The Legend of Shushan Xuanjian

Chapter 399 The Grass Man Borrows Arrows
The body of the nine meteors does not lose its name, and its words are like life for a thousand years.

If you want to know how to be loyal and trustworthy, Hu'er got off his horse and walked after passing the tomb.

—— "Lei Wanchun Tomb" Fan Chengda (Song Dynasty)

……

From the second month of Zhide Yuanzai, the rebel general Linghu Chao (formerly the magistrate of Yongqiu County) led the Yan army to take back Yongqiu.Under the command of Tang general Zhang Xun, the Yongqiu defenders repelled the Yan army's charge many times.

For several months, the puppet Yan army repeatedly besieged the city. There were often tens of thousands of soldiers and horses besieging the city, while Zhang Xun had only a thousand soldiers.Although the Yan army surrounded Yongqiu tightly, they were still unable to attack.

Whenever the Yan army relaxed a little, Zhang Xun would lead the crowd to make a surprise attack, making the Yan army hard to defend.In the dead of night, Zhang Xun often led his troops to make surprise attacks, which disturbed the Yan army.

The two armies faced each other for hundreds of days and experienced more than [-] battles.Zhang Xun, with just over a thousand people, blocked Linghu Chao's tens of thousands of troops.

Zhang Xun, like all the soldiers, did not take off his armor while eating or sleeping, and could not go out of the line of fire with minor injuries. His tenacious fighting spirit made the Yan army terrified.

During June and July, the two armies fought repeatedly. The Tang army won every battle and defeated the Yan army several times.Linghu Chao had to retreat again.

After Linghu Chao retreated, Zhang Xun found out that more than [-] infantry and cavalry soldiers of the Yan army had entered Baishawo, intending to cut off the back of Yongqiu.Zhang Xun led his troops to attack at night and defeated the Yan army.

After resting for a while, Linghu Chao led the rebel general Qu Boyu to attack the city again.The Tang army guarding the city united as one, defeated the Yan army, beheaded thousands of people, and Linghu Chao fled again.

In August, Li Tingwang, the envoy of the Puppet Yanhe Henan Festival, led more than [-] Hu-Han coalition forces to attack Ningling and Xiangyi eastward, and camped at night [-] miles outside Yongqiu City.

In order to rescue the friendly troops in Ningling, Zhang Xun personally led [-] soldiers to attack at night.The Yan army was defeated, and most of them were killed or injured.Li Tingwang withdrew his troops and fled overnight.

On the fourth day of October, Linghu Chao joined forces with the rebel general Wang Fude and led the Yan army with more than [-] infantry and cavalry to attack Yongqiu.Zhang Xun led the troops to meet them, defeated the Yan army, and killed thousands of enemies.The Yan army was defeated and fled.

On the eighth day of November, Linghu Chao led more than [-] troops to camp in the north of Yongqiu City. Zhang Xun ordered Nan Jiyun to lead his troops to attack and smashed the Yan army.

……

Bai Fuxing galloped at night, and after a few days, he arrived at Yongqiu via the Bianhe River.

At this time, the puppet Yan general Linghu Chao led his troops to attack Yongqiu again, and the city was surrounded by the puppet Yan army.

Bai Fu overlooked from the hills, the puppet Yan army should have tens of thousands of people, and the strength of the Tang army in Yongqiu City should not exceed [-].The strength of the two sides is very different.

Bai Fu observed the sky and deduced that the moon was hidden and the stars were scarce tonight, which was a good day for stealing camp.Bai Fu decided to take advantage of the night to sneak into Yongqiu City.

Bai Fu finished his dry food, meditated and rested, and at midnight, he sneaked into the puppet Yan barracks as planned.

Climb over the fence and enter the barracks.Taking advantage of his unpreparedness, Bai Fu killed a soldier who came out to urinate at night, and changed into the man's armor in a secluded place.With the camouflage, Bai Fu swaggered and walked in the puppet Yan army camp, heading towards the city wall of Yongqiu.

Bai Fu walked to the gate of the barracks, and was about to find a free time to slip out of the barracks and enter the city over the wall.As soon as he looked up, he suddenly found countless black-clothed men appearing from the top of Yongqiu City, lined up in neat lines, densely packed.A sudden look, no less than a thousand people.

The men in black were neat and quick, and they dropped the rope from the top of the city one after another. Their movements were uniform and silent, and they seemed to be sneaking into the barracks while the night was dark and the wind was high.

The puppet Yan soldiers who watched the night also discovered the military situation and hurriedly reported it to the chief general Linghu Chao.

Linghu Chao looked confident, as if he expected that the Tang army would come to sneak attack tonight, and was well prepared.

With one order, thousands of crossbowmen poured out of the barracks like a tide, drawing bows, setting up crossbow machines, and firing ten thousand arrows.Like a swarm of bees flying out of a beehive, the crossbow arrows shot at the man in black standing on the top of the wall and descending from the rope.

