Preamble:
The soldiers and horses did not move, and the grain and grass went first. The ancients said: "The teacher is safe, and the master is endless." "How to use troops is the best policy? Is it better to have more troops, or is it enough to stop? This is a great test for the commander-in-chief.
Chapter 1: The Siege of Pengcheng
In 206 BC, the Qin Dynasty fell, and the world was divided into princes. Liu Bang, as a pawn under the command of Xiang Yu, the overlord of Western Chu, made great achievements in the Battle of Khotan and Miao, and was named the King of Han. However, he was ambitious and unwilling to be a vassal, and was determined to start anew and fight against Xiang Yu.
The battle of Pengcheng is about to break out
Xiang Yu returned from pacifying Tian Rong's rebellion, but Liu Bang had already entangled a total of 560,000 troops from the vassal states and took Pengcheng while he was away. Xiang Yu was furious when he heard the news, and personally led 30,000 iron horsemen to rush over, determined to beat Liu Bang, a treacherous villain.
Liu Bang thinks very highly of himself, believing that an army of 560,000 is enough to overwhelm Xiang Yu's 100,000 people. He divided his troops into three routes: the northern route was led by famous generals such as Cao Shen and Guan Ying, the middle route was personally commanded by him, under the jurisdiction of Zhang Liang and Chen Ping's ministers, and the southern route was controlled by Xue Ou and Wang Ling.
However, Liu Bang forgot Han Xin's advice: "You can only command 100,000 horses." He underestimated Xiang Yu's strength and overestimated his own ability.
The battle was at a stalemate, and the two sides faced off for months under the city of Pengcheng. Liu Bang sat back and watched Xiang Yu's small army harassing outside the city, and did not care at all. Until one day, Xiang Yu personally led 30,000 elites to suddenly launch a general attack, and Liu Bang's army was suddenly in chaos.
Xiang Yu personally commanded 30,000 and defeated Liu Bang's 560,000 army in half a day
Xiang Yu took the lead and personally rushed to the forefront. His iron cavalry struck like a storm, and instantly broke through Liu Bang's formation. Liu Bang's three-way army was defeated and retreated.
Although the commanders of the Northern Route Army were experienced in a hundred battles, they could not withstand Xiang Yu's storms; The army in the middle was even more defeated, and Zhang Liang and other advisers lost their armor; The army of the South Road also scattered and fled.
In half a day, the 560,000 army was defeated by Xiang Yu's 30,000 horses. Liu Bang witnessed the complete annihilation of his army, and countless soldiers were killed or drowned in the water. He didn't even have time to think about it, he couldn't even take care of his wife and children, and ran for his life alone. In the end, he escaped from the siege with only a dozen people.
Xiang Yu won a complete victory, not only capturing Liu Bang's family, but also capturing a large amount of military resources in Pengcheng. Liu Bang was greatly injured in this battle and was almost ruined.
Chapter 2 The Siege of White Mountain
The Battle of Pengcheng dealt Liu Bang a heavy blow, but he did not give up. With the help of Han Xin, Zhang Er and others, he gradually regained his strength, and in 200 BC he once again assembled an army of 320,000 to prepare for a crusade against Han Wangxin.
Although Liu Bang has learned a lesson, his arrogant personality has never changed. He still went his own way, personally commanding an army of 320,000 troops, putting himself at great risk.
Sure enough, in the area of Baishan Mountain, Liu Bang's army was besieged by the Xiongnu Shan Yu Maodun. Maudun led the elite cavalry and watched around the White Mountain. Liu Bang's army of 320,000 fell into an unprecedented crisis.
At this critical moment, Zhang Er and Han Xin arrived in time, and Shi Ji opened the encirclement. They first sent people to collude with the Xiongnu and secretly delayed time; Later, a trap was set to lure the Xiongnu army into going deeper, and finally defeated it.
Although Liu Bang kept his army of 320,000, he also paid a heavy price. This experience made him finally realize that his command ability was limited, and he could no longer be arrogant.
