Chapter 78 In the fourth quarter, Changping deploys defense against Lianpo and Zhao Kuo has a big dispute

When the soldiers of Qin State marched eastward, Zhao State immediately became nervous. As soon as he received the urgent report from the scouts, King Zhao Xiaocheng hurriedly summoned Lord Pingyuan to discuss countermeasures with a group of important officials.The monarchs and ministers unanimously judged: Qin State only dispatched a large army of 100,000, and the Zuo Shuchang Wang Lu was the commander, which shows that Qin State did not regard the competition for Shangdang as a big war; , and then make battles and decisions depending on whether the six countries can form an alliance against Qin.Based on this judgment, Mr. Pingyuan proposed a twelve-character countermeasure: increase troops to the party, unite and vertical, and force Qin to make peace!The monarchs and ministers had no objection, so even if they made two deployments: Yu Qing and Lin Xiangru tried their best to link the six countries together, so that Qi Chuyan could form an alliance with Zhao State as soon as possible, and form a deterrent to Qin State in one fell swoop; Wan Dajun, led by Zhao Kuo, rushed to Shangdang, so that the Zhao army maintained twice the strength of the Qin army, and the Qin army retreated despite difficulties.

Zhao Kuo was really capable. Within three days, he mobilized an army of 100,000 to march westward to Fukouxing, and within ten days he arrived at the army camp outside Huguan City.General Lian Poda cheered up and immediately gathered all the generals in Xingyuan to issue an order to deploy troops.Lian Po was calm and prudent. He had been stationed in Shangdang for two months. He had led the lieutenant generals to run through all seventeen pass fortresses and surveyed all the important mountains and rivers.After repeated planning and planning with the generals, Lian Po announced the strategy: three lines of defense, deep trenches and high fortifications, do not seek quick battles, but stick to it with all your strength.The three lines of defense where the army is stationed are:

Old Horse Ridge camp in the west.From Qinshui in the southwest of Shangdang to Gaoping Fortress in the middle, there is a mountain range of more than 80 miles from north to south, which is a natural barrier in the west of Shangdang.The southeast of Shangdang is blocked by the natural danger of the Taihang Mountains, and the Qinshui River Valley in the west may become the main direction of the Qin army's offensive.This mountain has three key points: Laomaling in the north, Fajiu Mountain in the middle, and Wushen Mountain in the south.Among them, Laomaling is the most critical point.Lian Po relied on these three mountains and sent 50,000 elite infantry to defend.

Danshui camp in the middle.In the middle of Shangdang, there is a river running from north to south, which is Danshui.Danshui originates from Danzhuling in Gaoping Fortress, and exits Taihang Mountain in the southeast. It is just in the central area of ​​the three southern Xings (Zheguan Xing, Taihang Xing, Baixing) of Taihang Mountain. It is the only way for the Qin army to enter Shangdang from Hanoi northward. .Due to the relatively open terrain along the Danshui River, Lian Po not only sent 60,000 infantry to defend in deep ditches and high forts, but also deployed 10,000 elite cavalry to support the flying troops.Because the Danshui line of defense was the core formation for confronting Qin Hanoi's army head-on, Lao Lianpo ordered at the same time: The shogunate of the Chinese army immediately moved south from Huguan, and rebuilt the Xingyuan at the Changping Fortress at the northern end of the Danshui line of defense!

Eastern stone Great Wall camp.Back then Feng Ting led the Han army to garrison Shangdang. Due to the lack of troops, he built a Great Wall of mountains and stones hundreds of miles east to west. In case the enemy broke through the Xingkou and went deep, he would build a deep defense inside the Great Wall of Stones.The Great Wall starts from Danzhu Ridge outside Changping Pass in the west, passes through Nangong Mountain, Yangtou Mountain, and Jinquan Mountain to the east along the continuous mountain peaks, and reaches the Ma'an Valley at Gukou in the west of Huguan City.Behind the Great Wall (to the north) is the Zhangshui River Basin, and in front (to the south) is the Danshui River Basin.The hillside where the Shanshi Great Wall is located slopes from north to south. The southern slope of the mountain is steep and the valley is deep, while the north is high and gentle. An army lives on the Great Wall, and facing the south is a high-rise building.Lian Po's military order: 80,000 troops will be stationed on this stone Great Wall defense line, and at the same time, it will be the general support for all Shangdang defense lines.

After the military order was issued, Lian Po said solemnly: "The fortress of the Great Wall of Hundred Miles is not only the foundation of the Shangdang Party, but also the west gate of Handan! If the two lines in the southwest are lost, the Great Wall of Stone will block Taihang Mountain and prevent the Qin army from going east to threaten Handan. The place of bloody battles! For this reason, General Ben personally leads the Great Wall camp!" After the military order was issued, Lian Po was about to ask Lieutenant Xu Lizeng to allocate large-scale defensive equipment and various bows and crossbows to each battalion when he suddenly heard a loud voice: "Wait a minute! I have something to say!" .

Zhao Kuo led the army to the west, originally to increase troops, Zhao Wang's edict did not specify whether he would stay in Shangdang to assist Lianpo, nor whether he would return immediately after arriving in Shangdang.Zhao Kuo was originally very intelligent. He figured out what Zhao Wang meant to see if he could get along with Lian Po, if he made peace, he would stay, and if he didn't, he would go back.Because he was a good soldier since childhood, Zhao Kuo naturally wanted to go to the battlefield in person, but he paid great attention to the mountains and rivers while marching.After all, Shangdang was too unfamiliar to him.As soon as the handover was completed at Huguan, Zhao Kuo immediately took two Sima to visit Shangdang in Korea non-stop for three days. When he came back, he drew a picture of "Shangdang Mountains and Rivers" on a large wooden board overnight. own unique insight.After listening to Lian Po's deployment at this moment, Zhao Kuo didn't take it seriously.Although Lian Po is a general who has fought in hundreds of battles, in terms of Wang Ming, sentiment, theory and prestige, Lian Po is a natural commander, and he should respect him.However, Zhao Kuo's nature has always been passionate. If he has knowledge, he can't hide it even in front of King Zhao. What's more, Xingyuan's military plan?What's more important is that if Zhao Kuo doesn't say anything, the deployment of Zhao's army will be a foregone conclusion. The success or failure of a war is more fundamental than respect, how can we bear it?

"Bring up the picture!" Zhao Kuo turned around and ordered, and immediately a wooden plank the size of the couch of two generals Sima stood in front of Lian Po's big case.Lian Po was still in doubt, not sure whether to stop the second-line general, but Zhao Kuo pointed to the big wooden plan and first said, "The old general's deployment is ridiculous!" Just this one sentence is full of credit stunned! "Ma Fuzi has great ideas, so let's talk about it." Lao Lianpo was plain and indifferent. Zhao Kuo's eyes sparkled, and he said passionately: "Assess the situation, Qin's attack on the Shangdang will definitely arouse public indignation from all over the world, and the alliance of the six countries will happen sooner or later! Qin has 100,000 troops, and I have 200,000 troops. It is embarrassing to be outnumbered by the enemy and take such a defensive position! "Sun Tzu" says: "Ten will surround them, five will attack them, and twice them will divide them! Today, our army is gathered, and the soldiers are fine and food is sufficient. The old general does not think about attacking." Dividing it up and blindly retreating to the defense, I actually used three lines of defense to hide my 200,000 elite soldiers; the battle is not about attacking but only about defending, and in the end the veterans of the division will be exhausted and lose the game!"

