Kaban?
The eyes of everyone in the tent immediately turned to the square sand map in the center.
"As the general said, Puban!" Pang Nuan said loudly.
Gongsun Yan glanced at him meaningfully.
There are actually many ferries crossing both sides of the Yellow River. The most famous ones are the three major ferries at the southern foot of Zhongtiao Mountain. From west to east they are: Fengling Ferry, Maojin Ferry and Yuwang Ferry. By crossing the river at three entrances, we can invade Yinjin (Huayin) in the west and approach Xianyang, and we can penetrate Weihan in the east and cut off the Qin army's retreat from Hangu Pass.
In the two major battles of the Jin Dynasty in the past: the fake Yu destroyed Guo and the subsequent battle with the Qin at Wei, the Jin army crossed the Yellow River from Maojin.
In addition, there is Hukou Ferry in Zhao State, which leads directly to Shangjun. In the past, when the Qin State occupied Shangjun, they crossed the river from Hukou and raided Puyang (Xixian County, Shanxi Province) of Wei State.
However, compared with the three major ferries at the southern foot, the water at Hukou Ferry on the plateau is relatively turbulent.
There is indeed a ferry in Puban (Pajin Ferry), but compared to the four major ferries on it, Pujin Ferry seems a bit unknown.
At this time, the Korean captain Shen Cha asked: "Pu Ban is now occupied by Qin, and the crossing is not as easy as Fengling Sandu. Why should our army cross the river from Pu Ban?"
Gongsun Yan looked at Pang Nuan with interest.
The rest of the people were also confused, and they were thinking the same thing as Shen Chai.
Pang Nuan shook his head: "We think so, and the Qin army will do the same. If our army crosses the river south, the other side will be Yinjin (east of Huayin, west of Tongguan) and Linjin (today's east of Dali). The Qin army will Although most of the troops have been concentrated in Hangu, they will definitely be prepared on both sides of the river bank. Moreover, if our army crosses from the south, the partial army will be too close to Hangu, and the south river bank is relatively narrow. I am afraid that the partial army will not be able to wait. If you go deeper into the hinterland of Qin, you will be eaten by the entrenched Qin army. From Puban to the west, you can go north through Heyang and Shaoliang to reach Shangjun, go west through Luoshui and break into the Qin hinterland, and go south to attack Han Valley. The depth line is wide, and there is no danger of being destroyed."
Pang Nuan paused, and then continued: "Although Puban is now occupied by Qin, its city was originally the hometown of Wei State. It is located in the east of Hedong, and its people are 'now Qin and former Wei'. Qin State controls this It is bound to be weak. All we need to do is transfer a capital to the north and besiege Shaanxi City (west of Sanmenxia) guarding the ferry on the south bank. This will make the Qin army mistakenly think that our army is going to cross the river from Fengling, and then the cavalry brigade will quickly advance northward, and then pull out the enemy. Puban City crosses the river from Puban. Since it is a surprise attack, the Qin army must be caught off guard."
Pang Nuan's argument shocked everyone present. It is hard to imagine that this lofty talk came from a young man under the age of twenty.
"Young people are to be feared." Gongsun Yan bowed to Pang Nuan.
The veterans who surrounded Pang Nuan, who boasted that they had been fighting for half their lives, all looked at Pang Nuan with complicated eyes.
"After the general crosses the river, it may be difficult for the rear army to supply supplies." Veteran general Zhu Wei interjected.
Pang Nuan shook his head and said: "I lead the cavalry brigade and do not need supplies from the rear army."
Don’t need supplies?
Pang Nuan explained: "As soon as the cavalry crosses the river, the fertile Hexi Qin land will be reached. The soldiers will naturally eat wherever they hit."
! ! ! All the generals were stunned. They had never heard of such tactics.
But if you think about it carefully, with the mobility of the Zhao cavalry, although it is a bit risky, it seems... it is indeed feasible!
After Pang Nuan finished speaking, he bowed solemnly to Zhao Yong who was above him and said: "Your Majesty, it is winter now and the river is dry. This is a rare opportunity in a thousand years. I would like to take advantage of this opportunity to forcefully cross the river to disturb the hinterland of Qin. Share the worries for the king!"
This Pang Nuan really often creates surprises for himself. In last year's moon phase plot and this year's Hangu debate, this guy never seems to stick to ancient methods in military operations.
Zhao Yong thought for a moment, then turned to everyone and said, "Do you think it's possible?"
The generals looked at each other and nodded.
Compared with the iron-walled Wuguan, crossing the Yellow River to the west is obviously a safer way.
A bit risky though.
But the war situation has reached this point. If the three Jin Dynasties do not think about other things, they will continue to fight against each other. The outcome may be unpredictable!
Let’s look at the outcome of today’s battle. Although the generals were unwilling to do so, they all understood that it would be impossible to destroy Qin in one battle.
Since then, the victory or defeat of our enemy has become crucial.
Even if Hangu Pass cannot be conquered and Qin cannot be destroyed in this battle, as long as it can win, Qin can still be forced to retreat and cede territory.
