According to the Chinese Five Elements Theory, there is a basic law of all things in the world, that is: mutual rebirth and mutual restraint.

For example, the simplest stroke, hammer wins scissors, scissors win handkerchief, handkerchief wins hammer. No matter how powerful a guy is, as long as he meets his nemesis, he will be like a fart death.

The same is true of the Art of War. No matter how powerful the tricks are, they can be restrained by other tricks.

The nemesis of "separate and combined attacks" is "individual breaks".

The first leader of the Tartars, the wild boar Pinurhachi, was a master of this.

Before the battle of Sarhu, Nurhachi said a phrase that accurately illustrates the characteristics of the tactic of "individual breakdown":

"I'll only go all the way!"

In the Battle of Sarhu, Nurhachi made full use of the excellent mobility of the cavalry, first concentrated the whole army to attack the lone army of Juniper, beheaded Juniper and other generals, and completely annihilated the Ming West Route Army.

On the second day of the battle, Nurhachi took advantage of the victory to pursue and once again concentrated his whole army to attack Juniper's rear support Marin, who was only spared and all his troops were destroyed.

ON THE FIFTH DAY OF THE BATTLE, NURHACHI ONCE AGAIN TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THE EXCELLENT MOBILITY OF THE CAVALRY TO SEIZE THE ATTACK POSITION IN ADVANCE AND AMBUSHED LIU LING (TING) OF THE EASTERN ROUTE ARMY OF THE DAMING DYNASTY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. Liu Ling's father and son were all killed in the battle, and the headquarters and the Korean army were all wiped out.

In this battle, Nurhachi concentrated the use of the main force, and in five days, with half of the enemy's troops, relying on careful planning, accurate intelligence, and strong mobility capabilities, he formed an absolute superiority over the enemy in three isolated battlefields.

The end result is fully consistent with the actuarial results of the Lancaster model. With only a small loss, the Tartars achieved a huge result of annihilating the Ming army of 45,800 people. After this battle, the Ming and Qing dynasties attacked and defended in different positions, which became the starting point of the fall of the Ming Dynasty.

Why did the "separate and combined attack" of the four-way Ming army fail? Why did the "individual breaks" of the boar skin succeed?

For more than 20 years, the civil and military officials of the Ming Dynasty have been studying, and Zhu Pingjin is also studying.

Zhu Pingjian's conclusion is that in this space-time, various variables such as time, space, and speed are all carried out in a crude or primitive way. Precise time units such as hours, minutes, and seconds are still waiting for the god-level Zhu Pingjin and his wife to invent them. But even if they invented it, there was no tool for accurate timekeeping, and no one would be able to do anything about it.

This is true of time, as well as of space, speed, communication, and so on.

The absence of accurate maps, the absence of a good road transport network, the low maneuverability of the six legs of men and horses, the way to see with the eyes, the ears to hear, the horses to be delivered, and the way to walk on the feet, all the determining factors illustrate one point:

On a battlefield with a vast area and complex terrain, it is impossible to carry out precise coordination.

The success of the separatable attack depends precisely on precise coordination. Without precise coordination, it will be difficult to form a combined attack, and in the end, it is likely to be broken by each one and turn into a disaster.

Zhu Pingjin theoretically summarized the dialectical relationship between the two tactics of splitting and attacking and breaking through each other, compared their advantages and disadvantages, and pointed out the conditions for transformation between them. These ideas are reflected in Zhu Pingjian's recent military work "Concentrate Superior Forces and Annihilate the Enemy Individually," which is intended for reading among the middle and senior generals of the National Defense Army.

Of course, Liu Zhenfan does not have the theoretical level of the prince. But he has experienced hundreds of battles, large and small, and he also knows the actual situation on the battlefield.

With the long-term support of the governor Liao Daheng, Liu Zhenfan used the money and grain to recruit the Qin refugees as soldiers, so the reorganized 11th Regiment was strong and strong, with four infantry battalions and one cavalry battalion. In addition, he also commanded a garrison battalion formed by the Yuanba Tunken Auxiliary Army and the 18th Battalion of the 5th Regiment Wang Shengwu Division.

However, Liu Zhenfan had to allocate part of his forces to garrison a number of key points on the line of communication from Baizhang Pass to Wuya Town, and ensure that military supplies, especially indispensable grain, would be unloaded from Baizhang Pass and transferred to Wuya Town by land, and then transferred through the stone road of the Micang Ancient Road

to the county seat of Nanjiang in the mountains.

Every attack by the local rioters on this transportation supply line, every loss of food, forced Liu Zhenfan to strengthen the protection of the communication line. As a result, in addition to the cavalry battalion of the regiment, he had only three infantry battalions and one company, including the 18th Battalion of the Fifth Regiment under his command, with a total strength of less than 3,000.

