One hundred soldiers of Xiang Shaolong and Wu Zhuo, armed with powerful crossbows, were lying in a dense forest only a few hundred steps away from the camp, watching their own chariots and horses slowly leaving in the hazy sky.
When the sky became bright, the team commanded by Cheng Xu had disappeared around the corner downstream.
After a while, the sound of hoofbeats and the sound of people came from both sides of the bank at the same time.
A group of nearly 400 horse thieves galloped out of a dense forest upstream, and a large group of tough thieves also emerged from the other side. One of them, sitting high on a horse with a thick gray beard, was the number one in the Zhao Kingdom.
Horse thief gray beard.
He was so angry that he glared with anger, furious, and kept urging his men to move the raft crossing the river out of the hiding place so that he could chase the enemy. It was obvious that he was already in disarray.
The sound of hoofbeats sounded, and the horse thieves on the shore were galloping away along the river in a swarm.
Another group of horse thieves began to cross the river.
Xiang Shaolong stole a glance at Wu Zhuo and secretly praised him in his heart when he saw that he was still calm and collected in such a critical and tense situation.
More than twenty rafts, carrying war horses and supplies, crossed the river.
After the gray-bearded men unloaded two batches of nearly 400 war horses and grain, they began to carry the horse thieves across the river.
Graybeard is also on one of the rafts.
At this time, there were only fifty or sixty horse thieves left on the shore, and they were completely defenseless and were busy driving their horses to the flat ground next to the shore.
Xiang Shaolong gave a signal, and more than a hundred people came from the dense forest and fired a round of crossbow arrows. The shots knocked the opponents off their feet and killed more than half of them.
Gray Hu and others were in a state of panic, and hurriedly fired arrows to fight back. The small number of bandit soldiers remaining on the shore shouted and fled in all directions.
Xiang Shaolong and others had already moved behind the rocks on the shore. The sound of the crossbow machine was heard, and powerful arrows were fired at the unprotected horse thief on the raft like locusts.
The horse thieves had no way to avoid it, and they were hit by arrows one after another. Their blood stained the raft and the river red.
Hui Hu hurriedly ordered him to return to the other side.
Everyone took aim at him and shot arrows at the obvious target. Although the horse thieves raised their wooden shields high, they could not block the powerful arrows from hundreds of crossbows, and they fell one after another.
Seeing that the situation was not right, Gray Hu shouted wildly, jumped into the water, and hid under the raft.
All the thieves followed suit and jumped into the water one after another.
There are still nearly two hundred horse thieves on the other side, but there is nothing they can do except jumping and screaming.
The powerful arrow shot straight into the water, and blood couldn't help but surge from the water, and then the corpse of the thief surfaced. The scene was extremely cruel.
Either you die or I die, this has always been the iron law on the battlefield.
The raft floated disorganized downstream.
Xiang Shaolong was worried about the situation on Cheng Xu's side. He gave an order to Ming Jin to withdraw his troops. He had no time to care about the life and death of Gray Hu. He mounted the stolen horse and took away all the horses loaded with weapons and food, and galloped downstream.
go.
The war on Chengxu's side was now coming to an end.
When they arrived at a suitable place downstream, they formed a formation with their vehicles. Zha Yuanyu led 400 men and laid down in the dense forest on the flanks, waiting for the pursuers.
Four hundred horse thieves came along the river. As soon as they turned the corner and saw the Zhao soldiers waiting for them, they had already entered the ambush range. They were confused about advancing or retreating. The Zhao soldiers took advantage of the cover of the chariot formation and fired with their crossbows and powerful bows.
Immediately the man fell and the horse fell.
The remaining soldiers were unable to retreat in time, and when they tried to bypass the car formation from the flanks, they were shot to pieces by Zha Yuanyu and the 400 Zhao soldiers who were ambushing them, and were completely defeated.
They hurriedly retreated, but they happened to encounter Xiang Shaolong's reinforcements, and they were caught off guard. Only fifty people could escape. They all abandoned their horses and dragged their armor and ran into the jungle beside the bank.
After a complete victory, the whole army burst into cheers, and even the Pingyuan family members shared in the atmosphere of victory.
