At the border of Wu State, 50,000 soldiers and horses were divided into two groups. This was actually considered a taboo for military strategists. However, after careful consideration, Li Ran agreed to Wu Yuan's proposal.
"Wuyu, General Yijiu, you two can lead 20,000 troops and horses to Laishan. We will march day and night without any mistakes!"
Shen Wuyu and Wei Yin Yijiu immediately responded in unison:
"Here!"
"Chang Qing can accompany Chen Gong and lead 20,000 troops to Rhone. If the King of Chu is not here, rush to Laishan in time!"
Sun Wu also said "hey", and because Chuan Fengxu was the Duke of Chen State at this time, he was on an equal footing with Li Ran, but he resolutely followed his orders:
"promise!"
As for Sun Wu, although he had been granted the title of County Duke of Ye Yi by the King of Chu before, he had always regarded himself as Li Ran's retainer, so it was logical for him to obey Li Ran's orders.
Then, Li Ran said again:
"The remaining 10,000 troops and horses will be controlled by me. I will communicate and respond from the center, one after another on the left and right!"
Indeed, they are going deep into Wu territory this time. If they cannot take care of each other, they will be easily separated and annihilated. Li Ran had already thought carefully. If they didn't do this, they would be surrounded and annihilated whether they went to Rhone or Laishan.
After all, they now have few soldiers and are deep into enemy territory. Li Ran's dangerous move was a last resort.
The decision was made, and it was time to break out of the stronghold and set off. The two armies on the left and right did not dare to delay in the slightest. After all, if they arrived late, the situation of King Chu would become even more unbearable!
And before leaving to divide the troops, Li Ran told everyone again:
"Military matters are changing rapidly. Even if there are scouts delivering information, there may be some mistakes. Sir, General Yijiu. If you encounter something urgent, you must follow the trend and act at your own discretion!"
When Sun Wu heard this, he understood everything:
"Wu understands, sir, don't worry!"
"No!...but...the general is just worried that if we make our own decisions and make mistakes in our judgment, wouldn't it be a big deal?"
"Generals should not underestimate themselves. Those who were good at fighting in ancient times were all able to take advantage of the situation and adapt to the circumstances. Generals who have been on the battlefield for a long time should understand this truth best. Only by acting cheaply in this way can we win by surprise in the end!"
Wei Yin Yijiu nodded thoughtfully after hearing this.
Then Li Ran turned around again and said to Shen Wuyu:
"Brother Shen, you have been working as a Yin all year round and are not engaged in military affairs. Therefore, if there is anything that cannot be decided at that time, you can listen and understand!"
Shen Wuyu naturally obeyed Li Ranyan, so he also said in response:
“Sir’s words must be kept in mind!”
Li Ran waited until the two 20,000 battalions set off separately, and then set off with the remaining 10,000 people.
Most of the ten thousand people Li Ran brought were the remnants of Suo Di's defeat, and among them was Chang Shouguo, the general of the Yue Kingdom.
Obviously, the reason why Li Ran took him with him was because he wanted to find out something about Wu Jun.
The soldiers also followed Li Ran. The three armies communicated with each other and hurried away under the stars.
In just two days, Sun Wu and Chuan Fengxu arrived at Rhone. At this time, Rhone was already deserted. The foot of the mountain had obviously experienced many fierce battles. The bloodstains had already turned black, the broken flags, rags, and occasionally broken limbs were disgusting and shocking.
All the feathers on the arrows were gone. Apparently, after the battle, Wu Jun calmly tidied them up.
Sun Wu ordered people to go up the mountain immediately to check, and the result was that there was no one alive on the mountain.
Seeing this, Chuan Fengxu couldn't help asking:
"General Sun, the matter has come to an end. We might as well rush to Laishan immediately. Maybe we still have a chance!"
