Late Yuan Dynasty: I am the true emperor

Chapter 199 Take full advantage
Lu Xianzong knelt on the ground with his hands clasped together. There was a bright red bloodstain on his clothes on his right arm. He waited anxiously for Lu Jin's reply.

Lu Jin glanced at his arm and asked, "Is this the result of my shot?"

Lu Xianzong was stunned when he heard this. He didn't understand what Lu Jin meant, but he nodded anyway.

Lu Jin then said, "Since you voluntarily asked for surrender, how could I kill you? Besides, I just shot you randomly. You are not dead yet, so you are not destined to die. Get up."

Lu Xianzong took a deep breath and said, "Thank you, Marshal, for sparing my life." Then he stood up.

Lu Jin put his hands behind his back and nodded, "You just said that if I spare your life, you will repay me by tying a grass knot and holding a ring, can you keep your word?"

"A man should stick to his word once it's spoken. Besides, there is no joking in the army, so your words should be kept." Lu Xianzong looked at Lu Jin in confusion. He suspected that Lu Jin wanted him to do something, but since he had just said it, he was afraid that he could not refuse it now.

Sure enough, Lu Jin continued to ask, "What is your position in the Yuan army?"

"Captain of Cavalry." Lu Xianzong replied immediately.

"Which city are you from?"

“Qianshan County.”

Lu Jin nodded again, looked at the tens of thousands of prisoners in the field, as well as the soldiers from his two regiments. He stood there pondering for a moment before speaking.

"Since you are a general from Qianshan, you must be quite familiar with the county magistrates and generals in the city. Do you know how many defenders are there now?"

Hearing this, Lu Xianzong almost understood what Lu Jin meant, and immediately said, "There are only two thousand unarmored conscripts left, who are not well trained and cannot fight. That's why they are left to defend Qianshan. Do you want me to deceive the city?"

"Yes, I want you to pretend to be defeated and lead my soldiers to open the gate of Qianshan City and help them restrain the guards. If you succeed, I will promote you to a thousand-household battalion officer. How do you think?"

Lu Xianzong thought to himself that it was indeed true, but he could be promoted from a hundred households to a thousand households right after surrendering. This was something he could do naturally. He immediately said, "I dare not refuse. I will do my best. When will I leave?"

Lu Jin glanced at the generals present, and Cao Liangchen immediately volunteered, "General, I am good at this. I am willing to lead a battalion."

"Okay, it's you. Bring your battalion. Ye Sheng, you can send another 100 cavalrymen and order a deputy company commander to follow. The entire army must disguise themselves as the fleeing Yuan army. Don't reveal any flaws. Move quickly and don't give the Yuan army time to react. After taking Qianshan County, immediately impose martial law and defend the city well. Wait for me to send someone to take over."

"Yes!" Cao Liangchen and Ye Sheng immediately took the order and began to make arrangements.

Lu Xianzong was about to leave, but Lu Jin suddenly stopped him, "Wait a minute, your arm was shot, is there a bullet left inside? If there is a bullet, you should remove it as soon as possible and rinse it with strong liquor to disinfect it, otherwise I'm afraid your arm will be lost."

Lu Xianzong was stunned. Hearing that it was Lu Jin who was concerned about his injury, he was immediately moved. He immediately clasped his fists and said, "Thank you very much for your concern, Marshal. I will definitely treat the injury as soon as possible."

"Well, heal the wound. I don't want a one-armed battalion officer."

"Yes."

"Go."

The group then left together to make arrangements for the deception in the city.

Watching several people leave, Lu Jin thought to himself, since we have captured so many enemy generals this time, we must make full use of them, otherwise it would be a pity. Then he turned to look at the other prisoners, ready to dig out some more value.

At this time, Guo Zixing brought Jin Siyuan, who came from the south bank to surrender, and came to Lu Jin and whispered, "General, this man is the general of the rear of the Yuan army, named Jin Siyuan. They still have 3,000 soldiers and thousands of stones of grain on the south bank, and they want to surrender."

Lu Jin was immediately amused when he heard this. He looked at Jin Siyuan and asked, "You want to surrender? Don't want to fight anymore?"

Jin Siyuan immediately knelt on one knee and clasped his fists, saying, "No more fighting, no more fighting. Marshal, you have driven out the Tartars and restored China. How heroic! We are also Han Chinese. Why should we continue to fight for the Tartars when the war has come to this?
"Besides, the commander has already placed his muskets on the shore, aiming at us. There are also cavalry deployed on the south bank. We can neither defeat them nor escape. Why would we commit another sin of killing for our own selfish reasons?

"The Marshal has won victory after victory, first defeating Zuo Junbi, then Kang Maocai, and now he has annihilated the main force of the Yuan army in Anqing. Now the cities in Anqing are empty, and it is easy for the Marshal to take them. In just half a year, the Marshal has gained a thousand miles of territory and no enemy can match him. This is destiny, and it is beyond human power. How dare we resist stubbornly? So we come here to surrender?
"If the Marshal is unwilling to take us in, please do not kill us in vain. Just dismiss those soldiers and let us go home. If the Marshal can trust us, the three of us are willing to lead the horse and hold the stool for the Marshal to repay his kindness."

