Chapter 1354 Utilitarianism


    ?In the lofty mountains of Sichuan and Basin, those who were stumbling northward were Liu Dan and his entourage who had been defeated.


    Burning the enemy''s food and grass has always been the most common strategy and tactic to attack the enemy. Many battles in history have changed the final strategic direction because of the problem of food and grass.


    Liu Dan naturally knew this. Not only did he know it, but if he was asked to talk about it, he would talk about it like a treasure. Those people, where they were, and what happened because of them, eventually led to the problem of food and grass. He could talk about it eloquently for at least an hour. No need to drink water.


    But it was his turn to do the actual work himself…


    How did the fire break out in the rear camp?


    Liu Dan still can’t figure it out.


    When he led thousands of men and horses across the Bashan Mountains and entered Brazil County, he also imagined what he would encounter, how he would fight the enemy, and what kind of enemies he would encounter. military commander…


    Liu Dan seemed to have thought about everything, but he never expected that he would be defeated like this because of an ordinary fire and an unremarkable raid.


    Now when Liu Dan thinks about this, he feels like his whole body is getting hot and his head is buzzing.


    This is a great shame!


    ??The soldiers who followed Liu Dan to conquer the west also felt it was a great shame and humiliation, and they cursed him secretly. When Liu Dan was attacked, he lost his sense of control and failed to issue orders, which ultimately aggravated the chaos and fled in defeat. The soldiers of the Western Expedition moved to the north and south to fight. Never before had their defeat been so unclear as this time.


    Practice brings true knowledge, and the scholar Liu Dan was severely slapped in the face by the cruel reality.


    ?However, these soldiers who followed Liu Dan to the north did not have much energy to criticize Liu Dan now. Walking through the mountains and forests was like a nightmare, and too much energy and physical strength had been consumed. During the march, the team of more than a thousand people was in a state of gloom and mist, and no one could cheer up at all.


    In Sichuan and Sichuan, among the mountains and fields, it looks like green mountains and green waters, but walking in them is like hell.


    ?In this era, although the mountains in Sichuan and Sichuan are not very high, they have deep grass and dense forests. The so-called official roads are nothing more than winding mountain roads along the direction of rivers and streams.


    The soldiers walking in front need to constantly use their spears to poke at the grass beside the mountain road, and they also need to use their knives to cut off hanging trees and vines. Otherwise, there may be some highly poisonous long insects in the grass, and a bite will be fine. Medicine can cure it, but you can only wait for death.


    There are snakes not only in the grass, but also in the treetops.


    The venomous snake that likes to be entangled in trees is the Bamboo Leaf Green. It is often hung or entangled on the branches, mixed with the leaves or moss on the tree, and cannot be seen at all unless you look carefully. It would be fine if it was midday. In the evening, these venomous snakes begin to hunt and are most active at night. These little guys are all myopic and can only use their tongues to detect distant and near vibrations. It doesn''t matter whether they are big or small. All bitten together...


    In addition, there are a large number of flying insects and poisonous insects. If winter is not approaching, many insects in the mountains and forests have already begun to enter the dormant period. I am afraid that the casualties of Liu Dan and others will at least double. Total annihilation is not impossible.


    “Hold on! Climb one more mountain and you’ll reach the stronghold!”


    Liu Dan shouted hoarsely.


    ??The soldiers who followed were all exhausted by the mountains and forests of Sichuan. No one responded, they just gritted their teeth and moved forward.


    “There is food in the village ahead! There will be enough to eat when we get there!” Liu Dan roared hoarsely, “Keep on holding on! Don’t fall behind! We’ve come this far! Look at each other!”


    ??Some soldiers responded sparsely.


    Liu Dan was also very helpless. He could only regain his lost military morale little by little.


    行行行行行.


    Unexpectedly, the battle situation changed unpredictably. Liu Dan fled north. He only left for two nights and one day. When the second day came, Ma Heng''s men were chasing him and delivered the latest military information. come over.


    ??The Sichuan-Shu army that unexpectedly attacked Liu Dan was defeated by Ma Heng and Wei Yan!


    ??Liu Dan couldn''t believe his eyes when he received this military message...


    Ma Heng said that Hanchang is obviously already clear and it is very difficult to continue the attack, so he is currently leading troops to prepare for a round with Liu Dan, then return to Hanzhong to regroup, and then look for another opportunity to attack Brazil.


    After Liu Dan received this military information, his buzzing mind suddenly became clearer, and he quickly made a decision. He could not retreat like this!


    Since Ma Heng has defeated the Sichuan and Shu army that came to raid, it means that both sides have lost once, no victory, no defeat, and a draw. Then if he withdraws from Brazil County, doesn''t it mean that he is defeated without defeat?


