warring states careerist

Chapter 965 Prelude to the Decisive Battle
Using troops to take risks is often out of helplessness.

Chengkuang was unable to attack the city for a long time. If we fought steadily, we must first capture Chengkuang and Dai, and then attack Ningling, so as to get closer to Shangqiu.

However, if the allied forces of the princes fought like this, they would have to consider whether Laiwu was captured by the main force of the Mohist family first, or whether Shangqiu was captured first by their own side.

There is no way for Qi to retreat. Only by capturing Shangqiu first or forcing the Mo family to return to aid by massacre, can the situation of Qi be stabilized and the current crisis resolved.

Since it was determined that the troops left behind on the Sishang of the Mo family were eyeing the Han army on the right, this was an opportunity.

In the past, Mozi once said that there are five people who do not guard: a large city with few people, one does not guard; a small city has many people, two does not guard; The accumulation is outside, the rich are empty, and the five do not keep it.

Shangqiu is one of them.

Cheng Kuang was stuck between the right and the main force of the central army, and Ning Ling was in front of Shangqiu, but the number of defenders was not very large.

The plan has been decided, and the coalition forces of the princes finally made a decision.

Divide [-] troops to encircle Chengkuang and [-] to encircle Ningling. The main force bypasses Ningling and goes straight to Shangqiu to encircle the city.

Once the city is besieged, the Han army defending Yangxia will be ordered to pay close attention to the movements of the Mohists, and first guard Yangxia and Gucheng. The remaining troops on board were annihilated.

The main force of the coalition forces left Ningling and encircled Shangqiu in just three days, and Shanfu got the news while he was waiting for the opportunity.

There were thunderous cheers in the army tent, and it seemed that the coalition forces of the princes had been fooled.

Near Shanfu, the Mohists assembled almost all of the main field troops in Sishang, [-] infantry, [-] cavalry, foreign processing troops and artillery.

The remaining field troops were scattered in Chen, Zhecheng and other places as suspects.

If you can seize the opportunity to gather troops, you can fight a superior battle of about [-] troops against the coalition forces of about [-] princes.

This battle was planned to be fought in two phases, first difficult and then easy. What he wanted was not to retreat the allied forces of the princes, but to bury the last field troops of Han, Wei, Wei, and Qi here.

So he didn't want to move the underdog Han Jun on the right wing first, because that would arouse the vigilance of the other party and run away.

As long as the main force of the Chinese army is wiped out, the [-] Korean troops will be the food on the plate, and there will be nowhere to escape.

Shanfu is not far from Shangqiu. Although the important city of Dai was besieged, the coalition forces of the princes have not yet captured it.

Even though the situation was very favorable, it actually took about two days.

Once the army starts to move, it will soon be discovered by the enemy, and at that time, either the Korean army on the right will inevitably go north.

If the reconciliation is successful, it is not that the fight cannot be fought, but the fight will be very troublesome and the casualties will be heavy.

It is very different to fight more and less, and the number of people is similar.

The results of battlefield battles directly affect future plans.

If we win a big victory, we can concentrate our superior forces to annihilate the coalition army in the middle, and then annihilate the Han army. Then the army can take advantage of the situation and go northward, attacking Xinzheng and approaching the Yellow River, threatening Han and Zhou Dong to conquer Qi.

If it is a small victory, it may be necessary to recuperate for a period of time to prevent Zhao Guo from taking the opportunity to intervene.

The key to a big victory and a small victory is no longer on the main force of the Mohist school, but on the troops in Chen, Kuxian and other places who are suspected soldiers.

Once the Korean army intends to go north to join the peace, it is necessary for the suspected troops there to stick to it for at least one day to buy enough time for the main force to join the war.

As long as one day is enough, because once the army is dispatched, there is not much time left for Shizuo.

If the troops in Kuxian, Chen and other places are gathered, there will be about [-] field troops. Even if they can supplement part of the second-line defense soldiers in internal operations, the number will not be too many.

The south of Shangqiu is not a fortified area, which requires these troops to use the most tenacious spirit to approach the Han army that may hold Yang Xia back.

Thinking about this place, Zhecheng, which was the place where Duke Xiang of the Song Dynasty was famous for his unparalleled benevolence and righteousness many years ago, I am afraid that this place is the cruelest place on the entire battlefield.

But the matter has come to this point, he can no longer hesitate.

So he ordered an infantry division and [-] cavalry to go out to the right, and quickly break the siege of Daicheng.

The main force went straight to the north of Shangqiu, and after defeating the periphery of the coalition forces, they approached the main force of the coalition forces.

The left wing was dominated by suspects from Kuxian County and Chendi. They pretended to attack Yangxia, then went north to Zhecheng, and defended between Zhecheng and Chengkuang to prevent the Han army from going north and joining the main force of the coalition forces.

