Chapter 474 Attacking Shunde
That day, after the King of Chu had set up camp in the city with his army, he summoned a group of generals to his tent.
We're going to discuss how to take Shunde.
"The next step is to attack Shunde. Everyone is welcome to share their thoughts."
During the great battle, the King of Chu stood before the map, his gaze sweeping over the people in the camp.
The previous events were just appetizers; once they captured Shunde, it proved that their path to rebellion was already halfway complete.
After capturing Shunde, the next step is to cross the Yellow River and enter Weihui. Once Weihui is captured, the day when the army enters the capital will not be far off, so they are in a great hurry.
The faster they go, the weaker the court's ability to organize resistance will be. When this route was chosen, the strategy was to act swiftly and take Luoyang quickly.
Now that we've captured the cities ahead, once we enter Shunde, cross the Yellow River, and enter Henan province, the rest of the battle will be much easier.
Commander Qian looked at the map and pondered for a while, then suddenly said, "Shunde has a permanent garrison of about 12,000 troops, mostly from the Beizhili garrison, plus some temporarily recruited local militia. The command structure is loose, and most of the generals have not fought many battles. I just don't know which one is currently stationed there. With our current strength, taking Shunde Prefecture directly should not be a problem."
Old Zhao chimed in, "Old Qian is right. But we've been out here for so many days, and we've already captured two cities. The imperial court must have received the news and will surely send reinforcements. I just wonder how many troops they will send."
Qi Rong pondered for a moment and said, "Based on the current number of people in the various garrisons on the border, even if the imperial court sends reinforcements, the number will not exceed five thousand."
Lin Changning added in his mind that there might not be more than three thousand. The court could only mobilize infantry in the capital, and nearly a third of them were cavalry, many of whom were heavily armored cavalry.
Even if the infantry were to form a battle formation, they would be unable to resist the charge of the heavily armored cavalry. The Shunde Prefecture would certainly not be able to be defended by the imperial court. If he were a general of the imperial court, he would certainly not have stationed most of his troops in the prefectural city.
Instead, they would disperse most of their troops at the Zhanghe ferry crossing on the Yellow River, because the Zhanghe ferry crossing was an essential route for them to advance and take control of the Central Plains.
Lin Changning lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes trembling slightly as she pondered the recent battle situation.
Li Mingxiu then said, "Father, I think we should avoid a prolonged siege of Shunde Prefecture. We have brought a lot of cavalry, so we can use their advantage to advance quickly. However, I am a little worried that the imperial reinforcements have already received the news and are now stationed outside the main city of Shunde. Therefore, I think we should bypass the main city of Shunde Prefecture, concentrate our forces to attack the imperial reinforcements outside the city, and eliminate our worries before entering the city."
The King of Chu looked at Li Mingxiu, a hint of appreciation in his eyes, and nodded, indicating his approval of his son: "Mingxiu is right. This time, the imperial army will definitely reinforce outside Shunde City. If we want to enter the city, we can't avoid the imperial reinforcements. Mingde, Xiaoliu, what about you? Do you have any ideas?"
Li Mingde pondered for a few seconds and said, "Uncle Jiu, I think Ashu is right. As long as we intercept the reinforcements sent by the imperial court, it's only a matter of time before we take Shunde City."
Lin Changning looked at Li Mingde, and when he saw the King of Chu turn his gaze to him, he said, "Father, I think it would be better to use the tactic of besieging the city and attacking the reinforcements to annihilate the main force of the reinforcements, intimidate the garrison inside the city, and force Shunde Prefecture to surrender. Perhaps we can spread the news in the city in advance. Jingxing has already levied grain four times this year, and Shunde Prefecture must be in no better shape. The people must be in dire straits. We should send people to spread the news in the city that we will open the granaries after we enter the city and distribute the grain to the people. With the will of the people, we may be able to force Shunde Prefecture to open the city gates and surrender."
After all, Shunde Prefecture could not be defended. Even if they put up a stubborn resistance, it was only a matter of time before they took over Shunde Prefecture.
Lin Changning paused again before stating his conjecture: "Furthermore, I believe that there may not be many troops in Shunde City this time. With our large army pressing in, even if they defend the city walls to the death, they won't be able to hold out for more than a few days."
Even if things go badly, we can simply besiege the city. They won't last long before running out of ammunition and supplies. If I were the enemy commander, I probably wouldn't station a large force in Shunde Prefecture. Instead, I would rush to the Zhang River, seize a favorable position at the ferry crossing on the Yellow River, and launch a surprise attack while our troops are crossing, using the terrain to my advantage.
After all, the prefectural city can definitely be captured, but the Yellow River is inherently dangerous. If some tricks are done during the crossing, it could greatly damage their morale.
King Chu fell into deep thought upon hearing Lin Changning's words. He felt that Changning was right. First, the court could not mobilize enough troops to fight against them. Second, the Yellow River crossing, like Shunde City, was the only way for them to seize the capital and march on their troops.
If the forces are insufficient to confront them, setting up an ambush at the Yellow River crossing or the Zhang River is indeed a good strategy.
"In your opinion, is there any way?"
Lin Changning gently shook his head, then nodded:
"Father, I think we should first capture the imperial reinforcements and take Shunde Prefecture before checking if there are any ambushes at the Yellow River ferry."
If there is an ambush, dealing with it is simple: take the grain and fodder along the way that can be carried, distribute the rest to the people, head south to Handan, seize the Zhanghe ferry crossing, launch a strong attack, and take control of the advantageous position at the crossing.
The Yellow River is a natural barrier for us, and it was the same for them. They went to cut bamboo overnight, built a suspension bridge, and those who had crossed first laid ropes on the bank while the others camped out. By using pulleys and locks, they crossed the river one by one, minimizing the risks.
Lin Changning had already had convenient and quick pulley locks made, and Youwei was equipped with them long ago. They are quite useful when rock climbing or crossing bridges and rivers.
The King of Chu knew that Lin Changning had made some gadgets, but he never expected that these little things could play such a significant role on the battlefield.
After a moment's thought, the King of Chu said, "Mingxiu, Mingde, you two will accompany Commander Zhao to battle tomorrow to capture the imperial reinforcements."
Ah Rong, Xiao Liu, you two will follow Commander Qian tomorrow and find a way into the city to spread the word and persuade the people to surrender. If the gates open, we'll go straight into Shunde Prefecture.
And Xiao Liu, as the vanguard, after Shunde Prefecture is captured, lead your men directly to Handan to investigate the local garrison situation and the current flood level of the Yellow River. Only the Right Guard is equipped with pulley locks; you, as the vanguard, must capture the ferry crossing!
The men, seeing the solemn expression on the King of Chu's face, clasped their hands in unison and answered loudly, "Yes, Your Highness! We obey your command!"
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