Chapter 138 So far away
The same scene appeared on Chaihe River.
This Chai River is narrower than the Daqing River. Bows and arrows from both sides can cross the river and shoot to the opposite side. It is simply a ditch in the flat ground.
This victory seemed to be smoother than the Battle of Daqing River.
The Yuan army suffered only a thousand casualties and had already set foot on the other side of the river.
It was just a very difficult situation that reached the hands of Tamerlane.
That is, just when the Yuan army had just withdrawn from the Daqing River, the ships of the Ming army appeared on the Daqing River again.
This situation made Tuoin Timur feel like he had fallen into an ice cave.
In order to fight across the river, the army was scattered and gathered again. In order to open a way forward, the price paid is not big, but it is not small either. More importantly, he felt caught between a rock and a hard place. The biggest problem now is not continuing to advance.
Judging from the Ming army's posture, if they continue to advance, they won't encounter much resistance. But he couldn't wait to have a battle with the Ming army on the opposite side. Even if he suffered more losses, he would still win a decisive victory.
Tuoyin Timur thought to himself: "He Xi, he really deserves his reputation."
He speculated on He Xi's thoughts. He would rather let them lead the army into the hinterland of Liaodong. He would rather let Liaodong, which had prospered in recent years, suffer misfortune, and would rather keep the troops and horses he had on hand. After all, this is Yuan Ting's last main force.
Once this main elite force is lost.
Even without the Ming army's Northern Expedition, the Yuan Dynasty could not survive. They can only rely on other tribes on the grassland.
At this time, the flaws in Timur's roots were revealed.
He hesitated. I don’t dare to follow suit and place a bet.
Maybe he took on too much. But it is more due to Tamerlane's original flaws. When you can see a person's quality, you have to look at it at a life-or-death moment. Times are approaching, and only at this time can we see what a person's fundamental character is like.
The difference between ordinary generals and famous generals is that famous generals can find possibilities among the impossible. He also has great perseverance and courage to do things that outsiders think are impossible.
And Tuoyin Timur is not Wang Baobao. Being able to force Xu Da back when the Ming army entered the grassland in large numbers and everyone was panicked and thought they were bound to lose. Now, Tamerlane had no choice but to withdraw his troops.
This is the most appropriate approach at this juncture.
After all, such a large-scale march south was also rewarding. Many villages were plundered and many tribes were captured. Also got a lot of iron tools.
As long as we can retreat safely, it is a victory.
Just such a victory cannot reverse the problems between the Yuan and Qing Dynasties.
——
Tamerlane made one mistake in his judgment.
That's why He Xicai doesn't have the courage to do so. He cherishes his own industrial base. At this moment, he has already had a conflict with Wu Gao.
They are no longer Tielingwei. But in Fanhesuo. As the name suggests, it is a small castle near the Pan River. At this moment, the two sides of the river are already about 30,000 meters away from the absolute main force of the Ming army. During this period of time, He Xi repeatedly issued orders. The entire Liaodong army is being mobilized.
Rush to the front line according to distance and distance.
Wu Gao blocked the attack twice, and no time was wasted in the delay.
He Xi pointed to a river on the map and said, "I don't care what the situation is, this river is the cut-off line."
The width of the Pan River is not wider than that of the Chai River. Generally speaking, it is also a small river. The reason why He Xi was so sure was because, judging from the topography, after breaking out of the Pan River, the narrow plain between the Qianshan Mountains and the Liao River became wider. There are few rivers that can cross such a wide river.
If there is, it is the Hun River.
The Hun River is just south of Shenyang.
A large number of heavy industrial areas are located north of the Hun River.
This is something He Xi is determined not to allow.
"Sir." Wu Gao said: "After the flood, although there are few rivers, there are more and more military forts. The enemy can definitely be blocked. They will not rush outside Shenyang City. In addition, according to the intelligence in the past few days, the follow-up army has already They are arriving one after another. They are enough to resist the enemy at the back."
"Please don't worry, sir."
He Xi said: "If it's not allowed, then it's not allowed. I repeat this is an order."
