Chapter 3 Fighting for supremacy (three times) Facts have proved that when there is no other reliable strategy that can be implemented, "treating the head when it hurts, and treating the foot when it hurts" can be regarded as an emergency choice. At least, the officials decided to treat the "paying for themselves" policy.
After adopting the strategy of turning a blind eye, the smoke from the shacks outside Licheng became increasingly thicker. Therefore, in the last half month of the cold winter of Daye Nine Years, far more people died of cold and starvation in Qi County.
Far less than the first half month. Although the appearance of the sons of good families and strong people who gathered in the county after the beginning of spring did not match the descriptions in the military books at first glance, they did not rise up after all.
In the spring of the tenth year of the great cause, the prefect Pei Caozhi was once again commended by the court for being good at predicting the people. The county's behavior of arrears of grain to the court last year was also ignored because the two bosses were good at running the business. The people of the county all praised the prefect for being virtuous and the officials loving the people.
Although these parents' officials are not necessarily worse than other county officials in grabbing land,
The officials in the surrounding counties were not so lucky. Their eunuchs did not have such strong backers as Pei Ju and Pei Yun in the court, and there were no generals in the county who could compete with Zhang Xutuo and Qin Shubao. In order to avoid Tuwan's fate again,
Due to the mistakes made by Xu and Yu Julu, they had to transport the last bit of food in the treasury to the Eastern Capital. The imperial court had taken care of things properly, but the lives of the people could not go on, especially the refugees wandering outside the city.
, hundreds of thousands will freeze to death in a heavy snowstorm
When the government did not provide a way to survive, no wonder the people took desperate risks. From December of the ninth year of the Daye to February of the tenth year of the Daye, Beihai, Gaomi, Langya, Lu County, and the entire eastern part of Henan were in war. In mid-February, the imperial court's conscription order came again.
After the order was issued, not only the refugees and poor people who could not survive began to rebel one after another, but even some wealthy families had to raise the flag of rebellion.
In order to ensure that the precious spring plowing opportunity would not be destroyed by rogue bandits, Zhang Xutuo kept a thousand soldiers in the military camp every day. All of them were cavalry. Although the breed of war horses was poor, the weapons and armor were the best among the entire county soldiers.
Everyone is trained in the same way as government soldiers, and the crops at home are taken care of by people designated by the county. The fighting skills of the soldiers are guided by the four generals Qin Shubao, Luo Shixin, Li Xu, and Dugu Lin in turns. The changes in battle formations and the interactions between them
However, Zhang Xutuo personally trained the county soldiers. Their equipment and physical conditions were far inferior to those of the Xiongwu camp that Xuzi had previously led, but their morale was very high. They endured hardships and sweat during training and never complained of being tired, even if they accidentally jumped from horseback.
If you fall down, as long as your arms and legs are not broken, you will definitely be sitting on the carved saddle with a bruised face and a bruised face the next moment.
"Their wives, children, fields and houses are all here. There is no other choice but to fight hard!" During the break in training, Zhang Xutuo pointed to the city wall close behind him and explained to Xuzi that the emperor had not fulfilled his promise last year.
After Qi County was at peace, they promised to recruit Zhang and Li to lead the army to attack Liao. This made both of them feel a little regretful. However, as time went by, the regrets in their hearts were slowly diluted.
Especially Zhang Xutuo, who seems to have decided that his life is destined to deal with bandits. He never complains in front of others. In private, he often enlightens Xuzi and advises him to stay focused on the present and stop thinking about going to Liaodong to make contributions.
"Actually, we are also fulfilling our duties as military commanders here. Fighting against the Goguryeo people is also fighting, and fighting against the bandits is also fighting. The difference may not be as big as you think. Look." When he said this, he always pointed his fingers.
Pointing proudly to the green wheat seedlings in the fields and the busy farmers hunched over, "Without people like us, how could the people of Qijun live a peaceful life!"
"Lord Tongshou is absolutely right. The general now feels good about protecting the country and the people!" Li Xu replied with a smile. As long as he doesn't think about the "goods" being sold in the "people's market", most of the time he thinks about the present.
My life is very satisfying. There is not so much tense fighting, and there is not too much intrigue. No matter whether I am in the army or walking home, the eyes around me are full of respect. Qilu has a martial style, and the county soldiers admire it.
This young man used his skillful equestrian skills and sharp swordsmanship to make the people in the city know who was protecting them. They were very grateful to the people who were thousands of miles away but fought for Qijun.
"You don't mean what you say!" Zhang Xutuo smiled and narrowed his eyes into a straight line. His bright eyes shot out from the gaps in his eyelids, as if he could clearly illuminate all the secrets in Li Xu's heart. "When I was as young as you, I also had many weird ideas.
But a military commander is a military commander, and if you insist on intervening in the affairs of civil servants, it will inevitably lead to some thankless things. You can't make it better, so trying hard not to make it worse is also a good choice!"
