After the military order was issued, the first to move were the Tian Division's Central Division. In the following days, countless soldiers of the Right Army of the Imperial Camp packed up their bags and retreated from the front line in an orderly manner under the protection of the support troops in the rear. A large number of cities in Hebei Province that had just been captured but were located to the east and north were abandoned. The army began to cross the complex rivers and gather in a few large cities or military camps that were closer to the main forces of the Imperial Camp's front army.
Once the Song army began its Northern Expedition, the situation became chaotic, and armed reconnaissance and spies began to exist and spread widely.
Not to mention armed reconnaissance, that is, infiltration of scouts and small troops, things like spies also became very common... The Song army would do it, and the Jin army would do it too. Often a small boat would float through various branches of the Yellow River at night, passing through the ditches and woods, and then arrive in the form of a password or a token... And whether it was the Jin or Song Kingdom, the spies they used were generally local Han people from Hebei.
Under such circumstances, things outside the military camp could not be concealed at all, and the abnormal deployment of the Right Army of the Imperial Camp on such a scale could not be concealed, and it immediately attracted the attention of all parties and caused a chain reaction. As a result, Yue Fei's self-righteous plan encountered unexpected interference from the very beginning, which directly affected his layout and arrangements.
But this unexpected reaction did not come from the Jin army.
In fact, from a military logic point of view, the Jin army leaders in Hebei had no reason to feel particularly confused about the Song army's retreat... Wang Bolun's encounter was a perfect reason, and the fact that the main force of the Jin Kingdom was gathering in the rear was an even more fatal fundamental reason.
The commander of the Song army could have sensed danger from Wang Bolong's dispatch and the large-scale conscription of the signed army, and retreated drastically.
Therefore, the retreat of the Right Army of the Imperial Camp was within a reasonable military logic chain from the very beginning. Any qualified military general should have anticipated the contraction of the Song Army... It's just that the Song Army contracted so quickly and decisively, and over such a wide range, it's somewhat admirable.
In addition, another important reason why the Jin army's reaction was within Yue Fei's expectations was actually due to one person.
Gao Jingshan.
As early as several years before, during the confrontation and interaction with the Jin army on the other side of the river, Yue Fei had already noticed the character of this commander-in-chief of the Jin Kingdom's Damingfu Military Command - this man was conscientious and responsible, had military experience, political talent and political status, but for some reason, he had always been very conservative.
This was first revealed seven years ago when this man followed the Eight Character Army across the river without firing a single arrow, and his response measures since the war began have all been able to verify it...the conservative retreats and abandonments, the navy's long avoidance of battle, the construction of defense measures in Daimyo Prefecture, including the more than 20 artillery vehicles aimed at the river, all explain the problem.
Not to mention that the artillery is fixed or something, the key point is that it takes time to build the artillery... This time is not only about the process of building the artillery, but also about whether you have to build the artillery position at the ferry in the city. Do you need to demolish the house in advance? Do you need to build a artillery workshop?
However, after Yue Fei broke through Daming City and faced Yuan City across the river, most of the artillery on the opposite side had already been in place. This shows that Gao Jingshan may have immediately started to prepare the city defense as soon as the Song army went north, or as soon as the third prince Erlido died, and he did not leave any loopholes.
I don’t know whether I should admire this person’s calmness or his intelligence.
This character was actually another factor that led Yue Fei to decide to launch a large-scale offensive before the ice formed.
In short, this conservative commander, in conjunction with the fact that the main force of the Jin Kingdom was gathering in a large scale, did not carry out direct military interference, nor did he make large-scale military adjustments around Daming Prefecture - Gao Jingshan had no intention of seeking credit at all.
Wang Bolong did take action, which was expected.
Although this person was under the command of Daming Prefecture, one could tell from his station that he had always felt disconnected from the four Wanhu surrounding Daming Prefecture. Coming from north to south at this time, he had reason to avoid Gao Jingshan's military order. In addition, this person had a strong style, so it was normal for him to make some pursuit moves.
However, it was impossible for Wang Bolong to pursue the enemy deeply... On the one hand, there was the danger of advancing alone, and on the other hand, he must have a supreme military order from Wanyan Wushu or someone like that, requiring him to take position in a certain area (most likely the area north of Xiajin).
In fact, his general's flag did stop in the north of Xiajin, while his subordinates crossed the northern fork of the Yellow River East Road, swept Dezhou, and chose to withdraw after several battles with the Song army.
However, even if the military development was exactly as Yue Fei expected, he still miscalculated and caused a great delay in the plan. To be frank, the real surprise was not the Jin army, nor the political pressure from Tokyo in the rear... Tokyo's reaction was not so fast, and no matter how big the reaction was, it would not have a direct impact on the front line... The people of the three states at the intersection of the Yellow River East Road had the most direct impact on the military plan.
