Chapter 3316 A small discovery under Wenxi City
At the foot of Wenxi City, Zhang Xiu fought Cao's army away.
Defeat, not completely annihilation.
Zhang Xiu also wanted to wipe out all of them, but when the human and horsepower were exhausted, he did not choose to chase Yu Yong to the Qiang Bandit, but began to clean up the end of the city under Wenxi.
During the cold weapon war, the cruelty and primitive nature of the war required a more precise control of military tactics and force management. Total annihilation of enemy troops, that is, to completely eliminate the opponent's combat effectiveness, is an extremely arduous task. This not only requires precise strategic deployment, but also involves direct comparison of the military strength of both the enemy and us.
To achieve this strategic goal, usually the attacking party needs to have at least the same force as the enemy. This means that if the enemy has a certain number of soldiers, then you need at least the same number or even more soldiers to ensure that you can form pressure in the battle and ultimately achieve victory. The reason is that combat in the cold weapon era often relies on direct confrontation of soldiers, and the combat power of each soldier is real and cannot achieve multiplied power through high-tech weapons like modern warfare.
If the number of troops can exceed the opponent's number, it means that local advantages can be formed at certain key combat points, and through means such as surrounding, flanking attacks, or concentrating superior forces to break through the enemy's weak defense lines, thereby increasing the possibility of annihilation of the enemy. However, even if the troops exceed the opponent, there are many uncertainties, such as terrain, weather, army morale, commander's ability, etc., which may affect the final battle situation.
And there is another very critical issue, that is, if you want to wipe out the enemy completely, it means that it may last longer. Because of the lack of effective long-range killing weapons and fast communication methods, each battle requires soldiers to fight at close range, which is time-consuming and labor-intensive. The enemy may resist fiercely when facing a desperate situation, which will also increase the losses of the attacking party.
Therefore, for most of the children of the gentry who were in the rear and had never been on the battlefield, the word "total annihilation" undoubtedly touched their G-spot and stimulated them, but in actual wars, specific situations still need to be analyzed.
Although Zhang Xiu has the possibility of completely annihilated the road moves in theory, in the specific implementation process, it cannot be denied that this is a process full of variables, requiring high-level strategic arrangements, strict tactical execution and continuous adjustment and response. In many cases, even if the enemy is successfully annihilated, his own side will often pay a huge price, which is also an unavoidable cruel reality in the war in the era of cold weapons.
Cao's army retreated, leaving behind a slightly broken camp and corpses on the ground.
There was still some food and grass in the ruined camp. Zhang Xiu asked the people in Wenxi City to move, and also met Pei Xi who was guarding the city.
Although Zhang Xiu had no good feelings for Pei Xi, there was no sense of friendship between colleagues. Even at the beginning of the battle, Fei Qian was cruelly classified into a combat zone by Fei Qian, but most of the time in the world, heroes are judged by success or failure. Now that Wen Xi can stand firm under Pei Xi's defense, it is worth Zhang Xiu's more respect.
The sun gradually sets westward, dragging out long and short shadows of the human figures on Wenxi City.
What can still move is to be alive.
Outside the camp left by Cao's army, there were many Hussar cavalry with mottled armor.
The doctors in the army were busy walking around, bandaging this one and then slit the wound.
After asking about some of the situation in the city, Zhang Xiu understood that the situation in Wenxi City was not optimistic. But he had no good idea. Most of the remaining supplies in Cao Jun camp were distributed to Wenxi, and Pei Xi could not ask for more supplies and help.
Zhang Xiu looked at the soldiers who were receiving treatment outside the camp for a moment, and suddenly said to Pei Xi: "The wounded warriors in the city can also be sent to the military camp for treatment."
Pei Xi bowed, "Thank you, General."
The two were silent for a moment.
Yes, that's all that's left...
There are soldiers, armor, swords and guns everywhere in the wilderness. Although some are damaged, many of them are still useful, and these things are not needed in Wenxi City.
