The Army Heading to the Border
（22）
The next day, just as dawn broke, the camp was in an uproar. The soldiers were ready to go. The chariots and armored soldiers shouted loudly at their followers and soldiers as they led their horses and hitched their chariots. Armed chariots rushed out of the camp gate, followed by their own soldiers. They rushed into the grass in groups and gathered in front of the reviewing platform on the grass. Regardless of whether it was the people who arrived first or later, they were all waiting excitedly at the location designated by the commander. The field was a lively, serious, and tense scene.
As soon as the sun appeared, King Wu and Lu Shang came to the review platform on the lawn in front of the barracks. They looked at the neat and mighty army in front of them. Their blood boiled. With the chariot as the center, a small square formation formed by a group of soldiers spread out behind it. The formation was arranged in a row. At a glance, it was obvious that this was a strong force that could destroy the enemy and win. Flags fluttered on the grass, and the bronze halberds flickered with colorful light, which was especially dazzling. The armored soldiers all puffed out their chests and raised their heads, glowing with excitement. Taking advantage of the fact that it was still winter military training, he led the army to the east. The morale of the troops was high, and everyone was excited. However, many family members and civilians did not know that a real military operation had already begun. They still thought that it was a common occurrence for military training to be concentrated. The few people nearby heard that the troops were going to set off today, so they came to bid farewell. These people stood silently on the fields and hills, watching the troops that had gathered on the lawn. The earth was silent. The morning wind blew, and the sun was warm. People saw the sharp blades of weapons and felt a serious and murderous atmosphere. The scene was tense, uneasy, and full of passion, but it was not as enthusiastic as the last time before Meng Jin sent out his troops.
Zhou Gongdan collected the number of people reported by the chiliarch and reported it to King Wu. The entire army had 335 chariots, 3,000 tiger guards, 39,000 armored soldiers, and the servants and soldiers of the armored soldiers were not included. This was the largest army in the history of Zhou Country.
King Wu used a simple ritual to offer sacrifices to King Wen, then killed animals to offer sacrifices to the flag. After that, he announced the disciplinary matters to be taken note of during the march and was about to give the order to set off. They saw a group of people rushing over from the road from the capital and stopping at the edge of the grassland. The leading carriage passed through the procession and arrived at the reviewing platform.
When King Wu and Lu Shang saw an old man alighting from the carriage, they quickly went down to welcome him. This old man was San Yisheng. He came to the stage and said to the Martial King,""Last time, I was sick and couldn't send you off. This time, I heard that the army is about to set off for the eastern expedition, so I came to send them off. He finally saw the day when King Wen's cause would be put into practice.”He smiled excitedly and asked again,"Is this really the Eastern Expedition?"”
"It's true," replied King Wu hurriedly. We understand that the situation in Shangdu has changed, so we should take advantage of the end of winter training to lead the army to the east. We don't want to disturb the peaceful lives of our countrymen. Thank you, Teacher San, for coming to see me off."
San Yisheng turned back to Lu Shang and said," State Preceptor, follow the army to the Eastern Expedition and assist King Wu. We must strive to complete King Wen's will as soon as possible. The future of this expedition is uncertain. Please take care of yourself.”
"Brother San, don't worry. The Eastern Expedition is still a major matter that we have to keep in mind. Let's go and fight to defeat King Zhou of Shang. You can also live and work at home.”
"My son is stationed in Chong Country and is on the frontlines of the Eastern Expedition. Tell him to work hard and win glory for the country.”San Yisheng specially instructed," Let this old man be happy too.”
"General San is a lieutenant general, he will definitely be used in a crucial position.”King Wu promised San Yisheng. The three of them stood on the stage and looked around at the army in front of the stage. They clasped their hands in excitement and bid farewell.
The Martial King gave the order to set off. This strong army moved quickly, rarely stopping along the way, rushing all the way east. On the fifth day, they crossed the Yellow River and arrived at Mengjin.
The scene of Meng Jin observing the army was still fresh in King Wu's mind. He was filled with emotions today. Back then, he had only led his army to Mengjin to observe the soldiers, so as to understand the attitude of the marquises towards him. Now, tens of thousands of soldiers were using this place as a resting point. They were about to enter Shangdu and fight with real swords and spears. King Wu ordered them to set up camp and rest their troops, using this short period of time to wait for the marquises 'troops to join forces.
