Ji Han Da Sima

Chapter 518 The finishing touch
Xuzhou, one of the nine ancient states. It reaches the sea in the east, Daishan Mountain in the north, Jianghuai River in the south, and Sishui in the west. In the middle of his fields, in the middle of his poems, chimes are floating on the shore of Si, and pearl fish are floating on the banks of Huai River, floating in Huai River and reaching Heze.

Xuzhou is located on the Lianghuai Plain, and it seems to have a smooth road with an unobstructed view. However, because it is adjacent to the seaside in the east, reaching up to Daishang and down to Sihuai, there are still many dangers to guard. Once these dangerous points are taken, it won't be a big problem to pass through Xuzhou quickly.

If the state faces the Yangtze River and Huaihe River in the south, if we control Huaiyin and block Sikou, we can prevent the enemies of Huainan from going up the Sishui River and capture the inner city. For example, Yuan Shu sent troops to attack Xuzhou, and Liu Bei took control of Xuyi and Huaiyin.

Or if Xuzhou connects Yuzhou to the west, holds Pengcheng and blocks the Surabaya River, it can prevent enemies from Henan from invading Xuzhou. For example, when Cao Cao first attacked Xuzhou, he went down the Si River and fought with Tao Qian in Pengcheng. Tao Qian was defeated and many people in Xuzhou were massacred by Cao Cao.

Xuzhou reaches Daishan Mountain in the north and is connected to Yanzhou and Qingzhou. The Yi and Shu river valleys are the main transportation thoroughfares connecting the three states. Qingxu Prefecture uses Langya County as its main channel, while Yanzhou Taishan County is located among the Lushan hills, but there are Hua and Fei counties that can communicate with the Yi and Shu river valleys.

Therefore, by guarding the Yi and Shu river valleys, we can prevent the enemy invaders from Yan and Qing states from invading Xuzhou. Tao Qian ordered Zang Ba and the Taishan generals to guard Kaiyang in order to block foreign enemies from Yan and Qing states.

During Cao Cao's second expedition to Xuzhou, Liu Bei blocked Si River due to Liu Bei's defense of Pei County. Cao Cao specially set out from Taishan County in Yanzhou and went to Hua and Fei counties. Zang Ba, who was guarding Kaiyang, could not resist and was killed by Cao Cao into the Yi and Shu valleys. Liu Bei led his troops eastward, but was defeated by Cao Cao and retreated to Tancheng.

Because Liu Bei was guarding Tancheng, Cao Cao was unable to attack Xiapi, so he led his troops eastward and entered Donghai County, killing many people wherever they went. It can be seen that Kaiyang and Tancheng are the northeastern barriers of Xuzhou, sticking to the Yi and Shu river valleys.

As for the land of Xiapi, it is the heart of Xuzhou. Xiapi is located between Si and Yi rivers, reaching Pengcheng in the northwest and Tancheng in the northeast.

The Southern Han Dynasty made two northern expeditions from the Jianghuai River. In the first Battle of Shouchun, Huo Jun defeated Huaiyin and opened up the river channel for the Southern Han Dynasty to enter the Si River Basin.

Just when Huo Jun was approaching Xiapi, Cao Xiu, who had gathered the defeated troops to return to the army, finally met again with Jia Kui, the governor of Yuzhou.

In the big tent, Jia Kui stared at the map on the wall, worried about the current war situation. Cao Xiu was defeated in ambush and fled. Sun and Ren's armies lost their troops and Xiapi was in danger.

Jia Kui stroked his short beard and felt a lot of dissatisfaction in his heart. However, due to Cao Xiu's clan and the current war, he could only suppress his dissatisfaction.

If Xiapi is defeated, a large area of ​​Xuzhou will fall into the hands of the Southern Han Dynasty. But not only that, with Huo Jun's operational capabilities, Xiapi and Huaidong will inevitably be connected. Let the soldiers and civilians spread across the vast Huaidong Plain, gather food and supplies, and recuperate.

Under such a situation, Huo Junfang dared to march eastward with victory and surrounded Xiapi.

The next time he mobilizes troops, Huo Jun will use Xiapi as his base, so he can have two roads for the northern expedition. Lead the water route up the Shuo Si River, go to Pengcheng and conquer Yuzhou; or go against the Yishui River, and march towards Tancheng and enter Qingzhou.

Based on Xuzhou's military location, Huo Jun asked generals Gao Xiang, Tang Zi, and Chen Yue to go north to Licheng to help him contain the Zang and Lu armies that were retreating to Tancheng.

"How many men and horses did Cao Zhengdong lose in this ambush defeat?" Jia Kui asked, holding back his dissatisfaction.

Zuo Qiuxian, the chief secretary, frowned and said, "Huo Jun is marching to Xiapi today, and Cao Wenlie doesn't think of any strategy to defend himself against the enemy. How can we blame the envoy for the defeat of this battle?"

