On the bank of the canal where the catkins are flying and the peaches and plums are shining, countless armours are shimmering and reflecting on the clear water.
Already led his army along the southern end of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, the waterway between Runzhou and Suzhou, and arrived at Dongchang in Xiaodanyang, southwest of Dantu; at this moment, he was also on the ember-curled ruins, looking at the place where Dantucheng was. Direction, and the grass thief cavalry who followed far away in the horizon.
Although he has already sent someone to reach a tacit agreement and secret agreement with the head of the Taiping Thief, Xu monk, but his journey north is really among the grass thieves who are regaining momentum from all over the place. Called here.
Of course, he did not forcibly attack those cities that were occupied by the grass thieves or related to the Taiping thieves. But just after a "hard fight" and "fighting", they were successively seized from the defeated thieves, and many large towns and cities along the canal were used as subsequent grain platforms and temporary garrisons.
The major losses caused by this are mainly those who came with them and were sent out by tribes to sent out food and clean up the countryside, but were often defeated by grass thieves. They belonged to the local soil regiments of Chang, Run, and Hu, and the soldiers of the town. Add up to five or six thousand people.
And just a few days ago, as another remnant of the Gai’s grass thief went south to Huzhou and attacked the coast of Taihu Lake, news came; among the armed forces he gathered in these places, one after another, they left without saying goodbye or ran away. A dozen or so shares, large and small, were scattered, and there were about three to four thousand people.
Therefore, most of the people who can continue to attack here with him are only the people related to Hangzhou Badu.
And his headquarters has also learned the lessons of the defeated army gathered from other records, and severely restrained the subordinates from giving up the plan and benefits of looting places and raising military funds along the way; they also severely punished many possible extraneous behaviors.
In the daily marching formations, everything is based on the heavy grains and equipment carried by the army. No matter how the thieves who come to harass and provoke and instigate, most of them are determined not to be moved.
Therefore, it was a steadily fighting and step-by-step approach, basically keeping most of the organizational system in order and reaching the territory of Dantu; only then sent people to dive along the canal into the big river, and then along the bank to try to get into the heavy encirclement, and with Dantu Get some contact in the city.
However, when things went so smoothly, he increased his vigilance and vigilance. Although all the news directly or indirectly proved that the peaceful thieves who claimed to be the most fierce among the thieves and most resembling the officers and soldiers were gathering together. Soldiers and horses are only waiting for a decisive battle.
Now there are only a few pirates who are scattered on the road, constantly harassing, restraining, and monitoring in disguise, but he is still cautious and tireless, driving all the men and horses to form camps, and It didn't give the opponent any opportunity outside of the battle.
And not far away from him, the geomancy master from the Hangzhou army is carrying distance measuring objects such as the level, the photo plate, and the pole. The closed piles (road signs) at the intersection of the low hills and the road re-calculated and determined the location of the camp.
Subsequently, among the temporarily set up cowhide-covered tents, an exquisite version from the "Pictures of Fengshu Roads in Xuanshe Town, West Zhejiang and East Zhejiang" given by the envoy of Zhenhai Jiedu, is spreading among several pieces. On the desktop composed of long cases.
The subordinates of Wu Yao, Qin Changyu, Lu Qin, Zhu Zan, Dong Xi, Li Chang, Xue Liao and other generals from his command also gathered in front of this plate, which can be called a military strategist, whispering and whispering. What? It wasn't until Dong Chang walked in with several Yuhou and pro-generals that he also became silent.
"In today's situation, what do you have to say to the bottom... You can speak freely..."
Dong Chang Dama Jindao sat on the high-legged rope left in the middle of the upper head, and then he said straight to the point.
"I don't dare to lie to the duo. Right now, the news that the peace thief wants to do is still less."
Then, after a lot of coveting each other, an exceptionally sophisticated general spoke, but it was Wu Yao, a general of Yanguandu Township, one of the eight generals, and a rich town second only to Shijingdu.
"Even if there are several oral claims of defeated pawns, it is not enough to identify and understand the basic combat power; only know that he is very good at riding pawns, and he can also use boats and boats as buckling; used in battles. There are a lot of crossbows, and they are mixed with fire and smoke equipment."
"Once the place is corrupted and poisonous smoke is unstoppable, the battle will be messed up, and it must be concealed by horses; therefore, once the local officers and soldiers gather it into force, it will be difficult to escape. "
"Is there any news on your end..."
Then Dong Chang turned to the other leader in the army, the town general Qin Changyu of Tangshan (now Lin'an Changhua).
"Return to Dutuan. Except for the Jintan City, some people got in to get some definite news. Qu'a, Yanling, and Jurong are all closed for city defense and cannot enter... as long as someone gets close to the city wall, they will be shot and killed. Undoubtedly; even the usual hand of our army who sneaked in was trapped for a while, unable to deliver the message..."
"Although the thieves in various places in the city are unknown, no matter whether they are bluffing or not, they must not be taken lightly. Continue to send more people as a police guard."
Dong Chang said something ambiguous.
"But the real key lies on the Taiping thief. As long as they can break through the moment or set it down, the rest of the thief will not be able to worry about it... I hope you all go together with you,"
"Du Tuan, is it possible to have a fight with the peaceful thief..."
After everyone dispersed, the new deputy Shi Jingdu, Xue Liao, asked for instructions in a low voice.
