...

On the eighth day of the fifth month, early morning...

Lu Su's first legion and Zhang Yichao's second legion all arrived outside the Changhe Fortress and confronted the Huangfu army.

Huang Fu, Luo Song, Fa Yang, Sun Xiushi, Gao Xiang and other important generals of the Chu army stood above the city, looking at the situation where flags covered the sun and crowded with people outside the Long River Fortress, their eyes were filled with solemnity.

"Is this the military appearance of Liu Cejun?"

Huang Fu pressed his hand on the city wall and muttered, seemingly asking himself inadvertently, but in fact he was asking Luo Song, the only general who had fought with Liu Ce Jingweiying.

Luo Song stared for a while, frowned, and said to Huang Fu: "This kind of military appearance is probably more difficult than when he met in Heyuan. The number of people outside the city is less than 50,000..."

Huang Fu smiled and said calmly: "We are several times more numerous than theirs. Even if this army is elite, we can still defeat him..."

Gao Xiang on the other side was worried: "King of Chu, I heard from my father that once the army of Liu Ce's troops gathered more than 10,000 people, they must avoid confronting him head-on and have a chance of winning..."

Huang Fu smiled slightly: "General Gao is too worried. Although Liu Ce's troops are strong, our Chu army may not be afraid of them. Instead of hearing about it, it is better to compete with him in real swords and guns, so that he can have a clear means of targeting it."

Fa Yang looked at the Han army camp outside the city with a blank expression, and did not participate in the topic of Huang Fu and others.

After a long time, Luo Song said again: "King of Chu, there is a sharp weapon in Liu Ce's army, called a catapult. These sharp weapons can shoot huge rocks weighing hundreds of kilograms and hundreds of steps away. Once the city wall is hit, it will collapse. You have to be careful..."

Huang Fu nodded: "I naturally know this, so I plan to arrange people to launch an attack before the army opposite to launch an offensive, so that their sharp weapon will be useless!"

"I'm afraid that I may not be able to win if I leave the city..." Fa Yang murmured softly, pointing to the black army outside the city and said, "I have been observing the enemy's lineup just now. If my subordinates are not wrong, most of them are new recruits who have not experienced war."

"Oh..." Huang Fu's eyes lit up, "Since that's the case, why did Mr. Fa still say such arousal to others?"

Fa Yang said: "King of Chu, if the officials in other places were new soldiers, their subordinates would not be worried about any accidents, but they were Liu Ce's army and they had to be careful."

Huang Fu frowned: "Sir, please explain your words so that I can understand more clearly."

Fa Yang said slowly: "According to common sense, in the face of such a tense war at present, whether it is Liu Ce or other forces, he will let all his elite troops quickly calm the situation.

But most of the tens of thousands of people in front of him were new troops. Liu Ce dared to send them to attack our long river defense line on his own initiative. This fully demonstrated that Liu Ce did not take the Chu army seriously at all, and he also had sufficient confidence in this new army army.

Because of their understanding of Liu Ce and the officers under his rule, they probably regarded us as tools for training.”

"It's really outrageous!" As soon as Fa Yang finished speaking, Sun Xiushi snorted angrily, "I think since our Chu army started to attack Jingchu in the north and Jiangdong in the south, all the elite officials and soldiers from all over the country fled in the wind for several years. Now these so-called new troops are trying to confront our Chu army. Liu Ce is really too naive!"

After saying that, Sun Xiushi asked Huang Fu for a knife: "King of Chu, give me 50,000 troops and see that I left the city and wiped them out in one fell swoop!"

Huang Fugang was about to speak, but Fa Yang hurriedly dissuaded: "King of Chu, please take a closer look at the enemy soldiers outside. Although they are all new troops, almost everyone is wearing armor on them, which is probably even more than our Chu army.

In addition, there are many skilled craftsmen in Liu Ce's army, and many strange weapons that make people unable to defend themselves. Please defend the Long River Fortress before determining the enemy's virtuality and reality, and put it first. "

Influenced by the Sour Confucianism, even if people like Fa Yang value the new weapon in Liu Ce’s army, they will inevitably be despised. They also think that this is a strange and lustful skill. Once they have their own foundation in the future, they should "take the essence and remove the dross."

Sun Xiushi said dissatisfiedly: "Mr. Fa, isn't this right? Our Chu army is short of armor and weapons, and just stripped off all the armor of their official troops and gave it to our Chu army soldiers..."

Fa Yang shook his head and said nothing more. He knew very well that the Chu army won consecutive battles and was currently in a grand manner. At this moment, the generals in the army were in full swing to the extreme and could not listen to any reasonable suggestions.

So, he finally turned his attention to Huangqi. After all, he is the one who can finally make a decision.

Huang Fu stared at the Han army camp outside the city, and his mind was moving rapidly, analyzing the interests of it. He finally slapped the wall and said, "Then I will ask people to carefully investigate and make a decision, and immediately order the entire army to enter a state of alert..."

After saying that, Huang Fu walked down the city wall without looking back.

...

And in the Han army camp...

"I'll go, your logistics department's people are really good. Where did you get the pig? Can you add food tonight?"

"If this continues, we will have to gain three or five pounds back. If my mother wants to see it, she is afraid that she won't recognize me..."

