Overlord!

Chapter 144 Bingfeng Arrives at the Huaihe River
In order to strictly enforce military discipline, Sun Ce made sure that the army and the Xuzhou scholars and civilians did not commit any crimes. He did not hesitate to behead the general and spread the news of the counties and counties from Jiangdu along the canal to the south of Guangling in just ten days.

Ordinary people may not care about Sun Ce's march, but the Xuzhou aristocratic families along the line are extremely concerned.

If Sun Ceguo had nothing to do with Minqiu, then they naturally didn't want to resist fiercely, lest the whole clan die in the chaos of war and massacres.

If the aristocratic families and great clans really had the determination to fight the princes to the death, they would not have fled Xuzhou one after another to avoid the chaos in Jiangdong.

In fact, the aristocratic families only pursue stability and interests, and they are more resistant to wars than powerful ones.

It was not in their interest to fight fiercely against foreign conquerors.

Especially the southern part of Guangling County was empty. The current Xuzhou Mu Liu Bei was blocked by Yuan Shu along the Huaihe River, and there were not many garrisons in the southern part, which could not resist Sun Ce's fierce attack at all.

And Sun Ce's attack speed can be said to be extremely fast!

When he conquered Jiangdu, he left Lu Su to guard Jiangdu, appease the aristocratic family, and sort out water transportation.

On the other hand, he commanded the iron cavalry and traveled lightly with the Beifu army, marching hundreds of miles a day.Almost along with the news of the fall of Jiangdu City, it arrived at Guangling City, the county seat of Guangling County, along with the water transport.

The most important reason why he was able to travel lightly was the water transport. The army set out from Jiangdu and marched along the canal, followed by the water boats.

The consumption of food and grass for two thousand step riders can be met by only a few small tank boats with hundreds of shi.A thousand shi of grain and grass transported by water boat is enough for the army for nearly ten days.

The main job of the civilian husband is to transfer grain and grass from the north and the south in Jiangdu City, which not only saves worry but also does not slow down the marching speed of the army.

Sun Ce's army fell from the sky like magic soldiers, and the defense of Guangling City seemed to be in vain.

There were no defenders in the city, the defense was empty, and it was surrounded by the Jiangdong army. Even if the city officials went to catch the strong men, it would be too late to send them to the top of the city.

At this time, the effect of Sun Ce's strict military discipline finally came into being. After hearing that Sun Ce had no crimes against the people, the aristocratic families in the city were unwilling to support the officials to guard the city.

After all, accepting Sun Ce to enter the city was nothing more than changing the prefect.But if they want to resist to the end, the casualties will be their clansmen and tribes.

Liu Bei is also not a member of the Xuzhou scholar circle, he is also a martial artist from the frontier, but he barely stepped into the scholar circle with half a foot, and was not accepted by the Xuzhou aristocratic family.

For Xuzhou scholars, there is not much difference between choosing Liu Bei or Sun Ce as the main choice.

Compared with Liu Bei, at least Sun Ce's official position, prestige, and reputation are more acceptable to the world.

Liu Bei called himself Xuzhou Mu, but he was not recognized by the court anyway.To be precise, Liu Bei's official position recognized by the Han Dynasty may date back to a few years ago.

This is also the reason why Xuzhou scholars such as Zhang Zhao, Zhang Hong, Xu Yi, Xu Xuan, Chen Jiao and others were unwilling to join him.The only support he could get in Xuzhou was Mi Zhu, a businessman.

Even after Liu Bei was defeated by Lu Bu, Chen Deng chose to serve under Lu Bu instead of following Liu Bei.

The prestige of the miscellaneous generals canonized by the Han Dynasty is indeed incomparable to those princes who call themselves generals and state herdsmen.

Moreover, Sun Ce has risen to fame in Jiangdong this year, and his reputation has shaken the world.

His phrase "establish a heart for the world, establish a life for the people, and create peace for all generations", even the aristocratic family was deeply shocked.

Therefore, when Sun Ce surrounded Guangling and sent envoys into the city to persuade them to surrender, the officials and powerful families in the city couldn't help but believe in Sun Ce's promise that the army would never invade the people, and anyone who dared to take a bamboo hat from the people would be beheaded as a public display.

In the end, after a short game, the local scholars in Xuzhou gained the upper hand and urged Kaesong to surrender to avoid killing.

However, the chief officials appointed by Liu Bei were weak and unable to suppress the chief officials and powerful officials of Guangling County, so they could only abandon the city and leave.

Sun Ce successfully captured Guangling City without bloodshed.

The county seat of Guangling City!The most important fortified city in the south of Guangling was so easily incorporated into the power.

Until entering the territory of Guangling City, Sun Ce's personal guard Jiang Qin couldn't believe it.

He toured around the county mansion, and then reported to Sun Cehui: "General, all the land and household registrations of the county mansion are there. Guangling City really surrendered, there is no conspiracy! But I always feel a little like in a dream. , the Northern Expedition went too smoothly, the army drove straight in, and two cities have already been captured just after the Northern Expedition."

Sun Ce smiled and said, "Isn't success a good thing? It means that the defense in the south of Guangling is empty, and we are attacking the enemy unprepared."

