The Grandmaster Strategist

On February 16, Wuyin, the first year of Longsheng, Emperor Taizong issued an edict, sending King Xian of Qi and Marquis Jiangzhe of Chuxiang to attack Qinzhou, and the war between Yong and Han began.

——"The Chronicles of Emperor Yongshi Taizong"

On February 27th of the first year of Longsheng, Qinzhou's southernmost defense line, Lingyuan Fort, was covered with war clouds. The Dayong border was blocked for a winter. Even the most shrewd and capable scouts were unable to spread the news, but everyone knew Dayong will not give up like this, and war will begin.

A castle stands alone on a small hill. Below the hill is the Qinshui River flowing south. Every year in the early spring, the melting ice and snow causes the Qinshui River to rise. Every place along the river must beware of Qinshui flooding. However, it seems that the water level is not high this year, so there should be no problems. The river in this area is wide, the water flow is gentle, the land is fertile, and there are dozens of villages on both sides of the bank. The Lingyuan Fort on the hill is where the Northern Han Army is stationed. It is also the forefront of Qinzhou's front line. Fifty miles past here, It is Jishi County. Along the Qinshui River, there are fortifications and fortresses everywhere, which are easy to defend but difficult to attack. Anze, Qinyuan, and Qinzhou City are the most important passes among them.

A group of soldiers from the Northern Han Dynasty stood on the city wall, paying attention to the movements in the south. Since the New Year, military orders have been issued from above, asking them to always be on guard against attacks by the Yong Army, so they did not dare to relax at all. A soldier was probably a little tired. He turned around and wanted to chat with his comrades. However, when he turned around, he saw his comrades staring blankly ahead. He subconsciously turned around and saw a blue-black line suddenly appear on the horizon. , but in an instant, the blue-black color became thicker and thicker. Although it was very far away, in the eyes of the soldier, he seemed to have seen the flag of Dayong. He shouted hoarsely: "Sing the alarm!" A soldier who was in a daze woke up. , ran to the bell tower in three steps and two steps, rang the bronze bell, and then the horn sounded in the castle, and many neatly dressed soldiers of the Northern Han Dynasty rushed out from various barracks. A general wearing a general's uniform rushed to the castle tower and said angrily: "Why didn't the scouts sent out return the favor? Go and light the beacon fire." His personal guard hurried to the highest point of the castle and lit the beacon fire. The billowing smoke points straight into the sky. Since the 22nd year of Dayong Wuwei, the Dayong army has set foot on the Northern Han Dynasty for the first time. A battle that affects the life and death of the Northern Han Dynasty is about to break out.

Xia Ning, the vanguard of the Great Yong Army and the trusted general of the King of Qi, saw the smoke billowing in the distance. He couldn't help but laugh. He reined up his horse and raised his whip, pointed forward and said: "What can they do even if they discover our army? The little Ling Yuan How can the fort still block the direction of our soldiers? The troops obeyed the order and captured the Lingyuan Fort in one fell swoop. Following the order of the King of Qi, the army cleared the country." After saying that, he ran ahead and Yong Jun, who was wearing green and black armor, shouted loudly Shouting, as Xia Ning rushed forward, even if the small Lingyuan Fort rose up to resist, it was nothing more than a mantis trying to use its arms as a chariot. Within half an hour, Lingyuan Fort had been breached, and the Yong army was surrounded on all sides. No one from the Northern Han army survived. Lingyuan Fort was originally an outpost responsible for detecting the enemy's situation. Once the Yong army launched a large-scale attack, Lingyuan Fort would not be able to hold on, so the sergeants sent here were determined to die. In the first battle, the Yong army had no intention of persuading them to surrender. Below, the bones and flesh turn into mud.

