Chapter 23 Section 5: The Veteran Army Destroys Yue in the Battle of Zhaoguan

King Wei of Chu grandly summoned Tian Ji in the palace of Yingdu. All the veterans and ministers of Chu State gathered together, and all of them participated in the summons.King Chu Wei did not treat the Vietnam War as a military secret, but took a big move.First, he wanted to show the highest courtesy to Tian Ji.Secondly, he wants to deliberately create an atmosphere of "talking and laughing, and lifting weights like light", so as to cheer up the long-decayed morale of Chu State and pave the way for the second reform.Of course, Zhang Yi was the one who gave King Chuwei courage.For half a month, King Wei of Chu, through Zhang Yi's repeated comparison and analysis, had a clear understanding of the strength of Chu State and Yue State, the people's hearts, military conditions, and national conditions, and his spirit was greatly refreshed.He believed in Zhang Yi's judgment: Chu's annihilation of Yue was indeed "killing a chicken with a sledgehammer!" There is no other possibility except for the victorious class teacher.As a distinguished guest, Tian Ji didn't take it seriously when he openly discussed the actions of the army in front of such a large audience.Speed ​​and confidentiality have always been the two basic principles of military strategists.In addition to intentionally releasing false information to the enemy, any military secrets should not be openly discussed in the court.At the beginning in the state of Qi, apart from King Qi Wei, he and Sun Bin were the only ones who made secret decisions in the planning of the war, and even the prime minister, Zou Ji, was not allowed to participate.Today, more than 20 important ministers and veterans gathered in the palace of Yingdu, headed by Ling Yin Zhaoju, Zhao, Jing, Qu, Huang, Xiang, the leaders and backbone figures of the five great clans of Chu State were all present.Tian Ji couldn't help frowning deeply, and glanced at Zhang Yi who was sitting on the lower left hand of King Wei of Chu, his bronze long face was both indifferent and confused.In fact, Zhang Yi didn't know that King Chu Wei was going to make such a big show beforehand.In his mind, with what kind of courtesy did he summon Tian Ji?To what extent is the plan for annihilation discussed?There is no need for him to deliberately remind, and it is easy to become suspicious if you talk too much.I entered Chu by myself as a hasty passerby, and everything will be fine in exchange for Tian Ji, so why bother?Now that the king of Chu wants Tian Ji to lead the army to destroy Yue, his responsibility is to help Tian Ji win the battle smoothly without any accidents.As for the affairs of the Chu State, he never involved anything. He answered whatever the King of Chu Wei asked, and only talked about the wars in the Yue State and the Chu State.Even when entering the palace today, seeing such a grand scene, I was quite surprised at first.But Zhang Yi was open-minded after all, and after thinking about it, he understood King Chu Wei's painstaking efforts.More importantly, in Zhang Yi's view, even if the matter is not confidential, the war of destroying Vietnam will undoubtedly be won, so why bother about such details?Looking at Tian Ji's face, Zhang Yi knew that this stern general was displeased with him, but it was difficult for the public to explain.Fortunately, Tian Ji was sitting on the lower right hand of King Chu Wei, facing him, and he gave Tian Ji a wink and said that there is no need to care about it, just deal with it calmly.However, Tian Ji lowered his eyes and didn't realize it, as if he didn't know him, so Zhang Yi could only sigh inwardly.

"My fellow ministers," King Wei of Chu stood on the king's platform carved from a whole piece of Jingshan jade and began to speak: "The barbarians of the Yue Kingdom invaded Chu, and an army of 200,000 troops came to the west. I am grateful to Zhang Yi, a famous scholar from the Central Plains, for his great help. , I invite General Tian Ji to enter Chu and lead our Chu army to fight against the Yueman. It is an auspicious day for our Great Chu Kingdom to welcome the General today. The General will dedicate the entire Yue Kingdom to the Great Chu Kingdom and will bring us land , people, honor and victory!"

"Long live the king of Chu—!" "Long live the general—!" The courtiers were greatly aroused by King Chu Wei's generosity, and they cheered loudly excitedly.Ling Yin Zhaoju had already stood up from his seat, and announced loudly: "The king of Chu granted Tian Ji the seal of the great general—!" There was loud music in the hall, and four old servants carried a big bronze case and walked steadily to the center of the hall under the royal platform.King Wei of Chu walked down the royal platform amidst the solemn music, and bowed deeply to Tian Ji who stood in the middle of the hall. After Tian Ji returned the gift, he gave Tian Ji all the items on the bronze case: A seal, half a pair of bronze soldier talismans, a king's sword symbolizing the power of life and death, and a set of special general armor and cloak.

