Chapter 215 Crouching Dragon Tomb Tiger will finally have a battle
After learning that Sun Quan had gone dark, Ma Di did not dare to neglect, and came to Zhuge Liang at dawn the next day to discuss countermeasures.
Zhuge Liang originally planned to launch an autumn offensive in the near future, which was the Seventh Northern Expedition. He would raise troops from Liangzhou to seize Longyou and encroach on Wei. After hearing this, he stood up with a solemn expression and quickly waved the goose feather fan in his hand.
Suddenly there was a strong wind in the room.
Zhuge Liang did not doubt the authenticity of the news. He even knew that Ma Di had sent Huang Xi and Li Sheng to Jiangdong to carry out sabotage and hinder Soochow, but they failed in the end.
To be honest, Zhuge Liang didn't really agree with this approach (backstabbing allies). He was adhering to the strategy of "destroying Wei before attacking Wu."
But considering that Sun Quan stabbed Shu Han twice in the back, Zhuge Liang just turned a blind eye and let Ma Su do what he did.
This is not because Zhuge Liang betrayed the alliance without integrity, but because Sun Quan's two backstabbings caused a heavy and indelible blow to the Shu Han.
The first backstab occurred in the 20th year of Jian'an (215). At that time, the Shu Han Dynasty had just captured Yizhou after three years of hard fighting, and Sun Quan launched a sneak attack on the three eastern counties of Jingnan.
At that time, Liu Bei considered that Hanzhong was still under Cao Cao's control and that the northern gate of Shu Han was open, so he swallowed his anger and ceded the three eastern counties of Jingnan to Sun Quan (the three eastern counties had been forcibly occupied by Sun Quan at that time). Both Shu and Wu used the Xiang River as their
The three counties to the east belonged to Soochow, and the three counties to the west belonged to Shu Han.
The second time was in the 24th year of Jian'an (219). At that time, the Shu Han Dynasty fought hard for one year and seven months, defeated Cao Cao and captured Hanzhong.
Then Sun Quan stole the remaining three counties to the west of Jingzhou.
Now, after three years of hard work and six Northern Expeditions, the Shu Han finally captured Liangzhou, and Sun Quan was ready to make another move.
Soochow behaves like this, how can people not be angry?!
With Zhuge Liang's good self-cultivation, he couldn't help but curse his mother.
He could even imagine that at this moment, Sun Quan must be hiding in a dark corner, sharpening his sword with a sneer, waiting for the war between Shu and Wu, and then waiting for the opportunity to make a decision to attack Wei or Shu depending on the situation.
In short, whichever country is easy to attack, Sun Quan will definitely attack that country.
Of course, if the Shu Han stood still, did not take the initiative to fight with Wei, and did not give Soochow any opportunity to take advantage of it, Sun Quan would not be able to forcefully send troops to attack the Shu Han.
But by choosing such a strategy, the Shu Han missed the great opportunity to seize Longyou at their fingertips.
As his thoughts turned, Zhuge Liang remembered the first Northern Expedition in the sixth year of Jianxing.
At that time, the Shu Han also had a good opportunity. When Wei and Wu had just fought in Shiting, they used Zhao Yun and Deng Zhi as a feint attack force to attract Cao Zhen's army in the Xie Valley, while Zhuge Liang personally led the main force to attack Wei from the Qishan line.
They launched a surprise attack in the Longxi area where the country's military strength was weak, so as to achieve the unexpected effect of attacking in the east and attacking in the west. They strived to occupy the entire Longxi area before Wei State could react, cut off the connection between Wei State and Liangzhou, and then cannibalize it.
But God did not fulfill people's wishes.
That war included the subsequent Battle of Jieting. Although the Shu Han Dynasty all won, it did not achieve the expected results.
Now, another God-given opportunity lies ahead.
Compared with the last time, Shu Han is more confident this time.
Especially in the Longyou area, the Shu Han not only formed a three-sided encirclement of Cao Wei locally, but also had an absolute advantage in military strength.
The attack on Longyou has become a situation of "the arrow is on the string and must be fired".
But once the five counties of Longyou are captured, it means that Soochow, an ally, is likely to become an enemy.
Dilemma.
After pondering for a long time, he suddenly saw Ma Su looking calm and confident. Zhuge Liang's heart moved and he asked, "You Chang seems to have a good plan?"
Ma Su nodded.
He does have a good idea.
