Weird Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3638: The Iron Cavalry Rises Out, the Mountains and Rivers Hidden Concerns

What are the advantages of the Hussars?
Of course it's people.

Individual soldiers with outstanding quality, military schools with basic knowledge and military literacy, craftsmen who are good at manufacturing equipment and infrastructure, doctors who treat typhoid fever and deal with epidemics, and so on...

As for Fei Qian, Pang Tong, Zhang Liao, Xu Chu and others, they are just icing on the cake.

It's not that Fei Qian and others are not important, but with beautiful brocade, the flowers will be more beautiful.

So what are the disadvantages of the Hussars?
The answer is just as simple: it’s still people.

In such a vast land as Shandong Central Plains, no matter how many people are put in, it is not enough. Once there are not enough people, and things need to be handled, such as various production, personnel organization, water conservancy construction, etc., what should we do?
It will definitely be necessary to recruit some people originally from Shandong Central Plains.

In this way, the people from Shandong Central Plains will be like ink mixed with water, spreading out.

Don't underestimate things like this.

This kind of penetration, once blurred, is extremely difficult to deal with.

Simply put, Guanzhong has a sufficiently effective military structure, but not necessarily sufficient civil affairs personnel.

In the heart of the Central Plains of Shandong, most of the local structures are based on clans and villages. Regional manor peasant economies are formed around the local powerful people of Shandong. Each manor economy is then under the administrative jurisdiction of the counties. The advantage is that a small number of officials can manage a large area, but the disadvantages are also very obvious.

This problem will not be particularly severe when the dynasty is stable, but once foreign enemies appear, the internal chaos and clumsiness will be particularly prominent.

Both the Qin and Han dynasties actually wanted to solve this problem, but the Qin Dynasty was too short-lived. The Western Han Dynasty came up with the theory of heaven and man, while the Eastern Han Dynasty basically just muddled through. Not long after it came up with the Land Measurement Order, it was forced to stop and immediately entered a stage of competing to be the worst.

why?
Isn’t it because Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu did not have enough personnel to manage the local area!
When it is discovered that magic can only be defeated by magic, who would choose to use reason?

If you choose to be reasonable, you will definitely lose, but if you choose magic, you still have a chance to win. So what should you choose? Everyone naturally knows what to do, but in this way, the system and order that originally had problems and could not be solved will be completely disrupted.

In other words, the upper-level rulers of the Han Dynasty knew about these problems, but they felt that it was more important to protect their own positions. As for magic against magic, it was just a fight between the lower classes, and it could also vent the various grievances caused by social pressure and difficult life...

Therefore, for Fei Qian, maximizing his own advantages and avoiding wasting too much manpower became the problem that needed to be solved when facing the Cao army fortifications in Gong County.

There is no doubt that as long as these Cao army fortifications are broken, the enemy's vital point will be torn open. However, from last night's discussion to now, there is still no better plan on how to deal with these fortifications in order to avoid heavy loss of manpower and casualties.

First of all, the first solution proposed was to build bridges and roads.

Since there is a trench, the most basic response plan is to use wooden boards and other auxiliary materials to build a passage or multiple passages.

But soon, this response plan was put on hold.

Because of this plan, firstly, it is easy to burn, and secondly, the wood needs to be transported from a distance, which will take up a lot of transportation space.

If it is not transported from Chang'an Guanzhong, there will also be trouble.

Not all areas allow for the use of local materials and felling of trees.

Gong County has been an area with a long history of human activities and was occupied and repaired by Cao's army for a long time. All the trees nearby have been cut down. If the Cavalry Army wants to obtain wood, the nearest way is to go into the mountains and walk forty or fifty miles in an area where there are no roads!
Originally there should have been some trees around Gong County, but now they have basically become Cao’s army camps, fences, watchtowers, and other facilities.

The second solution proposed was flooding.

