The Various Vassals Came When They Heard The Letter
（7）
The army traveled during the day and retreated at night. It took them three days to travel a hundred miles, and their speed was slow. King Wu ordered Uncle Guan, who was the vanguard, to rush to the Yellow River ferry first. He gathered with Uncle Cai and Lei Zhen, who had already rushed to the Yellow River ferry in advance, to complete the task of finding the ferry and gathering ships. He and Lu Shangdu led the army forward. Although the army was moving slowly, the ranks were orderly and the formation was majestic. The sound of the horn rose and fell, sometimes accompanied by the sound of drums. It shook the hearts of the people, shook the morale, and shook the earth and the clouds. The army was like a long dragon, rolling forward with a cloud of dust.
Three days after the Zhou army set off, troops from various regions began to join them. Some of them drove over from the side, while others caught up from behind. When these marquises heard that King Wu was about to start an expedition, they all led their troops to participate in the battle.
On this day, while King Wu and Lu Shang were sitting in the carriage and thinking about something, they noticed that a large group of people was coming from a road on the left in front of the group. Lu Shang pointed at the troops and said to King Wu,"Look, the troops over there might be Chen Zhuhou's troops."”
King Wu looked over and saw that the group of people had come to an intersection with the main road heading east. They stopped and led a chariot onto the main road before turning to the back.
The chariot drove all the way to the side of the carriage with King Wen's memorial tablet. A man in armor and holding a longbow jumped out of the carriage and bowed to the memorial tablet in the carriage. After he finished bowing, he turned around and walked to the Martial King's chariot, saying loudly,""I heard that the Martial King is going to the Eastern Expedition. My father ordered me to lead eight hundred tribes here to await orders!”He clasped his hands and stood still.
King Wu leaned against the railing of the carriage and said to him,"Chen, you have assisted me in the Eastern Expedition. I have done a great job. When I have rendered meritorious service in killing the enemy on the battlefield, I will certainly reward you.”"Father Shang, where do you think they should be arranged?" he asked Lu Shang.”
Lü Shang knew Chen Zhuhou very well. His father was called Hu, who had followed King Wen to conquer the east and west. His subordinates had participated in the war several times and made great contributions. Now Hu was old and weak, so he could only hand over the burden of this expedition to his son Zhe. Both father and son loved their relatives and subordinates, and were loyal to the monarch and diligent in their duties. People called them Chen Zhuhou, regardless of their father or son. "Is your father in good health?" Lu Shang asked Chen Zhuhou.”
"Father is in good health. It's just that he's old and can't move. He felt very regretful that he could not personally participate in this expedition. He asked me to convey his thoughts, his deep longing for King Wen, his respect for King Wu, and his admiration for your Imperial Advisor.”As he spoke, Chen Zhuhou bowed again.
Lu Shangsi thought for a moment and said to him,"Thanks to your loyalty, King Wen is very grateful to you. After the Eastern Expedition is won, King Wu will reward you according to your merits. Right now, your troops will follow behind the middle army and act as the rear army of the middle army formation.”
"Yes, sir." After Chen Zhuhou answered, he turned around and got into the carriage, driving it back to his team.
The Martial King's carriage started again and continued to move forward. When King Wen's hearse arrived in front of Chen Zhuhou's troops, Chen Zhuhou bowed again, and his troops followed suit. After sending King Wen's hearse and King Wu's carriage, Chen Zhuhou commanded his troops to drive on the main road and cut in between the middle and rear troops.
This kind of march was extremely slow, but the army grew larger and larger, and the long line became longer and longer. There were also many groups of marquises that were arranged at the back of the group. This majestic and mighty dragon had a tail with its beard and hair fluttering in the wind.
Lu Shang turned around and saw Chen Zhuhou's group joining the main group. He muttered to himself,""Like father, like son." He was nostalgic when he saw people and recalled some past events. Oak was an old general. Every time he participated in a battle, he would rush to the front. He would complete the mission smoothly in the most critical, most difficult, and most intense places. He made meritorious deeds with his strength and courage, so he was deeply loved by King Wen. Zhe also participated in a few battles with his father and received a certain amount of training. After a few years of not seeing him, he grew strong and strong. Lü Shang felt a sense of love and protection in his heart. He couldn't help but remind King Wu,""Look at Chen Zhuhou, he is young and strong, he will definitely become a good general.”
"I think so too. In our country's army, there aren't many people who can truly become generals, and it's even rarer to choose a general. I still don't know much about being a general, can Father Shang tell me more?”The Martial King was usually more studious and would often ask Lu Shang questions about various aspects. Now that they were on their way, he would not let go of this opportunity.
