Chapter 10: Going with the flow (2)

Before Xiong Tingbi left, Zhu Yinglong did not give him any strategy to recover Huguang. He knew that even if he gave it, it would be his own talk. He had never been to that place, but if he gave it, it would cause Xiong Tingbi some trouble. He didn't want to learn from Chairman Jiang. He always interfered with the front-line command, and he couldn't interfere, because the communication ability of this time and space was too poor. Before his orders arrived, maybe the battle over there had been over, so he handed over all the command to Xiong Tingbi. Whatever he should fight was for Xiong Tingbi.

After Xiong Tingbi arrived in Shaanxi, he was thinking about this question, how to fight and where to fight. First, he kept sending people to collect information from Huguang and ordered people to make sand tables. He only had 50,000 troops in his hand. How to use the troops in his hand to capture the entire Huguang and still be able to defend him, the burden on his shoulders was not light. The key was that the vast Yangtze River was standing in front of him. If he directly attacked Wuchang, he had to take it down within two days. Otherwise, the enemy navy of Dongting Lake would cut off his retreat along the river, and he was not sure to capture Wuchang within two days. Fortunately, the emperor gave him enough freedom and did not limit him to fight Wuchang first in one battle.

Weapons, supplies, and food were continuously transported to Xiong Tingbi's camp. He ordered Zuo Liangyu to receive these things and ordered Sun Chuanting to distribute weapons and military uniforms to the soldiers. There was only five days. They needed to use the weapons in their hands skillfully within five days. If it weren't for the time given by Zhu Yinglong, he would not have been enough for fifty days.

The weather was too hot, and Zuo Liangyu opened the central army's tent with sweat. Seeing the commander Xiong Tingbi staring at the sand table on the terrain of Huguang again, concentrating on meditation. He was about to quietly withdraw, but Xiong Tingbi called him and said, "Liangyu, come here!"

"Supervisor!" Zuo Liangyu hurriedly walked up to him and bowed, holding his fists and saluted.

"If I lead the 5,000 troops from your headquarters for you and let you conquer the entire Huguang, how do you fight?" Xiong Tingbi asked seriously.

Zuo Liangyu was stunned. He had guessed what the 50,000 troops were going to do when Xiong Tingbi ordered people to make a sand table for Huguang terrain. He himself had thought in his mind about what he would fight if he came to fight Huguang. After thinking carefully for a while, he said: "The price will go south to Jingzhou and conquer Yidu unexpectedly, then advance east along the Yangtze River, capture Yueyang City in Yuezhou Prefecture, and then bypass Dongting Lake. Bypass Changde and Yiyang, except for the supply of food and grass, all the occupied cities were abandoned, and the south to capture Changsha, then expand the troops, consolidate their strength, and slowly."

Xiong Tingbi had no expression, so it was not that he did not agree with Zuo Liangyu's strategy. However, this strategy was difficult to implement. First of all, Zuo Liangyu's five thousand men must be mobile cavalry, and they must be strong in combat. Otherwise, let alone conquering Changsha, even Yidu could not conquer.

After Zuo Liangyu said so much, he just unexpectedly captured Yidu, which coincided with what Xiong Tingbi thought. The following were all about paper talks and scheming. However, he also realized that his five thousand troops were not enough to capture Huguang. He also knew that it was a capable general, and he could get rid of his impetuous and impetuous behavior.

"Tell me, how many people are left in my troops after you conquered Changsha? Four thousand, three thousand, two thousand, or one thousand?" Xiong Tingbi asked calmly.

The sweat beads on Zuo Liangyu's forehead rolled down. He immediately realized that what he said just now was too relaxed. He was just talking big, and said hurriedly: "I know my mistakes, thank you for your teachings from the commander."

Seeing that Zuo Liangyu realized his shortcomings, Xiong Tingbi's expression cleared a little, "What you said is not without merit, but I don't need you to capture Changsha. What I want is Yueyang City!"

"The commander-in-chief means to cut off the way out of the Dongting Lake naval master and prevent him from rescuing Wuchang?" Zuo Liangyu was not stupid either. He understood and said immediately.

"Yes, your five thousand soldiers will set off tonight. Each person will carry 10 days of dry food, hiking at night, and not expose his whereabouts. General Yidu submitted to the Nanjing court on the surface, but in fact he was under the jurisdiction of the governor of Sichuan, Zhu Xieyuan. You don't have to do any surprise attacks, you can directly cross the river. After Yidu's supply needs, quickly move along the Yangtze River, take the banner of General Yidu, occupy Yueyang City, and trap the navy in Dongting Lake for me!" Xiong Tingbi said this, his eyes shot out two sharp lights and looked straight ahead.

