In mid-February, when spring flowers are blooming, the entire North China Plain is full of vitality, everything is revived, and it is full of fresh vitality.
The sky is densely packed with countless black spots, which are the geese that flew to the south for the winter last autumn and began to migrate to the north.
If you look at the ground from a high altitude, in the Hejian Kingdom north of Jizhou, there are about 10,000 cavalry and 20,000 to 30,000 infantry, heading south across the vast plains.
The war in Youzhou had actually stopped a long time ago. Starting from last winter, Xu Rong went north from the Sanhan Peninsula to attack Liaodong, first destroying Lelang County and then Liaodong County along the way, killing Gongsun Du and catching him off guard.
Gongsun Zan also started a counterattack from Yuyang. The two led their armies to attack from east to west, and Gongsun Du was defeated steadily. However, in December, the weather was too cold, and the war was temporarily suspended. After the spring of this year, the war continued.
Taking advantage of this period of time, Xianyu followed Liu Yu's edict, won over all parties, gathered tens of thousands of troops again, and began to go south to prepare for the decisive battle against Yuan Shao. Among them, Yan Rou and Kebineng were surprisingly among them.
List.
There is still a hint of coldness in the north in mid-spring. The cold wind from Siberia penetrates deep into the bones like a bone scraper. Thousands of horses gallop in the wilderness, galloping all the way towards the Hejian Kingdom.
The Hejian Kingdom's garrison force was not large. Within a few days, news of the emergency in the north spread throughout Jizhou, shocking officials from all the counties and counties in Jizhou.
At the same time, Luoyang began the third Northern Expedition against Wei County. Since Anyang had been captured, there was no need to fight again, so this time Guan Yu led his army across the Huan River and began to launch an attack in the direction of Yecheng.
attack.
However, it is not easy to break through Yecheng's defense line. There are several cities around it, and Yecheng itself has high walls and thick walls. Since the Wang Fen era, Yecheng has been reinforced several times, and now it is comparable to half of Chang'an.
What is said here is comparable to half of Chang'an, which means that the height and thickness of the city wall are almost the same as Chang'an, but the area is not as wide as Chang'an and Luoyang.
You must know that Chang'an City is more than ten meters high and four to five meters thick. It is also made of brick walls, unlike many small county towns, which are rammed earth structures.
But it is actually very easy to attack such a city, because Chang'an City is really too big. The total length of the four walls is 12 kilometers. It would be like having tens of thousands of people standing on it, but there are not hundreds of thousands of defenders.
Can't hold on at all.
Historically, when the Red Eyebrow Army attacked Chang'an, Emperor Gengshi did not have enough troops to defend all the city walls, so he had to escape on horseback.
However, because Ye City does not cover an area as large as Chang'an, if the city is high and the city walls are thick, tens of thousands of people can defend all the city walls. Cao Cao attacked Ye City and surrounded it, but could not attack it.
, relying on flooding to starve most of the people in the city to death, and then finally relying on the inner ghost to open the city gate and capture it.
Therefore, even if Guan Yu goes north to attack Wei County, it will not be that easy to capture Yecheng quickly. At least on this point, Yuan Shao is not worried. His main focus is still on the eastern battlefield, only the one with the largest number of troops and the strongest strength can be defeated.
Only in Qingzhou can he have a chance to win.
In late February, the Qingzhou Army finally began to set off.
The densely packed carriages on the official road can be seen as far as the eye can see. The carriage drivers are shouting and whipping the horses. There are groups of auxiliary soldiers around to help push the carriages and horses. Occasionally, there will be problems with the wheels of the carriages, causing jams.
Roads also quickly moved goods and abandoned vehicles in the wild.
The most important thing for an army to fight is food and grass. If the three armies are not moving, food and grass will go first. Starting from Qian County, the mighty soldiers in the wilderness seem to pile up the entire plain into a black fog. Standing in the distance and looking out, there are countless soldiers on the horizon.
A black spot moves slowly to the west.