Hearing this, Jia Kui laughed angrily and said speechlessly: "I advised him not to advance lightly at the beginning, but now he is defeated in ambush and he blames me for not following his plan. How can the world be like this?"

Jia Kui had a question mark on his head, and his face suddenly looked unhappy. After Cao Xiu's defeat, he was still so arrogant. If he hadn't sent troops to support and provide supplies, I might not have had to dig river clams to survive.

"Come out of the stronghold to welcome us?"

Now Huo Jun defeated the Wei army in the East China Sea, and with the power of victory, he returned to Xiapi City. Anyone who can defeat Xiapi cannot say that the entire territory of Xuzhou is recovered, but at least the Xuzhou area south of Xiapi and west of Yuzhou can be included in the pocket. The Xuzhou resettled by the Han Dynasty may be said to be worthy of its name.

The attendant lowered his head and replied: "Your Majesty, General Zhengdong gathered 17,000 or 8,000 people. General Zhuge Qian was killed in the battle, and General Chang Diao was wounded. All the baggage of the troops was abandoned, and there were only a few hundred people wearing armor. ”

This is not fatal yet. The most worrying thing is that Huo Jun will raise a large army to besiege Shouchun. If Shouchun is defeated, Henan, which the late emperor spent most of his energy to conquer, will become a bloody battlefield between the two armies.

Hong County, Wei army camp.

After a pause, the attendant looked troubled and said, "According to Wang Qidu, General Zhengdong thought that this battle was defeated because the envoy insisted on crossing the river to plunder the people, so he was defeated in this battle."

The attendant entered the account and reported: "Your Majesty, General Zhengdong is approaching with his defeated troops. He ordered your Majesty to come out of the stronghold to meet him."

"Cao Wenlie went too far!"

"Master, Cao Zhengdong has ordered you to come out of the stronghold to greet you!" Jia Kui quickly ran into the tent and reported.

At the same time, in order to prevent Cao Xiu and Jia Kui from seizing Huaiyin, Huo Jun cut off the Sishui River between Jianghuai and Xiapi, and ordered Xu Sheng to lead his troops to retreat to Huaiyin. Pang Tong led his troops in Huaixi to take advantage of the rising water in summer to lead thousands of naval troops to take boats. When he arrived at Shaopei, he threatened Shouchun.

"Now that I have been favored by the country, I should put public affairs first. How can I mess up important affairs due to personal feelings? If the country is lost, I will not be able to see the late emperor!" Jia Kui said.

After that, Jia Kui led everyone out of the tent and went to the village gate to meet Cao Xiu.

Cao Xiu held the reins and looked down at Jia Kui, who was approaching him from far and near.

"Kui meets General Zhengdong!"

Seeing Jia Kui's respectful salute, Cao Xiu became more bold, with contempt in his eyes, and raised his whip and said: "Jia Yuzhou knew that the army was in a disadvantageous situation, so why did he arrive so late and sit back and watch the army be destroyed and defeated?"

Jia Kui was neither humble nor arrogant, and said: "Kui once said before the war that Licheng and Qushan are not the key points of the country. Even if Huo Jun saves Tang Zi, because of Xiapi and Tancheng, there is no danger to defend them, and it will be difficult to stay there for a long time. It is better to cross They raided the Huai camp to make Huainan desolate."

After saying that, Jia Kui retorted: "The general's defeat at Dayi Mountain today has nothing to do with Kui's troop deployment?" Cao Xiu looked angry and said: "The two armies are fighting. You led your troops to do what you want and did not obey my military orders. Today How could the defeat of our army have nothing to do with you? If my army had received support from Jia Jun earlier, Huo Jun would have been defeated by me!"

He was kind-hearted in rescuing, but was misled by Cao Xiu. Jia Kuizhen couldn't help but said with emotion: "Our army is several times larger than the bandits' army. If the general knows how to fight, how can he be defeated by Huo Jun?"

"Now that Pi is under siege, what strategy does the general have?"

Cao Xiu was uncertain and said: "The city of Xiapi is strong and it will be difficult for Huo Jun to break it quickly. I want to temporarily return our troops and horses to rest and wait for the water to fall in autumn, and then go east to relieve the siege of Xiapi."

With that said, Cao Xiu instructed Jia Kui, saying: "My troops are tired and have little food, so you should give me the baggage."

Cao Xiu really had an inexplicable feeling that he was superior to everyone. He thought that Wei was their Cao family, and Jia Kui was just their working minister. How could he be compared with him?

Jia Kui sneered a few times, bowed his hands and said: "If we follow the general's plan, Kui may not only lose Xiapi, but also Pengcheng will not be owned by our great Wei Dynasty. Kui serves the country as the governor of Yuzhou and is not a subordinate of the general. General Kui also has his own arrangements."

"Jia Liangdao!"

Hearing this, Cao Xiu became furious and shouted to Jia Kui.

