Qin Shizhi's Confucian junior master

Chapter 480: Courageous but Frustrated

At this time, Han Xin was leading the army on the way to Fulisai. He did not know that Wei Liao was preparing to fight with him. Based on the known intelligence, Han Xin determined that Wei Liao's real purpose was to go north, and that the army in Fulisai was just a feint attack, in order to prevent the army in Fulisai from daring to act rashly.

Qi State.

Ziyou has been in Qi for many days, and he heard a lot of news about the rebels along the way. For example, the rebels defeated the Qi army defending Zibo in Jixia, and are now attacking Zibo. The once glorious Jixia The academy was completely destroyed by the rebels.

At the same time, the news that Qi Wangjian asked Qin for help was also learned by Ziyou. Ziyou used the tiger talisman given to him by Ying Zheng to send the army stationed in Rao'an south to support Qi. When Ziyou left Xianyang, Yingzheng gave him the tiger talisman and the edict to mobilize the army, just in case, so he could mobilize Bai Yifei from Xinzheng, otherwise Bai Yifei would not have sacrificed his family and the Xinzheng army for his old love. Come to Dongjun.

Ziyou had already arrived at Changguo City. The distance between Changguo City and Zibo was very close, with only Jixia in between. However, the rebels did not attack Changguo, but directly defeated the Qin army in Jixia and headed for Zibo. Zi You was very clear about the intentions of the rebels. Their thoughts were the same as that of Lao Si, a successful Qing emperor in later generations.

Qi Wangjian has the ruling power of Qi State and a large amount of political resources. As long as Qi Wangjian is given enough time, he can mobilize the entire remaining army of Qi State and even recruit civilians to become soldiers to fight the rebels. The rebels only have 30,000 people in their hands, 20,000 of whom are surrendered troops, which they cannot afford. Only by quickly capturing Zibo, clearing the emperor's side, and taking control of the country, Qi's army will naturally not attack them again.

Ziyou sat in the tea shed and drank tea. The boy in the tea shed brought more tea to Zi You.

"You are indeed a Confucian gentleman, and you can still drink tea with us so calmly." The young man looked at Ziyou and said with admiration.

"Oh? Why do you say that?" Ziyou looked at the boy and asked.

"Your accent sounds like you are from Songhai. You don't know. Those damn rebels just passed through our Changguo City some time ago. Although they did not attack our Changguo, they caused harm to many villages and the people fled in. I took refuge in the mountains, and my little tea stall had no customers. Also, these rebels actually set fire to Jixia Academy and killed people. It is said that several old gentlemen died in it.

The people near Changguo City fled, and the merchant fleet also took a detour. And you are still going in the direction of Zibo, so you are brave. "The waiter said while wiping the table.

"How did you know I was going to Zibo?" Ziyou looked at the boy and asked curiously.

The boy scratched his head and said with embarrassment on his face.

"I just guessed. Confucianism has been in our Qi country for many years, and our King of Qi has always treated Confucianism with courtesy. Now that our King of Qi is besieged by rebels, I don't think the Confucian gentlemen will go to save our King of Qi. We Qi Although the king is relatively weak, he has never increased taxes or launched corvees, so he is also a good king."

"You are talking about King Qi in the street, so you are not afraid that the officers and soldiers will hear it. So they will arrest you?" Ziyou looked at the boy and asked.

"What the hell, our king doesn't care about this? Before the rebels came, my tea stall was the only way to go from Zibo to Changguo. I heard many passers-by say so," the boy said.

"Hahaha." Ziyou laughed and took out a handful of Qin's copper coins from his arms and put them on the table. "I don't have Qi's coins with me. If I accept these Qin's half a tael, If so, I’ll treat it as a reward for you.”

"We don't accept anything given by our guests. We accept everything here. When the time comes, I can take these Qin half taels to the city and exchange them with Qin's caravan!" The boy happily grabbed a handful of copper coins and said.

Suddenly there was a sound of horse hooves not far away. Ziyou and the boy looked over and saw a Qi Army flag in mid-air. Under the flag was an army. The leader was wearing Qi Army armor with a smile on his face. serious.

"Hey! It's the county captain of our Changguo City. It seems that he is going to save the king." The boy shook his head helplessly and said.

