Chapter 44 Section 6 The army seeks the heart of the monarch and his ministers

That night, Le Yi held a simple military banquet for the generals of Qin and Zhao in the shogunate gathering hall. Before the banquet was held, the military officials under the corridor of the shogunate shouted loudly: "The special envoy of the King of Yan has arrived!" Le Yi and Qin Kai greeted them out of the shogunate. Le Yi opened his arms and laughed heartily: "Happy! The general fought two battles, the world was shaken, and the people of the country celebrated each other. What a joy!" Le Yi couldn't help laughing: "Just when you want good wine, there is a special envoy for the labor force It's the right time!" Ju Xin turned around and shouted: "Quick! Bring in ten altars of royal wine!" Then he dragged Le Yi into the general hall like a master.

"Two generals, this is the doctor Ju Xin, the special envoy of King Yan's army." As soon as Le Yi intervened, Hu Shang, Si Li, Zhao Zhuang and Ju Xin greeted each other.The bold and unrestrained men talked and laughed happily and praised the soldiers of the two countries, and the general hall immediately became lively.As soon as the banquet was held, Ju Xin read out the imperial edict of King Yan Zhao to the soldiers of the two countries, specially bestowing 20 pieces of brocade and satin on each of Hushang and Zhaozhuang, a collar of Liaodong sable fur, and a hundred yi of gold, and granted all the spoils of the two wars It will be divided equally by Qin and Zhao, and everyone will have a share.

Since the generals went out to fight, those with a little knowledge valued the rewards given to the soldiers after the victory.There are also many famous generals who share the king's rewards with the soldiers.Now, all the goods captured in the two wars were handed over to Qin and Zhao for an equal share, which was far beyond the expectations of the soldiers of the two armies.It goes without saying that Zhao Jun's returning troops have the land of Hejian.The Qin army had agreed in advance that no property should be discriminated against. Although the military law was strict and the officers and men would not object, they would get nothing from the orders of other countries.As soon as the edict was read now, Hu Shang was the first to praise the case: "Great King Yan! You are also a wise king!" It must be known that Qi State was the most wealthy in the world at that time, and the wealth and luggage of an army of more than 600,000 were gathered, which was almost equivalent to a small prince. It is the first time in the combined history of the Warring States Period that Yan, the leader of the alliance, gave up all the wealth of the country and donated it to the soldiers of the coalition army. But it is not easy?As soon as the news came out, the soldiers of the Qin and Zhao armies cheered happily outside the shogunate, "Long live the King of Yan!" and "Great Yan Kingdom!" shouts filled the field.

In the middle of the night, the military banquet dispersed, and the army camp returned to its orderly solemnity and solemnity. The military lights in the shogunate hall were turned off, only the secret military command room was still lit.Le Yi and Ju Xin, who had taken off their armor, were sipping thick boiled tea with flushed faces, chatting and laughing happily with the excitement of drinking.When the two entered Yan at the same time, the country of Yan was still in ruins after the war.Twenty-three years later, marked by the great victory in attacking Qi, both of them have achieved fame, how could they not be filled with emotion.Even so, after all, the two of them are wise and deep men, and they just freely commented on what they have seen and heard with great interest, without a word of publicity.After talking for a while, Ju Xin suddenly asked in a low voice: "Isn't it too far-fetched for King Yan to distribute the wealth of the Qi army to Qin and Zhao?"

Le Yi laughed for a while and shook his head again and again: "Brother Ju made it too detailed, but it wasn't the king of Yan who was too broad. How much is the benefit of the battlefield compared to the huge Qi State? A single city of Linzi is equivalent to the entire State of Yan. How about the wealth and wealth of the more than seventy cities? How can the ambition of the King of Yan lie in the benefit of the mere battlefield." "Brother Le is saying that the King of Yan wants to seize the entire Qi Kingdom?" Ju Xin was suddenly shocked. "What do you guys think?"

