Chapter 225 Strong Wind

Chapter 225 Strong Wind

Chapter 225 Strong Wind
On the morning of October 9th, sleet started falling from the sky.

After Chu Huo got up, he shivered.

This is not his first time to Hebei.

When the kings of Chengdu and Hejian attacked the king of Changsha, Yi, and besieged Luoyang, he abandoned his official position and fled to Youzhou for refuge.

As a result, Hebei was not peaceful either, so after living there for three or four years, he returned to his hometown in Yangdi.

Yesterday, he came to Ji County with two letters on behalf of the Minister of the Interior Yu Min.

One of the letters was written by Yu Shizhong to Marquis Luyang, but the content is unknown.

The other was a letter of recommendation written by Minister Yu for him to serve as the Minister of Agriculture of Luyang State.

Chu Huo was not very interested in this position, nor did he really want to be an official as it was too dangerous.

As a local aristocratic family in Yangdi County, although they suffered a huge blow when Wang Mi passed through the border, their foundation was still there, and they still had many followers and fields, so they were not to the point where they could not survive.

What he needs is not an official position, but an order in which he can live a stable life - please, gentlemen in the court, don't make me run around seeking refuge anymore.

In recent years, the Marquis of Luyang has gained fame, protecting the country and the people, repeatedly defeating stubborn bandits, and has been supported by many people in the counties south of the three passes of Luoyang. Chu Huo also heard about his deeds of gathering the dead soldiers and civilians in Xiangcheng County and taking officers and officials to bury them.

So, he didn't mind coming to see what this person was like.

The first impression is quite good. He is gentle to others, speaks with substance, is resolute and decisive, and has a firm heart.

But the first impression is not enough, he needs further observation.

"The wind is so strong." Chu Huo covered his face with his hands to prevent the rain and snow from blowing into his eyes.

The fields north of Ji County were already full of people. Chu Huo opened his eyes wide, looking for the red-robed general.

"The bandit troops have already moved south. They are endless, perhaps 100,000 strong."

"Why are you heading south so quickly?"

"Liu Yuan proclaimed himself emperor and changed the era name to Yongfeng. He appointed his son Liu He as the general, his son Liu Cong as the general of chariots and cavalry, and his nephew Liu Yao as the general of dragons and spurs. I heard that he would also confer titles on meritorious officials. Naturally, Shi Le, Wang Mi, Shi Chao and others would work hard."

"Alas, Liu Yuan proclaimed himself emperor, the country..."

"Silence."

Chu Huo walked past the two minor officials without making a sound.

The porridge has been cooked, and Lord Yu Chen ordered that the porridge be provided to the people who fled south, trying their best to help them survive this difficult time.

And further to the north, a long dragon as far as the eye can see was still winding southward. They were the people fleeing the war.

The Jie people were brutal and even though Shi Le tried his best to control them, they still inevitably harmed the people.

Dawu Fort still had some ability to protect itself. It negotiated with Shi Le, Wang Mi and others, offered some money and food, sent one or two younger generations of the clan as hostages, and symbolically sent dozens or hundreds of farmhands to fight for Shi Le and others, and the matter was settled.

But others did not have this face. The Jie people would never let go of any fortress wall or village fortress that could be breached.

Therefore, after the news spread, the people of Ji and Wei counties, carrying their elderly and children, rushed south, looking for places to take refuge.

Perhaps, they do not think that the government will be able to protect them, but when they go there they always have a thought: what if?
"The bandits have arrived in Gong County, burning, killing and looting. A bride was taken into the camp and raped just after she got married, and the groom had to stand guard for them."

"How do you know?"

"That's what the people who fled said. There are also rumors from people who came from Yecheng that Shi Le has been repairing the palace, preparing for Liu Yuan to live in after he moves the capital."

Chu Huo continued to walk by calmly.

There were more and more rumors, and he couldn't tell the truth from the false, and he didn't even know the number of enemy troops.

In fact, no one in Ji County knew how many enemy troops there were. There might be only 10,000 or 20,000, or 30,000 or 50,000, or even more than 100,000.

Rumors are scary.

If there is anything scarier than a rumor, it must be a rumor that has been passed around a few times, which is so scary that it can make people piss themselves.

After walking for a while, Chu Huo ran into the prefect Yu Chen who was talking to a large group of people.

"My Lord." Chu Huo bowed.

"Plan for the long term." Yu Chen returned the greeting.

He was still very polite to the person introduced by his brother. After a few casual greetings, he continued to chat with the fathers (scholars) and elders (people) of the counties.

"Wang Cui, the Prince of Yecheng, fled, but was pursued and executed by Le. The county troops were routed and the city was occupied by Shi Chao."

"News came from Zhaojun that Shi Le led his army to attack, and the Western Commander Feng Chong led his troops to fight him. Chong was defeated, and thousands of people including Chong died."

"Shi Le also defeated the Qihuo army led by Hao Ting (some say She Ting, probably wrong) and Tian Yi in Zhongqiu, killing them all and taking many captives and killing many people."

"Leave the troops to attack..."

It's all news about Shi Le.

After listening to this, Yu Chen felt that Liu Han's generals were everywhere in Hebei, conquering cities everywhere, and the governors were unable to control them. The governors, provincial governors, and generals were either dead or fled, and the situation was in a mess.

How many soldiers did Shi Le have? No one knows for sure now.

Chu Huo was in no hurry to leave. He just listened quietly beside him. The more he listened, the more shocked he became.

When the kings of Changsha, Hejian and Chengdu were fighting in Luoyang, he fled to Youzhou and traveled around the counties of Hebei. He felt very good at that time, with simple folk customs and enthusiastic scholars.

