world festival

Time passed quickly, and in a flash it was March in the second year of Qianning (895). In November last year, because he could not bear the blackmail of Xuanwu Jiedu Zhu Wen, the governor of Sizhou Zhang advised Juzhou to attach himself to Huainan, and Haozhou had already It directly bordered Huainan, and the situation suddenly became tense.The snow in the field has long since melted, and the intensively trained villagers have all dispersed back to the villages to prepare for farming, but Lu Fang did not run around the villages as he did last year, but was nailed to the blacksmith shop in the village all day long. Counting the weapons in hand, there is no way, the village lacks manpower, although I have been working in the steel mill compound since I was a child, dealing with converters and ore dressing every day, but I am farming when the farming is busy, and I am training soldiers when the farming is slack, I really can’t afford it Young and strong labor to open mines, let alone build a small blast furnace like other time-traveling predecessors, and smelt steel.I had to wring my fingers to use the remaining bit of pig iron.While he was worrying, he saw Wang Qinian and Wang Yu approaching with nervous expressions. Wang Yu repelled the others with a serious expression, and said in his ear: "Mr. , I sent troops by boat from Yangzhou 6 days ago, and I should have arrived in Huaiyin today, and then I will take a boat up the Huaihe River to Sizhou, and it is estimated that I will arrive here in 8 days."

Hearing this, Lu Fang bowed his head in thought, and remained silent for a while.Wang Yu next to him was a little anxious, and said in a low voice: "Why don't you take elite soldiers to Haozhou to report the news, thinking that the internal response."

"No, Yang Gong just arrived in Huaiyin today. How did you know that Xucheng is so far away from Huaiyin? Besides, you have a big enmity with Yang Gong, but you took all the elite soldiers to defend Haozhou, but left your family and relatives in Xucheng. Letting people fish their flesh, isn't that telling others that you are here as an internal response?" Lu Fang shook his head and said.

"Then what should I do?" In this cold spring day, Wang Yu's forehead was already dripping with sweat.

"You might as well call the steward who usually sells goods to Huaiyin from Zhuangzhong first, and tell him that he saw a large army in Huaiyin, so he abandoned the boat and fled back overnight. After three days, you take the steward to ride a fast horse and go with you. Just take 10 people there, bring more money, bribe the one who asks to send troops to help guard Xucheng, that one will definitely not dare, and then some soldiers and women, old and young will go to Haozhou, so Zhang will definitely not doubt it."

"Okay, Lu Fang's idea is good. It's best to let Brother Wang go to Haozhou soon after Brother Wang arrives, so that Brother Lu has no time to think carefully. Now that it's spring plowing season, that Zhang must have insufficient troops, and he will never let it go. There are more than a thousand young men, so great things can be done like this." Wang Qinian, who had been listening to the side, also added that the three of them discussed the details carefully and decided, and hurried to the meeting hall, discussed with the elders, and then separated to prepare to go.

Haozhou was named Zhongli in ancient times, and it was renamed Haozhou after Du Fuwei descended to Tang Dynasty in the early Tang Dynasty. During the Warring States Period, it was an important place where Wu and Chu fought. Huaidai mountain is the danger of Huainan. The city is strong and towering. The urn city, sheep and horse noodles, and watchtowers are all available. It is one of the most fortified cities in the world.Originally, there were [-] households in the Yuanhe period. After the Huangchao Rebellion and the fighting in various towns, there were no more than ten of them. The governor Zhang then gathered the surrounding households in Haozhou City, fortified the walls and cleared the fields to wait for Yang Xingmi in Huainan.Therefore, Haozhou City is also densely populated, plus it is located on the edge of the Huaihe River, with convenient transportation. In this troubled world, there is also some abnormal prosperity.

It was already March in Yangchun, and the spring in the south came early, and the afternoon sun shone so warmly on people’s bodies that it seemed to make people’s bones crisp. Untied, just dozing off, suddenly heard a commotion below, felt agitated, jumped off the ground, picked up the whip and ran down in three steps and two steps, ready to go down to show off to those bastards, but saw the guards. The soldiers at the gate surrounded three people, and beside them were six fine horses. The necks of the horses were covered with sweat, and even the manes were wet in strands. The officer saw that both horses were so tired, it must be an extremely important military situation, Quickly ordered the soldiers to take the horses away and feed them more wheat bean cakes.This is a person who said loudly: "This is Wang Yu, the general of Xucheng Town. There is an emergency military situation to report to Lord Inspector. Hurry up and enter the city for X."

The officer stepped forward and saw that it was Wang Yu, the new general of Xucheng Town. He knew that Xucheng was bordered by Yang Xingmi in Huainan. Could it be that Yang Xingmi sent troops? Don't let people live anymore, he thought in his heart, and hurried forward to salute, only to see that the faces of the three people were ashen, and their bodies seemed to be washed, and the two behind them still grabbed two packages in their hands, looking exhausted.The officer hurriedly led the horses, and quickly arrived at the governor's mansion.Wang Yu ran to the front of the hall, ignoring the crowd watching, threw himself in front of Zhang's feet, and cried, "Yang Xingmi's army in Huainan set off from Yangzhou nine days ago, arrived at Huaiyin along the Tongji Canal, and then went upstream along the Huai River. I came straight to Haozhou, and I asked the governor to send soldiers to Xucheng to resist, and the small farm houses of a certain family are there, and I asked the envoy to send troops quickly."

