across the Quartet

In the seventh year of Zhao Wangqian, there was a great turmoil on behalf of the land.

Years of war and natural disasters have dragged the country to the brink of collapse.It is said that there was a great famine in the affected county, people cannibalized each other, and more than half of the people died.Although there were constant reports delivered to the capital, there was no movement in Handan. Li Mu had to take the general's seal and ribbon to several nearby counties to collect grain and grass.But the news from the palace is that the king brought some beauties to hunt today, that his favorite orchid can dance on a golden plate, and how much reward the king gave his favorite minister Han Cang... etc.

Li Mu also sent envoys to borrow food from Qi, Yan, Wei and other countries for disaster relief, but they were all rejected.The kings of Yan and Wei were both worried. The two countries have also been fighting frequently in recent years, and there is really no surplus food to borrow.However, the king of Qi hardly cares about the affairs of the court, and the prime minister will win after the prime minister. Qi and Qin have always been on good terms, and the two countries had an alliance; It will offend King Qin, and the consequences will be disastrous.Upon receiving such a reply, Sima Shang was so angry that he threw his sword to the ground, and said in a hateful voice: "Our country has been at war with Qin for many years, and it has lost troops and land, which is like the barrier of Shandong; Qi, Yan and other countries, not only do not want the friendship between lips and teeth, but evade it, How can they know how to deal with themselves once the barrier is lost!"

When there was no good plan, a dispute arose among the generals in the army, whether to temporarily lend the army food and grass to relieve Dai's land; most of the generals who made this statement were born in Daijun, seeing the tragic situation of starvation in their hometown, After all, he couldn't bear it; while the opponents said, what would happen if the Qin army took the opportunity to attack?The two sides argued fiercely for several days, and suddenly there was no need to argue - because the Qin army really came.

In the spring of this year, Qin State pretended to be General Wang Jian, and former General Yang Duanhe led an army of 40 to attack Zhao.The king of Zhao appointed Li Mu as the general and Sima Shang as the deputy general, and put the whole army against the invading Qin people.Zhao's former army failed in the battle, so they had to abandon Pingcheng and other strongholds, and all retreated to Jingxing Pass.

If Hangu Pass in the Qin Dynasty is the most important pass in the world, Jingxing Pass, one of the eight Taihang Passes, should be ranked second or third in terms of steepness and solidity.This place is surrounded by majestic mountains with steep and slippery cliffs; there is a deep and narrow road between the two mountains, and the cars cannot be squared, and the riders cannot be lined up;Guarding here is like closing the northwest gate of Handan, even if thousands of troops are invincible.Although the strength of Qin's army was several times that of Zhao's, Zhao's army occupied a favorable location, guarded by deep trenches and high fortifications, and it was difficult for the 40 troops to advance an inch.

However, since Wang Jian was the veteran most relied on by the King of Qin, he naturally would not attack Jingxing without making any preparations.The secret weapon he brought this time was hundreds of elaborate bed crossbows.Large siege equipment such as crossbow carts and trebuchets could only be moved on the plains and used to attack cities, and it was difficult to transport them into the mountains; and if only relying on manpower to shoot arrows at each other, then the Zhao army would be condescending, and the range of the bows and arrows would be inevitable. Farther away, the Qin army, which is famous for its powerful crossbows, could not give full play to its advantages.But this time, with the help of the Gongshu family, a family of skilled craftsmen, Wang Jian disassembled the improved bed crossbow into several smaller parts, and then pulled them by people and horses and camels, transported them to the Taihang Mountains in batches, and rebuilt them near the Jingxing pass. Assemble it.At the same time, the well-trained crossbowmen under the Qin army were divided into three formations, and every seven people cooperated to control a bed ballista. Under the command of the general, they shot arrows at the defenders at Jingxing Pass day and night.These crossbowmen are named "Shenwu Crossbowmen". The banners and robes are embroidered with the legendary Golden Crow shot down by Houyi.Attacking Zhao this time is another good opportunity for them to show their talents.The range of the bed crossbow is as long as [-] steps, and its power can penetrate the large shield of three layers of cowhide; while the bows and arrows shot by the defenders on the wall can only reach [-] to [-] steps at most, so as long as the infantry of Qin State does not take the initiative to attack No matter how repeatedly Zhao Jun shoots vigorously, he can't hurt any of them.On the contrary, the tower on the wall was riddled with holes, and the defenders suffered many casualties.Fortunately, the mountain road in front of Jingxing Pass was too narrow, and hundreds of bed crossbows could not be lined up as much as possible, and their power was slightly reduced.

