life and death...how?" Dou Qi was not on duty last night and today, so he couldn't help but get up and ask.
"I don't know, but it doesn't matter." It was not Liu Yangji who replied at this time, but Bai Hengqiu himself who spoke boldly. "Bai Li was not a man who could use troops, but he had to take care of him because of his relationship with the descendants of the same clan. Everyone in the army knew that he was incompetent and secretly called him the 'clan general'. I only thought that Liangdao was safe behind me. So he was sent there... I thought that as a great general, he must be considerate in his actions, but he actually abandoned his infantry, rushed in with light troops, and was ambushed. Captain Ding had to take the initiative to save him and sacrificed his life... This kind of person will die if he dies, and he will surrender if he surrenders, so what is there to care about? Only Captain Ding is so loyal and brave, but he is implicated by innocent people. He must be remembered and rewarded. The children and their families.”
After saying this, Dou Qi immediately made a serious statement: "The British distinguish between public and private affairs, and are magnanimous in rewards and punishments, which is really admirable."
The people around him paused for a moment and then immediately joined in. However, many people also truly admired Bai Hengqiu's decisiveness and quickly passed the responsibility to his own family in order to appease and stabilize the morale of the army, which was bound to be greatly shaken.
However, these are not the crux of the problem, because from last night to now, a lot of military information has been leaked privately, and the morale of the military has been shaken. But when everyone gets together, they still want to know, how to deal with the current situation?
"Don't tell me, let me tell you!" After a pause, the voice gradually subsided, and Xue Changxiong was the first to speak. "Mr. Bai, Mr. Duan, the current situation is that we have suffered continuous losses in the direction of Qinghe, and the Dragon Clan's large army has been losing troops without even touching it. Should we continue to fight on the eastern front? And the situation is even more serious in Ji County. , the matter has come to this, there is no need to say more about the loss of troops, but what about the food road? How much food and grass is left in the army? Also, the defeat on the Western Front means that the main force of the Deposed Dragon Gang from Henan has come over. There are twelve battalions over there. A lot of people were recruited to attack Luokou Cang this time. How many people came? Do we need to divide the troops to deal with it? Who will deal with it? How many people can deal with Li Shu to transport food back as quickly as possible? More importantly, the Henan soldiers of the Deposed Dragon Gang have already Now, there are rumors everywhere that Sima Zheng has arrived in Dongdu at high speed, and the news can no longer be controlled. In addition, with the defeat on both sides, how can the Dongdu Army maintain its morale? And if the Dongdu Army cannot maintain it, the whole How should we maintain the army? Please explain it clearly."
The atmosphere in the audience instantly became tense, but there was also some relief in the tension, because Xue Changxiong was willing to throw out these issues, which is naturally good, otherwise everyone would be stuck in their hearts.
Bai Hengqiu seemed to have expected this question, so he nodded directly: "Everyone, Mr. Xue is right to ask these questions. This is also the reason why I summoned you today. I want you to speak freely and teach me how to deal with it. .”
There was a buzz everywhere, everyone was whispering to each other, and they couldn't agree on what they were talking about for a while. But Bai Hengqiu didn't seem to be in a hurry, he just sat on the main seat and looked around.
And soon, the discussion gradually turned from noisy and chaotic to orderly discussion, and some conclusions gradually came to some conclusions.
"There's no need to worry about the eastern front. It was originally intended to isolate the Dragon Gang's army from this place. Why send more troops? Just let General Zheng gather the defeated troops and guard the county."
"This is true."
"The Western Front must be rescued. There are more than 100,000 people, and the food they eat every day alone costs five or six thousand dan. I know what you are thinking... Yes, when the food was released before, a lot of food entered the surrounding areas. In the hands of county officials and people, but the army is entrenched, what is needed is a stable logistics line. By collecting local grain and grass, you can save but cannot replace it... I would rather eat scraps and old grain with a stable supply than count on delicacies that cannot be properly distributed. , otherwise there will definitely be big trouble."
"Did Thief Zhang in front of me not have enough food and grass? How many days can he last?"
"Is this kind of thing a gamble? As long as we can supply, we must maintain the supply... According to me, on the one hand, we must restore the logistics line on the Western Front, and on the other hand, we must also transport food from Wu'an and Xindu. It is best At the same time, we are collecting food locally..."
"Do you want to transport grain from Hejian and Wu'an?"
"Didn't I say that Thief Zhang won't be able to hold on for a few more days. The key is to replenish the supply of food and grass and stabilize the morale of the army. Otherwise, it will leave an opportunity for the opponent to take advantage of... You won't lose much if you lose food."
