Zhi Shihao was good at fighting and calm. He was also the forward general appointed by Ashina Qilifushe. His mission was to seize the four cities of Altai, Hanshou surrender, Bayanbu, and Zara, and open a way for the army to go north. If Murong Bei still insists on fighting in the north, then he will continue to advance north to help Murong Bei contain the Sui army in the south and create a winning foundation for the arrival of the main force; but when he arrived at the Xiongnu River south of Zala City, Murong Bei He has brought more than a thousand remaining soldiers to join him.
The sudden change in the situation, as well as the Sui army intelligence provided by Murong Bei, led Zhi Shihao to judge that the Sui Tu decisive battle was very likely to start in this area. If he was greedy for power and rushed north, he would probably be annihilated by the Sui army's concentrated superior forces. So he decisively gave up his previous battle plan and waited for the arrival of the main army.
While sending military information to Ashina Qilifushe, Zhi Shihao set up a large camp thirty miles south of Zala City, capable of accommodating more than 100,000 people, and then sent out reconnaissance cavalry to inquire about the Sui army. , build river crossing and siege equipment, and prepare for the decisive battle.
After three days, Ashina immediately arrived with the main force in a hurry. Zhi Shihao and dozens of generals rushed out of the camp to greet them. Naturally, the miserable Murong Bei was accompanying them. Xianbei sweated profusely.
After everyone finished saluting, the anxious Murong Bei stepped forward and saluted: "Murong Bei, who is of humble rank, pays homage to the second prince. We, the Xianbei sons, are willing to die for the second prince."
Although Ashina was angry for a while, he was still furious when he heard what Murong Bei said. However, he thought that this thing was a local snake and had value, so he forcibly resisted the blow. With the thought of hacking him to death, he stepped forward and helped him up: "Murong Khan is a friend of our Turks. Now that he is willing to help me, I have nothing to say. As long as we defeat Yang Ji, the benefits will definitely come to you."
Murong Bei's anxious heart finally settled, and he said with shame: "I failed to save the Great Lakes Region for the Great Khan and the prince because of my humble position. I am really shameless in public."
Ashina Lifushu patted him on the shoulder: "Yang Ji defeated Bu Jia Lao'er's army of hundreds of thousands a few years ago. He is a rare hero in the Sui Dynasty. It's normal that you can't defeat him. We won't blame him." For you."
Ashina's relief from Lifushu made Murong Bei's worries go away. He wisely said: "The prince is busy with military affairs, so I won't bother with his humble duties. As long as the prince needs it, just send someone to inform him."
"Okay, okay!" Ashina immediately ignored Murong Bei and immediately ordered the army to enter the camp to rest. He, Shi Shu, Hu Xi and others followed Zhi Shihao and others towards the Chinese army's tent.
Zhi Shihao said as he walked: "Prince, this Murong Bei first betrayed Bujia Khan and then Ana Shihuaide; after Yang Ji helped him win the Lord of the Great Lakes Region, he betrayed the Sui Dynasty again, so there is no such thing as this kind of person. There is no loyalty at all, but the prince must not trust him. Since he has become a useless person with no power or military strength, it is best to cut him off and eliminate future troubles forever."
"I know very well what he is. When we defeat Yang Ji, I will use him to sacrifice to the mountain god." Ashina Chilifushe was also very annoyed. He originally expected Murong Bei to defeat the Sui army. Dragging in the central and northern parts, Murong Bei never expected that in such a short period of time, he would be defeated so completely by the Sui army.
He hated him, but he also knew that Murong Bei had fought all over the Great Lakes area in the past two years and was very familiar with the topography of the Great Lakes area, so he was still of great use but could not be killed for the time being.
Entering the big tent, Ashina Lifushu said to Zhi Shihao: "You proposed a battle plan. Mr. Shi and I both think it is good. We have decided to adopt it."
"Actually, this is also a strategy proposed by Murong Bei based on the terrain of the Gobi Altai Mountains. It looks very good, but I'm a little worried that Yang Huihui will see through this strategy." Zhi Shihao glanced at Ashina Qilifushe and continued. : "After all, Yang Ji is a master of tricks, so he can't be careless."
