For the first time, what happened to fighting in troubled times?
Xiangping City, Pingzhou, Liaodong. In AD 339, the fifth year of Emperor Xiankang of Jin Dynasty, the twelfth lunar month.
On the banks of the Daliao River, Murong Xianbei's eastern border city of Xiangping stands alone on the bank, and further east is Goguryeo.
The land of Youyan is originally located in the far north of the Central Plains. It is winter, and it is also at the intersection of rivers and seas. The north wind here seems particularly cold.
"Cui Tou, do you think Goguryeo will come again this year?" A soldier holding a halberd muttered while rubbing his hands. This is his third year of garrison. He promised to change defenses every year, but I don't know if there will be any success.
This Cui Tou is a captain of a thousand men, named Cui Yi. He was promoted to captain of a thousand men due to his meritorious service, and he has been in the army for six or seven years. Originally, he was a member of the Cui family of Qinghe, a prominent family in the Central Plains.
He moved here because of the chaos, thinking that he and Cui Ao, the former governor of Pingzhou, were from the same clan, and wanted to get a job. Not wanting to be disturbed by the chaos in Liaodong, Cui Ao was defeated by the Murong clan of Xianbei soon after arriving here, and was sent to the Yan army.
Prepare to escape. Unexpectedly, all ethnic groups in the country of Yan have their own homes. The king of Yan has absorbed the refugees from the Central Plains. The generals in the army treat the surrendered generals equally, so Cui Yi also joined the army.
"It's hard to say. A few years ago, the rebellions of Murong Ren and Murong Zhao were just put down. Later, Duan and Xianbei started to rebel again. This Xianbei and Murong tribe were caught in the middle. It's difficult. There are Yuwen and Xianbei in the far north. What can happen this year? No one can
Not sure." Cui Tou fiddled with the knife on his waist.
"I heard that these princes of the Murong family are all famous among people. Needless to say, the master of Yan, Murong Huang, Murong Khan, Murong Han, and Murong Ke were all outstanding figures. I heard that during the Murong Ren rebellion last year, others thought we were
We attacked on the road, but they didn't expect us to cross the sea and catch them off guard. Cui Tou, were you in the team at that time?" The kid asked curiously.
Cui Tou touched the scars on his armor and straightened the red tassel on his chest.
"This sea water is frozen, which has never happened in ancient times, and everyone is surprised. Some people use prophecies to say that this sea water has never frozen before Murong Ren's rebellion. Since Murong Ren's rebellion, it has been frozen for three years. This is God's help to the Yan Kingdom.
"Heaven wants to help my king." Cui Yi was also quite surprised when he said, "Our team of troops was walking on the ice. Former military advisor General Murong Jing was the vanguard. They marched more than 300 miles straight towards Pingguo. Their scouts were seven miles away from the city.
Only then did they discover us. In a panic, they were unprepared and were immediately attacked and captured by us."
"The prince of the Murong family is also brave," a sergeant said in surprise.
"Oh, who is talking about me?"
It turned out that the commander-in-chief of Xiangping, Murong Khan, had come over. Cui Yi and his entire team were seen saluting the commander.
"General, we are talking about Prince Murong's heroic deeds. The Murong family is full of talents." Xiao Guitou is very clever despite his young age.
"You Cui Tou are also over-reputed. Compared with Brother Wang, you are very ashamed. If Murong Han was here, how could Goguryeo in the east exist today?" Murong Khan stopped talking, "It's a pity..."
"What's wrong with you? The captain is the hero of Xiangping. We all follow the captain's lead." Xiao Gui said with a smile.
"It seems that you have learned nothing else from Cui Tou, and you only talk in one way." Murong Han said with a smile.
Although Cui Yi relied on his reputation as a prominent family in the Central Plains, he first served as secretary-general in the army. However, because the army did not need many official documents, he himself had a set of strategies for fighting. He was appreciated by the army leaders and became a military officer.
General. Now he has reached the rank of captain of thousands, which is equivalent to the rank of captain in the Central Plains Army. The soldiers here are of Chinese descent. They have the nicknames of Yi and Di, such as Ah Liu, Du Tou, and Mo Gan, as well as the nicknames of people from the Central Plains.
Cui Tou, who was referring to his place of origin, was originally a well-educated person. He would say to everyone he met: "I am the Cui family of Qinghe. I took refuge in Liaodong to avoid the chaos in Yongjia. Although I have the ambition to help the world..." He said a lot, but only
He asked people to turn the stove over. Later, when he got acquainted with them, Hu Feng gradually became familiar with them, and he also followed their name and called him "Cuitou".
"Your Majesty, I have something to report." Cui Yi reported to the captain with a stern expression, and motioned for the two of them to go to a remote corner to talk.
The two of them arrived at a crenellation. Xiangping City was in ruins due to Murong Ren's rebellion. A slightly worn military flag swayed in the wind, and the bricks and stones on the ground were also uneven.
