Weird Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3665 Ironclad Fortress Surrounded by a Thousand-Foot Barrier, Green Grass Secretly Crosses Ninefold Passes

The news that Sima Yi had once again captured the military fortress naturally reached Fei Qian.

Sima Yi practically mastered the art of mountain warfare tactics.

The military fortress that Han Hao and his troops had painstakingly captured with their blood and flesh was easily taken down by just a few carts of supplies. It's unknown whether Han Hao will cry or laugh when he receives this news.

The military officer sent by Cao Yi to replace Han Hao in guarding the fortress was clearly not vigilant enough. After seeing the grain transport team sent by Sima Yi in disguise, he and his men readily accepted the goods...

So Sima Yi 'happily accepted' the military fortress.

Sima Yi's opponent, Cao Xi, was completely bewildered. Han Hao was injured, and even if he weren't, he might not be willing to be the one "wisely instructed" in the battle report a second time. As for others, they wouldn't dare, wouldn't want to, or didn't want to go.

Cao Yi and Xun Yun racked their brains but still couldn't figure out whether Sima Yi's main force was at the military fortress, at Guiku Pass, or ambushed along the way. So in the end, Cao Yi and Xun Yun could only send a message to Cao Cao requesting "battle guidance"...

Sima Yi now holds the initiative, but Fei Qian feels that there may still be back-and-forth struggles on the Songshan front.

For Cao Cao's army, this was a flank vulnerability torn open by Sima Yi; for Fei Qian, it was a choice between whether or not to launch a major flanking attack...

"Jingzhou..." Fei Qian sighed softly, "It really is... quite tempting..."

Fei Qian stood in front of the map and swallowed hard.

I'm getting a little hungry...

Indeed.

When Guan Yu attacked Jingzhou and Xiangyang, why did all the officials in Xuchang almost retreat to Xuchang? It was because Xuchang was just too close to Jingzhou and Xiangyang!

The key point is that there really weren't any dangerous terrains to hold along the way.

There are passes similar to mountain passes, but mountain passes are much wider.

There are similar shoals, but you can walk along the edge of a shoal.

So Xu County was genuinely panicked at that time...

As long as the Songshan front is controlled by the Flying Cavalry, the Flying Cavalry, having captured Jingzhou, can directly push back to Xuchang, with a smooth and easy path ahead!
Fei Qian could also imagine how shocking it would be for those guys in Yingchuan if he really succeeded in such a strategy, took over Jingxiang, and completely connected Wuguan, Sichuan, Hanzhong and other places into one area!
However, if Fei Qian really moves the main force to the southern front according to this plan, will there be other problems?

Yes, there are many.

Both sides are preparing for a decisive battle, but the preconditions for the decisive battle they want are different.

Cao Cao certainly hoped that Fei Qian's troops would be as dispersed as possible, ideally scattered across Ji Province or some other place, or even across the vast villages and towns of the Han Dynasty...

Therefore, Fei Qian's desired conditions for the decisive battle were quite simple: he hoped that Cao Cao's troops would be as concentrated as possible.

Of course, the "concentrated" force should be Cao Cao's elite troops, that is, Cao Cao's "private army" or "retainers," while the large number of miscellaneous soldiers, auxiliary troops, laborers, and civilians like those in the previous Battle of Guanzhong would be difficult to defeat.

The reason it's so difficult to fight isn't because it's impossible to win, but because even if we win, the effect is rather mediocre. Like in the previous phase of the battle, Cao Cao's army retreated all the way from Tongguan to Heishiguan, and now it's at Gongxian and Sishuiguan...

However, Fei Qian noticed something: during Cao Cao's retreat, the elite troops retreated much faster than the ordinary soldiers from Shandong counties. In a sense, Cao Cao abandoned these county soldiers as if they were baggage train. Fei Qian even saw elite Cao Cao soldiers who had run themselves ragged during the advance…

what?
Even elite troops can run out of breath?
I believe that most people who ask this question don't exercise much at home.

Just like with marathons, if you're in poor health and have never run a marathon before, it's advisable to start training with shorter distances. Otherwise, don't think that strong willpower can determine everything. If you've never run a long distance before and suddenly try to run a marathon, you might be able to finish it, but what happens after you stop...?

The elite troops of Cao Cao's army mostly followed him and fled. As for the ordinary soldiers of Cao Cao's army in various counties and prefectures in Shandong, they would run away if they could, and surrender if they couldn't, adopting a carefree and adaptable attitude.

