Chapter 68 Section 7 Shen Buhui's reform died prematurely, Pang Juan was killed in Malingdao

Passing by the state of Wei, Mencius wanted to meet King Hui of Wei in Anyi.In Mencius' view, Wei Ying, the monarch, still has a heart of respect for the virtuous. At the beginning, he didn't use him, because his benevolent policy is well known in the world. No matter which country dared to use him, let alone Wei Guo?After resigning from the state of Qi, Mencius thought everything through.Confucianism is incompatible with the trend of the Warring States Period. Under such circumstances, it is commendable that the various warring states treated him as a "king teacher" to Mencius.Therefore, Mencius consciously tolerated the indifference he received from other countries in the past. When he passed by Wei State, he had the idea of ​​meeting Wei Ying and sowing some seeds of knowledge. After all, it was not a bad thing.

Unexpectedly, when Gongsun Chou was sent to inquire, Wei Guo could not go there!Gongsun Chou said, "The state of Wei is in great turmoil, the whole country is impatient, and the state is in peril." Mencius stood under the canopy of the cart and looked at Anyi for a long time. Take it as a shame?" "Teacher, do you think Wei Guo doesn't want revenge? It's not appropriate to move anymore?" Wan Zhang was obviously confused. Mencius smiled faintly, "Let's go, within three months, you will understand." Indeed, the Battle of Guiling not only did not wake up Wei Guo, but instead aroused a blood of the same hatred.From King Wei Hui, Crown Prince Shen, Prime Minister Ang, General Pang Juan, to the generals in the army and the people of Daliang, Anyi, they all scolded the people of Qi for stealing and stealing, and Sun Bin as a "dead man" who was sinister and vicious.In short, it is amazingly consistent - Wei Guo was accidentally plotted against, Qi Guo is actually far behind!The shrewd and open-minded Wei people felt that there was nothing wrong with the Wei country. It was right to destroy Zhao, and it was even more right to return troops to rescue Daliang.The ruling and opposition parties praised the prince and the prime minister even more. They led their troops to "pursue" the Qi army to Handan, and returned to the army in time. How wise!Otherwise, Sun Bin sneaked him in again, and the loss would be even greater!All of a sudden, Prince Shen and Young Master Ang became famous generals who preserved the "main force" of the Wei army, and what the Qi army wiped out were only the "partial divisions" of the Wei army.

The ruling and opposition parties of the State of Wei summed up the defeat of Guiling in this way, and there was a strong call for revenge. The strategy of revenge was put forward by the two "famous generals" Prince Shen and Prince Ang, and it boiled down to the four words "destroy Han Zhenqi".The reason is: the last time Zhao was too far away, Sun Bin took advantage of the loophole; this time Wei State went all out to attack the nearest South Korea, and Sun Bin would never take advantage of the loophole again; because the distance between Wei State Daliang and South Korea’s capital Xinzheng is only more than a hundred miles , and all are plain areas, and the fast-moving cavalry can arrive in half an hour; Qi Guo dares to attack Daliang again, and it can be wiped out in one fell swoop, and the effect of killing two birds with one stone; Qi State declares war and destroys it in one fell swoop!

"The gist of destroying Qi and Zhenhan is to lure Qi to send troops!" Prince Shen Zhen said eloquently. "If Qi's old tricks are repeated, it will be in my arms!" Young Master Ang added excitedly. For the careful planning of the two rising "famous generals", the ministers praised in unison.King Wei Hui was even more relieved that Prince Shen had made such progress, which he never dreamed of, and suddenly felt that his dependence on Pang Juan had eased a lot.He waved his hand: "The crown prince and the prime minister have such a good idea. This king is very pleased. In this war to destroy Korea, the crown prince Shen will be the main general, and the prime minister and the general will assist him. He will avenge me and promote my great cause!" Pang Juan was not even consulted, and Pang Juan never said a word.

Pang Juan was very clear and in great pain, but he couldn't say anything or do anything.Guiling was defeated. He hated Sun Bin the most, but he also had a hidden worry about Sun Bin's tactics.He never underestimated the wisdom of his fellow apprentice, otherwise, he would never have thought of getting rid of Sun Bin.When he returned to the army in a hurry, he didn't know that the actual commander of the Qi army was Sun Bin, otherwise he might be more cautious.After the defeat, he knew that this was Sun Bin's strategy. From the bottom of his heart, Pang Juan no longer thought it was the luck of the Qi army's mistaken choice, but thought it was a well-planned and extremely clever battle.Even if he thinks about countermeasures afterwards, he still has to go back to the teacher for rescue. Could he really lose his head?When returning to the teacher for rescue, they still have to go to the Guiling Mountains, or they must get into the ambush circle.Afterwards, he couldn't think of a countermeasure to get out of the predicament. Can it be said that Sun Bin didn't plan carefully?Even so, he could only follow the people of Wei State and others to scold Qi State for being despicable, but he could not really express his own thoughts, otherwise, it would be tantamount to declaring that he was not Sun Bin's opponent at all.In order for the general to not be deprived of his power, he must cater to those who have always been extremely contemptuous of him, and he must not expose the lies of Prince Shen and Prince Ang.And as long as he, Pang Juan, a genuinely famous general, doesn't raise any objections, the astonishing unanimity of Wei Guo Temple will accommodate everyone.If it is said that what these brought to Pang Juan was only pain and depression, then Pang Juan felt great humiliation by appointing Prince Shen as the main general to conquer Korea.Prince Shen is more generous than Young Master Ang, and more ambitious and talented.Such a "commander", coupled with a young master who is good at flattering and merciless, wouldn't he become a vanguard of the enemy who can only lead the battle as a general?If he wins, he will definitely not be responsible for the main credit, and if he loses the battle, he will undoubtedly bear the responsibility for the crime alone.

This kind of embarrassment was really the first time Pang Juan encountered it.If he didn't win the prime minister, he was already very angry.Now even the top general has become a misnomer. Two wine bags and rice bags are placed on his head with the halo of "famous general". Can this battle be fought well?Military power is more important than specialization, and orders are more expensive than one, so there is a code of practice that "the general will not accept the order of the emperor outside".This is a well-known common sense.As a famous general, Pang Juan was even more disgusted with mediocre rulers and ministers interfering in military affairs on weekdays.Now, the most annoying thing happened to him for no reason at the most terrible time, and he couldn't object, it really made Pang Juan eat flies.

