Chapter 768: Deployment of Troops
Chapter 768: Deployment of Troops
The news of Li Jing's great victory in Shuofang and the disastrous defeat of Tang Wang's army in Longyou reached Luoyang at the same time.
Xiao Xia received the news in the middle of the night. He got up immediately to check the battle situation in front of the sand table. Even Queen Cui Yu couldn't sleep and got up to prepare ginseng soup for him.
Xiao Xia was really excited. He was not excited because Li Jing won the fight, but because Li Yuan lost.
Xiao Xia had long told Liu Wenjing that Li Yuan was fighting on three fronts in the west. If one front failed, the other two would be affected. If he was lucky, he could make up for his loss, but if he was unlucky, the entire Longyou would collapse.
Now the worst result has occurred. The entire Longyou collapsed. If they had not killed Liang Shidu in advance, Liang Shidu would have taken advantage of this victory to take over the entire Guannei Road.
Fortunately, Zhang Qiao bought kerosene, which made him decide to send troops to Guannei Road, otherwise he would have regretted it too late.
At this time, Cui Yu walked into her husband's room carrying ginseng soup. Seeing her husband's excited face, she couldn't help but smile and said, "The King of Tang was defeated miserably, and made your husband so excited?"
Although Xiao Xia became the emperor, the couple still called each other husband and wife in private.
Xiao Xia smiled and said, "My lady, you don't know that only when Li Yuan is defeated will I have a chance. Now I can legitimately take over Pingliang County, Anding County, and Huining County. The entire Guannei Road is mine. The next step is to take over Longyou and Hexi. Li Yuan's Guanzhong will end up like a cabbage heart. I don't think he can stay there anymore."
"How does my husband plan to take Guanzhong?"
"Like I told you before, boiling a frog in warm water, remember?"
Cui Yu laughed, "Slowly increase the temperature, and in the end it will be impossible to jump out."
"This is the best way. I don't even need to occupy them. The officials of those counties will take the initiative to pledge allegiance to the court. If a large ship is sinking, the passengers sitting on the side of the ship will know it best!"
Cui Yu thought for a moment and said, "My husband used to praise his second son, Li Shimin, but I feel that he is just average. I don't see him being outstanding. He also shoulders the main responsibility for the disastrous defeat in Longyou this time."
Xiao Xia sighed and said, "When the storm was raging, Li Shimin was only a teenager of fifteen or sixteen. When he became an adult, the storm had already calmed down. This is the truth that times create heroes. When luck comes, heaven and earth will help. When luck is gone, heroes are helpless. That's the truth."
Cui Yu smiled and said, "I think it's because of the weakening of the country's strength that he couldn't display his talents in Longyou, and he felt very frustrated when facing the Xue father and son!"
Xiao Xia nodded, "That's also a reason. I know the most realistic problem. They actually mastered the porcelain fire bomb, but they couldn't make gunpowder because they couldn't find saltpeter. If they could control the mineral resources like us, they would have won long ago. Another reason is that there is a shortage of pig iron and salt. They can't make enough weapons, which greatly limits their military capabilities."
The next morning, Xiao Xia summoned Luo Shixin, Pei Xingyan, Sun Lei and Zhou Faming who were reporting on their work in Luoyang.
At present, the Sui army has a total of 400,000 regular troops, 100,000 border troops, and 200,000 local militia, totaling 700,000 troops.
Among the regular troops, 100,000 were stationed in Luoyang and were directly controlled by Xiao Xia. The other 300,000 were divided into four major corps and three small corps: Luo Shixin's Northern Corps, Pei Xingyan's Hedong Corps, Li Jing's Northwest Corps, and Zhou Faming's Bashu Hanzhong Corps.
The other three small armies were Zhang Xutuo's Qiaohan Army, Sun Lei's Jingxiang Army and Lai Huer's navy.
Xiao Xia pointed at the sand table and said to the three people, "At present, Li Jing's focus has shifted to Shuofang and Hexi, and the Guannei Road will be vacant. General Pei, you can lead 50,000 Hedong troops to fill the Guannei Road. The 10,000 troops at Pujin Pass will not move. They must set out as soon as possible and cross the Yellow River from Yan'an County."
"I obey your orders. I will leave for Taiyuan today!"
