Chapter 11 4. "Feng Tianjing is Difficult"
1. "Argument is not enough, but wisdom is more than enough"
At the dawn of Guiyou in July, the king of Yan had already controlled the nine gates, and the seven guards in the city had all belonged to the king of Yan.He gathered soldiers, gave lectures to the whole division, and formally raised troops to fight against the imperial court.King Yan's ultimate goal is to seize the throne, which is clear in his heart, but it cannot be made public at this time.He described himself as being persecuted and had to save himself.He said:
My Taizu Emperor Gao Xiaoci is the direct son of Empress Gao, a close relative of the country. Since he was entrusted with the title, he has only known to follow the law and abide by the law.Today, the young master is the heir, trusting the traitor, causing a catastrophe, and slaughtering my family.My father and queen mother had a hard time starting a business. The feudal princes ruled the world and passed on endlessly.The ancestors said: "There are no ministers in the court, and there are treacherous people inside, so soldiers must be trained to punish them, and the evil on the side of the Qing emperor will be used." Today's misfortune is pressing on the bow, and those who really want to survive have no choice.Righteousness and treachery are irreconcilable.It is necessary to follow the law of heaven, so as to secure the country, the gods of heaven and earth, and enlighten the heart.
Zhu Di speaks eloquently and impassionedly, as if everything about him conforms to the precepts of his ancestors, is justified and impeccable.And he himself was persecuted by treacherous ministers, which was pitiful.So "all the officers and men were moved to tears when they heard it."In fact, Zhu Di took the ancestral precept out of context and made it his defense of rebellion. Article 13 of the "Ancestors' Law" reads;
When the new emperor was officially passed on, all the kings sent envoys to express their congratulations.Xu Ling Wang's official and military officer each entered the court.If the imperial court abides by the rules of the ancestors, appoints ministers, and there are no villains in the court, after three years, the princes will still come to the court one by one.If there are no officials in the court, and there are treacherous people in the court, the prince will train the soldiers to wait, and the emperor will secretly order the kings to lead the troops to fight for peace.After the peace, the troops were withdrawn from the battalion, and returned to the emperor.If the king does not come, and the generals are sent to seek peace, the generals will also withdraw their troops to the camp, and will bring a few people into the emperor's court. They will return after only five days in Beijing, and their meritorious rewards will be awarded later.
After reading this section of "Ancestral Instructions", it can be seen that Zhu Yuanzhang has already worked hard to protect the new emperor and prevent the kings from threatening the emperor.Who would have thought that it would be used by Zhu Di as a basis to fight against the new emperor! "The prince trains his troops and waits for orders, and the emperor secretly orders the kings" and so on, of course he kept silent.
However, after all, some people saw King Yan's actions very clearly, and even dared to openly raise objections.One is Yu Fengchen and the other is Du Qi.Yu Fengchen, a companion to Yanwang's mansion, named Yanzhang, was born in Xuancheng. He was trusted by Yanwang because of his morality and knowledge. listen.Later, he knew that King Yan's rebellion could not be dissuaded, so he wrote a letter to his son, making up his mind to fight to the end with King Yan.King Yan raised troops, and Yu Fengchen wept before the army, shouting that the king and father should not be defeated, and was finally killed by Zhu Di.Another Du Qi was also a scholar. Because of his talent and learning, the King of Yan called him into the mansion after the army.But he also disagreed with the rebellion, and tried hard to persuade Zhu Di to be a minister's day, which angered King Yan and was killed.
For more than ten years, the soldiers and civilians in Beiping City have long been accustomed to the orders of King Yan.This does not seem to be much different today than in the past.In front of the Duanli Gate, the military appearance is clean and the flag armor is clear. The soldiers are facing a big battle, just like starting from here again and again to go north outside the Great Wall.For many years fighting with the King of Yan, even if he didn't win a big victory, he always returned with the whole army.The soldiers have full trust in King Yan.This time, they were also full of confidence in the swearing-in, and when the swearing-in was about to be completed, suddenly there was a storm, the sky was dark, people could not be recognized at a distance, the north wind roared, the flags waved, and the three armies became more solemn, as if a big change was coming.After a while, the clouds in the east opened, revealing the blue sky about a foot long, with a light candle, piercing up and down.The hearts of the soldiers were also suddenly enlightened. They thought it was a good omen. After the fierce battle, they would all have a bright future as clear as the sky.
From the time of the rise of the army, this place has become Zhu Di's real independent kingdom.The magistrates of the prefectures and counties of Beiping abandoned their posts and fled.He then re-appointed officials at all levels in Beiping to replace the court's officials.Zhang Yu, Zhu Neng, and Qiu Fu served as commanders, treasury official Li Youzhi was promoted to chief secretary and counselor, and Jin Zhong, who was good at divination, became the Jishan of the Yan Mansion and served Wei Wei.It turned out that the civil and military officials in Beiping, such as the Chief Secretary Guo Zi, the Deputy Envoy of the Judiciary Mo Lin, the Minister Lu Zhen, the Commander Li Jun and Chen Gong, etc., all surrendered to the King of Yan.
After Beiping was pacified, King Yan's primary problem was to further control the surrounding areas of Beiping.
The next day, he ordered Guo Zi to defend Beiping and sent troops to attack Tongzhou.Tongzhou is only 60 miles east of Beiping. It is the gateway of Beiping and the import of economic supplies. The ships transported from the canal in the south and the ships from Tianjin sea all anchor here, and it is also the throat of the military.In the first year of the Wu Dynasty, Xu Da led troops to the Northern Expedition. He first controlled Tongzhou, and then forced Emperor Yuanshun to flee northward beyond the Great Wall.This time Tongzhou did not fight, and Fang Sheng, the commander of guards guarding Tongzhou, led the crowd to surrender to King Yan.To the northeast of Beiping is Jizhou, an important military town. At this time, Ma Xuan, the commander of the capital, and Zeng Jun, the governor of the capital, guarded it.Zhang Yu proposed to attack Jizhou. He said: "Jizhou is adjacent to Daning, and there are many knights. If you don't take it, you may cause future troubles." Daning is a vast area outside of Xifengkou to the north of Jizhou. , is an important military town. During the reign of Hongwu, the commander of the Daning capital was established here, and the king of Ning was named to guard the land.It is said that King Ning is good at planning, with 80,000 armour, 6,000 leather chariots, and the cavalry of Duoyan's three guards are all brave and good at fighting.Therefore, it is imperative to control Jizhou and prevent it from combining with King Ning outside the Great Wall.Zhang Yu led troops to the city of Jizhou, trying to persuade Ma Xuan to surrender, but Ma Xuan refused to surrender. Zhang Yu sent troops to attack around the city. Ma Xuan went out to fight, but was defeated and captured.Swearing endlessly, he was killed together with Zeng Jun.The commander of the city guard, Mao Sui, surrendered the city.Zhang Yu took advantage of the victory and went to Zunhua overnight.He warned the soldiers not to kill indiscriminately. He said: "Xingshi is based on winning the hearts of the people." At the foot of Zunhua City, he simply selected warriors and quietly climbed into the city at four o'clock in the night.The vanguard who sneaked into the city opened the city gate, and the army entered the city before the Chinese army in the city realized it.Jiang Yu, the commander of Zunhuawei, and Zheng Heng, the commander of Miyunwei, also surrendered to the Yan army when the situation was over.
