Imperial Master of the Ming Dynasty

After five-star general Li Jinglong completed the Thanh Hoa landing, the Annan war situation, which had been in a brief stalemate, seemed to be still in a stalemate, but in fact it began to undergo fundamental changes.

The entire Annan Kingdom is like a sledgehammer, and at this time, the entire slender handle of the hammer has been cut off by the Ming Dynasty. With only the head of the hammer left, how can it be used? And more importantly, at this time, the remaining hammer head of Annan Kingdom was still squeezed by the Ming Dynasty.

But it is impossible to abandon the Furiang River defense line. The Annan Army has been operating here for a long time. What's more, even if the Furiang River defense line is abandoned, where can they retreat to? Follow the example of the Iron-Blooded Song Dynasty and abandon the Yellow River, Huaihe River and Yangtze River. People can retreat again and again because there are enough geographical units to act as barriers, but Annan is such a natural chasm!

Since it cannot retreat, Annan's army can only bite the bullet and continue to fight the Ming Dynasty's east and west armies on the Fuliang River. At the same time, let the general reserve team of Dongdu Shenglongfu and Pan Maxiu's Southern Expedition Army They gathered together and marched towards Qinghuafu, the western capital, trying to drive Li Jinglong's army into the sea.

Against this background, the two armies continued to fight fiercely on the front line of the Furian River, with each other winning and losing, but neither could eat the other.

Although the Ming army carried a large amount of food during this expedition, the supply line was always in a tight state, and there were too many people and horses. Therefore, the daily food and grass consumption was relatively high, and the army had to be slightly dispersed on the long front. A situation is formed in which logistics replenishment is carried out according to different supply lines and military depots.

Although the Ming army's positions on both sides of Lang Son failed to break through the Annan Army's defense line, they cleared many peripheral strongholds and opened up the situation a bit; although the Annan Army was able to block the Ming Army with its fortifications and geographical advantages. , but there was no way to achieve any proactive results.

Unknowingly, the two sides had been fighting around Lang Son for seven or eight days. During this period, the Annan Army also sent scouts to investigate the situation north of the Fuliang River. However, when they went to investigate, they could only go away and never return. , which resulted in the Annan Army not knowing much about the situation of the Ming Army.

During this period, the Ming army had learned about the Annan Army's entire Fuliang River defense line through continuous exploratory attacks, and began to investigate the nearby hydrology and mountain trails, actively looking for opportunities to break the deadlock.

After all, for the two Ming armies in the east and west, if they can only sit back and wait for the results brought by the landing troops when their strength is equal to that of the opposite party, then they will not actually gain much military merit. This is different from Mu Sheng and Li Bin. The same reason why the Western Route Army should exaggerate its own results as much as possible must let the emperor see how many things you have done.

Under the active offensive of the Ming army, the Annan Army's defense line was weakened time and time again, and casualties continued to increase.

Moreover, as rumors that are difficult to block continue to spread, the morale of Annan's army is getting weaker and weaker.

Some soldiers even developed fear.

This is war, and it is never a paper game. The indicator "morale" is unquantifiable but does exist. When an army has low morale and lacks the belief in victory, the army will eventually collapse. , although the Annan Army had sufficient troops, complete defense lines, and complete supplies at this time, it was actually on the verge of collapse.

On the south bank of Fuliang River, Annan Army camp.

"Report!"

Hu Yuancheng had just finished all the things at hand and wanted to take a sip of tea to soothe his throat when he heard soldiers coming from outside to report: "To the King of Wei, General Hu Lie is asking for an audience."

Hu Yuancheng nodded: "Let him come in."

Not long after, Hu Lie walked into the house, saluted and said: "Your Highness, King Wei, the Ming army captured Yuechi this morning and reached the shores of Muwan River. Hu She of Zuo Shengyi Army is holding on to the north bank of Baihe River."

"What?! Why did you lose it so quickly?"

Hu Yuancheng stood up suddenly and asked in shock.

At this stage, the main fighting area between the Ming Army and the Annan Army is the defensive zone formed by various lakes and tributaries extending from the main waterway of the Sanjiang River. The Yuechi, Mimarujiang, and Baihejiang Rivers mentioned by Hu Lie just now are all in this way.

