"Your Majesty, the team has successfully boarded the ship and set off. This trip should be smooth sailing. According to the boss of the ship, we can travel more than fifty miles. The soldiers are ready, please set off immediately!" A strong and capable young man ran over. , and reported to Guo Jing.
"Okay, if you can successfully convince these people overnight to help our team advance all the way to the waterway in advance, Peng Cong, you should be credited with the first contribution! When the battle is completed, I will personally ask for credit from the organization for you!" After hearing this! Guo Jing couldn't help but get excited at the young man's report.
Because of the distance between Hengzhou City and Hengzhou City, Guo Jing was naturally worried that his team would miss the chance to rush to the rescue.
Before reaching the vicinity of Hushan, they sent people to the front to find a solution. Because this way down to Hengzhou, if you take the land route, it will take more than a day no matter how fast you walk. Fortunately, the steamed water flows directly into the Hengzhou section of the Xiangjiang River. If you can walk by water, it will definitely be much faster than walking by land.
With a team of several hundred people and being in the territory of Chu, Guo Jing would naturally not show off. Although the power of Zhou Xingfeng's county governments in Shaozhou's south direction was limited, they could not stop these people from causing trouble.
Even if there are some light boats going down the river, of course it is best to have a large wooden boat to travel instead, that is the best choice.
However, according to reports from scouts and spies, Guo Jing also had accurate information coming from within the secret party. Zhang Wenbiao has a water village in the ancient town of Xidu, where hundreds of sailors are stationed all year round. And this Xidu Ancient Town is the last stop on the way to Hengzhou City, and it is also known as the Old Hengzhou City.
If you want to reach Hengzhou City smoothly all the way, you will naturally need to go ashore in advance to take precautions when taking the waterway. It is naturally better to capture the water village. But the problem must be solved in advance, otherwise there will be no need to rush for help.
But everyone came all the way from Shaozhou at a fast pace, and the whole journey was through hilly areas over mountains and ridges. Not only did they have to guard against the Chu army, but they also had to increase their speed. Everyone was already a little tired from this kind of intense training.
According to military strategy, this method is taboo for military strategists. What's more, Guo Jing is still relatively new to this place. Where are there any ships for him to use?
After seeing the territory of Zhongxiang, Shaozhou, he actually saw the source of steamed water. Guo Jing vaguely guessed that this was the steamed water that Emperor Liu Jixing mentioned. An idea suddenly occurred to him. I thought that if I could quickly walk by water, this trip would be much faster.
So Guo Jing, with the support of several local secret party guides, quickly sent out a few soldiers to contact him, hoping to persuade the people who made a living by fishing on the Zhishui River at the foot of the lake and mountains to let them give up a few of their boats. fishing boat.
Although Guo Jing didn't have high hopes, he didn't expect Peng Cong and the others to succeed. Just half an hour ago, the ships were basically in place. Peng Cong promised a large amount of money to these people so that they would have no worries, and then he allowed the soldiers who were repairing to board the ship one after another.
And under the leadership of this young man Peng Cong, they actually succeeded in getting five wooden boats of different sizes, which could accommodate everyone and still be spacious. This is unexpected, because where can I find such a big ship along the way?
Now it was just enough for everyone to move forward. Guo Jing was happy in his heart. Looking at Peng Cong, he felt more and more pleasing to the eye. He is a student of the latest batch of Dongguan Military Academy. The emperor sent him to his side, which means he appreciates and focuses on cultivating him.
Although Guo Jing made arrangements according to the emperor's wishes, he never deliberately took care of anyone. Instead, Peng Cong was the first to serve as his personal guard as a rule. In a short period of time, he stood out and became the leader of his men during the battle of Shaozhou a few days ago.
This time we went to Hengzhou to help, and the journey was not that far. But because the Chu land was very hilly, marching was really difficult. Guo Jing still took Peng Cong and several military academy students with him, the purpose of which was naturally to sharpen these people.
Originally, Guo Jing had the attitude of giving it a try, because people always grow up through hardships, and Guo Jing knew that he also grew up in this way. Now giving people like Peng Cong a chance is the best promotion for them. I didn't expect that Peng Cong actually succeeded.
Because of the matter of collecting ships, even if someone was sent out to contact them in advance, the team was still delayed for nearly an hour near the lake and mountain. But now there are boats sailing down the river to Hengzhou, and this journey is naturally much faster than the land route.
It really takes no effort to sharpen a knife and chop wood.
