big song poppi

Chapter 242 0239 [Jingdong Road, simple folk customs]

under the sunset.

The battle in the valley was coming to an end. When the heavy armored cavalry joined the battlefield, the outcome was decided.

The rest is just to deal with the endgame.

The defeated Western army and prisoners of war were like headless flies, scurrying around in the valley.

If you look down from above, you will find that the Western Army is like a colony of ants whose nest has been broken.

More than [-] heavy armored cavalry dispersed and were divided into squads of a hundred people, constantly driving the escaping Western troops and prisoners of war back to the valley.

The soldiers of the cavalry battalion like this situation the most. The defeated infantry in front of the cavalry is a waste of military merit.

Han Zhen sat on the mountain horse, the black iron tree in his hand drooped, and his mood was waning.

The combat power of the Western Army was much worse than expected. After waiting for so long, there was suddenly an illusion that they came in good spirits and returned in defeat.

It is obvious from the battle situation just now that even without firearms, the Western Army will be defeated, but it will only take a longer time.

When the sunset gradually sinks into the valley, the war is completely over.

Han Zhen ordered: "Collect the ordnance and count the casualties."

"Order!"

More than a dozen army secretaries, with happy faces, went to count the casualties on both sides one by one.

Looking around, Han Zhen asked: "Where is Liu Qi?"

Huang Kai answered truthfully: "Reporting to the county magistrate, Liu Dutong led a hundred heavy cavalry to chase the Western Army general."

"Ok!"

Han Zhen nodded slightly and ignored it.

It's an unexpected surprise if you can catch up, but it doesn't matter if you can't.

As for Liu Qi's safety, he didn't care. The cavalry came and went like the wind. As long as they didn't act stupidly, no one could stop the hundred heavy cavalry if they wanted to leave.

……

Liu Guangshi looked frightened, and kept hitting the horse with the whip in his hand.

The war horse was in pain, and its speed increased a bit.

This scene reminded him of the Northern Expedition to Liao Kingdom last year.

At that time, he was running for his life like this.

"No, the rebels are chasing us!"

Suddenly, a soldier exclaimed.

Liu Guangshi turned around and saw hundreds of black armor cavalry running towards him.

He was immediately frightened to the point of splitting his liver and gallbladder, and whipped the riding crop faster in his hand.

Although Liu Qi and others focused on armor, they had one man and two horses, so they could take turns to ride, and their speed was not much slower than Liu Guangshi and others.

After chasing each other, two hours passed before I knew it.

Night has enveloped the sky, but fortunately tonight the moon is bright, the silvery glow is shining down, and is reflected by the snow, making it look like daylight.

Feeling that the horse under him was gradually exhausted and slowed down, Liu Qi felt impatient.

Suddenly, there was a muffled sound from ahead.

The front legs of the war horse under Liu Guangshi softened, and he and the horse fell heavily to the ground. His eyes went black and he fainted.

"God help me too!"

Liu Qi was overjoyed and quickly urged his horses to rush forward.

"Everyone has been defeated!"

"Liu Dutong!"

"Quick, save Dutong!"

When the soldiers and cavalry saw him, they reined in their horses and tried to rescue Liu Guangshi.

But the Qingzhou heavy cavalry rushed forward in the blink of an eye.

boom!
Dozens of light cavalry were smashed into pieces by the Qingzhou heavy cavalry as if they were made of paper.

For a while, people shouted and neighed.

Amidst the bursts of screams, a furious voice suddenly came: "Wuna rebel, how brave!"

Liu Qi bent down and lifted the unconscious Liu Guangshi onto his horse. Looking around, he saw a general in armor galloping towards him from the official road ahead.

Behind the general, there were thousands of light cavalry.

Liu Qi showed no fear, and hundreds of heavy horsemen turned their horses around, gathered around Liu Qi, and formed an arrow array.

Seeing this scene, Han Shizhong was shocked and angry.

Heavy cavalry!

The entire northwest five routes could not muster many heavy armored cavalry, but the rebels in Zhao and Song Dynasty had a hundred heavy cavalry.

