Weird Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3618: The gap gave rise to doubts and the night attack fell into the trap

Jiang Jiong and Zhu Ling had not spent too much time together, so generally speaking, they were pretty good at marching, setting up camp, preparing, mobilizing, dispatching and so on. However, to say that the two of them could cooperate seamlessly and act like one another within just a few days was obviously still a little bit of a gap.

This difference cannot be seen under normal circumstances, but problems are inevitable at some special moments.

For example, Zhu Ling wanted to attack at night.

Jiang Jiong, however, felt that there was no need for a night attack.

There are many reasons on both sides.

No one could convince anyone else, so in the end Zhu Ling led his men to launch a night attack, while Jiang Jiong led the battle.

In the military, to gain people’s trust, merit comes first.

Zhu Ling naturally wants more merits. Even if he can't be as good as Taishi Ci and Zhang Liao, he should at least be as good as Wei Yan, right?
You know, the General of Cavalry often scolded Wei Yan in the Military Academy, but the next moment, Wei Yan had joined Cao's army. Didn't the General of Cavalry have to smile helplessly in the end?
If you want to launch a night attack, the most important thing is of course military strength. Zhu Ling thinks that his own military strength is still good. In addition, Zhu Ling found that the Cao army guards at Black Stone Pass were already exhausted after days of fighting...

"You've all seen that we can't keep Cao's army at bay these past two days... This is our chance. If we wait for Cao's army to reinforce us, it will be difficult for us to launch a night attack then!"

Zhu Ling said to the two or three military academy non-commissioned officers around him.

"That's right!" said a military school student, "As long as we charge into the city and open the gate, no matter how many Cao's troops there are, it will be useless!"

This was their previous experience.

In the previous attack on the Tongguan camp, basically as long as the gate was breached, Cao's army would be dispersed.

Zhu Ling nodded, then slightly raised his head and looked at Jiang Jiong who was guarding the battle in the distance. He endured it for a moment and didn't say anything bad about Jiang Jiong. Instead, he said, "Captain Jiang will guard us tonight... Whether we can take down the city gate depends on us!"

"Please give the order, Captain!" said a military officer, bowing.

The other two or three people followed suit and responded.

Zhu Ling did not deliberately strengthen the scout detection, for fear of alerting the enemy, so he only sent a normal number of scouts. After finding out that the Cao army guards on the wall were still behaving similarly to before, he led his men straight to Black Stone Pass.

For Jiang Jiong, who was working with Zhu Ling for the first time, he felt that Zhu Ling was a little...

High emotional intelligence speaks and acts decisively.

Low EQ words...

That would not be conducive to unity.

The wind was strong at night, making the flags whistle. Jiang Jiong suddenly shivered in the night wind.

He thought of many things in an instant. Even if Cao's army was in a difficult situation, two or three thousand rotation soldiers would be enough, right?

Since they had to defend Black Stone Pass, how could Cao's army be unprepared?
If you were prepared, why did you fight so miserably?

As soon as he thought of this, Jiang Jiong suddenly clapped his hands, "This is bad."

"What?" the soldier beside him asked, "Captain, what did you say?"

The soldiers thought Jiang Jiong was going to issue some orders.

Jiang Jiong opened his mouth and wanted to send someone to call Zhu Ling back, but the next moment, he gave up the idea.

Because if that made sense, Zhu Ling wouldn't have insisted on launching a night attack.

Zhu Ling may not necessarily understand what Jiang Jiong had just thought of, but people can always find various reasons and excuses for themselves to do certain things, especially when they particularly want to do something.

……

……

Zhu Ling has never commanded a large frontal battlefield, so his command is not very good. However, Zhu Ling feels that he has rich experience in night attacks, so why should he do what he is not good at and leave aside what he is good at?
At the beginning, the operation went smoothly.

In the previous battle, the defensive fortifications outside the pass had been cleared, so when Zhu Ling and his men sneaked towards the pass, there was not much movement and no alarm was raised at the pass.

It was not until Zhu Ling and his men began to climb the pass and some people had already climbed onto the pass wall that for some unknown reason, the Cao army guards suddenly screamed, breaking the silence.

