The Grandmaster Strategist

The Duke of Yan, Jing Chi, came from a humble background. Taizong rose to prominence in the army and was brave, fierce, and loyal. Whenever Taizong led his troops into battle, Chi would defend him with all his life. Taizong respected him.

Jing was a commoner with little learning and no knowledge of writing. Taizong warned him: "If you don't study, you can't be a general." When the Duke heard about Nuonuo, he read it with his teacher Yan. Within two years, he had a rough grasp of writing, but he didn't know how to fight. , only marching and fighting coincided with the art of war, and Taizong was helpless.

In the twenty-fourth year of Wuwei's reign, there was an urgent matter between Taizong and King Li to seize the legitimate heir. Chi was ordered to go to the capital and became a disciple of Sima Jiangzhe, King of Yong. He personally taught classics, history and art of war. Chi was careless and gained little. Ranzhe secretly said to Taizong: "Jing Zhe A general is a blessed general who has a good understanding of battle strategies."

In March of the first year of Longsheng's reign, Chi was ordered to attack Huguan, but failed to do so for many days. He then deceived the enemy troops into attacking the camp and defeated them. On the 24th, he breached Huguan and ordered Chi to massacre all the soldiers and civilians in the city. He gained a fierce reputation. Then, they rushed thousands of miles to Qinyuan. If there were any obstacles along the way, they were slaughtered. They said, "Those who follow me will prosper, and those who go against me will perish." Wherever he passed, blood flowed for thousands of miles and the fields were filled with murder. The people of the Northern Han Dynasty were fierce and brave, and they were frightened by Chi's cruelty and did not dare to stand in their way.

——"Yong Shi Yan Guo Gong Biography"

Just when the dead soldiers of the Northern Han Dynasty rushed to the Yong Army's tent, the deputy general suddenly felt shocked. In the chaos, the Yong Army camp was full of fire and figures running back and forth, but the Chinese army's tent in front of him was full of chaos. There was silence, and the deputy general suddenly shouted loudly: "Back off, back off, there is an ambush." ​​The soldiers under his command all looked blank, and their eyes were focused on him. The deputy general and his horses were about to retreat, but as if echoing his cry, they The surroundings suddenly remembered the continuous sound of horns and war drums, and then a bright light suddenly appeared. Countless Yong Army cavalry holding torches circled the camp and shouted loudly. The firelight illuminated the Yong Army camp like daylight. However, the fire in Dayong Army Camp was gradually weakening, and an endless stream of Yong Army soldiers seemed to suddenly appear from the dark night, surrounding themselves and others. The lieutenant general felt miserable in his heart, and searched the Yong army with his eyes, hoping to find the person responsible for setting up this ambush.

At this time, the Yong army's formation separated, and a group of knights wearing green and black uniforms rushed to the front. The man at the head was a leopard-headed man with round eyes, a beard like steel, and a rough appearance. He was none other than Jing Chi, and beside him It was Lin Ya, the commander-in-chief of the Zhenzhou Army. Jing Chi laughed loudly and said: "Haha, you fell into my general's trap. Why don't you surrender quickly? I think you have some abilities, so I can spare your life."

A wave of despair surged in the heart of the deputy general. He originally thought that Lin Ya might have seen through the possibility of the Northern Han army attacking the camp, so he set up an ambush. Unexpectedly, it was Jing Chi who deceived the enemy and lured the enemy. However, although this Jing Chi had a reputation for bravery, But I didn't hear that he had such ability. He said angrily: "Jing Chi, you were not injured. Could it be that you had already planned to lure me to attack the camp?"

Jing Chice immediately stepped forward and sneered: "I'm not that thoughtful. To be honest, your arrow was so cruel that I wasn't prepared. Fortunately, I'm good at martial arts, and that arrow didn't have much stamina, so I You dodge in time, it's just a minor injury. I don't take it to heart at all. It's because of your bad luck. As soon as I hit the arrow, I immediately thought of luring you out of the city, so that you don't want to imitate the turtle bastard and refuse to come out of your shell. .”