That's right, neither the abandoned equipment nor the corpse was what both sides of the war wanted.
War, which has been accompanied by the shadow of human civilization since ancient times, often runs contrary to the essential needs of human survival. In the smoke of war, the weapons, ruins and sufferings that have been created are not necessary to maintain people's lives. However, human history has always repeatedly competed for resources, power or ideas through extreme methods such as war, so more things that originally did not exist were produced in this process.
Including but not limited to destroyed towns, broken families, lost lives, physical and mental trauma, and those cold weapons and equipment.
None of these things is really needed by humans in order to survive.
On the contrary, these things often represent a living environment of pain, sadness and turbulence.
But humans have chosen to use war to resolve disputes and fight for the so-called "interest". Behind this contradictory behavior is complex and intertwined desires, fears, pursuit of power and desire for resources.
When Fei Qian finally headed for a different path from Shandong, the political irreconcilability naturally led to the inevitable outbreak of the war between Fei Qian and Cao Cao.
During the war, whether it was Wenxi's people, these civilians from Hedong, or the soldiers under Zhang Xiu and Lu Zhao, they were actually consumables of the war.
Pei Xi did not accuse Zhang Xiu for not coming to rescue him earlier, nor did Zhang Xiu say why Wen Xi did not receive any rewards for the cow wine.
Pei Xi looked at Zhang Xiu. He originally thought that Zhang Xiu would appear arrogant after winning, and he acted like Wen Xi's life-saving benefactor to shout.
But Zhang Xiu did not. Instead, he first asked about the situation in Wenxi City, and then asked someone to send the supplies to the city. He then said that he could treat the slandered soldiers in the city...
This made Pei Xi's heart jump again and again.
It’s not that Pei Xi has a tendency to change his mind, but Pei Xi found that Zhang Xiu was not simple and had gradually separated from a purely brave general and moved towards a commander.
Although there are not many and the methods are very immature, they are two different concepts after all.
Zhang Xiu is like this, what about the other generals under the command of the cavalry?
If these generals can get on horseback and kill the enemy and dismount to govern the people, then how much space do they have to live?
"When will the general leave?" Pei Xi suddenly asked after a moment of silence.
Zhang Xiu was a little surprised, "How did Wenxing know that someone was leaving?"
Pei Xi turned around and looked at Wenxi's city with a wry smile on his face.
Wen Xi was close to him. In addition to the battle marks, what was left was various burnt siege tools and rotten corpses mixed in the mound.
The blood and bones were exposed, attracting groups of scavenging birds and beasts.
These rotten birds and beasts did not avoid people at all. They stared at the remaining people who were still alive with blood-red eyes, as if they were silently asking or scolding, "When will you die? Why haven't you died yet?"
Cao's army came, cut down trees and burned the forest.
Most of the water sources around Wenxi are also polluted.
Herbivorous animals either ran away or died.
The remaining scavengers are still caring in the doomsday.
Zhang Xiu nodded, "Wenxing guessed well. Here... I will return to Emei Ridge in about two days."
『What's more...』 Zhang Xiu raised his head slightly and pointed to the remaining Hedong people who were numb like walking corpses.『It is inappropriate for these people to stay here...』
The water was contaminated, and when the rotten meat rotted into bones, it gradually recovered.
The city wall was dug and collapsed, and when the earth was rammed and tiled again, there was no sign of incompleteness.
What about human life?
How many people died in the city, and how many people died outside the city?
It was not until this moment that Zhang Xiu suddenly realized.
He used to think that Fei Qian's letters to him were to learn Zhao Yun's tactical skills, but now he has a little more indescribable insights, which are those feelings hidden in the darkness of the strokes under the plain letters.
Zhao Yun also took away a lot of people in Youzhou...
Everything is complementary to yin and yang.
The Yuncheng Basin in Hedong is now unable to go back, and can never go back.
