"General Liu, wait a minute. It seems to Yi Bao that the general might as well detach a hundred soldiers and still go south along this route, displaying more flags and drums to increase the momentum, thereby confusing the thieves' ears and eyes, and also covering our whereabouts."
Hearing this, Liu Hun nodded repeatedly:
"This is a great plan."
Act accordingly now.
Sure enough, when the Wei army garrison at the mountain pass saw the suspicious soldiers sent by Liu Hun, he strengthened the defense and sent fast horses to inform the Pingyang County prefect.
When the governor of Pingyang County learned that the Shu captives had indeed taken a detour, he couldn't help but rejoiced in his heart:
Fortunately, I had expected this a long time ago, otherwise Yong'an City would be in danger!
Just as General Guan thought, Pingyang and Hedong counties belonged to Sizhou, and with Bingzhou as a barrier to the north, they were already considered to belong to Wei's rear area.
In addition, the war in Guanzhong was tense, so most of the troops and food from these two counties were transferred to Guanzhong.
At this time, the troops gathered by the two counties, plus the local county soldiers, totaled 3,000 people.
The prefect of Pingyang County ordered two thousand people to guard the south entrance of Guanjuejin Valley, and another thousand people to guard the mountain pass to the east.
After these days of fierce fighting, the Huns and barbarians in the south suffered heavy losses. They were no longer able to resist the desperate attacks of the Shu captives and had to withdraw from the valley.
It won't work if we don't give in.
If we continue to refuse to retreat and force these still reluctantly obedient Xiongnu Hu'er into a panic, they will directly surrender to the Shu prisoners on the opposite side, turn around and attack the mountain pass, it will be more gain than loss.
Hu'er, who was armed with a wooden and bone weapon, was able to hold Shu captives in Jingu for so long, which was already considered rare.
But when the Shu soldiers came to the entrance of the valley, they did not rush over immediately.
It's probably because he's been playing hard these past few days and needs some rest.
Standing on the top of the mountain and looking at the Shu captives in the valley, the governor of Pingyang County had full confidence in his ability to hold on until reinforcements arrived.
Xiongnu Hu'er could block the opponent for so long in the river valley, so there was no reason why he should be worse than Xiongnu Hu'er.
In contrast, Liu Meng was a little worried:
"General, logically speaking, if you take the mountain road to the east, no matter how slow you are, you should be out by now."
"There is no news about my brother so far. Will he encounter any trouble?"
General Guan, who was holding a telescope to view the Wei army camp on the mountain ahead, put down the telescope after hearing this and said calmly:
"It doesn't matter."
After driving the Hu people from the southern part of the valley out of the valley, the layout of the Wei army at the mountain pass can be clearly seen under the prying eyes of telescopes.
"Even if Liu Hun fails to get around to the rear, Wei Thief's few men and troops cannot stop us."
"You two troops have suffered a lot of casualties in the past few days. You will go to the rear to rest. This time, let the Yi Congjun go up first."
Jinyang was governed as a Bingzhou prefecture, and there were still some weapons in the arsenal.
Although the Liangzhou Army looked down upon him, Yi Congjun actually made a huge fortune.
Some even fell into the hands of Liu Meng and Liu Bao.
This is one of the reasons why they were able to force the southern Huns out of the valley.
Originally, everyone was equally poor, and most of them had wooden and bone gadgets in their hands. Who would have expected that this time when the same clan was fighting against each other, the two groups on the left and right would have a batch of standard weapons?
There’s no such thing as martial ethics!
It was also because the Liangzhou Army, which had the two Huns on the left and right leading the way, and was attacking all the way, also got several days of rest.
Soon, the Yi Congjun who had finished their rest began to gather at the front one after another, getting ready to attack the Wei army camp on the mountain.
The place where the Wei army was stationed was in a very tricky position, right at the bend of the Fen River.
There is a hill protruding from the east bank. There is only a few feet wide between the Fen River and the hill. The Wei army set up camp on the hill.
At the same time, a barrier was built between the top of the mountain and the Fen River.
On the west bank of the Fen River, after the river turns, there are all cliffs.
If you want to continue moving forward, you have to cross back to the east bank again, which is behind the mountain.
Judging from this terrain, the Han army would not be able to pass through here safely if they did not forcefully capture the top of the mountain.
"Drink, drink, drink!"
The front row of the Yi Congjun held up large banners, shouted loudly, and began to move forward.
The Wei army guarding the mountain, some of which were local county soldiers, saw the banners of the Han army in the valley to the north covering the sun, stretching as far as the eye could see.
Many people can't help but feel a little drummed in their hearts.
The uncle of Wei Army and other generals on the mountain kept encouraging them:
"Don't be afraid! Listen to the military orders and throw stones down there!"
Others are threats:
"Anyone who dares to retreat in front of the formation will be killed!"
The Yi Congjun holding large cannons had already arrived at the foot of the mountain and began to attack.
