Chapter 27: How to Break the Game
The capital of Korea, Luoyang.
The news of Taiwei's violent kite calling for help was like a ten-level gale, which directly plunged South Korea into a stormy land. The Korean monarchs never imagined that the impregnable Hedong defense line would be so vulnerable. Is it the ability of the storm kite? Yes and no! It's just weird, Bai Qi's tactics are too imaginative! The decent Storm Kite is not an opponent for Bai Qi at all!
Knowing that the 100,000 troops of the Qin State had invaded Hedong, King Han was shocked and a little reckless. If it was Meng Fu who replaced the violent kite to guard the east of the river, it might be a different ending. It's just that if there is no violent kite to contain the 200,000 Zhao army led by Lian Po, perhaps, the battle situation in Hanoi will be as erosive as Hedong County! Therefore, King Han has never regretted it.
Earlier, the 100,000 troops of the Zhao State, which had not been traced for a long time, finally appeared in Shangdang County. At this point, Zhao's purpose has been very obvious, Lian Po's generals have 200,000 troops to plot Hanoi, and Zhao Hao's generals have 100,000 soldiers to seek to win the party. King Han couldn't help but rejoice, if it wasn't for his own order to order Yan and guard, perhaps, Zhao Hao was destined to win a big victory in Yan He! But now, Zhao Hao found that he was heavily guarded, and the army was numerous, and the sneak attack was fruitless, so he could only camp on a hill thirty miles north of the city.
Hedong naturally wants to be rescued, but how to save, how to save, and who to send to save, there are many ways to do this! Now every time the South Korean army uses troops everywhere, it can be said that it is a matter of moving the whole body, so I have to be cautious!
Prime Minister Zhang Ping said: "There are still 100,000 troops under the command of Lord Jin Wuwei, and the minister thinks that he can borrow the King of Daoye to go south from Pigao City to support Hedong!" β
After hearing this, King Han secretly shook his head, the 100,000 army was the only mobile force he had at hand. Transferring it to Hedong can naturally solve the urgent need! But it also means that if there is any situation in other places, King Han can only recruit a large army again!
"There are still 30,000 troops in Sanchuan County, and now the Qin army is guarding the ferry, and it is not easy to cross the river. The minister thought that the boat master could be dispatched. Carry these 30,000 people across the river and reopen the passage between Sanchuan and Hedong. Si Ko Sima De advised.
This strategy is feasible, but there is a problem, that is, the Storm Kite needs to send a large army from the north and south to attack the Qin army at the ferry to reduce casualties. Moreover, now the boat division is on the Yingshui to assist the defenders of Runan County to resist the enemy, if the boat division is mobilized. First of all, it will cause the defense of Runan County to be empty, and on the other hand, it will take a long time! In addition, the 30,000 Korean troops alone are beneficial to the war situation in Hedong, but they are limited!
Therefore, the imperial historian Fan Sui shook his head and sighed: "Although the army of the Qi State is not moving forward in Tao County now, and the Chu State is also panicked because of the troops sent by the Yue State, it is only for a while!" Mobilizing the boat division to go up the water is very likely to give the Chu State a chance, not to mention the risk. It's also a waste of time! β
"If you can send troops from Luoyang to use the road to the party, we in South Korea will have no available troops to deal with emergencies! Zhao Hao's 100,000 army is eyeing the tiger, and the soldiers and horses of the party cannot be withdrawn! From the perspective of the ministers, it is no longer necessary for the state of Chu to worry, we in Korea only need to feint in Bajun and Nanyang, and the Chu army is bound to return to Yingdu! Scosite explained why he had come up with it.
"After the Yue State sent troops, what changes did the Chu State have?" King Han looked at the imperial historian Fan Sui.
Fan Sui replied respectfully: "The state of Chu has mobilized 20,000 troops from Surabaya and 30,000 troops from Yingdu, and there is nowhere to join the army. Go to Jiujiang County! β
King Han nodded and said, "The 20,000 Chu troops will leave." According to the battle report handed over by Runan a few days ago, there should be only 210,000 Chu troops left on the other side of Yingshui, right?! β
Prime Minister Zhang Ping nodded and admitted, and said: "Indeed, as the king said, the 250,000 troops of the Chu State, 20,000 were killed in battle, and 20,000 were transferred. It's only 210,000 indeed! Of these 210,000, Jingyang divided an army of 70,000 to defend General Li (Mu), and what Chu could really use to attack Runan was only 140,000! β
King Han asked quietly, "Is there any new movement over there after the victory of Qi Kingdom?" β
The ministers immediately realized that the king of Han wanted to judge how much threat the combined forces of Qi and Chu posed to Korea. It's good to decide how many reinforcements to send! The threat of the Zhao army to South Korea is obvious, but looking at the current shape, the 200,000 under Lian Po's command, no, it's wrong, after these days of fighting, Lian Po only has 180,000 troops left, and there is not much to do about the Chaoge City that Meng Wei held for the time being. Zhao Hao's 100,000 army failed to sneak attack, if it was not attacked, it could only wait for the Qin army to break the situation in Hedong, and when the Han army had to draw a large army from Shangdang, it took advantage of the situation and fell into the well.
