The cold wind stirred the land of Hebei. At night, a fierce and bloody battle took place outside Leling City, but it caught both sides off guard.
What happened is actually very simple.
Although the rebels had received enough information from the two sides that had not sealed the deal, and knew the information about the large-scale reinforcements coming from the Dragon-Deposed Army, but it was so cold and food would be exhausted in a few days, how could normal people bet their lives on any reinforcements? So, with the cold wind blowing that night, the ice on the Maface River froze very quickly, which finally made many rebels want to take the opportunity to flee.
I don’t know who took the lead, and I don’t know who came up with the idea. A large number of rebels, in groups and in groups, connected mats, reeds, ropes, and wooden boards into one, and placed them on the ice of the Ma Mian River to serve as Some kind of pontoon-type thing, trying to escape at night.
But at the same time, the officers and soldiers of the South Camp happened to be moving camp that night. When the two sides met, the rebels thought that the other side was coming to stop them, and a conflict naturally broke out.
Immediately, the North Camp of the official army sent troops and horses to support, and the rebel army also tried to rescue. The two sides started a chaotic battle inside the Mamian River.
Frankly speaking, this battle was a bit of a disadvantage for the officers and soldiers... This disadvantage did not mean that they did not have the upper hand, but that it was a winter night, it was dark at the end of the month, and the cold wind was howling, which gave the officers and soldiers the advantage they should have had There was no way to show it, there was no formation, and there was no effective command. It was still a sudden encounter, unprepared, but some of the rebels seemed to be returning to the army, gritting their teeth and fighting for their lives.
After all, the rebels were inferior to their opponents in all aspects of quality. Therefore, from the second to the third update, both sides looked very embarrassed, but they were still fighting.
"Brother!"
At the third watch, when he saw another large group of troops leaving the North Camp with torches, and then heading to the south side along the river for support, here at the North Camp of the army, behind the center, young Sun Anzong suddenly couldn't bear it anymore. , he held up the torch and shouted in a low voice to the person beside him.
Dou Lide, who was also standing on the roof watching the support queue, was not in a hurry to answer. He just shook his head slowly, and then squatted down on the dilapidated roof in the cold wind.
Under the torch, the leader of the rebel army who had just successfully faked a surrender looked obviously struggling.
He met Zhang Shiyu in the morning, and then led his troops to surrender in the evening, but he did not go to the South Camp, but came to the North Camp at Zhang Shiyu's request, and it was an empty camp surrounded by groups... Obviously , Zhang Shiyu had good reasons, and it was also for the convenience of control, but for Dou Lide and his group of brothers, it took great courage to enter this place, because the Beiying was full of elites from the Hejian Army, and there were as many as Twenty-five thousand people, if they were really punished when they were hungry for a meal at night, they would be punished.
Of course, the situation soon became clear with the conflict in the evening and the movement of the officers and soldiers of the South Camp to the north - Bohai Governor Zhang had no choice but to place them in the North Camp.
However, before they could feel at ease for a while, Dou Lide and several of his confidants quickly fell into the torment on the other side as the fighting scene on the other side grew larger and larger.
There is no doubt that this is a good opportunity.
"Brother!" Sun Anzong, the original nominal leader of this rebel army, acted like a subordinate in front of Dou Lide. "This is a good opportunity."
"I know." Doulide finally spoke.
"Ade!" Another person also climbed up to the roof holding a torch and responded in a serious voice, but it was Dou Lide's brother-in-law Cao Chen. "If it is launched at this time, the wind is strong, and fires are set on all sides, there is no chance that it will have a miraculous effect."
"I know." Dou Lide repeated, but he covered his face with two torches on both sides and squatted on the roof without moving.
The two stopped talking, and after a while, two or three more people arrived. The only few people in the army who knew that it was a false surrender all arrived. At this moment, the leader of the rebel army who came from Gaojibo also knew that he had to make a decision.
"You can't move." After a moment, Dou Lide suddenly took away the hand covering his face and spoke firmly. "Don't move! If you move at this time, there will probably be some small results, but we are risking our lives to do this, not because of the small results, but because we hope to achieve a great success before the Dragon Army is deposed, and wait for others. If the rules are laid out, we can have a place and a foundation for our group to establish ourselves in Hebei... But if we want to achieve great success, we still have to wait until the deposed dragon army arrives tomorrow to do this."
The other four or five people hesitated, but still chose to obey. In the past two years, Dou Lide had established enough authority over them, and everyone was willing to believe this middle-aged man with a mature appearance.
Moreover, by now, except for Zhang Xing himself who is probably still frightened, all the other forces in Hebei have actually misjudged the situation.
The reason for the misjudgment lies in the posture shown by the deposed dragon army during the two days when they crossed the river.
