To a certain extent, Wei Yan was still affected by the "some guy" he said.
Wei Yan in history was the one who, after Zhuge Liang's death, knew that the morale of the army was disorganized, but still insisted on leading the troops to continue the Northern Expedition.
This was not because Wei Yan had any ulterior motives, but simply because Wei Yan overestimated his influence in the army and believed that although the prime minister had died of illness, Wei Yan was still around and could still regain his morale and continue to fight against the Wei army.
We can't waste the opportunity, and we can't just watch the advantage that the Prime Minister has finally established be wasted, right? !
I really can't say that Wei Yan was wrong, but he did overestimate his own influence and underestimated the influence of the prime minister.
But now, Wei Yan can actually listen to the advice of his colleagues and reflect on his own decisions. This is already a great change.
Although Wei Yan must have refused to admit the influence of "some guy", over the years, the person Wei Yan has partnered with the most has been Zhang Xi. If not Zhang Xi, who else could have such a big influence on Wei Yan.
So, although Wei Yan doesn't want to admit it, deep down, Wei Yan still knows that sometimes "that guy's" way of thinking is also useful, but he really can't think too much. He has to worry about this and be afraid of that like that guy. , let’s not fight this battle.
Therefore, just because Guo Huai may be deceitful, we cannot do nothing. What if Guo Huai is really preparing to withdraw his troops? !
If Guo Huai is allowed to prepare to withdraw his troops in this way, wouldn't it be a waste of time for the war? !
So, Wei Yan thought about it and felt that it would be impossible for the army to go out to fight in the city, but doing nothing was not in line with his style. Wei Yan looked at Wang Ping.
Wang Ping suddenly looked bitter.
It's not that he, Wang Ping, is afraid of the enemy and avoids fighting, it's really that the conditions really don't allow it.
"General Wei, there are only more than 600 Wudang Feijun left." Wang Ping raised his difficulties to Wei Yan very tactfully.
When he set out from the west side of Sanguan, Wang Ping took a total of 3,000 Wudang flying troops to set off. After crossing the mountains and ridges to the back of Sanguan, only about 2,700 people remained.
At this time, he happened to encounter 5,000 elite soldiers of the Wei army led by Zhu Zan who were going to support Mei County. Wang Ping struggled with them along the way, delaying the march of the 5,000 elite soldiers led by Zhu Zan, but he also suffered hundreds of casualties. .
After that, in order to support Wu Ban's rear army to stay in place and wait for Wei Yan's response, the Wudang Feijun also made their own efforts. In the end, only more than 1,100 people were left, and they finally withdrew to Mei by other roads. county.
Theoretically speaking, the Wudang Feijun did not completely collapse at this time because the big man gave him too much.
After all, the Yi people are basically not considered human beings in this era. If they were to be placed in the north, they would be kept in captivity, and their life and death would depend on the whims of those in power. But in the east, they would be just a labor base. Only in the Han Dynasty, they would not only teach them farming , and as long as you join the Wudang Feijun, your family will be allocated land. Even if you die in battle, the land will not be taken back.
This is the reason why Wudang Feijun is still fighting till now.
But the problem is that this battle loss ratio is really too big, so big that even Wang Ping can't accept it. But this matter is not over yet.
After entering Mei County, they had not rested for a few days. Due to Wei Yan's need to defend the city, Wang Ping had to go out to fight again with the remaining Wudang Feijun. Finally, after removing some of the wounded, there were only more than 600 who could continue to fight. People.
When they set out, there were 3,000 people, but now there are only 600 people left. It is no longer a question of whether they can go to the battlefield. It is a miracle that the Wudang Feijun has not directly rebelled yet.
This army no longer has the ability to fight again. If they must be allowed to fight, it is very possible for them to directly defect on the battlefield.
In fact, Wei Yan also understood what Wang Ping wanted to say.
After all, he is also a person guarding one side, and Wei Yan can still see this clearly.
But now, he has no choice, right? !
Guo Huai led Cao Wei's Central Forbidden Army, and Wei Yan had already seen the combat effectiveness of the Central Forbidden Army when he was supporting Wu Ban.
If the Han soldiers are allowed to go out of the city to fight against this group of Cao Wei imperial troops, they will definitely not be able to defeat them. If they accidentally fall into a tight siege, they will have to send more people to rescue them. So it is better not to go out of the city and rely on the city defense to defend it. .
That is to say, Wudang Feijun still has the strength to fight. Even if he cannot defeat him, he can retreat safely with the strength of his feet.
Therefore, Wei Yan patiently explained to Wang Ping, "This battle is not for a strong attack. All you need to do is harass from the side and make it uneasy. If things are not harmonious, I will allow you to act easily."
Wei Yan's intention was to take advantage of the Wudang Fei Army's foot power to harass and guerrilla the Wei army outside the city. In order to allow Wang Ping and the soldiers of the Wudang Fei Army to fight, Wei Yan even allowed them to act cheaply.
