In the autumn of the 23rd year of Jian'an of the Han Dynasty, we were in Yedu.
Xia Houshang was dressed in armor and was standing outside the Jinming Gate of Yecheng. He was staring into the city as if he was waiting for someone.
Different from the past, this was the first time that he joined the army as a deputy commander. He assisted General Beizhong Lang, General Xingxiaoqi, and Young Master Cao Zhang of the Marquis of Yanling to quell the rebellion of the Wuhuan tribe in Shangdai County in the north. He had a very heavy responsibility.
And after this trip, he will definitely not be able to return to Yedu for many months, so he came here to say goodbye to his best friend.
When he left home, his nine-year-old eldest son, Xuan, and the two girls were all crying and making trouble to prevent him from leaving. Although he finally got rid of the entanglement of a group of little guys, he didn't want to stay with him all the time. With wife and children?
Over the years, I have indeed owed them a lot.
The sound of horse hooves mixed with the dust stirred up in the distance became increasingly clear. Xiahou Shang knew that the Crown Prince of Wei was here.
"Bo Ren, I'm late!" The visitor rode fast and finally arrived at the north gate before Xia Houshang set off.
"My lord, Xia Houshang, pays homage to the crown prince."
"Bo Ren", Cao Pi dismounted and smiled at Xiahou Shang. The usually unpredictable Crown Prince of Wei, only at this moment, in front of this man who was like an elder brother, did not show any pretense.
He took something off the saddle and said, "This is for you."
Although the item was still wrapped in baggage, Xiahou Shang felt its weight as soon as he took it. It is indeed a weapon.
"This is... the Huanshou Sword?" Xia Houshang pulled out the scabbard and saw that the shape of the knife in front of him was a bit strange.
Since the Han Dynasty, war swords have been withdrawn from the battlefield, and the Huanshou Sword has become a standing weapon for infantry.
Although the sword in front of me retains the basic form of a ring-headed sword, with a straight blade, it has two blades like a sword, and the sword has no ring at the head, turning it into a sword head, which makes it look more simple and elegant.
Moreover, this sword has a sharp edge like frost and snow, and a sword blade that is more than four feet long. At first glance, it looks like a rare and excellent weapon.
Seeing Xiahou Shang's love, Cao Pi was very satisfied:
"I ordered the good craftsman of Chu Yue to make this specially for you. I hope this trip can help you. The friendship between gentlemen is as light as water. This blade is called 'Quality'. I give it to you today, as if you are accompanying a brother..." [ Note 1: "Beitang Shuchao" written by Emperor Wen of Wei in "Dian Lun": "I made three hundred swords...the third one has a sharp edge like frost and a blade with a sword blade, which is called quality." "Taiping Preview·Ministry of War· "Knife": '(quality) is four feet three inches long and weighs two catties and nine taels.']
"My lord, thank you, Prince!"
The mature and steady Xiahou Shang quickly recovered from his state of joy and forgetfulness. He bowed slightly towards Cao Pi and said a military salute. Different from the laughter, yelling, and youthful spirit he had with Cao Pi a few years ago, Xiahou Shang now never forgets the courtesy between the emperor and his ministers.
Looking at the serious Xia Houshang, Cao Pi didn't know whether he felt happy, lonely, or lonely. He patted Xia Houshang's shoulder. The hard and cold armor gave people a sense of isolation and security.
"Bo Ren, I went to the battlefield this time and made great achievements!"
"My lord, I will definitely live up to the high expectations of King Wei and the Crown Prince!"
After Xia Houshang bowed and saluted, he hung the 'Quality' sword on his waist and looked at Cao Pi with a smile:
"Zihuan, I'm going."
Cao Pi nodded and watched Xiahou Shang cross the horse to the north. After a long time, he looked at the dust and smoke gradually dissipating in the distance and murmured:
"Boren, come back alive..."
