novelAbuy Chapter 1429 Aftermath
Chapter 1429 Aftermath
Chapter 1429 Aftermath
A few days later, the Grand Marshal and the General Zhendong finally arrived with their army.
Looking at the devastation on the south bank of the Zhang River, Feng Da Sima had a blank expression on his face. After a long silence, he finally asked:
"How are the people?"
Zhang Bao replied:
"Sima Yi broke the dike at night, flooding the south bank. The people were forced to flee south, and only a small number of people escaped to the north bank."
"So on the day the dam broke, we only saved a hundred people. But after the flood receded, many people returned, but..."
"Just what?"
"However, the houses and fields around Yecheng were destroyed by the floods, and the people had no food or clothing. The army did not have much food. Even if we provided relief, we could only barely keep people from starving to death."
Zhang Bao had mostly eaten his way here from the enemy, as there was not much food in the army.
Before leaving, Sima Yi set fire to all the granaries and arsenals in Yecheng.
If Sima Feng had arrived a few days later, he might have had to leave the victims to fend for themselves.
When Feng Dasima heard this, he looked around.
Not far away, rotting bean stalks formed a gray-green floating carpet on the surface of the mud, undulating like a shroud of death.
The uprooted mulberry trees lay on the ground, with drowned bodies of foxes or other animals tangled among the branches, their bellies swollen and emitting a foul odor.
“Why don’t you clean it up?”
Feng Dasima pointed at the animal's corpse and asked.
"These days, everyone is busy gathering the victims and clearing the mud on the official roads, so there is a shortage of manpower..."
As Zhang Bao was speaking, some soldiers passed by carrying a corpse.
"We burned more than a dozen bodies today."
Zhang Bao used his gun to pry open the straw mat, revealing the purple corpse underneath. A foul smell penetrated into his lungs.
At the same time, the arms of the corpse suddenly fell off, revealing the white bones - the flesh softened by the flood was no longer able to be lifted.
"Whether it is a human corpse or an animal corpse, it cannot be left unattended."
Feng Da Sima took a look at the corpse and said, "If human corpses are not handled properly, there will be plague. Animal corpses can also spread the plague."
"From today on, brother, don't worry about these things. Leave them to the staff officer."
"Also, soldiers, don't do these jobs. Just be responsible for maintaining order. Leave these jobs to the victims. I will have people transfer more food."
"Remember, we will take in as many disaster victims as there are. It doesn't matter if they are not disaster victims, as long as they are willing to come. There is no need to worry about too many people, and there is no need to worry about not having enough food, just take them in."
Feng Da Sima said, holding the whip and pointing at the Zhang River, "In addition to clearing the bodies and the road, we also need to organize civilians to repair the embankment. There is a lot of work to do, the more people the better."
The staff officer following behind quickly responded and took out a small notebook to make a note.
Using work for relief, organizing the people to build water conservancy projects, construct bridges and roads, and reclaim wasteland for farming are all familiar to all students who have graduated from college.
Because this is what most people do during their graduation internship.
With just a few words, he solved the problem that had been giving Zhang Bao a headache these days.
Zhang Bao looked at his brother-in-law, who had a calm expression and acted as if he was taking a heavy task lightly. Then he looked at the staff officers who had already gathered together to discuss the matter. He couldn't help but be impressed.
He was not good at handling these things. As for his temporary teammate Zhao Guang...
Forget it.
After inspecting the area, Feng Dasima stood on the high ground, looking at the swamps, and suddenly sneered:
"There have been rumors in the past that the old thief Sima is afraid of Shu like a tiger. Now it seems that this man is really afraid of us Han people!"
He suddenly said this inexplicably, and everyone didn't know what Da Sima was thinking of.
General Zhendong asked:
"What do you mean by this?"
Feng Da Sima pointed to the dug bank and said:
"The old thief dug up the Zhang River. Besides wanting to use the flood to stop us from pursuing him, he probably had another idea."
"what?"
"Force us to provide disaster relief, consume our food supplies, and ensure that we have no energy left to chase him."
After a pause, Feng Da Sima added, "He knows that we will definitely provide disaster relief."
From the previous emperor who did not abandon the people, to the prime minister who suppressed the powerful and enforced the law, to Fatty Liu's new policies that benefited the people.
