From Zengshan Pass to the north, we will walk for more than two hundred miles.
The Ordos Plateau rises, the Yinshan Mountains move to the west, and the Yangshan Mountains move to the north. They intersect with each other, and surging rivers have flowed through the canyons of the mountains for millions of years.
Brought plenty of water.
It also brought a lot of sediment!
Especially during the flood season, the violent river rolls up the sediment from the Yinshan and Yangshan mountains, forming terrifying mudslides that break through the limitations of the river and spread to the entire plateau, low-lying areas and plains.
Due to the uplift of the Tibetan Plateau, warm and moist airflow from the Indian Ocean cannot reach here.
The climate here has gradually become dry, cold and windy.
The wind from the plateau blows the earth along the canyon.
The river has rolled up the sediment left on the earth during countless flood seasons over millions of years.
These sediments are constantly moving on the earth through the action of wind.
One after another, long and narrow sand dune areas are formed.
Moreover, as human activities in this area become more and more frequent, vegetation has been destroyed.
The size of these dune belts is getting bigger every year.
Now, the canyons and plains of the entire plateau are still lush with green grass and fertile fields in spring and summer.
However, in autumn and winter, as the temperature drops, the wind strengthens and the vegetation fades.
These dunes then moved unbridled across the plains and canyons.
Under the influence of wind, sand dunes move very fast.
These yellow or red sand dunes, sometimes, under certain conditions, two or more sand dunes will gather into a large sand dune.
Once this large sand dune takes shape, it will immediately form a small desert with a radius of dozens of square meters.
At this time, a Han army's supply convoy was trudging through such a small, moving desert area.
The sediment from large rivers is very soft, and the dunes are often very deep.
The wheels often got stuck in deep sand dunes, requiring seven or eight people to lift them out.
Therefore, the entire convoy is traveling very slowly.
It's almost too slow.
But fortunately, this damn hell is finally coming to an end.
A grassy field covered with dead grass appeared not far ahead.
This made the more than a hundred Han troops who led troops to protect the supply convoy heave a long sigh of relief.
During the Qin and Han dynasties, military laws were strict.
All military operations have time limits.
Any army must rush to the designated area within the specified time.
Otherwise, it will be missed.
Missing a deadline may not have much impact on ordinary people. At most, it will be a few scoldings and a copper fine.
But for officials, it is a strict curse.
Officials, those who miss the deadline will die!
If he is an officer, he will be punished with an additional penalty and be cut in half!
Although you can pay for your death, your future and official career will be completely ruined.
No one would quit his official career at a time like this.
"Second and Third Sons, when we get out of this damn sand dune, we will take a rest in front..." The Han Army Sima who was responsible for guarding the convoy was riding on his horse, encouraging the civilians.
The civilians in the motorcade all laughed heartily.
In the past, the people of the Han family would have been afraid to avoid the corvee service of transporting military rations and supplies as it is now.
Because this kind of corvee not only requires people to bring their own dry food, but also risks their lives!
The most important thing is that it is exhausting and exhausting, but there is not even the slightest benefit.
But now, many middle-aged men and those farmers' children who cannot join the army are scrambling to transport military rations to the army, even if they want to participate in it.
There is no other reason.
Just because today, starting from the Battle of Mayi, the Han family's corvee policy has been adjusted.
Although it is said that transporting military supplies and supplies is still voluntary labor.
However, food was the responsibility of the imperial court.
Moreover, you can also eat meat, fish, oil and water with every meal.
You can even add meals after the supplies arrive at the front line!
There is an extra piece of dried fish in each person's bowl!
But, the most important thing is: in the year and the second year after serving in the army, civilian husbands enjoy the benefits of half the land tax, full exemption of miscellaneous taxes, and exemption of the household income of two people in the family!
This is so terrible!
In fact, it is equivalent to paying people to work for you today!
Not to mention, the miscellaneous taxes are completely exempted, which is simply a sound of heaven to ordinary people.
No miscellaneous taxes means no assessments.
As a result, a frenzy of support for the army immediately appeared in the border counties of the Han family.
Although it may not reach the level of support that the people's soldiers received in later generations.
But it can also be called a fish-water situation between the military and civilians.
Half an hour later, the convoy completely walked out of the sand dune area and entered the shade of a canyon.
