In June in the Central Plains, the weather is very hot, and there is not a trace of cool breeze anywhere. In the Chu army's military camp, the flags hanging everywhere were lazily motionless. In the evening, on the green camping ground, the soldiers lay down to enjoy the cool air, while everyone rested and drove away the mosquitoes that harassed them. The next day, when the sun rose, many soldiers hid in the tents again. The heat was unbearable at noon and afternoon, and some soldiers even suffered from heatstroke, and in severe cases they vomited. At this time, drinking water has become an urgent need for everyone. Some people are fine even if they don't eat a meal, but if they don't drink water for a while, they will become resentful. Under such circumstances, the Chu army soldiers managed to hold on until early July.
The Chu army's military camp was stationed outside Gong County, and there was no major battle with the Qin army in this period of time. However, at this time, the State of Qin had received reports from Zhao Bi one after another, saying that Liu Bang's army was entrenched in Sanchuan and refused to evacuate. This naturally caused Zhao Gao to panic again. He believed that the Chu army's ultimate goal was to attack Luoyang and Hangu. Guanzhong, the troops in Guanzhong were constantly mobilized. Since then, Xianyang has become an empty city. Under such circumstances, Zhang Liang sized up the situation and advised Pei Gong to evacuate Gong County. When everyone arrived at Goushi, Zhang Liang asked Pei Gong to leave Cao and Fan to guard the city. Xiao He, Zhang Cang, Jin Qiang, Jin She, Wang Sui, Fu Kuan, Zhao Ou, Xue Ou, Chen Bi, Lu Ze, Lu Shizhi, Zhou Chang, Wuru and others guarded Sheyuan Pass and asked them to send troops from time to time to disturb the Qin army on the south bank of the Luo River to attract Qin's attention. The remaining troops all retreated to Yingchuan.
Pei Gong and Zifang came to Yangdi. The King of Han personally went out of the city to greet him. After everyone entered the city, they sat down in the temple. King Han asked what the situation in Luoyang was like. Zifang reported on the situation that the Qin army was powerful and difficult to capture. King Han asked Pei Gong: "Since Sanchuan is not easy to capture, how can the general enter Guanzhong?" Pei Gong said: "Now the Qin people have ignored Wuguan. I plan to follow Zhang Situ's suggestion and find another way to attack Wuguan south." King Han said: "You have all left. What will happen if the Qin army comes to attack Yingchuan again?" Pei Gong said: "The Feng family is guarded by generals Cao and Fan, and Xiao He is guarding Sheyuan Pass. The Qin army will definitely not invade the pass. If I If we can capture Wuguan as soon as possible, we will destroy the Qin State. Zhao Ben's defense of Luoyang will be meaningless! Now the army consumes a lot of food every day, so it is better to save the food and attack Qinguan." The King of Han said with great joy: "In this case, I have nothing to worry about. I wonder when the general will raise his troops?" Pei Gong said: "I plan to leave tomorrow." Zifang said: "The generals are tired and the weather is hot, so it is better to wait until the beginning of autumn before setting off. It's not too late!" Pei Gong said: "Don't you always say, 'Soldiers are more valuable than speed'? If we delay, we are afraid that the Qin people will send more troops to Wuguan." After listening to Pei Gong's words, Zifang said, "Well, tomorrow I will go with you Your Majesty sends the general to the expedition, and I wish you immediate success!" After hearing this, Duke Pei hurriedly asked Zifang: "Won't you, sir, enter the pass with me?" Zifang replied: "I will stay and defend Yingchuan, so General Then there will be no worries." Pei Gong said: "Sir, thanks to your planning along the way, everything has improved. However, conquering Wuguan did not happen overnight. Such an arduous task, without Sir's planning, I would be really sad. There is no bottom yet!" King Han said: "If Situ leaves me, I will lose my right and left hands." Pei Gong said to King Han: "Your Majesty is right, but entering the pass to destroy Qin is of great importance. If I don't have Mr. , It seems that I have lost my left and right hands. I boldly request that the king allow me to temporarily borrow Mr. Zifang. When I enter the pass and destroy the Qin State, I will return him to the king. I wonder what the king wants?" King Han asked. Why? "It's just that I have to discuss things with him sooner or later." Seeing that the king of Han refused to let the ovary go, Pei Gong simply knelt on the ground and sincerely begged: "Your Majesty, I hope you will have mercy on the people in Guanzhong. They look forward to us just like a farmer looks forward to manna on a drought day! Now that Mr. Zifang won't go with me, I will be like a blind man touching an elephant, crossing the river blindly. I hope your Majesty can understand my difficulties at this moment." After saying this, he couldn't even kneel for a long time. rise.
