"In the 21st year, General Wang Ben defeated the Chu State and captured Huaiyang. In the 22nd year, Wang Ben led an army of 200,000 to flood the beams and destroy the Wei State. In the 25th year, he captured Liaodong and destroyed the Yan State.
, and returned to his army to capture Dai Wang Jia. In the twenty-sixth year, he sent his army southward, destroyed the Qi State, and was granted the title of Marquis of Tongwu..."
"The four wars that destroyed four kingdoms were never without purpose. Looking at the number of kingdoms destroyed, it even exceeded his father. Therefore, after the death of the old general Wang Jian, people often praised Wang Ben as the best general in the world!"
Dongting County has been conquered, and at the celebration banquet, Quji, who had just been appointed as the "Dongting Shou", drank some wine and started chatting, but for some reason, he slapped Wang Ben violently in front of Zhao Tuo.
boast.
Zhao Tuo became anxious and began to belittle Wang Ben:
"Qu Ji, you are just letting other people's ambitions destroy your own prestige. In my opinion, although Wang Ben destroyed many countries, when it comes to the real war, he only destroyed Wei. The rest mostly relied on the strength of Qin to defeat the army.
Strong, but rarely rely on military tactics to win. I am not disparaging Wang Ben, I just think that anyone who is the commander in charge of attacking Wei, Yan, Dai, and Qi can win a great victory. Without him, the enemy country will be defeated...
"
"Wu Zhonghou is not like that. Although he is always modest, he says that his military skills are learned from the old general Wang Jian, and he can take advantage of the situation to win. But whether it is the battle of Linyang, or the battle to capture Anlu, or the battle to capture Jiangling,
Therefore, the weak defeated the strong. In commanding an army of hundreds of thousands, he also relied on a group of newly defeated soldiers to defeat Baiyue in less than two years. If we want to talk about the best general in the world, it must be Wu Zhonghou, so the Northern Expedition
The army will win!"
Seeing that Zhao Tuo tried so hard to defend Hei Fu, even going as far as to put the title of "No. 1 General" on his brother, Qu Ji couldn't help but laugh. Just from the conversation, one couldn't tell what Zhao Tuo had in mind.
So he continued: "This is natural, but the meaning of what I just said is that Wang Ben marches his troops steadily and likes to win by force. Therefore, since he left Wuguan last month, he has not been in a hurry to attack the south.
The shogunate was set up in Wancheng, and troops were mobilized everywhere. Now we have gathered more than 100,000 troops and deployed them in Hanzhong, Nanyang, and Chenjun."
"Since the princes and princes marched and used troops according to Wang's style, our army also avoided fighting and only guarded the dangerous passes. The two sides only had small conflicts with the scouts and troops, and no major war broke out yet."
He smiled and said: "Don't forget, how long did the stalemate last when General Wang Jian attacked Chu? It's only been two months now, and the war has just begun!"
Qu Ji was right. The Northern Expeditionary Army was indeed prepared for a long-term war. They captured Nanjun in April, controlled Yan, Suixian, and Ming'e in May. They did not rush to march north and ran into Wang Ben's army.
The trap set by Nanyang was to build high walls and store grain widely, as if they were waiting to harvest grain for the winter in the south.
Today, the main force of the Northern Expeditionary Army is concentrated in the north. Among them, Yan County, the core of the defense line, is dominated by Han Xin, with a total of 30,000 troops stationed as deputy.
The three passes of Ming'e are presided over by Dongmen Bao and Li Cang, with 20,000 troops stationed.
Sui County was presided over by Ji Ying and Zhou Chang, with 10,000 troops stationed.
In addition, Heifu was stationed in Anlu with 10,000 short soldiers and 80,000 Northern Expeditionary troops, facing an enemy force twice as large as his own, unable to move at all - facing a powerful enemy like Wang Ben, Heifu had to use
Go all out!
However, seeing that both sides were dominated by Gou and would not take action easily, it was difficult to see the outcome on the northern front, so Heifu and his staff formulated a third plan following "First take Jingzhou as their home, and then seize the dangerous pass as a fortress":
"Take the corner!"
The so-called corner-taking is a term used in chess, which means writing in the four corners of the chessboard.
