The night rain was not heavy, but the intermittent spring rain for many days had soaked the land in Huaibei, making it muddy and slippery. In addition, the lack of food and clothing, the loss of soldiers and armor, and the inability to make fire made the defeated Huaixi army unbearable.
However, compared with these difficulties, there is now the biggest problem facing the Huaixi Army... that is, they cannot return home.
Specifically speaking, you cannot return to your base.
Let's say that the Huaixi Army's soldiers and horses come from various sources, but since it is the Huaixi Army, the main force is naturally Huaixi locals, and a considerable part of them are from the east side of Feishui River. But isn't this an uprising? Didn't the prosperous Huankou Town, located in the middle part of Huai River, be abandoned and moved to Xuanpao City, a large military town in the west of Huai River? Aren't most of the key members of the army relocated along with their families? Aren't they recruiting outstanding young men from the Taibao Army to marry in Huaixi?
But now the pursuers are constantly chasing, across the Fei River, and passing through several small ports along the way. Either the deserters took the boats to the west bank and did not come back, or they were pressed by the pursuers behind them, unable to cross the river at all. This resulted in countless people who were originally in Fei. The soldiers who were hanging around in the East chose to flee and return home.
It is conceivable that after this night, the Huaixi Army, which was famous in the world a few days ago, will fall into what state.
This situation and prospect made Du Pozhen's heart feel like a knife.
"Father."
Kan Leng appeared in front of him all wet and stuffed a pancake into Du Po Zhen. "Push your belly."
"How did it come here?" Du Pozhen took the pancake and was surprised to find that it was actually hot. "You heat it with real gas?"
Kan Leng shook his head: "Those people have dispersed. I am the only Ningdan nearby, and I still hope to take my father away if necessary. How dare you waste your true energy? This is someone on land who invaded people's houses, bullied women, and robbed property. , I made a fire to roast them at the same time, I took them down, but I didn’t want to throw the pancakes away... they were still warm in my arms. "
Du Pozhen sighed: "The Huaixi army looted in Huaixi. This kind of thing has never happened before. It was just that there was an accident when entering the big city further west. Everyone started the rebellion because they were locals in Huaixi to protect Huaixi. This shows that the morale of the army has collapsed to a certain extent... This time, it would be great if we invited Mang King Kong and his brothers, I am so proud!"
"Father, these are far away, let's eat them first." Kan Leng reluctantly advised.
Du Pozhen picked up the pancake and was about to eat it, but after taking a bite, he stuffed it back: "You already said that I have to rely on you to take me away if necessary. It will be better if you eat this pancake to gain strength."
Kan Leng was stunned for a moment, but without refusing, he squatted in the mud pit in front and ate it in his mouth.
After eating, he called a few personal guards and asked them to inspect and supervise. Then he fell asleep in the rain leaning on the big tree next to him and holding his iron rope long and short sword.
Seeing this, Du Pozhen felt ashamed in his heart. He regretted his words when he lost his composure today, but he didn't know how to make amends... Everything he said now seemed like a pretense, but the effect was not good, and it might even irritate the other party. .
Moreover, after seeing Kan Leng's loyalty, he couldn't help but think of today's situation. When the navy army was defeated, they fled first, and then saw Sima Zheng destroying the bridge with one blow, but simply abandoned the entire land army and left... Du The leader of the alliance, Du Dalongtou, was a little hard to accept at first, but now that he thinks about it, it’s just like that, because these people are the foundation of the gang. They all work together for the benefit of water transportation, which means that they will not be able to do anything for Huaixi later. The intention was to protect oneself from being annexed by others, but habits are hard to change, and this is the result.
Thinking of this, Du Pozhen became increasingly upset. If he really couldn't escape today, would he really be driven all the way north to join Li Shu naked? He was not happy to be submissive to Zhang Xing, so how could he feel embarrassed to go to Li Shu? !
What's even more hateful is that now that both he and Zhang Xing have suffered a huge defeat, it's Li Shu who, because both parties have exerted their strength, is afraid that he will take advantage of Dongdu, and his reputation will increase greatly.
