"Sun Tzu: Marching Chapter" says: If a guest comes from afar, don't welcome him into the water. Let him attack him with only a small amount of help, which will be beneficial.
Facing them into the water will only cause the enemy to retreat in the face of difficulties and will not be able to effectively annihilate the enemy.
When half of the enemy is ashore and half is still crossing the water, it is a dilemma. When the enemy is not connected from head to tail, he is most easily defeated.
Not only Zhuge Liang understands this truth, but Sima Yi also understands it.
The martial arts water was neither wide nor deep enough. Sima Yi knew that it was impossible to block Zhuge Liang on the other side with the martial arts water alone.
So he kept attacking Meng Yan's camp on the east bank, trying to keep Meng Yan in the narrow strip of the river bank, in order to create the most favorable conditions for the subsequent half-crossing attack.
Zhuge Liang, on the other hand, refused to cross the water on a large scale when Meng Yan had not established a firm foothold and had not expanded enough forward camps.
This time, Wei Yan was allowed to lead the troops across the water, which actually meant that Wei Yan was allowed to expand the frontier and consolidate the camp on the east bank.
The 10,000 elite soldiers had not even crossed the halfway point, and the camp on the east bank had already become a little crowded.
In the midst of the commotion, Meng Yan came over in a hurry:
"General Wei, the thieves are coming!"
When Wei Yan heard this, he was not surprised but happy:
"If the thieves hide behind the barrier, I don't have a good solution. Now they dare to come, which is exactly what I want."
"General Meng will block it for a while, and I will arrive soon after I gather the soldiers."
At this moment, they no longer waited for the remaining soldiers who had not crossed the water. They just asked people to gather the more than 3,000 people who had reached the shore and prepare to meet the enemy.
The sound of war drums was already heard in front.
The Han army's crossbow arrows shot out like locusts, and the Wei army who came forward with large spears shouted loudly. They were very fast and had already reached two hundred steps in front of the Han army's formation.
The camp on the east bank was already a bit narrow. At this time, the soldiers who had crossed the water had to form a formation in a hurry. The soldiers who had not yet crossed the water had no choice but to delay.
Seeing this, Wei Yan yelled at the soldiers to assemble and cursed: "Damn old thief Sima!"
Before he could assemble them all, shouts of kill were heard from the front.
The first wave of Wei troops were already in close combat with Meng Yan's former army.
Wei Yan was furious, straddling his horse and holding a sword:
"Follow me to kill the thief!"
Three thousand soldiers followed, rushing out of the camp gate like a whirlwind.
"Sir, please let the children go forward and charge into the battle. Your Excellency will organize the army at the rear and defeat the enemy in one fell swoop!"
When Wei Yan's son Wei Chang saw that his master was going to fight in person, he was so frightened that he quickly pulled Wei Yan's horse's head and asked for a fight.
Wei Yan glanced ahead and found that Meng Yanshang could still hold on, so he nodded.
He looked around the battlefield again, pointed to the right and said:
"Take a hundred cavalry, attack from the flank, and test it out. Don't go deep."
"promise."
Wei Yan's timely reinforcements boosted the morale of Meng Yan in the front, and he repelled the first wave of Wei army's offensive in one go.
Then Wei Chang led more than a hundred cavalry to intercept and kill them from the flanks. The Wei army was defeated and returned to its formation, leaving behind more than two hundred wounded soldiers and corpses.
Sima Yi, who saw this scene from a distance, was not angry but happy, and laughed:
"I see that the soldiers that Ge Thief crosses the water are all rare elites. It seems that he is in a hurry to cross the water!"
Niu Jin couldn't wait to say:
"Da Sima, the last general invites you to fight!"
Sima Yi twitched his beard and smiled:
"No hurry, no rush!"
At that moment, they continued to send soldiers to attack from all sides. Although they were all repelled by Meng Yan and Wei Yan, the Han army also had no time to consolidate the camp.
Zhuge Liang was sitting in a wheelchair, overlooking the battlefield on the Wuzhang Plain, listening to the sound of war drums coming from the east bank, his face calm.
But Yang Yi couldn't hold it back:
"Prime Minister, it's almost half a day, but ten thousand elite soldiers are still only halfway across. Could it be that Wei Yan was frustrated at the front?"
