Qin Official

In mid-October of the second year of the Regency, in the south of Guangyang County, on the south bank of the ever-flowing Yishui River, Han Xin was patrolling along the river.

Although it was already noon, the weather was still gloomy, and the wind kept blowing from the north, making Han Xin feel the chill in Yandi, and he couldn't help but think of a song in his mind.

"The wind is rustling and the water is cold. A strong man will never come back..."

In the past, if anyone dared to read this sentence casually, it would be tantamount to anti-poetry and would be arrested and interrogated.

But now, the world is called Da Qin, and even the emperor is gone. Everyone secretly says that the real emperor is actually Duke Xia. After all, he is no longer called "Regent for the Son of Heaven" but "Regent for Heaven." We can also talk about Jing Ke’s assassination of Qin in the past.

"Is this where Jing Ke said goodbye to Prince Dan of Yan and went south?"

Among the subordinates, there were soldiers from Yandi who reported: "However, the prince and the guests all wore white hats to send him off. When they reached the Yishui River, Shi Gao gradually left the building, Jing Ke sang in harmony, and the soldiers all shed tears. After weeping and singing, her voice was full of emotion again. The soldiers were all angry and their fingers were shining, but Jing Ke drove away in his car and never looked back. "

Many years later, when talking about this matter, the people of Yan were a little regretful. On the one hand, they regretted that Jing Ke failed, and on the other hand, they complained that because of his role in assassinating Qin, Yan State suffered severe revenge! So far, the energy has not recovered.

But Han Xin shook his head and said: "There is no good general in the country, but the fate of the country rests on the dagger in the hands of the assassin. Yan deserves to be destroyed!"

The one who has to cross Yishui today is not Jing Ke who can only give it a go in desperate situation, but the world-famous general Han Xin, the Marquis of Huai'an, who wants to take advantage of Zhao Zhigong and go north to unify Jizhou!

Marquis of Huai'an, this is Han Xin's new title after he was promoted from Marquis of Guannei to Marquis of Che. Riches and honors will not return to his hometown, just like walking in brocade at night. All the princes please use their hometown as the title, even if there are fewer households, it doesn't matter. Han Xin is no exception, but Heifu However, on the grounds that "yin is unlucky", Huaiyin was changed to Huai'an, and the name was given to Han Xin.

After Xia Gong's order was issued, in addition to Han Xin being made Marquis of Che, all the generals in his army were rewarded and promoted. The officers and soldiers in the army were all overjoyed and suppressed the desire to return home immediately to repay their kindness and grievances. Han Xin understood that his The war is not over yet.

To the north of Yishui, there is a rammed earth wall that stretches for hundreds of miles with no end in sight. It blocks Han Xin's sight and prevents him from seeing all of Yan. This is the Yishui Great Wall, the southern Great Wall of Yan State. .

This Great Wall was built a hundred years ago. At that time, the Zhongshan State was strong and had many wars with the Yan State. Taking advantage of the rebellion of the Yan State, the King of Zhongshan sent troops to seize more than ten cities in the southern border of the Yan State and occupied its territory of a hundred square meters. At the same time, they also plundered many properties and gifts from Yan State, so Yan State built the Great Wall on the north bank of Yishui River to protect its capital.

Later, the Great Wall became the border defense between Zhao and Qin.

It is not an obstacle to Han Xin, not to mention that after Qin Shihuang destroyed Yan, he sent people to dismantle part of it, and its defensive function was greatly reduced. It is said that Chen Sheng, who had previously responded to Duke Xia in Hengshan County, retreated to this area after being defeated by Li Zuoche and cooperated with Han Xin to capture Julu County.

Now Chen Sheng became Han Xin's vanguard. Based on Linyi, the capital of Yanxia, ​​he went north to capture Zhuoxian County. He fought several battles with the army of Han Guang, the king of Han Dynasty, and both sides won and lost. However, Chen Sheng sent someone to report that it was difficult to continue advancing northward because a large number of Xiongnu cavalry had descended southward from Shanggu last month, and Chen Sheng’s remaining Hengshan troops were no match for him...

