Establishing a thousand-year family from the nobles of the Western Han Dynasty

Chapter 154: The two armies are in a stalemate. Please appoint a crown prince.

Ever since the news of Xu Yuan's formal separation from the court and rebellion was brought back to Chang'an by the envoy who escaped death, Wang Mang did not stop for a moment and rushed to dispatch the imperial troops scattered throughout Guanzhong.

Now, 180,000 troops have been stockpiled on the north side of Chang'an and defensive fortifications have been built to block the first wave of attacks.

However, due to the tight time schedule, they were still not fully prepared. After all, Luoyang also had to set up defenses, and Nanyang also had to be on guard.

This standing army of more than 200,000 is quite tight. Recruiting soldiers on a large scale takes time, and the transportation of food and armor, as well as the training of new recruits, all take a long time.

Compared with Liangzhou, which is always in a state of war, it is naturally at a disadvantage.

But it's not that there is no chance of fighting. Xiliang is poor after all. How long can the food and grass stored in advance last? There are hundreds of thousands of mouths to feed, plus a large number of civilians. The food consumed every day is an astronomical figure!

As long as we can block the most violent attack and slowly drag it into a tug-of-war, everything will be solved.

In three months at most, the enemy will withdraw due to lack of food and fodder. By the time the supplies from Hebei arrive, the court in Chang'an will have already reacted.

Hundreds of thousands of troops are enough to deal with the situation.

In August of the second year of the reign of Emperor Jushe, Xu Yuan, the commander-in-chief of the Northwest Garrison Army, personally took command of an army of 100,000 and launched a fierce attack on the counties outside Chang'an.

Directly engage in battle with the officers and soldiers defending here.

Faced with the fierce and powerful army that had been baptized in blood, the enemy next door was unable to resist and was basically dispersed by the cavalry at the first sight and collapsed at the first touch.

They captured several important counties in succession and were getting closer and closer to Chang'an.

The entire court was in a panic. The enemy's offensive was too fierce. Could they really resist it?
The gap is too huge.

The maximum number of troops that can be mobilized now is hundreds of thousands, and they are all "young master soldiers" who have not seen blood for many years. I am afraid that there are less than 80,000 troops with real combat effectiveness.

After all, there are quite a few people who are drawing salaries without doing any work, and who knows how much water is mixed in these hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Many people have already begun writing letters to Xu Yuan to surrender, which serves as a double insurance policy.

Although all the ministers petitioned to move the capital to Luoyang, Wang Mang never gave in. He had no intention of giving up Chang'an, which had been the capital for a hundred years, nor did he intend to hand over the vast land of Guanzhong or even Bashu to others!
If these two pieces of land are gone, how can I confront the rebels?
Hebei and the entire south were almost lost, because not long after Xu Yuan started his rebellion, Xu Min of Youzhou also began to march towards Jizhou on a large scale.

That place was originally their hometown, so naturally they didn't even bother to pretend. Every time the rebel army attacked a place, they would surrender at the sight of it, open the city gates, offer food and drink, and welcome the royal army!

I'm afraid it won't take long to completely control Jizhou and part of Qingzhou, while Bingzhou is in the process of reorganizing its internal affairs.

The governors of Dong Chong and Xu's families were different. They were not united internally, and many people were planted in the system to support Wang Mang's court.

So after Dong Chong announced his response to Xu Yuan, other opposition forces in Bingzhou certainly could not sit still.

But it was only a matter of time. The pro-Xu faction in Bingzhou still held the upper hand, and the rebels only had two counties.

By the time Xu Min of Youzhou is free to take action, it will be the latest deadline, and the Hebei region has already been lost.

"The situation on the Dazai front is tense, the rebels are advancing like a broken bamboo, our army can't resist at all!"

The generals at the front came to the capital and reported to Dazai.

Although the military strength of both sides is not much different, the quality of the troops is completely different.

The Liangzhou soldiers, especially the Northwest Army, are definitely the most elite army in the world today. They were personally selected by the Grand Commander Xu Yuan and are active on the front line of the war.

The killing terrified the Huns.

The Imperial Guards are completely incomparable to them. The Northern and Southern armies are basically their most elite only when the imperial court has strong control.

For example, Wang Feng back then, he mixed the border troops into the imperial guards, so that he had the military force to control the situation. Although he is training constantly and the court is cracking down on him very strictly, he has not seen much blood after all.

If an army does not fight, its combat effectiveness will decline sooner or later.

Wang Mang also stood up, his heart was very flustered, but he tried to keep calm on his face. He couldn't let himself disrupt the morale of the army! The more critical the moment, the less panic you can.

"Please hold on! I estimate that the rebels' offensive is at its most intense right now. They will weaken in two months at most, and eventually withdraw due to lack of food and fodder supplies!"

"Inform the generals and soldiers at the front line to slow down the enemy's progress and not allow them to set foot into Chang'an!"