Seeing that Lingyuan Fort had been breached, Xia Ning ordered the city gates and defensive equipment to be destroyed, and then the army marched towards the surrounding countryside. This time, the King of Qi issued a strict order not to leave any enemies behind. Villages were burned down one after another. Although most of the young and strong men joined the army, the folk customs of the Northern Han Dynasty were fierce. Even strong women, children and the elderly could pick up swords and attack Yong's soldiers at any time. Therefore, under Xia Ning's order, Yong's cavalry almost These village fortresses were crushed into ruins, while the surviving civilians were driven by swords towards Duanshi and Anze. The Dayong army did not advance with light cavalry, but advanced steadily step by step, leaving abandoned villages and uncultivated fields wherever they passed. The only thing that made the civilians of the Northern Han Dynasty fortunate was that the commander of Yong's army, King Qi, ordered not to kill civilians indiscriminately. Therefore, as long as they did not resist, they could not only save their lives, but also have the opportunity to bring some belongings with them. However, in addition to going north, they There was no other direction to go.

On the bank of Qinshui River, a group of old, weak, women and children in ragged clothes supported each other and walked northward with difficulty.

There were only a few broken cars in the team, with some rice and grain on them. A few children and old people who were really unable to walk were sitting in the cars, their expressions were full of panic. They were all weak and weak people, basically among the refugees heading north. They have fallen to the very back, and Yong Jun's cavalry has passed countless times. They often encounter Yong Jun who are searching back and forth. The general of the Yong Army who expelled them from their homeland made it very clear that if they could not reach Duanshi before March 10th, they would be executed as spies of the Northern Han Army. The biting spring wind blew from the river, causing some old and weak people in thin clothes to huddle together. The spring in Qinzhou was still very cold, and the future was uncertain. Some old people in the team were already in tears at the thought that they might be executed as spies by Yong's army. Cry all the blood.

Who would have thought that Yong Jun would use such means? Six years ago, the Yong army also invaded Qinzhou, but they did not attack the villages along the way. But now they have all been wiped out. Several old people talked about it privately, and they all said that it was no wonder. The one who commanded the army in the past was the current Emperor Yong. Li Zhi, this time it is King Qi Li Xian. Who doesn't know that Li Zhi is magnanimous and King Qi is cruel?

A child sitting in the car inadvertently glanced across the river. He suddenly pointed to the middle of the river in surprise and said: "Grandpa, there is a big boat there." The old man who was walking staggeringly beside the car looked up and was also stunned. Suddenly, in the middle of the Qin River, more than a hundred boats, large and small, were seen going upstream. One of them was a huge and sturdy building boat. There was a big flag on the bow of the boat, with a big Chinese character "jiang" on it. There were many soldiers on board, and more than 20 warships were surrounding the building to protect the ship in the center, followed by cargo ships filled with the baggage of Yong's army. The old man's exclamation made everyone else turn around and see the Yong Army's naval speedboat and the soldiers with bright armor on the ship. They were almost unable to walk anymore. The last time the Yong Army attacked the Northern Han Dynasty, there was no such thing. With so many naval forces, Dayong must be sure to win this time, right?

At this time, there seemed to be some commotion on the bow of the ship. A few half-year-old children with good eyesight clearly saw three people slowly walking out of the cabin on the top floor. One of them stood out from the crowd and stood on the bow of the ship, stroking the railing. , looking towards the shore. This man was wearing a plain robe and a blue cloak. His appearance could not be seen from a distance. All he could see was that his hair was light gray. He must not be young anymore. Other than that, everyone could only see a pair of clear and cold eyes. , although they were far apart, those eyes could almost see through their internal organs, giving them an inexplicable chill in their hearts. Among the crowd, a middle-aged farmer with a simple appearance flashed a cold light in his eyes when he saw the building boat, but he immediately lowered his head, still looking depressed and worried, and from time to time. Touching his right leg, it was randomly wrapped with some strips of cloth. It must be an injured leg. No wonder he fell behind.

At this time, the gentle sound of horse hooves came from behind everyone. Although the sound was not loud, the vibration of the ground still made them aware of the crisis. Several farmers picked up hoes and sickles, trying to protect their families as much as possible. Those Yong Jun I don’t know when the killing will occur. What fell into their sight was a small cavalry of no more than twenty or thirty people. The leader was a female general wearing blue and black soft armor. Although she was wearing armor whose identity was indistinguishable, this woman was unparalleled in beauty and had long eyebrows. , one can immediately tell that this is a heroine. She is wearing a black cloak, with a long sword hanging on her waist and a crossbow hanging on her back. The followers behind her were all wearing soft armor and carrying crossbows, but their weapons were of all kinds, almost all the same.

