It rained heavily, the river swelled, and the ship struggled to move forward in the waves.
Yang Anxuan stood at the bow of the ship, looking at the vast rain curtain, letting the rain beat on his dull face.
As expected, the Beifu Army selected three thousand old and weak soldiers to go north with them. The baggage was in ruins, but the military rations were sufficient.
Sima Yuanxian left Dong Huai and Wang Gong to coordinate the troops marching north to Beifu. Dong Huai saw that the reinforcements were old and weak, so he argued with Wang Gong several times to no avail. Liu Laozhi, He Sheng and others tried to shirk each other, leaving Dong Huai with nothing to do.
Seeing that the departure date is approaching, the army is not yet ready to set off, and the battle report from the front line is coming again. Yao Xing led his troops to continue marching westward. Dong Mai, the governor of Huashan, and Tao Zhongshan, the governor of Hongnong, successively surrendered the enemy. The Qin soldiers arrived in Shaanxi and attacked Shangluo. Once Shangluo was defeated, Luoyang was in danger.
Sima Yuanxian came to Jingkou again and brought a strict decree from the court that the reinforcements going north must set off within three days.
The situation was critical and there could be no further delay. Yang Anxuan suggested that the Beifu Army send fifty stern ships loaded with men, horses, baggage and grain along the river. When Jiangxia reached Jiangxia, they turned into Mianshui (Han River) and headed north to Xiangyang. They landed in Xiangyang and passed through Xinye and Nanyang to Luoyang.
The speed of traveling by boat can be twice as fast as traveling by land. Otherwise, by the time these three thousand old and weak soldiers arrive in Luoyang, the war may have been over.
On July 8, the fleet arrived at Xiakou and entered the Mian River to head north. It rained heavily and the ship's speed slowed down.
Yang Anxuan was very anxious. He received the battle report yesterday that Shangluo had been lost. It was less than ten days' journey from Shangluo to Luoyang, and the reinforcements could not make it in time.
Captain Zheng Chong lowered his head, braved the storm, came to Yang Anxuan's side, and shouted loudly: "General Yang, the wind and rain are too strong, the ship may roll over, please avoid the wind and rain before leaving."
No matter how anxious he was, he couldn't gamble with the lives of his subordinates. Yang Anxuan said: "Yes."
There were shouts in the wind and rain, and the boat slowly approached the shore, looking for shelter from the wind.
Turning back to the cabin, Yang Anxuan took off his poncho. Zhang Feng took it and hung it outside the cabin. When Yang Anxuan sat down at the table, he served him a cup of hot tea.
A quarter of an hour later, General Wu Yi Feng Zhi boarded the ship and came to the cabin to greet him. Feng Zhi is Yang Anxuan's deputy. Yang Anxuan is not familiar with the Beifu Army yet, so he coordinates and communicates with Feng Zhi when he has something to do.
It had been many days since he led his army north, but Yang Anxuan could still feel the alienation of the Beifu Army officers and soldiers from him. Yang Anxuan was worried about how much combat power the already weak team had when they arrived in Luoyang.
Meng Longfu and Yu Fei were appointed as captains of the school, while Xu Jing became the chief clerk of the army and took care of documents. A dozen others were dispersed among the Beifu Army as commanders, captains and corps commanders, both in commanding the army and in charge of military affairs. Fill your eyes and ears.
Feng Zhi bowed and saluted, and Yang Anxuan motioned for him to sit aside and talk. Feng Zhi was a member of the formation during the school field competition. He had seen the power of Yang Anxuan and the others in the Xunjiang camp, so his attitude was quite respectful and he did not obey Yang Anxuan's orders.
"General Yang, there are many soldiers in the army who have fever and diarrhea, and it may be difficult to continue moving forward." Feng Zhi frowned and said.
Yang Anxuan asked: "Has the military doctor ever seen it?"
"It's said to be caused by drinking unclean water."
Yang Anxuan said angrily: "You have repeatedly warned that you cannot drink river water directly. The water must be boiled before consumption. Why do some people still not listen?"
Feng Zhi was silent. The weather was hot, and when the boat was sailing on the river, a sergeant wanted to drink the river water directly, but he was repeatedly forbidden.
Things had already happened. Yang Anxuan knew that it was useless to get angry, so he said: "General Feng, gather the sick people on one or two ships and let them cure their diseases before heading to Luoyang."
"Moreover, if the order continues, if there are soldiers who drink the river water directly, they will be punished with twenty lashes. The corps commander cannot prohibit it, so he will be lashed with 20 lashes for the same, fifteen lashes for the longer ones, and ten lashes for the captain." Yang Anxuan ordered coldly.
