God of War through the ages: Han Xin

Chapter 24 The Wooden Poppy Floating on the Yellow River
Han Xin has already obtained the most accurate information: Wei Bao has deployed heavy troops on the east bank of Pubandu in order to prevent the Han army from crossing the Yellow River from the east of Pubandu. !" This is almost all of Wei Bao's housekeeping capital, which was spent on the east bank of Pubandu.Wei Bao did this because he wanted to please Xiang Yu, and because he was afraid that Liu Bang would turn over his old account.If Wei Bao hadn't been attacked by the Han army and was captured alive in front of Liu Bang, even if Liu Bang didn't kill him, where would his old face be?

After hearing the information, Han Xin smiled contemptuously.

When Liu Bang was demoted by Xiang Yu to the title of King of Han, when he rushed to Hanzhong, Zhang Han and others who guarded the Sanqin also said with certainty that Liu Bang would have no way out from now on, so what happened?How can Wei Bao compare to Zhang Han, and how can Zhang Han be Han Xin's opponent.

Next, Han Xin began to think about how to reach the east bank of the Yellow River.

To force the crossing requires a large number of ships, which is not difficult to do.Guanzhong Qinling is rich in timber, and Xiao He is in charge of military logistics. It is not a problem to build hundreds of large ships, but it will take time.And if you choose to cross Pubandu by boat, will the Wei army on the other side let the Han army cross the river easily and comfortably?Once the battle is unfavorable, the Han army will be wiped out on the water of the Yellow River!The prestige that Han Xin has just established in the world will be destroyed in one day, which is a burden that Han Xin cannot bear.

At this time, Han Xin thought of his first battle when he was just a fledgling-Ming Xiu plank road, crossing Chen Cang secretly.

From a certain point of view, Wei Bao's heavy defense of Pubandu is actually an imitation of Zhang Han's old technique of defending the north entrance of the plank road in Xizhong, but this time the main body of defense has changed from a high mountain to a large river.Technically speaking, the difficulty of crossing the Yellow River is greater than that of forcing the old road. People can walk on the ground, but on the river, it is difficult for people to control their own life and death.Strong winds and huge waves may become allies of the Wei army and directly destroy Han Xin's self-confidence.

At the beginning, the Han army burned down the plank road and successfully attracted Zhang Han's attention to the north entrance of Eclipse Middle Road, and at most the north entrance of Baoxie Road, but ignored the rare Chencang Road.As a result, Han Xin made a clever plan to leave Chen Cang, and settled Sanqin in one fell swoop, which opened up a magnificent life picture scroll of a generation of war gods.

Can it be done in the same way?Han Xin thinks it is possible, at least this idea of ​​"crossing the sea with the sky" can be used.

Didn't Wei Bao conclude that he would inevitably attack Pubandu by force, so he continued to create the illusion that the Han army was going to cross the river from Pubandu, and firmly nailed the attention of the main force of the Wei army to the east bank of Pubandu.In this way, Wei's other Yellow River defense lines will inevitably be empty of troops, and the Han army can choose a relatively safe place to cross the river, and without Wei Bao's surprise, forcefully rush into the east of the river.As long as the Han army enters Hedong, the Wei army will not be the opponent of the Han army at all, because the coach of the Han army is Han Xin.

The Han army wanted to cross Chencang secretly, so they pretended to decorate the plank road in the middle of the eclipse, and deceived Zhang Han.Now Han Xin can put all the boats crossing the river on the west bank of Pubandu, and he has to do it with great fanfare. Wei Bao defends Pubandu heavily, which shows that he believes that the Han army will not go to other ferries.What Han Xin has to do now is to find a ferry on the west bank of the Yellow River suitable for smuggling.

According to the principle of proximity, the most suitable place for the Han army to cross the river is Fenglingdu, not far south of Pubandu, but Han Xin quickly rejected this idea.There are two reasons:
[-]. Fenglingdu is too close to Puban, and here is the big bend of the Yellow River, where the waves are rough.Even if the Han army crosses the river from here, there are still several hills on the north bank of Fenglingdu. If the Wei army blocks the Han army from the mountains, not only the Han army's sneak attack plan will fail completely, but the Wei army will be firmly nailed to the east of the river and cannot move.