Unable to get rid of the lump in his chest, Pang Juan fell ill when he returned to the mansion. Anyi has no secrets.At the same time that Wei Guo confirmed his grand plan to destroy Korea, the news had already spread in succession.The government and the public were excited, and Wei Guo was excited again.The Korean businessman panicked and immediately reported to Xinzheng. South Korean Prime Minister Shen Buhui received the urgent report, smiled coldly, and immediately entered the palace. From the next day, Xinzheng began large-scale defense preparations.Large bundles of arrows, spears, swords, countless rolling stones, butter torches specially used to burn the ladders, and large baskets of dry food and meat were transported to the four walls of the city and hoarded.Xinzheng was originally the capital of Zheng State in the Spring and Autumn Period. The city is not big, but it has two very prominent features: one is that the city walls are wide and high, and they are all made of stone strips and special large green bricks. built.The second is that there is a moat about three feet wide outside the city. The water source is drawn from the Weishui flowing outside the city.Since the Spring and Autumn Period, Xinzheng has enjoyed the prestige of "deep ditch and high fortification, golden city and soup pool". Except for siege, it has never been really conquered.When South Korea moved its capital to Xinzheng, it also valued Xinzheng's advantages of being fertile and easy to defend and difficult to attack.Today, Korea has undergone political reforms for 16 years, and its national strength and military strength have greatly increased. Although it is beyond its power to conquer other countries, it still seems to be able to defend itself with ease.This is where Shen Buhai's confidence lies.

During the reform period, Shen Buhui forcibly banned the private armed forces of the old nobles and brought them under the jurisdiction of the government. He reorganized and trained the national army into 80,000 new troops, 40,000 were distributed in the surrounding fortresses, 30,000 were stationed outside Xinzheng City, and 10,000 were stationed in Xinzheng. In the city.Shen Buhai thinks that "Legalists are the main ones, with profound and extensive miscellaneous knowledge", and he is quite proficient in military affairs.In the reorganization and training of the new South Korean army, Shen Buhui has always been hands-on, strictly supervised, and trained a new army to have a "Strong Korean" atmosphere.Coincidentally, South Korea did not lead any famous generals, and Han Zhaohou had a lot of trust in Shen Buhai, so Shen Buhai led himself to be a general, with both power and minister, to govern the country.Shen Buhai believes that the reform in South Korea has been completed, and all that remains is to eliminate a few small princes, expand the country and strengthen its strength, and then compete with the big powers.After all, South Korea is too small, and it is sandwiched between several big countries, so there is no depth to maneuver.In this regard, South Korea is not even as good as Qin.The Qin State has a vast and deep Longxi, and the country will not perish if it loses Guanzhong.South Korea is different. Once Xinzheng is lost, the enemy's cavalry can travel all over the country overnight. There is no escape, but the country is destroyed!Based on this judgment, Shen Buhai proposed to Han Zhaohou the general strategy of "annexing Zhou and Chen, opening up territories, and becoming a great country in ten years".Han Zhaohou was very pleased, and ordered Shen Buhai to be the chief planning officer with full power.

Shen Buhuicheng has it in mind: destroy Zhou in two years and annex the Sanchuan area of ​​​​the Zhou family; destroy Chen in one year and annex the Shanyuan Fortress on the north bank of the Huai River; If Xue, Zou, and Lu were any one or two small countries, Korea would become a big country with a territory of three thousand miles, and it would not be difficult to show its ambitions. Just when Shen Buhui's ambitious plan was about to start, Wei Guo wanted to destroy Han! Shen Buhui was very angry, and he generously expressed Chen Ce to Han Zhaohou, "Wei is strong, South Korea has to give up the plan to destroy Zhou and Chen first, and unite Qi and Zhao to resist Wei with all its strength. It will be more smooth to destroy Zhou and Chen in the south. From this point of view, it is not a bad thing for Wei Guo to attack South Korea. The key here is that South Korea must withstand Wei Guo's offensive. As long as Xinzheng does not fall, South Korea's hegemony plan will be More than half the success!"

Han Zhaohou nodded frequently, and gave Shen Buhai a valuable armor and a gold embroidered cloak on the spot. Shen Buhui sent an emergency special envoy to Qi State and Zhao State, requesting to form an alliance with the two countries to jointly deal with Wei State's ambition to destroy the country.Zhao Guo has woken up from the nightmare of the Handan War, and his national strength has recovered. Zhao Suhou immediately agreed to form an alliance and attack Wei Guo from behind.Qi Guo said that the covenant will not be concluded for the time being, but he will definitely not sit back and watch the disaster of the Korean people.When the two special envoys returned, Shen Buhai immediately felt at ease.This result was what he expected. Zhao Guo and Wei Guo had hatred, so naturally they hit it off.Qi State has become a super-powerful warring state that secretly competes with Wei State for hegemony, and it is hoped that Wei State will consume its national power; the reason why it is unwilling to form an alliance with South Korea prematurely is because it is afraid that Wei State will retreat when it is difficult, and this big battle will not be able to be fought.