The reason why Liu Zhenfan vetoed the suggestion of Zhou Mingwang, the deputy regimental and the former commander of the 41st Battalion of the Protector Army, to attack with light troops, insisted on encircling the enemy in a dignified formation, and did not spare any effort to increase his own troops, was to prevent every road from being broken by the enemy individually.

"There will be a mistake in the end." However, two seemingly inconspicuous reasons almost changed the course of the battle for the Enyang Valley:

Because of the re-departure of the county lord of Taiping, Zhu Pingjin, the son of Shu, completely delayed Liu Zhenfan's performance;

Another reason may be even more fatal: a knifesmith who plays with a pig-killing knife has a few more words.

……

In the early morning of April 2, the fifteenth year of Chongzhen, a team of mixed clothes broke through the sparse morning fog on the river surface and appeared on the opposite bank of the Zhaiba River (Wulang River). The cries of donkeys and mules and the croaking of pigs disturbed the calm of the flowing water, and the splash alarmed the sentinels on duty at the high castle.

"Stop! Who? The watchtower sentry roared.

"Master Liu, Zhao Si and Zhao Hongdao of Xiaoke Sheng Hengzhuang!" The leader jumped off his horse and bowed his hand to the watchtower in the distance.

"Wow, the God of Righteous Wealth has arrived! Ha ha! Blessed with a mouth! Open the door! ”

Shenghengzhuang is a well-known business name in Guangyuan City, the owner's surname is Zhao, and has a friendship with Chuanbei Town for decades. The procurement of military supplies in North Sichuan Town for many years has been handled by Sheng Hengzhuang. After the death of the old owner of Sheng Hengzhuang, Zhao Hongchang, the eldest of the Zhao family, inherited the family business and sat in the head office, while several brothers ran around. Through the semicolons in various places, the war horses, grain, iron tools and other materials urgently needed in northern Sichuan Town were bought back from Long, Tibet and other places.

In the tenth year of Chongzhen and the thirteenth year of Chongzhen, the town of northern Sichuan suffered two heavy blows. A large number of soldiers were killed in battle and urgently needed to be compensated; A large number of military losses are urgently needed to be replenished. Shenghengzhuang is based on the town of northern Sichuan, and the natural loss is not small.

However, at the most difficult time in Shenghengzhuang, Zhao Hongchang resolutely advanced the silver to solve the urgent needs of the soldiers in North Sichuan Town. Since then, the relationship between Shenghengzhuang and North Sichuan Town has become closer. The soldiers were grateful for the kindness of Sheng Hengzhuang, and they all called it Yizhuang or "God of Righteous Wealth".

Not long ago, Sheng Hengzhuang also did a big thing that caused a sensation in Sichuan and Gansu.

At the end of last year, the Shu Wangfu opened a tender to buy cultivated cattle, buffalo cattle, bulls and cows all gave a high price of three yuan per catty for delivery in Chengdu Niushikou (Note 1), and the price of delivery in other places in Sichuan increased and decreased with the distance, of which the price of Guangyuan was two dollars and four cents.

Sheng Hengzhuang keenly found the business opportunity, invested a thousand heads, used Sheng Hengzhuang's assets as collateral to receive a thirty percent advance, and then the second Zhao Hongming led people to set off west along Baishui, to Gongchang Mansion and Minzhou Wei to buy cattle.

The other day, the caravan returned in the limelight. In addition to more than 1,500 cattle driven back from Qinchuan, there were also hundreds of Hequ war horses, hundreds of sheep, and nearly 250,000 catties of pig iron carried and transported back by ship (Note 2).

It is said that this team of cows, horses and sheep stretched for thirty miles on the mountain road on the shore of Baishui, and the dust stepped on by the cattle soldiers and Ma Tianjun covered the sky and the sun, and the grass along the way was gnawed fine.

A business is more than 500,000 taels!

Such a large stroke shook Guangyuan City, as well as the provinces of Sichuan and Gansu (Note 3).

His Royal Highness the Prince personally gave the handwritten "Shengda Eternal" four-character plaque to show his ability.

THE GOVERNOR OF GANSU, LU DAQI, RECEIVED A LETTER FROM GONGCHANG FU AND DID NOT HESITATE TO ORDER MAYU (NOTE 4), MAYU (NOTE 4), WHO HAD ONCE OPENED THE TOWN OF TIANJIN AND WAS NOW THE COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF GANSU, TO SEND 500 CAVALRY TO ESCORT HIM TO BAISHUI PASS.

