The sky gradually darkens, and the night quietly opens. The candles used for the discussion were quietly lit at some point, and the flickering candlelight fell on everyone in the tent, reflecting the distorted shadows on the wall, which looked a bit ferocious.
"Your Majesty, the food is already cold. I want you to heat it up?" Chen Zhong said softly behind Zhao Yong.
Others in the tent also reacted suddenly and hurriedly stopped talking about the marching route.
Zhao Yongjing and Chen Zhong reminded him that he had not eaten for most of the day today except for eating some millet in Chenshi. After he suddenly woke up, he suddenly felt a little hungry in his stomach.
"Go and ask the cook to make some hot millet cakes and soup for everyone to share." Zhao Yong turned to Chen Zhong and said.
"Here!" After receiving the order, Chen Zhong hurried towards the outside of the palace.
"I would like to thank you, Your Majesty..." The ministers bowed hurriedly.
Zhao Yong waved his hand and looked at Kanyu Tu in the middle of the room again.
After planning a day's march, the map of Kantu has been covered with red lines.
Based on the information now known, the generals are now divided into two groups. One group advocates dividing the troops: after the army leaves Yanmen Pass in the north, the troops should be divided into two groups. The partial army went north to block Linhu near Sanggan River, and the main force went out from Matuo Pass (Ningwuguan) in the west, using the steep terrain to block Loufan's eastward exit. Then wait for Zhang Yuan's northern battalion to sweep away the remaining forces in Loufan's Yuluo area in the south, then go north to join the main force of Zhao's army and jointly attack Loufan's army.
This was also Zhao Yong's original idea. But now it doesn't seem appropriate.
At that time, he established it on the premise that Lin Hu's army would not intervene in the western war situation. In addition, with Wuzhou Fortress and Yundong Fortress behind him to contain it, King Lin Hu at that time did not dare to rush westward.
Now... Lin Hu has wiped out the two cities of Yundong and Wuzhou with lightning speed. Lin Hu's army no longer has any constraints on the rear. At this time, if he uses a partial army to resist, it may be difficult to resist.
And there is not enough time. Now that Zhang Yuan's Beiying has just fought with Lou Fan's commander Tu Li in Guodi, it will be impossible for him to break into Ningwuguan and attack the rear of Lou Fan's main force in a while.
Second: The Yanmen Pass army gathered in one place and went straight to Ningwuguan, striving to eliminate the main force of Lou Fan in one battle. The standing army of the two battalions in the east and west, plus the troops assembled in Daidi, totaled more than 30,000. The 30,000 Zhao army faced the 20,000 Loufan army. With the advantage of military strength and geographical advantage, Loufan would definitely be difficult to resist. But King Lin Hu would definitely not just watch Lou Fan's army retreat.
If the troops were divided, the troops would not be enough to defeat the main force of Lou Fan. If the troops were not divided, Lin Hu would have no one to stop him, and at the speed of Lin Hu's Qingqi, he could reach Ningwuguan from Wuzhou to Ningwuguan, which is three hundred miles away, in two days.
Two days...two days are definitely not enough to fight the main force of Lou Fan.
It is still unknown where Lin Hu's army has gone. The scouts sent out have not yet turned back, and no remaining soldiers seem to have escaped from Wuzhou Fortress. As a result, the kings and ministers of the Zhao Kingdom were blind to the movements of Lin Hu's army.
"Your Majesty, now that Lin Hu's intentions are obvious, why not mobilize Weiwen's troops for reinforcements? Weiwen's garrisoned soldiers may be able to solve the urgent need..." Niu Zan, the captain of the Western Camp, said.
Before Niu Zan could finish his words, Lou Huan refuted: "Wei Wen's soldiers should not be lightly mobilized. Now the attitude of Zhongshan and Yan is unclear. What if Wei Wen is empty and the two countries take the opportunity to raise their troops to invade?"
After hearing this, Niu Zan bowed his head angrily and said nothing. In terms of official position, title, and family background, he can't compare with Lou Xu. Besides, this is Dai Land, and Lou Xu is the highest official of Dai Land. The king is in the tent again, so it is not convenient for him to fight.
The attitude is unclear... Zhao Yong chewed these words carefully.
Yan State should be fine. In a battle with Qi, Yan State suffered heavy losses. Moreover, Yan State should be busy dealing with Donghu in the north at this time.
Mainly Zhongshan, but the news from Handan has not yet come, and he doesn't know what Ji Cuo's attitude is.
However... as far as the current situation is concerned, Weiwen's 20,000 border troops seem to be the best choice.
"Is there any news from Feihu Valley?" Zhao Yong asked Lou Huan.
"Never...I also find it strange. According to reports from frontline scouts, the Zhongshan Army successively sent more than 30,000 troops to Zhongren City ten days ago, but there has been no movement since then, and there is no trend of going north. However, I think that since Zhongshan The state must have a plan to increase troops on the border. Perhaps seeing that our Zhao state was already prepared, we waited for Lin Hu and Lou Fan to make the first move in order to gain profit. Therefore, I deployed heavy troops in Weiwen to prevent it. " Lou Huan replied truthfully.