"Ma Fuzi's opinion, but how did you deploy it?" Lao Lianpo's raspy black face had already darkened. "The Danshui River Valley has a wide terrain. I will fight the Qin army head-on here with at least 100,000 troops! Then divide into two groups of cavalry with 50,000 troops each. The west road goes out of Qinshui, the east road goes out of Baixing, and the two sides attack the Qin army in Hanoi! With such a three-sided attack, one battle is sure to win, how can the Qin army be rampant!" Zhao Kuo said firmly. "I dare to ask: Zhao Jun and He Jun are enemies?"

"It's the Qin army, how can it fear the enemy like a tiger?" Zhao Kuo smiled teasingly. The general shouted angrily: "The general is known to the princes for his courage, how can he be as fearful of the enemy as a tiger? Ma Fuzi is too mean!" "As far as the matter is concerned, the current deployment is to fear the enemy like a tiger!" Zhao Kuo smiled teasingly again, "With such a fighting method, I am afraid that the old general will be known to the princes by retreating." Lian Po waved his hands to the generals who were glaring sideways. He looked at Zhao Kuo coldly and said, "Both offense and defense are wars. In the end, we only seek one victory. Does Ma Fuzi think so?"

"The key point is: retreating in this way is seeking defeat! What do you mean seeking victory?" Zhao Kuo immediately stepped forward. "Ma Fuzi listen to the old man." Lian Po walked out of the commander's case heavily and slowly, "As a matter of fact, Qin's army is better at fighting than Zhao's, and Qin's national strength is also stronger than Zhao's. To attack from a long distance with an army of hundreds of battles and victories is undoubtedly to strive for quick victory. But it will take a long time, and the Qin army will have to spend a lot of trouble in terms of food, grass and supplies. Naturally, it is in my interest. This is the first. The second is Wu Anjun Bai Qi is in command of the Qin Army. Who is Bai Qi? I don’t need to go into details. If I go out of Hanoi to attack and attack, I think it’s not Bai Qi’s opponent. Even if I look at the world, I’m afraid that Lao Leyi may not be an opponent. Unexpectedly, the only way to judge superiority is the art of war, but this old man disagrees." "The old general is ridiculous!" Zhao Kuo reprimanded again, "Bai Qi didn't command the troops at all, and the old general was intimidated. How ridiculous! Is there anyone in the world who is known to the princes for his courage?" "Although Bai Qi didn't lead the army, as long as it is the Qin army, I will assume that Bai Qi is leading the army! Otherwise, I can't win!" Lao Lian couldn't bear it anymore, and his voice and expression were extremely stern. Zhao Kuo showed no fear: "The old general only said, why is the method of attack invincible? How can the method of retreat be successful? Otherwise, it will be a war of chaos, and Zhao Kuo will not accept it!" Lao Lian's face turned livid: "I am a general, and I only know that the fierce attack is just what the enemy likes! There is nothing the enemy can do if there is a deep ditch and a high fortress!" After finishing speaking, he picked up the commanding flag and split it, "All generals return to their camps, Tomorrow we will go to the defense area according to the general order!" Ling Qi put the flag into the copper pot and strode away.Embarrassed, Zhao Kuo gave Lian Po a hard look and left. Seeing that the two chief generals had a dispute, Guo Wei Xu Li was very worried.That night, he was going to persuade Zhao Kuo to take care of the overall situation and not to openly argue with the general, but unexpectedly, the Sima sent by Zhao Kuo had already galloped out of the tent, and asked Xu Li to discuss the military plan.Xu Li smiled and asked who is there?Sima then named seven or eight veteran generals of Zhao She.Xu Li was alerted immediately, his face darkened, and he said: "I can't go. You can only tell the major general that this is a big mistake." As soon as Sima left, Xu Li immediately repaired the book and sealed it, and sent an officer to send it to the city day and night Handan. Lord Pingyuan frowned when he received Xu Li's urgent report, thinking that Zhao Kuo had a good relationship with King Zhao and was highly valued by King Zhao, so he immediately went to the palace to report.After reading Xu Li's secret book, King Xiaocheng couldn't help laughing and said: "This horse suit, if you can't talk about the old general, he digs the wall. How decent is it." It was a safe move for the general to deploy three fronts to defend deep ditches and high fortifications." King Xiaocheng pondered for a while and said, "Uncle Wang won the battle, so the plan is not bad. Then let Ma Fuzi go back to Handan. But..." Ping Yuan The king immediately said: "The old minister went to Shangdang!" King Xiaocheng smiled happily, and immediately ordered the imperial book to draft an imperial edict.After a while, everything was in place, and Mr. Pingyuan flew west immediately. Arriving at Shangdang two days later, Lao Lianpo had already led the shogunate of the Chinese army south to Changping, but Zhao Kuo's shogunate and three thousand guards went straight to the exit of Danshui. Huguan only had Xu Li's large camp of grain, grass, supplies and saddles outside the city. Gully's garrison army.Hearing what Xu Li said about the situation, Mr. Pingyuan became very anxious. Dang even led the guards across Changping and went directly south, and finally saw Zhao Kuo's camp in the canyon at the exit of Danshui. "Mr. Pingyuan came to supervise the battle, and victory is hopeful!" Zhao Kuo welcomed Pingyuan into the big tent excitedly. "You are a general, so you know that the military order is like a mountain?" Mr. Pingyuan's face sank like water, and he said coldly. Zhao Kuo was silent for a while, then suddenly raised his head and said loudly: "The rise and fall of a country is more important than military orders! Besides, Zhao Kuo didn't disturb the army!" "Zhao Kuo is bold!" Mr. Pingyuan