The state of Chu is different from other countries in the Central Plains. The supreme commander of the expedition is called "General" instead of "General".The difference during this period is that the general of Chu State has a higher title and greater power.After successive major reforms in the Warring States Period of the Central Plains, the power system has been relatively mature, and there have been clear decrees on the separation of powers.Because of the failure of Wu Qi's reform, Chu State is still a "half old, half new" country, and its power system has many old traditions.This old tradition has two basic aspects, one is the division of the family, and the other is the dictatorship of important ministers, the latter is based on the former.In the Warring States Period, when the fate of the country was ultimately determined by war, the so-called monopoly of important ministers was more reflected in the power of the supreme military commander.Because of this difference, the great generals of the Chu State are more of the remnants of the ancient heroic era-speech like a mountain, shouldering the life and death, honor and disgrace of the people of the country!In ordinary times, the full set of powers of the great generals of Chu would never be granted to any commander at once.This is an inevitable constraint for the monarch to maintain power stability.But King Wei of Chu knew clearly that Tian Ji led the army to destroy Yue Yue in exchange this time, and Tian Ji wanted to return to Qi.Granting all the powers to the general at one time will not only stimulate Tian Ji's entrusted morale, but also will never cause the power to fall apart. It will also show the world Chu's reputation for seeking and respecting talents, and attract more scholars from the Central Plains to Chu. Happy to do it?Naturally, Tian Ji also knew the mystery, so he accepted it calmly.

According to etiquette, King Wei of Chu served Tian Ji on the spot and put on the general's full armor and cloak: a bronze handsome helmet with a six-inch spear, a bronze soft armor with extremely delicate leather threads, and a pair of heavy and elegant buffalo leather combat boots , a silk cloak embroidered with gold thread patterns!Once dressed, Tian Ji, who was already thick and mighty, looked even more majestic, like a god of war standing in the hall. "Good—!" "Long live the general—!" All the ministers applauded, and they were extremely excited. "Tian Ji thanked King Chu." Tian Ji bowed deeply to King Chu Wei, which was the last part of the ceremony.However, King Chu Wei did not return to the throne to announce the opening of the banquet according to the etiquette. He looked at Tian Ji excitedly and asked loudly: "General, the plan to destroy the great is imminent. What do I need to do?" The plan is mature, and I really want to remind the King of Chu a few points, but they are all planning to discuss with the King of Chu in private. Judging from the current momentum, King Chu Wei is indeed what Zhang Yi thought - a battle will be a battle. That's right, it didn't look like he had a secret discussion with himself to make a decision at all.If you don't say it now, you probably won't have a chance to say it.Thinking of this, Tian Ji cupped his hands solemnly and said: "The Great War is the biggest war in the Chu Kingdom in the past thirty years, and the whole country's soldiers must be poured out to have a chance of winning. Tian Ji has only one worry: if all the elites of the Chu Kingdom are transferred to the south, the northern part will be empty. Prevent the Warring States of the Central Plains from taking the opportunity to sneak attack; in the current situation, the three countries of Qi, Wei, and South Korea bordering Chu have no time to launch an attack, only the Qin State in the north is worth guarding against. Please send a general to guard the Hanshui and Fangling lines to protect the Chu army Food and grass are provided, and the second guarantee is that there is no danger of a surprise attack in the rear."

When Tian Ji finished speaking, the elders and ministers of Chu State were stunned! In the minds of the elders and nobles, all aspects of the war of destroying Yue Yue had already been planned by the king of Chu, so where is there any danger?Now that Tian Ji said this, it seemed that this big battle was not necessarily so sure, as if he still had worries about the future, he suddenly looked panicked, everyone looked at me and I looked at you, everyone showed doubts.When the Chu State fought, most of the money and food for the soldiers had to be collected from the fiefdoms of these aristocratic families. Without their support, the royal family could not have the conditions for an independent war.If they have doubts at this moment, this plan of destruction will soon become troublesome.King Wei of Chu did not expect that Tian Ji would bring up such a serious fact that he had not thought of beforehand. Do you agree with what Tian Ji said?Very disappointing.Do you categorically deny it?Tian Ji is a famous general in the world, if he is so worried, he will definitely not just talk about it.King Wei of Chu had very little experience, and he really didn't know much about the general situation of the world at this time, and he suddenly lost his mind.Suddenly, he thought of Zhang Yi, turned around and said with a smile: "Sir, what do you think of the general's words?"