Sun Wu fell into deep thought and said:
"In half a day's journey at most, Shen Wuyu and the others will arrive at Laishan. If nothing else happens, the area outside Laishan will be completely surrounded, and some ambushes may be set up around it, waiting for us to fall into a trap. !So, if we rush there so hastily, we may be ambushed in vain!"
Hearing this, Chuan Fengxu couldn't help but raise his eyebrows:
"Then what should we do now?"
But I saw Sun Wu looking in the direction of Laishan again:
"Laishan is bound to go, but we have to slow down our pace, not to worry, and to give the soldiers a chance to rest in preparation for the upcoming war!"
After all, Chuan Fengxu was also the one who led the troops in the war. After hearing what Sun Wu said, he felt that it was reasonable. Therefore, they slowed down their pace and marched slowly towards Laishan, and immediately sent people to find out the battle situation ahead.
On the other hand, Shen Wuyu and Wei Yin Yijiu were only half a day away from Laishan when Sun Wu and the others arrived in Rhone, and they really encountered a small group of Wu troops on their way.
Wei Yin Yijiu knew that the closer he got to Laishan, the stronger the Wu army's obstruction would be. From this, it can be increasingly concluded that the King of Chu should still be on Laishan Mountain at this moment.
That night, as the sky gradually darkened, Wei Yin Yijiu found a high ground to camp in order to avoid being surrounded and annihilated by the Wu army.
Li Ran and others, who were forty miles away, were also camped step by step. It was already the end of the month, and the moonrise time was already close to midnight, so there was no moonlight throughout the night.
Li Ran, Wu Yuan, Chang Shouguo and others were also sitting cross-legged in an open space at this moment. At this time, they also received news from Wei Yin Yijiu, and at the same time, they also confirmed that Luo Na's place was deserted.
Li Ran combined the information from both sides and learned that the King of Chu had now retreated to Laishan. This matter can be said to be confirmed.
"Sir, although Laishan Mountain is steep, the King of Chu has been guarding it for many days, and now he is afraid that he will be exhausted!"
Li Ran couldn't help but nodded when he heard what Wu Yu said:
"That's true, but we still can't move forward rashly at the moment. Wu's army is powerful. They are besieging Laishan this time. In addition to the troops deployed at the foot of the mountain, I'm afraid they must have other arrangements!"
"And judging from the position of Laishan, I think the main force of the Wu army may have reached 100,000 troops! With 50,000 troops, if we don't win by surprise, we may not be able to save the King of Chu!"
Li Ran muttered:
"Well, what do Zixu think?"
The Wu member only thought for a moment:
"Sir, I think we can order General Yi Jiu to go deep into the enemy's formation first to lure them to fight. Then we will go to rescue and lure out more Wu troops. By then, all we need is Brother Changqing to arrive in time and kill them." Then we can defeat the Wu army in one fell swoop!"
Li Ran put one hand on his chin, and the soldier's words were indeed a dangerous move. Although the three armies can communicate with each other through Li Ran, the three armies are nearly a hundred miles apart and the information transmission is still too slow. This is why Li Ran asked Sun Wu and Wei Yin Yijiu to act expediently.
And if these three armies only merged during wartime, it would be too risky. After all, if it is too early, it will not be able to do its best, but if it is too late, it will be worried that Wei Yin Yijiu's tribe will be annihilated.
Of course, Wu Yuan knew Li Ran's worries at this time:
"Sir, don't worry. With Brother Changqing's talent, I can trust him with everything I have here! He will definitely fulfill his mission!"
"Oh? Zixu also has great trust in Chang Qing, right?"
Li Ran was very curious about this, because according to his understanding, Chang Qing and Wu Yuan should not be familiar with each other?
Why was he so sure that Sun Wu would come on time?
Chapter 383 A king who is good at fighting?
Hearing Li Ran's question, Wu Yuan smiled calmly:
"Have you forgotten, sir? Yuan and Brother Changqing also had a relationship before, but Brother Changqing's ability really impressed me. Moreover, Yuan also heard about the subsequent battle of Chaoyi. Although Yuan did not When joining the army, the officers also know clearly the strategies used by the commander."