Needless to say, those corrupt officials must have secretly colluded with the rebels to resell arms and horses.

Although he is brave, he is not a fool, and he cannot do such stupid things as light cavalry attacking heavy cavalry.

Even though they have a thousand light cavalry, they have a numerical advantage, but they cannot be used on the narrow official road in this kind of terrain, and they cannot give full play to the mobility and flexibility of the light cavalry.

To charge with force is tantamount to hitting an egg against a stone.

Han Shizhong reined in the horse, gradually slowed down, and finally stopped a hundred steps away.

Glancing at Liu Guangshi, who was lying on the back of the horse with no idea of ​​his life or death, and then at Liu Qi, Han Shizhong shouted: "Who are you waiting for?"

Liu Qi raised his chin: "Qingzhou Army Liu Qi, who are you?"

Qingzhou Army?
The Dao Chi Army had just been wiped out, and the Black Mountain bandits had not yet been pacified, so why did the Qingzhou Army appear again.

The people in Shandong are really simple and honest!

Han Shizhong was secretly frightened, but his momentum did not drop. He said loudly: "I am Han Shizhong, Bingyilang, the deputy commander of the right wing of the Western Army!"

Liu Qi chuckled and said: "Who am I supposed to be? The original way is Po Han Wu. Seeing that you and my county magistrate are from the same family, let me spare you once and retreat quickly."

"Who is your county magistrate?"

Han Shizhong looked confused.

What is the position of county magistrate?
Liu Qi's unstinting temper was offended, and he joked: "My county magistrate's surname is Han Minzhen, and he is the second in command in the family. When you see this rogue, you should call me my second uncle!"

"How brave!"

Han Shizhong shouted angrily.

He used to run rampant in the countryside and was a famous rogue, so the people in the village gave him the nickname Po Han Wu.

Now he can be regarded as the mainstay of Zhao Song's army. At this moment, he is being raped by a rebel bandit on the left and Han Wu on the right. How can he not be angry?

"Ah!"

Liu Qi smiled disdainfully, waved his hand and said, "Go back!"

Capturing a Western Army commander alive is already a great achievement. When the troops are exhausted, there is no need to continue to deal with the opponent.

Seeing that the other party was about to leave, Han Shizhong suddenly became anxious.

Although he looked down upon Liu Guangshi, no matter what, he was the commander of the left wing of the Western Army. If he was kidnapped by the rebels in front of him, his face would be disgraced.

Han Shizhong raised the spear in his hand, pointed at Liu Qi from a distance, and said loudly: "That rebel, do you dare to fight me? If I defeat you, Liu Dutong will be left behind!"

Single combat between generals has been around since ancient times and is widespread.

It is not like the nonsense of various self-media and marketing accounts in later generations, saying that single combat between military generals in ancient times did not exist at all, and it was all made up of romance novels.

In fact, duel between generals began in the Shang and Zhou dynasties, and it also has a very elegant name called:

Dear Master!

The earliest recorded attack on the enemy occurred at the Battle of Muye in the late Shang Dynasty.

From the Shang and Zhou dynasties to the Spring and Autumn Period, the competition between masters was still a competition between nobles. Both sides would keep a thin line and would not make a deadly move.

During the Warring States Period, rituals and music collapsed, and the masters were no longer limited to nobles. Middle and high-level generals from both sides could participate and no longer held back.

Liu Bang unified the world and established the Western Han Dynasty. There were few wars in the country, mainly fighting against the Xiongnu.

The Xiongnu are barbarians who advance when they have advantages and retreat when disadvantages arise. They are not ashamed to run away. They only care about where their advantages lie and do not know etiquette.

Therefore, the master also disappeared.

It was not until the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, when the heroes came together to fight, that the generals, who had been suppressed for hundreds of years, completely let themselves go.

With the popularization of stirrups, the trend of fighting for masters became more and more fierce, and there were countless duels. There are hundreds of them recorded in "Three Kingdoms" and various history books, and countless others are not recorded.

Since then, the tradition of giving to the master has been preserved.

