Volume 3 Chapter 68: Strategy
Wu Jie was not a pretentious person. He joined the army when he was a teenager and served in the Western Army for a full twenty years. Who would be pretentious?
So, just a moment later, Wu Jinqing bowed his head and said he was terrified... He did not kneel again because Emperor Zhao supported him... Then he said he was willing to die for the country and the emperor.
He seized the opportunity without hesitation.
Zhao Jiu also nodded in response, and the position of commander was thus decided.
Of course, it can't be that simple.
That evening, Wu Jie had dinner with the emperor. He wanted to tell the emperor his general opinion on the war situation in order to get his approval in advance. However, he was rejected directly by the emperor, who only said that he was tired after coming from afar and should rest, and then declined.
Therefore, Wu Jie had no choice but to follow the emperor's arrangement and sleep in the side tent of the central army, which was only a few dozen steps away from Emperor Zhao's main tent. However, he tossed and turned and could not fall asleep.
This was understandable, of course. The king had a special liking for him and entrusted him with an important task for the country, which made Wu Jie, who was born in a good family and had worked hard in the army for twenty years, particularly excited. Moreover, the emperor's house was next door, which also made him quite nervous. Not only that, as Wu Jie carefully thought about today's appointment , before he felt sleepy, he was replaced by uneasiness, and then it became more and more difficult to sleep.
Speaking of which, the first thing I think of is of course the war with the Jin people.
Wu Jie had been in Fangzhou for a long time and was a rare talent as a general, so he naturally had his own thoughts in his mind. But it was obvious that this battle was related to the overall situation, the destiny of the country, and even the life and death of the emperor... Wu Jinqing would also read the official reports... so he was naturally uneasy.
Secondly, there is the issue of his own identity. Although the emperor has entrusted him with the overall situation in person, Wu Jinqing still finds it troublesome, because although he has been in the Western Army for more than ten years, a veteran of the Western Army with considerable qualifications, and a dignified general, he recently won a rare victory... This is probably the fundamental reason why he has won the emperor's favor... But no matter what, once he takes over the position of commander-in-chief, he is bound to attract dissatisfaction and jealousy.
Because being a commander means taking responsibility for the lives of 100,000 soldiers. It is not a simple question of who is on top and who is off, nor is it about who has captured more heads or accumulated more merits. These are all quantitative indicators, and the king can do this and that with just a flick of his finger. Instead, except for Han Shizhong, who is capable of suppressing everyone, anyone else who takes the position is bound to cause dissatisfaction among the rest of the people and factions:
If Liu Xi were to take over, with his qualifications and background, the three western Guanxi armies might be convinced, but the Imperial Camp Army, Qu Duan of the three northern routes, and the Wu brothers would definitely not be convinced.
If Wang Yuan took over, not only the six armies in Guanxi, but even the Imperial Camp Army would be dissatisfied, because the Imperial Camp Army knew better than anyone that Wang Yuan had colluded with the traitor Kang Lu in Mingdao Palace in the past, and he was cowardly in the Liu Guangshi incident, which was simply fatal for a military general.
If Wang Yan took the position, this commander of the Eight Character Army had already established his authority early on due to his military exploits in Yanling, but he was quite bookish. Therefore, not only the Western Army would be dissatisfied, but also Wang De and his group in the Imperial Camp would be dissatisfied.
Even if Qu Duan was asked to come up, no one dared to disobey in words... because everyone knew that whoever dared to show disobedience on his face, this guy would really kill that person to establish his authority... But they still disobeyed in their hearts, otherwise he would not have been driven out of northern Shaanxi by Hu Yin, a scholar.
By the same logic, if Wu Jie came to power, the three northern troops that his brothers had managed for more than a year might naturally support him, but why would the Imperial Camp Army and the three western troops submit to him?
Seniority, family background, official position, reputation, these are just superficial issues, the inner problem is actually the problem of factions and mountaintops, which is a traditional bad habit in the army and is something that cannot be avoided. This problem is even more prominent when the armies are hastily merged.
Therefore, no matter what, Wu Jie knew that he was destined to face the difficulties and hypocrisy from other military generals tomorrow.
