Chapter 3435 Seeking truth and being pragmatic
Stepping onto the battlefield again, Qianzhao felt a different kind of feeling in his heart.
If it were the first time I led troops on an expedition and faced the Hussars, I still had some confidence and courage in leading the troops at that time.
But after this period of time, Qianzhao''s mood has changed a lot.
For most people, perhaps becoming a general would mean a yearly salary...
Oh, having an official rank of 800, or a thousand stones, is a perfect life, but does this really affect the wishes of the students?
Kill people and get money.
Speaking of which, isn''t it any different from when I was a ranger?
They are all people who kill big men.
In fact, Qianzhao didn''t know yet, but the big man was more considerate of his appearance, so he still called his official rank "rank" instead of secretly changing it to "position".
Rank, accumulation.
And what about jobs?
So I have to say, those Confucian dog-legs are really cleverly crafted!
The previous battles and victories were all due to the Cao family. The so-called generals and prime ministers are just a portrayal of certain people...
No matter how great their military exploits were, the status that a general like Qianzhao could achieve was still closely related to his closeness to the powerful.
Military exploits are just the icing on the cake.
The key is not how much gong you have, but that you have to have that brocade in the first place.
If there is no brocade on the body, it is still a dog.
What gown are you still dreaming about wearing?
"Ha... I really hope to go to the Han border..."
Qianzhao looked up at the bright light on the horizon and murmured.
When the sun rises, it always brings hope and warmth to people.
But this hope and warm vision were soon shattered by reality.
Cao Jun''s soldiers came in a hurry, saying that Cao Hong was in critical condition and asked Qianzhao to speed up the rescue.
Qianzhao nodded silently and ordered the troops to speed up.
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Sima Yi looked at Cao Jun''s position in Zhongtiao Mountain in the distance, but he was a little distracted.
Sima Yi hurried to Puban, gathered Hao Zhao, and was about to plan how to make some noise on the other side of Zhongtiao Mountain, when he received news about Suoyang Pass.
This surprised Sima Yi.
Because this speed is really fast.
The reason why Sima Yi thinks this way is because most of the wars in ancient times were very long. Not counting the Qin Dynasty that unified the six kingdoms, they fought for three generations, and the battle between Jin and Chu for hegemony lasted for more than 130 years, etc. , just talking about the war between the Han Dynasty and the Xiqiang, it lasted for thirty or forty years, and now...
Sima Yi is relatively able to understand Fei Qian''s strategic thinking.
Fei Qian did not say that the battle in the Western Region would be fought in one go, or that the Western Region would surrender within a short period of time.
Therefore, even if we rush to the Zhongtiao Mountain Camp, no matter how urgent it is, if we can capture it just a few days earlier, what great effect will it have?
The focus is Shandong!
Killing Cao Cao is indeed effective, but it does not mean that it can be done once and for all...
"Zhongda?" 』
Hao Zhao came over and shouted.
"ah? Sima Yi recovered from his distraction and said, "What''s the matter?" 』
Hao Zhao looked at Sima Yi, "Is Zhongda worried about the war?" "Hao Zhao had already called Sima Yi just now, but Sima Yi was distracted and didn''t hear him.
Sima Yi smiled, "I think of the Xiqiang Rebellion..."
"Xiqiang?" Hao Zhao said doubtfully.
Sima Yi nodded, "Xiqiang rebellion...Does Bo Dao know the cause?" 』
Hao Zhao pondered slightly, "Zhongda said this. It must be that the Qiang people are in chaos, not just like the imperial notice." 』
"Ah ha," Sima Yi nodded, "The Han in Chang''an were very friendly with the Qiang, but the Han in Luoyang gradually became enemies." Why has it changed? It is not due to the Qiang people, but mostly due to changes made by the Han system. 』
The Western Han Dynasty court originally had a good relationship with the Xiqiang.
History also records that the border between the Han and Qiang people was peaceful for decades when the Qiang people were included.
This is due to the existence of the Xiongnu, which gives the Qiang people a high united front value. If the Qiang people are successfully united, they can defeat the Hus with the Hus. Otherwise, the Xiongnu will gain more support.
