Twelve days have passed since the king chose to besiege the city, and Zhending City is still doing two things.
One is to collect shots on the earth fortifications, and the other is to build a giant nest car in the camp.
But early that morning, a horse galloped from the west. As soon as it arrived outside the camp, it dismounted and ran away on the thorny road. The strict military system of Mount Tai can be seen. Even if it is really urgent, you are not allowed to race in the camp.
Fortunately, You Yi was also a strong walker. He held his feathers high and ran all the way, and soon entered the camp of the Chinese army. At this time, many senior military officials under the base camp were discussing matters under the big tent, and they were discussing the Yan soldiers' eastward march to the Changshanguan area.
A few days ago, Zhang Chong had learned from the intelligence deployed by Jicheng that Lu Zhi led an army of nearly 30,000 people and suddenly headed east to Changshan Pass.
At that time, the Taishan Army did not have spies in the Changshanguan area, so it was not clear what the military purpose of Lu Zhi's troops going to Changshanguan, so they did not dare to act rashly, but quickly sent spies to explore the Changshanguan area in the northwest.
The final result of the investigation turned out to be that Lu Zhi led the Youzhou Army to Changshanguan to defend against the Xianbei people.
This result greatly exceeded Zhang Chong's expectations. He originally thought that Lu Zhi was sending troops south to rescue Changshan, but he did not expect that he would go to Changshan Pass to defend against the Xianbei people.
In fact, this is because Zhang Chong doesn't quite understand the mentality and defense of the people in Northern Xinjiang. For frontier elites like Lu Zhi, the Xianbei people who come from the northern grasslands every year are much more hated than Zhang Chong.
The blood feud between the two for several generations, whether it was Lu Zhi or most of the Northland men in the army, drove this military action.
And what happened? Why did you go to Changshanguan again?
In fact, Zhang Chong didn't even know the name of this level before, let alone the pros and cons of this level.
Since you don’t understand, you naturally want to ask for advice. But Zhang Chong checked the big account, but no one understood it. Because like him, they are either from Taishan or from the Central Plains. Even if they are from Jizhou, they are not clear about the lines inside because their level is too low.
At this time, Liu Hui, who was under the tent, suddenly recommended a person to Zhang Chong. It was Ju Shou who had resisted in Xiangguo and was finally captured by his subordinates.
Liu Hui said:
"When it comes to the general strategy of Northern Xinjiang, there is no one like Ju Shui who can surpass him."
So, with Liu Hui's recommendation, Ju Shou, who had been wasting his time in the supply camp, appeared in the tent, and Zhang Chong finally understood why Lu Zhi went to Changshan Pass.
In fact, Changshan Pass was also called Hongshang Pass during the Spring and Autumn Period. What does it mean? That is to say, the dangers in this place are so dangerous that only a bird can fly over them, and no one can even think about it. In later generations, there was also a familiar name here, that is, Daomaguan, which was named after the steep mountain road and the horses that fell over it.
How important is this level?
In a word, it is the only passage from Datong Basin to Hebei Plain.
Speaking of which, the predecessor of Changshan Pass, namely Hongshang Pass, was not actually built by the Han people. Instead, it was built by the Zhongshan people of Bai Rong. It was originally built to defend against the Zhao people.
The great development of the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period basically established the basic pattern of China. This pattern included both civilization and geography. Most of the territory of the Han Dynasty today was developed during that period.
This is the case in Hebei. During the Warring States Period, there were approximately four forces entrenched in Hebei. They are the Yan State in the north, the north-central part of Jizhou, which is now the Zhongshan State in the Changshan State and the Zhongshan State, the Zhao State with Handan and Xiang State as the two states, and the Wei State in the current Weijun area.
Therefore, the situation that Zhang Chong faced was very similar to the situation in the early Warring States Period. His side was the original Zhao and Wei states. The Han army in Zhending and Jiumen was the Zhongshan State, and then Lu Zhi was the Yan State.
And not only are the geographical patterns similar, but the dilemma Zhang Chong is facing now is exactly the same as what Zhao State encountered back then.
At that time, Zhao State and Zhongshan State were mortal enemies. The two countries had been entangled in the south of the Hutuo River for nearly a hundred years. Finally, the Zhongshan Kingdom finally retreated to the north of the Hutuo River, using this large river in Hebei, known as the Little Yellow River, as a natural barrier to block Zhao's military front.
And this obstruction really made it impossible for Zhao Guo to break through this line of defense, life or death.
And now Zhang Chong is the same. He is really unable to attack now, and he will face Feng Xun who is still in charge of the north of Hutuo River in Jiumen. Then Zhang Chong will also face the defense of this river.
And how did the Zhao people finally win Zhongshan?
In fact, the Zhao people were never able to break through the Hutuoshui River Defense. They directly bypassed the Taihang Mountains and attacked directly from the north of Zhongshan Kingdom before capturing Zhongshan.