This also raises two other serious problems... You must know that whether in the army or in the officialdom, if you want to suppress your subordinates, it is nothing more than the two words "name" and "reality". However, the problem now is that it seems difficult for Wu Jie to obtain these two things at the moment.
The emperor had Prime Minister Yuwen Xuzhong guard the dragon flag in the old palace in Chang'an to confuse the public, and then he personally held the flag of the Privy Councilor in the camp. So whose banner should Wu Jie issue orders under? I'm afraid he will probably work with the emperor to borrow Prime Minister Yuwen's banner, and actually use the emperor's name to do things... If the name is not right, the words will not flow. Is he a general or a military officer?
As for the reality, it is even more terrifying. Since the year before last, the three northern routes have been fighting with the Loushi troops and have suffered heavy losses. Now they have to gather soldiers from the border cities to strengthen their forces. In terms of the number of troops, the three northern routes are far inferior to the Imperial Camp Army and the three western routes. What's more, Wu Jie's most core and trusted troops have to stay in Fangzhou due to strategic needs... Then I dare to ask, what can Wu Jie use to suppress these arrogant soldiers and generals?
Isn't it ridiculous for a general who gives orders and commands an army of 100,000 to have no central army of his own?
No, he doesn't even have his own guard!
Everything depends only on the Holy Favor.
However, after thinking about this, Wu Jie felt relieved. After all, being trusted by the government to command an army of 100,000 here was better than sitting and defending the city in Fangzhou… He had lost three battles in one year, but he was even appointed as the governor. Now he could come before the emperor to take on this important task after winning only one game. What else did he care about the title?
Jiedushi? And let the government give him the two Beiwei armies?
Just do your best to give advice. If the government needs it, use it. If not, don't. If you win, that's great. If you lose, just let the government retreat to Bashu. That can be considered as your gratitude .
All in all, within one night, Wu Jie went from excitement to nervousness and finally to relief, and coupled with the fatigue from a day of traveling, he finally had a good night's sleep.
When Wu Jinqing woke up again, he was awakened by the heat. He turned over in panic and found that it was already daybreak. Not only that, there were few people in and outside the tent where he slept. There was only a basin of water for washing, a cotton face towel, and a set of finely cut and expensive cotton robes in the tent...
In those days, cotton cloth was already more precious than silk. After the Jingkang Incident, the rebellion in the Wuling area in the southern part of Huguang and the northern part of Guang had lasted for four or five years. The imperial court had no strength to suppress the rebellion, and the production of cotton cloth further declined, making this item even more precious.
Therefore, Wu Jie knew at a glance that it was a gift from the government, and then he did not hesitate to throw away his sweaty and smelly inner clothes, wiped his face and upper body in the tent, and then put on this expensive cotton robe with a specially fitted waist and sleeves, embroidered with brocade flowers, and obviously in the shape of a military uniform.
Noise could be heard from inside the tent. An officer of the imperial guard had already brought in breakfast, which was a cool melon and half a jar of cool millet porridge. Wu Jinqing was not an ignorant man. He naturally knew that this was soaked in well water and was the best way to relieve summer heat. But because he knew that something big was going to happen, he did not hesitate. He just poured out the rice porridge in the jar, drank it heartily, then wiped his mouth and walked out holding the melon.
When he came out of the tent and saw that the sun was almost setting in the south, Wu Da became completely panicked. He simply threw the melon in his hand to an armored soldier in front of the door, and then hurried to the central military tent.
However, at this moment, seeing that General Wu had finally come out of the tent, several soldiers who had been waiting between the central army tent and the side tent turned around in panic, and then ran directly to the central army tent and beat the drums vigorously.
The rumbling of drums was a sign of gathering the troops. Wu Jie knew that they were waiting for him, so he panicked and rushed into the military tent. He saw the young official from yesterday sitting in the center of the army, with Yang Yi Zhong and Liu Yan, the chief and deputy commanders of the imperial guard standing behind him. On his left were the Hanlin academicians, the provincial officials, the attendant and other ministers whom he did not know very well. On his right were the commander-in-chief of the imperial camp, Wang Yuan, whom he had met last night, and the two leaders of the Beiwei army from Guandong, standing with their hands behind their backs.
