Chapter 855 Pengcheng
In December of the third year of Taiwu's reign, Zhang Chong and his generals spent the winter in Kaifeng.
Perhaps it was due to the drought in autumn, but the snow this winter was particularly heavy. Not only was the snow on the ground three feet high, making it difficult for people and animals to walk, but even the rivers were frozen.
There are many Pingzhou soldiers in the Taishan Army. They also said that heavy snow like this is rare in their hometown of Baishan and Heishui.
It was also the rare time to stay in the winter. Zhang Chong gave a lecture to the generals in the camp. No, after finishing today's lunch, the soldiers had a little strength in the camp. , and classes started again.
This time, Zhang Chong set up a huge map in the big tent. More than a dozen fire pits made the tent as warm as spring. Dozens of senior generals sat around, breathing heavily, listening to the lecture attentively.
Zhang Chong was still wearing a single shirt, and he didn't know how much heat there was in his strong body, so he could wear it like this in such a cold winter.
At this time, he pointed at the map behind him with a short whip in his hand and said to everyone:
"Behind us is the map of Dongjun and the counties in Qi State, which basically covers Henan, Yan, Qing, Xu, Yang and other eastern areas. The above counties are our target for this strategy."
Zhang Chong took a short whip and drew a large circle in these places, including the current Yanzhou, Qingzhou, Xuzhou and other places. Then he pointed to the center of the circle and said meaningfully:
"And this is the core of this region, Pengcheng in Xuzhou."
"Pengcheng, where Xiang Yu established his capital, is the core of the East. Military strategists of all ages have attached great importance to this point and regarded this place as a battleground. Therefore, on the battlefield of Pengcheng, I don't know how many dynasty forces came from here. Rise up to conquer the Central Plains.”
As he spoke, Zhang Chong pointed to a general below and said:
"Look at Lao Zhu, he begged all the way from Pengcheng to Luoyang back then. You see, the Pengcheng people also went to the Central Plains to beg for food. Could this be the spirit left by the overlord of Western Chu back then!"
As soon as these words came out, the whole tent burst into laughter. The general named Lao Zhu was also a tiger general. He joined Zhang Chong's army when he invaded the State of Lu. He was bloody and meritorious all the way, and he had already reached the position of military deputy. .
At this moment, Lao Zhu's face turned red after hearing this. He could only stand up and said to the king:
"Your Majesty, you know me. If I had such ambitions, I would have gone to Peixian County to beg for food, and I would have left Old Liu's family empty."
As a result, everyone laughed happier.
Zhang Chong asked this living treasure to sit down, and then continued:
"Nowadays, many people in the army use the analogy of Emperor Gaozu's battle at Pengcheng, saying that our current situation is similar to that of then."
Now everyone stopped laughing and began to sit upright and listen. It was obvious that the king was about to start talking about the plan for this battle.
Sure enough, Zhang Chong immediately pointed out on the map at the back:
"The famous chasm is right next to where we are in Kaifeng. We can go south along the chasm water and take advantage of the spring water to go straight to Jishui, and then from Jishui to Surabaya, and finally to Pengcheng and seize this eastern hub. ”
Then, Zhang Chong pointed his whip at Qingzhou and said to everyone:
"But unfortunately, like Liu Bang back then, we are also facing the main enemy force in the direction of Qingzhou. According to the information obtained from the sentinels, Cao Cao has accumulated a large number of troops in Linzi and Beihai, as many as 60,000. And in our southeast direction , that is, the Shouchun area also has a large number of troops hoarding and watching with eager eyes."
After naming Linzi, Pengcheng and Shouchun, Zhang Chong asked everyone:
"What are these three places like? Once we really besiege Pengcheng in the middle when the spring water floods, then Linzi in the northeast and Shouchun in the southwest will be like two fists hitting our hearts. Once that happens, I'm afraid that the defeat of Pengcheng by Emperor Gaozu will happen again, and Suishui may be our burial place."
At this time, the generals no longer smiled at all, and they were all silent and deep in thought.
To be honest, they really have never discovered this problem. This cannot be blamed on these people or their arrogance, but it is a problem of vision.
The Taishan Army has always fought decisive battles, often concentrating its forces in one place to engage in joint battles with the enemy that determine the fate of the country.
Because they are always victorious, in their thinking, they only need to send their troops to Pengcheng and capture the core of the East, and then they will naturally plow the court and sweep the holes.
If the enemy is unwilling to give in, then they must gather their troops for a decisive battle. If they do not fight for a decisive battle, then they will wait to be defeated one by one.
But what the king is describing now is such a grand decisive battle scene.
From Shouchun on the north bank of the Huai River, to Pengcheng on the edge of the Surabaya River, to Linzi at the northern foot of Mount Tai, it stretches for thousands of miles and can be a battlefield everywhere.
This is simply using heaven and earth as a chessboard!
And once they really focus on the overall situation, then the problem of their Taishan Army is really like this.
