The rain came and went, and it was going to be sunny for several days.

The road became more and more muddy, and in the barren slopes and fields beside the road, large patches of fluffy grass grew to half a man's height almost overnight, covering the fields and the bones.

It didn't take long for a group of stragglers to pass by. They fled like a herd of beasts chased by hunters, trampling the roads into muddy pools, trampling down the weeds in patches, and splashing the muddy sewage beneath the meadows.

The defeated soldiers had no command and no purpose in their actions. However, in the north there was a huge river in the way, and in the south there were bandits from the Central Plains who had fought countless battles with them, so most of the soldiers and civilians either went east or west. Soldiers from the Chinese and foreign armies in Luoyang habitually went west, while many of the old shogunate of the East China Sea King went east, intending to return to Qingxu's hometown.

Luoyang Chinese and foreign armies were originally the elite of the world, and many soldiers were in the army during the Yuankang period, and they were veterans who had been weathered, not only experienced, but also very skilled in combat skills. It is a pity that the generals who led the troops were incompetent, so that they were defeated again and again by the hands of thieves, and finally collapsed into such a miserable situation.

The ancients said: "The power of victory is a hundred times that of people; The pawn of the defeated army is gone. "That's exactly what is happening right now. Although many soldiers have already understood, the thieves did not attack Juancheng, and it seems that they have no intention of chasing and killing. But once the morale of the army is lost, it can no longer be boosted. All they could do was to abandon their armor and weapons, abandon their flags and baggage, wade through the many tributaries of Qishui and Pushui, and run in a daze.

Due to the influence of the rain, the defeated army marched extremely slowly, and three days after the Juancheng Massacre, most of the people were still struggling in the wilderness around Puyang and Lihu. Some people walked and fell into the ravines, unable to hold on. By the time the next group marched here, the corpses of the people who had gone before them had been torn apart by hordes of wild dogs and wolves, and had been reduced to food for their mouths.

Among the endless remnants of the defeated army, only a small army of several hundred men stood out from the rest. Dressed in armor, they straddle their horses, carry bows and knives, and calmly weave through the crowd, as if they were cleaving the waves on the sea. Occasionally, someone waits and sees, and when they stand still, there is also a murderous spirit, which makes people dare not force their eyes.

The Xiongnu Han State conquered the eastern generals, and the governor of Shandong Province conquered the military Shile, and they were in this team of elite cavalry.

Shile looked up at the sky, and then rode up a high slope and looked around. Those enemies who have fought against each other countless times are now demoralized. Even if the knights were unabashedly dressed as beards, it did not arouse the slightest hostile attitude of the remnants of the defeated generals.

Not only is there no hostile attitude, but there is not even a mood of vigilance. There is no doubt that this army, which was once used by the King of the East China Sea to deter the heroes, has lost its soul and become a walking corpse under the blows of defeat after defeat.

Shile shook his head with some contempt and asked the scribe beside him, "Hasn't Tanma returned yet?" ”

"Report to the general, I haven't returned yet." The scribe looked at the sky, and then pinched his fingers and calculated: "That Jin army is all cavalry, and the foot is extremely fast. Since the soldiers and horses had already passed through Weicheng two hours ago, there was no need to return by visiting the horses, and in a few moments, the general should be able to see them with his own eyes. ”

Weicheng, called Weijin or Weijin in the Qin and Han dynasties, is one of the many abandoned Jindu distributed on the old road of the big river, more than 60 miles away from Wating, between the two cities of Lihu and Puyang where Shile is located, about 50 miles away.

Shi Leluo bowed his head slightly, and continued to look at the surrounding scene.

The scribe looked around with Shi Le's gaze, rode his horse a few steps forward, and said with a smile: "In the past, the king of the East China Sea raised this male army, sat in the Central Plains, and commanded the world, and the powerful feudal lords of the four seas were not intimidated. Unexpectedly, the general was scattered in ten days without bloodshed, and now he rode lightly into the army of 100,000 people, and regarded it as if it were nothing......" He bowed slightly to Shile on his horse, and continued: "This kind of strategy, this kind of courage, is really unique in the world. No wonder Mr. Meng Sun often said that only the great general can achieve great things with the heroes of the world. ”

Hearing this person's praise, Shi Le couldn't help but feel a little self-contained, but his smug demeanor quickly subsided. He turned his head to look behind him and asked repeatedly, "What about Mr. Mengsun?" Where is Mr. Mengsun? ”

Zhang Bin staggered on horseback, sweating profusely and catching up from the rear of the team: "Zhang ...... Sheet...... Zhang Bin is here! ”

Shi Le hurriedly reached over and held the reins for Zhang Bin: "Haha, Mr. Mengsun, your equestrian skills are too unbearable." When the war is over, I have to teach you well! ”

Zhang Bin waved his hands and said with a bitter face: "Excuse me, excuse me." How dare you work generals? If the general is sympathetic to Zhang Bin, give me an ox cart! ”

Shi Le laughed, turned to the previous scribe and said, "A few days ago, Mr. Mengsun told me about Sima ...... There is a sentence in Sima Sui Tho's Art of War, which says that people are afraid, but they are afraid of sight. I think it's also appropriate to explain what you're talking about. ”

He looked at Zhang Bin and continued: "When the shogunate of the king of the East China Sea was in Juancheng, what the leading generals were afraid of was not the defeat of the war and the overthrow of the country, but the fact that once the city was broken by our army, their own lives would not be guaranteed. Therefore, the slightest threat from our army caused them to flee in a hurry, without the slightest will to resist. As for the present, what are these routs afraid of? ”

"Naturally, it's the general's tiger might." The scribe complimented.

