Three Kingdoms

Before Wuqiu Xing's military order had time to be issued, there were soldiers on the watchtower of the Central Camp, waving flags crazily under the light of torches, and shouting loudly to convey the military information. Almost everyone was Are they all frightened and overwhelmed by the current situation? Is this the same Pingyang City that retreated step by step before and seemed to have few reserves of soldiers and horses?

At this moment, Guanqiu Xing also reacted and cursed the guard at his side: "What are you waiting for? Get your robe quickly and help me go up to the watchtower!"

Immediately, the guards inside and outside the tent were busy, hurriedly getting clothes and armor for Guanqiu Xing, and some even brought out a thick cloak. After all, it was heavy exposure at night and the wind was strong, and his old body could not bear it.

A group of people filed under the watchtower. At this time, some junior military officials and middle-level officers under Guanqiu Xing in the Chinese army camp also came over. However, the watchtower was too narrow to accommodate such a large number of people. Therefore, there can only be chattering discussions under the sentry tower. At this time, Guanqiu Xing had no intention of restraining and reprimanding them, so under the protection of two or three personal guards, he climbed onto the sentry tower and looked into the distance.

In ancient wars, it is not like in the games of later generations, where there is a 45-degree perspective of God diagonally downward at any time and anywhere. For most soldiers, all they see is the back of the head, which is like a black cloud above the station square on a holiday. It's impossible to open up much.

Therefore, if you want to obtain more information, you can only stand on a high platform. As soon as Guan Qiu Xing climbed up to the watchtower of the sentry tower, he immediately pulled on the railing of the building and looked around at the situation. Even when the bodyguard behind him tried to put a big cloak on him, Guan Qiu Xing felt that he was blocking his sight, so he directly Push it away.

The main camp of Guanqiu Xing is in the shape of a plum blossom. Guanqiu Xing is naturally located in the middle camp. The other four small camps are divided into front, rear, left and right to guard it. They are separated by more than two hundred steps. This can be regarded as orderly according to the art of war. A joint venture of the moment.

The most obvious thing in sight is Pingyang City in the distance. It stands tall not far away, crawling there like a giant beast. Because of the color of the sky, the red wall tiles, yellow soil, gray and black The walls are like the spotted patterns on the body of this giant beast.

Guanqiu Xing didn't know whether this city had such a huge scale in the early Han Dynasty when Pingyang Marquis Cao's family still existed, but he knew that such a city came into being from scratch, from old to new, and the things displayed in it were The vitality and vitality surprised even him, and what made him even more unexpected was that Pingyang City would erupt with such majestic power at midnight tonight!

In sight, the Zhengxi Cavalry roared in from all directions, seemingly everywhere, but in fact the Zhengxi Cavalry attacking the three camps to the left and right turned around one after another when they rushed to the Luzhai barrier in front of the camp. They ran left and right in front of the camp, which looked majestic, but in fact they didn't directly attack the camp at all.

In the dim sky, arrows were fired one after another in the camp, but Mowuqiu Xing's archers were panicked and could not see clearly the specific situation in front of the camp. The arrows seemed to be flying in the air, but with little effect.

At present, these Zhengxi cavalry not only firmly control the battlefield, they can also immediately harass and block the soldiers in Guanqiu Xing from leaving the camp to counterattack. They can also cover the cavalry that attacked the rear camp to start the battle smoothly. Moreover, Guanqiu Xing's rear camp can also Because the camp was hard on the road, and the majority of the camp was carrying baggage, and it was mainly composed of auxiliary soldiers and farmers, so there was no counterattack at all. Even guarding the camp was a bit reluctant and difficult...

Under Pingyang City, there seemed to be large groups of infantry spreading out, forming square arrays one after another. The torches were lined up, shining like stars. So many torches and so many figures, at least five thousand, seemed to cover the entire Pingyang City. All the troops were sent out!

At present, the soldiers of the Pingyang City Expedition to the West were in a desperate posture, and more and more fireworks were rising from the rear camp. On the watchtower, Guan Qiuxing could no longer maintain the commander-in-chief's demeanor that he had been maintaining. Unable to hold back, he held the railing of the watchtower tightly, his face turned blue and white!