The best result South Korea is looking for is that the three-nation covenant is reached, forcing Wei to dare not attack South Korea, and South Korea can continue to destroy Zhou and Chen.Qi State, on the contrary, hoped that the war would happen so that it could take the opportunity to defeat Wei State again, so it could not reach an alliance with South Korea.The strength of Zhao State was greatly weakened, and he could not fight against Wei State alone, so he was naturally extremely active in joining the "Anti-Wei Alliance".Shen Buhai knew this kind of Warring States fraud very well, so how could he be wishful thinking?But in any case, it is certain that Qi will rescue South Korea.Because this is not the interest of South Korea, but the decision of Qi State to find an opportunity to overwhelm Wei State. Shen Buhui immediately announced to the South Korean subjects the great news of "forming an alliance with Qi and Zhao against Wei".The Koreans had a bottom line in their hearts, and their fighting spirit to resist Wei was even higher, and Xinzheng City was filled with tension that the war was about to come. Although King Wei Hui announced in high spirits that Prince Shen was the Commander-in-Chief to destroy Korea, he still felt a little guilty in his heart.Young Master Ang is so vigilant. Seeing that King Wei Hui was silent, he naturally had a heart. He said solemnly, "The crown prince is in danger of the country, and it is not suitable for the enemy to be in danger. I believe that Pang Juan should still be the main general in the war to destroy Korea. Auxiliary, the crown prince should command the army as the commander-in-chief." Wei Hui Wang readily agreed, and issued an edict: "The war to destroy Korea will be led by the general Pang Juan, and the prince Shen will be the commander-in-chief and supervise the army." The edict was issued to the General's Mansion, which brought Pang Juan to a higher level.Although the title of "commander and supervisor of the army" is unheard of, the role of "commander" is also quite vague, which is really a taboo for military strategists.But the matter has come to this point, under the twilight consensus of the government and the public, King Wei Hui clearly asked him to be the actual commander-in-chief, and let the "famous general" the prince be the commander-in-chief who only made meritorious deeds.any idea?Apart from returning to the mountain, Pang Juan had no choice but to accept.After thinking about it for two days, Pang Juan went out to fight in spite of illness, and took on this heavy burden. Once he returned to the main tent of the Chinese army, Pang Juan immediately lifted up his spirits and forgot all the filth.After a month of day and night preparations, Pang Juan finally issued an order that the main force of Wei State secretly marched towards South Korea! In the early summer of 342 BC, the State of Wei finally launched a war to destroy Korea. Pang Juan has always been very clear about the terrain, fortresses and military deployments of various countries. If there is a slight change in that country, he will mark it on the secret map.He is even more familiar with a small country like South Korea.His attack strategy is: first step, send 10,000 elite infantry to secretly block the upper reaches of Weishui, turning Xinzheng's moat into a dry ditch. In the second step, 50,000 cavalry were dispatched to advance rapidly on a dark and windy night for a month, and suddenly inserted 30,000 Korean troops outside Xinzheng between Xinzheng and launched a fierce attack, defeating the 30,000 Korean troops outside Xinzheng in one fell swoop! In the third step, 60,000 heavy armored soldiers were sent to guard the three main roads outside Xinzheng City, and sniped at the 40,000 cavalry troops who rushed back from the fortresses around South Korea to rescue them. In the last step, I personally led a main force of 100,000 to attack Xinzheng from the northeast like Mount Tai! In order to avoid confusion, Pang Juan did not allow Prince Shen and Young Master Ang to be alone, but only allowed them to march forward with the Chinese army as the commander-in-chief and deputy commander-in-chief of the three armies.Doing so is actually playing into the hands of the young master.Prince Shen was still a little dissatisfied, and was whispered by the young master, who also raised his eyebrows, and no longer asked to be alone in the big job. Within three days, Pang Juan's peripheral operations were all successfully completed, and he was ready to attack Xinzheng. Shen Buhai was a little flustered.He didn't expect the Weishui to stop flowing, and he didn't expect the garrison outside the city to be defeated in one fell swoop.What's more terrible is that all the main roads for the reinforcements of the garrison in Zhoubian fortress were all blocked!Suddenly, Xinzheng became an isolated island, and the more than 10,000 soldiers in the city became the only support.The situation is obvious, if Qi and Zhao do not have the main force to come to rescue, Xinzheng will be a piece of fish on the chopping board! "Pang Juan, you are really vicious!" Standing at the head of Xinzheng City, Shen Buhui looked at the continuous red military camps in the field, just like the fiery red maple forest in autumn. . Originally, it was impossible to station the main force in any capital city.The so-called city defense refers to fortresses and garrisons outside the city.The garrison in the city can only deal with small attacks, and its main function is to prevent internal turmoil.The mutual support of the army outside the city and the garrison inside the city