"General, I have heard about your achievements back then, and I have always admired him very much in my heart!" Li Xugong cupped his hands, smiled and patted the opponent's butt. Deep in his heart, he really admired the old general in front of him for his military management.
Rigorous, decent, brave in combat, able to share the joys and sorrows with the soldiers, and knowing how to protect the interests of subordinates, it was already very difficult to find veteran generals with both political integrity and talent in the Sui Dynasty. Therefore, most of the time, Xu Zi, Qin Shubao and others even regarded Zhang as
Treat Sutu as a role model in life, not as an immediate boss
When I was young, that was a very distant thing. Zhang Xutuo squinted his eyes and thought about first accompanying General Shi Wansui to quell the rebellion of the Qiang people, and then accompanying Yang Su to quell the rebellion of Han King Yang Liang. In addition to his bravery, he also remained in the court.
At the time when I was known as "strong and loyal", I was full of sympathy for the enemy, and hoped that the court would do more good deeds and less provoke civil unrest. But as time goes by, people will gradually understand their position and responsibilities.
"The responsibility of our generals is to develop and protect the country. As for how to govern the country, the civil servants have more experience than us. Although the people of the Sui Dynasty have lived a bit hard in recent years, with the court and the government, at least there is order for those rogue bandits.
You have also seen their virtues. Their banners are very loud, but what they do..." The old general shook his head and stopped talking. He wanted to leave a little time for Xuzi to think about the new situation.
The old general was very optimistic about the arm he came from. Occasionally he even wanted to pass on the mantle. In his opinion, it was not wrong to have a little compassion. If a military general blindly pursues the pleasure of killing, he will never achieve much.
Only those with good intentions can have the courage to eliminate evil. Only those who know how to cherish can know how to protect this point. Zhang Xutuo feels that Dugu Lin is not as good as Li Xu. Due to his noble birth, he has developed a arrogant nature since childhood.
The letter is not as good as that of Li Xu. His temper is too ruthless. He is very ruthless to his enemies and his brothers. Qin Shubao is a good general, but he is too old. He is only six years younger than himself. The Sui Dynasty has just established more than thirty
It's been a year, and the days ahead are still very long...
A loud shout of killing came from not far away, drawing Zhang Xutuo's eyes away from Li Xu. Qin Shubao was leading Ren Ren, Luo Shixin, and Dugu Lin to practice tactical coordination. He led more than 200 cavalry to a group of
The array of scarecrows was inserted directly into the front. Luo Shixin and Dugu Lin pretended to attack the flanks to prevent the enemy's flanking troops from attacking the Chinese army. The soldiers did a great job of cooperating. Under the leadership of the general, they lined up in the shape of three fronts.
There were two vertical ones. The vertical one quickly passed through the "enemy formation", and the two horizontal ones advanced diagonally, neatly "picking" off the outer layer of the straw man. Then, Qin Shubao pulled out a corner flag from behind,
With a vigorous wave, he led the cavalry into the straw formation again. The other two cavalry turned around and crossed the flanks.
This is a typical tactic used by cavalry against infantry. It uses the powerful offensive and defensive capabilities of heavy armored cavalry to charge and repeatedly hit key parts of the enemy's army, such as near the general's flag, in order to minimize the opponent's morale and disrupt the opponent's morale.
Command and the light armored cavalry will run quickly in front of the enemy formation, looking for the opponent's weak points, harassing the attention of the archers and the opponent's generals. Once the heavy armored cavalry's first assault is completed, or is blocked midway, the light armored cavalry will follow the weak points found by themselves.
Conduct strikes in order to expand the results or reduce losses in the main direction of attack
The county soldiers could not muster much heavy armor, so the two hundred armored cavalrymen under Qin Shubao were the best of the best. They and their horses were equipped with armor, with a total weight of more than sixty kilograms. There were only people and horses in front of them.
The eyes of the heavy cavalry were not wrapped in leather and iron sheets. The weapons in the hands of the heavy cavalry were all long spears. The front part of the spear was three feet long. It could cause huge damage by piercing or sweeping it. In addition to the long spear, everyone was under the saddle.
There is also a short weapon, an axe, or an iron mace hanging on it. When the long spear breaks or becomes useless, the short weapon can be used to deliver a fatal blow to the enemy.
The cavalry of Luo Shixin and Dugu Lin were not equipped with vests. The leather armor on the soldiers was very thin, which could only protect them from being shot directly by stray arrows. The weapons in the hands of the brothers were also various. The guns and lances were prepared by the children of wealthy families.