"Is that what you plan too?" "What do you guys think?" "No, absolutely not!" Ju Xin banged on the table, "Qi is vast and rich, the folk customs are martial and powerful, and the potential to become an army is extremely deep. If a single army goes deep, once it is blocked, it will be too late to regret! The best strategy , It is to take advantage of the victory over Yuwei, seize the castle pass bordering Yan State and fish and hunt water, compress the territory of Qi State to the east of Jishui, and make Yan State a real world power." "The strategy of the play brother is not to judge the situation." Le Yi smiled lightly, "In ordinary warfare, seizing the bordering cities is the right way. However, the situation of Qi State today is very abnormal, and it is not comparable. In the world, there is no other country to rescue. Second, the king of Qi is tyrannical and surly, and the hearts of the people are lost. Third, once the more than 600,000 troops of the Qi State are destroyed, the whole country is shocked and the hearts of the people are scattered. The third is that if you can’t see the opportunity to advance, you will It’s too strict. If the cities along the border are seized one by one, Qi will have a chance to breathe. If the people of Qi support a new king and change the tyranny of King Qimin, Yan will lose a good opportunity forever.”

Ju Xin was silent for a while, then suddenly lowered his voice: "Chu's 100,000 troops are behind me?" "Brother Ju, if the state of Chu really wants to save Qi, why wait for today?" Le Yi's eyes sparkled, "In the Warring States Period, a big country that has lost its resistance will only be thrown into trouble. The so-called sending charcoal in the cold snow must be When the stakes are at stake, it is definitely not a time of dying. If Nao Chi fails to make a move, he can only wait for another opportunity." "Another timing?" Ju Xin was surprised, "Brother Le marched into Qi, will Nao Chi have a conspiracy?"

"I don't know." Le Yi smiled, "As long as you don't become my enemy, let him do whatever he wants." Ju Xin was silent for a long time, and then he sighed: "There are only naked interests in the rivalry between countries!" "It's okay to be completely naked, but I'm afraid it may not always be naked." Le Yi smiled. "Brother Le, you can do it yourself." When the fight started at five o'clock, when the dawn was dim, the two immediately lied down on the straw mat and snored loudly.When the Military Affairs Sima arrived, the two of them fell to the ground and fell into a deep sleep.

Three days later, the 200,000 army of Yan State set out from Zhu Ke.The 100,000 Liaodong cavalry on the left and right flanks, the 100,000 infantry in the center, all the large siege equipment with the tarpaulins removed, lined up in a mighty queue, advancing towards Linzi Haohao at a leisurely pace.The east of Jishui used to be the richest and most affluent land in Qi State, with wide official roads and dense villages. In just over 200 miles, there are more than 30 castles standing tall, accounting for nearly half of the more than 70 cities in Qi State. . It was the first ten days of May, which was the Grain of Grass solar term.Grain in ear is not only the season for planting millet with awn, but also the time for harvesting barley and wheat with awn.When the farmers are busy, it is also the hot weather that is coming in the scorching summer. This is the burning sky of mango seeds.According to the unique festivals of Qi State, this season is called "Zhongying".But no matter how it is called, it is certain that farmers are busy planting and harvesting.In ordinary years, on this vast and affluent hilly plain, it is a busy day when farmers are full of oxen and carts and merchants are fighting for roads. All corvee collection and government affairs that disturb the people will stop on their own, and no country will compete with them here. Fighting at the juncture of the battle for food.

However, this year is different.Since the beginning of spring, the coalition forces have attacked Qi, but the common people really didn't pay much attention to it.No matter how tyrannical and out of power King Qi is, Qi's army of more than 600,000 is real, and more than 600,000 can beat more than 400,000. No one will believe this.After two consecutive defeats, more than 600,000 troops were wiped out within a month, and the common people were stunned.In the ignorance, there is a deep fear-the Qi State in the past is no longer there, and the powerful and wealthy have long been ruined by this King Qi!As a result, the people of Qi, who were "generous and broad-minded, wise and talkative", suddenly became nervous, and swarmed and fled in panic while cursing the faint king for harming the country.Historically, in the war between the two countries, ordinary people generally did not flee, and only the rich and powerful families fled.But this is Yan Jun killing, who dare not escape?When the Qi army entered Yan, Jicheng was almost wiped out. Except for Liaodong, most of the able-bodied men of Yan were taken as captives and sent to Qi to do hard labor.What's more, the country of Yan was already extremely poor, and the poor goods, grain and hides were all transported to the big city of Linzi by the Qi army in thousands of ox carts, and bought as military rewards.Thirty years in Hedong and 40 years in Hexi, now that the country of Yan has turned over, can the people of Qi be merciful?Although the poor don't have much property to rob, but everyone is afraid of being caught as hard labor and buried in a foreign land.As soon as the news spread that the 430,000 army had been beheaded, the people of Qi State believed that the Liaodong army of Yan State was going to kill all Qi people!Panic and plague pervaded Chaoye Mountain Township, and when Dazi led an army of 230,000 to fight for the second time, the farmers living in the fields and villages had already fled to castles and castles, and all those who were a little rich fled to Linzi.After all, the capital city of a state is the lifeblood of a country, and the government must defend it with all its strength. No matter how powerful the Yan army is, can they still capture Linzi?