"Don't worry if you lose your general! Conspiracies and tricks can only achieve temporary benefits, and upright duel is the long-term way to use troops. Yang Ji's military style is more cunning and deceitful. This is his advantage, but on the other hand, , is also his most fatal flaw. Moreover, our army has many generals. Even if Yang Ji sees through this plan, we can quickly unite the two armies, and then use the superiority in strength to defeat the Sui army in an upright manner." Shi Shu Hu Xi said to Zhi Shihao: "This battle is of great significance and far-reaching influence to our Turks. We must do everything we can to annihilate Yang Ji. In order to achieve this goal, we will not hesitate to kill one thousand enemies and lose eight hundred to ourselves." .”
"That's right!" Ashina Qilifushu said with great admiration: "If Yang Ji can die in my hands, I will be able to become famous all over the world."
"Prince can definitely do it." Zhi Shihao said solemnly.
"Haha, haha!" Ashina Qilifushu patted Zhi Shihao's shoulder and laughed, "I think I can do it too. We will work separately tomorrow."
"It's best to divide the troops tonight!" Shi Shuhu Xi suddenly said.
Ashinalifushe asked in confusion: "Why do we have to divide our troops at night?"
"Our army entered the camp in large numbers. I believe the Sui army scouts saw it! But if our army leaves at night, it will be hard to say." Shi Shu Hu Xi said with a smile: "If they mistakenly think that the entire army is in the camp, The hope of victory for the Qi soldiers will be greatly increased, and if torches are lit in every camp, it will mislead the Sui army even more."
Ashina Tlifushe was overjoyed and said: "What a great idea, let's do it like this." He told Zhi Shihao: "General Zhi Shihao, you immediately send an elite force to clean up the Sui army's scouts, and you must not let out any information. .Early tomorrow morning, you will lead your headquarters to attack Zara City."
"I will obey your orders!"
. . . . . .
At dusk the next day, Yang Ji held a military meeting in the surrender city of the Han Dynasty. As he went south, in addition to the 8,000 Sui troops, there were also 50,000 surrender troops collected. Of the 50,000 surrendered troops, 30,000 were surrendered troops he collected at Idel Lake; the other 20,000 were surrendered troops from Cui Division in the Xianbei Prairie, and the main generals were Po Chaoqi and Yang Tie who had returned to the army. . If the 28,000 soldiers commanded by Li Jing are added, then Yang Ji's total strength reaches a shocking 86,000 soldiers.
The reason why Yang Ji brought so many surrendered troops south was not because he was afraid that he would not be able to defeat the Turkic army, but rather he took the surrendered troops to Liangzhou for training. As for the current battle, it was a good opportunity to remove impurities and temper the army.
It is still more than 30 miles away from Bayanbu City in the southeast, and more than 50 miles away from Zara City at the forefront of the confrontation. If you add Altai City, which is more than 40 miles away to the southwest, these four cities will be Arrange in a big "human" shape.
The Han Shoujiang City where Yang Ji is located is located at the top of the word "人", Altai City is located in the middle of Yi Yi, while Bayanbu City and Zala City are in the middle and bottom of Yi Yi respectively; as for the mighty Zabul River , just crosses from the bottom of Yipin to the bottom of Yipin. In this way, this area forms a relatively closed "△".
In view of the special layout of the four cities, sufficient troops, and the military information sent by Li Jing, Xue Ju, A Chi and others, Yang Ji decided to arrange the battlefield in the empty area in the middle of "△"; In order to lead the Turkic army to the north and annihilate it, the Jiji voluntarily abandoned the natural "moat" of the Zabul River.
For the sake of safety, Yang Ji appointed Li Jing, who was based in Bayanbu City, as the former army general to be responsible for the frontline war; then he withdrew the unreliable Achi from Zala to the surrender city of the Han Dynasty, and replaced him with an outstanding and capable Achi. Xue Ju was calm and composed, and Po Chaoqi and Yang Tie, who had returned to the team, were also ordered to go south and serve as Xue Ju's lieutenants.
These two Qiang generals performed admirably in the offensive and defensive battle of Bailangyuan. If they perform better in this battle than in the past, then Yang Ji will definitely entrust them with important tasks in the next step.
As for the vacated Altai City, since it was close to the surrendered city of the Han Dynasty and far away from the front line of the war, Yang Ji boldly handed it over to Li Daliang and Dugu Pingyun. After all, even a guy like him with that level of skill could defeat Bujia Khan's hundreds of thousands of troops back then; and how could the famous Li Daliang and Dugu Pingyun, who is famous in history, not be able to do such a "little thing"? ?
Therefore, Yang Ji was very relieved about them.
Today, the main palace of Han Shou surrender city has been changed into the temporary marshal's palace. In the lobby, Yang Jizheng was discussing the military situation with dozens of civilian officials and military generals.
