Nanjun, Yidao, Qin State (now Yidu City, Hubei Province).
In later generations, it was also called Yiling.
The air is crisp in autumn, and the wind blows through the mountains and forests, picking up a fallen leaf and flying in the air.
Click.
The sound of dead branches being crushed by footsteps could be heard, adding a different kind of desolation to this autumn scene of withering trees.
"Jun Lieutenant, our two thousand soldiers from Nanjun have been assembled."
Nanjun Zuo Bing Cao sent Gong Ao, with a thick voice, and reported to the man beside him.
"Um."
Li You nodded imperceptibly.
He looked towards the distant mountain forest that was withering in the autumn, with a hint of hatred in his eyes.
Yidao Mountain Forest.
He was the one who failed again.
In the first half of the year, Li You came to Nanjun as a county lieutenant under the order of Qin Wangzheng, responsible for the crusade against the mountain barbarian tribes who rebelled against Qin and surrendered to Chu during the battle to destroy Chu.
It was just before spring plowing. In order not to delay the farming season, Li You immediately summoned his army sergeants after arriving in Nanjun and launched a war to suppress the barbarians in the mountains, preparing to defeat the barbarians so that they could plow the fields.
Facing the Yi people hiding in the mountains, Li You decided to use assault tactics to go deep into the mountains and forests to attack several tribes that had figured out the place.
This was used to intimidate the remaining barbarian tribes, and ultimately achieve the effect of making these barbarians surrender.
Things did go as Li You expected at first. Led by the Yidao county captain and local soldiers who knew the situation of the barbarians, the Qin army successfully annihilated two small barbarian tribes and achieved certain results.
After defeating the two small tribes, the Yidao County Lieutenant asked Li Youxian to lead his troops to withdraw from the mountains and forests to prevent the Yi people from counterattacking. At the same time, he could also gather the two thousand levied troops behind and find an opportunity to launch a new offensive.
But Li You had been dazzled by the short-term victory. After successfully raiding two small tribes in succession, he paid no attention to these barbarians with no armor or armor and shabby clothes.
"The barbarians are vulnerable to a single blow. The Art of War says, 'Soldiers cost more to win than to last.' Now I strike preemptively and catch them off guard. I should take the opportunity to expand the results of the battle and completely break up the resistance of these barbarians."
"If we withdraw from the forest at this time and give the barbarians time to react and prepare, it will be troublesome to capture them later. And with spring plowing around the corner, how can we waste precious time."
Li Youzi thought about it and rejected the Yidao County Lieutenant's proposal to withdraw from the mountains and forests, and prepared to attack several tribes in one fell swoop.
Faced with the Qin army's attack, many Yi people in the mountains and forests quickly reacted and united with each other. They began to use unique tactics in the mountains and forests to fight back against the Qin army.
These Yi people have no armor and crude weapons. In a head-on battle, five Yi people are not necessarily a match for a fully armed Qin soldier.
But the Yi people ran freely in the mountains and forests, were flexible and swift, and moved with elusiveness.
Suddenly some Yi people emerged from the grass, and sometimes they stood above the trees. They used poisonous bows and arrows to launch long-range attacks on the Qin army, and also used various traps in the mountains and forests to cause trouble.
Li You, who lacked experience in mountain warfare, was quickly stunned. He wanted to fight back, but his Qin soldiers could not even touch the Yi people's bodies, so they were shot from a distance.
In this case, the Qin army suffered heavy losses and was almost in danger of collapse.
Fortunately, Li You was assisted by the fierce general Gong Ao, as well as local people such as Yidao County Lieutenant, who fought and fled. In addition, two thousand Qin soldiers under the forest came to support, making the Yi people afraid to pursue.
In the end, the Qin army escaped from the mountain forest in embarrassment, and Li You did not become the first county lieutenant to be captured by the Yi people.
If Li You is really captured by the barbarians, his reputation will be ruined and his future will be dark. Even his old father will be unable to help him up.
This is a blessing in misfortune.
Although the Qin army escaped, they lost 300 of the 1,000 soldiers who entered the mountain.
This loss would not remove Li You from his post, but it also made Teng, the governor of Nanjun, very angry and warned Li You not to launch another war against the barbarians in the short term.
Li You was ashamed and embarrassed. Faced with the county guard's warning words, Li You kept his promise and did not dare to say a word.
What made him most ashamed and regretful was that after he came out of the mountain, he received a letter from Li Si sent to him from Xianyang.
Don't go into the mountains and forests!
Li Si said in the letter that for Li You's expedition against the barbarians, he specially asked a veteran on the battlefield to advise him.
The veteran general said that the Yi people had the advantage of occupying the mountains and forests, and the Qin army would lose its advantage in the forests and would be easily attacked by the Yi people. It would be better to lure the enemy out and annihilate them in the wilderness.
"I don't know whether this veteran is Meng Wu or Wang Ben, but what he said in the letter is really good advice. If I could have seen this letter earlier, An Neng would have suffered such a disastrous defeat!"
