Destroy Jin and conquer Song, and carry the Northern Expedition through to the end

Chapter 269: The Army Has No Factions and All Kinds of Strange Things

"Since the vanguard set up camp at the mountain pass to block the enemy, until yesterday's fierce battle, the entire army has lost 483 men. The casualties of the Tianping Army have not yet been counted, as most of the follow-up troops have not yet arrived. Xin Wulang, the casualties of the Tianping Army will be reported shortly. Although they fought against the Jin army, they fought alongside our Zhongyi Army, so we must provide compensation."

The three generals of the Tianping Army stood up and bowed at the same time.

Lu You continued, "There were 321 seriously injured and 972 slightly injured. Most of the slightly injured were not seriously injured and were able to continue fighting."

These casualties include those caused by the front army's attack on Tu Danzhang, so the numbers appear so huge.

After the Battle of Linyi, the three corps of the Loyal and Right Army were gradually expanded, and the total number of combat soldiers in the front, center and right armies was 7,800.

Among them, the front army had a total of 2,600 infantry and cavalry, the central army had a total of 3,100 infantry and cavalry, and the right army had 2,000 infantry and cavalry.

If we include He Boqiu's half-soldiers, half-civilian navy, the total number of the loyal army would be nearly nine thousand.

And if we include Dong Cheng's left army unit that stayed in Haizhou, and Zhang Qing's rear army unit that was counted as part of the Loyal Army but was under Zhang Rong's orders at the border between Haizhou and Mizhou, the Loyal Army now had a strength of nearly 15,000 people, enough to be called a large army.

In this battle, there were about 700 people who were seriously injured or killed, distributed in various armies. Although they were not seriously injured, it was still a considerable casualty.

In ancient battles, the greatest casualties often occurred when the army was in disarray. As the losing side, they would expose their backs to the enemy and trample on each other. More importantly, the wounded left on the battlefield would not receive treatment and would be directly abandoned. Tired and resting soldiers would be directly killed.

Therefore, since ancient times, except for extremely rare battles, the casualties on both sides have been disproportionate. Often, the loser is completely defeated and unable to recover, while the winner can still muster the remaining courage and pursue the enemy relentlessly.

"We will provide as much compensation as possible to those who were injured or killed. All families with people will be given compensation land. In the future, captured cattle and mules will be given priority for distribution."

Wei Sheng set the tone for this matter.

The reason why we try to provide relief as much as possible is not because the supplies captured by the Loyal Army are insufficient, but because many of the Loyal Army soldiers are refugees caused by the chaos in Shandong in recent years. Even if they have families, they have been separated.

For these people, we can only record their family members when recording their military status and then search carefully later.

Of course, if the Loyal Army were to blow out the candles, then everything would be over.

Lu You continued, "Yu Yuan, the deputy commander of the Central Army, has already led his troops to set up camp at the northern mountain pass. He reports that the remnants of the Wuxing Army seem intent on defending Yishui County. Furthermore, they aren't congregating entirely within the city, but are instead distributing their troops to the two southern Zhujiazhuang villages, seemingly planning a pincer attack."

Wei Sheng added, "I have already sent a message to Yu Yuan. If the Jin army intends to retreat, he should follow them for half a day's journey. We can chase them down without engaging them in battle!"

After Wei Sheng finished speaking, Lu You held up the document again and said, "The first merit of this battle is due to the front army's hard work in holding off the enemy. The second merit is due to the right army's willingness to take casualties to attract the main force. The third merit is due to the Tianping army's long-distance attack. Finally, the merit is due to the central army's victory over the enemy. What do you think?"

This is just a rough calculation of the merits. The specific situation must be analyzed specifically. For example, the merits of Wang Xiongyi's troops in the central army who blocked the enemy together with the front army must be counted separately.

The generals nodded to show that they had no objection.

Lu You coughed and put forward the most important question: "Next, should our army reorganize or take Yishui County in one go and then attack in other directions? Everyone can speak freely and in order!"

