Weird Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3490 Let's Guess Together

Fei Qian burped.

He put down the wooden bowl, picked up the water bag and gulped down two gulps instead of rinsing his mouth, then swallowed the water for rinsing his mouth along with the residue in his mouth.

Fei Qian was full, but there were still many hungry people in front of him.

These hungry people were surrendered soldiers and captives of Cao's army.

Fei Qian was not a saint, but he knew that these Cao army surrendered soldiers and captives were not his enemies, but poor creatures who were begging for food.

Under the distant sky, one figure after another is walking slowly on this yellow land.

Farther away, huge columns of smoke rose up.

That is the remaining smoke from the battlefield.

Burning corpses or other waste.

The figures came closer, swaying and stretching out in a long line.

There were hussars holding tricolor flags on both sides of the road, some marching slowly along with the soldiers, some shouting and moving back and forth.

These people were all prisoners of Cao's army or surrendered soldiers.

After defeating Cao's Zhongtiao Mountain camp and the Dukou military camp, a large number of Cao's surrendered soldiers and prisoners would be transferred to the rear.

The transfer will take place at the foot of Anyi City, and then selection and assignment will take place.

The hussars were in high spirits. When they saw Fei Qian's flag, they raised their swords and guns and shouted in salute from afar.

Fei Qian smiled and nodded in response, but his eyes were more focused on the surrendered Cao army prisoners.

After these surrendered soldiers and captives took off their simple armor, what was left were even simpler and more worn clothes, and thin bodies. Some were old, some were young, and some even looked like children.

Most of them are very thin, with shoulders as thin as a piece of paper.

These people were swaying, crowded like grass, drifting on the loess mountain, with their heads down, as if they would wither and die in the north wind in the next moment. They occasionally raised their heads, but did not dare to look too much. When they met Fei Qian's eyes, they would immediately lower their heads. In those eyes, there was fear and anxiety, as if they would go to the slaughterhouse in the next moment...

When the horn of war is sounded, the ones who suffer are always the lowest class of people.

"Come here!" Fei Qian signaled, "Find some Taoists... and march with us, and recite some scriptures for them..."

"Taoist priest?" Huang Xu was a little confused.

Fei Qian nodded, and then handed the wooden bowl, water bag and other things to Huang Xu, "There are only two ways to make these guys feel at ease... One is to eat enough. If you are full, you won't be suspicious... The other is to find some Taoist priests..."

What can keep people's hearts is either material or spiritual.

Most of Fei Qian's food and fodder now have to be used to satisfy the soldiers first. Even Fei Qian himself eats very simply, not to mention letting these captured and surrendered soldiers eat better than the hussars. This is not in line with the actual situation, so he can only work on the spiritual aspect.

Instead of immediately preaching how good Guanzhong is and how bad Shandong is, recalling the bitter past and thinking of the sweet past to criticize the landlord class, it would be better to directly use the Taoist priests. The easy-to-understand Five Directions and Five Emperors, coupled with a basic diet, can calm the hearts of these frightened surrendered prisoners, which will also be conducive to the next stage of work.

Perhaps these Cao army soldiers had seen too many demon-like armies and had stayed in hell for too long, so even if they surrendered now, they were still afraid and uneasy. It was like the later generations who stayed in the community of the shooting three six nine for a long time and would immediately lie on the ground when they heard firecrackers.

Most of these surrendered soldiers and captives of Cao's army were recruited from refugees by local princes and gentry from all over the country. Under Shandong's system of treating refugees, the refugees, who had lost everything and suffered from hunger, were also destroying the hopes of others, spreading like a plague.

Those who survived joined the army, and for two or three pieces of black cake, they killed or were killed.

In such an environment, these people are like locusts, sweeping and devouring. The more people there are, the hungrier they are, and the hungrier they are, the greater the destruction. How long will it take for hungry people to turn into beasts?

Perhaps the time is shorter than anyone imagined.

The people of the Han Dynasty did not understand what war syndrome was...

In order to turn these ghosts into humans again, Fei Qian spent a very long time in Pingyang. He almost killed all the guys who were only willing to use knives but not hoes. Only then was the situation truly stable.