"Mr. Bai promised me to take the Qinghe River, the plains, and even the Bohai Sea for myself." At this moment, Li Ding, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly spoke, forcefully interrupting the argument. "And since the Hongshan Meeting, I have been following you with all my strength, and I have worked hard without complaint. As a result, instead of just sending out troops, I have to spend all the food and grass in the county, and even let the army plunder and govern?"
People around did not dare to say anything. Many middle and lower class people were shocked by this "secret", and a few people frowned instinctively. However, Sun Shunde and Liu Yangji looked at each other, and then the former twirled his beard and smiled: "Master Li Fu, don't you hear this?" If the skin is gone, how can the hair be attached... If something goes wrong with the overall situation at hand and you can't do your best, what will these counties have to do with you then? Even Wu'an and Xiang are hard to say."
"In that case, I am willing to lead troops to Ji County and restore logistics." Li Ding nodded and looked at Bai Hengqiu. "I am also willing to provide food and grass from Wu'an, but please Bai Gong not to plunder the place."
Bai Hengqiu smiled and nodded: "Li Fujun dared to recommend himself, which is commendable for his courage."
"But can Li Fujun deal with Li Shu?" At this moment, Liu Yangji glanced at Bai Hengqiu and suddenly interrupted to retort. "I'm not talking about how well Mr. Li manages the army, nor that Wu'an's army is weak, but that if Li Shu comes from Henan, with twelve battalions, will he bring the Huaixi Army with him? The Huaixi Army should be defeated by Sima Zheng broke through and fled to Henan. Even if the army is not in order, it will be a big help. Not to mention, if you go to Jijun, you may have to face the rumored Sima Zheng... If Sima Zheng also comes, Li Can Fujun deal with it?"
"Yes." Li Ding blurted out without expression.
Liu Yangji twirled his beard and smiled, saying nothing.
"So, has Sima Zheng really arrived in the Eastern Capital?" Xue Changxiong asked with a frown. "Come from Xuzhou, so fast? So decisive?!"
"Not sure, but Henan's Deposed Dragon Army came to help in large numbers. Something happened in Henan..." Qu Tuda said quietly. "Moreover, the troublesome part now is not actually where Sima Zheng is, but that Li Shu defeated General Bai and Ji County fell. For the Dongdu Army, it felt like they had lost their way back."
"The rumors can't stop anymore." A captain from the Dongdu Army hurriedly followed. He waited for a long time before finding a chance to interrupt. "The news from the west is rolling in, and rumors are spreading in the army all morning. At this time, it is useless for us to say anything. The people below are already convinced that the Eastern Capital has been captured by Sima Zheng, and the Deposed Dragon Gang has cut off its retreat... ...General Qutu, Duan Gong, and Bai Gong, if they cannot make a decision today, I am afraid that the army will collapse!"
"This matter is a top priority!" Xue Changxiong thought for a while and spoke simply. "If this matter is not resolved, the coalition will inevitably fall apart!"
Everyone couldn't help but look at Duan Wei, the commander-in-chief of the Dongdu Army, and Bai Hengqiu, the coach here.
Duan Wei, who had always been carefree, actually lowered his head and remained silent.
As for Bai Hengqiu, he had already scanned the entire tent at this time and had analyzed and judged everyone in his mind. Of course, he also had a complete understanding of the situation and had already made a decision.
The situation is very clear. The war has indeed been unfavorable one after another, causing serious consequences. However, the problem is that the reason why the two ends of the Deposed Dragon Gang are working so hard is because they essentially want to break the siege of the center so that Zhang Xing and the Deposed Dragon Gang can establish a The absolute core essence of the true energy formation obtains a gap to escape.
Therefore, we must surround him no matter what.
As for the siege, we must continue to maintain the large coalition forces here from many aspects... The first is naturally the repair of logistics support. The generals here have experience in this and know how powerful it is. Therefore, rebuilding the logistics line and It is imperative to open a temporary logistics supply line; at the same time, military morale and military organizational structure also need to be maintained. The key here is the Dongdu Army. The morale of the Dongdu Army is the worst, and the Dongdu Army is also the entire coalition army. One of the two pillars of the army, if the Dongdu Army is separated, it will not only destroy the family, but also the entire coalition army.
From this perspective, some choices and responses seem logical, or helpless.
