The Grandmaster Strategist

Lu Boyan, Lu Zhongtian, and Lu Shuhan were born from the same generation, with the same appearance, the same bravery, and the same understanding. They were accepted as disciples of the Demon Sect and taught martial arts. When the three of them joined forces to attack, they were truly invincible. After Su Dingluan, the most famous vanguard of the Northern Han Army, they had been watching the battle for a long time, and they were already itching to bear it. When they saw Long Tingfei's order, they all agreed with a bang, and each galloped to the main center of the army, preparing to fight.

Yong's army dispatched 50,000 infantry, archers, spearmen, and rattan players scattered at random, layer upon layer, forming a large formation that was as solid as gold, while 70,000 cavalry were hidden behind the infantry formation, elite soldiers made of steel. The cavalry waited motionless for the Chinese army's orders. Except for the occasional cavalryman who gently comforted the horses that were eager to fight due to the tragic atmosphere on the battlefield, there was almost no unnecessary movement. There are still 30,000 infantrymen who are ready to replace their tired comrades at any time according to the command of the Chinese army. There is a faint murderous look in the infantry formation.

The Northern Han army was all cavalry, with 30,000 cavalry roaming outside the Yong army's formation, using strong bows and crossbows to find the Yong army's weaknesses, weakening the enemy's defense layer by layer. This is a battle of strength, and there is no room for trickery. Blood splattered, dyeing the wilderness red, and the bows and arrows flying in the sky brought rain of blood from time to time.

After half a day of hard fighting, the Northern Han Army was still unable to achieve satisfactory results in the face of the tenacious enemy forces. Long Tingfei also rotated the Northern Han Army into battle. The two sides were almost engaged in a war of attrition. In the afternoon, the Yong Army's right wing was finally unable to hold up due to continuous fierce attacks. The Northern Han Army's attacks were too frequent, so that this side could no longer be replaced with fresh troops. At this moment, Long Tingfei dispatched the Lu brothers.

Lu Boyan is holding a horse bow, and the cavalry behind him all use horse bows and spears. This cavalry is mainly responsible for the task of attacking fortresses, but they still carry small compound bows and can also serve as safari hunters when needed. Role. Lu Boyan held his horse and said loudly: "Follow me." After saying that, he rushed into the right wing of Yong Army. The two armies collided together, weakening Yong Army's defense line again. At this time, Lu Zhongtian and Lu Shuhan also led his troops and rushed into the right wing of the Yong army. The three of them cooperated very well. After the momentum of the attack weakened, they drifted away, and another person took over the attack. The alternating attacks between them were almost seamless. Continuous fierce attacks finally tore apart the Yong Army's defense line. The Northern Han army poured into the Yong army's formation like a tide and began to kill wantonly, with blood and flesh flying everywhere.

At this time, the sound of long trumpets was heard from the middle army of the Yong Army. The right wing of the Yong Army, as if hearing the sound of lun, tried their best to resist the infantry of the Northern Han Army and dispersed to both sides. Behind them, the Dayong cavalry in cyan armor was revealed, their horses' hooves were like thunder, and they faced the Northern Han army's most violent cavalry attack. The two armies were strangled together, and the center of gravity of the battlefield was here at this moment.

Lu Boyan had already joined his two younger brothers, and the three of them shouted loudly at the same time. They were all brave generals who were getting stronger and stronger, and for a moment they were evenly matched with Dayong's heavy cavalry. At this time, a high-pitched trumpet command came from the Northern Han Army. Lu Boyan knew clearly in his mind that he should not confront the heavy cavalry head-on. He waved his hand and shouted loudly: "Charge their central army." After that, he led his men to the infantry of Dayong's central army, and his two younger brothers also skillfully took over the vacancies left by him, and the change of cavalry formation was natural and smooth. , the Northern Han Dynasty's knights cut through Dayong's central army like a sharp blade.

I could clearly see the enemy's formation changes under the flag of the commander of Dayongzhong Army, and I couldn't help but say with emotion: "What a cavalry. Jiang has long heard that the cavalry of the Northern Han Dynasty is unparalleled in the world. When I saw it today, it really lived up to its reputation."

