After two discussions with the senior officers, General Zhengyi had formed a relatively consistent view with his close ministers, and had a preliminary plan for the route of dispatching troops and the location of landing.
However, it will take a long time to notify the daimyo across the country, from Ezo in the north to Kyushu in the south. Just one trip will take about twenty days. It will take more than two hundred daimyo to arrive in Edo before the announcement can be made. This decision...
"Commander, what's wrong, Zhang Ni has rebelled again in Gucheng!"
After Luo Dai, the front vanguard sent by Hong Chengchou, arrived at Xiangyang City, he was not disturbed by the wind and water in the direction of Gucheng, which was less than 200 miles northwest of Xiangyang. Just go upstream along the Xiangshui River.
When Hong Chengchou led Yang Guozhu, Liu Guoneng, Li Wanqing and other troops to Xiangyang, Tan Ma then received the shocking news he had just received. Hong Chengchou was still wondering on the way, could it be that the Holy Inquisition was wrong?
But Zhang Xianzhong chose to take the risk, which made Hong Chengchou suddenly understand. It was not that he didn't want to rebel, but that he came too fast. The plan was secret and the march was decisive, which caught Zhang Xianzhong off guard.
Few people in the imperial court knew about the army's march south. It was nominally to capture Liu Liangzuo who had rebelled against the capital, but in fact it was just to execute Liu Zeqing. They stopped in Jining for two days and spent the rest of the time in a hurry.
Finally, we arrived in Xiangyang within the stipulated time. There were still about ten days before Zhang Xianzhong's rebellion. If Zhang Xianzhong heard the news and wanted to contact other leaders to launch a rebellion in advance, he might not have enough time, so he had to choose the desperate method.
"really?"
Hong Chengchou had to confirm again to avoid misjudgment. This was a major military matter, not a child's play. However, he did not believe that Zhang Xianzhong would send people to pretend to be messengers. This kind of thing would be extremely detrimental to these rebels.
"Commander, this is a letter written by my General Luo!"
Tan Ma, who was responsible for delivering the letter, did not dare to ask for help. He hurriedly took out the letter from his arms and asked Hong Chengchou to read it. In fact, before Luo Dai's troops arrived at Gucheng, news of the revolt came over there.
Chen Hongfan's deputy general Ma Tingbao sent someone to Xiangyang for help and learned that Ma Tingbao did not know about the imperial court sending troops to suppress the enemy. However, Xiangyang, as an important town in northern Huguang, had at least 5,000 troops stationed there, which was crucial to suppressing the rebels.
After hearing the news, Luo Dai ordered his troops to temporarily stop their advance. On the one hand, he sent someone to tell Ma Tingbao that he must hold on, and on the other hand, he quickly reported back to Hong Chengchou. As soon as the commander-in-chief's army arrived, Zhang Xianzhong would be unable to succeed.
"Hmm~! Okay! Pass my command and the army will leave camp immediately, no mistakes!"
Hong Chengchou dismissed the messengers, then looked at the map given to him by the prince, and then ordered the army to set off, intending to confront Zhang Xianzhong's rebels.
"Commander, I would like to ask the commander to send the general to fight first to prove his innocence!"
Liu Guoneng had also received a letter from Zhang Xianzhong before, urging him to revolt, but he did not agree. After Hong Chengchou arrived, Liu Guoneng handed the letter to Hong Chengchou, saying that he would draw a clear line with Zhang Xianzhong and would not secretly collude.
In view of the prince's instructions and Liu Guoneng's performance, Hong Chengchou temporarily believed it. After comforting him with words, he announced the imperial decree to promote Liu Guoneng to the rank of commander-in-chief and make his mother the imperial concubine. Liu Guoneng was greatly moved.
Liu Guoneng was not too surprised by Zhang Xianzhong's rebellion, because when he received his letter, Liu Guoneng realized that this man would not stay in power for long, and he would definitely bite back once the time came.
But the court was indifferent. Thinking of his old feelings, he chose to settle the matter. But Hong Chengchou's army came with only one purpose. Liu Guoneng could no longer turn a blind eye and could only make up his mind and stand on the court's side.
Hong Chengchou also generously said that since he was accepting the imperial court's favor, of course he would let bygones be bygones. As long as he fought bravely in the future, he would report to the crown prince to ask for credit for Liu Guoneng, which also made Liu Guoneng completely give up the idea of revolting.
"No rush! No rush! Guoneng is a general appointed by the prince, and I can naturally trust him. Forward Luo Dai has not yet found out whether the rebels are real or not, so the army can advance steadily now. I don't expect Zhang Ni to make a quick decision! "
On the way, Hong Chengchou also observed Liu Guoneng and Li Wanqing's words and found that these two people seemed to be sincerely loyal to the court and not half-hearted. He had a rough idea and must be careful when using them.
However, Yang Guozhu's troops were still used as the central army, Liu Guoneng's left wing, and Li Wanqing's right wing formed two fists, making it impossible for Zhang Xianzhong to encircle his own side.
