Chapter 2013 Abandoning the Lord? Taking the initiative
The field of view of the telescope is full of karst, or karst landforms, with rock buds, caves, and ravines coexisting, and clusters of peaks, peak forests, and solitary peaks standing tall.
Huang Li had no intention of admiring this majestic natural scenery. After careful observation, he ordered the army to continue marching.
As they got closer and closer to Dafang City, Huang Li's vigilance was heightened to the extreme. He led two battalions of troops and rushed to the vanguard in person, commanding the advance together with Li Yue.
He seems to have a normal demeanor, but Huang Li is already using his super power at full capacity, predicting what will happen next in real time. Half a minute, half a minute...
In addition, sentry detectives and reconnaissance cavalry are also sent far away to continuously send back reconnaissance information.
The terrain was too complex, and he did not dare to be careless. Otherwise, he might be ambushed by the enemy.
Mountain camps have been distributed on both wings, providing flank security. The troops composed of Dachang and local soldiers can maintain a fairly fast speed in the karst terrain, which makes Huang Li marvel.
"The Wu army in Dafang should have known that our army was advancing. With their strength, they might have called back the men and horses guarding the important passes and gathered in Dafang to hold on, blocking our army from entering the hinterland of Shuixi and flanking Wu Sangui's troops."<
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"Or abandon Dafang City and retreat to Qixing Pass to ensure that the Wu army can pass through Bijie and retreat to Yunnan."
Huang Li rode on his horse, thinking about his next move as he walked.
The first possibility is the most likely, and Huang Li has already made arrangements for it.
The army will arrive at Dafang City, and the two mountain camps will first enter the hinterland of Shuixi under the guidance of the guides sent by Shuixi.
The second possibility is even simpler. Leaving troops to garrison Dafang City and the main force entering Shuixi may be a doomed situation for Wu Sangui.
Wu Sangui could either retreat to Yunnan or turn east to Guiyang to join Li Benzhen's troops.
"So far, there is no news of Shuixi's defeat. This is a good thing. It shows that it is not too late for assistance, and Liu Xiang and Pi Xiong should be fine too."
Huang Li thought about it and felt a little more relaxed.
It has been almost two months since he returned to Chongqing from Huguang and sent troops to fight, and is about to arrive in Dafang. According to his estimation, no matter how bad Shuixi is, he will not be defeated so quickly.
What's more, there are Liu Xiang, Pi Xiong, and the task force assisting. Even if history cannot be changed, it should be okay to persist for half a year.
Of course, Huang Li didn't expect that Wu Sangui was already in trouble, repeating the mistake of governor Wu Sanshan who advanced alone during the She'an Rebellion.
The main reason is the complex terrain of Shuixi, which is like a nightmare for any external attacker.
There are ravines and ravines all over the place. All you need to do to block a road is pile up some rocks and trees. Even if it were Huang Li, he would still have to be cautious and not look down on An Kun, a local snake.
This is the advantage of the home court, the advantage of the host. The principle that a strong dragon cannot overwhelm a local snake is not something to be said casually.
……………
Dafangcheng.
The commander-in-chief Wu Guogui, the deputy commander-in-chief Gao Dejie, the commander-in-chief Shen Yingshi, Liu Zhifu gathered together, and all the troops who were divided to guard the key roads have been transferred back.
In the conquest of Shuixi, the main forces were the troops led by Wu Sangui himself and the troops of Guizhou Admiral Li Benshen.
Wu Guogui and others only garrisoned troops at key passes to prevent An Kun from fleeing after his defeat, and did not participate in the battle into Shuixi.
Therefore, they each led a small number of troops, and together they only had more than 8,000 troops.
The Ming army captured Zunyi and marched towards Dafang. After Wu Guogui and others received the news, they held urgent discussions to determine how to act.
"Sanba people have been sent to contact the prince, but still no success." Wu Guogui stroked his thick sideburns, with a look of helplessness on his face, "There is no news from Li Benzhen, but the Ming army is coming fiercely. As we arrive at the city today, it’s time for you to make a decision."
Gao Dejie was tall and tall, with a hint of frivolity on his angular face, and said: "The Ming army has come from afar and is exhausted. Our army should take the initiative to attack and defeat the enemy in one fell swoop."
Gao Dejie, also known as Gao Dajie, is famous for his bravery and good fighting skills. The infantry he leads are very elite. When facing battle, he can attack more with less and is a powerful force in the Wu army.
Shen Yingshi and Liu Zhifu looked at each other. Although they said nothing, they did not approve of Gao Dejie's initiative.
Wu Guogui also believed that the enemy was outnumbered and we had little chance of winning in a field battle.
In fact, Wu Guogui had the idea of withdrawing his troops to Qixing Pass, but he couldn't say it clearly.
Because the lord was still in the west of the river, he retreated without a fight, putting the lord in danger. Not to mention Wu Sangui's future settlement, this reputation alone would be a bad reputation.
"The enemy is several times our army, so we cannot waste the battle." Wu Guogui shook his head, rejected Gao Dejie's proposal, and said: "Securing Dafang City is a bit passive."
The area in Shuixi is too big. Without knowing the specific location of Wu Sangui's headquarters, it is simply impossible to lead his troops in a chaotic rush to find a rendezvous.
But he had to block the Ming army for Wu Sangui so that the Ming army's aid to Shuixi could not succeed. Wu Guogui also felt that there was a gap in military strength and it was difficult to win.
Gao Dejie still insisted: "Being timid before fighting will only increase the enemy's arrogance. I will only lead my own troops to fight. If defeated, it will not be too late to hold on to the generous position or retreat to Qixingguan."
During the Rebellion of the Three Feudatories, Gao Dejie led only more than a hundred elite cavalry to fight under the city of Ji'an, and actually defeated a large Qing army, which shows his courage and courage.
In this expedition to Shuixi, Gao Dejie's troops only had less than a thousand elite cavalry. But in his opinion, they were enough to defeat ten thousand people.
Wu Guogui frowned slightly. As the second and third boss in the Wu army, Gao Dejie's stubbornness made him very embarrassed. But he had no better way, so he had to find an excuse to retreat.
"In this case, Wu wished General Gao a victory and immediate success." Wu Guogui compromised and said slowly: "If we win, everything will be fine. If we lose, we have to make up our mind whether to stick to the generosity or retreat to Qixing Pass. ."
Due to its dangerous terrain, Qixing Pass has strangled the throat of the Yunnan River since ancient times and has been a key point in the southwest. Defending Qixing Pass can ensure that the Wu army returns to Yunnan and can also provide convenience for reinforcements from Yunnan.
"The last general thought that he should hold on to Dafang City." Shen Yingshi noticed that Wu Guogui's eyes were focused on him, so he had to bite the bullet and said: "The prince is still in the west of the water, so he cannot be allowed to fight alone."
Wu Guogui had no expression on his face and looked at Liu Zhifu again.
As a surrendered general, Liu Zhifu dared not to abandon the defense of Dafang City, so he hurriedly said: "General, I think General Shen's words are reasonable. While holding on to Dafang City, you can send someone to contact the prince, as well as Guizhou Admiral Li Benzhen, and Yunnan is also asking Send someone to inform. The Ming army is strong, but after our army is concentrated, it is not in a weak position."
Wu Guogui pondered for a long time. In the face of this big matter of right and wrong, he could only choose political correctness. But political correctness was the biggest failure, which made him regretful.
Chapter completed!