Late Yuan Dynasty: I am the true emperor

Chapter 89: The Footsteps of Attack (Subscription Request)
At noon on the seventh day of October, on the road from Chao County to Hanshan, Zhu Shou and Ye Sheng were leading two infantry battalions and one cavalry battalion, a total of three battalions of troops, and were chasing the rear army led by Chen Hong.

After Kang Maocai's rear army collapsed, they quickly lost their will to fight. As long as they were caught up and shouted a few words of persuasion to surrender, they would basically stop and wait to be captured. Therefore, Zhu Shou did not chase them far.

However, Chen Hong, the commander of the rear army, saw that something was wrong and fled on horseback with his personal soldiers, leaving Ye Sheng chasing them. The two groups ran for more than ten miles, almost reaching Hanshan, and then met Zhu Liangzu who was coming from Hanshan halfway.

Zhu Liangzu was originally Lu Jin's trump card in an ambush at Hanshan. Hanshan was an extremely important location. Putting the most capable Zhu Liangzu here could threaten the enemy forces in three directions at the same time. However, who would have thought that he was not used in the end?
Zhu Liangzu was just sulking when he saw Chen Hong leading a dozen riders running towards him. There was dust and smoke behind them, so he couldn't see who they were.

But he could see the unique green triangular camp flag of the Shengwu Army, which was very conspicuous. Zhu Liangzu immediately guessed that this was his side chasing the fleeing enemy.

He immediately clamped his legs around the horse's belly and rushed out, pointing the spear in his hand, "Catch them for me!"

The next moment, more than a dozen personal soldiers around Zhu Liangzu also ran straight towards Chen Hong.

Only Liao Yongzhong, who was still in the team, was left speechless. Liao Yongzhong felt that Zhu Liangzu was more suitable for charging into battle than for leading an army.
When Chen Hong saw the thousands of soldiers and a dozen cavalrymen suddenly appearing on the opposite side, he immediately cursed.

"Fuck you, I won't fight anymore, I surrender, I surrender, I won't fight anymore, I'm tired of running!"

Unexpectedly, Zhu Liangzu, who had come close, was even more angry when he heard this, "You idiot, why don't you put up a fight? I haven't even had a chance to fight yet!"

Chen Hong was stunned when he heard this, and looked at Zhu Liangzu carefully, "Marshal Zhu?"

"Chen Hong? Who did I think it was? It turns out to be you. Where is Kang Maocai?"

Zhu Liangzu also recognized Chen Hong. They had suppressed the Chaohu navy together before. As one of the main generals around Kang Maocai, Zhu Liangzu knew him.

"General Kang? I don't know. After the formation collapsed just now, everyone fled for their lives. General Kang said we couldn't go back to Heyang, and told us to build a stronghold in Hanshan to defend and wait for help. Then he ran away. Who knows where he went?"

On Ye Sheng's side, seeing that Zhu Liangzu had stopped the man, he did not chase him, but slowly rode over and said when he heard what was said.

"Kang Maocai arrived outside the north gate of Chao County at noon today. The commander went out of the city and formed a battle array to meet the enemy, and defeated Kang Maocai's battle array with one blow. When I chased him just now, Captain Zheng went after Kang Maocai. He may have been captured alive or executed now."

Zhu Liangzu was stunned when he heard this and sighed, "It's over so soon? I got up so early and arrived so late. Kang Maocai is so bad! Did the Marshal tell me what to do?"

"No." Ye Sheng shook his head.

"So you guys are going back now?"

"Yes, I came to chase the remaining enemies. Now that I have captured them, of course I have to go back and report to the Marshal." Ye Sheng said immediately.

"That's perfect. I'll go back with you guys and ask the Marshal for another job. Otherwise, the dry food we've had these days will be wasted."

With Chen Hong being captured, this pursuit was basically over, and all the troops were gathering the surrendered soldiers to join Chao County.

On the top of Chao County City, Lu Jin was holding a captured musket in his hand. Looking at the tens of thousands of prisoners being captured below, he suddenly felt overwhelmed.

There were too many prisoners, but his territory was expanding and his troops were not enough.

Now almost all the mobile forces that the Shengwu Army can mobilize have been used to fight this battle. The defense in the rear is extremely empty. The next step will inevitably be a large-scale expansion of the army, and the expansion requires reliable generals.