Lu Shang was also a teacher. Whenever he had the chance, he would take advantage of the opportunity to answer questions and summarize his personal experience and lessons to perfect and enrich his knowledge. At this time, when he heard King Wu raise this question about the way to be a general, he had thought about it on various occasions. The content of this aspect was very large and profound. However, he could not explain it clearly in the moving car. Where should he start? He thought for a moment and said,"War is a national affair. It concerns the survival of the country. The outcome of this battle would also determine the fate of the country. In this way, the fate of the country was in the hands of the general. A good general would be the assistant of the country. A bad general would endanger the country. The past emperors had always placed great importance on the issue of generals, and they had all gone through repeated examinations before appointing generals.”
"That is to say, the ruler must first understand the conditions to test the quality of a general.”As the king of a country, a Martial King would naturally consider the question of a general. Hearing Lu Shang's words, he immediately grasped the key to this question and asked.
" Yes," Lu Shang smiled in satisfaction. He paused and continued,""There are usually five kinds of talents and ten kinds of shortcomings when judging a general. The five virtues were courage, wisdom, kindness, honesty, and loyalty. Brave, the enemy dare not invade; Wise, the enemy difficult to disturb; Kindness can win people's hearts, honesty can not deceive others; Loyalty can serve the country wholeheartedly. The so-called ten kinds of shortcomings were: brave and light of sacrifice, irritable and eager for success, greedy and easy to use, kind and indulgent, smart and timid, honest and gullible, honest and almost mean, resourceful and hesitant, strong and headstrong, weak and dependent on others. These weaknesses could be easily exploited by the enemy. You can't ignore a general's shortcomings."
King Wu praised happily,"Well said, Shang Fu." But how could one know the intelligence of a general?”
"You have to be pragmatic and not judge a book by its cover. He had to examine their usual style and ability to handle things. Currently, there were eight methods of testing. One was to ask questions and see if he could understand. The second was to ask him in detail to see his ability to adapt. The third was to use spies to test his loyalty. The fourth is to ask the obvious to see if he is hiding anything to test his moral character; Fifth, let him manage the property and see if he is honest. The sixth was to use women to test his integrity. The seventh was to tell him the situation of danger and see if he was brave; The eighth was to see if he could maintain his composure after being drunk. In this way, one could tell the difference between a wise general and a bad one.”
"Father Shang's explanation is very thorough.”King Wu said that he had grown up under Lu Shang's guidance and had also developed a good habit of asking questions. He had constantly learned some great principles about national issues from Lu Shang. Then, he asked,"I already know how to select a general, but a general is a matter of victory or defeat in a war and the survival of a country. How should a monarch deal with things and show the relationship between generals?”This was a question that the Martial King was very concerned about.
Lu Shang understood the knot in the Martial King's heart and replied with a smile,""Whenever the country encounters a major war, it will select and appoint generals to lead the army. The monarch personally handed the scepter, which was the symbol of military power, to the general, so that the general could concentrate on greeting the enemy. The monarch could not command remotely in the court to disrupt the general's deployment. Since the monarch had handed over his orders to the general, from now on, all matters in the army would be under the command of the general and not the monarch. There was a military prophecy that said,'When a general is outside, he will not accept the king's orders.' The purpose was to let the general not be disturbed and fight for victory with all his strength.”At this point, they happened to bump into a bumpy road. The chariot jolted and Lu Shang stopped talking.
The Martial King took advantage of Lu Shang's pause to think about what Lu Shang had said. He thought of a question. When the chariot stabilized, he immediately asked,"What if the king goes to war with the army?”
"Erm…" This was a matter of power. There was also a problem of power struggle between the monarch and the generals. Lu Shang thought for a moment and said,"That's another matter. The monarch supervised the army and was about to lead the army, so there was no need to appoint generals to confer power. Just like this expedition, you are the commander of the army. The other generals became assistant generals.”
King Wu nodded." These relationships are very subtle and complicated. Father Shang, please continue." Lu Shang's words solved the crux in the Martial King's heart, so he encouraged Lu Shang to continue.
Lu Shang said," As a general, after accepting the mission, you must unify your will. When you fight the enemy, you must act according to the situation. When he saw the enemy weak, he would advance. When he saw a strong enemy, he would stop. He could not underestimate the enemy. In a high position, one could not underestimate others. One had to share the fate of the entire army and the joys and sorrows of the soldiers. If the soldiers didn't sit down, the general shouldn't sit down first. If the soldiers didn't eat, the general shouldn't eat first. If you love your soldiers, they will do their best to fight for the general.”
