"I said long before the Southern Expedition that the biggest enemy of the Qin army is not the Yue people, but the land itself..."
After a night of heavy rain, the road to the embankment became bumpy and muddy. Heifu looked at the dense footprints on it with concern. The soldiers of the three armies had rushed to the riverside early before him. Novel .
As the first tropical region that Central Plains people came into contact with, the natural environment in Lingnan is so powerful that it exceeds the imagination of northerners.
The dense tropical rainforest once made it difficult for the Qin army to move forward. However, after two large armies marched in, a lot of forests along the traffic roads were burned, and the former jungle became a smooth marching path. Although the vegetation recovered quickly,
As long as the fire is set regularly, it can be maintained.
Dysentery, malaria, scrub typhus, these tropical diseases caused the death of 23 out of 10 troops in the first southern expedition. However, after learning the lessons from the previous expedition, Heifu made sufficient health preparations before crossing the Lingnan Mountains. The epidemic had a serious impact on the army.
It's not that big anymore.
Seeing that everyone has established a foothold in Panyu, the colony is developing well, but who would have thought that they would once again face a strong enemy: a heavy rain, and the subsequent flood season of the Pearl River...
The Pearl River Delta has a low and flat terrain, dense river network, and rainy summers. The flood season is from March to July in the lunar calendar. Floods from the upper reaches sweep in, often submerging human and livestock houses, and the local Yue people and sheep tribes suffer greatly.
But the Yang tribe has never moved. South Vietnam is a people who are good at boating. Even if Panyu City is filled with floods, they can still take small boats and use the streets as rivers. As for the fields? Don't worry, the Yue people have many rice fields.
It is a "tide field", which means extensive planting and extensive cultivation, and it depends purely on God's livelihood. Because there is no good water conservancy system, it still needs to rely on the annual river tide for irrigation.
However, the severity of floods is unpredictable. Every year, half of the tidal fields along the coast are washed away, losing crops.
The Yue people had an indifferent attitude towards the tides of the rivers and seas, but the Qin army could not let the floods drive in.
The slogan of "make enough food and clothing by yourself" in Helan Mountain was once again shouted. In the past six months, Heifu ordered the three armies to open up a lot of farmland. Lingnan early rice matures in June and July. It is now the end of May, and the rice ears are taking shape, and they can be harvested.
To supply the southern expeditionary army and make up for the somewhat tight logistics, how can we just sit back and watch the floods wash it away?
Furthermore, two years ago, the Central Army of the Southern Expedition was caught off guard by a flood and had to evacuate Panyu. It was immediately attacked by South Vietnamese tribes and was beaten everywhere, so it had to run all the way back to Lingbei.
Having learned the lesson from last time, Heifu ordered tens of thousands of corvees to build a small dam in the southwest of Panyu as early as March after the rice planting was completed, to at least ensure that the military camps around Panyu would not be flooded.
"Drought means a boat, water means a boat. Only by preparing for a rainy day can we be prepared for any disaster."
But now, with the flood season arriving as scheduled, it's time to test the effectiveness of the dams.
The vehicle stopped. Heifu got out of the car and took a look at the embankment. He couldn't help but take a breath of cold air.
Yushui is divided into three parts in the southeast of Sihui. The northernmost one flows through the southwest of Panyu City. At the river mouth, there used to be many sandbanks formed by the impact of sediment brought by Yushui, but now, only one remains.
The turbid ocean...
"Good water... no, really big water!"
"Hou Changnan!"
At this time, a gray-haired Qin official came over and bowed to Hei Fu.
"Supervisor and censor."
Hei Fu respected this person very much. This was the famous censor Shi Linglu. It was said that he was a disciple of Zheng Guo, a water conservancy expert. During the war between Qin and Chu, Linglu helped Wang Jian build a barrier to resist the Chu army. At that time, Hei Fu
My husband and Zhang Han were still working men under Linglu.
