Overlord!

After Zhuge Liang's army crossed the Qinghe River, he joined forces with Zhou Yu and went north to attack Guanjin. They took advantage of the victory and advanced with great sharpness.

In response to such a critical situation, Yuan Shang rushed generals Su You, Ma Yan and others to attack it. However, they were defeated in both battles and all the soldiers fled back to Anping Kingdom.

At this time, the Song army was at its peak. Sun Ce took Zhuge Liang as the commander-in-chief and led more than ten generals in the northern expedition, which was so powerful that no one could stop it.

Yuan Shang was greatly frightened. He sent envoys to Yuan Shao for help, but he wanted to abandon his army and leave.

Abandoning the army and walking alone was something that these princes in the late Han Dynasty were very skilled at, especially when the war was unfavorable and the generals abandoned the army and fled far away. For example, when Tao Qian faced off against Cao Cao, he abandoned his army and fled to the East China Sea after the battle between Pengcheng and Cao Cao went unfavorable.

However, Tao Qian escaped and was able to regroup. This was because it was in the early stages of the Troubled Times and the princes were relatively weak. Cao Cao ran out of rations halfway through the battle and had to withdraw.

But the current situation is that after the annexation of the princes, Sun Ce has unified the south, and after years of hard work, the army is well equipped.

Strong soldiers and sufficient food! This is the highest goal pursued by any military strategist.

As powerful as Han Xin, he can only be called a soldier but not an emperor. The most important reason is that he can only be an elite soldier but not an emperor.

Any general who can have a well-equipped army and sufficient food can become a master of military strategists of an era.

Sun Ce is obviously the world's military god. He launched the Northern Expedition and would never retreat due to lack of food. Therefore, once Yuan Shang breaks through and leaves at this moment, the entire situation will collapse, ruining his own situation and allowing the Song army to gain victory.

So when Yuan Shang ordered his guards to prepare his carriages and horses, his prince Xima Yinkui desperately stopped in front of Yuan Shang's tent to dissuade Yuan Shang from going.

Today, the prince's xian horse is also called the prince's first horse and the prince's first horse. As the name suggests, it is an official attached to the prince, an attendant, and a guide when the prince travels.

This is the prince's closest attendant. He follows the prince all year round, so he can come to the prince's side without being summoned.

Yin Kui was one of the top counselors in the Hebei camp. It was only because Yuan Ying was defeated that his reputation was not prominent in later generations. If the outcome of the Battle of Guandu was reversed, with Yuan Shao winning and Cao Cao defeated, then Yin Kui would be the equivalent of Cao Ying's counselors at the level of Xun You and Liu Ye were at worst comparable to Mao Jie, Ren Jun, Liu Fu and others.

Moreover, Yin Kui is not only outstanding in strategy, but also has an outstanding reputation. He once served as the governor of Yuzhou in the Han Dynasty!

Chen Lin commented that he was loyal, strong and resolute, wise and resourceful, able to face difficulties despite repeated setbacks, far-sighted and far-sighted, courageous enough not to die in vain, and uncompromising in his integrity. Therefore, he was credited with building hills and mountains and enjoyed unearned salary.

Of course, his loyalty and valor are also related to his background. He is an old official of the Yuan family. It was because of the support of the Yuan family that he assumed the high position of governor of Yuzhou very early. A gentleman should respect kindness and righteousness. He was so favored by the Yuan family. It is a great kindness, so I must repay it with loyalty.

He sincerely considers the Yuan family and does not want the Yuan family to collapse due to improper actions.

So he stopped in front of Yuan Shang and said with tears: "Your Highness, the North and the South are fighting now, and Jizhou is late. This is the sign of the survival of the country. However, the ministers of the bodyguard are tireless at home, and the loyal people forget themselves outside. All of them will be remembered. The fifth generation of the Yuan family is experiencing a special situation, and I wish to serve His Majesty and His Highness."

