The morning light began to shine, filling the mountains and trees.
The frost that has condensed on the grass appears bright and charming at first dawn, but it is also short-lived and desolate.
The dark brown Xiaoguan and the yellow of the forest trees reflect in the canyon, vaguely revealing the blue sky, with suitable shades, together forming the most spectacular color feast in late autumn.
However, no one had the leisure to appreciate it.
On the wall of Xiaoguan City, in the military camp behind the pass there were only the corpses of Cao Jun, Xiongnu and Xianbei'er.
In pain, he used various weird postures to bid farewell to the corpse in the world.
Behind the pass, there were still people and horses who died along the road, which continued intermittently for more than twenty or thirty miles. They were all people who escaped from the pass, but the tenacity of life was only due to the distance.
Among them was General Dai Ling of Wei, whose clothes and armor were obviously different.
He died peacefully.
There was not much distortion on the blue face, and the clothes and armor were neat. He must have had the awareness that "a general will die in a hundred battles", so he welcomed the moment of death calmly.
Around his body, there were four or five dead war horses, as well as many corpses of soldiers wearing personal guard armor.
Their faces were much more painful.
Bloodshot eyes oozed from all his orifices, and there was dirt between his fingers. He bid farewell to this world with wide-open eyes filled with reluctance.
Judging from the traces on the ground, these guards planned to use war horses to carry Dai Ling's body back. However, because the war horses also fell dead, they carried it away; in the end, they dragged the body forward using both hands and feet.
I endured the pain and thought that the Lord would send him back to his hometown for burial.
It's a pity that the end result is still in vain.
They also stood still on the mountain road, never being able to appreciate the handsome men and the beautiful scenery of late autumn in Xiaoguan again.
After a while, the sun gradually brightened and warmed the world.
The frost on the top of the grass melts into water, crystal clear, like a beauty's tears expressing her heart.
Under the sunshine, the dark brown Xiaoguan City Wall also began to proudly show off the marks left by the baptism of time.
There are watchtowers with cornices on both sides, sky-high archery towers, earth-yellow low walls, protruding horse walls, pitted crenellations, and well-organized braziers.
Welcome the new owner in silence.
In the corridor outside Xiaoguan, under the leadership of a military flag embroidered with the word "Han", the strict and orderly Han soldiers all wrapped their mouths and noses with silk cloth, and each of them slowly arrived carrying a pile of dead branches and firewood.
They also have no leisure to enjoy the beautiful scenery.
Set up a long ladder, climb up, enter and open the city gate, the process is smooth and hassle-free.
The soldiers, who were used to seeing life and death, had no emotion at all when they saw this purgatory-like scene, let alone any sympathy.
They just followed the order of the general who wanted to conquer the captives, piled all the dead branches and firewood inside and outside the passes, military camps and granaries, and set them on fire.
Then, after exiting the pass, he let out a sigh.
Alas, what a pity.
The general ordered not to collect the baggage and the armor from the corpses.
If these armors and baggage are collected and returned, the reward given by the imperial court will be huge.
The fire lasted for a day, and the stench of burned corpses could be smelled from a distance. Countless armors and ordnance made of steel were burned and melted. After cooling down overnight, the Han soldiers boarded the board again.
Pass, you can still feel the residual warmth through your combat boots.
However, they didn't have much time to spare, so they started tearing down the barracks and warehouse roads, cutting down trees, digging out rocks, and rebuilding them in full swing.
Xiaoguan originally defended in the direction of Longyou, but now it needs to defend in the direction of Guanzhong.
Maintaining strong walls and clearing fields has always been a cumbersome matter.
Even with the original city wall as the foundation, it would still take a lot of time.
But they must hurry up.
Because Zheng Pu was worried, Ni Wei reacted and attacked with a large army.
If only half of the fortifications are built and unable to resist, it will be used as a wedding dress for others.
However, it was obvious that his worries were in vain.
After Wei Ping reported the news, Cao Zhen, the commander-in-chief of Wei, locked himself in a tent for a day and a night without eating or drinking.
He had painstakingly laid out the overall situation for nearly a year, fought for the opportunity with hundreds of thousands of soldiers, and used countless manpower and material resources from the Sanfu and Sili of Guanzhong, as well as Hedong County and other places, but it was ruined by a great epidemic.
The feeling is like a thirsty traveler struggling to follow the direction of the river in the sky of yellow sand. After going through many hardships and hardships, he finally reaches the riverside, only to find that the river has dried up long ago.
Is this God’s will to treat me poorly?
Cao Zhen, who was sitting alone in front of the desk, listened to the heavy rain all day and night, and couldn't help but think about the theories of ghosts and gods.
Because of the news sent by General Wei Ping, there was also news about the Xianbei Qifu tribe and the Xiongnu Xiutu branch in the Wushui (Qingshui River) basin, as well as the turmoil among the people in Anding County and Guanzhong.
The "Prophecy of the Golden Sword", which had been sealed in the dust for a long time, was once again spread by word of mouth among the scholars and common people.
Even those barbarians who only valued gold, silver, cloth and silk and were only interested in profit, fearfully claimed that "if you attack the Han, you will be punished by heaven."
