Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 527 People’s hearts are separated from each other’s belly

These days, Huangfu Weiming, who was stationed in Yecheng, was having an unhappy time.

On the one hand, he was anxiously awaiting the war between Hedong and Guanzhong, fearing that Ji Ge would suddenly die and his forces would be taken over by Li Heng, who would take advantage of him for nothing.

He repeatedly weighed the choice between sending troops and waiting, fearing that one wrong move would lead to a complete loss.

This feeling of anxious waiting is painful.

On the other hand, Huangfu Weiming was also very dissatisfied with the war situation in Beizhou and Jizhou.

Fang Chongyong led his detachment across four or five states in Hebei and met no rivals!
People who don’t know the inside story would think that Huangfu Weiming is made of mud and can’t even handle such a small matter!
If he continues to drag it out, it will shake the confidence of his generals in him.

So Huangfu Weiming adjusted his deployment and mobilized troops from the hinterland of Youzhou to move eastward to block the way of the Silver Spear Xiaojie Army.

He also ordered the garrisons in Mingzhou, Dingzhou and other places who were on guard against the official army in Hedong to move closer to Beizhou, Dezhou and other places in order to concentrate absolutely superior forces, intending to encircle and annihilate Fang Chongyong and the Silver Spear Xiaojie Army in Cangzhou.

To this end, Huangfu Weiming dismissed An Shouzhong, who had performed poorly in the battle, and established a special shogunate, appointing the brave general Zhang Zhongzhi as the commander-in-chief of the Suppression of Rebellion Headquarters, to be in charge of all matters related to the encirclement and annihilation of the Silver Spear Xiaojie Army.

To be honest, it seems a bit "unprofessional" to make such a big fuss for a small army. To some extent, it really thinks too highly of Fang Chongyong.

Logically speaking, Huangfu Weiming shouldn't do this, but only he knows his own suffering. Huangfu Weiming did this because he had no choice.

The generals under Huangfu Weiming were divided into many factions.

There is the Youzhou faction that originated from the Youzhou vassal state, the Pinglu faction that originated from the Pinglu vassal state, the Guanzhong faction that originated from the Guanzhong vassal state, the Jizhou faction that was composed of forces from various states in southern Hebei, and so on.

The relationship between these people is not simply competition, but one in which you are in me and I am in you, with both cooperation and power struggle.

Among them, only the Guanzhong faction was Huangfu Weiming's direct line and confidants. The others were all under the banner of supporting Li Wan's ascension to the throne and regarded Huangfu Weiming as their common leader.

They have a certain degree of independence. For example, if An Shouzhong, a general of the Youzhou faction, had not been defeated repeatedly on the front lines, Huangfu Weiming would have had no excuse to deal with him.

To maintain such a complex and huge network of relationships and balance the distribution of interests among all parties, Huangfu Weiming needs absolute prestige and the ability to command large troops in battle. He must be the most capable fighter!

At least that's what it looks like to outsiders.

If he can't even deal with a small group of troops causing trouble in the hinterland of Hebei, what qualifications does such a person have to be a leader?

This is a sword hanging over Huangfu Weiming's head, and he cannot turn a deaf ear to it.

I have to say that Fang Chongyong's move really broke Huangfu Weiming's defense.

Just as night fell that day, Huangfu Weiming received news from Zhang Xiu: An Shouzhong had suffered another crushing defeat, had been taken to Yecheng, and was awaiting interrogation in prison.

This was unexpected, but also reasonable. Since An Shouzhong had already suffered a defeat in the previous battle, it was normal for him to be defeated again.

However, the battle report sent by Zhang Zhongzhi was more interesting. In his letter, he said that the Silver Spear Xiaojie Army was very powerful, and they were all selected from the most powerful and elite soldiers in the border army. After a test battle with them, they found that the opponent was outnumbered ten at a time, and was very difficult to deal with.

So he suggested that he lead the army to follow behind, and then let the troops from Youzhou, Dingzhou and other places slowly close the encirclement.

