Late Yuan Dynasty: I am the true emperor

Chapter 75: The courage of the general! (Please read on)

Kang Maocai suddenly increased his troops by 2,000. How much impact would this have on Lu Jin?
To be honest, the impact is not that big. In terms of military strength between the two sides, Lu Jin still has the advantage. The only difference is that Kang Maocai only needs to focus on one target, Chao County, while Lu Jin has to deal with more targets.

This is mainly due to Yangcheng's special geographical location.

Unlike Luzhou, Luzhou is just an isolated city within a few hundred miles. It takes two days for reinforcements from the surrounding areas to get there, making it very convenient for both siege and attack. However, Heyang is a port city close to the Yangtze River.

To make an inappropriate analogy, Heyang is like Dunkirk, separated from Britain by a strait. Even if the German army successfully surrounded it, as Britain's overall strength was not defeated and its navy still existed, Britain could calmly deal with the surrounded British troops whether they retreated or reinforced their troops.

The same goes for Heyang. As long as Kang Maocai's main force of the Jiangnan naval force is still there, he can continuously transport troops from Jiangnan to strengthen Heyang's strength.

Therefore, Lu Jin had to defeat Kang Maocai's main force while taking Heyangcheng at the same time. Otherwise, when the other side sent reinforcements from Jiangnan, the two sides would end up in a war of attrition.

How can Lu Jin, with only a small area in Huaixi, compete with the entire Jiangnan region in terms of resources and manpower consumption?
He didn't want to turn He Yang into his meat grinder.

The minimum goal of this battle is to at least destroy Kang Maocai's main mobile force and then capture Heyang City.

If the plan goes smoothly and can inflict heavy damage to the enemy's river defense naval forces, that would be even better. Even if it doesn't, as long as we can capture Heyang, the navies of both sides will be facing each other across the river in the future, which will at least be a draw. We can then think of other ways to cross the river to Lu Jin in the future.

Kang Maocai now has a total of 18,000 troops. He needs to defend many places, and he can gather 10,000 mobile troops by squeezing them together.

Lu Jin has more troops, totaling nearly 30,000, and they are well-organized. At least each unit has a complete organization with unified standards. Lu Jin can also call out the names of the generals of each unit, is familiar with their combat styles, and knows the combat effectiveness of their troops.

They are completely different from Liu Futong and Zhima Li. That group of guys expanded disorderly and increased their army by 100,000 overnight. It is estimated that they didn't even know how many soldiers they had under their command or the names of their generals. The soldiers didn't know their generals, and the generals didn't know their soldiers. It is easy to imagine how such an army would perform when facing the main force of the Yuan army.

However, they do have more people and more momentum. After the bloodbath and elimination by the Yuan army, it is hard to say which model is better.

Similar to Kang Maocai, Lu Jin now also has four cities to defend, so even if he tightens his belt, he can only mobilize 20,000 mobile troops.

These 20,000 people had to encircle and annihilate Kang Maocai, attack Heyang City, and even attack the Jianghuai naval force in Hezhou Port. The number of troops was not large.

Lu Jin couldn't play the magical style of 502, which required extreme micro-management to squeeze out every bit of combat power. One regiment could be used as three regiments. Su Zhong defeated the enemy with fewer troops and won seven battles in a row.

He knew he was not that good at it, he was just a rookie who had watched some military movies, so if he wanted to overpower others with force, it would be better to gang up on them, as he would have a better chance of success.

After giving some instructions to the generals of the Chaohu Navy and the Third Regiment, and chatting with Yu Tonghai, Zhao Zhongzhong, Zhang Desheng and others, Lu Jin quietly returned again.

He traveled in the cabin all the time, and the people in Luzhou didn't even know he had been out.
In the next few days, Kang Maocai continued to send out scouts to monitor Lu Jin's every move, especially the deployment of troops in the direction of Chao County.

Lu Jin is also under emergency mobilization.

The three Qin Li brothers returned to Chao County and brought their families and more than 2,000 new recruits to Luzhou. This news was learned by Kang Maocai.

Kang Maocai was delighted when he learned that Lu Jin had really started to mobilize troops from Chao County, while Bao Yu was still anxiously waiting for his servant to send a message to Lu Jin as soon as possible.

Then Qin Li sent his son Qin Jinglin to the training camp to study with Lu Jin. He settled his family in Luzhou City and went to Lu'an to take up his post.