In addition, there was an empty seat next to the desk where the official was sitting, which made Wu Jie excited again.
However, when Emperor Zhao saw Wu Jie coming in, he just smiled slightly and gestured with his lips to let the latter stand next to Wang Yuan for a while, but he did not rush him to sit down.
Wu Jie quickly adjusted his mood and stood solemnly in the tent.
A moment later, with the sound of drums, countless soldiers and generals poured in. Wu Jie glanced and found that in addition to familiar faces such as Liu Xi, Liu Qi, Murong Wei, Li Yanqi, Qiao Ze, and Zhang Zhong, there were many people he didn't know at all. It was not until the sturdy Wang De, and Qiao Zhongfu and Zhang Jing, three former generals of the Western Army under Liu Guangshi, entered together, but stood only behind another general, that he realized... The emperor had gathered all the generals of the surrounding imperial camp for his own sake.
All I can say is that it was fortunate that this place was still eighty miles away from the Jin army camp, otherwise, after the scouts found out, Wanyan Loushi would have attacked at all costs.
"Please wait for me in the front camp for a long time."
As Emperor Zhao spoke, Wu Jie's face became more and more red, but he himself was always yellow-faced, so it was not obvious. No matter how rich Wu Jie's psychological activities were, the emperor did not say anything extra, but got straight to the point. "Today's meeting is not about anything else, but only about one thing... Although I have come to the front line in person, I am not familiar with military . As the saying goes, everyone has his own specialty, and there should be a general to take charge of the overall situation when fighting. Especially now, in Guanxi, Han Liangchen and Li Yanxian both have important tasks and cannot get away easily. Among the troops that have been hastily gathered, there are six routes in Guanxi and several troops in the imperial camp, and someone must take charge of the overall situation for me..."
Having said this, many people have already directed their slightly suspicious eyes towards the yellow-faced Wu Jie... From yesterday until now, there have been rumors everywhere that Qu Da rode an iron elephant into the camp to take charge of the battle. As a result, when they entered the camp today, they did not see Qu Da's red face, but saw Wu Da's yellow face. Moreover, this person was wearing such a flashy cotton robe and uniform, and standing so close to the emperor. How could people not be suspicious?
As expected, Zhao Jiu was too lazy to keep the secret. He sat still without even moving his eyes, and directly called out, "Mr. Wu, listen to my orders!"
"I'm here!" Wu Jie immediately stepped out and bowed.
At this time, Hanlin scholar Lin Jingmo suddenly stepped out and stood between the emperor and Wu Jie, then spread out a bright yellow silk in public, shocking all the generals in the tent to step out and kneel behind Wu Jie... They were not civil officials, and kneeling was too common for them.
In response to this, Lin Jingmo paused for a moment, and then began to announce the decree in public: "Provincial Governor: A sage follows the movement of heaven and earth, and his army must have a name; a king controls the power of both China and foreign countries, and the army that responds will win. This is the strategy of looking for the backbone of the country, coordinating to quell the danger of foreign aggression, and making every effort to achieve success, and I am here to tell you. Wu Jie, the Right Military Official, the Governor of Zhongzhou, the General Manager of Jingyuan Road, the founding son of Baoding County, and the fief of 500 households, is loyal and righteous by nature, and his wisdom and courage are called a hero..."
After hearing this, everyone understood clearly that it was Wu Da who had taken the position.
Moreover, the emperor made such a fuss that he even took off his pants to fart and specifically cited the imperial edict. It was obvious that he wanted to warn everyone that his regard for Wu Jie was unshakable and no one was allowed to challenge the authority of this great guy Wu.
However, Lin Jingmo kept reading, and soon he read out a passage that stunned everyone in the tent:
"…Therefore, I hereby appoint him as the Commander-in-Chief of the Six Routes of Guanxi, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Camp, and give him the title of Grand Marshal, and make him the Jiedushi of Zhenxi Army, and supervise Han Shizhong, Li Yanxian, and all the soldiers and civilians in Guanxi… The leader shall execute it!"
