The wind and snow that had been raging for more than ten days suddenly stopped.
The originally dense clouds dissipated in an instant, allowing the low and oppressive sky to suddenly become clear. At night, there were actually bright stars shining brightly against the waning moon hanging in the night sky.
If it weren't for the howling cold wind, it would almost make people think that they are in the beauty of April on earth.
In the Han army camp on Xiaoguandao, many fires have been extinguished, the soldiers are snoring continuously, and occasionally a few wolf howls can be heard from a distance.
A fire near the tooth flag was still burning brightly, illuminating two slightly haggard faces.
Zheng Pu was sitting on the ground without any image, with his back leaning on the railing of the tooth flag, his legs stretched out, and a bag of horse milk wine in his arms. He was staring straight at the waning moon with his head raised, not knowing what he was thinking.
Jiang Wei, on the other hand, is much more dignified.
Although he was sitting cross-legged in an unruly manner, his waist was straight and his eyes were not squinting.
But his brows were tightly knitted, and the wine bag in his hand kept moving to his mouth, making the faint traces of melancholy flowing on his face more obvious.
Last night, more than ten soldiers defected, all under his command.
This is quite surprising.
Since he led the army, he has attacked alone twice, and all his soldiers are willing to accompany him in life and death.
Who would have expected that soldiers would defect now?
But after careful investigation, it seemed that it was not surprising that they had defected.
These more than ten soldiers were all newly recruited Qiang people from the Baima Qiang tribe outside Conghua, Jiang Wei. They could be regarded as the tribe leaders or nobles who were greedy for rare items such as pearls and jade, so they were part-expelled and part-sent to become soldiers of the Han Dynasty.
He is not keen on achievements such as fighting on the battlefield, killing generals and capturing flags.
After arriving here, Jiang Wei, based on the idea of training troops before the battle, mixed these newly recruited soldiers into the ranks of veteran soldiers, and took turns guarding the front line. Under Ni Wei's attack regardless of casualties, many were killed or injured.
Originally, this approach was a common practice in the military and there was nothing wrong with it.
After all, on the battlefield, no one is prepared in advance. Everyone has to go through the baptism of life and death before they can transform into a pawn.
But later, after the Han army retreated into the inner siege, the situation changed.
Both Zheng Pu and Jiang Wei felt that these new soldiers had become accustomed to the battlefield and had completed their transformation, so they placed them behind the chariot formation and instead let Liu Lin's five hundred heavy infantry resist the enemy.
There was also a flash of dissatisfaction in their hearts: There were obviously elite soldiers who could defeat the enemy, so why didn't they send them to fight in the first place, but let them, the new soldiers, waste their lives?
Some people let go of such dissatisfaction just thinking about it.
Some people remember it in their hearts and cannot let it go for a long time.
As time goes by, the anger in my heart becomes more and more.
When Prime Minister Zhuge's reinforcements never showed up, and when it was unexpectedly discovered that the ordnance and equipment were about to be exhausted, the hostility erupted. Some people who had little sense of belonging to the Han Dynasty couldn't help but think that there was another possibility in life.
:Vote to Wei!
They don't want to die.
They have become extreme due to long-standing resentment and do not want to die under the banner of the Han Dynasty.
As a result, they took advantage of their night watch to defect to Wei.
When Zheng Pu and Jiang Wei realized the reason, they were both dumbfounded.
No one thought that these Qiang people, who had gone through the test of life and death for three months, would feel that the Han army could no longer defend and defected in fear of death!
Obviously, the offensive against Wei has weakened!
The time for Prime Minister Zhuge’s main force to come to help is getting closer and closer!
As soon as he was done, he pulled away and left.
Zheng and Jiang didn't know whether to lament that they were too stupid, or to lament that their own army's fate was really bad.
These rebel soldiers gave the news to Wei Wei that the weapons were about to be exhausted!
On Jiang Wei's lap, there was a small piece of cloth spread out. It was sent by Ni Wei in the morning. Part of it accurately stated how many arrows the Han army still had.
The other part of the content is naturally to persuade them to surrender by bringing up old things again.
The tone in the words was much tougher than last time.
At the end of the letter, he added a sentence, saying: "The next day, at the end of the hour, I dare to ask Zheng Zijin to come out of the camp for a meeting."
The signature is Xiahou Ba.
Perhaps it's because Zheng Pu's wife Zhang Yan is Xiahou Ba's niece.
"Zijin, will you accept the invitation tomorrow?"
After a long silence, Jiang Wei finished the wine bag in his hand and asked aloud.
"Um"
Just like waking up from a big dream, Zheng Pu's voice was a little ethereal, "Let's go and see you. He just wants to teach me, like 'come and surrender with your hand, without losing the position of a prince, and also to prevent the soldiers from being destroyed.'"
Disasters, etc., haha~~~ However, there will be no fraud, so there is no need to worry."
"That's true."
Jiang Wei nodded lightly, not feeling funny, but fell into silence again.
"Alas~~"
Therefore, Zheng Pu stopped pretending to be relaxed on his face and sighed deeply, "Bo Yue, if we go against Wei and attack with all our strength, how long can our army last?"
