Tang Dynasty Mingyue Song Dynasty Pass

Chapter 835 Pan Cao Confrontation
Cao Bin led an army of 100,000 and arrived at the north bank of the Huai River. He immediately ordered his soldiers to dig trenches and deploy defenses along the river. The camps that stretched for ten miles were like a giant dragon, showing a determination to stop the Wu army from continuing to advance northward.

This move seemed to be a safe defensive strategy, but in fact it was a hidden trick, testing the patience and perseverance of both sides. Although the Huaihe River defense line was not as difficult to cross as the Yangtze River, crossing the river was not an easy task either, and the slightest mistake could lead to an irreversible disaster. Cao Bin knew this very well, and he chose to take steady steps and set up multiple defense lines, in order to stabilize the morale of the army and give full play to the tenacity and advantages of the northern army.

He thought that if the Wu army wanted to continue to move north, they would face the difficult challenge of crossing the river. At that time, whether it was to suddenly attack the Wu army when they were halfway across the river to disrupt their formation, or to cleverly set up an ambush to lure the enemy deep into the river and then give them a fatal blow, it would be a way for Cao Bin to win.

With an experienced and profound attitude, he quietly waited for the opportunity to come, like a patient hunter, quietly waiting for the appearance of prey.

However, Pan Mei was no ordinary man. He was well versed in military tactics and had a keen eye. He had already seen through Cao Bin's seemingly ordinary but actually sharp strategic intentions. So, he led an army of 150,000 soldiers to station on the south bank of Huainan. On the one hand, he actively trained his troops, especially focusing on the training and improvement of the navy, but on the other hand, he kept his troops on hold and was not in a hurry to go north to confront Cao Bin head-on.

Pan Mei also had a far-reaching plan in his mind. He followed Cao Bin's strategy and prepared to attack the Song army when they were halfway across the river to disrupt their deployment. He also secretly dispatched three elite troops to lurk in the rear and two crucial passes, waiting for the Song army to cross the river and penetrate deep into the enemy's territory, and then intercept and ambush them like a tiger descending from a mountain, striving to win in one battle.

At this moment, these two middle-aged generals, who are at the peak of their lives, each commanded an equally powerful army, with abundant food and grass, a strong national strength, and the firm trust and support of the court behind them. They knew that in this contest that concerned the fate of the country, impatience and rashness would only push themselves into the abyss of failure.

Therefore, they chose to remain silent and wait, just like two top masters confronting each other at the top of the martial arts world, and every move and every style must be extremely cautious. Whoever reveals a flaw first may encounter a thundering blow from the other party and be pursued relentlessly.

Su Chen led a 100,000-strong elite army, traveled day and night, quietly left the camp, and rushed all the way to Chuzhou. In Chuzhou, Lin Renzhao had already led 50,000 troops to prepare for battle, and with the newly reorganized 30,000 new troops, the number of troops increased sharply, and the morale was high, just like the rising sun, shining brightly.

Su Chen's trip was extremely secretive. He did not alarm too many people. He only quietly summoned several core generals such as Lin Renzhao, Lin Juyi, and Shi Taizhao to the depths of his barracks to discuss major plans.

When Lin Renzhao and others saw Su Chen coming in person, they were all surprised and speculated in their hearts. Lin Renzhao spoke first, with a hint of disbelief in his voice: "Marshal Su, you actually led the troops to the east to supervise the battle?"

Su Chen smiled mysteriously and said, "We are not supervising the battle, but attacking through a passage. We will cross the sea and enter Jiangbei to attack Haizhou! Between Haizhou and Chuzhou, there are 50,000 Lianshui troops stationed by the Song army. Once the battle starts in Haizhou, the Lianshui army will definitely send troops to rescue. Then I will besiege the city from the back and attack the reinforcements. You can take the opportunity to cross the river and attack the Lianshui military camp on the north bank of the Huai River. At that time, we will attack from both sides and take over the territory of Haizhou and Lianshui Military Town."

After hearing this, Lin Renzhao and the others' eyes lit up. At present, they were facing the 50,000 Song Dynasty navy in the Lianshui Military Town on the north bank of the Huai River. It was indeed a bit tricky. If they fought head-on, even if they could win, it would be a miserable victory.

If they divide their forces to attack, their strength will be weakened, and they may not be able to defeat the Song army in the north. Therefore, Lin Renzhao has been worried about this for the past two days. Now that the commander-in-chief Su Chen has quietly arrived with 100,000 elite troops, it has brought about a strategic turning point.

"I think it's feasible!"

Lin Renzhao agreed with this strategy. He had thought about it before, but he gave up this plan because he didn't have enough troops and suitable generals. Unexpectedly, Su Chen proposed it at this time, which coincided with his previous idea. Moreover, if Su Chen led the troops in person and sat in the front, the probability of winning would be greater!

"Marshal Su, as the regent, you hold a high position and shoulder a heavy responsibility. It is not appropriate for you to take risks yourself." Lin Renzhao looked solemn and persuaded him earnestly, "Haizhou is deep in the heart of Qi and Lu, a strategic point in the Central Plains, and close to the important cities and the heartland in the north. If you go deep into the territory alone, I am afraid that the Song army in various places will hear the news and attack you in groups. The situation will be dangerous then."

He paused for a moment, looked at Su Chen firmly, and continued, "I am willing to give it a try and lead 50,000 troops to attack Haizhou directly. Marshal, you will stay here and command the navy to cross the river as a backup. This way, you can ensure that the Marshal is safe and the war can be steadily advanced. Isn't this the best of both worlds?"

Lin Renzhao's words were full of concern and admiration for Su Chen, and also revealed his deep insight into the battle situation.

He knew very well that as the commander-in-chief of the three armies, Su Chen's safety was directly related to the stability and success of the entire war situation. Therefore, he did not want the other party to take the risk personally, but let him do the hard work instead.

"It doesn't matter. Haizhou is close to the east coast. Once the Song army gathers more and more, I can retreat to the sea at any time and evacuate by sea. It won't be too dangerous. I will go there in person without hanging my own flag. I will take General Lin Juyi with me and use his "Lin" as a cover to confuse the Song army and make them make a bigger strategic misjudgment!"

Su Chen smiled slightly. This method of making a feint to the east and attacking in the west, deceiving the world and pretending to be a pig to eat the tiger was only to lure the Song army, make them misjudge the situation, and then fall flat on their face.

After listening to this, Lin Renzhao and others could not help but admire Marshal Su's courage and wisdom. This way of using troops is a brilliant strategy that breaks the ordinary people's thinking and can easily produce miraculous effects.

"Okay, we will follow Marshal Su's arrangements!" Lin Renzhao was the first to express his opinion, and of course the other generals were no exception, they all clasped their fists and obeyed his orders.

Su Chen pondered for a moment and said in a deep voice: "There is no time to lose, we need to act quickly. You should immediately arrange ships to send the 50,000 elite soldiers I brought with me on board in batches. It must be completed quietly within three days and must not attract attention. When everything is ready, we will go to Haizhou to meet up and jointly attack the important Haizhou area in Jiangbei!"

"Here!"

Lin Renzhao stepped forward, his voice firm and powerful.

He knew the importance of this operation. This time, he brought a lot of ships, which could accommodate a hundred thousand troops. This was the result of Wu's continuous warship construction in the past three years. Now, these warships were finally going to be used. They not only carried Wu's dream of the Northern Expedition, but also became their weapon to conquer Haizhou and advance to Jiangbei.

Lin Renzhao turned and left, and immediately began to arrange the transfer of ships and elite troops.