After confirming the matter of the expedition against Shu Jiu, the entire Chu State immediately became busy.
The invasion of the Wu people was obviously a great provocation to Chu's dominance in the south.
Therefore, recovering Shujiu is of extremely important strategic significance to the Chu State.
Therefore, at this moment, no matter which side of the Chu Kingdom, even the old nobles who were not satisfied with the King of Chu usurping the throne, are making intensive preparations for the war.
This was not only because it was about the face of the Chu State, but also because everyone wanted to "stand out" in front of the King of Chu.
Even though these people were dissatisfied with the King of Chu in their hearts, they at least had to ensure that the King of Chu, Xiong Wei, would not hold them accountable for their "unfavorable financing."
At this time, Li Ran was also very busy.
Logically speaking, he, Li Ran, should be the most idle among all the people. But what exactly is he busy with?
It turned out that he was seizing the time to write a volume of letters to Zichan. He wanted to tell Zichan about his current situation and the news that he was about to go to Shujiu with the team.
After all, this time he went with the team to Shujiu, and he thought that there was a high possibility of friction with the State of Wu.
As we all know, Wu State and Jin State are now in a strategic alliance, so he felt it was necessary to inform Zichan in advance about this matter, so that Zichan could send a message to Jin State in advance.
In order to prevent the world from mistakenly thinking that he, Li Ran, really had access to the Chu State.
…
Soon, Wu Ju will set off with his army.
Helpless, Li Ran had no choice but to go out with the army before getting a reply from Zichan.
Speaking of which, this is the first time since Governor Li Ran went with the army.
Therefore, at this time, he only felt great pressure.
Because as far as war is concerned, he is indeed quite incompetent.
Even though Sun Wu, the future military sage, was accompanying him, he was still feeling anxious and uneasy.
As for why?
Li Ran himself couldn't tell that he was an ugly man, but this feeling always lingered in his heart and he couldn't get rid of it for a long time.
The Chu army's march was extremely fast. This was due to the fact that successive kings of Chu paid great attention to the construction of official roads within the territory.
Therefore, it only took less than half a month to fight all the way to Licheng.
This place is only fifty miles away from Shu Jiu. Wu Ju had obviously planned to use this place as a stronghold to attack Shu Jiu.
That night, Wu Ju sent an order for the army to camp outside the city, and then called Li Ran and several accompanying generals to the main camp tent.
After everyone was seated, Wu Ju looked around and asked:
"What are your opinions on attacking Shu Jiu this time?"
As the commander-in-chief, Wu Ju already had a rough idea of how to attack Shu Jiu.
And the reason why he asked this was clearly to test Li Ran's strength.
While several lieutenants were chatting in random directions, Wu Ju simply ignored them and finally turned his attention to Li Ran again.
"I wonder what you think it should be, sir?"
After catching the duck, Wu Ju now has it at his fingertips.
Li Ran heard the sound and knew that he would definitely not be able to escape today, so he immediately cupped his hands and replied:
"I'm really ashamed. Since Li Ran has never been here before and doesn't know what the terrain is like, I have to wait until I see the terrain tomorrow before I can give the doctor an answer."
This is not because Li Ran deliberately procrastinates, but because he really doesn't know the terrain here.
In the age of cold weapons, the role of terrain on the battlefield is far more important than any other factor.
The so-called weather, favorable geography, and harmony are often not decided by the generals who command the troops. However, this "geographical advantage" is what the generals can make the most of when facing a battle.
elements of war.
Although Li Ran didn't know much about the battlefield, he still understood this point after all.
Before the war begins, scouts, craftsmen, and guides must be sent out first. And the general should personally observe the terrain in order to take advantage of the terrain's advantages or avoid its disadvantages, and formulate the most reasonable tactical strategies.
, and finally rely on these to achieve the final victory.
Regarding Li Ran's seemingly "delay" reason, Wu Ju did not rush to refute, but even said with some agreement:
"Well, sir, your concerns are quite reasonable. Then I will go with you tomorrow."
