"Shang Shu Yu Gong" states that Minshan guides the river, with Wenshui River (Minjiang River) and Yushui River (Jialing River) as the source of the Yangtze River. However, during the Qin and Han Dynasties, it was already recognized that the Lu River has a longer history. At the end of the Han Dynasty and during the Three Kingdoms period, there were "Five Rivers"
The military operation of "Moon crossing Lu, going deep into the barren".
In the early years of the previous dynasty, after the rise of the Tubo Dynasty, it expanded southward and opened up the connection between Duogansi and Nanzhao. The world further realized the reality of Lushui and the "Shenchuan" among the Tibetan people and the legendary "Tongtian River".
For the same waterway.
Xiao Yanhan, Zhang Xiongshan, Xiao Xun, and Wu Sanrong took the lead in sending troops and successfully arrived in the upper reaches of the Tongtian River before February.
At that time, the Duosima tribe in the Heyuan (Yellow River) area and south of Minshan Mountain were attracted by the Red Hussars who entered the Jishi Mountain area and the remnants of the Khitan who occupied the Taoyuan area. On the other hand, after the fall of the Qing and Tang Dynasties,
There was not yet a strong force that could unify all the Dosima tribes, so they were unable to assemble enough troops in time to pursue and intercept the advance troops who suddenly crossed from the Taoyuan area to the southwest.
Although the terrain in the upper reaches of the Tongtian River is flat, it has penetrated deep into the hinterland of the Tubo Highlands. The air is thin and the early spring is extremely cold. There is almost no grass growing on the barren land. Only the surging red water of the Tongtian River flows calmly deep in the wilderness.
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The Tubo tribe living in the alpine wasteland is also extremely sparse, and they were not able to assemble a large number of troops to pursue and intercept them in a hurry. However, the advance troops were extremely unaccustomed to the high cold, especially
A large number of old, weak, women, children, and livestock fell ill, and the team could only slowly move south along the Tongtian River.
After traveling slowly for more than a month, the climate gradually became warmer.
In the next section of the Tongtian River, large areas of jungle and meadows were scattered between the open hills and plains. The Tubo tribes that inhabited and thrived in this area became relatively dense, and the advance troops began to encounter large-scale and well-prepared pursuits and interceptions.
It was also thanks to the Khitan people who migrated south that they were a people on horseback. Thanks to the brave fighting of the guards and horses, they were able to protect such a large tribe and the livestock they depended on for their survival.
Thousands of Fan cavalry circled around, but not one was swallowed up.
However, it was also a very tragic sacrifice.
After June, advance troops were sent into the transition zone between the Tubo Highlands and the main mountain range of the Hengduan Mountains.
At this time, the terrain gradually became steeper. After losing a large number of tribesmen and livestock, the advance guard and horse team still seemed extremely large and bloated. However, fortunately, relying on the steep mountainous terrain to fight, the advance guard was well-equipped and good at both cavalry and infantry combat.
The advantage of the horse was fully brought into play, and several waves of chasing Fan cavalry were wiped out at a very small cost.
However, over the past three hundred years since the development of the sect led by Buqu Temple in the middle and lower reaches of the Tongtian River, not only has its influence penetrated into most of the tribes in the northern Duogansi area, but it has also converted countless noble children from generation to generation.
He controlled a large number of manors, pastures, serfs, and monks and soldiers. It can be said that he initially achieved the unified rule of politics and religion in this area.
The upper-level monks of Buqu Temple were unwilling to give up the pursuit after several setbacks. Instead, they gathered a larger force from various tribes to pursue the Tibetan cavalry.
At this time, the advance troops had suffered heavy casualties after more than half a year of exhausting marching, and there were still a large number of injuries and illnesses among the team. It could be said that they were at the end of their strength and could only rely on repeated changes in terrain.
After they arrived at the legendary homeland of the White Wolf Kingdom, they had only a thousand capable soldiers left, and were eventually besieged by a number of Fan cavalry several times their size in a deep gorge by the Tongtian River, unable to advance or retreat.
Yunling Mountain lies across the east bank of the Tongtian River. The glacier on its crown is as flawless as jade. The locals also call it Shenyu Mountain.
As September enters autumn, the foothills of Shenyu Mountain are lush and green, and the peaks are full of strange things. A small stream gurgling down the mountainside along the mountain shape, vaguely like a silver ribbon, sometimes flows into the dense forest, and sometimes rushes up to the sky.
Ups and downs, falling into the Tongtian River behind me.
Sun Yanguan stood on a cliff and saw that the river at the foot of the mountain was as blue as a mirror, with graceful reflections, and the cliff wall on the opposite side stood hundreds of feet wide, like a sharp axe. Unfortunately, he was not in the mood to appreciate this beautiful scenery.