"Your Majesty, Hou Sheng has accepted the treasure given by the king, and now he is indeed standing still!" Chen Xiao, a pawn familiar with the situation, replied.
King Han nodded with satisfaction, in this way, the Qi army could not pose a threat for the time being, and the Zhao army and his own side were currently in a stalemate. The direction that I am most worried about is Chu and Qin, but if I send troops to rescue Hedong, it is just a move, and what King Han wants is to break the situation. Such a dialogue also hopes that the ministers can weigh the pros and cons from the perspective of the overall situation.
"The Yue country has already sent troops, and the minister thinks that the Xiongnu troops are about to send troops, and the rescue of Hedong can be delayed. The state of Chu is the most urgent to attack me now, if I hear that the state of Qin has invaded Hedong, the whole state of Chu will definitely celebrate and relax their vigilance! Why didn't the king secretly gather a large army down the river from Nanyang and rush to attack Yingdu, if Yingdu was broken, Chu State would be captured! If Chu is defeated, he will be afraid, and then he will send envoys to coerce and lure him, which can solve the danger in the east! "Zongzheng Han Ze came up with a bold plan.
King Han smiled slightly and said, "With Hedong as bait, isn't this chess a bit too big?" β
Han Ze Zhengse replied: "All countries do not regard the world as a chess game, and the king is a rare monarch in the world, this chess is really suitable!" If the bait is insufficient, how can the fish take the bait?! β
King Han laughed and was noncommittal. In my heart, I secretly praised Han Ze's construction! This is also one of the many assumptions in King Han's heart, which is quite consistent with the current situation.
At the beginning of the attack on Han by the Four Kingdoms, King Han clearly understood that there were two ways to break the game. One is to be safe, cut off the two weaker countries of Qi and Chu, so that Qin and Zhao are afraid of each other, fearing that their own casualties will be too large and fulfill each other, and South Korea will cede three or five cities again, so that the two countries will withdraw their troops and truce. The other is to concentrate the main force, and after defeating any of the two countries of Qin and Zhao, bluff and scare back the two countries of Qi and Chu, who were already playing the role of soy sauce.
The development of things was both expected and unexpected by King Han. King Han didn't expect that the State of Qi would actually send Prime Minister Hou Sheng, who had no knowledge of military affairs, to serve as the main general. It's clear that I just want to get a piece of the pie depending on the situation! The Qi army in Tao County was not so much attacking Korea as it was holding a grand autumn tour. If it weren't for the fact that scouts on both sides were fighting each other on a daily basis, it would be hard to believe that the two countries were engaged in a war that would determine the fortunes of the country. Of course, maybe it was because the later victory was too cautious in using troops, or maybe it was because the Qi State couldn't afford to lose, so there were so many preludes to the war. But at least for now. South Korea has not yet received much pressure from the Qi State. This made King Han overjoyed!
On the Zhao side, Meng Wei really lived up to the trust of King Han and didn't let Zhao take advantage of it! This was expected by King Han, including the troops sent by Dongyue. The only thing that made King Han resentful was that the State of Chu did not know how much benefit it had received, and it actually transferred more than half of the country's troops to Surabaya County, and even the 50,000 troops of the Dongyue Kingdom were wreaking havoc in Jiujiang County, and it could not shake the determination of the State of Chu to seek Runan County!
As soon as Han Ze said this, the ministers were no longer limited to simply sending reinforcements to Hedong, but put forward their own proposals. Take advantage of the situation to break the game. Among them, the following are more recognized.
The first is Han Ze's destruction of Chu in the east of the river. Since Qin's 100,000 troops continued to enter Hedong County, it simply ceded most of Hedong County to Qin, and Korea only retained the area east of Anyi. Of course, South Korea did not give up to each other, but used these seven or eight cities to buy enough time so that South Korea could use this to pass through the Chu State.