Zhang Yi laughed carefreely for a while: "The general is worrying too much. The Qin State has just emerged from civil strife, and the people's hearts are not stable. It urgently needs to appease the government and the opposition. The land and the Xirong rebellion, how can we have the army to go south to attack Chu? The general will use all the troops to conquer the country, and destroy Yue in one battle. If you disperse your forces, you will not be able to completely destroy Yue. "The law of a military strategist is that the rear is the foundation, but if you seek defense, you will be invincible. If you don't seek the enemy, you will be defenseless. Tian Ji should do his best, and the king of Chu will make the decision." Tian Ji was very indifferent, and had no intention of arguing at all.Zhang Yi, the King of Chuwei, suddenly felt enlightened, and smiled at Tian Ji: "The general will do his best to destroy the Yue. The prevention of sneak attacks is planned by Zhang Zi, and it will be safe!" "Follow the king's order." Tian Ji did not After talking more, he calmly retreated to his seat.

"Banquet, for the great general." King Wei of Chu gave an order, the bells and drums rang, and the hall cheered. A grand and enthusiastic banquet continued until the lights came out.At the end of the song, Tian Ji said goodbye to the king of Chu and Zhang Yi, and hurried to the army with a group of military officials. In the fields in the northeast of Chu State, the sun was covered by smoke and dust, and the masts and masts in the middle of the river were like forests, and the army of Yue State came from both land and water!After Zhang Yi left, King Si Wujiang of Yue discussed with a group of ministers and generals for two full days before finalizing all matters concerning the attack on Chu.Originally attacking Qi State, only the horse infantry army went north, but now they have turned to attack Chu, and naturally they have to use boat divisions (naval troops), so they have to wait a little longer.In the early years, only Chu, Wu, and Yue had boat masters, and the boat masters in Wu State were the most powerful.Wu Guozhou Division took Zhenze (Taihu Lake) as the base of the water village, went up the river to Yunmengze and entered Chu State, and went south to Zhenze to directly threaten Yue State.When Wu State defeated Yue State, the boat division played a big role.Later, the Yue State destroyed Wu, and the boat division also played the same role.Wu State perished, Yue State took over Wu State's boat division, and the size of the navy became the largest in the world!Compared with Wu and Yue's emphasis on boat masters, although Chu State has the most vast Yunmeng Lake in the world, the boat masters have always been small in scale and their role is not significant.The fundamental reason is that the center of gravity of the Chu State's war has always been in the Central Plains, and the boat division cannot be of great use.This time, Si Wujiang, king of Yue, raised his ambition to capture hundreds of miles of land between the Jianghuai River and the Huaihe River in the northeast of Chu State in one fell swoop.This area is flat and fertile, with rivers and lakes criss-crossing, it is a good place to use land and water at the same time, and the boat division of Yue Kingdom is just in hand.After negotiating a grand plan, the King of Yue sent a special envoy of Kuaima to go south, urgently ordering the boat division to go out of Zhenze and enter the Yangtze River, and reach the east bank of Yunmengze to guard it.The 150,000 cavalry army under his own command came from north to south, forming an offensive of "blocking the south and pressing the north", intending to occupy more than 20 cities in the Jianghuai wilderness in one fell swoop!Si Wujiang was determined to win, so he ordered the sailors to take more empty cargo ships and prepare to plunder Chu's wealth and food.There were originally 200 warships of the Yue State Boat Division, but there were as many as 300 empty cargo ships confiscated.More than 500 ships of all sizes set up their white sails, and a forest of white masts suddenly stood up in the vast river. The flags were unfurled, and the horns were heard. The momentum was really magnificent.On the land road, the 150,000 cavalry army marching southward from Langya surged forward, rolling across the Jianghuai field like thunder.

