Although Bai Guangen was born a bandit, as a surrendered general with a criminal record, he must be carefully appointed. Once he colludes with the rebels, the consequences will be disastrous.
However, after experiencing three major victories in Yunxian, Fangxian and Sichuan, especially after Bai Guangen's son Bai Liangbi made an emergency landing on "one-stop" Xue Chengcai.
Sun Chuanting also had a new understanding of the Bai family, his father and his son, and their troops. Judging from their past actions, they were still loyal to the court at the moment.
In the brief introduction of the generals written by His Royal Highness, the performance of the Bai family and his son was even better than that of He Renlong and others, so this time Bai Guangen's troops were still ordered to be the vanguard of the entire army.
Firstly, it is a reward for his past performance, and secondly, considering that there are tens of thousands of people under his command, it is more convenient for him to command, which is more appropriate than arranging multiple general officers.
All generals are willing to be the vanguard. On the one hand, they can take the lead, and on the other hand, they don't have to follow friendly forces to take advantage.
Tens of thousands of people walk on a road that is only a dozen feet wide. Once someone has a stomachache, you can imagine that the roadside is filled with all kinds of stuff...
"Dad! My son will definitely make new contributions to our family this time!"
Through several previous battles, Bai Liangbi also accumulated a lot of experience in winning, especially if he wanted to have strong soldiers and horses in his unit and sufficient food and pay. It was a good time to continue his efforts.
"My son must be careful! The commander sent us, my father and his son, to lead the troops to fight because of the strong strength of our army. At present, our army has hundreds of mortar cannons. As long as the rebels dare to confront our army, they will definitely end up like this It was a disastrous defeat like the previous one. If the entire rebel army retreats, we only need to capture the lagging one. If only one of the rebels retreats, our army can cut off the retreat route of the unevacuated rebel army. At that time, the supervisor will discuss his merits. Reward!"
Bai Guangen didn't want to suffer a large-scale loss of troops. He had managed to save these troops. If they were scattered, there would be no chance of gathering them again.
It is no exaggeration to say that the size of his troops alone is equivalent to the number of troops under the command of four or five other general soldiers, and he is considered the number one main force under the commander-in-chief.
As long as Sun Chuanting can always distinguish rewards and punishments, doesn't mind his origin, and can provide food and salary, the Bai family and his son will naturally not be ungrateful.
At present, the officers and soldiers have won many battles. They killed the "Eight Great Kings" Zhang Xianzhong and fled. They also captured "Cao Cao" Luo Rucai alive, and captured and killed "The Whole Hundred Thousand" Hei Yunxiang, the "Sweeping King" Zhang Yichuan, and the "Hunshi King" Wu Ziqiang is gaining momentum!
Although the rebel army suddenly revolted and was quite large, affecting almost half of the Huguang area, they were beaten to a pulp by the official army and completely defeated.
It is obviously very unwise to be half-hearted at this time. Only by continuing to serve the imperial court can we obtain greater benefits.
Although Bai Guangen was very respectful to Sun Chuanting on the surface, in fact he still had the mentality of a bandit in his heart, that is, he would work hard for whoever had money and food.
At this time, Sun Chuanting was highly valued by the Crown Prince. It was said that the amount of money at his disposal each month alone was as high as 300,000 taels.
Naturally, Bai Guangen followed Sun Chuanting's lead and almost regarded the financial sponsor as his biological father.
Sun Chuanting was also very good at winning over people's hearts. Regardless of their origins, as long as they were loyal to the Ming Dynasty and fought hard, they could be replenished with food, pay, ordnance, and personnel.
As for the extent of supplementation, it depends on the performance of the generals. The battlefield is also an officialdom, and it also pays attention to some internal rules.
"Yes! The kid remembers it!"
Although Bai Liangbi agreed, he was not convinced in his heart, mainly because the intelligence said that the leader of the bandit army raging in Nanyang Mansion was actually Zhang Dingguo, who was about the same age as himself.
This thief was the adopted son of Xian thief. When the main force of the government army entered Sichuan to fight, he led his troops to the Nanyang Prefecture area. They had attacked Nanyang City once before, and also captured four surrounding cities.
Fifty-six thousand rumin was raised, which was so large that the Nanyang prefect frequently sent high-level documents to Fancheng.
In Bai Liangbi's view, it wasn't that Zhang Dingguo was great, but that the local officers and soldiers were so useless that they couldn't even deal with a mere son of a thief.
If the traitors came in person, wouldn't the whole of Henan be occupied by the traitor army?
If given the chance, he would definitely capture and kill Zhang Dingguo, so that he could prove his suspicion.
Bai Guangen controlled more than 3,000 horsemen, accounting for almost 30% of the total number of horsemen in the army.
But the advance speed was not fast at all, only ten miles faster than the infantry brigade.
He didn't want to take too many risks before he could find out the strength and structure of the bandit army.
It is best for the rebel army to have a higher level of awareness and take the initiative to attack one's own troops. This is the most beneficial to oneself.