is a comprehensive defense.Proceeding from this basic principle, it is completely correct for Shen Buhai to station 30,000 troops outside the city. This is the real city defense force.But Shen Buhui never imagined that the elite cavalry of the Wei army were too powerful to attack on the plain, and the Han army was divided and defeated overnight!As a result, the situation has changed drastically. The Weishui on both sides of the southwest of Xinzheng City now blocks the road to breakout and the road to rescue.The three avenues on both sides of the northeast were also blocked, and there was still an onslaught of 100,000 Wei troops. Even if they could break out of the encirclement, it was obviously a self-inflicted trap. For the current plan, we can only rely on Xinzheng's city walls and sufficient food and grass in the city to fight to the death. Naturally, Pang Juan would not leave Shen Buhai with a leisurely respite. As soon as the army arrived, he immediately attacked violently. In the first wave of offensive, under the cover of 50,000 strong bows and crossbows, 50,000 infantry rushed to the bottom of the city with all their strength, filling up the mud ditch in the moat.Although the moat was cut off, it was still a big muddy ditch more than two feet deep and three feet wide. The ladder could not be advanced, which was a great obstacle to a full-scale siege of the city.Amidst the thunderous battle drums, the strong bows and long-range shots of the soldiers of Wei State exerted great power, and the dense rain of feather arrows blocked every crenel of the female wall. It crashed with a bang, but rolled into the moat to fill the ditch for the Wei army.The 50,000 infantry of the Wei army were divided into three echelons, each with a large shovel, and rushed to the side of the ditch to shovel and fill the ditch.The rotation took place every half an hour, and within two hours, the big ditch was filled with flat ground. At this time it was getting dark, Pang Juan ordered to rest for an hour, set up camp and have a full meal.When it was dark, the Wei army launched a second wave of night onslaught.Under the wild torches, Pang Juan held a long sword in his hand and wore a helmet and armor. He stood on an earthen platform less than a stone's throw away from the city wall and personally directed the siege operation.The two commanders, Crown Prince Shen and Young Master Ang, stood on the wooden building three arrows away from the city wall to watch the battle, commenting on it as if they were watching a scene. On the vast plain under the night, people shouted horses, torches lit up the sky, and the sound of drums and drums shook the sky and the earth.The head of Xinzheng city is also lit up, Han Jun's helmets are bright, and everyone is fighting bravely to the death.Shen Buhai ordered a large amount of pork and beef fat to be brought in, packed in clay pots, and placed neatly under the female wall.When Wei Jun attacked under the torch, Han Jun immediately smashed the clay pot of oil on the ladder!At the moment when the pottery grease exploded, splashing all over the ladder and the Wei army's infantry, the butter torch that could burn for a long time also fell down. With a bang, the flames flew up, and the Wei army soldiers screamed and rolled over and fell down.Then dense rolling wood and rocks rolled down from the top of the city, breaking the ladder in the middle, and smashing the soldiers of the Wei army to death under the city wall.Although the Wei army had strong bows and crossbows, such long-range weapons could not be used in night sieges, otherwise they would accidentally injure their own soldiers.Furthermore, no matter how many arrows there are, they are limited, and they can't be retrieved after they are shot, so how can they shoot indiscriminately? After attacking Xinzheng City for two hours at night, there was nothing they could do, so Pang Juan ordered the attack to stop. That night, South Korea's outlying fortresses immediately dispatched multiple special envoys to Linzi and Handan, urging the two countries to send troops to rescue Xinzheng. After receiving the emergency call for help, Zhao Suhou wanted to raise 50,000 troops immediately to attack the northern part of Wei State.However, Shang Dafu insisted not to act rashly, and should send troops at the same time as Qi; otherwise, if Qi does not move, Zhao will be in danger.Zhao Suhou suddenly woke up, and immediately changed his mind. On the one hand, he agreed to send troops, and on the other hand, he sent special envoys into Qi to find out Qi's real intentions. King Qi Wei secured the special envoys of the two countries, so he and Tian Ji came to see Sun Bin immediately. After the Battle of Guiling, Sun Bin repeatedly dismissed the high position of Shangqing.King Qi Wei still retained Sun Bin's title of "Military Advisor", and built an eight-entry mansion specially for him according to the above doctor's specifications.On the right side of the mansion is a garden of more than ten acres, with dense bamboo forests, clear pool water, rockery and stone pavilions, which is extremely quiet.Sun Bin built several thatched huts in the bamboo grove, and spent most of his time in this garden. Instead, the main courtyard mansion became empty, and only became a place to entertain a few Jixia students.Sun Bin lived in seclusion and rarely interacted with officials. Except for the maid who roamed in the bamboo forest in a wheelchair, he would immerse himself in the study in the hut, carving or reading, but he was at ease.After a great change in his life, Sun Bin's general ambition has turned into a faint