Jiuxi

Chapter 97 096 [In the Palm of the Stock]

When the sky is twilight.

A Yan Army soldier stood on the strong and towering wall of Qingtian City, staring blankly at the south.

"What's wrong?" Seeing his almost dazed look, a colleague couldn't help but asked curiously.

The soldier did not answer and still maintained his original posture. His comrades followed his line of sight and soon looked like him - looking at the Qi Army's "camp" in the distance in disbelief.

Not long after, generals of all levels of the garrison appeared on the city wall. Looking at the suddenly quiet and empty world outside the city, they subconsciously thought that this must be a conspiracy of the enemy.

The general immediately sent people to cautiously leave the city, and conducted a large-scale reconnaissance around Qingtian City, more than 30 miles away to the south. Finally, he confirmed that it was neither an illusion nor a plan by the Qi army.

Almost at the same moment, the defenders at Yongquan Pass in the east made similar discoveries.

By the time the messengers from these two places arrived at Tongshan City, it was already setting sun.

In the meeting hall, Chen Jingtang said coldly in disbelief: "Did the Qi army retreat?"

The messenger replied uneasily: "Yes, sir. General Liu was worried about fraud, so he sent a ranger out of the city to investigate and confirmed that the Qi army had withdrawn to the south. About 30 miles to the south, our sentry discovered a small group of the Qi army. The figures of the elite cavalry are covering the retreat of the large forces, and at the same time preventing our sentry cavalry from continuing to go south to inquire for information."

The messenger from Yongquan Pass on the other side also said something similar.

Chen Jingtang waved them away, and the hall fell into deathly silence.

Dongyang Road General Zhang Junsi, Moyang Road Soldiers and Horses Chief Zhu Zhen, and Jiangbei Road Deputy Chief of Soldiers and Horses Ma Quanjie who had just arrived, the three military generals looked at each other with deep uneasiness in their hearts.

After a while, Chen Jingtang looked at Wang Shidao, who was looking solemn, and asked: "Wang Shizheng, what are Xiao Wangzhi planning to do?"

For the Huaizhou Army of the Southern Qi Dynasty, taking advantage of the remaining power of the victory in the Battle of Qingxia to continue northward and strive to capture Qingtian City and Yongquan Pass is the best strategy. Even if they can only capture one place, they can also occupy it in the future. Strategic level advantages.

This point has long been the consensus of everyone in the hall, so they are gearing up to prepare for a decisive battle with the Huaizhou Army outside Qingtian City.

However, just when the Yan army had gathered more than [-] troops and was about to seek an opportunity for a decisive battle, Xiao Wangzhi led his troops to retreat south.

Wang Shidao frowned and said slowly: "After the Battle of Qingxia, Xiao Wangzhi has two choices. One is to attack our Qingtian City all the way north like this. The second is to stabilize the defense line. Withdraw the main force to rest and recuperate, and then send troops from Panlong Pass to the west of Huaizhou. However, we have conducted deductions before, and Xiao Wangzhi's troops are not enough to support his second choice."

Zhang Junsi took over and said: "It's not just a matter of military strength. The terrain west of Panlong Pass is wide and he can't protect his baggage line at all. If it's the second one, it means that Southern Qi has decided to launch an all-out war with our country. Those people in the southern court will never support Xiao Wangzhi doing this."

This is a truth that everyone understands, but it cannot explain the reason why Xiao Wangzhi withdrew his troops.

Under normal circumstances, as long as Xiao Wangzhi was not crazy, he would not choose to send troops from Panlong Pass in the west, because after leaving the pass, it is the northeast of Beiyan Moyang Road, with cities one after another scattered on the Jiangbei Plain.

With only the small strength of the Huaizhou Army, even if it is overwhelming all the way, it can only push forward for more than a hundred miles, and then it will be dragged down by the baggage line.

His only choice was to continue north from the northern border of Huaizhou, and direct his troops towards Qingtian City or Yongquan Pass on Dongyang Road, so as to obtain the greatest results at the smallest cost.

In the early stages of the war, it was indeed as Zhang Junsi and others expected. Xiao Wangzhi took the lead with the reinforced Beijing troops and stormed all the way to the north.

However, at the most critical moment, he retreated.

