In order to allow Zhao Jun to occupy a favorable position to wait for work when the war started, Lin Xiangru tried his best to meet the expenses on the front line, including building three luxurious lines of defense! If the Qin army can be made to retreat despite the difficulties, these expenses will be worth it.
With Lin Xiangru's shrewdness, he would naturally wonder if he had fallen into Qin's trap. But what to say about this? If you win the battle, any price is worth it; and how much price are you willing to pay to increase the possibility of winning? Especially when the consequences of losing are particularly serious! No matter what, he couldn't say "Let's just complete the most basic ones."
Supporting hundreds of thousands of people in two years will have obvious harm to the national economy. Although there has not yet been a shortage, the decline in output is obvious, which is a direct result of the decline in labor force. Although Shangdang is not an important grain-producing area, there is no problem in maintaining the lives of local residents. The best of Shangdang was deployed to participate in the construction of defense projects. All Shangdang's farmland was abandoned, and tens of thousands of households and 170,000 people needed Handan to supply food. And these people cannot be dismissed just yet: all kinds of logistical support for the soldiers are impossible without the people. In fact, within the Shangdang defense line, there are a wide variety of services, including medical, entertainment, catering... There are also many people who invite friends to the defense area to make money, and the defense area even appears prosperous. The appearance of the market.
But the basis of prosperity is that Handan can provide necessary food. After two years of consumption and poor harvests, Handan had exhausted its grain reserves and was no longer able to meet the needs of the Shangdang. Economic depression gradually appeared in the Changping Defense Zone.
Ever since Lian Po took the initiative, Wang Hao would send troops out to attack Zhao Jun's barriers every now and then, as if he had stung a hornet's nest. The attack was obviously in the nature of military training and exercises. At the beginning, it was just to familiarize the soldiers with the terrain, orders and flags, and then various tactical coordination. Generally, the attack would retreat when the Zhao army was within the range of the bow and arrow. Or one thousand or two thousand, and they were launched in various areas one after another. Sometimes large-scale offensive battles involving tens of thousands of people were organized. After a long time, Zhao Jun became a little tired and his defense was unavoidable. However, Wang Lu seized an opportunity and attacked the barrier in one fell swoop, killing more than a thousand of the defenders. Then before Zhao Jun's reinforcements arrived, they burned the barriers and voluntarily withdrew.
With this lesson learned, Zhao Jun no longer dared to take it lightly. Every time the Qin Army attacked, they also took the initiative to practice defensive tactics. Both sides are in good shape and are determined to confront each other.
Wang Hao felt that Zhao Jun's combat effectiveness had declined. It was already mid-June. The soldiers of the Qin Army noticed that their attack path was covered with traces of arrows shot by Zhao Jun, indicating that Zhao Jun could shoot arrows farther away many days ago, but now, their physical strength has declined and the arrows have been shot. Can't shoot that far.
Wang Lu immediately reported the situation to Bai Qi...
After receiving Bai Qi's report, Zhang Lu ended the negotiations with Zheng and Zhu, but personally sent Zheng and Zhu to Hangu Pass to express his gratitude to Zheng and Zhu for their efforts in maintaining the alliance between the two countries. At this time, five thousand swordsmen mixed with the 20,000 prisoners in Guanzhong and entered Hedong. Prisoners from Beidi and Shangjun led their animals and loaded many supplies into Hedong.
The land in Guanzhong was filled with dust and crowds of people.
Although all those recruited were prisoners, the knights, who served as grassroots officers at all levels, still mobilized a considerable number of peasants.
Zheng Zhu returned to Handan and reported the negotiation process to King Zhao in detail. In King Zhao's opinion, sending Zheng Zhu was just to provide cover for Tian Dan, and he did not expect any results in the first place. The impact of Zheng and Zhu's peace talks with Qin on the princes was beyond King Zhao's expectation, and there was no obvious sign.
After Zheng Zhu returned, the Qin State conducted a large-scale military conscription in Guanzhong, which was immediately detected by various countries. Everyone seemed to suddenly realize at this time that since the Shangdang war, there has been no recruitment of troops in the Guanzhong area of Qin State!