Yang Shanhui stood in front of a very accurate map of the Great Lakes area and said to Yang Ji: "Your Majesty, after emergency deployment, the most important city of Zara has 20,000 troops, Bayanbu City has 10,000 troops, and Altai City has 10,000 troops. Coupled with the advantages of the city, the three cities are enough to deal with the Turkic army. If another 20,000 soldiers are transferred south from the surrendered city of the Han Dynasty, I am very worried that the troops will be too scattered and we will not be able to use the advantages of our rear army and fresh army, and we will not be able to gain a single victory. The effect of fighting to determine the outcome."
Yang Ji stood up and walked to the map, pulled out a wooden stick from the wooden frame, and clicked on the north-central part of "△". Then he said to Yang Shanhui: "The 20,000 surrendered troops are not put into the battlefield ahead, but As a mobile army that cruises between the front and rear armies, it has three functions: First, once there is a crisis or vulnerability in the front city, they will immediately harass the enemy outside the city and attack the enemy's rear, thus alleviating the defensive forces in the city. If the two cities are in crisis at the same time, they can divide their troops to rescue them. Secondly, if the enemy army attacking the city has no successors and returns in defeat, then it is necessary to assist the defenders in the city to defeat the enemy army. Thirdly, if the enemy army is facing The defenders of Zara, Bayanbu, and Altai turned a deaf ear and just massed heavy troops to head north. Then this army was the main battle force, buying time for the Han surrender, and the defenders of Zara, Bayanbu, and Altai to encircle and create Destroy enemy fighter planes.”
Of course Yang Shanhui knew such a simple truth, but some generals didn't quite understand and didn't agree with the decision to divide the troops.
Although it is said that Yang Ji only needs to issue troop division decisions and combat instructions, and all the generals will abide by them unconditionally, the effect of forced orders is definitely not as good as the effect of being convinced. So he specifically pointed it out at the military meeting.
At this time, once Yang Ji explained, all the generals nodded frequently, and Yang Shanhui's purpose was naturally achieved. He smiled and said: "In that case, I have no objection. But I don't know who the king has decided to appoint as the commander-in-chief of this army?"
Yang Ji said: "You!"
Yang Shanhui was dumbfounded and asked stammeringly: "Da-da-wang, are you kidding me?"
"How could I joke with you about such a serious matter?" Yang Ji saw Yang Shanhui's dumbfounded expression and said calmly: "You and Wei Yunqi are both handsome men with both civil and military skills and deep understanding of military strategy. In terms of martial arts, he can't even beat you. Since he can do so many great things, why can't you, Yang Shanhui? What qualifications do you, Yang Shanhui, have to say no?"
Is that the reason?
Yang Shanhui looked at Yang Ji dumbfounded. Even he didn't know that he was so capable, and he didn't know where Yang Ji had the confidence to hand over an army of 20,000 to him like a child's play. However, he felt warm and extremely moved in his heart. Of course, He was also aroused by Yang Ji's last two questions.
He secretly decided in his heart that he must fight this battle well and hand in a satisfactory answer, and that Yang Ji's trust and attention to him would not be in vain.
He nodded in agreement immediately and made his request: "Your Majesty, I can lead troops, but I need a lieutenant."
Yang Ji waved his hand generously: "Who do you want? Just name them."
"Your Majesty, I want General Zhu." Yang Shanhui looked at the generals below, and finally set his sights on Zhu Can. Zhu Can was very good at fighting, but he had never led an army of more than two hundred people. It was precisely because of his lack of experience in leading troops that he was attracted by Yang Shanhui. Yang Shanhui felt that if he took Zhu Can well, he would be able to show off his abilities even more.
Zhu Can's face turned red, and he was so anxious that he almost cried. He shook his head repeatedly and said, "I can't do it, I can't do it! Chang Shi asked me to cook, but if you want to lead troops, you really have the wrong person."
Yang Ji said: "A man can't say he's not good enough, it's you."
"Here!" Zhu Can responded with a grimace.
"That's ridiculous." Yang Ji's appointment seemed like nonsense, but it was actually very stable and safe. Just because the main mission of this partial division is to connect several war nodes together, they will go wherever they are needed. If a large number of enemy troops are attracted to encircle and annihilate them, other nodes can be nearby to provide assistance, making it very safe.
As long as they win this time, Yang Shanhui and Zhu Can, who have experience in leading troops, will have confidence. Isn't this how he, Wei Yunqi and others fought?
