The Grandmaster Strategist

On October 27, the twenty-seventh year of Dayong Wuwei, a military competition had just been held. Everyone in the Zezhou camp received military orders and prepared to go out. Just after everything was ready, enemy information came from the front line. At Dongyu in Zezhou The vanguard of the Northern Han Dynasty appeared. Li Xian frowned after listening to the spy report: "Suiyun, why would Long Tingfei send troops at this time? Although he sends troops to attack Zezhou every year, it is basically either during spring plowing or autumn harvest. Season, now that new grain has been put into the warehouse, is it a bit strange for him to attack at this time?"

I put on my long coat, looked at the map under the lamp, and said calmly: "This spring, Long Tingfei once entered Kou Zezhou, so it's not surprising that he doesn't come in autumn, but this person knows military strategy, and we are as big as Dayong." Action, Your Highness, you personally entered the East China Sea, Zhe Zhong entered the army, and the Emperor and His Highness were busy preparing supplies and arranging the army and horses. All these signs indicate that there will be war in Dayong. There must be someone under Long Tingfei who is always spying on our military situation. Now Frost has fallen in Qinzhou and the weather has begun to turn cold, but there is still one month before the heavy snow closes the road, which is considered a good time for us to march. Long Tingfei must be worried that we will march into Qinzhou, plunder and kill, and then Destroying their food reserves before the snowfall will make it difficult for the Northern Han Dynasty in the following winter. We have strong troops and horses. If we attack Qinzhou, Long Tingfei will not be able to cover everything despite his great ability. Rather than being trapped by us and attacking, it is naturally better to attack Qinzhou with Attack instead of defend, strike first to gain the upper hand. After they retreat, we won't be able to attack before next spring. Besides, we didn't pay attention to the ambush of the Northern Han Army on us a few days ago. Do you think they will believe us? Don’t you hold grudges?”

Li Xian actually had a similar view in his mind. He looked at me and said, "In that case, let's teach them a lesson in Zezhou. There is nothing wrong with waiting for work. How do you think we should proceed?"

I pointed to the temple ramp at the junction of Qinshui River and Shili River: "Your Highness, what do you think of this place? Is this a good place to catch turtles in a jar?"

Li Xian looked at it for a while and said, "Who do you think is better to send?"

I said softly: "Jing Chi should be the one who is nominally guarding the place, but who is actually in charge of it depends on your magnanimity, Your Highness."

A cold light flashed in Li Xian's eyes, and he said: "I understand what you mean. Don't worry, I will act according to your plan this time. It doesn't matter what credit you have for face. As long as our army wins in the end, I will take great credit." , will you still compete with the generals for credit?" Then he said again: "But I am worried that they will not fall into the trap."

I smiled slightly and said: "All the food and wages of the Zezhou camp are stored here on Miaopo. If the enemy doesn't even think of attacking here, then there will be no chance of winning except for a head-on confrontation with us. Could it be that under a competition of equal military strength, we are so different?" If we focus on defense, will we still lose? If we raise troops to attack the enemy, if we can't defeat the enemy with food, then even if it's a draw, we'll lose. And please rest assured, Your Highness, no matter how powerful Long Tingfei is, he can't win easily. This round.”

Li Xian felt relieved and looked at the map and said, "According to the scouts' reports, Long Tingfei's main force will arrive in Qinze in the future, and we will meet there." I nodded and said, "The terrain in Qinze is flat. Although there are some wilderness and hills, it is still very suitable for the two armies to fight. It is no wonder that Dayong and Northern Han have basically chosen this place for decisive battles over the years."

Li Xian sighed: "Yes, the wild grass on the Qinze wasteland is luxuriant, and it is all soaked with the blood of the warriors of the two countries. I and Long Tingfei have fought four times in Qinze, and I can only reluctantly It’s all about retreating intact. I, Dayong, have buried countless loyal and brave soldiers in Qinze. This time I will let Long Tingfei suffer the pain of a broken wing. I hope he is smart enough, but don’t let me see through it."

