Chapter 888: Can you trust Li Yan?

(0888)

【Today's second update is delivered!】

It is absolutely impossible for the official army to recover Luoyang in a short time. Therefore, the only one who can race against time is the Hu Ben Army. However, it seems that it is not that simple for the Hu Ben Army to capture Kaifeng City without any effort. Especially after the Hu Ben Army conquered Luoyang, the Kaifeng defenders will definitely strive to strengthen their defense.

Kaifeng is the capital of Henan Province, and the Henan Governor's Office and other things are all set up here. Therefore, the protection ability of the official army is relatively stronger than that of Luoyang. At the same time, in terms of terrain, Kaifeng is also easier to defend and difficult to attack than Luoyang. Moreover, Kaifeng has a more sensitive factor, which is the King of Zhou.

It is completely different from the Fu King in Luoyang. The King of Zhou in Kaifeng was a reasonable and willing person to be willing to make money. He often rewarded his subordinates or the defenders in Kaifeng. He also often went to the front line to reward the defenders in person. Therefore, the morale of the defenders in Kaifeng was much higher than that of the defenders in Luoyang.

King Fu's guards were completely slag and vulnerable. King Zhou's guards were quite elite and were said to have strong combat effectiveness. Although the number of this guards was only about 800, they could be used as 3,000. In addition, Chen Yongfu, the general garrison stationed in Kaifeng, was stronger than Wang Shaoyu, the general garrison in Luoyang, in terms of ability and determination.

The news that the Hu Ben Army was about to attack Kaifeng spread, and Kaifeng's defenders had only two possible reactions. The first one was naturally to strive to strengthen Kaifeng's defense, mobilize troops from all directions, and strengthen Kaifeng's guardian forces. When necessary, give up some irrelevant places. The second one was naturally to abandon the city and flee.

No matter which one is it, the Hu Ben Army will be beneficial. If the Kaifeng defenders adopt the first reaction, then most of the counties around Kaifeng will surrender without fighting under the iron hooves of the Hu Ben Army. Large tracts of land and large groups of people will be included in the control of the Hu Ben Army. In the end, if the countryside surrounds the city, Kaifeng will still become an isolated city.

If the Kaifeng defenders adopted the second strategy, it would be even simpler. Kaifeng City could fall into the arms of the Hu Ben Army. After the Hu Ben Army occupied Kaifeng City, the surrounding counties, including Zhengzhou, Zhongmu and others, would naturally surrender. It can be said that Zhang Zhun would definitely receive benefits by making a fuss in Hongyun Tower.

As for which strategy the Kaifeng defenders will adopt, it depends on what King Zhou and Yu Yinggui meant. King Zhou would definitely not give up Kaifeng. He is a vassal king and must defend Kaifeng. Yu Yinggui might be the one who is just a governor. At worst, he will not be an official and there is no need to send his life away. Zhang Zhun will wait and see what the final discussion between the two will be.

When Zhang Zhun came back from Hongyun Tower, he happened to meet Li Yan who was in a hurry.

Li Yan is indeed very busy these days. He is responsible for Jun Tianling's affairs. Li Yan is also responsible for the selection of the prefect. These two tasks are all done by water, which requires a lot of time and effort. In order to hone Li Yan's abilities, Zhang Zhun did not arrange skilled people to help, and everything was facilitated by Li Yan.

A few days passed, and his eyes began to sink as he was young and strong. In order not to remind himself of the miserable things at home, Li Yan has been working hard and almost never sleeping at night. Even if he barely closes his eyes, it will be about two hours. Once he wakes up, he cheers up and goes to work.

Li Yan didn't know where he heard about Hongyun Tower. When he saw Zhang Zhun, he said excitedly: "Sir, do we really want to attack and open the seal?"

Zhang Zhun said a little strangely: "What? Are you interested?"

Li Yan said sadly and angryly: "Sir, my subordinate... If possible, don't forget to let his subordinates participate when the attack is opened."

Zhang Zhun asked with interest: "Why?"

Li Yan gritted his teeth and said, "The murderer who killed my whole family is still in Kaifeng City. Even if he escapes to the ends of the world, I will catch them back."

Zhang Zhun nodded and said subconsciously: "Okay!"

On that day, he led his troops past Chenliu and rescued Li Yan, but did not catch the officials who harmed his whole family. He felt a little regretful at the time. Later, he returned to Chenliu with Li Yan, and Li Yan once asked him whether to attack Kaifeng. As a result, Zhang Zhun rejected it. It seemed that Li Yan could not wait to attack Kaifeng at that time.