Du Ruhui, a military officer in the Record Office, thought for a while and couldn't help but stand up and asked: "Your Majesty, I, the Sui Dynasty, have no intention of occupying the Great Lakes area, but the Eastern Turks, Western Turks, and Xue Yantuo are eyeing this place and coveting it. We Why not withdraw from the Great Lakes area and sit back and watch them dog eat dog? Wouldn't it be nice to wait until they lose their troops and then come back to clean up the mess?"
"Since the reunification of the East Turks, the East Turks have broken the balance of power and become a dominant force. Because the other three major forces have restrained and attacked each other, none of them has the strength and power to compete with the East Turks for the Great Lakes area. courage; if they do it forcefully, the other two major forces will have a good opportunity to annihilate this force. For example, Xue Yantuo is the best example. Yi Shubo originally competed with Murong Bei for the Great Lakes area. Judging from the strength of both sides, Xue Yantuo is completely able to Murong Bei was defeated. However, just when they were fighting fiercely, the Western Turks attacked Xue Yantuo's rear. For the safety of his lair, Yi Shubo did not send troops to rescue him. Otherwise, he would be in the dilemma of fighting on both sides and end up with nothing. .”
Yang Ji glanced at Du Ruhui and continued: "The three major forces are powerless. If we withdraw again, the East Turks will be able to occupy the Great Lakes area without a fight. In this way, the East Turks will not only be able to strengthen themselves with the rich Great Lakes area, but also Because of our retreat, Liangzhou will continue to approach, and they will even send troops to loot Tingzhou, Yizhou, Guazhou, and Ganzhou. This is what I am most worried about."
"If we maintain a military presence here and prevent other forces from entering, there will be many benefits: first of all, it will ensure the security of northern Liangzhou, and then we can naturalize the herders here through the Moxi Governor's Mansion for future income. Lay the foundation; secondly, cut off a piece of fat from the East Turks so that they cannot get the supplies here; most importantly, our garrison here maintains tactical deterrence against the East Turks at all times, so that the East Turks can The side is always under threat from our army."
"If we win this battle, the Eastern Turks will have no way to advance westward and no courage to invade the south, and the north is a bitter cold land of ice and snow. In the future, they will either have to be honest, or attack the east, Xi, north and south chambers. Wei, Khitan and other tribes. But I think it is the latter, but it is exactly what I, the Sui Dynasty, expected."
After hearing these words, everyone couldn't help but gasp. According to what Yang Ji said, if this battle is won, almost all the tribes around the Sui Dynasty will be dragged into the flames of war. They will bite dogs and the Sui Dynasty will gain.
Du Ruhui smiled bitterly. He really didn't think that far ahead. He didn't even realize the great significance of this battle and the great value of the Great Lakes region.
This time, he finally saw Yang Ji's power.
There is really no comparison between people.
It is not an accident that people have achieved this. The insights, strategic vision, and grand structure alone are beyond what I could have imagined.
"Your Majesty, then we will fight this battle fiercely!" In this formal public occasion, Yuchi Gong also called Yang Ji "Your Majesty" as if he were doing as the Romans do. He stood up and said fiercely: "As long as we kill the Turks If the army is destroyed here, the Turks will not dare to reach out again in the future!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a soldier came over quickly: "Your Majesty, General Li, the former army commander, specially sent someone here to report the military situation!"
Yang Ji said: "Let him come in!"
"Here!" Not long after the soldiers retreated, they brought up a handsome young general. The young general stepped forward and saluted: "Han Yue, a humble official, meets the king."
"General Han, don't be polite and speak on your own."
"Here!" Han Yue stood up straight and said to Yang Ji: "Your Majesty, the main force of the enemy army entered the camp yesterday. The two armies shared one camp. Last night the fire was soaring into the sky."
"I understand!" Yang Ji nodded. Judging from the time, Ashina Qilifushu should have arrived yesterday. He asked again: "What happened to the Turkic army today?"
"Zhi Shihao led an army of 30,000 people to cross the Zabul River early this morning, and then conducted a tentative attack on Zara City. Then he divided his troops into two groups, surrounded the city, and set up camp in the west of the city. Its main army is also moving northward from the pontoon." Han Yue glanced at Yang Ji and then said: "My general pays close attention to the dynamics of Zala City. Whenever there is a crisis for the defenders in the city, he will attack the enemy's flank from the outside. At the same time, , and let General Li prepare for defense and battle in Altai City."
