Chapter 285 Eastern Expedition
After the capture of Yecheng, all the generals of the Taishan Army rushed to Zhang Chong's military mansion with great joy.
The Taishan Army won brilliantly in their first battle when they first entered Hebei. It has to be said that victory is always the best way to boost morale.
At this time, the staff in the military mansion were also very happy, because they finally persuaded Commander Qu to adopt the strategy of stationing in Yecheng permanently, and they wanted to change the past mobile operations into base operations.
Of course, the staff thought it was their own fault, but in fact Zhang Chong had been thinking about this issue for a long time.
Zhang Chong talked about the advantages and benefits of mobile warfare many times when he was in Xingyang.
In fact, one of the primary benefits of mobile warfare is that it can spread the fire, expand the scope of the struggle, and accumulate talents from various places as a reserve.
But its disadvantages are also obvious, that is, when there is no basis to rely on, the battle becomes more difficult and the troops are fewer and fewer, because there is no need to supplement and repair.
Zhang Chong also wanted to settle down before, but the situation did not allow it at that time, because the Han army's military advantage was too outstanding. As soon as the troops stopped, the Han army would immediately encircle them on all sides. It would not be an expansion of the base area, but a breakout. Fight.
But now Zhang Chong has a new judgment on the war situation.
With the two large-scale decisive battles in Yingyang and Xingyang, the strength of the main force of the Han army was not as good as before.
Now in the Hebei region, the military strength of the Yellow Turbans has reached an unprecedented level.
Later, according to his strategic vision, he and the Yellow Turban Army from Hebei and Qingzhou attacked and destroyed the Han army in Hebei, so that the vast land of Hebei would be free for them to roam.
At that time, they will have the big river as a barrier to the south, the Yanshan Mountain as a solid foundation to the north, the sea to the east, and the Taihang Mountains to the west. Geographically, they will have sufficient conditions for separatism. As long as we guard the key passes, we may be able to establish the Huangtian Era in Hebei first.
It was based on this judgment that Zhang Chong decided to take root in Yecheng and establish a base. At that time, the base area going south will be connected with the Heji area.
If the time is right, and we can send troops eastward, we can open up the Taishan, Laiwu, Shandong and other base areas, and then our foundation will be stable.
After all the military officials arrived one after another, Zhang Chong informed the generals of the decision.
As expected, some generals in the army immediately expressed their confusion. Among them, Ding Sheng was confused and said:
"Join forces with Qingzhou Yellow Turban and Hebei Yellow Turban to jointly attack the Han army in Hebei. I can understand this, but the second sentence about establishing a base in southeastern Hebei is a bit confusing to me. Didn't you say before, Commander Qu, that now we use mobile warfare and mobile warfare as the basis? Lord, are you looking for an opportunity to annihilate the Han army?”
Ding Sheng is that Ding Sheng, and he is always the one who dares to speak out against others. That is to say, under Zhang Chong, in any other place, he would have been solved with an unfounded crime.
Of course, the existence of Ding Sheng's enemies is still necessary. For example, many officers in the Taishan Army are as puzzled as Zhang Chong. It is not that they are against Commander Qu, but that they are indifferent to the ever-changing strategy. Solution, also uncomfortable.
In fact, it's not to blame that they didn't understand. In their minds, they set out from the Taishan area in April. Although they established several bases along the way, they were still mobile in general. Moreover, the pressure from the Han army was so great that if they were to What should you do if you come down and are surrounded by Han troops?
There are also many people who think that they are either from Qingzhou or Henan. If they want to establish a base area, they should build it there. If they want to build a base area in Yecheng, they can't understand what the locals are saying. What's the point of staying here.
Zhang Dan was thoughtful, so Zhang Chong encouraged him to express his opinion first.
Zhang Dan's understanding is that after the Taishan Army captured Yecheng, at least in the Hebei region, the balance of strength between the enemy and ourselves changed.
The Hebei Han army entered Hebei to suppress the Yellow Turban Army in April this year. It has been almost half a year now, and it is certain that the division veterans are tired. Originally, the Han army still had some momentum like a rainbow, but after this time the troops lined up under the city, they retreated sadly. This was a fallback, and it could be attacked in the art of war.
Therefore, it is precisely at this time, rather than waiting for the Han army to show obvious decline, to start a strategic counterattack.
As for why a base should be established near Yecheng, it was simply that this place was the foundation of the king's industry, and Hebei was well-established by mountains and rivers, so it was possible to observe the world's situation from a high position.
Zhang Chong was impressed by what Zhang Dan said. It seemed that A Dan had really experienced himself and could be entrusted with important responsibilities.
With Zhang Dan as a supplement, Zhang Chong made the following arrangements without further explanation.
With Zhang Dan as the commander-in-chief of the Eastern Expeditionary Army, he formed the Jizhong Advance Team and moved eastward along the Zhang River to join forces with the Qingzhou Huangjin Army, and then established base areas in the northeastern part of Wei County and the southern part of Julu County.