Xiao Xia said to Luo Shixin: "Your 100,000-man army is targeting Longyou. You need to march a long distance to Pingliang County, pass through Liupan Pass and enter Longxi County. With Longxi County as the logistics base, Li Jing will cooperate with you to take Longyou and Hexi." Luo Shixin was overjoyed, "I obey your order!"
Pei Xingyan hesitated for a moment and said, "My army is in Guannei Road, why don't you let me go to Longyou?"
Xiao Xia smiled slightly and said, "Your mission is to put pressure on Li Yuan. Once we attack Xue Ju and the Tang army dares to come out and seize the territory we have conquered, the Privy Council will notify you, and your army will directly charge into Guanzhong and occupy Fengyi County. Do you understand what I mean?"
Pei Xingyan blushed, "I understand."
Xiao Xia said to Sun Lei again: "Your Jingxiang army must be prepared at Wuguan. Once General Pei's army enters Guanzhong, your army can also march to Wuguan. Taking Wuguan and seizing Shangluo County must also follow the arrangements of the Privy Council!"
Sun Lei bowed and saluted, "I obey your order!"
Xiao Xia pointed the pole at the southern part of Longyou and said to Zhou Faming, "This is the new journey of your Bashu Army. There are two roads to Longyou. One is the Xiqiang Ancient Road, which goes north along the Minshan Mountain from Tongchang County to Heyuan County. This road is very dangerous and you have to cross the snow-capped mountains. I suggest you take the Lianyun Plank Road in Hanzhong to enter Lintao County. When I went from Hexi to Jiangdu, I took this road to Hanzhong. It is much easier to travel than the Xiqiang Ancient Road."
Zhou Faming nodded, "I will follow your majesty's instructions and go from Hanzhong to Longyou!"
Xiao Xia arranged the tactical deployment, and the four generals went to the Privy Council to go through the procedures for sending troops. Now that the imperial court has been established, it is no longer possible to send troops directly by receiving orders as before. Now they must go to the Privy Council to go through the procedures for sending troops, and then the Privy Council will arrange the logistical supplies before the army can be dispatched. Of course, efficiency is very important, and it can usually be approved on the same day.
For example, when Luo Shixin's 100,000 troops went to Longyou, he would provide supplies along the way, first to Youzhou, then to Taiyuan, and to Yan'an County. Finally, all kinds of supplies would be transported to Pingliang County along with the army.
At this time, Liu Wenjing and Pei Ju came to pay homage to the emperor again.
They naturally came for the Turkic affairs, and they also received news from Longyou, especially from Jiuyuan County in Hetao, where a large amount of food supplies and 400,000 sheep were seized.
Liu Wenjing said: "Your Majesty, we have seized 400,000 sheep this time. As the war progresses, we will seize more and more sheep and livestock. This requires us to establish official ranches close to the capital, not only to provide meat for the army, but also to provide various meats for the capital."
Xiao Xia smiled slightly and said, "There are actually many places like this, like Honghua County and Pingliang County in Guannei Road. During the Northern Wei and Northern Zhou dynasties, they were dedicated to raising sheep for Chang'an, and at most they raised millions of sheep.
In the northern part of Hedong Road, there are at least a dozen large ranches in Taiyuan County, Loufan County, Mayi County, and Yanmen County, and each ranch is more than 100,000 acres.
In addition to these natural pastures, there are also the riverside pastures that we used to build in the south of the Yangtze River. In the south of the Yangtze River alone, more than one million sheep are produced every year. We can fully utilize this method to raise sheep.
Of course, we raise sheep not only to supply the army, but also to supply the market. In this way, raising sheep can bring rich income. A large number of sheepskins will promote the development of the leather industry. In the future, middle-class families will be able to wear sheepskin coats and sheepskin shoes. Wool will also promote the development of the felt industry. This is a matter of one thing after another."
Liu Wenjing nodded silently, "This is my suggestion. Establish a Sinong Temple to be responsible for agriculture, and establish a Taifu Temple to be responsible for animal husbandry, including horse breeding."
Xiao Xia smiled happily and said, "I agree in principle. The Prime Minister can work out a detailed plan. Once I approve it, it can be implemented!"
"The minister obeys the order!"
At this time, Pei Ju said, "I want to talk about the Turkic affairs!"
(End of this chapter)