Once the upper reaches of Yuechi and the north bank of the Mimarujiang River are lost, the Baihejiang River will be exposed to the Ming army. This means that the two important naval bases of the Annan Army - Tianmujiang Luzhou and Mimarujiang Luzhou will face the Ming Dynasty. The front line of the army.

One of the most important reasons why the Furiang River defense line is considered indestructible by the Annan people is that the Annan army has absolute water control rights.

The right to control water makes sense only if it is based on the navy and naval base. If the naval base is taken over by the enemy and all the ships of the navy are burned down, what is the right to control water?

The two continents of Tianmu River and Mimaru River are the two largest bases of Annan Navy besides the water village on the south bank of Duobang City.

If these two places are captured by the Ming army, the consequences will undoubtedly be unimaginable, and this will further change the battle situation on the Furian River front line.

"Prince Wei, we are incompetent and could not stop the Ming army..." Hu Lie lowered his head in shame.

Hu Lie and Hu She of Zuo Shengyi's army are both generals of the Hu family. Well, after the Hu family usurped the country, they promoted a large number of these people to become officials. There was no other way, except nepotism, and there was no other better way to maintain the system.

The consequence of nepotism is that, except for a few people like Hu Yuancheng and Hu Lie who are somewhat capable, most of those who are placed in high positions, whether they are political officers or military officers, are basically useless snacks that cannot be supported by mud.

"Damn it!"

Hu Yuancheng cursed and then said: "Immediately mobilize Zuo Shenyi's army from the base camp, let Ruan Gonggui go to support Hu She, let Zuo Shenyi's army be stationed on the continent of Muwan River, and let Zuo Shengyi's army still be on the north bank of Baihe River and Luzhou of Tianmu River. Hold on, once Zuo Shengyi's army is attacked by the Ming army, Ruan Gonggui must reinforce it with the navy."

The Zuo Shenyi Army is one of the few elite mobile troops in Hu Yuancheng's hands, and Ruan Gonggui is also a veteran of the Annan military since the Chen Dynasty. Having Ruan Gonggui to support Hu She will give Hu Yuancheng some peace of mind.

"As commanded."

After Hu Lie left, Hu Yuancheng sat on a chair with a solemn look on his brows.

The news that Yuechi and the north bank of the Mimaru River were lost was no accident. They must have been prepared in advance. Otherwise, the Ming Dynasty's eastern and western armies would never have chosen to launch operations on the long front at the same time today.

It seemed to be a surprise attack, but in fact, it was planned for a long time. Obviously, the Ming army in front of them already knew that their commander had successfully landed in Thanh Hoa. At this time, the Annan army was mentally disturbed, so they chose to take advantage of the situation.

Although he was annoyed, even resentful, Hu Yuancheng had to admit that something was wrong with them this time. The extraordinary strategy and combat effectiveness displayed by the Ming army exceeded Hu Yuancheng's imagination.

Of course, even if Qinghua Mansion is lost now, it does not mean that everything is lost. In addition to Qinghua Mansion, there are many places in Annan Kingdom that can resist the attack of the Ming army that landed, and it is said that the number of Ming troops who landed is not large, as long as If we can stop Li Jinglong from stealing, everything will be fine.

Moreover, Thanh Hoa Palace is the home base of the Hu family. In order to guard against the powerful Hu family, the Chen Dynasty actually built a lot of fortifications on the road from Thang Long Palace to Thanh Hoa Palace. Although it did not have any effect in the end, it was still in the Qing Dynasty. On the road from Huafu to Shenglongfu, the terrain is now somewhat reliable, and it is quite easy to defend but difficult to attack. As long as the defense here is temporarily strengthened, the Ming Dynasty will surely pay a heavy price if they attack here!

What Hu Yuancheng is most worried about now is actually Annan's domestic problems.

