Late Tang Dynasty Floating Life

Chapter 355

Under the big hair, no one is immune.

On the grassland inside and outside Yinshan Mountain, two huge teams were heading in diametrically opposite directions.

One side, supporting the old and the young, took tents, cattle and sheep, and belongings, and headed towards Lingzhou.

One party galloped on horses, and headed towards Shengzhou with bows, arrows and spears.

Shao Shude likes to plunder the enemy's cattle, sheep and dogs the most, how can he not guard against this move?
In addition to the old and weak of the Qibi tribe who went south to the Linzhou area, nearly [-] old and weak from the Zhuanglang, Wang, Geshu, and Hun clans all went to Lingzhou until the end of the northern tour.

On the big river after sailing, there are masts like forests, and tank boats appear in the sky one after another.

The speed of the ships sailed so fast that they overtook the marching cavalry one after another.

Gradually it got closer, so close that the soldiers at the east end of the surrendered city could see the warriors standing on the deck.

It only took ten days, and more than a hundred tank boats from Huaiyuan Port arrived in Shengzhou, faster than a cavalry with one man and two horses!

The first ship leaned on the trestle bridge, set the plank down, and the warriors with swords and bows came out first.

Another ship approached the trestle, and the auxiliary soldiers carefully disembarked with grain bags.

The Yulingang Wharf, which can accommodate eight ships at the same time, has entered a busy phase.

The Liao Zuo of the camp moved the desk case, sat on the ground, and began to copy and register the military resources, classifying them into categories.They wrote like dragons and snakes, their handwriting was scribbled, and they were sweating profusely from work.

"Your chest is as hard as iron armor. How long have you been storing it? After sending it to the army, the warriors won't hack me to death?"

"Xiazhou grape wine should be sent out for 21 jars. Why are [-] jars missing? What? It was broken on the road, it can't be done, it has to be replaced."

"The sheep are so thin, which one sent them? Xiazhou official shepherd? This..."

"The number of arrows for Huaiyuan Zuoyuan is correct, and the number of arrows returning to Lezuoyuan is still short of five thousand bundles. Hurry up and bring them here."

"Four thousand lance blades are stored in the Dongcheng Yizi library."

"The whetstone..."

"rope……"

After Liao Zuo finished recording, the envoys on the other side of the warehouse will rush into the warehouse.Their mouths were dry, their throats were about to burst from shouting, and they kept instructing the peasants to carry the goods.How many bundles of arrows, where to put them, how many baskets of vinegar cakes, where to store them, how many packages of medicinal materials, how to store them...

The temporarily recruited herdsmen were cutting grass in the nearby horse farm, and they couldn't be idle for a moment, their arms were so sore.

Others were boiling beans and making coarse grain cakes for the horses.

Even children were mobilized to sieve grains and prepare bran.

A few miles away from the pier, more than [-] strong men and healthy women from Liugu Tubo are digging trenches, repairing camps, and building watchtowers.

They sweated profusely and continued to improve the camp according to the instructions of the military sergeant.

There is a lively scene everywhere.

This is war, which includes both the bloody heroism on the killing field and the trivial and boring in the base camp.

Looking down from the sky, the peasants toiled like ants, camels, horses and carts filled the fields, and sergeants lined up neatly on the periphery, heading to distant places.

Busy but not chaotic, orderly.

The Shuofang army, which has been fighting all the year round, has been tempered from the front line to the rear.

Shao Shude landed surrounded by his own soldiers.

"Marshal!" All the chiefs of Yinshan knelt on the floor.

Shao Shude looked at the mountains to the east, and the Xinquan Army had already occupied Shanyang Pass.After Li Ke heard the news, he should know the strategic intention of Shuofang Army.

"Get up." He said flatly.

The leaders stood up one after another, respectful.

Qi Bizhang, Bai Daochuan's patrol envoy, was the strongest and also a landlord. He opened his mouth to say a few words, but when he saw Shao Shude's calm face, he swallowed it again.

"How many people came from each department?" Shao Shude asked.

"Back to Commander, the Qibi tribe has 800 and [-] people and [-] horses."

"900 men and [-] horses came from Hunbu."

"Ten thousand and seven hundred people and two thousand four hundred horses came from the Ministry of Tibetan Talents."

"There are 200 people from the Zhuanglang Department, and [-] horses."

"There are 9000 people from the Geshu Department, and [-] horses."

Almost 5 people, not bad.

"Qibi Inspectorate, I hereby appoint you as the deputy envoy of Youyi in the north of the camp, leading five cavalry and 7000 soldiers, carrying grain and beans to Yanchi (now Daihai) to stand by."

"The final general obeys orders." Qi Bizhang was overjoyed.

"Inspector Wang, I hereby appoint you as the envoy of the five divisions of the battalion, commanding [-] infantry, stationed in the east of Zhenwu Army City, and practicing diligently."

