Strictly speaking, Shi Bao's approach was contrary to the strategic deployment formulated by Zhang Xi and Pang Tong before the war.

According to the requirements of Zhang Xi and Pang Tong, after Shi Bao and Pan Jun attacked the entire Lingling County, they should lead their troops to join Jiang Wei and attack Wuling County, and then join forces to go to Changsha County after completely conquering Wuling County, join the main force of Wulin, and besiege Changsha.

However, no one can predict the development of the battlefield.

Just as Zhang Xi didn't expect his own navy to be so capable of fighting, he had the upper hand in the two water battles of Baqiu and Xiakou, and pressed the Dongwu navy in the water village and did not dare to fight easily, causing him to have to lead his troops across the river in advance. Shi Bao didn't expect that he would directly pacify Lingling County almost effortlessly.

At this time, it would be a bit silly to fight according to the original plan.

went back to counterattack Wuling County, and after capturing Wuling County with time and effort, he went east to Changsha County, which was tantamount to giving Zhu Ran time to respite and recuperate in Changsha County.

Therefore, Shi Bao suddenly changed his strategic play, regardless of Lu Dai of Wuling County, and led his troops north into Changsha County, which was his self-judgment based on the actual situation.

At this point, Shi Bao naturally has to take risks, but as the commander of the First Road Army, if Shi Bao doesn't even have this responsibility, then he is not qualified to lead this partial division.

Therefore, after Shi Bao sent a message to Jiang Wei and asked him to continue to entangle Lu Dai in Wuling County, he led his troops and approached Liling County, Changsha County.

This hand forced Zhu Ran to send troops to reinforce Liling County, and the only thing that Zhu Ran could call a mobile force at hand now was the soldiers and horses led by Zhang Cheng.

Poor Zhang Cheng, along the way, he didn't fight a single battle, and he was all in a hurry.

When he was first transferred from Jiangxia to Wuling County, Zhang Cheng felt better, at least a ten-day rest period, but when it was time for a full-scale war, Zhang Cheng began to run around on his own.

All this way, they were marching, and they didn't even have time to rest a little. The tide of battle is changing just too fast.

This also led to the fact that after Zhang Cheng led his 15,000 soldiers to Liling County, the overall morale of the army was not too high.

What's even worse is that Zhang Cheng didn't have time to rest for a few days in Liling County, Shi Bao had already led 30,000 Han troops to the city.

Although Shi Bao knew that among the soldiers he led, only 10,000 were elite soldiers of the Han Dynasty, once the city was attacked, only these 10,000 people could be used, and the remaining 20,000 Wuxi barbarians were okay in the field, and they were a bunch of burdens when they attacked the city. But Zhang Cheng doesn't know.

The 30,000-strong army besieged the city, whether it was Zhang Cheng or the 15,000 soldiers under his command, the morale would not be high.

I was tossed back and forth all the way to the road, tired and half dead, not to mention, now that I finally want to fight, I actually let 15,000 people fight against the 30,000 people above the gang of officials, wouldn't they just want to toss us to death?!

This sentiment gradually began to spread among Zhang Chengjun.

It is also because Zhang Cheng is not the kind of incompetent idiot, although he is Zhang Zhao's son, but Zhang Cheng's military ability is still okay, he noticed the spread of this emotion in the army in time, and tried his best to appease him, which did not cause a worse result.

But this morale really can't be mentioned again.

For this reason, Zhang Cheng had to choose the strategy of curling up in Liling County and not being able to defend it.

Zhang Cheng didn't dare to take the initiative to attack and test Shi Bao's reality, and Shi Bao's side didn't dare to attack rashly, for fear that Zhang Cheng would see through that his troops were not good at attacking the city, so he divided his troops to help Zhu Ran.

This has caused a very strange phenomenon - there are big battles everywhere in Jingnan, and only Liling County is quiet and peaceful.

The two sides didn't move at all, and the silence didn't look like a battlefield anymore.

The two sides were at a stalemate for about ten days. Shibud was a little overwhelmed.

If you have the advantage of your own troops, you will not move your troops under Liling County, and if you do not move for a long time, it will inevitably arouse the suspicion of the defenders.

Secondly, Shi Bao can't really stop his troops like this, his purpose is to create enough momentum, and it is not in line with his strategic purpose for the main force of Zhang Xi's army, which is planning a frontal attack, to stay so quietly in Liling County.

For this reason, Shi Bao is thinking about whether to divide troops to fight, and the enemy will be saved.

For example, attacking Yichun County.

Actually, Shi Bud has thought about it for a long time, but he has never made up his mind to do it.

The reason is very simple, Shi Bao is worried that if he attacks Yichun County, it will trigger a strong backlash from the Eastern Wu side and increase the troops in Yuzhang County, which may have an impact on the war in Jingnan.

But now I think about it. Actually, I seem to be overly worried.

In fact, Changsha is in danger, which is enough for Yuzhang County to increase troops and prepare for war, and whether Shibao is going to attack Yichun County or not does not seem to have much impact.