In fact, of course there is another way to rush to Hengzhou City, but it is naturally a bit unrealistic now. That is, if everyone has fast horses to travel, they can naturally reach Hengzhou City quickly.
Since Zhu Wen of the Five Dynasties and the Tang Dynasty, he has not been able to unify the country. The feudal vassals and towns in various places have separated themselves into independent regimes. Everyone is particularly concerned about the strategic materials and horses and prohibits their circulation. Chu Land is located outside the border, and good horses are difficult to obtain outside the Great Wall. Therefore, it is even more difficult to find horses in Chu Land.
Of course, since entering Chu and developing, Guo Jing has continuously launched sieges and plunders against the Chu army in western Chu and even surrounding areas. He only plundered less than a hundred horses in Chu. This was even more stressful for Zhou Xingfeng, who was already short of horses.
Horses are really a rare thing in inland vassal towns. Where good horses were produced in the country, the best naturally came from outside the Great Wall. Nowadays, the Khitan in the north established the Liao Kingdom, which not only put great pressure on the Central Plains, but also strictly controlled the outflow of horses.
The Tang State was able to rank first in military strength among the towns in the south because it was an ally with the Liao State. Most of the horses in Chu today are descendants of Ma Chu's horses, as well as some horses left behind after the Tang army invaded Chu.
Horses are extremely difficult to train, especially in outback and hilly areas. There was originally one ranch in Chudi near Shaozhou and one near Yongzhou. The pasture near Yongzhou has been occupied by He Xiaoyao Heguo, and Guo Jing is planning to rob the horse farm in Shaozhou.
The Shaozhou Ranch was heavily guarded. Pan Song, the governor of Shaozhou, was defeated this time and led his people to flee to the vicinity of the ranch. Because Guo Jing rushed to aid Hengzhou City, although he sent people to harass it, he did not go to capture it personally because Guo Jing felt that the time had not come yet.
Therefore, horses are especially strategic materials, and they are forbidden meat in feudal towns in Chu. How can they be openly available to the public? Although Guo Jing had this idea, he could only think about it.
Although Guo Jing was a bit arrogant and domineering in the Chu region, he just saw that Zhou Xingfeng was surrounded by enemies on all sides and could not calmly attack him, so his biggest task at the moment was to continue to strengthen himself.
When he bribed the barbarians and appointed himself king of Xiangxi, Zhou Xingfeng, the actual ruler of the Chu region, had no choice but to admit it. Although Guo Jing gathered some forces around him, he still mainly fought guerrillas in the Chu region. Even if he had horses, he did not dare to lead them out for a walk.
Nowadays, although there are dominant warlords in the vassal towns across the Central Plains, there must be various forces, large and small. There is also a delicate balance between the feudal town and these forces. Because occupying territory privately and opposing the feudal town publicly are two completely different concepts.
Today's Chu land is quite special, not only because of the rise of the barbarian tribes in western Chu, but also because after the decline of the Ma family, there is no warlord in Chu land who can truly lead the heroes again. In the view of Emperor Liu Jixing, the Chu region would be annexed by other vassal towns in the near future.
As Guo Jing stayed in Chu for a long time, he became more convinced and recognized the emperor Liu Jixing's vision. Now that the emperor's layout has not yet been completed, and the pressure from Zhou Xingfeng in Chu has not yet reached its maximum, Guo Jing will not push himself to the forefront prematurely.
When the Chu land was in the hands of Ma Yin, it seemed to be a complete vassal town. After it was in the hands of Ma Yin's children, the barbarians of Chuxi were first separated, and then they were completely disrupted by the Tang Dynasty.
Now in the hands of Zhou Xingfeng, at best he is a vassal town recognized by the Central Plains, but at worst it is just a vassal town united by forces.
Also in the Chu region, several huge chieftain regimes were formed in the Chu region. Even the Central Plains regime was somewhat helpless. As the actual person in charge of the Chu region, Zhou Xingfeng's nominal management was in name only.
Because several large barbarian families headed by the Peng family and the Tian family have received support from the Central Plains or the Tang State, it can be said that they have little to do with Zhou Xingfeng. Although these barbarians look simple, any one of them can change the world.
Even Zhang Wenbiao of Hengzhou City, although he was Zhou Xingfeng's brother, was actually in charge of the vast area in southern Chu. Ostensibly attached to Zhou Xingfeng's banner, firstly, Zhang Wenbiao did not have the courage to do so, and secondly, he was caught in the middle. When Zhou Xingfeng was around, he did not dare to leave voluntarily.