The lieutenant general was so angry that he shouted loudly: "We, the men of the Northern Han Dynasty, stand upright, how can we bend our knees to others? We are already prepared to die this time when we attack the camp. Brothers, kill!" After that, he took the lead and rushed towards the camp. Dayong camp. Such a small scene naturally did not require Jing Chi to take action. The horns of Yong's army were blowing repeatedly, and the Northern Han army was like water droplets merging into the sea, unable to create bigger waves.

Under the firelight, Jing Chi's face was filled with endless murderous intent and ferociousness. He shouted: "These Northern Han people really won't surrender until they die. That's all. I'm not a vegetarian either. I want to see your bones." Hard, or my sword is stronger. Kill them all, collect all their heads, and place them in front of Hu Pass. I want to see how long Hu Pass can be defended?" Lin Ya heard on the side and said hesitantly. : "General Jing, this is not good, it's just fighting on the battlefield.

If the general did this, he would probably arouse the resistance of the Northern Han people. "

Jing Chi said angrily: "Could it be that my methods are merciful, so they won't resist? After attacking Hu Pass at this time, I want to join forces with His Highness King Qi. If the Northern Han army entangles with me like this all the way, If I missed a military flight, who would I have to argue with? It would be fine if I was slapped with dozens of military sticks, but if I was punished by my husband to copy books again, I would be miserable. Besides, if I really missed something important, I'm afraid I just want to There is no chance to copy the book. When my head is chopped off, will these Northern Han bastards shed tears for me? Listen to me, we will attack the city overnight. If Huguan cannot be captured tomorrow, I will risk it all and wait until it is conquered. After Huguan, massacre the city for me, and I will be responsible for the blame on the emperor in the future."

Seeing how ferocious he was, Lin Ya could only say that he was right. At this moment, all the dead soldiers of the Northern Han Dynasty who had sneaked into Yong's camp were wiped out. Jing Chi's soldiers followed him and fought out of the blood sea of ​​Daoshan. , each with a heart of stone, followed Jing Chi's order without any compromise and cut off the heads of all the Northern Han soldiers and tied them to their horses. Jing Chi urged Lin Ya to order an attack on the pass. Lin Ya also knew that Hu Pass was at its weakest now, so he obeyed. Tens of thousands of Yong soldiers forced themselves in front of Hu Pass, and set up torches to illuminate the area under Hu Pass. Jing Chi Chi's soldiers threw the heads of the Northern Han army at the foot of the pass and piled them into a hill. Jing Chi rode his horse at the foot of the pass and cursed loudly, and Yong's army began to attack the city in a large scale.

In the early morning of March 23rd, Liu Wanli stood on the city gate with a dull expression. In just one night, his beard and hair had turned the color of snow and frost. The deputy general went out to steal the camp last night, and he was not idle either. After ordering all the troops to prepare for the attack, he stood on Huguan and looked at the Yongjun camp in the distance, preparing for any response. After the lieutenant was ambushed, Liu Wanli also saw the clues from a distance. When the scout who risked his life to report the news explained the whole story, Liu Wanli felt as if he was immersed in cold water in winter, freezing to the bone, but he could only rectify his army and wait. Yong's army attacked the key point.

Sure enough, Yong's army came to attack the key point very quickly. Perhaps he was too desperate. Instead, Liu Wanli felt that he had never felt calmer before. He commanded thousands of remnant troops to defend the city gate, even as he watched the heads of his former colleagues turn into flesh under the hooves of Yong's army. Mu, his mind was not shaken at all. Now the Yong army's offensive is like a fierce tiger, with the determination to never stop if it cannot succeed, and they are constantly attacking key points day and night. But Liu Wanli is standing at the gate, barely able to make a grain of rice, but he feels that the energy in his body is endless, and he can use the front The divine arm crossbow, which had been hidden for the past few days, consolidated the defense of Huguan and refused to retreat. After many days of hard fighting and a sea of ​​hatred, every Northern Han soldier knew that once the Yong army broke the city, he might not be able to survive even if he surrendered, so he did not slack off at all. The Yong army suffered heavy losses, and only massacre could dispel the resentment in their hearts. The outcome of this battle was a matter of life and death. Both sides were fighting to the death, and no one dared to relax.

