Chapter 157 Planning a Field Battle
Outside Gaoling City, Liu Ye rode a horse to review the military appearance.

The last group of Qingzhou soldiers were passing through Gaoling on their way to Chiyang. This group of Qingzhou soldiers consisted of seven centuries-long teams, equipped with three centuries-long teams of auxiliary soldiers.

The Qingzhou soldiers rolled up their armor and marched lightly, while the auxiliary troops of a hundred men used vehicles to transport armor and equipment.

Before the war, his 5,000 Guanzhong soldiers had been disbanded one after another.

One thousand men first went to Huangbaicheng to assist in the defense, and then another two thousand were sent east to Linjin. After the weather cleared up in the past two days, another thousand were sent east to Linjin.

The two thousand men from Linjin rested for two days and then moved into Xiayang, Heyang and other areas on the west bank of the Yellow River where Houxuan's troops were located.

The transfer orders were frequent, and the 4,000 Guanzhong soldiers who were transferred out had a positive attitude.

With the replacement of Guanzhong soldiers, Black Bear's pre-war army was able to gather in Chiyang.

Liu Ye looked at the three auxiliary 100-man squadrons and saw that all of them were strong and powerful, almost all of them were the elite troops under the command of the Weibei generals.

There are two sources of auxiliary troops for this incorporation: one is the personal soldiers and party members of each general; the other is the auxiliary troops for temporary transition that will be disbanded after the war.

Obviously, those who followed the Qingzhou soldiers were all close followers of the generals. Only by deploying these people along with the army and controlling their families in the rear could they be stabilized.

When the opportunity arises, these people will be quickly incorporated into the combat camp.

Liu Ye paid special attention to the armor transported by the vehicles. These armors were the key factors for the generals in Weibei to first strengthen the combat effectiveness of the Qingzhou soldiers in this expedition.

The Qingzhou soldiers were converted prisoners. Before they defeated and captured Cai Mao's entire army, they had almost no armor.

After that, armor was obtained, but Gan Ning and Zhonglei Camp were also given priority. Before the Qingzhou soldiers entered Guanzhong, the armor rate was less than 20%.

After conquering the counties of Weinan, the armor rate of Qingzhou soldiers gradually increased to 50%.

This time, all the Qingzhou soldiers were wearing armor. In addition, after eliminating the worn-out ones, they had an additional 20% of replacement armor.

However, the Qingzhou soldiers consisted of seven teams of veteran soldiers and three teams of auxiliary soldiers. The auxiliary soldiers were not armored, so the armor rate of the Qingzhou soldier team of 1,000 was only 70%.

Excluding the auxiliary troops, Liu Ye saw that all the Qingzhou soldiers were already armored; they had also updated the various battle formations and equipment accumulated by the Weibei generals.

For example, spears. Previously, the spears of Qingzhou soldiers were similar to those of Jingzhou soldiers; but now they have obtained so many antiques that they have obtained more than 2,000 spears alone!

And now, these two-meter-long infantry spears were loaded onto carts for transportation, barely tied together with hemp ropes, and passed in front of Liu Ye one by one.

He couldn't imagine how many days Ma Wan could hold out after the fully armed Qingzhou soldiers arrived in Chiyang.

A clerk temporarily assigned to Liu Ye observed for a moment and said with emotion: "The auxiliary soldiers are not enough. The three hundred auxiliary soldiers can barely transport the war equipment. The rest of the military tents, equipment, food, fodder, bows and arrows cannot be transported."

The man spoke with a Jingzhou accent. Another local scholar who was temporarily conscripted also whispered: "What you saw were only infantry. If the knights were on an expedition, there would be three times as many baggage vehicles."

They discussed in low voices, but Liu Ye did not respond. Other clerks who were temporarily recruited also joined in the discussion.

Seeing that they highly praised the fighting effectiveness of the Tiger Tooth Army, Liu Ye could only remain silent.

Cavalry is too complicated, and if the supporting work is not done well, it is better not to have it.

Therefore, the Eagle Strike Knight Battalion is currently just an empty shell, mainly used to pursue defeated soldiers, trample on collapsed soldiers, intimidate and blockade.

The 200 knights of the Zhonglei Camp were originally established to serve a similar purpose. The Zhonglei Camp was a mixed group of chariots and cavalry, but its real combat power was actually more than a hundred heavy infantry.

Don't be confused by the types of troops and numbers.

The most practical and efficient are always heavy infantry.

A messenger came from the Weishui Wharf, carrying two white feathers on his back.

It is made of goose feathers wrapped around bamboo strips, more than four feet long, and inserted in a wooden box similar to a pizza box.

When in use, fix this wooden box on the back, with the two white feathers slightly bent to the sides.

The Han army has always used red feathers, but since black bears have no shortage of goose feathers, they use white feathers.

When the cavalry approached, without dismounting, they shouted to Liu Ye: "Military Advisor! Zhong Sili is leading his troops across the river!"

The clerks nearby all looked at Liu Ye. Liu Ye frowned and thought: "Go back to the city and inform everyone outside the city to return quickly."

