Jiao Jixun finally got his chance.
Although he had successfully completed the Wenchuan Road before, he did not expect that there were hundreds of Shu troops guarding the valley entrance.
Jiao Jixun asked his confidants to go out and investigate, and found that Sun Hanshao was running the prefectures and counties in Shannan Road like an iron barrel.
The people were organized according to the rural protection system and implemented the joint sitting system. Key intersections were guarded by young men and state and county soldiers. It was simply impossible to walk around without alerting the Meng and Shu officials.
At this time, there was no news from Yuanzhou or Baoxie Road. Jiao Jixun's plan to stir up the entire Hanzhong Basin of Shannan Road with 800 people was still a bit too fanciful.
So these days, Jiao Jixun could only send a small group of troops to pretend to be bandits and plunder everywhere, trying to ensure the food of his soldiers. He carried it for three days, until Jiao Jixun could hardly hold on anymore, and the turning point finally came.
The Shu troops at Taniguchi were all gone in one morning, and they left in a very hurried and clean manner. No one was left behind, but a considerable amount of baggage was left behind.
Jiao Jixun led his men into the camp where the Shu army had hurriedly evacuated to plunder some food, and then ordered his eldest son Jiao Shouzhong to lead a dozen people to capture and interrogate the leaders of nearby rural soldiers.
Only then did we know that Luo Yu'er's army had left Baoxie Valley, and Er Zhujing of Ankang Prefecture had also captured Wukou Pass.
Sun Hanshao, the military governor of Meng Shushan South Road, had no choice but to quickly mobilize troops from various places to Xingyuan Mansion to intercept the army on Baoxie Road.
Jiao Jixun was overjoyed. At this moment, he simply plunged into Sun Hanshao's chest and abdomen! The long-awaited opportunity finally arrived.
Therefore, Luo Yu'er sent out cavalry and had not yet harassed the rear of Hanzhong Basin, but Jiao Jixun and several hundred people had already begun to cause trouble in the Heavenly Palace.
Since Sun Hanshao didn't know that Jiao Jixun dared to lead 800 people to take the Wenchuan Road boldly, he transferred almost all the troops east of Xingyuan Mansion (Hanzhong). The remaining soldiers from the four fields could not stop Jiao Jixun's attack.
In just a few days, Jiao Jixun and others captured dozens of ferry crossings in large and small towns, and even almost broke into Chenggu County, an important stronghold between Xingyuan Prefecture and Yuanzhou.
Li Rong also suffered the same fate as Jiao Jixun. The Tangluo Road was in disrepair for a long time. Li Rong led 3,000 people to walk extremely hard. In the end, he had to abandon most of his baggage before he could barely get out of the valley.
The same was true after leaving the valley. Because the entrance of the valley on the Tangluo Road was close to Yuanzhou, Li Rong did not dare to expose his strength at all. He could only leave the valley with two to three hundred people, which made Wu Dingjun of Meng Shu Yuanzhou think that his number was small.
After all, the people and horses were tired for hundreds of miles along the way, and most of the food, grass, baggage, and armor and stomach were lost. It was still very dangerous to be beaten by someone who was waiting for work. They could only wait for the army to arrive and wait for the opportunity.
It can be seen that Wei Yan's Ziwu Valley conspiracy in the past was indeed not very reliable.
With the current gap between Zhou and Shu, as long as the Meng and Shu troops are not scared away, the Zhou troops who have left the valley mouth still have to be careful.
A turning point also came when Sun Hanshao transferred Wang Huan, the military envoy of Wuding Army in Yuanzhou, and Li Jin, the horse infantry envoy of Yanei, Shannan Province, back to the division for reinforcements.
Wang Huan was urged by Sun Hanshao and had no choice but to leave hundreds of soldiers as suspects to frighten Er Zhujing, who was dozens of miles away, so that he did not dare to pursue him, while he led the main force of Wuding's army westward.
But all of this was clearly seen by Li Rong who was on the mountain north of Yuanzhou. Although Li Rong didn't know that the army had left Baoxie Road, even Er Zhujing was only more than sixty miles away from him. have no idea.
But Li Rong knew that a great change must have occurred for Meng Shu's Yuanzhou Wuding Army to withdraw in such a hurry.
So half an hour after Li Rong, Wang Huan and Li Jin led their troops to leave, they immediately rushed out from Tangluo Road and began to attack Yuanzhou.