Murong Khan supported the city wall and said: "Cui Tou, this city defense needs to be reinforced."
"This matter can be solved, the key is... food." Cui Tou said worriedly.
"I have already compiled a book and given it to Murong Ping. I hope he won't do anything to save me."
"Why not write a letter to the King of Yan? Since he is your brother and the King of Yan, it is appropriate both emotionally and rationally." Cui Tou said in confusion.
"I was demoted here because of the defeat of Liucheng. The King of Yan is still in trouble, and the king's will is unpredictable. In addition, it is Brother Ping who is responsible for supervising the management of grain and grass. According to the rules, I should report to him." Murong Khan supported the city wall and looked at it.
To the west is Yandu.
"In this case, it is inconvenient for me to ask more questions, but the general is brave, guarding Xiangping, and has made outstanding achievements. I think he will be able to return to Beijing and resume his duties soon." After Murong Khan was demoted, Cui Tou fought alongside him for many years, and Murong Khan also had many
Thanks to Cui Yi's planning, the two have a harmonious relationship.
"If this is the case, if I return to Beijing, I will make it clear to Brother Wang that I recommend you to take the post of captain." Murong Khan patted Cui Yi on the shoulder and said.
Cui Yi smiled and handed over his hand: "General, I accept your kindness. Unfortunately, I am a member of the Cui clan, and this captain of thousands has come to an end."
"Don't be upset, Cui Tou. There will definitely be a way." Murong Khan also wanted to persuade Cui Yi, "In a time of great strife, our country, Yan, is only about talents."
"General, I'm afraid it's not something you can change by yourself..."
Snow gradually fell in the sky, and the flakes fell, caught in the cold wind, it only hit the face, which was painful.
"Tell the two adults that the messenger wants to see you." The kid came closer.
The two men signaled for the messenger to go up to the tower.
The messenger was wearing a suit of gold armor and snow that was different from that of the Xiangping garrison, and was wearing flying swallow shoes. He must have been the Xuantu garrison.
The envoy said: "This is the handwriting of Prefect Liu. Please take a look at it, General."
The prefect Liu mentioned by the messenger is Liu Pei, the prefect of Xuantu who is northeast of Xiangping City. This person is also from the Central Plains, because Xiangping and Xuantu are currently the easternmost borders of the Yan Kingdom. In order to resist the invasion of Fuyu and Goguryeo, the intelligence
All the above are interoperable.
Cui Tou read the handwriting hastily, closed it slowly, handed it to Murong Khan, and said: "I said that Goguryeo has behaved a lot since this year. Wang Zhao, the false king of Goguryeo, has already professed his vassalship to the Shi family's Zhao Kingdom. It is said that from Zhao Kingdom
There are a lot of good things brought here, and Governor Liu asked us to be more careful."
Murong Khan looked at it hurriedly and said: "I don't think so. Since the Liaodong Rebellion, Lord Murong Huang has moved all his people to Liaodong. Originally, there was Xinchang City in the east and Pingguo in the south. Now in order to stabilize his rule,
, we will move into the two cities of Xuantu and Xiangping. If we leave a beacon fort for communication, it will serve as a warning to us." He closed the military newspaper and sighed and said, "There were many people in the border areas of Liaodong who colluded with Murong Ren.
, the border residents have no choice but to migrate."
"If Murong Han were here, Goguryeo would definitely restrain itself a lot." Cui Tou said to himself.
"That's what I mean." Murong Han said, "Thousands of troops are easy to get, but one general is hard to find. Since Murong Han left, Pingguo has no one to guard it. Goguryeo has become restless, so the only expedient is to stick to these two cities.
"
"General, I think there are many talented people among Lord Yan's sons. Given time, Goguryeo will definitely be annexed by our country, Yan." Cui Tou was quite optimistic.
The snow gradually became heavier and turned into heavy snow, covering the sky and blocking out the sun. The Daliao River in the distance gradually became blurred. Snow gradually accumulated on the previously damaged gaps in the city wall. Slowly, the wilderness was surrounded by a vast expanse of white.
.
"Cui Tou, let's warm ourselves up by the fire, it's cold in the middle of winter." I saw a group of soldiers calling him.
"Let's go, stretch your muscles. General, why don't we go warm ourselves together by the fire?" After saying that, Cui Tou stood up and motioned for Murong Han to come down together.
Murong Khan took advantage of the situation and said: "Okay, let's talk about it then. Tomorrow is the New Year's Day for you people from the Central Plains. Send an order: Leave a team of people at each crenel and the city gate, and the rest will rest in the camp."
When the two of them went down, they heard the sergeant whispering below. They only heard the kid say: "Do you think it's weird? We, the king, are just kings when we call them kings. Why do we need to report to the Jin Dynasty far in the south when we call ourselves kings?"
What kind of general is he called, Duke of Liaodong? The most interesting thing is that he is the governor of Pingzhou."