"Good, well said." King Wu praised him and then asked,"The general is the master of the whole army. What does he use to establish his prestige, to be able to see clearly, and to carry out his orders?"”
"There is nothing more important than a general leading an army in battle. If the army could unify their will, they would be able to move freely, just like one person. The Yellow Emperor once said,'If the will of the army is unified, it can conform to the laws of war and use the army like a god.'In order to achieve unity of will, the entire army must be disciplined and single-minded. This was especially important for rewards and punishments. Generals established prestige by killing those who made mistakes in high positions, and reflected insight by rewarding those who made contributions in low positions. This was the reason why killing one person shocked the entire army and rewarding one person with the joy of ten thousand people. Punishment could reach the highest level, and rewards could reach the lowest level. The prestige of the general could be carried out from top to bottom.”
King Wu listened attentively. He was convinced by Shang Fu's wisdom and knowledge. He admired Shang Fu even more. He felt a hundred times more confident to have such a person as his elder and pillar of the country. When she was with Father Shang, she could receive the education of Lizhi even during the normal march.
In the following days, the marching speed became even slower. This was because the number of marquises gathering along the way was increasing. All the marquises from the east, west, south, and north came to join him. By the time the team reached the Yellow River, the number had increased by several times. The front group walked faster and faster, while the back group stopped and walked slower and slower. The rear army was still dragging a long tail, and it was formed by the temporary teams of many small marquises. Dust billowed as the army advanced. The weather had been sunny for several days, which further aggravated the arrogant atmosphere.
He could vaguely hear the waves of the Yellow River, and he could also feel the moisture in the dry air. King Wu was in high spirits. After a few days of marching, they had reached the first natural moat, the Yellow River. The army was about to face a new and harsh test. It tested their moral strength, military strength, and even more so, the invisible power formed by the hearts of the people.
The whistling of the Yellow River could be heard along with the wind. The marching drums boosted the morale of the troops. The soldiers silently quickened their pace, and even the sound of hooves sounded light and hurried. The Martial King was extremely excited. They had reached the Yellow River. This was the first stage of their eastward advance. This was the first problem that the troops had to solve. After crossing the river, they would face the problem of solving the main purpose of this operation.
In front of them, a chariot was coming in the opposite direction, the sound of hooves was fast and crisp. The chariot drove straight to the front of the Martial King's chariot. Separated by the chariot, a young man shouted to the Martial King,""Martial King, Father Shang, you've arrived.”His voice was filled with excitement and passion." We're ready according to your orders. Uncle Cai asked me to inform him first. After we settle down, I'll report in detail. The front team had already reached the bank of the Yellow River and entered the designated station according to the regulations. "This is a topographic map of the two banks of the Yellow River. Please examine it." As he spoke, he handed over a roll of sheepskin.
King Wu took it and said,"Very good. You've worked hard."”He quickly opened it and extended half of it to Lu Shang. The two of them held each other's hands and looked at each other, pointing at each other.
" Here, here," the Martial King said,""The central army will be stationed here. What do you think?”He raised his head and asked for Lu Shang's opinion. Seeing Lu Shang nod his head, King Wu said,"There is a forest here. Let the rear troops camp at the edge of the forest." When we reach the shore, we will first check the actual terrain and then arrange the ferry and route.”King Wu immediately called for two heralds and instructed the troops to set up their positions.
Just as the messenger's chariot left, Bi Gonggao came to the Martial King's chariot again. He first greeted Lei Zhen before turning back to ask the Martial King if he had any instructions since the troops were almost at the bank of the Yellow River.
King Wu repeated the previous arrangement and handed the sheepskin to Bi Gonggao, saying,""Go to the front first and command the troops to split up. We'll be there soon.”
"I'll bring the big tent first. Once we reach the shore, I'll set up the central tent.”Bi Gonggao was a person who could consider things carefully.
"Alright." King Wu replied and waved his hand to signal his attendants to bring the two wagons responsible for carrying the big tent to follow Bi Gonggao's wagons. Then he turned back to the young man who was still parked at the side and said,""Lei Zhen, bring Bi Gonggao back first and carry out the plan. The specifics would be discussed in the tent at night. You guys have worked hard. Take a rest first and take action tomorrow.”
Just as Lei Zhen was about to start the chariot, he asked the coachman to stop. He said to King Wu,"I almost forgot. We have already found the old boatman and his fleet. They are all waiting for orders. This is it. I'm leaving."