These captured Cao army soldiers from Shandong counties are now being reorganized. Some have returned to farming, some have been sent to Hedong and will soon be sent to the Yinshan Mountains to become border guards, and others will be taken to the Guanzhong Qinling Mountains to serve as laborers.

However, the screening process and transportation took time, so in the Heluo region, there were several Cao army surrendered soldiers temporarily stationed in camps, and Pang Tong's clerks were sorting them out.

With the help of agricultural and engineering graduates from Zaozhi, Fei Qian quickly established a framework for the restoration of production and daily life in the Heluo region, and organized manpower to focus on the repair of agriculture and water conservancy.

Chinese farmers...

Well, it can't even be said to be solely Chinese; rather, all of humanity may have received a genetic imprint in ancient times, which means they have a special preference for the things they "cultivate."

This "thing" doesn't necessarily have to be a plant; it could be a game, a virtual world, or something else entirely. Psychologically speaking, it's called sunk cost, but it's more likely a kind of "expected happiness" from ancient genes.

The same was true for the "new" farmers who remained in the Heluo region. When faced with the crops they had planted themselves, their arrogance and fear gradually dissipated, and what remained was to work and cultivate the crops every day under the guidance of agronomists and engineers.

This is certainly good, but there is also a problem.

These "new" farmers in the Heluo region, who were in the process of production, also became the "Achilles' heel" of the Piaoqi Army.

This is a completely new war mode...

This also represents the implementation of a new concept promoted by Fei Qian.

During the three or four hundred years of the Han Dynasty, war was not uncommon. However, in most cases, military generals were only responsible for fighting, while civil officials were left to clean up the mess. Civil officials complained that military generals only knew how to destroy and didn't understand the hardships of construction, while military generals retorted by cursing the civil officials, telling them not to think that war was just about burning, killing, and looting…

The benefits of this new model are obvious, but it also brings new problems, namely that the cavalry must have a strong ability to suppress enemy forces on the battlefield.

For Fei Qian at this moment, achieving this is not difficult.

Artillery and gunpowder, in the Guanzhong and Heluo regions as summer arrives, are eagerly preparing to unleash their immense power.

If you go through Taigu Pass and Yique Pass, you'll enter the mountainous area...

It should be noted that the mountain roads in Shandong are not as wide and flat as the Qinling mountain roads that Fei Qian has developed and repaired over many years with blasting!

Therefore, if they wanted to move their troops to Jingzhou and Xiangyang in a short period of time, they had no choice but to abandon their artillery.

What?
Why not for a long time?

The army with the longest supply lines and the greatest consumption of grain is not Cao Cao's army, but the Flying Cavalry!
Moreover, the Flying Cavalry also needed to support surrendered soldiers and restore production...

Time and its consumption are both dynamic and constantly changing.

So...

Fei Qian pondered.

Anyone who has played even a little bit of Chinese chess knows that the combined power of the chariot, horse, and cannon is far greater than the sum of the three pieces.

A cart, a supply cart.

Horses, various types of cavalry, including horse archers, heavy cavalry, and light cavalry.

Cannons, gunpowder, artillery shells, solid shot, and two types of shotgun shells, large and small, that have just entered the stage of actual combat testing...

Of course, if Fei Qian possessed a system that allowed him to directly copy and paste, he could simply create dozens of copies of the current chariots, horses, and cannons out of thin air, and easily conquer the entire world. However, unfortunately, all matter must be built upon its corresponding means of production and production technology.

Fei Qian has already pushed existing metallurgical technology to its limits by being able to manufacture gunpowder and cannons using purified gunpowder as a base material with the current production technology of the Han Dynasty. To go further, we need to promote the advancement of basic sciences, including physics, chemistry, mathematics and other disciplines, in order to drive the development of a new generation of cannons.

This not only requires time, but also more talent.

Especially now, there's the problem of gunpowder being damp.

The deep trenches and high city walls in Gongxian County vividly demonstrate the methods used by the Shandong region during the Han Dynasty, and even by feudal dynasties for thousands of years, to resist war and invasion—the construction of tortoise shells.

The Great Wall is the ancestor of tortoise shells.

Ying Zheng was the first to try something new; that made him a strongman.

The Great Wall symbolizes the unification of China, and within the Great Wall lay the city-states of the Qin state!

