Lian Po's actions in Changping began to attract Gaodu's attention. Originally, the Changping side was a deserted land with few human traces. Now suddenly there is dust everywhere, and anyone who is a little vigilant will notice it.
Bai Qi got the news during the autumn harvest of that year and immediately aroused vigilance: cutting Han into three parts would not only facilitate Qin's harvest, but it would also facilitate the harvest of other princes; Shangdang and Pingyuan were separated from Zhao's Handan and Pingyuan respectively. When it comes to harvesting from Taiyuan, Zhao is much more convenient than Qin! But at this time, another major personnel change occurred in the Qin State. At the beginning of the year, Lord Jingyang was renamed Ye and no longer served as Tao Shou. However, he died of illness on the way from Tao to Ye. Lord Jingyang was once an important decision-maker in the Qin State and had a great influence on the political arena of the Qin State. The King of Qin held a grand funeral for him. When Bai Qi got the news that Zhao Jun had entered Changping, it was during the funeral of Lord Jingyang. Bai Qi could only closely observe the movements of Zhao Jun in Changping while dealing with the funeral of Lord Jingyang.
After the New Year, Wang Lu, the fifth official, led his army to successfully capture Fengshi and Lin. Luoyang and Zheng were both under attack. Wang Lu accumulated merit and was promoted to Zuo Shu Zhang. This is another officer since Hu Yang who has been promoted to the title of Jiuqing due to his military exploits. Among the many five officials, he is the first to be successfully promoted.
Bai Qi then reported the Zhao army's actions in Changping. Almost at the same time, Zhang Lu learned from Dianke that Feng Ting's report was that Shangdang County, which was originally intended to be dedicated to the Qin State, was taken away by the Zhao State. Zhang Lu attached great importance to this. After sending Feng Ting away, he mobilized almost all the spy network to find out the matter. He asked Hedong to stop other actions and concentrate on dealing with the Shangdang direction; he asked Wang Lu, who had just been promoted to Zuo Shuchang, to fully prepare to fight against the Shangdang.
A few months later, the situation was completely clear: Zhao Jun won the Shangdang without a fight. The Zhao army numbered 30,000 and the defender was the famous Lian Po. Lian Po has already stepped up efforts to build a defense line in Changping. He first strengthened the Changping city; after receiving supplies and strengthening troops from Handan, he built pavilion barriers downstream of Danshui and built fortresses along Danshui for thirty miles; it seems that he will build more on Danzhu Ridge. Build a great wall.
A few years ago, Wang Lu and Chen Si passed by Changping when they were conquering Yanyu. No one paid much attention to it at the time, but Chen Si still left a map marked with Changping. This greatly facilitates understanding of Zhao Jun's layout. After receiving preliminary information, Wang Hao requested to go to Changping to observe for himself. Zhang Lu also sent Chen Si to follow him in order to obtain a clearer topographic map.
The group only found Pi Wan in Anyi and learned that Bai Qi had been stationed in Gaodu for several months and was fully preparing for the war in Changping. All political affairs in Hedong were left to Pi Wan. So the group rushed directly to Gaodu to meet Bai Qi.
On the way, the two of them felt that something was wrong. With Bai Qi's character, although he is tired of political affairs, he will never completely let go of political affairs for a few months. This shows that he is in trouble in Changping!
Since Zhi Dao was completely under the control of the Qin people, Pi Wan arranged for Wang Lu and his entourage to take a car out of Zhi Dao; after resting for a night in Zhi City, he left Yewang again and arrived at Gaodu via Taihang Dao. Although it is longer than taking the mountain road, it is faster and saves a day or two in time. The inconvenience is that their guards cannot follow. Wang Hao wanted to meet Bai Qi as soon as possible to observe the situation of the Zhao army, and decided to set off according to Pi Wan's route. It would not be a problem for the guard to arrive a day or two later.
Bai Qi was a little surprised by Wang Lu's arrival. Wang Lu said: "Prime Minister Zhang is afraid that Zhao's army will be powerful, so he ordered his ministers to assist you!"
Bai Qi said: "An honest and self-defeating thief has nothing to worry about!"
Wang Lu said: "Han offered Dang to Qin, but Zhao took it. If Qin doesn't take it, the world will laugh. And Shangdang is connected to Handan. If you get Shangdang, you will get Zhao!"
Bai Qi said: "Since Zhao entered, Gaodu has no large army, but they have not moved. Now I am approaching with a small force, and I will not go out to fight. They are afraid of fighting like this, and they are on the wall. What can I do?" "
Wang Lu said: "I would like to take a look at the enemy's formation to see the reality."
Bai Qi said: "I will watch with you every day!"
After breakfast the next day, Bai Qi drove the car himself. Wang Hao and Chen Si were on the left and right in the same car. Bai Qi's guard included two leather chariots and a hundred cavalry, and Gaodu also mobilized a thousand people as backup. Bai Qi bypassed the hills in the north and went north along the Dan River. Because they were all riding on horseback, they were traveling very fast. In just half an hour, Zhao Jun's barrier appeared in sight.
Out of caution, Bai Qi slowed down the car, maintained a certain formation with the guards behind him, and moved forward quickly. Gradually he went out to a place one or two miles outside the pavilion barrier. Bai Qi instructed: "This is where the south end of the barrier ends. There are two pavilion barriers." Turning the car and heading northwest, he said: "Set the barrier along the water, stretching for thirty miles! You cannot peek inside." Repeated instructions The man on the mountain said: "He built a fortress on the mountain again, but he has no intention of fighting. But if the party is safe, then that's all!"
Wang Lu said: "That wall is thirty miles away and is built on the mountain again. It wants me to attack. If I don't attack, what will I do?"
Bai Qi said: "It's just a waste of food and grass! That's why thieves who defend themselves can't do anything!"