In the previous two battles, He Xi could also see that Wu Gao was cautious and almost timid. He was able to escape every time and never retained his strength. Not trying my best every time.
This is basically because the two of them have different judgments on the current battle situation.
In Wu Gao's view, what if the enemy reaches Shenyang City? The iron factory has a city. Fushun Coal Mine does not. But if the coal mines are plundered by the Tatars, what will they plunder? As for other places, although there are some problems, they do not stick to trivial matters.
Now the Tatars are several times more powerful than me, and we really want a war.
The outcome is unpredictable.
Wu Gao was determined not to put himself in such danger.
It’s good to win. But for Wu Gao, it is not the most important thing. Once defeated, many things will be difficult to say. There are even two opinions on whether the Tatars can be driven out by Liaodong's power alone. This has the greatest impact on Wu Gao. It was him, the Liaodong defender, who was incompetent.
As for the local losses in Liaodong. What does sorry have to do with me? And as long as the loss is not too big. His title as Marquis of Jiangyin was not given in vain. He also had a lot of relatives and old friends, and he was not at a loss to speak in front of the emperor.
Wu Gao is cautious and careful, which is his behavior, but timidity is another matter.
It was precisely because He Xi understood this that he strongly asked Wu Gao to fight in Panhe. Said: "As you said, the army will arrive within a few days. You only need to persist in flooding the river for a few days to achieve success. Can't you even do this?"
Naturally, Wu Gao would not fall for He Xi's provocation, and said: "The situation is different when the Tatars come here. Just crossing two rivers will cost thousands. Especially on the Daqing River, there are hundreds of floating corpses, and there are no traces of them." The Tatars have the intention to retreat, and now the Tatars are in a mournful mood. They are in a state of sinking the cauldron. At this time, we are on the front line, and it is really a bad idea. If your Excellency is worried, you can go to Puhe to sit down first. Please rest assured, I can help you now. If you issue a military order, you will not let the Tatars cross the Pu River."
He Xi had a lot on his mind.
To the south of Puhe is Shenyang.
Puhesuo is the core area of the next line of defense. But what He Xi is most worried about is this reassurance. Because the Puhe defense line was much wider than the current defense line, it seemed to He Xi that it would be difficult to defend against the enemy. After all, the cavalry was a clutch force.
The reason why the Tatars are fighting one line of defense now is because the terrain is special and there is very little room for maneuver. This is the current situation.
But what happened next was different.
He was worried about Wu Gao's ability. But Wu Gao was right, now there are 30,000 elite troops and five guard posts. It is the one that has gathered the most. The other armies are still scattered in various places, with the guard station as the core, and are rushing here.
So this army is the core.
Other reinforcements can directly join this army. But once this army suffers a huge defeat, it may collapse. Then gather the other armies. Forming a large army will take time.
This is what He Xi is worried about.
For a moment, He Xi thought of Ye Chen and thought to herself, "If Ye Chen were here, why would I be like this?"
In terms of military matters, He Xi trusted Ye Chen. If Ye Chen were here, Ye Chen would never sit back and guard. But Wu Gao really worried He Xi.
Just as He Xi was hesitating.
Suddenly a message came from below and said loudly: "Sir, general, the Tatars have withdrawn."
He Xi was shocked and could hardly believe her ears. Tuoyin Timur actually retreated. The decision-making on his side was extremely difficult. In He Xi's opinion, it was time to take the risk and fight. Tamerlane should get the strategic situation he wanted.
Why did he retreat?
For a moment, He Xi really couldn't understand.
But, a lot of the time, that's how it is.
Two armies are facing the enemy. When you feel that you are in great difficulties, the enemy's situation may not be good either. Moreover, due to the blockade of information between the two parties. Regarding the other party's situation, more comes from speculation. There are inevitably exaggerations, that is to say. Our army in the eyes of the enemy, or the enemy's army in the eyes of our army, is more powerful than the enemy in reality.
Sometimes, one is not fighting an enemy. Instead, fight against your own illusions.