Seeing that Pei Gong was like this, Zifang was greatly moved. He stepped forward to help Pei Gong up and said, "Since General Liu thinks I am very useful, Zhang is willing to do your best!" When Pei Gong saw that Zifang agreed to his request, he was moved to tears. When his face was full of tears, he bowed deeply to the ovary. With this bow, he actually paid tribute to the four hundred years of Han Dynasty's foundation. This is called Haofeng's power to rise to the top. For Mr. Zifang, isn’t this what he wants? Ten years ago, he assassinated the First Emperor in Bolangsha. From then on, he began to assassinate Qin and seek Qin. It should be said that he was the first great hero to set off an anti-Qin wave in Shandong. Now that the time is ripe and the strength is available, it is a good time to destroy Qin. There is a saying that 'stones from other mountains can be used to attack jade'. A wise man is one who borrows the strength of others for his own use. "Borrowing strength" is a kind of open-mindedness, it is also a kind of wisdom, and it is also the highest state that can achieve great things. In other words, only unity has strength and cooperation can lead to success. "Leverage" means gathering the wisdom of many people and combining forces from multiple aspects to achieve the goal of success. Pei Gong's strength borrowed from Zifang's plan, and Zifang's plan also borrowed from Pei Gong's strength. This kind of historical precedent of borrowing the strength of others to achieve great things was started by Zhang Liang and Liu Bang. This is also very worthy of reference and learning for future generations who want to do great things. One poem sighed:
Heroes have been courageous since ancient times, and Kunpeng spreads his wings in the present day.
Look at the sails. If the weather is smooth, you won't be afraid of the stormy waves.
At that moment, Zifang said to King Han again: "Your Majesty, the Han Kingdom is basically stable now. There is nothing else to worry about. What I am worried about is that the Qin Dynasty has not yet been destroyed. Now the time is very good to enter the pass. If we can destroy the Qin Kingdom, why not?" What is the wish of all of us?" When King Han saw what Zifang said, he said, "Well, I will just wait for the good news in Yingchuan. I hope you will make great achievements soon and destroy the violent Qin Dynasty!" Suddenly someone from your highness stepped forward and shouted loudly Qingying said: "Your Majesty, I am also willing to contribute a small amount to follow Situ into the pass to destroy Qin!" When King Han saw it, it turned out to be Gongzi Xin. He was the concubine and grandson of the original King Xiang of Han Dynasty. , Kong Wu was strong, and he said happily: "If you have a young master entering the pass, you can also bring glory to me!" Zifang asked the young master Xin to lead the Han army to obey Pei Gong's command. Pei Gong said to Zifang again: "Sir, do we have nothing to worry about now?" Zifang said frankly: "I am worried about something else." Pei Gong asked what it was. Zifang said: "Although I am relieved at Shenyuan Pass, I am worried that what will happen if Zhao Ben leaves Xingyang and comes from the north to take the back road of Yingchuan?" Pei Gong said cheerfully: "What's so difficult about this? I'll let it go again. If Zhou Bo goes to guard Xinzheng, Yingchuan will be safe." He summoned Zhou Bo to give instructions, and then said to Li Shiqi, "Sir, you are very resourceful. I would like to trouble you to guard Xinzheng with you this time, so I can rest assured." "Li Shiqi accepted the mission and set off with Zhou Bo. Only then did Zhang Liang feel relieved and said to Pei Gong: "This way we will no longer have any worries when we go south!" Pei Gong was overjoyed.
Early the next morning, the Chu-Korean coalition forces gathered in the southern suburbs of Yangzhai. Suddenly, a military spy from the Korean army came to report that Nanyang County Governor Lu Jue had arrived to defend Yangcheng. He also ordered various places to strictly guard against death. Anyone who easily loses the city and land will be punished. Destroy the entire clan. Pei Gong laughed and said, "This is all because Yang Xiong was scared." When Zifang heard that the Nanyang County Sheriff was personally guarding Yangcheng, he quickly opened the map to observe. After a while, he said to Pei Gong: "We should send a team "A surprise army." Peigong asked, "What is a surprise army?" Zifang said, "When the two sides are facing each other, suddenly an army with a surprise attack attacks the enemy. They have the effect of turning the situation around." Then he pointed to a road on the map. Said: "Look, Mr. Pei, this road was walked from south to north when King Chuzhuang aspired to conquer the Central Plains. If we send an army to go in the opposite direction and suddenly reach the north of Wancheng, we will have a surprise victory." effect." Then he suggested that Pei Gong divide the army into three groups. He said: "The first group is called the Right Army, led by General Guan Ying. It moves westward along the Ying River upstream, crosses the Funiu Mountains, and then goes south through the Xichuan River Valley. A surprise attack on Li County. Li County is north of Wancheng and plays a great role in capturing Nanyang. This road is called 'surprise attack'. If General Guan can arrive in advance, Wancheng will naturally be under control." Guan Ying said. Accepted the mission. Zifang added: "This second route is called the Central Route Army. It will be led by Pei Gong yourself. We will take the southwest road and attack the enemy from the front. This is called the 'main army'." Pei Gong said in surprise: "Very good, sir." He knows the roads of the world so well, it can be said that he has good intentions to punish the violent Qin Dynasty!" Zifang continued: "This third route is called the left route army, led by General Li Shang, and can attack Ye County directly. Then go south to capture Huyang City south of Wancheng, so that our three armies will form a north-south pincer attack on Nanyang. This army can be called the 'auxiliary army', which means assisting the main army in combat." Li Shang accepted it. Task. After hearing Zifang's military strategy, Pei Gong was so impressed that he sent an order: "The three armies are firing cannons and set off immediately. We must securely capture Nanyang!"
