Chapter 1244 Dilemma
“Bojo!”
“Hello!”
Liu Yin finally saw Jiang Wei in the old pass of Hangu. He stepped forward, raised his arms and laughed: "You are finally here. If you don't come, I'm afraid I will have to retreat."
Looking closely at the other person, in addition to his body being stained with dirt and blood, his face also had more than a dozen large and small scratches.
It can be seen at a glance that it is carved out by various thorns in the mountain forest.
Looking at the towering mountains on both sides of Guancheng again, Liu Yin couldn't help but sigh:
“It’s hard work in this line of work, Bojo!”
Jiang Wei also smiled:
"I'm just doing some work. I've been trying to confuse the thieves these days. I don't know how much effort it takes. It's the real hard work."
The two looked at each other and laughed, feeling quite sympathetic to each other.
Conquering Hangu Pass is equivalent to opening the door to Luoyang's western barrier—Hongnong County.
Because the east of Hongnong County is Henan Yin.
As for why it is said that it only opened the door to Hongnong County, it is of course because there is another key point to the east of Hangu Pass: Shaanxian County.
In the past, Ji Fa destroyed the Shang Dynasty and established the Zhou Dynasty, and his capital was Haojing, which became the southwest of Xi'an in later generations.
Ji Fa is the famous King Wu of Zhou in history.
Three of the important ministers who assisted him were the most famous: Zhou Gong, Zhao Gong, and Taigong.
This is the beginning of the Three Gongs.
The Duke of Zhou and Duke Zhao are relatives of the Zhou royal family, and the Taigong is Jiang Taigong.
Three years later, King Wu of Zhou died and King Cheng of Zhou succeeded to the throne.
At that time, the Taigong had been entrusted with establishing the Qi Kingdom in the east, and the Duke of Zhao was ordered to build the eastern capital of Luoyang (i.e. Luoyang). Only the Duke of Zhou remained in the court.
At that time, the Duke of Zhou was afraid that the world would revolt after hearing about the death of King Wu, so he took over the administration of the country on behalf of King Cheng as regent.
Therefore, some unscrupulous people spread rumors that "the Duke of Zhou will not be conducive to becoming a king."
The so-called "Zhou Gong is afraid of the Rumor Day" refers to this matter.
Although Zhou Gong explained to Tai Gong and Zhao Gong:
"The reason why I took charge of the administration was because I was afraid that the people around me would not be able to complain to my predecessors Taiwang, Wang Ji, and King Wen. The three kings have been worrying about the world for a long time, and now they have succeeded. King Wu died and became the young king. , will form a week, that’s why I do it.”
Taigong is not a clan relative, so it’s hard to say anything.
But Duke Zhao was a relative of the Zhou royal family and one of the three Dukes, so he was often suspected.
In order to reassure Duke Zhao, Duke Zhou chiseled out a stone pillar three and a half meters high and erected it in Shaanxi. He made an agreement with Zhao Gong:
Those who come from Shaanxi to the east are called Princess Zhou; those who come from Shaanxi to the west are called Princess Zhou.
That is to say, the ruling area of the Zhou Dynasty was divided into two major administrative areas: east and west. The Duke of Zhou administered the eastern part of Shaanxi, and the Duke of Zhao administered the western part of Shaanxi (the name of Shaanxi originated from this).
This matter is called "erecting pillars as boundaries", and it is also the source of the post-world monument.
During the Warring States Period, after the three families were divided into the Jin Dynasty and the Qin and Wei Dynasties, they often fought here. Shaanxi sometimes belonged to Qin and sometimes to Wei.
It can be said that in order to fight for this place, Qin and Wei almost lost their minds.
This Shaanxi region can be said to be the real dividing line between Kanto and Kansai.
With the capture of Shaanxi, the initiative in Hongnong County was taken.
Taking the initiative in Hongnong County is equivalent to opening the door to Henan Yin.
Hence, it is inevitable that the Wei State has heavy troops at Hangu Pass and Shaanxi.
