"Tanli, have your eleventh legion form a formation behind the camp immediately!" Ronya ordered in a deep voice.
Stanley didn't understand for a moment: "The rear? Did you say behind the camp?"
Ronya's expression looked extremely solemn: "Yes, establish a blocking position behind the camp."
This time, the second prince finally reacted: "You want to abandon the camp?"
"I'm afraid we can't withstand the front." Ronya stared at the main battlefield: "Li Jiangyao's white-robed army has not gone into battle yet. Once he goes on the field, it means that the enemy will start to launch a full-scale general attack... I am worried that the four The Legion can’t stop them.”
On the plain terrain, the Turkic cavalry, which once galloped across the country and was invincible, was actually driven back continuously by the infantry-based Zhenjiang Army. This was both shocking and painful for the Prince of the Temple and the Turkic generals.
However, the truth is so cruel, no matter how unwilling you are, you have to bow to reason.
As a veteran who has been on the battlefield for a long time, Ronya has already made a basic prediction of the bad situation that will follow: continue to delay, and when Li Jiangyao leads the ghost-faced white-robed army to charge, he will not be able to leave if he wants to.
Faced with the crisis, Tanli was not ambiguous at all. He immediately got on his horse and commanded the Golden Wolf Army to deploy a blocking position three miles behind the Turkic camp to provide cover for the retreat of the army later.
Meanwhile, Ronya has his men pour fire oil all over the camp, preparing to destroy everything.
The fighting on the main battlefield lasted for nearly four hours, and both parties involved in the battle were already at the limit of their physical fitness. At this moment, what everyone is competing for is no longer combat prowess and command level, but who has stronger morale, stronger willpower, and higher efficiency in killing opponents.
Obviously, the Zhenjiang Army, which has been recuperating for a long time, has the upper hand.
At the same time, whether it is the Zhenjiang Army or the Turkic Army, everyone knows very well: there is still a force that has not yet appeared, a decisive force.
When they appeared on the battlefield, this fierce battle was about to end.
Everyone is waiting for them to show up.
Ghost-faced white-robed army.
However, to everyone's surprise, before the White Robes were dispatched, the Turkic camp took the lead in blowing the retreat trumpet.
Short and quick horn sounds were heard continuously, and the four Turkic legions who were fighting fiercely with the Zhenjiang Army responded immediately. They quickly gathered their team, and then used the mobility of their war horses to break away from the battle one after another and run toward the rear.
Li Jiangyao could see clearly from a distance and said anxiously: "The enemy is trying to escape! Give me my order and the whole army will attack!"
The 20,000 ghost-faced white-robed troops moved upon hearing the order. They immediately drew their swords, mobilized their mounts, and charged towards the Turks like a roaring mountain and a tsunami.
Unfortunately, they were still a step too late.
The Turkic army's fighting style has always been "fight if you win, and run if you can't win." They come and go like the wind, quickly and flexibly.
As the four legions retreated back, thick smoke began to billow from the camp, and there were flames everywhere. As for the Zhenjiang Army, except for the First Army and the Ninth Army, which could barely catch up with each other, the Sixth Army, the Third Army, and the White-robed Army still in the distance could only look at the backs of the Turkic cavalry and sigh.
The fierce fire and the blocking of the 11th Golden Army provided the necessary cover for the main Turkic force. Before the 200,000-strong army in Zhenjiang completely pounced on them, Ronya had already led his men to successfully withdraw from the dangerous zone.
However, the price paid by the Turks was not small.
In this plain battle, the Golden Clan suffered nearly 20,000 casualties on the spot, and the Ghost Dou Clan suffered even worse, being directly maimed.
For a cavalry army that was good at fighting in the field and claimed to be invincible on the plains, the embarrassing ending of the Zijin Pass battle was a great shame. It was even more unacceptable to the Turkic generals than the inability to capture the city pass.
But who knew that not only the Turkic generals would find it difficult to accept such a result, but also the generals of the Zhenjiang Army would find it even more difficult to accept it. Li Jiangyao looked at the Turks fleeing farther and farther, his face turned livid with anger, and he couldn't help complaining that he was too slow to take action today, and missed an opportunity to severely damage the enemy's main force.
Xu Youchang advised him: "Jiang Yao, you don't have to be upset. Today we mainly relied on infantry to win a great victory in the plain battle. We faced the elites of the Golden Tribe, which completely shattered the myth of the Turkic cavalry's invincibility. From now on. After that, they can no longer be arrogant!"
Li Jiangyao sighed softly: "I originally thought of leaving most of the Turks here. Now it's better, they all disappeared in a flash. No! We can't let them go so easily!"
"What to do next?" Xu Youchang asked excitedly.
Li Jiangyao glanced at the Turks who were burned to ashes and agreed, and said in a deep voice: "Lonya must have sent someone to inform Shengyuguan so that Chili could escape in time. The Turks are indeed extremely fast. We can do it on the plains and wilderness." We can hold them or even defeat them, but we cannot catch up with them now. Therefore, the next focus is no longer on the Turkic army, but on the cities and land."
He turned to look at Xu Youchang: "Brother, the counterattack has officially begun. You immediately command the First Army, the Sixth Army, and the Ninth Army to attack Liangzhou. After Du Jian leads the Second Army, the Seventh Army joins the Fourth Army in Montenegro , attack Yongzhou. Within a month, I want you to recover all the Yongliang area and the Hetao Corridor, directly threatening the imperial capital!"
The commander's order was issued, and the three armies moved together.
