The yin of Huaishui, the Bagong Mountain in the north of the water, is where Shouchun, an important town in Huainan, is located. In winter, Huainan is already a cold place, and there are many ruined scenes when you look at it. However, Shouchun is still a southern Xiongcheng, standing on the shore of Huaishui.

The importance of Shouzhou does not need to be repeated, thousands of years of war history, Jianghuai dispute, full of its status. It is precisely because of this that in the past three generations, the separatist forces occupying Jianghuai have changed from Yang Wu to pseudo-Tang, but they have not relaxed at all for Shouzhou.

At this time, in Shouchun City, there was an army of Zuo Shenwei, which was the elite of the forbidden army of the Southern Tang Dynasty, plus the state and town army, and the township army, the Tang army in Shouzhou was more than 10,000 people, which was already the strength of the defenders after the loss, and it was also the confidence of the main general He Jingzhu to defend the city.

However, at this moment, just outside this fortified city, the Han army has set up camp under it, and is calmly strengthening the wall.

At this time, at the head of the northern city of Shouchun, a veteran with gray sideburns was standing with a sword, looking at the Han army camp two or three miles away. This veteran is short in stature, but only in his early five feet, and the female wall battlements can almost reach his chin, and his appearance is extremely ugly, almost impossible to see.

However, it is such an ugly old man, when the Han army is approaching the city, he is the calmest and most calm person in the city, and he is also the backbone of the more than 10,000 Tang troops in Shouchun.

He Jingzhu, originally a famous general in Huainan, was a servant in his early years, and followed Li Yu, the ancestor of the Southern Tang Dynasty, in his prime, and was the founding hero of the Southern Tang Dynasty. Although it is declining, it is beautiful in the interior, with a strong personality, majesty, good at leading troops, famous, once served as the senior commander of the Jinling Forbidden Army, and also guarded the place, belonging to the mainstay of the Southern Tang Army. Of course, it is undeniable that because of its appearance, it does make its career bumpy.

"He Gong, the camp of the Han army is becoming more and more perfect and strong, so let the last general lead the army out of the city again, rush and kill for a while, and destroy its camp base. Otherwise, when they gain a firm foothold in the city, our army will be trapped in the city, and it will be completely passive! "By He Jingzhu's side, followed by several Shouzhou generals, among them, Zuo Shenwei commanded Xu Xiang to hold back and ask.

Hearing this, He Jingzhu looked directly away: "I have already tried the combat effectiveness of the Han army before, and I sent troops to attack, which only added casualties and weakened my strength to defend the city." At present, the enemy army is in full swing, and it is not to be taken lightly. Let's wait for reinforcements from the imperial court! ”

Hearing He Jingzhu say this, Xu Xiang was silent and couldn't help but sigh.

Just three days ago, Si Chao, the regimental training envoy of Yingzhou in the Northern Han Dynasty, suddenly led 2,000 troops south to build a pontoon bridge in the Huaishui section of Zhengyang in the southwest of Shouchun, which immediately attracted the attention of the Shouchun defenders.

When the Tang army attacked and resisted, the Han army from Suzhou moved, and Li Chongjin, commanded by the Protector Army, led people to raid Caicheng. Xia Cai is the northernmost city of Shouzhou, north of Huaishui, consolidating the Xia Cai Ferry.

And He Jingzhu was already prepared, that is, he divided his troops to help. At this time, the main force of the Han army, which had been lurking south early, moved, wading from the shallows at the junction of Shouzhou and Haozhou. The repeated voices from the west to the east caught the Tang army off guard, and although He Jingzhu arranged some shallow troops on the south bank of the Huai River, the soldiers below were a little negligent and were defeated by a blow.

When He Jingzhu heard this, he was still not chaotic, that is, he personally led 5,000 armor soldiers, 100 warships, and more than 3,000 naval troops. When they arrived at the place where the Han division crossed the river, more than 2,000 Han troops had successfully crossed the river in full gear, and on the north bank, densely packed, there were more Han troops waiting, and the Tang army, under the command of He Jingzhu, quickly entered the battle, and the two sides came face to face in a fierce confrontation.

Fortunately, the main force of the Jingjiang Army, the sailor of the Han army, was also here to cover the crossing of the river. Nearly 150 warships and more than 5,000 sailors engaged the Southern Tang army for the first time since the formation of the army. As a result, even if Xiang Xun tried his best to command, took the lead, fought on the side, defeated the outnumbered, and had the help of the archers on the shore, and took advantage of the fierce fire and oil, he fought with Tang Shuishi, and after more than an hour of fierce fighting, both sides lost hundreds of soldiers.

The losses were not small, but the task of covering the crossing of the river by the army was completed, and the Tang Army's naval division did not affect the crossing of the army. On the shore, He Jingzhu's 5,000 armor soldiers, in the face of Murong Yanzhao's personal command of the small bottom army to fight, persevered, seeing that the Shouzhou naval army could not break through the Han division, and the casualties were gradually increasing, and they had no choice but to retreat.

However, on the way to retreat, the Han army commander Wang Jun came to kill. Thousands of guards who had already crossed the Huaishui from the shallows, under the leadership of the commanders Guo Chongwei and Shi Yanchao, stopped the waist and raided, so that the Tang army deeply experienced the power of the northern iron cavalry.

After the war began, many military cadets in the Fengchen camp were sent by Liu Chengyou to serve as officers in the Southern Expeditionary Army, Shi Yanchao was in the Hujie Army, and Wang Yansheng was in the Guardian Army.

