Everyone listened with great interest, some were dumbfounded, some had eyes shining, and some even let out low exclamations.
When he finished speaking, there was a buzz in the tent. The old man frowned and cleared his throat to quiet them down. Then he clasped his fists and said, "General, it seems this is a powerful enemy!"
"Yes, this is his mother's. They are all connected together, and they are all catching up with storytellers!" Sun Gu, Yin Tuo's deputy general, glanced at Lou Shiyong unhappily, cupped his hands and said:
"But General, we are now at Shangban Ferry, five miles away from Fengshan Terrace and only ten miles away from Jiyangshan Camp. This is simply making trouble in front of you, and you don't take us seriously at all!"
"General Sun, do you mean not to let them grow bigger?" Qianzhong asked.
"I don't mean much, I just think they are too arrogant and I can't stand it!"
"Some people are victorious in consecutive battles, and some are arrogant." The purple-robed Taoist priest took his time and stretched out his fingers to count:
"So there should be three thousand people on the other side. Now there are two thousand on Uesakadu and one thousand on Dayuandu.
Although the number of our army is almost three times that of theirs, their morale and equipment are superior to ours, and as the eldest son said, they may have dozens of bird cannons and two or three general cannons.
But..." He tilted his head and thought: "If our troops go west, the camp on the mountain will be empty. Who will block Shangrao's north gate?"
"If your department goes west," Lou Shi pointed with his hand:
"My second and third brothers are now retreating to Dayuandu with 3,000 people. Your department can hand over to them and ask them to come to Jiyang Mountain and hand over Dayuandu to your department.
In this way, Yin Shuai can occupy both sides of the Lixi River, with room for advancement and retreat, and he will have my father and son as his rear support. "
"Oh?" The expression on the purple-shirted Taoist priest's face softened and he nodded: "This is a good idea." After saying that, he gave Yin Tuo a look.
If we get Dayuan Ferry and Shangban Ferry, and then control Xiaban Ferry and Longtan Ferry on the Guangxin side, it means that Yintuo can control the lifeline of Lixi Water.
Not only can it easily obtain external supplies, but it can also give orders to the fleet on the water. This influence is of great significance.
The old Taoist keenly noticed the beauty of it and immediately hinted it to Yin Tuo. After all, the team is getting bigger and bigger now, and it’s not a problem to always be on the mountain.
Going to a gentler area is conducive to development and troop movement. This is what Lou has been trying to restrict and control them since. Now that there is an opportunity for dragons to enter the water, why not do it?
Lou Zi often complained that he had to support Yin Tuo, but he always refused to listen; but Yin Tuo felt that Lou Shuai was always unwilling to let me take charge of my role, was it because he couldn't believe it or did he have other plans?
He is very dissatisfied with the current situation where everything is controlled by Lou Zishi. The larger the team, the louder his subordinates' calls for Yin Tuo to stand on his own.
If you have the opportunity to have greater self-reliance or even complete independence, that would be great! Poor Lou was looking for trouble, and ended up complaining.
"Well, that means our department will no longer care about Shangrao's affairs and can go west with all its strength?" Yin Tuo asked.
"That's right!" Lou Shi thought to himself. After spending a long time talking, you finally started to understand.
"Okay! When can Dayuandu be handed over?"
"If the general agrees, I will send someone to inform my brothers now. The general can send two thousand people to Dayuan tonight. Then they can cross the river early tomorrow morning.
If the bridge is captured tonight, the general can reach Guangxin City at night. The enemy will be hasty and unprepared and can break the city tomorrow at the latest. Dayuan's troops crossing the river can go directly to Fengling Town, Fengqiguan and Nanshan.
I expected that the enemy's main force would be gathered on the right bank, and once they were defeated, only a few hundred soldiers would be able to fight. Taking advantage of the enemy's emptiness to occupy key points will open the door for the general to go west to Geyang! ” Lou Shiyong talked with confidence.
Yin Tuo glanced at the Taoist Master and saw him closing his eyes slightly and nodding. Think about it and make a decision:
"Sun Gu, you and I will act separately. I will lead my own brigade to attack Shangbanqiao and Guangxin City. You will take the rest of the people to take over Dayuandu, and then leave a few people to guard the camp. The main force will cross the river tomorrow morning and head west to take Fengling Town and Fengling Town. Qiguan.
After I surround Guangxin, I will send a letter (Colonel under Yin Tuo) to lead a team of a thousand people to be your backup! "Finished him
He stood up and said, "Everyone, please return to camp immediately! Pack your bags and go down the mountain to fight!"
We must capture Shangbanqiao tonight, and Guangxin during the day tomorrow! Our team is in the lead, Team Sun is behind, Qian Sima leads the team behind, and we will set off in an hour! "
Everyone stood up one after another and replied loudly: "I will obey the general's order!"