After Beiping Metropolitan Commander Yu ■ withdrew from Peiping, he took control of Juyongguan.Yu ■ has simple and concise soldiers, gathered thousands of people, and is still preparing to counterattack Beiping.Juyongguan is the northern throat of Beiping and the only way to enter and exit the fortress. It is known as the key to the north gate.Zhu Di said: "The mountain road at Juyongguan is steep, and the throat of Beiping is guarded by hundreds of people, and ten thousand people can't see it. Based on this, there is no need to worry about going north. Now that I have it, the profit is for the other, and it is bound to be taken. For example, after the family Households, how can you allow them to be abandoned and bandits. Now that they have just arrived, they are also plundering. The people’s hearts have not been convinced, so it’s easy to take. If you don’t take it, he will increase his troops to defend it, and it will be difficult to take it later.” So he ordered the command Xu An, Zhong Xiang, Qianhu Xu Xiang and others led their troops to attack.Yu Zhen defended and fought, but when reinforcements did not arrive, it was difficult to support him, so he abandoned Guanbei and took his arms.At this time, the governor Song Zhong led his troops to Beiping, planning to go to Juyongguan and enter the fortress.On the way, I heard that Juyongguan was lost and could not move forward, so I retreated to Baohuai.At this time, Yu Zhen's troops also retreated to Huailai.Zhu Di was very happy when he got the good news.He said: "Let the thieves know how to unite people's hearts and guard the pass. Although they want to take it, how can they break it immediately? If you give it today, you can't lose it." Knowing the importance of Juyongguan, he sent thousands of households Wu Yu to lead troops Go to guard.
Huailai was only a few tens of miles away from Juyongguan, and Yu Zhen and Song Zhong's large forces were still advancing on Juyongguan and approaching Beiping, which was a serious threat to the Yan army.Zhu Di said to the generals: "Song Zhong supported Huailai, Juyongguan has a tendency to fight, because it has not arrived, we can attack it first." He tried to quickly attack Huailai by preemptive methods.But Song Zhong's soldiers and horses numbered as many as 30,000, and Yu Suo's generals also numbered thousands.King Yan's strong guards had already been taken away by Song Zhong a lot. Although the defenders in Beiping City were all attached to King Yan, the defense of the city and the Eastern Expedition took up a lot of strength.Zhu Di couldn't come up with enough strength to fight the official army.Don't say overwhelm the opponent, even if they are evenly matched, it is impossible.The generals therefore said: "There are so many thieves and I am few, it is difficult to fight for the front. It is not convenient to attack, so you should stick to it and wait for it to come."Zhu Di said: "It is not known to the public. It is difficult to argue with wisdom. The power of argument is insufficient, but wisdom is more than enough. The new collection of thieves has different hearts. Song Zhong is mild-tempered and inconspicuous. Undecided, hit it and it will break."
Argument is not enough, wisdom is more than enough
On July 15th, Zhu Di led Ma Yun, Xu Xiang and other elite horsemen with eight thousand horses, set off from Beiping, and marched forward.This road is too familiar to Zhu Di.He has led troops out of the Great Wall several times.The brigade left Jiandemen and took the ancient roads of Qinghe and Shahe.It was early autumn, and although the scorching sun had some lingering power, it was no longer as hot as it was in its heyday.The seedlings and trees beside the road are still lush and verdant, and there is always a shade of grass and trees.Zhu Di was riding on the horse, looking at the mountains, rivers and roads, he couldn't help thinking that all the expeditions in the past were for the Zhu family's world, but now this battle was for himself.But this time the battle is different from the previous ones. It is impossible to determine whether they can meet the enemy and win when going north to the desert, but this time the battle is expected to win.Thinking of this, he couldn't help but smile, and waved his whip to make the soldiers speed up.The army crossed Changping and gradually entered the mountains. The road was rugged and winding, and the mountains along the road were like a line of honor guards to welcome the Yan army.When he looked forward, the forward had already turned around and entered the deep mountain. Looking back, the brigade was winding forward, and the army in the rear hadn't turned around the mountain yet.It's really a majestic iron horse, swallowing thousands of miles like a tiger.Not far after leaving the fortress, the terrain suddenly became flat. Although this is not the Gobi desert, it is also full of sand and rocks, with few trees.Occasionally a few wisps of soft clouds appear very low, but the sky beyond the clouds is exceptionally blue.The Yan army came to the city of Huailai the next day.Huailai City is located on a flat high port.There are not very high mountains in the northwest, but wide and open river beaches in the southwest. The shallow river flows loosely from the sand and pebbles to the southeast.Most of the soldiers under Song Zhong's command were originally the subordinates of the King of Yan, who were drawn from the guards of the Yan Mansion.At this time, as an official army, he was not willing to fight against King Yan.In order to make them resolutely fight against the Yan army, Song Zhong lied and said: The family members of these soldiers were all killed by the king of Yan, and the dead bodies filled the ravine.The reason why Song Zhong is like this is to stimulate the fighting spirit of the soldiers.But this news was detected by Yan Jun, and Zhu Di felt that this was an opportunity that could be used.Zhu Di ordered the relatives of Zhonghuailai's officers and soldiers to raise their old banners as the vanguard, and let them go forward to call for father, brother and son.The defenders, who were originally in armor and armed with guns, were ready for revenge, saw the flag of their hometown and heard the shouts of their family members. It was a pleasant surprise.After they calmed down a little, they realized that Song Dudu's words were not true. Although they were their own masters, how could they meet their father and brother with swords?They had no fighting spirit at all, and they were completely relaxed at this point.At this time, there was chaos in the army, and even the formation could not be formed. The old troops of the defender Song Zhong didn't know what to do when they saw this scene.In the midst of this panic and doubt, Zhu Di had crossed the river with his troops, and the Yan army rushed forward with clamor.Song Zhong was defeated, the soldiers retreated into the city like a tide, and the Yan army followed into his arms.There was a fierce battle between the two armies, and the official army was defeated.Song Zhong and Yu Zhen were captured, and both commanded Sun Taizhong Liuya, his armor was covered with blood, he wrapped his wounds and persisted in fighting, and died together with Peng Ju in the battle.In this battle, the Yan army beheaded thousands of people and obtained 8,000 horses.Song Zhong and Yu Zhen captured more than a hundred generals and schools, all of whom were killed because they refused to surrender, and they all commanded Zhuang De to escape alone.The surviving soldiers all surrendered to the Yan army.
