In view of the importance of the plan, I also want to know what Ling Tianfang, who is far away in Jinzhou, thinks about this plan. However, since Jinzhou mainly relies on him to take charge of the overall situation, I am worried about what will happen if he leaves Jinzhou. happened, and after thinking about it again and again, I felt that it was better to let Ling Tianfang stay in Jinzhou. At the same time, he also wrote a letter about his thoughts and the reasons for the formation of his thoughts and ordered them to be sent to Ling Tianfang in Jinzhou immediately, asking him to think carefully and come up with it as soon as possible. Views, return to me.
The pre-war military meeting was held as usual in the conference room of the City Guards House. In addition to officers above the deputy division commander level, Xiao Tang, Mo Lun and Su Minshun were also invited to the meeting. Before the meeting, I had made necessary adjustments to the military personnel as needed, agreed to Cui Wenxiu's recommendation, and appointed Shenei, the former captain of the first regiment of the 2nd Qingyang Guard Division, to be promoted to deputy division commander, replacing Kama. The vacancy left after Bo Fu was transferred; agreed with the recommendation of Liang Chongxin and Mu Lige and appointed Sang Sheng, the former captain of the first regiment of the Qingyang First Guard Division, to be promoted to deputy division commander to take over the vacancy after Mu Lige's transfer. .
Due to the change in my position, I also changed my personal guard to the Guards, and the establishment was expanded from a brigade to a regiment. Kang Jianguo served as the captain of the Guards regiment, and two of the former ** disciples were proud disciples. Yue Shan and Yuchi Bin won my recognition due to their successful performance in the Battle of Jinzhou. After I gave a commendation speech to them, they served as deputy commander and director of the logistics department respectively.
When the twelve people attending the meeting entered the conference room, they were all attracted by the layout of the conference room. In addition to the large map arranged by Ling Tianfang during the last meeting, which is still hanging on the wall, a large wooden platform is placed in the middle of the conference room. On the platform is a lifelike miniature model of the terrain, with mountains, rivers, forests, and There are all flat areas, hills, slopes, and roads, which are obviously miniature models of a specific place. This was also inspired by the detailed map prepared by Ling Tianfang last time. I considered that if a three-dimensional model could be made according to the battlefield location, wouldn't it be more intuitive to display the geographical environment of the battlefield? This will also make it easier for battlefield commanders to make decisions based on terrain characteristics. So I asked Zhan Beishu to find a few craftsmen to vividly simulate the location I chose to prepare for a decisive battle with the Luobi people based on the situation reported by my comprehensive intelligence personnel and the map.
In fact, I was considering a battle with the Luobei people as early as two months ago. Since a battle with the Luobei people is inevitable, we must plan early. So on the one hand, I asked the intelligence department to collect all aspects of intelligence. On the one hand, they are also considering whether to engage in a field battle with the Luobi people or use the solid defense facilities of Qingyang Fucheng for defensive operations.
Both methods of combat have their own advantages and disadvantages. Using city defense facilities for defensive operations can avoid the enemy's superior armored cavalry. The Luobi's armored heavy cavalry is most conducive to fighting in flat terrain, whether it is light infantry or light infantry. Heavy infantry will inevitably suffer heavy losses when faced with the impact of large-scale armored cavalry, and may even be broken through the defense line, causing a rout. Although I successfully formed a heavy infantry division composed mainly of Gaoyue people, the training time is still short after all. Whether it can withstand the impact of the Luobi people's armored cavalry remains to be tested by facts. Moreover, the enemy's strength far exceeds that of our own side. Once defeated, the enemy's cavalry advantage will be fully utilized, and our side may even be in danger of being annihilated.
If you choose a field battle, your side can determine the location of the decisive battle, and you can choose the war location at the national border, which can avoid the damage to the local economy caused by the war. And if we choose to fight defensively, other places outside Fucheng will inevitably be attacked by Luo Bei's invading army, and the economy that I have worked so hard to develop will suffer heavy losses. This is something I extremely don't want to see. Moreover, the enemy came well prepared this time and purchased a large number of siege weapons from foreign countries in advance. The Famini Empire has always been founded on infantry. The country has advanced science and technology and developed industry. The siege weapons produced are of high quality and high price, with superior performance. , which is a great threat to the defensive side. This will also increase the difficulty of one's own defense to a great extent, and the price paid will also be much higher.
