Ji Han Da Sima

Chapter 394: One wave comes after another

On April 3, Huo Jun was stationed in Zhi County and sent infantry troops to search Zhouge along the upper and lower reaches of the Mi River. At the same time, Ding Feng was sent with six to seven hundred cavalrymen to go west deep into the Whirlpool River Basin and search boats and boats to find signs that the army was moving south from the Whirlpool and Jianshui Rivers.

On that day, many nobles in Jianshui and Guoshui were disturbed. With Huo Jun's connivance, Huaibei officials informed the army stationed in Shouchun that Huo Jun was active in Zhi County.

At dawn on April 4th, Quan Cong led a thousand soldiers. When Xu Huang, Xia Houshang and the Wei soldiers under his tent had no time to stop them, they crossed the Huai River from Mikou by taking advantage of the flow of water from Mishui River into Huai River. , and then marched to Zhongli City in the west.

Seeing Quan Cong crossing the Huai River, Xu Huang became more and more convinced that Huo Jun might cross the river from Mikou, so he dispatched waiting cavalry to the army to pass the news of Quan Cong's crossing to Cao Cao.

At noon, Zhongli's general Zhongli Fei arrived at Quan Cong's headquarters, and sent out all his cavalry to escort Quan Cong to the camp.

While the cavalrymen on both sides were passing on the news, Sun Guan finally arrived at Fuli and learned that Huo Jun was heading to Zhi County, so he sent scouts south to pass the news to all Wei armies.

After dispatching scouts, Sun Guan did not dare to pursue him further and led his troops to garrison at Fuli. However, Sun Guan and his sergeants who did not pursue the pursuit not only did not dare to pursue, they were also restless when stationed in Fuli.

After learning that Huo Jun had opened a warehouse to distribute money and grain, the people of Fuli took all the boats and boats. Sun Guan's subordinates, who were greedy for money, forced the people of Fuli to hand over their boats and recovered the lost money and grain in the name of hiding weapons.

Faced with the plunder of Sun Guan and his men, how could the people of Fuli willingly hand over their property? There were many conflicts, verbal disputes, or hiding the boats together as much as possible.

In order to suppress the dissatisfaction of the people and satisfy the appetite of his soldiers, Sun Guan used the sword in his hand to force Fu Li away from the people.

By the Sui River, Sun Sheng stood arrogantly in front of the people and said: "The boats in your hands belong to the enemy's equipment and must be recovered. Moreover, the money and food in your hands are money and food lost in the storehouse, and they must be recovered today." "

The old man stood in front of the villagers with a cane and asked: "There are not many treasury in the city, and we have not distributed much money. The amount the general said is too much, far exceeding the number of treasury, how can we poor people be like this?" How much money and food?"

"Why?"

Dozens of people gathered and shouted, very dissatisfied with Sun Sheng's exploitation.

The old man tapped the ground with his crutch and said in a deep voice: "I have a nephew who serves in the King's army. I should tell you what happened today and see if the King can make a decision for my fellow villagers in Qiao County."

"This~"

Listening to the old man's semi-threatening words, the twenty or so sergeants following Sun Sheng were worried.

The attendant came close to Sun Sheng's ear and muttered: "Your Majesty was born in Qiao County. Although Fuli and Qiao County are thousands of miles away, people from the same county will inevitably have acquaintances. Now it is better to let the old man go and learn from others. Get more money and food.”

As a relative of Sun Guan, Sun Sheng was astute and highly valued by Sun Guan. However, he was also very greedy for money and often led his soldiers to plunder property privately.

"If you really have something to do with the king, how can you be willing to spit out money and boats? The old man is threatening us, so we must not be fooled."

Sun Sheng stared at the old man, sneered, and asked: "Official matters are above all, even the king, the king, cannot violate it."

As he spoke, Sun Sheng put his hand on the hilt of the sword and said sternly: "Do you have any position among the water thieves? Are you a water thieves?"

The old man looked nervous and said: "I have lived in Fuli for generations, how can I have anything to do with the water thief?"

Sun Sheng raised his lips slightly and said, "If you didn't collude with the water thieves, why would Huo Jun share the money with me and then let you wait for it to be taken from the boat?"

"I don't know Huo Jun, so don't slander me." The old man shouted.

"By then you will not only know Huo Jun, but also the false king Liu Bei." Sun Sheng stared at the old man and sneered, and said, "Someone will arrest him and let me interrogate him personally."

"promise!"

"If you rob the people and let the King of Wei know about it, you will be punished by military law." The old man shouted as his arms were grabbed by the sergeant.

