Shuhan

As a pacification minister specially appointed by the Emperor of Wei, Cui Lin went to Shouchun with an important mission.

What we saw along the way were golden rice fields and a scene of bumper harvest, which should have made people happy.

However, Cui Lin was keenly aware that the people around him looked uncertain, as if they were hiding some kind of uneasiness.

Although it is the harvest season, the shadow of war makes people unable to feel truly at ease.

Despite this, Cui Lin still firmly believed that as long as there was food, Shouchun could be defended.

Because food is the foundation of war and the basis for the survival of the military and civilians.

After arriving in Shouchun, Cui Lin went to Sima Yi's mansion without delay.

As soon as the two met, Cui Lin said in a sincere tone: "General, I came here this time on the order of the emperor to understand the situation in Shouchun and discuss major plans with you."

Sima Yi looked solemn and said slowly: "Lord Cui, you came at the right time. Now that the Han army is approaching, Shouchun is in danger. I am very worried."

Cui Lin quickly comforted him, "General, don't worry too much. The emperor has high hopes for you. I believe that you will be able to defend Shouchun. I came here to discuss countermeasures with you to jointly deal with the attack of the Han army."

Then, Cui Lin inquired in detail about Shouchun’s military situation, civilian sentiment, and food and fodder reserves.

Sima Yi answered them one by one, and his expression gradually eased.

After hearing this, Cui Lin had an idea in mind, so he said, "General, I already know the situation in Shouchun. Please rest assured that the emperor will fully support you. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask."

With Cui Lin's comfort and persuasion, Sima Yi's emotions gradually stabilized.

He glanced at Cao Xiu, but still did not say anything that would be detrimental to unity. He just said, "Minister Cui, Shouchun is the gateway to the Great Wei. I will never let it fall into the hands of the Han army."

Cui Lin, the younger brother of Cui Yan, came from the prominent Qinghe Cui family. Since Cao Wei began to use aristocratic families, his status also rose and he held a high position in the Wei court.

"With the general's words, I can explain to His Majesty."

After learning about Shouchun's military situation, people's sentiments, and food reserves in detail, Cui Lin felt relieved. But then he suddenly thought of something and asked Sima Yi, "When will the Han army launch an attack?"

Sima Yi's expression was not very good. He hesitated for a moment and said, "The Han army may attack at any time, at the latest within this month. They have been watching our movements and waiting for the best time to attack."

Cui Lin was stunned for a moment, and then asked, "How do you know they will attack within this month?"

Sima Yi explained: "The autumn harvest is a critical moment in the war. The Han army will never sit back and watch us harvest food smoothly. Food is the foundation of war. Once we have harvested the food, their attack will be more difficult.

Therefore, the Han army will definitely choose to launch an attack when we are harvesting crops, trying to disrupt our rhythm. "

Cui Lin nodded to show his understanding.

He then asked: "Then how does the general plan to deal with the attack of the Han army?"

Sima Yi said with a serious face: "We must harvest the grain, dry it and store it in the warehouse as quickly as possible. As for the Han army's attack, as long as we can stabilize the people's hearts and make the people and soldiers of Shouchun have firm confidence, then the Han army will not be able to attack."

Shouchun is a strong city and it is difficult to capture it by force.

But I’m afraid that Liu Gongsi is going to play tricks on you.

Sometimes even the strongest city is useless when it comes to human hearts.

Cui Lin nodded and said, "In that case, I understand."

The harvest season also arrived on the border of the Han State.

The vast rice fields are like a golden ocean, sparkling with light. The heavy rice ears hang their heads low, as if paying tribute to the hard-working people.

The autumn wind blows by, bringing waves of rice fragrance, which is refreshing. Farmers hold sickles and skillfully cut bunches of golden rice. Their movements are swift and powerful, and sweat slides down their cheeks and drips into the soil, as if expressing the most sincere gratitude to this land.

Fei Yi organized the laborers to go to the fields early and began to harvest the hard-earned grain.

Although the land in the Jianghuai region was fertile, due to civil unrest in Wu, a large amount of land was left uncultivated, resulting in extremely limited harvests.

Fei Yi couldn't help but feel regretful in his heart. If Deng Ai could be allowed to cultivate land here, he might be able to harvest an extra million dan of grain.

But this idea was just a thought. There were too few people in the Wu State. It would probably take at least ten years to recover.

At the same time, the Han Emperor Liu Chan was also worried about the upcoming war.

The State of Wei was also harvesting the fields at this time. Once the Wei army completed the autumn harvest, it would be even more difficult to capture Shouchun.

Therefore, he immediately summoned generals such as Yu Jin, A Huinan, and Guan Xing to his tent to receive his orders.

Liu Chan sat in the tent, looking at the generals in front of him with a serious expression.

He said in a deep voice: "The military department has received news that the Wei Kingdom will harvest crops in the next few days. I wonder what your plan is?"

