The sun sets over the mountains and the sky is filled with yellow sand.
It was already the third day that Huo Qubing brought his people to Xiguan. They stayed in the border town for three seemingly ordinary days without any action.
Zhang Jun, the prefect of Xiguan, was around fifty years old. His cheeks were thin and his cheekbones were somewhat concave. It is said that they were scars left by arrows grazing his cheeks in battle when he was young.
His combat style is strong on both offense and defense, and he is steady in holding the army.
The Li family in Longxi is a common surname, and Zhang Jun's mother's surname is also from the Li family.
Knowing that Huo Qubing brought the princess to the border, Zhang Jun was horrified. He personally came from the border county and consulted Huo Qubing and Liu Qing many times.
The only thing I mean is that I hope the champion will pay attention to the princess's safety and not leave the country.
"The champion is young and energetic. He doesn't know that the situation in Xiguan is even more complicated than that of the Huns. The Huns are like wolves, while the Qiang people are like evil foxes. They are more cunning and slippery and rarely fight with us head-on. Xiguan has been troubled by them for many years.
But if there is no good strategy, it will be obvious.”
Zhang Jun and Zhang Qian were strangers, and they were complaining at each other.
Zhang Jun gritted his teeth: "If there is no other way, I will secretly arrange a group of soldiers and horses. You are also the one who led the troops through Xiguan. The soldiers and horses I sent secretly followed the troops out of the border to protect the princess along the way.
Mulangtuo was cruel by nature, but he was not stupid. He thought: "Would the Han border army not know the danger outside Xiguan? Since they knew, why not remind the Han forbidden army. I thought they would unite with the border army to act together, but only
Three hundred people came out?
The pass in front of them has relatively high terrain on both sides and a river-like concave in the middle. It is one of the ways to leave Xiguan and continue to the northwest. There is another road that is easier to walk, but there are more people looting and ambushing from all sides than this one.
There should be more sides.
A little further away, his deputy Anwa, who had just led his men to ride away, walked out only two or three hundred feet away. In the middle of their galloping team, a team rushed out of the air without any warning.
No, it's not two parts, because the team that suddenly appeared was in a horizontal plane and came out in tandem. There were more than ten horses lined up side by side, three or four feet apart from each other, like more than ten war spears, suddenly coming out of the void.
Pierce out.
This matter is a bit unusual, I'm afraid it's a scam.
Zhang Qian said: "How could you not tell me? I have gone to see the princess several times.
"Three hundred soldiers, you don't want to hide in the caravan... you just want to leave the customs?"
If there is any mistake, we will all be punished by death."
Zhang Qian frowned: "Although it is a strategy, it is probably difficult to implement. The champion Hou Xingjun... your people may not be able to keep up."
It was already dark, so the two of them climbed up the steps of the princess's mansion and asked the concierge to report.
Moreover, he wanted to eat the other half of his men under Mulangtuo's eyes.
When he heard that the other party had left the border town, Mulangtuo perked up:
"It's possible to determine how many there are there?
The Han people's marching method is similar to our shamanism and concealment method. When they use the marching method, they will leave traces for people to look at carefully."
But the cavalry team that rushed out showed no change in their expressions. After one target was stabbed, they would immediately turn to the next target, showing amazing lethality and discipline.
A stream of blood spilled onto the loess.
"Yutuo's nose is more sensitive than a wolf, but he didn't find the Han army?"
You and your wife are having a great time. How many days will it take to wipe out the foreigners outside?
At this moment, the defenders in the city came over and whispered in Zhang Jun's ear.
According to what most of them say, if you find something wrong, let them go first.
"Don't worry, Prefect Zhang, I won't follow my husband out of seclusion...at least not tomorrow." Liu Qing said softly.
Soon another message came: "Yutuo, who is proficient in tracking methods, failed to find traces of the Han army."
"His Majesty asked me to accompany the Champion to the west and obey orders along the way."
"What did your Majesty say before you came out of Chang'an?"
When they rushed out of Baizhang, one-third of Anwa's men fell in a pool of blood.
"My husband had already taken people out of the city after it got dark. I didn't want to cause any trouble for him, so I stayed here first. He said he would come back to pick me up after clearing the obstacles outside. It would take a few days, so I still have to be here.
Stay for a while." Liu Qing smiled.
"It seems to be correct. The Han army relied on the method of concealment to sneak past our eyes. No wonder there are so few people. I think they think we can't find them."
"Explore again."
Anwa's team was like a long snake, stabbed indiscriminately from the flanks by more than a dozen war spears. The formation was suddenly in chaos, and was bitten by the opponent, making it difficult to get away.
The Xiongnu and Qiang people, as well as Loulan and other tribes further away, have been colluding with each other, plundering, and harassing our Han Pass for a long time.