Regardless of whether he was dealing with Wu or Wei, he had a way of making the other party miserable and unable to take care of themselves.
But if he wants to deal with two countries at the same time, then he really has no good solution.
Ma Su said seriously: "Prime Minister, if you hesitate, you will lose. I think Longyou can be attacked."
Zhuge Liang nodded: "If I win Longyou, the power of the Three Kingdoms will still exist, and the Shu-Wu alliance will fall apart."
Ma Su took over the conversation and said: "Prime Minister, don't worry! I, Jihan, is located in a scenic spot on the upper reaches of Jianghan. Even if the rats from Jiangdong come to attack, it will be difficult to defeat them. Moreover, the Baiyue territory in Jiangdong is in chaos, one after another. If I capture Longyou when I
, it happened that a Baiyue tribe suddenly emerged from the Wu region, and fought and defeated them in succession, and Soochow was bound to fall into civil strife..."
Zhuge Liang's eyes lit up when he heard this: "Go on!"
Ma Su continued: "I have been familiar with military books and tactics since I was a child, and I have often studied ancient and modern battle cases. Now I came across a 'guerrilla warfare method', which I find quite subtle. Now I will talk about it with the Prime Minister and comment on its advantages and disadvantages."
As soon as Ma Di opened his mouth, Zhuge Liang knew roughly what he wanted to say.
However, he did not choose to interrupt. Instead, he lowered his head and listened attentively.
Zhuge Liang has also been familiar with military books since he was a child, and is well versed in battle strategies. He is familiar with every war in the past and present, including guerrilla warfare.
This guerrilla warfare is not a novel strategy.
The term "guerrilla" first appeared in the early Han Dynasty. Emperor Gaozu of the Han Dynasty set up guerrilla generals and called the guerrilla troops "guerrillas", "rangers" and "guerrillas". "Historical Records of Peng Yue" records: "In the third year of the Han Dynasty, Peng Yue often visited for
The Han soldiers attacked Chu and cut off the food supply in the Liang area."
The "Overview of the Eight Formations of Holding Qi Jing" describes the section on the wandering army: "The march of the wandering army is sometimes moving and sometimes quiet, avoiding the real and attacking the weak, looking at the weak and weak, forming formations and approaching the ground, cutting off the four paths. Later sages will review it.
, the situation is unpredictable.”
At the end of the Spring and Autumn Period (512 BC), King Helu of Wu was preparing to attack Chu. He adopted Wu Zixu's suggestion of first exhausting Chu and then fighting decisively. He first sent some troops to many places in Chu to harass the Chu army with guerrilla warfare for six years.
The Chu army was exhausted, so they sent the main force into Chu for a decisive battle and defeated the Chu army.
This is the earliest example of guerrilla warfare.
The area where the Chu State is located is exactly where Jingxiang is today.
If the Shu Han wanted to conquer Wu, the old Wu king's strategy of tiring Chu could still be used as a reference today.
This is also the main reason why Zhuge Liang insisted on attacking Wei first.
It is not just that the Wu State has no concerns, "the Han and the traitors are not at odds with each other, and the king's business is not in peace", it is also the result of repeated weighing.
In this era, we still need to pay attention to those who are famous.
Breaking an alliance was something that only Sun Quan often did.
Zhuge Liang disdained this.
Ma Su organized his speech and solemnly introduced the evolved version of guerrilla warfare in later generations: "Prime Minister, the guerrilla warfare method I think of is slightly different from that of the predecessors. Traveling means walking, attacking means fighting, and traveling without fighting means fighting.
Escapeism and fighting without swimming are desperate doctrines, and neither is desirable."
“The essence of guerrilla warfare is: ‘Choose reasonable fighter planes, choose combat locations, quickly deploy troops, rationally allocate troops, and retreat quickly after the battle.’ Only when these five elements are used as the basic principles of the combat method can we achieve true guerrilla warfare..."
"It can be summed up in sixteen words: when the enemy advances, we retreat; when the enemy is stationed, we harass; when the enemy is tired, we attack; when the enemy retreats, we pursue."
Hiss~……
Before Ma Di finished speaking, Zhuge Liang took a deep breath and instantly understood the power of this method of warfare.
Isn't this the "fly fighting method" that the barbarians in the grassland are good at?
He murmured to himself, recalling the subtleties of it, and took notes to write it down.
At this time, the door was suddenly pushed open, and two middle-aged scribes wearing long-sleeved robes and turbans walked in one after the other.