When Li Ran heard this, he also smiled lightly and said:
"Haha, in fact, Zixu is also a man of extraordinary intelligence!"
"Sir, I am very complimentary. The talents of our officers are far inferior to those of your master and the chief minister."
The officer replied sincerely.
After talking to Wu Yuan, Li Ran turned around again and asked Chang Shou again:
"What do you think, General?"
Hearing this, Chang Shouguo just sighed:
"If you are a defeated general, how can you speak wisely? Just obey orders!"
Chang Shouguo, who came from the Yue Kingdom, also understood very well at this moment that only by obeying Li Ran's orders could he complete his mission.
"Okay, that being the case, let General Yi Jiu go directly to Laishan for rescue at the end of the day. If they encounter any obstacles, they must resist bravely. Reinforcements will arrive in time, so they don't have to panic."
"I will also inform General Sun that they must rush to Laishan for rescue at the end of the day without any mistakes!"
After all the messengers took the order and left, Chang Shouguo hesitated for a moment and hesitated:
"According to this march, Chen Gong's troops are probably close to Laishan, right? If the person delivering the order cannot find them for a while and they arrive early, wouldn't they directly mess up the matter?"
Li Ran put his hands behind his back and looked up at the starry sky:
"Chang Qing, he will definitely not do this. You can rest assured."
In the second half of the night, Shen Wuyu and Wei Yinyijiu finally waited for the order from Li Ran, and immediately followed the order and made detailed arrangements inside and out.
But Shen Wuyu was still a little worried at this time. After all, they were the ones taking the lead this time, and he felt a little unsure. He frowned and asked:
"General Yi Jiu, what do you think?"
Wei Yinyi retreated from his left and right lieutenants, and responded with clasped fists:
"Mr. Ziming's use of troops this time is to win by surprise. Although this move is risky, it is also the only chance to win. At the moment, I can only hope that they can arrive in time!"
When Shen Wuyu heard this, he also sighed and said:
"This is what I thought, but if this happens, we soldiers brought from Zhongli will inevitably suffer heavy losses...and since our army is a bait, wouldn't it be in vain if Wu Jun doesn't take the bait?"
Shen Wuyu's worries are very reasonable. If the Wu army surrounded them without attacking and waited for their reinforcements, then the strategy of luring the enemy would naturally be much worse.
Wei Yin Yijiu also sighed for a long time, and then said:
"Our army is a bait, but it can be divided again. We can send another one as a bait, and bring in five thousand, led by the last general. If the Wu army does not come, we will wait and see what happens. If the Wu army comes to attack, Lord Yin of the County You can lead your troops to help again!"
When Shen Wuyu heard this, he also nodded and said:
"When my husband was leaving, he also told him to listen to the general's words. If this is the case, then he will follow the general's advice!"
As for Sun Wu and Chuan Fengxu, they led the army, slowed down, and marched in the direction of Laishan leisurely.
Fortunately, they were walking slowly, and the messengers sent by Li Ran did as they expected. Although they couldn't find their location for a while, they only chased ahead for a while, and finally found them near noon.
After receiving Li Ran's secret order, Sun Wu looked up again and estimated the time. At this time, Chuan Fengxu was wiping the cold sweat on his forehead:
"General, it's clear! If we march at the same speed as before, I'm afraid we will be in trouble right now!"
"The time is right now! Let's order the army to bury the pots and start the stove on the spot. We will rush out in an hour. We must arrive near Laishan at the beginning of Weishi!"
Sun Wu gave the order directly, and Chuan Fengxu didn't say much about it.
After Li Ran arranged everything last night, he squatted aside and took a nap. The staff member took his shawl and put it on Li Ran. The battle was about to begin, and when the soldiers saw that he could sleep so peacefully, they couldn't help but admire Li Ran's calmness.
