Chapter 61: Xiangyang and Nanjing II

Before Zhang Xuan arrived in Xiangyang, all kinds of news about Xiangyang reached Zhang Xuan's ears.

Xiangyang has always been the focus of Zhang Xuan's attention.

Therefore, Zhang Xuan was not surprised by the changes that occurred during the war in Xiangyang.

If it weren't for the fact that the Xiangyang formation had been in a fierce battle, Zhang Xuan might not have been reluctant to join forces with Zheng Chenggong once. It was Zierharang's sharp back that Zhang Xuan was unwilling to take the risk of being attacked on both sides.

However, Zhang Xuan saw very clearly that the two sides seemed to be fighting fiercely, but Zilharang limited the battle to Fancheng.

Is Fancheng important? Of course it's important. However, with the forces in the hands of Zilharang, it may not be impossible to spread the war a little more, such as seeking a breakthrough in the upper reaches of the Han River or downstream, or like the Qing army's specialty, circling the city and assaulting the rear by itself.

Although Xiangyang City is a dangerous city in the world, it is not a city wall after all, and it can be leaked. It's just that it is easy for the Qing army to bypass, but it will be difficult to retreat in the future.

Therefore, although the battle in Xiangyang is tragic, in terms of scale, it has been in a state of preparation. It's as if one boot is smashed upstairs, and when the second boot falls depends on the situation. The battle in Xiangyang seems to be stable, but in fact it is very unstable.

Once defeated, Jiang Han was opened by the Qing army.

Zhang Xuan silently estimated the situation in front of him. The first thing that came to his mind was time.

He brought all the troops of Wuchang over, and it can be said that on the Yangtze River, outside of the Anqing Gaoyi Gong Division, there is almost no more Xia Army.

Such a situation is very dangerous in Zhang Xuan's opinion.

If it weren't for Zheng Chenggong's war with the Qing army, he wouldn't have dared to be so decisive.

However, now that it has been done, there is no room for hesitation. The first battle of Xiangyang cannot be scorched or delayed. No matter what the Prince Zheng of the Qing army thinks in his heart. Zhang Xuan had to press all his military strength, defeat the people with his strength, and fight a good battle with the Qing army, at least inflicting heavy losses on the Qing army.

Zhang Xuan immediately ordered and said: "All the men and horses of all the troops will attack, and they will attack on all fronts after crossing the Han River. I personally led the headquarters to land south of Fancheng. Luo Dai, the cavalry of the whole army is entrusted to you, and the grain and grass of the Qing army are sent in Nanyang, and I order you to attack Nanyang. ”

Luo Dai's face turned pale and said, "The last general understands. ”

The reason why he had this expression was that after Luo Yulong's defeat, he was hit the hardest.

Luo Dai seems to have no heart and no lungs, but he is very shrewd in his heart.

Although he fought bravely, he always acted without permission and always did unexpected things. It seems that generals at all levels are not severely punished because of their love for talent, but there is another reason, that is, his surname is Luo. Don't look at the face of the monk and look at the face of the Buddha.

And with the death of Luo Yulong, the transfer of the Great Xia throne has become inevitable

, not to mention the relationship between him and Luo's father and son. This difference in interests alone made him dull and low-key for many days.

Not to mention this battle, it's not so easy to fight.

Zhang Xuan wanted the cavalry to attack and threaten the enemy's rear, but all the cavalry of the Xia army was assembled, and it was only twenty or thirty thousand, and it was impossible to have more, and the cavalry of the Qing army was far more than that, and there would naturally be heavy guards in the grain and grass in the rear.

It's a chore.

His face was naturally not good-looking.

However, this is not that Zhang Xuan deliberately embarrassed him, but for the cavalry generals in the Xia army, Zhang Xuan cooperated with Luo Dai the most. I also trust him the most. Such a key matter is not in his trusted hands, how can Zhang Xuan rest assured.

With Zhang Xuan's order, he had not yet arrived in Xiangyang, and the intensity of the battle in Xiangyang had increased by more than one step.

In particular, some Xia troops crossed the river from the upper reaches of the Han River, and the Xia army in Zaoyang also had a tendency to move, and there was not much actual movement, but the momentum was huge.

Fancheng.

The city was built from the first year of Wuxing and was built intermittently for three years, and the first war fell into the hands of the Qing army.

However, this cannot be entirely blamed on the defenders of Fancheng.

