Chapter five hundred and ninety-four people playing chess
The east wind is blowing coldly on my face, and the spring snow is falling all over the sky. I am not afraid of closing the city gate when I return drunk.
All the way to Qiongyao, there were no car marks along the way.
Along the way, the mountains are far away and the trees are nearby, adorning the jade universe.
——Excerpt from "Drinking Fire Order. One day after Jihai's Jingzhe" by Gu Taiqing (Qing Dynasty)
…
At midnight, the jailer opened the cell door and stuck a torch on the wall. A burly and muscular soldier walked into the cell alone.
It was Li Guangbi, the coach of Shuofang Army.
Bai Fu, who was sitting cross-legged, opened his eyes, calm as usual, showing no signs of surprise, as if he knew Li Guangbi would appear.
When Li Guangbi saw Bai Fu's expression, he smiled meaningfully and said, "It seems that you have been waiting for a long time."
Bai Fu smiled faintly and said: "The commander-in-chief's actions today have a profound meaning. Could it be that he wants to follow Zhou Yu's example of attacking Huang Gai and make me defect to the rebels and feign surrender?"
Li Guangbi shook his head, smiled slyly, and said: "The 'First Pioneer of the Tang Dynasty' pretended to surrender and embarrassed His Majesty, even Shi Siming would not believe it."
Bai Fu said: "Then what does the commander intend to do with this move?"
Li Guangbi said: "There are also insiders in Shuofang's army, and Shi Siming knows our troop deployment and mobilization well.
If you are wronged today, you will definitely feel resentful towards me. If my prediction is correct, someone will secretly contact you in the near future, and I hope you can help me find him."
Bai Fu's eyes flashed with a glimmer of light, and he said: "Commander, what's the plan?"
Li Guangbi leaned down and whispered beside Bai Fu.
After Bai Fu heard this, he thought for a long time and said, "I have a plan that can make you have your cake and eat it too."
…
After the two of them finished planning, Li Guangbi stood up and left.
Li Guangbi was about to step out of the prison door when he heard Bai Fu ask coldly behind him: "Commander, I have been humiliated too much today, are you not afraid that I will really hate you?
When the time comes, the inside should be coordinated with the outside, and the plan will be implemented?"
Li Guangbi paused, but did not look back.
He said calmly: "If General Zhongsi's disciples don't even have this bit of wisdom, they are not worthy of being his successor!"
After that, Li Guangbi opened the cell door, laughed loudly, and walked away.
Bai Fu's pupils suddenly shrank.
Master Zhongsi taught his art of war in Lihentian, but because it involved the grudge between Xuanzong and Suzong, only the head of Qingxuan, Taifu Xu and other people knew about it.
How did Li Guangbi know this?
…
As Li Guangbi said, Shuofang's army did have an inner enemy.
Shi Siming soon learned about the military situation of Heyang City's shortage of food and grass.
Not only that, Shi Siming also learned about the supply route of the Tang army's grain, grass and baggage.
Shi Siming immediately ordered to mobilize troops to guard Heqing (now the southern Yellow River ferry in Jiyuan City, Henan Province) to the west of Heyang, with the intention of cutting off the Tang army's food route.
Li Guangbi received the scouting information and immediately led his troops in person and stationed at Yeshuidu (now the North Yellow River ferry in Mengjin County, Henan Province) to be on guard.
After the deployment was completed, that night, Li Guangbi's tent was brightly lit all night, and the soldiers came in and out, running around non-stop.
Li Guangbi ordered his general Yong Xihao to stay at the camp, but he quietly returned north to Heyang without being noticed.
Shi Siming received the information, and Li Guangbi personally went out and led a thousand troops to set up camp at Yeshuidu.
Shi Siming threw the secret letter into the brazier.
Watching the charcoal fire turning from bright to dark, and the secret letter turning into ashes, Shi Siming narrowed his eyes and thought darkly in his heart: "
It seems that the Tang army was short of food.
I originally wanted to cut off its food path, but I didn't expect that the big fish would bite the hook as soon as the bait was placed.