The Yuncheng Basin was dominated by the Hedong gentry family. It can be called Guyin or Guyang. Anyone who enters this area will be rejected.
The General of the Cavalry was also rejected back then. Even though he made some moves later, it still did not change the overall environment of the entire Yuncheng Basin.
Now that the lonely yin or lonely yang is greatly damaged, there is a possibility of rebalancing the Yin and Yang.
Therefore, Zhang Xiu must take away these remaining Hedong people and bring them back after the war is quelled in the future.
Pei Xi also understood this, so he asked.
Zhang Xiu glanced at Pei Xi, pondered for a moment, and said, "Wenxing, you can also walk with someone."
Pei Xi frowned slightly, "General, I appreciate it."
『Ha,』 Zhang Xiu added, 『I mean to take the people in the city with you...Cao's army may come."
『Let go together?』 Pei Xi was stunned.
Zhang Xiu nodded, "As for the situation in front of him, it's not good to deal with it in less than a year or two, so why don't you abandon it first, otherwise Cao's army will come again, wouldn't it be a good deal for Cao's thief?"
"Cao Army is here again?" Pei Xi's frowns were as deep as a knife. "How did the general know?"
Zhang Xiu said: "I intercepted and killed Cao's grain transport team and found that there were a little more food and grass utensils... It was wrong no matter how you calculate it, so there were probably Cao's army coming later..."
The troops and horses are going to move forward before they move their food and grass. This is not a simple slogan.
The importance of logistical support in war preparation is crucial to the success of any military operation.
If Zhang Xiu was just an ordinary general, then perhaps he was only satisfied with destroying the enemy's grain transport team, burning up how many grains and supplies, and killing many Cao army soldiers. Just like that Li Er, he was thinking about how many merits he could get, and he rarely thought about why.
On the chessboard of war, the way of each move is related to the outcome of the entire battle situation.
First of all, Cao Cao is not a fool, and Cao's army is not as good as food and grass that is so much that there is no place to use it.
Food and grass are the lifeline of the army and the source of motivation for soldiers to fight.
In the era of cold weapons, the victory of a war often depends on the long-term combat effectiveness of the army, and the basis of all this is sufficient supply of food and grass. If the food and grass are not sufficient, morale will be declining and combat effectiveness will be greatly reduced. Therefore, the reserve and transportation of food and grass have become the key factors that determine the outcome of the war.
If we just focus on Wenxi, the Luzhao camp, it is true that Cao's army does not have a lot of food and grass here, but is the Cao army really short of food and grass here? Or, it is worth it. Cao's army specially transports such food and grass?
If Zhang Xiu hadn't tried to observe the details on the battlefield from a higher perspective, he might have brought this problem over.
Food and grass are the first, which means that before the war breaks out, careful planning and layout are needed.
This includes familiarity with the battlefield terrain, assessment of the strength of both the enemy and us, and prediction of the war process.
If we infer it in turn, it is easy to draw a conclusion that Cao's army attaches great importance to Wenxi and specially sent a lot of food and grass, which means that Cao's army will make more actions at Wenxi...
So this time, Zhang Xiu not only wanted to bring back these remaining seeds, but also brought back his own small discovery.
These Hedong civilians who were destroyed by the Cao army survived blood and iron. Even if they did not change their inexplicable emotions towards the Hedong men, they would have a deep hatred for the Cao army. This hatred would be passed on between at least two or three generations, and then they could slowly disappear in the years of peace.
These people who were full of hatred for the Cao army were undoubtedly useful to the lord's great cause.
Similarly, the Wenxi people who survived the attack of Cao's army were also worthy of Zhang Xiu's efforts to win over and help.
But the premise is that the Wenxi people, including Pei Xi, must leave this place and go to Linfen.
"Some...this matter is of great importance, so I have to consider it..."
Pei Xi did not refuse on the spot. He said goodbye to Zhang Xiu and returned to Wenxi City in a daze.