On the one hand, South Korea spread the news of the defeat of the Korean army in Hedong in Surabaya County and Yingdu, and relaxed the vigilance of the Chu army. At the same time, a large army was assembled and divided into two routes. All the way from Nanyang, all the way from Ba County. Rush to Yingdu. Even if the king of Chu cannot be captured, if he can besiege Yingdu, it is enough to shake the will of the state of Chu. At that time, Jingyang can be forced to withdraw from Surabaya County. The threat of Chu to South Korea is gone!
Or, on the surface, mobilize the boat division to go to Wu County, creating the illusion that Runan County is empty. In fact, Li Mu led an army of 100,000 to outflank the back of the Jingyang army, and killed 200,000 elites of the Chu State in a battle! With less 200,000 troops, the state of Chu will lose the courage to oppose Korea! When the time comes, only one messenger needs to be sent. You can let the state of Chu send important ministers to ask for guilt!
Whichever strategy is adopted, the next step is to free up enough troops to deal with the Qi State, and if you can, you can even let the Chu State turn around and crusade against the Qi State, or contact the Yan State to balance the Qi State. Doing this, South Korea can concentrate on dealing with Qin and Zhao. This is the real enemy of South Korea! And as long as there is no containment by Qi and Chu and a threat to the rear of South Korea, South Korea is actually not afraid of Qin and Zhao.
The second is Fan Sui's plan to repair the plank road in the dark Chen Cang (this idiom comes from Liu Bang and Xiang Yu when they were fighting for hegemony), on the surface, South Korea mobilized 100,000 troops to go to Hedong by the Shangdang Road, creating the illusion that South Korea must fight for every inch of land. In fact, Korea secretly mobilized a large army to attack the Neishi County of Qin.
As for the route of sending troops, whether it is Tongguan, Yaoguan, or even Meridian Road, it can be. The offensive of the Korean army must be strong, and only a tough offensive can make the Qin State nervous and lose sight of one or the other. You must know that on the Nanzheng line, South Korea has gathered more than 60,000 troops. As long as Korea is willing, it can create enough pressure on the Qin State from the direction of Hanzhong, Wuguan and Hangu Pass, which are nearly a thousand miles long, under the order of King Han.
At that time, even if Bai Qi was unwilling to give up the hard-won Hedong County, he would have to divide his troops and return to Xianyang. Korea is nothing more than half of Hedong County, and the Qin army will stop. And at this time, if the Xiongnu send troops again, the Qin State will be overwhelmed by Cheng DΓΉ, and it will be no less than the situation of Korea when the Four Kingdoms invaded Korea!
The third soldier's strategy to block the water and cover the earth to rush to the east of the river is decent, compared with these two strategies, some ambitions are too small, yes, they are ambitions. South Korea obviously has an army of more than one million, but it can only be beaten passively and let the enemy country wreak havoc on its own land, which is by no means a style that South Korea likes! Since the attitude of the Qi State in attacking himself is not so positive, and the Zhao State cannot threaten him for a while, why not take this time to deal with the Qin State or the Chu State?!
The four-nation alliance is already loose, and if only one country retreats because of excessive casualties, then there will be a ripple effect. This time, the alliance was dissolved! Of course, there may be some time in the future when other countries will unite against South Korea, but at that time, South Korea can co-opt its allies instead of fighting alone, as it is now.
In the final analysis, South Korea should not have weakened Wei to the point of nominal existence. This made the princes of the world jealous, so they joined forces to destroy Han. Fortunately, this time South Korea was prepared in a hurry, but the four countries of Qin, Zhao, Qi, and Chu were even more hasty, so that South Korea could deal with this crisis with ease!
Perhaps, South Korea's benevolence makes countries think that South Korea is easy to bully! A powerful but easy to bully country can only be a piece of fat in the eyes of other princes! South Korea must make other countries aware of it. Those who commit Korean offenses will be punished even if they are far away! This is also what King Han learned from this incident.
Whether to cut Chu or Qin became a choice question in front of the Korean monarchs. Although the Qin State is difficult to bite, as long as it is gnawed, the Zhao State will be difficult to support alone, and South Korea can completely isolate the Zhao State with the power of a great victory! In the future, if anyone dares to rescue Zhao Guo, South Korea will attack him first! This kind of drama is staged a few more times, and it is difficult for Zhao Guo not to isolate!