However, during the Eastern Han Dynasty, as the Xiongnu, their biggest enemy, was defeated, the northern and southern Xiongnu were divided, and the southern Xiongnu became annexed, the value of the Qiang people''s united front dropped sharply.
When Sima Yi said this, he glanced at Hao Zhao slightly sideways.
Hao Zhao noticed Sima Yi''s gaze and was a little confused, but he soon understood, "As soon as the war stops, there will be no military achievements?" So it’s not the opposite but also the opposite? ! 』
Sima Yi nodded.
In terms of court policy, the general direction of the Eastern Han Dynasty was correct. After wiping out or defeating the great enemy the Huns, they learned from the experience and decided that they did not want the Qiang people to become the second Huns again, so they tried to disintegrate the power of the Western Qiang in terms of macro strategy. We must completely resolve the chaos surrounding the Han Dynasty.
However, big problems arose in specific operations.
Human heart...
A smile appeared on Sima Yi''s face.
Now these decades have passed, and one or two hundred years have passed. People''s hearts are still the same, so what changes have occurred?
At the court, the ministers who were greedy for merit, the local governors who were greedy for money, and the generals who were unwilling to lose their military power after the war with the Huns formed a joint force.
Xiqiang, if you don’t want to rebel, you must rebel!
The Han Dynasty overestimated its own power and underestimated the power of the Qiang people.
Not only the Han Dynasty, but also the tribal leaders of the Xiqiang also miscalculated their own strength. Those who had conflicts with them, or who persecuted the Qiang people, were the officials of the Han Dynasty, but the leaders of the Western Qiang led people to bring bloodshed to the ordinary Han people.
The Qiang people can be said to be a relatively mild type among the nomads, so they should adopt a different strategy from the Xiongnu.
The rulers of the Eastern Han Dynasty obviously did not realize this, but adopted the same strategies of differentiation, disintegration and cruel exploitation of the Qiang people as the Xiongnu, and even tried to turn them into a pariah race.
This is evident from the titles such as Xiongnu and Xianbei.
After hearing this, Hao Zhao nodded, "So...what Brother Zhongda wants to say is not the Qiang people, but Shandong, right?" 』
"Haha..." Sima Yi smiled and said nothing. After a moment, he waved his hand and said, "Let''s go, let''s go!" Since General Xu led the army to attack Suoyang Pass... I estimate that Cao Jun will probably encircle Wei and rescue Zhao! 』
Hao Zhao was stunned, "Then, doesn''t it mean that...we are going to rescue the former military camp?" 』
Sima Yi smiled and said, "How about we also "surround Wei and rescue Zhao"?" 』
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Most of the time, it’s not that we don’t understand the truth in the world, or that no one sums it up, but that after summarizing it, no one is willing to do it.
Cao Hong knew no less than others, but he still didn''t act according to the principles he knew, but dealt with it according to the pattern he was accustomed to.
So Cao Hong lost again.
When Cao Hong lost, did he lose because of his own courage?
Not really.
As a general of Cao''s army, he could stay in the rear without taking risks.
So is it because of recklessness? Neither.
Cao Hong''s overall plan for the battle was determined after many discussions and was not a decision made on a whim.
So it must be that he lost in on-the-spot command?
Neither.
Cao Hong didn''t have any big problems whether he was arranging formations or arranging his soldiers. At least he successfully ambushed Xu and Chu''s troops, which can prove that Cao Hong''s military layout problems were not the most important factor in his defeat.
The most important reason for Cao Hong''s failure was that his soldiers had no idea what Cao Hong was going to do!
Defeat Fei Qian?
Oh, that''s a great goal.
But can it be realized immediately?
Obviously impossible, then this goal is like a slogan hanging on the wall, and no one will take it seriously. Even the official court office did not care about the authenticity of this slogan.
Are you joking? How can you take it seriously?
Do you really want to take it seriously? After so many years of writing so many slogans, do you really want to settle the score? Isn''t it stupid?
As time went by, everyone in Shandong became clear that slogans were just slogans.
So when it came time to hold on to the position and defeat the Feiqian Hussars, the ordinary soldiers in Shandong still thought it was a joke.
The soldiers at the bottom of Shandong didn''t know what Cao Hong wanted, and Cao Hong didn''t know what these soldiers at the bottom wanted.
In other words, even if it was clear, it was ignored by Cao Hong...
