Yang Gongqing spread out the map on the table and saw that Luoshui crosses the middle. The upper part of the map is close to the Yellow River that flows parallel to Luoshui. The eastern capital of Luoyang is represented by a blackened square and is placed at the western end of Luoshui. Going eastward are
The last two of Yanshi, Luokou, Hulao and Yingyang were built next to Fanshui and Suoshui respectively. The three rivers Luo, Fan and Suo were connected by the Yellow River.
Kou Zhong, Xu Ziling, Wang Xuanshu, and Linglongjiao, who were watching around the table, were all studying it attentively.
Time is running out and the enemy army is coming at any time. No one dares to take it lightly.
Kou Zhong pointed to the Peugeot that represented the city slightly north between Dongdu and Yanshi and said: Li Mi's army is gathered here. Li Mi is indeed cunning because the distance from Jin Yong's army to attack Dongdu or Yanshi is not that big.
It is difficult to predict where he will attack or whether his troops will split into two groups.
Wang Xuanshu said: This is the reason why I want to station heavy troops in Yanshi. If Li Mi dares to attack the eastern capital, our troops in Yanshi will put him in the dilemma of being attacked from both sides. At the same time, we will threaten the safety of Hulao and Luokou to the east.
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Yang Gongqing said: Therefore, if Yanshi loses the eastern capital, it will completely lose its eastern base. Li Mi will not have to worry about rear defense and supply issues and can attack the eastern capital with all his strength. Therefore, whether Yanshi can be defended is really the key to success or failure.
Linglongjiao reiterated Kou Zhong's speculation and said: If he divides his troops into two groups and cooperates with the Dugu Clan's internal forces to attack Luoyang as the main force and surround Yanshi as his deputy, how should we deal with it?
Yang Gongqing asserted: If Xuanyong's information is correct, Li Mi will never be able to launch an offensive of this scale. It is already quite good that the Dugu clan and Yang Tong can protect the palace for two more days. Even if they want to cooperate internally and externally, they are powerless. What's more, they only hope
Lord Shangshu and Li Mi were both in danger. How could they be so stupid as to lure a wolf into the house? So I was not worried about Dongdu.
Xu Ziling pointed to a hundred-mile-long mountain range across the north of Jinyong City and said: What kind of mountain is this?
Yang Gongqing said: This is the Laojun Temple in Mangshan Kefeng, which is the top of one of the mountains called Cuiyun Peak.
Kou Zhongdao: Li Mi is indeed cunning. Jinyong City is backed by Mang Mountain, so he has no worries. If we march to Jinyong, he can ambush a surprise force in the mountain and kill us unexpectedly.
Yang Gongqing said: Not only that, if he needs to abandon Jin Yong, he can cross the Mang Mountain and cross the river to retreat to Heyang, an important town in Hebei Province. It is also the logistics base for Li Mi's frontline troops and backup supplies. Strategically, this layout is impeccable.
Therefore, if Li Mi does not take the initiative to attack, there is nothing we can do against him. If we attack Luokou rashly and let him send troops from Jinyong to attack Yanshi, our expeditionary force will only end up being annihilated.
At this time, Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling had a deep understanding of the situation between the enemy and ourselves, and they understood the decisive role that geographical environment played in the war.
Yang Gongqing sighed: Therefore, I fully support Brother Kou's tactic of luring the enemy with weakness. Otherwise, if Li Mi is allowed to go out from the west of the river to force the east capital and lure us from Yanshi's army, and he immediately turns back to Jin Yong, then we will only have to do it.
It is a miracle that we have been able to return to Yanshi so many times and we will be led by him by the nose and we will be exhausted and undefeated.
It was precisely because Kou Zhong had known that Li Mi had such a clever plan that he came up with a weak trick to lure the enemy. However, even if he calculated it, Wang Shichong would not be killed.
Xu Ziling said calmly: If we stick to Yanshi and rely on Li Mi's current strength, will we be able to break the city?
Yang Gongqing said proudly: "How much can Li Mi's wounded and tired soldiers do? As long as there is enough food and grass in the city, I guarantee that the city can be defended and the Wagang bandits will not succeed."
Kou Zhong laughed and said: "The general's words immediately attracted my brother's attention, so he asked us to come up with a clever trick to ask you to burn food."
Wang Xuanshu suddenly said: This is indeed a good plan to lure the enemy. We can transport the fake grain and grass to the military camp on the south bank of the pontoon bridge and make a posture of marching to Luokou immediately. If the enemy thinks that the grain and grass have been successfully burned, they will immediately raise troops to go south. Is this true?
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Kou Zhong shook his head and said: "Second Young Master, there is still one thing he didn't guess right. We want him to burn real food and grass, as long as he leaves enough food and grass for ten days."
