The next day, Zisang walked out of the Prime Minister's Mansion and was driven by his servant to Hexi.
Zisang drove into the city, and General Feng came out of the general's mansion to greet him. Zi Sang drove to a stop before arriving at the General's Mansion, walked out and stood in front of the General's Mansion, looking up at the gate of the General's Mansion, it was so majestic. General Feng, the commander-in-chief, and his generals stood in front of Zi Sang, clasped his fists and kowtowed, saying, "Prime Minister." Zi Sang stepped forward to help General Feng, and then faced the generals behind him and said, "Generals, please rise." These generals behind General Feng Get up together. Zisang faced General Feng and said: "General Feng, what actions did the Qin army outside the city make?" General Feng said: "Xiangguo, the Qin army outside the city did not make any big moves. It was just the day before yesterday that the Qin army just arrived in Hexi. The troops lined up outside the city and fired arrows at the towers, which was unstoppable." Zi Sang asked, "Can you bring Qin arrows?" General Feng said, "Yes." Zi Sang immediately said, "Bring me the Qin arrows. Take a look." General Feng called a soldier and said, "Go to the armory quickly and get the Qin arrows." The soldier went to the armory and fetched the Qin arrows. Zi Sang observed the Qin arrow and said: "The crossbows of the Qin State are far superior to those of the six countries of Shandong. It can be seen that the Qin State's reforms have improved the army. This Qin arrow can prove that the Qin army's military force is very valuable." Powerful. In addition to the combat effectiveness of the Qin army and its reward and punishment system, its weapons are also very advanced. I heard that the range of the Qin crossbow can reach a hundred steps, which is far beyond the range of other vassal states. Of course, it is also the range of our Wei Dynasty. The country cannot reach it. Let’s look at the triangular shape of the Qin arrow, which minimizes its resistance. It shoots through the heavy armor of the army and bleeds. Our Wei soldiers will bleed after being hit by the Qin arrow and lose their combat effectiveness. ." The generals nodded in agreement and said: "What the Prime Minister said is absolutely true. There is also a large crossbow bed in the Qin army's formation. There is a large bow on the crossbow bed, which can hold dozens of long arrows like spears. , shooting down the city battlements and the buildings on the city tower, it looks unstoppable." Zi Sang said: "Generals, you can follow me to the city tower to have a look."
Zisang and the generals climbed onto the tower and looked away. In the deep mountain col, smoke rises. General Feng pointed to the place where the smoke was rising and said to Zi Sang: "Prime Minister, that is the camp of the Qin army." Zi Sang asked: "How many soldiers and horses does the Qin army have?" General Feng replied: "There are millions of them." Everyone." Zi Sang asked again: "Who is leading the army?" General Feng said: "Qin Prime Minister Fa Zhang." Zi Sang looked up at it and said: "This senior brother of mine must be waiting for me to rush to Hexi to join me. Let's have a good fight. This senior brother of mine is very aggressive." Then he said: "General Feng, let's go back to the general's mansion together."
They walked down the tower together and entered the general's mansion. Zi Sang said: "The difference in strength between our army and the Qin army outside the city is too big. The Qin army cannot compete with it." He asked General Feng again: "General Feng, what about the Qin army?" How did you arrange this?" General Feng said: "Order the army to defend the city. Anyone who dares to speak out will be killed!" Zi Sang sat aside, and after a long time he said: "Avoid his sharp edge, General Feng, you did it. Very good. The Qin army is so powerful that it only wants a quick victory. A protracted war can only consume national power." Then he looked at the deputy general and said: "How many people and young adults are there in the city?" The deputy general stood up and said: "Go back. Prime Minister, there are three hundred households in the city and nearly one million young adults." Zisang stood up and said, "This is the million-strong army of our Wei State. General Guan Nan cooperated with Shaoliang's order to train the people in the city. As for farming, it is normal. Farm when you are busy and practice fighting when you are free. This army will be of great use in the future." General Feng stepped forward and asked: "Prime Minister, why don't you recruit them into the army?" Zi Sang said: "No, we need to hide our troops. Yu Min gave the Qin army outside the city the illusion that the city's troops were weak. I believe that there must be detailed work by the Qin army in the city." Then he said: "General Feng, send an army of 200,000 to the civilian population to train the people to fight." General Feng had something to say. He said worriedly: "There are only 300,000 defenders in the city. How can we defend the city?" Zi Sang had a bold idea and said: "This will just attract the Qin army to attack the city." Zi Sang said again: "General Feng, At midnight, the army must be gathered at the general station to let Xizuo lurking in the city know that the troops in the city are weak." General Feng was a little stunned and said: "Prime Minister." Zi Sang said: "The art of war pays attention to the truth and the false, the false and the false, the true and the false. , deceived the enemy with deception." General Feng suddenly realized it and said: "I will obey the order." Zi Sang said: "We don't have much time, we must quickly find out the spies lurking in the city." General Feng said "General Feng," he said, "let your confidants investigate secretly." Zi Sang said, "General Feng, remember not to alert the enemy." General Feng kowtowed and said, "I have the order." Then he exited the general's mansion.