However, if this battle is lost, the three Jins and the rest will be nothing more than fish and meat, and Qin will no longer be afraid!
...Early the next morning, the two armies fought again.
The coalition forces used cavalry from the center to attack the Qin army's formation and stormed into the enemy camp.
On the vast battlefield, Zhao's cavalry was like a sharp sword, rushing straight into the heart of the Qin army. However, seeing that the front army could not block Pang Nuan's momentum, the commander-in-chief of the Qin army abandoned his flanks and took a detour to cut off his retreat.
The infantry phalanx and chariot formations of the three Jin Dynasties were forced to take the initiative to attack from the left and right wings to prevent the cavalry from falling into a tight encirclement. The two armies charged back and forth until dusk. In the end, the enemy and we each threw away more than 10,000 corpses and returned to separate camps.
That night, the commander-in-chief of the three Jin Dynasties seemed to realize that he could not continue to waste his money. The situation is already very delicate. The decisive battle between the three Jin armies and the Qin army did not bring much success, and now there is no hope of a head-on victory...
After the generals deliberated, Zhao Yong made a decisive decision and ordered Pang Nuan to lead the Zhao army's cavalry brigade to bypass Zhongtiao Mountain to the north at night and reach the Linfen Basin. At the same time, Gongsun Yan ordered the Wei army to transfer a capital, led by Zhu Wei, to go north to assist the Wei army in Anyi to attack Shaanxi City, so as to divert Qin's attention.
...The new sun is rising, and the Qin army no longer switches to fight.
The Allied Forces of the Three Jin Dynasties no longer put up a posture and clamored with the Qin Army. Instead, they dispatched men and horses to continuously transport earth materials, wood and stones to the outside of the battlefield, and began to build pontoon bridges along both sides of the Menshui River. At the same time, they built fortifications on the north bank. Judging from the posture, they want to attack the city.
Ying Si listened to the guard's report with a puzzled expression. Sanjin's behavior seemed normal, but he always felt that something was wrong.
Do Sanjin really dare to waste it?
After two days of field battles, the Qin army's damage was no less than that of the Three Jins, or even greater than that of the other party. Especially the charge of the coalition cavalry yesterday. If Yingji hadn't decisively abandoned the flanks at once, perhaps the Qin Army's central army would have collapsed.
This was also the first time that Ying Si felt the powerful combat effectiveness of the cavalry. Although he had heard about it before in Xianyang, but when he saw it with his own eyes, he could not have imagined that it would be so shocking. He also understood that Yingji's idea was right. Today is different from the past. In head-on confrontation, the Qin army may not necessarily be able to defeat the coalition forces of the three Jin Dynasties.
In the next two days, Qin and Jin seemed to have formed a 'tacit understanding'. The Three Jin Dynasties were still concentrating on building fortifications on their own, and the tall buildings they had erected were slowly advancing towards Hangu Pass. The Qin army still remained in seclusion and did not fight, but only came out from time to time to harass the coalition soldiers who were building fortifications.
...After several more days of stalemate, it was the middle of the twelfth lunar month, and the lower reaches of the Menshui River had completely frozen.
Early in the morning, the sky was gray, the old city towers and walls were also gray, and the world was once again filled with a chilling atmosphere.
The coalition forces began to attack!
Zhao Yong stood on the Chinese army chariot and looked northward. The vast plains stretched as far as the eye could see, and the eye-catching towers and walls attracted even more attention. He didn't know the specific size of the city, but he visually estimated that the city wall stretching across the mountains was at least ten miles long!
Hangu Pass is not only a pass, but also a large city built in the mountains.
The city walls are all made of earth, but Zhao Yong knew that this kind of rammed earth wall was trapezoidal in cross section, with not much difference in thickness and height. It was very solid, nearly five or six meters thick, and almost impossible to penetrate with brute force.
At this time, the Qin army had all retreated to the pass.
Outside the pass, there are dark square formations arranged, which look like countless containers from a distance. The flags of the three Jin Dynasties fluttered above the phalanx, with tall wooden carts dotted in the middle, and towering siege ladders and catapults arranged behind them.
In front of the phalanx group, some scattered war horses were running rapidly, with tree branches wrapped with cloth tied to their tails. The rising dust looked like mist from a distance.
"Woo..." A high-pitched horn sound suddenly sounded from the coalition's formation.
The order to kill!
"Kill..." The depression and excitement that the coalition soldiers had accumulated for many days turned into the word "kill" at this moment.
As the dust swirled, the soldiers in the front line rushed under the city wall under the cover of the morning mist, and then climbed towards the top of the city wall like ants.
The fire was burning, the Hangu Pass was filled with smoke, and the sound of killing was loud. The swords buzzed, the bowstrings broke, and the stone bullets flew into the air. "Ah!..." The soldiers who had just climbed to the top of the city were pierced by the spears of the Qin army who were waiting for them. The soldiers screamed and fell into the sea of people below. It was like the scattered stones falling into the sea, without causing a single wave.
Zhao Yong's right hand pressed hard on the hilt of the Zhanlu sword at his waist, and he stared at the Shura battlefield in the distance. The two sword eyebrows were squeezed together.
