With Li Xi's help, General Guan saved a lot of trouble.
After the army rested in Jinyang for a day, General Guan left a small number of troops to garrison Jinyang, and then continued to lead the army south.
Just as General Guan led the army to leave Jinyang, Governor Feng finally led more than 10,000 people and rushed to Guangwu County under Yanmen Fortress.
"Greetings to the Lord."
Huo Yi, who stayed behind in Guangwu County, knew that Feng Jishi was coming and had been waiting at the pass for a long time.
"No, no, but is there any ready-made soup?"
At the time when the tiger was showing its power in autumn, Governor Feng and his men hurried all the way, but both men and horses were thirsty and tired.
Even without armor, just wearing tight clothes and narrow sleeves, Governor Feng still felt unbearably thirsty.
"Knowing that the king is coming, the general has already prepared food and drinks."
"Excellent!" Governor Feng showed admiration. He took the boiled water from Huo Yi's hand, drank it cleanly, wiped his mouth, and asked, "How is the situation now?"
"Your Majesty, it is reported that General Guan has broken through the mountain pass to the north of Jinyang and has arrived at Jinyang City."
Between Guanji and Guangwu County, there are messengers reporting news every day.
The first is to prepare Huo Yi of Guangwu to respond in case of trouble going south.
The second is to prevent Wei thieves from coming from Youzhou and sneak attack Yanmen fortress.
As Guan Ji gets further and further away from Yanmen Fortress, the news between the two will lag further and further.
The news Huo Yi got now was a day and a half ago at the earliest, or even two days ago.
The news that General Guan has conquered Jinyang is still on the way.
But even so, Governor Feng was very satisfied. He nodded and exhaled a long breath:
"The speed is not slow."
They defrauded Pingcheng, outsmarted Yanmen, attacked Jiuyuan, and lightly captured the mountain pass north of Jinyang. The whole journey was overwhelming.
As a result, neither Cao Rui in Luoyang nor Sima Yi in Guanzhong had time to rescue Jinyang.
When my mother-in-law returned to her hometown in Hedong to worship her ancestors, it was the fastest speed for the reinforcements sent by Cao Rui and Sima Yi to arrive in Hedong at the same time.
Knowing that his mother-in-law was making good progress, Governor Feng asked again:
"Is there any news from Youzhou to the east?"
Huo Yi shook his head:
"Not yet, but in the next few days I will not only ask a lot of local natives, but I will also send people to investigate to the east."
"As far as I know, it will be difficult for the bandits in Youzhou to reinforce Bingzhou. Although there is a Feihu Road in the east of Guangwu County that connects you to Youzhou, it is rugged and difficult to navigate."
"I heard that the widest part of this road is only four feet, and the narrowest part is only more than one foot. The mountain road never sees the sun all year round, and only the black wind howls along it."
"So even if the Youzhou thieves dare to come from this way, their troops will definitely not be too large, otherwise the food and grass will not be able to keep up."
Hearing this, Governor Feng nodded approvingly: "General Huo is indeed thoughtful."
Huo Yi hurriedly said: "The reward given by the king is just for being in his position and performing his duties."
Knowing that the threat from Youzhou was not great, Governor Feng mentally reviewed the situation in Guanzhong and Bingzhou in Hedong.
Then he suddenly laughed.
Sima Laogui, no matter how hard your turtle shell is in Guanzhong, can it be compared with the Maginot Line of Defense of later generations of Gallic chickens?
Do you know what a German stick is?
Do you know what blitzkrieg is?
The three-piece set of excellent war horses, dry food, and cavalry trained by the scientific system, with one person and three cavalry, are they the tank army of this era?
As for the Air Force...
Forget it, I am compassionate and will not bully the ancients.
Governor Feng looked at Huo Yi again:
"How many sergeants are there in the city now?"
Huo Yi kept his head down and seemed not to notice Feng's complacency. He didn't answer aloud until he heard the question:
"General Guan left 3,000 men for the last general, and then gradually gathered the stragglers behind. Now there are more than 6,300 men."
