Xuzhou, Xiao County
Xiao County is located at the junction of Jiangsu, Shandong, Henan and Anhui provinces, in the northern part of the Huaibei Plain and the southern end of the Huanghuaihai Plain. It borders Xuzhou to the east, Huaibei to the south, Feng County to the north, adjoins Yongcheng and Dangshan to the west and northwest, faces Heze, Shandong, and borders Yongqiao District of Suzhou to the southeast. It has a superior geographical location.
However, due to the Yellow River flood impact, Xiao County has formed a combination of three different natural areas: the southwest plain, the Yellow River highland and the southeastern shallow mountainous area. It mainly belongs to the Huanghuai flood plain.
Because there is no unique natural shelter, Xiao County is also a place that is easy to attack and difficult to defend, and it is difficult to become a military powerhouse.
Shangzhuang is located more than thirty miles southwest of Xiaoxian City, a typical place where the Yellow and Huaihe Rivers hit the plain.
Because it is located in a plain and has fertile land, Shangzhuang began to settle down one after another in the first year of Qianlong's reign and became a large village with hundreds of households. But now, due to the impact of the war, Shangzhuang has become empty at this time, leaving only a stretch of cold empty houses showing the cruelty of the war.
Plains have been dangerous areas for infantry and a place for cavalry to gallop since ancient times.
It is really hard to understand that the rebels, who are mainly infantry, chose to fight here in Shangzhuang with the Qing army with huge cavalry.
In this regard, all the generals in the Qing Dynasty's Jiangnan bandit suppression camp thought that the rebel Zhang Rui was either crazy or stupid.
However, no matter what the outside world speculates, the facts are here.
Ma'anshan, a shallow mountain area in the southeast of Xiao County.
As one of the few shallow mountainous areas in plain areas, the terrain around Ma'anshan is naturally the same.
Infantry is good for mountains, cavalry loves plains.
However, Ma'anshan is one of the few "high mountains" in this area, and the mountains next to it are not much better. For horses that ride and run all year round, this small hill is just like walking on flat ground.
There is a mountain three miles northwest of Ma'anshan, named Qianshan.
Qianshan is not high, even a little lower than Ma'anshan. The advantage is that the mountain is steeper, making it more suitable for garrisoning. The loyal army led by Zhang Zhishan was sent here by Zhang Rui.
Three miles northeast of Ma'anshan is Xushan.
Xushan is more like a mountain than Ma'anshan in terms of height and steepness. The Chiye Army led by Wang Yan was sent here by Zhang Rui.
Ma'anshan was defended by 10,000 Guards troops led by Zhang Rui and sharp knife troops led by Li De.
The three forces, taking care of each other, formed an inverted triangle, arranging the battle situation.
Such a formation is really helpless.
It is said that before the three armies move, food and grass will go first. The stability of the food road is the stability of the military morale.
Although the bandit suppressing army has always carried food with the army, carrying food does not mean that the food route can be cut off.
In the plains, cavalry can come and go freely.
In order to prevent the Qing cavalry from harassing their grain routes, the bandit suppressing army could only constantly deploy soldiers to protect the grain routes. For this reason, there are far fewer soldiers available at the front.
Today, Zhang Zhishan's troops defending Qianshan are only 20,000 soldiers, and Xu Shan's troops on the right defended by Wang Yan are also about the same.
Only about 10,000 sharp knife troops were left to guard Ma'anshan, while all other soldiers were sent to guard the grain road. If it weren't for Zhang Rui's 10,000 Guards, Ma'anshan's defense strength would be really worrying.
Since the areas occupied by the bandit suppressing army were all in the southeast and lacked horses, the cavalry of the bandit suppressing army had always been scarce.
Although the bandit suppression army now has five legions with a total of more than 200,000 soldiers, the total number of cavalry is less than 10,000.
Today, the only cavalry that follows Zhang Rui and is stationed in Ma'anshan is more than a thousand cavalry led by Li Kaifu.
Thousands of other cavalrymen who followed Zhang Rui north were also sent out to drive away the Qing cavalry who came to harass the grain road.
It is precisely because of the lengthening of the battle line that the bandit suppressing army had to disperse some soldiers to protect the food road from damage. That's why Zhang Rui had to choose such a stable formation to defend against the enemy.
The war is about to break out. Like an arrow drawn from a bow, there is no longer any possibility of avoiding the battle.
On Ma'an Mountain,
At this time, the anti-bandit troops stationed here were digging trenches and carrying out large-scale construction projects.
A series of high ditches and low walls are connected across each other. It was like a layer of defense circle protecting Zhang Rui's safety.
Ma'anshan,
North, five miles away
The Qing army's bandit suppression camp in the south of the Yangtze River was also mobilizing troops and generals at this moment, preparing for a desperate battle with the bandit suppression army.
The forwards of the two armies fought, and occasionally reports of battle results were reported.
Plain area with wide view. At this moment, the generals of the Jiangnan Bandit Suppression Camp who were occupying the heights could even see the general defensive layout of the bandit suppression army through their clairvoyance.
"The low wall in Haogou knows how to build it. It seems that these rebels are not too stupid. However, I don't know what they are thinking when they choose to fight us here. Do they think they can deal with this little bunker?" Are our Eight Banners iron-clad? Are we too disrespectful of the Qing Dynasty?" At this time, He Muller, the commander of the Zhenghuang Banner's cavalry battalion in Eji, was looking at Ma'anshan with his monocular telescope. Bu Feng said.
The reason why Eji He Mule is here is to act according to the countermeasures discussed by Niu Hulu Fu Sen and the generals in the Jiangnan bandit suppression camp.
The countermeasure they discussed was: lead two against one, and then attack them one by one.
Niu Hulu and Fu Sen were in charge of the central army, overseeing the overall situation.
Zhang Zhishan's loyal army on Qianshan was handed over to Shaanxi Commander-in-Chief Zhang Wuxiu and Henan Commander-in-Chief Meng to attack together. They were asked to hold back Zhang Zhishan's loyal troops even if they couldn't defeat him, denying him any chance to support Zhang Rui.
Wang Yan's Red Field Army on Xushan Mountain was handed over to Zhang Jia and Agui to lead 5,000 cavalry and 30,000 green battalions to deal with it. They were also required to keep an eye on them even if they couldn't win, and they must not be let go under any circumstances. Go to aid Zhang Rui.
The bandit suppression army on Ma'an Mountain was attacked by 20,000 cavalry led by Eji Hemuler, the commander of the Xiaoqi Camp, and 10,000 armored Eight Banners troops, plus 30,000 Green Camp troops.
There is only one goal. At any cost, even if all the troops are used up, the rebel Zhang Rui must be killed on Ma'an Mountain.
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