Facing the gazes of the generals, Murong Yanzhao pondered for a moment and said solemnly: "In the past few days, I, the commander-in-chief, have consulted with others to decide on the strategy for Huxiang, and I have already considered it.
The land of Hunan has been war-torn for a long time and is dilapidated and weak. However, in order to fight against the imperial court, Zhou Xingfeng expanded his army and prepared for war, which was a violent act. He had more than 50,000 soldiers and horses under his command. It is an embarrassing burden to support Hunan with its own strength.
In addition, there was a great famine in Hunan last year, and the stored grain was almost exhausted. Now, no new grain has been received, and military supplies are in short supply. Almost even combat rations have been exhausted and all financial resources have been purchased from the Southern Tang Dynasty and the puppet Liu Dynasty.
Therefore, my commander-in-chief decided to attack Hunan, not seeking a quick war, but only wanting to slow down the plan. The stalemate was stalemate, and Zhou Ni was in a hurry. According to investigations by the Wude and Military Intelligence Departments, given the current situation in Hunan, Zhou Xingfeng simply could not last for a month. By then, the rebel army would be defeated without a fight.
And within this month, all we have to do is to be on guard against Zhou Ni and fight against the trapped beast. At that time, we can drive straight in, go straight down to Lang and Tan, capture all of Huxiang, and completely pacify Jinghu! "
Originally, Murong Yanzhao's plan was to fight a battle at Sanjiangkou, strive to win in one battle, and then go to Hunan. However, after learning about Hunan's reality from the intelligence system, he changed his mind.
The only reason is that Zhou Xingfeng's preparations for war in Hunan can be described as crazy. With Hunan's current population of less than 90,000 households, an army of 50,000 was gathered. Even if thousands of barbarians were eliminated, there would still be some local troops in the rear to maintain the ruling order and the manpower needed to transport them.
However, the 50,000 soldiers stationed at the front by Zhou Xingfeng were also lacking in weapons and armor, and many of the captured strong men could only use primitive bamboo and wood as weapons. The only ones who truly have a certain degree of combat capability are the group of tooth soldiers who started out with him and fought in the civil war. After the expansion, the combat capability will inevitably decline. Furthermore, the intensity of the internal melee in Hunan was very low before. Even with less than 10,000 tooth soldiers as the backbone, there are still doubts about how well they can perform when facing the powerful troops of the Central Plains.
Putting aside the comparison of military strength, if the two groups were combined, even if there were 50,000 pigs, it would take some effort to annihilate them all. What made Murong Yanzhao most optimistic about the war situation was the dire situation in the prefectures and counties within Hunan.
In the context of intensive preparations for war, it is always the grassroots people who suffer. During the famine last year, Zhou Xingfeng was their benefactor, but now he has become a murderous enemy. In order to raise military funds, Zhou Xingfeng's military government imposed excessive levies and extortionate taxes. The people of Hunan were already complaining, and resistance to the levies occurred frequently. This was also a bloody massacre.
Under Zhou Xingfeng's high-pressure policy, the few landlords and wealthy businessmen in Hunan also shed their blood. Although Zhou Xingfeng was not popular among the scholars and the people, his rule over Hunan was actually on the verge of collapse.
Therefore, as long as Zhou Xingfeng cannot make progress in dealing with the imperial army, even a little bad news can cause the Chu army to collapse. As for its internal situation, one month is a conservative estimate. It is impossible to say when there will be a major turmoil. The soldiers and people of various states are happy to welcome the king's army to Hunan.
As a well-known general in the world who was familiar with the art of war and understood strategy, Murong Yanzhao had his own way of using troops. Being able to defeat others without fighting was also his pursuit. And Jingnan's successful victory in advance also gave him more time, space and money to implement this strategy.
Observing the situation in Hunan, he even had a premonition that this southern expedition would eventually turn into a political issue to be resolved. As for the military struggle, it was secondary.
Of course, the primary issue before the court was still the army that Zhou Xingfeng had armed. However, Murong Yanzhao's plan to bring down Zhou Xingfeng was not so good for the Han army generals who participated in the expedition.
One general's achievements are worth ten thousand bones. If it were not for the sacrifice of the soldiers and the fierce fighting, their achievements would be compromised.
"Dushuai, if it's as you say, then when we go south this time, won't we just be marching and not fighting!" Shi Yanchao was a little unhappy.
Among the senior generals of the Han Dynasty Forbidden Army, Shi Yanchao was considered to be warlike, with a rough temper, tough style, and courage to fight. This time he went south and completed a hundred-mile attack on Jiangling. However, after Cao Bin's persuasion, he did not fight, which was quite depressing.
