The rise of the prince

Chapter 816

The long and narrow Liaoxi Corridor, with a span of about [-] miles from east to west, is actually quite crowded, with a [-] army deployed, and many impassable landforms in the middle.

Therefore, the Fifth Division and the infantry of the Imperial Army can only follow behind as a reserve.

Li Xingzhou's Zhongjun Xingyuanya was about ten miles away from the advancing army.

The horses kept running back and forth, reporting the battle ahead.

Li Xingzhou has also practiced, but at this time he will not go to the front to show off his skills. What is the concept of a hundred thousand troops? If they are lined up side by side, they can stretch for a hundred miles.

In the face of such a huge army decisive battle, individual bravery can't make any waves.

At the same time, learning the lessons of the previous few times, Li Xingzhou decisively ordered that on the way of the army to march, any person who is on the way will be killed, regardless of whether it is the Jin army or not.

After experiencing lessons along the way, Li Xingzhou, who was the first to coordinate and command such a large-scale army, finally understood what it means to be kind and soft-hearted is a taboo for a handsome man.

In fact, putting aside the moral judgment, Li Xingzhou has become more and more understanding of many behaviors that he could not figure out in his current position.

For example, Bai Qi's killing, such as Temujin's iron blood.

Generals must first be responsible for their own soldiers. As for the enemy and others, that is something that politicians consider.

The army continued to advance. When Li Xingzhou rode Meixue up the hillside and could vaguely see Ningyuan City in the distance, there was gunfire in front of him, and then it became more and more intense.

Looking from a distance, the smoke of gunpowder lingers, and the sky in the north becomes hazy.

Through telescope observation and soldiers' constant reports, Li Xingzhou has a general grasp of the situation on the battlefield.

The gunfire on the right front is the most intense, and it is very likely that they have hit the main elite of the Golden Army. They marched on such a large scale and put on an offensive posture.

But Li Xingzhou was never worried about the confrontation.

Then he looked at the left wing, and there was a small forest five miles in front of the left, and the left wing didn't seem to have encountered any enemies.

After a while, a fast horse came galloping, and the orderly dismounted, "Report! Report to the commander, the forward regiment of the Fourth Division encountered the enemy and exchanged fire. Generals Wei and Yang asked the commander if he would send reinforcements to the east!"

"There is no need for reinforcements, let them continue northward according to the established route." Li Xingzhou thought for a while and ordered.

The messenger got on his horse and went back to deliver the order.

The fighting on the west side of the front line was very intense, which could be heard from the dense gunfire, but the troops on the eastern front could not be mobilized. The east side was surrounded by mountains and there were large forests.

With a telescope, Li Xingzhou can see clearly even ten miles away. He can see the flocks of birds in the woods circling in the sky, and he dare not land for a long time.

There were people in the woods to the east, but he didn't know how many. He quickly came to this judgment. Based on this judgment, Li Xingzhou guessed Wanyan Zongbi's possible tactics.

Wanyan Zongbi is a veteran in the battlefield, such a veteran usually does not have some strange armor and strange formations like the ones sung in operas, but the battlefield experience and intuition that have been honed through thousands of years.

Just like the previous Qingqi night attack tactics, Yelu escaped to death, and Shanhaiguan was breached every day, and the first time Jing Jun, who had been victorious in Lien Chan, was defeated because Wanyan Zongbi saw their weakness at a glance.

Since he can see through his weaknesses, he must also understand that confronting Jing Jun head-on is tantamount to courting death, so Li Xingzhou concluded that the eastern front should be a feint.

Wanyan Zongbi's idea may be to make him unable to sit still by storming the eastern front, and send reinforcements from the western front, and then the elites who have ambushed earlier will directly rush in from the defenseless western front, aiming at him, the marshal who sits in the rear.

What he saw in the telescope further supported Li Xingzhou's idea. There must be people ambushing on the west mountain, but I don't know how many there are.

Li Xingzhou didn't move like a mountain, he didn't let the first and second divisions in the west reinforce him, and he didn't move closer to the mountain. He just let all the troops fight steadily according to the plan, step by step, advancing layer by layer.

The well-trained and disciplined new army also fully executed.

There are Wei Yubai and Yang Hongzhao on the west side, and Liu Ji and Yan Shen on the east front; the army has won many victories, their morale is high, and Li Xingzhou's prestige in the army is increasing day by day.
By noon, the army had been flattened under the city of Ningyuan, and the battle reports kept changing. Li Xingzhou also knew that the most elite cavalry of the Golden Army were indeed attacking the Eastern Front.

But no matter how elite they are, they can't hold the guns and cannons. The morning's confrontation has completely defeated them.

On the west side, the ambush soldiers on the mountain approached in an orderly manner with the Jing army, and finally they did not dare to exchange fire and fled back to the city.

In the afternoon, armies from all walks of life gathered under the city of Ningyuan. The artillerymen of the five divisions had already found their positions, set up their cannons, and calculated the firing angles. They only waited for an order to blow open the gate of Ningyuan.

Li Xingzhou looked at the city from a distance with some doubts, because there was no one in Ningyuan city.

