Hanshui is a tributary of the Yangtze River. It flows from the southern foot of the Qinling Mountains through Mianzhou and is called Mianshui. When it flows east to Hanzhong, it is called Hanshui. The section from Jinzhou to Danjiangkou is called Canglangshui. It is also known as Xiangjiang and Xiangshui below Xiangyang.
The Han River is a tributary of the Yangtze River and has a special status. It is often juxtaposed with the Yangtze River, Huaihe River, and Yellow River, and is collectively known as the "Jiang-Huaihe-Han River".
Lizhou Road is an east-west road. The east road governs Xingyuan Prefecture, and Nanzheng is the county and road government office. It is also the front line of the anti-golden army.
In the city of Xingyuan Mansion, the Forbidden Army stood with guns in hand, with three steps, one post, five steps and one sentry. They were heavily guarded. Although it is already late autumn, the heat has not diminished these days. The Imperial Guards are wearing helmets and armor, and everyone is sweating, but no one dares to complain.
Although the emperor has visited the northwest frontier many times, this is the first time he has visited Xingyuan Mansion in person. It is natural that the city is heavily guarded.
On the city wall, Zhao Hong and a group of civil and military officials looked at the rolling Han River heading east outside the city and talked in detail.
As in history, the Mongolian army divided into three routes and went south. The west route army was led by Tuo Lei to attack the Jin Kingdom Shaanxi and wanted to pass through the Song Dynasty. The middle route was led by the Mongolian Khan Ogedai himself, and the strategy was Hedong, go straight to Bianliang City on the south bank of the Yellow River.
As for the east route, Zhao Hong was too lazy to take care of it. The Mongolian army sent troops to Shandong to attack Jinan Prefecture under the rule of the Jin Army. The Song army on the south bank of the Huai River only needs to hold Chuzhou and act according to the opportunity.
There are more than 100,000 troops in the Jinghu and Huaidong frontiers, so they are not useless.
According to historical foresight, Tuo Lei forced his way through the Song Dynasty by force, and took the Hanzhong Road. He could only stand in Hanzhong and wait for the opponent's arrival.
After more than six years of hard work, the Song Dynasty finally had the strength to compete with the Mongolian army.
Strength is the only basis that determines everything in the world. Without enough strength, not to mention competing with the Wokuotai people, even the weak Jin State and the Song Army could not defeat it alone.
A gentleman hides his weapon in his body and waits for the time to move. Since he came to the throne, he has always taken advantage of chaos to obtain the greatest benefits for the Song Dynasty.
And this time the Mongolian army went south, it was no exception.
Everything is planned, but to get chestnuts from the fire, the bloodshed and sacrifice of thousands of soldiers are needed.
The only thing that surprised him was that Wokuotai did not attack Hexi and Xingling, but chose to go directly south to attack Jin.
I don’t know, is it because Xixia has fallen under the rule of the Song Dynasty, so the Wokuotai people have lost the motivation to conquer?
I'm afraid it's not that simple.
Zhao Hong shook his head, secretly laughing at himself for being too stupid and naive.
These nobles and princes of Mongolia are determined to retaliate and take revenge. They will never swallow their anger and will definitely take advantage of the Song Dynasty to retaliate against the Song Dynasty.
Zhao Hong looked at the shallow wheat fields outside the city and frowned slightly.
"Your Majesty, no matter whether the Tatar army will go south or not, the best policy is to prepare for a rainy day."
Xuan Zhen, Minister of the Ministry of War, made a speech with great concern.
Once the Torre Division of the Mongolian army on the west route, with an army of 70,000, went south to invade the Song Dynasty, it would definitely be a thrilling and fierce battle.
"Cao Youwan and Chen Longzhi immediately fortified Hanzhong and cleared the country. The tragedy that happened during the Dinghai period cannot be repeated. Cao Youwan sent elite cavalry to patrol to prevent Tatar cavalry from attacking at any time."
The war is about to break out, and there may be no harvest of winter wheat next year.
Four years ago, the Mongolian army invaded, and many people were unwilling to move into the city. In the end, they became the victims of the Mongolian army. This time, nothing like this can happen again.
