Chapter 433 Soldiers besiege Xiangyang City

At noon on 17 March, the commander-in-chief Lu Wende and the principal generals of the Xiangyang Military Region ascended to the city gate, stood on the wall of the east gate of Xiangyang City, and looked at the field of Lumen Mountain in the southeast from a distance.

As a strategic location of the Southern Song Dynasty, Xiangyang was the "west gate of the country" of the Southern Song Dynasty and an important support point of the Southern Song Dynasty on the Jingxiang defense line. If Xiangyang is lost, Jiangling is in danger, and Jiangling is in danger, and the danger of the Yangtze River is not enough. If the Yangtze River is no longer a natural risk, then the large area of land after the opening of the gateway will be unsafe, and the Mongolian cavalry can gallop on horseback, directly threatening the Song Dynasty's line.

In the first two Song and Mongolian wars, Xiangyang was not the main battlefield. Since 1251, after Meng Heng took back Gundam to Xiangfan, Lu Wende operated in the Xiangfan area for more than ten years, strengthening the city and stockpiling materials, so that Xiangyang City was restored to the former "Xiangyang of Iron".

Lu Wende stood in the center, with Lu Wenhuan on the left, and Lu Wenxin on the right, who was holding a broken sword.

"Dashuai, do you want to get rid of the Azhuhan Department of Lumen Mountain first?" Lu Shikui, who was standing behind Lu Wende, was eager to try.

After a long while, Lu Wende, who had a solemn face, replied: "The setting of the field is the most serious mistake that Ben Shuai has made in his life, and Xiangyang City will soon usher in an unprecedented battle. ”

Lu Wenhuan said: "The matter has come to this point, just implement it according to His Majesty's will." Shikui, the castle of Lumen Mountain has been completed, and if our army wants to conquer the castle in it, it will inevitably suffer huge casualties, which is contrary to His Majesty's original intention. ”

Lu Wende nodded, and whispered to Lu Wenhuan beside him: "Your Majesty said that the decisive battle with the Mongolian army in Xiangyang City was originally feasible, but when it came to the end, Ben Shuai was nervous in his heart, which seemed to be the first time in the decades that Ben Shuai had been in the army. ”

Lu Wenhuan smiled and said in a low voice: "Don't worry, your majesty has miscalculated that major event since he ascended the throne?" I also think that it is a completely feasible method to use our first fortified city of Xiangyang as bait, and the task of our army is only to hold Xiangyang and Fancheng, and there should be no problem with the strength of our Xiangyang Military Region, and the matter of encircling and sending reinforcements is under the personal command of His Majesty, and there will be no mistakes. What's more, I still have an artifact. ”

Thinking of the power of the artifact he saw that day, Lu Wende was sure in his heart, and said with a smile: "Yes, Your Majesty predicted two or three years ago that Kublai Khan would bet on Xiangyang City, which is really wise. Besides, as long as a hundred artifacts shoot in turn, those earthen wall buildings may really be vulnerable. ”

"That's natural, otherwise even Li Tingzhi, who has always regarded himself as high, feels ashamed." Lu Wenhuan said, "The power of the artifact is indeed powerful, besides, I still have muskets and projectiles in the DPRK, and this time Kublai Khan will definitely lose his troops." ”

"Well, the second brother is right. In short, as long as you and my brother are here, the two cities of Xiangfan are there. Lu Wende's expression was serious, and he suddenly raised his voice and said, "Shikui, strictly order all armies to monitor the enemy's situation and increase scouts." Generals, return to the Marshal's Mansion to discuss, the time is almost up, and the defenders of Fancheng should also arrive. ”

In the operations hall of the Xiangyang Military Region Marshal's Mansion, all the senior generals of the military region were present. After the reform of the military system, the Xiangyang Military Region has set up four regular reorganization compartments, each with 12,500 officers and men, totaling 50,000 people, as well as 3,000 people from the Black Carbon Regiment, 1,000 people from the Xiangyang Naval Division, and 3,000 non-main officers and men in charge of logistics and armaments, totaling 57,000 people. In addition, there are about 15,000 regimental defense personnel under the Xiangyang Military Region, mainly distributed in Xiangyang and Fancheng.

After Lu Wende sat down, he said, "Wen Huan, you first tell me about the distribution of my Xiangyang army now. ”

"Yes, Marshal." Lu Wenhuan pointed to the map and said: "Everyone, please see, the area defended by my Xiangyang Military Region is the entire Hubei Province, of which, the 19th compartment is stationed in Fancheng, the 17th compartment is stationed in other places outside the two cities of Xiangfan, and the remaining 16th compartment, the 18th compartment and the black carbon regiment are stationed in Xiangyang. My entire Xiangyang army can be put on the defense of the two cities of Xiangfan. Judging from the current situation, the Mongol army on the middle route is at least more than 150,000 people, and its base camp is located in the Nanyang area of Henan, and the vanguard Azhuhan has arrived at Lumen Mountain, according to His Majesty's judgment, when the castle in the Baihe Castle is completed, it will be the time when the Mongol army is besieging Xiangyang. At the current pace, it is expected to be in early May. ”

Lu Wende walked to the map and said: "Everyone, the task that Your Majesty gave me to the Xiangyang Military Region is to defend to the death, to drag the Mongolian army in the middle of Xiangyang and Fancheng, and the task of encircling and sending reinforcements will be handed over to other troops, that is to say, my Xiangyang Military Region will become the bait of this war, and whether the battle of Xiangyang can be won depends on how long our decoy army can hold on." Ladies and gentlemen, Xiangyang City is so strong that it can be called the first fortified city of our dynasty, and our Xiangyang Military Region is an elite division, and I believe that we will definitely be able to complete the tasks assigned to our military region by His Majesty. ”

Niu Fudao, the garrison of Fancheng: "Don't worry, our army is all warriors who follow the commander to fight in the east and west, and the last general guarantees that as long as the last general is here, he will not let the Mongols step into my Fancheng half a step." ”

"Okay, General Niu." Lu Wende praised.

