Sheqigou is the junction of Yingchuan and Nanyang. It was a cold day and the dust was flying. When you look at this land from above, you can see that there are crowds of people everywhere you look.
A team of 300,000 to 400,000 people stretched back and forth for dozens of miles.
This is the team that moved the capital.
Cao Cao reduced the troops from all sides and gathered in Xuchang, with no less than 70,000 troops. Even though Cao Ang took away more than 10,000 troops, there were still more than 60,000 troops who moved the capital with him.
At the same time, with this large-scale capital relocation, even Cao Cao himself knew that he would not know what year or month he wanted to return to the Central Plains. Therefore, the accompanying team included not only the palace servants, maids, imperial guards, and clan officials. , as well as their family members, wives and children of the army, and even common people.
With so many old, weak, women and children mixed into the team, it is conceivable that the marching speed would not be fast.
If possible, Cao Hong, who is the person in charge of moving the capital, is of course not willing to carry the old and support the young like this, but this is a capital move. You can't ignore the wives and children of the officials, and you can't lose the families of the soldiers, otherwise who will I'll work hard for you.
Naturally, the chaos in the team can be imagined.
Except for Emperor Luan Yi, who is surrounded by heavy soldiers, whether the others can follow depends entirely on his own luck.
At this time, Liu Xie, who was sitting on the six-wheeled golden luan, was wearing a black python robe, and the nine crown beads on his head were constantly shaking due to the bumps, but his eyes were as determined as ever.
Next to him was a woman wearing a tight-fitting fiery red phoenix robe. The purple corset could not suppress the proud scenery in the bumpy state. Her skin was like water and hibiscus, which could be broken by blows. Although she was in her jasper years, she still showed the dignity of the mother of the country, making her People have a sense of self-restraint that they want to play with but instinctively suppress this evil fire.
Fu Shou, Liu Xie's first wife and current queen.
She stayed by Liu Xie's side, her eyes full of pity.
The mother of the country, who was born into a wealthy family and had never seen ordinary people since she entered the palace, was shocked by the misery before her.
As far as the eye can see, there are fallen children crying and calling for their mothers in the distance, and clan members who have fallen to the ground and are trampled and vomiting blood due to lack of physical strength. These are the figures in the Han Center, let alone ordinary people.
After seeing too much, my eyes became moist.
On the contrary, Liu Xie's eyes next to her, which had always been full of fear and cowardice, were filled with great excitement at this moment, and even his body was trembling with excitement.
"Your Majesty, can you please slow down the army and the Royal Forest Army? She is not the daughter of Mr. Chen, the Tingwei. She fell down and there was no one to help her." Fu Shou bit his lower lip and held on to the edge of the carriage, even thinking about getting off. help.
"You have never seen such a scene, but I can't blame you for being like this. But I have experienced it once more than ten years ago. It was even crueler than before." Liu Xie smiled bitterly.
Indeed, fifteen years ago, when Dong Zhuo forced the imperial court to move from Luoyang to Chang'an, a fire burned down the Luoyang Palace, and hundreds of thousands of people were accompanying him.
Countless people were trampled, died of hunger, and died of thirst along the way.
At that time, Liu Xie had been on the throne for less than a year, and he was only a nine-year-old child. He had already been swayed by Dong Zhuo's lustful power and saw the most bleak scene in the world.
When he went to Chang'an, Dong Zhuo treated him as a toy and messed up the harem. After Li Jue and Guo Si counterattacked Chang'an, he couldn't even eat a full meal.
Later, when we arrived in the Central Plains, among the many rebellious officials and traitors, Cao Cao was the most obedient to him. At least paying tribute was in compliance with the etiquette of the emperor. The problem was that he had never really done it while sitting on the dragon throne. One time master.
Liu Xie grew up in such an environment. It is not an exaggeration to say that his heart is numb. It is not too cold to remain unmoved when seeing such a scene in front of him again. After all, he has truly seen the darkest corners of human nature. Emperor, ordinary emotions are really difficult to control this weather-beaten heart that is riddled with holes.
