Chapter 647 Langya situation, logistics issues!

Chapter 647 Langya situation, logistics issues!

Therefore, when Han Xin's army came like a raging torrent, many cities chose to surrender without hesitation, or simply abandoned the city and fled. After all, with their meager forces, how could they possibly compete with Han Xin's 60,000 troops and 20,000 elite navy? In the face of absolute strength, any resistance seemed pale and powerless.

This has actually always been Gao Yao's consistent pattern of military operations and the impact of his attitude towards surrender. Today, whether it is the princes of the world or those small warlords who rule one side, as Gao Yao's power continues to grow, his attitude towards surrender has long been known to everyone.

Gao Yao was merciless and killed all those who refused to surrender, but he treated those who surrendered voluntarily with kindness. For the surrendered soldiers, they had to go through a strict selection process before they could continue to serve, and for those who could no longer serve as soldiers, the Southern Territory would give them some land as much as possible, or help them reclaim wasteland, and help them live a stable and worry-free life.

It can be said that the various treatments given by the Southern Border are basically the better for the lower-level people, and the higher-ranking people are, the more harsh they are. As long as you are capable, Gao Yao will promote you regardless of your ability, letting the capable ones rise and the mediocre ones fall. This practice makes many soldiers choose to surrender to the Southern Border Army without hesitation once they lose their backbone.

In sharp contrast, some generals were quite reluctant to surrender. After all, if they surrendered, their treatment would be greatly reduced, which was undoubtedly difficult for them to accept. For this reason, quite a few generals had no intention of surrendering at all.

Among the rebels at the end of the Qin Dynasty, there were quite a few who initially joined the uprising with the idea of ​​benefiting the world, and the proportion was as high as 30%. However, as the forces of all parties continued to expand, there were only a few warlords who could always stick to their original intentions, and it can be said that only one in ten survived. When these people faced threats to their own interests, they naturally did not dare to choose to surrender easily.

But the problem is that they can't defeat their opponents on the front battlefield, so they only have one way to go - escape. They will surrender to those princes who can give them better treatment, hoping to continue to maintain their status and interests in the new environment.

The policy implemented by Gao Yao was actually a double-edged sword, with both advantages and disadvantages. On the positive side, it was indeed very popular with the people and the army. In this turbulent and chaotic world, most people's expectations were actually very simple, just to fill their stomachs and not starve to death. There were even many soldiers under the warlords who followed the warlords just to have a bite of food to eat and not starve to death.

The generous treatment provided by Gaoyao was simply a dream come true for these people. Naturally, many people took the initiative to surrender to Gaoyao.

However, the disadvantages of this situation are also quite significant. The vast majority of warlords, no matter how big or small, are extremely reluctant to give up their existing power and status. After all, once they lose these, they will either need to start from scratch and accumulate enough military merits to prove themselves with strength; or they can only withdraw from the stage in disgrace and lose their original influence and status. This makes these people full of resistance to surrendering directly to Gao Yao.

In fact, this mentality also applies to Ying Bu. If Gao Yao was recruiting Ying Bu, Ying Bu was also a local lord, commanding thousands or even tens of thousands of soldiers, then Ying Bu would probably not easily surrender to Gao Yao. This is the gap brought about by power and status.

Within just three days of Han Xin's army entering Langya, six of the seven counties in Langya had fallen into Han Xin's control. Now, only Pingchang County has not been conquered. Faced with such a situation, Han Xin did not rush to attack, but wisely chose to let the army rest as soon as possible.

Although the Southern Border Army marched very quickly and the soldiers were in excellent physical condition, during this month they not only had to travel long distances but also had to go through continuous battles, and their physical and mental fatigue had accumulated to a considerable extent.

In addition, another important issue is logistics supply. Even with the support of the navy and the original logistics guarantee, this supply line is still too long. After all, it has not been long since Gao Yao recovered Donghui County and Cangwu, Dongting, Jiujiang and other places behind it, and the road repair work has not been completed. It will take quite a long time to complete it completely.

This means that it takes a certain amount of time to establish and improve the supply lines on land. Although sea transportation is faster, it also has some shortcomings. First, sea transportation is greatly affected by the weather, and severe weather conditions may cause delays or even damage to ships. Secondly, it takes time to transport and dock food to supply tens of thousands of troops. Even if there are ships that can sail, it does not mean that they can dock at any place on the coastline. These are two completely different concepts, otherwise the ports of later generations would not be so expensive. To build a port, many conditions need to be met.

A place suitable for building a port usually needs to meet the following key conditions:

First of all, the width and depth of the port are crucial. A wide port can accommodate large ships, while sufficient water depth ensures that the ships will not run aground when docking. This requires that the river has a certain erosion effect on the shore, so that the water depth in the port area can meet the draft requirements of large ships.

Secondly, sheltering from wind and waves is also an essential condition. The natural harbor is relatively closed inside, which can effectively reduce the impact of wind and waves on the port and provide a relatively safe docking environment for ships.

In addition, the long port passage time is also an important factor. The shorter ice period means that the port can remain open in winter, reducing shipping disruptions caused by ice. At the same time, less siltation can ensure the depth and width of the channel, avoiding the passage of ships affected by silt accumulation.

Flat and open terrain is also one of the important conditions for building a port. Stable geological conditions reduce the difficulty of construction and are conducive to the construction and maintenance of port facilities.

Good climatic conditions are also a factor that cannot be ignored. Regions with less severe weather and fewer natural disasters can provide a more stable environment for port operations and reduce ship delays and cargo losses caused by weather.

Finally, sufficient water resources are the basic condition for meeting the needs of port operations. Whether it is the watering and cleaning of ships or the operation of port facilities, a large amount of water resources are indispensable.