From Qian County to Ganling, there was originally a Xiajin City. This city was first built before the Battle of Geting when Liu Bei and Gongsun Zan attacked Jizhou. It was later used by Yuan Jun as a grain and grass transportation transit station for Jizhou to attack Qingzhou.
But at this moment, this small city, which was used as a transfer station for grain and grass, had been destroyed. The original rammed earth and wooden structures were either torn down or burned down, leaving only a ruined and devastated place.
The news of the destruction of Xiajin City had long reached Chen Mu's ears through scouts. Originally, Chen Mu was worried that Yuan Shao would also destroy Ganling, but the news never reached him.
When the army arrived at Ganling City and the defenders in the city abandoned the city and fled without even offering symbolic resistance, Chen Mu finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Fortunately, Yuan Shao must have made some mistakes and was not as wise and decisive as he was in the early stages of history.
Liu Hui suggested that Yuan Shao was right to destroy Ganling City. As the seat of Qinghe Kingdom, this city was about 50 kilometers away from the boundary bridge, which was the distance from Linqing to Wei County in later generations.
During the Battle of Guandu in history, the distance from Guandu to Wuchao was about 20 kilometers. This distance was very suitable for use as a rear grain storage base. It took only one day to transport grain and grass from Wuchao to Guandu, the front line, and there was no need for transportation.
A lot of possible village risks.
But at the same time, once it is exposed, it will face the danger of being attacked. Therefore, Yuan Shao hoarding all the grain and grass in Wuchao is actually a stupid move. The most correct way is to store it in a city like Yanxian or Suanzao, which is safer.
point.
Of course, from Yuan Shao's point of view at that time, there was nothing wrong with storing grain and grass in the wilds of Wuchao. After all, more than 100,000 troops were pressing on the border, and the enemy only had 30,000 troops, almost all of them flying dragons, so it was natural to choose the shortest way to store grain.
At this point, the Qingzhou Army also faces the same choice in its grain storage method. The reason why Yuan Shao placed all the grain in Wuchao is because the grain consumed by the army of more than 100,000 people every day is calculated in huge quantities. If it is placed too far, it will be destroyed by the enemy midway.
If the food route is robbed, the army may be short of food.
The Qingzhou Army also pressed forward with a large army, with 80,000 infantry and cavalry, and nearly 20,000 naval troops cruising on the Yellow River. The daily food and grass was also an astronomical figure. If Yuan Shao was ruthless and destroyed the two cities of Ganling and Beiqiu, then the rear
The most important grain and grass base must be Qianxian County.
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! It is more than 100 kilometers from Yuxian County to Jieqiao, and the transportation of grain and grass takes people's lives. The supply line has been stretched to more than 100 kilometers, and there may be accidents at any time in the middle
Yuan Shao's grain robbing team, if the army lacks food for one day, may cause the entire army to collapse.
Therefore, Yuan Shao did not destroy Ganling, which really helped Liu Bei's army. The direct consequence of this was that the supply line was shortened by more than 50 kilometers, and the risks in the process were much reduced.
After the Ganling defenders fled, the Qingzhou Army successfully entered Ganling. In addition to Ganling, Beiqiu was also captured. The entire Qingzhou Army began to radiate to the surrounding areas.
Zhang Liao's troops were the first to move forward towards the West Jie Bridge. The so-called vanguard elite "Wan Sheng Army" arrived west of Gan Ling and east of Jie Bridge on the day they captured Ganling, almost to the west of Linqing City in later generations.
Linxi Township.
Zang Ba's troops went south and occupied Beiqiu County. Zhang Fei's troops went north, and the cavalry coordinated the surrounding areas of Wansheng Army to prevent the scouts of Jizhou Army from coming to inquire about the Qingzhou Army's military movements.
Huang Zhong and Tai Shici led the navy into Luoshui from the Yellow River system and arrived to the west of Liaocheng to support Beiqiu County in the north. The purpose of the navy was not to enter the Qinghe River, because the Yellow River and Qinghe River were not connected.