When the cavalry approached the refugee team that was forced to go north, it naturally dispersed and faintly surrounded the refugee team. A cavalryman said loudly: "Why are you still hanging around here? Don't you know that the military order is strict, as long as you If you can't enter the Ji family after tomorrow, it will be your death." The voice was clear and moving, but it was also a woman.

An old man stumbled forward and said: "Master, we here are all old and weak women and children who cannot move quickly. Therefore, we missed our trip. Please have mercy on us, Master."

The woman turned to look at the leading female general. The female general's gaze passed over everyone one by one, her eyes were piercingly cold, and everyone who was stared at by her felt that the shadow of death was coming over them. The woman's eyes fell on the injured middle-aged farmer, a trace of sarcasm appeared on her lips, and she pointed with a whip: "You, come out."

The middle-aged man hesitated for a moment, then limped forward. The woman's eyes were always looking at him. It wasn't until he reached the horse that the woman asked coldly: "Are you a subordinate of Xiao Tong?" A secret agent?"

The farmer looked confused, as if he didn't know what the woman was going to say. He just defended in panic: "The villain is not a spy, but a farmer who does his duty. He was left behind by the villagers only because his leg was injured."

The woman smiled coldly and said, "I, Su Qingnai, am a good spy. How could you hide it from my eyes?" After saying that, the long whip in her hand pierced the farmer's throat like a poisonous snake. The farmer's eyes flashed, and he acted as if he couldn't react. He just screamed and closed his eyes. As expected, the long whip whipped back at the touch. The farmer was already covered in cold sweat and fell to the ground softly with fear. The woman looked down at him coldly for a while, then turned around and said loudly: "Su Qing, the frontline commander, please see the supervisor." The voice was clear and clear, and everyone felt as if Su Qing was speaking in their ears, even though they were far away. The center of the river was far away, but there was some commotion on the building boat. Su Qing's voice was obviously heard. Not long after, a speedboat sailed towards the shore. The female general led the horse towards the shore. The other knights also rode away, but they were heading along the coast. Obviously they were not planning to get on the ship, and the one who was the first The woman who spoke fell behind. The middle-aged farmer breathed a sigh of relief and was about to stand up when he felt a cold and sharp foreign object piercing his throat. When he struggled to look up, he saw the woman behind looking at him coldly. Own. The farmer's eyes flashed with intense anger and confusion.

After dismounting and walking to the shore, Su Qing's eyes were as calm as water, as if he didn't know what was happening behind him, even though the refugees let out suppressed exclamations. It wasn't until the young woman rushed to her side on horseback that she said calmly: "Ruyue, I would rather kill the wrong person than let him go. You did a good job." The woman saluted on the horse and said, "Thank you, Miss, for the compliment." Then she took it. The reins of the horse thrown over by Su Qing.

Su Qing flew onto the warship and said to the tiger-backed guard wearing pure black armor: "Thank you very much for your help. How are you, Lord Supervisor?" The tiger-backed guard smiled and said: "My lord, I am used to taking boats. There is nothing wrong with me." I'm not feeling well, General Su must have brought military reports, your Excellency is waiting for you."

I stood on the building boat and looked at the refugees on the shore indifferently. Although the spring breeze was biting, it could not penetrate the cloak I was wearing. Although there was only a mere five hundred steps away, they had two different fates. I was High-ranking officials of the enemy country who are well-dressed and hold great power are refugees whose lives are as worthless as grass. Born in troubled times, and having traveled from the beautiful south of the Yangtze River to the frozen north for many years, this kind of situation has long been commonplace. Even with the prosperity of Dayong, it is difficult to avoid this situation, let alone the northern people who have been fighting for years. Where is Han. Just looking at the fact that most of these refugees are old, weak, sick and disabled, you can tell what the situation in the Northern Han Dynasty was like.

Sighing softly, I turned my gaze to the front. The plan I made with my own hands cannot be overturned. If these people cannot escape to Jishi, they will only die. Since I have pushed them to the edge of death, why should I use cheap sympathy? To cover up the guilt in my heart, let's let the compassion in my heart be ruthlessly covered up. As long as Dayong rules the world, I don't have to watch such human tragedies happen again.

