Murong Xue made two general judgments about the situation in front of her:
First, Bao Yuchun decided to bypass Nanyang and move northward with heavy troops. Either occupy Nanzhao County and completely cut off the connection between Nanyang and Luoyi, or send an army to attack Dongdu, and then play the strategy of encircling the point for reinforcements and ambush Murong Xue's troops who were going to rescue Luoyi halfway.
The second is that the enemy is bluffing. The Xuanjia Army that set off this time was actually the same group of Xuanjia Army from last time. They just took a detour from another direction and re-enacted a show. The purpose was to confuse Murong Xue and others so that they could do what they did. Make wrong judgments.
Murong Xue was really unsure about these two ideas, and Dong Tianxing also felt a headache. As long as he guesses wrong, he may fall into Bao Yuchun's plan and put the entire army into an irreversible situation.
"What should we do?" Old Dong frowned and kept stroking his beard: "Bao Yuchun's method is too weird, it's hard to figure out."
Murong Xue stared at the map in a daze for a while, then shook her head and said, "I can't guess. Bao Yuchun's purpose is really impossible to guess. Now I can't easily send troops north to reinforce and weaken Nanyang's troops; nor can I Dare to completely ignore the defense area behind us and give the rebels a chance to sneak attack on Dongdu with heavy troops."
Dong Tianxing said worriedly: "If 50,000 enemy troops really go north by boat, they will indeed pose a great threat to Luoyi."
"But what if it's fake?" Murong Xue said solemnly: "We can't be sure whether Bao Yuchun is cheating."
Dong Tianxing scratched his head, pointed to the letter on the table and said: "The imperial court has issued a document to warn us, asking why the rebels were allowed to cross the Nanyang defense line, and strictly ordered the general to ensure the safety of Luoyi. Alas, it is difficult to handle."
Murong Xue nodded slightly: "Now I finally know why Bao Yuchun can be called a famous general of the Holy Tang Dynasty together with He Datong and Xie Guang. Without spending a single soldier, he has disturbed us. It was originally planned In order to stick to the strategy of Nanyang, at this time, we have become stuck and unable to make a choice. Old Dong, how about we take a step back? "
"Retreat? Where to retreat? How to retreat?" Dong Tianxing was confused.
"Come and see. The reason why Bao Yuchun can stir up trouble is because he controls a large number of naval forces and ships, and has access to rivers. He can attack our rear at any time." Murong Xue pointed to the map: "If I Retreating one hundred and fifty miles to the north and building a defense line north of Baihe River or even north of Shahe River, his navy would have no room to display, because from there to Luoyi, the eastern capital, it is all plain terrain or hills and dense forests. .”
Dong Tianxing looked at the map, thought for a moment, and said slightly hesitantly: "If we abandon Nanyang directly, then Caizhou will definitely not be able to keep it. All the vast land from Dajiang to the Central Plains has fallen into the hands of the enemy. Can the imperial court agree? Can the emperor agree? ?"
Murong Xue gritted her teeth: "That is better than our army being completely besieged here, or being attacked by them in the east. Shrinking the defense line will certainly result in the loss of a large area of territory, but it can also concentrate superior forces to block the enemy's northward advance and prepare for the attack in other directions. The troops gain precious time."
Dong Tianxing thought for a while: "General, are you sure about retreating? What if Bao Yuchun takes advantage of the situation and pursues him?"
"I will personally cut off the army, so it shouldn't be a big problem." Murong Xue said: "The biggest problem now is how to convince the emperor and the court. Old Dong, are you willing to come with me?"
Dong Tianxing did not hesitate: "Of course there is no problem. I am just worried whether giving up Nanyang is the best plan, and whether there are other ways."
Murong Xue shook her head firmly: "If I can continue to hold on, I certainly don't want to abandon Nanyang easily. However, the threat of the 50,000 rebels sent by Bao Yuchun through the waterways is too great, and the war situation may change at any time because of them. If there is a fundamental change, no matter how late it is, it may be too late.”
"Okay! I trust your judgment!" Dong Tianxing slapped the table: "I will accompany you to jointly submit a letter, suggesting that we abandon Nanyang, or even Nanzhao, and set up a new defense line further north."
Murong Xue's bold idea was quickly secretly sent to the emperor. Li Bing did not dare to discuss matters like this with too many people to avoid leaking the information, so he only discussed it with a few important officials from the Ministry of War and the Governor's Mansion.
Although the loss of giving up Nanyang was huge, considering the power of Bao Yuchun and the advantages of the navy, Murong Xue's suggestion did make some sense. After careful consideration, Li Bing and the ministers reached an agreement and agreed that Murong Xue should move north to eliminate the threat of Bao Yuchun's attack on the rear.
With the emperor's nod, Murong Xue immediately took action. He first sent people to notify Gong Chengze, who was in the rear, and asked him to immediately rush to the Shahe River north of Nanzhao County and build a defensive line on the north bank of the Shahe River. At the same time, the more than 70,000 soldiers and horses stationed in Nanyang City marched north in batches, providing echelon defense and cover. He led his own barracks to cut off the rear of the entire army.
The imperial army suddenly abandoned Nanyang and retreated entirely. This situation also did not escape Bao Yuchun's plan. However, he did not send troops to pursue him.
On the contrary, he called back the tens of thousands of rebels who had arrived at Duck Lake and easily occupied Nanyang City.