Guo Jing understood that Zhou Xingfeng himself was a little helpless. The actual situation in Chu Di was here. If you want to unify the entire Chu Territory or develop outward, Chu Territory will be truly surrounded by enemies on all sides.
Whether it was for the sake of the vassal's appearance or to fully trust Zhang Wenbiao, Zhou Xingfeng had to admit that Zhang Wenbiao was his warlord.
And Guo Jing is just a character who took advantage of the loophole, and Guo Jing himself understands this deeply. Because he knew that Zhou Xingfeng was waiting, waiting for someone who could unify the Central Plains, and then he would stick to the Chu land and sell the family at a good price.
This is the reason why Guo Jing is so unscrupulous. He remembers what Emperor Liu Jixing said to him. Zhou Xingfeng was not afraid, but learned to protect himself in Chu. That was the greatest success. Nowadays, Guo Jing obviously understands this meaning more and more, and naturally he admires the emperor.
And even with today's achievements, Guo Jing still doesn't feel proud at all. Not to mention the current situation, without the support of Emperor Liu Jixing in his decision-making, and not to mention being annihilated by Zhou Xingfeng, even the barbarians in Western Chu would have been enough for Guo Jing to drink.
Now that he has seen Emperor Liu Jixing's methods and decisions, and that he knew the current political situation well as early as a year ago, Guo Jing is even more convinced that his choice is correct. In this troubled world, it is rare to find a good master, and it is even rarer to have the opportunity to develop.
This time Pan Chongche came to Hengzhou City to help Pan Chongche. Although he led his team in a hurry without much preparation and investigation, Guo Jing believed in the information of the secret party.
Although it seems that there are many difficulties along the way, in fact, no one is managing these small prefectures and counties in Chudi. This is Zhou Xingfeng's Achilles' heel. It can be said that Guo Jing and his party traveled through time in a blatant way, not worrying about the distressed Pan Song, let alone Zhou Xingfeng, who was thousands of miles away.
If Zhang Wenbiao can be restrained, then this vast area in southern Chu will be ruled by the southern Han court in Lingnan. At that time, even if Zhou Xingfeng carries the name of the envoy of the Chudi vassal, it will only exist in name only.
The problem is to encircle Hengzhou City and crush Zhang Wenbiao to death under Hengzhou City. Someone needs to attack Pan Chongche from both inside and outside. Now I don’t know what happened to the rest of the people who supported Hengzhou, but at least my team was slow for nearly a day.
Guo Jing only hopes for the blessing of Bodhisattva. No matter what happens in this operation, he does not want Pan Chongche and others to have any accidents.
Regardless of whether it was due to personal beliefs or Guo Jing's current self-confidence, no mistakes were allowed. Although the success or failure of Pan Chongche's rescue operation cannot be attributed to anyone, if it was his own delay that delayed the important event, Guo Jing could not escape the blame.
With the help of these wooden boats, they can be regarded as the best means of transportation. Looking at the boats gradually receding in the waterway ahead, like a few puppet paper boats floating in the water, Guo Jing felt relieved.
Six fast horses kept whipping their whips and moved quickly along the dirt road beside the river. The sound of flying hoofs made people anxious.
Although this road is the official road going south, many warlords have had disputes here since the defeat of Ma Chu. Nowadays, many places in the Chu region are deserted, and it is often difficult to see human habitation for hundreds of miles.
Due to the inaccessibility of the place year by year, the once glorious officialdom was gradually annihilated, and now it seems that the widest part is no more than ten feet.
It is surrounded by towering ancient trees and thick shrubs. If it were not for the steaming water channel next to it, I am afraid that the original official road would have been abandoned.
Moreover, as the road extends in a winding way, or there are not many people or cars passing by, the narrowest part is less than two meters, and some weeds are even as tall as a person. It is often difficult to see the path forward, and one must rely on keen senses to identify it.
However, isn’t there no way out in this world?
What's more, it can be done as long as there is a way, which is the official way.
The sky is completely bright, and through the ancient trees, you can clearly see the river next to it, as well as the hills on both sides, and the green trees on the hills.
Because this is the upper reaches of Zhengshui, heading to Hengzhou and down the Xiangjiang River, the river water is clear and you can see the bottom everywhere. Meandering between green mountains and green waters, it makes people feel relaxed and happy, and there is no hidden murderous intention at all.
All things are truly selected by nature and have their own natural biological chain.
Isn’t it the same with people?
