One hundred and nineteenth chapter million rides 5
At the end of October, the weather quickly turned cold, and Hebei began to freeze at night.
On the 26th, early in the morning, it was very cold. Zhang Shiyu, the governor of Bohai who was stationed in the south of Leling City, got up early, put on his leather armor, and then put on a big cloak, and went there in person with Xue Wanbi, the general of the Hejian camp.
In the north of the city, I saw the generals of Hejian in the Beiying camp, as well as the leader of the Hejian camp who arrived in a hurry last night, the general manager of the march in Hebei, General Zuo Weiwei and the Hejian prefect Xue Changxiong.
Let's say that Leling City was not completely surrounded... Sixty-seven thousand people and such a large city, with only thirty or forty thousand people, couldn't be completely surrounded...but they were set up by taking advantage of the two southwest-northeast rivers in the south of the city and the north of the city.
Two large camps were built, which was just a rough blockade.
Among them, there are more than 10,000 Bohai County soldiers led by Zhang Shiyu, and 10,000 Hejian soldiers led by the three lieutenant generals Xue Wanbi, Wang Changhe, and Guo Shiping. They are listed on the south side. Xue Wannian, Xue Wanquan, Zhang Shirang, and Wang Fubei
Generals Wang Changxie, Chen Bin, and Wang Yu led 25,000 Hejian troops to the north.
Of course, Xue Changxiong arrived in a hurry last night, and Beiying and even the entire battlefield had a new coach.
In this way, Commander Zhang came to Beiying, but he did not enter any camp, but moved into a mansion - Leling is surrounded by the essence of the Bohai Sea, and there are settlements everywhere outside the city, and both the officers and soldiers from the north and the south
, or the rebels under the city, they all built camps directly on other people's houses.
Xue Changxiong, who was not wearing armor, personally led the generals of Beiying to greet him. He wanted to let him go to the hall, but Zhang Shiyu declined. He only said that he was an elder and wanted to bask in the sun, but he stopped in the courtyard and sat down haphazardly.
Of course, Zhang Shiyu is still second only to Xue Changxiong.
There is no way, there is really no way. Don't look at someone shouting all day about Hebei being carved up by warlords, etc., but the specific situation must be treated concretely. For example, with Zhang Shiyu's age, identity, qualifications, and origin, Xue Changxiong must also respect
Even if Xue Changxiong doesn't come, it's hard to say who is in charge here in Leling.
Or to be more direct, the generals who besieged the city, the supervisor Sima, and the brothers Wang Changhe and Wang Changxie in the internal history were basically fellow countrymen of Zhang Shiyu in Jin Dynasty, and Zhang Shirang was the same clan who was assigned to the house... even in Hejian
Daying, a military town, had divided up half of Hebei Province, so Zhang Shiyu could learn from the gang on the other side of the river and become a big leader or even leader among the forces in Hejian.
In fact, Zhang Shiyu led and promoted the siege of Leling.
From this point of view, the Pingyuan Tongshou next door who couldn't even suppress several lieutenant generals, and even dared to hide letters from a retired emperor's secretary, shouldn't be too shameful.
Everyone sat down in a chaotic but orderly manner. After his son died, Xue Changxiong, who was dressed in casual clothes, spoke first, but his tone was calm: "Everyone, the military situation is urgent. We should have made a decision as soon as possible, but I arrived in a hurry last night, and the situation has been going on for more than a day.
Changes have occurred, but I still need to ask more questions... Who can tell me, what is the outcome of my second son and the West Road partial army now? Where are General Zhuge and General Wang?"
"All three generals were killed and the whole army was wiped out. They were immediately massacred, but after the massacre there were still five or six thousand people left, and the wounded were released together." Zhang Shiyu blurted out and repeated the information.
"Is it true?" Xue Changxiong asked with a dark face.
"Sure enough." Zhang Shiyu sighed. "Qian Tongshou has been in Pingyuan for a while, and his character is trustworthy. He will not lie about such a big matter. Moreover, if the West Route Army was not completely wiped out, where would it be?"
The army went straight to Ban County and frightened the east-route division back?"