"Come in!"

Zhang Zhun thought about it and said to Li Yan with a cautious expression.

"yes!"

Li Yan hurriedly followed Zhang Zhun.

The two came to the war room, and Wang Shide was studying the next strategy of the Hu Ben Army. With Wang Shide, there were four young staff members. The command center around Zhang Zhun has always been very simple, with less than one hundred people including the guards. However, such a simple command center has created many miracles in succession, which is impressive. If it weren't for seeing it with your own eyes, no one would have believed that there were only a few people around Zhang Zhun.

"grown ups."

Wang Shide came up to stand attentively and salute.

"Which plan do you prefer?"

Zhang Zhun asked with concern.

“Plan No. 5.”

Wang Shide answered cautiously.

"Oh? No. 5?"

"You will explain the reason in detail."

Zhang Zhun nodded at Li Yan, signaling him to sit down and listen together.

The five plans formulated by Wang Shide and his staff are all about the future combat strategy of the Hu Ben Army. After occupying Luoyang, the Hu Ben Army will certainly not sit still and wait for death. It must expand around. While expanding the results of the battle, it will continue to eliminate the vitality of the official army.

As the saying goes, if you don’t move forward, you will retreat. If you stay in Luoyang, it’s like Huang Chao entering Chang'an, or An Lushan entering Luoyang, giving the enemy a chance to mobilize troops to counterattack, the fate will definitely be very tragic. Zhang Zhun, as a time traveler, will certainly not make such a mistake.

If the Hu Ben Army attacks, there are several directions to choose from, which is the origin of the five plans. Because each plan has different pros and cons, Zhang Zhun asked Wang Shide to take a few advisers to repeatedly refer to it, analyze the pros and cons, and choose the best plan.

The first direction, that is, the first plan, is to return to the east, conquer Yanshi, Zhengzhou, Kaifeng and other places, and completely connect Luoyang and Shandong. The advantage of implementing this plan is to eliminate your worries and ensure the safety of the logistics transportation line. It can also fully connect Shandong with Kaifeng, Zhengzhou, Luoyang and other places.

Basically, if this plan is achieved, half of Henan's area and population will fall into the control of the Hu Ben Army. The disadvantage is that the current Kaifeng, the defenders may have been greatly strengthened. It may not be easy to conquer Kaifeng City in a short period of time. Once the main force of the Hu Ben Army is restrained in Kaifeng, the official army will launch a fierce attack from other places, causing losses to other areas of the Hu Ben Army.

The second direction, which is the second plan, is to attack south and sweep the Ruzhou area. The advantage of implementing this plan is that the Hu Ben Army can continue to expand its territory, extend its power to the central region of Henan Province, and even threaten the Nanyang area.

The advantage of this plan is to manage the Central Plains and look down on the world, giving people the image of a world-wide military force, which may trigger a chain reaction. The disadvantage is that the front line of the Hu Ben Army is longer and prone to attacks. Moreover, the central region of Henan Province is relatively barren, and it is not realistic to gain too much combat power from it.

The third direction, that is, the third plan, is to attack westward, capture Hongnongwei, Lingbao and other places, advance to Tongguan, and even find ways to control Tongguan and block the imperial army's route out of the pass.

The advantage of this plan is that once Tongguan is controlled, it is equivalent to controlling the entire Henan area. In Henan, the official army no longer has the main force. The imperial official army was blocked in Guanzhong, Shaanxi, and the vast Central Plains area was the world of the Hu Ben Army.

The disadvantage is that there are many official troops stationed in Tongguan, and the various defensive measures are quite complete. Moreover, Hong Chengchou himself is in Tongguan. With the current strength of the Hu Ben Army, it is probably unrealistic to try to seize Tongguan.

The fourth direction, which is the fourth plan, is to go north and enter Shanxi and other places. Because the imperial army was concentrated in Guanzhong, Shaanxi, in such a large Shanxi, there was basically no main force. If the Hu Ben Army set out from Luoyang and entered Shanxi, it would be invincible and invincible. It is possible to conquer Taiyuan with the point of the military.

The disadvantage is that doing so may block the road to retreat south, and the official army may go crazy. It is very easy for the official army to enter Shanxi from Shaanxi. Once a large number of official army enter Shanxi, the Hu Ben Army will fight with the official army in Shanxi, and the front line will also become very long, which may cause strategic passivity, and the consequences will be temporarily unpredictable.