[-]. After crossing Fenglingdu, the Han army is about to reach the north bank of the Yellow River, and the north is facing the Wei army. Han is Yin and Wei is Yang.If the Wei army discovers the movement of the Han army, Wei's heavy troops will move south to Fenglingdu. Once the Han army launches an attack halfway across the river, the Han army will die without a place to bury it.

If you choose to cross the river in Pingyin in the hinterland of Henan, the Han army will have to travel long distances, and the northern peaks of Pingyin are densely packed, with Wangwu and Zhongtiao mountain ranges, which are not conducive to sneak attack marches.This plan was also rejected by Han Xin, who squatted on the ground and stared at the military sand table carefully.After a while, Han Xin's eyes suddenly brightened.

Xia Yang!

Xiayang (now Hancheng, Shaanxi) is located in the northeast corner of Fengyi County, a new home in the Han Dynasty, close to the west bank of the Yellow River. The river here is very wide, and the east bank is Fenyin, where the Fen River flows into the Yellow River.Generally speaking, the narrow river surface has a fast water flow, and the wide river surface is relatively stable, which is conducive to the Han army crossing the river.There are two more important points. One is that the Wei army has no personnel stationed here, and the other is that after crossing the Yellow River from Xiayang, the east bank of the river is a plain and valley, which is conducive to the long-distance Han army's raids.

Just when Xiayang was crossing the river, Han Xin had already made his decision.

But how to cross the river from Xiayang, Han Xin has another consideration, because the smuggling to Xiayang must be carried out under top-secret circumstances, and Wei Bao must not be aware of it.To cross the river, the Han army had to take a large number of ships, but the targets of the ships were too large and they were easy to be spotted. Otherwise, what would be the sneak attack?

Besides boats, are there other means of crossing the river?I don't know if it was reminded by someone, or because Han Xin had a flash of inspiration, he thought of a strange tool for crossing the river - wooden poppy fou.

Poppies, in fact, are pottery pots with a big mouth and a small belly. During the Warring States Period, Qin and Han Dynasties, they had become common daily necessities among the people.How can clay pots cross an army of tens of thousands of people?

Could it be that Han Xin wanted to stuff soldiers into clay pots and sail eastward with the wind?Of course not, clay pots do not have such a large capacity, and besides, the pots are placed on the mighty Yellow River, and they become very small drifting bottles. When there is a strong wind, who knows where it will be blown by the wind?And how do soldiers climb out of clay pots?
What Han Xin thought of was another method of crossing the river using clay pots—making wooden poppy.

As the name suggests, wooden poppy fou is to tie clay pots to wooden rafts, and use the buoyancy of the pots to ensure that the raft does not sink into the water.The Yellow River is so deep that it is impossible to cross the river with a raft supported by bamboo poles, so they can only cross the river with the help of the buoyancy of clay pots.

Han Xin decided to do an experiment. He immediately asked some clay pots to be found, and built a raft out of wood. According to Han Xin's request, the craftsman dug a small hole in the middle of the raft, and sealed the mouth of the pot. Tuck it face down into the wooden hole.

Han Xin threw the wooden poppy fou on the river, and sure enough, the raft kept floating on the water without sinking thanks to the buoyancy of the pot.Han Xin's idea is to sit on a wooden poppy fou. Can the buoyancy of the clay pot withstand the pressure of several hundred catties?Han Xin was the first to jump on the wooden poppy fou. The wooden poppy fou swayed a little on the water, but it was still floating.The second person and the third person jumped onto the wooden poppy fou one after another, but they still did not sink.

Han Xin was overjoyed, and pointed to the wooden poppy fou and told the generals: "This thing is very good, and it is enough to become a great event for the King of Han!" Cao Shen and Guan Ying were also overjoyed. Quietly crossing the river and lending Wei Bao a hundred smart brains, he never expected Han Xin to come up with such a trick.