If Zhang Xianzhong seizes Gucheng first, then defeats Luo Dai and seizes Yang Guozhu's central army, he can use mortars to give him a showdown. Yang Guozhu's troops are equipped with hundreds of such weapons.
After watching the mortar drill in the capital, Hong Chengchou believed that even if Zhang Xianzhong gathered 20,000 troops and charged into the formation with half the force, it would be difficult to withstand the indiscriminate bombardment of hundreds of mortars.
"Commander, according to the previously agreed time for entering the army, Tang Tong and others should have set out from Dengzhou long ago and should have entered Huguang territory at this time!"
Yang Guozhu was very concerned about the movements of friendly forces. To the north of the army were the troops of the four generals, including Yang Yufan, Mou Wenshou, Tang Tong, and Jiang Mingwu. If they were not in place, Zhang Xianzhong would realize that he could not defeat Hong Chengchou, so he would choose to go north or south.
South of Xiangyang, there are four generals in Nanzhang, including Zuo Liangyu, Ma Ke, Miao Youcai, and Feng Ju, with more than 20,000 troops. The purpose is to form a big net so that Zhang Xianzhong can neither go north nor go south. , the only choice is to run west.
"I have spoken beforehand. In this campaign, no one should deliberately delay or hesitate. Otherwise, no matter what position they hold, they will be severely punished. If those four people from the north fail to advance on time, I will naturally not He has a kind heart and a soft hand. If Zhang Ni is allowed to escape, I will punish him even more severely!"
Hong Cheng, who was out of reach, could not control Tang Tong and others now, but if they did not show up after the army went north to confront Zhang Xianzhong, then he would not blame himself for being ruthless.
From Dengzhou to Gucheng, it stands to reason that there are no rogue bandits stationed to be appeased. If they arrive too late, they will wait to be punished.
This is especially true for the four generals in Nanzhang. The other three generals are better, mainly Zuo Liangyu, who has fought with Zhang Xianzhong for many years and has won and lost each other. But you have to observe him.
"Commander, how should the general be arranged?"
As the guard of Xiangyang, Lieutenant General Yang Shien knew that he had a heavy responsibility and was subordinate to Fang Kongzhen, the governor of Huguang. However, since Hong Chengchou came and Fang Kongzhen was not here, he naturally fell under the command of this first-rank commander.
"Just lead your troops and horses to guard Xiangyang City. Don't go out of the city to meet the enemy without getting my generals. I predict that Zhang Ni will send people to deceive the city. If anyone claims to have a letter from me, I will order you to open it." You must have a clear view of the soldiers and horses in the city. You must know that it cannot be opened at night, it cannot be opened in the dark, and it cannot be opened without knowing. Don't be careless and lose Jingzhou!"
Xiangyang City is the foundation of the army. This is the biggest support for attacking Gucheng. There is absolutely no room for failure, so Hong Chengchou specially warned Yang Shien.
After King Xiang Zhu Yiming was taken to the capital by the Yongwei Battalion, Hong Chengchou was left with 600,000 taels of military pay and 100,000 shi of military rations, enough to support the army for two months.
Therefore, Hong Chengchou paid special attention to this place, and all the baggage was stored in Xiangyang. If Xiangyang was lost, it would be equivalent to cutting off the retreat of the army.
Although Yang Shien is not a general who is good at conquering and fighting, he is also relatively loyal. It should be more than enough for him to stick to it. In a few days, Huguang Governor Fang Kongzhen will send troops to reinforce the city.
"The last general must remember the commander's instructions and guard Xiangyang City for Master Wang so that the rebels don't dare to covet it!"
If Xiangyang was lost, the army would be in chaos without fighting, and Yang Shien did not dare to slack off in the slightest.
"Well! That's good!"
Nowadays, wages, food and grass are extremely abundant, and the morale of the troops is high. Even if Zhang Ni has extraordinary abilities, Hong Chengchou believes that he is well prepared and will not be afraid of Zhang Ni and others' sudden rebellion.
It would be better if we could defeat Zhang Ni in one battle and kill Zhang Ni's men until they were stripped of their armor. If not, then let the army return to Xiangyang, and wait for the Eighth Army from the north and south to outflank Zhang Ni from both wings, and then engage in a second confrontation with him.
In this way, the army can advance or retreat, attack and defend well, and have hundreds of mortars to assist it. It is not afraid of the frontal attack by the rebels, and the army will definitely be in an invincible position.
Judging from the strength of the troops, Zhang Ni had only 10,000 elite soldiers and more than 20,000 miscellaneous soldiers, totaling less than 40,000.
And this time he brought more than 40,000 troops and horses, and more than 50,000 troops on the north and south wings. In addition, the local commander-in-chief Chen Hongfan and the governor Fang Kongzhen still had no less than 20,000 troops.
Even if Chen Hongfan turns against him and Fang Kongzhen's troops are dispersed to various places to defend the city, Hong Chengchou believes that Zhang Ni can have a hard time with just his own strength.
As long as he was not ambushed, Zhang Ni would never be a match for the officers and soldiers in a head-on attack. The fundamental reason why he could gain the upper hand was because of this inconspicuous but surprisingly powerful mortar.
