Take the Qinzhi Road from Chang'an to Jiuyuan. Horses gallop all the way, no matter how hard the horse is, and you can reach it in three days.
But this only refers to the situation where the cavalry conveys urgent military information.
Even if the entire Liangzhou Army and Xianbei Cavalry were on horseback, regardless of cavalry or infantry, they would not be able to achieve this speed.
For a large army, if the army is faster, it may be able to reach Qiaoshan in ten days, and if it is slower, it will not take more than half a month.
But in general, compared with the prime minister leading the army to walk a short distance of the Xiegu Road, which took more than 20 days, it was many times faster.
After all, the distance from Jiuyuan to Chang'an is nearly three times the distance from Hanzhong to Chang'an.
This is the difference between a flat road and a mountain road.
But precisely because it was a smooth road, Feng Jishi's army had only walked halfway, and the Wei outposts deployed along the Jushui line had already been lit.
When Qin Zhidao was first built, it was originally for military purposes.
Not only are there military stations and military cities along the road, but there are also continuous beacon towers.
Due to age and disrepair, most military depots have lost their due function.
But over the years, because Sima Yi attached great importance to the defense of Beidi County, he not only had the beacon towers repaired, but also built some new beacon towers.
When the first beacon tower rose up with three thick billowing black smoke representing the highest alert, not long after, the second beacon tower also started to light up...
At the same time, Chuanqi ran frantically along the Qinzhi Road on the Qiaoshan Mountains towards Guanzhong, just like chasing the continuously igniting smoke.
Fenghuo could only tell that there were many, many bandits coming from the rear, but it could not tell how many there were.
The missionaries now wanted to tell Guo Huai as quickly as possible about the military information detected by the outpost.
Half a day later, thick smoke billowed out from the beacon tower under the main peak of Qiaoshan.
"General, there is enemy situation!"
In Guancheng on Qiaoshan Mountain, some soldiers exclaimed.
From the day he took over the defense of Qiaoshan, Guo Huai never stopped looking to the north.
Now that the smoke suddenly rose, Guo Huai ran towards the highest point of Guancheng without saying a word.
I don't know if it was because I was running too fast or because my heart was beating too fast.
Along the way, there was only the sound of "dong-dong-dong" in his ears.
coming?
Is it really here?
Is Thief Feng really coming from the north as Da Sima expected?
Feeling numb, he boarded the Guancheng watchtower and couldn't wait to turn his gaze to the north.
Wolf smoke, every lit beacon, there are three pillars of smoke representing tens of thousands of enemies.
Guo Huai's hand grasped the railing tightly, and veins appeared on the back of his hand because of too much force.
"Wait a little longer, wait a little longer..."
Guo Huai warned himself in his mind, "Wait until Chuanqi sends back the news and we will see whether it is the Feng thief or the Hu people who want to take advantage of the opportunity to invade south."
In his heart, there was still a trace of luck, hoping that this was a barbarian who got the news and took the opportunity to invade south.
Not the Feng thief in my imagination.
But when I think about Thief Feng being too cunning, no one dares to take it lightly if he doesn't show up for a day.
The earlier Thief Feng appears, the earlier everyone can feel at ease, and the earlier Da Sima can arrange countermeasures.
So Guo Huai felt a little shaken again...
If it is really Feng Thief, does that mean that he has to face that vicious and cunning Shu prisoner again?
He is several dozen years old, and he has seen life and death before the battle countless times.
But at this time, Guo Huai was like a young man going to see the lady he liked for the first time. He always felt that time passed very slowly and he couldn't stop his pounding heart.
Until the afterglow of the sun gradually disappeared on the other side of the mountain, Guo Huai still didn't see the figure of Chuanqi appearing at the bottom of the mountain. Guo Huai couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.
"General, all the mountain camps have reported back and are ready."
Guo Huai said "hmm" absentmindedly, turned around and prepared to go downstairs, and at the same time ordered:
"I expect that the messenger will definitely arrive early tomorrow morning at the latest. If something happens at night, remember to report it immediately without any mistakes!"
"promise!"
At midnight, there was a sudden knock on Guo Huai's door, and a guard shouted urgently:
"General, there is an urgent report!"
Before he could shout a second time, the door creaked open, and a neatly dressed Guo Huai appeared at the door. It turned out that he was sleeping with his clothes on.
"Where are the people?"
"Just in the front hall."
"Walk!"
The legendary knight in the front hall was already soaked to the skin and his lips were chapped. He held his breath and waited for Guo Huai to arrive. He used the remaining strength in his body to say:
"Shu captives... no less than 50,000, and everyone rides them. The commander-in-chief is... Feng..."
As soon as I uttered the last word, I fainted on the spot.
Soon someone took out the unique talisman of the Wei army from his arms and handed it to Guo Huai.
"Hurry and help him down to rest!"
Guo Huai pinched the talisman in his hand and ordered:
"Come here, pass on my military order. Send a messenger overnight to inform Chang'an that Feng Thief is coming from the north with 50,000 bandits!"