Annan Kingdom is actually not a wealthy country. Although there is a fairly vast arable land and abundant mineral resources under the rule of Hu and his son, it does not mean that the financial income is not bad, because Annan Kingdom is actually more like a chieftain. Although the Commonwealth has always been ruled by dynasties, whether it was the Chen Dynasty or the previous dynasties, they were just the largest chieftains, and in many places local forces still operated independently.

This also means that in the battle against the Ming Dynasty, the Hu family and his son were not able to bring out all of Annan's power. On the contrary, they were hampered by various constraints.

In the country under the rule of Hu and his son, all the poor money in the treasury was used for military expenses. Not only did it need to produce necessities such as armor and weapons, but it also needed to maintain the army's living and combat expenses. Officials' salaries were reduced again and again.

Of course, this is actually a major benefit to Annan officials.

In addition, due to the extensive agricultural production model, although the rice seeds in Annan are very good and the land is relatively fertile, the output per mu of farmland in Annan is actually not high, and many agricultural potentials have not been realized. The price of grain after harvest is also low. It was much more expensive than the Ming Dynasty. Under such circumstances, it was difficult for ordinary people to afford to eat rice. Although they grew their own rice, they ended up eating coarse grains. Therefore, the ordinary soldiers recruited by the Hu family and his son generally had poor physical fitness and were thin. Like a monkey in the mountains.

In fact, these peasants did not need to enlist as soldiers in the past. Before that, the Annan army had two peak periods of expansion, one was the Mongol and Yuan invasion, and the other was against the Champa State. From then on, until the late Chen Dynasty, the size of the Annan army also increased. It was never that big. But with the Hu clan usurping the country, Annan's army frequently invaded neighboring countries in the past two years, and the army began to expand greatly, gradually reaching the size of hundreds of thousands of troops.

Under the pressure of the Ming army, the domestic situation in Annan became more and more urgent. Under such circumstances, the Hu family and his son were naturally unwilling to sit still and wait for death, so they began to re-check the household registration, and then according to the age from sixteen to sixty years old The standard recruits "young and strong" to recruit new soldiers.

These recruits lacked training and were forcibly recruited. Now as the intensity of the battle with the Ming army continues to increase, the phenomenon of sergeants fleeing has gradually appeared. These people heard that the Ming army had landed from the rear and were eager to return to their hometowns. Reunited with his wife and daughter, he had to walk back to his hometown even at the risk of being beheaded. The morale of the army was declining beyond control, which made Hu Yuancheng, the supreme commander of the front line, worried.

After pondering for a long time, Hu Yuancheng wrote down an important military order.

1. From now on, cavalry will be dispatched to form a patrol force. Any soldiers who escape will be punished as deserting before the battle. At the same time, the entire Shiwu soldiers will be punished.

2. At the same time, no general is allowed to abandon his position without the direct order of King Wei, and any offender will be shot to death!

Hu Yuancheng was determined to defend the Furiang River defense line. However, in the face of an irreversible situation, many things were beyond his personal firm will.

Soon, more bad news came one after another.

——————

On October 22, the Ming army that landed in Thanh Hoa completely controlled the entire port and captured Thanh Hoa, the western capital.

On the 24th, the first batch of follow-up troops of the Ming Army arrived, and the scale of the landing continued to expand.

On the 25th, the forwards of the Ming army detected the movements of the Annan army that was rushing south.

On November 3, the Ming army, under the command of Cao Guogong Li Jinglong, took the initiative to attack in the north of Qinghua Prefecture and defeated more than 38,000 troops of Pan Maxiu of the Annan army who came from Chang'an Prefecture.

On the 7th, the Ming army occupied the Chang'an area of ​​Jianping Prefecture, north of Qinghua Prefecture.

On the 13th, the Ming army's offensive was finally suspended due to the heavy supply of food and ammunition. However, at this time, the Ming army's landing troops were only two hundred miles away from Thang Long, the eastern capital of Annan!

Shenglong is in danger!

The country's destruction is imminent!

Seeing that they were about to be forced into a desperate situation by Li Jinglong's Qinghua landing, the Hu family and his son, who were sitting in the "Imperial Palace" of Sheng Long Mansion, finally couldn't hold back any longer.

…

"My dear friends, what do you think we should do next so that I, Dayu, can survive this calamity?"