What merits does he have, why should he be the leader while enjoying his achievements? !
Anyway, I am not convinced.
But the pursuers are behind and the return journey is blocked. So what if we don't go to find Li Shu? Not only do they have to ask him to borrow roads and organize their troops, but they are also afraid of borrowing troops to rescue Xuanpao City... When people are under the eaves, they really have to bow their heads.
You're a sheep thief, why can't you keep your head down?
It's only been a few days, and this is it?
Power is charming.
I was thinking wildly in the rain. Suddenly, there was a commotion in the south. Whether it was Kan Leng or Du Po Zhen, they were all alarmed. They had to prepare for the worst... Once the opponent really came after them, Kan Leng would lead them. He left the army and left the army alone.
However, after a period of panic, noise, and yelling, a group of people came in led by members of the Taibao Army. It turned out to be Guo Zhu, the young Taibao who had escaped before.
"Why are you here?" Although he knew it was Guo Zhu, Du Pozhen was still a little nervous.
After all, the other party's uncle is already the number one general before Wang Daiji, and in this situation, selling himself is worth more than anything else. Only in the afternoon I just made such a big mistake. It's time to learn a lesson and stop ruining people's hearts at will.
"I'm here specifically to find my adoptive father." Guo Zhu answered loudly. "The leader Ma Shengma has brought people to meet him. They came from the other side and are building a pontoon bridge."
Du Po Zhen was both surprised and happy... He was happy without mentioning it, but he was surprised and worried that it was a trap.
"Why is Ma Sheng in Feishui?" At this thought, Leader Du suppressed all kinds of emotions and asked. "Isn't he in charge of logistics on Yinghe River?"
"I came here in the rain after getting the information." Guo Zhu came excitedly. "He is a local and is familiar with the terrain. It is said that he walked more than 30 miles and took the boat from Qingyanggou, a tributary of the Ying River, to Baidi Temple in Xiyang Town. Then he carried the boat for less than half a mile from there, and then from Came from the Shuishahe River."
Du Pozhen's eyes lit up.
The leader of the Huaiyou League knows very well that Ma Sheng is reliable. At least he is absolutely reliable when facing Wang Daiji and Sima Zheng. Moreover, Ma Sheng, a native of Huaixi, is even mature, careful and capable. Only this person in the logistics department could know the roads leading to Qingyanggou, Xiyang Town, and Shuishahe River, and walk an extra ten miles to bring the fatal ship.
Guo Zhu, who was born in Huainan and joined Xuanpaocheng, couldn't even say this even if he wanted to deceive him.
"Ma Sheng is loyal." Kan Leng spoke first. "Father, leave quickly! I'm going to cut off the queen!"
"Of course Ma Sheng is loyal." Leader Du Da reacted and looked at Kan Leng, but he grabbed the opponent with one hand and the somewhat confused Guo Zhu with the other. "You too, let's go together! Go as many as you can, don't stop behind, so as not to alert the pursuers who have stopped! That's asking for trouble!"
Kan Leng had some concerns in his heart, but when he heard these words, he ignored them and nodded immediately.
In this way, the group of people no longer hesitated and quickly followed Guo Zhu to the river. When they arrived at a fork in the river, they saw Ma Sheng and several boats waiting here. They couldn't help but be overjoyed and stepped forward to hold them. Hugging each other: "Old horse, old horse! It's all your credit that we can survive today!"
"Leader, let's go!" Ma Sheng was hugged in the rain, but he kept his voice low and struggled to speak. "I just sent people to investigate. There are people from Huainan and Xuzhou in Hexi! You get on the boat first, and I will build the pontoon! Yingshang City was not lost before I came. You can organize the army there or cross the river!"
Du Pozhen was startled, and then he realized that he had naval forces and controlled the river, so he could naturally attack both sides of the river simultaneously. However, he and the main force were on the east bank, so he had to pursue more from the east bank.
But at this point, he stopped being pretentious and nodded, before getting on the boat with some of his guards.
