Chapter 78: Looking for a Marquis for Thousands of Miles
Chapter 78 Thousands of miles in search of a feudal lord
Yezhaobai and Wuyun Taxue are two very fine BMWs, worthy of their worth of more than one hundred thousand. They could not show anything special during the normal march that lasted for half a month.
After Huaiyu began to march in a hurry, Huaiyu realized what they were doing.
Huaiyu rode two horses with one person and one pack horse, and the two horses rode in a wheel. The pack horse carried the provisions for one person and three horses.
In order to meet the deadline, Dou Guojiu asked for a rapid march of thirty miles per hour.
This is an astonishing speed. The Ministry of War has specifically stipulated that no rapid march can be made continuously for more than two hours. Normal cavalry can march at a maximum speed of one hundred miles per day.
The cavalry can march 160 to 200 miles per day.
Only in extremely special surprise attacks and pursuits can the distance reach 300 miles a day and night.
After a rapid march, you must rest for at least four hours before taking the next step.
Dou Yun took Huaiyu and others to Fuqiang County, running thirty miles every hour, running two hours and sixty miles at a time, then resting for a while, and continuing to run for two hours, running six hours a day, resting in between
One hour.
From dawn to dusk, from five o'clock in the morning to seven o'clock in the evening, they ran nearly two hundred miles in one breath.
Fortunately, the riding and marching in the previous half month allowed Huaiyu to adapt to long-distance riding. However, after a long day of running, he also felt very tired. However, the two good horses given by Li Sanniang and Xu Luoren were still able to take turns riding.
He was very energetic, but the pack horse, which had only been pulling one person and three horses for three days, was so exhausted that he was covered in sweat.
At dusk, more than a hundred riders camped on a hillside by the Wei River.
While drinking his horse, Dou Yun recalled the battle between him and Prince Li Shimin when they fought Song Jingang in Hedong, "It was April of the third year of Wude. Song Jingang finally couldn't hold on after half a year under His Highness's tactics of fortifying the wall and clearing the field.
, they ran out of food and began to retreat, and we began to attack.
That time, the prince led us to pursue Song Jingang without stopping, fighting eight times a day, and marching more than 200 miles day and night. His Highness did not disarm for three days, and fought for 800 miles, until Song Jingang was depleted of one hundred thousand troops, and was finally defeated.
.”
Not only did Li Shimin fight eight battles a day, but he was also able to pursue for more than 200 miles. The key was that at this speed for three consecutive days, he forced Song Jingang to retreat due to lack of food, and chased the opponent into a huge rout.
This alone perfectly demonstrates what it means to be a master tactician.
They now run two hundred miles a day, which is nothing in comparison.
After washing and drinking their horses, Huaiyu and the others also took off their armors to get some air and gnaw dry biscuits and beef jerky.
The horses ate harder than the soldiers.
The Tang army received two liters of food per day, and a war horse received one bushel of grain per day, three ounces of salt and two ounces of wild rice every day. After such a rapid march, each knight would not wait for his mounts, and would add fine food to them one after another.
, in addition to millet, black bean cakes were added, and Dou Yun even brought some eggs for his horse to eat.
Huaiyu also discovered that although the cavalry was highly mobile, its weaknesses were also obvious, namely in terms of logistical supplies. For example, this time they each carried two riders and one pack, but the pack horse was specially designed to carry grain and grass, but it was only enough for one person.
Three horses is enough for three days.
Even if they were able to march at full speed, they would only be able to travel for three days at most. They either had to have food and fodder to support them, or they had to plunder supplies on the spot.
In comparison, an infantryman can carry at least five days' worth of dry food, and an auxiliary can carry thirty days' worth of dry food.
Therefore, except for rare cases like Huo Qubing, under normal circumstances, cavalry will not stay away from infantry or baggage troops for three days.
The greater the number of cavalry, the more difficult it is to march long distances and to supply supplies.
Huaiyu and the others were marching in an area controlled by their own side. They could supply supplies to the prefectures and counties along the way. However, marching quickly would also tire out the horses. If they marched for more than four days, their speed would also be greatly reduced unless a new batch of horses could be replaced.
Light a bonfire.
Everyone raced against time to start resting.
Ma Zhou was writing a diary again. His experiences along the way made this once angry young man and mad scholar become more pragmatic. He would study medicine with Huai Yu every day after marching, and even help record the events in the hospital camp.
He keeps official documents and account books, etc., and insists on practicing archery every day, and the horse riding becomes better and better.
"Why keep a diary?"
"I'm afraid I'll die in Longyou. If I die, I hope my diary will be obtained by others, and let people know through this diary that there was a person like me, Ma Zhou, in this world."
Huaiyu smiled. The mentality of many Confucian scholars is to leave a name in history for a lifetime.
"I've never heard you talk about your hometown before. Let's talk about it?"
Ma Zhou smiled bitterly and said, "When I gave up my post as assistant coach in Bozhou and traveled westward, I said that I wanted to make a successful career and return to my hometown."
"Do you still have family in your hometown?"
Huaiyu only knew that Ma Zhou lost his parents at a young age, and didn't know much else.
"I have brothers and sisters, as well as sisters, and relatives of the same clan. My parents died young, and I was raised by my brothers and sisters when I was young. Later, I studied in the family school, and my married sisters also helped me a lot. My wife is me.
The eldest sister introduced me, and the money for the gift was also collected by the brothers, sisters-in-law and sisters."
"I've never heard you say you have a wife at home."
"My wife died of illness. She was ill and took medicine for more than a year. Later, she had no money to buy medicine. She left me a son who is now seven or eight years old. He was only three years old when I left. His name is Ma Zai."
Huaiyu was surprised by Ma Zhou's words. His wife and children died and he left behind a three-year-old son. As a result, Ma Zhou abandoned his son and gave up his status as a civil servant and went to work as a drifter in Beijing.
I drifted away for several years and never returned home.
He is simply a scumbag, but somehow I understand his heart. He studied hard for many years and boasted that he was full of talents. However, no one recognized him, and instead he was ridiculed and insulted. His family was poor, and he had no talent but could not even take care of his wife and children.
The wife also had no money for medical treatment and died of illness, so she ran away angrily and wanted to make some achievements. In the future, Guangzong Yaozong would grant his wife the title of Yinzi.
But the reality makes people despair. The days of traveling to the West and Beijing are passing by, but they have gained nothing. They are even in a state of poverty and owe money everywhere. How can they have the nerve to go home?
"Last time you came back to Longqiao Fort with me, I saw that you seemed to like my eldest sister very much. How about if you are still alive during this trip to Longyou, I will introduce my sister to you?" Huaiyu suddenly thought of
Act as a matchmaker for the two of them.
Ma Zhou was stunned for a moment. It seemed that he really hadn't thought about that. When Huaiyu mentioned it, he couldn't help but think of that woman from Longqiao Fort. She was kind and hard-working, indescribably beautiful, but virtuous and gentle.
Feel.
Especially the locust leaf cold pottery she made is something he will never forget.
"I am not worthy of being a down-and-out scholar." Ma Zhou smiled bitterly.
"As long as you don't dislike my sister for being married before. Her life was not very good. She married three husbands, but none of them lasted long. Now it's very difficult to have two daughters living with her parents' family, but she is hardworking and still...
She is young, I hope she can find a capable man to live her life for the rest of her life, instead of finding a vulgar and vulgar man to spend her life carelessly, don't you think so?"
"I'm down and out."
"Let me tell you something. Golden scales are just like things in a pond. They turn into dragons when encountering storms. Brother Ma, you have such talent, ambition, and a heart that will not admit defeat. Sooner or later, you will achieve great things."