When asked about the war, Jiang Wei did not remain silent.
"If Ni Wei attacks with all his strength, our army can only use up enough arrows, crossbows and other supplies for three days. By then, both sides will be at risk. Our army has the support of chariot formations and the bravery of the heavy infantry under Zi Jin, so we should be able to defend for ten days.
Or half a month."
It’s only half a month~~~
After hearing this, Zheng Pu felt a little sad.
However, he also knew why Jiang Wei's estimate was so pessimistic.
The wind and snow stopped, and there was no obstacle to the attack against Wei.
Moreover, if there is a defection in the army, no one can guarantee that other soldiers will follow the same example in despair.
Nor can we blame the soldiers for being greedy for life.
In any case, the disparity between ourselves and the enemy is too great.
They have been holding on for three months with outnumbered enemies. Even their weapons have been exhausted and no reinforcements have been seen. It is understandable that the instinct to survive bursts out in despair.
There was silence again.
"well"
Zheng Pu sighed again, raised his head and looked at the stars in the sky.
I feel that the sky dotted with stars has become so high, making people confused; I also feel that I sigh a lot tonight, "I originally expected the Prime Minister to come later, but now, I hope the Prime Minister can come to my aid as soon as possible, ha~
~~"
Hearing this, Jiang Wei opened his mouth and wanted to say something.
But he closed it without saying anything.
Immediately, he lowered his head slightly and picked up a wooden stick to stir the fire.
He knew that in only ten days and a half, the chance for the prime minister to defeat Cao Zhen's tribe and the anti-Wei army besieged outside was extremely slim.
He also believed that with Zheng Pu's wisdom, he would have guessed this.
Therefore, he felt a little guilty.
If it had not been for the training of troops before the battle, there might not have been rebel soldiers, and Ni Wei would not have been able to discern what was true and false.
At this time, the firewood that happened to be burning burst out with a "pop" sound, causing a few sparks to dance between the two of them.
In an instant, Zheng Pu turned his gaze back and said, "It's night, I'd better rest early. We still need to supervise the battle and defend against the enemy tomorrow."
But just as he finished speaking, he suddenly noticed that Jiang Wei's face was flickering under the mottled light and shadow, making it difficult to see his original appearance.
Confusing and confusing.
And he slowly raised his head, looked into Zheng Pu's eyes, and asked softly: "If. I mean if, the Prime Minister's reinforcements have not arrived by then, and I am willing to supervise the army to fight to the death, can Zijin lead the troops to climb the mountain and leave?"
"Well?"
Zheng Pu's expression suddenly became one of astonishment.
It can be seen that he really has not considered this issue.
He stared blankly at Jiang Wei for a while, then smiled, waved his hand and joked, "Why did Bo Yue say this? How can I let Bo Yue, a loyal man who sacrificed his life to serve the country, be more beautiful than before!"
But Jiang Wei didn't laugh.
It seemed that he had not smiled tonight.
There were no words, and his eyes reflected the light of the fire, staring straight at Zheng Pu.
For a long time, guilt gradually appeared in his brows, "Zijin, after all, the rebels are from my subordinates. If we are defeated this time, it is not your fault. If you die in this battle, I am afraid that I will not be able to rest in peace."
Come on! Furthermore, it is the time when the imperial court is recruiting people for the Northern Expedition, and Zijin’s talents are among the best among our great men! How can I not cherish my life for the country? I also ask Zijin not to think about honor or disgrace for a moment, but to keep this body for the benefit of our great man.
Share the Prime Minister's worries."
Zheng Pu was silent.
He wanted to refuse without hesitation.
But I don't know why, the excitement in my chest was squeezed into my throat, but it miraculously disappeared without a trace.
All kinds of thoughts flooded his mind, and he could only respond with silence.
After all, he had seen with his own eyes how the Han Dynasty had come step by step from the Battle of Yiling to today. He had seen Prime Minister Zhuge Liang's beard and hair slowly dyed white by frost, and the lines on his decrees became increasingly deeper.
He knew that the weakness of the Han Dynasty was not only due to the financial and material resources of the small land and the people.
He also knows that in the dusty memory, many people he is familiar with today will be buried in the past few years.
Originally, he was not afraid of death.
But in a moment, he suddenly realized that he and Jiang Wei both died here and felt guilty.
At least he never thought about what kind of changes this would cause to the big man in the future.
Therefore, he suddenly found it difficult to answer.
Because he never thought about sacrificing himself for others.
But sometimes, I find that I have no choice at all.
"Um."
After being silent for a long time, he made an inaudible nasal sound.
Immediately, he sighed in a long voice, "It is true that, as Bertio said, it is meaningless for me to die here. But if Bertio dies here, what good will it do to the country? Is Bertio's talent inferior to mine?"
The rebels in the Wei Dynasty said that I was a "scar Pu, the great trouble of the Wei Dynasty", and there was no way I could escape. With my skill, I was lucky enough to climb over the mountains, but if I wanted to avoid the search of the Xiongnu's horsemen in the rebels of the Wei Dynasty,
, very little."
At this point, Zheng Pu paused slightly.