Vachu also makes sense. The state of Chu is now desperate, gathering 250,000 troops in Surabaya County, 50,000 troops are scattered all over the place, and 100,000 troops are near Yingdu, these are all the forces of the Chu state. South Korea's passive defense during this period of time can already create a great illusion for the Chu State, and the invincibility of the Qin army in Hedong County can also make the Chu State believe that Korea is now difficult to protect itself, and where can it have the available forces to attack Yingdu?! So. As long as South Korea dares to attack Yingdu with troops, it will definitely be taken by surprise. There is a good chance of success.
Qin State, Xianyang.
The people of Xianyang, who had been worried since the beginning of the army, finally put their minds at ease, and the king of Qin intended to let the people of Xianyang know that a great victory was not far from the Qin State! Bai Qi, the killing god of the Qin State, will dedicate Hedong County to the Qin State as a gift this year!
How long has it been since the Qin State has not tasted victory? Start with the retreat to Hangu Pass. The Qin State has not been able to intervene in the Central Plains. This has nothing to do with strength, just because Qin's roads into the Central Plains were all blocked by South Korea, so inevitably, Qin's influence suddenly fell to the lowest point.
Because of geography. This time the four countries invaded Korea, and the Qin State obviously occupied a disadvantage. The reason is simple, there are too few places for Qin to choose to attack. When Zhao, Qi, and Chu were faced with many choices and did not know which direction to attack, Qin was worried about which direction to attack, in order to be a little surprised and slightly reduce casualties. But half a month has passed since the war, and the only one who has made a breakthrough, and the first to make a breakthrough is the Qin State, which everyone is not optimistic about!
The State of Zhao was in a stalemate, the State of Qi was not obtained, and the State of Chu was looking at Yingshui and sighing, and looked at the State of Yue who was tossing everywhere in the heart of the State of Chu. This seems to show that among the four countries, the combat power of the Qin State is still the strongest! The Qin State has enough confidence to be proud, and whoever underestimates the Qin State will pay a terrible price!
Over the years, Qin has won fewer victories and lost more! Almost numb to the reality of repeated defeats! Lose Sanchuan, lose Nanyang, lose Hanzhong, lose Hedong, lose Bashu, defeat Hangu, defeat Luoyang, break Wuguan, every time you are defeated, the people will cast a shadow on the future of the country!
Last year, the Qin State recovered the Hexi County placed by the Zhao State, after all, the land was small and the people were widowed, and it could not fill the wounds of the Qin State over the years. Moreover, under the alliance of Han and Wei, the Qin State had to withdraw from the occupied Taiyuan County.
But this time, with the Qin army marching into Hedong with an unstoppable momentum, the situation changed. If Hedong is really recovered, the prestige of the Qin State will be greatly boosted! There are 80,000 households in the east of the river, adjacent to Sanchuan and close to the Central Plains! First of all, Qin's strength will skyrocket, and it can be expected that after Qin recovers Hedong, it can meddle in the Central Plains, so that Korea will be in the throat, and its influence on the world will rise to a great level.
What is more important to the Qin State is a big victory, which is undoubtedly a booster for the Qin State with low morale! As long as the east of the river can be occupied, the authority of the king of Qin can be established, and the noble ministers who have complained about the policies of the king of Qin can only close their mouths of resentment and disappointment and compliment the king of Qin! The old Qin people in Guanzhong can also rekindle their confidence and look forward to military exploits! This series of positive influences is what King Qin really values.
At the same time, the breakthrough made by Baek Qi in Hadong profoundly proves that South Korea is not invincible! The fear of South Korea rendered by people with intentions does not exist at all! As long as it is operated properly and wins a few victories in one go, the self-confident Qin State will be unstoppable! Many people realized that this might be an opportunity for the re-emergence of the Qin state!
Therefore, when the king of Qin learned that Bai Qi had led an army of 100,000 to attack Hedong, his first reaction was to send reinforcements to cross the river to support Bai Qi. If it weren't for Prime Minister Wei Ran's reminder, the Han army confronting Bai Qi was only sixty or seventy thousand, and the Qin army had completely taken the initiative, and King Qin's idea would not be stopped. After all, King Qin regarded Hedong too much as to be lost, and he would never allow it to be lost!
The 100,000-strong army led by Wang Jian spread the banner in the area of Chencang, which completely made the Han army in Hanzhong unable to grasp the essentials. Now, Hanzhong is like a great enemy, and the Qin State is completely at ease. Of course, South Korea, which was worried that the dog would jump over the wall, sent troops to attack Yongdi, and the Qin State never relaxed its defense against Hanzhong. Therefore, the current situation is a confrontation between the two armies, and there are constant small-scale frictions, but there has never been a major war! (To be continued......)
PS: Break the game, break the game, which direction do you think is good