&nbs...
The letter from Marquis Ji Chang of Xi is well-reasoned and profound, presenting facts and arguments. At the same time, Prime Minister Shang Rong leveraged his political influence to unite many ministers, and for the second time, he suppressed King Zhou's intention to mobilize troops. Moreover, the elderly prime minister sent his trusted follower to Nan Du to provide guarantees for safety and demanded that Marquis E Zongyu of Nan immediately comply with the imperial decree.
After careful consideration, Marquis E Zongyu of Nan still adhered to his previous statement. When his second petition claiming that there were rebel tribes in the south and he could not attend court was delivered to the capital, Zhou, this time Prime Minister Shang Rong had no response.
King Zhou, by nature, was not a patient man. With Fu Zhen's further persuasion, he finally made up his mind and ordered Deng Jiugong at the Three Mountain Pass to lead troops and fight!
He issued an edict, unfurling the white pennant and yellow axe, appointing Deng Jiugong as the Grand Marshal of South Campaign, to conquer Marquis E Zongyu.
The edict arrived at the Three Mountain Pass, and the war machine was activated. Countless prefectures and counties in the south of the Great Zhou began to transport supplies and weapons to the Three Mountain Pass.
For several days, Deng Chanyu had been preparing for the battle.
Zhou Wu can no longer ride, so he must continue to ride a horse.
"Biao Zi, on the battlefield, we must be careful with our positioning, avoid charging into crowded areas, and remember that when there is a rain of arrows, I can only protect myself. I'm afraid I won't be able to protect you. When they shoot arrows, we must stay far away. Do you understand?" She whispered instructions while carefully grooming the war horse.
He is petting the cat, but she is petting the horse.
The original text describes Deng Chanyu and her beloved horse as "graceful and delicate, adept at handling needles with dexterous fingers and skillful with the sword, her jade-like hands agile, too lazy to stand by the makeup table, riding a poor-quality horse." The term "poor-quality horse" here is essentially synonymous with a spirited horse, one that is very difficult for ordinary people to control.
At this time, the war horse, which had become very obedient, rolled its eyes and said, "What do you call me? I'm a mare, not a male horse. Don't give me such strange names, okay?"
Deng Chanyu was nervous about going to battle and could only chatter on about "Biaozi" to dispel her pressure. She occasionally glanced over at the duplicate to check on things, as she had become quite adept at multitasking.
She was brushing her warhorse when she suddenly felt a presence. Looking up, she saw a dignified middle-aged man watching her from a short distance away.
The middle-aged man's side was a smiling and laughing Huang auntie.
Deng Chanyu's brow furrowed in confusion. After checking the surroundings, she confirmed that it was her home. "Who are you?" she asked puzzled.
The Huang auntie suppressed her laughter and introduced them, "Ayu, this is my cousin Huang Feibiao, who has come to serve under the lord's command today."
The middle-aged man bowed and said, "I am Huang Feibiao, a subordinate of the Lord. I have the honor to meet Miss Deng."
Deng Chanyu let out a surprised "Ouch!" She glanced at her war horse in a discreet manner, but the horse looked innocent and unaware of any connection to her "blabbering."
"Uncle, I apologize for my rudeness to you in person. Please forgive me, forgive me!"
Huang Feibiao is the younger brother of Huang Fei. He is the seventh generation of the Huang family, which has a deep reputation in the martial circles. As a warrior, Huang Fei was given the title of Marquis after his high achievement. Being given the title of a king as a warrior has reached the point where no further rewards can be given and no further titles can be granted.
The Great Zhou was unwilling to allow Huang Fei to achieve further military honors, but his younger brother still had the need to prove himself on the battlefield.
Through their family connections, Huang Feibiao heard that there was going to be a war in the south. Taking advantage of his connections at court, he led his retainers and over seven thousand soldiers to participate in the battle, hoping to accumulate some merit and eventually return to the capital to become a general or something similar.
Among the four major lords, the Eastern Lord's army is the strongest. The Western Lord has terrain advantages, while the Northern Lord is nothing but an instrument of King Zhou, and the Southern Lord is the weakest. Both the court and common people believe that defeating him will be easy.
The Three Mountain Pass gathered a massive army exceeding three hundred thousand troops.
