Chu State only had 30,000 elite troops in Jingzhou, 20,000 of which were concentrated in Xiangyang. It can be seen that Taishi Ci's main defense targets were Dong Zhuo and Cao Cao in the north.
So when Taishi Ci received the news that the Shu Kingdom was sending troops, he was really surprised.
From the Yellow Turban Rebellion to the princes' crusade against Dong Zhuo, from the princes fighting for territory to Sun Ce's elimination of Liu Biao, who was also a member of the Han Dynasty, from the Yizhou pastor Liu Yan to the current Shu king Liu Zhang, the Shu army has been quietly fighting from the beginning to the end. Nestled in that corner of the map. It's not that he has never fought against the Shu army, but for so many years, the Shu army has been unable to attack the state of Lu, which has only one county. Who would have thought that he would have the courage to send troops to the state of Chu, which encompasses Yangzhou, Jingzhou, and Jiaozhou?
In other words, no one expected the anomaly Zhang Ren.
Yong'an City dispatched about 25,000 troops and horses, which can be said to be an overwhelming force, and Taishi Ci saw Zhang Ren's desperate move.
If he was just dealing with the Shu army, what would Taishi Ci have to fear? What he is afraid of is the chain reaction that this battle may cause. If the warring Qin and Wei armies break off and turn their attention to Jingzhou, Chu State may suffer heavy losses again.
The situation was so serious that Taishi Ci could not control it. As soon as he received the news, Taishi Ci sent his trusted aides to report the news secretly to Sun Ce. He also hurriedly called Wenpin and Zhang Yun to discuss countermeasures, and raised 10,000 yuan that night. The soldiers and horses rushed to Jiangling.
"General Huo Jun defeated the vanguard of the Shu army in Yiling and died for his country?"
When Taishi Ci was about to resist Maicheng, he finally received Jiangling's latest battle report. Now Zhang Ren's Chinese army has just entered Yiling. In terms of marching speed, the Chu army must have arrived at Jiangling City earlier than the Shu army.
The victory brought by Huo Jun was definitely valuable. If Jiangling had already been lost when the Chu army arrived, Taishi Ci could only adopt a completely different strategy. Secretly relieved in his heart, Taishi Ci sighed slightly and asked the soldiers from Jiangling.
"Does General Huo Jun have any children?"
"General, Huo Yi, the son of General Huo Jun, serves as the commander of the army in the army. In the battle of Yiling, Commander Huo also fought with us on the front line to fight the enemy side by side!"
Taishi Ci felt a little surprised and sighed.
"Okay, the tiger father has no son! General Huo Jun has made great contributions to the country. I will report the king's posthumous reward in the future. You go down and rest for a while and return to Jiangling to pass my military order and promote Huo Yi to the commander-in-chief. He will take over Huo Jun's position and command the army in Jiangling. , reorganize Jiangling’s defense and wait for the arrival of our army.”
Seeing that the soldiers were ordered to leave with some excitement, Taishi Ci turned to the commander Song Lian beside him and said.
"Later, you will pass on my military order and let all the troops go straight to Jiangling without stopping."
Song Lian was a little confused and asked hurriedly.
"General, won't there be troops stationed in Maicheng? Wouldn't that open the door to Xiangyang for the Shu army?"
It would be great if that were the case.
Taishi Ci shook his head and explained to his subordinates.
"Zhang Ren is indeed very courageous, but this just shows that his vision is sharper than those officials in the Shu Kingdom who are high up in the court. If he really dares to let me go from the rear and go deep into Xiangyang alone, I think highly of him. Him."
Song Lian carefully recalled Taishi Ci's words and was about to leave to deliver the order when he heard Taishi Ci speak again.
"After entering Jiangling County, your branch will be divided into ten branches and dispersed to various counties and villages. Let the people go to Jiangling City to cause trouble. You will arrange for the crops in the fields to be burned. Tell the people that after the war, the government will Compensation will be made according to the size of the project, and taxes will be reduced or reduced within two years.”
Song Lian was shocked. If the direct abandonment of Maicheng just now was just because Taishi Ci was different in tactics, then this new order would really destroy his foundation.
"General, Jiangling County is the main grain-producing area in Jingzhou. The annual tax revenue accounts for about 30% of the entire Jingzhou. If it is burned, we have to compensate the people. I am afraid that our army will have a huge problem with the grain and grass next year. Please ask. The general takes back his orders!"
Taishi Ci was silent for a moment. It's not that he doesn't understand this truth. The autumn harvest is coming now. Who can be willing to do it? But to defend these crops, he must take the initiative to fight and go to Yiling to confront Zhang Ren.
Winning more with less is not a once-in-a-century miracle, but an advantage is an advantage. If you think that with fewer people you will definitely be able to win with less, you are really asking for a dead end.
What Taishi Ci needed was a steady victory, because he could not afford to lose this battle, Jingzhou could not afford to lose, and neither could the entire Chu State.