No matter how strong Hu Pass was, the troops were insufficient after all, and the deputy general was killed in a sneak attack. The losses were all the elites of the Northern Han Army. Therefore, although there were divine arm crossbows guarding the pass, by the evening of the 23rd, Hu Pass was already crumbling. Liu Wanli stood at the gate, his shirt all stained red with blood. He felt deep regret in his heart. The failure of the attack on the camp made the fall of Huguan at least three days earlier. At this moment, he regretted even more that he chose to attack the camp because of his own selfishness. , this three-day difference may change the entire situation of the Northern Han Dynasty. He naturally understands the threat that Jing Chi may bring if he goes deep into the hinterland of the Northern Han Dynasty.

It was late at night, and Yong's army attacked the city frantically and orderly. Liu Wanli commanded his soldiers almost instinctively. However, after a day and night of defending the city, the Huguan defenders were at the end of their rope. Even the most important divine arm they relied on was Most of the crossbows have been destroyed. Tomorrow will be the day when the barrier is broken. Liu Wanli already knows in his heart that just now, Qingzhuang, who was helping to defend the city, completely collapsed. He shouted that he was willing to surrender and wanted to open the city gate from the inside. Liu Wanli ordered the supervising team to shoot them all, but the fighting spirit of the soldiers and civilians in Huguan was close to collapse. Liu Wanli knew very well that there was no possibility of guarding Huguan. The images of his wife and only son flashed across his chaotic mind, and Liu Wanli felt endless exhaustion welling up in his heart.

On March 24th, when the morning sun was rising, Lin Ya personally commanded an energetic Yong army to launch the final attack. The defenders of Huguan finally collapsed completely under the fierce attack of Yong army day and night, and the blue-black figure finally He rushed to the Huguan city tower with blood all over the ground. When Yong's army opened the city gate from inside, Jing Chi took the lead and rushed into Huguan with his iron cavalry. His personal guards followed his orders and shouted loudly: "Huguan The gatekeepers are stubborn and have caused heavy losses to our army. General Jing has ordered to massacre all the soldiers and civilians in the city without fail." This bloody order gave the Yong soldiers who had been fighting hard for many days a way to vent their anger. Amidst the howls and screams, blood flowed in the streets and alleys, and blood flowed into rivers.

When Yong's army ascended the city, Liu Wanli was already devastated. He loudly ordered the Northern Han army to escape on their own, and set fire to stop the enemy along the way. He led a dozen personal guards to his mansion. Along the way, the defeated Northern Han army The army set fire everywhere, and they all heard Yong's army's order to massacre the city, so they all tried their best to set fire to stop the enemy. Even if they died, they could not let Huguan fall into the enemy's hands in vain. Such thoughts of the Northern Han army and the hysteria of Yong's army The cruelty finally destroyed this dangerous barrier that had stood for hundreds of years.

However, Liu Wanli didn't care about the consequences of his last order. He galloped back to the mansion, threw the reins to his guards, and rushed into his mansion. All the family and maids had fled, and only his wife was holding him. Standing in the hall with her beloved son, she looked miserable. When she saw Liu Wanli, she screamed in sorrow, but Liu Huai shouted in horror: "Daddy, there is so much blood."

Liu Wanli lowered his head indifferently and saw that he was covered in blood. A bitter smile appeared on his lips and he said to the few remaining guards around him: "You have all been Liu's good brothers for many years. Now Liu has been defeated and has no face to escape. I just have one more thing to ask for, and I don’t know if you will agree to it.”

The leader of the personal guards was named Liu Jun. He was a domestic servant who had followed Liu Wanli since childhood. He bowed down and cried: "Master, please give me your instructions."

Liu Wanli pointed at Liu Huai and said: "I have been a soldier for half my life, and I only have this little flesh and blood. You protect your wife and young master and go to your uncle. Remember not to let this child avenge me in the future. The two countries are fighting, and life and death are ordinary matters. I only hope that in the future If the world is unified, this child can stay in the countryside, marry a wife, have children, and pass on cigarettes. Can you agree?"

Hearing this, Liu Jun drew his sword and cut off the little finger of his left hand and swore: "Don't worry, sir. Even if Jun loses his life, he will still protect his mistress and young master from escaping. If my subordinates are greedy for life and afraid of death, then let me be a pig or a dog for the rest of my life." He shall never be a human being.”