Hu Hancang glanced around and asked slowly.

Behind him sat Hu Jiya. The Supreme Emperor was looking at these ministers with cold eyes.

Most of the courtiers in the palace came all the way from the Chen Dynasty. Hu Jishao knew very well that these people had no loyalty at all. After all, those with this valuable quality had long been buried with the Chen Dynasty.

After all, Chen Yizong told Hu Jiya before he died, "Pingzhang's relatives and state affairs are all entrusted to them. Now that the country is weak, I am an old man. After my death, the officials and family can assist me, but I can't help it." Then take it for yourself."

Well, does it feel like Liu Bei was entrusted with a job in Baidi City?

It's a pity that Hu Jiya is not Zhuge Liang, he is just a low-end version of Sima Yi.

On the surface, Hu Jishen promised well, "If I cannot be loyal and devoted to assist the official family, and pass it on to my descendants, God will hate it. I will let my body be broken into pieces, and I will not be able to repay him. In case, I dare to have other plans." However, Chen Yizong passed away. Later, Hu Jiyou forced Chen Shunzong to move the capital, and then there was a complete package for powerful ministers to usurp the throne.

Just as the Sima family usurped Wei and established the Jin Dynasty with few people loyal to him, the same was true for the Hu family and his son who usurped Dayu and established the Chen Dynasty.

Therefore, there was an unspeakable, embarrassing and suffocating silence in the hall.

When I asked the officials about the plan, they asked in their hearts: "You ask me?"

"Ahem."

At this time, someone still came out to speak. Wu Mengyuan, a close minister, said: "Your Majesty, I believe that we, Dayu, should strengthen the walls and clear the country to avoid confrontation with the Ming Dynasty's landing troops."

Hu Hancang almost suspected that he had heard it wrong. In such a large country, where would the walls be built and where would the wilderness be cleared? I still can’t survive, can I eat?

After pondering for a moment, another confidant and close minister Ruan Chengshi asked: "Avoid confrontation?"

"Um."

Wu Mengyuan nodded and said: "The Ming Dynasty's move is obviously aimed at our Furiang River defense line. Just imagine, if the Ming Dynasty could attack our Furiang River defense line head-on, why would they make a detour? The front line has been holding on for more than a month now. , wasn’t the Ming army also helpless? It was precisely because they could not easily take down the Fuliang River defense line that they landed in Thanh Hoa in an ingenious way and attacked our army from the rear in an attempt to undermine our army’s military morale and people’s morale. Let us draw the troops back from the front line, so that the iron-barrel defense line will collapse without a fight. The most important thing at this time is not to draw troops from the already tense front line."

"absurd!"

Someone scolded: "The soldiers of the Ming Dynasty are heading directly towards the capital. Wu Mengyuan, you are actually opposed to sending troops back for reinforcements. What are your intentions?! Do you want to kill the Supreme Emperor?"

Seeing that the familiar part of party unity and opposition to dissent was about to take place, Hu Jima knocked on the armrest of his chair with dissatisfaction. What time has it been? It is about to be the eve of the country's subjugation! There's still internal fighting here!

"Wu Mengyuan, please tell me your opinion. How can we strengthen the walls and clear out the wilderness? Now that the Western Capital has fallen into the hands of the enemy, how can we defend the Eastern Capital without sending troops and horses from the front to return for reinforcements?"

"The core of strengthening the walls and clearing the country is to transfer the warehouses. If they cannot be moved, they will be burned. They must not be allowed to be obtained by the Ming army. The purpose is to make it as difficult as possible for the Ming army to obtain supplies, or they can only feed themselves on the people. And if the Ming army requisitions food from the people , then it will inevitably arouse public indignation, and it will also inevitably lead to tragic killings. In this way, wouldn’t it be possible to restore the morale of the people and the military?”

Wu Mengyuan did not dare to speak too directly, but everyone in the hall understood what he meant.

One drawback of the Ming army's cross-sea landing was that the logistics supplies could not keep up.

It is okay to transport ammunition, bows and arrows from the country, but if all the food for tens of thousands of people is transported from the country, it will undoubtedly be a huge burden on the Ming army's maritime transportation capacity.

