Poor Family 1

  Chapter 588 Soldiers never tire of cheating

  Yan Qing did not attack Fengsui in the end. It was not because he was incapable, but because he was unnecessary. His time was already tight, and wasting precious time on attacking Fengsui was by no means a qualified scout.

Yan Qing and his party walked around the beacon towers and arrived at Yongqing County at dawn. Yongqing County is only a small county with a city circumference of less than ten miles. After the impact of the last Northern Expedition, there were no people outside Yongqing County. , all the population moved into the county seat.

Several people hid in a forest to rest, while Yan Qing drew a brief map in the dim morning light. He marked the location of the beacon on the map, and the original map was not accurate. On the original map, there were hills to the north of Baigou The mountains, in fact, are not. The hills and mountains are only concentrated on the west side of the official road, and the east of the wide official road is an endless plain.

  In addition, Yan Qing also discovered that the enemy's fortified walls and clearing fields were limited to ten miles north of Baigou, and on both sides of the official road. Beyond this range, there were large forests in other places.

After resting for a quarter of an hour, they climbed up a hill to the west of the county seat on a small path. The gate of the city was not opened, and there were only sparse guarding soldiers on the top of the city, at most two or three hundred people, and there was no large number of military activities in the county, and the whole county was very quiet.

  But short-term observations cannot draw conclusions. They must observe for at least one hour before they can make an accurate judgment.

   "Who are the five hundred garrisons in the city?" Yan Qing asked the deserter again.

   "Majority are Khitan people, and there are also a small number of Han soldiers. They all do dirty work, so we have a chance to escape."

   "Are these Khitans cavalry?"

   "No! No! They are all infantry, and there are only fifty cavalry in total."

Yan Qing led his men to observe for an entire hour, and basically confirmed the confessions of the two soldiers who surrendered. There were only a few hundred defenders in the city. The door opened, and they rushed into the county town.

   "We met this cavalry!" Yang Guang said anxiously.

  Yan Qing stared at the cavalry with stern eyes, and he had an intuition in his heart that the cavalry would definitely change after they came back.

  After waiting for about a stick of incense, three pillars of smoke suddenly shot up from the north of the county seat, shooting straight into the sky, "Wolf smoke!" Two Xiang Army soldiers exclaimed.

  Yan Qing quickly turned her head and looked to the north, only to see three pillars of smoke appearing in the north, followed by beacon smoke in the farther north. Yan Qing was extremely shocked. Did the Liao army just discover that the Song army had arrived in Bazhou?

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On the afternoon when the army arrived in Bazhou, two thousand Song troops began to build a pontoon bridge on the water of Baigou. The previous pontoon bridge had been burned by the retreating Song army, but the foundations of the wooden piles in the water had not been burned. This made it much more convenient for the Song army to build the pontoon bridge. They built the pontoon bridge with rafts made of big trees overnight. At noon the next day, that is, on July 30, two pontoon bridges appeared in Baigou outside Bazhou City. on the water.

  It was night again, and Yan Qing and his party finally returned from Yongqing County, bringing back detailed information on the North Shore and two deserters.

In the large tent of the Chinese Army, Li Yanqing used small wooden cubes of various colors to set up a very simple sand table on the table. He pointed to Yongqing County with a wooden pole and said to Liu Qi and Yang Zaixing: "The most weird information is that the Liao Army The beacon fire was only lit today, and I feel that Guo Yaoshi deliberately misled us, making us think that he or the Liao army were not prepared."

   "The control thinks there is something wrong with those two deserters?" Liu Kai asked.

   "The two deserters may be real, but I don't think it is possible for Guo Yaoshi to just know that our army is under pressure, and only light up the smoke this morning.

   "No, Yongqing County is also a bait!"

   "It is possible, but if we use it properly, this bait can be swallowed without being taken."

   Liu Kai frowned, "But I didn't figure it out, what is the purpose of Guo Yaoshi using Yongqing County as a bait?"

  Li Yanqing smiled slightly, "Judging from the current situation, it can be said that it is easy for us to capture Yongqing County, but our biggest threat is not in the front, but in the back."

   Liu Kai suddenly realized, "The control is worried about the Liao army in the west?"

   "It's not just west!"

Li Yanqing pointed to the east and west sides of Bazhou with a wooden pole, and continued: "Actually, our information is not sufficient. Where did Yelu Dashi and Xiao Qian's army go? I am worried that Guo Yaoshi's ever-victorious army is not on the frontier. The only army in the world is not only Yizhou, but I don’t know the situation in the east. If our 10,000 troops rush north, how will the logistics be guaranteed? If we are taken by the Liao army, who will support us?”

