If you want to know who she is, if you want to know more about this woman, you have to live.
The small talk after the separation and reunion ended quickly, and the details of the process were put aside for the time being. The current result is that King Zhao has died, and saving King Lu is the most urgent matter for everyone.
Mrs. Wu put away her family letters and laid out the terrain against the map on the table.
"King Lu's side can't hold out much longer," Wu Ya'er said. "There are ancient Great Walls on the left and right. Ling Xun has arranged a defense. It's not that we can't repel them, but we don't have time."
Lao Hu and others looked solemn and put away their previous laughter.
"We still have too few people." Old Hu sighed.
"Has the boss received the news?" Xu Yue asked.
Further north is the Mobei Zhenwu Army. According to Wu Ya'er's arrangement, Liang Zhen kicked away the original Jiedushi and took control of the Mobei Zhenwu Army. He did not go to the capital and the hinterland of the Central Plains, but divided his troops to be on guard.
The remnants of the Huns on the border besieged Fan Yang, their home base in Ankang Mountain.
If reinforcements are needed, the Zhenwu Army is the closest and most convenient.
"The boss has received the news and mobilized 7,000 soldiers and horses to come to Huaiyuan." Someone replied, "But it still takes time."
Wu Ya'er stretched out his hand and crossed between the two stones: "The fastest way now is to cross the Wuding River."
Everyone in the room was startled.
Look at the blank space between the two stones on the table, and then look at the long, thin line on the map.
The real Wuding River is not so inconspicuous. Before reaching the riverside, you can hear the rumbling sound. The river water after the hot summer is like a horse that has been fattened all winter.
This is a naturally dangerous place. Even so, Ling Xun also set up defenses here. They had defeated these defenses before approaching the Wuding River.
"I wonder if there are rebels defending the other side?" Lao Hu said, standing on a high raised rock and looking towards the opposite side. The undulating slopes on the opposite side blocked his view.
Now, except for the army that retreated to Huaiyuan with King Lu, almost all the soldiers and horses in Lingzhou have followed Ling Xun and rebelled.
"What's so scary about the rebel defense?" A man murmured, "The river water is much scarier than the people."
He looked at the seemingly suspended stone wall under his feet and the turbid river water rushing and circling. After just a few glances, he felt dizzy and unsteady.
"How can you live like this?"
He was not the only one who raised such questions. Even thousands of troops and horses were not afraid. But now they followed Wu Ya'er to the Dingyuan River, but they didn't even dare to take a step forward.
Only Lao Hu and one other person followed Wu Ya'er and stood on the stone wall by the river.
The other man was obviously unable to stand. The tower-like man staggered and sat down like a child, still holding the stone tightly with his hand.
"The river is very deep and the current is fast. There is no bridge on the river, there is no ferry nearby, and there are no boats." Lao Hu stammered.
Because the river is not suitable for boating, no one has ever thought of crossing the river from here.
How are they going to survive with more than 3,000 soldiers and horses?
Wu Ya'er looked at the river and stretched out his hand to make gestures: "I think some people will cross over first with ropes and set up a few ropes on the river. Then everyone will slide the ropes and swing across. The horses will stay here. After passing by, any rebels will grab them."
If you don't have the rebels, you can march on foot. Even if you are on foot, it will be faster than taking a detour..."
"Wait a minute, don't think so far ahead." Lao Hu took Wu Ya'er's arm and glared, "Let's talk about how to get across first. I can't swim, and most of us can't swim."
The Zhenwu Army in Mobei could endure severe cold and sandstorms, and could fight fiercely with the Xiongnu on the unobstructed grasslands, but they had never seen large rivers. At most, they could only step in river ditches, bathe and wash their horses.
"Crow, can you swim?" asked the man sitting on the stone.
Wu Ya'er looked at the river that was leaping and roaring like a tiger: "When I was a child, I was... fell into the river and swam across it. Anyway, I didn't die, so I guess I can."
He withdrew his gaze and looked at everyone.
"The natural danger is indeed difficult, but this is our last chance." He said, "If we can find only a dozen people among more than 3,000 people, it will be enough."
He jumped off the stone wall and landed on the dry soil, throwing up dust and smoke.
"I count as one."
.......
.......
After the war, the fort became noisy, with wooden carts pulling huge urns passing by, and soldiers and horses running back and forth carrying buckets.
"What are you doing?" Jiang Ming asked as he walked out of the house.
The attendants who were squatting at the door to watch the excitement stood up quickly: "I think they need to boil water for cooking, maybe stew meat, please entertain us."
Jiang Ming sighed: "I'm not hungry, so I just want to eat."
"They seem to be playing in the water." A man said, raising his chin towards the center of the fortress, "I saw several soldiers with wet hair walking past."
