The failure of the Northern Expedition last year hit the strength of the Southern Jin Dynasty and turned from prosperity to decline.Before the fierce battle of Lujiang, the Jin army won many battles, swept all the way to the north, unstoppable, with such a momentum, the original unification of the mainland is just around the corner.But Ren Zhen was just starting out, went to the battlefield in person, thwarted the Jin army, and stopped the decline of the defeated Northern Tang Dynasty.And the ambush battle in Bishan was magnificent, and it became the biggest turning point in turning the overall situation.In the battle, Chen Qingzhi led 300,000 elite Jin troops to set up an ambush, trying to plan and annihilate the main force of the Tang army, but unexpectedly, he made a bad move and fell into Ren Zhen's grand ambush circle.The 300,000 Middle Route Army is the strongest main force of the Southern Jin Dynasty, and it is commanded by the invincible Chen Qingzhi, which can be described as the elite of the elite.But the final result was that Chen Baipao broke out of the siege with 30,000 remnants of soldiers and died on the way back from the failed surprise attack on Chang'an.In that battle, the Jin army suffered a fatal blow, the entire Middle Route Army was annihilated, and the white-robed military god who won a hundred battles was also killed, which not only made the troops fall down, but also began to weaken the morale of the army, and it was no longer able to compete with the Northern Tang Dynasty.In the end, Emperor Wu had to order the withdrawal of the army, declaring the Northern Expedition a failure.Last year, natural disasters and man-made disasters in the Northern Tang Dynasty and detachment from Germany were supposed to be the best time for the Jin army to go north, but Ren Zhen came out of nowhere and turned the tide and shattered Emperor Wu's hopes.In the future, if you want to cross the river and go on a northern expedition, it will only become more and more difficult.As the other side, the Northern Tang Dynasty broke down and was full of vitality.After the Chang'an War, the young emperor Gao Pan succeeded to the throne, boldly used young talents, worked hard, and the monarchs and ministers worked together to sweep away the previous decadent and mediocre style.Under Wu Daosi's proposal, the imperial court vigorously provided disaster relief and stabilized the people's hearts, and at the same time, implemented the tuntian system that Wutang abandoned halfway, and cultivated grain to alleviate the serious grain shortage.The army and the people worked together to bear fruitful fruits, and there was a bumper grain harvest, and the greatest crisis was finally overcome.After the comparison, the national strength of the Northern Tang Dynasty no longer declined, and later came to the top, and the rising momentum approached that of the Southern Jin Dynasty.If the two dynasties raise troops again, the Northern Tang Dynasty will be vigorous and the grain and grass will gradually become abundant, and they will certainly not fall into the crisis like last year.The whole situation has changed.The game between the two sides in Arakawa this year is the most vivid embodiment.After the failure of the Northern Expedition, the strength of the Southern Jin Dynasty was sharply reduced, and the military was seriously lacking, and it was impossible to replenish it immediately in a short period of time, not to mention, it had to send heavy troops to garrison the north bank of the Lijiang River to prevent the Tang army from taking advantage of the situation to move south.In the spring of this year, Cao Chunfeng led 50,000 people into Sichuan, in addition to careless miscalculation, it was also a last resort.It's not that Emperor Wu doesn't want to give him more soldiers and horses, but the imperial court is overstretched and can't pull troops at all, which is the most realistic dilemma.With 50,000 against 100,000 Tang troops, the result can be imagined.Afterwards, Emperor Wu was very annoyed by the defeat.The failure of the Northern Expedition has greatly damaged the strength of the Jin army, and the morale of the army has been shaken, and this time it has lost 50,000 elite soldiers, which is tantamount to adding insult to injury.Today's Southern Jin Dynasty is not even sure about guarding the territory, let alone distracting himself to interfere in the affairs of Arakawa.Therefore, Emperor Wu stationed 100,000 troops in Lieliucheng, and did not dare to take the initiative to attack, but only strictly prevented the Tang army from attacking from the barren river.If these 100,000 people rashly enter Sichuan, and then fall for Ren Zhen's scheme, and the whole army is annihilated, then the situation of the Southern Jin Dynasty will be very critical, not only is there an urgent shortage of troops, but also means that the door to the