Xiao Shunzi, who was standing behind me, suddenly took a step forward and whispered: "Young master, you'd better go back to the cabin."

I looked back at Xiao Shunzi, and I could tell from his eyes that he didn’t want me to feel sad because of those refugees. Although there are people in this world that I respect and love, only Xiao Shunzi is my best friend. , I smiled softly and whispered: "Don't worry, I have always been selfish and afraid of death. It's not like you don't know how you could be tempted by these unrelated people."

Xiao Shunzi didn't say anything, and he didn't step back when he stood behind me. My heart became warmer and warmer. What I just said were not all comforting words. I am just an ordinary mortal, unable to take care of everyone in the world, except myself and those around me. Relatives, close friends, colleagues and subordinates, I don’t care about any more people.

Hu Yanshou raised his voice and said, "Sir, General Su Qingsu, the frontline commander, wants to see you."

I nodded and said: "General Su, please come on board." Su Qing is a general I admire very much. Although she is a woman, she is calmer and smarter than most men, and her mind is even more ruthless. This time King Qi and I agreed Let her serve as the frontline scout post, responsible for detecting the military situation and intercepting the scouts and spies of the Northern Han Army. She must have passed through Qinshui this time and saw my building ship, so come and pay homage to me, the supervisor of the army. This is also a military station. It is an unwritten practice in the war, and according to my estimation, our army and the Northern Han Army have not yet started a head-on battle, so there should not be any emergency military situation.

Not long after, Su Qing got on the boat. As I expected, there was nothing urgent. However, from Su Qing's tone, I could hear her doubts. In order to clear the country for the army, she had been still there for more than ten days. The Qinzhou border is lingering. If we march with all our strength, we can reach Jishi in just two days. However, in order to clear out the fortresses and villages along the way, the army is still lingering in this area. It is no wonder that she is puzzled by the saying that soldiers are expensive and fast. However, she had a calm temperament and did not express any doubts. She only expressed her dissatisfaction with the marching speed.

I had no intention of explaining to her, so I asked: "General Su, have our military spies sent among the refugees entered the Ji family?"

Su Qing shook his head and said: "The Ji family guard was very cautious and kept all the refugees out of the city, and arranged them according to the arrangement of the countryside. He also established a Baojia system. Although our spies have been lurking for many years, they have not been eliminated. , but it is difficult to move, and the news cannot be transmitted. I am afraid that it will be useless to attack the Ji family. Moreover, information will eventually be obtained. The Ji family has received orders and is moving the refugees and civilians from the Ji family area into Qinzhou. In the hinterland, only some young and strong men are left to help defend the city."

I chuckled and said: "Beihan's defense is led by Duan Wudi. It must be his idea. They must have decided to use a strong wall to clear the field and fight step by step. This is not bad. Our first step is to clear the field and let the two There are no civilians between the army and the battlefield. They have helped us, but they have to do it. If not, without our army attacking, the Ji family will be defeated by the refugees."

Su Qing hesitated for a moment and finally asked: "My lord, there is something unknown in the end. These civilians are harmless to the overall situation. Why do you insist on clearing the four fields first? Is it because you want to threaten the people as the vanguard? I am a great and majestic country. Why use this method? As a result, there may be many obstacles to Dayong's rule in Qinzhou."

A flash of light flashed in my eyes. I didn't expect that Su Qing had such insight. He was not just a spy. He said with admiration: "General Su is able to see this. His vision is far-reaching. He has no choice but to drive the people north. The key is temporarily." I can’t tell you yet, but I ordered His Highness the King of Qi to strictly enforce military orders and try not to kill innocent people indiscriminately. In this way, most of the civilians can always escape safely, and Qinzhou has always been the front line against the enemies of the Northern Han Dynasty and Dayong. Here The people of Zhejiang also hate Dayong, so even if they resent our army even more, they don’t care, just like the people of Zezhou, don’t they hate the Northern Han Dynasty very much!”