The knight wearing golden armor and lowering his mask said in a muffled voice: "The Northern Han Dynasty's vanguard cavalry is indeed elite, and this is how it performed after the commander was changed. Although the tactics are more sophisticated, compared with the former vanguard general Su Dingluan's leadership of this cavalry, When it comes to cavalry, their momentum has been much weaker. However, our Dayong cavalry is not worse than them, but unfortunately they are all light cavalry and can move freely. Our cavalry is not as fast as them. Zezhou is a flat river, which is most suitable for them to move across. , if the two armies directly confront each other,

Their light cavalry is still not as powerful as our armored cavalry. Sir, look, haven't the Northern Han cavalry already avoided the edge of our heavy cavalry? "

I nodded again and again and said, "You are right, but don't forget that you are pretending to be His Highness now, so don't talk nonsense."

The knight muttered something and did not continue speaking.

At this time, Xuan Song had already issued a military order, and Dayong's central army seemed to have turned into an ocean, funneling the torrent of Northern Han cavalry into it. As Dayong continued to invest his troops, I could clearly see that under his command, the Northern Han cavalry was moving with increasing difficulty. At this time, the Northern Han army also dispatched 20,000 cavalry again, intending to attack from the outside Dayong's military formation was broken through, but this military formation was very tough and could withstand internal and external attacks, and Dayong's heavy cavalry also showed its power again. Hitting the weakness of the Northern Han Army again and again. The ensuing battle was simply dazzling to me. The tactics used by both sides were precise and ruthless. However, I could still see that the Northern Han army's attack was sharp and varied, while Xuan Song's tactics were tenacious and steady. Both sides were almost It is killing life and time in an orderly and cold manner. It was not until the sunset that the Northern Han army finally broke through Dayong's military formation and slowly retreated after Long Tingfei personally cut off the enemy. Xuan Song also took advantage of the situation and retreated his troops. In fact, if we were serious about it, it was not impossible for Long Tingfei to let the cavalry break through earlier, but it would have suffered heavy losses and would not have the current results. In the end, it was not impossible for Xuan Song to force Stopping the Northern Han Army for a period of time did not help the outcome of today's victory. It would only increase the damage of being helpless, so in the end it can be said that both sides retreated with a tacit understanding. On this day, the Northern Han Army left nearly 6,000 corpses, while the Dayong Army suffered more than 25,000 casualties. It's not that Long Tingfei's command is much better than that of Xuan Song, but that the Yong Army today is based on infantry, while the Northern Han Army is light cavalry that comes and goes like the wind. This casualty ratio is already a good result. There is nothing that can be done about this. The generals on both sides have not made any excessive mistakes, so they can only waste their lives and combat power in this way. Although the Dayong Iron Cavalry is more lethal, if the heavy cavalry is easily dispatched, it will not be defeated by Long Tingfei. Finding a gap caused our army to suffer heavy losses because Long Tingfei was unwilling to fight us head-on and instead fought with us. In this way, he lost the possibility of entangling the Northern Han army.

Most of the Northern Han army were light cavalry, with men leading two or three horses, and their marching speed was much faster than ours. I guess if Long Tingfei didn't want to entangle the main force of our army, he might not fight us head-on? As for our army, if we don't go through such a bloody battle, we can't convince the Northern Han Army that the main force of our army is here. In the past, when the Northern Han army invaded, they often invaded in all directions. However, since the King of Qi established a strong defense system at the border a few years ago, it would be extremely difficult for the Northern Han army to attack the city and break out the stronghold, but it would also be very easy. The way back was cut off by King Qi's army, so the Northern Han army changed its fighting method. Long Tingfei often led the army to circle with King Qi, and sent another partial army to invade the interior of Zezhou. If King Qi wanted to guard Zezhou tightly, then the Northern Han Dynasty would The Han army can easily break through the outer walled city. If the King of Qi comes to fight the main force of the Northern Han army, then the partial divisions can come and go freely. If the King of Qi wants to intercept the partial divisions first, then Long Tingfei can lead the Northern Han troops. The main force of the Han army pursued from behind, and Tan Ji was the best at escaping with sneak attacks, and Shi Ying marched quickly. Although the Yong army was stronger than the Northern Han army, they were overwhelmed by the Northern Han army. Therefore, in the past few years, the King of Qi mostly led his troops to fight with the main force of the Northern Han Army, while the partial divisions could only rely on the defensive forces from various places. For this reason, they continued to shrink the defense line. The Zezhou area was almost completely depopulated. These are all the results of the continuous battles over the past few years.