But there are many advantages to choosing defensive operations. First of all, if you choose defense, you can make full use of solid city defense facilities, including various defensive weapons, which can greatly damage the attacking party. In today's tough battles, the general loss of offensive and defensive forces is more than 2:1. If The defensive side has strong defensive capabilities, and this ratio will be even higher. This ratio will decrease if the attacking side has superior siege facilities.
In short, choosing between field battles and urban defense battles each has its own advantages and disadvantages, which makes it difficult for me to choose between them. Choosing defensive operations, although the Luobei people have the advantage in military strength and have purchased a large number of advanced siege equipment, Qingyang's city defense construction is no longer what it was in the past. After more than a year of updating, reinforcement and improvement, it cannot be said that it is indestructible. But it may not be easy to capture it, not to mention the strength of my army is not that of Wu Xia Amen. Therefore, if I choose to fight defensively, I am absolutely sure to repel the Luo Bei people's attack. However, the strength of my army in Qingyang The economic and military losses are certainly not a small number.
Choosing a field battle, the first thing our side will face is the arduous test of the newly formed heavy infantry division. If we can withstand the impact of the Luobei's superior armored heavy cavalry, we will take the initiative. However, the enemy's cavalry advantage is too obvious. Although there are not many heavy infantry, they can rely on the numerical advantage of light infantry to make up for it. However, our cavalry still has a certain gap with the Luobei people in terms of quality and quantity, so even if Withstanding the impact of the opponent's cavalry, the outcome of the war is still unknown.
It wasn't until a large amount of intelligence feedback came back from the intelligence department that a vague idea gradually formed in my mind. Although this idea was a bit risky, it also had a certain basis. It could give full play to the advantages of our army and win by surprise. But whether it was feasible or not, we need to work on it. It was discussed at the meeting.
While everyone was making guesses about the model on the desk, I signaled everyone to be silent and asked Molun to give a detailed introduction to the intelligence recently collected and a brief introduction to the upcoming war. Finally, I turned my attention to the army. The officers said, "In view of the importance of this battle, I hope that everyone can express their opinions and speak freely without any scruples or restrictions." Almost every time we have a meeting, I hope that my subordinates can give full play to their subjective opinions. Initiative, considering issues from different perspectives, presents a situation where a hundred schools of thought are contending. Only in this way can different opinions exist, and the shortcomings of one's own considerations can also be discovered.
As soon as I finished speaking, everyone in the room began to think or discuss with their neighbors.
"Sir, I want to talk about my opinion first." The speaker was Mulige. I nodded for him to continue, "I prefer to conduct field battles with the Luobi people in the wild for three reasons. First, our army's heavy equipment The infantry has been well trained and I believe it can withstand the test of any country's heavy cavalry. The Luobei army has added a large number of new soldiers during this Eastern Expedition, especially the infantry camp. The combat effectiveness will definitely decrease as long as we can withstand the enemy's cavalry attack. , our cavalry can break through their infantry defense line, and we can win the initiative; second, intelligence shows that the enemy has purchased a large number of equipment to attack the city first, and the number of infantry is huge. If we adopt defensive operations, our losses will definitely be considerable; Third, if we adopt defensive operations, we can only passively use the city's defense facilities for defense, and we need to abandon other areas outside the city. This will also be a major blow to our economic development and the prestige we have established among the people. I believe that anyone We cannot ignore this." Mulige obviously said this after careful consideration, and at the same time, his words also revealed his strong confidence in the heavy infantry he had trained.
Mulige's words immediately won the support of his deputy Shan Gen, as well as Xiao Tang and Su Minshun. Shan Gen naturally had the same heart as his commander, not to mention that he also had the same feelings for the heavy infantry division composed of his own clansmen. Confidence, while Xiao Tang and Su Minshun did not know much about military matters, but they also knew that fighting in Qingyang would inevitably have a huge negative impact on the local economy, so they also agreed with Mulige's idea.
