Ji Han Da Sima

Chapter 391: There are risks in being in the military, so be cautious when taking up positions!

Although there is a distance of three to four hundred miles from Sikou to Xiapi, the march will take two or three days. However, after riding a good horse and galloping as hard as possible, they could reach Xiapi in one day and spread the news that the mouth of the Surabaya River was blocked to the frontline troops.

There were three horsemen on their way by the Surabaya River. From time to time they waved their whips and whipped the horses under their crotches to make them speed up.

"quick!"

Amidst the urging of the waiting riders, the horse's hooves trampled, the horse's breathing became more rapid, and the sweat on its neck continued to fall. Worried that the war horse would die from internal overheating, Hou sat on the horse's neck and poured water on it, hoping to cool it down.

I don’t know how long the three waiting knights ran, but they only ran along Surabaya. Finally, at sunset, the waiting knights finally saw the Han army scouts scattered around the periphery.

"Who is coming?"

The scouts on the outer edge of the Han army saw the approaching cavalry and rushed forward with their bows.

Seeing his colleagues, the leader of the waiting cavalry responded loudly: "There is an urgent military situation in Huaiyin. General Xu ordered us to pass a letter to the governor."

"Bah!"

The scout looked at the dusty riders and asked, "Password!"

"Hamburgers!" the leader replied.

"fries!"

When the two sides saw that the passwords were being checked, Hou Qi touched the letter in his arms and said, "There is an urgent military situation, and we must see the governor."

"good!"

The scouts cleared the way and led the waiting riders back to camp.

When everyone arrived at the camp, it was already dark, and the camp was lit by fires, dispelling the darkness. Xiapi City is located not far from the camp, and Zhouge has blocked it.

In the big tent, Huo Jun was discussing military affairs with everyone.

Quan Cong raised his hands and asked for instructions: "Captain, the construction of the big weir is about to be completed. I wonder when the Si River will be cut off to flood Xiapi City?"

Huo Jun pondered for a while and then said: "The enemy invaders are advancing eastward. Our army should withdraw from the siege, transfer to the three counties of Suishui, and move the people south. If we don't take down Pi, why bother to destroy the river weir to irrigate the city? If we destroy the water and flood the city, it will be too much. If you hurt the people, you will hurt the world!"

Huo Jun is not a butcher in troubled times, and he cannot treat human life as nothing. In troubled times, it is not easy for the people, but they have to survive in troubled times.

The purpose of storing the Surabaya River today is to attract the Wei army to advance eastward. There are reinforcements outside, and Xiapi City is strong. Even if Huo Jun floods Xiapi City, he will basically not be able to defeat it with only 20,000 people.

Therefore, Huo Jun had already thought about it. When the reinforcements sent by Cao Cao arrived, Huo Jun would withdraw from the siege of Pi, transfer to Suiling, Xiaxiang, and Qilu counties, and move the people of the three counties south to enrich the population of Jianghuai.

Before he finished speaking, Yu Shao, who was in charge of the scout arrangements, hurried into the tent, followed closely by Hou Qi.

"Captain, something bad is going on!"

Yu Shao looked anxious and said: "Last night, the Wei army rushed to Sikou and stationed troops on the east and west banks. Overnight, they not only built pontoon bridges, but also used iron cables across the river to cut off our army's retreat. Wen Xiang learned this morning that he was urgently ordered Wait for the cavalry to go north and ask the governor to withdraw his troops as soon as possible, and he will meet him at Huaisikou."

"what?"

Yu Shao's words were like thunder, exploding in everyone's ears. Not only the generals in the tent were frightened, but also Huo Jun was frightened.

Gao Xiang showed an incredulous look and said: "The enemy did not send troops to the east to aid Xiapi, but ordered the sergeants to block Sikou. Wouldn't he be afraid of our army attacking Xiapi?"

"If Xiapi is breached, what's the point of the enemy blocking Xiapi?"

As if thinking of something, Quan Cong frowned and said, "Could it be that Cao Cao sent a large army, including the army to block Sikou and the army to relieve the siege of Xiapi."

"impossible!"

Gao Xiang stood up from his chair impatiently and said: "The king has stationed heavy troops at Bagong Mountain. Cao Cao needs to raise his troops to confront him. Therefore, Cao Cao's troops have blocked Sikou and can send troops eastward to Xiapi."

"quiet!"

Listening to everyone's commotion, Huo Jun slapped the table and scolded everyone, saying: "You have led the army for many years, how can you act like women and children!"

Under Huo Jun's scolding, Gao Xiang and Quan Cong handed over their hands and confessed, then sat down quietly.

Huo Jun was agitated, but his face remained calm, and he asked: "What is the arrangement of the enemy troops in Sikou today? How many men and horses are there? Who is leading them?"

Hou Qi lowered his head and cupped his hands and replied: "To report to the governor, the enemy camped on both sides of the Surabaya River. Overnight, they used iron chains across the river, passed them through wheels, and floated on the water. There were as many as three chains. There were also enemy invaders sneaking into the river. Next, we arranged wooden stakes to prevent the boat from going south."