However, it is much faster to cut off people's heads to gain military merit than to immerse yourself in civil engineering upgrades. In the ten years since Heifu rose to prominence, Linglu seemed to have fallen silent. He first served as a worker in Kuaiji County, and then was transferred to Changsha County as a supervisor.
The man-made canal Lingqu, which connects the Xiangjiang River and the Pearl River basins, was his handiwork!
Half a year ago, Heifu, who wanted to build a dike in Panyu to prevent the flood season, used his power as the chief general of the Southern Expedition to transfer Linglu to Panyu to preside over the construction of the dike.
As expected of a great contractor, after Jian Lu arrived in Panyu, he inspected the surrounding terrain and planned the most suitable location for embankment. He used the protruding hills, hills, terraces and other terrain along the river to connect them with artificial embankments.
Building Qili will ensure that Panyu and surrounding military camps are worry-free.
"It's raining too much."
The two were walking on the embankment. Jian Lu said to Heifu: "It has rained for a day and a night. The three branches of Yushui have a tendency to merge. Now it is a vast land. Although the weather has cleared up, the water level is still rising sharply.
We’re almost at the foot of the embankment.”
During the flood season, the banks along Yushui can be said to be completely submerged in water, and the trees under the dam have been overflowed by the river water up to their trunks.
"Can you hold it?"
Looking at the dike under his feet, which was too simple compared to later generations, Heifu didn't have much confidence. If it didn't work, he would have to move the military camp with tens of thousands of people to the north and give up the rice fields that he had worked hard for for half a year.
"I can definitely keep it!"
Jian Lu, on the other hand, was full of confidence in this: "If we still use the earth embankment in Qiantang County, I am afraid it will be washed away, but this unique sea-shaking stone pond in the world is not afraid of floods!"
The dyke in Panyu is obviously not the first sea dyke. There is a "Qiantang County" in Kuaiji County where Jianlu once served as an official. The reason for this name is that this county is located at the mouth of the Qiantang River, where the tide is strong and often drifts away.
People, livestock, cattle and horses destroyed the houses in the city, so Jian Lu summoned the local tycoons, each family pooled money, hired and recruited people, dug soil and built ponds, just to make a name for themselves.
After arriving in Panyu, Jian Lu wanted to repeat his old tricks, but Heifu thought that the earthen wall might not be able to withstand the tide. It was better to learn from the successful experience of Li Bing, the prefect of Shu County, in building Dujiangyan, and put big stones in bamboo cages and build them up one by one.
, and then drive down large wooden piles to make them firm and solid. The stone base is like a ladder, tilted towards the river to block the tide.
Jian Lu pointed to the west and said: "Look, sir, in fact, the stagnant water has entered the sea a few miles to the west, and the water has been released. What rushed to Panyu City was just the end of a strong crossbow. The people in the past let the tide come."
Go, now that we have this stone pond, the flood will never cross even half a step!"
Heifu was a little relieved, but at this moment, the soldier who was ordered to patrol the embankment suddenly shouted: "The water is coming!"
However, we saw another flood peak coming. In areas where no dams had been built upstream, large areas of rice fields had been flooded. Occasionally, the stilt houses of Vietnamese people were completely destroyed. The flood flow was extremely fast. There were driftwood, dead beasts and even corpses floating on the river.
Human corpses rushed straight to the foot of the embankment!
"Your Majesty, please retreat!"
Sangmu was trying to persuade Heifu to leave this dangerous place. If the dam broke and the general made any mistakes, they would be in dire straits.
Heifu scanned the surroundings. After receiving his order, tens of thousands of soldiers trained in Panyu, led by military officials, came to the embankment, guarded various positions, and carried bamboo baskets filled with pebbles.
Once there is a gap, it must be filled immediately. At this moment, the soldiers of each battalion are quietly waiting for the tide to hit the shore.
