Meishan Su family, Su Yun is the most virtuous

Chapter 428: General Zhong’s clever plan brings peace to the world!

Zhong Shizhong said: "Uncle, what virtue and ability does Su Yun have that you are so afraid of him?

He was just a scholar, and although he had achieved some results in the war with Western Xia before, most of them were just tricks.

Uncle, you have been a soldier all your life and are a famous general in the northwest. Now you have an army of 50,000 to 60,000 at your command.

Although Su Yun claimed to have an army of 100,000, the Xixia people were eyeing Yan'an Prefecture from the north, so he had to leave at least half of his troops behind. Even if he really had an army of 100,000, he could probably only use 50,000.

His main focus had to be on attacking Chang'an City. Chang'an City was the most powerful city in the world, and it would be difficult to accomplish anything without tens of thousands of soldiers and horses.

Therefore, the troops that Su Yun used to block the Tongguan Pass were probably only a few thousand or tens of thousands. Using them to stop our 50,000 or 60,000-strong army would probably be like a mantis trying to stop a chariot. Why should we be afraid of him?"

Zhong Zhen shook his head and said, "Your level was too low before, and you still don't know enough about the various information about Northwest affairs.

I have also studied Su Yun. He is not only good at using strange things, but his ability to command large armies is what makes people fear him the most."

Zong Shidao was somewhat stunned when he heard this, and said, "Su Yun had fought a serious battle with the Western Xia before, which was the Battle of Mizhi. He had captured important cities, trapped the Western Xia army in the Dingnan Five Prefectures, and cut off their food supply. Under such circumstances, he was still defeated miserably. Doesn't this show that he is not very good at commanding troops?"

Zhong Zhen sneered when he heard this and said, "This is what I said. Your level was too low before, and everything you learned was just hearsay.

There is an inside story as to why we lost the Battle of Mizhi. Haha, you all know the tradition of open and covert fighting within the Western Army. Su Yun was a scholar, but he achieved such brilliant achievements. Doesn't this make the Northwestern generals look like good-for-nothings?

So, who knows whether the army responsible for guarding the salt lake at that time abandoned the salt lake on purpose.

Hehe, in my opinion, this was probably done on purpose. Once Yanchi City was lost, the Western Xia army suddenly came alive.

The defeat of the other two Song armies at that time was also very strange, which directly exposed the flank of the Suide army to the attack of the Western Xia people. Under such circumstances, even if Han Xin were alive, it would be difficult for him to win!
Even in this extremely unfavorable situation, Su Yun still defended the Suide Army, even when the Suide Army beat the Xixia people into a dilemma. In the end, the Xixia people could only turn a blind eye to the Suide Army and go directly to other places to attack.

Therefore, the defeat at Mizhi was not Su Yun’s fault, but rather showed Su Yun’s unparalleled ability in commanding large troops.

Alas, even though I have 50,000 or 60,000 soldiers and horses, I am still worried when facing Su Yun. After all, that little guy Jong Park has 30,000 soldiers and horses, but they were defeated by Su Yun in one battle, and even he was captured.

"Jong Pu is your brother, and you all know how capable he is, but he was defeated by this man in one battle, which shows how unfathomable this man is."

The expressions of the Zhong Shidao brothers also became solemn.

Zhong Shizhong was shocked and said, "So this person is both strange and normal. Not only is he good at surprise attacks, he is also good at large-scale combat. So, doesn't he have any weaknesses?"

The doctor shook his head again and said, "No, everyone has flaws."

When Zhong Zhen said this, the eyes of the Zhong Shidao brothers lit up at once, and they hurriedly asked, "What is Su Yun's weakness?"

Zhong Zhen wanted to teach the two outstanding juniors, so he naturally did not hesitate to teach by example, and patiently said: "Among this man's many achievements, most of them are based on various wonderful surprise attacks, and many of them are against the majority with a small number of people, but they are miraculously able to achieve great victories.

What does this mean? It means that this person has an extremely good grasp of combat opportunities, but this is also a weakness that can be exploited. This weakness is that this person is extremely fond of adventure.

And I heard that this guy likes to lead his cavalry to charge into battle, so as long as we can find an opportunity to lure him over, maybe we can kill him on the battlefield.

This Su Yun is the only core of the Su Society and the Jingsai Army, and also the spiritual totem. If he dies, the others will not be a concern."

Zhong Shidao was overjoyed when he heard this and said, "If we can kill Su Yun, not only can we lift the siege of Chang'an, but we can also take the opportunity to retake the entire Yan'an Prefecture. By that time, my uncle will be the white jade pillar that supports the sky and the purple gold beam that spans the sea of ​​the Song Dynasty. His achievements will be even higher than those of Di Wuxiang (Di Qing)!"

Zhong Zhen nodded and said, "I hope so. But we still need strategy. You brothers, tell me, how should we kill Su Yun?"