After all, Wu Yuan was still young and still looked a little anxious. Since the war was about to begin, he couldn't sleep peacefully, so he had to pace back and forth outside.
Only an hour passed before Li Ran woke up. Seeing how worried the staff member was, he called out:
"Zixu!"
When the Wu member heard Li Ran's summons, he trotted over:
"What are your orders, sir?"
Li Ran smiled and said:
"I don't have any instructions. It's just that you walking around like this won't help. Why don't you close your eyes and rest for a while, so that you can have the energy to face the strong enemy!"
When the Wu member heard this, he just smiled bitterly and shook his head:
"Sir, you don't know something. Zixu has had a habit since he was a child. Whenever he is in danger, he will be unable to sleep at night and will be extremely anxious. I am afraid that this habit cannot be changed even if he changes it."
"But human energy is limited after all, and it's probably not okay to waste it like Zixu did."
"Hey, why don't you know this? But I don't think it will have any impact. I will still act as usual in the future, and it will not delay the important event. If you are making a noise, sir, just go further away."
After the officer finished speaking, he turned around and left.
"It doesn't matter. Since Zixu can't sleep, how about we sit down and chat for a while?"
When the officer heard this, he immediately clasped his fists and bowed, and replied:
"No! If this is the case, the officer would rather be respectful than obey the orders. Please sir, please give me your advice."
"Haha, I don't dare to take the advice seriously. However, I am just a guest, so Zixu doesn't have to be so polite."
The soldier clasped his fists and bowed, and replied very respectfully:
"Sir is a wonderful person in this world, and I have admired him for a long time. I am lucky enough to have a long talk with him here tonight, which is a great comfort to my life. I'm afraid it will delay my rest!"
"Haha, that's okay. By the way, I wonder what Zixu thinks of the King of Chu?"
When the Wu member heard this, he hesitated for a moment:
"There are few kings but great talents. He knows people well and uses them well. He is the only king in Chu who is good at fighting!"
"Oh? A king who is good at fighting?... However, I think that the so-called people who are good at fighting are nothing more than the following three types. One is a soldier who defeats the enemy without fighting, the other is a soldier who does not slack off in a hundred battles, and the third is a person who is defeated and does not collapse!"
What Li Ran meant was that the King of Chu, Xiong Wei, could not afford the reputation of a "king who was good at fighting". Not only was he unable to defeat the enemy without fighting, he was also unable to fight without slacking off for a hundred battles, and he was unable to minimize the losses caused by failure.
In other words, Chu King Xiong Wei's overall strategy was completely reckless.
When the Wu member heard this, he couldn't help but be silent for a moment:
"Well, what the gentleman said is absolutely true, but if your Majesty can only act on his own merits and know people well, he can't be wrong."
Li Ran smiled bitterly. It was undeniable that King Chu did have this advantage.
When the Wu member saw Li Ran's wry smile, he couldn't help but sigh secretly:
"But...however, I am so proud of myself that I have turned a deaf ear to the advice of all the sages, including my husband. If I could only listen to a few words, how could I be here today?"
"In addition, I am so fond of success that I go to war. Although under his leadership, our country of Chu has indeed created an unprecedented situation. But this strength is also based on the suffering of the people of Chu country. Therefore, even if it is Without external causes, it cannot last long!”
Li Ran did not expect that the Wu members would have such a clear understanding of their king:
"Haha, it's not easy for Zixu to have such insight since he is a minister of Chu."
"Sir, you are ridiculous. If we fail to learn from this defeat, we will make the same mistake again in the future! By then, the vitality of the Chu State will be severely damaged, and I am afraid that it will no longer be as prosperous as it is today!"
Li Ran knew that what Wu Yuan said was true, but he was helpless about it.
The King of Chu is the King of Chu after all.
No matter how capable and resourceful Li Ran was, in the end he could only watch the Chu Kingdom sink step by step.