That is, the remnants of the three states of Hebei that had just been liberated.
Although the Right Army of the Imperial Camp has never been a model army, it depends on who it is compared with. At least it is not too far from Tokyo, and is closer to Yue Pengju and the Front Army of the Imperial Camp, most of whom are from Hebei. The Right Army of the Imperial Camp would not dare to massacre the city and loot, right?
What's more, the common people did not understand the situation. They only saw that the Right Army of the Imperial Camp had just occupied the town for a few dozen days and then retreated in large numbers. Naturally, they would feel panic - if the Jin army came back again, would they massacre and abduct the Han people like they did eight or nine years ago?
At the same time, the Jin Kingdom also launched a massive conscription of soldiers in the prefectures and counties surrounding the northern route of the Yellow River. The men of entire villages and towns were dragged away... Just across the river that freezes in winter, who doesn't have relatives or friends there? Who wouldn't pass on some gossip?
So even if the Jin army didn't kill people, it was already a sure thing that they were conscripting men. When the swords were merciless on the battlefield, would anyone need to teach them how to die without a burial place? It's only been a few years? Except for children, who hasn't experienced war?
So, whether they admired the virtue of the royal teacher, had feelings for the Imperial Song Dynasty, or were afraid of war, as soon as the right army of the imperial camp moved, more than 100,000 people from the three states followed south with their families.
There is nothing much to say about this. Although it will seriously hinder the retreat and assembly of the right army of the Imperial Camp and will also create huge pressure on logistics and people's livelihood, it is impossible to expel them at this point... The several battles between Wang Bolun's troops and the Song army in Dezhou area took place in this context.
Even Yue Fei could only send troops quickly to support Tian Shizhong after hearing the news. Then he personally wrote a letter to Wanqi Xie in Jinan, asking him to take him in. At the same time, he did not forget to write documents and secret letters to Tokyo and Hedong to apologize.
There is no way, really no way.
As a native of Hebei, Yue Fei could not just leave these people alone, but the army was not responsible for this. Once he focused his attention on these war refugees, his military plan might really be aborted.
Fortunately, on the first day of mid-November, along with the obviously angry inquiries from Tokyo, there were also official documents and private letters from Wanqi Xie... In the official document, the latter promised to use the military camp of the Imperial Camp Front Army in Henan as a camp to temporarily accept these Hebei refugees, and at the same time organize local men to replace some of the able-bodied men from Jingdong to participate in the transportation to the rear.
But this matter is destined not to last long. The pressure on both sides of Jingdong is also very great. These people must be encouraged to return home as soon as possible, preferably before the spring plowing next year. Yue Fei must also explain this to the central government and ask the central government to replenish their supplies.
At the same time, in another private letter with his signature, Wanqi Xie did not forget to seriously remind Yue Fei that he should take the initiative to honestly tell Zhao and Zhang about his plan and explain the whole story. He should not give up communication just because he thinks he is right, and he should not take things for granted just because of the emperor's absolute trust.
Of course, Wan Qixie also made it very clear in the letter that he believed that with Yue Fei's ability to deal with people, he must have reported to Emperor Zhao when he made up his mind, and there must have been some talk in Tokyo... But the key lies in attitude! The statement to the emperor should be direct and clear, and the statement to the prime minister in Tokyo must be detailed and clear, preferably with drawings and articles.
Moreover, according to his guess, Tokyo would soon send envoys to the front line, and they had to be prepared.
After reading the official documents and private letters, Yue Fei felt relieved for a moment, but he couldn't help feeling complicated... because he really did immediately provide a document to the Tokyo direction that day, and also sent his own personal school Bi Jin to serve as a messenger to Emperor Zhao. The date was almost here, but the officials in the Tokyo direction would still be angry and dissatisfied, and even his old partner Wanqi Xie was worried that he could not maintain a gentle attitude towards the rear.
This is really frustrating.
However, no matter what, when Wanqi Xie extended a helping hand without hesitation, Yue Pengju could finally breathe a sigh of relief and continue his military plan with extraordinary determination...even though the situation was already in a very unfavorable and tense point due to the delay in refugee affairs.
In other words, although there was no specific anticipation for this incident, it was almost inevitable that problems would arise in a military plan involving tens of thousands of combat troops and hundreds of thousands of auxiliary troops.
Yue Pengju will not be shaken by this, it will only strengthen his determination.
On November 13, the third day after Tian Shizhong's troops arrived at the military camps around Daming City during the chaos, the weather turned gloomy. This was a good opportunity. Knowing that he could not wait any longer, Yue Fei conveyed the military order directly to each unit in the evening.