"The general who is leading the army is watching the flags with 'Xu', 'Wen', 'Zhao' and others. There are about 20,000 men and horses, riding on chariots and riding fast."

"General Xu asked the governor to withdraw his troops quickly and lead his boats down the river. He led his troops to meet them outside Sikou."

"Are there any omissions?" Huo Jun asked.

"I dare not leave you behind. The above words are given by General Xu." Hou Qi said.

Huo Jun waved his hand and said, "I'm tired from running around all day. Now I can take a break!"

"Thank you Captain!"

After the horseman retreated, everyone in the tent was worried and looked restless.

Seeing the panic on everyone's face, Huo Jun comforted him and said: "Although the current situation is dangerous, it is not a dead end. Wen Xiang has stationed troops in Huaiyin, and the king has stationed heavy troops in Shouchun. Although our army is deep in enemy territory, we can still say that we are safe!"

Everyone saw that Huo Jun's expression was as calm as usual, and the panic in their hearts gradually dissipated, and they wanted to calm down.

Gao Xiang calmed down and asked: "Captain, what should we do now?"

"If you want to ask what to do? Ask Cao Cao how he will use his troops now, and what is the situation in Shouchun?"

Huo Jun stood up from the couch and said with a slight smile: "Only when you know the enemy's layout can you have countermeasures!"

"Does Zitong have any insights?" Huo Jun asked. Jiang Ji pondered for a while and then said: "Looking at the enemy's blockade of Sikou, Ji thought that the situation in Shouchun was beyond the king's control, or that the water battle strategy was seen through by the enemy. Cao Cao knew the king's arrangement, so he rushed in with light troops and intercepted They copied our army's retreat route with the intention of encircling and suppressing the governor."

"What Zi Tong said makes sense!"

Huo Jun paced in the tent and analyzed: "Our army was originally a partial army, and most of the attacks we captured at Pi were feints to lure Cao Cao into dividing his troops and marching westward. Now Cao Cao has the idea of ​​​​invading our army, or his strategy of enriching water is being used by others. If you find out, the king may be defeated."

"However, the king is assisted by Fa Xiaozhi and Pang Shiyuan, and he defends according to the mountains and rivers. Even if Cao Cao raises his troops, he will not be able to defeat the king. And if the king is defeated, the troops marching eastward now will not be 20,000, but Cao Cao will raise a large army to conquer it himself .”

Jiang Ji stroked his beard and said: "Captain, no matter what happens now, we should not stay in Pi for a long time. The enemy invaders have only been in Sikou for a day, and their foundations are probably unstable. It is better to break the weir now and cause the Sishui River to surge, so that the boats can't Taking advantage of the rising water, we can join forces with General Xu to attack the enemy and escape the siege."

Quan Cong frowned and said: "We can reject the river weir and divert Si water to flood Xiapi. If our army can conquer Xiapi, we may be able to solve the current crisis."

Huo Jun shook his head and said: "Zang Ba must have more than ten thousand soldiers. Even if the city is flooded by the Si River, we can't quickly attack Xiapi City. Don't forget that after Cao Cao flooded Xiapi City, Lu Bu still held on for several months. , had it not been for the rebellion of the generals under his command, it would have been difficult for Cao Cao to quickly enter the city."

"Although Zang Ba is not as brave as Lu Bu, he is a man who can win the hearts of soldiers. How easy is it to conquer Xiapi City quickly?"

Then, Huo Jun looked at Jiang Ji with a slightly sad look and said: "As for breaking the river weir, it will not be easy to let the boats enter the Huaihe River by taking advantage of the surge in the Si River. Don't forget the downstream river channel of the Si River. Even if the Si River surges, you can It is not easy to break through chains or wooden stakes with a boat."

"It's a relief!"

Thinking deeply about Huo Jun's words, Jiang Ji had a wry smile on his face and said: "Today, the waterway from Xiapi to Sikou is three to four hundred miles long. If we break the water here, when the water reaches Sikou, the water speed will probably be slow."

When the river weir is dug, the water level of the Surabaya River will rise sharply because the accumulated water will flow into the Surabaya River. Jiang Ji hoped to take advantage of the surge in the Sishui River to break through the blockade of Sikou and merge into the Huaihe River.

However, Jiang Ji forgot that Xiapi was too far from Sikou, and the downstream river channel of Sishui was wider and the water flow was faster than that of the boat. By the time the boat reached the lower reaches, Surabaya was no longer able to drive them to break through the defense line. Therefore, the strategy of trying to break the river weir and use the power of the water to enter the Huaihe River is really difficult to achieve.

Huo Jun paced with his hands behind his hands and analyzed: "As for taking advantage of the enemy's unstable footing, cooperating with Wen Xiang inside and outside, and forcefully breaking through the blockade, it is probably impossible. If I were Cao Cao, he would definitely prevent me from forcing a breakout, and would probably send another army to help. Backup.”

