Chapter 97 Attack Luo
Sun Fugui took Guan Peizhong back and asked the soldiers to throw more firewood into the fire. Then the hundreds of people raised the fire and fled back to Luofu, abandoning the brigade.
Guan Shengyun spent this night on the official road. At first, the Poxiao battalion drove straight past the surrendered guard. Guan Shengyun wanted to put more pressure on the large group of defeated soldiers in front. Before they could advance far, the soldiers' physical strength could not keep up. Many of them were underfoot. They started to stagger, and even though they were marching with fire, people still fell down from time to time. There is a mountain wall on one side of the official road and a valley on the other. Guan Shengyun thought about it and decided to stop it when he saw the opportunity. Otherwise, thousands of desperate soldiers with no way to escape would blow up their nests and rush back in the opposite direction. Poxiao camp would not be able to carry it. He wanted to stay, so he ordered to camp on the spot. However, when we set out in the afternoon, everyone brought dry food and water hyacinth, and their morale was not as high as usual. It was incomparable to the defeated soldiers lying in a huddle on the road not far away and resigned to their fate. The soldiers did not take off their armor, and they relied on each other to make do with each other all night. As soon as the sky began to light up, they formed a team and set off again.
After half a day and half a night of running around, especially without food, although the defeated soldiers rested for most of the night, their spirits became even more numb. The armored ones had long lost their armor, and their weapons were thrown all over the floor. When the camp came up, they all knelt on the ground. Not to mention resisting, no one even dared to raise their head. The prisoners completely lost their will to resist, so Guan Shengyun simply broke up the Poxiao camp, and each group held hundreds of prisoners and marched all the way to Luofu. The armored soldiers and flags discarded by the defeated soldiers on the official road were piled on the roadside, no one paid attention to them. Just after Chen Shi (7 o'clock in the morning), everyone walked out of the canyon and saw the towering walls of Luoyang City a few miles away.
At this time, the wooden planks on the official road outside Luoyang City had been removed by Qi Xiaoguang and others. Looking around, there were ravines all over the ground in front of the city. Guan Shengyun reined in his horse and looked at it for a while, and couldn't help but smile: It seems that Luoyang Mansion is well prepared. For this situation, the road will not be leveled without four or five days of effort. Just what he wanted--this is what the military advisor conveyed: Is it a fake show? It's better to sing it for real and do your best. So the order was passed: the cavalry team was divided into two to guard the north and south ends. Each team was optimistic about the prisoners and rested on the spot.
It was not over yet (less than eleven o'clock in the morning), the official road behind him became noisy, and another large group of people drove up. In addition to Gu Baihua's Gangfeng Battalion, Gong Derun's Zhenyong Battalion, and more than a thousand auxiliary troops from Guoqing Forest Zone, there were also more than 3,000 Xin'an civilians. Luo Yonghao left Zhang Ding's Perak Battalion and wounded soldiers in Xin'an to rest and recuperate, while all the others were assigned to Guan Shengyun. Not only that, Military Advisor Luo also transported hundreds of fat pigs to satisfy Dasheng's brothers.
The battle is getting bigger now. As the saying goes, if there are ten thousand people, there are no boundaries. In order to exert as much pressure as possible on Luoyang and thus further conceal the strategic intention of going south, Guan and Luo, of course, did whatever they wanted to do.
The most urgent thing is of course to start dinner, and the smoke from the kitchen is rising. The soldiers from Poxiao Camp and Gangfeng Camp took off their armor, sat down comfortably, drank hot broth, ate soft and freshly baked pancakes, and watched the auxiliary soldiers setting up camp. . The official road outside the city was already in a mess, so there was no need to worry about a counterattack by the army. Therefore, all one had to do was set up tents, and there was no need to build camp walls, trenches or anything like that.
The auxiliary soldiers were also well fed. The more than a thousand people brought by the captain are the backbone of the auxiliary soldiers, and the total number is limited. There is no need to cook two kinds of food. The soldiers can eat what the auxiliary soldiers eat.
The people of Xin'an were a bit miserable: the wild vegetable soup and multigrain cakes were so meaty and fishy that they couldn't even think about it. However, except for the possibility of being whipped if your hands are slow when working, this kind of diet is still better than usual - there is no guarantee of solid food for every meal.
The most unlucky ones were the prisoners of Luofu's defeated army. The old rule of this era is that the prisoners will never be provided with any food on the first day - not only no food, but no water! You have to do the hardest and most tiring work, otherwise, let alone being beaten to death, there is a high probability of being killed with a knife and used as a negative example. If this is the case on the first day, you will probably not be able to eat it on the second day. It's normal, I'm afraid you'll rebel and cause trouble after you're full. This is common sense that goes without saying, and all the prisoners know it, so they work hard and work hard without complaint.