At that time, when Zhao State divided Jin into three kingdoms, it roughly divided the lands of Jinyang Basin, Xinding Basin, and Handan and Xiang Kingdoms. As for these areas, the Luliang Mountains are on the left and the Taihang Mountains are in the middle. It can be said that Zhao State can only develop from the north to the south if it wants to develop.
At that time, its southern part was the Linfen Basin and the Yuncheng Basin, which belonged to the stronger Wei State and were not suitable as the main development direction.
In the end, the Datong Basin in the north became Zhao's only choice.
But the Datong Basin is completely different from the other basins in Shanxi, and is even quite special historically. It actually belongs to the boundary area between the Hu and Han forces. In the future, it was here that the Northern Wei Dynasty combined the strengths of the Hu and Han Dynasties and gained the courage and strength to unify the north.
At this time, the Datong Basin was already full of barbarians. A steady stream of nomads came south from the northern grasslands to spend the winter, and they migrated to the Datong Basin in waves, and even established a country here, Daiguo.
The Zhao people's current choice has become that if they want to destroy Zhongshan, they need to take a detour from Feihukou in the Datong Basin, and if they want to occupy Feihukou, they must destroy the Dai Kingdom here.
Originally, the country should be destroyed if it were destroyed, but the problem is that from the Xinding Basin to the Datong Basin in the north, there is no north-south river.
And without water, army operations are impossible.
Because humans, like animals, migrate on a large scale along water veins, because humans need to drink water. Only by walking along rivers can there be enough water for the army.
Therefore, the State of Zhao used a treacherous trick to trick King Dai into entering the Zhao territory through marriage, killed him, and captured the Dai territory.
Once they capture Daidi, the Zhao people can enter the Laiyuan Basin of the Taihang Mountains through Feihu Pass. This is the most important valley in the Taihang Mountains and can be used as a base for either east or west of the Taihang Mountains.
From Laiyuan to the east of Taihang Mountain, there are two more roads, both of which are related to water. The one to the north is Juma River, and the one to the south is Tangshui.
After Tangshui passes through Wutai Mountain, it meets the Juma River again at a huge lake, Baiyangdian. This road is the one that poses the greatest threat to the Dazhongshan area. It can be said that it goes straight into the waist.
The people of Zhongshan were not stupid at that time. They also knew that this mountain road was too important, so they built Hongshang Pass, which is now Changshang Pass, at a dangerous place not far from Tang County. The enemy comes out of the flying fox's mouth.
Therefore, at this point, Jushou has made it very clear to Zhang Chong that Lu Zhi is not necessarily going to Changshanguan to defend Xianbei. He is more likely to be defending against the Taishan Army.
Obviously, Lu Zhi is very relieved about the Hutuo River defense line. With hundreds of years of hard work by Zhao State, it is still unable to break through the Hutuo River. Why can your Taishan Army do so?
But Lu Zhi also knew how the Zhao people defeated Zhongshan. So after he learned that the Taishan bandits had captured Jingxingkou, he began to worry that the Taishan bandits would follow Zhao's old path.
That is, from Jingxingkou to Taiyuan Basin and Yiding Basin, then go north to Feihukou, pass Changshan Pass, and go straight to the rear of Feng Xun. So Lu Zhi moved his troops directly to Changshanguan and took the lead in blocking this hidden danger.
Jushou even said quite confidently that based on his knowledge of Lu Zhi, the former leader, Lu Zhi might have already garrisoned troops at Zijingguan.
Because of the two roads from Laiyuandi, the mountain road to the south is Changshan Pass, and the one to the north is Zijin Pass. After passing this pass, you can go straight to Youji.
At this point, Zhang Chong suddenly realized.
At this time, he deeply lamented why Liu Bei wasted half his life in history and suffered repeated defeats. It was not until he had a mastermind like Kong Ming that Zan Hua established his foundation.
Is it because Liu Bei is not brave? Is it because Liu Bei can't win people? Is it because he can't caress the soldiers?
No, it's because his strategic thinking cannot keep up with Cao Cao. The education Cao Cao received since childhood allowed him to far surpass Liu Bei, the knight-errant and arrogant Malaysian, in terms of vision.
And now Zhang Chong is the same.
Is Zhang Chong uneducated? Of course not, in a sense, he is more educated than everyone else in this world. But even though he knows the interpretation of the long history, he lacks one of the most important things, and that is the details of history.
For example, Zhang Chong also knew what Ju Shou said about the Zhao people's destruction of Zhongshan, but he didn't know how this manifested itself geographically. The historical narratives he listened to were more about people than circumstances.
But it is different for Han people like Jushou. They live in this space and are closely connected to the mountains, rivers and rivers of this time and space. They know where to go from and where they must pass.
And these details of life experience are what the top wealthy families of this generation are good at. Because they have really walked these roads with their feet.