During the march, Captain Zhong Ji of Changshui galloped from behind on his horse and passed by Emperor Luan Yi without stopping. He just exchanged a sideways glance with Liu Xie, who nodded slowly to indicate that he understood.
He's here, proving that the place to act is right ahead.
Although Cao Cao's army numbered more than 60,000 in the capital move this time, the team was so long after all. Even Cao Hong had to personally lead the army to the rear to prevent Lu Jun from chasing him. The people who were really guarding Liu Xie were actually Not much.
In addition to the three thousand Royal Forest Army, there were also the five thousand Gongwei Battalion led by Xia Houshang.
On the other hand, the forces involved in this escape plan include uncle Dong Cheng, Changshui captain Zhongji, Polu general Wu Zilan, partial general Wang Zifu, Yulin army leader Wu Shuo, Shaofu Geng Ji and others.
These people more or less controlled a certain amount of troops. Even the uncle Dong Cheng had 800 soldiers following him.
This is just the backbone of the breakout force, and there are also hidden helpers. For example, Yang Biao of the Hongnong Yang family, and Sikong Yang Biao, who was one of the three princes after moving the capital to Xuchang, were demoted because they were dissatisfied with Cao Cao's control of the government; Furthermore, Zhao Wen, who took over Yang Biao's position as Sikong, also secretly cooperated with this operation. Of course, he has also been demoted now.
Although neither of them has official status, they once held a high and powerful position, and their influence in the court and the entire world cannot be underestimated.
In the outer guard camp, there were two captains and three commanders who were persuaded by them to participate in this operation.
Also because of the support of so many loyal ministers of the imperial party, and because the military appearance was so chaotic, Liu Xie had full confidence to take advantage of this opportunity to soar into the sky.
Will he be able to become a truly powerful emperor after he rushes out?
Liu Xie, who has experienced the darkest life in the world, is not so naive. He understands his situation. Even if he really escapes, he still has a long way to go to clean up this broken country. long.
But that's the thing. When you are in a cage, your first thought is always to escape, rather than thinking about whether you will enter a second cage after escaping.
"Once chaos breaks out later, I will ride on the horse next to me and break out to the southeast. Remember to follow me." Liu Xie scanned the surroundings vigilantly. Under the noisy sound of horse hooves and wailing, his voice could not be heard even within a small distance. The fushou in the middle of the night is not very clear.
"My concubine. My concubine is not good at riding a horse."
After meeting Liu Xie's piercing gaze, Fu Shou said hurriedly: "But it's okay. As long as your majesty can escape, I will try my best to catch up with him."
Liu Xie felt angry and wanted to burst out, but suppressed it again, and finally said coldly: "Take care of yourself."
At this juncture, no one can stop Liu Xie from pursuing freedom.
Since ancient times, the royal family has been the most ruthless, not to mention that this is a political marriage. How come there are so many you and me? The most ordinary love among ordinary people is a luxury in the royal family.
Liu Xie understood this, and so did Fu Shou. Therefore, she just clutched her handkerchief tightly and pursed her lips in silence. No one would notice the disappointment on her face.
"Protect Your Majesty!" Zhong Ji, who was clearing the way ahead, suddenly shouted this, which sounded like an escort but was also a command for action. Someone in the Royal Forest Army immediately stabbed the Cao Jun soldiers next to him with a spear.
Before Xia Houshang, who was guarding the emperor Luan Yi, could figure out what was going on, Wang Zifu, Wu Zilan, Geng Ji and others took action one after another. Some people in the imperial army began to kill each other, and some people in the guard camp also attacked those around them. Entering their accompanying soldiers, the scene was chaotic for a while.
The sounds of fighting, the mournful sounds of war horses, and the commands to 'protect your majesty' were intertwined with each other, the sand and dust were rolling, and swords and guns were clashing.
