In the winter of the sixth month of the Han Dynasty, in the tenth month of Yiwei (the fourth day of the lunar month), in the southeast of Heyin, the Han army camped.
Today, the weather is not very good.
The north wind howled over the hills, blowing up the dust and fallen leaves on the grassland.
There were even sandstorms in the dune belt on the south side of the spine.
Sand and stones mixed with ice and snow hit the Han army's camp, making strange sounds.
Now, the Han army's camp is completely different from yesterday.
The Han army's camp faced the frozen river, with more than a dozen pontoon bridges of various sizes built on the river.
Cars of supplies were constantly being transported across the river on the pontoon.
He sent the arrows and crossbow parts that the Han army urgently needed.
The Han army was a big user of arrows.
Two years ago, a battle in Mayi cost as many as one million arrows!
Basically, every battle must start with crossbow coverage.
Zhidu stood by the river, watching the bodies of more than thirty Han soldiers who were wounded in yesterday's battle and more than twenty comrades who died in the battle leave his sight.
Since the Battle of Mayi, the Han army has attached great importance to the care of wounded soldiers, as well as the mourning and compensation of comrades who died in battle.
The cavalry general Yi Zong even personally litigated a lawsuit for the pension of a soldier who died in battle.
This lawsuit went directly to the emperor, and he succeeded in getting the soldier the treatment he deserved, and even drove several officials home to farm.
As a result, Yi Zong was respected by the Han army.
At the same time, it also set a benchmark and redefined the term "loving a soldier like a son".
Today, if you want to lead the army as a general, you have to try your best to be like Yi Zong.
Otherwise, if Mr. Qiu Ba loses his temper, even the general will not have an easy life.
Don't even think that the soldiers will do anything for you.
It's already a great honor to break into your barracks in the middle of the night and slap you.
After sending away the bodies of the wounded soldiers and the dead, Zhidu put away the solemn look on his face and led the generals to the front line of the Han army's camp.
After a whole afternoon of yesterday and hard work this morning.
Not only did the main force of the Han army successfully arrive here, but the accompanying soldiers from the tunnel camp also gave the Han army a surprise.
For example, the criss-crossing trenches of different depths that appear in front of Zhidu now.
There were seven or eight of these horse traps, completely covering the most vulnerable areas of the Han army.
What's even better is that the soil dug out of the horse trenches was carried to the Han army camp by the soldiers in the tunnel camp. Now, several simple walls have been built.
"The tunnel camp is really useful!" Zhidu looked at this scene and praised it with paws.
In the past, the Han army basically did not pay attention to the role of the tunnel team. They regarded them as soy sauce workers and prisoners awaiting punishment. They drove and raped them at will, and never even gave them any color.
But now, Tungying has used facts to win the respect of everyone in Zhidu!
Their ability to build various fortifications and build defenses was indeed far beyond Zhidu's imagination.
This is less than a morning!
The engineers in the tunnel camp had already established a simple but three-dimensional defense system for the Han army.
If the Huns cavalry imagines approaching the Han army camp as easily as yesterday, it will basically be no different from a dream!
Now, if they want to get close to the Han army's camp, they can't even touch the corner of the Han army's wall without killing hundreds of people first!
If they were given a few more days, Zhidu believed that they would be able to establish a standard Han army field camp here.
Of course, it is impossible to win by relying on defense and defense.
In a war, the side that passively defends is the stupidest!
Apart from other things, if Zhidu's troops are planning to hide in this fortification.
Then the Huns will laugh to death.
They completely ignored Zhidu's troops and went to block the Han army's supply routes and retreat routes.
Only by maintaining an offensive state and constantly attacking can the Huns dare not invest their main force in the blockade.
In addition, offense is also for the purpose of defense!
The territory controlled by the Han army now is too small.
More than 10,000 troops were crowded into an area of more than ten miles in radius. It was very lively, but it was also oppressive and breathless.
Naturally, there are many things that cannot be done by hand.
Therefore, Zhi is very clear that he must try his best to expand his control area while focusing on defense.
There is no way to defeat the Hun cavalry on the opposite side, that's for sure!
But it is also necessary to snatch a few pieces of meat from the Huns' mouths to eat!
Holding a telescope, Zhidu looked far to the northwest.
There, there used to be a forest with several natural ponds around it.
But it is a pity that it was burned to the ground by the Huns, and the ruins of the forest are still smoking!
Zhidu observed this place carefully, quietly calculating in his mind the price and preparations required to occupy the place.
Zhidu had already noticed that place when he arrived at the Heyin side yesterday.
Now, it is even more recognized by him as a place that must be occupied.
The reason is very simple. There is a slightly undulating hill in front of the forest that can serve as a barrier. At the same time, occupying the area can also protect the Han army's supply line.
