Wang Jian saw Li Mu's strategic intention, and Bai Qi also saw it.
Zichu, who knew nothing about fighting, and Ying Xiaozheng, who claimed to be Li Mu's only disciple but was completely confused by it, came obediently to listen to the lecture of Bai Qi who was bedridden.
Bai Qi spread the map on his legs covered with quilts and said in an old, weak but very clear and calm voice: "Li Mu's intention in this battle is not to capture cities, but to destroy the young and strong forces of the Chu army, just like I did in the beginning."
Zhu Xiang looked at the line Bai Qi drew on the map and a word almost came out of his mouth.
Crossing the Chishui River Four Times!
The Four Crossings of the Chishui River was a battle in which the martyrs, in order to preserve their strength and escape the encirclement, marched 30,000 troops through the borders of Sichuan, Guizhou and Yunnan for three months, weaved through the enemy's 400,000-strong army, annihilated a large number of the enemy's active forces, turned passivity into initiative, and survived a desperate situation.
This is a textbook example of mobile warfare in history.
What Li Mu is using now is mobile warfare!
Unlike the West, ancient China always used infantry as its main force. This was not because horses could not be raised in the hinterland of China, but because of the complex terrain and numerous water bodies, cavalry could not be used as the main force in many places and could only serve as auxiliary.
The same reason applies to the fact that armored cavalry existed during the Warring States Period, but did not become mainstream. If the Han Dynasty had not been fighting the Xiongnu, it would not have maintained 180,000 cavalry.
Most of Western Europe is plains, and the places where the Huns and other Hu people live are grasslands. Only in this kind of terrain can cavalry run and exert their full combat power.
Li Mu guarded Yanmen County, and his opponents were northern Hu people including the Xiongnu. His elite troops were mainly cavalry.
After Zhu Xiang made stirrups and horseshoes for him, Li Mu's cavalry became more and more elite and continued to hone their skills in the difficult terrain of crossing mountains and hills.
The Jianghuai Plain is a rare terrain in the heart of the Central Plains where cavalry can gallop freely.
During the Jingkang Incident in later generations, the Northern Song Dynasty was driven southward by the Jin cavalry, and the process was so smooth that even the commander of the Jin army was a little confused.
Now, before the Jin cavalry started running, Li Mu first gave the Chu people a little shock in cavalry mobile warfare.
The State of Chu is now in civil strife. The rebels, the Chu king's army and the logistics troops number at least five or six hundred thousand, and there are many garrisoned cities.
Li Mu moved between the Chu rebels and the Chu king's army, often brushing shoulders with the other side. By the time the other side detected Li Mu's cavalry, Li Mu had already run away.
The Chu soldiers chased Li Mu from south to north, and from north to south. They also had to be vigilant against any city along the Yangtze River. The north-south and east-west battle lines were extremely long.
The Chu army and the rebels were wary of each other and could not send a large force to pursue Li Mu. But if they gathered together, they could at least gather 100,000 men each.
Li Mu completely abandoned logistics, and the cavalry were all elite, and the supply was self-sufficient by conquering cities. In such an extreme situation, they were able to move freely among the more than 200,000 pursuit troops, and they were able to attack the city every time to complete the rest and supply.
The Chu army that encircled and suppressed Li Mu's cavalry always arrived late after Li Mu had rested for two or three days, giving Li Mu time to fully replenish supplies.
By continuously marching to expand the battlefield and lengthen the battle line, the enemy is forced to disperse its forces and run around behind them, and then the superior forces are turned around to attack the dispersed and exhausted enemy, so as to achieve victory with fewer troops, destroy the enemy's living forces, and seize the initiative on the battlefield. This is mobile warfare.
The reason is simple. Every change in the marching route will test the ability of the leader. Therefore, those who dare to use mobile warfare are definitely the top generals.
In the timeline before Li Mu met Zhu Xiang, he used mobile warfare against the State of Qin.
Li Mu defeated the Qin army in two battles, one was the Battle of Fei and the other was the Battle of Fanwu. The Battle of Fei was an ordinary defensive counterattack, while the Battle of Fanwu was where Li Mu used the mobility of his cavalry to concentrate his forces to defeat the Qin army one by one.
After getting to know Zhu Xiang, when Zhu Xiang helped Li Mu improve his cavalry, he often boasted to Li Mu about cavalry tactics and mobile warfare in later generations.
If these tactics were copied directly, they would fail 100%, and Zhu Xiang would probably be accused of being an armchair strategist. However, Li Mu learned a lot from Zhu Xiang's unrealistic boasting.