The general ordered: cut down trees, and make wooden valves according to the actual proportion. Generally, one wooden valve can seat three to five people.At the same time, Han Xin sent a team with a lot of money to buy clay pots at all costs in Guanzhong, even if the common people demanded high prices.Based on the tens of thousands of Han Xin's army, at least more than 1000 pottery pots are needed, which is neither a small number nor a large number.Of course, Han Xin also specially asked: You must pay attention to the quality of the pottery pots, and you must not pass them off as good ones, otherwise the military law will follow!

Cross Puban brightly, pass Xiayang darkly!This is the Yellow River version of Han Xin's "Building the plank road in the open, crossing the Chencang secretly".

The plan for crossing the river has been finalized, and Han Xin still has to buy time while purchasing clay pots to build rafts.The responsibility of the Han army on the west bank of Pubandu is equally great. They must put on the posture that the Han army must cross the river from Pubandu, and they must not let Wei Bao see the flaws, otherwise the big thing will be over.

I don't know which general Han Xin sent to carry out this useless task. The last time he sent Fan Kui to build the plank road, Fan Kui often scolded Han Xin for his wickedness.In terms of temperament, Guan Ying is almost the smaller Fan Kuai, so it is more appropriate for Guan Ying to confuse Wei Bao on the west bank of Pubandu.Another point is that "Historical Records: The Family of Cao Xiangguo" records that Cao Shen crossed the river, but "Guanying Biography" does not record Guanying crossing the river, indicating that it should be Guanying who stayed on the west bank of Pubandu.

Han Xin gave Guan Ying the task. There are two points to be grasped. One is to create a big momentum, and the other is to grasp the time. Don't let Wei Bao feel that the Han army will cross the river from Puban immediately, but that the Han army will cross the river from Puban. Saka still needs some time.Only in this way can the necessary time be given to the main force of the Han army who smuggled into Xiayang.

Someone came to report that all the wooden poppies for crossing the river had been built, and the number was more than 1000. Han Xin immediately led the main force to go northward along the west bank of the Yellow River.Because it was a sneak attack, the Han army did not bring clumsy military equipment, prepared dry food, marched in the starry night, and ran wildly on the trails on the west bank of the Yellow River.

The newly made wooden poppy fou has been neatly placed in a hidden place in Xiayang on the west bank of the Yellow River, waiting for the general to inspect and accept it.Han Xin squatted on the ground and carefully checked the seals of the clay pots on the raft. There must be no air leakage, otherwise the consequences would be disastrous.Cao Shen also followed behind Han Xin, checking the quality of the wooden poppy fou, and kept whispering to the people around him.

After a large-scale spot check, there was no problem with the quality of the wooden poppy fou. Han Xin stretched his eyebrows, and there was a smile on the corner of his mouth.Han Xin suddenly thought of another problem. These rafts are generally small. If a single soldier fights, if there is a strong wind on the river, the small raft will be blown over by the strong wind or blown out of the combat area.This is not possible, Han Xin temporarily decided to tie these small wooden rafts together in groups of ten, so that many people can sit on one raft, which is enough to withstand the unpredictable wind.

Everything is ready, just waiting for the general to give an order. The brothers of the Han army brought as few things as possible to reduce the gravity of the wooden poppy fou.The general has an order: every 50 people take a wooden poppy box, do not crowd together, and sit on the four corners of the wooden poppy box to balance the buoyancy.Soldiers on the north and south sides of each wooden poppy fou had to prepare oars, and kept paddling the water waves in the river, urging the wooden poppy fou to approach the east bank of the Yellow River.

It was a sunny day, early autumn in August, the sky was high and the clouds were light, and the sea was calm.On the west bank of the Yellow River, countless wooden poppy fowls are parked on the bank, waiting to perform a glorious mission.