Ma Yi is the son of Ma Lin, a brave general who died on the battlefield in Liaodong, and his two elder brothers, Ma Ran and Ma Yi (YI), are both with their father

Died in battle together, which can be described as full of loyalty. The leading general sent by Ma Yi was his son Ma Yirui. In addition to escorting these cattle soldiers, Ma Yirui also had to escort an important entourage: Xiucai, who returned to his hometown to take the Sichuan Township Examination, and Lu Qian, the son of Lu Daqi (Note 5).

Such a prominent business name as Sheng Hengzhuang, coupled with the sultry cry of the pigs, naturally made the soldiers who were about to go out be overjoyed. They feasted their mouths, and they did not notice anything suspicious about a few casual words between a pig-chasing boy in the caravan and a pig-killing soldier in the army.

But in such a normal conversation, the most core secret of the army was exposed:

Troops, numbers, and general marching routes, etc.

……

The three former enemy committees temporarily concealed the illness of the prince Zhu Pingjin from the generals of northern Sichuan, so the temporary panic in Baoning Mansion and Zhuzi Village did not have much impact on the soldiers of the Protector Army in Bazhou City.

In the middle of the night on 2 April, several people who were tied up were escorted to the city of Bazhou.

Several generals in Bazhou City, in addition to Li Xiangchun, commander of the Bazhou garrison battalion, who was wounded, He Qiukou, deputy commander of the Baoning Military Region of the National Defense Army, head of the Fifth Regiment and head of the Bazhou Garrison Regiment, Yang Mingshi, acting supervisor of the regiment and temporary governor of Bazhou, Feng Rubao, deputy commander of the Fifth Regiment, Cheng Weiguo, commander of the new 20th Battalion, Yang Tianbo, acting commander of the special battalion, Yao Chengguo, acting supervisor of the special battalion, and others gathered on the tower of the North Gate City.

Liu Zhenfan's preparatory order had been received the day before yesterday, and the Bazhou generals had been preparing for two days of hard work, just waiting for the official order floating in the Ba River. Who knew that what was reported below was not a formal order, but a few spies from the local rioters.

He Qiukou was furious when he heard this.

The big war is imminent, and the most feared thing is leaks. If Yuan Tao knew about the plan of the Protector Army, he would probably flee in advance. If the thief does not escape, then there will inevitably be a vicious battle.

When He Qiukou thought of this, he immediately sent someone to invite Yang Jianjun to come to the city to try the case together. As a result, as soon as Yang Mingshi came, he brought a group of people to watch the excitement. The generals are also worried about leaks, so they want to come and see for themselves.

Three spies were captured, and they were tightly tied up with fine hemp rope. His face was covered with a cloth and his mouth was covered with a cloth. The soldiers were not polite to these bandit spies, and if they walked slowly, they would be stabbed in the back. The three of them couldn't speak, they couldn't see, they stumbled and fell into the tower, and two of them had already weakened their knees and knelt down without waiting for the order to drink.

"This person is still tough!" He Qiukou looked at the person in the middle who refused to kneel, and sneered and praised, "Since you are a man, then be the first to pull out and try the knife!" ”

The eyes are blindfolded, but the ears are not blocked. As soon as the mountain wind blew, the man shook and seemed to hesitate. But in the blink of an eye he stood up straight again, standing taller than before.

"Untie it!" Yang Mingshi commanded.

The bright light of the lantern clearly stung the eyes of the man in the middle. But the man didn't rush to rub it, and he had already cried out: "You are not a local tyrant? ”

Note 1: There is a book that says that there are historical materials to prove that at the end of the Ming Dynasty, a ploughing cow was eight taels of silver, and the reason was that the imperial court forbade killing and eating cattle. Hibiki can only say this. At the end of the Ming Dynasty, an era when even people had to eat, the fate of cattle depended on the protection of the law......

Note 2: Gongchang Mansion in the Ming Dynasty (attached to Longxi County, Gansu Province) was the iron smelting center in Northwest China.

Note 3: Shaanxi Province in the Ming Dynasty was undoubtedly the largest province in the Ming Dynasty. It has jurisdiction over the four provinces of Shaanxi, Gansu, Ningxia and Qinghai, as well as parts of Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang. That is, theoretically, the entire northwest of today's China. However, Gansu and Ningxia in the late Ming Dynasty had vassal kings, governors, and general soldiers, and they were the same province except for the absence of three divisions.

Note 4: According to Mr. Gu Cheng's research, on August 1, the 16th year of Chongzhen, Ma Yi swore in Xi'an Guandi Temple with Sun Chuanting, and later marched to Nanyang, Henan Province with Qin Yiming, the governor of Shaanxi, Feng Shikong, and Shangluo. Feng Shikong was appointed in June of the sixteenth year of Chongzhen, and his predecessor was Cai Guanzhi.

Note 5: Whether Lu Qian went to Gansu with his father, Xiangmu has not seen any information to explain. The plot needs it, so that's it.

.。 Vertex m.