Staring into Jiang Wei's eyes, "I am the commander-in-chief of this camp, and I will swear to keep the banner. At that time, I will ask you to climb the mountain. With your courage, it will be easy to kill a Huns and seize horses with the palm of your hand."
Jiang Wei was also stunned.
He quickly refused, "Zijin, me."
But Zheng Pu also stood up at this time, turned around and went back, ending the conversation, "It's night, and we have to supervise the battle tomorrow."
The next day, at the end of Chen Shi.
Xiahou Ba was alone and walked slowly to the place where an arrow could be shot outside the formation.
Zheng Pu also went to the appointment under the escort of his servant Qi Yacuo, and the two talked with each other from a distance of four to five feet.
What is surprising is that after Xiahouba took a closer look at Zheng Pu's appearance, he kept asking about the daily trivial matters of Xiahou and his children, without any intention of persuading him to surrender.
Therefore, when they parted, Zheng Pu couldn't help but ask, "Did you invite me to the meeting to discuss private matters?"
"You won't surrender."
Unexpectedly, after Xia Houba asked, he smiled toothily and said, "Although General Fei and General Wei sent me to make a case, I know that you are not a person who bends your will. Therefore, instead of doing useless work, it is better to take the opportunity to ask some private questions."
.”
After saying this, he lowered his face and bowed his hands in farewell, saying, "When you die, I will bury you with your arms folded, so don't worry."
Is this the story of how the Xiahou family begged for the burial of Xiahou Yuan's body after the Battle of Dingjunshan?
Oh, this guy is quite interesting.
Zheng Pu also smiled.
He bowed his hands in front of his back and returned to the car formation.
Half a quarter of an hour later, the fierce offensive and defensive battle began again.
When Fei Yao and Wei Ping sent out troops, they killed the horses and gathered the crowd and swore: If they attack for ten days and do not break the chariot formation, they will kill everyone from Sima to Dubo! After half a month of attacking, if they do not kill the generals and seize the flag, the generals down to the captain will be killed.
Kill it!
If the camp is broken as scheduled, all the rewards from the Luoyang court will be distributed among the soldiers, and their generals will not take any of it.
Those who died in battle received twice as much as those who survived.
Therefore, the Wei State, which still had nearly 50,000 troops, made this attack even more desperate.
Moreover, Fei Yao's troops attacked during the day and Wei Ping attacked at night, leaving the Han army no time to breathe.
This gave the Han army no chance to take advantage of the Wei army's withdrawal and return to camp to clean the battlefield and collect arrows, crossbows, swords, spears, shields and oars.
Therefore, after only two days of attack and defense, the Han army's crossbow arrows were exhausted.
He had no choice but to fight hand-to-hand.
In just three days of hand-to-hand fighting, the Han army lost more than 500 people.
There were too many battle losses, the enemy's offensive continued, the morale of the entire army was low, and soldiers defected again.
However, these rebels met a tragic end.
They had just thrown down their swords and spears and rushed out of the car formation. Before they could declare that they were willing to surrender, they were stabbed in the chest by the Wei army with a sword or a spear.
It's not that the Wei army refused to surrender, but that the Wei army had already become jealous.
There was no time to curb the instinct.
From then on, no one from the Han army surrendered.
Another day later, heavy snow came like goose feathers, and the depth of the snow could be seen less than ten feet.
The Wei army continued to attack, but due to the snow, it was difficult to move. There was no hope of breaking the Han army's chariot formation.
In addition, due to the bitter cold weather, the resentment of the soldiers increased greatly. Fei Yao and Wei Ping had no choice but to stop fighting and wait for the weather to clear.
However, just two days later, they regretted this decision.
Even though the snow had weakened and was about to stop, reinforcements from the Han army arrived!
It is not the main force supervised by Prime Minister Zhuge.
Instead, he led the Xuanwu Army and guarded Zhang Yi in Didao, Longxi County.
However, it is said that after Prime Minister Zhuge supervised the lord and went to threaten the grain road of Gaoping City of Wei Dynasty, the person in charge of Longyou was temporarily replaced by the right general Wu Ban, who had the highest official position. He held Ayang City and wanted to send troops frequently these days.
They rescued Zheng Pu and Jiang Wei, but because they had too few troops, they were constantly blocked by the cavalry of the Xiongnu Zuoxian King Liu Bao.
Therefore, he sent an order to Longxi County and asked Zhang Yi's troops to lead the army quickly.
Anyway, Wei Ping, who was originally guarding Hexi, and Guo Huai of Jincheng County have all led their troops out of Longyou, and the Wei Dynasty did not have more troops to go out of Siwangxia to attack Longxi County.
Only Wang Ping alone can defend Wuyou.
Moreover, Zhang Yi was originally subordinate to Zheng Pu, and his headquarters, the Xuanwu Army, was founded by Zheng Pu himself.
Hearing that Zheng Pu was in danger, he would not waste a moment. Even though his headquarters only had 3,000 soldiers, and the number of soldiers who went against Wei to trap Zheng Pu and Jiang Wei was tens of thousands.
The only thing to worry about is how to break through the siege of the Huns' cavalry.
But obviously, this is not a problem for Zhang Yi.
