A line of Jishui separated the Qin official army from the rebellious "bandits" of the Qi people. To the south of the Jishui River, the Qin army set up camp. To the north of the Jishui River, the Qi people's camp seemed a bit chaotic. Although they were outnumbered, they
There is no discipline.
In one corner, there were dozens of light knights from Le'an County. The battle was about to begin, but they did not show any nervousness on their faces. Instead, they continued to heckle a knight who was surrounded by others and returned.
"Le Bian, I heard that you killed a Qin soldier and got a reward?"
The young hero Le Bian, who was surrounded by everyone, was in his thirties and was wearing an ordinary brown suit. He was very happy at this moment. He held up a bag of money, weighed it in his hand, and showed it to everyone. They were envious of it.
He looked up and said:
"That's natural! On the orders of the Prime Minister and General, Nai Gong crossed the river to explore the enemy's situation. He was discovered by a Qin sentry. Before he could warn him, he raised his sword and killed him. Since he didn't have time to cut off his head, he took off his armor.
Returning with a hat is proof!"
He raised the Qin soldier's hat high in his hand for everyone to see, and his pride was palpable.
Someone on the sidelines questioned: "Le Bian, I have known you for so many years and know that you are good at water and very familiar with Jishui, but when it comes to your swordsmanship..."
The young knight who exposed Le Bian smiled and waved his hands with a contemptuous look on his face, indicating that his swordsmanship was not worth mentioning, so he did not believe Le Bian could kill the enemy.
The ranger wanted to save his face. Le Bian immediately blushed and defended himself repeatedly, saying that he didn't like to show off before, but when he got into battle, he realized that he was really powerful. In the end, he even boasted:
"Seven years ago, I joined the army as a martial artist. If the king hadn't surrendered before the battle began, I would have killed the Qin army without leaving any trace behind!"
The turning point of Le Bian's fate did indeed happen seven years ago. Before that, he had been a knight-errant, following the local county knights and township knights in Le'an. Who would he be a diner for a few days today, and where would he go for a few meals tomorrow?
He eats and drinks, works as a knight all day long, and earns money by fighting hard. Although he is not rich, he is free. At least in his own opinion, he is better than those farmers who dig food in the fields and traders who are busy making a living.
Qi State is different from the other six countries. The country is rich. Whenever there is a war, in addition to recruiting soldiers from the five capitals, Qi State also spends money to recruit light knights from various places to join the army. It can be regarded as the earliest mercenary army in China. Therefore, the status of light knights is not low, a bit like
The lower-class samurai and ronin of Japan in later generations.
But since the fall of Qi, everything has been completely different. Qin officials dressed in black came to take office with a few people. These officials spoke words that Le Bian could not understand, and signs with Qin characters began to be posted in front of the county temple.
Notice - Even though Le Bian couldn't understand the word "Qin", it didn't stop him from spitting on all the people and things from Qin behind his back. The black clothes of Qin officials, the crooked buns on the heads of Qin people,
The thick and thick accent of the Qin people and the word Qin written on the object called "paper" made him dislike it.
Le Bian hated Qin because Qin's laws made him lose his job.
Wherever the Qin officials went, they were most keen to attack the knights who "violated the ban with force." The light knights who were revered in the past became people who were not allowed by the law, and their swords were all taken away. I heard that
Twelve golden figures were cast in Xianyang.
Therefore, Le Bian had no choice but to find another way to make a living and go to the river to punt boats for people.
However, after a fight with a guest at the ferry over a disagreement, Le Bian was arrested and imprisoned for "private fighting". In Qi, he was fined a lot of money by Qin officials for a trivial matter that was not a big deal in Qi. Because he could not afford to pay back, he could not
He worked hard for the government for three months and went to the beach to cut firewood and boil salt. When he came back, he was so sunburned that he couldn't even do the job of punting the boat.
Lebian had no land, no skills, and could not be an official. He could only work as a mediocre worker, doing part-time labor for others. He cut wheat when he cut it, and pounded rice when he pounded it. But he could not work for long, so he could only make ends meet.
Even after several years of such hardship, the originally strong body became thin. When people heard that the county guard in Jiaodong had killed the Tian family in Yeyi and distributed the Tian family's land to Yongbao and farm laborers, Le Bian
Not moved at all.
He said contemptuously: "Even if I die, I won't go digging in the fields for food."
This was Le Bian's pride in calling himself a "scholar". He didn't know how many generations ago his ancestors were also minor aristocrats and were very wealthy.
Countless times, Le Bian missed the still existing life in Qi State. Everything in Qi State was so beautiful. He played Cuju and Liubo, watched people play drums, harps and shengs. He was so happy. During the New Year and festivals, he even had the opportunity to drink and eat.