The sunset is fading in the west, and the repatriation of prisoners from Dayuandu has begun. The messenger relayed the news using semaphores, and Li Dan ordered the right battalion and the fourth squadron to move forward and escort the first batch of supplies across the bridge.
On the opposite bridgehead, work continues to be carried out at a fast pace. Hundreds of migrant workers are using adobe bricks to build three round forts on the north wall specifically for the garrison of firecrackers.
This round fort is the bunker of later generations. The bottom and middle floors have been built. Tonight, a reed roof will be put on the top of the fort, and the upper part of the middle floor will be plastered with cement to complete the project.
The peasants were told that if they completed the work at midnight tonight, they would each receive a reward of two taels of silver, so they worked hard and sweated like rain, without caring about the troops marching behind them.
It wasn't until six horses pulled a heavy carriage that rumbled past the bridge that someone looked back and couldn't help shouting: "I'm so good, look at how big this carriage is!"
His cry caused the others to stop what they were doing and look back together for a few times, but they soon reminded each other of "two taels of silver" and got back to work.
The lower part of the round castle is thicker and the upper part is tapered, like three petals slightly independent from the wall. The ground floor is where troops are stationed and ammunition is stored. There is a two-person wide passage in the wall leading from the inside of the wall to the inside of the fort.
Go up the wooden stairs on the ground floor and enter the middle floor. There is a doorway at the back that can lead directly to the wall, which is convenient for gunners to use and shoot from the wall stacks. There are three shooting holes on the middle floor, large on the outside and small on the inside, which can be fired by up to nine gunmen in turns.
There are also crenels on the top of the fort further up, which can be used by lookouts or gunmen and archers.
The boundaries between these three forts overlap, supporting each other and acting as horns for each other. The exterior walls on the ground floor have been plastered with cement and are solid and flat.
There is a round fort that has been built at the northern end of the east wall, and a platoon of gunmen is stationed there.
The middle floor to the southwest only had the outer wall completed in a hurry, and there were no walls or door openings at the back. You can see the wooden frame and floors of the basement. I am afraid it will be completed one after another during the battle.
Zhou Qin and other battalion officials never expected that Li Dan would build such a project. At first they thought it was just a wall, but later they found out that it was not that simple. They were all a little confused: Is it necessary to make it so complicated?
But Li Dan told them that if the rebels rebelled, intercepted midway, or attempted to seize the bridge, this bridgehead was the only well-protected barrier, and everyone understood his intention.
But Li Dan knew in his heart that this thing was not only a barrier, but also a meat grinder!
Between the two round forts on the north wall, a gun platform slightly higher than the wall was built to place two general cannons. One general cannon was left on each side of the bridgehead on the opposite bank, that is, on the right bank, to protect the two wings of the bridgehead.
As the vanguard, the right battalion walked past the Uesaka Bridge guard regiment who was watching them and entered the bridgehead, followed by the No. 4 squadron to protect the carriages, horses and baggage.
From here to the north gate of Shuizhai, also known as "Jinbo Gate", it is still more than two miles away. This section of the road is the last and most nervous one.
Taking advantage of the negotiations between the two parties, Li Dan had already sent people to survey the terrain from the left bank of the Caixi River to Shuizhai and the palace to the north wall of the city.
This area is high in the northeast (Fengshan Terrace) and southwest (Shui Zhai). Sandwiched between the flat land in the middle, there are many unfavorable armies spread out in the pond to the east.
Therefore, everyone agreed that if the rebels regretted their intention to kill, the battlefield must be at the southern foot of Fengshan Mountain, south of Wutang, and to the west around the bridgehead. The hundreds of acres of woods under the water village were selected as the preferred place to set up an ambush.
But Li Dan didn't know that the Lou family actually didn't want to send troops themselves, but instead found a more terrifying opponent Yin Tuo.
Li Dan estimated that if Lou Shiming went back on his word, or if Lou Zishi wanted to make a big profit with a surprise attack, they could dispatch up to two thousand troops.
Four hundred men were sent to guard the fort, and a thousand men were ambushed in the woods. With the support of fifteen hundred officers and soldiers on the other side, it was enough to repel or even defeat the invading enemy. This was his original idea.
After dark, the transportation speed slowed down significantly. Fortunately, Zhou Qin had already contacted the officers and soldiers guarding the city, and the first batch of supplies had entered the city smoothly.
As agreed, the city prepared civilian workers and transport vehicles for transfer.
Both General Yu and Magistrate Han were present, happily watched the process of unloading grain trucks, and encouraged Zhou Qin face to face.