The first few titles were fine, as they were only meant to facilitate the handling of this war. But after hearing the term "Jiedushi of Zhenxi Army", Wu Jie felt his mind was in a daze. He had thought of many things overnight, but at this moment he could not say a word.
Behind him, all the generals in the camp were also shocked.
Among them, the generals in the imperial camp were fine. After all, they had been fighting and guarding with the central government for many years and had already submitted to the authority of Emperor Zhao. However, many generals in Guanxi were in a state of unrest, especially Liu Xi. He raised his head several times and wanted to stand up and shout that it was unfair, but he lowered his head every time after looking at the bright yellow silk.
In the final analysis, this is one of the reasons why the so-called generals exist in the Song Dynasty... They have been favored by the emperor for generations and have been generals for generations. For them, on one side are the Western Army and on the other side is the Song Dynasty royal family. Only when they stand firm on both sides can they enjoy wealth and glory for generations.
The government and the central government can deceive and conceal things, but it is extremely difficult for them to show any hesitation on the surface or in the process, let alone opposition.
How did Zhong Shizhong die? He knew that accepting the will and going forward would mean death, but he still went with the intention of dying.
How did Liu Guangshi die? In the midst of chaos and war, he brought an army that outnumbered the emperor's own troops to the emperor's presence, but was killed by the emperor himself, and his two generals held his hands down... There are at least four people involved in this mess in the central army tent!
"Your Majesty...Your Majesty will not decline even if death is the cost!"
It took several breaths after the imperial edict was read out that Wu Jie stood up in a mess to receive it.
"Please wait a moment. There is one more thing." Zhao Jiu saw everyone standing up, and he was not in a hurry to face Wu Jie. He pointed at two people in the room. "Zhang Xian, Tian Shizhong."
"I am here."
"I am here."
Zhang and Tian were both startled.
"When you two came here, Pengju and Boying must have already made arrangements. I hope you will remain loyal to your father-in-law and sworn brother and not bring shame to your father-in-law and sworn brother... Wu Jinqing is coming here lightly without his own army, so you two will serve as the central army and take orders directly from General Wu. I want you two to serve General Wu as you serve Yue Pengju and Zhang Boying... This is a military order, do you understand?" Zhao Jiu stared at the two of them and asked seriously.
"I will obey your Majesty's will!"
"I obey your order!"
Zhang Xian and Tian Shizhong were each startled and responded immediately.
Zhao Jiu nodded, stood up again, went straight down to support Wu Jiexu who was holding the imperial edict, then almost dragged him to the seat where he had sat before, and forced him down, and then sat down on the side... Yang Yizhong and Liu Yan had no expression on their faces, and actually left their original positions and turned to the side behind Emperor Zhao. Seeing this, Zhang Xian and Tian Shizhong dared not neglect it, but stood solemnly behind Wu Jie with their swords in hand.
During the second half of this process, Emperor Zhao sat still and said nothing.
Up to this point, Wu Jie and the other generals in the tent had already been in a trance, but a moment later, as his breathing became even, Wu Jinqing immediately became solemn again... The brave and resourceful Wu Da knew that unless he could defeat Lou Shi this time, the only way he could do to repay the emperor's kindness was to protect the emperor and enter Hanzhong after the war, and then commit suicide to thank the emperor for his kindness.
"Everyone."
With this thought in mind, Wu Jie, who was determined, no longer looked at the appearance of Emperor Zhao beside him (in fact, he dared not look at it), but spoke directly to the countless generals in the tent who also had solemn expressions. "Stop talking nonsense. When I was in Fangzhou, I thought about the war situation day and night, thinking about how to deal with Lou Shi... But after thinking about it, there is one thing that I still can't understand! I am not talented, but I dare to ask you, why did Lou Shi stay south of Baihe for several days after coming from afar? Even if Emperor Zhao sent troops from Chang'an, he just didn't move here, and just watched us set up camp and the various armies gathered calmly?"
None of the dozens of high-ranking officers in the tent spoke... It was not that they wanted to embarrass Wu Jie. Emperor Zhao was right next to them, and they could not embarrass him now. They were just still a little confused.
Zhao Jiu waited for a while, and seeing that no one responded, he simply looked down. Wang Yan, the deputy commander of the Imperial Camp, who was in the first position, panicked and wanted to step out.
