Chapter 977 God’s Will
There is a saying in "Sun Tzu: Marching Chapter": When a guest comes from afar, do not welcome him into the water. It is beneficial to attack him with only a half attack.
Welcoming them into the water will only cause the enemy to retreat in the face of difficulties and will not be able to effectively annihilate the enemy.
When half of the enemy is ashore and half is still crossing the water, it is a dilemma. When the enemy is not connected from head to tail, he is most likely to be defeated.
Not only Zhuge Liang understood this truth, but Sima Yi also understood it.
The Wugong Water is neither wide nor deep enough. Sima Yi knew that it was impossible to block Zhuge Liang on the other side with the Wugong Water alone.
So he kept attacking Meng Yan's camp on the east bank, trying to keep Meng Yan in the narrow strip of the river bank, in order to create the most favorable conditions for the subsequent half-crossing attack.
Zhuge Liang, on the other hand, has been unwilling to cross the water on a large scale when Meng Yan had not established a firm foothold and had not expanded enough forward camps.
This time, letting Wei Yan lead the troops across the water actually meant that Wei Yan was allowed to expand the frontier and consolidate the camp on the east bank.
The 10,000 elite soldiers had not crossed the halfway point, and the camp on the east bank had already become a little crowded.
In the midst of the commotion, Meng Yan came over in a hurry:
“General Wei, the thieves are coming!”
When Wei Yan heard this, he was not surprised but overjoyed:
"If the thieves hide behind the barrier, I don't have any good solution. Now they dare to come, which is exactly what I want."
"General Meng will stop for a while, and I will arrive soon after I gather the soldiers."
At this moment, we no longer waited for the remaining soldiers who had not crossed the water, but just asked people to gather the more than 3,000 people who had reached the shore to prepare to meet the enemy.
The sound of war drums has already sounded in front.
The Han army's crossbow arrows shot out like locusts. The Wei army who came forward with large spears shouted loudly and moved very quickly. They had already arrived two hundred steps in front of the Han army's formation.
The camp on the east bank is already a bit narrow. At this time, the soldiers who have crossed the water have to form a formation in a hurry. The soldiers who have not yet crossed the water have no choice but to postpone.
Seeing this, Wei Yan called for the soldiers to assemble and cursed: "Damn old thief Sima!"
Before he could all assemble, there were already shouts of killing from the front.
The first wave of Wei troops had already been in close combat with Meng Yan's former army.
Wei Yan was furious and stood on his horse with a sword:
“Follow me to kill the thief!”
Three thousand soldiers followed, rushing out of the camp gate like a whirlwind.
“Sir, let the children go forward and charge into the battle. Your Majesty will organize the army at the rear and defeat the enemy in one fell swoop!”
Wei Yan's son Wei Chang saw that his master was going to fight in person. He was so frightened that he quickly pulled Wei Yan's horse's head and asked for a battle.
Wei Yan glanced ahead and found that Meng Yanshang could still hold on, so he nodded.
He looked around the battlefield again, pointed to the right and said:
"Take a hundred cavalry with you, attack from the flank, and go to test it. Don't go deep."
)
Wei Yan's timely reinforcements boosted the morale of Meng Yan in the front, and he pushed back the first wave of Wei army's offensive with one go.
Wei Chang then led more than a hundred cavalry to intercept and kill them from the flanks. The Wei army was defeated and returned to the main formation, leaving more than 200 wounded soldiers and corpses behind.
Sima Yi, who saw this scene from a distance, was not angry but happy, and laughed:
"I think the soldiers who crossed the water are all rare elites. It seems that he is in a hurry to cross the water!"
Niu Jin couldn’t wait to say:
“Da Sima, the last general invites you to fight!”
Sima Yi twitched his beard and smiled:
“No hurry, no hurry!”
At present, they continued to send soldiers and attacked from all sides in turn. Although they were all repelled by Meng Yan and Wei Yan, the Han army also had no time to consolidate the camp.
Zhuge Liang was sitting in a wheelchair, overlooking the battlefield on the Wuzhang Plain, listening to the sound of war drums coming from the east bank, his face calm.
On the other hand, Yang Yi was a little dissatisfied:
“Prime Minister, it’s almost half a day, but ten thousand elite soldiers have only made it halfway across. Could it be that Wei Yan was frustrated at the front?”
