Yangshan Pass, Huangxi Pass, and Hengpu Pass were the three strongholds left by the Qin army after they retreated to Lingbei. The three passes formed a large triangle in terms of geographical layout, and its fulcrum was Huangxi.
Huangxi Pass is at the intersection of Beijiang River. This pass is connected to Yangshan Mountain in the northwest and Hengpu River in the northeast. Ships can be built here and you can go down the river and reach Panyu in just a few days! It is truly a thoroughfare.
But in this place with three connections, only one is left now.
Standing at the head of Huangxi Pass and looking to the northeast, Heifu could see a long black trace, starting from the pass and extending into the distance. It was particularly conspicuous in the dark green rainforest in summer.
It was two years ago that the Qin army set fire to the mountains in the south of Lingnan, leaving scars on the earth. On the burned white ground, they also built Beijiang Road. This time they marched into Huangxiguan to restore this road.
While thinking about it, Sang Mu took a young man to the top of the city to meet Hei Fu.
"Wu Chen pays homage to the Marquis of Changnan, the great general!"
The weak-headed young man with at least seven or eight moles on his face bowed at Hei Fu's feet with a respectful attitude. However, when he saw Hei Fu's hairstyle that was no different from Yue's, he still couldn't help but murmur.
But Hei Fu smiled and stepped forward to help him up and said: "Your father and I are brothers who cut off the heads of chickens and drank blood to sworn sworn brothers. We are not in front of the army now, so just call me uncle."
The person who came was none other than Wu Chen, the eldest son of Wu Rui, the commander of Fanyang. It is embarrassing to say that more than ten years ago, when Heifu pacified Yuzhang, in order to peacefully subjugate the local tycoon Yugan Wu family, he followed the customs of the Yue people.
They swore an oath to him, became brothers, and even attracted Zhao Tuo.
Heifu is the eldest brother, Zhao Tuo is the second oldest, and Wu Rui is the third younger brother.
But now, Hei Fu, Zhao Tuo's children are still the boss, and the eldest son of Wu Rui, the third child, is almost an adult. A quick calculation shows that Wu Chen, who is only 16 years old, was actually born when Wu Rui was 15 years old.
It's really awesome...
Wu Rui's family is a Chu people from Yuehua. Because of his relationship with Heifu, he got along well in Yuzhang. In the Qin-Yue war, after weighing the pros and cons, the Wu family decisively sided with the Qin Dynasty. He forced Dongou to surrender when the Qin army
The effort was considerable in the process.
Last year, after Qin's Western and Central Routes retreated to Lingbei, the East Route Army also stopped its attack on Minyue. Wu Rui returned to Yugan and trained five thousand servant soldiers composed of Qianyue and Yangyue.
After Heifu became the general of the Southern Campaign, he sent Wu Rui to the south with a general order. Wu Rui also sent his son Wu Chen as a messenger to reply to Heifu and agree on a date for the battle.
Because the Beijiang Road connecting Lingnan and Yuzhang was interrupted, Wu Chen had to rush from Nanchang to Changsha, and then went south to catch up with Heifu. He caught up with the large army at Huangxiguan and delivered Wu Rui's letter. He was very tired.
His face was full of tiredness, but he still did not forget to tell the whole story.
"My father and I parted ways in Nanchang. He should have arrived at Hengpu Pass by this time. In a few days, he will be able to march into Beijiang!"
Heifu had been planning this battle several months ago. It was midsummer now, so it was inconvenient to launch troops against Lingnan, but it was imperative to restore the three passes and two passes to prepare for the advance after winter.
Now he has complete control over the soldiers in Chenxian, Yangshan, and Huangxi. With his morale slightly improved, and with Wu Rui's army, it will not be difficult to reopen the Beijiang Road.
But their enemies should not be underestimated. It is said that the Yangyue Mei clan came after the Yue King Gou Jian. Because they were expelled by the Chu people, they moved from Yuzhang to Tailing (Dageng Ridge) and fought with the cannibal tribes of South Vietnam.
The weapons of the Central Plains gained the upper hand and controlled the land along the Beijiang River. After several generations, there were at least 6,000 men.
Although they suffered heavy losses at the beginning of the war and the Mei family retreated into the forest for a time, when Jia He was defeated, they fought out of the forest, giving the Qin army a fatal blow and blocking Beijiang Road, forcing Jia He to have no choice but to
Retreat to Changsha County.
Recently, I also heard that its leader, Mei Rong, welcomed the deserters from the Qin army who came to join them. With the deserters joining, the power of the Mei family expanded rapidly, reaching the same level as before the war...
"When various tribes in South Vietnam captured Qin soldiers, they all chopped off their heads and hung them in their homes as ornaments. But this Mei family is different."
After all, the Mei family moved from Lingbei and lived together with the Chu people for hundreds of years. They were relatively civilized. Not only could they build cities, but Mei Kai also named himself "Taiwan Lord".
This also means that they can communicate.
Wu Chen made a suggestion: "My father asked me to report to the prince, saying that he can send people to persuade Mei Rong to surrender and make him surrender and stop disturbing the luggage along the way. In this way, Beijiang Road can be recovered without a fight!"