“The matter at Hangu Pass is not over yet!”
Jiang Wei was still not satisfied and looked at Liu Yin.
The Hangu Pass of Qin was captured, but more than ten miles north of the old pass, on the south bank of the river, there was a new pass, which was built by Wei thieves decades ago.
At that time, when Cao Cao was conquering Guanxi, it was through this pass that he transferred grain and grass.
At this time, most of the grain and grass supplied to the Wei army in the Hanguguan area were also stored there.
“At this time, we have attacked the old pass. We can take the opportunity to take the new pass before the rebel army is ready in time!”
Liu Yin understood and said:
“Continue as before? You and I divide our forces into two groups?”
Jiang Wei nodded and said:
“That’s right, don’t worry about me!”
With control of the ancient Xiaohan Road, one can easily go around behind the new pass and cut off the retreat route of the rebels.
“But this time the deployment of troops must be reversed.”
Looking at this, Jiang Wei had already considered his next step after taking Qin Hangu Pass.
"The troops that go around to the east cannot be less. Instead, the troops in the west only need to hold the camp."
When Liu Yin heard this, he immediately understood:
“It seems that Bethjo had already planned this!”
In order to bypass the enemy, it is not only necessary to cut off the retreat route of the Xinguan rebels in time, but also to be prepared for the rebels from Shaanxi County to come for support.
As for guarding the west side, you only need to prevent the thieves from jumping over the wall and rushing out from the pass.
And the possibility is very low.
Because even if the thieves dared to risk their lives, they would most likely rush east back to Shaanxi County, and it was impossible to rush west.
If we rush westward...how many of them are there? Are you planning to go to Chongtongguan like this?
“It’s too late, we can’t let these thieves escape!”
Military merit can only be too little, how can there be too much?
Even if you get the credit for breaking the barrier, you cannot lose the credit for destroying the thieves.
Destroying thieves is a greater achievement than defeating them!
"Boyo, you have been working hard these days. Why don't you go back this time and let me lead the troops. You are in the front, and you can take this opportunity to rest."
As soon as Jiang Wei heard this, he subconsciously wanted to refuse.
But when he looked at Liu Yin, the words came to his lips, but they turned into:
“That’s fine, since Xiuren wants to go, then we’ll take turns.”
Liu Xiuran became famous in the battle of Jieting. He defended the street with his remaining soldiers until the Central Guards arrived in time, and finally preserved the results of the battle of Longyou.
Although Liu Xiuran submitted himself to the Prime Minister from the beginning, he was personally recommended by the Central Protector.
So there are still rumors in the army that Liu Xiuran is the "immovable mountain" among the four generals of Fenghuolin under the command of Zhongduhu.
As for who are the four generals that everyone is talking about privately...
There are five of the four heavenly kings, plus one or two substitutes, and the total adds up to five, six, seven or eight. Isn’t that common sense?
As long as the Central Protector does not stand up and clarify, it will all depend on personal preference as to how everyone decides and arranges.
Of course, General Zhendong and Zhao Sanqian must be among the top two.
When it comes to circumventing the thieves, defense is far more important than offense, so it is indeed more appropriate to let Liu Xiuran go.
Jiang Wei has returned to the Han Dynasty for more than ten years, and over the years, in order to appease Long You, the imperial court treated Jiang Wei quite well.
Coupled with his own talents, it is not an exaggeration to say that he is valued highly.
It’s just that after the death of the prime minister, Feng Duhu now became the talker in the army.
Although Zhongduhu used to be very enthusiastic about him, he could even be said to think highly of him.
But in Jiang Wei's view, Liu Xiuran's relationship with the Central Protector seemed to be closer than his own.
Furthermore, he was a reduced general, and Liu Xiuran was from a serious background.
Now that I have achieved my first achievement, if I continue to fight, it will seem like I am living alone, which is not a good idea.
Liu Yin was overjoyed to see Jiang Wei agree.