hermit's feelings.His only sustenance is two major things, one is to sort out the ancestors' war books and write his own "Sun Bin's Art of War";He predicted that Pang Juan was definitely not convinced by the last failure, and the government and the people of Wei State were also not convinced.You can retreat from everything, but Sun Bin will never give in when it comes to the battle of military science.Not to mention that the study of the art of war and battle formation is the whole meaning of his life, even if he is a descendant of Sun Wu, the sage of soldiers, Sun Bin does not want to embarrass his ancestors.The reason why he hasn't lived in seclusion in the mountains is because he is waiting for this war.After this battle, he should go to the mountains to write a book. King Qi Wei and Tian Ji came directly to the garden, and Sun Bin was reading "Wu Zi's Art of War" in the hut. "Sir, do you have any comments on Wu Qi's art of war?" King Qi Wei asked with a smile. Sun Bin smiled lightly and said: "Wu Zi is the most recent famous general. He fought 76 times with the princes in his life, won 64 times, drew 12 times, and never lost. He is an upright master of military science. However, Wu Zi Due to the limitations of the times, there was no large-scale field battle on foot and cavalry. The main purpose of the art of war was to strengthen the army, but lacked the way to plan the battlefield. After all, the offensive and defensive battles at that time were simple and simple, and the key to the army was the elite soldiers, not the good ones. The shortcoming of Wu Zi's military strategy lies in the lack of good strategy. Wu Zijiu was the general of the Wei State for a long time. This tradition of elite soldiers has been rooted in the Wei State Army. And together. The time is also the situation.” I can’t help but sigh with emotion. Tian Ji smiled and said, "What do you mean, sir, in field battles on foot and on horseback, can a clever strategy defeat elite soldiers?" Sun Bin laughed, "Ah, it is better to have elite soldiers." King Qi Wei saw that the maid had withdrawn after serving tea, so he sat down and cupped his hands and said, "The Wei army has already attacked Han in a big way, what can you tell me, sir?" Sun Bin was not surprised at all, and smiled lightly: "The war between Wei and Han is different from the war between Wei and Zhao. First, although South Korea is small, its combat power is stronger than that of Zhao. Second, the distance between Wei and Xinzheng is only a hundred miles away. Handan is more than 400 miles away. Thirdly, this time Pang Juan is restrained by Prince Shen and Prince Ang, and his opponent is Shen Buhai, who has a little knowledge of the art of war and is tenacious. With these three differences, Qi must send troops to rescue Han , and be able to defeat the State of Wei again, laying the foundation for the great development of the State of Qi. However, we must not rush to send troops.” Although Sun Bin did not hesitate, he spoke very slowly. King Qi Wei nodded knowingly, "Sir, how do you decide when to send troops?" "My minister predicts that although Shen Buhai has only 10,000 troops, it will be enough to fight against Wei in about three months. At that time, South Korea is exhausted, and Wei's army is also impatient. Qi and Zhao are dispatched at the same time, and they will win a big victory." "Okay! Let me make the plan with the master. It is still the master and Tian Ji who lead the army." Qi Weiwang made a decision. "My king, the general is in command, and the minister is just a military adviser." Sun Bin corrected him seriously, and King Wei of Qi and Tian Ji couldn't help laughing. The South Korean special envoy received a definite reply from King Qi Wei that "with a little preparation, we will dispatch rescue troops immediately", so he did not dare to stay. He returned to South Korea starry night and released a well-trained carrier pigeon into Xinzheng.At this time, Xinzheng had resisted tenaciously for more than a month, with more than 20,000 military and civilian casualties. The Chinese army and soldiers were exhausted and their morale gradually declined.Shen Buhui received the letter from the pigeon, and immediately announced to Xinzheng's army and people that "the Qi army will send troops to rescue soon".Xinzheng soldiers and civilians saw hope, their spirits lifted, and their morale rose again.Fortunately, there are plenty of food, grass and weapons in Xinzheng City. As long as there are people fighting, it will not be difficult to survive for a while.Shen Buhui seized the opportunity to recruit recruits, and recruited all the men under the age of fifty and over the age of fifteen in the city as soldiers. There were actually 10,000 people, mixed with the remaining more than 5,000 elite soldiers. The flags are flying, the armor is bright and the soldiers are densely packed, without any appearance of being at the end of the mountain. Pang Juan couldn't attack for a long time, and he was very annoyed at first. Seeing that Xinzheng's city head suddenly became majestic, it seemed to be challenging Wei Jun.Pang Juan couldn't help being furious, climbed onto the high platform, observed carefully for half a day, and laughed out loud.Returning to the main tent of the Chinese army, Pang Juan immediately summoned all the generals and gave an order: "Xinzheng has already put all its eggs in one basket, and it will return to the light. Our army will start to attack in turn tomorrow, day and night, and take Xinzheng in one fell swoop!" After deploying troops and siege methods, the Wei army died down that night. . In the