Zhang Jun looked at Liu Qing, paused and said: "Thirty miles away from the border there are not only the Qiang people, but also the cavalry of the Western Huns, who come and go from time to time.
The so-called pass refers to the dangerous terrain, with yellow sand flying in the northwest and low mountains on the ground.
If something unexpected happens, you send out the signal and they will immediately rush to rescue you before it's too late."
Zhang Qian said: "The champion marched along the way, and his march was indeed like thunder. But no matter what, he should not let the princess take risks.
However, these Qiang horsemen, following Mulangtuo as they galloped for reinforcements within a distance of two to three hundred feet, saw with their own eyes that the team led by Anwa in front was stabbed, killed, and defeated.
The sound of the war spear penetrating the Qiang man's body and rubbing against the bones sounded so clear!
Mulangtuo thought about it for a while, but he was somewhat relieved: "The other party dared to leave the pass with only 300 people. Most of them relied on this marching method to hide their whereabouts. They wanted to pass through the North Pass secretly, but it would be inconvenient with more people."
The champion prince underestimated the enemy too much, and went out with only a few hundred soldiers...sigh."
"The Champion Marquis only brought two hundred imperial troops and more than a hundred border troops, and he has already left the border?"
After just one encounter, the thousand-man team led by Anwa was caught off guard and ripped apart from the middle, breaking into two pieces.
Mulangtuo fell into deep thought. That Han army...even Yutuo, who was good at tracking, couldn't find out. Which way would it take?
Before he finished his thoughts, he suddenly heard a muffled sound, as if something suddenly hit each other.
Mulangtuo judged that the number of the Han army was only two hundred, but since it was a forbidden army, it must be elite.
A quarter of an hour later, another news came.
Zhang Jun looked dull.
"Have you ever talked to the princess and explained the stakes involved?" Zhang Jun said sadly.
The subordinate who reported the report said: "Colonel Guo, who was on duty, also thought of this and wanted to send someone to follow.
That kind of indifference and ferocity in the face of life and death caused a chill to permeate the Qiang people who came for reinforcements unconsciously.
After Liu Qing asked the two of them to sit down, Zhang Jun put his hands on his knees, leaned his upper body slightly forward, and got straight to the point:
"We came here and still want to dissuade the princess. I heard that the champion will leave Xiguan tomorrow. He is the doctor's order and his majesty has a decree. We can't stop him. But I want to tell the princess not to follow the champion out of the customs.
The two of them also wanted to make a last-ditch effort to meet Liu Qing and try to persuade him.
Mulangtuo shouted angrily, but it was difficult to stop his subordinates from escaping.
In the past, when fighting the Han army, they would run away when there were many people. The Han army would retreat and then come back. This was their combat attribute.
The sound of hooves is like thunder.
Everyone in this team was well-armored and held spears in their hands. They came out of the void like a whirlwind, and their spears flashed like thunderbolts.
Zhang Qian sighed: "You should have heard about how much your Majesty has faith in the Champion, otherwise Your Majesty would not have married the crown jewel of my Han clan to the Champion."
Screams suddenly started.
But it is impossible to make them have a firm belief in fighting. After all, they are rangers. The profit from looting comes first, and there are almost no bloody warriors who will fight to the death.
What do you think this should be done?"
What kind of army can be brave enough to reach this point!
Mulangtuo stared at Anwa's team in the distance, which was crushed by a surprise attack. In an instant, they had suffered heavy casualties, and their hands and feet were cold.
As the number of people rushing out increased, it was discovered that behind the dozen or so people who came out were sharp arrow arrays.
The two were talking in a car, and their destination was a villa where the princess temporarily lived in the city.
Liu Qing interjected: "My husband left sixty forbidden troops to protect me, but he took away one hundred and forty people."
It is a rare and powerful army that can survive 40% battle damage without being defeated.
As Chi Cheng approached, he saw half of the people being killed by the Han army. Both the Qiang people who rushed over to support and the Qiang people who were attacked began to show signs of fleeing.
Zhang Jun stood up with a loud sound and said with a serious face: "Which direction did the champion go? Quickly lead the troops to follow. Outside the city, there are intertwined forces. There are often sentries watching people coming and going. Even if you leave the city secretly at night, it is difficult to protect yourself.
Unknown."
But after they left the city, they used a certain kind of marching method adopted by the Han people, and their traces are hard to find."
It was a terrifyingly tall war horse, with bulging muscles and huge hoofs that pounded the ground.
The bright moon hangs in the sky.
In addition, more than a hundred border troops were recruited by him and followed him out of the city.
After leaving Beiguan, there will be plenty of opportunities to kill the Han troops."
Mulangtuo saw this scene from a distance and was shocked and shouted: "Han army, it's Han army, kill them!"