And because the Han infantry army crossing the river was under the command of Murong Yanzhao, and did not pursue, the Tang army, which had lost its police, was crushed at the first touch under the surprise attack of the Han cavalry, and scattered and fled. The veteran He Jingzhu tried his best to collect the defeated army, retreated more than 20 miles, and was driven down the river. In the end, only 2,000 defeated soldiers were collected and returned to Shouchun City, and the Tang army that attacked was captured and killed more than 2,000, and many of them died, and hundreds of people froze to death and drowned in the water.

After really feeling the combat power of the Han army, He Jingzhu knew that the field battle was by no means his opponent, so on the one hand, he appeased the soldiers, and on the other hand, all the Tang troops in the state were gathered in the city, and the young and strong were recruited to increase the grain and grass. Very simply, be prepared to hold on to the city.

On the Han army's side, Wang Jun's original plan was to attract the Tang army out, annihilate it in a battle, and then calmly cross the river. Although it failed to achieve all the results in one battle, the effect was still very ideal, the Tang army retreated, and the whole army was divided into two roads. Ride all the way to cover the shore by land, and escort Huaishui by the sailor all the way through the water, straight to Shouchun.

The troops came to the city very smoothly, that is, they sent auxiliaries and encamped on the giant trees that had been prepared in advance.

At this time, Tang Zuo Shenwei commanded Xu Xiang to concentrate 2,000 elites and raid out of the city, wanting to take advantage of the early arrival of the Han army and the unconsolidated camp to strike at it. But the generals and colonels of the Han army, from top to bottom, have too many experienced combatants, how can they be defenseless. A small ambush, attacking more than half of the elite soldiers in Shouzhou.

"Successive defeats to the Han army, the morale of the soldiers and civilians in the city plummeted, is it such a passive defense?" Xu Xiang couldn't help but say, a little unrelenting.

He Jingzhu frowned, and turned his head to stare at him: "For the general, fighting on the spot, now is not a good opportunity, rashly attacking, stupid move!" ”

Being scolded like this, Xu Xiang's face was displeased, and he said angrily: "He Gong won't be defeated twice, so he is afraid of the Han army!" ”

"Xu Xiang, you dare to insult Ben Shuai?" He Jingzhu's eyes widened, his ugly face condensed, and with the momentum, it was even more terrifying. Xu Xiang was immediately honest, he didn't dare to guarantee that this short and ugly old man would not stab him with a sword.

Retracting his contemptuous eyes, he slowly looked north, the water was flowing and flowing, and the camp of the Han army was majestic. Thinking of the situation in the city, a deep worry loomed in the old eyes.

"Pass the order, the guards of each gate, give me to strictly guard the city, no attack, dare to violate, military law will deal with it. The military government subordinates continued to prepare the equipment for defending the city, rolling stones and wood, and golden soup and oil. Also, prepare more big shields, bamboo rows, sand, and the fierce fire oil of the Han army, which is too tragic! Taking a deep breath, He Jingzhu commanded sternly.

"Yes!"

"I hope the reinforcements from the imperial court will arrive as soon as possible!"

......

Compared with the tension and depression in Shouchun City, the Han army camp is also solemn, but thanks to the lightheartedness. Wading in the water, winning both battles, and not losing or winning the water battle, it can be regarded as a good start for this southern expedition.

This time, Wang Jun commanded the Huainan front battalion, Xiaodi, Husheng, Fengguo, Hujie 5,000 cavalry, plus the regimental training army of Su and Yingzhou, the Han army had nearly 40,000, and those who were under the city had 30,000 foot cavalry, plus the labor of the conscription, directly claimed to be 100,000.

In the Han camp, the horses neighed and the animals chirped, so it was not lively. Gao Huaide, the uncle of the country, accompanied the army with the military position of the Marquis of Yu, the commander of the army, and was accompanying Sun Li to inspect the camp.

Even after many years, Sun Li still has the same style as before, with rude manners and a strong style. gave a sentry who shrank because of the cold weather with two whips, and scolded in his mouth: "If you dare to be lazy, I will cut you and wait." ”

scolded badly, but ordered someone to go to the back camp and get a basin of charcoal for the sentry pavilion soldiers to keep warm.

"Winter is coming, the weather will only get colder and colder, but you have to fight hard......" Sun Li muttered in his mouth, he has always been like this, what do you have to say.

Gao Huaide was born in a noble family, has a high starting point, and has a wide range of knowledge, and he does not regard Sun Li as a general who started from the end of the day. However, after serving in the military of Zhujun, I have also seen many rough people like Sun Li, and from these people, I have also learned a lot of alternative methods of leading troops.

Hearing the words at this time, Gao Huaide said: "Although the winter is cold, my northern soldiers are not unbearable. If it's summer, and the south is hot, then it's hard. ”

"According to you, before midsummer next year, we have to take Huainan as much as possible?" Sun Li said.

"If the war drags on until next summer, the climate is hot and humid, and it is indeed not conducive to combat!" Gao Huaide said.

Sun Li nodded, waved his hand randomly, and said: "I said Uncle Gao, we have only only hit Shouchun, and the end of winter is still early, what do you mention tomorrow in midsummer!" ”

The corners of his mouth twitched, and Gao Huaide smiled: "The general is right, breaking Shouchun right now is the first thing......"

In the Chinese military tent, there are sixteen guards wearing Mingguang armor, standing guards, these people are Wang Jun's personal soldiers, Wang Dushuai is very strong, especially in the case of victory in the first battle, which makes him coerce the generals of the Southern Expedition.

In the tent, the stove is baking, the carpet is spread horizontally, and on the couch, Wang Junzheng is wearing a brocade suit, playing chess with Murong Yanzhao. The waist is straight, not a long beard, his eyes are confident, his eyes are clear, and there is a hint of a smile at the corner of his mouth, with a Confucian demeanor.

To use a simpler word to describe Wang Jun at this time, that is, pretend to be 13.