After Mang Mao and his entourage of ten chariots left the small town, they drove on the road in the shape of a scattered wild goose. Mang Mao's chariot was in the center, and on the right was a middle-aged man with unremarkable clothing and appearance. Munshon drove in the middle.
A group of carriages and horses trotted on the field for a while, and Mang Mao broke the silence: "What do the people of Qin want to do here?"
The middle-aged man is like a clay sculpture. Not only his eyebrows and expressions remain unchanged, he even doesn't open his mouth, as if a voice is coming from his stomach: "Famine!"
"famine?"
"Famine, famine in Qin."
"How do you know this, sir?"
"Avoid the truth and attack the fictitious."
"Avoiding the truth and attacking the fictitious? Isn't this a common practice among military strategists?"
"This is a common method used by military strategists to use a weak enemy to make a strong enemy. Is the Qin army weaker than Wei? Humph."
"I am stupid, sir, please give me some advice."
"With a hundred thousand soldiers hungry and exhausted, do you dare to fight against the Qin army?"
"I don't dare. Therefore, we will retreat as soon as we fight."
"The same is true for the Qin army. They retreat after a battle. There is no doubt that they are a hungry and exhausted army!"
"So, the people of Qin came here to fight famine?"
The gentleman actually fell silent, as if something so obvious was no longer worth saying.
Mang Mao was silent for a while, then changed the subject and said, "The Qin people have broken through the South Pass, where will they go?"
"Putian."
Mang Mao was shocked again: "Why do you say this, sir?"
"There is no better way to fight famine than in the fields, where there is plenty of food but few provisions."
"Since we are attacking Putian, why should we take Nanguan?"
"What do you think we should do? First defeat the 100,000 troops led by the Duke, and then attack the Great Wall?"
"That's true! First enter the Great Wall from Nanguan, then go to the fields, and then enter a deserted land... This, this, what should we do!"
"Don't worry, the Qin army will not attack Putian for the time being."
"But why?"
"Because there are Jin officials and Lord Xinling outside the city. If we attack Putian urgently, they will be summoned by the king..."
"The battle that was avoided in this way cannot be avoided again! Oh, I see!"
In response to such an obvious compliment, the gentleman on the right side of the car still didn't even move his expression.
"Then how should the Qin army act?" Mang Mao waited for a while, but couldn't wait for Mr. Che You's reaction, and then asked again.
"The beam."
"The Qin army is going straight to Daliang? Is this, this, this, too hasty? How can a hungry and tired army attack Daliang?"
"It's just looting."
"But just looting? Not attacking the main beam, but just looting around?"
Probably thinking that his meaning had been accurately understood, the gentleman shut up again.
"How will the Qin army plunder? Please tell me, sir." This time Mang Mao didn't wait any longer and asked directly.
"Unsealed."
When he heard this place name, Mang Mao's expression changed drastically: "This is so dangerous!"
The car fell into silence again until the Great Wall appeared in front of us.
Ten carriages stopped within the range of the crossbows. The one at the front jumped out of the carriage and ran towards the city. Holding a jade pendant in his hand, he shouted loudly: "The king's envoy has entered the pass!"
When the man arrived at the city gate, the city leader also happened to put down his leather sheath. The man jumped into the leather jacket without thinking, and the people on the city pulled it up hard. The man kicked off the city with his feet nimbly, and climbed onto the city as if walking on flat ground. About a moment later, the city gate made a rumble and opened immediately. The ten carriages immediately accelerated, transformed into a column as they marched, and rushed into the city gate quickly. When the city gate rumbled shut again, these ten carriages were already parked in the small square next to the city gate. The city guard raised his hand in salute on one side of the square.
Mang Mao got out of the car and greeted the city guard: "The city guard has worked hard!" The other diners, except the driver, also got off the car and stood on both sides of the car.
The city guard said: "General, hard work!"
Mang Mao asked: "How is the military situation?"
The city guard said: "There is no police in Putian. There is a beacon fire at Nanguan, but no military report has arrived."
Mang Mao said: "We are temporarily staying in Guanyi, waiting for the report from the Nanguan Army. We will be guarding the resettlement in Laocheng."