"Humph!"

Sun Sheng smiled disdainfully and muttered: "The King of Wei used to dig graves and massacre people, how can An accuse me?"

Sun Guan stopped moving forward and indulged the soldiers in the name of paying more than the enemy's capital, forcing the people to pay excess money and food, which aroused dissatisfaction among the people. However, under the sword, the people of Fuli finally lowered their heads and did not dare to resist.

Everything that happened to Fuli was secretly discovered by the scouts arranged by Yu Shao, who secretly rode on horses and reported to Huo Jun, who was stationed in Zhi County.

On April 5th, more than two days had passed since Huo Jun stationed troops in Zhi County, and both Cao and Liu received corresponding information one after another.

Bagong Mountain, the camp of the Han army.

In the big tent, Fazheng, Pang Tong and others were calculating the direction of Huo Jun's troops based on the existing intelligence.

Liu Bei was restless, pacing in the tent, feeling a little irritable listening to the people's guessing words.

From the moment Huo Jun's retreat was blocked and he lost all news about his troops, Liu Bei was both ashamed and angry. Annoyed that he faced off against Cao Cao and was deceived by Cao Cao, causing the general to fall into enemy territory; ashamed of facing Huo Jun. Without his military orders and full of self-confidence, how could Huo Jun lead his troops north to Xiapi.

This also reminded Liu Bei of the time seventeen years ago when he killed chariots and captured Xuzhou. He ordered Guan Yu to guard Xiapi, and he led the army to resist Cao's army.

Unexpectedly, he was defeated by Cao Cao in a surprise attack. After the defeat, he ran away from Yuan Shao, causing Guan Yu to be captured by Cao Cao. If it weren't for Guan Yu's loyalty, he really wouldn't be able to see Guan Yu.

Could it be that Xiapi Zhen became the place where he lost his beloved general?

During those days, Liu Bei couldn't sleep at night, feeling deeply sorry for Huo Jun.

When someone in the army rumored that Huo Jun had betrayed him, Liu Bei did not hesitate to order the execution of the person who spread the rumor, saying, "If you live up to Zhongmiao, Zhongmiao will live up to Guye."

Huo Du personally went to the camp to beg Liu Bei to rescue Huo Jun. Liu Bei personally caressed Huo Du and said that even if Shouchun was not defeated, he would rescue Huo Jun.

In the meantime, Liu Bei, based on the suggestions of Pang Tong and Fazheng, dispatched his generals to move downstream, asked Tai Shiheng to lead his troops eastward to support Xu Sheng in Sikou, and asked Zhao Yun to divide the Tuen Tu Mountain to control the dangerous points of the Huaihe River and search for Huo Jun's traces.

In the past few days, as Cao Cao mobilized his troops, Liu Bei became less anxious. After all, Cao Cao's constant mobilization of troops and horses shows that Huo Jun is still active and has not surrendered to Cao Cao. If all the ministries were at peace, this would be a terrifying change.

"Your Majesty, Xu Huang personally led his sergeants to seize Jikou, and Cao Cao sent additional sergeants to support him. I think Huo Du's troops should be heading west, and want to go south from the Jian and Guo rivers to cross the Huai River." Pang Tong said.

"Is this serious?" Liu Bei asked eagerly.

Pang Tong hesitated for a while and said: "Your Majesty, I dare not say that Huo Du will cross the Huaihe River from Jiekou, but he believes that without our army's westward support, it will be difficult for Huo Du to cross the Huai'er River!"

It was Pang Tong's suggestion that Huo Jun go north. Now the leader Huo Jun is trapped in the northern border, which makes Pang Tong feel very uncomfortable.

In the past few days, Pang Tong has been closely following Cao Cao's arrangements, suggesting Liu Bei's actions based on the movements of the Wei army, and trying to help Huo Jun.

Liu Bei stroked his beard and thought deeply. He had been fooled by Cao Cao once and did not dare to make his own decision. Now he not only wants to save Huo Jun, but also ensures that his troops cannot be defeated by Cao Cao.

"Father!"

Liu Feng happily entered the account and said: "General Quan Cong and Quan Zihuang, who are under Huo Du's tent, crossed the Huai River from Jiankou and told the king about Huo Du's military situation."

Hearing this, Liu Bei's sorrowful mood disappeared instantly and he said: "Recruit Zihuang quickly."

"promise!"

After a while, Quan Cong, led by his attendants, entered the tent to pay homage to Liu Bei.

"The general will pay homage to the king!"

"No need to be polite!"

