The Grandmaster Strategist

Huguan is the heroic pass that guarded Baixing in Taihang in the Northern Han Dynasty. It passes through Baixing from Zhenzhou and enters the territory of the Northern Han Dynasty. It is surrounded by mountains, and Huguan is the choke point. There are Baigu Mountain to the north and Shuanglong Mountain to the south. The two mountains are facing each other, and it is named after Hukou as a pass. If Huguan is broken, the Yong army can march straight in. This time, the Yong army is divided into two groups. It is Jing Chi who is responsible for attacking Huguan. This time he brought 30,000 cavalry. , plus 40,000 Zhenzhou troops, stormed Huguan on March 14th. The defender Liu Wanli was also a famous general. He led 7,000 defenders and refused to retreat. Yong's army attacked for seven or eight days, but it was difficult. Break through the Hu Pass.

On March 21st, Jing Chi rode his horse and stood under the general's flag, looking coldly at the city head that was almost stained red with blood. His chapped lips revealed his inner anxiety. This time the military order was very clear. He must break through Huguan, pass through Shangdang to Qinyuan, join forces with His Highness the King of Qi, and attack the main force of the Northern Han Army from both front and rear. The Northern Han Army has insufficient strength and can only guard a few fortresses. As long as Huguan is broken, there will be a vast undefended territory in front of him. territory. But it had been eight days, and Huguan was still standing under the attack of Yong's army. Jing Chi felt like his heart was burning, and he wished he could go to the battlefield in person. However, it would be a waste if the cavalry was used to attack the city. What did King Qi mean? He understood very well that the Zhenzhou Army was attacking the city, and his cavalry had to attack thousands of miles away. They must not suffer too much loss in Huguan. He looked up at the sky. The setting sun had already set behind Huguan City, and the city tower was reflected in blood red. He He said harshly: "Retract the troops." Then he rode back to the camp and must find a way. If he couldn't break the city in two days at most, he would have to step onto the tower of Huguan even if he charged in person.

On March 22nd, Lin Ya, the commander of the Zhenzhou Army who commanded the siege, stood on the three-foot-high platform commanding the battle. His expression was full of worry. In these days, the rams, ballistas, ladders, and trebuchets had been destroyed. After a long time, Huguan City was in a mess. The moat had long been filled in. Even the city gate had been burned to pieces by the Yong Army with tung oil. However, the inside was blocked by the Northern Han Army with stones, bricks and wood. If the city could not be breached, I'm just afraid of delaying the military aircraft. It's a pity that Liu Wanli was ruthless. As soon as he learned that Yong's army was about to attack Huguan, he organized all the young and strong men in Huguan into a team to assist the city. They used the method of sitting together to make the young and strong men monitor each other. Although there are some secret spies who have been lurking in Huguan for a long time, they have never had the opportunity to cooperate inside and outside to break through Huguan. If it were not for a few shrewd and capable people among them who took advantage of the opportunity of Dui Gunmu Stone Forest to drop the wooden slips with military information, I am afraid that no one would know about the city now. Virtual reality. Even so, the Huguan city wall was strong and protected by mountains on both sides. Liu Wanli set up his own stronghold on the two mountains to support each other. The Yong army suffered heavy losses, but they could not succeed. Today, Lin Ya was ruthless and sent all his elite soldiers up. He watched the ladders collapse in the fire, and the blood of the brave soldiers in the army was smeared all over the outer wall of Huguan. Even though he had experienced hundreds of battles, Lin Ya also had veins on his temples twitching, and he was filled with anger.

Lin Ya was directing the battle when he suddenly felt the wooden platform under his feet trembling. He couldn't help but look down and saw Jing Chi walking up to the platform holding a war drum as high as a person in his shirt and shawl. Jing Chi stood up the war drum and shouted: "Bring the drumsticks." A guard who came up behind Jing Chi quickly handed Jing Chi two drumsticks wrapped in red silk. Jing Chi shouted loudly, waved his drumsticks, and beat the war drums hard. The sound of the drums resounded through the sky, roaring and circling throughout the battlefield like continuous thunder in the sky. After the Battle of Zezhou, Jing Chi heard that Jiang Zhe played drums to help Yong's army win, so he pestered Jiang Zhe to learn how to play drums. Jiang Zhe had nothing to do, so he taught him for a few days. Although he didn't understand the rhythm, he still He has been on the battlefield for a long time and is a military commander. Although the drum sounds he plays are not as varied, they are more powerful and inspiring. When the Zhenzhou Army heard the exciting drum beat and learned that the drummer was Jing Chi, they felt excited and ashamed. They all shouted, "We have been ordered to attack Huguan so that General Jing can We went to attack the Northern Han Dynasty, but now we can't fight hard, leaving General Jing to wait here. Now General Jing personally beats the drum for us,