The Shenwu crossbowmen attacked for several days in a row, Zhao Jun could only defend passively, constantly strengthening the walls and camps.Wang Jian speculated that the morale of the enemy army had dropped greatly, so he sent a surprise soldier to attack the Zhao army guarding the high ground along the path.I didn't want Li Mu to be prepared, to go around and ambush him, and he was defeated.Suffering this setback, the Qin army became more cautious. Since then, the infantry no longer took the initiative to attack, but only shot them with bows and crossbows.The war between the two sides ceased and fell into a stalemate.

However, Li Mu knew that this stalemate could not last long.The situation is different from the confrontation during the Changping War 30 years ago.At that time, the army of the Qin State had to rely on the continuous transportation of grain and grass from the country, but now, Taiyuan, Shangdang, and Hanoi are all owned by the Qin State, and the land for storing grain is within easy reach, so there is no need to worry about the future.In contrast, since the Zhao army dispatched troops, the supply in the army has been in short supply every day, and the food and grass in the rear have been delayed; Li Mu sent three or four people to Handan to urge the food, but they all disappeared like mud cows into the sea.He was restless day and night, counting the remaining food in the army, knowing that he could not last for too long.The Qin army must be given a heavy blow within ten days to make them withdraw their troops voluntarily. This battle has a chance of winning.

Although the weather is gradually getting warmer, there is no need to shrink your hands and stomp your feet when standing guard, and the flesh on your face will not be cut by the cold wind like a knife; but in contrast, the disease has begun to spread in the camp; the breeding of insects is also increasing. more.Buzzing mosquitoes and flies bit the stumps of wounded soldiers, driving off one batch after another.A lot of sackcloth soaked in blood, as well as blood clots and carrion dug out from the wounds were piled up on the outside of each large tent that accommodated the wounded, and when they were steamed by the warm sun, they immediately gave off a strange smell.

"It's not good." Sima Shang led Gai Nie to patrol the camp, pointing to such a pile of debris and said, "You bring some people, and they will all be burned."

"promise."

Gai Nie raised his legs to leave, but he ran into a group of soldiers carrying several stretchers out of the camp; on the stretchers, human figures could be vaguely seen, but their heads, feet and feet were covered with straw mats.

The two quickly stood beside the road to make way for them.

There was no mourning or fear on the faces of the soldiers who carried the corpse, only the same numbness.

"Morale is a bit low." Sima Shang waited for them to go far away before looking up at the sky and sighing. "Look at the swallows that make their nests in the tree. What they pick up is fresh mud from the grave."

Gai Nie followed Asuka with eyes, without saying a word.Sima Shang originally thought that he would walk away silently as before to complete the task assigned to him, but Gai Nie suddenly spoke.

"General Sima, I've often been thinking recently, what is a country? A country is the king? It's the country? It's the court? It's the people?

Sima Shang frowned.He knew very well that Ge Nie usually didn't open his mouth, but when he opened his mouth, he was often taboo, so he hurriedly dragged him to a remote place.

"Be careful."

"In ancient times, the three emperors and five emperors ruled the world with justice and morality; at that time, the lord of the world, the virtuous would be attached to all directions, and the unworthy would be deserted by the people. It was an ancient country; but since Xia and Shang, the so-called king of a country has not The throne is not obtained by the wise; the belonging of the people is not the choice of the people. Then why does such a country exist? The monarch occupies the land, the population, taxes, and everyone has to obey the laws and regulations. What?" Gai Nie saw that there was no one around, and his words became more and more unscrupulous, "Take our country as an example: I once traveled around the Hejian area. Jinyang and Taiyuan were the former places of Zhao State that were forcibly taken away by the Qin people. Under the rule of the Qin people, taxes were heavy, laws were harsh, misdemeanors were punished heavily, and people's livelihood was indeed difficult; however, after returning to Zhao State, although there were no strict laws and punishments, farmers were more likely to be abused by tax collectors because there were no rules to follow. People, nobles, and tyrants were exploited layer by layer, and their lives became more and more miserable; how many people were displaced by war and famine, and even died in the wilderness... The soldiers of Zhao State are bleeding and desperately fighting on the battlefield, what exactly are they protecting?"