However, at this moment, Li Qiong, the defender of Xiagui who was facing him, stepped out first and answered with a bow: "Reporting to the Grand Commandant, I, Li Qiong, the commander of the central army of the imperial camp, think that Lou Shi is waiting for changes in Hedong!"
"What kind of variables?"
"We can wait for the reinforcements from Hedong to gather from Longmen, or wait for the Jin army from Hedong to force their way across Pujin, or wait for the Jin army from Hedong to attack Shanzhou successfully." Li Qiong said solemnly. "Or we can wait for the Jin army from Hedong to attack Luoyang and other surprise attacks to succeed."
Zhao Jiu sat still, his expression unchanged, and just let these people discuss military intelligence.
"That's right." Wu Jie nodded heavily. "And if he finds out about these things, what should we do?"
Li Qiong was silent, and even Wang Yan and another Wang De who was about to step out just exchanged glances and stood in silence... What can we do if we have waited?
"I've waited for it, and I've waited for it." Wu Jie suddenly sneered. "The Jin army and I are separated by a river, and from the East China Sea to here, it stretches for thousands of miles. Along the way, there are several natural joints such as Sishui Pass, Tong Pass, and the Xiao-Mian Ancient Road, which divide the battlefield. It is difficult to support the left and right, and the front and back are each holding their own. If something goes wrong or a big victory is won, it will not affect us for the time being... But once we decide the winner, it will be enough to end this battle... Therefore, the only thing we have to worry about is the gathering of reinforcements from the Jin army!"
Everyone was speechless. Many people didn't quite understand what Wu Jie meant by these things that everyone understood.
Wu Jinqing was not in a hurry and continued to ask: "General Li's words are very good, but does anyone have other opinions? Why did Lou Shi stay there?"
"Perhaps to escape the heat?" Liu Xi, the governor of Xihe Road, looked calm as he stepped out of the line and saluted. "After all, the Jin army is mostly from the north and is afraid of the heat. Didn't the general win a great victory in Fangzhou by relying on the heat?"
"What Liu Jinglue said makes a lot of sense." Wu Jie nodded immediately. "Anything else?"
"Perhaps they are afraid of the royal army." Zhao Zhe, the governor of Qinfeng Road, bowed and came out. "This time the emperor ordered a battle, and the whole army marched in a measured manner. The imperial camp troops first occupied the four cities, and then the three armies set up camp here. There was no flaw in the front and back. I'm sorry, even if the Jin army had some intention, they might not dare to come."
"Well said!" Wu Jie replied proudly. "You all said very well... I knew in Fangzhou that the Jin army was undoubtedly strong, but there were reasons for its strength... First, the soldiers were tough and resistant to fighting, second, the cavalry was able to run back and forth, third, the heavy armor was strong and difficult to be damaged, and fourth, the heavy arrows were sharp..."
"Now the heat is unbearable, the Jin army's horses are weak, the soldiers are tired, and the terrain here is complex. The soldiers' tenacity and the advantages of the cavalry have been greatly weakened..."
"Since you ascended the throne, we have been united and have fought the Jin people to the death many times. Our army knows that the Jin people are just human beings after all. They can be injured, killed, defeated, or defeated, so their morale is gradually rising..."
"As for the advantages of weapons in attacking and killing, the Jurchens have heavy arrows, and our Western Army has always been good at using the divine arm bow..."
"The gap in armor is unavoidable. Before Jingkang, although our army had a lot of armor, most of it was poorly made. After Jingkang, a lot of armor was lost. The government built a furnace in Xiangyang and a workshop in Daxiangguo Temple, which was quite effective, but it was mostly used by the imperial camp... But now, the armor of both the enemy and our army has been determined. If anyone wants to replenish it within a month or two, I'm afraid it will be too late."
Wu Jie sat in the main seat and talked freely, while the generals and even several central government officials standing below looked at each other in confusion, and the agitation became more and more obvious.
There was no other reason. As the newly appointed General Wu kept expounding his war philosophy and his views on the current situation in Guanxi, almost everyone gradually realized General Wu's strategic intentions, and those who were not aware of it also guessed it from the expressions of his colleagues!