Niu Fu is not tall, but extremely sturdy, he followed Lu Wende when he was young, brave and good at fighting, loyal and righteous, and won Lu Wende's appreciation.

Lu Wenhuan said: "Marshal, give orders to the armies first." ”

"Yes. Generals, in response to the Battle of Xiangyang, in accordance with the instructions of His Majesty, the commander has formulated the following plan, which has been approved by the Military Affairs Yuan. Next, the marshal announced the military defense personnel arrangements between Xiangfan and Xiangfan. ”

The generals said in unison: "Please give the order." ”

Lu Wende looked at his beloved generals and said loudly: "General Fan Tianshun, the commander of the Xiangyang Military Region and the commander of the 19th chamber, the deputy commander of the 19th chamber and the general Niu Fu of the Fancheng garrison, and the deputy commander of the 17th chamber, General Wang Fu, listen to the order. ”

Fan Tianshun and the other three generals stood straight: "The last general will be." ”

"This commander ordered the three of you to lead the reorganization of the 19th box and the 46th and 47th armies of the 17th box, totaling 17,500 people, to garrison Fancheng, and it is necessary to ensure that Fancheng is not broken by the Mongolian army."

"Yes, Marshal, the last general will be ordered."

"The sixteenth chamber is commanded to make Lu Shikui listen to the order."

Lu Shikui stood up and said, "The last general." ”

"This commander ordered you to lead all the soldiers of the 16th Chamber to garrison the east gate of Xiangyang City to prevent the enemy army on Lumen Mountain."

"The Last General's Order."

"General Tang Yongjian, the commander of the seventeenth chamber and the commander of the capital of Jing and Hubei, listened to the order."

"The end will be."

"This commander ordered you to lead the 17th Forty-eighth Army, the Forty-ninth Army, the Fiftieth Army, and the Xiangyang Navy Division, totaling 8,500 people, to garrison the south gate of Xiangyang to ensure that the waterway between Xiangyang and Yingzhou is unimpeded."

"Yes, Marshal, the last general."

"The commander of the eighteenth compartment of the Xiangyang Military Region made Lu Wenfu obey the order."

"The end will be."

"This marshal ordered you to lead all the soldiers of the 18th chamber to garrison the north gate of Xiangyang City in case of the Mongolian army stationed in Baihe City."

"The last will be ordered."

"The deputy commander of the 19th chamber of the Xiangyang Military Region made General Wang An obey the order."

"The end will be."

"This commander ordered you to temporarily take the command of the 19th Chamber, and lead the army to guard the west gate of Xiangyang City, in case of the enemy of Wanshan Fort in the future."

"Yes, the last general."

Wang An, a native of Luzhou, in the third year of Chunyou (1244), in the name of the commander of the righteous army, recruited the righteous army to resist Mongolia, and later participated in the battle of Shouchun with Lu Wende, and was promoted to the deputy commander of the 19th chamber of the Xiangyang Military Region with military merits. The former commander of the 19th Chambers died of illness in mid-February, so the Xiangyang Military Region proposed that Wang An take over, which has been reported to the Military Affairs Yuan for approval.

"The deputy envoy of the Xiangyang Military Region and the pacification envoy Lu Wenhuan listened to the order."

"The end will be."

"This commander has ordered you to be responsible for the defense of the entire Xiangyang City, and to control the above generals."

"Yes, Marshal."

"The commander of the Black Carbon Regiment made Lu Wenxin listen to the order."

"The end will be."

"Lu Wenxin, the Black Carbon Regiment, as a mobile force, is ready to attack or respond to all kinds of emergencies at any time."

"Yes, the last will be ordered."

"Xiangyang Military Region Senator Lu Shimeng."

"The end will be."

"This marshal has ordered you to participate in all the planning of the Battle of Xiangyang, and from now on, every seven days, report the battle situation to the Imperial Military Affairs Yuan."

"Yes, the last general."

"Chen Wenbin, Senator of the Marshal Mansion of the Xiangyang Military Region, listened to the order."

"The subordinates are here."

"This commander ordered you to be responsible for all the logistics and military supplies of the Xiangyang Military Region during the war, and there must be no mistakes."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

After announcing the deployment task, Lu Wende continued: "Generals, the military order is like a mountain, everyone must go all out to fight the key battle between Song and Mongolia, so as to live up to His Majesty's trust. ”

The generals said in unison: "Yes, handsome." ”

Lu Wende nodded, smiled with satisfaction, and said to Chen Wenbin, the senator of the Shuai Mansion who was sitting behind: "Chen Wenbin, how is the situation in the field hospitals at all levels of my Xiangyang Military Region?" ”

"Back to the marshal, according to the order of the Military Affairs Yuan, all the construction has been completed, and it will be put into use by the end of this month."

"Good. This marshal will leave for Yingzhou tomorrow to meet with General Chen Yi and General Zhang Shun, and during these days, Lu Wenhuan will be fully responsible for all military affairs of the Xiangyang Military Region. ”

Lu Wenhuan said: "Yes, handsome." ”

"Lu Wenxin, you select a thousand soldiers of the Black Carbon Regiment, go south with the commander, and bring back a batch of military supplies by the way."

"Yes, Marshal."

On 13 May, Zhang Hongfan, the pioneer of the Mongol conquest of the south, led 15,000 soldiers to Xiangyang City, and stationed in the castle in the newly completed Baihe Castle Field, plus the vanguard camp of Ashuhan, the total number of Mongolian troops around Xiangyang City had reached 30,000.