Jinchang and Zuo Wu are two of the Eight Dukes of Huainan.
Zuo Wu is tall and thin, with a sharp chin. He likes to wear a brown shirt. His eyes are slightly raised at the corners, his face is as cold as ice, and his eyes are sharp.
He is nearly forty years old, more than ten years younger than Jinchang.
Jinchang has a goatee on his chin, has an ordinary human body shape, and his pupils are slightly yellow.
They led more than a thousand retainers of the King of Huainan, that is, strange people and strangers under his command, to Jiangxia.
Huo Qubing proposed a strategy to pacify Huainan. Jiangxia was the first battle to seize the military power of the surrounding counties in Huainan, and it was also a battleground.
Zuo Wu and Jinchang came in advance to arrange the situation and were ready here.
Both of them are proficient in military equipment and have their own cultivation. They can stand out among the thousands of disciples of King Huainan, which shows their talents.
"I thought Tayu would come too, but I didn't expect it was just the two of us."
Zuo Wu's face was cold, and his voice was as cold as a knife, with almost no ups and downs in his voice.
Jinchang's voice was slightly hoarse: "When Tian You came back from Beiguan, Your Majesty lost trust in him.
He led his troops to Beiguan and returned with a disastrous defeat. It is said that he did not even have a chance to formally engage in battle. After returning, he made excuses, saying that the Han army was too strong and he had no armor, so he was dispersed by the Han army.
Your Majesty has been kind enough to behave like this. "
"Do you know what arrangements King Huai made to be confident of fighting against Chang'an?" Jinchang asked.
Zuo Wu said in a cold voice: "Only the third person who is most relied upon by the emperor may know such secrets. How can I know? We must first win the first battle before we can talk about anything else."
The three quilts he mentioned were Wu quilt and Mao quilt among the Eight Dukes of Huainan.
There is another person named Lei Qui.
The three of them worked under the King of Huainan. Coincidentally, their names all had the word quilt in their names, so they were called the three quilts after the Eight Dukes, and they were especially valued by the King of Huainan.
Among them, Lei Qui is known as the best swordsman in Huainan, and he is proficient in Taoism.
"The news says that this battle was led by Huo Qubing, a Han general who attacked the Xiongnu. He has become famous all over the world in the past ten months. How sure are you that you can defeat him?" Jinchang said.
"The battle in which he attacked the Xiongnu's rear has indeed been well-known to the world recently."
Zuo Wu muttered: "When Shuzi becomes famous, he must have some ability. But he is far from being a famous general. Between you and me, who has not fought countless battles with others.
Don’t you know why your Majesty asked us to lead the team here? "
The two of them were in an attic at this time. Looking out, they saw a school field located on the outskirts of Jiangxia County.
In the school grounds, soldiers and horses are training.
Liu An's retainers all have special skills.
Zuo Wu and Jinchang brought thousands of people at once, and the king of Huainan was obviously determined to win the first battle between the two sides.
During the confrontation, these retainers will mix with the army, suddenly rise up, kill the generals and win the first battle, winning the first battle for Huainan.
On this point, whether it is Jinchang, Zuo Wu, or even Liu An, they all have the same opinion.
The upcoming Han army will not know what kind of team they will face!
"King Huai's news channels are really powerful. So far this morning, he has sent us three secret letters, inferring Chang'an's movements, the other party's generals, and even the marching route.
Including the Chinese army, it is also written very clearly that they will attack Jiangxia first. "Jinchang said with emotion.
"No wonder King Huai dares to cause trouble!"
Zuo Wu responded: "King Huai's abilities and strategies are all chosen at the moment. Otherwise, how could you and I follow him wholeheartedly? King Huai's news is so detailed, and all the enemy's actions are known to us.
We also have the advantage of military strength. Have you considered taking the initiative? "
Jinchang said: "Of course I have considered it. The news said that the opponent came in three groups, and the number of the Chinese army is not large. Our soldiers are several times that of the enemy. Unfortunately, the order given by King Huai is to rely on the advantage of holding on to face the enemy."
"It's a pity indeed."