Chapter 3: The Battle of Changping
During the Warring States Period, Zhao's national strength gradually declined, and there were many contradictions between the government and the opposition in China. Zhao Kuo, as the prime minister of Zhao State, had to send troops to crusade against other countries in order to maintain the rule of Zhao State.
In 260 BC, Zhao Kuo gathered an army of 450,000 and prepared to attack the Wei state. However, his opponent was one of the most outstanding military strategists of the Warring States period - Bai Qi.
Bai Qi is a famous general of the Wei State and is known for his "killing array". In the Battle of Changping, he used exquisite tactics to completely defeat Zhao Kuo's army of 450,000.
Zhao Kuo originally thought that with the strength of the crowd, it was enough to overwhelm the Wei army. However, Bai Qi skillfully used the terrain, first set up an ambush to lure the Zhao army to go deeper; Later, he launched a surprise attack on the narrow road of Changping. The Zhao army was surrounded and retreated.
In the end, Zhao Kuo's army of 450,000 was completely annihilated by Bai Qi. Zhao Kuo escaped in person, but he was also physically and mentally exhausted, and he was no longer able to fight back. This fiasco marked the collapse of Zhao Guo.
Chapter 4: The Battle of Kunyang
At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the world was in turmoil, and the heroes rose together. Among them, the three major forces represented by Liu Bei, Cao Cao, and Sun Quan are the most powerful.
In 200 AD, Cao Cao's son Cao Ang rebelled in Hebei and was defeated by Liu Bei's general Guan Yu. In order to retaliate, Cao Cao personally led an army of 600,000 to the south, preparing to eliminate Liu Bei in one fell swoop.
However, on the way, Cao Cao's army was attacked by a small force. This force consisted of just over 3,000 men and was led by a man named Liu Xiu.
Liu Xiu was originally an inconspicuous boy, but later became the most famous leader of the peasant rebel army at that time with his extraordinary resourcefulness. In the face of Cao Cao's army of 600,000, he was undaunted and used guerrilla tactics to deal a heavy blow to Cao's army.
Eventually, Cao Cao's army of 600,000 was forced to retreat, and Liu Xiu became famous. This battle was later known as the "Battle of Kunyang" and became a famous scene in history.
Chapter 5: The Battle of Shouzhang
During the Cao Wei period, there was a peasant uprising war of unprecedented scale - the Qingzhou Uprising. The leader of the rebel army was a man who called himself "General Tiangong" named Zhang Jiao.
Zhang Jiao called on the Yellow Turban Army to rise up, claiming to "sweep away the tyrannical Qin and extinguish the faint king". His voice aroused strong repercussions among the people for a while, attracting a large number of poor people to join. Eventually, Zhang Jiao's Yellow Turban Army reached a massive scale of more than 1 million people.
In the face of such a huge rebel army, Cao Cao had to go out in person, and called on Huangfu Song, Zhu Jun, Lu Zhi and others to jointly suppress the bandits. The two sides encountered a decisive battle in the area of Shouzhang.
Despite their large numbers, the Yellow Turban Army lacked unified command and lacked discipline, making it impossible to compete with the regular army. In the end, Zhang Jiao's army of more than 1 million was completely defeated, and he himself was killed in the war.
Chapter 6: The Battle of the Rivers
In the last years of the Jin Dynasty, the East and West Jin Dynasty faced each other, and the war continued. Among them, the former Qin Fujian, as an important force in the Western Jin Dynasty, once occupied a dominant position.
In 383 AD, Fu Jian gathered an army of 800,000 and prepared to destroy the Eastern Jin Dynasty in one fell swoop. However, his opponent was an outstanding military strategist - Sima Yao.
Sima Yao only led an elite army of 80,000, but with his extraordinary strategy and command skills, he defeated Fu Jian's army of 800,000 in the Battle of Weishui.
At the beginning of the battle, Sima Yao skillfully arranged the formation to lure Fu Jian's army to go deeper. Subsequently, he launched a surprise attack at a critical moment, throwing Fu Jian's army into chaos. In the end, Sima Yao personally charged into battle and completely defeated Fu Jian's army.
This battle was called the "Battle of Weishui" by later generations, and it can be called a classic work of ancient soldiers. It once again confirms the truth that "more people" does not mean "stronger soldiers".