Song Zhong was an important official army that restrained the Yan army in the north.His defeat showed King Yan's talent and strength, and also exposed the weakness of the officers and soldiers.Song Zhong and Xie Gui and Zhang Bing in front of him were not only inferior to Yanwang Group in terms of resourcefulness, but also showed military incompetence.After Song Zhong and others were captured, the generals of the Yan army were very proud.But Zhu Di was unusually sober.He knew that things were just beginning, and winning the world would not be so easy.He said to the generals: "Song Zhong was a mediocre man, and he was arrogant when he was only in charge of a soldier. This generation of people loves to deceive villains and treats them like foxes and mice. How happy is it to win a mere victory. How happy is it to win a big enemy If a husband is happy, he is prone to arrogance, and if he is arrogant, he will not quit, and if he does not quit, he will fail. Confucius said that he must also be afraid of the situation, and he is also the one who is willing to plan." Hearing this, all the generals admired it.Zhu Di is indeed better than most generals.
This battle shocked the north greatly.All the prefectures behind the mountain did not defend, and many guards in Kaiping, Longmen, Zhangu, and Yunzhong surrendered to the King of Yan.On the 18th, Zhu Di sent his commander Meng Shan to lead the troops to Yongping. The guard commander Chen Xu, the commander Qian Shi Zhao Yi, and Qianhu Guo Liang surrendered the city.Zhao Yi was originally a member of a hundred right guards in Yanshan. Later, he followed Ying Guogong to go north outside the Great Wall and built Xuanfu, Wanjin, and Huai'an City before he was promoted to the commander of Yongpingwei. It was originally the old department of King Yan.Guo Liang used to defend Baihu in Tiance. Later, he followed the army to attack Daning and Hacimang. Because of his meritorious service, he was promoted to guard Qianhu in Yongping. He was also under King Yan's subordinates. Their surrender was not accidental.
The fall of Jizhou, Zunhua, and Miyun shocked Daning.The governors Chen Heng and Liu Jie commanded Bu Wan to lead the Daning army out of Songting Pass, camped in Shahe, and were about to attack Zunhua.On July 22, Jiang Yu, the surrendered general stationed in Zunhua, reported the news to Zhu Di.On the 24th, Yan Wang Zhu Di personally led troops to help.When Liu Jie and others heard that Zhu Di was coming out in person, he retreated back to Songting Pass and couldn't hold out.On the 27th, Zhu Di ordered Qianhu Li Jun and others to lead the troops to the pass, and commanded the army to pretend to attack the city in an attempt to lure Liu Jie and others to fight.Liu Jie and others are still behind closed doors.At this time, the king of Yan was newly raised, and his troops were insufficient. A strong attack was not a good strategy, but a long-term stalemate would also cause him to change.Zhu Di was eager to weaken Daning's power, and after several calculations, he finally came up with a clever plan.He said to the generals: "Da Ning's army and horses will not disperse, and I will worry about my future. However, Liu Jie is old and does nothing. Chen Hengsu is loyal to me, but he is cut off by Bu Wan. If he goes to Bu Wan, Chen Heng will come. Liu Jie is cunning and easy to tease, and if he is moved in a short time, there will be suspicion." Zhu Di analyzed several guards, Chen Heng was the former subordinate of the King of Yan, and he followed the King of Yan several times as the commander of the left guard of Yanshan. After going out of the fortress, he was promoted to the command envoy of Peiping.King Yan said that he "trusted me" does not seem to be false, and Liu Jie is not a problem, so the key to solving the problem is Bu Wan.Therefore, it is necessary to design to get rid of Bu Wan.At this time, it happened that Yan Jun's rangers captured two Daning soldiers and reported to the Chinese army.After Zhu Di heard the news, he said happily, "It's possible!" So they wrote a letter to Bu Wan, in which they praised Bu Wan greatly, but slandered Chen Heng extremely.After writing, it was sealed firmly, put in the collar of a soldier, and the soldier was invited to drink, rewarded him with some silver, and let him return it.On the surface, this matter was done so that the other soldier did not want to know, but he pretended to be careless and let him see it quietly.Seeing this scene, he said to the guard, "What is that?" The guard said, "How do you know it?" He is well rewarded for his sound communication." He then said to the guard, "If you can speak for me, please do it for harmony, and obey your orders." The guard agreed to his request.So the two pawns were released together, but the other pawn was not rewarded.When the two soldiers returned to the army, those who were not rewarded with silver could not calm down and immediately reported the matter to the officer.Liu Zhen and Chen Heng found the letter written by King Yan to Bu Wan in the collars of the soldiers, and immediately became suspicious of Bu Wan.As a result, Bu Wan was arrested and imprisoned, and his family was also lost.After this blow, the army has never been able to recover.
When Zhu Di took military action, he did not forget to take political means.He knew what the military strength of the whole country meant to him.
July nineteenth.Zhu Di lectured the generals:
My emperor's test, Taizu Gao, appeases the Quartet, unifies the world, and establishes the princes, fan screen country, and the accumulation is deep and solid, with a long history and no boundaries.Emperor Kao Taizu, Emperor Gao, didn't know what disease he was, and he didn't let his sons know about it. As for his promotion, he didn't let his sons go to the funeral.He collapsed at Haishi on the tenth day of the fifth lunar month in intercalary month, and he was buried at Yinshi, and he was buried on the seventh day.He also demolished the palace, dug the ground five feet, learned the ancestral law, did evil, wanted to kill the prince, and endangered the country.I sent people to play the game, beat Chu, insulted the extreme five punishments, trained in prison, appointed evil young men, and dispatched military officers from all over the world to see them killed.I was afraid of killing, and wanted to save the disaster, so I had no choice but to raise troops to defend against the disaster, and vowed to be a traitor, in order to avenge my emperor Kao.
Husband and Young Chong are endlessly chaotic, promiscuous, blasphemy against ghosts and gods, slanderous and ruthless, unruly, unruly, unruly, unreliable, God is wrathful, uses it to punish him, disasters and punishments come repeatedly, and he has nothing to think about fear.However, there are many people, and I will give you an order to appease the catastrophe, carry the Qing court, and consolidate the foundation forever.My emperor tests that the Holy Spirit is in the sky, and I am monitoring you here, so that you are blessed by everyone.You are the only one who is not consistent, and who is arrogant is the ambition, and you are also self-defeating, separated from the slaughter.I have heard it said that the benevolent do not change their hearts with safety and danger, the righteous do not change their hearts with misfortunes and blessings, and the brave do not change their will with death.If you have all the wise listen to my words, you will have no troubles.If he has the heart to regret, regretting misfortune is a plan, and I will have endless rest, and you will also have the same celebration.Tell all the people, and their bodies are in their hearts.
This large-scale article first denounces the imperial court for being immoral, changed the ancestral law, and slaughtered flesh and blood; On the contrary, if King Yan wins, everyone will have a bright future.
At the same time, Zhu Di wrote to the court saying:
Gai Wenshu said: "If you don't see it, it's a picture."He also said: Seeing far is only bright.A wise man is always worrying about troubles in the bud, and a wise man can candle his love in the deepest.Since ancient times, the kings of sages and sages, whose achievements were written at that time, and whose statements were passed on to later generations, all of them are not due to this.If you don't see the opportunity, but don't pay attention to it, please donate your stupidity.