"You," Sima Shang shook his head. "You're not very young, but your mind is not light."

"...In Gai's view, if the so-called country is just a family, then the survival of a 'country' does not seem to be related to the fate of everyone, nor the fate of this land." Gai Nie held The right hand of the long halberd exerted a slight force, "During the Battle of Zhangshui, I once asked the generals of South Korea, what should they do if the alliance of the three Jins angered Qin and caused Qin to go to war with South Korea? The man replied that today's South Korea It’s like a rotten tree, maybe after it’s completely destroyed, a better tree can grow.”

Sima Shang looked at him solemnly, "Do you think that even if Qin is destroyed, the fate of the Zhao people will not be much different from what it is now?"

"The subordinates originally thought that the people who subjugated the country were slaves. But this world was originally the world of the Zhou family, but it was only because of the ambitions of the princes that it became torn apart; in the past 500 years, countless small countries have annexed each other, forming the current situation of vying for supremacy In those small countries that have disappeared, who still remembers their royal family and nobles? For example, the Baidi people of Zhongshan Kingdom, how is it different from the ordinary Zhao people in our country? Many people hold high positions and hold important positions. If they are On the land taken by the Qin people, the former Zhao people can still struggle to survive, but the real Zhao country has countless people dying of hunger and cold, so what is the point of us protecting such a 'country' and such a monarch with our lives?"

"What we protect with our lives is neither King Zhao nor the Zhao clan. It's everyone's homeland." Sima Shang slowly shook his head. "Have you ever traveled to Changping?"

Gai Nie shook his body, then slowly shook his head.

"I've only been there once. In the valley of Shangdang, there are piles of corpses and crows and vultures circling all over the sky. Once you see that scene, you will never forget it."

Sima Shang clenched his fists tightly, veins burst out on his forehead, but there was still a wry smile at the corner of his mouth. "The country has reached this point, and we don't know how meager the manpower is. However, Changping taught the people of Zhao a truth - if you want to survive, you must never hand over the sword in your hand."

Gai Nie bowed his head in silence, his right hand unconsciously pressed on the sword.

"Hehe, it has been almost 30 years since the First World War in Changping... There is a saying in Handan, 'After Changping, there will be death and no surrender.' In the past, 20 troops from the Qin State besieged Handan, and the old and weak, women and children in the city volunteered to defend The city worked hard and defended it for three years. Countless people died in battle and starvation, but they never had the intention of surrendering the city—because people who are greedy for life and afraid of death understand the simplest truth: 40 surrenders If you can kill, what else will you let go? Once the city is broken, will Handan become the second Changping? How many children in the army today are the orphans who lost their fathers, grandfathers, and brothers. The vengeance of the fathers is unforgettable , Have you forgotten the lessons? Who is not afraid of death? However, if retreating is death, and surrendering is also death, then there is only one way left. The so-called bravery, for most Zhao soldiers, is nothing but fear To the extreme, there is no retreat. It is ridiculous to say that the morale of the Zhao people was sent by the Qin people!"

"Not bad." Gai Nie murmured with dark eyes.Sima Shang put his hand on his shoulder and said: "The matter has come to this, our army must not take a step back. It is rumored that the Qin Queen's mother and son were bullied by the Zhao people when they were hostages in Handan in the past, so they have a deep hatred for the Zhao country. And this person is deep and tyrannical, he kills his brother and prisoner his mother, and even those who persuade him are also executed. If such a person is allowed to occupy Zhao, how many chickens and dogs will there be left in Handan?"

Gai Nie said: "I heard that when South Korea was destroyed, although there were casualties in Xinzheng, after King Han dedicated the city, the Qin army did not hurt civilians. If King Qin really ordered the killing of prisoners and the massacre of the city, Gai would let him go Died by the sword."