Feng Zhi felt the anger in Yang Anxuan's words, and felt secretly in his heart, saying, "General Yang, are you being too harsh?"
Yang Anxuan said without any doubt: "Pass the order, Yu Zheng wants to use this matter to establish his authority and ask Sima Caoquan to inspect the ships."
Some people were not discerning and found out that 24 people were drinking the river water that day. Yang Anxuan ordered that stakes be set up by the river, and the 24 people were tied to the stakes and whipped.
The corps commander, chief officer, and captain were also whipped when they were implicated. Among them were captain Zhou Lian and corps commander Zhao Xiao, whom Yang Anxuan brought from the Jiangjiang Patrol Camp.
While patrolling the camp, Yang Anxuan learned from Ding Chong (Ding Xiaoqi), Huang Fu and others that there were complaints in the military camp and they were dissatisfied with him.
It is a taboo in the army that a general does not know his soldiers and that his soldiers do not know his generals. This situation cannot be changed in a short time. Perhaps these Beifu Army soldiers will truly identify with themselves after living and dying together on the battlefield.
The next day, the wind and rain did not stop, the waves on the river were rough, and the boat could not sail.
After a night of hard thinking, Yang Anxuan decided to go to Xiangyang first to seek help from Xi Hui, the governor of Yongqin.
After telling Feng Zhi to lead his troops to rendezvous in Xiangyang, Yang Anxuan took Yu Fei and Zhang Feng, abandoned the ship and rode on horseback, braving the wind and rain and rushed to Xiangyang.
…………
Xiangyang, governor's office.
Urgent documents from Xiahou Zongzhi, the governor of Henan Province, came like snow flakes, making Xi Hui restless. Shangluo has been lost, and Luoyang is in danger. There are only 8,000 troops stationed in Luoyang city. If Luoyang is lost, I, the governor of Yongqin, will not be able to escape the blame.
Yongzhou has tens of thousands of soldiers and horses stationed in various places. There are only more than 20,000 garrison troops stationed in Xiangyang, Xinye, and Nanyang.
After several days of discussions, the generals argued endlessly. Most people believed that Yongzhou had insufficient troops. In order to prevent the Qin soldiers from going south, it was necessary to strictly guard the Nanyang and Xinye lines. To rescue Luoyang, it was better to wait for the troops from the imperial court to arrive.
Xi Hui regretted that his generals Guo Bi, Xin Gongjing, Lu Qiuxian, Hu Fan and others were not as brave as Yang Quanqi. If he had known better, he should not have let Yang's army leave.
A minor official came into the hall and said, "General Fubo Yang Anxuan wants to see you."
Xi Hui was stunned and asked, "Who are you talking about?"
"General Fubo Yang Anxuan." The clerk responded clearly.
Xi Hui received the notice, and the imperial court sent Yang Anxuan to lead 3,000 Beifu troops to the north for rescue. They set off from Jingkou by boat in early July. Calculating that the journey would take at least five or six days to reach Xiangyang, why did Yang Anxuan appear in Xiangyang?
"Please come quickly. By the way, Daoxu, please welcome me on behalf of Yu." Xi Hui said hurriedly.
After a while, Yang Anxuan and Hu Fan entered side by side. It was Yang Anxuan who was covered with dust.
"I have met Mr. Xi." Yang Anxuan came to Xi Hui and bowed deeply to the ground.
Xi Hui stood up, looked at Yang Anxuan and said with a smile: "An Xuan, have the reinforcements from the court arrived? It's much faster than Yu expected."
Yang Anxuan shook his head and said: "The reinforcements are still not far from Xiakou. The heavy rain has swollen the water and the boats cannot move. Yu was worried about the war and rode to Xiangyang first to see Duke Xi."
Yang Anxuan's body was stained with mud and his face was tired. Xi Hui was greatly moved and said: "An Xuan, go wash up first and let's talk while we eat. Daoxuan, you take An Xuan down to change clothes."
Hu Fan took Yang Anxuan to his residence, and Yang Anxuan asked him about Yongzhou's response strategy. Hu Fan told Yang Anxuan that most people placed their hopes on the three thousand soldiers and horses from the north.
Yang Anxuan sighed: "Brother Daoxu, most of the three thousand soldiers and horses brought by Yu on this trip are old, weak and disabled soldiers. Even if they can get to Luoyang, they may not be able to fight."
Hu Fan was shocked and said: "How can the court be so playful and send weak soldiers to rescue Luoyang?"
"Alas", Yang Anxuan sighed, feeling miserable.
Wang Gong fought with the court and did not want the Beifu army going north to be controlled by the court. He defeated the Beifu army in the battle, but it affected the Northern aid.
