With all troops approaching the city, what else can we do?
There is a saying that soldiers are unpredictable, and water is unpredictable. The real purpose is not so much seeking a battle, requiring soldiers to dare to fight, and generals to be brave, but to seek a favorable strategic situation.
As the saying goes, "strength is derived from form, and is accumulated in momentum." Once a favorable strategic situation is established, it is like a piece of writing that was created by nature, a skillful hand accidentally found it, and if you follow the trend, you will win the battle.
Why is momentum said to be overwhelming? Once momentum has the upper hand, the opponent will fail sooner or later.
Therefore, since ancient times, all the masters of military art in the Celestial Dynasty have attached great importance to the situation.
"Potential" can be followed, and "potential" can be created. If the trend is beneficial to one's side, follow the trend; if the trend is not good for one's side, change it. "Building momentum" has two basic requirements. One is to be dangerous or "decision-making".
"Water accumulates on a thousand-foot embankment", "turns a log in a valley of ten thousand feet", or "puts it to death and then lives", such as Han Xin's "forming a formation with water on its back".
Second, it must be surprising. It must be unexpected, so that the other party cannot expect it and it is difficult to guard against it. Before the trend is established, it must be stable and paralyzed. Once the trend is established, the opponent must not know the cause, be at a loss, unable to judge, and unable to act.
response.
But this actually requires establishing a condition.
The real main battle begins before the frontal battlefield begins.
Today's Liu Bei, the essential problem is that he took over Xuzhou Mu for too short a time and has not yet established a stable footing. This is a desolate land that has experienced military disasters and bandit chaos. It is full of waste and is short of soldiers and food.
, Even though he has been thinking very hard over the past six months, writing papers and never slacking off for a day, he has not been able to change the problem of his weak foundation.
He was always wary of Yuan Shu and Wang Zheng, and later relied on luring the enemy in to attack them first. However, the initiative in the two wars from beginning to end was not actually in his hands.
Seeing everyone in the hall being silent, Liu Bei still felt anxious and uneasy even though he had expected it.
He had heard of Wang Zheng for a long time.
It can even be said that when he came to Xuzhou, Liu Bei was prepared to fight Wang Zheng.
I just didn't expect that the real confrontation between the two sides would come so late, and it was even more untimely!
Speaking of which, Liu Bei and Wang Zheng have a close relationship.
The first time he joined the army was because of Zhang Jiao's uprising. Emperor Ling of the Han Dynasty quickly issued an edict, ordering everyone to prepare for the defense and fight against the thieves. Liu Yan, the governor of Youzhou, issued a notice to recruit troops, and Liu Bei enlisted in Zhuoxian County. Therefore, he and Zhang Fei,
The acquaintance with Guan Yu led to the Taoyuan friendship that has been passed down through the ages.
But this Wang Zheng used the name of "Zhang Jiao's reincarnation" when he started the rebellion.
Liu Bei had met Zhang Jue, and he was even more impressed by this traitor who tore off the last fig leaf of the big man. He still remembered it fresh after many years.
In his opinion, no matter the figure or appearance, there is no similarity between Wang Zheng and Zhang Jiao. He thought he was just a stupid thief trying to pull off a tiger's skin, but now, Liu Bei no longer dared to treat this guy again.
It's a bit of a look-down.
Wang Zheng brought too many surprises.
Lu Bu dared to risk being attacked by Cao Cao, but he also wanted to attack him. Liu Bei was so resolutely opposed to him that he was surprised and even more stunned. He even thought hard about it.
, is there anyone named Wang, and the two parties have already been enmity?
What was even more unexpected was the fall of Tancheng, which not only caused him to lose his rear base camp, but also cut off an important logistics route.
And the bravery of this guy...
My third brother Wanfu Bubu is famous for his bravery. Who in the world doesn't know the name of Zhang Yide from Yan? After all, he can only fight with him on an equal footing, or even be said to be slightly at a disadvantage...
When a battle is fierce and dangerous, and when tens of thousands of people are engaged in a battle, the role of a brave general is no longer to directly kill many people, but to break the formation, strengthen the enemy, or even kill the general! All of these can not only improve one's own morale, but also defeat the enemy. The enemy's morale and formation.
But when a brave general rushes into battle and attacks a difficult situation, he actually has to measure the situation. Generally, a brave general is well equipped and has fast horsepower. Once his bravery is amazing, he can gallop among thousands of troops. However, he must always maintain a certain degree of mobility. He can only come and go. Like the wind, you can have the opportunity to enter a place where there is no one.
Once the enemy loses mobility and lags slightly, there is no need for soldiers to engage in close combat. Just shoot the enemy directly with a crossbow.
And if there is someone on the opposite side who is strong enough to hold on to his own hero for more than ten turns, then being trapped in a tight siege is basically inevitable.
Wang Zheng showed such bravery, which basically announced that Liu Bei's previous plan to have his second brother and third brother rush into the camp was stillborn!
This is too dangerous.
Liu Bei could easily give up the Pingyuan country that he had worked hard for for several years for Xuzhou, but Zhang Fei was absolutely unwilling to exchange Xuzhou for his Guan Yu.