Moreover, as the Ming army's front line lengthened, supply transportation was also needed from Thanh Hoa House to the front line where the Ming army's landing troops reached. And this section was all land transportation, and the loss cost was higher. The farther the Ming army was from Thanh Hoa Port, the logistics The greater the pressure.

So how will the Ming army solve this problem?

The best way is of course to conquer some prefectures and counties in Annan and obtain food from storage.

As an occupying force, it is the last resort to seize food from local people. After all, the fathers, husbands, and sons of these people's families are unlikely to be serving on the front line of the Furiang River at this time. Once they hear that the Ming army destroyed their hometown, then On the contrary, they will become desperate.

Once the Ming army is hated by the people of Annan, these tens of thousands of troops will undoubtedly be passive in a foreign land, which will greatly facilitate the Annan army's counterattack.

It can be said that Wu Mengyuan did not propose any feasible solution in the military field, but from a logistical and political perspective, the method proposed was still good.

"What Mr. Wu said is true."

Ruan Chengshi also said: "I agree with this opinion. What we have to do now is to hold on to the city around Shenglong Mansion. As long as Shenglong Mansion is not lost, the Ming army will not be able to capture other hinterlands of Annan. After all, the Ming army has only a few people. few."

"It's not right, it's not right."

An experienced minister shook his head and said: "How important is the safety of the capital? I think it would be better to ask King Wei to bring back some of the soldiers and horses from the front line, maybe tens of thousands of people."

"Ten thousand people?"

Wu Mengyuan almost laughed angrily: "The Ming army that landed from Qinghua only numbered 30,000 to 40,000 people. Although Pan Maxiu was defeated, his troops were not surrounded and annihilated on a large scale. Instead, they were basically gathered together. With the troops reinforced by the capital, our army on the southern front is twice that of the Ming army, and tens of thousands more people are drawn from the northern front? You must know that almost all of our army's strongholds on the north bank of the Furiang River defense line have been eliminated one by one! And! There are many soldiers and horses on the Furiang River defense line who have been temporarily recruited. It is impossible to mobilize these people, only veterans, and if tens of thousands of veterans are removed, the entire defense line is in danger of completely collapsing!"

"Then what do you think we should do? If we can't draw troops from the Furiang River defense line, how can we ensure the absolute security of the capital?" The person being questioned couldn't help but frown and asked.

"——Calling the chieftains to be diligent!"

Wu Mengyuan's words immediately detonated the entire hall.

"Calling the chieftains to be diligent in their work? This is simply the most ridiculous thing in the world!"

"Only those chieftains with ulterior motives? Why King Qin? Those soldiers and horses have left the mountains and forests, and there are not enough people to fill the gap between our teeth."

"Wu Mengyuan, you are trying to put the monarch in danger! This is a crime that cannot be punished!"

Ruan Chengshi stood up and said, "My lords, please calm down. Lord Wu is also a loyal and patriotic person."

"Wu Mengyuan! He also said that you are not a spy of the Ming Dynasty!"

A military attache glared at Wu Mengyuan and asked: "If we do as you say, not only will our country lose the opportunity to mobilize troops from the Furiang River defense line, but if those chieftains have evil intentions, the country will be plunged into chaos." A bigger dilemma!”

"Whether I am a spy or not is up to Your Majesty to decide."

Wu Mengyuan replied calmly.

"You are quite smart, you still know how to retreat in order to advance at this time." A minister said sarcastically.

"enough!"

Hu Jishen snorted coldly and said: "If the Ming Dynasty wants to destroy our Dayu, I'm afraid it won't be that easy, right? We, Dayu, still have hundreds of thousands of troops and millions of people. As long as we unite as one, how can we be afraid of just a few people?" Wan Mingjun?"

Hu Jishen concluded the meeting.

"I will not consider the matter of King Tusi Qin for the time being, but I will move the capital and other proposals. If you have such thoughts, it is best not to mention it at all."

"With King Wei, I will ask him to deploy some soldiers and horses to defend the capital without affecting the defense line, while Pan Maxiu and other troops will set up defenses south of Shenglong Palace."

