Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 454: All Skilled Workers

Faced with the aggressive Fang Chongyong, Tian Chengsi was surprised but not panicked at all.

He led the Silver Spear Filial Piety Army to the Datong Army camp, and after dismissing the outsiders, he looked at Fang Zhongyong with a wry smile and explained:

"Oh, General Jie, you really overestimate me.

I have just taken over the Datong Army for more than ten days. The general does not know the soldiers, and the soldiers do not know the general. This is not knowing oneself.

The Huihe people came from afar and were in high spirits. How many people did they have, how much food and fodder did they have, how many days they could hold out, and whether the casualties in the siege were great.

These junior generals are completely in the dark and do not know the enemy.

If you don't know yourself or the enemy, you will surely fail if you rush into battle rashly.

Besides, the Datong Army only had 8,000 men at full strength, and they were stationed in one place. If they went north to Yunzhou to relieve the siege, success would be easy.

If we fail, Shuozhou might be lost.

If Shuozhou is lost, the Huihe people will go south to take Taiyuan. I cannot bear the responsibility for this!"

Tian Chengsi quickly clasped his fists and bowed to Fang Chongyong to apologize.

After listening to his explanation, the generals behind Fang Zhongyong looked at each other in bewilderment. It must be said that Tian Chengsi's words made sense.

If he doesn't save Yunzhou, at most he will lose half of Yunzhou.

The Jingbian Army garrison and Wuzhou City in Yunzhou are still safe for the time being.

But if Tian Chengsi fails miserably in his attempt to rescue Yunzhou, what if the Uighurs play the "rolling pearl curtain" trick?
Everyone present was experienced in fighting, not a rookie who was not afraid of a tiger, and they all couldn't help but nod slightly.

Tian Chengsi was the governor of Shuozhou and the military commander of Datong Army. Protecting Shuozhou was his job, but rescuing Yunzhou was not it.

Fang Zhongyong sighed and said, "Yunzhou is the gateway to Taiyuan, and it connects Shuofang and Hebei. We must not lose it."

He already understood Tian Chengsi's difficulties, and the other party was not trying to trick him on purpose.

In fact, Fang Chongyong also gradually grasped the situation of the Shuofang Army over the past one or two months.

This is just to understand the situation of the troops, not to control these troops, let alone to give them orders.

Tian Chengsi has only been airdropped into Datong Army for such a short time that he probably hasn't even recognized all the generals under his command. How can he command this army with ease?
"General, the invasion of the Huihe people into Yunzhou is a big deal if you want to say it, but it's also not worth mentioning if you want to say it's a small matter.

If an army is alone and deep in the enemy's territory with its retreat cut off, the entire army will become frightened if it loses just once.

As long as Cloud City is not destroyed, there is no harm in delaying it."

Tian Chengsi suddenly lowered his voice and said.

His idea was good, but Fang Chongyong didn't think so.

Because what Tian Chengsi said was a normal situation, not including unexpected events such as the Hebei border troops colluding with the Uighurs.

If it is the latter, the Uighurs’ retreat route is there, and they can even advance or retreat freely!

"Can your troops set up an ambush?"

Fang Chongyong looked at Tian Chengsi and asked.

"this is OK!"

Tian Chengsi thought about it, gritted his teeth and said, Fang Zhongyong has come here, and he said that he can't even ambush, that's too embarrassing!

Compared to a surprise attack, an army is easier to control and easier to issue orders when ambushing. This is a proposal that cannot be refused.

"General Jie, could it be that..."

Tian Chengsi thought of something and hurriedly walked to the map hanging on the wooden shelf.

He saw a spot he had circled on the map.

"It seems that Envoy Tian is also a caring person."

Fang Chongyong also noticed the circle on the map and nodded with a smile.

The circled area is called "Yellow Flower Pile", a key section at the junction of Shuozhou and Yunzhou. It is famous for the yellow flowers that bloom all over the mountains in spring, making the nearby hills like a backbone.

Decades ago, the famous Tang Dynasty general Heichi Changzhi taught the Turks a severe lesson here.