Meat.
But today's life is depressing and boring, wealth has been taken away by officials, and the entire society, no matter what class it is, is more miserable than in the past.
Not only the light knights had a hard time, but also the merchants were targeted. The farmers' taxes were also several times heavier. The Confucian scholars also hung their heads and could no longer enter or leave the government.
Many people, like Le Bian, hate Qin and miss the past life, but don't know how to change it all, so they can only hang around and get by without a solution.
But the opportunity finally came. First, Emperor Qin was assassinated. Although he sent people to deliver oral messages, saying that he and the world were fine, some people whispered that this was a lie. The emperor was actually dead. In order to calm people's hearts, he
A false edict was issued.
"It's like Duke Huan of Qi. He is obviously dead, but people outside don't know!"
Soon, another news came! The Tian brothers in Di County had killed officials and rebelled!
After hearing about this, Le Bian gave the three Tian brothers a thumbs up. They were worthy of being famous county knights in Qi many years ago!
Then the news spread in the county, and everyone didn't believe it at first, but people from Di County were right: they said that the new King of Qi had put on a purple robe, set up a banner, and recruited heroes from all over the country.
.And the Anping gentleman Sun Tiandu who was entrenched on the overseas islands also came back. The boat-like sails covered the sea. The "40,000 troops" brought out by Yongmen Sima all had white helmets and white armor: this was built for the King of Qi.
Dai Xiao wants to avenge him!
The government called this a "rebellion", but in the eyes of the knights, it was clear that Qi was about to be restored, and Le Bian and others became more interested in taking advantage of this opportunity to return to their past lives.
When the soldiers and horses of Di County and Qian Cheng arrived at Le'an City, the Qin Dynasty's county magistrate wanted to summon everyone in the county to resist, but Le Bian and some light knights who were fed up with Qin's rule rushed into the county temple.
They were killed. Everyone opened the city gate to welcome the Tian brothers, and finally they were all taken under the command of "You Sima" Tian Rong.
The new King of Qi was the younger brother of the old King of Qi who was kidnapped and starved to death by the Qin people. He was wearing a purple robe and was a little bloated. Le Bian only saw him from a distance.
Because Tian Dan was the mastermind of this restoration, he became the "Xiangbang". His younger brothers Tian Rong and Tian Heng were the left and right Sima respectively. Tian Du, the great-grandson of Lord Anping, became the "General".
Tian Dan wanted to use the reputation of Anping Lord Tian Dan to call on the Qi people to join the battle to expel the Qin people and regain the Qi Kingdom!
Just like that, Le Bian could pick up the sword again, hold his head high, bulge his belly, and enjoy the looks of respect and fear from ordinary Guizhou officials.
He didn't know how big Qin was, nor how many people actually rebelled. He only knew that Le Bian could walk sideways in Le'an County, and there were no complicated Qin laws to restrain him...
It's like the mountains pressing on me collapsed in vain, and my shoulders felt light.
But before they had time to enjoy it, they were dragged to the edge of Jishui by "Xiangbang".
The Qin army is coming!
Le Bian was good at water and was sent to investigate the enemy's situation last night. Regardless of whether he actually killed the Qin soldiers and took the horses, Le Bian was ordered by Tian Rong to be promoted to the commander of the village. According to the rules of Qi State in the past, Le Bian was given a gift in public.
Jin Erliang, this is to boost morale before the war begins...
The next night after ordering Le Bian and others to cross the river to investigate the Qin army, Tian Dan ordered a thousand men to cross the Jishui River, but they were defeated and returned...
…
On the south bank of Jishui River, Linzi County Wei Loukang laughed heartily as he watched the "group of bandits" who tried to cross the Jishui River to attack, but were defeated and returned.
In the past half month, rebellion has swept through the entire north bank of Jishui. The fields, light knights, bandits, and groups suppressed by the Qin Dynasty government have united to kill Qin officials and seize the city to rebel. Because of the sudden incident, Linzi County hurriedly
, they only had time to assemble five thousand county soldiers to defend the area south of Jishui and garrison troops in Duchang County.
The rebellion of the Tian brothers was planned for a long time. All the party members responded to the attack in the neighboring counties, and they were captured without much effort. Soon they gathered hundreds of chariots, hundreds of riders, and tens of thousands of soldiers. Now they have gathered in
To the north of Jishui, it is also quite powerful.
However, judging from their uneven clothes and various weapons, Linzi County Lieutenant felt that no matter how many people there were, they were still a mob.
It can be seen from the Qi people's haste to cross the water to attack the Qin army's main formation that the commander did not know the art of war and marching, so he was really fighting indiscriminately. As a result, a group of troops sent over was hit head-on by the Qin army!
