Chapter 1190 Wang Jian and Li Xin
Guanqiu Jian, the governor of Jingzhou, was already Cao Rui's literary confidant in his early years when Cao Rui was just a Marquis of Pingyuan and was still not well received by Cao Pi. Cao Rui formed a deep friendship with him.
It is precisely because of this that after Cao Rui ascended the throne, Guanqiu Jian won the trust of Emperor Wei, and his official career was extremely smooth, and he rose to prominence smoothly.
He successively held important positions such as Shangshu Lang, Yulin Supervisor, Luoyang Diannong Zhonglang General, etc., and then served as the governor of Jingzhou.
Even without any military experience, he was later promoted to General of the Southern Conquest, and at the same time, he was in charge of all military affairs in Jingzhou.
Over the years, Guanqiu Jian has been guarding Jingzhou and has not moved his position.
Due to Ji Han's huge pressure on the Western Front, the Wei State, which would have conquered Liao a few years earlier in history, could only watch the Gongsun family of Liaodong dissociate between Wei and Wu.
Now even Youzhou, which is adjacent to Liaodong, is desperately shrinking its troops.
In the original history, Guanqiu Jian, who really rose to power due to his conquest of Liao, was still just a governor without much military merit at this time.
Even in the original history, Guanqiu Jian led an army alone to conquer Liao for the first time, but it failed.
So when he learned that the notorious Feng Thief was personally leading an army to Caoqiao Pass, he did not dare to hesitate at all:
“Come here!”
“General?”
"Get your horses ready immediately, I want to go back to Wancheng."
“Also, immediately send an order to Wancheng, asking the soldiers to assemble the army and head to Caoqiao Pass at any time.”
The alliance between Han and Wu wanted to conquer the Wei Dynasty. This is something everyone knows.
Now the Wu people are attacking Wei with the whole country, and the north bank of the river is full of Wu soldiers.
What about Han?
But the thunder was loud and the raindrops were light.
It is hard to believe that the Han Dynasty, which had been forcing the Wei Dynasty to retreat in succession, would let this opportunity pass.
At this time, Guan Qiujian finally breathed a sigh of relief involuntarily after receiving the exact news about Feng Thief.
It may be difficult to deal with Feng Thief, but at least you can be mentally prepared.
If even Feng Thief doesn't know where he is and what he plans to do, he will suddenly appear from nowhere, which will only make people more frightened.
Feng Thief led the army, he was always elusive, erratic, and extremely cunning.
It just so happened that this man was the leader of the bandits in the Han Kingdom, and he was extremely fierce.
At the Battle of Guanzhong, this impression reached its peak throughout the Wei State and was simply unforgettable.
There is no military experience, nor the reputation without the military, and there is no reputation. When you hear the arrival of Feng, you must be very careful.
“But general, what should we do over there in Pizhong? I’m afraid the Wu invaders are not willing to retreat easily.”
When I heard that the general was leaving Xiangyang and going to Caoqiao Pass, I couldn't help but feel worried.
Guanqiu Jian could guess that Ji Han would take the opportunity to send troops from Wuguan, how could he not be prepared for this situation?
But seeing him sneer and say:
“Wu Kou has made great efforts since his invasion of the north, but from what I can see, I think he may not have done his best.”
After so many years, Guanqiu Jian naturally had an idea of how many troops the Wu bandits in Jingzhou had.
“So what they want to wait for is probably this moment.”
This is a plan, a half-hearted plan.
This is also the main reason why no matter how urgent the battle in Peizhong was, Guanqiu Jian did not mobilize all the soldiers and horses of Wancheng to cross the Han River.
He himself even stayed in Xiangyang and did not lead the army to Peizhong at all.
With with with with 15years to go?
Without Caoqiao Pass, Wancheng would no longer be in danger.
The land in Nanyang is all flat. When the time comes, the Han army in Guanzhong can come and leave as they please.
This Chengwan City cannot bear the weight.
“Zhuge Jin is called the General of Wu Kou, but in fact he is just a scholar with no reputation.”
