Baiyu Mountain is located at the northwest end of the Northern Shaanxi Plateau. The territory is crisscrossed with ravines and ridges, and the terrain is the most complex and changeable, but it is not desolate.
Because the most important rivers in northern Shaanxi, such as Luoshui and Sheyanshui, all originate here, and there are many valleys and mountains running through them. The vegetation within the territory is lush and the water and grass are abundant. It is one of the most important pastoral areas in northern Shaanxi.
, there are many garrison cities scattered around.
Guide City is located at the source of Luoshui River. It has more than a thousand soldiers stationed in it. It is the largest military city in recent times. It is under the control of Xi'an Prefectural Governor's Office in Wuyuan County, nearly a hundred miles away to the north.
In late autumn, the grass and trees are withering, and the herds that were originally distributed in the ravines and valleys have returned to their respective places, preparing to survive the coming cold winter.
Because the city was built by the water, as the weather turned cold, the cold and humid mountain wind blew on the wall stacks, condensing a thick layer of white frost.
The soldiers patrolling the city were wrapped tightly in their fur coats, but they still could not withstand the biting cold wind. They rubbed their hands and stamped their feet to keep warm, while complaining that the weather was torturous.
"Those Qiu Ba people in the south are probably already showing off their power in the parade and hunting in the fields. Only we border soldiers are the most pitiful. We are guarding the barren mountains with no birds. We don't know when we can move inward!"
The soldiers complained in low voices and said with some expectation: "I wonder if Beihuazhou will go out to hunt tigers this winter? Otherwise, it would be better to organize the leaders to guard this barren mountain. When can they return to the court to show off their military skills?
?”
At this time, the sound of chaotic horse hooves came from the valley opposite, and the scouts who were patrolling outside also galloped back to report that a large herd of horses was coming from the valley to the east.
"Your Majesty has ordered that all the herds should return to their respective places before ten months. How come there are still horses passing through the border now?"
After hearing this, the city guard commander frowned and immediately ordered: "Lead them to the North Road and leave fifty sheep for extra meals!"
When everyone heard this, they all burst into laughter and rushed out of the city to pick up this herd. The supplies that the army could provide were really limited, and they all relied on getting supplies from nearby herdsmen to get enough food.
But when a group of sergeants left in a noisy manner, several people returned quickly and shouted loudly before entering the city: "General, it's not good, it's not good..."
"What is there to make such a fuss about? Are the shepherds along the way a thief?"
When the general who defended the city saw the soldiers in such a panic, he frowned and asked.
"They are not thieves, but they are not shepherds either. They..."
The soldiers couldn't explain what they were talking about for a moment. At this time, several more people came rushing back on horseback. Among them, a young man who was wrapped up in dust was not a soldier guarding the city here.
"A certain Cui Yansheng joined the army at the Dushui Administrative Office and followed Shangguan Daxingtai to work as a lieutenant. Li Shijun, the envoy from Dushui, Li Boshan, went north with the intention of visiting the Chang Envoy of Xi'an Prefecture to discuss official matters. On the way, he was attacked by the blackwater thief Hu Dabu.
Li Shijun's troops were small, and he was afraid that the horses he had recruited would be captured by thieves, so he turned to his colleagues on the surface and begged the general to take shelter."
The young man rode his horse and came to the city, raised his hands upwards and said, and handed over the documents and letters to prove his identity.
"Where is Mr. Li? I didn't listen..."
The guard frowned when he heard this somewhat unfamiliar name. He pondered for a moment before suddenly remembering it, and quickly shouted again: "The Li Boshan you are talking about, is it the thief officer who committed murder in Luochuan a month ago?"
?Where is he now? He dared to rob our food supplies and make our soldiers difficult to survive the winter. He dared to come here. I really don’t know how to write the word "death!" …
"This, this is a misunderstanding, so you are here to mediate..."
After all, Cui Yansheng didn't regard face as an external possession like his superiors. He felt a little embarrassed after hearing this, but now he still wanted to ask for help. He could only say awkwardly: "General, please put the overall situation first. There are many thieves and barbarians in the back."
Due to the overwhelming power, your Majesty was afraid that the situation would be difficult for the generals and soldiers to defend, so he went to Xiazhou to ask for help in person, but did not go with him..."
"Sure enough, he is a cowardly and thief official. He only dares to play tricks in the south. Once he enters this place, his ugly appearance will be exposed! He is just a thief, and there is nothing to fear among millions of people!"
After hearing this, the guard general sneered and sneered unceremoniously.
At this time, the horses in the rear were also driven to the pass here. Seeing the size of the horse herd, the guard's expression changed again, and he immediately laughed and said: "That Li Boshan is timid and afraid of thieves, but I am not afraid.
Since he gave the horse as a gift, I will happily accept it. If I want to get it back in the future, I will have to kneel down in front of the city and beg!"
He ordered the horses to be led in from the side, and escorted Cui Yansheng to the top of the city. Then he asked: "How many thieves are there in the back?"
"There are so many wildernesses that we can't count them all, but there should be at least tens of thousands of them."
Hearing Cui Yansheng's words, the guard's eyes widened immediately, and he asked in shock: "How much? I think carefully before answering. If you dare to deceive, my blade is freshly sharpened!"
"About tens of thousands, only a few more. Our troops defeated dozens of Hu tribes, killing thousands of thieves, and captured several Hu chiefs including Liu Pingfuzi Liu Zhenqiang, the powerful chieftain of Dongxia Province. The general saw the horses,
They were all obtained by the Hu tribe. Most of the Hu tribes from the north and south of the Kuli River are attacking and will arrive soon. If the general doesn’t believe it, you can just see if it’s true or not!”