Seeing the two generals coming down, all the sergeants stood up one after another, panicked, and even spilled their wine on the floor.
"I said, what are you talking about?" Cui Tou said with a smile, taking advantage of the situation, he picked up the wine bowl and took a sip, "This pepper wine is very strong, perfect for this damn weather."
"Our Murong family has lived in the grasslands for a long time, and we love drinking this wine the most." After saying this, Murong Khan picked up the wine bowl, "That's the taste."
Although Murong Khan was from the royal family, he had been demoted to this position many years ago and his status had been reduced. However, his mood gradually became brighter. After leaving the turmoil of Jicheng in Yandu, he felt much more comfortable in Xiangping, where he could mingle with the soldiers.
"But it doesn't matter." Murong Han said, motioning for them to bring another bowl of wine, and said slowly: "Do you know why, last year, Murong Ren's rebellion caused King Yan to send troops to attack regardless of brotherhood?
"
"I know that I heard that because of the rebellion and the blocked roads, Ma Shijin, who had been traveling with envoys before, was taken over by Murong Ren, and the imperial edict of the Jin Dynasty was not received. Murong Ren himself called him the Duke of Liaodong. This attracted the attention of
Our lord sends troops to attack." said the kid Qianbai.
"You are right. If the name is not correct, the words will not be correct. Look at those people from the Central Plains. They are all talented and learned people who have read poetry and books. They have a strong sense of ethics and morality. Our lord followed the example and only called the Great Chanyu.
, it is unavoidable to be vulgar and makes the Central Plains family disdain to become an official. With the canonization of the Jin Dynasty, isn't that title just for the Jin Dynasty?" Murong Khan pointed to Goguryeo in the distance, "We are here to guard the border.
Protecting the land also protects the territory of the Jin Dynasty."
"What the general said is true, not only for the Murong family." Cui Tou said it out with the strength of his wine, "but also to protect our people in Pingzhou."
No one spoke, the new wind was blowing harder, the military flags were whirring, the snow was flying, and the bonfires were swaying.
"It would be better if there were scones with beef and mutton." The kid stepped forward and said, and all the sergeants burst into laughter.
Cui Tou looked a little tense, while Murong Khan looked calm and said: "I have sent a letter to Yandu, and I think it will be delivered soon."
While we were chatting, a group of sergeants brought several carriages over from the city. The visitor shouted to the city wall: "It's a festive season. Xiangping City is a big city. We are considerate of the soldiers guarding the city. We have sent you good gifts and wine. Please call yours quickly."
The sergeant will come and carry it."
Cui Tou said happily: "The general really has a way."
Then he bowed his hand to the visitor and waved his hand, and the soldiers on the city wall cheered.
A soldier opened the contents of the sack in the first cart. It turned out to be corn and bacon. Everyone was happy and stepped forward to carry the supplies.
Not long after, only the last cart of goods was moved. Suddenly, a soldier slipped and fell to the ground. The sack was torn, and what came out was some old rotten grain mixed with straw.
.
The soldiers were in an uproar and opened the things they were carrying on their shoulders. They found that except for the items in the first cart, the other carts were all the same. The other pieces of bacon were all covered in black paint, and they looked like they were old.
"Cui Tou, Cui Tou, it's not good," the kid rushed up to the tower. "The items sent by the city chief are just rotten grains and old bacon. The soldiers don't work anymore."
"Let me go down and have a look." It was too late but it was too late. The moment Murong Khan was about to go down from the tower, a huge stone flew over and hit the crenellations that were warming up to the fire.
As a captain, Murong Khan's clothes were very different from those of ordinary people, and his figure was obvious. Just as he was about to dodge, an arrow flew towards him and pierced his chest. Cui Tou shouted in surprise: "General, general." Everyone gathered around him.
Murong Khan handed the sealing ribbon around his waist to Cui Yi and used his last strength to order: "All officers and men must obey Cui Yi's orders from now on." Everyone bowed their hands and bowed.
Cui Yi took the seal and quickly ordered people to carry Murong Khan down the city wall and put him in a tent for treatment.
The imp was brave enough to lean out and look outside the city wall, only to see Goguryeo soldiers clinging to the city like ants, crawling along the depressions in the masonry of the city wall.
The wind gradually stopped, and the snow suddenly became lighter. In the distant wilderness, only trebuchets, battering rams, ladders, etc. could be seen lined up. More soldiers were riding on horses from the Liao River on the ice. The kid turned around in horror.
He shouted: "It's Goguryeo, the enemy is attacking the city!"
Cui Tou stood up, drew his sword and pointed it to the sky, "Instruct all teams to extinguish the bonfires, return to their fighting positions quickly, and prepare leopards and rolling logs to attack Goguryeo."
In the cold night, the sound of war drums resounded throughout the city, breaking the silence of the night, and the war broke out again in the east of Yan Kingdom.