After receiving the military order, the first to move that evening were the imperial navy at Malingdu.
Maling Ferry is located at the mouth of a river just over ten miles upstream of Daming City and Yuan City. This place is the fork of the Yellow River's East and North Routes. At this moment, many naval vessels of the Imperial Camp suddenly began to move under the cover of night, but most of them were confused... There was no way. Most of their commanders and leaders had only received orders today, so many people speculated based on the route and thought that they were going to the east to continue to protect the retreat of the Imperial Camp's right army.
However, there are always exceptions.
There are three people in Malingdu who knew the whole plan early on. One is Zhang Rong who came here in person to take charge. The other is You Xuejiu, who organized documents (read and wrote letters) and was in charge of diplomacy (serving orders at banquets) for Zhang Rong when he was in Liangshanpo... Of course, he is now a councilor who was awarded the title of Jinshi... The last one, of course, was Xiao En, the commander who had been prepared for it and prepared his troops after receiving the military order today and led the troops to the northwest alone.
"Does Lao Xiao have anything to say?"
Hearing the noise outside, Zhang Rong, who had been waiting for a long time in a house in the village behind the ferry, asked directly... After so many years, he could really recognize even the footsteps of You Xuejiu.
"What do you have to say?" You Xuejiu came in and said to Zhang Rong, who was sitting on the kang in a cotton jacket. "If he had anything to say, it wouldn't be him!"
Zhang Rong was speechless and just sighed.
"Besides, you shouldn't have said anything in the first place." Seeing this, You Xuejiu could only continue to persuade. "The principle of loyalty and patriotism in the court newspapers sounds true. Even if we don't talk about this great principle, the government patrolled the river two years ago, and you also used the excuse of cleaning up the vegetable-eating monsters to tidy up the troops. You said it very clearly that day... What's different today? Going home means being a good citizen and a rich man, obeying the law, and you can live a peaceful life. Staying here means being a soldier and eating food. Being a soldier means obeying military orders and abiding by military laws, and you have to put your head on your belt..."
"I understand the truth, but I always feel a little sorry for him..." Zhang Rong couldn't help but interrupt the other party, and it was obvious that he was still struggling.
"Then let's not talk about these principles, just talk about loyalty. Old Xiao is not loyal?" You Xuejiu directly put his hands together and sat next to the other party. "You are stubborn and refuse to go, making things difficult for you... Then you will let down the government, Marshal Yue, and the people of Hebei who are fleeing in the winter. You will be disloyal, unjust, unkind, and lawless. The banner of justice will be taken away. Will he be happy? Chief, what's wrong with you today? Isn't it just risking your life? We have been on Liangshan since the time of Emperor Daojun. Who cares about life? If you lose your life today, is it because the government does not allow the tablet to enter the Yuetai, or because you don't support your family? Why do you look down on your brothers like this? When we had no idea, weren't you the one who talked the most? The situation today is so simple, why are you confused? Are you really used to a peaceful life?!"
By the end of his words, You Xuejiu's tone had become somewhat high-pitched.
"What do you know, a man who can't even pass the imperial examination?" Zhang Rong was also a little impatient. "Every time has its own difficulties, every time has its own ideas... To be honest, I'm just used to living a peaceful life... Ten years ago, when the Jin Kingdom first attacked, all the men and women in our village, big and small, who could paddle and get on the boat, fought hard. At that time, there was no such incident. The key point is that the current situation is actually not bad, and there is no need for everyone to fight hard. Isn't this obvious?"
"Oh..." You Xuejiu folded his hands in a daze. "What the big boss meant is not about risking one's life, but why when there is only one person out of ten who wants to risk his life, it has to be our turn? And when assigning tasks, you have no choice but to assign the risk-taking task to the brother who cares the most about you?"
"You hit the point." Zhang Rong slapped his thigh, sighed, and talked non-stop, as if he was explaining something. "In the final analysis, I trust the emperor. He works so hard and has been working hard for ten years. I always think that the Northern Expedition can be successful... Since ancient times, the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, how could an emperor fail to succeed despite working so hard? I also trust Pengju. Pengju and I have been brothers and neighbors for ten years. I know his ability and character in commanding troops. If he says it can be done, then the matter may seem absurd, but it is probably not absurd inside, and it can probably be accomplished... But this is what makes me sad!"
"I understand now, don't I?" You Xuejiu nodded repeatedly, "But, great leader, someone has to do this heart-wrenching thing, right? In a favorable battle, there have to be scouts and baits; in an encounter, there have to be vanguards and blockers; when attacking a city, there has to be someone to climb the ladder first... Lao Xiao's case seems to be a waste of time and effort, but in fact, from the overall situation and the war, it is inevitable. Since it is inevitable, why think so much about it?"