early morning of this day, before the sun came out of the mountains, the army of Wei State lined up.Pang Juan climbed onto the high earthen platform, and he could see Shen Buhai on the crenel of the archery tower in the center of the north gate in the distance. Both of them had bright red cloaks, so they could see each other very clearly.Pang Juan pointed his long sword at the archery tower, and shouted loudly: "Shen Buhai, the general admires you for your toughness, and has ordered not to shoot cold arrows at you. How about I meet you in an upright manner?" Shen Buhai laughed loudly. The long sword pointed directly, "Pang Juan, this prime minister is in a lonely city, and I can't fight you like Sun Bin, so I will fight head-on with you. I would rather die than die!" When Pang Juan heard that Shen Buhai used Sun Bin to mock him, his face became livid, and when the flag was split, the drums of war suddenly thundered! Wei Jun started a fierce attack.The whole army is divided into four rounds, with 20,000 elite soldiers in each round, and another round will be replaced after two hours of onslaught.In this way, each round is kept as an elite new force.The Xinzheng garrison was originally weak in strength, and it was a mixed formation of old and new, so it was impossible to replace it in turn, and only all of them stayed at the top of the city. After a few days and nights, the female wall at the head of Xinzheng City has been covered with layers of blood into a sauce-red color, and the blood flows along the city wall like a gurgling stream. It glowed scarlet in the sun. Faced with the earth-shattering shouts of killing from the city, the South Korean defenders were all bloody, red-eyed, and hoarse, and could only swing their knives and spears fiercely like a dumb man!All the bows and arrows were soaked in blood so that they were slippery, and the arrows that were shot fluttered in the air like a drunk.All the rolling wood, stone, bricks and tiles piled up on the city wall rolled down the city wall with blood, sweat and sticky food residue.The sword had already been cut so badly that it turned into a piece of iron, and there was no need to change it.Every Korean sergeant, regardless of the recruits and veterans, was killed in the dark, blood soaked through his armor robe.Later, he simply dropped his armor, shirtless, and desperately fighting with disheveled hair!But after a while, everyone turned into a blood man again, and even the two rows of white teeth became blood red. The people of Xinzheng, even men and women, young and old, moved out together to carry the rolling wood and stones to the top of the city.In the end, they began to demolish the government offices of private houses in a hurry, and moved all the wooden rafters, bricks, and tiles to the top of the city, and used them as rolling wood and stones.Seeing the bustling market being demolished into ruins, the cries of the people in Xinzheng turned into vicious curses. In the end, they didn't even have time to curse, so they could only grit their teeth and run away.Streets, bridle paths, ruins, and city walls, I don’t know how many people died from exhaustion, crushed to death and cried to death in battle. The corpses were piled up in the lanes, but no one cared about carrying them.The officials, servants, maids and all the concubines, under the leadership of the prince, also moved out out of breath.Xinzheng, with a population of 100,000, is full of soldiers, and only Han Zhaohou has not left the palace. Shen Buhui no longer had time to command in the watchtower. He was running in various dangerous areas, his face was dirty and black, his beard and hair were messy and tangled, and he was waving a bloody long sword with both hands, shouting everywhere, "Kill! Hold! It's almost here! It's here—!" Like a beast trapped in a cage.Except for the "red" cloak that had already turned purple-black, there was no difference between him and every soldier. It was the first time in their lives that Crown Prince Shen and Young Master Ang saw such a fierce battle in the army of Wei under the city. After more than two months of "inspection", they often turned pale, their hearts beat continuously, and they vomited repeatedly. They were helped back to the big tent by the guards.Pang Juan on the high platform could not let go of his anger. This was the toughest battle he had ever encountered in his military career. Twenty thousand elite soldiers had been killed and wounded, yet Xinzheng City was still not breached. It's really inconceivable!Today he knew very well that this was the most critical juncture, and if he gritted his teeth and attacked for another two hours, the will of the Koreans would inevitably collapse, and Shen Buhai must not be given a chance to breathe. Looking at the setting sun in the west, Pang Juan ordered loudly, "Speak to the three armies, attack for two hours, and take Xinzheng tonight!" The messenger officers around the high platform immediately dispersed their flying horses, "Attack for two hours--! Take Xinzheng tonight--!" The morale of the Wei army was revived, and a surge of charges surged up shouting and killing.But rushing to the bottom of the city, the bloody ladder hit the bloody city wall, and immediately slipped and fell down the city.Even if it was lucky enough to catch it, the soldier slipped and fell off as soon as he stepped on it.In addition, the defenders at the top of the city continued to yank the ladders with long hooks, and bricks and stones kept falling down. In half an hour, none of the ladders was firmly attached to the city wall.The army is fighting fiercely, and