When Sun Li returned to Jicheng with two thousand Dragon and Tiger Guard infantry, it was already the middle of December. After placing the troops in the empty barracks, the first thing he did was to bring all kinds of mountain treasures and treasures that the soldiers had found in the mountains of the military capital in the past two years, as well as the beast skins that the soldiers usually hunted, to greet the young lady Cai Yan in the Gongzi's mansion.

Cai Yan was about to give birth at this time, Zhao Aier and Mi Zhen were guarding the prince's mansion every day to take care of him, and Hua Tuo was also sent by Liu Yu to pick up someone from Macheng back to Jicheng, for fear that the pregnant daughter-in-law would have something wrong.

Cai Yan has been in a bad mood recently, the reason is naturally that Liu He did not return to Jicheng to accompany him, although she understands and supports Liu He's feelings of "giving up a small family for everyone", but if she wants to accept this reality happily, it is also a little difficult for a strong person. Even if Cai Yan is the first talented woman in the Han Dynasty, she is still a woman who is pregnant for the first time, and the most desired thing in her heart is naturally to let her husband who is used to teasing her accompany her.

Hearing that it was Liu He's henchmen who came to visit, Cai Yan specially came out to say hello, expressing her love and gratitude to Sun Li for the rare mountain treasures and various animal skins sent by Sun Li, and after Sun Li left, she gave most of these good things to Zhao Ai'er, Mi Zhen and Hua Tuo.

Zhao Aier understood Cai Yan's mood and motioned Mi Zhen to accept the gift given by Cai Yan, and not to excuse herself in person at such a time. The meat is rotten and it is also in the pot, anyway, these three women either have several legs with Liu He, or they are about to have a leg with Liu He, and they are not "outsiders". Divine Doctor Hua Tuo suddenly got a lot of rare and hard-to-find vintage herbs, which was quite happy. He used these medicinal materials to brew a few jars of health-preserving medicinal wine for Liu Yu, Han Fu, Cai Yong, Zheng Xuan and others, stored them first, and sent them out after the time was enough.

Sun Li then went to meet Liu Yu and several other adults in the state. Then he handed over the military power with Li Ru, who stayed in Jicheng, exchanged 2,000 infantry for 4,000 light cavalry, and prepared a little military resources and grain and grass for the journey, and left Jicheng in a hurry, and went straight to Diping County in Yuyang County.

Di Ping is now the location of the Zhenbei Army, and it is also the place where all kinds of criminals are exiled and gathered, and it is operated by Xu Rong and others. It has a bit of a Ponyville flavor.

According to the original agreement between Liu He and Xu Rong, a large area of land north of Diping was divided into the Juntun District on the east bank of Baoqiu Water and the Mintun District on the west bank, and the prefecture provided agricultural tools and seeds and other production materials to the soldiers and civilians in Tuntian. The grain obtained from Tuntian was attributed to the Zhenbei Army and the Diping County Ya. Liu He seemed to have suffered a loss in doing so, because the production materials were provided by him to the Zhenbei Army and the people of Diping for free, but after the grain was harvested, he had nothing to do. But that's not how the accounts are calculated. The Zhenbei army and the people of Diping harvested the grain. It will be self-sufficient, and the problem of feeding tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians will be solved by themselves, which is equivalent to reducing some of the burden on the state.

Because the grain planted belongs to themselves, the Zhenbei Army and the Diping County Ya are particularly concerned about the affairs of Tuntian, and in just two years, they not only achieved self-sufficiency in food, but also sold surplus grain to nearby counties. Xu Rong used the income from the sale of grain to improve the living conditions of his soldiers, increase incentive salaries, and build several large training grounds. It was welcomed and supported by the soldiers.

However, the soldiers were jubilant and looking forward to the coming year, when more land was cleared. When more food was grown, Xu Rong was secretly worried. Liu He sent him to lead the army to Yuyang, the main task is to guard the northern defense line of Jicheng, as for the organization of the military and civilian Tuntian, it is just a sideline, if the soldiers under his command do not participate in the battle for a long time, slowly they will disappear that brave spirit, and in the end they can only be reduced to Tuntian labor and unable to fight.

Just when Xu Rong felt inappropriate in his heart, the secret order of the Commander's Office was sent to Di Ping, and Liu He appointed him as the chief general of the East Road, leading 7,000 cavalry to outflank the Xianbei people besieging Baishan City.

Xu Rong said to Li Meng and Tian Yu: "Gongzi has an order to let the Zhenbei Army and the Longhuwei Department be the main force on the East Road, and intercept the Xianbei people who are entering Baishan City in the area of the big bend of the water. Our army has 3,000 light cavalry, and Sun Li of the Dragon and Tiger Guard will lead 4,000 cavalry to Diping in the near future, and there will be 7,000 cavalry after the convergence. According to intelligence, there are more than 30,000 people in Xianbei in the east heading to Baishan City, and if the enemy chieftains choose to break through from the area where the water bends, our army will have a slightly insufficient interception force. I wonder what the two of you think? ”

Li Meng said: "Although our army has 20,000 troops stationed in the area of Diping, most of them are infantry, if the Xianbei people lead the army to attack, they will definitely be defeated, but if we let our army enter the grassland to intercept the enemy's army, I am afraid that it will be difficult to achieve the enemy's strengths with its own shortcomings, not only will it be difficult to achieve the tactical goal, but it may become the target of the enemy's key attack." ”

What Li Meng meant by this was obviously not very much in favor of using infantry to intercept near the Lishui River.