King Wu and Lü Shang went to the slope where they had set up the tent during the last military observation in Mengjin. They looked down at the army at the foot of the mountain. It was more vigorous and majestic than the last time. This time, King Wu still had a worry in his heart. The final battle between Shang and Zhou was imminent, and this was a severe test for the Zhou army. Victory would expand their forces, and defeat would lead to the country's demise. The fate of the marquises of Zhou and the Western Regions was tied to this road to the east. King Wu firmly believed that his country's military power was strong, but he did not dare to underestimate King Zhou's power. He and Lu Shang stood on the slope and looked into the distance. They were already very familiar with the terrain of this area, but this would not make them feel at ease. King Wu and Lu Shang's emotions had already crossed this range and were already attached to Shang City.
The soldiers behind him were busy setting up tents. The marquises who had arrived earlier hurried to report to King Wu. The King Wu accepted the various armies that had arrived one after another. The army gathered again, and Meng Jin regained his vitality. Tents were scattered all over the field. The soldiers excitedly estimated the situation of going to Shangdu. Some of them encouraged each other and expressed that they would do their best to make contributions. The morale was high everywhere, and everyone was filled with fighting spirit.
They rested for three days. The troops of the various marquises had all gathered. There were more than 900 marquises, 100 more than the previous Mengjin Meeting. King Wu happily said to Lü Shang,"Father Shang, there are many marquises. In battle, as long as the commander was well organized and coordinated, they would definitely be able to display great power.”
"The troops are scattered, so we need to focus on working together. However, with the Zhou army as the backbone, the Martial King could rest assured.”Lu Shang reminded King Wu," The appointed time is up. You can gather all the marquises and start the operation.”
This was the eighth day since they had set off from Zhoudu. The weather has been pleasant these days.
King Wu and Lu Shang gathered the marquises on the slope to make an oath. The Martial King stood on a reinforced earthen altar. He held a scepter in his left hand and a small red flag in his right. He waved the flag a few times and held it above his head. The drumming stopped. There was silence on the slope, and the army formation on the flat depression at the foot of the mountain gradually calmed down. The figures swayed, the flags fluttered in the wind, and the bronze halberds shone with a dazzling light.
King Wu said loudly,"King Zhou of the Shang Dynasty is guilty and must be punished. Ever since I was elected as the leader of the alliance, I have been committed to promoting benevolent politics for the people of the world. I have taken it as my duty to eliminate violence and stabilize the people. I have accepted the will of heaven and controlled the country. I have always been watching King Zhou's movements and dare not neglect my duties.”He paused for a moment, looked at the sea of people up and down the hill, and said,"Today, King Zhou of the Shang Dynasty adopted the words of the Daji woman and cut himself off from the heavens and defeated himself on the ground. He destroyed the three laws of the Shang Dynasty and developed it to expel his relatives and relatives. His uncle, Jizi, wandered into the wilderness, Prince Bigan was brutally killed, and many of the ministers and officials in the court were killed. King Zhou of the Shang Dynasty also abandoned the music of his ancestors and replaced it with obscene sounds. He used this kind of chaotic sound to please Daji, causing the government to be corrupt and the court to collapse. Therefore, I am now leading an army to the east to punish King Zhou of Shang on behalf of Heaven. Everyone, work hard together. We can't lose the opportunity to conquer Zhou for the heavens. For the sake of the Heavenly Dao and the people, he must punish King Zhou of Shang in time.”
King Wu then announced,"The alliance has been established, and orders must be respected. As the leader of the alliance, I hereby swear that I will attack King Zhou of Shang tomorrow. The emperor respected the mandate of heaven and attacked the tyrant. All the officials, listen to the instructions carefully and do your best to kill the enemies and make contributions to the country.”
With this call, all the marquises raised their arms and shouted. Their powerful voices shook the mountains and shook the earth. The sky above Mengjin was filled with the sound of a common enemy. This was the famous Thai Oath in history.
