Don't be afraid of talking about everything. After the Northern Han army officially launched an attack on Shouchun City, there was indeed a reaction from the Southern Tang Dynasty. The emperor of the Tang Dynasty, Li Jing, issued an edict. Chen Jue, deputy envoy to Huainan, led the Luzhou garrison. He raised an army of 40,000 and marched north to Shouchun for rescue. He also ordered the aid envoy Huangfuhui to lead troops out of Qingliu Pass and the aid capital supervisor Yao Feng. He led the army out of Gaoyou and advanced in three directions. He also mobilized an additional 20,000 naval troops to march north to fight in Huaihe with great momentum.
A winter of preparations for war allowed the Southern Tang Dynasty monarchs and ministers to temporarily get rid of the impact of the winter defeat. In addition, they went to war and were fully prepared for war. They were also deceived by the "tired veterans of the divisions" of the Han army. When they heard about the Han army's move, they took courage and led the army. Send troops.
Of course, Song Qiqiu, the Privy Councilor of the Southern Tang Dynasty, was opposed to the order to send troops. He suggested that Li Jing continue to maintain a prudent military strategy and not send troops rashly. As a result, Li Jing refused, and instead asked Song Qiqiu: Hao and Chu were dead, and the cities of Shou and Sigu were trapped. If we didn't use troops, could we abandon the loyalty of the defenders and watch the Han army break the city? If all four states are lost and there is no Huai River to rely on, how can we defend the river? The Han army's infantry and cavalry are marching southward. Can Song Gong guarantee his retreat by then?
Li Jing asked Song Qiqiu in silence. As the battle reached this point, he was confident that he could stay safe and hold back the Han army, but if he really wanted to retreat, there was no guarantee of victory.
Faced with Li Jing's insistence, Song Qiqiu could only sigh silently: "If you don't listen to me, you will regret it in the future!"
Of course, Song Qiqiu knew very well that Li Jing had forcibly recovered from the pain of losing his son, regained power, and had a very different attitude towards him. This winter, the praise for Song Gong in Jinling City and the news from Jiangbei almost put him on the stove.
But it was precisely because he knew the reason that Song Qiqiu became more and more angry. Li Jing couldn't see such superficial flattery and indirect tactics? It's a pity that no matter how strategic and insightful Song Qiqiu is, he is just a minister after all, and no matter how slow and slow Li Jing is, he is still an emperor, and emperors are always complicated.
Of course, Li Jing was not completely brainless. Although he ordered troops to be sent, the lessons learned from Liu Yanzhen's previous defeat specifically instructed the troops to fight steadily, advance cautiously, focus on rescue and response, and try to avoid a direct fight with the Han army.
Obviously, Li Jing listened to Song Qiqiu's "stable" defense strategy, but his choice of strategic attack was obviously somewhat contradictory, and overall seemed nondescript.
Luzhou, Hefei.
The last wave of more than 20,000 Tang troops marched from the city, led by Xu Wenzhen, who was appointed as the palace army by the general Chen Jue. Among the 20,000 people, there were only 8,000 soldiers, and the rest were auxiliary soldiers and civilian servants. They were responsible for the rear of the palace and the transportation of food, fodder, and weapons.
In the previous episode, the Tang army in Hunan, led by Bian Hao, paid a great price before getting rid of the entanglement of Lang Bing and the Han army and returned to Jiangdong. He was directly transferred to Hefei by Tang Ting to rest and recuperate, with the goal of Shouzhou. As a result, Hefei's supporting army suddenly swelled to more than 40,000 people, and when including the navy army, the number exceeded 50,000, accounting for almost half of the troops aiding the Tang Dynasty from the north.
Under such circumstances, the qualifications and trust of deputy envoy Xu Wenzhen were somewhat insufficient. Therefore, Chen Jue, who was training troops in Dangtu, relied on his relationship with Song Qiqiu and was entrusted with the important task to succeed him.