That's right, Zhang Xiu had no intention of entering the city at all, which proves from a certain perspective that Zhang Xiu would not stay here for a long time.
Under dusk, everything in Wenxi City seemed to be stained with a layer of blood.
Everything that was broken was shaking in front of Pei Xi's eyes.
Although the haze of death has been dissipated for the time being, the unique decay of death still lingers over the city.
The extent to which Wenxi was destroyed was extremely amazing.
It can be said that if Zhang Xiu came one step later, Wenxi would inevitably lose his mind.
War, death.
Pei Xi originally thought he had a very good understanding of war, and even when he talked about the strategy of war with others, he had never lost in the debate. When Dong Zhuo was in trouble with Heluo and Li Guo was in trouble with Chang'an, Pei Xi also thought that this was enough to be in chaos and extremely miserable. As a result, at the moment, Wenxi's all this made Pei Xi know what the chaotic world really mean!
Troubled times, troubled times!
In troubled times, this word was often mentioned during the Zhongping period, becoming a feeling that represents the children of the gentry worrying about the country and the people.
In their study, in literary gatherings, in restaurants, and outings, they expressed their feelings about the troubled times, imagining the chaos and tragedy, and then lamenting, as if they had seen the troubled times. However, this feeling mostly comes from reverie, from dissatisfaction with reality, rather than from real experience.
And now, in front of Pei Xi, what is truly the scene of a "chaotic world"!
Those tragic scenes that once only existed in books suddenly became the reality in front of you.
The city was destroyed, the villages were burned, the people were displaced, and hunger and death were accompanied by shadows. On the streets, there were no longer bustling markets, but the tears and blood of refugees. In the ditches, there were no longer clear water, but rotten plasma and residual bones. In the sky, there were no longer peaceful doves, but carrageful crows and vultures.
Such a scene is unimaginable and endorsable for literati and poets who could only express the troubled times in books before. How can their brushwork depict such a tragic situation? How can their poems express such grief? How can their spirits accept such impact?
In the chaotic times, all the feelings turned into powerless shouts.
When watching the people around him fall down in the war, listening to the children crying in hunger, smelling the burning smell of burning flesh and blood, the god of death grinned in the air, and the devil danced in the smoke of gunpowder, the "chaotic times" that Pei Xi had previously thought were just as ridiculous as children thought that adults were playing every day and didn't have to learn.
When the danger passed, this spiritual impact did not dissipate. On the contrary, it was deeply imprinted in the depths of Pei Xi's soul like a sequelae. Pei Xi began to reflect on why there were such a chaotic world? Why did human nature become so ugly in war? Why was Hedong so fragile?
Pei Xi walked slowly and watched.
Inside and outside Wenxi City, there is a smell of corpse smell everywhere, but now there is no one to bury these dead souls.
Because I have to eat first.
The remaining people in Wenxi City and the soldiers who survived the city were lucky enough to survive, have found the broken copper pots and crock pots in the city, and are busy cooking them. It seems that only by eating them like this can we distinguish ourselves from the rotten birds and beasts outside the city.
In the face of cruel hunger and fatigue, a person's sense of smell is a younger brother.
Pei Xi saw a soldier guarding the city. After getting the food, he fell asleep without taking a few bites, regardless of where he was, whether on the street or on the edge of rubble.
Pei Xi pointed.
The guard knew it and stepped forward to wake up the soldier.
No matter what, you have to eat first before sleeping, otherwise you may not wake up after being extremely tired.
Pei Xi looked at the soldier and suddenly had some insights.
Yes, if there is no new food, you will not wake up sooner or later. These people in Yuncheng, Hedong have been at the bottom of the well for too long, and have even forgotten that the world has changed...
"Send the order. Prepare to abandon the city."
After the guards came back, Pei Xi said slowly.
It is not easy to make such a decision, especially leaving your hometown and hometown.
Chapter completed!