western border is opened.Lieliucheng is the key place of the Southern Jin Dynasty, and it must not be lost, and its strategic significance is no less than the Liangjie Mountain of the Northern Tang Dynasty.This can understand why Ren Zhen began to think about the use of troops against Lieliu City when he was still in Baiyun City.He knew very well that the battle of Lieliucheng was very important, not only the first battle of the Jin, but also the battle that would determine the overall situation.How to calculate Cao Chunfeng has become the top priority.In fact, before Yang Jing's surprise attack on Baiyun City, Cao Chunfeng received a secret report that the 100,000 Tang troops stationed in the northern part of the barren river were about to be dispatched.At that time, the generals of Lieliucheng had a heated discussion and asked for troops to attack the Tang army from the rear.But Cao Chunfeng vetoed everyone's proposal.He knew that now that the Jin army could no longer afford to lose, he could no longer act rashly and gamble with Ren Zhenhao with 100,000 soldiers and horses.The praying mantis catches the cicada, and the yellow finch is behind, leading the army to sneak attack the rear of the Tang army, this proposal sounds good, it can kill the Tang army by surprise, but in fact, it ignores the most deadly point.The 800-mile barren river is the territory of the barren tribe, and now the eight major tribes are huddled together, working closely with the Northern Tang Dynasty, and the Jin army does not want to be the same as last time, driving straight into it and unimpeded.Once the desolate people rely on the terrain to cut off their back road, there will be no return.Therefore, he followed Emperor Wu's instructions, did not move, and regarded defending the city as his only priority.At dusk, the secret agents of the Southern Jin Dynasty who were planted in Baiyun City came to report, saying that Xiao Jingrui led his troops to break out of the siege and was estimated to be on the way back to the dynasty.After receiving the news, Cao Chunfeng was keenly aware that this matter was intriguing, and immediately convened the generals to discuss it.In the military aircraft battalion, the generals were lined up on both sides, no one spoke, and the atmosphere was solemn.Cao Chunfeng sat in the hall, not wearing a helmet or armor, still wearing the white robe, and holding the secret letter in his hand."
You should all know what happened that day.I was forced to retreat by Yunyin, and I couldn't meet Xiao Jingrui again, so I had to rush back alone.The Tang army was huge, and Xiao Jingrui could only retreat into Baiyun City, which was also helpless. ”He raised his head, glanced at the generals in the field, and said quietly: "Now, our secret agent has sent a letter, saying that Baiyun City has been broken, and Xiao Jingrui is returning with the army, what do you think should be done?"
Seeing this, Cao Chunfeng threw the letter on the table, his eyes narrowed slightly, "After the Tang army dispatched, in fact, we understood that with the current situation of Baiyun City, it was only a matter of time before it was conquered by the Tang army.It's just that I didn't expect that Xiao Jingrui became a variable" was silent for a moment, and finally someone spoke, saying: "The Tang army is strong, and with the cooperation of the eight tribes of the Desolate Clan, with Xiao Jingrui's 30,000 troops, even if he can escape from Baiyun City, I am afraid it will be difficult to come back smoothly, so we have to respond with troops." ”Eight hundred miles of barren rivers, the way back is difficult and dangerous, and it is not easy to escape back to the land of the Southern Jin Dynasty."
Yes, there is hope that he will escape back, and that's a good thing.However, we have to stay sober, not be rash, and beware of the ambush of the Tang army, after all, they are the best at ambush warfare. ”As soon as this statement came out, everyone thought so.The painful lesson is vivid, and they deeply remember that even the invincible Chen Baipao was defeated in the ambush circle of the Northern Tang Dynasty, and he couldn't guarantee it, and this Xiao Jingrui was also a bait.As battle-hardened generals, they all realize that this may not be easy.When Cao Chunfeng heard this, he nodded and said, "I think so too."
The Tang army was all dispatched, with 100,000 people, as long as he made up his mind, it was impossible not to swallow Xiao Jingrui's people and let him escape from Baiyun City. ”Someone chimed in: "In other words, Xiao Jingrui was deliberately put back by the Northern Tang Dynasty, wanting to lure us to answer and take the initiative to walk into their ambush" As soon as he finished saying this, a sentry broke in from outside the camp and knelt in front of the hall, panting."
Report the discovery of traces of the Tang army fifty miles away":