I said confidently: "You don't need to worry about this, Your Majesty. The clues we left are enough for them to discover that Miaopo is where we store food. Moreover, the generals of the Northern Han Dynasty are very conceited. Even if they find that there may be a problem, they will try their best to solve it." mission, but this time they will find themselves hitting an iron plate." Li Xian smiled slightly,

No words were spoken, unless Long Tingfei personally led troops to attack in a sneak attack, the other Northern Han generals had not yet been taken seriously by Li Xian.

The autumn wind blows, the grass is scattered, and the Shili Plain adjacent to the north of Qinze is vast and desolate. Several Yong scouts wearing dark yellow soft armor are lying behind the hills staring at the distant sky. Under the hills, a few war horses are leisurely there. Eating fodder. One of the scouts tiredly rubbed his eyes that were sore from looking forward to the distance for a long time. At this moment, his companion exclaimed in surprise: "The enemy is coming." He quickly looked up and saw the end of the sky. , on the background of the blue sky, a dark brown curve suddenly appeared. Just between breaths, the undulating line became clearer and clearer, moving rapidly on the yellow field. After a while, it was already visible It is clear that the line is composed of thousands of Northern Han cavalry, and among the dark brown, the most dazzling one is the fiery red in the center of the cavalry formation. Several scouts also saw several goshawks soaring in the sky above their heads. These were birds of prey used by the Northern Han army to spy on military affairs. And these scouts knew very well that the commanders of Dayong and Northern Han all had a common hobby, which was to have their personal guards wear red armor. However, although they were all red, they were easy to distinguish on the battlefield, not to mention the different styles of armor. , King Qi's personal guards all use horses and spears, but Long Tingfei's personal guards all use hard bows and powerful crossbows. Several scouts knew that Long Tingfei had indeed led an army to invade Zezhou, and his whereabouts might have been discovered by the goshawk above him. If he stayed any longer, he might not be able to return to the camp with his life. Then he quietly got on his horse, galloped away, and went back to report the military situation.

After a while, the Northern Han Army was already approaching. The hash formation that was originally surging like a tidal wave quickly shrank. With this shrinking front, the momentum of the thundering battle formation became more and more powerful. Ling Ren, with his suffocating pressure, makes people believe that if someone blocks the way in front, he will definitely tear this cavalry to pieces. A few miles away from the hills, the speed began to slow down, and then stopped under the hills monitored by the Yong scouts. There were only about a hundred red-armored knights surrounding a general wearing a fiery red shirt. They rushed up the hill without slowing down and then stopped their horses.

The red-robed general lifted up the visor that concealed his face, revealing a handsome and flawless face. His deep green eyes, as deep as the abyss, revealed a brilliant look. He looked down at the warriors of the Northern Han Dynasty who were permeated with the spirit of Yong. In the bloody field, the proud figure looking down on the world is as tall as a mountain peak. The guards around him and the tens of millions of Northern Han warriors behind him looked at his back, their eyes showing a fanatical light that was willing to die.

At this time, four guards lined up and whistled loudly and gently. The goshawks circling in the sky swooped down and landed on the left arms of the four guards. Long Tingfei, who was standing on horseback, didn't seem to pay any attention, but looked blankly at the battlefield where a bloody battle was about to begin. After a while, all the generals who had reorganized their armies rode up the hill and stood respectfully behind Longting's Pegasus.

Almost all the generals of the Northern Han Dynasty were majestic and heroic, but among them there was a green-robed general who was different. He was thin and slender. Although he was also eight feet tall, he did not have any overbearing aura. But his face was covered with a ferocious-looking bronze mask, revealing only a pair of deep black eyes that were as ruthless as ice and snow. The weapon he was hanging on immediately was a long sword, the whole body was as black as ink, only the edge of the blade shone with a cold light like frost and snow. If you look at him at a glance, you will only feel that this person seems to be alone, separated from the other generals at a distance, but other than that, there is nothing unusual about him. However, the other generals looked at him in fear and retreat, as if this man was the most terrifying existence in the world.