"Your Highness has united the three armies, and with the hope of conquering the Zhao family, we must not lose our morale. Although the war is fierce and dangerous, but before the chaos of the seven kingdoms, King Liu Bi of Wu ordered 200,000 people to join the troops of the six kingdoms in the northern expedition. .”

Yin Kui's mention of the Seven Kings Rebellion finally made Yuan Shang feel a little more at ease, and he could calm down and listen to Yin Kui's advice.

The Seven Kings Rebellion seemed to have less impact because it was put down neatly by Zhou Yafu.

But its momentum is actually unmatched by rebels in previous generations.

It was precisely because of this that Liu Qi, Emperor Jing of the Han Dynasty, was so frightened that he immediately killed his minister Chao Cuo and asked the princes to cede land for peace. Please restore the land that the princes and kings had previously deprived of in exchange for the princes to stop fighting.

How powerful is this momentum? Only Wu Wang Liu Bi, one of the princes, sent an order to the country saying, "I am sixty-two years old and I will take charge of myself." When the young son was fourteen years old, he was also the first soldier. In the past years, I have been the same as the widow, and in the lower age, I have been with the young son, etc., all of them are prosperous! ’ So everyone in the Wu Kingdom between the ages of fourteen and sixty-two years old was required to apply for the conscription, and an army of 200,000 was gathered to gather a mighty coalition army and attack Chang’an.

Now Sun Ce, the king of Wu who was entrusted by Zhao State, also raised troops from the south and launched the Northern Expedition.

Yuan Shang naturally hopes to destroy Sun Ce in one fell swoop just like he destroyed the Seven Kings Rebellion. Then he asked: "Will the general be released?"

Seeing that Yuan Shang had finally made a move, Yin Kui no longer just focused on escaping to the west, and immediately explained in detail: "Wu's soldiers are very powerful, and it is difficult to compete with them. However, the soldiers in the south are frivolous and cannot last long. Now it is His Highness's plan. It is better to lead troops to the north wall. Xiabao, where the important road to Zhangshui is controlled, Wu will attack it with all his strength. The general has a deep ditch and high fortification, and he has sent light soldiers to join forces to attack the mouth of the Yellow River and block Wu's road. Zhou Yu and Zhuge Liang have been devastated and their food supplies are exhausted. If we use the whole force to control it to its extreme, Wu will be defeated."

"Beitun Xiabo?" Hearing this, Yuan Shang's expression changed again. What he fears most now is to be isolated from Ye County by Zhuge Liang in the northeast of Jizhou.

If we march further north, wouldn't we be more isolated and put ourselves in danger?

So he immediately reprimanded: "This plan is inappropriate. Isolating ourselves from Ye County will put us in danger. This is just throwing ourselves into a trap."

At this time, Yin Kui shed tears and cried sadly: "Your Highness! The young falcon can also spread its wings and fly alone, and the tiger can still roar in the valley. At this time, the scholars of Hebei and the civil and military forces of Zhao are all waiting for Your Highness to hold up the situation and lead the madness. A critical situation. Ye County no longer has a strong army, so why would your Highness rebel against you?"

"If we abandon the important town of Anping and return to Yecheng without the soldiers of the three armies, what will be the use of Your Highness returning home in safety? We will only wait to be captured!"

At this moment, Yin Kui could not wait to remind Yuan Shang, and scolded Yuan Shang sincerely.

You are no longer the young man who was weak and unable to control himself.

Therefore, the heroic Huo Qubing led an army at the age of seventeen, marching across the desert north with his iron cavalry.

And you are still thinking of escaping back to Ye County and seeking His Majesty's protection when something happens to you!

But Your Majesty is already old, and the military power has been handed over to your prince.

You are already the most popular person in the world, how can you still think about escaping back to His Majesty's wings?

Even if you successfully escape back to Ye County, what's the use? ? Once the army overthrows, will it be like Yuan Shu, who will be trapped and killed in the capital?

In fact, this is also a dilemma that any prince will face since ancient times.