Shi Le shook his head: "Thousands of soldiers who have fought for a long time, how can they all be afraid of just thieves?" What they really fear is the countless scourges of the upper and lower levels of the army, the cowardly generals and the incompetent superiors. Because of this fear, as soon as their formations were dispersed, no one wanted to recover; Once the military spirit was dispersed, no one could reunite it. At this moment, it's not that I see it as if there is nothing, but even though there are 100,000 people, they are like a plate of loose sand, and they can only be grasped and handled. ”

These words are well analyzed, and only a battle-hardened general can have such insight; However, Shi Le lacked knowledge after all, and it was not appropriate to insist on applying the words and phrases in Sima Art of War to this. Zhang Bin and the others naturally wouldn't be stupid enough to expose it, so they praised together: "The general is wise!" ”

The scribe rolled his eyes and said, "My subordinates remember that Sun Tzu said in the Art of War that those who were good at fighting in the past should first be invincible, and then wait for the enemy to be victorious. You can't win against yourself, but you can win against the enemy. This can be defeated by the enemy, as the general said. ”

"Exactly." Zhang Bin bowed slightly, and said slowly: "Since the general said that the army of the shogunate of the king of the East China Sea, I will take the Youji coalition army as an example. At the beginning of the surging southward movement of the Youji coalition army, the officers and men of the two armies shared the same hatred for the enemy, and it seemed that everyone had the intention of making meritorious contributions on the battlefield and the heart of turning the tide, and their fighting spirit was as high as fire. If this is the case, even with the great general's divine strength, it will be difficult to compete with it. ”

However, Lu Daoming is definitely not a pure minister of the Jin family, if he has other options, he will not seriously consume the strength in his hands in the chaos of the Central Plains. When we take Lu Daoming's brother Lu Jun as an envoy and ask him to declare the intention of the two families to strike the war and take what they need, Lu Daoming's intentions will inevitably become complicated. The sharp spirit of the beginning is gone. Hey...... In the place of death and life, the place of survival, Lu Daoming, as the commander of the army, has half-heartedness, which is one of the victories of the Youji coalition. ”

Hearing Zhang Binchen talk about the battle situation, the surrounding congregations involuntarily gathered around and listened attentively. Zhang Bin looked around at everyone and continued: "Lu Jun is also alert. He knew that this trip would not be allowed to be in accordance with the laws of the imperial court, and it would be a taboo, so he would definitely cover up his true origins. But his identity as a noble court is obvious, and the more he hides it, the more it will attract the attention of some people and give rise to all kinds of speculations. ”

At this point, the scribe clapped his hands violently: "Yes! Yes! When I was in Jizhou, I had heard about the deeds of the begging marshal in Jizhou. Three or five days after the imperial court recovered Yecheng, they waved arms at each other because of the uneven rewards they received, resulting in countless casualties among the soldiers and civilians. Such people's thirst for fame and fortune has reached the point where they have no scruples. If they heard that a high-ranking official of the imperial court had approached Lu Daoming, they would inevitably ask to participate in it, and they would never allow Youzhou to monopolize the benefits. ”

"Hahahaha......" Hearing this, Shi Le stroked his short beard under his chin, laughed heartily, and was overjoyed: "But how can Lu Daoming let them meet?" Do you want him to tell the truth that the person who came has nothing to do with the imperial court or the king of the East China Sea, but is actually the messenger of my Shile, who is discussing with him, the general of Pingbei, about a great rebellion? Hahahaha......"

"As the general said, the requirements of the generals of the Jizhou Army will inevitably not be accepted by Lu Daoming." Zhang Bin also laughed: "The Jizhou generals below Li Yun and Bo Sheng are all old opponents and acquaintances. Their eyes are very clear, and you think about it very clearly. If they do not succeed, they will be disgruntled, and all kinds of troubles will arise out of thin air...... Under such conditions, where can the two armies still cooperate as one? Where can we still hate the same enemy? The war is coming, and the army is suspicious and suspicious of each other, which is the second thing that the Youji coalition can win. ”

Maybe it was because he was surrounded by iron horses, affected by Tengteng's murderous aura, or maybe it was because of the trap that had been carefully planned for many days and was finally about to capture the prey, Zhang Bin seemed a little excited, and his words were extraordinarily more:

