Wei Jing led his army to break through the two passes of Nanping and Xiyang, thus opening a gap in the southern defense line of Yuzhou.
It was noon when the good news came back. Shao Qing went back to the backyard during the lunch break. At that time, he was holding his daughter in his arms and talking about the child's father.
"I wonder how your father is doing?"
Wei Jing secretly went to Lucheng on New Year's Day. If all went well, the Northern Expedition would have begun. It is because he is very clear about the series of plans that Shao Qing is more concerned.
Xu'er is eight months old now, a pink and fair little girl, lively and active, and loves to laugh. She purses her little lips when she smiles, and laughs out loud, with a small dimple at the corner of her mouth, just like her mother.
When she saw Shao Qing, she quickly broke away from Sun and crawled over here. Sun laughed and scolded her for being a heartless person. Shao Qing smiled. Isn't it? This little girl has completely forgotten about her father. Her father was so reluctant to see her go when he left.
Thinking of Wei Jing's reluctance to leave, she had to reply in the letter that her daughter missed him too, and the little girl would look back every time she entered the room.
I don't know if this answer was beyond the normal development range of the baby, but Wei Jing was very happy anyway. The next day, he wrote even more letters home, all expressing his longing for the mother and daughter.
But the letters from home stopped after the first three days because the raids began.
Shao Qing was worried.
Sun's mood was complicated. She endured it for many days, but finally sighed to her daughter today: "Alas, it would be great if your cousin also joined the camp of Su Er's father."
She no longer had to hope for her son-in-law's great victory while worrying about her nephew's safety and other things.
When asked about this, Shao Qing said honestly, "Prince Ji has shown kindness to my cousin and has trusted him over the years. Given my cousin's character, I'm afraid he won't abandon his old master."
Yang Shu ran away in anger over his wife's death, which shows that he had something more important in his heart than power and status.
Prince Ji took him in when he was at his lowest point and repeatedly favored and relied on him. On this basis, he was able to display his strengths. Although Prince Ji rebelled, he never did anything cruel or licentious. On the contrary, Xuzhou also resettled refugees.
Although the resettlement work was not particularly outstanding and was done in a mediocre manner probably for the sake of reputation, it has been done and cannot be erased. There is no difference of ideas either.
To sum up, Shao Qing believed that Yang Shu was unlikely to abandon his master and go to Nantou just because his cousin was the Princess of Qi. He was likely to follow Prince Ji to the end.
Moreover, the two sides are now enemies. As one of the two major counselors under Prince Ji, Wei Jing would not immediately agree to Yang Shu's surrender. He has to be careful to prevent fraud.
In short, it involves two forces and everyone's ambitions, and it's hard to explain everything in just a few words. Shao Qing didn't want to explain it too clearly, so as not to make Sun sad.
She just said this briefly.
"Don't worry, mother. My cousin has already reached adulthood. He knows what he is..." doing.
Before Shao Qing finished speaking, he heard hurried footsteps rushing in. Amid the commotion, Wang Jing shouted in joy, "Great news! Good news!"
"Madam, on the fourth day of this month, the Lord led his army to raid Nanping Pass. Currently, Nanping and Xiyang Passes have been taken!"
Successfully creating a gap in the southern line of Yuzhou was indeed great news.
"good!"
Shao Qinghuo stood up with a cry, overjoyed, kissed his daughter and quickly handed it to Sun: "Mother, I'll go to the front."
The Yuzhou defense line was torn open, and the Northern Expedition officially began. However, due to the suddenness of the attack, Wei Jing only led 30,000 elite soldiers and a cavalry battalion from Lucheng. The follow-up troops must arrive immediately, and food, fodder, and supplies must also arrive soon after.
Wei Jing had already made arrangements for matters such as the dispatch of troops. The generals stationed in Danyang and Hanzhong who had received orders in advance are leading their troops to Nanping Pass at a rapid speed, and the army will be reunited within a few days.
