I seek economic hegemony in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 427 Penetrating Xuzhou and shaking the southeast

"Okay, I have found out the movements of the Wei army in Bingzhou. I will give you 10,000 elite soldiers and 3,000 cavalry. You can intercept that Wei army."

Wei Yan said categorically: "I will go and devour the Wei army in Bingzhou for the prime minister!"

Wei Yan received the token and went to mobilize troops.

Give Wei Yan 10,000 soldiers and horses, 3,000 iron-armored cavalry, 1,000 infantry infantry, and 6,000 light-armored infantry and crossbowmen.

Light armor is not without armor. The iron armor of light armored infantry and crossbowmen also weighs twenty kilograms.

This army is truly an elite force, surpassing any elite force in the original era.

In the evening of that day, the sunset covered half of the sky, and Wei Yan's snow-white temples danced lightly in the summer wind. He led the Han army northward all night.

On the ninth day of April, the two top commanders of the Han and Wei dynasties deployed their troops in Hedong County and Tongguan as two important strongholds.

This will be a showdown that will determine the future of the world.

Also on this day, the right leg of the Han Army's southeastern Shenwu Army, commanded by Wang Ling, conquered the Marquis of Huaiyin with great momentum, quickly conquering Lingxian and Xiaxiang.

Xuzhou was shocked in all directions.

Wang Ling declared that he would break through the entire Xuzhou defense line within three months and incorporate Xuzhou into the territory of the Han Dynasty.

On the tenth day of April, Hu Zun, the governor of Xuzhou in Wei State, received many letters asking for help.

The Wei troops garrisoned in each city collapsed at the first touch, and countless people fled in the countryside. All resistance was crushed in front of this terrifying Han army.

At this time, Wang Ling's main force was already on the verge of defeat.

The Han army's momentum was like a rainbow, and the surrounding counties and cities looked at the wind and fell.

Hu Zuncai realized the seriousness of the problem.

Many officials in Pengcheng strongly requested Lord Hu Zun to rescue Xiapi, but Hu Zun did not attack rashly. He wrote a letter to Sima Division in Shouchun.

Now, Sima Division is in the southeast of Zhijie, commanding the troops and horses of Yangzhou, Xuzhou, and even Qingzhou.

Hu Zun was Sima Yi's old general.

According to official history, his Hu family was rich and powerful in the Jin Dynasty.

Naturally, he fully obeyed Master Sima's orders.

On April 11th, Wang Ling conquered Xiapi again.

Xiapi City was the governor of Xuzhou in the late Han Dynasty. During the Cao Wei Dynasty, it was moved to Pengcheng County.

Xiapi is only one hundred and thirty miles away from Pengcheng.

Based on this distance, the Han army could reach Pengcheng in two and a half days.

Where is Pengcheng?
Pengcheng became Xuzhou later.

It’s just that Xuzhou in this era is still equivalent to a province.

Pengcheng is a very important place. Why is it so important?
Pengcheng itself has the Si River flowing through it and can enter the Yellow River.

But more importantly, it is located between the Huaihe River and the Yellow River.

Before the Song Dynasty, the core circle of Chinese civilization was in the North China Plain.

This large plain stretches out, reaching Youzhou in the north, and extending all the way to the southeast. When it is about to reach the Yangtze River, some small hills appear until it reaches Jianye.

Going west, it reaches the Taihang Mountains, which are six hundred miles from north to south, and then to the southwest, it narrows around Yingchuan (Zhengzhou) and becomes a long and narrow corridor from east to west.

This corridor is the famous Western Henan Corridor, and Luoyang is located in the middle of this corridor.

Therefore, the strategic focus since ancient times has been as follows:

1. From Guanzhong to Luoyang.

2. Youzhou, nestled against Yanshan Mountain.

3. The Great North China Plain extends to Jinling at the southernmost end.

Let’s look at the location of Pengcheng.

Whether attacking Jinling from north to south or heading north from Jinling, whoever controls Pengcheng will be able to establish a base between the Yellow River and the Huaihe River. Take the initiative.