After hearing what he said, Murong Yanzhao smiled, raised his finger and emphasized: "The general's words are accurate. You can temporarily stop killing, or treat this battle as a long-distance march training! Since ancient times, there have been no outstanding warriors. If we can conquer the enemy without fighting, why waste the lives of the soldiers? How can the generals tolerate using the flesh and blood of our brothers to accumulate our achievements?"
"When did the Commander-in-Chief become so kind!" Shi Yanchao became even more depressed when he heard this. He couldn't help but said: "I have thousands of cavalry going south. I should have crossed Jinghu Lake, but so far, there has been no battle and no attack." One arrow. As the commander-in-chief said, if the soldiers lose their fighting spirit and relax, how will they respond if something changes?"
"General Shi reminded me again!" Murong Yanzhao's expression became serious, he looked around and said in a warning tone: "Slowing down the war or avoiding the war is not a truce. Under the overall strategy of the camp, all soldiers The maintenance of mental morale still needs to be strengthened. If there is any slack, military law will be dealt with!"
After Murong Dushuai said this, the Han generals present felt even more uncomfortable, but in the face of his stern eyes, they all responded loudly. No matter what, the strict military laws of the Han army are never a joke, especially during the war.
"Commander, since Sanjiangkou needs support and Zhou Xingfeng is also there, if Mo Ruo transfers the cavalry troops, the general is willing to help in the battle!" Shi Yanchao said with a roll of his eyes.
"Sanjiangkou is densely covered with lakes and crisscrossed by water veins. It is the place for water and foot battles. Can the cavalry army board ships to fight, or can they fly across rivers and lakes?" Murong Yanzhao asked rhetorically.
Shi Yanchao was speechless. Sun Li took the opportunity and said: "My Xiaodi army is all infantry!"
Seeing that these two people were entangled with each other, Murong Yanzhao waved his hands forcefully and said: "The commander has his own plans for troop mobilization. There is no need for the generals to say anything, just unite the troops and prepare for war!"
He probably felt that he could not blindly suppress the fighting spirit of these generals. After thinking about it for a while, Murong Yanzhao added: "The battle at Sanjiangkou will be difficult to achieve within three to five days. In comparison, The enemies of Lizhou can make plans!"
These words aroused the desire to fight among Shi Yanchao and others. Regardless of the quality of the Liyang Chu army, there were still 20,000 soldiers. However, before Shi Yanchao spoke, Sun Li said: "I am willing to lead the army to defeat the bandit army, relieve the siege of Liyang, and capture and kill Yang Shifan!"
Sun Li's consideration was also simple. Merit in battle was one of the reasons, and the reason for avoiding Murong Yanzhao was also the reason. Unfortunately, Murong Yanzhao was obviously reluctant to leave Sun Dujun and wanted to keep him by his side. He looked directly at Shi Yanchao and ordered: "General, please lead three thousand riders across the river, join Li Jun's army from the Public Security Bureau, and go south to relieve the siege of Liyang!"
"Yes!" Shi Yanchao glanced at Sun Li proudly, feeling very excited.
Seeing this look, Sun Li felt even more uncomfortable, his face was gloomy, and his dissatisfaction was almost written on his face.
A military meeting ended successfully under the strong chairmanship of Murong Yanzhao. Afterwards, tensions rose again inside and outside Jiangling. The Han army, which had rested for several days, mobilized intensively. A large number of ships loaded with soldiers, food, and ordnance, under the escort of the navy, set off from Jiangling and went down the river. Head towards Dongting Lake.
Although Murong Yanzhao set the overall combat strategy, it did not mean being conservative and passive. The development of the war should change with the times and make timely adjustments. The Sanjiangkou side was delaying, but they had plans to attack Liyang. If he can break his path, his strategy can be better implemented. The collapse of Hunan also required active pressure from the Han army.
No matter what Murong Dushuai thought, for the warrior Shi Yanchao, there was no need to think too much. Having said all that, we still don't want him to attack, and since he is given the opportunity to attack, he must seize it.
From the moment we received the military order, we selected soldiers and prepared food and equipment with strict orders and speed, and we crossed the river on the same day. In order to seize the ships transporting troops and horses, Shi Yanchao even bullied Gao Baoxu, adding a stain on his southern expedition history...
In the police department, Li Jun, who had led the troops to station here early, could no longer hold back. The two generals who were eager to fight came together and immediately hit it off.
Li Jun welcomed Shi Yanchao's arrival. With the help of these three thousand cavalry, he could let go of his scruples and march south boldly to attack the Chu army in Liyang.