The so-called expediency means not setting a clear combat purpose and allowing them to decide the time of attack and harassment. As long as they really conduct harassment operations, no matter whether they succeed or fail after the war, they will not be held accountable.
This is a relatively lenient military order.
However, this military order is very attractive to Wang Ping, but it has no meaning to those Wudangfei soldiers who only have more than 600 people left.
Those soldiers no longer had much determination and will to fight.
Then Wei Yan said - If you don't have the determination and will to fight, then find one for them.
For example - as long as they go to war, regardless of life or death, the entire army of more than 600 people will be exempted from tax and all kinds of corvee service for ten years.
According to the rules established by Zhuge Liang and Zhang Xi in Nanzhong, as long as you join the Wudang Feijun, you will definitely be allocated land, and the family members of the Wudang Feijun will also be directly registered as Han nationals. Becoming Han is a preferential treatment.
Ordinary barbarians who served in the army had to perform meritorious service before they could be naturalized. Ordinary barbarians had to work for a certain number of years and pay a certain amount of taxes before they were allowed to naturalize.
However, naturalization is naturalization, taxes have to be paid, and corvées still have to be borne. This is also a big burden for ordinary families in this war-torn era.
Once they are free of tax and corvee, it can indeed inspire the remaining 600 soldiers to work hard and win a good life for their families.
Moreover, it is only ten years of tax-free corvee service for more than 600 people, which is not a huge burden for the Jihan Group, which occupies Jingzhou, Yizhou, and Liangzhou.
On this point, Wei Yan has more concepts than Liu Yin. After all, Wei Yan comes from the bottom and knows that the people really don't need much. Like Liu Yin, he can acquire hundreds of hectares of fertile land with just one move. This is the unique lavishness of the children of the aristocratic family. .
Even for this matter, Wei Yan didn't need to ask others for instructions. He only needed to add a sentence to the battle merit list, and Liu Bei probably approved it directly without even thinking about it.
But this condition can indeed arouse the desire of the remaining six hundred Wudang flying troops to fight.
No matter what age you are, it is common sense that working hard for someone else is better than working hard for yourself.
Since the combat mission is not too demanding and the rewards are so generous. If you work hard and your family can live a good life regardless of whether you survive or not, then let's do it.
The morale of the Wudang Feijun was boosted again, but Wang Ping did not lead his troops out of the city immediately, and Wei Yan did not rush to send out the 600 Wudang Feijun.
The morale boosted in this way only has one chance. Wei Yan and Wang Ping must seize the opportunity and send them out at the most appropriate time to achieve the greatest effect.
And for this opportunity, Wei Yan did not need to wait too long.
On the afternoon of the eighth day when Guo Huai besieged Mei County, an army of no less than 3,000 men appeared in the southwest of Mei County and was rapidly approaching Guo Huai's camp.
At this time, Guo Huai did not sit still and waited for death. He also sent Wen Qin again with five thousand troops to intercept this army.
Then Guo Huai's remaining 30,000 troops began to move.
After setting up camp, the entire army headed east of Mei County and began marching.
At the same time, Cao Zhen at the north gate of Mei County also gave up his attack on the north gate and began to set up camp, just like the east gate of Mei County.
Obviously, this is a sign that the two armies are converging.
At this time, Wei Yan was somewhat hesitant.
The number of Han troops in the southwest was only three thousand. This small number did not prove that this was the vanguard of the main force of the Han Dynasty.
Moreover, this army is still three or four miles away from Mei County, and Wei Yan cannot clearly see the flags of the leading generals, let alone who the leading generals are, so Wei Yan does not dare to be careless.
If this is a game that Guo Huai has set up for him, and he rushes to lead troops to fight, he will fall into the trap.
Therefore, Wei Yan mobilized troops to reinforce the defense of the east gate and went to the east gate of Mei County to guard it. On the other hand, he asked Wang Ping to quickly lead his troops out of the west gate of Mei County.
The purpose of asking Wang Ping to send troops at this time was not to let Wang Ping lead the Wudang Fei army to cooperate with the Han army in the southwest to attack the Wei army from front to back, but to let Wang Ping harass the rear wing of Guo Huai's main force.
There is only one goal - to do everything possible to burn the food and fodder of the Guo Huai Army's rear wing, or to delay the advance of the Guo Huai Army.
In short, it is to buy time so that Wei Yan can have enough time to determine whether the army coming from the southwest is the main force of his own army.
In addition, Guo Huai could not be allowed to complete the move of camp so smoothly and completely reunite with Cao Zhen.
Of course, Wei Yan also told Wang Ping that if the war did not go well and he encountered an ambush, then Wang Ping should not be reluctant to fight or return to the city. He could directly escape into the nearby mountains and forests, take a detour to find the main force of the Han army, rendezvous with the main force of the Han army, and report The current war situation in Mei County.
The implication is that even if Wang Ping is in danger, Wei Yan will not be able to go out of the city to meet them. Their life and death are completely under their own control.
With such a mission, Wang Ping led the six hundred Wudang flying army to fight again.
(End of chapter)