…
Just as the Han army at Qinhangu Pass was reorganizing its troops to leave the pass, they were preparing to circle ten miles north and cut off the connection between Xinguan and Shaanxi County.
The Wei army defenders in Xinguan are also anxiously waiting for news from Jiuguan.
Since the Western Bandits gave up attacking the new pass and switched to attacking the old pass, the two passes must communicate with each other once a day in the morning and evening to report peace.
Yesterday, there was thick smoke billowing from Jiuguan, and it seemed like there was a war going on.
What worries him the most is that no one was sent to deliver a letter last night, and no one was even seen this morning.
This made General Wei feel a very bad feeling in his heart.
“Thieves, the Han army will never say that they can capture Jiuguan in one day, right?”
General Wei looked toward the south worriedly, but his sight was blocked by high mountains.
Although Jiuguan has been in disrepair for nearly a hundred years, Taifu has also sent people to renovate it in the past few years.
Furthermore, even if the Han army could invite heavenly soldiers and generals, there should still be sergeants who escaped from there, right?
General Wei tried to comfort himself in his heart, but he couldn't help shouting:
“No, we can’t just wait, come here!”
“General?”
“Send personnel immediately to Jiuguan to inquire about the situation.”
“Here!”
More than ten miles, back and forth, riding a fast horse without stopping, one hour is enough.
But before he could wait for the report, the general who was responsible for observing the enemy's situation had already ran over in panic and reported:
“General, it’s not good, thief, thief…”
"Thieves?" General Wei frowned, "The thieves are attacking?"
“Yes, yes, they...”
"How dignified are you!" General Wei scolded, "The thieves have been attacking for so long a few days ago, but they still can't get any advantage. Look, you are scared!"
"No, no!" The general didn't know whether he was really frightened, or he was running too fast and was out of breath. "To the east, no, no, it's to the south. There is an army of thieves!"
“What is east and south? Is it east or south?”
How do you observe the enemy's situation?
Whether it is in the east or the south, how can there be rebels?
Did they fly there?
Do you know the consequences of lying about military information?
As soon as Wei Jiang thought of this, his heart suddenly lurched, as if something was not quite right?
Before he could think of why he suddenly felt nervous, the general seemed to have come to his senses and answered hurriedly:
"South! They, they seem to be cutting off our retreat from the east."
"What!"
General Wei's voice immediately raised an octave, "You are sure you read that right! Thief...are the Han troops really coming from the south?"
His lips were already trembling when he said the second half of the sentence.
The worst and most unlikely situation that we expected has occurred.
Jiuguan, was it really lost in one day?
“Have you really seen it clearly?”
"impossible!"
“This is absolutely impossible!”
The people below were immediately shocked when they heard the news.
On the contrary, General Wei said something for the general who was responsible for observing the enemy's situation:
"There is nothing impossible. The news from Jiuguan was not delivered last night or this morning. It is very likely that it has fallen into the hands of the Han army."
At this moment, General Wei had even reacted.
The message he sent to Jiuguan may have been intercepted by the Han army.
So they deduced that they had not received the news yet, so they wanted to catch themselves off guard before they were ready.
“General, what should we do now?”
General Wei himself was a little confused by the sudden situation.
what to do?
He also asked himself in his mind.
retreat?
Or keep it?
If we retreat, it may still be too late.
But the greater possibility is that it is already too late.
How many miles is the Han army from here? If you retreat in a hurry, the Han army will definitely pursue you, and your side will definitely be bitten.
It is difficult to say how many people the army will lose by then.
More importantly, there is still food and grass stored in Guan City!
After all, when Emperor Wu built this gate building, wasn't it just for the purpose of transporting grain and grass?
Although there is not too much stockpiling now,... Luoyang has not been very rich in food and grass for the army in recent years!
But if we keep it, whether we can keep it or not is a big question.
What if, what if, we are really cut off from our retreat, and the rear cannot provide effective support, then we will really risk our lives.
“General, please make a decision as soon as possible!”