When the news came, the farmers fled, the merchants stayed away, and all the castles and castles were closed. The northeast of Chu State suddenly fell into panic!At the same time that the land and water roads of Yue State were aggressively pressing, the Chu army also moved tit-for-tat to the Jianghuai area-out of Zhaoguan by land, and down the Yangtze River by water!Compared with the mighty momentum of the Yue Kingdom, the Chu Kingdom's army moved quietly and secretly. Although it was not as stealthy and fast as Tian Ji required, it would not make its marching intention known to everyone.Among the Warring States, the composition of the Chu army was the most complicated.Due to the premature death of Wu Qi's reform and the immature training of the new army, the Chu army became a mixed army with "old roots, new shadows": chariot soldiers, cavalry, infantry, and boat divisions all had four major arms.Needless to say, the boat division is a special unit of Chu State, a watery country like Ze State, and it has not changed in any way from more than a hundred years ago.The chariot soldiers should have been eliminated long ago, but Chu State kept 2,000 chariots and 100,000 chariot soldiers intact.Armored cavalry is the core unit of the new army of the Warring States Period, but Chu State has less than 50,000 cavalry, and they are not elite cavalry.The infantry of the Chu state was not independent at first, and was attached to the chariot unit during the chariot battle. After the chariot was eliminated, the infantry began to fight independently against the cavalry.There are more than 30,000 such independent but not independent infantry in the Chu State. They are neither chariot soldiers nor new cavalry infantry effectively combined with cavalry. They are all stationed in the Fangling Mountains to guard the supply base.The Chu State's army is said to be 300,000, but the actual main force is 100,000 chariot soldiers. The rest of the cavalry, infantry, and boat divisions add up to a little over 100,000, and they cannot fight alone.After repeated calculations, Tian Ji could only fight this battle according to the actual military strength of Chu State.

Tian Ji ordered: more than 100 warships of the boat division went straight down the Yangtze River from Yunmengze, and formed a water fortress on the Penglize River, cutting off the retreat of the Vietnam Army boat division!At this time, the Yue Army's boat division had entered the Anlu water surface on the east bank of Yunmengze and was going upstream.The boat division of the Yue Army did not come here for war, but was stationed on the east bank of Yunmeng Ze, just to block the "remnants of the defeated Chu army", and prepare to load a large amount of looted goods and go down the river.The Chu army's boat division was quietly stuck on the lower reaches of the Penglize River, and the Yue army's boat division could not escape back to Yue alone.This is Tian Ji's meticulousness - if it is only a land victory and the remnants of the Vietnamese army escape by water, it will not be possible to destroy the Vietnamese in one battle.

At the same time, Tian Ji personally led 100,000 chariot soldiers and 50,000 cavalry secretly to the east, and rushed to the valley outside Zhaoguan to camp day and night, ready to meet the army of Yue, and fight here!Tian Ji did not use the 30,000 infantry stationed at Fangling.He always believed that Fangling Hanshui was the food and grass base of Chu's army, but it was a weakness that needed to be guarded against.Even though the king of Chu and Zhang Yi both rejected his opinion, since he became the commander of the state of Chu, Tian Ji still had to make serious calculations for the state of Chu, and didn't want to lose sight of the other.Thirty thousand infantry would not add much strength to the victory over the Yue State, but it would be a precious force for guarding the Fangling of Hanshui.This was Tian Ji's private decision without telling the king of Chu Wei and Zhang Yi. If he was defeated by the Yue Kingdom, Tian Ji would be charged with "improper deployment of troops". The hilly field outside Zhaoguan was Tian Ji's chosen battlefield. Zhaoguan is the eastern fortress of Chu State, and also the boundary pass with the old Wu State.There are many hills and mountains in the east. Zhaoguan is located at the mouth of the valley between the two peaks of Xianshan Mountain. Outside the mountain is a flat wilderness valley.No matter entering Chu State from the east or the north, Zhaoguan is the right place.When Tian Ji arrived with the first 50,000 cavalry, the chariot soldiers who came from the camps in Yingdu and Huaibei had not yet all arrived.It took three or two days for these heavy chariots to arrive amidst the rumbling people shouting and neighing, rolling up the smoke and dust soaring into the sky.At this time, Tian Ji received an urgent report from scouts: the Vietnamese army was still three hundred miles away, and it would take two or three days to reach Zhaoguan.Tian Ji couldn't help heaving a sigh of relief: "God helps Chu." It turned out that what he was most uncertain about was the marching speed of the Chu army and the Yue army.When fighting with Sun Bin back then, they all relied on the rapid mobilization of large troops to implement their strategies.Surrounding Wei to save Zhao, and besieging Wei to