Anyone who is so slighted and humiliated will not be able to bear it. At this moment, Cui Yansheng said no longer politely: "But general, please call for reinforcements as soon as possible, and don't test the authenticity of this with the lives of the people in the city!"
"You, you are talking nonsense...how is that possible?"
The guard general felt a little dizzy when he heard this, and had to hold on to the city wall to stand firm. He first ordered Cui Yansheng to be detained in the city, and then quickly sent scouts to investigate, and his officers prepared beacon smoke and were ready to light a warning at any time.
At this time, in the foothills dozens of miles northeast of Guide City, Li Tai and others were riding fast.
In the past few days, in order to attract the hatred of Ji Hu's army in the rear, he did everything possible and finally led people to the source of Luoshui.
But he also knew that he was not very popular in Xi'an Prefecture, and that guy Chang Shan was holding back his bad intentions and wanted to deal with him. It would be damned if he knew that he had introduced so many Jihu into the environment and could treat him politely.
So after entering the Baiyu Mountain realm, he began to order his troops to separate from the main group. There were ravines and ridges in the mountains and fields, and it was not inconspicuous to lose twenty or thirty people at a time.
Waiting until near Guide City, which is close to the source of Luoshui River, three hundred of his troops have separated from the team and gathered in the valley north of Baiyu Mountain. The remaining troops led Jihu's pursuers to continue westward.
march.
It's great to divert the trouble to the west, but the key is not to drown yourself in the trouble. Gao Aocao is so awesome that he was stabbed in the back by his comrades, and the city is difficult to enter. Li Tai doesn't want to be blocked in front of the city.
You are not allowed to enter, and you will die under Jihuran's knife.
The horses were inevitably separated while running away. They were too hasty to collect the spoils and had no time to distinguish them carefully. Moreover, even if they were qualified war horses, without the protection of their hoofs, they would inevitably be injured after running for a long distance. …
If only horses arrive, the defenders of Guide City will definitely accept them, and Li Tai can also find a place to store the horses.
As for whether he could get it back, he wasn't worried at all. The old boy had to make up for the loss of Chang Shan!
Because right now, his plan only goes into the first half, and the second half is the key.
It is not what humans do to divert trouble to the west and benefit oneself at the expense of others. Li Tai is a decent man, so of course he would not do this. He brought Jihu's pursuers near Xi'an Prefecture just to have a big fight and kill them all.
Damn, you are running away like a dog chasing me all the way. Do you really think I have no temper?
He left the team and did not go to Guide City, not to protect himself, but to borrow troops.
"Master Lang, go over the mountain ridge to the north. There is a plain in front of you. After half a day's journey, you can reach Tongwan City!"
This area is crisscrossed with ravines, which may look similar to ordinary people, but it is the hometown where Li Dao grew up, and he is extremely familiar with the geography.
After hearing this, Li Tai nodded. While holding the reins of his war horse and walking hard on the mountains in Qi District, he shouted loudly to cheer him up: "Everyone, hold on a little longer. When we enter Xiazhou, we will attract a strong army and kill all the thieves who are chasing us."
Hu!"
This is the so-called "Wangshan Road" area. It is clearly visible between the two valleys, but it takes most of a day to reach it by twists and turns.
After such an arduous trek, it was not until the afternoon of the next day that they left the mountainous area and came to the plains. But the so-called plains were just a piece of Gobi desert. If Li Dao hadn't reminded him to fill water bags in the mountains, the people and horses might not have been able to survive the fatigue.
I still have the strength to continue on my way.
Xiazhou is more desolate than the northern Shaanxi area. Looking around, the terrain has no obvious undulations and almost no human habitation. There are many intermittent Great Walls, but they have long been abandoned and there are no soldiers stationed there.
Under the leadership of Li Dao, a local snake, the group ran in the wilderness for more than two hours. The scenery gradually became richer. There were many herdsmen tribes scattered here. The most eye-catching building was a towering building.
A majestic city on a gentle slope.
The city is tall, deep and wide, with great visual impact in this wilderness. It is the Tongwan City built by Helian Bobo more than a hundred years ago. Although the Hu Xia regime has fallen for many years, this majestic city still remains
To this day, it is exactly where Xiazhou is now governed.
There were many herdsmen living in the nearby city, and the stretches of felt tents and fences were almost as far as the eye could see. As soon as Li Tai and others arrived near the settlement, many herdsmen came forward with their bows and horses to stop and question them.
It was Li Dao who came forward to negotiate. Although his clan's forces had moved into Guanzhong, they still had a lot of faces left, so they were able to successfully pass through this large settlement area and arrive in front of Tongwan City.
"Li Si, if you don't warm the soup and sleep in Guanzhong, how can you have time to return to your hometown in the cold wilderness?"
The soldier guarding the city recognized Li Dao at a glance, rode his horse forward and joked.
Li Dao, however, had no time to reminisce about old times. He only clasped his fists and apologized to the soldier commander: "The military situation is urgent, and we really have no time to join forces at the moment. Brother, please go to the city and inform Ambassador Yuwen that the thief Hu Fu from the south has invaded."
Xi'an Prefecture. I followed Daxingtai and worked as a lieutenant, Li Shijun, a high-ranking man, and traveled here day and night to warn me!"
When the commander of the city guard heard what Li Dao said was so serious, he immediately did not dare to neglect. He first took Li Tai's token of command and then hurried into the city.
Not long after Li Tai and others waited, a tall and tall middle-aged man rode out of the city surrounded by the crowd and asked seriously: "Which one is the high-ranking man Li Zheng?"