After experiencing the assassination, Qingji's army marched even faster. Why did Qingji dare to return home with fifteen thousand people to seize the throne?
Wudu is a fortified city in the southeastern region. If you want to attack it by force, it is absolutely impossible to use the number of Qingji's army. If you want to besiege the city, it is even more impossible. Sun Wu is here, and the ten principles of siege are in his military strategy.
The real reason is that as Qingji went south, countless Wu nobles and soldiers brought their own food and grass to join him. In just over ten days, more than 50,000 people had joined his army.
"The prince's reputation as a benevolent and heroic hero is well known to everyone in the Wu Kingdom. You are a hero in the world, but Helu is a rebel who seizes the throne. I don't choose to follow you, but follow Helu. Isn't this a stupid thing?"
This is Qingji's prestige in the Wu Kingdom. As long as he returns home and seems to have an unstoppable momentum, the world will follow him.
The Wu Kingdom was quickly divided into two factions. As Qing Ji killed all the people in the Wu capital city like a ragtag force, the voices of Helu's side became lower and lower.
The army led by Qing Ji was stationed outside Wudu City and began to arrange according to Sun Wu's command.
According to the old rules of the Spring and Autumn Period, both sides must quarrel with each other before going to war to prove that they are worthy of their reputation.
What's more, Qingji was already full of anger. He took out the eighteen crimes of Helu that he had written as early as in the Luo Kingdom and recited them outside Gusu City.
This letter, written by a student of Confucius himself, had an excellent effect. It satirized King Helu of Wu from beginning to end. He was so angry that he roared in the hall, "Be careful of traitors!"
But there was nothing to say in rebuttal. The ministers of the State of Wu were all looking at their noses and ears. Except for Helu's confidants, no one wanted to participate in this kind of internal fighting between the Wu State's offices.
It can be seen that King Helu of Wu was unpopular. He had been King of Wu for so many years, but he still failed to gain the recognition of Wu's ministers.
Regardless of the current situation in the city, Qingji relied on his elite army. The number of his troops now reached 80,000.
Although most of them were weak auxiliary soldiers, with a little training from Sun Wu, they were able to use siege tools in a decent manner.
Qing Ji was once the most powerful general in the Wu Kingdom. He led his troops on the battlefield to attack without any disadvantage, but he was not good at siege. He basically sent out his soldiers in a swarm and rushed up the long ladder.
However, due to the lack of means to defend the city, the defender has an advantage, but it mainly depends on the eliteness of the soldiers on both sides, so he is always allowed to succeed.
But Sun Wu didn't think so. His understanding of war was beyond the times. Attacking and defending a city and field warfare were completely different wars.
"Prince, attacking a city is not simply a matter of using the lives of soldiers. Conquering a small city is just a matter of fighting between the elites of both sides.
But when it comes to a fortified city like Luoyi, do we have to use the lives of soldiers to fill it? Even if there are more soldiers, it will not be enough.
You have stayed in Zhaoyi for several years. Thinking about a big city like Zhaoyi, you may not be able to break it even if you besiege it for two or three years. "
Qingji nodded and said: "Indeed, since the etiquette gradually collapsed, the princes of various countries no longer abide by the city building regulations in Zhou Rites, and have begun to heighten and thicken their capitals. Now it is really getting harder and harder to attack the city."
Sun Wu laughed and said: "The first step is to attack with troops, and the second is to attack with friends.
Therefore, the first attack on a city is to attack the people's hearts, that is, to try to disperse the people's hearts in the city.
The goshawk in the sky feeds on rabbits on the ground, and the goshawk's claws can easily pierce the rabbit's body. What a disparity in power between the two. Should the rabbit just give up resistance?
In order to survive, it will definitely fight with all its strength against the goshawk.
If animals are like this, will intelligent people obediently stick out their necks and wait for death?
If the soldiers defending the city are determined to sacrifice, then this is the mistake of the siege general.
Prince, please see why I want to let go of one of the city walls. This is to tell everyone that things are not out of control yet.
This unencircled city wall will make everyone feel that there is still a chance to escape. This is one of the strategies to attack the heart.
You have great prestige and are famous for your loyalty. If you promise to the soldiers and civilians guarding the city that you will surrender and not kill innocent people, then the soldiers and civilians of Wudu will definitely not resist to the death.
Could it be that Helu didn't know about this situation?
I expected that he would force the soldiers and civilians of Wudu to fight, and even kill the soldiers and civilians to frighten them. Therefore, as long as we surrounded and attacked slowly, our army would suffer few casualties, but the city of Wudu would collapse on its own. "
The novelty of this theory was something Qingji had never heard before. His face was full of admiration: "Changqing, every time I see you, I don't know what words to use to praise you.
I can only say that you are the leader among generals in the world. You are a saint who can be a role model for generals in all ages. "
Qing Ji handed over all command rights to Sun Wu, and the army began to launch a tentative attack on Wudu.
Sun Wu did not directly let the slave soldiers come forward to consume the city's resources like other generals. Instead, he first used his improved catapult to launch rounds of hurling at Gusu City. This was to suppress the morale of the soldiers in the city.
