Traveler Major League

Chapter 228 Battle of Xi’an ([-])

Clean up the remaining rebels in the counties outside Xi'an, lift the siege of the strongholds, scout out the main force of the people's army, and outflank its retreat route back to the mountains of Yijun County with Du Wenhuan's army, the commander-in-chief of the northwest, either besiege the people's army in Xi'an, or force the people's army to disperse flee.

These strategies were what Hong Chengchou could think of. As for the officers and soldiers he commanded, they no longer had the confidence to confront the people's army head-on.

Lu Taipei Military Camp, looking at the groups of officers and soldiers returning to the camp in the distance at the gate of the camp, a small half of them were dressed in colorful clothes and carrying bulging packages. The army did not have so much cloth and food, and the spring was cold and cold, so they raided the surrounding areas and looted. Become a daily necessity for this ragtag army that is short of supplies.

The light rain in the sky and the chill of the spring breeze came up from the soles of my feet. The earthy gray oil-paper umbrella in Hong Chengchou's hand was particularly conspicuous on the high platform.Hong Chengchou was obese, and his originally round face had gradually become tapered during this period, but his eyes were still firm. He was really in a difficult period during this period.

Since the "Liu Ze Giant Bandit" went on the rampage last year, the political consequences of the destruction of many field camp leaders such as Liu Yingyu have gradually emerged. Especially this time, after Liu Ze was set up to raid Xi'an with light equipment, rebellions in various places The civil unrest was broader in scope.

Since the Battle of Saarhu in the 47th year of Wanli, wars in Liaodong have been frequent. Almost the elite officers and soldiers outside the pass were almost swallowed up by the Eastern captives. Natural disasters have also caused treasuries in various places to be empty year after year. As a result, supplies have been cut off. Hong Chengchou can only try his best to rectify the situation. The people under his command were strong, and Wu Guofu's thousands of arrogant soldiers were allowed to plunder.

The civilians on the road of pursuit did not care whether Hong Chengchou could control Wu Guofu's officers and soldiers. Their only impression was that the grain, cloth and property at home were not seized by the people's army, but were harmed by the officers and soldiers, and each family was regarded as a thief. The corpses of those who were killed were still scattered everywhere, unable to be buried intact.

This spread spread from ten to a hundred, causing many people who had never been thieves to lose hope in the government and the army. The good people who originally submitted to the government and the army began to avoid the government and the army one after another, and their reputations became bad. , as long as the officers and soldiers pass by, the whole village will either gather to defend themselves, or else they will disappear.

When we got closer to Xi'an, there were only half of the usual number of powerful gentry who had come to seek refuge in fear of the people's army.

The mentality of the Sichuan officers and soldiers in Wu Guofu Town has also changed. The closer they are to Xi'an, the more tired they become. They just want to let the elite officers and soldiers in the northwest chew the hard bones and suppress the thieves on the rich Guanzhong Plain by themselves. Although Hong Chengchou held nominal military power, he had no control over the unruly people.

Hong Chengchou was struggling to cope with the internal and external difficulties. What was even worse was that the people's army from all over the country had withdrawn to Xi'an City. This strange move made him feel uncertain. Was he trapped in the isolated city?The way to death!
Hong Chengchou glanced at Wu Guofu beside him. The governor of Northern Sichuan Town refused to kill his subordinates who committed crimes. He allowed military discipline to deteriorate and violated his taboos. However, it was not a good time to deal with him yet, so Hong Chengchou had already done it a few days ago. Days ago, an impeachment document was issued, and if anything happens here, he will be punished.

"General Wu, how is the military situation today? We are so close to Xi'an, but we still haven't been able to catch the movement of the bandit soldiers? Do you think Bandit Liu will abandon his troops and flee with only his elite cavalry?"

Wu Guofu clasped his fists and said: "Master Hong, I don't think the Liu thieves are so stupid. They have never stopped along the way. From this point, the general can conclude that the Liu thieves must have a poisonous plan nearby. For the current plan, we just need to wait for reinforcements to arrive from all directions."

Hong Chengchou narrowed his eyes, smiled slightly, and asked: "You mean our army is stationed here?"