In the past, the Golden Army would only leave a sentry post, while the rest of the people waited under the city wall, but they would leave a sentry post at the top of the city. This time it is completely different, the top of the city is really empty!
What is this all about?
Li Xingzhou didn't understand. At this moment, the crowd in front parted, and Yan Shen came back from the front on horseback. He directly cupped his hands and said, "Your Highness, I don't think there is anyone in the city. I beg you not to fire the cannons first, let me take people with you." Climb up to see what kind of Dragon Gate Formation Jin Guo has set up."

"No!" Li Xingzhou immediately refused, and then said: "It's fine to send someone up to have a look, but don't go."

Yan Shen nodded: "Yes!"

After a while, a few people were selected from the front line, and then they slowly set up ladders to climb at night. During the process, countless guns were pointed at the city, and as long as the Jin people dared to show their heads, they would die.

Half a quarter of an hour later, a dozen elite soldiers climbed up to the top of the city, and he could see clearly from behind.

Not long after, a few people walked around the top of the city and looked at the situation inside the city, and then some people danced and shouted at the top of the city.

Due to the distance, Li Xingzhou didn't know what he said.

But soon someone rushed to report: "Commander! Ningyuan has become an empty city, and the Jin army has taken the people and fled!"

When Li Xingzhou heard this, he was really unexpected, and immediately ordered the people who went up to the top of the city to open the city gate, and the Imperial Army marched into the city to take over the city defense.

The rest of the army bypassed Ningyuan and pursued northward. Everyone on the way surrendered and did not kill them. With Ningyuan City, there is no need to care about the issue of prisoners.

Soon the army bypassed Ningyuan and chased them all the way. Countless Ningyuan escaped soldiers on the road, and the people knelt down and surrendered.

But what puzzled Li Xingzhou and all the generals was why Wanyan Zongbi would abandon the city and leave.

It stands to reason that such an important town as Ningyuan would become very passive if it abandoned the southern line of the Golden Army. Therefore, when everyone was discussing matters before, Li Xingzhou believed that the Golden Army would be firmly established in Ningyuan even if it died. Prepare.

I thought a hard battle was inevitable, but the opponent fled when the soldiers approached the city?

In the evening, the pursuing army came back one after another, escorting all kinds of prisoners of war, including men, women, old and young, and there were more than ten thousand that day.

In the government office hall of Ningyuan City, charcoal fires were flourishing, and Li Xingzhou and the generals were discussing what the current situation was like.

"If you want me to say that it's that shit that's scared, don't think so much, just keep going north." Yan Shen said.

Liu Ji remained silent.

"The old man seems to send more scouts, and make a decision after investigating the situation. Wanyan Zongbi is not a mediocre player on the battlefield. He has defeated half of the Jin Kingdom. Don't underestimate the enemy." Yang Hongzhao is more stable.

"The cavalry of the new army can be sent out as scouts. As long as the military discipline is strictly enforced, there should be no accidents. There will be signs within four or five days." Wei Yubai was more straightforward, and simply proposed a solution.

Listening to their discussion, Li Xingzhou kept nodding his head, his mind spinning rapidly, but he quickly thought of a possibility.
Could it be that Di Zhi in Liaodong has made a move!Moreover, the results of the battle were so brilliant that the Jin army was unable to confront them anxiously in the south, and was forced to withdraw north to Liaodong for emergency?
The more he thought about it, the more he felt that there was such a possibility, but he quickly thought of a problem. It stands to reason that the geographical location of Liaodong is not as important as the throat of Liaoxi Corridor.

Abandoning Liaoxi to save Liaodong would not be worth the loss, Wanyan Zongbi should not be like this.

Seeing his frown, Wei Yubai asked concerned: "Did your Highness think of something?"

Li Xingzhou raised his head, "Do you think Liaoxi is more important or Liaodong is more important?"

Everyone was taken aback, not understanding why he asked such a nonsensical question.

Wei Yubai pinched his white and beautiful chin and thought for a while: "For us, the west of Liaoning is important, and only by opening the main roads in the west of Liaoning can we enter the hinterland of the Kingdom of Jin.

But for the Jin people, Liaodong is important, it is the foundation of their fortune, and many rich families and soldiers' families are in that area. "

yes!Li Xingzhou slapped his legs. He thought about this problem purely rationally, but people are not machines. The families of Jurchen soldiers, and many Jurchen rich families have their roots in Liaodong. No heart to fight!

Di Zhi made a move!He came to this conclusion very quickly, and he was at least [-]% sure!
If this is the case, you can't hesitate, you can't be defeated individually, but you have to attack from both sides!
"Pass me the commander-in-chief, the fourth and fifth divisions can set off northward to pursue the Jin army early tomorrow morning!" Li Xingzhou said.

"There may be an ambush."

"Don't worry, just chase." Yang Hongzhao still had some concerns, but he was interrupted, and then he bowed his hands and listened to the order to say no more.

Li Xingzhou has a strong premonition that the situation in the north will be decided within the next month!

(End of this chapter)