Zhu Gaojie's violent interrogation was very effective. Chen Jun's prisoners spit out all the information. This was crucial information. Based on this information, the Ming army could determine the approximate location of Chen Jun's general Ruan Yuxiong's troops.
After the information was handed over, the Chen Army prisoner had no value. Zhu Gaojie, as a kind man, gave the Chen Army prisoner a happy death.
The intelligence was reported to the command level. Jiang Yi, the commander-in-chief of the Ming army who was attacking Ruan Yuxiong, had nothing to hesitate. He directly dispatched his troops to march and launched an attack on Ruan Yuxiong's main force. Thirty thousand Ming troops advanced to the hinterland of Chen's army, and immediately launched a general offensive after understanding the enemy's situation.
…
In the camp of the Pioneer Battalion, someone said dissatisfiedly: "Sir, we searched for the intelligence. When it came to the attack, why did we not be the main force in the end, but let the first battalion of soldiers be the main force?"
Zhu Gaojie glanced at the commander and said calmly: "Because the left deputy general of the First Battalion's surname is Jiang."
Liu Pu didn't say anything, and he also acquiesced in this answer.
The establishment of the Southern Expeditionary Army was based on the establishment of the fifth military camp among the three major battalions. It was divided into ten battalions. The commander of the first battalion of combat soldiers was the deputy general Zuo. The second battalion of combat soldiers and the third battalion of chariot soldiers were the participating generals. The fourth battalion of chariot soldiers and the fifth battalion of city guards were guerrilla generals.
The commanding officer of the Sixth Battalion of War Soldiers is the right deputy general, the Seventh Battalion of War Soldiers and the Eighth Battalion of Chariot Soldiers are the participating generals, and the Ninth Battalion of Chariot Soldiers and the Tenth City Guard Battalion are the guerrilla generals.
The highest commander of the Southern Expeditionary Army was General Zhenglu, Chief Military Officer, British Duke Zhang Fu, followed by Duke Mu Sheng of Guizhou, followed by Deputy Commander-in-Chief Jiang Yi, Anyuan Marquis Liu Sheng, Guarding Officer Ma Qi and others.
In addition to the regular ten battalions, the Southern Expedition Army also has some non-conventional formations. For example, in the Pioneer Battalion where Zhu Gaojie was located, the commander was Liu Pu, the Pioneer Officer. Another example is the cavalry battalion, where the deputy commander-in-chief Jiang Yi concurrently serves as the commander. As well as the fifth military camp transferred from the capital, they are now also under the commander's command, and the commander is Anyuan Hou Liu Sheng...
In this crusade against Ruan Yuxiong, a total of four battalions were mobilized, the first battalion of combat soldiers, the second battalion of combat soldiers, the third battalion of chariot soldiers, and the vanguard battalion.
Except for the Pioneer Battalion, which has a total strength of less than 4,000, the remaining three battalions each have a total strength of about 10,000.
Therefore, the actual strength of the Southern Expeditionary Army is very false. The total strength of the ten regular battalions plus the remaining five army battalions, cavalry battalions, and vanguard battalions is less than 200,000. However, the slogan Zhu Di shouted before the conquest of Jiaozhi was "800,000", and the real strength of the Southern Expeditionary Army was "300,000." In fact, except for the civilians, the real total combatable strength was less than "200,000."
However, this is all routine operation, and it is tacitly understood to brag before sending troops. Two hundred thousand was blown into eight hundred thousand, which is already very low-key. In the Battle of Chibi, Cao Cao claimed to have an army of 800,000, but in fact it was only more than 100,000 at most. In the Battle of Yiling, Liu Bei claimed to have an army of 700,000, but in fact it was only 700,000 to 80,000.
The Indian family next door also spread the story that there were more than 100 million casualties in eighteen days.
Closer to home, although the strength of the Pioneer Battalion is slightly inferior to that of the other three battalions, in terms of being elite and good at fighting, as well as the intelligence on Ruan Ngoc Hung's troops in the early stages of the war, the Pioneer Battalion should be the main force.
