Chapter Thirty-Third: Wang Jianjun wants to debate scriptures with Shen Daru
"Too cowardly."
On the front line of Taiting, Cao Hong stood on a high oar and watched the situation.
Seeing Shen Chen's army retreating like a tide, his endless defense line was in chaos and almost in a state of disarray, which made him feel frustrated.
Although bows and arrows and catapults alone would definitely not be able to break down his fortress, Shen Chen would have to spend at least the lives of tens of thousands of soldiers to break him, but the feeling of being beaten made him very uncomfortable.
.
This is much more aggrieved than Cao Cao being beaten by Yuan Shao in the Battle of Guandu.
In the battle of Guandu, Yuan Shao had an army of more than 100,000 people, while Cao Cao's troops in Guandu were only 30,000 to 40,000 people. He was twice as many as himself, so it was normal for him to be pressed down and beaten.
But Cao Hong's troops were 30,000 more than Shen Chen's.
The offensive and defensive situation was so severe that the soldiers had no power to fight back. This was something Cao Hong never expected.
"General."
Zhao Yan stepped forward to persuade: "Although it is indeed a bit cowardly, our mission is to hold Shen Chen back here. Judging from today's offensive alone, even if he can't break through our camp in a year, why should the general worry?
"
"That's true, but I have been with my eldest brother for many years, and I have never felt so aggrieved. Even during the Battle of Guandu, Yuan Shao never made us suffer like this."
Cao Hong sighed and said: "The only thing I'm afraid of now is that Shen Chen's attack will damage the morale of the soldiers."
"But even Yuan Shao did not break the Wei King's stronghold."
Zhao Yan said seriously: "General, you must remember that war is not about losing face or killing soldiers, but about two countries fighting at any cost. What is urgent now is Shen Chen, not us. Defense is what we should do
things."
"Yes, defense is what we should do."
Zhao Yan's words immediately woke up Cao Hong, and he quickly ordered: "Order the soldiers to clean up the battlefield, eat something as soon as possible, and take a rest to prevent the enemy from attacking again."
"The general is wise."
Zhao Yan bowed his hands in salute.
I have to say that at this time, a calm person is still needed to make suggestions.
Cao Hong was prone to impulsivity in history and was far less calm than Cao Ren. Having Zhao Yan by his side to encourage and persuade did increase Cao's army's chances of victory.
But at this moment, Cao Hong saw in the distance that after the Nanyang Army had retreated, in the area near the Lishui River, the civilians and auxiliary soldiers brought by the Nanyang Army were constantly digging trenches, spreading towards the center of the battlefield.
"Huh?"
Cao Hong was puzzled and said: "Shen Chen dug a trench outside his camp and diverted the Lishui River into it to turn it into a river to protect the camp. I can understand it, but why does he seem to keep digging forward?"
Zhao Yan looked over and frowned immediately: "In the past two days, I noticed that the water flow in Lishui seemed to have decreased a lot overnight. At first, I thought it was because the weather was too hot, which caused the water and soil to dry up, and Shen Chen's army used water.
, now it seems that he wants to flood our camp?"
"Flood our camp?"
When Cao Hong heard this, he burst into laughter: "There must be something wrong with Shen Chen. It's so hot in summer that the river water can't even flow out of the river bed, let alone the river embankment. He can at most save some water and use it to dig and build
The trenches of the camp are filled with water into our trenches, but we can dig trenches in the camp and divert the water downstream of the Lishui River. What is the use of this?"
Zhao Yan raised his head and glanced at the sky. At the end of the day, it was around five o'clock in the afternoon. Although the sun was already in the west, it had no intention of going down. It was still shining with scorching light. Even in the evening, the temperature was still hot.
In summer, the hotter the sun, the less water flow in the river. This is common sense. Did Shen Chen want to rely on that little water flow to submerge their camp?
It's so whimsical.
However, thinking about his opponent's record, Zhao Yan felt that he should not relax his vigilance and be more rigorous, so he advised: "I am afraid that Shen Chen has other plans, so the general must be careful."
"I think he has been sitting idle in Nanyang for more than ten years, and his skills are not as good as when he was a child."
Cao Hong sneered, shook his head and said: "Forget it, don't worry about it for now. If he wants to dig, let him dig. Anyway, now that his army is watching, we can't stop them from digging ditches and blocking the river. The top priority is still the Dongying side.
In order to prevent sewage from flowing in, the trench over there is blocked, and Shen Chen can send people to attack the camp from there."
Zhao Yan shook his head and said: "Our camp is really too big. The water diversion channel down there is only enough for everyone to drink. It is too difficult to fill all the trenches around the camp with water and turn it into a river to protect the camp."
