Fu Shanhe

Chapter 239 People are forced to do
Looking at the battle report in his hand, Shi Rongxian's good mood disappeared in an instant.

The government troops failed to capture Yongzhou after a long siege and decided to resort to a long-term siege.

This is exactly what he wanted to see. Once all the armies were assembled, they would be able to defeat the enemy.

It’s a pity that the younger brothers below have become too arrogant.

The army that was withdrawn from the Xiangyang battlefield has been procrastinating until now and has only just set off.

The reinforcements on the Nanchang front line are moving faster.

Unfortunately, they did not obey the order to garrison Changsha, but went straight to Hengyang.

From a military point of view, there is really no reason for the failure of an army of 100,000 to attack a city garrisoned by 5,000 to 6,000 government troops.

But he was unsure in his heart, and his intuition told him that Li Mu would not let them achieve their goal easily.

Apart from these two main forces, reinforcements from other states did not come at all.

It’s not that they disobeyed orders, but simply that after Li Mu besieged Yongzhou, the government troops from all directions suddenly became active.

Shaozhou Prefecture and Ganzhou Prefecture had long since become battlefields, and the defenders in nearby Chenzhou, Ji'an and other places are now trembling in fear.

The government troops in the Yunnan-Guizhou region suddenly became active, and the military pressure on the provincial capitals near Guizhou increased greatly.

The regiment army that had been beaten to death by them before has now revived and is conquering cities in Changde, Jingzhou and other areas.

What's worse is that the Shu army is gathering in the Chongqing area and may move south to join the war at any time.

Each of them was busy taking care of themselves and had no power to send troops to participate in the Battle of Yongzhou.

The originally planned army of 400,000 was reduced by 70,000 before the decisive battle even began.

This is just the beginning. They are gathering their troops and the enemy is not idle either.

It can be seen from the enemy's attack route that the government troops in the four provinces of Guangdong, Fujian, Yunnan and Guizhou were also deliberately moving closer to Li Mu's troops.

Once the armies of the five provinces of the imperial court are united, the number of troops that Li Mu can mobilize will exceed 200,000, an unprecedented number.

Thirty-three thousand against two hundred thousand, it seems that they have an absolute advantage in military strength.

The problem is that with the 130,000 troops in Yongzhou City now facing less than 40,000 government troops outside the city, he can't even think of launching a decisive battle.

There are too many lessons from the past.

In several battles in Guangxi, the enemy often won with fewer troops.

Defeating the Holy Kingdom's army, which was several times their size, was like a piece of cake.

If the most elite troops of the Holy Kingdom were there, he would not be so fearful.

Unfortunately, most of those elite soldiers are in the hands of the three kings and are now busy fighting.

Shi Rongxian also has some old team members under his command, but unfortunately they have been staying in the rear for a long time and lack opportunities to fight, so their true combat effectiveness remains a mystery.

"Qi Datou, this bastard is getting more and more daring, even daring to disobey my orders.

Our East King is even more powerful. He actually used the excuse that the Shu and Qin armies were about to join the war and wanted me to revoke my order!"

The ministers were frightened when they heard Shi Rongxian's complaints.

These are not words they should listen to.

Following the Holy Emperor's words would offend people, but defending them would offend the Holy Emperor again.

In either case, the consequences are not something an ordinary minister can bear.

The current White Lotus Holy Kingdom is mainly composed of four major factions.

Except for the direct descendants of the Holy Emperor who are attached to Shi Rongxian, most of the remaining officials of the Holy Kingdom are attached to the three kings of different surnames.

In terms of military strength, the troops controlled by Shi Rongxian are actually no longer at an advantage.

Insisting on launching the Battle of Yongzhou was not only to wash away the shame of previous defeat, but also to regain power.

With the support of the righteousness in his hands, once the army is under his command, Shi Rongxian will be able to make them his own people.

At worst, they can add some sand in the mix, or simply make a large-scale swap of generals from various departments.

This kind of conspiracy will definitely not be hidden from the three kings of different surnames.

Even if they themselves don't see through it, someone around them will notice it.

There are policies and measures to counter.

Without destroying the unity of the Holy Kingdom, the kings of different surnames also took measures to fight back.

For example: deliberately delaying the time of sending troops, or inserting thorns in the way...

In short, it is not easy for Shi Rongxian to control these troops.

“Holy Emperor, I just received the tragic news that Shaozhou Prefecture has been lost.

Chenzhou and Ganzhou Prefecture sent a letter asking for help, hoping that the Holy Kingdom could send reinforcements. "

Prime Minister Wu Zekai spoke.

After being besieged, people were in panic and could not withstand the blow of bad news.

Originally, he didn't want to make this news public in the court, but Shi Rongxian's words were too damaging and he urgently needed to change the subject.

Other small things may not achieve the desired effect and can only cause a big bomb.

"Oops!"

“The puppet army has already taken Shaozhou. If they take Chenzhou, it will be connected to Hengyang and Yongzhou.