Thousands of people in black were hit by arrows and screamed again and again.Bai Fu's heart ached and he couldn't bear to look directly at it.

Linghu Chao caressed his beard, laughed loudly, pointed at the top of the wall and said, "Zhang Xun, Zhang Xun, the old man expected that you would steal the camp tonight! The rain of crossbows and arrows will surely kill you!

Zhang Xun, Zhang Xun, you are just a mere county magistrate in Li Tang, you are not much more than Tang Dynasty, and you are not much less.Li Longji didn't treat you very kindly. You have been in the officialdom for many years and you can't be promoted. Why do you have to work hard for the Li family and his son?
Now, Li Tang's vitality is exhausted, why should you stick to the lonely city and die for Li Tang?

Come back as soon as possible, I will protect you as a high-ranking official, rich salary, prosperity and wealth! "

Before the words were finished, a person appeared on the city tower, protected by heavy shields. It was the county magistrate Zhang Xun.

Zhang Xun said with a sneer: "Old Linghu, you are also an official in the family, and the court treats you kindly. I have promised myself loyalty all my life. What is loyalty in today's actions?

Are you ashamed to be a pawn for a Hu dog and humiliate your ancestors? ! "

Linghu Chao became furious, pointed at Zhang Xun on the city, and cursed: "Listen to the order, all generals, shoot me to death! Whoever shoots Zhang Xun's wife will be rewarded with a hundred taels of gold!
If I don't kill this person, I swear I won't be a human being! "

Under the heavy reward, there must be a brave man.The puppet Yan officers and soldiers were overjoyed, and they took out carved feather arrows with their names engraved on them and shot at the tower.

Just listen to the sound of the receiver, "swish, swish", thousands of arrows shot across the sky like a rain of meteors, and shot at the man in black on the Yongqiu city tower.

The more than 1000 men in black couldn't dodge in time, screaming again and again, their bodies filled with arrows, like hedgehogs.

With a thought in his mind, Bai Fu thought to himself, "Isn't that right?! These people have all been shot into hedgehogs, why are they still screaming miserably while still alive? There's a fraud in it, could it be a scarecrow in disguise?"

After a while, Linghu Chao also noticed something strange, he waved his hand, hurriedly stopped, and ordered the crossbowmen to stop shooting arrows.

It was too late, only to hear Zhang Xun laughing loudly on the tower, and said in a loud voice: "Thank you Lord Linghu for the arrow!"

Tang Jun, who was defending the city, roared with laughter and shouted in unison: "Thank you Lord Linghu for giving me the arrow!"

The generals of the Tang army hid behind the shields, pulled their hands alternately, and happily pulled more than 1000 black-clothed scarecrows full of arrows to the tower.

"It's hit!"

Linghu Chao was so ashamed that he felt dizzy and almost fell to the ground.The soldiers hurriedly helped him back to the camp and sent him to the big tent to rest.

Amidst the laughter of the Tang army, the fake swallow crossbowmen slowly withdrew to the camp.Hang the bucket high and close the gate of the camp.

……

It turned out that Yongqiu had been besieged for several months without any supplies of weapons and supplies. After many offensive and defensive battles, the city had no arrows to defend.

When the three armies were exhausted and frustrated, and the generals had nothing to do, Zhang Xun was quick and clever, and cleverly used the trick of "borrowing arrows from straw men", earning hundreds of thousands of crossbow arrows, many of which were bed crossbow iron arrows and well-made carved feather arrows. .

Bai Fu raised his thumb secretly, and praised: "Master Zhang Xun is amazing!

The Taifu said that he was a Jinshi in the last years of Kaiyuan, well-versed in books, and well-versed in battle formations.Although he is only a county magistrate, his rank is not high, but he must be an adult and elder.

When I saw it today, it really lived up to its reputation! "

When the flags and drums of the two military camps were quiet, Bai Fu took advantage of the night to climb over the fence of the military camps and came to the gate on the other side of Yongqiu.Touch the city wall with your toes, and fly up, several feet in one breath.

After a few feet, when the true energy became turbid, Bai Fu's figure was about to fall.

Bai Fu opened his arms, relying on Xunding's true energy to sense the wind, he found the vortex in the air.With the help of the lifting force of the airflow, like a big bird, it glides to the end of the city wall.

Lightly tap the slightly protruding city brick with the toes, and jump up again.After a few gliding ups and downs, Bai Fu jumped onto the tower.

Hundreds of Tang troops on the tower were counting the results of the battle, and they got hundreds of thousands of arrows without any effort!Such a beautiful thing made all the soldiers smile.Just like fishing with a net, the fishermen return with a full load.