yelled angrily, "An indiscriminate order is a subjugation of the country! Unauthorized actions are a disturbance to the army! Why do you have to argue!" Zhao Kuo's face suddenly turned red and he panted heavily, but he finally held back with gritted teeth.In the State of Zhao, Lord Pingyuan, Zhao Sheng, was a hero of the royal family who had been extremely talented since he was a boy. When he was called the "Four Great Princes of the Warring States Period" by the world, Lord Pingyuan was less than twenty years old.Whether it's going to war immediately, mediating diplomatic relations, or making friends with chivalry, Mr. Pingyuan is very prestigious and has a high reputation. He is an unshakable pillar of power in Zhao State.Even though Zhao Kuo was proud and arrogant, Su Chang also admired famous scholars and great talents. He joked to people: "People win with their talents and knowledge, and Zhao Kuo just obeys them. It's a pity that there are no talents in the world, but how to teach Zhao Kuo how to persuade others?" Someone said to him King Xiaocheng, King Xiaocheng laughed loudly: "If you are honest, Ma Fuzi is a man!" In Zhao State, Zhao Kuo still had a little respect for Lord Pingyuan, because Lord Pingyuan was the king of Zhao State in his eyes. The only "generalist famous minister", the rest such as Lin Xiangru, Lian Po, Le Yi and his sons, etc., in Zhao Kuo's eyes, are all "talented talents, it is not worth mentioning!" It is also irrefutable.In ordinary times, the two reprimands of Mr. Pingyuan would immediately kill him, but Mr. Pingyuan only reprimanded himself and did not intend to punish him. What should you Zhao Kuo do? After a while of panting, Zhao Kuo calmed down, and invited Mr. Pingyuan to take his seat, and reported Lian Po's deployment and his own strategy of war carefully, and finally said: "Mr. Pingyuan is fair, but what is Zhao Kuo's fault?" "Ma Fuzi is very courageous!" Mr. Pingyuan smiled lightly, "But this old man thinks: For decades, Qin and Zhao have never had a battle of more than 100,000 people, and now the two sides gather a large army in Shangdang, and it will be a decisive decisive battle that the world will focus on. Mr. If the general is on the defensive at the beginning, even if the Qin army cannot retreat in the face of difficulties, at least he can explore the reality of the enemy's situation and find out the strengths and weaknesses of the Qin army under the invincible situation; , Lao Lianpo is also a tiger and tiger general, and he should attack the Qin army. Although the king's tactics are correct, there is a big hidden danger: once the fierce attack fails, Shangdang will immediately be in danger, and Zhao Guo wants to increase troops It's too late. Ma Fuzi is familiar with military books, so why doesn't he know this?" "Fear of defeat before fighting, what can I say?" Zhao Kuo was finally a little frustrated. "It's fine if you don't say anything." Mr. Pingyuan smiled, "There has been no second general in the army since ancient times, so why should Ma Fuzi stay in Shangdang?" Zhao Kuo raised his head suddenly: "If you don't obey the emperor's order, you will not leave the army!" "The old man thought that you should go back to Handan so that the general's military authority will be unified." Mr. Pingyuan's smile disappeared suddenly. "Zhao Kuo only thought of Danshui to fight the Qin army, to test the Qin army's combat power!" Lord Pingyuan waved his hand back: "Xuanzhao." Then the accompanying scribes opened a volume of the edict and began to recite it aloud.King Xiaocheng's edict is very clear: Zhao Kuo has finished handing over the army, and it is another matter to return to Handan with Lord Pingyuan immediately.After Zhao Kuo heard the edict, the corners of his mouth twitched and he said: "Your order is so, Zhao Kuo must obey it." Lord Pingyuan was very displeased, and ordered Zhao Kuo to leave the camp immediately with a sullen face and go back to Huguan to wait!Zhao Kuo had no choice but to leave the camp disgruntled. Mr. Pingyuan, however, headed north in another way.When we arrived at Changping Pass, it was already dusk, but we saw the torches on Danzhuling in Guanxi going eastward, like a boundless fire dragon, and the sound of chants all over the mountain was like a roar.The former Sima came to report that Lian Po was not in Xingyuan and had been supervising the construction of the Great Wall in Danzhuling.Mr. Pingyuan felt emotional for a while, and ordered his accompanying guards to set up camp under Changping Pass, but he took only two Sima and went up the mountain holding torches. Climbing up Danzhu Ridge from the steep south slope, the broken and broken dragon that was covered with cuts and bruises was displayed under thousands of torches: loose and collapsed stone strips were scattered on the hillside in a haphazard manner, which was a relatively complete section of the wall, and the crenels were also tens of thousands. Most of them were decayed and loosened. The ground of the city wall more than ten feet wide was full of potholes washed by mountain torrents. Almost without exception, the stone warehouses for storing rollers, stones and weapons were either collapsed or damaged. In short, they were unusable.Mr. Pingyuan has never been to this famous Korean stone Great Wall. When he saw it today, his heart was heavy. Even if such a hundred-mile Great Wall can be repaired in a hurry before the war, will it be useful? Suddenly, Lord Pingyuan heard King Zhao Wuling's thick voice: "Zhao's army is characterized by being light, sharp and aggressive. It is better to attack than to defend in case of battle. But defending a strong wall is twice the result with half the effort." Although Mr. Pingyuan has never been a general in command , but he has been honed in the army since he was a teenager, and he knows the generals of the army.Generally speaking, if you stick to it, you must be good at heavy armored infantry and large equipment, and you must ensure a continuous supply of