The battle situation back then was surprisingly similar to today!
"Below Yunzhong City, the Huihe people gathered in a large group and attacked the city. There was no formation at all, and it was not convenient for the troops to line up.

If our troops can advance here and cooperate with Li Liangchen's troops in the city, attacking from both inside and outside, we can defeat the Uighurs!

But the Uighurs are definitely not fools, and it is impossible for them to send only troops to besiege Yunzhong City.

They will definitely send cavalry to patrol the west and south of Yunzhong City. If they find any enemy approaching, they will concentrate their forces to stop them!

If our army sends a part of its troops to attack northwards, pretending to rescue Yunzhong City, the Huihe army will certainly send its main force to pursue us and separate us from the defenders in Yunzhong City.

At that time, we will pretend to be defeated and retreat to the south.

If the Uighurs pursue us, we will ambush them at Huanghuadui.

If the Huihe people do not pursue us, we will go north to harass them again, so as to tie up their energy and make them lose their focus on attacking the city, and then go south to pursue us again.

With this back-and-forth tug of war, the Uighurs will eventually become unable to bear it, so they will definitely pursue the enemy to the end.

General Tian will mobilize no less than 5,000 soldiers and horses from the Datong Army to ambush on the ridge of Huanghuadui. It would be best if everyone has a war horse.

But when they saw the Uighur cavalry chasing them here, they listened to the commander's order and charged out.

We will surely win in one battle!"

Fang Chongyong gestured on the map.

The plan was not complicated, but very interesting. All the generals nodded continuously after listening to it.

Apart from the relatively high requirements on the skills, tactics and morale of the troops luring the enemy, everything else is to reduce the risks to a minimum.

No matter how you look at it, it's much smarter than foolishly leading the troops directly to Yunzhong City.

The Datong army obviously did not have the technical and tactical level to lure the enemy, so Fang Chongyong's plan was about to be exposed.

The Silver Spear Xiaojie Army lured the enemy, while the Datong Army set an ambush.

"General, give me five hundred elite cavalrymen, and I will go to lure the enemy. I am very familiar with this and can act like one!
If all the Silver Spear Filial Piety Army were to go, it would be difficult to disengage after engaging the enemy, and it would be easy to scare off the prey."

Che Guangqian stepped forward and volunteered to fight.

Three thousand cavalrymen is not a small number. If you scare the Huihe people, they will temporarily retreat a few miles and wait for you to attack.

Will you attack or retreat then?
It has to be said that Che Guangqian had extensive experience in frontline reconnaissance when he was fighting in the Western Regions. These considerations would be difficult to fully think through if you were not a frontline reconnaissance officer.

"Five hundred people, are they enough? Is it a little less?"

Fang Chongyong asked doubtfully.

Che Guangqian patted his chest and guaranteed:
"General, I have conducted many reconnaissance missions and I know what the enemy is thinking.

Seeing hundreds of cavalry, those with a little money would want to attack them. But if there were really thousands of cavalry, they might not dare to chase them.

It’s just like sitting at the gambling table. Who would bet their life and fortune on the first bet?

All we want is for the Uighurs to withdraw.

If we really want to fight a decisive battle, the Shuofang Army still has a lot of troops to gather, so there is no need to eat a big fat man all at once."

Che Guangqian expressed her own opinion, which was similar to Fang Chongyong's, but with one major difference.

Anti-aircraft guns are for air defense, not for shooting down planes. Understanding the difference between the two is a must for a commander.

Similarly, Fang Chongyong fought this battle to lift the siege of Yunzhong City and rebuild the Hedong defense line.

Relieving the siege was the first priority, and annihilating the Huihe cavalry was a means to achieve the goal of relieving the siege.

Rescuing the enemy is the goal, annihilating the enemy is the means, the priorities cannot be reversed.

As long as we can fight a thorough annihilation battle in Huanghuadui, and then go to Yunzhong City with the power of a great victory to rescue them.

The Huihe people had just lost a battle and were in Yunzhou without supplies. It was impossible for them to have the courage to so rashly engage in a strategic decisive battle with Fang Chongyong!
If you force yourself to fight, you may lose more than you win, or even lose everything.

