I want to be emperor

Chapter 322
On July 29, the second year of Chengshun of the Great Chu Empire, the emperor Luo Zhixue once again personally led the guards and a large number of civil and military generals to set off from Wuchang and arrive at the frontline headquarters near Jiujiang in Fuchi Town.

The importance of this eastward campaign is no less than that of last year's southward campaign.

In the Southward Campaign last year, the Chu army, which was still the rural protection army, fought all the way from Nanyang Mansion to Xiangyang, and then to Hanyang, and then took control of the entire northern Chu area, laying the foundation for the rural protection army to build the country.

The series of Chubei battles last year were foundational battles.

In contrast, although the Wuchang campaign launched last year and the Chunan campaign in the first half of this year were not small in scale, Wuchang was even captured as the capital, Changsha, Hengyang and other places were captured, and a large area of ​​southern Chu was seized.

But its importance is still a bit worse than last year's Chubei-south campaign.

But this time the Eastward Campaign is no less important to the newborn Great Chu Empire than last year's foundation-laying battle.

If it is successful, it will completely control the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, and bring the wealthy areas along the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River under control.

Northern Jiangxi, Jiangnan, and Northern Zhejiang, these three areas are densely populated, with developed agriculture, handicrafts, and commerce.

Winning this piece of land will completely solve the huge financial problems faced by the Great Chu Empire in the short term, and in the long run will completely lay the foundation for the Great Chu Empire to compete for hegemony and unify China.

If it is defeated...then there is nothing to say, the Great Chu Empire must immediately reduce various expenditures on a large scale, especially military expenditures, otherwise the Great Chu Empire itself will be dragged to death by its huge financial expenditure next year.

And once the military expenditure is reduced, let alone continue to expand the army to fight the territory, we must find a way to reduce the number of troops, and even reduce the treatment of soldiers so that the finances can continue to be maintained. This will inevitably seriously affect the combat effectiveness of the troops. It will be even more difficult to go further east.

After all, the governors of the Ming court on the opposite side are not free-spirited, regardless of their historical evaluation, and regardless of whether they are corrupt or not, none of them are stupid.

Now the Chu army has given them the head of a new army, and Yang Sichang has also prepared a sample for them, and now most of the governors have more or less compiled and trained the new standard army.

If the new standard army performed well in the war, for example, resisting the eastward advance of the Chu army, it is estimated that there will be a wave of training the new standard army in the Ming court.

It will be even more difficult to fight at that time.

Therefore, the eastward campaign must be won!
For the eastward campaign, the Great Chu Empire spent 500 million taels of silver for the temporary battle expenses, which did not include the 500 million taels of silver in the regular annual military budget.

At the same time, in order to ensure the smooth progress of the eastward campaign, especially in consideration of the continued attrition of the troops in the next few months, Luo Zhixue also asked the Finance Department to set aside an emergency fund of 300 million.

If the general original military expenditure is not enough, then the 300 million taels of silver will also be filled in.

In this battle, the Great Chu Empire can be said to have emptied most of its wealth.

If this cannot be overcome, then the subsequent financial bankruptcy, heavy losses in the army and many other negative situations, let alone hope to be able to overcome it.

In this battle, the Great Chu Empire had no way out.

Given the importance of the Eastward Campaign, it was impossible for Luo Zhixue to stay behind in Wuchang.

He had to be on the front lines.

This is not to say that Luo Zhixue can't do without him on the front line. In fact, the formulation and execution of large-scale campaigns of the Great Chu Empire Army is now basically carried out by the staff department. Conduct command, especially a surprise attack with a slap on the head.

The army of the Great Chu Empire is now more and more staid or even rigid in combat, especially after the founding of the country, the series of battles were very rigid.

When I was still in Funiu Mountain and Nanyang Mansion in the early days, I often played raids and the like. Conquering Xiangyang was a typical surprise attack. Later, the Battle of Sanyuanzhuang against Lu Xiangsheng was a typical long-distance raid. The battle in the eastern suburbs of the state can also be regarded as a long-distance raid.

But since the end of the Battle of Yuzhou, the Chu army has basically no tactics that can make people's eyes shine and dazzle.

This point can be fully reflected in the previous Chunan Battle. How did the Chu army fight in the Chunan Battle?
It is relying on more guns, more armor, more soldiers, more mules, more shells, more food...

Then crush it directly!

First stormed Linxiang City with an absolute advantage, and then went south, concentrated the main force of the two divisions to attack the left army of Huguang Xinbiao Army westward, and also crushed the left army of Huguang Xinbiao Army with strong strength.

Then they sent troops south to Changsha, and the Battle of Changsha was even more boring to watch.

However, relying on such a dull and boring storm, the Chu army forcibly took Changsha and established the victory of the Chunan Campaign.

The seemingly flat dispatch of the Great Chu Empire Army not only has great requirements for guns, money and food, but also has great requirements for detailed tactical plans and logistics supplies.

Playing large-scale corps operations, bringing together tens of thousands of troops in a small place, and it is still a very expensive army, this actually has very high requirements for the command system of the troops.

This is also the reason why the Great Chu Empire set up a staff department and set up staff in the army, division, brigade, regiment and even battalion.