food and grass.In terms of combat power, nine out of ten of Zhao's elite soldiers are cavalry. If it is a decisive battle on a prairie-like plain, the Zhao army is unrivaled.But when it comes to heavy armored infantry, Zhao Guo is really short.Over the past hundred years, four elite infantry armies have emerged successively in the Warring States Period: the first is the "Wei Wuzu" who was trained rigorously by Wu Qi, the second is the "skilled fighters" of Qi State during Tian Ji and Sun Bin's period, and the third is Qin Guoxin's training during Shang Yang's period. The "sharp warriors" of the Yan army, and finally the "Liaodong Jianbing" of the Yan army trained by Le Yi.Now that Wei Qiyan's three elite infantry have all declined, only Yu Qin's "sharp warrior" tour dominates the world.The military law of Zhao Guo Hu Fu cavalry and archery has undergone great changes, and the more than 300,000 iron cavalry trained successively can naturally be proud of the world; although the infantry army is also more than 200,000 people, compared with the "sharp warriors" of the Qin army, it is obviously inferior. Two major flaws: one is that the combat power of individual soldiers and the overall combat power are not as good as the Qin army, and the other is that the heavy defensive equipment is not as complete as the Qin army.Speaking of which, Zhao State is also a country with many mountains and many dangers, so it should have an elite army who is good at guarding the mountain passes. Why did King Wu Ling ignore it back then?Now it seems that the Qin army is the only elite in the world-the Qin army's iron cavalry is comparable to that of Zhao army, the infantry army is stronger than Zhao army, the boat division and water army have surpassed the Chu army, and all kinds of large offensive and defensive equipment are even more powerful. Complete and rich, the successor of food and grass is even more... "Mr. Pingyuan is in battle, the old soldier is very pleased!" "Ah, old general!" Mr. Pingyuan suddenly came to his senses, and couldn't help but suddenly grabbed those rough hands. Back in the Changping shogunate, Lian Po immediately ordered to rectify two cases of military food, wine and meat to clean up Lord Pingyuan.Lian Po had already received the news that Zhao Kuo had been recalled to Handan, and he felt relieved, so he talked about his various plans in detail to Mr. Pingyuan, talking about it for half an hour, but he still couldn't get enough of it.Mr. Pingyuan smiled and said: "The old general said the word 'shou' vividly, and Zhao Sheng really admires it." As soon as the voice changed, he was worried, "However, what is the old general's long-term strategy? After all, the only 'shou' 'You can't beat Qin's army." Lian Po couldn't help laughing: "How has there ever been a general in the world? The leader of Zhao's elite soldiers is attacking, and the old soldier has been on the battlefield for fifty years. How can he be so stupid!" "Okay!" Mr. Pingyuan also burst out laughing, "The old general said it right! You just said, when can we attack Qin?" "There are two ways to attack Qin." Lian Po lowered his voice, "First, the six kingdoms unite, and at least the three Jins send troops together, which is a fighting opportunity. Shaken, I will attack Qin with two armies: the cavalry will leave Anyang and go south, and the infantry will go out from the Taihang Sanxing to approach Hanoi! Second, if the river boats and grain roads are cut off, the Qin army will be chaotic, and I will come out with one drum!" "Old General..." Mr. Pingyuan let out a long sigh of relief, "So Zhao Guo has no worries." Lian Po pondered for a while, then said hesitantly: "The old soldier still has a request, Mr. Pingyuan thinks about it." "It's okay, old general." "The old pawn thinks: In this battle, Lao Leyi should be the commander, and the old pawn is the deputy, and he will be safe." Mr. Pingyuan's heart sank suddenly: "Old General, do you have something on your mind?" Lian Po's face turned red, and he gasped for a moment: "What the old soldier is worried about is that it will be too late to talk about it when the battle is fierce and the general is changed." Mr. Pingyuan suddenly changed his face: "Why is the old general so worried? Who said when did you change the general?" Lian Po shook his head: "Although the old soldier is good at fighting, he is not good at speaking. I'm afraid I won't be able to convince you..." It was clear that the words were not finished, but he stopped talking. Mr. Pingyuan immediately understood, and said with great emotion: "With the rise and fall of the country, the king of Zhao will change generals. How can I just sit idly by? Old Leyi has retired for many years, and he is not familiar with Zhao Jun. Even if he is full of clever tricks, how can he be so old?" The general is ruthless to Zhao Jun? If the old general has concerns, Zhao Sheng will say clearly today: If Ma Fuzi is in trouble, Zhao Sheng will speak!" Suddenly, Lian Po burst into tears, and bowed deeply to Mr. Pingyuan. After three years of stalemate, the snowball got bigger and bigger, but the outcome became more and more uncertain. During the two hottest months, the Qin and Zhao armies were extraordinarily busy. Since Bai Qi fought against Hanoi in winter more than 20 years ago, the ancient tradition of no war in severe heat and winter has long been broken and discarded.Feng Tingchun dedicated the Shangdang in February, Zhao Guo entered the army in March, and the Qin army followed closely in April.Confronting each other on such a vast highland as Shangdang, the armies of both sides are based on two counties: the two counties of Hedong and Hanoi in Qin State, and the two Shangdang counties in Handan in Zhao State. The Central Plains above and below the river were covered with unprecedented clouds of war.But its battlefield is vast, but it is related to the fundamentals of rise and fall. After the two armies arrived at the battlefield, they did not start fighting immediately.Zhao