"How could this be?" Guanqiu Xing couldn't help but murmured, "How can there be so many cavalry in Pingyang? There are only two or three hundred. Where did these cavalry come from?"

This question is not wrong, but now is the time to study where these soldiers who conquered the West came from?

"General, general! The Zhengxi cavalry in the front and left camps are not attacking the camp at all, they are just trying to contain it! But in the rear camp, if there is a loss of baggage, the morale of the troops in the camp will plummet! By then, even if they can fight, they will not be able to fight. General, hurry up Send soldiers quickly to rescue the rear camp!" A military commander who looked like a military commander said from the side.

Guanqiu turned around suddenly and grabbed the arm of the military lord. Contrary to his original self-proclaimed demeanor of being unchangeable by a mountain avalanche, and his calm and honorable demeanor, he looked like a drowning man who had scratched a straw, and there was no grace left. Magnanimous, with a light-hearted look: "Wang Junhou, do you think the rear camp can block the Zhengxi cavalry attack? There are four thousand people in the rear camp. If we stick to the camp, we should be fine! No need for rescue. Right? Not to mention the front camp and the left and right battalions, what will happen if they lose?"

Wang Junhou didn't know whether to laugh or cry. This was originally something that the military commander should consider, but now why is he asking me? However, when I saw Guan Qiu Xing's complexion looking green and white under the light of the torch, I suddenly realized that Guan Qiu Xing, despite his usual commanding appearance, was actually just an armchair warrior on paper. I don’t have much actual combat experience at all, otherwise I wouldn’t have asked such a question!

The important thing for a military commander is not to understand the minutiae of daily military affairs, but to be able to stand up and make decisions at critical moments!

The days of peace and honor have gone too long. Although Guanqiu Xing is familiar with military books, when he goes to the battlefield, he loses the so-called ability to predict the enemy before the enemy...

This is the same as many people. When they hold a military book, they look at various war records and either point out the country or sigh, and then describe how they will respond if they lead the army, where the enemy troops come from, how to respond, and everything is clear and logical. , quite satisfactory, everyone has to say that he is thoughtful and has the air of a general, but when he is on the battlefield, he is in an extremely noisy environment, and the soldiers on the left and right are eagerly waiting for him to come up with an idea. The original book Is there any professor on how to deal with these problems now?

Therefore, when Guan Qiu Xing saw someone beside him who had an idea, he couldn't help but grabbed Wang Zhong. Of course, in his heart, Guanqiu Xing did not hope that Wang Zhong could make suggestions for him, but felt that if Wang Zhong said what he wanted, he could go along with the situation. Even if there were any mistakes in the future, he could naturally blame Wang Zhong. superior……

Originally, this was not what he should do, but when the question came up, Wang Zhong couldn't say, you are a harpy, how did I know, so he could only explain patiently: "General, look, the front camp and the left and right In the camp, the cavalry galloping left and right seemed to be huge, but they could only count two or three hundred people. The sky was unclear at the moment, which was just confusing. The rear camp was different. The majority of our army's baggage was in the rear camp. If the rear camp was breached, it would be burned. Food and grass, the army will be out of food, and the army will be in chaos within three days!"

There are only a few hundred cavalry in the first three battalions on the left and right? Guan Qiu Xing tried his best to identify it, but he didn't see it at all. However, he was too embarrassed to ask Wang Zhong, as he seemed too unprofessional. In addition, Guan Qiu Xing didn't believe that Pingyang could put up such a huge formation with such a small number of troops. Therefore, He selectively ignored some of Wang Zhong's words.

Guanqiu Xing frowned and said: "I also know that if the rear camp is lost, food and grass will be cut off, and the morale of the army will be unstable... I am asking how to deal with the troops in the camp if the troops in the camp are taken away. If the Zhengxi cavalry switches to attack the central formation?" Although he said There are still some cavalry in the Chinese army, but Guanqiu Xing really doesn't have much confidence in these cavalry under his command. Even in the daytime, they can't even defeat the opponent's scouts. Wouldn't it be a waste to go out in the dark?

"..." At this moment, Wang Zhong didn't know whether the emotion that emerged in his heart was anxiety, anger, pity, helplessness, or both. He was speechless for a moment.