This time, the King of Qi accepted my suggestion, with Xuan Song as the main general to fight Long Tingfei, and personally led the troops to fight or lure Tan Ji to annihilate. This was definitely an unexpected decision. The generals of Dayong had no way to do it. Who was hostile to Long Tingfei, who would have thought that King Qi, who was now more and more confident of forcing Long Tingfei back, would not personally lead the troops. But this is also fortunate that Xuan Song exists. I originally thought that if it didn't work out, I would lead the troops myself, and with the help of the generals, I could at least make a draw. Now that I have Xuan Song, I can rest assured. After all, I have never actually commanded a battle.

I looked at Xuan Song with admiration and praised: "Xuan Canjun is really experienced in using troops. Long Tingfei's intention is not to fight decisively. I don't think he will attack like this tomorrow. He only cares about his soldiers and horses." Above us. If you want Long Tingfei to have no extra energy to suspect that His Highness is not in the army, it depends on Xuan Canjun's ability."

Xuan Song looked at Jiang Zhe's calm smiling face and couldn't help but feel infinite gratitude in his heart. He was originally a scholar, but after joining the army, he found more and more that he was more suitable for commanding operations. Unfortunately, Dayong's established rules meant that he wanted to be alone To lead an army, you must be able to go into battle and kill the enemy. If you are not good at martial arts, you will definitely have no chance of becoming a general. Over the years, although Xuan Song can be said to have actually led an army, he has never been able to maintain his position. At first, because Jing Chi was not in the army, Xuan Song took charge of military affairs on his behalf. Later, Jing Chi returned to lead the army, but he led two armies. This was originally Li Zhi's intention to strengthen Jing Chi's strength, but Jing Chi saw that he was quite If he has the ability to lead an army, he simply lets himself lead an army, but in name he is still just a soldier. Until a few days ago, when he defeated all the troops in the big competition, Jing Chi said with a smile that he would defend himself. Although Xuan Song was happy and looking forward to it at that time, he was also worried. He naturally knew that although Jiang Zhe entered King Yong's court later than himself, his identity was unusual. He was King Yong's most trusted confidant. , if he can say a word for himself, then his dreams for many years can come true. However, Xuan Song also heard from Jing Chi that Mr. Jiang seemed to be a bit lazy by nature and never interfered in irrelevant matters, so he did not dare to have high expectations. Unexpectedly, he was summoned to the King of Qi's tent that night and was given the important task of temporarily commanding the army. As long as he could successfully stop Long Tingfei's pace this time, he would definitely be promoted after the war. It would be unreasonable to want to lead the army alone. Dream, this battle is of great importance, so Xuan Song is always cautious. Now that he had finally survived the day, Xuan Song couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and saluted on his horse: "I would also like to thank the Lord Supervisor. If not for your recommendation, Xuan Song would never have had the opportunity to command the entire army. "

I smiled and said, "This is the result of Xuan joining the army's many years of accumulation and hard work, which led to today's achievements. I just said a few more good words."

At this time, the "King of Qi" wearing golden armor stretched out on his horse and said distressedly: "Sir, why don't you let Qiao Zu be your substitute tomorrow? You can't go into battle to kill the enemy, and you have to wear this heavy armor. It was extremely painful.”

At this time, Qiao Zu, who was the bodyguard behind him, couldn't help but beg for mercy: "Sir, I don't have the demeanor of your highness. I'd better let Ma Su play the role of your highness."

