Chapter 32 The Eighteenth Tactic: Capture the Thief and Capture the King

Destroy its strength, seize its crown, and break its body.When the dragon fights in the wild, its way is poor. Destroy the enemy's main force and capture its leader to disintegrate its overall strength.It's like a dragon going out of the sea to fight on land, facing a desperate situation. The poet Du Fu once said: To shoot a man, shoot a horse first; to capture a thief, first capture the king.When two armies confront each other, the commander must keep the overall situation in mind, look at the whole thing from beginning to end, be good at taking advantage of the victory to expand the results of the battle, and must not think that defeating the enemy is a complete victory, and if he does not destroy the enemy's main force and capture its leader, it will be like letting the tiger go back to the mountain, and there will be troubles later. .

The principle of capturing a thief and capturing a king seems simple, but in fact it is not so easy to use. Capturing a thief and capturing a king not only refers to capturing the leader of the opponent, but also refers to destroying the main force of the opponent. Although there are similarities between the two, they are .In the specific situation is different, but also to be flexible.Generally speaking, capturing the leader will inevitably shake the morale of the army and disintegrate the whole; but destroying the main force will naturally turn the leader into a bare commander without doing anything.Capture the head first, then destroy the main force, it is like hitting a snake to hit seven inches, and get twice the result with half the effort; while destroying the main force first, then capture the head, it is as easy as hand.Not as the original intention of this plan.In the 1930s, Zhang Xueliang and Yang Hucheng launched the "Double Twelve" remonstrance and captured Chiang Kai-shek alive, which led to the anti-Japanese situation in the whole country. The surprise attack on the headquarters of the White Tiger Regiment also left a wonderful mark in the history of modern warfare.Under the conditions of modern warfare, the war style of watching the battle flag and knowing the commander in the cold weapon era no longer exists.Command organs far from the front line of combat can use modern and advanced command methods to plan strategies and win decisively thousands of miles away. To capture thieves and capture kings, they need to resort to airborne landings and landings behind enemy lines. However, no matter how the war method changes, this A strategy will still shine in future wars.

During the Anshi Rebellion in the Tang Dynasty, An Lushan became the "Emperor of Yan", who was killed soon after, and his son An Qingxu took power.In order to expand the territory, An Qingxu sent General Yin Ziqi to lead an army of 130,000 people to attack Huaiyang.In an attempt to seize Jianghuai.Huaiyang defender Xu Yuan saw that the situation was critical.Immediately dispatched people to speed up the whip, and sent an urgent military report to the famous general Zhang Xun who was the deputy envoy of He Jiedu at that time, requesting immediate support. Zhang Xun received the report without saying a word, and led 3,000 troops from Ningling to Huaiyang for rescue. After merging with Xu Yuan's troops, the total number is less than 7,000, which is obviously at a disadvantage compared with Li Ziqi's 130,000.

However, Zhang Xun is wise and brave.Without fear, he commanded calmly, and the soldiers resisted tenaciously. In more than half a month, Zhang Xun led his troops to capture more than 60 rebel generals and killed more than 20,000 enemies. Yin Ziqi lost his troops and had to retreat temporarily. Soon, Yin Ziqi adjusted his deployment and launched a large-scale attack on Huaiyang again. Zhang Xun carried out careful mobilization, slaughtered cattle and rewarded the soldiers of the three armies. Although two consecutive victories have been achieved, the situation is still very grim. The 130,000 men under the rebel general Yin Ziqi still have nearly 100,000, and Zhang Xun's 7,000 soldiers and horses have also been consumed after two battles. What if the rebels come back?After this battle, Zhang Xun began to consider the next step to retreat from the enemy.