At least it can serve as a cover. If the Huns want to send troops to intercept the Han army's supply convoy coming from Zengshan Pass, then there are only a few directions they can choose to send troops.
Among the several routes for dispatching troops, it is most convenient to go around the ancient mountains and out of the canyon from the northwest side.
In addition, after occupying this area, the Han army could greatly expand its area of activity.
Although it is impossible to compare with the Huns, at least they have room for strategic activities. They no longer have to be under the surveillance of the Huns no matter what they do now.
but……
Zhidu still had doubts in his heart.
The Huns could not possibly not know that this place was so important.
Zhi Du has studied the Huns, and he knows very well that although these grassland people are uneducated, their language is rude and their behavior is loose.
However, they were born on horseback and died on horseback.
They walked in the Gobi and deserts, crossed the grasslands, and traveled north and south.
He has a very strong sense of geography and sensitivity to terrain.
There are many similar examples among the Zhongyong Army who clearly do not know a word of Chinese characters, but they can clearly lead their comrades to browse the mountains, follow the trails, and break into a key node.
Ask them why they do this.
Nine times out of ten, it is ignorance.
But unfortunately, they made the most correct choice!
Therefore, Zhidu suspected that the place was a trap.
A death trap for the Han army!
Maybe, the Hun commander on the opposite side is waiting for him to give the order to attack the place.
After all, on this grassland, it is the cavalry who play the leading role.
The cavalry is inherently a blitzkrieg and rapid advance force.
Moreover, the Huns' equestrian skills and riding skills were beyond the reach of the Han army.
It is entirely possible for them to suddenly pour out from all directions when the Han army goes to the area, seize the disadvantage of the Han army's unstable footing and weak strength, and eat that army in one fell swoop.
Look at the geography and landforms of that area in the telescope.
Zhi all swallowed his saliva.
"I have to think of a way to test..." Zhi Du was thinking in his mind. Then, he moved the telescope's telescope slightly to the southwest and looked at the Xiongnu encyclopedia and the undulating domes that appeared in his sight.
They all touched their chins and smiled: "Yes!"
At this time, a high-flying general's flag was raised over the Han army's central camp.
On the flag, a large Chinese character Zhi is particularly conspicuous. In addition, the knot on the military flag is enough to prove the identity of Zhidu.
Zhidu looked back at the raised flag, put away his telescope, and said to his left and right: "Now, the Huns are going crazy!"
But...
Zhidu wants them to be as crazy as possible!
Zhidu didn't want to meet a rational Huns coach.
That would be so boring!
"Let the crossbowmen prepare for battle!" Zhidu ordered: "The Huns are probably coming!"
"promise!"
…………………………………………
There is no telescope in Huyandangtu, so it is naturally difficult to observe the details of the Han army camp.
He could only stand on a hillside and look at the Han army camp in the distance.
"King Luhou, have your thousands of horses set off already?" Huyan Dangtu asked King Luhou next to him.
"Reporting to General Zuo, my servant's ten thousand horses have already circled down the mountain early this morning..." King Luhou replied cautiously.
"Very good!" Huyan Dangtu rubbed his hands and focused his attention on a forest diagonally opposite him. He dusted off the dust on the brim of his hat and asked, "What's wrong with King Xiutu and King Hunxie?"
Where did you ride?"
"Reporting to the master, King Hunxie and King Xiutu's thousands of horses will arrive about the day after tomorrow!" a close aide reported.
The headquarters of Hunxie and Xiutu are active near the Hexi Corridor.
To reach Heyin, they need to pass through Yinshan Mountain. To be honest, this speed is actually very good.
But Huyan Dangtu was very dissatisfied. He snorted coldly and said: "Send someone to tell King Xiutu and King Hunxie that if their ten thousand horses have not come to me by this time tomorrow, then they will not come."
Got it!"
The Huns had no laws, so naturally they had no crimes.
Therefore, in the Xiongnu language system, "no need" and "no use" are actually synonyms for capital crimes.
Unnecessary things will be discarded, and useless tribes will be divided up.
As for Huyan Dangtu, the Hunxie Tribe and the Xiutu Tribe are already very close to being ‘unnecessary’.
If they can no longer show their value, then Huyan Dangtu doesn't mind letting the two tribes change their leaders.
We don’t even rule out the possibility of them disappearing completely!
The Huns Empire did not raise waste and useless slaves.
In the Xiongnu culture, even slaves must be 'useful'.
Otherwise, why would the master raise you?
Especially now, Huyan Dangtu is in need of a large number of qualified cannon fodder to fill the trenches of the Han Dynasty and exchange lives with the Han Dynasty people!
Anyway, something else on the grassland might be valuable.
but……
Human life is the cheapest!
Especially the lives of those tribes that are vassal to the overlord are so cheap that they are worth nothing! (To be continued.)