The soldiers of the Qin army lined up at the water's edge. Following Lou Kang's command, they continued to shoot arrows into the water. The Qi people did not have many crossbows, and they were immediately shot. Everyone fell on their backs and screamed in agony. Although there were ships to cover them.
, but still suffered heavy losses. The Qin army kept firing crossbows on the shore and shooting arrows into the water. Those who were hit screamed and exclaimed. It was simply a one-sided massacre.
The water was now full of corpses. Hundreds of Qi people had a taste of it and quickly retreated, saying they would not go into the water anymore. The Qi people who were still clamoring on the shore were all mute at this moment. After a while, they again
After an attack failed, they actually started to scatter, turned around and retreated!
"The thieves were repulsed!"
Seeing that he was so vulnerable, Linzi County Lieutenant's brain became hot and he actually issued an order to cross Jishui and continue the pursuit!
An army commander had doubts and said to the county captain: "The people of Qi are acting like this. They will collapse at the first touch. They also cover the north bank with thick smoke. Maybe they are cheating."
"I've been fighting for more than a day or two. Can't you tell if it's deceitful or not?"
Lou Kang's face suddenly became unhappy. He was indeed not young. He was over fifty. As Wang Ben's veteran general, Lou Kang had fought many battles. He had participated in all three battles between Zhao Yanchu and Zhao Yanchu.
Although he has no great achievements, he has accumulated small achievements and reached his current position.
Among Qin's many opponents, the one Lou Kang despised the most was Qi, which was as weak as Han Yan. At least it took up arms and resisted the Qin army. Only the wealthy Qi was a softie and refused to fight without a fight.
Surrendered, which made many Qin generals and Qi people look down upon him.
So Lou Kang said: "The world has long agreed that the martial arts of Qi are not as good as the soldiers of Wei, and the soldiers of Wei are not as good as the warriors of Qin."
"When the State of Qi was still there, the martial arts warriors were vulnerable to a single blow. When they encountered a small enemy, they could be used by luck, but when they encountered a strong enemy, they were instantly dispersed. What's more, now that the State of Qi has been destroyed? Although this group of rabble-rousers have gained courage, they are still vulnerable.
hit!"
After making up his mind, County Wei Lou Kang immediately asked people to set up a pontoon bridge and crossed the water to chase the bandits...
Not only was he confident in the military, Lou Kang knew very well that if Linzi could put down the rebellion with its own strength, Emperor Qin Shi Huang's punishment for them might be lighter...
…
At the same time, on the north bank of Jishui, under a hillock obscured by thick smoke from the fields, the real large force of the Qi army was waiting for battle. However, there was no order, especially the rangers, who were not standing and sitting.
There is no sitting posture, it is a mess.
Le Bian was even discussing the sound ahead with his companion.
"Failed?"
"Say it's a fake defeat and lure the Qin army to cross the water to attack."
"I'm afraid it's not really a defeat."
The knights and knights were all talking about the order that the "Xiangbang" and the left and right commanders had just come down to announce, saying that they sent people across the water to fake defeat in order to lure the Qin army over, so don't be suspicious.
But seeing the sound of killings a few miles ahead, and not knowing what the truth was, some of the young knights really became timid.
Even the commander of the camp, Le Bian, couldn't help but swallow his saliva, his hands holding the sword were sweaty.
Although he has fought bravely and fiercely, this is the first time in many years that Le Bian has stood in a battle formation.
Regardless of whether it was a false defeat or a real defeat, there would definitely be a fight soon. He had been to the other side and observed the Qin army nearby. This Qin army came from Linzi and numbered five thousand. Although there were only one serious elite from Guanzhong.
Thousands, and the rest are composed of garrison soldiers from various counties, which are replaced every year.
Because the land of Qi has been at peace for a long time, the training has been relaxed, but the airs are still there. They are stationed on the opposite bank in darkness. Although the number is only half of the Qi people, because they are solemn and orderly, they seem to be more than the Qi people. When marching,
The spear in his hand was like a forest shimmering with cold light.
Le Bian looked back at his own side. The rebels were composed of several parts: Tian Heng, the overseas bandits brought by Tian Du were the main force, disciples of the Tian Dan family, and light knights from all over the country, occupying the left and right wings respectively.
No matter where they were, the people were wearing all kinds of clothes, holding all kinds of weapons, and some were even holding sticks. Their clothes were ragged, and their order was not very neat.
There were some farmers and merchants who helped transport the baggage behind, with timid faces. They hated the rule of the Qin Dynasty, but they did not dare to resist. Some even took the lead and refused to participate. Unless they were forced to help transport the baggage with spears, but
This group of people still want to escape at any time.
"Cowardless people."