Guo was on the defensive, waiting for work, and was busy building deep ditches and high fortifications.The Qin army marched far away to take the offensive, so they were busy clearing the pass river east of Hangu Pass, transporting and hoarding grain and grass, busy cleaning up the outer battlefield, and busy setting up ambushes, reconnaissance, deployment and other pre-war preparations.Throughout the hot summer, the two armies did not engage in battle, as if they were practicing offense and defense. As soon as July entered, with the first ray of cool autumn wind in the Shangdang Mountains, the Qin Army's peripheral offensive began. The first battle was to snatch the Taihang South Sanxing.Wang He had already found out clearly the three lines of defense of Zhao's main force, and he knew that the Danshui line of defense closest to the southern end of Taihang Mountain was still tens of miles away from the three Xingkou, each of which was guarded by two thousand infantry led by three generals. ; For Zhao Jun, these three Xingkou are frontier fortress passes, but they are not the core defense line, and the garrison of a large army cannot be deployed. Two thousand elite soldiers are the defense that can best display combat power.For more than two months, Wang Hao had known the terrain and forces of Sanxing like the palm of his hand, so he sent three lines of elite infantry, each with 3,000 troops, to attack Sanxing at night.In order to confuse Zhao Jun's judgment, Wang He also sent 800 scout battalion iron cavalry to secretly insert into the valley between Zhao Jun's Danshui defense line and Sanxing, waiting for an opportunity to harass and intercept Zhao Jun's communication channel. At one o'clock in the middle of the night when the moon was dark and the wind was high (the first report of Diao Dou in the military camp), the sharp soldiers of the Qin Army who had ambushed outside the Sanxing Pass in advance were dispatched at the same time, and they rushed to the three critical passes silently.The so-called Xingkou key pass is a rocky city wall, tower or castle erected in the air above the narrow canyon road, with a thousand-man barracks on each side; Roller, wood, stone and arrow rain are attacking the enemy from a high front, and the mountainsides on both sides are also pinching at the same time. In fact, it is extremely difficult to capture.This is the so-called one husband is the gate and ten thousand husbands cannot open it.However, the Qin army had repeatedly planned and practiced the tactics in advance: instead of going through the Guan Xia Xing Road, it was divided into six groups every 500 people. Without torches, they sneaked into the mountains on both sides of Xingkou in the dark; At the same time as the barracks, two groups (1,000 people) immediately attacked the central tower, and at the same time divided the attack, so that the three groups could not help each other. Such tactics really paid off.After a fierce battle in the middle of the night, Zhiguanxing in the west and Taihangxing in the middle were finally conquered. All 4,000 Zhao soldiers died in battle, and four captains were also beheaded!This is the first battle of the "Second and Four Lieutenants".Although Baixing in the eastern section was not conquered, it still killed a thousand enemies and beheaded the Zhao army's general Hujia.It turned out that half an hour after the start of the raid on Baixing, a group of hundreds of cavalry suddenly entered Xingdao from north to south.The leading general immediately ordered a group of cavalry to abandon their horses and fight on foot to kill the mountainside.Zhao Jun's cavalry were all proficient in riding and archery, and they shot at night with longbows before they could engage in battle, but they were the black-armored Qin army whose arrows and arrows were all hit by the torch.At this critical moment, the scout cavalry of the Qin army suddenly arrived, and while fighting fiercely with the cavalry of the Zhao army in the valley, they divided their troops and rushed up the mountainside for reinforcements.Seeing that it was already dawn, the pass was still difficult to pass, and the rest of the Qin army's infantry broke through the siege and went out of the battlefield. In this battle, 3,000 Qin soldiers died, of which 1,600 died in the East Road, and the remaining 6,000 were all wounded, which can be described as a miserable victory. Wang Yan was furious, and immediately threw Bai Qi's orders out of the blue, and called a three-day truce, and immediately sent 80,000 troops to attack the Zhao army's western Laomaling defense line!The reason why Wang Heqi chose Laomaling as the place to attack was because the western part of Shangdang was outside the barrier of Taihang Mountains, and the capture of Laomaling defense line directly entered the hinterland of Shangdang; The 30,000 infantry ambushed secretly, and the Zhao army could be caught by surprise.Wang Yan is a well-known fierce general of the Qin army. He must charge forward in every battle and then go fast. This time he personally led 50,000 cavalry to attack the southern section of Lao Ma Ling at the same time. Laomaling is a rocky mountain running north-south. The ridge is high and steep, and the trek is difficult.This mountain ridge stretches for more than eighty miles from north to south, and in the middle there is a canyon crossing from east to west, which is Gaoping Pass, the dangerous pass in the west of Shangdang.This Gaoping Pass is extremely steep, with steep cliffs in the south and steep streams in the north. Only the canyon in the middle is connected from east to west. This canyon is about one mile long from east to west and about two miles wide from north to south. The key link of the defense line.The Zhao army was stationed on the front line of Laomaling. Except that they could not climb the steep mountains, they dug trenches on the hillsides where troops could enter, and stored logs and rocks for defense; 20,000 defenders were stationed in the river