Chapter 604: Occupy strategic points and seek progress in stability!
"Congratulations, Marshal! Congratulations, Marshal!"

He Jingyun, who came to the gathering at Ye Mingsheng's order, congratulated Ye Mingsheng with a smile on his face:

Ye Mingsheng, who was thinking about how to break the impasse, was very surprised to hear He Jingyun's congratulations. He didn't know where the joy came from...

Under Ye Mingsheng's puzzled gaze, He Jingyun continued to say with a smile:

"Commander Yuan and General Peng captured Yecheng yesterday morning and captured 18,000 people, including the Henan Army's garrison commander Wang Shouye. General Guo annihilated Gao Dingshan's troops at the foot of Sancha Ridge, killing 12,000 people and capturing 15,000! Our army has achieved significant results on both the southern and northern fronts!"

"The only flaw is that Gao Dingshan escaped, but we captured Yang Yuanze, an important official under Gao Zongchang and the governor of Hebei and Henan!"

"Because Wang Shouye was injured and had a bumpy journey, Commander Yuan asked you to give Wang Shouye some time to recover and then let him come to Zhuo County to be dealt with by you later."

"As for Yang Yuanze, he is a coward who only loves life and fears death. After being captured by our army, he cooperated with us very well. Now General Guo has sent people to bring him back. In another three to five days, you will be able to meet this governor of Hebei and Henan!"

"The heavily-armed southern and northern clusters of the Henan Army have been annihilated by our army. Now we only need to encircle the isolated city of Yujing! I received the news an hour ago and wanted to let the Marshal know the good news as soon as possible, but I heard from Officer Ye that you have not slept well these days because you have been concerned about the war. So I did not disturb you and planned to report the good news to you tomorrow. I never thought that you have already known the news!"

Although he was very dissatisfied with Yuan Song and Guo Zhiping's decision to act first and report later, after all, Yuan Song and Guo Zhiping's change of plan had achieved a major victory, so He Jingyun was also very happy. He only planned to have a good talk with these two people after the war in Hebei and Henan was over, and then put the matter behind him...

After listening to He Jingyun's words, Ye Mingsheng felt much relieved. Taking over Yecheng and annihilating Gao Dingshan's troops would greatly reduce the pressure that the Fengwu Army would face next, allowing the Fengwu Army to take the initiative in the face of the next crisis!

Seeing Ye Mingsheng, who only looked a little more relaxed but not too happy, He Jingyun also realized that something was wrong and asked Ye Mingsheng tentatively:
"My lord, has something happened?"

Facing He Jingyun's gaze, Ye Mingsheng nodded and said in a deep voice:

"Shangguan Hongyuan stabbed us in the back. He facilitated a ceasefire between Xu Zhaojie and Feng Keqin in Huainan, and gave Xu Zhaojie a batch of firearms and money to let him go north to Hebei and Henan to stop us. According to the intelligence of the Coordination Office, the Anqing Army under Xu Zhaojie has secretly assembled in Anqing, and may enter Hebei and Henan at any time!"

As soon as these words were spoken, He Jingyun's expression suddenly became serious. Because of the hatred between Ye Mingsheng and Xu Zhaojie, Xu Zhaojie had always been regarded as the imaginary enemy of the Fengwu Army. Not only did the Coordination Office deploy secret agents in advance to collect intelligence within the Anqing Army under Xu Zhaojie, but even the General Staff led by He Jingyun conducted analysis and research on the Anqing Army based on the intelligence from the Coordination Office.

After much research, the staff reached a consensus that the Anqing Army was very powerful. Except that the firearms they were equipped with were far inferior to those of the Fengwu Army, other indicators such as training level and fighting will were not much worse than those of the Fengwu Army. Moreover, the most important point was that Xu Zhaojie was a famous general of the time. So far, the battles he commanded had not suffered a failure. He was especially good at coming up with surprising tactics and had wild imagination. No one knew what he would do next...

If the Fengwu Army wants to unify the Great Zhou, then Xu Zhaojie and the Anqing Army under his command will definitely be a tough nut to crack!
Because Hebei and Henan bordered Anqing, He Jingyun and other staff officers also considered the possibility of Xu Zhaojie sending troops to interfere in the battle situation in Hebei and Henan during the combat rehearsal.
However, because Xu Zhaojie was fighting with Huainan Governor Feng Keqin in Kangyin at that time, the battle was very fierce and there was no sign of it ending. So everyone thought that the possibility of Xu Zhaojie sending troops to intervene was very small. Unfortunately, such a small probability came true in the end. It was really fate!
After thinking quickly, He Jingyun asked Ye Mingsheng:

"Does the Coordination Office have more detailed information? For example, the specific combat deployment of the Anqing Army?"