Liu Xie, who had been preparing for a long time, took this opportunity to climb to the edge of the carriage, got on a horse with Dong Cheng's help, and shouted loudly: "Hurry, hurry, hurry!"
Seeing that Liu Xie was about to escape, Xia Houshang on the other side of the carriage stabbed the two attacking imperial guards with his spear, and then turned his horse to pursue him, but Geng Ji and Wu Shuo blocked the road desperately.
Xia Houshang followed Cao Cao and fought bloody battles in the east and west. In the battle at Fukong Mountain, if he had not responded promptly, Zhang He might not have been able to break out. In terms of actual combat experience, of course it was not Geng Ji, Wu Shuo and the others. These generals who are stationed in Gyeonggi all year round can compare.
It's just that it happened so suddenly that Xiahou Shang couldn't even summon an army to pursue him because he wasn't sure whether the people gathering towards him were his subordinates or rebels.
Therefore, all he could do was to desperately try to kill the two of them and call his personal guards to pursue them.
Seeing Liu Xie running further and further away, Xia Houshang stabbed with his spear, forcing Geng Ji and Wu Shuo to retreat continuously. However, it seemed that these two guys had no intention of leaving alive, and they chose to trade their lives for their lives several times. He came to parry and actually blocked Xia Houshang.
All around, people, clans and family members were running around, war horses were rushing, and soldiers were fighting each other without distinguishing between ourselves and the enemy. This was exactly what these loyal ministers of the imperial party wanted to see, but Xia Houshang knew very well that they must have a way to distinguish between ourselves and the enemy. , otherwise I wouldn’t be able to fight so easily.
It didn't take long for him to figure out what was going on, and then he roared angrily: "The thieves are shouting to protect Your Majesty, and anyone who shouts will be killed!"
At the same time, he swung his spear away from Geng Ji as fast as a snake and stabbed Wu Shuo ferociously. The head of the spear penetrated Wu Shuo's shoulder, but the latter held the spear tightly to give Geng Ji a chance to fight back.
madman!
Xiahou Shang was not afraid, and with the force of his arms, he lifted up Wu Shuo and smashed him hard against the imperial guard who was shouting "Protect Your Majesty".
Geng Ji was also rushed away by Xia Houshang's personal guards who were arriving and disappeared.
With Xia Houshang's guidance, the chaotic battlefield began to look much more orderly. Cao's army remained silent and killed anyone who shouted "protect your majesty".
"Ignore these people, follow me to recover His Majesty!" Xia Houshang led a group of cavalry and chased in the direction where Liu Xie had just escaped.
There may be obstacles along the way, and no matter they are ordinary people, clan members or even his own army, they will all be trampled by him on horseback.
These people will die if they die. If Liu Xie runs away, he really doesn't know how he will explain to Cao Cao.
Ahead, Liu Xie was running desperately. There were still many people following him, including the imperial guards, Cao Jun from the guard camp, Dong Cheng, Wang Zifu and others, all riding horses. At this time, there were no runners. Come to cause trouble.
Fu Wan, who was supposed to follow him, turned back. He didn't see his daughter and had to protect her from leaving. However, when he was running for his life, Fu Wan's departure did not attract any attention at all. Even Liu Xie didn't notice. Didn't look back at him.
"Your Majesty, Zhao Yun is already waiting to pick us up in Biyang. There are still more than two hundred miles to Biyang. Your Majesty, please be sure to conserve your strength!" Seeing Liu Xie's desperate look on horseback, the prince beside him couldn't bear it. He opened his mouth and reminded.
"I know!" Although he is a puppet emperor, but ordinary children from aristocratic families still have to learn the six arts of a gentleman, Liu Xie is still relatively proficient in equestrianism.
The only drawback is that the prince server is worried about it, because he is afraid that his strength may not be able to sustain it.
That's more than 200 miles, and it would take two days of running.
Galloping all the way to the southeast, Liu Xie ran away and Xia Houshang chased, but there were always people who couldn't fly.