valley behind (east) Gaoping Pass to deal with dangers from all sides.Such a deployment shows Lian Po's painstaking planning. On a foggy morning, the Qin army suddenly launched a fierce attack.Huan'an's 30,000-infantry army in the northern section had already dispersed into 20,000-man teams, and sneaked into all the mountainside forests and ravines where they could hide near the Zhao army's fortification; attack.With the horn together, the mountains and plains immediately rushed towards the walls of the mountains!Zhao Jun did not expect that Qin Jun would go to war at this time. The soldiers were all snoring in the wall, and when they heard the sound of killing, they jumped up in panic and jumped up to fight. It was already a mess.The Qin army came prepared, and under the cover of the rain of crossbows and arrows, the armored warriors jumped and jumped through the rocky ridges, and rushed into the wall to fight Zhao Jun in a group.The key to Zhao Jun's defensive advantage was originally the strong bows and crossbows when he was condescending. Now that the Qin Army raided and directly entered the wall to fight, the greatest advantage was lost immediately, and it became a naked competition of combat power.The infantry of the Zhao army was originally inferior to the infantry of the Qin army. Now in close combat, they lost all their defense against the hillside!Taking advantage of the great opportunity of entanglement on the wall, the 10,000 soldiers of Huan Lu who were dormant at the foot of the mountain rushed to fight, and in a short while rushed to the wall to join the fighting team.In less than an hour, the defense line of the northern section of Laomaling was completely captured by the Qin army! At the same time, Wang Lu also launched a fierce attack in the middle.Wang Yan divided the 50,000 troops into two divisions: 20,000 to attack Gaoping, and another 30,000 to ambush in the mountains north of Gaoping.When the north and the south fought together, the 20,000 Zhao troops behind Gaoping Pass immediately divided their troops into two groups to respond.The 10,000 Zhao troops who went north to reinforce Laomaling were attacked by the Qin army's ambushes when they entered the mountain road, and hurried back after most of them were killed or injured.The attack and defense of Gaoping Pass was extremely tragic, and it was not clear until noon.Wang Yanyuan had dispatched a group of two thousand mountain people's children to sneak into the north and south mountains of Gaoping Pass secretly, and attack Gaoping Pass condescendingly.However, the Zhao army still stationed an army at the bottom of the two-mile-wide valley. Although the guards of the Guancheng on the north and south mountainsides were unable to attack under the pressure of the Qin army's arrows and boulders on the top of the mountain, the Zhao army at the bottom of the valley stood still.At this time, the 10,000 Zhao troops behind Gaoping Pass also rushed in from the Xingdao at the bottom of the valley. The two armies merged into one, and they were in a stalemate with the Qin army. Wang He of Xigukou was in a hurry, and his heart suddenly brightened, so he ordered the Qin army from the north and the south of the mountain to attack the pass city on the mountainside again, and he personally led 10,000 cavalry into the valley at the bottom of the road like a hurricane.At the bottom of the valley, the Zhao army was restrained by the Qin army on the top of the mountain, so they had to dodge the rain of rocks and arrows falling from the sky, and they were negligent in facing the barriers built by the valley entrance to the west.There were very few cavalry in mountain battles, and Wang Lu's iron cavalry assault was beyond Zhao Jun's expectations. Braving the less dense arrow rain, he charged into Zhao Jun's barrier with one charge.Infantry resisting cavalry, if you don't use barriers to form an formation, you will see a big disadvantage.As soon as the barrier was broken, Zhao Jun's infantry was in chaos, and the remaining Zhao Jun fled into the mountains and forests on both sides.Wang Lu immediately ordered the knights to dismount and fight on foot. They attacked the key points from the mountain road in two ways, and fought up and down for an hour. Gaoping Pass finally fell! When Lian Po personally led 30,000 cavalry from the west of Changping to help, it was already dusk.Looking at the torches on the two mountains of Gaoping Pass, the continuous black flags fluttering and flying, the Qin army shouted and clamored all over the mountain, Lao Lian's face was frosty, and he turned his horse's head away as soon as the flag was split. Back at the Changping camp, Lian Po wrote to King Zhao Xiaocheng overnight, and at the same time flew to report the detailed battle situation to Lord Pingyuan, requesting an immediate increase of 100,000 troops.King Xiaocheng originally agreed with Zhao Kuo's frontal attack, but his heart beat involuntarily when he received an urgent letter from Lian Po. He negotiated secretly with a group of important officials such as Lord Pingyuan and Lin Xiangru all night, and immediately increased his troops by 100,000 to the party. At the same time, Lian Po was ordered: Be sure to stick to the two barriers of Danshui and the Great Wall of Stone, and have a long-term confrontation with the Qin army, not seeking quick victory, but seeking Shangdang not to lose! Within ten days, one hundred thousand Zhao troops arrived at Shangdang.After this battle, not only did Lian Po not panic at all, but he became more determined.Although the Western Front Barrier and the Gaoping Fortress were lost, it also greatly calmed Zhao Kuo's frantic and light fighting mood that spread among the soldiers of the Zhao Army.The defeat on the Western Front was not so much a defeat in terms of combat power, but rather a result of a rash pursuit of war and underestimation of the enemy.The Zhao army has been undefeated in the world for decades, and even against the Qin army, it also has brilliant