Zuo Wu sighed: "Sticking to the strategy is afraid that Wu will be determined and seek stability too much."
Wu Bei was the military advisor of the King of Huainan and the prime minister of the Huainan feudal state.
"It's better to act according to your Majesty's instructions. The two of us will cooperate with each other, one in the dark and one in the dark, and wait for the enemy to come."
————
On the outskirts of Chang'an, there was a layer of mist in the morning.
The guard camp outside the city.
Huo Qubing rode out of the city. When they arrived at the military camp, Yao Zhao and Zhao Ponu had already ordered their troops and horses, and they were still the same nearly a thousand troops who had rushed to the grassland in the first place.
The team had completed preparations before Huo Qubing arrived.
Everyone wears dark brown light armor with red stripes and blood lines. They wear semicircular helmets on their heads. They sit astride horses and hold spears, and are equipped with swords.
Because the distance of this attack is not very far, one person only needs two horses.
After Huo Qubing arrived, the team immediately left the camp.
After leaving the camp, there was no trace.
Tong Xuan, the right middle man of the Chang'an Guards, saw with his own eyes that the team in front of him rolled up a burst of mist during the gallop, as if it merged with the void. At first, the hoofprints were deafening, but as the fog gradually thickened, it seemed to cover the hoofbeats, and the sound quickly became quieter.
In the end, even their figures were wrapped in the mist until they disappeared.
The combat goal of this trip was clear. Huo Qubing personally led the troops, left the city and headed southeast, along the tributary of Mian River, passing through Nanyang County, and attacked Jiangxia County in the southeast of the Han Dynasty, which was later known as Hubei.
After the team left the camp, under the blessing of the magical marching method, the people and horses became one.
All the sergeants gave the horses a red pill, which could protect them and reduce their horsepower consumption.
In the sky, a peregrine falcon flapped its wings and kept staring at the team below.
When the team rolled up a mist and disappeared, the peregrine falcon tilted its head, seeming a little regretful.
This was Liu Qing's "eyeliner" who divided his soul to chase and watch. He originally planned to pay attention to Huo Qubing's every move, but unfortunately he failed.
Fortunately, knowing the general direction of march, the peregrine falcon continued to fly forward as usual. When the team rests, see if there is any chance of finding their traces again.
However, until that night, Peregrine Falcon could not find the team again.
As night fell, the team leaving Chang'an chose their location and rested briefly.
"... I asked you to go out last night. You said there was a war today and you would not go out. The night before last, you said you wanted to practice, but you didn't go out. Are you a man? Or you have a hidden disease." Yao Zhao and Zhao Ponu's dialogue.
"Huo Hou, Yao Zhao always takes me to fool around and says there is something wrong with me." Zhao Ponu reported decisively.
One characteristic of veteran soldiers who have experienced hundreds of battles is that they have less emotional ups and downs before the battle. They are not overly excited or afraid because of the impending war.
The atmosphere in the team is relatively relaxed, everyone does their own thing, and their combat readiness is checked again before taking a break.
Occasionally someone was talking quietly.
In order to maintain the secrecy of the march, their team did not enter the city and camped on the spot in the wild.
Only an herb that repels insects and beasts is burned in the camp. The smell smells very light to humans, and there is no open flame.
After nightfall, everyone went to sleep at the prescribed time, except for the scouts who were on guard.
This is a powerful force that has become more mature after joining Huo Qubing in his campaign against the Huns.
After returning from the Huns, Huo Qubing had begun to select elites from the Chang'an Guards and expand his cavalry team.
When the tribe fell asleep, Huo Qubing opened his eyes in the center of the camp from the short period of practice that warmed his body.
The bright moon shines on the river.
Not far away is the tributary of Mianshui River, and you can hear the sound of the rushing river. Even the fish in the river become motionless after nightfall, with only their tail fins swaying slightly in the water to keep their bodies stable.
Everything is perceived in detail, and there is no need to do anything deliberately. All the information around you is presented naturally.
When Huo Qubing wants to focus on a point, that point will be enlarged and become clearer.
