Lin'an Never Night

Chapter 783: Inspecting the Troops
Wu Lin led his troops on a sedan chair to the battlefield, heading straight for Lintao Prefecture.

His first strategic goal was to capture Lintao City, and then use it as a springboard to divide his troops into two groups to attack Lanzhou and Xining Prefecture respectively.

This opened the door to Western Xia.

The Western Army came into being because of the existence of Western Xia.

From the day it was born, its mission was to target Western Xia.

Therefore, over the years, the Western Army has developed a unique set of tactics and strategies that are fully adapted to the tactics and strategies of the Western Xia Army.

Historically, the Western Army generally had the upper hand in wars against the Western Xia.

The main reasons for the failure of several Western Expeditions were mostly due to high-level command errors caused by redundant bureaucratic mechanisms and problems with logistics and supplies.

On the contrary, when fighting against the Jin Army, the usually powerful Western Army rarely achieved brilliant results.

Before and after the Jingkang Incident, the Western Army, which had always been fighting against the Western Xia Army, began to participate in the war against the Jin Dynasty. Major battles such as the Battle of Taiyuan and the Battle of Fuping ended in almost one-sided failure.

Liu Guangshi, Zhong Shidao and other descendants of the Western Army were all famous generals of the time, but they did not have any good records when facing the Jurchens.

When facing the Jurchens, it was the young generals such as Yue Fei and Han Shizhong who did not lose and often won.

They neither had the ancestral Western Army tactics and methods that were fully adapted to the Western Xia, nor were their subordinates the main force of the Western Army.

As a result, they fought very effectively against the Jin army.

The reason is that adaptability of tactical style is the most critical factor.

In the era of cold weapons, the combat styles of different nationalities and different troops varied greatly.

The Western Army of the Song Dynasty was very familiar with and adapted to the tactics and strategies of the Western Xia and Tubo, but this set of mature tactics was completely inapplicable when facing the Jurchen cavalry.

The Xixia people's horse riding and archery skills were much worse than those of the Khitans and Jurchens.

They were better at using the tall, strong and fast-running Tangut horses for charging operations in plains.

The Xixia people's armor generally used cold forging technology, so it could effectively resist the crossbow shooting of the Song army at about fifty steps.

As a result, the Western Xia cavalry often used the advantage of heavy armor that was impervious to stabs and cuts to launch charging attacks.

In the plains, the Western Xia army used heavy cavalry "Iron Harriers" to clear the way, and in the mountains they used heavy infantry "Bubazi".

They took advantage of their familiarity with the complex terrain of Western Xia to lure the enemy into the encirclement, break through the enemy's formation with heavy cavalry and heavy infantry, and then use infantry to expand the results of the victory.

The Western Army also summed up a set of effective tactics and strategies during the long-term combat with the Western Xia soldiers.

The Western Army used cavalry to block the Xixia soldiers' infantry and cavalry coordination tactics, and then took advantage of its own combat advantages to destroy the Xixia army.

The heavy cavalry and heavy infantry of Western Xia only had to rest after two extremely fierce charges, so as long as we could effectively break the advantages of their heavy infantry and heavy cavalry, it would be easy to gain the upper hand in the next battle.

Although the Jurchen cavalry was also famous for its heavy cavalry, its military composition was completely different from that of the Western Xia troops.

The Jurchen cavalry formed a squad of fifty people. In each squad, there were only twenty heavy cavalrymen, and the remaining thirty were all light cavalrymen.

They broke through the enemy's formation with a heavy cavalry charge, followed by close range archery by the light cavalry, and then they rushed forward and engaged in hand-to-hand combat with maces.

In contrast, the Song cavalry spent 90% of their energy on riding and archery during training.

According to historical records: "The cavalry and infantry were divided into ten parts each. One part of the cavalry was trained with spears and swords, and the rest were trained with bows."

Therefore, once in close combat, the Song Dynasty cavalry will be vulnerable.