Although Han Xin was ordered to go to Shangjun to defend the Huns more than a year ago, Mao Dun was very cunning. After plundering the frontier fortress of Zhonghe in the New Qin Dynasty, he saw the arrival of Han Xin's army and retreated to the royal court at the foot of Yin Mountain without fighting with them. Therefore, the Huns People are novel and unfamiliar enemies.

The Yandai area that they are about to enter is also a brand new battlefield.

But there is one person who understands the reality and reality of the Xiongnu very well, and he is good at generation after generation. He is a good general that even Han Xin admires very much...

He turned around and said to Captain Zhao Yan:

"Bring Li Zuoche here, I want to drink with him by the Yishui River."

…

When Li Zuoche was brought, Han Xin probably had a different mentality after becoming a marquis. At this moment, he behaved very courteously and virtuously as a corporal. He sat in Dongxiang and faced Xixiang. He bowed to Captain Li Zuoche and acted as a teacher.

"General Han, what are you doing?"

Such enthusiasm made Li Zuoche feel a little uncomfortable. He had become much more haggard in the past few months, and even had a deep scar on his neck...

This is the mark left by his suicide. In September, just when Heifu had just destroyed Chu, Li Zuoche was still struggling to resist Han Xin in Handan. He even brought the 30,000-strong Zhao army that he had brought all the way from Taiyuan. Defeated the Qin army's attack, but who would have expected that the opponent was not Han Xin at all...

Han Xin had already led his own light troops to Jibei and Hejian, attacked Julu and captured King Xie of Zhao. He also asked King Xie of Zhao to write a letter to persuade Li Zuoche to surrender, promising not to kill anyone.

After learning that Julu had been defeated and his own king became a prisoner, the morale of the remaining 30,000 Zhao soldiers in Handan was low. Li Zuoche lamented several times and ordered his subordinates to surrender. He himself tried to kill himself, but was stopped by his subordinates. Cut the skin.

Since then, he has been under house arrest, with endless fish and meat every day. However, Li Zuoche didn't want to eat, so he was often force-fed some soup to survive. He became extremely thin and swayed when the wind blew. Han Xin On the contrary, he was polite to him. This time he went north to Yandi and took him with him.

At this moment, Han Xin said: "Xin wants to attack Yan in the north and replace it in the west, so as to conquer the whole Hebei province. But don't hide it from Lord Guangwu. Because the troops are divided and stationed in various places, Han Xin's men can flexibly mobilize only 30,000 soldiers, chariots and cavalry." All of them have been transferred to the south by Xia Gong. With my army, against Dai and Hu's soldiers, can Lord Guangwu have any strategy to defeat the captives?"

Li Zuoche declined and thanked him: "I heard that a defeated general cannot speak bravely, and a great man who has subjugated a country cannot survive. Now that I am a defeated prisoner, how can I have the authority to do important things?"

Han Xin shook his head and said: "Since Han Xin led the army alone, there are only three military strategists in the world who admire him."

"The first is Duke Xia, who is really the leader in military strategy and strategy; the second is Wang Ben, who attaches great importance to strategy and situation; the third is Lord Guangwu. In terms of military situation alone, if you and I were to exchange the troops we lead, I’m afraid I’ve already been captured by you.”

These words were quite modest. I felt that I could defeat Li Zuoche only because of my strong national power and the ability to dominate others.

Of course, Han Xin felt that if the two men were equally powerful...

Of course you can still win!

"What's more, your eldest father, Li Mu, Lord Wu'an of Zhao, once defeated the Xiongnu at Yanmen. Lord Guangwu has a long history in Dai, and he is on the verge of Hu. He should know the strength of Dai and Hu's troops."

Speaking of this, seeing that Li Zuoche was still brooding and seemed to still have concerns, Han Xin said: "I do have a question. In Taiyuan and Hengshan, you have all your troops in desperate situations and you must retreat. But in the When we arrived at Handan, we had clearly defeated my suspected troops stationed outside the city, so we could have retreated north to Mount Heng, but why did we give up the fight and order a surrender?"

Li Zuoche committed suicide after ordering his soldiers to surrender. Wasn't it because he was greedy for life and afraid of death? Or was it because after Zhao Wangxie was captured, he felt that Zhao was destined to die and was disheartened?

