Chapter 32 Chapter 6: The Eve of the Great War

Xie Xuan sent Zhu Xu away and immediately summoned Liu Yu. Liu Yu stepped into the inner hall of the commander-in-chief's mansion, and seeing Xie Xuan sitting alone in meditation, he couldn't help feeling flattered.The conversation between Zhu Xu and Xie Xuan must have involved the most precious information about Fu Jian's current situation. Xie Xuanli should discuss it with Xie Shi and Xie Yan. Mung Bean's little lieutenant. Xie Xuan cast his eyes on Liu Yu, seeing him saluting in front of him in fear, he smiled and said: "Xiao Yu, sit down!" Liu Yu said embarrassingly: The last general should stand more comfortably.

Xie Xuan laughed dumbly and said: I said sit down, just sit down, take it easy, and your mind will be flexible. Liu Yu sat sideways, thinking that Zhu Xu must have been sitting in the same seat just now. Xie Xuan pondered for a while, then said calmly: How is the matter I ordered you going? Immediately, Liu Yu was beaming with joy, and said excitedly: Now there are about tens of thousands of gravel bags, each weighing 30 to 40 catties, which can be tied on the back, and it is impossible to detect it from across the river.I also asked people to set up the formation for many times, as long as you hold a light rattan shield with one hand to block the enemy's arrows, and pull the knot back with the other hand, the bag of gravel will slide down the river bed without anyone noticing.

Xie Xuan frowned and said: "Carrying a stone bag that weighs thirty to forty catties, how could our actions be affected? There are many experts in Fu Jian's side. In broad daylight, we can see the clues from our moving posture." Liu Yu was stunned and said: Does Shuai Xuan want to make a night attack? Xie Xuan said happily: "Young children can be taught!"When Zhu Xu returned to Shouyang to see Fu Jian, he would scold me for being arrogant, and he would not pay attention to him because of his arrogance.Since I, Xie Xuan, are such a person, of course there will be no movement tonight, and there must be some aggressive and provocative actions to cooperate.Tell me, how many people do you need?

Liu Yu was ambitious, and Xuan suppressed the enthusiasm in his heart, and said in a whisper: This matter is very important, so it should be presided over by Liu Canjun or General He Qian, hey!I Xie Xuan smiled and said: "Because the matter is of great importance, we must not let the other party realize that it is of great importance. It is most appropriate for you to lead the army, so that the enemy will think that it is just a general harassing action." Liu Yu regained his ambition and knew that Xie Xuan was giving him a chance to make meritorious service. Since he took on Xie Xuan's other task, he racked his brains to make this matter perfect, so he thought he would do better than anyone else under his command.So without hesitation, he said: "I only need 3,000 infantry troops to cross the river in three groups, with 1,000 people in each group. Five sneak attacks should fill up the river bed by several feet, so that our cavalry can cross the river quickly."People on our side will bend their knees and bend down to adjust the height above the water, so that they will not be noticed by the other party in the dark.After completing the task, we will sprinkle a layer of sand and dead branches and leaves on the gravel bag. If you look into the river from the bank, you should not notice any abnormalities.

Xie Xuandao: You have thought very carefully and lived up to my entrustment. After you complete the task, the people under your command can return to the city to rest. You don’t need to participate in tomorrow’s battle. found a difference. Liu Yu hurriedly said: Please allow your subordinates to follow Xuanshuai Jiwei tomorrow. Xie Xuan laughed and said: How can I miss you, go! Liu Yu left full of joy, thinking that the so-called talking and laughing with soldiers should be Xie Xuan's calm and calm look, and he understands that Xie Xuan told everyone to rest well tonight, because he has himself, a pawn crossing the river, to bear the hard work tonight action.

boom! Fu Jian slapped his palm on the table, and said angrily: "Xie Xuan, my son, how dare you ignore me, Fu Jian, are you impatient?" Zhu Xu, who was standing in front of him with his hands down respectfully, said with resentment: He has changed a lot. He was deeply tainted by the corrupt habits of the southern aristocratic families. Fu Jian exchanged glances with Fu Rong who was sitting beside him, suppressed his anger, and said in a deep voice: "Zhu Qing must give me a word-for-word report." Zhu Xudao: Xie Xuan uttered wild words, saying that he would never allow the king of heaven to return to the north alive, as long as he cut off the supply line of our army between Bianhuangji and Shouyang, we would run out of food and grass within three days, and he also persuaded the humble minister to surrender to him , to Wei Chen sternly refused.