It's Yang Yi and Jiang Wan.
Yang Yi glanced at Ma Su, then at Zhuge Liang who was leaning on the desk, walked up to him, cupped his hands and said, "Prime Minister, all the food, grass and equipment are ready."
Zhuge Liang came to his senses and put down his brush.
"Weigong, Gongyan, you are here..."
"When the enemy advances, we retreat; when the enemy is stationed, we harass; when the enemy is tired, we attack; when the enemy retreats, we pursue...?" Yang Yi glanced at the handwriting on the brocade silk, read it over with interest, and complimented: "Prime Minister, good calligraphy.
!The writing power is getting stronger and stronger..."
You idiot... Ma Su almost laughed out loud and quickly turned his head away.
Zhuge Liang glanced at Yang Yi calmly, then turned to Jiang Wan: "Gong Yan also comments."
"The writing is more vigorous and vigorous than before." Jiang Wan stood aside and replied respectfully.
"..."
Seeing that the two right-hand men were focusing on the words, Zhuge Liang smiled and shook his head, as if he had thought of something, and said to Jiang Wan: "Gong Yan, if you have the power to help me, you can leave the matters at hand to me."
As for him, please quickly return to Guanshu, Chengdu, and serve His Majesty on my behalf."
Jiang Wan responded simply, accepted the order and left.
From beginning to end, there was not a single complaint.
When Yang Yi heard this, her lips almost reached her ears.
Ma Di wanted to laugh secretly, but he couldn't show it in front of Zhuge Liang. He lowered his head and shrugged, enduring it very hard.
It took a while before it calmed down.
Zhuge Liang turned around and began to give Yang Yi instructions on how to deal with Liangzhou's affairs, who should be roped in, who should be severely punished, and who should be guarded against. He told Yang Yi one by one.
It took half an hour to explain.
Adding up the many matters, there are more than a hundred at least, involving people's livelihood, combat readiness, logistics, material procurement, and various tasks of the state and county.
Ma Su's scalp went numb just after listening to it.
He never wanted to take over such a job in his life.
However, Yang Yi did not feel at all that Zhuge Liang assigned him too much work, and kept nodding his head, looking slightly excited.
There are various signs that Prime Minister Zhuge is putting a burden on his shoulders, which is a precursor to the support of the whole country.
So, he was happy to oblige.
"Did you remember everything?"
"Prime Minister, I have recorded all the rituals."
"Hmm..." Zhuge Liang seemed to remember something again and glanced at Ma Su.
Ma Su understood and quickly took over the conversation: "Mr. Wei, the Prime Minister has been ill recently. You have to do your best."
Yang Yi glanced at Ma Su in surprise, as if it was difficult to accept that a person who had always been at odds with him would actually treat him kindly.
Then he looked at Zhuge Liang doubtfully and found that the prime minister was looking at him with a smile and encouragement.
"Prime Minister, Yi is here!" Yang Yi suddenly felt full of energy and high morale, bowed her hands, rolled up her sleeves and rushed out.
Zhuge Liang watched Yang Yi leave and said to Ma Su with a smile: "Does Young Chang have a clever plan to capture Longyou?"
After sorting out Soochow's worries, things returned to their original point.
How to capture the five counties of Longyou?
The Shu Han currently has 60,000 troops stationed in Wuwei, including 50,000 cavalry, and 100,000 troops stationed in Xi County. The Wei State has gathered more than 150,000 troops in this area, including about 20,000 to 30,000 cavalry.
The Shu Han had many siege weapons that could only guarantee the city was conquered. The final outcome of the war still depended on the soldiers to win on the battlefield.
160,000 versus 150,000.
It is foreseeable that if there is no clever plan to assist, this will be a brutal, lose-lose, meat grinder-style war.
Ma Su thought for a while and said: "Prime Minister, I have three strategies: upper, middle and lower."
"The best plan is for the Prime Minister to march eastward from Wuwei. I will lead 50,000 troops from Xi County out of Ziwu Valley to take Chang'an. By then, if Sima Yi does not retreat to save himself, he will be homeless. If he retreats, the Prime Minister will have no trouble.
Take off Longyou."
"In the middle strategy, the prime minister marched eastward from Wuwei. I left Chencang Road from Xi County, cut off the Longshan Road for 700 miles, and blocked Sima Yi in Longxi. It was like catching a turtle in a urn. As soon as this plan came out, even if Sima Yi survived, 150,000 Wei troops would be killed.