Later, after suffering many losses, the Wu brothers and generals such as Han Shizhong finally figured out some fighting methods that were suitable for the Jurchen cavalry.

Unfortunately, before this new set of tactics and strategies could be perfected and matured, the Song Dynasty court begged for peace and submitted to the Jin Kingdom.

Since the signing of the Shaoxing Peace Agreement, the Western Army has no place to use its skills, and this new set of tactics has lost the possibility of further evolution.

Now, the Western Army is targeting its old rival, Western Xia. Both sides are old enemies who know each other well.

Wu Lin is not only very skilled in military strategy, but he is now facing the Western Xia soldiers whose style of fighting he is extremely adaptable to.

Prior to this, the Sichuan-Gang region had undergone sufficient war preparations for a year, so Wu Lin won the first battle.

He divided his troops into three groups and advanced step by step. Lintao City was about to fall into his pocket.

At this time, the Western Xia Emperor Li Renxiao had no time to care about the intrigue with Prime Minister Ren Dejing. He hurriedly dispatched troops to resist foreign enemies.

Tuoba Heiyi, who hurriedly returned to Xixia, was also appointed by him as a general, finally fulfilling Kou Heiyi's dream of becoming a general.

……

When Wu Lin's troops entered Western Xia, Yang Yuan personally led a group of people, moved the headquarters forward, and stationed at Dasan Pass.

From the Sichuan-Gorge region to the Guanzhong region, there is an insurmountable natural barrier - the Qinling Mountains.

Dasan Pass is an important road among the mountains that does not require climbing.

The geographical location of Dasan Pass is very dangerous, with cliffs on both sides, rugged peaks, and steep valleys in the north and south, which is known as "a line of sky".

Fortunately, when the Wu brothers suffered a crushing defeat in the Battle of Fuping and retreated to Chuanxia, ​​they did not accept their subordinates' advice to build defenses in Chuanxia. Instead, they fought to the death and preserved this important strategic location.

Therefore, it has always been in the hands of the State of Song.

Otherwise, if Yang Yuan wanted to march into Guanzhong, he would have to take over Dasan Pass, which would inevitably come at a huge price.

After Yang Yuan set up his headquarters at Dasan Pass, he stopped his troops there to rest and reorganize the army, waiting for troops from other routes to arrive and join him.

Here, he could look west to the back of the Wu army and north to the Jin army in Baoji (Chencang), waiting for an opportunity.

"In the morning, I climbed up Sanguan Mountain. How difficult is this road? Newton couldn't get up, and his car fell into the valley.

Sitting on a rock, playing the five-stringed harp. As the qingjiao tune, the mind is confused and troubled..."

In the morning mist, Yang Yuan wandered at Dasan Pass, where Laozi met the pass commander Yin Xi during his journey to the west, and recited Cao Cao's "Morning on Dasan Pass Mountain" off the cuff.

This is where countless heroes and famous figures have left their footprints over thousands of years of history.

For a moment, Yang Yuan stood at the gate, feeling as if time and space were confused.

The garrison commander at Dasan Pass was a commander named Tang Xian.

Tang Xian was a great ancestor who liked to show off his elegance. He didn't know the source of the poem that Yang Yuan chanted, but he remembered the line "Sitting on a rock, playing a five-stringed zither."

After returning to the barracks, he called his secretary and asked him for advice.

When the clerk heard this, he stroked his beard and smiled, saying, "These two lines are from Qiu Hu Xing - Morning Climbing Sanguan Mountain, written by Cao Cao during the Eastern Han Dynasty.

This "Qiu Hu Xing" was originally a Yuefu title, telling the story of Qiu Hu, a man from Lu, teasing his wife. However, Cao Mengde only borrowed the tune of "Qiu Hu Xing", and the lyrics..."

Tang Xian blinked his eyes and asked, "You mean Cao Mengde? Is he the good wife Cao A'man?"

The Three Kingdoms story told by Mr. Qu Da, as told by Yang Xijiao, is now a household name.