My emperor Kao Taizu, Emperor Gao, was at the end of the Yuan Dynasty in chaos and chaos, the heroes competed, covered with frost and dew, basked in the wind and rain, siege the city and fought in the field, and went to Shishi himself.Then pacify the world, set up the outline and Chen Ji, and build the foundation of the eternal world.The feudal philosophers consolidated the world like a rock, worked day and night to govern, worked hard, and dared not neglect.Unfortunately, my emperor Kao Bintian, treacherous ministers use things, jumping around, wanting to control the power, latently have the ambition to waver, harbor evil intentions, the reason is deep.The sword frame traps the kings to withdraw the vassal screen, and then acts recklessly, taking lives and killing them, and returning them all to their hands, swallowing them in the future, just like turning the palm of your hand.And look at it from the perspective of the kings, there is no reason for nothing, the one who first creates rootless provocations and wipes them out is like cutting grass, how can anyone ever move his heart!The kings are willing to be trapped and humiliated, even if they are slaves, their wives are displaced, their roads are exposed, they are expelled from poverty, they are not given food and clothing, and they take care of them when they walk the road.
In the past, my emperor tried to seek a successor, fearing that he would not prosper, and now the treacherous ministers want to exterminate the clan, fearing that it will not be done quickly.How long will it take for my emperor to test his descendants, and they are all gone.I obey the vassal and keep my points, and I am confident.Unexpectedly, the treacherous ministers kept in their minds day and night, and waited for them to be full, so they caused disasters.It is said that killing relatives with righteousness, regardless of flesh and blood, is not just killing me, I really want to kill my ancestors.At this time, there is nothing to plan, but the officials who want to defend righteousness and commit suicide, who are afraid of death, guard each other with soldiers, want to take a break for a while, and then express their feelings, pray for sorrow, hope that there will be a turnaround, and pour out Zhize.Shu Da Que, don't look left and right, and must seek to make their desires quick.
There is an old saying: A trapped beast wants to fight, and if you are caught by death, you have to do something.Song Zhong, the governor, gathered his troops in his arms, and he saw the attack in a short time. He led eight thousand sharp soldiers to defend him.When I hope that the left and right are easy to repent of misfortune, think of my relatives, mourn their poverty, and increase forgiveness, so that my uncle has the hope of sitting still and has no fear of death. This is not the luck of the special uncle, but the luck of the whole country.
In the past, Cheng Zhou was prosperous, the feudal princes established the foundation for more than 800 years, and the later generations declined, Qi Huan and Jin Wencheng made great achievements.Although Qin and Chu were so strong, those who dared not add troops to Zhou were shielded by other countries.Qin abolished feudalism, and the second generation died, which can be a clear lesson.If you don't think about it now, would you rather have the Lord of Ten Thousand Vehicles, who is independent of the above, and who can last for a long time?The poem said: "The price is Weifan, Taishi Weiyuan, Dabang Weiping, Dazong Weihan, Huaide Weining, eldest son Weicheng, no one is ruined, no one is afraid." .In case you want to see the slaughter, there will be no time for soldiers and disasters.Once it is stolen like Wu Guang and Chen Shengzhi, the emperor's difficult career will not be reinsured.It is extremely sincere to express my sincere feelings.If you are stubborn and don't return, you will fall into the tricks of evil people, and the chance of safety and danger is really tied here.
In this letter, Zhu Di also portrayed himself as being in a pitiful position of being murdered by treacherous officials, but said nothing about the prince's disobedience, accusing the court of murdering the clan. He showed this manuscript to his subordinates.The subordinates all said: "The purpose of the speech is sincere, and it will surely be moved. If the drought is so severe, it is sincerely a wish to rest the soldiers and soldiers." It is probably the "ultimate wish" of those kind-hearted people who do not know the truth.But Zhu Di's purpose is not only to "rest the soldiers and rest the soldiers"?This letter is just a protective umbrella he raised, and its real meaning is that this war must be fought to the end no matter what, because his ultimate goal is to seize the emperor's throne in Nanjing.So he immediately said: "A filial brother has the same principles in the hearts of the people, and those who have the hearts of the people will not feel sad when they look at my words? Dao Chen is eager to hope that he will be enlightened, and he will be moved. Intermittent ear. However, if I give it to you, he has such a heart, and besides, the villain of Japan, who hears and sees ignorant of the Dao, must want to use his root poison. "Only he knows the cause and essence of this struggle best, so he can make the most reliable judgment on the course of the matter.His petition is nothing more than political propaganda.He didn't want to stop the army, and of course he didn't want his subordinates to relax their fighting spirit.However, except for a few confidantes, he always has to hide his ultimate goal and use the most pitiful words to seek everyone's sympathy.At the same time, he also wants to dress himself up as a teacher of benevolence and righteousness, and forbids the indiscriminate killing of innocent people.He knows that only in this way can he have the possibility of victory.On July 21st, he said to everyone: "If I and I do this, it is not because of wealth and honor, but because of saving lives and protecting wives and children. Husbands like life and hate death, and human feelings are the same. One. Those who are down today are the world of the Taizu, and the common people are the sons of the Taizu. Counting treacherous people, wanting to destroy the country, and expulsing the children are not what they get. Be careful not to indulge Killing, bloodthirsty will harm the peace of heaven and earth, so as to damage the benevolence of Taizu's decades of birth. Don't be greedy for money. If you are greedy for money, you will lose the hearts of the people. When there is chaos, there is no law of chaos. Those who go against what they say will be ruled by law. I have written a letter to the court, hoping for a decree day and night, so that I can live a whole life. "
It has only been twenty days since the army started on the fifth day of the lunar new year.But the situation has developed really fast in the past twenty days.With a small number of guards in the palace, Zhu Di not only captured Beiping, but also controlled Tongzhou, Jizhou, Miyun, and Zunhua to the east, and Juyongguan to the northwest. pregnant.The strength of the Yan army has grown to tens of thousands.The reason why Zhu Di was able to do this was, of course, that he had lived in Beiping for a long time. Many civil and military generals were his former troops, and he knew how to unite people.Not only is there resourceful Yao Guangxiao and Zhang Yu who is used to fighting by his side, but Zhu Di himself is both resourceful and accustomed to fighting. "Arguing is not enough, but wisdom is more than enough." Yan Wang Zhudi started his career in this way.
True battle
If you win the world immediately, you cannot protect the world immediately.From Hongwu to Jianwen, we are facing a change of the times.Needless to say, to conquer the world, even to consolidate the new Ming Dynasty, we must rely heavily on soldiers.It was not until the fifteenth year of Hongwu that Yunnan, controlled by the former Yuan Liang King, was finally pacified.Nahachu, the old general of the Yuan Dynasty who guarded Liaodong for 20 years in Hongwu, was forced to surrender.In addition, it is inseparable from the soldiers to deal with the Mongols going south again and again, or to organize the Northern Expedition again and again.Fortunately, after 31 years of hard work by Hongwu, the hostile forces of the Ming Dynasty were almost wiped out.Not only internal stability, but also the main threat of the Yuan forces have weakened and split.Indeed, since the last years of Hongwu, a new era has begun.Zhu Yunqi wants to devote himself to martial arts in this era.