With Ding Sheng as the coach of the Western Expeditionary Army, the Hanoi Advance Team was formed. First occupy Fukouxing in the Taihang Mountains, and then establish bases in the southwest of Wei County and the north of Hanoi.
As for Zhang Chong's Central Army and the newly formed former Military Academy Lieutenant Division, they stayed in Yecheng, where they launched the Guizhou Headquarters, destroyed the powerful power, and established a base.
Zhang Chong's strategy was laid out, and the Taishan Army also began to prepare corresponding military supplies accordingly.
There are still many problems to be solved here. For example, the Taishan Army has long been involved in the placement of casualties, logistical supplies, and the recruitment of local guides, so although there are many things to do, they are in good order.
So soon, Zhang Dan's Eastern Expedition Army and Ding Sheng's Western Expedition Army left the city and set off towards their respective destinations.
……
Guanghe six years, October 22nd.
At this time, thousands of sails were racing on the Zhang River. Looking at the scenery along the Zhangshui River, these soldiers who came to the Qingyanyu area were very surprised.
The scenery in Hebei is different from that in Henan. If Henan has a humid climate and lush mountains and forests, then Hebei is a bit chilly. On the vast Hebei plain, there are golden poplar forests and dotted with water ponds.
At this time, many Taishan Army soldiers suddenly realized that they had been away from their hometown for so long. When they set out, the leaves were still green, the grass was still green, the warblers were still singing, and the flowers were still blooming.
And now? I think the jujube trees in my hometown are now full of jujubes.
In this way, accompanied by homesickness, the boats of the Eastern Expeditionary Army floated on the Zhang River.
At this time, on a large ship, Zhang Danzheng, the commander-in-chief of the Taishan Army's Eastern Expeditionary Force, was chatting with his staff Fan Chang.
Zhang Dan looked at the scenery on both sides of Zhangshui and sighed:
"Sir, this time the entire division of our Right Colonel Division marches eastward, and I feel like I am walking on thin ice. As our army successfully crosses the river and moves to the Hebei area, everything has to start again."
"We are not familiar with the place here, and most of the soldiers in the army are foreigners. Moreover, I think the discipline of the Yellow Turbans in Hebei is not very good. The people I met along the way saw our flag and fled. Now, our army Since we are not familiar with the local conditions and have no foundation in Guizhou, the task that Qu Shuai asked us to establish a base in Central Hebei may not be easy to handle.”
Fan Chang also nodded, he thought so too, and he had always had different opinions on Qu Shuai's strategic plan after entering Hebei. However, he had been transferred to the Youxiawei Department before, so he was soft-spoken and did not want to say more.
Seeing that his general was so awake at this moment, he couldn't help but express his feelings. Fan Chang said to Zhang Dan with some concern:
"Captain, there are quite a few things students don't understand about Commander Qu's strategy this time."
Zhang Dan has always respected Fan Chang, so he respectfully asked Fan Chang to speak.
"The first is this division of troops. Now that we have made the judgment that the Han soldiers in Hebei have fallen, we should attack. This was the tactic used by the Han soldiers to attack the Chu soldiers. But what about now? Commander Qu asked us to I’m afraid it’s not appropriate to divide the limited forces into three groups.”
Zhang Dan frowned and said nothing, but continued to listen to Fan Chang.
Then Fan Chang continued:
"The second point is that it is certainly excellent for us to choose Yecheng as our base, but there is one thing we have to consider. That is the Henan Han soldiers behind us."
"If we are stationed in Yecheng, we will be attacked by Han troops from both sides of Hebei and Henan. Then we will be attacked from both sides. What's more terrible is that Qu Shuai also ordered the Hou Xiaowei troops to march westward and southward to the north of Hanoi. It is not appropriate at that time. Henan Bingfeng? ”
Fan Chang is a man of integrity. Once he discovers these problems, he will speak without mercy. But if you want to say that he is honest, why didn't this person say so during the military meeting?
This thought came to Zhang Dan's mind, and then he suppressed it. He thought about it and explained to Fan Chang:
"Sir, do you think our Taishan Army alone can annihilate the Han Army in Hebei in one fell swoop?"
Fan Chang said honestly:
"Students have not seen the Han army in Hebei, so it is difficult to estimate its strength. But if they can suppress more than 100,000 Yellow Turbans in Jizhou and Qingzhou, their combat power must not be weak."
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So Zhang Dan said:
"Sir, you are right. Hebei is indeed changing its offensive and defensive positions at this time. But this is not the time for us to fight in vain. This is exactly a comparison."
Fan Chang bowed to ask for advice.
Zhang Dan smiled and said:
"This is like how Xiaobang Zhou wiped out the Dayi merchants back then. Many people always thought that Xiaobang Zhou took advantage of the main force of Dayi merchants to conquer Dongyi, attacked Chaoge and destroyed the Dayi merchants. But I didn't I heard this story from Qu Shuai.”
