Chapter 3104 The Day of Departure
"Your Highness, the auspicious day for the expedition has been chosen. Please make your decision."
In the palace, Li Chunfeng first bowed to Li Chengqian and then greeted Fang Jun. Then he took out a piece of rice paper from his arms and handed it over with both hands.
Li Chengqian took it and looked at it carefully. After a long time, he raised his head, handed the rice paper to Fang Jun, and said: "The Duke of Yue also takes a look. Taishi ordered a total of three auspicious days for the expedition. Let's choose one together."
Fang Jun glanced at it and saw the dense handwriting on the rice paper, which contained professional terms such as "prosperity and death" and "good and bad luck". He didn't understand these things, so he shook his head and said: "Your Highness can make your decision. Wei Chen doesn’t understand this, but the sooner the better, the later the better.”
At present, Tuyuhun is probably undergoing the final transfer of power. Fushun is old and Nuohebo has not yet taken over the position of Khan. Once Nuohebo leads his army to rebel and attack Datang Prefecture and County, there may be big trouble in the rear. Therefore, it is necessary to first determine the status and righteousness, so that Nuohebo can send troops with confidence.
This process will take some time, and Tibet may need to intervene and support Nuohebo, but Datang must take the first step and rush to Hexi to prepare for the garrison.
Otherwise, if Tuyuhun sends troops to Hexi first, it will be difficult to resist with the current defensive strength of Hexi, and the entire war situation will be very passive for Datang.
Li Chengqian nodded, looked at the date on the rice paper carefully, and finally made a final decision: "It's the first day of August. It's not the right time. It's a good time to travel and go to work, so as to benefit the army."
Li Chunfeng on the side said: "Venus is shining on that day, which belongs to the fire hexagram. The west belongs to metal. If fire overcomes metal, we will definitely be able to win and annihilate the enemy."
Fang Jun had no objection.
Although he does not understand the knowledge of these five elements and branches, and does not believe in these illusory things, he cannot deny its role. The universe is mysterious and unpredictable, and the art of the five elements and branches has been passed down for thousands of years, so it naturally has its roots. reason.
This is not superstition, but blind belief in science, which is another form of superstition.
The universe is too vast and boundless, and the rules of its operation are too profound and unpredictable. Who can be sure which method can get closer to the essence of the operation of the universe?
What's more, people of this era firmly believe in this theory. All major events must require divination. If the weather does not allow it, it will be regarded as unlucky and directly affect the morale of the army.
Li Chengqian said: "Yes."
Then he called in the officials of the Secretary Supervisor and drafted an edict on the spot. It will be read out in the political hall tomorrow. After getting the approval of all the prime ministers and assistants, it will be published all over the world.
Li Chunfeng said to Fang Jun: "The weather is unpredictable, and good or bad luck is unpredictable. The Duke of Yue needs to be cautious in this expedition. Swords and guns have no eyesight, and blood and fire are ruthless. You should be careful everywhere. When you know that you can't do anything, you should evacuate before trying again. When counterattacking, you must not go your own way and get stuck in the enemy's position without any means of recovery. ”
He had long admired Fang Jun, and a book of "Mathematics" shocked him even more. He believed that Fang Jun was the best mathematician in the world, and no one in the past and present could compare with him. Such unparalleled talents should live in the palace, study hard, and carry forward the art of arithmetic. How can they risk their own lives and charge into battle?
It's simply a waste of resources.
However, he also understood Fang Junzhi's temperament and knew that he could not be persuaded. He could only tell him to be extremely careful and not to suffer losses in the battle formation and become irreparable losses to the arithmetic world.
Fang Jun said with a smile: "Taishi Ling, please rest assured, I never fight a battle that I am not sure of. Tuyuhun seems to have strong soldiers and horses, but I am not without a chance of winning."
Li Chunfeng asked curiously: "Seriously?"
He didn't really believe it. Although he had no experience in military affairs, he had extensive connections. Recently, people from both the government and the public were constantly hearing concerns about the prospects of his expedition to Hexi. He believed that the reason why Fang Jun went out to conquer Chang'an was because he couldn't bear the enemy's invasion of Chang'an. Under the city, so he fought to the death.
It is precisely because of this that Fang Jun's image of "loyalty and bravery" is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, and he is praised and highly praised by both the government and the public. On the contrary, Chai Zhewei, who was afraid of the enemy and timid, was criticized and insulted. He was considered to be "little like his father", timid and cowardly. He was greedy for life and afraid of death despite being favored by the emperor, and was not worthy of the blood of the Li Tang royal family.
Since Chai Zhewei would rather suffer the infamy and lose his reputation than go to Hexi, it can also be seen that this battle is dangerous. It is really a danger of losing more than winning.
Fang Jun nodded and said in a firm tone: "Nothing is taken seriously. This battle is about victory but not defeat. It is nothing more than a desperate fight."