Zhuge said nothing, looked up at the sky, and asked:
“What time is it now?”
“Return to the prime minister and tell the time.”
“Shenshi? Why is it starting to get dark already?”
Yang Yi was speechless.
Prime Minister, I am talking to you about Wei Yan. What does it have to do with whether the sky is dark or not?
At this moment, a guard was heard shouting:
“Prime Minister, General Wei has sent someone to report!”
“Get people to come over.”
The messenger who came trotting over looked happy:
"Prime Minister, General Wei killed nearly a thousand enemies, including three hundred armored thieves! General Wei said that only five thousand elite soldiers are enough to defeat the Wei thieves, not ten thousand!"
The messenger's words hit Yang Yi in the face, making Yang Yi feel like his face was burning.
On the other hand, when the Prime Minister heard the good news, his face was calm and he just said "hmm".
As long as five thousand is not ten thousand, it means that even if Wei Yan achieved a small victory, he was afraid that he could not achieve the purpose of crossing the water.
Obviously, Sima Yi had a premeditated plan.
Although the Wei army seemed to have suffered a slight defeat, it successfully held Wei Yan back in place.
Thinking of this, a gloom flashed across Zhuge Liang's eyes.
But when he saw the smile on the messenger's face and the desire in his eyes, he couldn't help but smile again and said warmly:
"Very good, go back and tell your general that you have made a contribution this time. Wei Gong, prepare some wine and meat and send them to the other side to reward the soldiers."
When Yang Yi heard this, she felt that her face was as hot as a fire.
He only responded in a low voice and left in a hurry.
There are rules for camping in the army. Since Wei Yan said that ten thousand people are not needed, it means that the camp on the other side cannot accommodate the five thousand people who have not yet crossed the water.
But today is the first day for Wei Yan to cross the water. A small victory is a good sign. No matter how anxious you are, you have to wait and see in a few days.
So Zhuge Liang asked the remaining soldiers to be on guard along the coast. As soon as Wei Yan made progress, he would immediately cross the water to support him.
After arranging all this, the sky has darkened.
Zhuge Liang only ate half a bowl of rice and lost his appetite.
Since the Northern Expedition, due to the numerous affairs in the military and the irregular schedule, his old illness has shown signs of relapse.
Fortunately, I brought the powder with me, so it was no big deal for the time being.
After dinner, the Prime Minister did not stay up late and lay down early to rest.
What people didn’t expect was that in the middle of the night, there was a red flash in the distance, like a dark night cloth being lifted up, revealing a large piece of blood-like light.
A few breaths later, a huge thunder rumbled.
The thunder has not subsided, and there are several more lightning bolts extending in all directions in the shape of strange tree branches, cutting the entire sky into pieces.
Zhuge Liang was awakened by the thunder. He stood up, put on his clothes and walked out of the handsome tent, and looked up.
At this time, the lightnings were already coming one after another, shining brightly on the sky and the earth.
The camp suddenly became bright like day in the lightning, and suddenly fell into the endless darkness.
After a while, the strong wind carried the heavy rain, pouring down like a waterfall.
The prime minister returned to the commander's tent and lit the candles. At this time, his face was so gloomy that it was almost dripping with water.
“Come here!”
“Prime Minister!”
“Go and call the general to come.”
After a while, Guan Xing, wearing armor, raised his tent and entered:
“Prime Minister, do you have something to give me?”
“Are you patrolling the camp tonight?”
“Exactly.”
Zhuge Liang saw Guan Xing wearing a sword and armor, thinking that he must be doing his duty wholeheartedly. He nodded and said:
"I think this heavy rain may not stop for a while. The Wuzhang Plain is high ground, so don't worry about anything happening."
"But there are still nearly ten thousand soldiers by the Wugong River. Take my military talisman and go to check. If there are any camped in low-lying areas, arrange to move the camp to prevent the soldiers from getting sick."
“No!”
As Guan Xing left the tent door, a burst of cool water vapor drifted in. The sudden dampness made the prime minister suddenly cover his mouth and cough several times.
After all this trouble, he could no longer sleep.
He fumbled for his reading glasses and began to read military official documents.
Just after a while, Zhuge Liang raised his head again and listened to the sound of rain outside.