Li You sighed. He had just experienced a tragic defeat in the mountains and forests. He was deeply touched by what was said in the letter and admired the veteran's keen vision.
Although he suffered a disastrous defeat, it was nothing compared to his previous encounters in the battle against Chu, and Li You did not lose heart.
He has long been accustomed to failure. He has suffered repeated defeats, but he is still full of fighting spirit and has the intention of launching another attack.
It was just that after a presumptuous attack, it was basically impossible to lure the barbarians out of the mountains. In addition, the spring plowing had begun, and the recruited soldiers were ordered to be disbanded and went back to plow the fields. Li You could only put down his anxiety.
and fighting spirit, waiting again.
This wait will be after the autumn harvest.
It was also time for him, Li You, to carry out the plan to destroy the barbarians that he had decided upon after thinking carefully for several months.
"The Yi people live in the mountains and forests and are good at using the cover of the trees to carry out attacks. Once our army enters the forest, it will be difficult to deal with them."
"If that's the case, then I will burn the entire mountain forest with fire!"
"Burn all of you barbarians to death. Even if you are not burned to death, without the cover of these mountains and forests, how can you still withstand the conquest of my army?"
Li You roared in his heart, and he looked at the autumn forest in front of him again.
There are dead branches everywhere and fallen leaves flying everywhere. If the fire is put down, it will definitely burn more and more vigorously.
"Gongao!"
"Give me this lieutenant and set the mountain on fire!"
Li You roared, letting out the depression that had accumulated in his heart for half a year.
"only."
Gong Ao responded and commanded the soldiers to start lighting fires everywhere with torches.
Trees that have lost moisture in autumn and the thick leaves on the forest floor are the best nutrients for fires.
The tongues of fire swallowed and exhaled, and the burning leaves floated deep into the mountains and forests in the autumn wind, sweeping in all directions.
Half an hour later.
The entire mountain forest was shrouded in flames, thick smoke billowed into the sky, and countless animals screamed and fled around...
At the foot of the mountain, Li You looked at the burning mountain of flames in front of him.
His face was expressionless, but his eyes were full of excitement.
"What if the barbarian land is burned down!"
"I will burn, mountain after mountain, until you barbarians surrender, until you barbarians surrender!"
"This fire will help me, Li Youteng, fly!"
In the scorching air, Li You clenched his fists with excitement and turned his head to look in the direction of Xianyang.
"Your Majesty, I will not let you down."
"Princess."
…
In the majestic Qin Palace.
The girl is wearing a red dress, which makes her skin look fairer.
She walked into a palace and shouted excitedly to Fusu in the palace: "Brother, I heard that my father is going to discuss the merits of the generals who destroyed the dynasty at the court meeting today. That person will definitely be promoted to the top this time.
Make it?"
Fusu put down the slip in his hand and looked up at the excited girl.
He shook his head and said, "It's hard to say."
The girl wrinkled her nose and muttered: "This is the achievement of destroying a country. I destroyed a Dai country and also captured the escaped King Yan. I destroyed a country, captured two kings, and defeated a hundred thousand barbarian soldiers. How can I not do that?"
Let him be promoted to a knighthood?"
Fusu smiled and said: "It is said to be the country of Dai, but in fact it is just one county. But look at today's Nanjun Commandery Lord Teng. He once led troops to annihilate South Korea and captured the King of Han before returning. However, his title was only awarded to You Geng.
, it has not even reached the level of Shao Shang Zao. Although South Korea is a little smaller, it is still stronger than Dai, and Teng Jun’s merit is no less than that of Zhao Jun this time.”
"As for the King of Yan, the land of Yan has long been occupied, and his value is not much, not as good as that of Yan Dan in the past. Even the reward offered by his father is only two hundred gold. As for the defeat of the Hu soldiers, it is said that the beheading is only ten thousand.
, If you want to be promoted to the Great Shangzao, all these combined may still be a bit reluctant."
Hearing this, the girl suddenly became unhappy, her beautiful eyebrows furrowed, and she muttered: "It's not fair. If you can't get such a big credit, how can you convince the public? I heard that there was a
The one named Lao Ai..."
Fusu's face darkened, he reached out and knocked the girl on the forehead, and said: "Don't talk nonsense, can you mention that name too?"
Seeing the girl's clever silence, Fusu said: "But don't worry, I just followed common sense. But as you said, there is no way that my father will not be rewarded for this great achievement of annihilating the world, otherwise An Neng
Boost military morale."
Having said this, Fusu glanced at Ying Yinman meaningfully and said, "The final reward still depends on the father's wishes."
Ying Yinman understood, her eyes widened, and she said happily: "That must be no problem. I heard my father say something before. Judging from these words, I will definitely not treat that person badly."
Fusu's curiosity was piqued and he asked: "What did the father say?"
The corner of Ying Yinman's mouth raised slightly, she lowered her voice, pretended to be the king of Qin, and said: "Zhao Tuo, I love you so much."