When they got to the other side, they didn't dare to leave first. Instead, they waited for Kan Leng and Guo Zhu to come over one after another. Then they felt relieved, so they said goodbye to Ma Sheng, leaving the latter to lay the pontoon bridge, while he and Ma Sheng The two Taibao soldiers headed west with some personal guards and Taibao troops.
Moreover, the Feishui River, the Ying River, and the Ru River are parallel tributaries in the northwest of the Huai River. They are not far apart, especially near the end of the Huai River. They are only twenty or thirty miles apart. This is the fundamental reason why Ma Sheng can come to support. Once they crossed the river, although according to the intelligence there were still pursuers, Du Pozhen and the others could not help but breathe a sigh of relief.
Because after all, this is an escape.
However, everyone headed west in the dark, neither daring to light a torch nor having any torches, let alone emitting the rays of true energy. They just followed the local Huaixi disciples and walked in a dull manner. They were slippery and disoriented in the process, including the continued reduction in numbers secretly. When we had only traveled a mile or two, suddenly, there was a huge fire in the direction of Huai River in the south, and there was a roar of true energy in the middle. Unexpectedly, there were thousands of pursuing soldiers shouting in unison!
For a time, in the fields, woods and ditches, one could clearly hear the sound of "catching Du and breaking the formation"!
Even though Du Pozhen knew in his heart that this kind of danger would arise, others might have been secretly observing him for a long time, waiting for him to cross the river and become weak before attacking, but he could hear shouts of killing and catching all over the rainy night. , but still frightened, began to panic and fled north.
Du Pozhen was poor when he was young. He was so poor that he stole the sheep from his uncle Shi's house to eat. His cultivation was naturally delayed. Even though he later took advantage of the situation and managed to condense the elixir, it was not enough at all, so he did not dare to do so. Tell outsiders. In addition, after a day of defeat and running away, he was tired and hungry, and his energy had long been dissipated. He didn't dare to reveal his identity, so he just ran away. He could only escape for a quarter of an hour when his feet suddenly slipped and he fell into a dark ditch. The armor on his body was connected to his limbs. He only felt pain in the roots of his legs. Although he tried to get up, it was difficult to walk. He was really angry. He didn't even know how to attack, let alone run away.
When Kan Leng saw this, without hesitation, he stepped forward to help him up, and then squatted in front of him, hoping to carry his adoptive father out of danger.
"Don't jump up and expose our position." Du Pozhen responded with a ball of mud on his back and gritted his teeth. "If he knew our location, he would have to chase us..."
Kan Leng's heart moved slightly, but he had no time to ask more questions, so he could only lower his head and run forward with the other person on his back.
After running for several miles, there were very few close friends around, but the shouts of killing came and went. Kan Leng did not dare to neglect, so he could only continue to escape with the other party on his back, while Du Pozhen could only grit his teeth and remain silent. .
Finally, after running for more than ten miles in one breath, I didn't know where I ended up. The shouts of killing around me finally subsided.
Kan Leng wanted to ask his adoptive father what was going to happen next, but although the person behind him was breathing clearly, he had been silent for a long time. He knew in his heart that either his adoptive father was frightened, tired and sleepy and fell asleep, or he was too embarrassed and unwilling to speak, so he Without saying a word, he only relied on his cultivation and leg strength to move toward the northwest.
After walking for a long time, he didn’t know how long it had been and how many miles he had traveled. The great eunuch of Huaixi only knew that his cultivation had reached the level of Condensation Pill. At this time, he had lost all his energy and strength. Understand. Why do so many great people run out of gas, but they finally heard the sound of water, and when they came to the bank of Yingshui River, they gritted their teeth and continued to explore, and finally found a riverside fishing village.
Then, without daring to jump or alert the people inside, he untied a small fishing board, put his adoptive father on it, and rowed to the opposite side himself.
Then he lay in the mud nest, soaked in the rain, listening to his adoptive father's breathing and the sound of the river, and began to gasp for breath.
At the same time, across the Yingshui River, dozens of miles away, in the dry port office lobby of Yingshang County, Wang Daiji and Wang Laojiu, dressed in brocade clothes, also listened to the sound of the river and rain for a while, and then lowered their heads to eat pickles. I ate a bowl of white porridge.