Bian Hao returned in embarrassment. The Tang court thought that Chu had been gained and then lost again. Bian Hao was responsible for his inability to control his troops and wanted to discuss his crime. However, due to the loss of the Chu territory, improper policies, and the Tang court's misjudgment of the situation, and due to the invasion of the Northern Han Dynasty from the south, the country was in great danger. It was the right time to employ people, so they seized his title and used him to succeed the Dangtu camp as a garrison. Camp envoys, organize and train new soldiers in preparation for northern defense.
"Xu Gong, why are you unhappy? Is it because of Chen Jue's arrogance? Those scoundrels become arrogant once they have power. I don't know why the court uses him!" In the marching team, a young military academy followed him. Xu Wenzhen asked next to him.
The name of the military academy is Zhu Yuan. He was formerly a member of the driving department, Wai Lang. This time he was appointed to the support army as a general. Just listening to his tone, I was quite dissatisfied with the general Chen Jue.
Hearing this, Xu Wenzhen shook his head and sighed: "My personal honor and disgrace are nothing compared to military affairs. Chen Jue's exclusion is nothing more than spit on my face to me. I can let him do what he wants." . What I sigh is that this time I go north, there are unpredictable fortunes and misfortunes!"
"Is Xu Gong not optimistic about the prospects of this assistance?" Zhu Yuan asked.
Still shaking his head, Xu Wenzhen was silent for a while and said: "The land of Shouzhou must not be lost. If it is lost, the whole of Huainan will be difficult to defend. Of course it must be saved. However, we should not be so impatient! The previous time we upheld the principle of stabilizing the defense of the river. strategy, but now they are eager to advance the army. The military strategy is so chaotic that it must be improper!"
After listening to his explanation, Zhu Yuan said: "The imperial court should think about it separately! Shouchun has been besieging the city for more than two months. The food roads are cut off, and the morale of the army may not be strong. Even if there is a loyal defender, I am afraid that it will not be able to resist for long!"
"It's just that the imperial court chose Chen Jue as the chief general, but it was not considered carefully!" Zhu Yuan muttered again.
Seeing that Zhu Yuan was disrespectful to Chen Jue many times in his words, Xu Wenzhen couldn't help but remind him: "I know there is a rift between you and Chen Jue, but no matter what, Chen Jue is the commander-in-chief after all, and he is loyal to the court. As a subordinate, How can you use your personal anger to blame the general? The army has already been sent out, so we should work together to resist the Han army!"
Hearing what Xu Wenzhen said, Zhu Yuan was a little unhappy, but when he saw his righteous face, he couldn't help but lose his momentum and cupped his hands and said: "Xu Gong is a righteous man who takes the overall situation into consideration, but endures a small humiliation. It's not as good as this. You should be taught a lesson!"
"It's just that I still feel that I should use Xu Gong to control the army!"
Xu Wenzhen didn't want to be too harsh when people praised him so much. After thinking about it, he said: "Although the Han army is strong in combat, our army still has the upper hand in terms of military strength. We are also familiar with the geographical location and climate, and after a winter's rest, The Han army was stationed in a fortified city, and the morale of the army was bound to be dampened. As long as they followed the imperial edict, fought steadily and did not rush to fight, even if the Han army could not retreat, they would still have a chance to open up the Shouchun grain road and get in touch with the defenders. of!"
"I hope so!"
In Shouchun, after Liu Chengyou's strategy of attacking the exhausted enemy, his morale was mobilized to the highest level, and he was ready to issue a military order to attack the city. News of the Southern Tang's advance came.
I was very happy when I heard it. Shouchun City can be broken sooner or later, after all, it is a strong enemy, but the opportunity to annihilate the Tang army is rare. Originally, Liu Chengyou had planned to take all four Huaizhou states, and then go south to meet the Southern Tang's defense line along the river.
Faced with the actions of the Tang army, Liu Chengyou was still a little surprised, but based on the news about the Southern Tang court from Jinling, it was not that difficult to understand.
In the imperial tent, after listening to Li Shaoyou's report, Liu Chengyou took the news and said with slight emotion: "Originally it was just a casual chess game, and I didn't expect much good results. I didn't expect the results, but it was surprising. The so-called flattery, the so-called killing. Words are like a knife. Although this 'knife' has not killed anyone, it has cut into the heart!"
