Chapter 530: Conquering the enemy without fighting
At Zhenyi Pass, densely packed with generals stood, looking up to the north.
About two miles to the north is the Heli Mountain Pass, and Weishui passes through it. About four or five miles further to the north is the Lingbei Grassland.
Just like ants migrating to their nests on a rainy day, they are everywhere. They look chaotic, but if you look closely, they are clearly arranged.
Standing on the top of the mountain and looking at it for a while, he saw that Hu Qi was getting closer and closer, leaning slightly to enter the valley. Li Shixian turned the horse's head and called Li Shiliang again: "Brother, let's see after entering the pass and climbing the city!"
"Okay!"
Li Shiliang's palms were all sweaty.
More than ten years ago, he followed Li Qi to guard Wuwei. He had gone through many battles with Rouran, so he could recognize this as an elite Hu Qi at just one glance.
You also know how powerful it is: just like a wolf, ferocious and cunning, if you reveal even the slightest flaw, it will give you a fatal blow.
But now, more than ten thousand people have come?
He couldn't figure out why Rouran suddenly came to Xihai, seemingly just for Li's Baijia, when she had just left the Six Towns alone.
What puzzled him even more was that even though there were tens of thousands of soldiers in Xihai, and their combat power was comparable to that of the enemy, Li Shixian should never fight head-on with them.
It’s not that we can’t win, but even if we win, we will still kill a thousand enemies and suffer eight hundred losses.
And with just this small number of troops, if they are all used up, what else will Li use to compete in the Central Plains and strive for world hegemony?
Li Shiliang glanced at Li Shixian, who was sitting on the horse, as steady as a mountain, and whispered: "Why don't you... stay away from the edge for a while?"
"Can't avoid it!"
Li Shixian shook his head, remembering Li Chengzhi's explanation before leaving, "Rouran will not change his wolfish nature. If he retreats, he will become more arrogant, and then he will be like a maggot attached to the bone, refusing to give up. So he can only head on.
Beat them hard to make them realize how powerful they are, and then they can calm down for a while..."
"It would be better to not retreat even half a step from the beginning, and create a situation where the fish is dead and the net is defeated. But now we have retreated from the West Sea to Shannan, a full five to six hundred miles. The morale of the army has been weakened again and again. How much can be left?" In the battle with Du Lun's tribe, Li's soldiers all knew that firearms were used by the cavalry, just like the red sun and thin frost, how could they demoralize them?
On the contrary, at this time everyone is impatient and eager for a battle...
Seeing Li Shiliang's anxious face, Li Shixian thought of the second thing Li Chengzhi confessed: My Li Shibaijia's various methods are like the magic of gods and ghosts. When ordinary people see it, they are like Xia Chan seeing snow. Although he is horrified, he doesn't know what it means. It would be fine if Li Shixian had plenty of time, and it wouldn't be too late to let Li Shiliang see it slowly. However, Li Shixian was very busy and would spend at least three to five days in the West Sea before returning to Guanzhong.
Therefore, it is better to fight directly and let Li Shiliang feel more deeply and intuitively, so that he can have a clear understanding of the situation. Then whether he leads the troops or trains them, he will get twice the result with half the effort...
It's also the imperial court's fault. After the great victory in Beizhen, they only mentioned that Li Chengzhi won this battle. But how they won, Li Chengzhi led the army that won, but didn't mention it at all.
Whenever the word "Hexi Relics" is mentioned in the notice or the newspaper, Li Shiliangyu can guess one or two...
"Brother, don't worry, even if we retreat another five hundred miles, my sons and daughters of the Li family will still have great morale. If you don't believe me, just wait and see!"
Li Shiliang was shocked and doubtful, and suddenly he remembered what the two servants of the Li family said when Li Shixian sent the generals to the tent: If this battle is defeated, come and see...
Li Shiliang instinctively looked back. The Li family retainers who were accompanying him and Li Shixian to watch the battle looked at the Hu army, which was as dense as locusts in the distance. They were all as steady as Mount Tai, without any trace of panic.