Zhu Yunqi learned the Confucian governing technique since he was a child, and now he wants to put it into practice, and his counselor Fang Xiaoru gave him a lot of theoretical support.They discuss the laws of Zhou officials together every day, and want to shape an ideal society according to Confucianism.He handed over all the military planning on the battlefield to Qi Tai and Huang Zicheng.Qi Huang made deployments in Beiping, and sent people to control the surrounding areas of Beiping. The first clear action they took was to arrest and cut off the officials of King Yan.From the emperor to the civil and military officials of the court, they are all waiting for the victory in the north.
Unexpectedly, the news from the north was not the victory of the army, but the letter from King Yan announcing the rebellion, and Zhang Bing and Xie Gui were arrested, Beiping fell, Tongzhou, Jizhou, Miyun, and Zunhua fell, and there were 30,000 people in a row Song Zhong, the governor of Huailai, was also defeated and captured in Huailai, and King Gu, who had sealed the country in the northwest of Huailai, ran back to the capital.This shocked the court greatly.Qi Tai asked to issue an imperial edict to revoke King Yan's affiliation, and to punish him for his crimes, and someone raised a challenge.Qi Tai said: "It is clear that he is a thief, and the enemy can be conquered." Huang Zicheng said: "The soldiers in the north are strong, and if they don't defend early, they may lose Hebei." After several discussions, they finally decided to send troops to attack Yan.At this time, there were not many heroes who were capable of conquering and fighting in Hongwu, so Geng Bingwen, Marquis of Changxing, was the general who conquered Yan, Li Jian, the governor-in-law, and Ning Zhong, the governor-in-law, were the left and right deputy generals to lead the Northern Expedition.Before the army set off, they offered sacrifices to the Heaven and Earth Ancestral Temple and the country, and announced an edict to the whole country:
The state is not built, and the relatives of the flesh and blood have repeatedly conspired to rebel.Last year, the common people of Zhou conspired against the law and resigned from the three kings of Yan, Qi and Xiang.Because of my relatives, I will stop the crime.This year, the king of Qi fought against him, and conspired with Di and Bai.I am closest to Di Yu, and I can't bear to deal with it poorly.Today, it is said that the army is in chaos, trying to endanger the clan, and offending the ancestors of the world, which is unforgivable.It is simple to send out soldiers, and it often leads to punishment.Zier, Chinese and foreign subjects, sergeants, each with loyalty and righteousness, united with the country, sweeping away the adverse atmosphere, Yongan will rule.
This edict is upright and upright, without concealment or exaggeration, just as Huang Zicheng said back then: "There are differences in size, strength and weakness, and the principles of obedience and rebellion are also different." At the same time, the imperial court sent Wu Jie, Marquis of Anlu, and Wu Gao, Marquis of Jiangyin, to Geng, the governor, all commanded Sheng Yong, Pan Zhong, Yang Song, Gu Cheng, Xu Kai, Li You, Chen Hui, and Ping'an, and marched together to join the Northern Expedition.In addition, because Zhang Bing, the chief envoy of Beiping, was killed, King Yan himself appointed officials to manage Beiping.
Ye Boju had already predicted this catastrophe among the flesh and blood as early as the ninth year of Hongwu.The development of the situation after Ye Boju's death made the situation more and more clear. However, except for Huang Zicheng, who accompanied the study of the East Palace and was the arm of the future emperor, and dared to speak out about this matter, generally few people dared to involve it.Not long after Zhu Yunwen took the throne, Cheng Ji, the instructor in Yuechi, Sichuan, saw this move.But in view of Ye Boju's tragic death, he dared not speak out.However, he still wrote a letter expressing his opinion: "The northern army will rise on a certain day next year." It's just that he pretended that he had a good knowledge of mathematics and learned it through calculation.On the one hand, he did this to strengthen the authority of his own words, and at the same time, he was afraid that if he blamed him, he would be able to reduce his responsibility.Unexpectedly, as soon as his book was published, he was arrested and almost killed.At that time, it was not a taboo to cut down the vassal. King Zhou had already been abolished, and King Qi, Dai, and Min had been arrested. So, why was Cheng Ji not allowed to speak?The key point is that what Cheng Ji refers to is King Yan, and the imperial court dare not cut Yan.Now that King Yan has rebelled, and the court has ordered him to leave the army, everything is clear.Cheng Ji was also released, and given the post of editor of Hanlin, let him serve as a military adviser to protect the generals going north.
The army was about to leave, and Emperor Jianwen still couldn't bear it.He said to all the soldiers: "In the past, Xiao Yi raised his troops into Beijing, and ordered his subordinates to say: 'Within one gate, the soldiers are extremely powerful and extremely ominous. I have the reputation of killing my uncle." On the one hand, we must cut down the feudal clan, and on the other hand, we must not leave a bad name, and we really have to have both.According to Emperor Jianwen's idea, it is the most appropriate way to force Zhu Di to submit and save his life.Emperor Jianwen's benevolence and indecision can be seen from this.
The mighty army marched side by side, pointing directly at Peiping.Only the partial infantry and cavalry led by Wu Jie and others are known as 100,000.On the eighth day, Geng Bingwen led 300,000 troops to Zhending, Xu Kai led 100,000 troops to Hejian, Pan Zhong and Yang Song stationed in Fuzhou, and 9,000 of their vanguards had entered Xiong County.
When Zhu Di heard that the army was going north, he led his division to fight.Zhang Yu took people to Geng Bingwen's camp for reconnaissance. When he came back, he reported: "Bingwen's army has no discipline, and there is a sense of defeat in it, and they do nothing. Pan Zhong and Yang Song are strangling our south road, and they should be captured first." Zhu Di got this One intelligence, very happy.Dressed in armor, he personally led the troops to Zhuozhou.It was the mid-autumn day for Renzi, and the king of Yan was stationed in Lousang. He ordered the soldiers to raise horses and produce food, intending to take advantage of the festival to attack the officers and soldiers by surprise.In the afternoon, Yan Jun crossed the Baigou River.Zhu Di said to the generals: "Tonight's Mid-Autumn Festival, he will not come in surprise, he will drink freely, and he will be able to break it when he is unprepared." In order to seize the opportunity, King Yan urged the army to advance quickly.The golden crow fell to the west, seeing the sky gradually darken.But the golden moon rose in the east again soon, and all the roads in the four fields were clearly visible.It was midnight when they arrived in Xiong County.A full moon hangs in the middle of the sky. In the silver light like water, the fields, mountains and rivers are quiet. Whether it is the suburbs outside the city or the streets and alleys inside the city, there is no sound, except for the occasional dog barking.It's a festive day, and people are too tired.However, under this bright moonlight, a fight is brewing, there will be shouts, there will be swords and guns, and there will be bright red blood.Isn't this too unsightly?No, soldiers take fighting as their profession, take killing the enemy as their pleasure, sprinkle blood on the battlefield, and wrap corpses in horse leather as their magnificence.If the enemy dies and we are injured, the triumphant class teacher will be happy.
However, the officers and soldiers did not sleep peacefully. They knew that this place was very close to the Yan Army's garrison, and they might encounter the enemy at any time.They had already been discovered by the Yan army when they besieged the city.Gradually, there were shouts and curses in the city.The sound is exceptionally clear on a quiet night.It seems that the plan of the Yan army's surprise attack is not working, so they can only go to the city to attack the fortifications.