After the reinforcements from all directions are in place, we will launch a general attack with one go and will surely win in one fell swoop.

In order to show his determination, Zhang Zhongzhi decided to change his name to "Li Baochen", having the same surname as the emperor to show his loyalty, and he would not give up until he captured the Silver Spear Xiaojie Army!

Although he was puzzled as to why Zhang Zhongzhi suddenly changed his name, Huangfu Weiming still admired the determination and plan of this "Grand Commander". With a wave of his hand, he transferred a batch of grain and grass from Liyang to Beizhou to support Li Baochen's military operations.

Such a large-scale mobilization of food and grass obviously means that they have abandoned their previous plan to go south to Henan. They plan to capture Luoyang and obtain food and grass from the Hanjia Cang.

Now the Hebei rebels' troops are divided into three groups, and the hinterland of Youzhou has been completely emptied.

The largest group was concentrated in the Liyang area, led by Li Guiren. They gave up the plan to go south to Bianzhou, but still planned to attack Luoyang from Hanoi.

The second group has not yet assembled, but the set assembly point is Cangzhou. The troops are divided and attacked together, rushing to encircle and annihilate the Silver Spear Xiaojie Army.

The third group is Shi Siming's troops in Hedong. He led an army alone and did not accept the direct command of Huangfu Weiming. He was semi-independent in nature.

Huangfu Weiming made such arrangements in order to concentrate his attention on the outcome of the confrontation between Ji Ge and Li Heng. Once the two forces fought to the death, the Hebei rebels would first seize Luoyang and then Chang'an!
Gain orthodoxy in one fell swoop!
"Bring An Shouzhong here."

Huangfu Weiming was in a good mood after reading the battle report and gave instructions to Zhang Xiu.

The latter took the order and left. After a while, An Shouzhong was taken to the study.

Compared to when he left, An Shouzhong now had a scruffy beard, red eyes, and looked completely listless. He had long since removed his armor and weapons, and was now wearing ordinary linen clothes, which made him look only slightly neater than a beggar.

He looked more than ten years older.

"I had high hopes for you, but it turned out to be like this. Sigh!"

Huangfu Weiming looked at An Shouzhong and shook his head in disappointment.

If Li Baochen had not said in the battle report that the Silver Spear Xiaojie Army could defeat ten at a time, An Shouzhong would probably have been beheaded by Huangfu Weiming as a sacrifice to uphold military law.

Of course, Li Baochen’s original intention was not to save An Shouzhong, but to pave the way for his next actions.

If the Silver Spear Filial Piety Army is belittled as worthless in the battle report, how can they make a difference on the battlefield in the future?
Unexpectedly, this move saved An Shouzhong's life.

Huangfu Weiming was not a person who treated his subordinates harshly, otherwise he would not have been supported to take office. Since Li Baochen said that the Silver Spear Xiaojie Army was good at fighting, then An Shouzhong was excusable.

"I'm sorry, Marshal. It's just that Fang Qing is too cunning and hard to guard against. I was defeated and failed the Marshal's trust. I deserve the death penalty!"

An Shouzhong knelt on the ground, crying bitterly and thanking him repeatedly.

Huangfu Weiming quickly helped him up.

“Fang Qing doesn’t lead many troops now, but he has extensive military experience. He once fought against Tubo and swept across the Western Regions. Naturally, he cannot be treated as an ordinary person.

You will return to Fanyang and serve as the Fanyang Tuanlianshi, responsible for recruiting new soldiers and forming an independent army, waiting to be deployed."

Huangfu Weiming gave An Shouzhong a task to return to Youzhou to recruit soldiers.

In fact, this is equivalent to retreating to the second line, a typical case of "you can escape the death penalty, but you cannot escape the living punishment."

But how could the newly recruited troops compare with the border troops of Youzhou? An Shouzhong was obviously not happy!
He knelt down and pleaded, "I don't ask to lead an army alone, I just want to follow you and obey your orders, to repay you for your kindness!"