Hei Fu did not comment, but asked: "I heard that the Mei family and the Wu family were related by marriage?"
Wu Chen did not dare to deny: "Mei Cheng's mother is my father's sister. She and I are considered brothers, but we have not been in contact with each other for many years."
Then, Wu Chen scolded Jia Helai: "Three years ago, my father sent people and envoys to visit the Mei family and persuaded them to surrender to Qin. Mei Yi promised, as long as the army does not disturb his tribe and does not invade.
By entering the place where they worship their ancestors, they can open up the road. Tao Sima also advocated this strategy back then, but it was a pity that Jia He treated him lightly and even sent troops to harass his tribe and seize his tribesmen as slaves, causing the Mei family to rebel again.
, and is the enemy of Qin."
This stirred up a hornet's nest. Until the end of the war, there was no peace in Beijiang Road. No matter how many fires Jia He set, he could not burn out the forest or the Mei family's resistance.
Now that Jia He is dead, Wu Rui believes that it is time to change his ways and resume the policy of restraining the emperor. He actively asks Heifu to share his worries. Anyway, it is not the first time that he has persuaded the Yue people to surrender. Two years ago, Lord Dong Ou did.
Through Wu Rui's relationship, he surrendered to the Qindong Route Army.
But instead of being happy, Heifu actually felt a little apprehensive.
While serving as an official of the Qin Dynasty, he also linked up with the princes of various countries to cultivate his own power. Is this Wu Rui trying to be a bat?
Wu Rui already has five thousand Yue soldiers under his command, and Lord Dongou obeys his advice. If he adds Mei Yi, who has six thousand strong soldiers, and if such a man raises his arms, there will be many powerful Yue people in the north and south of the mountains.
From this, you must take precautions.
Naturally, these things were informed by constant letters from his old subordinate Li Xian, so when Heifu transferred Wu Rui to the south, he also added a double insurance policy, with Li Xian following closely behind him with five thousand soldiers...
Wu Rui was probably aware of Heifu's concerns and sent his son directly to Huangxiguan. He was a messenger and a hostage. Through this move, he told Heifu something that was not written in the letter:
"Wu Rui, you have absolutely no different intentions!"
But Heifu still rejected Wu Rui's suggestion, looked into the distance with his hands behind his hands and said: "It is good to subjugate the enemy without fighting, but at this moment, the army is newly defeated. If someone is sent to persuade them to surrender at this time, it seems that they are afraid.
Just like the Mei family, the Mei family will always underestimate Qin and may regret it at any time and cut off the North Road again."
Although Heifu said in his memorial to Qin Shihuang: "The way of the Southern Expedition is to attack people first and attack the land below. Mental warfare is the highest priority and military warfare is the lowest priority." But even if you want to play mental warfare, it must be defeated by force.
, the Yue people must have awe of the Qin army!
A ruthless look flashed in Heifu's eyes: "We must defeat them completely, and then let them bow down and surrender!"
Hearing that there was still a fight, Wu Chen was a little worried:
"But the Mei family's territory is located in the upper reaches of the Beijiang River. The mountains are steep and easy to defend but difficult to attack. When General Jia was in charge, he sent troops into the mountains several times, but never returned. Now more deserters have joined him to help him build a city.
More difficult to attack."
"If you are not afraid that he will have a city, you will be afraid that he will not have a city."
But Hei Fu laughed. Sometimes being civilized has its disadvantages. Compared with attacking fortified battles, the Qin army was more afraid of playing hide-and-seek with the Yue people!
"How do you plan to attack?"
Heifu looked at him: "I heard that when you were studying in Nanchang, you and Li Cang were classmates and had a very close relationship?"
"They are classmates and friends."
Wu Chen was a little helpless. The relationship between the two was indeed very good, unlike their parents who were at odds with each other.
Speaking of this, Wu Chen remembered, wasn't Licang also in the Changnan Hou army? Why didn't he see him?
Heifu answered his doubts and pointed to the long black mark under the city, which spread toward the northeast of the undulating mountains as if there was no end:
"He went there!"
…
At the same time, in the upper reaches of Beijiang, at the edge of the forest, an arrow fell in front of Li Cang and the hundreds of people behind him. The arrow's feathers shook slightly...
Facing the Yue archers hidden in the forest but everywhere, Li Cang, who was dressed in brown clothes, nodded to the middle-aged man next to him, and the man stood up and shouted:
"Don't use force, we are the corvettes who escaped from the Qin camp and came to seek refuge with the Taijun!"
Although these more than a hundred people were all short-range personal guards under Heifu and had been well-trained in the past six months, they were inevitably a little nervous when they went deep into the enemy's territory alone and tried to fake a surrender.
After a long silence, a voice finally responded coldly: "Seriously?"
That was the standard Nanchu accent, and he was a fugitive who had taken refuge with the Mei family earlier.
"Absolutely true!"
Li Cang stepped forward, pointed at himself, and the hundreds of people behind him who had short hair that was indistinguishable from the Yue people after cutting off their buns, and said loudly:
"This is the proof! The bun is broken. From now on, we will no longer be Xia people, but Yue people!"