"Master Five Hundred, there is a military report from the army gathering place ahead, and a stove fire left behind by the Wei army was discovered. General Shebai said that there is still warmth deep in the stove!"
Zhao Tuo raised his eyebrows. The marching stove left by the Wei army was still warm, which proved that they were not far away from the Wei army.
After chasing for several days and nights, his thousands of pursuers finally got behind the Wei army, and it was not in vain that they had been marching day and night in the past few days.
"Great, the Wei army doesn't know that we are behind them yet. If we take the opportunity to make a surprise attack, we will be prepared to attack the unprepared. We will definitely defeat the Wei army. By then, it won't be us anymore. Even the five hundred masters will definitely be able to upgrade. Title!" Xiqigu's eyes lit up and he saw the dawn of promotion.
Compared to him, the other two hundred generals from the Hanoi Army were even more excited.
"Master Five Hundred, if our army steps forward to attack now, we will definitely defeat the Wei army! I request you to be the vanguard!"
"Please give the order from the Lord of Five Hundred. Our Hanoi army will bravely charge and kill!"
Seeing these two Hanoi army generals blushing and thick-necked, they looked impatient.
Zhao Tuo smiled faintly. Although his current position is still called the Lord of Five Hundred, he is actually in charge of a thousand people. These reorganized Hanoi troops are all under his control.
"Don't be impatient. Although our army is about to catch up with the Wei army, we have been on the road for a long time today and our soldiers are tired. We must not force ourselves to move forward. Send an order to the soldiers to slow down their march, and the time to camp and rest today will be advanced."
Hearing that Zhao Tuo not only did not pursue the Wei army immediately, but also wanted to slow down and let the soldiers rest in advance, the two Hanoi generals suddenly became anxious.
One of them, a man with the rank of doctor, shouted: "Master Five Hundred, that Wei army is going to raid the hinterland of our Qin State. If we don't intercept it, let them attack..."
Seeing Zhao Tuo's cold eyes and stern face, the hundred generals' voices became smaller and smaller.
Zhao Tuo said coldly: "The military order has been issued, do you want to disobey it?"
"No...don't dare."
The two generals were suddenly sweating profusely.
Although Zhao Tuo is not old, he has an overwhelming aura about him. After all, he had even seen the King of Qin and captured the Prince of Yan himself, so how could he not be able to suppress these two little generals?
Not to mention that Zhao Tuo has a public title and the blessing from Qin Fa behind him.
The method of combat allows him to kill all his subordinates who disobey orders.
From top to bottom, the Qin army only needs the word "obedience".
Seeing the two men bowing their heads to confess, Zhao Tuo explained: "Our army has been rushing for several days. Even I feel sore and weak while riding on the horse, let alone the ordinary soldiers. They must be exhausted. , how can I still have the strength to fight again?"
"The so-called powerful crossbow cannot penetrate the silk. Our army today is the crossbow that cannot penetrate the silk. If we ignore the risks and force the way for profit, we may be in danger of overthrowing the army. This is what the Art of War says: Vol. If you move forward day and night, you will travel twice as long. If you are fighting for a hundred miles, you will capture three generals. If you are fighting for a profit of fifty miles, you will defeat the general. Do you understand?"
Xiqigu suddenly understood and hurriedly bowed his head and said: "Thank you to Master Five Hundred for your teachings. I understand. Master Five Hundred is indeed a great talent. We are only focused on the immediate profit. How could we have imagined that there are many risks behind this matter."
Hearing what Xiqigu said, the two hundred generals quickly followed suit and said, "We are stupid, thank you five hundred bishops for your teachings."
"Well, now that I understand. You go down first to convey the military order I just gave. And send someone to send a message to Shejian, asking him to slow down and rest the energy of the soldiers. Be careful not to be discovered by the Wei army ahead."
