The Grandmaster Strategist

The Yong army was defeated and retreated. They used iron cables to block the river and block the Northern Han navy. The mountain was dangerous and difficult to attack and defend. The two armies fought for the mouth of the valley for two days, with neither victory nor defeat.

On the first day of April, Long Tingfei ordered his general Duan to sink black oil into the river and burn it with fire. Yong's army was defeated and there were many casualties. In the next thirty years, there was no grass in the mountains. The next year, the Qinshui became clearer.

——"Zi Zhi Tong Jian Yong Ji III"

In the early morning of March 30th, Li Xian walked out of the military tent. Although it was already spring, the temperature in the morning was still very low. The river wind was cold, the mist was misty, and the clear water was cold. Li Xian concentrated on thinking hard. In this valley But with nearly 10,000 troops, it is the closest military camp to the entrance of the Qinshui Valley where the Northern Han Army is stationed. Last night, the Yong Army camped in more than a dozen such valleys along the Qinshui River. From today on, they will be supported by infantry. The valley is not a good place to resist the enemy. Although it is cost-effective to use infantry to defend the Northern Han cavalry, Li Xian never likes this kind of sacrifice without the possibility of victory, so retreating is the only option. And who knows What method will the Northern Han Army come up with to attack? After all, such a valley is also a constraint for the Yong Army's cavalry. The most important point is that if you want to win, you cannot defend here. However, the timing of retreat must be clever, and the Northern Han Army must not let the Northern Han Army retreat. It seemed that the Han army had no intention of holding on to the valley. Of course, the losses should be as small as possible. While thinking carefully about how to deal with the current war situation, Li Xian walked towards the tent not far away with his hands behind his back. That was Xuan Song's tent. Li Xian thought angrily that he was too busy yesterday. He only heard that Jiang Zhe left first, so he must ask clearly. Xuan Song, how did this guy escape from battle?

Approaching Xuan Song's tent, there was no one inside. He must have gone out to arrange defense. Li Xian didn't pay attention and walked in. As a general, Xuan Song's camp was naturally quite comfortable. There was a curtain between the inside and outside, a camp bed inside, tables and chairs outside, and a thick blanket on the floor. Li Xian was sitting on a chair, thinking about how to retreat cleanly. At this time, he heard footsteps coming from outside. One was slow and steady, and the other was powerful and heavy. Li Xian heard that the two people were walking side by side, and thought that it was Xuan Song and Jing Chi who came together. Suddenly, something moved in his heart. These two people are the emperor's confidants and colleagues for many years. They must have many close friends. Speaking of which, why not listen to what they say in private?

Li Xian was determined, so he opened the curtain and walked into the inner tent. As soon as his figure disappeared behind the curtain, the door of the military tent was opened by Jing Chi. He strode in and sat down beside the bookcase. He poured a large cup of tea out of the teapot on the desk and drank it all in one gulp. Xuan Song followed in. Seeing this scene, he shook his head and said: "The general still likes to drink like this. It's a pity for this top-grade tribute tea. This is the good tea that the supervisor lost to me in a chess game a few days ago." ah."

As soon as Jing Chi heard the words "Master Supervisor", he immediately spit out a sip of tea and said with a laugh: "It turned out to be a chess game to win. That would be very easy. Who in Tiance Mansion didn't know Mr. Jiang back then?" Although he was extremely talented, his chess skills were mediocre. Once he lost miserably, so he recited a poem called "Qi Jue Xie" for absolute chess. Even though I am an old man, I still remember it. The poem goes like this, "Everything in life is always about love, Ya Xie" They all expressed their disbelief. They were not afraid of the difficulties and were unwilling to do anything, because they thought he was too clear-cut between right and wrong.'"

Li Xian almost laughed out loud behind the tent, but he knew about this. He even knew that the reason why Jing Chi remembered it so clearly was because Jing Chi was with him that day and couldn't help but laugh at Jiang Chi. After a few words of wisdom, Jiang Zhe punished him to copy the poem a hundred times. Although the security of Prince Yong's Mansion was tight in the past, Fengyi Gate still had some spies in Prince Yong's Mansion. These things were what Li Xian saw from Qin Zheng. But later, Prince Yong's Mansion became more and more strict, and in the end, it was difficult to get any useful information.