It is said that the famous "Yi Qiu" summed up that when playing chess, it is easier to get a basis at the corners than at the sides and midsection. Therefore, under normal circumstances, the start of a game of chess is often from the corners, that is, "
Take the corner".
Occupying corners and expanding territory has become the core of the Northern Expedition's operations in June and July. If the first-line troops cannot be mobilized, then the best second-line troops will be used from Lingnan to the north.
Qu Ji knew that Weiyang and Wu Rui had captured Kuaiji, and Anpu also led 5,000 men to attack Zhangjun. Both sides crossed the river with the Chu bandits in Huainan to rule.
Zhao Tuo's side, although it took two months, successfully captured Dongting and south of the river, the Northern Expeditionary Army no longer had any worries - or so it seemed.
But it was not going well in the west. In May, Wu Chen, under the orders of Heifu, set out from Yiling with 5,000 people. He defeated Zigui and Wu County along the way. When he marched to Jiangguan, he was defeated by Bajun.
Blocked by the county captain, it is difficult to move forward even half a step...
"The prince wants to take Bashu?"
Zhao Tuo leaned forward, this news was very important to him.
Qu Ji smiled and said: "As early as the fifth month, Lu Jia said to the prince that the Liangzhou of Bashu is also a dangerous place with fertile fields for thousands of miles. If Qin wants to unite the princes, it will first annex Shu. After merging with Shu, Qin will become stronger and richer.
Take the princes lightly."
"The situation between the north and the south today is very similar to the confrontation between Qin and Chu a hundred years ago. Bashu lived in the upper reaches of Jingchu. In the past, during the reign of King Zhao of Qin, Sima Cuo used large ships to accumulate millet. He started from Wenshan and went down the floating river to Chu for more than three thousand miles.
"
"The boats carried soldiers, and each boat carried fifty people and three months of food. They were launched into the water and floated. They traveled more than three hundred miles in one day. Although the miles were many, it did not require the effort of oxen and horses. It took less than ten days to reach the river pass.
. Jiangguan was not owned by Chu, and then Yiling fell. At that time, Wu'an Lord Bai Qi raised his armor and came out of Wuguan. He attacked from the south and defeated Yan City. Jiangling could not be defended. The king of Chu fled eastward, and the witches of Guizhou were not owned by Chu...
"
"Therefore, Xiao He, Han Xin, and Lu Jia all thought that if they did not want to repeat the mistakes of King Qingxiang of Chu, Bashu must fight! Rather than being defeated by the enemy's old tactics, it is better for the Northern Expedition to capture it first!"
But Jiangguan (Fengjie, Chongqing, later Baidi City) became a hurdle that the Northern Expeditionary Army could not overcome.
More than ten years ago, before Zhao Tuo met Hei Fu, he worked as a small boat official in Bashu to transport grain for Lieutenant Tu Sui. He had the experience of going to and from the Three Gorges and Jiangguan. He knew that there were mountains on both sides of the bank, and there were no problems.
The place is surrounded by heavy rocks and mountains, hiding the sky and blocking out the sun. Since it is not the pavilion at midnight, there is no bright moon.
He continued: "I have heard that two hundred years ago, when Bach and Chu were attacking each other, Jiangguan was built as the boundary between Bach and Chu. This place controlled the Three Gorges and was separated by five streams. It was located in the upper reaches of Jingchu and became the throat of Bashu.
, this place not only has high banks and deep gorges, but also has many cliffs, which are difficult for apes and monkeys to cross. The water flow is also very fast. If there are no trackers against the current, it is absolutely impossible to go upstream. It is true that one man can hold the barrier and a hundred men cannot open it.
It’s no wonder Wu Chen can’t attack because he’s on guard..."
Quji nodded: "If we attack by force, Jiang Pass is indeed difficult to enter. Therefore, if you want General Zhao, you should find another way to bypass Jiang Pass and go deep into Ba County!"
Zhao Tuo understood: "Would you choose another road? Do you want me to take the Bayan Road?"
The so-called Bayan Road is the dangerous trail that Heifu and Bazhong took starting from Yi Road (Yidu, Hubei Province) and heading west when they encountered the Ba people's rebellion ten years ago.
