"Bang!"

A ball of fire erupted from the dark jungle on the left side of the mountain road, and a sign head with a waist flag on his back and was about to enter the forest to investigate fell off his horse with a muffled hum, blood gushing from his shoulder, and his body convulsed. The war horse that lost its owner neighed and ran, and a few panicked Yuan soldiers on the left and right couldn't help but hold the startled horse, and hurriedly used a rope to cover the head of the brand that was dead or alive, and quickly put it on the horse's back, desperately knocking the horse's belly and fleeing.

There were a few more thumps in the forest, and another sentry fell off his horse. But the accomplice could no longer take care of him, and they quickly disappeared at the bend of the mountain road.

Since the Yuan army stepped into Limu Mountain in late October, such cold gun plots have been carried out almost every day, and the targets are mostly focused on the Yuan army's sentinels. Those who can act as sentinels are elites, and naturally they are not willing to be targets, and they also try to fight back with bows and arrows. However, when the enemy is dark and the enemy is clear, it is difficult to lock on to the target, and the results are often not great. What's worse is that once you shoot at the opponent, the opponent's continuous rain of bullets is simply not something that a bow and arrow can compete with, and the longer the confrontation, the more you will die.

In the end, the Yuan army finally had to accept a cruel reality, in a small-scale reconnaissance contest, they were no match for the Dragon Bird Army at all. But when a large army marches, it can't help but send out sentinels, otherwise how can you fight if you are deaf and blind? Therefore, the basic reconnaissance method of the Yuan army's sentinels is "if you hit me, I will run, and if you don't fight, I will work". The cold guns of the Dragon Bird Army are just cold guns after all, and the hit rate and lethality are good, but the results of the debate are not as good as the volleys of musketeers in a row on the battlefield.

It is also for this reason that when Zhang Hongfan in the spacious Qingluogai carriage of the Chinese army, which was surrounded by layers of heavy horses, received the list of today's casualties submitted by the sentinel hundreds, his expression was indifferent, and he lightly turned the paper to the clerk behind him for transcription and archiving, and the topic turned to the results of today's investigation.

"Today, when the sentinel went fifty miles ahead, he found the fork of the river that Lu Fanman's guide said. As long as the army can maintain the same marching speed, it will be able to reach the valley where the Song people are hiding tomorrow at the latest. ”

After listening to the report of the sentinel to the hundred households, Zhang Hongfan's eyelids were half-closed, calm and waveless, and he gave an order: "From now on, the number of sentinel detectives will increase threefold, no matter how many people die, we must find out the situation in the valley." ”

"Yes!"

The sentinel retreated, Zhang Hongfan covered his mouth with a silk scarf and coughed lightly, his eyes fell, and he quietly hid the silk scarf in his sleeve.

A young and worried voice came from the side: "Marshal, don't work too hard, please take a treasure." ”

Zhang Hongfan turned his head sideways, looked at this young man who was somewhat similar to himself, and smiled kindly: "It's okay." As far as you can see, what is the terrain like here? ”

The young man's name is Zhang Jue, and he is the eldest son of Zhang Hongfan's starling brother Zhang Hongluo, who is about the same age as Zhang Jue, but there is a big gap between the officials and the lords, and they are only a thousand households. In order to win military merits, since two years ago, he has been fighting by Zhang Hongfan's side. Zhang Hongfan is very good to this nephew, he has a heart to cultivate, every time he goes to a place, he will compare it, and every time he fights, he will summarize and analyze.

As soon as Zhang Jue heard this, he knew that Uncle Jiu was going to test himself again, and he wanted to make a statement according to the order, but as soon as he opened his mouth, his mood was heavy: "Marshal, this south of the sea and the sky is a place of smoke and miasma, and ordinary people can get sick even if they are not sick." The marshal was in poor health, but he had to cross the sea to fight against him, and that's it. It's just that now that I have learned the news of the rebellion, the marshal should sit in the center, and the deputy division will attack it. Why did it have to be the other way around, leaving the deputy marshal in charge and the marshal going out on the expedition with illness? ”

Zhang Hongfan smiled: "You wanted to say these words when you set out on the expedition three days ago, right?" ”

Zhang Jue lowered his head.

Zhang Hongfan leaned on the soft couch, his body swayed gently with the carriage, looking at the verdant mountains near and far, and suddenly asked Zhang Jue a question: "If you know that your limit has come, will you choose to linger on the sickbed, or smile and close your eyes at the time of triumph?" ”

Zhang Jue's heart was shocked, his eyes were slightly red, he bowed deeply, and said no more.