At dawn, the Yan army climbed to Dengcheng, and the officers and soldiers fought hard to resist.However, the Yan army has been on the frontier fortress for a long time, and has won new victories in Juyongguan and Huailai. The morale is high, and the officers and soldiers are stationed in the south.The official army was gradually exhausted, and some lines of defense had been breached by the Yan army. The official army was defeated, but they never surrendered, and they continued to curse.The Yan army is angry, and they will do their best to slaughter them.The poor 9,000 officers and soldiers were all killed.More than 8,000 war horses became the trophies of the Yan army.Zhu Di was very dissatisfied with the indiscriminate killing of his subordinates.He said: "If you try to tell me to wait, don't be addicted to killing people. If you wait to obey my actions, you will die quickly if you want to live. If you kill more, you will strengthen your heart, and make everyone fear death and fight with all your strength. One man is desperate, and a hundred people are not worthy. In the end, it is not because of the safe way. In the past, when Cao Bin went to the south of the Yangtze River, he did not kill recklessly. Afterwards, his descendants prospered, and those who liked to kill were often extinct. Although a city is pulled out today, the gain is very little, but the loss is much." Zhu Di He not only knows how to fight, but also knows how to attack the heart.All the generals felt ashamed and apologized.
The Yan army won this battle easily.Zhu Di judged that although Pan Zhong and Yang Song were near Wu Prefecture, they would not have thought that Xiong County would be breached so soon, and they would definitely bring troops to rescue them.Zhu Di said: "I will give birth to Pan Yang." But the generals couldn't figure out how Zhu Di could capture Pan Yang alive.Zhu Di ordered Tan Yuan to lead more than a thousand troops to cross the Moon-like Bridge first, lurking in the water, and agreed to wait for Pan Zhong to cross the bridge and occupy the bridge when he heard the sound of artillery.When Pan Zhong will cross the bridge can only be roughly estimated, so the soldiers don't know how long they will be lurking in the water. Zhu Di asked each soldier to cover his head with a bunch of water chestnut as a cover.In this way, the head can also come out of the water to breathe.Zhu Di arranged for several other people to lie in ambush on the side of the road, so that they would fire cannons as soon as they saw Pan Zhong and King Yan fighting.The layout is set.Zhu Di climbed to the top of the city, only waiting for the enemy to fall into the trap.Looking into the distance, he saw yellow dust billowing on the road, and vaguely heard vehicles and horses trampling. The Southern Army really came, and the leader was Pan Zhong.Zhu Di led his troops to open the door to meet the enemy, and Pan Zhong rushed across the Moon-like Bridge and went straight to King Yan.Pan Zhong and others had just crossed the bridge when they heard the sound of cannons and shouts all over the place. Knowing that they were in an ambush, they wanted to seize the bridge and escape without engaging in battle. Unexpectedly, the bridge was already occupied by Tan Yuan's soldiers and there was no way to retreat. , and Zhu Di rushed over with soldiers and horses in front of him.Under the attack from the front and back of the Yan army, the officers and soldiers were defeated. Pan Zhong and Yang Song were captured alive, and most of the soldiers fell into the water and drowned.