But now——are the people I met at that time still here?
How are the gentlemen in Hebei doing?
After listening to this, Yu Chen sighed deeply and felt a little frightened.

He subconsciously looked not far away, and after searching with his eyes, he saw Marquis Luyang in a red robe, so he led everyone there.

Chu Huo followed silently behind and soon arrived at where Marquis Luyang was.

It was a chariot camp, with more than a thousand chariots parked in the wilderness. Marquis Luyang was squatting on the ground, talking with a craftsman.

"My lord." Yu Chen called.

Shao Xun stood up and saw a large group of people coming. He only bowed to Yu Chen.

Yu Chen repeated the news he had just heard, and then added: "The enemy troops have passed Gong County and are heading towards the county town."

A wild cold wind blew, mixed with snow, and went straight into people's necks.

The well-dressed scholars who came to seek refuge brushed their faces with their sleeves and shivered all over with the cold.

Chu Huo wiped his face and looked at Marquis Luyang quietly. Shao Xun's expression did not change at all. There were a few snowflakes stuck on his short and rough stubble. His fake clock and military uniform were soaked, but he stood there straight, like a stone sculpture.

"Thank you for telling me." Shao Xun nodded, then looked at the refugees behind Yu Chen and said, "Thank you for telling me."

Everyone looked at each other, not knowing what this meant.

Shao Xun raised his head, looked at the gloomy sky, and sighed: "The wind is so strong."

Yu Chen was stunned.

Chu Huo stared with wide eyes at this excessively young general.

"Luckily I brought my cotton clothes." Shao Xun smiled slightly, called Tang Jian over, and asked, "Are you ready?"

"Ready." Tang Jian replied.

Shao Xun didn't say much and went straight to checking each camp.

Yu Chen and others followed behind in silence.

The Silver Spear Army’s base.

Teams of soldiers marched out of the camp in neat rows and lined up in the wilderness.

The auxiliary soldiers pulled various vehicles, carrying weapons, packages, and bags of food out of the camp.

Yamen military camp.

Generals Huang Biao, Yu An, Gao Yi and others have already started bringing people out.

Li Zhong stood at the camp gate, wearing a helmet and armor, with a serious expression.

When he saw Shao Xun coming, he bowed and saluted, then continued to stare at the soldiers leaving the camp.

The Yicong Army, the Xiaoqi Army...

Teams of soldiers gathered from various camps and formed several square formations in the wilderness.

The auxiliary troops also arranged the vehicles neatly on the post road and in the grass, and then assembled them in battle formation.

The northwest wind blew hard, making louder and louder calls.

Shao Xun rode his warhorse and passed through the formations one by one. His voice could be heard faintly in the wind.

"Liu Yuan has already usurped the title of emperor. He has appointed many officials and vowed to march to Luoyang and conquer the Central Plains."

"Shi Le was his vanguard, burning, killing, looting and committing all kinds of evil in Hebei."

"Everything that happened in Hebei will eventually happen in Liang County, Xiangcheng, and Guangchengze."

"Your families will also endure all the hardships that the people of Hebei have encountered."

"The money and food in your house will be taken away."

"Your wives and daughters will be humiliated."

"You will be driven to conquer cities and territories, and wander between ravines."

Every word Shao Xun said was shouted in unison by more than a hundred personal soldiers.

The officers in the formation repeated it again.

As the soldiers listened, they gradually became more angry.

Shao Xun deliberately paused for a while to make sure everyone heard clearly and that everyone's emotions were in place.

"You can't escape!" He said loudly, emphasizing: "The only solution now is -"

"Kill them!" An officer in the formation took the lead in shouting.

"Kill them!" The soldiers, led by their officers, shouted in unison.

Shao Xun kicked his horse's belly and moved forward in front of the square formations.

"Kill them!" he raised his right hand and shouted.

"Kill! Kill! Kill!" More than 4,000 Silver Spear Soldiers hit the ground with their spears and shouted angrily.

"Kill them!" Shao Xun came to the Yamen army formation again.

"Kill! Kill! Kill!" The sword and shield soldiers hit their shields with their swords, their faces flushed and their morale high.

"Kill them!" Shao Xun stopped in front of the palace soldiers' formation.

"Kill! Kill! Kill!" The soldiers held the reins in their left hands and stroked the hilts of the heavy swords stuck in the ground with their right hands, shouting loudly.

Shao Xun swept through the Yicong, the Xiaoqijun and even the auxiliary troops one by one.

Wherever they passed, the sound of killing filled the field, completely drowning out the howling northwest wind.

Yu Chen and others were all dismayed.

After a moment, you looked at me and I looked at you, and hope gradually appeared in our eyes.

When all the armies were defeated one after another, when the scholars and common people were fleeing south in panic, and when the high-ranking officials in the court turned a deaf ear and a dumb, there was an army that came from afar.

They heard all the bad news.

They witnessed all kinds of tragedy.

They encountered severe snowy weather.

They had no fear.

A full 20,000 people swore an oath outside Jijun City, determined to go upstream and "kill them"!
With such lofty ambitions, what is there to regret even if one fails in the end!

Some were even eager to try and planned to follow the army northward. Even if they were too old and weak to fight in the battlefield, they could still visit various forts and sell their reputation to ask for money and food for the army heading north.

"Let's go!" Shao Xun drew out his sword and pointed to the north.

The wind was so strong that the wet fake clock was whistling.

Twenty thousand people left one after another and headed north, like a sharp arrow piercing the howling north wind, moving forward without hesitation.

(End of this chapter)