Zhang Xun held a military meeting. He said to the generals: "Now, the rebels have attacked twice and I have repelled them. Although the soldiers have been lost, their vitality has not been greatly frustrated. Although the morale of our defenders is high, there is a huge gap in numbers. It may be difficult for reinforcements to arrive in the short term, and it is not an option to just spend it like this. If you have any good strategies, let's hear them." Hearing the big talk of the coach, everyone felt the seriousness of the problem. Some generals showed fear and said: "The enemy's food and grass are running out now. If Yin Ziqi and I fight with our backs, fight trapped beasts, and launch a strong attack, we may not be able to To resist, I think it is better to call for reinforcements as soon as possible." Some generals said: "The enemy's food and grass are not enough, and it is a good time for us to attack. I think it is better to send troops out of the city to meet the enemy and burn the enemy's food and grass supplies. This may be possible. Eliminate the crisis."

"No, the enemy's food and grass have long been guarded by heavy troops. Besides, there are tens of thousands of enemies in front of us. We can't kill them at all." The plan to go out of the city to meet the enemy was quickly opposed. At this time, Huaiyang guard General Xu Yuan said: "At these times, fighting with Lord Jiedu hard, defeating the enemy again and again, the soldiers are passionate, we listen to the Lord. You can do whatever you want?" Zhang Xun saw that there was no good plan for everyone to talk about it, so he said: "Although the rebel army is running out of food and grass, it is reported that there are new supplies. The reinforcements have just set off and it is difficult to reach them for a while. , Although it may not be possible to capture Huaiyang, the defenders will inevitably suffer losses. In my opinion, it is best to find a fundamental solution."

"Your Excellency, if you have any clever plans, just tell him, we will fight to the end with your Excellency." All the generals said in unison. "Everyone, don't be impulsive. I have a strategy to retreat from the enemy. It may solve the current siege. It is deeply said that to catch a traitor, you have to catch both. If we can get rid of Yin Ziqi, the enemy's commander-in-chief, disrupt his command, and mobilize the morale of the army, wouldn't it be twice the result with half the effort?" Everyone said it was a good idea.Xu Yuan said: "Your Excellency is worthy of both wisdom and courage, but we don't know Yin Ziqi, how can we capture him?"

"It's easy to say. Let's ask the soldiers to use wormwood to make arrows and shoot at the enemy formation. The rebels who got the arrows must think that we have no more arrows to shoot. Such an important military situation must be reported to Yin Ziqi. We send people to keep an eye on the arrows. The person he only reports to is Yin Ziqi, " Not long after, Yin Ziqi sent troops to attack again. Zhang Xun acted according to his plan. He asked the soldiers to shoot an arrow made of wormwood at an enemy captain who was rushing ahead. Made of poles, he was overjoyed, and hurriedly reported to Yin Ziqi: "Congratulations, commander, Zhang Xun is exhausted. You see, they are now using wormwood poles to make arrows." Yin Ziqi was very happy when he saw it, and immediately ordered the attack. Suddenly, a sharp arrow shot directly at Yin Ziqi. Yin Ziqi couldn't dodge it. The arrow shot into his left eye, and blood flowed down his face. When the army saw that the coach was injured, he fled in a hurry, and suddenly became a mess, and the birds scattered away.Under the situation of disparity in the strength of the enemy and ourselves, Zhang Xun adopted the strategy of capturing the thief and the king, injuring his coach, messing up his position, making his previous efforts go to waste, and repelling the rebels again.

In 1905, the Russo-Japanese War broke out. Both sea and land battles were fought to control the Qing Empire and Korea. It ends with Makarov buried in the belly of a fish. Makarov was the world's leading tactical air force at that time, and his "On Naval Warfare" was translated into many languages.At that time, there was a saying in the world: Whoever wants to be a naval commander must read this "classic" work.The Russian fleet is also very proud of having such an excellent commander, and is full of confidence in fighting the Japanese army. The commander-in-chief of the Japanese fleet, Togo, knows Makarov's commanding skills well. He believes that in order to defeat the Russian army, he must Kill Makarov first.If the best naval fighters in the world are defeated, then its significance is far from being comparable to the territorial integrity of an ordinary admiral.Therefore, as soon as Makarov's "On Naval Warfare" was published, Dongxiang tried to get his hands on it and read it carefully until he could recite it.During his study, he discovered that "On Naval Warfare" also had flaws. He also conducted an in-depth investigation into Makarov's character and temperament, and conducted research on the circumstances under which Makarov could use his strengths and when he was prone to impatience. Detailed analysis, on the contrary, Makarov insisted that he was invincible, and he didn't pay attention to Dongxiang at all. Not only did he not study his opponent, but he didn't know that his opponent was deliberately studying it.

