"Zuo Tu, do you think our Chu country can win this battle?" the veteran general Qu Gai asked with a worried look on his face.
If it were said that there was a stalemate with the Qin State in Wuguan years ago, Qu Gai would definitely not have asked this question.
But today is different from the past.
Although the Qin and Chu armies were fighting fiercely at that time, the Chu army's morale was extremely high at that time, and it was only a matter of time before they could break through Wuguan.
Unfortunately, the King of Chu was deceived and insisted on withdrawing his troops.
Looking at it now, the King of Chu started a war out of anger, which didn't seem very wise.
Although he is unwilling to admit it, the reality of Chu State is indeed as Chen Zhen warned. Chu State seems to have lost the best opportunity to attack Qin State.
In terms of diplomacy: The relationship between Chu and the Three Jin Dynasties can be said to be completely broken due to Chu's behavior.
If this war breaks out, Wei and Han will be thankful if they don't help Qin to attack Chu, let alone help Chu to attack Qin.
As far as the Chu State itself is concerned: the King of Chu's changes in orders, the vacillation of policies, and the sudden death of his leader Yin Zhaoyang, the morale of the Chu State army must be low. In addition, at this time, there was a war between the East and the West, which was a big burden for the Chu State.
The weather, the right location, and the right people are all things that the Chu State has no share of.
As a veteran of the battlefield who had fought all his life, Qu Gai really couldn't see how much chance the Chu army had of victory.
"What do you mean by this, uncle? Why can't our Chu country defeat it?" Qu Yuan said with some displeasure.
Qu Gai did not answer him, and Gu Yan asked again: "You tell me, how should we defeat it?"
"The long sword, the dagger, the chariot, the ladder, and the heads and blood of our Chu people!" Qu Yuan said in an excited tone.
Qu Yuan cursed in his heart, he was obviously here to discuss pre-war planning, but when the general came up, he said depressing words, which was really upsetting.
Although Qu Gai has rich combat experience, he is old and somewhat timid in doing things.
But the King of Chu appointed him as the new Shangzhu Kingdom, and Qu Yuan was helpless. Although he was born in the same clan, Qu Yuan had never been very fond of this uncle.
"But if this battle is defeated, our country of Chu may never be able to turn around again." Qu Gai said in a deep voice.
"If we don't fight, our Chu State will always be dormant in the shadow of Qin State! Why is Shangzhu State saying such depressing words before the war begins?" Jing Cui criticized with some dissatisfaction.
The veteran's eyes glared and said: "As the commander of this battle, of course I have to think carefully about victory or defeat."
Qu Gai pointed at Kanyu Tu behind him and said, "Although I don't know what Chen Zhen's heart is, I think what he said is not unreasonable.
Qu Yuan's eyes narrowed slightly and he said, "Servant, don't you understand what my uncle means?"
Qu Gai sighed and said slowly: "You must know that since the time of the late king Wei Wang, although our Chu army and Qin army have often had frictions, there have been few large-scale battles, let alone large-scale battles like this one. A war that will overwhelm the country with a hundred thousand men. In the first battle of Shang Dynasty years ago, the Qin army also retreated and refused to fight due to lack of troops. Our Chu State has never fought with the Qin State, so we cannot say that we know the details. In addition, the war is imminent, and we However, due to poor diplomatic relations, Chu State has no allies and no reinforcements. At the same time, it needs to divide its troops into Ju to defend Qi and Yue, and divide its troops into Chen and Cai to defend against Wei and Han. How should I deal with it when Chu is overwhelmed with support?"
As soon as these words came out, all the generals fell into deep thought.
"Zhu Guo is honored to see you, Jing Cui bows to you." Jing Cui said with a bow.
Qu Yuan paused and said: "Uncle, do you think our country of Chu needs to re-establish the covenant relationship with the three Jins?"
"This is the duty of the left disciple. I can't say much at first, but now that the country is in crisis, I will overstep a few words."
"Uncle, please speak clearly." Qu Yuan bowed and said.
Qu Gai nodded and said in a deep voice: "In fact, whether we fight with Qin or not, our Chu State must have good relations with the countries in the north. Otherwise, when our Chu State comes into conflict with them, each other will be hurt. In the end, The only one who will benefit is Qin." After saying that, the veteran sighed again and said thoughtfully: "However, at this time, the relationship between our Chu State and Wei and Han will be difficult to turn around."
"I would like to personally envoy the State of Wei, so as to defuse the conflict between the two countries and jointly defeat the unruly Qin." Qu Yuan said solemnly.
Qu Gai shook his head: "We, the Chu State, betrayed their alliance first and missed the opportunity, which resulted in both the Wei and Han armies being damaged. But today, the main force of the Qin Army in the north has returned, and at the same time, it is expected to greatly benefit the Wei and Han armies. . Wei and Han are now interested in Qin rather than Chu. At this time, we, Chu, may be looking for allies in other countries."
Fenghou Chou sighed: "Now the only ones that can compete with Qin are Qi and Zhao. Zhao is looking to the north and is fighting with the Hu people, while Qi is at a stalemate with Chu."