What a bad wolf!
Liu Bei lamented that this son had been silent when Yuan Shu's army was victorious and the situation was overwhelming. He just stood by and did not break out and hurt anyone until he led his army to Xiapi.
First they captured Tan City, then besieged Xiapi, and without moving, they took out the cities on the north and south sides of Xiapi and surrounded their home.
etc...
An idea flashed in Liu Bei's mind, and he suddenly thought of something.
Now that we have enemies on three sides, there is another side. With my forbearance and decisiveness, will I choose to "encircle three enemies" or be directly surrounded by enemies on all sides?
If it's the latter...
He looked around at the generals and shouted: "No matter what, don't hold on!"
Zhang Fei raised his thick eyebrows: "Brother, what do you mean?"
"What the third brother said is true. I have been besieging the city for several days now and have not moved my troops. However, at the same time, I ordered Pengcheng's men to send out troops to pull out the troops in the west. Don't you know that Langya will also send troops to attack us again?" Are all the cities in the north occupied?"
Liu Bei stood up suddenly, held his hands together, held them in front of his belly, walked around the table several times, and said hesitantly: "If our prime minister to the east is lost again, Xiapi will become an isolated city!"
"Prefecture Mu, Wangzheng now also has the territory of the three counties." Guan Yu pondered for a while and said: "It only took a year to start, and the time was still short. What's more, there are few people in Langya, Pengcheng is deserted, and Mount Tai is newly attached. Even if we forcefully recruit strong men, there won't be too many soldiers and horses, right?"
"It's impossible for his royal government to really go out in full force. If you remove the troops left behind in each city, even Pengcheng and Langya have sent out troops, how can there be a fourth group of troops to attack my prime minister?"
"Don't be afraid of ten thousand, just be afraid of the unexpected." Liu Bei said: "Who could have expected that not long after he captured Pengcheng that day, he would be able to attack Mount Tai again?"
"Who knew that before he remained silent, he had already contacted Zang Ba and his gang, planted an internal agent in Tancheng, and instigated rebellion against the noble family?"
"Even if he doesn't have any extra men, how do you know that he won't be bluffing under Xiapi City while arranging troops to seize the prime minister?" Liu Bei sighed: "Soldiers are not tired of deceit. If we use all the cavalry, we can cover hundreds of miles of land day and night. So, will his troops attack our Xiapi directly, or will he take down the prime minister first and turn Xiapi into an isolated city before going to capture it?"
"Yun Chang, we must be on guard against this cruel and cunning man."
"What does Zhou Mu mean?"
"I would like to give you five thousand men and horses, and go and station them there!"
"This..." Guan Yu said hesitantly: "We don't have many troops to begin with. If we divide our troops again, it won't be a big problem for Xia Xiang, but Xia Pi will be empty. Brother, think twice."
After hearing this, Liu Bei pondered for a while, undecided.
At this time, a soldier came in from outside Tangwai Hall: "Report to the state pastor, and the scouts will return to the city."
"See you soon."
Early this morning, before summoning the generals to discuss matters, Liu Bei had sent many cavalry scouts to the vicinity of Xiapi to gather information. The scout came in, knelt down and saluted, and said: "I left Xiapi yesterday morning to spy on the nearest area.
Ten miles from Xiapi. The enemy's camp is heavily fortified, and the troops and horses are in good order. Watch their flags and detect the horses. Now there are about 30,000 people, all equipped with horse, foot, bow and shield."
"Have you seen any movement of men and horses?" Guan Yu asked at the side, "Especially walking towards the east?"
"The day before yesterday, I saw a group of thousands of soldiers entering the camp from the southwest. They were welcomed into the camp by the king of thieves. They seemed to be soldiers and horses from Pengcheng. Apart from this, no other people were seen coming in or out."
Guan Yu asked again: "Are you sure?"
"Sure." The scout said.
"Zhou Mu." Guan Yu turned to Liu Bei and handed over his hand: "In this case, from Yu's point of view, every movement is worse than silence. I can ask people to quickly bring the food, grass and equipment, but I, Xiapi, should not divide the troops anymore."
Liu Bei hesitated and looked at the scouts again: "Are you sure that except for a troop entering the camp the day before yesterday, there will be no changes to the enemy camp?"
"Reporting to Zhou Mu, I and my brothers are watching closely, and I'm willing to guarantee it with my head!" The sentry rider said: "Other than that, there is no difference!"
"What the second brother said makes sense. Wang Zheng's military strength is actually almost at its end." Liu Bei hurriedly approached the map and muttered to himself: "I also have four thousand garrison troops. If you want to attack, don't send them."
It is impossible for a large army to break through the city in a short period of time. If it is a small group of people, they should be able to hold on until we come to the rescue."
At this time, footsteps outside the hall were quick, and another scout came back.
The scout returned a little late, but he did have new information.
He said: "The villain left Xiapi last night. There is an urgent military situation. Report it to the state pastor." He met scouts from another branch on the way and asked for their spare horses. There were six horses for each person. The horses were resting and people were resting. Therefore,
Although it was half a day late, compared to the previous scout, the time it took to return to the city was about the same.