The Han army stopped the convoy at the intersection at the mouth of the canyon, and surrounded more than a hundred carts into a circular formation. The civilians sat on the ground in the formation.
The cavalry guards were on guard outside.
Recently, the roads are not safe.
The Xiongnu cavalry roamed the canyons and mountains, attacking any Han supply convoys they could find.
Two or three convoys have been attacked. There was even one convoy with more than a thousand people, but only a few hundred people escaped. All other people and supplies were burned or robbed by the Huns.
Therefore, this Han army team was very vigilant.
Even when resting, there are sentries climbing above the canyon to serve as eyes and ears, providing early warning to the convoy.
…………………………
In a mountain forest more than ten miles away from the Han army.
More than a thousand Huns sat around on the grass and ate the cheese they had brought with them.
Many people have injuries on their bodies.
Hu Wu walked through a thorn bush and walked up to the Hun warriors who were closing their eyes to meditate. He cleared his throat and said, "Warriors, another prey is coming!"
These Huns immediately stood up, held bronze weapons in their hands, stuck out their tongues, and licked their lips.
They are Luhou people.
Luhou is a very unique tribe among the Xiongnu tribes.
Twenty or thirty years ago, they were moved to the foot of the mountains in Hexi by the old Shanyu and were responsible for dealing with the Qiang and Xiaoyue people hiding in the ravines and plateaus.
The social model of the Luhou tribe has quietly changed.
The place where they live is remote and poor.
The Luhou people, even the leaders of the Qushuai and clans, are just like ordinary herdsmen, barefoot and with disheveled hair.
The harsh living environment and extreme natural climate forced the Luhu people to return to the lifestyle that their ancestors had adopted tens of thousands of years ago.
They live together in groups as clans.
All livestock, tools and property are the common property of the clan.
If a prey is hunted, it must be shared by the whole clan, and no one will keep it secret.
Except for King Luhou, who is hereditary, all official positions and statuses in other tribes are based on strength.
These characteristics give the Luhou people a prestige among the mountains in Hexi that can scare the Qiang people and make the Yuezhi tremble.
Many times, the Qiang people and the Xiaoyue clan hiding in the mountains of the Hexi Corridor would immediately run away as soon as they saw the shadow of the Luhou people or heard the sound of the Luhou people.
Because every soldier of Lu Hou is a proven mountain warrior.
They can run in the mountains, climb cliffs that ordinary people cannot climb, they can walk silently in dense forests, and they can even walk on their legs all day and night on mountain trails full of gravel and thorns.
Hundreds of miles.
They can even survive in the wild mountains and forests for several days with only a bag of kumiss and a few pieces of cheese.
For the Luhou people, drinking dew when they are thirsty and eating wild animals, even bugs and poisonous snakes when they are hungry, is a daily routine.
Now, these wild beasts from the mountains of Gaolan Mountain and Rouge Mountain in Hexi are like poisonous snakes, spitting messages, sizing up and inspecting the Han army's transport convoy in the distance.
"Warriors!" Hu Wu raised the mace in his hand, waved it, and said to the warriors of these clans: "Get on your horse, go conquer, go kill!"
"God bless you!" He raised his weapon, knelt down and shouted: "Let the blood witness the power of the great Lu Hou!"
"Let blood witness the power of the great Lu Hou!" More than a thousand Lu Hou warriors shouted loudly.
For the Luhou people, killing the enemy, plundering the enemy's wife, children, and wealth is the greatest help to the clan and the highest respect for the gods.
Therefore, the Luhou people in Hexi have a nickname: Vulture.
And true to their nickname, they will eat up everything their enemies have.
All men taller than the wheel will be killed.
Only women and children can survive.
Women will be brought back to the clan by the Luhou people and become their reproductive tools.
As for the kids…
The Luhou people often sold them.
In the past, the Hujie people were the Luhou people’s biggest customers.
Every year, the Luhou people sell hundreds of slaves to the Hujie tribe in exchange for valuable livestock and salt.
At this moment, this barbaric tribe from Hexi, with more than a thousand cavalry, rushed out of the dense forest with a roar, and with a fierce momentum, they rushed towards the Han army convoy that was resting in the canyon.
………
Naturally, the Han army discovered them immediately.
The shrill alarm sounded immediately.