Lu Jin nodded with satisfaction. He had arranged an ambush on the south bank in order to tie down the remaining Yuan troops on the south bank. In this way, even if they did not surrender voluntarily, he could free up his hands on the north bank and annihilate them. Anyway, he would not let them return to the city to fight a defense battle. He just didn't expect that these three people were so aware of the current situation.

So he said, "You three are very sensible. What's your name? What's the other two? What are your positions in the Yuan army?"

"Reporting to the commander, I am Jin Siyuan, and I have two brothers in Nan'an, Lu Zhong and Hong Bao. The three of us are all thousand-household officials in the Anqing Wanhu Mansion."

Lu Jin nodded and asked again, "Where were you stationed before, and where did you come from this time?"

Jin Siyuan immediately said, "Reporting to the commander, Hong Bao was previously guarding Huaining, and Lu Zhong and I were both transferred from Wangjiang County."

Lu Jin's eyes lit up when he heard this, and he asked again, "You just said that the rear of Anqing Road is empty. Do you know how many troops are left in each city in the south?"

Jin Siyuan said without hesitation, "I heard that Tongcheng sent people to Huaining to ask for help, suggesting that they gather heavy troops to defend Tongcheng to buy time for the rear to gather troops and strengthen the city. Anqing Road Darughachi Alchangpu was worried that the lack of troops would make it difficult to stop the Marshal's heavy troops, so he almost pulled out all the troops in the rear.

"Now, Wangjiang and Taihu counties have almost no soldiers left. Qianshan has about 2,000 weak soldiers left, and Huaining has only 4,000 to 5,000 defenders. Apart from Huaining, it will be easy to capture the other three cities. Only Susong County is left, and its troops are intact and can still fight."

Upon hearing this, Lu Jin nodded in satisfaction and was about to say something when Mr. Miao suddenly interrupted.

"Marshal, Wangjiang and Taihu counties are not included in our plan. If we continue to fight southward, our military strength will certainly be stretched to the limit. Marshal, you must not forget our army's great cause of dominating the south of the Yangtze River for the sake of the petty gains in front of you."

Guo Zixing was standing nearby. Hearing this, he immediately retorted, "This is wrong. Qianshan City can be taken, and there is no soldier in Taihu and Wangjiang. It is God's will that we can take these three cities.

"As the saying goes, if you don't take what God gives you, you will suffer the consequences. You got a city for free, why don't you take it? It's two counties, and they are counties with a large population. If you don't have enough soldiers, you can recruit more. You have the land and the population, so why are you afraid of not having enough soldiers? What's the logic behind this?
"Besides, these prisoners, plus the three thousand troops on the south bank, are enough to expand three more regiments. Moreover, there are thousands of troops in Huaining. After we capture Huaining, I think we can add another regiment. With four new regiments, can't we defend two counties?" Upon hearing this, Lu Jin also looked at the prisoners. He did have plans to expand the organization, but originally he only planned to expand one regiment and recruit some garrisons to guard the bastions. Now expanding to three or four regiments would definitely be too many, and he definitely couldn't afford to support so many soldiers at the moment.

However, Taihu and Wangjiang counties were fat meat within reach. The key point was that these two counties were extremely large in area, with a large population, vast arable land, crisscrossing rivers and abundant water resources. They were absolutely lucrative counties. In addition, the two cities were short of military forces at the moment, so it would be unjust not to occupy them.

However, if we want to capture these two cities, the original battle plan will be invalid and all subsequent plans will have to be revised.

Lu Jin frowned and thought for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said, "You two are right. Taihu and Wangjiang are so empty of troops that it would be a waste if we don't occupy them. But this goes against our original battle plan. Whether we should garrison there for a long time or not still needs to be considered carefully. These two counties are very rich. Even if we can't garrison there for a long time, we should go there even if we just want to rob them and leave."

When Guo Zixing and Miao Daheng heard him say this, they stopped refutation. Lu Jin was the head coach, and he knew it in his heart, so they listened to Lu Jin's words again.

"Jin Siyuan, right? Go call Lu Zhong and Hong Bao first. I have something to arrange for you."

"Yes, thank you for taking me in, Marshal. I'll go right away." Jin Siyuan was overjoyed when he heard that. He had just been listening nearby and knew that Lu Jin was going to take Wangjiang and Taihu Lake. In this way, he, the former defender of Wangjiang, would definitely be able to play a role. It would be wonderful to be able to make a contribution right after joining the new lord. He immediately ran to the south bank to call for help.

Lu Jin was not idle either. Cao Liangchen and Lu Xianzong went to attack Qianshan County together. There should be no problem, as the reinforcements of the Yuan army were all wiped out in one battle. If they followed the original battle plan, the only thing left to do was to take Huaining, the capital of Anqing Road. But now the plan has changed. If they want to take over Taihu and Wangjiang counties, they will need more troops.

Anyway, these newly captured troops cannot be used now. Firstly, he is not confident in these generals. Secondly, they are not in the same system as the Shengwu Army, and their combat effectiveness is also worrying.