Ye Mingsheng shook his head and said:
"The Coordination Office just received the news and sent me a note via carrier pigeon. However, Wang Xuecheng is rushing to Zhuo County. I think he will bring us more news. General He, what do you think now?"

He Jingyun shifted his gaze to the sand table, then picked up the baton and began to introduce it to Ye Mingsheng.

“Sir, according to the latest news, after Commander Yuan’s First Army captured Yecheng, after a short rest, they continued to advance towards Yujing according to our previous battle plan. Only General Peng’s Fourth Division was left to guard Yecheng and guard the prisoners of war. According to the speed of the First Army, they will arrive in the vicinity of Yujing in two days…”

"General Guo's Third Division has now advanced towards Yujing after a day of rest. According to the previous battle plan, we will besiege Yujing. However, we don't know when the Anqing Army will appear in Hebei and Henan. Will they come to Yujing to cooperate with Gao Zongchang or occupy Songcheng and other southern prefectures and counties?"

"So I think our army should seek progress in a stable manner at this time, and make further plans after understanding the enemy's strategy!"

"I suggest that we temporarily postpone the siege of Yujing City. General Guo's Third Division should also immediately stop moving towards Yujing and instead seize Fengqiu, an important town in the southeast of Hebei and Henan. Fengqiu is second only to Yujing and Yecheng in terms of population and economy. It is one of the largest cities in Hebei and Henan!"

"Before, there were at least 20,000 Henan troops stationed in Fengqiu. In order to suppress the rebels in Daya Mountain, Gao Dingshan transferred 15,000 troops from Fengqiu. Three days ago, intelligence showed that after our army went out, in order to ensure the safety of Yujing, Gao Zongchang transferred another 3,000 troops from Fengqiu to support Yujing. Currently, there are only about 2,000 to 3,000 Henan troops in Fengqiu, and the rest are the young and strong men who have been organized to defend the city!"

"Although the Third Division has a small number of infantry, the possibility of taking Fengqiu is still very high. As long as we take Fengqiu, our army can deter the Anqing army heading north!"

“As for the First Army’s occupation of the strategic location of Moling County after arriving at the vicinity of Yujing, as long as we occupy this place, our army can advance to besiege Yujing City, and retreat safely and provide support and protection for the Third Division…” According to the previous intelligence from the Coordination Office, the total strength of the Anqing Army is about 80,000. Even if Xu Zhaojie and Feng Keqin temporarily stop fighting with Kangyin as the boundary, they will definitely leave a troop near Kangyin in case of an emergency! ”

What's more, Cao Changping's army is eyeing Xu Zhaojie covetously, and Xu Zhaojie will definitely leave a force to guard against him, so I think the maximum number of troops Xu Zhaojie can mobilize this time will not exceed 50,000! "

"General Guo's Third Division currently has a total strength of about 20,000 troops, and 70% of them are cavalry. The Anqing Army's cavalry units total less than 10,000, and their cavalry combat experience and horses are not as good as ours."

"Except for Daya Mountain, the terrain in southern Hebei and Henan is mostly plains. General Guo's Third Army is much more mobile than the Anqing Army. Even if the enemy attacks with all their might, the Third Division can rely on its mobility to rely on Fengqiu City, a major city, to deal with it calmly. As long as the enemy shows a flaw, the Third Division can give them a head-on blow!"

Listening to He Jingyun's analysis, Ye Mingsheng nodded slowly and said:

"General He, you have thought it through very carefully. Let's do it according to your method first and let all the units strictly abide by our military strategy!"

After getting Ye Mingsheng's permission, He Jingyun smiled and said confidently:

"I've heard that Xu is a famous general, and I've wanted to fight him! If he comes to Ji and Yu in person, Ji and Yu will be his burial place!"

He Jingyun's words were very decisive and encouraging. Ye Mingsheng smiled and nodded when he heard it. He was very pleased with He Jingyun's statement...

After determining the strategic policy of seeking progress while maintaining stability, all the staff members under the leadership of He Jingyun began to work in their respective positions, while Ye Mingsheng sat on a chair, seemingly thinking about something. After a while, Ye Mingsheng had an idea and said to He Jingyun:
"Zhang Meng's Seventh Division is almost fully equipped with firearms. Zhang Meng has been asking me to join the battle to the south. Now that Xu Zhaojie is here, let Zhang Meng lead his troops into Hebei and Henan."