"The last general obeys orders." Wang Xie replied loudly.

Zhuang Langshen and the others looked sad.Qi Bizhang is strong, and everyone recognizes it, but Wang Xie can also be a platoon envoy, commanding more than 3 infantry in the fifth division of Yinshan, which shows that in the heart of the commander, the Zangcai Wang family is closer.

"So, all retreat, practice well, and be diligent."

"As ordered."

After giving all these instructions, Shao Shude led the [-] soldiers of the Tielin Army, which had been assembled, to the Zhenwu Army.

……

On the grassland that is gradually turning green, the pastoral songs of cattle and sheep have long gone, and gold and iron horses have begun to appear.

The mobilization of the Shuofang Army was rapid, which was beyond the expectations of the Datong Army and the Hedong Army.

The convenience of shipping has greatly improved the logistics support capabilities of the army, allowing the ministries to march lightly and travel quickly.

On March 24, thousands of riders appeared in the Hexing area of ​​Shen (sān).

They didn't stop there, but kept going.

This place has long been outside the Great Wall, and it is the land of dragons and deserts in the eyes of the Central Plains people, but this army with the banner of "Yang" didn't care. More than ten thousand riders drove cattle and sheep, and went straight to the southeast like an outing.

In the evening, they arrived at their destination.

It was a huge lake of water, the sun was setting, the lake was rustling, the waves were rising, and gulls and birds were gathering.

There are large forests and reeds on the bank, with lush water and grass, and it is the nomadic land of the Tuyuhun Helian tribe of the five tribes in the north, but they have all run away now, either to Yunzhou or to the northeast.

The sergeants got off their horses, threw the reins to the auxiliary soldiers of the Long family tribe, and casually enjoyed the beautiful scenery by the lake.

"But the Flying Bear Army Envoy Yang Jun?" Qi Bizhang, who had been waiting for a long time, immediately stepped forward and saluted.

The soldiers took out a letter: "Punishment, the advantage of the arrow, the first in martial arts, the name of the ape will always broadcast the praise, and the fall of the geese will be able to pass on the skill... The former officer attacked early and shot with his hands, good at scheming, You can shoot an arrow at seventy paces without bending a three-hundred-jin bow. If Ji Chang saw it, he would think of tao (tāo) the string;

Qi Bizhang has been an official in the Tang Dynasty for many years, so of course he can read and write. As soon as he saw it, he knelt down on one knee and said, "The last general pays his respects to the envoy."

"Having been stationed for many days, have you ever seen the Hedong Army?" Yang Hongwang sat down and asked.

"There are thieves riding around, but I haven't seen a large group." Qi Bizhang replied.

Hearing that Qi Bizhang referred to the Hedong Army as a "thief army", the corner of Yang Hongwang's mouth curled up.

"Can you drive him away?" he asked.

"After the last general led his army to arrive here, he besieged and killed the cavalry in the east of the river day and night, and sent people south to investigate the bandit situation from afar. He learned that the bandit army was under the strong city of Yunzhou. There were many soldiers and horses, almost four. Thousands of people."

"Prepare water. After the rest, our department will go south immediately to meet Sha Tuoer for a while."

Qi Bizhang was taken aback when he heard the words, and said, "Why are you in such a hurry to fight?"

Although he hated Li Keyong deeply and wished to defeat him, was it really appropriate to be so bold?
"General Qi Bi can just sit here. The salt pond is rich in water and grass, and the fish are very fat, so eat more." After finishing speaking, he got up and went directly to the troops, urging the soldiers to take the time to rest.

Qi Bizhang's face was a little dark.

Shuofang's army fought so bravely and diligently?Are all the generals so domineering?

He stationed here with [-] cavalry. On the surface, he was waiting for the main force of the commander to arrive, but in reality?Is there really no factor of fear of Li Keyong?

Yang Hongwang naturally didn't care about Qi Bizhang's mood.

This time he brought all the Flying Bear Army, five thousand warriors and five thousand auxiliary soldiers including the silver spears, one thousand soldiers and two thousand auxiliary soldiers all the leopard cavalry, and a total of [-] horses in the whole army, with amazing mobility .

When he was in Zhenwu Army City, the Marshal added [-] riding horses from Fengzhou Yongqingzha Racecourse to him. At present, the total number of horses in the entire army has reached [-], which is more than twice the number of people. many.

The spare horse can carry fresh water, but it is definitely not enough, so he still needs Qi Bizhang, who arrived here earlier, to provide the necessary supplies before he can go south.

Yanchi is not far from Yunzhou, only about 200 miles away, and the Feixiong army rushing away should make Li Ke mess around.

After the soldiers finished eating and drinking, they either lay down or sat down, taking the time to rest.The auxiliary soldiers are also busy taking care of the horses and preparing the supplies needed for the next few days.