Chapter 7: The Defeat of Emperor Yang of Sui
The Sui Dynasty was a short-lived dynasty, but although it did not reign for long, it left behind many brilliant achievements. Among them, the most famous is the meritorious work of Emperor Wen of Sui to unify the world.
However, by the time of Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty, the Sui Dynasty had been declining. In order to revive the prestige of the Sui Dynasty, Emperor Yang did not hesitate to build an army of 900,000 troops to prepare for the Northern Expedition to Goguryeo.
Although Goguryeo was not strong, with its elite cavalry and familiar terrain, it caused great trouble to the Sui army. The two sides encountered a decisive battle in today's Liaodong area, and the Goguryeo cavalry dealt a heavy blow to the Sui army by virtue of guerrilla tactics.
In the end, Emperor Yang of Sui's army of 900,000 was defeated by the Goguryeo army, and he himself was killed in the war. This battle is known as the "Defeat of Emperor Yang of Sui", marking the collapse of the Sui Dynasty from then on.
Chapter 8: The Battle of Guandu
During the Three Kingdoms period, the three kingdoms of Wei, Shu and Wu were in full swing, and wars continued. Among them, Cao Cao and Yuan Shao are the two most powerful forces. In 200 AD, Yuan Shao gathered an army of 400,000 and prepared to eliminate Cao Cao in one fell swoop. However, he underestimated Cao Cao's strength.
Although Cao Cao's troops were inferior to Yuan Shao, he relied on his outstanding strategy and command skills to defeat Yuan Shao's army of 400,000 in the Battle of Guandu.
At the beginning of the battle, Cao Cao skillfully arranged the formation to lure Yuan Shao's army into depth. Subsequently, he launched a surprise attack at a critical moment, plunging Yuan Shao's army into chaos. In the end, Cao Cao personally charged into battle and completely defeated Yuan Shao's army.
This battle was called the "Battle of Guandu" by later generations and can be called a classic of the Three Kingdoms period. It once again confirms the truth that "more people" does not mean "stronger soldiers".
Chapter 9: The Battle of Red Cliffs
Although Cao Cao defeated Yuan Shao in the Battle of Guandu, his opponents were much more than that. On the southeast coast, the combined forces of Sun Quan and Zhou Yu were also a force to be reckoned with.
In 208 AD, Cao Cao gathered an army of 600,000 and prepared to eliminate Sun Quan in one fell swoop. However, he underestimated Zhou Yu's strategy and Sun Quan's strength.
During the Battle of Chibi, Zhou Yu used an ingenious strategy to lure Cao Cao's army deep into the narrow waters of Chibi. Subsequently, he launched a surprise attack at a critical moment, and took advantage of the man-controlled wind to set the Cao army's warship on fire.
Cao Cao's army of 600,000 was surrounded by heavy sieges in the waters of Chibi and retreated. In the end, he had to escape with the remnants of his army. This battle was called the "Battle of Red Cliffs" by later generations, and can be called another classic of the Three Kingdoms period.
Chapter 10: The Battle of Hefei
During the Three Kingdoms period, although Sun Quan defeated Cao Cao in the Battle of Red Cliffs, his opponents were much more than that. In the northwest, the confrontation between Cao Wei and Shu Han was also a thorny issue.
In 222 AD, Liu Bei, the ancestor of Shu Han, died of illness, and his son Liu Bei succeeded him, preparing to eliminate Cao Wei in one fell swoop. However, he underestimated Cao Wei's strength.
In the Battle of Hefei, Cao Zhen, the general of Cao Wei, used an ingenious strategy to lure Liu Bei's 100,000 troops deep into the city of Hefei. Subsequently, he launched a surprise attack at a critical moment, and used a human-controlled fire to burn the grain and grass of the Shu army.
Liu Bei's army of 100,000 fell under the siege of Hefei and retreated. In the end, he had to escape with the remnants of his army. This battle was called the "Battle of Hefei" by later generations, which can be called another classic of the Three Kingdoms period.
Epilogue:
History is like a mirror, reflecting the wisdom and lessons of the ancients in the use of soldiers.