Upon hearing this, Yu Jin stood up and said firmly, "We must not let the Wei army complete the autumn harvest, as this will only aid the enemy. In my opinion, we should send troops to burn the crops and leave the Wei army with nothing to harvest!"

Ah Huinan also nodded in agreement: "No matter how much food the Wei State has, if it cannot be replenished, it will have logistical problems. Burning their crops will cut off their retreat."

There was a fierce light flashing in his eyes, and he was obviously confident in this plan.

However, Guan Xing's face showed reluctance.

He hesitated for a moment, then said, "The food and fodder are not only used by the Wei army, but also by the local people. If they are all burned, I'm afraid people's hearts will be dispersed. We, the Han army, have always been based on benevolence and righteousness. How can we do such a cruel thing?"

Guan Xing's tone was full of helplessness and pain, and he was obviously deeply resistant to this strategy.

After listening to the opinions of the generals, Liu Chan felt mixed emotions.

Although Yu Jin and A Huinan's strategy was cruel, it was able to effectively attack the Wei army's logistical supplies.

But Guan Xing’s concerns are not without reason.

If the crops are really burned, what will happen to the lives of the local people?

This is not only a military issue, but also a political issue, an issue that concerns the support of the people.

After a moment of silence, he slowly said: "I understand your opinions. However, we cannot only consider the immediate military benefits, but also the long-term political impact. If we really burn the crops, how will the local people view us? Such behavior will only make us lose the support of the people and make the war more difficult."

Liu Chan's eyes slowly swept across the faces of the generals in the tent. He was well aware of the seriousness of the situation. It was indeed a difficult problem to prevent the Wei army from completing the autumn harvest while not harming innocent civilians.

He pondered for a moment, then slowly asked, "Is there a way to have the best of both worlds? To stop the Wei army from harvesting and preserve the livelihoods of the people?"

Wen Pin had been listening quietly to everyone's discussion. At this moment, he stood up and said solemnly, "The Wei army has no shortage of food and grass. Even if we burn all the food and grass around Shouchun, it will be difficult to shake their foundation. Why not use the rice fields as bait and continuously annihilate the Wei army's manpower. This will not only prevent them from harvesting, but also hit their military strength, which is killing two birds with one stone."

When Liu Chan heard this, a hint of appreciation flashed in his eyes. He carefully considered Wen Pin's plan and felt that it was indeed a practical and clever method.

So he immediately said: "Zhongye, you will be the vanguard of this attack on the front line of the Wei army. I will hand over all my 5,000 cavalry to you. I hope you can live up to my expectations and successfully carry out this plan."

When Wen Pin heard this, a look of great joy appeared on his face.

This is a rare opportunity and a great time to show yourself.

He immediately thanked and accepted the order.

"I will obey your orders and live up to your majesty's expectations!"

He secretly vowed to live up to Liu Chan's trust and successfully complete the task.

To the north of the Huai River, the vast fields are covered with golden rice waves, like golden oceans. In this harvest season, the peasants of Wei are bending over, facing the loess and back to the sky, working hard to harvest rice in the fields.

Their faces were covered with sweat and their clothes were soaked with sweat, but they kept waving their sickles, just to turn this golden ocean into heavy grain as soon as possible.

Around them, armored Wei soldiers patrolled vigilantly, their eyes as sharp as eagles, always ready to deal with any possible threats.

The autumn harvest was of vital importance to the State of Wei, so they did not dare to slack off in the slightest, for fear that someone would disturb the Wei army's autumn harvest.

However, in this quiet field, a vibrating sound suddenly came from the distance.

The sound was faint at first, but soon it grew closer and the vibrations grew louder.

The laborers who were harvesting rice looked up with horror on their faces. They didn't know what was happening, but they instinctively sensed an ominous aura.

Close, closer!

The vibrating sound finally became clear. It turned out to be the Han army's cavalry!
They swept in like a gust of wind, the sound of their horses' hooves roared like thunder, making the whole field tremble.

The laborers were horrified and hurriedly dropped their sickles and fled in all directions.

They knew that if they fell into the hands of the Han army, the consequences would be disastrous.

The patrolling Wei army soldiers were also frightened when they saw this.

Although they were wearing armor and holding weapons, they seemed so small and powerless in front of the Han cavalry, which were as fierce as wolves and tigers.

They did not dare to resist and fled in the hope of escaping the disaster.

"Han cavalry!"

"Run!"

"How did the Han cavalry get to Jiangbei?"

However, how can two legs outrun four legs?
The Han cavalry quickly caught up with the fleeing Wei army and killed them one by one.

Suddenly, the field was filled with the smell of blood and killing.

The cries of the civilians and the screams of the Wei army soldiers intertwined together, forming a horrific picture.

The leading general was Wen Pin. He was wearing armor, holding a spear, and standing majestically at the forefront of the cavalry.

His eyes were sharp as lightning, scanning every corner of the battlefield.