Wang Lu said: "The wall is thirty miles away, how can it be defended?"
Bai Qi said: "The preparation of the defense is to prepare one pawn for each step, and nine thousand soldiers for thirty miles are prepared. The city is three miles wide, and there are four thousand garrison soldiers. Each pavilion and barrier has a hundred men. The same is true for mountain cities. Thirty thousand soldiers can be prepared." The rest, the old, the weak, women and children, are not included."
Wang Lu said: "Thirty thousand soldiers fight for food every day, which is equivalent to three thousand dan. The annual food consumption is one million dan."
Bai Qi said: "Although King Zhao is young, he is very good at what he does. He transports millions of stones of grain in the autumn. Zhao's soldiers are updated in the sixth month, and the soldiers are not working hard."
Wang Lu said: "What if we rely on Handan for the party's food?"
Bai Qi said: "Shangdang has seventeen cities and two hundred thousand people. They get 20,000 dan of food per day and 7 million dan by the end of the year!"
Wang Lu said: "Why do we have to let Shangdang eat in Handan? Then Handan will be tired, and Shangdang can gain it."
Bai Qi said: "Your plan must be carried out. Qin will attack with great force. If there is no plowing in the spring, there will be no harvest in the autumn. It will be defeated."
Wang Lu said: "If the army holds on for several months, Zhao will be defeated."
Bai Qi said: "Why hold on to it?"
Wang Lu said: "It is also possible to respond with barriers."
Bai Qi said: "Let's discuss it later!" The reins shook and the horse started to run, flying along the Zhao army's barrier from south to north. The guards followed behind and drove quickly. Driving to the foot of Changping City, Bai Qi pointed to the city wall higher than the rampart and said: "This is Changping City. This is a small town. The Zhao people expanded it to three miles wide to station troops." At this time, he heard drums on the city. Bai Qi said, "Zhao soldiers are about to leave. Let's go home soon!" He turned around and drove away. The Zhao army was all infantry and could not catch up.
The two returned to Gaodu, discussed carefully, and made detailed calculations. In the end, it was decided to use 30,000 Qin troops to attract 200,000 to 300,000 Zhao troops, and the stalemate lasted for several months. Thirty thousand Qin soldiers need 300,000 jins of fried millet every month. For a period of six months, Hedong needs to prepare 1.8 million jins of fried millet. When Zhao's army runs out of food and retreats, the Qin people can track and seize Shangdang.
Two days later, Wang He's guard arrived, and Wang He went west from Gaodu, entered Yicheng via Duanshi, and became familiar with the mountain road to the west. Wang Lu looked at the terrain here very carefully and thought about the marching strategy.
Returning to Xianyang, Wang Lu reported to Zhang Lu the strategy agreed upon with Bai Qi. The key to the success of the strategy is to attract as many Zhao troops as possible to Shangdang, consume a large amount of Handan's grain, and rush to Handan without support!
A few days later, this plan came out in Xianyang City: Zhao Jun gathered 50,000 soldiers in Shangdang, and together with the people of Shangdang, the Qin army must gather 200,000 people to win Shangdang!
It is not easy to gather 200,000 prisoners. Zhang Lu issued the notice of levy to all counties, and even the distant Shu County and Nan County were mobilized. The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Hedong County have begun to fry millet with all their strength. They must fry three-month rations for 200,000 people before the end of the year.
The huge momentum also spread to Handan, and King Zhao also began to mobilize the best troops to prepare to increase troops to the Shangdang. The young Zhao Wangdan was determined to resist Qin's attack with superior force.
At this time, Zhao She passed away due to illness, and Zhao Kuo went home to mourn.
In June, when the soldiers of Shangdang expired, Handan mobilized a hundred thousand troops and marched into Shangdang to replace the second batch of 50,000 soldiers.
With sufficient troops, Lian Po continued to extend the defense line southward and westward, and built multiple pavilions and barriers in the lower reaches of Danshui River and on the opposite bank, forming a three-dimensional defense system. To this end, Shangdang mobilized more civilians and transferred civilians from distant cities, such as Shi, Nicheng and other places. Lian Po firmly believed that even if the Qin army sent 200,000 people, it would be absolutely impossible to break this system within three months!
At this time, due to the increase in soldiers and civilians, Changping's grain reserves began to bottom out...
Lian Po reported to Handan and asked him to send another batch of grain up the mountain. King Zhao did not hesitate and transported more than half of the grain stored in Handan up the mountain. Try your best to win this battle. Defeating the Qin army led by Bai Qi in an upright manner on the battlefield will greatly enhance the prestige of Zhao State. At that time, Zhao State calls for unity. Who dares not to obey? With sufficient food and grass, sufficient troops, and experienced, brave and capable generals, there is no reason why Zhao Jun cannot win this battle.
King Zhao planned to send another batch of grain up the mountain after the autumn harvest, and at the same time mobilize more troops. Lian Po must be given full play and must not lose because of himself.
Due to frequent troop movements, Handan's grain harvest in the autumn was unsatisfactory. Since two batches of 150,000 households were mobilized, these 150,000 households were unable to collect taxes at the end of the year, which reduced the annual tax revenue by more than 2 million dan. Coupled with business interruptions, this year's tax revenue was already less than 10 million dan. But King Zhao still decided to transport another five million stones of grain into the mountain. At the same time, increase the number of rotating soldiers to two hundred thousand! ——It must not be less than the Qin army!
After the autumn harvest, the focus of Zhao's work was to support Shangdang's operations. The news that the Qin Army will send 200,000 troops to capture Shangdang in October has long been known to every household in Handan. Whether it is the royal family or the countryside, everyone is worried and confident, and they have decided to try their best to win Shangdang even to the death. Party defense battle!
