Chapter 83: Burning All the Food and Grass, Fighting on the Riverbank (5k -in-, please order first)

"Woo...Woo...Woo..."

The flags are fluttering, swaying on the Changkou coast like a cloud covering the sky!
"I, General Zhou Fashang, have been ordered by King Kaoshan to lead 50,000 soldiers to help Changkou. I am here to see the general and ask for his orders!"

"Meet the General!"

"Meet the Marshal!"

The imperial edict from Daxing City had been circulating for many days.

It was also spread by Yang Lin and others.

Gao Changsheng's identity is now known to everyone.

With his current status as the General of the Left Guard, plus the position of Pillar of the State, he is truly qualified enough to be called a marshal.

Moreover, King Kaoshan only sent reinforcements but did not issue any military orders on paper.

The meaning has been expressed very clearly. The command of the southern front is mainly led by Gao Changsheng. He is the real commander of the southern front.

"very good!"

See the ships coming into the port, reinforcements have arrived!
Gao Changsheng finally breathed a sigh of relief.

After all, as long as reinforcements do not arrive, the entire situation in the south will not be stable.

Moreover, the longer the time drags on, the more beneficial it will be for Goryeo.

Now that the army has arrived, Gao Changsheng can finally let go.

"General Zhou! I wonder what the specific situation of this reinforcement is?"

Gao Changsheng opened his mouth to ask, and what he asked was naturally the specific situation of the 50,000-strong army.

"General, the reinforcements this time are from the navy, and it is inconvenient to transport war horses on the sea, so..."

Gao Changsheng nodded.

He had already anticipated this.

The natures of the navy and the army are completely different, not only in terms of the types of troops, but also in terms of water and soil.

Most of the naval forces on the ship, especially those coming by water, must be infantry.

But this is not a problem that is too difficult to accept.

The troops that the King of Backer could send out must be the elite navy that roamed the seas. As long as they were equipped with mounts after getting off the ship, they could also be used as cavalry.

"How many horses do we still have in Pyongyang!"

Gao Changsheng asked,
As soon as the voice fell, someone behind him answered.

"Most of the horses in Goryeo have already been sent to support the front line, and there are not many left in the nearby horse farms."

"Based on what's left of Pyongyang City, plus what we captured from the cavalry earlier, there are only about 20,000 of them combined."

"Yes, that's enough!"

Gao Changsheng waved his hand decisively.

"So, the next step..."

Gao Changsheng was about to give an order when he was interrupted by a sudden voice.

"Report...repay..."

"Report to the General, there is an urgent report from Lieutenant General Li in the front!"

Gao Changsheng's face lit up with joy and he quickly waved his hand. Seeing this, the soldier did not hesitate and read it out directly.

"General, I, Li Hang, along with Wang Yong and Zhang Wei, received the order and marched out from Pyongyang. We did not stop for a single step and marched straight to the southern bank of the Yalu River. Now we have taken all the passes and are sending our troops south to capture the remaining cities!"

"very good!"

Gao Changsheng clapped his hands and praised!
The method of capturing the city from the north first and then the south mentioned in the three-man battle report is indeed quite clever.

Of course, using this method also involves great risks.

After all, the farther the distance, the less clear the specific situation is. Both the local defenders and the main Goryeo force on the northern front may affect the outcome.

But if you go from south to north, it will be relatively safe.

This is a matter of specific choices, and there is no right or wrong.

But at least for the current situation, their entire army needs time, and the approach of a few people is undoubtedly more suitable and more in line with Gao Changsheng's wishes.

In fact, when he gave the order, he specifically mentioned the Yalu River, which was equivalent to giving a hint.

But what he meant was that they should split up, one group going from south to north, and the other going straight to the Yalu River. That was why he wanted the other party to take two heads with them.

But I didn't expect that these people would choose to take a gamble.

"Very good, the Yalu River is under control, so things will be simple. Move out, target the southern Yalu River!"

"Yes!"

Zhou Fashang immediately responded by bowing his hands, and then asked:
"Marshal, if our entire army moves north, what will happen to Pyongyang and other cities in Goryeo? Should we allocate a part of our troops to garrison there?"

"If all the troops leave, what if there is a resurgence in the area..."

As he spoke, Zhou Fashang's face showed obvious hesitation.

Other cities in Goryeo all have their own guards.

Although he has surrendered now, who can guarantee its authenticity?

