The army coming from the southwest is indeed the main force led by His Majesty the Emperor of Han, Liu Bei.
But not all the 30,000 elites arrived, but Zhang Fei's vanguard force.
Even Zhang Fei himself did not come in person, but Zhang Fei's deputy general Wu Yi led three thousand troops and marched quickly to Mei County.
Actually, in this Northern Expedition, Zhang Fei's real lieutenant was not Wu Yi, but Zhang Nancai. During the previous battle in Wuzhangyuan, Zhang Nan was Zhang Fei's real lieutenant.
Wu Yi was Liu Bei's deputy assigned to Zhang Fei for this Meixian battle.
No way, when Zhang Xi went to Wugong County, he took away three Mesozoic generals Liu Yin, Gao Xiang, and Feng Xi. Another Mesozoic general Chen Shi was seriously injured in the Wuzhang original battle and was unable to go into battle for a short time. , Zhang Fei is short of people.
But even so, with Wu Yi's current status, being a deputy general is a bit unfair. After all, Wu Yi is now leading an army alone.
More than a year ago, not long after Liu Bei became emperor, due to Liu Bei's actual needs, Zhuge Liang, Zhang Xi, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Fazheng and others jointly submitted a petition to restore the Han Dynasty's northern and southern military system.
Generally speaking, the Northern Army is responsible for foreign campaigns, while the Southern Army is responsible for defending the capital and responsible for the security of the palace.
Wu Yi was the commander-in-chief of the Southern Army.
For such a person, being a lieutenant for anyone would be regarded as an underachievement, but being a lieutenant for Zhang Fei is really suitable.
Because Zhang Fei's daily responsibility is to control the northern and southern armies with the rank of general of chariot and cavalry.
At least in name, Wu Yi is really Zhang Fei's subordinate. Now during the war, Liu Bei assigned Wu Yi, who had always been by his side to protect his safety, to Zhang Fei as his deputy. It was really not an act of humiliation.
Furthermore, Wei Yan's lieutenant is Wu Ban, who is Wu Yi's younger brother. Now he is in Mei County. Having Wu Yi serve as Zhang Fei's lieutenant can also more conveniently contact Wei Yan in Mei County for mutual cooperation.
Therefore, when Zhang Fei led the 10,000-strong Northern Han Army to march toward Mei County, he gave Wu Yi 3,000 soldiers, and he acted as a vanguard and arrived near Mei County first.
The purpose is really not to let Wu Yi use these 3,000 Northern troops to go head-to-head with Cao Wei's more than 30,000 to nearly 40,000 troops. It is just to let Wu Yi find a way to break through the Wei army's siege, break into Mei County, and pass on some military intelligence. , Just bring it to Wei Yan who is holding on in Mei County.
In Zhang Fei's opinion, the current situation in Mei County is most likely that the Wei army is encircling Mei County and attacking, while Wei Yan is struggling to hold on.
Zhang Fei has the most say in the battle strength of the Wei army. Whether it was in the past or now when he was beaten all over the map in his early years, although Zhang Fei is not afraid, he is still somewhat afraid of the battle strength of the Wei army. .
Therefore, when Commander Zhuge and Commander Pang said that the Wei army might not have the will to fight, Zhang Fei was dubious.
This half-belief is still based on the fact that Zhuge Liang and Pang Tong have almost exhausted their plans over the years. If someone he didn't know said this, Zhang Fei would dare to spit on him.
Therefore, although Zhang Fei was dubious, he was still prepared for Mei County to be besieged and asked Wu Yi to break through the Wei army's siege and break into Mei County at all costs.
To be honest, Wu Yi originally thought so. Even though the last Northern Expedition went so smoothly, it was only Yongliang County soldiers, and all the big families surrendered, so it's no wonder that it was difficult to fight.
Later, in Shanggui, facing the strict defense of the Wei imperial army, even if Liu Bei came in person, he would have to fight for three or four months, and nothing could be done.