Wang Zhong was originally from Guanzhong, but during the chaos in Guanzhong, his family fled. He was forced by hunger on the way and had to eat people. It is precisely because of this that he did not get much after he defected to Heluo Yang Biao. Zhongyong just acted as a military prince...

Because of this incident, some people in the army also jokingly called Wang Zhong the "man-eating prince". Although Guanqiu Xing didn't say anything on the surface, he turned a blind eye to this title, which shows what his attitude is.

However, at the moment, the war was urgent, and Wang Zhong didn't care much. He immediately broke away from Guan Qiu Xing's hand, held his hand as a gift, and said: "General! Our troops are still dominant now. As long as there is no chaos in the camp, , and the camp is strong enough to defend without any loss! But if the rear camp does not respond with reinforcements, it will be too late! The rear camp was originally composed of mostly auxiliary farmers, and it is currently struggling to support itself, hoping that the general's reinforcements will arrive! More What's more, if the rear camp is lost, the morale of the army will be greatly reduced, and by then, even this camp may not be able to be saved!"

Hearing Wang Zhong's heartfelt words, Guanqiu's expression remained calm but he was suddenly a little angry and said: "As long as we rescue the rear camp, can we stop the chaos? That's easy to say. At the moment, the front, rear, left, and right camps were all attacked, and There are soldiers from Pingyang City coming in formation, and the enemy is facing them, but they can only save the rear camp? If something goes wrong between the front camp and the left and right, even if the rear camp is saved, what's the use?"

Wang Zhong couldn't help but feel a little angry. He was not a pure martial artist and didn't understand any art of war. However, there were so many problems in Guan Qiu Xing's mouth. It seemed that he was considering the whole army, but in fact, in the end, it was just He was just thinking about Wuqiu Xing's own safety.

Guanqiu Xing was not thinking about any problems with the three battalions on the left and right, but he was afraid that there would be problems with the Chinese army! If the rear camp loses food and grass, it will be a loss. Anyway, Guanqiu Xing himself cannot be hungry, but his life must not be lost!

It would be fine if it were anyone else, but when Wang Zhong fled from the Guanzhong chaos, he was forced to eat people to survive due to hunger, which became an eternal pain in his heart. He also knew deeply what kind of situation these soldiers would face if there was no food and grass. dangerous situation!

Although there is Zhuanghe outside Pingyang City, it is not fully mature. It will take another month to almost set ears. And when the grain and grass are transferred from Hedong, even if it goes smoothly, it will take about ten days to come back. So this Don’t more than 20,000 people need to eat and drink within that time?

What's more, it is the last moment of the drought. Even Hedong may not be able to successfully collect the food and grass for 20,000 horses. Once the food is out, there will be no need to recruit soldiers from the west to make any moves, and the morale of the army will inevitably collapse!

At this moment, Wang Zhong could no longer bear it, pointed his arm towards the extremely noisy rear camp, and shouted loudly: "General! The rear camp must be rescued! The rear camp is all private soldiers from Hedong, farmers from Heluo, How do you know how to resist the troops of the Zhengxi soldiers?! If we delay in supporting, the rear camp will be lost! What's more, if the Zhengxi attack hits the formation, the general can also drop the three battalions on the left and right to come back for reinforcements, which is enough to protect the general's safety!"

In fact, if Wang Zhong continued to lower his stance, talked about the benefits of dividing his troops for rescue, and slowly begged Guanqiu Xing, Guanqiu Xing would have recovered from the initial shock and panic, and he might not have been able to make a correct judgment. Unfortunately, Wang Zhong was not such a tactful person, and he mentioned the issue of Guan Qiu Xing's personal safety, making it seem as if Guan Qiu Xing did not send troops because it was for his own sake, which immediately hit Guan Qiu Xing's sore spot!

The state officials can set fires, but how can the people light lamps? !

In Guanqiu Xing's heart, he felt extremely disgusted with the Wang Zhong in front of him at this moment. He even felt that this Wang Zhong looked so vulgar and annoying.

