Late Tang Dynasty Floating Life

Chapter 88 The Tranquility Before the Storm

In late June, news from the west came one after another.

On the night of entering Chang'an, Tang Hongfu, the leader of the Shuofang army, was killed in battle, and all the 5000 people who entered the city were also killed. The Chao army did not even take a single prisoner.Jingyuan Jiedu envoy Cheng Zongchu was dragged into the city by the sergeants. Because of his reluctance, he made some preparations, and he himself was spared. More than 6000 sergeants who entered the city died in nine out of ten.

After Cheng Zongchu escaped, he fled directly towards Xingping regardless of the Jingyuan soldiers outside the city who hadn't entered the city yet.The Chao army chased them out, but the Jingyuan army was caught off guard, 2000 people died, and the rest collapsed.

Wang Chucun of the Yiwu Army heard the news on the way to Chang'an.At that time, the sergeants were urging the commander to hurry up and hurry up, and they were very happy.Wang Chucun told the army that this was Huang Chao's plan, and no one was willing to listen, and they kept going to Chang'an to loot.Fortunately, they had a long way to go and couldn't make it in time.After hearing the news halfway through, the sergeants calmed down, and then fled back to Xiwei Bridge with Wang Chucun in their arms.

In this battle, the Chao army beheaded more than [-] levels, and all the troops and horses in the towns in the west of Beijing were all afraid, and it was difficult to fight in a short period of time.

On the second day, the Chao army launched a large-scale attack and pursued in three directions: west, east and north.

The west road ran faster, and Zheng Tang, Cheng Zongchu, and Wang Chucun retreated to Fengxiang Mansion in embarrassment.Wang Chongrong on the east road was more unlucky. He heard that the troops had entered Chang'an and hurriedly marched westward. Halfway through, he encountered the Chao army who came after him, and the battle was unfavorable.Fortunately, Zhu Mei, the governor of Daizhou, arrived, helped him stabilize his position, and then both flashed.

Zhu Mei took a detour to the north and was said to be looking for Zheng Tang.He has been appointed as the deputy envoy of Jiedu in Pinning and the general of Tongsai town. Wang Chongrong ran back to the river in one breath, and happened to meet the Zhaoyi army who was passing through the border. When the commander Gao Xun learned about the situation of the battle, he temporarily stayed in the river to watch. .

The mighty Zhuzhen Jin Bo Chang'an campaign ended in such an astounding way.

After the Tielin Army defeated Zhang Yan's troops in the southern plains of Gaoling, they have been stationing troops in Fuping recently.The Chao army didn't chase after them either. They didn't have the strength to eat the official army. Of course, the official army couldn't do anything with the more than [-] nest army.

There's no way, then just freeze, Shao Shude has his own business to do.

"Li Yanling, the [-]-chao army surrendered, who do you think can escort him back to Suizhou? Qiang Quansheng has already returned. If this is completed successfully, a certain person has decided to promote him to lieutenant general. Who should be sent to the next batch?" Fuping In the village on the outskirts of the county, Shao Shude asked.

"Let Li Renjun go." Li Yanling replied: "Five thousand nests, no food or equipment, five hundred auxiliary soldiers are enough to guard."

Shao Shude nodded.Li Renjun was born in the ten generals of Zhenwu Army Zhongcheng, a pure warrior, with five hundred auxiliary soldiers fully equipped, and escorting the prisoners is indeed not a problem.In addition to the more than [-] households in Guanzhong and more than [-] rations of military rations raised this time, as long as the Kunfang army does not loot, it will not be a problem to return it smoothly.

"Let Li Renjun do this." Shao Shude agreed: "Chao army surrendered, including the group that returned in April, there are more than [-] people, and let them farm for military farms. No. It doesn't matter, learn, you can always learn with a stick. The five hundred state soldiers on the original military farm can no longer work. They can be issued weapons, resume training, and act as guards. Song Biejia can let you know if there is any need. The soldiers went to help open the river. On the way, I made it clear to the soldiers that after two years of work, they will be set up for them. They can rent the fields of the soldiers, and if they save money, they can also buy fields from the prefectures and counties. If you grow it yourself, in short, you have to give them hope, and you can’t squeeze them to death.”

"The military envoy is wise." Li Yanling praised.

"Don't give me this set." Shao Shude shook his head: "I'm afraid that this amount of food is not enough at present. Before leaving, I have to raise five or six thousand dendrobium. Alas, the food that was originally very rich, after being taken away like this, actually insisted on it. in a few months."

"Military envoy, we still need to raise more food. Next month, there will be yamen in this town." Li Yanling reminded.

"This--you almost forgot about this." Shao Shude sighed heavily and said, "Guanzhong's grain is cooked twice a year, which was originally a prosperous place, but now the war is raging, and I don't know how many crops have been abandoned, but it is difficult to raise grain. It's not easy."

The Yajun mentioned by Li Yanling refers to the left and right hatchbacks of the Xiasui Yajun founded by Zhuge Shuang last year, with a total of 6000 people, led by Zhou Rong and Linghujing.It was Zhuge Shuang's order that they wanted to go south, and the reason was very simple. They couldn't feed them, so they had to come out to eat.

As for the pro-army composed of three thousand Luoyang sergeants, they were still led by Zhuge Zhongfang and settled in Xiazhou.Marshal Zhuge is very old-fashioned in his work. Before the imperial court officially issued an order to move the town, he would keep his hand and not completely block his own way back.