"speak!"
"The area that the villain is responsible for investigating is northeast of the bandit's camp. Last night, I saw a group of people walking out of the camp, passing by my Xiapi and continuing to the east."
Liu Bei's heart suddenly tightened and he asked: "At night? Can you see clearly?"
"clear."
"How many men and horses?"
"This pair of men and horses were extremely guarded. The villain could not get close, so he had no choice but to abandon his mount and sneak closer. It was dark and the flag could not be seen clearly. They had no torches and walked in the dark. Judging from the length of the queue, the number of them was definitely not more than a hundred, and the most
Ten riders, all the way to the east."
"Dozens of riders?" Everyone heaved a sigh of relief after hearing this. Guan Yu also waved his hand and said, "Brother, these are just sentry riders, messengers and the like, so that's fine."
Liu Bei did not dare to be careless and asked again: "There are no torches? Then they are walking in the dark?"
"Not only were there no torches, but there was no sound of golden drums. I didn't even hear the sound of humans or horses. It was so quiet."
"Walking at night without lighting a torch, quietly, and walking safely must be an elite!" Liu Bei pondered without saying a word. He held his hands together and rubbed his belt unconsciously. At this time, the hall was so quiet that you could hear a needle drop, and the only sound coming from the window leak was
The wind howled.
"Something weird."
Although I can't guess Wang Zheng's intention, Guan Yu's proposal is indeed reasonable. A clever woman can't make a meal without rice, and if the thieves do not act rashly, Xiapi really can't divide the troops anymore.
That’s all!
Liu Bei slapped the table and shouted: "I am ordering the three armies to be on strict alert."
"Order, three routes of horse inspection every day, cyclic spying, covering a range of twenty miles!"
“Especially the lower phase on the east side, you need to pay attention to it all the time!”
"In addition..." Liu Bei ordered: "You can send a message to the generals who are guarding you and be on alert. If you encounter an enemy situation, no matter how many thieves there are, you can only defend the city and not go out to fight in the field!"
"If you encounter an enemy situation, immediately burn smoke at the beacon tower and call for help!"
"Here!"
...
The people who went out on that road were naturally Wu Sheng and his party.
In Wang Zheng's view, it was easy to capture Pi, but it was very difficult to capture Xia Pi at a small cost, drive away Liu Bei, or even kill this future enemy.
Fortunately, when he met Li Ren before coming, Wang Zheng had something in mind and stayed behind.
"If virtuality cannot deceive the enemy, then reality will be deceitful; if reality cannot deceive the enemy, then virtuality will be used." If you cannot deceive the enemy with virtuality, use reality; if you cannot deceive the enemy with reality, use virtuality.
Now he was just trying to show off the chariot and horses to show Liu Bei that he was "real", but in fact there were still people all along the way!
Of course, he didn't know how many Yuan Shu's troops Li Ren could gather, what their combat effectiveness was, and he didn't know. Wang Zheng didn't know whether Wu Sheng could capture the Prime Minister before Liu Bei could react.
As the saying goes, it is up to man to make things happen, but it is only up to God.
On the night of the third day after Wu Sheng left, the messenger reported: "General, Major Wu has joined Li Ren!"
"oh?"
At this time, Wang Zheng was discussing matters with Yu Jin, Xu Fang and others in the lobby, first to recharge their batteries, and secondly to drain Liu Bei's army's morale. Hearing these words, everyone looked sideways, and Wang Zheng even asked directly: "How many people have Li Ren gathered together?"
Yuan Jun?"
"About four thousand people!" said the sentry rider: "To prevent the enemy from being alert, Major Wu and Yuan Jun are currently stationed in a valley fifty miles away from the city, and the siege has not yet officially begun."
It's a bit less. Wang Zheng frowned and asked, "How about the city defense?"
"The villain is watching from a distance. There are dense banners and golden drums. It seems that the defense is very tight." The sentry said: "I see that all the city gates are closed. Only the west gate is open for an hour at noon every day.
Let the surrounding villagers take refuge in the city, but everyone who enters the city must be strictly inspected, and must be identified by someone familiar in the city, otherwise they will be beheaded if there is any problem!"
Having said this, the sentry knight sighed: "Several brothers have suffered a loss because of this!"
"Where are the defeated troops?" Xu Fang interjected and asked, "Is it possible to fight?"
"It's a mess, there's no order at all, and there's no morale at all." The sentry knight said: 'It is precisely for this reason that Major Wu decided to put things in order first.'
"Yeah." Wang Zheng nodded: "It should be so."
Wang Zheng had spent some time in Yangzhou and knew that the soldiers under Yuan Shu's command were not very disciplined and their combat effectiveness was not very strong. At least compared to Cao Cao's army that they had fought against, they were actually much inferior.
Now that they have suffered a big defeat and then lost their coach, it is understandable that they have different minds.
"Did Wu Sheng say when he would attack the city?" he asked again.
"I am about to report back to the general." The sentry rider said: 'Major Wu said that within ten days, he will take down the prime minister and present it to the general in front of him!'
So confident?
Wang Zheng was startled, then laughed loudly: "Okay, I'll wait and see."