Chapter 974 Countermeasures
Take the Qinzhi Road from Chang'an to Jiuyuan. Horses gallop all the way, no matter how hard the horse is, and we can reach it in three days.
But this only refers to the situation when the cavalry conveys urgent military information.
Even if the entire Liangzhou Army and Xianbei cavalry were on horseback - regardless of cavalry or infantry - they would not be able to achieve this speed.
For a large army, if the army is faster, it may take ten days to reach Qiaoshan, and if it is slower, it will not take more than half a month.
But in general, it was many times faster than the prime minister leading the army to walk a short distance along the diagonal valley road, which took more than twenty days.
After all, the distance from Jiuyuan to Chang'an is nearly three times the distance from Hanzhong to Chang'an.
This is the difference between a flat road and a mountain road.
But precisely because it was a smooth road, Feng Jishi's army had only walked halfway, and the Wei outposts on the Jushui line were already lit.
Qin Zhidao was originally built for military purposes.
Not only were military stations and military cities set up along the road, but there were also continuous beacon towers.
Due to disrepair, most of the military depots have lost their due function.
But over the years, because Sima Yi attached great importance to the defense of Beidi County, he not only had the beacon towers repaired, but also built some new beacon towers.
When the first beacon tower rose with three thick billowing black smoke representing the highest alert, soon after, the second beacon tower also started to light up...
At the same time, Chuanqi ran like crazy along the Qinzhi Road on the Qiaoshan Mountains toward Guanzhong, desperately chasing the wolf smoke that was constantly being lit.
Fenghuo can only tell that there are many, many bandits coming from the rear, but it cannot tell how many there are.
The knights now wanted to tell Guo Huai the military information detected by the outpost as quickly as possible.
Only half a day later, thick smoke began to billow from the beacon tower under the main peak of Qiaoshan.
“General, there is an enemy situation!”
In the Guancheng on Qiaoshan Mountain, some soldiers exclaimed.
From the day he took over the defense of Qiaoshan, Guo Huai never stopped looking to the north.
Now that the smoke suddenly started to rise, Guo Huai ran towards the highest point of Guancheng without saying a word.
I don’t know whether it was because I was running too fast or because my heart was beating too fast.
Along the way, there was only the sound of "dong-dong-dong" in his ears.
coming?
Has it really come?
Is Thief Feng really coming from the north as Da Sima expected?
He felt numb, climbed up to the Guancheng watchtower, and couldn't wait to turn his gaze to the north.
.
Guo Huai held his hand tightly on the railing, and veins appeared on the back of his hand because of too much force.
“Wait a little longer, wait a little longer…”
Guo Huai warned himself in his heart, "Wait until Chuanqi returns the news and see whether it is the Feng thief or the Hu people who want to take the opportunity to invade south."
In his heart, there was still a trace of luck, hoping that the enemies coming from the north would be barbarians who took the opportunity to invade from the south.
Rather than Feng Thief as imagined.
But when I think about Feng Thief being too cunning, no one dares to take it lightly if he doesn't show up for a day.
The sooner Feng Thief appears, the sooner everyone can feel at ease. At the same time, the Chief Sima can also arrange countermeasures.
So Guo Huai felt a little conflicted: It seems like Thief Feng is coming too?
But if it is really the Feng thief, does that mean that I have to face that vicious and cunning Shu prisoner again?
He is dozens of years old and has seen life and death before the battle countless times.
But at this time, Guo Huai was like a young man going to see the lady he liked for the first time. He always felt that time passed very slowly and he couldn't stop his pounding heart.
Until the afterglow of the sun gradually disappeared on the other side of the mountain, Guo Huai still didn't see Chuanqi's figure at the bottom of the mountain, and Guo Huai became more and more confused.
“General, all the mountain camps have reported back and are ready.”
Guo Huai said "hmm" absentmindedly, turned around and prepared to go downstairs, and at the same time ordered:
"I expect that the messenger will arrive early tomorrow morning at the latest. If there is any situation at night, remember to report it immediately without any mistakes!"
“No!”
At midnight, there was a sudden knock on Guo Huai's door, and a guard shouted urgently:
“General, there’s urgent news!”
Before he shouted a second time, the door creaked open, and a neatly dressed Guo Huai appeared at the door. It turned out that he was sleeping with his clothes on.
“Where are the people?”
“Just in the front hall.”
"Walk!"
The knight soldier in the front hall was already soaked to the skin and his lips were chapped. He held his breath and waited for Guo Huai to arrive. He used the remaining strength in his body to say:
"There are no less than 50,000 Shu captives, and everyone rides on them. The commander-in-chief is... Feng..."
As soon as I uttered the last word, I fainted on the spot.
Soon someone took out the unique talisman of the Wei army from his arms and handed it to Guo Huai.
“Hurry and help him down to rest!”
Guo Huai held the talisman in his hand tightly and ordered:
"Come here, pass on my military order. Send a messenger overnight to report to Chang'an that Feng Thief is coming from the north with fifty thousand bandits!"
No matter whether this military information is true or false, it must be conveyed as soon as possible.
In this situation, it is better to kill the wrong person than to let it go.