If we can't break the city, I'm afraid we won't be able to hold our heads high in front of General Jing for the rest of our lives, and the Zhenzhou Army will lose all face. "The officers and soldiers of the Zhenzhou Army encouraged each other. This round of siege was in full swing. Huguan was almost trembling with the sound of drums. The sky was covered with clouds, as if they couldn't bear to see the bloody battle on the ground.

Liu Wanli, who was standing on the top of the city tower, had a face covered with dust, and his eyes were full of coldness. There were no reinforcements, because the main force of the Northern Han Army was fighting hard with the Yong Army's Zezhou camp, and the rest of the troops were either in Jinyang or Daizhou. Jinyang was not. Troops can be easily deployed, and Daizhou, Liu Wanli groaned. When Lin Yuanting returned, he had an agreement with the Lord of the Northern Han Dynasty that the Daizhou Army would never leave the country. This may be because the First Lord did not want the powerful Daizhou Army. It affected the political situation of the Northern Han Dynasty, but Lin Yuanting happily agreed. He claimed that the Daizhou Army was to protect the homeland, not to fight with the same clan. Therefore, in these years, the Daizhou Army has never gone beyond Daizhou. Of course, it went out of Yanmen. Attacking barbarians does not count. Therefore, he only relied on his own army to defend Huguan. But after eight days, Liu Wanli knew that Huguan was almost collapsed, but Yong's army was still at a loss. In this battle, he was defeated but not victorious.

Liu Wanli's deputy general came over, his lips were full of bubbles, and his voice was hoarse: "General, the enemy is coming up again. This time they have pushed four cloud carts up. I'm afraid they are bound to win."

Liu Wanli sighed softly. The terrain of Huguan is narrow. Generally speaking, it is just right to use three cloud vehicles. If four are used, it will be too concentrated and the losses will be more severe. However, the pressure on one's own side will also be greater. Some, in the past few days, Yong's army had been attacking the city in a leisurely manner, even using only two cloud chariots at a time. He took a deep breath and said, "Attack with fire."

The lieutenant general received the order and passed on the order. In order to be able to defend for a few more days, Liu Wanli had already ordered to wait until the enemy army was close before attacking. When the Zhenzhou army retreated to the outside of the pass, the few cloud vehicles were retreated outside the pass. The lieutenant general gave the order to defend the city. The Northern Han army tied the collected firewood into bundles, sprinkled oil on it, threw it on the cloud cart with a trebuchet, and then shot it with rockets. The cloud cart immediately burst into flames, so that Yong's army could not climb up and fight. Archery in the city. At this time, the Yong army under the city was different from usual. They did not try their best to climb up the cloud chariot and shoot arrows. Instead, they pushed the cloud chariot down with all their strength. Four cloud chariots were dumped on the city wall and built a slope. At this time, the horns under the city were blasting. , the Zhenzhou army separated on the left and right, and a Yong Army cavalry of about 500 people galloped up, with dust billowing under their iron hooves and fireworks flying everywhere, and they actually rushed towards the city wall on the overturned cloud chariot. Liu Wanli shouted loudly: "Shoot arrows, shoot arrows." At this time, the Northern Han army did not care about saving arrows and shot at Yong Jun's cavalry desperately. At this time, a general who was at the front of Yong Jun's army was already laughing and rushing towards him. As they climbed onto the city tower, the two Northern Han troops were trampled under their feet by horse hooves as big as bowls. The horse in the general's hand waved, and blood burst out. Then more and more Yong troops climbed onto the city tower, and the Hu Pass was about to be broken. Four big words appeared in Liu Wanli's heart. He was almost desperate, but the fierce blood of the Northern Han people almost made him burn. After secretly passing the military order, he commanded the garrison on the city to resist for a moment, and then loudly He shouted: "Back off, back off, let them come up." At this moment, his face was stained with blood, like an evil ghost. Although the defenders at the top of the city were confused, they were frightened by him and they all ducked away subconsciously. There were still more than four hundred people left. Almost all the Yong Army cavalry boarded the Huguan Tower, but just as they were jumping for joy, Liu Wanli shouted loudly: "Fire the crossbow."