The Gong County area, located in the bend of the Yiluo River, is relatively low in terrain, and the Cavalry Army is located upstream. Therefore, if the Cavalry Army stores water upstream, although it cannot achieve the effect of flooding the seven armies, it will not be a big problem to flood the camps and fortifications of the Cao Army outside Gong County.

Once flooded, the trenches, earth walls and other things will naturally collapse.

But this plan also has huge side effects.

The first is the flooded areas, which made it difficult for troops to pass, not to mention the heavy artillery.

If you want to wait for the land to dry and harden again after the flood, it will take at least a month or two.

In this way, the cavalry army had nothing to do in Gongxian County, and even if the food and grass supply was not a problem, some impetuous mentality would appear in the army. If they could not win in the short term at Sishui Pass, this mentality would aggravate the damage and lead to more problems.

At the same time, after a flood, diseases are most likely to breed, and the cavalry army has to pass through such an area...

The third option is to take a detour.

Although Gongxian and Sishui Pass were indeed stuck between two mountains, as the main and fastest passage from Heluo to Shandong, the Cao army's Henei troops north of Mengjin and Xiaopingjin were defeated, thus creating a new route for the advance.

The army can go north through the three ferry crossings of Shanjin, Xiaopingjin and Mengjin, and then march to capture Wen County in Henei, and directly attack Jizhou, and connect with Zhao Yun and Wei Yan's troops in Youzhou and northern Ji, and even hope to capture Jizhou, Qingzhou and other places in a relatively short time.

When Zhang Liao put forward this proposal, it was recognized by many people.

It was even agreed by Pang Tong.

But after repeated consideration, Fei Qian rejected this plan.

Beautiful flowers in the wild often mean potential danger.

That bright-colored bumblebee can kill you halfway with just one hit.

The same is true for this plan. The juicy Jizhou steak looks delicious and fresh, but it may not be free of poison.

To attack Jizhou, either the main force must be moved to the north of the Yellow River, or most of the troops must be divided and sent north, with a small number left in Heluo. This is an almost certain result.

In this case, is it possible to defend against Cao Cao's counterattack relying solely on the Heluo area or the already destroyed Black Stone Pass?
Even if cities like Luoyang could withstand the counterattack of Cao's army, what about cities outside Luoyang?

When Fei Qian asked this question, everyone was silent.

Indeed, if we take the Jizhou route, according to the current situation that most of Cao's main forces are concentrated in Yanzhou and Yuzhou, it is indeed possible to capture Jizhou in one fell swoop, and then press north to the south to take Yuzhou, but what is the reality?

Yuan Shao wanted to suppress the south with the north back then, which resulted in the formation of national unity in Yuzhou.

This is one of them.

If there is one, there must be another.

Cao Cao is playing a big game of chess. Since you have already seen through part of the game, why should you follow the direction given by Cao Cao?
Fei Qian gave everyone strategic guidance during the military meeting.

Will count.

……

……

In the valley, Xiahou Xian led more than a hundred people and walked along the mountain path with their heads down.

Taigu, also known as Dagu.

Anyway, the ancients often used the two words "tai" interchangeably, because for illiterate people who could not read, there was actually not much difference between a little more or a little less.

The valley here is deep, more than thirty miles long. On both sides of the valley, there are gullies and ravines, gurgling streams, steep peaks and dense bushes.

There are Niuxin Mountain, Niuzui Mountain, Laoyangpo Mountain, Waizui Mountain, Dafeng Mountain, etc. in the east and west, with undulating peaks and natural terrain.

The mountain road is difficult to travel.

Everyone walked with difficulty.

The weather was hot, and under the scorching sun, everyone was sweating profusely and soaked through. Sweat left marks on their armor and uniforms, and salt and mud were mixed together.

Xiahou Xian walked in the front.

He is very young.

He looked only about 17 or 18 years old. There was nothing they could do. The Xiahou clan was short of manpower, and all those who could go to the battlefield had already gone.

People will never be able to teach others, but things will teach people once they are taught.

