Great Han Empire

Chapter 104
February 185 AD.

Zhuo County is the largest county in Youzhou, with a population of 70 million, accounting for almost half of the entire population of Youzhou.There are seven cities in Zhuo County, but three of them have been lost now.Beixincheng, Gu'an City, and Fanyang City were all occupied by the Yellow Turbans.

The main force of the Yellow Turban Army is crossing the Juma River and heading all the way to Zhuocheng, the seat of Zhuojun.

Zhang Niujiao was born in Boling, Li County, Jizhou. His real name was Zhang Yan, and his character was Pu.When he was young, he sold private salt and worked as a bandit. His martial arts are outstanding, he is good at fighting injustice, and he is bold and loyal.Because he always carried an ox horn when he smuggled salt, and used it to notify his partners whenever there was a situation, so everyone called him Zhang ox horn, but forgot his real name.He joined Taiping Dao in his early years, and he is one of the 36 masters of Daqu in the teaching, and he is also a proud disciple of Zhang Jiao, the master of Taiping Dao.

Last year Zhang Niujiao followed Zhang Jiao in the uprising in Jizhou, attacking and burning prefectures and counties, and made great achievements repeatedly.After Zhang Jiao died of illness, the main force of the Yellow Turban Army was led by the hero general Zhang Liang to defend Guangzong.In late October, Huangfusong led an army to attack the Yellow Turban camp. Zhang Liang was killed, more than 3 Yellow Turban soldiers were killed, and more than 5 Yellow Turban soldiers refused to surrender and surrendered to Qinghe.Zhang Jiao was dissected and killed.Zhang Niujiao led his troops to break through and fled to Taihang Mountains.

After Huangfusong and his troops moved to Xiliang, all the rest of the Yellow Turban Army who fled into Taihang Mountain began to regroup, and their strength became stronger and stronger.Because Zhang Niujiao's prestige in the Yellow Turban Army was unmatched, and the number of troops was the largest, he naturally became the leader.

During Zhang Niujiao's several months in Taihang Mountains, he and his subordinates also summarized and analyzed the failures of the Yellow Turban Army.

Everyone believed that after the Yellow Turban Army's uprising, under the command of Dafang Qushuai from all over the country, they fought on their own, neither contacting nor coordinating.In addition, although the number of Yellow Turban troops is very large, most of them are mountain peasants, ordinary people, who have not received systematic military training and lack combat experience. broke.What is even more irritating is that the clans and tyrants from all over the country took advantage of various relationships such as disciples and old officials, and they had money in their hands to organize their own troops to fight against the Yellow Turban Army everywhere. They not only attacked and cut off the supplies of the Yellow Turban Army, but also It also blocked the connection between the various units of the Yellow Turban Army.This is one of the reasons why the Yellow Turban Army failed.

After summing up, Zhang Niujiao discussed with everyone how to deal with it.For example, military training was carried out on the Taihang Mountains to strengthen the connection between the various Yellow Turban armies.

Both Zhang Niujiao and the generals of the Yellow Turbans realized that if they blindly attacked the city and plundered land without a stable territory, it would be difficult for the Yellow Turban Army to survive.Finding a place to live for the future of the Yellow Turban Army has always been Zhang Niujiao's primary concern.As for other things to overthrow the Liu family and rebuild the dynasty, he is not very interested.The lessons of last year's big failure were too profound.I have no territory, my survival is in danger, so why talk about other things.

Now the area of ​​activity of the Yellow Turban Army is basically in the hinterland of the Central Plains, such as Jizhou and Yuzhou.And these two prefectures are close to Sili and Luoyang. If the Yellow Turban Army wants to survive in these places, it will definitely threaten the safety of Kyoto.As the emperor of the Great Han Kingdom, how could he tolerate it.So last year, in order to ensure the safety of Luoyang, the capital, the Han army first launched an attack on Yingchuan Yellow Turban.The Yingchuan Yellow Turban Army was defeated in Changsha soon after, and the coach Bocai died in battle.Later in Nanyang, Julu's Yellow Turban Army was also annihilated successively, which is an obvious example.The Central Plains is not suitable for the long-term survival and development of the Yellow Turban Army.