"I obey the decree!"
Chen Longzhi, the pacification envoy of Lizhou East Road, quickly received the order.
"Your Majesty, the Tatar army will definitely go south from Xingyuan Mansion and then take the road from Hanzhong? What if they go to Mianzhou?"
Cao Youwan, who was in charge of Lizhou East Road, was half convinced and half doubtful.
Obviously, he was still a little suspicious of Zhao Hong's speculation.
If the Mongolian army goes south from Lizhou West Road, the people there may suffer. That was his hometown, so he was naturally worried.
"Cao Youwan, it's okay to go south from Mianzhou. Lu Wende and others are on the west road of Lizhou. Your Majesty is strategizing and deploying troops. There are 70,000 troops concentrated in Hanzhong. What are you afraid of?"
Wang Jian, the commander of Lintao Road, seemed dissatisfied with Cao Youwan's suspicion of Zhao Hong.
This time the emperor mobilized 40,000 troops from Lizhou Camp and Chengdu Prefecture. They were distributed in Chenggu County to the east of Hanzhong and Xi County to the west of Hanzhong. Each army had 20,000 troops and Hanzhong stationed 30,000 troops.
On the Hanzhong front line, from Xi County to Chenggu County, 160 miles long from east to west, the Song army stationed a heavy force of 70,000. Once the Mongolian army moves south into Hanzhong and wants to go eastward, it will inevitably be attacked from the east and west by the Song army.
"Wang Jian, I'm not afraid, just worried. Your Majesty is personally in charge, so I have nothing to worry about now!"
Cao Youwan blushed and laughed.
He turned his gaze to Zhao Hong and asked cautiously:
"Your Majesty, in your opinion, how big will the Tatar army be when the time comes?"
Cao Youwan's words made everyone look at Zhao Hong.
If the Mongolian army of 100,000 soldiers marches south, even if the Song army of 70,000 soldiers sticks to it, it may not be easy to deal with it.
"Tore is the king of Mongolia. He holds great power in the military and state. He is under one person and above ten thousand people. He has a high position of power. There should be fifty thousand cavalry. If the Han army is added, there will probably be seventy thousand."
Historically, Torre borrowed the road and had 40,000 cavalry under his command. Today's time and space are very different. The Song army has strong soldiers and firearms, and the Mongolian army should only be much larger.
According to the intelligence reports from the front, there should be no difference between the 70,000 soldiers of the Mongolian Army Torre Division. The 70,000 Mongolian army fought against the 70,000 Song border army in a field battle. Did the Song army have a winning rate?
Zhao Hong's brows wrinkled involuntarily.
According to the information obtained by Lianghe, Mongolia has three Han troops and ten thousand marquises in Lianghe, and four Han troops, at least 60,000 to 70,000 Han troops. If they go south in batches, at least 20,000 to 30,000 Han troops will go south with Tuo Lei.
"Your Majesty, our 70,000 frontier troops are divided into three areas, but the Tatar army is 70,000 elite troops in one. With the 70,000 Tatar army against our 20,000 to 30,000 official troops on the eastern front, once the eastern front is broken through by the Tatar army, The mainland of the Song Dynasty has no resistance, and the consequences will be disastrous."
Xuan Zhen reported to Zhao Hong with a sad face.
Zhao Hong nodded slightly and looked at Wang Jian.
"Wang Jian, can you hold the east defense line?"
With the terrain and field fighting, a 30,000-strong army should be able to hold it for a while.
"Your Majesty, if the eastern defense line is breached, I would like to come and see you!"
Wang Jian's face was red and his ears were red, and he vowed.
"General Wang, be careful. There is nothing serious. There is a plain area of 40 to 50 miles to the west of Chenggu County and north of the Han River. The 20,000 troops are distributed on such a long front, and it is extremely easy for the Tatar army to break through. This is not a show of force. when."
Chen Longzhi had been in Hanzhong for a long time, and his geographical analysis was very thorough and unceremonious.
Wang Jian was speechless for a moment and could not speak.
"Chen Longzhi, what do you think?"
Zhao Hong frowned and asked.