After King Wu swore the oath, he led the troops of the marquises to the east.
The four-day journey was completed in three days. At dusk, the troops arrived at the capital of Chongguo. Chongguo was the first gate on the eastern expedition. When King Wen was still alive, in order to open this gate, he mobilized all the soldiers of the Zhou Country and besieged it for a month before it was taken down. Now, this gate was already in the hands of the Zhou army, and it had become a springboard for the Zhou army's eastern expedition. After passing Chong Country, they entered the Shang Country. They were about to enter the commercial border, so the troops had to be on alert at all times. King Wu considered that after a few days of marching, the troops needed to rest and prepare for the battle, so he let the troops set up camp at Chongguo City.
The troops stopped, and the soldiers were busy choosing a place to set up camp and set up a stove.
King Wu and Lu Shang watched the soldiers set up the tent in silence. They were excited as they waited for the reports from Duke of Zhou Dan, Duke of Zhao Shuang, Uncle Guan, and Lei Zhen.
Not long after, the battalions were all arranged, and the troops set up tents at the designated locations. Duke Dan of Zhou, Duke Shuang of Zhao and others came to report.
After hearing the report, King Wu looked at the sky outside. Night was slowly falling. He said to Lu Shang,"I'll go patrol the various battalions. Father Shang was getting on in years. He should rest first.”
"No, I'll go with you." "Don't talk about age anymore," said Lu Shang. On the battlefield, at this critical juncture, whoever had the strength would do the most. I also want to use this old body to make a contribution.”
When Zhou Gongdan heard their conversation, he quickly reminded them,"Eldest Brother, Father Shang, we'll go after dinner.”
"We'll eat later. Let's go and see the army first. You guys eat first.”King Wu replied and walked out of the tent with Lü Shang. He did not bring a single servant with him because everyone was busy. One more person meant more effort. The earlier they settled down, the earlier they could rest and recover from fatigue.
After inspecting a few battalions, Lu Shang said to King Wu,""The soldiers have worked hard these past two days. Look at how tired they are. There was still a difficult journey to Shangdu. King Wu, let the troops stay here for two days to temper their spirit. At the same time, replenish the troops and reorganize them.”
"Father Shang is right. Let's attack the day after tomorrow. After Chong Country was the Shang Realm. They had to be prepared to fight at any time. I'm both excited and worried." King Wu said as he walked.
The two of them walked out of a large camp. They looked up and saw the city wall of Chong Country standing not far away, like a black fence blocking the way.
Not far from the city wall, there was a small mound of graves. It was piled up and covered with weeds. Under the cover of the night, it looked sinister and terrifying. The crisp chirping of insects could be heard from the grass. One restless night, they arrived at the military camp.
King Wu and Lü Shang strolled along the foot of the city wall towards the tomb mound in the north. After passing through the tomb mound, they would reach the west, where there was a camp of the marquis army. Looking from afar, one could see the campfire flickering and attracting attention.
Suddenly, the Martial King gripped his saber and shouted,""Who is it?" Looking in the direction of the sound, a black shadow squirmed in the tomb.
"It's me." A reply came.
"What do you do?" the Martial King asked again.
"Personal Guards."
After the exchange of questions and answers, the Martial King and Lu Shang had already caught up with them. A fully armed man stood up and greeted the Martial King and Lu Shang,""Oh, Martial King, Imperial Preceptor, I'm here to pay my respects to the tomb.”
" Oh," King Wu saw the person in front of him clearly and called out," Hu Sheng, who are you offering sacrifices to?"”
" To offer sacrifices to my teacher, that is," Hu Sheng pointed to a pile of weeds that had already been uprooted and said," My teacher died during the attack on Chongguo and was buried here. This time, when the army passed by, I took leave and came to take a look. It had been a few years since he last came, and the grass had grown so tall that it was full of grass.”
King Wu looked at the withered weeds that were thrown aside and said,""General Pan sacrificed himself here to open up a path to the east. Our army is here to pay respects to the heroic spirits. Father Shang, look, we will come to the tomb tomorrow and clear away these weeds.”