"Enemy attack!" On the cliff, an alert Han soldier blew his whistle and shouted loudly: "To the northwest, the number is more than 1,300, Huns cavalry!"
Following his warning, the Han cavalry in the canyon immediately started to move.
More than a thousand civilians who were resting immediately opened the carts approaching them and took out long swords and crossbows from the carts.
At this critical moment, the results of the Han family's decades of persistent military training for the northern people were immediately revealed.
Although, these civilian husbands are not soldiers.
In fact, most of them are honest farmers.
But at this moment, they held their swords and spears in their hands extremely skillfully, lined up in front of the car formation, and formed a circle.
In the center of the circle, more than four hundred crossbowmen squatted down and quickly loaded the crossbows.
The other two hundred or so people were not idle either. They opened a gap in the chariot formation and allowed the Han cavalry on the periphery to enter the chariot formation.
In this way, at the moment when the Luhou people arrived, the Han army's supply convoy formed a solid defensive formation with the transportation vehicles and horses as the core.
If these Xiongnu cavalry were to attack by force, they would definitely be shot into pieces by the Han militiamen in the chariot formation.
……………………
Hu Wu could see the changes of the Han people from a distance.
There was a sneer on the corner of his mouth.
At the beginning, the Han Dynasty's supply convoy put up such a defensive formation, causing Hu Wu to suffer a big loss.
At least two hundred soldiers were lost.
but now……
Hu Wu raised his hand and stopped his troops from advancing. He reined in his horse and looked at the nervous Han Dynasty convoy from a distance.
Then, he led his soldiers to dismount and lit a stove in front of the Han army's chariot formation.
"If you have the ability, let the people of the Han Dynasty stay like this forever!" Hu Wu raised his head and looked at the sun in the sky. It would be dark in three hours at most.
In this canyon, the temperature at night can freeze people into ice sculptures.
The people of the Han Dynasty simply couldn’t afford it!
The Han army on the opposite side obviously understood this truth.
Therefore, Hu Wu immediately heard curses and curses that he could not understand coming from the Han Dynasty formation on the opposite side.
"Swear...swear..." Hu Wu said triumphantly: "You have no strength, how can you still scold me?"
For the Luhou people, as long as they can win, they don't care what means they use!
However, in the next second, Hu Wu's pride froze on his cheeks.
Because he saw wisps of green smoke rising from the cliff of the canyon opposite.
"Damn! Wolf smoke!" Hu Wu's face changed drastically.
Wolf smoke was the standard for the Han Dynasty army to ask for help. The rising smoke meant that all nearby Han army escorts would move closer to here.
If it had been two days ago, Hu Wu would not be afraid of reinforcements from the Han Dynasty at all.
But now, he doesn't have the courage.
"These Han Dynasty people actually brought the smoke..." Hu Wu jumped to his feet and gave the Han army's convoy a sharp look. Then he stood up, blew the whistle, and ordered: "Let's go!"
As soon as the smoke rises, it means that reinforcements from the Han Dynasty will appear at any time.
Hu Wu didn't want to run into the reinforcements from the Han Dynasty.
because……
They are Zhelan people!
Although, the armor, weapons and clothes of the Han Dynasty cavalry were completely different from those of the Zhelan people in the past.
However, the way they rode their horses, the direction in which they raised their whips, and even the characteristics of the horses clearly told Hu Wu that those guys wearing Han army vests were the Zhelan cavalry who once shocked the grassland!
As the whip of Shan Yu, the name of Zhelan people is really too loud!
What's more, people are now replacing carbines with cannons and are well-equipped.
Hu Bu only had more than a thousand riders, but he didn't dare to go head-to-head with Chan Yu's whip.
Of course, the most important thing is that Hu Wu and his tribe did not come here to fight the Han Dynasty and fight to the death.
General Zuo, Huyan Dangtu, ordered them to come here, not because he wanted them to be like fools and exchange their lives with the Han Dynasty people.
The Luhou people know their mission very well.
Their presence here is the biggest threat to the Han Dynasty.
They appeared from time to time to clean up those Han Dynasty transport teams that were not vigilant or slow to respond.
At the same time, try to slow down and delay other supply convoys of the Han Dynasty as much as possible.
Therefore, Hu Wu left cleanly and without any nostalgia. (To be continued.)
