Just as Zhuge Liang and the others were dividing their forces and marching eastward to Chang'an, Yang Qing was also discussing how to deal with Cao Zhen's attack.
"Your Majesty, there is news from the guards in Chang'an City that the five thousand cavalry recruited by Cao Zhen from Yicheng and Wugong have all arrived in Chang'an, and he has selected five thousand elites from the Chang'an garrison, and plans to lead these troops tomorrow. Ten thousand Wei soldiers came to attack our army." After all the generals arrived, Wu Que was the first to speak to Yang Qing to report the latest military information.
Yang Qingdao: "In this case, Cao Zhen's army will be able to reach Anling as soon as the day after tomorrow. Everyone, the plan to force Cao Zhen to attack has been successful. Next, it is time to think about how to deal with these 10,000 Wei troops."
"I'll wait and listen to the envoy's military orders." All the generals said in unison.
Anling and Chang'an are only dozens of miles away, Cao Zhen is approaching in the near future, and the military situation is urgent. Yang Qing no longer solicits everyone's opinions as usual, and directly deploys: "Forget it, I won't ask everyone for any clever ideas.
Although Cao Zhen only brought 10,000 soldiers and horses out of the city, these 10,000 soldiers and horses of his are all elite troops with sophisticated skills, and their combat power is by no means comparable to the 10,000 people we have hastily gathered in our hands.
Our army is said to have 13,000 men, but the only ones who can compete head-on with the Wei army in the field are the 4,000 cavalry we brought with us.
Therefore, this battle should focus on defense, first rely on Anling City to frustrate its vigor, and then counterattack at the appropriate time. Do you all understand? "
This was the most appropriate response strategy, and everyone agreed in a heartbeat.
Zhang Yi said: "Your Majesty, although the defensive counterattack is a foolproof strategy, Feng Yi and Hongnong still have tens of thousands of Wei troops. They will definitely return to the rescue at full speed after receiving Cao Zhen's military orders. When they rush back to Chang'an to join the battle, our army will Surrounded by 20,000 troops, it is inevitable that the Wei army will not be trapped here by then."
"Bo Qi doesn't need to worry. Although Yan He's army has been ordered to return, it has just left Hongnong and is still in Feng Yi's territory. And I have already sent an order to Feng Chong to harass the Wei army along the way and slow down the Wei army, so we still have some A certain amount of time." Yang Qing explained in a relaxed tone.
Zhang Ni said: "So that's how it is. If it's like this, you can rest assured."
Yang Qing hummed and said secretly: "I am also asking Yan and this Wei army to return for reinforcements. If they stay behind the army, it will be a hidden danger after all and will be detrimental to future actions."
"Your Majesty, when is the time to fight back?" Liu Yin asked.
Yang Qing smiled and said: "Xiuran is a good question. I am about to discuss this matter with you. I want you to know that the prime minister has decided to personally lead the army to Chang'an. By then, Cao Zhen will be attacked from both sides.
Chang'an is the foundation of Cao Wei in Guanzhong, and there is no room for loss. When we know that the Prime Minister's army is advancing eastward, Cao Zhen will definitely withdraw his troops and return. This is a good opportunity for us to counterattack. "
"I see, once the Prime Minister's army arrives, the pressure on me will be much less." Liu Yin said excitedly.
Zhang Ni and others cheered when they heard this. They thought that the purpose of sending troops south to intimidate Chang'an was to gain a favorable opportunity for the Prime Minister's army. At this moment, the Prime Minister's army marching eastward to Chang'an has the potential to capture the city in one fell swoop. If Chang'an is recovered, Guanzhong It’s possible.
Zhang Ni asked excitedly: "Your Majesty, the Prime Minister is going east to take advantage of the opportunity to regain Chang'an?"
"It should be so. This time Cao Zhen led the army to attack. There are not many troops left in Chang'an. It is a good opportunity to take advantage of it." Before Yang Qing could answer, Tao Gong, who was sitting under Liu Yin, said excitedly.
"Yes, if we don't take Chang'an now, how long will it take?"
"If we want to regain Chang'an, we must hold Cao Zhen back and never allow him to return for reinforcements."