The chariot, cavalry and infantry armies led by Cao Zhang, Xia Houshang and other generals had already arrived at Zhuojun in Youzhou.
A guard holding the big tooth flag named "Xing Xiaoqi General Cao" is currently surrounded by a mighty general. Looking from a distance, I saw this general with bright armor, a horse like a dragon, holding an iron halberd, a red and yellow beard on his chin, and eyes like torches. He was observing whether there was any beacon smoke in the distance. Although this man was young, , but the momentum is impressive.
He is none other than the third son of the Prime Minister and the Marquis of Yanling, Cao Zhang, the commander-in-chief of this march.
"Guorang, what water system is ahead?"
"General Xiaoqi, the water system ahead is Yishui." A scribe whom Cao Zhang called 'Guorang' replied: "May I ask General Xiaoqi, is there anything unusual?"
This scribe was Tian Yu, Cao Zhang's military adviser for this march.
"Prime Minister Tian, I'm afraid there are enemy cavalry attacking from a few miles away!" Cao Zhang looked into the distance and frowned: "According to my general's estimation, there may be thousands of cavalry!"
Although Tian Yu has experienced battles for a long time, he knows that Marquis Yanling has always had excellent ears and eyesight, so he has no doubts:
"General, the front of our army is moving too fast. At this moment, there are only a thousand crossbowmen and hundreds of horsemen in our army. There are only many chariots, which can still fight. The large group of people at the rear, I don't know when they will arrive."
"Prime Minister Tian, the movement of chariots and soldiers is inconvenient, so they should only defend themselves. They may not be the enemies of Wuhuan's cavalry. Do you have any good strategies?"
Cao Zhang was calm and humble at the moment, neither panicking nor underestimating the enemy, which made Tian Yu look at him with admiration. Tian Yu looked at the north bank of Yishui for a long time and finally had an idea.
"Your Majesty General, if the general can trust his humble position, please continue marching and camp on the north bank of Yishui River."
Cao Zhang only hesitated briefly before decisively ordering the entire army to cross the Yishui River.
After crossing the river, the commander-in-chief Cao Zhang, the counselor Tian Yu, and the deputy commander-in-chief Xia Houshang immediately began to discuss countermeasures. They understood that Wuhuanhu was about to attack on horseback.
"Prime Minister Tian, our army is now on the north bank of Yishui River. Can you tell me your countermeasures, general?"
Tian Yu immediately stated his strategy without thinking:
"According to local conditions, hold on to key gaps, form a circular formation of chariots, and fill them with crossbowmen to hold on to them; the rest of the thousands of cavalry, with branches tied to their horse tails, will serve as guerrillas!"
Cao Zhang nodded and asked Xia Houshang:
"Does Boren have any objections?"
"The general will have no objections, just fight to the death!"
"Okay!" Cao Zhang immediately sent an order: "Listen to my general's order! Xiahou Shang will lead the chariots and troops and form a circular formation according to local conditions to defend; Tian Yu will lead a thousand crossbowmen to fill the formation; I, the general, will personally lead the cavalry to guerrilla!"
"Got the order!"
The formation of the three armies was completed. Within a moment, smoke and dust were seen billowing in the distance, and thousands of horsemen were rolling in!
"All officers and men of the army, fire their crossbows!"
Wearing light armor and holding a sharp sword, Tian Yu saw that Hu Qi was only 200 steps away from his formation. He gave an order and saw sharp arrows raining down on the enemy formation.
When Hu Qi was only fifty steps away from the formation, Tian Yu stopped shooting.
"The chariots formed a formation and strangled!"
Xiahou Shang saw that the crossbow arrows had stopped and the Hu cavalry was approaching. He gave an order and the iron chariots immediately merged like a steel city wall. The soldiers in the chariots fought with arms, brandished halberds and spears to kill the Hu enemies. Xia Houshang also personally rode in a chariot and used his "quality" to kill the enemy and test his sword. He saw where the cold light passed and his armor passed by. It turned out that iron was cut like mud!