Li Guangbi was really brave enough to ride out of the city!
Now that it's delivered to your door, don't blame me for being cruel."
Shi Siming immediately summoned his fierce general Li Riyue and said: "Li Guangbi is good at defending cities, and he is no match for us in field battles.
Today, he advanced with light cavalry and suddenly appeared at Yeshui Crossing. This is the best opportunity to capture him alive. If you lead 500 elite cavalry and cross the Yellow River overnight, I may not be able to catch him.
If you are alive, you want to see the person, if you are dead, you want to see the body. If you can’t catch it, bring it up and see it!”
Shi Siming shouted sharply.
Li Riyue's heart skipped a beat. Looking at Shi Siming's sinister eyes, chills ran down his spine.
…
Just when Li Riyue led his troops to attack,
General Yong Xihao, who was guarding Ye Shuidu, had another taste.
Before leaving Yeshuidu, Li Guangbi specially called the guard Yong Xihao into the tent.
Li Guangbi's eyes were unpredictable and he said: "The rebel generals stationed here, Gao Tinghui, Li Riyue, and Yu Wenjing, are all powerful generals who can defeat ten thousand people.
Once Shi Siming learns that I am here, he will definitely send one of them to lead the army to rob the camp.
I will return to Heyang now, and you must not inform others of my whereabouts.
You set an ambush in the camp.
When the enemy troops come, you only need to bluff, there is no need to fight with them.
If what I predict is correct, the enemy general will definitely surrender. Once he surrenders, you can quickly bring him to see me."
…
Yong Xihao looked at the dark night sky and laughed dumbly.
"It's dark and windy tonight, and it's indeed a good weather to rob the camp. But if we don't defeat the rebels, the enemy general Gao Tinghui and others will be captured without help? Isn't this too unbelievable?"
Yong Xihao has been in the army for more than ten years and has never seen such good things.
However, he did not believe it or not. The military orders were overwhelming, so Yong Xihao was still on alert. Yong Xihao arranged for the soldiers of the Tang Dynasty to hide behind the trenches, sleep in their clothes, and take turns to rest.
…
Li Riyue led five hundred elite cavalry, galloping through the starry night, and arrived at Yeshuidu an hour later.
There were still several miles away from the Tang army's camp, so Li Riyue asked the cavalry to dismount and rest to recharge their batteries.
Li Riyue looked at the Tang army's camp from a distance and saw that the camp's tent was brightly lit.
Li Riyue was secretly delighted and said to himself: "Li Guangbi is indeed here! It takes no effort to get here!"
Early in the morning is the darkest time before dawn. Generally speaking, it is also the time when the defenders are most likely to relax their vigilance.
The lights in the big tent of the camp were finally extinguished. The lights in the other tents were also extinguished one after another, and there were occasional scattered lights in the camp.
The entire camp fell into silence, except for the occasional barking of dogs.
Li Riyue led his elite troops and sneaked to the gate of the Tang army's camp.
I saw several sentries patrolling the watchtower leaning on the pillars and taking a nap, snoring loudly and sleeping soundly.
The Yan army scouts broke into the camp and secretly opened the gate.
Li Riyue was so happy that he took the lead and rode his horse into the camp.
There was only a sound of thunder, and there were shouts of killing all around the camp. Thousands of torches illuminated the camp like daylight. Countless crossbow machines emerged from trenches, watchtowers, sandbags, etc., and they were densely aimed at the Yan army's cavalry.
Li Riyue's scalp became numb, knowing that he had fallen into an ambush plan by the Tang army.
Li Riyue bit the bullet and asked, "May I ask if Master Sikong is here?"
Yong Xihao walked out of the tent and said with a smile: "The commander returned to Heyang last night."
Li Riyue was stunned, looked around, and asked: "How many soldiers and horses are there in the camp?"
Yong Xihao said proudly: "A thousand Shuofang elites!"
Li Riyue asked again: "Master Sikong is not here, who is the commander here?"
Yong Xihao reported his name.
