"If we take action here in Guiyang, the imperial court will definitely send troops to the south!" After thinking for a while, Zhou Xingfeng looked at Li Guanxiang, with a hint of determination in his eyes: "Cao Yin of Lizhou is dead. Before the Han court could react, , do you think we should capture Lizhou first and drive the forces of the Northern Han Dynasty out of Hunan first?"
Hearing what he said, Li Guanxiang was slightly shocked. Why did the old matter come up again? Zhou Xingfeng had this idea when he was in Changsha. He did not express his position directly, but just reminded: "Jie Commander is now the lord of Hunan. If we make a statement, it can be said that we are punishing the people for their crimes and punishing them for cruelty. But if we take the initiative to attack the imperial prefectures and counties, we will completely break our faces. Being accused of treason also gives the imperial court a reason to mobilize troops, and it will stop the world from talking about it!"
"Haha!" After hearing what he said, Zhou Xingfeng suddenly sneered twice and said: "As long as the troops are strong, why are you afraid of what others say? The Han Dynasty wants to destroy Hunan, but is it afraid that there will be no excuse? Instead of sitting back and waiting, why not take the lead and get the advantage? machine!"
After saying that, Zhou Xingfeng strengthened his determination and said: "Lizhou is a nail that has been driven into our land of Huxiang. I have long wanted to remove it. Concentrate our troops to go north, take advantage of the chaos, capture Liyang, and then go north Observe the situation in Jingnan. If the Gao family is unworthy, they will march into Dongting Lake and intercept the Han army at the river."
"Now that I think about it, Emperor Han was so treacherous. He was planning to seize Hunan as early as five or six years ago!" Zhou Xingfeng cursed secretly.
Seeing that his mind was made up, Li Guanxiang sighed secretly, he didn't intend to leave a way out for himself! But he didn't plan to continue to persuade him. In the past few years, except Zhou's wife Yan, no one could really persuade Zhou Xingfeng.
"Commander Jie, no matter what, we should capture Zhang Wenbiao first, seize his soldiers, horses, money and food, eliminate hidden dangers in the rear, and then plan to conquer the north!" Li Guanxiang said.
"You're right!" Zhou Xingfeng clenched his fist slightly, his expression becoming more decisive: "Tomorrow, I will go south with the army and personally supervise the battle!"
Looking at Zhou Xingfeng, Li Guanxiang lowered his head slightly, his eyelids drooped a lot, and he was thinking secretly in his heart. Zhou Xingfeng decided to make a desperate move, but he had to make some plans for his future.
...
In the early summer, Xiangyang City was already a bit hot. As soldiers and horses from all walks of life were dispatched by the imperial court, it could be said that there were a large number of soldiers. As of April 2, Xiangyang had assembled more than 26,000 troops. There were also five thousand Fengguo troops, led by the general Du Hanhui, who marched south to Yingzhou, heading straight towards Changlin in the south of Jingnan.
On the pier, bundles of arrows, swords and guns were carried off the ship by shirtless civilians, unloaded into warehouses, transferred to military camps, and distributed to soldiers. In a busy scene, Guo Wei and several generals patrolled and inspected everything.
Today, Guo Wei is only the magistrate of Xiangyang Prefecture, but one thing is that even after so many years, his prestige in the military is still not low. It's hard to talk about it, and every call will be answered, but when the general of the Forbidden Army sees it, he will still show respect and greet Duke Xing.
"While the troops and horses are not moving, food and grass go first. There is no room for negligence in this matter! According to the government order, the officials involved in the government office must perform their duties to provide for the army. If there is any neglect, it will be a violation of military law and will be dealt with according to military law. Hope everyone Be alert!" Guo Wei ordered.
The imperial court has ordered Guo Wei to be the land and water transport envoy to provide supplies to the armies marching south. Hearing what Guo Wei said, several Xiangyang officials who were following him were shocked and hurriedly said yes.
Xiangyang does seem to be a place to raise people, with abundant resources and abundant people, and outstanding people. During his three years in office, Guo Wei is in good spirits. Compared with official history, Guo Wei has not suffered drastic changes, but his life has been extended for two years, and he is still in good health.
"After three years of hard work, I finally got the chance!" Commander Han Tong followed beside him and said with some arrogance.
It has been two and a half years since he was demoted to Xiangyang, and he has been waiting for the opportunity to rise again. In the past two years, although my life has been comfortable, my heart has been filled with depression. Last year, when the imperial court attacked Shu, he even wrote a letter asking his son Han Hui: Didn't he say that the imperial court would send troops to Jinghu? Why did they reach Hanzhong?
But now the facts have proved that his son "Tuoer" is indeed a man of knowledge. There was a smile on the corner of his mouth. Although it has not been officially announced yet, Murong Yanzhao is the coach and he is the deputy coach in Jinghu this time. The emperor still values Han Tong.