At this time, there was a sudden commotion in front of me. I looked subconsciously and saw a warship flying the flag of the Northern Han Dynasty suddenly appeared at the bend of the river more than ten miles away. I couldn't help but be shocked. There had never been a navy in the Northern Han Dynasty. The establishment of a navy army cost countless dollars. For the Northern Han Dynasty, war horses were easy to obtain and cavalry were easy to train, but the navy army was difficult to train. Therefore, in addition to requisitioning civilian ships to transport baggage during wartime, the Northern Han army basically There are no examples of naval warfare being used. She couldn't help but glance at Su Qing. She had been in the Northern Han Dynasty for many years, but why hadn't she discovered the existence of the navy?

Su Qing's face was also livid. She was responsible for the intelligence network in the Northern Han Dynasty, but she did not notice the existence of this naval force in the Northern Han army. This was not only a major dereliction of duty, but also a great shame. Her cold eyes crossed the river. This At that time, the warships in front of Yong's army had already set up their formations to meet the enemy. Although Yong's navy was not as good at fighting as the Nanchu navy, it should be better than the Northern Han navy, which I had never heard of. Quite powerful.

The navy of the Northern Han Dynasty was flowing down the river, but it was clearly visible within a moment. When I saw those warships, I couldn't help but sigh in my heart. They were clearly the battleships commonly used by the navy of the Southern Chu Dynasty. It would take a long time to build a warship. After a year and a half, if you look carefully, you can see that those warships are still brand new. They must have been preparing the navy before the Zezhou War last year. Judging from the appearance of the warships, Nanchu should have provided craftsmen. Now, through sea transportation, Guanshan Intervention is no longer a problem. No wonder the Northern Han Dynasty can also prepare a navy army. However, considering the manpower and material resources consumed, it is not easy for the Northern Han Dynasty army to have such courage. Although our army now has one tower ship and more than a hundred warships, compared with the fighting ships of the Northern Han Dynasty, they are inferior in speed, attack and defense, not to mention that our army is still downstream, and we did not predict it in advance. In this situation, the Zezhou Navy's combat effectiveness is not strong, and it seems that our army will suffer a loss.

The waterway of the Qinhe River is not wide. I watched the stern with deer antlers on the bow and tung oil on the hull divided into three rows and collided with the Yong Army warship. I couldn't help but sigh, thinking of the naval battles I had seen in Nanchu in the past. In this situation, he hesitated to intervene in the command of the general of the Yongshui Army. At this time, Zhuang Ru, the commander in charge of the Zezhou navy, had already stood beside me. He did not bother to ask me for instructions, and waved the flag to pass the military order. I only looked at it for a moment and felt relieved. It seemed that this man had rich experience in commanding the navy. , even in Southern Chu, we can fight, let alone the fledgling Northern Han Navy. I saw that he ordered the warships of the Yong army to disperse, avoid the frontal attack of the Northern Han navy, and attack the two wings with all their strength. Bows and arrows immediately rained down on the Qinshui River. They fought on the water, bows and arrows first, and many small ones were dropped from the warships. The 艨艟, taking advantage of the boat's small size and high speed, acted as the defense line of the Northern Han Dynasty Navy. Suddenly, the sound of killing above Qinshui shook the sky, and the gunfire blocked the sun.

I watched the two armies fighting. Although the ships were of different quality, and the generals' tactics were also different, there was still something to behold. It seemed that they all worked hard on the navy. Somehow, I thought of Southern Chu, Dayong and Northern Han. The development of the navy shows that they all have ambitions to go south. However, except for Prince De who once established a cavalry force against all opinions, Southern Chu still mainly relies on the navy and infantry. As far as I know, after the death of Prince De, Xiangyang The cavalry has been reduced a lot by the Nanchu court, and its elite level is not as good as before. Just looking at the investment in military strength by various countries, you know that Nanchu is lagging behind.