Lu Jin was thinking about which generals of each regiment could be transferred. There were also brothers Feng Guoyong from Dingyuan and Qin Zhao and Qin Rong from Liangxian. These people had not been arranged yet. How much would the army be expanded next? Where would the territory be pushed to?
Especially personnel appointments, personnel are politics, and checks and balances are too complicated for Lu Jin, as he has never led such a large organization before.

Next to him stood a messenger from Heyang. It was Yang Jing who reported the battle report of Heyang and came to him to ask for help from the navy.

In Heyang City, we captured 2,000 enemy soldiers defending the city, 1,000 naval soldiers, and hundreds of large ships over 60 feet in length. We must send naval commanders and sailors who are capable of operating ships to receive them.

Hezhou Port is an important place. We may have to fight naval battles with the Yuan court every day in the future. We must choose a reliable naval commander.

Lu Jin had not yet decided who to transfer over, and at this moment, Zheng Yong came over with Kang Maocai's head in his hand.

"Marshal, I have fulfilled my mission. Here is Kang Maocai's head!"

When Lu Jin saw the wound on Kang Maocai's face that had not yet been stitched, he confirmed his identity at a glance. He had previously learned about Kang Maocai's injuries from Hua Gao and Bao Yu, and there was no doubt that he had a wound on his face.

"Very good, you did a good job this time. I heard that Wang Ruheng, the commander of Kang Maocai's left wing, was also shot dead by you. You can expect a promotion this time."

"Thank you, Marshal!"

Zheng Yong was delighted, as this was the first time he had made a great contribution since joining Lu Jin's army. However, he did not take all the credit for himself, and said immediately.

"Reporting to the commander, Wang Ruheng was indeed killed by my arrow, but it was someone else who shot and killed Kang Maocai. I cannot take away the credit."

"Oh? Who is it?" Lu Jin asked thoughtfully.

"They are Zhang Huzi and Xi Guobao from my camp. The Marshal knows them. If they hadn't surrounded and intercepted us this time, I would definitely not have been able to kill this beast on my own." Zheng Yong immediately commended his two subordinates for their achievements.

However, Zhang Huzi and Xi Guobao said, "Reporting to the Marshal, it was Captain Zheng who made the greatest contribution in killing Kang Maocai. The two of us were just cooperating. If it weren't for Brother Zheng chasing us closely, we wouldn't have had the chance to intercept him."

Lu Jin rolled his eyes. These three people had defected to Lu Jin when he was commanding the first time to encircle and annihilate Zuo Junbi. The three of them were so close that they seemed to be too clinging.

Unity is not wrong, but it is not good for Ye Sheng to be in power. Lu Jin laughed and said, "Hahahaha, you all made great contributions in this battle, especially you and Ye Sheng's two cavalry battalions performed well. It just so happens that we captured some of Kang Maocai's horses this time, so I plan to expand the cavalry.

"Expand the original two battalions into a cavalry regiment, with Ye Sheng as the regiment commander, Zheng Yongni as the deputy commander, and Xi Guobao and Zhang Huzi both promoted to battalion commanders.

"But only one of you can stay in the cavalry regiment. I will transfer the other one to form a new infantry regiment. Who will go?"

"Ah?" The three of them were stunned when they heard this, and then they were ecstatic.

Although Zheng Yong was only promoted from a thousand-man commander to a deputy commander, both of his subordinates were promoted to thousand-man commanders, which was equivalent to the expansion of his power.

Needless to say, Xi Guobao and Zhang Huzi were promoted from company commanders to captains, which is a high promotion. They have finally reached the same level as the Chaohu veterans. How can they not be happy?

But Lu Jin said that he wanted to transfer one of them to the infantry, and the two men hesitated again.

"How about it, have you decided who will go?" Lu Jin looked at the three of them, and Xi Guobao and Zhang Huzi also looked at each other.

"Since you can't figure it out, I'll select the men. Whoever is younger between you two will go to the infantry."

As soon as these words were spoken, Zheng Yong and Zhang Huzi immediately looked at Xi Guobao.

The youngest, Xi Guobao, is only 18 years old. Hearing this, his face suddenly turned bitter. He still prefers cavalry and asked in confusion, "Marshal, why do you want the young ones to go to the infantry?"

