Chapter 4 Choices (Part 1) Being wise means that life is like climbing a mountain. You are always most confused when you are neither up nor down. The current state of Xuzi is exactly like this. In terms of official position and title, he, the great Sui Zhongyongbo, is already an out-and-out nobleman.
But in terms of the way he sees things and the belonging in his heart, he is still attached to his father and fellow villagers.
Looking up, those wealthy families who had been married for generations seemed to be separated by a huge crystal wall. He could see it, but he couldn't blend in. Looking down, he saw that the smiling faces and voices of his father's generation had long been blurred. No matter how attached he was, they were all gone.
Before he could get back to the starting point, he was hanging like this, unable to find the way or where to go next. However, the wind from all over the field kept blowing over, chilling the young man's enthusiasm little by little, and his heart became colder.
It's getting more and more numb
Fortunately, he was not "blown away" for long this time. The soldiers under Yang Xuangan did not give him time to feel sorry for himself. On the afternoon of the second day after Yuan Wuben was killed, the scouts brought back a series of bad news.
Wei Wensheng was defeated. The 40,000 soldiers were defeated by Yang Xuangan's unarmored boatmen and thieves. Wei Wensheng, who was known as a famous general, lost twelve games in a row in two days. Thanks to Fan Zigai who sent troops from Luoyang City to contain him.
, to avoid the fate of the entire army being annihilated. At the same time, Han Shihe led the rebels to successfully capture Hulao Pass, leaving the rebel general Gu Jue to guard the city, and then personally led an army of 70,000 to cross the Yellow River and along the Yongji Canal.
Pounce towards Li Yang
"Have you found out who is working under Han Shihe to plan for him?" After listening to the report of Li Mengchang, the captain in charge of the scouts, Xuzi couldn't help but ask about Han Shihe's quick and decisive use of troops. Almost every step was in line with Master Yang's notes.
The essence of it: If the Master were under his tent at this time, the master and the disciple would have to fight each other.
"It's Pu Shanggong Li Mi," the captain Li Mengchang replied loudly, "according to the information obtained by the scouts, Yang Xuangan gradually alienated Li Mi since he surrendered Wei Fusi, the former Zhongshushe man. So Li Mi is now serving as the long history of Han Shihe.
, and is also responsible for contacting bandits from various places on behalf of the rebels!"
Li Mi? Is it him? There was a burst of whispers in the county government office that temporarily served as the Commander-in-Chief Palace. Everyone is so familiar with the name Pu Shanggong Li Mi. His family background, his talent, and his conduct, combined together, are simply perfect.
When someone's children disappoint their parents, their parents will point it out unceremoniously in most cases. When Li Mi was as old as you, the elders' faces were filled with disappointment and envy when they spoke, while the younger ones who were being scolded were speechless.
Speechless, ashamed of oneself
As for Li Mi's famous name, Xu Zi had already heard about it when he was studying in the county school. He even regarded him as a role model for a time.
A famous general, he was named the Shangzhu Kingdom. As the heir to one of the most prominent families in the dynasty, Pu Shanggong, Li Mi had been ambitious since he was a child, good at reading, and had both civil and military skills. Once he was reading on the back of an ox, and he was so enchanted that he actually collided with the big army.
Instead of blaming General Yang Su for driving the chariot, Yang Su praised Li Mi for his hard work and erudition. This further enhanced Li Mi's reputation and made all the nobles in the capital feel proud to associate with Li Mi. After inheriting his father's title, Li Mi devoted himself to wealth and wealth.
His reputation became so famous that the current emperor recruited him because of his fame and worshiped him as the governor of the bodyguard. However, Li Mi was not moved by wealth and wealth. Less than half a month after becoming a general, he reported illness and resigned.
"The Dharma Master is good at planning and Shi E is brave. This battle will definitely be a tough one!" Qin Xingshi, a soldier in the Sicang Army, shook his head and sighed to his companions. He was afraid that the General would be unhappy after hearing this, so he deliberately kept his voice very low.
But at this moment, everyone's voices were very low, and his praise reached the general's ears more clearly than usual.