"This person is a decent civil servant. If he joins the army, the most he can do is join the army. How can he lead an army alone? And he is old and dying now. Why should he be afraid?"
Counting from the time when Zhuge Jin became an official with the Wu invaders, he has detailed his achievements. Most of them were from other people's expeditions and benefited from other people's achievements.
While leading the army alone, he never won a single victory and was repeatedly defeated by the Wei Dynasty. This can be said to be ignorant of the tactics of the army.
This is the reason why Guanqiu Jian knew that the Wu army had not yet exerted its full strength, but faced the army led by Zhuge Jin, the great general of the state of Wu, and did not worry too much at all.
"However, Feng Thief is very different from Zhuge Jin. This thief has never been defeated since he invaded the Wei Dynasty. He is indeed the great enemy of the Wei Dynasty."
"Therefore, Feng thief leads the army to invade. How can I rest assured if I don't get to Caoqiao Pass? In the war in Peizhong, as long as the generals guard the city, I will have no worries."
Think about the early years, the officers and soldiers of the Wei Dynasty could come and go freely between Xiangyang and Nanjun.
What can Zhuge Jin in the south do to the generals of the Wei Dynasty?
Now, the Wei forces in Jingzhou are actually quite outnumbered and can barely cope with the Wu invaders coming from the south.
Even though Guanqiu Jian was promoted by Cao Rui, he was a die-hard loyalist of Wei State, so he couldn't help but feel a little sad, thinking that destiny was unpredictable.
If it weren't for the Han Kingdom in the west, why would the Wei Dynasty be like this?
Seeing that Guanqiu Jian had made up his mind, he made another suggestion:
“When the Wu invaded, the general was able to handle the situation with ease, so he did not need to ask the court for help.”
“Now that the Feng thief has invaded, the general feels as if he is facing a formidable enemy. Jingzhou is under attack from both sides. If the general does not ask for help from the imperial court, how long will he wait?”
"Xuchang..." Guanqiu Jian, who had always been confident, became somewhat silent when he mentioned this.
There is indeed a Forbidden Army over there in Xuchang.
It was brought over from Luoyang by the late emperor during his eastward tour.
Later, when the Jianghuai war was urgent, Da Sinong Zhao Yan was ordered to face the danger and was appointed as a hussar general. He also led the imperial army south to support.
After the death of the late emperor, this forbidden army has been guarding the emperor in Xuchang.
Guanqiu Jian finally shook his head:
“The fighting over Jianghuai is far more intense than in Jingzhou. If your Majesty sends the Imperial Guard over, what if something happens to Jianghuai?”
Of course, this is only a superficial reason.
The deeper important reason is that Xuchang and Luoyang are still too close.
Xuchang's imperial army was also responsible for guarding against Sima Yi.
Now that Feng Thief has appeared in Wuguan, the pressure on Jingzhou has increased sharply, but on the other hand, the pressure on Luoyang has been greatly reduced.
With one thing going down and the other going up, Xuchang's imperial army will probably not be able to move lightly.
Thinking of this, Guanqiu Jian couldn't help but grit his teeth:
Sima Yi, as a veteran of three dynasties, did not want to repay the kindness of the country, but instead supported his troops in order to stand on his own feet. This can be said to be an old thief and not a son of a man!
No matter how much you scold Sima Yi, it will be of no use now.
Since Guanqiu Jian had anticipated today's situation, he quickly made arrangements for his departure, and then immediately crossed the Han River to return north.
After returning to Wancheng, he led the Wancheng soldiers who had been prepared without stopping and rushed toward Caoqiao Pass for reinforcements.
At this time, Feng Duhu had only walked half the distance.
Late spring and early summer are already rainy seasons.
Last year there was a severe drought, and God seems to be trying to make up for the rain this year.
Although Wuguan Road did not encounter the extremely bad conditions mentioned by Jufu, Danshui surged and many sections of the road were indeed flooded.
Fortunately, with Jufu's reminder, Meng Yan was sent as a vanguard in advance. In addition, there was a special military unit in the Han army: the engineering battalion.