Just a few years ago, no, even just a year ago, Xiahou Xian was only concerned with flying eagles and running dogs, racing horses, and pursuing speed and excitement. Every day when he opened his eyes, he was either looking for someone to play with, or going to some cocktail party somewhere.

But soon, with the progress of the Battle of Guanzhong and the Battle of Hedong, several upper-class figures of the Xiahou family were killed in battle, captured, or fled, and the happiness of the Xiahou family in Qiao County also came to an end.

The rebellion of teenagers is just a desire to show more independence in front of their elders and pursue the realization of their own wishes. But when they realize that they no longer have the shade of trees and eaves that they once disliked or even despised to shelter them, when they realize that they have to face the wind and rain and face the suffering alone, some people go crazy, some people escape, and some people wake up and take over the armor and swords left by their elders.

Even though these clothes and armor are a bit loose, the swords and spears are a bit heavy.

Xiahou Xian looked around vigilantly as he walked.

Since Taigu Pass is called a pass, it must have the distinctive feature of a pass.

This pass later became an important channel for crossing the Yellow River and Luo River to the south during the Jin Dynasty.

Taigu Pass, Yique Pass to the west, and Huanyuan Pass to the east can all be considered part of the Songshan Mountain Range. Of course, Huanyuan Pass is the most difficult to pass. It is said that Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty opened a Huanyuan Road in the mountains in order to offer sacrifices at Songshan Mountain.

The Huanyuan Road had not been repaired for many years and was overgrown with weeds. Even though it was paved with stone slabs during the time of Emperor Wu of Han, it had turned into dust after a hundred or two hundred years. Even hunters who were familiar with the mountain roads found it difficult to pass through, let alone a large army.

Therefore, if the Cavalry Army wanted to cross the Songshan Mountains, they had to either go through Yique Pass or Taigu Pass.

Although Yique Pass is easier to pass than Taigu Pass, it requires a detour, which takes time. Unless it is absolutely necessary, the army should not easily take a detour.

After all, in the current situation, whoever is one step faster will be able to go further.

The hundred or so soldiers led by Xiahou Xian also knew that if the Hussars really marched south through Taigu Pass in large numbers, they would not be able to hold the pass. The only thing they could do was to find out the Hussars' movements as soon as possible and delay their advance as much as possible to give the rear more time to prepare.

Because of this, the sooner we discover the cavalry's movement southward, the better.

If you want to detect it early, of course you can't just sit at home and wait.

The mountain path was rugged, winding and narrow. From dawn to noon, everyone was exhausted.

There were still four or five war horses, which originally belonged to the private property of the Xiahou family.

Now, those people with war horses are Xiahou Xian’s guards.

Half of the people who followed Xiahou Xian were from Qiao County, and the other half were from Yuzhou.

The children of Qiao County were also fine. After all, they knew that with the fall of the Cao and Xiahou families, their good days would be completely over. So even though they were tired and exhausted at the moment, they gritted their teeth and followed Xiahou Xian and moved forward silently.

But the people of Yuzhou...

There was a low grumbling sound.

It’s not that the people of Yuzhou are born bad, or that they are just generalizing, but that human nature is just like that.

When there is a good and properly functioning social order, most people will not show the evil of human nature. It is not because truth, goodness, beauty, loyalty, filial piety, benevolence and righteousness are so easy to use at this time, but because most people know that if they do evil, they will be severely punished by the order.

People are afraid of pain.

Because being burned by fire hurts, you won't touch the flame for no reason.

This is instinctive.

So, what if it’s the other way around? When someone does evil and doesn’t get punished, or sometimes the benefits of doing evil are obviously greater than the punishment…

Just like stealing 100,000 yuan, the Han Dynasty law might sentence someone to ten years of hard labor. However, if a corrupt official stole tens of millions of yuan, he would be dismissed from his post after the matter was exposed. What kind of psychological impact would this have on the common people?
The law should punish those who do wrong, not blindly protect the so-called "weak".

Because the word "weak" is actually relative.