Zhang Rong shook his head repeatedly, but stood up from the kang covered with a cotton-padded jacket, walked around the scholar barefoot, got off the kang, picked up his shoes, and walked to the door before turning back:
"I'll ride my horse to Gucheng to watch... You should also not sit idle, go to Damingcheng to meet Yue Pengju and prepare to meet Lao Xiao and his group of brothers."
Xuejiu You was stunned for a moment, said "Oh", then reacted and quickly got up and got off the kang.
The two men walked out of the house together and came outside. Seeing the obvious movement in the village, they felt helpless but had nothing to say. They just led their horses and prepared to go to Daming City and Gucheng respectively.
However, the two of them mounted their horses and walked to the north gate. They separated for only a moment. In the dark night, Zhang Rong suddenly came to his senses, but turned back and yelled at the dark night: "You deserve to be fucked, didn't Lao Xiao ask you, a bastard, to persuade me just now? And you still say you have nothing to say?!"
However, in the twilight obscured by dark clouds, You Xuejiu simply walked away with his horse in his arms, turning a deaf ear to the words.
Zhang Rong was helpless. He heard the movement in the river and understood the reasons in his heart, but he just reined in his horse and circled around for a while. Then he asked the guards beside him to raise torches and hurried on.
Let's not talk about You Xuejiu going to Damingcheng to see Yue Fei. Let's just say that Zhang Rong personally rode a horse to Guchengcheng. The journey was only more than ten miles. Along the way, he saw a large the fork. It was lined up all the way from Malingdu to the battle array, and it was unexpectedly continuous, just like his own navy ships. Then there were countless armored soldiers on both sides, patrolling non-stop. Although there was a military order to keep silent before, in such a situation, just ordinary actions have already made a lot of noise. When he arrived in Guchengcheng, he saw densely packed civilians gathered together, and half of the town was brightly lit.
My mood is becoming more and more complicated.
There was no way. The so-called complexity meant that on the one hand, he felt helpless, knowing that this movement could not be concealed from Yuancheng, and Xiao En had to do it on this trip; on the other hand, he was also infected by the solemn atmosphere along the way, and gradually put aside all his previous thoughts and the persuasion of Xiao En with the help of You Xuejiu, and became serious.
The person in charge of the situation in Gucheng was Wang Gui, deputy commander of the Imperial Camp's front army. When he saw Zhang Rong coming in person with a stern face, he was caught off guard and hurriedly bowed to greet him.
As for the rest of the people, when they saw Jiedu Zhang and Deputy Governor-General Wang gathering in this town, they all knew that this was the key point.
"Jiedu, the boat has arrived." Wang Gui was obviously a little nervous, so much so that he was a little out of breath in the dark, and the white air he exhaled was particularly obvious under the torch. "We can't delay, it's not that cold tonight, I'm afraid the ice road can't be built... Let's use rolling logs!"
"Then use the log!" Zhang Rong responded immediately, but he added as if to encourage himself. "These are all methods commonly used in the dock, and they have been tested three times. There is no reason why they can't work! Hurry up!"
Wang Gui nodded heavily, without hesitation, and turned around to order: "Tugboat!"
Upon hearing the order, a small steamer that had been waiting in front of the dock near the town's port immediately started its water wheel and gently sailed towards the open-air dock. Then, under the nervous gaze of everyone, it used inertia to rush up the wooden slope that was not found in ordinary docks, exposing the bottom of the ship.
If you continue looking down, you will find that this wooden slope actually runs through half of the town, and there is a wooden path connecting it in the distance.
Inertia seems huge and heavy, but it is ultimately no match for gravity. Under certain circumstances, gravity will eventually be hindered by friction, but human power can overcome nature.
Sure enough, although the speed of the ship was getting slower and slower, it finally kept the steering wheel straight and rushed up the gentle slope. With a slight sway of the bow, it finally turned slightly upward and stopped at the end of the dock.
Seeing this, the laborers who were pedaling the boat and the helmsman came down together. At the same time, more laborers who had been waiting for a long time also swarmed up. They tied ropes barefoot around the muddy boat, fixed objects, and laid rolling logs in front. But after a moment of preparation, they scattered again, trying to drag the boat onto the wooden path in front like pulling a boat... They had done several experiments before and knew what to do.
However, what was astonishing was that hundreds of laborers and countless livestock, both horses and oxen and mules, all struggled westward, but for some reason, they were still unable to drag the small steamer, so that everyone was frustrated and at a loss.
