In the season when all things are tired, heaven and earth are silent.
Only the small snowflakes were flying all over the sky, turning into many white butterflies, falling silently from the sky. Occasionally, naughty birds picked up the first ray of dawn in their mouths, awakening the sleepy little village.
.
This is Zhuo County, Fanyang County, Youzhou.
The earliest name was Zhuojun, which was the hometown of the late emperor Liu Bei and his native Xixiang Hou Zhangfei.
However, Wei Cao Pi changed Zhuo County to Fanyang Kingdom in the fifth year of Huangchu Dynasty. Later, when it was restored to a county, it became Fanyang County.
However, in people's hearts and conversations, they still call it Zhuojun privately.
Without him, the deep-rooted legacy passed down from generation to generation for hundreds of years cannot be eliminated in a few years.
Thanks to Xianbei Kebi this year, he can use all his troops to plunder and merge the state. The border areas of Youzhou have been temporarily peaceful, and the garrison soldiers everywhere can take turns to return home.
This small village also welcomed back many soldiers, making the quiet winter a little more lively.
At least, when the sun shines colorfully on the icy branches of the trees, smoke rises from the kitchens in every house, occasionally accompanied by the sound of children jumping for joy after getting a little bit of caramel.
Click~~~
Click, click.
Accompanied by the sound of stepping on the snow, a man wearing a large cloak, carrying mutton and a wine jar, trudged along the village path with difficulty.
When he reached the door lintel, whose paint was peeling off and mottled, he stamped his feet to shake off the snowflakes on his body, and then he called loudly, "Is Brother Li at home?"
After a while, the old door opened in response.
A woman smiled happily and introduced the visitor into the courtyard. She murmured with joy, "The husband of the Zhang family came at the right time. My husband whispered this morning that you will come to visit today. He had already butchered the dog and prepared drinks.
Already."
"Ha, Brother Li knows me too!"
When the visitor heard this, he burst out laughing loudly and handed over the mutton and wine jar, "I won't bother Sister-in-law Li to lead the way. I'll go directly to the backyard."
Judging from such familiar actions, the two families must have frequent contacts.
"Okay, Mr. Zhang, please do as you please."
Walking towards it, I saw a simple leaning pavilion built with wooden pillars with sloping eaves protruding from the low wall in the backyard. A strong man in his forties was already sitting there. In the pavilion, two tables and tables were arranged in the form of a banquet.
The snowflakes on the ground were dimly lit by two small red-painted pottery stoves, and there was a faint smell of strong liquor mixed with the aroma of meat.
When the visitor saw him, he strode forward and cupped his hands with a smile, "The red mud is dotted with snow, and the ice is melted to warm the wine. Brother Li is so elegant!"
"What's the point of all that red tape?"
The strong man raised his head when he heard the sound, then smiled and cursed, "Come and sit down quickly, I've been waiting for you for a long time!"
While he was feigning lust, the long scars on his face twisted like worms, making him appear even more ferocious and ferocious.
However, the words are very heartwarming.
"Hahaha~~~"
The visitor laughed heartily, walked in and sat down, then he raised his wine cup and invited me as the guest, "Brother Li, I haven't seen you for several months, I am so happy to see you again! Have a full drink!"
"drink!"
The strong man shouted boldly and drank it all in one gulp.
Even when he put down the wine cup and wiped the wine stains on his beard with his sleeve, the haggard look on his eyebrows became a little darker, "Oh, Zichan, this year's war is so frustrating!"
It also made the visitor's gurgling smile slowly fade away.
This year Tian Yu, the Wuhuan captain, went out of the fortress and was besieged by Xianbei in Mayi City. General Yan Zhi, the governor of Shanggu, went to the rescue and promised Kebineng a lot of supplies before Tian Yu could return.
That strong man was one of the Sima soldiers in Shanggu County, and he witnessed Ke Bineng's arrogance with his own eyes.
Many of the inventories in Zhuojun counties were requisitioned and transferred by the imperial court to Xianbei.
Both of them witnessed the dignity of the sons of the Han family being trampled on by Xianbei.
"Now that the matter has come to this, Brother Li sighing does not help matters."
