Chapter 546: Conquer the enemy without fighting
The night gradually darkened, and the shadows of people and horses were almost indistinguishable from each other.
Li Xin stood on his horse, holding the reins in his hands and stepping on the stirrups, frowning and thinking about what the cavalry commander was planning.
Why would someone who could see through Li Xin's deployment of troops and pursue the ambushers be so foolish as to seek such a dead end? He instinctively felt that there must be a trick.
"General, it's getting darker. Why don't you fire two rounds of direct fire while we can still see clearly?"
A centurion with a quiver on his back, a wooden bow in his hand and an old scar on his face came over and made a suggestion.
It is true that concave terrain can restrain cavalry, but it cannot restrain bows and arrows.
Although only 3,000 of the 10,000 Qin soldiers were equipped with bows, there were only ten arrows in their quivers, and thousands of arrows were used up in a round of shooting on the way.
But more than 25,000 arrows were enough to kill the less than 3,000 Qi cavalry in two or three rounds.
Li Xin looked over with a stern look, which sparkled brightly in the hazy night.
The scarred centurion quickly lowered his head, not daring to look at him, feeling a little guilty.
"Want to steal the credit?"
"I dare not!"
There was a crackling sound out of nowhere , and Li Xin whipped the scarred centurion with his horsewhip, hitting the place without armor protection, leaving an immediate blood-red mark.
The Scarred Thousand Captain groaned, gritted his teeth, clasped his fists and said in a deep voice:
"Thank you, General!"
Li Xin snorted coldly.
"Put aside your evil thoughts! If you want military merit, you must follow the right path! Tricks are used on the enemy, not on your comrades!"
There were ten thousand captains among the ten thousand Qin soldiers.
The three thousand Qin soldiers were equipped with bows and arrows and were under the command of three centurions, and the Scarred Centurion was one of them.
If these three thousand Qi soldiers were killed by direct arrows, according to the Qin State's military merit system, these three thousand military merits would be recorded on the three thousand archers of Qin cavalry, and the achievements of the three thousand captains were the greatest except for Li Xin.
Li Xin pointed to the Qi army, whose faces were still vaguely visible by the Deshui River, and said:
"If you can guarantee that your arrows will shoot at people and not horses, you will get this military merit!"
The Scarred Captain remained silent.
I just can't do it without saying it...
At the bank of the De River, Han Xin issued an order that no one should ride on horseback, and that everyone should hide behind the war horses, push the war horses out in front, and be ready to hide under the horses' bellies at any time.
The general of Qi looked solemnly at the Qin army, which was gathering in larger and larger numbers but never taking any action.
This was the hardest battle he had ever fought in his life, but beneath his calm appearance, he hid a passionate heart.
Li Xin became famous very early on.
Although he suffered a disastrous defeat in the attack on Chu and missed the title of famous general in the world, he was still a famous general of Qin State and could be ranked among the top five in Qin State where there were many generals.
With only 3,000 Qi troops at a disadvantage, they were facing the Qin army with more than 10,000 troops under Li Xin's command. If they could win...
"After this battle, the whole world will know my name, Han Xin!"
Han Xin clenched his fists and whispered excitedly.
The concave terrain restricts cavalry, but relying on war horses can defend against bows and arrows.
For direct shooting, hide behind the horse; for projectile shooting, get under the horse's belly.
Bows and arrows are not sniper rifles that can shoot anywhere they point. Given the pace of the Qin and Qi armies, if the Qin army used up all its arrows, it could only hit 3,000 hedgehog horses at most, and it would be difficult to hurt a single person.
By eliminating the cavalry and then the bow and arrow, Han Xin reduced the gap between the Qin and Qi armies by at least 60%.
"Li Xin can't shoot."
Since his own life and death was involved, Zhang Liang had to get involved, and he also knew a little about war.
"General Han has other considerations for these Marcos."
"Of course there is."
The arrogant Han Xin did not dare to neglect Zhang Zifang, who was more beautiful than a woman, and replied seriously.
From Han Fei, Ying Chengjiao, Lu Buwei, the three brothers of the Tian family, to Han Xin, everyone who had close contact with Zhang Liang attached great importance to him.
Talent does not depend on age. The young head of the Zhang family is not a growing water snake, but a dragon that can already stir up the world.
"Tian Dan's Fire Bull Formation?"
Zhang Liang asked lightly.
"That's right, let's copy and paste and set up a fire horse formation for the Qin army!"
Han Xin nodded, looking as if he was a fellow hero who shared the same view.
“We need to blindfold the horses to prevent them from being afraid and turning back to charge, thus disrupting our formation.”
As he spoke, Zhang Liang took the lead in tearing off a long strip of cloth from his clothes.
After hearing this, Han Xin became more convinced of Zhang Zifang.
If we can say that Tian Dan's Fire Bull Formation was due to his extensive reading, then the fact that he took into account the issue of horses' fear was definitely not something that could be thought of just by reading.
The bull has a bad temper. When it gets stubborn, it doesn't care about anything and dares to charge forward even with a knife blade in front of it.
But horses are different. They may be frightened and a round of arrows may shoot them back.