At ten o'clock in the evening, General Feng gathered his troops to the general platform for inspection by Prime Minister Guo Zisang. Zi Sang stood in the middle of these armies, saw their faces clearly, and asked them where the insects were from. Listening to their accents, he could tell if any of the soldiers spoke with a Qin accent or hesitated when answering. He wanted to find out who was the spy in the city, so as to find out the traitor in the army. Then he walked up to the general station and said: "How many soldiers and horses are there in the city?" General Feng stood up and said: "Back to the prime minister, there are only 300,000 troops in the city. Zi Sang was deliberately startled, and stood up and said, "What? Three hundred thousand troops, isn't there half a million troops in the city? Where are the other two hundred thousand troops?" General Feng said: "Fifty thousand is just a The imaginary number is that there are actually only 400,000 troops. When the Qin army came to attack the city the day before yesterday, more than 100,000 soldiers were killed and wounded, and there were only 300,000 troops that could defend the city." Zisang sat down again and said, "I am in Daliang, the capital of Wei. I heard that the army in Hexi was less than 500,000, but I didn't expect such a huge disparity." After pondering for a while, he said, "General Feng listens to the order. If the Qin army comes to attack the city, it is not allowed to fight. Those who want to fight, don't ask whether they are in the army. What kind of position is in the middle, all beheaded to show to the army." General Feng kowtowed and said: "The last general has the order." Zi Sang fell into deep thought again and said: "Let me think about it carefully, think about it." Several soldiers in the army kept looking at Xiang Guozi Sang who was standing on the general platform with a sad look on his face, and his expression was tantamount to revealing his target. Zi Sang thought for a long time before slowly saying: "Let the army go back to the barracks to rest." General Feng turned around and said: "You all go back and rest." The soldiers stood there and hesitated for a long time. , and then he was willing to leave. Zisang just winked, and General Feng understood it instantly, and ordered his confidants to follow him secretly and make inquiries secretly.
When these soldiers began to patrol the city, during their patrol, one soldier took the opportunity to escape from the city. Just as it sneaked out of the city, all the spies hiding in the city were arrested. This soldier entered the Qin army camp. Qin Xiang Fazhang turned around and asked: "How do you find out about the enemy situation in the city?" Xi Zuo replied: "Xiang Guo, tonight Prime Minister Wei is ordering troops at the general station. There are only 300,000 troops in the city." Qin Xiang Fazhang stepped forward and asked: "You It is said that Wei Xiang Zisang has arrived at Hexi City." Xi Zuo said: "That's right, Wei Xiang arrived at Hexi City today." Qin Xiang Fazhang smiled and said: "Very good, you did a good job. When you sneaked out of the city, they had We didn't notice you." Xi Zuo began to say self-righteously: "No, Prime Minister Wei ordered us to hold on to the city. Anyone who dares to fight will be killed!" Qin Prime Minister Fazhang said: "You return to the city quickly. When my army attacks the city, you Organize all the troops in the city to counterattack, and cooperate with each other inside and outside." Xizuo kowtowed and said, "No." Then he withdrew from the military tent and returned to the city. When he returned to the city, he was waiting for him by the army in the city.
In the Qin army's camp, these generals came forward and persuaded: "Prime Minister, there are only 300,000 troops in the city. Let's attack the city." Qin Prime Minister Fazhang said thoughtfully: "Don't send troops hastily." Then he gathered these generals and said : "General Wang Cuo, you lead an army of 300,000 to attack the west of the city." General Wang Cuo stepped forward and said, "General, I will obey the order." Then he turned to General Quan You and said, "General Quan You, you led an army of 300,000 to attack. To the east of the city." General Quan You came forward and kowtowed: "I will obey the order." General Wang Cuo said in confusion: "Why does the Prime Minister use troops like this?" Prime Minister Fa Zhang said: "My junior brother Proficient in the art of war, we need to be cautious in using our troops, and adopt wheel warfare. The two armies take turns to attack the city, and test the strength of the city. If there are only 300,000 troops in the city, and the troops in the east and west of the city are insufficient, our army will lead us by the nose. The exhausted army in the city was exhausted, and then concentrated its forces to start a general attack. The inside should be combined with the outside to break through Hexi." Then he said: "You all go down and prepare to attack the city tomorrow." The two generals kowtowed and said: "I have the order." Then they all withdrew from the army. account.