Now Qin is going to take action! Everyone thinks so. The same is true for the kings and ministers of Zhao State.
King Zhao was completely panicked. He had tried his best, even exhausted, when he suddenly realized that the other party had only made one move. This almost made him despair!
Lian Po is on the front line, and Tian Dan has not returned yet. The only person in Zhao who is famous for his military skills is Keqing Leyi. Le Yi was very old. He had a son and a nephew who were officials in the State of Yan. He and his other sons lived outside the city of Handan. When the Five Kingdoms conquered Qi more than 20 years ago, Le Yi was the commander-in-chief of the allied forces, and Tian Dan was the general of Qi. The two were once life-and-death opponents on the battlefield, but now they are living together in Zhao for retirement. One is a guest minister, and the other is a guest. Xiangguo is really a man of fate.
At the suggestion of Lord Pingyang and Lord Pingyuan, King Zhao summoned Le Yi.
King Zhao said: "Zhao has conquered the seventeenth city of the Dang, but is hostile to Qin. Now we are at odds with Qin in Changping, and the outcome is difficult to decide. I would like to hear your advice and teach me."
Le Yi said: "I heard that Shangdang is in Hancheng. What can I do about Zhao Dezhi?"
Lord Pingyuan explained: "King Ye of Han under Qin cut off the way of Taihang. Han wanted to offer his party to peace with Qin, but the governor of Shangdang did not want to return to Qin, so he went to Zhao. All Zhao ministers took seventeen cities, which was a great benefit. Even though millions of people fought for years, it was still possible to capture it. So we attacked and captured it with the army, and then fought against Qin."
Le Yi said: "Zhao Shangqing is Lianpo, brave and resourceful, and has a good command of the art of war. He can be a general."
Lord Pingyuan said: "I sincerely accept Lian Qing as my general. I have been at odds with Qin for two years now."
Le Yi was surprised and said: "It is extraordinary for both Zhao and Qin to be able to maintain a stalemate for two years without seeing a winner or lose. Who is the general of Qin who would like to hear about it?"
Lord Pingyuan said: "Qin General Wang Lu and Gongsun Qi!"
Le Yi said: "Gongsun Qi has always heard of his name, but Wang Lu has never heard of him."
Prince Pingyuan said: "This son started out in the army, and heard that he was promoted to the rank of Zuo Shu Chief with his merits."
Le Yi said: "Since he has joined the army, he must be a good fighter."
Prince Pingyuan said: "He has a force of 40,000 people, and he has a force of 200,000, but he is unyielding and is a sincere and brave general!"
Le Yi was shocked and said: "Forty thousand against two hundred thousand?! How can Qing Lian be so clumsy? Shangdang stretches for hundreds of miles, with high mountains and dangerous obstacles, and traps at every step. The art of war is to attack in five ways. If you attack it, you will definitely defeat it."
Mr. Pingyuan said with some embarrassment: "Lian Qing's army commander Ping, take up the base and defend it!"
Le Yi said: "I would like to hear about the situation in Shangdang's mountains and rivers."
King Zhao immediately ordered the minister to bring a large map of Shangdang's mountains and rivers and spread it between the four people at the table. Mr. Pingyuan pointed with his fingers and introduced with his mouth. After talking for a long time, he told all about Zhao Jun's arrangements in Changping.
Le Yi listened to the introduction attentively, asked about some details carefully, and then fell into deep thought.
Lord Pingyuan asked: "What's wrong with Zhao's military strategy?"
Le Yi said: "No. I should have something to think about. In the past, I was ordered by the king to attack Qi. The five kingdoms attacked each other and went straight to more than 70 cities of Qi. But why can't Ju and Jimo be conquered?"
Lord Pingyuan said: "Everyone knows how to attack and defend Lord Anping, and he strives to protect the two cities."
Le Yi sneered and said: "Although Lord Anping is wise and brave, he can only protect Jimo, how can he protect Ju?"
Lord Pingyuan asked: "What's the way?"