"Yang Xuangan left Li Mi alone and used Wei Fusi instead. It's really..." Cui Qian shook his head and rushed for Li Mi. It was a pity that according to what Yuan Wuben said before his death, Li Mi had to join the rebel army because of his good relationship with Yang Xuangan and out of consideration for his friend's loyalty.
He once presented Yang Xuangan with three strategies: the top, the middle, and the bottom. The top strategy was for the rebels to leap thousands of miles straight to Zhuo County, blocking the Sui Dynasty's millions of Eastern Expedition troops outside the Great Wall and starving to death. The middle strategy was to send troops to march westward and seize Guanzhong.
, taking advantage of the difficult terrain and many checkpoints around Chang'an, the Eastern Expedition Army of the Great Sui Dynasty could not enter Hangu Pass even if it returned in time. The next strategy was to capture Luoyang, which is closest to Liyang, and detain the families of hundreds of officials and force them to participate in the Eastern Expedition.
The soldiers surrendered. At that time, most of the counselors around Yang Xuangan were inclined to march north, but Yang Xuangan finally chose the strategy of attacking Luoyang nearby.
"If we want to fight, let's beat Li Mi and Han Shihe. If someone else comes, we still think the beating is not enough!" Seeing everyone praising Li Mi, Captain Zhang Xiu shouted unhappily.
As soon as these words came out, the whole room was shocked. When everyone looked over, Zhang Xiu felt out of control again. She turned her head to Li Xu and Yu Wenshiji embarrassedly, and explained indifferently, "I mean, we can't always look after others."
Ambition will destroy his own prestige! How powerful Li Mi is, no, you won’t know until the fight is over. Now, if we don’t talk about how to defeat the enemy, what’s the point of praising him here!”
"What Zhang Lieutenant said is exactly what I like." Yu Wenshiji pressed the case with his fingers, praising Zhang Xiu for what he said. "That Li Mi is just a guy who is just trying to gain fame. His family has been in the family for several generations, but he is so poor that he can't even ride a horse."
, I have to get a cow to collide with the honor guard of the old thief Yang Su. It’s okay to deceive the children. If he wants to deceive us, let him go to hell!”
"Grandma, what a liar!" Several school captains from humble backgrounds laughed loudly. Compared with Cui Qian, Zhao Ziming and others who read more, they were the least intimidated by Li Mi's name. Reading more books may not necessarily lead to fighting.
Well done, people with a good family background usually have no ability. Of course, our Hu Yalang except Yu Wenshi and your Excellency, he is a special case who has both a good family background and ability.
"Hang the book on the horn and read it while walking, it is indeed suspected of cheating. Even the three strategies of up, middle and down don't make sense in my opinion!" Li Xu saw that everyone's morale had been mobilized by Yu Wenshiji, and smiled.
Add to the side
"We are all cavalry. We rushed here from Shanggu County for six days. Most of our brothers were left on the road. Most of Yang Xuangan's men were temporarily captured civilians. Without horses, how could he rush before the army returned to the division?
On the way to Zhuojun, it is more than a thousand miles away, and the officers and soldiers at various city checkpoints are not freeloaders, so how can we let him run wild? I'm afraid he will kill with his front foot to the north, and Fan Zigai will catch Li Yang on his back foot.
He has no place to eat, so how can he afford to fight! Even if he can arrive at Zhuojun as scheduled, how can the rebel army armed with wooden clubs still be able to defeat the Tigers and Horses under the command of General Luo Yi!"
That day in Liaodong, Xuzi had questioned Li Mi's so-called upper, middle and lower strategies in front of Li Jiancheng, Liu Hongji and others. Now that he had the experience of rushing from Zhuojun to Liyang and a preliminary understanding of the rebels' combat effectiveness, he even believed that
It's just talk on paper
In his eyes, Li Mi's so-called middle strategy can only be used to fool laymen. It sounds like going straight to Guanzhong and relying on the pass between Guanzhong and the Central Plains to defend it. It seems that it can prevent the imperial troops from continuing to advance westward. The problem is that Guanzhong was at that time
In the hands of Wei Wensheng, Yang Xuangan went from Liyang to Guanzhong. The first thing he had to solve was the strong passes along the way. Wei Wensheng didn't have to fight. He could drain the rebels by relying on dangers and defend them. How could they make it possible for them to advance westward?
