Sizhou, Hanoi County.
On the main road forty miles west of Huai County.
Tens of thousands of Xiongnu cavalry were marching westward along the road in a mighty manner. In addition to these Xiongnu soldiers holding weapons, there were tens of thousands of captured Jin people who were also walking together.
Most of these prisoners were young and strong men and women, but they were also very hungry and tired. From time to time, some would fall to the ground and never get up again.
Although people fell down and died next to them from time to time, these captured Jin people no longer had any thoughts of taking a look again. No one knew how long they could hold on. Even if they could hold on, they would wait. After arriving in Pingyang, what awaits them will also be a difficult life of being a cow and a horse.
Suddenly, a rapid sound of horse hooves came from the east of the road. The Hun cavalry who were on guard immediately separated into a group and rushed forward.
When the flag of the Huns and Han Kingdom flashed out, all the Huns cavalry breathed a sigh of relief.
It turned out to be the army responsible for rear cover.
The Xiongnu Emperor Liu Cong also stopped immediately and looked at the Xiongnu rear troops coming from behind.
Next to him, Liu Yi, the brother of the Hun Emperor of the Han Dynasty, also stared at the Hun cavalry coming from behind. However, compared with the calm face of his 'godfather' Liu Cong, Liu Yi looked nervous.
"Could it be that the Qingzhou thieves from Huai County are catching up?" Liu Yi, the crown prince's younger brother, murmured.
After hearing this, Liu Cong didn't take it seriously at all.
"The Qingzhou bandit army has almost no cavalry. How could they catch up here so quickly? I think it was probably the sergeants at the rear who defeated the pursuing Qingzhou bandit!"
When the soldiers of the Xiongnu rear army saw the Xiongnu Emperor Liu Cong, they immediately said:
"Your Majesty, the Qingzhou bandit army went out of the city to pursue, but was repulsed by our troops at Qianshi Pi. The bandits have become frightened and do not dare to pursue any more!"
After hearing the news, the Hun Emperor Liu Cong showed a slightly cheerful expression on his face.
As the emperor of the Xiongnu and Han Dynasty, Liu Cong led tens of thousands of troops to besiege Huai County for more than a month, but he was unable to retreat. Instead, he lost thousands of soldiers. Among them, a Qiang and Hu chief who had surrendered to Beidi County also died in front of the battle. , even the corpses were not snatched back.
This simply made Liu Cong lose face, if it weren't for the fact that the Xiongnu army in Henan had withdrawn due to the epidemic, and there were major changes in Pingyang in the rear.
The Hun Emperor Liu Cong might continue to besiege Huai County.
"Okay, these Qingzhou bandits are so vulnerable once they leave the protection of the city! It's really exciting!" The emperor's brother Liu Yi next to him has a young mind after all. As soon as he heard that the Xiongnu rear army had won, his nervousness immediately relaxed. Coming down, I couldn't help but clap my hands and cheer.
The Xiongnu Emperor Liu Cong was also in a good mood, and he asked the visitor.
"How many beheads, and are there any prisoners left alive?"
After hearing the emperor's question, the man lowered his head and spoke cautiously.
"Your Majesty, I have beheaded about a hundred people and captured less than ten alive!"
"Hundreds of people!?"
After hearing this number, the Xiongnu Emperor Liu Cong's eyes widened, like a wolf about to eat people, and he questioned fiercely.
The Hun sergeant who came to report the news was immediately frightened and his heart trembled, and he immediately repeated it in more respectful words.
After confirming the number of beheadings and captures after the victory, the Hun Emperor Liu Cong's originally relieved mood upon hearing the victory immediately disappeared.
The Xiongnu Emperor Liu Cong couldn't help but take a breath of cold air. You must know that he left an ambush behind in the small Qianshi Pi. However, there were as many as 5,000 people, and they were covered by the surrounding terrain. As long as the Qingzhou Army in Huai County If you come in pursuit, you will definitely be ambushed and defeated.
But after an ambush battle, there were so few beheadings and captures. Was this a victory or a defeat?
The Xiongnu Emperor Liu Cong couldn't help but speculate that it was the old helper Liu Yang, the Changle King who was responsible for breaking up the rear, who messed up the ambush and then deceived himself by "converting defeat into victory"?
"Where is the prisoner's birthplace?"
When Liu Cong thought of this, he immediately shouted and asked.
If the Qingzhou Army pursuing Huai County fails in an ambush, they will definitely not dare to pursue it again. In this way, the Xiongnu Emperor Liu Cong can lead his light cavalry back to Pingyang first, and then leave a large force to carry the looted baggage and population. Go slowly.
However, if Changle King Liu Yang, who was responsible for breaking up the rear, failed in his ambush and gave the pursuing Qingzhou Army an opportunity, the Xiongnu Emperor Liu Cong would have to organize another attack. Otherwise, he would have to march and be prepared for the rear at all times. Pursuing soldiers, I don’t know how much time will be wasted along the way.