Xuan Song naturally did not know this secret, but he sighed: "The Marquis of Chuxiang has an easy-going temperament and is indifferent to fame and wealth, but he is loyal to the king and dedicated his whole life. In the past, I heard that Lord Jiang was almost seriously ill because of fatigue. Song Ben only heard about it, but he didn't expect it. I just saw the color yesterday.

When Mr. Jiang left yesterday, he could hardly get in the car in person. He must have been extremely tired. We can only try our best to complete the plan set by Mr. Jiang. Otherwise, we will be indebted to the emperor's favor and to Mr. Jiang's hard work. "

Li Xian trembled when he heard this. Of course, he had witnessed the changes in the Hunting Palace with his own eyes. In the Xiaoshuang Palace, Jiang Zhe was standing with his bones broken, his diseased bones were torn apart, his temples were covered with stars, and he was almost dying. And when he saw Jiang Zhe again in the East China Sea, , although Jiang Zhe has recovered his health, his gray hair and slight frost on his temples still make Li Xian feel sad. Although Jiang Zhe has been relaxed on the surface these days, Li Xian knows that Jiang Zhe often reads various intelligence Until late at night, he personally handled and arranged many seemingly inexplicable things. However, Li Xian knew Jiang Zhe's layout skills well, so he naturally would not think that Jiang Zhe was being lazy. Yesterday, when he heard that Jiang Zhe had retreated first, Li Xian was only slightly angry. After all, he also knew that Jiang Zhe's body might not be able to withstand the defeat, so he was not really angry. However, after hearing that Jiang Zhe was so weak when he left, I couldn't help but feel uneasy. What should I do if Jiang Zhe's old illness relapsed? Not to mention that I felt uneasy, even the emperor and Princess Changle couldn't explain it.

His mind was confused, and his breath immediately became heavy. Jing Chi outside heard that Jiang Zhe was in poor health. He was originally frowning, but when he heard the sound inside, he was startled. He stretched out his hand to hold the handle of the knife and said: "Inside Who is this person and why are they eavesdropping here?"

Xuan Song was originally a Confucian general with mediocre martial arts. Hearing Jing Chi's shout, he immediately got up and moved towards the tent door. If there were really assassins or spies, then he naturally didn't want to hinder Jing Chi from taking action. However, he saw the curtain of the inner tent jump. , King Li Xian of Qi came out, with a cold expression on his face, and said calmly: "General Xuan, immediately order our army to pack up and start retreating as planned. I am in no mood to waste time with the Northern Han people."

Xuan Song and Jing Chi were both startled, but when they saw the unhappy look on King Qi's face, they couldn't blame the prince for listening to others, so they quickly agreed and went down to arrange military affairs. The original plan was to stay here. Two or three days ago, there was another large-scale withdrawal of troops, but since King Qi wanted to change his plan, Xuan Song felt that the impact would not be significant, so he had no advice.

At this time, the sun was already high, and at the entrance of the valley in front, the Northern Han army had already begun to challenge. In order not to make the Yong army suspicious, the Northern Han army fought continuously at the entrance of the valley, and the attack equipment built outside did not reveal any flaws. . Under normal circumstances, Li Xian might have gone into battle to confront the enemy in person, but after he heard that Jiang Zhe was ill, he felt depressed and was too lazy to go into battle, so he only asked Jing Chi to lead the army out to confront the enemy.

In the Northern Han army formation, Long Tingfei and Lin Bi stood side by side. Looking at the two armies confronting each other at the mouth of the valley, they both looked a little disappointed. For a long time, Long Tingfei said sadly: "Yong's army was defeated yesterday, but it took just one night. We can no longer see the decadent atmosphere, Yong’s army has a strong will, and our army cannot match it.”

Lin Bi also felt the same in her heart and said: "Da Yong now has a wise king above and good generals below. The soldiers are dedicated to their lives and are willing to die. It's a pity that we, the Northern Han Dynasty, are in a corner. Although we are united, we are unable to do what we want."