Zhang Rong and Wang Gui, the two people who made the decision, were equally dumbfounded, but also anxiously sweating profusely... It had worked before, so why not now? If this didn't work, wouldn't Xiao En's trip to Yuancheng be a waste? Should we call a halt? If this didn't work, Wang Gui would be Yue Fei's brother, so he wouldn't be afraid of military law?
In the midst of everyone's panic, Zhang Rongqiang tried to remain calm. He simply unbuttoned his cotton jacket, put it on his shoulders, and stood with his hands on hips. Wang Gui, as the executor, was helpless. On the one hand, he asked people to check the boat to see if there was anything stuck. On the other hand, he called the leader of the laborers and scolded them to work hard, and at the same time, he asked people to call more laborers.
When Wang Gui finished scolding, the civilian leaders were ready to disperse and try again with different expressions. Under the torch, Zhang Rong suddenly raised his hand and called to one of them:
"Don't go!"
The man was startled and quickly turned around and bowed.
"I remember you, the captain who always followed our navy, right?" Zhang Rong looked at him seriously. "I saw you wanted to say something just now? Do you know what's wrong?"
The leader of the civilians, Zhou Bin, had not yet responded when Wang Gui looked at him seriously, which frightened him so much that he lowered his head again.
"General Wang, don't scare them." Zhang Rong stamped his feet. "These soldiers are all from the military settlements on the banks of the Yellow River. They are either retired brothers or have suffered from war. If you act like this, they will either be dissatisfied or very scared!"
Wang Gui turned around awkwardly, but couldn't help but stop three or four steps away to see Zhang Rong coming to ask in person.
As expected, as soon as Wang Gui left, Zhou Bin said carefully and seriously: "Jiedu... I was just thinking that it might not be something that got stuck, nor that we don't have enough strength, but there is a military order today not to make loud noises, plus it's cold at night, people are distracted, so their strength is scattered. If we can shout slogans, we can definitely pull it on the road with just one boat."
Wang Gui was still puzzled and thought that this person was talking nonsense, but Zhang Rong and several old brothers from Liangshanpo beside him came from certain backgrounds and knew that this person had hit the nail on the head. They were immediately relieved and went to see Wang Gui together.
Wang Gui still didn't believe it, but after a while, the people who went to check the ship came back and just said that there was no problem. Zhang Rong looked at him coldly again, but he could only try his best.
Soon, the ban was lifted and Zhou Bin was appointed as the commander here.
As a result, Zhou Bin was too cautious. After the laborers and the animals were ready, he ran over to ask, "Excuse me, Commander-in-Chief, who should take charge?"
Wang Gui became more and more impatient, so he pointed at Zhou Bin and asked him to do it.
But at this moment, Zhang Rong, who had been impatient for a long time, suddenly stopped pretending, and threw his cotton jacket to the ground, walked down in his cowhide carved boots, and directly snatched the rope from the slightly older civilian in the muddy water, and turned around and said: "Do you recognize me, Zhang Rong of Liangshanpo? I, Zhang Rong, will sing the song! Do you know how to sing the song of Liangshanpo in Jingdong?!"
Wang Gui and other members of the Imperial Camp's front army, as well as countless civilians, were all stunned. On the other hand, the Imperial Camp's navy, from top to bottom, had no reaction at all and just burst into laughter.
But Zhang Rong was of such a good temper that he didn't care about the reactions of the people around him. After hearing the laughter and angrily scolding, he started singing.
That’s right, the horn is meant to be sung, not shouted, but the tone is long and the emphasis is emphasized, making it easier for everyone to work together.
Wang Gui stood there in a daze, his mind blank. Although he had lived in Jingdong for almost ten years, it took him half a day to understand the lyrics.
As the saying goes:
"I was sweating all over at the sound of the call,
I get braver when I hear the call.
A rope is nine feet and three meters long.
Fathers and sons, generation after generation, shoulder the responsibility.
The government asked for the flower and stone tribute.
One gang means ten large ships.
The boat went from Jiangnan to Henan.
It requires hundreds of thousands of trackers.
I walked through the two capitals but no one asked,
Who knows that the boatman is so cold in his heart..."
This song is definitely inappropriate for use now, but it is definitely useful, because when Zhang Rong sang the number ten, hundred, thousand, the ship had successfully left the dock and landed on the flat wooden road at the rear. The wooden road was full of prepared rolling logs. When the ship was pressed with the rolling logs, the workers immediately felt much more relaxed.
Moreover, once we arrived here, the terrain was open and we had more livestock and manpower available than before in front of the dock.
So, this ship equipped with a small catapult immediately started its land sailing.