And the military talismans in his consciousness sea, turtles and snakes had textures flickering on them, pulling a kind of energy that seemed to come from the stars in the sky from the Xuanwu star position corresponding to the seven constellations in the north.
This energy enters the body, making the turtle and snake's bodies become more and more solid.
The two military symbols gradually gained a bronze luster.
In the book of knowledge and warfare, the magical power of military strategy that conceals the secrets of the sea is also at work.
The combination of concealing military strategy and magical marching method has become Huo Qubing's unique method, covering the entire team's whereabouts to prevent anyone from peeking and tracking.
At this moment, Huo Qubing suddenly felt a slight palpitation in his heart.
He took out the blank book he had obtained from the two prisoners.
There are actually writings emerging on the bamboo slips.
This simple book can contact the accomplices of the author. This is the first time it has changed since it fell into the hands of Huo Qubing. The handwriting:
"This time, you will die!"
The handwriting is a bright red color, containing a shocking and terrifying fluctuation.
Is the other party the author?
Did he want to use this method to locate the bamboo slips and find my traces, or was it just a provocation... Huo Qubing thought about it, what if he knew the location?
You have to fight to know who the hunter is...
"I'll wait for you, if you dare to come!"
The writing flickered for a moment, then disappeared, and the bamboo slips no longer had any fluctuations.
The two-hour rest period ended soon.
In the early morning, the entire team set off again. The traces of the camp last night on the ground, including horse manure, were buried on the spot. Even if someone passed by, it would be difficult to tell that a team of thousands of people had stayed here for two hours.
After the team set off, they headed straight for Jiangxia County.
————
On a July afternoon, the sun was brilliant.
"The two generals discovered the incoming Chang'an Guards team one hundred and seventy miles west of the county town. A scout came back through a secret post."
A Huainan Army came to report to Jinchang and Zuo Wu.
They are still located in the local army barracks in Jiangxia County.
Garrison camps in various places will be built outside the city. In wartime, if the city needs to be defended, all troops will retreat into the city.
Zuo Wu and Jinchang united the Huainan local army of 6,000 people controlled by Liu An, plus the diners from the palace they brought, totaling more than 7,000 people.
According to the information received, the guard force that attacked them from Chang'an was less than a thousand people.
Zuo Wu and Jinchang were confident and ready to eat each other.
Seven times the strength of the opponent, they were well prepared and had a clear advantage.
They don't think they have a chance of losing.
Of course, they will not underestimate the enemy because of this. Both of them have sufficient combat experience.
"Looking at the direction of that team, it's not heading towards my Jiangxia. It's more like they're going to cross Jiangxia without entering and go straight to the Lujiang River." Huainan Army continued.
Zuo Wu and Jinchang were a little surprised.
This is different from the news I got.
"Is the other party cheating? Or is the news they received that they are attacking Jiangxia false?"
After ordering the messenger to go and investigate again, Zuo Wu frowned and said, "They crossed Jiangxia without entering and went straight to Lujiang. What do you think?"
"The scouts are investigating. They are marching southeast. Their destination can only be Lujiang County." Jinchang said.
"Lujiang County was once cleaned up because of the discovery of Zonghengdao. It is the weakest county among the several counties we control now. King Huai's power is the weakest.
Your Majesty asked us to stop the enemy here because we don't want the other party to reach Lujiang County and avoid misfortune. " Zuo Wu responded.
Jinchang nodded slightly, it seemed that the other party was indeed cheating. The news they got after leaving Chang'an may be the smoke emitted by the other party to confuse them.
The real purpose of this team is to go to Lujiang County, and then use it as a transit to coordinate with other Han armies. By then, Huainan's team, which came to Jiangxia County in advance to meet the enemy, will be attacked from both sides, and the situation will be unfavorable.
This is also consistent with the logic that the opponent's soldiers are small and one should not confront them head-on.
"What a plan."
"I'm afraid that team already knew that we were here to block the attack, so they didn't confront our army head-on. They used a roundabout march strategy! They wanted to win with a surprising force."
Zuo Wu chuckled and said: "The scouts' news said that they are still a hundred miles away. If you want to go to Lujiang River, you must take the railing crossing seventeen miles east of us."
