On the grasslands inside and outside Yinshan Mountain, two huge teams were heading in completely opposite directions.
One party supported the old and the young, took tents, cattle, sheep and household items, and headed towards Lingzhou.
One party galloped, carrying bows, arrows and spears, heading towards Shengzhou.
Shao Shude likes to plunder the enemy's cattle, sheep and meat the most, so how can he not beware of this move?
In addition to the old and weak people from the Qibi tribe who went south to Linzhou, nearly 80,000 old and weak people from the Zhuang Lang, Wang, Geshu and Hun clans all went to Lingzhou until the end of the northern patrol.
After setting sail, on the big river, there were masts like a forest, and one after another watercraft appeared on the horizon.
The ships sailed very fast, and they overtook the marching cavalry one after another.
It gradually got closer, so close that the soldiers at the head of Dongshoujiang City could see the warriors standing all over the deck.
It only took ten days for more than a hundred watercrafts departing from Huaiyuan Port to arrive in Shengzhou, faster than a cavalryman with two horses!
The first ship docked on the trestle, the planks were lowered, and the warriors carrying swords and bows came out first.
Another ship docked on the trestle, and the auxiliary soldiers carefully carried the grain bags off the ship.
The Yulin Port Terminal, which can dock eight ships at the same time, has entered a busy stage.
The camp officers and assistants moved the desks, sat on the floor, and began to copy and register the military assets and classify them into categories. They wrote carelessly, scrawled, and were so busy that they were sweating profusely.
"Your breasts are as hard as iron armor. How long have they been stored in storage? When they were sent to the army, the warriors still didn't hack me to death?"
"There should be three thousand jars of Xiazhou grape wine, but why are there twenty-one jars missing? What? It was broken on the road. It doesn't work. It has to be replaced."
"Sheep are so thin, who sent them from? Xiazhou Official Mu? This..."
"The number of arrows from Huaiyuan Zuoyuan is correct. There are still 5,000 bundles left to return to Le Zuoyuan. Hurry up and transport them."
"Four thousand blades are stored in Dongcheng Yizi Library."
"Whetstone..."
"rope……"
After the assistants finished recording, the envoys at the warehouse had to rush in. Their mouths were dry and their throats were about to burst from shouting. They kept instructing the civilians to carry the goods. How many bundles of arrows and where to put them, how many baskets of vinegar cakes, how many baskets of vinegar cakes, how many baskets of vinegar cakes, how many bundles of arrows and where to put them.
Where, how many packages of medicinal materials, how to preserve them...
The temporarily recruited herdsmen were cutting fodder in the nearby horse farm. They had no time to rest, and their arms were so sore.
Others were boiling beans and making coarse grain cakes for the horses.
Even the children were mobilized to sift the grain and prepare the bran.
A few miles away from the dock, more than 10,000 strong men and women from Liugu Tubo were digging trenches, repairing camps, and building watchtowers.
They sweated profusely and continued to improve the camp according to the instructions of the military scribes.
There was a lively scene everywhere.
This is war, with both the bloody heroics on the killing field and the trivial and boring life in the base camp.
Looking down from the sky, civilians are working as hard as ants, with camels, horses and carts crowding the fields, and on the periphery are soldiers lined up in neat rows, heading for the distance.
Busy but not chaotic, orderly.
Shuofang's army, which has been fighting for many years, has been trained from the front line to the rear.
Shao Shude landed ashore surrounded by his own soldiers.
"Commander!" The leaders of Yinshan tribes all knelt on the ground.
Shao Shude looked at the mountains to the east and saw that the Xinquan Army had entered Shanyang Pass. After hearing the news, Li Keyong must have known the strategic intentions of Shuofang Army.
"Everyone, get up." He said calmly.
The leaders stood up one after another and showed great respect.
Bai Daochuan's inspection envoy Qi Binzhang, who was the most powerful and also a landlord, opened his mouth to say a few words, but as soon as his eyes saw Shao Shude's calm face, he swallowed it again.
"How many people from each ministry came?" Shao Shude asked.
"Back to the commander-in-chief, there are twelve thousand and eight hundred men from Qibi's tribe and six thousand horses."
"Nine thousand nine hundred men and two thousand six hundred horses came from Hunbu."
"The Tibetan Talents Department came with 10,000 and 700 men and 2,400 horses."
"Nine thousand two hundred men and three thousand horses came from Zhuang Lang's tribe."
"The Geshu tribe came with nine thousand men and three thousand one hundred horses."
There are almost 50,000 people, which is not bad.
"Inspection envoy Qibi, I hereby appoint you as the deputy envoy to attack Youyi in the north of the camp. You will lead 17,000 cavalrymen in five divisions and carry grain and beans to Yanchi (today's Daihai) to stand by."
"The general will obey your orders." Qi Bizhang was overjoyed.