As for Jiedu Zhang Rong, although he succeeded in one fell swoop, he had to sing the entire song and followed the boat for a long time before he turned around and put on his cotton jacket.
By this time, the second ship had been successfully launched, and the third ship, a large one, had also begun trying at another larger open-air dock outside the town.
"The boat will definitely be able to move, so I won't stay here." Zhang Rong came back and gave an order to Wang Gui, who had not yet reacted. "But you, General Wang, are not a workaholic. You should listen to others more... Don't worry about anything else, boil enough water first."
"Don't worry, Governor." Wang Gui came to his senses and quickly bowed his head, respectfully. "There will definitely be no shortage of hot water and hot meals."
"That's not what I meant." Zhang Rong replied solemnly. "The two methods we discussed before, one is log rolling, and the other is a shallow ice track... The ice track can't be formed now, right?"
"right!"
"But there will still be thin ice," Zhang Rong reminded seriously. "In the second half of the night, thin ice will form on the rolling log and inside the dock, which can easily cause accidents... Keep pouring hot water on it! And pay attention to the rolling log, and replace it immediately if it breaks!"
Wang Gui suddenly realized and responded repeatedly.
Zhang Rong said no more, mounted his horse again, and headed straight for Daming City. However, he had not gone more than five or six miles when he suddenly heard a burst of shouting and killing in the night sky in the southwest. He didn't know how many people were acting at night, and he was so frightened that he reined in his horse and circled around... Zhang Rong knew that he had received a report from the fast horse from Daming City, knowing that the ancient city could not be concealed. It was also possible that someone had reported it after the first ship was successfully launched. But no matter what, the feint attack plan was launched in advance.
That’s right, this is Yue Fei’s so-called strategy, at least it is one of them.
In fact, to put it bluntly, if one wants to capture Yuan City, a fundamental problem is how to ensure that the Song army has a local military advantage, and then calmly arrange positions and attack the city without interference.
To achieve this goal, let's not talk about what happens after the Yellow River freezes. Before the Yellow River freezes, given the terrain of Yuancheng, it is necessary to ensure that the river can be controlled. As long as the navy can appear on the river near the city, it will be of great help whether it is for siege, defense against interference from external enemies, or retreat when necessary.
However, Gao Jingshan had been a military leader in Daming Prefecture for many years, so how could he not know this truth? The more than 20 artillery vehicles were a preemptive deployment targeting this vital point, and they were truly ruthless, and the imperial navy was completely helpless.
Yue Fei's response to this was incredible, but also very simple, even simple to the point of being a little crude - this place was only a dozen miles away from the fork in the Yellow River, and the two rivers were only a dozen miles apart, so why not drag the boats over from the land and bypass the blocked river directly?
This idea may seem incredible, but in fact, there is no big problem. After Yue Fei explained it in detail that day, Zhang Rong felt that it was feasible because there was dry dock technology in this day and as early as the time of Emperor Taishang Daojun, someone had built a dry dock next to the Jinming Lake to repair the large dragon boats in the lake that were destined not to go into battle.
Moreover, inland river vessels all have flat bottoms, which means that rollers can be used to assist in "moving", which is much more convenient than pointed-bottom sea vessels.
Therefore, the concept of sailing on land was not a fantasy from the very beginning.
However, there are some other requirements for doing so. It is not enough to have just an idea. He has to ensure that the speed is fast and beyond the expectations of the Jin army. On the battlefield, the biggest variable is always people.
Any brilliant military plan, once discovered by the enemy, is bound to be obstructed and interfered with, and no one knows what will happen at that time. In fact, this is also the reason why Yue Fei gave up the conventional method of digging ditches to divert water.
In order to succeed, tonight there must be feints and other actions to cover up, and they must be reasonable feints and covers.
So what would be the reasonable military attempt of the Song army?
"Are you here?"
Following the commotion outside the city, Gao Jingshan, who was sitting in his attic in Yuancheng, wearing a brocade jacket, almost the same as the winter attire of a nobleman in Henan, raised his head slightly, his expression unchanged. "I knew that with such commotion, there must be something wrong... Where is it?"
"South!"
A Jurchen Meng'an bowed his head and said, "Judging from the torches and the posture, there must be thousands of people, maybe tens of thousands, piling up boats and connecting pontoon bridges, preparing for a night crossing!"
"Don't worry about him." Gao Jingshan said disapprovingly. "Just send scouts to carefully investigate along the river, and have the lights on in the south city stay on alert all night... If he really dares to attack, we can use the high walls and strong fortifications to make him powerless."
"What if the Song army attacks Nanle and Weidian?" Jurchen Meng'an hesitated for a moment.