After repeated consultations by more than a dozen leaders of the Yellow Turban Army, everyone finally focused on Bingzhou and Youzhou.These two prefectures are located at the northernmost tip of the Great Han Kingdom, very far away from Luoyang, especially Youzhou, the distance is even longer.From the current point of view, the conditions for attacking Youzhou are better.

First of all, Youzhou has the foundation of the Yellow Turban Army.Last year, the Yellow Turban Army of Guangyang County revolted with Zhang Jiao, the general of Tiangong, captured Jicheng, and killed Guo Xun, the governor of Youzhou, and Liu Wei, the prefect.Although the Yellow Turban Army was wiped out later, the common people supported the Yellow Turban Army, believed in the Yellow Turban Army, and supported the Yellow Turban Army.Secondly, this year, the Xianbei people and Karasuma people invaded the frontier on a large scale, and the war stopped.The Han army in Youzhou suffered repeated blows, and its strength declined sharply.Now is the most appropriate time to attack Youzhou.

It is relatively more difficult to attack Bingzhou.First of all, Bingzhou is adjacent to many powerful Hu people. The Hu people invade the border every year, which is not conducive to the development of the Yellow Turban Army.Secondly, the Bingzhou army has a certain number and is very strong. Third, the Yellow Turban Army in Bingzhou Hexi and Hedong is still in the early stage of development and cannot form a cooperation.

Zhang Niujiao made a plan of action.First fully bloom, capture Zhongshan, Changshan, Zhao Guo, attract the main force of Jizhou, and raise enough food and grass for the troops.Then pretend to attack Julu, attack Youzhou with absolute main force, and strive to win Zhuo County, Guangyang County, and Yuyang County before the heavy snow comes, laying a solid foundation for occupying the entire Youzhou next year.

After the summer, the troops descended one after another, and the Yellow Turban Army began to launch military operations. They captured cities, burned government offices, and swept away the forts of powerful people, and achieved great victories.

Zhang Niujiao led the main force of the Yellow Turbans to launch operations in Zhongshan, Chu Feiyan led the army to attack the prefectures and counties of Changshan, and Yang Feng led the army. With the cooperation of Chu Feiyan, they quickly occupied the cities of Zhao, and then rushed to Julu County.

The Yellow Turban Army rebelled in Julu and was wiped out in Julu. Today, they will avenge the death of the Yellow Turban brothers in Julu.Therefore, the battle in the direction of Julu has been very fierce.

The new Jizhou Mu Guo Dian, the former Julu prefect, was one of the chief culprits in the killing of the Yellow Turban Army.Due to the joint efforts of him and Feng Yi, the prefect of Julu, he led the army in Gaoyi, and Yingtao City resolutely blocked them.

At the same time, Zhang Niujiao led the main force of the Yellow Turban Army, Huanglong Division, Zuoxiao Division, and Zhang Baiqi Division with 15 horses, and suddenly launched an attack on Zhuojun.

Beixincheng, Fanyang, and Gu'an fell one after another.

Jumashui Dingxing Ferry.

The densely packed Yellow Turban Army soldiers lined up in a neat square array, lined up on the bank, waiting to cross the river.

The soldiers were all dressed as ordinary people in common clothes and short robes (the Han Dynasty stipulated that the common people were not allowed to wear all kinds of colored clothes, only plain linen), wearing boots and shoes, wearing yellow scarves, and holding various weapons such as swords, spears, bows and arrows.The officers of the various ministries, in armor, stood at the head of the procession.

"Commander, 3 troops have already crossed the river. Zhang Shuai's troops are chasing the enemy's Xian Yu Fu."

Zhang Niujiao looked up at the scouts, but said nothing.

Zhang Niujiao is of medium build, in his 40s, with a burly body, a long face and beard, high cheekbones, and piercing eyes under thick eyebrows.Standing behind him was a young man in his twenties, tall and slender, with dark skin and a small round face. He looked very smart.His name is Sun Qin, and he is a brave and capable general under Zhang Niujiao, very talented.

Looking at the rushing river, Zhang Niujiao asked thoughtfully:

"How far is Huang Shuai's troops from us?"

"Back to Commander, Huang Shuai's troops are still in Fanyang City and have not been dispatched." The scout hurriedly replied.

Zhang Niujiao's thick eyebrows immediately tightened, his face was very ugly.

