Entrepreneurship in the Late Tang Dynasty

Chapter 251 Eastern Front
The following day, before Yang Yanqing could return from Xiaqiu to the new camp near Zhongdu, Zhao Huai'an received the latest battle report from the Yizhou battlefield on the eastern front.

Even if it were the latest battle report, it would still be from ten days ago. Because the land route between Yanzhou and Yizhou was completely cut off by the Cao army, the military report was delivered to Zhao Huai'an from Yishui to Sishui and then to Huanshui.

There were many reports, partly because they knew that information transmission was not timely. In order to ensure that Yang Fuguang's troops on the western front were fully aware of the changes in the current battle situation, these reports were presented in a comprehensive manner, from general to specific and from high to low. It was clear that the staff under Song Wei, the commander-in-chief on the eastern front, was quite mature.

The earliest change was that the main force of the grass army captured Xintai, the most important city in the Laiwu Valley.

Once this strategic stronghold was established, the rebel armies of Pu, Cao, Yan, and Yun provinces suddenly began to have a very clear battle plan, instead of constantly moving around to fight as before.

We have obtained the latest military report from Xiaqiu.

Meanwhile, Song Wei also began to feel anxious after the loss of Xintai. This time, he wrote a letter directly to Zhao Huai'an, expressing his deep concern about how unfavorable the current situation was.

Since the Cao Jue Rebellion, the constant shifting of the military forces has been severely depleting the strength and resources of the various vassal states in the Central Plains.

Judging from the situation of the Taiping Army, at present, they only have some strength in Yunzhou. The two prefectures of Cao and Pu are already broken, and the strength of the entire vassal state has greatly declined. Fortunately, the Taiping Army's private soldiers have also suffered heavy losses, so they can barely keep the army afloat.

The situation of the Yanzhou Navy, now known as the Taining Army, was not much better. Yanzhou, the most powerful of the three, had become a playground for the bandit army, which not only plundered the land but also continuously conscripted villagers from the countryside to serve as soldiers.

Song Wei was initially optimistic about the prospects of suppressing the bandits, because the bandits were unfamiliar with the geography and had chosen a dead-end area as their roaming ground.

The mountains they currently occupy and roam, namely the Lu, Tai, Yi, and Meng mountains, are the most prominent parts of the entire Central Plains.

In other words, as long as the various regional armies surround the rebel army from all four directions, they will be able to stop its escape.

Even with his prestige, Song Wei still expressed his inner weariness and helplessness towards the various regional armies in his letter to Zhao Huai'an.

For example, the armies of Bian Song, Xuzhou, and Huaidong, regardless of whether they were in the Yizhou camp, did not fight with much effort and were just fighting messy battles with the bandit army.

These days, fighting outside Yizhou City, the Cao army, having experienced many battles, is getting stronger with each fight, while the various vassal armies are hesitant and retreating more and more as the fighting continues.

This situation became even more apparent after the rebel army captured Xintai.

As the second passage from Yanzhou into the Yishui Valley, if Xintai were breached, the rebel army could easily enter the north of Yizhou City and directly threaten the areas of Mizhou, Laizhou, and Dengzhou.

Therefore, in order to prevent the rebel army from breaking through from the Xintai area, Song Wei deployed troops in Yishui and Juxian, with 1,000 Taining soldiers guarding Yishui and 2,000 Huaidong soldiers guarding Juxian.

In order to support the two cities, Song Wei also dispatched a thousand soldiers from Wendeng and Laizhou prefectures, each with a local militia, to set up camp in Zhucheng, Mizhou, as reinforcements for the two cities.

In addition, Song Wei borrowed a hundred riverboats from the Huainan military governor and sailed upstream into the Yi River, shuttling back and forth between Yishui City in the north and Yizhou City downstream.

This naval force can transport troops and supplies between the two cities, and also serve as an important force in defending the Yishui waterway.

However, these were all used for blocking and defense. The real force that went to eliminate the cancer in Xintai was another force, namely, Wei Xuanliang, the governor of Yizhou, who led three thousand soldiers from Taining, Xuzhou, and Huaidong into the north of Mengshan Mountain to launch a direct attack on Xintai within the mountain.

