Chapter 304: Feint to the East, Attack in the West

"We are not attacking Xin City anymore!"

The next morning, in the county office of Hengshan County, Chang Wei shouted loudly.

The other generals all looked surprised.

Zhao Xu spread the map of Jinzhou on the table, pointed to the north, and said, "That's right, we are going to attack Huai Commandery."

Jinzhou, like Yanzhou, is composed of seven commanderies; there are three commanderies to the east of Jincheng and three to the west.

There is also one more, which is Jin Commandery, where Jincheng is located.

Among them, Jin Commandery is situated in the middle, with the three commanderies on the east and west sides arranged opposite each other.

To the northwest of Xinjun, adjacent to Xinjun, is Huai Commandery.

The terrain of Huai Commandery is long and narrow, completely wrapping around Xinjun.

And at the northernmost part of Huai Commandery is Tongguan, which faces Yin Mountain directly and is currently held by Xiliang.

As long as Tongguan is captured, the route for Xiliang to move south from Yin Mountain can be cut off.

Once the two passes to the west of Jinzhou are taken and the Jin River is secured, it will be difficult for Xiliang to lay a finger on Jinzhou again.

However, his intention to attack Huai Commandery now is not truly to attack Huai Commandery.

It is a strategy of feinting to the east while attacking in the west, to disrupt Xiliang's defense of Xin City.

So, he voiced his thoughts.

"The Xiliang deserters have spread the news of the loss of Hengshan County back, so Xiliang will inevitably set up heavy obstacles on the route the Prince's Personal Army would advance, and seek opportunities to annihilate our soldiers," Zhao Xu said. "Moreover, the Xiliang soldiers in Xin City will also heighten their vigilance to guard against our night raids."

The crowd nodded upon hearing this.

Zhao Xu continued: "Therefore, this Prince thinks it would be better to feint to the east and attack in the west; they think we are going to the southwest to attack Xin City, but we will insist on going to the northwest to attack Huaicheng."

"In this way, they will certainly send a large army to reinforce, and that is when we will go to attack Xin City."

When Zhao Xu was halfway through speaking, the generals suddenly realized.

Attacking Huaicheng is a ruse; attacking Xin City is the truth.

It is just to trick the Xiliang army and make them concentrate their forces near Huaicheng.

"But this will test the soldiers' foot speed," Chang Wei said.

Heading to Huaicheng to lure the Xiliang main force there, then suddenly turning around and quickly doubling back—this requires the soldiers to march at high speed back and forth.

The generals nodded one after another upon hearing this.

"This is natural; this requires the principle that speed is the essence of war. However, this time, there is no need for the entire main force to move out for the feigned attack on Huaicheng; sending ten thousand men will suffice," Zhao Xu said.

Chang Wei pondered it for a moment and revealed a smile, "Your Highness means to let these ten thousand men pretend to be an army of eighty thousand to confuse Xiliang, while the main force actually remains in Hengshan City. Once the Xiliang soldiers arrive at Huaicheng, we can strike at Xin City from here."

Zhao Xu laughed softly.

Chang Wei's thinking was increasingly staying on the same line as his.

"After these ten thousand men leave the city, the spacing between them should be lengthened, and they should try their best to kick up dust while walking, just like a large army moving out, to confuse the enemy," Zhao Xu looked at the generals.

Finally, he said: "Who is willing to take on the task of the feigned attack?"

The generals looked at each other, and a young general said: "This subordinate, Liu Tan, is willing."

Zhao Xu looked at the young general; this person and Huo An had been training the Flintlock Infantry at the South Camp for some time.

But in the end, he lost by a narrow margin.

It is said that he even cried after going back.

Seeing Liu Tan's firm gaze, he nodded and said: "Good, there are no jokes in the army. This matter is of great importance; there cannot be the slightest error."

"Your Highness, rest assured, this subordinate will definitely complete the feigned attack, otherwise I will bring my head to see you," Liu Tan said loudly with his neck stiffened.

