Delong

Chapter 569 Sending Wu Xing (19)

In late January, the main force of the Chulong Army easily captured the entire territory of Taiyuan.

There is a slight controversy about this, as it is unclear whether Wang Shuyong, who came from Jingxing, was the first to arrive in Taiyuan, or Xu Shiying, who came from Qipanshan.

In fact, neither of them lacked this military merit, but they still couldn't resist the scrutiny of their subordinates, because everyone knew the importance of Taiyuan.

This was one of the five capitals of the former Wei Dynasty, and one of the two capitals during the height of the Eastern Wei Dynasty. It served as the western barrier of the Hebei Plain, and was a crucial central asset, especially in the confrontation with the Guanzhong region. Its military importance was, in some ways, even greater than that of the Eastern Capital, though its economic importance was considerably weaker. For the people of Hebei, this place possessed a naturally strong political appeal.

We took it back without losing a single soldier!
If this isn't a huge victory, then what is?! So, the soldiers below couldn't help but be a little calculating, and besides this, there really weren't any other battle achievements to share.

Of course, this was the thinking of the lower-level officers and soldiers. After their initial excitement, the mid-level officers quickly realized that once Taiyuan was captured, the main force on the northern front would be freed up again. With the enemy forces facing off and advancing from all sides, they had to engage in new battles.

Meanwhile, a fierce debate has broken out at the highest levels.

Xiong Bonan went to the Rat and Sparrow Valley. At this time, there were four leaders and quasi-leaders in Taiyuan, namely Xu Shiying, Wang Shuyong, Hong Changya, and Xu Shiren. Xu Shiren and Hong Changya were more cautious and did not actually have the power to make suggestions. The dispute was between Xu Shiying and Wang Shuyong.

Wang Shuyong's idea was to immediately proceed south according to the original plan and put pressure on Hedong.

Xu Shiying originally thought so too, until he entered Taiyuan and received Zhou Xingfan's letter, learning that the other party had directly turned to the legitimate path, he inexplicably had the idea of ​​heading west.

The two sides were deadlocked, but overall, Wang Shuyong had the upper hand.

First of all, heading south is a pre-established plan, and barring any major unforeseen circumstances, it should be resolutely carried out; otherwise, morale will be shaken.

Secondly, heading south would be a smooth march along the core passage of Shanxi, with easy access to supplies. In contrast, heading west would be extremely difficult, with its great rivers and mountains making travel and resupply a major challenge.
Thirdly, if they head south, their immediate enemy will be the former Taiyuan military governor, Wang Huaitong, who is leading a large group of people who have fled south, including civilians, officials, and soldiers. Their morale is low, and if the army moves in time, they could very well win another great victory. On the other hand, if they go to the western front, the roads are too far and supplies are not readily available, so they may not be able to catch up with Li Ding's battle in the Poisonous Desert.

Finally, if we head south, we can quickly form a pincer movement with Chief Zhang of Wuguan to seize the head of Daying, which is Guanzhong.

To be fair, Xu Shiying held a higher position and was not a temporary leader. However, the core of the Demoting Dragon Gang's system was to hold meetings and raise hands. With four leaders present, he could make decisions as long as one of them supported him.

In reality, Wang Shuyong's reasons were so convincing that Hong Changya and Xu Shiren, who had no right to make suggestions, actually leaned towards him.

In other words, the meeting that day basically determined the route south, but they just didn't force it and make things look bad.

As evening fell, according to custom, the leaders dispersed and set up camps. Xu Shiying stayed at the garrison headquarters inside the city, Wang Shuyong stayed at Jinyang Palace outside the city, Hong Changya hid in the northern warehouse city, and Xu Shiren stayed at the prefectural government office.

Leaving aside others, let's talk about Xu Shiying. He took out the "Compendium of Materia Medica" and the "Pulse Classic" to study... Frankly speaking, they were very interesting. Both the "Compendium of Materia Medica" and the "Pulse Classic" were very interesting. They explained what kind of medicinal materials were produced in what places and what their uses were. If this were paired with the daughter of that cult leader, Qianjinzhu, it might really help that cult leader find a way out. The "Pulse Classic" was also great. It didn't start by talking about how to open the meridians, but first introduced a concept, saying that the regular meridians are actually attached to the body. They are channels that are naturally formed by the true qi as the body exerts force. After forming a system, they will in turn stimulate the subsequent extraordinary meridians... Instantly, I had a feeling of sudden enlightenment.