Facing Cao Xiu's call, Jia Kui entered the camp without looking back.

Now the governor of Xuzhou was defeated and fled to Tancheng. Huo Jun besieged Xiapi, leaving Pengcheng empty. As the governor of Yuzhou and a border official, he must consider the overall situation and seize the dangerous strategic points of Xuzhou to ensure peace on the country's borders.

Cao and Jia naturally parted ways. Cao Xiu led his troops back to Shouchun to obtain supplies; Jia Kui rushed to Pengcheng to see if he could relieve the siege of Pi with eight thousand men under his tent.

At the same time, in order to seize time, the Han army had arrived outside Xiapi City.

Under Huo Jun's order, the Han army was divided into two groups. One group besieged Xiapi City and built fortifications; the other group built river weirs to prepare for the Si River to flood the city.

In the big tent, Huo Jun discussed military matters with the generals.

Jiang Ji was very worried and said: "Captain, although our army has been defeated, we are alone in Xu. If Xiapi is surrounded and does not surrender, thieves will come from many ways. Now that we have achieved great success, it is better to lead our troops back to Huai to avoid Ruin this achievement."

"Why is Zitong so worried?"

Huo Jun endured his temper and said: "Xiapi is a barrier for Licheng and the East China Sea. Xiapi cannot be overcome. This northern expedition has started at the beginning but has ended at the end. It cannot be said to be a great achievement. Your Majesty is now in the north to contain all the armies. If our army withdraws in this way, The pressure on His Majesty’s troops has increased sharply.”

Jiang Ji was worried for a moment and said: "In the Shouchun Northern Expedition, the commander-in-chief went up against the Si River, intending to cut off the river and flood Xiapi City. However, the thieves used elite troops to cut off the Si River. Unless the commander-in-chief had unparalleled soldiers, it would be difficult to return to the Southern Han Dynasty. If the thief now Resuming the old strategy, Xu Sheng's troops encountered little resistance, and our army only marched to Yuzhou, thus damaging the reputation of the governor. "

"In the past, people in Chu made an appointment to draw a snake, but a guest arrived early. In order to show off their abilities, they added to the snake, so all the previous efforts were wasted. The current situation seems to be a guest of that time, and the gain is not worth the loss."

Obviously, the last battle where the Wei army intercepted Sikou left a lot of psychological shadow on Jiang Ji.

Of course, there is no big problem with what Jiang Ji said. The city of Xiapi is so strong that even if it is flooded, it will be difficult to attack quickly. If the city cannot be conquered for a long time and attracts Wei soldiers from all over the world to come for reinforcements, it will inevitably lead to defeat.

Huo Jun walked up and smiled, and said to everyone: "When I came to Jiaoling in the past, I heard that a Taoist said he was good at painting dragons. The people in the village didn't believe it, so they entertained him with wine and food and made him paint dragons. The Taoist's paintings were lifelike, but they were all It has no eyes. The villagers thought it was not beautiful, so they added eyes to the dragon."

"The Taoist said that it is not difficult to add eyes. Only dinosaurs have eyes and can fly. The villagers doubted that he could not do it, and everyone laughed. The Taoist raised his pen to draw, and lightning flashed and thundered, and dragon fruits soared around the world. This is called adding the finishing touch. !”

"It's superfluous and the finishing touch. There's a huge difference between the two. Now that the army is here, if it doesn't plan to kill Pi, it will be a lifelong hatred for someone."

As he spoke, Huo Jun looked at everyone and said in a deep voice: "In Xuzhou, there have been countless battles in the past dynasties. It is difficult to describe the success or failure. However, the importance of Xuzhou's geography is not trivial. Lu fell, Qi declined, Han rose and Chu fell, one after another. Therefore. Anyone who wins Xuzhou will have the chance to conquer the Central Plains."

"Four hundred years ago, Emperor Gaozu attacked Xiang Yu in Xuzhou, and Xiang Yu was trapped in Gaixia. The restoration of Xuzhou must be the first priority for the rise of our Han Dynasty. Now our army has reached Xiapi with the momentum of a great victory, and with the help of the Xia River floods, we should After conquering Xia Pi, looking at Lu and observing Qi, Ji Xin Han Dynasty, what doubts do you have? "

The generals were silent, mostly agreeing with Huo Jun's words, but some people would eventually ruin the atmosphere.

Huo Youzhi scratched his head and whispered: "But your Majesty defeated Xuzhou twice!"

Although the sound was not loud, it was enough for all the generals in the tent to hear.

Huo Du was so angry that he raised his hand to hit his son and said, "How can you talk nonsense about His Majesty's merits and demerits!"

"cough!"

Huo Jun coughed a few times, pressed his hands, and said: "I have my own plan to conquer Xiapi, so don't be anxious. Zi Tongduo knows hydrology and geography, and now he is leading his troops to build river weirs for the purpose of flooding the city."

"No!" Everyone responded.

(End of this chapter)