Having said this, Zhao Tuo reassured the two Hanoi generals: "Don't worry, we have traveled day and night to come here. Naturally, we want to accomplish a great achievement. But for this achievement, we still need to wait for the right opportunity. There’s no rush.”
The two generals nodded like mincing garlic and followed the order with both admiration and fear.
Zhao Tuo knew that his few words about the art of war, which he had learned from Li Xin's teachings, had frightened them. After all, in the eyes of these low-level military officials, the art of war was very "high", and even a few words about it would be enough. Let them "not know how serious they are".
At the same time, Zhao Tuo threatened and then explained his relief, which made these subordinates feel relieved.
He went up and down, no longer daring to disobey Zhao Tuo's orders.
Give both grace and power.
The art of controlling one's subordinates.
This is what Zhao Tuo slowly learned in the process of leading the army alone for several days.
If he wants to become a Qin general on the battlefield in the future, he must learn these things.
As a general, you must treat your subordinates with kindness and authority.
Seeing his men taking the order and leaving, Zhao Tuo looked to the west in the direction where the Wei army was heading, with a smile on his face.
"I don't know what Wei Bao is thinking. He wants to make a surprise attack, but he also brings so many burdens. If it weren't for the thousands of villagers and servants from Miao Township, we might not be able to catch up so easily."
…
The road leading to Xingyang at this moment.
Zhou Shi was riding on his horse, looking helplessly at the long line of Wei troops.
The soldiers of Wei Army walking on the road all looked tired, and their legs seemed to be filled with lead, and they moved forward numbly.
"If all my soldiers were capable of fighting, I would have captured Xingyang in a surprise attack and burned the Qin army's rations. There was no need for a surprise attack. With the same strength, our Wei soldiers could definitely defeat them head-on on the battlefield. Qin Army."
"Martial soldiers, military soldiers..."
Zhou Shi shook his head and sighed, thinking of Wei's elite soldiers who were invincible in the world.
At that time, Wei Wu soldiers marched across all countries.
Under the leadership of General Wu Qi, Wei soldiers fought seventy-two battles, and won sixty-four. The rest were tied, and there was never a single defeat.
Don't look at the current state of Qin that is engulfing the world and destroying three kingdoms in a row, but in the golden age of Wei warriors galloping on the battlefield, today's tiger and wolf Qin is nothing more than a beaten puppy in Guanzhong.
Not only did all the five hundred miles west of Hexi return to Wei, but even Hangu Pass was breached by Wu Qi and fell into the hands of military soldiers.
Wei State was the real big brother at the beginning of the Warring States Period.
The reason why Wei soldiers are strong is because they are good warriors carefully selected from the entire Wei state.
The selection criteria are very strict. Anyone who wants to become a soldier must wear triple armor, a helmet, carry a sword, carry a powerful crossbow and fifty arrows, and finally carry three days' rations, and then in one day An urgent march of one hundred miles.
Only by meeting this requirement can one be qualified to become a soldier.
To put it bluntly, Wei Wuzu is the best among the best.
If Zhou Shi's army is composed of martial soldiers and sets out from Hufu Township to surprise Xingyang, it will take up to five days. In five days, he can burn Xingyang to ashes!
Thinking of this, Zhou Shi sighed again, let alone military soldiers, he didn't even have many ordinary soldiers. In addition to three thousand Wei soldiers who had been on the battlefield, there were also a thousand Qing soldiers from Hufu Township in this team. Zhuang, child servant.
These people were even worse. They wore no armor, wore all kinds of linen clothes, and held wooden spears and sticks in their hands. They had to take a deep breath after walking a certain distance.
Especially those child servants of the Zhang family. As servants and slaves of wealthy families, they usually do things like serving people or protecting their homes and homes. How can they bear the pain of marching for several days in a row? There are countless children on the road. The servant wailed and tried to escape.
Fortunately, Zhang's son-in-law, who was accompanying the army and holding the battle, had some prestige and helped to comfort him. In addition, after beheading several escapees in the market last week, there was no escape.