The visitor was silent for a while, then he spoke up and said softly, "Next year, Captain Tian will be able to regroup and defeat the Xianbei barbarians, and then we will take back all the humiliation we have suffered today!"
"Heh~~~"
Unexpectedly, the strong man sneered, shook his head and sighed, "Colonel Tian has no chance. I am quite respected by the prefect, and I vaguely heard the prefect mention that someone impeached Captain Tian for disturbing the border and causing trouble for the country. I'm afraid I won't do it."
He will be transferred out of Youzhou in the future."
"ah!"
The visitor exclaimed, and immediately the red surface appeared, "Who is so short-sighted! Could it be the spies of the Xianbei Hulu?"
Don't blame him for being a show-off.
Tian Yu was first under the command of the White Horse General Gongsun Zan, and he had a good manner of dealing with Xianbei, Wuhuan and other barbarians.
Whenever he heard that there were barbarians invading the border areas, he would look as fierce as if he were going to the enemy, and he would rush to fight. He was deeply loved by the officials and people of Youbin and the two states.
"It seems that I heard that he is someone close to the king's governor."
The strong man's voice was extremely melancholy, "In the current national crisis, many people who want to eat people's anointment do not care about protecting the safety of the common people, but instead have the desire to fight for power and profit! Alas."
The current governor of Youzhou is Wang Xiong from Langya.
Because he was appreciated by Cao Pi, he was appointed as the governor of Youzhou. After taking office, Tian and Yu disagreed with each other on politics, and he often wanted to run away from Tian and Yu and take over the military power of Youzhou. This matter was not a secret among the scholars and common people of Youzhou.
Imada Yu went out to the fortress and returned in defeat. He hinted that it was not an accident that the other prefects and assistants came to the court to plot a fall.
"well"
When the visitors heard this, they also sighed with sadness.
"I forgot to inform Zichan."
He raised the wine cup and took a sip alone. The strong man grinned and said, "Before I retired this time, I complained to the governor about my old age and frequent injuries. I will leave my post next year during the spring plowing."
"Resign?!"
With an exclamation, all the visitors sounded anxious, "Even if Tian Xiaowei is transferred, Prince Bina will not sit back and watch the Xianbei barbarians invade. My brother has been in the army for nearly twenty years and is well versed in the fighting temperament of the barbarians. No matter who he is,
No one in charge of the army will ignore Brother Li's talents. Besides, Brother Li was a prosperous young man, so why did he resign?"
"Perhaps Zichan doesn't know that Xianbei has entered Guanzhong. What's the point of us fighting for the country with arms!"
"ah!"
In the land of Yan and Zhao, there was a strong trend of young men becoming chivalrous.
For example, in the past, when the late emperor was in his hometown, although his family was poor, he could still make friends with heroes, and he would vie with them when he was young.
Zhang Shiping, Su Shuang and others, great merchants of the Zhongshan Kingdom, donated him gold and wealth to join his disciples in fighting for the Yellow Turbans for the rebels. After decades of wandering, he was posthumously named Emperor Zhaolie in Western Shu.
A humble man who weaved mats and sold shoes became the title of emperor. Such deeds made all the common people in Zhuo County feel honored.
Even so, their current monarch is named Cao of Wei State.
Therefore, when the common people encountered something indignant, or felt uncomfortable with Cao Wei's actions, they would involuntarily have this idea: If Emperor Zhaolie, who was born in his hometown, was their monarch, would he also
Will it be so?
Mr. Zhang, who returned from the banquet, was thinking about it in his mind.
As he frequently glanced toward the southwest, the answer became more and more clear in his mind: Mr. Xuande, who came from a borderland, would never tolerate the horseshoes of the Xianbei Hulu to enter the habitat of our Han family!
Well, this Zhang family man has a special name and his courtesy name is Zichan.
Although he is not from the same clan as Zhang Fei, who lived in Houzhuo County, his hometown in Xixi Township, he also came from a powerful family background.
Not only did the family's wealth and land allow him to travel far away, but the population was quite prosperous. If he was missing, there would be many people who would show filial piety to the elders.
Longyou, Hanyang County, Chengji County Changli River (Hulu River) bank.