"Remind me again. Order him to lead the army across the river tomorrow, and attack in the direction of Naiguo to cover the flanks of the main force. If the military plane is delayed again, military law will be followed."

Sun Qin hurriedly took a step forward, and said in a low voice, "Marshal, let Zuo Shuai talk about it. They are close friends, both from Handan, and they should save each other. At this time, it is better for everyone not to have conflicts. Marshal, you Say?"

Zhang Niujiao nodded, "That's fine. You go and tell Zuo Xiao, Huang Long, to lead their troops across the river tomorrow. After crossing the river, the troops will be divided into two groups. Huanglong will attack Nai Kingdom, and Zuo Xiao will go deep into Fangcheng to contain the main force." Enemy troops on both wings, cover the large forces to attack Zhuocheng."

Xian Yufu was so exhausted that he fell asleep while sitting on the horse.He has not slept for two days.

Due to the timely retreat, his 1 troops barely survived, which is a blessing among misfortunes.The [-] horses have only been formed for more than four months, and it was an idea that he suddenly came up with while chatting with Gongsun Zan at Shankoudu.

Youzhou is short of soldiers.This situation was especially prominent during the Yellow Turban riots in Guangyang last year and the large-scale invasion of the Hu tribe this year.

Because Zhuojun is adjacent to Jizhou, and Liu Yu, the governor, has a good reputation, many refugees from Jizhou went to Zhuojun.Zhuo County has a large population, but there is little land to cultivate, so a large number of refugees are stranded in various parts of Zhuo County, and their lives are very miserable.

Recruiting refugees to join the army can not only solve the problem of many refugees but less land, but also solve the living problems of refugee families.Because soldiers can eat military rations and get military pay, soldiers can save a province and can also supplement their families.As for how to solve the problem of the army's salary when there were too many soldiers, Liu Yu, Wei You, Xian Yufu and other government officials thought about many ideas, and finally decided to garrison the border.

Military settlements have existed in the Zhou Dynasty.Emperor Wenwen of the former dynasty adopted the minister Chao Cuo's suggestion of "recruiting people to move to the frontier", moved some slaves, sinners and civilians to the frontier fortress, and organized them to garrison the frontier with Shiwu.These people tend the fields when the farming is busy, train when the farming is slack, and respond to the enemy when they have something to do.This practice not only served the purpose of defending against the invasion of the Hu people, but also played the role of developing the border, which was the first of its kind in the Han Dynasty.In the period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, it became a major national policy at that time to garrison fields and defend the border, and guarding against the Huns.Since then, garrisoning fields and guarding the border has been an important measure for the Han Dynasty to defend its frontiers. It has become the basic method for the Han Dynasty to save national expenses, provide supplies for the troops stationed in the border areas, and deal with the invasion of the Hu people.

Liu Yu decided to farm in the sparsely populated Dai County and Shanggu County.

Just when he was about to implement this measure, because he went home to recuperate due to illness, the matter was delayed immediately.Unexpectedly, things in the world were so strange. Within two months, the Yellow Turban Army suddenly entered the country to attack, and the ten thousand infantrymen immediately became Zhuojun's life-saving straw.

Relying on the 20 Han army, plus the defenders of the cities, under the command of Wang Ru, the prefect of Zhuojun, Wu Chi, the captain, and Xian Yufu, the governor of the governor's office, they even resisted for more than [-] days, not only seriously delayed The enemy's attack speed also bought precious time for the reinforcements.

When the troops withdrew to Jumashui, Xian Yufu made a count, and there were more than 1 people left, which made him full of confidence in sticking to Zhuocheng.

reinforcements?In fact, Youzhou has any reinforcements.Gongsun Zan was gone, Liaodong iron cavalry, and Baima Yi never were there, leaving only the Fengyun iron cavalry in Li Hong's hand that had been put together for more than two months.

Thinking of the 15 Yellow Turban army behind him, Xian Yufu felt a chill in the back of his head.The Yellow Turban Army was formidable, no wonder at the beginning with Huangfusong, Zhu Jun, Dong Zhuo, Lu Zhi and several generals, with the strength of [-] soldiers and horses, they suffered consecutive defeats at the beginning of the suppression of the rebellion.

