Fazheng pondered for a moment: "My lord, I just understood today that on the way back from Hanzhong, you have been preparing for it since we decided to follow Han Xin's example in taking Jingzhou, and the wedding is just an excuse. The reason why my lord insists on getting married is
, just to paralyze Liu Biao better, the attack on Liu Biao will not be after the Lantern Festival, but on November 20th, right?"
Liu Zhang stopped and stared at the ground: "Xiaozhi, I don't like you talking like this. The attack on Liu Biao is true, and the marriage is true. I won't make fun of Miss Xiao's life events, but..." Liu Zhang pondered for a while and said: "
This is also the best way I can think of. Jingzhou has strong military strength and the support of the family. It is difficult for us to win in a head-on confrontation. We can only win by surprise. Since ancient times, military strategists have been orderly. More soldiers are reality, and fewer soldiers are virtual.
Do the opposite.”
On November 15th, Liu Zhang sent an envoy to Jingzhou to request a way to attack Xuchang. Liu Biao naturally resisted, and Liu Zhang immediately declared war on Jingzhou. Both sides stationed more than 100,000 troops on the Yuwei Zigui front line. They set up strongholds along the road, and there were many tents.
A tense situation.
At the same time, in order to marry Xiao Furong, a barbarian girl from Wuxi, Liu Zhang rushed to Wuxi with his civil and military officials and countless gold and silver treasures to propose marriage in person, and became a laughing stock in the world.
Liu Biao from Xiangyang stroked his beard and smiled and said: "I know what kind of person this brother of mine is. He is the shepherd of a great Han state. When the war is about to begin, he actually mobilizes his troops to marry a barbarian girl. It is really a disgrace to my royal family. It is extremely ridiculous. It is extremely ridiculous."
ah."
General Cai Maoyan said: "My lord is absolutely right. Although Liu Zhang has 80,000 troops stationed at Yubeli Pass, half of them are new soldiers. We have more than 400,000 troops. My lord can rest easy. What's more, Liu Zhang has been doing the opposite for several months.
The people of Yizhou are filled with resentment. The previous marriage to the barbarian Xiao family has resulted in a rigid relationship with the ministers. This behavior will not last long. We just have to wait for Liu Zhang's internal collapse and destruction."
"The general's words make sense." The ministers agreed.
Liu Zhang led three thousand soldiers and horses and escorted dozens of floats into Wuxi. Ye Wutie led the barbarians down the mountain to greet him in person. For a barbarian woman to marry a Han official, it was a great thing in itself in the eyes of the barbarians, not to mention
The marriage was so solemn, Ye Wutie was very proud, the other barbarian women were jealous and hateful of Xiao Furong, and the barbarian men were inexplicably sad when they saw the most beautiful woman in Wuxi getting married.
The wedding ceremony was held in the barbarian area. More than a dozen ethnic minorities gathered in Wuxi. The barbarians of all ethnic groups gathered in the Tuzhai, singing and dancing, and enjoying the bonfire feast happily. Liu Zhang was the general
Wutie went alone to the quiet woods and told him his plan.
"Your Majesty, I am behaving like this, I hope your Majesty can understand."
Ye Wutie waved his hands and said: "What are you talking about, Mr. Liu? My daughter has a heart for you, and you have a life-saving grace for Ye Wutie. You are the shepherd of Yizhou, and the uncle of the emperor of the Han Dynasty. Being able to treat her like this has already made Ye Wutie
Wu Tie Lao Huai is greatly relieved, but my lord wants to recruit barbarian soldiers. If you give me half a year and eight months, I can recruit tens of thousands of warriors, and in such a hurry, I am afraid that the number will be at most two thousand."
Liu Zhang waved his hand and said: "I only need three thousand barbarians under Miss Xiao's account to accompany the expedition. I just want the lords of the five streams in the king's branch to let us go and send people who are familiar with the geography of the five streams to take us out of this area secretly."
Just a deserted wilderness."
Ye Wutie muttered: "This is easy to handle, but I have also been to Wuling City. Although there are not many defenders, it is difficult to conquer. There are only three thousand Han troops under your command, and together with the three thousand warriors under my little girl's tent,
With only six thousand troops and an expedition of thousands of miles, how can we go to Wuling?"
Liu Zhang lowered his head and chuckled: "Your Majesty, you are worrying too much."
