Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 492: Changing coaches before battle
Hedong Road, Taiyuan City, in the lobby of the Hedong Jiedushi's Yamen (or the Emperor's Palace), many military generals gathered together and the atmosphere was somewhat depressing.

Everything was going wrong, and Li Longji, the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty, who was sitting on the main seat in the hall, found that he seemed to be unable to control the generals in the army!

The military order to attack Hebei was previously issued, but for some reason it could not be carried out.

He said he wanted to attack Zhending in Hebei, but Wang Zhongsi took Xinzhou in Hedong.

This feeling is a bit like a diner going to a restaurant and ordering a plate of dumplings, but the restaurant serves a plate of buns instead, making him question his life!
"Let's talk about it, what should we do now?"

Brother Ji stared at Wang Zhongsi with his eyes, wishing he could break the other person's bones to vent his hatred!

No one answered Ji Ge's question, and all the generals looked at Wang Zhongsi.

Wang Zhongsi felt that he had said everything he needed to say.

There is nothing to say now, because no matter what, you can't wake up someone who is pretending to be asleep!
"Wang Zhongsi! When the Hebei rebel army was short of manpower, you disobeyed the imperial edict and refused to send troops to Zhending, Hebei!
Now the Hebei troops have returned to defend and have deployed in Zhending and Xindu areas!
You have wasted all the time, what crime should you be punished for?

"You led the army to no avail and missed the opportunity to fight. What crime should you be punished for?"

Brother Ji pointed at Wang Zhongsi and cursed!

He gasped and looked around at the generals in the hall, but was horrified to find that among so many generals present, no one agreed with him!
There's not even anyone to sing along!
The atmosphere suddenly became extremely awkward.

However, Wang Zhongsi had no intention of rebelling. He had no choice but to stand up and salute Brother Ji, saying:
"Sage, Hebei is a flat land. Even if the enemy troops gathered in Yecheng before, if they want to support Zhending, Xindu and other places, the cavalry can rush at lightning speed and only take one or two days to travel! These troops can also attack in different directions, harass our army's food supply, cut off our way back, and block our scouts.

Previously, Huangfu Weiming intended to lure our troops deep into our territory and deliberately created the illusion that the Hebei hinterland was undefended.

If our army is greedy for merit and advances rashly, and our food supply is cut off by the enemy, there will be a risk of the country being overthrown.

Please think twice, saint! "

Wang Zhongsi was too lazy to say any more of these words. It was obviously a trap, so why should he fall for it?
Over the past one or two months, the Hebei rebels under Huangfu Weiming's command have been moving back and forth between Zhending and Yecheng like a prostitute posing in a coquettish manner, deliberately giving the government army scouts the illusion that "Hebei troops are frequently mobilized"!

It looks like they are providing supplies, mobilizing troops, or returning to defend. I don’t understand what those useless guys are doing!
At that time, Wang Zhongsi could not see through what tricks Huangfu Weiming was trying to play, but he did not want to confront Huangfu Weiming head-on. Instead, he chose to send troops north to attack Shi Siming first and clear out Hedong first.

Now two months have proved that Huangfu Weiming's previous strategy of hiding during the day and moving out at night and changing the army's skins has already deployed his main forces in the hinterland of Hebei, and replaced the old and weak in Yecheng.

Just wait for the government troops to come to Zhending and fight an all-in battle without the advantage of time, place and people, and then take away the main force of the government troops in one wave.

Many skilled fighters in the government army have realized that unless it is a critical moment, whoever strikes first will die first!
Only Brother Ji couldn’t see it!

Or it can be said that Brother Ji is more particular about the military strategy of "using force to defeat cleverness", using heavy casualties among soldiers in exchange for rapid and quick capture of cities and territories.

The choice of strategy is entirely based on the prediction of future wars. There is no question of who is good or bad. History will prove everything. There is no medicine for regret in the world.

Facing Wang Zhongsi's petition, Ji Ge had a gloomy face and remained silent.

"The Tang Dynasty can no longer afford to lose time. We must send troops before the autumn harvest."

Brother Ji couldn't help but let out a long sigh in front of all the generals.

“Saint, just bear with it for a few more months.

The rebels had made no progress for a long time and had no big cities like Chang'an and Luoyang.

Over time, people's hearts will become restless and the military offensive will not be able to sustain.

Please be patient, Saint."

Li Guangbi clasped his fists and bowed to Brother Ji, secretly groaning in his heart.

He knew very well that what Wang Zhongsi was now playing was called a "deterrence strategy."

It looks calm, but it is actually very clever.

As long as there is this absolutely elite force stationed in Hedong, the Hebei rebels dare not run around. Huangfu Weiming had to deploy the main force of the army on the eastern line of Hebei!
Although the battle was not fierce, it actually tied down most of the enemy's forces.

If the Hebei bandit army continues to march south to Henan without any hesitation, the government army can leave Zhending from Hedong and harass the hinterland of Hebei.

Let the enemy army pull back and forth between the hinterland of Henan and Hebei.

But now Huangfu Weiming is obviously trying to lure the government troops to send troops to Hebei. When the time is not ripe, there is no need to engage in a decisive battle with the bandit army.