Therefore, when the army of Yan State marched eastward, the field was desolate, the boundless wheat waves rolled with long golden waves, and the empty villages were silent.There is no smoke, no chickens and dogs barking, and there is no one person or car on the six-foot-wide boulevard.There are only flocks of birds covering the sky and skiing across the fields, plunging into the wheat fields and chirping wantonly to ravage them.In the boundless and fertile wilderness, there was a weird atmosphere of tension, fear and hatred in the empty and deserted area. Even this rumbling army slowed down involuntarily. The leader of the scouts, Fei Ma, reported: "General, almost all the Qi people have escaped, and the villages are empty." "Order the entire army," Le Yi, who had been staring at the field, said decisively, "The army and horses are not allowed to enter the fields or villages, and they are not allowed to pick up abandoned goods by the roadside. Anyone who violates the order will be punished without mercy!" "Hi!" The general agreed, and then led a few military officials out of the brigade on horseback. Qin Kai pointed his horsewhip far away: "There are many cities along the way. If we don't take them down, there will be hidden dangers behind our army." "Don't pay attention." Le Yi pointed his long sword forward, "Change your normal behavior and make rapid progress, straight to Linzi!" "Hi!" Qin Kaida was excited, whipped his horse and flew towards the front army. In the evening of the next day, Yan's army rumbled to the foot of Linzi city. The 200,000 troops were divided into three battalions and surrounded the three sides of the northwest and south, leaving only the east gate as a gap.Linzi is the capital of the world, and it is also the place where Qi's wealth gathers. As long as the Qi army abandons the city and breaks through, Le Yi is determined to let it go and not intercept and kill under the city.This is why Le Yi used the old method of "surrounding the division must be queried" to surround Linzi on three sides.The army was settled, and Le Yi and Qin Kai Qijie boarded the cloud cart in the west camp together. Looking from a distance, they saw banners, bows and crossbows all over the head of Linzi city, and soldiers densely packed the crenels of the female wall.Qin Kai said, "Looks like there's going to be a fierce battle." Qi Jie was originally a warrior from Liaodong, and he cursed fiercely: "Bird! Hard battles are fun! If you don't kill all the people in Qi, can it be called revenge?" Le Yi stared at the surrounding fields for a long time before turning his head: "The Qi army is bluffing, Linzi can win a battle." "A bluff?" Qin Kaida was confused, "The capital is trapped, can we resist with all our strength?" "The situation in Linzi is very unusual, can't the two of you notice it?" Le Yi asked with a smile. Qi Jie stared wide-eyed: "General, but just say yes, I just rush and fight!" "To defend the city, you must defend the wilderness. This is the key to the law of war." Le Yi pointed to the west, "The first barrier in the west of Linzi is Jishui natural danger. The second barrier is Zhuke Fortress and the surrounding mountain passes. The last barrier is the Yuling Fortress that we passed by when we came here. Qi State has always fought in the west of Jishui, in order to keep Linzi away from the flames of war. If Qi State is determined to defend Linzi to the death, there must be an intercepting army outside the Yuling Fortress , at least there should be outlying camps on the hills beyond the moat city river. Now that the fields are not guarded and the fortresses are not defended, how many soldiers and horses can there be in this isolated city?" Qin Kai just sighed: "Qi people are so cowardly, it is in vain to call them a great martial arts country." "The current situation in Qi has nothing to do with the common people." Le Yi stared at the head of Linzi city, "Even if the people want to defend the city, they must have a backbone. The government collapsed, the merchants fled, and the scholars lived in seclusion. This mess? As long as our army does not offend the common people, Qi will undoubtedly be transformed into Yan." "Slow work and slow fire are really holding your breath." Qi Jie muttered with a dark face. "As a general, you can't act on your will." Le Yi said with a sullen face, "Order the whole army: When Linzi City is broken, the army will be stationed outside