Therefore, in fact, Pengcheng is a fulcrum for Jinling to enter Hebei, and it is also the fulcrum for the northern regime to move south to control the area from the Yellow River to the Yangtze River.

Since ancient times, this has been a battleground for military strategists.

At present, Li Heng sent Wang Ling to lead the elite troops all the way deep into Xuzhou, with the purpose of shaking this fulcrum.

Only by shaking this fulcrum can Master Sima feel panic.

On April 12, Sima Division, who was still in Huainan urging the emergency mobilization of troops to Ruxuwu, suddenly received a letter asking for help from Xuzhou.

Master Sima's face turned livid: "The Shu army conquered Xiapi!"

Everyone was shocked.

Yang Dan said in shock: "We are already approaching Pengcheng!"

"In less than two days!"

Guanqiu Jian asked: "How many Shu troops are there?"

"Tens of thousands, ominous strength of troops, led by Wang Ling."

When Wang Ling was mentioned, the expressions of everyone present changed.

They all know Wang Ling and their strength.

Wang Ling was famous for his strict military management. His soldiers and horses were as quiet as mountains and moved like wind.

His son Wang Guang was outstanding in his strategy.

"General Wei, send troops to reinforce Pengcheng immediately!" Yang Dan said urgently, "If Pengcheng is captured by the Shu army, the Central Plains will be in danger!"

Others echoed.

At this time, Yang Hu, who was sitting in the corner, suddenly said: "Li Jian doesn't want Pengcheng at all!"

"Don't want Pengcheng?"

All eyes fell on this young man.

Master Sima asked: "How do you say this?"

"Li Jian is attacking in the east and in the west. Although Pengcheng is a battleground for military strategists, the Shu army has no foundation from Jianye to Pengcheng. If it were just one front, Li Jian could mobilize people and materials to quickly follow up, but now there are multiple fronts advancing simultaneously. And since he just got Jianye, it’s impossible to keep up with the logistics supply of this line quickly.”

Master Sima immediately became interested in this young man and asked, "So do you think he wants to attract our main force to Xuzhou and take the opportunity to attack Ruxuwu?"

"Yes, he just wants Ruxuwu." Yang Hu said with certainty, "If the supply line from Jianye to Pengcheng cannot be supported, it will be impossible to use Pengcheng as a fulcrum to head north to the Central Plains. This line itself is a correct strategy, but Sufficient resources are needed for rapid replenishment, and Li Jian will not do so at the moment.”

"But if we don't support Pengcheng, if he takes Pengcheng, he will have time to mobilize supplies from the rear."

"It will take at least half a year for him to mobilize supplies. If you give him half a year, the supplies will be sufficient, but he may not be able to establish a foothold in Xuzhou." Yang Hu said, "And in the past six months, we have packed a large number of people and goods into the Hefei area, and even We only need two months to control Ruxuwu, and it will not be too late for us to go back to Pengcheng to deal with the Shu army."

There was deathly silence around, and Master Sima said: "Go on, what should we do specifically?"

"It's April now. We expect to strengthen Hefei's manpower and fill up Ruxuwu's defenses by June. If Pengcheng can defend until July, our army can move eastward for reinforcements."

Yang Dan asked, "Can Pengcheng survive until July?"

The strategy is such a strategy, and the principle is such a truth.

But on the battlefield, there is more than just strategy.

Tactics, if they are too powerful, can quickly crush the opponent's strategy.

Just like during the War between Song and Jin, the Song Dynasty also deployed 200,000 forbidden troops in Hebei. As long as they could hold on to the three towns in Hebei and deploy troops from the rear to keep up, they could consume the Jin army.

However, the Jin army was too powerful and penetrated all the defenses in one go, hitting Bianjing directly.

Even Bianjing was bombed the next year.

So as for strategy, you have to formulate it correctly, but once you formulate it correctly, you have to be able to execute it.

Strategies that cannot be implemented are just words on paper.

(End of this chapter)