"Yes!"

The riders would pull the reins and control the horses to pass on orders to the teams working outside the city.

Liu Ye also led his men back to Gaoling City, preparing to close the city gates and refuse Zhong Yao entry.

Anyway, there was a camp built by Ma Chao on the north bank of the Wei River, so Zhong Yao had no shortage of places to camp overnight.

Gaoling City is too important now, so he dare not let Zhong Yao enter the city.

When Zhong Yao was outside the city, Liu Ye could still barely suppress the 1,000 Guanzhong soldiers left in the city; if Zhong Yao was really allowed in, Gaoling City would definitely be under Zhong Yao's control.

After Liu Ye entered the city, he also sent a messenger to inform Black Bear.

At this moment, Black Bear took some time to go to Huangbai City.

On the Baiqu Canal south of Huangbai City, more than 40 ships were slowly sailing upstream, transporting food, military tents, and various equipment.

On the bank of Baiqu Canal, Black Bear drove his horse slowly.

Thinking about Liang Xing, he felt somewhat regretful.

More than 100,000 people joined the battle between Dong Zhuo, Li Kuang and Guo Shuai. Every one of the generals from Guanzhong who survived to the end was a rare talent picked from thousands.

Those who survive this harsh chicken-eating competition, even if they are not both civil and military, at least they will not have any obvious weaknesses.

If Cao Hong, Cao Ren, Xiahou Dun and Xiahou Yuan, the current backbone of Cao's army, were placed in Guanzhong, they would probably have been wiped out long ago.

For example, Liang Xing and all kinds of war materials stored in Huangbai City could be transported directly to Chiyang City along the Baiqu Canal to build a complete camp for the army on the front line.

There are all kinds of military tents. Although they are old, they have obviously been repaired and maintained in an organized manner.

Not to mention now, even when used in winter, it can keep out the wind and keep you warm.

But this feeling of regret soon dissipated, because his body was too small and his core strength did not have an absolute advantage.

A surprise attack to kill Liang Xing and annex his followers is already the best outcome at the moment.

There is no other solution. If they don't eat the Weibei group of generals, they can barely survive the winter, but what will they eat when there is a shortage of food next year?
It would be advantageous to take advantage of the fact that there is sufficient food internally and before Yuan Tan has integrated Hedong and Hongnong externally.

The longer you delay, the smaller the strategic advantage.

Even if we can have three more 10-man teams of Taoist soldiers in three months, it is unknown whether this tactical advantage will be able to be used at that time. We should first seize what we can, so that we will not be passive later.

While thinking, the fleet gradually approached ten miles east of Chiyang City.

Baiqu is to the north of Chiyang City, very close.

Looking from afar, the ruins of Baiqu Wharf are almost connected to Chiyang.

With Chiyang as the dividing line, the downstream is Baiqu and the upstream is called Liufuqu.

The upper reaches of Liufu Canal connects to Jingshui River together with the mouth of Zhengguo Canal. In recent years, Ma Wan and Liang Xing have also dredged and repaired the surrounding hydraulic canals.

Now the autumn rains have brought water to an overflowing level, and the rivers and canals are full of water.

The fleet approached the temporary dock, waiting for the auxiliary soldiers and Qingzhou soldiers here to tow the ropes and unload the supplies.

There are currently no fences in the camp, and many horse traps have been dug in the direction of Chiyang. As to how effective they will be, it will only be clear in actual combat.

When Black Bear returned to the camp, Zhang Ding brought a military letter and briefly explained: "General, since this morning, three riders have entered Chiyang from the north and five have left. There has been close contact with Yan Xing of Changpingguan in the west. I sent a letter to Pang De, and Pang De has deployed troops to intercept and kill him."

"Don't interfere too much with Pang De. His mission is to keep an eye on Yan Xing. Yan Xing can't get away, and Ma Wan can't escape either."

Black Bear untied his helmet strap and handed the helmet to Zhang Ding, then reached out to take the military book and read the progress reports from all parties.

The most recent military letter was from Liu Ye in Gaoling, reporting two things. The first was that the Yellow Army of Qingzhou had passed Gaoling, and the second was that Zhong Yao had crossed the river. Liu Ye decided to close the door and refuse Zhong Yao.

Seeing Liu Ye being so tactful, Black Bear couldn't help but smile. Of course, he couldn't rule out the possibility that Liu Ye was acting.

If we knock down the horse for fun, perhaps more people will be more sensible and active.

He couldn't help but think of Du Ji. He had invited him twice, but this man had rejected him.

I began to look forward to the next time I would meet Du Ji. Would I meet Du Ji after the war, or would I meet Du Ji in an official capacity after extorting a mansion from Cao Cao?

Or should I meet Du Ji first and have a nastier attitude; then meet Du Ji again after getting the mansion?

Are you always leaving this person alone?
He suppressed this thought and flipped through other military books, and found an official document from Chen Zhen, the Chief Clerk of Maoling.