Zhuge said nothing, looked up at the sky, and asked:
"What time is it now?"
"Return to the Prime Minister and tell the time."
"Shen Shi? Why is it starting to get dark already?"
Yang Yi was speechless.
Prime Minister, I'm talking to you about Wei Yan. What does it have to do with whether the sky is dark or not?
At this moment, a guard was heard saying loudly:
"Prime Minister, General Wei sent someone to report!"
"Have someone come over here."
The messenger who trotted over looked happy:
"Prime Minister, General Wei killed nearly a thousand enemies, including three hundred armored thieves! General Wei said that only five thousand elite soldiers are enough to defeat the Wei thieves, not ten thousand!"
The messenger's words hit Yang Yi in the face, making Yang Yi feel like his face was burning.
On the other hand, the Prime Minister, when he heard the good news, his face was calm and he just said "hmm".
As long as five thousand is not needed, it means that even if Wei Yan achieved a small victory, he might not be able to achieve his purpose of crossing the water.
Obviously, Sima Yi had a premeditated plan.
Although Wei Jun seemed to have suffered a slight defeat, he successfully held Wei Yan in place.
Thinking of this, a hint of gloom flashed across Zhuge Liang's eyes.
But when he saw the desire in the messenger's eyes, he couldn't help but smile again and said warmly:
"Very good, go back and tell your general that you have made a contribution this time. Mr. Wei, prepare some wine and meat and send them to the other side to reward the soldiers."
When Yang Yi heard this, she felt that her face was as hot as fire.
He responded in a low voice and hurried away.
There are rules for camping in the army. Since Wei Yan said that ten thousand people are not needed, it means that the camp on the other side cannot accommodate the five thousand people who have not yet crossed the water.
However, today is the first day for Wei Yan to cross the water. A small victory can be considered a good sign. No matter how anxious he is, he has to wait and see in a few days.
So Zhuge Liang asked the remaining soldiers to be on guard along the coast. As soon as Wei Yan made progress, he would immediately cross the water to support him.
After arranging all this, the sky has darkened.
Zhuge Liang only ate half a bowl of rice and lost his appetite.
Since the Northern Expedition, due to the numerous affairs in the military and the irregular schedule, his old illness has shown signs of relapse.
Fortunately, I brought the powder with me, so it was nothing serious for the time being.
After dinner, the prime minister did not stay up late and lay down early to rest.
But what people didn't expect was that in the middle of the night, a red flash appeared in the distance, like the dark night cloth was lifted open, revealing a large piece of blood-like light.
After a few breaths, huge thunder rumbled.
Before the thunder subsided, several more lightning bolts spread out in all directions in the shape of strange tree branches, cutting the entire sky into pieces.
The camp suddenly became bright like day in the lightning, and suddenly fell into the endless darkness.
Zhuge Liang was awakened by the thunder. He stood up, put on his clothes and walked out of the handsome tent, looking up.
At this time, lightning was already coming one after another, lighting up the sky and the earth.
After a while, the strong wind carried the heavy rain, pouring down like a waterfall.
The prime minister returned to the commander's tent and lit the candles. At this time, his face was so gloomy that it was almost dripping with water.
"Somebody come!"
"Prime Minister!"
"Go and call the general guard."
After a while, Guan Xing, wearing armor, opened his tent and entered:
"Prime Minister, do you have something to give me?"
"Are you patrolling the camp tonight?"
"Exactly."
Zhuge Liang saw Guan Xing wearing a sword and armor, thinking that he must be doing his duty wholeheartedly. He nodded and said:
"I think this heavy rain may not stop for a while. Wuzhang is a high ground. Don't worry about anything happening."
"But there are still nearly ten thousand soldiers by the Wugong Waterfront. Take my military talisman and go check it out. If there are any camped in low-lying areas, arrange to move the camp to prevent the soldiers from getting sick."
"promise!"
As Guan Xing left the tent, a burst of cool water vapor drifted in. The sudden dampness made the prime minister suddenly cover his mouth and cough several times.
After all this trouble, he could no longer sleep.
He fumbled for his reading glasses and began to read military official documents.