After knowing that the threat from Youzhou was not great, it seemed like too many people to defend such a small city with more than 6,000 people.
Governor Feng pondered:
"I have come all the way, and many soldiers have fallen behind. You continue to gather the soldiers in the rear. I will take away three thousand soldiers from the city and go south to support General Guan."
All in all, he only set out from Wuyuan County three and a half days later than General Guan, while General Guan only spent three and a half days resting in Pingcheng, Guangwu, and Jiuyuan County.
Even so, Governor Feng's speed was not too slow, General Guan's marching speed was too fast.
Governor Feng gathered many soldiers who had fallen behind from General Guan along the way, and he himself also lost many soldiers behind.
The men and horses Huo Yi gathered again were just a supplement.
The Liangzhou Army has a grassroots organization that transcends this era. Even if it is disrupted, it can quickly reorganize itself.
Facing the exact same request from a certain couple, Huo Toolman Yi quickly agreed without any objection.
Just when Governor Feng led his army south from Guangwu, he was anxious to support his mother-in-law.
Two thousand miles away, in the camp of the Wei army commander to the east of Wugong River, the roar of the great Sima of Wei rang out:
"How did Feng Thief come from there? Isn't he still in Yinshan? Where is Ke Bineng? Is he a dead person? Feng Thief killed so many of his tribesmen, but he didn't think about revenge?"
Da Sima, who came from a prominent family in Hanoi and had always paid attention to manners and self-cultivation, no longer had the calmness when confronting the Han Dynasty Prime Minister.
In this hot weather, there are many emotions such as tension, anger, and even fear.
Sima Yi's heavy breathing came out of his heart, and the clothes inside had become a little sticky.
"Da Sima, Bingzhou's report only said that the Shu captives who led the army into Bingzhou were not Feng thieves, but were named Guan..."
"It's Thief Feng!"
Sima Yi could no longer control his emotions. He didn't know whether he was frightened or furious.
"Other than the Liangzhou army led by Feng Thief, who else can come from there? The man named Guan is just Feng Thief's vanguard!"
After saying this loudly, Sima Yi held the table in a depressed tone and murmured:
"Thief Feng, so cunning and ruthless..."
Twenty thousand horses!
In order to be able to deceive Guo Huai, in order to be able to deceive himself, in order to be able to deceive the kings and ministers of the Wei Dynasty.
This guy actually took the lives of 20,000 barbarians and put on a shocking show in Qiaoshan!
Cruel enough and poisonous enough!
Sima Yi could already imagine the scene of Feng thief leading his army back north.
Since he dared to kill so many barbarians in Qiaoshan, Kebineng in Yinshan Mountain to the north would most likely be in trouble.
Sima Yi did not believe that Ke Bi could escape Feng's premeditated strangulation.
Yes, Kebineng may really be dead.
After Feng thief killed Ke Bineng, he immediately turned east and raided Yanmen...
Thinking back to these years, Kebi was able to occupy the Yin Mountains and received help from Liangzhou, thinking that he had a plan.
Sima Yi couldn't help but let out a few heart-wrenching laughs from his throat.
His back was already soaked.
Thief Feng has deceived everyone in the world!
What's ridiculous is that he actually followed this person's advice and focused his attention on the barbarians north of Beidi County, and also tried his best to strengthen Qiaoshan's defenses.
However, they did not expect that Thief Feng was basically raising Ke Bineng like a pig and would kill the pig for military ration when the time came.
Even killing pigs at the most critical moment can paralyze Da Wei.
What's even more ridiculous is that in recent years, the Wei Dynasty thought that its border with Bingyou was stable, so it deployed a large number of troops to support Guanzhong...
"Tens of thousands of horses..."
Even though the Grand Sima of the Wei Kingdom had seen strong winds and waves, he was still trembling a little, and muttered to himself, repeating, "The cruel and ruthless Xiao Wenhe is indeed the cruel and ruthless Xiao Wenhe!"