Xue Wanbi, the fourth son of Xue Changxiong and the commander of the East Road Division, stood up quickly. His face turned red and he seemed to be preparing to explain something.
Unexpectedly, General Xue just waved his hand for his son to sit down, and then continued to ask Zhang Shiyu, "Defeat is inevitable, and it seems that the whole army is annihilated. Is it just that the camp was broken and defeated within an hour? And it is still possible."
The great formation of Zhenqi was defeated in one fell swoop? Three generals, including an elixir master, were all dead?"
Zhang Shiyu frowned slightly, not knowing what he was thinking of, but he still nodded seriously: "That's indeed what he said."
Xue Changxiong sighed on the spot.
Everyone just thought that the general's son had died, and it was difficult to accept the reality. But with his identity here, except for Zhang Shiyu, no one else could take the initiative to say anything.
However, Prefect Zhang unexpectedly remained silent at this time, and just tightened his cloak.
After a while, Xue Changxiongji
He continued to ask: "How strong are the thieves? Who knows?"
"Return to the commander-in-chief."
The vassal bandits in Hebei also numbered 30,000, and they were fully equipped with horse, foot, baggage, and weapons, and the rules for marching to the stronghold and entering and exiting the city were very strict, but this was only the strength of our troops when we retreated from the south..."
"Are there no other follow-up reinforcements?"
"It's hard to say." Zhang Shiyu finally spoke again. "The thieves themselves occupied the land of eight counties. Back then, there were no less than 30,000 people in the battle at calendar mountain. Now, there should be 60,700, 70,800, or 80,000 as the main force.
Yes, but that's all in Hebei at the moment... The seven or eight thousand should be the Pu**, and there should be two or three thousand from Qi County."
"So, there will definitely be reinforcements in the future." Xue Changxiong sighed immediately and asked again. "Then were these 30,000 soldiers carefully selected, or were they sent out in a hurry?"
Everyone was silent, and Xue Wanbi who was standing there was also a little embarrassed. They all lacked intelligence on the army.
After a while, Zhang Shiyu still had no choice but to answer, "It should be both hastily sent troops and carefully selected troops... Previously, there were rumors about thieves coming to Hebei from Qian Fujun in Pingyuan and Qinghe, so
The thieves should have been preparing to cross the river a long time ago. The reason why we launched so quickly was to cut off Gao Shitong before it froze and prevent the thieves from coming to rescue us in large numbers... Unexpectedly, they knew that we were launching the attack and followed suit regardless.
They killed Gao Shizhan again, sent troops to attack Guxuan's partial division in the west, and now come to rescue Gao Shitong, one after another, the target is too clear."
"Indeed." Xue Changxiong thought over and over again and replied seriously. "Judging from the timing and accuracy of these launches, the thieves have carefully planned for Hebei. I'm afraid that there are already spies everywhere, internal agents, and camps in Hejian.
The counties in Pingyuan and Bohai, including Gao Shitong, should have explanations, but we know nothing about them, and that's why we suffered such a big loss."
Zhang Shiyu nodded sincerely, he also felt so, otherwise how could Gao Shizhan die so coincidentally? Otherwise, how could the West Route Army pounce on him so quickly and accurately? How come Gao Shizhan came to the rescue just when he was about to die?
only……
At this moment, the person below could not hold back, and suddenly spoke, but cautiously, it was Supervisor Sima Chen Bin: "General... are there rumors that the thief is the trick of the Bai family?"
Xue Changxiong was slightly startled, but he immediately scolded him sternly: "Absurd, the Bai family is the pillar of the country, but there are only three dukes, two stewards, and one minister. How can it be your turn to make random guesses here?!"
Chen Bin shut up immediately, but the people around him already had different expressions.
Seeing this situation, Zhang Shiyu sighed and reluctantly interrupted, "Don't you really believe this kind of words?"
"Bai Sanniang has become the general manager of Dengzhou." Xue Wannian immediately answered with a smile. "Even if you don't believe it, you have to be prepared."
Obviously, many people really believe it.