Shao Qing and other remaining personnel were responsible for supervising the transportation of food and fodder, as well as baggage and various cold-resistant military equipment, which had to be delivered to the front line quickly.
The beginning of spring has passed, the wind and snow are gradually decreasing, and spring will soon return to the earth, but it is still cold now, so it is very important for soldiers to keep warm.
Shao Qing, Kou Xuan and others were busy, and military reports from the front line were sent back one after another.
General Wei Jing will lead an army of 500,000 to the north. The day after he captured the second pass, the 200,000 elite troops stationed in the western suburbs of Liling arrived first. He immediately led an attack into Yuzhou and headed straight for the nearest Bai Chi.
At the foot of Baichi City, he quickly advanced northward and had a head-on encounter with Prince Ji Wang Ji at Wangyuan, which was sandwiched between Yangshou Mountain and Yanling.
Before the spring snow had melted, the King of Qi had successfully attacked and entered Yuzhou. The two men who received the report were shocked and angry. They quickly assembled a large army and marched south, one on the left and one on the right, to block the aggressive enemy.
The two were mentally prepared for a possible attack from the King of Qi after the spring. Although the time was a little earlier, their reaction was extremely quick. Faced with such a powerful enemy, Prince Ji and Wang Ji have completely given up fighting against the imperial court. Prince Ji led an army of 250,000, and Wang Ji led an army of 220,000.
Xuzhou and Qingzhou have been prosperous since ancient times, and their population density is unmatched by either Jingzhou or Yizhou. Although the two of them only occupy about one state each, they have an army of about 300,000 under their command.
Prince Ji had more, with over 300,000 soldiers; Wang Ji suffered a great loss in Yangzhou and has not yet made up for it, so he has about 270,000 to 280,000 soldiers.
In this battle, apart from the defense of the base camp, these two can be said to have put in all their efforts.
…
The southern army and the central army tent.
"Prince Ji was stationed at the southeast of the plain, at the northern foot of Yangshou Mountain; Prince Ji was stationed at the northeast of the plain, at the southern foot of Yanling Mountain."
Ji Huan took the report from Wei Jing, picked up the charcoal pencil, and drew two strokes on the map to circle the place where Prince Ji and Wang Ji would set up camp.
The eastern and eastern parts of Yuzhou are plains, while the western, southern and northern parts are mountainous. The Yanling Mountains are a large mountain range in the west, and Yangshou Mountain is in the south. The two extend separately but never meet, and the place where they meet is Wangyuan.
Wangyuan is relatively flat and generally long and narrow, running from southwest to northeast. Currently, Wei Jing has an army of 500,000 stationed in the southwest; while Prince Ji and Wang Ji are stationed in the northeast, one on the left and one on the right.
Ji Huan drew another line and outlined his own camp: "These two people are facing us."
That’s right, it’s a confrontation between two parties, not three parties.
Although Prince Ji and Wang Ji hated each other, when faced with a powerful enemy, they tacitly put aside their old grudges and fought together.
Just as expected.
No one present was surprised. Chen Qi said, "Prince Ji and Wang Ji have more than 500,000 soldiers under their command."
This is the most practical issue. If these two people finally join forces, their military strength will be slightly superior to ours.
Ji Huan shook his head: "I think that although these two people have a tacit understanding to fight the enemy together, they may not necessarily form an alliance."
Prince Ji and Wang Ji had many old grievances, and both sides wanted to get rid of each other as soon as possible. Wei Jing asserted: "Even if these two people join forces, their effectiveness will be greatly reduced."
It's impossible to be completely twisted into a ball.
If the gap in between is utilized well, it can be the key point to break through the enemy.
But it was too early to talk about this now. Wei Jing tapped the commander's desk with his index finger and ordered, "Huang Meng, immediately lead your sentries to sneak into the mountains on both sides of Wangyuan, survey the terrain and draw a map. The more detailed the better."