Finally, Song Wei continued to coordinate the defense lines of Yizhou and Xintai within Yizhou City, so as to deploy troops to support each other at any time.

Logically speaking, Song Wei's military strategy was not problematic, but after seeing the military report and Song Wei's private letter to him, Zhao Huai'an expressed his concerns to Zhang Guinian and others around him.

He described this defense in one sentence:
"The various regional armies under General Song are already two-faced, and they are more than capable of protecting themselves under the walls of Yizhou. How can they possibly send troops out to launch a proactive attack? Moreover, General Song wants everything, Mi, Lai, and Deng in the north, and Yizhou in the south, but the troops he can actually mobilize are limited. He only has his own 30,000 Pinglu troops, and now he has to defend everywhere. In reality, all of them are just for show."

At that time, in addition to his staff, there were also generals like Wang Jin and Guo Congyun who were loyal to the cause. Because this was a rare large-scale war with a vision covering half of the East, Zhao Huai'an asked these trusted generals how they would allocate troops if they were in their positions, in order to cultivate their overall awareness.

This question is beyond the scope of most regimental and team-level security personnel; their positions do not require them to consider this.

The six generals present—Wang Jin, Guo Congyun, Geng Xiaojie, Liu Xin, Han Qiong, and Gao Qinde—had to answer this question carefully. Clearly, each of the governor's questions was not a simple inquiry; the quality of their answers would greatly affect the future of the six men present.

Therefore, everyone was very cautious. Only Han Qiong knew that she didn't have the brains to answer, so she was the first to answer. After all, ability is one thing, but attitude must be correct first.

Han Qiong preemptively said the following:

"My lord, I know I'm a fool, so I'd rather not think about it. Otherwise, I'm afraid that if I have a sudden inspiration, it would be a small matter if I make a fool of myself, but it would be a great sin to harm my brothers."

"So whatever the magistrate says, we'll do!"

You know what, Zhao Huai'an was quite satisfied with this answer.

In reality, I'm never afraid of having a clever opponent; what I fear is when a fool on my side comes up with a brilliant idea—that's what really causes trouble.

Han Qiong's qualities are certainly not good enough to be a regional commander, but that doesn't matter. In any organization, those who can achieve that level are extremely rare.

While the scarcity of talent is one factor, the main reason is that, in most cases, those in positions of power will not grant this opportunity to generals from outside the official family.

A typical example is Cao Cao at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, who always appointed generals who were relatives of the emperor as commanders and generals from other clans as generals. Therefore, whether one could be a commander depended on trust, not ability.

And this was the Eastern Han Dynasty, known for its loyalty and integrity. Now, do you think Zhao Huai'an would dare to hand over half of his elite troops to Wang Jin?

It wasn't that he didn't trust Wang Jin, but in chaotic times, every man has ambition; who wouldn't want to be called "Lord" by their subordinates?
Even if Wang Jin is utterly loyal, he is loyal to Zhao Huai'an, but how loyal will he be to Zhao Huai'an's son? Wasn't Zhao Kuangyin a loyal subject of Chai Rong in the future?

Okay, even if Zhao Huai'an had a stroke of luck, and the selected Wang Jin possessed golden qualities, remaining loyal to both Zhao Huai'an and his son, what about his son? Would he also be loyal?
Not to mention how far into the future, even in the not-too-distant Five Dynasties period, were such things rare?
Do you think Zhao Huai'an is sincere towards Wang Jin? Of course he is, but Zhao Huai'an is more than just sincere; he doesn't give others the opportunity to test his sincerity.

Take this trip from Guangzhou to the Central Plains, for example. According to the usual practice in Xichuan, he should have left Wang Jin in Guangzhou to guard his home, just like the decisive battle in Hanyuan.

This time, however, Zhao Huai'an insisted on taking Wang Jin with him on the journey north to the Central Plains, while leaving Wang Duo in the shogunate to manage its daily affairs.

Why?

That is, Wang Duo was a civil official, or rather, a staff member, not a government official, and all his power came from Zhao Huai'an.