Major military and national affairs related to the success or failure of the war and the lives of thousands of soldiers. He never acted arbitrarily.
"Your Majesty, you can lay up defenses at Longting, Yangzhou, east of Chenggu County, in case of emergency. Yangzhou is a big city, leaning on the Qinling Mountains to the north and Bashan Mountain to the south. To the north of the Han River, where the Qinling Mountains and Bashan Mountain meet, there are only six or seven Here, our army has a large garrison camp, which can garrison tens of thousands of troops. South of the Han River, there are rivers and ravines. When the Tatar army comes, relying on the terrain and the advantages of firearms, it can be guaranteed."
Chen Longzhi tentatively spoke out.
Hanzhong is a big city, and Yangzhou is like the end of a drop of water. There is a large camp outside the city, which can garrison tens of thousands of troops. It is a natural barrier to snipe the Mongolian army's eastward advance.
Chen Longzhi's words made Zhao Hong fall into deep thought.
The purpose of war is to kill the other party on a large scale and make the other party lose the ability to resist, so as to achieve political needs.
Now, he had to make a choice, whether to force the elite troops from Lizhou West Road to Hanzhong.
Torre and Subotai, these are fierce and decisive men. None of them are good at making mistakes. If they are not careful, they will cause numerous casualties to soldiers and civilians. He needs to be foolproof and must not make fun of the battle situation, the lives of the soldiers, or even the lives of the common people.
"Cao Youwan, dispatch 10,000 soldiers each from Xingyuan Prefecture and Xi County, and station 40,000 troops to the east of Yangzhou. Let Jiang Wanzai advance from the east of Xi County to the east of Dingjun Mountain and the north of Mian River. Once the Tatars The Tatars divided their forces and went south, leaving Lu Wende to guard Lizhou West Road in preparation for the Tatar army to burn, kill and loot!"
Zhao Hong made a decision quickly.
Hanzhong is now a big city, and Yangzhou is the same. There are military camps outside the city that can garrison tens of thousands of troops. The 40,000 Song Dynasty border troops blocked the road to the east and relied on the terrain to resist sniper attacks. They should be able to withstand the impact of the Mongolian cavalry.
The Mongolian army has mostly cavalry and is highly mobile. It is expected that it will go south to attack the Song Dynasty from the east and west, meet in Hanzhong, and then march eastward to attack the back of the Jin Kingdom, just like in history.
However, during the Great War between Song and Mongolia, the Mongolian army took advantage of the route in history. The Battle of Sanfeng Mountain will most likely not happen.
"Your Majesty, since the Tatar army marched south in three directions, with the goal of attacking the Kingdom of Jin, then our army of more than 100,000 people on Hexi Road, Xixia Road, and Lintao Road will have no border troubles. It can completely march eastward to pick up the fruits of the Tatar army and occupy the territory. Shaanxi. In this way, Shaanxi and Xixia are integrated, and there are many benefits whether it is offensive or defensive."
Cui Yu, the Sichuan envoy who had been silent until now, suddenly changed the subject.
He marched eastward and took the opportunity to occupy Shaanxi...
Zhao Hong couldn't help being startled, his heartbeat accelerated, and his face turned red.
The land in Guanzhong, Shaanxi Province, has Xiaohan Tianzhan in the east, Wuguan in the south, Dashanguan in the west, and Xiaoguan in the north. It is easy to defend but difficult to attack. You can attack when you advance, and you can defend when you retreat. In addition, the Guanzhong land is thousands of miles fertile and the Qinchuan grain production area is eight hundred miles away, making it extremely rich.
"Your Majesty, what Xianggong Cui said is true! As long as we defeat the Tatar army going south, while the Tatar army and the Jin army in the east are exhausted, we can just go all the way west and occupy Jingzhao Mansion! That's my big brother The hometown of Song Dynasty!”
Cao Youwan also shouted excitedly.
"Your Majesty, we only need half of our northwest frontier army. We will take advantage of the Tatar army to invade Shaanxi and advance eastward. Firstly, we can use it as emergencies to reinforce Lizhou and Lizhou. Secondly, we can reap the benefits and seize the opportunity to seize Shaanxi." . This is the great fortune of the Song Dynasty. This opportunity cannot be missed, and it will never come back again. Your Majesty wishes you the best."