any absurd and magical kung fu will be useless. Even if someone can fly up the city wall, they will definitely be turned into meat sauce in an instant in the face of the raging warriors.Strict cooperation and overall strength are required here, to fight with one knife and one gun, and it is not something that any miraculous warrior can do alone. As a veteran general, Pang Juan naturally knew the truth.After receiving three urgent reports that he could not climb the city, he shouted angrily: "Stop attacking the city—!" A big gong rang, and all the soldiers of the Wei army collapsed in the wilderness under the city. Han Jun at the head of the city also silently fell on the crenel of the city wall and panted, and he didn't even have the strength to scold Wei Jun. The setting sun was shining, horses were screaming, and the battlefield suddenly fell silent.The city was filled with fireworks, and the blood-stained battle flag was slowly fluttering.The blood-red battle flag was also slowly fluttering under the city, and the fireworks filled the vast wilderness.Blood was everywhere, corpses were everywhere, and wounded soldiers were everywhere, and even the flash of weapons was covered by blood stains. Shen Buhai stood on the arrow tower at the top of the city, and Pang Juan stood on the high platform in front of the formation. The two looked at each other and pointed their long swords at each other, but they didn't have the strength to shout again. Under the pillars of the Xinzheng Palace, Han Zhaohou stood dumbfounded.A few crows flew over, making him shiver in shock.The sudden silence made him feel eerie, and even the dim sunset became confusing.After fighting for such a long time, he never took a step out of the palace gate, but he knew very well in his heart that Xinzheng was about to be annihilated.The defense of a country, even the princes, concubines, maids, servants and officials are dispatched, is this battle still going to be fought?Facing Wei State, it is not bad to be able to sustain it for such a long time. South Korea died in a fierce battle, and it is also worthy of the ancestors...Suddenly, there was a sound of heavy footsteps, and it was like thunder in the deathly silent hall. The sound was as astonishing, and Han Zhaohou couldn't help panicking. Could it be that the Wei army broke the city?Looking up at the palace gate, I saw a bloody man with disheveled hair wearing a cloak dripping with blood, walking towards him slowly! As if seeing a ghost in the daytime, Han Zhaohou stretched out his hand and pointed, his complexion was pale, and he suddenly collapsed under the pillar of the corridor, his teeth were clenched and he could not speak. "Chen... Shen, don't hurt, come back, here we come..." The blood man hissed and whispered, and collapsed limply under the doorpost. Han Zhaohou's legs were weak, and he leaned against the pillar and let out a long sigh, "Prime Minister..., thank you for your hard work." "Your Majesty, Pang Juan, I can't attack anymore. One piece, Blood City. The ladder is useless!" Shen Buhui suddenly burst into laughter, hoarse like a howling, echoing heavily in the hall. Han Zhaohou trembled for a while, and remained silent for a long time, "Prime Minister, this battle is worthless..." But Shen Buhai stood up suddenly, covered in blood, Jiu Jiu walked up to Han Zhaohou and shouted, "How? Junhou is scared? No way. Qi is coming soon! They just want to wait for the Koreans to bleed Do it before you are willing to send troops! Lord, within three days, there will be reinforcements! Stand up, stand up! You are the monarch of Korea, the monarch!" Han Zhaohou remained silent. "Your Majesty... Go to the top of the city, comfort me, soldiers." Shen Buhai didn't even have tears. Han Zhaohou leaned against the pillars with difficulty, stood up, sighed, followed Shen Buhai, and walked out of the empty palace. Xinzheng city head.The setting sun is about to disappear, and the blood-red Wei Jun camp and the blood-red Xinzheng City in the wilderness melt into one piece, and there is a red streamer under the blood-red glow, which is absurd and blurred.The soldiers all turned into blood men, and they all lay in a coma under the city gate. They couldn't tell whether they were dead or alive, and no one stood up to greet the monarch.Han Zhaohou wanted to speak, but his lips were trembling, unable to utter a single word.He staggered to the front of the crenel, and strenuously supported the parapet, but his hands were glued to the warm paste, and he withdrew his hands suddenly, only to find that his hands were covered with sticky blood!He let out a scream, and felt nauseous, and violently vomited... The bloody barracks in the wilderness turned into a huge wave of blood, rushing towards him!He yelled and raised his head, the fiery red light ignited into a big fire, and burned towards him!Lowering their heads in horror, the blood soldiers stood up one by one, pressing towards him stiffly... Han Zhaohou screamed, laughed wildly, rolled on the ground while dancing, and suddenly turned into a blood man, with thick hair and a terrifying appearance! "Your Majesty—!" Shen Buhai felt that something was wrong, and rushed forward immediately. Han Zhaohou spun violently, unable to stop like a top!Suddenly, he let out a long howl, blood spurted out of his mouth like an arrow, and fell down softly. "Your Majesty..." Shen Buhai lay on top of Han Zhaohou's body and remained still for a long time without making a sound. The sun was setting.It was dusk, and the wilderness at the head of the city was dead silent.Shen Buhui finally raised his head, calmed