Xu Wenhan's marriage to Tian was actually a political transaction facilitated by the first emperor based on the situation at the time. It's just that the two sides of the transaction are the Qingliu literati and the imperial power represented by the Tian family, and Xu Wenhan is just a prop to marry a wife in order to start a family.

The two had never met before marriage, it didn't matter if they were satisfied or dissatisfied, their married life was uneventful, and Xu Wenhan thought there was nothing wrong with it. But when it is really lost, only he knows what it tastes like.

Yang Zhi has seen a lot of women who are overly greedy for money and unprincipled to stick to their mother's family in his previous life, so he doesn't like Tian very much. Back then, he taught Tian a lesson, just to make Xu Wenhan's life quieter, and it was really out of good intentions. He never thought about what he really wanted to do with the Tian family, let alone that the Tian family's temperament was so strong!

In fact, the war between Xia and Chu has entered the most critical stage, and a fierce war is raging. What happened in Chang'an, thousands of miles away, Yang Zhi had no way of knowing, and he couldn't take care of it.

Baling is of great significance to Southern Chu, and it is better than Jiangxia. As soon as Baling is broken, the south of Dongting to Chudu Changsha is a smooth road, and there is no danger to defend. In less than three days, the Xia army will be able to march under the city of Changsha!

According to the report, Wen Huanzhang and Zhang Bohu personally commanded that Southern Chu gathered 50,000 elite sailors in Dongting Lake, deployed 30,000 Chu troops on the periphery of the line from Linxiang to Baling, and 60,000 Chu troops were stationed in Baling. That is to say, in order to defend Baling, Southern Chu gathered 140,000 land and water troops.

Comparatively speaking, the Xia army, as the attacking side, even if the two heavy army groups combined, did not have much advantage in strength, and could only be regarded as basically equal.

The Shenzhong Division to the northwest is about 50,000 people. Zhang Desheng's department has 30,000 sailors, with a total of 80,000. Previously, the two divisions worked together to capture Jingzhou, Jiangling, and Huarong one after another. Although Yang Zhi focused on the overall situation and ordered them to slow down the pace of attack, he also intended to make them more proficient in cooperation.

To the northeast, there are about 40,000 people in the Chen Zhun Office. Yang Zhi's headquarters of the Chinese army was about 30,000 people, and all of them were transferred to Chen Zhun under his command, with a total of 70,000 people. The strength of the Xia army assembled in two directions totaled 150,000 men.

140,000 against 150,000 will be another vicious battle.

There is a cloud in the art of war: ten are to encircle, five are to attack, and the multiple is divided, the enemy can fight, and the few can escape. If not, you can avoid it. If you read the military book to the death and follow this principle, then you don't even have to fight this battle.

On the second day of October, after Yang Zhi passed down the order of the combat commander, he locked himself in the study of the Chinese army, which was brightly lit all night.

The reason why Wen Huanzhang and Zhang Bohu gathered heavy troops to defend was first because Baling was the last line of defense to Changsha and had to be defended.

Secondly, there is Dongting Lake as a natural barrier, and the sailors also have obvious advantages over the Xia army. As long as they desperately block the Shen Chong and Zhang Desheng groups and make them unable to cross the river and lake, it will not cause too much pressure on Baling.

It is said that if you eat a trench, you will grow wise. Wen Huanzhang and Zhang Bohu have already learned the power of Xia Jun's firearms several times. He also saw the weaknesses of the Chen Zhun Group's firearms, which were difficult to replenish in a timely manner and lacked mobile capabilities, and made targeted operational arrangements.

Xianning's painful lesson made Zhang Bohu soberly aware. Shrinking all your forces into a city is like fish on a chopping block. can only wait to be beaten passively. So the two of them discussed, and from the beginning, they had no intention of sticking to Linxiang. Rather, it was used as the first bait to consume the Xia army's firearms and lure them to continue the attack.