On the official road leading to Nanyang, Pei Gong's troops marched in order without making any mistakes. People along the way heard about Pei Gong's benevolence and righteousness, and lined the streets to greet him. When they arrived at Jian County, they suddenly came to report that the county magistrate Huan Qi had ordered the city to be defended and that the Chu army could not be allowed to pass. Pei Gong marched his troops forward, and when they came to the city, he ordered his sergeants to call for formation. After a while, the city gate opened, and the county captain Guo Kai was seen coming out of the city. He is fully clothed, about thirty years old, and wields a long halberd, which is very majestic. Duke Pei ordered Xia Houying to fight. Xiahou Ying galloped to the battlefield. The two fought for more than ten rounds, but Guo Kai was defeated and fled back to the city. Guo Kai came to the city and said to the county magistrate: "The generals of Chu are very skilled in martial arts, but they cannot win in a duel!" The county magistrate summoned everyone and said, "The governor has an order. If we don't fight to the death, Yang Xiong will be an example!" Therefore, Qin Everyone in the army defended the city together with the determination to fight to the death. Seeing that the Qin army was not coming out, Pei Gong had no choice but to send an order to besiege the city. However, the surrounding area was relatively flat and blocked by a moat, so the Chu army could not attack the city, so they used stone carts to attack the city from a distance. The large stones hit the Qin army with bloody heads and no way to hide.
After several days of stalemate, the county magistrate Huan Qi became increasingly unconfident, so he discussed a solution with everyone. Wei Shu, the county magistrate, said: "I heard that Liu Bang was an invincible hero in the snake-killing uprising, and even Zhang Liang gave him advice. He is a powerful enemy! Since Liu Bang's invasion of the west, Wang Li, Yang Xiong, Qiang Yuan, and Zhao Ben have not been Our opponents, let alone us!" The county magistrate Huan Qi asked what should be done. Wei Shu said: "Liu Bang is the leader of the thieves. If we can get rid of him, everything will be settled." Guo Kaidao said: "Liu Bang doesn't know how to go into battle, how can we get rid of him?" Wei Shu thought for a while and said: "I There is a plan to get rid of Liu Bang!" Huan Qi asked what the plan was. Wei Shu said: "Send a letter to them tonight, saying that we are willing to surrender, and specially invite Liu Bang to the city to discuss the matter. After Liu Bang enters the city, your Excellency will have a banquet in his honor, and we will find some songs. Ji dancers added to the fun. I heard that Liu Bang was drunk and lustful, and he would definitely get carried away. When the thief got drunk, your Excellency used it as a sign to break the cup, and our soldiers suddenly rushed out and killed Liu Bang in the middle of the table. In this way, the rebel army will be leaderless and will defeat itself without attacking, and we in Nanyang will have peace of mind." Huan Qi thought for a while and said happily: "We have no other choice but to take this risky move, because we are afraid that Liu Bang will not dare to enter the city. Ah!" Wei Shu said: "If he dares not enter the city, we will find excuses to humiliate him." The county magistrate was overjoyed and wrote a fake letter of surrender at that time.
After dark, Peigong was discussing matters with Zifang and others. Suddenly someone came in and said that the enemy had shot a letter from the city, which happened to hit the flagpole of the Chinese army. Pei Gong opened the letter and saw that it read:
Huan Qi received the trust of the county governor and should not have had second thoughts about the country. But judging from the current situation, using the tiny land of Nanyang to resist your 100,000-strong army is simply hitting an egg against a stone. Nanyang's generals, whether wise or foolish, knew exactly what the outcome would be. But some time ago, Zhao Gao was killed because General Yang Xiong did not fight well. And even if those of us fight desperately, we will inevitably be killed in the end. Now please invite the general to negotiate in person. We are willing to reach a consensus with the general and then give up resistance to save the lives of the soldiers and civilians in the city. The book is full of words, and I bow to you with tears in my eyes. Please don’t doubt it.