If we simply look at the quality of the horses, Xiahou Shang and his cavalry are actually not much better than Liu Xie and his mounts, and Xiahou Shang himself understands this.
Therefore, if you want to catch up with Liu Xie, you must play with his endurance. You, the emperor, will not believe that you can outrun these soldiers who have been in the military for many years.
Running wildly all the way, they finally caught up with Liu Xie and the others before dusk.
"Your Majesty, run away, I'll cut you off!" Wang Zifu himself was already breathing heavily, but his deep-rooted loyalty to the emperor made him willing to leave his family members behind and buy time for Liu Xie to escape.
He led more than 300 horsemen to turn around, and rushed towards Xiahou Shang who was chasing him.
During the whole process, Liu Xie just said: "Take care, dear." But his speed showed no sign of slowing down at all.
"Anyone who stands in my way will die!" Xia Houshang, who was in the lead, stabbed fiercely with his spear. After overturning a cavalryman, he rushed into the crowd with undiminished momentum and started to slash and kill.
The cavalry behind them were like a rainbow shining through the sun. Everyone shouted "Whoever stands in my way will die" to distinguish between ourselves and the enemy, for fear of accidentally injuring friendly troops.
Xia Houshang led more than 2,000 cavalry in this pursuit. In comparison, even if the prince's uniform pressed everyone on, he only had more than 300 cavalry. The disparity in numbers was not small.
Fortunately, there were quite a few Imperial Guards among them, and their combat power was quite good. At least, even if they were risking their lives, Xia Houshang would not be able to annihilate them all within a short while.
After six or seven rounds of sprinting back and forth, the opponent's remaining hundred cavalry were still fearless and fearless. Xiahou was still powerless and could only make up his mind to eliminate these people.
The sun was fading, and the last of the Royal Guards cavalry also fell.
They exchanged their lives for Liu Xie's most precious opportunity to escape.
Seeing that Liu Xie was missing again, Xia Houshang fought for two rounds and ran all the way. Knowing that if this continued, it was really possible for Liu Xie to escape, he immediately ordered half of the people to dismount, and then gave the token Give it to them and go to the nearest county to resupply.
As for him, he needs to ensure that the cavalry can change horses at any time so that he can pursue them day and night.
Under the cover of night, he was finally so exhausted that even his horse was unwilling to move anymore, so Liu Xie fell off his horse.
"Your Majesty. Your Majesty." The dozen or so people who followed him hurriedly came over.
Liu Xie was breathing heavily, his eyes were tired but shining, "I'm free, I'm finally free, hahaha."
"Your Majesty, I am going to collect some firewood."
Panting heavily, Dong Cheng was about to get up but Liu Xie held him back, "No! You can't light the fire. Xia Houshang is still chasing behind you. A spark in the wilderness can be seen miles away!"
"Your Majesty, the weather is freezing and there is no firewood to keep warm." Dong Cheng was speechless.
After running wildly for a long time, even the clothes of the soldiers were soaked, not to mention the emperor and these ministers. They didn't even allow a fire to keep warm. The long night didn't freeze to death. Your Majesty is really cruel. People.
"I would rather die in the cold than go back to that cage!" Liu Xie said angrily, who didn't even bother to straighten the nine-beaded crown when it was crooked.
"As commanded."
Liu Xie looked at the dozen or so people in front of him sitting down obediently, not to mention how happy he was.
I am angry, hahaha, after so many years, I can finally be angry as I want.
Compared to being in a cage for more than ten years and being free once, a little fatigue is nothing, and this biting cold wind is nothing.
Everyone spent this night shivering, but Liu Xie was enjoying the precious freedom and did not feel cold at all.
Before dawn, Liu Xie urged everyone to get up and continue on their way. He was so energetic now that he didn't even know where all the strength came from. Probably, this is the selflessness of a person when his potential is stimulated. Bar.
"Your Majesty, look, this is the boundary monument of Biyang!" After galloping for a long time, Wu Zilan pointed to a moss-covered bluestone in front of the grass.