The riders who arrive one after another will confirm the authenticity of the news to each other.
If you are really wrong, it is not too late to correct it later.
After giving the instructions, he sat down heavily on the chair and exhaled a long breath, not knowing what he felt in his heart:
What is supposed to come will eventually come!
In less than two days, with Chang'an as the center, news of Feng's invasion spread to all directions, with the two key directions being Luoyang and Xicheng.
"What I fear most is the Feng thieves coming down from Longguan to attack Qianxian. The next most fearful is when they leave Xiaoguan and head south to Qianxian."
Sima Yi, who received the news about Feng Thief immediately, took the military report sent from Chang'an with a relaxed look on his face:
"After all, Feng Thief is not only good at attacking cities, but also good at fighting on the plains. Therefore, what I hope most is that he comes from the north."
Speaking of this, he couldn't help stroking his beard and said with a smile:
“I didn’t expect that this thief would be so accommodating to me. Is this how God is helping me?”
Hearing the words, everyone on the left and right showed the same relaxed smile that Sima Yi had not seen for a long time.
This time the Shu captives invaded the country, only Feng Thief has not been seen for a long time. It would be a lie to say that everyone is not worried.
There are many people who have participated in the Battle of Xiaoguan and know how powerful this person is.
Nowadays, the people in Guanzhong all say that Feng Thief has been known as the Ghost King for a long time. He has three thousand ghost riders under his command, hungry for human flesh and thirsty for human blood.
He can be regarded as a cunning thieves who can stop the children in Guanzhong from crying at night.
So some people laughed and echoed Da Sima’s words:
"The mountains of Qiaoshan stretch out and there are many dangerous passes. No matter how powerful the cavalry under Feng Thief is, can they still go up the mountains and down the streams as if they are walking on flat ground? Can they still carry siege equipment across the desert?"
“At the end of the day, the general Guan Feng has abandoned his own strength and wants to attack the place that Da Sima has prepared for. I’m afraid he will suffer a lot!”
"Hahaha…"
Everyone laughed.
"I think Feng Thief wanted to imitate Huo Qubing from the Han Dynasty. He also didn't think about it. How can the Xiongnu compare with the Wei Dynasty? What they did to each other, I think they are trying to be like a tiger, but they are like a dog!" "
Sima Yi did not stop everyone.
After all, these days, the generals have been worried about where Thief Feng will come from, and their emotions are somewhat depressed.
Let everyone laugh and talk at this time, which can be regarded as a morale booster.
Only after everyone had finished laughing, Sima Yi reminded:
“This time Feng Thief crossed the desert without losing any time and was able to echo Zhuge Liang’s army. This shows that his leadership is truly outstanding.”
“Therefore, although we are well prepared this time, we must not be careless and underestimate this person.”
Hearing Sima Yi’s words, someone suggested:
“Da Sima, shall we send more reinforcements to Qiaoshan to support General Guo?”
Sima Yi shook his head:
"Feng Thief has led the army south, and his intention has been revealed. If Qiaoshan is unprepared, we will let him succeed. Now that Qiaoshan is prepared, why worry?"
"No matter what, our main enemy is the 100,000-strong army led by Zhuge Liang on the other side. As long as Zhuge Liang is not given an opportunity to take advantage of it, the Feng thief in the north will be like a rootless tree with no worries."
Zhuge Liang's army to invade Guanzhong this time should be fifty or sixty thousand strong.
Coupled with the auxiliary soldiers and civilians, it is not an exaggeration to say that he has a hundred thousand people.
Since Zhuge Liang went west to Wuzhangyuan, he has been setting up the camp in a leisurely manner.
After setting up camp, they have been cutting down bamboo trees recently, seemingly to build water-crossing equipment.
At the same time, news came that the Shu captives planned to recruit local refugees and people to open up wasteland.
In Sima Yi’s view, Zhuge Liang was making a double plan:
First, if the Feng thief succeeds, he will definitely take the opportunity to cross the water and have a decisive battle with himself.
Second, if Feng thief fails, he plans to camp on the other side and face a long-term confrontation with himself.
Thinking of this, Sima Yi couldn't help but sighed:
"I think the Ge thieves are very determined to seize Guanzhong! It is better to be cautious."
At this time, someone below was heard saying:
"Da...Da Sima, you have to say that if you defend for a long time, you will lose. In the previous battle, I...our army was on guard, because we didn't know where Feng's thieves came from."
"Now that Feng's thieves have appeared, the Shu captives' intentions are clear. They have fewer troops than the Wei, but they advance in three directions. This is really a taboo among military strategists."
As soon as these words came out, Sima Yi looked at the source of the sound and couldn't help but say "Huh".
It turned out that the speaker was none other than Deng Ai, who was standing in the corner.
When Deng Ai saw Da Sima paying attention to him, he became excited and his stuttering became more serious:
"Shu...Shu...Shu captives look like they are taking the initiative this time, but in fact, none of the three routes can communicate with each other and they are fighting on their own."
"And we, the Wei Dynasty, not only have more soldiers than the other, but can also help each other in time. This is a great disadvantage to our enemies, but it is also a great advantage to us."