"Why are you sighing? Don't you want someone to save King Qi?" Ziyou asked.

"Before, the county magistrate led the army of Chang State to fight the rebels in Jixia, and our army lost. How many soldiers do we have in Chang State now?" The boy said helplessly, "I really don't know this. How did the rebels do it, face a large army, and still win?"

"Do you think Zibo will be captured?" Ziyou asked.

"No, I heard that the king has ordered troops from other places to come to support, and also asked Qin for help. Qin's army is a real tiger and wolf army. They should be able to win against these rebels." Xiaosi. said.

"Hahaha, thank you for the tea." Ziyou stood up and said.

"Okay, sir, you have a pleasant trip. I suggest you not to go to Zibo. If you are discovered by those red-eyed rebels, you will definitely die." The boy said.

"Although there are tens of thousands of people, I will go. You also said that the Qi State treats my Confucian family with kindness, but the King of Qi is in trouble, how can I ignore it?" Ziyou walked towards the banner of the Qi army.

"Good sir, you really are a good sir!" the young man said with emotion as he looked at Ziyou's back leading the horse away.

The Changguo county lieutenant frowned when he saw Ziyou coming towards him, and shouted loudly:

"That Confucian scholar in front, please get out of the way quickly."

Ziyou did not get out of the way, but continued towards the Changguo County Lieutenant in front. Seeing this, the Changguo county captain asked the soldiers on the side to go forward and ask Ziyou about his origins.

The soldier nodded and rode his horse towards Ziyou. When he came to Ziyou, he reined in the horse and asked sharply:

"Who are you? You dare to block the way of our army. Do you know that we are going to support the king and fight against the rebels!"

"My lord, Confucian Ziyou, came here to help precisely because he knew that the Changguo county captain wanted to lead troops to serve the king!" Ziyou said, cupping his fists.

"Confucian Ziyou? Just wait, I'll tell our county captain."

The soldiers rode back.

"Lord County Captain, the man in front said that he is a Confucian disciple and is here to help us." The soldier said.

"What!? Did you hear correctly? Are you sure it's Mr. Ziyou of Confucianism?" The county captain looked at the soldier in excitement and panic and asked.

"Yes, I'm sure I heard it right. He said his name was Ziyou," the soldier said.

"You little bastard, can you call Mr. Ziyou by his name?" The county lieutenant slapped the soldier directly on the head.

The soldier suddenly felt aggrieved. He told the truth truthfully, why was he still beaten?

"You guys come with me to meet Mr. Ziyou." The county captain said to the soldiers around him.

"promise!"

The county captain led a few soldiers and rode towards Ziyou. When he was still more than ten steps away from Ziyou, he suddenly stopped and dismounted and walked towards Ziyou. Ziyou got off his horse and faced him.

"Greetings to Mr. Ziyou! I have long heard of Mr. Ziyou's reputation, and now that I have seen it, it is indeed well-deserved!" Changguo County Lieutenant said to Ziyou in salute.

"I have met the county captain, and the county captain's words are serious. In times of crisis, you still remember the king's kindness and lead a lone army to protect the king. This is what a man does." Ziyou returned the courtesy and said.

"Mr. Ziyou's words are serious. I am only loyal to you in exchange for your salary. Did you just hear someone below say that you are here to help?" The county captain looked at Ziyou nervously.

"Yes, I wonder how many soldiers the county captain has now?" Ziyou asked.

"To be honest, eight hundred." The county captain said with some embarrassment.

These 800 soldiers were the soldiers of the entire Changguo City. Changguo City originally had 6,000 soldiers, but in the battle of Jixia, there were heavy casualties, and only 800 soldiers were left defending the city.

"The county captain is really a brave man." Ziyou saluted, "If the county captain believes in Ziyou, hand over these eight hundred people to me."

The county captain thought for a while and asked

"What's your chance of winning, sir?"

"It seems that it is only 80% at the moment. To be honest, I met the King of Qi's envoy three days ago. I have ordered 6,000 elite Qin troops stationed in Rao'an to rush to Zibo. They are all veterans of many battles. As long as we temporarily ease the rebel attack Zibo, just wait until they arrive." Ziyou said.

The county lieutenant glanced at Zi You, and finally gritted his teeth and said, "Okay, more than 800 people including me will now be under your command."

