Tang Dynasty Mingyue Song Dynasty Pass

Chapter 823 The unbearable weight
Before Su Chen was about to leave the palace, Yang Ling'er waved her hand gently and dismissed the servants and palace maids around her, wishing to be alone with him in this small space.

Her behavior completely disregarded the constraints of her status, as if at this moment, all the rules and etiquette in the world had become nothingness.

With an anxious but affectionate heart, she slowly stepped forward and personally embraced Su Chen in her arms. Her tenderness and determination were beyond what words could express.

Her hug was not only a reluctance to part with the person who was about to go on a long journey, but also an expression of her deep fear - she was afraid that if Su Chen encountered an accident, would she still have enough courage and strength to face this lonely world and the cruel court.

In this friendship, Yang Ling'er seemed to have entrusted all her tenacity and fragility to Su Chen without reservation, just because she knew that his safety had become the most unbearable burden in her heart.

Because Yang Ling'er and Su Chen are deeply bound together, and once Su Chen gets into trouble, dies on the battlefield, and can never come back, Yang Ling'er will be in a very dangerous situation, unless she hardens her heart and starts to be an empress, then protects Su Chen's family, holds power tightly throughout her life, and makes all the men of this era crawl at her feet.

Su Chen repeatedly assured Yang Ling'er that he would be cautious and would never take risks by charging into battle, which made Yang Ling'er feel at ease.

When leaving, Yang Linger looked at Su Chen's receding back and swore in her heart: If anything happened to Brother Su Chen, she would follow the example of Wu Zetian and use an iron-blooded fist to protect herself and Su Chen's family.

On his way back to Jinling, Su Chen was still thinking about Yang Ling'er's future. Once he succeeded, it would be a relief for Yang Ling'er, but he also had to think of a way out for her.

I can give her a lifetime of wealth and glory, or I can give her a very high status and honor. No matter how she wants to start a family, I can satisfy her!

As for whether he should marry her, Su Chen had never thought about it before. The main reason was that Ling'er was young and he treated her as a sister, so he didn't have any improper thoughts. If Ling'er really had this idea a few years later, Su Chen would seriously consider it.

In short, Su Chen just hopes that Ling'er can be happy and make up for anything he has given her in this world!

.........

Su Chen returned to Jinling City and immediately began to make arrangements, but he did not issue an order to prepare for the Northern Expedition, because speed is of the essence in war, and even more so, confidentiality of military intelligence. Therefore, Su Chen only ordered each army to intensify training and continuously send them out to strengthen their physical fitness, because in the north, the battle would be tough.

Historically, Sun Quan's northern expeditions were never effective, because the soldiers in the south of the Yangtze River were relatively weak. They had neither good war horses nor strong bodies. In addition, they were absent-minded when crossing the river to fight in the north. They had no strong desire to win and had never fought a tough battle on land. As a result, they were overwhelmed by Zhang Liao's 800 cavalrymen and killed 100,000 Wu soldiers.

This time, Su Chen selected elite soldiers to form the main force. In addition, there were special forces, cavalry units, Shenjiying, etc., to prepare for a tough battle with the Song army.

Everything was ready. Near the Qingming Festival, Su Chen sent people to find generals such as Lin Renzhao, Pan Mei, and Pan Chongche, and then he told them the exact time of his Northern Expedition.

"I have returned from the capital and told the court the truth about the Northern Expedition. With the strong support of the king and the military council, we will divide our troops into three groups and attack the Song Dynasty three days after the Qingming Festival!"

After Su Chen finished speaking, several people who came to attend the meeting of senior generals were surprised.

This was too sudden. Although we knew that Su Chen had always wanted to attack the Song Dynasty, he did not say a specific time. Now that it was announced, we were all very surprised.