So if the British Duke has already made up his mind, why is he still listening to these people's nonsense here? The answer is simple. One is to stop people's mouths and suppress people's hearts. The other is to find the "enemies", or "inner ghosts" and "loopholes" in the coalition forces.
Of course, this “enemy” and “inner ghost” does not mean that anyone is an insider of the Deposed Dragon Gang. Under this situation, it would be ridiculous to say this to a person of this status in the account, but on the other hand, except for the Taiyuan military system, There is no one who can be regarded as his life and death ally with Bai Hengqiu, right?
When the situation reaches its most critical moment, it is necessary to figure out who is most likely to be unable to hold back, and then use means to make this hidden danger disappear.
So, back to people.
The first person to pay attention to is of course Duan Wei, the leader of the Dongdu Army. This Minister of War of the Wei Dynasty is not a fool, nor is he a person without his own ideas, but his previous willfulness was that he would not give in to the British when the situation prevailed. The Gong family is the only one, but in this situation, especially when the Dongdu Army is in danger of collapse, these people are actually their core allies.
Duan Wei can be trusted and can be entrusted with important tasks.
The second person is Xue Changxiong.
Bai Hengqiu's eyes only stayed on this person for a moment, then he turned around... If Duan Wei's willfulness was that he realized that he had joined the gang and wanted to ensure his status, then Xue Changxiong's coldness and straightforwardness meant that he had not joined the gang yet and hesitated. Due to the matter of joining the partnership itself.
In addition, Xue Changxiong's character and abilities are there. This person is not good at politics and planning.
The third person is Li Ding.
Thinking of this person, Bai Hengqiu couldn't help but feel a little uneasy... Li Ding's behavior seemed aggressive on the surface, frequently talking about robbery and territory, but in fact he was frighteningly honest and quiet, just like a superficial person. He seems to have a short temper and childish words, but in fact he is clear, steady and calm and can be entrusted with important tasks... To be honest, Li Ding just recommended himself to Jijun, and his British father-in-law was almost moved.
However, who knows that Li Ding and Zhang Xing are known to be close friends?
Who is the other close friend? Isn't she her own daughter? That Zhang Sanlian could abduct his own daughter, Li Ding must have been shaken in his heart... Otherwise, why would he have come out of Hebei from Hongshan and kidnapped this person and his subordinates when he came up?
If he doesn't come back, or even if he just marches from a different direction, there's no chance that this person will join forces with the Deposed Dragon Gang!
In one word, it is not that this person cannot be used, but that is after this battle. After this battle, this person can be of great use! But now, if Zhang San does not collapse, this person will not be available for one day, and he must continue to be under strict supervision.
The fourth person, Bai Hengqiu, looked at Luo Shu and couldn't help but sneer in his heart.
This person and Li Ding are the opposite. Li Ding will be of great use after this war, while this person will part ways after this war. Sooner or later, mergers and eradication will be necessary, but the eradication methods are different, and the time will be sooner or later.
But thinking about it this way, will this person really not be shaken before the battle is over?
Just as he was thinking about it, probably because of the impatience caused by the silence between himself and Duan Wei, Feng Wuyi next to him didn't know when he spoke: "I mean, the Deposed Dragon Gang is still very popular, why not just make a pact not to fight, hurry up. How about cleaning up Dongdu and Kansai?"
"snort!"
Bai Hengqiu's expression remained unchanged and he said nothing, but he couldn't help but sneer in his heart - Feng Wuyi was indeed the "trap" he had chosen. When this person returned to Hebei, he saw it entirely from the local perspective of Hebei. Depending on the person and the situation, I have actually completely accepted the Deposed Dragon Gang.
It's just that this guy is just a civil servant and can't do much, so don't worry too much about it.
But what about Wang Chenkuo?
At this thought, the British Duke glanced at the ambitious and eager bandit, and felt a little uneasy in his heart.
This kind of person is a small-scale Luo Shu, and the two of them look very similar. They are both wise, calm, and firm in their stance. However, if they cannot be fastened properly, they will often make mistakes and cause trouble for no reason.
"It's better to persuade them to surrender." At this moment, Wang Huaitong intervened. "It is not advisable to make a pact without fighting, but if the Deposed Dragon Gang is willing to surrender, we can have a discussion."
Wang Huaitong would not cause trouble. He was a leader of the family and a model of literary cultivation. There were some things he would not do.
So who is your "enemy"?
Just as he was thinking about it, Bai Hengqiu glanced at Qu Tuda, and suddenly remembered an old incident about him, and his heart felt inexplicably.