But not everyone present agreed with Mulige’s idea. Kamapov also expressed his own opinion: “Sir, my subordinates disagree with the views of the leader of Mulige Division, and think that we should still use the city. The reasons for solid city defenses and defensive operations are as follows. The enemy has as many as 200,000 troops. Both cavalry and infantry maintain an absolute advantage over our army. If we fight in the field, it will be a hard battle. First of all, our army Can the infantry resist the Luobi people's armored heavy cavalry? The strength of the Luobi people's heavy cavalry is obvious to everyone, but our army's main force for defense, the heavy infantry, only has 15,000 people, and the army has been in existence for less than a year. We cannot easily draw conclusions about our strength. This is one of the reasons. Our army has only 30,000 cavalry and 15,000 heavy cavalry, while the enemy has 100,000 light infantry and 10,000 heavy cavalry. The infantry, which is almost four times as many as the cavalry we attack, can break through the enemy's defense line. My personal opinion is that it is very difficult. This is the second point. Once we fail in any aspect of attack and defense in the field, the enemy will take advantage of the strength of the enemy. Absolute superiority poses a situation of annihilation for us. This is the third one. If we adopt defensive operations, we can make full use of city defense facilities and weapons to greatly destroy the enemy's effective strength. Moreover, our troops already have experience from the last Qingyang defense battle. , this war will be even easier, and the people in Fucheng will unite to support us. With our current strength, we should be able to defeat the invading enemy. As for the Luobei invasion, it will bring negative consequences to Qingyang’s local economy. It is a huge loss, and there is nothing we can do about it. War is cruel and will inevitably bring losses to people and property, so we can only try to minimize it."
As soon as Kamapov finished speaking, Su Minshun, who was a little excited, stood up: "Commander of Kamapov's Division, I remember someone once told me that Mr. Li had attended the meeting to celebrate the victory of the Qingyang Defense Battle the year before last. You must have been present at that time, but now you are talking about the cruelty of war and the inevitable losses. , then how to explain Mr. Li's oath, and how to face the ordinary people who have high hopes for our army. If you break the trust of the people, the result will be the loss of the people's support. If you lose the people's support, there will be no great cause. Yes! Mr. Li, do you think so?"
Unexpectedly, Su Minshun actually pointed the finger at me in the end, and even defeated my army. Kamapov also seemed a little embarrassed. He did not expect that his military suggestions would be seized by Su Minshun and put on the line, making him confused. How to explain it. I also understand how Su Minshun feels. He has spent a lot of hard work and energy to develop the economy of Qingyang in a decent way. Now he has to give up completely. The construction of more than 20 rural market towns except Fucheng may be destroyed. Once the Luobei people suffered huge losses the year before last, they would definitely have to take revenge this time. In this way, it is possible to return to the situation three years ago, which is something a local official is unwilling to accept in any case.
I ignored Su Minshun and instead turned my attention to Liang Chongxin and Cui Wenxiu. Liang and Cui also expressed their opinions. Liang Chongxin was more inclined to Mu Lige’s opinion, believing that the advantages of heavy infantry could be used to attract people. Detain the enemy's main cavalry, and then use your own cavalry to break through the enemy's weak points; Cui Wenxiu agreed with Kamapov's view and believed that using solid city defense facilities for defensive operations can effectively preserve strength and defeat the enemy. grasp. The officers naturally divided into two groups and started a fierce debate, but no one could convince anyone.
I listened carefully to the opinions of both groups. In fact, they had similar ideas to mine, each with pros and cons. Finally, I stood up, motioned for everyone to remain silent, and walked to the terrain model on the desk. "Everyone, can anyone tell if this is Where?"
Everyone fell silent, and everyone's attention returned to the terrain model. Xiao Tang observed it carefully for a long time, and finally asked with some confusion: "Sir, this doesn't seem to be the terrain in our Qingyang territory, right?"