Tian Yu pondered for a moment and said: "I agree with General Li's analysis, the Zhenbei Army is good at infantry defense, and if it fights against the Xianbei people on the grassland, it will lose all its geographical advantages, so it is necessary to be extremely cautious and not to act rashly." ”

Tian Yu's words sounded like Li Meng's meaning, but it didn't mean the same thing. Li Meng was opposed to the use of infantry to go to Lishui, while Tian Yu was emphasizing caution and not fighting a battle that he was not sure of.

Xu Rong heard that there was something in Tian Yu's words, so he encouraged and said: "Although the time for the state to enter the Zhenbei Army is not long, there are many wonderful ideas, I don't know what tricks are there this time?" ”

Tian Yu replied with a cautious face: "I don't dare to say a high trick, but there is a dangerous move." If the general first sends an infantry to block the road that the Xianbei people are most likely to pass through when they retreat to the east, and then hides 7,000 light cavalry behind the flanks of this infantry, if the enemy army is greedy, he will think of destroying our infantry by the way, and then our hidden cavalry can rush out and cooperate with the infantry and leave the Xianbei people behind. ”

As soon as Tian Yu finished speaking, Xu Rong showed a look of surprise. Because Tian Yu's strategy really exceeded Xu Rong's expectations!

To sum up, the core idea of Tian Yu's strategy is to "show the enemy weakness and lure the enemy to take the bait." Since the strength of the Zhenbei army is not in cavalry warfare, then simply "expose" his weakness to the Xianbei people, so that the Xianbei people who wanted to retreat and flee were greedy and contemptuous, swallowed the bait deliberately sent by their own side, and as a result, they missed the opportunity to break through, and finally fell into the encirclement of their own army.

"The country let this policy be wonderful!"

Xu Rong adopted Tian Yu's strategy, and without waiting for Sun Li to lead his army to converge, he left Diping with 7,000 infantry and 3,000 cavalry, and marched north along Baoqiushui, preparing to build a volley at the bend of the water before the Xianbei people could notice it.

In the second half of the lunar month, Sun Li led his army to Diping, and learned that Xu Rong had already taken the lead, so he did not dare to delay, and hurriedly chased along the ruts left by the previous army, and finally caught up with Xu Rong five days later.

Xu Rong informed Sun Li of his plan, and Sun Li also shouted ingeniously after hearing this, and insisted that he be responsible for commanding 7,000 infantry and engaging in hand-to-hand combat with the Xianbei people, but Xu Rong refused and had to hand over the 7,000 cavalry to Sun Li's command. Xu Rong is the chief general of the Eastern Route Army, Sun Li is the deputy general, and in the end, the deputy general has to obey the orders of the main general.

Sun Li led 7,000 cavalry to follow Xu Rong not far behind, and when Xu Rong led 7,000 infantry to arrive at the pre-set interception zone, Sun Li withdrew his troops to the east, hid in the depression between the two large soil slopes, and then sent scout horses to roam around, waiting for Xu Rong's order to attack at any time.

When the Eastern Route Army arrived at the interception zone, the Western Route Army led by Zhang He had also circled one hundred and fifty miles northeast of Baishan City.

The army led by Zhang He left five days earlier than Xu Rong, although the distance of the march was more than double, but because it was all cavalry, it arrived at the interception zone no later than Xu Rong.

According to Guo Jia's assumption, the total strength of Zhang He and Xu Rong's troops was 20,000 cavalry, but Xu Rong adopted Tian Yu's strategy with the purpose of training the troops, and brought 7,000 more infantry to the battle, so the actual number of troops participating in the battle reached 37,000, which was more than the Xianbei people in the east.

In Baishan City, Zhao Yun received a secret letter from Zhang He who sent people into the city at night, and knew that Zhang He was already in place, so he called Tang Meng and Lu Chihu to the tent and confessed.

"The two of you, from two o'clock tomorrow, each day with two thousand horsemen from the north gate and the south gate respectively, to attack on both sides of the Xianbei camp, if the Xianbei people send a large army to besiege Baishan City, cutting off the retreat of your two armies, Lu Chihu will lead the army to retreat north, and lead the Xianbei people who are pursuing you to General Zhang's place, and Tang Meng will lead the army to break through to the east and lead the Xianbei people who are pursuing you to the big bend of the Weishui River."

"You two must remember that you must try your best to attract more Xianbei people to chase and kill you, and before you see the two reinforcements, you must not fight with the enemy, you can only be careful to detour and maneuver!"

Tang Meng said with some concern: "If the tiger and I take away the 4,000 soldiers and horses in the city, there will only be more than 5,000 people left, if the Hu people let us leave, but turn around and storm Baishan City, wouldn't it be dangerous for the general?" ”

Zhao Yun waved his hand and said: "You don't have to worry about my safety, if the Hu people let your two troops leave, Lu Chihu will lead General Zhang's troops back to attack the back of the Hu people, and Tang Meng will assist General Xu to prepare to intercept the Hu people." ”

Seeing that Zhao Yun had a coping strategy, the two cavalry captains didn't say anything more, and each received an order to pay the account.

At dawn the next day, Tang Meng and Lu Chihu went out of the city to attack the Xianbei camp according to Zhao Yun's instructions, but Cheng Lugui and Mijia did not move, and did not send soldiers and horses to besiege the two.

At the same time on the third day, Tang Meng and Lu Chi Hu led the army out of the city again to attack the Xianbei people, but this time they stabbed the hornet's nest, Cheng Lugui and Mi Jia used all the soldiers and horses in the camp, surrounded the four gates of Baishan City with 20,000 people, and then sent another 10,000 elite cavalry to divide into two roads to pursue and kill Tang Meng and Lu Chihu's troops.

Tang Meng and Lu Chihu saw that Baishan City could not go back, so they hurriedly led their troops to the north and east respectively according to Zhao Yun's instructions to "escape". (To be continued......)