There is a reason for Li Yanqing's worry. Gao Shixuan's army that was supposed to come to Bazhou today did not show up, nor did he send anyone to contact them. This simply added an uncertain factor to their Northern Expedition. According to the deployment of Zhong Shidao It should be that Li Yanqing's right army went north, and Gao Shixuan's former army was stationed in Bazhou as a backup, so that the right army would not have to worry about the future. Now that Gao Shixuan's army did not show up, there was a loophole in the battle plan of cultivating the way of teachers.

At this time, Yang Zaixing, who had been silent all this time, said slowly: "Gao Shixuan should carry the same dry food as us. If we didn't get the supplies from Bazhou, we would run out of food today. Gao Shixuan hasn't come yet, how did he get the supplies? "

  Li Yanqing and Liu Kai looked at each other. Although Yang Zaixing didn't say it clearly, they both understood what Yang Zaixing was referring to? Apart from plundering food from the people along the way, Gao Shixuan really had no way to solve the problem of supplying the 10,000 troops, but if he really plundered the people, how could the strict military discipline of the teacher let him go?

  Liu Kai suddenly thought of a possibility, and said cautiously: "Did Gao Shixuan go to Xiongzhou?"

  Yang Zaixing sighed, "I sent people to the south for fifty miles yesterday, but there was no trace of Gao Shixuan's army. He either returned to Daming Mansion due to insufficient supplies, or General Liu guessed that he went west to Xiongzhou."

   Speaking of this, Yang Zaixing and Liu Kai looked at Li Yanqing together, how would they send troops tomorrow?

Li Yanqing pondered for a moment and said: "Don't wait for tomorrow, we will send troops tonight. We will divide our troops into three groups. General Yang led two thousand people to take a small road to raid Yongqing County. After breaking through the county, he directly brought the prisoners back. General Liu led three thousand people." In response, I will lead 5,000 people to sit on the north bank to prevent the enemy from stealing our way."

  Yang Zaixing and Liu Kai both nodded, so that Tong Guan's mouth could be blocked, and risks could be prevented. Yang Zaixing immediately got up and said, "The humble job is leaving now!"

A thought suddenly flashed in Li Yanqing's mind, and he said to Yang Zaixing: "I'll give you the scout battalion, and take the first battalion with you, and you can simply lead the 800 cavalry to raid Yongqing County. There is no need to **** the prisoners back, all Execute on the spot!"

  Yang Zaixing thought for a while and said, "The eight hundred cavalry led by the humble officer will be on the outskirts, and there is no need for General Liu to support them."

  Li Yanqing smiled slightly and said: "That's exactly what I mean, you bring Xinying and contact me at any time."

The city gate of Bazhou was opened, and Yang Zaixing led eight hundred cavalry out of the county seat, crossed the pontoon bridge, and galloped towards Yongqing County in the north like lightning. There were still four hours left for the attack, but Li Yanqing broke this mindset and dispatched troops ahead of schedule.

  On the top of the city, Liu Kai looked at the cavalry in the distance, and whispered to Li Yanqing: "Does the leader think that Gao Shixuan really went to Xiongzhou?"

  Li Yanqing shook his head lightly, "I'm not sure, but I personally think that Tong Guan will never let the Eastern Route Army go northward smoothly. He can't control the Eastern Route Army on the surface, but he will definitely cause obstacles in the dark."

   "Why did he do this?" Liu Kai couldn't help but look angry.

Li Yanqing smiled faintly, "Because the emperor changed the will of Shenzong, whoever takes Yanjing first, the general can be crowned king. Tong Guan has been seeking this prince for ten years, and he always thinks it is his own. Actively advocating the Northern Expedition is also due to this selfishness, how could he tolerate the commander-in-chief taking away the king at the last moment? He will definitely try his best to delay the progress of the commander-in-chief's Northern Expedition."

  Liu Kai just woke up, and couldn't help but worry: "If Gao Shixuan is really bought by Tong Guan, what should we do?"

  Li Yanqing patted Liu Kai on the shoulder, "Guo Yaoshi wants to cut off our retreat, so let's welcome him with a feast and arrange city defense! It is estimated that there will be a fierce battle after dawn."

   "Humble post obeys orders!"

Liu Kai saluted and hurried away. Li Yanqing stared at the dark night. In fact, he also figured out a reason. An important factor that prompted Guo Yaoshi to surrender to the Song Dynasty in history was the 100,000 army led by Liu Yanqing. There was no 100,000 Song army. Guo Yaoshi would never take the step of surrender easily.

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In the dark night, a Liao Army infantry and cavalry of about 6,000 people is rapidly heading south along the Liuli River. The Liuli River is located about 30 miles west of Yongqing County and flows southward into the Juma River. It is a mountain range, with only a valley about three miles wide in the middle, which is very concealed and is a shortcut for a sneak attack southward.