In this battle, Xiang Shaolong only injured more than forty people, but none of them were seriously injured. The results were impressive, which once again proved that Xiang Shaolong had excellent military acumen and flexible and effective tactics.
Xiang Shaolong sent twenty men to return the more than 300 captured war horses to Zhao. He kept the weapons, arrows, and food for his own use. After covering the wounded soldiers, he continued eastward along the river.
When we set up camp at dusk, we were only two and a half days away from the river.
Firstly, due to the uneven road, and also after the dramatic battle, the people were tired and the horses were exhausted. Everyone tried their best to find time to rest. They spent the night without talking and continued the journey early the next morning.
The scenery changes again, with undulating mountains, lush vegetation, picturesque scenery, deep mountain streams, waterfalls and flowing springs, which make people dizzying.
Beside the shore is a vast primeval forest, with huge spruce trees so high in the clouds that they can't even hold a few people in their arms.
The bursts of forest waves were mixed with the sound of animals running and howling. Zhao Bing hunted some marmots and hares along the way to make delicious snacks for dinner.
Sometimes I climb to a high place and look as far as the eye can see, only to see endless grassland and forest sea in the distance.
Occasionally seeing cottages and farmland among the waves of grass, for Xiang Shaolong, it is indeed a paradise. He doesn't understand why people still want to fight for it. He can only blame human beings for their inherent greed.
Although the scenery is beautiful, the journey is difficult. Not only do you have to rely on manpower to clear the road, but in many cases you also need to rely on tree trunks to pave the way to cross the stream and gorge.
After walking less than ten miles all day, we finally set up camp on a hilltop.
Although they were tired, all the soldiers had high morale and were willing to do anything for Xiang Shaolong.
Beauties love heroes, and Lady Ya was even more obedient to him, flattering him with every intention, allowing him to enjoy the tenderness of this beauty.
Zhao Qian had deliberately avoided him since she talked to him through the window that day. He had no choice but to acquiesce in allowing this situation to continue without taking any measures to break the deadlock.
After the meal, Mrs. Pingyuan sent someone over to invite him to come and discuss something.
Xiang Shaolong was also curious to know her current attitude and hurried to Mrs. Pingyuan's private room.
Unexpectedly, Mrs. Pingyuan in the tent later appointed two generals to teach him that he was so disgraced that his evil thoughts disappeared without a trace.
The relationship with Mrs. Pingyuan is an out-and-out battle between men and women, which gives him a sense of crime and thus brings him stronger stimulation.
And that man doesn't like novelty, let alone Xiang Shaolong, a man who is accustomed to romantic affairs.
Mrs. Pingyuan sat upright on the floor. After inviting him to sit down, she gave him a fierce look before saying, "This time we can have a good talk."
Xiang Shaolong naturally understood what she meant, secretly he was itching his teeth with hatred, but on the surface he had to say respectfully: "Madam, please give me your instructions."
Mrs. Pingyuan glanced at him again, with a seductive expression of hatred and love, but said coldly: "Now that we are far away from the road, where are we going?"
Xiang Shaolong replied: "The road is difficult and dangerous, madam, thank you for your hard work. We have to reach the inland river first, and then go along the river towards Daliang."
Mrs. Pingyuan suddenly sighed, leaned over slightly, and said softly: "If you... I can send them away."
Xiang Shaolong was overjoyed and nodded in agreement.
After Mrs. Pingyuan waved away the two generals, she looked at him intently for a while and seemed to have something to say: "You are indeed a rare talent. Now I guarantee that no one will dare to doubt that you once blocked the gray with fifty people."
Hu's eight hundred horses were stolen."
Xiang Shaolong smiled and said: "The horse thieves are just a mob, and they cannot be defeated without force."
Mrs. Pingyuan shook her head and said: "Some people are born generals. They can not only make soldiers use their lives, but also win with surprising troops and survive repeated battles. You are such a person."
Xiang Shaolong didn't know what kind of mystery she was trying to make, so he could only accept the praise humbly.
Mrs. Pingyuan suddenly blushed, lowered her head and said: "Cross the inland river, walk southeast for twenty days, and you will reach Pu River. Then go south along the river, and you will reach Fengqiu in ten days. The guard of that city is Guan Pu.