As for the reasons given by Brother Ji, such as the Tang Dynasty cannot afford to delay and cannot provide food and fodder, these are not things that soldiers should consider. These are issues between the emperor and the prime minister!

"Shut up! What are you thinking when you say these things?

I heard that you are Wang Zhongsi's adopted son. Are you two colluding to undermine me?"

Brother Ji was defeated by Li Guangbi! He directly gave the opponent a big hat!

"Death penalty!"

Wang Zhongsi and Li Guangbi were so frightened that they immediately knelt down before Brother Ji. They didn't understand why Brother Ji was so angry today.

"An Zhongzhang, I want to ask you, how about we first station the army in Luzhou, then take the Bingye Road out of Fukou Pass and directly capture Yecheng?"

Brother Ji looked at An Zhongzhang and asked, he wanted to capture Yecheng directly and in one step.

"Sage, it is true that Shangdang is easy to defend but difficult to attack, but the road to Bingye is too rugged. If the enemy army sets an ambush here, I'm afraid..."

An Zhongzhang said hesitantly, really not knowing how to continue.

"Just tell me whether you can send troops from here. I didn't say that we must send troops from Bingye Road."

Brother Ji suppressed his inner anger, forced a smile on his face and asked.

"Saint, if you really want to send troops to Hebei, you can use the Ye Road as a surprise attack force.

If you just want to attract Hebei troops to the vicinity of Yecheng, then this route will only be enough to carry 10,000 people at most."

An Zhongzhang said with difficulty.

In fact, he knew exactly what Wang Zhongsi was planning.

"Okay, then you will lead 10,000 soldiers and horses, take the Bingye Road, and attack Yecheng from Fukouxing."

Brother Ji completely ignored An Zhongzhang's objection and gave the order directly.

Upon hearing this ridiculous military order, all the generals present were dumbfounded.

Brother Ji gave this order suddenly without consulting any of them beforehand!
In the military deployment of Hedong Road, Luzhou is not the focus because of Huguan.

If the army wanted to march through Fukouxing from Bingye Road, it would have to first march to Luzhou and set up camp as a logistics base, and it would also have to re-establish a grain route.

As for the narrow mountain road between Huguan and Fukouxing, don’t even mention it. If you get stuck in it, you’ll definitely die!
"I know this road is dangerous, but we can catch them by surprise."

Brother Ji comforted An Zhongzhang.

"Saint, Bingye Road cannot be the main attack direction. If we are not careful, it may easily alert the enemy. Moreover, we need the cooperation of troops from other directions to be effective.

I think that at most we can leave three thousand old and weak troops here to serve as a decoy to tie down Huangfu Weiming. The elite troops still need to be concentrated for use.

Since ancient times, Bingzhou and Hebei have always fought through Jingxing.

As long as we wait for another two months, when the rebels are running low on food and grass and their morale is low, we will be able to defeat the enemy..."

Wang Zhongsi, who was kneeling on the ground, wanted to say something else, but he saw Brother Ji picked up the paperweight on the table and threw it hard at his face!
But Ji Ge was old and weak, and the paperweight fell next to Wang Zhongsi and rolled to the side.

"Wait, wait! Wait again!

I have been waiting for two months!

Do you want to wait until I die?" Brother Ji pointed at the generals and cursed. His defense was completely broken!
“The saint calms down his anger, the saint calms down his anger.”

Gao Lishi hurried forward and gently stroked Ji Ge's back. The panting Ji Ge gradually calmed down.
"Wang Zhongsi will lead 90,000 troops out of Jingxing, and An Zhongzhang will lead 10,000 troops out of Fukouxing. The 100,000-man army will conduct a main attack and a feint attack along the way. It's decided. We will set out in three days!"

After saying these harsh words, Brother Ji shook his sleeves and left, not even wanting to look at Wang Zhongsi and Li Guangbi who were kneeling on the ground.

After Ji Ge left, An Zhongzhang and several people from the Liangzhou Lun family also left alone.

After Wang Zhongsi stood up, Gao Xianzhi and other main generals of the Western Army hurriedly surrounded him, and everyone's face was full of worry.

"General, now the Saint is determined to fight a decisive battle in Hebei, what can we do?

Wouldn't it be better to wait until after the autumn harvest and before winter?"

Gao Xianzhi asked in a deep voice.

Wang Zhongsi had already stood up at this moment. He sighed and said:

“Hebei is huge, and it’s not as easy as the saints think.

It is not difficult to capture Zhending, but Hebei is flat. After we capture Zhending, we have to divide our troops into at least three routes.

They went north to attack Fan Yang and Youzhou City, east to attack Pingji and Xindu, and south to Xingzhou and Mingzhou to support An Zhongzhang.

The hinterland of Hebei is full of bandit territories, and these bandit troops not only recruit soldiers on a large scale, but also recuperate.

How can we win when there are so many things going on?"

Wang Zhongsi has really used all his skills to drag the war to this point.

