Volume 2 Clouds Chapter 3: No Food at the Front
Wang Jing is a 66-year-old veteran, but he doesn't look old at all. He has a ruddy complexion and white hair and beard. Like Lian Po and Huang Zhong, he has a vitality that young people don't have.
As for Wang Jing, Luo Youdu had obtained his detailed information through Wang Pu before going on the expedition.
Wang Jing's experience is a microcosm of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms.
He was from Ye County, Laizhou, and his family was of low birth. His family had been helping the landlords with farming for generations. He was unwilling to live a life of working in the fields, so he became a hooligan in the county, fighting all day long, and formed a small gang with a group of like-minded ruffians. They did not engage in production, but lived by bullying the weak.
The world was in chaos and the weak could not be bullied, so he gathered a group of hungry people to become bandits and make a living by looting.
As the army grew stronger and gained a certain amount of strength, a group of people defected to the Later Liang warlord Wang Tan.
Wang Jing has been brave and aggressive since he was young. During the struggle for supremacy , he followed Wang Tan to fight and made military achievements.
Li Cunxu, the Emperor Zhuangzong of the Later Tang Dynasty, invaded Kaifeng and destroyed the Later Liang Dynasty. Wang Jing led his army to surrender and was appointed as Fengshengdu Yuhou.
Liao Taizong Yelü Deguang helped Shi Jingtang to destroy the Later Tang Dynasty, and Wang Jing surrendered to the Later Jin Dynasty and was promoted to the governor of Henghai Army.
When the Later Han Dynasty took control of the Central Plains, Wang Jing led his troops to surrender and became the Acting Grand Marshal and Co-Prime Minister.
After the Later Zhou Dynasty took control of the Central Plains, Wang Jing led his troops to surrender again and was promoted to the position of Shizhong and Jiedushi of the Huguo Army.
After Guo Rong ascended the throne, he was transferred to be the Jiedushi of Fengxiang, and was granted the title of Duke of Baoguo and was given the additional title of Kaifu Yitong Sansi.
Wang Jing could not read a single word. He rose from a peasant to a gangster, then to a bandit, and then became a warlord step by step.
What does it rely on?
It means you have an army. As long as you have an army, the warlords will try to please you and the emperor will try to win you over.
Surrender is not a shame, but a shortcut to promotion and wealth.
Wang Jing's life fully reflects the deformity of this era.
However, perhaps because he did so many bad things when he was young, Wang Jing gradually began to repent as he grew older, and he seemed to have a sense of conscience.
When he was the governor of the National Defense Army, he gradually treated the people under his rule better. He was a gangster at first, but he knew how to deal with his superiors. He had a clear understanding of his subordinates and never believed the words of the clerks. He was able to directly reach the grassroots people and sympathize with their hard work, so he was loved by the people.
When Wang Jing was transferred to be the Jiedushi of Fengxiang, hundreds of people from Hezhong blocked his way, unwilling to let him leave.
In Qinchuan, Wang Jing also did an excellent job in military and political work and was deeply loved by the people.
Because Meng Shu was not very powerful, this expedition was actually just a detachment of the Great Zhou, with a total of no more than 18,000 soldiers and horses.
Han Lingkun led 8,000 central imperial troops, while Wang Jing led 10,000 local troops under his command to assist in the battle.
Wang Jing exchanged pleasantries with Han Lingkun, then suddenly looked around and said, "Where's Luo Dujian? Why can't I see him?"
Han Lingkun pointed at Luo Youdu with an unhappy expression.
Luo Youdu stepped forward and said hello: "Meet the Duke of Baoguo."
Wang Jing's eyes flashed with surprise, and he smiled and said, "I didn't expect the governor to be so young. He is really young and promising."
He had already received news from the court and learned that the central government had also sent a military supervisor.
Wang Jing did not overreact to this.
Unlike the Central Army, as a warlord, they are separated from the central government by a thin membrane.
