Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 519: The trouble with people is that they like to be teachers
The surprise attack Zhou Zhi encountered that night was just the beginning of his nightmare.

For several days thereafter, whenever someone left Qinghe County to collect grain, cavalrymen from the Silver Spear Filial Piety Army would follow them.

Since the Hebei rebels had offended almost all the local people in Beizhou, someone would report their every move to Fang Chongyong.

The Silver Spear Filial Piety Army was not only the last to strike but also the first to attack the grain collection team. It also used tactics that the Hebei Border Army was not familiar with:

That is the javelin tactics of the Western Region cavalry.

This was a tactic that the Silver Spear Xiaojie Army learned from the Anxi Army when they were on an expedition to the Western Regions.

It is not commonly used in the Central Plains, but is very common in the Western Regions.

For example, Bai Xiaode, the general of the Anxi Army, used two short spears clipped to his waist in addition to the standard equipment of the Tang Army.

It can be used as a javelin or as a two-handed spear in combat, and is very flexible.

This trick has been used to achieve many merits on the battlefield.

The Anxi Army was composed entirely of cavalry, and had its own unique method of breaking through the sword, shield and spear combination common among the infantry of small countries in the Western Regions.

Otherwise, the battle would be impossible to fight, as the cavalry would not charge into the battle formation so foolishly. They almost always won with fewer troops, and if they really fought hard in a war, most of the horses in the army would be killed after a few battles, so there would be no point in fighting.

When charging, the Anxi Army needed to use javelins, or "spears", to break through the enemy's shields and create chaos in a certain area. Then the cavalry vanguard would use a point to break through the surface, open a gap in the chaotic area and charge; the follow-up team would continue to follow up and expand the victory.

After these three attacks, almost no infantry in the Western Regions could withstand it.

To deal with the nomadic cavalry, they specially formed a Modao team and adopted the fighting method of "using infantry to control cavalry". Different tactics were used for different enemies, which was very targeted. This was the secret of the Anxi Army's strength.

Especially when facing Tibetan heavy infantry, swords and bows and arrows are almost useless, and the only options are long-range javelins and short-range maces.

This time Fang Chongyong used the spears seized from the Beizhou treasury to deal with the Hebei rebels who went to the countryside to collect grain. A wave of spears was thrown, and the enemy line was completely in chaos. The follow-up cavalry followed and rushed in, crushing them.

Just like an adult bullying a child, he can easily use his mobility to launch a surprise attack.

After the battle, the cavalry immediately withdrew to Wucheng. When Zhou Zhi sent people to the scene, the clothes on the corpses had been stripped off by the local people, leaving them with nothing!
After suffering several setbacks and losing hundreds of men, Zhou Zhi ordered his troops to retreat to Qinghe County and sent scouts to ask An Shouzhong for help.

He honestly lived like a turtle in Beizhou and dared not show his head again.

If you know you are inferior and cannot win, then don't force yourself to fight. Although Zhou Zhi's ability to command a battle was not very good, he still had self-knowledge.

Seeing that there was no opportunity to take advantage of, Fang Chongyong did not waste any time and directly took the canal boat to continue heading north, leaving Beizhou and entering Dezhou.

A few days later, An Shouzhong, who had gained nothing in Liaocheng, came to Qinghe County with 5,000 cavalry. He was in a bad mood because the situation in Liaocheng showed that he had completely misjudged the movements of the Silver Spear Xiaojie Army.

Then when An Shouzhong came to Qinghe County, he saw the empty ferry, empty granary, and empty government treasury.

His heart suddenly sank to the bottom of the valley, and he couldn't help but secretly groan.

When An Shouzhong was led into Qinghe County by Zhou Zhi, his face was still calm, as if he would not change his expression even if faced with a huge pressure.

However, when the two entered the government office to discuss important matters secretly, An Shouzhong questioned Zhou Zhi as soon as he entered the room: "Didn't I tell you to move slowly before? Why did you insist on taking the canal boat to march quickly?"

Zhou Zhi was speechless and quickly bowed to apologize, not daring to talk back.

"Oh, this is not going to be easy."

After a long time, An Shouzhong sighed.