At this time, they were relying on the steep terrain of the T-shaped canyon beside the Tongtian River to keep out the cavalry that was several times their size. They brought thousands of livestock and horses into the canyon, so they did not need to worry about food for the time being. However, since going south,
Less than half of the more than 9,000 people are left, and the remaining 4,000 people are mostly old, weak, women, children, and injured.
Of the so-called more than a thousand soldiers capable of fighting, after experiencing nearly a year of long journeys in alpine regions and dozens of battles, how could any of them remain intact?
The more than a thousand soldiers who are capable of fighting are merely injured and injured, and can still pick up the sword and grit their teeth to continue fighting, but the vast majority of them are at the end of their lives.
They were besieged in a deep gorge. They were both passive and active. They could no longer move forward and had to find a dangerous place to rest and recuperate for a relatively long time.
Otherwise, more than a thousand capable soldiers will fall soon.
In comparison, the Tibetan soldiers, who were several times larger than our own, were mainly concentrated in the surrounding tribes. Even though their equipment was worse, they were all as strong as wolves and tigers.
To be honest, it is not that the Tibetan people are incapable of attacking by force. They are not moving at this time. They just hope to devour them at a smaller cost.
However, even so, even if they can get a chance to rest, the sadness on Sun Yanguan's face has not disappeared at all - they are deep into the hinterland of Duogansi, and they are all enemies. Even if they can get a chance to breathe, is it really possible to break out of the encirclement?
The Tongtian River continues south, and there are mostly deep gorges with extremely dangerous water conditions. For example, the narrowest point of Tiger Leaping Gorge is only six to seven feet wide, and there are huge rocks, reefs and dangerous shoals everywhere. It is completely unrealistic for so many people to travel by water.
Not to mention the countless reefs and dangerous shoals that cut off the waterway. If the raft was launched in such a fast current, it would be overturned in minutes.
Hearing the sound of footsteps, Sun Yanguan turned around and saw Zhang Xiongshan climbing over from the path, and asked, "What did Princess Xiao say?"
"The princess doesn't want to break out with us. She just wants us to rest for a few days. When we are full of energy, she will choose dozens of people to escort the young princess out. She will lead her clan to stay here and wait for backup!" Zhang Xiongshan said!
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"Backup?" Sun Yanguan couldn't help but smile bitterly, "How can there be backup in such a barren land?"
Most of the remnants of the Khitan tribe were not willing to move south, and the pioneer expedition also confirmed that going south was a dead end:
Even if there were no Tibetan soldiers and horses chasing and blocking the road, the barren land upstream of Tongtian, which is more than a thousand miles long, would be difficult for most old, weak and sick women to carry.
What's more, if you continue to go south, you will have to pass through thousands of miles of lofty mountains and lofty mountains to reach Dali.
However, the sect forces headed by Buqu Temple can assemble six to seven thousand or even larger Tibetan cavalry and horses in the Duogansi area. How many troops and horses must the remaining Khitan troops send to support this area?
Zhang Xiongshan sighed: "Princess, she said she has the consciousness to die in this blue wave with her clan, but this is also her mission as the Khitan princess, so we don't need to think too much. Of course, we can't count on backup, so we can't
It is still very likely that the company will send reinforcements out of Dali to meet us. Let’s rest here for a while first..."
"Will the production department send reinforcements?" Sun Yanguan asked.
Until now, no messenger sent by the production department has contacted them. Of course, this is probably because the scouts do not understand the Tube language. It is difficult to contact them across the vast wasteland where the Tibetan people live. However, it is also the same way from Beijing to Xiangzhou.
It's a long way, and it has to pass through the Dali border. How can the production department be able to send a large number of elite troops over?
What's more, this autumn and winter, Beijing and Xiang are destined to bear great military pressure. It's a matter of doubt whether they can defend Rucai. Does the production department still have the strength to send troops to support?
Sun Yanguan had no expectations for reinforcements from the rear or support from the front, but Xiao Yanhan and Zhang Xiongshan had already made plans to select dozens of capable men to escort Xiao Bai, the young prince, to break out of the encirclement as a last resort. He didn't have much to say, so he just waited.
Looking at Xiao Yanhan, when will Zhang Xiongshan be sure to break through? There is still a glimmer of hope for thirty or fifty experts to climb over the cliff and break through.
However, this trip south is destined to end in a tragic defeat!
"What's going on? What happened?"
Listening to Zhang Xiongshan muttering to himself, Sun Yan looked around and saw that the sentry post they had set up on the high cliff on the south side was waving the broken flag in his hand desperately, signaling that something abnormal was happening in the direction of the gorge entrance.
The meaning of the flag language is very limited. The sentry post waved the command flag fiercely, and Sun Yanguan only knew that the situation was very urgent and urgent.
The guard standing nearby exclaimed: "The Tibetan people want to attack the mouth of the gorge?"
"It's not like that," Sun Yanguan shook his head and said, "We have long been prepared for the Tibetan people to attack the mouth of the gorge. Even though there is a possibility of the mouth of the gorge being lost, it is not like the sentry was so panicked before the attack started - Zhang Canjun, let's go
Let's see!"