In recent years, many people in Hebei have escaped from the Han Dynasty, which shows that the reputation of the Han Dynasty for treating the people well has spread.
Sima Yi probably calculated that the Han army would not sit idly by and watch these victims.
When Zhang Bao heard what his brother-in-law said, he thought it was true. He saw that Sima Yi had already retreated, so he first rescued the people and did not even think about continuing to pursue the old thief.
General Zhendong frowned: "What a vicious old villain!"
Feng Da Sima said slowly:
"When Dong Zhuo was annihilated, the bandits dispersed. Jia Xu caused disaster with a single word, and people like Li Jue and Guo Si started a rebellion again, bringing disaster to the whole world."
"The whole country was in chaos, with great troubles and troubles. The country was in ruins, and the people suffered the same misery as the remnants of the Zhou Dynasty. People at that time all said that it was Jia Xu who started it."
"So after Cao Pi usurped the throne, he made Jia Xu one of the Three Dukes, but Sun Quan laughed at him."
"In my opinion, Sima Yi's actions are even more drastic than Jia Xu's siege of Chang'an to protect himself."
Jia Xu instigated the rebels from Liang Province to besiege Chang'an, at least in order to save himself and target the political group in Guandong.
This old thief Sima Yi actually attacked the people directly.
Having said this, Feng Da Sima exhaled and said slowly:
"I think Jia Wenhe's reputation for cruelty and ruthlessness should really be led by Sima Yi."
The corner of Zhang Bao's mouth twitched, and he couldn't help but turn his head slightly and glance at Zhao Guang.
Zhao Guang, who seemed to be quietly following behind Sima Feng, was actually daydreaming. His battlefield instinct made him keenly aware of something, and he immediately looked back.
When he saw that it was Zhang Bao, there was some confusion in his eyes, as if he didn't understand why the Zhang brother was looking at him so strangely.
General Zhendong said:
"The old villain Sima does not regard the people as human beings at all. His cruelty and ruthlessness are not enough to describe his viciousness. He has the nature of a jackal, is violent and cruel, and has no human reason. This is very appropriate."
My own Alang has been carrying the reputation of being cruel and ruthless for so many years. If Sima Yi acts in this way, he will take away this reputation. Then what about Alang's previous deeds of eliminating the nobles and benefiting the people?
I don't think about it!
Upon hearing this, Feng Da Sima nodded in agreement:
"Yes! Sima Yi's actions can indeed be described as the nature of a wolf, violent and cruel, and inhumane."
Having led large armies in battle many times, Sima Feng had witnessed countless tragic scenes.
Back then, he burned tens of thousands of Hu people in the valley without even blinking an eye.
But the scene before him made him feel a little uncomfortable.
In later generations, there was a man named Chiang Kai-shek who also did the same thing.
In order to prevent the enemy from advancing southward, the Yellow River dike was blown up.
The floods directly submerged approximately 60,000 square kilometers in the three provinces of Henan, Anhui and Jiangsu, killed nearly 900,000 people and displaced 12 million people.
A 400-kilometer-long Yellow River flood zone was formed, about 10 million acres of fertile farmland became desertified and could not be cultivated, and the drainage system in the Huaihe River basin was permanently damaged.
After paying such a huge price, we only delayed the enemy for three months.
Therefore, reactionaries throughout history have always had certain common virtues.
"Since ancient times, those who govern the country must manage water conservancy. Sima Yi's move is tantamount to cutting himself off from Hebei."
Feng Da Sima said in a slow tone:
"In the name of the pseudo-Wei Grand Tutor, he did such an inhumane thing in the founding land of the pseudo-Wei. It seems that he intends to give up Hebei completely."
When Zhang Bao heard this, he immediately asked:
"Give up Hebei? Is he going to retreat directly to the south of the river? What should we do then? Are we just going to let him leave like this?"
"You know, this time when he crossed the Zhang River to the south, he led 50,000 to 60,000 troops, and many of them were cavalry."
Feng Da Sima shook his head and said:
"Don't worry, there are not 60,000, at most 50,000. In addition, we retreated in a hurry this time, and you killed the tail end. In the end, only 40,000 people retreated, which shows Sima Yi's good leadership."