The 6,000 troops consisted of 5,000 Han Chinese infantry and 1,000 Khitan cavalry. They were the ever-victorious army led by General Guo Yaoshi. Of course, Guo Yaoshi knew that the Song army was going north, and he just let Yongqing County ignite the army to attack today. The wolf smoke is to create an illusion for the Song army in Bazhou. They have no preparations, so that the Song army will go northward without fear. As for the five hundred defenders in Yongqing County, he is indeed a bait. He knows the Song army's experience After the last disastrous defeat, I was too eager to win a victory.

Guo Yaoshi is about fifty years old, with a big and strong body and a thunderous voice. He has a square face, dark skin, and a rough face like an orange peel. His face is full of vicissitudes of service for thirty years. But in fact, he was very shrewd, very good at judging the situation, and rose step by step, becoming a very rare high-ranking Han general in the Liao army. Because he supported Yelu Chun's accession to the throne, he was named a general by Yelu Chun and controlled eight thousand victorious troops.

After Yeluchun's death, internal strife occurred within the Northern Liao Dynasty. The main reason was that Yelu Dashi and Xiao Qian had conflicts. Support the regent of the imperial concubine Xiao Puxian.

  Finally, Xiao Qian won the power struggle, Xiao Pu Xiannv deprived Yelu Dashi of his military power, and demoted him to guard Juyongguan.

Guo Yaoshi took refuge in Xiao Qian, and Xiao Qian immediately ordered him to lead his 8,000 troops to guard Zhuozhou and Yizhou. However, Guo Yaoshi also knew that the situation of the Liao Kingdom was over, and he needed to consider his own way of retreat. ? He still hasn't made up his mind.

  But there is one thing Guo Yaoshi knows in his heart, no matter whether he invests in gold or surrenders to the Song Dynasty, he must show a good record and let the Song and Jin countries know his worth.

  At this time, it was the first watch, and Guo Yaoshi led 6,000 elite troops to arrive at Juma River. They set out from Fanyang and had marched for more than a hundred li. Seeing that the army was exhausted, Guo Yaoshi ordered the army to rest on the spot.

At this time, Xiao Yuqing, the supervisor, rode up to the front and said: "Xiongzhou is ten miles ahead, and there are tens of thousands of Song troops there. If we go east to Bazhou, won't we give up the hinterland of Zhuozhou to the Song army of Xiongzhou? "

Guo Yaoshi narrowed his eyes and said with a smile: "The supervising army doesn't know something. The Xiongzhou side is Tong Guan's army. If you give him a hundred courage, he won't dare to take a step beyond Mahe. He will definitely wait for the army with the way of teaching." Go north first, and then take a step cautiously, it is nothing to worry about, the key is to annihilate the vanguard of the teacher's way first."

  Xiao Yuqing hesitated and said again: "But tomorrow is the first day of August, the day the emperor of the Song Dynasty stipulated to dispatch troops. How dare Tong Guan resist the order?"

"This old man has already seen through Tong Guan. He is strict with others and lenient with himself. If Mr. Zhong doesn't send troops on the first day of August, he will definitely write a letter to impeach him, but he will find a thousand reasons himself, and he will never do it tomorrow." Take a step north to the Liao border."

   "Okay! Since you must make up your own mind, then I have something to say first. If you lose the army, don't blame me for using military law!" After finishing speaking, Xiao Yuqing beat the horse away.

  Guo Yaoshi spat hard at his back, "Bastard!"

  Because Taiwei Li Chuwen and his son were executed for colluding with the enemy, the court of the Northern Liao Dynasty agreed that the Han people were not reliable.

  Guo Yaoshi has realized that his situation is getting worse, and it is not realistic to drop gold, so he decided to go to Song Dynasty, but he still wants to make some more capital to go to Song Dynasty.

  At this time, Guo Yaoshi's confidant general Zhao Heshou said in a low voice: "Since the commander-in-chief has already intended to surrender to the Song Dynasty, if he really defeats the Song Army on the East Route, wouldn't it mean that he has ended his path to the Song Dynasty?"

Guo Yaoshi snorted coldly, "When has Zhao Ji ever cared about the lives of the soldiers of the three armies? I defeated the striker who cultivated the way of being a teacher, and it will only make him fear me more and look up to me, and then I will surrender Tong Guan. Can you thank me and welcome me?"

   "Good advice, Commander!"

  Guo Yaoshi smiled triumphantly, "The emperor of the Song Dynasty told me the time when the Song army sent troops. When I capture Bazhou City tomorrow, Li Yanqing will know what it is like to have no food in Yongqing County."

  (end of this chapter)