The Reborn Lady

Chapter 168

Chapter 168

The war against Yu was the first war launched by Emperor Yongping after he ascended the throne. It was of great significance, and this war could only be won and not lost.

To this end, Emperor Yongping spent several months making full preparations.

First, he sent his own son, the King of Shu, and three generals to the southwestern border to attack the State of Yu. This was both a response to the provocation of the State of Yu and a way to test the military strength of the State of Yu first, so that the main generals could become familiar with the enemy situation and formulate the most appropriate battle strategy.

At the same time, Emperor Yongping also mobilized 300,000 troops from all over the south of the Yangtze River. The soldiers of these troops either had not participated in the war for many years, or were the southern troops who had been defeated by the northern troops led by Emperor Yongping. Their combat effectiveness was not as good as that of the northern troops. Emperor Yongping had reorganized them three years ago, and this time he asked them to strengthen their training to prepare for the war in a few months.

War requires soldiers and weapons are also indispensable.

The imperial arsenal was busy day and night, producing batches of fire guns. The gunpowder fired by the fire guns was extremely destructive and could be used to attack cities or annihilate enemy armies. Hearing that the Yu State also had fire gun troops, Emperor Yongping specially developed a batch of sturdy shields that were more than a person tall to resist fire guns.

The state of Yu was prone to malaria, so in addition to choosing the most suitable time to send troops, it was also necessary to prepare herbs. Yin Yong presented several prescriptions, and Emperor Yongping gave them to military doctors from all over the country, ordering them to prepare the medicine as soon as possible.

Not to mention food and fodder, which were transported to the southwestern border in batches ahead of the main army.

The commanders studied tactics, the soldiers trained rigorously, and the court provided elite weapons and sufficient food and supplies. By mid-July, 300,000 elite soldiers who had been training hard for several months assembled outside the city of Jinling, and Emperor Yongping personally led the army.

The army marched south in a mighty force. After a month, they arrived at Lingcheng where Wei Ruo and others were stationed in mid-August.

After a half-month rest and a three-day rain, the weather turned cooler, just right for sending troops!

In mid-October, the Wei army broke through the northern border defense line of the Yu State, and the Yu soldiers retreated to their northern capital city of Bang.

Mu Cheng, Marquis of Zhennan, compared Bangcheng to the "Tongguan" of the State of Yu. This is because Bangcheng faces the great river to the north and is surrounded by mountains to the south, making it easy to defend but difficult to attack. The previous dynasty had fought with the State of Yu many times, but as long as the Yu soldiers took refuge in Bangcheng, they could rely on the natural barrier to fight against the powerful enemy. After a long time, the enemy could not afford the loss and had to retreat, and the State of Yu was able to take back the city it had lost before.

The late emperor also knew that the State of Yu was a tough nut to crack, so he allowed the State of Yu to stop paying tribute and did not send troops there.

The Wei State had prepared enough warships, so crossing the river was easy. The next target was Bang City, which was easy to defend but difficult to attack. As long as they captured Bang City, the battle would be mostly won. Then the southern border of the Yu State would be flat, and it would be easy to encircle and suppress the royal family of the Yu State.