After winning the great victory in Kuizhou and opening the east road to Shu, just as Murong Yanzhao had guessed, Zhao Kuangyin did not slow down his march into Sichuan, but instead accelerated his march along the Yangtze River waterway.
Zhao Kuangyin led two generals, Zhang Yongde and Liu Guangyi, to attack and pacify Sichuan Dongzhou County and advance steadily behind. While he himself, Dang Jin and Cui Yanjin, selected a battalion of 5,000 elite troops, and under the protection of the Jiangling Navy, moved towards the firm and The only goal is to move westward from Chengdu.
Along the way, the sails were set and the boat was sailing at full speed. It was a smooth road. We were only delayed in Yuzhou. At that time, I hesitated to continue a circle southwest along the Yangtze River, or to turn north and go to Suizhou, and then go straight. Insert into the hinterland of Chengdu. Probably it was the reaction in Shu that gave Zhao Kuangyin confidence, and he finally left Suizhou, abandoned the boat and landed.
In the face of this Han army coming from the east, the officials in Shuzhou and counties along the way did not react much and just let it pass by, like an ostrich that lowered its head and pretended not to see it. Some people even prepared food, wine, meat and other means to reward their troops, and they would present them as soon as the king's troops entered the city. There are also people who take the initiative to contact and send people who are familiar with the road to guide the army...
Under the "enthusiastic" welcome of the officials and people in eastern Sichuan, Zhao Kuangyin's march went more smoothly than he imagined. The country was about to perish, the states and counties were alienated, the officials were unethical, and the decline was irreversible.
What is even more tragic is that it was not until the Han army on the east route landed in Suizhou, headed west to Chengdu, and entered the hinterland of the plains that anyone warned the Chengdu court. Of course, a warning is a warning, and as for resisting the Han army, it is impossible.
Marching at a speed of more than a hundred miles day by day, Zhao Kuangyin's original slogan to inspire the soldiers was to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival in Chengdu. The long water and dry roads, coupled with the changes in weather, were not so easy to cross.
After all, it is still one day late, maybe more than one day. Arriving in Chengdu does not mean occupying Chengdu...
On the first day after arriving in Chengdu, Zhao Kuangyin ordered Cui Yanjin to lead an army to attack Yang'an City in Jianzhou in the southeast to obtain grain and rice. At the same time, he used prisoners and surrounding refugees to set up camp twenty miles outside Chengdu to rest and reorganize his troops and horses to relieve the fatigue of the soldiers.
With a radius of more than a hundred miles around Chengdu, there are only 5,000 Han troops, and there are still 30,000 Shu troops concentrated in Chengdu. However, Zhao Kuangyin behaved as if he had entered his own back garden, strolling around leisurely and leisurely. This arrogant attitude surprised and angered the Shu army in Chengdu.
In the city, when they learned that the Han army had arrived, the whole city was shocked. For Meng Chao and the ministers of the Shu Kingdom, they were even more panicked. The situation in the north had deteriorated to an extreme point. The enemy in the east had already arrived in the city. From twenty miles away, they could feel the eager gaze of the Han army. The eyes and the chill on their steel knives.
However, after a brief panic, Meng Chang regained his "heart as calm as water". In addition to asking the prince to strengthen the defense of the imperial city, he issued an edict again. Zhao Jiwen was fully responsible for the arrival of the Han army.
The pressure seemed to have all shifted to Zhao Jiwen, and Zhao Jiwen quickly took action.
In the military office, a military meeting was going on. Zhao Jiwen summoned the commanders and generals above the Chengdu Army to discuss the military situation. The atmosphere was dull and depressing, and all the Shu generals had serious expressions and were looking forward to it.
When everyone was gathered, Zhao Jiwen spoke to break the oppressive atmosphere: "Everyone, the Han army is approaching. Shu has reached its most dangerous moment. Your Majesty trusts you and entrusts you with military power to resist the Han army. The heavy responsibility is like a mountain, and there is still hope. You all will give your full support and work together with one heart and one mind to fight against the Han troops in order to protect our country and our country!"
