Chapter XIX Military Conference
"Master, can you explain it more clearly? What you suddenly said should not be on the belt... it's a bit scary."
Su Yan's words were what the rest of the people wanted to say.
Along the way, Liu Yu didn't say much, and most of the matters of setting up camps and starting marches were responsible for Qi Fang. Although Liu Yu was the military advisor to Su Yan, whether he knew how to march and fight was still a question in everyone's minds.
Liu Yu did not give much explanation. He took out a cinnabar pen and drew three red lines on the marching map. The starting point of the three red lines was Shaowu Pass, and the end point was Tongguan. There were not many twists and turns. After all, the hinterland of the Central Plains was mostly plains, so there was no need to take too many detours.
Qi Fang studied military maps and read Liu Yu's three red lines, he said inexplicably: "Liu Shenzuo, the Turkic cavalry was walking on the Ancheng line. Why did you... draw three?"
"I'm drawing the route they might have to take to withdraw their troops." Liu Yu put down the cinnabar red pen and looked at everyone, "If you have any opinions, just say it."
Li Mi said: "Now the Turkic cavalry is about to suppress Tongguan... and talk about withdrawing troops... is it a little earlier?"
"I don't think it's early, but I think it's a bit late." Liu Yu picked up a brush without ink and pointed to the military map. "The Turkic cavalry drove in from Shaowu Pass, without supplies, and was fighting the rapid advancement of plundering food and grass to fight for war. From the fall of Shaowu Pass to the cavalry's rushing to Tongguan, it took only nine days. Just imagine, what was the purpose of this Turkic cavalry advancing so aggressively?"
Everyone looked at each other again, and Li Mi gave the answer: "I want to establish my authority!"
"That's right. It's just to establish authority. The Turks replaced Khans, and the political situation was unstable. In order to demonstrate the prestige of the new Khan and to make the grassland surrender, they attacked Shaowu Pass and drove straight into the cavalry. The soldiers of the Dashun Dynasty had been fighting with the Turkic cavalry for some time, and they had a deep understanding of the Turkic cavalry. What kind of cavalry could be so undone without bloodshed, and they could attack Tongguan Pass under the encirclement and blockade in less than ten days?"
Qi Fang was in the north for many years, and had a strategic mind, and had some understanding of the combat power of the Turkic cavalry.
Qi Fang wondered: "Is it the Iron Wolf Guard? When he was on the border, he heard that the strongest combat power among the Turkic cavalry was the Iron Wolf Guard. The soldiers who had been thrown into the wolf pack since childhood can only enter the Iron Wolf Guard. The training he experienced afterwards was extremely strict. However, this Iron Wolf Guard was the personal guard of the Turkic Khan. Any soldier in the cavalry team that invaded the border was at the top of the army, and he could only hear it and not witness it!"
Liu Yu smiled and said, "The Turks invaded the territory mostly for robbery. There is no need for cavalry as powerful as the Iron Wolf Guard. The Iron Wolf Guard stays on the grassland and shocks the rest of the grassland divisions. This time it is different. To establish authority, you must win ten or ten stable. Who else can complete the raid on the Central Plains and establish authority and escape unsuccessfully?"
Everyone was in an uproar.
Su Yan was shocked and said, "Why did the master say that it is a group of barbarians who can even kill wolves with bare hands? Then... then we... don't seem to be on the route of these three red lines, right?"
Qi Fang ignored Su Yan's shouting and continued to discuss the matter: "What Liu Shenzuo said is reasonable, but even if the Iron Wolf Guard really attacked the Central Plains, he might not retreat to Tongguan. After all, it is okay..."
"You mean to capture Tongguan?" Liu Yu smiled, "On the one hand, the combat power is not allowed. The cavalry is good at encounters on the ground. Even light supplies are lacking. A long-distance cavalry is not trapped, and there will be no horses. It is not easy to capture Tongguan? I believe that the captain Qi also understands the current guarding Tongguan. Yes, that is, my father's temperament. He will definitely not abandon the city and fight head-on to fight against the Turkic cavalry outside the city."
"Further, time is not allowed. Even if the Turkic cavalry can really find the siege baggage to attack Tongguan, there are several large armies behind them who are siegeing and blocking them. No matter how strong the combat power is, it is difficult to escape once they fall into a heavy siege."
"Retreat ten thousand steps, even in a short time... this time can be exaggerated until one night when the Turkic cavalry captured Tongguan, they still have to retreat. Because after passing Tongguan, the city in Guanzhong was high and deep, and the city was closed and the city was closed. Now it was the spring famine season. The Turkic cavalry had no food and grass behind it, and there were tall towers of Chang'an City in front of them, and there were more than 100,000 pursuers... Can they not retreat?"
"Now, the generals of the Dashun Dynasty are worried about the situation in Tongguan. It is rare that Liu Shenzuo can think carefully and see the development of the war in advance." Qi Fang smiled relievedly and then looked at the marching map. "I just don't know which route the Turkic cavalry will retreat?"
Liu Yu looked at everyone and said, "This is what you need to listen to. If you are in charge of the commander seal of the Turkic Iron Cavalry, which route would you choose to withdraw your troops?"