"I won't leave, and the prince won't be that powerful. The Han Dynasty will never escape trouble by moving the capital! Since the rebels are rebelling, we can't be afraid of them!"

"The court is with all the soldiers! Rest assured."

Wang Mang tried to calm him down. Although he was very panicked, he was still rational and did not intend to listen to the court officials and move the capital to Luoyang.

Once Chang'an and Guanzhong are abandoned, Bashu will also be taken away. In this way, he will have no capital to compete with the Xu family! Can he rely on Luoyang alone to resist the whole world?

What an international joke.

Wang Mang knew clearly what those ministers who advised to move the capital were thinking. They simply thought that if the imperial court was defeated they could just change the imperial court since they all had the surname Liu anyway.

The prime minister on his side did have evil intentions, and since he had not truly become the emperor, there was no question of him being loyal to the emperor.

"Yes! Dazai thinks highly of us, we can't let him down!"

The general was deeply moved. In his opinion, it was Dazai who gave up the opportunity to escape from the war and stood with them! As the ancients said, a scholar will die for his confidant!

Isn’t this what Dazai is a close friend of?
Then he clasped his fists and left, planning to return to the front line to continue fighting against the rebels.

The Taizai Wang Mang, who had been calm before, finally couldn't hold on any longer and collapsed on the spot. He was originally a timid and emotional person, but he had strong ability to withstand pressure and adjust himself.

"Xu Yuan...Xu Yuan...Why you? If it weren't for the Northwest Army, why would I have fallen to this point?"

Wang Mang was both angry and helpless. He hated that this talented person was born into the Xu family, and he also hated that Emperor Ai had sealed him in Yongliang and established the Zhenjun Dudu Mansion.

As a result, all of Liangzhou's elite troops fell into the hands of the Xu family.

such a pity.

"Oh...never mind." After complaining a few words, he adjusted his mood and stood up again.

I can't let myself be killed by the rebels like this, absolutely not!

At least wait until the ambition in your heart disappears before you fall!

.........

With repeated victories in the war on the front line, the officers and soldiers gradually reacted and relied on the city and fortifications to fight an offensive and defensive battle with the enemy.

Refuse to leave the city, refuse to leave the pass, and just defend inside.

There is plenty of food and fodder.

Gradually, the Liangzhou Army inevitably fell into a period of fatigue and was unable to continue attacking cities and seizing food and fodder.

Although they are strong in combat, if they go out of the city and fight in the field, they can beat the enemy so badly that even their own mothers won't recognize them.

But the enemy just stayed in their shells and refused to come out! Siege equipment was also in short supply. After all, what city would they need to attack to fight the Qiang people and the Xiongnu people? It would be a waste of money to build these in advance. It would be better to build more armor.

Therefore, the subsequent equipment was all made on the spot, and the quantity and quality were certainly totally insufficient.

In the Northwest Army's headquarters, Xu Yuan, the commander-in-chief of the Zhen Army, walked around with a serious face, holding the battle report, because the situation was not as smooth as he had imagined. His idea was to use the bravery of the Liangzhou Army to enter Chang'an in a short period of time, kill the treacherous minister Wang Mang, and rebuild the Han Dynasty.

But as expected, ideals are full and reality is skinny. When the army approached the outskirts of Chang'an, it encountered obstacles everywhere and was stopped by the Central Army whose morale was greatly boosted and they vowed to fight to the death.

It has been half a month and the front line has not moved forward at all. This is not a good sign.

"Reporting to the Grand Commander, I request to see you."

"Enter."

The deputy general reported and walked into the tent.

"General Zhang's attack was thwarted. I was blocked outside the gate and could not advance an inch."

His tone was also somewhat frustrated. The morale of the entire Northwest Army was low. They had never fought such a frustrating battle before.

In the past, when had they not been unstoppable? They had beheaded the enemy commander along the way and returned with a great victory.

Even if we lose the battle, it was because we fought with real swords and guns, and we were just not as skilled as our opponents.

But what about now? The enemy is hiding behind the city wall. No matter how you provoke us, they won't come out. They are holding on and delaying time. No one has ever encountered such a thing.

Of course, there is another most important point, which is that he did not get a lot of military merit. The Han Dynasty was essentially still based on the Qin Dynasty's military merit system. As long as you have enough military merit, you can get whatever you want.

If the enemy does not come out, you will get fewer heads, and you may even be shot to death by the enemy's rain of arrows.

"Alas... retreating was expected." Xu Yuan did not blame the other party. Last time, even he himself led the troops but failed to capture the city.

If the enemy does not leave the city, it will be difficult for you to succeed even if you are extremely capable and brave.

Their own military strength is dozens of times that of the defenders, but it is still not enough. This is not an ordinary defensive fortification.

Unless God blesses us with a heavy rain, Xu Yuan can take this opportunity to store water and break the dam.

"It doesn't matter. If we can't take Chang'an, then we can't take it. We can just hold back the main force of the rebel army and buy time for the others."