The Wei army is also divided into levels. Cao Wei's Forbidden Army is really difficult to fight, not to mention the more than 30,000 people under Guo Huai's command, more than half of whom are elites of the Wei Forbidden Army.
This was Wu Yi's understanding. He also believed that if he personally led three thousand troops, it would be impossible to break through the heavy siege of the Wei army and enter Mei County without some means and strength.
But...what the hell is going on? !
As soon as Wu Yigang approached Mei County, he saw the Wei army in Mei County starting to set up camp and prepare to retreat.
Strictly speaking, this is a taboo on the battlefield.
When the soldiers are preparing to retreat, they suddenly encounter an enemy surprise attack. If they are unprepared, they can easily suffer heavy casualties.
Wu Yi couldn't believe this was true. Judging from the rumors, Guo Huai should not be such a brainless commander.
In fact, Guo Huai was indeed not. Soon Wu Yi saw a young general leading five thousand Cao troops, specifically coming to intercept him.
Obviously, this was a response that Guo Huai had already prepared for.
Indeed, in this way, it would be basically impossible for Wu Yi to raid Cao Jun. But Wu Yi's original intention was not to raid Wei Jun.
After all, Wu Yi was also a veteran in the army. After thinking about it, he made a decision in an instant - to get rid of the entanglement of these Wei troops, quickly enter Mei County and join Wei Yan.
My purpose is just to contact Wei Yan in Mei County, not to compete with these Wei troops. I have to figure out what my combat purpose is.
To be honest, Wu Yi is very capable. The only thing he lacks is his reputation.
As for Wen Qin, Wen Qin is also very capable, but what he lacks is not only reputation, but also battlefield experience.
Wen Qin originally thought that this Shu army was the vanguard of the Han army, and it was to launch a surprise attack on the Wei army from the rear. Guo Huai also judged this way, entangling the main force of the Wei army and buying time for the main force of the Shu army to come to reinforcements, so he let Wen Qin Qin led his troops to intercept.
But Wu Yi didn't fight with Wen Qin at all. Instead, he turned around and headed straight for Mei County before the two armies came into contact. Wen Qin really didn't expect that.
While Wen Qin was stunned and didn't know how to respond, Wu Yi had already led his troops to distance themselves, away from the possibility of contact between the two armies, and headed straight for Mei County.
This direction is not in a straight line with the direction of the Wei army's retreat.
In this way, Wen Qin's combat goal seemed unachievable, but it was actually accomplished.
Moreover, Wen Qin did not dare to stay too long in the southwest of Mei County. What if the main force of the Shu army was not far away from him, and he retreated a little slower, and people surrounded him like rice dumplings? That's what's wrong.
Wen Qin did not want to be captured twice in ten days.
Therefore, when Wen Qin saw that Wu Yi's marching direction was not the direction of the army's retreat, he did not make any entangled gesture, but simply retreated and went to join Guo Huai's army.
But after Wen Qin withdrew like this, it would be really dangerous if Wei Yan sent Wang Ping out to harass Guo Huai's army on the rear flank.
There were only more than 600 people, and it was already very difficult to delay Guo Huai's withdrawal.
Guo Huai's withdrawal was not a hasty retreat. When he realized that the Shu army was approaching, he began to think about the retreat strategy, including when to move the camp and what kind of responses needed to be made during the retreat. They all considered it carefully. Passed.
Therefore, Guo Huai was fully prepared for the defense of the rear wing during retreat.
Not only did he go uncharacteristically during the retreat and let the grain and grass supplies battalion walk in the middle of the army, he also sent Guanqiu Jian and his remaining cavalry team of less than 2,000 to strengthen patrols and protection along the way to ensure that the army retreated on the flanks and rear. Safety.
Even if Wang Ping had a full force of three thousand Wudang flying troops, he would not dare to confront the two thousand cavalry head-on, let alone there are only more than 600 people now.