Li Chunfeng was in awe, cupped his hands and said: "In that case, I will prepare fine wine in Chang'an and wait for Erlang's triumphant return. I will drink three hundred cups at that time!"
Knowing that something cannot be done but doing it is called a hero.
Even though the enemy was powerful, if everyone in the Tang army was determined to die and had no fear of the powerful enemy and their bravery, how could they know that the battle of "a last-ditch battle and a desperate battle" would not happen again?
Using a few to defeat a large number and defeating a large number with a small number have been performed countless times since the founding of the Tang Dynasty. Whether it is the life of the generals or the blessing of heaven, it may not be impossible to win a great victory.
Fang Jun felt Li Chunfeng's sincere concern, and his heart couldn't help but feel warm. He laughed and said, "Did Tai Shiling say this himself? Haha, don't use urine to escape when the time comes!"
Li Chunfeng looked embarrassed and blushed, and argued: "Erlang's words are wrong. Although Pindao has a poor drinking capacity, his character cannot be ruined. At the previous banquet, he had to urinate urgently, so he avoided the table to go to the toilet. How could he come back? The banquet has since dispersed, what can be done?”
I couldn't help but regret it in my heart. I could celebrate in any way, but why did I have to drink three hundred cups with this guy at the fastest moment?
Everyone knows that this guy drinks like an ocean and can't get drunk even after a thousand cups. He is simply bringing shame on himself.
If it doesn't work, you still have to escape to save your life. As for face, let it go...
Hearing about the "Urine Escape" incident, even Li Chengqian, who was thinking deeply, couldn't help but smile and said with a smile: "Taishi Ling, don't worry, if you are not drunk enough by then, there is no need to use Urine Escape to escape, I will just hold a few drinks for you!"
Li Chunfeng smiled bitterly and said: "Thank you for your understanding, Your Highness. I made a big mistake due to a slip of the tongue. The Duke of Yue drinks like an ocean. I really brought shame on myself."
Fang Jun smiled, but his mood was not relaxed.
Tuyuhun's rebellion must have been planned for a long time, and it would have been better without a war. Once the war started, it would be overwhelming and as fast as a tiger, giving full play to the advantages of the cavalry. If faced with an infantry force several times his own, Fang Jun would have no need at all. He boasted that he could easily defeat them with the help of his right guard. But when tens of thousands of cavalry charged across the mountains and plains, could firearms withstand them?
This is really confusing.
……
Returning to the Youtunwei barracks, Fang Jun called Pei Xingjian, Gao Kan, and Cheng Wuting to the big tent, and ordered people to move the sand table from Hexi to discuss the strategy against the enemy based on the map on the wall.
The Hexi Corridor is the main link between the east and the west. It is named because of its long and narrow area between two mountains. To the south is the Qilian Mountains, which stretches thousands of miles across, to the north is Heli Mountain, which blocks the cold winds in the north of the Great Wall. To the east, Wushaoling is regarded as the boundary between the Hexi Corridor and Guanlong. From Wushaoling to the west, there is the Hexi Corridor.
The snow water on the top of the Qilian Mountains melts and gathers into countless rivers, flowing southward along the slopes into Hexi counties, giving birth to this land with rich water and grass.
From the map, the Qilian Mountains seem to be just a ridge shielding the north and south, but Fang Jun knows that the Qilian Mountains are majestic and majestic, with mountains and ridges, thousands of ravines, majestic atmosphere, continuous snow-capped mountains, and a width of one hundred kilometers. Large mountain ranges above.
It is precisely because the Qilian Mountains are crisscrossed with ravines and ravines that divide the mountain into fragments and steep formations, so there are several mountain passes that connect the north and south. However, once Tuyuhun rebels and the cavalry invades the counties west of Hexi, they will definitely use all their strength. It is not easy for tens of thousands of cavalry to cross the Qilian Mountains.
Therefore, the only mountain pass accessible to Tuyuhun is the Dadouba Valley located in the middle section of the Qilian Mountains.
This place has always been a transportation hub for the Xiongnu, Turks, Qiang, and even Tubo tribes in the west to communicate with each other and trade. It has been a battleground for military strategists since ancient times.
The four counties of Hexi are Wuwei, Zhangye, Jiuquan, and Dunhuang. Dadou Bugu is located near Zhangye. If the enemy comes out from here, they can reach Zhangye City directly, and then divide their troops from east to west, and they can sweep the entire Hexi in more than ten days.
On the sand table, Fang Jun placed a small red flag on the spot where the big fight was pulling out the grain. He took a sip of tea and asked, "The enemy's force is strong. We can only take a defensive position to avoid fighting with it. You might as well give it a try." , where should be set as the main defensive point? ”
There is a huge disparity in strength between the enemy and ours, and the enemy is a highly mobile cavalry. Resisting the enemy in the field is the next best option. We can only stick to the battlefield and use firearms to resist, weakening the enemy's spirit and making it difficult to achieve strategic goals. Then choose an opportunity to counterattack. (End of chapter)