Qu Gai said with a calm expression: "The doctor may not know yet, but the Zhao Kingdom has already destroyed Lin Hu and Lou Fan."
"What?" Fenghou Chou suddenly shouted in surprise.
The hall suddenly became noisy.
The news that Zhao had destroyed the erhu was shocking. However, the war has been over for half a year, but at this time, most of the Chu nobles still seem to know nothing about it.
Qu Yuan frowned. The strength of Zhao State may not be a good thing for Chu State.
Compared with the Qi State, which was at war with the Chu State, he was more afraid of the Zhao State, which seemed to have no trouble with him. Especially after the Battle of Hangu. Every time he thought about Pingyu's Five Nations Alliance, he would always think of those plain eyes.
Every time Zhao State engages in foreign wars, it is obvious that those who benefit the most are the ones who benefit the most. However, the princes of other countries seem to turn a blind eye. They do not seem to realize that... Zhao State's national power is increasing at an alarming rate.
From the Battle of Hanguguan, it is not difficult to see that the Zhao army not only defeated the Qin army in the frontal battlefield, which frightened other countries, but also used diplomacy to force Qin to cede Xihe and Shangjun. However, the eyes of all countries are still on Qin, which was completely defeated in this battle, ignored the rise of Zhao.
The destruction of Lin Hu and Lou Fan this time did not create much waves. Zhao Guo's timing is always so perfect.
In recent days, Qu Yuan often read a series of new policies and state affairs promulgated by the State of Zhao.
Zhao's behavior made Qu Yuan feel that perhaps in the near future, Chu's biggest opponent would not be Qin or Qi. But Zhao Guo.
Qu Yuan immediately bowed his head and said: "The State of Qin is offering a pledge to Zhao. Moreover, Zhao is from the same clan as Wei and Han, and they have just experienced a war. I am afraid that they are not willing to antagonize the State of Qin. I think that at this time, I, the State of Chu, should ally with Qi." , which can not only relieve the danger on our border, but also ally with Qi to deter Wei and Han."
"Qi is at war with me, Chu, and I'm afraid it won't be easy." Fenghou Chou shook his head.
"The King of Qi attaches great importance to profit, but our country of Chu only needs one bait." Qu Yuan said.
Jing Cui seemed to have thought of something and said in surprise: "Ju Di?"
Qu Yuan nodded and said: "The land of Ju originally belonged to Qi, but now the Qi and Yue communists have invaded Ju. We Chu can't hold it, so we can use it as a bargaining chip to push the boat along and get Qi to send troops."
Qu Gai pondered for a moment and said, "The king may not agree."
"I will go into the palace to meet the king now, and I will definitely be able to persuade the king to agree to the land exchange." Qu Yuan said solemnly.
No matter which country Chu’s enemy will be in the future, its current enemy is definitely Qin.
…
…
The spring breeze dawns, and the weather in Handan is getting warmer and warmer. Although there will be some temperature difference between morning and evening, it is no longer bitterly cold.
Ji Yao's lower abdomen is already swollen. It has been several months since she was due to give birth. The past few days have been different every day. She thinks that the day of delivery will be within these two months.
But it is a pity that Zhao Yong cannot accompany Ji Yao through one of the most important steps in her life.
The army was originally scheduled to go out in late March, that is, this month.
The war is expected to take at least half a year to be fought.
By the time he returns, his child will be born.
All kinds of materials and baggage needed for the war have been prepared, and food and supplies have been stored in Xingxiang for several months to support an army of 100,000 people. If the war unfortunately reaches a stalemate, the new grain harvested this autumn will once again be continuously transported to the front line.
But... I don't think anything unexpected will happen.
Regarding this confidant, Zhao already had a clear understanding of Zhongshan's customs, customs, and combat readiness resources; the implementation of Zhao's New Deal also caused a qualitative change in the Zhongshan people's resistance to the Zhao people; in addition, Zhongshan's North Korea Above the hall, a large number of officials and internal officials have been bribed by the Metropolitan Procuratorate.
It can be said that it is not difficult for Zhao Yong to know about the concubine who left the Queen of Zhongshan at night.
However, in order to be sure, Zhao Guo decided to adopt conservative tactics in the first battle, and the first battle was mainly testing.
Firstly, it was to deal with the sudden changes in the war between Yan and Qi, and secondly, it was to weaken the Zhongshan Kingdom's resistance and prevent it from making an excessive reaction.
As the saying goes, "Victory in every battle is not a good thing." He who subdues the enemy's troops without fighting is a good person. '
In this battle, Zhao's army will attack north from Haocheng and directly capture Lingshou, the capital of Zhongshan.
At the same time, the most important goal, which is also the fundamental goal, is to control the passes through Jingxing: Manjia Shijiazhuang and Luquan.
Only by firmly holding Jingxing in one's hands can the east and west sections of Zhao State be connected together. Otherwise, with the insurmountable Taihang Mountains in between, the transportation and communication of materials will become the biggest obstacle to Zhao's development.
Zhao Guo is bound to gain control of Jingxing in this battle.