My people, then we can be out of danger."
Xiang Shaolong said: "Of course I will act according to Madam's instructions." Then he asked curiously: "Why did Madam's tender face suddenly turn red?"
Mrs. Pingyuan's cheeks were even more rosy and she said, "Are you back to your old ways? Get out of here, Mrs."
Seeing her embarrassment, Xiang Shaolong felt very happy. He stood up with a smile and saluted, "I'm resigning from this humble position." But his feet seemed to have taken root and could not move.
Mrs. Pingyuan really wanted to drive him away at that moment, but when she saw that his footsteps showed no signs of moving, she said happily: "Why don't you go?"
Xiang Shaolong smiled maliciously and said, "Madam, won't you give me some reward for your humble position?"
Mrs. Pingyuan's mood was extremely contradictory. After giving him a faint look, she lowered her pretty face.
Xiang Shaolong walked over, got behind her, knelt down, put his hands forward and exerted a little force, the noble lady leaned feebly into his arms, allowing him to enjoy her red lips again.
This time Xiang Shaolong took a step further, squeezing her breasts with both hands.
Mrs. Pingyuan's delicate body trembled violently. She held on to his evil hands with all her strength and gasped: "Xiang Shaolong"
Xiang Shaolong understands best that the things that are not available are the most precious. This addiction to her will make her more ruthless to harm herself when she gets behind the beam. He stood still with both hands, and after a hearty kiss, he left.
This beautiful woman was left to endure that lonely night alone.
For more than twenty days, they continued to travel southeast, crossed the Neihe River and the Xihe River, passed through Puyang, a large city of the Wei people, and went straight down the Pu River from the official road south of Puyang.
After this peaceful period, their reconnaissance cavalry once again spotted the enemy spies, letting them know that the crisis had reappeared.
They had many carriages and horses, and they had to repair broken carriages from time to time. They were as slow as a snail. There was no way to get rid of the enemy. They could only pray that these unknown enemies would not be more powerful than Gray Beard and they would be satisfied.
At this time, the land was close to Daliang, and the official roads were surrounded by gates and defenses. Within a few dozen miles, one could encounter the Tusai military camp of the Wei people. The Wei soldiers had a strange attitude. After reading their message, although they did not stay in trouble, they refused to send anyone to escort them.
The official route was exhausted, so they had no choice but to head east toward Pu River.
Three days later, we left the mountain road and arrived at the endless prairie on the west bank of Pu River. We still had to walk for two days to reach Pu River.
The large group of people stopped at the edge of the grassland.
Xiang Shaolong, Wu Zhuo, Cheng Xu, and Zha Yuanyu walked to the side to discuss, and everyone looked solemn.
Wu Zhuo said: "Now our movement and troop strength are all well known to the enemy, but we know nothing about the enemies who may attack. This is violating the taboo of military strategists that the enemy is in the dark and we are in the dark."
Cheng Xu continued: "If the enemy wants to invade, it will definitely happen within these two days, because in this plain land, it is easy to attack but difficult to defend. The enemy is not willing to miss such a good opportunity." Then he smiled bitterly and said: "What I am most afraid of is
The King of Wei sent his soldiers to attack us disguised as horse thieves, so we will definitely not be able to escape the catastrophe."
Xiang Shaolong frowned and thought hard for a while, then said: "If Cheng Xu raised this possibility, it has a high chance of becoming a reality. If this is the case, we cannot just die in front of our eyes."
The three of them listened attentively to see if this resourceful commander had any life-saving plans.
Xiang Shaolong said in a deep voice: "We simply find a dangerous high ground with its back to the mountains and facing the plains nearby, build a ditch, store game springs, and guard it for ten days and a half. We will also send Qingqi to Fengqiu to ask for that place.
The guard general Guan Pu sent troops to help. At that time, even if the king of Wei had a cunning plan, he would have nothing to do with me."
After everyone thought hard, they all felt that this was the last resort among all options.
At that moment, Xiang Shaolong went to discuss with Mrs. Pingyuan. After explaining the plan and reasons through the bamboo curtain, Mrs. Pingyuan whispered: "You are more experienced than me in this aspect, everything is decided by you."