Wang Jin, on the other hand, was different. He had prestige and was the top general in the army, and was well loved by his subordinates.

To be honest, if Wang Duo wanted to rebel against Zhao Huai'an, he wouldn't even need to send his army back. He could simply send Wang Jin, Zhao Liu, and others south to take Wang Duo's life.

But if Wang Jin stayed in Guangzhou and rebelled, Zhao Huai'an wouldn't be so confident.

It's not about whether it will happen, but about how harmful it will be.

So Wang Duo stayed behind, and Wang Jin was taken by his side.

At this moment, Han Qiong's words did not surprise Zhao Huai'an, and he became even more certain of the direction he should take in training Han Qiong.

A loyal and obedient general guarding the central government plays a role no less important than a capable and skilled commander.

With Han Qiong speaking first, the atmosphere became much more cheerful. Because of her example, the others also began to relax a bit and gave their own answers.

Guo Congyun's strategy is as follows:

"The bandits gathered in Laiwu and Nimeng, seemingly powerful, but in reality they could not coordinate with each other in the north and south, and had become two separate forces."

"Among them, the Laiwu Valley is particularly dangerous. To the north, it can enter Zizhou; to the east, it can enter Yishui; and even to the west, it can cooperate with Huang Cun's bandit army in the Qizhou area. It can be said that they have already occupied Tianyuan and can respond from all sides. The four-sided encirclement that General Song set up, thinking that he was besieging the bandit army in Laiwu, has actually already fallen into the bandit army's trap."

As he spoke, Guo Congyun walked to the side of the screen and, pointing to the map of Qi, Lu, Qing, and Xu, began to draw:

"My lord, take a look."

He first pointed to the Tailu Valley in Xintai and Laiwu, then pointed to Qizhou south of the Yellow River, and said:
"This is the main force of Wang Xianzhi and Huang Chao, while this is the detachment of the Pu, Cao, and Yun grass army led by Huang Cun. They are separated only by the Taishan Mountains, but there are many passages between these mountains, so it would be easy for the two sides to join forces."

"Whether Huang Cun leads troops to Laiwu or Laiwu sends troops to Qizhou, it will strengthen both sides. At that time, can Qizhou or Yi and Mizhou withstand the attack?"

Zhao Huai'an looked at the map, stroked his short beard, and said happily:

"You, Lao Guo, are truly a man of few words, but when you do speak, you amaze everyone! I think you're holding back a big surprise for me. Come on, continue and tell me your thoughts."

Encouraged by the magistrate's words, Guo Congyun felt even more confident. He clasped his hands in a fist and said:

“If I were Wang Xianzhi, I would immediately order Huang Cun’s troops from Qizhou to go back and fight!” These words stunned everyone present.

Guo Congyun, even more confident, repeated:

"Yes, that means we'll fight our way back into the territory controlled by the Taiping Army."

Zhao Huai'an jumped to his feet and walked to the screen, while Zhang Guinian strode over beside him. The two glanced at each other and were greatly surprised:

"Yuncheng!"

Guo Congyun nodded:
"Yes, if I were Wang Xianzhi, I would have Huang Cun jump back from the Zibo-Qingzhou area once again. I estimate that the reason why the Cao army went east to Qizhou and attacked Licheng was to divert the Pinglu army in Yizhou City."

"But after Wang and Huang's army successively captured Xintai and Laiwu, this tactical effect has actually been realized. The army can now enter the north of Yizhou from Xintai and penetrate to the right flank of the Tang army on the eastern front. From Laiwu, they can directly enter Zizhou along Yishan Mountain and attack the territory of the Pinglu military governor, which will allow for a faster and more direct mobilization of the Pinglu army."

"In that case, Huang Cun's troops, who are currently stationed outside Qizhou, would not be of much use if they continued to advance into Zibo and Qingzhou. What would allow them to play a more significant role? It would be to fight their way back to Yuncheng."

Zhao Huai'an and the others were listening. Guo Congyun's hypothesis was very bold, but it was quite likely to come true.