Going westward along the narrow Yishui River Valley, you must first pass through Wuluo Zhongli Mountain, the earliest stronghold of the Ba people, and then Yanyang (Enshi, Hubei) and other places. Until you reach the source of Yishui, Yicheng (Lichuan, Chongqing), a period of one or two thousand years
In ancient times, the Ba people entered Badong along this road, and then dispersed and multiplied. It was a remote path into Ba County. After exiting the ancient road, they arrived at the river west of Jiangguan, not far from Zhi County, the Ba family's hometown.
Already.
Zhao Tuo, who had just walked out of the steep mountains of Dongting, was hesitant: "But this road is dangerous and it is impossible to drive. We can only rely on mules and horses to walk with people. It is difficult to walk side by side. Moreover, there are Ba tribes along the way. If they are attacked, , I'm afraid it will ruin the king's affairs..."
Qu Ji's mission this time is to convince Zhao Tuo, because Heifu needs to fight against Wang Ben's 200,000 troops and has no extra troops on hand. The Guilin soldiers in Zhao Tuo's hands have become extremely important and are the first to attack Bashu. One choice...
He then said: "Don't worry, General Zhao. Lu Jia has already gone one step ahead and went to Ba County along the Bayan Road. He spread a lot of money along the way and bribed the Ba people along the way to ensure the safety of the general's march. Now Lu Sheng should have arrived in Zhi County. He This trip to the west not only has the responsibility of welcoming back the prince's wife and heirs, but also wants to persuade the Ba family to join the Northern Expedition!"
"Bashi is the head of the old clan of Bazhong Emperor, one of the richest men in the world, with a family of tens of thousands of gold and thousands of servants. Once he is willing to respond, it will be easy for General Zhao to seize the land of Bazhong!"
"That's very good, very good." Zhao Tuo seemed to be relieved, but there was mostly reluctance in his heart.
Seeing this, Qu Ji thought to himself: "As the prince expected, Zhao Tuo doesn't know the outcome of the Northern Expedition and the Qin court. He always feels that the south is inferior, so he hesitates."
So he smiled and said: "By the way, there is one more thing."
"At the end of April, didn't the monarch change the name of the Southern Expeditionary Army?"
Zhao Tuo nodded: "I already know that the entire army has changed its flags..."
"not only that."
Qu Ji said: "The prince also built the Generalissimo Shogunate in Jiangling, and he was the Generalissimo of the Northern Expedition. From now on, we should no longer call him a general, but a marshal!"
The title of marshal existed as early as the Spring and Autumn Period. Jin Wengong once "sought marshal", that is, he considered candidates for the commander-in-chief of the Chinese army. However, it was only a title for "chief of the general" and not an official title. Heifu was the first person to be called "marshal". "For the title.
Zhao Tuo thought to himself: "Commander Wei? This title is quite new."
Unexpectedly, as soon as he finished complaining, Quji took out the long-prepared Ren Zheng from his sleeve.
"Jun Zhao, the Generalissimo has an order!"
Although he was not welcoming the emperor to issue an imperial edict, Zhao Tuo still showed his full gesture and prostrated himself to the ground!
Qu Ji quickly helped him up and coughed lightly: "Does Mr. Zhao want to kill Qu Ji because he wants to be ashamed? This is what Mr. Zhao asked me to convey to him."
"The prince said that there were three generals in the Southern Expedition before, and the remaining two generals were Yin Tong. The Xinyi people were both at the top and the two ends. Therefore, after the prince established the northern expedition, he had reduced the position of his generals."
"Only Mr. Zhao is different. He is the sworn brother of the prince, his right-hand man, and he has done his best to obtain the Dongting for the prince. Now he has to go into danger and go deep into Ba County. It is not only meritorious, but also hard work. Therefore, this title can only be promoted, not drop!"
These words seemed to be encouragement, but to Zhao Tuo's ears, they sounded like Heifu's warning to him!
But after beating it, it was the turn of the dates to be eaten. Quji had already smiled, bowed and congratulated Zhao Tuo and said:
"Therefore, Junhou has appointed Jun Zhao as deputy commander-in-chief!"