Whether it is a city or a pass, if it is lost, it can still be recaptured.
But the human heart is such an intangible thing. How long will it take for Cao Wei, who accepted Zen to replace Han Dynasty, to turn around?
Cao Zhen vaguely had an answer in his heart.
I don't want to have an answer either.
Therefore, he also made a decision in his heart.
After the troops left Xiaoguan, although the plan to surprise Longyou was shattered, and perhaps Xiaoguan was also occupied by Ni Shu, the morale of the soldiers and horses besieging Hanzhong County was still as high as a rainbow.
The advantage in the war still lies with Wei.
In other words, there is still a glimmer of hope for Wei to turn things around.
Hanzhong County is the place of Longxing of the Han Dynasty named Liu, and it is also the lifeblood of Nishu.
As long as he can conquer Hanzhong County, people will choose to forget whether it is the "Prophecy of the Golden Sword" or "attacking Han will be punished by heaven" and other destiny sayings.
Don’t dare not forget it!
Cao Zhen, who walked out of the military tent again, looked a little haggard and haggard, but his eyes were filled with high aspirations.
The huge body, the straight spine, the accumulated power of the superiors over time, and the reputation of loving soldiers like sons, make all the soldiers of the Wei Kingdom look at them with respect and respect. Even if the heavy rain is like a line hanging down, people are constantly pouring into it.
The eyes penetrated from the collar of the armor into the skin, and no one moved.
But Cao Zhen didn't speak.
He just waved to his subordinates, put on his battle armor in silence, pulled out the sharp blade at his waist, and walked step by step towards the front line of the battle between the two armies.
Let all Wei soldiers and soldiers spontaneously follow behind.
It also made the offensive and defensive battles between Han and Wei become more intense.
If the previous Wei State's attack was ordered by the generals regardless of casualties, then the Wei State's attack after today was a vague determination of "win or die" in the entire army.
Baozhong County.
At the mouth of Jigu where heavy rain fell, a large bamboo pole stood on a high soil slope, only about 500 steps away from the place where soldiers from both sides were fighting to the death.
Prime Minister Zhuge Liang and Cavalry General Li Yan stood side by side under the song cover gifted by Emperor Liu Chan.
The prime minister under Eguan Bo's command had a calm face, and he listened attentively to the soldiers' reports on the wars in various places.
Li Yan, who was fully armored, was slightly impatient.
Occasionally, I would listen to what was going on in the war, and sometimes I would look towards Jiguchi, where the roar of killing was thunderous.
But the most common action was to glance sideways at the Prime Minister.
Because he was confused.
At the beginning, when the Prime Minister led the Tiger Infantry to Hanzhong for support, he was worried that the rebel Wei soldiers would leave Xiaoguan to attack Longyou.
Furthermore, on the grounds that General Zheng Pu, who had only 5,000 soldiers and horses, could not defend the enemy, he advised the Prime Minister to strengthen the defenses in Ayang County, Hanyang County, so as not to allow Wei Wei to take advantage of it.
But when the prime minister heard this, he smiled calmly.
Said: "The right way has no worries, Zijin can make Xiao Guandao safe."
At that time, Li Yan was surprised.
Although he knew Zheng Pu's past achievements, he also recognized that Zheng Pu had talents.
However, he could not agree that the Xiaoguan Road could be kept intact with only five thousand steps of riding.
Because he thought he couldn't do it.
The military law of the Wei Dynasty was famous for its strictness, and the combat power of the soldiers was not weaker than that of the Han Dynasty. If tens of thousands of cavalry came out of Xiaoguan to attack, how could they defend themselves when the enemy and we were so disparate?
Could it be that the Prime Minister has other arrangements?
Suspicious, he asked again, but the answer he received left him speechless.
The Prime Minister had no other arrangements and reassured him that there was no need to worry and he could just wait for the military report.
If such an answer had not come from the Prime Minister, Li Yan would have been furious on the spot and reprimanded him for "treating the war as a child's play".
He knew that the Prime Minister had always been cautious and cautious, and he would not take risks in a war involving the fate of the country.
Therefore, he believed it for the time being and was at peace with it.
After suppressing the confusion in his heart for half a month, he threw away all the calmness he had cultivated for decades.
Three days ago, General Zheng Pu sent a messenger to report that Xiaoguan was occupied by the Han Dynasty and was now building fortifications!
With only five thousand soldiers and horses, we are lucky to be able to guard Xiaoguan Road without losing anything!
Now he still occupies Xiaoguan?!
Could it be that the soldiers who defended Xiaoguan against Wei were all made up of mud?
Li Yan couldn't believe this.
In other words, anyone who knows Xiao Guan Xiongjun's generals cannot believe it.
What is even more incomprehensible is that after the Prime Minister received his reward, he did not look happy, but instead felt a ray of sadness and pity between his eyebrows.
That’s Xiao Guan!
After the Han Dynasty captures it, it can cut off the connection between Guanzhong and Liangzhou, and attack Xiaoguan in Liangzhou unscrupulously~~
Why did the Prime Minister become unhappy after hearing this?