Wuhuan Huqi, who was lightly armed, finally approached the Wei army's main formation after encountering three waves of arrows that were as fierce as a torrential rain. He thought he was a wolf among the sheep, but unexpectedly he hit the thorny steel Great Wall!
Wuhuan Huqi, who was originally as arrogant as a wolf, was frustrated again, and now he has lost his energy.
"My sons, charge with me!"
Cao Zhang, who was swimming in the formation, saw the opportunity and immediately waved his iron halberd and led his thousands of cavalry forward to kill Hu Qi. I saw Cao Zhang rushing into the enemy formation, taking the lead, dancing his iron halberd wildly, and slaughtering the Wuhuan cavalry crazily.
Seeing Cao Zhang's bravery, Hu Qi did not dare to confront him head-on and shot him with cold arrows. However, even though Cao Zhang's armor was hit by several arrows, his momentum did not diminish at all.
After General Wuhuan suffered another setback, he saw that the situation was not good and immediately led his remaining troops to flee north.
"Soldiers, chase!"
Cao Zhang immediately led his troops to pursue the victory and pursued them all the way to the Sanggan River. When they were only more than 200 miles away from Daijun, they set up camp and reorganized their troops.
Victory in the first battle.
It is bitterly cold in Daibei. Although winter has not yet entered, the sharp night wind still rustles the tents in the military camp, as if the souls of injustice are roaring with nowhere to complain.
Outside the handsome tent, the flames of the bonfire were swaying with the cold wind, causing tall shadows on the ground to keep flying.
"General Qiaoqi, you haven't rested yet."
Cao Zhang looked back, smiled at the visitor, and threw a wine bag:
"Boren, it's really fun to fight side by side today. Come on, let's have a drink together!"
Xia Houshang, who has never been good at drinking, took the wine bag, not because he was so kind to the king, but because he really couldn't withstand the northern autumn wind without drinking some wine to warm himself up.
"The king is so powerful that he becomes famous in one battle, which is admirable."
Cao Zhang took a deep drink and smiled heartily:
"Since I was a child, I have loved archery, driving, and fighting animals. My father scolded me for not pursuing a proper career, saying that I did not aspire to the path of saints, but I was good at riding horses, fencing, and being brave. He also urged me to study poetry and calligraphy and learn etiquette."
"But the prince said: A man should follow the example of Wei Qing and Huo Qubing, lead a hundred thousand people to gallop through the desert, drive away the Rong and Di, and make great achievements. How can he become a doctor?" Xia Houshang smiled and said: "Today, the prince has achieved his wish .”
"I'm afraid it's still too early to get what you want!"
"It seems that Junhou is really going to imitate Wei Huo and carve stones to record his merits."
"This is what a man should do!"
Cao Zhang took a sip and threw away the empty wine bag.
The next day, generals Cao Zhang, Xia Houshang, and Tian Yu led their troops to continue to pursue the enemy's cavalry. In just one day and one night, they caught up with the enemy.
The Wuhuan cavalry, whose people were already panicked and their troops were in disarray, were completely desperate when facing the Wei army whose follow-up troops had already joined together, and could only allow themselves to be massacred.
"Wei Jun, we must not compete with him..."
In the distance, on an open high ground, the Xianbei leader Kebineng, who led thousands of cavalry to watch the success or failure, let out a long sigh.
————
Three years later, in the second year of Huangchu in the Wei Dynasty.
Early spring, Luoyang City.
[Note 2: Luoyang, originally called Luoyang, was changed to Luoyang after Emperor Wen of Wei Cao Pi came to the throne. For details, see Cao Pi: Change Luo to Luozhao. 】
It just snowed yesterday.
At this time, the bluestone streets were filled with the luster of remaining snow and melting ice.
The rebuilt inner city of Luoyang in front of you has not lost any of its grandeur during the Han Dynasty. At this moment, its outline is gradually becoming clearer in the morning light.