At that time, the Yellow Turban Army led by Zhang Mancheng in Nanyang captured Nanyang City and killed Chu Gong, the prefect.The Yingchuan Yellow Turban Army led by Bo Cai defeated Zhu Jun consecutively and besieged Huangfu Song in Changsha. If it wasn't for Bo Cai's lack of combat experience, he would have almost killed Huangfu Song.The Yellow Turban Army in Guangyang was even more powerful, breaking through Jicheng and killing Guo Xun, the governor of Youzhou, and Liu Wei, the prefect.The Yellow Turban Army near Julu was even more powerful, and captured Anping King Liu Xu and Ganling King Liu Zhong in one go.Lu Zhi led his army to attack Guangzong's Yellow Turban Army, but he was invincible and failed.Dong Zhuo never won a battle at all.

Now that the Yellow Turbans have revived from the ashes, their military strength and combat experience are still better than last year, making it even more difficult to fight.

Xian Yufu was a little discouraged, and the warlord hurried on along the way.Yellow Turban General Zhang Baiqi's troops behind him were chasing him fiercely, without stopping.

Zhang Chun, the Prime Minister of Zhongshan, was beaten by the Yellow Turban Army and fled all the way, in a panic.After finally escaping to Zhuocheng, Zhang Niujiao led his troops across the Juma River again.Zhang Chun had no choice but to bid farewell to Wang Ru, the prefect of Zhuojun County, and then crossed the holy water to flee to Jicheng for a temporary stay.Zhuocheng is overcrowded now, and it may be destroyed soon. It is better to go to Jicheng earlier to be safer.

Last month, he was ambitious and prepared to lead his troops to the Xiliang battlefield to kill the enemy and make meritorious service. Unexpectedly, this month, he was chased away by the Yellow Turban Army and had nowhere to go.Now he hated Zhang Wen so much that he gritted his teeth.His request to join the war was not approved, and he was scolded by the chariot general Zhang Wen, telling him to guard the Zhongshan Kingdom well and not to mess around when he is fine.If he had arrived in Chang'an, he would not be so pitifully hunted down by the Yellow Turban Army now.More importantly, he lost Zhongshan Kingdom. If he couldn't get it back, it would be difficult to keep his head.According to the current development momentum of the Yellow Turban Army, it is a joke to want to fight back in a short time.

At this time, he saw Li Hong in the Shengshui River.

Li Hong's troops had just reached the banks of the Shengshui River.

The [-] cavalry army lined up in a square formation by the river, and its majestic momentum made people feel like swallowing mountains and rivers with anger.

As if Zhang Chun had seen a life-saving straw, he led his men and rushed over.

The two sides made some self-introductions, and Li Hong saw that the other party was the Prime Minister of Zhongshan, so he hurriedly greeted him with the courtesy of his subordinates.He is the captain of Xing Lifeng, the acting captain, so naturally he has to be short.

Zhang Chun hurriedly gave in, praised Li Hong's young hero, and then proposed to let his own troops join Li Hong's cavalry army, and do his best to destroy the Yellow Turban.

Zhang Chun's purpose is very simple, follow this man, this terrifying army of cavalry, nothing can be done.He defeated tens of thousands of Xianbei people, and the Yellow Turban Army who was too far behind in strength was naturally no problem.If Li Hong defeated the Yellow Turban and helped him regain the Zhongshan Kingdom, he would not only be innocent but also meritorious.Li Hong is his life-saving straw.Of course, the premise is that he must let his army join Li Hong's army, so that he will be convincing when he writes a letter in the future.

He has no army, only more than 100 guards and soldiers left.But that's enough.Because Li Hong readily agreed.

Zhang Chun called out a big man from the county officials behind him.

"This is the thief Cao (main attendant) of my Zhongshan State Mansion, let him lead his troops to serve behind the Colonel."

This man was 25 and six years old, tall and strong, a little taller than Li Hong, with a square face and thick eyebrows, and a dignified appearance. There was a bit of murderous intent in his big eyes, which made people feel a little intimidated.

The big man immediately knelt down on one leg and gave a military salute, and said in a deep voice:

"Your official, Yan Liang, is willing to swear to the death to follow your lord, to kill the enemy and defend the country."

(End of this chapter)