On the day after the Battle of Zijin Pass, Zhenjiang Gale 1st Army, Nulang 6th Army and Kuangsha 9th Army, totaling 100,000 troops, advanced towards Liangzhou Prefecture under the leadership of Xu Youchang.
The troops progressed very smoothly, conquering the city and becoming invincible.
At this time, the main force of Prince Ronia of the Temple had quickly retreated to the Gyeonggi area due to heavy losses. Those who stayed in Liangzhou to guard were either the Turkic small tribe troops or the Western Xinjiang subordinate army, which could not pose any threat to Xu Youchang.
In just twelve days, the entire territory of Liangzhou, including its capital, fell into the hands of the Zhenjiang Army.
At the same time, the Chili soldiers and horses in the direction of Shengyuguan had already left. In accordance with Li Jiangyao's order, Du Jian commanded the Second Army and the Seventh Army to leave the border, successfully joined forces with Heishan's Fourth Army in Yongzhou Prefecture, and captured the city in five days.
At this point, the two states of Yongliang returned to the territory of the Holy Tang Dynasty.
The narrow and steep Yongliang Loop Corridor was completely controlled by Li Jiangyao's troops. Going further, we will reach the vast Guanzhong Plain.
The news of the victory of the Zhenjiang Army soon spread to Luoyi, the eastern capital.
However, the good news of "a counterattack in the northwest and the imperial capital is in sight" did not make the civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty too excited and happy, because at this time they were worried by the situation on another battlefield.
That battlefield is in the south.
More than two months ago, when Prince Roniya of the Turkic Temple led the army to march westward, preparing to capture Zijin Pass and Shengyuguan, Murong Xue commanded 50,000 soldiers and horses, setting off from Luoyi and marching to Caizhou. At the same time, Gong Chengze led his troops to Nanyang. The two legions were four hundred miles apart, and Dong Tianxing's 20,000 reinforcements were squatting in the middle.
What they want to guard against is the Xuanjia Legion that plans to go north.
Under the instigation of the Turks, the southern rebels headed by Lao Jianhua and Bao Yuchun were ready to move. They decided to take advantage of the clouds of war in the north to come and intervene, completely disrupting Li Bing's rhythm and preventing the court from having any trouble. Opportunity to recuperate and take a breather.
One hundred thousand Xuanjia troops, plus 30,000 navy light infantry, crossed the Han River under the command of Bao Yuchun and headed straight for Tanghe County.
This place is close to Nanyang and far from Caizhou. Gong Chengze, who only had 50,000 troops in his hands, suddenly panicked when facing the menacing Bao Yuchun. He sent people to Murong Xue and Dong Tianxing repeatedly for help, hoping that they could lead their troops as soon as possible. Nanyang, to resist the rebels moving north.
However, Murong Xue was not in a hurry to move.
He felt that although the enemy moved very quickly, his main attack direction was always erratic. The Xuanjia Army did not occupy Suizhou, which was relatively south and had more empty troops. Instead, they chose to approach the defense line of the main army of the imperial court, which was extremely provocative.
Behind the obvious provocation, there is often a conspiracy.
Bao Yuchun was a general of the Holy Tang Dynasty who was as famous as He Jingming and Xie Guang. When Murong Xue was still studying in the Yanwu Hall, the other party was the third-rank naval commander and the first instructor in the Yanwu Hall.
When it comes to military tactics and combat experience, Bao Yuchun is by no means an ordinary person. Even Xie Guang, who is arrogant and has never surrendered to anyone in a war, has to be wary of him.
Therefore, Murong Xue guessed that the Xuanjia Army must have other motives when they captured Tanghe and approached Nanyang. They must not act rashly until they understand Bao Yuchun's thoughts.
Also holding the same idea is Dong Tianxing.
Although Lao Dong is a scholar, he is a man who loves to use his brain and will never do anything blindly. He sent someone to send a message to Gong Chengze, advising him not to worry too much about what would happen to the Xuanjia rebels, but to just focus on strengthening the defenses of Nanyang City and let the soldiers cover up the water and earth.
If the rebels really attack Nanyang with all their strength, he and General Murong will naturally lead troops and horses to come for reinforcements.
Gong Chengze was so angry at Dong Tianxing that he felt that both he and Murong Xue were deliberately targeting him and had made it clear that they would not save him until death. So this guy wrote a memorial and directly filed the complaint to Dongdu, and encouraged his party members to give Li Bing a blow.
For a time, Wei Zixuan, Tian Mu and other court officials wrote letters to advise, saying that the crisis on the front line was imminent and that all troops should gather on the Nanyang front line as soon as possible to prevent the rebels from launching an attack northward from Tanghe.
However, the emperor did not believe what Gong Chengze and his gang said.
The reason is simple. The frontline commander is his most trusted minister Murong Xue.
Li Bing sent his servants to Nanyang City to scold Gong Chengze and sternly warned him: "You will be outside, and your orders will not be accepted." All matters must be obeyed by the general's command.
In a word, do whatever Murong Xue tells you to do, don't be frightened by Bao Yuchun's rebels!
Gong Chengze didn't expect to be scolded by the emperor, and he couldn't help but feel extremely depressed.
At the same time, he also felt more nervous and worried than before, because the Xuanjia Army had now started a new operation.
[Author's note: Dear heroes, the weather has been hot recently. Please take care of yourself when you are working, studying or traveling. Thank you all for continuing to support the Zhenjiang Army and Li Jiangyao. If you think the story is interesting, please like, vote and comment more, thank you! 】
