In the evening in Jiujiang City, if your vision is limited to a small area, you will definitely think that it is a very quiet and peaceful place, even a bit boring. It is very quiet, and you can hear the chirping of sparrows outside the door.
This room is a suite, located in the inner courtyard of the governor's residence. Zhang Ning has lived here for several months. The door is usually open, and you can see the outside scenery when sitting next to the desk, the same scene day after day.
, he was already very familiar with it. From near to far, there were two broad-leaved trees in the yard. They had no flowers or fruits in winter. Even though Zhang Ning had looked at them for thousands of times, he didn't pay special attention to what kind of trees they were. There were also trees on the south bank of the Yangtze River in winter.
The green leaves are just short of lifeless, and they should be able to emit new vitality when spring begins; there are some withered weeds on the ground, and you can see the corridor under the eaves opposite, the old pillars with peeling paint and discolored paint, and the worn floor tiles...
...This picture is so featureless, but it may have existed in Zhang Ning's mind for many years because he has seen it so many times.
The light in the evening has gradually dimmed, but night is far from coming, making the scenery covered with a layer of dark gray, hazy like fog and sprinkled with a layer of light ink.
Zhang Ning spent the whole day observing everywhere during the day, and then returned to his residence as it got late. He was writing and drawing, and from time to time he would habitually look up outside for a while. Perhaps there were still things from his previous student days in his subconscious. A teacher said
After class, you can look at the scenery to give your eyes a rest, so looking at outdoor scenery is equal to low-cost rest.
However, he also noticed Xin Wei sitting next to him. When he picked up the pen again, he said without raising his head: "You are sitting there with nothing to do, and I can't talk to you. Isn't it boring?"
Zhang Ning felt her shaking her head and stopped asking.
It took a long time before I heard her speak, speaking very slowly and quietly: "I remembered the days in my hometown many years ago. Sometimes I was weaving on the machine, sometimes cooking, or feeding chickens. I still remember drying the quilt.
My mind was weak at the time because the things were very broken...Am I talking too much?"
"It's okay, you tell me." Zhang Ning said casually. He was slightly distracted, and the scene of an ancient farmhouse appeared in his mind involuntarily, but Xin Wei's tone was very good, which made people feel at peace.
"The whole family was busy at that time. There was endless chores to do when they got up in the morning. Most of them were doing it alone and rarely talked."
, almost inaudible, "If there had been...you at home at that time...I was just thinking wildly, I would not have found it difficult to pass the time." Weiwei became quieter, "As long as I can be by your side, I feel good.
Even if you don’t have fine clothes and food, or even if you are imprisoned in a cell like a prisoner, as long as I can see you..."
Zhang Ning's pen trembled, and there was a smear of ink on the paper. No matter how stupid he was, he could understand that this was a special confession from an ancient woman. He raised his head and glanced at Xin Wei, but said nothing for a moment. She had a flat forehead and big eyes.
She was a little lifeless at the time, and her lowered gaze highlighted the shape of her eyelashes, making her less aggressive and more graceful.
Xin Wei said quietly again: "I can feel that the prince will win soon, and I can also think of the situation after winning this battle, but I don't know why I feel a little disappointed. When you return to the luxurious palace, how can I compare to Chu
The darling wife and concubine in the palace are not qualified to compete with others, and can no longer be alone by the prince's side like now..."
Zhang Ning paused for a moment and felt moved in his heart, but after a moment's thought, he agreed with her statement. As a result, he felt a trace of guilt in his heart, not only because he thought of everything Xin Wei had done for him in the most difficult days, but also because
I feel that it is rare for her to express such thoughts... Although it is difficult to determine whether this is out of a woman's scheming, Zhang Ning was indeed moved in an instant. Maybe it was not someone's scheming, but that he himself had changed and became so numb and worldly.
, as if everyone is trying to get a piece of his group's interests.
The sentence "I won't treat you badly" was stuck in his throat. Zhang Ning could not say it out. Even he felt it was a kind of blasphemy.
"We can't be complacent now. It's too early to think that we have a chance of victory." He said calmly.
...After such a long period of danger and suffering, Zhang Ning had an idea in his mind that he must not make a mistake in the last step, so he appeared to be extra cautious.
However, the situation was really good. Zhou Mengxiong had successfully passed the news into the city before. After observing the deployment of the army in Jiujiang City, Zhou Mengxiong seized the opportunity to quickly break through the Shili River, and took advantage of the unpreparedness of the army to boldly penetrate its junction.
After a fierce battle, the army was deployed between Bali Lake and Gantang Lake. The current situation has made the layout of Zhang Fu's army very unfavorable.
Judging from the military fortifications between Bali Lake and the Yangtze River, it can be guessed that Zhang Fu's previous strategic intention was to form the northern defense line along the land corridor between the rivers and lakes (Bali Lake on the Yangtze River); relying on the Shili River south of Bali Lake as the southern defense line, the two sides
The line blocked reinforcements from relieving the siege.