Luxury goods, most people from poor families habitually use the horizontal swords prepared by infantry. They mainly win with speed on the battlefield. Zhang Xutuo judged based on the experience gained in actual combat that as long as the light cavalry does not stop on the initiative, when the two armies fight,
, it is difficult for archers to shoot them directly
"Uncle Bao, pay attention to maintain the rhythm of the attack!" Zhang Xutuo looked at it for a while, put his hand on his mouth and shouted loudly
The soldiers were so engrossed in training that it was difficult to hear his orders amid the loud shouts of killing. Zhang Xutuo rushed forward a few steps on his horse, came to the war drum in the middle of the school field, took the drum hammer from the soldiers, and beat it hard
move
"Dong, dong!" The ups and downs of the drums penetrated the crowd and shouted, sending the old man's advice directly to Qin Shubao's ears. Qin Shubao lifted the flag with one hand, took out the second corner flag from behind with the other hand, and waved it vigorously.
The iron cavalry who was so excited for three times quickly gathered behind him and condensed into a knife, which was unstoppable.
"As a general, you must keep an eye on the overall situation. You must not be quick and quick. Don't underestimate the enemy when the force is strong. Don't panic when the force is weak." While beating the drum, he gave instructions to Li Xu who was following him.
"Cavalry is good at attacking, infantry is good at defending danger. When two armies meet, the one who seizes the opportunity is easy to win. If both the enemy and ourselves have formed a formation, we must first explore their weaknesses, confuse their strengths, and attack their weaknesses..." The old general said on the field
After summarizing the actual situation in a low voice for a moment, he ordered people to wave the battle flag and withdraw Qin Shubao
"Take the trained brothers under your command and try it. You are the leader, with Shixin and Chongmu as assistants. Three groups of light cavalry will attack the formation. Think about how to fight!" Zhang Xutuo pointed at the grass formation with a drum hammer.
, ordered to Li Xu
"Follow your orders!" Li Xu took the general's order and mounted his horse. His soldiers were watching the battle. They were already scratching their heads and scratching their heads anxiously when they saw the general rushing over on horseback. They immediately took pictures of the formation.
"Brother Shixin, Brother Chongmu, please pay attention to my order!" Li Xu led his two hundred light cavalry to join Luo Shixin and Dugu Lin's team. The two saluted and ordered
"I am willing to kill thieves together with Zhongjian!" Dugu Lin and Luo Shixin returned the salute with clasped fists, and then ran back to the army. Three groups of light cavalry lined up in a "pin" shape as quickly as possible. The flag officer next to Li Xu contacted back.
After getting the order from Zhang Xutuo to allow the attack, he presented the command flag to his general. Xuzi took the command flag and waved it first to the left several times, then to the right several times.
With an earth-shattering cry, Luo Shixin and Dugu Lin rushed towards the two wings of the "enemy" again. The order Li Xu gave them was different from Qin Shubao's just now. He asked them to pass diagonally in front of the enemy and then withdraw immediately, but
Not allowed to break into enemy lines
"General Li's tactics are very weird!" Qin Shubao, who came to Zhang Xutuo's side, commented in a low voice.
"I let him find a way to break the formation!" Zhang Xutuo brushed his beard and replied that for the generals under his command, he always spared no effort to cultivate their ability to stand alone. "If you observe his tactics carefully, Zhongjian once fought outside the Great Wall.
In combat, his experience is different from our accumulated experience!"
"It's indeed different!" Qin Shubao whispered back and his eyes were once again attracted by the cavalry in the distance. Luo Shixin and Dugu Lin's county soldiers had already begun to turn. They swept half a circle in front of the "enemy formation" like the wind, and then quickly
Withdrew back, and just as they were out of the range of the enemy's bows and arrows, Li Xu's men and horses arrived just in time. They were not in a compact vertical attack formation, but in a loose horizontal formation. All the soldiers' melee weapons were placed horizontally.
He got on the horse's back, his head pressed against the horse's neck, and suddenly accelerated a hundred and fifty steps away from the enemy.
The war horses rushed forward like lightning. About seventy paces away, the direction of the team changed again. Everyone turned their horses' heads, changing from straight charging to diagonal charging, and then from diagonal charging to sweeping. While charging, they bent their bows and fired.
After each person fired almost three arrows, the distance between them and the enemy also changed from 70 steps to 50 steps. Everyone suddenly moved their horses and retreated like a tide.
One hundred and fifty steps away, Luo Shixin and Dugu Lin launched a feint attack again. Li Xu and his brothers made slight adjustments outside the range of the feather arrows, and rushed towards the enemy formation again. The feather arrow attacks were still the main attack, and they aimed at the enemy's aimless array.
Even during the retreat, some people kept turning around and attacking backwards.
"What kind of tactic is this?" Qin Shubao's eyes widened. He didn't expect that there was such a way to deal with the rebels who moved slowly and lacked bows and arrows. This was simply playing rogue, but this tactic could not be said to be ineffective.
Qin Shubao judged based on his many years of military experience that if he continued to harass like this, within three times, the opponent's morale would be destroyed by half.
"The tactics of the Turkic Wolf Cavalry!" Zhang Xutuo stroked his beard and answered with great satisfaction.