The next day, several officials from the Xiangyang Prefecture accompanied Cui Sanshe and Ren Zhiqing to visit Xiangyang. Wang Xiaolie and others were discussing Zhai Xing's Northern Expedition in detail at the Yamen Office.
Everyone took their seats. Wang Xiaolie said: "Give Yique Town to Zhai Xing, I think he will not be willing to be lonely, and will probably go on the Northern Expedition. Yesterday Cui Sanshe and Ren Zhiqing came to Xiangyang and made it clear that Zhai Xing will attack Luoyang this winter and hope that we will Assistance. This is not a trivial matter. We must discuss it carefully in order to make the right decision. Today, we will discuss this issue clearly so that everyone has an idea."
Everyone said yes together.
Wang Xiaolie said: "The meeting is chaired by Counselor Wang, and Counselor Chen is here today to serve as secretary and take notes. Everyone can speak freely and express their opinions. This matter is not trivial. Just say whatever you have to say, and don't say anything. concern."
Wang Ruohai said: "Zhai Xing is in Yiyang, with a total force of about 6,000. Because all his troops are in mountainous areas, 6,000 people can farm and fight in order to avoid starvation. Meng Bangxiong of Luoyang was originally a local tycoon in Yong'an. It became a force in troubled times. It is said that it has 50,000 soldiers. Of course, this cannot be taken seriously. As far as we know, Meng Bangxiong has about 8,000 soldiers and horses. They are a mixed bag of fish and dragons, and everyone is there. Their combat effectiveness is very doubtful. . Just judging from the strength of the two armies, Zhai Xing should have the upper hand."
Niu Gao said: "Zhai Xing's Northern Expedition, will Dong Xian from Yongning participate in the war?"
Wang Ruohai said: "They should participate in the war. Dong Xian occupied four counties and had more than 3,000 soldiers. He was named the deputy envoy of Zhenfu in Henan Prefecture. In fact, he did not listen to Zhai Xing's command. However, when Zhai Xing went north, Dong Xian did not We will wait and see. We estimate that Dong Xian may wait and see in the early stage. If Zhai Xing has the upper hand, he may quickly send troops to occupy Luoyang. If Zhai Xing is unfavorable in the battle, Dong Fu will not rescue him."
Li Yanxian said: "Zhai Xing has 6,000 soldiers and Dong Xian has 3,000 soldiers. If they can attack together, their military strength is superior to that of Meng Bangxiong. However, now that the world is in chaos and people's hearts are scattered, who can explain what each one thinks? We estimate , it is still based on Zhai Xing's army, don't count Dong Xian. Zhai Xing's Northern Expedition must start from Yique Town along the Yihe River Valley. First attack Pengpo and Longmen Town, and then attack Luoyang City. Meng Bangxiong's defense It should be in Longmen Town and make use of the local terrain."
From Luoyang to the western mountainous area, there are mainly three valleys: Yishui, Luoshui and Gushui. Zhai Xing stationed himself in Yiyang and occupied the Yishui River Valley. Dong Xian occupied the four counties of Shouan, Fuchang, Yongning and Changshui, in the Luoshui River Valley. Along the Gushui coast are Xin'an, Mianchi, etc., leading to Shaanzhou.
Attack Luoyang from the Luoshui and Gushui valleys, and there is no danger for Luoyang to be defended. The key points of these two roads are outside. The Gushui Valley is in Mianchi. The terrain is difficult and it is the gate of Luoyang. The Luoshui Valley is in Changshui. The mountains and dense forests between it and Lushi County are difficult to pass through. Only the Yi River is different. In the lower reaches, the terrain is open and roads extend in all directions. When we arrived near Luoyang, Longmen was the most dangerous place with two mountains facing each other and a river in the middle.
Longmen is the south gate of Luoyang. As long as you guard this place, the south of Luoyang will be safe.
Wang Xiaolie said: "One more thing must be considered. Luoyang is in ruins. Before coming to Xiangyang, we had been to Luoyang. The city walls had long since collapsed, and there was no human habitation for dozens of miles outside the city. It is very difficult to hold on to the city. Zhai Xing In the Northern Expedition, the most likely place for war between the two sides is Longmen Town. The terrain there is difficult, and it is not easy to enter Luoyang if you hold the pass tightly."
Several people discussed for a while, and they all felt that the possibility of Dong Xian participating in the war in the early stage was not high, and the war between the two sides should be concentrated in the Longmen area.