Although he cursed these farmers and merchants who were just like grassroots, Xia Shi Le Bian still felt a little scared in his heart.
There were also many young knights showing timidity and hesitation. What they had to face was no longer the unlucky Qin officials who were surrounded by Qi people with only a few people around them, but the unlucky Qin officials who had defeated all the invincibles in the world in the past hundred years.
Qin army!
The Qin army is synonymous with being undefeated! Those Qin officials and Qin soldiers in black robes have ruled Qi for too long. The young knights and righteous soldiers are hiding around like mice, and even formed a conditioned reflex.
Just run...
But now, they are required to bravely face the powerful bows and crossbows with simple weapons.
Just thinking about the power of the Qin people's equipment, even Le Bian, who likes to brag, stopped talking about it.
"Le Bian, didn't you say you wanted to kill the Qin army without leaving any trace of their armor?" Someone next to him couldn't help but talk at this time.
Le Bian curled his lips and said nothing. He was indeed bragging. He picked up that armor when a patrolling Qin soldier was taking a break...
"Tell me, can we win this time?" The people of Qi were brave enough to hold thorns in battle, but some people also asked uncertainly.
Le Bian frowned. Although he was a little scared, it was not good to demoralize others and destroy his prestige. He was about to say something, but suddenly a car drove up to the front of the army, and it was "Xiangbang" Tian Dan.
"Second and third sons, listen to what Dan has to say!"
Although Tian Dan has become the "Xiangbang", he still likes to wear a smart outfit so that he can blend in with the knights.
He knew that the real battle was coming next, and he had to say something before the battle to reassure everyone.
So Tian Dan asked a dozen strong men to pass the message for him in front of the army, saying loudly:
"In the past few days, every time we conquer the city, the Qin officials who are about to be killed often curse, saying that we are a rabble, with mantis arms like chariots, angry with their arms like ruts, not knowing that they are not qualified..."
This metaphor is very vivid. The mantis is very small and fragile, but the wheel is hard and fast. Once it hits, it will be crushed into powder. The rangers looked at each other with some frustration in their eyes. Although it is refreshing to be the master in the past half month,
But it’s too late to regret it when things happen.
"But I admire Mantis!"
Just when morale was low, Tian Dan suddenly raised his voice: "Back then, when Duke Zhuang of Qi was out hunting, there was a small green insect blocking the road. He raised his arms high and was about to fight its wheels. So Duke Zhuang of Qi asked the driver
:'What kind of bug is this?'"
"The charioteer said to him: This insect is called a praying mantis. It has a strong nature. It knows how to advance but not how to stop. It underestimates the enemy's strength and underestimates the enemy. Then Qi Zhuanggong said: If a man is like a mantis, he must be the most brave warrior in the world!"
Move the car out of the way of the praying mantis!"
This story is simple and easy to understand, and it is native to Qi State. The knights were stunned when they heard it. How could a majestic king give way to a little insect?
"Why can the mantis make the prince give way? It's because of his bravery!"
Tian Dan drew out his sword, raised it high, and pointed it at the Qin army that had gradually crossed from the south bank of Jishui to the north bank. He also knew that in a real fight, even though his side had doubled in number, he still couldn't take advantage.
They can only use the Qin general's disdain for them to lure them across the water and attack them halfway across the river.
Coupled with his arrangements, there may be a 50% chance of winning...
It depends on today whether this great cause of restoration will be aborted after a few flutters of wings, or whether it can be like the saying of the Tian family, the phoenix flies and sings in harmony!
So he roared: "Although we are small, we have sickles in our hands. We cannot be like cicadas and wait for death. What's more, if there are a thousand or ten thousand praying mantises, why can't we stop a rotten car?"
What?"
Tian Dan's younger brother Tian Heng also stood up and encouraged loudly: "Yes, if we fight, we may die. If we run away, we may survive for a while. But if we stay, we can regain the glory of Qi."
In the old days of freedom, knights did not need to hide in Tibet, merchants did not need to be despised, and farmers did not need to pay more than half of the rent. The people of Qin must know that it is easy to take our lives, but if you want to enslave the people of Qi and destroy all the
Field is more difficult than climbing to heaven!"
The Tian brothers knew what these people who followed them wanted. For a moment, their long-cooled blood seemed to be ignited. They longed for chivalry and loyalty most in their lives. Le Pian's forehead felt hot, and he raised his sword and talked to the people around him.
Loudly echoed:
"In this battle, we know how to advance but not how to stop. After this battle, we will be brave for the world!"
When the forwards of the Qin army stepped onto the land on the north bank of Jishui, what they saw was tens of thousands of Qi people waving their weapons, as if ten thousand mantises were shaking their arm blades and rushing towards them!