It turns out that the enemy army really arranged a pocket formation like this!
Zhang Chong was also waiting for the generals to absorb this information, and then asked another question:
"Just now is just an example of directly attacking Pengcheng. Let's change the angle and think about the goal we want to achieve in this battle. Should we conquer it in one battle, or just fight to the north bank of the Huai River."
The previous question involved too much and it was difficult for the generals to reply, but now it was more quick-talking. Li Hu in the crowd was the first to reply:
"Of course, we succeeded in one battle. In fact, Cao Cao in Qingzhou was willing to form an alliance with Xuzhou, and I'm afraid that's what he thought. For them, it suits them to have a decisive battle with us before we have digested the Central Plains area. .”
But Li Hu's words made Zhang Nan on the side confused. He asked in confusion:
"Since the decisive battle is what Cao Cao wants, according to the art of war, we must control the enemy but not be controlled by the enemy. Then shouldn't we avoid a decisive battle? Why should we succeed in one battle?"
When Li Hu saw that it was Zhang Nan who was asking the question, he said rather proudly:
"How simple is this truth? Just because the enemy wants a decisive battle, doesn't our army not want to? To destroy his army in one battle is the strength of our army. On the contrary, we are afraid that they will continue to resist. Even if we win the battle, we will lose our troops. , the place is a scorched earth.”
Hearing this, Zhang Nan nodded in agreement.
But no one present found out why Zhang Chong talked about the area north of the Huai River alone. Shouldn't he fight all the way to the south of the Yangtze River?
So at this time Zhang Chong mentioned again:
"In your opinion, Jiangdong's Sun Jian is nothing to worry about?"
The senior generals, including Li Hu, all nodded hesitantly, because in their understanding, isn't the south of the Yangtze River a place determined by propaganda?
You have seen that since Emperor Qin and Emperor Guangwu of Han Dynasty, who has sent troops to defeat the forces in the south? They have unified the northern side, and the southern side is determined by propaganda.
Zhang Chong also discovered this problem, that is, there was a cognitive deviation between him and the generals. Of course, he knew how troublesome the south was at this time, and knew what happened in the Battle of Chibi that determined the direction of history. It started.
But people like Li Hu don't understand. Never in any dynasty or generation have people south of the Yangtze River dared to bomb assassinations.
Zhang Chong thought for a while and just asked this question to everyone:
"The south has been developed for a hundred years, and the people are rich and prosperous. We should not underestimate our sincerity. Sun Jian, Jiangdonghu General, is an experienced soldier, and he is also a strong enemy. If you really treat this person as nothing, you will definitely suffer a big loss." The generals heard what the king said. He said that he immediately heightened his vigilance against Sun Jian and Nanfang. They had no choice but to believe what the king said.
Some people believed it because they saw it, but they believed it because the king said it.
Then, Zhang Chong pointed to the lower part of the map and said:
"As we all know, there are usually three ways for northerners to cross the Yangtze River. One is Pengcheng. After we capture Pengcheng, we can go south along the Surabaya River to the Huaihe River, and then go downstream along the Huaihe River and along the Zhongdu River. Entering the Yangtze River, you can directly enter the heart of Jiangdong. ”
Then Zhang Chong pointed to Shouchun and said:
"And this second one is based on Ru, Ying, Pei, Lu and other places, and enters the Huaihe River along the various waterways of Ru, Ying, Wu, Si and other Honggou canals, and then starts at Shouchun on the north bank of the Huaihe River. As a transit hub, go straight down to Hefei along the Feishui River, then along the Shishui River to Chaohu Lake, and finally enter the river along the Ruxushui River at Juchao, cross the river eastward and pass through Wuhu and Niuzhu, and then you can conquer Jiangdong. ”
"And this last one goes south from Nanyang to Jingxiang, then enters the river along the Han River, and goes straight down the river to Jiangdong."
In the end, Zhang Chong did not ask the generals present, but the staff beside the map:
"Which of these three roads do you think is suitable for our army to march south to Jiangdong?"
The main staff accompanying Zhang Chong at this time were Ju Shou, Xun You, Guo Tu, Shen Shang, Feng Fang and others.
Among them, Xun You knew the area south of the Huai River better, while the others were from the north. Although they had done research on these places, they did not dare to talk casually.
So, it was Xun You who spoke, and once he spoke, he was indeed worthy of being called the most resourceful man in his army.
Xun You was obviously prepared for the three roads into the river proposed by the king, and he spoke eloquently at this time:
"Your Majesty, I think this first path is more suitable for our army. Let me tell everyone about the pros and cons of the other two."
Xun You said Shouchun first:
"In fact, logically speaking, the middle road is the safest. With the Central Plains Water Network as our back, we can prepare and train the navy in a leisurely manner, and then proceed steadily, first to Shouchun on the south bank of the Huai River, and then to Shouchun on the east bank of the Fei River. Hefei, occupy the Huainan area, and then continue southward after accumulating strength, and finally calmly take over Jiangdong.”