Sima Shang shook his head and said: "A moment of enthusiasm. If you kill their king, the Qin people will have an excuse to avenge their shame and massacre. The courage of an assassin is not the right way. Right now, the only way to win this battle is to find a way to win the battle." fundamental."

Gai Nie was sincerely convinced and nodded in agreement.A few days later, he was summoned into the tent of the Chinese army to discuss with many generals the strategy for the next march.It happened that the mountain ghost had just found out some facts about the Qin army's camp, so he proposed a bolder plan as the commander of the scout battalion-taking advantage of the Qin army's offensive slightly slack in the past two days, he took the initiative to leave the customs and attack the Qin army's camp at night .

"Rooting the camp? Wang Jian himself is a master of sneak attacks in night battles, and the surroundings of the camp are naturally watertight. Could it be that this kind of ignorant plan is to let our soldiers die in vain?" Young Master Zhao Cong looked at the new man disdainfully. Jin Xiaoxiao: Because Gai Nie was single-handedly promoted by Sima Shang, and Sima Shang was Li Mu's confidant, so there was a bit of hostility in his eyes.

Gai Nie saluted Zhao Cong respectfully, pointed to the sand table, and explained to everyone in detail: "The main force of the Qin army camped thirty miles away from here, but once the bed crossbow and other equipment are assembled, it is not easy to move. The special soldiers operating the bed crossbow, also known as Shenwu crossbowmen, set up camp near the ballista, less than one mile away from the pass, surrounded by [-] elite soldiers for protection. The winch of the bed crossbow requires the cooperation of seven people, with tacit cooperation, Without long-term training, they will not be able to use them freely. If we can cut off the connection between these people and the main force of the Qin army, and kill and wound as many Shenwu crossbowmen as possible, then the offensive of the Qin people will be greatly weakened."

"That's right." Li Mu obviously listened to this suggestion, and while thinking deeply, he pointed out: "The Qin people rely on the power of the crossbow to consume our army's morale and food; the only way to get rid of their advantage in the range of the crossbow is to Our army can change from passive to active. Our army is very familiar with the mountain roads and trails near the pass. If we choose someone who is good at stealth, we can secretly cross the mountain from the trail and approach the place where the bed crossbow is... um..."

"With Wang Jian's old ways, it is impossible not to take precautions against this kind of strategy." Zhao Cong said, "There are people guarding around the camp day and night. In addition, a watchtower several feet high has been built. They will be noticed by them inside and out. At that time, they only need to turn the direction of the bed crossbow slightly, and these people will never return."

Gai Nie said: "About this point, my subordinates have also thought about it. Our army is good at hiding their tracks. Although there are quite a few people in ambush silently, it is easy for people to detect them if they make a big move. However, if only one or two people pass by quietly , using vegetation to hide your figure, it will be difficult for people to find out."

"One or two people? What's the use of that?!" Zhao Cong stared at him impatiently with the eyes of a thousand li Liangji looking at a donkey.

Ge Nie took a deep breath and replied: "Among our army, only three or five people out of 10 people can sneak into the Qin camp without being detected. Those who can approach the camp within a hundred steps without being detected, There are only dozens of people out of 10 people. There are thousands of people who can covertly cross mountains and lie in ambush in the mountain streams several miles away without leaving traces. As long as the plan is right, one person can lead ten people, and ten people can Leading a hundred people is like threading a needle, and enough troops can be arranged very close to the bed crossbow to attack the Qin army's camp: if the first person to sneak into the camp destroys the night guard post, then the dozens of people behind will also be killed. can quickly enter the camp; if these dozens of people can create chaos in time and send out signals, the thousands of people behind can rush out of their hiding places and enter the camp in a very short time. Even if these dozens of pioneers are killed In case of unexpected setbacks, different signals can be sent out so that the ambushes behind can withdraw in time without causing too much damage.”

"Good strategy!" Pian General Lian Ye praised, "Commander Gai has a detailed knowledge of the distribution of the Qin camp, and he has thought carefully. If the bed crossbow can be wiped out in one fell swoop, the Qin army will have to send infantry soldiers to confront our army. Only then will the sharpshooters in our army be able to exert their power."

