One Hundred and Fifty One Yangping Pass
Zhang Hu sent two personal guards across the river to report the news, asking the defenders to abandon Jianzhou and rush to Zhaohua from the west to meet him. Jianmen Pass is a natural barrier, but it is mainly to prevent the enemy from entering Kou Bashu from the north. There is no danger on the south side, and it will definitely not be able to stop Sun Jie's army, so it is better to conserve strength. When the Jianzhou garrison was ordered to set off, General Lu Guangyu had already led the team into Yangping Pass.
Yangping Pass guards the throat of Sichuan and Shaanxi, and its geographical location is extremely important. Not far to the northeast is the rich granary: the Hanzhong Plain. If you go eastward along the Weishui River, your troops will be able to approach Xi'an, and to the south is the important town of Guangyuan in northern Sichuan. The strange soldiers coming out of this are the unsheathed swords. , along the Jialing River and past Jiange, you can go straight into the heart of the Kingdom of Abundance! During the Three Kingdoms period, Shu and Wei had many battles here. It is precisely for this reason that Yangping Pass is different from most of the passes such as Shanhaiguan and Tongguan that emphasize one-way defense. Both the north and south sides are built to be easy to defend but difficult to attack, like copper walls and iron walls.
Because he came from Shaanxi and knew what was going on there, Zhang Hu never considered the threat from the north. Similarly, Fang Ge naturally didn't take it seriously. He suddenly heard the news that a large army was invading, and he felt really scared. If you are afraid of returning, you have to hold off for a while, otherwise Sun Jie will block Baoning from the south, and the army will come over from the north, and the battle will be impossible to fight. Fortunately, Lizhouwei is the home base, with the right location and people, which has considerable advantages. Fang Ge did not move the battalion left in Jianzhou, thinking that with three combat battalions and five thousand auxiliary soldiers, how could he resist for a while, but if it didn't work, there was a way out to retreat to Jiange. Anyway, we have plenty of food, so we can defend Jianmen Pass in the north and Baoning Mansion in the south, so we can use it up. Fang Ge, who was born in the army, also knew that as long as he persisted for a little longer, the civil servants would definitely use their brains to spend money on troops. If the dog officers and soldiers were hungry for a while, they would have a chance to change the situation.
He rushed to the Lizhou Guard in a hurry, fearing that the officers and soldiers would come and kill him in one go. The battalion left in the old nest has the worst combat effectiveness, and most of them are old and weak. Logically speaking, there is no shortage of troops or money and food now, but these are the old men of Lizhou Guard. They can't be sent to be auxiliary soldiers, right? People in the army relied on loyalty, not to mention that many of them were uncles who had watched him grow up, so Fang Ge left them in Lizhou Wei to look after his family. There are only a few hundred people here, and it is impossible to stop any even remotely threatening attack!
However, when everyone rushed to Chaotian Pass under the stars and the moon, they saw that the camp was the same as before. The guys were drinking and gambling, and there were many old guys leaning against the wall lazily, picking lice to hide in the shade and setting up the Dragon Gate Formation. It was as if he had no idea that the imperial army was close at hand! After detailed questioning, I found out that everyone was really scared to death at first, and some of the timid ones actually fled into the mountains. However, after waiting for a long time, they still didn't see the army coming. A few of them had the courage to go over and peep. It turned out that the soldiers and horses of the imperial court were stationed at Yangping Pass and would never take a step forward again! There is nothing dangerous and there is food and drink in the camp. Who would want a cat to feed wild mosquitoes in the forest? So they all returned to the camp.
The most reassuring thing for everyone is what happened to Ma Laoliu and the others: Ma Laoliu was greedy, and the guys who brought his fruit secretly set traps on hares outside. Unexpectedly, they bumped into the same guys who were sneaking out of the seclusion. Seven or eight officers and soldiers looking for game to eat as a sacrifice! When they met each other on the mountain, both sides were naturally shocked. After a stalemate for a while, the officers and soldiers took the lead in greeting each other, saying that they were just trying to make ends meet, and there was no force from the superiors, so no matter what they were doing, they had to chop the other to death. ? There were only five people on Ma Laoliu's side, so of course they were eager not to do anything. One person was carrying a rabbit, and someone was carrying a wine gourd on the other. In the end, both parties actually roasted and ate the rabbit together! Finally, the group of officers and soldiers said that when leaving the customs, they would fire a few muskets to report the news to here - the exchange condition is that if they fall into the hands of the Sichuan Army brothers, they must be open to the outside world and don't make it difficult for the brothers... When Ma Laoliu and the others returned to the camp in triumph like heroes, with their breasts full of wine and their breasts full of wine, the news spread immediately!
What else are you worried about?
After listening to the old guys' talk, Fang Ge felt moved and asked someone to call Ma Laoliu. After asking carefully for a long time, he gradually got an idea. Especially when I heard that the other party would send out troops as a warning, I remembered that there was a big treasure in the arsenal of Chaotian Pass, and I quickly had someone drag it out - God bless it, it looks like it can still be used!