"According to your letter, the granaries are empty, the grain ships have been burned, the boats at the ferry have been cleared, and you are still being harassed by cavalry.

Right? "

An Shouzhong asked with an unexpected look on his face.

Zhou Zhi wanted to make some excuses, but he knew that An Shouzhong was not easy to fool, so he could only nod slightly and said, "It is true. The Silver Spear Xiaojie Army is not easy to deal with, and Fang Qing is even more cunning. I will not be able to get the upper hand from them."

Zhou Zhi focused on the first night in Beizhou, how an ambush was set up in the camp, how the grain boats were burned, and how confused he was, not knowing the whole story. He told An Shouzhong everything in detail.

Upon learning these details, An Shouzhong's expression suddenly became solemn.

An expert could tell the outcome with just one move. Zhou Zhi was completely led by the nose and his loss was not unfair.

Could Fang Chongyong have attacked the camp that night?
The answer is yes, and the army can even escape unscathed thanks to its own excellent tactical qualities.

However, the Silver Spear Xiaojie Army did not send out its entire force. Instead, a small unit of cavalry took a detour to burn the grain ships. After succeeding, they retreated cleanly without any lingering fight and without leaving any traces.

Now that the boat was gone, Zhou Zhi's troops had to walk to chase the people on the boat.

The more An Shouzhong thought about it, the more he felt that this move was extremely ingenious. Fang Chongyong was very skilled and experienced in controlling the rhythm of the war.

Because Zhou Zhi's reckless advance had caused the loss of the grain ship, and the difference in rank between the two sides was too great, the threat posed by their pursuit troops was much smaller than previously expected. At least it would take a lot of time to re-arrange the grain ship and food and fodder from Weizhou.

By the time they had dealt with all this, Fang Chongyong and his Silver Spear Xiaojie Army had already caused trouble in Dezhou and had even fled to Cangzhou.

According to An Shouzhong's original plan, their pursuit was to create a sense of oppression for the Silver Spear Xiaojie Army, making it impossible for the enemy to calmly search for food and fodder, calmly capture strongholds and cities, and calmly divide their forces.

As a result, this delay meant that half of the plan had failed.

An Shouzhong led cavalry, and each horse had to eat 10 kg of hay and 5 kg of concentrated feed every day when participating in combat, and halved when not in combat. The arrival of these 5,000 cavalry undoubtedly made Beizhou's already tense logistics even worse.

Talking about pursuit at this time is like a fool's dream.

"Let's recuperate in Beizhou for a few days. Weizhou doesn't have much food and fodder, so we can only transport it from Liyang."

An Shouzhong sighed, feeling that this battle was very frustrating.

"There are many unruly people in Beizhou, and some have ambushed our grain-collecting team. General An, how do you think we should deal with this?"

Zhou Zhi asked calmly.

They now had to go to villages and towns to steal food, otherwise they would starve to death before they could get supplies from Liyang.

But then again, Beizhou originally had plenty of grain and fodder, but it was because of Fang Chongyong's shady trick that he opened the granaries and distributed grain to the local people and wealthy households in Beizhou and Bozhou, which left the granaries empty.

If this were not the case, would Zhou Zhi and his men have bothered to go to the countryside to rob?
This war is really a war of extremes!

"The grains were originally stored in the Beizhou Tianxiabei Storehouse. There is no need to be polite to those unruly people. Just take what you want.

This general will send cavalry to escort you all the way. I don't believe Fang Qing would dare to come!"

An Shouzhong snorted coldly.

He had already made up his mind that as long as Fang Zhong was brave enough to send troops to harass the grain-collecting team as he had done before, he would dare to use the "oriole behind the scenes" tactic to make those bastards never return.

"With General An here, there is naturally nothing to worry about."

Zhou Zhi complimented with a flattering smile on his face.

An Shouzhong waved his hand gently and said nothing more. On that ferocious face, all the features were squeezed together. Those small eyes were narrowed, and no one knew what he was thinking.

The big hands with calluses on the knuckles were rubbing each other, and the left leg was shaking slightly, as if he was thinking of a bad idea.

"General An, is there anything wrong?"