Xiang Shaolong has never heard her speak so gently and obediently to him, and he asked in his heart: "Madam, do you want me to come and see you tonight?"
Mrs. Pingyuan sighed: "Can we talk about it when we get to Daliang? My child has been very dissatisfied because you and I have been alone in a tent several times. Now that his body is gradually recovering, I don't want him to get angry about us." Xiang Shaolong remembered.
Mr. Shao Yuan, feeling uninterested, left her car and informed Mrs. Ya of the plan, who then relayed it to Zhao Qian.
After surveying for a long time, they finally found a highland on the edge of the grassland with the mountains behind and facing the plains, and set up camp.
The whole army immediately got busy, and at the same time, they dispatched twenty fast cavalry, carrying the letter signed by Mrs. Pingyuan, and rushed to Fengqiu in ten routes to ask for help.
The project of setting up the camp this time is very different from the previous one, with trenches as the main defense.
A mud trench one foot deep and five feet wide was dug along the edge of the highland. The excavated soil was piled in front of the trench and filled with stones, turning it into a low earth wall as high as half a foot.
The hole was used for shooting crossbows and arrows, and was very strong. Then the mule cart was pushed inside the earth wall to strengthen the earth wall against the enemy's impact.
Outside the low wall, sharpened bamboo sticks were placed all over the slope, and horse traps were set up. In short, there were dangers everywhere to cope with the enemy's strong attack.
The surrounding woods and grass were removed so that the enemy would not have cover.
The military camp followed the previous method, adopting the Yanyue style, with the main camp in the middle, and the six armies separated on the two wings, forming a semicircle that projects forward. The camp is separated from the low earth wall by more than three feet. Unless the earth wall is breached, the camp will be in the middle.
Out of range of enemy arrows.
After three days of busy work, they finally built a moat outside, built a barrier inside, and set up bamboo traps outside the moat to defend the area with strong bows and crossbows.
In order to prevent the enemy from attacking by fire, Xiang Shaolong dug trenches to bring water from the mountain spring behind him into the camp. It took five days until everything was properly arranged.
That day, when Xiang Shaolong ordered his men to set up stones on the top of the slope, the spies reported that a group of horse thieves with a strength of nearly ten thousand people was coming from the plain.
Everyone suddenly knew that this must be the enemy who had been waiting for them in the grassland for a long time, and finally couldn't help but attack head-on.
And it also proved that their guess was right. If these enemies did not have regular Wei soldiers mixed in, no one would believe it.
Even though they knew this was the case, they still couldn't figure out why King Wei was so determined to kill everyone. The only explanation was that Lord Xinling did threaten his throne, and he also wanted to use this to attack the relationship between Lord Xinling and the Zhao people. As for the rest,
The reason is not something they can know. However, King Wei Anli is a famously fatuous king. Even if he does something ridiculous, no one will be surprised.
That night passed peacefully, and the next day, Xiang Shaolong ordered everyone except the soldiers on duty to rest in order to recharge their batteries and cope with the enemy's attack.
Fortunately, they captured a large amount of weapons, food, and arrows from Gray Beard, and they were able to defend for ten and a half days without risking running out of arrows and food.
Another advantage is that the enemy did not expect them to build a city of earth, so they should not have brought tools to target such defensive facilities, making it much easier for them to deal with it.
At dusk, a large number of horse thieves appeared on the plain and set up camp, making it seem like a confrontation between the two armies.
Xiang Shaolong looked at the enemy carefully and said in a loss of voice: "Look at that, isn't it Gray Beard?"
The others used all their eyesight and saw a group of thieves galloping nearby, raising their heads towards them. The leader was none other than Gray Beard.
Cheng Xu said angrily: "It seems that Gray Hu is basically a member of the King of Wei. Those horse thieves are also disguised as Wei soldiers, and they are responsible for disrupting the economy and public order of other countries. The Wei people are really vicious."
Zha Yuanyu shook his head and sighed: "I really don't understand why the king wants to marry our most beautiful princess to a Wei man."