Liu Wanli felt a pain in his heart, and bowed and said: "As long as you try your best, that's all. If Huai'er is unlucky in the end, he is destined to die in the chaos." How dare Liu Jun and others accept his great gift, so they hurriedly avoided it. open. Liu Wanli looked at his wife again and said, "Madam, I've worked hard for you for half your life. Please follow Liu Jun and take good care of our children. Don't worry about me."

Mrs. Liu's eyes flashed with crystal tears and she said, "What about you, General?"

Liu Wanli slumped down on the chair and said: "I was ordered by the king to guard Huguan. Now all the soldiers of the three armies have died for their country. What shame do I have to live in an ignoble way?"

Mrs. Liu calmly put Liu Huai into Liu Jun's hands, then took out a dagger from her waist and put it against his heart. All the guards screamed in shock, Liu Huai also cried loudly, Liu Wanli wanted to get up, but felt his hands His legs were weak. All his energy had been exhausted in the past two days. Once he sat down, he was unable to get up. He raised his hand and pointed at Mrs. Liu and asked in surprise: "Madam, what are you going to do?"

Mrs. Liu said sadly: "My lord, I am not good at riding and shooting. How can I break out of the encirclement with my bodyguard? Instead of mother and son dying together, it is better to let Liu Jun protect Huai'er and escape, and let me accompany my lord."

Liu Wanli felt great grief in his heart. He knew that his wife was right and he was also a decisive person. He waved his hand and said, "Liu Jun, take Huai'er and leave."

Liu Jun and several of his bodyguards burst into tears. They knelt down and bowed twice before tearing off their shirts. Liu Jun tied Liu Huai in front of him and rushed out with several of his bodyguards. There were shouts and shouts from everywhere outside. The sounds of killing and the deafening sound of horse hooves trampling on the ground, the voices of Liu Jun and others quickly disappeared in the chaos. Liu Wanli felt that his whole body was weak, and he fell on the chair, speechless. However, Mrs. Liu was very calm, pulled down the curtains in the hall, gathered together, sprinkled lamp oil, and then handed a torch to Liu Wanli. Liu Wanli felt that his heart was broken. He hugged his wife's delicate body and said, "Madam, I'm sorry for you."

Mrs. Liu smiled and said: "Ms. sir, the day you and I got married, we promised each other a white-headed alliance. Now that the general has gray hair, I will naturally keep my promise. You and I will live and die together. The general should be happy." yes."

Liu Wanli screamed in pain again, raised his hand and threw the torch onto the pile of fire starters. The flames quickly spread, but Liu Wanli seemed to be unaware, just holding his beloved wife and howling in pain, Mrs. Liu closed her eyes slightly and leaned in her husband's arms, with a cheerful smile on her face. The firelight reflected on her jade face, making her smile brighter and brighter. The flames were blazing, and they quickly enveloped the two figures. The raging tongues of flames swirled around, and merged with the flames rising from all over the kettle. The entire kettle became a sea of ​​fire, with black smoke billowing, and the flames flickering. The kettle was in flames. A trembling collapse.

Jing Chi, who was forced to withdraw from the sea of ​​​​fire, glared at Huguan, which was caught in the sea of ​​fire, and hated it more and more in his heart. In Jiang Zhe's plan, Huguan was a pass that needed to be guarded by the Yong army. As long as Huguan was guarded, the Northern Han army would not be able to attack Huguan. It may be necessary to cut off Jing Chi's supplies, but now that Huguan has been destroyed by fire, it will be very difficult to defend it. With great hatred in his heart, Jing Chi has made up his mind to kill a lot of people along the way. Let the soldiers and civilians of the Northern Han Dynasty not dare to resist like this again. Lin Ya had a bitter look on his face. Although he was very dissatisfied with Jing Chi's decision, if it weren't for Jing Chi's refusal to surrender, the Northern Han army might not have resisted to the death. However, no matter how Huguan was breached, it was probably Jing Chi who What can I do about my own merits?