The right time, the right place and the right people are all very important. If they have the right people, the time cannot be controlled, but the right place can be strived for.
…
Huang Meng, the leader of the sentry battalion, immediately led his brothers in the camp to sneak out after receiving the order.
At the same time, the Wangyuan War also began.
Over more than ten days, there were six or seven roundabout exploratory confrontations of varying sizes, with each side making advances and retreats. The smoke of gunpowder over Wangyuan was getting thicker and thicker, and a full-scale war was brewing and about to break out.
The lights in the central military tents of the three parties were on all day long, and the deployment of troops and discussion of battle strategies often lasted until late at night.
Wei Jing had already completed a relatively detailed topographic map of the mountains, which was now spread out on the desk, and everyone was discussing it.
"The battle between the two sides will take place in Wangyuan."
Dai Guang carefully read the topographic map from left to right, his eyes suddenly fixed, and he pointed: "This place is full of gullies and ravines, and converges to the west side of our camp. It is also hidden. I am afraid it is a good place for the enemy to attack!"
The best place for the enemy to attack the camp? !
Everyone looked carefully and saw that Dai Guang's index finger was pointing right outside the western edge of their own camp.
Wangyuan is neither big nor small, but the camps of 500,000 troops stretch out as far as the eye can see, starting from the northern foot of Yangshou Mountain in the south and ending at Yanling Mountains in the west, spanning the plain.
As for the flatness of Wangyuan, it is actually only relative. The interior is still hilly, and the terrain becomes higher and higher as it gets closer to the foot of the mountains on both sides. The area Dai Guang pointed to was directly outside Yanling Mountains. This is a terrain similar to leaf veins. Among the undulating mountains, there are seven or eight sloping ravines, all slanting towards Wangyuan, which serves as the middle vein.
Unfortunately, this gathering point is right to the west of the Southern Army camp. Moreover, there are several mountains blocking the edge, and the mountains are covered with dense forests and thorns, making it impossible to see anything. It was also because Huang Meng and others were careful enough and went deep enough, otherwise they would have missed it.
Dai Guang was right, this was indeed an excellent passage for the enemy to attack the camp.
Zhang Yong was shocked: "Damn it, luckily we found it!"
Otherwise the consequences will be disastrous.
Dai Guang nodded: "Wang Ji has occupied this place for two years, he must know the tricks."
Yuzhou was a three-way battlefield that lasted for several years, and the battle line was only pushed to the edge of Sizhou at the end of last year.
Wangyuan was once the territory of the imperial court. At the beginning of the chaos in the world, Wang Ji fought against the imperial court for a year in this area. Later, due to the failure of the encirclement and suppression of Wei Jing, the imperial court's strength was greatly damaged, and this place was occupied by Wang Ji.
He must be very familiar with this place. It's a good thing I found it.
"So what should we do? Move camp?"
Now that the loophole has been discovered, it must be fixed immediately. Zhang Yong frowned after he finished speaking. He asked this question, but he also knew that it was difficult to move the camp. A camp of 500,000 troops occupied a very large area and it was not something that could be moved easily.
Looking at the original narrow and long structure, the only option is to move it forward or backward. Moving forward is too close to the middle and loses flexibility, while moving backward has greater limitations and more disadvantages. The choice of the camping location was not random at all.
“It’s not easy to move camp.”
Zhuang Yan shook his head and looked at Wei Jing and Ji Huan: "How about we use their own tricks against us?"
"Take advantage of their own tactic?"
Dai Guang, who had been pondering for a long time, suddenly had a bright idea and said, "We can set up an empty camp plan, lure you into the trap, and then destroy you in one fell swoop!"
Since there are so many disadvantages to moving the camp, it’s better not to move at all. Pretending to be ignorant, he made secret arrangements, quietly vacating a section of the western side of the camp, luring the enemy to raid it by surprise, and then outflanked and counterattacked.
