Although both the government and the public in the Wei State often refer to the east of the Yangtze River as "Thieves of Wu" because they rely on the favorable geographical location of the river to survive in a small corner of the river, in fact, in the past wars between Wei and Wu, the Wei State lost more than it won.
Well, there are quite a lot of ridiculous and generous things on both sides.
The so-called two families dividing the river to govern is actually not accurate.
As early as the period of Wei Wu and Cao Cao, Sun Quan had already occupied the entire river and built fortifications at various crossings along the north bank of the river.
For example, Ruxukou enters the river from the north bank.
The Ruxukou River connects Chaohu Lake and the Yangtze River, and Ruxukou is located just adjacent to the Zhongzhou of the river. This allows the Wei State to implement the offensive strategy of Ruxukou - the small island in the middle of the river - the bridgehead on the south bank, greatly avoiding the shortcomings of the navy's incompetence in fighting.
The board made Wei State flock to it.
But from beginning to end, Wei State never captured Ruxukou from Jiangdong.
Moreover, after many battles in Jiangdong, Ruxuwu was built at the top of Ruxu River as a bridgehead for attacking Huainan. Its strategic significance in Jiangdong is equivalent to that of Hefei City in Wei State.
But it is much easier to defend and harder to attack than Hefei City.
Because Ruxuwu is located on the river between Qibao Mountain and Ruxu Mountain, it is a naturally dangerous place. Since the construction of Wubao was completed, the Wei State has never captured it, and there has been no one to drink horses at Ruxukou.
Opportunity.
Therefore, when Xia Houhui claimed that he asked Jiang Ban to choose twenty elite cavalry to accompany him to Chao County to test the military situation, Jiang Ban's first reaction was that he had made a mistake——
Xia Houhui is not a law-abiding person at all!
You know, Chao County is located at the connection between Ruxushui and Chaohu Lake, and is now within the warning range of Ruxuwu in Jiangdong!
There are no common people in Qiechao County, there is no shortage of water, and it is embraced by the Ruxu Mountains. The terrain and geography are not conducive to cavalry exploration.
According to the usual practice in the army, the garrison in Hefei City dispatched spies to take turns lurking in the mountains, keeping an eye on the movements of Ruxuwu day and night, while Shouchun's cavalry scouts only had to be on guard along the shores of Chao Lake, waiting for spies to be spied on by spies.
It's just a matter of alerting the enemy, and then quickly passing the round of Fei and Shouchun.
Now, Xia Houhui wants to go deep into Chaoxian County. Jiang Ban, who is very familiar with the terrain of the Yangtze and Huaihe Rivers, can of course also know the elegant meaning of the Xianxian song.
He must have wanted to cross the Ruxu Mountains and go around to the back of Ruxuwu, which is another ferry on the north bank of the river controlled by Jiangdong, and look for a beheading in the Hengjiangpu area.
Yes, decapitation.
Hengjiangpu generally refers to a long river bank with a gentle flow of water.
At that time, Sun Ce led Sun Jian's old troops across the river from Shouchun to establish the Jiangdong foundation, and it was from this area that he crossed the river.
The ferry corresponding to the south bank is the Mingmen of Jiangdong, located in Niuzhuji (also known as Caishiji) in Liyang County.
Moreover, there is also a Jiangxin Island between Hengjiangpu and Niuzhuji. Therefore, in the past wars between Wei and Wu, Hengjiangpu has always been the first choice for troops from the Qing and Xu states of Wei to cross the river to attack.
It is precisely for this reason that Jiangdong built fortifications at the western end of Hengjiangpu, which is backed by mountains.
Its strategic significance was originally to serve as an outpost to defend Uzugijin.
However, after the Battle of Shiting, the offensive and defensive positions of Wei and Wu were completely reversed, and this place became one of the bridgeheads for Jiangdong to attack Huainan.
Naturally, Jiangdong also stationed many troops here.
If Xia Houhui could pass through the Ruxu Mountains without anyone noticing and suddenly charge out, he would definitely be able to capture some heads and return.