Cao Hong thought for a while and said: "Then continue to dig canals to divert water, and dig more. Shen Chen likes to dig, so we will dig too. We must not only divert water from the Kuanshui River into the camp, but also dig canals in the camp to divert water out. Shen Chen
The offensive is very powerful. If the defense cannot be perfected, I am afraid that Dongying will become a hidden danger."
"Well, okay, then leave this matter to me."
Zhao Yan nodded.
Cao Hong was right. Although they were smaller in number than them, they were well-equipped and had high morale. It would be difficult for them to gain the upper hand in a head-on confrontation, and they might even run the risk of being defeated by the opponent.
Now the competition is to see who makes a mistake first.
Cao Jun can only hold on, but defense is also a science, and any flaw may become a fatal point.
Therefore, it is crucial to detect and fill in the gaps and nip the loopholes in the bud.
Their camp was short of water, so they dug canals to divert water. But they were afraid that Shen Chen's side would flood the camp with water, so they dug canals from the camp.
This project is indeed very large, and a large number of civilians and auxiliary troops must be mobilized, but the victory lies in two words - safety.
In the following days, Shen Chen never launched another attack.
They were digging canals over there, and Cao Jun was also digging canals here. The difference was that the canals dug by Nanyang Army extended to Cao Jun's side, while Cao Jun's side continued to dig canals from the Shuishui River in the north to build their own camp.
By late April, Shen Chen's army had dug and built a large number of criss-crossing trenches, extending all the way to the outside of Cao's camp beyond the range of bows and crossbows.
About a hundred steps away, those trenches could be connected to the trenches outside Cao's camp.
However, Cao Hong was not a fool. He had people dig trenches in the camp, connecting them to the lower reaches of the Lishui River. Even if Shen Chen really built a dam upstream to intercept the water source, the water would not flood Cao Jun's camp, but would only
It flows back into the Lishui River along the ditch.
This kind of confrontation was common in ancient wars. Cao Cao himself liked to do this. He defeated Lu Bu and surrounded Xiapi, and dug canals to flood the city. He defeated Yuan Shang and surrounded Yecheng, and also dug canals and flooded the city.
However, that method does not mean pouring the water back. Cao Cao did not have the ability to summon floods. At most, he allowed the river water to flow all the way into the city, making the water discharge capacity in the city much lower than the water flow outside the city, causing the city to be destroyed by so many
Centimeters of water continued to submerge.
At that time, the enemy soldiers would keep stepping in the water, and their feet would be infected by the sewage, which would cause beriberi. The whole legs would rot, and then they would lose their combat effectiveness, and Cao Cao would easily break through the city.
Cao Hong thought that Shen Chen was probably learning Cao Cao's tactics, so he didn't plan to be Lu Bu's and Shen Pei, and instead dug ditches in the camp to solve this problem.
But when the trenches were about to be connected and within the range of the bow and arrow, Shen Chen could no longer continue digging the trenches.
Because Cao Jun can shoot arrows.
So he continued to choose to wage war and cover the excavation work of the civilian auxiliaries.
For half a month after that, Shen Chen launched a thunderous offensive and continued to personally lead his troops outside Cao Cao's army. Just like the pressure Yuan Shao put on Cao Cao in the Battle of Guandu, Cao Cao's army was defeated.
The arrow rain from Yunlou completely suppressed the archers on the wall of Cao Jun's stronghold. Their catapults and bed crossbows also had a farther range than Cao Jun's, and their long-range firepower was almost incomparable.
Although Cao Hong also thought of ways, such as sending people to mobilize troops from the westernmost camp that was not attacked, and after gathering them, they would go out to attack from Shen Chen's northwest flank.
However, they were noticed by enemy scouts before they arrived, and then Huangmen soldiers wearing heavy armor intercepted them halfway.
At that time, Cao Jun in the Western Camp was stunned and did not dare to move.
Go up and fight?
Is that steel armor that weighs dozens of kilograms a decoration?
Even if the knife is cut or curled, it can't break someone's defense.
Shoot with a bow and arrow?
Their bows and arrows can shoot farther than you.
Bypass?
There are also Xiliang Iron Cavalry in the distance.
As a result, Cao Jun in the Western Camp ran back in disgrace not long after leaving the camp.
Under this layer of protection and timely deployment on the battlefield, Shen Chen's offense and defense were watertight, making it impossible to find any flaws.
Cao Jun could only continue to be suppressed and beaten, and even the camp was almost destroyed because the problem of the east camp had not been solved. If the ditch was not finally dug and the ditch was dug, the east camp would have been overrun long ago.
flat.