Fu Rong said calmly: This is not a wild statement, we have to make arrangements, otherwise his words may become reality. Zhu Xu secretly thought that Fu Rong did understand the current situation better than Brother Nai. The original plan was to besiege Shouyang on the one hand, and block off the river with Liang Cheng's army on the other hand, advancing on the Xiashi.Now Shouyang was won without a fight, but it was an empty city. Instead, a huge army had to be invested. What's worse, Liang Chengyi's army was wiped out, and the eastern barrier was completely lost. The transportation of grain and grass cut off the lifeline between Bianhuangji and Shouyang.More than 200,000 people consume a lot of food, and the food and grass stored in Shouyang are only enough for a few days, so Xie Xuan's false threats have paid off.

Fu Jian's face became even more ugly. Zhu Xu said: This is only part of what he said. He said that tomorrow he will send his troops across the river and kill all of us. Instead of being angry, Fu Jian smiled and said: You son of a bitch!What a guts! Fu Rong frowned and said: Is Xie Xuan such an impatient person?There must be fraud in it. Zhu Xudao: According to my minister, Xie Xuan may have used the strategy of attacking the west, but if he establishes a stronghold north of the Huai River, it can indeed cut off the connection between our army and Bianhuangji, and prevent our army from entering the Huai River again. Cross the Huai River downstream.

Fu Rong nodded and said: General Zhu's words are very reasonable, but in terms of strength we are twice as good as him, so we can do whatever he likes? Zhu Xu said: "If Xie Xuan dares to cross the river and attack tomorrow, how should we deal with it?" Fu Jian said sternly: Then I will teach him to sink his body to the bottom of the river, no one can go back to the gorge alive. Fu Rong knew that Fu Jian was already very angry with Xie Xuan, but he still didn't dare to persuade Fu Jian not to shrink back, otherwise the Southern Expedition army with more than 200,000 soldiers across the north would not dare to fight back against the Beifu soldiers who were less than 100,000. But the laughingstock of the world, and it will greatly affect the Di Qin army that lost in the first battle.

Zhu Xu was still about to speak, when suddenly the sound of war drums came from the east bank. Fu Jian stood up angrily, and shouted: You really deceived me and no one is there, Xie Xuan!I, Fu Jian, will teach you to regret every word you said. Fu Rong hurriedly stood up and said: "The king of heaven, don't be angry with this kind of person who doesn't know the heights of the sky and the earth. I think it's just a bluff to disrupt the action, and I will deal with it." Zhu Xu lowered his head so that the two of them would not notice the joy flashing in his eyes. Yan Fei fell down and sat in the forest, panting for a few short breaths, his whole body was cloudy and cold, but he couldn't tell where the discomfort was, the uncomfortable feeling that he couldn't figure out the root of the trouble.