Long Tingfei didn't look back, but he could feel the weird atmosphere behind him, and he sighed in his heart. He didn't know that his subordinates would reject and fear the ghost-faced general Tan Ji, but Tan Ji was his indispensable arm. He had no choice but to aggrieve the generals. There are many talents under Long Tingfei's command. Although the pioneer general Su Dingluan died in Yongdu, the three disciples sent by the Demon Sect, Lu Boyan, Lu Zhongtian, and Lu Shuhan, can almost stand shoulder to shoulder with Su Dingluan. Every time When troops are sent out, Panshi General Duan Wudi will definitely be waiting in the rear to firmly guard the Northern Han army's retreat. Feihu General Shi Ying is like a sharp sword that can easily pierce the enemy's vital points, but they are not as important as Tan Ji.

The ghost-faced general Tan Ji was born as a hunter in the mountains at the junction of Zezhou and Qinzhou. He lived in the mountains. He neither ate food nor paid taxes, and had no national thoughts in his heart. However, fourteen years ago, the Northern Han Dynasty and the Da During the confrontation between Yong and Yong, a general from Dayong passed by the peaceful Tanjiazhai while leading his army to attack the enemy camp. In order to keep the secret, the bloodthirsty general issued a massacre order and took all the accumulated treasures with him. Mao Pi, except Tan Ji who wanted to buy a golden hairpin for his beloved woman outside the mountain, more than 200 people in the village were killed. Tan Ji, who was impatient and rushed back all night, returned to the mountain stronghold when Yong's army was massacred. However, Tan Ji was helpless and could only hide behind the mountain ridge, watching helplessly as his home was destroyed. Knowing that he was unable to take revenge, Tan Ji burned down the village with fire, and then crossed a rugged mountain road known only to the hunters in the village to enter Qinzhou before Yong's army. After that, the general who made a sneak attack on Qinzhou from thousands of miles away was surrounded and annihilated by the Northern Han army who was waiting in full formation. Long Tingfei, who was still a partial general at the time, had an additional personal guard under his command.

After that, Tan Ji gradually rose from a pawn to a general. Although he was appreciated by Long Tingfei, it was extremely difficult because after Tan Ji suffered a huge change, his temperament changed drastically and he did not like to talk to others. He also led the troops with strict military laws, and his colleagues They are all afraid of him, even those with a higher rank than him are afraid of him. It was the custom of the Northern Han Dynasty army to favor brave and wild men, which inevitably resulted in more arrogant and brave generals. However, Tan Ji's military discipline was very strict. If he violated the law even slightly, he would be whipped with a stick. If he violated it again, he would be beheaded. At the beginning, Some people refused to accept it and resisted with courage, but although Tan Ji looked gentle and gentle, his methods were extremely cruel. He captured and executed all the soldiers who resisted, and charged them with treason, and even his family members were implicated. In this way, again, No one dared to offend Tan Ji. After the military regulations were established, Tan Ji carefully trained an elite cavalry. These cavalry were all warriors who were outstanding in long-range and close combat, both on and off the horse. Changge, saber, and hard crossbow were the weapons they must carry with them. Tan Ji also learned battle formations from Long Tingfei, and it can be said that he was better than his old master. On the battlefield, he could defeat several times the enemy with his riding formations. Perhaps because his appearance was not powerful enough, Tan Ji almost always wore a bronze ghost face, so Known as General Ghost Face. Later, Tan Ji selected a group of highly qualified warriors in the army and taught them martial arts personally. He appointed the thirty-six most outstanding among them as his personal soldiers. He also made these people wear bronze masks of the same style as himself, and they were called ghosts. Riding, these ghost knights only carry long swords and are the best at sprinting. During wartime, they follow Tan Ji's orders to either attack the enemy's weak points or use force to destroy the enemy's edge. These thirty-six ghost knights It was a weapon used by Tan Ji to destroy the morale of the enemy's fighting spirit. Tan Ji was constantly training candidates and would immediately replace them with new ones if they were killed in battle. Most of Tan Ji's reputation was due to these thirty-six ghost riders.