Han Xin first led dozens of soldiers, stepped on the shallow water on the bank, and stepped on the wooden poppy fou tied to the river. More than 20 strong-armed soldiers sat on the north and south sides of the wooden poppy fowl.Cao Shen sat on another wooden poppy fou, and the soldiers of the Han army stepped onto the wooden poppy fou one by one in shallow water. After sitting down, everyone looked at the direction of the wooden poppy that Han Xin was in, and waited for the general to give an order. The big wooden poppies will be rowed into the Yellow River mightily.

Standing on the wooden poppy fou, Han Xin looked at the looming other side of the Yellow River, raised his sword, and shouted: "All the troops follow my orders, cut the rope and push the poppy fou!"

In an instant, cheers boiled on the west bank of the Yellow River.

The soldiers of the Han army had never used such a river crossing tool before. When countless rafts sailed gently into the inner channel of the Yellow River, everyone looked curiously at the few large clay pots that functioned as buoys. Clay pots are so magical that they can carry so many people.

Han Xin squatted on the wooden poppy fou. He didn't hold the pot with his hands, for fear of breaking the fragile pot.Han Xin and the soldiers leaned close together, try not to press the raft with your hands, so as not to increase the gravity of the raft, you can either sit or squat, if the space is large enough, you can also lie on the raft, as long as you don’t mind the river water Dip.

On the west bank of the Yellow River, stars and arrows are fired, and countless rafts are like small movable islands, floating on the mighty Yellow River waterway, proudly floating towards the east bank of the Yellow River.The soldiers on both sides of the raft used all their strength to paddle, while the other soldiers sang military songs in unison.

In the middle, there is Han Xin's singing.

The more Han Xin sang, the more excited he became. Holding the shoulders of his soldiers, he stood up with some difficulty. He wanted to appreciate the greatness of the Yellow River, and at the same time, he also had his own greatness.When the Yellow River came down from the Longmen Mountain, the surface of the water suddenly widened, and the current was no longer rushing. Han Xin's mood became peaceful at this time.

The sound of the wooden oars paddling the water is particularly pleasant, and together with the singing of the soldiers, it forms a wonderful chorus between the sky and the water. The man is happy, but that's all!The humiliating husband who was ridiculed by others in the Huaiyin market was writing his own great legend under the watchful eyes of all the elites in the world.The success or failure of his life will determine the success or failure of everyone. What could be greater than this kind of life?

Han Xin thought of Young Master Evil and Mother Piao, but they all flashed in his mind.He also thought of Wei Bao, Chen Yu, and Xiang Yu.Stepping on the water of the Yellow River, with the blue sky above his head, with his arms outstretched, holding the universe in his hands, and swallowing the world, Han Xin was full of emotion at this time.

The distance from the east bank of the Yellow River is getting closer, which also means that Xiang Yu is one step closer, and Han Xin is one step closer to being a god in the world.Han Xin's ingenious strategy of "strike the north with a voice from the south" has completely deceived Wei Bao. At this time, the king of the Western Wei Dynasty was still standing on the east bank of Pubandu, watching the Han army on the west bank of the Yellow River nervously.

The main force of the Wei army was placed on the east bank of Pubandu by Wei Bao. The entire Yellow River defense line, the Wei army only occupied one point at the southernmost point, and the other river sections had no defense at all.When countless wooden poppies floated downwind to the east bank of the Yellow River, there was no one on the bank. Han Xin carefully squeezed out of the crowd, and was the first to jump ashore under everyone's gaze.The second, the third, the 1th...

On the bank of the Yellow River, it was instantly dark, with countless knives waving, and countless voices shouting.On the course of the Yellow River, countless wooden poppies floated on the water, some were overturned by the wind, and some clay pots were broken, wandering helplessly between the water and the sky.

Han Xin smiled. The moment he stepped on the east bank of the Yellow River, it meant that he would be invincible in the world. What he was most worried about was that the Wei army would garrison heavy troops in Xiayang.But on land or plains, not to mention Zhang Han and Wei Bao, even if Xiang Yu and Ying Bu stood in front of him, he would still not be a fool, because he was Han Xin, the unique Han Xin in the world (excluding Han Wangxin).

(End of this chapter)