He remembered the conversation between Xu Daofu and Lu Xun earlier, and secretly cried out in his heart.In order to rush to Xiashi so as to warn Liu Yu, I ran with all my strength, and the evil poison that Ren Yao had invaded the body might spread to the meridians of the whole body. The night sky is full of stars, magnificent and charming. Yan Fei silently practiced the Dafa of the sun, moon and beautiful sky, the sun and the moon rose and fell in his body. After a long while, the coldness gradually subsided, and he seemed to recover, but Yan Fei knew that he was only suppressing the internal injury by force. nowhere in sight. He is free and easy, and he doesn't take the injury to heart, secretly thinking that if his fate should be like this, he has no choice but to accept his fate. During this silent hour of the night, his mind was at peace.Since he started wandering, he has enjoyed a life of solitude and loneliness.Only when he is alone can he clearly realize his own existence, feel the subtle and unfathomable relationship between himself and the world, and experience the strange life from a broad to infinite perspective. When most people are obsessed with love, hate, sorrow, joy, power, fame and fortune in the world, he feels a moving feeling of detachment from everything else. After assassinating Murong Wen, he fled Chang'an with a sad memory of the love between men and women that made his soul shattered. is she happy nowIn the depths of her heart, is there still herself? In the past, whenever he missed her, there would always be indescribable sadness and loss in his heart, but at this moment, he was just a lonely and isolated individual, thinking of being in another world outside the world, and what he gave was exactly its own loneliness. So what if you think about it hard?Everything is an irreversible fact. Yan Fei wanted to just sit there like that: never stand up, never have to leave, and become one with everything in the world.But he also knows that he has been deeply involved in the vortex of the great era, and it is impossible to maintain all the styles that have nothing to do with him. Sighing secretly, he stood up slowly and continued his journey to the south. Xie Xuanzhuo stood on the top of the stone wall of the gorge, staring at the situation of the enemy on the other side.The night attack across the river was in the ascendant, and the enemy dispatched nearly 10,000 infantry to block their own troops on the river with arrows. Before abandoning Shouyang, Xie Xuan ordered Hu Bin to build arrow trenches, archery towers, and stone barriers along the Feishui River. However, the enemy's position in Shouyang was not stable when they first captured Shouyang, so Xie Xuan placed heavy archers on the east bank. Therefore, Feishui was still firmly controlled by Beifu soldiers until now, and they were the only ones who crossed the water to attack, and Fu Jian could only passively fight back. Of course, after the Fu Qin soldiers had established their positions, they could win the control of Feishui with overwhelming force, but it was by no means tonight, nor would it be tomorrow. The river water with a width of more than 20 to more than 30 feet will be the key to determining the outcome. The future of Liu Yu's son is indeed limitless, just look at his command of the night attack, although he knows it is a bluff, but he is meticulous, he has worked hard, and his offense and defense are fully legal. The first three rows were all rattan shields. Under the cover of their own trebuchets and archers on the east bank, they forced their way through the center of the river. Row after row of strong arrows shot high into the sky from behind the rattan shields and threw them towards the enemy's formation. Casualties are still heavy on the enemy. Soldiers carrying stone bags crossed the river according to the instructions, and carried out tasks under the cover of shields, and those skilled in water dived into the bottom of the river to move the stone bags to an appropriate position, and everything was in order. There are also troops crossing the river elsewhere to attack the enemy, so that the enemy cannot see through their secret missions. What Xie Xuan was thinking about was something not directly related to the war in front of him. He had just received a letter from Feige from Jiankang about Huan Chong's death, and couldn't sleep anymore, so he went to the city wall to watch the battle. Gusts of cold wind blew from the northwest, blowing his clothes flying, and he deeply understood the hardships of the soldiers crossing the river. Huan Chong was the person he respected the most outside Xie An. If it wasn't for his full support for Xie An, the Southern Jin Dynasty would not have seen the most prosperous situation since Nandu.Such a selfless person died in peace at the most inopportune time. For Nan Jin, it was an irreparable loss. It's just too coincidental. Huan Chong's younger brother, Huan Xuan, was the one whom he and Xie An were most wary of. Not only was his swordsmanship unrivaled in the world, but he was also an invincible commander. Four years ago, when Zhu Xu was defeated and surrendered, and Xiangyang fell, Huan Chong used Huan Xuan as his deputy commander to launch a counterattack, with 100,000 Jingzhou troops, divided into multiple groups.Huanxuan attacked Xiangyang; Liu Bo attacked the northern cities of Mian; Yang Liang attacked Shu; Guo Quan attacked Wudang.The Jingzhou army took over many cities in succession and shocked the north, all thanks to Murongchui, Yao Chang and others' desperate efforts to keep Xiangyang. This matter also directly triggered Fu Jian's Southern Expedition, otherwise Xiangyang would fall back into the hands of the Jingzhou Army, and Fu Jian would not