If the army is handed over to cronies, the cronies will inevitably be incompetent and unable to take on big responsibilities. They will lose a lot of battles and be unable to save the country in times of trouble. For example, Cao Wei, if the governors of all parties in Cao Wei were not Xiahou Dun, Xiahou Yuan, Xiahou Shang, Cao Ren, and Cao Xiu, they would not have fought so many defeats. With just three governors, Cao Ren, Cao Xiu, and Xiahou Shang, the army would have been destroyed. No less than one hundred thousand. With these 100,000 more elite soldiers, Cao Wei may not only be able to divide the world into three parts.

But if the army is not handed over to cronies but to generals with foreign surnames, there is no way to guarantee their loyalty. Yuan Shu is a lesson learned for the entire Yuan family. After Yuan Shu became emperor, his generals rebelled countless times. They each supported their own troops and refused to send aid to Shouchun. It was even worse than that of a vassal like Sun Ce who just raised his arms and led his army to invade Shouchun. In spring, he cut off Yuan Shu's head. The situation here for Yuan Shao is pretty good. Most of his troops in Hebei have remained loyal, especially for Yuan Shang. Even after losing two battles, there are still more than 20,000 soldiers still following Yuan Shang's camp.

With these 20,000 direct descendants of the Yuan family, there would be no general rebellion in Hebei and troops marching directly into Yecheng.

But it is precisely because he has kept the lower limit that Hebei's upper limit is really not high. Yuan Shang is not a top-notch general in the world. It is really difficult to face Zhuge Liang, Zhou Yu, Zhang Liao, Taishi Ci and other famous generals!

Especially in the current situation, the Song army is fierce and fierce, and the army has swept through Qing and Ji!

At this time, the Northern Expedition of the Song Army had been going on for three months, and it could be said that the results were remarkable and that it had the potential to unify the mountains and rivers.

Yuan Shang then said: "You have also said that the Wu army is very powerful and difficult to compete with. Its general Zhuge Liang led more than ten generals in the Northern Expedition, which has swallowed up the entire territory of Qingzhou. Yuan Tan's defeat has even destabilized Jizhou and nearly four counties." The land is no longer mine. The army of the Northern Expedition marches straight in, attacking every enemy, and winning every battle. Between Qing and Ji, it is difficult to defeat its front, so how can I stand up to it?"

What Yuan Shang said is that in the final analysis, he lacked courage.

The Song Army's Northern Expedition indeed marched straight in from the right, and the battle went smoothly. In March, they had already reached Jizhou from Qingzhou, captured several counties, and almost expanded a state.

But this does not mean that the Song army is absolutely invincible. If there is a loyal man in Zhao State who can lead 10,000 cavalry across the Zhang River in this critical time and garrison the fortified city, vowing to live and die with the city, It will definitely be able to block the Song army's front for several months.

It's just that Yuan Shang obviously doesn't have the courage and determination, and he doesn't think he can do it all.

So Yin Kui immediately said: "Your Highness, our Zhao family is not defeated by the Song army, nor does it lack loyal and good soldiers, nor does it lack strong generals and soldiers. The only thing we lack now is combat opportunities."

"The progress of the Northern Expedition of the Song Army was different. The right army achieved great results, but the left army refused to advance. The center army suffered a defeat, and its advance was not smooth."

"As long as Your Highness defends the fortified city and gains an advantage for our army, and His Majesty mobilizes people from all directions to come back for reinforcements, the Song army will be unable to succeed if it goes deep alone. At this time, the three-pronged Northern Expedition will not go smoothly, and the other route will inevitably retreat. "

"When General Zhang defeats all the generals in Guanzhong and blocks Cao Cao in Hanoi, our offensive and defensive momentum will be easy. Once we regain the land between the Bohai Sea and the river, and wipe out tens of thousands of Song troops, everyone north of the Yellow River will be powerful. Convinced, the world south of the Huaihe River was frightened, and Sun Ce did not dare to visit the north for several years!"

"It has been a hundred years of misfortune for Your Majesty. However, Your Highness will succeed the Zhao family and with your heroic spirit, you may not be able to compete with Sun Ce in the Central Plains, and eventually drink from the Yangtze River and unify the world!"