Continuous sound of machine springs sounded, and fifty or sixty black crossbow arrows shot into the Yong Army. Almost every crossbow arrow penetrated a group of war horses or the body of a Yong Army knight. The narrow city head made it impossible for the cavalry to disperse. More than thirty divine arm crossbows were revealed behind the retreating Northern Han army. This kind of crossbow was used to defend the city. Each crossbow arrow was four feet long. It could shoot two crossbow arrows at a time, but it required the coordination of three soldiers. Use, because this kind of crossbow is extremely powerful and can penetrate iron armor within a hundred feet, so it is the most powerful treasure that shakes the pass. Because it is easy to damage, Liu Wanli has been reluctant to use it, hoping to take it by surprise when it is most dangerous. With the upper hand, it was now a matter of life and death, so Liu Wanli let the Yong army's cavalry ascend the city, and then secretly mobilized the crossbowmen. Now the crossbows were showing their power. After three rounds of shooting, the Yong army had already suffered heavy casualties. At this time, the Northern Han army took the opportunity to encircle them and poured hot boiling oil from the cloud chariot, forcing the Zhenzhou army that followed them back. The Yun chariot was finally burned up in the fire. As a result, the tens of thousands of Yong troops under the city could only watch the cavalry ascending Huguan being calmly surrounded and annihilated by the Northern Han army. It was really heartbreaking. The sound of killing above Huguan gradually weakened. Suddenly a hoarse and high-pitched voice sang loudly at the top of the city: "I'm wearing rhinoceros armor when I'm fighting, and I'm fighting in close combat with my chariot at the wrong hub. The enemy is like a cloud, blocking the sun, and I'm fighting for the first place with arrows falling on the ground. I'm in the formation and I'm in the ground." In the rest of the journey, the left side is injured and the right blade is injured. Two wheels are in the haze, and the four horses are being rescued. The drums are beating to support the jade. The weather is terrible -" Just as he sang this, the song suddenly stopped, and the Yong army under the city was in great mourning.

Jing Chi threw down his drumsticks, strode off the stage, took his horse, and without wearing any armor, he galloped to the foot of Huguan City, looking at the gate with tears rolling down his face. At this time, the attacking Zhenzhou Army slowly and dejectedly After retreating, Jing Chi suddenly raised his head to the sky and sang loudly: "The weather is full of anger, and it kills all the people. I abandon the wilderness. I can't go in and out, and I can't turn back. The road is too long in the plains. I carry a long sword, hold a Qin bow, and leave with my head and body." The heart is not punished. Sincerity is both brave and martial, and it is strong and invincible. The body is dead and the spirit is the spirit, and the soul is resolute and the ghost is strong." Yong Jun first looked at each other in astonishment, and then some soldiers began to sing along. From ten to ten, from ten to a hundred, the singing became louder and louder, resounding throughout the sky. A tragic and generous atmosphere surged among the Yong army. The singing became louder and louder. After singing it over and over again, the Yong army no longer felt discouraged and pessimistic about defeat. , the flaming confidence and murderous intent condensed into an indestructible spirit.

This song "National Sorrow" is a war song that everyone knows. Both the Yong Army and the Northern Han Army are familiar with it. Even those who are illiterate can memorize it. The Yong Army under the city is very energetic, and the Northern Han Army also feels sad. Qi Yan actually looked a little earthy for a moment. Seeing Yong's army being so strong, he was frightened when he thought about the consequences of defeat. Liu Wanli stood at the gate, slapped his palm on the city wall, and thought to himself, what a Jing Chi, who actually used this method to boost morale after the defeat. A cold light flashed in his eyes, and he whispered: "Bring me my bow and arrows." The guard quickly handed over Liu Wanli's copper bow. Liu Wanli was a master of mounted archery. He could fire a powerful five-stone bow. He could kill a person within five hundred steps like searching for an object. However, he had been seriously injured in the waist and his strength could not last. Therefore, he had been unable to go into battle in person for a long time. Now that he saw Jing Chi going into battle bare-armed, he felt murderous intent in his heart. He was especially afraid that others were not as good at archery, so he drew the bow himself.