"Your Majesty, Zala City is not a fortified city like the one in the Central Plains. Like the other three cities, it is a rammed earth city. Although the last general focused on repairing this city, the city wall is only two feet high. General Xue does not have a catapult or bed. Crossbows and other weapons for defending the city, so this city can't give him much help." After Achi introduced the situation in Zala City, he added: "The enemy has many soldiers and generals, and they only need to allocate 20,000 soldiers to contain Bayanbu. , Altai, we can concentrate our superior forces to capture the city of Zara, we’d better send troops to rescue as soon as possible.”
Yuchi Gong said slowly: "The enemy army does have many soldiers and generals. If they besiege the three cities without attacking, they are preparing to adopt the tactic of siege and reinforcements. If we send fewer troops to rescue, wouldn't it be playing into their ambitions?" ?”
"General Yuchi!" Achi said with a bitter smile: "If we stand still, the siege and reinforcements will turn into a city-by-city defeat."
Yang Shanhui knew that it would be difficult for them to argue over the outcome, so he stopped him and said, "Stop fighting. Your Majesty didn't say anything. Why are you so anxious?"
The two of them immediately became quiet and looked at Yang Ji, waiting for Yang Ji's order.
But Yang Ji did not say a word, but silently stared at the map on the wooden frame. He knew that Zhi Shihao was proficient in Han culture and military art. He was not only the number one general in Ashina Qilifusha, but also among the best in the entire Turks. A general with a good record.
This person had obviously arrived on the south bank of the Zabul River early, but he had not yet attacked Zala City. He sat back and watched as he deployed his troops. He was obviously worried about being wiped out by his concentrated troops, so he waited for the arrival of the main force. This performance is enough to show that he is a steady general with troops.
Ashena immediately accelerated his march to this point. The men and horses were exhausted and his physical strength was seriously reduced. However, the fallen heroes ignored the actual situation of the main army and suddenly sent troops to attack the city impatiently.
This has a paradoxical flavor.
Thinking of what Han Yue said before, Yang Ji focused on an important point, and then asked Han Yue: "General Han, you just said that the enemy camp was as bright as day last night, was there still a buzz of people? There was a steady stream of people crossing the river this morning. Soldiers, are they combat soldiers or logistical troops?"
Han Yue said: "Reporting to your Majesty, the enemy army has indeed been making trouble all night. Because they sent out a large number of reconnaissance cavalry, our army's scouts were blocked five miles away! The follow-up soldiers who crossed the river this morning were all heavy troops. , and there are many cattle and sheep.”
After hearing this, Yang Ji said decisively: "Is there something wrong with the Turks who came from afar and made trouble all night without a good rest? Obviously not. They clearly did it deliberately to show our scouts, so that our The scouts mistakenly thought that the entire army was in the camp, but in fact, some of them had already left. If it is not what I expected, those who left that night were Zhi Shihao's army. And today's siege team was Weary troops coming from afar.”
Yang Shanhui couldn't keep up with Yang Ji's thoughts and asked quickly: "Why is the king so sure? What is the reason?"
"The reason is very simple!" Yang Ji said: "The ambition of the Turks is not only to create a Great Lakes area, they also want to reshape their military power and spirit so that Turkic soldiers will no longer fear the Sui Dynasty. And my father and I were from the Sui Dynasty. A hero, but a devil in the eyes of the Turks. As long as they kill me, half of their deeper purpose will be achieved."
Everyone was shocked when they heard this. Although Yang Ji seemed a little "narcissistic", when everyone thought about it carefully, they had to admit that what he said made sense, because father and son were indeed taboo among the Turks.
If the Turkic army killed Yang Ji this time, the effect would be no less than the destruction of 100,000 Sui troops.
"Ashena immediately made a plan to besiege the city and rescue Hao, waiting for me to rescue and wait until I reach the south of Altai City." Speaking of this, Yang Ji was in the northwest of Altai City and in the Gobi Altai Mountains. He drew a line at the pass and said in a deep voice: "The new force lurking at the western foot of the Gobi Altai Mountains quickly passed through the pass and occupied Altai City. This way, I could be trapped south of Altai City, east of the Gobi Altai Mountains, and west of the precipitation. , in the narrow area north of the Zabul River, and then concentrate superior forces to annihilate me."
"As for the Zhi Shihao who pretended to attack Zala City, they were divided into two. One part was used to block the rescue route of Li Jing and Xue Ju, and the other part was used to attack the east side of our army."
Everyone gasped, and they all realized that their thinking was relatively simple, but now that they had guessed the enemy's combat deployment, the next step would be easier.