So, does Fei Qian have enough time to deal with and screen these people now?

Or will the current conditions make this time shorter and the transformation faster?

Everything is still unknown...

If a person wants to change places, he may not be able to do so whenever he wants.

If thousands or tens of thousands of people want to move to a certain place together, it would be a very cumbersome process.

Fei Qian originally wanted to wait for the artillery and rockets to be transported from Anyi to Zhongtiao Mountain, but before the artillery and rockets arrived, the Zhongtiao Mountain camp was breached.

Although Fei Qian had received instructions from Cao's army craftsmen to dismantle and destroy the gunpowder caches that had been set up by Cao's army but failed to explode, for the sake of safety, Fei Qian still had people conduct a careful check on the mountain roads to ensure that there would be no accidents when the large army passed through.

The military academy sent by Tongguan for liaison also reported the latest battle situation.

Under the direct command of Cao Cao, Cao's army fought and retreated, and Pang Tong and others were unable to gain any great advantage.

Now, if Fei Qian wants to block Cao Cao in Heluo, he must cooperate with Tongguan to quickly send troops, march into Henei from the south side of Taihang Mountain, and then cut off Cao Cao's way back to Shandong.

But from the south side of Taihang Mountain, out of Chenguan Pass...

It's not a good idea.

Before the Tang and Song dynasties, most Chinese dynasties had their capitals in Chang'an and the surrounding areas of Luoyang, Henan. As a result, several major strategic regions were formed in ancient Chinese history, namely Guanzhong, Hedong, Henan, and Hanoi.

There is no need to mention Guanzhong, and then there is Hedong, which is where Fei Qian is now.

Henan is not Yuzhou, but the Heluo area, including Luoyang, where Cao Cao’s army is currently located.

Hanoi is the area north of the river and south and east of Taihang Mountains.

The focus of the current battle situation has gradually shifted from Tongguan Hedong to the battle of the "two capitals".

Chang'an, Luoyang.

Chenguan is the passage between Henei and Hedong.

From Guanzhong, you can cross the river to Hedong, then pass through Chenguan from Hedong to Henei, and then cross Mengjin from Henei to Heluo. It can almost be said that a small Chenguan can connect the "four major war zones" of ancient China.

Moreover, among the Eight Passes of Taihang Mountains, Chen Pass is ranked first, which is enough to prove its former status.

Being so important, shouldn’t Chenguan have a great reputation in history?

But Fei Qian thought again and again, but he couldn't remember any battle that broke out in Chenxing and left a significant mark in history...

Hangu Pass, Tong Pass, Shanhaiguan Pass, Juyong Pass, etc., all have their names recorded in history because of a famous battle, but Chen Pass seems to be just guarding the important road and is unknown in the mountains.

This couldn't help but make Fei Qian think deeply.

The military strategists and strategists in Chinese history were not as smart as the keyboard warriors of later generations, so these military strategists and strategists did not know to take the Chenxing Pass, but only knew to stick to the Qiaohan Road?

Obviously not.

From Guanzhong to Henan and then to Shandong, the Qiao-Han Road is obviously easier to travel.

The same crossing of mountains and rivers, the same pushing of chariots and riding of horses, the closer the distance, the more obvious the effect of strategic surprise attack, the lower the cost of manpower and material resources. In ancient times, when transportation was not well developed and the technology content was not high, the manpower and material resources saved, multiplied by the number of troops, would be a huge number.

Therefore, Fei Qian now also prefers to take the Qiaohan Pass on the south side of the river, and the Chen Pass in the north is only a backup option...

……

……

War, continuous war, is not only a fight of manpower, but also a competition of huge consumption of resources.

In a war, all parties will invest a lot of resources in order to win, including but not limited to weapons and equipment, food and money, etc. In addition, war will also lead to the destruction of existing infrastructure. For example, the original Heluo, which has regained some vitality and vitality in the past few years, is now basically emptied and completely destroyed.