Moreover, there are countless Goryeo people. If they rebel, even if their fighting power is not strong, they will be attacked from all sides.

As he spoke, Zhou Fashang's eyes were filled with distress.

Although he raised the problem, he didn't have a good solution.

"unless……"

Zhou Fashang murmured something, but did not dare to say the rest.

"That's not necessary!"

Gao Changsheng smiled and waved his hand.

Of course he understood the meaning of Zhou Fashang's words, which was simply to kill.

However, it was obviously taboo to propose such a plan of massacre to the commander-in-chief after they had just met, so Zhou Fashang did not finish his words.

As for the reason why Gao Changsheng refused, it was certainly not because the reason was unknown or against the laws of nature.

He has never been a merciful person, and he will never show mercy on the battlefield.

He refused simply because he felt it was inappropriate.

Massacre is of course easy, but such a large-scale massacre requires even more military force to deter.

And if we lead a large army to sweep through city after city, the time spent will definitely increase exponentially.

But in the current situation, time is undoubtedly very precious.

"That……"

Zhou Fashang was not clear about the temper of this newly promoted Shangzhuguo.

Besides, few generals would accept such a proposal.

Hearing Gao Changsheng's refusal, he naturally would not insist.

However, he was obviously still worried about the problem at hand.

Gao Changsheng chuckled and did not answer Zhou Fashang immediately, but turned his head away.

"Send all the soldiers to all the cities controlled by our army, and at the same time send a message to the deputy generals in front!"

"Whether it is a city that has been controlled or is about to be taken by several deputy generals."

"Once the surrender is accepted, mobilize all the surrendered soldiers in the city and send them to the front line!"

Zhou Fashang couldn't help but open his mouth when he heard this.

Taking all the soldiers away and sending them to the front line together, and controlling them with the main force, is indeed a good idea.

But there is obviously a loophole. What about the people in the city?

With so many cities, if we compare the numbers, the civilians will definitely outnumber the soldiers.

There were no soldiers in the city, and there were no people to supervise them. If someone tried to stir up trouble, then...

Zhou Fashang quietly raised his head and looked at Gao Changsheng.

Although he felt uneasy, he did not speak immediately.

All the soldiers from the three armed forces are present. In such an occasion, it is not a smart move to publicly offend your superior.

Gao Changsheng didn't know what Zhou Fashang was thinking, nor did he pay attention to the other person's expression.

His orders continued.

"Also, pass on my order that all the food and fodder in the cities along the way, except for the food and fodder that our army can take away, will be burned."

"Wonderful!"

Zhou Fashang almost lost control and yelled out.

This method is really ingenious.

Burning all the food and fodder would undoubtedly completely eliminate the possibility of Goryeo causing chaos.

Without food, there will be no soldiers. This is a truth that everyone understands.

And this policy has another impact.

All the food and fodder was burned, although the people's food was not touched.
But how much surplus food can ordinary people have?

In addition, there is war now and it is not yet the harvest season.

If time goes on for a while, one can imagine what the situation in Goryeo would be like with its warehouses empty of food.

When the Sui army occupied Goryeo, they only needed to bring some food and would be able to easily appease these hungry people.

In addition, even if we take a step back and assume the worst-case scenario, the Sui army failed to completely conquer Goryeo.

After this move, Goryeo, without food, would probably fall into civil strife, and it would be much easier for the Sui army to make a comeback.

Such a strategy of killing several birds with one stone is truly admirable.

"What do you think, General Zhou?"

It was not until Gao Changsheng's voice rang in his ears that Zhou Fashang suddenly woke up from his shock.

Then he saw Gao Changsheng's eyes.

"I am ashamed, and you are wise, Marshal!"

Zhou Fashang stood up, bowed his hands, and saluted. There was no longer a trace of doubt in his eyes.

Gao Changsheng waved his hand and said nothing more.

"Leave as soon as possible to prevent the situation from changing. The sooner we get to the front line the better."

"First, we will go north along the Taedong River by water, and then reach the Yalu River by land."

"Yes! All troops, move out, weigh anchor!"

Zhou Fashang shouted loudly.

"Woo..."

A desolate horn sounded, cutting through the sky and drifting away slowly.

Huge ships cut through the waves and sailed into the river along the estuary.

"Thousands of miles of garrisons, beacon fires cover the hills, corpses pile up in the grass and trees, blood flows in the rivers and plains"

This is the description in Du Zimei's "Farewell to the Old Man". In this era, Li Shimin was still young and the prosperous Tang Dynasty had not yet come into being. Naturally, there was no Anshi Rebellion and Du Fu's poems.