Retreat to the second line, lead a weak army alone, or follow the main force as a deputy general.

All we can say is that each has its own merits.

However, in terms of promotion opportunities, it is obviously the latter who is more likely to make a name for themselves.

When Huangfu Weiming heard this, he pondered for a long time.

Now is the time when we need people, so it would be fine if An Shouzhong joins the team attacking Luoyang.

The key to a general's military power is whether he can lead an army alone. If he is only a deputy general, he can only offer advice and suggestions, follow orders, and still be controlled by others.

Thinking of this, Huangfu Weiming nodded slightly and said, "That's good. Then you can serve as a deputy general under Li Guiren's command."

Huangfu Weiming was a man who valued talent, so he didn't kill An Shouzhong with a stick. "Thank you, Marshal. I will do my best to kill the enemy and fight to capture Luoyang."

An Shouzhong was excited and saluted to Huangfu Weiming.

"Go."

Huangfu Weiming waved his hand calmly and said, obviously he didn't take this matter to heart. Now his mind was all on who would win and who would lose between Ji Ge and Li Heng.

If we take this step correctly, half of the world's situation will be determined.

There must be no mistakes!

……

Anling City in Dezhou is on the left bank of the Yongji Canal. The county town is not large, and the field army of the Hebei rebels is not in the nearby prefectures and counties.

Fang Chongyong led the Silver Spear Xiaojie Army north along the canal. When they arrived at Anling County, the county magistrate opened the city and surrendered without any hesitation.

It’s not that the county magistrate doesn’t want to resist, but this kind of resistance is tantamount to suicide and has no meaning.

The county magistrate has little power, and he has to look at the faces of the local wealthy families, and his salary is low. It is not worth sacrificing one's life for such a position.

There have been rumors for a long time that the Silver Spear Xiaojie Army will not kill indiscriminately, and if they surrender obediently, there will be no problem. Why make things difficult for yourself?

Fang Chongyong did not hesitate and continued to let the original people in Anling County perform their duties. However, the old rules remained the same: while opening the warehouses to release grain, weapons were distributed to the surrounding people.

Just when Fang Chongyong was about to lead his troops to Baiqiao Town, Dongguan County, Cangzhou to grab supplies, Li Baochen sent his confidant to deliver a letter by water.

Attached to it was a map of the Hebei rebels’ battle plan to encircle and annihilate the Silver Spear Filial Piety Army!

That night, in the lobby of Anling County Government, Fang Chongyong discussed military affairs with the generals of the Silver Spear Filial Piety Army.

When they saw this letter, all the generals under Fang Chongyong were stunned!

Li Baochen provided them with the military deployment of the Hebei rebels. What does this mean?

"General Jie, is this a trick?"

Che Guangqian asked with a puzzled look on her face.

If this deployment map is true, then their current situation is very dangerous. This is because the Gao Miao rebels of Hebei have already camped in Changlu County, an important town in Cangzhou, right next to the canal, waiting for the enemy to tire themselves out.

Changlu is an important town in Hebei Province, not because of its special geographical location, but because of the Changlu Salt Field that has been supplying salt to the entire Hebei Province since the Han Dynasty!

The salt from the Changlu Salt Field is sold throughout Hebei through the canal and is an important economic lifeline.

Gao Miao took his troops to occupy the salt field without saying anything, giving priority to protecting key resources. It must be said that this is very consistent with military principles.

This can also prove conversely that this picture of Li Baochen is very likely to be true!

"Don't worry, as long as he changes his name to Li Baochen, he will definitely not kill us all."

Fang Chongyong sneered.

He Changqi was the person involved, and he went to Chongxing Temple with Fang Chongyong that night.

He explained nonchalantly: "You didn't see how Li Baochen was that night..."

He Changqi wanted to say more, but heard Fang Zhongyong scolding in a low voice: "That's enough, just know that's the case."

He looked around at everyone and asked, "According to this map, there are four armies surrounding us. What do you think?"