Long Tingfei smiled and said: "Bimei doesn't have to be like this. As long as we capture and kill Li Xian this time, Dayong will suffer heavy losses and will not be able to invade Qinzhou within a few years. At that time, we will use the strategy of joint control to fight with Nan Chu and Dongchuan Alliance, when the time comes, Dayong will no longer have the power it has today."

Lin Bi smiled slightly. She knew that Long Tingfei was just trying to comfort her. How could Dayong collapse so easily? She had deeper worries in her heart. She had promised her father and brother to send troops to Daizhou this time. She must do it on April 20th. Rushing back to Daizhou a few days ago, the barbarians are ready to attack. There are only 10,000 cavalry in Daizhou. Although the soldiers and civilians of Daizhou have been at war every night, the eldest brother and the second brother are fierce generals, not generals, and my father is bedridden. How can I rest assured? Gotta get it down.

The battle between the two armies at the mouth of the valley was in full swing. A young general under Jing Chi was the most brave. He rushed into the Northern Han army several times, risking his own life and returning to the Yong army. The Yong army loudly encouraged him. Long Tingfei frowned. , just as he was about to order someone to kill the enemy general, Xiao Tong hurried over and whispered: "General, let the Lu brothers go into battle. That general is one of ours. He must have an urgent message." To pass it on.”

Long Tingfei's expression changed, and he said loudly: "Bo Yan, Zhong Tian, ​​and Shu Han, lead your troops up, and you must capture and kill this general." The three Lu brothers were already eager to try, and they hurriedly agreed in unison, Xiao Tong had already stepped aside and said a few instructions to Lu Shuhan. Lu Shuhan's eyes flashed coldly and he followed the two brothers out of the formation.

Soon the three of them rushed to the front. Lu Boyan and Lu Zhongtian personally met Jing Chi who was leading the charge, while Lu Shuhan led the army to block the partial general intentionally or unintentionally. Both the enemy and our armies knew that this was I didn't think there was anything strange about the Northern Han army's move to establish their power. The general raised his horse and charged forward. Taking advantage of the power of the horse, he was unstoppable. Lu Shuhan was no less powerful than the pioneer general Su Dingluan back then. Leng With a cold smile, he raised his horse, and the general let out a startled cry, and dropped his weapon. Lu Shuhan gave a sharp shout, and his horse swept across, hitting the general's waist and ribs, and swept him off his horse. The general refused to admit defeat, but jumped up when he fell off the horse. Lu Shuhan raised his horse spear and stabbed downwards, about to pierce the general's throat. The general flipped in the air, and the horse blade brushed his cheek and pierced into the soil. The general couldn't stand and fell to the ground. However, the general raised his hand, and a frost-edged flying knife was like a meteor. The sword shot towards Lu Shuhan's face like a dodge. Lu Shuhan couldn't dodge, but he opened his mouth and bit down to intercept the flying knife. At this moment, the general was rescued by Yong Jun who rushed up.

There was a melee between the two armies, and there was fighting everywhere, but the clean confrontation between the two people still caught everyone's attention. Both armies were tough men and respected warriors the most. What's more, Lu Shuhan attacked fiercely, and the partial general He was also as agile as a spirit fox. Although he was defeated, he did not lose much face, so both the Yong Army and the Northern Han Army cheered with the same voice. At this time, the Northern Han army had also saved its face. The two armies had been fighting for a long time. Seeing the sun rising in the sky, both sides made gold medals and retreated slowly.

Returning to the Northern Han Army camp and retreating the generals, Lu Shuhan handed the flying knife to Xiao Tong. Xiao Tong gently turned the handle of the knife, but the handle was hollow, with a piece of paper stuffed inside. It was written in small, petite characters slowly.

"There are rumors in the army that the Marquis of Chuxiang has relapsed and has returned to Zezhou. The King of Qi has decided to withdraw his troops early, starting this afternoon."

After reading the above information, Long Tingfei looked filled with sadness and joy. He silently handed the scroll to Lin Bi and tapped the desk with his fingers, seeming to be deep in thought.