    So Liu Dan announced the news, clearly emphasizing that Ma Hengshi had won a great victory under his orders to boost morale. He also sent soldiers to leave marks around the area to collect the scattered soldiers, and then speed up. Arriving at the mountain stronghold when they first entered Sichuan, they waited for the arrival of Ma Heng and others. At the same time, they also sent soldiers back to Hanzhong to collect grain and grass...


    After the distribution was completed, Liu Dan felt that the sullenness in his heart was somewhat relieved, and he slowly exhaled a breath as he watched the soldiers agree and go to work separately.


    ??I must not return to Hanzhong with a failed title!


    Absolutely not!


    People always find all kinds of hopes and excuses for themselves. Perhaps it is because of this that human beings can still have the motivation to struggle in desperate situations.


    Maybe Liu Dan was not very good in some aspects, but on the way to escape, Liu Dan at least did what a commander should do, comfort people and encourage people to move forward, instead of complaining about this and cursing that like an old woman. Especially after receiving the news about Ma Heng, the military spirit that was originally a little distracted gradually calmed down.


    It was originally difficult to transport the military rations on the Sichuan-Shu Mountain Road, so they were transported bit by bit from the Qianqian stronghold built by Wei Yan in Bashan. Therefore, when Liu Dan and others struggled to return to the starting point of the stronghold, At that time, fortunately, he discovered that there was still some military rations that had not been shipped out in time, so they became life-saving rations for Liu Dan and others.


    Wars always have accidents of one kind or another. Maybe one second is **** and the next second is heaven. Although they both have to die, at least they die in different places.


    Liu Dan repaired for another two days, and Ma Heng and others also returned.


    When Ma Heng''s flag appeared on the mountain road, Liu Dan couldn''t help but breathed a sigh of relief, and then quickly raised it again, because he saw Wei Yan in the queue, and naturally saw the pride on Wei Yan''s face. color.


    Seeing Ma Heng''s flag appear, Liu Dan''s soldiers cheered and waved to Ma Heng and others. Some even started to slap their swords in greeting. On the opposite side, Ma Heng was quite calm and did not show anything special. However, Wei Yan, who was behind him, raised his hand and waved.


    "I''ve seen you..." Ma Heng stepped forward to greet you, and then said, "I''m glad to see you are fine, and I feel at ease..."


    Wei Yan also took a step forward, cupped his hands and said, "I have seen the envoy."


    Liu Dan smiled brightly and stretched out his hand to indicate: "No need to be polite, both of you have made great achievements, and someone has been recorded. After this battle, you should be heavily rewarded!"


    “Thank you, envoy.”


    ?Ma Heng was serious and courteous, which made Liu Dan feel relieved a lot. Liu Dan''s eyes slightly turned to Wei Yan, and he saw Wei Yan standing aside silently, as if he had not heard Liu Dan''s words at all.


    "Haha..." Liu Dan smiled, and then said, "You two might as well take a rest in the village first..."


    Wei Yan seemed to have something to say, but was blocked by Ma Heng. When he saw Ma Heng''s eyes, he retracted his half-step, and then together with Ma Heng, he dismissed his soldiers and prepared to rest.


    “Uncle Chang, please stay!”


    ?Ma Heng and Wei Yan hadn''t gone far when they heard Liu Dan''s guards calling for them to stay. The two looked at each other, then Ma Heng gave a slight signal, Wei Yan nodded, and then separated.


    “Sir, please call me?” Ma Heng and Liu Dan met again.


    "Come on, Uncle Chang, no need to be polite, sit down, sit down, no need to be polite..." Liu Dan smiled, took Ma Heng''s arm and said, "I had known that Uncle Chang had a strategy in mind, but now it turns out that he has achieved such outstanding achievements. The future is promising…”


    “It’s just a coincidence to give you a reward...” Ma Heng glanced at Liu Dan, cupped his hands and said, “…If you don’t have your guard, how can you win?”


    Liu Dan obviously breathed a sigh of relief, and immediately said decisively: "Uncle Chang, there is no need to be too modest! Uncle Chang is the first to win this battle!"


    ?Ma Heng bowed his hand and did not continue to decline.


    Liu Dan''s smile became brighter and brighter. After a moment of pause, he said, "Uncle Chang thinks, is the current situation feasible?"


    Ma Heng hesitated for a moment. He knew clearly in his mind why Liu Dan lingered here. This was also the reason why he was willing to give up part of his credit to Liu Dan. Although it was temporarily satisfying to be subordinate to the superior, he would always be labeled as an unruly person. Even if It’s this time that you’ve come out ahead, who will dare to use it next time?