First, the Qing army tried its best to attack, and the thousands of defenders of Fancheng could not resist. Second, there is also a bit of a problem with the location of Fancheng.

Fancheng and Xiangyang City are opposite each other across the Han River. In terms of topography, Xiangyang City is backed by Da Xian Mountain, which is higher than Fancheng. The importance of Xiangyang City is much more important than that of Fancheng, that is, the so-called rather than the north rather than the south. It is better for Fancheng to be flooded, and it is absolutely impossible to let Xiangyang have trouble.

Han water is both a convenience and a curse.

Therefore, when Fancheng was selected, in order to avoid floods, he left a little distance from the Han River.

As a result, the water level of the Han River has dropped, and a large beach has been vacated. The two sides add up, from the Han River to the shore, to Fancheng, there is a gap of one or two miles.

It was this distance that gave the Qing army an opportunity.

In the midst of the battle of the army, this land of two miles has also become an unattainable and desperate natural danger.

Only then did the soldiers of Fancheng fall under the onslaught of the Qing army, and they were defeated.

But the current situation is not too good for Prince Zheng Zilharang.

The reason why Prince Zheng did not attack Xiangyang for such a long time was that he felt the difficulty of the Xia army, and on the other hand, he also had the intention of dividing the Xia army's momentum.

He relied on the northwest for transshipment in Xiangyang, and there was no shortage of food for a while, and Nanyang also recovered a little bit of vitality under the management of Xia Jun. It's still possible to support the army for a while. So he's not in a hurry.

He even wanted to drag out the battle if he could. The longer it drags on, the better it will be for him.

This is still the case.

Zheng Chenggong's vigorous Northern Expedition, Prince Zheng naturally would not know about this matter. Although Dodor expressed confidence in this, both Dorgon and Zilharan were a little worried about it.

Therefore, he wanted to delay this battle even more.

After all, as long as the war drags on, Zhang Xuan's forces will be contained, otherwise Nanjing Duoduo's side will be in danger.

Therefore, in the face of the all-out offensive of the Xia army, Prince Zheng Jierharang calmed down, and took Fancheng in the north of the Han River as the center, camped according to the camp, and concentrated on garrisoning. It looks like it doesn't move like a mountain.

However, the battle on the border of Fancheng has not yet begun.

The cavalry of the Xia army and the Mongol cavalry had already collided together.

To tell the truth, after the original Cao Ying entered the south of the Yangtze River, it rapidly became infantry, from the previous cavalry-based, to the current structure, infantry soldiers, and sailors-based, and the Cao Ying, who was known as the best cavalry in the world, was in a situation of declining day by day.

Most of the officers were drawn out for promotion. And the replenishment of war horses has always been a problem.

Even though Great Xia carefully maintained them, their combat effectiveness declined little by little with the problem of soldiers and war horses.

This is also a kind of geographical advantage, raising a cavalry in the south of the Yangtze River and raising a cavalry on the northern grasslands, in terms of cost, it is simply a world of difference.

In the south, one person and one horse, silver and equipment, dozens of taels can't come, more often, there is money, but there are no horses. But on the grassland, it's different, if you pay two taels of silver, someone will go with you, and you will bring your own horses.

With them perhaps untrained. But riding is in the bones, it's like nature, as long as a little practice is enough.

Unlike from the South, it is simply impossible to select a skilled horseman.

It's not that there is no one to ride a horse in the south, but the people who can keep a horse at home, generally speaking, will not be reduced to being a soldier.

Good women don't strike iron, good men don't fight soldiers, this is a social atmosphere, even if Zhang Xuan wants to change it intentionally, it is not easy.

However, Luo Dai fortunately met the Mongolian cavalry at this crossover. It's a lot easier.

Although many people have the impression that the Mongolian cavalry is quite powerful, I am sorry that there may have been several powerful cavalry at that time, but the Mongolian cavalry was certainly not included among them.

The Mongols in the long confrontation with the Ming Dynasty was a situation of mutual influence, the Ming Nine-sided Border Army, can not be said to be good, but most of the time, these border troops have completed their tasks, against the Mongols, do not let them enter the customs.

It can be seen that the strength of the Mongolian cavalry has long been in decline.

In the same way, if the Mongol cavalry still has the legendary strength. Lin Dan Khan was not driven to Qinghai by the Qing army, and he couldn't return to his home, and died depressed.