Everyone was a little curious about Liu Yu's assumption. After all, they were not the commander of the Turkic cavalry, but only Liu Yu knew his intentions very well. This was thinking from the perspective of others. It would not be possible to think by one person's head alone. A wise man would make a mistake in his thousands of thoughts and it would be difficult to accomplish anything.
Li Mi said first: "If it were me, I would choose the route of Malan Road. First, I can follow the Taihang Mountains, and there are many small towns on the route that can be robbed. Furthermore, I can bypass the pursued cavalry and fight back to the edge of the Yellow River."
Liu Yu smiled and said, "Just like what you said, the four words "on the edge of the Yellow River" are not hindering, but the Yellow River is a natural danger. Could it be that you ride a horse to swim across the river? You chose the downstream, the river is wide and deep. Although the water flows are not fast, no reinforcements pave the road and bridge in advance. Just relying on the surrounding small boats, tens of thousands of cavalry can be transported across the river in a few days?"
Li Mi was dumbfounded.
Liu Yuxu said: "No matter how many days it takes, it will take time. However, the pursuers of the Dashun Dynasty rushed from the flanks. It is a foregone conclusion that they blocked the Turkic cavalry by the Yellow River. At that time, I am afraid that these Turkic iron wolf cavalry would have to jump into the river!"
The Yellow River is the easiest to change its route in history, and the Dashun Dynasty is now close to the sea estuary of the Yellow River, very north. Therefore, the first consideration for the Turks to choose a retreat route was to quickly withdraw to the north bank of the Yellow River when they were alone and deep.
Qi Fang frowned and looked at the military map and said, "It's not possible to go downstream. Can you walk from the upper stream? But... the line from Jucheng to Huqiu is too close to the pursuers of the Dashun Dynasty. If you are not careful, you will fall into the encirclement."
Su Yan, who was on the side, looked at the last line and said, "That must be the third one. When they came, they were walking on the Ancheng line. Then the retreat must be the same way."
Liu Yu glanced at him and smiled, "Is he going back to the same path to the other party, and he fell into the trap?"
Su Yan smirked, knowing that he didn't understand marching, so he stopped talking.
Sui Yi, who had not made any noise, said: "Since three things are not enough, then..."
Liu Yu picked up the cinnabar pen again and drew a red line on the military map. This time the red line was very tortuous. He first went southeast from Tongguan, bypassed the Taihang Mountains, went north from Huaixi County, and all the way to the mouth of the Yellow River. The length of this line was more than twice as long as the previous three.
Qi Fang was a little unbelievable and said, "Bypassing the Taihang Mountains is like setting up a natural barrier for the pursuers. There is no heavy city to station troops along the way. At least the section at the mouth of the Yellow River is a stroke of magic, and there is no better route than this. However, just like Liu Shenzuo, you deny the situation of Malan Road, this route still passes through the lower reaches of the Yellow River, and I am afraid... you will not be able to cross the river in a short period of time."
Liu Yu said firmly: "This is exactly the best river crossing point, because..."
Liu Yu pointed his pen at Shaowu Pass and said, "The Turkic cavalry drove straight in without logistics supplies, but Shaowu Pass was the support. It can be said that Shaowu Pass was the support point for the Turkic cavalry. From this journey, the mouth of the Yellow River is closest to Shaowu Pass, only more than a hundred miles away. The Turkic garrison at Shaowu Pass could come out in advance to set up the floating bridge, or find a large number of ships, which could be easily transported."
Qi Fang said in horror on his face: "It's true."
Sui Yi said in confusion: "What if the Dashun Dynasty army snatched Shaowu Pass back in advance and blocked the retreat of the Turkic cavalry?"
This time, without Liu Yu's answer, Li Mi gave the answer: "This is not advisable in military tactics. Once the retreat route is cut off, the Turkic cavalry will be trapped beasts, and the power caused by it increases exponentially. This is why we have to surround the three quarries and one magnificent in the attack. Moreover, the focus of the Dashun Dynasty border army is to surround the Turkic cavalry that was driving straight into the sky. It is only symbolic harassment to Shaowu Pass and has no substantial action. To regain Shaowu Pass, we must wait until the internal troubles are solved."
Liu Yu concluded: "In other words, the land under our feet will definitely be the only route for the Turkic cavalry to retreat after four or five days, and the longest length of six or seven days. I have also calculated that this route can only be set up at the Fanru River north of Huaixi County, because passing Huaixi County is equivalent to bypassing Taihang Mountains, and there is a plain in front of them. There are many routes they can choose to go through, and it is difficult to set up an ambush. That's why I asked the previous question, should we avoid it, or stay, and fight to the death!"
Sui Yi said: "Brother Liu, you said... no pursuers would catch up, but... you see, the route of the daughter army is coming from the side of Malan Road. If the Turkic cavalry wants to withdraw from Huaixi County, the daughter army... will easily encircle it, then..."
Daughter Jun, yes, Daughter Jun.
Liu Yu showed a sad look on his face. After all, the daughter's army had only more than 20,000 cavalry. Their role in cheerleading on the battlefield was greater than their actual combat role. In front of a considerable number of Turkic Iron Wolf Guards, they were like a group of slaughtered lambs. Once the Turkic Iron Wolf Guards traveled to Huaixi County to bypass the Taihang Mountains, the daughter's army would be the first to come and intercept them. At that time, the entire daughter's army would probably be wiped out.
Chapter completed!