Sometimes, the opportunity is in front of you, and you will be punished by God if you don't seize it.
Especially when facing a foreign war like the Qiang people, we really can't think too much.
If the current army in Bidao County is the Wei army, and it is led by a famous general like Guo Huai, then Zhang Xi will definitely choose to be cautious, worried that these two surrendering tribes are bait released by Guo Huai.
But the Qiang people. It’s not that Zhang Xi underestimated the Qiang people. They really don’t have the brains.
If they had any brains, they would not have been defeated so quickly at the Ji County City, nor would they have been frightened by Pound's three thousand cavalry and fled in all directions at the West County City.
Therefore, Zhang Xi and Ma Dai agreed that it was true that the Qiang people were suspicious of each other and even had internal conflicts with each other. It would be a shame to not seize this opportunity.
Thanks to the two surrendered tribal leaders, Zhang Xi now knows the specific troop deployment of the Qiang people.
The Qiang people are indeed suspicious of each other due to the intensification of conflicts. Even the five Qiang tribes are not gathered together, but are scattered in various counties of Nan'an County.
The two largest tribes among the five Qiang tribes are stationed in Bidao County. There are about 15,000 strong Qiang soldiers and more than 30,000 women and children, including 5,000 cavalry. This is the largest number in the current war. The most powerful force.
Originally, Zhang Xi's choice to march into Didao and block people at Didao was a helpless move.
Didao is located fifty miles west of BiDao County. From a tactical perspective, attacking BiDao County is much more valuable than blocking Didao.
But the problem is, according to the intelligence obtained by Zhang Xi before the war, five tribes of Qiang people gathered in Bi Dao County to spend the winter. Even if the number of Qiang people who can fight is underestimated, Bi Dao County should have 40,000 to 50,000 fighting soldiers. Seventy-eight Thousands of women, children, old and young, totaling more than 100,000 people.
It is too difficult to siege the city.
Even if the Qiang people are not good at attacking or defending the city, if they want to escape, one hundred thousand Qiang people, how many people can Zhang Xi stop with the few people he has on hand? !
As a last resort, Zhang Xi could only choose to retreat and do the next best thing, and choose to block the people in Didao.
But now, the surrendered Qiang leader told Zhang Xi that there were less than 50,000 Qiang people in Bidao County including women and children, while he had more than 10,000 infantry and cavalry coalition troops.
With the Qiang people's fighting style, it is impossible for them to hold on to the city and wait for reinforcements. Nowadays, the Qiang people are suspicious of internal strife, and it is not certain whether the Qiang people in Bidao County will have reinforcements.
Therefore, Zhang Xi thought for a while and felt that with the troops he had on hand, if he could attack Piedao County by surprise, it would not be impossible to occupy Piedao County in a surprise attack.
Once Zhang Xi occupied Piedao County, the Qiang people who were entrenched in other counties wanted to retreat to the grassland. Unless they fled in all directions, leaving behind their cattle, sheep, women and children, and their baggage, as they did in Xi County, it would be impossible to bypass Pidao. County, retreat to Didao.
The fighter plane had already appeared, so Zhang Xi couldn't let it go. He marched all the way, trying to launch an siege before the Qiang people in Bidao County could react.
Although it is unlikely to build large-scale siege equipment because it is a forced march, the problem is that the Qiang people are not good at defending the city. As for hooks and ladders, the Qiang people have little experience in dealing with it.
In order to gain time, Zhang Xi must choose a more risky siege strategy.
But Zhang Xi didn't expect that things would go so smoothly.
When Zhang Xi's troops suddenly appeared at the foot of Bidao City, the Qiang people in Bidao City had just reacted and had time to close the city gate. The city walls were filled with bewildered Qiang soldiers who didn't know what to do next.
And when Zhang Xi rested for the night and prepared to attack the city the next day, that night, shouts of killing suddenly came out in Bidao County, which made Zhang Xi and the three of them feel confused.
What made Zhang Xi and the others even more incredible was that early the next morning, the gate of Bidao County was actually opened like this.
A tall Qiang general tied up another Qiang prisoner who was tall and thick. With a flattering smile on his face, he went out of the city to ask Zhang Xi to surrender.
Really, Zhang Xi was depressed. What is this? !
Out of caution, Zhang Xi asked Ma Dai to enter the city and control the city defense first. After confirming that it was not a plan to "invite you into the urn", Zhang Xi and Pang De, accompanied by the flattering Qiang leader, led the army into the city.
Then, we can truly understand what happened behind this confusing siege.
It can only be said that the timing of Zhang Xi's appearance was really a coincidence.
The mutual suspicion among the Qiang people has developed to the point where the five tribes of the Qiang people have begun to distrust each other, and they all think that the other party wants to take advantage of the opportunity to target them and annex their own tribes.
And when Zhang Xi suddenly appeared outside the city of Bidao County, bringing with him two tribal leaders who were obviously Qiang people, all this aroused the suspicion of the two Qiang tribes stationed in Bidao County to its peak.