But in the end, the deputy commander-in-chief Jiang Yi, who commanded the crusade against Ruan Yuxiong, finally asked the first battalion of soldiers to serve as the main force, and the vanguard battalion to attack Ruan Yuxiong's left wing troops.
There is a big difference. The one who serves as the main force will get more credit in the end.
The Pioneer Battalion had done so much homework in the early stage, but in the end it was the First Battalion of Soldiers that actually faced off against Ruan Yuxiong.
This is not fair, but neither Liu Pu nor Zhu Gaojie is surprised, because the left deputy general of the first battalion of soldiers is named Jiang Li, and he is the nephew of deputy commander Jiang Yi.
As the deputy commander-in-chief of the crusade against Ruan Yuxiong, Jiang Yi, of course, had to give the greatest credit to his nephew in the end, not to the Pioneer Battalion.
Liu Pu had no objection. After all, the commander-in-chief this time was Jiang Yi, not his father Anyuanhou Liu Sheng.
If Liu Sheng leads the expedition, the vanguard battalion will definitely be the main force in the end.
This does not look like the generals fighting in the army on the battlefield, but a group of businessmen and shopkeepers with their abacus clicking.
It's hard for Zhang Fu. With such a group of people, he can win consecutive battles in Jiaozhi.
"Do your duty."
Liu Pu said calmly to the generals and commanders in the camp, "Although we are not the main force in this crusade, our enemy cannot be underestimated. It is Ruan Yuxiong's left-wing troops."
Then, he glanced at Zhu Gaojie and found Prince Qi sitting on a chair lazily looking through a cowhide map, casually marking points on the map with cinnabar.
Liu Pu was quite satisfied. Compared with the scourges caused by military commanders and nobles, this prince seemed extraordinarily approachable, smart, wise and quiet.
It wasn't until he saw clearly what the other party was using cinnabar to outline on the map that Liu Pu's face turned serious.
"Sir, it's okay if the mark is drawn randomly, right?" Zhu Gaojie noticed Liu Pu's gaze and touched his hair in embarrassment.
He still didn't realize that besides the guarding officer Ma Qi, his identity had been discovered by Zhang Fu, Liu Sheng, and Liu Pu.
Zhu Gaojie just felt that there was something unusual about Liu Sheng and Liu Pu, but he did not think in that direction.
"Can you give me a look?" Liu Pu asked seriously.
"Of course." Zhu Gaojie handed the map in his hand to the other party.
Liu Pu took the map and stared at the cinnabar marks on the map. His brain was running wildly, and there was only shock and surprise in his heart.
"Here, this was painted by you?" Liu Pu looked at Zhu Gaojie in disbelief.
A Qian general in the camp asked in confusion: "Sir, what's wrong? There's something wrong with this picture?"
"The problem is huge!" Liu Pu exclaimed, "This picture is amazing. We have only roughly ascertained the deployment of Ruan Yuxiong's troops, but this picture accurately guessed the strategic defense line of Ruan Yuxiong's troops. Combined with what we have detected The information I received, this picture is a stroke of genius!”
Zhu Gaojie touched his nose and said with a smile: "It's not that impressive, I don't take it seriously, I just drew it casually."
This picture was indeed drawn casually by him.
Combining the intelligence of the Pioneer Battalion's reconnaissance of Chen Jun's forces, Zhu Gaojie's brains and Bai Qi and others had already guessed Chen Jun's detailed strategic plan, and they could barely guess the color of Ruan Yuxiong's pants.
For ordinary people, this kind of thing is indeed miraculous, but for top generals, this is not difficult.
It is impossible for a scout to understand all the enemy's situation. A good general needs to analyze and guess the accurate enemy deployment based on the enemy's situation surveyed by the scout. To achieve this level, he can only rely on rich experience and intuition.
Back then, Huo Qubing drove straight into the desert and was like a human radar, relying on this hand.
You know where the enemy is hiding in the desert and how to fight. It all depends on intuition.
A true general knows he has won from the moment he steps onto the battlefield.