Are you really that confident?
Just when he had a suspicion, he heard a sharp whistle and Li Shiliang suddenly turned around.
The whistle came from Heli Mountain Pass. As soon as I looked at it, the weak water was like a natural chasm, cutting the rolling mountains into two.
Both sides of the bank are extremely flat, and are also the best place to cross the Heli Mountain. According to common sense, as long as the valley entrance is blocked, the advantage of the cavalry can be reduced by half, and the Hu soldiers can only lead their horses over the mountains.
If we place an ambush team behind the mountain ridge and seize the opportunity, we will definitely cause chaos.
But as luck would have it, the entrance to the valley at this time was like a treasure house with its door open, allowing thieves to enter, without leaving a single soldier behind.
There are many archers standing on the ridges on both sides of the strait, but what's the use?
The river valley is dozens of feet wide, and all the barbarian soldiers are wearing half armor. Even if the archers are condescending, how many can they kill?
I thought Hu Jun would march straight in, from the river valley to the foot of Guancheng...
I don’t understand why Li Shixian used troops like this. Li Shiliang was surprised and doubtful, and when he was about to ask, he was suddenly stunned again.
About a thousand Hu cavalry, who should be the vanguard of the Hu army, suddenly stopped on the shore about a mile from the mouth of the valley.
Then the trumpet sounded loudly, and the sound of whining filled the ears. Looking back, the nearly ten thousand Huqi who were following them stopped in place, looking at the river valley as if they were beasts in muddy water, and seemed to dare not take another half step forward.
.
"Why?"
Li Shihao was not suspicious, and took a closer look into the valley with his big eyes open. "There is no cover in this valley, and there is no ambush. Why is the enemy as afraid as a tiger, as if he is afraid of falling into the trap of a suspicious soldier?"
Apart from the two battalions of archers on the east and west banks, where else could there be any ambushes?
Li Shixian's face suddenly sank: "Li Song, why did Hu Jun hesitate to move forward?"
What else?
Li Chengzhi had already used this strategy once when he faced Dou Ling in Woye. There were three battalions of Hu cavalry, and no one out of ten survived the war...
Those who ignore the past and ignore the future have already suffered such a big loss, so they should learn a lesson.
Li Song stared for a while and saw that the Hu army was indeed stationed temporarily and seemed unwilling to take a step forward. He sighed sadly: "It seems that Lang Jun and Dou Ling escaped during the battle at Jinhaoguan.
Many fish have slipped through the net, and they are most likely in the barbarian formation in front of the valley.
Now I see that the mouth of the valley is empty, and there are archers on both sides of the bank. I recognize the origin of our army from this, and I know that this is a trick to lure the enemy, so I dare not take another half step forward..."
Li Shixian's face was as black as the bottom of a pot: "If there is a fish that slipped through the net, it should have been repaid to the ugly slaves of the creeping Han: defeating Dou Ling in the fertile wilderness, destroying the Du Lun tribe, leaving the head of Man City and the remains of the West Sea, and even knowing the thunder and firearms."
The power. That ugly slave dares to send troops to invade our Western Sea?"
"Chou Nu should be prepared for a rainy day, or more likely, he is testing: As everyone knows, although our troops sent to the West Sea can defeat a hundred, they are only five battalions. If they stay in Daqi, the West Sea will naturally be empty, making it difficult for the march.
Can be taken.
But if we have returned to the West Sea, Daqiu will naturally become an empty camp, and Hu Jun will be able to reach Beizhen without any hindrance, and there will be no need to fear the power of thunder weapons..."
The more Li Shiliang listened, the more surprised and suspicious he became: According to the words of the two masters and servants, Li Chengzhi defeated Dou Ling in Woye, and led the Du Lun tribe to annihilate the tribe in Mancheng. Was it all the work of Li's tribe?
What kind of thunder and firearms were there that day that could make Rouran Khan fear him like a snake and a scorpion?
Next to him was his brother who was a compatriot, so Li Shiliang had no scruples and opened his mouth to ask.