Successive victories boosted the morale of the Yan army, and Zhu Di couldn't stop, wanting to take advantage of the momentum to fight another battle.He asked the captured Pan Zhong and others about the reality of the officers and soldiers.Pan Zhong said that there were more than 10,000 soldiers and more than 9,000 horses in Wuzhou.He also suggested: "(Zhuzhou) will leave when they hear that I am defeated, and take it urgently." So Zhu Di brought more than a hundred elite cavalry as vanguards and marched towards Wuzhou.The Yan Army's Naoshima enemy camp, all the officers and soldiers guarding the camp surrendered, and all the troops, horses and luggage were taken by the Yan Army.
The next day, Zhu Di led his troops back to Baigouhe.Three battles and three victories, the momentum is like a broken bamboo.下一步就要接触官军的主帅耿炳文了。这需要给予认真的对待。朱棣的战略思想仍是乘胜夺袭，速战速决。他说：“今潘忠等被擒，众皆败没，耿炳文在真定，必不虞我至，不为设备。我由间道，出其不意，破之必矣。”诸将也赞同他的想法。这时，正好有耿炳文部下的一个小军官张保前来投降，请求做先锋以自效。朱棣将他叫到帐中，了解耿炳文军中虚实。张保报告说耿炳文军共三十万，先到的有十万，一半驻扎在滹沱河南，一半驻扎在滹沱河北。朱棣闻此又成一计。他厚赏张保，又给张保一匹马，放他回到耿炳文军中，让他假说身败被俘，乘守者不注意盗马逃回，并且让他假称燕军就要到来。众诸将对朱棣这种安排弄不明白，他们问道：“今由间道，一不令彼知，掩其不备，奈何遣使，使其为备？”原来是朱棣根据得到的情报改变了策略。他解释说：“不然，如不知彼虚实，故欲掩其不备。今知其众半营河南，半营河北，是以令其知我军且至，则南岸之众，必移于北，并力拒我，一举可尽败之。兼欲贼知雄县、鄚州之败，以夺其气。兵法所谓先声后实，即此是矣。若不令其知，径薄城下，虽能胜其北岸之军，南岸之众乘我战疲，鼓行渡河，是我以劳师当彼逸力，胜负难必。且人委身归我，当推诚任使，用何怀疑。借彼有反侧，去一张保，于我何损！由是事成，亦一人之间耳。”朱棣不仅善于应时机变，活用兵法，而且善于用心理战去打败对手。他既能灵活地指挥自己的队伍，又要调动敌军使之露出腰身准备挨打。同时，在这里他又表现了作为一个军事统帅的优秀品质：用人不疑。这正是他使许多将校始终不渝地忠于他，为他拼死效力的一个重要原因。
众将听完朱棣对战略的解释，无不佩服朱棣的胆识，深感不能望其项背，只有唯唯遵命而已。
燕军自白沟河西行，二十四日，到达无极县。离真定只有几十里的路了。朱棣当然已有成算，但他深知敌众我寡，想就此试一试诸将的勇怯。朱棣召集大家问军队应该向哪里进发，于是出现了不同意见。有人主张先不要直接去真定，应该开赴新乐，以观察敌军的动静。老将张玉不以为然。他说：“今当径趋真定，彼虽众，然新集未齐，我军乘胜一鼓可破之。”朱棣听罢大喜，他进一步分析了形势说：“新乐僻于一隅，吾逗留于彼，锐气已馁，贼引众来战，势力不均，若等且度能胜否？直抵真定，贼众新集，纪律未定，人心不一，乘我士气有锐，一鼓而破之。”他进一步分析了双方的形势，又说：“玉言合吾意，吾倚玉一人足办。”真是英雄所见略同。
计议已定，大军继续进发。到二十五这一天离真定城只有二十里了。燕军抓了一个耿炳文军中打柴的军士，询知官军只备西北，而东南无备。朱棣于是带领三个骑兵军士来到东门下，一下冲入官军的运粮车中，捉了两个人。朱棣从这两人口中知道，官军果然正将军队调往北岸，从西门起扎营一直抵达西山，尚未立稳。朱棣带轻骑数十人，绕出城西，先击破两个官军营盘。这时耿炳文正从营中出来送客，等到他发觉了燕军，急忙退入城中，打算把桥吊起甩掉燕军，没想到桥索已被燕军砍断。燕军紧追不放，耿炳文差一点被抓住。官军与燕军隔城相对，相距两百步之遥。官军在城上大骂燕军，朱棣这时要试一试自己的箭术，你看他拉了弓搭箭，满引一放，墙上一个军士应弦而毙。燕王的军校都一齐为他叫好。
耿炳文出城迎战，张玉、谭渊、朱能、马云等带众奋击。两军交战时，朱棣带领一支人马绕出敌后，沿城墙夹击耿炳文军，冲乱了官军的阵线。耿炳文败退。朱能与敢死军士三十余骑，追奔滹沱河东，耿炳文尚有数万人列阵而对，朱能奋勇大呼，冲入阵中，官军披靡。丘福等从另一面攻入子城，内城关闭，不得而进。官军左副将军驸马都尉李坚领众接战，燕军骑士薛禄迎战，将李坚刺于马下，正要挥刀砍去，李坚大喊：“我李驸马，勿杀我！”结果李坚被活捉。官军中右副将军都督甯忠、左都督顾成、都指挥刘遂全都被俘。耿炳文急奔回城，军士争相而入，城门很小，拥塞不前，许多人被践踏而死，不得已砍杀后面的人，城门才勉强关上。
这一战官军弃甲而降的有三千余人，这次燕军改变了杀俘的做法，除两千人愿意留在燕军外，其余尽数遣散。
这场战争真有意思。虽说敌对双方势不两立，你死我活，却又是叔侄相争、同室操戈，两军之间不是亲戚便是同僚，上了战马则是仇敌，下战马来则可握手言欢。薛禄绑缚李坚来见朱棣。朱棣一见是李驸马来了，马上感到这是一个宣传的机会，他责备李驸马说：“尔本戚畹，何所怨仇？亦从凶悖？今日之罪，安可逃乎？”驸马当然不能随便杀，但可作为人质。遂命将李坚械送北平，后来死在路上。一会，顾成也被绑缚来了。顾成是朱元璋部下的老臣，朱元璋渡江时即来归附，被选做帐前亲兵。以后转战南北，卓有战功。这次北征他是左军都督。朱棣见到顾成不禁大喜，说：“此天以尔援我也！”他亲自上前为顾成松绑，并拿衣服让他穿好。就这样朱棣又得到一员虎将。顾成被送赴北平，辅助世子朱高炽留守。据说朱棣与顾成还有一段对话，朱棣说：“尔我父皇旧人，安得亦为是举？”顾成泣对：“今日老臣为奸臣逼迫，冒犯大逆，罪无所逃！老臣幸见殿下，如见太祖，倘容老臣不死，当竭犬马之诚以为报。”朱棣说：“忠义之士，能如是乎？”王崇武先生怀疑朱棣释成之缚即委信不疑，可能在此之前，两方已有通结。上述的对话，殊可长思。
这里刚安排好，朱棣远远望见军中一些人不知为什么聚到一起叽叽喳喳地议论。他问诸将说：“彼何为者？”大家回答说：“降者谋欲叛去。”朱棣说：“吾自讯之。”他让人将投降的军士带到面前。朱棣对他们说：“凡降吾者任其去留，诚以其有父母妻子之思，尔等欲去，当明以告我，给尔资粮，援送出境。逃则为逻骑所获，必不免尔。我全尔生，尔反求死。”一些降卒听了这话，都很感动，不少人表示愿留下报效，还乡者也成了朱棣的义务宣传员。
经此一战，再除去此前分守雄县、鄚州的军队，耿炳文军尚有十万之众，他的失败全因移营未稳而猝遇强敌。至此，他入城坚守不出。这期间，吴杰曾带军前来援助，受到燕军的阻挡，不能与耿军会合，不得已退还。但是朱棣前后连攻三日，城池一直没有攻下，他知道耿炳文老将不容易对付。便对诸将说：“攻城下策，徒旷时日，钝我士气。”遂解围而去。