"You mean to take the initiative and fight the attack?"
"Yes, they have come from a long way. We have recharged our batteries and have enough soldiers. If we attack, we will be able to hit the enemy hard with one blow."
"What should we do if your Majesty tells us to stick to your order?"
"As the situation changes, sticking to our guns will only lead to missed opportunities.
Only mediocre people will stand firm at this time. If your Majesty knew the situation, he would also agree with our decision.
We have seven thousand people, so even if we divide our troops into two places, we still have a chance of victory. Why don't you leave three thousand men to defend, and I will take the rest of the troops to attack and kill all the invading enemies. "Zuo Wu pursed his lips, the victory in battle was right before his eyes.
"good!"
Jinchang pondered for a moment and said, "Then mobilize the troops immediately and don't let that team run away."
The two handed down the order and the soldiers quickly prepared. Half an hour later, thousands of people lined up outside the camp, filled with murderous intent.
"ready to go!"
Zuo Wu was responsible for leading the team, while Jinchang stayed behind.
The teams ready to go outside the camp separated themselves in a single formation, and under Zuo Wu's order, set off to the south.
In the blink of an eye, the dust was flying, and the team in front started to leave.
At this moment, Zuo Wu and Jinchang felt an inexplicable palpitation in their hearts.
The location of the military camp is in an open area. To facilitate observation, the nearby trees have been cut down, leaving no place to hide people. But there seemed to be a sense of chilling in the surrounding air, which made people unknowingly feel anxious.
Zuo Wu and Jinchang looked around, their expressions serious.
Apart from the sound of their team's hooves, even the clouds in the sky seemed to be still, and not even a single bird could be seen high in the sky.
"wrong!"
Zuo Wu is proficient in the art of war. The situation at this moment made him and Jinchang subconsciously think of the team from Chang'an... The energy in the vicinity is clearly transforming into the battlefield where the two armies are confronting each other!
Could it be that I made a wrong judgment before?
That team is not going to Lujiang? !
...The thoughts that suddenly emerged made the two people's feelings about the team a little blurry, and it was difficult to accurately judge the terrain.
At this moment, they suddenly heard the thunderous sound of hooves.
The sound was extremely sudden, as if someone suddenly beat a heavy drum in an otherwise silent environment!
Boom boom boom!
The sound of the horse's hooves on the ground made the ground tremble, and countless gravels beat with the sound of the hooves.
Jinchang and Zuo Wu immediately saw a scene that shocked and unforgettable them!
Just on the left wing of the military camp, less than two hundred feet away, a team rushed out of the mist that came with the wind at an unknown time, like a ghost.
Everyone wears fine armor and holds sharp spears. They were ready to charge as early as the mist, and they came out with great speed. Howling like the wind, they formed a cone-shaped formation and rushed toward the departing troops of the Huainan Army.
The Han army is really here, coming to attack the camp head-on... Zuo Wu and Jinchang thought in shock.
Then the two yelled: "There is an enemy attack, the enemy is attacking, turn around and form a formation to respond to the enemy!"
At this time, they saw the fighting team, riding on a tall horse, a general wearing a silver helmet and silver armor, his eyes were like lightning, and he pointed in their direction.
The general's left and right immediately rushed out of a small team and attacked the two men.
Jinchang and Zuo Wu observed the enemy's situation, but quickly regained their composure.
When they saw that the team only had a few hundred soldiers, the two immediately understood why the news of the scout's investigation was untrue. Even though there were only a thousand people in this team, they still dared to divide their forces to confuse the enemy.
What the scouts saw was a part of the soldiers that they had used military skills to cover up their true number, galloping past towards the Lujiang River.
That team was there just to mislead them!
The other part of the Han army was hiding its traces, and it was the team that suddenly appeared in front of them and attacked them.
The leader of the Han army wants to use hundreds of people to attack the defenders of the Jiangxia barracks?
After Zuo Wu and Jinchang figured out the reason, they both became angry.
"I've heard that Huo Qubing dares to attack the Xiongnu and is rampant by nature! It's true!"