After the naval battle started, the Japanese army had fewer ships than the Russian army, and they were at a disadvantage. Since Dongxiang had a detailed understanding of Makarov's characteristics, he was confident. It turned out that Makarov was a fierce general, and he liked to attack at the front of the fleet every time he fought. As soon as he was provoked, he became furious and lost his composure. Dongxiang was planning to take advantage of this to lure Makarov into the bait.First kill Makarov to shake the morale of the Russian army, and then wipe out the Russian ships in one fell swoop.

According to Dongxiang's arrangement, the Japanese army took advantage of the fact that the periphery of Lushun Port, which Makarov was occupying, was covered with mines at night. At dawn the next day, Dongxiang ordered a weaker ship to approach Lushun Port, and the ship fired at the port from time to time.Makarov was very angry because he had just suffered from the Japanese army a few days ago, and he was restless for a few days.He was determined to find an opportunity to take revenge. This time, when he saw the Japanese army taking the initiative to attack, he committed his old problem again. He thought this was a good opportunity for revenge, and immediately ordered: "All ships attack! Catch up with the Japanese ships and sink them!" The staff officers reminded: "The Japanese army is full of mines outside the port. It is necessary to send minesweepers to clear the mines before pursuing them, so as to avoid unnecessary losses." "Time is running out, and the enemy ships have begun to retreat. If we don't pursue them immediately, we will miss our fighter planes, and the military law will not allow it!" Makarov was eager to find the Japanese ships to fight, so how could he listen to them!He ignored the advice of his staff officers, boarded the first battleship himself, and ordered: "Increase the horsepower and move forward at full speed!" The Japanese ship saw that Makarov personally led the fleet to pursue, and retreated while fighting, leading Makarov into the minefield.At this time, Dongxiang, who had been waiting in the waters ahead, led the Japanese fleet to appear in front of Makarov. Only then did Makarov realize that something was wrong. It turned out that he had fallen into Dongxiang's trick. The enemy's first ship must be sunk." Makarov hurriedly ordered the ships: "Turn around quickly and return to the port." But it was too late.Dongxiang had expected this earlier, so he arranged the mines in the water area where Makarov returned.There was only a loud noise, and a column of water rose into the sky from the sea surface. Makarov's first ship of the Russian army hit a mine and exploded.The first ship sank, the commander was killed, and the morale of the Russian fleet, which Makarov had always been proud of, plummeted. There was no leader, and the team was in chaos. To the Japanese ship shooting, no life is unfinished. After that, the Russian army was in a state of turmoil, and the war finally ended. The Japanese fleet led by Dongxiang not only wiped out the Pacific Fleet, but even the Russian Baltic Fleet, which was later reinforced, was wiped out. When the enemy was strong and we were weak, Dongxiang took advantage of Makarov's weakness and adopted the tactics of capturing the commander first and moving his foundation, and wrote a wonderful stroke in the history of world naval warfare. In the second half of the 16th century, Thailand and Myanmar fought many wars to annex each other. At that time, elephants were popular in subtropical regions. In 1569, Thailand was destroyed by Myanmar.After a lapse of 15 years, the grown-up Thai prince proclaimed himself king in Ken City, Thailand.He kept the hatred of subjugation in mind, organized elephant battles every day, and was ready to resist the attack of the Burmese army at any time. After hearing the news, the Burmese king was very disturbed. He felt that the existence of the King of Thailand was a thorn in his eyes and a thorn in his flesh. However, because the king of Thailand has won the hearts of the people, he also attaches great importance to training the army and studying elephant warfare, so he dare not act rashly for the time being.After preparing for the war for 8 years, the king of Myanmar sent the crown prince to lead an army to crusade against the king of Thailand.The king of Thailand expected that the king of Burma would not sit back and watch him become king, so he had already prepared for this crusade.So an imperial meeting was held immediately to study the specific combat plan. "The