"Sir, our army is three times stronger than Lu Bu's, why are you delaying the fight?"
On the front line of Linqu, in the Yuan Army's stronghold, Wen Chou, a burly man with a muscular body, rough and dark skin, angrily asked for a fight.
He and Yan Liang were both generals of the three armies of the Northern Kingdom, and their friendship through life and death together could be regarded as a life-long friendship.
Hearing that Yan Liang was captured alive by Cao Cao, he was angry and anxious. He wanted to kill Lu Ying immediately. After defeating Lu Bu, he joined forces with Yuan Shao to attack Cao Cao on two fronts to rescue Yan Liang.
"Yes, sir, please allocate the last 20,000 elite soldiers to defeat Lu Bu!"
"Sir, the general is willing to issue a military order. If he fails to win, he is willing to serve as a military commander!"
"Please allow me to go to war with Lu Bu so that I can rescue General Yan Liang as soon as possible!"
Yan Liangping didn't talk much, but after following Yuan Shao for many years, he not only had high prestige in the military camp, but also had good popularity, so Han Ju, Zhao Rui and others also asked for battle.
Yuan Tan, who was sitting on the commander's chair in the Chinese military tent, felt a little on pins and needles. He knew clearly that the people below Yan Liang were beginning to become unable to sit still.
First familiarize yourself with the terrain, look for Lu Jun's weaknesses, and then attack with all his strength. This was the policy he decided after discussing with Tian Feng, Xin Ping and others.
Opposite was Lu Bu. Lu Bu, who was so powerful at Hulao Pass, and Lin Mo behind him, how could he be careless?
In fact, the calmest person in the Yuan family now is probably Yuan Tan. He is not arrogant because of the large number of troops. On the contrary, he is cautious and treads on thin ice.
There was no way, because this battle was not only about whether the Yuan family could further expand its territory, but also whether he could secure his position as the heir apparent.
However, the following group of generals couldn't think of so much. They just felt that they should do something for Yan Liang.
Yuan Tan pressed his hands to signal everyone to be quiet, frowned and sighed: "Everyone, General Yan Liang is my general from the Northern Kingdom. He was captured by mistake. I am as sad as you are, but Lu Bu is like a fierce tiger and is not an easy person to deal with.
In addition, Luying's terrain is narrow and can accommodate up to 30,000 to 40,000 people fighting at the same time. Our army's advantages cannot be fully utilized. This matter needs long-term consideration. "
It was this sentence again. Wen Chou had heard it many times, and this time he was not going to give in. He cupped his fists and said, "Master, please forgive me for speaking bluntly. My lord has always made decisive decisions when deploying troops. Now that you are in charge of your own affairs, why are you so indecisive?"
If there is no strategy to defeat the enemy yet, please allow me to return to my lord's command. I am willing to follow my lord to defeat Cao Ying and rescue Yan Liang! "
The Lord makes a decisive decision? Are you serious? Tian Feng and Xin Ping glanced at Wen Chou and were speechless.
"General Wen, wait a moment!"
Yuan Tan quickly stood up from the handsome chair and walked to Wen Chou and stopped him. Although he was unhappy in his heart, he still squeezed out a smile and said: "Even if you want to attack, you always have to give me some time to prepare.
Wait three more days. After three days, I will definitely let you lead the troops to attack the stronghold! "
After all, Wen Chou was a rough fellow with an upright temperament, but he didn't have much malice. Yuan Tan knew this, and it was just because he was worried about Yan Liang's safety.
Moreover, the purpose of leading the troops to launch the Qingzhou Front this time was to establish irreplaceable prestige in the army, and Yan Liang, Wen Chou and others were both figures in the army. If they had their support and support, this would be more than half successful.
Therefore, even though this was somewhat contrary to his original intention, Yuan Tan still chose to compromise.
"In this case, I will wait for the good news of the young master!"