After resting in the camp for two days, and seeing that the physical and morale of the two battalions he brought had almost recovered, Fang Ge took a few guards and ran to Yangping Pass to observe the enemy's situation. Judging from what happened to Ma Laoliu, the morale of this group of officers and soldiers is very problematic. However, the situation on our side is not much better - the original two combat barracks were only organized into two battalions, and they were neither fully equipped nor dissatisfied. Now we have the personnel and equipment, but we have hardly fought any battles. If we really take action, we may not be much stronger than the officers and soldiers on the opposite side. But the auxiliary army is much stronger. After all, we have the structure of an auxiliary army camp and a rough chain of command here. It is said that the auxiliary soldiers there are militiamen who were forcibly brought along along the way. They have to have people watching at all times. If they are not careful, they will Running, this is a big advantage when the time comes. Once the two sides get into position, there must be more people on their side. If they shout in unison for a while, some of the auxiliary soldiers on the opposite side should be scared away, right? As long as someone runs away, the soldiers will be afraid... Well, I have to explain to the officers of the auxiliary barracks later that if I watch these guys, as long as the other party can't hold on and run away first, they will almost win... But, hope Looking at the towering pass wall, Fang Ge was still full of worries: With his own soldiers, forcefully attacking the pass is definitely a dead end. If he wants to relieve the pressure from the north, he can only do it through field battles - how can he draw out the officers and soldiers?
Looking at the many colorful flags on the wall, it seems that the momentum of the officers and soldiers is not small. In addition to various triangular command flags with very familiar shapes, there are also many long flags with many words written on them. Even though he was illiterate, Fang Ge also knew the tactics of "Following orders to fight against rebels" and "Following orders to pacify thieves" - which shows that the court attached great importance to it. Since the imperial court pays attention to it, sooner or later they will have to come over. The civil servants will never let them waste away eating food and making money in vain! Fang Ge knew the behavior of civil servants very well.
How to lure them out quickly?
Not only does he understand the behavior of civil servants, but Fang Ge is also very familiar with the thoughts of generals: of course he will not take risks if he can avoid fighting, but if there is a big advantage in front of him... then naturally no one will let it go! Because I am a military attaché, if I put myself in his shoes, I would be the same way. Therefore, Fango had a preliminary idea. However, after thinking about it, it was still a bit risky and I was always hesitant.
What prompted Fang Ge to make up his mind was the messenger sent by Zhang Hu. Baoning has been lost, and the commander is running for his life here. He should arrive in two or three days. Behind them is Sun Jie's large army, which will be a day or two late at most. At that time, we were attacked from both sides and had no wings to fly, so we had no choice but to move in danger! Life or death, it all depends on God’s will.
General Lu Guangyu has been at Yangping Pass for five days. The high wall gave the brothers a lot of confidence, and the soldiers didn't run away very much. Now General Lu is worried about how to keep an eye on those damn country bumpkin folk until he kills a few unlucky guys and hangs their heads there. Around the shack, the phenomenon of escape has been curbed to a certain extent.
General Lu kept Master Xiu's three tips in mind. The storyteller once said that such a powerful and ever-victorious general, Zhao Zilong, had to rely on the three tips given by Mr. Zhuge to turn the situation around in an emergency? General Lu has been thinking about it, Zhao Zilong is so patient. If it were him, he would not open all the tips as soon as he came out of Mr. Zhuge's military camp, and let the master read them all to the general! It's better for Mr. Xiu to explain it all in one breath, so as not to suffocate himself to death! Well, the first one is to say "the enemy is invincible" and we have achieved it. The second one is that we are originally the commander of the Central Guard of Shaanxi Province. Even if we have some reputation, it is unlikely that it will spread to Sichuan Province. The thieves should be able to Disdainful? You have to find a way to make them prouder! The book says that arrogant soldiers will be defeated. As long as the thieves are arrogant, they will definitely be defeated! Can what is said in the book be wrong? But this third item is a bit difficult to deal with: How can the thief reveal his flaws?
Yesterday Lord Xiu sent a messenger to urge him to march, saying that the Holy Emperor was waiting to see the good news. The adults in the court had a lot of comments, saying that the march was too slow and that the troops were disturbing the people. Humph, they were all talking while standing and it didn't hurt! However, the Third Division of Shaanxi Province was very interested in Mr. Lao's favor and secretly told Mr. Xiu that Mr. Patrol Agent was going to report to the Holy One that we "cannot advance our troops and waste money and food"! But it’s true, Sir, you clearly said you would wait for the thief to reveal his flaws, but now you haven’t even seen a thief, so where are the flaws? Send someone back to ask... Well, General Lu is not stupid enough to take the initiative to scold him. I was rubbing my hands in embarrassment when I heard a commotion outside: The thieves are coming to attack!