"So what?" Seeing this, Xue Changxiong had no choice but to refute the rumor. "The situation has reached this point. The territory of the eight counties has been occupied by thieves. Not to mention it is just a rumor in the countryside. To take a step back,
Zhang Sanlang and Bai Sanniang were indeed arranged by the British father. Now there is naturally a new theory... They just want to give the Bai family the territory with both hands. They can help dozens of leaders and count them.
How could Wan Dajun be so happy? Moreover, with Zhang Sanlang’s own power here, how could he not care about it? Not to mention Weng’s son-in-law, I’m afraid that there are real differences between father and daughter at this time!”
Everyone nodded, but there was no doubt that even General Xue himself seemed to believe a little bit of what he said. What does it mean to take ten thousand steps back?
However, at this moment, Supervisor Sima Chen Bin simply twisted his beard and sneered: "The general has misunderstood. How can I not understand this truth? Today, the courtyard is full of generals, Sima, and prefects who have invaded the palace. I will not cover it up."
Oh... I mean, isn't Pingyuan Tongshou Qiantang the former subordinate of Bai Sanniang and Zhang Sanlang? And was he recommended by the British Duke? This person can naturally contact Taiyuan and the Eastern Territory. What's more terrible is
Yes, the second general died in the plain this time, and Prefect Qian was also aware of the relevant plans..."
Xue Changxiong narrowed his eyes, thinking thoughtfully. The other generals also looked at each other, some looked as if they were stunned, and some
They were simply filled with indignation, while others were dumbfounded.
"But if we follow General Xue's previous reasoning." Zhang Shiyu couldn't stand hearing it anymore and sneered on the spot. "Qian Tongshou is also the governor of a county, and it is a large county like Pingyuan. Why should he go and give it to him?"
As a spy?"
Xue Changxiong was slightly startled, and Chen Bin was also silent.
"If you really want to be so cruel..." When Zhang Shiyu saw this, he knew that these people really had no vision and magnanimity, so he continued angrily. "Can I, Zhang Shiyu, also win over a few prefects?
How can we find some relatives and old friends to figure out the future of the Zhang family? It’s Zhang San, whose surname is also Zhang. Maybe it’s the marriage between the Zhang family in Hedong and the Bai family in Guanlong. There’s also the Hejian camp.
It is said that the surname of Hejian Camp is not Cao, but Xue..."
"Mr. Zhang is overthinking." At this point, Xue Changxiong couldn't pretend to be dead anymore and quickly waved his hand. "Chen Sima is young after all. It's just a random guess. We make up our minds and we won't take it seriously."
"That's good." Zhang Shiyu responded seriously. "But I still want to say something... Qian Tongshou and Cao Tongshou of Qinghe, although they are not of high origin, they are all rare talents. They are the kind of
I dare not say that someone has both talent and virtue, but is worthy of being appointed and is willing to do things. The current situation is chaotic, no one dares to say what will happen, but if such a person really hooks up with a thief, it will never be because of
It’s a personal relationship, but it’s because the current situation is difficult and Pingyuan and Qinghe can’t hold on anymore, that’s all.”
Xue Changxiong stood up and held his hands in the courtyard: "I already understand what Mr. Zhang means. I will never look down on these two people or cast doubt on them for no reason."
Zhang Shiyu nodded.
Xue Changxiong sat down and turned around, glared at Chen Sima, his confidant, then glanced around and asked the next and most critical question: "Don't say too much about irrelevant things. Just say that the thief will be killed in two or three days."
When the time comes, how should we respond to the war situation?"
However, as soon as these words were spoken, there was silence below.
Obviously, everyone has concerns, but the objects of concern may not be the same.
"I'm asking a question, how do you say Lao Si!" Xue Changxiong directly called his name.
"What does the commander-in-chief say? I just rush forward to avenge my second brother!" Xue Wanbi immediately jumped up and bowed to the ground again.
“A brave husband!”
Xue Wannian hesitated for a moment, and also bowed down in the courtyard: "Reply to my father, handsome, it is necessary to avenge the second brother, but when it comes to killing the second brother against thieves, they are by no means easy to deal with. We must do a good job."
Be fully prepared.”
"Nonsense." Xue Changxiong continued to look at the youngest son. "Old Qi, tell me."
