Chapter 580 Recapture Youzhou
In the Battle of Langshan Dong'an, the Mongolian army not only lost nearly 60,000 elite soldiers, but also 100,000 troops, food, grass, equipment and horses, and suffered heavy losses on the south bank of the Nanyishui River.
After the battle, the soldiers of the Qi army were very tired, but after Zhao Tai gave an order, the Qi army ate some dry food in a hurry and headed north.
When Zhao Tai crossed the Nanyishui River in large numbers to pursue Wokuotai, he also issued an order to the Qi garrison in Xiongzhou, Bazhou, Qingzhou and other places on the south bank of the Nanyishui River to attack and cross the river.
The Qi army forcibly crossed the river from the south of the Nanyishui River. The Mongolian army on the other side heard that the front line was defeated and had already fled without fighting.
In the Battle of Dong'an in Langshan, the Qi army defeated 100,000 Mongolian troops and beheaded nearly 60,000 on the south bank of the Nanyishui River.
Wokuotai was carried by the defeated army and fled across the river. The Qi Army's brave cavalry and the Tiger Cavalry cavalry were in hot pursuit, making it impossible for the Mongolian army to stop and regroup.
The Mongolian king pressed on Chitai and fled from Zijingguan to Datong. Wokuotai did not gather enough troops to break up, and he did not dare to enter the city and hold on.
The Mongolian army was newly defeated, and the Qi army's ability to attack fortresses was there again. The Mongolian army was afraid of being surrounded in the city when it was defeated, which made the Qi army make dumplings. They did not dare to stay for a moment, and they all rushed north.
Wokuotai bypassed Zhuozhou and Jinzhongdu and fled back to the grassland from Juyongguan. However, the huge blow made the Mongolian Khan sick and he may have died two years earlier than in history.
Shi Tianze followed the defeated Mongolian army and rushed all the way back to Jinzhongdu, preparing to enter the city to hold on. However, unexpectedly, the defeated Mongolian army did not even enter the city, so they fled north one after another.
This forced Shi Tianze to give up the idea of holding on to the city and hurriedly led his subordinates to evacuate from the city.
He judged that the Qi army would pursue the Mongolian army. Considering that his subordinates were mainly infantry and could easily be overtaken by the Qi army, he withdrew all the way to Jizhou. However, within half a day, he felt that Jizhou was not safe either.
Fleeing eastward, passing through Lulong and leaving the fortress, he finally settled in western Liaoning.
Shi Tianze's judgment was very correct. After entering Youzhou, the various units of the Qi army went straight to various passes.
Because the Mongolian army occupied Youzhou, Zijingguan, Juyongguan and other places and was not facing the front line of the Qi army, there were not many Mongolian troops stationed there, and the soldiers guarding the passes were only third-rate Mongolian troops.
When they saw the elite Mongolian cavalry running away, they were so frightened that they dared not confront the pursuing Qi army.
The Qi army captured various passes at a very small cost.
The Qi army occupied the pass, and subsequent troops entered Youzhou one after another.
On August 20, Zhao Tai led his troops to Daxing City, which was once the central capital of the Jin Kingdom and where many Jin people had fought.
After many years, they still vividly remember the scene when Jinzhongdu was conquered by the Mongols.
When Wuxian served for the Kingdom of Jin, he watched the Kingdom of Jin lose ground and thought he would never come back. He didn't want to see him return here with another identity today.
Looking at the dilapidated city wall at this time, many old Jin generals in the Qi army couldn't help but sigh.
Zhao Tai rode his war horse and looked at the city with unspeakable excitement in his eyes.
"Since Shi Jingtang ceded the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun, how many heroes in the Central Plains have determined to regain this place. Now what Chai Rong didn't do, Gu has done. What Taizu and Taizong didn't do, Gu has done!" Zhao Tai was full of enthusiasm and pointed with his whip.
At the top of the city, "Who is going to take this city for Gu?"
After chasing all the way, each general looked tired, but everyone was still in high spirits.
Wu Xiandao: "Your Majesty, let me come!"