Famous generals like Li Mu who left their names in history did not lead the army by force. They were always improving, and the older they got, the better they were at leading troops.
Li Mu is not able to fight yet, but his fighting style has matured. Now he fully demonstrates his style...
"Wait, he is only now showing his style?" Zichu couldn't believe it. "When he led the fleet to divide the river with the State of Chu, wasn't he showing his style?"
Ying Xiaozheng bulged his eyes: "Teacher, is it not a display of style to lead a Beihu army of more than 100,000?"
Bai Qi coughed dryly and laughed, "Not really. The Hu people are wicked. Any general of the seven countries can win as long as the logistics can keep up. Although the fleet is powerful, the world praises the magic of the warships and ignores Li Mu's own combat level. Until now, Li Mu has only more than 10,000 troops and horses, and he can play with the State of Chu in the palm of his hand. He has just shown his ability."
What are the Hu people? Although the Central Plains countries were wary of them, they also looked down on them.
The navy won by relying on unprecedented weapons, and many people think they can do the same.
This time, the cavalry led by Li Mu had nothing but horses and swords, bows and crossbows on their bodies. No one in the world dared to say "I can do it too" anymore.
Li Mu's reputation as a famous general was thus thoroughly established, so famous that people all over the world were impressed by him.
"If he hadn't been targeting my Wu'an Jun, he would have been made a lord based on his military achievements when our Lord was still in power." Bai Qi smiled and said, "Now is the time for me to abdicate and let others take over."
Zichu said, "Li Mu said that when Lord Bai was alive, he would not steal Lord Wu'an from Lord Bai."
Bai Qi smiled and shook his head, saying: "The title of Wu'an Jun has no meaning. It is only because I am Wu'an Jun that the title of 'Wu'an Jun' has meaning. When I say abdicate, I don't mean to let him be Wu'an Jun, but to let him choose a new title, so that the title will also have meaning, just as meaningful as 'Wu'an Jun'."
"He is not me, he will definitely surpass me." Bai Qi's tone was a little lonely.
The reason why Li Mu would surpass him was not because Li Mu's talent as a general was higher than his, but because Li Mu was in a good era.
The war of Qin's unification of the world had great historical significance. So even if Li Mu conquered about the same amount of land as him, Li Mu's reputation would definitely be greater than his.
Moreover, the fleet led by Li Mu and the mobile warfare used now were very new things in this era. Only new things are worth writing about in history books.
Bai Qi knew that his brilliance would eventually be overshadowed by Li Mu.
This is a good thing for the Qin State, but Bai Qi still couldn't help feeling a little regretful.
When he met such a famous general, he wanted to compete with him. Bai Qi had never been defeated in his life, and he thought that all the so-called famous generals in the world were just like him. It was not easy for him to find a general he respected, but he was his junior.
Thinking of this, Bai Qi felt relieved again.
There was no talent of general among his younger generation. Li Mu was his student and junior. Could he be considered as having a successor? He took advantage of his elders, and it was Li Mu who should be upset.
"Your Majesty, I think Wu Chengjun is very suitable for Li Mu." Bai Qi suggested, "I am just 'An', after all, the great cause has not been accomplished. Li Mu will definitely assist Your Majesty in achieving great things."
Zichu said, "Okay, I will issue an edict right now to confer the title of Lord Wucheng on Li Mu."
Ying Xiaozheng, who knew who Wu Chengjun should be from his dream: "…"
Ah, the teacher has become Lord Wucheng, so what should I do with my old general Wang Jian? Should I take away his son's title and call him Lord Tongwu? Isn't that a bad idea
Although I have many famous generals under my command now, it may be difficult for General Wang Jian's son to be made a king.
Zhu Xiang could not hide the slight change in Ying Xiaozheng's expression.
Zhu Xiang blinked his eyes, sighed inwardly, and felt more certain about his guess.
"Li Mu is Lord Wucheng. If Wang Jian can reach Li Mu's level, he should be called Lord Wuxiang. 'Xiang' means assistant. He assisted the King of Qin in achieving hegemony, which is not much different from 'Lord Wucheng'." Zhu Xiang added, "Wang Jian only started later than Li Mu."
Bai Qi asked: "Wang Jian has not yet sent out his troops, how do you know that he will be able to fight on equal terms with Li Mu?"
Zhu Xiang said: "Because Li Mu's battlefield is in Southern Qin and Chu, the general in the Three Jins must be Wang Jian."
Bai Qi asked, "You think highly of him?"