"It's just that the first few people who sneaked into the Qin camp are very dangerous. It can be said that they are close to death—" Sima Shang said, looking worriedly at Gai Nie, but seeing his frank expression, he obviously took himself into the trap. middle.The people present are all experienced generals, and they know that the key to "threading the needle" is the initial "needle tip".

Guo heard Gai Nie clasped his fists and said: "I wish to be a pioneer."

"If this battle is delayed, the collapse of the whole army will only happen overnight. Although it is risking the lives of soldiers, it has to be done." Li Mu finally decided.

The plan was decided, and Sima Shang sent Gai Nie and Zhongshan Wolf to recruit dead soldiers from the army.

"Even if you go out to die, someone must be willing to follow you." Zhongshan Wolf sneered. "The dozens of masters you mentioned who can get very close to the enemy camp without being discovered must be members of my 'Mountain Ghost'?"

Gai Nie hesitated for a moment, then nodded vigorously.

Zhongshan Wolf cursed Bai Di secretly, and then said solemnly, "Mountain ghosts are the eyes and ears of Zhao's army, and they are also the heart and soul of a certain years of management. We must not sit back and watch mediocre people lead them to death. I can only go there with you." I can feel at ease."

"Commander Zhongshan is willing to help me, I am very grateful." Gai Nie said with a slight smile.Having known each other for a long time, he knows that Zhongshan wolf has a bit of a harsh personality, but he is sincere to Zhao Jun and the mountain ghost; just like his nickname - no matter how greedy and cruel the hungry wolf is, it has a deep love for its own wolves. The heart of guarding with fists.

In the evening, the number of recruited dead soldiers greatly exceeded expectations.According to a warrior in the Mountain Ghost Camp, "When you fight on the battlefield, you can only die on the left and right; if you kill the enemy and die in a power battle, it will be much more enjoyable than being shot to death by arrows falling from the sky while nestling in the camp." The 50 people with the best skills were selected as the pioneers of pathfinding.

The night was gloomy and foggy, and the moonlight was unclear.More than fifty people were all dressed in black, covered their faces with black cloth, with branches of small trees stuck on their heads, they quietly crossed the mountain from the path, and kept approaching the place where the Shenwu Nushi was stationed.Another 3000-man army has been lying in ambush in the mountain stream since evening, waiting for a signal.When they were less than a hundred steps away from the camp, Gai Nie made a gesture, and everyone stopped and crawled among the grass and trees—there was a bare sandy land, where not a single grass grew, and even a wild mouse crawled over it. Nor can escape the eyes of the tower.And on the top of the tower stood a green flag with a golden crow embroidered in the middle; as long as the sentinel noticed any disturbance, he would pull down the flag, and the soldiers in the entire camp would be on strict alert when they saw it.How to pass through the hundred paces without anyone noticing, and kill the sentry before the flag on the sentry fell, has become the biggest problem at the moment.

Zhongshan Wolf and the others all looked at Gai Nie.I saw him making several hand gestures, all of which were code words in the mountain ghost; then he found a huge fir tree nearby, jumped on it, and climbed to the top of the tree.He stepped on a side branch, raised the fox fur over his head, stretched his arms, and suddenly kicked his feet, sliding through the air like a flying squirrel from the top of the tree—this fir tree was much taller than the tower, and the tower The sentry post only knew to guard against the bottom, but did not expect suspicious things to pass from above.I don't know how he cleverly borrowed force from the air, and finally landed lightly on the top of the tower.

Ge Nie turned his body upside down, leaned half of his body from the top of the tower, clamped his ears with his palms like lightning when the sentry stretched out his head, and twisted it sideways—only a very soft "crack" sound was heard. The sentry's neck was broken, and he fell limply to the ground without a sound.Gai Nie also felt sympathetic, although he often fought bloody battles on the battlefield, most of them used swords, and seldom used a pair of fleshy palms to strike such cruel hands.However, the matter has come to this point, the dozens of people following him have all lost their lives, and there is really no room for any delay or retreat.

Ge Nie retracted to the top of the tower, took out a small crossbow machine from his arms, and placed a small black arrow in the groove.He aimed at the sentry on another tower not far away, and slammed down the bracket.Then he flicked two palms against the flag - the east wind was blowing this night, the green flag was originally flying westward, but it was disturbed by Gai Nie's true energy and changed to fly eastward.