The second bait was extremely cruel, it was actually the lives of 30,000 Chu troops outside Baling! He ordered the leading generals to take advantage of the unstable foothold of Chen Zhun's group and attack desperately from three sides at all costs. When the two armies are strangled together, another general will be sent to lead 20,000 troops out of the city to meet the attack, and the Chen Zhun group can be broken!

As soon as Chen Zhun Group was broken, the crisis of Baling was solved. As soon as the Xia army's firearms were lost, there was no advantage in capturing the fortified city. Hundreds of artillery pieces, thousands of heavy crossbows, and tens of thousands of catties of gunpowder, none of which are cabbage in the field, and it is difficult to replenish them in a short time. At that time, the Chu army would only have to hold on without fighting, strengthen the city defenses, and wait for backup.

Wen Huanzhang and Zhang Bohu knew very well in their hearts that this was a crazy, even tragic gamble, and it could only resist the Xia army for a while, which would not help change the fortunes of Southern Chu. But unless Kaesong surrenders, do they have any other choice? Just as Zhang Bohu sighed in the secret letter to Yang Zhi: empty ambition, powerless to return to the sky!

What the two never expected was that Yang Zhi made an even more crazy decision after a night of hard thinking.

As soon as the sky was bright on the third day of October, Yang Zhi ordered Ma Yang, the commander of the personal guard, to prepare a horse saber for him, summoned Ma Yun, the lieutenant of the Chinese military academy, and ordered: "I want to go to Xianning in person, you will stay in place for the time being, and the Chinese army will not retreat, as usual." Ten days later, it will be able to set off, and the Chinese army will move forward to Xianning. ”

Ma Yang and Ma Yun asked in unison: "Dashuai, why don't you let me and the others lead a group of relatives and guards together?" ”

Yang Zhi said without replying: "I only need one day and night to reach Xianning, can you?" ”

At midnight on the fourth day of October, Yang Zhi was already eating breakfast in the big tent of Chen Zhunjun in Xianning.

Chen Zhun also asked with a shocked face: "Dashuai, why are you here alone?" …… Didn't you say that it would not be until October 12 that you would attack Baling with Shen Chong and Zhang Desheng? I haven't warmed up the handsome order you passed down earlier! ”

Yang Zhi hurriedly finished eating, burped and said: "I have changed my mind, this battle is very different from the past, I have to change the way of fighting." What do you think? Let's start with that. ”

Chen Zhun was named and recommended by Yang Zhi, and it has been more than two years since he was recruited. This is also the most fulfilling and high-spirited two years he has lived in the army for many years. Yang Zhi is not only in awe from the heart, but also almost fanatical worship.

Chen Zhun has been in battle for a long time, and he can be a heavy general, so he is naturally not a simple-minded reckless man: "Marshal, I also think that this battle is indeed different from the past." It seems that the two armies of the enemy and us are basically equal in strength, but our army is the attacking side and is divided into two parts, the east and the west, but in fact, our army is obviously at a disadvantage. ”

"The Shen Chong Division was blocked by the Great River and Daze, and the naval division led by Zhang Desheng was far away from the Southern Chu Naval Division in terms of strength and combat strength. It is not yet known when Shen Chong's troops crossed the river and crossed Zebing to point to Baling. Therefore, in comparison, the pressure on Shen and Zhang is much greater than mine. ”

"According to the report, there are 60,000 defenders in Baling City, and 30,000 Chu troops are stationed in Linxiang on the periphery. The Baling defenders also learned to be obedient, and the city towers on all sides were covered with artillery and heavy crossbows, and the trick of adding heavy crossbows and gunpowder bags was not difficult to learn, and it was difficult for our army to approach the attack formation. Linxiang is just a small city, and the Chu army suffered a big loss in Xianning, so it will definitely not hold on to it. In my opinion, the Chu army wanted to take advantage of the weakness of our army's battle line being too long, difficult to replenish firearms and ordnance, and inconvenient to maneuver, to fight a field battle with our army on the periphery and fight for attrition. ”