Zhou Zhi asked cautiously, not daring to disturb An Shouzhong's thoughts.

"You said, how are they going back to Bianzhou if they keep going north?

Even if they really want to attack Youzhou, Marshal Huangfu doesn't have his own troops guarding Youzhou, right?"

An Shouzhong narrowed his eyes and asked.

He just couldn't figure out what Fang Zhongyong was thinking, so he was a little hesitant.

Zhou Zhi smiled bitterly. If he had figured it out, he wouldn't be so distressed. At this moment, a messenger came in hurriedly and reported to An Shouzhong: "General An, the messenger of Marshal Huangfu has arrived at the gate of the government office. Do you want to bring him in?"

"Who is coming?"

An Shouzhong asked in a deep voice, his face calm and not panicked at all.

"Replying to General An, it's Zhang Xiu, who has been here once before."

The bodyguard answered honestly.

"Bring the person in."

An Shouzhong sighed. He probably had guessed why Zhang Xiu came.

Sure enough, as soon as they met, An Shouzhong saw that Zhang Xiu had an ugly expression on his face.

"Judge Zhang, you came to Beizhou this time. Is there something you want to tell Marshal Huangfu?"

Before Zhang Xiu could speak, An Shouzhong asked a question.

"Hmph, General An, take a look yourself. This is the latest military information."

Zhang Xiu handed the unopened secret letter in his hand to the other party and then stepped aside.

An Shouzhong took the letter, opened it casually, and immediately felt his scalp tingling.

The letter read: After leaving Beizhou, the Silver Spear Xiaojie Army suddenly headed west, appeared in Zaoqiang County, Jizhou, and successfully captured the county seat.

It’s the same old routine, opening the granaries to release grain and dismantling the local rule of the Hebei rebels.

As there was no defense, Zaoqiang County was conquered almost without a fight. The county magistrate and lieutenant fled, and the locals, under the guidance of the Silver Spear Filial Piety Army, quickly emptied the county treasury.

"Why would they attack Jizhou to the northwest?"

An Shouzhong was confused and it took him a long time to come back to his senses. He hurriedly found a map and checked it over and over again.

Logically speaking, Fang Chongyong and the Silver Spear Filial Piety Army have two paths to choose from.

Continue northward along the canal, first to Dezhou, then to Cangzhou, and finally to Youzhou, it’s a leisurely trip.

Or he could go south to attack Ande City, the capital of Dezhou, and then cross the Yellow River and escape.

No matter what you do, you will not go northwest to attack Jizhou!

I can’t understand it, I can’t understand it at all!
"General An, Marshal Huangfu is very angry now. You have been fooled around by Fang Qing's several thousand soldiers, and now they have all attacked Jizhou. How can I explain this to Marshal Huangfu when I go back?"

Zhang Xiu sighed and began to question.

"Judge Zhang, please go back and say a few good words to Marshal Huangfu. Thank you very much."

An Shouzhong took out a purse from his sleeve and handed it to Zhang Xiu with a kind smile on his face. However, this smile appeared on his ferocious face, which seemed a bit wrong.

Zhang Xiu pushed the purse aside and refused to take it.

He couldn't help but shook his head and said, "I will help General An cover up when I go back, but whether it will be useful or not is another matter. In addition, Marshal Huangfu has already ordered the troops stationed in Dingzhou. Gao Miao's troops, who were originally prepared to guard against the eastward advance of the Hedong Army, are heading south to intercept Fang Qing in the north. If the battle situation becomes unfavorable again, I'm afraid General An will inevitably be punished by military law."

Zhang Xiu said with a veiled intention.

An Shouzhong nodded slightly and did not make any further excuses. In fact, Huangfu Weiming had to mobilize troops from the hinterland of Hebei to help him intercept the Silver Spear Filial Piety Army, which was already a question of his ability.

From now on, we must be cautious and careful at every step.

"I have something urgent to do and need to rush back to Yecheng. General An doesn't need to see me off."

Zhang Xiu simply bowed to An Shouzhong and left in a hurry.