Shao Ling said: "We came south through Longmen Town. The pass there has long been gone. Judging from Meng Bangxiong's behavior in the past two years, it doesn't look like he can build these defense facilities in a short time. Zhai Xing went on the Northern Expedition. It should be said that Meng Bangxiong is difficult to block!"
Wang Xiaolie nodded: "Yes, judging from the strength of both sides, Zhai Xing has a high chance of winning the Northern Expedition. But the most difficult thing in this battle is not to defeat Meng Bangxiong and occupy Luoyang. It is whether they can hold on to Luoyang after occupying it. How will other forces, especially the puppet Qi and Jin, react? Whether they will save Luoyang, how many troops they will send, and how determined they are are the most important."
Wang Ruohai said: "Yes, what Commander Jie has been worried about is that occupying Luoyang will lead to an all-out attack by the Jin army. The Jin army's invasion to the south was divided into two armies, the east and west. Now the east route army still has 20,000 to 30,000 troops in the Huaihe River. The rest all came to Shaanxi. The Jin army in Shaanxi counted between 50,000 and 60,000 people. As for the West Route Army, except for less than 10,000 people in Shaanxi and about 10,000 people outside the Hedong Road, most of them withdrew to Yunzhong. Jin If the army rescues Luoyang, unless a large army is sent from Yunzhong, it can only draw people from Shaanxi."
Li Yanxian said: "This is the most ideal situation. The entire Shaanxi army only has 50,000 to 60,000 people, so sending 20,000 to 30,000 to rescue Luoyang is already the limit. Liu Yu in the east, even if he sends an army that will overwhelm the country, will not exceed five. Thousands of people. If we press forward with all our troops, we can stop them."
Shao Ling said: "Our combined armies from Ruzhou and Shangzhou are about 40,000 people, and they can still withstand the 20,000 to 30,000 Jin army. Add in the threat from Shangzhou to Jingzhao Mansion, and it shouldn't be too difficult."
Niu Gao said: "There are about 20,000 troops on the right, and 10,000 more troops will be drawn from the rear to support them. Although the 50,000 to 60,000 troops blocking Liu Yu are barely able, they should be able to defend Yingchang Mansion. If the middle route army leaves Zhengzhou, it will be safe." "
Wang Ruohai nodded: "This is the best."
Wang Xiaolie looked at the map on the table, and after a while he said: "Liu Yu is not worthy of the Dao. If the Jin army only comes from Shaanxi with 20,000 to 30,000 people, it will naturally not do anything to us. What I am most worried about is Nianhan in the clouds. If Nianhan's army comes out in full force and goes straight down to Luoyang, it will not be easy to stop it. Unfortunately, in just two or three years, we still can't know the situation of Nianhan."
The others were silent after hearing this and stopped talking.
Nianhan in Yunzhong is now the largest military group of the Jin Army, with a mobile force of about 60,000 to 70,000 people that can be dispatched at one time. With all his strength going south, and with the cooperation of other Jin troops, it would still be very difficult for Wang Xiaolie to stop them. Wang Xiaolie was reluctant to go north because he was worried that he would be surrounded by the Jin army on all sides. Even if it can be resisted, it will take a lot of effort and cause too much damage to the Jin Army. If we have this time and energy, it is better to develop Xiangyang and Dengzhou and accumulate strength.
After a while, Wang Xiaolie said: "We occupy Luoyang, will Nianhan go south? To be honest, I can't convince myself that the Jin army will be so united and determined to do such a big thing. Nianhan will go south with all his strength, Shaanxi will also attack, and more than 100,000 Jin troops will be gathered around Luoyang City. When they besieged Kaifeng Mansion, there were only 80,000 Jin troops. Does Luoyang City have such a status in the hearts of the Jin troops? Impossible!"
Wang Ruohai said: "That's what Commander Jie said. In the eyes of the Jin Army, everything south of the Yellow River is abandoned land. Xiangyang and Dengzhou, including the counties in the south, have all been robbed. Why did the Jin Army spend so much effort?"
"Yes, theoretically speaking, the Jin Army should not do this. But in the past few years, the Jin Army has been invincible and has no obstacles. What will happen if their reinforcements fail to save Luoyang? It is really unclear. "
Wang Xiaolie looked at the map and hesitated for a moment.