The time is approaching. Fortunately, there is sufficient food and grass, complete weapons and armor, and the troops have been training all the time. They are always in a state of training before the war and can go out at any time. "General Su, we all listen to your dispatch. When you say when to send troops, we will go out!" Lin Renzhao said with joy. The last time he fought against the Song army, it was a pity that the Southern Tang emperor did not trust him and fell into a plot to alienate him, which led to Lin Renzhao being imprisoned and unable to play a role in resisting the Northern Song army.

At this moment, Lin Renzhao, once the greatest general of Southern Tang, wanted to confront the generals and army of the Song Dynasty.

"I have always been curious about the northern troops. I wonder if their fighting ability is really that strong. This time I finally have the chance to fight them."

As the most famous general of Southern Han, Pan Chongche was also very curious about the Song army and wanted to fight them.

Only Pan Mei did not speak, because he used to be a general of Song Dynasty, but was captured and surrendered by Su Chen. Therefore, he still had some feelings towards the Song army. He did not speak provocatively or contemptuously, but instead felt a sense of emotion and helplessness in his heart.

However, Pan Mei did not regret it, because each of them served his own master. He was now a general of the Wu State and had to fight for the Wu State. Once the Song Dynasty returned to the Wu State, he could return to the north.

In addition, Pan Mei used to be a general of the Later Zhou Dynasty. After the Later Zhou Dynasty was seized by Zhao Kuangyin, the Song Dynasty was established. Pan Mei was a Song citizen for only seven years before he was conquered by Su Chen and became a Wu citizen. Therefore, he did not have such deep feelings for the Song Dynasty. Instead, he had some attachment to his homeland in the north.

"This time, the troops will be divided into three routes. General Lin Renzhao will lead 50,000 troops, mainly navy, to go out to sea along the river, then land in the Taizhou area, attack Taizhou City and Rugao City, and open up the eastern defense line north of the river."

"General Pan Chongche led 50,000 troops and crossed the river from Caishiji to attack the Hezhou area, pinning down the Song army in the west and cutting off the connection between the east and the west.

"I will personally lead an army of 200,000 men, together with Pan Mei, to launch a frontal attack from Guazhou Ferry, attack Yangzhou, and attract the main force of the Song army. General Pan Mei is familiar with the habits and fighting style of the Song army, so he can also give me advice and lead the troops into battle!"

Su Chen expressed his strategic ideas with a clear division of labor. Lin Renzhao and Pan Chongche were both famous generals, one was the best general of Southern Tang and the other was the best general of Southern Han. They could definitely stand on their own.

As for Pan Mei, since he was a general of the State of Song before, he was not suitable to lead an army alone. If he was persuaded to surrender by his former comrades and turned against them in the battle, he would be in big trouble.

Therefore, Su Chen brought him around, firstly to supervise him, and secondly to let Pan Mei know at all times that he was already a citizen of Wu and had to follow him to conquer the world and unify the north and the south, and could not choose to turn back.

In addition, Pan Mei was familiar with the combat skills and habits of the Song army. With Su Chen as his advisor, he could learn many ways to deal with the Song army, which was a win-win situation.

"Commander Su, do we need to mobilize the entire army soon?"

Su Chen said in a deep voice: "No need! Risky moves in war require speed and surprise. I have a plan in mind. I want my eastern and western armies to not issue a clear order for the Northern Expedition for the time being, but to lead the army quietly out of the camp under the pretext of an exercise to conduct actual combat training. In this way, we can confuse the Song army scouts and make them relax their vigilance, and we can also train our army in actual combat. On the eve of landing, we will suddenly issue an order to march. By then, the Song army will be caught off guard, and our army can quickly break through the Jiangbei defense line like a tiger descending from the mountain.

"Then, in the area north of the Yangtze River, our army must advance steadily and cautiously, and engage in a head-on confrontation with the Song army. The goal of the first year is to firmly occupy the Huainan area south of the Huai River, and use this as a foundation as the first phase of our army's strategic goal for the Northern Expedition!"

"That makes sense!" Upon hearing this, the generals' eyes lit up and they nodded one after another. They had already understood the depth and subtlety of Su Chen's strategy.