Chapter 58: The Elephant Soldiers

"I'll meet the general." The generals at all levels, led by Xu Du, bowed down on the trestle one after another.

Zhang Xuan snorted coldly, strode in front of them, under the fiery red cloak, the iron boots knocked on the wooden board, making a thumping sound, and then left, not looking at them at all.

Wait for Zhang Xuan to go away. Zheng Liancai said: "The general let you pass." ”

Xu Du and the others got up at this time. looked at each other and smiled bitterly, didn't dare to say anything, and followed honestly.

That's how those who lose the battle are treated. Since Zhang Xuan went south, he was only under Yueyang City, and he had a small setback for Li Guo, but that battle was not a defeat, only this battle fought by Xu Du was a complete defeat, and even forced Xu Jiang to launch an offensive against Changsha City, and had to retreat, losing all control east of the Xiangjiang River.

If Zhang Xuan hadn't seen that the strategic task in Xu Du had been completed. Effectively pinned down the defenders of Changsha. Let the defenders of Changsha have no ability to interfere with the decisive battle between him and Li Guo from beginning to end, and Zhang Xuan's punishment of Xu Du is more than that.

By the time they reached the tent, many of the generals had already taken their seats.

Zhang Xuan sat on the right seat and said, "Tell me, what's going on?" ”

Xu Du took a deep breath and slowly told the situation at that time, first talking about his strategy of bluffing and flooding the city.

After Zhang Xuan listened, he nodded secretly in his heart. I think Xu Du's method is good. Then he continued to listen, but he couldn't help but interrupt Xu Du and said, "Wait, Chen Xin's department entered Changsha City, you don't know?" ”

Xu Du bowed his head and said, "Yes." ”

He also knew it was a huge mistake. It was even one of the reasons for his defeat, after all, he had been fighting against the defenders of Changsha, and he suddenly changed an opponent that he had never been in contact with, and it was natural to be a little caught off guard.

But the reason why this is the case cannot be blamed entirely on Xu Du.

After all, Zhang Xuan took away the main force. Xu had to create the appearance of a large army, eager to blow the cowhide, and the scouts in many places became sparse. And among the defenders of Changsha, there are also many good players. The scout battle between the two sides was fierce.

The focus of Xudu is on the west and north of Changsha. Chen Xin, on the other hand, entered the city in the southeast.

Of course, it shouldn't be anyway. After all, Chen Xin is 30,000 horses, not three rats, and he didn't notice such a big movement in the city. This doesn't make sense.

"Go on." Zhang Xuan didn't say anything, but simply said.

Xu Du said: "Three days ago, the Ming army suddenly went north, and I, General Ma, and General Huang fought in the southwest of the Liuyang River and engaged the Ming army. The Ming army attacked repeatedly, but they were all defeated, and the horse generals

Army, with General Huang launched a major counteroffensive. Outcome. The Ming army drove the elephant soldiers. ”

"Elephant soldiers." Zhang Xuan said: "Elephants? ”

Xu Du said: "Exactly. At that time, the two sides were in a scuffle, and the formation was incomplete, and the elephant soldiers suddenly appeared, about four or five hundred heads, and each elephant had a platform placed on it, and there were three or four people on it, some of them stabbed down with spears, and some of them shot with bows and arrows. However, the threat of these elephants is not great. What is really irresistible is the elephant itself. ”

"When an elephant comes, no one can stop it, and anyone who dares to stand in the way is a piece of flesh. The last general mobilized his own soldiers and killed the three elephants, but he could not save the situation, the two sides collapsed first, and the last general could only retreat first, retreat to the river bank, and bombarded them with artillery to deter the elephants, and then retreated to the camp. ”

"The subordinates, who do not know the enemy, are at a loss for command, and hurt the military prestige of the army, please also ask the general to punish him."

Zhang Xuan said: "Get up." The battle was lost. But you restrained the defenders of Changsha, but you injured the spirit of the army, and this battle was offset by the merits. ”

Xu Du said: "General Xie." ”

The reason why Zhang Xuan did not punish Xu Du was that Xu Du's defeat was not Xu Du's own reason. Of course, he was at fault, but the biggest mistake was that the enemy situation was unknown, and Chen Xin's elephant soldiers rushed to the front before he knew it. But just like this, Xu Du may not be defeated.

For no other reason, the limitations of the elephant soldier are too great.