After the words fell, Wu Ju waved his hand and motioned for everyone to leave.
When Li Ran returned to his tent and Sun Wu heard what Li Ran said in the tent, he immediately raised a question:
"Wu Ju seems to be deliberately targeting sir again tonight?"
Even Sun Wu saw something unusual about Wu Ju tonight.
He called everyone over, but only asked Li Ran one question, and then... nothing more?
Isn't this deliberately targeting Li Ran, so what is it?
Li Ran heard the sound, but he only gave a bitter smile and sighed:
"Hey, he is trying to tie me and Chu State tightly together."
When Sun Wu heard this, he couldn't help but frown and said:
"Could it be that King Chu and Wu Ju are planning to use this battle to completely force Mr. Chu to become a Chu minister?"
Of course, Sun Wu could also see that the reason why Wu Ju was so keen on getting Li Ran's opinion was that he deliberately wanted this battle to create an illusion for the world: Li Ran had already gained access to the Chu State and was fully assisting him.
In other words, no matter how this battle is fought, there is only one final conclusion, and that is that he - Li Ran has made a contribution to the Chu State.
In this way, as soon as the news is spread, no matter whether it is true or false, no matter how Li Ran identifies himself, it will become a fact because of this incident.
As the saying goes, "people's words can be feared."
By then, among all the Zhou people, who can still trust him, Li Ran?
In short, this is actually asking Li Ran to "bet everyone and alienate relatives"!
"They really took great pains to get you to obey!"
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! Even Sun Wu couldn't help but complain about this sentence.
But Li Ran only smiled "haha" and replied noncommittally:
"Hey, I just blame myself for being too high-profile on weekdays. As the saying goes, 'A gentleman hides his weapons in his body and waits for the moment.' Now that things have come to this point, it is obvious that I can't 'hide the weapons in my body', so I can only
It’s ‘wait for the moment’.”
Indeed, when things got to this point, there were not many choices he could make.
"Huh? This is not what you would say, sir."
Sun Wu was a little surprised.
Because this was the first time he saw Li Ran being so helpless.
In the past, Li Ran always gave people the feeling that nothing could stop him, but this time, Li Ran's feeling of powerlessness was so strong that he even said something like "wait for the moment" which sounded like
It's a bit depressing.
Sun Wu frowned and looked at Li Ran, feeling quite worried for a moment.
He was worried that Li Ran was now trapped in Chu State, which would further affect his aspirations.
But who knew that Li Ran shook his head and smiled, indicating that he didn't need to worry:
"It doesn't matter if it comes. In fact, I have already made preparations. Before coming to Shujiu, I wrote to Dr. Zichan to make it clear that this conflict between Wu and Chu is the best choice to divert the Chu state to the north. So.
With the wisdom of Dr. Zichan, he will surely be able to understand the mystery."
After Li Ran said this, he couldn't help but sigh again, and said with emotion:
"Hey, the universe is so big and the heaven and earth are so vast. Even the Holy Kings and Emperors will always have headaches and helpless times, let alone mortals like us?"
"As long as Li Ran remains true to what he has done in this life and does not violate his original intention, he will have no regrets even if he dies."
After hearing this, is Li Ran ready to lie down?
of course not
After Li Ran arrived in Qufu, he no longer had any thoughts of lying down.
Li Ran's soliloquy is nothing more than a reminder to himself: Even if he is in chaos, he should not drift with the crowd and forget his roots. Instead, he should stick to his beliefs and not lose his focus on the great goal.
pursuit.
Of course, his so-called "great goal" is not to become the kind of hero who saves the people from fire and water, and saves the common people from hanging upside down.
Or rather, not entirely.
Because he understands that no matter how great a hero is born in this world, they will all be nothing more than passing clouds in the end.
And what Li Ran wants is not to be a hero for a while, but a path to peace that will last forever in the world.
What is "immortality"?
Establish morality, meritorious deeds and words!