"Okay, without further ado, we'll be on our way right away. Do you have a map near Zibo?" Ziyou asked.

"Yes, sir, wait for me to get it." The county lieutenant took his deputy back to get the map.

"Sir, do we really want to hand over our soldiers to Mr. Ziyou? He was the former Taiwei of the Qin State," the deputy said.

"Do we have any other options? If we don't believe Mr. Ziyou, our people are just a drop in the bucket. Let Mr. Ziyou lead the troops, and there may be a glimmer of hope for the siege of Zibo!" the county captain said helplessly. Of course he knew that Ziyou was from Qin and was devoted to Qin, but if these 800 people went directly to Zibo, it would be tantamount to committing suicide. As a Taiwei of the Qin State, Ziyou had various prestige in the world. He was also the commander-in-chief of the Qin army to destroy Han. Let him lead the 800 people to have a slight chance of victory.

The deputy was speechless and handed the map to the county captain.

After the county captain handed the map to Ziyou, Ziyou led the army and continued to advance while watching the map.

"Send someone to collect nearby black cloth, write the word Qin on it, and raise it as the flag of the Qin army to replace the flag of the Qi army!" Ziyou said.

"Why is this?" Changguo County Lieutenant asked.

"Do you think the current rebels are afraid of the Qin army, or are they afraid of you?" Ziyou asked.

"Of course. It's the Qin Army." Changguo County Lieutenant said in a low voice.

50,000 of them were beaten and fled by 30,000. How could the rebels still be afraid of them? On the contrary, it was the Qin army. Since King Qin Zhaoxiang appointed Bai Qi, no army in the six countries would be afraid of the Qin army. In recent years, the Qin army has continuously destroyed the country, which has long scared the courage of the Qi army.

The Changguo county captain followed Ziyou's instructions and sent people to collect black cloth to make the Qin army's flag. Among the eight hundred people, Ziyou selected a dozen people to act as spies, exploring the road ahead and observing the surrounding terrain. When passing by Jixia, Ziyou looked at the Jixia Academy that had been reduced to ruins, and Ziyou felt very heavy in his heart. A dozen old people and dozens of young people were rummaging through the ruins. One old man held up a half-burned classic and cried bitterly.

Jixia was the place where Ziyou grew up as a boy, and it was also the place where Ziyou became famous. Now that it was burned to the ground, Ziyou felt indescribably uncomfortable.

Changguo County Lieutenant noticed that Ziyou was in a heavy mood and asked cautiously

"gentlemen?"

"I'm fine, just keep going." Ziyou said.

"promise."

Soon Ziyou and his army will arrive in Zibo.

"Sir, ahead is the entrance to Longkou, which is the only way to Zibo. It is also a suspension bridge and is garrisoned by 800 rebels." The spy said.

"Mr. Ziyou, this is the only way to go to Zibo. Zibo is surrounded by water. There are three suspension bridges that can pass through. There are 800 people stationed here, and there must be rebels stationed in other places. We also have 800 people, You can charge once and seize the suspension bridge here." Changguo County Lieutenant said.

Ziyou glanced at the Changguo County Lieutenant, his eyes full of suspicion.

"The rebels occupy the suspension bridge, and there is no way to cross the river. They only need to control the suspension bridge on the other side and shoot us with bows and arrows. What should you do?" Ziyou asked.

"The soldiers of Qi State are not afraid of death. As long as we successfully cross the river, we can seize the suspension bridge." Changguo County Lieutenant said matter-of-factly.

Ziyou looked at the Changguo County captain. At this moment, he wanted to curse, but he still held back. This method can no longer be said to be stupid, but it is simply ignorant of the art of war. Anyone who has never fought in a war knows that this is a way to die. Ziyou was very suspicious that the county captain of a county was so unskilled in the art of war.

"Where did you come from as a county captain?" Ziyou asked in a low voice.

"I once stayed in the army for a period of time, and later became the Changguo County Lieutenant through my father's operation." Changguo County Lieutenant said in a low voice. He was also a little ashamed of his father buying him an official position in Housheng place.

"So that's it, it's okay." Ziyou immediately stopped doubting it. If he bought it, it would be normal. Originally, he thought that the Changguo county captain was just brave and foolhardy, but now it seems that he is just a fool.

