Han Shizu

Chapter 706 Changsha
It's summer, and the Xiangjiang River is full of water, rolling northward. After a heavy rain, it is even more turbulent, but it is also refreshing, and it relieves the heat of the hot summer.

The four boats walked across the river and traveled southward at a very fast speed. There were still traces of rain on the hull. The flag on the bow had already been put away, and the four wooden paddles were put out. Under the control of the boatman, Constantly paddling.

There are more than [-] Hunan soldiers on each ship.In the pilot ship, a young officer took the lead, his armor was still wet, he was holding a saber in his arms, leaning against the canopy, with his eyes closed, his hand on the hilt of the saber, as if ready to fight at any time .

The boat was very quiet and the atmosphere was very serious, except for the turbulence of the river and the sound of the boatman trying to oar, there were no other noises.The soldiers of these four ships were all Zhou Xingfeng's personal soldiers, the kind who were loyal.

On the 19th, on the night of evacuation to Baling, these people were ordered by Zhou Xingfeng to sneak out and hide in the mountains, boarded four boats prepared in advance, and headed south quickly, with the goal of Changsha.

This road, entering the Xiangjiang River via Dongting, and crossing Xiangyin, went smoothly except for the delay caused by the heavy rain before.On weekdays on the Xiangjiang River, although there are not hundreds of battles and boats coming and going, but now, as far as the eye can see, it is full of deserted scenes, and even fishing boats are rare.

"Captain, we've passed the mouth!" The soldier on guard at the bow turned his head and reported to the officer.

As soon as he opened his eyes, his indifferent gaze swept across, and that ordinary face suddenly became a bit fierce.Probe, look towards the west bank, the water is rushing into Hunan, and you can see obvious waves.

After passing Weikou, there is only sixty or seventy miles of waterway left from Changsha. No matter your physical strength, you can pass at full speed, and it will take an hour and a half.

After thinking about it for a while, the officer ordered in a deep voice: "Change people and plan to go south at full speed, and make sure to arrive in Changsha before sunset!"

"Yes!"

"Captain, what do you think is the situation in Changsha now? If the Han army has conquered it, then we" asked a senior officer, looking at the officer.

"The speed of the Han army should not be so fast. If Changsha sinks, there will be a Han boat on the river!" The captain replied, who was familiar with the water and terrain.After thinking about it, a look of determination appeared on his face: "Jie Shuai is kind to us, Madam treats us more kindly, even if you die, you have to go back to Changsha, protect Madam and Xiao Langjun, and complete Jie Shuai's order!"

After speaking, the officer walked out of the boat tent and looked towards the north with a complicated expression, worried and sentimental.Baling, maybe it has already been conquered, how about the safety of Jieshuai?
Since the second year of Qianyou, the people of Hunan have suffered from wars and disasters for a long time.For many years, war and turmoil have always been the main theme of this land and city.And the one who suffered the most was Changsha, the largest city in Hunan.

The Ma brothers fought for power, and a big fire burned half of the city wall. The treasury accumulated for many generations was acquired by the barbarians.When the Tang army destroyed Chu, it even took all the money, plundered property, and almost emptied Changsha.

Together with the Chu people, the Tang army was expelled, adding a little blood to the inside and outside of the ancient city.Zhou Xingfeng took control of Changsha and recovered somewhat. He also encountered internal conflicts among the generals of the Langzhou army, and he could not get rid of the war.

The impact of last year's famine has not dissipated, and this summer, the whole country is fighting against the imperial army. There is a war in the north, and Changsha is in turmoil.

The summer sun is shrouded in light, shining on the inside and outside of the ancient city walls of Changsha. It is sweltering and humid, making the soldiers and civilians feel irritable.Changsha at this time is full of depression and people's hearts are scattered.On the street, it was deserted, the people looked hungry, the soldiers were absent-minded, and the generals had their own ghosts.

During this period of time, news from the north came one after another. The battle at Sanjiangkou was fierce, Liyang was defeated, Wuling fell, and the Han army's iron heels had fallen to Yiyang.

The precarious background is like a rope choking the throat, which is suffocating.However, as far as Changsha soldiers and civilians are concerned, many people are already looking forward to the arrival of the Han army soon so that they can be relieved.It is said that after the Han army went down to Wuling City, they released rations the next day to help the hungry people.

Compared with the incidents in other states and towns in Hunan, the situation in Changsha is equally bad, but overall, it has not deteriorated to that point.