On March 29th, Qinyuan, in the Northern Han army commander's tent, Long Tingfei was flipping through the military newspaper with his brows furrowed. Although he had expected that the Northern Han army would not be able to stop Jing Chi's progress, but like this The heavy losses still shocked Long Tingfei.

On March 24, Jing Chi attacked Shangdang and beheaded the Shangdang garrison. All the defenders were killed. One part of the Zhenzhou Army was left to guard Huguan, and the main force was stationed in Shangdang. Jing Chi's troops crossed over to the party but did not enter. Along the way, at dozens of city gates, the resisters were massacred.

On March 26th, Jing Chi passed through Lucheng, saying that if he did not surrender, he would massacre the city after it was defeated. The defender of Lucheng surrendered, and Jing Chi passed through the city and went straight to Xiangyuan.

On March 27, Xiangyuan was burned by Jingchi Fire, and the defender of Xiangyuan died for his country. It is expected that Jing Chi will reach Qinyuan before the end of March 29th, and the two Yong armies will soon join forces.

There were only a hundred words to talk about, but it contained countless blood and pain. Long Tingfei could only sit back and watch Jing Chi kill in the southeastern hinterland of the Northern Han Dynasty. He hid the pain in his heart and could soon ask for help from Jing Chi. To compensate, he secretly comforted himself. At this time, Duan Wudi came in and reported: "General, the King of Qi is fighting in front of the formation."

Long Ting Feijun's face flashed with murderous intent, and he said: "Okay, this time he is seeking his own death. Invincible, pass the order, the whole army is ready, wait for me to go into battle after the military review."

Duan Wudi noticed the sudden burst of heroic spirit from Long Tingfei, and he was also in an excited mood. Although Long Tingfei did not tell him the detailed arrangement, Xiao Tong could hardly be seen these days and Long Tingfei concentrated on studying the map every day. Judging from the situation, it seems that Long Tingfei is sure of victory, and the decisive battle is right in front of him. Although Duan Wudi is a little dissatisfied that Long Tingfei never explains the details to him, the upcoming decisive battle makes him have no resentment at all, as long as If you can defeat Yong's army, then no matter what sacrifice you make, it will be worth it.

Compared with Long Tingfei, Li Xian's control of the overall situation was not as accurate. He was not very clear about Jing Chi's movements, and he didn't even know where Jing Chi was. After all, this was the territory of the Northern Han Dynasty. Jing Chi's envoy He couldn't break through the many barriers, so he just challenged it as a routine.

In the wilderness of Qinyuan, Li Xiangao stood on his horse. Behind him, 40,000 Yong army flags were spread out in formation behind him. The blue-black square formation was filled with murderous intent, and the most dazzling thing was the 3,000 iron guards behind Li Xian. , they all wore red battle robes, and in the spring breeze, the hunting robes made them as arrogant and fearless as wildfires all over the mountains and fields in spring, while the other Yong Army knights stood still like steel poured into iron. The static battle formation contains two different styles of movement and static. No matter which one it is, it has irresistible power and domineering power.

But Li Xian, who was showing off his power in front of the battle, was very depressed. Although he suffered a defeat in Anze, he still had a strong force, with 40,000 cavalry and nearly 40,000 infantry behind him. Although the Northern Han Army was known as There are 100,000 cavalry, but only about 50,000 of them are elite soldiers. The rest are mostly new troops that have been added in the past six months. Both their force and training are not as good as the original elite soldiers of the Northern Han Dynasty. It stands to reason that he has strong soldiers and horses, as well as Jing Chi's 30,000 cavalry, who knows when they will arrive. If the two sides fight, at least he will not lose. But Jiang Zhe actually told himself that he didn't need to insist too much and could retreat after he was defeated. He would repair the road behind, arrange a retreat, and let Xuan Song lead the infantry to meet him from behind. Could it be that he would definitely fall? Defeat? They have been fighting for several days. When did the Northern Han army take advantage? Li Xian thought angrily that he might as well defeat the Northern Han Army himself. What is the purpose of annihilating the main force of the enemy? As long as the Northern Han Army was defeated again, would they still be able to turn the tide?