Wang Jian followed Cao Youwan and said loudly.
The words of the generals and ministers made Zhao Hong feel trance-like for a moment.
By capturing Shaanxi, the defensive flexibility of the entire Song Dynasty's northwest frontier army was greatly increased and integrated. Why didn't he think of it?
Two hundred thousand Song Dynasty warriors, he still has the confidence to hold on.
"Your Majesty, think twice. If we capture Shaanxi, we will completely fall out with the Jin people. By then, the entire northwest will be across the river from the Tatars!"
Chen Longzhi looked ugly and his heart beat rapidly.
After all, he was a civil servant, and the war quickly developed from self-defense and counterattack to expansion and occupation of Shaanxi. Everyone's thinking jumped so much that he was temporarily in a daze.
Even the gray-haired Cui Yu became aggressive. Isn’t that strange?
Could it be that after a trip to Yangguan Yumenguan, he was so excited that he started to lose his mind?
"Your Majesty, Shaanxi is in devastation. Even if we occupy Shaanxi, what will happen? Isn't it just adding a burden?"
Another civil servant, Zhao Yanna, was worried at the moment and immediately raised objections.
"The Kingdom of Jin is the feud of the Song Dynasty. It is enough that the Song Dynasty did not join forces with Mongolia to destroy the Jin Dynasty! Do we, the people of the Song Dynasty, need to ask the people of the Jin Dynasty when we get back our own things?"
Cao Youwan smiled coldly, shook his head and retorted to Zhao Yanna.
"Your Majesty, this opportunity must not be lost, and it will never come back. Shaanxi is easy to defend and difficult to attack, and it is easier to defend than Shukou. Shaanxi has been in war for many years, and most of the people have moved to Henan. When our Song Dynasty officers and soldiers entered Shaanxi, they were less burdened. .As for grain and grass, Hexi has now become the granary of our Song Dynasty, and it can be transferred from Hexi!"
Wang Jian said anxiously, somewhat impatiently.
The original residents of Shaanxi are sparse, and the Song Dynasty's official army does not need to bear heavy burdens when entering.
"My lords, you are all going too far. Even if we want to capture Shaanxi, we must first deal with the Tatar army heading south."
Zhao Hong spoke helplessly, ending the debate among the ministers and generals.
If the Mongol army of the Torre tribe could be annihilated in one fell swoop, the offensive and defensive momentum between the Song Dynasty and the Mongols might be broken.
Seeing the disappointed eyes of Cui Yu, Wang Jian and others, Zhao Hong thought for a moment and then said slowly:
"Everything will be successful if it is forewarned, otherwise it will be ruined. Send an order to Yu Jie and Cao Youwen, asking them to mobilize 10,000 elite troops each from Hexi Road and Xixia Road, and another 10,000 from Lintao Road. The 30,000-strong army will be led by Cao Youwen. Stationed in Lintao Mansion, waiting for the opportunity."
"Your Majesty, Holy Might!"
All the ministers saluted together, and many people's faces were red and faintly excited.
Seeing the expressions of the ministers, Zhao Hong smiled bitterly.
It's not even certain whether they can defeat the Mongolian army heading south. These militants are already thinking of marching into Shaanxi.
But at this time, he couldn't be discouraged. Only when military morale is available is the kingly way. Sometimes, military risks also need to be taken, just like when the Song army sent troops to Hexi.
When the troops enter Shaanxi, when the time comes for the Northern Expedition, wouldn't it be possible to advance simultaneously from the east and west and restore the sixteen states of Yanyun in one fell swoop?
The most urgent task, the most important thing, is to destroy the Mongolian army going south.
Various thoughts were intertwined and mixed, and Zhao Hong couldn't help but feel confused.
The Mongolian army has already occupied Shaanxi. Will Torre go south to the Song Dynasty to force a way out of the country, as happened in history? Can he lead his army to block the attack and defeat the Mongolian army in Hanzhong?