After a long time, Lin Bi raised her head and said: "If it is true that the Marquis of Chuxiang is ill, then this is the best opportunity. The relationship between Emperor Yong and the King of Qi relies on this person to buffer and reconcile. The Marquis of Chuxiang is ill, and the King of Qi must be uneasy at this moment. That’s why we will speed up our retreat. In this way, Yong’s army will inevitably feel uneasy and march impatiently. It will be much easier for our army to win.”

Long Tingfei frowned and said: "But it is difficult to judge the truth of this matter, and the Yong army is accelerating its retreat, so our fire attack strategy will inevitably be much less effective. Xiao Tong, do you think this information is true?"

Xiao Tong said respectfully: "This man is a disciple of my Demon Sect. He is from the Northern Han Dynasty. His parents and relatives are all in Jinyang. When our army plundered Zezhou two years ago, they bloodbathed a village. I ordered him to replace him." He discovered the identity of one of the villagers who was killed. This secret has never been used in the past two years, so his subordinates believed that this person’s identity would never be leaked. Moreover, the information he took the risk to send back was of great importance, but it was brief and rough, which was consistent with him. His identity, Jing Chi just met Yong Jun yesterday, it is absolutely impossible for this person to know these things in detail, this person is smart and courageous, if it is difficult to distinguish the truth from the truth, he will never take such a risk."

Long Tingfei and Lin Bi both nodded silently. They looked at each other, both of them had made up their minds. Long Tingfei stood up and said: "The order is invincible. Although all the black oil has not been delivered yet, we can't care anymore. The fire will start tonight." Attack, and then when we pursue the Yong army, we might as well spread some rumors, saying that the Marquis of Chu Xiang deliberately framed the defeat of the King of Qi, and now he has escaped from the battle. The Yong army will definitely be upset by then, and maybe Li Xian will think so too. "

In the dead of night, on the Qinshui River, more than a thousand Northern Han troops wore dark night clothes and poured buckets of black oil into the Qinshui. The night was deep, the stars and moon were dim, and the deep Qinshui was covered with water. A thick layer of black oil flowed downstream, without attracting the attention of Yong Jun in the valley. Long Tingfei and Lin Bi stood on the shore, both of them looked solemn. According to their estimates, Yong's army had withdrawn at least one-third in one day. If by chance the Yong's army on patrol at night discovered the black oil in Hanoi, , then the chances of winning are even smaller.

Duan Wudi approached the two of them and whispered: "According to the speed of the water, it can cover the thirty-mile river at about four o'clock. Princess, general, we need to light the fire at that time."

Lin Bi nodded lightly and sighed slightly. Although she was decisive in killing in Daizhou, she mostly used the blade to draw blood. This method of fire and water attack was almost never used. She felt a little uneasy in her heart. After all, Daizhou Yingjie, I like the above-board battles on the battlefield the most. Long Tingfei looked calm and said: "Okay, I hope this fire can destroy Yong Jun's courage and confidence."

In the valley, the Yong army's tent was brightly lit. Today, at Li Xian's insistence, 20,000 infantry and more than 10,000 cavalry were withdrawn. Li Xian, Jing Chi and Xuan Song were discussing how to withdraw their troops all night, so they were still there until late at night. No rest. They had no idea that murderous intent was hidden in Qinshui. The current was fast and the wind was blowing down the river tonight. The black oil had been processed, so there was no pungent smell, so no one noticed this potential crisis.

At midnight, there was almost no sound from the Dayong Military Camp. Except for the defenders who were guarding the valley entrance, fearing that the Northern Han Army would sneak attack at night, everyone was sleeping. At this time, two people walked out of a small tent. They were all wearing cyan armor, but under the firelight next to the tent, they could see that the two figures were delicate and they turned out to be two women. These two people were Su Qing and her trusted maid Ru Yue.

Su Qing has experienced many dangers over the years, and has been able to navigate dangerous situations. Although he relies mostly on his martial arts skills and resourcefulness, he also has another advantage that is hard to match, which is his sensitivity to danger. Although some things have not happened yet, or even the clues have not yet been revealed, Su Qing She would often be alert. Although it was often just uneasiness or even palpitations, it would work almost every time. This was also the key to her ability to dominate the Northern Han Dynasty as a woman. Tonight, she was awakened by a nightmare in the middle of the night. When she got up, she found that she was covered in cold sweat, so she immediately woke up Ruyue, put on her armor, and walked out of the camp. Although she could not warn based on her own mood, at least she could check to see if there was anything. Something wrong.