But how could one or two sentences explain it clearly? Li Shixian replied, "Wait a moment," and then ordered his retainers: "Li Xiaoyan, send an order to Li Shi quickly, but when he saw that the Hu enemy was showing signs of retreating, he led his army to pursue him: But
To prevent rogue thieves from tempting the enemy to go deeper, the limit is ten miles. No matter how many enemies are routed, the army will retreat after chasing ten miles..."
"No!"
Li Xiaoxian took the order and left. After a while, there were whistles in the mountains like eagles croaking and cranes chirping.
Not long after, Li Shiliang saw many cavalrymen emerging from behind the mountain ridge like ghosts.
Is there really an ambush?
But looking at their formation, I'm afraid there are only two or three thousand. The second brother actually wants to use these three thousand steps to chase tens of thousands of Huqi?
What made him even more weird was: when he saw the Han cavalry on the mountain, the Hu army actually withdrew its troops?
Not only did they retreat, they also retreated like frightened birds out of the forest, and even more like a swarm of bees, retreating at any time without a trace of order, just like a defeated army.
Not to mention Li Shixian and Li Song, even Li Shi, who was waiting for orders from his subordinates to pursue him, were dumbfounded.
The Hu people had light horses and armor, excellent riding skills, and they retreated so quickly. By the time he rushed down the mountain, the Hu army might have already escaped five or six miles, and they were still chasing a bird feather?
Above Guancheng, all the servants of the Li family were in a mess in the wind, as if they were dumbfounded.
A month ago, when they first heard that Rouran was sending troops, Li Chengzhi, he, Li Song and Li Liang all believed that if Rouran took six towns, they would take the West Sea during the march.
Therefore, everyone felt as if a disaster was imminent and tried their best: some rushed thousands of miles to help, some hurriedly evacuated overnight, and even worse: Li Chenghong was in a hurry and evacuated all the old, weak, women, children, cattle, horses, camels, etc. to the county seat. .And they blew up the kilns in Shannan and buried a lot of them, fearing that the barbarians would spy on them.
Li Shixian was even more confident and worked hard to become famous in one battle. When he arrived at the West Sea, he made arrangements overnight. Who would have thought that nearly 10,000 horsemen could escape with just a false shot?
It means that all the arrangements made over the past few days are in vain...
Li Shixian was so angry that his teeth were almost broken.
Fortunately, people who have gone through battles are still somewhat sober:
"I ordered Li Shi to stop the pursuit, and ordered Tangqi to follow closely to explore the enemy's strength... But don't go deep, just explore the West Sea...
The order to Chenghong still stated that the county was on tight alert to prevent thieves from attacking from the east to the west...
Orders Li Liang and Huangfu to withdraw their infantry from the mountains and garrison them at the pass..."
The soldiers agreed one by one, and Li Shixian pondered for a moment: "Send the order to Li Zhang to raise the thunder and clear the river... That's all, I just set off the explosion, so that the thieves and enemies can hear the sound, so as not to think that I, Li, am bluffing... …”
In fact, Li Shixian wanted Li Shiliang to see what thunder is...
A moment later, dozens of thunderbolts burst out from the mouth of the valley, as if the earth was shattering and the whole city was shaken violently.
Looking at the smoke and dust covering the sky and the sun in the distance, Li Shiliang's face was as white as paper and his mouth was dry: Is this... thunder?
Didn't Li Chengzhi weigh it? Instead of retting it with chicken?
General Hu, who ran a mile away, was even more frightened and his scalp was numb.
As the Great Khan said, the remaining troops in Hexi have already withdrawn to the West Sea, and even laid a mine array at the Heli Mountain Pass. As long as the Hu army enters the valley, the old trick will be repeated, just like the Dou leader of Jinhaoguan...
General Hu was not only afraid of almost falling into the trap, but also of thunder. What frightened him was: Why is the Khan so clear, who is thousands of miles away?
Of course it was Li Chengzhi who told Chou Nu, but Chou Nu didn’t know that the secret report sent by the spy was the work of Li Chengzhi...