We have fought to the Arctic Circle, and you want me to inherit the throne?

Taking Shouzhou would create a huge gap in the Jianghuai defense line.

Li Che did not give the enemy a chance to breathe and quickly issued a series of orders:

He ordered Wang Sanchun and Chen Pingzhi to lead their elite troops to sweep the counties around Shouzhou that had not yet surrendered and consolidate the rear.

He ordered Zhu Chun and Yang Xuan to lead troops to stabilize Shouzhou and the northeast, pacify the local area, and restore order.

At the same time, he ordered Yelu He and Yue Yun to lead 50,000 infantry and cavalry to cooperate with Li Sheng and Zhang Neng's fleets to advance both by land and sea, and go eastward along the Huai River, aiming directly at Haozhou and Sizhou.

The Fengtian Army, riding on the momentum of a great victory, was in high spirits, and with the navy controlling the river, the rebels were unable to resist wherever they went.

When the defenders of Haozhou heard the news of Shouzhou's fall and Liu Renzhan's suicide, their morale had already been demoralized.

When the Fengtian Army arrived at the city, the defending general opened the city and surrendered without resistance.

The Sizhou defenders tried to resist stubbornly, but the Fengtian Army fleet destroyed the outer water fort with heavy artillery fire.

Yueyun's cavalry took the opportunity to cut off their retreat, leaving the defending general with nowhere to go and finally having no choice but to surrender.

At this point, just over half a month later, the situation in Huainan was basically stable.

All important cities fell into the control of the Fengtian Army, and there were no more rebel forces along the Huai River.

Food and troops began to flow in continuously from the north, and the strength of the Fengtian Army increased instead of decreased.

After the fall of Shouzhou, Zhai Yan knew that the Huaihe River defense line was doomed.

Although he wanted to organize resistance in Haozhou and Sizhou, the Fengtian Army advanced too quickly and he had no time to react.

In addition, due to the low morale of their own side, it was difficult for the various units to coordinate effectively, let alone assemble.

Although Zhai Yan had some abilities, he was not a commander after all and could not command an army of more than 100,000 people.

Seeing that the Fengtian Army had already swept the enemy, he decisively gave up the idea of ​​continuing to fight and gathered the remaining troops and retreated south.

Finally, they retreated to Qingliu Pass, the last pass leading to the imperial capital.

Qingliu Pass is located in a dangerous place in the western suburbs of Chuzhou.

This place is surrounded by mountains, with peaks upon peaks, and the city gate is located at the narrowest throat of the valley.

This pass faces the Yangtze River to the south and controls the Jianghuai area to the north. The terrain is dangerous and it is so difficult that one man can hold the pass against ten thousand.

It is the only way for people from the north to enter and exit the imperial capital, and is known as the 'Key to Nanjing'.

Zhai Yan now places all his hopes on this pass.

He gathered more than 50,000 defenders, of whom 10,000 were responsible for defending the city, 10,000 were kept as reserves, and the rest were all put into strengthening the city defenses.

He personally surveyed the terrain, urged the soldiers to reinforce the walls of the pass, and built dozens of sturdy stone forts and watchtowers on the mountains on both sides to block all attack routes.

Sufficient food, fodder and military equipment were stored inside the pass, and they were determined to hold the pass for a long time and live and die with it.

Not to mention, Zhai Yan's upper limit for commanding troops is only around 50,000 or 60,000.

Commanding an army of over 100,000 was a mess, but with fewer people, things were well organized.

After clearing Huainan, the main force of the Fengtian Army also advanced to Qingliu Pass.

Li Che and a group of generals stood in front of the pass, looking up at the towering pass city standing majestically among the mountains, their expressions becoming solemn.

"It's difficult!" Li Che shook his head. "There are cliffs on both sides, and the road in between is so narrow that the troops can't deploy at all."

Chen Gui also added: "The angle of the artillery is difficult to adjust. The elevation angle is too large."

Li Che nodded slightly: "Let's discuss it again when we get back to camp."

In the central army tent, Li Che summoned all the generals to discuss strategies for breaking through the pass.

Wang Sanchun was the most impatient, and he was the first to clasp his fists and say, "Your Majesty! Although Qingliu Pass is dangerous, I am willing to personally lead my elite troops to the summit. I will definitely be able to open it for Your Majesty!"

Yelu He also echoed, "That's right! Our army's morale is high. Although a strong attack may cause casualties, we will definitely be able to conquer it!"

Although the other generals did not explicitly oppose it, their expressions revealed their approval.

Faced with such a naturally advantageous pass, there seems to be no other way except to attack head-on.

However, Li Che fell into deep thought.

The scene of Liu Renzhan committing suicide under the city of Shouzhou was still clearly imprinted in his mind.