Except for Xu Ziling, the three of them were shocked.
Kou Zhongcheng said with certainty: Only by really letting him burn the food and grass can he deceive Li Mi and Shen Luoyan. This is also the method of sinking the boat and fighting against the city to make the people below decide to die.
country.
Yang Gongqing took a deep breath and said: Isn't this too risky?
Kou Zhong said excitedly: "How can we defeat Li Mi, the victorious Pushan Gong, if we can't take risks? It is precisely because no one guessed that we would be so bold that we fell into the trap. As long as we defeat Shan Xiongxin, the main force of Li Mi's march south."
What can those old, weak and remnant soldiers do? At that time, our troops were divided into two groups: one to collect gold and the other to force Luokou to send grain and grass from Dongdu, so we didn’t have to worry about being cut off from supplies!
Yang Gongqing's face suddenly brightened and then darkened, showing that he was hesitant to make a decision.
Xu Ziling said solemnly: "The Eastern Capital now has too much to worry about. If Li Mi adopts the interception method, we will be alone and fall sooner or later due to lack of food and fodder. In this case, if Li Mi is lured to a decisive battle, then we will at least have a chance to win."
Wang Xuanshu reminded everyone with a bloodless face: But there is only one chance.
Yang Gongqing looked up at the beams of the upper room for a while before saying: In the old dynasty, every time Master Li Mi fought, he was defeated not by military strength but by strategy. This time, the only way we can't match the opponent's strength is to rely on good strategy.
Come on! I'll bet with Kou Zhong and Li Mi to see which side God is on.
Wang Xuanshu took two quick breaths to vent his nervousness and asked Kou Zhongdao: Xuanshu is responsible for protecting the grain and the camp. How should this be carried out? Is it deliberate publicity or...
Kou Zhong laughed and said: You have to sing a full set of songs and perform a full set of dances. Only then will the viewers think you are not cheating. Right?
The last sentence was addressed to the exquisite latter who was staring at him, her pretty face flushed slightly, and she lowered her head.
Ever since she expressed her love for Kou Zhong, it was easy for her to fall in love with him.
Wang Xuanshu said: Xuanshu understands. Alas! If this plan had not come from the mouth of a military advisor, Xuanshu would have strongly opposed it.
Xu Ziling said: This matter must not only be carried out with so much care, but also the city defense orders must be strictly enforced in the city and no one can enter or leave the city gate. Unless approved by the general, all soldiers must stay in the camp and wait for orders at night.
A city ban was also implemented.
Yang Gongqing said: It should be that after the grain is removed from the warehouse, it should be filled with other fake goods. I will transfer 20,000 troops to Muzhai in Henan in a posture to attack Luokou.
Kou Zhong said: We should also send archers to stand guard on the city walls. If there are any birds like homing pigeons that want to fly outside the city, they will shoot them down. We should also prevent anyone from sending messages through channels leading outside the city. This can make people believe.
Yang Gongqing smiled and said: Aren't you afraid that the message will be completely cut off?
Kou Zhong smiled bitterly and said: I'm afraid that it would be terrible if Li Mi even burned our remaining food!
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Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling regained their original composure and rode out of the city along the Luo River towards the pontoon bridge.
The sun was setting in the west and the campground on the other side was filled with lights and smoke. Although it seemed peaceful and peaceful on the outside, inside it contained the feeling of being overwhelmed by the impending rain.
Kou Zhong said with a smile: The Yingui sect seems to have suddenly disappeared. I wonder if they want to sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight?
Xu Ziling took a deep breath of the fresh air with the smell of river water and looked across the other bank at the distant mountains with lush green trees.
The Luoshui River passes through Yanshi, and the lower reaches are winding and winding with green mountains. The trees on the banks are beautiful, deep and graceful, and the mountains are blooming with flowers. More than thirty warships docked are like embellishments in a picture.
Kou Zhong said again: "I haven't heard anything about Qin Shubao for a long time. I wonder if he is still working for Li Mi. Don't kill him by mistake."
Xu Ziling finally responded and said: Shen Luoyan knows very well what kind of person Qin Shubao is and knows his relationship with us, so he will never be allowed to participate in this battle. Young Master Zhong can rest assured.
When the two came to the pontoon bridge, they reined up their horses and stopped to let a team of more than fifty mule carts cross the bridge.
Since the pontoon has a certain load limit, only one mule cart can pass at a time.
On both sides of the pontoon, watchtowers with a height of ten feet were built, with sentinels and archers standing guard to monitor and alert.