There was only a bang, and the wooden and rolling stones on the mountain were thrown down one after another.
For a time, Yi Congjun couldn't escape, and some of the people who were hit screamed in agony.
Liu Bao and Liu Meng, who had been claiming that they had worked hard these days, built a pavilion with their hands. When they saw this scene, they immediately smacked their lips.
It seems that General Guan knows how much his tribe weighs.
If he really wants to attack these mountains, he is afraid that the morale of his tribe will collapse within a few attacks.
If you really let yourself encounter this kind of thing alone, you should either take a detour or retreat directly.
Not like this Yi Congjun, who is a bit too strong.
There was no need for the Han army to follow behind and urge them. After one wave retreated, another wave took the initiative to push forward.
Not to mention being very different from those undisciplined Hu people, it was also different from the Yi Congjun in their impressions.
When did the Hu people's Yi Congjun become so organized and willing to fight for the Han people?
This idea swirled in the minds of the two of them for a long time, and finally they only came to one conclusion:
This General Guan... leads the army well!
"Senior Brother Jiang, this won't work, it's too difficult to fight!"
A young man from the Yi Cong Army wears leggings and a cowhide belt around his waist, which was issued when he graduated from the martial arts hall. Now it has a lot of wear marks.
Even though he had just grown soft black hair on his lips, he was already a military commander in the rebel army.
The fellow disciples, who were also dressed neatly, looked at the volunteers who were forced to retreat again, and nodded with a gloomy expression:
"What did General Guan say?"
"He didn't say anything, he just said let's take this hilltop."
"Then let us figure it out ourselves."
The student from Jiangwu Hall, who was called Senior Brother Jiang, turned his head and glanced behind him.
Although he couldn't see where General Guan was, he knew that every move of Yi Congjun must be under General Guan's observation.
"This is the first time our martial arts hall has gone on an expedition with the army. We were attacked by someone in Yinshan Mountain, and we have already lost one person."
"This time, if we can let the Yi Congjun take this hill independently, we can at least save some face."
The young man scratched his head irritably:
"The key is what to do now?"
"Call everyone over and discuss it together to see if there is a better way."
"OK!"
About twenty young people dressed in the same clothes quickly gathered together and had a discussion.
Someone soon proposed a plan:
"How about crossing the water? First cross to the cliff on the west bank, and then cross back to the east bank from there. You can go around to the back of the mountain."
"The thief is not a fool, how could he let you go ashore?"
"You know what a fool you are! This sound is making noises from east to west..."
"Stupid! Don't you guys know that guarding the top of the mountain is the key? You've taken such a long detour and can't get to the shore. What's the use of this noise?"
"How will you know if you don't try?"
"The thief already knows where you are going to hit, so what's the use of making any noise?"
"Not necessarily." The senior brother who had been squatting on the ground and using stones as a deduction suddenly said, "According to General Guan, there are only two thousand Wei thieves on the mountain."
"If we send people to pretend to be powerful and go around to the back of the mountain, the Wei thieves will still send people to defend themselves. In this way, we can mobilize the thieves and reduce the number of defenders on the mountain."
This senior fellow was in the same class as Zhang Yuan and was also the youngest in that class, but now he was already a veteran among these students.
He was sent to the Yi Congjun with the intention of serving as a leader.
Now that he spoke, everyone fell silent.
Senior brother stood up and clapped his hands:
"I'm going to ask General Guan for instructions now. You all assign tasks yourself first. If General Guan agrees, I will execute them immediately when I come back."
"I will lead the army across the water!"
Immediately, a thick and dark young man patted his chest and said, "I know how to swim. This Fen water can't drown me."
Someone immediately said:
"Then I will cover. When the time comes, I will personally lead an attack to attract the attention of the thieves on the mountain. The show must be more realistic."
"Okay! You two go get ready right away. Remember, be careful!"
When General Guan listened to the student's request, she looked at him in surprise.
Being able to come up with this method in such a short period of time means that this young Army Sima is at least better than the average general in terms of planning before the battle.
"Go ahead and do whatever you want. If it doesn't work, the Liangzhou Army will support you!"
General Guan said as he handed him the telescope in his hand, "I will lend this to you temporarily. Remember to return it after the war."
They are just joining the army as volunteers, but aren't they just for training for the students in the martial arts hall?
If we can really train them out, even if we cripple all these volunteers, it will still be worth it.
Otherwise, how could he be qualified to serve as a grassroots school officer in a strong army like the Liangzhou Army?
Thinking of this, she spoke again:
"The army has built some water rafts a few days ago. I will send people to deliver them to you when the time comes."
Senior Brother Jiang obtained General Guan's approval, and General Guan gave such great support. How could he not understand the meaning of this?
I saw him saying excitedly:
"General, let's see how the last general performs!"
Then after a hurried salute, he immediately turned around and ran away.
Looking at the figure who seemed a little too young, General Guan had a faint smile on his face.