With the current strength of the Fengtian Army, it is inevitable that they will attack Qingliu Pass and achieve final victory.

But Zhai Yan was already a trapped beast, fighting desperately. Relying on the dangerous terrain and with most of the defenders being his direct Southern Army, his resistance must have been extremely tenacious.

It can be imagined that there will be mountains of corpses and rivers of blood in front of the pass.

The soldiers on both sides are, after all, citizens of Daqing... Is it worth fighting a battle that is doomed to be lost?

Li Che couldn't help but think silently in his heart: "Is there no other way?"

There was silence in the tent for a moment. Seeing that the emperor was deep in thought, the generals did not dare to disturb him.

At this moment, an idea flashed in Li Che's mind.

Suddenly I remembered a story told by my ex-girlfriend who studied history.

An anecdote about Song Taizu Zhao Kuangyin meeting Zhao Pu at Qingliu Pass.

"A man of the mountains must know the ways of the mountains!" Li Che's eyes flashed. "Send the order! Immediately search for hunters and woodcutters familiar with the mountain paths in the villages surrounding Qingliu Pass. Bring them to me. I want to question them personally!"

When this order came out, all the generals were stunned.

But the emperor's order had been given, and no one dared to question it. They all obeyed the order and left.

The Fengtian Army soldiers politely visited the surrounding mountain villages and explained their purpose.

At first, the villagers were a little afraid, but under the temptation of generous rewards from the Fengtian Army, some brave people finally stood up.

One of the old hunters was brought to Li Che's tent.

He had never seen such a scene before, but he still bravely reported: "I...I, a humble servant, pay my respects to His Majesty the Emperor."

"No need to be so polite." Li Che raised his hand. "Let me ask you, you are hunting in the mountains, do you know of a trail that leads through Qingliu Pass?"

The hunter replied, "I have been hunting in Qingliu Mountain for generations, and I do know a secret path."

Li Che was greatly encouraged when he heard this: "Tell me in detail!"

Seeing the emperor's gentle attitude, the hunter grew bolder and continued, "Your Majesty, this path is behind the main peak of Qingliu Mountain. It is extremely hidden, covered by dense forests and vines. Ordinary people can't find it at all, not even the government troops know about it."

"That path is difficult to travel, and in some places you even have to climb cliffs, but it does lead around Qingliu Pass and all the way to Chuzhou City, south of Guanshan."

He paused, then added a key piece of information: "Also, at this time of year, after the last few rains in the mountains, the water level in the stream at the southern foot of Guanshan has risen significantly."

"If someone who is familiar with water passes through this path, they can float down the water and appear at the foot of Chuzhou City without anyone noticing."

Li Che was overjoyed when he heard this.

The ex-girlfriend made a great contribution!

Sure enough, having multiple girlfriends does have its advantages. The ex-girlfriend who studied history back then was a great help, and it can even be said that she saved countless lives.

I wonder if her merits and virtues in that world have increased dramatically at this moment.

The ex-girlfriend once said: When Zhao Kuangyin was in Chuzhou, he found Zhao Pu, who told him that this path led directly to Chuzhou.

Zhao Kuangyin set out at night, quietly walked along a small path, and suddenly appeared behind the mountain, cutting off the retreat of the Southern Tang army.

The defending general Huangfu Hui and others were shocked and wanted to withdraw their troops immediately back to Chuzhou City and defend themselves by breaking the bridge, but it was too late.

I also tried to look for it according to historical records, but I didn't expect that he really found it.

Li Che slammed the table and stood up, his face full of excitement: "If we take Chuzhou, Qingliu Pass will be an isolated city. Why bother to attack it?"

He immediately rewarded the hunter handsomely and asked him to lead the army.

Without further ado, Li Che immediately made arrangements.

He ordered generals such as Wang Sanchun and Yelu He to lead the main force and launch a strong attack in front of Qingliu Pass with great fanfare, making feints day and night to attract Zhai Yan's full attention.

At the same time, he personally selected two thousand elite soldiers who were best at mountain marching and proficient in swimming, and carried three days of dry food, and led the hunter to bypass the enemy.

As for the main generals, they were of course the two brothers Jie Quan and Jie Ming, who were born into a hunting family.

That night, the moon was bright and the stars were sparse, which was a good time for covert operations.

Li Che personally swore in the oath for the surprise attack troops.

"Soldiers! Whether we can capture Qingliu Pass without bloodshed depends on your efforts tonight!"

"I am here to wait for good news!"

"We will definitely live up to your majesty's trust!" The Xie brothers and two thousand warriors responded in a low voice.

Afterwards, under the leadership of the hunter, this elite army disappeared silently into the vast mountains.