victories in the battle between Yan and him.This is the first time to compete with the Qin army, no matter how Lao Lianpo repeatedly affirmed the superiority of the Qin army and advocated to stand by and wait, in fact, it did not eliminate the mentality of the soldiers of the Zhao army to attack lightly and underestimate the enemy.Now that they suffered a sudden defeat, the generals of the Zhao army were terrified and vigilant, and immediately had a keen understanding of the painstaking efforts of the general at the beginning.Because of this, Lao Lianpo was even more determined-with the 300,000 soldiers of Zhao Guo who stood firm with iron heart, even if the sharp soldiers of the Qin Army were the division of tigers and wolves, they would never want to take advantage of Zhao Jun again! Changping raised the account, and Lian Po re-armed: the Danshui defense line went westward for 20 miles, and built a solid barrier defense with 60,000 troops to block the Qin army's eastward attack from Gaoping. There are a total of 130,000 elite soldiers on the two fronts, and they are determined not to let Qin Jun go further east.At the same time, 20,000 troops were added to the defense line of the Great Wall of Shi, and 100,000 troops were deployed to defend hundreds of miles.The Changping camp stationed 30,000 cavalry, led by Lian Po himself to support the various forces.After everything was deployed, Lao Lian looked terrified, and for the first time issued a life and death order for the general: Unless the Qin army makes a surprise attack, anyone who does not follow the order to fight will be killed without mercy! Just when Zhao Jun re-armed, Wu Anjun Bai Qi also rushed from the secret camp in Anyi to the Qin Army camp in Shangdang. The news of Wang Lu's capture of the Western Front Barrier aroused cheers from the ruling and opposition parties of the Qin State.King Qin Zhao was very excited, and immediately wrote to Bai Qi: "I seem to have overestimated the combat power of Zhao Jun. Wu An Jun can decide to fight at his own discretion, and go to Shangdang early." Enter Shangdang.As soon as Wang Lu saw it, he asked excitedly: "What do Lord Wu An think of winning the west base?" Bai Qi was noncommittal, and only taught Wang Lu to report the number of casualties in detail.After Wang Yan finished reporting, Bai Qi was still noncommittal, and took the two Sima to the barracks without saying a word.Wang Yan is Bai Qi's old subordinate, he knows that although Bai Qi is reticent, he never ambiguously talks about the war, if he doesn't speak today, it is clear that there is something wrong in the battle of Xibai.What could be wrong?The timing is wrong?Too many casualties?For a moment, Wang Yan couldn't figure it out, and his heart was very uneasy.Lord Wu'an's military order was originally clear: apart from capturing the southern three gates of Taihang Mountain, the other passes should not be captured without authorization, even if the Zhao army was negligent in fortifying them.It is clear that he violated the military order to attack the west base by himself.However, Lord Wu An not only didn't punish him, he didn't even reprimand him publicly, and it was clear that there was nothing wrong with the strong attack.Yes, the mistake is to violate the military order!With the majesty of Lord Wu An, orders are always prohibited, if you disobey the military order, what if you win?After thinking about it for a while, Wang Lu decided to write a letter to the King of Qin and request to Lord Wu'an: no merits will be recorded in this battle, so as to make up for the violation of the military order. Unexpectedly, for three days in a row, Bai Qi asked Wang He to follow him across the mountains and ridges to investigate the Zhao army's formation, and when he returned to Xingyuan three days later, Wang He did not speak.After beating the drums and gathering the generals, Bai Qi said solemnly to the generals: "The battle of Xibai really inspired morale, but before our army gathered, it was a surprise attack, which made the Zhao army increase its troops and fortify the wall! Shangdang is easy to defend and difficult to attack. In a dangerous place, 300,000 strong troops are guarding the wall firmly, and Lao Lian is quite stable in commanding the troops. Even if the Qin army is equal to 300,000 people, it will not be able to conquer it! Everyone should know: Qin Zhao’s decisive battle is not a small battle, but a big battle; If you want to win a big battle, you must gather a large army and seek the best opportunity; if you don't have the best opportunity, you would rather confront and fight than go to war easily! Just look at the fortification of the Zhao army now, and you will know that Lian Po has already seen through the Shangdang The essence of confrontation!" "Wang Lu fights lightly, Lord Wu An please punish him!" Wang Lu took off the bronze helmet on his head, bowed his head in a long and sincere bow. But Bai Qi waved his hand and said: "Wang Yan has the fault of fighting lightly, and he also has the merit of awakening our soldiers. The merits and demerits balance out, and he still leads the army in his original position to confront." "Mr. Wu'an is clearly aware! Long live!" the generals in the tent cheered in unison. A rare smile flashed across Bai Qi's face, and he suddenly asked loudly: "Who has read "Wu Zi"?" Seeing the generals shaking their heads, Bai Qi recited solemnly, ""Wu Zi · Lun Jiang" says: When discussing generals, always look at bravery. Bravery is one-tenth of an ear in generals. He who is brave must care less about union, and he does not know the benefits of union. Preparation, fruit on the third day, precepts on the fourth day, appointments on the fifth day..." The big tent was silent, and sweat dripped from the foreheads of Wang Yan and the generals. That night, Bai Qi immediately wrote to King Qin Zhao, generally reporting the change in the situation of the Zhao army, and requesting an additional 200,000 troops to confront Zhao.At this time, King Qin Zhao had already received the flying cavalry secret report sent back by Zheng Anping from Handan. He realized that the general situation was not what he thought, and immediately wrote back: "The soldiers of the whole country are in the king's hands, and the dispatch of soldiers and horses depends on the situation. There is no need to ask for delay. !" Bai Qi received the book, and immediately issued a military order to the Lantian Camp.