After saying so much, he finally took a breath and concluded:
"Therefore, in Ai...Ai...Ai's view, as long as we can mobilize our troops and defeat the enemy on one road, we will lose the rest of the way."
Deng Ai was promoted by Sima Yi in an unusual way.
The reason is that he has achieved great results in farming in Guanzhong in the past few years and provided a large amount of food for the Guanzhong army.
At the same time, this is also the confidence that Sima Yi has not worried after seeing that Zhuge Liang plans to rely on Wuzhangyuan and may confront him for a long time.
It's just that the fields return to the fields, and the wars start fighting.
From beginning to end, Deng Ai basically achieved some negligible military exploits while cleaning up the barbarian tribes in Beidi County.
So he could enter Sima Yi's tent to discuss matters, and everyone would not say much for the sake of Sima Yi and the food supply.
How would you have thought that this guy standing in the last corner would dare to get ahead of everyone and propose a military proposal to Da Sima?
Someone sarcastically said on the spot:
“Ai has not yet stated how many Ai there are, how dare you talk about military affairs?”
So many people snickered.
Deng Ai's face turned red with anger and he said loudly:
"There is a saying in "The Analects of Confucius: Wei Zi": Feng Xi Feng Xi! Isn't this a phoenix? Zhou Chang of the past Han Dynasty could not be described for a period of time, but Xiao He and Cao Shen both humbled him. The emperor of the Han Dynasty was afraid of him, and Empress Lu knelt down to thank him. .”
“Zhou Chang can control the period, why can’t I use Ai Ai?”
As soon as these words came out, everyone was speechless.
Sima Yi was even more surprised when he heard this.
Just seeing the disdain on the faces of the generals, Sima Yi's heart moved and he coughed:
"Okay, I have already made plans, so there is no need for us to argue too much, so as not to damage the harmony."
When the generals saw that Da Sima Du was speaking like this, it was hard to say anything else.
They did not expect that after the military meeting was over, Sima Yi had people quietly summon Deng Ai back:
“All the generals in the army have either achieved many military exploits or are of high rank, but you are the only one who has neither achieved military exploits nor comes from a wealthy family, so you will inevitably be ostracized by others.”
“Now if you want to change other people’s minds, the only way other than fighting with them is to achieve more military exploits, do you understand?”
When Deng Ai was in Runan, an elder from the same county saw that his family was poor and had a lot of money, but he did not express any gratitude at first.
It can be seen from this that Deng Ai is really a proud and arrogant person.
After he was promoted unexpectedly by Sima Yi, the generals in the army disliked him, and he never thought of getting along well with others.
Hence, his relationship with his colleagues in the military was not good.
Hearing Sima Yi’s private words of encouragement at this time, Deng Ai was so moved that he couldn’t help but challenge for a fight:
“If Da Sima intends to fight the Ge thieves, Ai is willing to be the vanguard and lead the way for Da Sima!”
Sima Yi smiled and patted his shoulder:
"Hundreds of thousands of troops are stalemate across the water. How can it be decided in a single battle? This is what this reckless man did. If there is disharmony, wouldn't he be a sinner of the country?"
When the world was first in chaos, the princes fought in a melee, which was mostly just a random fight. Even whichever side had more brave men would be the stronger one.
But as we get to the back, the battle between the two armies becomes more and more focused on military strategy.
Because of the random fighting, those who did not follow a strategy disappeared in the chaos of the war, or became the minions of the hero.
Just like the current confrontation between the Wei and Shu armies, it seems calm, but in fact it is just testing the opponent's patience.
If you are patient enough, neither party will reveal any flaws due to impatience.
The next step is to attack and defend on a small scale to find out the possible shortcomings of the opponent.
Even when the two armies engage in a large-scale battle, five points of their strength must be reserved for defense, so as not to fall into an uncontrollable situation once defeated.
In Sima Yi's opinion, Cao Zhen just didn't realize this and was still trapped in Emperor Wu's thoughts when he was campaigning in all directions. He wanted to defeat him in one battle, but Feng Yong seized the opportunity and defeated him in one blow.
If you were a country idiot here, you would summarize:
In fact, as the military quality of soldiers improves, war becomes more formalized.
Sima Yi felt that Deng Ai was a talent that could be developed, so he briefly told him his own experience.
As the Grand Sima, Deng Ai was even more moved when he personally explained to himself the key points of the confrontation between the two armies.
“Therefore, I am afraid that for a while, we may not be able to use the vanguard here.”
Sima Yi concluded one last sentence, then paused and looked at Deng Ai:
“But what you just said in the account seems to me to be somewhat reasonable.”
"Now that Feng Thief has appeared, the intentions of the Shu captives are obvious. Our army has more soldiers than the Shu captives. Just by defending, it is inevitable that people will say that they fear Shu as a tiger."
“It’s better to find ways to take the initiative to find loopholes in the enemy.”
Deng Ai was very excited when he heard that Da Sima actually agreed with him.
Seeing this, Sima Yi smiled slightly:
"In my opinion, it is difficult to find Zhuge Liang's omissions. If not, what would Shi Zai think?"
(End of this chapter)