Just when Zhao Muyun was thinking about how to make friends with Longyou in the northern border to find oil, in the core area of the Central Plains, outside the capital, the situation was changing and a war was about to break out.
Li Jingang led his 100,000-strong army and marched to Luqiao Post, which was only 50 miles away from the capital.
As soon as they set up camp, the scouts came running back with a report: Prince Yinxi of Jin led 50,000 elite troops from Hedong and was blocking the way ahead!
The place of Luqiaoyi is flat and bare in winter, looking extremely desolate.
The military camps of Li Jingang and Yin Xi were facing each other twenty miles apart, with flags flying everywhere and swords and spears reflecting a cold light.
The atmosphere of the impending war is so oppressive that it makes people breathless.
Prince Yinxi of Jin sat in the central military tent, wearing shiny golden armor, with an expressionless face.
When we were still north of the river, someone brought three merchants who said they wanted to see us.
When they came in, King Jin immediately recognized Wang Pan and Zhou Dequan in addition to Bai Shouren.
After all, the King of Jin had been outside Jinyang City for many years, so how could he not have dealt with the two big businessmen from Jinyang?
King Jin listened to the three people's words patiently because they had all been in Jinyang before.
It was learned that the three of them had obtained cigarettes from Zhao Muyun, and had presented them to Yin Zhao in the capital, preparing for a big move, but their plan was stranded because the Tartars broke into the city.
The King of Jin generously gave them an opportunity, allowing the three of them to return to Jinyang and giving them a month to develop the cigarette business.
The three men were overjoyed to see that King Jin had let go of their past grudges. They kowtowed repeatedly to express their gratitude and left happily.
After sending the three away, King Jin immediately called his generals and advisers to discuss how to fight Li Jingang tomorrow.
Although he is half as strong as Li Jingang, he is still confident.
Why?
Because he had long ago called on troops from all over the world to come to the defense of the country in the name of Emperor Yin Zhao.
The Jiedushi of Henan, Hebei, Shandong and Huainan are rushing here with their troops to get a piece of the pie.
The total number of troops from the four routes is eighty thousand!
What made the Prince of Jin even happier was that the fake Prince of Qi, Gu Dingming, who was established by the Tartar Zuo Xian Wang Wuzhu in the capital, also secretly sent someone to deliver a message.
He said that as soon as Prince Jin's army arrived, he would immediately kill the Tartars stationed in the city, open the city gates to welcome them, and would never be a stumbling block!
After this calculation, King Jin felt that he had a great chance of winning.
As the news spread in the army, morale was boosted and the entire army was waiting to see how Li Jingang would die.
Li Jingang felt a little uncomfortable and even regretted not listening to Yang Yan.
He had a lot of soldiers and horses, but he came to fight on someone else's territory.
The food and fodder logistics lines are relatively long, and there was too much killing when Xijing was captured, so the aristocratic families in Guanzhong are not very receptive.
Everything was peaceful when Li Jingang was around, but once he went on the expedition, these aristocratic families started to become restless.
They secretly gathered their strength and contacted King Jin, preparing to show up as soon as Li Jingang was defeated in the capital.
Now the King of Jin is blocking the road in front, and the King of Jin's reinforcements are about to arrive from behind. There are undercurrents in Xijing, and he can only win this battle, not lose!
In front of Luqiao Posthouse, the scouts from both sides had already started fighting like cockfighting. They had fought several small fights and blood had been shed.
Everyone knows that the big one is coming.
.....
The north wind blew the yellow earth across the empty fields of Luqiao Station.
It was deep winter, and all things were withered. Only two armies stood like confronting steel behemoths, casting a shadow of death on the wilderness.
Niu Desheng led an army of 10,000 elite soldiers to launch a fierce attack on the camp of Prince Jin, but Prince Jin refused to fight, so Niu Desheng had to return in disappointment.
Then, the next day, Ma Zongliang led another 10,000 troops to fight, but the Prince of Jin still refused to fight.
For several days in a row, the Dafeng Army was turned away and they were so angry that they cursed.
Inside Li Jingang's central military tent, the crackling charcoal fire could not dispel the anxiety between Li Jingang's brows.
He slammed the wine bowl down on the table, causing the murky liquor to splatter. "Damn it! That old fox Yin Xi is shrinking like a turtle!"
All the generals under his command were silent.
After days of fierce attacks, although the Dafeng Army was brave, they were just a group of peasants and were badly beaten to a pulp by the King of Jin's tight defense line.
Vanguard Li Bao, his arm still wrapped in bloody cloth, muttered, "Your Majesty, the Jin army relies on fortifications and powerful bows and crossbows, and our men have suffered heavy casualties...Should we suspend the offensive and make a long-term plan?"
"Long-term consideration?"
Li Jingang's eyes widened. "How long can our food and supplies last? When the damn four reinforcements arrive, we'll all be killed here! We must fight and end this quickly!"
He looked at his advisor Feng Liang, who had remained silent, and asked, "Mr. Feng, do you have any good ideas?"
Li Jingang's most common strategist was Yang Yan, but Yang Yan opposed him sending troops to the capital, so Li Jingang asked Yang Yan, his brother-in-law, and his nephew Li Hu to guard the rear together.
When it comes to military strategy, he consults with Feng Liang.
Feng Liang was also a failed scholar. After rebelling with Li Jingang, he lived under the shadow of Yang Yan.
Now I can finally show my talent.
Feng Liang twisted his goatee, his triangular eyes gleaming:
"Your Majesty, the King of Jin is holding his ground, intending to wear down our morale and wait for reinforcements to arrive. A forceful attack is definitely not the best strategy."
"Perhaps we could send an elite force to bypass the front at night and attack their food storage areas. If we can burn their food supplies, the Jin army will be in chaos."
Li Jingang pondered for a moment and shook his head: "Yin Xi is not a fool. The important grain and grass areas must be heavily guarded. The risk is too great."
He waved his hands irritably, "We'll attack tomorrow! Concentrate your forces and smash his center for me! I don't believe we can't shatter his tortoise shell!"
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