However, after exchanging a few chapters between the two books, Xu Shiying suddenly realized that she was actually not paying attention.

The book is a good book, and I really want to read it, but if I were truly reading it attentively, why would I keep switching between them? I'm still unsettled and can't accept the strategy of heading south.

So Xu Dalang put away his books, stood up, and went to the garden outside. It was already early spring, and spring plowing had been completed in many places. Although no one was tending to the garden, it had become lush and green.

But Xu Shiying had no interest in admiring the scenery. He paced back and forth under the crescent moon, which was already quite long in the latter part of the month, pondering repeatedly. Finally, he sighed, then pushed open the door and went out.

He didn't use any grandmaster-level techniques; he simply called for help, mounted his horse, and headed towards Jinyang Palace outside the city with a lantern. Then he ordered the gate opened and had someone call Wang Shuyong out... How could Wang Shuyong not come out? So he hurriedly put on his clothes and came to greet him.

Upon meeting, Xu Shiying dismissed the others and went to the back garden of the imperial palace. The two fellow townsmen from Jishui walked side by side into the depths, but did not speak to each other.

Just as Wang Shuyong was growing impatient, Xu Shiying finally spoke up, and his words were astonishing: "Wulang, I still think we should head west, and you must support me."

Wang Shuyong was baffled and was about to reiterate his reasoning when Xu Shiying raised his hand to stop him and said something even more outrageous: "I have heard your reasoning, you don't need to say anything more. What I want to say is that of the four leaders of Taiyuan City, the three of you only have experience on the front lines, unlike me, who is both the general manager of military affairs who oversees the overall situation and has served as a commander-in-chief of a region... Or to put it more directly, in the entire gang, only the chief and that Li Ding have nothing to say to me. Otherwise, in matters of overall military affairs, I am the most outstanding and should be the one to do things my way."

Even in the night, it was clear that Wang Shuyong's face was flushed, but he managed to suppress his anger: "Even if the chief were here, he would have to give a reason! Let alone you?"

"The logic is simple, and I just figured it out myself," Xu Shiying said earnestly. "Wulang, what exactly are we fighting in this battle? Is it for a piece of land, or for the outcome of a battle?"

“This matter was made clear during the day.” Wang Shuyong was utterly speechless. “The success of plundering depends on the location. Taiyuan is important, and we must take it… Furthermore, if we had the opportunity to take Luoyang now, would we not go because of casualties? It’s just that Taiyuan has already been captured, and the next priority should indeed be to eliminate the enemy’s organized forces. But precisely because of this, we must head south to pursue the crumbling Jin army. If we can press them in time and crush them, not only will the military and political situation in the entire Jin region be further stabilized, but we can also rush to Hedong to coordinate with the chief, and we can also wipe out the 20,000 who escaped with minimal losses. Therefore, we must head south!”

"You still haven't explained clearly what exactly we're fighting in this battle?" Xu Shiying calmly listened to the other party's explanation and continued to ask.

"What are you going to fight?" Wang Shuyong was both angry and anxious, and somewhat bewildered. "What do you mean, fight?"

"Naturally, it's to destroy Ying, to annihilate Guanzhong," Xu Shiying said, enunciating each word clearly. "Is there a second purpose...?"

"Isn't that obvious? That's precisely why we need to head south."

"What use is going south to destroy Ying?!" Xu Shiying interrupted the other party. "Can we coordinate with the chief across Guanzhong and ensure that the offensive is always launched at the same time? Besides, there is a great river blocking the way there. No matter how many troops we have, it will be useless. Two grandmasters are even less likely to break through the defenses of a grandmaster... More importantly, if we start from Hedong, Bai Hengqiu can call upon us from Chang'an."

"What about the Poison Desert side?" Wang Shuyong frowned slightly, surprisingly not getting angry. "Would a victory for the Poison Desert side have any effect on the Extinction of Ying?"

“Of course.” Xu Shiying counted on his fingers. “First, Guanzhong will definitely provide full support to the Poison Desert, even sending its entire territory. Once we win, they will have no spare strength. Second, the Poison Desert is extremely far from Chang'an, so Bai Hengqiu cannot provide support there; it is an independent battlefield. Third, once we control the Poison Desert, supplies from the Witch Lands will come, and then we can imitate the Witch Clan’s southward advance and sweep through Longshang along Lingwu. If we can sweep through Longshang, wouldn’t Guanzhong be in a situation similar to that of Dongdu? At that time, the people’s hearts will naturally collapse, and the world will be ours even if it is not ours!”