"Right." Lu Shang, who had been standing silently behind him, said emotionally,""That's right. Martial King, we shouldn't forget the graves of these heroic spirits. Hu Sheng, you can't forget your teacher. You're really a thoughtful person. Back then, King Wen met your teacher on the road to the Western Hills. He fought a tiger with his bare hands and saved you. King Wen will change your name to Husheng, in order to remember the kindness of this strong man.”
"The state preceptor is right. I will always remember my teacher. When my teacher saved me, my family and my teacher went to serve His Highness King Wen. When his teacher was attacking Chongguo, he was injured by an arrow and braved the stone arrows to bravely climb the city and open the city gate. Unfortunately, his injuries were too heavy and he died as soon as he took down Chongguo. After the war, King Wen buried all the people who died here. I followed him into the city."
King Wu and Lü Shang stood solemnly in front of the tomb and mourned for a moment. Then, Lu Shang said thoughtfully," Fighting Chongguo was really a fierce battle. It was a tough siege. Many of our soldiers died. These are the soldiers who died." He pointed at the mound and said in pain,""How many people have sacrificed their lives to open the path to victory under the gates of this country?”
"My father's life's work only allowed him to reach this gate.”The Martial King recalled the past in a trance. He pursed his lips tightly and the corners of his mouth shrank." Tomorrow, we will bring you here to pay homage to the heroic spirits. The journey to the east was paved with the blood and bodies of these people.”
"Martial King, the journey to the East will depend on you. If fighting Chongguo was already so difficult, then the battle in Shangdu could be imagined.”Lu Shang emphasized," However, our army is not the same as before. We are now a powerful army. However, the closer they got to Shangdu, the more excited they felt. This was a test for our army.”
Hu Sheng knelt in front of the tomb again and prayed silently, muttering in a low voice. As he read, his eyes filled with tears again.
Lu Shang waited for Hu Sheng to grieve for a while before saying,"Hu Sheng, your teacher sacrificed himself for the country, you should be proud. A real man will fight on the battlefield and die without regrets. In order to take down Chongguo, King Wen personally braved an arrow and charged at the front. When he climbed the city, he was hit by a rolling stone and suffered fatal internal injuries. He had never recovered. It was because of this old injury that King Wen died early. Now, King Wu had inherited his father's will and led his troops eastward. When the army arrived at Chongguo City, the soldiers were all filled with grief and excitement. "Seeing that you're about to enter the Shang Realm, you have to pull yourself together and continue walking. For King Wu, for the country, and for your teacher, fight your way to the Shang Capital and defeat King Zhou of Shang. If your teacher knows about this, he will urge you to go east to Shangdu. Your teacher's god will help you fight for victory.”
Lu Shang walked to Hu Sheng's side and patted him on the shoulder, saying,""Stand up and go back to rest. There are still many things waiting for you to complete tomorrow.”
" Yes," Hu Sheng's throat trembled as he replied calmly. He stood up and said," I really shouldn't have cried again." King Wu, Imperial Preceptor, I will remember your words. I will do my best to kill the enemies, avenge my teacher, and make contributions to the country.”
" Good job," Lu Shang said to him happily,""Your teacher followed King Wen closely and opened up the road to the east. You will follow King Wu closely and attack King Zhou's nest.”
"I will definitely follow Martial King and fight for the Eastern Expedition.”Hu Sheng replied and bowed to the Martial King.
"Let's go see the various armies. This is the last camp.”King Wu said to Hu Sheng,"Then you go back to the team. You must have a good rest tonight."”
The three of them walked out of the tomb mound group and followed the camp fence to the gate. They happened to bump into a chariot rushing out of the camp and almost knocked into the Martial King who was walking in front.
"Impudent." Lu Shang called out and pulled the Martial King, who had not noticed the danger, to the side.
The Martial King was not prepared for this pull and suddenly fell diagonally towards the gate. Hu Sheng rushed forward and used his hands to support the Martial King from behind. Only then did the Martial King not fall.