After washing his face and putting on Hu Fan's clothes, Yang Anxuan went to court again. Xi Hui has ordered people to hold a banquet and chat while eating.
When he learned that the troops and horses from the northern aid could not be reused, Xi Hui cried out in pain: "Uncle Filial piety, he is so obsessed with things that he has ruined the country's affairs."
"Mr. Xi, rescuing troops is like putting out a fire." Yang Anxuan said: "I intend to bring a thousand reinforcements from Xiangyang to Luoyang first to boost the morale of the defenders, and let the three thousand Beifu troops repair in Xiangyang and obey Duke Xi's dispatch."
The plan to exchange three thousand for one thousand was what Yang Anxuan was thinking about on the road. Xi Hui twitched his beard and thought to himself, a thousand soldiers and horses are heading to Luoyang, what is the use of a meager salary.
Hu Fan said: "Prefect Xi, the governor of Xiahou sends three urgent letters a day. If we don't send reinforcements quickly, we may fear that Hongnong's incident will happen again."
Xi Hui tightened his grip on Pouwei. This was what he was most worried about. If Luoyang surrendered without a fight, the impact would be great. The surrounding counties and counties would follow suit and surrender. Nanyang and Xinye would become the front lines. The danger of the Yellow River would be surrendered. The country will be greatly reduced.
With the loss of Luoyang, the old capital, the mentality of the people will also change. Those refugees will attach themselves to the barbarians and no longer care about their homeland.
Xi Hui tapped the table with his tail and said: "According to what An Xuan said, we will select a thousand strong men from the army to rescue Luoyang first. Xin Gongjing, you should step up your training of troops and horses. When the Beifu army arrives, join forces to help the north."
The big man on the left seat stood up and accepted the promise. Xin Gongjing, Sima of the state, General Jianwu, commanded the troops and horses of Yongzhou.
Xi Hui looked at the fat man on the right seat and said, "Lu Bingxian, you will go back to Nanyang tomorrow to guard the city and build fortifications to prevent Qin soldiers from escaping south."
Lu Bingxian, the prefect of Nanyang, said yes, but his face was filled with sadness and he couldn't say: "Qin has tens of thousands of troops, and Nanyang only has 7,000 soldiers and horses. It may be difficult to resist the Qin army going south."
Yang Anxuan remembered that the three families of Yin, Cen, and Deng in Xinye had nearly a thousand tribesmen, and said: "Mr. Xi, why not enlist the tribesmen of the gentry to help defend the city. If the nest is overturned, there will be no intact eggs. Those aristocratic families will definitely help vigorously."
Xi Hui stroked his beard and smiled and said: "An Xuan's words will allow Yongzhou to send more than ten thousand troops and horses, which will solve the urgent need. An Xuan, I would like to give you a drink."
Hu Fan stood up and clasped his fists and said: "Prince Xi, I would like to go to Luoyang with An Xuan. Please approve it."
Xi Hui nodded and said: "Daoxu, you and An Xuan are good friends, and you can help me if you need anything."
Yang Anxuan was also not familiar with Yongzhou's troops and horses. Hu Fan was the military counselor, and he was in charge of issuing orders to Yang Anxuan's army.
Yang Anxuan put down his wine glass and said: "The Qin soldiers are marching eastward in a big way. Duke Xi can ask the governor of Liangzhou to send troops from Ziwu Valley to contain some Qin soldiers and delay Qin's eastward march."
After the Jin conquered the Han Dynasty, Liangzhou was established. Yang Liang, the ancestor of Yang Anxuan, once served as the governor of Liangzhou, and the current governor of Liangzhou is Wang Zhengyin.
Ziwu Valley, located at the northern foot of Zhongnan Mountain in the Qinling Mountains, is the main road from Chang'an to Hanzhong. During Zhuge Liang's first Northern Expedition during the Three Kingdoms period, Wei Yan proposed sending surprise troops from the Ziwu Valley to attack Chang'an, but Zhuge Liang vetoed it, leaving an eternal controversy.
Xi Hui's eyes lit up and he praised: "An Xuan's plan is very clever. Sending troops from Ziwu Valley can threaten Chang'an and force the Qin soldiers to retreat. Even if it is a bluff, the Qin people cannot respond. How wonderful!"
Xin Gongjing smiled and said: "Yu was a little worried about General Yang's youth just now, but it seems that he was overly worried. General Yang, I would like to propose a toast to you."
Yang Anxuan's few words were as good as the tens of thousands of reinforcements. Everyone's tense heartstrings relaxed a little, and they started talking and laughing.
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