Xue Wanquan also prostrated himself in the courtyard and answered seriously: "I think the key is to make a choice... The thieves came too fast and too determined, but here in Gao Shitong, there are still 60,000 to 70,000 people in a city.
…”
"Yes, that's where the trouble lies." Xue Changxiong patted his thigh and sighed immediately. "We prepared a table of dishes, but two tables of guests came. The second one and the partial master are so confused!"
The generals below had different expressions. It was obvious that some of them had understood, but just understanding General Xue did not seem to be enough to make a final conclusion.
Sure enough, after thinking about it, the three Xue brothers, Chen Bin, and Wang Yu gradually focused on General Xue Changxiong, while Zhang Shirang and Wang Changxie looked at Zhang Shiyu, the governor of Bohai.
Zhang Shiyu looked ugly. He glanced around and saw a man who seemed eager to try. He immediately called his name: "General Wang, do you have any ideas?"
This king is not Wang Yu or Wang Changxie, but the third person named Wang here, who is called Wang Fubei.
This man was a young powerful man from Hebei Province, and had served as a "rebel". Later, he was besieged by the clan's Weizi during the Hejian Army's raids, and surrendered on his own initiative... At that time, he was already a talented person with both Ren and Governor lines.
, and the Hejian Army also needed an example, so they accepted this man's surrender.
This year Ning Dan was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Commander.
Logically speaking, he has no place to speak here.
"What the general means..." Wang Fubei stood up and held his hands, saluting Zhang Shiyu and Xue Changxiong in turn. "At this time, there is no need to care about the food and people on the table, because Gao Shitong has been suppressed and thrown away.
Leave him alone, unite the whole army and go south
, directly confront the thief."
Xue Changxiong frowned slightly.
But Wang Fubei didn't notice it at all, or instead thought that the other party was thinking seriously, and kept talking more and more:
"On paper, there are more than 30,000 elites, which is good, but they have just finished a battle and have been marching across the river non-stop. They must be tired. Moreover, we have a general sitting in charge. From the perspective of the masters of cultivation, they have taken advantage of it. They will definitely be able to
Victory! In addition, there is another thing, that is, Gao Shitong's 60,000 to 70,000 thieves are too many in number. It is one thing to talk about combat power, but it is another thing to pack them up. However, once the thieves are defeated,
, will inevitably escape to the other side, but it will not delay our return to deal with Gao Shitong."
Xue Changxiong listened patiently, but slowly shook his head: "I'm so anxious! According to your statement, Gao Shitong and these 60 to 70 thousand people are all useless, but they didn't move when they saw us heading south?"
"It's not that we can't move, it's that we don't have time to move!" Wang Fubei quickly explained. "As long as we fight fast enough, it's like the thieves attacking the west route before..."
Xue Changxiong's face turned dark.
When Xue Wanbi saw this, he was also furious, and then immediately scolded: "Wang Fubei, what do you mean? My second brother died for the country, and he died in the battle, and I still want to be ridiculed by you?"
Wang Fubei was shocked, then his face turned red and he said he didn't dare.
But Xue Wannian also reacted and scolded: "Wang Fubei, military and state affairs are decided by my father and Duke Zhang."
Wang Fubei was even more embarrassed and could only lower his head and remain silent.
Xue Changxiong, on the other hand, quickly waved his hand when he saw this: "We are discussing something, don't argue..."
"Since General Xue and I make the decision, you all should get out!" At this moment, Zhang Shiyu suddenly had an inexplicable attack.
Everyone was stunned, but Governor Zhang seemed to be angry and kept urging him. When Xue Changxiong saw this, he had no choice but to chase them away... After a while, these people left one after another, and only Xue Changxiong and Xue Changxiong in casual clothes were left in the yard.
I met Zhang Shiyu who was wearing a big cloak.
"General Xue, tell me the truth." Zhang Shiyu asked with a dark face. "Is your grandmaster real or fake?"
Xue Changxiong sighed: "I can't hide anything from Mr. Zhang... I actually just found out a little bit of knowledge after cleaning up Hebei this year, and the people below can't wait to spread the word... I can't say that this grandmaster is fake, but I want to think about you.