Ye Wutie smiled awkwardly and said loudly: "Your Excellency, I will strategize and win the battle thousands of miles away. I, Ye Wutie, will not ask. In this way, in addition to my three thousand warriors, I will urgently summon two thousand barbarians for you to strengthen the army."
Power."
"So, thank you, Your Majesty."
On the wedding night, Liu Zhang led 3,000 elite Dongzhou soldiers and 3,000 barbarian troops through the Wuxi jungle carrying dry food. The troops were all equipped with bows and arrows and white-stemmed guns. Bows and arrows were used to shoot ropes and ladders, and white-stemmed guns were hooked off the cliffs. The mountains and rivers were dangerous.
As if walking on plain ground, the lords of Wuxi along the way sent warriors to assist in the battle under Ye Wutie's order and provided food supplies. Ten days later, they arrived at the border of Wuxi. Liu Zhang's army reached 8,000.
On the mountainside, in the clouds and mist, Liu Zhang and his generals looked at Wuling City in the distance. Wuling faced the water and was surrounded on three sides by mountains. Although it was a small city, it was built very solidly to prevent barbarian invasions. All the trees on the three sides of the surrounding mountains were cut down.
, even tens of thousands of siege troops would be extremely difficult to conquer, not to mention that Liu Zhang's men were a group of barbarians without siege equipment.
After several days of bumpy mountain roads, Fazheng was almost exhausted. Dragging his exhausted body, he looked at Wuling City and said: "My lord, I heard that Liu Pan in Changsha besieged Zhang Yi and was about to win. We must fight in Zhang Yi."
Only by capturing Wuling before Yi's defeat can the fishermen profit."
Liu Zhang said calmly: "I have never wanted to make a profit. Has Xiaozhi forgotten Yang Song in Hanzhong? As long as our troops arrive, Liu Pan and Zhang Yi will definitely stop their troops and unite to fight against me. I have long planned to kill them."
Cut it off in one fell swoop, but New Year’s Eve is only three days away, the mountain wind is cold, and I have to rush to Wuling City to celebrate the New Year.”
"Wuling City is so strong, how can we get down in three days?" All the generals were surprised and doubtful, always thinking that this year's Chinese New Year would be rough and windy.
"Shamoke." Liu Zhang ordered coldly.
"The end will be here."
"Do you want to make great achievements?"
"think."
"Would you like to celebrate the New Year in Wuling City?"
Shamoko was stunned for a moment and replied loudly: "I think."
"Okay." Liu Zhang pointed to the northwest of Wuling: "Have you seen that village? I want you to take three hundred barbarians down the mountain and loot it."
"yes."
Samoko promised loudly, and with two bows on his back and caltrop bones in his hand, he led three hundred barbarians and rushed down the mountain as if they were plundering every day.
"Lord, those are innocent civilians, isn't this bad?" Fazheng said unbearably.
"In extraordinary times, do extraordinary things."
Liu Zhang said no more and asked Zhang Ren to lead the army to the mountain col to hide their tracks and avoid the cold. He led 3,000 men to follow Samoko and ambush around the village. Samoko led 300 barbarians into the village.
, burning, killing and looting all the way, the villagers rushed around and shouted, but they never waited for the result Liu Zhang wanted to happen.
In the afternoon, Samoko once again led his men to plunder another village. Liu Zhang re-deployed 3,000 men to ambush him as usual. On the twenty-ninth day, Samoko began to plunder the eighth village.
In Wuling City, the soldiers urgently reported to Liangqiao, the old prefect of Wuling: "Sir, it's not good. The barbarians have looted Dongcun Village again. They killed the villagers' cattle and sheep, burned their houses, and robbed them of winter rice. The village elders came to ask for help."
Gong Zhi, who was in charge, stepped forward and said: "Sir, I haven't heard of any disasters in the Wuxi barbarian area this year. Why are the barbarian soldiers looting so wildly? Now local elders from all over the place asking for help are crowding outside the prefect's mansion. The prefect made a decision that morning.
That’s it.”
Liang Qiao was over fifty years old. Even though he was mature and prudent, he could not help but show anger at this time: "How can this be unreasonable? I am about to leave my post. I didn't intend to argue with these barbarians. I didn't expect that these barbarians don't know how high the sky is.
One robbery after another, hundreds of barbarians are so rampant. If this continues, I will not be able to live in peace for years. Send an order to gather a thousand soldiers and horses. Before nightfall, we must defeat the barbarians and kill them all."