The city guard did not dare to neglect, and personally sent the group to the post. The post officials and the postmen set up the houses and troughs one by one. The guests either entered the house to settle, or took the horses to the trough to get fodder. The city guard also gave instructions to the post. As usual, officials should double the amount of grain, grass, salt and sauce. Mang Mao said repeatedly: "Don't dare to disturb me, just rest for a while."
After the post guard, the post guards and all the guests left in a hurry, the city guard personally poured a cup of sake in front of the hall and offered it to Mang Mao. After drinking Mang Mao, he also returned one to pay tribute to the city guard. Then the two of them entered the hall and sat down on either side. The city guard flattered him and said, "The general is coming back, I think he has accepted the king's favor again."
Mang Mao said: "The defeated general will just return to court to face his crime."
The city guard said: "The general is joking. In this critical moment, how can we save it without the general's plan?"
Mang Mao said: "Nowadays, young talents are emerging in large numbers, how can we be old and decrepit! All the people in charge of the Wei Kingdom are the city guards."
The city guard said: "How dare you live! I just want to be a pawn in front of the general's tent and just listen to orders day and night."
Mang Mao said: "The city guard didn't know something. As soon as he left the city this time, he fell into the Qin army. After many dangers, he was able to escape. The hardships are not enough to be compared to outsiders."
When the city guard saw that Mang Mao himself was talking about the military situation, he quickly followed up and asked: "There are many differences between things outside the city. Although it depends on the general's wisdom and peace on the border, the Nanguan war broke out again. He was born in a humble position and has little experience. I am afraid that the king will do something wrong, so I would like the general to pull it out a little bit to clear the block."
Mang Mao said: "There is no time to elaborate on this matter. In summary, the garden is where Daliang's granary is located, and its safety must not be lost. At this time, the Qin army entering Nanguan and the Wei army outside the city both saw Stare here..."
The city guard said: "The Wei army outside the city? Can't the soldiers suppress it?"
Mang Mao said: "This question shows the shrewdness of the city guard! Ordinary people must ask, aren't the Wei troops outside the pass the help of the city guard? Only the city guard understands the secret."
The city guard said: "A hundred thousand hungry people come here just for food. Once they lose their restraints, everyone will become a bandit."
Mang Mao said: "Everyone knows how to drive a hundred thousand hungry and tired people to fight tigers and wolves. If they don't drive away, it will become a backlash. What do the city guards think they should do at that time?"
The city guard said: "I only guard the city defense tightly, and there is nothing wrong with it."
Mang Mao said: "We can defend the city tightly against the troops outside the pass, but what about the troops entering the south pass?"
The city guard said: "The army is no more than a thousand, and the city is thin and the ditch is shallow. If we encounter an army of one hundred thousand tigers and wolves, we will only pay Tian'er!"
Mang Mao said: "Now in the field, there are wolves crouching at the front door and tigers crouching at the back door. This is the time for people to plot."
The city guard said: "I want you to give me some advice!"
Mang Mao said: "There are 20,000 soldiers outside the pass, which can be called the elite. If we simply select soldiers, even if we are hungry and tired, we can easily get tens of thousands strong. The city can be defended if the old and weak can carry food and go to the battle strong and strong." .”
The city guard said: "The general is joking again, where can I go to load grain? Is this the rice in the barn?"
Mang Mao said: "Exactly! All the old and the weak will go into the warehouse to get grain, and the strong will go to the battle. If you win, the king will be happy. If you lose a few warehouses of rice, you will not care. If you lose, the farmland will be lost, and all the stored grain will be lost. , then there will be nothing to do with guarding the city."
The city guard said: "General Cai once said that if you drive a sheep to attack a tiger, if it doesn't move, it will be eaten by you. What can you do?"
Mang Mao said: "Therefore, we must first establish the momentum. If the momentum is established, even if we want to bite back, we will not be able to. If the momentum is not achieved, we can bite back as much as possible."
The city guard said: "What will happen?"
Mang Mao said: "You can still fight hard, but if you fight back, you will die!"
The city guard said: "The general's words immediately opened the door. If you survive in difficulties, it is all given by the general!"
Mang Mao said: "Why is that! Gai is just doing his best for the country. Oh, can you take a look at Putian City Defense?"