Li Yan did not think that the Prime Minister Xiao Guan did not know the strategic significance of both Han and Wei.
Therefore, I became more and more doubtful.
Not only was he shocked that Zheng Pu had captured Xiao Guan, but he was also surprised by the Prime Minister's reaction.
However, when he asked again this time, the prime minister still did not answer the question, which also made him unable to ask further questions.
Because when he saw that the prime minister didn't answer, he said sternly, "Why can't Kong Ming say it clearly? Do you think that I am stupid and can't keep informed about state affairs?"
This is a very serious statement.
He was also one of the late emperor's Tuogu ministers, and he was also the only person in the Han Dynasty who addressed the Prime Minister by his nickname.
Although his status is not as high as that of the prime minister, if he cannot participate in state affairs, then no one else in the Han Dynasty will know about it.
"It's not that we can't tell Zhengfang, but this matter is related to Zijin's reputation, and even my reputation as a great man. The war is fierce today, and there are many people here with mixed opinions, so it's really hard to tell Zhengfang. When the war here is over, I will definitely give Zhengfang an explanation. Confused."
This is how the Prime Minister responded.
Li Yan could no longer force himself and had no choice but to suppress his curiosity.
However, now he can finally know.
Ni Wei suddenly fought to the death, allowing the prime minister to vaguely guess Cao Zhen's plan.
It can also be claimed that this war is about to end.
The heavy rains that continued day and night continued for nearly a month, which made it difficult to operate grain crops against Wei, and the offensive was destined to be unsustainable.
Moreover, the Prime Minister was also confident that no matter how fierce Wei's attack was, Hanzhong would not be captured.
Therefore, one night, he invited Li Yan to come over for a discussion on military affairs.
After retreating to the left and right sides and asking the soldiers to be on guard ten feet away, the prime minister forwarded Zheng Pu's previous recommendations to Li Yan for review.
After Li Yan looked at it, he fell into silence for a long time.
He finally understood why the Prime Minister was so silent.
Zheng Pu's book is very detailed.
There are endless descriptions of how to use sheep to cause a major epidemic, how to avoid accidentally injuring the common people and our own troops, and how to keep it secret.
In order not to harm the common people and our own troops by accident, naturally we would only drain the poisonous water at Xiaoguan when the Wei army was cooking, and burn the pass with fire.
And keeping it secret is for the reputation of the big man.
This plan is too cruel!
It hurts Tianhe!
Once the news spreads out, not to mention the common people of Guanzhong Sanfu will be disappointed with the Han Dynasty, I am afraid that even Bashu will find it difficult to accept it.
Although war is about using every possible means.
But the Han Dynasty has always been known for its benevolence and righteousness, which is fundamentally different from the Ni Wei who wantonly slaughtered innocent people.
In this regard, Zheng Pu kept it secret and tried his best to reduce the number of people who knew about it.
After letting the Xuanwu Army dig pits and ditches that day, they only asked more than 300 Bu Qu and his wife Zhang Yan's twenty dragonflies to kill sheep, soak corpses, release water, bury pits, destroy traces, and observe the enemy's situation.
.Those more than 300 tribes are the earliest Xuanwu Army. After the first battle of Xiaoguandao, they are still fighting in the Xuanwu County. With many years of companionship day and night and Zheng Pu's kindness, they have long shared the honor and disgrace, and there is no need to worry.
They will reveal secrets.
As for the other executors, it is the wife's brother Zhang Bao and the prime minister.
The two of them would not publicize it.
However, the cruelty of Zheng Pu's plan was not the reason why Li Yan fell into silence.
It is Zheng Pu's book that adds an extra paragraph after describing the planning, in order to persuade the prime minister to allow him to implement this plan.
After all, the benevolence and righteousness of the late Emperor Liu Bei is still passed down by some old officials of the Han Dynasty.
In other words, the veterans who followed the late emperor to start his own business were already like-minded.
Advise:
"Puzhi's plan harms the harmony of heaven and the benevolence of our great Han Dynasty. However, now Wei is strong and powerful, and a large army is coming to attack. Our great Han Dynasty has few soldiers and it is really difficult to control it. There are many places we are guarding. If one of them is broken, we will
The achievements of the Han Dynasty in the Northern Expedition over the past several years will be destroyed in one day! It is very unlikely that I, the Han Dynasty, will be able to conquer the Central Plains!"
"Pu Su is not known for his achievements, and he does not care about his reputation, so he thought of this plan. He also asked the prime minister to remember that the late emperor had a hard time starting his own business, so that the soldiers would not suffer the hardship of swords and spears, so he allowed it. And Pu Su has heard that he will serve the country with all his loyalty, so he should kill himself to repay it.
.Now Pu has planned a ruthless plot, and if it is revealed, he is willing to write a letter to spread the word to the world, saying that he did it privately, and he will kill himself to apologize! He will not damage the reputation of my great Han Dynasty in the slightest! Pu thought about it again, in the past Pu returned from recruiting troops from Zangdao
, the Prime Minister once said that he would no longer blame Pu for his unscrupulous behavior; so now I am bold, and I ask the Prime Minister to fulfill my ambition again!"