Wu Guofu was secretly vigilant. Hong Chengchou asked him his opinion in front of so many subordinates. He had to treat it carefully. He knew what Hong Chengchou was thinking. He was very dissatisfied with him during this period. If he made any mistake in his words, he would be punished with righteousness. It is certain that he will be included in a book in the future.However, he still wanted to speak out his thoughts, otherwise the officers and soldiers would not be able to withstand such a torment, and the Liu thieves should not be underestimated. If they cannot be restrained by then, their lives will be at risk.

"The general thinks that this time Liu Thief is trying to lure our troops to gather in Xi'an. The important town of Xi'an is where grain and grass are stored. Now the summer grain in Guanzhong has not been harvested, and it has been plundered by the bandit army along the way. There is not enough food and grass. If the armies gather together for a long time, Xi'an, everywhere is empty, and chaos will inevitably arise."

Hong Chengchou said calmly: "What good plan do you have?" Wu Guofu paused, and then said: "If our army had not encircled the rebels with a strong wall to prevent them from returning and cut off their return, there would be many rivers to the north. The army is marching to the west, where the main army is, and it is difficult to go south to the Qinling Mountains. If I were a bandit army, I would definitely pass through this place, either up Shanxi, back to Yijun County, or east out of Henan. These three directions should be the way to survive, and our army will also Just stand here and divide your troops to defend each other to support each other and take precautions."

Hong Chengchou secretly nodded, feeling that Wu Guofu's plan was similar to what he had expected. This wave of official troops was the only remaining mobile force in the direction of Tongguan, and it was impossible to attack with all his strength. Therefore, as long as he could hold on, even if he could not face the enemy directly with Liu Ze, he could only It is necessary to delay, preserve the military strength, and wait for the army to gather to annihilate the bandits in one fell swoop. Although there will be no great achievements, at least it will be invincible.

"Then the general means to only defend but not attack?" Hong Chengchou rubbed the hilt of the sword at his waist with his left hand.

Wu Guofu thought that Hong Chengchou already had a countermeasure, but he still insisted on making suggestions himself. When the time came, the court would blame him for being afraid of the enemy, and he would have to bear half of the blame. Now, he had to speak again. Hong Chengchou was now emerging. As a civil servant, he will inevitably rise to the top in the future. Even if he takes all the blame on himself, with this favor, he will be worthy of it.

"At the end of the day, the general will lead a thousand elite troops to attack Xi'an. I would like you to sit in front of the central army and defend the traitors."

Wu Guofu clearly said that defense should be the main thing, but now he is doing the opposite. Hong Chengchou nodded, understanding that his painstaking efforts were just so that the court could blame him and prevaricate him in the future. Look, our army is not afraid of the enemy. The winner will be Hong Chengchou and Wu Guofu. Although Wu Guofu was defeated because of his own merits, he underestimated the enemy and advanced rashly.

Wu Guofu licked the corner of his mouth and lowered his voice: "The situation is such that our army may not be able to capture Xi'an in a short time. Xi'an is an important town in Guanzhong. It is only three hundred miles away from Tongguan. Although there are many county fortresses on the road, they are not dangerous. If When Liu Ze attacks, it will definitely be a desperate attack by elite troops. Instead of fighting with our army, they must seize the road and escape first. If our army cannot return to Tongguan in time and once Tongguan is lost, it will be a disaster! Sir, please select the best troops. Be prepared early.”

Hong Chengchou lowered his head, thought for a moment, and then glanced at the generals surrounding him, "Everyone, do you think what General Wu said makes sense?"

But I never thought that someone would ask: "Is it possible that my imperial army will succeed or fail when it gathers in Xi'an? Although the Liu bandits have sharp firearms, they are few in number, and the border troops' elite cavalry are attacking in all directions. How can Xi'an, a plain land, survive?"

This kind of opposition caused all the generals to nod, even Wu Guofu's generals.

Hong Chengchou sneered in his heart. Fortunately, Wu Guofu had set the strategy in front. If these arrogant soldiers had been defeated repeatedly without knowing their shortcomings, they had foresight but no plan.

"Just follow General Wu's advice and ask the general to rest early today and start cooking early tomorrow at five o'clock. How about that?"

Hong Chengchou winked at Wu Guofu, and Wu Guofu also noticed. He meant that he agreed with his military strategy and asked him to take over everything.

Wu Guofu hesitated for a moment, raised his head, opened his mouth, and whispered only two words to Hong Chengchou: "Take care!"

(End of this chapter)