the city, and only the military officials of the government treasury and the ox cart brigade of the supply camp are allowed to enter. Those who violate the order , Kill Unforgiven!" "Hi!" The two generals responded in unison. In the early morning of the next day, Yan's army lined up on three sides under the city.Thousands of bows and crossbows lined up neatly under the rays of the morning sun, and large equipment such as ladders, car trenches and bridges were lined up in front of the siege formations.But at this time, a cloud cart as high as the city wall rumbled forward to an arrow away from the city. Le Yi, wearing a red cloak, stood on the watchtower at the top of the cloud cart and said loudly, "Linzi soldiers: we It is Le Yi, General of the Yan Kingdom. If you can go down to the city and surrender to Yan, you will be rewarded with money to return home. If you insist on fighting, you will be ruined!" Only hearing the banners hunting, the rows of purple soldiers at the top of the city were as silent as stone figurines. Le Yi was stunned for a moment, and finally chopped down the command flag in his hand: "Beat the city with drums!" All of a sudden, the thirty-six cowhide war drums rumbled loudly, shaking the ground like thunder.Almost at the same time, thousands of arrows were fired in the city, and the sound of killing shook the sky, and the phalanx of thousands of people pushed large equipment rumbled forward.The car crashed into the city gate like a thunderbolt, and in a short while, thousands of soldiers rolled up the majestic city wall like a flood.In less than half an hour, the city of Linzi was submerged by the red tide, the three gates opened wide, and the Yan army roared in! "Report to the general," the Central Army Sima panted, "Linzi has no soldiers to defend, it is an empty city!" Le Yi was startled: "Kuai Ma sent an order: the Qi Jie Department withdrew from the city, and the Qin Kai Department entered the city." As soon as Sima of the Chinese army left, Le Yi handed over the army outside the city to the deputy general, flew on his horse and came to the west gate of Linzi . No one expected that Linzi, the capital, was actually an empty city.The royal palace was empty, there were no soldiers, no merchants and rich households, and the old, weak, sick and disabled who hadn't fled were all closed their doors.Le Yi led a team of two hundred people into the palace, cleaned up and surveyed all the palaces, and asked a few old and sick servants who were hiding in the rockery, only to find out that King Qi Min had escaped three days ago.Le Yi immediately ordered the army to withdraw from Linzi and station outside the city, leaving only the general with supplies and 10,000 infantry troops to stay in the city to guard the palace and several treasuries. At twilight, Le Yi went out of the city and returned to the shogunate, and immediately rushed to report the success and flew straight to Jicheng.In the early morning of the next day, Le Yi gathered all the generals in the shogunate hall, issued five general orders, divided the entire Yan army into five groups, and pursued the remnant army to the hinterland of Qi to seize the city: The first road was 40,000 troops under Qin Kai, crossing Jiaoshui and taking the cities of Jiaodong. On the second route, 40,000 soldiers of the robbed army marched along the eastern side of Taishan, and took the cities of Yishui and Langye County. The third right army, 30,000, went straight to the northwest of Qi State and seized the cities on both sides of Jishui River. The fourth left army, 30,000, marched eastward along the North Sea and captured the northern coastal cities. The 60,000 Chinese army of the Fifth Route, led by Le Yi himself, marched from the Middle East of Linziju to the East China Sea. Just as the armies from all walks of life set off one after another, the king of Jicheng rushed to send a flying car and passed down an edict: King Yan will personally enter Qi to reward the army!After thinking for a while, Le Yi ordered the other four armies to advance immediately, leading the Chinese army to wait for King Yan in Linzi.During the waiting period, Le Yi personally supervised the opening of the nine royal treasuries in Linzi. Except for some grain and cloth distributed to the Qi people in the city, all the rest of the goods were transported back to the State of Yan.There are thousands of vehicles left behind in Linzi City and