Establishing virtue: creating virtue and giving to others;
To make meritorious deeds: to save people from disasters and overcome difficulties, and to make meritorious service in time;
Make a statement, get the essentials out of your words, and have enough reason to pass it on.
——
Chapter 236_I’m afraid it will be a bloody battle
For Wu Ju, it should be considered a good choice to tie Li Ran and Chu State together intentionally or unintentionally.
Only in this way can he completely let down his guard against Li Ran.
It was precisely because of this that he proposed to the King of Chu that Li Ran should accompany the army in the battle against Shu Jiu, and forced him to provide advice and suggestions.
fantuankanshu
Li Ran was also well aware of this.
The next day, accompanied by three or two generals and guides, Wu Ju, Li Ran and Sun Wu set out from the city and slowly approached Shu Jiu in the direction that the scouts had explored.
He didn't know this until he arrived. After arriving, Li Ran suddenly discovered that the closer he got to Shujiu, the more complex the nearby terrain became, with mountains, rivers, and rivers crisscrossing each other, and deep forests and canyons dotted all over.
Within a radius of ten miles from Shujiu, except for one official road, there was no other road that could accommodate a large army.
This official road is not only quite rugged, but also not very wide. It can only pass two military vehicles side by side at the same time.
Obviously, it is extremely difficult to advance with military vehicles from here.
Li Ran stood on the mountainside and looked around, but he could hardly find any trace of human activity nearby except for the surrounding peaks. It can be seen that the terrain here is so rugged that it is impossible for the army to prepare for the battle here.
.
"Is this the only way that can lead to Shujiu?"
Li Ran looked a little unbelievable and immediately asked Wu Ju.
Wu Ju heard the sound and nodded in response, then his brows furrowed again.
"Although Shu Jiu was a vassal of our Chu State before, he has never had much contact with our Chu State. Apart from the usual tribute and alliance meetings, there is actually very little contact with him."
"In addition, the mountains here are undulating and there are many side streams. It would be very expensive to build a road here. Therefore, there is only one official road from Chu State to Shujiu."
Chu State actually built a large number of official roads in its own country, but the area connecting Shujiu was beyond its reach due to the long distance.
Of course, on the other hand, it is also due to the fact that the Chu people have always been arrogant and arrogant. They always believed that Shu Jiu, and even Qunshu Zongbang, were just small subordinate states, so they definitely did not dare to betray Chu.
Therefore, I didn't pay too much attention to it before. On normal days, there is only one official road connecting Shu Jiu, which is enough.
However, with the rise of the Wu State in the east, it was obvious that the Chu State's control over this area was no longer as good as before. Subsequent kings of the Chu State never thought of how to deal with this situation. Therefore, it was inevitable that the situation would arise.
to such a predicament as today.
And this also leads to the fact that if Chu's army wants to attack Shu Jiu, its offensive strategy will be very limited.
Even a doctor with a military background like Wu Ju was helpless when he saw this situation.
After all, Chu State has always been fighting for hegemony from the north. Whether it is against Zhou State or against Chu State, the main method of warfare is to use chariots to hedge against each other.
Therefore, no matter which side it is on, a lot of manpower must be invested in building roads. In fact, whoever builds roads well will be able to mobilize more military vehicles and troops in a short time, and whoever has more troops will have more power.
Possibility of gaining strategic initiative.
But now facing enemies like Shu Jiu and Wu Guo, they are actually better at field battles, so in places where chariot battles cannot be carried out, the Chu army will suffer a greater loss. Moreover, the Chu army will also suffer
Even more uncomfortable.
"If we march straight in here, if we are ambushed by the Wu army, our army will have no way to retreat..."
"Zhufan Xiao'er just grasped this point, so he captured Shujiu with lightning speed, and our army came from thousands of miles away to fight. Since Zhufan got the news, he would definitely be prepared.
"
Several generals expressed their opinions one after another, and they were not optimistic about the current situation.
People are always very realistic.
Although Chu people all appear to be very arrogant, when faced with practical difficulties, no matter how arrogant they are, there will always be times when they bow their heads.