In the next half month, the stalemate lasted from early March to the end of April. Facing Shen Chen's stormy offensive, Cao Hong was miserable. Daily battle reports were sent to Yecheng one by one. The pressure on the front line was huge.
By early May, Cao Pi in Yecheng saw that the battle reports were getting worse day by day. More than 5,000 people in Cao's army had been shot to death. Morale was at rock bottom, so he decided to send reinforcements.
At that time, there were still many troops left behind in Yecheng, so Cao Pi sent generals Jia Xin and Chen Zhong to lead 10,000 troops to help.
At the same time, Wang Lang, the military sacrificial wine drinker and the prefect of Wei County, also accompanied the army as the supervisor.
After more than ten days, Jia Xin marched more than a hundred miles every day and arrived at Taiting in late May. Yan Kuang also brought a large amount of supplies from the rear to supplement Cao's army.
With the reinforcements in terms of numbers of troops, horses, and materials, Cao Hong's situation finally improved a lot, making him feel much more relaxed.
Two days passed.
On the evening of May 21st, Cao Hong summoned various generals for a meeting in his main camp of the Chinese army.
In addition to Zhao Yan, Jia Xin, Chen Zhong, and Wang Lang, there were also generals from various ministries and battalions such as Deng Zhan, Yan Ming, Niu Jin, Liu He, Dong Chao, Dong Heng, Liu Kai, Liu Zhu, and Cheng He.
.
This meeting is mainly to discuss Shen Chen's changes in the past few days.
Under the cover of the army, the civilians finally connected the ditch with the ditch outside Cao's army. After that, Shen Chen's army withdrew, leaving behind a large criss-crossing ditch with pits and pits, making it impossible to understand what he was thinking.
You must know that Shen Chen has prepared countless siege equipment this time. Although they have left a path for the siege equipment, there are so many ditches that make it difficult for soldiers and horses to get through.
This made the Nanyang Army's subsequent offensive much weaker due to the trench problem, making it inconvenient for their own troops to dispatch.
The operation is simply puzzling.
In the camp, Cao Hong sat in the position of the general. His current official position was General Wei and Grand Governor. In Henan, he had the highest official position. He was Cao Wei's chief general in the Jingzhou battlefield on the southern front.
The lieutenants under the tent are General Fenwei Deng Zhan and the guard Zhao Yan. Wang Lang and Jia Xin are sitting on the second seat, followed by the other generals.
After Cao Hong and others arrived, he said: "Everyone, I have called everyone here for discussion today because I want to tell you what Shen Chen is doing. He dug the canal in front of us and hindered his march, which made me want to break through.
I can’t even figure out what’s going on.”
Deng Zhan once supported Cao Cao and proclaimed him king with meritorious service, so he was the first general under Cao Hong. He stood up and shouted: "General, it doesn't matter what he does, he is delaying his own march, and he cannot delay us. The water will come and the soil will flood."
"
"That being said, the canal has been dug in the camp anyway, so I'm not afraid of him releasing the water."
Cao Hong thought for a while and said, "It's just that I think since he has withdrawn, what if we send people to block the ditch they dug at night? It's better to feel relieved."
"hehe."
Wang Lang, the supervisor below, smiled and said: "Captain, maybe this is Shen Chen's plan."
"oh?"
Zhao Yan hurriedly said: "What advice do you have from the supervisor?"
Wang Lang looked around and said, "Think about it, now that our reinforcements have arrived, can Shen Chen break through the camp?"
"Of course not."
Everyone shook their heads, although they were walking on thin ice these days and the camp was crumbling.
But this is only the initial stage.
If Shen Chen wants to seize the camp, he must send people across the ditch bridge to enter the camp.
However, Cao's army simply lacked long-range firepower and had numerical and terrain advantages in their own camp, so they were by no means afraid of Shen Chen's army.
So even if it seems difficult to defend the camp, they may not have anything to fear if they really fight.
Wang Lang continued: "So Shen Chen had to lead us out of the camp. He dug more than a hundred trenches outside. To fill them in, such a large project would also require tens of thousands of civilians and auxiliaries like Shen Chen.
Soldiers, there are so many people outside, what will happen if Shen Chen makes a surprise attack at night?"
A night raid?
After everyone thought about it carefully, Cao Hong suddenly broke into a cold sweat and said: "The civilian auxiliary soldiers are far less well-trained than the soldiers. Once they are attacked, they will inevitably roll back and flee for their lives, which may destroy the camp and drag down the three armies."
"Exactly."