Ganzhou must not be lost either, otherwise the war will spread all the way to the heartland of Jiangxi, and the autumn grain collection mission will not be completed. "

Mi Yingbo exclaimed in cooperation.

Unlike other places that can be abandoned, every provincial capital in the Jiangnan and Huguang regions is of great significance to the Holy Kingdom of White Lotus.

Looting noble families can certainly accumulate wealth quickly, but if you want to continue to support the army, you still need to establish a sound tax system.

Jiangxi and Huguang are both granaries of the world and major financial and taxation provinces, undoubtedly excellent places to raise money and grain.

Losing any provincial capital is painful enough, and it is not comparable to the fall of Guangdong and Guangxi. "Calm down!"

"You are all the pillars of the Holy Nation, so you should remain calm when faced with adversities.

Since Shaozhou has been lost, there is no point in discussing it further.

The most urgent task is how to save other state capitals!"

Shi Rongxian scolded immediately.

Although he said that he wanted to protect the various mansions, deep down he had no confidence at all.

This is not a question of whether or not to send reinforcements, but rather that there is no way to send reinforcements.

Taking Ganzhou Prefecture as an example, there were as many as 50,000 to 60,000 government troops besieging them.

Sending thousands of reinforcements would be tantamount to sending military merit to the enemy.

If tens of thousands of troops were to be dispatched for support, the Holy Kingdom would not have enough mobile forces in the short term.

If a rescue operation is really to be carried out, troops have to be drawn from the troops that are reinforcing Yongzhou.

However, if this happens, the reinforcements will be dispersed and may be defeated one by one by the enemy at any time.

“Saint Emperor, the garrison commander of Ganzhou Prefecture, Yu Dadan, is a fierce general and should be able to hold out for a while.

If we can quickly defeat the North Korean army, maybe we can catch up.

Since Qi Datou is going to send troops to attack Hengyang, order him to speed up and try to take it in the shortest time possible.

It is estimated that after the battle of Hengyang, the reinforcements from Xiangyang area should also arrive near Hengyang.

When the time comes, the two armies will join forces and come together to participate in the battle of Yongzhou. We will surely defeat that villain Li Mu in one fell swoop!"

Shi Qichuan said murderously.

He still remembered the last humiliating retreat clearly.

If you don't seek revenge on Li Mu, then your thoughts are not clear.

There are certainly military risks in speeding up the pace of the decisive battle, but the current situation does not allow them to choose.

If the war were to drag on indefinitely and the autumn grain collection and storage were missed, the Holy Kingdom of White Lotus would certainly not have an easy winter.

……

Outside Ganzhou City, Wei Zhiyuan was so angry that he wanted to curse.

Looking at Li Mu's orders, he felt like crying but had no tears.

Sixty thousand against three thousand, but still can't win.

It would have been fine if it was a most powerful fortress in the world, but he was attacking an ordinary city that was not even mentioned in military history.

Such a record was enough to ruin his reputation in the military circles of Dayu.

But the real Ganzhou is much more difficult than what the outside world sees.

The defending generals were too crazy and would throw people into the pot to cook them at any time, forcing the young and strong people in the city to contribute.

"Duan Shengde, his name really lives up to his character, he is going to cut off his Shengde!

When I take over the city, I will skin you alive!

This is not enough. I will report this to the imperial court and have this bastard and his entire clan put to death by slow slicing!
......"

Wei Zhiyuan couldn't help but curse.

It's really too insidious.

Under the manipulation of the bandit leader, the 3,000 bandit soldiers originally responsible for defending the city suddenly became a supervisory team.

Now the ones who are really fighting with them are the young and strong people in the city.

No matter how many people die, the enemy will not feel sorry.

Until the residents in the city are completely consumed, the enemy army will not suffer too much loss in manpower.

It is estimated that after conquering Ganzhou, what they will gain is a dead city filled with corpses and bones.

"General, give the order to stop the attack!

The siege troops suffered heavy losses. It was not worth such a huge sacrifice for the city of Ganzhou.

Commander Li asked us to attack Ji'an Prefecture immediately after we captured Ganzhou. We simply divided our forces and bypassed Ganzhou to attack Ji'an Prefecture directly.

Anyway, there are only a few thousand defenders in the city, so leaving 20,000 troops to watch over them is enough.

That bastard Duan Shengde forced the young and strong men in the city to go to the battlefield, and he formed a blood feud with the residents of the city.

When we attacked, they were too busy resisting to think.

Once the war stops, the power of hatred will take root.

The next time we attack the city, we may find something unexpected."

Deputy General Zhao stepped forward and persuaded him.

They really couldn't afford to fight. In order to capture Ganzhou Prefecture, they suffered thousands of casualties.

If they continue to fight, they will definitely be able to capture Ganzhou, but no one will compensate them for their losses.

The military funds allocated by the imperial court were insufficient, and the subsidies from local government offices were seriously wasted.

Once the army suffers heavy losses, just the provision of pensions becomes a thorny issue.

This money can be saved in peacetime, but a portion of it must be distributed in wartime to appease the military.

If you are really stingy, you might be shot by your own people one day.

……

(End of this chapter)