"The King's Inspection Envoy, I hereby appoint you as the formation envoy of the five troops of the camp, commanding 30,000 infantry, stationed to the east of Zhenwu Army City, and training diligently."
"I will obey your orders." Wang Xie responded loudly.
Zhuang Langshen and others looked sad. Qi Bizhang was very powerful, so everyone recognized him, but Wang Xie could also be a formation commander and command more than 30,000 infantry from the five tribes of Yinshan, which shows that in the commander's heart, he still has hidden talents.
The Wang family is closer.
"In this way, everyone retreat, practice well, and work diligently."
"As commanded."
After giving all these instructions, Shao Shude led the 8,000 infantry of the Tielin Army, which had been formed, and headed for the Zhenwu Army.
…
On the grassland that is gradually turning green, the pastoral songs of cattle and sheep have long gone, and the golden and iron horses are beginning to appear.
The mobilization of Shuofang's army was so rapid that it was beyond the expectations of Datong Army and Hedong Army.
The convenience of shipping has greatly improved the army's logistical support capabilities, allowing each unit to march lightly and quickly.
On March 24, thousands of horsemen appeared in the Shenhexing area.
They did not stop here, but moved on.
This place has long been outside the Great Wall, a land of dragons and wilderness in the eyes of the Central Plains people, but this army with the banner of "Yang" didn't care. More than ten thousand riders drove cattle and sheep, heading straight to the southeast like a picnic.
In the evening, they arrived at their destination.
It was a huge lake. The sun was setting, the lake was rustling, the water was rippled, and gulls were gathering in large numbers.
There are large forests and reeds on the shore, with abundant water and grass. It is the nomadic land of the Tuyuhunhe company of the five tribes to the north, but they have all run away now, either to Yunzhou or to the northeast.
The sergeants dismounted, threw the reins to the auxiliary soldiers of the Long family tribe, and casually enjoyed the beautiful scenery of the lakeside.
"But Commander Yang of the Flying Bear Army?" Qi Bizhang, who had been waiting for a long time, immediately stepped forward and saluted.
The soldier took out an ultimatum: "For punishment, I have the advantage of arrows and martial arts. I will be praised forever when I call the ape, and I will be able to pass on my wonderful skills when I fall into the wild goose... The former officer has already attacked and shot with his hands, and he is good at responding to his thoughts. Without bending a three-hundred-jin bow, he can fire arrows at seventy paces. If Ji Chang sees him, he will definitely want to string his string; if Lu Bu meets him, he will be ashamed to twist his trousers... It is necessary to go to the north of the camp to attack the envoys of You Yi. "
Qi Banzhang had been an official in the Tang Dynasty for many years, and of course he was literate. He just took a look at it, knelt down on one knee and said: "The general will pay homage to the attack envoy."
"Have you ever seen the Hedong Army after being stationed here for many days?" Yang Hongwang sat down and asked.
"There are bandits roaming around, but no large group has been seen." Qibizhang replied.
When he heard Qibizhang calling the Hedong Army a "thief army", the corners of Yang Hongwang's mouth curled up.
"Can it be driven away?" he asked.
"After the last general led his army to arrive here, he surrounded and killed the Hedong cavalry day and night. He also sent people south to conduct a distant reconnaissance of the bandit force. He learned that the bandit army was under the strong city of Yunzhou. There were many soldiers and horses, including four or five. Thousands of people.”
"Prepare food and water. After resting, our troops will immediately go south and meet Sha Tuoer for a while."
Qi Bizhang was shocked when he heard this and said: "Why are you so anxious to attack?"
Although he hated Li Keyong deeply and wished to defeat him, was it really appropriate to be so bold?
"General Qibi, just sit here. The salt pond is rich in water and grass, and the fish are very fat, so please eat more." After saying that, he got up and went to the troops, urging the sergeants to take time to rest.
Qibizhang's face turned a little dark.
Are Shuofang's troops so brave and vigorous in fighting? Are all their soldiers and generals so domineering?
He stationed here with 17,000 cavalry. On the surface, he was waiting for the arrival of the commander's main force, but in fact? Is there really no fear of Li Keyong?
Yang Hongwang naturally wouldn't care about Qi Binzhang's mood.
This time he brought the entire Flying Bear Army, with a total of 5,000 soldiers and 5,000 auxiliary soldiers for the silver spears and 1,000 soldiers and 2,000 auxiliary soldiers for the leopard cavalry. The whole army had a total of 20,000 horses, and its mobility was astonishing. .
When he was in Zhenwu Military City, the commander replenished him with 7,000 riding horses sent from Yongqingzha Racecourse in Fengzhou. At present, the total number of horses in the army has reached 27,000, which is twice the number of people. many.
The spare horses could carry food and water, but they were definitely not enough, so he still needed Qibizhang, who had arrived here earlier, to provide the necessary supplies before he could go south.