Ma Quanjie, the deputy general manager of the Jiangbei Road Army and Horses, was not very familiar with the situation here. Seeing everyone fell into silence again, he asked cautiously: "Could it be that Xiao Wangzhi realized that our army's reinforcements had arrived, and he did not dare to fight in the Qingtian Valley?" , so take the initiative to withdraw troops to eliminate risks?”

"This is not Xiao Wangzhi's style." Chen Jingtang shook his head and said, "Unless he never thought about capturing Qingtian City or Yongquan Pass from the beginning, all attacks are just feints."

"Doesn't he care about the losses caused by storming Qingtian City, just to make our army exhausted?" Zhu Zhen frowned.

Zhang Junsi said in a deep voice: "If our army had not mobilized reinforcements to come to Tongshan City, his feint attack would have turned into an actual attack. In the final analysis, because of the defeat in the Battle of Qingxia, the initiative in the war rests with Xiao Wangzhi In our hands. If he advances into Qingtian City, we can only send troops to reinforce him, because the inherent balance between Dongyang Road and Huaizhou has been broken."

This is the real manifestation of the subsequent chain reaction of the Battle of Qingxia.

Before this battle, Zhang Junsi's troops were slightly more powerful than Xiao Wangzhi's, so the two sides could watch each other in peace and harmony.

But when more than half of Dongyang Road's military strength was lost, they could only follow Xiao Wangzhi's rhythm.

Zhu Zhen quickly figured out the problem and asked: "Your Majesty, will our army continue to attack southward, or will we return to our base after resting?"

Before Chen Jingtang could speak, Wang Shidao suddenly said: "The real reason for Xiao Wangzhi's withdrawal should be that he only has three routes of Beijing Army, Feiyun Army and Pingshan Army. The other elites of the Huaizhou Army have already returned to the south and left from the west of Panlong Pass. Head straight towards my Chao Moyang Road territory."

This plain sentence was like a thunderous explosion.

"What...what's the point of this?" Ma Quanjie said in shock.

The Huaizhou Army's elite troops hiding in the rear are only 6 in total. How much of a threat can this small force pose to Moyang Road?
The crux of the problem is that even if the Huaizhou Army can take advantage for a while, they lack follow-up support and will be driven back to Huaizhou before too long, which is just a waste of elite troops.

Wang Shidao exhaled a thick breath, and his tone sounded very bitter: "But now the troops on Moyang Road are very empty."

The first person to react was Zhu Zhen, the general manager of the Moyang Road Military and Horse Department.

At this moment, he felt a sudden burst of cold sweat on his back, and his face turned slightly pale.

Beiyan was used to deal with Southern Qi's 30-strong army, which was deployed on Jiangbei Road and Moyang Road in the south, and Dongyang Road in the east.

Now more than half of the army is concentrated in Tongshan City, and the combined strength of Jiangbei Road and Moyang Road is just over [-].

Wang Shidao added: "The 6 Huaizhou Army is not terrible. Chen Xiaokuan can probably handle it by staying in the big city, but Li Tianrun will definitely not miss this opportunity." Li Tianrun...

Zhu Zhen and Ma Quanjie's expressions changed at the same time. They were very aware of the methods of this famous Southern Qi general.

In the Battle of Mengshan that year, Li Tianrun achieved the result of killing more than 1 people. You must know that these people are the real elites of Jing Dynasty's hundreds of battles. They are the core force that captured Heluo City. Their combat power far exceeds that of Lu Chen in Guangling. Jing Jun seen outside the city.

The fog clears and the truth emerges.

In their view, this battle was obviously a joint plan between Li Tianrun and Xiao Wangzhi.

After the Battle of Qingxia, Xiao Wangzhi first made the move to move the army northward, which caused Chen Jingtang to make a wrong judgment. He transferred a large number of elites from Jiangbei Road and Moyang Road to Dongyang Road, and then led his army to withdraw southward at the critical moment.

Maybe at this time, the elite troops under Xiao Wangzhi's command have left Panlong Pass in the west and entered the heart of Moyang Road.

Li Tianrun will definitely ask the Jingzhou Army to cooperate, one from north to south and the other from south to north, like two fierce fists attacking Moyang Road.

In short, when Chen Jingtang decided to fight in the Qingtian Valley, the Qi army's strategic target was no longer Qingtian City or Yongquan Pass, but Moyang Road, which was empty of troops!

