Chapter 386: Dark and Obscure
After the military order was issued, the first to move were the Tian Division's Central Division. In the following days, countless soldiers of the Right Army of the Imperial Camp packed up their bags and retreated from the front line in an orderly manner under the protection of the support troops in the rear. A large number of cities in Hebei Province that had just been captured but were located to the east and north were abandoned. The army began to cross the complex rivers and gather in a few large cities or military camps that were closer to the main forces of the Imperial Camp's front army.
Once the Song army began its Northern Expedition, the situation became chaotic, and armed reconnaissance and spies began to exist and spread widely.
Not to mention armed reconnaissance, that is, infiltration of scouts and small troops, things like spies also became very common... The Song army would do it, and the Jin army would do it too. Often a small boat would float through various branches of the Yellow River at night, passing through the ditches and woods, and then arrive in the form of a password or a token... And whether it was the Jin or Song Kingdom, the spies they used were generally local Han people from Hebei.
Under such circumstances, things outside the military camp could not be concealed at all, and the abnormal deployment of the Right Army of the Imperial Camp on such a scale could not be concealed, and it immediately attracted the attention of all parties and caused a chain reaction. As a result, Yue Fei's self-righteous plan encountered unexpected interference from the very beginning, which directly affected his layout and arrangements.
But this unexpected reaction did not come from the Jin army.
In fact, from a military logic point of view, the Jin army leaders in Hebei had no reason to feel particularly confused about the Song army's retreat... Wang Bolun's encounter was a perfect reason, and the fact that the main force of the Jin Kingdom was gathering in the rear was an even more fatal fundamental reason.
The commander of the Song army could have sensed danger from Wang Bolong's dispatch and the large-scale conscription of the signed army, and retreated drastically.
Therefore, the retreat of the Right Army of the Imperial Camp was within a reasonable military logic chain from the very beginning. Any qualified military general should have anticipated the contraction of the Song Army... It's just that the Song Army contracted so quickly and decisively, and over such a wide range, it's somewhat admirable.
In addition, another important reason why the Jin army's reaction was within Yue Fei's expectations was actually due to one person.
Gaojingshan.
As early as several years before, during the confrontation and interaction with the Jin army on the other side of the river, Yue Fei had already noticed the character of this commander-in-chief of the Jin Kingdom's Damingfu Military Command - this man was conscientious and responsible, had military experience, political talent and political status, but for some reason, he had always been very conservative.
This was first revealed seven years ago when this man followed the Eight Character Army across the river without firing a single arrow, and his response measures since the war began have all been able to verify it... those conservative retreats and abandonments, the navy's long avoidance of battle, the construction of defense measures in Daimyo Prefecture, including the more than 20 artillery vehicles aimed at the river, all explain the problem.
Not to mention that the artillery carriage is fixed or something, the key point is that it takes time to build the artillery... This time is not only about the process of building the artillery carriage, but also about whether you need to build the artillery position at the ferry in the city. Do you need to demolish the house in advance? Do you need to build a artillery workshop?
However, after Yue Fei broke through Daming City and faced Yuan City across the river, most of the artillery carts on the opposite side had already been in place. This shows that Gao Jingshan may have immediately started to prepare the city defense as soon as the Song army went north, or as soon as the third prince Erlido died, and he did not leave any loopholes.
I don’t know whether I should admire this person’s calmness or his intelligence.
This character was actually another factor that led Yue Fei to decide to launch a large-scale offensive before the ice formed.
In short, this conservative commander, in conjunction with the fact that the main force of the Jin Kingdom was gathering in a large scale, did not carry out direct military interference, nor did he make large-scale military adjustments around Daming Prefecture - Gao Jingshan had no intention of seeking credit at all.
Wang Bolong did take action, which was expected.
Although this person was under the command of Daming Prefecture, one could tell from his station that he had always felt disconnected from the four Wanhu surrounding Daming Prefecture. Coming from north to south at this time, he had reason to avoid Gao Jingshan's military order. In addition, this person had a strong style, so it was normal for him to make some pursuit moves.
However, it was impossible for Wang Bolong to pursue the enemy deeply... On the one hand, there was the danger of advancing alone, and on the other hand, he must have a supreme military order from Wanyan Wushu or someone like that, requiring him to take position in a certain area (most likely the area north of Xiajin).
In fact, his general's flag did stop in the north of Xiajin, while his subordinates crossed the northern fork of the Yellow River East Road, swept Dezhou, and chose to withdraw after several battles with the Song army.
However, even if the military development was exactly as Yue Fei expected, he still miscalculated and caused a great delay in the plan. To be frank, the real surprise was not the Jin army, nor the political pressure from Tokyo in the rear... Tokyo's reaction was not so fast, and no matter how big the reaction was, it would not have a direct impact on the front line... The people of the three states at the intersection of the Yellow River East Road had the most direct impact on the military plan.
That is, the remnants of the three states of Hebei that had just been liberated.
Although the Right Army of the Imperial Camp has never been a model army, it depends on who it is compared with. At least it is not too far from Tokyo, and is closer to Yue Pengju and the Front Army of the Imperial Camp, most of whom are from Hebei. The Right Army of the Imperial Camp would not dare to massacre the city and loot, right?
What's more, the common people did not understand the situation. They only saw that the Right Army of the Imperial Camp had just occupied the town for a few dozen days and then retreated in large numbers. Naturally, they would feel panic - if the Jin army came back again, would they massacre and abduct the Han people like they did eight or nine years ago?
At the same time, the Jin Kingdom also launched a massive conscription of soldiers in the prefectures and counties surrounding the northern route of the Yellow River. The men of entire villages and towns were dragged away... Just across the river that freezes in winter, who doesn't have relatives or friends there? Who wouldn't pass on some gossip?
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
