Late Yuan Dynasty: I am the true emperor

Chapter 180 You Have to Earn Your Own Credit
After calculating the number of troops required to cross the river and convincing Feng Guoyong, they could make up their minds to launch the offensive on the southern front.

Now that there are no worries, just let go and fight!
Lu Jin immediately wrote a reply to Liao Yongan, agreeing with his battle plan. After receiving the reply, he immediately began to prepare for the attack, asking not to procrastinate, not to get into a long-term confrontation and entanglement, and to fight as quickly as possible and strive to resolve the war on the southern front within a month.

The headquarters will also provide certain support. After his central army captures Tongcheng, a battalion of cavalry will be sent to join him.

In addition, Lu Jin will also dispatch a regiment of troops to station in Lujiang as a reserve for this battle. However, it is best not to use this regiment. But if it comes to a last resort, don't hesitate.

After writing the reply letter, Lu Jin gave it to the messenger to send it out on horseback. Then he spoke to Feng Guoyong.

"The target of the southern battle is only three cities. Liao Yongan has a complete plan and has made sufficient preparations in advance. We have also prepared a reserve force, so you don't have to worry. Liao Yongan can still handle such a battle.

"But after the war, we need someone who knows bastion tactics to build the Wanshui defense line and the river defense fortress in Congyang. I don't trust others to do it. Why don't I teach you the tactics of building and defending bastions? Once the war in Anqing is over, you can take my order and personally supervise the construction of the southern line defense fortifications. How do you do that?"

Upon hearing this, Feng Guoyong immediately saluted and said, "Since the Marshal has placed so much trust in me, I will certainly live up to your trust!"

"Well, then you can learn this bastion from me in the next two days. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me."

"Yes."

On the other hand, since Luzhou and Lujiang are connected by water, the reply letter sent by Lu Jin reached Liao Yongan on the same day. He received a positive reply from Lu Jin, and the Marshal's Office agreed to provide him with a battalion of cavalry. In addition, the Marshal's Office also thoughtfully prepared a regiment for him as a reserve force. Liao Yongan was immediately overjoyed.

Now he no longer had any worries. Even if he fought poorly on the front line, with the regiment sent by Lu Jin in charge, the situation would not get out of control and he could fight with all his might.

Liao Yongan immediately issued a military order, and Lujiang City immediately sent out messengers to various places to summon all regimental-level officers of the 101st Division to Lujiang for a meeting to assign a mission.

Two days later, Hua Gao from the Second Regiment of the Navy, Guo Zixing from the Eighth Regiment, and Miao Daheng from the Twelfth Regiment all arrived in Lujiang one after another. Zhao Yong from the Eleventh Regiment was already stationed in Lujiang with Liao Yongan, so when these three arrived, all the regimental-level officers of the 101st Division would have arrived.

Mr. Miao had not seen his eldest son Miao Youzhen for a long time. When he came this time, the father and son exchanged greetings and got close to each other. Guo Zixing had not seen his brother-in-law Zhang Tianyou for a long time, and he also talked to his brother-in-law about their recent situation.

Huagao was quite familiar with the veterans from Chaohu, but he was not familiar with the two guys from Dingyuan at all. Only Liao Yongan and Zhao Yong could talk to him, but they had already exchanged greetings before, so they didn't say much.

Among the three generals of his Second Naval Regiment, Yu Tongyuan was called back by Lu Jin to learn artillery tactics, so he came to Lujiang. Now Sang Shijie is in charge of the Second Naval Regiment, so he cannot leave for too long and will prepare to go back after the meeting.

After Guo Zixing exchanged pleasantries with Miao Daheng, he also asked Liao Yongan, "Commander-in-chief, what instructions does the Marshal have?"

"Yes, there is something to arrange. Please sit down first." Liao Yongan nodded immediately and asked all the generals to sit down in the hall before he spoke.