Now Liu Kun, the governor of Jin Bingzhou, has just made a big mistake that is irreparable. This is definitely a great opportunity for the Xiongnu and Han Kingdom to attack Jinyang from the north and capture all the Bingzhou valley and plains in one fell swoop!
Changle King Liu Yang of the rear army was the uncle of the Xiongnu Emperor Liu Cong, and he had many self-led tribesmen. He may not have been deceiving himself. If there were some prisoners for interrogation, then the matter would probably be known more clearly.
"Your Majesty, those prisoners have been brought here and are tied up on the ground where the horses are tied!"
"Bring it here!" When Liu Cong heard this, he immediately frowned.
If they were defeated, it would be difficult to take prisoners. It seems that the ambush was successful, but after an ambush, did the Qingzhou bandit army only lose so little?
How powerful is this Qingzhou bandit army?
Soon, several Qingzhou Han prisoners with scars all over their bodies were escorted over.
"Your Majesty, two more prisoners were injured and died. These are the only ones left!"
Upon hearing this, the Xiongnu Emperor Liu Cong nodded slightly, and then said pleasantly to several Qingzhou Han Army prisoners kneeling on the ground.
"I am the Emperor of the Han Dynasty!"
"I see that all of these handsome men are brave warriors. Why would they sacrifice their lives for that thief from Haiyu, Qingzhou!"
"It's better to quickly abandon the secret and turn to the light. I am reviving the emperor. It is the time for me to employ people. I will also be the capital of the generals..."
As soon as the Xiongnu Emperor Liu Cong said this, a Qingzhou Han prisoner who was pressed to the ground began to curse loudly.
"Oh, bah! Hu Lu, you are worthy of being called a royal man! Killing your brother and marrying your mother is like a beast!"
At this time, two Xiongnu guards had already rushed forward and knocked the Qingzhou Army prisoner to the ground with the scabbards in their hands. However, although the Qingzhou Han Army prisoner had blood in his mouth, he continued to struggle and was not afraid. Keep yelling!
"Hulu, you all will die badly!"
"I am a beggar in Bingzhou. If I have the guts, I will kill your grandfather!"
"I want..."
The voice of the captured Qingzhou Han army stopped abruptly.
The sharp blade suddenly cut off, and his head, which was pressed into the soil, was separated from his body. The blood spurted out was more than a foot high, and several Hun generals around him were stained with scarlet spots.
The emperor's brother Liu Yi next to him was blushing. He immediately stepped back in disgust and horror, not daring to watch such a bloody scene at such a close range.
A few drops of blood also hit the face of the Hun Emperor Liu Cong. A personal attendant next to him quickly took out a silk cloth and wanted to wipe his master, but Liu Cong raised his hand to stop him.
"Such a stubborn person deserves to die!"
The Xiongnu Emperor Liu Cong said in a deep voice.
"Do you still have anyone you would like to die with?!"
Liu Cong's words were full of disdain and threats, and then he continued to scan the remaining prisoners with his eyes.
"Hahaha, Hugou! Your grandfather, I don't want to live anymore. I will go to the underworld to wait for you first. When my two sons grow up, I will kill all you Hulu and avenge me!"
One prisoner screamed loudly, and two Hun soldiers held down his tied arms behind his back, preventing him from struggling to stand up.
"puff!"
There was another soft sound, and the second head rolled down.
"But who else wants to die!?"
The Hun Emperor Liu Cong's voice was still low, but it clearly contained huge anger.
At this time, there were only four prisoners of the Qingzhou Han Army left. All four of them had their heads lowered. No one dared to curse and beg for death. The fresh smell of blood wafting from the ground made them even more reluctant to ask for mercy. I couldn't make any sound, I just made a few "ho ho" sounds from my throat.
When Liu Cong saw this, he knew that these four people were frightened, so he started to caress each other warmly.
The four people immediately came to their senses and kowtowed one after another.
In response to a series of inquiries from the Hun Emperor Liu Cong, he answered all questions and told everything he knew. Even if it was something he didn't know, he also revealed all the things he had heard from hearsay.
Finally, the Xiongnu Emperor Liu Cong was basically certain that the Qingzhou Han army that was pursuing in Huai County had already prepared for the ambush of the Xiongnu army. Now that it had suffered a setback, there was definitely no possibility of continuing the pursuit.
"Give these four men a horse each to march with the army!"
The Xiongnu Emperor Liu Cong immediately ordered his followers.
Then, he issued a series of orders to several generals around him. He had decided to lead his personal Qingqi back to Pingyang first, and let the remaining armies move slowly.
Soon, the Xiongnu Emperor Liu Cong, who had been well prepared, led thousands of light cavalry along the road and galloped toward the northwest.