Zhou Qin handed them Sheng Huaien's letter, informing and explaining the plan to defend against enemies and set up ambushes to prevent the rebels.
However, due to the small area inside Jinbo Gate, the narrow streets, and the lack of transfer vehicles in the city, the speed could not keep up. As a result, some subsequent carriages and horses had to retreat into the woods outside the city to wait for orders. Only more than 3,000 stones were actually entered into the city to complete the unloading. food.
Li Dan was anxious after hearing the news, but when he looked around and saw the anxious looks of the other leaders, he was no longer anxious. He found a flat place and moved a mazaar to sit down, and began to deduce in his mind what would happen if the enemy came.
Suddenly there were footsteps on the ground, and under the dim light (the lights were out and the lanterns were covered, only very little light could be seen from the surroundings) two figures were approaching.
Kuroki emerged from the dark night and asked in a low voice. After a while, he brought someone close to him: "Inspection, the sentry sent by the detective team to Jiyang Mountain has returned."
"Oh? Jiyang Mountain?" Li Dan was surprised. He stood up and walked over to him, asking, "But is Yin Tuo doing anything?"
"Yes, I reported the inspection. The Yintuo Village was noisy and agitated for some reason. Later, the gate of the village was opened. A large number of people came in a steady stream. They walked down the mountain and divided into two groups. The one with fewer people headed towards Dayuandu, and the one with more people headed towards Dayuandu. We're coming!" the man replied hastily.
"A lot of people? How many people?"
"If each person holds a torch, there are at least five thousand people!"
"How much does it cost to go to Dayuan?"
"It looks like more than two thousand but less than three thousand."
"Hiss!" Li Dan took a breath, narrowed his eyes, and two words came to his mind: "Oops!"
In their impression, Yin Tuo was like a heavy Buddha statue, squatting motionless on Jiyang Mountain. Who thought he would come down the mountain? This was a huge miscalculation!
As a result, the enemy has an absolute advantage in strength no matter at Shangbanqiao or Dayuandu. The former is almost twice as much and the latter is three times as strong!
"Inspection, the situation has changed, should we notify the transport team to stop first?"
This was the voice of Zhao Jingzi. It turned out that one of the two figures just now was him. Now he was blocked by the black wood and the night. Li Dan did not notice his presence in the hazy moment.
"How long does it take for Yin Tuo to get here?" Li Dan asked instead of answering directly.
"It's a night walk for more than ten miles, and it will take two hours for a large group of several thousand people." Zhao Jingzi replied: "It's a pity that Fengshan has too few troops, otherwise it would be able to stop them a little."
"We can't count on them, so it's good to have that few troops to protect ourselves."
Li Dan shook his head and looked around. Now Wu Mao is in the city counting and unloading goods, and Master Ba is organizing freight on the other side. Neither of them is around, and only Zhao Jingzi can discuss it.
He took a few steps and ordered the sentry to go back and continue to monitor the enemy's movements. If the enemy arrived at Wutang, he would report immediately. At the same time, people were sent up along the water's edge to monitor the situation of Dayuan crossing the enemy camp.
After the assignment, he asked Zhao Jingzi: "Xianfu, what is the purpose of Yin Tuo coming down the mountain? Can't he see that the Lou family is using him as a spearman?"
"Maybe... he is willing to make this gun?" Zhao Jingzi replied.
"Well?"
"Look, Sanlang, there are 20,000 shi of grain and baggage here. Obviously, it cannot be transported into Shangrao in an hour, so a large amount of supplies will be piled up on both sides of the river.
Wealth touches people's hearts. Even if Yin Tuo knew that he was being used, wouldn't he want to swallow up such a huge benefit? "After Zhao Jingzi finished speaking, he turned around and pointed:
"Besides, there is this bridge! In the past, there was nothing we could do without a bridge. Now that there is a bridge, it is very convenient for the team to quickly reach the other side and catch Guangxin off guard.
If I were Yin Tuo, losing thousands of people would not be a big loss compared to being able to capture Guangxin. "
"by
There is no way to do it without a bridge...? This is an interesting thing to say. Our minds were focused on the Two Heavenly Kings, but we ignored the value of this bridge! Li Dan stroked his palm and said:
"I was just thinking that he divided his troops into two groups. Which one is real and which is imaginary? I understand what you said. At least his first step is to seize the bridge, grab the baggage, and occupy Guangxin City, and then he can support Send your troops deep into the hinterland to attack Fengling Town and Fengqiguan!"
Wanting to understand this, Li Dan ordered Heimu to find a leeward and secluded place to set up the military tent. At the same time, he asked people to invite the leaders of the front battalion teams, as well as Zhou Qin and Zhou Qin, who had just returned to their own troops and were on guard duty. Two squadron leaders, Gao Hanzi and Luo You, came to discuss matters.