Zhao Jiwen's high-sounding words made him feel a little embarrassed, and had no motivating effect at all. It was like blowing into a pool of stagnant water, but the water was still. Some generals even showed a mocking expression.
"I wonder if General Zhao can defeat the Han army?" There was silence in the hall for a while, and finally a general asked.
Hearing this, Zhao Jiwen said: "I have sent people to investigate. The Han army coming from the west only has a few thousand soldiers, and they came lightly. You must know that the distance from Kuizhou to Chengdu is more than a thousand miles. East Road The arrival of the Han army took less than twenty days, which shows that it was advancing rapidly. The Han army was so arrogant that it was faster than the Han army on the northern route. It was obvious that they came here to gain credit!
The Han army was stationed on the outskirts of the city, and our soldiers and civilians were encamped. Apparently they were extremely tired and wanted to rest and recuperate. He also divided his troops to attack Jianzhou and plundered its warehouses, which not only reduced its military strength, but also showed its food shortage...
During the brief description of the enemy's situation, everyone listened carefully and wanted to know more about the situation of the Han army. Seeing that the attention of the generals had been attracted, Zhao Jiwen stood up, raised his hand and said: "Now, the division that rushes forward from the east is in front. I intend to take advantage of its first arrival, and the foothold is unstable. The veterans of the division are tired, and I will mobilize all the troops from Chengdu to take the initiative." Attack them! Before the Han army from the north arrives, fight first. Even if we cannot annihilate them, we must repel them, kill and injure them, severely injure them, and then return to defend the city!"
After Zhao Jiwen finished speaking, there was an uproar in the hall. The atmosphere was obviously a little strange, and discussions broke out. The first general shook his head repeatedly and said: "What General Zhao said is true. However, although the Han army outside the city has traveled thousands of miles, it is so powerful that even the strong fortresses and dangerous passes in Kuizhou cannot stop them. With us, what can we do? Its opponent?
Although we now have 30,000 troops, except for the general's Pinghu army, we have sparse battle formations, many new soldiers, and lack of training. How can we be the opponent of the Han army's experienced army?
Forgive me for being blunt, if we are defending the city, we may be able to hold on to one or two. If we take the initiative to send troops to fight with the Han army in the field, I am afraid we will not be our opponents! "
After hearing what he said, Zhao Jiwen immediately retorted: "The Han army is strong, but after all, it is outnumbered and exhausted. Although our army is weak, it has recharged its energy and has sufficient physical strength. At the end of the strong crossbow, it is difficult to penetrate Lu's silk. To the east, the Han The army is now Zhang Lu. We use several times the army to launch a surprise attack and annihilate it together. We may not be without the strength to fight!
Furthermore, since the Northern Han Dynasty raised troops, they have won successive battles and victories, and are unstoppable. They regard me as a young man in Shu as nothing. It was absolutely unexpected that we would dare to take the initiative. As the art of war goes, if you catch the enemy by surprise, you will definitely win! "
"Everyone!" Zhao Jiwen stood up and said seriously: "Now is the best time for us to attack. If we miss it, let the Han army rest and recover. When the Han army from the north comes again, Chengdu will be defeated!" We will also be captured by the Han army.
You must have heard how the Han army treated our Shu army. They were almost slaves for building roads and mining. All my descendants from Sichuan and Shu will gnash their teeth with hatred when they hear this. At this moment, don’t you even have the courage to strike out? "
Zhao Jiwen's words finally had some effect. Several generals stood up to support the case and said in unison: "Fight him and destroy the arrogance of the Han army!"
In Shuzhong, there are actually no ischemic men.
However, some people still looked hesitant and muttered: "I heard that our soldiers in Shuzhong were organized into Huaiwei and Huaide armies by the Han army, and their treatment was no worse than that of other Han armies. It seems that He Zhanjian, Han Jixun and others All the surrendered generals have been reused..."