Before the Tartars were completely eliminated, the Hu Ben Army was not prepared to make the official army crazy. In other words, it would give the official army a way out and give Emperor Chongzhen a way out. As long as the official army had a way out, they would not go crazy. Therefore, Shanxi's retreat had to be given to the court.

There is also a fifth direction, which is the fifth plan, which is to attack along the north bank of the Yellow River eastward and towards Huaiqing Prefecture, Weihui Prefecture, Zhangde Prefecture, Daming Prefecture and other places. There is basically no main force of the official army in this area, nor does it block the last road for the imperial court to retreat south. It is estimated that it will be difficult for the Hu Ben Army to enter these areas.

It can be said that the Hu Ben Army is a typical four-war place in Luoyang. The four-war army can expand the results no matter which direction the attack is in. However, considering the current strength of the Hu Ben Army and the overall situation of the official army, Wang Shide and others tend to have a smaller appetite, first take down several prefectures on the north bank of the Yellow River, connect them with several prefectures in Shandong, and consolidate the foundation of rule.

This plan is actually in line with what Zhang Zhun always advocates. Don’t be greedy for more and try faster, and don’t be bad for more than chewing. You must lay a solid foundation step by step. After occupying a region, all work in this region must be strictly implemented. Otherwise, if water passes through the duck’s back, you will not get any benefits except for the use of money and food.

Zhang Zhun turned his head to look at Li Yan and said casually: "Which plan do you think is better?"

Li Yan pondered for a moment and said deeply: "I still agree with the No. 1 plan."

Zhang Zhun said curiously: "Why?"

Li Yan said with a serious expression: "As long as Kaifeng City is taken down, the No. 5 plan will be implemented as well, and there is no need to implement it specially."

Zhang Zhun nodded thoughtfully, pondered for a moment, and then said slowly: "Let's not discuss the offensive matter for the time being, let's discuss defense first. Li Yan, if you come to guard Luoyang, what should you do? The premise is that the Hu Ben Army will not give you one soldier or one soldier, nor will it give you any weapons and equipment. The defenders must be trained and commanded by yourself."

Li Yan said subconsciously: "My subordinates dare not assert themselves."

Zhang Zhun said: "If you don't say it, I will think you are an incompetent person."

Li Yan pondered for a moment, raised his head and said, "Since that's the case, my subordinates will dare to speak out."

Zhang Zhun nodded and said happily: "Speak freely, please."

Li Yan said quietly: "If the Governor takes the burden of guarding Luoyang for me, I only need three thousand elite troops to ensure that Luoyang is foolproof. I stationed in Luoyang City with a thousand people and killed all the civil and military officials, village officials, and local tyrants in the city. Some people may not be killed, but they must drive out of the city. While clearing the hidden dangers in the city, I summoned the poor people to help defend the city.

"One thousand people captured Mengjin and blocked the important road crossing the river. Another thousand people stationed outside the city as a support. Within ten days, they could also recruit 10,000 or 20,000 hungry people. Not to mention that Yu Yinggui and Chen Yongfu only had a few thousand people, it was no problem. Even if the Shaanxi official army was ordered to come out from the west at the same time, Luoyang would be foolproof."

"The Governor mentioned in particular that he would not give me the Hu Ben Army. The meaning was probably that he would not want to restrain his troops too much to defend Luoyang, and would tie his hands and feet? I don't think so. If I had given me three thousand people to defend Luoyang, there were many hungry people, and the government army would not have the intention to attack without 30,000 to 40,000 people. It would be very cost-effective to attract 30,000 to 40,000 officials and soldiers to use it elsewhere?"

"Besides, if the government troops gather outside Luoyang City, when the reinforcements arrive, they will attack inside and outside, it will be a great opportunity to suppress the government troops. The cavalry troops of the governor come and go like the wind, and reinforce Luoyang will only take three or four days. At present, the number of imperial officials is not large. If they are killed tens of thousands of them, the imperial officials will basically collapse."

After Li Yan finished speaking, his face calmly waited for Zhang Zhun to comment.

He was a little confused in his heart. Why did Zhang Zhun specifically mention that he would not give himself the Hu Ben Army or any weapons and equipment, and he would organize his own strength to defend the city? Could it be that the Governor was going to put himself in the second-line troops? Could it be that his ability was not enough to hold a position in the Hu Ben Army?
Chapter completed!