About two hundred Han troops on horseback were fleeing for their lives along the Changli River to the southeast in embarrassment.
Behind them, there were Xianbei cavalry who were making various whistles and chasing happily. From time to time, some cavalry would draw their bows and arrows, or they would wave flying stone ropes and throw them forward, trying to hit the slower men.
The army dismounted their horses.
The distance between the two is less than a stone's throw away.
It's the end of winter in December.
It has been more than a month since the Xianbei cavalry invaded and plundered the country along the Guanchuan River Valley.
General Zuo of the Han Dynasty and Wei Yan, who also led the Hanyang Prefect, guarded Pingxiang, Chengji and Ayang counties respectively, relying on the city.
Although Li Shu and others were allowed to enter the city to escape the fire of war, they were helpless because the number of cavalry was too small, and they could not restrain the Xianbei Hulu from showing off their power as they came and went freely.
Even Prime Minister Zhuge Liang sent Wu Ban to help in the battle, but he still reaped the rewards.
These Xianbei invaders never faced the Han army head-on.
They often relied on the mobility of their horses to avoid the sieges of the Han army in various places, entered villages in conflicts, burned down houses, destroyed wells or irrigation ditches, etc., and then fled in front of the Han army who came after hearing the news.
It can be said that wherever a horse's hooves come, it is like a locust passing by.
It is also difficult to achieve success by setting up an ambush in a village.
Wu Na Xianbei is extremely cunning!
Whenever troops are sent out, they will send out scouts and cavalry in a dense fan shape. After detecting all the movements in a radius of ten miles, they will ride away. A distance of more than ten miles, the time required for the Han army's infantry to arrive
, enough for them to retreat.
Today's chase was an accident.
The cavalry commander Zhao Guang personally led 300 elite bodyguard cavalry and came out to intercept and kill the Xianbei scouts.
Because they broke in too deep, the main force of Xianbei was surrounded in reverse direction, cutting off the way back to Pingxiang City, so they went to the Changlishui River Valley to break out of the siege.
Xianbei dared to pursue him for two reasons.
First, their troops came out of Hanyang this time, with about three thousand cavalry.
With their superior strength and sudden pursuit, they did not need to worry about being ambushed and defeated.
The other is the reward set by Wei General Cao Zhen when he marched from Guanzhong Youfufeng to Longyou.
If you kill a Han infantry, you will be rewarded with a hundred coins.
If you kill a Han cavalryman, you will be rewarded with a thousand coins and three pieces of silk!
If it were just damage to villages or bridges and ditches, the supplies for this winter would have been sent ahead of time.
Cao Zhen's strategic intention is very clear: to harass the people of Longyou, snipe and kill the Han cavalry, and let Ni Shu build cavalry. The strategy of letting them march out of Xiliang is always in the plan.
As for these Xianbei barbarians, will they bring back the heads of Han infantry as cavalry to receive rewards?
Guo Huai, the new governor of Jincheng, also sent nearly a hundred Wei cavalry to fight alongside them.
On the surface, he claimed to be their guide, but secretly, he also wanted to monitor the results of the battle to prevent them from failing to do their best.
Therefore, when Han cavalry broke through the formation and fell into a tight siege, all the Xianbei Hulu were excited.
They all seemed to see the silk that could summon countless wealth from the four counties of Hexi waving to them.
It's just that they didn't see that the formation of the Han army who was fleeing for their lives was always neat, and there was no phenomenon of the cavalry changing their paths and fleeing alone.
And the cavalry they were chasing had no formation to speak of.
Everyone was scrambling to be the first, fearing that the fallen Han army equipment would be snatched away by others first.
Zhao Guang, who was hanging behind the cavalry, rode his horse forward while looking back at Xianbei, who was clenching his teeth. There was no trace of panic on his face. The guard supervisor beside him also looked back frequently, forbearing.
He couldn't help lowering his voice and asked, "General, the Hulu formation has collapsed. I'm waiting for the horse power to reach the limit. Do you want to blow the trumpet to counterattack now?"
"Be patient and don't be impatient."
Zhao Guang pressed his body close to the horse's neck to avoid the strong wind, but rarely showed a ferocious look on his face. "These bastards are burning, killing, looting, and full of evil. I will destroy them!"