"Commander, let's fight out. There are only a thousand of them, they can't stop us!" His subordinates said to Li Riyue.
Li Riyue pondered for a long time and said to his subordinates: "This time the intelligence deviation is so big, do you think it is an accident? Someone must have betrayed us and used a borrowed knife to kill people.
The Tang army set up a sufficient ambush, which shows that they were well prepared and expected early in the morning that we would rob the camp tonight.
The time and place were carefully chosen, just waiting for us to fly into the flames and fall into the trap.
If we charge in forcefully, we will definitely lose a lot of brothers.
Even if we break out and even capture Yong Xihao alive, but cannot capture Li Guangbi, we will be dead on Emperor Yan's side.
The person who plays chess behind the scenes is so talented!
We have figured it out and we are in a dilemma, a life and death dilemma.
If this chess player is not our mortal enemies, he is the mole that Li Guangbi planted next to Emperor Yan." Li Riyue gritted his teeth with hatred.
"What should we do?" the confidant asked eagerly.
Li Riyue's eyes flashed with cold light, and he said to his subordinates: "The current plan is to surrender to the Tang army, the only way to survive."
Li Riyue was also a decisive person. Once he made up his mind, he would not hesitate.
He gave an order, and the Yan army's five hundred cavalry laid down their weapons, dismounted and surrendered.
There was no fighting, Li Riyue led his troops to surrender, and Yong Xihao admired Li Guangbi.
Yong Xihao immediately followed Li Shuai's advice and accompanied Li Riyue to meet Li Guangbi.
After Li Riyue surrendered, Li Guangbi treated Li Riyue very favorably, treated him with utmost sincerity, and regarded him as his confidant.
Soon, Gao Tinghui also led his troops to surrender.
…
Li Fei Yuanli was quite curious and asked Li Guangbi for advice: "Commander, Li Riyue and Gao Tinghui are both famous generals. Why can you easily capture them?"
Li Guangbi smiled slightly and said, "This is due to human nature.
Shi Siming claimed that Yanyun Cavalry was invincible in the world, and he always resented that he did not have the chance to fight me in the wild.
This time I heard that I was riding lightly out of the city, so I thought I would be captured.
Shi Siming has always suspected that one of the three Gao Tinghui, Li Riyue, and Yu Wenjing secretly surrendered to the Tang Dynasty. Li Riyue did not capture me alive, so the suspicion was high, so he did not dare to go back.
As soon as Li Riyue surrendered, suspicion fell on Gao Tinghui and Yu Wenjing. Shi Siming was bound to be suspicious of these two people.
Gao Tinghui's talent and courage were better than Li Riyue's. Hearing that Li Riyue was favored and trusted by the Tang army, he would naturally have the idea of overpowering him. Surrender would be a matter of time.
The imperial edict arrived yesterday. Li Riyue was promoted several levels in a row and was named General Youjinwu by the imperial court. However, under Shi Siming's account, Gao Tinghui was just a mere sixth-rank Guoyi from Wutai Prefecture.
Which one is better and which one is worse will be judged!"
"I see. Commander, you captured these two powerful generals without spending a single soldier. General Li Jing's resurrection is nothing more than that!"
Li Fei Yuanli picked up both big fingers, sincerely admiring him.
Not long after, due to Li Guangbi's recommendation, on the sixth day of October in the second year of Qianyuan (759), the Tang court appointed Gao Tinghui as General Youwuwei, with an official rank of third rank.
The news reached the Yan army, and the generals of the Yan army became interested. Every day when it got dark, they secretly began to communicate...
…
At dusk that day, the tired bird returned to its nest. In the name of patrolling the camp, Li Guangbi came to the area guarded by Lone Eagle Scout.
There was one person he had to thank.
I saw him dressed in white, sitting cross-legged on a big rock on the river beach, fishing.
If someone is close enough, they can hear him murmuring clearly:
"In the affairs of the three armies, don't be close to me, don't reward me generously, and don't do things closely. Without sage wisdom, you can't use me.