But it is really appropriate to use these lines of poetry to describe the scene before us.

Thousands of miles of plains were covered with sand and dust.

The billowing smoke of war swept across the sky and earth.

Yes, this is the Liaodong Plain!

But at this time, even those who are familiar with this place may not recognize this land.

War drums, bugles, and horse hooves!

All kinds of sounds mixed together.

Flags, smoke and the smell of blood covered the sky.

It is often difficult to experience the real scene of a battlefield just from words.

What’s more, it is a brutal battlefield involving hundreds of thousands of troops.

Gao Changsheng stood on the top of the city wall, looking ahead coldly.

Not far in front of the city is the rushing Yalu River. But at this moment, the wide river flowing on both sides does not bring any sense of security to people.

Because it's in the north.

On the vast plain.

The black wave that covers the sky and the sun is pouring in with terrifying momentum.

The sound of horses' hooves hitting the ground and the sounds of weapons shouting and killing mixed together, covering up all other noises in the world.

All I could see were densely packed black figures.

There is no way to tell the exact number.

Such a terrifying crowd gives people a feeling that it is enough to drown everything in the world.

Scalp tingling!

Standing on Gao Changsheng's left was Zhou Fashang, and on his right was Lieutenant General Li.

Both of them are veterans of the battlefield!

Especially Zhou Fashang, he may not be as famous as those familiar names, but he can definitely be counted among the famous generals.

But at this time, both Lieutenant General Li and Zhou Fashang were looking at the scene in the distance.

My scalp is tingling.

"Korean Army, are you going to fight to the death?"

Lieutenant General Li murmured.

Such a terrifying galloping momentum.

It was as if they were going to overwhelm their defenses in one go.

There was no temptation at all.

This situation can only be described as a desperate struggle.

"The situation now couldn't be clearer!"

Gao Changsheng spoke calmly.

"The Yalu River has fallen into the control of our army, and the Korean army has been blocked from moving south."

"There is no way forward, and there are pursuers behind us!"

"They only have one choice left: either break our defense line or wait for death!"

"As long as the Korean soldiers are not fools, they will naturally understand that they can only fight to the death. Fighting to the death is the only way out."

Zhou Fashang let out a long breath and said:
"The Marshal is very clear-sighted. Goryeo really has no other way out!"

"But looking at this amount of troops, it seems that Goryeo has completely abandoned the Liaodong defense line, and the entire army has retreated and is heading south for a gamble."

Gao Changsheng nodded.

This was all to be expected.

As long as the Goryeo army knows what happened in Pyongyang, as long as the other commander still has a trace of rationality.

Everyone will make this choice.

Unless the other party chooses to surrender on the spot.

But that is obviously impossible.

Historically, Goryeo did adopt the strategy of surrender.

But that was when Gao Yuan was still alive, and submitting a letter of surrender was nothing more than a delaying tactic.

But now, the royal city has been destroyed and the country's fortune has collapsed.

The people of the Sui Dynasty are not innocent.

The country is already in a situation of destruction, and it is still going down that path.

Even if they accepted the surrender, it would be impossible to keep these hundreds of thousands of troops on Goryeo soil.

This kind of situation can probably be seen clearly by even an ordinary general, not to mention the upper echelons.

"Get ready to fight!"

Gao Changsheng waved his hand.

The Goryeo army is already at the gate of the city, this is not the time to chat.

"Haha, come on then. If Goryeo wants to capture the city we are guarding, I'm afraid it lacks a good pair of teeth." Lieutenant General Li laughed wildly.

Zhou Fashang also held the weapon:

"The Goryeo army is indeed in high spirits now!"

"But the first wave of strength will weaken the second wave and finally the third wave. As long as we hold out against the first few waves, their morale will naturally decline."

"Moreover, if the Goryeo army marches south, the main force of our Sui army will surely follow in its wake!"

"In fact, there is not much time left for Gao Li!"

"Not bad, not bad!" Lieutenant General Li laughed.

"A turtle trapped in a jar is just a flash of life. There is nothing to be afraid of."

Gao Changsheng did not participate in the conversation between the two.

I just asked softly:
"Have you arranged what I ordered?"

"Don't worry, Marshal. Lao Zhang and Lao Wang have already set off! We won't dare to delay at all." Lieutenant General Li said, patting his chest.