"..." Zhang Xiongshan nodded. They had to walk eight or nine miles of winding and dangerous trails to go to the gorge. They expected that it was unlikely that the Tibetan soldiers would attack the gorge, so they used their hands and feet to climb up. They climbed up in half a stick of incense.
Go to the overhanging wall more than a hundred feet high and look out to the mouth of the gorge.
Shenyu Mountain is located in the transition zone between the Tubo Highlands and the Hengduan Mountains, with high mountains and large flat hills.
Just outside the deep gorge where they were standing was a flat dam about ten miles long and five to six to seven or eight miles wide.
The sect forces headed by Buqu Temple gathered six to seven thousand cavalry, mainly stationed on the dam at the mouth of the gorge. Tents were spread out one after another, as if dark clouds were covering the dam four to five miles outside the mouth of the gorge.
Except for the heavily guarded entrance to the gorge, the enemy camp was mainly surrounded by simple wooden walls.
At this time, a cavalry group of about five to six hundred people formed a sagittal formation, like a long, dark yellow dragon, heading straight for the enemy camp along the wide valley on the south side of Pingba!
"Reinforcements sent by the production department?!"
A moment ago, Sun Yanguan didn't believe that Beijing and Xiangzhou would send reinforcements all the way to meet him, but now he couldn't help but scream in surprise.
The next moment, he couldn't help but ask: "Isn't the number of people a little too small?"
They climbed high and looked into the distance, having a panoramic view of the situation on the left and right. They could see that there were only more than 500 cavalrymen, and the cavalry was galloping towards them. The Tibetan people had already been on guard. At this time, they had prepared nearly 2,000 cavalrymen.
The team marched out of the camp and marched slowly towards the wide valley, ready for battle.
From Sun Yan's perspective, even if the reinforcement cavalry could defeat the two thousand Tibetan cavalry who were outnumbered, there were still nearly five thousand Tibetan soldiers in the enemy camp who were leaving their tents and marching to the battlefield.
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Even if they attack with all their strength, it will be difficult to break through the enemy army.
"There are selected vanguard troops who have been incorporated into the reinforcements - look at the more than two hundred people pushing intensively in the center of the cavalry formation. They should all be elites from the selected vanguard troops, and they're all wearing armor. Yan Guan, you haven't done that yet.
If I have the opportunity to fight against the selected vanguard army, I guarantee that these five hundred cavalry will be enough to kill the enemy's cavalry formation!" Zhang Xiongshan couldn't help laughing, and at this moment he couldn't help but shout excitedly.
"Yeah?"
Sun Yanguan surrendered when Laohu Village was besieged. After that, he entered the warrior's house to practice for a period of time, and then followed Zhang Xiong to the west to contact the remnants of the Khitan.
Although they were surrounded by dozens of strong soldiers selected from the vanguard army to act as escorts, in order to preserve their strength as much as possible after going south, apart from relying on favorable terrain to snipe and chase the enemy, they almost never had a head-on confrontation with the Tibetan soldiers.
Even the main frontal combat tasks are led by Wu Sanrong and Xiao Xuan.
Therefore, although Sun Yanguan was a member of Jingxiang at this time, he really did not have the opportunity to experience the selection of forward troops and the elite infantry and cavalry operations of other armies.
Of course, the Ware Armor is a cold-forged armor. Although it is blue-black, its gloss is extremely high. Under a clear sky, it is clearly distinguished from other armors.
Ten miles away, he saw the blue-black cavalry in the core of the sagittal formation of the supporting cavalry, moving like a deep pool with swaying water, and it was obvious that they were all covered with wart armor.
It is to select the elite of the vanguard army, and all of them are selected to be the elite of the vanguard army.
When did Jingxiang Xiaozijia become so cheap?
After Sun Yanguan surrendered, he was awarded the position of commander. In addition to several good swords, he was also assigned a warlock armor.
He always thought that this was Xu Huai's attempt to win over him.
As a good general, of course he likes good armor, and he was full of gratitude in his heart - when he followed Zhang Xiong into Shanxi to escort more than 300 troops, the total number of Hao Zijia was only a dozen.
Now among the more than 500 reinforcements, there are more than 200 who have received the Haozijia. This is too amazing, isn't it?
Sun Yanguan subconsciously thought of something. He looked at Zhang Xiongshan in shock and asked, "Could it be that you are here in person?"
Except for the guards and horses around Xu Huai, Sun Yanguan could not imagine any small group of elites in the world who could all wear such good armor.
"If you don't want to be so willful, you should have dispatched a team of elites from the Selection Army to come and meet us," Zhang Xiongshan, as the right officer of the Military Intelligence Department, certainly knew the secret that most people were kept in the dark, and smiled.
He said, "Let's go down quickly. Maybe the princess will also assemble a cavalry to fight out from the gorge - I've had enough birdies these days, it's time to kill!"