However, Zhou Mengxiong boldly and quickly "coincidentally" interspersed between Bali Lake and Gantang Lake. The current situation has completely destroyed the strategic deployment of Zhang Fu's army; unless Zhang Fu gathered the main forces of the two armies and forcibly overthrew Zhou Mengxiong's main fortifications,
Otherwise, the only option is to shrink the defense line and form a second, smaller encirclement... It is close to Gantang Lake to the west of Jiujiang City, and the narrow land corridor between the Yangtze River blocks the northwest; the Baishui Lake Yangtze River Corridor to the east poses little threat to the defense line because of the wrong direction.
; Focus on assembling heavy troops on the southern defense line in the open area south of the city. The siege circle is already very small and has no depth.
The officers and soldiers on the eastern and southern fronts are trained as one; only the officers and soldiers on the northwest defense line have been divided. The officers and soldiers located in the narrow land corridor between Gantang Lake and the Yangtze River were originally weak due to the long and narrow terrain.
They were even more divided... They were bounded by the Yangtze River to the north, Jiujiang City to the east, and Gantang Lake to the south. Going out from the west, the southern way out, from the left bank of Gantang Lake to Bali Lake, was blocked by Zhou Mengxiong's army.
The way out is to go west along the Yangtze River, but Ruichang County in the west has been captured by Zhou Mengxiong's army. It can be said that there is no way out. Although the water control rights of the Yangtze River are in the hands of the government and the army, there is no situation of being surrounded, but it is almost possible.
A lone army.
The above are all Zhang Ning's unilateral analysis of the chaotic battlefield. However, he believes that as long as people do things, they have their own ideas and rules to follow. A normal person with a clear mind will not be confused about important matters.
He had no idea at all; after discussing with Yu Qian and others, people around him also agreed with Zhang Ning's conjecture.
Now Zhang Ning's designated tactic is to leave the city with the main force and take the initiative to attack the government and army siege fortifications in the northwest. The temptation of this idea is obvious: not only can it break out of the encirclement and join Zhou Mengxiong's army and escape from the dangerous situation, but it can also completely eat up the isolated northwest.
The first unit of the frontline officers and troops further suffered heavy losses and weakened Zhang Fu's strength.
The risk is also obvious. The enemy is defending and we are attacking. Zhou Mengxiong's new army is very weak in attacking fortifications. Once Zhang Ning's army here fails to attack the fortifications, it will at least exhaust the few remaining ammunition; at worst, it will be taken advantage of by the government troops from other directions.
Jiujiang City is in an embarrassing situation, unable to advance forward or defend later. It is like a "lonely ghost" and is in danger of being annihilated. Then Zhang Ning's efforts until now have all been in vain, and he will lose everything in one battle.
Often important things only happen in one person's thoughts and are full of chance. People often face such choices. There are few things in the world where all the benefits are taken advantage of. There is always a trade-off between letting go and holding on.
"I once read an article that said that during the Three Kingdoms period, Wei Yan suggested that he use his surprise troops to take the Ziwu Valley directly to Chang'an. If the Shu Kingdom adopts this tactic, it may be possible to conquer the Central Plains. However, Zhuge Liang rejected it, so the feasibility of this approach cannot be confirmed. Unable to do so.
However, we can lament that caution is not always a good thing and can delay combat opportunities."
Zhang Ning is usually a cautious and disciplined person, but this is his appearance; he has a kind of rebellion deep in his bones, which is his essence. Many years ago, when he was young, he dared to run away from home with his friends and live on the train.
The one thing he stood on almost led to darkness. Although he suddenly woke up, he just surrendered and compromised to reality... From then on, something in his blood was destined to be latent.
If he hadn't been destined to be restless, he wouldn't have wanted to rebel with all his heart after suddenly learning that he was of Taizu bloodline. At that time, the ambition in his heart could no longer be suppressed.
…Early the next morning, after all-night deliberation and deliberation, he had decided to adopt the risky tactic of taking the initiative to attack. He even refused everyone’s dissuasion and seemed a bit stubborn, preparing to go all the way to the dark side. No one in the army could check him.
His dictatorial power, civil servants Yu Qian and military minister Wei Bin are not on the same level as his reputation and authority in the military.
Taking into account the suddenness of the attack, Zhang Ning ordered at the governor's office to prohibit the spread of news of the decision, and only made secret preparations that day, and mobilized to launch a surprise attack the next morning.
He left everything behind and went to sleep early, but he woke up in the middle of the night and couldn't fall asleep. His heart was disturbed by anxiety and excitement and he couldn't rest peacefully.
If he failed, he would probably have to beat his chest. The serious consequences could not be imagined... Zhang Ning decided not to imagine it. At this point, there is no benefit in looking forward and worrying about gains and losses. It is better to think about success. Just like a gambler, still
Before the market starts, you are imagining how to spend the winning money. It is precisely because of this that you can invest in gambling with great enthusiasm.
His behavior gradually became weird, tossing and turning on the bed with an ambitious "smile", and then sat cross-legged beside the bed. Before dawn, he called Li Zhen, who was on duty outside the Nuan Pavilion, and asked him to
Find someone to boil hot water for bathing and changing clothes.
Early in the morning, Zhang Ning soaked comfortably in the bathtub for a long time. During this period, he kept heating the water and took a nap for a while, until his bones were almost soft.