"The Jin army is strong, but not invincible!" Wu Jie finally said in a stern voice. "If we wait here for the Jin army's reinforcements to gather, we will be helpless. But now, the main force of our army has gathered, Wu Lin and Li Yongqi have also arrived in Ningzhou. Therefore, we should take advantage of the moment when the difference in strength between the enemy and us is the greatest, and send the army northward, directly to Baishui! And let Qu Duan, Wu Lin, and Li Yongqi gather in Fangzhou, and rush to attack the camp at the mouth of Beiluo River, so that the Jin army can't take care of the front and rear, and force them to fight quickly!"
Everyone's faces turned pale, but they only looked at the young man sitting next to Wu Jie.
Zhao Jiuqing knew that he would have to deal with some things himself, but he sighed and asked Wu Jie first: "Mr. Wu, is there any difference between what you wanted to say to me yesterday and what you said today? Are you being hasty because I appointed you as the commander today?"
"Your Majesty," Wu Jie tried to bow, but was stopped by the other party. "If I say that I am not grateful for your kindness today and feel anxious, no one will believe it, but the idea of taking the initiative to attack while the heat is at its peak and the military strength is at its greatest, as well as the strategy of attacking from the north and south, are the ideas I had in mind long ago in Fangzhou, and they are not temporary changes."
"I know." Zhao Jiu suppressed his sigh and stood up to look at the generals in the tent, his expression unchanged. "Gentlemen... I ask you, is there anyone among you who knows more about the hydrology and geography of the Beiluo River and the Baishui River than General Wu?"
The generals looked at each other in silence. Many of them were veterans of the Western Army. I think everyone knew the hydrology and geography along the Beiluo River, especially near the positions of the two armies. But whoever dared to say that he knew it better than Wu Jie was just bragging.
The positions of the two armies are located at the junction of the Weibei Plain and the hilly area in the north. The people who have been fighting against the Jin army in the north of this area are none other than Qu Duan and the Wu brothers. However, even Qu Duan left this place for a year before returning, and Wu Lin was no match for his brother... because it was Wu Jie who suffered a great defeat on the other side of the Luo River nearby last year! And this year, he lost Danzhou and Fuzhou in succession around the upper reaches of the Beiluo River! And then he won a small victory at the mouth of the Ju River in the Beiluo River just now!
Wu Jie was the one who knew the hydrology and geography of this area best.
"Then I ask you again, since the Jingkang period, who has fought the most battles with Loushi? Who has gained the most in the battles with Loushi? Who has the most recent experience fighting Loushi?" Zhao Jiu continued to ask. "Even in the defeats against Loushi, who of you saved the most troops?"
Everyone was silent, because everyone knew that this person was Wu Jie.
And everyone also realized why Emperor Zhao wanted to promote Wu Jie to the position of commander.
Seeing that the generals were silent, Zhao Jiu simply stood up and left the table. He came to the generals, put his hands together and looked around, saying calmly: "To be honest, I heard that Wu Taiwei wanted to abandon this swamp, this city, this big camp, and go straight to Baishui. I was also uneasy and even a little afraid... But I also want to ask you, if I don't trust Wu Taiwei in this battle, who should I trust? If any of you have claimed in the previous questions that you can surpass Wu Taiwei and have other plans, just stand up today. I can't say that I am very happy... Is there anyone?"
Wang Yuan, Wang Yan, Wang De and Liu Xi were all silent when Zhao Jiu glanced at them. Liu Xi even lowered his head.
"If there is no one," Zhao Jiu looked around and laughed. "We should just follow the military order! If someone keeps silent today and fails to fight in the future, or criticizes the decision of General Wu based on the future battle situation... that's fine too."
Everyone was shocked.
"Because if we lose this battle, I'm afraid I won't be able to discuss the military gains and losses with you!" Zhao Jiu continued to smile at the many generals in the account, and then turned back to look at him. "Wu Qing, since you have already considered the overall situation, you don't have to worry! Because I have also considered it, and I have no worries!"
Wu Jie stood up at some point, and the veins on his lips twitched slightly, but he nodded heavily.