After all, this is not just kids playing house, this is a serious battlefield.
"What do you think, sir?"
Wu Ju turned his head and looked at Li Ran and asked.
"What does the doctor think?"
Li Ran asked directly.
Wu Ju was startled when he heard the sound, and then smiled meaningfully.
"Shu Jiu must not be thrown away. Even if Wu Ju's life is at stake, the Wu people must not let Shu Jiu be killed so easily!"
Then, Wu Ju seemed to express his determination to recapture Shu Jiu with a very impassioned sentence.
So what's the plan?
No
Just a strong attack
There is only one way to attack Shu Jiu, and it is obviously unrealistic to open up a new way now.
And their Chu army came from afar, and they couldn't delay for too long.
In this case, the only option is to attack by force.
Although Wuju only brought 30,000 soldiers this time, these 30,000 soldiers were all elite divisions trained by him personally.
He was fully confident that if he really wanted to start a battle, his combat effectiveness would not necessarily be inferior to that of the Wu soldiers led by Zhu Fan.
Moreover, according to reports from Tanma, there are not many Wu troops stationed in Shujiu, only about 10,000 people.
If we attack with several times the force and capture Shu Jiu, there shouldn't be any problem.
After hearing this, Li Ran just nodded silently.
Obviously, for now, quickly organizing a wave of strong attacks is undoubtedly the most appropriate plan at the moment. After all, it will be more detrimental to the Chu army if the war drags on.
First, the Wu army relied on the shipping of the Jianghuai system, so supplies and grain could easily be replenished. However, the Chu army had a long supply line and could not rely on food to the enemy, so it was difficult to ensure that subsequent supplies would be in place.
Secondly, the morale of the Chu army is currently low. Once the war is delayed, the morale will only drop again and again. By then, all their vigor will be gone, so why talk about attacking the city and taking out the stronghold?
At this time, even Sun Wu beside him did not see any other better way. After all, the Chu army, as the attacker, would undoubtedly have to bear greater pressure.
After some observation, several people were preparing to return, but unexpectedly, a scout suddenly ran from the bottom of the mountain to report:
"Report!"
"King Zhufan of Wu personally led 20,000 Wu troops to rescue them, and now they have reached Shujiu!"
Not good! As soon as this news came out, even Wu Ju couldn't help but his eyelids twitched.
As the attacker, they now have no proper offensive plan when facing Shu Jiu's dilemma. Now, as the defender, the Wu army has an extra 20,000 people. Isn't this even more difficult for the Chu army?
Disaster?
Wu Ju's old face darkened, and suddenly there was a dark cloud over his head.
"Zhufan, my reaction is quite quick."
Cursing this sentence secretly, Wu Ju couldn't help but put his hands on his hips and took a deep breath.
Li Ran on the side said calmly:
"It must have been that when Zhu Fan saw that Chu State had sent a large army to take revenge, he immediately came to Shu Jiu for reinforcements."
"It seems that this battle will be quite difficult to fight. I'm afraid a tough battle is inevitable."
Li Ran only made a rough inference based on the current situation, but as far as the current situation is concerned, this inference may soon become a reality.
Wu Ju's plan just now was to seize Shu Jiu by force with three times the strength of his army. Even if there was a loss, the chance of victory was still pretty sure.
However, now that the Wu army has an additional 20,000 troops, they are also on the defensive side, and the terrain is more advantageous. Therefore, if he wants to attack again now, his chances of winning are very slim.
"Haha, this isn't a tough battle, it's just a bloody battle..."
Wu Ju corrected Li Ran's wording and felt quite depressed for a while.
"coming!"
At this time, Sun Wu's deep voice immediately reminded everyone.
Several people hurriedly looked up and saw a cloud of dust flying at the pass closest to Shu Jiu. They saw a large number of soldiers in military uniforms rushing out of the pass. The bright red flag of the Wu army was fluttering in the wind under the scorching sun.
King Wu Zhufan actually led his army to go out to fight!
Seeing this, Wu Ju's face suddenly became even more gloomy.