Yanchi is not far from Yunzhou, only about two hundred miles away. The flying bear army is rushing away, which should make Li Ke busy.
After the soldiers finished eating and drinking, they lay down or sat down and took the time to rest. The auxiliary soldiers were also busy taking care of the horses and preparing the supplies needed for the next few days.
…
Shen Xin set off again with his troops.
His old Wan Sheng Army, with a total of more than 4,000 infantry and cavalry, marched north from Yun Prefecture to seize Yanchang City.
In fact, he was very puzzled by the commander's order.
The rangers learned that a large group of cavalrymen under the banner of Qibizhang had appeared in the Yanchi area in the north, totaling more than 10,000 people.
This is a huge force, because this time when they went north to besiege Yunzhou, the Hedong Army only brought about 15,000 cavalry in total. Regardless of the combat effectiveness of the tribal army, the number was real and the threat was great.
If he had been in command, if Yunzhou City had not yet been captured and 30,000 Yan soldiers were sent to reinforce Yuzhou from the east, and if traces of Shuofang's army were discovered from the northwest, he would have ordered the troops to retreat. Anyway, Helian Duo is very weak now.
I don't dare to pursue them, as long as I retreat to Daizhou, there are dangerous passes in the Xiongguan Pass to block me, and I can attack and defend when I advance, which is much safer.
But the commander-in-chief was in a bad mood, and he didn't dare to get into trouble, so he had no choice but to bite the bullet and head north, otherwise his whole family might be killed.
Shao Shude was particularly treacherous. He sent an envoy to write a letter inviting the generals to meet at Xuanhong Pond to form an alliance.
, now it has dried up and disappeared.
Where can I go?
Going north from Yunzhou, you have to walk one hundred and sixty miles to reach Xuanhong Pond. Shao Shude arranged the location of the alliance there, which was a shame!
He is just like those barbarian emperors in the Northern Dynasties. He can camp wherever he wants without a city, but the commander-in-chief cannot take such risks.
Oh, what a waste!
Full of complaints, Wan Shengjun continued to move forward, walking alone on the desolate ancient road.
In the evening, the vanguard cavalry came to report that Yanchang City was empty and they had occupied it.
Shen Xin put down his snack a little.
This city was built by Murong Chui. It is relatively dilapidated now, but it has some defensive effect.
Take it first!
The commander-in-chief's intention is also very clear, let his Wan Sheng Army block Yanchang City, the only way to go south, and then consider whether to go north to form an alliance.
Helian Duo had nothing to fear, and he did not dare to leave the city. But the thirty thousand Yan soldiers were a problem. If the Eastern Route Army could not resist it, there would be no way to retreat.
The last trace of light in the sky disappeared, and the entire Wan Sheng Army entered Yanchang City.
The auxiliary soldiers were busy cleaning up the dilapidated room full of cobwebs, while Shen Xin climbed to the top of the city and overlooked the surrounding wilderness.
It’s really spectacular!
There are boundless green fields, rivers crisscrossing them, and small seas dotted here and there. There are undulating hills, and there are dense woods one after another under the hills.
Tomorrow we have to send people to cut down some trees and come back to strengthen the city. Shen Xin touched the uneven city wall with his hands and was very dissatisfied.
After all, it was a hastily built city when Murong Chui was seriously ill, so it still didn’t work!
A large number of birds and gulls flew in the mountains and forests in the northwest, which was very pleasing to the eye.
Shen Xin was about to praise him twice, but suddenly he remembered something, and his expression suddenly changed.
Sure enough, a large group of cavalrymen armed with silver spears appeared at the edge of the mountain forest. They briefly identified the direction, then galloped their horses and rushed towards Yanchang City.
"Send a messenger to convey the message to the commander, and then block the city gate!" Shen Xin immediately ordered.
He now somewhat understands the commander-in-chief's decision to send Wan Sheng's army north. This Shuofang army came too fast!
If they were rushed down the amniotic fluid (today's Silt River) and were caught off guard, wouldn't tens of thousands of Hedong troops be in danger?
Judging from the attire, it's not a tribal army, it should be Shuofang Yamen army. How did it happen so quickly?
There were continuous screams outside the city. Shen Xin looked around and saw several messengers leaving the city being intercepted.
There are more and more Silver Lancers in the wild, circling around and constantly intimidating the guards on the city.
They did not try to attack the city, but wandered outside, besieging and killing scouts and messengers, and were extremely arrogant.
After openly attacking and killing the Hedong sergeant, Shuofang's army was ready to break up?
"We have to send another wave of messengers after nightfall." Shen Xin's expression became more solemn as he looked at it.
There are too many cavalry in Shuofang's army. If the general does not know and rushes northward, even if the infantry is brave and elite, if they are trapped by tens of thousands of Shao thieves, they will repeat the siege of Han Emperor Bai Deng and Sui Yang Emperor Yanmen.