Chen Jingtang's eyes turned red and he murmured: "What good will this do to Xiao Wangzhi?"

This is a question he can't figure out.

If Qingtian City and Yongquan Pass can be captured, this will be the achievement of the Huaizhou Dudu Mansion.

Sweeping half of Moyang Road's territory was the work of the Jingzhou Governor's Mansion.

Make wedding clothes for others?
Chen Jingtang's chest felt tight, and he could hardly restrain his panic.

Wang Shidao looked gloomy and said with difficulty: "Your Majesty, when our army attacked the northern part of Huaizhou, Li Tianrun knew our army's strategy in advance and sent his Feiyu battalion down the river to help without notifying Xiao Wangzhi. Guangling. The relationship between these two people is obviously closer than we expected, and-"

He paused and said solemnly: "If the Jingzhou Army and the Huaizhou Army cooperate to capture the eastern part of Moyang Road, it means that the area controlled by Li Tianrun can extend all the way north along the Shuangfeng Mountains. In other words, Southern Qi The Jingzhou Dudu’s Mansion and the Huaizhou Dudu’s Mansion will be connected together.”

Everyone fell silent.

That's the scariest thing.

Li Tianrun and Xiao Wangzhi are not easy to deal with. If the Southern Qi court had not always had enough support, they would not have been trapped in one place and hesitated to move forward.

If the areas under their control are allowed to be connected together, I am afraid that the Qi Dynasty's Northern Expedition will really be put on the agenda.

Zhang Junsi couldn't care less about complaining about Wang Shidao at this moment, and said to Chen Jingtang: "Your Majesty, you must make a decision as soon as possible."

Regardless of whether all of Wang Shidao's inferences are correct, we cannot allow 10,000+ troops to continue to stay in Tongshan City now.

Chen Jingtang's chest kept rising and falling, and his mind was in complete chaos.

Upon seeing this, Zhu Zhen asked cautiously: "How about our army continue to go south to attack the northern border of Huaizhou?"

Zhang Junsi shook his head without thinking and said: "Xiao Wangzhi still has three routes of Beijing Army, Feiyun Army and Pingshan Army. The security line is so strong that even if all our troops move south, it will be difficult to break through in a short time. "

Zhu Zhendeng was helpless.

Are you going to lead your troops back again?

To return from Dongyang Road to Moyang Road, you have to walk north for a while, then turn west, and finally go south. This is not a distance that can be covered in a few days.

Even if he leads his troops back quickly at all costs, how much morale will his troops have left?

Not to mention the Jiangbei Army, which is farther away.

Chen Jingtang gradually calmed down at this moment, and gritted his teeth and said: "General Zhang is right, now is not the time to complain or delay. General Manager Zhu, Deputy General Manager Ma, you should immediately return with your subordinates along the same route. Deputy General Manager Ma, please don't go back for the time being." Jiangbei Road, go to Moyang Road with Manager Zhu."

Although Zhu Zhen and Ma Quanjie were extremely depressed, they could only stand up and accept their orders.

Chen Jingtang said again: "General Zhang, you will deploy another 5000 people to reinforce Qingtian City and maintain [-] defenders at Yongquan Pass. Remind the two guards that if Xiao Wangzhi comes back, our army will not have reinforcements for the time being, and they must defend to the death. In addition, leave [-] soldiers and horses in Tongshan City to defend the city, and you will lead the remaining troops to follow me to Moyang Road immediately."

Zhang Junsi said solemnly: "The last general will take orders."

Chen Jingtang did not have any illusions in his mind, that is, Wang Shidao's speculation would not become reality. Perhaps Xiao Wangzhi just noticed that the army was gathering in the north, so he gave up his plan to continue the attack.

At this moment, a school captain walked quickly outside the hall and said in panic: "Report! Sir Privy Council, six days ago a large group of Qi troops suddenly appeared on Moyang Road, deceived the Xinchang city gate and captured the city in one fell swoop. Xinchang The fallen defender died in battle, and his cronies escaped desperately to report the news. The Qi army, under the banner of Panlong, Taixing and other Huaizhou troops, should have come from the west of Panlong Pass."

A dead silence.

"puff--"

Chen Jingtang spat out a mouthful of blood and fell down on his back.

"My lord! Your Majesty the Privy Council!"

There was chaos in the hall.

(End of this chapter)