Liu Bei helped Quan Cong up and asked: "I heard that Qing went south on Zhongmiao's order. I wonder what the situation of the army is now? Is there any letter from Zhongmiao that can be passed down from generation to generation?"

"I report to your Majesty that Sikou was blocked by the Wei army. The generals were in panic because their retreat was cut off. Some people say that they will abandon their infantry and lead their cavalry to cross the Huaihe River south; or some people say that they will lead their boats to forcefully break the blockade. Rush into the Huai River. Huo Du forbids the generals to abandon the army because of the important task entrusted by the king."

Quan Cong wiped his thoughts and said: "In order to confuse the Wei army, Huo Du broke through the Surabaya River and took advantage of the rising water to escape. When he arrived at Suikou, he led the boat to the west to Fuli; he abandoned the boat to the west of Zhi County and transferred Xu. The armies of the Huaihe River marched westward to Jikou. In order to get help from the king, the governor ordered Cong to take a small boat to cross the Huaihe River first." Liu Beichang exhaled and said with emotion to his left and right: "Zhongmiao will not let me down, I will not let Zhongmiao down. !”

To be honest, since Liu Bei and Huo Jun have been together for more than ten years, it is impossible not to have doubts or suspicions about Huo Jun. But over more than ten years, Huo Jun, through his actions, made Liu Bei completely believe in Huo Jun's character.

So what if I believe it? A general who is very capable of fighting has been powerful in the world for many years and has a deep foundation in Jianghuai, which makes Liu Bei have to worry about Huo Jun.

After succeeding to the throne, Liu Bei left Huo Jun, who was at the height of his fame, in Wuhan with the intention of reusing him but also of weakening him. However, in the formation of the Southern Army, Huo Jun personally took the lead in handing over a small number of elite soldiers, which all showed Huo Jun's attitude of putting public affairs first.

Now I heard that Huo Jun still remembered the king's orders in critical situations, which moved Liu Bei very much.

Who can be entrusted with important tasks in the future?

Huo Jun is the first to bear the brunt!

Liu Bei collected his emotions and asked, "Does Zhongmiao want to cross the river from Jikou?"

Quan Cong hesitated a little and said, "Yes, and no!"

With that said, Quan Cong took out the scarf from the brocade bag in his arms and said: "To inform the king, Huo Du ordered Cong to carry two letters, one to the king and one to Xu Sheng. Xu Sheng's letter has been sent by his confidants. Here comes the letter from Your Majesty!"

"good!"

Liu Bei unfolded the towel and read the contents.

Although everyone was curious, they did not dare to browse due to the etiquette of the emperor and his ministers.

After a while, Liu Bei put away his scarf, with a smile on his face, and ordered: "General Zhongmiao led his army to cross the river from the two mouths of Wu and Jian. He has searched all the boats along the river, but he is afraid that Cao Cao will send troops to block it and there are few boats. It is difficult to cross the Huaihe River. Now we ask our army to lead the navy to assist so that the army can cross the Huaihe River smoothly."

"Great!"

The civil and military officials in the tent all looked happy and began to whisper to each other and discuss the arrangements for the response.

Pang Tong stroked his beard and asked, "Your Majesty, I am afraid that the news about Huo Du's garrison in Zhi County has been known to Cao Cao. Moreover, General Quan crossed the Huaihe River from Jiekou. With Cao Cao's wisdom, he could have expected that Huo Du wanted to leave the vortex. , Jian Er, it will not be easy for our army to respond, and we will have to mobilize a large army."

"If a large number of troops move to the camp, the Bagongshan camp will most likely be lost. Shouchun's 50,000 enemy invaders may take advantage of the situation to advance eastward and threaten our army on the flanks. This must be guarded against."

Liu Bei pondered for a while and said: "Now that Cao Cao has understood my plan to flood the city with fat and water, Shouchun is already difficult to win. But to prevent Shouchun's troops from advancing eastward, I wonder if you guys can teach me some strategies?"

After Zhao Yan and Liu Ye rushed to Sikou, Cao Cao saw that the rain was not abating. Out of caution in using troops, he ordered the three armies to retreat ten miles away from Shouchun.

The three generals withdrew their troops, and Huo Jun's retreat was blocked. Liu Bei, Pang Tong and others knew that Cao Cao had seen through their water strategy.

Fa Zheng thought for a while and said: "Your Majesty, our army has been storing fertilizer water for a long time. Now it is better to cut off the fertilizer water and let the fertilizer water wash over both sides of the bank. The water will rise greatly and the road will be muddy. Your Majesty, your army will leave a partial army on the east bank and attack halfway across the river. It is enough to stop the enemy from fat water."