After being analyzed by Huo Jun, everyone in the tent looked sad. It seemed that they had no way out and didn't know what to do now.

Gao Xiang was in a depressed mood and said, "If we go by what the governor said, our army will have no way out."

Ding Feng stood up from his chair and said in a deep voice: "The situation is difficult today. Our southerners don't have an army of 20,000 people, so we must have a governor. Now we have to give up our infantry and go south in favor of our cavalry. I would like to lead the scorpion army on foot and cavalry, on a starry night Escort the Commander-in-Chief and the generals southward and cover the Commander-in-Chief as they cross the Huaihe River."

When everyone in the tent heard this, they were quite moved by Ding Feng's proposal and looked at Huo Jun one after another. It is not easy to retreat, so it is better to abandon the infantry and lead the cavalry southward across the Huaihe River.

As if sensing everyone's gaze, Huo Jun showed anger and scolded: "The king has entrusted me with the army. How can I live alone without the army? This is not a desperate situation, so why should you treat me like a desperate person? Since I can lead you north, I can lead you to the north." All the gentlemen, return south to the Jianghuai River."

Huo Jun drew out the sword hanging from his waist, slashed at the table, and said sternly: "Anyone who abandons the army and flees will be executed immediately."

The case was split into two halves, and everyone was in shock and dared not speak.

"Do you know the military order?"

"General, I respectfully follow the military orders!" Everyone stood up one after another and responded in a deep voice.

Huo Jun sheathed his sword and said calmly: "The troops will return to camp to rectify the sergeants. We will break camp and march in the morning."

Gao Xiang bit the bullet and asked, "May I ask the governor, where will we march from tomorrow?"

"There will be military orders issued tomorrow!"

"promise!"

Out of their trust in Huo Jun's impressive achievements in the past, the generals felt an inexplicable sense of peace of mind even though they did not know the specific strategy.

Seeing everyone leaving the tent, Huo Jun looked at the map hanging on the tent and let out a deep breath.

How could he not be a god and come up with a plan in a short time? At present, he can only judge the enemy's situation through limited intelligence, and then think about the enemy's situation.

The current situation was so difficult that it gave him a headache. He did not expect that Liu Bei not only failed to contain Cao Cao, but also let Cao Cao target him.

To be honest, Huo Jun couldn't help but think of Huang Quan in the Battle of Yiling. Liu Bei knew that without the advantage of the navy, he gave up the boat and let Huang Quan stationed on the north bank of the Yangtze River as a partial army.

Yiling was defeated and all the troops on the south bank were wiped out. Huang Quan, who was left alone on the north bank, had no choice but to surrender to Cao Wei instead of surrendering to Soochow.

Now he is luckier than Huang Quan. He has more space to move around than Huang Quan. The Huai River is not naturally dangerous, and there are still reinforcements from outside. If he can make good use of these, he may not be able to lead his army back south.

As for surrendering to Cao Cao, Huo Jun had no idea. Not to mention his wife and children in Wuhan, he has different political ideas from Cao Cao, and he has caused so much harm to Cao Wei, he is destined to not live in peace in Cao Wei!

"You don't know much about your troops, but you will only suffer the consequences. There are risks in being partial to the army, so you need to be cautious when taking charge!"

Staring at the map, Huo Jun couldn't help but complain.

"What are the governors talking about?" Jiang Ji stood alone in the corner of the tent and asked.

"nothing!"

Huo Jun saw Jiang Ji in the tent and asked curiously: "Why doesn't Zitong return to the camp to reorganize the army in preparation for the withdrawal of the camp tomorrow?"

Jiang Ji smiled, cupped his hands and said, "Seeing that the governor is worried, Ji has ordered his generals to reorganize the army, and I am willing to stay behind to share the governor's worries."

"Very good!"

Huo Jun pulled Jiang Ji's sleeve, pointed at the map, and said: "Sikou is now sealed. If you want to lead the An Ran army back south, you should not stay under Xiapi City for a long time, nor can you go south to Sikou. After thinking about it, I secretly think that We can abandon our boats and march westward to the Nishui River, looking for an opportunity to cross the Huaihe River south."

There is a lot of water in Huaibei. In addition to the Ru, Ying, Si and Guo rivers, there are also many small rivers. Among them, the Mi River (today's Tuo River) flows between Si River and Wo River. There are counties in the Xi River Basin, which are divided into Zhi, Qi and other counties. They are not far from Zhongli City in Huainan.

Jiang Ji frowned and said: "Mishui is located between Wu and Si, and Mikou is adjacent to Sikou and Wukou. Our army set up boats to go south to Mishui, fearing that the enemy would know about it. If we cross south from Mikou , and there is a risk of being attacked by enemy cavalry."

Huo Jun raised his lips slightly and said: "I expect it will be difficult to cross Jiukou, but it can alarm Cao Cao and check the strength of the enemy. As for the future plan for the invasion, we can go to Zhi County to discuss it again. We should try our best to preserve the army."

"good!"

(End of this chapter)