The entire Heluo production came to a complete halt, and the supplies needed by Cao's army were entirely dependent on external transfers.

Distress is inevitable, and the most critical issue now is not just the shortage of supplies. The low morale of the people is also a huge difficulty facing Cao Cao.

Hangu Pass.

Cao's army set up camp on the dilapidated Guanlong plateau.

The Han flag fluttered listlessly in the cold wind.

"My Lord, the food is cold..."

Inside the central army tent, Cao Cao's guards whispered a reminder. Cao Cao frowned, as if he hadn't heard it at all.

With the collapse of Cao's Zhongtiao Mountain camp, Cao's army completely withdrew from Hedong. For a moment, the situation of Cao's army was like a bowstring that was about to break, and no one knew when the last straw would fall.

In Cao Cao's tent, pieces of information were transmitted in.

Just this morning, Le Jin, who had been defeated and fled to Hanoi earlier, sent the message that he had brought his troops and was ready.

War is never a unilateral plan; it also depends on whether the other party can "cooperate".

Previously, Cao Cao had to advance in two directions, but now it was Fei Qian's turn to make a choice...

Divide the troops and combine them.

In the current situation, it seems that Cao Cao will be cut off by the Hussars at any time, but in fact it may not be so dangerous. After retreating from Tongguan to Heluo, although the Hussars have a wider space to gallop, as long as Hangu Pass is not broken, there are still some obstacles for the Hussars to move quickly to Shandong.

Moreover, even if the Hussars broke through Hangu Pass and then marched to Henei to attack Cao's rear, Cao's army would seem to be in danger, but in fact it was not a hopeless situation. Because the Hussars who went around Henei would be attacked from many directions...

Of course, if Cao's army was really cut off in the Heluo area by the Hussars, then the real test would not be for Cao Cao, but for Shandong!

In Shandong at the moment, the only one who can compete with the Hussars is Cao Cao, and the others are not strong enough. So once Shandong completely loses Cao Cao's troops, the war may come to an end, but it also means that the entire Han Dynasty will enter a new stage in which Guanlong will suppress Shandong!

In Shandong, whether it is Jizhou or Yuzhou, wanting to enjoy the most preferential treatment from the Han Dynasty is basically a daydream.

Perhaps they realized this, so there was a split in thinking among Jizhou and Yuzhou. Some people insisted on Cao Cao, while others began to want to be the first to experience the new server. This is a very normal phenomenon.

Since Cao Cao marched into Guanzhong, tens of thousands of soldiers and horses have been killed or wounded. But in fact, the real losses among Cao's army were Cao Cao's relatives, senior generals, the defeat of the Zhongtiao Mountain camp, and the losses of the Zhongling Army and the Zhonghu Army in order to resist the pursuit of the Hussar Army after the retreat from Tongguan.

Those soldiers and laborers who were drawn from various counties in Shandong before the war were under the command of Cao Cao and belonged to Cao's army, but they were not Cao Cao's troops, let alone Cao Cao's personal soldiers. If they were lost, they were lost.

Anyway, it didn't originally belong to Cao Cao's personal property...

This is actually somewhat like the real estate developers of the United States in later generations.

The land on which the houses are built does not belong to the real estate developers, nor does the money used to build the houses belong to them. Even the houses, whether built or not, do not belong to the real estate developers either...

Everything is "borrowed", and the real estate developers don't have to pay it back.

The worst that can happen is bankruptcy!

Cao Cao borrowed manpower and material resources. If he could build this magnificent building, then Cao Cao would naturally make a lot of money. But if it ends up in failure...

Have you ever seen any real estate developer in the US committing seppuku to apologize for an unfinished building?!

For these real estate developers in the United States, it is already very good to be able to say Smith and Marseille. Most of them say that they love to make a fuss or die. The police who are responsible for protecting the interests of taxpayers will arrive at the first time to safeguard the safety of the real estate developers and their personal privacy from being violated.

"Are there any unusual movements in Yanxiang?"

Cao Cao didn't even raise his head, still looking at the map.

The subordinate reported, "My lord, there is nothing unusual with the cavalry in Yanxiang! It seems they are resting!"