Chen Zhen claimed that he had met Yang Qiu's envoy and son, who went straight from Meiyang along the Chidao Road to Maoling and asked Chen Zhen to send troops for protection.

Chen Zhen has already identified the true identities of the two men, and the transport team that is about to arrive along the Chengguo Canal.

Maoling is on the north bank of Chengguo Canal. The lower reaches of Chengguo Canal connect to Jing and Wei Rivers, so the fleet can also go upstream against the Jing River.

The continuous autumn rain has enhanced the efficiency of the Tiger Tooth Army’s material mobilization.

After reading various military books and dealing with those that needed replies, Black Bear started to eat lunch.

There is no white rice, but a sticky dough made by steaming a mixture of millet and corn.

Millet is a yellow rice variety, and corn is a small yellow rice. After pounding and shelling, they are almost the same size, and the small ones are the same size as nits and aphids.

Millet is the stickiest grain, and the sticky dough made by steaming and cooking is cut into pieces after cooling.

There is no taste to speak of. Compared with ordinary officials, he can dip these in honey when eating.

The rough food suddenly becomes a whole grain dessert.

After dinner, he went around Chiyang again and arrived at Pangde’s military camp.

This military camp was on the bank of the Jing River, which flowed southeast, blocking the possibility of Yan Xing of Changping Temple and Ma Wan of Chiyang evacuating quickly and fleeing westward.

During these two days, Pang De was also strengthening the camp, collecting materials from the ruins of the village, and building a chest-high camp in the north direction, about four or five miles long.

There were no trenches dug, just a simple fortress.

Pang De greeted Black Bear and pointed to the wooden stakes buried outside the camp: "Chiyang is a strong city, and there is also autumn harvest, so they are not afraid of being besieged. I intend to dig a tunnel between Changping Temple and Chiyang, and build earthen ramparts and fences on both sides. In this way, Chiyang will become a hopeless place."

Rather than attacking the enemy, Pang De preferred to use civil engineering to force Yan Xing to take the initiative to fight, so he smiled and said, "Yan Xing has come from a long way, and his food and fodder are running out. If our army digs a passage, he will be in danger. Without the supply from Chiyang, his 3,000 soldiers will be tired and exhausted, and they can be defeated in one go."

"Not urgent."

Black Bear observed the route of the wooden stakes tied with ropes and smiled: "Yan Xing is betting that Yang Qiu and Zhang Heng will send troops to support; the generals in the west will send troops to rescue, and the military rations will flow down from the Jing River. Yan Xing can replenish the food and fodder. How is it now at night? Is there any matter of transporting food and fodder from Chiyang?"

"Yan Xing held fast at night, and the four gates of Chiyang remained closed. Since I went out to fight, I have not seen Ma Wan transporting food."

Pang De frowned as he spoke: "General, are you saying that Yan Xing is about to run out of food?"

Yan Xing followed Han Sui's military order and led his troops to assist in the battle. Tianshui was the only place along the way that was rich. Wei Duan, the governor of Liangzhou, was a good friend of Zhong Yao and would naturally provide Yan Xing with sufficient food and fodder.

There is enough food to eat from Tianshui to Xinfeng in Weinan.

But the heavy rain delayed Yan Xing's march, and now the war has intervened. How long will the food he brought from Tianshui last?

As for Ma Wan, he dared to open the city gates to transport food during the day; as for at night, would Ma Wan dare to open the city gates?

During the day, Pang De stayed nearby and watched, so it was not suitable to open the gate to transport grain.

From the perspective of impact, Ma Wan and Yan Xing would rather disguise themselves than expose the fact that Yan Xing is short of food!
Pang De reacted almost instantly, estimated in his mind, and said immediately: "General, Yan Xing's food storage can only last for three days at most!"

"Whether it takes three days or five days, from now on, the soldiers in your camp will rest and recuperate."

Black Bear pointed to the farms upstream on the other side of the Jing River and said, "Yan Xing is short of food, Ma Wan dare not open the city, Yan Xing can only ask Yang Qiu and Zhang Heng in the rear for food. When they arrive, they will camp upstream on the other side so that we can replenish the food downstream."

Pang De squinted his eyes and nodded, "Yes, I will order the soldiers to be alert and conduct more investigations."

He chose to camp on the west bank of the Jing River for fear of being attacked from both sides.

He and Yan Xing arrived at Jingshui almost at the same time, but Yan Xing had the help of Ma Wan, so he obtained Changping Temple, which was more suitable for garrison.

But now it’s all the same, they are biting each other, whoever retreats can’t escape the other’s detection.

Black Bear estimated that given the mobilization progress and necessary rest of his Qingzhou soldiers, they would be able to launch a decisive battle in about three days.

With the Jing River blocking the way, the western generals had no choice but to lead their troops across the river to rescue Yan Xing if they did not want to sit there and wait for death.

I won't try to attack the enemy halfway across the river. As long as the enemy dares to cross the Jingshui River, I will not leave.

A sneak attack is not acceptable. Only by defeating the enemy in a field battle can you truly convince them.

The terrain here is open, which is very suitable.

(End of this chapter)