Yang Yizheng was with Gao Hanzi. His team was guarding one side of the front camp's defense line and connected with the third squadron led by Gao, so he came to chat with him.
Yang Yi's casual and free-spirited personality can naturally make friends with many people, and Gao Hanzi is no exception.
At this time, Gao Hanzi was telling Yang Yi that his original Dharma name was "Yuantong". Yang Yi was overjoyed and pointed at him and said:
"You're two fingers taller than Kuroki, how can you be qualified to be called a round person? You can't make sense of it, it really doesn't make sense!"
While joking, he suddenly saw Gu Da leading Song Jiuyi and Zhang Bo (Skinny King Kong) walking towards him and asked him, "Why are you laughing?"
"Where are you going?" Yang Yi asked hurriedly.
"Let's go, let's go together. The inspection team urgently called us all over and said they were going to hold a military meeting." Gu Da waved to the two of them. The two of them looked at each other in surprise, then told his subordinates to follow him quickly.
The Zhongjun place has been surrounded by two circles of curtains. Zhou Qin and Luo You arrived shortly after entering. Everyone did not speak and exchanged glances with each other. They felt that the atmosphere was a bit tense.
After the weak candlelight in the military tent was extinguished, Li Dan walked out and sat on the horse in front. Then he motioned for everyone to sit down, and then began to lower his voice and talk to everyone.
"Brothers, just now the sentinel has reported that Yin Tuo, who is entrenched in Jiyang Mountain, has come down. His troops are divided into two groups, heading all the way to Dayuandu. The main force is about 5,000 people, and they are coming towards us.
Our original arrangement was to prevent Lou Shiming from Dayuan from causing trouble and mischief, and we did not expect Yin Tuo to come down and rob us. How's it going? What do you think?
I don't have time to call Mr. Sheng Qian, Xiao Yingzheng and Squadron Lin. Let's just get together and discuss it. "After Li Dan finished speaking, he looked at every face here.
He was very familiar with these faces, but some were slightly surprised after hearing the news, some frowned, and some were eager to try with surprise. Everyone had different personalities and reactions.
"Saburo, do you mean to meet the enemy? But... our combined troops on both sides are only three thousand, right? There are only fifteen hundred people on this side of the river. Is this... possible?"
Gu Da was a little worried, and when he saw his bright eyes secretly glancing at Monk Gao, Li Dan knew that this guy still had something to say, which was that nearly half of the three thousand people were surrendered soldiers.
"Then it depends on how to arrange the troops." Zhao Jingzi said: "Originally, the reason why the officers and soldiers were asked to stay behind was because they could take care of both ends and go to any side for reinforcements.
Now the enemy is obviously coming for us! During the inspection, it was time to ask Shanda people to lead the team across the river immediately. The two soldiers and horses were put together in one place and there was still room for mobilization.
Although Yin Tuo is well-known, the newly recruited people in his tribe account for only a small part. We clench our fists, there may be hope for this battle. "
To put it bluntly, his opinion was to concentrate the troops instead of letting the officers and soldiers stay on the other side or wait for the fighting to start before mobilizing them. That might cause them to be passive and would certainly delay the opportunity for fighting.
"Even so, we are still outnumbered, right?" Zhang Bo suggested:
"I feel that even if Uesaka is the main battlefield, Daigendu cannot relax. He even has to send a message to them quickly to tell them to be alert!"
"That makes sense!" Several people immediately agreed.
"Who knows which side is the main battlefield? Are you really sure that Uesaka is the main battlefield?
According to what the inspection just now said, even if the 1,000 people from Dayuan who were just sent back cannot join the battle immediately, the Second Heavenly King still has 2,000 people in his hands. Including the reinforcements that have just been sent over, there are still 4,000 troops! How do you know they won't make false claims? "
Song Jiuyi put forward his own idea.
"I agree with Sanlang and Xianfu's opinion. Shangban Bridge must be the main battlefield!" Yang Yi, who had been silent for a long time, said:
"Think about it, there are two reasons why the north will not be the main battlefield:
First, although Yin Tuo sent two thousand people there, if he could join forces with the Lou family, they would have joined forces long ago. Why did he have to wait until he couldn't hold his shit anymore?
So I think the Northern Front is not going to join forces, but to replace Lou Shiming and take over Dayuandu!
If this is the case, there will be a lot of things to arrange after taking over, and the team will have to rest when they are tired. It is estimated that there will be nothing going on at Dayuandu from tonight to tomorrow morning. Tonight is our chance.
I suggest sending people to burn their docks and boats so that they can't cross the river! No matter how many thousands of people he has, he can't swim over with his whole army without a boat? "