As a military sage, Sun Wu not only updated the previous combat concepts, but also had high attainments in the innovation of military equipment in order to match the combat methods.
After a round of wild bombing, the walls of Gusu City were filled with rubble and rubble, and the defenders on the walls were stunned.
They had never seen such a catapult. Although the city wall of Wudu could not be shattered by these rocks, it was a huge blow to the will of the defenders.
Then Sun Wu still did not attack. He pointed at Wudu and said to Qingji: "Prince, from now on, we will attack Wudu from time to time every day to tire out the defenders of Wudu.
Then a high siege slope was built at the west gate, which was higher than the city wall. Archers were placed on the high slope to cover the soldiers.
After that, the two gates will attack together, and they will surely be defeated in one battle! "
In Gusu City, King Helu of Wu mobilized all his soldiers, and he appointed the most loyal guards to him as the supervising team.
Mobilize all the officials in the city and ask them to guard the top of the city with their private soldiers and domestic slaves.
He also promised in front of everyone, “Anyone who dares to retreat and wants to surrender will be killed immediately, and all his property will be confiscated and distributed to other brave warriors.
Regardless of whether they are Chinese or nobles, the female relatives of the family are directly sent to the camp prostitutes.
As long as you defend the capital of Wu and make great achievements, I will reward you with gold, silver, jewels, and noble women. "
Gold, silver, jewelry, and even those noble girls, if you can marry them, you can even directly become a noble.
Helu was indeed cruel. He did not keep these properties as his own, but shared the profits. This gave some people the motivation to work for him, although there was a high probability that they would end up as cannon fodder.
Helu's behavior naturally aroused the dissatisfaction of many people. This matter had nothing to do with them in the first place.
At first they were loyal to Wu Bo Liao, but suddenly Wu Bo Liao was killed, Prince Qing Ji fled, and He Lu became the king of Wu. Now that Qing Ji came back after killing him, He Lu should abdicate.
"Helu is truly a tyrant. He was a rebellious minister who committed regicide to seize the throne, but he forced us to die for his ambition. How unfair this is to us.
He trampled on his kin and nobles wantonly, and frequently destroyed the families of innocent nobles, countrymen, and wealthy households. This was not what a normal monarch should do.
If Prince Qingji ascends the throne, he will have noble moral character and be considerate of people's hearts. Even if he is at the end of his rope, he will not drag innocent people to be buried with him. "
A Duke of Wu State sighed: "Helu has gone crazy. He knows that he cannot win the hearts of the people of Wu State. Prince Qingji led his troops back to the country. He is in panic all day long. Now he wants us to follow him to death. This It's a dream!
Prince Qingji has allies to deliver grain and grass, but Helu is alone. Wu is unable to defend the city. Once the city is broken, Helu will die, so he wants to drag us to death together.
I believe that both the nobles and the people in the city are very dissatisfied with Helu, and they are just afraid of his cruelty, so they let him control him.
If chaos breaks out in the city, we can open the city gate and dedicate it to the prince. "
Such exchanges are everywhere in Wudu, and countless people have different thoughts in their hearts.
Another day's siege was over, and Qing Ji let the soldiers take a full rest.
All the hustle and bustle during the day seemed to have disappeared. A bright moon shone down on the top of the city. The soldiers guarding the city hid in the walls of the city. There were sounds of pain and wailing everywhere. In order not to affect morale, countless soldiers The body was dragged down and burned directly.
On the top of the Wudu city, Helu's face was gloomy. The offensive of Qingji's army was becoming more and more fierce, and the higher and higher earth slopes outside the city made him feel frightened.
Although we can still hold on now, it will be a matter of time before we fall.
"Qingji, why don't you just die in an assassination attack like your father? The country of Wu, two thousand miles away, with millions of people, all belong to me. If I am gone, you will never get it." .”
Helu's expression was a bit ferocious, especially because of the chaotic inheritance of Wu's throne before, which led him to believe that he was the heir to the throne of Wu, so he killed Wu Baku.
"What the Kingdom of Wu needs is not a reckless man like you, but a king like me."
"Doctor Bi Dan, when will the Yue army arrive?" Helu asked with a gloomy face. He felt a little uneasy. Logically speaking, he should have received the news that the Yue army was on the way.
In fact, when Qingji was on his way to Wudu, he saw that Qingji's army was so brave and unstoppable. Helu had a premonition that Wudu might not be able to stop Qingji's sharpness, and his throne might not be stable. .
When Qingji breaks through Wudu, he will definitely kill himself.
Helu was even prepared to imitate King Zhou, and if the city was destroyed, he would burn all the treasures in Wu's capital and would never leave anything to Qingji.
Bi Dan, Helu's close confidant, never wanted Helu to lose.
After all, it was him who had the idea to assassinate Wu Baku, and both Zhuanzhu and Yaoli were the assassins he sent to find him. Even if the other nobles in Wu Duzhong survived, Qing Ji would definitely kill him.
Dr. Bi Dan thought over his ideas and said to Helu: "Your Majesty, I have thought hard and the only one who can come to your rescue now is the Yue Kingdom!"