Therefore, Wang Ping began to give full play to his own advantages. After leaving the city, he took advantage of the mountainous terrain around Mei County. While avoiding the patrols of the cavalry, he used his foot strength to find the weak defense areas of the Wei army's rear wing, and struck them without warning. He left as soon as he was done, never wanting to fight, and not giving Guanqiu Jian's cavalry a chance to block him.
Guan Qiujian's cavalry had to protect the entire retreating force, and it was impossible to keep an eye on the rear wing. Therefore, Wang Ping could always find an opportunity to make a sneak attack without warning, and immediately retreated after killing more than ten or twenty people.
The number of casualties was not high, and Guo Huai felt that this loss was not distressing at all, but Wang Ping always made such cold sneak attacks, which still had a huge impact on the morale of the army.
You know, the Wei army is retreating now, and the soldiers basically know that the Shu army is behind them, and they also know that the military rations are seriously insufficient. In this case, the figure of the Shu army always appears behind them, which has an impact on the morale of the army. , is huge.
Guo Huai didn't have to worry about the death of more than ten or twenty people each time, but Wang Ping's several sneak attacks back and forth would spread a sense of panic among the Wei army, as if the Shu army would kill at any time.
This was very detrimental to the retreating Wei army.
To a certain extent, Wang Ping's battle this time was the threshold for Wudang Feijun's true combat style.
Head-to-head combat has never been the original purpose of the Wudang Fei Army: sneak attacks, harassment, disrupting military morale, and fighting behind enemy lines. This is what the Wudang Fei Army should be like.
The Wudang Fei Army at this time was fundamentally different from the Wudang Fei Army in history in terms of army building concepts.
Therefore, Guo Huai was quite wary of this small army and repeatedly asked Guanqiu Jian to find this army as soon as possible and then surround and kill it, so as to completely stabilize the morale of the army.
But Wang Ping is not stupid either.
There are only 600 people, how can he still hang out with you and let you catch him and beat him up? !
This time, Wang Ping really used Wudang Feijun's foot power and use of the terrain to the extreme, running around the mountain roads and woods. If you, Guan Qiujian, are capable, then you can lead the cavalry to search the mountains and enter the woods. Do you dare? !
Guanqiu Jian really didn't dare.
In fact, Guanqiu Jian was not very good at the use of cavalry. He only knew that when commanding cavalry in battle, there were two taboos that he must pay attention to - detour through mountains and avoid entering forests.
As for the cavalry, they should fight on the wide plains and take advantage of their mobility. If they run into the mountains to fight, they are really looking for death by themselves.
After all, the cavalry of these days is not the complete cavalry of later generations. Without the assistance of horseshoes, high bridge saddles and bilateral stirrups, it is too difficult for the cavalry to fight in the mountains and forests.
Therefore, Guanqiu Jian was anxious, but he really couldn't stop Wang Ping's elusive six hundred flying army.
But all this was completely resolved with Wen Qin's retreat.
Wen Qin's retreat meant that Guanqiu Jian didn't need to run back and forth. He was taking care of the flanks and neglecting the rear wing. He was taking care of the rear wing and neglecting the flanks.
Guanqiu Jian and Wen Qin briefly bumped into each other, and the two made a division of labor - Wen Qin was responsible for rear protection, and Guan Qiu Jian was only responsible for flank protection.
As a result, Wang Ping would be in big trouble.
A sneak attack on the rear wing? !
How could six hundred men defeat the five thousand Wei army led by Wen Qin? !
A sneak attack on the flank? !
Guan Qiu Jian's cavalry are guarding you on the flanks, and they come and go like the wind. If you delay for just a quarter of an hour, Guan Qiu Jian will be able to surround you!
Wang Ping thought about it and felt that neither the rear wing nor the flanks were suitable for sneak attacks. Wang Ping gritted his teeth and decided that it couldn't be done, so I went to sneak attack the forward troops.
Fighting for his own life and that of the Liubai Wudang Feijun, he carried out a "decapitation operation" and went straight to Guo Huai's main formation.
(End of chapter)
