Ji Han Da Sima

Chapter 125
Compared with the Cao brothers, Cao Ren and Cao Hong, who fought with the army, the Xiahou brothers were more stationed in Henan.Xiahou Dun served as Jingzhao Yin and stayed in Xuchang; Xiahou Yuan, as the military commander, supervised the transportation of military supplies to the three prefectures of Yan, Henan and Xu, and guarded the two prefectures of Henan and Xu.

Xia Houyuan, who received Cao Cao's military order, and Yu Jin led 7000 infantry and cavalry, and rushed from Xiapi County to Lujiang Shu County with such speed that they could cover [-] miles in three days and a thousand miles in six days.

Sun Yu saw Xia Houyuan helping his troops, and Liu Fu allocated food and grass, and led hundreds of troops to Shu County to visit Xia Houyuan.

In the tent of Cao Jun's camp, Sun Yu had a humble attitude and reported the situation of the battle in Lujiang to Cao Jun's generals who were sitting high on the couch.

The general of Cao's army was tall and majestic, with broad shoulders, dark skin, and a dense and strong beard.However, such a burly general had dark circles under his eyes and was listless.Obviously, this person is Xia Houyuan, who is known for his speed and is good at running long distances.

Listening to Sun Yu's narration, Xia Houyuan raised his face slightly and pointed his nose at Sun Yu with a slightly arrogant expression.

"Warlord, although there are tens of thousands of people under Huo Jun's tent, 6000 of them are newly attached by the Pengze water bandits, and there are only more than [-] soldiers who can fight. The terrain of the Lujiang River is mostly ravines and hills, and the water flows crisscross..." Sun Yu tried his best. Introducing the battlefield situation to Xia Houyuan, he said.

Xia Houyuan felt a little irritated, interrupted Sun Yu's speech, and said, "How many soldiers and horses do you have?"

Sun Yu was not angry, and replied with a humble attitude: "To inform the governor, I have 6000 soldiers, all of whom are good at water warfare."

Xia Houyuan touched his beard under his chin and asked, "Where did Huo Jun's thousands of troops march to?"

"We have led most of the troops to garrison Songzi (today's Susong), and our navy has entered Leichi." Sun Yu said.

After Xia Houyuan took the map of Lujiang River and looked at it, he pointed to the west of Wanshui River and asked: "But this place?"

"Exactly!"

Sun Yu nodded and said: "Songzi is located to the west of Wan River and north of Leichi, with hills and mountains. If you go east, you can reach Wancheng. Wancheng is located at the intersection of Wan River and Diving River. When the summer water rises, Boats can go up the river and arrive at the foot of Wancheng. The terrain around Wancheng is flat and the land is fertile, which is conducive to fighting."

Yu Jin, who was taciturn, asked: "General Sun has 6000 elite naval forces, why not enter the Lei Pond to fight against Huo Jun's navy."

"The boats of Huo Jun's navy are relatively small, and they mostly use fighting boats and walking boats, crisscrossing the narrow rivers and lakes. When Yu was confronting him, he sent troops into the Leichi many times to fight with his navy in the waters. However, Huo Jun's navy Generals Gan Ning and Chen Yue are so brave that our army rarely achieves victory."

Sun Yu pointed to the distribution of water areas on the map and emphasized: "Our Jiangdong Navy holds large ships and sails across the Yangtze River, and we compete with the Jingzhou Navy in victory or defeat."

Xia Houyuan turned to look at Yu Jin and asked, "Wen Ze, in your opinion, where should our army march from?"

Yu Jin pointed to Wancheng on the map and said: "General Governor, the road from Jiashi to Wancheng is narrow, which is not conducive to marching. Our army should pass quickly and lead the army to station in Wanshui. We must not let the enemy invaders seize the dangerous place."

"it is good!"

Xia Houyuan stood up and said in a deep voice: "Soldiers need to be quick to catch the enemy unawares. Set out at dusk, lead the army through the stone pavilion, and enter Wancheng."

"warlord!"

Seeing Xia Houyuan was about to leave, Sun Yu pulled down his arm and asked, "I wonder how our army can cooperate with your army?"

Xia Houyuan seemed to remember something and asked: "Where is your army stationed now?"