"We've waited for one win, two wins, but it's not enough. Therefore, even if the tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians in front of us are scattered and rushed westward, within a few days, we can trigger the victory of the Youji coalition. ”

"The defeat of the Shogunate of the King of the East China Sea in Juancheng should have been known to the Youji Coalition at this time. In two or three days at the latest, they will witness the arrival of 100,000 soldiers and civilians fleeing in panic. The Youji Coalition Army is the division of the imperial court, and it must follow the rules, and it cannot directly disperse the fleeing soldiers and civilians, let alone kill them all. What's more, for Lu Yao, Li Yun and others, the integration of the rout army can strengthen their strength; Rescuing the high-ranking officials and nobles trapped in the rebellious army is more conducive to their self-esteem...... They will definitely not let go of this opportunity. Zhang Bin sneered: "The question is, in order to gather and resettle such a large number of soldiers and civilians, how many people should be selected from the 50,000 Youji coalition army to prepare the camp?" How many people are going to be drawn to maintain order? How many people will be sent to transport grain and straw supplies? How long will it take to reorganize these fearless people? There is no doubt that when these 100,000 scattered soldiers and civilians arrived at the front line of Baima and Wating, it became the weakest time for the Youji coalition army. ”

Zhang Bin immediately bowed deeply to Shi Le: "There are three enemies who can win, and the situation has become clear so far. With the elite of multiples, our army invites suspicious generals, suspicious people, and scattered soldiers, and it is like destroying and decaying. Once the Youji coalition army is defeated, the hatred of the general can certainly wash the blood; What's more, the imperial court no longer has any troops that can be used in the Central Plains, and the business of the king is at his fingertips. ”

Shi Le nodded again and again, his face full of joy: "It's still Mr. Mengsun who spoke thoroughly!" Good!! ”

He raised his horsewhip and pointed to the generals and colonels beside him: "Sir's ingenious plan will not really reveal the full picture until this time." How many of you, what do you think? Without waiting for everyone to answer, he suddenly muttered cheerfully: "The ancients said that victory lies in the enemy, and we can only wait for the enemy to reveal the opportunity to win." Mr. Mengsun single-handedly created a chance to win, which was even more clever than the ancients. It was God who wanted me to accomplish great things, so he gave me my husband! ”

After sighing for a moment, Shi Le suddenly pointed at the scribe again: "By the way, there are still you!" You are...... You are ......"

Seeing Shi Le's frowning, Zhang Bin hurriedly said: "This is Shi Weidong, a scholar from Pingyuan County. The day before yesterday, the general was listed as a free horseman. ”

Zhang Bin's characters in the gentleman's camp, because of the explanation of the scriptures and history recently, I don't know how many false titles such as servant and loose cavalry have been expressed by Shi Le. Shi Le was really impatient to remember so many literati, and only tapped Shi Weidong's shoulder with the tip of the horsewhip: "You are also right! ”

Shi Weidong hurriedly dismounted and prostrated himself in the mud on the ground: "I was praised by the general, and my subordinates were terrified and grateful." ”

He was about to say something more, when a knight rode up to the mound and reported loudly: "General, the soldiers and horses of the Jin people have arrived!" ”

Scheller immediately turned his horse back to look.

In the sound of iron hooves like thunder, I saw a cavalry of two or three thousand people emerging from the end of the plain. Immediately, the knight brandished his spear and halberd, shouted loudly, and came all the way to show off his might. Take a closer look at the front of the cavalry, a plain flag hunting exhibition, embroidered with four big characters on the flag: "Wu County Lu Yao".

Shile's pupils contracted suddenly.

The last time I saw this flag, it was a long time ago. But the emotions of fear, anger, grief, and hatred were like a red-hot iron on his heart, and Shile will never forget them. For a moment, Shile even wanted to immediately order the army to cover the past, kill all those who gathered under that banner, and trample those four words into mud.

But after all, Shi Le is no longer the little Qu Shuai who was attached to other parts of the Xiongnu back then. He stared at the banner fixedly, and after a while, he suddenly laughed: "Lu Daoming really thought about too many irrelevant things, and his mind was not all on the battle array. To provoke our army with such a clumsy strategy of throwing stones to ask for directions, is it not that I am stupid when Shile? ”

"Let's go! Don't be discovered by the Jin people. Shile waved his arms and shouted to his subordinates. The unprecedented confidence of victory and the strong desire for revenge were blended together, and he felt full of strength: "Everything has been settled, so why not let those dogs be arrogant for a few days?" ”

******

Under the four-character banner of Lu Yao in Wujun, Shen Jin, who actually led the troops, suddenly felt that something was very wrong. Looking ahead, except for the endless rout of troops coming in waves, it was a vast field, and it didn't seem to have anything special. He muttered a few words, snorted, and spat on the ground. Suddenly thinking of how hateful the words and deeds of the people of Jizhou were on the day he left the camp, he suddenly added extra phlegm, and couldn't help but spit again.