The Wu Ding army who stayed behind had been guarding against Erzhu Jing in the east. They thought that there were only a few hundred Zhou troops on the mountain to the north, but they did not expect that there were thousands of them.
Li Rong was blocked on the Tangluo Road for six or seven days. The soldiers under his command were very angry. They also knew that this was the best opportunity and immediately launched a desperate attack. Wu Ding's army did not even have time to close the gate of Yuanzhou City before they were invaded. To the city.
After taking Yuanzhou, Li Rong knew that the army had already left Baoxie Road, and Feng'an Town in Erzhujing was sixty miles east.
So this soldier who was born in Taiyuan got angry and immediately killed all the more than 300 Wuding Army soldiers who were captured in the city.
Afterwards, only a hundred men were left to guard the east gate of Yuanzhou, and another ten men were sent across the mountains to notify Er Zhujing. The rest ate big cakes while chasing most of the Wuding army heading towards Xingyuan Prefecture.
Almost at the same time, after Jiao Jixun occupied more than a dozen ferries and towns, he immediately realized that Wu Ding's army in Yuanzhou was likely to return for reinforcements, so he quickly led eight hundred warriors to seize Chenggu County to stop them.
Unfortunately, he arrived a little late. Before Jiao Jixun could capture Chenggu County, he saw dust rising in the distance, and reinforcements from the Wu Ding Army of Xingyuan Prefecture and some Shannan Dao Ya soldiers had already arrived.
So Jiao Jixun quickly retreated to the north of Chenggu County, where there was a wooden bridge built in the early Han Dynasty, Wangxian Bridge.
The Shu River originates from the Qinling Mountains and loops around the north of Chenggu County. The most convenient way to pass through the Shu River is on the Wangxian Bridge. Wu Ding's army must go here to reinforce Xingyuan Prefecture.
Wang Huan and Li Jin ran all the way, but unexpectedly there was someone guarding Wangxian Bridge.
At first Wang Huan thought they were the generals sent by Sun Hanshao to meet them, but when he got closer, he saw that the army on the opposite side was wearing the typical cyan cotton armor of the Zhou army, flying the silver-edged golden spike three-chen flag, and a large array of bows and crossbows.
Those who look at the Immortal Bridge are not only the Zhou army, but also the close soldiers of the Zhou army.
The two of them were stunned for a long time. Li Jin, the horse infantry commander of Yanei Mountain in Shannan Province, suddenly pointed at the mountains to the north and whispered: "These soldiers from the north must have come along the Wenchuan Road."
Wang Huan, the commander of the Wuding Army in Yuanzhou, looked shocked. It was a miracle that 800 people walked through the Wenchuan Road with their armor and stomach intact. Anyway, among the 7,000 Wuding troops under his command, he could not find such 800 people.
"There is no other way, let's fight! There are northern soldiers in Wenchuan Road, and the Xingyuan Mansion must be even more critical. We must rush there quickly."
Li Jin asked his followers to put on the iron armor for him while looking at Wang Huan and said.
"The last general will lead his troops first, please ask the commander to raid a certain formation!"
Li Jin was very confident, but Wang Huan was not as optimistic as he was. The northern soldiers from Ankang Prefecture at Wukou Pass were said to be only the Forbidden Army with weak combat effectiveness of the Zhou army, but they were already so difficult to defeat.
These pro-Zhou troops, all in cotton armor, and capable of walking on the Wenchuan Road, probably numbered 800, and they were not something they could easily defeat.
But since Li Jin was willing to take the lead, he had no objection at all.
The name of Wangxian Bridge sounds fairy-like, but it is actually a flat bridge with a huge stone as the bottom and a wooden board as the bridge deck. The bridge deck is not wide, and six or seven people can walk side by side.
At the same time, the water is not very wide. At most, it is more than a hundred steps above the water surface.
Li Jin was anxious to return to the army, so he simply invested 1,500 men at once.
Soldiers wearing heavy armor attacked from the bridge, and crossbowmen wearing bamboo armor stood in the water to shoot.
A cavalry force of more than 300 people continued to explore upstream, looking for a narrow river that could be forded.
Jiao Jixun has been prepared for a long time. There won't be too many surprises in this head-to-head encounter. The only thing that matters is who can fight better.