……

Shen Xin set off again with the troops.

It was still his old base Wansheng Army, with a total of more than 4000 cavalry, marched northward from Izumo Prefecture, and seized Yanchang City.

In fact, he was very puzzled by the command of the commander in chief.

Ranger investigations found that a large group of cavalry soldiers under the banner of Qibizhang had appeared in the Yanchi area to the north, more than 1 people.

This is a huge force, because this time when they went north to besiege Yunzhou, the Hedong Army only brought about [-] cavalry in total.Regardless of the combat effectiveness of those tribal armies, the number is real and the threat is great.

If he was in command, before Yunzhou City was captured, [-] Yan soldiers came to reinforce Yuzhou from the east, and if the Shuofang army was found in the northwest, he would have already ordered the troops to command.Anyway, Helianduo is very weak now, and he doesn't dare to chase after him. As long as he retreats to Daizhou, there are strong passes and dangerous passes to block him, so he can advance, attack, retreat and defend.

But the commander-in-chief was in a bad mood, and he didn't dare to touch bad luck, so he could only bite the bullet and head north, otherwise his whole family might be killed.

Shao Shude was particularly treacherous, so he sent an envoy to invite the general to meet in Xuanhongchi——Xuanhongchi, located in the northeast of Fengzhen City today, in the area of ​​Donghaizi and Xihaizi. It is a huge marsh lake on the grassland. Emperor Wencheng of the Northern Wei Dynasty once watched fish Here, now it has dried up and disappeared.

Where can I go?
From Yunzhou to the north, it takes 160 miles to get to Xuanhong Lake.Shao Shude arranged the location of the alliance there, and his heart is to be punished!
He is like those barbarian emperors in the Northern Dynasties, he can camp anywhere without a city, and he can do whatever he wants, but the commander-in-chief can't take such risks.

Oh, what a mess!
Full of complaints, Wan Shengjun continued on, walking alone on the desolate ancient road.

In the evening, the vanguard came to report that Yanchang City was empty, and they had already occupied it.

Shen Xin relaxed slightly.

This city was built by Murong Chui, and it is relatively dilapidated now, but it is more or less defensive.

Take it first!
The Marshal's intention is also very clear, to let their Wansheng Army block Yanchang City, the only way to go south, and then consider whether to go north to form an alliance.

Helian Duo was not afraid, he didn't dare to go out of the city.But [-] Yan soldiers are a problem. If the East Route Army can't resist, there will be no way to retreat.

There was still the last ray of light in the sky, and the entire Wansheng Army entered Yanchang City.

The auxiliary soldiers were busy tidying up and cleaning the dilapidated room full of cobwebs, while Shen Xin climbed to the top of the city, overlooking the surrounding fields.

It's really spectacular!

There are boundless green fields, rivers criss-crossing them, and small lakes dotted all over.There are undulating hills, and under the mausoleum are dense forests one after another.

Tomorrow, I have to send someone to cut down some trees and come back to strengthen the city.Shen Xin caressed the uneven city wall, very dissatisfied.

After all, Murong Chui's city was hastily built under Murong Chui's serious illness, so it's still not good enough!
A large number of birds and gulls flew in the mountains and forests in the northwest, which was very pleasing to the eye.

Shen Xin just wanted to praise twice, but suddenly remembered something, and his expression changed suddenly.

Sure enough, a brigade of cavalry pawns holding silver guns appeared at the edge of the forest.They identified the direction for a while, then urged their horses and rushed towards Yanchang City.

"Send a messenger to the commander-in-chief, and then block the city gate!" Shen Xin immediately ordered.

He now somewhat understands the decision of the commander-in-chief to send Wan Shengjun northward.The Shuofang Army came too fast!

If they were rushed straight down the amniotic fluid (now the mud river), and they were caught off guard, wouldn't the tens of thousands of troops from east of the river be about to suffer?
It seems that the attire is not a tribal army, but a Shuofang Ya army. How could they come so quickly?

There were repeated screams outside the city, and Shen Xin looked around, only to see a few messengers leaving the city who were immediately intercepted.

There are more and more silver spear cavalrymen in the field, circling around, constantly threatening the guards on the top of the city.

They didn't try to attack the city, but roamed outside, besieging scouts and messengers, extremely arrogant.

Openly attacking and killing the sergeants in Hedong, is the Shuofang army going to tear their face apart?
"After nightfall, we have to send another wave of messengers." Shen Xin's expression became more serious as he looked at it.

Shuofang Army has too many cavalry. If the commander-in-chief doesn’t know it and rushes north, even if the infantry is brave and elite, once they are trapped by tens of thousands of Shao’s thieves, they will repeat the siege of Han Gaozu Baideng and Emperor Yang of Sui’s Yanmen. The trap?
(End of this chapter)