Wang Lang is sixty-seven years old this year. Although he is gray-haired, he is in good spirits. He smiled and said: "Shen Chen's plan is cruel. It makes us mistakenly think that he wants to flood the camp, so that we send people to fill in the channels, and then take advantage of the opportunity."
Attack and kill, it is rumored that he was so tyrannical in his early years, and more than ten years have passed, and his methods are still as strong as before."
Cao Hong only felt a chill running down his back, and he rejoiced repeatedly: "Fortunately, the crown prince sent the supervisors, otherwise I might have fallen into that little thief's trap. Zixiao was ambushed by this guy back then, and I want to avenge Zixiao.
, we must sit firmly in the middle of the army and remain motionless."
"It turns out that this was Shen Chen's idea. Fortunately, we haven't left the camp these days."
Zhao Yan also sighed: "General, continue to be as stable as a mountain."
"hehe."
Wang Lang suddenly laughed again and said: "Commander, although staying still is indeed a solution, when I entered the camp, I saw that the morale of the soldiers was low and they were weak all day long. Why is this?"
Cao Hong sighed: "Shen Chen raided the camp every day. The arrows shot in piled up like mountains. Many people were shot and stoned to death. The casualties were seven thousand. The soldiers were afraid of arrows and stone carts, even if they were fired again.
No matter how we stabilize the morale of the military, we cannot make the soldiers feel at ease."
"Um."
Wang Lang nodded slightly, and then said: "The Nanyang soldiers have been attacking the camp for several days, and their morale is very high. Lang thinks that the governor should go out to fight with them tomorrow to frustrate the vigor of the Nanyang soldiers and stabilize the morale of our army."
"oh?"
Cao Hong was shocked and said: "We are not Shen Chen's opponents, why should we go out to fight with him?"
Zhao Yan also hurriedly said: "The supervisors must not act recklessly. At this time, our morale is low and their morale is strong. How can they leave the camp?"
"No, no."
Wang Lang shook his head and said, "It's a good time to leave the camp."
"Forehead......"
All the soldiers looked at each other, confused.
Cao Hong said: "Please also ask the supervisor to explain clearly why he went out to fight."
Wang Lang smiled and said: "First, going out to camp and fighting fiercely can boost morale."
"Hmm."
Cao Hong nodded slightly, acting like a coward, which really hurt the morale of the soldiers.
Wang Lang added: "Second, Shen Chen dug so many ditches himself, which seriously hindered his army. His siege equipment will only be unable to pass through. Without those equipment, what should we fear?"
"Um."
When everyone heard this, they immediately felt it made sense and agreed one after another.
Wang Lang finally said: "Third, I heard that Shen Chen was a master of Confucian classics. I also read his "Zhuziyan" and "Shen's Classics Collection" written by him in Yecheng. Although there are indeed subtleties, they are not impossible.
Let's argue. Tomorrow, when we arrive in front of the two armies, I only need to say a few words to discipline Shen Chen and surrender, and the Nanyang soldiers will retreat without a fight."
"ha?"
The soldiers looked at each other.
Cao Hong and Zhao Yan also looked stunned.
Deng Zhan said hurriedly: "Supervisor, what kind of person is Shen Chen? How can he retreat from the enemy by just saying a few words in front of the formation?"
"hehe."
Wang Lang smiled and said: "If General Deng doesn't believe it, go to the formation of the two armies tomorrow and see for yourself."
"this......"
Cao Hong was shocked and said: "Could it be that Jianjun wants to debate the scriptures with him? I heard that he debated scriptures countless times in Jingzhou. Even Mr. Sima Decao, a great scholar in Yingchuan, said that he was the best scholar in the world. He was also the greatest Confucian at that time. How could Jianjun
Can you argue with him?"
"Don't worry, Commander, I have my own opinions."
Wang Lang smiled confidently and said to Cao Hong: "At that time, the commander-in-chief can strictly organize the troops and display his banner to strengthen the military power."
"good."
Seeing that he was so confident, Cao Hong couldn't help but believe it, and said, "Then I will write a letter of challenge to Shen Chen tonight and arrange a decisive battle with him tomorrow."
"The Commander-in-Chief just needs to be more relaxed. Even if he cannot be summoned to surrender tomorrow, his reputation as a great scholar will be ruined."
Wang Lang stood up and said: "I will make him feel ashamed and retreat by then!"
"Everything has a labor force!"
Zhao Yan bowed his hands in salute.
Everyone also stood up and saluted.
Only Wang Lang smiled slightly, as if he had a plan in mind, and with just a few words, he could kill Shen Chen without leaving any trace behind!