Zhao Tai knew that Wu Xian and Shi Tianze had a deep grudge, so he nodded and said, "Okay, I'll leave it to you."
At that moment, Wuxian led his troops under the city and set up their formations. The Qi army was in formation, but the gate of Daxing City suddenly opened, and then a group of people came out to greet them, beating gongs and drums.
Shi Tianze saw that Wo Kuotai could not enter the city, and the elite soldiers he had just gathered were abandoned in Langshan, unable to hold on to the city, so he hurriedly fled with the officials in the city.
The gentry and common people who remained in the city were frightened when they saw that the government had withdrawn, thinking that the Qi army would come to surrender. However, they did not expect them to directly line up in an attack posture.
This frightened the gentry in the city so much that they hurriedly asked people to open the city gate, beat gongs and drums, and welcome Master Wang into the city.
Outside the city, Zhao Tai was talking to several generals, but Wu Xian came back on horseback, "Your Majesty, the city gate opened by itself!"
Zhao Tai arrived in a hurry and did not know the situation in Daxing City. He couldn't help but said unexpectedly: "Shi Tianze wants to surrender?"
Speaking of which, Zhao Tai was once Shi Tianze's subordinate. He really didn't expect that Shi Tianze would surrender.
Wu Xian said: "That guy Shi Tianze ran away a long time ago, and now Daxing is an empty city."
After Zhao Tai heard this, he immediately said: "Coming here like this saves Gu a lot of time. Send people into the city first to control the city's defenses to prevent fraud. Once it's safe, Gu will enter the city."
Qi's counterattack was based on a time lag, taking advantage of the Mongolian Western Route Army to drive Mongolia out of Hebei before it reached the Central Plains.
Therefore, Shi Tianze fled without fighting, which could save the Qi army time to control Youzhou.
Wu Xian asked: "I have just found out that Shi Tianze is fleeing eastward towards Jizhou. Do you want to send cavalry to get ahead of Shi Tianze and control his eastward exit pass to block him in Youzhou?"
Zhao Tai thought for a while and shook his head, "Don't block him, just send a team of troops to pursue eastward and drive Shi Tianze and the Mongolian troops from Jizhou, Luanzhou and Pingzhou out of Youzhou."
What Zhao Tai wants now is to control Hebei as soon as possible, arrange defenses, and then turn the army back south to defend the Mongolian Western Expeditionary Army that is about to arrive in the Central Plains.
If the Qi army completely blocked the Mongolian army's escape route, Shi Tianze would definitely resist in Luanzhou and other places, which would undoubtedly hold back Zhao Tai's army.
Time is still relatively urgent for Zhao Tai. It will take a certain amount of time for the Qi army to drive the Mongolian army out of Youzhou, control the passes, and eliminate the Mongolian army in Youzhou.
Shi Tianze is not an important figure to Zhao Tai. Driving him out of Youzhou will help Qi control the entire territory of Youzhou.
"I understand!" Wu Xian clasped his fists and went to receive Daxing.
In the afternoon, Wuxian reported that the Qi army had taken control of Daxing City, and Zhao Tai immediately entered the city with the welcome of the soldiers and civilians in the city.
However, the land of Youzhou has been ruled by the Khitans and Jurchens for more than three hundred years. The residents here have become highly barbaric and have no feelings for the Central Plains.
Now the residents in the city are eating pots and pans, mainly because they are afraid of the military might of the Qi army.
At this time, Zhao Tai rode into the city. A group of people in the city welcomed King Qi into the city with fear.
Zhao Tai glanced at them, reined in his horse, and said loudly: "Today the lonely king has regained Youzhou, you don't have to panic, you just need to abide by the law, and the Qi army will definitely make no mistakes in the autumn."
With Zhao Tai's guarantee, the gentry and powerful people in the city couldn't help but heave a sigh of relief.
After Zhao Tai entered Daxing City, in order to appease people's hearts, he immediately issued a decree that Youzhou, like Jizhou, would be exempted from taxes this year. Then he changed Daxing Mansion to Youzhou and established the Qi King's Palace to show that Qi State attached great importance to Youzhou.
Chapter completed!