The requirements of the soldiers at the bottom are very simple. They have something to eat, something to wear, and something useful. These are the most basic needs. However, these basic needs made Cao Hong very angry!
What time is it, what else are you thinking about eating?
Can''t we just endure it a little longer, suffer a little harder, endure a little longer, and wait until victory comes?
Victory is at hand and the future is bright!
Cao Hong really didn''t understand that for most ordinary soldiers, victory and brightness belonged to the leaders and the Han Dynasty in their perception, but only the black pancakes they held in their hands really belonged to them. their own.
So, just when Cao Hong thought he could endure it a little longer, suffer a little more, endure a little longer, and persist a little longer, these soldiers of Cao''s army were unwilling to persist.
Then the result is very simple, Cao Hong lost again.
He had lost before, but he always felt it was due to other reasons.
Maybe it was too windy, maybe the road was too dry, or maybe the soldiers advanced too slowly and retreated too quickly...
But the interesting thing is that all these reasons and excuses are acceptable to Cao Jun.
Anyway, regardless of whether the lower-level people believe it or not, the announcement above said so. It seems that as long as there is a reason, it is not the point as to what the reason is, whether it is logically related, or whether it is true or not.
What’s interesting is that most of the time, the rulers of Shandong will ask their subordinates to have a truth-seeking spirit, to have a pragmatic attitude, to tell the truth, and to do practical things, and then for certain problems that have obviously arisen, lies will be discovered. Yamen or officials will never tell the truth to the lower class people.
Cao Hong did not tell the truth to his soldiers.
The reason is very simple. Cao Hong was worried that if he told the truth to his soldiers, these soldiers would not be willing to follow him to Suoyang Pass.
Cao Hong was worried that his soldiers would become timid and flee if they knew the true situation.
Shandong and Guanzhong are a kind of political struggle.
However, it is obviously difficult to explain this kind of political confrontation, so most Shandong officials chose not to explain it.
Moreover, Shandong has been implementing the strategy of fooling the people for many years, and everyone is used to it.
As a result, this strategy of concealment and ignorance not only failed to enhance the unity within Shandong, but also caused the soldiers and people under his command to become suspicious of each other at both the upper and lower levels.
Because they don''t understand the situation, many people think that it won''t be a big deal even if they lose anyway. Isn''t it just a matter of changing the master? It''s hard to say that I can get more military pay.
Xu Chu''s flank was ambushed, but the hussars still had high fighting spirit, complete battle sequences, and even executed combat orders without fear of casualties. In turn, Cao Hong''s flank was breached, which immediately affected the entire array, even if Even though Cao Hong''s center and the other flank were basically intact, they were untenable!
The will is easily shaken, and the battle line collapses easily. Even if Cao Hong supervised the battle, he only persisted for a while. Under Xu Chu''s fierce offensive, he could only fight and retreat to Suoyang Pass.
Who would have thought that this small Suoyang Pass would become a point of contention between the two sides?
And now the situation is getting more and more complicated...
In the Suoyang Pass, Yi and some of the hussars were blocked in the stone fortress by Cao''s army.
Between the outer wall and Suoyang Pass, Cao Hong was blocked step by step by Xu Chu in Suoyang Pass...
You are in me, and I am in you.
Perhaps this is what war looks like originally, the form of a big man.
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So is this the case for everyone in Shandong?
Not really.
There are still some people who are willing to take responsibility and have the courage to stand up in times of danger.
Is it just these people...
Just when Cao Hong was defeated and Xu Chu pressed forward step by step, Qianzhao led his men and horses to Suoyang Pass.
Seeing that Cao Hong was in critical condition, Qianzhao had no time to organize his troops or make any arrangements slowly. Instead, he directly led his troops to attack Xu Chu''s rear!
Qianzhao knew that under such circumstances, Cao Hong would never be able to evacuate calmly from the road at the foot of the mountain while being surrounded by hussars. He had to open a way for Cao Hong and directly attack Xu Chu on Mount Suoyang Pass. Although the headquarters will have the effect of attacking from both sides, it will not be of much help to Cao Hong''s escape.
Because once Xu Chu was blocked on the Suoyang Pass Mountain Road, it would be equivalent to blocking Cao Hong''s passage down, so Qianzhao could only choose a more dangerous tactic and march into Xu Chu''s rear military formation.