Dai Guang had seen the data from Huang Meng and others’ survey of the valley and concluded, “The raiding army could number 100,000.”
Once we kill 100,000 enemy troops, we will immediately gain the upper hand. If we can take advantage of the opportunity to make a surprise attack later, a great victory will be in sight.
Dai Guang was convinced of his lord's ability. He firmly believed that as long as there was a good opportunity, he would be able to win the battle.
"What a good plan!"
"really!"
…
Dai Guang's plan was indeed excellent, and all the ministers were pleasantly surprised and agreed with it. However, Wei Jing had not spoken a word, and neither had Ji Huan. The two were concentrating on thinking.
After a moment, Ji Huan said slowly: "What Zhong Lian said is true. I also think that the enemy will attack from here. But..."
He looked up at Wei Jing, who was sitting above him. Wei Jing raised his head and said, "How could Wang Ji know about our exploration of the terrain?"
This hilly area with leaf veins is indeed an excellent terrain for a surprise attack, and Wang Ji has no doubts about using it. But if he was Wang Ji, in order to ensure the success of this operation, he would have sent out secret guards to watch him from the very beginning, without missing a single step.
Huang Meng and others were indeed careful, but they were latecomers and were in the open, while Wang Ji was on guard duty in the dark.
Wei Jing looked at the topographic map and said, "They may have been spotted by the enemy."
…
At the same time, at the southern foot of Yanling Mountains in the northeast of Wangyuan, there was the Zhenquan Army camp.
Late at night, the central army tent was brightly lit. Wang Ji, who was sitting at the head of the army, looked around at his trusted ministers and generals and said, "The King of Qi's men have already surveyed the Liugou Valley."
Zhang An, the military commander, frowned. "Damn it! The King of Qi will surely guess our surprise attack plan."
As soon as these words were spoken, all the ministers frowned. The reason why they were so calm since the two armies met was that they were very familiar with the terrain and had formulated the best strategy early on.
Launch a surprise attack first, and then, while the enemy is in chaos, launch an immediate attack with the main force to secure victory.
Whether he is the King of Qi or not, it is just the right time to avenge the loss of Yangzhou.
However, the King of Qi's caution disrupted all their plans.
"what to do?"
He came from a humble background and used rough language, so many people started cursing at him.
Wang Luo stood up and said, "Father, we can use their trick against you."
"How to turn the tables?"
Wang Ji's eyes lit up. Although his son was not as good as his deceased eldest son in this battle, he was very smart and was one of the best thinkers in the army. He urged: "Why don't you tell me quickly?"
"The King of Qi is exploring the terrain away from the eyes of others. He must think that we are unaware of it."
Wang Luo narrowed his eyes: "Since they know we are going to launch a surprise attack, it is not easy for them to move their camp. In the end, they will definitely take the opportunity to plot against us."
"These conditions are most suitable for the Empty Camp Strategy!"
He asserted: "The King of Qi will surely lure my surprise attack army in, then surround them, annihilate them, and immediately counterattack!"
Wang Ji's heart trembled, and after thinking it over carefully, he hit the table and said, "Indeed! My son is right!"
"Father, we can just take advantage of their own strategy. A hundred thousand troops attacked the enemy camp, but instead of heading straight for the main camp, they made a detour and surrounded the enemy in ambush on both sides."
"The strategy is to disrupt the enemy's forces and catch them off guard. At the same time, my father will lead a large army to attack us. We will surely win a great victory!"
The more Wang Luo spoke, the brighter everyone's eyes became. Finally, he added: "If this plan is to succeed, we must join forces with Prince Ji."
Otherwise, due to the disparity in military strength, no matter how good the strategy is, it will be impossible to suppress the King of Qi's 500,000 troops.
Wang Luo said, "We can reveal our plan and invite Prince Ji to join the raid."
This is very sincere. Prince Ji is in the same situation, so he will definitely agree.
"Good! Good! Good!"