So Lu Jin thought for a moment before saying, "Miao Tycoon, I heard that you have left spies in Congyang Town?"

"Replying to the commander, it is exactly that. It was my second son Miao Yi who led the people to guard there. We had previously captured the Darughachi Beleqiebuhua of Tongcheng. He fled to Zongyang with his concubines in the name of seeking help, ready to run away at any time. Unfortunately, before he arrived at the place, he was discovered by my son and captured in advance."

Lu Jin nodded and praised, "Well done. He has such a flexible mind at such a young age. With a little experience, he will be of great use in the future. I think after this battle, he can be promoted to battalion commander."

"Thank you for your appreciation, Marshal. I would like to thank you on behalf of my son." Mr. Miao immediately clasped his fists and said.

Lu Jin asked again, "How many casualties did your 12th Regiment suffer? Can it fight again?"

"Reporting to the commander, our regiment has suffered more than 400 casualties in the battle, which is not a serious loss. We can draw a group of auxiliary troops to make up four combat battalions, and we can still fight."

"Okay, you should make preparations immediately, and then cross the river today. Take down Congyang Town first, and then make preparations to approach Huaining. I will need three or four days to prepare. When Brother Yongan's main force arrives, I will lead the main force to meet you and attack Huaining together." Lu Jin ordered immediately.

"Yes, I will obey your orders."

Mr. Miao agreed and left immediately, preparing to make up for the battle losses and complete the task assigned by Lu Jin as soon as possible.

At this time, only Guo Zixing and Ye Sheng were left. Guo Zixing asked again, "Marshal, what about us?"

"Let's guard the prisoners, repair the wooden bridge, and wait for the main force of the 101st Division to join us." After Lu Jin finished speaking, he looked at Ye Sheng next to him and said.

"Ye Sheng, I have written two letters. Send them to Liao Yongan, Zhang Wen and Mr. Feng in Lujiang County."

"Yes."

Lu Jin reached out and asked his personal guard for paper and pen, and immediately wrote two letters. The one to Liao Yongan urged him to capture Tongcheng as soon as possible and then bring all the main forces to join him. Tongcheng would be left to Zhang Wen to guard, and his own plans had changed.

Before this, Lu Jin had left a battalion of cavalry with him, asking him to send the cavalry from Lu Qianhou's battalion first after receiving the letter, as he was in urgent need of manpower.

Then he told the news that the Anqing reinforcements were completely wiped out in Shahe, and explained that the troops in Taihu and Wangjiang cities were empty and could be taken in one fell swoop. Since there were not enough troops, he needed to come to support quickly. At the same time, he sent someone to deliver Molunchi's head and the big banner to undermine the will of the Tongcheng defenders as soon as possible.

The letter to Zhang Wen and Feng Guoyong asked Zhang Wen to go south and station in Tongcheng County to guard the grain route in the rear. In addition, he asked Feng Guoyong to arrange officials for Tongcheng when he came over, and then let him bring the supply of gunpowder and artillery shells and follow Liao Yongan to meet up with him.

At the same time, he told him about the situation here. Taihu and Wangjiang were short of troops and could be easily taken. Although the troops were tight, he had now captured 13,000 Yuan army prisoners, and there were also 2,000 new recruits in Qianshan, adding up to 15,000 people.

Once we capture Huaining, we will certainly be able to capture a number of soldiers. By then, even without counting the people guarding the bastion, we can easily expand two regiments, so we shouldn't be too short of troops.

So should Taihu and Wangjiang be held for a long time? If so, how should they be defended? Will they be too close to the Qizhou Road and cause friction with Xu Shouhui? I asked him to help me analyze the situation and give me some advice.

After writing the two letters, Ye Sheng immediately asked someone to deliver them, bringing with him Molenchi's head and a large number of Yuan army flags, to urge Liao Yongan to come and join them as soon as possible.

After finishing all this, Hong Bao, Lu Zhong and Jin Siyuan from the south bank also came over.

Lu Jin looked at the three men, then at the group of captured Yuan army generals nearby, and then asked, "Are you three really willing to surrender to me?"

Jin Siyuan had just told them about the situation here, and the three of them did not hesitate, and immediately knelt down and bowed, "The Marshal's successive victories are truly blessed by God. We dare not disobey God's will, and have come here to surrender. If you do not abandon us, we are willing to serve under the Marshal's command."

"Very good, everyone, get up. The three of you will remain in your original squad for the time being. After the reorganization is completed after the war, your positions will be adjusted." Lu Jin promised immediately.

"Thank you, Marshal." The three of them bowed respectfully again and then stood up.

Lu Jin pointed to the group of captive officers kneeling nearby and asked the three of them, "Are you familiar with these people? Are there any among them who usually oppress the good and commit evil deeds?"

"This"

Jin Siyuan and the other two looked at each other and felt something was wrong. Among the group of people kneeling on the ground, some began to sweat on their foreheads, and some began to struggle.

Are you kidding? These guys burned, killed, looted and raped hundreds of women in the village yesterday. Who dares to say that they don’t have blood on their hands?

(End of this chapter)