"Only bring hundreds of troops to attack the camp!"
"kill him!"
Jinchang and Zuo Wu scolded each other, and their soldiers turned their horses around, preparing to fight the incoming team!
At this time, the team had already charged forward.
boom!
The two armies fought at close range.
Yao Zhao and Zhao Ponu rode on horseback and held spears to meet Jinchang and Zuo Wu respectively.
In the rear, Huo Qubing didn't take any action at all. He was sitting high on his horse, overlooking the battlefield.
The team under his command, using unparalleled military skills and miraculous marching methods, suddenly rushed out. The position and timing could not have been better. Like a long knife, it cut off the opponent's team that was leaving camp.
From a fighter perspective, it has an advantage the moment it appears.
He dared to divide his troops when there were thousands of people. He was not arrogant and underestimated the enemy.
Rather, it is based on an accurate judgment of the enemy's situation and the mentality of the people in Huainan.
When the local armies in Huainan clashed with the Han army, their names were not justified and their will was not strong, and no one would die in service.
That's why Huainan urgently needed a victory in the first battle and sent troops to stop the attack, hoping to boost morale.
How much combat effectiveness can this kind of army have?
As long as the Huainan Army is defeated in the first battle, future battles will be easier to fight.
Huo Qubing glanced at Zuo Wu and Jinchang who were already fighting with Zhao Ponu and Yao Zhao.
Not far away, other tribesmen intertwined, and as the queues separated and merged, they quickly tore a hole into the other tribesmen.
As the Huainan defenders were leaving camp when they were attacked, they started the battle in panic. Most of them were blocked in the barracks. As a result, the enemy troops who engaged in the battle did not have much advantage in personnel!
Huo Qubing said to the messenger behind him:
"The message was sent in an array of spears, with hundreds of people in rows, running horizontally and vertically, staggering, cutting and destroying the opponent's array, and focusing on attacking and killing the opponent's generals.
The Huainan army is not determined to fight. After we cut the ranks, and if the general is killed again, someone will stop fighting, wait and see, or even surrender.
Then he sent an order for the scouts to go north, and Zhang Cigong's team went south. It was less than two hundred miles away from here. According to the planned battle plan, he was asked to send people to take over the surrender troops and military camps here.
Let's leave after we finish the fight! "
The battle has just begun, and arrangements for victory are already being made.
This is Huo Qubing's self-confidence and his accurate judgment of the battle situation at hand.
The messenger next to him loudly received the order.
At the same moment, Huo Qubing saw Zuo Wu using a fake body on the battlefield, retreating like a ghost from the confrontation with Yao Zhao, and climbed onto the horseback of a Huainan Army soldier nearby.
The soldier was swept off his horse by his chopping hand, and Zuo Wu Ce rode in the direction of Huo Qubing.
He wants to hunt down enemy generals and decide the outcome of the battle!
Jin'an, who was riding Huo Qubing, was very restless and kept walking towards the battlefield with small steps.
The distance between the two is only more than twenty feet, which is not far.
The next moment, Zuo Wu had a long bow in his hand and shot an arrow like lightning!
It would be nice to move around... Huo Qubing thought.
Suddenly, Jin'an sped up and rushed out suddenly, dodging Zuo Wu's arrow by a hair's breadth.
In the blink of an eye, Jinan rushed to Zuo Wu.
This horse is so fast... Zuo Wu had a thought, drew back his bow with his left hand, and stabbed a spear to the left with lightning speed with his other hand.
However, Jinan suddenly stepped forward to the left, as if his whole body was tilting to the left, with his two horse legs stabbing into the ground like two spears, causing the earth and rocks to turn outwards. Its huge body showed strange flexibility, suddenly changed direction, shifted its center of gravity to the right, and appeared on the right side of the horse Zuo Wu was riding.
I was confused by a horse's change of direction and made a mistake in judgment... Before Zuo Wu could finish his thoughts, he heard Huo Qubing passing by chuckle softly, and he kicked out like thunder from below.
Ps: The number of words in this chapter is OK. Happy reading everyone~
(End of chapter)