These two places are both in the southwest of Yuancheng. They are considered prosperous strongholds and branch cities.
"Then let Nanle and Weidian defend carefully as well." Gao Jingshan seemed to have come to his senses. "If they can't hold on, tell the two garrisons to retreat to Yongji Canal at night and enter the city at dawn."
"Yes." The Jurchen Meng'an responded helplessly and hurried downstairs.
Gao Jingshan continued to sit on the attic, feeling bored for a moment, but he couldn't help but look at a servant beside him. The latter understood and quickly bowed his head to ask:
"Does the governor have any instructions?"
"I remembered something." Gao Jingshan sighed. "Go find a small stew pot with a stove, and then find a ask the cook to prepare it... Finally, I'll ask Gao Tongshi to come over and tell him that I want to treat him to a fish meal here."
The attendant responded blankly and went downstairs.
The commander-in-chief has given an order. What's a pot and a fish? A moment later, the pot was set up and the fish was stewed. Gao Jingshan asked someone to find a bottle of Lanqiao Fengyue, but Gao Tongshi had not arrived yet. So, the commander-in-chief of the Jin army simply opened the latest issue of the Song Dynasty's official report stained with blood and drank it by himself.
However, the noise outside the city was getting louder and louder. Although General Gao was as stable as a mountain, he could not stop the countless officials, officers and attendants from coming and going.
"Du Tong!"
Suddenly, another young Bohai Meng'an came to report in person. "The Song army has captured Nanle! The leader is Tang Huai, and the one crossing the river is the central army of Yue's army!"
At this point, Gao Jingshan finally put down the newspaper in his hand in surprise and asked seriously: "How do you know all this?"
"The Nanle garrison commander fled to the west city and did not dare to enter the city, but reported this to me at the foot of the city." Bohai Meng'an was extremely excited. "General, Yue Fei's central army is crossing the river. This is an opportunity!"
"What opportunity?" Gao Jingshan looked puzzled.
"I know the city defense is strict and I cannot leave without permission, but I am willing to ride a horse to Guantao and bring in two Wanhu, Ali and Shaohe, to help overnight and swallow this Song army!" Bohai Meng'an still did not realize the attitude of his commander.
"Nonsense," Gao Jingshan replied helplessly. "For reinforcements to come from Guantao to the south of the city, they either have to pass through the city or cross the Yongji Canal twice... Either way, the Song army would have retreated in the dark... Why do you think the Song army only showed its troops in the south of the city?"
Bohai Meng'an was speechless.
"Besides, do you think I didn't send a letter to Shaohe and Ali?" Gao Jingshan continued to remain silent. "Today the sky is gloomy and there is no moonlight, but there are movements in the three large strongholds on the other side of the river, which can be heard across the river. At that time, I knew that the Song army was going to do something, so I sent a letter to the two Wanhu, asking them to cook at four o'clock, and at dawn, the army will go from north to south to sweep the north of the city for me, but they must be careful not to come at night, so as not to be ambushed and secretly crossed the river in the north... Why do I need you to remind me?"
Bohai Meng'an was even more embarrassed. He turned around and saw another Gao Tongshi from Bohai Gao family arrived and stood on the inside of the attic stairs. He was also embarrassed, so he immediately kowtowed: "I am ashamed that I didn't know that the commander-in-chief was fully prepared. Please punish me!"
"Drag him away and beat him with twenty military sticks!" Unexpectedly, Gao Jingshan actually waved his hand and gave the order to carry out the punishment.
Bohai Meng'an was completely dazed and looked up in shock... There was nothing he could do, he was just being polite, and the apology was just said casually, the key point was the sentence 'the commander-in-chief is fully prepared'!
Gao Jingshan was helpless when he saw this, and could only explain seriously: "I am not punishing you for coming up with this idea. I have already issued a military order that the rotating guards of the four cities and the ferry crossing are not allowed to leave the city without permission. You should have been on the city today. Why did you come up with this idea and come to see me in person, forgetting my military order?"
Bohai Meng'an was completely dejected and could only stand with his hands folded, allowing the two armored soldiers to come up and take him down the stairs to receive the twenty military sticks.
As soon as Meng'an left, Gao Jingshan stood up with a smile and went to greet Gao Tongshi.
Gao Tongshi immediately returned the greeting, and the two of them sat down casually on the attic with the pot of stewed fish. At this time, Gao Tongshi laughed: "There is chaos outside, and the commander-in-chief is in such a good mood!"
"It's not a sentimental thing." Gao Jingshan replied with a sigh. "When Ni Da (white on top and Da on bottom) was still alive, I went on a diplomatic mission to Tokyo. When I came back, we met on the Yellow River outside Damingfu. He stewed fish on the boat to entertain me... Tonight, I was disturbed by the Song army. I don't know why I recalled the past, but I found that our Bohai people were gradually dying, so I disturbed Gao Tongshi."