In the small river of Zhishui, several wooden boats are moving forward quickly. Standing on the hillside, you can see that the small wooden boats seem to be filled with straw and debris, and it is impossible to tell that they are full of people.
There are several boatmen at the bow and stern of these wooden boats, who are working hard to rock the oars or use poles to control the speed and direction of the boat. All this seems normal, no different from the usual journey in the countryside.
The river flows with a sound, and the blue waves ripple down the river, making people feel as if they are in a painting.
The boatman, who is wearing high-rolled trousers and is bare-chested, has a face full of the vicissitudes of time. Looking at the boat, the people, and the water, one feels somewhat at peace with the landscape. Each of these wooden boats was no more than ten meters long and no more than a foot wide, but the people on each boat were very calm.
Guo Jing reined in his horse, sat firmly on the horse, and looked at the ship in the distance. If he didn't move fast now, the ship's speed would be faster than the horse's speed along the current.
Lema trotted down a small hillside, and there was a concave bay in front of her. The hilly terrain was so subtle. Guo Jing rode his horse slowly with a calm expression on his face. Although he said nothing, he was always calculating and calculating in his heart.
"Peng Cong, Lin Hu, according to the report just now from the scouts, less than thirty miles ahead is the Chu Army's Hengzhou Xidu Water Village. How should you plan this matter!" Guo Jing's horse speed gradually decreased after entering the small bay. He tilted his head and asked the two guards in front and behind him.
Down the slope in front of the Zhishui River, the waterway gradually widens, and it really looks like a big river, with the grandeur of the Xiangjiang River. They can even occasionally see some early boats. After seeing these wooden boats, most of them will not take it seriously.
Some of those wooden boats moved forward side by side, so that they could speed up faster. In order not to attract anyone's attention, they are dressed up as wooden boats carrying goods.
Guo Jing saw the gradually ascending hillside in front of him and the fast-moving wooden boat in the river shaded by trees. He pondered and let his horse gradually stop.
We are about to reach the outpost of Hengzhou City. The only way to go south to Hengzhou is Xidu Ancient Town, where there is a water village of Zhang Wenbiao.
If the information from the secret party is accurate, the hundreds of Chu troops in this water village now completely control the road south. It not only includes the waterway of Zhishui River, but also the only official road, which is really the fortress into Hengzhou City.
Surprisingly, the navy general defending this water village was Zhang Wenbiao's true confidant. This man's name was Xia Zuo, and he was originally the younger brother of Zhang Wenbiao's general Xia Fu, both of whom were local forces in Hengzhou.
After the Xia family took refuge with Zhang Wenbiao, many of their children were put into important positions, and now Xia Zuo was regarded as a close confidant.
According to secret party intelligence, after Pan Chongche occupied Hengzhou City, he sent people out to trap Xia Zuo. Unexpectedly, this person happened not to be in the water stronghold at the time, and actually escaped. Later, he became suspicious of the attack, and actually stayed in the water stronghold and never came out.
Xia Zuo's purpose was naturally to wait for Zhang Wenbiao, and Pan Chongche did not have the energy to attack and kill this man again. In just a few days, he and Pan Chongche fought several times.
When Zhang Wenbiao hurried back to Hengzhou City, he ordered someone to deliver the message to him. Now he has become the main figure guarding the march south.
Although Guo Jing wouldn't care about a mere Xia Zuo, but thinking that this place was very close to the ancient ferry of Xidu, he thought about the other party's arrangements. As a leader, the most important thing you should do is plan ahead.
Whether there would be scouts and spies operating nearby was the first thing Guo Jing thought of.
Because there is a fast horse to travel, Guo Jing can control the speed at any time, and does not have to worry about the wooden boats in the river. What's more, we have already given instructions. If there is no obstacle to the wooden boat, everyone will disembark five or six miles away from the water village.
At this time, seeing the speed of the wooden boat, which was obviously not slower than that of a fast horse, Guo Jing felt much relieved. If we keep going like this, we should be able to arrive earlier than expected. I hope Pan Chongche in Hengzhou City can hold on, otherwise this operation will be in vain.
Knowing that various situations might arise at any time along the way, Guo Jing remained calm. No matter whether the other party sent out scouts or spies, he needed to prepare in advance. After all, any careless words can lead to failure.
Guo Jing is no longer the scholar he was before, but a general who has experienced hundreds of battles, and a commander with a certain courage. Otherwise, how can we gain a foothold in the land of Chu, and how can we gain a foothold in the western part of Chu where there are many barbarians?