"very good!"

Gao Changsheng nodded and looked forward again.

"Put the surrendered soldiers in front first, especially on the river bank!"

"Let the surrendered soldiers who experienced the siege of Pyongyang be on the front line to lead the newly surrendered soldiers!"

"No matter how many vanguards Goryeo sends across the river, how can they cross the river?"

"I have only one request. Break it in half before crossing the floating bridge!"

"Don't even think about reaching the city of Marudu until the Yalu River is filled with corpses."

"Yes!"

"The general will obey the order!"

"Also, Lieutenant General Li!" Gao Changsheng spoke again, turning to Lieutenant General Li.

"You have to ensure the connection between you and Wang and Zhang."

"Our army's mission has never been to defend the city."

"When the situation changes, they must not make any mistakes. If they ruin the situation, I will show no mercy."

"I will finally understand!"

Lieutenant General Li was shocked.

Having followed Gao Changsheng all the way, he knew very well that although this commander seemed easy to talk to, he was definitely not a weak and kind person.

Once something really goes wrong.

Even though these three generals had followed them all the way, there would be absolutely no mercy shown to them.

"boom!"

"kill!"

Just as several people were talking.

Accompanied by huge roars.

The wooden planks of the floating bridges have been laid flat on the surface of the river.

And at the moment the floating bridge fell.

A barrage of arrows and huge rocks were rolling down.

The blood color began to rise instantly.

But since they were chosen by Goryeo to serve as a bridge-building pioneer in a suicide squad, they would naturally not retreat so easily.

The strong smell of blood actually aroused their ferocity.

When one person fell, four or five more would quickly rush up.

It seemed like an endless crowd of people, stepping on the corpses of their companions, advancing forward step by step.

Despite the overwhelming rain of arrows and scarlet blood, the floating bridge slowly grew longer on the river.

"Commander?"

Zhou Fashang and the other person looked at Gao Changsheng first.

"Not urgent!"

Gao Changsheng waved his hand.

He never really cared about the floating bridge.

There are so many people in Goryeo that even if they use their lives to fill the gap, they will definitely be able to build a floating bridge.

He never thought of putting too much stock in the floating bridge.

Moreover, if floating bridges are really built, it is not necessarily a bad thing.

"Don't worry, let the surrendered soldiers push to the river bank, that is the real first battlefield!"

Gao Changsheng spoke softly and just looked at the river bank calmly.

There wasn't even the slightest fluctuation of formations around him.

He looks like a detached bystander.

Zhou Fashang was stunned for a moment, then seemed to suddenly understand something and shut his mouth instantly.

"kill!"

The shouts of killing rang out again.

When the first pontoon bridge was built on the southern bank of the river and the first Goryeo army appeared.

What greeted him was a series of cold sword lights.

The people Gao Changsheng placed in the front were the ones who survived the surrendered soldiers who attacked Pyongyang City that day.

These are the people who experienced the fierce battle.

It doesn't take any time to adapt.

His hacking and killing were more ferocious than anyone else's.

There was no probing between the two armies.

It went straight into the most brutal hand-to-hand combat.

Led by these old surrendered soldiers, the eyes of the newly surrendered soldiers behind them quickly became bloodshot.

"If there are casualties among the soldiers at the front, we will send in the reserve forces to make up for it!"

Gao Changsheng spoke indifferently.

Zhou Fashang and Lieutenant General Li nodded at the same time.

At this point, how could they not see what Gao Changsheng meant.

After deploying guards from all major cities in Goryeo, the number of surrendered soldiers they have now exceeded 100,000.

Such a large number of surrendered soldiers are both a powerful force and a burden.

Now they are constantly replenishing the defensive front line.

It not only consumes the enemy's forces, but also releases one's own pressure.

No matter how fierce the battle is, it will have no impact.

After all, the two parties who were fighting for life and death in the field at this time were not their soldiers.

This is also the reason why Gao Changsheng did not use the military formation.

These surrendered soldiers were directly brought here. Their combat effectiveness was uneven. They were not his soldiers and might not even have seen him. Directly deploying them in a military formation would have limited effect.

Moreover, the bridgehead on the south bank of the river was originally intended to consume the enemy's spirit and delay time.

Naturally, there is no need to mobilize the military.

In short, in Gao Changsheng's eyes, the longer and more brutal this battle on the floating bridge lasts, the more helpful it will be to him.

(End of this chapter)