Chapter 1120 Liaodong Jianan
When the fleet finally departed, Lao Niu had time to chat with Qin Lang.
The old cow in iron armor sat in the **** of the battleship and asked him, "What have you been doing in Lingnan these years? Are you really writing history books?"
"Um."
"I'm your uncle, and I don't need those things with me. Of course, if you don't feel comfortable talking about it, it's okay if you don't. It's still the same sentence, I'm your uncle."
Qin Lang smiled.
"Actually, it's nothing complicated. I just feel that I'm so young. I'm only in my thirties, but now I'm an extremely powerful minister. Back then, my grandfather told me something more than once. Higher heights are more dangerous. I'm still young, so I don't need to be greedy for heights."
Lao Niu froze for a moment.
Then he patted Qin Lang, "Shubao, sometimes he is too cautious. After nine years of Wude, he has been thinking of retreating bravely. You boy, are you still afraid that you will not be the master?"
Qin Lang thought for a while, and said bluntly, "Actually, I have a lot of admiration for today's saints. Saints are not the kind of people who kill meritorious officials. However, I am a little afraid of the prince of the Eastern Palace."
Hearing that Qin Lang used the word fear, Lao Niu was silent for a while.
"Isn't it possible?"
"I have been with him for more than ten years. I am also a teacher and a friend. It can be said that no one knows him better than me. He was really good before, but these years have changed a lot, especially after the last World War in Qinghai. It's a completely different person. Now this one, sometimes I am secretly shocked, I have a great fear of him."
The old cow was speechless.
"Uncle Niu, you also know that one day, sooner or later, he will succeed to the throne. Once he takes that position, no one can restrain him anymore. The king wants his minister to die, but his minister cannot Immortal, but I don’t want to wait for this day in the future, I know that when I say these words, it seems a bit rebellious and not loyal enough, but I am not a sage, so these years, I have begun to think about retreat.”
In the imperial era, these words were all facts, and Lao Niu knew very well that Chengqian would one day sit on the Imperial Palace. Chengqian is not the emperor, and no one can say what will happen to him in the future, but it is undoubtedly as Qin Lang said. As I said, everyone's fate will be in Chengqian's hands in the future.
But Qin Lang was unwilling to accept this result.
"Are you running Wu'an fiefdom? But have you ever thought that today's emperor can implement the system of secular feudalism, but what if the new emperor abolishes this secular feudal system in the future?" Lao Niu asked.
Qin Lang smiled, "I've thought about it a long time ago, so I don't count on this. To tell you the truth, Uncle Niu, I plan to find a few more back roads, let's call them the three caves of the cunning rabbit."
"Could it be Linyi? The relationship between you and the queen is well known in the world. You are still the regent of Linyi. The illegitimate child of you and the queen is now the son of the prince of Linyi..."
Qin Lang chuckled, didn't say any more, let Lao Niu think like this, anyway, just let him understand his own thoughts.
"Forget it, let's not talk about it, this time I came back to marry the princess, but I was pulled by you, Uncle Niu."
Old Niu said bluntly, "You help me take down Jian'an and Anshi, and I'll let you go back, otherwise, I won't let you go."
After making a plan to attack Jian'an City, they are ready to send troops.
Qin Lang suggested that the main force raid Jian'an City, but still send a partial division to the east to attack Jili City and Shicheng. These two cities are both to the east of Beisha City and not far from the coast.
Niu Jianhu volunteered to lead a partial division to attack these two cities.
Lao Niu expressed his support for Qin Lang's suggestion, because now Beisha has gathered 120,000 troops, which is indeed a lot, and they are all taken to fight Jian'an. Obviously, some troops are surplus, so it is better to divide the troops to attack Shicheng and Jili City. It's the best way to go, if you can't take it down, you have to harass and destroy it to mobilize the soldiers and horses to contain Goguryeo. If it goes well, you can go directly to the mouth of the Yalu River.
"I'll give you 30,000 horses." Lao Niu was very generous to his son.
This made the generals of the Beihai and Donghai Navy very helpless, especially the Beihai Navy. The Bohai Sea route was originally their defense zone. Now it is good. Niu Jianhu of the South China Sea Navy from the south has snatched this good job.
The fleet set sail and left the port, and then the troops split into two groups and went their separate ways.
The old cow stood on the deck and watched his son go away, "It's getting cold again."
This time the Tang Dynasty sent troops to Goguryeo at a very special time. It was not in spring or summer, but in autumn. Everyone knows how cold the winter in Liaodong is, so this offensive is an autumn offensive. stop.
Whether they can win a battle or not is still a test.
But everyone from the emperor to Niu Jinda is full of confidence.
Lao Niu is very confident, thinking that even if the entire Liaodong Great Wall defense line cannot be taken down, it is still no problem to take down some of the cities, at least Gaimu and Liaodong City can definitely be taken down.
As long as these two cities are won, the outcome of the battle is not important. With such a strong city, you can spend the winter in Liaodong, and then wait until next year to fight again.