Li Zuoche drank a cup of warm wine and finally told the truth today: "Actually, what prompted me to order the soldiers to surrender was not King Zhao's letter persuading them to surrender, but the news that Han Guang had introduced the Huns to the throne..."

He talked about an incident many years ago: "General Han, you should know that I have been living in seclusion in Dai due to my father's affairs. At that time, the people of Dai County secretly paid tribute to my father, not because he counted the Qin army. It’s about defeating the Xiongnu at Yanmen and keeping Daibei safe.”

"Originally, Qin officials strictly prohibited those sacrifices and even destroyed several ancestral halls. It was not until the 30th year of Qin Shihuang that an edict came..."

To this day, Li Zuoche still remembers the content of that edict:

"The man who sweeps away the barbarians, sweeps away the wind and dust, respects the emperor and fights the Rong Di, holds the red flag and pacifies the Rong court, this is the strategy of a virtuous man. If you have the energy to go, you will never look back. If you go to a foreign land, you will feel like you are home. The three tribes will not regret it. He is the brave man of the country."

"Since King Ping moved eastward, the southern barbarians and the northern Di were intersecting, and China was as continuous as a line. Those who respected the king to repel the barbarians, resisted the invasion of the Rong and the Di, and opened up the territory for the Xia, could not be greater than five people: Guan Yiwu, Yu Yu , said Sima Cuo, said Qin Kai..."

"It's Li Mu!"

He smiled and said: "I didn't expect that the name of the eldest father, which has been forbidden to the people in Daibei, would actually appear on Qin's edict."

"Moreover, Qin Shihuang also said that despite Li Mu, the Xiongnu would still bully Daibei and kill the people!"

"It is also said that it was China's contribution to Jingbian and its legacy to future generations. Qin Shihuang strengthened his ambition and ordered the border counties to set up a 'Jingbian Temple' to worship him. The four main temples in Taiyuan, Yanmen, Daijun and Yunzhong My great father, sacrifice and sweep the four seasons, so that it can feed on blood, and also make it see that the border is peaceful now, and there will no longer be chaos in the past..."

"I was just a woodcutter in Dai County at the time, and I had mixed feelings in my heart. My eldest father had been loyal to the State of Zhao all his life, but in the end, he was tricked by Wang Jian and was forced to death by Zhao Qian and Guo Kai, a pair of foolish and treacherous ministers. I don't miss him for twenty years. He has been running around for a long time, but he did not think about his achievements in strengthening the Qin Dynasty in the civil war and defending the Huns from abroad. He never thought that in the end, it would be the Qin Emperor who was his lifelong enemy and built a temple for him!"

"Later, I heard that the person who proposed to build the Jingbian Temple and let my eldest father enter the temple was the then Beidi County Lieutenant, Mr. Hei..."

"I remember this name. It seems that among the corrupt and cruel Qin officials, there is actually a good official who remembers my father's achievements."

Han Xin nodded: "If that's the case, then why did Brother Li rebel against Qin?"

Li Zuoche raised his chest: "Because I am from Zhao!"

"Qin's harsh rule in Zhao made it difficult for the people of Zhao. As everyone knows, the garrison rebelled. They elected me as the leader. I acted freely with the Bai people to protect the people. As for later participating in the restoration of Zhao, I was able to Going to Lord Guangwu and taking over half of the military power of Zhao Guotai is something I never expected."

When he was elected as the leader, there were countless pushers behind him, and things became out of Li Zuoche's control.

"As my position gets higher, what I need to consider is no longer myself, but the Zhao people who have high hopes for me, so even in difficult times, I will lead them to survive!"

He did it. The Taiyuan army followed Li Zuoche to fight at Hengshan, drove away Chen Sheng, and then went south to Handan, defeating Han Xin's suspected troops, and there were still 30,000 soldiers left.

Until the very last moment.

Li Zuoche said proudly: "When we were in Xihe, I said that I would not associate with the Huns, and it is the same today."

"Qin and Zhao are by no means the same people, but if there is a Donghu person or a Huns on the opposite side, in contrast, although the Qin people are greedy and vicious, they still wear buns, wear dark clothes, and eat grains, so they can talk and discuss . But the Hu people have different uniforms, different customs, different diets, and different languages ​​than the Chinese. They also have the same generation of Northern Zhao people who have killed and looted for generations!"