The next day, the army was assembled under the city. General Wang Cuo led a left-wing army of 300,000 people to rush out and attack the west of the city. On top of the city tower, a soldier came forward to report: "The Qin army is attacking the west of the city." Wei Xiangzi sang: "Where is General Feng?" General Feng stepped forward and said: "The last general is here." Wei Xiangzi said: "The Qin army is attacking. To the west of the city, in order to tire out our army, we simply resorted to a trick. You lead an army of 300,000 to guard the west of the city." Later, General Quan You led an army of 300,000 on the right to attack the east of the city. They attacked the city over and over again. The army was coming and going, exhausted. Finally, the troops were concentrated at the bottom of the city. The crossbowmen came forward, knelt on one knee, and drew their bows and arrows upward. The thirty crossbow bed was lifted up, and there were dozens of long spear-like arrows on the big bow. Three soldiers opened the huge bow. There are huge wooden planks erected on the city wall. There are several shield soldiers behind each plank. The remaining soldiers hide behind the battlements and are protected by planks in front. They began to shoot arrows at the city, shooting out as densely as rain, and striking like dark clouds in the sky. These arrow feathers all hit the wooden board, and some were blown away by the huge crossbow arrows. The huge wooden planks on the city wall were shot into hedgehogs, and the army was ordered to lift the wooden planks down and remove the arrows. The army under the city ran out on the left and right wings, waiting for the enemy to approach. Wei Xiangzi Sang ordered the army to shoot the collected arrows together. The army attacking the city was suddenly turned upside down, the dust was flying, and the troops were greatly damaged. Fa Zhang hit the army again and rushed out. They combined their forces to attack the city with all their strength. The black army came like a tide. Wei Xiangzi Sang faced the army behind him and said: "The Qin army is afraid of fire, so they set off rockets." The arrows ignited the fire and shot out, falling like sparks. The city was dotted with sparks, and the army was ordered to pour hot oil on the soldiers who were about to attack the city wall. The hot oil was poured down and rolled down. The soldiers under the city covered their faces, fire burned on their faces, and screams could be heard one after another. The city suddenly turned into a sea of fire. The Qin army ran for their lives in the raging fire, and countless soldiers were burned to death. , only to withdraw troops.
The Qin soldiers retreated twenty miles and set up camp and erected observation towers to guard against the enemy's surprise attack. Qin Prime Minister Fazhang entered the military camp and called the deputy general Jin Wu and said: "Where is deputy general Jin?" General Jinwu stepped forward and said: "The last general is here." Qin Prime Minister Fazhang said: "Hurry and count the casualties of our army? After the statistics are clear, report them to us. Me." Lieutenant General Jin kowtowed and said, "No." Qin Xiang Fazhang said, "Go ahead." Lieutenant General Jin retreated.
Qin Prime Minister Fazhang entered the military tent, followed by two generals Wang Cuo and Quan You. Qin Prime Minister Fa Zhang stepped onto the commander's seat, turned to face them, and said: "You two, please sit down." Wang Cuo and Quan You were sitting on both sides, looked at Qin Prime Minister Fa Zhang and said: "Prime Minister." Fa Zhang lowered his head and said "The careless use of troops has caused great losses to our army, and it is my fault." General Wang Cuo said, "Victory and defeat are common matters for military officers, so the Prime Minister does not need to blame himself." Qin Xiang Fazhang said, "This junior brother of mine Ah! What a clever plan! Last night, it deliberately reported the weakness of the troops in the city at the general station and led our army to attack. When attacking the city today, divide the troops to attack the east and west of the city to explore the actual situation in the city. It will follow its plan. It deliberately exposed the lack of troops in the city to our army. It knew that our army was afraid of fire, so when our army launched a general attack, it attacked with fire, which led to today's disastrous defeat." Afterwards, Lieutenant General Ban entered the army tent and reported: "Prime Minister, our army Three hundred thousand casualties." Wang Cuo and Quan You were startled and stepped forward: "Xiangguo, how should we attack the city next?" Xiangguo Fazhang said: "All the spies I sent were arrested." After thinking for a long time, he He said: "Generals, there is no need to be anxious. I have a clever plan in mind. Please sit down, please."
