Although the decision was made to cross the quicksand south and raid the remnants of the Liao army, there was no rush in implementing it. Of course, there was no rush even if we wanted to. As far as distance and information are concerned, the biggest problem is.
Therefore, the two sides agreed on a relatively loose time of one month to advance from north to south and jointly attack the remnants of the Liao army entrenched in the Western Regions.
The expeditionary force felt hope, had a clear goal, and its efficiency and enthusiasm were at an all-time high. Under the command of Yang Ye, the expedition south to prepare for war was carried out in an orderly and steady manner.
The most important thing is to detect the march route and prepare enough military supplies. After Wang Shenqi's month-long exploration of the route, he hit the wall several times and finally found a relatively safe passage relying on the local indigenous people.
As for military supplies, they have less scruples. They loot the surrounding areas, scrape the ground, and even fish from the lake in order to obtain a large amount of supplies in a short period of time to support the march and combat consumption.
Although the former suffered setbacks, Yang Ye's ambition was still there and he was unwilling to settle and would rather fight again. Therefore, he also showed a determination and momentum of risking everything, which was felt by all the officers and men.
The officers and soldiers of the expeditionary force also packed up their troops, cheered up, and prepared for the journey again. The sword is being polished, the armor is being repaired, the combat skills are being restored, and the fighting spirit is rising with Yang Ye's encouragement.
Yang Ye did not use many cumbersome words to confuse the soldiers. He just announced that there was only a narrow desert, two short, old and depressed cities, and thousands of weak and helpless enemies before returning home.
Nothing can touch the hearts of soldiers and inspire the ambitions of wanderers more than the word "go home"!
On February 17, the ninth year of Kaibao in the Han Dynasty, the spring breeze was getting warmer, and the simple flags were still high. The soldiers of the expeditionary army came out empty camp, fully equipped, and lined up on the tidal flats by the Yizhi River. Compared with the original Han army, which was tall, powerful and well-equipped, its equipment and image were much inferior. However, after a month of armed preparations, the pride and temperament of looking down on the world were once again revealed. On the soldiers of the expeditionary force.
Yang Ye, Wang Yansheng, and Wang Shenqi sat upright, facing the soldiers, conducting a final inspection before the attack. Yang Ye was also very satisfied with the appearance and momentum of this army, and at the same time he was filled with emotion. He seemed to have seen the Han cavalry again who had sworn to go north and followed them to attack Mobei without hesitation.
Wang Yansheng remained ill, but he still stubbornly rode alone, unwilling to leave the soldiers or lie on a stretcher. He was as stubborn as if he was about to complete the last stage of his military journey. Although this person has various shortcomings, his tenacity and pride that have never weakened are very admired, especially for military officers and soldiers, and they are a personality charm worth trusting with their lives.
Over the years, I have heard that Wang Yansheng was unruly, bullied others, and acted recklessly, but there has never been any news that he lacked military morale and was incompetent in running the army.
Yang Yanzhao was also in the army. Wang Yansheng once suggested that he should go back with the Liu Fang brothers, but Yang Ye refused. But Yang Yanzhao had no complaints about this, just like a loyal warrior, he held on firmly. He was already a general who could single-handedly command thousands or even tens of thousands of troops, but now he could only lead a mere five hundred soldiers.
Even so, he was still the number one general under Yang Ye, Wang Yansheng, and Wang Shenqi. He was not protected by his father's generation, but came out with one person, one horse, one sword and one sword. He was even suppressed by Yang Ye on purpose.
The father and son just looked at each other. Yang Yanzhao was solemn and solemn, while Yang Ye remained calm. Their eyes crossed each other and they glanced around again. Yang Ye didn't make any long speech. He just raised his arms and said loudly: "Go home!"
After saying that, all the soldiers in the army shouted "go home" together. Two thousand people shouted with the momentum of twenty thousand people, which shocked the fish in the river and the birds and animals in the forest.
Following Yang Ye's order, he went on an expedition to the Han cavalry, riding horses and driving camels, crossing the water and crossing the Yizhi River. Then, under the guidance of scouts and guides, they headed towards the desert Gobi in the south, with the goal directly in front of them. Refers to Beiting City hundreds of miles away.
At the same time, as the Han army marched westward after the beginning of spring, the already tense situation in the Western Regions was like adding a basin of oil to the burning firewood.
Originally, the Helong army came from afar and needed to rest and recuperate. Guo Jin also chose to prepare for war calmly and steadily. However, the news from the expeditionary force forced him to change his plan. This change meant that the invasion was like fire. Can't wait.
Wang Yinwu acted very hard in the liaison and attack matters, and he did not dare to neglect his efforts. Not to mention whether he could offend Yang Ye and Wang Yansheng, the second prince Liu Fang, who was watching the matter personally, did not dare to neglect.
Liu Fang was okay, mature and sensible, but the young King of Wei Liu Min was not so easy to serve. Even when he followed Wang Yinwu back to Hexi, Liu Fang oppressed him with his brother's majesty.