Wang Ji said "yes" three times in a row, feeling overjoyed and proud. He immediately wrote a letter and asked Zhang An to be the messenger, so that he could sneak into Prince Ji's camp under the cover of night.
…
What Wang Luo said was absolutely correct. If they were in the same situation and there was a plan to defeat the King of Qi, the King of Ji would definitely join forces.
"This is a good plan. The King of Qi's camp really has nowhere to move. And judging by the King of Qi's usual style of doing things, after he has discovered the Six Valleys, he will definitely take advantage of the situation."
After meeting Zhang An, Prince Ji temporarily dismissed him and discussed the matter in detail with his ministers.
Regarding the King of Qi's plan to take advantage of the enemy's strategy, everyone shared the same view as Wang Jifang. After repeated discussions, they all agreed that the empty camp strategy was the most feasible.
Since there is such a good opportunity, let's put personal grudges aside and join forces to fight the enemy.
Everyone reached a consensus on this matter, but Chu Zhu and Yang Shu had some differences on the way to join forces.
Chu Zhu thought that he could take advantage of Wang Ji's sincerity, divide his forces into 50,000 and launch a surprise attack together, thus taking control of the battle situation into his own hands.
This is the truth. On the battlefield, a single move can affect the entire body. This strategy of internal and external coordination is the best way to seize the initiative.
Initiative is one of them. In addition, Wang Ji also said that after the King of Qi is killed or driven out of Yuzhou, the territory currently seized by the King of Qi will belong to whoever has the most military merits.
It is very fair, and the direction of Liugou Valley is closer to Pingguan, south of Baichi City. Once a great victory is achieved and the pursuit is launched, the surprise attack army will indeed be the fastest and will have the advantage of striking first.
Prince Ji was somewhat tempted.
But Yang Shu said: "It is better to give up small gains and ensure that the army gathers together. This is the best strategy."
At present, Wang Ji’s strategy has indeed not found any major loopholes, but he never dared to underestimate the King of Qi, as he always felt that there were variables.
Once something changes, the 50,000 troops trapped in it will be destroyed. It is better to gather together and act according to circumstances.
Prince Ji thought the same and gritted his teeth: "Well, we won't get involved in the raid!"
"Someone, call Zhang An up here."
…
Zhang An was careful in and out, and was not noticed by the enemy sentries. At the same time, Wei Jing said in the tent of the Southern Army camp: "The traces of Huang Meng and others must have been seen by Wang Ji's scouts."
Ji Huan continued, "Since our whereabouts have been discovered, the strategy of leaving the camp empty is the best choice. I'm sure Wang Ji has figured it out."
The host and the guest exchanged a glance, and Wei Jing asserted: "Wang Ji will definitely join forces with Prince Ji to surround us and surround our ambush troops, and then the army will attack us!"
He stood up and pointed at the regional map, and said in a deep voice: "We should do the opposite, leaving the camp empty and making it real. Once the enemy attacks, we will catch them by surprise and be able to annihilate them completely."
The camp is not empty, but heavily armed. Once the enemy army comes out for a surprise attack, the "empty" tents are turned over and the enemy is killed immediately by surprise.
While the battle was being resolved quickly, the coalition forces of King Wang Ji and King Ji were rushing towards this side. Our side pretended to be defeated and lured the enemy troops deep into our territory so that we could surround them in one fell swoop.
This battle will surely lead to a great defeat for the coalition forces of Prince Ji and Zhenquan.
If all goes well, their leader will be annihilated; if Prince Ji or Wang Ji manages to break through, their strength will be greatly damaged, which will remove a major obstacle for Wei Jing's Northern Expedition.
"Zhang Yong, listen to my orders!"
"Mark it!"
…
In the early spring in Wangyuan, the ice and snow melted, all things grew, the grass grew and the birds flew in the fields, and a tree with tender green blossomed in the forest.
In this vibrant season, on the last night of late January, a fierce battle broke out on the Wangyuan plain.
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