As a very intelligent animal, the elephant has the instinct to seek advantages and avoid disadvantages, even if it is retrained. So elephants are easily frightened. Because the elephant seems to have nothing as important as his own life, and threatens his own life, he doesn't care who is who.

And from ancient times to the present, the battle examples of the Great Elephant Soldier can be described as endless in history. Others may not know, but Xu Du will never know. Xu Dung's evaluation of Jiangnan generals in the mouths of literati doctors can only show that his level of military talk on paper is probably still above his command of war.

Because of Jiangnan Shizi, he may not be able to go into battle, but his ability to talk about soldiers may not be bad.

From Xu Du's narration, it can also be seen that Xu Du has actually found a way to break the elephant soldiers, but he can't stop the collapse of the army.

If it was just Xu Du's Jinhua army, it would never collapse so quickly, the Jinhua army inherited the mantle of the Zhejiang army, even if it didn't fight to a single soldier, but it didn't collapse casually, the first one he collapsed was naturally Huang Chaoxuan and Ma Guangyu's people.

Zhang Xuan also knew how effective these two people were, and for a long time, Zhang Xuan just made them stronger. I didn't think about letting them take on the main force to fight. If this battle was to undertake the two-wing battle, it was any two units under Zhang Xuan's command, and such a situation would never have occurred.

In the final analysis, Zhang Xuan left fewer people for Xu Du.

However, Zhang Xuan did not let Xu Du and Chang

The defenders of the sand city fought a decisive battle.

Zhang Xuan also had no intention of deducting more details, anyway, the people who lost the battle were all included in the post-war summary, and he had time to take a closer look at the problems of tactical details. said: "General Xu, there is a way to break the elephant soldiers." ”

"Yes." Xu Du said: "The last general is willing to be the vanguard and the elephant breaker for the general." ”

After Xu Du came back, he was also extremely remorseful. The appearance of the elephant soldiers was actually just a cold attack on him, and if he had known about these elephant soldiers in advance, such a thing would never have happened. He didn't want to get back on the field all the time.

"It's good that General Xu has this heart." Zhang Xuan said: "However, for a while, I can't take care of Changsha City." Because the high school is coming. Gao Yigong, Changsha City, Chen Xin, who should have come and should not have come, have all come. Now our situation, we can't just look at Changsha City, let's talk about it, Gao Yigong, Changsha City two, take which one first? ”

"Naturally, it's a high achievement." Hu Tang said: "Changsha has a strong city to rely on, Longwu patrols the city every day, and the soldiers share the joys and sorrows, Changsha must not fall suddenly, this is also one of them." I stormed Changsha City, and Gao Yigong will definitely come to help, but I stormed Gao Yigong, Changsha City may not come to help, and the second is also, there are these two ends, and the matter can be decided. ”

Zhang Xuan nodded slightly, of course he knew that what Hu Tang said made sense. But he was not very satisfied.

"General, in the opinion of the last general, you should attack Changsha first, and then make a higher achievement." Xu Du said: "Changsha City has the puppet emperor Longwu, and as soon as Changsha falls, the Nanming Society will change hands. Emperor Longwu has taken the throne is no longer right, and there is no prince, as soon as Longwu dies, I am afraid that the remnants of the Ming will be chaotic again. And what a person with a high merit is, but he is just a thief. ”

"Kill a high merit, but take a few places. And Gao Yigong is also a general. It is easy to lose, but it is not easy to kill. Once the army is involved in Gao Yigong, and the Ming army gathers in Changsha, I am afraid that the general can only return in vain. ”

"Which is more important. Please also ask the general to think about it. ”

Zhang Xuan said secretly: "Xu Du's words have gone to my heart. ”

The difference in value between Gao Yigong and Changsha City is too big, and there is nothing to do with Gao Yigong, but if Changsha City is released, there will only be more and more reinforcements. To a certain extent, Zhang Xuan could only sigh and obediently retreat, waiting for the next opportunity.

Just when is the next chance?

Zhang Xuan didn't know it himself.

Hu Tang said: "Now the defenders of Changsha City are at least 50,000 or 60,000, and there is a strong city, is it so easy to overcome?" No matter how valuable Changsha is, it is nonsense that it cannot be captured. ”

"Mr. Hu's remarks may have been right before." Xu Du said: "But now it may not be. ”

"Why?" Hu Tang asked.

Xu Du said: "Because Li Guo's department is gone." ”