The auxiliary soldiers picked up the armor, flags, weapons and tools that the defeated soldiers had abandoned on the official road earlier. There were dedicated personnel to direct things such as setting up camps, cutting down trees, and smoothing roads. There were six to seven thousand civilians and prisoners, some of whom were laborers. The auxiliary soldiers did not need to work. Guo Qinglin gave each person a knife and asked them to He acted as a supervisor majestically. The captain himself led dozens of people to search the prisoners and then sort them and seize them: iron armor, leather armor and weapons must be counted and put away separately. These treasures are not easy to make and must be kept separately. Tools such as shovels, picks, and saws were counted and distributed to the common people and prisoners for work. In order to expand the momentum, Luo Yonghao sent many flags, which were planted all over the mountains and plains by Guan Shengyun.
To the surprise of the captives, everyone received the meal early the next morning. Although it was only wild vegetable soup boiled in salt water and two tough mixed noodle buns, everyone ate it with gusto. Thank you. Dade: No. People will waste food in the bellies of mortals! It seems that his life has been saved. When Guan Shengyun came over for inspection accompanied by several generals, the prisoners knelt down and expressed their heartfelt gratitude.
Guan Shengyun had his own little calculation: these thousands of prisoners were all treasures. Needless to say, the hundreds of royal guards are top-notch elites. Even the Luo soldiers and Ding Zhuang brought by Qi Xiaoguang are also very good soldiers. The Pili Battalion and Zhenyong Battalion, which were responsible for feigning attacks and luring the enemy, suffered heavy losses, and they were just used to supplement them. As for whether there will be any trouble, Guan Shengyun is not very worried: in this era, eating food and serving as a soldier is a way to make a living. Except for the servants and guards who have been firmly bound to a certain chain of allegiance, most of them For some ordinary soldiers, there is no difference between killing whoever they kill to eat and whoever they rob to make a fortune. Moreover, if they are broken up and organized into different teams, and there is a large army to control them, they will not be able to cause trouble, and they will all give up in a short time. There was something else that made Guan Shengyun deeply moved, a small thing: the people who came from Xin'an each brought a few wooden bowls.
The standard field ration prescribed by the Ministry of War of the Ming Dynasty is soup and cakes. Cut the white cloth into strips in advance, soak them in shochu, salt water, vinegar, and dry them several times. Each person takes a roll with him when he sets out. The dry food is pancakes steamed with shochu, sesame oil, salt water and flour, either rice pancakes or flour pancakes, which are carried in the pocket. When eating, cut off a piece of cloth and boil it in water, then take out the pancakes and eat them with dipping. Of course, this was a last resort and an emergency on the battlefield. These things were not allowed to be eaten on weekdays. The officers had to check them every night when camping, and those who stole the food would be beaten with military sticks. Under normal circumstances, when conditions permit, it is still done by the soldiers of each team. As for food, it is best to "take advantage of the enemy because of food" and eat whatever you can get. Because transportation is a big problem, it can even be said to be the biggest problem in military operations: without the guarantee of modern transportation conditions, the wear and tear on the road will be too great. Take transporting grain thousands of miles as an example. The transport team itself also needs to eat, not only on the way but also on the way back! Twenty carts of grain were transported, but often only one cart could be unloaded at the front line. Even if they are marching in enemy territory, the captured servants will only be provided with one-way rations, transported to the place where they are all blown away and left to fend for themselves, and the efficiency will be very low.
Whether it’s wild vegetable soup, broth or boiled cloth, there must always be a bowl to hold it. The defeated soldiers from Guan Shengyun's headquarters and Luo Mansion all ran straight down from the battlefield. Whether they were pursuing or escaping, it was impossible for everyone to have a bowl in their arms - Luo Yonghao thought of this! The devil is hidden in the details. Before Napoleon invented the staff system of the modern army, the so-called famous generals were often the ones who considered all the details the most.
The next step is to screen, first separate the royal guards, Luo soldiers and Ding Zhuang. The young men are the simplest. They are all handed over to Guo Qinglin to serve as auxiliary soldiers first, and then gradually challenge the soldiers from within. The other two groups of people separated the officers from the ordinary soldiers. The officers and the small bosses were concentrated and guarded. It was difficult to mature anyway, and they were asked to do the most dangerous, painful and tiring work, and they were forced to die. The other soldiers were dispersed and organized into different auxiliary units. It sounds like a lot of work, someone might lie or something. But in fact it is not troublesome, just point the knife at them and ask them one by one: those who answer truthfully will fill the ditch, those who are half full and talking nonsense will be cut down with a knife, and those who make accusations will be sent to the war camp to drink broth on the spot. Take a break and no longer have to do hard work. Simple and efficient.