After fighting the bandit army for so long, Zhao Huai'an learned that he should never regard the bandit army in front of him as an ordinary bandit. In the long history, the only team that could rival this one was the Taiping Army of later generations.

Although the Taiping Army occupied the southeastern half of the country, it failed to capture Beijing, while the peasant army was able to capture Chang'an after fighting across the country for five years.

In traditional dynastic changes, once the capital, as the political center, is captured, the dynasty can effectively be declared politically extinct.

But what makes the Li Tang dynasty unique is that it lost Chang'an so many times that people no longer considered losing Chang'an a major issue. As long as it could be recaptured, the Li family could still enjoy the world.

Therefore, in the traditional sense, the achievements of the peasant army in history are far greater than those of the Taiping army.

Faced with one of the most elite rebel groups in history, how could Zhao Huai'an dare to underestimate them?

Guo Congyun was about to speak again, but Fatty Dou shook his head.

"Old Guo, I don't think Huang Cun and his men are very likely to retaliate against Yuncheng. After all, Yuncheng is too far away from Yizhou. What good would it do for Yizhou if they attacked there?"

Guo Congyun touched his nose, then said strangely:

"Doulu Yaya, is it possible that our Baoyi Army is too outstanding and too powerful, and we may not have realized it ourselves, but after the Battle of Caozhou and this battle, the Cao army will definitely treat our army as a major enemy?"

"For the Cao army, the biggest advantage of attacking Yuncheng is that it can mobilize our troops back to Yunzhou, thus getting away from the Yizhou battlefield on the eastern front. After all, all our food and supplies are in Yuncheng. Once we lose Yuncheng, the consequences will be unimaginable."

Everyone present knew the consequences Guo Congyun was referring to: all the spoils of the Baoyi Army officers and soldiers from the several major battles in the Central Plains were left in Yuncheng.

Once Yuncheng falls, these officials and soldiers will definitely turn the world upside down.

This isn't just a few dozen strings of cash per person; even someone as wealthy as Zhao Huai'an wouldn't dare to bail out these people.

Therefore, if the rebel army really shows signs of retaliating against Yunzhou, even if Zhao Huai'an wants to participate in the Yizhou campaign, he will have no choice but to return to Yuncheng.

The saying goes, "The orders of the masses cannot be disobeyed." If one insists on persisting, it will not only damage one's authority but also lead to a worse outcome.

After hearing Guo Congyun's explanation, Zhao Huai'an added:
"That's just one point. My elder brother is currently stationed in Caozhou, and Huang Cun's army is indeed showing signs of returning. My elder brother will definitely be extremely anxious and issue eighteen imperial edicts in succession, ordering me to return to the capital."

At this point, Zhao Huai'an also sighed:
"We must learn this lesson this time: if we rashly deploy our forces to fight the enemy's main force before defeating their detachment, we will suffer the consequences."

In Zhao Huai'an's memory, he had seen the Soviet version of the Battle of Waterloo and was familiar with that decisive battle that determined Napoleon's fate.

Throughout the battle, Napoleon maintained the initiative at Waterloo. Had he been given a few more hours, he would undoubtedly have been the victor.

However, at the crucial moment of the decisive battle, the Prussian army, which was part of a smaller force, arrived at the Battle of Waterloo, directly reversing the course of the battle.

And what about this Prussian army? In fact, it had been defeated by the French army in several battles before Waterloo, but the French only managed to defeat it, not annihilate it.

Napoleon was aware of this risk, so he sent a detachment to continue pursuing the Prussian army. However, they fell into a Prussian trap and were drawn in another direction by the trailing Prussian troops.

And so the history of Europe was decided.

Now, upon hearing Guo Congyun's bold analysis, Zhao Huai'an suddenly thought of the Battle of Waterloo, and what was particularly similar was the Huang Cun's bandit army.

He defeated the main force of the Cao army in Yuanju and Caozhou, but he could only defeat them and not annihilate them, which allowed as many as 20,000 to 30,000 Cao troops to enter Qizhou.

What makes him even worse than the emperor is that the emperor specifically sent a detachment to pursue the enemy's detachment, while Zhao Huai'an thought it was over after driving them away, and then rashly rushed into the Yanzhou battlefield.