Yang Zhi nodded again and again with satisfaction: "Not bad, not bad!" You can dissect the situation on the battlefield to this point, and my original fears are at least half gone. So how do you cope? Go on! ”

Chen Zhun said with a smile: "Dashuai, this is trying to test me!" In the first step, Linxiang and the Chu army were like chicken ribs, but they were of great use to our army. It can be occupied as a foothold, and grain, ordnance, firearms and gunpowder can be hoarded and stored here. ”

"In the second step, our unit will fight against the outer Chu army, and I will not use artillery easily, but only a small part of the heavy crossbow. If the Chu army is in a field battle, I will concentrate superior forces and fight against it in the field. If the Chu army is in formation, I will also form a formation and use heavy crossbows to fight against it. It may be difficult to wipe them out, but I'd rather spend some more time and have to defeat them, not just defeat them. ”

"The third step, after defeating the outer Chu army, I will not venture to attack the city. Or lure them out of the city to wait for the opportunity to annihilate them, or send a small force to the close to the decoy battle, consuming the artillery pellets, gunpowder, and crossbow arrows of the defenders in the city. Don't they want to fight for consumption? I'll just come and treat others the way they do! ”

"Fourth, if the tricks used in the third step do not work, I will surround me without fighting. After waiting for Shen Chong's department to cross the river and cross the river, the two departments will attack! ”

Yang Zhi listened intently, and couldn't help but sigh: "In order to avoid the worries of the commanders of all armies, I rarely make specific tactical arrangements and directly intervene in the forward command. If I say that I am completely at ease with you, I don't even believe in myself. Looks like I'm underestimating you! ”

Chen Zhun said frankly: "Marshal, in fact, in the nearly a year since the capture of Xiaogan and the armistice between the two countries, I have been in contact with Shen Chong, Zhang Desheng, Wei Feiyang, Ye Chuang and other departments, of course, the main topic is the replenishment of grain, ordnance and troops, and when the marshal will give the order to fight again." ”

"The generals of all armies unanimously believe that the most admired point for the marshal and the most happy for themselves is that the marshal is just a layout in almost every battle, as long as the results are achieved, as for how to play, we are left to our own play."

Yang Zhizheng said: "Don't be there, don't let it happen, this is an important principle that I have always respected. There is a way that soldiers are impermanent, and water is impermanent. We have to admit the fact that there is indeed a difference between the command and adaptability of the generals of various armies. In the near future, perhaps I will open a academy to accept children with military talent to teach from an early age. ”

Then he changed the subject and said: "You are very thoughtful, I am very relieved, just let it go." I'm here in a hurry, not only to help you, but also to add a little difficulty and pressure to you. ”

"First of all, I want to borrow your herald to convey the command to Ye Chuang's department: order Ye Chuang to lead 20,000 horses from Hengzhou to the north and advance in the direction of Changsha, the capital of Chu. Along the way, you must not be greedy for the speed of the march, you must not fall in love with the war, and you can avoid it when you encounter the Chu army, so as to minimize unnecessary battle losses. This matter is related to the overall situation, and one out of ten shots is enough, and it must be delivered as soon as possible. ”

"In addition, within three days, you will be given 20,000 troops, 500 heavy crossbows, and 20,000 catties of gunpowder, and handed them over to me for personal command."

Chen Zhun groaned: "Does the marshal want to personally lead the army to lure the enemy or break the enemy?" Our army is not superior in strength, and it is taboo to divide troops during a big war! ”

Yang Zhi said with a smile: "Otherwise, how can I say that it is to increase the difficulty and pressure for you?" You hit yours, I'll hit mine. I divided my troops and led an army by myself, and I wanted to take Changsha directly, the capital of Chu! ”

Chen Zhun was shocked when he heard this, and asked without hesitation: "Dashuai, aren't you crazy?!" ”

Yang Zhi didn't think it was angry at all: "Even you think I'm crazy, so what will Wen Huanzhang and Zhang Bohu think?" As expected, it should be much easier to fight Changsha than to fight Baling! (To be continued.) )