Autumn of the 17th year of Chongzhen

Chapter 411 The Battle of Hanzhong
Hanzhong is a place with dangerous terrain, sandwiched between Guanzhong and Sichuan and Shu, with Qinling Mountains in the north, Bashan Mountain in the south, and Hanzhong Basin in the middle.

The land of Hanzhong has been a battleground for military strategists since ancient times. Whether the northern regime wants to attack Bashu or the Bashu regime wants to attack the north of Shu, they must go to Hanzhong first.

After Emperor Zhaolie of the Shu Han entered Shu, the first thing he did was to send troops north to compete with Cao Mo for Hanzhong. Afterwards, the Shu Han Prime Minister Zhuge Liang and General Jiang Wei took this place as their base and sent troops north several times to crusade against the Wei and Jin Dynasties.

For the Daxi regime, which has been in Shu for three years, whether it is going out of Shu to fight for the world, or to settle in the middle of Shu, the land of Hanzhong is a must.

After the Daxi army took over Hanzhong from He Zhen and Sun Shoufa, the battle with the Qing army has lasted for five months. The soldiers, horses, money and food have suffered heavy losses. Hanzhong is obviously unable to support more than [-] troops, and many supplies are needed. It was transported along the plank road from Shu.

When the Central Plains Dynasty fought wars, there was a saying, "The soldiers and horses are not moved, the food and grass go first", which indicates that for the Central Plains Dynasty, fighting a war was a very expensive thing, and the northern peoples led the horses and brought bows and arrows. , just come directly. For them, there is almost no cost of war. They can earn a lot of money by grabbing points along the way. The cloth, grain, iron pot, gold and silver of the Han people are all things to them. Baby, as long as they don't die in the war, they can almost make money without losing money.

On the other hand, even if the Han people defeated the nomads in the north, there was almost no profit. In the vast grasslands and deserts, people left as soon as they wanted to go, and returned as soon as they said they wanted. It is land that can grow food, but a Great Wall has enclosed the land that can grow food.

The Great Wall was not only a barrier for the Central Plains dynasty to resist nomadic raids, but also a dividing line between farming and animal husbandry.

The fighting cost of the Central Plains Dynasty was high, while the nomadic fighting cost was low, and the nomadic fighting desire was naturally stronger. This is why the Central Plains Dynasty always had to face the northern border troubles.

There is a saying in Tang poetry that the road to Shu is difficult, and it is difficult to go to the blue sky. This is not an exaggeration at all. The Great Western Army transported grain from Shu, and transported one bucket of rice to Hanzhong. The people who transported it had to eat four buckets. .

Haoge's troops were divided into three groups, the main force took Chencang Road, and two routes deviated from the division. One went out of the Xiegu Valley and the other went out of the Meridian Valley, and fought fiercely with the Great Western Army. soldier.

The Daxi government system inherited the Ming Dynasty, but it had left and right prime ministers, which was a bit nondescript. This was mainly because the Daxi Army's policy of attacking the gentry did not receive the support of the gentry.

Zhang Xianzhong's left prime minister, Wang Zhaoling, was the second-in-command of the Daxi regime. Many of Zhang Xianzhong's radical policies in Sichuan were mostly in the hands of this person.

Scholars are the heads of the four peoples, and their prestige spreads in the countryside. They should be the people who are wooed by the court, but Wang Zhaoling suggested that Zhang Xianzhong use the imperial examination to deceive, lure the scholars into the city and put them under house arrest, and then kill them in search of opportunities. Less than the support of the gentry.

The Battle of Hanzhong lasted for several months and cost countless money and food. Wang Zhaoling felt that there was no profit to be made, so he came to persuade Zhang Xianzhong.The Western Army camp on Chencang Road was set up between the two mountains, blocking the main route for the Qing soldiers to go south. In the big tent, Zhang Xianzhong stood with his hands behind his back, and the soldiers outside the tent reported: "Your Majesty, Prime Minister Zuo is asking to see you."