Although Commander Tang was an old man, he liked listening to this book very much. He had listened to it more than once and knew it by heart.

The clerk stroked his beard and smiled, "That's the man!"

"Haha, I understand, General."

Tang Xian smiled, and that smile was somewhat ambiguous.

That afternoon, Tang Xian used the excuse of having important military secrets to report and sneaked into Yang Yuan's tent with a soldier.

"Master Fu, look at her."

Tang Xian gestured to Yang Yuan in a flattering manner, and Yang Yuan, who was standing in front of the sand table, turned his head away in confusion.

The soldier looked at Yang Yuan shyly. When he saw him looking at him, he lowered his head shyly and raised his hand to take off his helmet.

Her beautiful hair suddenly fell down, and this person turned out to be an extremely gentle and lovely little woman.

Tang Xian rubbed his calloused hands and said with a smile, "General, this girl's surname is Shen, and her name is Roujiao. She was originally the concubine of Ke Mengyi, the local military commander. Old Ke died of illness last autumn, and Miss Shen is a newly widowed woman, and she has no good place to go for the time being.

General, you are busy with military service and tired from riding horses. You lack someone who cares about you and takes care of your daily life. I am very worried.

Miss Shen is gentle and considerate, and she is also very pretty. If you are interested, you might as well keep her by your side..."

Miss Shen blushed, lowered her head and gently twirled the corner of her clothes, feeling shy.

She was in the army with her husband Ke Mengyi. After Ke Duyu died, the Ke family sent people to take care of things. However, the eldest wife gave the order not to take her back and left her here to fend for herself.

Tang Xian and several other military generals would usually take care of her, but there was really no personal relationship between them.

Although Tang Xian had the motive of flattering, he also felt that if Yang Fushuai could accept her, his sister-in-law would have found a home.

When Shen Jiaorou heard Tang Xian talk about how young and handsome this Marshal was, she still didn't quite believe it. She just thought, relying on her man's old relationship, how many years could this man take care of her?
Eventually you still have to find someone to rely on.

Therefore, even though this commander is already gray-haired and wrinkled, it would be good for him to be able to give her a stable life.

Unexpectedly, Tang Xian did not brag, and he felt very happy for a moment.

"Send Miss Shen back."

Yang Yuan got angry for a moment, closed his eyes, and could only speak in a helpless tone.

He didn't want to use harsh words, lest the woman feel embarrassed. If she couldn't get over it and committed suicide, it would be hard to explain.

"General Wu has already marched into Xixia. The Jin army is gathering in the direction of Baoji. It is obvious that they intend to attack us from the south. If I keep a woman by my side, wouldn't that disturb the morale of the army?"

Yang Yuan really couldn't lose his temper with Tang Xian.

Because the strict rules that must be followed in later generations, such as prohibiting alcohol and bringing female relatives into the army, did not exist in every dynasty.

Drinking was allowed in the armies of many dynasties, and the same went for women.

Camp prostitutes have existed since ancient times.

Liang Hongyu was a camp prostitute at first, but later she was noticed by Han Shizhong and became his concubine, still following him in the army.

After Han Shizhong's first wife, Bai, died, she was promoted to be his legal wife.

Regardless of whether she followed the army as a concubine of a general, or was promoted from a concubine to a wife, this was simply impossible in later generations with strict etiquette and laws.

However, in the Song Dynasty, many generals had the habit of bringing their wives and concubines with them to the army, and whether to bring them or not depended entirely on the generals' self-discipline.

Tang Xian was a little embarrassed: "Uh, General Fu, Miss Shen..."

Yang Yuan said, "Miss Shen was Han Duyu's wife. Han Duyu died, and I took her into my camp. If you ask the soldiers in the army to see this, what will they think?"

Tang Xian slapped his forehead when he heard this: "Oh, that's right! Cao Aman was defeated and fled to Wancheng. I was confused."

Tang Xian hurriedly ran to Shen Jiaorou, pulled her up and left.

"Sister-in-law, this is not appropriate. Let's go, let's go."