Jing Chi sang loudly, but he still didn't finish his meaning. He pointed at the top of the city and yelled curses. His anger over the past few days made him want to eat the general guard of Huguan alive. At this moment, a faint shadow that was almost invisible to the naked eye came from the top of Huguan City. Shooting at Jing Chi, Jing Chi was one of the most brave generals in Yong's army, and he had few rivals in the art of riding and shooting. Although he did not hear the sound of the bowstring or see the shadow of the arrow clearly, almost instantly, he felt the feeling of being beaten by others. The horror of the stare made him turn around almost subconsciously. His hands were empty, and he couldn't take off the horse in time. He could only reach out and grab it. The white feather arrow passed through his fingers and sank into his chest. Jing Chi raised his head to the sky and roared. His body like a hill fell off his horse. The Yong troops on the left and right roared loudly. They grabbed Jing Chi and retreated. The sound of ringing gold immediately came from the Yong army, and tens of thousands of Yong troops retreated like the tide. .

Looking at Yong Jun walking away, Liu Wanli could hardly believe his eyes. The generals and guards around him shouted loudly with excitement, but Liu Wanli suddenly felt soreness in his waist. He couldn't help but smile bitterly, thinking about that time. The brave generals of the Northern Han Army can now only command the defense of the city and cannot charge into battle.

The deputy general limped over with a long sword and said ecstatically: "General's magic arrow, that Jing Chi is the general of the Yong army. If he shoots him in front of the formation, not only will the Yong army's momentum be greatly weakened, but also the Yong army will lose Without the coach, even breaking through Hu Pass is of no use, maybe they will retreat tomorrow."

Liu Wanli smiled bitterly and said: "If this is the best, but if I am an enemy general and the attack on the city fails, and the general is shot and wounded, even if the court will not be guilty of it, it will be humiliated. I will definitely break through regardless of the loss. I hope If we can atone for our sins, I'm afraid that when Jing Chi's life and death are determined, Yong's army will attack again. Now that our trump card has been known, I'm afraid that the rest will just be a day-to-day struggle." He spoke in a low voice. , after all, he didn’t want to offend the excited and excited soldiers under his command. The deputy general’s expression changed drastically after hearing this.

After supporting his body and arranging the soldiers to set up defenses, Liu Wanli returned to the mansion. His wife had already prepared some hot and decoctions worriedly. She helped him lie down on the bed and applied medicine and massage for him. After a long time, the old injuries caused The pain gradually disappeared, and Liu Wanli fell asleep. At some point, Liu Wanli suddenly felt itchy in his sinuses and couldn't help but sneeze. He regained consciousness and opened his eyes, only to see his five-year-old son Liu Huai inserting a piece of dead grass into his nostril. Liu Wanli couldn't help but let out a hearty laugh, stretched out his hand to pick up his son, and said, "You little naughty boy, why do you come here to disturb daddy's sleep?" Liu Huai suddenly flashed his big eyes and said angrily: "Daddy won't be here these days. Li Huai'er." There was a dissatisfied look on his face.

Liu Wanli felt sad and a little guilty in his heart. He secretly regretted that he should not have been soft-hearted a year ago and let his wife come here from Jinyang with their children. At that time, he only thought that Huguan was as stable as Mount Tai. Who knew that there would be such a dangerous situation today? Now that the enemy is approaching, It was only a matter of time before the barrier was broken, but he was the commander-in-chief. If he secretly sent his wife and only son away, I am afraid that the soldiers and civilians in the city would lose the courage to resist. But if he did not send them away, once the city was broken, everything would be destroyed, and Yong's army would suffer heavy losses in the past few days. , I am afraid that they will massacre the city in revenge, and I am afraid that my wife and beloved son will die tragically here. Thinking of this, Liu Wanli couldn't help but tremble slightly, hugged his son tightly and couldn't say a word.