Just like Cao's army now, compared with the Hussars, it can also be called "weak", so should it be protected and favored by the laws of the Han Dynasty?
This is a very simple question, but the reality is often the opposite.

Just like now, the soldiers in Yuzhou were murmuring subconsciously, not to resist Xiahou Xian or to destroy the laws of the Han Dynasty, but out of human instinct. They felt that by murmuring and complaining, or making a fuss, they could gain more benefits now or in the next distribution.

"I am also a veteran of the camp. If you ask me, this battle was fought very poorly..."

"That's right. Back then, he was very proud. How about now?"

"We have to guard this pass, what's the point of crawling around?"

"We all have a hard life. We serve as soldiers and eat food. It is our duty to obey orders. We cannot treat people like animals!"

"My calves have become thinner from all the crawling!"

"Why can't we set up a sentry post on the top of the hill? Then we can see everything, right?"

"Climbing this mountain every day will make even Bu Lao Gai useless..."

The complaints were neither too loud nor too soft, just loud enough for Xiahou Xian to hear.

Xiahou Xian remained silent.

If it were a year ago, he would be like a firecracker, which would explode with a little fire, but now, he seemed to have aged ten or twenty years invisibly, and became a more stable and silent person.

To convince these guys, words alone are useless, and using money and other things alone is equally useless.

Because he has tried all these methods.

At the beginning, he tried to reason with these people, talk about military law, and talk about the righteousness of the country, but Xiahou Xian found that he could talk and these guys would listen. It was just like Xiahou Xian himself when he was rebellious before. He stood and listened to what the elders said, but whether he could listen to it and whether what he said was useful was another matter.

Later, Xiahou Xian stopped talking about these principles and tried to give money and supplies to these guys. Then Xiahou Xian found that when he distributed the money, these people were smiling, and everyone came up to say good things to Xiahou Xian and patted their chests, but after eating, using, and taking a shit, they returned to their old ways.

What's the matter? I ate and drank. What's the big deal? If Xiahou Xian is not happy, then if it really doesn't work, just return the shit you excreted! Anyway, these are all left. Take it or leave it!

Xiahou Xian, who had suffered a loss, remembered the lesson and then remembered what his elders had taught him before...

"People need to rely on their abilities to make a living. Without abilities, you can't even have a stable diet!"

So Xiahou Xian brought his team here, not only to scout the enemy situation, but more importantly to see if he could encounter some cavalry scout teams, and then show his martial arts skills in the family to intimidate these guys.

Xiahou Xian looked up and the sunlight was dazzling.

Suddenly, a mountain mist drifted over, blowing away some dust and bringing some coolness.

The soldiers in the queue also felt the coolness brought by the mountain mist, and they started to squeak in pleasure. Some of them even took off their helmets to let their sweat-soaked scalps feel the rare coolness.

Xiahou Xian couldn't help but let out a long breath, he was also quite tired.

After all, even with his body of seventeen or eighteen years old, even if he was young and strong, he was just entering adulthood. These days, not only did the blisters on the soles of his feet appear and break again, but even the places on his shoulders where he wore armor were covered with blood scabs formed by the skin being worn out.

If it were a year ago, not to mention the pain of repeated friction, even a small wound on the hand would have required careful bandaging and rest for several days...

Xiahou Xian's guard took off the water bag from his waist and handed it to Xiahou Xian, "Young Master, have a drink of water and take a rest..."

Xiahou Xian reached out to take the water bag and was about to open the stopper when he heard some unusual noises in the mountain mist. He stood still and listened attentively.

After all, they are young people. The hairs inside the cochlea and ear canal have not been polluted or destroyed by future sound and light, and still maintain a considerable sensitivity.

Xiahou Xian didn't even bother to drink water. He threw the water bag to his guards and quickly climbed up the rock nearby. Then he saw some smoke and dust rising faintly from the bend of the mountain road in the distance!
Is it the Hussars?
It’s the Hussars!

They, they really came!