With an army as strong as the Han, many soldiers would fall behind during a rapid march.
It is no exaggeration to say that the Wei army at this time was like a frightened bird. They were retreating again, and more people would fall behind.
Zhang Bao reminded: "Don't forget, there is Jiang Ji in Hanoi, and there are many troops there. If Sima Yi had been prepared, he would have informed them in advance."
Feng Da Sima heard this and looked calm:
"This is inevitable. Jiang Ji is an old official of the pseudo-Wei who supports Sima Yi. Sima Yi can give up Sun Li, but he will never give up Jiang Ji."
"Otherwise, if he loses Hebei and returns to Qiao County as a defeated general, how can he survive without the support of those old officials?"
In fact, Sima Yi was also an old minister of the Pseudo-Wei Dynasty, and even a representative of the old ministers of the Pseudo-Wei Dynasty.
Most of these old ministers had followed the Cao family since the time of Cao Cao, and they made considerable contributions to the establishment of the Cao Wei regime.
General Cao Shuang was a son who sold his father's land without any regret and was very happy.
But for those pseudo-Wei old ministers, this wasteful thing was a waste of their life's hard work.
I have worked hard for most of my life, shed blood and sweat, and risked my life, just to leave a solid harvest for my descendants.
I didn't expect you were planning to sell all the land?
So it is normal for them to be dissatisfied with Cao Shuang.
"I can even guess that he will ask Jiang Ji to go to Liyang in advance to wait for him."
Liyang is close to Baimajin and is one of the important ferry crossings on the river.
During the Battle of Guandu, the area around Liyang became the focus of contention between Cao Cao and Yuan Shao.
Controlling Liyang means controlling the throat of north-south transportation. If Sima Yi wants to cross the river and go south, there is only one way to go.
Liyang was also the core stronghold of Cao Wei's strategy in the Central Plains. In the early years, Liyang Warehouse was set up as an important grain storage base along the Yellow River.
After Cao Pi became emperor, he assembled his navy there when he personally led an expedition against the Eastern Wu.
"But it won't be easy for Jiang Ji to escape. Wang Han and Shi Bao's armies won't just watch him get away."
At this point, Feng Da Sima chuckled and said, "If Sima Yi wants to leave, he has to leave 30,000 troops for me."
"Jiang Ji wants to escape, but he can't leave some military merits for Generals Wang Han and Shi Bao."
Wang Han, Shi Bao, Du Yu, Wang Jun, Hu Fen...
Although these people are not well-known - except for Shi Bao who has the reputation of being a vicious dog - they all have good abilities, and are at an age where they are eager to make achievements and dare to fight.
Jiang Ji is just an old man. He can use the dangerous pass of Taihang to defend the pass, but if he abandons the pass and escapes without leaving anything behind, how can these people let him go easily?
Taking Shi Bao as an example, do you really think that the name of vicious dog was earned for nothing?
Once you bite, it's impossible to let go.
"Besides, Sima Yi, Jiang Ji and others are dreaming of crossing the river safely!" Sima Feng raised the corner of his mouth slightly, "Jiang Boyao must be waiting anxiously in Henan..."
Three hundred miles east of Hulao Pass in Luoyang is Baimajin.
Although Jiang Boyue's current military strength is not enough to defeat Sima Yi, he can still harass and attack the Wei army and make it retreat, which will definitely be a great military achievement.
As for the size of the military achievements, it depends on the abilities of Jiang Boyue and Liu Xiuran.
Zhang Bao exhaled deeply, feeling relieved:
"Before the Grand Marshal arrived, I was extremely anxious, thinking that Sima Yi was going to lead the army to retreat safely, but I had no idea what to do."
"The arrival of the Grand Marshal, with just a few words, not only relieved my anxiety, but also gave me a sense that the destiny of the Han Dynasty is with me and the world's situation has been determined..."
So what if Sima Yi is so powerful?
Even the retreat of the troops was clearly arranged by his own brother-in-law, so what's the big deal?
"That's good. Although we can't wipe out all the bandits this time, there were tens of thousands of bandits in Hebei, and only tens of thousands escaped. This can be considered a rare victory."
When Feng Da Sima heard what his eldest uncle said, the corners of his mouth, which were originally just raised, could not help but grin and laugh out loud.