King Wu watched the small convoy drive forward and added,""Help me entertain them first. We'll be there soon.”A few carriages sped up, the coachmen tightly gripping the reins, shaking them. The horses galloped along the side of the road, overtaking the advancing groups of people and horses, disappearing into the crowd in front.
Lu Shang was still looking ahead with a thoughtful expression. Lei Zhen was a child that King Wen had picked up on his way back to the west. He had grown up now. He had a strong physique since he was young. His growth experience was the process of King Wen's career development. Now that Lei Zhen had become a brave general who could fight, it could be seen that the conditions for King Wen's career were almost ripe. Victory was beckoning ahead. Lu Shang couldn't help but smile.
King Wu turned his head and looked at Lu Shang, feeling curious. He wondered if Shang father had discovered some new military strategy. He signaled for the coachman to slow down and was about to secretly flip over and jump out of the car when Lu Shang noticed him.
"You…?" Lu Shang asked.
"I want to go to the rear of the army to take a look. Father Shang will go to camp first and rest for a while.”
At this moment, Hu Sheng said to King Wu from behind,""The Duke of Zhou is rushing over.”
King Wu and Lü Shang turned around and saw a carriage rushing forward. Martial King changed his mind and parked the car by the roadside to wait.
Duke of Zhou's carriage caught up and stopped beside King Wu's carriage. "I have received the order from the herald. Our rear troops are stationed at the edge of the forest. However, there were still many marquises 'troops scattered behind. These troops should be assigned a flat area for them to camp, so that they could easily identify and contact each other. If they were stationed at the edge of the forest, it would easily cause chaos.”
"Oh." King Wu suddenly understood and said,"You're right. These troops are arranged at…"”He thought for a moment." Let them camp in the open space between the central and rear troops.”
"Alright." Lu Shang interjected," Let them see the strict discipline and formation of our army.”
"In addition, send a few more people to act as inspectors and liaison officers to assist them in setting up camp.”King Wu added to Duke Dan of Zhou,""There are a lot of troops here, and their formation is quite messy. When we reach the river, coordinate with Bi Gonggao and command them to station at the designated location."
"Alright, I'll follow your orders. I'm going back. I'll report back if there's anything.”As the Duke of Zhou spoke, he turned the chariot around and went in the opposite direction.
Lu Shang watched Duke Dan of Zhou leave and said to King Wu,""Thousands of troops cannot lack a pillar. The sharpness of blades and spears could not be separated from good gold forging. With capable successors like you, why worry that King Wen's will cannot be realized as soon as possible?”
"Father." The Martial King muttered as he looked at the carriage that was about to leave with the tablet of King Wen. The spirit tablet was reinforced on the seat and was bouncing up and down as the car moved. The hood of the carriage with the insignia of King Wen was raised high. The coachman sat in the driver's seat, holding the reins with both hands. He drove seriously and carefully chose the lane. Two armored soldiers were holding bronze daggers and carrying bows and arrows on their shoulders. They stood on both sides, just like when King Wen was alive.
King Wu listened to the sound of the waves drifting in the wind. This was the roar of the Yellow River. He could not help but feel the blood surging in his chest. He said to Lu Shang,"Father Shang, we're almost at the Yellow River. Our operation…"
"When we reach the Yellow River, we'll see the actual situation and make arrangements. They would discuss it in detail at night. I think there are still problems." Lu Shang continued King Wu's words." Then, gather the leaders of the various tribes and arrange for tomorrow's crossing of the river. Since the operation had already reached this point, there was no harm in stalling for time.”
"Crossing the river is the first step to the east. By overcoming this natural moat, we can buy time and win the opportunity.”When Lv Shang saw that King Wu was silent, he added another explanation. "The last time we went east to Chongguo, we mainly had a lot of soldiers on foot. It was more convenient to ferry people by boat. Things were different now. For this expedition, a large number of chariots were the backbone. It might be troublesome to install a war chariot on a boat, and there would definitely be many difficulties. We can't be careless."
"Yes, I am." King Wu replied," I know. We can't be careless.”He looked thoughtfully at the team that drove past him.
"I've considered this problem. We'll have to see the actual crossing to confirm our fears.”Lu Shang added,"It's mainly because it's more difficult to get on and off the chariot. You must make careful arrangements on the spot." As he spoke, he added in a particularly heavy tone,"Commanding is very important." He looked at the Martial King and nodded.
Crossing a river, especially a huge river like the Yellow River, was a matter of safety, speed, and troop consumption. These issues were also related to the victory or defeat of the entire battle. Therefore, King Wu and Lu Shang had to pay attention to them. With all kinds of unknown questions, King Wu ordered the coachman to return to the team and continue to rush forward.
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