The cavalry detachment sent from Lueyang to Qiu Road between Lueyang and Mioxian County successively sent people back on the afternoon of the 27th of the first month of the 20th year of Hongxing to report that no signs of enemy troops were found lurking!

Not only was there no ambush, but the Qi road from Lueyang to Mioxian was very smooth and had not been damaged in any way. There were no materials, vehicles or horses abandoned by the rogue troops along the way. Moreover, the Ming army cavalry responsible for the search also

I met many local people who "welcome the king's division". After inquiry, I learned that the Fubing households in dozens of towns and villages between Lueyang City and Mianxian County had evacuated one after another in the winter of the 17th year of the rule.

At the beginning of the first year of the Dongping Daxing period, there were no military households living in this area.

The rule of the rogue bandits in the local area is based on the fubing households. The withdrawal of all the fubing households means that the rule of the rogue bandit court in the area no longer exists.

Considering that the retreat started last winter, that is to say, after Li Guo's death, the rogue court had already begun to deploy a general retreat from the Hanzhong area.

"Commander, it seems that the bandits have already made plans to abandon Hanzhong. We should be able to win this battle easily!"

"Commander, my subordinates have prepared an army of 15,000 people. They can march to Mian County at any time. Please give me the command, Commander-in-Chief!"

In Lueyang City, Shang Kexi and Kong Tingxun were asking Wu Sangui, who had just arrived last night, to fight. If Wu Sangui had not arrived, they would have led their troops to attack, but now that Marshal Wu's people have arrived, it is impossible not to ask for instructions. Now it depends on Wu Sangui.

It's not interesting enough. Are you willing to give them this opportunity to make meritorious deeds?

While listening to the two people's invitation to fight, Wu Sangui put his hands behind his back in the middle hall of his temporary commander's residence, looking at a battlefield situation map that had just been hung up, frowning slightly, and did not answer directly, but asked: "Where to explore at Yangping Pass

Passed?"

“Cavalry has been dispatched,” Kong Tingxun said, “but they failed to get close to Yangping Pass and were blocked by rogues’ infantry and cavalry in the Juting Town area. In addition, an army of rogue bandits was also discovered on the slopes on both sides of the Jialing River near Juting Town.

Signs of fortification."

"What about Qishan Road?" Wu Sangui asked again, "Have you searched it?"

"We searched for fifty miles along the Rhinoceros River," Kong Tingxun said. "The situation is similar to that between Lueyang and Mioxian County. All the soldiers in that area have also been evacuated."

Shang Ke said happily: "Commander, it seems that the bandits have abandoned Hanzhong and Longnan and are preparing to defend Yangping Pass."

Wu Sangui looked at Liu Sheng and Wu Yinglin again.

Liu Sheng said: "Commander, you can ask Admiral Wu to go out of Malingguan, and let Admiral Shang and General Kong go out to Lueyang, and cooperate with the three divisions from the Qinling Mountains to capture the five armies of Hanzhong. As long as one of them succeeds, Hanzhong will be ours.

My subordinates will lead their troops to attack Yangping Pass to find out the actual status of the rogue bandits."

Wu Yinglin said: "Commander Father, there must be the main force of rogue bandits at Yangping Pass. It is a waste of effort to send troops to test. It is better to let Hao'er and Admiral Liu lead their troops to march along the Rhinoceros River and join Admiral Shi to take the Qishan Road."

Of course Wu Yinglin was eager to make contributions. He was not the eldest son, could not ascend the throne, and could not inherit the position of Protector of Anxi, so he had to work hard on his own. And this time the battle against the bandits was undoubtedly a good opportunity to make contributions. He did not want to fight again

I wasted my chance by not coming down from Yang Ping Pass.

Wu Sangui understood his son's thoughts, nodded, and was about to agree. Liu Sheng on the side suddenly said: "Commander, if my subordinates and the young master lead the troops to Qishan Road, there will be fewer soldiers in Lueyang. In case of Yangping

The rogue bandits from Guan are coming in large numbers."

"Don't be afraid!" Wu Sangui waved his hand and said with a smile, "I have ten battalions of soldiers beside me, three of which are Yi and Ding iron troops, and two battalions of artillery. I'm afraid I won't be able to hold on."

Liu Sheng was still a little worried: "Commander, my subordinates have brought 30 battalions to Lueyang. We won't need so many battalions to march westward to Qishan Road. It's better to leave five battalions in Lueyang."

Wu Sangui nodded: "That's okay, that's it! Remember, you must be careful on the road, the mountain road is rugged, don't let the bandits ambush you!"

Of course there is no ambush!