I don’t know how far behind I am at the level of Duke Niu.”
"I should have thought of it earlier." Zhang Shiyu sighed. "You are worried that you have just reached the master level and the thieves have too many masters, right? At the beginning, you asked how long it took the thieves to break the camp, and then asked
The life and death of the three lieutenant generals, and then asking the thieves for reinforcements, are all guessing how many masters the thieves will gather...is that right? They thought you were thinking of your second son."
"Of course I care about the second son, but I joined the army when I was young, my family has been in the army for generations, and all my sons have practiced martial arts and joined the army. How can I shake my military morale just because one of my sons died?" Xue Changxiong said seriously. "Mr. Zhang
, this time, I am afraid that the thieves have deliberately plotted against us - it is not that we do not have enough masters, but some are in Changshan, some in Xindu, some in Hejian, and there is also a Chengdan master crossing the sea.
After arriving in the Bohai Territory of the North, I am now the only half-grandmaster and half-formed pill master here, and seven or eight pill-condensing masters, while the rebel army has at least four or five famous masters of pill-forming masters, and a dozen or so pill-condensing masters... They are
So determined, so quick, I'm afraid it's really a plan, maybe there's even a plan to lure me over and get rid of me... You don't know, I've seen Bai Sanniang's tricks, she's a real master.
You can't judge it from ordinary Chengdan, I'm afraid she has secretly followed you."
Zhang Shiyu's face turned dark: "So, you want to withdraw the troops?"
Xue Changxiong nodded: "The real overall situation cannot be ruined just because of a moment of anger... Zhang Gong, if I die, or if these tens of thousands of soldiers are defeated, the Hejian Camp will be abandoned, and the thieves will really succeed.
By then, not only the Bohai Sea, the plains, but also the entire Hebei province will fall into the hands of thieves... and as long as we go back, prepare our troops and horses and come back, everything will be fine."
Zhang Shiyu took a long breath, calmed down, and immediately asked: "Then what should we do? I just ask you, what will we do in Bohai County if you leave?"
"It won't delay things." Xue Changxiong explained seriously. "The thieves have just crossed the river, and they are fierce, but their goals are clear. Ander, a big city like Pingyuan didn't even look at it, as if he just came for our Hejian Army.
At most, they can take the opportunity to completely surrender Gao Shitong. I'm afraid they really don't have plans and material preparations to quickly sweep the Bohai and plains... Bohai County is so big, you only need to retreat a little, and if they really dare to enter the north, then
Instead, they are seeking their own death, and we will take the opportunity to gather our forces and come back to eat them."
"General Xue!" Zhang Shiyu sneered, "Since you are a half-master, and the thief is so decisive and resolute this time, I am also suspicious, not to mention that you also lost a son in my plan. I am sorry."
Ten thousand soldiers... In fact, I can only accept it. But there is something I must tell you. If you still have such a military mentality, you only care about soldiers and horses, not people's hearts, and you don't know the truth.
Don’t expect to compete with Taiyuan for the local area and military formation, that is, I am too old, otherwise I can boast of my skills and compete with you in the territory of the Hejian Camp!"
Xue Changxiong's expression remained as usual: "If Mr. Zhang is willing to shoulder this mess, I am willing to be his deputy."
The other party was so bachelor, Zhang Shiyu was speechless.
After a moment, the two of them finished their discussion, but they called everyone back and announced their decision to withdraw... Just as Xue Wannian said, Xue Changxiong and Zhang Shiyu made the decision, and the others were not qualified to say anything, they could only mutter.
Acknowledge.
The specific plan is to move the camp tonight, from the south camp to the north camp, and then tomorrow Wang Fubei will lead troops to protect Zhang Shiyu and move to the Wudi area.
In this way, if the thieves arrive the next day, there will be nothing they can do.
The shocking decisive battle that was originally expected disappeared due to the overly determined attitude of the army and the successful attack on the west route division.
Not to mention anything else, Zhang Shiyu ended the military discussion and returned to the south camp. Of course, he still felt uncomfortable.
Unexpectedly, as soon as he arrived at the South Camp, his captain came to greet him early and reported an unexpected situation.