Han Xin likes to deal with smart people, stupid people are a pure waste of life.
“We have the final say on what the horse can see.”
He said with a smile, then put his hands on his head and squinted at the densely packed black-armored Qin army.
"It depends on whether Li Xin is willing to give up these three thousand horses."
Li Xin was reluctant to do so, as horses were more valuable than people.
Horses that can be trained into war horses are more expensive than cavalry horses.
Li Xin didn't care about the 3,000 Qi soldiers, he could just kill them, but the 3,000 war horses were real strategic items, and the powerful Qin army couldn't just throw away 3,000 war horses.
The Qin Empire sent 50,000 war horses to fight the Huns, which was almost all of Ying Chengjiao's war horse resources, with less than 10,000 horses left.
Li Xin whipped the scarred captain hard. Not only did he want to steal the credit, he was more angry that his subordinates actually wanted to shoot to death three thousand war horses. He was simply a big prodigal!
The second emperor said that it would be best to capture him alive, but not capturing him alive was also acceptable, and he gave Li Xin lenient rights to deal with the matter.
But this capture alive refers to people, not horses.
If they could capture 3,000 Qi soldiers alive, they would be killed for military merit. As long as the situation was in place, it would not be a big problem, and Li Xin had no idea.
But if he could have captured 3,000 horses, and if he had not, and had shot them all, Li Xin would not have been able to forgive himself.
If the horse can be seized, it must be seized!
On the battlefield, cavalry is the strongest type of soldier that can decide victory or defeat . This is the current mainstream thinking among military strategists, and Li Xin also agrees with this truth.
"General, the entire army has arrived!"
The personal soldiers reported loudly that this was the order given by Li Xin earlier, and all the cavalrymen came to report to him.
Li Xin hummed, and his spirits suddenly lifted.
He led an army of 200,000 and suffered a great defeat in the State of Chu, while Wang Jian led an army of 600,000 to destroy the State of Chu. This incident made him remember the word "stability".
He clearly brought out 10,000 troops, so why would he charge into the enemy's formation with only 3,000?
Yes, there are only three thousand Qi troops on the opposite side.
With equal numbers, the Qin army is invincible and fears no one, but why should they be in such a hurry?
The Qi army had already reached a dead end, so why didn't they wait until their advantage was maximized before launching an offensive? They couldn't give the enemy any chance to turn the tables!
What if he led an army of 600,000 to attack Chu, and Changping Jun suddenly rebelled and cut off his retreat? He would be eaten together!
In a game that can be run to death, what kind of extreme operations can be performed?
"Those who surrender will not be killed, the whole army shouted."
The young general sat up straight, glanced at the ten thousand men in black armor around him, and felt more confident and calm.
He deliberately waited for all 10,000 men to arrive, and also intended to use this military formation to force the enemy to surrender without a fight.
His Majesty has given the order personally, so we must accomplish it if we can. How can three thousand military merits be worth His Majesty’s favor?
Liu Bang's social skills were all seen by the generals, and Li Xin himself didn't know when he was affected.
Li Xin did not think that obeying His Majesty's orders was flattery.
"Surrender and you won't be killed!"
"Surrender and you won't be killed!"
"Surrender and you won't be killed!"
Ten thousand Qin soldiers shouted in unison, like thunder after thunder in the night, shaking the waves of the De River so much that they sank two inches and could not produce any big waves.
The darkness seemed to be afraid of the momentum of the army of tigers and wolves, so it slowed down, moved forward cautiously, and approached.
But the Qi army was not afraid.
With his back against the Yellow River, he was wearing a simple aqua-blue armor and holding a bronze weapon in his hand.
He was trapped in a desperate situation, facing the Qin army, which was the best in the world. The country he had to fight was the Qin State, which the King of Qi did not dare to fight or test, and simply surrendered.
There were calls for surrender, but few Qi soldiers wavered.
Their king, in order to protect them, led 2,000 men to attack the Qin army and die. How could they betray their king? Absolutely not!
Han Xin scratched his ears and smiled contemptuously.
[It's nothing, what a waste of effort!]
The Qi army's morale was low, so how could he set up a battle array on the bank of the Yellow River?
What made Han Xin most happy about the Qi soldiers was their morale.
The reputation of the three Tian brothers in Qi was unparalleled. The reputation of King Tian Dan of Qi for his righteousness spread thousands of miles. All the people of Qi loved him and were willing to repay him with their lives!
The reason why Qi State was able to withstand the fierce offensive of Wang Jian, Marquis of Wucheng, the best general in the world, in the early days was not because of the righteousness of the country and family, but because of the personal charm of the three brothers of the Tian family.
This is the path set by Zhang Liang.
First publicize people, gather momentum, and then use the momentum to restore the country.
Ever since Tian Dan's Fire Bull Formation helped him recapture seventy cities in one fell swoop, the State of Qi has been more dependent on personal worship, and Zhang Liang made decisions based on the local conditions and the people involved.
As for the royal appeal, as early as after the Tian family replaced the Qi family, in order to prevent the Qi royal family of the original surname Jiang and clan Lu from restoring the country, the Tian family suppressed it to a shattered state. This is politically correct.