In addition, if you want to better deal with the frontal battlefield, then Shibao must create enough threats in Liling County. 30,000 troops against 15,000 defenders, a two-to-one comparison of military strength, the defenders do have the capital to hold out.

In that case, divide the troops.

Not only did they divide their troops to attack Yichun County, but they also had to divide their troops to attack Changsha County along the Xiangshui River.

But. Not really offensive.

Shi Bao divided 30,000 people into three parts, 10,000 people continued to besiege Liling County, 10,000 people went east, to the direction of Yichun, and 10,000 people went west, heading straight to the direction of Xiangshui, making a situation of going up along Xiangshui.

However, after marching fifty miles, they led their troops back.

The march of fifty miles should be enough to avoid the scouts of the defenders of Liling County.

Shi Bao's purpose was to make the defenders of Liling County mistakenly think that they had divided their forces to attack other counties, so as to attract the defenders in the city to take the initiative to attack themselves.

In this way, Shi Bao can use the field battle to consume the defenders' defending strength, and then wait for the 20,000 people he has assigned to return to the army, and then encircle and suppress these Liling County defenders who have left the city in one fell swoop.

This is the tactic that Shibud has developed for himself. Although it was a bit risky, Shi Bao felt that it should still be possible to hold on for 10,000 people against the 15,000 defenders of Shangliling County for a day and wait for reinforcements.

I am not afraid that the defenders of Liling County will go out of the city, but I am afraid that the defenders of Liling County will not go out of the city.

And Zhang Cheng, Zhang Cheng is really hesitant now.

Shi Bao's division of troops was completed under his nose, and 10,000 people went east, obviously in the direction of Russia in Yuzhang County.

In this direction, Zhang Cheng is actually not worried.

Yuzhang County is not completely defenseless, if Shi Bao directly abandons Liling County and takes 30,000 soldiers to attack Yichun County in Yuzhang County, then Zhang Cheng will be a little anxious. But Shi Bao only divided 10,000 troops to attack Yuzhang County, and Zhang Cheng was really not worried.

Even if he Shibao can really capture Yichun County, with such a small number of troops, I am afraid that he will not be able to go too deep into Yuzhang County.

Once you go deep into Yuzhang County, it will not be so easy to come up with it.

But going west in the direction of Xiangshui and going north along Xiangshui to attack the division of troops in the direction of Changsha County, Zhang Cheng was really a little anxious.

There are people guarding Changsha County, and after Lu Ju went north from Guiyang County, he was arranged by Zhu Ran to guard in Changsha County.

But the problem is that there are only less than 3,000 defenders in Changsha County, and Lu Yi himself is not a general who is good at military affairs. If you can't keep Changsha County, then the fun will be too great.

Whether it is Zhu Ran's 20,000 soldiers in Luo County or Zhang Cheng's 15,000 soldiers in Liling County, all the logistics grain and grass are provided by Changsha County.

Once Lu Ji can't hold Changsha County, Zhu Ran and Zhang Cheng will face the risk of running out of food.

Therefore, no matter what, Zhang Cheng absolutely could not let the Shu army along the Xiangshui River go north.

However, the morale of the soldiers on Zhang Cheng's hand is low, although they have recovered a little after about ten days of rest, but they are still far from the point where they can take the initiative to attack.

The 30,000 Shu army in front of him, after the division of troops, only 10,000 Shu troops remained, which was indeed an opportunity to attack, but Zhang Cheng really did not have this confidence, with these demoralized county soldiers in his hands, he could directly break the Shu army in front of him.

After weighing it again, Zhang Cheng decided. Divide 5,000 troops, hurry back to Changsha, and hand it over to Lu Ju's command.

There is no confidence to take the initiative, but the problem of defending the city should not be big. Changsha has nearly 8,000 people, even if Lu Ju is incompetent, he can't be easily defeated by the Shu army with only 10,000 people, right?!

Zhang Cheng's response directly made Shi Bud stupid.

No, you didn't send reinforcements to Yichun in the east, nor did you seek an opportunity to defeat yourself, why did you send reinforcements to Changsha County behind you?!

In this Changsha County, what is wrong with your help!!

Zhang Cheng's strange return gesture made Shi Bao finally figure out what he had misjudged.

The one who regretted it almost made his intestines green.

Shi Bao always thought that since Zhu Ran's main army was in Luo County, then Luo County must be the place where Changsha County soldiers were stored, and Changsha County had no strategic value except that it was a county governance and had a bit of political significance.

But now, through Zhang Cheng's reaction, Shi Bao discovered that Changsha County was likely to be the grain storage land of the Eastern Wu Army in Changsha!!

I knew that this was the case, so I should not have marched from Chong'an, but should have sent troops from Xiangxiang, directly bypassed Hengshan, attacked southern Xiangnan, and then approached Changsha with the peak of the army.

As long as he lays down Changsha County, his title, I am afraid that he can really be promoted from a township marquis to a county marquis.

It's a pity that everything is late, it's too late.

(End of chapter)