"Is there someone who wants to surrender?" Zhang Shiyu looked slightly surprised. "Are the rebels inside the city or outside the city? Didn't they all escape on their own outside the city before?"
"It's outside the city, but that's because it hasn't frozen before. The water in the Maface River can still be tolerated by noon, and they are all small. There are not as many people as this wave." The captain's words seemed to be mumbling something.
Zhang Shiyu nodded, expressing his understanding, and asked again: "How many people? What is their origin? How do you explain it?"
"Three thousand people, from the Gaojibo side. The leader is named Dou, who is from Qinghe. Most of his subordinates are from Qinghe and Xindu. He himself has been a county official, so his origins are clear. Many of his subordinate leaders are similar.
...Said that if it is accurate, he will directly bring 3,000 people into the camp designated by us, just to survive." The captain explained quickly. "After the news came, everyone was quite controversial, and we just waited for the prince to make the decision."
Zhang Shiyu nodded again, and then stopped in the camp.
He knew very well what the so-called "quite controversial" meant, including what the captain in front of him meant. In fact, everyone wanted to surrender.
The reason is also self-evident.
To put it bluntly, the local prefectures and counties are naturally incompatible with the Hejian camp. No one is willing to pay the county's money and food to those military towns, and they are not willing to see local powerful households directly related to the military towns and
Refusing to obey the local government through the protection of the military town, and no one likes the manner in which the military town "cleans up" the local area.
This is a natural contradiction and opposition.
But there is no way. The power of the prefectures and counties is limited. Facing a large number of rebels like Gao Shitong, there is nothing they can do, let alone such a ruthless thief, so they can only count on military towns.
Under such circumstances, it is natural for local governments to pursue some military strength of their own. But this time, the conditions for the man named Dou were unexpectedly good.
Three thousand people are neither too many nor too few. It is easy to control the so-called newly attached Hebei local bandit army. They can't even enter the city. Faced with this situation, they have reasonable thoughts and have survived the previous two years of raids. They should also
He was somewhat capable and had even served as a county official, and everyone in his tribe regarded him as having "innocent origins" in the eyes of Hebei locals.
Zhang Shiyu hesitated for a moment. He would have probably refused yesterday, but he had just left Xue Changxiong and was dissatisfied with the Xue family and his son. He also felt that his family should maintain sufficient strength...perhaps in the face of thieves
This kind of ruthless character is still not enough, but when you are at a disadvantage and defensive, it is better than nothing.
Especially since we are about to evacuate to the north, we need to have a firm stand.
The determined people resisted the thieves and Gao Shitong's army... After passing this village, there will be no such store. When the camp is moved tomorrow, they may not be willing to surrender.
"Let him come to see me alone without weapons." Zhang Shiyu glanced at the sun. "Come to see me before noon, otherwise there will be no discussion."
After saying that, Prefect Zhang took off his cloak again and moved into the small courtyard where he lived in the camp.
At almost the same moment, hundreds of miles away, directly to the west, in Ande City, Pingyuan County, it was unclear whether Qian Tang was relieved or disappointed that Zhang Xing led his army to leave. Qian Tang also received unexpected news.
"Who is coming?" Mr. Qianfu, who was still powerless because of the defeat of his troops in the city, was extremely surprised.
"My Lord Cao Mansion, with five thousand soldiers from the county, should have crossed the border at this time." The Qinghe County official who came to report solemnly presented a piece of letter, and then spoke to the audience proudly. "He said, the thieves are extraordinary.
, the plan is very big, this time it seems that he wants to fight decisively in the Bohai Sea, once and for all, to seize the Bohai Sea. And if there is a decisive battle, every bit of strength can determine the outcome. At this time, I also ask Mr. Qian Mansion ten million
We should not be limited to the gains and losses of one city and one place, the interests of one county and one state... Therefore, he asked Mr. Qian to gather the county soldiers as much as possible, then abandon the city defense and follow him to the east to support!"
Qian Tang was stunned for a long time and was speechless for a moment.
On the other hand, Lu Changheng, who was on the side, was the first to sigh: "It is said that there are many heroes in Hebei, but today I know that what they say is true."