After he left, Zhou Zhi came over and whispered to An Shouzhong, "General An, Zhang Xiu's attitude is much worse than last time. I'm afraid someone is saying something bad about General An over there with Marshal Huangfu."

Hearing this, An Shouzhong waved his hand gently, signaling Zhou Zhi not to say anything more, as all this nonsense was meaningless to him.

Generals on the battlefield must speak with their battle records. If your record is not good, it is inevitable that people will gossip about you behind your back.

"I am just worried. One monk needs to carry water to eat. Two monks need to carry water to eat. If Gao Miao is added, this battle may not be easier to fight."

An Shouzhong sighed helplessly. Huangfu Weiming's "interception" seemed to be a remedy after the loss, but it was actually a stupid move.

It was impossible for Gao Miao to coordinate with An Shouzhong. The two were at the same level and neither could convince the other.

This would make it easier for the Silver Spear Xiaojie Army to take advantage of the situation.

"General An, what should we do?"

Zhou Zhi asked with a worried look on his face. He believed in An Shouzhong's ability and believed that the other party was a great talent.

As for Gao Miao, if he was really powerful, he would not have been sent to Dingzhou by Huangfu Weiming. The elite of the Hebei rebels are now in Liyang, and most of those who can fight are here.

"What else can we do? Let Gao Miao have the chance to make a contribution."

An Shouzhong sneered. He had already made up his mind. Since Fang Chongyong and the Silver Spear Xiaojie Army were so difficult to deal with, there was no need to rush forward and bring bad luck upon himself.

For a seasoned player like him, even if he loses, he can get candy, let alone win. He will never lose no matter how he plays!

First, let Gao Miao waste time and energy with the Silver Spear Xiaojie Army in the front. It doesn't matter if he loses, as long as he can consume the opponent's strength.

After Gao Miao and his troops were beaten by the Silver Spear Xiaojie Army and became unable to take care of themselves, Fang Chongyong must have been exhausted as well.

At that time, if An Shouzhong led another 5,000 cavalrymen to attack, he could kill them with one blow!

The main point is that while the snipe and the clam fight, the fisherman benefits.

"We can rest for a few more days in Beizhou and prepare more food and fodder before setting off. There's no rush, no rush."

An Shouzhong wrote the word "忍" (forbearance) on the table with his finger.

Zhou Zhi understood what he meant. Otherwise, how could An Shouzhong be said to be good at fighting? The rhythm of war is very important. If you can't master the rhythm, you will be at a loss.

Since Gao Miao will come to "cooperate" with them in encircling and intercepting the Silver Spear Xiaojie Army, An Shouzhong will also "cooperate" with the other party in his own way.

The main theme is "humility".

"But General An, Fang Qing is causing trouble in Jizhou now, so are we just going to ignore it? Jizhou Xindu is one of the most famous cities in Hebei."

Zhou Zhi couldn't help but remind An Shouzhong.

"Hey, that's just your poor eyesight."

An Shouzhong suddenly became interested, and his usual temper of being a know-it-all came out again.

He waved his hand and said, "That Fang Qing is just teasing you. Attacking Jizhou is just a feint. He can't leave the canal. I'm sure he will end up going to this place, almost certainly!"

An Shouzhong used his index finger to draw a circle somewhere on the map.

That is the intersection of Yongji Canal and Zhanghe River, in the southwest of Cangzhou near the border of Dezhou. The place is specially marked with two words: Baiqiao!
"Dongguan County, Baiqiao Town?"

Zhou Zhi murmured to himself, this place is indeed very famous, it is a key point on the Yongji Canal.

"Isn't it Baiqiao Town?"

An Shouzhong laughed happily and continued, "Haha, Baiqiao Town was built because of the market around Baiqiao. Baiqiao crosses the Yongji Canal, and there are many ferry crossings around it. It is also a place for material transportation. If Fang Qing wants to continue to go north, he must take Baiqiao Town. We can tell Gao Miao about this news and let him test the quality of the Silver Spear Filial Piety Army. There is no need to rush north."

Zhou Zhi couldn't help but give a thumbs up and flattered An Shouzhong, saying, "General An is still the best! This move is brilliant! Brilliant!"

(End of this chapter)