"Second brother, second brother, what you said is so damn accurate." Xu Yuan thought to himself.

His brother had said in a letter before that Wang Mang would definitely not move the capital to Luoyang, but would defend Chang'an and Guanzhong to the death, so he would definitely turn his attack to the front.

If the Northwest Army cannot advance quickly, it will be stuck in a quagmire.

He didn't believe it before, but now he does.

In this case, let’s protect the area outside Hangu Pass. Once the civil unrest in Bingzhou is quelled and Hebei surrenders, Xu Min will join forces with the Jingzhou army to attack the Central Plains.

In order to reduce the land that Wang Mang could control, the court always believed that the Xu family would focus on seizing power in Chang'an and Luoyang.

In fact, they don't want a quick victory at all.

Xu Yuan knew about it, but did not approve of this strategy of raising Gu. However, it was useless to disapprove of it now. He could not quickly attack Chang'an, so the plan and strategy would fail.

I can only listen to my brother.

"As ordered."

"Does the offensive need to be reduced?" the deputy general asked again.

"No need, just change it to harassment and confusion, and hold back the enemy's main force!"

Xu Yuan gave up his plan and decided to preserve his strength to cope with the pressure he would face after the establishment of the new dynasty.

Once troubled times come, if the Xu family wants to maintain its transcendent position, they can only control a large number of troops. Only in this way can they do what they want and ensure that the emperor always has the surname Liu.

And his own Northwest Army is undoubtedly very important! These 100,000 elite troops are a powerful force that cannot be ignored no matter where they are placed.

.........

In September of the second year of the reign of Emperor Jushe, Wang Mang's army and the Western Liang army had been in a stalemate for nearly a month. No matter how Xu Yuan attacked, provoked, or cursed, the other side just wouldn't take the initiative to attack!

Fortunately, Xu Yuan did not take it seriously. He basically withdrew his troops after putting some pressure on them, without causing too much entanglement or loss.

Just as the Chang'an court's attention was focused on the northwest, the situation outside was also changing all the time.

Youzhou, Guangyang County (Guangyang State).

Countless elite soldiers wearing standard armor stood around the palace. The atmosphere was solemn and dignified. There were probably more than two thousand of them.

These are the famous Youzhou cavalry. Xu Min trained them into elite soldiers. They are second only to the Xiliang Iron Cavalry, the core force of the Northwest Army, and are famous all over the world.

They usually don't appear outside the battlefield, so this is obviously not an ordinary trivial matter.

A man in military uniform walked steadily past the soldiers and entered the Guangyang Palace.

Behind him were officials of all ranks from Youzhou and Jizhou, which had just announced their allegiance. They were all wearing official robes.

When they arrived at the door of the main hall, led by Xu Min, all the ministers bowed down one after another, their faces respectful and serious, and they clasped their fists to express their respect.

"I, General Zhennan and Governor of Youzhou Xu Min, request to see the king!"

At this moment, Liu Xiang, the King of Guangyang, who was dressed formally, also walked out of the hall surrounded by his attendants.

"No need to be so polite, everyone." The heroic-looking Liu Xiang behaved very modestly and took the initiative to carry luggage for everyone.

First of all, it was for reasons of etiquette, and another point was that he knew who he depended on to become emperor and to keep his position secure! This time, he was undoubtedly going to completely break with the court that Wang Mang replaced.

Although there is a risk of death, this is the emperor! Who in the world does not want to be an emperor? Who does not dream of wielding the power of the world while drunk and lying on the lap of a beautiful woman?

"Mandated by Heaven, may you live long and prosper forever" These eight words are enough to drive all men crazy.

Xu Min didn't stand up, so naturally the others didn't dare to move either.

Instead, he continued, "Today, treacherous officials are in power and committing treason. The crown prince this man supported is naturally a fake crown prince. He ignored the older Liu and chose to appoint a child. His wolfish ambition is obvious!"

"Since the fake crown prince is not legitimate, then Wang Mang's so-called prime minister acting on behalf of the emperor is nothing more than an act of usurpation."

"Of course, the world cannot be without a monarch for a day! Prime Minister Xu Hua has appeared in Wancheng. The monarch cannot be appointed for the time being, but establishing a crown prince is a top priority!"

"I have received a letter from the Prime Minister, respectfully requesting Your Majesty to become the Crown Prince of the Han Dynasty! And to fight against the traitor Wang Mang."

"I beg you to take on this important task! To save the Liu family's kingdom!"

Liu Xiang showed a look of "difficulty" and said: "I am not virtuous enough to be a king! Please ask Xu Zhennan to reply to the prime minister and invite more virtuous princes."

Although I was very excited, the necessary process of "three refusal and three decline" could not be missed, otherwise people all over the world would criticize me.

It is necessary to create a feeling of helplessness in having to be an emperor.

This has been the rule for many years, and Emperor Xiaowen did a very good job of implementing it back then.

(End of this chapter)