It turned out that it was just the rain that obscured the sky, and it was almost the fourth watch at this time.
After eating for a while and finishing three bowls of porridge, Wang Daiji looked at Wenren Xun'an, who had stopped a long time ago, and suddenly smiled bitterly: "Tell me, did Boss Du survive?"
I didn't dare to say anything when I heard that people were looking for peace.
It turned out that just as Du Pozhen came to his senses, someone deliberately released the water last night... For example, Wang Daiji personally led the Huainan Army to pursue from between Feishui and Yingshui, but failed to capture Yingshang immediately, and They allowed the Huaixi Army in Yingshang to go to Feishui in the east for rescue purposes before taking it down, leaving the other side with a chance to cross Feishui; another example is that the Huainan Army did not clean up the west bank of Feishui in time; another example is that it was explained clearly The patrol on the Feishui River discovered the rescue ship, but it failed to launch... If these were all manifestations of luring Du Po Formation to cross the Feishui River and throw themselves into a trap, then the final pursuit was particularly dazzling with heavy thunder and small raindrops.
Fortunately, the pursuit on a rainy night was chaotic and out of control, and no one knew the specific situation...except Wang Daiji and Wenren Xunan, who was actually responsible for the execution.
After a long while, Wenren Xun'an cautiously asked: "Does the prince want to keep Du Po Zhen so that he can seize military power in front of Sima?"
"Of course it is." Wang Daiji said frankly. "How can anyone fail to see such a simple truth? General Wenren, you are familiar with both sides. If necessary, you should be a communication partner."
Wenren Xunan can only promise.
When Wang Daiji saw this, he couldn't help but sigh: "To tell you the truth, I feel guilty. When Sima Zheng came here, he not only attacked Du Po Formation? He also attacked me! What happened to Jiangdu, what happened to Sima Zheng, and now I don’t even know, I can only do this..."
"Always ask clearly." Wenren Xun'an couldn't help but remind him. "What happened last night is in the past, so that's the past."
"You are right." Wang Laojiu stood up and spoke proudly with his hands behind his hands. His light yellow beard was particularly conspicuous under the light. "You are here, control Yingshang and control the situation. The war is over for now. I want to go back to Feishuikou and see Sima Zheng in person."
Wenren Xunan could only nod.
Around morning, Wang Daiji returned to Feikou Dazhai, where he met young Sima Zheng.
"Sima Gong."
Wang Laojiu bowed respectfully to each other and paid homage. "My subordinate is ashamed. I pursued him all night and blocked Yingshang, but failed to find Du Po Zhen. Please ask Sima Gong to punish him."
Upon seeing this, Sima Zheng stood up quickly and helped the other party up personally: "What did the prince say? You are out of Huainan, and I am out of Xuzhou. There is no high or low. Where does the word subordinate come from? Not to mention asking questions before the battle."
Wang Daiji was helped up, still respectful: "That's not the case. Not to mention that his subordinates were in trouble and Sima Gong came to rescue him. I just said that Sima Gong came out of Xuzhou. He seemed to have obtained Jiangdu's will and represented the imperial court. At this time There are more ups and downs.”
Sima Zheng also laughed when he heard this: "I haven't got Jiangdu's will."
Wang Daiji was suddenly startled, as if he was surprised: "Sent out Xuzhou soldiers without a purpose, or sent out the whole army?"
"It can't be said that there is no will..." Sima Zheng turned around to answer the question and said with a smile. "But it's the will of Dongdu."
Even though Wang Laojiu was thinking all over the place, he was also stunned by what he said.
It is impossible for him to know everything about Dongdu, but there is no doubt that the place is in danger and is gradually getting out of control.
And what he said next made his mind buzz even more.
"The emperor's uncle came to me. He was attacked by the British Duke and Taoist Chonghe in Hebei. He was already dead. So he entrusted Dongdu and Sili to me, and I agreed." Sima Zheng was sitting in his seat. In, speak frankly. "But I can't take away all the 50,000 Xuzhou soldiers. Thirty thousand of them are from Dongdu. They are eager to go back. There are also 20,000 local Xuzhou soldiers. I am ready to let them go back after this battle..."