这是燕军与朝廷北伐主力的第一次接触。炳文虽然是夙将，但他长于战而未尝总大军，诸将多纨绔子弟，失律偾事，是在意料之中的。而燕王则再次显示出他的军事才能。真定城虽然没有破，但无疑燕军取得了胜利。
大将军李景隆
耿炳文失败的消息传到南京，完全出于建文帝的意外。他说：“老将也，而摧锋，奈何？”黄子澄说：“胜败常事，毋足虑。聚天下之兵，得五十万，四面攻北平，众寡不敌，必成擒矣。”建文帝问：“孰堪将者？”黄子澄回答：“李景隆可。比用景隆，定破矣。”齐泰听说黄子澄要推荐李景隆将兵，坚决反对，但黄子澄不听，终于任命李景隆做了大将军。
李景隆是什么人？就是前面提到的带兵北上包围周王府的那位。他是明开国功臣岐阳王李文忠的长子，小字九江，读书，通典故。身长，眉目疏秀，顾盼伟然，每朝会，进止雍容甚都，为太祖朱元璋所瞩目。洪武十九年，李景隆袭封曹国公。他曾屡次赴湖广、陕西河南练兵，又曾被派往西番买马。后来掌左军都督府事，加太子太傅衔。建文帝即位后，他受到信任，因为李文忠是朱元璋姐姐的儿子。那次去河南执周王，是他在建文朝做的第一件大事，不过有人说了一些闲话，说那次李景隆活捉周王，曾向周王搜罗金宝。王府不愿往外拿，便被定有“反罪”，捉了送往云南。
八月三十日丁卯，李景隆即将从南京北上，取代老将耿炳文。阴历八月底的江风颇有凉意。它吹起林立的旌旗，也吹拂着告别的君臣。建文帝赐给李景隆通天犀带，亲自为他摧轮，赐以斧钺，许他便宜行事。为景隆饯行的肴馔已在江边摆好。李景隆放眼长江，仿佛这一江秋水就在他胸中荡漾，天下英雄能有几人得此殊遇！志得意满之态飞扬于眉宇之间。建文帝展望蔽日的旌旗，那一列列披坚执锐待命出发的勇士，再看这仪表非凡、气宇轩昂的大将军，感到他们无异于拱卫帝京的长江天堑。就在这前后，监察御史韩郁上书再次对削藩提出反对意见。建文帝哪里听得进去，他对战争的前景充满了信心。建文帝与李景隆君臣共同举杯，相期奏凯重逢。
跟随李景隆北上的有原谷王府长史刘璟和高巍。刘璟与谷王一起奔还京师，向朝廷献十六策，受到赏识，建文帝命他随李景隆北伐，赞划军事。高巍则愿意做一名说客，去劝说燕王休兵，他的请求受到建文帝的赞许，便派他随大军一同北上。但是，李景隆是个贵公子，虽通典故，实不会带兵，又妄自尊大，所部诸将多怏怏不为所用。
且说燕王退回北平，接连传来两方面的战报。先是九月初一戊辰，永平守将郭亮报告：江阴侯吴高、都督耿■等带领辽东兵马围攻永平。到了十一日戊寅，南线谍报李景隆已经到了德州，收集耿炳文所部并调多处军马共五十万进营于河间。朱棣听到这消息，不禁哈哈大笑，诸王一时摸不着头脑，弄不清为什么在这样的形势下燕王反会高兴。
朱棣说：“李九江豢养之子，智疏而谋寡，色厉而中馁，骄矜而少成，忌刻而自用。未尝习兵，不见大战，以五十万付之，是自坑之也。汉高宽弘大度，知人善任，使英雄为用，不过能将十万，惟韩信则多多益善。九江何等才？而能将五十万，诚可笑！昔赵括徒能读其父书，不知合变，赵用为将，与秦战，遂坑卒四十万。矧九江之才，远不如括，其败必矣！”接着他依据兵法，指出李景隆之败有五：“九江为将，政令不修，纪律不整，上下异心，死生离志，败一也。今此地蚤寒，南卒衣褐者少，披触霜雪，手足皲裂，甚有堕指之患，况马无宿藁，士无赢粮，败二也。不量险易，深入趋利，败三也。贪而不止，智信不足，气盈而愎，仁勇俱无，威令不行，三军易挠，败四也。部曲喧哗，金鼓无节，好谀喜佞，专任小人，败五也。有五败之道，而无一胜之策，其来实送死尔。”为什么尚未交兵朱棣就知道李景隆“政令不修，上下异心”、“仁勇俱无，威令不行”、“好谀喜佞，专任小人”？我看这其中不乏后世史臣的夸张之词。但是，李景隆与朱棣之间是表亲，两家从来过往甚密，朱棣与李文忠是表兄弟，按辈份朱棣应是李景隆的表叔，他对李景隆的情况可以说是了如指掌，在他眼里没有什么表侄什么太子太傅，他是从军事家得角度对对手的弱点进行分析。可惜的是，李景隆的弱点竟让朱棣看得那么清楚，而朝廷中如黄子澄、如建文帝都无知人之明。朱棣还判断，他自己坐守北平，李景隆不会冒然攻城。于是他策划了一个诱敌之计：“今往援永平，彼探知我出，必来攻城。回师击之，坚城在前，大军在后，竖子必成擒矣。”将领中还有不同意出兵永平者，他们担心大军离开北平后会给敌人留下空隙，他们提出：“永平城完粮足，可以无忧，今宜保守根本，恐出非利。”朱棣解释说：“守城之众，以战则不足，御贼则有余。若军在城，祗自示弱，彼得专攻，无复他顾，甚非良策。兵出于外，奇变随用，内外犄角，破贼必矣。吾出非专为水平，直欲诛九江速来就擒耳。吴高怯不能战，闻我来必走。是我一举解永平之围，而收功于九江也。”虚虚实实，灵活机变，朱棣确将兵法用活了。
朱棣带大军出援永平，命世子朱高炽在北平留守，辅助他的则是姚广孝。另外，还有在真定收降的老将顾成。诸将向朱棣请求，为保证北平的安全，应该在卢沟桥设防以阻挡李景隆军队。其实朱棣已经想到这一点了。他说：“天寒水涸，随处可渡。守一桥何能拒贼！舍此不守，以骄贼心，使其深入，受困于坚城之下。此兵法所谓利而诱之者也。”
即使对吴高这样的小股部队，朱棣也不愿和它硬打。他与诸将盘算说：“高虽怯，差密；文勇，而无谋。去高则文无能为也。”因此，他又小施一计，打算除掉吴高。他分别给两个人写信，信中盛誉吴高而诋毁杨文，但又故意将二人的信相互装错。二人接到信后无不吃惊，被称赞者要洗清嫌疑，连忙将原信封好上报朝廷，被诋毁者则怀疑对方与燕军有所串通，也将来书上报给了朝廷。将领之间既已互不信任，而各自本人的嫌疑又未洗清，还有什么斗志？所以，他们看到朱棣的援兵已到，未经力战便退还了山海。朱棣的计谋又得了手。
这场战打得太容易了，朱棣忽然想到不如趁此去攻打大宁。诸将一怕大宁难攻，二怕在外迟留日久北平受困，都主张缓攻大宁。他们说：“大宁必道松亭关，今刘真、陈亨守之，破之，然后可入。关门险塞，猝亦难下，迟留日久，李景隆必来攻北平，恐城中惊疑不安，莫若回师破贼，徐取大宁，万全之计也。”但是朱棣决定冒险，他打算避开松亭关的主力，由刘家口出关。既可保存力量，又可节省时间，同时，先打破大宁军队的老家，松亭关的守军可不战自溃。他说：“今取刘家口，径趋大宁，不数日可达。大宁军士聚松亭关，其家属在城，老弱者居守，师至不日可拔。破城之日，抚绥将士家属，则松亭关之众不降则溃。北平深沟高垒、守备完固，纵有百万之众，未易以窥，正欲使其顿兵坚城之下，归而击之，势如拉朽。尔等第从予行，毋忧也。”朱棣这样说，虽不无道理，但主要还是鼓励将士的必胜信心，其实他自己对北平也有点不放心。在军队开赴大宁前，他还是写信给世子命其严加守备，敌人来后不得轻易出战。
大宁的战斗我们打算放在以后再说。现在我们一起回过头来看看北平的情况。
李景隆听说朱棣带大军开赴大宁。认为这是个机会。他下令攻打北平，军队直插北平城下。
数十万军队迤逦北上，刷刷的脚步，得得的马蹄，隆隆的车轮，在冻土上响成一片。过了良乡就是宛平，那宛平就已是北平地界了，良乡与宛平之间相隔着一条卢沟河(今永定河)，河上的卢沟桥是必经之路。这条桥建于金大定二十九年(1189)，从东到西共有十一孔，桥两边栏板间的二百八十根壁柱上，雕有千姿百态的小狮子。桥长七十九丈五尺，宽二丈四尺，在壮伟中显着灵秀。李景隆指挥大队军马通过卢沟桥，宋人的“道上征车铎声急，霜花如钱马鬣湿”的诗句怎么比得上如今的景象壮观！李景隆意气骄盈，用马鞭子敲打着马毡说：“不守卢沟桥，吾知其无能为也！”不免对朱棣露出轻视之意，他眼前壁柱上的几个小石狮子正在嬉戏耍闹，仿佛是在预示着他的胜利。
李景隆军来到北平城下，朱高炽闭门坚守不出。李军遂于九门环筑堡垒围困之。另外派兵攻打通州。通州在北平城正东六十里。如果朱棣从大宁方面还师，一定要经过通州。李景隆便在从通州到北平之间的郑村坝连结九营亲自督军迎击燕军。
官军在北平城下发动了一次又一次的进攻，特别是丽正门上战斗激烈，李景隆的军队有十万人，而城内连老疾孱弱都算上也不及一万，力量单簿几乎不支。在王妃徐氏的带领下，官校士民的妻室也动员起来了，她们也穿上护甲登上城墙，向攻