And what if things don’t go well~
For example, if the Wu soldiers stationed at Ruxuwu discovered it, they would be caught in a urn in the east of the Yangtze River, and they would have to travel hundreds of miles to behead others.
After all, Ruxuwu and Hengjiangpu are not very far apart.
They have always been like each other's horns, watching each other.
Once in power, he will be greedy for power and risk his life~
Is this the work of a nobleman’s son?
Or could it be said that the Xiahou family never recognized the admonition that "when a general is timid, he should not rely only on his courage" and could not change his fate of relying on his courage to show off his strength?
This was the second thought in Jiang Ban's mind.
However, he complained and sighed. On the second day, he chose twenty elite cavalry and followed Xiahou Hui eastward.
There is no way~
I still hear the heroic words that I generously promised to "let the general control me"!
You can't just break your promise and gain weight in an instant.
Furthermore, he is also a veteran who has been in the army for many years. He has seen a lot of life and death, and is used to it. He has long since ceased to care about life and death.
A person of noble status is like Xia Houhui, but he is not afraid of death.
What is he afraid of!
"This time I will go east with General Xiahou to look for some beheadings."
This is what he said to the twenty elite cavalrymen with a mysterious expression, "Don't make any noise and just act as ordered."
It also made the gazes of those cavalrymen instantly become extremely hot.
Because since the Battle of Shiting, in order to encourage the soldiers on the Huainan front to dare to fight, the temple has generously rewarded beheadings!
But it was also after the Battle of Shiting that Sun Quan from Jiangdong was busy proclaiming himself emperor, moving the capital and sending troops to the sea to search for Yizhou and Danzhou. There was no sign of raising troops to invade Huainan. Moreover, after Man Chong took over Huainan, he also took the initiative to retreat.
The tactics of defending and luring the enemy deep in, ordered their scouts not to go deep into the area occupied by the bandit Wu, which made the soldiers who dared to fight lament.
Now, Jiang Ban said this, which naturally made them enthusiastic.
Even on the way to Chao County, when I looked up at Xia Houhui's back in front of me, I felt inexplicably very friendly.
However, their enthusiasm quickly faded.
It took one day to rush to Chaoxian County, and he carefully avoided the scouts and secret sentries scattered by the Wu soldiers in the Ruxu Mountains. It took three days to cross the mountains and get around to the rear of Ruxuwu. If he continued
Another seventy or eighty miles ahead is the bridgehead built by Wu the Thief at Hengjiangpu.
At this time, Xia Houhui's order made everyone very dissatisfied.
In the Hengjiangpu area, Thief Wu still set up some farming camps.
Now, as the summer is being cultivated and the autumn harvest is awaited, there are many men and women busy with farm work in the wild.
Following the wishes of those cavalrymen, they immediately found an opportunity to rush over, cut off two or three heads per person, and then returned home with a full load.
Anyway, those thieves and peasants who were stationed in the fields were the same as the Wei scholars, and they also had to join the army to conquer during the war. Now, if they beheaded them, they would not be considered as taking credit for their concubine status.
But Xia Houhui flatly refused.
It was claimed that these thieves, all of whom were farmers in Wu's field, were all sallow, emaciated, and did not carry crossbows or weapons. Even if they killed and brought their heads back, they would not be able to prove to Yousi that they were Wu soldiers.
Even, maybe, some officials will decide that they didn't know they found the remnant savages in that nook and cranny, and if they kill them and bring them back, they will take credit. Not only will there be no reward, but they will be prosecuted.
In response, Jiang Ban also came out to appease everyone.
Not only did he not bother to kill these farmers.
What's more, these campers all fled to Jiangdong in the early years because they were afraid of being moved to Huaibei by Emperor Wu Cao Cao. They can also be regarded as his hometown elders. But on the sixth day, there was no wait for a small group of Wu soldiers to arrive from Hengjiangpu.
After he came out, he also began to be fascinated by those beheadings that were within easy reach.
Nothing else.
They only brought ten days' worth of food.