I couldn't help but laugh out loud and said: "Don't worry, none of you can escape. You will have to take turns being His Highness's substitute these days." Ma Su and Qiao Zu couldn't help but moan in pain at the same time. I secretly laughed in my heart and thought, that day in the Hunting Palace, the four of you carried me away from Hanxiang Garden to the King of Qi's residence on the orders of the King of Qi. Although you saved my life, you did not rest on your good intentions. Later, I also urged the King of Qi to kill me several times to avoid causing trouble. Although the King of Qi did not adopt your suggestion in the end, this revenge must be avenged. Tao Lin and Zhuang Jun are with the King of Qi, so they cannot take revenge this time. You will fall into this situation. In my hands, there is no reason not to retaliate. Today I just asked you to pretend to be His Highness King Qi. Although you have to stand up and not move around for a day, it is not too difficult. From now on, the grudges will be settled, and you will still take advantage of it. The two said I may not be as lucky as you. With this thought in his mind, a proud smile appeared on his lips. Qiao and Ma both felt a chill. No wonder he smiled like that when he named us two to stay, and hesitantly said that Mr. Jiang likes to hold grudges, but it turns out that Mr. Jiang's temperament is... Such hatred must be repaid. Thinking of this, the two of them didn't know whether they were happy or worried. It would be good to end the past festival like this, but they didn't know how they would tease him in the past ten days. Thinking of this, they didn't know how to treat the two attendants together. Whether the king's companions were envious or sympathetic, after all, sooner or later, they would fall into the hands of this supervisor.

At this time, Xiao Shunzi stepped forward and said: "Master, are you going to stay on the battlefield for another day tomorrow? I see that you don't look very good."

I complained: "It's windy and sandy here, and I'm exhausted from sitting on a horse for a day. If I hadn't been here to cover up for His Highness King Qi, I would have asked you to drive the carriage here."

At this time, Xuan Song, who had already arranged the withdrawal of troops, came over and said with concern: "Your Excellency, you might as well bring a camp tent tomorrow. You can rest there for a while. As long as you show up from time to time, it shouldn't arouse the other party's suspicion."

I smiled and said, "Don't worry too much. Long Tingfei should not be so desperate tomorrow. If all his wealth is gone, we don't have to worry about how to attack the Northern Han Dynasty. Xuan Canjun should still think about how to deal with him." Well, as long as we last ten days, there should be good news from His Highness King Qi."

That night, we camped thirty miles south of Qin Ze. At night, while I was sleeping hazily, I heard a sudden shout of death coming from outside the tent. I quickly got up, put on my cloak, and Xiao Shunzi slept outside. When he saw me coming out of the inner tent, he whispered: "It's the enemy who stole the camp. Don't worry, sir."

I was a little nervous. Although Xuan Canjun had said that the enemy might steal the camp and had made preparations in advance, I was still worried about being overtaken by the enemy. Ignoring Xiao Shunzi's obstruction, I walked outside the tent and looked around. I saw fires everywhere in the dark night, and countless dark shadows shuttled through the wilderness outside the camp. The night was dark. After a while, the Northern Han Army probably Seeing that our military camp was tightly guarded, they receded like the tide. Just when the Northern Han Army had just retreated, a section of the Yong Army secretly hidden from another camp gate shouted in unison, and their crossbows and arrows flew. However, the Northern Han Army had also taken precautions and quietly disappeared into the darkness. , neither side suffered too much loss.

I just breathed a sigh of relief when suddenly a fire broke out in the back camp, but it was the Northern Han Army that attacked for the second time. This time they did not enter the camp, they just lit rockets and fired them into the camp. Xuan Song quickly ordered to put out the fire and waited until the counterattack troops came out. Zhai, the Northern Han army has retreated. Overnight, the Northern Han army came to invade several times. The Northern Han army was erratic, and our army had no way to fight with them at night. Although we did not lose much, we had a sleepless night. On the second day, when the sun was up, I was still yawning a lot, but the generals and sergeants took turns to rest. Although they were not in good spirits, they were not as depressed as me. It seems that they have already made such preparations. After asking Xuan Song and others, they found out that the Northern Han Army liked to steal camps. The Dayong Army also wanted to retaliate, but every time they wanted to steal camps, they were either ambushed or ambushed. They were caught in a tight siege, so they simply defended the camp and placed many sentries near the outside. I was unhappy and thought to myself, they were all stealing the camp, how could they succeed so easily, but we lost our troops and generals. After asking the generals, I found out that the Northern Han Army was best at using falcons and mastiffs. The falcons can march during the day. To check the enemy's situation, mastiffs can keep vigil at night. It is said that if our army comes within ten miles of the enemy camp, it will be difficult to avoid the noses of mastiffs. The more I thought about it, the angrier I became, so I simply ordered not to fight today. I ordered that the entire area within three hundred steps of the camp be dug into criss-crossing trenches more than ten feet deep, so that the Northern Han army could not approach the camp at all. There is a complete way out at the door, so that our troops can come in and out freely, but the enemy cannot come and attack casually.