Pei Gong gave the letter to Zifang for viewing. After reading it, Zifang said: "The reasons seem to be sufficient, but it is difficult to distinguish between true and false." Everyone discussed it together. Ji Xin said: "Pei Gong, why don't we use the trick and try it in the city?" Xia Houying said: "What if the enemy is cheating?" Ji Xin said with confidence: "If you don't break into the dragon pool and the tiger's den, how can you get the dragon and the tiger? Besides, Huan Qi We are all rats, so what are we afraid of? If I don’t go to the city today, I will still be laughed at by them. I look very similar to Pei Gong, so I am willing to disguise myself as Pei Gong and go to the city to negotiate. Even if the enemy has a conspiracy, should I be afraid of a little kid? A young county magistrate?" When Xia Houying heard this, he felt very bold and said, "Yes, yes, the two of us are willing to go to the city to negotiate. If the enemy plays any tricks, we will act as internal agents." Zifang listened to the two of them. He saw that Ji Xin looked like Pei Gong, so he praised him: "This is a wonderful plan! After you two enter the city, if something unexpected happens, send a signal immediately. We will attack from inside and outside, and the city will be within easy reach!" Let Pei Gong and Ji Xin changed his clothes. Ji Xin put on Pei Gong's clothes, and he really looked like Pei Gong. Everyone praised together: "These are just like twins!" Pei Gong was overjoyed. After everyone had made a plan, they gathered around Ji Xin and came outside the camp. Ji Xin came to the city gate and said to the Qin army: "I, Liu Bang, are sincerely discussing matters with you. I hope you will not deceive me!" Then he walked towards the city with Xia Houying and a hundred soldiers. Sure enough, the county magistrate opened the city gate, but he only allowed Ji Xin, Xia Houying and a dozen other sergeants to enter the city, while the rest were blocked at the city gate. Zifang already knew that the county magistrate was cheating, so he asked Pei Gong to prepare for the attack.
The county magistrate led Ji Xin and Xia Houying to sit down in the lobby of the government office, and both parties greeted each other politely. There was not much time, wine and meat were all served, and a dozen girls came in to dance for fun. Ji Xin also pretended to be very happy. During the dinner, Huan Qi, Wei Shu, Guo Kai and other officials toasted to Ji Xin. Ji Xin and Xia Houying were very vigilant and reluctantly drank a few drinks. After a while, Ji Xin pretended to be drunk and stared at the girl, looking like a playboy with no ambitions. He then took Huan Qi's hand and said, "I captured Nanyang under the orders of King Huai. If you surrender to the Chu State, and if I am made king in the future, I will definitely let you be my prime minister!" Then he said something very boring. Deliberately delaying time. The officials of Qin State showed disdain when they saw "Pei Gong" behaved like this. Wei Shu, the county magistrate, saw that Pei Gong was indeed a useless person, so he winked at Huan Qi contemptuously. Huan Qi suddenly broke away from Ji Xin and smashed the cup to the ground. When the singers saw this, they were so frightened that they fled away. Suddenly there were sounds of killing outside, and a group of armored soldiers rushed into the mansion. Ji Xin suddenly rushed over with a vigorous stride, first snatched away the magistrate's sword, and then hijacked Huan Qi. Xia Houying was even more discerning and quick. He suddenly pulled out his sword and stabbed Guo Kai to death in the hall. Then he held the sword in his hand and shouted: "Anyone who acts rashly will be killed!" At this time, the soldiers saw that the county magistrate was being held hostage by Ji Xin. , and they didn’t dare to take action. At this moment, someone had already fired a cannon outside the door. When Pei Gong and Zifang heard the sound, they immediately led their troops to attack the city. The Chu army at the city gate slashed the Qin army with their swords, and soon the city gate was opened.
When Pei Gong came to the government office, Huan Qi found two Pei Gongs appearing. He was so shocked that his jaw almost dropped. Pei Gong looked at Huan Qi and yelled, "Why did you lie to me, you bitch?" Huan Qi shouted for mercy. Pei Gong did not kill him. Then ask whose bad idea this was. Wei Shu said loudly: "It was my idea!" Pei Gong looked at Wei Shu and said: "Didn't you say that Nanyang is a small place? Why are you still resisting the Chu army?" Wei Shuyi said sternly: "We have done our duty for the country. , if it is not God's will, how can we hand over the city to others?" Pei Gong said: "Since it is God's will, you have surrendered me, and I can still do something in the future." Wei Shu said loudly: "A strong man would rather die than surrender! If you want to kill him, please do as you please!" Pei Gong was furious and ordered his sergeants to escort Wei Shu out. Wei Shu continued to curse him until his death. Huan Qi collapsed on the ground and couldn't get up. Pei Gong then occupied Jixian County.
