The news that Duke Zhuang of Lu was going to attack the State of Qi reached Linzi, and Duke Huan of Qi also got angry. He also spread the word that he would attack the State of Lu. He was not like Duke Zhuang of Lu, who just talked about it. He meant to fight.
A fight was imminent. Duke Huan of Qi asked Bao Shuya to organize his troops and prepare to use troops against Lu.
Guan Zhong advised: "My lord has just ascended the throne. The first thing is to stabilize people's hearts. The most important thing now is to do a good job in domestic politics, military affairs, and people's livelihood, and then go out to fight when the country is rich and the people are strong."
Qi Huangong said: "When will we wait? Now, if I don't hit him, he will hit me. Why don't I strike first?"
In fact, there is another reason, that is, Duke Huan of Qi has just ascended the throne and wants to show off. He wants to imitate Duke Xi of Qi and Duke Xiang of Qi, and show his majesty from all sides.
Guan Zhong saw that he was very energetic and thought, if he doesn't let him hit the wall, he won't believe me, so let him go. Guan Zhong said, if you go to fight, I won't go with you. I will stay at home and concentrate on production.
, to provide you with logistical support. Duke Huan of Qi wished that no one would interfere with him, so he agreed.
Just when the rumors of war between Qi and Lu were getting closer and closer, Shi Bo, a wise man of Lu State, found a talent and recommended him to Duke Zhuang of Lu. This man was named Cao GUI, a scholar who lived in the countryside.
, enjoying farming and reading. When Duke Zhuang of Lu heard that a capable man had appeared, he immediately asked Uncle Shi to invite Cao GUI.
Before Cao GUI left home, all his friends came to congratulate him. On the night before he left, a crazy friend came to see him. This person did not come to congratulate him, but to dissuade him.
Kuangyou said: "There is going to be a war. Brother Cao GUI went out to be an official at this time. Did he not choose the right time?"
Cao GUI said: "Because there is going to be a war, I am going to help the state of Lu."
The crazy friend said: "Those who eat meat have to worry about the war. Why are you going to interfere with it?"
Cao GUI almost laughed. Because his friend was arrogant by nature and never took officials seriously, he was known as a "carnivore". Of course, it cannot be said that the crazy friend was wrong. Judging from the social situation at that time, he could eat
Most of the people who get the meat are officials.
Cao GUI said in his words: "Those who eat meat are usually short-sighted and cannot come up with any far-sighted strategies."
Seeing that Cao GUI couldn't listen, Kuangyou didn't want to talk too much. He stood up, cupped his hands, and wished Cao GUI a great journey. Then he shook his sleeves and walked away.
Cao GUI went to Qufu, and after meeting Duke Zhuang of Lu, he had a long conversation with him. This long conversation is equivalent to the "interview" in today's society. The monarch judges the ability of the applicant through conversation.
Talk about gaining the monarch's approval. After a long discussion, Duke Zhuang of Lu thought that Cao GUI was a good person with good humanities and military skills, so he first asked Cao GUI to be a counselor. Since he had no specific position, his main task was to help the state of Lu.
Drill troops and horses.
In 684 BC, in the 2nd year of Duke Huan of Qi and the 10th year of Duke Zhuang of Lu, Duke Huan of Qi personally took command, appointed Bao Shuya as general, led 300 military chariots, and entered the state of Lu excitedly.
Bao Shuya was very capable in fighting, and he was invincible in attacking cities and villages along the way. Within a few days, he captured Changshao of the State of Lu (today's northeastern area of Laiwu, Shandong).
Duke Zhuang of Lu was forced to fight, so he personally took command, with Cao Mo as the general and Cao GUI as the senior counselor accompanying the army. He sent 200 chariots to meet the enemy.
The Lu army marched northward and reached Changshao, where they found the Qi army. Cao Mo ordered the army to station in the south of Changshao, ten miles away. That night, he slaughtered cattle and sheep, feasted on the soldiers, and prepared to fight the Qi army the next day.
The movements of the Lu army did not escape the eyes and ears of the Qi army. Just after Lu Zhuanggong and others had dinner, the Qi envoy came to the Lu camp. The Qi envoy handed Cao Mo a letter of war written by Bao Shuya himself.
, the book said: "Qi General Bao Shuya hereby proposes: Tomorrow we have an appointment with the Lu Army to fight in the southern suburbs of Changshao City. The place is open and convenient for fighting. We have sent envoys here to salute first and then to attack. We pay our respects to Cao Mo, the commander-in-chief of the Lu Army. Hereby."
Duke Zhuang of Lu read the letter of war and immediately replied with two words: Fight!
On the second day, the Qi and Lu armies arrived at the south of Changshao City almost at the same time. There was indeed an open space here. The Qi army was in the north and the Lu army was in the south. They set up their positions across a dry and flat river bed.
Duke Zhuang of Lu asked Cao GUI to sit on his chariot so that he could discuss advance and retreat at any time. When he saw Qi's troops and horses arrayed in order, he asked Cao GUI: "How to fight this battle?"
Cao GUI said: "When fighting, you must be flexible and adaptable to the enemy's situation. Let's see what they do first and then talk."
On the Qi army's formation, Bao Shuya saw that the Lu soldiers and horses were waiting in formation, but did not attack. He expected that the Lu army was afraid, so he ordered the troops to beat drums and advance. The Qi soldiers and horses heard the sound and moved forward, and began to advance across the board. In the front row were iron horse chariots, and behind them were armored soldiers.
, there are archers ambushing in the formation, and on both sides of the formation are swordsmen and axemen holding shields. All the soldiers advance to the beat of drums, the formation is strict and murderous.
