"If Geng Chongmei knows the situation of the Shangdang, judging from its current trends, it is unlikely that he will compete with us head-on. If our army shows its flag and moves south with great momentum, it may securely defend Yangtou Mountain and even go south. Withdraw, occupy Zezhou and fight against our army."
"Therefore, based on my humble opinion, our army will make another sudden advance. Before he can fully react, we will catch him by surprise, attack the north of Sheep Head Mountain with lightning speed, and take the initiative on the battlefield!" Xiang Xun and Liu Chengyou explained! .
"In this case, wouldn't it mean that we will give up the advantage of waiting for work to the enemy, and our army will become a tired force?" Liu Chengyou expressed concern.
Xiang Xun obviously had some considerations and continued: "It is less than fifty miles from Shangdang to the north of Yangtou Mountain. The terrain is gentle and the road is smooth. Your Highness will send an army as the vanguard. They can march quickly in one and a half hours. There will be enough time to rest and recuperate." recover."
"Besides, what I worry about in my humble position is not how to defeat them, but how to retain them. The purpose of sending the vanguard south is not to attack the enemy, but to watch them and not let them escape easily! As for Your Highness, I After leading the central army to follow, just march south steadily!"
After hearing Xiang Xun's thoughts, Liu Chengyou lowered his head and pondered for a while: "The vanguard will go south to the north of Yangtou Mountain and will be noticed by the enemy. If they attack with all their strength and want to break my vanguard first, what can they do? "
Hearing this, Xiang Xun's face was still full of confidence: "If Geng Chongmei does that, let alone the difficulty of a night attack, as long as he dares to launch, he will have abandoned the defense of Sheep Head Mountain. When His Highness's rear army arrives, , you can take advantage of the situation to cover up..."
"You are taking bait!" Liu Chengyou said.
"However, this bait must be an army that can fight hard. After a rapid march, it must be able to withstand the siege of several times the number of enemies that may appear for at least an hour!" Xiang Xun looked cautious.
"Which army do you prefer?" Liu Chengyou asked. Asking this basically means that Liu Chengyou accepted Xiang Xun's style of play.
"Your Highness must already have the answer in his mind!" Xiang Xun said.
"yes!"
If there are troops and battalions under the jurisdiction of the Longqi Army, the only one who can be trusted by Liu Chengyou and entrust him with arduous tasks is Ma Quanyi's First Army. After all, from the initial reorganization, the First Army has been his focus.
"However, even if he discovers that our troops are heading south, it is still unknown whether Geng Chongmei is determined to take the initiative to attack at night. If he is bent on seeking stability, then when our troops knock on Sheep Head Mountain, he will not have much room for change. . If you advance, our army will be able to carry it; if you retreat, our army will take advantage of the situation to pursue you; if you hold on to a stalemate and fight for a long time, the winner will be our army..."
Under Xiang Xun's instructions, Liu Chengyou felt suddenly enlightened, stretched out his hand and rubbed his clean chin a few times, and then said quietly: "Now it seems that our army will win this battle no matter how it is fought! "
"We're just calling yi a baht!" Xiang Xun chuckled.
If you think about it carefully, Liu Chengyou's side has the upper hand in this battle from all aspects.
Having taken the upper hand, we can use the power of the counties in Luzhou, and with our back to Hedong, we can get support at any time. The army is not weak, the strength of the troops is not at a disadvantage, and the hearts of the people are also strong. In comparison, Geng Chongmei was on an expedition alone, with few troops and unreliable supplies. His logistical supply lines could be cut off at any time. Even if there was no danger for the moment, Liu Chengyou could still find a way to strike.
If Geng Chongmei had been stable from the beginning and simply stayed in Zezhou, then Liu Chengyou might not be able to do anything for a while. But now that he had gone north and entered Luzhou, no matter how cautious he was in the battle, he was already passive.
In contrast, Liu Chengyou's options are much larger. Thinking of this, Liu Chengyou suddenly felt that although his crude trick of luring the enemy was unsuccessful, it finally led Geng Chongmei north, and it was not useless at all. Thinking about it this way, he felt much better.
After listening to it, it became clear. Taking advantage of the early nightfall, Liu Chengyou resolutely summoned all the generals in the tent and held a military meeting to explain Xiang Xun's ideas for everyone to discuss. It was approved by most people, especially Guo Rong.
After unifying their opinions, Liu Chengyou decisively ordered to hand over the important task of pioneering to Ma Quanyi. And Ma Quanyi, as always, took it without hesitation.