Kou Zhong said in a low voice: "If Li Mi stays still and doesn't send people to burn the granary, we will simply leave five thousand people in Yanshi. The others will all divide the water into two groups to attack Luokou. Taking advantage of Luokou's weak troops, we can cover our ears with lightning speed." We will seize the city with various tactics; then return to Yanshi calmly to hold back Li Mi. After Li Mi retreats, we will stick to Luokou. This is exactly how Li Mi defeated Yu's cultural heritage.
At that time, Yu Wenhuaji left the baggage in Huatai and led his army to attack Liyang north. Xu Shiji abandoned the defense of Baocang City in the west of Liyang, while Li Mi stationed 20,000 infantry and cavalry in Qingqi. After Yu Wenhuaji occupied Liyang, he divided his troops and surrounded Cangcheng. Li Mi drove and Xu Shiji responded from afar and avoided fighting with deep ditches and high fortresses. However, Ruoyu Wenhua and Li Mi attacked Cangcheng from Qingqi and sent troops to attack his rear, forming a confrontation. It was not until Yu Wenhua and his supplies were exhausted that they defeated Yu by deceiving first and then counterattacking. Culture reaches Tongshan.
Kou Zhong's method is not unworkable, but it must accomplish two things. First, it must defeat Yang Dong's imperial guards and stabilize the eastern capital; secondly, it must cut off the supply lines of Jin Yong and Heyang. The latter is especially difficult to achieve, otherwise at best it will be The situation of confrontation will be even worse if Li Mi recovers his strength.
How could Xu Ziling not know that Kou Zhong was worried about gains and losses? He said decisively: Don't worry! Li Mi will definitely come. And it will be faster than you expect. Because he believed that he had really hit Wang Shichong hard and Dongdu was in chaos at this time. When will you be waiting for updates?
Kou Zhong smiled bitterly and said: No one understands my feelings better than you. The battle of Jingling just happened to happen and the time does not allow you to think about it. But this trip is a battlefield where the battle is formally planned and dispatched. If you lose, Even if you are lucky enough to survive, you will lose all your confidence and don't have to come out again. Victory and defeat are common things for military strategists. They just come to listen to them. Most people are devastated after a defeat, and this time we can't afford to lose. If Li Mi wins the world, it will become In the dispute between the two, others can only stand aside.
Xu Ziling sighed: Worrying is useless. We have nothing, and the best we can do is get back to our original shape. Just like Lao Yang’s plan, people can make it happen. For example, a sudden thunderstorm can completely change the situation on the battlefield. There are too many factors beyond human control.
Kou Zhong was silent for a moment and saw that the convoy had crossed the river safely and was on his way to the bridge with Xu Ziling filming: What do you think of this beauty Shang Xiufang?
Xu Ziling said in astonishment: So you still have time to think about women.
Kou Zhong laughed and said, "This is called adjusting. She had made a private appointment with me to find her during the dinner. Who knew that Wang Shichong was stabbed and injured? I was so busy that I forgot about her in the dark."
Xu Ziling said with emotion: Forget is the best. From the moment we left Luoyang by boat, all the people and things that happened in Luoyang seemed to be left behind and became very distant and blurry things. When the war was imminent, I even Sister Su doesn't dare to think about it either. Alas! What's the use of thinking about it?
The pontoon bridge was gone and the two of them were rushing towards the gate of Muzhai. The road was crowded with carriages and soldiers. However, under the heavy pressure of war, not only were no one talking, laughing and making noise, but there were also very few smiling faces.
Kou Zhong said softly: Didn't he even forget about his master's concubine?
Xu Ziling sighed: Shi Fei Xuan is indeed a strange woman who is unforgettable, but what other way is there besides forgetting her?
Kou Zhongqi said: Mr. Ling is rarely so frank. I almost forgot to tell you that she came to me yesterday to persuade me to withdraw from the dispute and left me angry with my nonsense. Alas! She can charm any man to death, but she is so tall. The unattainable beauty may cause my brother to suffer from the same single-mindedness syndrome as you. This is called sharing the same fate!
Xu Ziling laughed and said: Go to hell!
Kou Zhong lost his voice and said: Isn't my mother your mother?
At this time, the two people rushed into the military camp. The gates were strictly guarded and no uninspected vehicles were allowed to enter. The guards guarding the gate were respectful when they saw the two people, which showed the high status of the two people in their hearts.
They stayed in the camp with Yang Gongqing and Wang Xuanshu, while Linglongjiao went to reconnoiter the enemy's situation.
During the dinner, Kou Zhong took the opportunity to ask Yang Gongqing for advice on various military issues.
Xu Ziling also became curious and asked: When we were in the south, we saw Du Fuwei forcibly conscripting rural peasants into the army, which was extremely inhumane. How did the army in the eastern capital come from?