“Commander Guo and Commander Miao had just arrived and had many new recruits under their command. Although they participated in the attack on Lujiang and Shucheng, they did not put in much effort. It was the defenders of Shucheng who voluntarily surrendered the city.

"After that, there were no more battles on our southern front, and we have been conducting military training.

“You may not know that, in addition to Lujiang and Shucheng, the Marshal also gave me a task before, which is to capture Anqing and Qianshan.

"Anqing is located in the west of Dabie Mountain, in the east of Huangshan Mountain, and close to the Yangtze River. It is a strategic point between the north and the south, connecting the east and west of the Yangtze River and controlling the throat of the Yangtze River. It has been a battleground for military strategists since ancient times, and the Marshal has long had plans for this place.

“I delayed until this point, not because I didn’t dare to fight, but because I couldn’t. Commander Miao and Commander Guo had just arrived, and their men were all new recruits, not well-trained, and not familiar with our military tactics. I had no soldiers to use, so I couldn’t fight.

"But now, after three or four months of training, each unit has a good supply of soldiers and food. At the beginning of this year, Xu Song of Huangzhou Road made another move. The unit is advancing into Huguang. When they find that they can't make it, they may turn their attention to the east.

“If Xu Song shows signs of moving eastward, the Yuan court may send a general to lead a large force to Anqing to take charge, so the attack on Anqing cannot be delayed any longer. If it is delayed further, something unexpected may happen and it will be difficult to fight in the future.

"I submitted a letter of request to the Marshal a few days ago, and the Marshal has agreed and expressed his support for this war. That's why I summoned you here to discuss the matter of attacking Anqing."

Several people looked at each other in surprise when they heard this, and Mr. Miao immediately expressed his opinion.

"Since it is the order from the commander-in-chief, then just give your orders. I will definitely follow your instructions."

Miao Daheng started leading troops quite early. When he was in Dingyuan, he recruited soldiers to help the Yuan court defend the city. He originally wanted to use Guo Zixing, Sun Deya and others to show off his military merits and get an official position in the Yuan court. However, Lu Jin was one step ahead and took down the county magistrate in advance. Before he could even take action, both he and Dingyuan were sold out. What a waste of time.

Later he figured it out. Since he had joined the Shengwu Army, he should do his job well. After all, the Shengwu Army was an entrepreneurial group. If he could gain more military merits while starting his business, it might not be worse than being in the Yuan court.

Following the Mongolian Tartars of the Yuan court, he was always a Han Chinese, and no matter how well he did, he would never be valued. But it was different with Lu Jin. If they really allowed him to take over the world, it was not impossible for him to be granted a title of duke or marquis in the future. Therefore, he had long been looking forward to fighting in the war and making meritorious contributions.

"Okay, Commander Miao, please sit down first." Liao Yongan asked him to sit down with a smile, and then looked at Guo Zixing. Seeing this, Guo Zixing also hurriedly stood up and expressed his opinion.

"Since this is the order from the commander-in-chief, I will obey his orders. We will fight the way he tells us to fight."

"Then I will talk about the deployment of this battle. Come on, bring up the sand table." After getting the opinions of the two people, Liao Yongan immediately asked someone to bring the war zone sand table that had been prepared long ago, and then he pointed at the sand table with a bamboo stick and began to make battle deployment.

"In this battle, we have three main targets, namely Tongcheng, Anqing, and Qianshan to the west of Anqing. Taking these three cities will be a success.

“For this battle, all four infantry regiments of our 101st Division will be dispatched, and the Marshal will also send a cavalry battalion as support, with a total force of nearly .

"My division's route of advance is divided into three routes. I will lead the 11rd regiment and form the central army with Zhao Yong's 8th regiment, and march straight to Tongcheng. The 12th regiment commanded by Guo will be the right army, and the th regiment commanded by Miao will be the left army. The three routes will march together. The battle will be divided into two stages. In the first stage, we will encircle the point and attack the reinforcements. Then we will attack the enemy halfway across the river.
"After the main forces of our division are deployed, the rear will be empty. The defense of Lujiang and Shucheng counties should be handed over to the local internal guards. Wuwei will still be guarded by the Second Marine Regiment. Commander Hua should be vigilant. There should not be any major changes in the river patrols to avoid attracting the attention of the enemy on the other side. However, we should also secretly strengthen our vigilance.