Zhao Xu nodded and said to everyone: "Since that is the case, let us rest and reorganize for five days. We will see how Xiliang reacts to the loss of Hengshan County before implementing the plan."

The crowd heard this and responded in unison.

Jincheng.

The news brought back by the deserters from Hengshan County made Tuoba Wuji's face turn purple with rage.

He had anticipated that Ye Renrong would not be able to stop the Yan Wang's troops.

Therefore, he did not let Ye Renrong fight to the death with the Yan Wang.

Instead, he required him to hold the city and exhaust the Yan Wang's troops.

But what he did not expect was that the Yan Wang actually took Hengshan County so easily through a night raid.

Even Ye Renrong was captured.

The more than forty thousand Xiliang soldiers in the city were almost completely wiped out, with only a small number escaping.

"Leader, this Yan Wang is indeed not to be underestimated," a general said.

He was one of the three deputy leaders under Tuoba Wuji who commanded fifty thousand men, Jili.

Tuoba Wuji nodded slowly.

He had been fighting against the Imperial Guards of Da Song in Jinzhou for years.

But Xiliang had never suffered such a great loss at the hands of the Imperial Guards.

Yet the Yan Wang achieved it in just one night.

However, he also grasped the key information from the mouths of the deserters.

The Yan Wang's Artillery first shattered the city gate, which provided the conditions for the main army to enter the city.

"Hengshan City is a small city and does not even have a moat; that is how the Yan Wang was able to take advantage," Tuoba Wuji said. "Order the entire army: after the drawbridge is raised at night, the area behind the city gate must be piled full of Sandbags, and at the same time, be on guard against night raids by the Yan Wang's army."

"Yes, Leader," the generals beside Tuoba Wuji responded in unison.

Then he said: "Send five thousand Cavalry to Hengshan County to scout for the location of the Yan Wang's grain supply route; if discovered, cut off his grain supply route."

Although he knew that the Yan Wang must have already stockpiled a large amount of grain and fodder in Hengshan County.

But to sit by and watch Hengshan County be lost without taking any action, would that not extinguish the prestige of Xiliang?

This time, dispatching Cavalry to go there is firstly to boost the might of Xiliang, and secondly, if a grain route is truly discovered, it must be destroyed.

His voice fell.

At this moment, a Main General walked over, escorting three Xiliang soldiers.

Arriving at the side of Tuoba Wuji, he said, "Leader, this subordinate captured a few Turncoat Soldiers deserters; they claim they were released by Yan Wang when the camp at Feihu Pass was broken."

"Released by Yan Wang?" Tuoba Wuji's brows furrowed.

"Yes, they also said Yan Wang gave them travel expenses and told them to return, and some soldiers even defected to Yan Wang," the Main General said.

"Pure nonsense! How could Yan Wang possibly release you and even give you Silver for travel expenses? Leader, I believe they must have taken Yan Wang's Silver and are acting as spies for Yan Wang; these Turncoat Soldiers are truly unreliable," Jili snorted coldly.

At this time, the Xiliang deserter said, "Leader, this time in Hengshan County, the Turncoat Soldiers army surrendered the fastest; otherwise, we would not have been defeated so miserably."

He was a true Xiliang man, and the reputation of a defeated soldier naturally did not sound good, so he took the opportunity to push the blame onto the Turncoat Soldiers.

Tuoba Wuji was already irritated because of the loss of Hengshan County, and he said, "Take them out and behead them!"

"Leader, spare our lives! Everything I said is true; we only returned because our hearts are with Xiliang..."

Tuoba Wuji was not about to listen to their excuses.

The Main General immediately ordered soldiers to take the three away.

Seeing this, Tuoba Wuji snorted and returned to the residence in Jincheng.

The next day.

Five thousand Cavalry set out from Jincheng and headed toward Hengshan County.

Arriving at Hengshan County, they sent out Cavalry squads to scout everywhere.

But to their disappointment, there was simply no grain route between Feihu Pass and Hengshan County.

Following that, they arrived beneath the walls of Hengshan County.