Moreover, his son Han Hui was also in the Southern Expedition and was recommended by Prime Minister Wei Renpu as the camp's food envoy.
"Your Majesty transferred General Han to the south with great intentions. Now, he has fulfilled his wish! This southern expedition will definitely achieve great achievements!" Guo Wei said with a smile. Regarding Han Tong, he still The ones I admire more may have flaws in their character, but they are always safe and sound in their management and leadership.
"Thanks to Mr. Xing for your kind words, Han thanked you in advance!" Han Tong laughed.
Looking south, eager to try, Han Tong said: "The imperial court's tens of thousands of troops went south and swept across Jingzhou Lake. I am only afraid that the Gao and Zhou armies will resist too weakly and our soldiers will make few achievements!"
"Generals should not underestimate the enemy!" Guo Weize said: "Although Gao Baorong is mediocre, Zhou Xingfeng is ruthless enough. If we enter Hunan, there will be a battle! If we want to capture Jinghu quickly, we have to wait and see the reaction from Jiangling. .”
"The soldiers are very fast! I only hope that Murong Dushuai can arrive in Xiangyang as soon as possible!" Han Tong became more serious and Shen Rong said.
"Cao Bin, it's time for Murong Dushuai to arrive, right?" Guo Wei turned around and asked a young general with a serious face following him.
As a rising star in the Guo clan, Cao Bin was highly regarded by Guo Wei. Unlike Li Chongjin, Zhang Yongde and others who developed in the Forbidden Army, Cao Bin was born in a local area and was not very old. He had already moved to various towns to hold military positions. He has performed well every term. When he was serving as the military supervisor in Xuzhou, the prefect Wu Xingde praised him for his honest nature, strict military management, and the talent of a general.
Although Guo Wei is in Xiangyang, he is always paying attention to the movements in the court. When he learned that the emperor wanted to send troops to the south and knew that it was an opportunity to use force, he made some moves and transferred Cao Bin from Xuzhou to Xiangyang, hoping to give him a chance to make achievements.
At this time, upon hearing the question, Cao Bin responded calmly: "The commander-in-chief went south two days ago. It is estimated that his journey will be within this day!"
"Tell me about it! How will we use our troops this time to ping Jing Lake?" He nodded slightly and became more interested. Guo Wei wanted to take the exam for Cao Bin.
Cao Bin thought for a moment and said: "The situation in Jinghu is extremely urgent. However, judging from the news from Jiangling, although Gao was alert, he was slow to respond and still had a two-pronged attitude. Now, the imperial court has not issued a marching edict, so as to Jiangling is wavering, and our army has arrived, but I'm afraid it is still hesitant. We should send a strong force to go south first, attack Jiangling directly, and force it to surrender. Perhaps we can take Jingnan without fighting. Now that Jingnan has been conquered, with the power of Hunan, it will be no more than a waste of time. If you struggle, you can gain everything in three or two months!"
Hearing his opinion, Guo Wei smiled. Han Tong couldn't help but cast a surprised look at Cao Bin and said with a smile to Guo Wei: "Mr. , What a talented general sincere!"
"You're still too young!" Guo Wei stroked his beard and smiled, looking at Han Tong: "If you have any achievements, you still need noble people to use them!"
Hearing what Guo Wei said, Han Tong was slightly startled, and then he suddenly realized and said: "Don't worry! There is no reason to use such a talent. If you are handsome enough, I will definitely recommend him!"
After giving Cao Bin a wink, Cao Bin's calm face wavered and he saluted Han Tong: "Thank you, general, for the promotion!"
Before long, there was an emergency military report from the south, and Xiangyang was developed.
Zhou Xingfeng from Hunan sent troops from Leiyang, rushed into Guiyang, launched a surprise attack, and stormed the city. The Chu army did not hesitate to suffer casualties. In less than an hour, Guiyang was defeated. Zhang Wenbiao, the military envoy of the Jingjiang Army, fought back against the Yingshuai Mansion and was beheaded by his subordinates as a sacrifice to the Chu army. Zhou Xingfeng was able to seize all his wealth and soldiers, and his army was greatly strengthened. He led his troops back north, but his intention was unknown.
"You see, Zhou Xingfeng is struggling quite fiercely this week! Take Guizhou first to eliminate worries, and move very quickly! How can the Chu army's fighting ability be so strong when they break the city in one hour?" received Han Tong's report. , Guo Wei was a little emotional.
Han Tong couldn't help but secretly scolded: "I see, that document is too useless! He also has thousands of troops under his command, but it is so unbearable!"
"However, since the war in Hunan has begun, the imperial court no longer has to have any scruples!"