Zhang Hongfan said with a smile: "The water and soil of this island are still nurturing, as long as you pay more attention not to let the miasma invade, it will be no big problem to survive this winter, and I can still eat the new wheat next year." Hahahaha! ”

Zhang Jue also smiled: "The marshal is a person who can kill even the true dragon of the Great Song Dynasty. ”

The battle of Yishan was the most proud battle in Zhang Hongfan's life, and when he heard his nephew's praise at this moment, although his expression was as usual, the action of stroking his beard undoubtedly revealed his mood.

Zhang Jue said in a low voice: "According to the report of the hundred households, we will soon fight against the remnants of the Song army. Marshal, that valley is the territory of Hongfanman, and our tens of thousands of troops rushed into it without knowing the depths, just afraid of ......"

"Who said we'd dive headlong into it?"

Zhang Jue was surprised: "The marshal's intention ......"

Zhang Hongfan twisted his beard and said in a deep voice: "Jue'er, after the examination of Fang Cai, what do you think is the ultimate art of war?" ”

Zhang Jue thought for a long time, and a bunch of famous sentences that have been passed down through the ages in the art of war books flashed in his mind, but when the words came to his mouth, he always felt that something was missing, and he hesitated and didn't dare to speak.

Zhang Hongfan probably didn't expect his nephew to say the answer he wanted, and smiled slightly: "Throughout the ages, countless famous generals have pursued only one ultimate goal - to fight heartily in the most advantageous way for themselves on the battlefield they preset. ”

Zhang Jue was shocked, as if he had an understanding.

Zhang Hongfan's eyes narrowed, and he pointed ahead: "That valley must be the battlefield preset by the Song army, once our vanguard troops enter, they will definitely cut off at the mouth of the valley to form a superiority in troops, and then use what they think is the most advantageous way to annihilate all the warriors trapped in the valley." Look, that's what they want to do. ”

Zhang Jue's eyes lit up, and he shouted in a low voice: "And what we have to do is also to use superior forces on the battlefield that we preset to kill them in the most beneficial way for us." ”

Zhang Hongfan stroked his beard and smiled: "The son can be taught." ”

……

High on the top of a mountain, suddenly a horse appeared, then another, and another...... In just a few breaths, thirty or forty horsemen came out of this endless barren jungle and rode their horses to the top of the mountain.

At the forefront was Zhao Lie, followed by Jiang Fenglie, Ouyang Guanhou, Shi Yang, Zhang Ba, Su Jingzhan, Shen Pingbo, Chang Tai, Long Feiyi and other generals. From their faces, they could not see the embarrassment and embarrassment of being forced into the mountains, but showed full of calm and self-confidence. They did not raise the banner, although they can see far away when they ascend to the heights, they are also easy to be discovered by enemy outposts, and they fight in the jungle and are the first to conceal.

The top of the mountain is full of mountains and obstacles, steep and difficult to climb peaks, which seems to be endless mountains like a giant opening its arms, in the center of the embrace, is a huge valley, even if thousands of troops and horses pour in, it may not be able to be filled.

"Zhang Hongfan is here." Zhao Lie's eyes flashed with excitement, "I thought it would be Li Heng...... Very good, well come! That's the big fish we want to catch. ”

Zhang Ba and Su Jingzhan hated and hated in unison: "Don't think about leaving this fang, this battle is desperate to tear him apart!" ”

Both of them were survivors of the Battle of Qishan, and they had painful pain about that tragic defeat, and they hated Zhang Hongfan to the core.

Zhao Lie raised his whip and pointed at the valley below, "Do you think you will plunge into this pocket?" ”

Su Jingzhan thought for a while and said, "The news revealed by Lord Lu Fantong is true, our base camp is indeed here, and our soldiers and horses are only a few thousand. As long as he, Zhang Hongfan, wants to solve us, he will definitely come. ”

Ouyang Guanhou only said a short sentence: "This is a conspiracy, and there is no way to avoid it." ”

Zhao Lie touched his chin and admitted that the second general was reasonable, but he was still a little uneasy in his heart - the name of the person, the shadow of the tree, Zhang Hongfan is too famous, and he is a master of soldiers.

Jiang Fenglie said with a smile: "The last general has heard a saying that the highest level of the art of war is to use superior forces to fight in the most beneficial way for himself on the battlefield he presets. Now that we've done it, why bother with the big handsome? ”

Zhao Lie's eyes gradually lit up, yes, this battlefield is preset by himself, and the strength of the army - do you think a thousand thermally armed troops equipped with guns and artillery or ten thousand troops armed with broadswords and spears are the "superior forces"? Looking at this valley, is there any better terrain than this to exert the power of guns?

The corners of Zhao Lie's mouth curled up, and a strong confidence swelled up on his face - Zhang Hongfan, come quickly!