The central government did not fully trust the warlords, and the warlords did not have much loyalty to the central government.
As long as they can maintain their wealth and power, they don't care who the emperor is.
They were on guard against each other, and they were more likely to accept Luo Youdu's existence than Han Lingkun.
"There is new news from the front line. Please follow me into the tent to discuss in detail."
Wang Jing invited Han Lingkun and Luo Youdu to join the camp.
Entering the camp, Luo Youdu looked around. The camp was stacked layer upon layer, like a military formation. Patrolling soldiers passed by from time to time, looking quite majestic, and he cheered secretly.
People like Wang Jing are generals who rely solely on experience. These unconventional skills honed on the battlefield are not necessarily inferior to those of trained generals.
Arrived at the central army tent.
Wang Jing and Han Lingkun first gave up the position of head coach for a while.
Han Lingkun was the commander-in-chief of the central army, while Wang Jing was the commander-in-chief of the local army. When Guo Rong issued the appointment, he did not clearly distinguish who would command whom.
After all, Wang Jing was a frontier commander, and Guo Rong was not confident in handing over the army to Wang Jing. Given Wang Jing's status, it was not appropriate for Han Lingkun to command the army.
Therefore, the two of them fought in cooperation and there was no difference in superiority or inferiority.
In the end, the two of them sat at the top, Wang Jing, who had more seniority, sat on the left, Han Lingkun on the right. Luo Youdu, as the military supervisor, sat first on the side of the two.
Below them, on each side, were three generals.
Wang Jing said: "General Qiu, please tell me about the situation on the front line!"
A tall and thin general stepped out and said, "The Shu army has received the news of our expedition and has sent Zhao Jizha as the military supervisor of the Xiongwu Army to command Qin and Feng states to resist our army. The governor of the Xiongwu Army is Han Jixun. After learning that our army was stationed at Dasan Pass, he sent troops to set up camp at Huangniu Slope. It seems that he intends to use the steepness of Chencang Road to resist our army, and has no intention of using Weiwu City to defend it."
When Luo Youdu heard about Han Jixun, he couldn't help but smile. There was a Wang Jixun and a Li Jixun in Kaifeng, and here came another Han Jixun. Are the two words Jixun so popular?
Han Lingkun said: "I remember that this Weiwu City was built by the Shu army specifically for defense against entry into Sichuan."
Wang Jing smiled and said, "Han Jiedu has put in a lot of effort. That's right. Qinzhou is the gateway to Fengzhou, Jiezhou, and Chengzhou. If we don't take Qinzhou, we can't threaten Fengzhou, Jiezhou, and Chengzhou. When the Lord of Shu took advantage of the chaos in the Central Plains and took over the four states, he built Weiwu City at Caoliangyi on the Chencang Road. This city is not easy to attack. The Chencang Road is difficult to travel, and Weiwu City is built in a strategic location. Now that they are fighting outside the city, it will be of great benefit to us. We can send troops tomorrow. How about I, an old man, go and test the waters first?"
Han Lingkun's subordinate general came out and said, "Is this a trick? Leaving the fortified city undefended, and setting up camp far away from the city? What kind of fighting method is this!"
Wang Jing raised his head and laughed: "This general asked a good question. The other side is not stupid, but has no solution. Although Weiwu City is an important border town, there is not much food in the city. They are defending the city. As long as we cut off their food supply, it won't be long before they fall into a food shortage. Without food, what does it matter how strong the city is?"
Han Lingkun and the general who was on duty were dumbfounded.
Wang Jing said: "Shu Lord Meng Chang is a hedonistic birdman who only cares about his own happiness and doesn't care about preparing for war. Although Shu is rich and has had bumper harvests for many years, it can't withstand his excessive squandering. According to reliable information, they have less than three months' worth of food in Weiwu City. If they want to fight a protracted war, they have no choice but to block the Chencang Road and prevent our army from advancing further."