Since the beginning of the year, Handan has begun to recruit troops one after another. The number of troops in Bairen, Hacheng, Wusui, and Guanjin has now exceeded 100,000. Among them, Wu Sui and Guanjin were the suspicious troops deployed to confuse Zhongshan.
Just as Zhao Yong thought, Zhongshan, like the people of Qi, thought that the target of Zhao's military gathering was Yan. They don't seem to realize that they are the real target of the war.
Later this month, Zhao Yong will personally lead 20,000 elite cavalry to the north, which will also be the last batch of the "Justice Division".
...In the meeting hall of Longtai Palace, the best war deployment is being planned intensively. In front of the Zhao monarchs and ministers was a huge and detailed map of Kantu, which was marked with place names and dense red lines.
In addition to those who have gone to the front line, the mid-level and senior generals participating in this battle have already gathered.
Grand Sima Dingyang Jun Feiyi; Grand Situ Anpingjun Zhao Cheng; Wu'an Jun Yushi Su Qin; young Hussar General Wuyang Jun Pang Nuan; followed by the Handan Commander Wu Guang, the Captain of the First Cavalry Brigade Zhao Gu, Captain Zhang Wu of the Second Army and many unfamiliar middle-level generals stood behind them.
Zhao Yong said: "The most important things in this battle are houses, stone towns and manjia. As long as we control these three towns, the sixteen cities of Zhongshan on the south bank of Hutuo will be under our control. Zhao must take them all in one battle." "
The goal of this battle is the city, not the annihilation of Zhongshan's effective forces.
Although Xingxiang and other places gathered nearly 100,000 troops, the defenders in Wusui and Guanjin were unable to move and needed to guard Qi.
"Here!" the generals behind him said in a deep voice.
Zhao Yong nodded and said: "Pang Nuan."
Pang Nuan bowed his head and said: "I'm here!"
"I regard you as the vanguard of the Chinese army." Zhao Yong appointed him.
Pang Nuan immediately clasped his fists and said, "Here! I will live up to the king's trust!"
The troops dispatched by Zhao State in this battle were mainly infantry, supplemented by cavalry. However, although Dai Di's cavalry did not move, the number of cavalry dispatched in this battle was still as high as 20,000. This was all due to Hu's policy of obeying orders.
"Zhao Gu led the first army of the cavalry brigade, and Zhang Wu led the second army of the cavalry brigade, and followed the others to the north." Zhao Yong said again.
The two men stepped forward one after another to respond to the order.
Zhao Yong continued: "Lian Cheng."
Everyone turned to look and saw a military general clasping his fists and bowing in obeisance: "I am here!"
Everyone just thought this man was unfamiliar and didn't pay much attention to him. Many people who don't have a deep foundation still haven't figured out where this Lian Cheng comes from. The Lian family is rare in Zhao State.
Zhao Yong turned to look at this slightly 'unfamiliar' general. Naturally, he did not need to explain anything to his ministers. This battle brought Lian Cheng back from Zhongmu, which naturally had his own profound meaning.
"I regard you as the vanguard of the left army."
"Here!" Lian Cheng bowed deeply.
Although Lian Cheng was young, he had a rich resume. In addition to being familiar with the terrain of Zhongshan Kingdom, he was also very good at attacking and defending cities. This is a battle in a foreign country. Although the generals present have dealt with Zhongshan to some extent, their understanding of the terrain must still be somewhat unfamiliar.
This is why Zhao Yong decided to test it first.
The vanguard general of the right army has appointed Li Tong in advance. The chief generals of the three standing battalions in Handan have already rushed to the front line in advance.
In this battle, Zhao will divide his troops into three groups to launch a comprehensive attack on Zhongshan. The Chinese army was personally led by Pang Nuan, and 20,000 cavalry went north from Haocheng and penetrated into Donghuan, cutting off the enemy's support line on the north bank of the Hutuo River at thundering speed.
The Left Army was personally led by Lian Cheng, with three captains and 30,000 elite troops. They penetrated deep into the most complex western part of the Zhongshan Kingdom and approached Manjia through Fangfang, Yuanshi, Fenglong and Shiyi.
The right army's two captains and 20,000 infantry troops were led by Li Tong, who set out from Hacheng and swept eastward from Songzi, Feiyi to Xiyang.
Zhao Yong arranged some manpower, then looked back to the left and right and said: "Zhongshan Kingdom has repeatedly invaded our Zhao Kingdom. In the past, we took advantage of the chaos in our Zhao Kingdom to send troops to harass the border areas, burning, killing, looting and committing all kinds of evil! Today I will be a righteous soldier. , fighting against the unjust and practicing righteousness will surely clarify the world.
This battle is imperative. Only by making the enemy pay the price can both sides understand the value of peace! Otherwise, no matter how much you try to persuade them, it will have no effect! "
All the ministers looked solemn and bowed one after another: "I am willing to go forward for the king!"
"Every minister performs his duties, and together with me, we fight against the unjust and do justice." Zhao Yong waved his hand.
All the ministers then kowtowed and said, "Fight against the unjust and do justice."