Everyone fell silent. It would be a lie to say there was no pressure.

They didn't care about it before because Huangfu Weiming didn't take it seriously, so the Silver Spear Xiaojie Army was desperately making trouble in Hebei.

Now Huangfu Weiming has shown no mercy, and Che Guangqian and his group suddenly feel under tremendous pressure.

Li Baochen has the largest number of troops, with more than 20,000 directly under his command.

Gao Miao's detachment blocked the route of the canal, with a force of 10,000 soldiers.

There were two other groups on a forced march, one of which was led by Ashina Chengqing, a Turkic tribe leader who was considered to have "brought money into the group" when Huangfu Weiming started his army.

Li Baochen didn't know how many soldiers and horses Ashina Chengqing brought with him. Anyway, this guy only obeyed orders and not announcements.

The last group was led by Hebei rebel general Tian Qianzhen. They had only 5,000 people and were the farthest away, so they seemed to pose the least threat.

In addition to these four groups of troops, the "outside tactics" of the Huihe people cannot be ignored. In order to prepare for the attack on Luoyang and Chang'an, Huangfu Weiming had bribed the Huihe Yehu with a large sum of money and asked him to lead his troops from the grassland into Youzhou and wait for an opportunity to act.

Although this group of troops was a backup plan prepared by Huangfu Weiming to seize the world, it could not be ruled out that the Uighurs might get carried away and send a detachment to help encircle and suppress Fang Chongyong.

You know, when Fang Chongyong was in Shuofang and Hedong, he caught the Huihe people in the face and slapped them repeatedly until their faces were swollen.

If the Uighur leader Yehu remembers this and sends cavalry to attack across the Hebei Plain, Fang Chongyong will be unable to do anything to him.

If we underestimate the enemy, they will be surrounded by five armies, and the situation will not be much better than the Long March of the Red Army.

"All of you go down and think of a countermeasure. We will set out to march to Baiqiao Town tomorrow."

Fang Chongyong waved his hand tiredly and said that he now felt that he really lacked a military advisor who could give him advice.

After the generals left, he went to the signing room of the county government office, spread out a large piece of paper, and wrote a letter to Li Baochen.

Could Li Baochen really believe the last scam?
Fang Chongyong felt that this might not be the case. As time went on, it was inevitable that Li Baochen would become suspicious.

Therefore, we need to gradually strengthen this situation and drag the opponent into the water step by step.

After much thought, Fang Chongyong felt that it was time to write a "Longzhong Strategy" for Li Baochen.

He wrote in the letter: Hengzhou, Dingzhou, Yizhou, Zhaozhou, Shenzhou, Jizhou and other places have dense populations and fertile land. They have been the foundation of kings and hegemons since ancient times. Emperor Guangwu finally gained the world after he managed these places.

The situation in the world is unpredictable now. Once there is a change in Guanzhong and Hedong, Huangfu Weiming will definitely take over Luoyang and Chang'an. However, he only gets these places temporarily. There are still many troops from Shuofang Army and Hexi Longyou who have not yet arrived in Guanzhong. If Shi Siming gets Hedong, he will also occupy Hedong and establish himself.

If he cannot obtain Hedong, he will return to Youzhou and establish himself.

Henan, Lianghuai, and Jiangnan areas will not surrender just like that.

There may be many twists and turns.

Once the troops of Hebei enter Luoyang and Guanzhong in large numbers, Hebei will be empty. At that time, you can occupy the above six states as the foundation, form a country of your own, obey orders but not announcements, recruit troops and wait for the opportunity.

You must never obey the order to enter Hedong, Luoyang Guanzhong and other places. Those places are whirlpools. Once you enter, there will be no future.

After finishing the letter, Fang Chongyong checked it again and again and felt that there was no problem, so he sealed it and handed it to a personal soldier beside him, asking him to go to Qinghe, Beizhou, and hand the letter to Li Baochen personally.

(End of this chapter)