This limited military democracy can help generals understand the specific situation in the army. After all, Wei Sheng commanded an army of more than 10,000 people, and it was impossible for him to understand the thoughts of every soldier. The officers had to pass the information layer by layer and pass it to Wei Sheng through military meetings, so as to help him make correct judgments.

"Zhang Silang, you start."

Wei Sheng saw that all the generals were silent and thoughtful, while Zhang Baiyu was eager to try, so he immediately appointed a general.

Zhang Baiyu stood up and bowed slightly. "Marshal, I believe that one of the key objectives of our northward march this time is to destroy the Jin navy. My father traveled north by sea to support General Li Bao. We have discovered through clues that the Jin navy seems to have sensed our Northern Expedition's intentions. If they flee prematurely or engage in a major battle with the Dongping army, it would be disastrous."

Our army should move eastward. Even if we don't join forces with the Dongping army, we should at least coordinate with them. Otherwise, if the Jin navy really comes out in full force and sends ships to harass Haizhou, our rear will be in jeopardy."

Someone wanted to refute, but Wei Sheng raised his hand to stop him: "Don't talk too much for now. Everyone should state their goals and explain the reasons. Shi Qilang, you can say whatever you wanted to say just now."

Shi Qilang stood up, also bowed, and said loudly: "I know Zhang Silang is worried about his father's safety. I am worried too, but things are not done like this. It's like when a house is on fire. The first thing to do is not to get water, but to move the firewood and fuel around.

My point is simple, Commander-in-Chief. The fact that our loyal and righteous army has defeated the Jin bandits is truly inspiring! If we can strike while the iron is hot and recapture Yishui County in one fell swoop, crushing the remaining Wuxing troops, that would truly shock both Shandong regions and be a major victory unseen in a decade.

If we can seize this opportunity to attack Yidu Prefecture and smash the Jin thief's plaque in front of the Shandong Military Command, then our loyal army will be able to shake the world."

Liu Huai held the meat bun and sneered.

Shi Qilang's plan was naturally feasible, because at that time the Tianping Army was on the left wing, the Dongping Army was on the right wing, and Li Bao was leading the navy behind them. The Zhongyi Army only had to rush north.

The people's livelihood in the two areas of Shandong was in decline and they were suffering from cruel exploitation. In addition, a large number of troops were transferred to the two sides of the Si River, whose river channel was taken over by the Yellow River, ready to be deployed, and the country was very empty inside.

If the loyal and righteous army makes a desperate move, although we cannot say that the people will welcome them wholeheartedly wherever they go, we can still say that a state of vibrant vitality and flourishing of all things is just around the corner.

Liu Huai smiled because Shi Qilang's plan perfectly suited his character. He came from a poor family, his entire family dead, and a desperate situation. What he wanted now wasn't even a grand victory or triumph, but to cause as much trouble as possible before his death, to cause as much trouble as possible for the Jin Empire. Of course, if he could become famous, that would be even better. But the key point was, while you might be a poor man who could feed the whole family, there were many others with families and businesses who weren't willing to risk everything for no apparent reason.

Sure enough, Wang Shilong, the next person to speak, rejected Shi Qilang's suggestion.

The reason is very simple. Although the loyal army has won victory after victory, it is exhausted and needs some time to rest.

The Jin and Song were bound to fight, or else the Jin ruler, Wanyan Liang, would be unable to withstand the backlash. So why provoke the Jin at this critical juncture? Once the Jin army marched south and reached Song territory, wouldn't the two armies of Shandong be like unrestrained young ladies, at the mercy of the loyalist army?
Now that they had conquered Yidu Prefecture, it was a great pleasure, but what if they also attracted the Jin army? Wouldn't that just be a pretext for the Song?
As soon as these words were spoken, He Boqiu, Wang Xiongyi, Pang Rugui and others who were from Shandong nodded, while Lu You, Zhang Baiyu, Li Huoer and others who came from the Song Dynasty to the Northern Expedition glared at him.