The world's number one city-state spanning thousands of miles!
Damn it, how much does this boost the morale of the Chinese people?

What a magnificent strategic idea!

Then what……

It was ruined by a group of keyboard warriors from six different countries who like to bully each other in their own territory.

If these keyboard warriors from the six kingdoms had any new ideas or approaches, that would be fine. But what happened? The Han dynasty followed the Qin dynasty's rules, and still couldn't get things right!

The Qin state was one that, throughout history, expanded outwards, conquered other states, and used every means to subjugate enemy states.

During the Han Dynasty, Dong Zhongshu proposed the idea that to deceive the enemy, one must first deceive one's own people: "Everyone, hurry up and worship the Emperor!"

Fei Qian clicked his tongue and shook his head.

Therefore, what stood before Fei Qian and blocked the eastward advance of the Flying Cavalry can be basically seen as the defensive theory of the self-contained "agricultural people" of China from the Qin Dynasty to the Han Dynasty.

But when did the Chinese people, this "agricultural people," actually begin to be studied?
The Qin Dynasty was clearly a society of "agriculture and warfare," wasn't it?
So who secretly changed "farming and warfare" into "agriculture"? They always claim that Chinese people have a long tradition of agriculture, love peace, are gentle and humble, and are very reasonable...

It's all bullshit!

Fei Qian scoffed at this.

When Yanhuang sought reason with Chiyou, they went with bows and arrows, and their "reasoning" shattered Chiyou's tribe, which only knew close combat and wielding axes...

The Xia and Shang dynasties transitioned from tribes to dynasties with domesticated cattle and horses, and with wheelbarrow technology. They only gave proper explanations to other tribes who were willing to kneel down and raise their hands to listen to their "lectures"...

The truth lies not in scriptures, but in science and technology!

Investigating things leads to understanding the principles of heaven and earth!
This is no nonsense article; it's all about loyalty, filial piety, benevolence, and righteousness!

Just like the 'principle' that Fei Qian is about to explain to the people of Dahan Shandong right now!
New technologies, new tactics, new ideas, new approaches!

Clearly, those from Shandong in the Han Dynasty covered their ears and hid in their "turtle shells," unwilling to listen.

Interestingly, Cao Cao's army also knew the power of the "new" things Fei Qian brought, and understood the power of artillery and gunpowder, but they still used this method of deep trenches and high walls for defense, or rather, attrition warfare.

Therefore, the problem facing Fei Qian now is that although he has achieved some success on both the northern and southern fronts, both the Wenxian area north of the Yellow River and the Jingxiang line in Runan are actually roundabout operations for advancing into Shandong from the Yellow River and Luo River, which are not conducive to the prerequisites for Fei Qian's decisive battle.

However, directly attacking Cao Cao's deep fortifications at Gongxian and Sishui Pass would clearly be unwise...

So how can we take advantage of the current situation to achieve the necessary preconditions for the decisive battle?
Fei Qian's finger moved across the map, finally landing heavily on the area between Gongxian and Sishui Pass, which was densely marked with trenches and walls.

The thick ink seemed to be soaking into Fei Qian's fingertips.

Fei Qian could even feel the coldness and heaviness of the rammed earth walls beneath these traditional Chinese defensive fortifications.

"Turtle shell..."

Fei Qian whispered.

The fingertips swipe across the map with a soft, rustling sound.

These extensive fortifications were indeed the most stubborn, yet clumsy, form of resistance that Cao Cao and his advisors could muster after experiencing firsthand the power of gunpowder. Like a huge scar, it stretched across the throat connecting the Yellow River region to the heart of the Central Plains, exuding an old, stubborn, and irritating aura.

Of course, people from Shandong and the Central Plains of China wouldn't like the term "tortoise shell." They would euphemistically call it a "shield," a "defense," or something else entirely, but the meaning is essentially the same...

China needs both spears and shields!

Emphasizing only the spear is certainly inappropriate, but blindly strengthening the shield while abandoning the spear, or even deliberately breaking or hiding the spear...

That's damn...

Is this an attempt to lure me in, or to wear me down? Or... both?

Fei Qian's gaze sharpened as he swept across the areas on the north and south wings of the map.

Elite troops are Fei Qian's strength, but also his weakness.

Of course, now that things have come to this, Fei Qian wouldn't suddenly abandon his martial arts and follow the path of the redundant troops in Shandong...

