Han Qian and Li Zhihe arranged for the generals of the first Longque Army not to camp at the western foot of Dahong Mountain designated by Du Chongtao, but to approach Xiangzhou directly by water, so that they could win more initiative in defense.

Of course, Li Zhihe and Han Qian would not enter Xiangzhou City to see Du Chongtao during this period, but it was impossible for them to really hide in Jingzikou.

In fact, in addition to leaving a scout to keep an eye on the movements of the Liang army in the direction of Shaoxi Mountain and Blind Xiongyu, and hiring local people in Jingzikou to continue to build the walled courtyard in Jingzikou, Han Qian and Li Zhihe took more than a dozen people to return to the Nanyang Basin along the Danjiang Valley Road.

While actually exploring the terrain in the Nanyang Basin, he waited for the first Dragon Bird Army to come by boat from Hanshui.

Five days later, when the 2,000 generals of the first Longque Army arrived in the east of Xiangzhou on the naval warship of the Louchuan Army, the third prince Yang Yuanpu, under the escort of Chai Jian, Li Chong and others, also arrived in Xiangzhou on fast horses and ran into Han Qian and Li Zhihe.

Li Zhihe expected that the three princes who would set off with the second batch of the main force of the Dragon Bird Army would not arrive in Xiangzhou until half a month later, but in fact, Yang Yuanpu thought that it was too slow to go west by boat, and after crossing Chizhou, he landed with Chai Jian, Li Chong and others, and took the guard battalion first, and the main force of the Dragon Bird Army led by Changshi Shen Yang, the supervising army envoy Guo Rong, the deputy commander Chen De, and Zhou Shu, Guo Liang, Gao Chengyuan and others led the main force of the Dragon Bird Army 5,000 generals to sail back against the current.

Met the messenger sent by Li Zhihe in the north of Huangzhou, knowing the situation after Li Zhihe met Du Chongtao and the decision of Li Zhihe and Han Qian, Yang Yuanpu hurried north, and finally rushed to the city of Xiangzhou when the first part of the Dragon Bird Army arrived in Xiangzhou, and met with Li Zhihe and Han Qian.

After calculation, Yang Yuanpu landed from the north of Chizhou to Xiangzhou, and traveled 300 miles a day by fast horse.

Han Qian and Li Zhihe rushed to Xiangzhou on horseback at such a fast speed, of course they knew how hard it would be to go this way, more than 100 people didn't know how many horses they had to scrap, and it was difficult for the army to hold on.

Chai Jian and Li Chong were all tired, Han Qian and the third prince Yang Yuanpu hadn't seen each other for half a month, and they were afraid that the third prince had lost several catties of meat along the way.

Han Qian secretly felt that if Yang Yuanpu really could be so diligent and not afraid of difficulties, they really didn't have no chances, and said with a smile: "Since Your Highness has rushed over, our plan will be adjusted!" ”

"How can you adjust it, don't go directly to Xiangzhou City?" Yang Yuanpu asked hesitantly.

When he got the news, he rushed over with Chai Jian and Li Chong day and night, mainly because his cousin-in-law Du Chongtao was ruthless, even if he arrested several battalions and beheaded them, such a loss was something that the Dragon Bird Army could not bear at this time.

"After the first army and horses are stationed in Fancheng, we will accompany His Highness to see Du Chongtao." Han Qian pointed to the remnant city on the north bank of the Han River, across the river from Xiangzhou City.

Yang Yuanpu was a little puzzled, and for a while he couldn't guess what Han Qian's intention was to temporarily adjust the original plan.

"Okay, since His Highness is here, we should go directly to Fancheng." Li Zhihe knew the art of war and the mystery of the deployment of the defensive line.

The Deng Xiang defense line presided over by Du Chongtao was mainly based on the newly built Xiangzhou City and Hanshui, and even if most of the Liang army came in, he had no intention of hastily fighting the Liang army in the north of Hanshui.

Although the ruined Fancheng and Xiangzhou City are across the Han River, Fancheng should be able to be regarded as a prominent position in the entire Deng Xiang defense line.

At present, Du Chongtao is the commander of the Deng Xiang defense line, and Yang Yuanpu is the nominal deputy marshal.

If Yang Yuanpu did not enter Xiangzhou City, but stationed in Fancheng on the other side of Xiangzhou City, the meaning would be subtle.

If Du Chongtao did not cross the Han River and enter Fancheng, Yang Yuanpu, as the Marquis of Linjiang, the deputy envoy of Zhao, and the commander of the Longque Army, would have the right to demand that the soldiers and horses north of the Han River obey his moderation and would actually become the front-line commander of the camp in the northwest.

Du Chongtao would not be in such a situation, and he would either agree to their demands, or move his own lord and the Great Tent across the Han River to Fancheng in the north.

And the three princes led their troops into Fancheng, which was also close to the Hanzi, and could even directly intercept the grain ships coming along the Han River, forcing a part of the grain and grass to ensure the needs of the Dragon Bird Army stationed in Fancheng......