Twenty thousand at Qiaoshan, plus Kebi Neng's men and horses at Yinshan, there must be thirty or forty thousand.
In this way, Xiao Wenhe used it as a stepping stone to enter Bingzhou.
"Da Sima, what should we do now? Should we send reinforcements immediately to Bingzhou?"
Du Xi, the military advisor of the Great Sima, saw Sima Yi's dejected look and became anxious. He didn't care about being rude and stepped forward to ask.
"It's too late, Bingzhou is gone." Sima Yi shook his head, with a sad look on his face, "Bingzhou already has few soldiers, and Jian Bi Gui, there is no way he can be the opponent of Thief Feng."
According to the current situation, even if reinforcements are sent out immediately, as long as the Shu captives move south quickly enough, the two sides may collide in Hedong or Pingyang.
Whether it is Pingyang County, Linfen County, Hedong County, Wenxi County, or Jie County, they are all county towns on flat ground. What can they do to stop the iron cavalry of the Shu captives?
The governor of Hedong County is backed by a mountain, but what's the use? The Shu captives don't have to pass there.
Have you ignored the Ge thieves on Wuzhangyuan?
Sima Yi's eyes were distracted and seemed to have no focus, but his words were extremely calm:
"The best way now is to use the land west of Hexi and use the Yellow River and Luoshui River as ravines to prevent Feng Thief from crossing the water and entering Guanzhong."
(Note: Before the Western Han Dynasty acquired the Hexi Corridor, Hexi specifically refers to the area sandwiched between the Yellow River and Luoshui River. See the comments at the end of the article)
When Du Xi heard Da Sima's words, he was shocked and lost his voice:
"Wouldn't that mean handing over Hedong to Thief Feng?"
"That's better than letting Thief Feng enter Guanzhong and threaten the retreat of the Guanzhong army!"
Sima Yi's eyes began to regain clarity, and there was a hint of ruthlessness in his tone.
"Da Sima, this matter is of great importance, so we should consider it carefully."
Du Xi took another step forward and emphasized his tone, "Hedong is a large county. If it is surrendered to Feng Thief, even the Chief Sima will have a hard time explaining it in front of His Majesty!"
Sima Yi was startled and subconsciously looked at Du Xi.
His eyes were a little complicated, and finally he sighed secretly in his heart.
However, the expression on his face quickly became happy, and he nodded repeatedly:
"Zixu is right, but I failed to consider it carefully."
He pondered for a moment and then said slowly:
"I thought about it for a while and remembered that if the Shu captives want to go south from Taiyuan to Hedong, they must pass through Pingyang County. To the north of Pingyang County, there is a dangerous mountain pass called Guanjuejin Valley."
"There are dozens of miles of dangerous passes in the Guanjuejin Valley. It is a valley formed by the Fen River flowing through the mountains. It is extremely rugged and steep. There is a saying that only a powerful stork can fly over it."
"Guanjuejin Valley belongs to Xihe County to the north and Pingyang County to the south. It would be a good idea to send troops to guard here."
Du Xi was overjoyed:
"In this way, if we can really stop the Shu captives from going south, then the Great Sima will be the pillar of the Wei Dynasty's safety and stability!"
Sima Yi waved his hand, but there was no hint of joy on his face:
"What I am worried about is the Ge thieves on the opposite side. We may not be able to easily support Bingzhou. Let me think about it carefully before the Ge thieves take advantage of the opportunity."
Du Xi understood the idea and immediately excused himself.
When only Sima Yi was left in the commander's camp, Sima Yi's face suddenly became so gloomy that he felt like he was about to drip.
Yicheng is more than a thousand miles away from Pingyang County, and it takes a lot of time to mobilize troops and generals in Guanzhong.
And what about Taiyuan County?
To the south is Xihe County!
If he really wants to send a large army there, as he said before, he may not have a chance to reach Pingyang, and there is a 90% chance that he will meet Feng Thief in the east of the river.