Yuan Tan turned to look at Han Ju, Zhao Rui and others, and said in a deep voice: "Generals, you can go back to the camp to prepare. Our army will take action in three days at most."
"Here!"
After the generals withdrew from the military tent, Yuan Tan breathed a sigh of relief. This position is not easy to sit in. At this time, I am still young, do not have enough prestige, and have not yet taken over the big position. I just want to stabilize these people. Emotions are enough to give you a headache.
Yuan Tan, who sat back on the handsome chair, looked helplessly at Tian Feng and others, "Let's talk about it. Do you have any good strategies to defeat the enemy?"
"Lü Bu's troops and horses are not as good as ours. He wanted to take advantage of the terrain by setting up a stronghold on the front line. If our army forces an attack on the stronghold, it will only become a fueling tactic and eventually lead to disaster."
Obviously, Tian Feng did not agree with the method of attacking by force, and then said: "I have carefully inspected the terrain of this place and feel that the entire mountain is usable. It is better to send 50,000 troops to occupy the entire mountain and condescend to contain the actions of Lu Bu's troops. .
Even if you want to attack later, you can still attack from two lines. "
"I second my opinion." Xin Ping also bowed in agreement.
The biggest advantage of occupying Qishan is that more troops can be deployed on the front line than on a single line, and the advantage of military strength can be brought into play.
At the same time, you can overlook the entire battlefield from Qishan. Once Lu Bu makes any move, the troops stationed on the mountain can respond immediately.
I have to say that this is a very safe approach.
If Yuan Shao hadn't repeatedly emphasized that troops should not be divided unless necessary when he was leaving, he would have adopted this suggestion without hesitation.
Yuan Tan frowned and rubbed his chin, but finally rejected this option.
He deliberately changed the subject and asked: "I have been sending people to secretly monitor Zhang Yang these days. He does not behave outside the circle and rarely leaves his camp. If he writes a letter to his former colleagues to persuade him to surrender, is it feasible?"
Tian Feng pursed his lips and frowned, "Unless our army gains a huge advantage or can be sent to persuade them to surrender, the outcome has not yet been determined and the war has not begun. I'm afraid it will be counterproductive. And"
"And what?" Yuan Tan looked suspicious.
In the end, Tian Feng just shook his head and seemed to swallow back what he wanted to say. He smiled dryly and said: "It's nothing. Prefect Zhang is of great use. There is no need to play right now."
Yuan Tan nodded understandingly, and finally said in a deep voice: "I understand the opinions of all gentlemen, but the soldiers' desire to fight fiercely must not be ignored. I will lead the troops to challenge outside Lu Ying's stronghold in three days. If I can lure them out of the stronghold, It's time to hit them head-on, but if you can't, just dampen their spirit."
A few people looked at each other, and as long as they didn't attack the camp, this option was not a bad choice.
A moderate provocation to start a fight may seem very mediocre, but over time, it will indeed be a big blow to the enemy's morale.
"Maybe we can give it a try." Several people really couldn't think of a good way, so they could only second the suggestion.
Although his suggestion was not adopted immediately, he was still very happy in his heart because Yuan Tan, unlike Yuan Shao, could still listen to what he said.
Once upon a time, Yuan Shao was a well-read and well-informed leader. As he rose higher and higher, his opponents no longer had the patience they once had.
Perhaps because of this, he saw the future of the North Kingdom from Yuan Tan and couldn't help but want to give more guidance, "Young Master feels that there is a certain chance that he can succeed in luring the enemy this time, and when and where he has the best chance of succeeding." ?”
Seeing that Tian Feng was following the temptation, Yuan Tan began to think seriously. After a while, he raised his eyes and said: "There is at least a 50% chance of succeeding in the art of war. Avoid his sharp attack in the morning and attack his return in the evening. If Lu Bu goes out to attack, in the end, It may have been when we withdrew before nightfall, because that's when our troops were most tired."