Yang Gongqing took a sip of hot tea and said: From the beginning of the Qin Dynasty to the Southern and Northern Dynasties, conscription has been the main method. Recruiting soldiers is only for auxiliary purposes. The so-called conscription means that all adult men must enlist in the army and serve for several years when there is nothing to do. Then go to the battlefield when there is something to do. But since the Western Wei Dynasty, The government military system began to be implemented, and martial arts training was carried out at home during the leisure time of production and farming. Every year, they had to go to the capital or border areas to garrison for a month, and when they went to the battlefield and returned home after the battle, they had to prepare their own weapons, equipment, and food.
Wang Xuanshu sighed: Yang Guang's continuous campaigns have forced his soldiers to stay far away for a long time. Now it is unbearable. They are either running away or rebelling. Therefore, he changed the system of conscription. In this situation, as long as the food and salary are sufficient and the brave men are willing to work hard, it is far better than the system of conscription. .In particular, the Guards must regard it as a lifelong career and be willing to be regular professional soldiers with high salaries. Otherwise, it will become a situation where there are too many and too little, or there is too little to lose.
Kou Zhong wondered: With Dongdu's financial resources, why could the army he recruited not be as large as Li Mi's? As long as he sold some of the treasures left by Yang Guang, wouldn't he be able to recruit a large number of more troops?
Yang Gongqing smiled and said: Haven't you heard that elite soldiers should not be numerous? Li Mi knew the importance of elite soldiers when he defeated the conspiracy with hundreds of thousands of troops and took advantage of Yu Wenhua and the lack of food to still end up with a tragic victory. The ancient sage has a saying: The more soldiers there are, the weaker the force will be. The more soldiers there are, the poorer the country will be. Master Shangshu understands this truth very well. If we increase troops endlessly, it will only lead to a situation of redundant troops, which will lead to depleted production and people's livelihood.
After a pause, he continued: "There is no use in large numbers. It also depends on whether the equipment, food, and salary can be matched. Therefore, when recruiting soldiers, we should strictly select and eliminate redundant ones to win with quality. The reason why Li Shimin is sure to win every battle is to select and train a team composed of The black-armored cavalry composed of more than a thousand elites waited for the opportunity to attack, and repeatedly performed extraordinary feats and were overwhelmed. Although the number was small, the thousands of troops were not afraid of the enemy's formation. As long as the opponent's position was disrupted, their own army would take advantage of the situation and attack internally and externally, making the enemy hate the battlefield.
Kou Zhong was very excited when he heard this, and then he understood the importance of Yang Gong's treasure house. No wonder Wang Shichong's 20,000 troops were so afraid of Li Mi.
This means that listening to you is better than reading ten years of books.
Kou Zhong saw that Yang Gongqing was very interested in talking and asked about the organization of the army.
Although Lu Miaozi's book on the art of war is sophisticated in theory, it owes much to Yang Gongqing's personal experience in running an army.
Yang Gongqing twisted his beard and smiled and said: An army can be as small as tens of thousands or as large as hundreds of thousands. How to organize many people into a strong force that can be used for battle? There is only one rule: to rule the masses is as good as the few. That is, use five as a five and two as a fire.
Five fires are the team, two teams are the officers, two officers are the song, two songs are the department, two departments are the school, two schools are the assistant, and two pedestals are the army. Regardless of the number of hundreds of millions, each has its own control, one knows the corresponding one, and the air is connected like billions of silk
A strand of wind leads directly to everything, and there is no difference at all; the army is organized without chaos, and the general's program achieves the effect of using simplicity to control complexity. Everyone in the army, from general to soldier, clearly understands his own position and his superiors, subordinates, left, right, and left.
The relationship among the people. If the people are not in chaos after formulating the rules, it will have the effect of governing the many as well as the few.
Kou Zhong praised: No wonder there were so many people crowded on the road just now and there was no chaos.
Yang Gongqing said: Whether it is Wu, Huo, Team, Guan, Qu, Department, School, Pi, Army, or Wu, Team, Banner, Post, Division, Battalion or Division, they all have different names but they are all based on Wu.
Li Yiye. In addition, trumpeters, drummers, flag bearers, doctors, grooms, flag bearers, carpenters, blacksmiths and other candidates must be set up to perform their respective duties to form a complete combat system. Only then can they be qualified to fight the enemy on the battlefield.
When Kou Zhong was about to say something, there was a sudden noise of people outside, and everyone's expression changed. When a soldier rushed into the tent and said angrily:
Report that something bad happened to Yang Shuai.
The four of them were shocked. Could it be that Li Mi's extraordinary troops had already reached Yanshi?