rescue Han, they traveled thousands of miles and traveled day and night, otherwise they would not be able to lure the enemy deep, let alone concentrate their forces to ambush a strong enemy.In this battle, if the Chu army can arrive early and wait for work at ease, they can fight a decisive battle outside the country, and the chances of winning are great.If the Vietnamese army arrives early and captures Zhaoguan, the government and the people of Chu State will be terrified. Even if they can win within the territory, it will take a lot of trouble.Especially this kind of old-fashioned chariot soldiers, if they can't deploy calmly before the enemy and rush to fight, they will be defeated in all likelihood. These two days are too tight.Tian Ji immediately ordered: all the troops should be stationed in hidden valleys, so that there is no barracks in the valley field outside Zhaoguan!At twilight, Tian Ji raised his account and gathered generals, and began to make detailed plans for the war.Since the generals of the Chu Army's chariot battles were very unfamiliar with the new tactics, Tian Ji had to repeatedly explain to each of the commanded generals, and so on until the fourth watch.Everything was ready, King Wei of Chu and Zhang Yi also arrived.Seeing a peaceful field outside Zhaoguan, King Wei of Chu was surprised, "General, where did the Chu army go? Haven't they arrived yet?" Tian Ji said leisurely: "What is empty is real, and what is real is empty. The king of Chu can relax. That's it." Zhang Yi said with a hearty smile: "The general is away, and the king's life is not acceptable. The king of Chu will just watch the general destroy Yue tomorrow, so why ask him about the details?" King Wei of Chu smiled suddenly: "Mr. That’s right. General, what’s not is what’s real. Good!” At about noon the next day, the clear blue sky outside the mountain suddenly turned grayish yellow, and a faint thunder rumbled from the northeast sky, and the valley outside Zhaoguan suddenly became dark. In a short while, I saw flags fluttering in the dusty sky, as if the tide of the sky was pressing towards Zhaoguan!King Wei of Chu and Zhang Yi at the top of Mount Xian saw it very clearly, and they couldn't help but look at each other.Looking at Tian Ji next to him, he was instructing the military officials to turn the big yellow and red banner.The banner was swung three times, and Tian Ji had already galloped down the mountain. In a moment, King Wei of Chu saw a huge infantry phalanx lined up at the entrance of the valley.Looking carefully, they turned out to be all archers, but the chariot cavalry were nowhere to be seen!Tian Ji immediately stepped forward, holding a red command flag in his arms, but he was restless.King Chu Wei couldn't help muttering in a low voice: "How can there be only this few troops? He has an army of 200,000 troops. Can a battle be fought like this?" But Zhang Yi laughed loudly: "Look, King Chu, Si Wujiang is here!" King Wei had a bird's-eye view from a distance, and saw that the earth-red Vietnamese army had spread all over the mountains and plains to the mouth of the Xian Valley, and there was still smoke and dust pouring in from the northeast field.There are two chariots in the lead, and the first one carries a big flag with the word "Yue" running ahead!This is the battle tradition of chariot soldiers, called flag guard vehicles.The chariot behind is drawn by four white horses, galloping like flying, and it is particularly eye-catching in the earth-red sea.King Chuwei was fairly familiar with chariots, and at a glance, he knew it was a heavy chariot equipped with five chariot warriors.In the middle of the chariot, there was a man with a red cloak fluttering in the wind, and a jade crown on his head shining brightly in the sun, but it was Si Wujiang, King of Yue! Nearly within the reach of the Chu army, the King Yue's chariot stopped.Si Wujiang looked at the khaki infantry phalanx at Taniguchi, pointed at the phalanx with a whip and laughed loudly: "Who is in front of the formation? Can these bearded yellow insects stop the sea god and heavenly soldiers?!" Before Tian Ji stepped out of the formation, he cupped his hands and saluted: "Xia Tianji. I have a hundred thousand heavenly soldiers in ambush, and the king of Yue dismounts and surrenders to the king of Chu, so that you will not die without a place to die." But there was no smile. "Tian Ji? Oh ha ha ha ha ha!" Si Wujiang laughed even more arrogantly: "The nameless rats, have you also learned my king's sea god and heavenly warfare?" The state of Yue is unique, so I will naturally ask the King of Yue for advice." "Okay!" King Si Wujiang stomped his feet, and the big flag and heavy chariot flew towards a hill on the right, reaching the top of the mountain, and King Yue bowed deeply towards the East China Sea , suddenly turned around, pulled out the glistening green hook and shouted: "The god of the sea is here—! The heavenly soldiers are mighty—!" Following the long and sharp cry, the big red flag swung rapidly from side to side, and the Vietnamese army was in formation The more than 300 chariots in front were speeding on both sides, and the sound of the conch horn resounded through the valley, and a grotesque and hideous formation surged out of the earth-red sea—a sea-blue mask with blue-faced fangs, and a huge brown leather