Tian Feng nodded and cast an appreciative look. He was indeed more knowledgeable in the art of war than the second and third young masters. He immediately added: "If I were Lin Mo, I would choose to rob the camp at night after the enemy troops are tired and retreat."
Yuan Tan rolled his eyes and immediately reacted, nodding frequently, "Sir, please advise, our next focus is to set up ambush at the return camp in the afternoon and strictly guard the robbery camp."
Sure enough, one can learn a lot from Tian Feng, and I have benefited a lot these days.
On Lu Ying's side, seeing Lin Mo still making no movement, Lu Bu could still sit still. After all, he hoped for more movement from Cao Cao's side. It would be best to cause the morale of the Northern Army on the Qingzhou front to be shaken, so that he could control it.
But Wei Xu and the others couldn't help it, their hearts felt like a cat scratching them.
"Yunwen, I see that the current of Juyangshui is quite fast. Do you want to block it again? When the critical moment comes, dig out the sandbags and flood Yuan Camp, just like Lujiang River did to Liu Xun."
"It's not bad to rob the camp. Now the Northern Army's strength is three times that of ours. It is expected that we will not dare to attack rashly. If I bring a few hundred people to rob the camp at night, it may be miraculous."
Wei Xu mistook Yuan Tan for Liu Xun, right? It doesn't matter if his brain is not good, his eyes should be fine. Yuan Ying is at least seven or eight miles away from Juyang Water. How big is the water?
Lin Mo chose to ignore what Hou Cheng said. He probably saw the eight hundred personal guards of Liao Shen showing off their magical powers in the Battle of Guangling, and wanted to reenact them.
Normally, Lu Bu would just let them go if it wasn't too much. But when he saw that the atmosphere was not right, Lu Bu's look could immediately scare them into quails.
Even so, Lin Mo felt uncomfortable. These guys were toads who didn't bite. They were disgusting and disgusting. They were like flies all day long. Sorry, not one, but a group of flies buzzing in your ears.
"How's it going? Everyone has been looking at it for a few days. Do you have any clues?" In front of the desk, Chen Gong, Jia Xu, Zhao Yun, Zhang Xiu, Gao Shun and others gathered around a parchment drawing and looked at it in trance.
"The terrain in this area is complex. There are hundreds or even thousands of places to store grain. Just looking at the map, I'm afraid it's meaningless after all."
Chen Gong's words were a little depressing, but they made everyone nod. Obviously, they didn't gain much after watching for several days.
Lin Mo shrugged, waved his hands and smiled: "Well, I didn't see any valuable clues."
The most direct way to defeat the strong by the weak is of course to burn the opponent's food and fodder, forcing the opponent to retreat, and then the army rushes in to strangle them.
But as the lifeblood of food and grass, trying to figure it out just from the map is indeed a bit futile.
There was no other way. Yuan Tan naturally hoped that they would lead people to rush out of this passage that was only five miles wide, while Lin Mo also hoped that the other party would get carried away and come to attack by force, emphasizing a fueling tactic.
In this case, there will inevitably be a protracted confrontation to see who makes the mistake first.
In fact, this is the normal state of war. Without the blessing of prophet skills, how can it continue to be unstoppable?
"I'm thinking about dedicating some troops to station in Qishan Mountain. The terrain there is dangerous and you can overlook the overall situation. It's even possible to capture traces of the Northern Army's food trucks." Lin Mo put away the sheepskin drawings and came up with an idea.
"It's a taboo for military strategists to station troops in dangerous places like Bao Yuanxi. Aren't Yunwen worried about them attacking with fire?" Jia Xu's mouth twitched, a little horrified by this suggestion.
"Will not."
Lin Mo walked to the sand table and pointed at the location of Qishan, "I went up to Qishan that day, and there are many open areas on it. If the army can cut off the fire belt around it, there won't be any big problems."