"Execute the military order! Let all the people evacuate into Jiangling City as soon as possible and burn all farmland!"
"General, the Yong'an Shu army has not been in battle for a long time, so it may not have much fighting strength. If we retreat before fighting, I'm afraid the soldiers will be dissatisfied!"
"Song Lian! Execute military orders!"
Perhaps Tai Shici's expression was too scary, so Song Lian finally lowered his head and said no more, and reluctantly accepted the order and left.
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More than ten days have passed in the blink of an eye, and tonight is one of the rare nights when the Shu army did not harass them. Except for the soldiers on duty, most people have fallen asleep.
At this time, the lights in the prefect's mansion were still bright, and Taishi Ci and Kuai Yue were discussing the issue of temporary recruitment. To be honest, the strength of the Shu army was beyond Tai Shici's expectations. Not only are Zhang Ren's troops capable of fighting, they even have an elite force of 3,000 men. If it weren't for the astonishing power of the Mo family's city defense equipment, the Shu army would have almost attacked the city the day before yesterday.
"Sir, how is the mood of the people in the city?"
"General, don't worry. In the past few years, Jingzhou has implemented the "Qi Min Law" and "One Tax Law", and the people are more willing to return home than before. This time, the people are not only willing to obey orders, but there are also many people in the city who help the soldiers carry the tools used to defend the city. The fallen trees and fallen rocks can be said to be the true unity of the army and the people."
Tai Shici was slightly surprised by Kuai Yue's answer. He was a military commander, and he only knew that the new policy proposed by Zhuge Jin and finalized and implemented by Zhou Yu and Ji Shu was very popular among the people. However, after all, crops were the lifeblood of the people. He had already Be prepared to be resented.
Kuai Yue understood the meaning of Tai Shici's question. There were indeed hidden dangers in the city, although it was not for the people. He changed the subject and said.
"The people are of the same mind as our army, so the general does not have to worry. However, some aristocratic families in the city are not very stable. Fortunately, Jingzhou has been implementing the New Deal for many years, and the private soldiers and servants of those aristocratic families have long been accustomed to being free. Where can those people be mobilized? They are powerless now, and although there are some hidden dangers, they are all under my control."
A stern look flashed in Taishi Ci's eyes. The "Jianye Rebellion" was a scar etched in the history of Chu State. How could he forget it? In his heart, he was actually more inclined to deal with this hidden danger immediately, but Kuai Yue was one of the think tanks of the Jingzhou faction, and he was also the person Sun Ce stayed with him to facilitate discussions. Since he said so, Taishi Ci chose to believe it.
"Then please sir, please pay more attention."
"The duty lies."
As soon as Kuai Yue finished returning the greeting with cupped fists, there was an emergency report outside the door.
"General, He Lou is back!"
He Lou's position is that of a junior commander, but he is also the chief of Taishi Ci's guard. He is usually responsible for protecting Taishi Ci's safety. This time, Taishi Ci sent He Lou to report Jingzhou's military situation to Sun Ce. When he heard the news of He Lou's return, he couldn't help but reveal a hint of joy.
"General, the general is back!"
Taishi Ci hurriedly stepped forward to help He Lou up. Looking at his subordinates who were covered with fatigue, he patted He Lou's armor and asked.
"What is your command, Your Majesty?"
He Lou's face froze, and he felt that it was inappropriate to return halfway afterward. However, the situation was urgent and he did not dare to waste time to go back to meet the king. At this moment, he had to bite the bullet and speak.
"Your Majesty, the General has not seen the King. As soon as I arrived at the gate of the military camp that day, I met the Chief of Staff. After reading your letter, the Chief of Staff said that he would forward it to the King and asked me to come back immediately with a token. you."
After speaking, He Lou took out a token from his arms and presented it to Tai Shici with both hands.
Taishi Ci frowned and took it in confusion. He saw that it was Ji Shu's military talisman. He turned around, took two steps slowly, and asked.
"What does the military advisor want you to tell me?"
"The military advisor said, go ahead and do it! Just in case, he allowed the general to call in temporary troops to deal with emergencies. The general can also send a horse to report to the lord if the situation is urgent."
After a moment of silence, Taishi Ci turned around and patted He Lou on the shoulder and said.
"Okay, now that you have met the three military advisors, it is the same as meeting the king. If the king has other arrangements, he will send other messengers. You have completed your mission well, go down and have a good rest."
He Lou breathed a sigh of relief and took the order to leave.
The two people in the room fell silent. After a long time, Taishi Cici looked at the military talisman in his hand and asked.
"What do you think, sir?"
"The military advisers have guessed the general's difficulties, and all rights have been given to the general. The credit for this victory belongs to the general; the fault for this defeat lies with the three military divisions. The general's mind is as big as the sea, and the more he admires it, the general should be more determined. .”
Taishi Ci looked at the military talisman in his hand silently, feeling that the burden on his shoulders was getting heavier.
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