We still need new methods and new ideas.

Pang Tong has been at the rear of Guanzhong for the past two days, responsible for checking and inspecting the collection and storage of supplies and provisions.

Fei Qian did indeed implement new policies and systems in Guanzhong and Hedong, providing more opportunities for advancement for underprivileged students and those facing hardship. However, this does not mean that these individuals would not change their ways once they gained power…

This seems like a very funny thing.

Children from poor families and impoverished students may hate those who bully others during their studies, but once they gain power, they inevitably encounter people who start to take advantage of them, not necessarily for money, but for the pleasure of 'controlling' others.

Therefore, Pang Tong, the chief of staff of the general's office, had to clean up these breeding 'mold spots' from time to time...

Only by regularly cleaning up the mold can it be prevented from eventually turning into rot.

That is why Fei Qian can only think about the overall strategic approach himself first, and then seek advice from others...

As a leader, the most taboo thing is to lack independent judgment.

Fei Qian must first formulate some contingency plans in his mind, and then listen to the ideas of people like Pang Tong or Zhang Liao, discover the highlights in their thinking, and combine them with his original contingency plans. He should neither insist on his own views nor completely follow the suggestions of his subordinates.

Fei Qian believes that the current unusual movements of Cheng Yu in Wen County in the north, and the opening in the Jingxiang warground created by Sima Yi in the south, are both signs of weakened combat power and a decline in overall control of Cao Cao's army. "It's really... quite tempting... Old Cao, you've certainly got a shrewd plan..."

Fei Qian walked to the front of the main tent, lifted the curtain, and stepped out of the tent.

The summer breeze in the Heluo region carries the vibrant scent of growing vegetation, along with the faint, rhythmic sounds of forging and shouts from afar.

Just a short distance from the military camp, near the riverbank, some engineering students were instructing surrendered soldiers on how to repair the irrigation system.

Further afield, agronomists were demonstrating new farming methods in the fields.

The Heluo Plain, this land ravaged by war, is recovering at an astonishing pace, becoming lush and fertile once more. The surrendered soldiers of Cao Cao's army, who were once bewildered and fearful, gradually regained their light after personally sowing crops and seeing them grow.

This is a sense of security and hope that belongs to the "producers" rather than the "destroyers".

In a sense, these new farmers and former surrendered soldiers gradually became new roots on this land, and also the new "Achilles' heel" of the Flying Cavalry.

The military, this institution of violence, is meant to protect its own people, yet it turns its blade outwards...

The more lenient you are domestically, the tougher you will be internationally.

Of course, the reverse was also quite common in feudal dynasties throughout Chinese history.

This bad habit must be changed!
What we see before us is Fei Qian's new war model.

He must ensure that everyone benefits from the war, not just a "few".

This new mode of warfare is centered on 'survival' rather than just 'war'.

Destroying is easy, building is difficult.

Cao Cao could discard county and county soldiers without hesitation, as if they were useless baggage, because he was rooted in the old logic of plunder and depletion. But Fei Qian could not. The path he pioneered required him to be able to "protect" the nascent order and hope in the rear.

This means that on the battlefield, the cavalry must have an absolute, overwhelming, and despair-inducing initiative!

Fei Qian must have the initiative in deciding when to fight, where to fight, to what extent to fight, and when to start and end the fighting, just like when he was suppressing the rebellion in the Western Regions.

To say that Fei Qian's campaign resembled Emperor Ling of Han's suppression of the Western Qiang rebellion would be a joke.

To quell the unrest quickly, we must give people a way out.

The strategy of killing, burning, and looting everything will only bring temporary pleasure, followed by many subsequent troubles. I'm sure Old Cao understands this all too well.

It is clearly impossible to adopt a scorched-earth policy, or a strategy similar to the extermination of families, for either the Hanoi and Jizhou regions in the north or the Runan and Jingxiang regions in the south...

After all, the powerful clans and aristocratic families, seasoned by the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods of Chinese history, could easily discern Fei Qian's methods of dividing the Shanshan Kingdom and retaliate accordingly. The Shanshan Kingdom, however, clearly lacked this knowledge and could only passively endure it.

Fei Qian returned to the map, frowning in deep thought.

Those deep trenches and high ramparts were giant pits filled with human lives and gunpowder.

So, what exactly should be done to get Cao Cao out from behind this "turtle shell"?