“I understand,” Wang Shuyong continued, frowning. “You mean to say that heading south yields easy but limited results, making it difficult to continue… while heading west is fraught with difficulties, but if it can truly help and guarantee victory, the gains will be substantial?”

“That’s what I mean,” Xu Shiying said earnestly.

"How many men are you planning to take west? Ten battalions?" Wang Shuyong seemed to be relenting. "You must know that the road from Loufan to Baidao is so narrow that even if what you say is true, not many people can get through. But we can't just ignore the southern route. Let's split up. You take ten battalions, and I'll take the rest to join the Heavenly King. What's wrong with trying to trick those fleeing Jin people?"

“Ten battalions are too few.” Xu Shiying pressed his advantage. “If Hedong is just trying to bluff, there’s really no need to take so many people… I’ll take ten battalions, not through Loufan Pass, but quietly heading west from Taiyuan, through Lishi, past Shawu Pass, across the river to Diaoyin, strategically cutting off Yulin’s rear; I’ll have Hong Changya take five battalions through Loufan Pass, making a big show of supporting Zhou Xingfan! You and Xu Shiren will take the five weakest battalions south to meet up with the Heavenly King, using the terrain of Shuque Valley to make a show of force… That’s enough!”

Wang Shuyong was dumbfounded: "You're asking us to act as a diversionary force to cover for you?!"

"Wulang, please help me!" Xu Shiying did not refute, but urged him.

"Are you done talking?" Wang Shuyong suddenly squinted at the other person. "Nothing to add, you just need me to make a decision for you, right?"

"Yes! That's right!" Xu Shiying replied succinctly.

"Then I'll ask you one question now, just one question." Wang Shuyong stepped forward and pressed him for answers. "After you insisted on going to Yulin, were you worried that Li Ding had won too much at the Three Passes of the Poisonous Desert, and that you secretly wanted to claim some of the credit?"

Caught off guard, Xu Shiying paused for a moment before earnestly replying, "If you ask me that, I certainly can't say no... Especially if we're talking about his military achievements and subsequent promotion, it's really just about letting him bypass me to take charge of military affairs... But I really did consider the big picture first, but considering the big picture doesn't interfere with my personal interests."

Wang Shuyong was about to sneer.

"Fifth Brother, since you ask about our personal motives, I'll tell you." Just then, Xu Shiying stepped forward, interrupting the conversation, and the two spoke almost face to face. "If the Chulong Gang doesn't rule the world, we're just like the heroes of the past few hundred years, constantly changing and falling apart. Think about it, how many people in the entire Eastern Qi are remembered? Only the Divine Martial Emperor and the Three Heroes, and you only know that after you've read books! But if we do rule the world, we'll be heroes who create a golden age that lasts for hundreds of years, remembered for thousands of years, just like those after the Ancestral Emperor!"

"Now that the Chief has brought us to this point, don't you feel like you're losing out if you can't push yourself a little harder?!"

Wang Shuyong stared into the other man's eyes for an unknown amount of time. Seeing that the other man was unyielding, he finally let out a cold laugh: "So, at this critical juncture when the world is about to change drastically, Li Ding climbed to the top and unintentionally kicked you. Now that you've realized it, you want to kick me back so you can continue to climb higher, isn't that right?"

"I'm begging you to push me up there, to rip the sky apart! And then we'll all go up together!" Xu Shiying practically gritted his teeth, because he knew perfectly well that if they didn't agree, he really couldn't do it. "Just tell me, is it okay or not?!"

Wang Shuyong did not reply, but turned around and walked away with his hands behind his back. He walked a dozen steps and then stopped, then turned to the side again, and then stopped again after a dozen steps. He did this repeatedly, and ended up walking in circles around the other person with his back to him in the imperial garden of the palace.

After walking around for what seemed like an eternity, the man finally stopped in the darkness: "No need to wait for dawn, let's go find Xu Shiren and Hong Changya together now... But Xu Dalang, you must remember your words, even if you really cause a major upheaval, it will be us pushing you to do it!"

Xu Shiying felt a sense of relief, but then she felt a cool, damp patch on her back.

Once the strategy of Chulong Army was finalized, the day after capturing Taiyuan, they immediately divided their forces and sprang into action... Not to mention the troops led by Xu Shiying and Hong Changya who traveled along the difficult western and northern routes, on the other side, Wang Shuyong and Xu Shiren traveled smoothly along the most central passage of Jin, quickly arriving at Shuque Valley. They then immediately implemented multiple blockades along the way to ensure that military intelligence was not leaked. When they rejoined Xiong Bonan after leaving Shuque Valley, it only took them four days.