This situation reminded him of the Qin army under Jinyang City!
"The first step is to attack the enemy, the second is to attack the enemy, the second is to attack the army, and the second is to attack the city." If they were not forced into a desperate situation, who would be willing to take the next step to attack the city?
But war is like this, a cruel war!
If it fails, something must be sacrificed.
Yesterday, the coalition forces received news that the Beilu troops were preparing to attack.
Come to think of it, at this moment, the battlefield in the north has already begun!
Now Sanjin can only place its hope on another battlefield.
The purpose of the war at this time is to make the Qin army feel the urgent pressure. Only by making the King of Qin feel the threat of the country's destruction can it be possible to force the Qin State to retreat and seek peace.
... Just as Zhao Yong thought, the war separated by a mountain came faster than he thought.
Zhu Wei gathered 10,000 soldiers left behind in Wei, and combined 20,000 troops to attack Shaanxi City, forcing all the Qin troops in the three cities east of Hedong to rush to support.
After Pang Nuan used all his main force in Pu Ban, he directly inserted with strong force. Before a large-scale attack on the city, the Wei officials in the city tied up the Qin troops who stayed behind and opened the city to dedicate it.
When the battle at Hangu Pass just started, and when the Qin people in Hedong set their sights on Shaanxi City, the battle in Puban was already over!
Pang Nuan urgently mobilized civilians to widen the bridge, and at the same time recruited boats and horses to cross the river. This season coincides with the dry season of the Yellow River. You can even ride horses directly on the low-lying areas on both sides of the river bank, and the river flow in the middle section of Puban is also very slow.
This is exactly what Pang Nuan said is a once-in-a-lifetime event!
When the Qin army on the other side of the river turned their attention to Fenglingdu, Zhao Jun's cavalry had quietly crossed the river and came to this fertile land west of Hexi!
The five thousand cavalry crossed the river extremely smoothly. Before a small Qin army patrolling the river bank could react, the Zhao army was already approaching.
Easily dispersed the resistance of the small Qin army. Pang Nuan ignored the defeated Qin army. At this time, he needed to spread the news of Zhao Jun's crossing of the river to the ears of the Qin people. The wider the spread, the better.
The men and horses are at peace. Pang Nuan reached out and took the map of Kantu handed over by deputy general Zhao Gu.
"General, twenty miles south from here is Linjin City." Zhao Gu said, pointing to the south where there are abundant water and grass.
Pang Nuan nodded. The nearest Qin city to them was indeed Linjin, but the purpose of their trip was not to attack the city.
The advantage of cavalry has never been in offense and defense.
Pang Nuan glanced at Kanyu Tu, and suddenly remembered what his master He Guanzi said to him. His eyes suddenly focused on one place.
"Zhao Gu, you immediately divide two thousand troops and attack the three cities of Yuanli (Chengcheng County, Shaanxi Province), Heyang, and Shaoliang to the north. You must remember not to fight for a long time, attack the city, or burn the houses outside the city. Immediately, you will cause a big disturbance. ! Meet me here tomorrow morning." Pang Nuan said, pointing to a place marked with a red circle on the map.
"Liyang?" Zhao Gu was stunned, and looked up at the general who was about the same age as himself.
Yueyang, the old capital of Qin!
Pang Nuan looked at the other party with a playful expression. This young general who defeated King Zhao on the school field seemed to have a fearful side. "Hangu is difficult to conquer. We must send the Qin army back to relieve the king's worries. Yueyang is the first target, and Xianyang is the next!"
"Yes!" Zhao Gu said nothing more. He performed a military salute with Pang Nuan on his horse with a solemn expression, and then ordered his troops and rushed towards the nearest Yuanli.
Pang Nuan looked at the galloping horses and let out a sigh of relief: "Second and third sons, the place where you are standing is the place where your father and ancestors have never set foot." Pang Nuan pointed to the front and shouted: "Three hundred people ahead of us. Here is Xianyang, the capital of Qin State. We have bypassed the iron-walled Hangu Pass. We will reach Xianyang on a flat road. There are countless wealth and honors waiting for you! We will be here. Fight for the Zhao Kingdom for ten thousand years, fight for the king for ten thousand years! Kill!"
"kill!"
The rumble of horse hooves resounded throughout the land west of Hexi!
…
It was night, in the Qin Army's large tent at Hangu Pass, the soldiers of the Qin Army were exhausted mentally and physically after a day of fighting.
At noon, Hangu Pass received a letter asking for help from the county magistrate of Shaanxi Province: it was said that the Wei army had laid siege to Shaanxi City with heavy troops, and judging from their posture, they wanted to cross the river from the north bank.
Ying Si stroked his forehead and asked the generals to return.
Zhang Yi didn't leave, and sat on one side without saying a word, as if she had something to say.
"Xiangbang will go back to the camp to rest first. I understand what Xiangbang means." Ying Si sighed.
"Your Majesty, you need to pay more attention to your health..." Zhang Yi glanced at Ying Si with concern, said no more, bowed to him, then turned around and retreated out of the door...