The chariots stopped, and the soldiers guarding the gate ran over with torches. San Lei jumped down from the carriage. He looked at it under the light of the torch and shouted happily," Aiya, it's a Martial King. I couldn't find him after trampling his feet, but I bumped into him here."”He stood in front of King Wu and said,"King Wu, I've been looking for you everywhere." Your army has arrived at Chongguo City, why didn't you enter the city but set up camp in the wilderness? Coincidentally, I went on a patrol and only found out about this when I came back. I rushed to the tent. They said that you and the state preceptor went out to patrol the camp. I've been looking for them. The centurion of that battalion said that you just left and came to this battalion. I rushed over to take a look but missed again. After asking, I found out that you haven't been here yet. I was wondering if you were going to the other camp first. I was about to go out to look for you when I met you at the door.”San Lei was very excited. In one breath, he talked to the Martial King, and the Martial King didn't even have time to reply. "I'm here to invite you into the city. The troops could have a good rest after entering the city. It was unknown why the Martial King did not bring his troops into the city but was busy in the wilderness.”
"No, entering the city will disturb the peace of the people. They could only camp outside the city. Tomorrow, oh, the day after tomorrow, they would leave to avoid crossing the border and disturbing the people.”the Martial King replied.
Lu Shang added," This Eastern Expedition requires us to advance quickly. Entering the city will indeed affect the daily order of the people. More importantly, it will affect the lives and morale of the army!”
"You can't say that. Chong Country was under the jurisdiction of Zhou Country, so how could there be such an influence?”San Lei refuted," Father Shang is wrong. The conditions in the city are better, and life is more convenient. It's good for replenishing the army's supplies, eliminating fatigue, and restoring physical strength. Right now, outside the city, it was desolate and inconvenient everywhere.”
This battalion belonged to Chen Zhuhou's troops. Chen Zhuhou had already received the report that King Wu and Lu Shang had arrived at the camp gate. He rushed over. "Ah, Martial King, Imperial Preceptor, quickly come to the camp.”He turned around and bluntly said to San Lei,"General San, why did you block King Wu and Imperial Preceptor outside the door? This is my military camp. Even if he didn't want to give face to me, he had to give face to the Martial King and the Imperial Advisor. Please come in." As he spoke, he pulled the Martial King into the camp and led everyone into the camp gate. "The big tent is over there. Go and rest. Just now, General San insisted that you had come to patrol the camp and blamed me for not receiving you. Now, it was finally okay. They had all met.”
"Chen Zhuhou." King Wu smiled and said,"You're really a young man. You don't know your limits." He blamed everything. How are the soldiers?"
"I've already settled it down. I still have to rush over to ask you for tomorrow's action instructions.”Chen Zhuhou excitedly led everyone to a large tent. A makeshift table was set up in the tent, and there were some cups, bowls, and plates on it. It was obvious that this was not the end of the dinner.
"Are you eating?" Lu Shang asked.
"I ate half of it, but General San came and stirred it up. I asked him to eat with me, but he was in a hurry to find you. I was just about to continue eating when I heard that you were at the camp gate, so I rushed over to pick you up. Have you eaten?" Chen Zhuhou did not wait for Lu Shang to reply and continued,""I guess you haven't eaten. The Martial King and the Imperial Advisor were concerned about the soldiers, so how could they eat first? The Martial King and the Imperial Advisor had to patrol the camp first and settle the soldiers before they would take care of him. Alright, eat at my place now.”
King Wu looked at Lu Shang." Father Shang, let's not talk about eating. I don't feel hungry." He was indeed starving. It just so happens that this is the last military camp, so we'll feed on the spot.”He turned around and asked Chen Zhuhou,"What do you have to entertain here?" I think it's best to have a bowl of hot soup first.”As he spoke, he waved at San Lei and sat down at the seat Chen Zhuhou had assigned him. He then turned to Lu Shang, who was already seated, and said,"As the commander, I have to remember this principle: Don't say you're thirsty before you dig a well, don't say you're resting before you camp, don't say you're hungry before you eat. Now that all the battalions have settled down, we should sit down and have a good meal. Then, he would return to the main tent to arrange tomorrow's tasks and have a good sleep. I'll have more energy and stamina tomorrow."
Lu Shang smiled when he heard the Martial King's words. These words came from his mouth. Back when he led his troops to war with King Wen, he had once told King Wen about how to motivate the army. One of the principles was what King Wu had just mentioned.