At this time, they received military intelligence that the Jin people, namely the Wang Huaitong-Wang Chenkuo escape group, had retreated to Wenxi.

After a brief discussion, Xiong Bonan, Wang Shuyong, and Xu Shiren immediately realized that this was an attackable position, as the enemy clearly wanted to block the Zhiguan Pass. However, Wenxi was a place with no natural defenses. There were strategic locations to the north, but they were worried that their retreat would be cut off from the Zhiguan Pass, so they dared not stay there.

With the decision made, the three men, along with the five battalions brought by Xiong Bonan, planted Xu Shiying's banner on the city wall of Quwo behind them and immediately launched an attack on Wenxi.

Although the two sides were actually evenly matched, the process was as easy as they had expected. The fleeing Jin people left in a sorry state, showing no intention of fighting whatsoever.

Wenxi, including the Nanpo Academy founded by Wang Huaitong's mentor Jin Ge, easily fell into the control of the Chulong Army.

However, the pursuit did not last long, because soon the vanguard of the Chulong Army discovered that although the Jin troops fleeing along the north bank of the Sushui River were clearly out of control, with heavy casualties and surrenders along the way, and were obviously heading directly for the important river crossing of Pujin, a well-organized main force of the Guanzhong Army appeared on the south bank of the Sushui River, which was very shallow, roughly in the direction of Anyi... If they pursued further, they would likely be cut off from their rear and surrounded.

Therefore, Guo Jingke, the senior leader, immediately ordered a halt to the pursuit and a slow return to Wenxi.

Before the troops had even returned to Wenxi, on the night of the 28th of the first lunar month, Xiong Bonan was still reeling from the news when he received it. But Wang Shuyong and Xu Shiren immediately realized that they had made a mistake—Guo Jingke should not have retreated; it was an act of cowardice!
Just think about it. How many soldiers could Anyi possibly have? If the main force of the Chulong Army from Hebei was behind them, along with two grandmasters and two renowned generals, how could they possibly be afraid of having their retreat cut off?
After a brief discussion, the three leaders reached a consensus again and decided to launch another feint attack on the fleeing Jin troops the following day. Led by Xiong Bonan, they would advance along the north bank of the Sushui River, attempting to repeatedly frighten the already jittery troops and gain results. At the same time, a core force of six battalions would be deployed upstream of the Sushui River, between the Sushui River and Jishan Mountain, to intimidate the enemy in Anyi.

Frankly speaking, Xu Shiren wanted to oppose this strange plan, but after Wang Shuyong proposed it, Xiong Bonan immediately agreed... which put him in a very passive position.

More importantly, even a skilled cook can't cook without rice. They only have these ten battalions, and Guo Jingke has already shown his weakness. No matter how they try to make amends, it will only make their weaknesses more apparent. However, they can't afford to continue showing weakness, so they really have no other choice!

In the end, Xu Shiren could only remind Xiong Bonan that if those Jin people ran fast and had already reached Pujin, and remained vigilant and did not rush across the river out of fear, then they should not risk an attack, but should retreat immediately! Because Pujin was already on the border of Jingzhao, just like Heyang City was on the eastern capital before, Bai Hengqiu could very well use the information gap to come directly to support them.

Xiong Bo Nan naturally agreed.

The following day, the 29th day of the first lunar month, the army did not move quickly because the withdrawn troops needed to be reorganized. Instead, it marched slowly for a whole day, arrived at Jishan, set up camp on the spot, and raised the "Xu" banner behind Wenxi City.

On the morning of the 30th, Xiong Bonan led four battalions, extending the marching order and making more flags, and marched out first, winding his way towards Pujin.

Wang Shuyong and Xu Shiren led the remaining six battalions to stay and guard the camp, over 30 li south of the Sushui River, in Anyi.

Just an hour later, in the middle of the morning, Han Changmei, the garrison commander of Anyi, sensed something was wrong. If the Chulong Army was wary of the Grandmaster, then there was no need to send troops; they should have retreated the day before and remained cautious. Conversely, if the Chulong Army did not realize the danger that the White Emperor might come in person, then they should have launched a full-scale attack and used their overwhelming strength to attack both himself and Wang Chenkuo at the same time.

But why did they launch a large-scale attack on Pujin on one hand, while treating a mere 20,000 men in Anyi with such high alert on the other? And why did they turn back immediately after realizing they were in Anyi when they were only halfway there the day before yesterday?