Lao Niu's goal is to win Jian'an and Anshi, so that after Lao Cheng wins Gaimu and Liaodong City, everyone can join forces. The navy on the Beisha City side also has enough food and grass to supply the army for the Eastern Expedition.
After going to Zhucheng, before the harbor freezes, most of the troops can be withdrawn to Dengzhou or Youzhou to rest, or sent home first, and regrouped next year.
This reduces supply pressure.
After all, during the Sui Dynasty, Yang Guang conquered Liao several times, and each time he used troops for less than half a year. He could only withdraw his troops before winter.
So this time Datang will take down a few big cities quickly, and then stop leaving.
The huge fleet sailed along the coast, five hundred miles away from Beisha Island, is Jian'an City.
Qin Lang looked at the map and found that this city is actually located in Gaizhou of later generations. Lao Niu has collected a lot of detailed information on the mountain city of Koguryo over the years.
Jian'an City is said to have been built with a history of more than one or two hundred years. It was built on the mountain, roughly in a convex shape, with a circumference of about twelve miles. It was first built in the Eastern Jin Dynasty.
This Jian'an city is also a typical mountain city, which is a mountain city with a valley in it. Stone walls are built along the north and south ridges to surround a valley, which is conducive to the dangerous mountain and forms a fortress.
There is also a hill seven to eight feet high in the valley, and the Goguryeo people surrounded this hill again and built it into a mountain castle in a mountain city.
It is said that standing on the top of Jian'an Mountain City, you can look westward at the Bohai Sea.
Jian'an City faces the Bohai Sea in the west, the Daqing River flows into the sea in the south, continuous mountains in the east, and a flat plain in the northwest. This makes Jian'an City not a purely defensive fortification, but also has the ability to serve as a counterattack base. and business center functions.
Just like in Jian’an Mountain City, there is also a river in the north of Jindian Mountain. There is water in the valley, and it can also be used for grazing and farming. On the plain to the northwest of the mountain city, there is also a non-military residential city. In addition, there are many small mountain cities and fortresses built on the four sides of the Jian'an mountain city.
It can be said that Jian’an Mountain City has been under the control of the Goguryeo people for one or two hundred years, and it is still very strong.
Moreover, Jian'an City is only a hundred miles away from Anshi City in the north.
The two large mountain cities depend on each other, just like two sisters.
No matter which city is attacked, another city will definitely come to help, not to mention that there are many small mountain fortresses around the two cities.
"Have you found any way to destroy the city?" Lao Niu saw Qin Lang holding the map and looking at it for a long time.
"This mountain city is far worse than Beisha City." Qin Lang said with a smile, Beisha City was built on the Dahei Mountain, and this Jian'an City only surrounded a valley, especially the two ridges in the north and south were natural city defenses. The west side is relatively gentle, so the Goguryeo people used rammed earth to build stone walls on this side.
The west side is undoubtedly a breakthrough. The terrain in front of the west city wall is flat and open, which is also conducive to the deployment of the army.
But it is obvious that the Goguryeo people must also know this, so their defense must also focus on the west.
Qin Lang pointed to the east side of Jian'an City on the map.
"After our fleet arrived in Liaodong Bay, the main force landed here and went straight to the west of Jian'an City to attack the city. Then we dispatched a partial division to go upstream from the mouth of the Daqing River to the back of the east side of Jian'an City. I took a look. The Daqing River is less than ten miles behind Jian'an City. There is only a small pass between Daqing Youhe and Jian'an City. There is a small fort there, and it is not difficult to take it. Attack Jian'an City from the rear!"
They have enough troops, 90,000 horses, so 60,000 are placed on the west front, and 30,000 can be sent behind.
Although it is difficult to attack from the back, if the four sides attack together, the Goguryeo people will be difficult to defend.
According to Lao Niu's information, the garrison in Jian'an City does not exceed 10,000.
However, Anshi City has a lot of troops.
As long as the Tang army's offensive is fast, we can ignore Anshicheng's soldiers and horses for the time being. In this way, the ratio of Tang Gao's offensive and defensive forces is nine to one. Such a rich battle is too much for strong generals like Qin Lang and Lao Niu. Good fight.
"I suggest that it is best not to rush to capture Jian'an, encircle Jian'an, lure An city to come to aid, besiege the city and fight for aid, kill two birds with one stone." Qin Lang squeezed his chin and suggested that Jian'an City is not as important as An City in terms of military strength and city defense. It is not difficult to take down Jian'an, but the difficulty is how to take down Anshi together.
"Besieging the city and fighting for aid? That's good, but if we can't take down Jian'an, we will be in trouble." A general named Zhang Jinshu said.
The old cow laughed and said, "If I can't win this battle well, then I'll just go home and farm. According to Sanlang's instructions, let's build Ancheng and fight for reinforcements in Anshi. Take Jian'an and Anshi together."
(end of this chapter)