"Martial King, Imperial Preceptor, what mission did you assign me for this Eastern Expedition?”San Lei, who was already eating, said. His mouth was full of rice dregs, and he looked extremely hungry.
"You were originally guarding Chong Country." King Wu said to San Lei,"Now, continue to watch over this house. How about that?"”
"Ah!" Hearing this, San Lei was shocked. He stopped talking and stood there in a daze. The piece of thigh meat in his hand was raised by his mouth, trembling.
"Hahaha." When the Martial King laughed, the crowd couldn't help but laugh along with him when they saw San Lei. This made San Lei angry and anxious, he choked on his words and didn't know how to start. King Wu paused for a moment before saying,"Look at your appearance. You're so anxious." Eat first. Go back and rest after you're done eating. We'll discuss your problem later.”
"No, I don't. I'm not eating anymore. What should I do when I have no place to use my strength?”San Lei put down the half-eaten piece of meat and said in a low voice. After a pause, he seemed to have thought of something and said,"Just now, Martial King said that he would return to the main tent to assign tasks tonight, so I will follow you.”
"You, Chongguo is the gateway to the east, you need a powerful general to guard it. This is a heavy responsibility, you should feel proud of it.”Lu Shang continued.
"I've been guarding this gate all this time. Could it be that I'm watching you guys go out from this gate and take the fruits of victory? It was too unfair. The Martial King who was at the easternmost side would be at the forefront during the Eastern Expedition. This is reasonable." San Da argued.
"Don't quarrel again. Otherwise, I won't be able to eat this meal in peace.”Chen Zhuhou interrupted," It's all your fault.”He glared at San Lei with a strange expression.
"Eat first, eat first.”the Martial King teased.
"I don't want to eat." San Lei sat still, as if he was really angry.
"Idiot." Lu Shang said to San Lei,"You're just like your father, stubborn to the core." The Eastern Expedition would be a very intense battle, and they would be eager to have one more person.”Lu Shang reminded," Chongguo used to be the main gate, the front. Once the army passes through, it will become the rear. When did the Martial King leave you behind?”
"This…this…" Hearing this, San Lei felt as if he had just woken up from a dream. He became happy again." Ah, the Martial King sure knows how to tease people." However, as the saying goes,'There are no jokes in the military.'”
"I'm not joking. I'm just provoking you.”Lu Shang winked at San Lei mysteriously, then turned to Chen Zhuhou and said,""You youngsters only know how to charge at the front, you don't know the importance of the rear. When you understand the importance of the rear, you will have to fight to defend the rear. This is the characteristic of you young people.”
San Lei said,"I'm looking for King Wu to ask him to let me go to the front. Our division has long since made preparations and is looking forward to the day when the army arrives.”
"All of you, all of you." King Wu said to Chen Zhuhou and San Lei,"King Zhou of Shang is not easy to deal with either. I'll let you all go and gnaw on this hard skeleton.”
"Thank you, Martial King. Thank you, Imperial Preceptor." San Lei hurriedly thanked him.
"Wait a moment. Come to the main tent to receive new orders.”Lu Shang said to the two of them. He turned to look at King Wu and wiped his mouth." We should return to our tent."”
At this moment, a servant came in to report that Bi Gonggao had led his men here and was waiting in the tent.
When King Wu heard this, he quickly said,"Good." I was worried that he wouldn't be able to make it. People like Bi Gonggao, who were both intelligent and brave, were indispensable for the Eastern Expedition. You should all learn from Bi Gonggao.”He pointed at Chen Zhuhou and San Lei.
Lu Shang added,"There is also Zhou Gongdan, who is experienced and steady in handling affairs and has far-reaching thoughts." All of you have your own strengths and can learn from each other's strong points to make up for your shortcomings. You can cultivate yourselves into more useful pillars of the country. Then, he would not have to worry about the Zhou Country not being strong, and he would not have to fear how cruel and ruthless King Zhou of Shang was.”" Let's work together to assist King Wu," Lu Shang said solemnly to the crowd." Victory is in sight." But we are still facing a cruel and fierce war. Everyone went to the battlefield and fought hard to kill the enemy and establish merit points.”
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