At this time, Mrs. Liu came in holding the medicine. Seeing Liu Wanli's attitude, she couldn't understand what he was thinking. She put down the medicine bowl, walked to the bed, knelt down and said, "Mr. He said, but the current situation is like this, my husband must be prepared. I have been married to my husband for twelve years. They share life and death and are closely related. I am willing to accompany my husband to death. However, Huai'er is young and is the only bloodline of the Liu family. If there is any damage, I will be under the Jiuquan, and I will not be able to see my ancestors. Please ask your husband to send Huai'er back to the countryside and give it to my brother to take care of him. My brother is a commoner and will be the future. If, if the situation changes suddenly, Huai'er will not be affected."

Liu Wanli felt a sharp pain in his heart. How could he not pity his beloved son? He thought that he joined the army when he was young, and went to the battlefield with his newlywed wife for only three days. Finally, God favored him and he survived. Over the years, the couple had seen each other less and less, and at home, My parents were all taken care of by my wife. It was not until six years ago that I was seriously injured and went home to recuperate, then Huai'er was born, and my parents did not leave any regrets before they died. Then he was sent to Huguan to guard. At that time, the war between Dayong and Northern Han Dynasty was tense. Huguan was frightened overnight, so he naturally did not dare to bring his family over. Unexpectedly, now that the family is reunited, they will encounter a fierce enemy attack, and the situation in Huguan is precarious. However, if he sends his beloved son away, he is afraid that it will affect the guards. Liu Wanli finally avoided his wife's pleading eyes and whispered: "Don't worry, madam, General Yong Jun was injured by me today, we will definitely wait for reinforcements. "Speaking of this, I sighed in my heart, where are the reinforcements now? Mrs. Liu was also in tears. She was not an ordinary country girl. She had also read poetry and books, had a brief knowledge of classics and history, and had been supporting the family all year round. How could she not understand that her husband did not mean what he said.

When Liu Wanli and his wife were heartbroken, the maid hurriedly came in and reported: "General, the deputy general wants to see you."

Liu Wanli immediately woke up, handed his beloved son to his wife, and said, "You go in first, I will consider this matter." Mrs. Liu was overjoyed, nodded repeatedly, and hurriedly walked into the back hall with Liu Huai in her arms. Before I left, I didn't forget to tell him: "Mr. sir, don't forget to take your medicine."

After sending his wife away and asking the lieutenant to come in, Liu Wanli picked up the bowl of already somewhat lukewarm soup and drank it slowly, thinking about what would happen if the lieutenant came. Looking outside through the window, it is not yet dusk, and today's battle has ended at noon. Now everything has been taken care of in order to defend the city. He is already familiar with the matter of defending the city, and there is no need to tell him how to deal with it. He asked for instructions. He also knew that his old injury had recurred. Why would he bother him at this time?

The young lieutenant hurried into the room and said excitedly as soon as he saw Liu Wanli: "General, I have a plan to resolve the crisis at Huguan."

Liu Wanli's heart moved, but he didn't show it at all. Even the hand holding the medicine bowl did not tremble at all, and said calmly: "Let's talk, the situation is so dangerous now, even if there is only a little hope, we can't give up easily. "

The deputy general said excitedly: "When the general was reorganizing the defense, he sent the most effective scouts in Guanzhong to inspect the situation in the enemy camp. Although the enemy concealed Jing Chi's injury, the soldiers in the camp were uneasy and all the military doctors were worried. Waiting for orders in the main camp of the Chinese army, all the generals are also waiting for the Chinese army. It can be seen that Jing Chi is seriously injured and will shed a layer of skin even if he does not die. The general thought, now the morale of the Yong army has been greatly reduced, and they are not very prepared for us. They underestimated us because we had never left the border to meet the enemy these days. The general thought that if we selected more than 2,000 elite soldiers tonight, took advantage of the darkness to penetrate into the enemy's tent, set fire to the camp, and burn down the enemy's baggage, Kill them by surprise. If there is another chance to kill a few important generals, the Yong army will be unable to take charge. The food road passes through Baixing, and supplies are difficult. The troops must retreat. Even if they do not retreat, we must postpone the attack. We can also Take the opportunity to fly to the counties and ask them to recruit Ding Yong to help defend Huguan. When the time comes, Huguan will definitely be able to defend it."