Xuan Song stood behind me, looking at the busy "construction site", and asked hesitantly: "If the Northern Han Army blocks the way out, what should we do?"

I smiled and said: "What does this have to do with it? First, our army has heavy cavalry. If the Northern Han army is willing to use light cavalry to confront us, I can't ask for it. Second, I ordered the army to prepare a lot of planks when digging trenches." , if the road is blocked, just lay the planks into a passage, and our army still has half of the infantry, so for them, this terrain is more favorable."

Xuan Song then nodded in agreement. In fact, such a method is not unusual. However, Dayong and Northern Han Dynasties both relied on cavalry as their main force, and both were eager to win. They liked to win with bravery and used offense instead of defense, which was unavoidable in terms of defense. There was some slack, and the Northern Han army was erratic, and the Dayong army could not stand in one place. Moreover, the enemy's cavalry was restricted, and its own attack route was also limited. It was unimaginable to dig trenches with such painstaking efforts. But for me, a person who only wants to defend, this way can ensure safety. Besides, I don’t believe that Long Tingfei dares to leave us to attack other places this time. The defense system carefully built by King Qi in the past few years can be There aren't that many loopholes to exploit. And this way, at least no one will disturb my clear dreams. Even if I really need to break camp, it doesn't matter. There are so many sergeants, so it's good to let them move their muscles. .

We were busy here, and Xiao Shunzi suddenly walked up to me and whispered: "Sir, there is someone spying on the camp from a distance, and he is a master."

After hearing this, I turned around and joked with Xuan Song and others, while making a gesture and passing the order. Not long after, Qiao Zu, wearing King Qi's golden armor, walked out of the tent, nodding with satisfaction as he walked. , walked up to me, deliberately chatted with me for a few words, and then the two of us turned around the big tent together. After entering the tent, I quickly asked Xiao Shunzi: "Who is spying on the camp? Can you see clearly?"

Xiao Shunzi said: "It's far away and my subordinates didn't see it clearly, but the person who came here is very skilled in martial arts. He seems to be a good spy in the Northern Han Dynasty."

I don't care, it's just a few spies, just to see why we didn't go to war today, it's a better choice to let them go back. But then I thought about it and realized that there was a plan that was most suitable to use now and would not arouse the suspicion of the Northern Han Dynasty, so I said: "Qiao Zu, His Highness the King of Qi has promised me to use the Dead Soldiers Camp. You can find a suitable person. The martial arts must be stronger, and I want to use him to do things."

Qiao Zu had already received the order from King Qi, so he naturally didn't ask any questions and ordered a few guards. Not long after, several guards brought a sergeant in. I looked carefully and saw that this man also had a tough appearance. He has a calm demeanor, but unfortunately he is a dead soldier. The dead soldier battalions in the King of Qi's army were all composed of criminal sergeants, and some were prisoners who had been exiled from the army. The King of Qi organized them into the dead soldier battalions and asked them to perform missions that involved a narrow escape from death. Anyone who had made great contributions could be exempted from the death penalty. , and even be reinstated in the military. Most of these people are vicious by nature, have strong martial arts skills, and have committed capital crimes. In order to survive, they perform tasks very carefully. Only such people are suitable for me.

I looked at the sergeant for a long time and then said: "I have something for you to do. This matter is very dangerous. If you can come back successfully, I will report it to Your Highness, exempt you from the death penalty, and restore your army." If you die, you can be included in the death register, and your family can also receive pensions. I wonder if you have the courage to do it? "

The sergeant bowed down and said: "I know that I have committed a capital crime. I have been favored by His Highness and promised to perform meritorious service for my crime. I dare not shirk it, but I have a mission. Please give me your instructions."

I handed him a hastily written letter and said, "Send this letter to General Jing Chi at Miaopo Camp. He will understand after reading the letter. Remember, the letter is with you. If the letter dies, the man dies, I heard that you were once a member of the Jianghu, and your martial arts skills are above the best, but you have to work hard and work hard. If you lose the letter, I don’t need to say more about the consequences."