Although he was a little scared, General Lu, who was neatly dressed, still forced himself to calm down and came to Guanxia. Hearing the shouts at the gate and outside the gate, General Lu suddenly felt an urgent need to urinate. He stood facing the wall for a long time without squeezing out a few drops. It was strange. His mouth was dry and there was no foam at all. The soldier handed him a water hyacinth. General Lu drank more than half of it in one go. Hey, the horse path going up the wall seemed a little steep today, and General Lu was trembling a little as he walked. However, he peeked at others and saw that everyone was doing this and no one noticed him. General Lu felt relieved and finally climbed up the gate.
Haha, there are only a thousand thieves, carrying only a few ladders, the others are holding large shields, walking slowly and timidly! It is simply God’s blessing to give this general a great achievement! Shoot me an arrow and hit! Fight to death! Throw stones, hit, smash these turtles to death! Before entering Sichuan, General Lu had already learned the famous Sichuan curse.
The soldiers on the wall also woke up from their initial fear and started shooting and throwing stones at the thieves below the wall. Although the distance is still far away, bows and arrows can reach it, and rocks can't hit people at all, but it is powerful! Sweat appeared on the forehead, everyone gradually became excited, and fear was temporarily forgotten.
"Bang!" There was a deafening explosion, and a burst of white smoke rose from the wall not far away - the Ningxia Central Guards had more than twenty muskets, and General Lu brought them all.
"Bang, bang!" Balls of white smoke rose up one after another, the gunmen opened fire, and cheers echoed from the wall. Regardless of whether the thief could be beaten or not, such a big movement made the morale of the brothers unprecedentedly high.
"The thief has been defeated!"
Suddenly someone pointed down and shouted.
"The thief has been defeated!"
"The thief escaped!"
"Don't run away, grandpa will catch you and skin you!"
The soldiers on the wall shouted excitedly.
The nasty white smoke made it difficult for General Lu to see clearly, but when he heard the brothers' cheerful cheers, General Lu could get a rough idea. He quickly ran to the crenel where there were no gun soldiers and looked out. He saw a dozen thieves lying on the ground. The other thieves supported each other and retreated into the distance. After running out of the range of the bow and arrow, many thieves abandoned their shields. Many swords, guns and flags were thrown on the ground, and some thieves were disarming themselves while running...
ah?
Is this a victory? Could it be a thief committing fraud? To pursue or not to pursue? What if this is the "easy victory" that the old man said? If you miss it like this, you must not be scolded to death by Master Xiu? That... the title of Commander-in-Chief has been lost!
The cautious General Lu was ready to test it: "The soldiers from Shizibao Camp and Yitiao City will go out to pursue! The generals from Anning Fort and Yehu Fort will guard the pass!"
Along the border wall (the Great Wall) from east to west, Yiyi Castle, Shizi Fort, Anning Fort, Bushuiwanyi, Yehu Castle, and Hongchengzi Fort were all under the jurisdiction of the Ningxia Central Guard. General Lu brought four battalions down. At this moment, General Lu was smart and decided to send half of his troops to pursue, while the other half stayed at the pass to respond.
Military orders are like mountains.
Despite a hundred reluctances and cursing in their hearts, the soldiers from Shizibao and Yichichi City trembled and opened the door, shouting loudly, and tentatively pushed towards the fleeing thieves in the distance step by step. The guys who stayed behind let out a sigh of relief, secretly rejoiced at their good fortune, and flattered General Lu, who was both wise and brave.
Seeing the door open, the thieves who were running leisurely to conserve their energy shouted and started to jog. Seeing this, the pursuers became emboldened. Those who were walking in front began to use their swords and guns to poke at the corpses of the thieves on the ground. Some even possessed them and reached into their arms to take them out... Hey, what did they take out and put into their arms? Could it be silver? sky! That guy pulled out a large piece of green silk! The defenders on the wall craned their necks and watched eagerly.
There were only a dozen corpses of thieves on the ground, and of course the pursuers walking behind couldn't get their turn. However, the fugitive thieves in the distance began to throw away their swords and guns, and the officers threw their untied armor pieces on the ground. ——Iron armor is a good thing that can save your life. Even if you can't keep it, if you give it to your superior, you will definitely be able to get a first-level beheading skill! So everyone quickened their pace and rushed over.
You can see more clearly on the wall. Resentment spread among the soldiers who had been rejoicing just now: Everyone was begging for food in the guard, why should those guys in the east get rich while we in the west can't get anything? Are we raised by stepmothers? So they all started shouting. With the noise on the wall, the thieves obviously fled faster. If they didn't catch up, they wouldn't even be able to eat hot shit! Encouraged by their respective subordinates, the officers surrounded General Lu, blushing and quarreling with excitement.
[Many readers guessed the easter egg yesterday. Leave the other half for tomorrow, hehe. 】