But when I occasionally rode through the market in Zhou Dynasty, I still felt helpless when I saw the resentment shown by the young servants and young men in Hukou Township.
These Wei people have no intention of saving the country and the country.
Zhou Shi was worried.
He thought about throwing away this thousand burdens and leading only 3,000 Wei troops to the west. Maybe he could reach Xingyang faster and complete the surprise attack plan.
The earlier you arrive, the more likely you are to succeed.
But Wei Bao disagreed.
"General Zhou, do you know that in the current state of Wei, except for a few cities that still have Wei flags, most of them have fallen into the hands of the Qin people. Before we recapture those cities occupied by the Qin army, we can't conquer them at all. There are no soldiers, but the soldiers in our hands will kill one person every time.
Just one less person! If you don’t want these thousand people, where can you recruit so many more people in the future? "
Zhou Shi was silent, Wei Bao was telling the truth.
If these thousand people are abandoned, they may really be gone in the future. One more person will give them more power to fight against Qin.
Although Zhou Shi thought about leaving some troops to escort him in the rear, he led his troops to rush to Xingyang. But in that case, there would be fewer people to escort and a large number of people would escape. There were too many people to escort, but his strength to attack Xingyang was not enough.
Confused and helpless, Zhou Shi could only listen to Wei Bao's words, slow down the marching speed, and take the four thousand people to Xingyang together.
Zhou Shi had previously released false news about the attack on Waihuang and Chenliu, which should have paralyzed the Qin army and made them focus on the east. Even if the attack was delayed by a few days, there should not be a big problem.
When Wei Bao did this, in addition to the fact that it was difficult to abandon the force of a thousand men, he also had his own calculations.
"These thousand people must be under my control, otherwise there is no guarantee that those mud-legged people will not launch a mutiny like last time. That Chen Ping is also very smart and obedient. He brings these one thousand people with me to check and balance him." The power of the city."
Wei Bao rolled his eyes, thinking that on the third night after he withdrew from Chenliu, many of his soldiers surrounded the camp with weapons, forcing him to go north to rescue Jiyang.
The feeling of having a knife held to the neck by a group of mud-legged men was something that Wei Bao, the young master of the Wei Kingdom, would never forget.
From that night on, Wei Bao understood that he must have the power to protect himself.
Under such circumstances, when this Wei army, which was preparing to raid Xingyang, arrived at their destination, it was already the tenth day since they left Humou Township.
Xingyang.
There is a chasm connecting Huaisi to the east, Mang Mountain to the north and the river, Suohe River to the south and Songshan Mountain, and Luoyang and Guanzhong to the west. With its dangerous terrain and convenient transportation, it has been a battleground for military strategists since ancient times.
During the Spring and Autumn Period, a battle between Jin and Chu for hegemony took place here. After that, Xingyang was owned by the Zhi family of Jin.
When the three families of Han, Zhao and Wei destroyed Zhibo and divided the land of the Zhi family together.
Duan Jiu, a strategist, advised Han Kangzi to seize this beautiful land. Han Kangzi did as he was told, and the land of Xingyang and Chenggao returned to Korea.
It was not until the Qin army attacked Han two hundred years later that Xingyang was occupied by the Qin general Meng Ao, and it fell into the hands of the Qin people. Fourteen years ago.
The dangerous city that has been firmly occupied by the Qin people for fourteen years, today, for the first time outside the city, the excited voice of Wei sounded.
"Xingyang! In front of you is Xingyang!"
Zhou Shi was riding on his horse, pointing to the towering city in the distance, and shouted to his soldiers: "Second and Third Sons, today is the time for us to save the State of Wei! As long as we attack Xingyang and burn the Qin people's rations, , those Qin troops besieging me in Daliang will have no food to eat and will definitely retreat..."