The words awakened the dreamer, and Mulige first reflected that he was from Yinchuan Prefecture and was familiar with the geography of the northwest region, "Sir, this seems to be the Jian Tou Slope area on the East Tengger Grassland. When I was young, I passed by this area several times with my uncle. Could it be that you want to be there...? But that place is still hundreds of kilometers away from us, and it has already penetrated deep into the East Tengger Prairie!"
As soon as Mulige spoke, everyone looked at me, shocked, confused, and puzzled with all kinds of meanings.
"Yes, I just plan to set up an ambush here to catch the Luobi people by surprise. As the saying goes, if you don't enter the tiger's den, how can you catch the tiger's cubs? The most dangerous place is also the safest. It is precisely because it is deep inside the enemy's territory that it is not Only by attracting the enemy's attention can we achieve the purpose of winning by surprise. I have carefully analyzed the two plans just discussed, but after repeated consideration, I felt that they were unsatisfactory and had insurmountable shortcomings, so I gave up. Come up with these two plans, come up with this plan again, and discuss it with everyone." I nodded slowly and expressed my thoughts.
"But sir, the enemy's main army is as many as 200,000. Even if we want to ambush, we have to mobilize a large number of troops. How can such a large-scale troop operation avoid the detection of enemy spies? Entering enemy territory, there are enemy herdsmen everywhere. It is even harder to keep troop operations secret." Cui Wenxiu first raised a question. This is also the biggest question for everyone here. If you want to defeat the enemy's army of 200,000 in one fell swoop, even if it is an ambush and a surprise attack, you must have a considerable size of the army. Otherwise, you will not be able to defeat the main force of the enemy. And the large-scale movement of the army is especially important in How to achieve confidentiality in enemy territory
"Everyone, come and see," I brought everyone's attention to the big map again, "I am going to have some troops set off immediately, disguised as horse thieves, and enter the East Tengger Grassland, that is, continue to burn along this area. Kill, loot, and drive away the Luobi herdsmen in this area to clear a marching route. The Luobi people have no troops stationed in this area. This is not difficult to do. In this way, our army can sneak in quietly. Of course, we must do It's a good secret." As soon as I said my idea, everyone here was shocked, but they all felt that this was indeed an excellent way to keep it secret.
"Looking at the terrain of Jiantoupo, the enemy's general marching route will definitely be along the flat land on the bank of Henan. Further south on the flat land on the south side of the Henan is a series of shallow hills covered with dense forests. We can move our main force The cavalry is deployed here. The enemy's 200,000-strong army stretches for at least several miles. We then ambush the main heavy infantry in the forest around the tip of the slope. When the enemy's main armored cavalry arrives here, we will They blocked here, and at the same time, the cavalry ambushing in the forest on the shallow hills attacked the infantry and baggage troops in the middle of the enemy's army from a high position, scattered them, drove them to retreat, and then pursued them, using the enemy's chaotic troops to rush into the enemy's rear. As for the deployment of the army, we will take advantage of the victory to attack and completely defeat them. Remember, it is to defeat, not to destroy. We do not have that much power to destroy them. As for the enemy's armored cavalry in the front, they encountered our heavy infantry and After the sniper attack by the spearmen, it is estimated that they will no longer have much combat effectiveness. Even if they escape, it will not matter to the overall situation. Our light infantry will follow closely to clean up the battlefield."
I stood in front of the terrain model, pointed at various locations on the model, and analyzed them one by one, "I also analyzed the enemy's army strength and commanders for this eastward invasion. Although the enemy's military strength is relatively large, due to the large number of new recruits, Its strength does not have much advantage, especially the infantry. And because the garrison area has just been adjusted, he is not familiar with the situation in the east. Although the coach Ule is known as the most powerful general in Luobei, he is only brave in combat and has high personal martial arts. There is nothing outstanding about our commanding ability, and we also have the weakness of pride and arrogance. These are all great advantages for us. As long as we do our job well, I believe that this war will definitely end with our great victory. It’s over!” At the end of the sentence, I concluded loudly.