At this time, the Northern Han Army's camp suddenly made a move. The southern camp gate facing the Yong Army opened, and a cavalry wearing a fiery red shirt rushed out of the camp gate. At the same time, the camp gates on the east and west sides also Opening the door wide, an endless stream of knights from the Northern Han Army poured out. Unlike the Yong Army, the Northern Han Army did not form a formation when they left the camp. They were as turbulent as a pack of wolves and as disorderly as a pack of wolves. But when they When they gathered in the open space, they were like rivers flowing into the sea, and they quickly gathered into a strict battle formation. In just a moment, at least tens of thousands of Northern Han troops had formed a battle formation, and behind them, countless brown knights were forming new battle formations.

Li Xian frowned on the horse. Looking at today's situation, Long Tingfei wanted to fight with him. In fact, the Northern Han Army had formed a partial advantage in the past few days. However, although Li Xian repeatedly provoked him, Long Tingfei refused. Why did you change your mind about a decisive battle with yourself today? Could it be that there has been a major change in the military situation? He was beating a drum in his heart and thought, if there is a decisive battle, our army may not be able to withstand it, and we really need that escape route, but didn't Sui Yun say that Long Tingfei would not easily use all his strength to fight him?

At this time, from the battle formation of the Northern Han Army, several cavalry guards came out slowly, guarding a person. The man raised his visor, revealing a handsome face. His dark green eyes contained deep pain and grief, and he looked slightly clearer. His face was a little haggard, but his scornful demeanor was still the same as before. Long Tingfei gently stroked his beloved halberd, his heart full of murderous intent. The humiliation over the past few months had already made him filled with endless resentment. Of the four generals under his command, only Duan Wudi is left. In the past, all the lieutenants in the army were sincerely convinced by him, but since Shi Ying's death, he could always feel the growing dissatisfaction in the army, but he could only temporarily suppress it with force. A few days ago, Yong's army was flooded in Anze. Although the price paid was not small, the results were amazing, and the confidence of the army officers and soldiers in themselves was restored to its original state. All this is because of Jiang Zhe and Li Xian in front of him. In any case, all the difficulties in the past will be over. As long as the Yong army is defeated today, the overall situation can be saved, and then he will have the opportunity to reorganize the army.

Looking at the unruly figure holding a horse spear opposite, Long Tingfei's eyes flashed with flames. If he hadn't been worried that King Qi would be defeated and retreated to the mountains, cooperated with the infantry to block the Northern Han army, and then stood still waiting for reinforcements, how could he have faced these few soldiers? Thousands of troops have never dared to kill with all their strength. Today, they can finally strangle all the enemy troops. At that time, the Northern Han army can kill the Yong troops entering the country one by one like a pack of wolves hunting. The Yong troops suffered such a disastrous defeat. Within a few years, there will be another We can't peep north either. After a few years, Dayong himself may not be able to take care of himself. Raising the halberd in his hand, Long Tingfei shouted loudly: "annihilate Yong's army and capture Li Xian alive!" The Northern Han army was shocked when they heard this, and they all shouted loudly, and their momentum was great for a while.

Li Xian's temperament was like fire. When he heard Long Tingfei's shout, he couldn't help but feel angry. He pointed at the Northern Han army with his horse spear and cursed with a smile: "Young men, the Northern Han people usually call themselves heroes, but in Anze they only Dare to use trickery to attack with water, but these days they are locked up in the camp and dare not face the enemy. These cowards actually want to annihilate our army, can you believe it?"

Tao Lin, one of the four bodyguards around Li Xian, had the most humorous temperament and responded loudly: "Your Highness, General Long is talking shamelessly. Why are you angry? How about we wait until we capture General Long and let him drink for His Highness?"

The Yong army laughed loudly after hearing this, but the Northern Han army shouted and cursed. On the contrary, Li Xian and Long Tingfei just looked at each other coldly. The general's calmness gradually infected the soldiers of both armies. Unknowingly, the battlefield resumed. There was silence, and the silence full of murderous intent became more and more oppressive and solemn, making everyone feel breathless. Then, as if they had a tacit understanding, Long Tingfei and Li Xian issued orders almost at the same time. The blue-black and brown torrents surged almost at the same time, and then collided together. The decisive battle between Yong Army and Northern Han Army began.