"Of course it was just waiting for the opportunity..."
Dong Chang waved his hand disapprovingly
"Listen well, if the thief is strong, we will just make an account of the situation according to the agreement; but if the thief is exaggerated, then why not take advantage of the momentum to be loyal to the court again and again..."
"But no matter how you act, you have to remember that Hangzhou Badu has its own strengths, and they rely on concerted efforts to create a prestigious name; where the order is directed, I must continue to succeed and die. There is a future and hope for the future..."
However, then he told the pro-general Dong Xiao who walked in again.
"The three capitals of Shijing, Fuyang, and Longquan were tightly watched during the battle. If there is any change, you will be allowed to deal with it on the spot. Only the children of the three capitals near Lin'an are the roots of my generation, and we are not allowed to take it until the last moment Move... other people might as well make them do more in front of the battle..."
In the end, Dong Chang, who withdrew all his left, right and close followers, came to a unique camp; then he frowned in the thick incense, medicinal smell, and burnt odor, before facing the chicken skin and crane hair ocher-colored covering. Han Yu, the sorcerer with the army, said:
"The enemy is currently in power, and the long-sacrificed five officials and Zhu Langguan, are there any signs and dreams..."
"To tell the lord, this is the great auspicious omen in the great evil... As long as the lord has gone through this period with all his strength, the lord will be out of control, and the pattern of the master numbering..."
The hoarse sorcerer shook his head.
"Then there were premonitions that nobles could go up for invoking the wind, and where should they be..."
The sorcerer with the Beatles immediately took out a large piece of peeled bone from the burning furnace, and muttered to himself in the smoke after being soaked in blood.
"It should be the place in the Northeast... With the help of noble people, there are disasters and disasters..."
After a while, Dong Chang, who had changed his mind, said to the generals who had been summoned again.
"Who can draw a good soldier with me, and invite the thieves to fight the moment..."
. . . . . .
However, outside of Dantu City, where most of them are ready to stop and everything is ready, but the east wind owes them, Zhou Huaian is looking at a notice from the southern states that has been transferred from Jianglingshui Road.
The main problem is nothing more than the remnants of various bandits and pirates from Hengzhou, Hunan to Lingxi and Guizhou. The remnants of various bandits and gangsters became active again after the beginning of the spring. A kind of see-saw and repetition has formed between the mountain water network.
And based on analysis of various news and intelligence, it seems that behind this is one of the local forces that separate the three states of Xiangxi, some kind of indirect testing and infiltration method. It needs to be deterred and threatened by corresponding military actions. At present, the main suspect is Lei Man, who occupies most of Langzhou (Changde, Hunan) and has never formally negotiated with the rebels.
Seeing this, Zhou Huaian couldn't help commenting on it, confirming that as soon as Jiangling had a little spare capacity, he would immediately mobilize personnel to use Lei Man as the main target of attack and weakening; even if he wasn't he, he could be used as a deterrent target. Chai Ping, who was in Jiangling, was left with the grasp of specific tasks and the assignment of personnel.
During the period from winter to spring, the follow-up anti-osmosis and harassment operations he presided over in Xiangyang were also very effective, but they accumulated a lot of experience in the corresponding places.
After waiting for Guizhou, the main problem has become the conflicts between many newly established farming sites and nearby mountain people and natives due to water sources, field boundaries, and mountain forests. Of course, the corresponding scale is not large, and those who suffer. Most of them are opponents, and they can be easily cleaned up by the establishment of a semi-full-time patrol team and engineering battalion.
It's just that there are too many things, and it will inevitably affect the progress of the corresponding construction and development. Therefore, before the arrival of the summer after the beginning of spring, it is recommended to organize a mountain-searching and plundering team from Guangzhou and Guizhou to carry out a new round of sorting out the mountain villages and stockades close to the farming sites.
Of course, along with these various emergencies and things, there is also completely good news.
Over the past six months of operation, under the rule of the Taiping Army, a population of more than 100,000 has been added. At least a small percentage of them are barely qualified young adults, followed by women and children, and very few elderly people (basically Naturally eliminated). Of course, these populations were not changed out of thin air;
Rather, from the places along the way from Lingxi controlled by the Taiping Army to Hunan, the scattered refugees and the hidden households scattered in the Luokuo countryside were successively gathered, as well as the wealthy surnames and large households who had included a large number of tenants and tribes , Transforming it into collective farms and farming houses and accumulating more.
In fact, many volunteers who have retired from service due to injury or transferred to the second and third lines constitute the main supporting force and core backbone of these organization and seizure operations.
Although there is still a long way to go to turn them into qualified soldiers and reserves; but they can be used for collective labor such as farming and work without any problems; and they have existing experience and systems.
Even women and children are no exception. Most of the resources that need to be invested can be solved locally. The land has been developed, and the houses are ready to be remodeled and repaired, and then surrounded by walls; household items and livestock can be stolen on the spot. In the meantime, improved seeds and new farm tools are provided exclusively from others.
The largest expenditure is to maintain the personnel rationing required for the next harvest. And this process is basically a virtuous circle of gradual value-added. After they have settled down initially, they can obtain about 10,000 potential troops, or 340,000 half-time part-time labors, through the interval basic training from the slack in the farming period.
Then, after transforming the efficiency of mines and factories, it will become a source of new blood and vitality in the economic system of the strengthening of the Taiping Army. (End of this chapter)