Gao Tongshi was also saddened when he heard this, and sighed after a while: "Who said it wasn't true? These young people only know that we are cautious and mature, and think that we are conservative and timid, but they don't know why we are like this? Back then, Gao Yongchang rebelled and led the people of Bohai and Goryeo to fight with Taizu for Liaodong. After he was defeated, the brothers Da Tabuye, Shaohe, you and I joined the Jin army. Although the Bohai people are second only to the Jurchens in the country, those of us who stand out are tabooed... Wasn't that Pu Suyue just now? The eldest son of Da (white on top and big on bottom)?"
Gao Jingshan reacted and nodded immediately: "Yes, he was not willing to be controlled by Shaohe in his original position, so Shaohe had no choice but to ask me to dispatch him here."
"No wonder, but why did it come to this?" The high-ranking official continued to sigh. "On that day, among the five people, his uncle Da Tabuye died in battle, and his father Da (white on top and Da on the bottom) expressed resentment and was demoted to guard the ferry and died. I was in the Du Yuanshuai Mansion, but because the Du Yuanshuai originally planned to make me Xi Yin's deputy and a prime minister, I was also tabooed. If you hadn't protected me in time, I would have been killed as a warning to the monkeys. In comparison, the Wulinda brothers, although they were also the Du Yuanshuai's confidants, were appointed and promoted because they were Jurchens. There are also villains like Wen Dun Sizhong, and young people like Salihe and Bendu, who easily rose to prominence because they were born in the direct lineage of Taizu. However, you and Shaohe, only because there were two Bohai Wanhu in the army, and you couldn't get away from them, so you could continue to survive. Young people like Pu Suyue can only hang around these two Wanhu and have no place to display their talents."
It turned out that Gao Tongshi was none other than Gao Qingyi, one of Nianhan's confidants. After Nianhan's death, Gao Jingshan was the only one left to survive.
"Let's not talk about this anymore." Hearing this, Gao Jingshan finally shook his head. "The Great Jin Kingdom is the Wanyan family after all. We eat their food and pay, and we just need to do our duty and have a clear conscience... Today I called the interpreter here, but it's a long night, and the Song people won't let us sleep, so I have to ask the interpreter to accompany me to send it over."
Gao Tongshi, also known as Gao Qingyi, nodded when he heard this and went to get some wine. But just as he raised the glass of wine, he couldn't help but ask in a serious tone, "Is the situation really alright?"
"Look at the southeast crossing." In front of Gao Qingyi, Gao Jingshan finally spoke frankly, but calmly pointed to the southeast. "Although Yue Pengju is young, he is definitely not a man who has gained fame for nothing, and he is definitely not a man who has done useless work... I guess he did this because Wang Bolong disobeyed military orders and showed up for the sake of merit, and because the army here guessed that the Fourth Prince was going to lead a large army, so he retreated while preparing to fight hard... Whether this fight will succeed or not does not depend on showing off in the south of the city, nor on how to sneak in the north of the city, but on whether he can lead the navy across this river mouth!"
Gao Qingyi nodded repeatedly: "So, what is happening in the south and north of the city is all false. When the sky gets light, the Guantao army will go south to sweep the city. It will all be empty. It all depends on whether the navy can sneak across the river mouth."
"That's right!" Gao Jingshan sneered and raised his wine cup. "No matter north or south, they are all fake attacks. It's only today when the sky is gloomy and the moonlight is blocked that they took the opportunity to sneak across the river."
"But what if the Song army doesn't sneak across the border?" Gao Qingyi said with a smile.
"Then I will attack from all sides and investigate carefully." Gao Jingshan suddenly became serious. "Yue Fei is definitely not a mediocre general who can't grasp the key points, nor is he a slacker who will waste his troops, nor is he a general who can't mobilize his subordinates... His actions, instead of sneaking across the river, must have other key actions!"
Just as he finished speaking, there was a sharp whistle from the southeast. Gao Jingshan and Gao Qingyi looked at each other, then both laughed in relief, then raised their glasses and drank them all.
Then open the lid and start stewing the fish.
The stewed fish created a cloud of hot air, filling the entire attic with mist. Combined with the firelight outside the attic, it suddenly became dim.
At almost the same time, several miles away from Yuancheng, in the core area of ​​the Song army camp on the other side of the river, between Damingcheng and Gucheng, Zhang Rong, who had been hesitating here for an unknown period of time, finally turned around and gave up the journey to Damingcheng, and went to help those behind him to tow the boat.