When he was about to talk to the generals about the specific strategy, he saw Gao Lishi rushing in. In front of everyone, Gao Lishi took Wang Zhongsi's hand, handed him a piece of yellow silk and said:

"General Wang, you have worked hard these days. The Saint sympathizes with you and orders you to train troops and collect food in Taiyuan and guard the rear. This time, the four generals Li Guangbi, Guo Ziyi, Gao Xianzhi, and An Zhongzhang will lead their troops. When the time comes, the Saint will personally lead the army and coordinate the command."

Uh...how should I put it?

After hearing this order, all the generals present were speechless.

The emperor or the prince can lead the army and fight vigorously. Has there been such a person since the founding of the Tang Dynasty?
The answer is that not only is there one, but he is also a very famous one. He is Li Erfeng, the actual founding monarch of the Li Tang Dynasty.

It’s not that the emperor can’t lead troops to fight, but we also have to look at who this emperor is!

Isn't it nonsense to let Brother Ji lead them out to fight against the Hebei bandit army?
"Eunuch Gao, this imperial edict is not appropriate. If it is really issued, I'm afraid..."

Li Guangbi argued incoherently, but Wang Zhongsi glared at him fiercely, signaling him not to act recklessly.

Gao Lishi also looked at Li Guangbi and warned him with a fake smile: "General Li, you can eat whatever you want, but you can't say whatever you want!"

"I, your humble servant, accept your order.

We will go out to fight in three days, please take good care of yourselves."

Wang Zhongsi put the imperial edict in his arms and saluted to the generals around him!
"Take care, Marshal!"

The generals also saluted him with fists.

Seeing this scene, Gao Lishi felt his heart tighten.

He patted Wang Zhongsi on the shoulder and said, "Marshal, please train your troops well in Taiyuan."

Although it was a bit abrupt that Brother Ji took down Wang Zhongsi today and put him on idle ground, in fact the seeds of distrust had been planted long ago.

When Wang Zhongsi let Fang Chongyong go in Queshu Valley that day, he should have known that this day would come.

What's more, Wang Zhongsi's cronies were spread throughout the Northwest Army, and Ji Ge was indeed afraid of unexpected events, so he could not tolerate him.

"When the army returns victorious, you will admit your mistake to the Saint, and this matter will be over."

Gao Lishi comforted Wang Zhongsi with kind words.

……

The ancient city gate tower of Jingxing Pass.

Cai Xide held a letter in one hand and placed his other hand on the parapet, feeling uncertain.

What he held in his hand was a handwritten letter from Huangfu Weiming. The content was very simple. To summarize it, it was "As long as you are willing to turn back, we can still be good brothers."

"General Cai, what does the letter say?"

The confidant Zhang Xiaozhong asked expectantly.

Their treatment in the government army is not very good now. Not only do they have no good place to settle down, but also one of the two passes guarding Jingxing has been taken over by Bai Xiaode's troops of the government army since Fang Chongyong was charged with treason.

Now all we have is Jingxing Guguan, and our situation is even worse than before we surrendered!

Cai Xide did not answer Zhang Xiaozhong's question. He didn't know what to say in this state.

Cai Xide felt guilty towards Zhang Xiaozhong, who was loyal to him.

"General, Fang Guozhong was such a traitor last time! He asked us to surrender, but he himself became a rebel!
This is really unreasonable! "

Zhang Xiaozhong complained indignantly.

He is a very honest person and can't stand those deceptive people and deceptive things!

Fang Chongyong had clearly agreed on the salary with Cai Xide, but before the salary was fully implemented, Fang Chongyong fell off the boat into the water.

Cai Xide was tricked to death!
Even if the other party did not do it on purpose, in Zhang Xiaozhong's opinion, it was extremely hateful!

"This letter is from Marshal Huangfu, who wants us to surrender. What do you think, should I surrender or not?"

Cai Xide took off the sword at his waist, handed it to Zhang Xiaozhong, and walked on the city wall with tired steps.

He asked a very realistic and difficult question to answer.

"General Cai, Fang Zhongyong played the entire game and made great contributions. What was the final result?
Could it be that General Cai has more connections in the court than Fang Zhongyong?

Is your contribution greater than his?"

Zhang Xiaozhong continued to attack with another blow.

Cai Xide's face darkened. Thinking back to the time when he had surrendered to the imperial court, he felt extremely unhappy.

At that time, Cai Xide also reported to the court the treatment that Fang Chongyong had promised to give him, but to no avail.

Anyway, I just don’t admit it. If you have the guts, keep rebelling!

The imperial court felt confident and started to act like a hooligan, and directly sent troops to take over Tumen Pass, cutting off the source of the problem.

Anyway, the imperial court had already believed that soldiers like Cai Xide who surrendered from Hebei were like tigers with their teeth pulled out and no longer posed any threat, so they didn't want to pay any more attention to them.

The more you endure, the angrier you get. The more you take a step back, the more you lose! Now that Cai Xide thinks of these bullshit things, he feels great hatred in his heart!

"Don't worry, the government troops and the Hebei army have not yet fought, and the outcome is still unknown.

Anyway, we'll help whoever wins."

Cai Xide sneered at Zhang Xiaozhong and clenched his fists so tightly that his fingertips turned white.

(End of this chapter)