At the top of Luoyang City, Qi Xiaoguang looked worriedly at the crowds outside the city who were busy preparing to attack the city. According to Tang News, reinforcements from various prefectures in Henan Province have arrived nearby, but they all stopped invariably dozens of miles away. Among the three prefectures in northern Henan, the reinforcements from Zhangde, Weihui and Huaiqing are stationed in Mengjin, which is sixty miles away. The reinforcements from Kaifeng, the provincial capital, are stationed in Yanshi, which is eighty miles away. The reinforcements from South Road seem to be the closest, stationed in Longmen Pass is only about twenty miles away. However, Qi Xiaoguang knew in his heart that even if the three routes set off at the same time, they might be the last ones to arrive: There is a wide Luoshui between Longmen and Luofu, and the ferry can be carried back and forth by a small boat that can only carry a few people. It doesn't take more than two or three thousand people. It is normal for it to take three or several days to load the baggage!
Magistrate Qi felt like a mirror: At this moment, it is difficult to count on these reinforcements. If King Shou's army and the Luo Mansion's headquarters beat the thieves to flight at Hangu Pass, in order to gain military glory and to wash away the villages, towns and counties along the way first to make a fortune, no one of the guest troops who came to help would be willing to fall behind others. When everyone is brave. But at the moment, whoever rushes over rashly first will not get good results. It is reasonable for everyone to find various reasons to wait and see on this matter. It was the practice of the Ming Dynasty that troops were not allowed to enter the city unless absolutely necessary, especially guest troops who did not have any incense to talk about. There is no chance to make a fortune, but maybe he will run into the main force of thieves and lose all his money? Sun Fugui would not do such a thing. In the Ming Dynasty, those who can help you and strengthen your courage without doing much harm to you are worthy of the honor of being a model for the guest army. Therefore, Luo Mansion still has to rely on itself to defend the city - however, most of the most capable elites in Luo Mansion are now outside the city helping the thieves to fill trenches and prepare to attack the city. What should we do?
Guan Shengyun's location is very advantageous: to the south is Luoshui, and the Cijian River has become much more powerful after it merges into Hangu Pass. There is no need to worry about sneak attacks by the army across the river. To the north is Gucheng Mountain, also called Hairpin Mountain, and Han (pronounced " The water originates here, winds southward, and merges into Luoshui in the east of Luoyang City. The barren mountains and wild ridges make it difficult for large armies to pass (Mengjin in the Ming Dynasty was dozens of miles east of today's Mengjin County). Behind it is Han Guguan, therefore, only needs to put on a vigorous westward attack posture. In addition to filling trenches, of course, we also need to build siege equipment, but after all, it is just a show, so the work falls on some Xin'an people - hard and dangerous work such as logging is left to the captured officers and petty leaders. , the common people are responsible for manufacturing. Of course the common people would not do car crashes and tower building, but gradually after a day or two, everyone began to understand vaguely: These kings only focus on the work under your hands, and they will be busy when they see the bustle. There are steamed buns to eat. As for whether the knot is strong or whether it will fall apart after a few steps of pushing, no one seems to care at all.
The main job of the prisoners was to work with other people to fill the road, but instead of leveling it along the official road all the way to the city gate, they were busy opening a large area at Hangu Pass. It seemed that they were going to build a large-scale advance base. The experienced veterans were talking privately: The kings are going to fight to the death with Luo Mansion. How can there be a base built so close to the city? Looking at this posture, I'm afraid they are not going to build a large fortress in the west of the city!
From time to time someone will come to pick someone, and those who are chosen don’t talk nonsense and just follow along. At first everyone was worried, but soon after, news gradually came back: Those who were picked away were the ones with good luck. They were taken to the west to build roads on the Han Valley Official Road. The work was much easier and the food was much better. , so they all competed for performance, hoping that they could also be selected. Everyone knows very well that although it is safe now, it is only temporary after all. After the base is built and the road is filled in the direction of the city wall, they will be attacked by the full force of the city. That is a life-threatening job! Fortunately, within a few days, most of the people were selected and taken away one after another. Almost all of the people staying in the bungalows at night were ordinary people.
In the beginning, tools such as shovels and pickaxes were collected at night and handed out when work started the next morning. Later, the kings seemed too lazy to bother and stopped accepting them. Every day at dawn, there would be fierce auxiliary soldiers who would force everyone to get up and go to work. If there was one who was slow, the whole shack would be beaten. Soon everyone got into the habit of waking each other up and starting work proactively. Habit.
The way of working here is not much different from most people's usual work and rest habits. They get up and work around nine o'clock (five o'clock in the morning) every day, and work until nearly noon (eleven o'clock) when they finish work and go to the soldiers' place for dinner. After a meal, I can often rest for half an hour and take a nap, and then continue working. When the sun sets on the top of the western mountain, I finish my work and have dinner, and the day is over. Of course, in the first day or two, there were supervisors patrolling back and forth with whips, but as time went on, there were fewer and fewer, and sometimes no one could be seen for a whole day.
On this day, the people went to work as usual, but the whistle for lunch still did not sound until the sun hung above their heads. Finally, someone stopped what they were doing and had the courage to run to the soldiers to see. Except for the common people, the Nuo Da camp was already empty!