Moreover, in order to mislead the Yanzhou rebels, Zhao Huai'an "cleverly" divided his troops, deploying Xuanwu, Hewudang, and Jindao in Rencheng in the southwest.

Now, with all his troops entering Yanzhou territory, the relatively stable provinces of Cao, Pu, and Yun are now militarily depleted.

Now, apart from the six or seven thousand Tianping soldiers in Yunzhou City, there are less than five thousand Zhongwu soldiers left in the entire three prefectures.

Neither the Taiping Army nor Yang Fuguang were reliable.

At that time, Huang Cun's bandit army could bypass Yunzhou City directly, and they could pretend not to see it. Even after the enemy arrived in Qizhou and stationed their troops in Licheng, the Taiping Army in Yunzhou still stayed in the city and did not take the initiative to attack the bandit army from both sides.

With such thoughts in mind, how could Zhao Huai'an dare to expect the Tianping Army to intercept Huang Cun's bandit army marching south?

Zhao Huai'an was well aware of Yang Fuguang's thoughts.

The Zhongwu Army is capable of fighting, but Yang Fuguang will definitely have these people guard Caozhou City first. As for Yuncheng, even if you ask them to help defend it, they can't do anything about it.

At this moment, Zhao Huai'an learned something new.

In any case, whether at the operational or strategic level, a reserve force is essential.

Often, in the end, whoever has reserves will win.

Just like now, after the Tang army on the eastern and western fronts has been deployed one after another, Huang Cun's troops, who have always been outside the Yizhou battle, seem to have become the key force that determines the outcome.

This wasn't Zhao Huai'an overestimating himself; it was simply the reality.

When Song Wei sent him the military deployment from more than ten days ago, he knew that Song Wei's side was bound to lose. And who else but the Baoyi Army could play a decisive role in turning the tide on the Yan and Yi battlefields?
In particular, now that they have defeated Wang Chongyin's bandit army in central Yanzhou and gained control of the Wen River waterway, they can not only continue to penetrate deeper into the Laiwu Valley, but also divert water directly to Xintai.

In other words, the two most important strategic strongholds of Wang and Huang Caojun are connected by the Wen River via the expressway in front of them.

After defeating the rebel army in Zhongdu, Zhao Huai'an had already entered this high-speed passage. With the capabilities of his naval fleet, he could directly deploy his troops to Laiwu and then Xintai, thus forming a pincer movement with Song Wei in the east.

This is why he stayed in Zhongdu even though he was only a day or two away from Xiaqiu. It was because Zhao Huai'an had never attacked Zhongdu to rescue Xiaqiu; he had come specifically to attack Zhongdu.

These bandits habitually overlooked the importance of waterways, unaware that their lifeline was actually in Zhao Huai'an's hands.

So Zhao Huai'an always felt that he had the upper hand, but now, with Guo Congyun's analysis, he suddenly realized that while he was weakening the enemy's throat, they seemed to be seizing his lifeline as well.

At this point, what should we choose?
Just as Zhao Huai'an was in a dilemma, even hoping that the common army didn't have this overall perspective, He Weidao rushed in from outside the tent and brought Zhao Huai'an two pieces of extremely bad news.

One of them was sent by a spy from Huang Cun's side. Just two days ago, the higher-ups once again ordered the young generals to set off from the city of Licheng. As for where they were going, even the young generals did not know.

The other one was sent by spies from Wang and Huang's side.

As Zhao Huai'an had predicted, the battle unfolded as Yizhou Prefect Wei Xuanliang suffered a crushing defeat at Mengyin, with his 3,000 elite troops from various vassal states annihilated. At this time, Wang and Huang Cao's army had already taken advantage of the situation to enter the Yi River and broke through the Yi River defense line with rafts, entering the river area between the Yi and Shu Rivers, and was attacking Yizhou City from the right rear.

As a result, the situation on the Eastern Front completely collapsed.

Upon receiving these two pieces of information, Zhao Huai'an sat down on a stool, speechless.

(End of this chapter)