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“……”

Du Chongtao is just forty years old, with a thick short mustache on his lips, he is a relatively young one among the founding generals of Great Chu, Xu Mingzhen, Li Pu, Niu Gengru, Zhang Ji, Li Pu and others, are all older than Du Chongtao.

At this moment, Du Chongtao, his thin face was like a rock that had weathered for many years, he stood on the gate tower of Xiangzhou City facing the Hanshui River Beach, and watched expressionlessly as dozens of warships were docked to the river beach on the north bank, and more than 2,000 dragon and bird army generals jumped on the river beach, and then climbed up the river bank and gathered at the south gate of Fancheng.

Although there was no order from him, the defenders of Fancheng refused to open the city gate and let the Dragon Bird Army settle in, but the third prince Yang Yuanpu, surrounded by more than 100 elite cavalry, stood on the north bank and looked over here, without the slightest intention of compromise.

The naval warships of the Lou Boat Army were responsible for transporting the generals of the Longque Army to Xiangzhou City, but they were not responsible for staying in Xiangzhou to assist in the battle, so after the generals got off the ship, they did not have the slightest intention of staying, so they turned around and went east to cross the rapids and then go south.

Even if they wanted to get some supplies on the spot, they planned to wait until after Yingzhou.

The captain of the Lou Boat Army Naval Division, who was responsible for transporting the Dragon Bird Army, was not a fool, he knew that they were not subject to the control of the northwest camp at this time, but once the war broke out, Du Chongtao or the third prince had the right to mobilize all the combat resources in Deng Xiang, including other troops and horses who temporarily stayed in Deng Xiang.

However, in addition to the sailors of the Lou Boat Army, Du Chongtao saw that there were three other warships docked on the north shore and did not leave.

These are the three warships led by the Xuzhou Boat Gang and Yang Qin.

Although Han Qian was unwilling for Zuo Si to take on the logistics and supply of the Dragon Bird Army, which would only collapse Zuo Si, who was still quite fragile at this time, he had used such a tough attitude to expand Zuo Si's power and restrict the infiltration and control of Zuo Si by the Xinchang Marquis Mansion and the Late Red Mansion in order to maintain a relatively independent status, and the three princes and Shen Yang all gave their support, and he still had to let Zuo Si play a corresponding role at this time.

In this way, after the war, Xinchang Marquis Li Pu still wanted to pick Zuo Si's thorn, and the third prince and Shen Yang would also have more reasons to help him speak.

Therefore, Han Qian still ordered Yang Qin to lead three sailing ships, raise a batch of supplies to go out of Xuzhou first, and enter Hanshui to go north after joining the first westward Longque Army at Hanshuikou, so that after this side reaches Xiangzhou, he can seize more initiative.

In addition, if they really want to intercept the grain ships arriving in Xiangzhou from other places, they will need two or three warships in their hands!

It was just a piece of paper order, how could the grain officials in Jiang'e and other places ignore Du Chongtao's order and hand over the grain and grass to the Dragon Bird Army?

When the time comes, you'll have to rob it!

Of course, the Xuzhou fleet did not have warships and the elite guards of the corresponding ship gangs, and after arriving in Yuezhou, they would be temporarily led by Feng Xuan and them to stay in Yuezhou to standby.

"The third prince is really willful, if he makes another mess on the north shore and makes a mess, how can he fight this battle?" Ma Xun, the envoy of Tanzhou Jiedu, who had already led 5,000 reinforcements from Tanzhou into Xiangzhou, stood beside Du Chongtao and pouted.

In this battle, in addition to the 15,000 defenders of Deng Xiangdu Chongtao's department on the west flank, in addition to the 7,000 reinforcements and horses requisitioned by the Longque Army, the imperial court also initially ordered to transfer 1 to 3,000 soldiers and horses from the 12 states along the Yangtze River west of Jiangzhou to assemble in Xiangzhou; Moreover, the grain, grass and other materials needed for the war are currently mainly transferred from the 12 states along the Yangtze River.

Not only the Tanzhou soldiers and horses led by Ma Xun, but also the state generals such as Zhong Yanhu, the envoy of the Jiangzhou marching camp, also led their troops to Xiangzhou one after another, obeyed Du Chongtao's moderation, and resisted the Liang army.

If the fighting on the western flank intensifies, the scale of Jinling's military mobilization to the area west of Jiangzhou will be even larger and deeper.

"Let's cross the river to meet Your Highness!" Du Chongtao said expressionlessly.

Of course, even if Du Chongtao is the commander of the West Wing and takes the initiative to cross the river to meet the deputy marshal, it can only show his awe of Emperor Tianyou and the authority of the royal family; It's not a rule-breaking.

Of course, the biggest question is Du Chongtao's move, so that other reinforcements and local soldiers and officials in Xiangzhou will think when they see it?

Will you mistakenly think that Du Chongtao will bow his head in front of the three princes who have not dried up and give up the dominance of the war on the western flank?

And what will the milky young man on the other side of the strait think of Du Chongtao's move?