Although Feng Duhu does not have a fully-organized engineering battalion in his hands at the moment.
Therefore, although this road was difficult and the march was not fast, after five days, Feng Duhu finally led the army out of the mountains and entered the small basin of the valley where Caoqiao Pass is located.
Meng Yan, who came here two days in advance, greeted him at the entrance of the valley:
“Zhongduhu!”
Feng Duhu nodded and walked to the water's edge. He first rubbed the soles of his boots a few times, then took turns extending his feet into the water and shaking them hard a few times.
Walking along the way, we encountered a rain, the road was muddy, the soles of the boots were covered with mud, and it was still thick and sticky mud.
Each boot seemed to weigh several kilograms. Not to mention whether it was comfortable or not, even when walking on the road, the soles of the boots felt like they were sticking to the ground with every step, and I had to exert force to lift my feet. It was extremely inconvenient to walk.
“What’s going on with the Wei thieves on the other side?”
When Feng Duhu saw that the thick layer of mud on his boots had not been shaken off, he simply squatted down, picked up a thin piece of stone, and started shoveling away the mud with water.
"The scouts sent by the general at the end of yesterday saw Wei thieves and it seemed that reinforcements had arrived."
Meng Yan didn't feel that Feng Duhu was deliberately rude to him because of his informal appearance.
In his early years, he worked with Feng Duhu in Yuexun, and he knew that this man's reputation as a man of clever words and charm was not unfounded.
If he is polite to you, it means he does not regard you as one of his own.
Just like the time during the Northern Expedition to Longyou, I spoke so nicely and thanked myself for helping me find some poisonous weeds to make poisonous juice.
Unexpectedly, as soon as he turned around, he led the army secretly towards Hanzhong. By the time he reacted, they were almost at Jincheng!
Alas, forget it, let’s not mention it, it’s all in the past.
Feng Duhu ignored Meng Yan who was having some random thoughts. He shoveled the thick mud off his boots and put his feet into the water again to rinse them off.
Hmm, it’s clean, my feet feel comfortable, and my heart feels comfortable.
Then Feng Duhu turned around with a relaxed smile on his face:
"Oh? So, the reaction of the Wei thieves on the other side was quite fast. Have you found out who the guard is?"
The boots got wet and creaked when I stepped on them, but I felt better than before.
Meng Yan followed behind and quickly replied:
“It’s not certain yet, but the last general heard from the scouts that the big flag at the top of the city seems to have been replaced with the word ‘gu’. Could it be the Wei thieves’ Jingzhou guard general Guanqiu Jian?”
"Guanqiu Jian?" Feng Duhu paused, his face a little strange, "If it is really him, it would be no wonder."
Hearing this, Meng Yan was immediately surprised:
“I didn’t expect that the Central Protector knew this person?”
“I don’t know him, I just heard his name.”
Although Guanqiu Jian was not well-known at this time, Feng Duhu was still somewhat impressed by the biggest rebellion in the history of the Three Kingdoms - the Three Huainan Rebellions - and other major events.
Of the three rebellions in Huainan, Wang Ling surrendered without a fight, while Zhuge Dan was besieged.
Only Guanqiu Jian, the second rebel, could lead the army northward, forcing Sima Division to mobilize most of Wei's troops to encircle and suppress them.
At the same time, this battle also made Wen Qin's son Wen Yang famous as a brave general.
“Anyone who can be protected by Zhongdu’s ears, is it possible that this person really has something extraordinary?”
Feng Duhu smiled calmly:
"So what if he is extraordinary? Can he still be able to withstand the fierce power of the world?"
After finishing speaking, he turned around and ordered: "Here, bring the horse over."
“General Meng, how about you accompany me to observe the other side?”
“How dare the general disobey orders?”
There is no need for Feng Duhu to worry about setting up camp personally. Jufu's ability can still be trusted.
Under the protection of his personal guards, Feng Duhu and Meng Yan rode to the west bank of Danshui and looked at Caoqiao Pass on the other side.