“If during this battle, the enemy forces on the other side really make any unusual movements, do not hesitate, and immediately ask for help from the Marshal and Heyang’s Eastern Route Army.

"After our army goes to battle, the Marshal will dispatch another regiment to Lujiang as a reserve force for this battle.

"When the first phase of the war is over, regardless of whether the reinforcements are defeated or not, our Central Army will capture Tongcheng, and then join forces with the Left and Right Armies to attack Qianshan and Anqing. After we capture the two cities and push the front line to the Wanshui line, this battle will be considered a successful conclusion. After the war, the Marshal will send someone else to guide the deployment of the Wanshui defense line. Do all the troops understand?"

"Understood!" Everyone responded in unison.

Liao Yongan nodded upon seeing this, and took out Lu Jin's reply letter and his own battle plan, and showed them to everyone, saying that this was indeed the battle plan agreed to by Lu Jin, and that he had not falsely transmitted the military order, and that this battle and deployment were indeed approved by Lu Jin. Only then did everyone feel at ease to go back and prepare.

"After all the troops return, they should immediately start preparations and set out on time in three days. The 12th Regiment commanded by Guo only has two days. Your troops must advance quickly and covertly. After arriving at the designated location, send someone to send a message to me immediately. The same goes for the th Regiment commanded by Miao. Do you two understand?"

"Understood, Commander, rest assured. This method of attacking the enemy halfway across the river is a great idea. If the enemy reinforcements really dare to come, I will make sure that not a single one of them can get through."

Mr. Miao also thought that there was nothing wrong with the tactic, but his left flank was full of mountain strongholds and towns along the way. It would be fine if the enemy really had reinforcements coming, but if the enemy did not send reinforcements, he would have almost no major battles to fight, and naturally no military merits to gain. This was the only thing he felt a little regretful about.

Seeing this, Liao Yongan instructed him again, "Commander Miao, the eastern route needs to attack two port towns this time. This is very similar to Wuwei and Hezhou. There must be some merchant ships in the port. When attacking these two places, please pay attention to it. It is best to control those ships first. If you can seize them, it will be even better, so that the ships will not be taken by the enemy."

"Yes, I will pay attention to it." Mr. Miao agreed again.

"I will arrange the departure immediately when I get back." Guo Zixing also agreed.

However, his mentality was different from that of Mr. Miao. He only promised to obey orders absolutely and was willing to follow Liao Yongan's arrangements, but he was not as proactive as Mr. Miao.

The task assigned to Guo Zixing's right-wing army was to advance secretly to the upper reaches of Shahe River and ambush. If the enemy sent troops to reinforce, they would annihilate the reinforcements. If there were no reinforcements, they would wait for the central army to come and join them, and then attack Qianshan together.

To be honest, Guo Zixing was a little unsure about this mission. Who knew how many reinforcements would come? What if they couldn't win? Did Liao Yongan trust him too much? Did he really think that his newly assembled troops could fight a tough battle after only three months of training?

But the mission had already been assigned, and he had no way to refuse, so after agreeing, he asked if there were any other precautions, and then he received the mission and went back with a heavy heart. After all, his Eighth Regiment was some distance away from the combat target, so he had to set off first.

After all the generals received their missions and left, Guo Zixing returned and immediately told several thousand battalion commanders about the missions. However, the reactions of the battalion commanders surprised him and he immediately felt that something bad was going to happen.
"Besiege the point and attack the reinforcements? Attack when the enemy is halfway across the river? This plan is good, but if the enemy does not send troops to rescue, then our Eighth Regiment will not be able to fight. How can this be possible? Why did Brother Liao arrange such a task for us? It's clear that he looks down on his brothers!" Zhang Desheng, the deputy commander of the Eighth Regiment and the battalion commander of the combat battalion, complained immediately.