Moreover, Qishan is a mountain range, not an isolated mountain, and there will be no situation where Ma Di is besieged but not attacked and his water source is cut off.
By garrisoning on Qishan Mountain, you will have more flexible tactical options, and you don’t need to go too many people. Five thousand people is almost enough.
While everyone was still discussing, Lu Bu walked in with a group of generals.
"Yunwen, the Northern Army has arrived." He walked towards the commander's chair in a hurry. Upon hearing this, everyone stood at their designated positions and prepared for the discussion.
"Just now the scouts came to report that tens of thousands of people rushed out of Yuan's village and came to kill us. The central army has Yuan Tan's banner and Wen Chou's general's flag. It seems that they are preparing to attack us."
Did he lose his patience so quickly? Lin Mo felt a little strange. Tian Feng was not a brainless person. Either there was some conspiracy hidden here, or Yuan Tan was like his father and couldn't listen to other voices.
In fact, Yuan Tan was a very controversial person in history. He performed well in the past. He defeated Kong Rong, annexed Qingzhou, and his governance was in order.
The biggest black material came from the fact that in the later period, in order to fight against Yuan Shang, the new leader of the Northern Kingdom who was appointed by Pang Ji and made up by Pang Ji, he actually asked for help from his enemy Cao Cao. The result was that Cao Cao accelerated the progress of annexing the four states.
But when I think about it carefully, I feel that it is understandable, because if Yuan Shang wants to secure his position as the leader of the Northern Kingdom, he will definitely not let Yuan Tan live. Joining forces with Cao Cao, although they are seeking skin from a tiger, at least there is a glimmer of hope.
"Nothing else. Ba Cheng is here to provoke a war. He wants our army to rush out of the camp and fight with them in the wilderness. This will slowly wear us down. Even if we fight evenly every time, our army will be in danger over time." Chen Gong quickly made a judgment.
Lu Bu didn't think it was anything new. He just glanced at Lin Mo subconsciously. Seeing that the latter had no objections, he raised his hands and said, "Let all the troops stand ready, draw their bows and crossbows without firing, and wait and see what the Northern Army wants to do."
This can only be done by holding back and being a coward, for the sake of the overall victory and not to be embarrassed.
Not long after, dust could be seen billowing in the distance, and the flags that covered the sky and the sun were waving. The Northern Army was no less than 30,000 to 40,000 people, neatly formed into two square formations, with cavalry, infantry, crossbows and even chariots. in Apple pie order.
When they arrived outside Lu Camp, Wen Chou did not rush out and clamor for a fight as Lu Bu had hoped. Instead, he chose to beat the war drum directly to provoke him.
Naturally, Lu Bu couldn't go out rashly, so let them knock.
"My father-in-law, if the enemy provokes a provocation, he will inevitably use harsh words. My father-in-law should be aware of this, so..." Lin Mo looked at his old father-in-law with a sneer.
Lu Bu put his hand on Lin Mo's shoulder and said with a smile: "You can rest assured on this. Things are expected and I won't lose my sense of proportion for a few naughty words."
At the beginning, no matter whether it was under Shouchun City or Guangling City, my own people cursed a lot of unpleasant things. This was a routine operation and not worth making a fuss about.
Lu Bu felt that his Qi nourishing skills had been improved in the past two years, and he was ready to be greeted.
After the three drums were played, several hundred people from the Northern Army were sent to sit down on the ground at the gate of Lu Ying and began to curse without moral integrity.
"The slaves of the three surnames come out and fight me for three hundred rounds!"
"Come out and see if I don't stab you!"
"Who is Lu Bu among men, red rabbit among horses, bullshit, dare to fight with me?"
"The slaves of the third surname only know how to talk. If you really dare to come out, I can let you do it with your hands and feet."
This is 161. The chapters are in the wrong order. I'm sorry, brothers, it makes you uncomfortable to read. I will pay attention to this issue in the future.
(End of chapter)