Cheng Xu said in horror: "Be careful what you say. If it reaches the ears of the king, you and your people will be in great trouble."
Zha Yuanyu smiled bitterly and said: "We'll see if we survive tonight."
Xiang Shaolong knew that he saw that the thieves were powerful and their troops were ten times his own, and he felt timid. From this, it can be inferred that other people would also have this mentality, which would have an impact on their morale. He frowned, took it into consideration, and Xiang Cheng
Xu said: "Prepare a batch of rockets for me, maybe I can use them tonight."
After saying that, he ignored their puzzled looks and returned to the commander's camp. After collecting all the tools, he walked towards the back of the camp.
Between the camp and the cliff at the back of the mountain, mules and horses were separated in two large wooden fences, where they could freely drink the clear water from the mountain spring and eat the green grass on the top of the mountain.
Fortunately it was only early winter, otherwise a heavy snowfall would have put these mules and horses in trouble.
He raised his head and carefully studied the situation of the cliff and the nearby mountains. With the help of the rope hook, he climbed up easily. At the appropriate place, he entered the climbing circle specially made for him by Guo Zong and continued to the next rocky mountain.
After putting on a thick rope, he climbed back to the camp. As long as he climbed over the adjacent mountain, he could easily descend from this "secret path" to the plain dozens of feet below to carry out any secret operation.
When he returned to the commander's tent, Cheng Xu came to him angrily and said: "Come and see"
When he returned to the front line, he saw that all the bandits below were mobilizing, cutting down trees, sharpening one end, and making each tree about one foot long, laying them out in rows on the ground.
Wu Zhuo frowned and said, "What do they want to do?"
Xiang Shaolong also murmured in his heart, and then suddenly said: "Those are tools to attack our earth city. As long as these tree trunks are arranged side by side on the slope, you will not be afraid of our arrows and rocks."
Zha Yuanyu said in shock: "This trick is indeed very useful. As long as the three rows in front and back are squeezed together, we don't even have to be afraid of rolling stones. It can also block our sight and teach us not to see their situation clearly."
Wu Zhuo sneered and said: "If they want to do this, they will have to pay a terrible price first." Then he sighed: "It would be better if they came with half as many people."
The implication is that even though they will sacrifice many people, the remaining military strength is still enough to break through the Tucheng.
Xiang Shaolong smiled and said: "Don't worry, the enemy has made one of the biggest mistakes, which is to underestimate the enemy. Look at their barracks, there is no defense at all. The food, grass and horses are just left behind. If we can give them a fire, their
The expression is beautiful.”
Wu Zhuo and the other three people frowned, looking at the thieves who had surrounded the hill so tightly, they secretly thought that the enemy was not underestimating the enemy, but that even a rat might not be able to sneak out and set fire to the camp.
Xiang Shaolong smiled slightly, said nothing, and returned to camp to rest.
After falling asleep for two hours, it was already dusk when he woke up. Mrs. Ya was waiting for him to have a meal together.
Xiang Shaolong sat up energetically, and after washing himself, he ate three large bowls of rice.
Mrs. Ya looked at him strangely and said: "It seems that you are confident again, otherwise why would you be so excited and calm? But I really can't figure out why you are still confident of defeating the enemy this time."
Xiang Shaolong held her in his arms and said with a smile, "Are Ya'er scared?"
Mrs. Ya gladly gave her a sweet kiss and said with a smile: "I was a little scared when I didn't see you, but after seeing you, I suddenly became not afraid of anything. Now, go to Zhao Qian's place and see her. She said she has something to ask you."
Xiang Shaolong thought that Zhao Qian gave him more headaches than the horse thief.
After the beautiful third princess dismissed the maid, she came to him and said shyly: "Xiang Shaolong, can Zhao Qian borrow something from you?" Xiang Shaolong asked curiously: "What do you want to borrow?"
Zhao Qian spread her white and smooth little hands in surprise and said softly: "I want the dagger you carry close to you."
Xiang Shaolong's heart trembled and he said, "Are you so unsure of me? I will definitely be able to send you to Daliang."
Zhao Qian's beautiful eyes turned red, she glared at him resentfully and said, "Zhao Qian doesn't want you to take her to Daliang. She can go anywhere, just don't go to Daliang."
