Chapter 798: Switching sides in battle
It is said that Sima Yi held back and the main force abandoned Yecheng and turned to the banks of the Yellow River. But precisely because of this night's delay, Zhou Buyi had already finished reorganizing his troops in Wushe. More than 50,000 Qinglong troops crossed the river at night and poured into the mountains between Hulao Pass and Luoyang.
This is where the Yiluo River and the Yellow River meet. There are shoals suitable for field landings, and the surrounding hills are dense, where troops can be hidden. Yuan Shu in Luoyang was in the decisive battle with Cao Cao, and almost all his troops were transferred to the southern front. Therefore, the defense in northern Luoyang and the south bank of the Yellow River was very sparse. Most of the beacon towers or military highlands were unguarded. Therefore, although the Qinglong Army was large in number, it was unknown Unconsciously, the connection between Hulao Pass and Luoyang was cut off.
The area around Shanyang in Hanoi County on the south bank of the Yellow River is surrounded by rolling mountains and difficult roads. It is the remnant of the foothills of the Taihang Mountains. Zhou Buji ordered people to set up eleven large camps in a row, with only one purpose, which was to confuse and delay Sima Yi's pursuing troops.
As long as these eleven suspicious soldiers can delay Sima Yi for seven or eight days and nights, it will be enough for the Qinglong Army to capture Hulao Pass and Hangu Pass on the opposite side. But Zhou Busuo's inner plan was to capture Luoyang directly. As for Hulao Pass, as long as a brigade of troops ambushed them, they could block or even destroy Yuan's troops returning to defend Hulao Pass.
The messengers had already rushed to Chang'an in the dark. Zhou Buyi was anxiously waiting for news from Hangu Pass. As long as the main force of the Qinglong Army from Chang'an gathered and the two armies encircled them, it would be the best time to surprise Luoyang North City.
Huang Gai and Xu Shu led an army with a total of 30,000 horse and infantry soldiers. At this time, they had reached the Lingbao boundary. Shu Shao, the guard general of Hangu Pass, was talented in both civil and military affairs, but his character was upright and he did not like Yuan Shu. Yuan Shu's veteran generals all fought against Cao Cao in the south. Shu Shao led his own army of several thousand soldiers to guard the natural danger of Hangu Pass.
Shu Shao had nothing to do all day long, and even his soldiers were too lazy to train. Finally, he made wine his friend and meat his neighbor. When I heard that the Qinglong army was invading, I was so frightened that I reluctantly climbed to the top of the city to take a look. I saw the Qinglong fang flag coming overwhelmingly in the hundreds of miles of yellow smoke. The sound of the horse's hooves was like the roar of thousands of thunders, and the sound of the war drum was like a life-threatening charm. , nailing Shu Shao to the spot, unable to move again.
After a while, his subordinates saw Shu Shao shaking all over and quickly woke him up. Shu Shao seemed to have had a big dream, and he suddenly opened his mouth and shouted: "The Yuan family is gone!"
Shu Shao ordered people to deploy the city defense and went down to the top of the city to write a letter. He ordered his troops to carry the letter and rush to Luoyang to report the news after opening the east city. Unexpectedly, just after leaving the city, after running less than twenty miles, I saw dust rising from behind the mountain col ahead, and a group of majestic infantry striding forward, their sharp spears like a dazzling forest, the green dragon flag flying everywhere, and the black pressure coming towards Hangu Pass. The first general, wearing a helmet and armor, a black robe, and a five-foot-long spear in his hand, was the general Zhang He and Zhang Junyi who had divided his forces to attack Hangu Pass.
The messenger was so surprised that he turned his horse's head in a circle, rode into the city again, and shouted to open the door quickly. The gate guard was puzzled and hurriedly opened the door bolt.
The city gate was barely opened, and the herald army had already squeezed in impatiently, shouting: "This is bad! Close the door quickly! The Qinglong Army is coming!"
The city gate soldiers were so frightened that they tied the city gate to death with iron chains. Uneasy, they blocked the city gate with broken bricks and tiles. At this time, Shu Shao had already heard the news and came over. When he climbed to the top of the city and looked into the distance, he saw Zhang He leading the army, standing in front of the formation with horses and spears. Behind him were several infantry squares, all with sharp swords and spears and sharp saddles and chisels. Shu Shao felt bitter for a while. He looked back and saw that there were only a few hundred infantrymen behind him. They were all stunned with fear. How could he fight this battle?
His adjutant had been following Shu Shao for a long time. When he saw this, he trembled and groaned: "General! Although Hangu Pass is dangerous and easy to defend but difficult to attack, the gap in strength is too large, and it is surrounded from two sides. If we do not surrender, reinforcements will not arrive. Death is certain."
