Cao Thief

Chapter 426

Hongze is located in the middle of Hexi.

There is a small market town, the area is not too big.In the past, the Han army once garrisoned fields and built barracks here.After the Qiang rebellion, the imperial court abandoned Hexi, and the Han people who stayed here built a small town on the basis of the former Han army barracks.Some of the Han people who remained at that time still maintained the farming customs of the Han people, and some of them lived together with the local Qianghu, gradually changed their living habits, and started a nomadic life.

However, their nostalgia for the land kept them from staying away from Hongze.

Instead, with Hongze Market Town as the center, small tribes have been formed, scattered all over the Hongze pasture.

In July of the eighth year of Jian'an, a Han army entered Hongze...

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++
"Have you seen clearly, is it really the cavalry of the Han family?"

In a tent of the Han tribe on the edge of Hongze, the white-haired Li Qi stood up and asked excitedly.

In front of him was a young man from the Han family.

Although he was dressed in Qianghu, the appearance of the Han family revealed his identity.

"Grandpa, it's definitely the cavalry of the Han family...the red dragon flag is exactly the same as the red dragon flag left by Duan Jiong back then, and their armor is not much different from your armor. But there are not many people, There are only a few hundred people, so my grandson is not sure about their origins, but I just saw them from a distance, and hurried back to report."

"Are there only a few hundred rides?"

Li Qi showed a look of disappointment.

However, he quickly cheered up and walked out of the tent.

"Immediately pick up the son of the clan, and follow me to investigate."

"Grandpa, you can just take your grandson with you, why do you..."

Before the young man finished speaking, Li Qi stared at him, swallowed the words that came to his mouth, and intervened: "Grandson obeys."

"It's been 40 years... I never thought about seeing the cavalry of the Han family again!"

Li Qi stood outside the tent for a long time, then suddenly looked up to the sky and laughed, causing the surrounding herdsmen to look puzzled.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++
After Cao Peng and his party entered Hongze, they felt something was wrong.

"Ci Zeng, why do I feel like I'm being watched by someone?"

In the distance, a few herdsmen saw Cao Peng and his party, and immediately rode their horses away.

Yin Feng shook his head, "I don't know much about the humble position."

"Did Jiang Xu and the others get in touch?"

"There is no reply yet, but I guess they have already got the news... It will take a day to come from Hongshuiji, and they will welcome them there, and it is even possible that Liang Kuan has already contacted Xiutu and arrived at Hongshuiji will know."

"Alright, let's pass the order down, let everyone be more vigilant, and don't take it lightly."

Although Cao Peng already had a general understanding of Hongze's situation, he was still very cautious.After all, although there are mostly Han people in Hongze, God knows what happened after so many years.Since the first year of Yongchu, that is, AD 107, in order to withdraw the governor of the Western Regions and the officers and soldiers of the garrison, the imperial court dispatched the captain of the cavalry, Wang Hong, to send the Qiang people from the three prefectures of Jincheng and Longxi to serve as guards and handymen. After a riot was triggered, the imperial court gradually lost control of Hexi... The Qianghu rebellion has not stopped since Yongchu.

There were Xianling Qiang, Huangzhong Yicong, and Shaodang Qiang who continued to make chaos.

During the Xiping period, another riot broke out in Beigong Boyu in Bianzhang, causing the whole Liangzhou to be in chaos.

During the riots at that time, many Han Chinese joined in.

Cao Peng is not too clear about the current state of the Hongze Han people.After all, it has been a Qianghu area for decades, even nearly a hundred years.How did the Han people view the imperial court?Yin Feng said that the Han people here have a heart for the imperial court, but they have not seen it with their own eyes, and Cao Peng still has no decision in his heart.

Suddenly, the liger stopped, and snorted a little restlessly.

Cao Peng was startled, and immediately raised his hand, "Send the order, prepare to meet the enemy!"

As soon as the words fell, the three hundred cavalry immediately formed a cone formation and lined up on the grassland.Cao Peng stretched out his hand, and Wang Shuang immediately took the Xiatian Painting Halberd from a horse and handed it to Cao Peng, then got on the horse and drew out a big knife.

Yin Feng also showed nervousness, raised his leg and took off the big gun.

In the distance, there was the sound of rumbling iron hooves.

A cavalry army dressed in Qiang Hu rushed forward like lightning. Judging by the number of people, there were about five or six hundred people, and the formation was extremely neat.

Cao Peng narrowed his eyes!
Because he found that the opponent's cavalry was running, and the formation listed was obviously the Yanyue formation commonly used by the Han army's cavalry formation.

Is it the Han family army?

Just as Cao Peng was wondering, the cavalry had already arrived.

The leader is a veteran with gray hair.The face full of years and gullies revealed a calm look.He is wearing a Qianghu costume, with a slanted skirt and a short jacket, and an iron armor on the outside.Hair in a bun, thick eyebrows and tiger eyes... a big knife in the palm, an iron tire bow on his back, and four Hulus hanging on the horse's back, which are full of arrows.

"On the other side, where are the troops?"

Cao Peng glanced at Yin Feng, and Yin Feng jumped out immediately, "Yin Feng, a captain of a certain Hexi commanding army school, who is here?"

"I'm not asking you, that brat, why don't you come out and talk."

The old man's gaze was extremely vicious, and he could tell right away that Yin Feng was not the chief general.

Cao Peng couldn't help laughing, and urged the horse to go forward.

"Liger?"

The old man was shocked again when he saw the horse under Cao Peng's crotch.

And Cao Peng held his halberd in front of him, raised his hands in a salute, and said, "Beizhong Lang general Cao Peng, under the imperial edict, made an important town in Hexi.