But if it were just that, it wouldn't make everyone fear him. The most criticized thing about Tan Ji is his bloodthirsty. Although wars are raging and there is no one who doesn't kill enemies in the army, there is a bottom line. Killing prisoners is unlucky. , Karma is something that almost everyone believes in. At the beginning of the war, although there were killings of civilians and the brutal torture of women and children, as the situation in the world gradually became clearer, if it was not necessary, the killing of innocent people would be done if possible. However, Tan Ji was extremely ruthless. Bingfeng knew that he would not take prisoners, and he would not leave any chickens or dogs wherever the army passed. Such cruelty was unbearable even for his fellow Northern Han generals. Fortunately, Long Tingfei was always there to give advice and control, otherwise this taboo would probably be even more excessive. Such a general who is proficient in battle formations and invincible, and is also a ruthless and ruthless person, how can he not be feared?

Long Tingfei sighed again in his heart. In fact, although he valued Tan Ji, he didn't like him. According to Long Tingfei's personality, he doesn't like Tan Ji's cruel and cruel methods, but Long Tingfei also knows that except for Tan Ji, it is difficult for his generals to be Dayong's cavalry alone, and Tan Ji The cruel methods were also an important guarantee for the Northern Han army to be able to wreak havoc in Dayong territory. If it weren't for the people on the border of Dayong who feared Tan Ji like a ghost, tiger and wolf, the Northern Han army would probably have encountered a lot of resistance. Therefore, although Tan Ji had many things that Long Tingfei didn't like, he was always reused and trusted by Long Tingfei.

Putting away his helpless thoughts, Long Tingfei smiled and said: "General Tan, how do you think we should attack this time?"

A cold voice came from behind the bronze mask and said: "The general has already made up his mind. The general is ignorant, but he also knows that our army is only one hundred thousand, but the enemy's army is three hundred thousand. If we cannot attack the enemy, we must save it." Destroying the enemy's courage means that there will be defeat but no victory. If the general allows it, I will lead an army to destroy the enemy's foundation."

Long Tingfei said with satisfaction: "General Tan is right. Our army is coming from afar, and the enemy has the right location and people. If we can't win by surprise, we will be defeated but not victorious. Xiao Tong, please tell everyone the intelligence we have obtained."

Among Long Tingfei's guards, Guard Xiao, who had followed Lin Bi to the East China Sea, stood out and said loudly: "General, generals, my subordinates have been ordered to explore the enemy's situation and have learned the enemy's movements. This time the enemy is The commander-in-chief of the army has brought a main force of 150,000 people and will arrive at the Qinze battlefield tomorrow. According to the report from the detective horse, the leader is the King of Qi himself, and the supervisor Jiang Zhe is also accompanying the army. The enemy's baggage camp is set up on Miaopo, and the person responsible for guarding it is The enemy's deputy general Jing Chi has about 30,000 troops. In addition, 120,000 troops scattered throughout Zezhou have also begun to assemble."

Xiao Tong is a beloved disciple of the Demon Sect and is responsible for collecting military intelligence. He has many masters of the Demon Sect under him, so the intelligence collected will naturally be good. However, everyone looked at each other in confusion. One of the generals asked: "Guard Xiao, Jing Chi is He's an enemy general, how can he guard the baggage? Isn't this killing a chicken with a sledgehammer?"

Xiao Tong smiled and said: "The general doesn't know. Although Jing Chi is an enemy general and a confidant of Emperor Yong, he is at odds with King Qi. Now that Emperor Yong is focused on making peace with King Qi, Jing Chi will naturally suffer. A little aggrieved, the general got the information and the supervisor Jiang Zhe punished Jing Chi when he first entered the Zezhou camp. So the King of Qi took the opportunity to deprive Jing Chi of his authority and demoted him to the rear to guard the baggage. Jing Chi originally brought him with him The 70,000-strong army was also split up by the King of Qi, leaving Jing Chi with only 30,000 men to guard the baggage, while the other 40,000 men were left behind in the central army by the King of Qi."

Another general laughed and said: "Li Xian claims to be able to lead troops. Taking the opportunity to retaliate would be a bit narrow-minded."

Tan Ji said coldly: "This is not necessarily because Li Xian is narrow-minded. Haven't you heard that in the past two years, Jing Chi has not been less restrictive to King Qi. It would be a pity if Li Xian did not take advantage of this good opportunity." Yes, but Li Xian is still merciful. If he deliberately deals with Jing Chi, it may not be impossible to let him die."