The Huihe people were not as stupid as pigs. After all, the Tang army had quite a few troops in the surrounding states and counties, but they had not assembled yet. The Huihe people had only taken the initiative, and it was still unclear whether they could win in the future.

Che Guangqian's strategy is very appropriate.

Use a small-scale approach to break the morale of the Huihe people, focus on stability, and take into account the need to rescue the people.

"That's great, then you should be careful, if you can't win, just run away, don't try to be brave.

If you bring this section's handsome flag with you, you will surely be able to catch some fish!"

Fang Zhongyong nodded slightly and patted Che Guangqian on the shoulder.

Tian Chengsi looked at the generals around Fang Chongyong thoughtfully, and he suddenly realized that this General Fang Jie had a lot of talented people under his command.

In such a short time, a practical battle plan was produced, and it seems to be extremely feasible!
Marshal Fang Jie is truly a man of great wisdom and good decision-making!
Tian Chengsi looked at Fang Chongyong with a higher opinion again. This young man, who had become the ambassador of Hetao and the governor of two towns at such a young age, certainly did not achieve his position by having a good father.

At least not completely.

Experts know the ins and outs. The biggest advantage of Fang Zhongyong's plan is that he does not have to rely on long-distance baggage supplies. He can rely on Shuozhou to continuously harass the Huihe people.

Really awesome!

This is a strong and capable soldier! The more skilled, the more courageous!
No wonder they dared to mutiny in Xiangji Temple!

Tian Chengsi sighed in his heart, wondering when he would be able to have such a strong army under his command that could defeat a hundred enemies with one man!

"General Tian, ​​our commander's troops are ready. Are you ready as well?"

Fang Chongyong saw that Tian Chengsi looked calm and composed, so he frowned slightly and asked.

"Reporting to the commander, I am ready. I will select 5,000 soldiers and set up an ambush at Huanghuadui."

Tian Chengsi saluted and said to Fang Chongyong with his fists clasped.

"Well, let's go then."

Fang Chongyong nodded, his face solemn.

He had a bad feeling in his heart.

Huangfu Weiming was so bold as to collude with the Uighurs. If he were reported, Ji Ge would definitely make him pay the price.

On the other hand, since Huangfu Weiming had already allowed the Uighurs to pass through the border, he obviously had no intention of playing dumb. After all, this kind of thing could not be fooled.

So, could it be that the other party has decided to “stop pretending”?
All signs indicate that this possibility is very high.

"By the way, Envoy Tian."

Fang Chongyong suddenly called out to Tian Chengsi who was about to leave the military tent.

"What else do you want, Marshal?"

Tian Chengsi asked with a respectful look and clasped his fists.

"In your opinion, when will Huangfu Weiming rebel?"

Fang Zhongyong asked straight to the point.

Hearing this, Tian Chengsi was surprised. He looked at the generals around Fang Chongyong and found that they all seemed to have heard nothing. It was obvious that they had heard about Huangfu Weiming's rebellion.

"Marshal Jie, this...is this convenient to talk about?"

Tian Chengsi swallowed and asked.

"Huangfu Weiming has already let the Huihe people into Hebei, so what else is he afraid of? What can't you say?
Do you want me to tell the Saint that you were recommended by Huangfu Weiming to come to Hedong and want to be his insider?"

Fang Chongyong warned Tian Chengsi repeatedly, telling him not to pretend to be confused!

"This...if it were fast, perhaps it would have already turned around by now.

Even if it's slower, it will be this year or next year.

In short, I think Huangfu Weiming is decisive, courageous and resourceful, and not a person who would drag his feet. "

Tian Chengsi said in a deep voice.

At this point, all the generals around Fang Zhongyong showed surprised expressions. Obviously, they had not expected that the crisis was so close, and it was urgent!

"General Tian is a loyal and brave man. Although he came from Hebei, he has always been loyal to the court.

After defeating the Huihe people this time, this commander will ask the court for credit for the military envoy Tian. "

Fang Chongyong said with a smile, but this smile was so meaningful that it made Tian Chengsi feel uneasy.