"Don't mention, this beef jar that I've been eating for so many days, and this fresh pork has not been eaten for a while. Lao Zhang, I don't want that pork anymore. Leave me some pig blood to replenish it..."

The couple from the Logistics Department, in groups of two, carried dozens of pigs by the first camp. When they heard the colleagues around them joking, they could not help but give them a blank look and said, "There are not many pigs to death, there are fifteen pigs in the first battalion. The commander said, let you all have a good meal before the war starts, so as not to die, go to the King of Hell to say that we abuse you, so that we became hungry ghosts..."

The husband's words immediately attracted dissatisfaction from the soldiers, and they all accused them: "Damn, Lao Zhang, why are you hurting your mouth? Are you cursing us to die? Tell you, I read the calendar today and said that I am lucky and will soon be successful..."

The chef was too lazy to continue to quarrel with them, and ordered his subordinates to carry the pig into the kitchen camp and start slaughtering and cooking...

These pigs were "forcibly" collected from farmers' homes from nearby provinces. According to the "sky-high price" of four silver dollars for a pig, more than 8,000 were collected. The farmers were so happy that they couldn't stop laughing. After all, the silver dollars produced in the Far East were the only recognized hard currency in the chaotic times, and their status was probably second only to gold.

On the other hand, the soldiers of the Logistics Department have begun to arrange fortifications in an orderly manner under the command of the army commander.

In the environment where shovels are flying, a group of observers stand at the height of the movable watchtower, carefully draw the drawings, then put the drawings down from the hanging basket and send them to the officer.

Military systemization and the popularization of standardization are also a major feature of the Han army. If you want to become an officer in the army, even at the level of a captain, the most basic requirement is to learn to understand the defense deployment drawings and marching maps. If this does not meet the standards, no matter how many military achievements you make, you can only become a rich man, and you will not be promoted.

After receiving the drawings and carefully comparing the real geographical environment, the officer said loudly: "Trenches on both sides of the north and south are built with barbed wire mesh, with two steps on the shoulder distance, five meters long!"

Soon, four soldiers from the logistics department wore leather hoods and were wearing leather armor, spreading a bundle of barbed wire mesh. Several soldiers were carrying sharpened wooden stakes and began to specify the position under their feet according to the officer's instructions, and chisel it into the soil and firmly fixed it.

After a while, the barbed wire mesh, which was more than ten meters long, was laid under the skillful techniques of the soldiers. The barbed wire thorns made people feel numb.

"Stop for a while, the boss said, dig the soil pit half a foot deep and the width remains unchanged. Everyone works hard to complete half of the progress before eating!"

An officer stood in front of the soldiers digging the trench and shouted loudly.

Hearing that the project progress has increased, the soldiers of the logistics department took a deep breath and couldn't help but curse a few times, but the work in his hands was not at all about stopping.

Because they knew that the work they did was related to the safety of the soldiers in the army, and they could not tolerate any carelessness...

Scenes like this are everywhere in front of the entire Han army's positions. When the sun rises to noon, a continuous iron mesh trench that can be seen from the naked eye is gradually taking shape.

And at the rear of the Han army camp...

"Captain Lu, all the 12,000 musketeers in the 100,000 troops of the two armies have gathered here. Please inspect..."

Zhang Yichao took Lu Su back and forth in front of the firearm camp. Looking at the well-made mesh gun, Lu Su couldn't help but nodded gently.

"Okay!" After patrolling, Lu Su spitted a word from his mouth, "Let this firearms try this time. If what you said is really right, then the commander of the army will definitely recommend to the Governor's Office to popularize this tactic on a large scale!

Of course, if it fails, this army commander will take responsibility with all his might. Commander Zhang, you don’t have to care!”

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yichao shook his head and said, "Captain Lu, this is not possible. In case of failure, I am willing to accept punishment with you. This tactic was proposed by me and I am ready to bear everything..."

Lu Su didn't say anything, and glanced at the army made of pure muskets again, and said to Zhang Yichao: "Follow me to do the main account. I guess the sand table has been arranged, let's take a look..."

Zhang Yichao followed Lu Su to his main tent. As soon as he entered the big tent, he saw a long table in the middle, and a sand table for combat command had been set up.

Judging from the terrain on the sand table, the confrontation between the Chu army and the Han army, as well as the surrounding geographical factors, and the rivers are all visible, and they are really finely crafted.

Lu Su held his hands in front of the sand table, studied carefully for a while, took the vine whip placed beside him, pointed at the Changhe Fortress, and was about to speak, suddenly a report came from outside the tent: "Report~ Report to Commander Lu, the Chu army sent an envoy waiting outside the camp..."

Lu Su put down the vine whip and snorted coldly, "The mere thiefs are also accompanying them to find out the truth and reality of our army? Pass our military orders, cut off the left ear and put it back to the Long River Fortress!"

"This..." The personal soldiers were slightly stunned and a little at a loss.

"Do you need this commander to say it a second time?" Lu Su frowned and did not raise his head. "Do as I said. In addition, go to the Military Law Department to receive the five army sticks. Next time, he will be expelled from the military and deprive all the treatment of soldiers!"

"Here!"

The personal soldiers secretly complained that they were unlucky and were upset that they hesitated. Commander Lu would do whatever they said. Why do they have to be like this? Fortunately, they were just five military sticks, and it was no big deal.
Chapter completed!