Sun Yu pointed to Wankou on the map and said: "Our army has stationed troops at Wankou, located in the lower reaches of the Wan River, close to the mountains and rivers, and guarding the dangerous points of the river."

"Can we lead the boat up the river and garrison Wancheng?" Xia Houyuan asked.

Sun Yu shook his head and said: "Our military ships are large, and the rains in summer are high, so they can go up the river. Now in autumn, the water level has dropped, and it is difficult for the ships to go up the river. And our military needs to control the Yangtze River..."

"How many troops can we send out?" Xia Houyuan interrupted again.

Sun Yu thought about it for a while and said, "How many soldiers and horses does the general need?"

Xia Houyuan held his sword and smiled, and said: "Huo Jun comes ashore to fight. Our troops can easily defeat him. You can send as many troops as you want to help. After this battle, the four counties of Lujiang will be owned by our army. General Sun must not forget it."

Sun Yu's face rose slightly. Xia Houyuan really looked down on his subordinates. However, the situation forced him to do something.

Sun Yu calmed down and said: "The governor led his troops to station in Wanshui, and our army stationed at Wankou. The two armies marched side by side by water and land, and responded to each other to ensure safety. If the governor needs our troops to cooperate, Yu should lead his troops to respond to the general."

"Okay!" Xia Houyuan looked at Sun Yu for a few times and said, "It's as you said."

"promise!"

After Sun Yu left the camp, an ordinary-looking scribe in Confucian robes in the camp said: "The governor's troops are bold, but the general's trip is backed by mountains and rivers, making it easy to advance and difficult to retreat. Although Huo Jun went ashore with the navy, the ship The boat can move forward and retreat freely. Ji thought that the general should be careful and plan for it slowly." Jiang Ji, courtesy name Zitong, was a famous scholar recommended by Liu Fu after he entered Yangzhou.Now he is appointed as Yangzhou Biejia, and Xia Houyuan goes south to Shu County.Liu Fu appointed Jiang Ji to supervise the transportation of grain and grass from the Jianghuai River to Xiahou Yuan, and was responsible for borrowing grain from Jiangdong.

When Xia Houyuan heard about the reputation, he went out and saw that he was a scholar. He was unhappy and said, "I have been fighting with Sikong for 20 years. How can I not know about the use of troops? The key is to use soldiers quickly and quickly. And although our army has mountains and rivers at its back, there are still Jiangdong Navy is on the flank, so how difficult is it to defeat the enemy?"

Seeing Xia Houyuan's answer, Jiang Ji had to retreat silently.He was just a guest in Yangzhou, with a low status and a shallow reputation. Xia Houyuan could answer him because it was for Liu Fu's sake.

……

During the confrontation with Sun Yu, Huo Jun completed consolidating the fortress of Sangluo garrison, but did not march in a hurry. Instead, he continued to garrison troops at Sangluo garrison and sent naval forces to garrison in Leichi.

It was not until the end of summer, time turned to autumn, and the river receded that Huo Jun actually sent out troops.Huo Yuan and Gao Chen each led a thousand men to garrison at Sangluo. Huo Jun led eight thousand men to garrison in Songzi, and then left Songzi to camp on the west bank of the Wan River to further observe the battlefield situation.

The Wanshui River flows out from the Dabie Mountains and meanders along ravines. There are many streams on both sides of the Wanshui River rushing out of the valleys, forming a staggered area of ​​river valleys and hills. The land is fertile and easy to cultivate.However, with the frequent wars, the fertile land in the river valley has become less inhabited.When the Anhui water flows through the Wancheng section, it meets the diving water originating from the Qianshan, breaks through the obstacles of the mountains, and flows into the Yangtze River.

Recently, after receiving news that Cao's soldiers were suspected of going south, Huo Jun began to take action again. He led his generals and more than a hundred Qingqi ten miles away from the camp, near the Wanshui River Basin, to observe the terrain of the battlefield.

Huo Jun and a group of generals stationed their horses on the hills on the west bank of the Wan River to observe the terrain on the east bank.

"Report!"

The knight came on horseback, raised his hands and said: "General, our army has discovered that Cao Cao has indeed sent troops south. The general in charge is Xia Houyuan, the deputy general is Jin, and there are about [-] soldiers and horses."

