The World of Yellow Sky

Chapter 776 Attacking thousands of miles, starting a prairie fire!
On the official road in Hanoi County, the dust is flying, almost covering the sky and the sun.

The wheels rolled and the horseshoes sounded like thunder.

Countless yellow scarves fluttered against the wind.

The Yellow Turban cavalry and carriages of the brigade were galloping towards the east.

At a glance, there is no banner.

The flag is against the wind, which is not a small burden for the soldiers and horses holding the flag. All the flags have been gathered and placed in the carriages accompanying the team.

The reason why Xu An mobilized a large number of horses and even second-class horses this time, as well as a large number of carriages, was to allow all the infantry under his command to have means of transportation.

What Xu An had to do was to change the [-] infantry under his command from simple infantry to mounted infantry.

Although soldiers and sharp soldiers are infantry, they have all received equestrian training. Although there is no way to achieve the superb riding skills that are enough to be cavalry, they can easily ride on horseback.

Riding a horse is not an easy task, and fighting on horseback is even more difficult. To be able to fight on horseback, it will take one month and one year.

The so-called horse-riding infantry usually used horses to travel, and when encountering an enemy, they would dismount and form a formation to meet the enemy.

The Han Ting made a sudden northern expedition and made thorough preparations. Xu An knew very well that the Han Ting had already taken the reaction time and marching speed of the Yellow Turban Army into consideration.

The Han army will definitely launch a full-scale attack before the estimated time and have a decisive battle with the Wei army.

The reason why Xu An ordered the brigade to stay for two days before arriving at Zhiguanxing was firstly to preserve the strength of the soldiers, and secondly to make Han Ting think that everything was going according to expectations, thinking that the main force of the Yellow Turban Army led by him would only It can march eighty miles and mislead the rebellion of the Han court.

The Taihang Yellow Turban Army and the Youzhou Yellow Turban Army belonged to partial divisions, and the Han court naturally would not take too much control. Only the main force of the Yellow Turban Army, the Taihang Yellow Turban Army and the Youzhou Yellow Turban Army, could affect the direction of the battle. Their military strength was not enough to affect the development of the situation.

What needs to be cared about is only the main force of the Yellow Turban Army.

Xu An knew that not long after his troops left Zhiguanxing, both the Han army and the Wei army would know the news that he was leading the army, and even the Yingwei would secretly assist the Han and Wei courts to confirm the receipt of the news. .

Because this step is the most critical step, both the Han and Wei armies believed that the speed of the Yellow Turban Army's rapid march was seventy or eighty miles, which is still the speed of marching in the interior.

Marching in enemy territory, considering the physical strength of the soldiers, the dangers they may encounter, and the delivery of supplies, I am afraid that the marching speed will be much slower, and it will be reduced to sixty miles per day.

Xu An just wanted the Han and Wei courts to think so.

Both sides of the official road have already been cleared by the Taihang army led by Yu Po, and the main cities in the western and central part of Hanoi County have also been occupied by Yu Po.

Hundreds of elite cavalry from Eagle Wolf Guards followed Yu Du into Hanoi County, and their task was to prevent any possible leaks.

Yu Du also set up checkpoints on the roads and bridges everywhere, only allowed to enter, not allowed to go out, patrolling day and night, without any relaxation.

After the first wave of deliberately released news, all news will be strictly controlled in order to keep it as secret as possible.

Land communications had to go through strict investigations, as well as the surveillance of Eagle Wolf Wei Tiqi, so it was difficult for both the demon and the embroidered messenger to pass on much news.

As for the so-called swan geese and flying pigeons, Xu An had never seen such a means of military communication.

Along with the news that the Yellow Turban Army had left the customs, there was also a call to arms about the Eastern Expedition to the Han and Wei Dynasties.

The proclamation is not only spread to Fanyang, but also issued to the world.

"Rumble rumble——"

The sound of horseshoes was like thunder, and the Ming army was quickly passing through the official road.

Holding the reins tightly, Xu An led the horse up to a mound.

It is already May [-]st, and it is also the fourth day that the Ming army left the customs.

"How far is it from Chaoge ahead?"

Holding the whip in his hand, Xu An asked left and right.

"There are still more than ten miles away from Chaoge. The news just came that General Yu Du has broken through Chaoge. The Han army is retreating towards Liyang and Beicheng. The last obstacle of our army has also been swept away."

Zhang Ji, who was wearing a red eagle and wolf uniform, took a step forward on his horse, and stepped forward to report with the rein and fists in his hands.

This time Liu Pi did not accompany the army, and the envoys of the eagle and wolf guards also stayed in Chang'an due to business, so he went out with the army this time, and he was in charge of all the intelligence statistics.