After staying in the Qin State for a long time, Ziyou has forgotten that other countries are not the same as the Qin State. County lieutenants and magistrates must undergo strict selection and training before they can be released. Especially in the military aspect, more county lieutenants He is selected from the rank of captain in the army, and the county magistrate must ensure that if the county captain dies, he can immediately take over the army and command the army in combat.

The county lieutenants of Qi State can all be bought and sold. Ziyou also understands why the 10,000 rebels directly attacked Zibo City in a very short period of time. One general was incompetent and harmed the entire army. If this was the case in Qi State, If people are in control of the army, anyone who knows a little bit about the art of war can conquer Qi. What Ziyou didn't know was that after Qi State abolished its armaments, all other countries stopped attacking Qi State. This made Qi State's army more and more disorganized, and the selection of officers was also very random. This made Qi State's army rotten from top to bottom. Down to the roots.

"Then how should we cross the river?" Changguo County Lieutenant asked.

Ziyou looked at the Changguo county captain, and then at the eight hundred troops behind him. He originally thought that these eight hundred people were carefully selected elites, but now it seems that these are soldiers who have not received much training, or even Even Qin's cannon fodder battalion can't match it, and they can't be counted on to seize the suspension bridge.

"I will naturally have a way to seize the suspension bridge by then." Ziyou said.

"Ah? You can tell me how I can learn from it," said the Changguo County Lieutenant.

"The secret must not be revealed," Ziyou said.

"You are a Confucian gentleman, why are you still engaging in Taoism?" the Changguo commander said depressedly.

Ziyou was not in the mood to worry about the Changguo County captain anymore, and continued to set off with his army. Soon they came to the suspension bridge. The rebels on the opposite side also discovered the reinforcements of the Qi army on the opposite side, so they immediately set up a defensive formation.

Ziyou looked at the suspension bridge and then at the rebels on the opposite side. The rebels on the other side of the river also saw the army on the opposite side, and they suddenly panicked when they saw the Qin army's black flag with the word "Qin" on the opposite side. They also knew that Qi Wangjian had asked Qin for help, but they did not expect that the Qin army would be so quick. almost there.

"Sir, what should we do now?" Changguo County Lieutenant asked.

"You must not move without my order." After Zi said, he clamped his legs firmly on the horse's belly and rushed forward.

Before the Changguo County Lieutenant had time to ask, he saw Ziyou rushing towards the suspension bridge ahead.

"Sir, what should we do now?" the deputy asked.

The Changguo county lieutenant thought for a while and then said

"Wait, Mr. Ziyou has created too many legendary deeds, maybe he can create a miracle this time too."

The deputy wanted to say something more, but kept his mouth shut.

The rebels on the opposite side burst into laughter when they saw Ziyou rushing towards the suspension bridge one by one. The captain at the head was smiling from ear to ear. If the Qin army attacked directly, he might be scared, but he felt that this person had had enough life to charge into the battle alone.

"Is this man a lunatic? He rushed over alone, and someone came and fired an arrow!!" The captain in charge of 800 people laughed and said, "It turns out that there are fools among the Qin army, hahaha!"

"Shoot arrows!!"

The archers in the front row loosened their bowstrings, and dozens of bows and arrows shot towards Ziyou. Seeing these incoming bows and arrows, Ziyou not only did not slow down, but instead drove the horses to continue rushing forward. When the horse was approaching the river, Ziyou jumped up from the horse and gathered the inner strength in his hands.

Ziyou, who was in mid-air, looked at the oncoming sharp arrows, and his internal energy spread around him, controlling all the sharp arrows around him.

Seeing Ziyou controlling the sharp arrow in mid-air, both the Changguo county lieutenant and the rebels on the opposite side were stunned, looking at this scene with their mouths wide open.

The internal force in Ziyou's hand condensed. Under the control of Ziyou's internal force, dozens of swords rotated in the air, and the arrows pointed towards the rebels on the opposite side. In the surprise of the rebel commander, Ziyou pushed forward with both hands, and dozens of arrows were quickly fired towards the archers in the front row.

"Hurry up! Shoot another arrow and stop him!" the captain shouted loudly.

(End of this chapter)