The Liu Fang brothers were driven away by Yang Ye and felt depressed. The way to release them was to work hard to encourage the Han army in the Western Regions to fight northward. Although they do not have any command authority over the army in the Western Regions, not many generals can really get rid of this influence when the two princes are in the army in person. And with the support of Hexi bosses like Lu Duoxun and Wang Yinwu, they have to do their best. .
The invitation to fight was in line with military rules and not a speculative adventure. To the north, it was the Mobei Expeditionary Force, Yang Ye, and Wang Yansheng. Even if he was targeting these people, Guo Jin would not sit idly by and wait.
The Liu Fang brothers and Wang Yinwu and their entourage spent a full twenty days and traveled more than 1,400 miles in circles before returning to Guazhou, and then they worked non-stop to spread the news about the military situation.
Therefore, starting from the end of early February, the entire Western Region Han army moved into action, and the vast number of northwest military and political officials and generals also responded to orders and cooperated with the army in the expedition, and they were very dedicated.
This is probably the pressure that started from the Liu Fang brothers. Of course, the source may have to be traced back to Emperor Liu. The reason why Yang Ye asked Liu Fang to return to Hexi may not be because he wanted to supervise the efficiency of military affairs in Hexi and the Western Regions.
Of course, if the two brothers were left in the army and went south together, the effect would not be bad, or even better. However, Yang Ye was really unwilling and did not dare to let the two highnesses take risks with them anymore. He can bring his son with him. Even if the father and son die together, it is not worth fearing.
From the time he received the news, Guo Jin only spent five days in formulating a battle plan, getting ready, deploying troops and dispatching troops.
On February 15th, Guo Jin left 15,000 troops with the Han general Cui Han to monitor the Black Khan army in the direction of Yanqi, while he and Tuoba Sizhong led the Han army's infantry, cavalry and Uighur servants. A total of more than 27,000 troops marched north from Gaochang, pointing directly at Luntai. This is two days earlier than the agreed date for entering the army. In the Western Region, where the stalemate had been quiet for nearly half a year, the war started again, and once it broke out, it was violent and entangled among the three parties.
Facing the attack of the Han army, the Liao army was naturally well prepared. However, its strength was lacking and its conditions were limited. Even if it was prepared, it would be caught off guard.
In the past, the reason why they were able to persevere with only thousands of remnant soldiers, in addition to the containment of the Black Khan Army, was because of the natural dangers of the Tianshan Mountains. On the road from Gaochang to Luntai, a white water fortress had a unique defensive advantage. When Yelu Xiezhen was marching to the west, he did not dare to confront the enemy head-on.
Guo Jin also sent troops several times to capture Baishui Fortress, but all ended in failure. Coming back this time, they unleashed all their strength from the beginning and attacked with all their strength. All available weapons suitable for siege were brought out, and they did not hesitate to inflict casualties on the servants.
On the garrison side, it is a situation of one ebb and flow. With the current manpower in Luntai and Beiting, it is really difficult to support thousands of Liao troops. The weak rule is always in a state of wavering, fighting alone. With nothing to rely on, the news of the disastrous defeat on the frontal battlefield severely damaged the morale of the remaining Liao army. A harsh winter has further reduced his fighting power and will.
Since ancient times, all passes have been invincible, and the same is true for Baishui Fortress. After a few months, the Liao army was already in a desperate situation, and when faced with the unreserved and fierce attack of the Han army, it could not withstand it.
In just two days, Baishui Fortress fell, and even failed to wait until Luntai reinforcements arrived. Guo Jin, the commander-in-chief of the Han army, stepped into Baishui Fortress with a victorious attitude and defeated the blocked enemy. The fortress that had held him for half a year was trampled under his feet.
The defending Liao army only suffered more than 300 casualties, and the rest all surrendered. Even after a good meal, they were allowed to defect, actively informing the Liao army in the Western Region of the inside story, and leading the way for the Han army.
After the Baishui Fortress was lowered, there were no fortresses and dangerous passes to defend in the Luntai area. It could be said that it was a smooth road. Guo Jin took advantage of the situation to advance and fought an encounter. King Yelu Dilie of Liao'an, who personally led the army to come to the rescue, was defeated again. At the hands of the Han army, he was almost captured alive, and finally escaped back to Luntai City in embarrassment.
On the 19th, Baishui Fortress fell; on the 20th, Yelu's enemies were defeated; by the 22nd, the Han army had surrounded Luntai City. This was the first time that hundreds of troops had come here since Guo Jin's Western Expedition. Years later, the flag of the Han people once again flew in this ancient Luntai with profound historical roots.
This time, the Liao army did not react, and neither did the Black Khan army!
The Liao army had nowhere to escape, nowhere to hide, and was powerless to resist. The Black Khans did not expect that after a winter, the Liao army, which had repeatedly suffered losses for them, would be so vulnerable.