Li Shaoyou couldn't help but echoed: "Li Jing, the false leader of the Tang Dynasty, is known for his generosity and kindness, and he treats his ministers well. However, he is actually jealous of talents and talents, and has dim eyes and ears. He arouses suspicion based on rumors. It can be seen from this that Li Jing is not your majesty's enemy, and the big man will seize him." His country!”
"So, Li Jing has regained power and is involved in the military affairs, while Song Qiqiu has no real power?" Liu Chengyou asked again.
"Yes, Qiqiu Jiucheng of the Song Dynasty is an advisor, and he is in the Jinling court to stabilize people's hearts!" Li Shaoyao said: "Li Jing, the emperor's younger brother Li Jingsui, and the king of Qi Li Jingda, assist in military affairs!"
"God help me!" Liu Chengyou said.
The general of the camp, Liu Chengyou, only summoned Wang Jun and Murong Yanzhao to discuss matters. Standing in front of the map, Liu Chengyou pondered the Tang army's advance route for a while, and said calmly: "The Tang army has learned a lesson! Should we move in three places at the same time, attack in separate ways, and provide comprehensive relief?"
Murong Yanzhao said: "Your Majesty, as soon as the reinforcements of the Tang Army move, our army should make some adjustments. Shouchun will have to be dealt with later!"
"The puppet Tang Dynasty brought this piece of fat to its lips, how can I not accept it!" Nodding his head in agreement, Liu Chengyou said easily: "First, send someone to keep an eye on Chen Juejun, closely monitor his movements, and confirm After the enemy situation is revealed, we will respond in another way!"
"Should we send the cavalry south in advance and harass them along the way?" Wang Jun, who had been silent for the whole time, suggested.
Liu Chengyou thought for a while and waved his hand: "No! With Liu Yanzhen's lesson in front and Li Jing's warning in the back, the Tang army will definitely be more careful this time. If our army makes too much noise and scares away Chen Jue, we can Such a good opportunity has been wasted!”
"Wait a minute!" Liu Chengyou made up his mind and said confidently: "Wait until they are far away from Hefei and closer to Shouchun. By then, the initiative will be completely in the hands of our army!"
Seeing that Liu Chengyou's mind was clear, Murong Yanzhao couldn't help but said: "Your Majesty is wise!"
"The Tang troops in Chuzhou and Taizhou combined totaled 50,000 to 60,000 Tang troops, especially the navy. Guo Rong's troops were less than 15,000. They had to trap Sizhou and prepare the Tang troops at the same time. They were short of troops! "Wang Jun said suddenly.
After hearing Wang Jun's reminder, Liu Chengyou couldn't help but look at him and asked, "Wang Qing, do you have any suggestions?"
"I would like to lead a troop of troops to march eastward to help them, so that the Huaihe River will not be recovered by the Tang army!" Facing Liu Chengyou's gaze, Wang Jun stated his purpose.
Wang Jun's thoughts could be seen almost at a glance. His face remained calm, and after making a serious deliberation, Liu Chengyou said: "There are also insufficient soldiers on the camp side. If we want to destroy Chen Juejun, we must not divide the military strength." ! Besides, Wang Qing is making arrangements for the camp, and I cannot do without you!"
Seeing that Liu Chengyou rejected his suggestion again, although his words were tactful, Wang Jun's expression still inevitably changed and became ugly, but he didn't say anything more.
"Draft an edict!" Liu Chengyou pointed at Li Fang and ordered: "Tell Guo Rong that I have entrusted him with the power to conquer Huaidong. The Tang army in Chu and Tai must be blocked by me! Draft another edict to mark Wuning Military Day. Du made Wu Xingde lead the remaining Xuzhou soldiers and went south to help in the battle!"
"As a result, our first-tier counties in Huaibei will be completely empty!" Murong Yanzhao said.
"It doesn't matter, if it was the early stage of the war, I would still have some concerns. Now, our army has established a firm foothold in Huainan!" Liu Chengyou said confidently: "Furthermore, the Tang army is already exhausted in dealing with our offensive. Is there any remaining strength? Are you planning to invade Huaibei?"
"That's all!"
"yes!"