She walked slowly in the military camp. The patrolling sergeants bowed and saluted when they saw her. Su Qing returned the salutes one by one, but her mind was not sure where to go. She looked around intently, hoping to find something that would give her a warning. traces. But all she could feel was solemnity and calmness, and a trace of anxiety gradually surged in her heart. Su Qing turned and walked towards Qinshui. Sitting by the river at night and listening to the whimper of the water should be the best way to clear away the worries in her heart. Walking to the river, Su Qing took a deep breath. The cold air was inhaled into her lungs. Su Qing suddenly frowned. There was a faint familiar smell in the air, pungent and spicy. A cold light immediately appeared in her eyes, and her eyes flashed. He moved and gradually landed on the river. Su Qing's expression suddenly changed tragically. He turned around and walked towards the tent without thinking. He could not panic or disturb the whole camp, otherwise there would be a danger of bombing the camp in the dark night.

The lights in King Qi's tent had been extinguished. Su Qing walked outside the tent and saw Zhuang Jun, a close guard of King Qi, standing guard outside. She hurried forward and whispered: "Where is Your Highness? There will be an urgent military report at the end. "

A trace of surprise flashed in Zhuang Jun's eyes. He didn't understand why Su Qing looked so solemn, but he knew that Su Qing was a good scout, so he rushed into the camp. After a while, King Qi put on his war robe and walked out. The light of the torch shone on Su On the green face, the clear face is as pale as snow. After hearing Su Qing's military intelligence report, Li Xian's eyes flashed with blazing flames, and he immediately sent orders to everyone, and all Yong troops immediately withdrew. They didn't know when the Northern Han Army would launch, but Su Qing made it very clear that the smoke from burning black oil was poisonous. Even if they avoided the valleys on both sides, they would not be able to escape the danger. And when the Northern Han Army invaded, I'm afraid they would be in danger. It's like catching a turtle in a urn and dying in a desperate situation, so no matter what, there is only one word to escape.

Fortunately, Yong's army had not disarmed its men or unsaddled its horses for the past two days, so in less than half a watch, the entire army was ready, and the fastest group was already on the road. Li Xian looked at the confused-looking infantrymen. It was difficult for them to retreat in time. Originally, they were left behind for better defense and to prevent the Northern Han army from discovering the inner intention of withdrawing. However, these good men had to die in humiliation here. , although it is not known when the Northern Han Army will launch, it will be difficult for these people to escape from the valley before dawn, because the road is too narrow. However, Li Xian knew that he could not tell the truth now. If these soldiers knew that they were in a desperate situation, there would probably be a chaos, which would alarm the Northern Han army, and no one would be able to escape. Li Xian was heartbroken and said: "Xuan Song, send someone to lead them to wait at the entrance of the valley. They said they would wait until dawn to attack the Northern Han army camp. If the fire breaks out, lead them to rush out of the valley entrance and attack the Northern Han army. You choose one Go to hell."

Xuan Song's heart ached, but he knew it had to be this way. He stepped forward and saluted: "Your Highness, these sergeants have been under command for many days. It is better for the general to lead them to attack in person, so as not to choose the wrong time and die in vain."

Li Xian said angrily: "Nonsense, you are a general in the army, and I am relying on you. How can you die for this?"

Xuan Song said: "Your Highness relied on the junior general just to stop the Northern Han pursuers. His Highness was also good at retreating in the past. The junior general is not necessary. Instead, in order to fight the Northern Han pursuers in a bloody battle, a general like General Jing is needed. And If there is no general behind the scenes, I am afraid that the army's mentality will change, and the general is the most suitable candidate. What's more, this misstep is due to the general not being aware of the enemy's conspiracy. The general should stay and perform meritorious service."