As soon as these words came out, He Jingyun's expression changed and he immediately expressed his opinion:

"Your idea is very good, sir. General Zhang Meng is a great general in our army. With him leading the Seventh Division to join our army, our strength in Hebei and Henan will surely increase greatly!"

Because they had sent people to stabilize Cao Changping in Qi and Lu in advance, and Xu Zhaojie was unable to split his forces, the General Staff, in combination with the opinions of the logistics department, believed that the First Army and the Third Division, two main ace troops of the Fengwu Army, plus the Fourth Division, with a total of nearly 100,000 people, plus the volunteers actually controlled by the Coordination Office in Hebei and Henan, were enough to capture Yujing and swallow up Hebei and Henan, making this southern campaign a brilliant success.
But now with Xu Zhaojie joining the team, the scale of 100,000 people is not enough. Although He Jingyun has considered this aspect, he did not mention the issue of increasing troops just now because of the pressure of logistical support. Now that Ye Mingsheng took the initiative to bring up this matter, he, as the Chief of Staff, naturally agreed with both hands.

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On the first day of October, during the Cold Clothes Festival, Xiaofeng Mountain outside the city of Yijing,

Under the security of thousands of Fengwu Army soldiers, more than ten horse-drawn carriages from the Governor's Mansion slowly arrived. When they arrived at the foot of the mountain, the women of the Ye Mansion, headed by Ye Cui, got off the carriages and walked up the mountain. They were all dressed in white, with serious faces and not daring to show the slightest smile.

Because she had been in Yijing for almost a year, Ye Cui was thinking of returning to Liaoyang to pay tribute to her late husband on the first day of October, the Cold Clothes Festival, as per the old custom. However, Ye Mingsheng's father was buried in his hometown, Fengshan County, Liaoyang, and the journey from Yijing to Fengshan County was thousands of miles and bumpy. Ye Cui was also old and not suitable for long-distance travel. Everyone was worried about her going back to Fengshan County.

So under the persuasion of An Miaoyi and other female relatives, Ye Cui gave up the idea of ​​returning to Fengshan County, and instead adopted the compromise proposed by Murong Qingwu. They found a scenic hill outside Yijing City facing Fengshan County, and built a cenotaph with the clothes worn by Ye Mingsheng's father Ye De, where everyone could pay tribute to him.

As for Fengshan County, the Ye family members were asked to hold the memorial service on their behalf. After the plan was finalized and after layers of selection, Xiaofeng Mountain, which met all the requirements, was chosen as the location of the cenotaph...
"Mom, the mountain road is steep! Please be careful!"

Looking at the rugged mountain road ahead, An Miaoyi worriedly told Ye Cui:

Because the mountain road was rugged and most of the people on the trip were women, the original plan was to have someone carry the sedan up. The sedan chair and bearers were also ready. But no one expected that when they finally arrived at the destination, Ye Cui changed her mind and insisted on walking up the mountain to express her intention to commemorate her deceased husband. No matter how everyone tried to persuade her, she would not listen and insisted on walking up the mountain!

Since no one could persuade her, Ye Cui had to do it. And since she wanted to walk up the mountain, everyone naturally could not take a sedan chair, otherwise it would be embarrassing, so all the female relatives accompanying her decided to walk up the mountain.

An Miaoyi originally wanted to personally support Ye Cui to show her filial piety, but she had just recovered from a serious illness. Although she could walk now, her body had not fully recovered. Let alone supporting others, even she needed Qiqige's support when walking on the mountain road. So she had no choice but to give up this idea and asked the old lady's former maid Jinyu to do it instead.

Hearing this, Ye Cui nodded slightly, and continued to wipe the sweat from her face with the support of the maids and old women beside her, gritting her teeth and continuing to walk towards the distant hill. Seeing that the old lady did not complain, although Bai Yuanyuan, Su Rumeng and others were already complaining in their hearts, they could only grumble in their hearts.

Pei Zhixiu was walking at the end. Maybe it was because of her identity as a doctor and she often went into the mountains to collect herbs, but the rugged mountain road seemed like flat ground under her feet without any obstacles. Not only did she have nothing to do, Pei Zhixiu could also look after Xiaohuan, the maid beside her who was already sweating profusely...
(End of this chapter)