When the opportunity comes, the rebels will have no hope of advancing westward. Their retreat will be cut off by the Luoyang defenders, and they will die without a burial place.
"That is, Chang'an is more than 800 miles away from here. No matter how poor General Wei Wensheng's military skills are, he can still defend Tongguan. Yang Xuangan can't even attack a small river for a long time. Why should he take Tongguan? Are you sleepwalking with your eyes closed?
, that can make you jump a thousand miles!" Yu Wenshiji shouted and applauded Li Xu's analysis. He had deliberately described Li Mi's talent, learning and character in such a bad way, just to enhance the confidence of the soldiers by belittling his opponents. Now Li Xu's
After some additional analysis, it just met his needs. Therefore, whenever he heard something exciting, he would applaud and add two sarcastic remarks about Li Mi.
Yu Wenshiji had a reputation for having a poisonous tongue, and all his curse words were harsh and harsh. Now Li Xu was laying the groundwork with facts and truth. For a while, the general was pointing out the country, supervising the army and singing, and actually said that Li Mi's military use was useless.
"As for the strategy in Li Mi's eyes, it was the most practical solution for the rebels. Yang Xuangan was hesitant at the beginning of the army. He first attacked Hanoi County, then turned back to Xiuwu, and then moved towards Ji County. He was delayed just on the north bank of the Yellow River.
After more than half a month for him to cross the river, Luoyang City had already made preparations, so of course nothing could be caught!" Xuzi talked eloquently in front of everyone.
Counting from the time when he and Xu Dayan were training together in the Minbu, Xuzi has more than three years of experience in leading troops in combat. Therefore, Li Mi's so-called magical calculations are brilliant in the eyes of others, but they are naturally full of loopholes in his eyes.
If Li Xu belittles his opponent by himself, his eloquence will definitely not be as sharp as that of Yuwen Shiji. If Yuwen Shiji alone despises the enemy general, the credibility of his words will not be up to the standard of Xu Zi, a famous honest person. The two of them partner up.
, blowing and singing, the effect immediately doubled. The generals in the military camp were originally a little afraid of the combination of Han Shihe and Li Mi. After the two generals and supervisors encouraged them, the timidity in their hearts suddenly turned into fighting spirit. For a moment, they all felt
The rebel army's 70,000 troops are simply a credit to their doorstep. If you don't take the opportunity to chop off more heads, you will be sorry for this God-given opportunity!
"If the general hadn't analyzed it thoroughly, we would have been deceived by Li Mi's false reputation. The general then boldly asked the two adults for an order. When Li Mi comes, he will go out of the city to praise him!" Colonel Cui said.
Hidden people are the smartest, the first to jump out and express their opinions
"Don't argue, don't argue. You have already taken all the credit for the last time. I, Old Li, pretended to attack Ji County and now there is a big deal. It is also Old Li's turn to take the lead!" Lieutenant Li Anyuan rushed out to stop him from being attacked by Li Miming earlier.
He was so frightened that he never dared to express his anger loudly. Now that he thought about it, these rebels could not even take down Hanoi and Xiuwu, which were garrisoned with few troops. They immediately saw the opportunity to make a contribution, and rushed with Cui Qian to leave the city to meet the enemy.
"We, Li Mengchang, did all the hard work of exploring the road, but you took advantage first during the war. It's not fair!" Li Mengchang also jumped out to help Li Xu and Yu Wenshi, hoping to see how everyone behaved.
As bright as a bright mirror, as the saying goes, don't be afraid of hard work and not be afraid of laziness, but you are afraid that some people don't have a good eye, so they will mess around according to their temper.
Li Xu turned to look at Yuwen Shiji, and Yuwen Shiji happened to glance at him. The two looked at each other and smiled, both seeing appreciation and tolerance in each other's eyes.
Note 1: Li Mi’s family background and his top, middle, and bottom strategies are found in history books and are not fabricated. When I was a child, I read the story of Li Mi’s hard work, and I also had a vocabulary book on the handlebar of my bicycle. Unfortunately, it didn’t hit Yang Su, but it hit Da.