Old man, may I ask who you are? "

General Beizhong?

The old man gasped, and his expression changed drastically.

He got off his horse, walked a few steps, suddenly knelt down on one knee, and said in a trembling voice: "Fengyi Military Colonel Li Qi, I pay my respects to General Beizhong Lang."

"Fengyi Army?"

Cao Peng couldn't help but change his expression, he hurriedly handed the halberd to Wang Shuang, and kicked off his horse.

This Fengyi army is the elite under Taiwei Duan Jiong, also known as Fengyi soldiers, who participated in the battle from Fengyi Mountain to chase Qiang Hu to Lingwu Valley.It was only later that Duan Jiong took refuge in Wang Fu, and the Fengyi Army disbanded accordingly.

After Duan Jiong's death, there was no news about the Fengyi Army.

Cao Peng took two steps forward, "Li Qi, you say you are a soldier of Fengyi?"

"Exactly!"

"Then why are you in Hexi? I ​​remember that the Fengyi Army returned to Luoyang with Duan Jiong, and then disbanded."

Li Qi raised his head with a wry smile, "Back to Bei Zhong Lang, his humble position is indeed a lieutenant of the Fengyi Army.

In the Battle of Fengyi Mountain, I followed General Duan to pursue Xianling Qiang. He didn't want to be ambushed by Xianling bastard Qiang on the way. He was seriously injured and was rescued by local Han herdsmen.After I recuperated, the battle of Lingwu Valley was over, and General Duan led the Fengyi Army back to Luoyang.Due to some accidents, Beizhi was not in a hurry to return... When Beizhi was about to return to Luoyang, he heard that the Fengyi Army had been disbanded.In desperation, Beizhi stayed in Hongze, Hexi. "

"Why don't you go home?"

Li Qi, be silent!

After a long time, he said softly: "General Beizhong, where is my home?

The humble parents died a long time ago, and the family's fields were also taken away.If this is not the case, how can a humble person join the army? "

At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the trend of land annexation was extremely serious.

It is precisely because a large amount of land was occupied by tyrants that a large number of refugees appeared in various places.Some joined the army to seek their background, while others became bandits and bandits, causing disaster to the local people.Cao Peng had also heard about these situations, but he didn't know exactly what the situation was.He took two steps forward, stretched out his hand to help Li Qi up, and looked up and down.

After a while, he said in a deep voice: "Cao, in the name of the imperial court, re-administered Hexi.

Li Qi, I don't want to talk about the past, I just ask you, would you like to serve the court again? "

"A humble job dreams, and I look forward to the return of the imperial army to Hexi."

Li Qi looked excited, held Cao Peng's hand tightly, and answered tremblingly.

"General Beizhong, you have come a long way, why don't you take a rest in my tribe?"

"This... I'm going to Hongshuiji."

"Red water set?"

Li Qi couldn't help laughing and said: "It's easy for the general to go to Hongshuiji, but after drinking the wine, I would like to go with the general."

With such a guide, Cao Peng is naturally willing.

However, just when he was about to nod his head in agreement, the young man behind Li Qi suddenly said, "General, how many soldiers and horses do you have when you come to Hongze?"

"Ok?"

Cao Peng was startled, and looked at the young man.

Li Qi shouted angrily: "Li Ding, don't talk nonsense, how can you ask about this important military matter?"

"Grandpa, of course grandson must ask clearly.

Over the years, the court of the Han family always said that they wanted to recover Hexi. There was Dong Zhuo in the past, and Li Jue and Guo Si later, but after each of them got the benefits, there was no further sound.For the sake of the Han court, what a heavy loss my Hongze 36 tribe suffered?Back then, the Han court left as soon as it said it would, leaving us in Hongze and ignoring them; when necessary, they chanted slogans to recover Hexi, and disappeared after gaining benefits, but we still have to deal with those Qiang Hus here ah. "

"Li Ding, if you don't keep your mouth shut, get the hell out of here."

Li Qi yelled and cursed sharply, but after Li Ding gave Cao Peng a vicious look, he pulled his horse and left.

As soon as he left, dozens of young people hesitated and followed Li Ding.Cao Peng stood with his hands behind his back, looking at those young people who had gone away, he couldn't help frowning.

Yin Feng said that the hearts of the Han people in Hongze belong to the imperial court.

But looking at the situation, it seems that it is not as simple as what Yin Feng said...

Li Qi said with some embarrassment: "Don't blame Beizhong Lang, my grandson..."

"Lieutenant Li, are you here as a married woman?"

"This...it's not a marriage. It's just that when I was recuperating here, my father-in-law saw that I was brave, so he betrothed his daughter to me. Originally, I wanted to take my wife and children to Luoyang, but Fengyi Army...so I stayed into the clan."

"Then what happened to the Hongze 36 tribes that Li Ding just mentioned?"

Li Qi smiled wryly and said: "During the Yongchu period, the imperial court withdrew from Hongze, and the Han Jiaerlang who stayed in Hongze formed their own tribes in order to resist those Qiang and Xianbei people. Everyone formed tribes according to their distance and closeness. , support each other, and fight with those Hu people... If not, this Hongze may have belonged to the Qiang Hu."

Hongze 36 tribes?
It seems a bit complicated...

Cao Peng suddenly felt that it was necessary for him to stay and learn more about Hongze's situation.

Otherwise, if he didn't even know the situation of Hongze when he saw Liang Yuanbi, wouldn't Liang Yuanbi have the upper hand?
"General Beizhong, please come and rest in my tent."

Cao Peng leaned slightly, grabbed Li Qi's arm with one hand, "Lieutenant Li, please!"

(End of this chapter)