Chapter 199: The Serpent of Changshan
Murong Shaozong was appointed as a general by Su Ze, and he hurriedly said, "General, I said it unintentionally, and I did not mean to curse our army."
Su Ze raised his hand and said, "On the battlefield, we rely on the lives of thousands of soldiers. How can we be afraid of good or bad luck?"
"We should learn from the past and be prepared for the future. Jiang Boyao's northern expedition took the same route as ours, so we can use it as a reference for experience."
Hearing Su Ze say this, Murong Shaozong felt even more ashamed. General Su was indeed very magnanimous. He was just judging others by his own standards.
Liang Zhao and other generals standing behind Su Ze also looked at Murong Shaozong, wanting to hear the reason why Jiang Wei's Northern Expedition failed.
Murong Shaozong pointed at the road and said, "I'm talking about the route that Jiang Wei and Jiang Boyao took during the Northern Expedition in the late Shu Han Dynasty."
Hou Jing had also read some books recently. He asked, "Shu Han? Isn't Shu Han in Shuzhong? How did they come here?"
Murong Shaozong said: "Back then, Shu Han and Cao Wei fought over the Longxi region. Zhuge Liang went to Qishan six times. Where do you think Qishan is?"
Although Murong Shaozong was not as high-ranking as Hou Jing and had served as Hou Jing's deputy general, Hou Jing regarded Murong Shaozong as his teacher in terms of military strategy.
The relationship between the two of them as teacher and mentor also made them very close. They would bicker with each other whenever they had nothing to do, which reminded Su Ze of the father-son relationship between roommates in the university dormitory.
However, in front of Su Ze, Murong Shaozong only said one sentence, and stopped chasing Hou Jing, but pointed to the back and said:
"At that time, Liangzhou and Guanzhong were under the control of Cao Wei. In order to attack Longxi County, Jiang Boyue set out from Hanzhong, along the Qinling Mountains and around the Qiang land. He marched 800 miles in a month and arrived outside Baohan City."
Hou Jing was frightened when he heard this. Traveling 800 miles in a month was already scary enough, but the key point was that going around the Qiang area meant going around the plateau!
Ordinary people may faint upon reaching the plateau. Marching 800 miles on the plateau in a month, are all the soldiers of Shu Han iron men?
When Su Ze read this passage in history books in the past, he did not think Jiang Wei was powerful. However, when he actually led troops himself, he realized that Jiang Wei was really powerful!
All we can say is that history is about the winners and the losers. Deng Ai's sneak attack on Yinping was successful, and everyone said that he led troops like a god. However, Deng Ai's victory was due to Zhong Hui holding back the main force of Shu Han, while the Shu Han had already wanted to surrender at that time.
Jiang Wei led 50,000 Shu troops across the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and launched a surprise attack on Baohan. As soon as he arrived in Baohan, he defeated Wang Jing, the governor of Yongzhou of Cao Wei, and defeated more than 20,000 enemies. He successfully occupied Baohan, and then went south from Baohan to pursue Wang Jing and attack Didao.
Murong Shaozong said: "When the Cao Wei army retreated to Didao, they asked for help from Chen Tai, the Cao Wei general who was defending Chencang. Chen Tai rushed his army to Didao to provide support."
"Wang Jing deployed his troops at Guguan, north of Didao, and confronted Jiang Wei. Jiang Wei attacked Wang Jing halfway across the river, and Wang Jing was defeated again, but he slowed down Jiang Wei's offensive."
"Chen Tai's army supported Didao City, but Jiang Wei had to retreat in the end due to insufficient food and grass supply. That Northern Expedition also ended in failure."
Su Ze nodded, and then asked, "In Shaozong's opinion, why did Jiang Wei's Northern Expedition fail?"
This is a big topic. Murong Shaozong was stunned for a moment, and finally said: "In my humble opinion, the main reason is of course that Shu Han had a long-distance raid and insufficient food and grass. They defeated Wang Jing's troops twice but failed to expand their victory and capture Didao. The supplies that Jiang Wei looted in Baohan and Didao were not enough to support the army for a long time. This is the main reason for Jiang Wei's failure in the Northern Expedition."
Murong Shaozong added: "But our army does not have this problem. We are backed by Hezhou and Liangzhou. Liangzhou is having a good harvest this year, so the supply of food and grass is not a problem. In addition, Didao is in the hands of the government army. As long as we occupy Didao, even if we squeeze into Longxi County, even if the rebels break into Longxi, we can still use Didao as a fulcrum to fight with the rebels."
Su Ze nodded. Logistics was the biggest factor in the failure of Shu Han's Northern Expedition.
But Su Ze said: "Although logistics is a decisive factor, the fundamental reason is that the people of Longxi are not loyal to Shu Han."
Su Ze said: "Shu Han has made several northern expeditions to Longxi. Regardless of victory or defeat, the people of Longxi had to be relocated. This time in the battle of Didao, Jiang Boyao also took away the people of Baohan County."