As soon as he finished speaking, there was a burst of laughter from the other side, which seemed to be a pity and ridicule. Jiang Ming couldn't help but be curious: "Let's take a look."
There were more than a dozen large urns placed in an open space in the fort. With a pop, several naked soldiers jumped in and squatted down. The water instantly covered their heads. A large pit was dug on the other side, and buckets of water were poured into it.
After entering, following an order, a few naked soldiers jumped in and began to flapping in various ways.
From time to time, soldiers stood up in the water tank, or were so depressed that they were blue in the face, or coughed repeatedly. The puddle was also noisy. Some were flapping and disappearing, while some soldiers were watching, like fish wagging their tails and splashing in the water.
Keep pulling people out of water tanks and puddles...
Jiang Ming and others were dumbfounded and couldn't help but ask the soldiers around them: "What is this for? Is there a free competition in the army?"
Jiang Ming and others were followers. They were conspicuous in the fort without wearing military uniforms. The soldiers next to them looked at them curiously and said cheerfully: "We will select those who can swim as pioneers. There are many people who have signed up, so we will all be screened."
Let’s see who can really do it.”
"Choose those who know how to use water to be the pioneer?" Jiang Ming said, turning his head to look in the direction of Dingyuan River, he understood instantly.
The attendants nearby also laughed, looking at the noisy flapping in the field and laughing: "This is not a good thing."
Jiang Ming touched his beard and thought for a moment: "Young Madam, you can be debt-free this time."
...
...
"Although there are more than a thousand people who have signed up, these bastards are all talking big words."
Hu Aqi stood indoors holding the list, holding a pen and drawing circles and crosses.
"In the end, only 17 or 18 people passed the test."
Wu Ya'er was taking off his armor and nodded when he heard this: "Seventeen or eight people can cross the river, which is enough."
Hu Aqi nodded, put the pen in his mouth and closed the register: "Then I will ask them to prepare and cross the river immediately before it gets dark." After saying that, he thought of something and looked at Wu Ya'er, "But Crow, you haven't done it yet.
How about a test?"
Wu Yaer wanted to lead the team across the river himself.
When he heard the question, he paused slightly in his movements to remove the armor: "What am I testing?"
Hu Aqi was a little hesitant: "You said you knew how to drink water when you were a child, but we haven't had water here for so many years. Can you still do it?"
The other generals also reacted, nodded and asked questions one after another.
Wu Ya'er interrupted them with a smile, took off his armor and put it on the table: "Once you learn it, you will never forget it." While tying his cuffs, he comforted everyone again, "Don't worry, I can't die in the water."
Hu Aqi thought about the river water he saw earlier and shuddered: "The river water is really terrible. Okay, then I'll prepare the rope. Crows, you must be careful."
He turned to leave when a soldier outside the door shouted: "The young lady's butler is here."
Jiang Ming? What are you doing here at this time? Saying goodbye? I'm busy, I really have no eyesight. Everyone in the room looked at each other, and Wu Ya'er had already said goodbye loudly.
Jiang Ming walked forward with a smile: "Everyone is here."
Like an old farmer and a cook, it seems that the next sentence will ask when the meal will be served.
Hu Aqi said seriously: "Brother Jiang, we didn't bring any luggage. We can just eat whatever we can find on the spot. I won't entertain you specially."
Xu Yue glared at Hu Aqi. Jiang Ming didn't mind the teasing and still smiled: "We have eaten, and the dried meat we brought is enough."
Hu Ahqi couldn't help but smacked her lips when she heard the meat. The dried meat they brought from Mobei was all eaten when they were in the capital... These people bring meat with them when they go out so far. It's extravagant.
Wu Ya'er interrupted Hu Aqi's nonsense and asked, "What's the matter?"
"I heard that the capital will select troops to cross the river, and we will recommend ourselves." Jiang Ming stopped chatting and chuckled, "Last time, the capital general lent us three thousand soldiers. This time, we will treat it as the capital general lending us three thousand soldiers."
The atmosphere in the room was tense.
Three thousand soldiers and horses?
Hu Aqi blinked at him, looked the old farmer up and down, and said, "How many of you are there?"
The old farmer stood up straight, stretched out his hand in front of him and turned it around, with a smile on his simple face: "Ten people."
...
...
(Someone asked about the map. The basic reference is the map of the Tang Dynasty. It seems that Xiaochu posted it in the book review area. I remember one or two mistakes. The others are similar. Ankang Mountain is in the area of Qinhuangdao, King Zhao is in the direction of Shandong, King Lu
At about the same location north of Ningxia, Mobei Zhenwu is the part of Inner Mongolia. This is roughly it. Some small place names are made up by myself, but the big places have basically remained unchanged.)