In the battle on the plains, these people from the east fought too brilliantly. They were steady, accurate, fast, and ruthless. They killed each other with one blow and left no room for death... The whole Hebei was frightened by the killing. In addition, King Xiongtian was torn apart in the center of the whirlpool just in time. The "declaration of war" he opened made everyone think that the Deposed Dragon Army was fierce and determined to win or lose. It was even premeditated. At the very least, it was a decision made after a clear analysis of the forces of all parties and the battlefield situation. .
At the same time, almost all the forces in Hebei felt like they were being surprised and caught off guard.
Therefore, Xue Changxiong did not dare to gamble, he was afraid that he would be killed by a group of Chengdan masters, and he was afraid that his big capital would accompany him here. Although Zhang Shiyu was depressed, he had no choice but to give up his leading plan, and there was no doubt that he would still be here. He secretly sighed that his destiny was not in Wei; Qian Tang was also extremely depressed, and Cao Shancheng even mobilized the soldiers of Qinghe County to help in the decisive battle; even here in the rebel army, there were quite a few smart people who felt that this was Gao Shitong's deliberate or unintentional act. The deposed dragon gang used it as a bait to set up a trap.
However, none of them knew that everything was really in a hurry. Zhang Xing crossed the river this time just because he had accidentally learned the information about the West Road Division of the Hejian Camp before crossing the river, and he was only prepared to take advantage of this division. , and even prepared to flee to Douzigang if he couldn't eat anymore.
Of course, if most of the gangs, the so-called masters from the eight counties, were gathered together to launch a surprise attack, they would still win.
Then, although Zhang Xing began to hesitate, worry, and even panic from the noon when the battle situation was determined, he still bit the bullet step by step, even resolutely, and carried out a move that he knew in his heart was right, but he didn't The military order he felt guilty in his heart was to drop everything, quickly gather all the living forces, and come to Leling, the center of the whirlpool.
This is Zhang Xing's advantage. He knows what is right. No matter how much he struggles in his heart, he rarely shows it on the surface, and it will not affect his actions.
At the fourth watch, General Xue, who had just entered the realm of a master, was waiting for his youngest son Xue Wanquan and his confidant Chen Bin in the bedroom of his mansion.
"Have those county soldiers of Duke Zhang been rescued?" Upon noticing the two men coming in, Xue Changxiong just closed his eyes and rested on the couch without opening his eyes.
"Of course I was saved." Chen Bin blurted out. "But I don't want to disturb the general for this matter."
"What should I say?" Xue Changxiong finally opened his eyes on the couch.
"Two letters came from the west." Chen Bin said as he took it out of his arms. "Qian and Cao, the two county guards... they said that they knew that Zhang Xing was leading the main force of the deposed dragon thieves for the decisive battle, and they had brought as many county soldiers as they could to support the battle. They will be able to arrive in the day after the urgent march. I hope We'll do a good job of taking care of it, and it will be miraculous when it comes to unexpected situations."
Xue Changxiong sneered and waved his hand to stop: "The meaning is so clear, it's okay not to read it."
Chen Bin took advantage of the situation and put his hands away, but did not say much.
Xue Changxiong was also sitting on the couch, listening to the wind outside the house with his eyes open, but did not move or speak.
Xue Wanquan, who had been acting as a guard outside before, was now standing in the house, feeling a little at a loss.
After a while, Chen Bin was still watching with interest. He suddenly held up two letters and said with a smile: "General Seventh, are you wondering whether you should send a reply to the two county guards and ask them not to do it?" Here you go, guard the military camp?"
Xue Wanquan hesitated for a moment and nodded heavily: "Yes."
"Qian Tongshou..." Chen Bin smiled and continued to speak, but his tone was cold. "Qian Tongshou did not collaborate with the enemy, but the second general died in his plain, even twenty miles south of Ande City. Is it true? His soldiers dispersed in a hurry, and he himself beat the horse It’s true that he just ran away.”
"I understand." Xue Wanquan sighed, seeming to have come to his senses. "You must remember your second brother's revenge, and Qian Tang must also remember it... So, let's just let him go and let him have another encounter with the deposed dragon thief. It will be easy to handle in the future."
Chen Bin nodded, as if he agreed, but his expression seemed indifferent.
Can it be normal?
"What about Governor Cao?" Xue Wanquan continued to ask. "Chief Cao did not involve his second brother, and he even took the initiative to come to his aid this time. It was a kind gesture, and it was time to repay the goodwill..." After saying this, Xue Wanquan came to his senses. "Could it be that Commander-in-Chief Father and Chen Sima are in trouble over this matter? They want to teach Qian Tang a lesson, but they are worried that the two men joining forces may not be good or bad?"