Today's Zhang Ji is no longer the ignorant kid who only held a banner and followed Xu An in Guangzong.

Years of battle career, and the experience of Eagle Wolf Guard, more than ten years have turned him from a boy into an adult, a qualified soldier.

"Dangyin City to the north of Chaoge is still under the control of the Wei Army, and Beicheng in the northeast is still under the control of the Han Army. According to the previous Yingwei investigation, Dangyin City has only more than [-] soldiers, most of which are They are brave and recruits from the countryside, and they don't have much offensive ability. The Han army stationed in Beicheng saw that the designation is the Han army from Yanzhou, and there are about [-] people. Its leader is Sun Ben, the general of Jianwei, and his uncle is Sun Jian."

Zhang Ji knew the situation around the battlefield very well. After Xu An asked about it, he listed the surrounding situation one by one like a treasure.

"As an important ferry, Liyang is guarded by tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians. Relying on the big river, there are naval buildings and ships to help out. At the same time, the eagle guards sent out reports. Liyang also found a lot of throwing carts and bed crossbows..."

Xu An narrowed his eyes slightly, looking in the direction of the east.

Liyang was heavily guarded, and Sun Jian should have imitated Lu Zhi's behavior during the Battle of Zhangshui, relying on a large number of bed crossbows and catapults to make the Yellow Turban Army retreat.

Chaoge City's inability to hold on was also expected by Sun Jian.

After all, Chaoge is an inland city with low walls, shallow pools and short ditches.

And Li Yang, as the first line of defense of the Wei army, was built by Yuan Shao to be almost impregnable and difficult to break.

Because of the confrontation between the north and the south, Beicheng continued to build walls and expand the city, and the city was also built.

Even if the Ming army with counterweight catapults wanted to attack, it would take a lot of effort.

Without pulling out these two strongholds of the Han army, Xu An would be in danger of being encircled if he led his troops into Weijun.

"Order Yu Du to leave [-] soldiers and horses in Chaoge to guard after receiving the order, and then immediately go north to attack Beicheng."

"Order Changshan County's army to attack from Jingxing Pass, not to continue attacking southward. After occupying the city around Jingxing, march toward Zhongshan County in the northeast, join forces with Zhongshan County's trilogy, and hand over the command to Zhu Jiu."

Xu An didn't think too much, and gave the order directly.

It is a taboo for military strategists to go deep and be surrounded by all sides. Normal generals would not make such a decision and issue an order to continue marching.

But how could Xu An be an ordinary general?

At this time, the battle between the Han and Wei armies around Li Yang has entered a fierce battle, and a decisive battle has begun.

It is five hundred miles from Zhiguanxing to Chaoge, and two hundred miles from Chaoge to Fanyang.

The distance of [-] miles, even calculated on the basis of the [-] miles of the inland march, would take more than six days to cover.

In addition, the two hundred miles from Chaoge to Fanyang can also be used as a time buffer, and at least three or four days can be bought.

There are only ten days in total. The most likely thing for the Han court is to launch a general attack on Fanyang after receiving the news that the Yellow Turban Army has left the customs.

Try to defeat the Wei army at halfway through the time, that is, on the fifth day.

At that time, the Ming army had not yet arrived at Chaoge, and after the Han army defeated the Wei army, the Wei army was gone, and the generals had no intention of resisting.

At that time, the Han army only needs to march into Yecheng to defend the area of ​​Dangyin, Beicheng, and Liyang. Relying on its strong military strength, it can also drag the Ming army into a tug-of-war.

At that time, persuading Qu Yi to surrender can be said to be a matter of course. Qu Yi will most likely choose the Han court to surrender. So far rare.

Once Qu Yi surrendered, the Han army in Qingzhou could take advantage of the trend and go northward. Even if the Ming army had captured the entire Youzhou at that time, the Han army was capable of competing with the Ming army in the Youzhou area.

After all, at that time Qu Yi joined forces with the Han army in Qingzhou, and with the addition of Gongsun Zan, the army could even expand to [-] people.

The tiger and leopard cavalry under Qu Yi's command, as well as the cavalry from Jiyou and Youzhou, are the elite of the elite, and their strength should not be underestimated.

The plans of the Han army can be described as interlocking and meticulous.

Wei Tingzhong Shenpei, Jushou and other counselors had no idea of ​​the Han army's plan, and fell into the rhythm of the Han army completely.

In fact, this is not a matter of resourcefulness, but in the final analysis, it is a gap in intelligence. The Wei army is riddled with holes, and Qi Mei is completely at a disadvantage in the intelligence war.

Han Ting's plan is not imprecise.

The movements of the Wei army and the Ming army, time, and geographical factors were all taken into consideration.