It is certain that the troops and horses that the Shu captives raided Bingzhou must all be cavalry.
On the plains east of Hedong, they suddenly met Feng Thief's cavalry...
Sima Yi no longer dared to think about what the situation would be like.
If the reinforcements are defeated, there will be Ge thieves in front and Feng thieves behind, and the army in Guanzhong will be in danger!
But if reinforcements are not sent eastward across the river, His Majesty will definitely blame himself in the future.
After much thought, Sima Yi couldn't come up with a way to get the best of both worlds, which made him feel uneasy and restless.
At this moment, he truly understood what a dilemma was.
I don’t know whether it was because he hesitated for too long or for some other reason. This time, Da Sima of the Wei Dynasty did not show his usual decisiveness.
After three days of "careful consideration", Sima Yi began to mobilize Guanzhong troops and prepare to go to Chang'an.
Gathered with the men and horses left behind in Chang'an and crossed the river to Pingyang.
At this time, General Guan had already led his army to the north entrance of Guanjuejin Valley in Jiexiu (near Jiexiu City in later generations).
Looking at the mountains in front of him that separated Bingzhou and Sizhou, and were also the last obstacle to the southward journey to Hedong, General Guan let out a long breath.
"How is it going?"
"General, there are thieves guarding the valley in the southern section."
"Well."
General Guan nodded.
This is to be expected.
When he entered Jinyang, the Wei thieves in the south would react no matter how slow they were.
In addition, Hedong County is a large county and has been a land of grain production since ancient times. It is also an important county for Wei thieves to farm. How can the Wei thieves not pay attention to it?
"What is the specific situation of the thieves in Nanduanjin Valley? Have you found out clearly?"
"General, I heard that in order to prevent the Huns in the southern part of Puzi County from following suit, the Wei thieves gathered all the young and strong Huns and drove them into the valley."
"Then the Wei thieves personally guarded the south valley entrance as a backup, hoping to prevent our army from going south."
After hearing this, General Guan nodded slightly and asked again:
"Do you know how many Wei thieves are guarding the valley entrance?"
"I don't know."
Guan Ji pondered:
"Even in Bingzhou, there are only 5,000 people left behind. A rear area like Hedong has to support Guanzhong on the other side. It is impossible to have more than 5,000 people. I think it will be about 3,000 people..."
It's just that although Guanjuejin Valley is a Fenshui River Valley, it is narrow and difficult to navigate, and the terrain is dangerous. Thousands of people are enough to stop tens of thousands of people from moving forward. What can be done?
"Come here, let Liu Meng and Liu Bao come over to see me!"
Liu Meng and Liu Bao came over quickly: "Meet the general."
"According to what the spies reported, there are people from the southern tribes stationed in the valley to the south."
General Guan looked at the two of them with clear eyes and said slowly, "What do you think I should do?"
Liu Meng and Liu Bao had just returned, and when they heard General Guan's words, their hearts suddenly jumped!
After looking at each other, Liu Bao gritted his teeth and said:
"General, although our two tribes and the south are of the same clan, we have now returned to the righteousness, but they are working for the thieves. This can be said to be different and they are not conspiring with each other."
Liu Meng continued:
"Yes, to show our loyalty, I am willing to lead the tribe to the river valley to clear the way for the general!"
After General Guan heard this, he smiled with satisfaction and looked at the two men with deep eyes:
"Don't I know the loyalty of the two commanders? Well, I still have some barbarians on hand who came south from Yanmen and Xingxing, and I will hand them over to you now."
"When the time comes, you can force them to explore the road ahead, which will also help the tribe reduce some casualties."
Liu Meng and Liu Bao both trembled: "I thank the general!"
The general in front of him, despite his handsome appearance, his ruthless methods are beyond the comparison of ordinary people.
PS: For the map of Pingyang and Hedong counties, please click to comment. The first floor has not been simple since ancient times.