It's not that the generals and officials of the military government are united and the measures are appropriate, but that Zhou Xingfeng has a good helper.His wife, Yan Shi, came from the same humble beginnings as Zhou Xingfeng, but after getting rich, she still did not forget her original intention, went to the fields to work in person, sympathized with the sufferings of the people, and persuaded Zhou Xingfeng to give him a lenient sentence. She has always been quite famous.

This time when Zhou Xingfeng went north, it was the Yan family who was in charge of the overall situation in Changsha.Of course, the fact that Changsha is not in chaos is also caused by various factors.

First of all, a group of people headed by the secretary Li Guanxiang took pains to maintain it so as to lay a good foundation for the dedication of the city in the future.

Secondly, the spies of the Wu De Division and the Military Intelligence Division fell silent, because there was no need for a turbulent Changsha when camping in the south.

Finally, the most important thing is that Mrs. Yan distributed the only remaining grain in Changsha's storage to the common people, and distributed the property of the Air Force to the soldiers. It not only cured the hunger, but also calmed the morale of the army, so that Changsha was barely maintained. order.

Wuping Jiedu Yamen, inside the official office, Li Guanxiang, the secretary in charge, sat with several staff members, cooking tea and discussing matters.The official business has long been idle, and there is nothing to reason about. Other states and counties have long been in their own way. Changsha is half-dead.

"If it weren't for this heavy rain, the Han army should have arrived in Changsha!" a subordinate official sighed.

"We've already set off to Yiyang. Yiyang is only more than 100 miles away. The horse army can arrive in half a day, so we won't be able to wait for long!" said another person.

"I haven't received news from the north for a long time, and I don't know how the battle in Yuezhou is going?" said one person.

"Why, are you still worried about Zhou Xingfeng's safety?" Someone teased.

"After all, there is a friendship between the master and the minister! Jie Shuai has a resolute character and acts against the sky. After all, it is a pity!"

"Since ancient times, those who go against the sky will have a good end. The Han army came south and destroyed the dead. Its strong resistance to Yuezhou only added casualties to my son from Hunan!"

"The people in Huxiang have suffered from war for a long time, and now they are exhausted from top to bottom. They are all waiting to be fed, and they only want to be safe. I only hope that this senseless disaster can end soon."

"The food in the military mansion is less than a hundred stones. If the Han army doesn't come again, we will all be hungry!"

"We are hungry, but we can still bear it. If we are so hungry that the guards in the city are so hungry, disaster is at hand!"

"."

The fragrance of tea in the office was overflowing, and the air smelled much better. There were heated discussions among the bureaucrats, but Li Guanxiang sat in the chief seat, but he seemed very calm, neither in a hurry nor impatient, and listened quietly to the group's discussions.

"Secretary Li, are you not worried at all?"

Glancing at the person who asked the question, Li Guanxiang said indifferently: "What's the use of worrying? Left and right, the situation is irreversible. For so long, everyone in the military mansion has been working hard, so it's rare to have leisure time. Let's drink more tea. Wait until The Han army entered the city, under the rule of the imperial court, our future is uncertain, so it is difficult to have this kind of leisure.”

A subordinate official came in and stood at the door. Seeing him, Li Guanxiang asked, "What's the matter?"

"Someone from Yuezhou has returned, and he is a soldier of Jieshuai!" The official replied.

"How many people? Where are the people?" Li Guanxiang's calmness disappeared from his face immediately, and he became serious, and asked hastily.

"There are more than a hundred soldiers, I went to see my wife directly!"

The brows could not help but frown tightly, with a trace of solemnity, the person beside him couldn't help asking: "There will be no accidents!"

Li Guanxiang was also suspicious. At this juncture, nothing could go wrong. He got up and took a few steps, and ordered: "Hurry up and contact the two conductors, Sun and Wang!"

Sun and Wang are the only remaining commanders of the two remaining battalions in Changsha. They have already colluded with Li Guanxiang, and they have also made preparations for dedicating the city early.

And in the hall of the inner palace, the returning officer knelt down in it, bowing his head deeply.After the case, a woman with simple clothes and light makeup was sitting. She was not beautiful, her complexion was even rough, but she had a dignified demeanor that no one dared to insult. This was Zhou's wife Yan.Holding a child in his arms, looking around innocently and ignorantly, it was Zhou Baoquan, the youngest son of Zhou Xingfeng.

After opening a letter handed over by the officer, some of the ink had already melted away. After reading it silently, two lines of tears fell involuntarily, falling on Zhou Baoquan's face.

Unable to hold back at last, the sound of mournful sobs sounded
(End of this chapter)