Wen Pin quickly ordered the teachers accompanying the army to take the captured food and grass back to the Han camp to replenish the army's supplies. He led the cavalry to another place to continue harassing the Wei army's autumn harvest.

This is a battle without an endless end. Only by continuously attacking the Wei army's logistical supply lines can the Han army achieve ultimate victory in this war.

Under the leadership of Wen Pin, the Han cavalry swept across the fields of Wei like an unstoppable torrent, constantly harassing the Wei army's autumn harvest teams, burning their food and fodder, and beheading their soldiers.

Their actions caught the Wei army off guard and also boosted the morale of the Han army.

The Han army's autumn harvest offensive was like a storm, bringing unprecedented trouble to the Wei army.

The fields, which should have been a scene of bountiful harvest, have now become dilapidated due to the harassment of the Han army.

The autumn harvest was almost stagnant, and a large amount of rice had withered in the fields before it could be harvested. The number of casualties and patrol soldiers added up to nearly 2,000, which was a considerable loss for the Wei army.

In the general's mansion, Cui Lin and Cao Xiu looked solemn and their anxiety was evident in their words.

If this continues, the morale of the Wei army will be severely hit, and the Han army will become even more arrogant.

Therefore, they kept urging Sima Yi to find a way to deal with this situation.

"General, we must think of a solution!" Cui Lin said anxiously, his voice trembling a little. "If we continue like this, our morale will be worn out by the Han army, and they will become more and more arrogant!"

Cao Xiu also said: "General Sima, you are very wise, but if you can't even handle this, how can you be qualified to guard Shouchun? We can't let the Han army lead us by the nose like this!"

Sima Yi sat at his desk with a map in his hand, carefully studying the terrain and the movements of the Han army.

After listening to Cui Lin and Cao Xiu's urging, he sneered and said, "Since the Han army is using the rice fields as bait, we should take advantage of their strategy and ambush the Han army. If that doesn't work, we can pretend to be the Han army and burn the rice fields."

Cao Xiu's face changed immediately when he heard this. He said anxiously, "These grains and grass belong to our Great Wei. How can we burn them? Isn't this destroying the Great Wall?"

Sima Yi disagreed. He said calmly: "What Shouchun lacks is not food and grass, but people's hearts. If the people knew that it was the Han army that burned the crops they worked so hard to cultivate, they would definitely feel resentful. This is the people's heart, and we can use this heart to better defend Shouchun.

When the time comes, we can comfort the people appropriately, give them some compensation and help, and they will stand on our side more firmly. "

People's hearts!

It’s still the human heart!

As long as we can defend Shouchun, what does it matter if we burn some food?
The next day, just after dawn, the Wei army had already ambushed at the designated location, waiting for the arrival of the Han army.

They hid in the dense forests near the rice fields or lurked in the grass by the roadside. Each of them held his weapon tightly in his hand, with a tense and solemn look on his face.

However, as time passed, there was no sign of the Han army.

Sima Yi stood on a high place, looking into the distance with a frown on his face.

He didn't know why the Han army was so slow to arrive. Could it be that the secret military commander was too well-informed and had leaked their ambush plan in advance?

He couldn't help feeling anxious. If the Han army didn't come, their ambush plan couldn't be implemented and the autumn harvest wouldn't be able to proceed smoothly.

Just then, the sound of hurried horse hooves broke the tranquility of the early morning.

Sima Yi's heart tightened and he looked quickly, only to see a group of Han cavalry galloping towards a place where they were not ambushed.

He cursed in his heart, knowing that the Han army had seen through their plan.

"There are absolutely no secrets in Shouchun. Damn the spy chief!"

Sure enough, the Han army wreaked havoc in the rice fields where there was no ambush, preventing the Wei army from harvesting in autumn.

Sima Yi was furious when he saw this. If this continued, the morale of the Wei army would be severely hit.

So he decisively gave up the plan of ambushing the Han army, and instead had people pretend to be Han soldiers, burn food and grass, rape and loot the people, in order to arouse the anger of the people around Shouchun against the Han army.

Although this plan was insidious and vicious, Sima Yi believed that it was the only way to turn the situation around.

These soldiers took advantage of the cover of night and sneaked into people's homes silently. Their movements were swift and secretive, as if they were ghosts in the night.

Once they entered the people's homes, they began to destroy them crazily. They set fire to food and grass, and the flames spread quickly, lighting up the night sky and the terrified faces of the people.

The people looked at the blazing flames, their hearts filled with fear and helplessness. They didn't know who had done this and only thought it was a brutal act of the Han army.

At the same time, these Wei soldiers disguised as Han soldiers also began to rape and loot.

They wantonly robbed the people's property, insulted women, and even killed innocent people. The screams and cries of the people echoed through the night sky. Their hearts were filled with anger and hatred, and they could not tolerate the brutality of the Han army.

Sima Yi stood in the dark, watching all this coldly, with no expression on his face, but his heart was full of pride and satisfaction.

He knew that his plan was half successful. (End of this chapter)