一月之后，大将蒙骜率二十万大军陆续开出函谷关抵达上党。至此，秦国蓝田大营驻军已经全部开到了战场，秦国在上党总兵力一举达到了三十八万。也就是说，若得再行增兵，便得从各个边地关隘抽调城防守军了。大军云集，针对赵军已经成型的布防与秦军所占地形，白起立即重新部署了上党对峙的壁垒防线： 西部沁水壁垒。沁水中游河谷是秦军在上党西边沿的屯兵要地，也是进军上党的西部根基防线。这段沁水河谷呈西北东南走向，长约八十余里，河谷宽阔，水源充足，堪称天然屯兵之所。河谷中段一片突兀的高地上有一座石砌城堡，叫做端氏城，为春秋时期晋国端氏部族之封邑。这座石头城便是沁水秦军的防守枢纽。白起命左庶长王龁率十万大军驻守这道沁水防线，实际上便是将这里看做西部大本营。 中部老马岭壁垒。这老马岭便是秦军新近夺取赵军的西壁垒，西边背后二十里便是沁水秦军防线，东边便与赵军的丹水防线隔水遥遥相望，实际便是秦军最前部阵地。因其居于咽喉冲要，白起派了勇猛刁钻的大将桓龁率领八万精锐步军驻防，大本营便设在险峻的高平关。 南三陉壁垒。便是以河内山塬为依托的太行山南部三陉口的防线。这道大阵西起轵关陉，东至白陉，东西二百余里，正对北面赵军的丹水防线，既是秦军的南部大本营，也是全部秦军的总根基所在。三陉口则分做三道防守线：进入陉口十余里的太行山北麓，每陉口修筑一道东西横宽二十里的山石壁垒，作为陉口北端的第一道防守；三陉口关隘加固壁垒，做第二道防守；陉口南出太行山十里，则筑起一条东西横宽二百里的最后防线，依据地形，石山则筑壁垒，土塬则掘壕沟。太行山北麓防线每段一万步军，共三万精兵防守；陉口关隘每陉五千步军，其中三千人为弓弩手，共一万五千人；太行山南麓防线则是六万步军严密布防，大部重型防守器械都设置在这里。南三陉三道壁垒的十万余大军，白起派了最为稳健缜密的蒙骜统领。 三大壁垒之外，白起还部署了两支策应大军： 第一支，由骑兵主将王陵率领的五万铁骑，专一策应各方险情。由于陉口之外便是河内丘陵平川，南边更有粮草基地野王与大河舟船水道，一则需要重兵防守，二则有利于骑兵展开，白起便将骑兵主力驻扎在野王以北的开阔地带，确保随时驰援各方。 第二支，驻扎沁水下游河谷的五万步骑混编的精锐大军，由白起亲自统率，做全军总策应。这五万大军的领军主将是王族猛士嬴豹。这嬴豹便是当年公子虔的孙子，勇猛暴烈大有乃祖之风，在秦军中除了白起却是谁也不服。嬴豹熟知白起最险难关口定然要亲自冲锋陷阵的战场秉性，便将军中二百名铁鹰剑士专门编成了一个铁鹰死士队，专司执掌护卫统帅大旗，形影不离地跟定白起。 及至秦赵两军的第二次部署全部完成，已经是严寒的冬天了。进入腊月，中原久旱之后终于有了第一场大雪。呼啸的山风搅着漫天雪花扑进了军营，扑进了壕沟壁垒，扑进了关隘要塞。山峦连绵起伏的上党变成白茫茫一片混沌，雄伟的太行山宛如银色巨龙耸立在天地之间，倾听着苍莽山塬中的萧萧马鸣，倾听着无边无际的隐隐人声。 便是这茫茫飞雪，便是这严冬苦寒，也没有冰封这广阔战场在天下激起的巨大涟漪。往昔雪冬，山东道上便是商旅鸟兽皆绝迹，如今却是车马如梭行人匆匆。特使的车骑，斥候的快马，满载粮草的牛车，牟取军利的商贾，逃离战火的难民，各色人等今年冬日竟都神奇地复活了，不窝冬了。一场旷古大战便在眼前，多少邦国的兴亡，多少生民的命运，都将为这场大战的结局所左右，纵是严冬飞雪，天下又如何能得安宁？ 秦国大军一进上党，赵国君臣便大为不安。眼见铺排越来越大，分明便是国运大决了，孝成王竟第一次有了一种不可言说地恐惧，夜来卧榻，莫名其妙地便是一阵心惊肉跳。枕不安席，索性便召来一班重臣连夜商议。一见大臣们忧心忡忡踌躇不言，柱国将军赵括顿时慷慨激昂道：“决国如同决战，狭路相逢勇者胜！战场已经摆开，大军已经对峙，可谓箭在弦上不得不发！当此之际，阵脚松动者必是大溃！诸位身为邦国栋梁，却是疑惧不定，当真令人汗颜也！”一番话掷地有声，一班大臣顿时面红过耳。孝成王心头一跳便笑道：“诸位大臣思忖谋划，也未必便是疑惧，马服子未免过甚。诸位但说，如何与秦国周旋了？”平原君立即接道：“大军成势，马服子所言大是在理，此时稍有退缩便是崩溃无疑。老臣之见，秦国兵力已经超过我军八万，我当立即调边军十万南下，一则对等抗衡，二则昭示天下赵国决意抗击秦国虎狼！”“大是！”虞卿重重拍案，“惟有兵力均势，六国合纵方可有成！”蔺相如点头道：“山东畏秦，日久成习，我若无大勇之举，也实在难以合纵也。”楼昌叹息一声道：“我接赵商义报：魏国又夺了信陵君相权，韩国也将冯亭任了闲职。此中之要，便是两国对我军能否胜秦心存疑虑了。”这楼昌原是赵国名臣楼缓之子，楼缓年迈，子袭父爵，上党对峙开始后邦交频繁，便被孝成王任为上大夫之职辅助邦交。 “岂有此理！”孝成王显然生气了，“韩魏反复无常，当真可恶也！” “赵王息怒。”蔺相如很是冷静，“秦国近四十万大军压在河内，对魏韩犹如泰山压顶，犹疑观望原是常情。赵军十万南下但能成行，臣等三人便立即分头出使。非但韩魏，便是齐楚燕三国，也可稳定。” “好！”孝成王断然拍案，却又突然犹豫，“边军南下，胡人匈奴卷土重来……” “我王毋忧。”赵括笑了，“臣举一年青将军，但有两三万之众，足以镇守北地！” 平原君先惊讶了：“噢？却是何人？” “李牧！” “李牧？”平原君目询，几位大臣都摇了摇头。 赵括笑道：“三年前，臣曾北上为邯郸守军增置战马，识得李牧。其时此人年仅十八岁，已是边军千夫长，今年已是都尉了。李牧兵户子弟，十岁入军，精通兵法韬略不在臣之下，多有疆场实战却在臣之上！但有考察，我王便明。” 孝成王点点头：“既然如此，便请王叔立即北上，若边地能妥为安置，便立即调遣十万大军南下。”平原君立即慨然领命，孝成王又道，“出使列国，诸卿何时成行？要否等候大军南下之后？”蔺相如道：“但有决策，何须等待？明日我等便可成行！”孝成王一点头，便看了看赵括道：“昨接廉颇军报：国尉许历老寒病发作，难以撑持繁重军务。本王之意，马服子谋勇兼备又正在英年，可换回老国尉坐镇邯郸防务。王叔以为如何？” 平原君思忖片刻道：“上党大军云集，粮道之任极是繁重，确需精壮之士担此重任。然则马服子气势太盛，动辄与老将军帐前争执，老臣却是忧虑。”蔺相如素来心思机敏，立即接道：“若得马服子明誓与老将军同心，诚为上佳人选！”孝成王笑道：“马服子如何啊？” 换回许历，本是赵括昨日得到军前消息后进宫慷慨自请。孝成王当时虽则答应了，却并未下诏，赵括本想议事完毕后留下来再度请命，却不料孝成王这时便提出来公议，顿时便是一喜一忧。喜者，显然是赵王对他信任有加。忧者，平原君大半要阻挠。及至平原君一说出口，赵括便大感难堪——西垒之失后，赵军将士已经公认赵括轻战，自己虽则不服，却也只得缄口不言，平原君如是说，便显然是不赞同他代替许历了。及至蔺相如一说赵王一问，赵括顿时感奋挺身，一拱手高声道：“但得军前效力，赵括若不与老将军同心，便死在万箭之下！”一言落点，君臣们一阵惊讶，又是一阵大笑。 平原君却是喟然一声叹息：“少将军立此血誓，夫复何言！” 次日午后，邯郸四门便是车马纷纷。平原君马队北上了，蔺相如、虞卿、楼昌的特使轺车南下了，赵括马队打着“柱国督军使”的大旗西进了。孝成王最后在西门外送走了赵括，望着纷纷扬扬的漫天大雪，望着西部混沌难辨的白色天地，竟情不自禁地对着上天一阵喃喃祷告，愿天佑赵国，使自己成为战胜强秦的天下之王。 当此情势，秦国朝野也是一片紧张忙碌。 料得冬雪之季两军对峙无战，秦昭王便将白起与范雎召回了咸阳商议后续应对之策。白起对军势对峙的预料是：赵国必然继续增兵，秦国也得做好增兵筹划，以赵军战力，秦军不可能以少胜多。秦昭王思忖道：“增兵但凭武安君调遣便了。只是这新征发之兵，战力可靠么？”白起道：“新征士卒，只能修筑壁垒壕沟做辅助战力。只要六国不成合纵，各边地关隘尚可聚集二十余万大军。”范雎笑道：“伐交得当，他如何便能合纵？我意：先与楚国结盟，南郡兵力便可立即北上。”秦昭王眼睛便是一亮：“应侯有成算？”范雎点头道：“王稽已在楚国，春来便有好消息了。” 君臣正在议论，忽有郑安平密报到达，说赵国平原君已经北上调兵，三路特使也一齐南下了。秦昭王脸色顿时阴沉。范雎悠然笑道：“赵国君臣原以为只要与我大军对峙，合纵便是水到渠成，此时觉察情势有异方才大急，却是迟了也。”白起困惑道：“如何便迟了？”范雎道：“尚未及向武安君通报，魏国信陵君相权已免，韩国冯亭亦形同赋闲，此二人一去，三晋盟约便没有根基了。”白起不禁大是惊讶：“此两人尽皆栋梁，如何说去便去了？”范雎哈哈大笑：“不罢栋梁，大秦府库的金钱岂非白白扔了？”白起叹息一声：“匪夷所思也！如此山东？”秦昭王笑道：“原是武安君不在意此等事，栋梁不栋梁，本在君王之断，岂有他哉！”白起目光一闪，却终是没有说话。范雎一转话题道：“目下急务却是粮草，关中郡县府库之粮仓，已经大半输送河内。以武安君之算，大约储得多长时日之粮草方可？”白起思忖片刻，一字一顿道：“以对峙之大势，此战三年不能了结。” “如何如何？三年？”秦昭王第一次听到白起如此论断，不禁倒吸了一口凉气，“田单一城之兵抗燕国四十余万大军，以弱磨强也才六年。上将军当年东取河内、南下南郡，都是与敌兵力相当，却都是无过半年便雷霆万钧取胜！如今我军多于赵军，如何却要这般遥遥无期？” 白起一说军事便来精神，又是不善笑谈，便一脸正色道：“君上之心，老臣倒是没有料到。田单抗燕，如何能与秦赵大决相比？魏国楚国，又如何能与赵国相比？赵国崛起已是三代，大军六十万与我不相上下，邦国实力也与我相差无几，名将名臣济济一堂，目下之赵王亦非平庸之辈。如此两强大决，每一步都牵动天下大局，三年有成，老臣以为便是上天佑秦了！赵若如楚如魏，如此大战老臣便可三月拿下。然则这是赵国，这是赵军，统帅是老而弥辣之廉颇，若无上佳战机，老臣宁可与他对头相持，绝不轻战！” 秦昭王见白起如此认真，说得又实在无法指斥，便释然一笑道：“本王原是没有细想，三年便三年，便是再有三年，还不也得撑下去？”范雎见白起嘴角一抽搐又要说话，便是恍然醒悟般笑道：“上将军方才所说之上佳战机，不知何指？”白起顿时坦然，侃侃便道：“战机者，敌军异象也。就实而论，或敌方粮草不济而军兵骚动，或轻躁求战而我可伏击，或突然更换主帅等等等等，不一而足，唯精心捕捉而已。”范雎目光一闪：“譬如燕国罢乐毅而任骑劫，便是田单战机了？”“大是也！”白起赞叹拍案，“这一战机田单等了六年。乐毅若在，岂有火牛阵大胜也！”范雎若有所思，竟是良久沉默。 “应侯想甚了？”秦昭王不禁笑了。 范雎浑然无觉，嘴唇兀自喃喃，却陡然笑道：“失态失态，容臣揣摩一番再说了。” 倏忽便是春日，各种消息随着特使轺车随着斥候快马随着商旅义报，便在天下纵横飞舞起来。赵国十万精锐边军南下了！燕国武成王拒绝赵国合纵，还图谋在赵国背后做黄雀突然啄上一口！新齐王田建没有听蔺相如说辞，也没有听老苏代的“唇亡齿寒”说，硬是悄悄骑墙作壁上观！韩王魏王却是忒煞出奇，只追着赵国特使虞卿死问一句：赵军如此强大，为何不打一场胜仗长长三晋志气？然而，春天最惊人的消息却来自楚国的故事：老楚王芈横（顷襄王）死了，春申君黄歇迎接在秦国做人质的太子芈完回郢都即位，秦国先不答应，后来却又答应了，还派特使王稽护送芈完回国；芈完一即位，立即便与秦国订立了修好盟约；秦国驻守南郡的八万大军立即拔营北上了！这些消息故事中还夹有一个神秘离奇的传闻：秦国特使王稽不知给楚国办了何等好事，楚王竟赏赐了他五千金还有十名吴越美女！ 消息纷纭中春天竟是不知不觉地过去了，随之便是秦赵两军各自再度增兵十万。如此便是赵军五十万，秦军五十八万，上党大战场云集大军百万有余！也就是说，秦赵两国各自都将全部大军压到了上党，真正成了举国大决。面对这种亘古未见的战场气势，天下三十余个大国小邦竟都一时屏住了呼吸，邦交时节没有了，口舌流播的传闻没有了，眼看两座雄伟高山便要震天撼地的碰撞，无边广袤的华夏大地却是骤然之间沉默了。 然则，半年过去了，一年过去了，天下恐惧期待的旷古大战竟硬是没有发生。 被震慑而蛰伏的纷纭传闻，便又如潺潺流水般弥漫开来，使节商旅的车马又开始辚辚上路了。议论源头的游学士子们，却在各国都城进行着一个永远没有公认答案的论战：举兵百万，对峙三年，空耗财货无以计数，却依然还在僵持，秦赵两强究竟有何图谋？有人说，这是两强示威于列国，待列国折服，秦赵便要瓜分天下！有人说，这是韩国安天下的妙策，抛出一个上党让两虎相争，纵留胜虎也是遍体鳞伤，天下合力灭之，中国便是永久太平了。有人说，狼虎两家怕，秦赵两国谁也不敢当真开战，全然便是劳民伤财！ 进入第三年秋天，便在天下惶惶之时，突然一个惊人消息传开：秦国武安君白起身染重病，气息奄奄了！随着这则消息的流播，山东大势竟在一夜之间发生了微妙的变化：楚国立即与赵国订立了修好盟约，却是也不废除与秦国的盟约；齐燕魏韩四国，则纷纷派出密使催促赵国开战。各国时节一出邯郸便立即赶赴咸阳，纷纷带着各国的神医秘药争相探视武安君白起。一时间，白起府邸便是车马如流门庭若市，却是谁也踏不进府门半步。 半月之后，楚齐魏燕四国特使才获得秦昭王特诏，允准在丞相范雎陪同下探视武安君。独留一个韩国特使韩明孤零零守在府外，虽大是尴尬，却又只得守侯，毕竟这个消息太重大了。半个时辰后，四国特使匆匆出来了。韩明眼见范雎远远望了一眼自己，立即叫住了四国使节低声叮嘱了几句，方才一拱手进去了。四国特使个个绷着脸从韩明身边走过，竟是谁也不理会他，竟各自登车辚辚去了。 当晚，韩明悄悄拜会了楚国特使，送上了沉甸甸的三百金与两套名贵佩玉，楚国特使才压低声音诉说了一番：“噢