Sometimes I stand up, walk to the door, and look up at the sky where I can see nothing.
This night seems to be endless.
Because of the rain, even at dawn, the sky is still dark and misty.
Zhuge Liang finally lost his temper and was about to send someone out to ask, when he saw Guan Xing coming in dripping wet: "Prime Minister!"
As soon as the prime minister saw it, he quickly took two steps forward and asked anxiously: "How are you doing in the army?"
"Nothing happened in the army." Guan Xing was dripping with rain all over his body, with a look of anxiety on his face: "But the rain is really heavy. I think the martial arts level is much higher than before."
When the prime minister heard this, his heart sank.
The thing he was most worried about happened.
“No, I want to go and see for myself!”
"Prime Minister, no!" Guan Xing quickly dissuaded him, "The rain is too heavy, and your health is not good. If you really want to be prepared, where can you put the whole army?"
Zhuge Liang was just impatient for a moment, and he naturally knew his current physical condition clearly.
Hearing Guan Xing's words, he took out a breath to calm down.
Looking at Guan Xing who looked worried again, the Prime Minister smiled:
“Anguo, you’ve been tired after a long night. Go back early and have a good rest. Remember to drink hot **** water to drive away the cold to avoid catching a cold.”
“Also, let Xingwu (Zhang Bao) guard the waterside today. If there is any situation, he must inform me immediately.”
“No!”
After Guan Xing left, Zhuge Liang put away the smile on his face, walked to the door of the handsome tent, looked at the pouring rain that did not weaken at all, and murmured:
Huntian, if this Northern Expedition succeeds and your Majesty can return to the old capital, I, Zhuge Kongming, am willing to reduce Yangshou...
A stunning flash of light broke through the rain, followed by a thunderclap that shook the earth.
As if angry at a certain prime minister's rogueness: How can you shorten your life span?
When Haotian gets angry, it rains harder.
The accumulated water flowing down from Taibai Mountain rushed into Wugong Water, causing Wugong Water to surge again.
The bridge piles that were originally nailed to the shore have been submerged in the water until only a little tip is left. A wave of water rushed over and the shaky pontoon finally spread apart.
The bamboo raft was washed away by the rapids and began to fall into pieces, and then crashed into another pontoon downstream.
“Crash!”
I don’t know which bamboo raft is the upstream pontoon bridge and which bamboo raft is the downstream pontoon bridge. They are all rolling together and continuing to rush downward...
“Prime Minister, the pontoon bridge can’t hold up any longer!”
Zhuge Liang visibly swayed after receiving the news.
There was another lightning strike outside, and I found that the rain started at some point and had become lighter.
Zhuge Liang looked at the sky sadly, with no sadness or joy on his face:
“Immediately ask the army to cut down bamboo and wood to build rafts. Then we will see how many unused rafts there are in the army, and we will find a way to build a boat bridge immediately.”
“No!”
After arranging everything, Zhuge Liang looked at the gloomy sky and suddenly smiled, with sadness hidden in his laughter:
“God’s will, God’s will!”
The movement of heaven is constant. It does not exist for Yao, nor does it perish for Jie.
This season is originally the rainy season in Qinling Mountains.
I think back then, it was at this time that Cao Zhen sent troops south to invade Hanzhong, and was trapped in the mountains by rain for more than a month.
Unexpectedly, I was also trapped by the rain.
Thinking of this, Zhuge Liang couldn't help but sigh.
Compared to Zhuge Liang’s sigh, Sima Yi was extremely excited.
Especially after he learned from Tan Ma that the pontoon on Wugong Water was destroyed, he ran out of the tent barefooted, regardless of the drizzle outside, stepped into the muddy water, stretched out his arms, looked up at the sky, and laughed:
“Heaven helps me, God helps me!”
Yesterday, the Han army had no time to dig a camp. Now it rained heavily for a long time and a night, and the ground was muddy, which made it even more difficult to set up camp.
Not to mention that the whole army was crowded on the shore, and I don’t know if the camp was flooded?
Sima Yi was thinking about it, and regardless of his own manners, he immediately ordered:
“Niujin!”
“The end is here!”
"You immediately bring five thousand elite soldiers and prepare to attack the bandit camp. I will arrive soon with my elite cavalry."