He made a decision, called Li Cang, and ordered:
"Put up my Jiaolongzhi and tell the soldiers of the three armies that the Marquis of Changnan is also on the embankment! Advance and retreat with them!"
The messenger galloped forward and spread these words to the left and right embankments, and there were cheers everywhere!
Each battalion also displayed its flags one after another. For a time, the flags were like a forest, hunting in the wind, and it was a spectacular sight. It would be daring for the three armies. With Heifu taking the lead, the three armies were not afraid of the raging river.
The flood peaks of Yushui are still advancing towards the dike from west to east. Heifu can only stare at them. If they hit the dike, will the tide recede or the dike will be destroyed and people will die?
The stormy waves hit the shore! The big turbid waves hit the rocky pond, smashing it into pieces. The water splashed on Heifu's face, but he felt a little more at ease because the embankment under his feet did not move at all!
Heifu stayed until the evening, even in the latter half of the night. Due to the rising tide, the seawater invaded back and the water surface rose a lot, but it was blocked by the dam. Even if one or two collapsed, they were filled up in time by the soldiers of the three armies.
The most dangerous day has passed. In the next few days, the weather alternates between rain and sunshine, and the river water rises and recedes. Heifu goes to the dam every day to check the situation, but his focus is no longer on the flood, but on "flood fighting and disaster relief."
The order of each battalion.
Several captains under Heifu, Anpu, were still guarding the three passes and were responsible for the transportation of heavy grains in the south and north of the Ling Dynasty. Dongmen Bao, Gong Ao, and Xiao Tao were sent by Heifu to the upper reaches of Yushui with 30,000 people.
Zhao Tuo of Guilin gathered together and built a fortress in the plains to attack Xiou. Wu Rui took 5,000 people to Longchuan of the Dongjiang River to recruit the Wasps to surrender and at the same time protect the east side of Panyu.
As a result, all that was left in Panyu was a bunch of commanders, flying small bird flags, leading a group of new soldiers sent by Xiao He from Lingbei to practice.
When the flood hits the embankment, whether the new recruits can remain calm and how efficient their rotation is, these details can also reveal the daily training of an army.
Among them, one team was the most orderly and unhurried.
"Go and see, who is that?"
Not long after, the messenger came back and reported:
"Your Majesty, please don't update Han Xin!"
"really."
Heifu smiled. Since half a year ago, he encouraged Han Xin that "soldiers who don't want to be generals are not good soldiers", this boy has become more peaceful and has not run away at every turn. He has been training his troops and working in the fields.
Ranked among the top recruits.
However, Xiao He, who stayed in Changsha County, wrote in the spring, recommending Han Xin, praising him as a "national scholar" who is proficient in the art of war, good at military formations, and can be of great use...
Heifu said he knew, but he burned the letter. Spring passed, summer came, and autumn was coming, but Han Xin was still not promoted.
He didn't want Han Xin to think that the appointment of Zhuo Ba from the Marquis of Changnan was due to Xiao He's recommendation, but he often summoned Han Xin to discuss the art of war with him, and showed great importance to him, giving him a feeling of "As long as Xianyang agrees to my promotion,
I have the illusion that the prince will make great use of me soon.”
But for a person like Han Xin, who has extremely low self-esteem, self-confidence, and arrogance all at once, his patience will not last long just by deception and verbal praise.
"I've put this awl in my pocket for a long time. If I don't use it anymore, I'm afraid I won't be able to wait and stand out. However, killing a chicken with a butcher's knife is really a bit of a luxury." Speaking of luxury, Heifu thought in his heart
But it's delicious.
Looking at the gradually receding floodwaters and the intact embankments, he made up his mind.
"Panyu has been saved, the food harvest is about to be good, the vehicles and ships have been manufactured, the new soldiers have been trained, and everything is ready. After the flood season, it will be time for Luo Yue to fully march towards Xiou!"
"Time waits for me not. I must end this war before thirty-seven years come!"
Heifu looked back to the north: "Then, prepare for the next game!"