"Even though Wang Jing was defeated twice, Wang Jing was able to hold on to Didao and wait for Chen Tai's support. However, when Jiang Wei was besieging Didao, his army was not able to get supplies and was defeated. This is clear evidence that the people of Longxi are not loyal to Shu Han."
"The land of Longxi is full of ravines and gullies. Without the support of the people, even Prime Minister Zhuge would have difficulty conquering it."
Su Ze looked at the terrain of Longxi, which was completely different from Hezhou and Liangzhou.
Although the Hehuang Valley also has rivers crisscrossing it, its landform is completely different from that of Longxi, where the Loess Plateau has been eroded by water into sparse gullies.
Although Su Ze is not a believer in "complete geographical determinism", geographical factors can really determine many things.
The village on Bailuyuan is secluded and conservative because it is located on the Loess Plateau. The village has very little contact with the outside world. Whether in the late Qing Dynasty or the Republic of China, it was difficult to interfere in the specific affairs of the village.
Su Ze also understood why Li Chong, who had promoted Emperor Xiaowen's reforms, wanted to promote Sanchang Village in his hometown, Longxi County.
Because there are conditions here to promote Sanchang Village.
It can even be said that the three-chief system proposed by Li Chong was a system that was born naturally on the land of Longxi County.
Su Ze suddenly understood Li Chong's three-leader system better.
The three-chief system implemented in Longxi County was actually different from the three-chief system that Su Ze had seen in the vicinity of Luoyang and Hezhou.
Although it is the same system, five families have one neighborhood head, five neighborhoods have one village head, and five villages have one party head.
Its duties were to check household registration, supervise farming, collect rent and taxes, and levy corvée and military service.
The three chiefs enjoyed certain preferential treatments and could be exempted from one to three official duties.
On the surface, the three-chief system extended the court's hand to the grassroots level and broke the monopoly of powerful families over the countryside.
In fact, these "three leaders" also completed the legitimacy confirmation through the three leaders appointed by the court and became the "local sages" who ruled the countryside.
If you change the name to village chief or clan chief, there is absolutely no problem with that. This is also a clan autonomous group based on the village.
The topographical features of Longxi make it impossible to form a county-level powerful family like the Zhang family in Jizhou with tens of thousands of tenants.
There is no soil for the birth of such powerful families that rely on their reputation in counties and have great influence in every county in the county in Longxi.
The Longxi Li family is not such a clan.
Because of the numerous ravines and gullies in Longxi County, clans here are basically organized based on villages.
These clans were linked by blood ties and the patriarchal system. They did not form large landlords with vast expanses of land, but instead formed "three long villages" like this.
Su Ze suddenly realized that the so-called "Three-Chief System" was not an entirely advanced system. The tragedy in Bailuyuan would also be staged in Sanchang Village in Longxi, and it would even be more cruel.
Su Ze secretly made up his mind that if he wanted to promote the three-leader system in the future, he would have to make corresponding reforms and even implement different systems in different regions.
In the vast plains, land annexation is more likely to occur. Large families with fertile land will increase local centrifugalism and also embezzle the court's tax revenue and military personnel. Sanchang Village is a means to suppress such powerful families.
However, in places like Longxi, it is not possible to completely entrust the three leaders to manage the village and community, handing over the governance power entirely to them and leaving a path for personnel mobility and promotion.
Su Ze suddenly understood why the monarchs who founded a country were often able to formulate appropriate policies and would not be blinded by those below them.
After several generations, the emperor often came up with some strange policies.
Even if the emperor wanted to reform, the resistance was so great that it could not be implemented, or, as was the case with Emperor Xiaowen and Emperor Shenzong of Song, the new law quickly formed more rigid interest groups and gave rise to more corrupt interest groups. Or it was because the emperor, who grew up in the deep palace, really couldn't understand the four words "adapting measures to local conditions"!
The customs and policies in different places are different, and they require officials with different personalities and styles to sort them out.
Putting these thoughts aside, Su Ze asked Murong Shaozong: "After we enter Didao, how are we going to stop the rebels in Qinzhou?"
Murong Shaozong said decisively: "We can still learn from Jiang Wei's northern expeditions. During Jiang Wei's northern expeditions, Cao Wei's army blocked him in Shouyang County and Xiangwu County. These two counties are the key points of Longxi County. As long as we occupy these two counties and divide the army into three counties, we can stop the Qinzhou rebels."
Su Ze asked again: "The snake of Changshan?"
Hou Jing has also read some military books recently. He said: "Thus, those who are good at using troops are like the Ruo Ran. The Ruo Ran is like the snake of Changshan. If you hit its head, its tail will come, if you hit its tail, its head will come, and if you hit its middle, both its head and tail will come."
Murong Shaozong nodded and said, "We have more cavalry and better mobility than the Qinzhou rebels, but Longxi County is not suitable for cavalry charge operations, and a large number of cavalry will not play a big role."