This is also a strategy of splitting up and attacking together, which is suitable for fighting in ancient times.

In this era where communication is completely dependent on horses and the fastest message transmission speed is two to three hundred miles a day, if the split-advance combined attack tactic is used well, it will be a big victory that can be recorded in history, and if it is not used well, it may become a joke.

But it doesn't work.

Fortunately, this is an internal battle. The roads of the Song Kingdom have been repaired well in recent years, and food supplies and logistics can not be considered too much because of the internal line.

In addition, the battle was launched in late autumn, the weather was dry and there was no rain, which was suitable for large corps to maneuver.

There were not many coalition troops besieging Dai City, only about [-], and there was a fortress defense brigade in Dai City.

With an infantry division and [-] cavalry raiding, as long as you don't commit too much stupidity, there should be no problem.

As long as the siege of Daicheng is resolved and the main force of the coalition force thinks that the Mohists want to cut off their retreat, it is very likely that the Han army in Yangxia will go north and twist into a ball, making the Mohhists unable to eat.

Otherwise, if there is no division of troops, the coalition forces near Shangqiu may discover the movement of the main force of the Mohists prematurely, and they may slip back. It is very likely that the battle of annihilation will be turned into a battle of pursuit and defeat. battle situation.

At the same time, the troops on the right that attacked Daicheng and Chengkuang first also stayed behind. Once the coalition forces of the princes realized the situation and chose to go south to join the Han army and retreat from Yangxia to Xudi, then this army on the right could also make a move. change.

At that time, although it may become a one-to-one situation, it can only continue to fight. At that time, the army on the right will react quickly and go south to Gucheng.

At that time, the right side will have to block, and the troops from Kuxian, Chen and other places that originally planned to fight the battle of Xiaoshangqiu will fight a decisive battle with the main force.

This depends not only on the attack of the troops on the right, but also on the reaction of the coalition forces of the princes on the opposite side.

It has been lured to this point, and it is up to people to make things happen. If the opponent can predict the foresight without making mistakes, then they can only fight the Great Shangqiu Battle.

…………

That night, the concubine Mie, who had become the commander of the Second Cavalry Division, and others received an order from above, ordering them to march 110 miles within three days, and then eliminate the enemy forces near Daicheng within one day.

After replenishing there, he quickly went south to relieve Chengkuang and strengthen Chengkuang's defense.

This 110 miles is not the distance on the map, but it is about the same.

After the vehicles are on the same track, for the needs of future operations, the ridges of cultivated land in the Song Dynasty are cut so that military vehicles and artillery vehicles can pass through.

Of course, for farmers, this is beneficial for them to drive ox carts and horse-drawn carts when they harvest in autumn, so the unification of cart tracks accompanied by the popularity of ridge farming and double-wheeled carts quickly formed an unwritten rule.

In addition, the road here is good. After all, this is the rear of the Heshui fortification area that the Mohists value most.

The scouts had a clear picture of the situation in Daicheng, because Daicheng was still in the hands of the Mohists, and the coalition forces of the princes divided up to surround it, but they did not capture it.

There are a total of about [-] Qi troops there, and they are digging the besieged camps. The previous attacks were a bit heavy, so they chose to besiege instead of fighting.

The two brigades of the cavalry division that the concubine Mi was in were put under his command. The commander of the infantry division was the commander of the right-wing army.

At the meeting, the leader of the right wing conveyed the intention of the above, and said very clearly: "The meaning of Juzi is very clear. To sum up, it is that Daicheng must be stable and Chengkuang must be fast."

"In three days, we can't be too fast, we must do a good job of reconnaissance and cover."

"But once the siege of Daicheng is broken, Chengkuang must go south quickly. In other words, once Daicheng is captured, Chengkuang must be lifted within two days without delay."

The concubine Mi nodded. He could already understand what it was for, so he suggested: "If the scout's information is correct, there are only about [-] Qi troops near Chengkuang. The cavalry of our two brigades can go south alone and quickly penetrate Chengkuang City."

"Since they chose to besiege the city, they must relax their defenses against the outside world. If they attack suddenly, they will have a chance."

"If the raid fails, the cavalry can still stick to them. When a cavalry encounters a plain, they can only choose to form an formation on the spot and dare not move lightly. Even if they form an formation and retreat, their marching speed must be slow."

"At that time, the infantry can also keep up, so as to encircle and annihilate them."

"However, let me say that it is basically impossible to use your infantry. This kind of short-distance raid is always a matter for our cavalry."

The order of the coach above is only to capture a certain place on a certain day, but it is impossible to tell the people below how to fight.