Leaving aside the three troops of Luo Dai, Li Wanqing, and Liu Guoneng, Yang Guozhu's troops were replaced with a large number of freshly manufactured blunderbuss in the capital, and the soldiers' armor was also completely new.
Coupled with the help of many firecrackers, its combat power is already comparable to Zhang Ni's elite. As long as the other three generals can stay calm in the face of danger and advance in unison, the army will be able to defeat Zhang Ni in one fell swoop.
"Commander, when our army sets out, should we march north along the official road, or go upstream along the Xiang River?"
Li Wanqing didn't know which of the two roads to choose, so he had to ask Hong Chengchou to make the decision himself.
"Zhang Ni has many horses and soldiers under his command. He will not abandon his horses and take a boat rashly. Otherwise, he will sacrifice his own strength and chase the last. Our army can advance from the official road. If Zhang Ni really goes down the river, our army can have a fight with the Xiangyang defenders. The attacks from both front and back prevented Zhang Ni from looking at each other. Zhang Ni could not attack Xiangyang, so he could only go south to Yicheng and Zhongxiang. This cut off the connection between the department and Luo Rucai and others, and made Zhang Ni unable to go north. After rushing into the Central Plains, they will eventually become a lone army and be completely wiped out by the King's army!"
Hong Chengchou had negotiated with the prince for a long time and prepared various plans, especially for Zhang Xianzhong, with as many as four sets of plans on record.
First, Zhang Ni broke through the layers of resistance from the government and army, led his troops northward, entered Henan, and joined Li Zicheng who had fled here.
The second is that Zhang Ni was unable to capture Xiangyang and had no choice but to turn around and head west, either to join Luo Rucai or to directly march into eastern Sichuan.
The third was that Zhang counterattacked and captured Xiangyang, but Hong Chengchou's army had already arrived, so he had to continue eastward and chose to join the fifth battalion of Gezuo in the Dabie Mountains.
The fourth is that Zhang Ni went directly south, choosing to attack Jingzhou Prefecture, and eventually went to Yunnan, Guizhou or Guangdong and Guangxi.
However, a certain prince believed that most of the soldiers of "Big Zongzi" came from the north. If they continued to flee south, they would inevitably be unaccustomed to the climate, resulting in a sharp decline in combat effectiveness.
Entering Sichuan is the best choice. If you continue to go around in circles with Master Wang in Huguang, if you lose your concentration even a little bit, you will be bitten off by Hong Chengchou.
If you enter the Dabie Mountains rashly, the Fifth Battalion of Gezuo who is fighting the autumn wind there will not be happy. After all, it is their territory, and Zhang Xianzhong is not willing to look at the other party's face.
Since there is a barrier in the south of Henan, unless the defenders can let it pass, "Big Zongzi" will have to take off its "coat" as travel expenses if it wants to escape into Henan.
Zhang Xianzhong is so shrewd that he will definitely not do such a loss-making thing. In the near future, he will mainly focus on the Huguang area to see if there are any soft persimmons here.
Zhang Xianzhong would only choose to leave Huguang if he found that the soft persimmons had now turned into frozen persimmons.
If he leaves late, the "hospitable" Hong Chengchou will definitely try his best to "keep" Zhang Xianzhong.
Either leave the whole body, or leave the arms or thighs...
Hong Chengchou still didn't know what the battle situation was like in Gucheng. Luo Dai only had four thousand soldiers and horses, and more than half of them were Liu Zeqing's remnants, with almost no combat power at all.
Faced with Zhang Ni's menacing attack of at least 30,000 troops, Luo Dai was in danger, and Chen Hongfan was even more hopeless. He was lucky not to lead his troops in rebellion.
Although the situation was urgent, Hong Chengchou did not panic. He could not let himself be anxious because of the expected rebellion. The resulting misjudgment was the most fatal.
As long as they fight steadily and don't give Zhang Ni an opportunity to take advantage of, the rebels will be unable to win. The worst-case scenario is just to stick to Xiangyang. When the eight generals surround Zhang Ni's troops, he will be unable to escape!
"General Liu sent 5,000 soldiers and horses to Luo Dai first, and the main force of your army set off first. General Yang led his troops to advance along the official road. General Li's troops were between the official road and Xiangshui. Once Zhang Ni was discovered, he The troops can go down the river and stop the attack without reporting, and each unit will use signal flares as the guideline!"
Hong Chengchou was still well-prepared, so that if Zhang Ni went against the grain and attacked the weak, and chose to attack the weakly defended Xiangyang City, he would be well prepared.
As long as Yang Shien does not take the initiative to fight, judging from the strength of Xiangyang City, Zhang Ni will definitely not be able to capture the city in a day or two.
After hearing the news, the army will turn around and return to support. The rebels who are surrounding the siege can even annihilate the stubborn enemies under Xiangyang City in one fell swoop, saving them the journey to pursue these thieves.
No matter what, the rebellious Zhang Ni must be brought to justice. This was Hong Chengchou's biggest goal when he went south to Huguang.
After wiping out the rebels here, the imperial court can transfer the main force to the north to fight the Donglu to the death.