Therefore, it is impossible for the navy to enter the Qinghe water system.
Their existence is to threaten Weijun in the south of Jizhou through the Yellow River. Going upstream from the Yellow River, you can reach Puyang in Yanzhou. On the other side of the river in Puyang is Weijun, with Liyang on the west and Fanyang and Yin'an on the north. If the navy starts from here
Once ashore, you can directly cooperate with the Luoyang army to capture Fanyang Yin'an first, and then go north to attack Wei County.
To the west of Wei County is Weiqiao. Chen Mu originally formulated the strategy of seizing the east and attacking the west. He wanted the navy to pretend to be the main force, cross the Yellow River and attack Wei County to the north of the Yellow River, pretending that the main force of the Qingzhou Army was crossing the river from Weiqiao, in order to achieve this goal.
The purpose of letting Yuan Shao divide his troops.
Liu Bei's and Gao Shun's troops stationed themselves in Ganling City, and the entire Qingzhou Army radiated around Ganling, protecting the rear grain roads and quickly transporting grain and grass into Ganling City in preparation for the upcoming decisive battle.
In the palace of Ganling City, the day after Liu Bei captured Ganling, he summoned Chen Muju, Tian Feng and Xunyou for a meeting.
A few people sat in the hall. After everyone sat down, Liu Bei looked around and said: "Now that we have successfully captured Ganling, we can continue to send troops to the west when all the subsequent food, grass and baggage are available. Everyone feels that the next step is
Should we march to Jieqiao?"
Chen Mu saw that Liu Bei still seemed to be a little guilty and unsure about the upcoming decisive battle, so he smiled and said, "Brother, are you a little worried?"
"yes."
Liu Bei nodded: "The terrain of the boundary bridge is difficult for our army to attack by force. I'm worried that we won't win this time."
Chen Mu said seriously: "Big brother will definitely win this battle."
"oh?"
Liu Bei wondered: "Why is the fourth brother so sure?"
Chen Mu smiled and said, "Brother, do you want to hear the truth or a lie?"
“What’s the meaning of truth and what’s the meaning of lies?”
Liu Bei asked curiously.
Chen Mu pondered: "If you tell the truth, it means that Yuan Shao made a mistake, which lowered his possibility of winning. If we are careful, we will succeed. If we tell the truth, it is just some interesting words."
"I'd rather hear lies."
Liu Bei came to be interested.
Chen Mu then said: "This is called the theory of ten victories and ten defeats. Yuan Shao was rich in etiquette and the eldest brother behaved naturally. This way is the best."
"Yuan Shao acted against the will, and the eldest brother obeyed and led the world. This righteousness is better than both."
"The Han government failed in its lenient approach, but Yuan Shao used lenient to compensate for lenient, so he was not deterred. The eldest brother corrected the situation with force, and the top and bottom knew how to control it. This governance is better than the other three."
"Yuan Shao was lenient on the outside and cautious on the inside, but he was suspicious of the people he appointed. He only appointed relatives and children. The eldest brother was simple on the outside but wise on the inside. There was no doubt that he only hired people according to their talents, regardless of distance or distance. This is better than the four."
"Yuan Shao had many plans and few decisions, but he failed in the affairs of the future. The elder brother was able to make plans at will and had endless adaptability. This plan won five things."
"Yuan Shao, because of his long-lasting talent, made high suggestions and bowed down to gain reputation. Most of the good words of scholars were praised by others. The eldest brother treated people with sincerity and acted with sincerity. He did not use false beauty. He led others with frugality and had nothing to do with those who have merit.
Being stingy, a scholar's loyalty, foresight, and practicality are all willing to be used. This virtue is superior to the six."
"Yuan Shao saw people who were hungry and cold, and his sympathy was reflected in his color. He didn't see it, and maybe he didn't care about it. The so-called woman's benevolent ear, the elder brother sometimes neglected the small things at present, but as for the big things, he connected with the world and was kind.