the original ox carts of the Yan Army, transporting goods, food and various treasures to Shuttle in a mighty way, especially the two items of salt and iron, without leaving a single drop. On the day when it was almost ready, King Yanzhao arrived in his chariot.Le Yi went thirty li away, and finally saw the royal guard of honor galloping outside the Yuling Fortress defending Linzi.With a whip of the horse, Le Yi greeted him in the boulevard. "General—" King Yan Zhao's familiar voice came from afar in the king's chariot. "Chen, Le Yi sees my king!" The guard of honor in the motorcade came to a halt, and King Yanzhao got out of the car. He laughed and walked over quickly to support Le Yi, who bowed to worship: "I haven't seen you in half a year. The general wants to kill me too! Look, I'm getting darker and thinner, and the beard is even bigger." long." "I also miss my king." Le Yi smiled, "It doesn't matter if you are black and thin, you are as strong as iron." Looking at King Yan Zhao, his heart sank, "My king is so tired that his temples are graying. .” "It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter." King Yan Zhao waved his hands again and again, "With such a weather in Yan State, what's the problem with white hair? Let's go and talk with the car." After saying that, he pulled Le Yi and boarded the large king's chariot. When they arrived at Linziwai Daying, King Yanzhao immediately awarded the king's wine banquet to the officers and soldiers, and issued an edict on the spot: Feng Leyi is the king of Chang, granting a fief of Jicheng for a hundred miles, and leading ten thousand households in Changguo City!The rest of the meritorious officers and soldiers were all rewarded layer by layer, and the four-way army that had already marched eastward was informed by the flying horse.For a while, the whole army cheered and cheered everywhere, and the sound of "Long live the King of Yan" flooded the countryside of Linzi. After the banquet, Le Yi personally drove the king's car and took King Yan Zhao into Linzi for inspection.Looking at the majestic and magnificent Linzi Palace, where Xiao Shu had been neglected and deserted, King Yan Zhao couldn't help but sigh with emotion: "It's a waste of everything! Such a brilliant foundation can be paid for in vain. It really must be Jie Zhou." Le Yi's heart moved. He said: "My king should let the prince come to guard Linzi, so we can learn from the past." King Yan Zhao frowned, "I don't agree with the prince's insistence on going to Liaodong. But think about letting him experience it. He didn't stop him." Le Yi couldn't help being stunned, but then laughed immediately: "Liaodong needs to consolidate the new deal, and with the prince's supervision, it will be twice the result with half the effort." King Yan Zhao waved his hands again and again: "New deal? He just wants to train soldiers, and he wants to give You are helping to destroy Qi." Le Yi smiled and said: "In a world of great contention, it is not too much for the crown prince to be a good soldier." King Yan Zhao sighed and said: "The fields are good soldiers, but what is the result? With the livelihood of the common people as the main road, how can we strengthen the army?" Le Yi fell silent.He is familiar with the prince, and even more familiar with King Yan Zhao.The crown prince's stubbornness and bravery are well known in the court. As long as King Yan Zhao thinks of this level, he will definitely supervise the prince in many ways.As a minister, Le Yi didn't want to talk too much about the crown prince.The prince had always criticized him as a "Confucian general", and discussed with a group of veterans many times, accusing him of being too lenient.If King Yanzhao used his words to teach the prince a lesson, wouldn't it add to the suspicion?Regarding the crown prince's accusation, Le Yi never mentioned it to King Yan Zhao. He was willing to change the crown prince with the fact that he had truly conquered Qi, and he was unwilling to engage in unnecessary arguments when the success or failure was uncertain. "General," King Yan Zhao asked abruptly, "Where can this field escape? Who dares to take him in?" Le Yi smiled and said: "Tian Di doesn't think so." But suddenly lowered his voice, "My king will wait a moment, Le Yi predicts that there will be news from Tian Di within ten days." "Okay!" King Yanzhao smiled, "I'd like to see what will happen to this East Sea Qingjiao?"