For example, this is the case with Ju Shou in front of Zhang Chong. He has had great ambitions since he was a child. He has been accustomed to the mountains, rivers, geography and people, traveled to Northern Xinjiang, and developed his talents. This is also the fundamental reason why he can plan a defensive strategy for Lu Zhi in Northern Xinjiang.
Only after Professor Ju explained it to Zhang Chong that he knew the reason why Lu Zhi moved his troops to Changshan Pass. Otherwise, I would still be speculating around and not get the point.
This is like playing chess. A random move by the opponent may seem boring, but in fact it has blocked your only chance of winning. This is the gap.
Zhang Chong was horrified, and then he realized the extent of advanced wisdom.
But Zhang Chong has an advantage, that is, he respects people very much, especially those who have something. In the past, he was a little dissatisfied with Ju Shou, otherwise he would not leave them in the baggage camp to do accounts.
Now, Zhang Chong began to ask for advice humbly. He gave Ju a plate of jujubes and asked for advice:
"Only after listening to what my husband said did I know Lu Zhi's intention. But I still have one doubt, and that is why my spy said that Lu Zhi was resisting the Xianbei people at Changshan Pass?"
Jushou is a typical gentleman, which is reflected in his inexplicable respect for kings like Zhang Chong. And at this time, when such an object of respect suddenly behaves very humbly in his speech and attitude, he will have an inexplicable feeling of being valued.
This is a kind of self-hypnosis in which a person dies for his confidant. Over the past five thousand years, there have been countless such intellectuals. After all, if you learn martial arts, you will be able to serve the emperor's family.
So Jushou hurriedly bowed and expressed his views to Zhang Chong for reference.
Jushu said that maybe there are indeed Xianbei people attacking Changshan Pass now.
Because there are really Xianbei people outside Changshan Pass.
Roughly in the early years of the Eastern Han Dynasty, due to the Xiongnu rebellion, Guangwu abandoned the counties in the north and moved the people of Yanmen, Daijun, and Shangdang counties to the east of Changshanguan.
Afterwards, the Han Dynasty defeated the Xiongnu, but they did not move the original people back to their original places. Instead, they annexed the Southern Xiongnu who surrendered. At that time, a Xiongnu Zhonglang was set up to manage it.
Exactly how many Huns are in this area? No one can tell. I just heard that the Xiongnu in Guangxuan County had ten thousand tents, and they could pull out ten thousand people to control the strings.
Not only that, there are also Xianbei people in this area. Although the Xianbei people have been feuding with the Han people for hundreds of years, the Xianbei people are not a mature country like the Han people. They are a collection of nomadic tribes who listen to whoever has the strength.
Therefore, there are still a large number of Xianbei people who are greedy for the wealth of Daidi and live together here. And they are collectively called Dairen Xianbei. These people basically coexist and live together with the local Han people.
The powerful Han people often recruited Xianbei soldiers. But these people are not always obedient, because when they live together with the Han people, fierce conflicts will always break out between the two.
At this time, the Han superiors would step in to mediate.
So Ju Shou guessed that there might have been such a conflict outside Changshan Pass at that time, and Lu Zhi, as the chief of the Han officials, stepped in to mediate the matter.
Although Ju Shou said so, Zhang Chong instinctively felt that it was not that simple.
Because if Zhang Chong remembers correctly, wouldn't the Xianbei of Daijun mentioned by Jushu be the branch of the Tuoba family in the future? This Xianbei can be said to be the thugs of the Central Plains Dynasty. Old man Lu Zhi wouldn't go to Daijun to recruit Xianbei just because he thought he couldn't beat him.
In fact, Zhang Chong thought wrong. The current Daijun Xianbei has nothing to do with the so-called Tuoba family.
But there is one thing Zhang Chong didn't get wrong, that is, our Lu Zhi went to Changshanguan, killing two birds with one stone.
He went there not only to plug the loopholes in the defense of northern Xinjiang, but also to recruit Xianbei, Huns and Han heroes from Daidi.
Originally, the biggest risk of Lu Zhi's move was that he would send most of his military forces eastward to Changshan Pass, which would destabilize Jixian.
But there was nothing he could do. The barbarians in the grassland were the most powerful, and they could only be effective if they had strong soldiers and strong horses to recruit them. Just rely on the authority of the Han Dynasty?
Sorry, it doesn't work very well now.
So before that, if Dong Fang could seize the opportunity to go north, they might really catch Lu Zhi by surprise.
At that time, Lu Zhi could not recruit many troops, and his rear was empty. It was a good time.
However, this is not certain, because if only Dong Fang sent troops to cross the Hutuo River, he would be completely alone. If we can't take Jixian County and are captured by the Hejian soldiers from the south, we may really be in trouble.
Therefore, there are no ifs in history, everything can only continue to move forward.
Zhang Chong, tremble and see the wisdom of Lu Zhi.