Seeing the trackers almost clinging to the ground on the shore and the boats moving slowly, Yelu Mawu said: "If I had known that the waterway was so slow, it would be better to take the post road. Even though more manpower is used, it will still be faster."
Ba Lishu nodded: "That's right. The weather is getting hotter and we can't afford it. When we get to the next town, we will send people out to capture some people and come back to carry the burden for us. Once we pass Xiangyang, that's it. Hurry."
Wanyan Yuying said: "Xiangyang is occupied by Wang Xiaolie. He just saved Shaanzhou not long ago. The troops are not weak, so it is not easy to escape."
Ba Lisu laughed when he heard this: "It's not unusual for Song generals to have some achievements occasionally. I heard that Wang Xiaolie's main force is still near Shaanzhou, so we just happened to pick up his lair here! This time we crossed the Yangtze River and moved south to fight. We have traveled thousands of miles without a single defeat. I don’t believe that after crossing the Yangtze River, there are still people who can threaten us! The year before last, I followed your father to conquer Xiangyang and Dengzhou. Which Song general would dare to fight me!"
After hearing this, Wanyan Yuying nodded silently and stopped talking.
The year before last, Ba Lisu followed his elder brother Yinshuke to go south to Xiangdeng. Less than ten thousand people walked around Jingxi Road, and it was like being in a deserted place. Now less than two years have passed. No matter how strong Wang Xiaolie is, can he still stop himself?
Although they did not catch up with the Queen Mother Longyou during this trip south, they robbed a lot of property. When we returned, we had to transport a lot of belongings, so we couldn't compare with the speed we went south. There is only two hundred miles from Jiangling Mansion to Jingmen, but it is estimated to take seven or eight days.
Niu Gao led five thousand troops to Jingmen, and Xie Qian hurriedly welcomed him into the city.
When he sat down at the Yamen, Niu Gao said, "I wonder where the Jin army is now? When will they arrive at Jingmen?"
Jie Qian said: "The day before yesterday, the Jin army attacked Dangyang County. It did not move forward for a while and did not advance north. When the general arrives, I can order the Dangyang defenders to retreat. The Jin army only has 10,000 people. I have more than 3,000 soldiers, plus your 5,000 troops. , should be able to guard Jingmen."
Niu Gao said: "Before departure, the defense specifically told me not to take it lightly when reaching Jingmen. Without going down to Jingmen, the Jin army would not be able to go north, and they would have no way to go, so they would fight to the death! This battle cannot be treated with common sense! In my opinion, After that, the defense army of 20,000 troops is coming all the way. We will not be sure until the defense reaches Jingmen."
Xie Qian nodded: "Since the defense is arranged in this way, let the Dangyang defenders hold on."
Because Wang Xiaolie occupied the Xiangdeng area and blocked an important south-to-north passage, the strategic pattern changed drastically. Unable to go through Xiangyang, the Jin army had to go thousands of miles eastward and retreat northward through the Huaihe region. It's easy for these ten thousand gold troops to come, but it's hard to go back.
Wang Xiaolie arrived at Lexiang Town, and detailed information about the Jin army was finally sent. The Jin army in the middle was commanded by Ba Lisu, with generals Yelu Mawu and Wanyan Yuying, numbering about 10,000 people. They fought for thousands of miles and captured countless people. In addition to the army, there were also more than 13,000 porters. The Jin army had difficulty obtaining information. At this time, they did not know that Wang Xiaolie was fully supporting Jingmen and was attacking Dangyang, which was still some distance away from Jingmen.
The small county of Dangyang should not have blocked the return of the Jin army. However, Wang Xiaolie came to help, giving Qian Qian the courage to win, and ordered the Dangyang defenders to defend to the death. The Jin army didn't take it seriously at first. After fighting for two days, they realized that it was difficult to get up under the sun and concentrated their army to attack.
Putting down the paperwork, Wang Xiaolie rubbed his forehead. The Jin army had overestimated themselves before. Years ago, they went south regardless of the situation and chased after Zhao Gou and Queen Mother Longyou. Little did he know that the way back was unstable. It was easy to come but difficult to return.
If there was no Wang Xiaolie in Xiangyang, the Jin army's march north would have been much smoother. In actual history, the Jin army was not blocked. After passing Xiangyang and entering Ruzhou, they were ambushed by Niu Gao in Song Village and returned defeated.