"Sima Gong is benevolent and righteous." Wang Daiji could only say this, but the other person's next words made him completely lose his composure.
"What about you?" Sima Zheng asked seriously. "Are there any soldiers from Huainan who are willing to go to Huaixi? I am going to take you away and station you in Xuanpao City to control Huaixi and serve as a barrier to the south of the Eastern Capital... Let's not delay and use the cities along Huaixi as our base and follow the Yingshui River , march today! I will march in front, and you will control the city on the left, right and behind!"
Wang Daiji opened his mouth and wanted to refuse, but he didn't dare to refuse. Instead, he suddenly became annoyed... If this was the situation, he would have killed Du Pozhen last night! Otherwise, would I be able to sit comfortably in Huaixi? !
And now? I'm afraid Du Po Zhen has escaped, right?
In the afternoon, Du Po Formation arrived at Ruyin, an important town in the upper reaches of Yingshui River. This is the seat of Ruyin County. However, when we got here, there were still not many soldiers and horses, just a few hundred people... They were still some logistics personnel and some personal guards who crossed the Feishui River with me... Of course, the defeated queue of the main army was still there. On the east side of Feishui, people were interrupted just after crossing the river. There should be no one organizing the crossing now, and we don't know how to gather them; and before the navy escaped, they were most likely going back to their hometown from Rushui.
For a time, Leader Du became a loner.
At this point, it's hard to say whether it was right or wrong to cross the river last night.
In fact, Du Po Zhen has been silent since he arrived in Ruyin City. Kan Leng has been working hard everywhere, working on the city defense, making contacts in all directions, and looking after his adoptive father.
In this way, we waited until evening and gradually got the news.
"Let's go! We can't stay here." Guo Zhu was in a state of embarrassment, but he brought even bigger bad news. "I was captured by my uncle this time and secretly released. He told me that Sima Zheng was not here to save Wang Daiji. Sima Zheng took over Cao Lin's team and went to take over Dongdu. The army was going from Yingshui Those who are marching... Wang Daiji will also come with him! Moreover, they want to occupy all of Huaixi and use it as a barrier to the east!"
Du Po's formation was shaky, but he believed it immediately, because this was the only way to explain the appearance of Xuzhou's army.
And if this is the case, it also matches up with the series of intelligence he had on Dongdu and Hebei before... The truth of the matter is this. This is the back-up move of the defeated Grand Master to maintain Dongdu from being invaded by the Bai family and the rebels. Ran's last move was the best counterattack Cao Lin could do at this time.
But what if you know something?
What should I do?
Who do you think you are?
Sacrifice? The chicken that established its authority? A rabbit chasing a rabbit in the grass? Or the lost dog that was run over by a passing wheel on the road?
After a defeat, this situation is still the same. How to deal with the people's hearts, soldiers, and territory?
No one answered Du Pozhen. In fact, Du Pozhen didn't ask at all.
"We have to leave. I will take my father away right away." Kan Leng and Guo Zhu, who were covered in mud and blood, looked at Du Po Zhen, who was equally embarrassed but said nothing, and even looked a little stupid. They all withdrew their gazes and turned to each other, and naturally it was Kan Leng who made up his mind. "But there are two things, the west and the east... there are still many soldiers and horses on the east side of Feishui River that have not been gathered, and on the west side, there are the navy troops who have fled back and the assistant uncle of Xuanpao City. Someone needs to notify them."
"I can only do one thing." Guo Zhu was straightforward. "I have many acquaintances in the Huainan Army, so I will go to the east of Feishui and try to recruit some people... I have agreed in advance that I am not that capable and do not have much prestige in the Huaixi Army, so I can only do my best. "
"Then do your best." Kan Leng patted the other party. "We all do our best."
Guo Zhu nodded, turned around and left. After taking two steps, he turned back and said, "Take good care of your foster father!"
Kan Leng could only nod.
The military situation was urgent. If someone really caught him, he would be nothing more than a toy. After a moment, Kan Leng organized a team of less than fifty people, replacing them with horses, mules, and donkeys from the city, and abandoned their armor. He hurried westward to continue his escape.