During the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the nomadic people in the north also began to pay attention to martial ethics and were gradually influenced by Zhishi.

In the late Sui Dynasty, dueling among military generals once again ushered in a peak period.

Even Qin King Li Shimin participated in several duels.

"New Book of Tang" and "Taiping Yulan" record that when the Tang army attacked Liu Heitai, Li Shimin had a duel with a Turkic warrior under Liu Heitai's command.

[The blade was about to be connected. Taizong used his natural strategy to shoot a big arrow at it. The center hole was in the back, and he died in response to the string! 】

The famous general in the early Tang Dynasty, Qin Qiong and Qin Shubao, was almost a division under Li Shimin who specialized in dealing with enemy provocations. He could be called the king of duels.

"Old Book of Tang" records: Whenever Shu Bao went on an expedition from Taizong, there would be some brave generals and sharp soldiers among the enemy, showing off their troops and horses, coming and going, Taizong would get very angry and would often order Shu Bao to take them.

Another example is Xue Rengui, whose most famous one-on-one deeds in his life were undoubtedly the Three Arrows Ding Tianshan!
In the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, warriors were rampant, and single combat among generals once again flourished.

However, during the Northern Song Dynasty, some changes occurred. Because the Zhao Song Dynasty relied on literature to control military affairs, most of the military commanders and generals were literati and their combat power was weak, so they rarely participated.Gradually, the one-on-one duels between military generals began to involve middle and lower-level military attachés.

The custom of becoming a master was still prevalent until the end of the Yuan Dynasty and the beginning of the Ming Dynasty.

It is precisely because of this that books such as "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms" and "Water Margin" written during this period were keen on describing the scenes of single combat between military commanders.

Chang Yuchun loved single-on-one combat very much, even if he later became the commander-in-chief of one party, he still did so.

So Zhu Yuanzhang had to personally persuade him: Yuchun is a general, why should he compete with a small school for power? It is very undesirable and should be avoided.

...Liu Qi sneered: "I am a good calculationr, so I think I am an idiot. Why should I fight with you when the enemy general is in hand?"

Han Shizhong was speechless and felt aggrieved.

The opponent's hundred heavy knights wanted to leave, but he really couldn't stop them.

But the anger in his heart had to come out, so he shouted: "Then it doesn't matter whether you win or lose, how dare you, little thief?"

Liu Qi was also aroused and sneered: "If you dare, I won't bully you. You can choose between horse and foot battles."

"Okay, then fight on foot!"

After Han Shizhong finished speaking, he ordered the Qingqi behind him: "Step back two hundred steps!"

He is not stupid. The opponent's men and horses are all wearing heavy armor and are invulnerable. A horse fight would be a huge disadvantage.

The Western cavalry hesitated for a moment, then turned their horses and retreated.

Two hundred steps is a very ambiguous distance.

This distance is beyond the range of the God's Arm Crossbow, and even if the opponent's cavalry wants to take the opportunity to make a surprise attack, they still have time to react.

Seeing that the other party was talking about martial ethics, Liu Qi also ordered: "You should also take two hundred steps back!"

After saying that, he turned over and dismounted, and pulled out the dragon-coiling stick from the side of the horse's back.

After playing with a stick, Liu Qi held a stick in one hand and pointed at Han Shizhong: "I have long heard that the Western Army has a Po Han Wu who is brave and good at fighting and has excellent martial arts skills. Today, I, Liu Qi, will come to weigh your weight!"

"It's quite courageous!"

Han Shizhong sneered, took out the steel knife from his waist, and strode towards him.

Liu Qi did not retreat but advanced, and took the initiative to meet him. The dragon-coiled stick in his hand made a sound of breaking wind, and he smashed it on the head.

Woo!
This stick is so powerful that even if you are wearing iron armor, if you are hit on the head, you will end up with a concussion.

Han Shizhong stretched his sword in front of him to block the stick.

Feeling the stinging pain from the tiger's mouth, a trace of solemnity flashed in his eyes.