After hearing the grand blueprint described to him by Yin Kui, Yuan Shang was finally moved.

He was also a young man who was prone to enthusiasm and excitement. Sun Ce was still able to dominate the world as a solitary boy. Could it be that he, Yuan Shang, could not compete with several generals under Sun Ce?

So he excitedly held Yin Kui's hands and said, "If you don't envoy Wu Qing, Gu Ji will overturn the country! Gu then gave the order for the three armies to march towards Xiangbo."

To the surprise of the Song Army, Yuan's army did not collapse westward, but marched north to Xiabo. The Song Army's generals were also quite shocked.

Yuan Shang's troops arrived at Xiabo and defended the city. This made it impossible for the Song army to advance directly to the west.

After all, the Song Army's troops in Hebei are close to 80,000 people!

Without the scale of these 80,000 people, the Song army would not have been able to swallow up thousands of miles like a tiger, and captured a large number of counties in Qingzhou, Jizhou, and Youzhou in just three months.

From the Bohai Sea to Hejian, from Qinghe to Anping, from Yuyang to Zhuojun, such a huge territory was captured by the army with repeated fierce offensives.

There are six counties mentioned here alone, not including the plains of Qingzhou, Jinan, etc. In the early chaos of the late Han Dynasty, a prince had an army of 20,000 to 30,000 people, even if Cao Cao attacked Xuzhou, he would win every battle. , it is impossible to cross such a vast territory in three months.

These are the effects achieved by a large-scale army marching in all directions.

But the large size of the army certainly has great advantages in opening up territories, but it also means that the Song Army's supply line is extremely critical!

There must be a huge transportation and corvee team following behind to supply grain, grass, and ordnance.

The army can easily bypass certain cities, but the supply team behind them cannot.

Yuan Shang may not be able to defeat Zhuge Liang's tens of thousands of troops, but he can't kill tens of thousands of civilians and corvees with ease.

Especially when the main force of the Song Army is hundreds of miles away, the Zhao Army will definitely harass the Song Army's food routes calmly.

To attack these civilians and corvees, Zhao Jun could easily do it by dispatching more than a thousand men.

Therefore, General Zhuge Liang of the Song Army could only divide his troops. The main force of the army entered Xiabo, and then ordered General Zhang Liao to lead more than 10,000 elite infantry and cavalry to divide the counties and counties, and seize large areas of Anping Kingdom's counties to the west and south.

As everyone expected, Jizhou was relatively empty at the moment. Zhang Liao led more than 10,000 infantrymen to march forward, and soon defeated Xindu, the capital of the Anping Kingdom, and conquered Tangyang, Fuliu, Nangong and other counties.

When the troops arrived, all the civil and military officials of Zhao State abandoned their cities and fled. Even before the army arrived in Julu, Guangzong, Quzhou and other counties in Julu County surrendered to the Song Dynasty one after another.

When the army reaches this point, its threat has even surpassed Gongsun Zan's sense of oppression against Yuan Shao.

When Yuan Shao and Gongsun Zan fought, Yuan Shao also gave half of Jizhou to Gongsun Zan. His Jizhou army was in the southwest, and Gongsun Zan's army was in the northeast.

The two armies faced off near the boundary bridge above the Qinghe River in Guangzong territory.

When Gongsun Zan's army was at its most fierce, he never broke through the boundary bridge and threatened the heart of Jizhou.

But as the officials from Quzhou, Guangzong and other places surrendered to the Song Dynasty, the Song army's frontline approached Wei County, the core hinterland of Hebei for the first time!

From Quzhou to the south, it only takes less than a hundred miles to reach Ping'en, a large county in Wei County. Another hundred miles to the south is the famous Guantao County of the Han Dynasty!

The Han Dynasty once granted Guantao Princess Guantao a fief because she was wealthy.

If the Zhao family hadn't assigned Ye County to the Zhao state, the Song army would have already attacked the important areas of the capital of the Zhao family! Even now, this can be regarded as attacking the third auxiliary land of the Zhao family. (End of chapter)