Li Dingguo never considered setting up an ambush on the rugged mountain roads in southern Shaanxi from the beginning.

There are three reasons for not setting up an ambush. First, the enemy will be very careful in advancing. The past eight years of war have taught them too many lessons, so they will definitely be on guard against Li Dingguo setting up an ambush in the mountainous areas. Moreover, the Hexi Army, Anxi Army, and Sichuan Army under Wu Sangui

The frontier army has undergone many modifications and changes of equipment, and is now well adapted to mountain warfare. Therefore, it is impossible for the Dashun Army to take advantage of the terrain when fighting in rugged mountains.

The second reason for not setting up an ambush is that there are four roads into Hanzhong, and the transportation connections between them are very inconvenient. It is impossible for Li Dingguo to split up the troops at hand and divide them into four places. This is not setting up an ambush, but a way to divide the troops!

The third reason for not setting up an ambush is that the Dashun court began to evacuate the local Fubing households before the start of the southern Shaanxi campaign. Once the Fubing households evacuated, the Dashun court's grassroots political power in the mountainous areas of southern Shaanxi disappeared.

.

Considering the oppression of the working people of southern Shaanxi by the Dashun court in the past 20 years, it is very likely that the people of southern Shaanxi will side with the Ming army.

So Li Dingguo simply made the most unexpected arrangement. Instead of setting up an ambush and fighting in a dangerous place in southern Shaanxi, he put his opponent into the Hanzhong Basin and fought a decisive battle on the plains of the Hanzhong Basin.

Yes, it’s a decisive battle on the plains, a majestic battle!

Fortunately for Wu Sangui, and Kong Tingxun and the others, this style of play is definitely the most unexpected.

Because in the past eight years, Li Dingguo had never won a single battle on the plains. If he could have won, he would have entered Xi'an Fucheng long ago, and would he have been stuck in this and that position by Wu Sangui for so many years?

The reason why the Dashun Army could not win was also very simple. The Dashun Army nestled in the southwest mountains was simply not an army that could fight a majestic formation on the plains.

The equipment and tactics of the Dashun Army determine that they are a mountain unit. If you ask a mountain division to fight a tank regiment on the plains, they will not be able to win!

Therefore, the generals in the Ming Dynasty would never think of Li Dingguo fighting them in the flat Hanzhong Basin, and even if they thought of it, no one would be afraid.

Just as the Five Ming Army, totaling more than 80,000 people, was cautiously advancing towards the Hanzhong Basin, Li Dingguo had already gathered 60,000 elite soldiers in the Dingjunshan Camp!

In addition, he placed 15,000 people along Ziwu Road, Baoxie Road, and Tangluo Road to delay the enemy. Li Dingguo also placed 5,000 people in Xunyang and Xing'an in the east of Hanzhong Prefecture.

Be prepared for a sneak attack by the Ming army through the Valley Trail in the eastern part of the Qinling Mountains.

In other words, Li Dingguo only opened the two passages from Malingguan to Baocheng (the one from Liuba to Baocheng belongs to the southern section of Baoxie Road) and from Lueyang to Mioxian, waiting for Wu Sangui. Fortunately, they sent it to their door themselves.

.

"Your Majesty, Wu Sangui's troops have already moved!"

"Your Majesty, Wu Sangui's troops are coming in two groups!"

Li Dingguo's two lieutenants, Luo Hu and Chen Yongfu, quickly entered the Chinese army at Dingjunshan Camp, and brought two pieces of good news that cheered up Li Dingguo, who was dozing off.

Li Dingguo suddenly stood up from a chair covered with tiger skin and strode to the large table covered with maps.

His sons Li Puxing and Li Sixing were also in the lobby of the Chinese Army. After hearing what Luo Hu and Chen Yongfu said, they immediately placed the two wooden figures at the corresponding positions on the map.

"Just come!" Li Dingguo looked at the map, "Do you know how many people there are?"

"I'm not sure." Luo Hu said, "I guess there won't be too many of Wu Sangui's soldiers. It's impossible for all of Wu Sangui's soldiers to come to Hanzhong. He can't ignore the directions of Qishan Road and Yangping Pass. He also has to leave troops in Guanzhong, and he can't go to Hanzhong."

We must also deploy garrison troops all the way to Lueyang."

Chen Yongfu said: "There are also Ming troops coming from Ziwu Road, Baoxie Road, and Tangluo Road. This time, the Ming army is divided into five groups. Each group has a maximum of 20,000 people. We just happened to defeat them one by one, just like in the Battle of Sarhu."

Just like the Qing army!"

"Who to fight first?" Li Dingguo asked.
Chapter completed!