Fan Chang listened with an open mind.
"Actually, when Zhou Wudong crossed the river and marched towards Chaoge, Zhou Ji'an had two-thirds of the world. In terms of strength, he was not inferior to Shang. On this basis, he seized the opportunity and sent out his troops. With this The basics are not to take risks, but to determine the outcome in one fell swoop. Qu Shuai has a good saying, the more cooked the soup is, the more it needs to be cooked slowly.”
"This is also the reason why we are now developing base areas on both wings."
"Now the Han army has turned from victory to decline, but its strength is still there. We, the Taishan Army, can't attack it for a while. Therefore, we must contact the Yellow Turbans in Hebei and Qingzhou and send troops together from three directions. Otherwise, if we are the main attack, wouldn't we be the Yellow Turbans in Hebei? Making a wedding dress?”
"Once we cooperate with each other to fight, the troops will not be dispatched in one or two days. At this time, we can expand our base area in Hebei. With the base area as a basis, our Taishan Army will become stronger every day, and the Han Army will become stronger every day. Every day is weak, this is the kingly way.”
When Fan Chang heard this, he suddenly realized that he had learned a lesson.
Zhang Dan continued:
"As for you, when the Han soldiers from Henan move north, our Taishan Army will be attacked from both sides. But you don't know that Qu Shuai took these into consideration before he made the decision to establish a base in the north of Hanoi. The purpose is to establish a base in Yecheng Establish deeper defense in the southern region.”
After speaking, Zhang Dan said inexplicably:
"Besides, Mr. made a mistake in one sentence."
At this point, Fan Chang felt a little sweaty on his forehead, but he continued to listen to Zhang Dan's explanation. Because he found that his thinking level as a staff member seemed to have fallen too far.
So he solemnly asked for advice:
"Please also ask the captain to make it clear."
At this point, Zhang Dan said boldly:
"Sir, it is wrong to say that we were attacked from both sides. Because it was not us who were attacked from both sides, but the Han troops in Hebei. It happened that we cut off Henan and Hebei so that they could not merge into one place. We blocked the Han troops in Henan in Hanoi, and then the three of us The troops will eat the Han soldiers in Hebei first, and then move south in one fell swoop. Will the Han soldiers in Henan still be able to escape?"
At this point, Fan Chang finally understood the above strategy. He sighed inwardly, as expected, Qu Kui is Qu Kui, and every move he makes has a profound meaning, so sometimes when he doesn't understand the above meaning, he first thinks about whether he doesn't understand it properly.
But is it really so? Is it really as Zhang Dan explained? How will the current situation develop in the end? I'm afraid it's beyond everyone's control.
After talking about this, Zhang Dan changed his purpose to the next step of work.
Later, Fan Changhui took some field officials and village officials from the old camp to the bank of Zhangshui River to launch the Guizhou Headquarters to attack the powerful forces.
So Zhang Dan explained:
"This time we are in the northeastern part of Wei County along the Zhangshui River. It will be difficult for us to gain a firm foothold. We may not be able to build this base within half a year. So you must pay attention to uniting the Guizhou leaders of Wei County this time. , find their demands and solve their problems.”
Fan Changdao was quite optimistic about this aspect. He explained to Zhang Dan:
"The Hebei area is our old hometown of Taiping Road. Based on the previous population of Hebei Taiping Road in Hebei, every family probably has someone to blame. So we only need to allocate the land and organize the field protection team. , this base area is not a big problem.”
Seeing that Fan Chang was confident, Zhang Dan didn't say too many negative words. He didn't know the specific situation until he went to the local government, so he set several work tone for Fan Chang:
"The most important thing before we divide the fields is to dispel the doubts of the head of Guizhou and let them know that we will never leave Wei County again. The fields they will divide can be guaranteed, and their safety will be protected by our Taishan Army. ”
"Then, try not to make any big moves within the month. First, find out the situation of local tyrants in various places and eliminate them. Then divide the fields and recruit soldiers to protect them."
"Finally, we must pay attention to discipline and use the name of our Taishan Army. You must remember it. Taiping Road has a profound influence in Hebei and belongs to them. We must let everyone understand that our Taishan Army is their poor team. .”
While Zhang Dan and Fan Chang were talking and working, a fast horse galloped from the east.
The knight galloped along the river bank to spread the word, shouting:
"The front has broken Katsuragi."
Gecheng is a city on the Zhang River between Yecheng and Liren. The destruction of Katsuragi at this time meant that the Eastern Expeditionary Army would reorganize here and begin to establish a base in central and southern Hebei.
And the Taishan Army, whose members are all from Henan and Qingyan, can really get used to life in the north and take root in this fertile land with a foreign accent?
I'm afraid no one can answer this question. In the end, it depends on how the Eastern Expeditionary Army does it and how the Guizhou leaders react.
(End of chapter)