When he spoke, all the generals were silent, and the atmosphere was suddenly filled with embarrassment. Long Tingfei sighed in his heart and said loudly: "Jing Chi is also an outstanding general. He took 30,000 horses to guard the baggage. , it is very difficult for us to destroy the enemy's key points in one fell swoop. Li Xian's actions are not overkill. Tan Ji, are you confident in defeating Jing Chi's troops and seizing all the enemy's food, grass and supplies?"

Tan Ji said coldly: "Although Jing Chi is a fierce general, he has a fiery temperament. The general will be confident in dealing with such a person. Please rest assured, general, the general will definitely put the enemy in a dilemma."

Long Tingfei nodded with satisfaction and said: "Okay, Tan Ji listens to the order. I will give you 10,000 elite soldiers and order you to defeat Jingchi and destroy the enemy's equipment within ten days. After that, you can move freely. But you must Do you have any objection to returning to the headquarters before the end of November?"

Tan Ji said quietly: "The last general will take orders." His voice was a bit fanatical. All the generals of the Northern Han Dynasty trembled in their hearts after hearing this. If Tan Ji had acted freely, Zezhou would have been a river of blood. After years of fighting, Tan Ji had conquered Gu County three times, bloodbathed Hexi twice, and even penetrated into Duanshi Town. The area around Jiafeng and even Jincheng, an important town in Zezhou, had been looted by Tan Ji. To the soldiers and civilians of Zezhou, Tan Ji was a devil who could stop children from crying at night.

Long Tingfei sighed softly. If the Northern Han Dynasty hadn't been weak, why would he use this murderer to kill innocent people? But someone always has to do this kind of thing. Besides Tan Ji, who else can bear this bad reputation? .

As he rode down the hill, Tan Ji walked into his army surrounded by his trusted thirty-six ghost knights. Originally, Tan Ji was conceited about his skill in martial arts and did not like such protection. However, more than two years ago, the Fengyi Sect's The killer took advantage of the ghost cavalry to rush into battle, disguised himself as a soldier, and stabbed Tan Ji seriously. If not for Tan Ji's martial arts skills and the sacrifice of his own soldiers to protect him, Tan Ji would have been killed on the battlefield. From then on, Tan Ji always paid attention to his own safety. If the thirty-six ghost knights were not fighting in battle, they would be inseparable from Tan Ji all day long. They all wore similar armors to Tan Ji, and they all wore the same bronze masks. Apart from close confidants, it is impossible to quickly and effectively identify their identities. If the Ghost Cavalry charges, if Tan Ji does not take the lead and lead them to charge, he will use the Ghost Cavalry's candidates as guards, and others cannot approach Tan Ji's side at all. In this way, if he wants to assassinate Tan Ji, there is no master. His ability is basically difficult to reach the sky. If he is not greedy for life and afraid of death, in Tan Ji's view, even if he dies, there should be enough souls buried with him.

Tan Ji actually understood how Long Tingfei felt about him. For a sensitive person like him, although Long Tingfei did not express it clearly, Tan Ji actually knew the implicit disgust and rejection in his heart, but he had never expressed it clearly. No resentment, it was Long Tingfei who personally taught him the art of war, and it was Long Tingfei who asked famous teachers to teach him martial arts. He also knew that Long Tingfei actually took a fancy to his cruelty and calmness, and he was just a sharp weapon in Long Tingfei's hands. One day, Long Tingfei would abandon him like a pair of worn shoes after being unable to stand his actions, but Tan Ji could not change his behavior. He knew clearly that as long as he was willing to restrain his behavior, he should not exceed the tolerance of everyone. Within the limit, you can gain the sincere trust of Long Tingfei and the acceptance of the generals. But for Tan Ji, his life had already died the moment his family was destroyed, when he saw his beloved woman lying naked in a pool of blood, when he saw his white-haired grandfather being nailed to the door panel. Above, when he watched his beloved father die with eyes open, still protecting his young siblings with open hands, and when he watched the tragic scene of his loving mother biting her tongue and committing suicide, Tan Ji had long since lost any attachment to life.