"Your Highness, I am willing to go south with General Ma!" After deciding on the dispatch of troops, Guo Rong took the initiative to request the order.
Looking at Guo Rong, a subtle suspicion flashed in Liu Chengyou's eyes. After thinking for a moment, he agreed: "If you go with me, I will feel more at ease!"
Soon, the troops inside and outside Shangdang City started to move, just like that night three days ago, step by step. Ma Quanyi and Guo Rong led the soldiers of the First Army to take advantage of the darkness and quickly went south. This time, they were fully equipped with weapons and weapons, and Liu Chengyou specially allocated chariots and horses for them.
The first army set off, and Liu Chengyou led the army to follow. During this process, something went wrong with Luzhou's troops and they were held back. After all, they did not conduct targeted night training like the Longqi Army.
...
The night is hazy, covering the earth and blurring people's vision. On the contrary, the stars and moon in the night sky appear particularly bright, guiding the way forward. On the road that is not wide and flat, a fire dragon winds its way southward, like a surging stream of water.
All the officers and men of the First Army had solemn faces and were on their way in an orderly manner. Before setting off, Ma Quanyi convened a training speech for the entire army, explaining the importance of the trip and motivating the soldiers with "Your Highness's kindness will be repaid today". Therefore, the soldiers basically had a generous mood at this time to go into the mountains and seas of fire.
Ma Quanyi walked in front, holding a torch in his hand, and walked with the others. His horses were used to carry arrows, which could save the soldiers' physical strength bit by bit. Guo Rong followed suit and walked beside him. He glanced at the solemn-looking Ma Quanyi from the corner of his eye and expressed his approval of the young general's style.
The distance from Shangdang to Yangtou Mountain was forty-three or four miles, which was really not that far. In addition, there were no obstacles in the way, so the march went smoothly. In fact, halfway through the journey, he was discovered by the Liao army's scouts, and Han Tong gathered all his cavalry and struggled to fight with them as a response.
After two days of "vision battles", the cavalry formed by Liu Chengyou suffered more than 30 casualties and nearly 20% of the losses. The Liao army was mainly infantry, but it was not without cavalry. There were quite a few of those waiting cavalry, which was quite difficult.
However, it was precisely under this disadvantage that Han Tong and his men were still able to keep up in the cruel competition, which also proved that Liu Chengyou was not wrong in suddenly selecting this "newcomer" as a cavalryman.
Less than five miles north of the Liao army's station, the First Army stopped and occupied a high slope. Then, under the leadership of Ma Quanyi, without time to rest, it was divided into two parts. One part used the carriage as a guard and defense, and the other part was on the spot. Use materials to build a fence and build a stronghold.
This highland was also chosen by Han Tong in advance for Ma Quanyi. It was not considered a high risk, but it was still a place worth relying on. Moreover, it is north of the Liao army's station, which is the most suitable place for garrison. Han Tong's military vision is pretty good.
Midnight passed, and Geng Chongmei was awakened from his sleep. When he heard that the Long Qi Army was coming, his sleepy spirit was suddenly stimulated and he woke up.
"Shangdang's side is really just a facade, trying to lure me into his trap. The Liu family's kid has such a deceitful mind!" After thinking about it, Geng Chongmei sighed, with a hint of fear in his tone.
Liu Chengyou didn't know that the "evaluation" of Geng Chongmei's strategy, which he considered crude and full of loopholes, was not low.
"How many people came?"
"I estimate there are only a few thousand people!"
"Commander Jie, that Hedong army is too arrogant. It came at night and dared to set up a stronghold under our noses!" The tooth general who came to report suggested: "Don't take advantage of its unstable footing and send troops to kill it first." Got it!"
Geng Chongmei hesitated at this suggestion. He still didn't understand the intention of Hedong Army's move...
After hesitating for a long time, Geng Chongmei finally chose to maintain stability, waved his hand and said: "The night battle is not going to be good. I am ordering all the camps to hold the camp securely for me!"
When the sky dawned, a simple but practical defensive fence had already been erected on the high ground, facing the Liao army camp not far away. The officers and men of the First Army have already taken a round of rest.
"Does this Geng Chongmei really dare not attack?" Ma Quanyi, who had already taken a nap, muttered as he looked at the Liao army camp in the south. There was a bit of disappointment in his tone, but to Guo Rong's ears, it felt like "you got a bargain but still acted like a good boy".
Waiting for daybreak, Liu Chengyou led the Chinese army to maintain their physical strength and come at a very fast pace. Seeing the banners in the north approaching slowly from the south, Geng Chongmei did not dare to act rashly.