Miss Shen, on the contrary, felt a little reluctant to leave. She looked at Yang Yuan with her watery eyes until she was pulled out by Tang Xian.

Yang Yuan exhaled and shook his head.

He did not think that Tang Xian was useless just because of his flattery.

The saying that capable people don't flatter others and that truly capable people must be noble is pure nonsense.

Those who are aloof may also have great ambitions but little talent, and those who are truly capable may also have high emotional intelligence.

Qi Jiguang also flattered Zhang Juzheng crazily. Every time he wrote a letter, he would call himself "Qi, the little lackey of yours" and he also presented beautiful women to Zhang Juzheng.

But this does not detract from his great contributions in fighting against the Japanese pirates and his military talent in commanding troops like a god.

Bao Zheng was impartial and just, but when interacting with the emperor, he also had high emotional intelligence and provided the emperor with a lot of emotional value.

Before Yang Yuan moved to Dasan Pass, "Tongzhou" and "Quefang" submitted their respective investigation reports to him.

Tang Xian was extremely good at training and leading troops, as well as having relationships with his colleagues.

So, Yang Yuan didn't want to scare him.

Two green jade fingers gently tugged at the corner of Yang Yuan's clothes.

Qingtang, who was dressed in military uniform and had beautiful features, looked like a handsome young man. He chuckled, "Dad, why don't you keep her? I think this sister is really charming."

"Snapped!"

Yang Yuan raised his hand and slapped him. The touch of his palm felt quite good.

Qingtang's eyebrows suddenly curved when her wish came true.

This girl probably has a masochistic personality.

Yang Yuan glared at her and continued to look at the sand table.

He wanted to keep the geography of the mountains and rivers firmly in his mind.
He didn't think that General Wu Lin could destroy Western Xia, but he wanted to take Guanzhong, or at least recapture Chang'an.

Yang Yuan came here with Qingtang and A'man.

However, it’s not that he can’t live without women for a moment, but because his intelligence channels now come from three parties.

There is the military scout intelligence organization, the Quefang intelligence organization, and the "Tongzhou Society" that cannot be shown to anyone.

Moreover, Yang Yuan’s new army and firearms units also have many secrets.

All of these were done by his "Internal Affairs Office" bypassing official agencies.

Therefore, he needs to have someone who is absolutely trustworthy and has access to these secrets around him to serve as an assistant to help him convey and organize the information.

Qingtang stayed beside Yang Yuan with a smile on his face.

Although she is only a little girl of sixteen or seventeen, she has been working very early.

Her knowledge, vision and perspective are no longer the same as the little con man Qingtang.

Ah Man, who was dressed in the same soldier's clothes, walked in quickly.

"Master, General Shi Han, General He Jinyun, General Gao Gan and others have all arrived with their troops."

Yang Yuan raised his eyebrows. All the departments arrived on time, which made him very satisfied.

It seems that after operating in Tongchuan and Lizhong for several years, the company has really established its reputation.

None of these arrogant and powerful generals dared to challenge his authority.

"Okay, put on the armor for me."

"Yes!"

Qingtang and A'man immediately fetched the armor and helped Yang Yuan put it on neatly.

Xiao Qingtang always had a mischievous temper, so she squatted in front of Yang Yuan and helped him adjust his armor skirt.

The nose and red lips are too close to each other, which inevitably makes people think of something impure.

How could Yang Yuan not understand her deliberate teasing? He could not help but laugh and scold: "Don't be silly. Ah Man, give the order to beat the drum three times and raise the tent to inspect the troops!"

Ah Man agreed with a smile, turned around and walked out.

Yang Yuan adjusted the Dali sword at his waist, put on his combat boots, and walked out.

"You little bitch, you deserve to be punished again. I'll punish you when I come back."

Xiao Qingtang's eyes were full of smiles, and she replied in a friendly voice, "Yes, I am. We are waiting for you to come back and beat the drum three times, and then raise the troops!"

(End of this chapter)