Regardless of whether this military information is true or false, it must be conveyed as soon as possible.
In this current situation, it is better to kill the wrong person than to let it go.
The riders who arrive one after another will confirm the authenticity of each other's news.
If I'm really wrong, I'll correct it later.
"promise!"
In less than two days, with Chang'an as the center, news of Feng's invasion spread to all directions, with the two key directions being Luoyang and Xicheng.
"What I'm most afraid of is that Feng thief comes down from Longguan to attack Qianxian. The next thing I'm most afraid of is when Feng thief comes from Xiaoguan and attacks Qianxian."
Sima Yi, who got the news about Feng Thief immediately, took the military report sent from Chang'an with a relaxed look on his face:
"After all, Thief Feng is not only good at attacking cities, but also good at fighting on the plains. Therefore, what I hope most is that he comes from the north."
Having said this, he couldn't help stroking his beard and said with a smile:
"I didn't expect that this thief would be so accommodating to me. Is this how God is helping me?"
Hearing the words, everyone on the left and right showed a knowing and relaxed smile just like Sima Yi.
This time the Shu captives invaded the country, only Feng Thief had not been seen for a long time. It would be a lie to say that everyone was not worried.
There are many people who have participated in the Battle of Xiaoguan and know how powerful this person is.
Nowadays, people in Guanzhong all say that Feng Thief has long been known as the Ghost King, with three thousand ghost riders under his command, hungry for human flesh and thirsty for human blood.
He can be regarded as a cunning and fierce thief who can stop the children in the pass from crying at night.
So some people laughed and echoed Da Sima's words:
"The mountains of Qiaoshan stretch out and there are many dangerous passes. No matter how powerful the cavalry under Feng Thief is, can they still go up the mountains and down the streams as if they are walking on flat ground? Can they still carry siege equipment across the desert?"
"At the end of the day, General Guan Feng has abandoned his own strength and wants to attack the place that Da Sima has prepared for. I'm afraid he will suffer a lot!"
"Hahaha……"
Everyone laughed.
"I think Feng Thieves crossed the desert this time because he wanted to imitate Huo Qubing of the Han Dynasty, but he compared the Xiongnu'er with the Wei Dynasty? What they did, I think they are trying to be like a tiger, but they are like a dog! "
The laughter got louder.
Sima Yi did not stop everyone.
After all, these days, the generals have been worried about where Thief Feng will come from, and their emotions are somewhat depressed.
Letting everyone laugh and talk at this time can be regarded as a morale booster.
Only after everyone had finished laughing, Sima Yi reminded:
"This time Feng Thief crossed the desert without losing time and was able to echo Zhuge Liang's army. This shows that his leadership is indeed outstanding."
"Therefore, although we are well prepared this time, we must not be careless and underestimate this person."
After hearing Sima Yi's words, someone suggested:
"Da Sima, should we send more reinforcements to Qiaoshan to support General Guo?"
Sima Yi shook his head:
"Since Thief Feng has led the army south, his intention has been revealed. If Qiaoshan is unprepared, he will succeed at all costs. Now that Qiaoshan is prepared, why worry?"
"No matter what, our main enemy is the 100,000-strong army led by Zhuge Liang on the other side. As long as Zhuge Liang is not given an opportunity to take advantage of it, the Feng thief in the north will be like a rootless duck with no worries."
Zhuge Liang's army to invade Guanzhong this time should be fifty to sixty thousand strong.
Coupled with the auxiliary soldiers and civilians, it is not an exaggeration to say that he has a hundred thousand people.
Ever since Zhuge Liang went west to Wuzhangyuan, he had been setting up his camp in a leisurely manner.
After setting up camp, they have been cutting down bamboo trees recently, seemingly to build water crossing equipment.
At the same time, news came that the Shu captives were planning to recruit local refugees to reclaim wasteland.
In Sima Yi's opinion, Zhuge Liang was making a double plan:
First, if Thief Feng succeeds, he will definitely take the opportunity to cross the water and have a decisive battle with himself.
Second, if Feng thief fails, he plans to camp on the other side and face a long-term confrontation with himself.
Thinking of this, Sima Yi couldn't help but sigh:
"I think the Ge thieves are very determined to seize Guanzhong! It is better to be cautious."
At this time, someone below was heard saying:
"Da...Da Sima, you have to say that if you defend for a long time, you will lose. In the previous battle, I...our army was on guard because we didn't know where Thief Feng came from."
"Now that the Feng thief has appeared, the Shu captives' intentions are all clear. They have fewer troops than the Wei Dynasty, but they advance in three directions. This is really a taboo among military strategists."
As soon as he said this, Sima Yi couldn't help but look at the source of the sound and said "Hey".
It turned out that the speaker was none other than Deng Ai, who was standing in the corner.
When Deng Ai saw Da Sima paying attention to him, he became excited and his stuttering became more serious:
"Shu...Shu...Shu captives look like they are taking the initiative this time, but in fact, none of the three parties can communicate with each other and they are fighting on their own."
"And we, the Wei Dynasty, not only have more soldiers than them, but we can also help each other in time. This is a great disadvantage to the enemy, but it is also a great advantage to us."