The emperor's full trust was only one of the motivations for Guo Jing to move forward. What Guo Jing cared about was the cake drawn by the emperor Liu Jixing, which was the hope that one day the world would be peaceful and everyone could live a stable and prosperous life.
Guo Jing is willing to fight for this ideal, and he is even more willing to fight for this ideal until he is old. Even if he is buried in horse leather, Guo Jing will feel that he will have no regrets in his life.
Looking at the few people following him, Guo Jing felt somewhat comforted. There are not only Peng Cong and several personal guards here, but also Zheng Tuo, the King of Poisons who has always kept a low profile.
Not to mention that Peng Cong and Lin Hu are representatives of the Military Academy of Prince Xing's Mansion and are talents that the emperor focuses on cultivating. Even if they are ordinary tooth soldiers, Guo Jing will make them stronger. Only when they are truly strong can they stand more firmly in this rough land and have more helpers.
The official road in front gradually ascends. Although it is blocked by hills and hills, it is often the most taboo place for scouts and spies. But with Zheng Tuo, a master here, not to mention a master in the martial arts world, ordinary lurking people could not escape his eyes and ears, so Guo Jing did not have the slightest worry.
From Zheng Tuo's initial protection of Guo Jing, to now Guo Jing's treating Zheng Tuo as his husband, the two of them seem to be getting along quite well.
"Your Majesty, please don't worry, a few people have already made arrangements!" The dark and thin young man next to Peng Cong replied with his fists clasped, his eyes full of confidence and said: "The ten of them have been divided into three canoes to set off early. At this time I'm afraid we're close to Xidu Water Village!"
"Okay! So I will wait patiently for you and wait for the good news to come!" Guo Jing looked into the distance with high spirits, and his mood was extremely agitated.
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"General, send a message from Hengzhou City!"
The urgent report made Xia Zuo, who was already a little unhappy, feel angry. I originally thought that following Zhang Wenbiao would be a good opportunity for me to take off. Unexpectedly, Zhang Wenbiao, who was ambitious but not very talented, was very careless and really thought that Chu Nan was his world.
Unexpectedly, someone raided their home. Now not only many members of the Zhang family are trapped, but also many members of the Xia family have fallen into the hands of the other party. Although Zhang Wenbiao surrounded Hengzhou City, he was afraid that the people in the city would jump over the wall in a hurry.
It is estimated that Zhang Wenbiao will not have much reaction to killing those family members of the Zhang family. Because the Zhang family who followed in Hengzhou City only had two concubines and a few children from concubines. However, the families of the generals and counselors who followed Zhang Wenbiao were also in Hengzhou City.
Zhang Wenbiao originally thought that surrounding Hengzhou City would serve as a deterrent, but now his thoughts were constantly shaken by the people in the city. What made Xia Zuo even more angry was that he was in the water village and was almost assassinated by people sent from the city.
The other party was not only bold, but also destroyed many facilities before the assassination failed, and walked away in a swagger. Just when he escaped and returned to the water village, thinking that everything was fine, those people actually came back and killed him again.
He fought hard to resist the attack. Although he killed a few people, his side also suffered heavy losses. Zhang Wenbiao returned to Hengzhou. Although he sent hundreds of soldiers to him, Xia Zuo still felt vaguely unsafe.
After hearing the report from the tooth soldiers outside, Xia Zuo suppressed his anger and ordered people to come in. Xia Zuo sat on the tiger-skin chair without raising his head, feeling as if someone was striding into his room. So he snorted and asked in a low voice: "What is the report from the Governor!"
"Congratulations to General Xia. Your Excellency just broke through a gap in Hengzhou City and led his men to occupy the camp. He specially sent his subordinates to deliver a message and asked the general to take a look!" The young captain in his twenties looked like There was a kind face, as if I had seen him before somewhere.
Seeing him looking at her kindly and hearing his good news, Xia Zuo was almost stunned and couldn't help but stand up. The news was so surprising that Xia Zuo couldn't help but want to take the urgent letter in his hand.
The young captain smiled slightly, and when he saw Xia Zuo's hand just about to catch his urgent letter, he suddenly jumped forward, and the urgent letter actually hit Xia Zuo's chest. Xia Zuo suddenly woke up with a sharp pain and saw a stream of blood coming out of his chest.
Win the handsomeness!
It would be difficult to achieve without great courage.
Winning the commander-in-chief also means unlimited danger and huge appeal.
To win the commander-in-chief from an army, one must move forward bravely, and more importantly, one must have the mentality of success or failure.