The sergeant took the letter. He was not a fool. If he knew that this matter was easy, he would not have specially selected him from the dead soldiers camp. His martial arts in the camp could already be said to be one of the best. Since he was specially selected, It must be an important task to escape death. He kowtowed again and said: "I only have my mother and little brother at home, please take care of me." This is a tradition in the military. If you go on a mission that is almost certain to die, you will tell your last words before leaving.

I glanced at him unbearably and said, "Don't worry, your mother and brothers will be supported by the imperial court."

Seeing that the sergeant was about to leave the tent, I sighed in my heart and said almost in a whisper: "You just need to let that letter fall into the hands of the Northern Han spy." I said in a low voice, the sergeant had already He should have been too far away to hear me, but I saw him pause for a moment, as if he heard what I said, but he didn't look back, and instead quickened his pace.

Looking at his back, I said lightly to Xiao Shunzi: "This man has a strong character and is quite smart. When I say this, he must understand that he needs to sacrifice his life to complete the mission better. After all, if he Escape, the credibility of that letter is inevitably a bit less. If I say this, he will definitely be grateful. Even if he could escape, he would probably be willing to die. Am I too cruel and will force him to die? Woolen cloth."

Xiao Shunzi smiled slightly and said: "Isn't this the meaning of the existence of the Death Soldier Battalion? If he has made great achievements, the young master can report to His Highness and provide more care to his family. This must be better than him being punished by death and living in humiliation. Much better."

I smiled coldly and said: "You have to continue to be cruel. Although this man is a man, I am still worried that he will end up in trouble. He is greedy for life and afraid of death. You go and take a look. If he wants to live an ignoble life." , just give him a ride. But don’t show your signs. With your martial arts, unless the Demon Sect comes in person, will there be any problem? "

Xiao Shunzi nodded lightly and said, "Young master must be careful about his safety."

I laughed and said, "If these thousands of troops can't save my life, even you will be useless."

Xiao Shunzi smiled and said, "That's hard to say. If I were to be an assassin, even with thousands of troops, I could still get the prince's head."

I couldn't help but touch my neck, feeling as if there was a chill passing through it. I knew in my heart that this guy was not angry with me for calling him useless and wanted to scare me on purpose.

At this time, Xiao Tong, who was several miles away, was looking at the Dayong Army Camp with eagle eyes. His heart was full of thoughts. He came here to visit the camp today because yesterday's battle aroused doubts in the hearts of the generals of the Northern Han Dynasty. , although Dayong's army is still very tenacious and good at fighting, it seems to be commanded by a different person. Qi King Li Xian often takes the lead when fighting, and the fighting style is fierce. However, this time the use of troops is quite true to the true meaning of the word "stability". . Since he had doubts in his mind, he wanted to investigate carefully, so Xiao Tong personally served as a scout. However, after seeing Dayong's army digging trenches outside the camp, Xiao Tong also believed in everyone's conjecture after yesterday's discussion. It must be Jiang Zhe who made the plan for Li Xian. If it were Li Xian, he would never come up with such a useless method. of. Moreover, Xiao Tong did not believe from the bottom of his heart that Qi King Li Xian dared to leave Long Tingfei alone and not command the Chinese army. However, judging from yesterday's military use, although Jiang Zhe was good, he was not an outstanding wizard. Although his marching and fighting was very orderly, there was nothing strange about him at all. It's no wonder that although Jiang Zhe is famous as Dongxia, he is just a counselor. Leading troops in battle may not be his strength. In this way, Xiao Tong would not believe that King Qi dared to leave the military camp. After watching for a while, Xiao Tong was about to leave. At this time, Xiao Tong suddenly saw a man riding alone from the gate of the Yongjun camp, galloping towards the south. Xiao Tong's heart moved. At this time, in this direction, it must be the order from King Qi to the baggage behind. In the camp, Tan Ji is eyeing Miaopo. If he gets any information, it will definitely be of some help. Even if it is not helpful, it is also a good thing to destroy the contact between the enemy and the rear. Although it is not convenient to use a large number of reconnaissance cavalry now, the Demon Sect Disciples are best at fighting in rivers and lakes, so it doesn't take much effort to deal with a messenger. Thinking of this, Xiao Tong let go of a black eagle beside him. The black eagle circled and flew south, carrying the order to intercept and kill.