be able to restrain the brave and skilled Jingzhou Army led by such outstanding generals as Huan Chong and Huan Xuan. In this battle, Huan Xuan fully demonstrated his talent as a commander, and became the only one among the new generation of generals who could be compared with Xie Xuan. Huanxuan has long assisted Brother Nai in managing Jingzhou's military administration, and he is determined to recruit local wealthy families. His influence in Jingzhou is deep-rooted, and he is even more repellent towards Yangzhou, where Jiankang is located. If Huan Chong did not support the court, Jingyang would have been in trouble. Now that Huan Chong has gone and the big tree has fallen, it will be difficult to return to the old view.Whether Jing Yang divides or unites, it all depends on Huan Xuan's thought, and Huan Xuan has also become the source of future disasters. Jing Yang's disorder gave Sun En, a celestial master based in Hainan, an opportunity to take advantage of Lu Xun's bold assassination of Hu Bin. Knowing that the growing power of celestial masters does not pay attention to the Southern Dynasty. Even if this battle is won and Fu Jian is repelled, the future is still not optimistic about internal and external troubles. Xie Xuan's mind returned to the enemy army facing across the river. The success or failure of this battle will determine tomorrow's battle.If Fu Jian stood still and could not hold on to Shouyang, he, Xie Xuan, would lose this battle, and also lose the country of the Southern Jin Dynasty. However, he clearly felt that Fu Jian would never shrink back, not to mention the provocative method he used through Zhu Xu.What's more important is the mentality of the Hu family who loves martial arts and loves face. He, Fu Jian, led a large army to the south, whose strength was more than ten times that of the Beifu soldiers, and he lost the first battle, which greatly damaged his prestige. If he was frightened by mere Feishui and Beifu soldiers and dared not fight, what is his reputation? Fu Jian had to fight because he was more eager to win than himself.What's more, as long as Fu Jian wins the fight, he can restore the morale of Di Qin's army. At this time, Liu Laozhi climbed up the tower, came to him, and said happily: "Liu Yu is indeed a rare talent." Xie Xuan didn't answer him directly, but said with a smile: Can't you sleep in prison? Liu Laozhi smiled bitterly and said, "No matter what, I can't close my eyes." In the Beifu Army, Xie Xuan was the only person he could confide in and speak out freely. He absolutely trusted and respected Xie Xuan. Xie Xuan suddenly changed the subject, and said: Zhu Xu has only one request after the matter is completed, what is your request? Liu Laozhi was slightly astonished, thought hard for a moment, shook his head and said: "Forgive the foolishness of the prison." Xie Xuan showed a bitter expression, and said slowly: What he asked was to remove his military status and release him as a commoner. Since the Three Kingdoms period, there have been continuous wars. Soldiers and military households have shed blood and sacrificed for the rulers, and have undertaken various labor services, and their families are no exception.And once registered in the military, it will be difficult to return to civilian status.Soldiers at the lower ranks, especially for soldiers, live in poverty, have no food and clothing, and die without leaving their bones.What's more, the higher-ranking generals murder their lives for wealth, and the rich officials and soldiers either kill and take their property, or take it away and give them empty millet, impoverish their strength, thin their clothes, use their work, and save their food. , Continuous winter and summer, coupled with suffering, died in the ditch and often 17 or 18, so soldiers worked hard, and their hearts were not forgotten. Famous generals like Zhu Xu, of course, were not afraid of being exploited. What they were afraid of was that the court would be mean and ungrateful, and all birds would be hidden. Therefore, Liu Jianzhi heard Zhu Xu's request, and he couldn't help feeling that he was hurt. Zhu Xu made great contributions this time, so he took the opportunity to ask for exemption from military registration, which was a wise move. Xie Xuan said in a deep voice: "Prisoner recommends Xu Xiaoyu. I feel the same way. This son is a natural soldier. Only in the army can he be like a fish in water. This is the difference between him and me. Unlike me, if he has a choice, he will return." Bird Clothes Lane went to the life where I longed for poetry and wine.These words are only between you and me, I should not directly support Liu Yu, everything is left to you, he will be a great help to you in the future, I don't want him to be rejected by the army or the court because of me. Liu Laozhi understood and nodded in agreement. Xie Xuan turned his eyes to the other side, and said calmly: Tomorrow is our only chance to defeat Fu Jian, so we must go forward bravely, regardless of life or death. Liu Laozhi nodded affirmatively and said: Now the enemy's position is not stable, food and grass are insufficient, and they have lost the first battle, their morale is low, and they have to work on an expedition. If you don't make good use of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity tomorrow, the situation will be very different after the fight. Xie Xuan showed a confident smile, and said: No matter how much Ren Fu Jian somersaults, he can't get out of my palm. Tomorrow will be the end of his Qin Dynasty. We must prepare for all contingencies after his defeat. , don't miss this opportunity. The shouts of killing in Feishui continued one after another, and the drums roared, sounding the prelude to the decisive battle.