Just when I was feeling melancholy, Zhuang Ru came over and said: "Sir, we are going to lure the enemy's main force into a siege, and we need to use the building ship as a bait. Please take shelter in the cabin temporarily, or go to other warships first." How about resting?" I glanced at him lightly, Zhuang Ru, twenty-seven years old, with a dark face, plain appearance, medium height, strong body, and calm temperament. He is one of the few naval elites in Dayong. His only weakness is He has an upright temperament and looks down on officials who are greedy for life and fear of death. I can even see the hidden contempt for me in his eyes. His qualifications are still relatively young. Maybe to him, I am just a weak scholar who is good at intrigues, has good luck, and is favored by the royal family. After all, many of my affairs are hidden in the clouds. I am not like him. The identity of the general can be known.

Deliberately ignoring the contempt hidden in his words, I said calmly: "Since I want to lure the enemy ships to fight, I want to prolong my life, and I have the tiger guards shout loudly, so I say that I am the supervisor of the Zezhou camp, and the Marquis of Chuxiang Jiangzhe is here." ."

Hu Yanshou hesitated for a moment, but was shocked by my calm but firm tone. After passing the order, he took the lead and shouted loudly: "Zezhou Camp Supervisor, Chuxiang Hou Jiangzhe is here. If the enemy general has the courage, how dare he Come to fight?"

On the main ship of the Northern Han Navy, a tall general's eyes flashed with fiery light, and he raised his arms and said: "My sons, capture Jiang Zhe alive and destroy the Zezhou water camp." Following his order, the Northern Han Navy launched an offensive It became more and more fierce. Both armies fought desperately. Warships were seen going back and forth. From time to time, some warships capsized and sank. After a while, the three stern ships of the Northern Han Army rushed to the side of the building ship, and some enemy troops were already climbing on the building ship. Come crawling. I said loudly: "Hu Yanshou, you all listen to General Zhuang's orders."

A glimmer of gratitude flashed in Zhuang Ru's eyes, and he issued military orders one after another, commanding the water troops on the building ships to fight with the Tiger Guards. Although these Tiger Guards were not good at water combat, they were all warriors with high martial arts skills, and they could already People can travel freely on the building boats, at least on the relatively calm Qinhe River. Therefore, except for a few warriors, the Northern Han army was unable to attack the building boats. Zhuang Ru was free to say: "Sir, it's too dangerous here. You should go to the cabin to rest first." This time his tone was very sincere.

I smiled slightly and said loudly: "Although Jiang is weak, he is protected by my Dayong warriors, so why should he be afraid of a strong attack by the Northern Han Dynasty? Jiang is here today to see you defeat the enemy." Those navy and tiger soldiers The guards and guards were shocked and shouted loudly: "Your Excellency, trust us, we will fight to the death." In a moment, they showed great power and forced back and killed the Northern Han navy who attacked the ship. A handsome and upright young general commanding from a stern shouted: "Look at the arrows." The bowstring sounded, and three eagle-feathered arrows shot towards my face very quickly. From my eyesight, the arrows were also as fast as Meteor, some sailors and tiger guards on the straight line between the two of us shouted angrily and tried to block the feather arrows, but they were all too late. Only one tiger guard slashed down with his sword and cut off a feather arrow. , but the front half of the feather arrow shot towards me almost without slowing down, while the guard was shocked and almost lost his hand with the horizontal sword. The distance between the two sides was only more than 20 feet, so it's no wonder they couldn't stop it.

Just when the two half-feathered arrows were about to strike, a hand as white as snow suddenly appeared in front of me. With a flick of the middle finger, and three crisp sounds, the two half-feathered arrows were knocked back. I had known that Xiao Shunzi could keep me safe. My expression did not change at all. My eyes fell on the young general of the Northern Han Army who shot me. I laughed loudly and said, "If someone takes this man's head as a sacrifice, I will reward you with fifty taels of gold, and if you capture this man alive, you will be rewarded with a hundred taels of gold."

Everyone was even more energetic. The hidden worries of encountering a powerful naval force had long since disappeared. Since the coach wanted them to capture the enemy general alive, it seemed that their side had already gained the upper hand. Several loud-voiced tiger guards had already shouted: "If the enemy general is not ready to be captured, I will be sure of a hundred taels of gold." The young general's face was livid, and he ordered his soldiers to attack the building and ship as hard as possible. The two armies fought fiercely. Incessantly, the sound of killing shook the floating clouds.