It will also turn into ashes and disappear into smoke.”
"The next strategy is for the Prime Minister to march eastward from Wuwei. I will send troops from Xi County to the north to attack the five counties of Longyou together. If this plan is successful, we can only drive Sima Yi out of Longyou."
Hearing this, Zhuge Liang couldn't stop thinking.
The best strategy is light, which has the advantage of saving time and effort, but the disadvantage is that it will let the main force of Wei go.
Because it is necessary to rescue the enemy, as long as Ma Su's troops appear in the area around Chang'an, Sima Yi stationed in Longyou will inevitably withdraw his troops and go back to rescue.
If it were left to other generals to defend Ma Su, if they were unable to stop him, the consequences would be more than just losing Guanzhong.
Once Sima Yi retreats, Zhuge Liang will have cavalry and geographical advantages in the Longyou area.
Because the terrain of Longliang is high in the west and low in the east, high in the north and low in the south. From Xixian to Tianshui, the upward attack is from south to north, while from Wuwei to Tianshui, the attack is from west to east.
The reason why the previous Northern Expedition failed was because Zhuge Liang led 100,000 infantrymen to attack Qishan Mountain. They were too eager to conquer and ultimately failed.
The middle strategy is stable and accurate. The advantage is that it can surround the Wei army (Sima Yi) and fight. The disadvantage is that it is time-consuming and laborious. Once Sima Yi is blocked in the Longyou area, both sides will inevitably face a brutal battle of "either you die or I die."
.
This is a sound strategy. The advantage is that it advances slowly and cannibalizes the enemy. The disadvantage is that it takes too long and the two sides can easily fall into a stalemate and tug-of-war.
This is undoubtedly a situation that neither party wants to see.
Once the war reaches a stalemate, Sun Quan will be handed a knife, and he can choose whoever he wants to kill.
Considering that the previous five Northern Expeditions failed due to various reasons, it was not until the sixth Northern Expedition that Ma Su captured Liangzhou by surprise from the Qiang region. This time Zhuge Liang thought about it for a long time and finally chose the best strategy.
In fact, these three strategies are not earth-shattering, but only Ma Di can execute them.
It is difficult for other generals such as Wei Yan, Jiang Wei, etc. to transport troops and horses out at this stage (Wei has guarded all exits from Hanzhong to Guanzhong).
But Ma Su can.
Ma Su could use the fame he gained on the battlefield to get the soldiers to follow him across the mountains and ridges and sneak across the country on small roads.
Because he is a victorious general, no matter what order he gives, the soldiers will have the belief that "if we listen to the general, we can win."
When soldiers have enough trust in their generals, the army has a soul.
In fact, Zhuge Liang can also do this, but Zhuge Liang doesn't like to take risks.
After deciding on the strategy, Ma Su and Zhuge Liang said goodbye, pushed the door open and left, heading to Xi County.
After sending Ma Su away, Zhuge Liang sat back in front of the wooden case, smoothed the brocade silk, gently held the brush, and continued to write: "Choose reasonable fighter planes, choose combat locations, quickly deploy troops, rationally distribute troops, and retreat quickly after the battle... "
As he wrote this, he suddenly felt something in his heart. Zhuge Liang stopped his hand and fell into a state of emptiness.
Scenes of battlefield fighting unfolded before his eyes.
Wei, Taihe six years, July, early morning.
Although it is still summer at this time, the cool breeze of early autumn has begun to blow in the Central Plains early. Luoyang City, located on the south bank of the Yellow River, is shrouded in a refreshing mist.
In the North Palace of Luoyang, Cao Rui was holding a brocade silk and pacing back and forth in front of a case.
The desk next to him was piled with government memorials and documents and classics submitted from various places. These things were piled high in a pile and looked shaky because they were not arranged neatly.
But Cao Rui had no time to care about this.
Emergency report from the border: Zhuge Liang, the Prime Minister of the Shu Han Dynasty, suddenly launched an attack on the Longyou area. At the same time, General Ma Di, the general of the Shu Han Dynasty in the West, led 50,000 troops out of the Ziwu Valley and headed straight for Chang'an.
The scale of the Shu army's troop dispatch this time was the largest in the history of the Northern Expedition.
There are fully 50,000 cavalry and 100,000 infantry.
The offensive and defensive wars in the Shu, Wei and Yongliang areas began again after more than three months of lull.