Lu Jin was not angry, but patiently explained, "Because young people learn new things quickly, I plan to form a new regiment. The weapons and tactics they practice are a little different. Don't worry, you can go over and learn first. You will have the opportunity to switch back to the cavalry in the future."

"Yes!" Xi Guobao agreed without hesitation after hearing this.

"Go ahead, collect the captured war horses first and see how many there are."

After the three men left, Lu Jin carried Kang Maocai's head to the parapet at the top of the city wall, where there were already a row of heads placed on it.

The Huaixi envoy, Marshal Kang Maocai; the cavalry general Lu Changyi, the right wing commander Ding Zhongrui, the left wing commander Wang Ruheng, the navy general Wu Xiangrong, and the front army commander Li Jun, who was tied up and kneeling trembling beside them.

Looking at the five heads neatly arranged in front of him and the four regiments of messengers standing beside them, Lu Jin immediately thought of the naval support that Yang Jing wanted. Then he took another look at those heads and immediately had an idea in his mind.

"Come here, call Commander Liao of the Navy and Commander Liao of the Third Regiment to come to me."

"Yes!"

Not long after, Liao Yongjian and Liao Yongan came together. They were still capturing prisoners just now, and came over immediately after hearing Lu Jin's call.

"Commander!"

"Yeah." Lu Jin nodded and pointed at the messenger from the Fourth Regiment.

"Yang Jing has taken over Heyang City and Hezhou Port with four regiments. He has seized hundreds of ships and urgently needs naval commanders who can operate ships to support them."

The two of them knew what Lu Jin meant as soon as they heard it. He must be choosing someone from among them. The Liao brothers were both veterans of the Chaohu navy, so how could they not know how to fight on water.

Lu Jin looked at the two of them and said immediately.

"Brother Yongjian, please take Zhongzhong with you. It happens that there is nothing else for the three thousand of you left here to do.

"So, when Brother Yongjian goes there, take the naval commander Bai Guangtai captured in Heyang with you, and allow him to select a thousand soldiers. Then have Yang Jing send his family to Luzhou. Once you take over the Jiangfang naval force in Hezhou Port, immediately head south and prepare to attack Wuwei!"

After that, Lu Jin looked at Liao Yongan again, "Brother Yongan, your Third Regiment is the same. After today's work is done, immediately assemble the main forces of the Third Regiment, and then let Tonghai and Hua Gao take you to attack Wuwei.

"Wuwei County was Kang Maocai's last territory. Now that his main forces have been wiped out, it is time to pursue him relentlessly.

"Then one of you will be upstream and the other downstream, attacking from both sides, and then taking the heads of Kang Maocai and his central army commander's flag with you, mainly for deterrence and to persuade them to surrender.

"Today is the seventh day of the first lunar month. We must capture Wuwei before the tenth day. Then Brother Yongjian will temporarily lead the navy to garrison Wuwei County. Subsequent deployments will require my orders. After Brother Yongan's three regiments finish the battle, they will temporarily rest in Wuwei and prepare to besiege Lujiang with other friendly forces.

“This time we will take advantage of the window period when there are no imperial forces around us and capture Lujiang, Wuwei, and Shucheng on the south bank of Chaohu Lake.

"In this way, the south bank of Chaohu Lake, from west to east, Lu'an, Shucheng, Lujiang, and Wuwei can be connected in a straight line without any gaps, and then point the sword at Anqing Road!

"Besides, we are now expanding our military so much that we can't just rely on captured equipment. We must take Lujiang as soon as possible and smelt iron ourselves!"

The two looked at each other when they heard this. Both of them were veterans of the Shengwu Army and the earliest original shareholders. They were happy to see their power grow.

However, due to their limited knowledge and experience, the Liao brothers are unable to come up with strategic planning. Since Lu Jin knows a lot and has won every battle he has, they should just listen to Lu Jin.

The two men immediately clasped their fists and accepted the order, "Yes, I will obey your order!"

The Shengwu Army, which had just finished a battle and had no time to catch its breath, took the first step to attack again!
How about this, I will write two chapters in the evening and one chapter in the morning, three chapters a day, 10,000 words. This way I am not in a rush.
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(End of this chapter)