"It would be better to station troops in various counties and fight with cavalry rather than concentrating them on cavalry. When the infantry arrives from the rear, we can counterattack Qinzhou."
"There is another thing. The county towns in Longxi County are relatively small. That is why when Wang Jing was defeated in Baohan, he did not retreat to Didao City because Didao City could not accommodate so many troops."
"After Wang Jing was defeated for the second time, he took all the remaining troops to Didao and defended the city of Didao."
"Governing the three cities can also reduce the pressure on the garrisons in the cities and make it easier to enforce military discipline."
After listening to Murong Shaozong's strategy, Su Ze couldn't help but clap his hands and laugh.
In fact, Murong Shaozong’s strategic conception was similar to his, and the scale of this battle was far from the scale of Jiang Wei’s Northern Expedition. It could be considered a battle with ready-made homework to copy.
However, Murong Shaozong was able to combine the lessons of Jiang Wei's Northern Expedition and propose a plan that suited local conditions, which already showed his talent.
This is the responsibility of this aspect, and it requires a talented person who can stand on his own!
The generals from Hezhou and Liangzhou behind Su Ze were also stunned.
They also fought wars, but they were against nomadic peoples, and their main job was robbery and counter-robbery.
Even if we use some tactics, it is just tactics such as luring the enemy deep into our territory, encircling and cutting them off.
No, why when it comes to Su Ze, he has to quote from classics when fighting a war, and he has to use the "Snake of Changshan" and consider logistics and public support.
You're making this too high-end, aren't you?
But after listening to the conversation between Murong Shaozong and Su Ze, everyone had another feeling: no wonder Su Ze had been successful in all the previous battles, this is how the battle should be fought!
Su Ze was very satisfied. From the card drawing of the system, he truly understood what it meant that it was easy to get thousands of soldiers but difficult to get a good general.
Someone like Murong Shaozong is at least an SSR in the system, and he is still in his ordinary form that has not fully grown.
Su Ze continued to ask: "Since you are the one who proposed the Changshan Snake, who should be sent to guard the three counties?"
This was Su Ze's test of Murong Shaozong's personnel capabilities.
The reason why a general is a general is that, in addition to "leading" the troops, his other job is to "lead" the generals.
Reasonable arrangements of the generals under one's command are also a necessary ability for the position.
In other words, for a marshal, being good at military work is a basic skill, and organizational and personnel work is also a compulsory course.
Murong Shaozong thought for a moment and said, "I am willing to go to Xiangwu. As for Shouyang and Didao, I will let the general make the appointment."
Su Ze laughed and said, "Shao Zong already has a candidate, why do you need to go through me?"
Murong Shaozong still remained silent. It was Su Ze's power to appoint and dismiss generals. He had grown a lot now and naturally knew that he should not overstep his authority.
Su Ze looked around and finally said, "Hou Jing, you will lead a thousand cavalry to station in Shouyang County."
Hou Jing immediately crossed his hands and said, "Yes!"
Of course, Su Ze had to be the one stationed in Didao himself.
Su Ze was also satisfied with this personnel appointment.
Xiangwu is the most prominent part of the entire Longxi County, and is the city on the front line, which is equivalent to the head of the snake. It needs a steady general like Murong Shaozong who is good at defending the city to defend it.
Shouyang County is located among the three cities, which is the body of the snake. The enemy army is likely to bypass the snake's head and enter Longxi County.
It is even possible that the enemy does not attack Xiangwu and Shouyang at all, but directly attacks Didao.
This requires the defenders of Shouyang County to be flexible and maneuverable. When encountering large groups of enemies, they should avoid fighting. When there is an opportunity, they should seize it quickly and hold the enemy back.
Among Su Ze's subordinates, only Hou Jing has this ability.
The last one is Didao.
Didao is the capital of Longxi County, and the Longxi Li family is located in Didao. They need General Su Ze to integrate resources in the rear and gain the support of Longxi County.
At the same time, the troops sent from the rear need to be allocated and reorganized by Su Ze. Once the head and body of the snake encounter a large number of enemies besieging the city, Su Ze, the tail of the snake, will also be needed for support.
Therefore, only Su Ze can take charge of the mission in Didao.
Murong Shaozong could be said to have handed in a satisfactory answer, and Hou Jing also looked at his friend with envy.
Liang Zhao and other great coaches looked at these young people with complicated eyes. They felt that they were really old and these young talents had no martial ethics. Fortunately, they were friendly forces and would not be beaten by them.
In November of the second year of Shengui, Su Ze sent troops to Longxi County and stationed his headquarters in Didao. Hou Jing entered Shouyang County, and Murong Shaozong led his troops into Xiangwu County.
Only at this time did Mozhe Dike finish counting the troops and integrate the army to march westward to Longxi County.
This time we hit a wall.
(Jiang Wei's Northern Expedition)
(End of this chapter)