Even the Han army asked Huang Zhong to lead the Jingzhou soldiers back to defend Jingzhou, because the Han court expected that the Ming army might attack Jingzhou at the same time.

Although the information was not specified, Xu An knew very well that the war machine of Han Ting had been activated, and the local soldiers from all over the country might have been mobilized.

The Han army used the Battle of Qingzhou as a breakthrough point, making the eyes of the world focus on Qingzhou, but secretly they went all out to prepare for the Northern Expedition.

Just like at the end of the Qin Dynasty, Liu Bang's strategy was to build plank roads in the open and keep the warehouse in the dark.

The Han army attacked Qingzhou openly and crossed the Yellow River secretly, which caught the Wei army by surprise.

Wei Ting suffered a crushing defeat in this game.

The sudden exertion of the Embroidered Clothes Messenger also frustrated the Eagle Guard's actions everywhere, and the information could be transmitted in time, and the Eagle Guard lurking in the Han and Wei courts also paid a huge price.

However, Han Ting's plan is not true or flawless and impeccable.

The biggest mistake made by the Han court was to miscalculate the strength of the Eagle Wolf Guard, to miscalculate the current marching speed of the Ming army, to miscalculate the mobilization force within the Taiping Road, and to miscalculate Xu An...

"Two hundred and ten miles..."

Xu An looked at Dongfang, his eyes narrowed slightly.

The horse under his seat seemed to feel the dignified atmosphere, pawing the soft soil beside his feet uneasily.

"The order goes on. Tonight, the army will enter Chaoge and rest in the city. Let the logistics team prepare dry rations in advance, and bring five days' worth of rations. You can pack lightly."

Xu An stared at a group of soldiers who were marching fast on the official road.

Two hundred and ten miles, two days, with horses and carriages, it only takes two days to arrive.

"Bai Rao."

Xu An turned his horse's head and looked at the generals behind him.

A general with a resolute look and a scar on his face drove out of the queue.

"The end is here."

Bai Rao's voice was a little hoarse. Years of fighting outside the Great Wall not only changed his appearance, but also changed his voice.

Bai Rao is Yu Du's brother-in-law, he and Sui Gu followed Yu Du and joined Xu An.

He went through battles in Chishiling, Kuicheng, Shangdang, Hedong, and Fenshui successively. Later, he entered the camp as a deputy general. Now he is relieved from the camp. He is a general of the fifth rank.

In more than ten years, Bai Rao has also changed from an impulsive and illiterate general to an excellent general.

In the battle of Kuicheng, Suigu died in the wilderness outside Kuicheng, while Bai Rao survived.

Sui Gu's death in battle filled Bai Rao's heart with anger, and his hatred for the Han army became even deeper.

So he chose to leave Yu Du's command and applied to be transferred to the direct-controlled army.

"Tomorrow, all the cavalry will be in armor. I will hand over the two battalions of Shanggu Camp and Bingzhou Camp to you to command, and entrust you with the vanguard of this battle."

Xu An took out the tiger charms of Bingzhouying and Shangguying from his bosom, and said solemnly.

Yu Du is from Chaoge, so are Bai Rao and Sui Gu.

Xu An asked Bai Rao to lead the army because Bai Rao was familiar with the terrain, and Bai Rao later went to fight outside the Great Wall, so he was familiar with cavalry tactics.

Although Pound and Ma Chao are brave, they are still young and lack command experience. It is a bit risky for them to be the leading generals.

Bai Rao looked at the tiger talisman in Xu An's hand, cupped his fists and held the reins, and replied in a deep voice.

"The last general takes orders, and he will never fail the Taoist Lord's entrustment!"

Sunset on the west mountain, thousands of miles of red clouds.

The sun shines from the fertile fields in the distance.

The sky is gradually dimming, and the darkness has begun to slowly erode the entire world.

The setting sun is westward, and the sunlight has lost the power of the day.

The golden crow has not yet set in the west, but the stars and the moon have appeared in the east.

On the mound, among the crowd following Xu An were He Man, Guo Daxian, Zuo Xiao and other Yellow Turban Army from the old Taiping Road, Guan Hai, Xu He and other Yellow Turban Army generals from the four states, and Song Xian , Wei Xu and other generals who abandoned the dark and turned to the bright.

Although there are factions, no one hates each other.

Xu An held on to the horsewhip, watching the smoke rising not far away.

The fiery red sunset was reflected in Xu An's eyes. This should have been an incomparably magnificent scene, but in Xu An's eyes, it added a bit of blood.

There was peace in his heart, because he knew that the situation of starting a prairie fire had already started, and it was impossible to extinguish the fire that he ignited by himself!

(End of this chapter)