This scene made Guo Zixing dumbfounded. Let's go to Shahe and hide first. It would be better if the enemy reinforcements don't come out. When the time comes, the main force of the central army in Tongcheng will come to join us. Wouldn't it be good for tens of thousands of troops to attack Qianshan together?
Why do you have to fight with the reinforcements? Do you know how many people they have, what their generals are like, whether they are well-equipped, and what if you can't defeat them?
You only think about making achievements, but never think about what would happen if you lose?
Unexpectedly, before he could say anything, Cao Liangchen next to him also complained.

"Yes, when the Marshal was fighting Kang Maocai, he ordered Commander Yang to lead the Fourth Regiment across Hanshan Mountain and launch a surprise attack on Hezhou City. However, there was already a response from the Marshal inside Hezhou City, and our army took Hezhou City without firing a single arrow. At that time, I was a battalion officer in the Fourth Regiment commanded by Commander Yang.

"Later, I was transferred to the Eighth Regiment to attack Shucheng. The Shucheng defenders were also helpless. They surrendered before the siege even started. This happened twice. I didn't get to fight twice. How could this continue?
"During this period, we have been training every day. The brothers have been training hard for several months. We can't have no battle this time. My company commanders are still waiting to make meritorious contributions. If there is no battle this time, I don't know how to explain it to them."

My goodness, Guo Zixing was already numb. How come they are getting more excited than each other? Aren't you afraid at all? Are you so eager to fight? Aren't you afraid that you might lose? And when it came to attacking Shucheng, it would be better if the enemy surrendered directly, but you had to fight with real swords and guns to be satisfied? Won't there be casualties in a war?
Guo Zixing cursed in his heart, are you two stupid?
The Guo Zixing in history was actually a man who dared to fight, otherwise he would not have spent all his family wealth to recruit soldiers to start an uprising. However, the life trajectory of Guo Zixing in this time and space has undergone major changes.

He failed to recruit soldiers to attack Haozhou as in history, nor did he directly resist the reinforcements. When he was about to start an uprising, he was directly recruited by Feng Guoyong sent by Lu Jin, and directly joined the prestigious Shengwu Army, with Lu Jin, the commander with the halo of "invincible", above him.

Therefore, at this time, Guo Zixing had not grown up through a series of wars like in the original history, nor had he accumulated enough self-confidence. He was still rather timid. After joining the Shengwu Army, considering that his subordinates were all new recruits and he had never fought any tough battles, this time, after training for several months and really having to fight a tough battle, he still had no confidence.

Before he could persuade Zhang Desheng and Cao Liangchen, his youngest son Guo Tianjue also started to clamor.

"Brother Zhang and Brother Cao are right. We have trained our soldiers for several months, not to serve as a detachment to accompany the main force. If we encounter enemy reinforcements this time, my battalion must be the main attacker!
"Since we joined the Shengwu Army, my father and I have not achieved any impressive military achievements. If we hadn't achieved any, people might think that my father, the commander, and I, the battalion commander, were picked up.

"If we fail to achieve success, we will be sorry for the kindness the Marshal has shown to our Guo family. However, our army is only a small force in this battle. If the enemy army really does not send troops to rescue us, what should we do?"

Guo Zixing almost vomited blood when he heard this. Zhang Desheng and Cao Liangchen were both veterans who had fought with Lu Jin for a long time. It would be fine if they had the guts to complain, but why are you making a fuss like that? Have you ever fought against the Yuan army? Why are you yelling here? !
Zhang Desheng smiled when he heard this. When he saw Cao Liangchen and Guo Tianjue both said so, he immediately laughed.

"Merit doesn't fall from the sky, it has to be earned by ourselves. If the enemy really doesn't send troops to rescue Tongcheng, then we will find a way to fight it ourselves!"

(End of this chapter)