Zhu Xiang smiled and said, "Wang Jian is the most traditional Qin general. His battles may not be as entertaining as Li Mu's surprise attacks. But as long as Wang Jian sends out his troops, the other side will be helpless no matter how many strategies they have. In this respect, he is similar to Bai Gong."
Zichu asked curiously, "Oh? Not even Li Mu?"
Zhu Xiang said: "Wang Jian and Li Mu had a military debate, and Zheng'er won in the end."
Zichu and Bai Qi both looked at Ying Xiaozheng in disbelief.
Zichu and Baiqi: "..."
Ying Xiaozheng said seriously: "Since I know that the teacher is difficult to defeat, why should I confront the teacher head-on? Anyway, the kings of the six countries are all incompetent. No matter which country the teacher is in, it is easy to alienate him from the king."
Bai Qi couldn't help but think of Lian Po, then smiled and nodded.
Zichu couldn't help but ruffle Ying Xiaozheng's hair.
Ying Xiaozheng protected his hair in dissatisfaction and glared at Zichu fiercely.
Zichu flicked Ying Xiaozheng's head and said, "I am the King of Qin. How dare you, the crown prince, glare at me? You are an unfilial son and an unfaithful minister. You should be punished."
Zhu Xiang couldn't help but say, "Are you going to label Zheng'er as disloyal and unfilial? Be careful that the historians write nonsense and really slander Zheng'er as disloyal and unfilial."
Zichu said happily: "Isn't that better? He won't be so arrogant."
Zhu Xiang raised his fist to threaten Zichu.
Bai Qi coughed dryly to stop Zhu Xiang from committing an act of rebellion.
Prince Zichu has become the King of Qin, why is Zhu Xiang still so ignorant of etiquette
However, Zhu Xiang seemed to have acted in a similar way in front of the previous two Qin kings. Alas, it is really worrying.
Ying Xiaozheng didn't bother to pay attention to his father's occasional swearing and continued to ask: "Teacher, the marching speed is very fast, and it is understandable that the Chu army can't keep up. But how can we attack the city with only cavalry?"
Bai Qi said: "Perhaps Li Mu's army was marching too fast and the city gates were not closed when he attacked the city."
Ying Xiaozheng opened his mouth wide enough to fit a whole boiled egg in. Is this even possible
Zichu couldn't believe it either: "Aren't they fighting? Why haven't they closed the city gates yet?"
Bai Qi chuckled, his tone carrying a hint of sarcasm: "They are fighting just to divide more power. They are merciful to each other and fight very restrainedly. They will not hurt each other's foundation. It's really a life-and-death struggle. Wherever the war spreads, the city gates may be closed. It's impossible to close all the city gates of Chu and not allow people to enter or leave."
"Li Mu's decision to distribute government grain to the Chu people was a stroke of genius. If they burn the government grain, they will probably encounter a lot of resistance. If they distribute the government grain to the Chu people, perhaps the Chu people will hope that Li Mu will attack them to alleviate the famine." Bai Qi said, "Chu is facing famine now, isn't it?"
After Qin successfully launched an economic war against Chu, Chu quickly fell into civil strife and had no time to recuperate.
The King of Chu was at war with the feudal lords, and in addition to conscripting soldiers, he also had to collect grain, which made the already starving Chu people even worse. The arrival of Li Mu was like a savior to the Chu people. They could no longer survive, so they might as well help Li Mu. Even if the feudal lords' soldiers came back and robbed them or even killed them, at least they could have a full stomach for a few days.
If they had taken food and hid in the wild mountains before the Chu soldiers returned, perhaps the whole family could have survived.
Ying Xiaozheng said: "When they see Qin's General Li Mu distribute food to them, they may be more inclined to Qin. Teacher, if you distribute food to them, they will not starve to death on the road, and more people may go south to Qin."
Ying Xiaozheng was a little worried.
He and his uncle had both left Wu County. A large number of Chu refugees had flooded into Wu County. Could they really handle it? Although Li Si and Han Fei were temporarily acting as county governors, Ying Xiaozheng was really unsure.
Zhu Xiang was very confident.
In history, Han Fei died before he became prime minister, but he was very successful in academics. But Li Si was really a good prime minister of Qin...
Wait, it seems that Li Si, the Prime Minister of Qin, did not do a good job after Qin unified the world. He rolled up his sleeves and worked every day with Qin Shihuang, and had no idea what rest and recuperation meant.
Zhu Xiang also began to worry. Can Li Si and Han Fei really do it
Zhu Xiang said to Zichu, "How about I go to Nanqin to have a look? You stay in Xianyang alone, and I will leave Zheng'er to you."