Shu Shao thought that was not the case. He glared at his subordinates fiercely and said: "Surrender without a fight? You can think of it." These words were so strong that Shu Shao felt a bit heroic. He shouted and ordered: "Give it to me." Bring me the wine!”
The men all looked at each other in confusion, wondering if the general would drink the guillotine first? In a moment, the soldiers brought the jars of wine and the wine utensils to the tower. Shu Shao ordered his men to fill the big bowl, held it up and shouted: "A man eats big chunks of meat and drinks a lot of wine. He died in battle today. What should he be afraid of?"
After that, he forced his men to drink a bowl of wine in turn and went down to the city in a noisy manner. Seeing the city gate blocked at a glance, he said angrily: "I am about to raise my troops for a decisive battle with the Qinglong Army, why do I seal the city gate myself? Clean it up for me quickly!" After saying that, he raised his big gun and jumped onto his young horse. The green-maned horse shouted: "All the troops gather! Follow me to attack!"
Shu Shao held up his spear and galloped on his horse impatiently in front of the city gate, watching the team gather sparsely. The adjutant also rode a bad horse, took a pole knife, and reported: "General, we are all here."
Seeing that there were only a few hundred soldiers, Shu Shao remembered that the west side of the city still needed to be guarded. He waved his spear and said, "Although our army is small, we should win with our generals." After saying this, he urged his war horses and walked out of the newly cleared city gate. The passage rushed out, and the sergeant quickly opened the city gate. Hundreds of Yuan Shu's cavalry did not even have time to raise the flag, and charged directly towards Zhang He's infantry lined up in the wilderness.
Zhang He intended to observe the timing of attacking the city, but unexpectedly there were troops coming out of the city to attack. He couldn't help but be surprised. He couldn't see a few hundred people carefully, and the attendants around him burst into laughter. Zhang He frowned as he watched Shu Shao and others getting closer and closer, and ordered: "Archers, prepare!"
Shu Shao was just a stone's throw away from Zhang He and suddenly reined in his horse, just out of the range of the archers. Pointing the gun at him, he said, "Hey! Who is this person who dares to sneak attack on my Yuan family's natural danger?"
Zhang He pointed his gun forward and responded: "I will not change my name when I am walking, and I will not change my surname when I sit down. I am Zhang He of Jizhou. I can use my name when I come!"
Shu Shao frowned and said: "Zhang He in Jizhou? I have never heard of it. Sure enough, the Qinglong Army only relied on the number of people to fight! My lord Yuan Shu has become an emperor. You have no name, and you also want to know my name? First, let me know my name. Beat the gun in my hand!"
There was a sneer on Zhang He's lips. He knew that there were few people on the other side, so he wanted to force himself to win a duel. Zhang He tightened his grip on the thick spear in his hand, and his confidence immediately exploded. Ever since he followed Chen Long, he hadn't had a duel with anyone on the battlefield for a long time. Wouldn't it be great if he could have a hearty fight today? If he could win, he would be able to break through Hangu Pass in an instant. When he opened the gate on the opposite side to welcome Huang Gai, Zhang He would yearn for the admiration and surprise in the eyes of the generals.
Zhang He raised his spear and shouted: "Don't fire arrows!" He clamped his horse between his legs and immediately started speeding from where he was, rushing towards the small formation of several hundred people on the opposite side. Shu Shao was overjoyed when he saw that the provoking method worked. Just as he was about to stand out from the crowd and duel with Zhang He, a man and a horse suddenly appeared from behind. He raised a spear and stabbed Shu Shao under the horse. This sudden change was like a rabbit rising and a falcon falling, it was too unbelievable. Seeing Shu Shao fall to the ground, Zhang He was so stunned that he didn't react. One of his horses forgot to brake and galloped straight in front of the enemy.
Shu Shao was seriously injured and fell to the ground with severe pain in his chest and abdomen. When he reluctantly raised his head to look up, the murderer who was shooting behind him was none other than his adjutant. The adjutant looked at Shu Shao coldly, and shouted to the chaotic troops around him: "Brothers, Shu Shao is usually drunk, talking nonsense, and beating soldiers. I have put up with him for a long time! Today, the Qinglong Army is invading. What happened to my little Hangu Pass? Can a mantis use his arms as a chariot? But this Shu Shao is so hateful that he refused to surrender even to the point of death! Isn’t this taking the lives of brothers as a gift?"
"Today I killed this thief because I wanted to defect on the spot, surrender on the spot, and join the Qinglong Army from now on. The Qinglong Army has always been famous and has unparalleled combat power. General Chen Long is generous, kind, and superb in martial arts. He is the best lord for us! "After saying that, he turned over and dismounted, cut Shu Shao's head with a knife, and knelt down in front of Zhang He's horse with a thud.
If you want to know what happens next, listen to the explanation next time.