No words could express her affection for Xiang Shaolong more clearly than these words.
Hearing this, Xiang Shaolong's blood surged and he shouted: "Okay, I promise you, even if I take you to Daliang, I will find a way to bring you back to Zhao State intact."
Zhao Qian was shocked and said: "It's true"
Xiang Shaolong felt her whole pretty face light up and filled with vitality. He gritted his teeth and said, "This is a promise."
After saying this, the whole person felt relaxed.
In fact, ever since he learned about the complicated situation of the Wei royal family and knew that King Zhao wanted to steal the "Secret Records of Lu Gong", he felt that he could not be an accomplice in sacrificing Zhao Qian's lifelong happiness. Now that he had expressed his feelings, he felt so happy.
Zhao Qian said happily: "Shaolong Qian'er is really grateful to you."
Xiang Shaolong felt happy when he saw that she had more confidence in him than he had in himself. He took out the dagger and put it into her little hand, and took the opportunity to hold her in judo: "You must not commit suicide with this dagger until the last moment."
Zhao Qianxia burned her jade cheeks, took this token of love into her arms with great care, and said affectionately: "Qian'er will obey Shaolong's orders."
Xiang Shao's dragon soul was destroyed because of it, and just as he was about to take the opportunity to kiss Fangze, the sound of war drums came from the bottom of the mountain.
Looking at the situation at the bottom of the mountain, Cheng Xu and others looked ashen, but Wu Zhuo still had that cold expression.
The thieves successfully placed rows of wooden rafts about two feet wide on the ground, surrounding all escape routes down the mountain.
There is only about a foot of space between the wooden rafts, and only one person can pass through. If you are riding a horse, you will not be able to pass. It is a state of catching ao in a jar.
A wind lantern was hung on the top of the wooden raft, illuminating the lower part of the slope.
At this time, nearly two thousand horse thieves gathered outside the wooden pavilion. The two hundred people at the front were holding giant wooden shields that were as high as the human body. The bottom of the shield was sharp and could be inserted into the soil to use its strength to resist the attack of arrows and stones.
More than 200 people were holding tools such as hoes and shovels. It seemed that they first wanted to break down the obstacles on the slope and fill up the pits with spikes. Then lined up were 500 long-range attackers holding crossbows and strong bows, and then
They are thieves carrying long weapons such as hooks, spears, and halberds. Their lineup is so large that it is chilling to see.
Gray Beard and several leaders-looking people were perched high on their horses, pointing at them, apparently discussing attack strategies.
Wu Zhuo pointed at the big man with a wolf face next to Gray Hu and said: "That man's name is 'Werewolf' Li Ao. He is a famous horse thief in the Korean border area who is often attacked by bandits. He is as famous as Gray Hu. Unexpectedly, he is also a member of the King of Wei. .”
Xiang Shaolong said: "It seems that this army of ten thousand people should belong to different horse thieves, but they are all sent by the King of Wei. Hum, I understand a little bit. The King of Wei is dealing with us to attack Lord Xinling. It also includes personal grudges, because I have killed and injured a large number of Gray Hu's people." Then it suddenly dawned on him, no wonder Dou Liang secretly informed Gray Hu that day and taught Gray Hu to rob horses and women, because they were all sent by the King of Wei. The spy who stirred up trouble in Zhao Jing.
Cheng Xu said: "It seems they will attack us in batches day and night, fighting a long war of attrition."
Zha Yuanyu let out a sigh of relief and said: "Even if the reinforcements arrive as soon as they receive the news, it will take at least fifteen days. We may not be able to survive even three days. Who would have thought that they are so strong?"
The drums sounded.
The shield bearers filed out of the gaps between the wooden fences and lined up neatly in front, followed by the engineers and archers.
Seeing that it was already dark, Xiang Shaolong asked Cheng Xu for the rocket wrapped in oilcloth, and then ordered: "You are responsible for the defense here. I will go to the enemy's rear to burn their grain and grass and drive away their horses to see if they can survive." What can be done?"
Everyone looked at him in astonishment, wondering how he got to the enemy camp.