But the resentment in his heart was so deep that even when he watched his enemies die under the hooves of the Northern Han army, he still could not get rid of it, so he chose to join the army and waved the butcher knife in his hand at his former villagers. He hated the people who slaughtered him. The Dayong Army of his tribe hated the people of Zezhou who fully supported the Yong Army in order to preserve their property and lives. Only blood and fire could temporarily alleviate the grief in his heart. Holding the Chang Ge tightly, Tan Ji's eyes flashed with cold murderous intent. Let the Chang Ge be stained with more blood and use it to pay homage to the dead souls of his parents and relatives.

On October 30, Yong's army, which had been repairing overnight after a forced march, entered the battlefield from the south of Qinze. After the battle in the spring of this year, in which both sides were very restrained, the Battle of Qinze began that changed the situation in northern Xinjiang. In the battle, 150,000 Yong troops and 90,000 Northern Han troops piled up corpses like mountains and rivers of blood in Qinze within a hundred miles radius.

At the same time, Tan Ji, the ghost-faced general with more than 10,000 elite troops, went down the Qinshui River and headed straight for the temple slope. Wherever he passed, because the Yong army was still strong and clear, there was no trace of anyone, but Tan Ji still ordered all the sentinels to come out. , If he encounters strangers, he will kill them all. On November 2, Tan Ji was already looking at the main transport camp on Miaopo from a distance, and began to plan how to annihilate the enemy and win. At this time, above Qin Ze, after the two armies formed their initial tentative formations, the battle began to unfold.

Standing on the high slope with horses, the king's flag and the commander's flag of Qi King Li Xian danced wildly in the cold wind. The flaming red cavalry protected the central army. Under the commander's flag, a man wearing golden armor and riding a flaming red cavalry To the left of the general on the war horse, I was still wearing the special blue cloak, looking down at the thousands of troops. Behind me, Xiao Shunzi's white horse and silver spear, his eyes as cold as ice, and beside me, a man wearing The middle-aged man in light armor and wearing a blue war robe holds a riding whip and looks thoughtfully at the battle situation below. He has an elegant and gentle appearance, thin eyebrows and long eyes. Although he is wearing armor, he has nothing but a sword hanging on his waist. Besides, there are no other weapons. He issued various orders from time to time, and the red-armored soldiers of the King of Qi behind him quickly issued military orders and directed the battle ahead. But my eyes passed through many obstacles and fell into the fiery red among the enemy troops in the distance. Under the red dragon flag fluttering in the wind, there was a majestic figure who stood out among the thousands of troops.

At this time, while Long Tingfei was commanding the battle, he was also paying attention to the enemy's central camp. Under the flag of the Dayong royal family, there was an enemy that had been hostile to him for several years and became more tenacious during the Vietnam War. King Li Xian of Qi, And the scholar in Tsing Yi who is always on the battlefield next to him and has a leisurely attitude. Is this the enemy in front of him? Long Tingfei felt a strong fighting spirit in his heart, but he calmed down in an instant. His goal was not to annihilate all the enemy forces, but to consume as much of the enemy's military strength as possible. With the cooperation of Tan Ji Cannibalizing the strength of the Yong Army. Only in this way can he make the Northern Han Army stronger as the war progresses, and may even make the Yong Army no longer able to attack the country.

What a pity, Long Tingfei felt helpless in his heart. According to his plan, he had already stirred up a frenzy against King Qi in the Great Yong Dynasty, but these suffered a huge setback after Jiang Zhe became the supervisor. Under the auspices of Zheng Xia, the Ling of Zhongshu, and She Shiyu, the right servant of Shangshu, they jointly suppressed the impeachment and attacks on King Qi in the DPRK. This Jiang Zhejiang Suiyun, just a small move, made all his hard work go to waste. It is no wonder that the princess tried her best to ambush this person, but it was a pity that Shi Ying failed. After a trace of frustration flashed in Long Tingfei's eyes, he then I mustered up my confidence and thought to myself, no matter how resourceful this man is, as long as I make no mistakes in my use of troops, am I still afraid of him causing any trouble? Thinking of this, Long Tingfei smiled slightly and said: "Three General Lu, you lead your troops to charge down for a while. I see that the enemy's right wing is a little slow in movement. This opportunity should not be missed."