In fact, the five Qiang tribes have all thought about how to surrender to the Han court after this winter and get rid of the influence of this rebellion while ensuring their own interests as much as possible.
According to the "tradition" of the Qiang people, it goes without saying that when they are defeated, it goes without saying that once they cannot be defeated, it is not unacceptable to choose to surrender to the Han court in exchange for the chance of survival of their own tribe.
Therefore, although the five tribes of the Qiang people remain consistent on the surface, in fact, each tribal leader has thought about whether to find an opportunity to blame others for provoking the rebellion, and to "set things right" at the critical moment. ".
With this kind of thinking, coupled with the uneven distribution of benefits, at this point in time, the trust among the five Qiang tribes is already very fragile.
At this time, Zhang Xi led troops and appeared outside Bidao County, bringing with him two leaders of small and medium-sized Qiang tribes. This made the leaders of the second Qiang tribe stationed in Bidao think that the other party had deliberately released them. The envoys who contacted the Han people were prepared to betray their tribe in exchange for the Han people's understanding.
In this way, it was possible for the Han people to approach Pi Dao quietly and suddenly appear outside the city.
In the case of mutual suspicion, the leaders of the two Qiang tribes had no communication at all. Each had their own agenda, and they both wanted to strike first, kill the other side, and surrender to the Han army.
Not only would this show his sincerity in surrender, but he might also be able to seize the opportunity to annex another tribe's people, cattle and sheep.
Anyway, it is impossible for the Han people to compete with the Qiang people for the right to own the grassland. In the end, they must choose a tribe to support and balance the grassland forces. Why can't this force be me? !
This was the common thought of the two tribal leaders, and that night, the two families began to fight within themselves.
The next day, the tribal leader who finally won, and the other tribal leader who had become a prisoner, opened the door and surrendered.
In this way, Zhang Xi occupied Jiudao County without any effort.
This pie fell, and Zhang Xi felt it was unreal even when he tasted it.
But he was still a big-shot figure in charge of the government. After Zhang Xi occupied Bi Dao County, he immediately sent troops to take over the defense of Bi Dao. At the same time, he appeased the surrendered Qiang leaders and took the captured Qiang leaders He was imprisoned and awaited Zhuge Liang's arrival to deal with him.
In fact, Zhang Xi didn't hold back his good intentions. The captured Qiang leader was much more valuable than the Qiang leader who took the initiative to surrender. It was just an excuse to hand it over to Zhuge Liang.
Two large Qiang tribes that don't get along are much easier to control than one more powerful Qiang tribe.
The Qiang leader who surrendered was obviously not a fool. He also understood the reason why Zhang Xi did not kill the captured Qiang leader. At the same time, he also knew that since he had chosen to surrender to the court, he could only do one thing next. The road has gone dark.
Therefore, the surrendered Qiang leader suggested to Zhang Xi that he could take advantage of this time lag to deliver false news to the Qiang leaders scattered in other counties, saying that he had found signs of the Han army heading north.
As a result, the Qiang soldiers scattered in other counties, regardless of whether they have internal conflicts or not, are not willing to be surrounded by the Han army anymore. They will inevitably gather on the Pi Road and retreat back to the grassland through Didao.
As long as the Han army set up an ambush halfway on the road leading to Pi Road, they could easily defeat the Qiang soldiers who were eager to retreat without being prepared.
In this way, even if some of these Qiang soldiers can escape back to the grassland, they will be unable to cause chaos. The Qiang chaos in Qinzhou will naturally be put down.
This strategy made Zhang Xi's eyes change when he saw the surrendered Qiang leader.
This guy is really ruthless and decisive.
The most important thing is that this Qiang leader is very good at assessing the situation.
Although this guy also has his own little ideas, he still wants to weaken other Qiang people and strengthen his own tribe.
But he can clearly distinguish what kind of little thoughts are acceptable to the Han people and what kind of little thoughts are not allowed by the Han people.
Zhang Xi now doubts that even if he releases the captured Qiang leader and uses the conflict between the two to check and balance each other, will the captured Qiang leader have the ability to check and balance the surrendered Qiang leader?
It feels like the two of them are not on the same level! ! !
But no matter what, this strategy is still feasible.
Moreover, Bi Dao is now under the control of Zhang Xi. The Qiang leader and his tribe are now in the city, and their weapons and weapons have been confiscated. Zhang Xi is really not afraid of this guy playing tricks in the letters and playing dirty tricks. .
Taking the lives of himself and more than 50,000 members of his tribe as bait. Zhang Xi did not believe that there would be such a hero among the Qiang people.
Just follow the plan.
Of course, in the end, Zhang Xi did not forget to find someone to ask what the name of the surrendered Qiang leader was.
This kind of person is unlikely to be unknown.
And so it turned out.
This person is called Mi Dang.
(End of chapter)