He ordered his eldest son Jiao Shouzhong to lead 200 soldiers to block the bridge, and then divided another 100 warriors to form defensive formations to the north and east. He sent out more than ten Youyi troops to guard against the hundreds of cavalry wading through the water to make a surprise attack.
As soon as the battle started, it went directly to the most tragic direction. The families of Li Jin's Shannan Daoya soldiers were in Xingyuan Mansion. They were afraid that their families would suffer if the Zhou army broke through Xingyuan Mansion, so they worked extra hard.
Jiao Jixun walked 200 kilometers along the almost roadless Wenchuan Road in order to make great achievements and wash away the shame of Youshen Weiwei.
And nothing can be greater than blocking ten times the enemy and providing guarantee for the army to capture Xingyuan Mansion, so I will never back down.
The battle lasted from early in the morning to past noon. Shannan Daoya soldiers launched a total of seven large-scale attacks, but they were still unable to break through the Zhou army's obstruction at Wangxian Bridge.
The archers who waded into the water and shot at each other suffered a big loss. They were no match for the powerful male archers like Zhou Jun, and the sophistication of their crossbows was even more incomparable.
The three hundred riders who took a detour upstream never showed up.
It was past noon, and the hungry Shannan Dao Ya soldiers could no longer fight, so it was Wang Huan's Wu Ding army's turn to take over.
Wu Dingjun did not feel the same pain as the Shannan Dao Ya soldiers. Instead, they were still worried about whether their home base of Yuanzhou would be attacked by the Zhou army from Ankang Prefecture. They were eager to rescue Xingyuan Prefecture.
Therefore, Wu Dingjun did not fight very hard. Li Jin saw this and was anxious, so he could only use Sun Hanshao to suppress Wang Huan.
At this time, the detoured cavalry finally appeared. Although they were blocked by a hundred men arranged by Jiao Jixun, it also caused Jiao Jixun's troops to be attacked from both sides.
Li Jin once again asked Wang Huan to withdraw the alarmed Wu Ding army, and then selected elite troops to attack with his Shannan Dao Ya soldiers.
Wang Huan saw that he could be defeated and was afraid of Sun Hanshao's punishment, so he agreed.
Jiao Jixun also knew that this was the last critical moment. He personally took fifty people to help repel the Shu army cavalry, and then said to his eldest son Jiao Shouzhong and the soldiers.
"Now we have entered the Xingyuan Mansion and killed many Shu people, and the feud has been forged.
Besides, there are only warriors who died in battle in the Great Zhou Dynasty, and there are no cowards who will bend their knees and live in peace. If we die in battle, our parents, wives, and children will have the care and grace of saints. May you all fight side by side with me! "
The remaining 700 people were very popular. Whether it was out of their admiration for Zhang Yan, the court's care for their families, or their own honor, these people never thought of bending the knee.
Both sides launched a desperate attack. When the fighting got fierce, Jiao Jixun's eldest son, Jiao Shouzhong Dounun, was broken by the Shu army with a bone. His face was covered with blood and he continued to fight.
Wangxian Bridge is so wide, no matter how many people the Shu army invested at one time, they could never drive off the bridge the Zhou troops on the opposite side who had not even eaten the morning meal.
The three hundred cavalrymen crossing the river could not find any way to break in except circling the Zhou army.
Li Jin wanted to increase the pressure, but he only heard the galloping horses behind him. Wu Dingjun, who was in charge of the rear, rushed to Wang Huan with his head covered in blood. When he saw Wang Huan, he burst into tears.
"The Northern Army has hidden soldiers in the Tangluo Road. As soon as we leave, they will come out of the valley entrance to attack. Yuanzhou...Yuanzhou has been captured by them."
Wu Dingjun was in an uproar, and the tooth soldiers on Shannan Road also looked at each other in confusion. Wang Huan felt like the world was spinning.
His parents, wife, children, and dozens of clan members are all in Yuanzhou City, and most of the family members of his four thousand Wu Ding Army are also in Yuanzhou City and nearby towns.
Wang Huan was about to take his people back to Yuanzhou, but before he could take action, dust was flying in the distance, and Li Rong led Zhaoyi Town in pursuit.
Wang Huan and Li Jin had no choice but to retreat to Chenggu County.