Because Liu Can, the Xiongnu chieftain who stayed behind in Pingyang City, sent someone to deliver the news about Jinyang, which made the Xiongnu emperor Liu Cong unwilling to delay even a moment longer.
A group of cavalry galloped forward until they passed the Wild King, then stopped for a moment.
Liu Yi, the brother of the Han Dynasty emperor who accompanied the Huns, was already very tired due to the high-intensity riding. However, no one in the passing Huns cavalry showed the slightest complaint. As a royal nobleman, the emperor His younger brother Liu Yi didn't dare to show it in front of Liu Cong.
The emperor's younger brother Liu Yi noticed that along the way, the Hun Emperor Liu Cong's face had always been very solemn, with almost no expression changes.
"Your Majesty, are you worried about missing the opportunity to capture Jinyang?" Liu Yi, the emperor's younger brother, couldn't help but ask.
After hearing Liu Yi's words, the Huns Emperor Liu Cong shook his head and said.
"Liu Kun has made a big mistake regarding Jinyang. It is too late to make amends. As long as I return to Pingyang within two days, Jinyang will be mine!"
The Xiongnu Emperor Liu Cong knew that although Liu Kun, the governor of Jin Bingzhou, was famous for his courage, he was not good at military affairs. He could resist the attacks of the Xiongnu and Han Dynasty many times and relied more on the support of Tuoba Xianbei. Now Tuoba Xianbei is busy The Hequ area competed with the Qiang and Hu for territory and was unable to support Jinyang.
In this way, with the surrender of General Linghu Ni, the Huns and Han Kingdom were 90% sure that they could seize Jinyang.
"Then what is your Majesty worried about?" asked the emperor's younger brother Liu Yi. At this time, he was full of curiosity and had forgotten the teachings of his masters. He couldn't help but pry into the emperor's thoughts.
However, the Hun Emperor Liu Cong's feelings towards his younger brother were always unusual, and he did not show any displeasure, but spoke very normally.
"What I'm worried about now is no longer Liu Kun from Jinyang, but those Qingzhou thieves!"
After hearing this, the emperor's younger brother Liu Yi also nodded and agreed very much.
"What your Majesty said is absolutely true. Those Qingzhou thieves are indeed difficult people. The small Huai County can actually keep them in a tight trap! We know that they are not comparable to the ordinary Jin bandit thieves!"
The Xiongnu Emperor Liu Cong said.
"The things I'm worried about are probably more serious than this!"
"Did you know that most of the Qingzhou thieves who are guarding Huai County this time are new soldiers who have been recruited for less than a few months? Even those Qingzhou thieves who lined up outside the city of Huai County and dared to go out to fight also have many recruits!"
After hearing this, even though the emperor's younger brother Liu Yi loved Confucianism and was not very good at military affairs, he immediately noticed something unusual.
"Are they mostly new soldiers? Your Majesty, but, but, I see that those Qingzhou thieves' soldiers are strong, not afraid of arrows, and they are all well-equipped soldiers. How can they look like new soldiers?"
"Haha, although the armor is excellent, it is indeed filled with new soldiers. The few captured Qingzhou thief soldiers today confessed that the Qingzhou thief army has always been the most heavily armored, although they are all new recruits recruited by Zu Ti. , but got enough armor!"
"Your Majesty, if that's the case, don't we also have many of the soldiers and armor we captured from Luoyang stored in Pingyang City? Why don't we recruit soldiers immediately and match them with excellent armor to get such a strong army!"
In the heart of the emperor's brother Liu Yi, the Qingzhou Han army in Huai County has been classified as a strong army.
"The Qingzhou thieves are not only that, they also allocate land, acres, and slave tribes to their soldiers, and they also attach great importance to military merit. In this way, they have such a strong army through these two methods!"
Ever since the Xiongnu Emperor Liu Cong knew that these Qingzhou Army soldiers were like this, he immediately realized the huge threat he would face in the future.
Today, the Xiongnu-Han Kingdom is called a country, but its most basic strength, namely the five Xiongnu tribes, is still maintained in the original tribal form.
Tribal marshals, large and small, hold complete power. The vast majority of ordinary Xiongnu tribesmen are regarded as slaves and servants. In the eyes of the tribal marshals, they have a higher status than cattle and horses.
Except when they went out to plunder with the army, at other times they seriously lacked the strong morale of the Qingzhou Han army.
Even if the equipment is well-equipped, it is difficult to improve morale.
"With the Qingzhou bandits such a powerful enemy, if my Huns continue like this, I'm afraid they will be unable to compete!"
At this time, the Xiongnu Emperor Liu Cong was already thinking hard in his heart about how to reform the Xiongnu Empire in his hands so that he could compete with the threat from the east in the future.