, are all beyond their expectations, even if they are not seen, they will be helpful wherever they are considered. This benevolence is better than seven."
"Minister Yuan Shao fights for power and slanders and confuses the chaos. The eldest brother governs the subordinates with the truth, but cannot be soaked in. This is the best of eight."
"Yuan Shao's right and wrong cannot be known, and the inside and outside are not clear. What the elder brother does is to treat him with courtesy, but what he does is not to use the law correctly. This article is better than nine."
"Yuan Shao likes to use weak power and does not know the key points of the army. The eldest brother uses a small number to defeat the masses. He uses his troops like a god. The soldiers rely on him and the enemy is afraid of him. This is a victory of ten. My eldest brother has these ten victories, so it is not difficult for him to defeat Shao."
After Liu Bei heard this, he burst out laughing and said happily: "When will Zigui say such flattering lies?"
Chen Mu shook his head and said: "This is not a lie. It is just a lie to enhance brother's confidence. That's why I say it. The real way to win lies in three points."
Liu Bei asked: "What three points?"
"First, Yuan Shao was stupid and gave us Ganling City and Beiqiu City in vain. Our supply line would not have to be stretched too long and food and grass would be hoarded in the city. Next, we can consider Linxi between Jieqiao and Ganling.
Another grain and grass transfer station will be set up in the area."
Chen Mu raised three fingers: "The second is that now our morale is like a rainbow, the morale of the soldiers is high, and the morale of the army is available. However, the Jizhou army has suffered a series of heavy defeats, and its morale is low. It is difficult to compete with our army. The third is that if the plan is successful, cooperate with the second brother.
If so, maybe we can really fight Yuan Shao to the death at Jieqiao, and as long as we don't make mistakes, we can at least be invincible."
"Um."
Liu Bei nodded in agreement: "The truth is better to listen to. From now on, fourth brother, please stop dealing with such falsehoods."
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! Chen Mu scratched his head, thinking that Guo Jia's psychological tactics didn't seem to be working well either.
But in fact, this kind of thing also needs to be done to people.
The theory of ten wins and ten losses is not a strategy or tactic in itself, but a set of lies to deceive people.
Cao Cao felt extremely guilty before the Battle of Guandu, so Guo Jiacai made up the nonsense theory of ten victories and ten losses to boost Cao Cao's confidence.
As I said before, Guo Jia is not actually a strategic and tactical talent. He is a psychological talent. He can accurately control the psychology of himself and the enemy to find a way to win.
For example, he judged that Sun Ce would be assassinated by his enemies through Sun Ce's character issues, and judged that Yuan Shao was hesitant on the issue of heirs. He judged that the three brothers Yuan Tan, Yuan Shang, and Yuan Xi were at odds, and that there must be civil strife in Jizhou after Yuan Shao's death.
Except for the Battle of Chibi, Cao Cao often felt guilty and undecided when fighting. It was Guo Jia who gave him courage and confidence. It can be said that without Guo Jia, Cao Cao may not have been able to rise.
Because Guo Jia's credit was that he judged the enemy's actions by guessing the enemy's psychology, allowing Cao Cao to dare to make some bold decisions.
Like the battle of Guandu, Guo Jia judged that Liu Biao and Sun Ce would not attack him, so Cao Cao made up his mind to face the enemy in Guandu.
Otherwise, Cao Cao would have to deal with Yuan Shao while also having to worry about a sneak attack by Liu Biao and Sun Ce. The decisive battle would probably not be in Guandu, but in Xuchang in the south.
And Liu Bei is a more pragmatic person. The Qingzhou Army's military strength is now much stronger than Cao Cao's before the Battle of Guandu. The total strength may even be the same as or exceed that of Yuan Shao, so he must be full of confidence, but he is just worried.
The location is just favorable to Yuan Jun.
Therefore, the theory of ten victories and ten defeats can enhance Cao Cao's confidence, but for Liu Bei, it is actually a set of very false lies.