Guanqiu Xing straightened his back and shouted with a straight face: "If you are in charge of the whole army, you need to think about the whole army! We are all the sons of son-in-law, front and rear, how can there be any reason to focus on the private soldiers and cowardly civilians in the east of the river! Although the cavalry in the rear camp is conquering the west, it is powerful In fact, there are only more than a thousand cavalry, and there are also four thousand of our soldiers in the rear camp, which is several times that of the enemy. If we defend the camp, how can we be unable to fight as you said! A certain general's order has been passed on, and each camp is strictly guarded. , there must be no chaos! If the Zhengxi cavalry cannot attack the camp, they will retreat! How can we mess up the position and give the enemy an opportunity to take advantage of it! We will make a decision after daybreak and after the enemy's situation is clear!"

Wang Zhong was almost dumbfounded. He was stunned for a moment, and then shouted almost instinctively: "General! No! General, please think twice! The rear camp must be saved!"

Guanqiu's face was as dark as water, and he no longer looked at Wang Zhong, but looked at the Pingyang in the distance, and said slowly: "You are still young, and you are not familiar with the art of war. You can be forgiven for making such remarks... You only said that the rear camp is the most important thing, but have you seen the Zhengxi Cavalry wandering outside? If we go out to the camp to help, how can the Zhengxi Cavalry sit idly by and ignore it? Even if we march in formation, there must be Zhengxi Cavalry to intercept us. Harassment, not to mention losing troops and generals, when can we reach the rear camp? What's more, if the infantry under Pingyang City take advantage of our opportunity to rescue the rear camp and attack with all our troops, how will we deal with it?"

What Guanqiu Xing said actually makes some sense, but in fact he was confused in the face of Pingyang Xunchen's sudden attack. He didn't know what to do best, so he couldn't move more than stay still. Anyway, he felt that the soldiers in his hands The number of horses is here, and the camp has been built. It is impossible to be attacked by these people and horses from Pingyang. In addition, the Xunchen troops and horses in front of us seem to be huge. If we send troops to rescue the rear camp, then the front, left, and right battalions will be attacked again. So should I send more reinforcements?

Moreover, in the dark, it is impossible to see how many troops Xun Chen has. To be on the safe side, it is better to wait until dawn...

Wang Zhong was still waiting to talk, but unfortunately Guanqiu Xing had already made up his mind.

However, in Wang Zhong's view, not only is the distance of two hundred steps, coupled with the assistance of bows and arrows, even if they march in formation, they may not be weaker than the cavalry of Zhengxi, not to mention that most of the military equipment, food and fodder of the large camp are behind. If the camp is damaged, it can still support the defense for several days, but without support, the entire army will inevitably become disoriented!

At that time, it will really be out of control!

According to the current number of Wuqiu Xing's army, it is indeed many times more than that of Pingyang's troops. However, if the back road is collapsed, once the military morale is lost and the fighting spirit is lost, the result will be unpredictable!

He understands these things about Wang Zhong, why doesn't the dignified general Guangqiu Xing understand this truth?

Wang Zhong urged him again, but Guanqiu Xing said nothing and was about to go down to the watchtower, but Wang Zhong pulled him by his sleeve.

When the guards behind Guanqiu Xing saw this, they came straight forward, pushed Wang Zhong away, and said coldly: "The general has made a decision, and the military princes should supervise the soldiers and guard the camp! The wind is strong in the watchtower, and the night dew is heavy. The war is just around the corner, if the general feels cold, how many heads do you have to use to apologize?"

Wang Zhong was pushed away by these personal guards of Guanqiu Xing, and when he saw Guanqiu Xing's livid face about to go down to the watchtower, he couldn't hold it in any longer, so he roared loudly, almost like crying: "General! General! No!" Ah, if we don’t save Houying, we will be defeated!”

"Bastard!" Guan Qiu Xing shouted angrily, and the guards immediately gathered around him and rushed to the watchtower, holding Wang Zhong down. Guan Qiu Xing's face looked a little distorted under the light of the torch, " Take the generals down! Wait until daybreak before marching according to the law of the army! Send an order to the entire army to guard the camp! Don't mess with yourself! Anyone who retreats will be killed! Anyone who leaves the camp without authorization will be killed by the entire team!"