On the way, someone happened to cut down some huge trees in the forest between Luzhou and Lu'an. They were transported by cars and boats and urgently transferred to the entrance of Chaohu Lake upstream of Rushu River, and then inserted into the river at night.

These hidden piles are hidden under the water surface and cannot be seen in dim light, but they can cause ships to run aground when passing through, directly blocking the passage of the fleet. A large amount of firewood and fuel for ignition are also prepared on both sides of the Chaohu Lake outlet, just waiting for the other party to come.

After the troops of the two brothers Qin Li and Qin Rong were reorganized in Luzhou, they were transferred to Liang County for training and were responsible for defending the city.

The main force of Zhu Liangzu's Fifth Regiment withdrew from Liang County and disappeared directly, hiding and waiting.

Two days later, after Qin Li arrived in Lu'an to take up his post, Yu Tingyu also returned to Luzhou with two battalions of troops.

The defense of Lu'an city was handed over to Zhao Yong and Zhang Huan, leaving them with only two combat battalions and one auxiliary battalion, a total of three battalions responsible for guarding the city.

Yu Tingyu and his second son Yu Tongyuan led two combat battalions and quietly entered the city after the 11:00 p.m. curfew in Luzhou. They went directly from the west gate to the open space military camp in the northwest of the city without passing through residential areas. Therefore, the people in Luzhou were unaware of the troop mobilization.

The two arrived at the Marshal's Mansion in the evening. Lu Jin personally greeted them at the door and happily took Yu Tingyu's hand.

"That's great. With Brother Yu here, I feel at ease. Our old brothers from Chaohu are trustworthy."

Yu Tingyu was not happy. As he followed Lu Jin inside, he asked worriedly, "Is the Marshal really going to command in person?"

Lu Jin nodded firmly.

"This battle is different from the previous ones. It is not a battle for a small Chao County, but a decisive battle involving tens of thousands of people from both sides. The generals have never fought such a big battle before. I must be present to command the troops. Even if I don't go into battle, I have to stay in the center of the army to stabilize the morale of the troops.

"A general is the courage of the army. As long as I am here, they won't be afraid!"

This is true. In the past, they were afraid of Zuo Junbi and Zhu Liangzu. They had no confidence in taking Luzhou City. It was Lu Jin who led the Chaohu generals to win three battles in a row and defeated enemies they had never defeated before. As long as Lu Jin was there, he could lead them to win all the time. The generals had confidence and admiration for him.

No matter how to boost morale and inspire the troops, Lu Jin's appearance there is the best mobilization.

Yu Tingyu also knew this truth, but he still said, "But the Marshal is going to get married, and he has to go to war on the day of his wedding, which is unacceptable."

Lu Jin interrupted quickly, "I have married my wife in a formal ceremony and brought her home, so the marriage is settled. It's a matter of military importance and there is no room for sentimental feelings." He turned around and looked at Yu Tingyu seriously.

"Brother, do you still remember the Han Qinhu I mentioned?"

Yu Tingyu nodded, "Of course I remember. We want to cross the river and take Jiangnan as our base, then great things can be accomplished."

"This time, defeating Kang Maocai's main force will clear the obstacles for us to cross the river. As long as we win this battle, the power of the world will be within our reach!"

Lu Jin stretched out his hand and clenched his fist, then suddenly blurted out another sentence.

"If love is long-lasting, why should we be together day and night? There is no time to miss the wedding night. But the opportunity is fleeting. Which is more important, my marriage or the future of my brothers?

"Striving for world domination is like sailing against the current. If you don't advance, you will retreat. If you don't fight bravely, we will all die without a burial place in the future!"

Yu Tongyuan was immediately moved when he heard this and said, "It is a blessing for the brothers to be able to follow Brother Lu to conquer the world."

Yu Tingyu also nodded and said, "I will defend Luzhou. Even if we lose this time, as long as Luzhou is still there, we will still have a way out."

Lu Jin said firmly, "In this battle, we can only advance and not retreat. There is no such thing as defeat and escape. Kang Mao is nothing. The Yuan court behind him is the real enemy. The imperial court will not sit idly by and watch Xuzhou and Liu Du grow stronger. Although we are behind Xuzhou, we are also a thorn in the side of the violent Yuan.

"If we lose this battle, even if Kang Maocai is killed in battle, there are still many Li Maocai and Zhang Maocai behind him. Therefore, we can only win, not lose."