"good!"

Liu Bei paced with his hands behind his back and said: "I led 30,000 elite soldiers to the west and stationed troops on the opposite bank of the Wo and Jian entrances. I ordered the Zhouge navy to enter the two rivers to search for traces of Zhongmiao's troops. The main camp at Bagong Mountain was led by Zi. I respectfully lead 30,000 soldiers to garrison, with the top priority of protecting the military camp."

After a pause, Liu Bei asked: "I heard that the soldiers in the army are suffering from an epidemic. How is the situation now?"

"Your Majesty, Shouchun is rainy and the terrain is low. Our army is in a humid swamp. There are many people with swollen hands and feet in each camp, and many people are infected with wind and cold." Huang Quan said worriedly: "There are several sick soldiers today. Hundreds of people, this must be guarded against."

Liu Bei nodded and said: "Evacuate the infected soldier to a dry place for recuperation, and order Wu Chu to send additional herbal medicines."

"No!" the generals responded.

Since the beginning of the rainy season, not only some people in Liu Bei's army have fallen ill due to the humid environment, but the illness among Cao Cao's troops has become more serious.

Huaibei, Wei army camp.

In the camp in the southeast corner, Cobu looked haggard and weak, without the arrogant look he had before.

Of course, not only Cobb, but also the fireman who cooked the rice before was even more seriously ill due to his weak body.

The camp was filled with the sounds of coughs or groans of pain.

"Cough cough!"

Cobu lay on the straw mat and said with difficulty: "Doctor, my throat hurts!"

"My body is also very cold. Can you give me some blankets?"

Doctor Zhang, who had no choice but to cover his mouth and nose with a linen towel because of the stench in the tent, took Cobu's pulse and frowned when he saw that the symptoms were not optimistic.

Doctor Zhang looked coldly and said: "It's summer today. Do you have any bedding? Drink more decoction and you should be cured."

After saying that, Doctor Zhang looked at the people in the tent and saw that the frail Huo Fu only had a few breaths left. He pointed and said, "Carry this person out."

The two tightly wrapped Wei soldiers lifted the fireman and walked out. Apparently the fireman was about to be thrown into the hay shed because he was about to die.

The few remaining people in the tent can only survive by relying on their own immunity and the unreliable soup.

The first signs of the plague have appeared among the Wei army, and the germs are constantly spreading.

Does Cao Cao know?

How could you not know!

In the big tent, Cao Cao frowned as he listened to the reports from his men.

"Your Majesty, it rained heavily the past few days. Many soldiers in the army have suffered from typhoid fever. There have been more than two hundred casualties, and the number of people is increasing." Sima Yihui reported.

Cao Cao rubbed his temples and felt a headache due to the emergence of typhoid fever.

During the last Battle of Chrysostom, many sergeants suffered from diseases due to swamp and swamp problems. Before Huo Jun could catch him, the generals in the army fell ill with typhoid fever.

Cao Cao looked up at Sima Yi and asked, "Is there any sergeant in Liu Bei's army who is infected with the cold?"

Sima Yi hesitated for a long time and said: "According to the scouts, they have seen ships transporting medicinal herbs to the camp, and there should be sick people in the camp."

Cao Cao stroked his beard and squinted his eyes and said, "Zhongda, you will select some soldiers who are suffering from the disease to come out and mix them with the healthy ones, looking for opportunities to be captured by Liu Bei's soldiers."

"promise!"

Sima Yi lowered his eyes, cupped his hands and said, "There is a shortage of Chinese herbal medicine in the King's camp, so we need to prepare it from the rear!"

"Ok!"

Cao Cao wrote an approval document and said, "I have ordered the governor of Yanzhou to transport a large amount of grain and grass, which will arrive in the near future."

"Your Majesty!"

Before Cao Cao finished speaking, Sun Quan stepped into the tent and gasped: "The result is not as expected by the king. Huo Junguo wants to cross the Huaihe River at the two mouths of Wu and Jian. The scouts came to report that Huo Jun searched the boats and boats at the two rivers of Wu and Jian. Liu Bei is preparing to break camp, and the vanguard has arrived at Tushan to station."

"Huo Jun really wants to get Liu Bei's support to cross the Huaihe River at the two entrances of Guo and Jian."

Cao Cao stood up from the couch and said with a smile: "Order Han Hao to lead the army to sit in the main camp and strengthen the camp. Guqin will lead the soldiers to the east, and heavy troops will surround Huo Jun as he goes south. In this battle, we must capture Huo Jun and defeat the water thieves!"

"promise!"

(End of this chapter)