This means that if Xu Chu retreats, Cao Hong may still have a chance to escape, but Qianzhao may not be able to escape from the hussars...
Even so, after Qianzhao was discovered by the Hussars scouts, he pounced immediately without any hesitation.
Although there were only five or six hundred reinforcements from Cao''s army who rushed to the battlefield at the beginning, these five or six hundred people, under the leadership of Qian Zhao, pounced directly on Xu Chu''s rear army without hesitation, displaying an indomitable momentum. Come.
The screams of killing echoed through the sky, startling Xu Chu who was preparing to capture Cao Hong in the mountain road.
"Cao Jun reinforcements?" Xu Chu frowned, "Come so fast?" 』
The reason why he launched his army to attack fiercely was because he considered that Cao Jun would have reinforcements. If he fought quickly and fought slowly and ended the battle at Suoyang Pass before Cao Jun''s reinforcements arrived, then even if Cao Jun''s reinforcements arrived, it would be meaningless.
Xu Chu''s attack on Cao Hong was indeed progressing smoothly, but similarly, the early arrival of Qian Zhao also surprised Xu Chu.
Moreover, the direction of Qianzhao''s attack was not simple. Among Xu Chu''s rear army, there were still many wounded who were injured in the first stage of the battle and were receiving treatment. They were not able to respond in time, so they suffered a bit. A round of beatings followed by a series of pulling moves.
This is not like Shandong''s style at all, but it is somewhat like the tactics of Yan and Zhao in the north.
Moreover, Qianzhao can directly enter combat status without stopping to adjust the troops, which shows that at least Qianzhao''s direct headquarters is relatively strong, and there are many wounded among his own rear troops...
At this moment, Cao Jun retreated to Suoyang Pass, while the Hussars were attacking along the route of Cao Jun''s previous attack.
This can not but be said to be a kind of irony.
However, the corpses and blood near the city of Suoyang Pass caused some trouble for the Hussars'' attack.
Not only was the doorway blocked by Cao Jun''s corpses, but the messy corpses caused the contact area to become smaller, so that some hussars could only climb up the stone walls and mounds on the edge of the mountain road, raise their heads, and use bows and arrows to suppress them. Some of them rushed directly towards the entrance. Close the wall and put up the ladder in a hurry. Before the ladder could stand firmly, someone holding a shield in one hand and a knife in the other jumped onto the ladder and climbed quickly.
Cao''s army was already unable to hold it any longer, but Shanxia''s move helped Cao''s army regain some of its morale. So although Cao Jun was still in a weak position, it was still somewhat difficult to capture Suoyang Pass in a short time.
Cao Hong obviously had no way to retreat. Under such circumstances, it was somewhat like a fight between trapped beasts. Under the direct coercion of the supervising team, Cao''s soldiers could only fight with the hussars at Suoyang Pass.
The grenade is not very suitable at this angle of upward attack. After throwing it two or three times, not only was it unable to kill many of Cao''s troops on the wall, but it also caused accidental injuries because the grenade bounced back.
The two sides started a brutal fight up and down the city wall. From time to time, some people were shot by arrows, stabbed by spears, and chopped with knives. They screamed miserably, fell off the city wall, or fell to the ground. Many people lay dead beside the city wall, and blood flowed down the city wall, dyeing the city wall red.
"General!" Li Li stepped forward and asked for help, "Let me go meet the enemy general!" 』
Although Cao Jun''s reinforcements who have recently joined the battlefield look very brave now, in fact both sides know that unless there are reinforcements to follow, if this wave of reinforcements is held back by the Hussars, it will still be Cao Jun who will be unlucky. Therefore, as long as this wave of reinforcements from Cao''s army is blocked, the morale of Cao Hong''s troops in Suoyang Pass will also suffer a sharp drop due to the inability to follow up.
Xu Chu wanted to capture Cao Hong first and then turn around to deal with Qianzhao, but the current situation did not allow him to do so unless he completely gave up the wounded hussars...
Xu Chu decided to let Li Li go to fight Qianzhao.
After receiving Xu Chu''s order, Li Li immediately ran down the mountain road with his men, riding his horse towards the recruiting troops.