Zuo Liangyu suddenly felt his blood boiling. Although this task seemed easy, it was not easy to complete. It was a thousand-mile raid. If he succeeded, he would become famous in one battle. For Zuo Liangyu, who was eager for military merit, he had been looking forward to it for a long time. Seeing that Wu Sangui had achieved military merits at a young age, he directly commanded thousands of soldiers and horses. He was both jealous and envious, and he also went to the military academy to study. Anyone with a little brain knew that after entering the military academy, he would be the disciple of the emperor and his future would be unspeakable.

"Don't worry, the commander-in-chief, you will definitely complete the task!" Zuo Liangyu knelt down on one knee and said.

"Okay, I did not misunderstand the person. You were brought by me from Liaodong. No matter what, I am always closer to you. I have high expectations for you." Xiong Tingbi said.

"Thank you for your cultivation!" Zuo Liangyu said earnestly.

"Get up and get ready." Xiong Tingbi helped Zuo Liangyu up and said.

Zuo Liangyu stood up and went down excitedly to prepare for the war.

The garrisons of Wuchang City were originally only 5,000, but after Wei Zhongxian fled to Nanjing, they continued to increase the defense of the Yangtze River. The army in Wuchang City suddenly increased to 15,000. There was also a 1,000 team of the navy's garrison here, as long as they were responsible for water escort and robbery, and cracking down on bandits. Now, since the two sides of the Yangtze River were divided into two courts, they also increased the harassment of the people on the north bank and robbed them from time to time. The people on the north bank, especially the fishermen, were miserable, and Hanyang Prefecture did this.

A group of village warriors was also formed, with about 1,000 people. The fight against these soldiers and bandits in the south was precisely because the court supported these spontaneously formed village warriors, so the people on the north bank of the Yangtze River still supported the Beijing court. Although the court did not have the ability to send a large army south for the time being, they reduced most of their taxes and allowed them to spontaneously formed village warriors. The court also allocated money and grain support. This made the people very grateful to the court. It was roughly estimated that fishermen on the north bank of the Yangtze River spontaneously formed village warriors.

Nearly eighteen, called Shiba Water Village, are half-people and half-official, with one or two hundred people, and the most are thousands, and they are very popular. Although Wei Zhongxian sent the Yangtze River Navy several times to collect the ship several times, unfortunately, although his ship is large and well-equipped, the navy generals also have two brushes, but there are few people, small boats, mobile and flexible, and large boats are fast, but the small boats are not as good as the water. However, all of them have excellent water properties. When the ships crash and sink, the court also adds new water guerrilla tactics.

He attacked the Yangtze River Navy again and again. Wei Zhongxian wanted to transfer the navy from Zheng Zhilong, Fujian to wipe out the Eighteen Villages of the Yangtze River, but he was afraid of attracting wolves into the house. In the end, he weighed the pros and cons, and the price was too high and he was delayed in making a decision. In the past six months, the Yangtze River Navy's warships were reduced from more than 500 to more than 300, and the Dongting Lake Navy also reduced from more than 300 to 200, which also formed a stalemate. I can't destroy you, you can't destroy me. Everyone guarded half of the Yangtze River waterway until they lived in peace.

The chief leader of the Eighteen Villages of the Yangtze River Navy was nothing else, but the Yangzhou prefect Hong Chengchou. When he went to Yangzhou, he gave Zhu Yinglong a note to allow the construction of the Shushang Township Braves along the Yangtze River to resist the Yangtze River Navy and Dongting Lake Navy under Wei Zhongxian. Zhu Yinglong had a good idea. If he really made it happen, it would be of great help to the future crossing of the river. He immediately agreed with his idea and gave him the title of Minister of the River Defense to be responsible for the matter. After the court issued an order to decentralize some power from the prefect, Hong Chengchou devoted himself to the construction of his own water barrier. Now there is Xiong Zhaolian, the general of Jiangsu on the land of Yangzhou, Hong Chengchou, the prefect of Yangzhou and the minister of Jiangfang, and Chenxi, the salt road and the God of Wealth. With Tian Wan's customs road, Yangzhou has become the largest city in Jiangbei.

At that time, Zhu Yinglong was interested in Hong Chengchou as the commander of the southern expedition of Huguang. First, his ability, second, he was familiar with the situation in Huguang. Third, he controlled nearly 10,000 troops of the 18 villages. However, due to the issue of military generals, his prestige was not enough to shock the powerful generals on the border and aroused opposition from refugees, so he had to let Xiong Tingbi lead his troops to fight again. However, Hong Chengchou was still the deputy general of the southern expedition of Huguang this time, but Xiong Tingbi and Hong Chengchou knew about this matter.
Chapter completed!