At this time, the wooden bridge originally erected on both sides of the bank had been demolished by the Wei army, and even the bridge piles were burned.
Coupled with the rising water in Danshui, the water surface is much wider than usual.
The roaring water rushes out from the mountains to the west, turns a nearly ninety-degree turn to the south here, and rushes straight to the mountains to the south.
Then it was blocked by the mountains to the south and turned eastward again, forming a notch.
Caoqiao Pass is located just inside the notch, blocking the throat between Guanzhong and Nanyang.
Looking at Feng Duhu standing by the waterside, silent for a long time, Meng Yan took the initiative and said:
“Zhongduhu, in the opinion of the general, although Caoqiao Pass is not as dangerous as Wuguan Pass, it is still easy to defend but difficult to attack.”
“In addition, we are not familiar with the water flow here. If we want to cross the water, we need to be careful and make more preparations.”
Feng Duhu nodded:
“What General Meng said is true.”
With that said, the two rode their horses and walked along Danshui for a while.
The location of Caoqiao Guancheng is probably the easiest place to cross the water. The terrain is flat and the water is relatively gentle.
Otherwise, the original wooden bridge would not have been built there.
Even so, the Wei thieves built a line of defense along the east bank with Caoqiao Guancheng as the center.
At regular intervals, you can see a dock.
The closer they are to a place where it is easier to cross water, the larger and denser the forts will be.
Feng Duhu circled around and came to the old site of Caoqiao again. Looking at the Guancheng towering opposite, he said:
“General Meng, I would like to ask you to send a letter to General Wei on the opposite side in my name.”
Although I don’t know why the Central Protector didn’t write it himself, but he could write a letter for the Central Protector, how could Meng Yan not obey?
"The general has received the order, and I dare to ask the military governor, what should I write in the letter?"
“Just write one sentence: Do you know the old story of King Jian of Qin’s army coming out of Wuguan to destroy Chu?”
When Meng Yan heard this, his heart skipped a beat: "Here!"
Guanqiu Jian, who arrived at Caoqiao Pass one day earlier than Feng Duhu, sneered after receiving the letter sent by someone from the other side:
“Tie Feng is so arrogant that he dares to compare himself to Wang Jian!”
It is said that Feng Thief was the best in the world in both civil and military affairs, but looking at his handwriting now, it is just ordinary, which is far from his reputation.
Guanqiu Jian wrote on the spot:
"Wang Jian leads an army of 600,000, but I think Feng Jun's army is only 20,000. How dare he compare himself to Wang Jian?"
“Frugality is not talent. I still remember that Li Xin led an army of 200,000 and finally returned with the remaining troops.”
When Qin Shihuang wanted to destroy Chu, the veteran general Wang Jian bluntly said that "it takes 600,000 people", while the new leader Li Xin thought that "it only takes 200,000 people".
Qin Shihuang believed that Wang Jian was old and timid before fighting, while Li Xin was brave because of his strength.
So Li Xin and Meng Tian were sent with 200,000 men to attack Chu southward.
Unexpectedly, Li Xin won first and then was defeated. Chu general Xiang Yan defeated two battalions of the Qin army and killed seven captains of the Qin army. This was one of the rare defeats during the period when Qin destroyed the six kingdoms.
Qin Shihuang finally realized his mistake, so he went to Wang Jian's hometown in person, asked Wang Jian to come out again, and commissioned 600,000 soldiers from all over the country.
Wang Jian lived up to everyone's expectations and indeed destroyed Chu State. Even Xiang Yan was defeated and died.
Feng Duhu wrote a letter to Wang Jian to tell Guanqiu Jian that the Wei Kingdom would be destroyed.
Guan Qiujian's reply was that he thought Feng Duhu was too arrogant and was just like Li Xin.
"Zhongduhu, this thief is too arrogant and does not understand the current situation!"
Jufu and Meng Yan were filled with anger when they learned the content of Guanqiu Jian's reply.
Feng Duhu didn't pay attention. His eyes paused at the signature of the letter for a long time, and then he said calmly:
“It is indeed Guanqiu Jian!”
(End of this chapter)