But looking at the thick smoke billowing from the city in the distance and the bustle of people on the battlefield, I guess the bandit army was focused on attacking the city and didn't even want to attack.
You have to attack it yourself, otherwise the striker's job, which is envied by others, will be in vain. You can't go to see Sun Chuanting empty-handed, right?
Bai Guangen's troops went north along the Baihe River, and all troops and horses were located on the east bank of the Baihe River. He acted under orders, because Sun Chuanting judged that the possibility of the rebel army moving westward was very small.
From Nanyang City to the west, there were few cities and almost all were desolate mountainous areas. The rebel army could not implement any strategy to support the war, so they had to either go north or east, or fight to the death with the official army here.
Sun Chuanting hoped most that the rebels would give up their plan to escape and confront the official army at the foot of Nanyang City. However, the most likely strategy is to march eastward to the Dabie Mountains and join the Fifth Battalion of Gezuo entrenched there.
As a result, it will be even more difficult for the officers and soldiers to annihilate them. The Dabie Mountains are very large, and the rebels can station, move, and fight in the mountains. It is definitely not possible to put down the rebellion this year.
"Report~! General Rong! The bandit army is gathering troops!"
"Yeah! Okay! Let's explore again!"
As long as the enemy in front of you doesn't want to run away, he will definitely fight to the death with your own side.
Regardless of whether they are in the city or fighting in the field, the official army will have the advantage.
Under the premise that the forces of both sides are evenly matched, there is a 70% to 80% certainty of victory in this battle.
Due to the existence of mortars, it is extremely easy for the army to attack unarmored soldiers or single-armored soldiers.
Most of the thieves were Liu Min, and they were extremely short of armor. Facing the officers and soldiers with a high armor rate, they had no advantage in fighting on the plains.
Sun Chuanting's tactics are also very simple. If the bandit army is weak, they can attack across the board and implement the trident tactic.
On the contrary, Bai Guangen's troops will conduct a test first, and then release their main force to confront the Chinese army.
Let the mortars exert their power to block the enemy's advance. At this time, the officers and soldiers on both wings will outflank the main force of the rebel army from the left and right.
This method of tactics had already achieved a great victory against Luo Rucai's troops before, and it could be continued now.
"Report~! Part of the bandit army is fleeing to the northeast! There are about 20,000 troops!"
"Yeah~! Explore again!"
Bai Guangen didn't know why half of the bandit army escaped before the fight started?
Aren’t they people all the way?
Doesn't leaving most of them behind like this mean selling off the rest?
I had done similar things in the past, but weren't all the bandits who besieged Nanyang City under the command of Zhang Dingguo?
It is said that Zhang Dingguo is very witty despite his young age. If the information is true, it is nothing more than that.
"Dad! Our troops must quickly send troops to chase! Don't let the bandit army escape!"
Bai Liangbi didn't want the fat on his lips to slip away, so he hurriedly asked for a fight.
"My son, don't be anxious! The traitors are acting like this, which shows that they all have their own agendas. Our troops only need to cut off the retreat of the remaining tens of thousands of traitors!"
I heard that the bandit army numbered no less than 50,000 to 60,000 people. Even if 20,000 people fled, wouldn't there still be 30,000 to 40,000 people?
Keeping all the remaining people is enough to be called a great victory. This is the first battle for our troops to enter Henan and we must win.
"My son, at the rate of 2,000 cavalry, formed an array along the river to occupy the favorable terrain and cut off the retreat of the rebels on the west bank! Prevent the rebels on the west bank from crossing the river and escaping eastward to join up with the previous troops!"
Bai Guangen is still very good at sizing up situations. Zhang Xianzhong did this in eastern Sichuan, which directly helped the army and the army and severely damaged the Luo Rucai Group. Now it can be said that it happened again yesterday.
"Yes! My child, go ahead now!"
Bai Liangbi had previously thought of rounding up all the bandits here, but a group of them had already fled. No matter how unwilling he was, he could only try to keep the rest of the bandits behind.
The Baihe River in summer is a dry season, and the whole of Henan is in the midst of a severe drought, so the water level in the river is just above the knee.
Taking this into consideration, Bai Guangen ordered Bai Liangbi to lead his troops to seize positions in advance to prevent the rebels from crossing the river on a large scale.
According to his plan, his troops lined up along the river, with the purpose of blocking the bandits crossing the river.
Even if the bandits can reach the river bank, they will be swept away by the cavalry before they can gain a firm foothold.
"The dog officer army is coming!"
"It's broken!"
"The wind is so tight!"
A group of about 3,000 rebels who were crossing the river to join Zhang Dingguo's Chinese army happened to encounter the cavalry led by Bai Liangbi.
About a thousand people had just landed ashore when they saw the "Ming" flag fluttering in the wind in the distance. There was no doubt that this group of people were officers and soldiers, and they immediately determined the identity of the other party.
They are all infantry. Except for a few higher-ranking leaders who can ride horses, most of them walk on two legs. When encountering horse pawns of equal strength to their own, they are really powerless to parry.