As soon as these words came out, the blood that surged up suddenly cooled down a bit. The real question was before us. At this point, is it still necessary to take the risk to fight the Han army? Most of the Shu generals present had no experience fighting the Han army, and many of them had not even experienced battle formations, but this did not hinder their "fear of the Han". Most of the Shu generals who were supposed to protect their family and country had no intention of being buried by Meng Shu...
But when Zhao Jiwen heard this, he angrily scolded the man: "Why did you say that? Do you want to betray the imperial court and abandon the people of Chengdu?"
Taking a deep breath, Zhao Jiwen solemnly said: "Everyone, the current situation is like this, and there is not much room for us to choose. If we work hard, there may be a chance to reverse the situation. If we hold our hands and do nothing, we will eventually be defeated by the Han army." Prisoner, life and death are in his hands..."
After some encouragement and encouragement from Zhao Jiwen, they finally reached a consensus and decided to take a gamble and take the initiative to defeat this arrogant Han army in the eastern suburbs of Chengdu with its tail raised to the sky.
After deliberation, Zhao Jiwen left 5,000 Shu soldiers, including 3,000 "Pinghu Army", to garrison Chengdu City, and then led the remaining 26,000 troops out of the city to attack.
The dispatch of more than 20,000 troops took more than an hour to prepare for the attack, and then under the command of Zhao Jiwen, they set off outside the city. During the preparation process, the trusted generals couldn't help but ask Zhao Jiwen, "Do you really want to fight to the death with the Han army?"
Regarding his confidants, Zhao Jiwen had no reservations, and said something in a melancholy tone: "Of course we can surrender to the Han army without resistance, but in that case, we will eventually be underestimated by the Han army, and our future status, treatment and even Safety is not guaranteed.
I heard that among the Shu army, there were many surrendered generals who were reused by the Han court, and they all performed outstandingly in the war against the Han Dynasty. If we can take this opportunity to attack the Han army and prove our worth, we can use it as capital to negotiate with the Han army and secure our future honor and disgrace..."
After hearing Zhao Jiwen's words, the general understood and praised him for his deep thinking!
While the Shu army in Chengdu was preparing to attack, its unusual movements had already reached Zhao Kuangyin's ears. Among them were spies from the Wude Department and the Military Intelligence Department, officials from Chengdu, and even Shu army generals who accompanied the army.
Zhao Kuangyin couldn't help but be surprised and sighed at Zhao Jiwen's choice. To be fair, his choice to attack was not unreasonable. The Han army was indeed tired after arriving from afar, and its numbers were indeed very different from those of the Chengdu defenders. For the Shu army, it is indeed a rare advantageous opportunity. If the Shu army can really work together and seize it tightly, it may not be impossible to win.
However, there is always a turning point in everything. The tide of history is rolling forward and cannot be stopped by one's own power. What's more, this "one" has other hidden agendas.
Zhao Jiwen is not stupid. He knows that there are many dissidents in the army, but the degree of separation is far beyond his expectation. He never expected that a smart person would have sold him out long ago.
We were still twenty miles apart, and Zhao Kuangyin already knew all the trump cards. How to fight this kind of battle? How to win?
Zhao Jiwen's whole army came, and Zhao Kuangyin made preparations in advance, waiting in a virtual camp, hiding his troops in ambush, waiting for the Shu army to attack, and the ambush troops came out, and Zhao Jiwen was defeated. There were not many casualties in this battle. Nearly half of the Shu army who went on the expedition chose to surrender directly.
Zhao Jiwen led less than 10,000 remnant troops back to Chengdu. Zhao Kuangyin seemed to have scruples and did not take advantage of the situation to advance troops to pursue the remaining enemies. He just found someone to clean the battlefield, collect prisoners, and continue to rest and recuperate.
Well, the Han army did not feel any pressure to deal with the prisoners whose number was several times their own, because they were all very cooperative and well-behaved.
Zhao Jiwen, who was defeated and returned to Chengdu, did not stop. While reorganizing his troops, he secretly sent his confidants to the Han camp to discuss surrender matters...