    Liu Dan was naturally not stupid, and he immediately offered to reciprocate the peach. But the problem was that Liu Dan didn’t just get a peach, he also wanted to get a peach forest, and make up for all the previous losses...


    Ma Heng pondered for a moment and then said slowly: "Your Majesty, Hanchang has been fortified and clear. There are no people along the way. The mountain road is winding and it is difficult to get down easily... It is winter now, and our army is short of food and grass. If we advance, we will be defeated... If not, Just retreat, reorganize your troops, and look for opportunities to attack again."


    “…” Liu Dan stroked his beard and said nothing, feeling really reluctant to leave.


    "...If you want to capture Hanchang, you can''t do it..." Ma Heng looked at Liu Dan''s face and continued, "...but it''s not difficult to just win one more time..."


    Liu Dan suddenly became energetic and looked at Ma Heng with eager eyes.


    ?Ma Heng leaned forward slightly, leaned in front of Liu Dan, and whispered...


    Liu Dan listened, thought about it for a while, and finally nodded and said, "In that case, let''s follow Shu Chang''s advice!"


    Ma Heng left Liu Dan''s place and went to Wei Yan.


    “Wei Sima, have you had a rest?”


    “Ma Zhizhong, please!”


    ?? Wei Yan walked out of the tent and then invited Ma Heng to come inside and sit down.


    In the previous attack on Brazil, we captured three strongholds. Naturally, some soldiers and some supplies were left behind. Although not many, these remaining supplies became life-saving straw at this moment. Otherwise, there would be no need to fight at all. I was thinking about what kind of tent I could have.


    "Your Majesty, you still want to win?" Wei Yan asked with disdain without trying to hide anything.


    ?Ma Heng nodded.


    ??Wei Yan said "ha".


    Ma Heng glanced at Wei Yan and said, "However, the envoy also agreed to Wen Chang''s plan to lure the enemy... Wen Chang led the army to retreat, and if there is anything needed, he will grant it."


    It cannot be said that Liu Dan is stupid, an idiot, or his IQ has dropped beyond the limit, because who has no utilitarianism? More or less, so utilitarianism is not a big problem. The problem is that Liu Dan overestimated his own strength before and was a little too pushy.


    ??If Liu Dan had no utilitarian aspirations, he would not have accepted the temptation of Fei Qian, the general who conquered the West, nor would he have immediately sent his troops south when his wings were full, or perhaps what Liu Dan thought he was full of wings.


    ?Ma Heng can understand, but understanding is understanding. Whether he is willing to support it or not is another matter. But at the same time, Ma Heng also knew that General Zhengxi Fei Qian still needed Liu Dan, because this Liu Dan was an excuse for General Zhengxi to extend his tentacles into Sichuan and Shu, and control the entire situation into the so-called "brotherly struggle" "The above is not a "foreign enemy invasion", so at least in some aspects, some resistance in Sichuan and Shu can be avoided.


    Winning another victory will prevent Liu Dan from losing all face. It will not only save Liu Dan’s face, but also safeguard the reputation of Zhengxi. At the same time, it will teach the people of Sichuan and Shu a lesson, and it will also facilitate the next stage of fighting or talking...


    Ma Heng looked at Wei Yan and said softly: "Chang Wen, this matter is important, are you sure about it?"


    Wei Yan laughed, patted his chest and said, "It''s foolproof! Please rest assured that it will be cured!"


    Ma Heng''s eyes stayed on Wei Yan for a moment, nodded and said: "As long as the author is confident..." Liu Dan has a utilitarian mind, doesn''t Wei Yan have the same? If not, would Wei Yan be so desperate?


    Wei Yan nodded.


    "Tomorrow at midnight, the envoy will grant Wen Chang the position of general to command the three armies..." Ma Heng said lightly, "In addition... I will leave two hundred people twenty miles to the north and put up many banners. If I win, I will be very lucky. Well, if...it can also be used as a suspect..." Thinking about defeat before thinking about victory has always been the most important point in marching operations.


    ?? Wei Yan claps his hands together and bows his hands: "Thank you Zhi Zhong for taking care of me! I will work for Zhi Zhong!"


    Ma Heng stood up, patted Wei Yan on the shoulder and said: "I am not working for someone, but for Zhengxi... Tomorrow, someone will return north with the envoy, and this place will be left to you... Be careful, if you can''t do it, , retreating means..."


    As Wei Yan sent Ma Heng out of the tent, his heart was filled with ups and downs and it was difficult to calm down.


    Finally can lead the army alone!


    This means that Wei Yan finally moved from the middle and lower ranks of military sergeants to the middle and upper ranks of generals!


    Wei Yan clenched his fists excitedly and looked at the mountains in the distance. His eyes seemed to be shining with brilliant colors under the setting sun...


    (End of this chapter)