king of Burma has a hatred for the destruction of the country, and today he sent troops to fight against him. Is there any plan to retreat from the enemy. But just say it." The king of Thailand started with a slap in the face. "Because the Burmese army is coming fiercely, they have prepared for such a long time, leading an elephant army of tens of thousands, and they must want to destroy our country in one fell swoop. Although our army is strong in combat effectiveness, it does not have an advantage in terms of strength. In my opinion, we can only fight wisely." , don’t fight recklessly.” It was the king’s younger brother who spoke, and his analysis was well-founded. "In your opinion, how to fight wisely?" King Tai asked. "The crown prince of Burma is the heir to the throne of the Burmese country. The so-called foundation of the country, the Burmese king sent him to personally send troops to let him establish prestige in front of the officials so that he can take over the throne in the future. Let's catch the thief first and capture the king first. The climax is to capture Burma alive." The crown prince, take him as a hostage and force the Burmese army to retreat. This is a major event that will shake the foundation of the Burmese king, and he will definitely submit obediently." When everyone heard that the Burmese crown prince was going to be captured alive, they all got excited. The king of Thailand said: "This is a good idea. How can you capture the crown prince of Burma alive? Do you have any good ideas?" "I just have this idea. How to capture him alive still needs to be decided by Brother Wang. I'll think about it again." "Everyone, see if this works. We set up an ambush on the road that the Burmese crown prince must pass. The Burmese crown prince is not familiar with my terrain, so he must fall into the trap. We can take this opportunity to catch him." Everyone said that this method is good. Therefore, the king of Thailand ordered: "My brother and I went out to meet the enemy, and the rest of the generals led the troops to ambush in the dense forest. Wait for me and my brother to lead him into the ambush circle, and we will work together to capture the crown prince of Burma alive." The Burmese crown prince led a mighty team of elephants to attack the king of Thailand. Because he was not familiar with the terrain, he got lost in the jungle and returned to the established route after going around a circle. Seeing that the king of Thailand came with only a few entourages In response to the battle, he hurriedly ordered the soldiers to rush forward, and the brothers of the Thai king retreated while fighting. The satisfied army came out, and the Burmese army was in chaos. They were about to capture the Burmese crown prince alive. Unexpectedly, something unexpected happened: it turned out that the elephant that the Thai brothers were riding was in estrus. , The elephants of the two armies chased each other, and the dust flew up in an instant, and the enemy and the enemy were indistinguishable. After a while, the dust settled. , I have entered the enemy line alone, with only a few entourages around, I saw the Burmese crown prince riding an elephant and leading the army standing under a tree, surrounded by the Burmese army.Instead, he calmed down a lot. He decided to provoke the Burmese crown prince to a duel with him. Even if he could not capture the Burmese prince alive, at least he would fight to the death. He shouted to the Burmese crown prince: "Brother! Why do you stay under the tree to enjoy the shade? You are not afraid that I will fail!" Dare to fight me one-on-one?" The Crown Prince of Burma could have ordered his men to swarm up to kill or capture the King of Thailand alive, but he has been influenced by the king's demeanor for many years, and he is very concerned about the status of the crown prince. He thought, if he should not fight , I lost the king's prestige, so I urged the sitting elephant to rush towards the sitting elephant of the Thai king. The sitting elephant of the Thai king was suddenly hit. At the best opportunity for the enemy, he raised his knife and slashed at the King of Thailand. He also slashed at the right shoulder of the Crown Prince of China and Burma. The Crown Prince's mother was bleeding profusely and fell on the elephant's neck. The crown prince was beheaded by the king of Thailand, and the king of Myanmar felt ashamed. After that, he never dared to touch Thailand for 150 years. The king of Thailand's strategy of catching the thief and the king made the country enjoy peace for more than a century.