Yu Tingyu frowned again when he heard this and asked, "Then is the Marshal sure?"

Seeing his worry, Lu Jin immediately relaxed, smiled and said to him, "Don't worry, I've always been confident. We have the advantage in manpower, and we took the initiative to design it. The enemy is passive, so we will definitely win."

"That's good. I will wish the Marshal a triumphant return in Luzhou." Yu Tingyu immediately said with relief.

Lu Jin had won three battles before, all thanks to his wisdom, so this time he will surely be no worse.

After settling the father and son, Lu Jin relaxed over the next few days, preparing for his wedding while practicing martial arts. The various troops were also quietly mobilized at full speed.

In the camp in the northwest corner of Luzhou City, the shouts and cries of training during the day were deafening, while the auxiliary battalions of each regiment were busy making dry food and dried meat. When the curfew came at night, Yang Jing took the lead and led the four regiments out of the city quietly, marching secretly at night, hiding during the day and moving at night, slowly gathering near the battlefield.

Two days later, Chao County also took action.

On September 30th of the 11th year of Zhizheng, Liao Yongjian's navy left only 3,000 people to defend the city. The main force of the navy and all the ships, carrying the main force of Liao Yongan's three regiments, suddenly disappeared.

The sudden change scared Kang Maocai, who was keeping an eye on the place all the time. A day later, on the first day of October, the garrison in Wuwei County, located downstream of the Rushu River, suddenly reported that Liao Yongan's troops with nearly 7,000 troops suddenly appeared outside Lujiang County and set up camp, as if preparing to besiege the city.

Kang Maocai was overjoyed. Lu Jin really dispatched troops to attack other states and counties at this time. He really didn't know how to live or die. That's great. This time I'll let you know the consequences of underestimating me. What does it mean that arrogant soldiers will be defeated? You just won a few battles and you're already so proud.

Just at this moment, Bao Yu also walked in.

"Sir, what happened in Chao County?"

Kang Maocai nodded excitedly, "Just now, the Wuwei garrison reported that Liao Yongan's troops and the main force of the Chaohu navy have all gone to attack Lujiang County. Currently, there are only 3,000 defenders left in Chao County."

Bao Yu's eyelids jumped when he heard this. His servant had just arrived today, and he had just sent out the previous intelligence, but Liao Yongan arrived in Lujiang County today. It was obvious that Lu Jin made a move when he was unaware of the changes in Kang Maocai's military strength.

What on earth was Lu Jin thinking? Even Bao Yu couldn't understand it for a moment. Did Lu Jin anticipate Kang Maocai's actions in advance?

"Envoy, do we still need to use the navy of Rushu River to contain the navy of Chaohu Lake?"

"Of course. As long as we can contain the Chaohu navy, it will be like tying one of his legs. No matter how he reacts, he won't be that quick."

Bao Yu nodded. Now he could only hope that after receiving the information, Lu Jin would be on guard against the government navy.

at the same time.

Li Pusheng, who had been hiding in Wuwei County and had been idle for half a month, suddenly felt that something was wrong.

The Chaohu navy emerged as a sudden force and captured Luzhou and Lu'an. Of course he knew about this. He also knew that it was a man named Lu Jin who led the Chaohu generals to victory and was now elected as the marshal by them.

The Chaohu navy became prosperous, and Liao and Yu both became generals leading their own armies, but they didn't even call themselves that. I, Li Pusheng, was also a member of the Chaohu Uprising. Have you forgotten me?

Just when he was hesitating whether to go for refuge, at this moment, the news of Zhao Pusheng's death suddenly came, which scared Li Pusheng?
Is Lu Jin trying to eliminate dissidents? But within two days, after much inquiry, he learned that Zhao Pusheng died in an ambush by Kang Maocai, while Hua Gao was still alive and well and joined Lu Jin's army.

Now Li Pusheng became even more hesitant.

Now, looking at the unusual movements of Kang Maocai's troops in Wuwei, it seems that Lu Jin's Chaohu Navy and Kang Maocai are going to fight again. However, news also came from the south two days ago that his master Peng Yingyu had defeated the Yuan court's counterattack, and things seemed to be going well.

What should he do? Should he join Lu Jin, or go south to join Xu Shouhui and his master Peng Yingyu?

(The first volume is finished, preparing for the second volume, the storm is coming)
(End of this chapter)