Zhong Shidao thought for a moment and said, "This Su Yun likes surprise attacks, so he will definitely choose favorable terrain. From Tongguan to Chang'an, there are three places that are most suitable for ambushes.

The first is the Hangu Pass section, which has a dangerous terrain, narrow roads, and many high mountains and valleys on both sides.

Especially the long and narrow passage in front of the pass, which is easy to defend but difficult to attack. If we set up an ambush here, we can use the terrain advantage to catch our troops entering the passage, making it difficult for them to deploy their forces and unable to play the advantage in numbers.

The second is the Xiaoshan Mountain Range, which has high mountains, dense forests, and undulating terrain with many valleys and gullies.

For example, if we set up an ambush on the high ground on both sides of the valley and wait for the enemy to enter the valley, we can launch an attack from the heights, with logs and rocks rolling down at the same time, giving our army a surprise blow. Moreover, it is difficult for our army to organize a counterattack quickly in the valley and it is easy for us to fall into chaos.

The third is the hilly area west of Tongguan.

The terrain here is undulating, with numerous hills, slopes and dense vegetation.

They can set up ambushes in the passages or valleys between the hills, using the vegetation for concealment. When our troops pass by, they can launch a surprise attack. After the attack, they can quickly disperse and hide in the hills, making it difficult for our troops to pursue.

Therefore, my nephew believes that Su Yun will definitely set up an ambush in these three places and attack us when we enter them. Therefore, we only need to make targeted arrangements. If Su Yun comes in person, we will have a chance to kill him!"

After listening to Zhong Shidao's analysis, Zhong Zhen nodded slightly, with approval in his eyes: "Shidao, your analysis of the terrain is quite thorough, but we can't just passively defend, but we must take advantage of the enemy's tactics and lure them deep into our territory.

Since Su Yun likes adventure, we should cater to his taste and set a bait that he will find hard to resist."

Zhong Shizhong's eyes lit up, and he asked anxiously, "Uncle, are you saying that you deliberately exposed your flaws to lure Su Yun into the trap?"

The corner of Zhong Zhen's mouth curled up with a meaningful smile: "That's right! Let's pretend that we don't know Su Yun's ambush plan and march towards Hangu Pass with great fanfare.

During the march, some of the food and baggage trains were deliberately disconnected, and a few "cowardly" generals were arranged to make fearful remarks from time to time, and these news were passed to Su Yun's ears.

He will definitely think that our army's morale is unstable and this is a perfect opportunity for a surprise attack."

Zhong Shidao frowned and thought, "But Su Yun is cautious by nature. I'm afraid it's hard to make him completely believe it just based on these."

Zhong Zhen patted Zhong Shidao on the shoulder and said, "So we still have to make some efforts at Hangu Pass. After arriving at Hangu Pass, we deliberately sent only a small number of troops to guard the pass, pretending to be in a hurry to fight.

At the same time, we will arrange small groups of troops to shuttle back and forth between the Xiaoshan Mountains and the hilly areas west of Tongguan, creating the illusion that our forces are dispersed in various areas. "

The most important thing is," Zhong Zhen's eyes were bright, his voice was low and powerful, "we have to spread the word that I, Zhong Zhen, am personally in charge of the central army, and in order to lift the siege of Chang'an as soon as possible, I have decided to take the risk of crossing Hangu Pass.

When Su Yun learned that I was in the army and saw such a 'full of loopholes' situation, given his adventurous personality, he would definitely lead the elite cavalry to launch a surprise attack personally."

Zhong Shizhong rubbed his hands excitedly: "After Su Yun takes the bait, we will launch a counter-encirclement!" "That's right!" Zhong Zhen's expression was grim, "We have ambushed strong crossbowmen and catapults on the high mountains on both sides of Hangu Pass in advance. When Su Yun's cavalry enters the canyon, we will immediately block the front and rear exits and attack with dense rain of arrows and boulders.

At the same time, arrange 10,000 elite infantry to secretly detour through the Xiaoshan Mountains to cut off Su Yun's retreat and prevent him from breaking out and escaping. "

Zhong Shidao added: "Uncle, we can also set up some traps and obstacles in the canyon, such as trenches and chevaux de frise, to further restrict the cavalry's movements.

And we need to arrange a cavalry unit to be on standby at the rear. If Su Yun tries to break through, we will immediately chase him and intercept him."

The doctor nodded with satisfaction: "Very good! In addition, we also need to prepare some smoke bombs and torches.

When launching the attack, they took advantage of the wind direction to release a large amount of smoke into the canyon to disrupt the vision of Su Yun's army. At the same time, they used torches to ignite the flammable materials prepared in advance to create chaos.

As soon as Su Yun shows up, we will gather all our forces and kill him at all costs!"

Zhong Shizhong clenched his fists, his eyes determined: "Uncle, rest assured, this time Su Yun will never come back!"

Zhong Zhen looked around at his two nephews and said in a deep voice: "Although this plan is brilliant, it must be kept strictly confidential and there must not be any omissions.