Zhang Xianzhong frowned slightly, "Let him in~"

Wang Zhaoling got permission, raised the curtain, walked quickly into the tent, and said behind Zhang Xianzhong: "Long live my humble minister!" Zhang Xianzhong turned around, waved him to stand up, and sat down himself before asking: "What is the important thing that Qing came to find me? Is the grain and grass in Sichuan here?"

Wang Zhaoling bowed and said, "Long live, I really have something to advise you!"

"Oh?" Zhang Xianzhong leaned back on the seat, raised his eyebrows and said, "If you have any questions, you can speak directly."

"Long live, this time we entered Hanzhong, we didn't have any preparations before. Now the army has been fighting hard in Hanzhong for several months, lacking food and grass, but still unable to repel the Qing soldiers. If this continues, it will only waste the strength of Shuzhong." Wang Zhaoling stepped forward and said. : "I think it's better to avoid the sharp edge of the Qing army for a while, abandon Hanzhong first, and return to Shu to rest. With Sichuan and Shu fertile fields thousands of miles away, the land of abundance can be cultivated, and its people can fight. Long live only needs to be raised for another two or three years , and then go out of Sichuan with a million armors, why is it difficult to drive the Central Plains together?"

Zhang Xianzhong sighed for a while, shook his head and said: "Shaanxi is my hometown, and the capital was established in ancient times, mostly in Chang'an. As the saying goes, Qin is strong and Shu is rich, and if I want to win the world, the land of Hanzhong must be contested! What's more, the northern captives Occupying Beijing, the general trend of the world, has won more than half of it. In Nanming, Wang Xianggong is a figure, but his foundation is too shallow, and he has only risen for two or three years. In a fight with the northern barbarians, who else is his opponent? If I just sit in Sichuan, let the northern barbarians occupy Hanzhong, and defeat the southern Ming, I will be in a depression in Sichuan, and I will not be able to advance or retreat. No, I'm afraid even Liu Xuande won't be able to do it in the end."

Zhang Xianzhong paused, and said in a solemn voice: "I am sure to win the land of Hanzhong. Only when I win Hanzhong can I enter Guanzhong. At that time, with the strength of Qin's army and the wealth of Bashu, I can snatch it from the Longyou Western Region to the west. Bring good horses, train fine cavalry, and then go east to send troops out of Tongguan and conquer the world in the east."

After listening to Zhang Xianzhong's words, Wang Zhaoling knew that he had made up his mind. After a moment of silence, he bowed and said, "Long live the ambition, my humble minister bows down. However, it is not the way to confront the Qing soldiers like this now, and even if Long live defeats the Qing soldiers, it will be difficult for you to suffer." The terrain is limited, and it is impossible to win a big victory. I have a plan, which may help His Majesty win the Qing army."

Zhang Xianzhong was slightly taken aback. He had fought against the Qing soldiers for several months, and there was no way to defeat the enemy. Wang Zhaoling dared to say that there was a plan to defeat the Qing soldiers. "Try it~"

"Long live, I think that the strategy of dividing the troops and defending on the outside will keep the Qing soldiers out of Hanzhong, but this strategy can only defend against the enemy but not win. It is better to let the Qing soldiers enter Hanzhong, and we will strengthen the walls and clear the fields, and hoard food. Shrink the troops to garrison the dangerous pass. When the Qing soldiers entered Hanzhong, they could not win the attack, and they could not get food in the wild, so they had to cross the Qinling Mountains to transport food. The food road was greatly lengthened. With little food and tired soldiers, we must withdraw our troops from Hanzhong. At this time, Wansui will order all the strongholds to send troops to chase after them, and the Qing army will definitely be defeated. Wansui will even be able to take advantage of the victory and advance into Guanzhong."

After Zhang Xianzhong heard this, he couldn't help but slapped his thigh, "This plan is very good~"

(Thanks to book friend 5288 for the five hundred book coins, thanks to Jiuyuan for the three hundred book coins, thanks to Yuedong Woxin for the reward, and thanks to Yuchen 8875179, abcde4869 for the monthly pass. This week is a bit busy at work, so I can only stick to two updates every day .)
(End of this chapter)