After Li Xian heard this, he felt heartbroken and unbearable, but he knew that without a general like Xuan Song at the rear, the army's morale would be easily disturbed. A look of regret flashed in his eyes, and he whispered: "That's fine, Jing Chi, we Let's go." After saying that, he got on the horse and galloped without knowing how to move it. Jing Chi hesitated for a moment and had no choice but to follow. Only the King of Qi and a few generals knew about the enemy's plan to attack with fire, so the Yong army was not confused at all, except that the King of Qi decided to withdraw overnight. After riding the horse for a while, Li Xian suddenly turned around and ran back, pointing at Xuan Song and saying: "General Xuan, it's up to you to take matters into your own hands. Don't sacrifice your country lightly. If anything goes wrong, I will take care of it." Xuan Song. His body was shaken, and he knew that King Qi had hinted that he could surrender in an emergency to save his life. Although this was not something he could do, he still leaned down and bowed down and said: "I will obey your order." There was a hint of sadness in his tone.

When the figure of King Qi disappeared into the night, Xuan Song regained his calm face and said: "Prepare to attack the camp at dawn. Now send the order for the three armies to set off." At this time, the night was still dark, Xuan Song ordered the three armies to rank, and then They asked everyone to wrap their mouths and noses with towels soaked in the clear spring water in the valley, and asked their close guards to walk by the river. Coupled with the dim light, no one discovered the mystery in the river. Although some smart people have noticed that something is wrong, the military orders are like mountains. If they are publicized at this moment, they will immediately become a ghost under the sword, and they can only keep silent and follow the army. Not long after, Yong's army arrived at the mouth of the valley. Xuan Song ordered his close guards to go out to investigate. The guards came back with a pale face and reported in a low voice: "General, the enemy camp is not far from here. I saw many figures by the river. ." This personal guard already knows the truth and naturally knows the dangers involved.

At this moment, a fire suddenly broke out outside the valley. In an instant, the Qinshui River around him was already filled with flames, and toxic black smoke surged towards the shore. The valley was filled with black smoke, and it was difficult to see anyone on the other side. Xuan Song asked people to beat the drums, and the sound of the drums was deep, like the howl of a wild animal in a desperate situation. At this moment, there was no military order from Xuan Song, and facing the death behind him, there was only one way to go. Yong Jun rushed out of the valley in accordance with the military order. However, the valley is narrow and they can only file out. Even now, Yong's army is still quite organized and does not crowd each other, which shows that they are well-trained. Not long after, there were exclamations and the sound of clashing weapons in front, and tears flashed in Xuan Song's eyes. This was an act of suicide. Twenty thousand Yong Army infantry faced a hundred thousand Northern Han cavalry and Daizhou troops. It was certain death. . He whispered in his mouth: "Marquis of Chuxiang, I have failed to live up to your expectations and failed to see through the enemy's plot to burn Qinshui. If I had discovered it earlier, there would have been a way to deal with it anyway, but now I can only atone for my sins with death." I hope your plan will succeed and avenge this deep revenge for my Dayong son." He raised his head, pulled out the sword from his waist, and rushed forward under the protection of his personal guards, rushing towards the place of death ahead, even if Even if it was death, he would rather die in the Northern Han army's formation. Behind him, the fire on Qinshui flashed for several miles and was still spreading forward rapidly. There was cold water below and fierce flames above, with black smoke billowing and poisonous gas hazy. The vegetation on both sides was burned by the fire, and the fire became more fierce. The rocks were darkened by black smoke. If anyone was here, there was no hope of survival. Thirty miles of mountains and rivers turned into a Shura field, and the fire devoured all life.

The army of the Northern Han Dynasty burned Qinshui. In addition to the more than 10,000 cavalry and 20,000 infantry who had withdrawn first, there were still 30,000 cavalrymen under the command of King Qi and Jing Chi. Only a few thousand people escaped and were swallowed up by the sea of ​​fire. Because they set off in time, , coupled with the lack of black oil, the main force of the Yong army survived. However, the suicidal attack of 20,000 infantrymen caused the death of more than a thousand Northern Han cavalry, and the entire army was annihilated. At this point, the Yong Army's Northern Expeditionary Army had 130,000 infantry and cavalry, and only half of the remaining troops were left. Although the main cavalry remained, the Northern Han Army already had an absolute advantage.