The opponent's strength is not inferior to his, and the Panlong Staff is powerful and heavy, so he cannot fight head-on.

Thinking of this, Han Shizhong held the steel knife in both hands, drew a semicircle, removed the strength of the stick head, stepped forward, and raised the steel knife from bottom to top.

This knife was very insidious. Even if there was a skirt to protect the descendants, if it was hit hard, it would be enough to cause Liu Qi pain for a long time.

Liu Qi's reaction was not unpleasant. He leaned down and raised one leg back, which was the standard flying goose falling on the sand. At the same time, he stabbed the opponent with the coiled dragon stick in his hand like a spear.

Although the steel knife is fast, it is not as long as the dragon stick.

Han Shizhong didn't notice for a moment and was hit in the lower abdomen. The force penetrated the iron armor. He suddenly felt a turbulence in his stomach and he took several steps back.

Standing back up, Liu Qi placed the dragon-coiling stick on his shoulder and smiled proudly: "Every inch is long and every inch is strong, don't you understand?"

Resisting the desire to vomit, Han Shizhong looked gloomy, and the contempt in his heart completely disappeared.

Han Shizhong held the knife and rushed forward again, slashing diagonally with the steel knife.

Liu Qi tried to block it, but found that the sword was just a false move, and secretly said something bad.

Sure enough, Han Shizhong twisted his waist, spun around and kicked the opponent squarely in the heart.

Liu Qi was kicked back seven or eight steps by this powerful and heavy kick.

"Come again!"

Exhaling the turbid air in his chest, Liu Qi rushed forward with his stick.

Han Shizhong was not afraid and faced him with his sword.

Their martial arts skills were almost the same. They fought back and forth for nearly a quarter of an hour. Their physical strength was almost exhausted. In the end, neither could do anything to the other.

Liu Qi was wearing heavy armor. Although the steel knife hurt his body, it could not break the armor and could only cause a burst of sparks.

Similarly, when the panlong stick hit Han Shizhong's armor, it could not hurt his muscles and bones.

The cavalrymen on both sides were delighted to see it, and they were very happy.

Han Shizhong gasped and said angrily: "If it weren't for the heavy armor, I would kill you today!"

Liu Qi knew in his heart that he had taken advantage of the heavy armor on his body this time, otherwise he would really not be Han Shizhong's opponent.

However, he was not discouraged and gasped: "I am very proud. I am still a young man and my strength is still growing. In another two years, the outcome will still be unknown."

This is true. He is only 16 years old after the Chinese New Year, and he has a promising future.

Han Shizhong glanced at Liu Guangshi in the distance and said harshly: "Next time we meet, you won't be so lucky!"

next time?

Liu Qi suddenly smiled and said: "It's you who should be careful. If you meet the county magistrate, you will not be able to get along with him! If you tell me Liu Qi's name then, you may be able to save a small life."

"Ah!"

Han Shizhong sneered, turned around and left.

He only regarded what the other party said as nonsense.

……

……

"Reporting to the county magistrate, this battle formation killed 830 people, captured more than 620 prisoners, and captured more than [-] spears... [-] divine arm crossbows, [-] and seven war horses, more than [-] cattle, horses, and livestock. The grain is [-] dan, and the concentrated hay totals more than [-] dan..."

Han Zhen sat in the main tent, listening to the secretary report the results of the battle.

This battle almost wiped out the entire Western Army. In addition to prisoners of war and ordnance, a large amount of grain, grass and baggage were also seized.

What pleased him the most was the 830 pairs of divine arm crossbows.

Luo Sha and Yu Chaohuan tried their best, but only managed to get more than [-] pieces. Now, in one battle, more than [-] pieces were captured.

As a result, the number of divine arm crossbows in the army exceeded a thousand.

"Not bad!"

Han Zhen smiled slightly and immediately asked: "How many casualties have our troops suffered?"

The secretary answered truthfully: "Our army suffered 28 casualties, 170 serious injuries, and 400 minor injuries."