Even if you take off your shirt to reveal what's underneath to scare the enemy away, as long as you complete the task on time.

This kind of pre-war discussion meeting is very important, and the overall strategic intention is too obvious, and the concubine Mi can also guess the above ideas.

The purpose of attacking Daicheng is to block the way for the coalition forces to retreat from the north. This should wait until the main force of the Jiexuan army approaches Shangqiu before attacking, not too early.

Attacking Chengkuang is to occupy the center line before the enemy reacts. At that time, whether the coalition forces withdraw from the north or south, these troops in Chengkuang can respond.

If they retreat to the north and the Korean army gathers upwards, they will join the main battle; if they flee to the south, they will join the Korean army and return to Xu, and they will go south to Gucheng as a blocking force.

Shu Pu Mi's idea was supported by those present at the meeting. If it was a normal march, it is very likely that the Qi army in Chengkuang and other places would hear the news.

When the time comes to sneak away early, it will waste some time, and another one may join in the decisive battle, and there will be another [-] troops.

Every [-] troops lost by the enemy means that the flanks are less stable, which means that the front needs to be shrunk, and it is very likely that a flank outflanking annihilation battle will be waged. Using the advantage of the cavalry, the emperor's army put together by the princes will all be buried in Shangqiu nearby.

Generally speaking, the focus of a siege is inside rather than outside, so the idea of ​​cavalry raiding the camp mentioned by the concubine Mi is very feasible.

Furthermore, the garrison guarding Cheng Kuang also got the true tradition of defending the city from the Mohist family, and they would never stick to the city so honestly. Will passively wait for the opponent to besiege the city.

In that case, the [-] soldiers besieging the city would only be stretched internally.

Daicheng is not too far from Chengkuang. If the cavalry supplies supplies in Daicheng, they can go south quickly, and they may even step into camp before the Qi army in Chengkuang and other places get the news.

After a little discussion, it was agreed for the time being.

Early the next morning, just after dawn, the soldiers who had been hiding here for a long time began to wash and wash.

This is not an outside line, but behind the most affluent Heshui fortification area, the soldiers have sufficient logistical support, and they don't need to eat fried noodles and dry cakes like they are fighting on the outside line.

Charcoal is mostly used for cooking, and the breakfast is boiled thick rice porridge and beans.

After breakfast, the soldiers knew that it was time to call, because the Soldiers Committee and the Chiefs were distributing rations of cane sugar and wine, which were standard before the war and were additional food allowances.

"Clean up your backpack!"

The officers conveyed the order, the soldiers gathered separately, and the commander Sima and the company commander counted the number of people.

All the sick numbers were handed over to the internal guards of the Inspection Department, and they were monitored during the war.

The backpacks of the infantrymen are simpler. In addition to daily necessities and small felt quilts, each person has [-] rounds of paper-packed gunpowder and lead bullets.

The cavalry is a little more troublesome. It is necessary to check the horseshoes, horseshoe nails, nails and hammers used to block the enemy's copper cannon fire doors under each soldier, and so on.

These cavalry were not heavy cavalry, the elite martial knights in the Xie Xuan army, but light cavalry, with no iron armor on them, only leather armor.

The standard equipment is only iron swords, no muskets, but some officers or cavalry with relatively wealthy backgrounds will still bring some hand guns, but they are rarely used.Still others were equipped with daggers themselves.

The military uniforms of these light cavalry are much more gorgeous than the infantry, and there is also a set of woolen cloaks. Most of these cavalry are standard good families. The land is enough for horse farming and they have been in contact with horses since childhood.

In addition, a group of officers who came back from Zhaodi Gaoliu, such as the concubine Mi, filled them, which created the style of these Qingqi.

The cavalry is different from the infantry. The proportion of professional soldiers is higher. They don't give out land but their monthly salary is very high.

Moreover, even if most professional soldiers retire, there will be many chambers of commerce rushing to hire them, or a group of people will meet partners with the dream of getting rich, and go to the border to make a living and make a fortune in the future.

Unlike those elite martial knights who are used to charge into battle, it is most suitable to entrust them with the task of raiding, breaking the rear, and attacking the grain road.

And in general, they are also the main force to deal with the enemy's flanking cavalry. Although they can't hedge against the martial knights on Sishang, it is not a problem to bully the cavalry of the princes.

The light cavalry of the two companies left first. They had to scout and open the way in front of the army, and at the same time they might have to deal with the enemy's scouts. This kind of task was most suitable for this group of people.

Three days later, three thousand such cavalry and seven thousand infantry approached Daicheng.

The prelude to the main battle, which is about whether the reunification of the world will be within ten years or decades, officially started in Daicheng.

(End of this chapter)