The first ray of sunlight was reflecting on the south gate of the palace city - Chang Hemen. The tall double gates on the left and right make the main entrance even more majestic.
Xia Houshang couldn't help but raise his head and look at the magnificent scenery in front of him, as if he was thoughtful.
On the street not far away, there seemed to be a faint and cheerful laughter. Yes, it was the kind of unfettered and unscrupulous childish voice.
That laughter made Xiahou Shang feel a little dazed.
Once upon a time, the person who is now aloof, as well as myself, were so carefree and spontaneous.
He lowered his eyes and looked at the sharp blade hanging on his waist.
That was exactly the 'quality' sword that that person personally gave to him three years ago.
The light reflected by the sun on the sharp weapon stung some people and made it difficult to open their eyes.
Time flies, and his close friend, the Crown Prince of Wei, has now become the high-ranking Emperor of Wei.
Xiahou Shang rubbed the talisman given to him by the emperor in his palm. This talisman represented the emperor's trust and had the power to kill people. Now he was a feudal official and the emperor's confidant.
But... he always felt that the aloof emperor was no longer the best friend of the past. Maybe, people will always change. He couldn't help but sigh.
The laughter of children in the distance seemed to be closer.
"Brother, wait for me..."
The little girl was afraid that her dress would be stained by the slush, so she held the skirt of her dress with both hands and chased after him with small steps.
"Huier, hurry up..."
A slightly older boy, about ten years old, turned back and smiled. He has not yet reached the age to tie his hair, and his black hair is flying in the wind, like leaping black flames. And the white robe was not stained by any mud or dirt.
At this moment, he was like a white bird, flying freely on the snow.
Xia Houshang looked at the figure slowly approaching in the distance, his eyes became softer, and he didn't know whether it was approval or love.
"Dad!" After a while, the 'white sparrow' in the distance had 'flew' in front of us and turned into a child with picturesque features. The little girl also came with her, but her clothes were stained with mud, like leopard prints. She looked at her new clothes with unhappiness written all over her face.
Xia Houshang pinched the cheek of the young man in white, but his eyes were full of love: "Little bastard, I bullied your sister again."
The boy in white made a face at his sister, and the angry little girl just stamped her feet.
At this moment, the snow on the ground has basically melted, leaving only a few remaining patches of white at the foot of the city wall, contrasting with the blue-gray stone road, giving off an inexplicable sense of desolation.
Xia Houshang took off the sharp weapon from his waist and squatted down to keep the same height as the child.
He went to Jingzhou to take up a post, and he didn't know when he would be able to return home. It might be months, maybe years, maybe... When he comes back, the children will be crowned and hairpinned soon.
"Xuan'er", he looked directly into the young man's clear and gleaming eyes, and gently placed the saber in the child's palm.
Under the sunlight, the young man could vaguely make out two faint seal characters "Quality" on the sheath.
Xia Houshang hesitated for a moment, stood up and said, "Xuan'er, dad is leaving soon." Although the child has become sensible and will no longer cry and make troubles to prevent himself from leaving home like before, but when the child His eyes were still full of reluctance and loneliness. Xia Houshang turned around with a cruel heart: "Father and mother are not at home, so we must listen to the uncle housekeeper. Xuan'er must take good care of my sister, and Hui'er must also listen." As for my brother, daddy is gone."
The two children watched their father mount the horse, surrounded by the cavalry, and walked towards the Xuanyang Gate. There was no formal farewell, and my father's figure gradually shrank until he disappeared at the other end of the long street.
The wind picked up, making the young man's eyes feel a little sore.
The wind blew his long hair and clothes, making his thin figure feel even more lonely and lonely.
"Brother" the little girl pulled the boy's sleeve: "The wind is blowing."
"Go back." The young man couldn't help but lower his head and looked at the sharp weapon with cold light flowing in his hand.