"From now on, according to what Wu Mengyuan said, all the grain and grass in the treasury along the way will be moved. What cannot be moved will be burned on the spot! Not even a grain of rice can be left for the people of the Ming Dynasty! As long as we persist until next spring, the Ming army will naturally surrender without a fight. retreat."

The old Hu Jiyou looked at the ministers coldly and warned.

"I will stay in Shenglong Mansion and not go anywhere, and the same goes for you."

——————

It has to be said that Wu Mengyuan's strategy is indeed effective.

But it doesn't seem to be that effective.

Because at the beginning, as the Annan army fortified walls and cleared fields on a large scale, moved and burned warehouses, the Ming army was indeed in short supply of food, because the Ming army had marched hundreds of miles.

But then, not only did the Annan people spontaneously oppose the riots of clearing the country and burning warehouses, but the Ming army also began to resume large-scale food supply, which could not only supply the army, but even the Annan locals who were about to starve to death. The people distributed some porridge and took a sip of their lives. Under the command of Li Jinglong, the Ming army once again began a furious assault and pushed directly to Fenghua Mansion, which was already within easy reach of the core area ruled by Annan Kingdom.

Amazing, isn't it?

The Ming army that landed was obviously so far away from the home port. Why could food supplies be maintained on a large scale and continuously?

The answer is also very simple, provided by the Champa State.

After Zheng He's negotiation, Ming Dynasty used Songjiang cotton at market price as payment in exchange for a large amount of grain reserves from the Champa Kingdom.

Don’t forget, “Champa rice” was introduced to China from Champa. Because of factors such as latitude and sunlight, the rice yield per mu of Champa is higher than that of Annan. However, the people of Champa have no food crisis and have no maintenance. Such a huge army naturally has a lot of warehouses.

The distance from Tuohuang Port in the Champa Kingdom to Thanh Hoa Port in Annan Kingdom is much closer than that from the mainland of the Ming Dynasty to Thanh Hoa Port. It is an exaggeration to say that it is morning and evening, but it is not an exaggeration to say that the goods will be delivered the next day. .

As for the local household textile industry in Champa that was washed away, who cares? The Champa people themselves don't care, so why go to the trouble of spinning and weaving? Isn't it delicious to farm with peace of mind and export food to the Ming Dynasty?

There is endless food to eat anyway. The endless food can be exchanged for practical, high-quality and cheap textiles. Isn’t this money in vain?

Moreover, the Champa Kingdom could also act as a second-tier dealer, hoarding Songjiang cotton and selling it to Linyi and other countries that had not yet had large-scale trade with the Ming Dynasty.

In Fenghua Prefecture, south of Thang Long Prefecture, Jiaoshui County (now Jiaoshui County on the lower reaches of the Red River in the eastern part of Ninh Province, Henan Province, Vietnam).

Although the place name is a bit funny, this is indeed one of the few remaining transportation hubs and passes leading to Thang Long, the capital of Annan.

Because there is a river named "Glue" here, which, as the main tributary of the Red River, plays a natural blocking role.

Well, this place was also called Fenghua Mansion in the Chen Dynasty, and is currently called Tianchang Road in the Hu Dynasty.

Hu Jiyou and Wang Mang are actually somewhat similar in that they always like to randomly change administrative divisions.

Previously, the good government was changed into a government and a road in parallel, which is the so-called "the road has the pacification envoy deputy, the government has the town pacification envoy deputy, the state has the general magistrate, the county magistrate, the county magistrate, and the weizhu book is in charge." "Roads govern prefectures, prefectures govern prefectures, and prefectures govern counties; all household registers, money, valleys, and prison lawsuits are always recorded along the way, and they are reported to the province every year for inspection."

That would be fine, but Hu Jiyou still had to go through the trouble, and changed the parallel houses and roads into towns, Qinghua Town into Qingdu Town, Guowei Town into Guangwei Town, and Langjiang Town into Langshan Town. Later, there was an operation to change the town into a capital government. In short, the officials and the people were miserable, and finally changed it back.