Zichu said, "I have much more to do here than in Southern Qin. You and Zheng'er cannot leave. We promised to wait until my mourning period is over. I cannot break my promise. Li Si and Han Fei are old enough to be officials. If the two of them can't even be a county governor together, how can you let them assist Zheng'er?"
Bai Qi comforted him, "Li Si and Han Fei have been taught by you, Zhu Xiang, for many years, so there is no need to worry."
Ying Xiaozheng said: "If they can't do a good job, they will all be sent to edit books. Uncle Cai and Uncle Lin's sons..."
Zhu Xiang said, "Cai Ze's eldest son Cai Chong has just learned to walk, and Lin Zhi's son Lin Dalang is still drinking milk. Neither of them can be used. You might as well count on Li Mu's son. His son Li Mi is already playing in the mud."
Cai Ze was the oldest, but he may have been displaced in his early years and had no children. He only had children after he arrived in Qin. Lin Zhi wanted to retire and only settled down after entering Qin. Li Mu married early, but unfortunately they were apart for a long time and his son came late.
As for Zhu Xiang, the youngest one, his son Zheng'er has grown into a handsome young boy.
Ying Xiaozheng said seriously: "I believe they will be able to be of use to me when they grow up!"
Zichu was speechless: "Okay, okay, when they can read, you will teach them. You will definitely be able to teach them well."
Ying Xiaozheng immediately said, "I won't teach. I don't have the patience! Let my uncle teach! Mr. Bai, if you have any descendants with better talents, give them to my uncle as well... Ouch!"
This time, Ying Xiaozheng's forehead was hit by Zhu Xiang.
Bai Qi smiled and shook his head: "I don't see any outstanding people among my descendants now. When they become outstanding, they will come to Zhu Xiang to become his disciples. I won't worry about it."
If your descendants are not virtuous, forcing them to high positions will bring disaster rather than blessing. Bai Qi escaped death from the suspicion of King Zhaoxiang of Qin and became more cautious.
Even if he did not recommend his descendants to the King of Qin, they would still hold official positions of some importance, which would ensure their wealth and honor for life. It would be better to be less greedy and leave a good impression on the King of Qin and the Crown Prince. When there are outstanding people among his descendants and clansmen, they will remember his good deeds and give them opportunities without his recommendation.
What's more, there is Zhu Xiang, a kind and nostalgic person.
Zichu, Ying Xiaozheng and Zhu Xiang interrupted Bai Qi. Bai Qi finished the lesson with all his strength, but immediately became drowsy and exhausted.
The three of them sighed as they left.
I'm afraid Wu'an Jun doesn't have much time left.
"Xunzi has not been in good health recently. Zhu Xiang, you should go back to the manor and take good care of Xunzi." Zichu said, "Zheng'er should go too."
Ying Xiaozheng asked, "Father, my uncle and I both live on the farm. Can you handle the government affairs?"
Zichu said, "Of course I will go too."
Ying Xiaozheng gave Zichu a look of contempt. What nonsense are you talking about? Why don't you just say you want to move to Zhuangzi
Ying Xiaozheng was so arrogant that Zichu flicked his forehead again.
Zichu learned this trick from Zhu Xiang. It can "physically punish" Ying Xiaozheng without hurting him.
"You have already thought of a title for Wang Jian today. I wonder if Wang Jian can live up to your expectations." After "punishing" his unfilial son, Zichu said to Zhu Xiang with emotion, "Can he really do it?"
Zhu Xiang said: "Of course."
When Wang Jian stationed his troops on the bank of the Han River, at the foot of Dahong Mountain, the State of Chu built a barrier to the west of Wang Jian's station, at the foot of the mountain where Tongbai Mountain and Dabie Mountain meet, to guard against the attack of the Qin army.
When the Chu State was in civil strife, the troops here were not transferred away.
When Wang Jian led his troops towards the Chu army's base, the Chu army had already received the news and had deployed their troops with their backs against the fortress and set up their bows and crossbows.
The two sides faced off using the most common formation in positional warfare in the Warring States Period. The two square formations confronted each other, which was exactly what Zhao She, the Marquis of Ma Fu, said, "When two brave men meet in a narrow road, the one who is braver wins."
Wang Jian looked at the enemy's bronze chariot formation and asked the drummer to change the music and the flag bearer to change the flag.
The queue was split in the middle, and the strong soldiers in the middle team who were leading horses put on armor and mounted their horses.
(End of this chapter)