"Kill them!"

Zhu Ling knew that the key point of the night attack was to see if they could capture the doorway and open the gate in the shortest time possible!

The corridor going down from the wall is not wide, and can only accommodate four or five people walking side by side.

Zhu Ling led his men to try to rush down the corridor, and Cao's army also tried their best to form a thin line of defense in the corridor.

Zhu Ling was agile and rushed directly into Cao's defense line while the Cao army's formation was not yet fully formed. He chopped down a Cao soldier with one blow of his sword.

Zhu Ling was a brave warrior himself, and his armor was also very sharp. With one strike of his sword, he could directly penetrate the armor and kill instantly. This immediately frightened the other Cao soldiers nearby, and they immediately retreated in fear.

This was exactly the effect Zhu Ling wanted, but what he didn't expect was that when he and his men were about to kill the Cao army soldiers in the corridor, he suddenly heard the sound of a bowstring, and then a sharp sound rang out in the air!

"Raise your shields! Raise your shields!"

Zhu Ling shouted instinctively, but he had no shield in his hand!
In a hurry, Zhu Ling grabbed the body of Cao Jun on the ground, half squatted and half knelt, and pushed the body to one side!
"Puff! Puff! Puff!"

Soon, Zhu Ling felt the corpse trembling constantly, as if protesting that it was still being tortured even after death...

Zhu Ling felt something bad was going on in his heart.

This rain of arrows is too dense!

Normally, real soldiers are not like those in games, where swords, spears, bows and arrows are attached to their bodies, and only when they scream before death will they let go of their weapons. Especially in night raids, if the attacked party panics, it is common for soldiers wearing armor to not be able to find their swords or spears, and those holding bows to not know where the arrows are.

In a short period of time, not only do they need to get swords, spears, bows and arrows, but they also need to form an array and launch a volley of fire upon command...

But now Zhu Ling has already rushed to the city gate, only a dozen steps away...

Zhu Ling took advantage of the gap between the falling arrows to push the corpse out, then pounced on the spot and rushed to the city gate. He raised his sword and was about to kill the Cao army soldiers who might be in the city gate, but his face changed the next moment!
There were no Cao's soldiers in the city gate at all, only stone slabs and sandbags!
"Back off! Back off!"

Zhu Ling shouted and tried to rush back to the top of the city wall as quickly as possible, but the soldiers following him also rushed down. Not only was it difficult for them to turn around at the city gate, but they were also stuck in the corridor!
"Swoosh!"

A new round of arrow rain came down, landing on Zhu Ling and others from time to time.

The hussars without shields could only use armor to resist, but in order to facilitate climbing the city, most of these hussars did not wear thick armor, so their defense was not high.

From time to time, people fell to the ground, and the corridors of the city gate were soon filled with corpses...

……

...Inside the pass, Cao Zhang commanded the heavy armored infantry holding spears and halberds in the front, followed by sword and shield soldiers, and then archers, who slowly advanced and shot at the hussars in the corridors and city gates.

He blocked the gate of the pass because he had no intention of leaving.

Of course, if Zhu Ling and Jiang Jiong noticed a detail...

During the battles over the past few days, Cao's army collected corpses, but they ignored the corpses of those that fell outside the pass.

Of course, this alone may not explain anything, but it can also be a condition for auxiliary judgment. Combined with some other battlefield changes, perhaps the trap set by Cao Zhang can be discovered in advance.

This trap has a bit of the meaning of "those who are willing to take the bait"

If Zhu Ling or any other general from the Cavalry Academy does not come, then the trap will be useless.

But now, Zhu Ling came and stepped in.

The battlefield is also a casino.

Chips are life.

As the art of war says, there is no constant position of troops, just as there is no constant shape of water.

Everyone understands this principle, but everyone has their own path dependence and habitual thinking. Not everyone can always be free from the interference of sunk costs, and not everyone will think that they should open a small one just because they have opened 20 big ones before...

It's like some people are obsessed with studying the red and blue code of later generations, thinking that as long as they can get seven numbers right, they can summon a dragon. They feel as if there are some mysterious cosmic laws between each of the seven numbers, but in fact, each number exists independently and has no connection at all.