shield. , Shiny Wu hook curved sword! This is the "Sea God's Celestial Soldiers Formation", which is rare in the world and unique to Yue.As the formation surged out, more than 300 chariots and more than 20,000 cavalry from the Vietnamese army lined up in the left and right fields of the "Sea God and Heavenly Soldiers", forming a flanking force to overwhelm them. Tian Ji used to be the defender of the southern Great Wall of Qi State, and he is very familiar with the military system and tactics of the Chu and Yue armies.According to reports from multiple scouts: The king of Yue used chariots and cavalry to lead the battle against Chu this time, followed by infantry.Although the number of chariots and cavalry of the Vietnamese army was small and their combat power was weak, Tian Ji still did not want to use Chu's chariot cavalry to meet him head-on.If the chariots and cavalry of the two sides were fighting head-on, the Chu army could only defeat the chariots and cavalry of the Vietnamese army at most, but not annihilate them.Fighting in the generally flat mountains and valleys, chariots and cavalry can easily escape from entanglement.The best situation is: the Vietnamese army mainly fights on foot, and the chariot cavalry assists the infantry in a large formation, which is conducive to the success of the Chu army in the first battle!The country of Yue is mountainous, and the rivers and lakes are densely covered, making it difficult for chariot cavalry to gallop, so infantry has always been the main force.Yue people's swordsmanship is popular, and they are strong and agile. Almost everyone is a good soldier.Therefore, the 100,000 infantry of the Vietnamese army cannot be underestimated.When the Central Plains Warring States fought with the Yue State, the most difficult thing was the Yue State infantry.According to common sense, it seems that the Chu army should not face the Vietnamese infantry in a decisive battle. But there is a strange thing, the current Chu army is the enemy of the Yue infantry.The reason is simple. The Chu army that drove to Zhaoguan only had chariot soldiers and cavalry.This chariot is precisely the biggest nemesis of pure infantry.Although vehicles, steps, and rides each have their own strengths, they cannot be generalized in specific situations.The overall comparison of the two armies shows that they are all military systems and tactics in the era of chariot warfare, and they are evenly matched.But the same as the old army, the impact of the chariot is much better than that of the infantry.Especially for infantry without deep trenches and high fortifications, chariots are a deadly threat.And the 50,000 cavalry of the Chu State, there are still some shadows of the new army, and they can deal with the chariots and cavalry of the Yue State with ease!Because of this, Tian Ji tried to lure the King of Yue to form a large infantry formation of "Sea God and Heavenly Soldiers".But in the eyes of Si Wujiang, the arrogant king of Yue, it is just a trick, and it happens to kill chickens with a sledgehammer, so why not do it? Seeing the formation of the battle formation, Tian Ji shouted loudly: "Please send troops to the King of Yue—! Tian Ji's heavenly soldiers will also fight—!" When the shout fell, he galloped to the hill on the right side of the Chu army's formation, and stood on a bright yellow side. under the flag of Datuo. "Sea God Heavenly Soldiers—! Kill the yellow worms—!" Yue Wang Si Wujiang shouted loudly, the earth-red flag fluttered rapidly, hundreds of conch ships on the hilltop screamed and screamed, and the sea-blue ferocious formation roared Booming towards the Chu army, it was overwhelming! The Chu army's formation was like a silent valley, only the sound of the wind and banners was heard.When the sea-blue formation was halfway down, the Chu army's battle drums rolled like thunder, and the yellow phalanx fired all arrows, and the sea-blue waves rolled back!At the same time, the big yellow banner on the top of Tianji Mountain waved in all directions, and hundreds of horn horns blew, and then I heard thunder in the valleys on both sides, and two thousand chariots poured out from one side like a landslide, pressing down on the sea-blue formation , Fifty thousand cavalry pouring out from one side rolled towards the chariots and cavalry on the two wings of the Yue Kingdom like a tide!The chariots of Chu State are all medium-sized chariots driven by two horses, fifty soldiers under the chariot, and three soldiers on the chariot.The soldiers on the chariot are equipped with long spears and hard bows, and the infantry under the chariot are all Wugouteng brand.Although the individual combat ability of the Vietnamese infantry is excellent, they have never had a training tradition of fighting in formations. Their tactics are exactly the same as the northern barbarian's loose charge.In this way, the infantry had no trenches and bunkers, and when they collided head-on with the chariots pressing down like mountains, they were immediately divided into pieces.The compatible infantry behind the chariot took advantage of the chaos to slash and kill, and the sea-blue "heavenly soldiers" formation all over the mountains and plains suddenly became a massacre for the Chu army.Vehicle combat is a very expensive classical method of warfare.The three basic elements of chariot