"This hatred is worse than the battle of Changping, worse than the siege of Handan!"

"So, when I only face Qin, I am from Zhao and I want to fight for Zhao."

"But when the Huns got involved."

"I am not just from Zhao..."

Li Zuoche patted his right lap and said, "I am also a person from the Xia Dynasty, a person with a crown!"

…

"Han Guang lured the wolf into the house. Even if I can't fight him, at least I can't hold him back!"

"If I resist in the south for one more day, I will let the Xiongnu penetrate deeper into the border. Their ferocity is extremely vicious, but they are ten times more ferocious than the Qin people."

"Rather than being trampled upon by the Huns, these great mountains and rivers are better left to Hei Fu. At least General Han did not kill the Zhao prisoners. And Hei Fu, Duke Xia, since he can build a shrine for my great father, he should be able to distinguish clearly. It's a big deal! I don't want to become a sinner of Yanzhao because of my stubbornness."

After hearing what Li Zuoche said, Han Xin's eyes were bright, he stood up, raised his bottle, and toasted to Li Zuoche:

"How magnificent! The people of Xia, under the leadership of Duke Xia, are united in facing the outside world. It should be obvious!"

"So, Brother Li will help me, help me capture the Yan Dynasty, and expel the Huns!"

Li Zuoche didn't say anything, he just stood up and drank with him, which was regarded as acquiescence:

"If the general can appease the Zhao people, and use the Zhao soldiers who were captured and guarded at Julu to build the city wall as supplements, and promise to let them regain their freedom afterwards, I would like to speak for the general and let them serve with all their heart, and win the Yan territory Guangyang The county can recover Jicheng with ease."

This is the reason why Han Xin treated Li Zuoche politely. This person's status in the hearts of Zhao people was far higher than that of Zhao Xie!

Unexpectedly, Li Zuoche said again: "But if you want to conquer the land quickly and expel the Xiongnu, it will be very difficult."

"Brother Li, do you think I have few soldiers?"

Han Xin smiled and said: "To be honest, Brother Li, Xia Gong has destroyed the Chu Kingdom and sent his army north. Now it has arrived at Ye County and will enter Zhao territory."

"Otherwise, the more troops you have in Daibei, the more trouble you will have." Li Zuoche shook his head and said:

"The Duke of Xia has just destroyed the Chu State, and the general has just taken over the land of Zhao. It is difficult to use all the soldiers who are tired. Now if the Duke of Xia wants to raise his tired troops, he will enter the Dai territory in the north. To the north of Yanshan and Juzhu, the land is vast and sparsely populated. , is by no means comparable to Yan and Zhao. If they want to fight, they may not be able to find traces of the Xiongnu. On the contrary, they will block their backup. The situation will be defeated and the food will be exhausted. Once the heavy snow comes, what will the army do? They may be defeated and killed. Yu."

"What's more, there are many mountains and hills in Daibei, and there are many plains and vast fields. In this land of chariots and cavalry, ten infantrymen are not equal. The Huns were born in a bitter and cold land, eating meat and cheese. They were tired from wind and rain, hungry and thirsty. It’s difficult for the Chinese to compete with the Xiongnu. This is the Xiongnu’s great skill. It’s unwise to use Zhongxia’s shortcomings to attack the Xiongnu’s strong points!”

"So, this battle must not be fought in winter!"

Han Xin felt that Li Zuoche was exaggerating and said optimistically:

"But Duke Xia has already gone north, and the three armies share the same enemy. Let me take command, and with Brother Li's advice, we will surely be able to repel the Huns."

"The general only saw one, but not the other." Li Zuoche handed over his hand. He was a little touched by Han Xin's courtesy these days, and he spoke from the bottom of his heart.

"In my opinion, the reason why Xia Gong went north immediately after destroying Chu was not only to destroy the Dai Dynasty and expel the Xiongnu, but also for two reasons."

"Oh? Brother Li doesn't even leave home, but he knows what Duke Xia is thinking? I'd like to hear the details."

Li Zuoche pointed to the east with one hand: "One is the 'Fusu' of the Liang Liao Dynasty."

And pointed to Han Xin:

"Second, it's you, General Han!"

…

ps: There is only one chapter today.