After all, Liu Wanli had been fighting for many years. He was happy at first, and then a little worried. Although Jing Chi, the leader of the Yong Army, was injured, the leader of the Zhenzhou Army was very thoughtful and might not have thought of the possibility of hijacking the camp. Besides, the Yong Army had strong soldiers and horses, and he would counterattack this time. It may not really be possible to achieve the goal. But in a flash of his eyes, he saw the withered grass that his beloved son had left on the bed, and his heart suddenly hurt. If this continues, when Yong's army stabilizes their position, the Huguan will be broken. If he agrees to this strategy, If the Yong army can be forced back, then it is worth taking some risks. And according to Liu Wanli's many years of battlefield experience, this strategy has a five-point chance, but now he has to fight even if he only has one or two points of chance. Putting down the medicine bowl, Liu Wanli said in a deep voice: "Go and recruit 1,500 warriors from the army who dare to die. No more will be enough. Tonight I will personally lead the army in a sneak attack."

The deputy general said quickly: "Sir, your old injury has relapsed. How can you lead the army to attack the camp? Let the last general lead the army."

Liu Wanli was about to object when a familiar pain came from his waist. He couldn't help but frown and said, "Then I'll leave it to you. The life and death of our army will depend on this battle tonight."

The young lieutenant prostrated and said, "Don't worry, general. If anything goes wrong, I will be willing to die for you and will never live in vain."

An ominous premonition surged in Liu Wanli's heart, and he wanted to speak out to stop it, but thinking about the current situation, he thought that even if it didn't work, he would just die a few days early. Now he could no longer hesitate. He stretched out his hand to support his lieutenant and looked at the young man who had fought with him for many years. His eyes flashed with sadness. Even if he succeeded in stealing the camp, this choice of striking an egg against a stone might hurt both sides. However, he had no choice and could only watch this. After this incident happened, he has never hated the sky so much for being so unkind. He would rather be a peace dog than a man in troubled times. Liu Wanli suddenly had a treasonous thought. If the world could be unified, even if the Northern Han Dynasty was destroyed, then there seemed to be no hope. What's the relationship? As soon as this thought came to his mind, Liu Wanli subconsciously avoided the eyes of the lieutenant and thought to himself, no matter what, he was so favored by the king that it was natural for him to sacrifice his life. If the unification of Dayong is really unstoppable, then let himself become Dayong. Sacrifice the blood under the iron heel.

That night, the moonlight was dim. Lieutenant General Huguan, with his carefully selected brave warriors, looked at the Yong Army camp from a distance under the moonlight, where tigers and dragons were crouching. Behind him were 500 cavalry and 1,000 infantry, with soldiers and war horses. Although there were many people and horses, there was no sound at all. The lieutenant waved his hand, and more than a hundred people bowed their hands to him, disappearing into the night. These more than a hundred people were all wearing black night clothes and carrying single swords on their backs. They all carried fire starters and were ready to burn the Yong Army camp. As soon as the fire started, the deputy general would lead the troops to rush into the Yong Army camp and attack them. Kill him and make him fall on his back.

The Yongjun camp in the distance was silent. Except for the soldiers responsible for guarding at night, almost no one could be seen. It seemed that all the Yongjun were asleep. They must be exhausted from the big changes during the day. The lieutenant general was also uneasy. After all, he was investing in this battle with elite soldiers and generals from Huguan. If he failed to steal the camp, it would be doomed.

Not long after, fire suddenly broke out in the Yongjun camp, and there were chaotic and noisy sounds. People running around could be seen in the flames. The deputy general was overjoyed. He raised the horse in his hand and shouted: "Kill!" Then he took the lead and rushed towards the camp. Yongjun camp, following the road destroyed by the scouts who sneaked into the camp and set fire to it, he first rushed into the Yongjun rear camp. There were flames on both sides. He waved his horse pole left and right, flipping over the tents that were already on fire, and setting them on fire. Throwing it onto the camp tent that was not yet on fire, the five hundred cavalry followed him and rushed into the Yong Army's center, while other infantrymen went around killing people and setting fires. The lieutenant general felt happy, and he did not do anything except overturning the Yong Army blocking the road along the way. Not wanting to delay, if he wanted to rush into the central army, he hoped to kill several generals of the Yong army. From the corner of his eye, he saw Dayong's army camp turned into a sea of ​​fire. He laughed loudly and stabbed a Yong army in front of him who was desperately trying to intercept him. He said loudly: "Kill, kill until the blood flows like a river!" They all shouted to kill, and rushed into the tent of the Yong Army's central army, where the general's flag with the word "Jing" was hung.