Looking at the anxious eyes of the people below, General Wei finally gritted his teeth and made a decision:
“Let all the people outside withdraw into the pass, and order the entire army to guard the pass tower, waiting for reinforcements!”
“Also, immediately send the cavalry to Shaanxian County and Luoyang to ask for reinforcements!”
“Here!”
Although he has built up a lot of confidence through these days of defending the city, he is not yet confident enough to fight the Han army in a field battle.
So, now we can only trust Luoyang...right?
“General, the thief didn’t run away. Instead, he pulled everyone back into the building.”
Shortly after the Wei army in Xinguan responded, Liu Yin had already received the news.
Hearing Wei Jun’s actions, Liu Yin smiled lightly:
"If you can defend it for so many days, the thief general is not a loser."
Although the Wei thieves were not frightened and fled, Liu Yin didn't care.
In this situation, it doesn't matter whether the Wei army escapes or not.
The difference is just late and early.
“Order the entire army to speed up and set up camp by the river!”
I want to see if you Wei thieves know how to defend a stronghold and block people, or if I know how to defend a stronghold and block people!
“Here!”
Looking at the Han army outside, as he expected, they began to dig ditches and build strongholds directly on the river bank east of Guanlou.
General Wei looked to the east, and he looked a little depressed.
You can clearly guess what the other person wants to do, but you can't do anything.
This feeling is really terrible.
While the Wei army in Xinguan was waiting for reinforcements from the east, Shaanxi County, which was closest to them, also faced a crisis.
Not far to the east of Shaanxi County, there is a ferry. This ferry is called Maojin Ferry.
Back then, that is, in the Spring and Autumn Period, when the Kingdom of Jin was still there, there was a king named Duke Xiang of Jin.
This person may not be well known to future generations, but everyone must know the idiom "false Dao defeats Guo".
This idiom refers to Duke Xian of Jin, who crossed the river from Maojin to the south and destroyed the Guo Kingdom.
Jin Xiangong had a son named Chong'er, who was one of the Five Hegemons of the Spring and Autumn Period. Everyone may be familiar with this son.
After all, the ancient text "Zhu Zhiwu Retreats the Qin Master" requires memorization.
It is about Qin and Jin jointly attacking Zheng, and then Zhu Zhiwu quietly persuaded the Qin army to retreat. Qin even took the initiative to send people to help defend Zheng.
The king of Jin at that time was Duke Wen of Jin.
Within two years of this incident, Duke Wen of Jin died, and his son succeeded him as Duke Xianggang of Jin.
Then the people of Qin got the news about the response arranged in Zheng State a few years ago, saying that Zheng State was unprepared and could take the opportunity to send troops to destroy Zheng State.
The king of the Qin State at that time was Qin Mugong, who was one of the protagonists of the "Baili Xiu in the City" incident mentioned in the article "Born in Sorrow, Die in Peace".
That is to say, he promoted Baili Xi, and at the same time he was the hero of Qin who dominated Xirong and allowed Qin to expand its land thousands of miles westward.
But this hero sent troops to destroy Zheng, which was definitely one of the biggest failures in his life.
He wanted to take advantage of the Jin State's national mourning and political turmoil to cooperate with Zheng internally and externally to destroy Zheng in one fell swoop.
Who would have expected that Zheng Guo would get the news in time and make preparations, so the Qin army could only destroy Hua Guo, which was attached to Jin State, and return.
But just when he was returning to the army, Jin Xianggong, who had just ascended the throne, led his army to cross the river from Maojin to the south and ambush the Qin army.
From top to bottom, no one in the Qin army escaped, and all three generals were captured.
It can be said that Youyougu Ferry has witnessed too much history.
Although after the Han Dynasty gained the empire, Maojin Ferry never encountered war again.
However, a considerable part of the salt produced in the Salt Sea of Hedong was transported from Maojin to Kanto.
Even after the Han army captured Hedong, there were still all-pervasive caravans that secretly transported salt from the ferry to the south of the river in order to make huge profits.
(End of this chapter)