Moreover, because Li Rong arrived very quickly, the window time for the Shu army was very short, and Jiao Jixun was also clinging to it. As a result, the Shu army was unable to retreat calmly. Almost all the baggage brought from Yuanzhou along the way was lost, and most of the civilians ran away.
When Li Rong and Jiao Jixun met, they had mixed feelings. No wonder Shi Jingtang was unwilling to kill Meng Zhixiang when he had the Xingyuan Mansion in his hands.
It’s not that I don’t want to, it’s that I can’t.
Along the way, the two of them had gone through countless hardships that could only be described in ten days, but now, they finally saw the dawn of victory.
Wang Huan and Li Jin, who had retreated to Chenggu County in embarrassment, suddenly felt that they had been cheated again.
Because the soldiers and horses pursued by Li Rong only had more than 2,000 people. Even if Jiao Jixun's more than 700 people were included, the total would be just over 3,000, and they had more than 8,000 people.
So the two of them discussed it and went out again, hoping to have a field battle with Li Rong and Jiao Jixun.
Regarding this request from the Shu Army, Jiao and Li were overjoyed, it was like a big gift package delivered to their door!
】
So the two sides formed a battle formation in the west of Chenggu County. More than 6,000 Shu troops attacked the Zhou army of less than 3,000 men. They formed formations and fought four times. After half an hour of fighting, the Shu army left behind six to seven hundred corpses. , ran back to the city in a hurry.
Now they are completely convinced. If they can't beat them, they just can't beat them. Eight thousand people were surrounded by three thousand people in the city, and they recognized it.
Two days later, Er Zhujing, who received Li Rong's notice, finally arrived with 2,000 people from Feng'an Town, the imperial army, and the Zhou army increased to more than 5,000 people.
Er Zhujing, as a general of the Donggui Sect, had a higher status and reputation than Jiao Jixun and Li Rong. As soon as he arrived, the Zhou army, which was originally divided into two groups, was immediately kneaded into a whole.
While Er Zhujing ordered the army to start attacking the small Chenggu County, he also selected low-level officers from each army who could recognize a few words and sent some out to control the surrounding intersections and ferries.
On April 20, the Shu army of 8,000 people crowded into the small Chenggu County could no longer hold back. Li Jin, who was anxious to return to the army, led 2,000 people to open the west gate and break out towards Xingyuan Mansion.
Er Zhujing immediately ordered Jiao Jixun to intercept them, and finally caught up with Li Jin's 2,000 men by the Sishui River.
Jiao Jixun used his bows and crossbows to shoot at the Shu army that broke through. The Shu army had lost most of their baggage when they retreated into Chenggu County, and not many of them were wearing armor.
The Shu troops who were shot back attacked twice, but were repulsed. In the end, they had no choice but to jump into the water regardless of their lives, leaving nothing behind.
Li Jin, the commander of the horse-riding army in Shannan Dao Jiedu Yanei, was also shot to death among the rebels.
The Wuding Army Jiedu envoy in Yuanzhou, whose home base was cut off, was persuaded by Er Zhujing's envoy to surrender. He opened the city gate after noon and asked Er Zhujing to surrender.
The reinforcements that Sun Hanshao was expecting were completely wiped out.
. . . .
On April 22nd, Er Zhujing, who had integrated the Wuding Army in Shuyuan Prefecture, personally led the army westward to the outside of Xingyuanfu City.
Since the main force was blocked five or six miles northwest of Xingyuan Prefecture, the city of Xingyuan Prefecture was empty of troops. Before Er Zhujing started to attack the city, the gentry, gentry and merchants of Xingyuan Prefecture went out crying and fled in all directions, looking like a scene of doomsday. .
When Sun Hanshao received the news, he could only give up the geographical advantage in despair and retreated to Xingyuan Mansion.
During the march, Luo Yu'er sent Li Cunhui to lead two thousand horsemen of the Lin Guards on the right to attack the retreating Shu army first. The Shu soldiers were panicked and were attacked from both sides. After only about a quarter of an hour of fighting, more than 30,000 people collapsed.
Under the protection of his confidants, Sun Hanshao led more than 200 horsemen to flee in panic towards Micang Road south of Xingyuan Mansion.
His 30,000-strong army was completely wiped out after Wu Ding's army in Yuanzhou.
The entire Hanzhong area where Xingyuan Mansion is located fell into the hands of the Zhou army.