There were no artillery or muskets, and the arrows were almost useless during the siege. With only waist knives and spears, they were overwhelmingly superior to the cavalry of the official army.
"The thief is right in front! Brothers, rush for me!"
The target was so obvious that Bai Liangbi, in his excitement, did not forget to shout to boost the morale of his troops.
The headquarters is the vanguard, and there will be no officers and soldiers further forward, not to mention the opponent's banner with the word "Zhang".
There are many general soldiers under Sun Dushuai, but none of them are named Zhang, so this flag is particularly eye-catching.
These thieves themselves did not have much fighting power, so the results of their battles were given away for free, so Bai Liangbi was naturally willing to accept them all.
A battle-hardened general can tell at a glance whether a soldier has combat effectiveness.
There was no plan when crossing the river, and there was no formation after landing. It was like herding sheep, so sparsely that it was better to regard it as an outing than a march!
If all the rebels crossed the river, there might still be a battle. However, the rebels on the east bank currently accounted for only about 40% of the total, and the bulk was still in the river and on the west bank.
After marching for many days, Bai Liangbi's men were very happy.
The most favorite thing to do when going into battle to kill the enemy is to kill the enemy's unsteady footing, and all of his own troops are horse pawns. It can be said that the two armies have every advantage in the confrontation.
Following the young master's order, all the soldiers whipped their horses and whips and ran wildly along the river bank. All the officers, soldiers and horsemen raised their spears, ready to stab the thieves to death.
Seeing such a situation, the bandits who had arrived on the east bank of the Baihe River suddenly became a mess. Some wanted to fight, some wanted to run, and some wanted to return to the other side.
"Form up a formation! Fire arrows! Use spears to hold them back!"
"Quick! Get in line"
"No retreat! Anyone who disobeys the order will be killed!"
The captains were all veterans, and they knew that they must not retreat or escape at this time. Once they gave up resistance, none of the 1,800 of them would survive.
Even if they jump into the river, the dog officers and soldiers will shoot bows and arrows as easily as shooting ducks in the river. They will still be killed when the time comes.
However, their men were all newly recruited soldiers and could only fight against the wind. When encountering such encounters, especially against the wind, they were immediately at a loss.
Especially before, everyone had the idea of entering the city to rob, and they were very reluctant to give up the looting when ordered to do so. Now that they were intercepted and killed by the army, the psychological gap was really huge.
"Line up in a horizontal line! Attack the bandit army!"
Bai Liangbi has been with his father since he learned the basics. He has experienced dozens of large and small battles, and now he can be considered independent.
Seeing that the bandits were beginning to panic, they immediately ordered their troops to sweep across the river in a horizontal formation, so that the advantages of the war horses could be maximized.
Those who can become horse pawns are naturally the elite soldiers in the tribe. After receiving the order, when they advance rapidly, they form a horizontal formation of about a hundred or ten people in each row.
The horses galloped very fast, and as soon as they formed a horizontal line, they reached the position of confrontation, and more than two thousand horsemen rushed into the opponent's formation.
Under the assassination of the spear, the rebel infantry had no possibility of resistance. Once they fell to the ground, they would be trampled by the hoofs of horses, and the sounds of screams and wailing could be heard endlessly.
The infantry were swept to the ground in large numbers, and those who escaped were shot dead with bows and arrows. But in the blink of an eye, there were almost corpses everywhere, and blood flowed into the river, staining the surface of the river red.
The recruits' will to resist was extremely weak. They all joined the rebel army with the mentality of revenge, redress of grudges, and a grab. They had not thought too much about the cruelty of the war or their future plans.
Due to the consecutive victories in the past, they all felt that the dog officers and soldiers were just like this, that is, they were good at bullying poor people like them. Once they encountered the rebels, they would be killed and stripped of their armor.
However, the officers and soldiers in front of them were different from what they had thought before. They were completely a well-trained team, knocking them to the ground like wheat, without any possibility of fighting back.
"Failed..."
"Run!"
"It's important to save your life!"
There was no suspense about the outcome. After the rebels on the east bank were defeated by the government troops, the rebels on the west bank were naturally frightened and began to run westward. At the very least, they had to leave the river bank quickly.
The horse team of the Dog Officer Army may cross the river to pursue them at any time. They may either flee into the mountains for refuge, or directly enter the city and defend it, just like what the city defenders did before.
"Report~! Young Master! There are still bandits crossing the river and heading eastward downstream!"
"Okay! Brothers! Come with me! We will definitely kill everyone today!"
"yes!"
"That's right! Capture a few thieves and ask them about the enemy. Don't kill them all!"
Bai Liangbi really planned to cross the river to hunt down the fat men who came to his mouth, but after receiving another report, he gave up his plan to cross the river.
Since there are thieves ahead who have thrown themselves into a trap, there is no need to let the horsemen cross the river. Rather than bothering with this, it would be easier to charge all the way along the river bank and kill them.