The smile on Han Zhen's face faded a little and he said in a deep voice: "Collect the bones of the fallen soldiers and order the military doctors to treat the wounded soldiers with all their strength. Write another battle report and send the scout battalion back to Zi and Qing prefectures."

"Humble to take orders!"

The secretary responded with his hands raised.

In the military camp, the soldiers of the Qingzhou Army burned a bonfire while tasting the fragrant and steaming broth.

Of the thousand horses of the Western Army, more than 300 were dead or injured.

Those with minor injuries will be left to the cavalry camp, where they will be recuperated for a while and still be used.

The seriously injured horses were slaughtered directly, and the cattle and horses that died when the heavy cavalry charged into the battle were enough for the officers and soldiers of the Qingzhou Army to eat several meals.

Da da da!
The sound of horse hooves came from outside the valley.

After verifying his identity, Liu Qi led a hundred heavy cavalry back to the military stronghold.

Carrying Liu Guangshi all the way into the main tent, Liu Qi opened his mouth, revealed a slightly immature face, and said loudly: "The last general will live up to his trust and capture the Western Army's leader!"

Han Zhen smiled and said: "Capture the general alive, I will remember you for your great achievements!"

Liu Qi was overjoyed. He suddenly remembered something and said, "By the way, when the general was pursuing the attack, he encountered reinforcements from the Western Army. There were about a thousand light cavalry. The leader was Han Shizhong."

"Reinforcement?"

Han Zhen frowned slightly.

This place is a hundred miles away from Licheng, and it has only been a few hours since the war started.

Even if the spies rush to Licheng to report, the reinforcements will arrive as soon as tomorrow afternoon.

Could it be that their whereabouts have already been leaked?
Seeing this, Liu Qi immediately understood Han Zhen's doubts and explained: "Han Shizhong was particularly surprised when he heard about our Qingzhou Army, so the general felt that our army's whereabouts should not have been exposed. It seems that Han Shizhong had other missions, We happened to meet the spies reporting from the city of Muharram."

Han Zhen nodded and ordered: "Let the scout battalion keep a close eye."

No matter what, you can never go wrong with caution.

After giving the instructions, Han Zhen looked at Liu Guangshi, who was tied up.

As the leader of the Four Generals of ZTE, even if Han Zhen didn't have a detailed understanding of the history of the Northern Song Dynasty in his previous life, he had heard of his name.

Liu Paopao!

He doesn't have much fighting ability, but his ability to escape is excellent.

At this moment, Liu Guangshi had already woken up from his coma, pursed his lips and said nothing.

Although he pretended to be calm, the panic in his eyes still revealed the fear in his heart.

"County magistrate, how should we deal with this person?"

Liu Qi had naturally heard of Liu Guangshi's name. It was this person who was afraid of war and breached the contract, which led to the defeat of Guo Yaoshi. Otherwise, if he had captured the city of Nanjing in the Liao Kingdom, Yelv Dashi would have been defeated under a flanking attack from both sides.

Therefore, he was extremely disgusted with Liu Guangshi.

Han Zhen asked lightly: "Want to live or die?"

"I want to live, I want to live!"

Now, Liu Guangshi stopped pretending and answered hurriedly.

Han Zhen said condescendingly: "I will give you a chance to tell you all the situation of the Western Army in detail. I will send someone to prove this matter. If there is a lie, you know the consequences."

After hesitating for a moment, Liu Guangshi explained all the arrangements of the Western Army from top to bottom, like pouring beans from a bamboo tube.

It's almost all-knowing.

After Liu Guangshi finished speaking, Han Zhen turned around and asked, "Did you remember everything?"

The scribe replied: "Report to the county magistrate, I have written down all the details."

"Just take him down." Han Zhen waved his hand.

After all, Liu Guangshi was the queen of the generals, and his father Liu Yanqing was now serving as the military governor of Runzhou. He was left alive and could have an extra bargaining chip in exchange for some money and food when negotiating with Zhao Song in the future.

Hearing this, Liu Guangshi couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, his life was saved.

As for the victory or defeat of the Western Army, what does it have to do with him!
(End of this chapter)