Xue Changxiong also sighed... How could he not sigh after losing the battle and losing his son? After sighing, the general shook his head and looked at Chen Bin again: "You always say that the seventh child is the smartest. But that’s it.”
"General Seven is still young." Chen Bin didn't take it seriously. "Think about Zhang Xing. Four years ago, he was a leader in the platoon. He returned from defeat in Dengzhou. He had no strategy and generals. When he went to the eastern capital, he was subordinated to others. As a result, he once succeeded. Now he returns to Dengzhou, but He is the Lord of the Eight Counties, is there any mistake?"
"When you have a son, you should be like Zhang Sanlang. Even if you are not as good as Zhang Sanlang, you should also be like Bai Sanniang." Xue Changxiong took a long breath. "There are six or seven of them like mine, with dog and dolphin ears!"
Xue Wanquan quickly lowered his head, but at this moment he also realized the fact that he had too many brothers, and his biological father really didn't care about his second brother. He really didn't care... Otherwise, he wouldn't have much resentment towards Zhang Xingwu.
And if this is the case, why do you resent Qian Tang for being involved in this?
I just answered it wrong.
"Tell him clearly." Just as he was thinking about it, his father's voice sounded again on the couch.
"Seven generals." Chen Bin spoke seriously. "Second general is a term, but these county guards and soldiers have always been a serious problem for us! They rely on the support of Dongdu and their family background, seniority and reputation, and they often conflict with us. You just said Governor Cao, let me tell you, He is not as good as Qian Tang. At least Qian Tang does not have the ability to secretly connect the counties and join forces to fight in the counties. If everyone is Zhang Taishou or Cao County Sheriff, where in Hebei can we intervene? The appointment of the general must come from Yu Shengren, and Dongdu is Uncle Cao’s territory after all. These people are all appointed by Dongdu... We are here today. To put it simply, it is best for all the counties to be replaced by our people, and the county soldiers all listen to us. Only when you are assigned can you rest assured. Otherwise, both soldiers and horses, as well as their vigor, will have to be weakened."
"But the deposed dragon thief..." Xue Wanquan suddenly woke up, but quickly asked the biggest question.
"I was about to say depose the dragon thief." Chen Bin spoke clearly. "Of course the Deposed Dragon Thief is our biggest enemy, but what do you think Gao Shitong and those Hebei thieves are in the deposed Dragon Thief's ruthless plan? Aren't they being used as bait by the Deposed Dragon Thief? It's the same for everyone. It's just that people calculated mentally and unintentionally, and played a better chess. They not only consumed these thieves, but also pretended to come to rescue. We can only pretend to be confused...otherwise, General Seven will think why the general is attacking that piece this time. Sanlang is so convinced of this battle, the calculation of the deposed dragon thief is too precise and accurate! That Zhang Xingwei is really wise and courageous, and versatile in both civil and military affairs! That day, the court called him Xiao Zhang Shizhao, don't understand it."
Xue Wanquan nodded: "So, just pretend that you haven't received this letter? Take the opportunity to let these tens of thousands of county soldiers stand in our way and act as a way to withdraw our troops?"
Chen Bin did not answer directly, but looked at Xue Changxiong.
The latter nodded by the candlelight, as if he had already prepared to do this, and was just educating his young son on the way, and he seemed to be persuaded by Chen Bin's guidance and decided to do this.
Chen Bin immediately lit the two letters on fire, put them in a pottery basin on the ground, and then handed them over. It was obvious that he was going to take care of the person who delivered the letters.
In the morning, the Maface River was quiet again. Only the corpses and debris almost filled the river with broken ice, still showing the chaos of last night.
At this time, news came that the deposed dragon thieves had broken camp more than thirty miles away from Leling City and continued to advance.
If this is the case, as long as the Deposed Dragon Thief is ruthless enough, it is possible to fight this evening... But it is only possible, because the comparison of the strength and strength of the two sides is here. If the Deposed Dragon Thief dares to advance like this, I am afraid that he will have to fight. When someone is waiting for work, the whole army will be defeated.
Of course, half of the Hejian Army's intentions were revealed at this time. At least the Nanying's abandonment seemed to indicate that stability was the main priority.
However, whether it was seeking stability or withdrawing troops, the experienced Xue Changxiong left the camp and headed south with all the Hejian cavalry.
Thousands of Hebei cavalry rolled across the plains, scaring them to death last night.
The angry rebels huddled in their camp and did not dare to peep even if the southern camp was empty.
And soon, at noon, these well-trained cavalry met the Qingqi of the Deposed Dragon Army. On the contrary, the Deposed Dragon Army was caught off guard. The two sides immediately started fighting in the wilderness, and then the Qingqi of the Deposed Dragon Army were still obviously at a disadvantage. Disadvantages.