Cao Zhang divided the soldiers into three arrays, stacked the heavily armored soldiers in the front row, compressed the space of the hussars, and kept stabbing forward with spears and halberds. In contrast, most of the soldiers led by Zhu Ling had short weapons because they had to climb the wall, and thus suffered a great loss.

In addition, there were waves of arrows raining down from Cao's archers. Even though Cao Zhang was not a famous general, he also played a very strong regional cooperation at this moment and harvested the lives of many hussars.

Upon seeing this, Zhu Ling was heartbroken and regretted that he was too greedy for fame and honor and could not keep a calm mind.

In fact, under the advantageous situation, just as Jiang Jiong persuaded Zhu Ling before, there is no need to attack at night. Just fight in a regular way and press forward with dignity. Cao's army will collapse sooner or later. What's the use of reinforcements? It's just a matter of fighting for a few more days.

In the end, Zhu Ling didn't listen. It wasn't that he didn't understand the principle, but he was anxious and greedy, so he thought that the cards in his hand would be enough to win all the games, so he placed a heavy bet.

Zhu Ling shouted, fighting bloody battle, "Break out! Follow me and fight your way out!"

In the Battle of Tongguan, Cao Zhang was basically defeated all the way, but now he finally finds a sense of having the upper hand, and naturally he will not let go easily, so the bloody battle between the two sides has become more and more brutal.

Jiang Jiong, who was outside the city, saw the flames blazing inside the Black Stone Pass, and the sounds of fighting and shouting filled the air.

Then Jiang Jiong discovered that things seemed to be going a little differently...

"Is this... a failure in the night raid?"

At first, Jiang Jiong was still waiting for Zhu Ling to send him a signal, but he waited and waited and there was no signal, so he felt something was wrong, "Come on, beat the drum! Attack the city!"

"Captain! Where should we attack?" the military officer beside him asked, "Attack the city gate?"

Previously, Zhu Ling and Jiang Jiong agreed to wait for Zhu Ling to enter the city and then open the gate together. But now it seems...

Jiang Jiong thought for a while and shook his head. He felt that Zhu Ling had made such a big fuss, but the city gate still couldn't be opened. He must have encountered trouble. So he couldn't follow the original agreement with Zhu Ling and attack the city gate.

"Push the ladder truck here! Suppress the city wall!" Jiang Jiong shouted loudly, "Captain Zhu may be in trouble!"

……

……

When Fei Qian and his troops arrived in Luoyang, they also received news of the defeat on the front line.

Zhu Ling's night attack failed, resulting in the loss of many soldiers and he himself was injured.

It wasn't a serious injury, just some cuts and slashes, mainly a missing finger...

Zhang Liao came to see Fei Qian quite embarrassedly.

If he was in command at the front line, he could make a ruling on the spot when Jiang Jiong and Zhu Ling disagreed, instead of each of them doing their own thing. Although Jiang Jiong rescued Zhu Ling and others in the end, this loss could have been avoided from the beginning...

The reason why Zhang Liao did not go to the front line was because he had to stay in Luoyang.

After conquering a city, unless one intends to massacre and loot the entire city, the things to do are not only complicated, but also require a lot of energy and time.

Obviously, after the Cavalry Army captured Luoyang, it was impossible for them to set fire to it immediately, burn everything, rob everything, and kill everyone. Instead, they had to turn Luoyang into a base for advancement and a new starting base. Therefore, a series of systematic military, political and logistical measures were needed to ensure strategic advantages and lay the foundation for subsequent actions.

Stabilizing the city defenses and clearing the battlefield are the most basic matters, and are actions that were launched almost immediately after occupying Luoyang.

Controlling city gates, city walls, watchtowers and other important places, replacing enemy flags and logos, deploying troops to garrison key points inside and outside the city, preventing remaining enemy forces from counterattacking, etc., really did not require Zhang Liao to give special instructions. He only needed to let his military academies bring the soldiers to do it. However, it was also impossible for Zhang Liao to do nothing. At least he had to know how his military academies were controlling the city and whether they encountered any problems. He also had to take time out every day to patrol the city defenses, once in the morning and once in the evening.