Of course, whether it is the history of the Song Dynasty or the history of the Jin Dynasty, these achievements have a lot of merit. Niugao's great victory may have eliminated the Jin army's partial division. With the few rural soldiers under his command, it was impossible to truly threaten the main force of the Jin army. There are many such examples. For example, Lou Su's attack on Shaanzhou failed several times. Song Dynasty history books record that Lou Su cried when he saw people. Later, Huang Tiandang's Jin army encountered obstacles, and it was recorded that Wu Shu cried when he saw people after crossing the river. It seems that all the generals of the Jin Dynasty love to cry.
In any case, how angry the Jin army was when they went south last year, how difficult it is to return north this year. In fact, in the east at this time, Wu Shu also encountered Han Shizhong in Huang Tiandang and could not move forward.
Wang Xiaolie looked down at the map near Jingmen and made careful calculations. Jingmen City is built on the mountain and is extremely strong. With enough defenders, it would be difficult for the Jin army to break through. However, the city is not big, and Wang Xiaolie's 20,000 troops cannot enter the city to defend it.
The Jin army numbered ten thousand, and three thousand defenders in the city were enough. The army should be stationed in the east of the city, relying on the city to confront the Jin army. With 20,000 of his own, against the Jin army of 10,000, the odds of victory should be great.
What will happen to the Jin Army if they win? Wang Xiao searched the surrounding area but could not find a way out for the Jin army. But with limited troops, it would be difficult to destroy the Jin army. If the attack on Jingmen fails, the Jin army breaks out eastward and attacks Ezhou along the Yangtze River, without any resistance from the Song army. Just to return to the north, the Jin army would have to travel thousands of miles. Thousands of miles away, there are enemies everywhere. The Jin army has to peel off its skin even if it can get through.
Chen Yuyi came in and saluted Wang Xiaolie. Said: "Xie Zhijun said that it is very difficult to defend Dangyang. The defense is close to Jingmen. Xie Zhijun wants to send troops to relieve the siege of Dangyang, but I don't know what the defense means."
Wang Xiaolie said: "Why do the Jie Zhi Army need to do this? The Jingmen Army is dozens of miles ahead. The Jin Army should have received news of the arrival of our army. If they still want to return to the north, they will withdraw from Dangyang and attack Jingmen."
Chen Yuyi said: "If this is the case, then it means that Zhijun does not need to rescue Dangyang."
Wang Xiaolie shook his head: "There is no need to go back. Jie Zhijun is older than the army, how could he not know this? His letter is just to urge us to march. You write a letter to Niu Gao so that he does not have to stay in the city. Choose a suitable place to camp in the east. If the Jin army cannot attack Jingmen, they will probably go east to attack Yingzhou. Even if they get to Yingzhou, the Jin army will have no place to go, so we must always be on guard."
Chen Yuyi promised. Said: "Defense, do you think that if the Jin army comes here, it will not be able to break through Jingmen?"
Wang Xiaolie said: "If we don't come to help, it's not surprising that Jie Zhi's army can't defend Jingmen. With our large army, the Jin army's chance of breaking through Jingmen is very low. The so-called strong crossbow is at the end, and it can't penetrate Lu Zhen. It's been half a year since the Jin army went south last year. After fighting for thousands of miles, they seem to be very powerful, but their soldiers are also exhausted. As long as we don't mess up in this battle, it will be difficult for the Jin Army to take advantage."
Chen Yuyi hesitated for a moment and then said: "We know this, how could Ba Lisu not think of it?"
After hearing this, Wang Xiaolie couldn't help but smile: "In the battle the year before last, Ba Lisu and his brother Yin Shu were able to defeat dozens of states in the west of Beijing. At that time, it was extremely easy to attack Xiangyang and Dengzhou, and no one could stop them. Although he knows that now is not comparable to then, he always feels lucky in his heart and feels that he can still do it. People are so strange and believe in those illusory things. "
Apart from the fact that he had defeated him the year before, there was another reason why he decided to attack Xiangyang quickly. After the Jin army occupied Tanzhou, they then attacked Dingzhou and other places and went all the way north to Jianglingfu. It was too difficult to change their route to other places. It is more than a thousand miles to go down from Ezhou to Huaihe River along the Yangtze River. The Jin army at this time was not what it was last year. They had a lot more looted money, so it was not easy to switch to war. Xiangyang is a strategically important place, and it is so easy to bypass it.
