Chapter 495 Do your best
When Chang Yanheng rushed back to Ji County, there were already about 50,000 Tang troops gathered there.

These included the ten Zhechofu of the Right Wuwei Guard under the command of Chang Yanheng, the twenty Zhechofu of the Right Weiwei Guard led by Chen Zhen and Liu Yuanqing, and the six Tiance Armies led by Li Yuanhui himself.

In addition, Murong Sanzang led five Zhechongfu of the Zuowei Guard to garrison in Huai County, Huang Junhan led five Zhechongfu to garrison in Hucheng, and Qi Biao led five Zhechongfu to garrison Guangwu City.

Among them, Hucheng and Guangwucheng are both important passes along the Yellow River. The reason why heavy troops were left behind was to prevent the Han army from encircling them by water.

However, as Mengjinkou was recaptured and the weather gradually became colder, the natural barrier of the river became useless after it froze.

Arriving at the camp gate, the heavy breathing of the men and horses was so intense that white mist could be seen. Chang Yanheng dismounted and then entered the camp.

Immediately, a servant led him in.

The central military tent was extremely warm because of the burning charcoal fire, which was completely different from the cold outside.

A group of generals gathered here, some wearing robes, some wearing armor, and they were sweating because they had been sitting for a long time.

Li Yuanhui, wearing a light fur coat and loose belt, sat on a couch and listened to Zhonglang Gao Kan introducing military intelligence.

Seeing Chang Yanheng coming in, everyone dodged and made room for a seat in the front row. Chang Yanheng immediately came to the front and bowed to Li Yuanhui.

Li Yuanhui also waved his hand to indicate that he didn't need to be polite and asked him to take a seat.

".There are currently tens of thousands of Han troops on the Qishui front, and the number is increasing. Liu Xuanji should be on the way. Generals Zhu and Xiao led their troops to meet General Zhang in Wen County. We just received news that Heyang has been taken back by our army. Currently, Su Dingbian and the Han army are stationed in Yewang and Wen County respectively, with more than 10,000 soldiers and horses. It will be difficult to capture it in a short time."

"The main forces of our army have all crossed the river and are stationed in Jixian, Xiuwu, Huojia and Huaixian."

After Gao Kan described the enemy and our situation separately, he clasped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, although our army is now unstoppable in Henei and has captured more than ten cities in just half a month, this is because the Han army's defense here is empty and its main force is on the road to support. Therefore, we should advance quickly at this time. Although the Han army has tens of thousands of people in Ji County, their foothold is not stable. Once Liu Xuanji leads his army to arrive in person, the enemy's strength will certainly be twice as much as ours, and our army will have to divide its troops to monitor Su Dingbian's troops in Wen County. It is impossible for all the troops to be concentrated in the Ji County area. Therefore, it is better to defeat the enemy's front first when the enemy and our forces are similar, and take the initiative. At the same time, organize prisoners and nearby young men to dig trenches in the Ji County area. If we cannot quickly defeat the enemy in Fangtou, we should quickly shrink and rely on deep trenches and high ravines to confront the Han army for a long time."

The strategy proposed by Gao Kan was to take the initiative to attack when the enemy had just arrived at Fangtou, because by the time the enemy's main force arrived, there would be no chance to attack.

Coincidentally, in Fangtou, about a hundred miles away from Ji County, the Han Dynasty's auxiliary general Dongfang Di had just arrived with his troops in Fangtou.

There are more than 40,000 soldiers in total.

General Kuai En also gave the same advice: "General, the Tang army has only been across the river for half a month, but they have captured more than ten cities. Their troops must be exhausted from continuous fighting. If we attack now, we may be able to defeat the Tang army and capture Li Yuanhui alive before your Majesty arrives."

Defeat the Tang army before His Majesty arrives? Kuai En's words naturally aroused Dongfang Di's interest.

Fu Hongzhi said, "Although the Tang army has been fighting for half a month, the span is not long, and the navy mainly transports troops, so they are far from exhausted. Moreover, they are now in full swing. Instead of fighting across the Qi River, it is better to hold on to Fangtou and wait for Your Majesty to arrive with the central army before making a decision."