Wei Bao didn't want Zhou Shi to steal the limelight, so he stood on the car and shouted with a louder voice: "You all stepped forward bravely for me. Today you have made a great contribution to defeating Xingyang and burning the Qin people's military rations. The money inside is yours." Grab whatever you want, you can grab the women inside as you please..."
"On behalf of your Majesty, I will give you all the rewards. When the Qin people are driven back, I will reward you heavily!"
Those soldiers, young and strong boy servants had been traveling for ten consecutive days, and they were already exhausted and their faces were numb.
When Zhou Shi spoke, few people responded, but now that they heard the words "money, women" in Wei Bao's words, these soldiers unexpectedly cheered up and started shouting.
Seeing this scene, Wei Bao smiled happily, with a flash of complacency in his eyes.
Chen Ping's strategy of winning over the military's morale is indeed very good.
He used the property and women of the Qin people in the city to buy off the morale of the army. In this way, Wei Bao could gain the support of the soldiers without spending any money on himself. What a bargain.
Listen, how happy these people are shouting and how high their morale is!
On the side, Zhou Shi's mouth twitched when he heard it.
Wei Bao's speech seemed very down-to-earth and could arouse the emotions of the soldiers. It was far more useful than Zhou Shi's words.
But the purpose of their trip was to raid and burn food.
!
This group of Wei troops was originally a mob. Coupled with the long march, all kinds of dissatisfaction grew, and it was already difficult to control. Now, coupled with Wei Bao's promise, after the city is invaded, most people will probably run around to steal property and women. How can they fight and complete the task of burning food?
It seems to make the soldiers march forward bravely, but in fact it only undermines the morale of the army!
But Zhou Shi, as a very capable general, naturally would not refute at this time. He could only grit his teeth and, relying on the excitement aroused by the soldiers, issued the order to attack the city!
Two hundred cavalry and ten chariots were dispatched first, galloping at full speed and rushing towards the city.
Behind them, many Wei soldiers also charged with howls.
Xingyang is a central city that connects the east and west. The city gate will definitely be opened, and many people will come in and out.
As long as the Wei army's chariots are fast enough and the Qin army defending the city is stunned, they can drive to the city gate and block the closing time. The infantry from behind can rush forward, enter the city to burn food, and complete this thrilling journey of hundreds of miles. world raid.
If the Qin army defending the city reacted in time and closed the gate first, it would be okay. The Wei army had already built many lightweight bamboo and wood siege ladders on the road, which were carried by infantry at the rear.
If Xingyang City encounters a surprise attack, they will definitely be panicked. After a surprise attack, they will definitely be able to enter the city first.
"This battle is the one that I, Wei Bao, will shock the world with!"
"Run hundreds of miles to attack Xingyang, burn down the Qin army's food and supplies, force back Wang Ben's tens of thousands of troops besieging the city, and save our Wei family's country when the whole country is at risk!"
"I, Wei Bao, will become a hero of Wei who surpasses Lord Xinling!"
"My name will be spread throughout the world!"
Wei Bao was high-spirited and full of energy.
It wasn't until the chariot he was riding in galloped forward and saw the appearance of Xingyang City that the smile on his lips froze.
"meaning!"
Amid the astonishment of the Wei army, Xingyang City stood tall.
There was no sign of anyone coming or going in front of the city, and the heavy city gate had long been closed tightly, leaving no flaws.
On the tall city wall, black flags were flying and spears and halberds were standing everywhere.
The Qin soldiers wearing armor were looking coldly at the shocked Wei soldiers below the city.
Tu Sui stood on the city wall wearing exquisite pierced armor and a crown on his head.
He, who was over thirty years old, touched his long beard that was fluttering in the wind under his chin, pointed at the chaotic Wei soldiers under the city, and smiled to the left and right: "These Wei people are so slow as my mother, Nai Gong didn't receive their attack." It took two days for them to get the information."
"Are the Wei troops all just jian people?"