Zhuge Shuang had already hinted to Shao Shude about the problem of food and rewards after the six thousand Xia Sui Ya army went south, and he would find a way to solve it.Every time he thinks of this, Shao Shude has a headache.The number of Tielin Army has been expanding again and again. At present, there are 100 personal soldiers, 2500 battalions, 1000 trapped camps, 400 miscellaneous soldiers, 800 cavalry, plus 3000 auxiliary soldiers, a total of 7800 people.

This does not include the 500 auxiliary soldiers who have left and the 8800 who are about to leave. If you count it, it is [-].In addition, Shao Shude is recruiting cavalry soldiers and intends to expand the subordinates of Zhu Shuzong and Zhe Siyu to a thousand people, that is, an army of nine thousand, which is really amazing.

Last night, Shao Shude had a careful discussion with the generals, and finally decided to temporarily suspend the military expansion, and first clear up the 9000 people at hand, and practice well!Soldiers are more expensive than fine ones. If you want to reduce food consumption, you have to follow the route of elite soldiers.The burdens of the states and counties to the north of Jingzhao Mansion are already very heavy, and it would be fatal to give them a few thousand warriors.

After sending off the Chao army and the hundreds of households it had recruited, the Tielin army continued to train in Fuping.Officials and gentry from surrounding prefectures and counties came to meet every three days, but Zhuge Shuang did not show up. Every time, Shao Shude negotiated with them, so that they would not waste agricultural production and do everything possible to ensure food supply.

The Chang'an area to the south has also stopped now.Chao Zhong gave Huang Chao the honorary title "Emperor Chengtian, Sheng Rui Wen Xuanwu", Huang Chao readily agreed, and crowned him with a monkey, and he didn't know what he was doing all day.

By the way, their food is almost exhausted. I heard that troops have been sent everywhere recently to seize prefectures and counties and scavenge for food and grass.To this end, he also fought with the officers and troops occupying some prefectures and counties in the west of Jingzhao Mansion, but he returned to the disadvantage.

******
Time to enter July.

In the school of the Tielin Army, a group of generals were conducting routine studies.

"North of Chang'an, the Chao Army has already occupied Jingyang, and they are eyeing Sanyuan, but they haven't dared to advance yet." As someone who has received the most complete military education in the Tielin Army system, Zhu Shuzong did his part to act as a teacher, and only listened to him continue: "Someone thought that the main defense direction of the Chao Army was to the west."

"Master Wang gathers the Fengxiang Mansion one after another. The army under Zhengdu's command is nearly [-], and the military commander of Sanchuan is also doing his best to supply food, grass, money and silk. If Huang Chao has insight, he should know that Fengxiang's army can advance eastward at any time, and he will definitely Get ready."

"For the camp in the east, King Chongrong of Hezhong has [-] soldiers, Zhaoyi Gaoxun has [-] soldiers, and Hedong and Hebei also have soldiers and horses to help. All of them can recruit a strong army that is good at fighting, and the Chao army must be prepared."

"In the direction of Xingyuan Mansion in the south, there are no less than [-] Shu soldiers, how can Huang Chao be unprepared?"

"According to this calculation, the Chao army can use at most [-] in the north camping direction. The Xia Sui army and the Kunfang army together have more than [-] people. After the [-] Ya army arrives next month, there will be [-] people. , more than enough for self-protection, and even more than enough to make progress.”

These things Zhu Shuzong said were also the conclusions that the generals discussed together. Today, I told them to the officers above the head of the team to cultivate their overall view.Without an overall view, it is impossible to be a senior general. If the Tielin Army wants to cultivate its own talents, it must improve the professional level of the grassroots officers.

In fact, the court's strategy to deal with Huang Chao is now very clear, that is to gradually squeeze, consume, and weaken its strength.After more troops are gathered, they will encircle them on all sides, and launch a decisive battle with a thunderous force to completely eliminate this force.

Shao Shude thinks this strategy is not bad.

Jingzhao Mansion only has more than 150 prefectures and counties, with a population of less than 20,000 million. Now there are only [-] or [-] counties under the control of the Chao Army. It is very difficult to raise so many thieves in Chang'an City.The Chao army is not aggressive now, and is still struggling to maintain it. When it really can't hold on to expanding outwards, it's hard to say whether the army can still fight now-the war in the past six months has consumed a lot of elites from Huang Chao , especially in the Battle of Longwei Slope, more than [-] level soldiers were beheaded, and all those who died were elite soldiers.

"A certain person thought that the imperial court would definitely issue an decree in the near future, ordering the various armies to advance to Chang'an again, so that the thieves would have nothing to plunder, and they would be trapped in the city of sorrow." Zhu Shuzong said: "You also need to prepare for the camp in the north, and attack Jingyang in the south, and attack Gaoling and Liyang. Waiting for the county, should be the important task that Zheng Dutong has entrusted to us."

After Zhu Shuzong finished speaking, everyone talked a lot.

Shao Shude coughed, and the courtyard was so silent that he could hear a needle falling.

"Something to add." Looking at the more than [-] officers who were sitting or standing (divided into two groups to take turns listening to the lectures), they said: "If the army from the north is heading south, you must remember one thing, not one city or one place as a gain or loss. The most important thing is to kill the bandit army. The best thing is to defeat the bandit army in the field, capture and kill bandit generals, and cut off their backbone. As long as the bandit army is weak, are these prefectures and counties still up to us to take them? Heavy troops guard the fortified city, if you don’t do this kind of thing, can you understand?”

"Understood!" "I know." "Follow the general's order."

"Go back to train when you understand. There will be a war in the future. If which battalion and which team is unfavorable, they will kill people!"

(End of this chapter)