Helu was surprised and said: "Yue Kingdom? How could Yue Kingdom come to rescue me? Moreover, Yue Kingdom is small and weak, how can it defeat Qingji? That would require all the troops in the country to be exhausted, and Yue Kingdom's monarchs and ministers would not agree."
The strength of the Yue State has always been inferior to that of the Wu State, especially since the Wu State, with the support of the Luo State, was a powerful southeastern country that could compete with the Chu State for a while.
If it weren't for the complex terrain of the Yue State, with most of the land located in mountains and many areas relatively steep, the Wu State would have annexed the Yue State long ago.
Although Helu had not been on the throne for a long time, his attacks on the Yue Kingdom had never stopped, and there was a grudge between the two sides.
No matter how he thought about it, it was impossible for the Yue Kingdom to come to save him.
Bi Dan advised: "Your Majesty, you and Yue have only national enmity and no personal enmity. Doesn't Qingji have no national enmity?"
Who doesn’t know about Qing Ji’s bravery and the land of Wu and Yue?
Isn't it true that Yue is worried about Qing Ji becoming the king of Wu? This is impossible. The monarchs and ministers of Yue will definitely prevent Qing Ji from ascending to the throne.
If you can agree to cede the five cities on the border between Wu and Yue, and also promise gold, jade, jewelry, cloth, and beauties from the state of Wu, then the state of Yue will definitely send troops. "
The five cities on the border between Wu and Yue?
Helu's face darkened. He immediately understood what Bi Dan said, which were the five most dangerous cities for Wu to attack Yue. Without these five cities, Wu would have to pay a lot if he wanted to attack Yue. There were casualties.
Bi Dan was right. If he was willing to pay such a price, Yue would definitely send troops.
Dr. Bi Dan then said: "Your Majesty, you can cede three cities first, and then cede two more after the war is won. When Qingji is defeated, you can intercept and kill the Yue soldiers in the Wu Kingdom, and even directly annex them." Yue country."
Thinking that after the failure, Wu State would no longer belong to him, and hearing Bi Dan's vicious plan, Helu thought it was feasible, so he gritted his teeth and said, "Bi Dan, I leave this matter to you. As long as the Yue State can send troops, I will do whatever it takes." I can agree to it all!”
After receiving Helu's promise, Bi Dan went to contact the Yue Kingdom with joy on his face.
When the State of Yue got the news, its monarchs and ministers were very excited. The State of Yue had always been suppressed by the State of Wu. Now that Wu was in civil strife, it was just the right opportunity to draw chestnuts from the fire and even suppress the State of Wu.
Gou Jian, the king of Yue, said proudly: "My lords, this is a great opportunity for the country of Yue.
No matter who wins or loses between Qingji and Helu, the strength of Wu State will definitely be greatly reduced after this civil strife.
And if we can hold the five cities between Wu and Yue in our hands, we will no longer be in danger of destroying the country in a short time. "
All the ministers of the Yue Kingdom believed that this was a good time to send troops, but only Dr. Wen advised: "Your Majesty, the strength gap between Wu and Yue is too big.
Prince Wu Qingji is like a tiger in the mountains that preys on people, and King Helu of Wu is a ferocious and cunning wolf. These are not things that Yue can provoke.
If the limited troops of the Yue Kingdom are invested in it, they will be exhausted in an instant.
To stabilize a country's territory, it is not enough to have dangerous terrain. If the people of the country perish, even if you have a city, what can you do? "
When Gou Jian heard this, he thought what Doctor Wen said was very reasonable, but this was indeed a great opportunity for the country of Yue, so he was really unwilling to give up like this.
Doctor Wen hesitated for a moment and said: "Your Majesty, it is better to deceive Helu.
First send out the army to take over half of the city, then bring the army back halfway to attack the other half of the city.
There was civil strife in the state of Wu, and these soldiers of the state of Wu must have no intention of fighting.
You can promise them a safe departure, ask them to hand over their weapons and armor and return to the State of Wu, and then intercept them on the way, so that the five cities can fall into the hands of the State of Yue and weaken the strength of the State of Wu. "
Everyone looked at Dr. Wen in shock. The advice I heard before was quite consistent with your usual integrity, but I didn't expect that you could use such a vicious strategy.
There is no faith at all!
Doctor Wen hid his face and confessed shamefully: "The country of Yue is weak, so it can only use such clever tricks. Otherwise, whether Helu wins or Qingji ascends the throne, troops will be at the gates of Yue in three to five years. I really have no other ideas." ”
King Gou Jian of Yue was a vicious and vicious man, and Doctor Wen's strategy was very in line with his wishes. He said with a smile: "Doctor Wen is a wise man in the country of Yue. With your help, won't the country of Yue be prosperous?
According to Doctor Wen's plan, he deceived Helu and the Wu defenders. "
Helu and Bi Dan never expected that Gou Jian and his ministers had the same idea as them.
Why do I feel so interesting every time I write about this kind of poisonous plan? There may be something wrong with me~
There will be more in the afternoon~
(End of chapter)