Because it is difficult to sort out and arrange such a large-scale and detailed combat plan by relying on the chief officer of the army alone, even with the deputy chief officer.

Therefore, a dedicated staff team is needed to assist the army commander in commanding the troops to fight.

And the command system of the Chu army has also caused the senior generals in the Great Chu Empire to deal with documents more in daily battles, instead of riding horses in person... In fact, Luo Zhixue strictly forbids senior generals Charge in person.

As a high-ranking general, it is your responsibility to coordinate the overall situation and command the troops to fight, and it is the job of low-level officers and soldiers to fight in battle.

You, a high-ranking general, go to do the work of a big soldier. This is not called bravery, it is called stupid...

Similarly, this is also the reason why many generals from the old army cannot serve as senior generals of the main force in the Great Chu Empire.

It's not that Luo Zhixue has any objections to their backgrounds, it's purely their lack of ability.

Today's Great Chu Empire Army is like a sophisticated and complex chariot, Luo Zhixue is the driver, deciding where the chariot will go and how fast it will drive.

But how to fight specifically, this process requires the overall coordination of the staff department to carry out.

Even if Luo Zhixue did not come to the front in person, it would actually not affect the specific implementation of the Eastward Campaign commanded by the General Staff.

However, Luo Zhixue still came.

Because if he doesn't come, the Guards won't be able to move!

The Guards Division is Luo Zhixue's guards. In principle, it is not used to protect Luo Zhixue's personal safety. However, it is undeniable that the Guards Division is still a field force, and its combat effectiveness ranks first in the Great Chu Empire. The main force of the number one, the combat effectiveness is second only to the first division.

Naturally, it is impossible for such an army to stay in the rear during the Eastward Campaign, and it needs to go to the front line.

But if Luo Zhixue stayed in Wuchang, then the guard division would not be easy to mobilize.

So Luo Zhixue came to the front line in person, on the one hand, it was also to allow the guards to go to the front line.

At the same time, Luo Zhixue's going to the front line can also better boost the morale of the soldiers. The emperor's presence on the front line and fighting with the soldiers is an encouragement to many soldiers.

Finally, Luo Zhixue came to the front line in person, so he could better command the army.

Although he is not required to direct the details, Luo Zhixue will still watch over the transfer of troops at the army and division level.

In addition, if Luo Zhi couldn't learn it, then there would be no second person in the Great Chu Empire who could serve as the commander-in-chief of the Eastward Campaign.

The Eastward Army had as many as six numbers of main divisions alone. With such a large force, except for Luo Zhixue, no one else was qualified to hold them back.

Even Li Chengtong, the commander of the First Army, is not qualified to command so many troops at the same time, occupying most of the elite troops of the Great Chu Empire.

After Luo Zhixue came to the front line in person, he spent the first two days in Fuchi Town conducting various inspections, inspecting various troops and inspecting the preparation of supplies.

It was not until the first day of August that Luo Zhixue formally led the Guards Division and other troops eastward.

Naturally, the army did not go directly to Jiujiang, but would first go to Ruichang City to join the local First Division, Seventh Defense Division and other troops.

On the second day of August, Luo Zhixue led his army to Ruichang and successfully reunited with the First Division and other departments.

After resting for two days, Luo Zhixue personally led the army eastward!
At the same time, Lieutenant General Dong Mingjie, the commander of the Second Army, has also led the main force of the Second Army to gather on the front line of Susong.

This time, the Eastward Campaign is not only fighting the south bank of the Yangtze River, but also the north and south banks of the Yangtze River.

Needless to say about the southern route, for the northern route, the strategic goal in the early and mid-term is to win Anqing.

Because Anqing is on the north bank of the Yangtze River, it is the most important city in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River. The Ming army deployed a large number of artillery and naval forces here. If this place is not captured, it will be difficult for the Great Chu Empire to use the Yangtze River waterway for transportation and supplies. , and without the Yangtze River waterway for logistics transportation and supplies, relying on land transportation alone to maintain the army's eastward advance all the way to Jinling City and even the sea, the Chu army's logistics will go crazy...

Therefore, other places in Jiangbei don't talk about it, but Anqing must be taken down.

The first task of the Second Jiangbei Army was to capture Anqing City.

But before that, it is natural to take down Taihu Lake, which was heavily fortified by the Ming army.

The Second Army in Jiangbei, the First Army and Third Army in Jiangnan, in addition to the three garrison divisions that are still directly under the direct control of the General Staff, but are actually temporarily under the command of the First Army, Second Army, and Third Army. Artillery, cavalry and other troops.

In this eastward campaign, the Great Chu Empire prepared a main force of 8 people and a garrison of more than 2 people.

Front-line troops reached 10 people.

This number of troops is even more than all the troops under Shi Kefa's command!

Regardless of whether it is the new standard army or the sentinel of the guard camp, or the guard soldiers and young men recruited temporarily, all the people under Shi Kefa who can be regarded as soldiers will add up to 2 to [-], and the main force is the most That's just [-] people.

Adding it all up, there are not as many soldiers as the Chu army!

The number of important equipment such as guns and armor is even more incomparable with each other.

This time going eastward, what Luo Zhixue wants is a flat-push battle where the more wins the less, relying on hard power to crush!
(End of this chapter)