Just after a while, Zhuge Liang raised his head again and listened to the sound of rain outside.
Sometimes I stand up, walk to the door, and look up at the sky where I can see nothing.
This night seemed endless.
Because of the rain, the sky was still dark even at dawn.
Zhuge Liang finally lost his temper and was about to send someone out to ask, when he saw Guan Xing coming in wet: "Prime Minister!"
When the Prime Minister saw it, he quickly took two steps forward and asked anxiously: "How are you doing in the army?"
"Nothing happened in the army." Guan Xing was dripping with rain all over his body, with a look of anxiety on his face: "But the rain is really heavy. I think the martial arts water is much higher than before."
"If the rain doesn't stop, I'm afraid the pontoon will not be able to support it!"
When the prime minister heard this, his heart sank.
What he was most worried about happened.
"No, I want to go and see for myself!"
"Prime Minister, no!" Guan Xing quickly dissuaded him, "The rain is too heavy and your health is not good. If you really want to be prepared, where can you put the whole army?"
Zhuge Liang was just anxious for a moment, and he naturally knew his current physical condition clearly.
After hearing Guan Xing's words, he breathed out to calm down.
"Anguo, you've been tired after a long night. Go back early and have a good rest. Remember to drink hot ginger water to drive away the cold to avoid catching a cold."
"Also, ask Xingwu (Zhang Bao) to guard the waterside today. If there is any situation, he must inform me immediately."
"promise!"
After Guan Xing left, Zhuge Liang walked to the door of the handsome tent, looked at the pouring rain that did not weaken at all, and murmured:
Haotian, if this Northern Expedition is successful and His Majesty can return to the old capital, I, Zhuge Kongming, am willing to lose Yangshou...
A stunning flash of light broke through the rain, followed by a thunder that shook the earth.
It seems as if he is angry at a certain prime minister's rogueness: How can you shorten your life span?
When Haotian got angry, it rained harder.
The accumulated water flowing down from Taibai Mountain rushed into Wugong Water, causing Wugong Water to surge again.
The bridge piles that were originally nailed to the shore had been submerged by the water until only a few points were left. A wave of water rushed over and the shaky pontoon finally spread apart.
The bamboo raft was washed away by the rapids and began to fall into pieces, and then crashed into another pontoon downstream.
"Wow!"
I don’t know which bamboo raft is the upstream pontoon bridge and which bamboo raft is the downstream pontoon bridge. They are all rolling together and continuing to rush downward...
"Prime Minister, the pontoon can't hold up anymore!"
After receiving the news, Zhuge Liang visibly swayed.
There was another lightning strike outside, and I found that the rain started at some point and had become lighter.
Zhuge Liang looked at the sky sadly, with no sadness or joy on his face:
"Immediately ask the army to cut down bamboo and wood to build rafts. Then we will see how many unused rafts there are in the army, and we will find a way to build a boat bridge immediately."
"promise!"
After arranging everything, Zhuge Liang looked at the gloomy sky and suddenly smiled, with sadness hidden in his laughter:
"God's will, God's will!"
The movement of heaven is constant, and it will not exist for Yao, nor will it perish for Jie.
This season is originally the rainy season in Qinling Mountains.
I think it was at this time that Cao Zhen sent troops south to invade Hanzhong, and was trapped in the mountains by rain for more than a month.
Unexpectedly, I was also trapped by the rain.
Thinking of this, Zhuge Liang couldn't help but sigh.
Compared to Zhuge Liang's sigh, Sima Yi was extremely excited.
Especially after he learned from Tan Ma that the pontoon bridge on Wugong Water was destroyed, he ran out of the tent barefooted, regardless of the drizzle outside, stepped into the muddy water, stretched out his arms, looked up at the sky, and laughed:
"God helps me, God helps me!"
The Han army had no time to dig camp yesterday, and now it rained heavily for a long time and a night, making the ground muddy, which made it even more difficult to set up camp.
Not to mention that the entire army was crowded on the shore. I wonder if the camp was flooded?
While Sima Yi was thinking about it, he immediately ordered, regardless of his own manners:
"Niujin!"
"The general is here!"
"You immediately bring five thousand elite soldiers and prepare to attack the bandit camp. I will arrive soon with my elite cavalry."