The dozen or so cavalrymen had ice-like eyes, and as soon as they rushed out, they pierced multiple Qiang rangers with their spears.
But the champion and the princess are husband and wife. No matter how I explain it, the princess only says that she will obey her husband when she marries, and she trusts the champion.
However, the Han army just chose the moment when the two teams separated, and charged out brazenly. Their intention to defeat both teams at the same time was clearly revealed.
The walls of Beiguan City are thick and strong, so as long as we are inside the pass, I am sure to keep the princess safe."
When they arrived at the place, the two got out of the car.
Moreover, it is their habit to retreat when encountering a strong enemy.
Therefore, I will definitely choose this pass that seems difficult to walk, but is actually safer. Therefore, I brought people to ambush in advance, hoping to make a surprise attack on the Han army.
————
Seeing that he was helpless, even when he was about to turn his horse and retreat, he saw a horse riding out of thin air at the edge of the battlefield.
Soon after, the two of them saw Liu Qing wearing a red fairy skirt in the main hall of the mansion.
"I've met Princess Pingxian." The two of them saluted together.
Zhang Qian narrated on one side: "I don't blame you. When the champion came, the marching method he used was indeed superb. Even if you don't pay attention, it would be difficult to detect it even from three to five feet away."
The Han army turned a blind eye to the Qiang people who were approaching rapidly from a hundred feet away. No one even glanced at Mulangtuo, and they only focused on hacking and killing their opponents.
There were about 300 Han troops leaving the customs, and the news they sent us said that from afar they were composed of the Forbidden Army and some border troops."
"Bubu, news came from the outpost. About an hour ago, a Han army did leave the Han border city.
Mulang said: "If they want to continue walking to the northwest, there are only two main roads, and the other small roads are difficult for horses to pass.
You must know that battles have a battle-loss ratio. When more than one-third of one's own troops die, the psychological defenses of most teams will be on the verge of collapse and deserters will begin to appear.
He was surrounded by Qiang horsemen who had been robbing merchants and killing countless people all year round. He was not afraid of fighting the Han army.
No trace of the other party has been found.
He got on his horse and shouted wildly: "Come over with me!"
"The imperial army led by the champion marquis is less than two hundred, and together with the more than a hundred border troops, there is only a team of three hundred people." The soldier said.
"Yuto, who is good at tracking, is already looking for me. News will be sent soon.
Zhang Jun took a long breath, but felt something was wrong: "It won't be tomorrow...what do you mean?"
In addition, it is difficult to tell if the opponent has left the border and has hidden traces. It is difficult to tell whether there are other hidden soldiers and horses, so be cautious.
No wonder the attack of the dozen or so people in front was so sharp and the Qiang people were defeated at the first touch. However, it was the Han army at the rear who concentrated their power on the person at the front, so they were able to defeat all enemies and kill every move.
One hundred and fifty miles away from the border, there is a pass. Mulang and two thousand Qiang people have been stationed here and have been waiting for a long time.
But the troops led by the Champion Marquis turned into a thick fog when they left the city and disappeared. Our people don't know where to pursue them?"
Anwa was his deputy. He was tall and thin, with a brown complexion. He was around thirty years old, but his appearance made him look older than his actual age. He carried a scimitar at his waist. After hearing the words, he agreed and immediately ordered his troops.
Riding away.
He looked at Liu Qing, who had a normal expression, and thought to himself: Your husband is too arrogant and will suffer a great loss. His life may be hanging by a thread, but this princess seems not to be worried at all.
Hot blood spilled out, life and death were fleeting.
The timing of the Han army's appearance is actually not good. If you wait a little longer, Mulang can drag the two armies here to disperse, divide them and annihilate them, it will be easier.
Scattered in all directions, the number of people increased.
Send the order, no one is allowed to move without my order. Let’s investigate the situation clearly first."
Anwa, you immediately take half of the troops and go to another road to squat and use witchcraft to see if you can find the other party. If you find the other party, I will immediately bring people to reinforce. You and I will take the signal as a signal. If I come here first
If you find the Han army, lead your troops back to help me!
We must not let them escape.
The Qiang people's riding skills are not lacking in ruthlessness and their riding skills are also superb.
It was the champion who was leaving the city. Because his official position was much higher than that of the local garrison, even the border troops were under his control, so no one dared to stop him.
In an instant, there was a cold light, and the team that rushed out attacked with extreme ferocity.
In the blink of an eye, the more than a thousand people led by Anwa, who were galloping in a straight line, were smashed into pieces by the impact.
The horse seemed eager to rush forward and join the fight.
The person on the horse was wearing a reddish-brown official robe, and under the moonlight, a ray of blood glowed.
Mulangtuo's scolding of his subordinates stopped abruptly, and suddenly his hair stood on end.
He saw the man coming out of the sky, turning his head to look at him.