After saying so much, he finally took a breath and concluded:
"Therefore, in Ai... Ai... Ai's opinion, as long as we can mobilize our troops and defeat the enemy on one road, we will lose the rest of the way."
Deng Ai was specially promoted by Sima Yi.
The reason is that in the past few years, he has achieved great results in farming in Guanzhong and provided a large amount of food for the Guanzhong army.
At the same time, this was also the reason why Sima Yi had no worries after seeing that Zhuge Liang planned to stay in Wuzhangyuan and confront him for a long time.
It's just that the fields return to the fields, and the wars start fighting.
From beginning to end, Deng Ai was basically cleaning up the barbarian tribes in Beidi County, and gained some negligible military exploits.
Therefore, he could enter Sima Yi's tent to discuss matters, and everyone would not say much for the sake of Sima Yi and the food supply.
Who would have thought that this guy standing in the last corner would dare to get ahead of everyone and propose a military proposal to Da Sima?
Someone on the spot sarcastically said:
"Ai has not yet stated how many Ai there are. How dare you talk about military affairs?"
So many people snickered.
Deng Ai's face turned red with anger and he said loudly:
""The Analects of Confucius·Wei Zi" has a saying: Feng Xi Feng Xi! Is this not a phoenix? In the past, Zhou Chang of the Han Dynasty could not be described for a period of time, but Xiao He and Cao Shen were all humbled by him. The emperor of the Han Dynasty was afraid of him, and Empress Lu knelt down to thank her.
.”
"If Chang can be successful, why can't I use Ai Ai?"
As soon as this statement came out, everyone was speechless.
When Sima Yi heard this, he was even more surprised.
Just seeing the disdain on the faces of the generals, Sima Yi's heart moved and he coughed:
"Okay, I've already made up my mind, so there's no need for us to argue too much or we'll hurt our harmony."
When the generals saw that Da Sima was speaking like this, they couldn't say anything else.
They did not expect that after the military meeting was over, Sima Yi had people quietly summon Deng Ai back:
"All the generals in the army have either achieved many military exploits or are of high rank. But you are the only one who has neither achieved military exploits nor comes from a wealthy family, so you will inevitably be ostracized by others."
"Now if you want to change other people's minds, the only way other than fighting with them is to achieve more military exploits, do you understand?"
When Deng Ai was in Runan, an elder from the same county saw that his family was poor and had a lot of money, but he did not express any gratitude at first.
It can be seen from this that Deng Ai is really a proud and arrogant person.
After he was promoted unexpectedly by Sima Yi, the generals in the army disliked him, and he never thought of getting along well with others.
Therefore, his relationship with his colleagues in the military was not good.
At this time, hearing Sima Yi's private words of encouragement, Deng Ai couldn't help but challenge for a fight:
"If Da Sima intends to fight the Ge bandits, Ai is willing to be the vanguard and defeat the Shu captives for Da Sima!"
Sima Yi smiled and patted his shoulder:
"With hundreds of thousands of troops standing in a stalemate across the water, how can it be decided by a single battle? What this reckless man did is just right. If there is disharmony, wouldn't he be a sinner of the country?"
When the world was first in chaos, the princes fought in a melee, which was mostly just a random fight. In fact, whichever side had more brave men would be the stronger one.
But as we get to the back, the battle between the two armies becomes more and more focused on military strategy.
Because of the random fighting, those who didn't follow the strategy disappeared in the chaos of the war, or became the minions of the hero.
Just like the current confrontation between the Wei and Shu armies, it looks like everything is calm, but in fact it is just testing the opponent's patience first.
If you are patient enough, neither party will reveal any flaws due to impatience.
The next step is to conduct small-scale offense and defense to find out the possible shortcomings of the opponent.
Even when there is a large-scale battle between the two armies, five points of defense must be retained to avoid falling into an uncontrollable situation once defeated.
In Sima Yi's view, Cao Zhen just didn't realize this, and still used Emperor Wu's idea when he was campaigning in all directions, and wanted to defeat him in a single battle. Only then did Feng Yong seize the opportunity and defeat him with one blow.
Sima Yi felt that Deng Ai was a talented person, so he briefly shared his experience with him.
As the Grand Sima, Deng Ai was deeply moved when he personally explained to him the key points of the confrontation between the two armies.
"Therefore, I'm afraid we won't be able to use the vanguard here for a while."
Sima Yi concluded one last sentence, then paused and looked at Deng Ai:
"But what you just said in the account, in my opinion, does make some sense."
"Now that Thief Feng has appeared, the intentions of the Shu captives are obvious. Our army has more officers and soldiers than the Shu captives. If we are just defending, we will inevitably be said to fear Shu as a tiger."
"It's better to think of ways to take the initiative and find the enemy's loopholes."
Deng Ai was very excited when he heard that Da Sima actually agreed with him.
Seeing this, Sima Yi smiled slightly:
"In my opinion, it is difficult to find Zhuge Liang's omissions. If not, what would Shi Zai think?"