This is why Lu Su advocated the Northern Expedition, Xuzhou was too chaotic, Yuan and Liu Zhengfeng forced Liu Bei to pull the main force to the frontal battlefield, and he had no spare power to defend in all directions, which would inevitably lead to an empty place.

At this time, even with only [-] elite soldiers, Sun Ce can advance triumphantly and drive straight in.

This is a situation that Jingzhou, which is attacking westward and defending with all its strength, cannot have.

Jiang Qin scratched his head and said, "It went so smoothly, it's always unsettling. The city was captured without destroying the enemy's army and deterring the enemy. Always keep troops for defense. Jiangdu left 1000 people. Guangling must at least Keep 500 men? If we take down Hailing, then we will only have [-] usable soldiers left?"

The officer next to Sun Ce said solemnly: "So if we want to win over the local aristocratic families in Xuzhou, as long as we can make them turn to Jiangdong and unify the outside world, then the army does not need to worry about rebellion in the rear, as long as a small number of troops are left to guard Guangling and Jiangdu."

"Unanimously external?" Jiang Qin asked: "Is it possible? From the current point of view, Liu Bei has managed Xuzhou for more than a year, and it has been quite effective. The aristocratic families and officials in Guangling County and counties may not be interested in me. The prefect of Guangling appointed by Yuan Shu is fighting with us."

Sun Ce smiled and waved his hands: "It's not a big problem. I'll just continue to march. The two problems you mentioned will be solved with the march."

The end of the Han Dynasty was originally a time of great controversy, and it was inevitable to contend with Liu Bei and Yuan Shu.

Now that he chose the Northern Expedition, Sun Ce strengthened his determination to win.

At this time, the commander of the naval army who had been following Sun Ce, Zhou Zhang, who was in charge of infiltrating Guangling, took the initiative to speak and said, "The general may not have to worry about competing with Yuan Shu. As far as I know, the prefect of Guangling appointed by Yuan Shu seems to be the general's uncle."

My own uncle?Wu Jing?

Sun Ce laughed, sometimes you really can't understand what Yuan Shu's thinking is about employing people?
You say he is suspicious of the Sun family. His subordinates, Sun Xiang, the prefect of Runan, is Sun Ce's elder brother, the prefect of Guangling is Sun Ce's uncle, and the prefect of Wujun is the former member of the Sun family.

Even when he was ambitious and intended to become emperor, he wrote to Sun Ce confidently, predicting that Sun Ce would join him.When Sun Ce wrote a letter to directly reject him, he was so angry that he fell ill and was bedridden.

But if you say that he trusts Sun Ce, you are joking.Sun Ce wanted to return thousands of his father's subordinates, but he refused to give it after asking for three times, and finally returned 1000 people.Sun Ce helped him lay down several counties, and he repeatedly broke his promise and became fat.The heart of defense has been clearly revealed.

He himself knew that Sun Ce hated him deeply.But under such circumstances, he also appointed Sun Ce's uncle Wu Jing as the prefect of Guangling.Did he think that Wu Jing would recognize his hegemony, serve him faithfully, and sever ties with Sun Ce?Just like Zhuge Liang's allegiance to Shu Han, Zhuge Jin's allegiance to Soochow, both are loyal and will not change their aspirations?

Sun Ce really couldn't understand Yuan Shu's methods of employing people and sometimes his self-confidence.

What he was focusing on right now was Wu Jing. Due to Sun Ce's rapid advance, he suddenly stormed Guangling, and captured Jiangdu and Guangling within a few days.

Wu Jing, the newly appointed prefect of Guangling this month, had not had time to contact Sun Ce.

One of the characteristics of the troubled times at the end of Han Dynasty was that the situation changed rapidly.Countless major events that may affect the pattern of the world may occur in a year.

For example, Yuan Shu attacked Xuzhou in June, and Sun Ce took advantage of the confrontation between Yuan and Liu to attack Guangling in July. In fact, it was only a month away.

And within this month, Lu Bu, who was also close to Xuzhou, also traveled from Yuzhou Peiguo along the Jushui River, land and water to the east, and his army was [-] miles west of Xiapi, and a rebellion broke out in the city.

In fact, Sun Ce's and Lu Bu's advances are very similar.

Both sides are close to Xuzhou, and they also took advantage of Liu Bei's emptiness to march forward.

However, Lu Bu attacked Xiapi County.Sun Ce attacked Guangling County.

As two powerful armies entered Xuzhou, the situation in this land suddenly changed drastically.

Sun Ce was still thinking about how to contact Wu Jing so that he could occupy Guangling County more smoothly. A strong man in commoner clothes with a sword on his waist ran into the county mansion and whispered something in Zhou Zhang's ear.

Zhou Zhang immediately excitedly said to Sun Ce: "General, just now I infiltrated in the north of Guangling County. The brothers who monitored the war between the Yuan and Liu armies sent news that Liu Bei has been defeated by Yuan Shu! The army is fleeing eastward in a hurry, along the Huai River all the way. Go east."

Jiang Qin asked in disbelief: "Liu Bei was defeated by Yuan Shu? He is a military general in the frontier, and he is good at fighting. How could he lose to a son of a family like Yuan Shu?"