"And there is another advantage in this, that is, materials from Yecheng can continuously go south through the Central Plains Water Network, and there are waterways along the way, which can save countless manpower and millet. So it stands to reason that this middle road is the best A road.”
"But this is just what you see on the map, and it is not the case in reality."
Saying that, Xun You finally stood up and pointed at a place in the south of Hefei with his finger:
"Look, gentlemen, this is the estuary where the Fei River enters the Yangtze River, called Ruxukou. The waterway here is very narrow, making it difficult for large fleets to sail. And we northerners are intolerant of heat. If we want to go south to the Yangtze River and Huaihe River, we have to go in autumn and winter. It’s not possible at this time of year. It’s the dry season in the south, so we can only go south by boat.”
"But if we encounter Sun Jian's giant ship here, we will definitely lose."
Seeing that the generals were still dissatisfied, Xun You sighed and said:
"There are different principles on the river and on the land. On the river, the outcome depends on only one thing, and that is whose boat is stronger and whose boat is bigger. Otherwise, no matter how fierce a tiger is on land, it will be reduced to a fish and turtle on the river. ”
Then Xun You said to Zhang Chong:
"In this case, if a powerful navy cannot be trained in the Feishui area, the second path is not advisable."
Zhang Chong nodded, having a general understanding of this waterway, and then he motioned for Xun You to continue.
Xun You visited the Jingzhou area again and sighed to everyone:
"Actually, if it weren't for the alliance of Jianghuai heroes, we should have taken the land of Jingzhou after briefly deciding on the Central Plains and Guanxi. Moreover, Liu Biao is weak. It is said that he has been ill recently. If our army is pressing down on the border, he will probably have all his troops. But unfortunately, this is just the original plan."
Xun You turned to Zhang Chong, half sighing, half admonishing:
"Your Majesty, although the spies of the Feijun Foreign Army have done a lot of work in Jingzhou, and there are indeed many powerful families who are willing to cooperate with us, it is not appropriate to use troops in Jingzhou when our main forces are being restrained by the east. .”
"Although Liu Biao is a guard dog, dogs will bite when cornered. The Jingxiang area where Liu Biao is located is on the transportation line of Gyeongsang Province. Now that our army is marching eastward, we really can't start another provocation in Jingzhou. .”
Zhang Chong smiled, knowing that Xun You saw that he was eager to succeed in a battle, and thought that he had become arrogant in his repeated victories, fearing that he would make a mistake at a critical moment.
Although Xun You did not understand his intentions, Zhang Chong was still very satisfied with Xun You's advice.
Therefore, Zhang Chong took the initiative to speak:
"What Gongda means is that only this waterway in Jingzhou is not good, and the others are suitable?"
Xun You nodded and replied to Zhang Chong:
"Your Majesty is wise, that is indeed the case. Jingzhou is located in the upper reaches of the river. It has built huge ships in Xiangyang and other places. With the power of our northern land, we have built an invincible navy on the river. It is overwhelming. The people in the east of the river are weak. How can we stop it? And once Defeat the enemy's navy, and you will be able to advance thousands of miles at a time, with the morning in Xiangyang and the evening in Jiangdong."
Zhang Chong laughed and praised Xun You:
"Gongda is not from the South, but he knows the good and bad waterways of the Yangtze River as well as the lines on the palm of his hand. It can be seen that all his daily efforts are spent on the details. Gongda, you are really my ovary."
Xun You rolled up his sleeves and bowed, claiming that he did not dare to do so.
Then, he made a point in reverse:
"In fact, from the fact that Sun Jian deployed heavy troops in Shouchun, we can know that what the king said is very true, and that Sun Jian really cannot be underestimated. If our army goes south to the Yangtze River and Huaihe River, Shouchun will be the first to attack. On the other hand, for Sun Jian on the other side of the river, , this is also the only way to conquer the Central Plains.”
"And once they go north, the harm they cause will be more serious than if we go south. There are still large ponds, swamps, and lakes south of the Huai River, and the southern soldiers can still deploy here. But once the southern soldiers go north from Shouchun, along the If you go north along the Ying River or the Wo River, you can reach the heart of the Central Plains.”
"At this time, our army has invested a lot of money, food, and manpower to restore production in the Central Plains. Once it is frequently harassed, the Central Plains may never have peace."
"Therefore, no matter where our army intends to attack in this battle, if we want to defend the Central Plains, we must first seize Shouchun to consolidate ourselves."
And it was these words that directly woke up Zhang Chong.
To be honest, he really didn't realize Shouchun's strategic nature before, and he was still thinking about how to mobilize Cao Cao in Qingzhou so that he could annihilate him in a decisive battle.
But now, after listening to Xun You explain all this in detail, Zhang Chong found the thread that broke the situation from the tangled threads that were constantly being cut and sorted out.