"promise!"
The guard officer responded loudly, holding the horn in his arms to his chest.
About half a quarter of an hour later, after a long and hard gallop, the horses began to foam at the corner of their mouths.
It also means that the horsepower is about to reach its limit.
If you don't get a rest, you may die suddenly while running.
At this moment, Zhao Guang's violent roar sounded.
"Blow the trumpet quickly!"
"Woo."
The low and resentful horn horn rippled far along the Changli Water River Valley, reaching the skyline and reaching the ears of Zhang Bao and Liu Yin.
"Nothing before!"
"kill!"
Suddenly, two flags embroidered with the Chinese character "Han" emerged from behind the mountains on the right side of Changli River.
The Xianbei cavalry came in a long formation from left to right, shouting to kill and even the thunderous sound of horse hooves could not cover it up.
To destroy the cavalry, you can only use the cavalry.
Zhao Guang, who was well versed in cavalry warfare, asked Wei Yan for a battle. Against Wei and Xianbei's belief that the Han army had few cavalry and was unprepared, he assigned two thousand of his cavalry to Zhang Bao and Liu Yin to lead them, and set up an ambush in an open area.
. And he led his personal guards to lure the enemy, so that the Xianbei people would feel that there was no danger and boldly pursued them.
Wei Yan has always been famous for his bravery and boldness in his military use.
Regarding Zhao Guang's request for war, he was extremely angry after being harassed by the Xianbei and immediately became angry!
That's how we took risks today.
Fortunately, the Xianbei Hulu came as they wished.
When they saw the Han army charging forward with their cavalry waiting for work, the morale of the army was immediately in chaos. Many small leaders loudly scolded the entire team of subordinates and tried to turn around to meet the enemy.
But in the galloping pursuit just now, the formation was too long. How could we achieve what we wanted in a hurry?
I saw Zhang Bao and Liu Yin each leading 800 cavalry. With only one charge, they penetrated the Xianbei formation and cut them into three sections.
The cavalry at the head and tail of the Xianbei formation were galloping toward the center, hoping to stifle Zhang Bao and Liu Yin's offensive.
But before they arrived, they were blocked by their own defeated troops.
In the chaos, there were actually quite a few riders who were squeezed into the Changli River by their own people.
When they drove away the defeated troops, they also lost speed.
Zhang Bao and Liu Yin had already begun to take a detour, and were speeding up at a trot to charge forward again.
Riding battles are originally about using the speed of war horses to charge back and forth.
The Xianbei cavalry, which had lost speed, was once again attacked by Zhang Bao and Liu Yin's troops, and was unable to resist at all.
What made Xianbei even more desperate was Zhao Guang, who was well versed in cavalry warfare.
When no one was chasing him, he turned his horse around, made a big noise, and divided his cavalry into five small groups to charge forward. He did not seek to kill the enemy, but wanted to continue to disperse and divide the Xianbei cavalry, causing them to collapse even more.
Not in formation.
Attacked from three sides, one wave after another.
The Xianbei cavalry, who had never been able to organize their formation and let their horses run, were completely in chaos.
The small leaders of each tribe could not find their subordinates at all, and they were all fighting on their own.
In less than a quarter of an hour, the formation of the Xianbei cavalry was shattered by the impact and could no longer be maintained. They collapsed and fled for their lives. They were even more embarrassed than when Zhao Guang had just escaped.
Zhao Guang, who had just defeated the Xianbei enemy formation, ran to a slightly higher place with a two-edged spear.
He is the cavalry inspector and must observe the battlefield at all times.
However, there was no need for him to observe.
Zhang Bao and Liu Yin had already led their cavalry to chase Xianbei's defeated troops one after another.
While expanding their military exploits, they also allowed the defeated soldiers to continue fleeing for their lives, preventing them from finding the leaders of the small tribes and being gathered together.
"Heh~~~"
Seeing this, Zhao Guang couldn't help but chuckle.
With a splash of blood on his face, he entered the battlefield again with his bodyguard cavalry, surrounded the surrendering soldiers, and still had enough energy to separate half of the troops and drive the Xianbei cavalry who were unwilling to dismount and surrender into the river.