"Please rest assured, General Jie, my family has all come to Hedong, and we will definitely not surrender to Huangfu Weiming."

Tian Chengsi said embarrassedly, feeling a little embarrassed and ashamed that his fence-sitting thoughts were exposed by someone.

He knew very well that the matter in Hebei had to be exposed.

Fang Chongyong, the ambassador of Hetao, has a lot of weight in his words. A memorial was delivered to Chang'an, and Huangfu Weiming had to take action even if he didn't want to!

"We will set off in an hour."

Fang Chongyong didn't say anything more. He just turned around and walked out of the tent.

……

Huanghuadui is a mountainous area with undulating hills. The absolute altitude is not high, nor is it rugged, but the terrain is extremely distorted, and the hills are undulating without any regularity, just like the three-dimensional graphs demonstrated in some mathematical software.

This place is very suitable for hiding soldiers, and the twisted curves of the hills can naturally block people's sight.

Now it is winter and it has snowed heavily. There are no yellow flowers or green grass in the pile of yellow flowers. It is just white.

This hill is the only protrusion in a small plain. It is also the dividing point between Shuozhou and Yunzhou, and the only way to go.

It is a burial place "since ancient times".

According to the Records of the Grand Historian, during the reign of King Wuling of Zhao, people climbed the Huanghua Mountain, which is now the Huanghuadui, named after the yellow flowers in full bloom.

During the Northern Wei Dynasty, this place was called Huangguadui. King Tuoba Yilu of Dai built Xinping City here and sent his eldest son Tuoba Liuxiu to garrison it with troops.

Afterwards, Tuoba Liuxiu rebelled. Tuoba Yilu led his troops to attack Xinping City, but was defeated and killed by Tuoba Liuxiu.

Tuoba Yilu's nephew Tuoba Pugen, upon hearing the news, sent troops and destroyed Tuoba Liuxiu's army.

During the reign of Emperor Daowu Tuoba Gui, a new city was built in Huangguadui. At the beginning of Xiaochang period of the Northern Wei Dynasty, Hulu Jin led his troops out of Huangguadui from Yunzhou, but was defeated by the rebel army led by Du Luozhou.

When the Northern Qi Dynasty was first established, Gao Yang led his troops from Jinyang to the north and garrisoned in Huangguadui with 2,000 Xianbei. They were surrounded by more than 10,000 Rouran cavalry.

In the situation where the military strength was extremely disparate, Gao Yang took advantage of the favorable terrain of Huangguadui and won a surprise victory, defeating the Rouran army and capturing the wife of Rouran leader An Luochen and more than 30,000 people.

It was not until the Tang Dynasty that the Cucumber Pile was renamed the Yellow Flower Pile.

The remains of the old city from the Northern Wei Dynasty are still clearly visible.

At this moment, more than 2,000 elite soldiers of the Silver Spear Xiaojie Army and 5,000 cavalry and mounted infantry of the Datong Army were lying in ambush near the ruins of Rizhong City built by Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty.

Once they discovered Uighur cavalry passing by in front of them, they would charge straight at them.

Although this city has long been abandoned, it once controlled the main transportation route and was an important node on the road from Shuozhou to Yunzhong.

"General, will Che Guangqian be able to lure the Huihe people? He only brought so few people with him."

Behind a huge rock, He Changqi handed Fang Chongyong a wine bag filled with warm goat milk and asked in a low voice.

"That's not necessary. The flag has been given to Che Guangqian. When the Huihe people see the flag of our commander, don't they want to give chase?"

Fang Chongyong waved his hands, obviously not believing that the Uighurs would remain indifferent.

At this moment, Tian Chengsi came forward with a serious look on his face, and the other party clasped his fists and reported:

"Marshal, there are a lot of horses coming this way."

In fact, he didn't need to say anything, the snow on the nearby branches was constantly falling to the ground.

It seems like there are too many people coming here!
Fang Chongyong and others were all experienced warriors. When they saw the situation, they knew that things were beyond their original expectations.

(End of this chapter)