Cao Cao frowned, "Rest?"

"Yes! Those hussars have put their horses on the plateau..." said Cao Cao's scout.

"On the horse-grazing plateau?" Cao Cao was stunned and raised his head. "Are you sure?"

The scouts under his command swore to the sky that they had seen it with their own eyes.

Cao Cao nodded and waved his hand, signaling the scouts to go down.

A scout wouldn't lie about something like this.

"My lord! You are bullying our army because we have no one!" Cao Hong came from outside the big tent, his face full of anger.

"Zi Lian, are you feeling better?" When Cao Cao saw Cao Hong coming, he quickly asked someone to bring a stool for Cao Hong to sit on.

Cao Hong wanted to pat his chest to show his bravery, but the wound moved and he couldn't help but grin, and his heroic words turned into a cough...

"Bring me some hot soup!"

Cao Cao ordered.

Cao Hong turned around and saw the food on the table that Cao Cao hadn't touched yet. "My Lord! Here... come and warm up the food!"

Cao Cao's mind was still on the map. He frowned and thought for a moment, "Zi Lian, this is a plan to lure the enemy."

"Luring the enemy?" Cao Hong said, "I think it's the arrogant army!"

While the two were talking, another military school suddenly came to report, "Report! A lot of our remnants have been sent over from Yanxiang!"

Cao Cao frowned, "The same thing again...send the wounded to the rear camp!"

The military school student did not immediately accept the order, but bowed his head and said, "Prime Minister, not all of them are wounded..."

"What do you mean?" Cao Cao was stunned for a moment, then stood up and walked out of the tent.

In the distance, a group of people were slowly approaching from the direction of Tongguan Yanxiang.

The figures of Cao's scouts were running around.

Although they were far away and their appearances could not be seen clearly, from the armor they wore and the tattered Cao family battle flag they held in their hands, it could be generally confirmed that they were the remnants of Cao's defeated army.

In this queue, we can see some people with limited mobility, obviously injured, but there are also some people who are walking normally and do not look like they are injured.

If the uninjured were to carry the injured, that would make sense, but overall it seems that there are fewer injured people and more uninjured people, which is a bit weird.

The Cavalry Corps had sent wounded soldiers back before, but Cao Cao usually just dealt with it coldly.

Deal with it after no one is paying attention.

After all, they were all injured. In the current environment of the Han Dynasty, isn't it normal for the injuries to not be treated?

But now there are not only those who are injured, but also many who are not injured...

This is a bit problematic.

"Could there be a spy?" Cao Hong followed him outside the tent and looked out from afar. "The thief Fei likes to use such despicable tricks the most!"

"All's fair in war," Cao Cao replied.

Since the Warring States Period, there has been no morality in war.

It was already very good for the Hussars to bandage these wounded soldiers. It was impossible to get better treatment. Moreover, deception is the norm in war, so there is no point in blaming the Hussars for what means they used, but the key is how to deal with it.

Obviously, we have to deal with those who are not injured as well. It is a bit...

The key is that these wounded and defeated soldiers who returned are no longer those insignificant ordinary soldiers from the counties. Many of them are the Central Commanders and Central Guards, who are considered the core strength of Cao's army. If they are simply treated coldly, I am afraid that by then...

"Are you sure it came from Yanxiang?"

Cao Cao asked again.

"Your Excellency, that is exactly what is happening. How should we place these people?" the military school student asked.

Cao Cao thought for a moment, "Set up another camp behind the camp... and ask them one by one why they were allowed to return?!"

The military academy under his command went to receive the order.

Cao Hong said: "These guys! They are simply abominable!"

Cao Cao thought for a moment, then smiled and said, "Just right! Just right! Pang Shiyuan thought he had a good plan, but he didn't know that this actually exposed his true intentions!"

Cao Hong was stunned, "My lord, what are you doing..."

"I laugh at Pang Shiyuan, he's too calculating!"

Cao Cao smiled and said, "Let's ask these remaining soldiers first... If my guess is correct, there will definitely be some gains..."