Le Yi said: "Every city must have something that can be defended, and the soldiers are called the city. If the city is big but the soldiers are few, it will not be strong; if the city is small but there are many soldiers, it will be wasteful. If the two are proportional, the defense will be strong. The other seven The twelve cities are large and have few soldiers, so they are not solid. As for Jimo and Ju, the cities are no more than three miles long, the soldiers are no more than 10,000 people, and the people are less than 100,000. They are small and large in proportion. Therefore, although there are 100,000 people, I can't do anything. also."
Mr. Pingyuan seemed to vaguely realize what the problem was, and asked hurriedly: "The guardian of Changping, is the small one not worthy of the big one?"
Le Yi said: "Changping has hundreds of miles of mountains, hundreds of miles of waterways, and hundreds of miles between mountains and rivers. Every three hundred miles, 90,000 steps, one pawn per step, is equivalent to 90,000 pawns. Zhao defended it with 100,000, not too many. . However, in this land, if you defend the mountains, you cannot defend the water, and if you defend the water, you cannot defend the mountains. The front and rear do not protect each other, and the left and right do not correspond. Even if you set up camps and form battles with the enemy in the field, they cannot be hundreds of miles away. How can you defend them! He has an army of 30,000 people. Then they are enemies; fifty thousand will be defeated! Therefore, the army is increased to two hundred thousand to respond to the emergency. When Qin attacks the mountains, the defenders of the water are in vain; when the water is attacked, the defenders of the mountains are in vain. Zhao defends three sides, and Qin When it comes to attacking one side, Qin's one can be as good as Zhao's three. Even if it can defend against the enemy, it has twice as much food and grass as the enemy, and twice as many soldiers as it does in the formation, how can it continue?"
Lord Pingyuan said anxiously: "Is this a sure defeat? We have five armies against Qin, but there is no way to win. Why?"
Le Yi said: "This is why the art of war is to encircle it at ten points, attack it at five points, and divide it when doubled. If the enemy is small, it can fight it. If it is small, it can escape from it. If it is not strong, it can avoid it. There is no way to defend it by five points. .”
Lord Pingyuan said: "Lian Qing attacked him but failed to win."
Le Yi said: "Why attack it?"
Lord Pingyuan only learned a little bit of information from Lian Po's report, so he could only reply vaguely: "Attack the wall and attack it!"
Le Yi asked with great interest: "Qin Yibi?"
Lord Pingyuan pointed in front of a valley and said: "Qinbi is in front of the mountain."
Le Yi said: "The geometry of its walls?"
Mr. Pingyuan said: "It can be forty or fifty miles."
Le Yi said: "Forty or fifty miles away, banners and flags look at each other, and golden drums hear each other. If there is an emergency, we will arrive in one day and help each other on the left and right! But there are 20,000 soldiers, which is enough to defend it."
Lord Pingyuan said: "I heard that half of them were defending the wall, and half were attacking me. The Zhao army guarding the wall will not be able to bear their disturbance."
Le Yi said: "The two walls are only ten miles apart. Attacking them with a small army is the right way to use troops. But a large army has no use for its weapons."
King Zhao suddenly asked: "If you want to win, what should you do?"
Le Yi said: "Changping is small and small, which is not conducive to a big battle. If I have a plan, I should abandon Changping and defend Shangdang. The land is open and the mountains and rivers are continuous, which is the right place for military force. With five enemies and one, I will win the battle. .”
King Zhao said: "I abandoned Changping and retreated to Shangdang. What will happen if Qin sends a large army to attack? Gongsun rises and slaughters people. He is quite good at field fighting and has no enemy. Lian Qing blocks it with barriers, but he can still be an enemy. If Pingye resists, I fear that the disasters of Yique and Huayang will happen again!"
Le Yi bowed down at the banquet and said, "Being discouraged before fighting is the way to defeat. May the king fight for it!"
In one sentence, King Zhao blushed. He always put his breath in the position of passively being beaten. He tried every means not to be beaten and the beating was not too painful. He never thought of taking the initiative to attack. Once the attack was frustrated, he immediately retreated to the barrier, even if he had several times. He did not dare to fight against the enemy's strength. There is only one word to describe all of this: fear of the enemy! Especially the fear of Bai Qi!