It looked very similar, pointing to more than a dozen versions of ppt, and finally saying that the first version was a suitable boss.

However, most of the major governors in the Dutong Mansion were now almost wiped out by Hu Jiya, in a physical sense.

Chen Yuanhang of Beijiang Road Dutong Prefecture and Chen Yuanzhu of Sanjiang Road Dutong Prefecture both died. The successor Sanjiang pacifier Chen Gongsu surrendered to the Ming Dynasty. Now there is only one veteran of the Chen Dynasty left, Shaobao Wang Ruzhou, who is stationed in Fenghua Prefecture to resist Li Jinglong attack.

On the other side of the glue, the Ming army coach Li Jinglong rushed here with his growing army of 50,000 people. The advance could be described as rapid.

In addition to the serious Ming army, there are naturally also the Annan servant army that has been recruited. In some counties, the county magistrate Kaicheng surrendered directly, and there was no shortage of powerful people who were dissatisfied with the Hu family and joined their families. In addition, they were fully paid and did not need to The Ming army, which borrowed military merit from the Annan people, generally maintained military discipline quite well. For a while, it actually looked like "the common people were eating pots of pulp to welcome the king's army".

Pan Maxiu and several generals sent by Shenglong Mansion knew that after passing the glue, they would reach the Great Plains, and there was no danger to defend behind them, so they simply concentrated their troops here to prevent the Ming army from crossing the river. Delay time.

In other words, the battle situation on the northern and southern fronts of Annan converged on two rivers, the northern front was the Furiang River, and the southern front was the glue.

Any time the Ming army crossed any river, it would directly lead to the irreversible situation in Annan.

Now there are more than 200,000 Annan troops on the northern front and 80,000 Annan troops on the southern front. They have become a sandwich surrounded by the Ming army. They can only fight in a trapped beast and wait for the temperature to get warmer. There is no room for active attack.

Annan's fate has come to the last moment.

"This is really easy to defend but hard to attack!"

Li Jinglong looked at the glue in front of him and sighed secretly.

In fact, in the history of Jiang Xinghuo's previous life, "Annan Abandoned the Defense" once recorded, "In the fifth year of Yongle in the Ming Dynasty, Zhang Fu pursued the enemy to Menhaikou, Jiaoshui County. After garrisoning troops, we decided to return the troops."

Glue River, as the main tributary of the Red River at this time, has fast currents, and except for a few ferries, it can be said to be full of swamps and shoals, making it difficult for the army to deploy.

However, although the water and terrain in front of Jiaoshui City are indeed steep and easy to defend but difficult to attack, the Ming army is not a vegetarian.

Thanks to the large-scale pontoon bridge troops of the Ming army, the Ming army had already prepared the equipment to cross the river. It only needed to use artillery fire to suppress the defending enemies in front of it, and then it could build a pontoon bridge.

After all, the Annan people's bows and arrows could not cross the river, but the Ming army's artillery could easily cross the river.

But the problem is that building a pontoon bridge is not the purpose, transporting the army there is.

However, the gluey terrain restricted the performance of the Ming army's cavalry. After all, they could not swim across the river with men and horses armed. However, the same pontoon bridge could transport one cavalry and one horse in enough time to transport five infantrymen. Generally, there was no need to cross the river first. The reason for letting the cavalry pass is useless even if only a small part of it passes.

However, the enemy's cavalry can attack from Jiaoshui City and surrounding fortresses at any time, creating a "half-crossing attack" effect on the Ming army crossing the river. The cavalry has strong mobility, and the artillery has no explosives, so it is okay to attack the slow-moving infantry group. , but it is difficult to achieve large-scale damage to moving cavalry targets, so setting up a pontoon bridge is simple, but it is actually very difficult to pass here safely.

At the same time, there were more than 80,000 Annan troops gathered around Glue City!

It has to be said that the Ming army plus the servant army only numbered less than 50,000, and they dared to cross the river to attack. The offensive and defensive strength of both sides was actually very obvious.

"Build a pontoon bridge and cross the river!"

Li Jinglong gave an order, and the southern front's attack on the last barrier of Thang Long, the capital of Annan, officially began.