After deducting the fact that they had to leave rations for one day on the way home, they already had no time.
After driving for hundreds of miles, and carefully sleeping and suffering for several days in enemy-occupied areas, you can't return empty-handed, right?
Therefore, at sunset, after the scout who went out to spy once again came back with regret on his face, he privately sought out Xia Houhui, intending to persuade him to comply with everyone's wishes.
But Xia Houhui's next words stunned him.
Because Xia Houhui already has a plan.
Instead, he planned to let Jiang Ban and his cavalry go north along the mountains first, then rush to the Fuling area to lie dormant, while he himself drove the horse between Hengjiangpu and Fuling alone to intercept and kill the thieves Wu scouts who were communicating with the two places.
Together with the messenger, they lured out some of the Jiangdong garrison at Fuling and killed them, and then they all returned to Shouchun through Fuling.
Fuling is a large gap between the Ruxu Mountains and the Jianghuai Hills, which can accommodate the passage of large-scale troops and horses.
It is also the only way for Wei to attack Hengjiangpu.
Jiangdong set up a garrison there and put more than 300 people on guard.
As for why Jiangdong has so few soldiers garrisoned~~
The gap on the Fuling side is huge, and no fortifications can completely isolate the north from the south.
Moreover, it is hundreds of miles away from the river, and there are too many soldiers and horses stationed there, which will attract an attack from the Wei State. Jiangdong will not be able to rescue in time, and may even be surrounded and attacked for reinforcements.
This also gave Xiahouhui's plan an opportunity to be implemented.
The focus of the Fuling garrison in Jiangdong was in the north. He led his cavalry to suddenly attack from the rear. The unprepared Wu soldiers would definitely not be able to stop them. And as long as they passed through the gap in Fuling, they could go back to Shouchun without any problems.
We need to pass through Chao County.
Jiang Ban was astonished not because he thought that everyone could not get through the gap in Fuling.
Instead, he felt that Xia Houhui was too bold and wanted to lure Wu soldiers out alone.
You know, his surname is Xiahou and he is also the chief officer of the scout camp!
If someone accidentally dies here, who among those who followed him will be able to escape the blame?
Everyone is willing to go out and fight for their lives with you. It’s okay if they don’t get any merit in battle, but they still have to be implicated by you?
Therefore, Jiang Ban insisted on his own opinion and tried every possible means to persuade and stop him.
In this regard, Xia Houhui didn't waste any words. He just stood up and scratched the mane of Wu Sun's good horse, and asked with a chuckle, "Does Gong Jun think there is such a good horse in the Wu army?"
It is nothing!
Jiang Ban was silent for a while, then shook his head.
He knew the implication of Xia Houhui's words. With Wu Sun Liangju's divine horse, the thief Wu could not trap him and kill him.
Xia Houhui took out his strange bow that had more than one stone but less than two stones, pointed at a small tree a hundred steps away and asked again, "Did Gongjun see that small tree? It's the one with the crooked neck."
"Um"
Jiang Ban nodded silently.
Hearing this, Xia Houhui nocked the arrow, drew the bow, and loosened the string without stopping, all in one go.
"Boom!"
Amidst the strong sound of the bowstring, I saw the arrow, fed by the long wind, riding on the afterglow of the sunset, nailing the small tree with a crooked neck a hundred steps away like lightning.
Without waiting for Jiang Ban to cheer, Xia Houhui changed his bow and nailed an arrow to the tree again.
It actually shoots from left to right!
Sure enough, it is natural for a person with an ape-arm to be good at shooting.
"My lord, I just act as ordered. There is no need to worry about my safety."
With his backhand, he inserted the bow body into the bow pouch under the saddle. Xia Houhui walked forward slowly to retrieve the arrows and proudly said with his back, "Jiangdong Taishi Ci, Gan Ning, Zhou Tai and Ling Tong and other fierce and heroic generals have all been killed."
, now they are all like rats! As far as I am concerned, they are nothing more than chickens and dogs, and people who want to sell their heads for profit, so why should I be afraid of them!"