When Bai Fu appeared on the top of the wall like a big bird without sound, all the generals were shocked, and they stood in a daze for a while before they drew up their weapons and surrounded Bai Fu.

Bai Fu smiled freely and waved his hands, indicating that he was a friend rather than an enemy.All the soldiers surrounded Bai Fu, waiting for Mr. Zhang to come to deal with him.

In less than a cup of tea, Zhang Xun rushed over after hearing the wind.Bai Fu delivered Xu Taifu's personal letter to Zhang Xun through the soldiers.

Zhang Xun reads the letter paper with the help of firelight.Bai Fu also took the opportunity to look at the magistrate of Zhenyuan County, who has gained a great reputation by winning more with less.

This man was around fifty, with sunken cheeks, sparse beard and beard, dark and thin.The eye bags are swollen, but a pair of tiger eyes are piercing, like shooting cold stars.

Zhang Xun was overjoyed after reading the letter, and hurriedly ordered the soldiers to withdraw from the siege.

Zhang Xun stepped forward quickly, held Bai Fu's hand tightly, and said with a smile, "It turns out that the leader of Yuan Xi is here! With Young Hero Bai, why should we be afraid of thousands of bandits and bandits!"

Back at the tower command post, Zhang Xun ordered someone to bring food and water, and apologized: "Yongqiu has been besieged for several months, and there is a shortage of food. There is nothing to entertain."

Looking at the taro and wheat bran cakes on the plate, Bai Fu guessed that these were the best food in Yongqiu City.

A warm current surged in Bai Fu's heart, he walked up to Zhang Xun and gave a military salute.Bai Fu said: "My lord, Bai Fu is not talented, and I am willing to work hard for my lord!",
Zhang Xun hurriedly helped Bai Fu up, and ordered his men to go to the turret post, and called the two fierce generals under his command to get to know Bai Fu.

The first to enter the big tent was the general Lei Wanchun.This person is slender, tall and straight like a javelin, with bushy eyes and a dignified appearance.

Zhang Xun introduced: "Wan Chun's real name is Lei Zhen, and his courtesy name is Ming Kong. He studied under the old man Mo Jing in Chisong Mountain in 48 Village. The old man Mo Jing gave him the dharma name 'Dao Chan'."

Lei Wanchun introduced his past experience. He studied art in Chisong Mountain for [-] years.

After An Lushan's rebellion, Lei Wanchun, recommended by his sworn brother Lei Haiqing, took another sworn brother, Nan Jiyun, to join Zhang Xun, the magistrate of Zhenyuan County.

Just as he was talking about Nan Jiyun, he heard Hong Liang's voice coming from outside the account: "My lord, today's business has been done very happily! It didn't cost a single soldier, and I earned hundreds of thousands of crossbow arrows for nothing!"

As soon as the curtain was lifted, a tiger general marched into the tent, with a helmet on his armor, a dignified body, a broad chest, a nose like a tiger's gall, eyebrows like a paintbrush, his arms were imposing, and he had the majesty of a fierce tiger.

Zhang Xun pointed to someone and said with a smile, "Nan Ba, come and meet Bai Shaoxia."

The visitor glared angrily, grabbed Bai Fu's palm, exerted strength in his palm, and squeezed Bai Fu's palm bone tightly.Bai Fu smiled and said nothing, his palms were like steel.

Lei Wanchun frowned, and reprimanded: "Third brother, don't be rude!"

The visitor laughed loudly, let go of Bai Fu's palm, patted Bai Fu's shoulder, and said: "Good boy, with such strength, you can open a five-stone strong bow!"

Nan Jiyun is upright and straightforward, heroic and uninhibited, and instantly wins Bai Fu's favor.

……

The four were congenial, and they talked and laughed happily with water instead of wine.

While laughing and laughing, the logistics craftsmen who repaired the weapons came to report and asked how to deal with the thousands of scarecrows.

Lei Wanchun said: "The old way is to chop the straw with a guillotine, soak it in water until it softens, and then feed it to the horses."

Zhang Xun's eyes turned, and he made up his mind.He waved his hand to stop them, and said: "Wait a minute. In the next few nights, follow the same pattern and send these thousands of scarecrows down to the city."

Lei and Nan were puzzled.Nan Jiyun asked: "My lord, if we repeat our old tricks, how could that old thief Linghu Chao be fooled again?"

Zhang Xun smiled and didn't answer.

In a flash of inspiration, Bai Fu caught Zhang Xun's strategy.Bai Fu tapped the table with his fingers, with a smile on his lips.

Zhang Xun laughed and said, "Young Xia Bai guessed it?"

Bai Fu had a tacit understanding, and said with a smile, "When the false is also true, the true is also false." Lei and Nan were at a loss.

Zhang and Bai looked at each other, appreciating each other, clapped their hands and laughed loudly.

(End of this chapter)