"Xia Houyuan?"

Hearing this, the generals looked abnormal and began to whisper.

Gao Xiang rode forward and said worriedly: "General, Xia Houyuan and Yu Jin are the veteran generals of Cao's army. We have seven thousand soldiers, most of whom are soldiers from the north who dare to fight. Sun Yu has more than six thousand soldiers and horses, totaling more than thirteen thousand people. Our army has only eight thousand soldiers and horses, and most of them are new soldiers, so we may not be able to compete with Cao's army."

After a pause, Gao Xiang hesitated and said: "Now the enemy is outnumbered and we are outnumbered. The enemy is strong and we are weak. It is better to lead the army to retreat to Songzi and hold on without fighting."

"How Feng Lu is so shallow!"

Huo Jun held the reins in his hands and said disapprovingly: "Judging from Jun's point of view, although Xiahou Yuan is a veteran general in the army, he relies solely on bravery and strength, but he is no more than a common man. Yu Jin is known for his rigorous military management, and he can be a good general, but he is controlled by Xiahou."

As he spoke, Huo Jun held up his white whip and said with confidence in his movements: "Our army is facing off against Cao's army. Sun Yu is worried about the rivers, boats and ships. How can he help each other with all his strength when he is guarding them separately? From Jun's perspective, the enemy invaders Although there are [-] people, there are no more than [-] soldiers and horses available, and Cao's army has traveled a long distance and the soldiers are tired, so they can attack!"

Everyone looked at each other in confusion, not knowing how to respond to Huo Jun's words.However, due to Huo Jun's long-term outstanding record, everyone was dubious.

Gan Ning pondered for a while and said: "The terrain on the east bank of the Wan River is flat, which is conducive to cavalry. If our army wants to fight with Cao's army, we should lead our troops to the west of the Wan River and camp on the hills, facing Cao's army across the water. . However, we need to be alert to the Jiangdong sergeants, who can go upstream from Wankou and join Cao's army."

A smile appeared on Huo Jun's face and he asked: "Can the Leichi boat go into the Wanshui?"

"You can sail into the Wan River from Chihu Lake in Leichi. The river has receded slightly now, making it difficult for a large boat to enter the Wan River. If you use a small boat, you can go upstream and float on the Wan River." Gan Ning replied.

Huo Jun narrowed his eyes and stared at the east bank. He had been leading Sun Yu without fighting because he had his own thoughts.On the one hand, in the Yangtze River water battle, his own army was not a match for the Jiangdong Army; on the other hand, he completely defeated Sun Yu's army and completed the reversal of the water power of the two armies.

Xia Houyuan led his troops, which seemed like a crisis, but it was also an opportunity to defeat the enemy.He will completely defeat the coalition forces of Xia Houyuan and Sun Yu at Longfeng, and use them as stepping stones to become famous.

Huo Jun raised his whip to the east and said in a deep voice: "The east bank of the Wan River is a vast terrain. Our army formed an array near the water and circled the chariot formation outside. The boats entered the Anhui River from the Lei Pond and floated on the river. We thought that as backup, we would defeat Cao's army. "

"General, forming an array near the water is a taboo for military strategists. You must not do it!" Chen Yue said in fear.

Hearing this, Huo Jun became furious and said: "Feidu doesn't know the beauty of war, how can he be a general? He doesn't know that he has his back against the water as a formation, and he throws himself into death and then survives, and he falls into death and then survives. The place where the dragon meets is me. Destroy Sun Cao's army."

Facing the angry Huo Jun, Chen Yue lowered his head and dared not speak.

Huo Jun calmed down and ordered: "Tonight, Gan Ning will lead a small boat into the Anhui River at night. He will set up a wooden fence at a dangerous place to prevent the Jiangdong boat from going up the river."

"When fighting the enemy the next day, Gao Xiang and Huo Du led four thousand elite troops to form a hundred-step formation out of the water. They used vehicles as a wall outside, held crossbows and bed crossbows inside, and marched halfway across the river to lure Xia Houyuan to attack. "

"Xu Sheng led his troops to cut down trees in Shiting to block Xia Houyuan's retreat."

"No!" Everyone replied in a deep voice.

(End of this chapter)