Zhou Zhang rubbed his chin and muttered: "It's really weird, maybe it's a rumor? My subordinates are all reckless people, and it's possible that they can't see the situation clearly. There are more than a thousand people, and in his eyes, they are the main force of tens of thousands of enemy troops all over the mountains and plains." .I can continue to investigate to determine the situation."

Shi Yi spoke at this time and said, "Don't be sure. The investigation at this time must be all kinds of rumors, and may even contradict itself. But before the Northern Expedition, there was a judgment that Liu Bei must be defeated by foreign troubles behind him. If he is not defeated by Lu Bu, he will also be defeated." Defeated by Zang Ba. Regardless of whether it is true or not, its main force must not be in Guangling, and we should march as fast as possible to seize Guangling as soon as possible."

Sun Ce smiled calmly and didn't say much.What he appreciates the most is the advice given by his subordinates who judge the situation.

This kind of remonstrance is much more reliable than the history Sun Ce knows.Because with his intervention, history may take a completely different fork in the road, but the counselors' majestic suggestions for the situation are very solid and reliable.

Sun Ce immediately said: "It is reasonable to do what you say. No matter what the situation in the north is, we will take Guangling and enrich our power. Push it to the Huaihe River, and use all your strength to stabilize the rear, this is a dignified and upright method."

Shiyi suggested at this time: "I thought that Governor Zhou had infiltrated Guangling for a long time, and his intelligence should not be ignored. If Liu Bei is really defeated, Guangling will definitely be shaken at this time, and people will have no one. At this time, we should take the opportunity to advance troops at a high speed and divide the south of Guangling. The counties were quickly brought under control."

Sun Ce frowned, and asked, "Do you mean to divide the troops?"

Shi Yi is talented, and he said calmly, "If Liu Bei is really defeated, it would be a waste of time for us to wait for the main force to go eastward along the water transport to Hailing. I thought we could divide our troops and go eastward to take Hailing. The general will lead the battle personally." The main force is heading north, taking the three counties of Gaoyou, Ping'an, and Huaiyin along Hangou, and the front of the army can reach the bank of the Huaihe River."

Sun Ce nodded slightly, it is not unacceptable for Sun Ce to divide the troops.When Cao Cao attacked Xuzhou, Yu Jin only led some soldiers into the army, and he gained a great reputation.

Regarding the matter of taking Hailing, Sun Ce can hand it over to Xu Sheng to lead the troops of his headquarters to take it.

Hailing is located along the Yangtze River.Xu Sheng marched east without any worries, and his worst result was nothing more than failing to attack the city.

Moreover, if Sun Ce led the main force to march northward, Hailing would actually be isolated in the southeast corner of Guangling County, which would not have much impact on the overall situation.

It should be said that if the main force of the Jiangdong army reaches Huaiyin, the entire eastern part of Guangling, from the Yangtze River to the Huaihe River, and nearly a thousand miles of land from north to south will be brought under Jiangdong's control.

This has unparalleled strategic significance for Jiangdong forces!
It means that the frontier of Jiangdong's forces has directly advanced from along the Yangtze River to along the Huaihe River!
The general trend of the Central Plains for thousands of years has been proved in countless places. The Jianghuai regime and the Jiangnan regime have completely different weather from Wang Ye!

Under normal circumstances, if the north and the south were divided, it would be extremely difficult for the regime in the south of the Yangtze River to march north from the Yangtze River to the Huaihe River.

But right now, Xuzhou is in chaos.Sun Ce only needs to start from Guangling, march northward, pass through three counties, and reach the Huaihe River!

Without any hesitation, Sun Ce decisively chose to march.

Sun Ce believes that the situation in Xuzhou should not be disrupted by himself, and he even believes in the advice given by counselors such as Lu Su and Shi Yi to assess the situation.

He immediately said: "Then Xu Sheng's subordinate Caohe River will advance to take Hailing County. I will personally lead the cavalry to march northward and collect Gaoyou, Ping'an, and Huaiyin counties. After Lu Su has rectified the situation in Guangling and Jiangdu, he will lead The army is heading north for backup."

Although the main force led by Sun Ce is iron cavalry, the cavalry are mounted on horses to patrol the aircraft, dismounted to shoot at foot, and wear black armor, and can also participate in the siege.

More importantly, if Liu Bei has already been defeated.

At this time, what Sun Ce needs to consider is not the siege of the city at all, but how to advance quickly and occupy more territory, because the counties and counties along the way will inevitably be unable to resist, and they will inevitably surrender after the soldiers approach the city.

After all, they are empty, and they may be loyal to Liu Bei and resist Sun Ce.

But it is absolutely impossible to resist Sun Ce for Lu Bu.

Facts have proved that Lu Su and Shiyi's judgment was extremely accurate. Sun Ce's army marched northward along Hangou.

Now the three vassals in Xuzhou, Yuan Shu and Lu Bu, are all brutal people who rely on plundering.Only Sun Ce and Min Qiu were innocent.

No matter how Xuzhou scholars look at it, surrendering to Sun Ce is the best choice.

(End of this chapter)