Zhang has a white face and long beard, and a wide crown, which makes him stand out from the crowd.He bowed to help Wang Yu up, thought for a while, and Wen Yan said: "Don't panic if you retreat, Yang Xingmi sent troops in spring, and went against the weather, and he was asking for his own death. Fight quickly, you should be strong and don't fight. If you gather all the young and strong wealth in your family with Haozhou, a certain envoy will ask for help from Zhongwu Town. Smash Yangzhou and defeat Yang Xingmi."

Wang Yu was secretly happy in his heart, but his face was just pleading, Zhang didn't care about it, and explained in detail: "Now we are plowing in the spring, and there is not enough troops here, and the city of Xucheng has been abandoned for a long time, and Yang Xingmi has been in the army for a long time. Going against the common sense of military strategists to march in spring, they must be all elites, and they are in a certain place, and the soldiers have the will to die. Most of the soldiers in a certain army are locals, and their families are all in Haozhou. Fleeing, I know that you are worried about your family’s farmland. Yang Xingmi’s advantage is in this quick battle, and he will never delay in Xucheng. For at most three months, I will definitely go straight to Yangzhou. At that time, you will not be just a general of Xucheng Town. Hurry up Go back and bring all the elites from your family, and after defeating Yang Xingmi, there will be a big reward."

Wang Yu's face showed a mixed expression of greed and worry, and he paused after a while and said: "Forget it, I brought the young and strong here when I went back. It is difficult to evacuate all the old and weak at home. I have to make a mistake with Yang Zexu. I hope you will forgive me."

Zhang laughed and said, "It's all right, as long as you bring more soldiers." Wang Yu went to the hall to have dinner and rested all night. The next morning, he changed horses and rushed back to Xucheng. The spies searched for news everywhere, gathered soldiers, felled trees outside the city, prepared to beat stones and roll wood, and repair the city wall.

Three days later, Wang Yu came to the city with more than a thousand young and strong men, and reported that Yang Xingmi's vanguard had arrived in Sizhou and was resting. There were about 3 people. There are 800 soldiers alone, no fewer than 600 young and strong women, and plenty of material. This Haozhou is the gateway to Huainan. Yang Xingmi has already sent a table to crusade against Zhu Wen. Zhongwu Town will definitely send troops to rescue him. I'm afraid it's his own seat.That Wang Yu made a great contribution this time. Not only did he report such an important military situation, but even though the young men he brought along were not complete in armor, they were all very strong and strong. Obviously, they had come to help with all their strength.Unexpectedly, the resignation of a short-selling general at that time would bring this opportunity. Unexpectedly, a big battle was about to happen, and he ordered the arsenal to give him 3 sets of infantry armor, [-] long spears, and [-] feathered arrows.Will be a helping hand in the future too.Thinking of this, the corners of his mouth curled up unconsciously.

On March 26th of the second year of Qianning, the sun rose as usual. In the past, there was a light green field outside Haozhou, but now it has become a sea of ​​people. Yang Xingmi's Huainan army came.The vast Huaihe River in the distance is almost full of dark ships, those huge monsters are like moving castles, both sides are full of guns and crossbows, in front of the fleet are countless soldiers and Meng Chong, and the shore is full of infantry. Zhang and a group of generals stood at the top of the city, and the lieutenant next to him counted the enemies softly: "Heiyundu, Huangtou Army, Boat Division, and Xuanrun crossbowmen are all here. There are at least 4 people here. Old Yang Xingmi I have already risked it all, and this time it is inevitable." With the increasing number of enemy flags popping up on the horizon, it seems that there will never be an end.The lieutenant's voice became deeper and deeper.

Lu Fang looked at the darkness below the city from the city wall, and whispered in his heart: "This Yang Xingmi was just a group of bandits in Huainan ten years ago, but now he owns the tens of thousands of elite soldiers below. Qiang Fan, the most powerful people, why can't I be like him? Then Wang Qinian said it well, if a man doesn't eat five dishes, he cooks with five tripods. Besides, he still bears the hopes of so many people, so he can't retreat. "

Thinking of this, he clenched his fist unconsciously.

Zhang saw the solemn faces of his subordinates, and was taken away by the Huainan army under the city.Frowning, he laughed loudly and said, "This Yang Xingmi is considered to be a battle-hardened man. I didn't expect to do such a reckless move. Sending troops in spring, even if they win, they will hurt their vitality. What's more, such a large army has nothing to loot in the wild." In the spring, we can’t recruit too many civilians, and it won’t last long. A certain person has sent an emergency envoy to seek help from the envoy Zhu of Xuanwu, and when the army arrives, we will join forces from inside and outside, and then go straight down to Huainan. Everyone here has a responsibility.”

When everyone heard this, their brows stretched, and they all said yes, and some even began to secretly calculate that they could assassinate anywhere.Lu Fang laughed to himself: "Not to mention my internal response, Yang Xingmi marched along the Huai River and transported supplies by water, and the folks didn't need to collect much at all. Besides, Zhu Wen is now at the last moment to eliminate the Zhu brothers, and Li Keyong is about to have an incident in the river. The battle is over, Zhu Wen has always used superior forces to advance in multiple directions on a battlefield, and he is still behind the army, a famous man who bullies the few, how can he open another battlefield? He is not like Li Keyong in Hedong Send reinforcements to Tianping Town across Weibo Town. They send troops in the spring to bully you because of your lack of manpower, so that you can't recruit enough farmers to serve as soldiers, so you can win the battle quickly."

The magnificent banner of Huainan Jiedushi fluttered in the wind, and Yang Xingmi was carefully looking at a map in the large tent of the Chinese army at the back. The map showed in detail the main points in and around Haozhou City, as well as the stationed troops. The number of troops and the name of the commander.map