"promise!"
Zhuge Liang can even think of situations he can think of.
Now maybe Zhuge Liang has asked someone to find a way to re-arch the pontoon bridge.
And Wei wants to take advantage of this good opportunity given by God to annihilate the enemy in one fell swoop!
The rain hadn't completely stopped yet, and Sima Yi could not wait to lead tens of thousands of infantry and cavalry towards the Han army on the east bank.
The drizzle obscured the view, but fortunately the Han army had a secret artifact, and they could see the Wei army planning a surprise attack from a distance.
"General, the thieves are attacking!"
The water rose sharply caused by the heavy rain, which not only destroyed the pontoon bridge, but also submerged part of the camp, putting the Han army at a disadvantage.
Wei Yan was making a fuss. When he heard that the Wei thieves were attacking, he was furious:
"Beat the drum and meet the enemy!"
"Wow!"
"Wow!"
The gate of the village was wide open, and the Han soldiers stepped into the muddy water and began to form formation.
This forced Wei Jun, who originally wanted to take advantage of the poor visibility to launch a surprise attack, to stop and face the enemy head-on.
Naturally, Zhuge Liang on the west bank could clearly see the movements of the Wei army.
Crossbowmen were arrayed on the shore, ready to support friendly forces on the other side.
Before the battle started on the front, the Jingqi sent by Sima Yi to sneak attack from both wings were shot down.
"Zhuge Liang is really prepared! Attack!"
"Drink! Drink! Drink!"
The first wave of attacks by the Wei army began.
At the same time, the Han army also seized the time to build a pontoon bridge.
It's just that the usual method of building bridges is not easy to use at this time. The current is too fast, and the connected raft bridge cannot use the current to directly place it on the other side.
You must first pull the thick rope to the other side and secure it firmly before it can be laid.
"Put in more rafts and be sure to pull the bridge rope over!"
Zhang Bao's face was full of anxiety and he shouted loudly, wanting to do it himself.
The bridge rope is already thick and heavy, and it becomes even heavier after being soaked in water. Coupled with the current, it requires a lot of strength to pull it over.
At this critical moment, someone ran over:
"General, there is still a bridge over there that has not been completely washed away, and the bridge ropes are still there!"
Zhang Bao was overjoyed when he got this good news:
"Great! Take me to see it quickly!"
With the help of this broken bridge, the soldiers quickly re-strengthened the pile heads.
Just when laying the bridge, we soon encountered new difficulties:
The current is too fast for the raft to be easily fixed, and if it is fixed like before, it may still be washed away by the flowing water.
"Call Wen Shi from the engineering camp to come over!"
Zhang Bao shouted.
Wen Shi quickly trotted over.
"Find a way!" Zhang Bao pointed to the pontoon bridge being built, "How to fix it?"
Not sure whether it was because of nervousness or too much rain on his head, Wen Shi wiped his face and remained silent for a while.
"I'll let you figure it out!"
Zhang Bao said sharply.
There were faint shouts of killing coming from the opposite side, which made Zhang Bao feel angry.
"General, unless you drive bridge stakes in the water."
"how to spell?"
"Weave bamboo shoots, put stones inside, and then sink them into the water. They can be used as temporary bridge piles. It is impossible for this small amount of water to wash them away."
This bridge-building method is recorded in the engineering camp's unique teaching materials.
This method of building a bridge is specially used for rapid water.
However, the engineering battalion has only tested this method and has never used it in actual combat.
Logically speaking, this method cannot be used for water flows such as martial arts water.
After all, this method is more troublesome than an ordinary pontoon, so Wenshi didn't think of using it in the first place.
And who could have expected that the martial arts water would turn into this overnight?
"Okay! You take the engineering battalion to do it right away. If it's done, you will be credited!"
"promise!"
"General, the Prime Minister has sent someone here, saying that he is preparing to withdraw his troops and return to the West Bank!"
Wei Yan, who was commanding the enemy, heard this and immediately said angrily: "Retreat the troops, retreat the troops. We finally came over, and you want to retreat again?"
"Boom!"
The thunder started again.
But this time, it was not thunder from the sky, but thunder from the ground.
The Wei army's elite cavalry are speeding up.