"As long as we take Chang'an, Guanzhong will be ours sooner or later."
...
Hearing the hope of regaining Chang'an, the ancient capital of the Han Dynasty, all the generals and commanders were excited and started talking about it.
Yang Qing fully understood their mood at this time, and he never wanted to take advantage of the favorable situation to regain Chang'an in one fell swoop. However, he knew that although his side had the upper hand in the current situation, Chang'an was still not easily captured by the Han army.
"Ahem."
Yang Qing coughed twice, stopped everyone's discussion, and said with a smile: "Everyone, whether we want to capture Chang'an or not, the Prime Minister's intention must be judged based on the situation on the subsequent battlefield. If the time is right, our army will take back the old territory in one fell swoop. All.
However, I would like to remind you that although our army has the upper hand in the current battle situation, the puppet Wei Dynasty still has an army of no less than 20,000 people on the line from Chang'an to Chencang. It is not that simple for our army to regain Chang'an. You must not be impatient, let alone careless. "
"We will obey your envoy's teachings." After hearing these words, everyone calmed down and bowed down to receive the teachings.
Upon seeing this, Yang Qing nodded with satisfaction, and continued: "The primary purpose of the Prime Minister's march eastward with the army this time is the same as that of our march south. The main purpose is to create a situation that threatens Chang'an and forces the Wei army's defense line to cause chaos and expose flaws.
The prime minister and I have made an agreement. If the time is right, he will lead his army to suddenly turn north and attack Cao Zhen with us. Once Cao Zhen's Wei army is annihilated, the entire battle situation will come alive. At that time, our army can easily choose the direction of the attack. "
"It turns out that the plan of the prime minister and the envoy is indeed exquisite. This is to keep the initiative on the battlefield in the hands of our army." Zhang Yi praised.
Yang Qing smiled and said: "That's the truth. However, in order to implement this plan, we must first block Cao Zhen's attack."
"Let you rest assured that although we can't defeat Cao Zhen with the city in hand, the general can still hold it. I'll give you the orders and we will fight bravely and fight to the death." Liu Yin said firmly.
Yang Qingdao: "I have always had an idea, that is, the defenders of the city must not hide all the troops inside the city. They must leave a certain amount of troops outside the city to respond to the defenders in the city, so that they can hold on for a long time.
So I decided to send a group of cavalry to fight guerrillas outside the city. Bo Qi, I leave this important task to you. "
Zhang Ni raised his hand in agreement and asked, "Your Majesty, I wonder how many troops you have brought with you to guerrilla?"
"You will lead three thousand cavalry to attack."
Zhang Yi hesitated and said: "Our army only has four thousand veterans. Now that you have taken away three thousand people at once, it is inevitable that you will not take good care of them. You should only take two thousand riders out of the city."
"No, with the city as a backing, it's enough to leave a thousand old soldiers here in Anling, not to mention we still have thousands of new soldiers. Although the new soldiers are not strong in combat, they are still capable of defending the city."
Most of these recruits were farmers. Under Cao Wei's farm system, farmers not only farmed the fields, they also needed to undergo military training for a period of time every year. They also had to undertake military tasks of guarding, patrolling, and catching thieves.
Therefore, these recruits are not without military experience, and with the training they have received these days, it is not a problem for them to go to the city to defend.
Seeing that Yang Qing was convinced, Zhang Ni stopped trying to persuade him and said yes with clasped fists. Yang Qing's thoughts moved and he asked Liu Yin: "By the way, Xiuran, how are you collecting military supplies and supplies from Changling and other counties?"
Cao Zhen's army was approaching fiercely, and Yang Qing could not defend himself in various places. He had already ordered people to carry grain and grass from various cities and gather them in Anling to concentrate his strength against the Wei army.
"Replying to the envoy, we have almost finished transporting the food and grass."
Yang Qing nodded and shouted: "Okay, now everything is ready and we are just waiting for the enemy to come."
Early the next morning, Zhang Yi led three thousand cavalry out of the south of the city, while Yang Qing and others stepped up to strengthen the city defenses in preparation for the attack of Cao Zhen's army.