Wei Sheng had no expression on his face.

Liu Huai saw through things like seeing through fire.

Li Tieqiang of the Tianping Army almost couldn't hold back his laughter.

He had originally thought the internal affairs of the Tianping Army were already complex, and he was somewhat envious of the Zhongyi Army's united efforts. But now, seeing the two factions openly opposing each other in a serious military meeting, Li Tieqiang suddenly understood.

Big brother, don't laugh at second brother. Where there are people, there are factions. No matter how united the loyal army is, how can it be avoided?

Alas, every family has its own problems. It is not easy for Duke Wei and Liu Dalang to fight each other while reconciling the two sides.

Seeing Li Tieqiang's strange expression, Liu Huai immediately felt that he couldn't let this guy laugh at him, so he pointed at him and said, "Li Tieqiang, come here!"

Li Tieqiang was not afraid and bowed deeply, saying, "I feel that the three possible paths forward for the Loyalty Army are all inappropriate. They are either too aggressive or too conservative.

Therefore, I believe that the Loyal Army should split off a group of troops to help our Tianping Army capture Yanzhou first, so as to strengthen our forces in Shandong! After that, the Loyal Army can naturally march north with peace of mind. If the Jin bandits come from the Dahe River, our Tianping Army will naturally protect the Loyal Army's flanks! "

As soon as this dog-hating person made the suggestion, he was immediately met with a lot of cold stares.

This is certainly not to say that the Zhongyi Army will not help the Tianping Army.

In fact, the Tianping Army's support this time was very timely and they fought very hard. The three military leaders personally fought in the front, and the blood soaking through the heavy armor was visible to the entire Loyal Army. People are all made of flesh and blood.

All the officers present, whether they were more chivalrous or had a strategic vision, knew that now was not the time to fight among brothers. Facing the huge Jin Kingdom, helping the Tianping Army was helping themselves.

To put it bluntly, even if you want to tear down the bridge, you have to at least cross the river.

But now is really not the time to move Yanzhou.

To attack such a wealthy prefecture or county, one must be prepared to fight another battle with the regular army. It's not that the Loyal Army doesn't dare, but it's completely unnecessary.

Geng Jing only needs to endure for another month and wait for the Jin army to attack the Song Dynasty. By then, it will not be impossible for him to capture Dongping Prefecture, an important city in Shandong, let alone Yanzhou.

The Tianping Army will be able to gather 10,000 capable soldiers during this reorganization. By then, the Zhongyi Army will cooperate with them to attack Yidu Prefecture and attract the remaining troops from the two routes in Shandong. Wouldn't it be more practical to provide more assistance than dividing the troops?

Seeing this, Li Tieqiang chuckled and sat back, as if he had just said something nonsense to liven up the atmosphere.

Seeing the other party's lazy look, the generals of the Loyal Army were speechless. Then they felt that arguing with him would really lose points, so they spoke one by one.

Of course, in the end, the dispute arose again.

There was no way around it. The Loyal Army's personnel came from too diverse a variety of backgrounds, from all walks of life, with different interests. If it weren't for a serious military meeting, it would be normal for them to draw their swords and hack at each other, let alone quarrel.

At this time, it depends on the political wisdom of those in power.

Wei Sheng’s political wisdom is very simple, that is to smooth things over.

In any case, the Loyal Army needs to rest after the war. During these few days, they will collect intelligence about the surrounding area and then decide on the strategy for the next day.

Of course, we cannot let the Wuxing Army go. Even if we cannot attack the city and kill the soldiers, we cannot stop attacking their hearts.

Many prisoners were captured this time. Wei Sheng had almost never fought such a rich battle before, and there were so many means he could use!

Zhang Chou was in the audience, looking at the meaningful smile on Wei Sheng's lips, and for some reason he shuddered all over.

These remnants of the Wuxing Army are in big trouble, for sure.

(End of this chapter)