Han Xin turned around.
The Qi soldiers all jumped out from behind their horses to face the general who had become the highest-ranking general the moment he arrived in Qi.
Han Xin paced back and forth, his eyes scanning the Qi soldiers.
Most of the Qi soldiers responded with firm eyes, showing the determination to die, but there were a few with flickering eyes, not daring to look directly, as if they had other thoughts.
It is normal that Han Xin did not point out these people.
The more people there are, the harder it is to control their thoughts. At the critical moment of life and death, it is impossible for everyone not to have the determination to die, especially when the Qin army might survive by surrendering.
But this is not important. Generally speaking, it is good enough as long as you are brave enough to die. People just follow the crowd.
When the war begins, the line between life and death becomes blurred, and everyone around you rushes forward bravely, shouting and killing the enemy. Then the few Qi soldiers who are afraid and want to surrender will be assimilated into warriors, fighting to the death.
Han Xin drew his sword and pointed it diagonally at the ground.
"I, Han Xin, am standing right here! If you want to fight, I will be the first one to go! If you want to retreat, I will be the last one to leave!"
Qi Bing was silent, but it seemed as if flames were coming out of them, connecting with each other and growing stronger and stronger.
"With our backs to the Yellow River, we have no way out. If we win, we live; if we lose, we die."
After entering Qi, he was appointed general and defeated Wang Jian step by step, and there was hope for the unification of Qi.
He led 5,000 elite cavalrymen from Qi State, penetrated deep into Wei State, and sneaked as far as Daliang without being discovered.
Han Xin, who had fought few battles but had great achievements, laughed heartily.
"I am Han Xin, the general of Qi! Follow my orders, and we will win this battle! The living will take the ashes of the dead, and we will go home together!"
go home.
The void of blue flames rushed into the night sky, as if to burn a hole in the sky and earth.
go home……
In the darkness of night, hidden by the horses, countless Qi troops were silent, their hands clenched, their eyes emitting a light that could shine from the Yellow River to the East China Sea.
go home!
The Qi army returned to their positions, ready for battle. Han Xin's face flushed with color, and even the darkness could not suppress it.
The reason why Wang Jian was suppressed was because of the favorable weather during the war against Qin, the geographical advantage of Qi, and the goodwill of the Tian family. Anyone who knew military tactics could be used, and it was not considered a great ability.
Tonight's battle is the one that truly proves him to be Han Xin!
"It's a pity that Wang Ben is not here. Li Xin is still a little weak."
Han Xin muttered to himself.
"What if the Qin army does not attack?"
Zhang Liang's voice was as soft as a mosquito's.
If he were the commander-in-chief of the Qin army, he would definitely not attack and would just wait and see.
The Qi army was short of food and grass, and with its back to the Yellow River, it had no way to retreat; sooner or later it would be trapped and killed.
You can defeat the enemy without fighting.
Han Xin instinctively clenched his sword, but the next moment, he realized that it was Zhang Liang who was speaking and he lost all his strength.
If it were someone else, he would chop off the person's head with this sword and restore the army's prestige by saying such words that shook the army's morale and questioned the commander!
"Although Zifang has read many military books, he is not my military disciple."
Zhang Liang frowned, he couldn't figure out where he went wrong.
Han Xin smiled faintly and said:
"The way of war is all about 'fighting'! If the 10,000 Qin troops are besieging the 3,000 Qi troops, what's the point of fighting? With only 30,000 soldiers, they can't be considered the main force and can't decide the outcome of the battle. These are all local fights. Local fights don't count casualties, they only count who gets the upper hand first and seizes the opportunity."
Zhang Liang turned his head and looked at Han Xin with a look that said "Do you think I'm a fool?"
"General Han, how can this be called a local battle? We only have 3,000 people, and the Qin army has only 10,000 people. This is the only battlefield."
"Zifang is right. If you were on the other side, I would have already lost, but."
Han Xin changed the subject and spoke very quickly.
"You can step out of the battle and make the most accurate judgment because you have never been on the battlefield. Li Xin is not like that. Li Xin commanded 200,000 Qin troops in the war against Chu. Even if he takes this battle seriously, he will only judge it as a local war.
"Like me, after being used to eating delicacies from land and sea, it is difficult for me to savor the flavor of rice balls that used to save my life."
Han Xin licked his lips.
"I was really surprised that he didn't chase us into the woods, but we didn't get nothing out of it except that we got rid of some obstacles. If we didn't stay in the woods, Li Xin would have thought, 'I'm trying to trick him, there's no ambush in the woods.'
"Anyone will inevitably feel a little regretful. Li Xin is greedy for merit and reckless, so he has this feeling even more serious. This time we are in a desperate situation. After what happened in the woods, he will suspect that we are cheating again, so he is waiting for the troops. Now the troops have arrived, there are 10,000 of them..."
Before he could finish his words, the earth shook and the Qin army advanced in formation!
Following the Battle of Changping, the Battle of Deshui, which is a must-study for students of military strategists of all generations, began.