Lao Jianhua specially rushed to Nanyang from Tanghe County and praised Bao Yuchun. He repeatedly praised him for scaring Murong Xue away without a fight. He was a model of subduing the enemy without fighting.
Bao Yuchun smiled faintly at this: "Master Lao, I really hope Murong Xue won't leave in such a hurry. In that case, I can eat 80,000 enemy troops in one bite. Murong Xue is a very good boy. He is so capable." He has the courage to realize that the only way to save himself is to give up Nanyang City voluntarily. Huh, he is still worthy of being Bao's opponent."
Lao Jianhua knew his previous battle plan and smiled when he heard this: "Shuai Bao, you are indeed smart! Whenever we play on the battlefield, you can always force your opponent to make a painful choice among the several options you gave. But no matter how you choose, No opponent can escape the ending of failure, they just lose more and lose less, hahaha."
"Thank you, Mr. Lao," Bao Yuchun laughed loudly: "You can tell me what to do next."
Lao Jianhua stroked his beard and smiled calmly: "Of course the governor still has to make the decision."
Bao Yuchun nodded and analyzed carefully: "The reason why Murong Xue retreated north was not only to avoid being attacked by our army from both front and rear, but also because he saw my advantage - the navy. The navy has rivers. It can quickly transport troops and pose a threat to his flanks and rear at any time. Therefore, he directly retreated hundreds of miles in order to completely avoid the water network area and set up defenses in the plains."
Lao Jianhua listened quietly to Bao Yuchun's words without saying a word.
Bao Yuchun continued: "I have already seen through Murong Xue's mind. He doesn't care about the loss of a city or a land now, but wants to try to delay the time until the other two imperial armies are free, and then attack our army. And surround him. Therefore, I suggest that there is no need to continue attacking him for the time being."
Lao Jianhua asked curiously: "What do you mean, we will only consolidate the current victory and no longer take the initiative to attack?"
"No, we still have to attack," Bao Yuchun smiled proudly: "Just change the target of the attack."
"Oh? Please Bao Shuai for advice." Lao Jianhua's expression was slightly exaggerated.
Bao Yuchun pointed at the map: "Didn't Murong Xue take the initiative to give up Nanyang? In his opinion, this is just the southern defense line of Luoyi, but in my opinion, it is an important entrance! Master Lao, please Look, what will happen if our army sets out from Nanyang and heads west into Baiyun Mountain and Laojun Mountain?"
Lao Jianhua's eyes lit up: "If you enter these mountains, you can go straight to Wuguan by going west; and going north is the battlefield where Ma Hongjie and He Lianxiong confront each other!"
"Hahaha, you're right," Bao Yuchun said with a loud laugh: "An unexpected force crossed the line of Laojun Mountain, Yawu Mountain, and Niangniang Mountain, and could surprise Ma Hongjie's flank and directly disrupt his position."
Lao Jianhua was a little curious: "Shuai Bao wants to join forces with the Turks to destroy the Southern Army?"
Bao Yuchun shook his head: "I'm not that kind. Mr. Lao, my purpose is to add fire to the battlefield so that He Lianxiong's cavalry can successfully break through the Southern Army's defense line and then threaten Luoyi. At that time, no matter what Ma Hongjie’s Southern Army or Murong Xue’s Northern Army will have to fight the Turks desperately. Wouldn’t this be more beneficial to us?”
Hearing this, Lao Jianhua couldn't help but put his hands in his hands and laughed, saying it was wonderful again and again.
Murong Xue, Dong Tianxing, and Li Bing, who was in the eastern capital, had indeed ignored this key issue: Nanyang was not only an important defensive town south of Luoyi, but also a key point into the western mountains of the Hanjiang Plain.
The fall of this place, from the perspective of ordinary people, is indeed difficult to associate with the Tongguan battlefield hundreds of miles away, but in the eyes of a famous general like Bao Yuchun, it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
If Murong Xue's position was changed to Li Jiangyao or Xu Youchang, they would definitely not easily give their opponents such a good opportunity. However, it is a pity that there are never what-ifs in the cruel battlefield. For a great general, if one mistake is made, it can only lead to a complete crisis.
Just when Murong Xue retreated to the Shahe line and desperately built defense fortifications, the rebels had no intention of confronting them head-on. Under the command of Bao Yuchun, 60,000 elite troops secretly entered the mountainous area to the west of Nanyang, and then followed the rugged mountain road towards Advance north.
Ten days later, after an arduous journey, the Xuanjia army suddenly appeared in Lingbao County, Dingzhou—30 miles behind the Southern Army camp!
An unexpected sneak attack was staged on a moonlit night.
Ma Hongjie never expected that an enemy would appear behind him! The two hundred thousand Confederate troops were suddenly caught off guard. Overnight, four rear barracks were destroyed, millions of kilograms of food were completely burned, and a reorganized division surrendered and was then massacred.
When the southern generals recovered from their shock and prepared to organize a counterattack, the Turks suddenly launched a frontal attack. The Golden Clan's cavalry were rushing towards the Southern Army's defense line like a roaring mountain and a tsunami. They were unstoppable!
It would be nice if we had a hoplite corps in hand at this time. Ma Hongjie sighed secretly in his heart while struggling to command his men to implement echelon defense.
Three days and nights!
The soldiers of the Southern Army fought fiercely with the Turks for three days and three nights. Finally, because their positions were in chaos and they were unable to recover, they began to retreat completely. Lingbao County, Luoning County, Yiyang County and Xin'an County were lost one after another, and Dingzhou fell completely.
Behind you is Luoyi!