warfare are excellent chariots, martial arts on the chariot, and compatibility off the chariot.A well-equipped chariot that can withstand high-speed running, violent bumps, and powerful impacts while maintaining combat performance requires about a year of taxes from dozens of peasant households to build it.In the Spring and Autumn Period, it was very rare for a large vassal state to have a thousand chariots.The martial arts training of the soldiers in the car is even stricter.Not to mention maintaining the ability to stab with spears and long-range shots with strong bows in high-speed bumps, the basic skills required by soldiers-driving, equestrianism, balance on the vehicle, mutual cooperation and protection, etc., are far beyond the reach of ordinary people. competent.The infantry that is compatible with the chariot battle is also very different from the ordinary infantry. In addition to the speed and endurance of running to kill the enemy with the chariot, it has to protect the chariot from the enemy's damage, and at the same time must form an formation to kill the enemy while running at high speed. .In other words, chariot warfare is a complete way of warfare, which has strict requirements on all aspects, not just simple chariot plus infantry.This high cost is an important reason for the demise of the car war.In the Warring States Period, frequent wars made it impossible to meet the various resources needed for chariot warfare: chariots could not be built quickly, soldiers on the chariots could not be trained in batches, and compatible infantry could not be selected in large numbers. Good horses for chariots are simply not available.At present, in the state of Chu, there are many soldiers on the chariot and infantry under the chariot.In order to ensure the impact of the chariot, Tian Ji made a moderate reduction in the chariot soldiers in advance.The armored soldiers on the chariot were reduced to two or one man per chariot, and the pawns under the chariot were reduced to thirty or twenty pawns per chariot. All the old and slow were replaced by crossbowmen. The remaining armored infantry were all relatively capable the strong soldier.Therefore, the Chu army's chariots rolled out on the flat river valley field, rumbling and overwhelming, and their power was astonishing! The cavalry on the two wings rushed to kill, which was another scene.The cavalry and chariots of the Yue Army were originally the direct-controlled troops of the King of Yue, Si Wujiang, and they usually protected the King of Yue in the central main formation.But today, the "Sea God and Heavenly Soldiers" were the main formation, the cavalry chariots were placed on the two wings, and the heavy chariots of the King of Yue also broke away from the chariot formation and flew up a mountain to command the army.As soon as the cavalry of the Chu army came out of the valley, they divided into two groups, killing the 30,000 cavalry of the Vietnamese army all the way, and outflanking the 300 chariots of the Vietnamese army all the way.The cavalry and chariots of the Vietnamese army lacked training. They had hardly experienced actual combat for decades. The horses, knights, and chariots had all become guards of honor in vain.In contrast, the Chu army has been in conflict with the Central Plains for a long time after all, and the cavalry is the most frequently used fast force, and its basic combat power has always been stable.The cavalry of the Chu Army that attacked Yueqi was also 30,000, and their strength was equal. According to the rules of cavalry warfare, they were evenly matched.But once it was launched in the wilderness, the 30,000 Yueqi were in a panic—the flags were scattered, they rushed blindly, and people turned their backs on their backs while shouting and roaring!Chu Qi has not yet charged to the core, Yue Qi first made a mess of himself, some rushed to protect the king of Yue, some wanted to join the chariot, some wanted to escape, some wanted to kill the enemy, they clashed and trampled on themselves, and were completely out of formation shape.Chu Qishan rushed towards him like a tsunami, and the Wu hook was flying brightly. In less than half an hour, the cavalry of the Vietnamese army completely collapsed!The other way cavalry is even more spectacle against chariots.Chariots are old-fashioned heavy troops, and cavalry are new army heavy troops.In the era of chariot warfare, there were no group cavalry (except for loose cavalry), so there was no precedent for chariots fighting group cavalry.At present, chariots have perished in the Central Plains War, and there has been no case of group cavalry confronting chariots.As a result, this battle of chariots and riders has become a chaotic battle with no rules to follow.Both chariots and cavalry are based on fast galloping. Whoever loses speed loses impact.Before the war, Tian Ji's tactics for the 20,000 cavalry of the Chu army were "a hundred cavalry against one chariot, chariot first and soldiers later".According to the military system of the Vietnamese army with one chariot and one hundred soldiers, there are 300 chariots with a total of 30,000 troops.The one hundred cavalry of the Chu army were equal to the one hundred pawns of the Vietnamese army plus one chariot.Unexpectedly, as soon as the Vietnamese army's chariots started galloping to meet them, the