Dongfang Di did not comment upon hearing this, and then looked at Hulu Mingyue and Xue Andu.

Hulu Mingyue said: "I think the Tang army will definitely take the opportunity to attack before Your Majesty arrives, so it is better to hold the Qishui line."

Xue Andu said, "We can't hold on. I asked the locals and they said the ice has been strong enough to withstand the troops these days. Our army has just arrived and we don't have time to build camps. How can we hold on? It's better to line up on the west side of the Qi River and fight with our backs to the river."

Of the four generals, two said they wanted to defend the Qi River, and two said they wanted to cross the river to fight against the Tang army.

Dongfang Di, who originally wanted to make great achievements, almost said to cross the river to fight, but when the words came to his mouth, they changed to "hold the Qishui line firmly, wait until the enemy crosses the river halfway and then attack them."

Because Dongfang Di, a brave warrior of the Northern Han, had suffered a loss at the hands of Li Yuanhui. The bloody battle at Mangshan was a battle between superior forces and the opponent's inferior forces.

70,000 to 80,000 men fought against 20,000 to 30,000 men. In the first battle, Lou Daiwen was killed, and in the second, Han Gui was killed. These were all generals whose qualifications were almost the same as Dongfang Di.

Among them, Lou Daiwen was greedy for merit and reckless, but Han Gui was killed in a bloody battle between swords and guns. They had never fought against superior forces, and now the forces of the two sides were almost the same, so why not take the initiative to attack?
Dongfang Di really didn't dare to gamble.

As the commander-in-chief of the army, after Dongfang Di made the decision, Xue Andu and Fu Hongzhi did not insist any more.

When they left the central army tent, they began to feel the cold. In this weather, it might freeze tomorrow.

Just as few people expected.

The next morning, as soon as I left the tent, my breath was white.

Dongfang Di hurried to the confluence of the Qishui River and the Baigou River, and saw that the river water was indeed frozen and could withstand the trampling of people and horses.

Later, another scout came to report that the Tang army had marched out and was less than twenty miles away.

Dongfang Di hurriedly summoned all the generals and beat drums to gather the troops. He also urgently ordered people to cut ice and line up the army to prepare to resist the Tang army from crossing the river.

However, contrary to Dongfang Di's expectations, the Tang army did not move forward after reaching the Qi River, and the vanguard army lined up directly to the west of the Qi River.

As for the rear army, they were actually setting up camp?

The scene before them stunned Dongfang Di and a group of Han army generals.

The Qi River is not very wide, and the distance between the two sides is not actually far, just beyond the distance of an arrow.

Fu Hongzhi said: "The enemy is planning to build a camp here to fight against your majesty's main force."

Dongfang Di, Xue Andu and others nodded involuntarily. The purpose was too obvious.

He will build a fortification directly on the edge of his own control line. If you just watch him build it, when Liu Xuanji arrives, he will have to face the enemy's solid fortification.

If you don't let him repair it, you will have to take the initiative to cross the river and fight.

The ice within a few miles of the two armies was broken by the Han army. You have to go a long way to cross the river and fight the Tang army.

But now this road has to be spared no matter what.

Hulu Mingyue, Xue Andu and Dongfang Di each led several thousand cavalry out of the camp, detouring from the north and south, preparing to attack the rear of the Tang army.

The Han army generals understood that Li Yuanhui, with his thorough deployment of troops, would not give them the opportunity to launch a surprise attack on their flanks and rear, and what would surely be waiting for them were infantry and cavalry units that were ready for battle.

The three men circled for more than ten miles and then deployed from the flank and rear of the Tang army. As they expected, they were blocked by the Tang army's cavalry and archers, and had no chance to attack the enemy's main force at all.

But they had to go on this trip, even if it didn't produce any results.

Sending this troop means at least that we have tried. We have failed to stop the enemy from setting up camp right under our noses.

Otherwise, they would not be able to explain to Liu Xuanji when he comes, and how could they tell His Majesty the Emperor that we watched the Tang army build the railway here?

So sometimes the attitude is more important than the result.

(End of this chapter)