Almost instinctively, Han Changmei considered a possibility, but the situation left him no time to think further: "Has the flames of war been lit?"

"Yes, as soon as we received news of the Dragon-Slaying Bandits' deployment, we set it on fire as planned." The most senior of the six lieutenant generals standing below immediately stepped forward and responded.

"Then let's send troops too!" Han Changmei gave the order directly from behind his desk, throwing down the documents in his hand at the same time.

The lieutenant general surnamed Xin was visibly surprised: "So early?"

Han Changmei glanced at the other equally astonished generals below the hall, feigning ignorance: "Is there something to it?"

"General, the enemy army is powerful. Going so early and running headlong into them will likely result in heavy losses," said the cautious Lieutenant General Xin. "Wouldn't that also alert them? Perhaps we should wait for His Majesty?"

"How can we be concerned about the losses of our own troops when we are risking our lives for the country?" Han Changmei waved his hands repeatedly. "As long as we fight resolutely and pin the main force of the Chulong Army down on the north bank of the Sushui River, why worry about alerting the enemy? As for His Majesty, his cultivation level is there; surely he can catch up with us!"

The six lieutenant generals on both flanks all stood solemnly, then couldn't help but look at each other.

Han Changmei ignored him, got up and left the hall, and then immediately sent out troops... The troops spread out north of Anyi City and headed north towards Sushui.

In less than an hour, with the help of fast horses, Wang Shuyong, Xu Shiren and the others learned the news, and were all shocked, because they really only had six battalions guarding this place.

"This is bad." Inside the camp, Xu Shiren was the first to react, then leaped over and went to find Wang Shuyong under the banner of the King. "This is bad! Bai Hengqiu is coming, quickly bring the Heavenly King back!"

Wang Shuyong had just realized it too... Indeed!
This situation could mean either that their own strengths and weaknesses have been exposed, in which case Xiong Bo's southern expedition would be pointless, and they should return early to deal with the enemy in front of them; or that the enemy hasn't exposed them, yet still leads 20,000 troops to this place regardless of the risks, which can only mean that the enemy has a grand plan... But what is it, and how is it planned? It must be that they use the narrow passage on the north bank of the Sushui River and the south side of Jishan Mountain as a trap to devour the Chulong Army that enters the passage!
However, to achieve this, in addition to Han Changmei and his main force, at least one unstoppable force is needed to cooperate with the retreating Jin troops to suppress the two Grandmasters in theory.

They were saying last night that Bai Hengqiu might go to Pujin to provide support! Now it seems they underestimated the enemy, or perhaps they were blinded by their previous victory!
"No! We can't let the Heavenly King come back directly!" Wang Shuyong had just sent a messenger when Xu Shiren, who had returned to camp, turned back again. "We need to see if he has captured Linyi. If he has, don't come back. Keep going forward, pretend you haven't fallen for the trap, and turn north when you reach Sanyi Mountain! We'll retreat immediately! If he hasn't captured Linyi, we'll wait for him, and then retreat together!"

"Retreat immediately, all at once?!" Wang Shuyong felt uneasy. "If we retreat now, won't that expose our split-force strategy?"

"There's nothing we can do about it." Even in early spring, Xu Shiren was already sweating. "Wang Wulang, think about it. If Bai Hengqiu really came to Hedong, would he go to Pujin to help the retreating Jin people fight against the Heavenly King? He doesn't need to. He just needs to follow Han Changmei's troops and come here! This is the true entrance to the Sushui trap!"

Wang Shuyong stared in disbelief, his hands trembling as he beckoned to the patrolmen beside him, instructing them to immediately send out the new military orders as supplemented by Xu Shiren, and to ensure that the battle situation in Linyi was reported back in a timely manner.

At this point, judging by the time, Han Changmei's army was only twenty miles away from this place!
While victory and defeat are common in war, things have come to this point. Surely they wouldn't let me suffer a crushing defeat?! Wouldn't it be better to let Niu Da do it?! Why isn't anyone letting me kick them while they're down?
"That son of a bitch, Xu Shiying!"

Throughout the camp, preparations for battle and camp defenses were being diligently carried out according to previous military orders. The atmosphere was even somewhat relaxed due to the recent series of victories. Meanwhile, the de facto commander-in-chief, Wang Wulang, slumped wearily beneath his banner, uttering vulgarities. "He hasn't even managed to create a hole in the sky yet, and I've already done it! This bastard has really ruined me!"

Xu Shiren was speechless.