Cleaning up the battlefield is also a basic skill of the Cavalry Academy, especially counting battle merits and checking statistics. Not only the military judges have to keep an eye on it, but Zhang Liao must also be aware of it. At the same time, it is also necessary to deal with corpses to prevent plague, confiscate weapons and food left behind by the enemy, repair damaged fortifications, clear traps and secret passages, and ensure that there are no other ambushes or hidden enemy spies in the city.

Otherwise, once General Fei Qian arrived, a few guys would come out to assassinate them. Even with Xu Chu's protection, the success rate would be almost zero. But it would be like shitting on Fei Qian and Zhang Liao's heads and slapping them in the face...

In addition to these military defense matters, Zhang Liao, as the highest person in charge of the temporary military control, also needs to take a series of measures in civil affairs. It is not enough to just post a few notices to reassure the people and think that everything will be fine.

In addition to the notice, Zhang Liao also needs to specially arrange some loud-voiced and relatively friendly military officers to take soldiers to patrol the streets, publicize military discipline, prohibit looting, promise to protect the safety of the people, and eliminate public panic.

In addition, they repaired the damaged areas in the city, provided porridge to the remaining homeless people, severely punished the spies who instigated the rebellion, and pardoned the civilians who were forced to fight in order to divide the enemy forces.

In addition, Zhang Liao also needed to clean up the abandoned and damaged granaries in Luoyang City, build new granaries and arsenals, and store military equipment, horses, and fodder.

Personnel should also be sent to clear the streets, bridges, and canals destroyed by Cao's army to ensure that the supply lines to the rear and the front are unobstructed, and post stations should be set up to transmit military intelligence.

There is still a short time now, and there are also agricultural and engineering scholars such as Zao Zhi following behind. Otherwise, as a new occupier, Zhang Liao will also need to pay attention to restoring farmland water conservancy, encouraging farming, ensuring long-term food and grass supply after the war, etc.

There are so many complicated things to do. Zhang Liao can assign tasks, but he also needs to control the process and track the results, so a lot of his time is taken up and he doesn't pay special attention to the situation in Black Stone Pass.

Zhang Liao originally estimated that the Black Stone Pass was not as majestic as Sishui Pass, so it was not difficult to attack. Therefore, he thought that Jiang Jiong and Zhu Ling were enough to take Black Stone Pass. Moreover, in the military, eating alone is also a taboo. After all, war itself requires mutual cooperation. If Zhang Liao took all the merits for himself and took everything without leaving anything for others, then the next time Zhang Liao needed cooperation, perhaps others would stand by and watch...

Just like in history, Guan Yu was too arrogant and harsh on Mi Fang, and Fu Shiren did not follow up with corresponding means and strategies, which eventually led to major problems in the defense of Jiangling and ultimately affected the Battle of Xiangyang.

Zhang Liao was not as arrogant as Guan Yu in history. Most importantly, Zhang Liao was also very smart. He understood that Fei Qian wanted them to evolve into commanders, not generals. So he had to be able to manage the army when he was on horseback, and he also had to be able to manage the people when he was off horseback. Luoyang was the best place for Zhang Liao to practice, so Zhang Liao also cherished this opportunity.

Unfortunately, Zhang Liao had prepared a very good answer sheet, but when Fei Qian arrived in Luoyang, Zhu Ling suddenly smeared a large stain on the answer sheet...

Although the failure of this night attack was caused by Zhu Ling's self-willed approach and his greed for merit and recklessness, Zhu Ling is now under the jurisdiction of Zhang Liao, so Zhang Liao also needs to shoulder the responsibility of leadership.

This time, Fei Qian brought more than 6,000 reinforcement troops. Of course, the most important thing was not the soldiers and horses, but the replenishment of military equipment and food. The baggage carts were endless, and the transported materials squeaked on the axles of the baggage carts.

Seeing Zhang Liao coming to apologize, Fei Qian waved his hand and said, "Let's not talk about this for now... Wenyuan, this time, I also brought you an assistant..."