Han Zhaohou's frightened eyes, stood up, took off his blood-soaked war robe, covered Han Zhaohou lightly, and bowed respectfully three times.He stared at the sunset in the west, and slowly drew out his long sword, "Your Majesty, if a man dies for his confidant, how can Shen Buhui live alone?" He serenely turned the long sword upside down, and pierced into his belly fiercely! Blood splattered, and the city was shrouded in endless night. In that instant, Shen Buhui suddenly thought of Qin, Wei Yang, and the "Brother Gao" whose name is still unknown——the reform in South Korea died prematurely, and he himself was defeated by Wei Yang in the contest. The winner will be immortal forever, and the loser will be a laughingstock forever. Everything will be wiped out with this bloody battle.Could it be that this is God's will... Shen Buhui opened his eyes with difficulty, took a last look at the Xinzheng Archery Tower which had turned purple, yelled, and collapsed on Han Zhaohou's body! A sudden sound of horseshoes shattered the silence of the barracks in the field.Pang Juan suddenly became alert, and rushed out of the big tent with his sword. 战马人立嘶鸣，骤然停顿间骑士已经滚下马来扑倒在地，“上将军，大梁危机！王命急救……”特使从怀中摸出已经被汗水浸湿的一卷竹简，昏倒在地。 庞涓怒喝：“三军拔营！回师大梁——！” 庞涓怒火中烧。即或在攻韩最激烈的时候，他也没有忘记齐国援救的可能。而在内心，他把与孙膑再次较量，看得比攻韩重要一百倍，纵然灭了韩国，天下也不会因此而赞颂他，因为韩国太小，申不害也不通军事。齐国孙膑则不同，孙武之后，名门高足，同门师弟，又有桂陵大败庞涓的煌煌战绩，才是庞涓真正的对手，也是庞涓面前的“龙门”。打败孙膑，庞涓才称得上真正的名将。否则，庞涓在天下永远都只是一个二流将领。高傲而又雄心勃勃的庞涓，岂能如此屈辱的断送自己？这个孙膑也真是利令智昏，竟敢故伎重演？难道庞涓真是白痴不成？ 正在拔营之际，又接快马急报，赵国八万精锐骑兵，由上党渡少水直扑安邑！ 庞涓没有片刻犹豫，立即“命令”太子申与公子卬分兵三万，北上截杀赵军。已经大乱方寸的两员“名将”立即高兴的接受了。他们很清楚，安邑本来就有一万守军，再加上龙贾的几万河西守军可以随时策应，救援安邑当然是有惊无险。若要去打连庞涓都不是对手的孙膑，那可是九死一生。庞涓也乐得支走这两个大权在握却又酒囊饭袋的累赘，利利索索的与孙膑大战一场。 一个时辰后，训练有素的魏军兵分两路。庞涓自领十万大军全速疾进，直扑大梁。 大梁城下的齐国兵马竟然没有撤退，继续着猛烈的攻城战。直到看见铺天盖地的火把，齐军才突然从大梁城下消失。大梁人的欢呼声浪还没有沉寂，庞涓自领的前军马队就暴风骤雨般卷到了。登高一望，庞涓遥遥可见齐军遍野北去，火把旗帜散乱无序，断然下令：“全力追击！一举击溃！” 漆黑的原野上，魏军的铁甲骑兵风驰电掣般向北追击，步兵则从距离骑兵数里之遥的另一条大路兼程疾进。天亮时分，追到济水南岸，竟被齐军堪堪渡河北窜。再次登高远望，庞涓已经清楚了，齐军的撤退路线是顺长垣、东郡北上，进入齐国境内的东阿。这条路大约七八百里，在东郡之前没有山地。而东郡到东阿的二百余里中，只有一片小山，也不足以设伏偷袭。况且，以魏军铁骑与武卒的追击速度，在东郡之前的五百多里一定能够截住齐军，绝然不会进入东阿以南的马陵山地。 庞涓思虑停当，下令军吏清点齐军留下的军灶。不消片刻，军吏回报：“军灶六万有余。”按照军中定规，一灶可供三十人左右的战饭，六万多军灶，说明齐军攻击大梁出动了将近二十万大军。这正是齐国军队的常数。庞涓不禁冷笑，别看齐军比魏军多了几乎一倍，但还是经不起魏军的强大冲击。这一点，大约齐国人自己也知道，否则，何必仓皇逃窜？孙膑纵然善于运筹，仗还得兵士来打，只要追上齐军，孙膑的任何计谋都会无从施展。 庞涓下令，就着齐军军灶埋锅造饭，饱餐后携带三天干粮干肉，一气追击！ 太阳出山时，魏军渡过济水。两个时辰后，齐军旗帜遥遥在望。魏军士气大振，呼啸猛追！奇怪的是，总能看见旗帜散乱的齐军，却硬是无法追上包抄。 庞涓自然无从知道，前面“逃窜”的，恰恰是齐国善于骑射技击的三万精锐骑士。 为了这场大战，孙膑可谓处心积虑。当他对田忌说还是采取上次打法时，田忌惊讶得说不出话来。面对庞涓这样的沙场宿将、兵家名士，岂能再次让他钻入圈套？孙膑却说：“庞涓熟读兵书，却又刻板过分。此次，让他觉得自己是在按照兵法行事，而齐军却反其道而行之，诱他入伏。此谓兵不厌诈。惟其故伎重演，才能激怒庞涓追歼齐军。”虽然有理，田忌还是有些忐忑不安，及至亲自率领三万精骑将庞涓引诱过了济水，田忌才大大松了一口气，不禁对孙膑的谋划由衷叹服。 这次对攻击大梁，孙膑做了不同于上次的安排：五万骑兵，两万步兵，旗号营寨却打出十五万大军的声势；同时在新郑大梁之间，遍布装束成庶民模样的斥候，随时回报魏军动静；魏军回援的前一天，两万步兵已经撤离，另外两万二流骑兵也提前两个时辰撤离；三万精骑由田忌亲自率领，诱敌深入。沿途路径与各种细节，孙膑都一一做了精细部署。部署妥当，孙膑便坐镇伏击山地，秘密调集齐国境内没有出动的步骑大军，专门在夜间向这片山地运动，做好充分的伏击准备。 追击到当天晚上，庞涓大军已经越过长垣，发现齐军的灶坑锐减到四万！分明是齐军逃亡很多，兵员大减，只剩下十一二万了。庞涓下令继续猛追，第二天午后，已经进入大河东岸的濮阳地面，再往前不到一百里，便是东郡山地了。此时庞涓有些犹豫，清点齐军灶坑，却只剩下不到两万三千多。此时前军骑兵恰又俘获了两百多名溃散伤兵，还有几百名溃散的齐军步卒前来投降。经过缜密讯问，方知齐军沿途逃亡严重，只剩下了七八万人马，步卒们都走不动了，齐军几乎就要崩溃了。 “孙膑可在军中？”庞涓威严的问一个中军百夫长。 “军师与步卒同行，一个百人队轮换抬着。上将军率领骑兵掩护。”百夫长很沮丧。 庞涓高声下令，“后军五千，留守辎重。全军轻装疾进！” 片刻之间，魏军甩下各种车辆云梯帐篷炊锅等，全副轻装，向北猛追，决意要在东阿之南截住齐军一鼓全歼。庞涓派出五十名军吏在路边奔驰穿梭，向大军高喊：“擒杀孙膑田忌者，封千户——！”魏军士气大振，呐喊呼啸着“擒杀孙膑田忌——！杀——！”卷起漫天烟尘，在广阔的原野象滚滚沉雷向北压来。 孙膑的大军，此刻正埋伏在齐国边境重镇东阿以南一百多里的马陵山地。这片丘陵地带，当时尚是卫国土地。由于卫国弱小，夹在魏齐两大国中间奄奄待毙，所以对任何“假道”大军都无力干预，只好听之任之。这片山地，不是险峻高绝的兵家险地，寻常有人连名字也叫不出。从地形说，西南是平原，穿出山地又是平原，山前山后没有大河，全部山地只有二三十里。这种半山半原的丘陵，对于闪电般的精锐铁骑，实在算不得险地。但是孙膑看中的，恰恰是它貌似平庸这一点。他当初被齐国特使秘密救回的时候，走的就是这条山道。对地形地貌有着本能敏锐的孙膑，本来躺在车中，过山时却爬起来看了整整一个时辰。 兵贵山水。河流高山从来都是兵家必须刻骨铭心的，看得透，用得好，一条河流一道山原，足可抵十万大军！孙膑留意到这片看似舒缓的马陵山地，实则是外圆缓而内险曲。山口是舒缓的小山包，大道宽阔，可是越往里走越是狭窄曲折，两边山势也随之高了起来，加之山体土多石少，所以林木竟是特别茂密。孙膑熟悉庞涓，也知道他手中有老师赠送的一副“天下山水图”，庞涓不可能不知道这片山地。但是，庞涓肯定没有亲自走过这条山道。这是孙膑特意查过的。山中学兵时，两人一起游历天下，但都是名山大川，如何能走遍每片山地每条河流？知名不知实，恰在知与不知之间。孙膑利用的就是庞涓这种缺陷，料定庞涓会因为知道这片山地而不会过分小心。更重要的是，孙膑将庞涓进入山道的时间挤在了晚上，使齐军能够最充分的发挥这种出乎意料的地形战力。 日落之前，孙膑秘密增调的十多万步兵已经全数到位，北面的出口已经被堵死。封堵南面山口的骑兵，也已经等候在十多里之外的密林中。他要将庞涓的十万人马，全歼在这条默默无闻的马陵道。 夕阳将落，高山顶上的孙膑看见南边原野上漫天烟尘暴起，不用斥候回报，也知道庞涓大军到了。不消一刻，便看见前边“逃窜”的齐国骑兵，散乱的旗帜和毫无章法的乱兵洪水般汹涌而来。将近谷口时，田忌的护卫亲军连中军大旗都丢了。一时间，齐军丢盔弃甲，兵器遗落，惊慌失措的涌进了山谷。 孙膑不禁笑了。 五月天长，太阳虽已经落山，原野的景色依然遥遥可见。一片暮色中，可见旌旗招展杀声震天，庞涓大军排山倒海般压来！接近山口，前军骤然勒马，一片战马嘶鸣便响彻原野。庞涓飞骑赶到前军，长剑一指，“前方便是马陵道，穿谷而出便是开阔平原。我军入谷，两骑并行，前后相随，宜快不宜慢。出谷后立即展开，截杀齐军！点起火把，入谷！” “点起火把——！两两入谷——！”前军主将高声下令。 骤然之间，火把照亮了广阔的原野。魏军铁骑井然有序的高举火把，走马入谷。 山风吹拂，高山顶上的孙膑哈哈大笑，“庞涓哪庞涓，你也有今日啊！” 田忌的精锐骑兵一进入山谷，立即从事先开辟好的小道，分东西两路反身出山，加入堵截南山口的骑兵大军。一万多齐国步兵立即接替了“逃窜”，丢盔弃甲的向深山逃去。魏军入谷，不断清理着道中丢弃的兵刃与木石障碍，遥遥可闻前方的马嘶人喊，对追上齐军深信不疑，便只顾急急赶路。火把照耀下，却见山道越来越窄，越来越崎岖难行，堪堪两骑并行就塞满了山道。山弯频频，竟将大军分割得前不见后，后不见前，长蛇般在谷中穿行。 大约一个时辰，庞涓的中军精锐进入崎岖险道，后军也已经进了山口。庞涓已经觉察到这山道崎岖狭窄得大出所料，然则已经进入，只有尽速通过，断无后退之理。他断然下令，“全军下马，人马并行，尽速出谷！” 刚刚传出命令，前军斥候急报：“前方道旁有异情！前将军请上将军速往！” “何事？”庞涓冷冷问。 “在下，不敢说。”斥候面色涨红。 庞涓心中一动，“岂有此理！领路我看！”带领十多名护卫壮士匆匆向前。 山坡一棵大树下，立着一个高大的草人，草人脖子上吊着一块大木牌，火把围照下可见赫然大字——庞涓死于马陵道！ 庞涓一怔，随之挥手哈哈大笑，“雕虫小技耳，继续行军！” 一阵山风呼啸而过，庞涓却油然生出一片迷朦，一丝恐惧。 突然，仿佛晴空惊雷，战鼓遍山轰隆，喊杀声从两面山头如潮水般压来！ 庞涓未及下令，箭簇便如漫天激雨般啸叫飞来！ 瞬息之间，庞涓与手执火把的十多名卫士便象刺猬般满身带箭，倒在路边！ 山谷中顿时大乱，魏军被山洪般涌下的齐军分割成无数小段，厮杀在一起！ 庞涓已经奄奄一息，看着山谷中被打懵了的魏军将士人自为战的搏杀，一丝泪水涌出了眼眶。十多年精心训练的这支铁军，将全军覆没，他自己也将带着永远的仇恨和无尽遗憾离开人世，建功立业出将入相的勃勃雄心，就这样顷刻间随风而去了。在生命的最后时刻，一道闪电从脑海掠过，他瞬息间洞察了孙膑的全部谋划，连最后置他于死地的计谋也计算得如此精到——引诱他到山坡孤立处，集中强弓硬弩向火把圈子齐射！孙膑啊孙膑，你可谓用心良苦，做得干净彻底！庞涓要有你如此铁石心肠，岂能让你活到今日？你，终于成名了，你是踩着我庞涓的尸骨成名的…… 庞涓抽出甲带上的短剑，用尽全力，猛然插向自己的腹中！ 经过一夜激战，太阳出来时，马陵山地沉寂了下来，惟有齐军的欢呼声响彻山谷。 魏国最精锐的十万大军，就这样被全部歼灭在这片平淡无奇的山谷里。 马陵道大战的消息迅速传开，各国顿感轻松，天下弹冠相庆。 马陵之战，使魏国用雄厚的财富与漫长的时间堆砌起来的最具威慑力的精锐主力毁于一旦，魏国唯一一个极有统兵才能的上将军庞涓，也死于非命。从此，这个超强战国，便在龌龊的内耗中日复一日的衰落下去，使战国初期形成的格局为之一变，为战国中期争雄的新局面拉开了序幕。 魏国留下了短暂的霸主真空，齐国却并没有立即填补上去。 马陵大战后，齐国将相失和，田忌与驺忌相互倾轧，驺忌巧妙的给田忌设了一个“谋反”圈套，田忌被迫逃亡到楚国去了。孙膑失望的秘密离开了临淄，去山野隐居了。齐国的强国优势，便因为失去两大名将而大为逊色。 一个短暂的均势，罕见的出现在战国时期。 一个百年不遇的大好时机，骤然推到了秦国面前。