The army was fully assembled. Marquis Deng Jiugong held a religious ceremony to swear an oath to heaven. On the eighth day of that month, he led a contingent of fifty thousand cavalry, one hundred and fifty thousand infantry, and eighty thousand navy troops, totaling two hundred and eighty thousand soldiers, on a southern campaign.
...
Marquis E Zongyu did not sit idly by and die. He first destroyed the bridge, then assembled two hundred southern lords and arranged his troops along the river, setting up a large camp in the South. Marquis Deng Jiugong had no choice but to set up camp on the north bank. The two sides stood on the riverbank every day, shouting "Do you dare come down?" "Do you dare come up?" "Do you dare come down?" in a repetitive cycle.
So, what does a proper Warring States war look like? Two armies line up, soldiers stand at attention, and enter into spectator mode. Then the vanguard officers of both sides gallop on horseback and clash swords in a duel. Whoever wins, they raise their hand and lead their troops to charge forward, killing as many as they can. The next day, both sides regroup and engage in another battle. This continues until one side's morale collapses.
In the context of the great "Fengshen" (Godly King) campaign, Marquis E Zongyu's tactics appear quite "unconventional." He did not cross the river but merely defended his position, not allowing a single northern soldier to land. Tactics such as fighting a rear-guard action or deploying the crescent formation were not applicable. Marquis Deng Jiugong could not break through his defenses.
Marquis E Zongyu's plan is merely to exhaust the enemy through sustained fighting.
With Nan Du, a key transportation hub of nine provinces, he has an abundance of money and grain. Now with his stronghold as his back, he is not afraid of the cost.
Marquis Deng Jiugong's Three Mountain Pass is just a military checkpoint with limited food supplies. The food and supplies for the 280,000 troops require transportation from the rear of Yin State's prefectures bit by bit.
The short time is fine, but the long time is a concern. Fear that King Zhou will lose patience and punish the Deng family.
Marquis Deng Jiugong convened the various commanders for several days of discussion, and finally, Deng Ai, who was responsible for intelligence in Nan Du, proposed a suggestion.
The two armies were stationed along the river, and a detachment of troops crossed the river downstream. They then traveled through the territory of the primitive tribes, climbed over mountains and hills, and finally surprised Nan Du through a small path.
As the main general of the troops, Marquis Deng Jiugong certainly cannot do this.
Deng Xiu... he's a standard military officer, capable of fighting and cutting down enemies. Crossing a thousand miles, sneaking into enemy territory, conducting a surprise attack, and finally using psychological warfare to counter-attack Marquis E Zongyu's camp in the south from the direction of Nan Du - these are tasks that are indeed quite demanding for someone as straightforward and honest as him.
Finally, the task fell to Deng Chanyu, who also had her eye on the treasure house of Marquis E Zongyu.
She went to launch a surprise attack on the city of Nan Du with Huang Feibiao, who had once followed Huang Fei in fighting the southern tribes.
On Deng Chanyu's side, there are 300 household slaves and 5,000 soldiers, while on Huang Feibiao's side, there are 500 household slaves and 7,000 soldiers, making a combined total of 13,000 people.
......
"Uncle Biao, did you come here during your southern campaign?" Deng Chanyu asked while leading her warhorse, walking along as she inquired.
After turning several hundred miles, they crossed the river from the downstream using small boats and arrived at the southern shore. To her, there were only mountains all around and nothing else, with the environment being extremely harsh.
In front of them was a narrow path between two mountains, the road muddy and uneven, as if it had been worn out day by day by the mountain folk.
This environment made her very uncomfortable, so she had to find something to say, to relieve the pressure.
Uncle Biao?......Huang Feibiao was not too accustomed to this down-to-earth nickname.
It sounds like the term for street vendors selling tofu or fish, not for a powerful and distinguished general from the great merchant state.
However, Deng Chanyu's calling him "uncle" is also correct. Although Marquis Deng Jiugong's experience does not match that of Huang Fei, he is much higher than Huang Feibiao. Calling him "uncle" is entirely appropriate.
"Hmm..." Huang Feibiao coughed, surveyed the surrounding terrain, and then pointed to the front with his horsewhip, saying: "When Brother and I were campaigning against the Tiger State, we came here. By crossing the mountain range in front of us, we are not far from Nan Du City... "
