Luo Xiao finally waited for his opportunity, and the 8th Army began to embark on the journey. More than 250,000 people from 12 divisions set off, approaching the important transportation node controlled by the Qin State: entering Shu.
This city has now gathered more than 300,000 Qin troops. Judging from the numbers alone, it is still quite large.
Moreover, there are about 100,000 Dahua elites here. These troops are all under the command of Zhao Jie. He is now the protector of the Qin State and is in charge of all defenses near Shu.
Zhao Jie actually didn't want this. What he originally wanted was his original territory, and the sphere of influence Qin promised him was even larger.
At that time, he was in charge of places like Shushan Chong. But who would have thought that it only took a few days for Marshal Tiger of the Tang Dynasty to break through the Shanchong defense line, and then occupy Jutian, Pingfeng and other cities under his control.
Now, the Qin State mobilized its troops and gathered all the troops it could find in the direction of entering Shu. This was not to support Zhao Jie, but because if the entry into Shu was lost, the entire Shu area would be exposed to the forces of the Tang Empire. under.
In order to protect the rich Shu territory from threats, the strategically important area of Shu cannot be left to the Tang army. Therefore, in addition to hundreds of thousands of troops, Chen Li is also staring in this direction. The last thing Qin wants to see is problems in the Shu area.
But... I'm afraid of whatever comes next. A group of Qin soldiers whose outer positions were defeated brought back nervous news: the force that captured their position was a force whose number they had never seen before.
"The situation has become complicated... Tang Jun has a number that we have never seen before... This means that they have invested new strength in our direction." Zhao Jie's men looked at the former Dahua with a frown. said the prince.
In fact, they have been wandering for a long time. Before the rebellion, everyone wanted to promote Zhao Jie to the throne, so that they could also serve the dragon. Unfortunately, it backfired. Everyone tried their best and failed to break into the imperial capital and send Zhao Jie to the throne. That location.
Later, the king's flag changed at the top of the city, and Zhao Ji, Zhao Yu...these rebellious generals and soldiers had no chance of going home after all. Many of Zhao Jie's troops are in the north controlled by Zhao Yu. From the time they were recruited to the present, they have been serving and fighting in the south of the Dahua region.
They followed Zhao Jie all the way and finally surrendered to Qin. In order to consolidate his power, one of Zhao Jie's conditions was to maintain his own army, and they were left here.
Ever since, these 100,000 elites from China continued to fight for the Qin State and became the so-called army of the Qin State. These armies are still different from other Dahua servant armies. The equipment is provided by Qin and is exactly the same as the Qin army.
Now, they have to face the Tang army again. No one knows how many people will survive this time.
"Indeed... and the Tang army is difficult to deal with. This is something we already know." Zhao Jie also felt that the problem was difficult.
He had dealt with Qin, and he knew how strong Qin's troops were. He also had contact with the Tang army, but he could not see how terrifying the Tang army was.
This is the fatal part: the strength of the Qin people can be guessed, but the strength of the Tang army is the kind of strength that you can't see through at all... Judging from the results, the Tang army is several times stronger than the Qin army. grade.
If Shanchong is lost, the entire southern defense line of Dahua loses its strategic support point. Zhao Jie knew that Jutian would definitely not be able to defend it. Sure enough, Jutian was quickly lost, and Pingfeng became the treasure of the Tang army.
Now, Rushu where he was once again became the front line, and this time, the Qin army couldn't help him. He and his direct troops must take to the battlefield and fight for their own survival.
"The morale of the brothers is already very low. They have been fighting for several years..." his general reminded worriedly.
"I understand! But I can't help it..." Zhao Jie looked depressed. He knew everything, but what could he do if he knew it? Can't he just endure it? The last time he was impulsive, it brought the Great China Empire into an abyss of eternal destruction. What else could he do this time?
Surrender to Tang again? How could Tang Jun accept a wallflower like him who had no position? Zhao Chen already held a high position in the Tang Dynasty. How could he have the dignity to meet this relative after he left?
"Moreover! The outcome is still undecided! We still have the strength to fight!" He clenched his fists and expressed his opinion.
He is not without support: first of all, these troops under his command are all elite soldiers who have fought for several years, and they are capable of fighting!
Secondly, he also has the advantage of terrain: entering Sichuan has always been an important border defense line. The defense facilities here are very comprehensive, and the trenches and bunkers are densely covered.
Moreover, because they had been reinforced several times to resist Li Mingshun's attacks before, these defense lines still existed. Even if the Tang army attacked by force, it would probably take some effort.
Years of war have added many facilities here, with complete telephone lines, many anti-aircraft guns, a lot of ammunition stockpiled, and many large-caliber fortress guns.
Such facility configuration gave Zhao Jie some persistence and gave him enough courage. As long as he sticks here for a while, it will be beneficial to Zhao Jie, both for Qin and Tang.
Zhao Jie's idea was very simple. He felt that even if he wanted to surrender, he should defeat the Tang army's attack before doing so. In this way, he could ask for a good price and gain more capital to gain a foothold in front of the emperor of Tang.
As long as he sticks here for a while, he will have an explanation for Qin - at least he didn't surrender without a fight, right?
"Then... General..." The generals under his command also felt that they could gain a future for themselves. As for the life and death of the soldiers below them, they would not consider it.
"Reinforce the defense line! Reduce the troops... Let's check the situation first!" In the end, Zhao Jie decided to fight the Tang army before entering Shu and check the situation first.
On the opposite side, the forward troops of the Tang Dynasty's 8th Army, which had just arrived at the front line, had not yet deployed, and most of the troops were still in a long snake formation on the road.
The size of the entire 8th Group Army was much larger than Zhao Jie had imagined. Counting the Tang Army troops originally deployed here, the strength of the 8th Group Army was actually about the same as what Zhao Jie had in hand. If the tanks and aircraft deployed for support are included, the total strength of the Tang Army even has a slight advantage.
Under such circumstances, it was not easy for Zhao Jie to defend Shu.
(End of chapter)