Zhao Yong nodded slightly, although what Lou Huan said made sense.
But there seems to be no other better way at this time. Wei Wen's troops cannot be dismissed lightly, but this is already an extraordinary period.
He paused and said slowly: "Recruiting 10,000 border troops from Weiwen and marching west to Matuo to stop Lin Hu's army. What do you think?"
Lou Xuzuo bowed and was just about to say something when the eunuch's announcement came from outside the tent.
It turns out that the meal is ready.
The curtains of the tent were immediately opened, and a cool, damp air suddenly poured in from outside the tent.
There was a heavy fog this morning, which dissipated somewhat at noon, and now as night falls, the thick fog has enveloped us again.
Zhao Yong waved his hand, interrupting what Lou Huan was about to say, and then ordered the eunuch to remove a few piles of debris, and then put the corn cakes, rice porridge, and cooked mutton in the copper gui. The food was distributed in front of everyone, and the food was extremely rich, but compared to Zhao Yong's usual diet, it was just a drop in the bucket.
Nowadays, in this special period, there are no need to pay attention to so many etiquettes. Zhao Yong said: "Everyone, please eat first, and we will discuss the division of troops later."
"Here! Wait, thank you, Your Majesty, for this gift!" All the ministers bowed.
Zhao Yong nodded slightly, then took the silver chopsticks handed by Chen Zhong, picked up the chopped mutton and started to devour it. This pair of tachyons was specially made by Zhao Yong by a craftsman.
Although the production and use of tachyons has been very long ago, except for special foods that are eaten with chopsticks, people at this time still seem to prefer to eat them with their hands (of course they must wash their hands in advance), and the nobles are no exception.
When all the ministers saw that their kings were using kuaizi, they all lifted up their sleeves and robes, took the bamboo kuai in front of them, picked up the food and ate it.
Eunuchs stood on both sides of the ministers, ladling soup and rice for them from time to time. There was silence in the tent for a moment.
*
At this time, a young eunuch walked in from outside the tent, his gentle manner did not attract anyone's attention. He walked up to Chen Zhong, bowed his head and whispered a few words in his ear.
Chen Zhong's expression suddenly changed. He hurriedly walked to Zhao Yong who was having a meal and said softly: "Your Majesty, the Wuzhou scouts are here to report!"
Wuzhou! Everyone present was shocked. Has Wuzhou Fortress not been captured by Lin Hu yet?
Zhao Yong immediately stopped his quick right hand and replied hastily: "Quick pass!"
Then he ordered people to remove the food from the tent.
Within a moment, there was a rush of footsteps outside the tent, and then a 'bloody man' was carried in by the guards.
The 'bloody man' was lying crookedly on a simple stretcher. Only the white breath exhaling from his mouth and nose could prove that he was still alive. Not only was he alive, he felt warmth in his body. He slowly opened his eyes and saw Zhao Yong at the top. He gritted his steel teeth and wanted to stand up and salute, but in the end he couldn't hold on anymore and his whole body fell heavily to the ground. . The armor on his body fell to the floor with a clang.
The guards rushed forward to help him.
"Strong man, don't move!" Zhao Yong said.
"Your Majesty! King Lin Hu personally led the army to attack our Wuzhou city while the fog was heavy. Wu Bingwei asked General Pi to lead a hundred-man team to break through in order to deliver the news. Wu Bingwei killed his wife and children with his own hands, and died in memory The will and Wucheng will live and die together, Your Majesty..." The bloody man burst into tears. From his blood-stained face, one can imagine the brutality of the battle in Wuzhou.
Zhao Yong's eyes twitched and he consoled him: "Young man, please be at ease. I have my own arrangements. Your mission has been accomplished. Just rest and recover." Then he gestured to the guards: "Carry this strong man down for treatment!"
Several guards hurriedly stepped forward to carry the "bloody man" onto the stretcher, and then took the stretcher away. Before leaving the tent, the "bloody man" suddenly opened his eyes and shouted loudly: "Your Majesty, send troops! Wuzhou Qian Soldiers..." Before he could finish his words, the man passed out.
*
Although the situation just now is embarrassing, everyone present, except Zhao Yong, is a veteran who has been on the battlefield all year round. They have long been accustomed to this, and there does not seem to be many waves in their hearts. But Wuzhou Fortress's tenacity also exceeded everyone's expectations. It was like a nail firmly inserted into Lin Hu's heart, not daring to make him act rashly.
The situation once again changed due to the resurrection of a pawn.
Zhao Yong slowly exhaled a breath and said: "Do you think Wuzhou can be saved?"
"Your Majesty, since Wuzhou has not been lost, Lin Hu's army will definitely be dragged behind. Our army should go west as soon as possible and start a decisive battle with the main force of Loufan. Prioritize the main force of Loufan. Once Loufan is defeated, our Zhao Kingdom will be defeated. We can seize the initiative in this war." Fei Yi immediately replied.