When they learned that General Guan had agreed to the plan, the twenty or so young men were very excited.
Someone muttered: "I see, General Guan has also considered this plan, otherwise why would he have built a raft in advance?"
When Senior Brother Jiang heard this, he couldn't help but be startled: "It's possible!"
Well, everyone who was already excited suddenly took another injection of stimulants.
Who is General Guan?
In the Liangzhou army, the first person under the mountain commander, General Guan, did his duty.
Even General Zhao had to take a back seat.
"Quick, quick! Release, be careful!"
"Wow!"
The huge water raft was lowered into the water, causing quite a splash.
The leading student jumped up first.
This time to cross the water, you need to cross to the other side first, then follow the shore to the bottom of the cliff, and then cross back to the east bank from there, which can go around to the side and back of the mountain.
The reason why you cannot go directly down the river is that not only will you be intercepted by the Wei thieves guarding the shore at the bottom of the mountain, but you may also be hit by arrows and crossbows on the mountain from a distance.
Although crossing the water this time can be regarded as attracting the troops of Wei thieves, they may try to forcefully cross back to the east bank.
But to minimize casualties, the best thing to do is to minimize them.
The Wei army on the hilltop saw the Han army crossing the water from the beginning, and they quickly understood.
Through the telescope, he saw the silhouettes of the Wei thieves on the top of the mountain shaking. Brother Jiang understood that the purpose of mobilizing the enemy's troops was achieved.
He couldn't help but clench his fist and wave it in the air.
At the time of the fierce battle, the Wei thieves mobilized and allowed the Yi Congjun to rush through the foot of the mountain in one breath.
Although he was forced back down the mountain later, it was enough to make him laugh.
"quick!"
The Yi Congjun, who had reached the bottom of the cliff, jumped onto the raft again and prepared to row back to the east coast.
The Wei army, which had been waiting on the shore for a long time, began to raise their crossbows and bows.
Just when the raft passed the middle of the water, "Peng Peng Peng!"
The crossbow arrows came straight to the water with the sound of howling wind.
The leading student lowered his body and lay on the raft. The sound of breaking through the air in his ears was endless and frightening.
"ah!"
There was a scream, someone standing too high next to him accidentally got hit by an arrow, and he turned over and was about to fall into the water.
The young student, with his sharp eyesight and quick hands, quickly grabbed the paddle in his hand and continued paddling in his place.
As for the person... he was hit by an arrow and fell into the water. He had no chance to survive. Even if he tried to save him, there was no way to save him at the moment.
Senior Brother Jiang, who was holding a telescope, finally discovered something was wrong on this side.
He stamped his feet bitterly and cursed: "This madman Wang, is he really crazy?"
Instead of attracting the thieves' attention as promised, why did you rush to the front line yourself?
If you really can't make it up, there's a high chance that you'll just drift down the river and float wherever you go...
"I shouldn't have let him go!"
Senior Brother Jiang regretted it endlessly, but right now, the battle was fierce, and he had no way to stop Crazy Wang.
"It's coming, it's coming!"
Madman Wang seemed to be really crazy. His eyes turned red at some point, and he was staring at the Wei thief on the shore. He could only paddle mechanically with his hands.
The arrow feathers became denser and denser, and several times they passed by his body.
In order to make it easier to cross the water, he wore a leather armor. At such a close distance, if he was really hit by arrow feathers, he would probably be seriously injured even if he didn't die.
"Rumble..."
The Wei general who was commanding the Wei army to prevent the Yi Cong army from landing seemed to hear thunder.
He subconsciously looked to the south, and saw that behind the mountain pass, in the valley that suddenly became wider, a cavalry army was galloping upstream against the river.
"Where did the cavalry come from? Have reinforcements arrived?"
Before he could figure it out, the cavalry was getting closer and closer, and the red flag was dazzlingly red!
"Shupi!"
"Shu captives are coming from behind!"
"It's the cavalry of the Shu captives!"
"Wow!"
Crazy Wang’s raft had already rushed to the shore. He jumped up. The tall and strong dark-skinned young man held up a long knife and shouted:
"Kill the thief!"
"boom!"
The strange thing is that Wei Thief seemed to be scared out of his wits. After he shouted, the Wei Thieves on the shore immediately dispersed!
At this time, he saw the familiar cavalry approaching not far to his right.
The escaping Wei thief only regretted that his parents had lost two legs. He wanted to escape back to the mountain before the cavalry rushed over. Who has the mind to care about the people who rushed to the shore?
Feeling the vibrations on the ground, Madman Wang watched blankly as his cavalry roared towards him and began to harvest those Wei thieves who did not run away.
Thinking that he had worked so hard to cross the water for so long, but all his efforts were in vain, and only ate ashes in the end, he suddenly jumped to his feet and cursed:
"It belongs to your mother! Can you give me a chance?"
What responded to him was the soil flying away from the horse's hooves...