mountains and plains became very lively: once the old Vietnamese army's chariots were jolted violently, some people broke their shafts, some broke their shafts, some soldiers fell off the chariots, some The infantry were crushed to death by the chariots, and even the wheels were scattered and the horses were only dragging the chariots... The Chu army cavalry couldn't help laughing! At dusk, the shouts of killing on the battlefield fell silent, and outside Zhaoguan there was only the sound of the Chu army cheering for victory. For two full hours, the 200,000 troops of the Yue State collapsed, Si Wujiang was killed by the rebel army, and all the remnants of the Yue army fell to Chu.Amid the cheers of the Chu army, King Wei of Chu held a grand banquet in Zhaoguan to celebrate his victory.Zhang Yi and Tian Ji were grandly invited to the most prestigious central position by King Wei of Chu, while King Wei of Chu himself and the accompanying ministers were all in side seats.Zhang Yi was free and unrestrained, and seeing that the King of Chu was so kind, he laughed and sat down.However, Tian Ji declined several times, and was finally brought to the case by King Wei of Chu, but he was still as uncomfortable as sitting on pins and needles. "Everyone," King Wei of Chu excitedly raised up the nobleman, "The defeat of Vietnam in the first battle is all thanks to the master's plan and the great general's contribution to the war! Come, sir, as the great general, do this nobleman!" "Long live sir! Long live the general! Do it!" The audience cheered and everyone drank. "Show my king," Ling Yin Zhaoju stood up and said in a loud voice: "I would like to grant the land of the three counties to General Tian Ji, and the title of Wu Chengjun, who will lead the army of Chu and go north to fight for hegemony in the Central Plains." "I agree with you!" The ministers of the state of Chu spoke in unison. King Wei of Chu laughed heartily: "General, this king has this intention, how about becoming Lord Wucheng of Chu State?" Tian Ji put on a solemn face, clasped his hands and replied: "The King of Chu and Mr. have made an agreement, and Tian Ji will only fight this battle." Zhang Yi looked at King Wei of Chu and said with a smile: "The King of Chu is wise, how can he do something that breaks his promise to enrich himself and break the trust of the world? " "Oh, let's talk about it later." King Wei of Chu changed the topic and said, "Sir, what does the general have to teach you about the aftermath of the destruction of Yue?" However, being destroyed by Chu, Chu opened up more than a thousand miles of land, increased its population by two million, and almost became the power of half the world. The world looked at Chu with admiration. However, the tribes of Yue lived scattered in barren mountains, lakes, and islands, and it was extremely difficult to return to their hearts. .In order to achieve real stability and transform Yue into Chu, it is still necessary to send a large army to stay in Yue for more than ten years, and the best policy is to wait for the people's hearts to be settled before implementing permanent governance." "What about the general's opinion?" King Wei of Chu seemed to want to hear Tian Ji's opinion more. Tian Ji said calmly: "What Mr. said is very far-sighted, and Tian Ji thinks it's right." "Okay!" King Wei of Chu clapped the case: "Tomorrow, I will send a large army to Yue, and transform Yue into Chu..." Suddenly, there was a loud sound of horseshoes outside the big tent, which was very abnormal!While King Chu Wei was still pondering, there was an urgent call from the gate: "Military Envoy of Fangling, urgently see you—!" As soon as the words fell, a man stumbled into the tent, covered in dirty blood, pounced on Chu Wei. Before the king's case, he was crying bitterly. Everyone in the tent changed their colors in astonishment, but King Wei of Chu was very irritable, and shouted angrily: "Disappointed! Speak up!" "Report to my king," the envoy choked with tears and said, "The Qin army raided Fangling, seized my treasury and warehouse, killed more than 30,000 of my people, and let Qin occupy all of the three hundred miles of the Han River..." Huo Da The military tent was as silent as death, and the grand and festive atmosphere just now disappeared in a moment!The three hundred miles of land in the Han River is second, and the loss of hundreds of granaries and treasuries in Fangling is really shocking!Seventy-eight percent of Chu's food, weapons, and goods are stored there. Taking away Fangling is tantamount to taking away Chu's treasury accumulation for nearly a hundred years.For any Chu people, this is unbearable bad news! In the deathly silence, King Chu Wei's complexion was ashen, his teeth were clenched, "Boom!" and he threw a bronze baron to the ground.Ling Yin Zhaoju stood up sullenly, and suddenly shouted: "Zhang Yi——! Take it down for me!" Tian Ji shouted angrily: "Wait a minute! What does this matter have to do with Zhang Zi? Tian Ji asked the King of Chu to speak." King Wei of Chu gave Tian Ji a cold look, flicked his sleeves, turned and left.After so many tossings, Zhang Yi was still sitting there in a daze, her pale face was dumbfounded and there was no reaction at all!Tian Ji was in a hurry, stepped forward and pinched Zhang Yi's Renzhong acupoint, and shouted: "Zhang Zi——!"