"Your Majesty, I second the proposal. Troops should be sent out as soon as possible. If we wait for the main force of Loufan to enter the gentle area of Sanggan River, our Zhao army will not have the advantage of the terrain and may no longer be able to intercept the combined Erhu forces." Zhao Cheng agreed.
"Send troops, Your Majesty!"
"Send troops, Your Majesty..."
The meaning of the ministers' words was all revealed, Wuzhou was hopeless! Even those who had just spoken about dividing their forces now supported joining forces together and giving priority to defeating the Loufan side.
Zhao Yong couldn't help but sigh in his heart, 'They are all fighting for the few! '
But this is war, a cruel war. It can be said that the current Wuzhou military and civilians are risking their own lives to buy time for Zhao's main force.
In this case, this hard-won opportunity cannot be wasted.
Zhao Yong no longer hesitated, and said with a solemn expression: "Send the order to the soldiers, repair it overnight, and at Mao tomorrow, the army will march to Ningwuguan!"
"I am willing to be the vanguard and march forward for the king to wipe out Matuo City! In order to consolidate the rear of our army." Niu Zan immediately replied.
Zhao Yong glanced at him: "Yes!"
Then he continued: "Send two more scout teams, one to the north to closely monitor Lin Hu's movements. One to the south, and urgently send an order to Zhang Yuan, asking him to defeat the remnants of Lou Fan's army in Guodi. There is no need to sweep them away. In the hinterland, go directly to the north and return with the main force of Zhao State."
"Here!"
…
…
As the years pass by, it suddenly returns to September 9th.
It should have been a good day to drink wine, admire chrysanthemums, and climb high to gaze at the moon, but now all that's left is climbing.
Early in the morning, the main force of Zhao State left Yanmen Pass and headed west, across Matuo, and towards the middle boundary of the mountains and the basin. As expected, they were attacked by several groups of Loufan cavalry on the way, but unfortunately, they were defeated by Zhao's scout team before the official confrontation.
Presumably, it was also a scout sent by King Lou Fan.
Zhao Yong had no intention of hiding his itinerary, and he couldn't hide it even if he thought about it. He just planned to use his superior force to directly disperse and eat the main force of Lou Fan.
Now both sides have laid out their trump cards. Of course King Lou Fan can choose to retreat, but he can escape the monk but not the temple. Moreover, Lou Fan's army retreated without even achieving an inch of success. This cold winter will definitely be difficult for Lou Fan.
Therefore, the kings and ministers of Zhao State were not worried that King Loufan would run away. This was a clear plan.
Zhao Yong immediately ordered Niu Zan to lead 10,000 infantry and siege equipment to conquer Matuo City, the stronghold of Loufan in the basin area.
The remaining 20,000 troops continued to move towards Yunzhong Mountain in the west. Wherever there is a mouth (Chenjia Valley), it is the only road from the plateau to the basin. As long as this place is held, they can force King Lou Fan to fight with them. .
*
While the main force of Zhao State was marching towards Chenjiagu, the main force of Loufan was doing the same.
However, compared to the high morale of the Zhao army, Lou Fan was obviously much lower.
Ji Bo has always felt inexplicably irritable in his heart these past two days.
Especially what the priest said yesterday. say what? The withering period of pasture is much shorter than in previous years. This is a punishment from heaven. If the king insists on going to war with Zhao, countless cattle and sheep will freeze to death in this winter.
With these words, Ji Bo was so angry that he wanted to feed the priest's head to the wolves, but he also knew that the priest was telling the truth. This year's grasslands had mostly withered and turned yellow before mid-September, which was ten years earlier than in previous years. Days.
For more than ten days, I don’t know how much Lou Fanren had to use up to feed their livestock.
But it is useless to say this at this time. Ji Bo got on the pirate ship and there was no turning back. This battle must be fought whether it is fought or not. Even if they don't fight at this time, the Zhao people will not let them go.
Now the best way is to defeat the main force of Zhao State, plunder the border cities of Daidi, and then force Zhao State to sue for peace. This has been done in the past.
It's just that in recent years, the situation has been a little bad.
"Weak Linhu people can't take down two small military forts, so how can they replace the royal city with Gugong!" Ji Bo cursed bitterly.
"Your Majesty, there is no need to worry. The Linhu people are weak, so we, Loufan, can get more benefits after the war. Moreover, the main force of the Zhao State has been dragged in Guodi. When our army crosses the Sanggan River, we can take the Ping Dynasty first." Shuyi to supplement military supplies." said Yakuto beside him.
"Okay! Hahaha, I just like to listen to Xiangbang's words..."
However, before Ji Bo could finish his words, a few horses came rushing towards him from a distance. They looked like a scout team sent by Lou Fan.
Before the scout could get closer, he shouted loudly: "Your Majesty, Matuo City has been lost. The Zhao army has pressed to Ningwuguan!"
"What! What did you say?" Ji Bo said angrily. Did this Zhao army fly over? Wasn't the main force of the Zhao Kingdom still in Guodi just now?
The scout had no choice but to repeat it aggrievedly.
"Where is Ertai? Where is Ertai?" Ji Bo roared.
"Commander Ma Tuo has died in battle..."
…