According to Gai Nie's previous signal, Zhongshan Wolf and the others rushed out of the woods as fast as they could when they saw the semaphore, entered the village, and killed all the sentry patrols who noticed them.These 50 people have sheepskin bags with wine hanging from their waists, but now they are filled with kerosene; they sneaked all the way to the place where the bed crossbow was placed in the most silent assassination method, and then poured oil on the ballista and lit it. .

The fire broke out in the village, and the movement finally aroused Qin Jun's vigilance.According to the previous agreement, Zhongshan Wolf threw a few pills into the fire, and a column of smoke immediately rose into the sky—this was the signal to dispatch all the 3000 people who were in ambush.However, it still takes a certain amount of time for them to arrive. During this period of time, everyone is trapped in the enemy camp, and they can only rely on their own means to fight bloody battles until they can join up with the backup.

Gai Nie knew that the ballistas were made very strong and covered with iron sheets, and the fire starters carried by 50 people were limited, which might not be able to cause enough damage to all the ballistas.Therefore, in order to truly limit the combat power of the Qin army, the only way is to kill as many soldiers as possible who operate the crossbow and craftsmen who repair the crossbow.These people are all in nearby camps.His swordsmanship is superb, his body is elegant, and he comes and goes in and out of the tent like a ghost; many people in the tent just woke up from sleep, and before they touched the weapon, they were blocked by his sword, as fast as lightning.After going in and out of several military tents like this, Gai Nie felt that the long sword in his hand was getting heavier and heavier: on the battlefield, others would kill with swords, and it was natural to counterattack and go back.But killing these unresisting people so easily was like slaughtering a group of unarmed civilians, which made him feel extremely uncomfortable.He forced himself to think of the soldiers of Zhao State who had been killed by arrows that he had seen a few days ago, and the person who fired those arrows was the Qin soldiers from the camp just now—he hardened his heart and continued to kill with his sword.

At this time, the shouts of killing outside became louder and louder, and many Qin soldiers in full helmets and armor had been fully mobilized to encircle and suppress this small group of uninvited guests.The flames in the camp were shaking, and the arrows were flying randomly, which was very dangerous.Gai Nie came all the way, tried his best to save several people, but saw more mountain ghost warriors fighting to death.He reluctantly rushed to the Zhongshan wolf and others who were fighting hard, killed a wave of approaching Qin soldiers, and fought and retreated in the direction where Zhao Guo's reinforcements were expected to come.Several people were lost along the way, and Qin Bing's encirclement was gradually shrinking, making it difficult to advance or retreat.

"There are too many thieves, I'm afraid we are all going to die here." A dead soldier behind Gai Nie shouted disheartenedly.Unexpectedly, Zhongshan Wolf suddenly slapped him on the face. "What useless nonsense! Disappointed!!" Then he turned to Gai Nie, and said in a low voice, "Kunwei and Kanwei are relatively weak. You and I will each take a few people and break out of the siege separately. Those who escape count as one."

"Commander Zhongshan—"

"Listen, boy." Zhongshan Wolf's eyes were cold, and he swung his bloody long sword fiercely, "If one of you and I must die, I certainly hope that you will die and I will live. But This kind of thing depends entirely on God's will. If God's will let Lao Tzu get stuck here, you must go back alive—the mountain ghost can't live without a reliable leader."

Ge Nie's chest was churning, but he couldn't make a sound.He stretched out his palm and shook Zhongshan's bloody left hand firmly.

"go!"

After the order was issued, the dead soldiers of Zhao State were divided into two teams, shouting loudly while raising their swords to break through.Gai Nie used all his strength, the long sword flew up and down, and cut a bloody path. Finally, when he was approaching the gate of the village, he met the three thousand Zhao soldiers who rushed into the camp.At this moment, he had been hit by two arrows, and his energy was exhausted, so he could only retreat outside the battle circle with the few surviving mountain ghost warriors.Just before they were escorted back to the pass by the rear army, they vaguely heard the shrill sound of wolves coming from the valley.

At first there was only one horse, and then all over the mountains and plains echoed; the pack of wolves hissed and howled, calling for friends and companions, as if mourning.

TBC