However, at this time, although Du Pozhen remained silent, he was able to ride with him, which somewhat relieved Kan Leng.
So everyone worked hard and traveled lightly. Although the road was slippery, they still arrived at the river bank on the east side of Ru River before dusk, which is the opposite bank of Xincai City. Then Kan Leng went to look for the boat... This place has not been affected by the war, and it is the main passage in and out of the Huaixi Army's base camp, and the other side is Xincai. Naturally, it was easy to find the boat, and then Kan Leng had to escort his adoptive father across the river.
However, at this time, Du Po Formation stood motionless at the ferry.
"Father!" Kan Leng came to urge him.
When Du Pozhen saw this, he didn't say anything, just waved his hands, and then squatted directly under the ferry shed, staring at the increasingly fine drizzle falling into Rushui.
Before Kan Leng acted without permission, Du Pozhen did it without saying a word or expressing anything. At this time, the other party just waved his hand, but he was not able to act without permission, so he could only stand there.
After a short while, many ships soon sailed out of Xincai City on the other side and came here. It was the officials and generals left behind in the city who heard the news and hurriedly came to pick them up.
At this time, Kan Leng realized a little bit. His father was afraid that people would grow weary after the defeat, especially since the Huaixi Army had not long ruled the Ru River Basin on the side of Xuanpao City. The navy had even abandoned the army and left. When we come to the Ru River Basin... we have to be on guard even more.
Officials and generals arrived, bringing hot food and even hot water in wooden barrels. They greeted him sincerely and spoke politely.
Kan Leng and others were also relieved, and many people stepped forward to heat their meals with hot water.
However, Du Pozhen still squatted there, looking down at the river without moving. Kan Leng and the local officials went to invite his assistant, but he waved his hand to stop them.
After a while, there was a commotion on the road to the east behind them, and everyone moved forward again, but soon they realized that it was Guo Zhu who had separated before... This time, the messenger Guo brought back a very good news.
"Leader Ma Shengma was attacked by the Huainan army yesterday and separated on the east bank of Feishui River. He is now gathering the defeated troops. He is a local and an old leader of Huaixi. Everyone obeys him and has gathered thousands of people. Most of them are Taibao troops." Guo Zhu excitedly spoke, fearing that others would not hear. "I told him the situation across the river. He wanted to take people to find a place to stay for General Wang Zhuo of the Internal Affairs Army. He said that General Manager Wang was a kind man and that the Internal Affairs Army was not strong enough and would not annex our defeated troops. He would only let the adoptive father rest assured!"
Countless people had already gathered here at the port shed. They couldn't help but be overjoyed when they heard this, and they all looked at Du Po Formation.
The latter was indeed obviously relieved and actually moved his feet.
But he just moved his feet, then waved his hands and continued to squat there without moving.
Everyone was puzzled.
Of course, everyone soon understood... After another quarter of an hour, a boat came from the city of Xincai on the opposite side, but it was a Taibao who stayed behind. When he arrived at the port, he hurriedly reported:
"Uncle Fu knew the battle ahead and had just suppressed the retreating naval forces. Now he brought the leaders of the navy to meet the adoptive father! Fu Uncle only reassured the adoptive father. He asked me to transfer it to the adoptive father, saying that it was It’s just a defeat. The worst we can do is go back and steal the sheep together. We’ve seen how big the world is. As long as our brothers are here, why can’t we still find a way?!”
Hearing this, Du Pozhen, who was squatting there, could no longer hold on, burst into tears for a while, and then stood up unsteadily.
Kan and Guo and several eunuchs immediately stepped forward to persuade and help him.
Clinker, the sheep thief Du Po Zhen stood up, burst into tears, and shouted loudly: "How have I ever been afraid of this defeat? How have I ever been afraid of future situations? I'm just a sheep thief! I won't move here, just Because I was self-willed before and when I gained some power, I left these old brothers behind. How can I have the nerve to see them like this today?"
As he said that, amidst everyone's exclamations, he jumped hard into Ru Shui and splashed down a lot of big waves.
(End of chapter)