Zhang Bao heard the laughter, looked at his brother-in-law, and asked unhappily:
"Why is the Grand Marshal laughing?"
"I laugh at you, brother. You know that the destiny is with Han and that the situation is set. Why do you feel sorry for the escaped thief?"
Feng Da Sima looked towards the south and said leisurely:
"No matter how fast the thieves run, can they escape from this world? Moreover, if Sima Yi escapes, it may not be a good thing for the pseudo-Wei..."
"Ok?"
Zhang Bao’s eyes widened.
From what my brother-in-law said, does he have a backup plan?
This reputation of foresight is indeed not for nothing.
"It is well known that Sima Yi and Cao Shuang are at odds. If Sima Yi were defeated and fled back alone, even if Cao Shuang could let him go, he would be nothing more than a dying old man with only a few years left to live."
"But if he brings back 30,000 or 40,000 troops, then there is something to talk about! Haven't you seen the story of Emperor Guangwu using the Red Eyebrows to destroy the Gengshi?"
After Emperor Guangwu occupied Hebei, he finally broke away from the control of the Gengshi regime.
At the same time, the Gengshi regime was in internal turmoil (the rebellions of Zhang Ang and Wang Kuang). The Red Eyebrow Army in Shandong took the opportunity to advance westward, break through Chang'an, kill the Gengshi Emperor and support Liu Penzi as emperor.
When the two were fighting, Emperor Guangwu not only did not rescue Gengshi, but instead took the opportunity to proclaim himself emperor in Zhaocheng, established his capital in Luoyang, and finally formed an east-west confrontation with the Red Eyebrows.
After the Red Eyebrow Army occupied Chang'an, they ran out of food and fodder, burned, killed, looted, and lost the support of the people, so they were forced to return east.
Emperor Guangwu sent Feng Yi to set up an ambush in Mount Yao. The Red Eyebrow Army was defeated and surrendered, and Liu Penzi presented the seal to surrender.
In fact, it might be more appropriate to use Cao Cao as an example.
Because after the late emperor took control of Xuzhou, Cao Cao used this trick to force the late emperor to go to war with Yuan Shu.
Later, Lu Bu took advantage of the situation and captured Xuzhou.
The final result was that Yuan Shu and Lu Bu were defeated one after another, and the late emperor had no choice but to submit to Cao Cao.
Xuzhou was taken by Cao Cao.
However, out of respect for the respected emperor, Sima Feng naturally would not use this matter as an example.
General Zhendong was the first to react, blurting out: "Drive the tiger to devour the wolf!"
Feng Da Sima waved his hand:
"No, no, no! Cao Shuang is nothing but a pig and dog, and Sima Yi is not a tiger either. He is at most a wolf, so this is called driving the wolf to swallow the pig!"
General Zhendong was somewhat puzzled:
"Even if Cao Shuang is incompetent, Qiao County is the Cao family's stronghold, and Cao Shuang controls the government. Everyone in the court is his confidant, and his military strength is several times that of Sima Yi. Sima Yi has just been defeated. Can he win over Cao Shuang?"
Sima Feng smiled but said nothing.
Historically, Sima Yi was able to kill Cao Shuang with only 3,000 assassins. If he is now asked to bring back tens of thousands of troops and still cannot deal with Cao Shuang, then he is not Sima Yi.
As for why he must bring so many soldiers back?
Of course, it is because only in this way can Cao Shuang feel a sense of crisis.
Cao Shuang felt a sense of crisis, and coupled with the conflicts that had accumulated before, he decided to kill Sima Yi.
Sima Yi would try hard to resist...
Everyone is living their best, right?
"Although the main army has no way to chase the thieves, we still need to send more small teams and try to go south to see if we can contact Wang Hanshibao and the others."
"Also, send people directly along the Zhang River to Taihang Mountain, and then go to Shangdang Huguan through Fukou Pass."
In this battle, Shi Bao was stationed in Huguan, and he could threaten Henei and Jizhou through three routes: Fukouxing, Baixing, and Taihangxing.
I just don't know which one he will choose.
With Sima Yi's defeat, the Fukou Pass was now unobstructed. If they were lucky, they might be able to meet up with the enemy earlier.