Liu Xie glanced at it, and before he could get excited, he heard a whoosh, and a piece of alienation penetrated Wu Zilan's body.
Turning his head and looking back, Xia Houshang caught up with him at some point.
"Run!" Liu Xie reined in his horse and ran wildly.
The group of people clamped down hard on the horse's belly, wishing that the horse would get wings and fly.
Behind him, there was a sound of swishing arrows, someone was hit by an arrow and fell off his horse, or he heard a long arrow passing by his ear, Liu Xie was horrified.
Finally, an arrow hit the butt of Liu Xie's horse. The horse suddenly raised its body in shock. Liu Xie, who was unable to stabilize his body, fell off the horse.
At this time, Dong Cheng was the only one left beside him.
"Your Majesty is quite capable of running. Keep going."
Xia Houshang tilted his head and looked at the unwilling Liu Xie jokingly, then his eyes turned cold, "Do you think you ran away?"
With a wave of his hand, the two soldiers dismounted and went to capture Liu Xie.
Kick, kick.
A figure slowly emerged on the slope in front, wearing a silver tasseled helmet, silver battle armor, white cloak, and a snow-like war horse.
What the visitor saw when he had just rushed up the slope was that he was rushing down on horseback.
It's strange. This is Lu Jun's armor. Why are there Lu Bu's people here? Are they scouts?
When Xiahou Shang was still in a state of confusion, the opponent rushed over like lightning. The horse jumped into the ranks of thousands of cavalry, and the spear swept to the right, instantly knocking down five Cao Jun cavalry.
The cavalryman on the left swung his spear, and the silver-armored general drew his sword with his left hand and swiped it again, breaking all three spears.
Then he held the spear diagonally in his right hand, held the sword horizontally in his left hand, and asked in a cold voice: "Do you recognize this sword?"
Xia Houshang wanted to go forward and fight, but he saw the sword shining brightly in the indifferent sunlight, reflecting the green light, "Green Sword"
"You are Zhao Yun!"
Even if this name was not shouted by him, it was enough to make the surrounding Cao soldiers subconsciously give in.
"Zhao Yun, General Zhao, I am the emperor, save me!" Liu Xie seemed to have grasped a life-saving straw, feeling that Zhao Yun was really too close.
"Your Majesty, keep going forward. The cavalry brought by Wei Chen will arrive soon." Zhao Yun said with his back to Liu Xie.
"Zhao Yun! Don't bluff. You are just a single-handed man. We have thousands of cavalry, and we are afraid of you!" Xia Houshang said with heavy breaths.
He said so, but he didn't even dare to go up.
The person in front of me is Zhao Yun. He is coming and going freely under Xiaoguan City. Even the four Cao army generals have failed to capture Zhao Zilong. Zhao Yun is picking up Tadun's head from the crowd of thousands of soldiers like a bag.
This name, for Cao Jun, was almost as powerful as Lu Bu.
Xiahou Shang knew it, not to mention that he had been chasing him all day and night, let's just say it was not easy to escape from him when he was in his best condition.
What I just said was more about motivating military morale.
After all, we can't let him rescue the emperor alone.
Tap tap tap.
On the slope, figures emerged one after another. There were indeed cavalry, and there were quite a few of them.
"If you don't leave, it will be too late." Zhao Yun actually had no intention of fighting. God knows how many Cao troops were chasing behind him, so he asked Xiahou Shang coldly.
"Retreat, retreat, retreat! Hurry!" Xia Houshang was still very wise and quickly turned his horse's head and ran as fast as he could.
One Zhao Yun, even if they all come together, they don't have the confidence to win.
What's more, they brought so many cavalry.
Of course the emperor is also very important, but after all, you can't do it knowingly that you can't do it. That would be hitting an egg with a stone.
No wonder this foolish king dared to escape. It turned out that he had united with Lu Bu's men long ago!
But that’s fine, I can finally do business when I go back.
He was rescued by Zhao Yun. There is no shame in saying this.
(End of chapter)