“No!”
The situations he can think of, Zhuge Liang can think of even more.
Now maybe Zhuge Liang has asked someone to find a way to build the pontoon bridge again.
The Wei Dynasty wants to take advantage of this good opportunity given by God to annihilate the enemy in one fell swoop!
Before the rain stopped completely, Sima Yi could not wait to lead tens of thousands of infantry and cavalry towards the Han army on the east bank.
The drizzle blocked the view, but fortunately the Han army had a secret artifact, and they could see the Wei army planning a surprise attack from a distance.
“General, the thieves are attacking!”
The water surface rose sharply due to heavy rain, which not only washed away the pontoon bridge, but also submerged part of the camp, putting the Han army at a disadvantage.
Wei Yan was in the middle of a fire. When he heard that the Wei thieves were attacking, he was furious:
“Beat the drums to meet the enemy!”
“Crash!”
“Crash!”
The gate of the village was wide open, and the Han soldiers stepped on the muddy water and began to form formation.
This forced the Wei army, who originally wanted to take advantage of the poor sight to launch a surprise attack, to stop and face the enemy head-on.
Zhuge Liang on the west bank could naturally see the movements of the Wei army clearly.
Arbowmen are arrayed on the shore, ready to support friendly forces on the other side.
Before the battle started on the front, the Jingqi sent by Sima Yi to sneak attack from both wings were shot down.
“Zhuge Liang is indeed well prepared! Attack!”
“Drink! Drink! Drink!”
The first wave of attacks by the Wei army began.
At the same time, the Han army also seized the time to build a pontoon bridge.
It’s just that the usual method of building a bridge is not easy to use at this time. The current is too fast, and the connected raft bridge cannot be placed directly on the other side by using the current.
The thick rope must be pulled to the other side and firmly fixed before it can be laid.
“Put a few more rafts in and be sure to pull the bridge rope over!”
Zhang Bao's face was full of anxiety. He shouted loudly and wanted to do it himself.
The bridge rope is already thick and heavy, and becomes even heavier after being soaked in water. Coupled with the current, it requires a lot of strength to pull it across.
At this critical moment, someone came running over:
“General, there is still a bridge over there that has not been completely washed away, and the bridge ropes are still there!”
Getting this good news, Zhang Bao was overjoyed:
“Great! Take me to see it quickly!”
With the help of this broken bridge, the soldiers quickly re-strengthened the pile heads.
While just laying the bridge, we soon encountered new difficulties:
The current is too fast and it is difficult to fix the raft, and if it is fixed like before, it may still be washed away by the flowing water.
“Call Wen Shi from the engineering camp to come over!”
Zhang Bao shouted.
Wenshi came running quickly.
“Find a way!” Zhang Bao pointed to the pontoon bridge being built, “How to fix it?”
Unknown whether it was because he was nervous or because there was too much rain on his head, Wen Shi wiped his face and remained silent for a while.
“I’ll let you figure it out!”
Zhang Bao said sharply.
There was a faint cry of killing coming from the other side, which made Zhang Bao feel angry.
“General, unless you are driving bridge stakes in the water.”
"how to spell?"
“We braid bamboo shoots, put stones inside, and then sink them into the water. They can be used as temporary bridge piles. It is impossible for this small amount of water to wash them away.”
This method of building bridges is recorded in the engineering camp’s unique teaching materials.
This method of building bridges is specially used for rapid water.
However, the engineering battalion has only tested this method and has never used it in actual combat.
Logically speaking, water such as martial arts water cannot be used at all.
After all, this method is more troublesome than an ordinary pontoon, so Wenshi didn’t think of using it at the beginning.
And who could have expected that the martial arts water would turn into this overnight?
“Okay! You take the engineering battalion to do it right away. If it’s done, I’ll give you a credit!”
“No!”
“General, the Prime Minister has sent people over, saying that he is preparing to withdraw his troops and return to the West Bank!”
Wei Yan, who was commanding the enemy, heard this and immediately said angrily: "Retreat the troops, retreat the troops. We finally got here, and you want to retreat again?"
“Boom!”
The thunder sounded again.
But this time, it was not thunder from the sky, but thunder from the ground.
The Wei army's elite cavalry is increasing its speed.
(End of this chapter)