But soon, as a large number of pill-making and pill-condensing masters joined the battle, and with the pressure of large troops, the Hejian Cavalry that took the initiative to attack could not bear it anymore and retreated.
And report what you see and hear.
After confirming the orderliness of the marching queue of the Deposed Dragon Army and the fact that there were indeed many masters of Ningdan and above, Xue Changxiong made a decisive decision in the afternoon and ordered the troops who had been prepared to retreat suddenly according to the original plan.
Thirty-five thousand soldiers and horses from the Hejian camp were gone in an instant.
At this time, the deposed dragon army had taken the initiative to stop fifteen miles south of Leling City and began to set up camp. Zhang Xing was as panicked as an old dog, and everyone below thought that a decisive battle was coming. The Hejian rebels below Gao Shitong discovered the clues, but they were all caught off guard. Even Dou Lide's troops in the northern camp, who had never dared to leave the camp without military orders, were stunned when they suddenly discovered that the Hejian army was heading north.
Immediately afterwards, in the evening when winter was coming soon, and until late at night, there were constant messengers from Leling City and the Dragon Army Camp. Zhang Xing did not believe the sudden departure of the main force of the Hejian Camp. Gao Shitong felt guilty and made crazy demands. Everyone, stay still and don't move, just wait for the meeting tomorrow.
However, there were still a large number of rebels outside the city who ignored Gao Shitong's military orders and frantically took the opportunity to flee south.
And these rebels who hindered most of the sentries during their escape also made Zhang Xing wake up before Wu Jingfeng returned from reconnaissance - Xue Changxiong seemed to have really retreated without a fight.
And he couldn't evaluate the other party's action at all. Although he was relieved, from the other party's perspective, it seemed that he had made an absolutely correct choice.
I originally insisted on marching, and it seemed that I had this intention.
Did he succeed? Not only did he capture the enemy, but he also rescued Gao Shitong?
After dawn, a new news came. Fifteen thousand county soldiers came from west to east and had appeared less than ten miles to the west of Ma Mian River.
Judging from the flags, they should be soldiers from Pingyuan and Qinghe counties led by Qian Tang and Cao Shancheng. They seemed to have marched here overnight regardless of hardship.
Frankly speaking, Zhang Shiyu, who was about to abandon the camp and retreat, was stunned on the spot after receiving the news. Dou Lide, who had just learned during the military meeting that he would retreat to Wudi, was also stunned. Then, Gao Shitong, who was in Leling, was also stunned and quickly flew to report to Zhang Xing.
When Zhang Xing received the news, the deposed dragon army, which had already rested well, had already broken camp and was heading towards Leling... Frankly speaking, Zhang Xing was also stunned by Huang Piao immediately.
But he soon realized what was going on.
He originally thought that Xue Changxiong should be half a tyrant even if he was not a hero, but he turned out to be a communist commander! I don’t know if this was a compliment or a derogation in the feudal era?
"Throw down the baggage, and move the entire army westward, across the Ma'an River, to attack these two troops!" Zhang Xing, who was sitting on the yellow steed, reined in his horse and turned around to understand the situation, and then hurriedly gave orders on his horse. "And you, Zhuge Dewei, go back immediately and tell Gao Shitong to watch over Zhang Shiyu for me."
When Xiong Bonan saw this, he wanted to personally deliver the order.
Unexpectedly, Zhuge Dewei, who was delivering the message, quickly stepped forward, grabbed Zhang Xing's horse's head again, and continued to speak breathlessly: "Mr. Zhang, there is one more thing to say! Marshal Gao said that he has already infiltrated three thousand soldiers and horses. The fake surrender was successful and he is currently in Zhang Shiyu’s camp!"
"The King of Heaven is back." Zhang Xing was confused again, and immediately called out to Xiong Bonan, and asked Zhuge Dewei again. "Who is sent reliable?"
"It's Dou Lide! This man is capable and kind." Zhuge Dewei answered immediately.
Zhang Xingfu went to see Fan Wang again.
Fan Wang immediately nodded: "Dou Lide is a first-rate Hebei hero. In my opinion, he is even better than Uncle Hao!"
Zhang Xing immediately changed his order on the spot
"Give the order, throw down the baggage, and move the whole army northward. The cavalry will go first and go to Leling. Then tell Gao Shitong to send out troops immediately. Don't worry about anything else. Immediately mobilize Dou Lide and attack Zhang Shiyu! I'm behind him, Let’s see if those two tired soldiers dare to cross the Ma Face River to rescue us!”
At this point, Zhang Xing paused: "Anyone who takes Zhang Shiyu's head will be rewarded like Qian Tang! The same goes for Cao Shancheng!"
PS: Good night everyone...continue to wait for this chapter to say...there is no chapter to say that I am about to die.