When Duke Zhuang of Lu saw Qi's troops moving, he raised his hand and prepared to order the drums to be beaten and advance.
Cao GUI said: "My lord, wait a minute, their morale is strong now. Wait a moment and wait until they play the second drum."
Duke Zhuang of Lu then stood still. He saw Qi soldiers and horses descending the slope and advancing towards the middle of the river bed. At this time, another war drum sounded in the Qi army formation. Upon hearing the drum sound, the slightly messy troops lined up in order and continued to advance.
When the Qi army marched to the center of the riverbed, Duke Zhuang of Lu felt that there was an opportunity for war, and wanted to order the troops of Lu to attack. Cao GUI said, "Wait a little longer, it's not the time yet."
The Qi soldiers and horses crossed the dry river bed and gradually approached the slope of the Lu army. At this time, the troops became slack.
Bao Shuya was puzzled. He couldn't figure out why the troops of Lu State had been standing still. But his troops had already moved. At this time, they could only advance, not retreat. So he ordered to beat the drum for the third time, preparing to attack. Qi soldiers and horses were there
Amidst the sound of war drums, people climbed up the slope one after another. At this time, their flags and queues were already in disarray.
Cao GUI said to Duke Zhuang of Lu, "My lord, it's time to attack."
Duke Zhuang of Lu could not hold it any longer, so he immediately gave the order to beat the drums and attack. Cao Mo and other generals, like Duke Zhuang of Lu, had lost their temper for a long time. When they heard the order to attack, they all led their troops to attack
Charge forward. Suddenly, the Lu army rushed towards the enemy like a tide.
The explosive charge of the Lu army caught the Qi army off guard, and the Qi army fell into panic in front of the formation. At this fleeting opportunity, the Lu army's soldiers and horses rushed through the Qi army's formation. The front row of the Qi army could not resist and rushed
They retreated, but the rear ranks were still pushing forward. They were crowded in front and behind, creating chaos. Bao Shuya killed two or three deserters in succession, but still could not suppress the retreat.
When Duke Huan of Qi saw the situation, he had to shrink his troops and retreat while fighting. The Lu army took advantage of the situation and fought fiercely, and the Qi army began to flee. Seeing the Qi army's retreat, Duke Zhuang of Lu wanted to pursue him. Cao GUI said: "Don't chase, let them
escape."
By this time, Duke Zhuang of Lu had already trusted Cao GUI, and he immediately ordered the entire army to stop the pursuit. Duke Huan of Qi took the opportunity to escape from the battlefield.
This battle did not severely damage the Qi State, but the Lu army defeated the large number with a small number and drove the Qi people out of the Lu State. It can be said that the military morale was greatly boosted and they were proud. More importantly, over the years, the Lu State's unified battles often failed.
It ended, so this victory was of extraordinary significance to Duke Zhuang of Lu.
On the way back to the court, Duke Zhuang of Lu asked Cao GUI: "Why did you stop me from attacking Qi's drums the first two times?"
Cao GUI said: "Fighting relies on courage. The so-called 'one drum is full of energy, then weakens again, and three times it is exhausted'. When they beat the drum for the third time, their soldiers became slack. But we only beat the drum once, the courage of the soldiers
It just happens to be the most vigorous. As the saying goes, 'He is exhausted and I am full, so I overcome it'."
Duke Zhuang of Lu laughed loudly and asked again: "Then, when they were defeated and I wanted to chase them, why did you stop me?"
Cao GUI said: "There may be real or fake enemy troops escaping. We must be careful. If we see the enemy's flags down, their carriages and horses in disorder, and the soldiers scattered, it means that there is no ambush in front of them and they are really escaping. Only at this time can we
Chase.”
Duke Zhuang of Lu praised him: "You really know how to fight, and you can become a general in the future."
Let's talk about Duke Huan of Qi. When he returned to Linzi, the more he thought about it, the more unconvinced he became. He felt that the reason why Duke Xi of Qi and Duke Xiang of Qi were able to win the battle was because they united the princes, while he was fighting alone. So he decided to unite the princes and then fight alone.
Fight with Lu once.
Seeing that Duke Huan of Qi was still unwilling to give up, Guan Zhong refused to help him with his advice. However, Duke Huan of Qi wanted to save face by his own ability and did not want to ask Guan Zhong for advice. The monarch and his ministers secretly competed with each other, each doing his own thing.
Two months later, Qi Huan agreed with Song to go to Lu to attack Lu. By this time, Song Zhuang Gong Feng had died, and his son Song Mingong sent General Nangong Changwan and a hundred military chariots to help Qi Huangong.
The armies of Qi and Song met at the border of Qi and Lu, and then entered the state of Lu. At the beginning of the war, the allied forces of Qi and Song won successively, and the armies of Lu were retreating steadily. Unexpectedly, this was exactly what Cao GUI used to lure the enemy.
The allied forces of Qi and Song were not aware of this, and they chased all the way, and were ambushed by the Lu army. In this battle, Qi lost nearly half of its troops, and the Song army lost most of it. Song general Nangong Changwan became the leader of Lu.
captive.
Duke Huan of Qi inquired about it and found out that one of the other generals was Cao Mo and Cao GUI.
After two consecutive defeats, Duke Huan of Qi realized that Guan Zhong advised him to settle domestic matters first before going to war. This advice was very correct. He was indeed a courageous monarch. After returning to Linzi, he went to see Guan Zhong specifically.
I made a mistake. From then on, I humbly asked Guan Zhong for advice.