From now on, the entire army will enter level one alert, and all generals must act strictly according to the plan.

Once successful, it will not only lift the siege of Chang'an, but also completely reverse the situation in the northwest!"

As the night deepened, the lights in the clinic tent remained bright, and the three men were still going over every detail of the plan.

The next morning, the smoke from the Zhong family army's cooking started to rise half an hour later than usual.

The voices of several generals arguing outside the big tent were deliberately made louder: "The terrain of Hangu Pass is dangerous, Su Yun must have set an ambush. What's the difference between advancing at this time and committing suicide!"

Zhong Zhen opened the curtain and came out, smashing the teacup in his hand in front of all the soldiers: "Anyone who dares to retreat will be killed immediately!"

This behavior, along with the messy traces of food and fodder carts in the camp, was quickly reported back to the Jingsai Army camp by spies planted by Su Yun.

On the third day of the march, the Zhong family army arrived 20 miles in front of Hangu Pass. Scouts reported that there were only a few hundred old and weak soldiers guarding the pass, but Zhong Zhen, contrary to his usual practice, ordered the entire army to camp and rest, allowing the soldiers to gather by the river to laugh and play, weapons were randomly discarded on the riverbank, and the sound of dice from the tents continued all night.

At the same time, clouds of dust were raised from the direction of Mount Xiao, and small groups of Song cavalry galloped back and forth, deliberately exposing themselves among the mountain ridges.

In the hilly area west of Tongguan, woodcutters chopping wood and doctors collecting herbs come and go frequently, but little do they know that these people are elite soldiers in disguise, and what they carry around their waists are not axes and medicine baskets, but secret letters conveying military intelligence.

At dawn on the fifth day, Zhong Zhen personally selected the troops, and an army of 50,000 marched towards Hangu Pass.

In the team, some of the panels on the grain carts were deliberately removed, and the golden corn was particularly dazzling in the sun. However, the escorting soldiers were lazy and no one even cared about the broken shaft of the cart.

When the vanguard troops entered the Hangu Pass, Zhong Zhen's personal soldiers suddenly galloped on their horses and planted the "Zhong" flag on the highest mound in front of the pass. The scarlet flag fluttered in the wind.

And in the dark, a sophisticated hunting net is tightening.

On the cliffs on both sides of Hangu Pass, thousands of powerful crossbowmen wrapped in animal skins lay behind bluestones, and even their breathing was guided to the ground using bamboo tubes.

Three hundred catapults were covered with vines, and the stone bullets had already been loaded, waiting for the order.

Ten thousand infantrymen from Mount Xiao sneaked into the valley in the morning mist, their blades smeared with poison that kills instantly upon contact with blood.

The five thousand cavalrymen in the rear wrapped their horses' hooves with thick cloth, ready to cut off Su Yun's retreat at any time.

Zhong Zhen's palm, which was holding the hilt of the sword, was covered with cold sweat, but he stared at the depths of the canyon - that was the burial place he had tailor-made for Su Yun.

However, he waited for three days.

For three days and three nights, the candlelight in the clinic tent was almost never extinguished.

He would occasionally stare at the location of Hangu Pass on the map, and repeatedly carve the ambush area with the tip of his knife.

Sometimes he would walk out of the tent and gaze into the quiet valley, his brows twisted into the shape of a deep "川" character.

The two brothers Zhong Shidao took turns guarding their uncle, watching as Zhong Zhen's originally jet-black temples turned into a few strands of white hair in just a few days.

"Report - the troops in ambush at Mount Xiao have not slept for three days and nights. Should we rotate them?"

When the seventh scout came to report, Zhong Shizhong couldn't help but ask: "Uncle, could it be that Su Yun noticed something?"

Zhong Zhen turned around abruptly, and the sword on his waist hit the table with a clear sound. "Impossible! Those flaws that were deliberately revealed, even you can see the clues, how can Su Yun not see through it? He must be waiting..."

Before he finished speaking, a fierce quarrel suddenly broke out outside the tent.

"If we keep waiting like this, the food and fodder will get moldy!"

"We are not cowards, why should we feed mosquitoes in this canyon?"

Dozens of generals broke into the tent despite the guards' obstruction.

The leading lieutenant threw his helmet to the ground fiercely: "General Zhong! The brothers all say that you are afraid of Su Yun and are hiding here like a coward!"

Zhong Shidao's face suddenly changed. He drew his sword and was about to scold, but Zhong Zhen raised his hand to stop him.

The old general glanced at the flushed faces of the crowd, and when he saw that some people's armor was not fastened and some people's weapons were rusty, a wave of sadness welled up in his heart.

"Three days ago, I sent people to spread the news at the entrance of the valley, saying that the Zong family army was afraid to fight and would not move forward."

The voice of the diagnosis suddenly rose, "Now three days have passed, if Su Yun really thinks we are afraid, why hasn't he shown up yet?"

(End of this chapter)