Chapter 322 Cage

Chapter 322 Cage
At the foot of Luti Mountain, the last convoy disappeared on the winding mountain road.

The cart was filled with winter vegetables, turnips, and the dry hay that had been cut.

Shao Shen immediately stood on the west bank of Ganshui River, looking at the Xiongnu cavalry across the river and laughing loudly.

Occasionally, he would shoot an arrow or two and occasionally succeed.

The evil young men behind him laughed as they pointed at the Huns' awkward way of dodging arrows.

As the nephew of Lord Chen, Shao Shen's martial arts have always been what Lord Chen cares most about.

He has the best conditions for learning.

They are well fed and well-fed, can hire excellent martial artists who are good at teaching others, and have no shortage of consumables such as war horses, bows and arrows - yes, war horses are also consumables when honing their skills.

My uncle also checked on me at all times, so I didn't dare to be lazy. After a few years, my skills had become very outstanding.

In fact, not only he himself, but also the gang of bad boys who followed him got good learning conditions, made rapid progress, and gradually became his solid and reliable team.

Early this morning, Shao Shen led more than a hundred riders down the mountain and patrolled the left bank of the Gan River. When he saw the Xiongnu cavalry, he immediately rushed up and shot arrows at each other across the river, gaining a considerable advantage.

After the Huns suffered a loss, they called a lot of people over. Both sides spoke in languages ​​that the other side could not understand and cursed at each other. The scene was very lively.

"Swoosh!" After Toulengzi shot down a Hun cavalryman with an arrow, Shao Shen laughed and rode his horse north.

The Hun cavalry on the opposite side seemed to have been seriously insulted. They cursed loudly while riding their horses in pursuit and fighting back from time to time.

Shao Shen nimbly dodged the arrows shot from the other side of the river. After running a few hundred steps, he stopped his horse and shouted, "I don't think you are real Xiongnu, but you are working for Liu Cong. You have given up so much! Why don't you cross the river and surrender? I will send you to my uncle's camp. At least you can get some money and food from the Yicong army. How about that? It doesn't matter who you serve. Don't be so stubborn."

The Hun cavalry on the other side also stopped.

They looked carefully at the other side of the river, and were slightly puzzled when they saw that there were only a dozen cavalrymen left around Shao Shen.

There were more than a hundred riders just now, where have they gone now?
The cavalry from the Central Plains were different from them and were good at close combat. Once they got entangled by them, none of their riding and archery skills could be used and they would suffer a great loss.

Some people looked around for the cavalry that had disappeared on the other side of the river, but found nothing.

"Swoosh!" Shao Shen shot another arrow, hitting a Hun cavalryman in the face, then rode his horse north, left with a loud laugh.

The Huns were furious and chased after them, cursing loudly.

You are such a villain from the Central Plains. We were talking to you peacefully, but you showed no martial ethics and attacked us from behind. I must kill you today, otherwise I will never be able to vent my anger.

The two sides rode their horses along the river, repeatedly greeting each other's ancestors, and their language was so vulgar that it was unbearable to listen.

"You villain, die!" When the Huns were cursing to their heart's content, they saw hundreds of riders running towards them, each holding a spear, a halberd, or a horse lance, looking extremely ferocious.

Where the hell did this come from?

The Hun cavalry were so frightened that they turned their horses around in a hurry, trying to avoid the oncoming melee cavalry.

But their horses were already very fast, and they were heading towards the enemy. By the time they discovered them, the enemy was already a hundred steps away. They had no time to dodge, and could only charge forward.

More than 300 cavalrymen from both sides charged towards each other.

The Xiongnu cavalry, lacking long-pole horse-fighting weapons, suffered a great loss and were directly scattered.

Shao Shen laughed loudly on the other side of the river.

You bunch of idiots, do you really think I have nothing to do and would waste my breath on you?
I have already sent people to the shallows of Ganshui downstream, wading across the river, waiting for you to take the bait.

Idiot! Haha, I've never seen anyone so stupid.

The melee cavalry on the other side of the river had launched a second charge.

The Huns fled in panic, not daring to fight.

The melee cavalry chased after them, unstoppable. Every time they caught up with a man, they would thrust their spears or halberds into his back and kill him easily.

After chasing for several miles, he slowed down his horse, cleaned up the battlefield, and crossed the river with a smile.

Looking at the hundreds of horses gathered by his men, Shao Shen couldn't help but feel overjoyed.

He had been stationed in Gancheng for a long time and was familiar with the Luti Mountain and Ganshui areas. It was easy for him to tease a group of newly arrived Huns.

But, it's just a tease.

If a large group of Hun cavalry really came to attack him, he would not dare to fight head-on, and could only retreat to Gancheng in disgrace and defend it until the end of the war.

My uncle had just sent an order, which made it very clear that Yiyang Sanwu, Gancheng and Yiqueguan were his defense areas and no mistakes could be made.

After receiving the order, he immediately dispatched 500 good fighters from Gancheng, and joined them with 1,500 strong men and 1,000 garrison soldiers recruited from Liang County, totaling 3,000 soldiers. They stationed at Yique Pass to guard the road to the south.

This is not the first time that Yique Pass has been closed.

Last time it was the palace soldiers, this time it is the residents of the fortress and the garrison soldiers. It is a little risky, but not a big problem. The Huns' siege capability is just so-so, and three thousand people are enough to defend for a long time.

If it really doesn't work, the rear can still send reinforcements. Even if it costs lives, the Huns can be killed under the city wall.

As for the two passes of Dagu (Taigu) and Huanyuan, they were not his defense area and he did not need to be in charge of them.

Once the three passes in Luonan were locked, the large Hun army could no longer move south.

There were also soldiers in the rear to fill in the gaps. This war was back on the track they were familiar with.

When returning to Luti Mountain with the spoils, Shao Shen climbed up a high slope and stood there for a long time, looking at the blue-gray fields, the sparkling rivers, and the looming manors and forts in the distance.

Every time we let people rush into the Luoyang Basin, we are ultimately passive.

******
Liu Shan has already brought his men to Huanyuan Pass.

After managing Yushan and Yangguan for several years, he vaguely regained the feeling of his southern expedition to the State of Wu.

The sounds of drums and horns have almost been permanently engraved in his life.

He doesn't know how to manage the people, and he doesn't like to do all the complicated chores.

He preferred the simple and rough life in the army, so he felt at home in the fortress where the people were governed by military law. All affairs were in order, and the fort guards would train whenever they had free time. For this purpose, they would frequently go to Liang County to ask for food and increase the frequency of training as much as possible.

And the results of his practice are obvious.

The trenches dug by the fortress guards outside Huanyuan Pass were deep and wide, with bamboo sticks inserted at the bottom, which was "pleasing to the eye".

Inside the city, the garrison soldiers were divided into several battalions. Who would guard first, who would take turns, who would be the reserve, etc. The tasks were clearly assigned, and each battalion also understood the order and would not mess up.

Behind the city walls, he even organized more than a hundred guards who could ride horses and fight, to patrol at any time and kill enemy scouts who came over the mountains to ensure that the inside information would not be leaked.

This is war, real war.

Liu Shan had already entered his "comfort zone" and was very comfortable. "The walls of Huanyuan Pass are high and thick, and there are trenches. If you dare not defend it, you deserve to have your property looted and your wife become a slave." Standing on the high wall, Liu Shan took a deep breath, pulled back his slightly fat belly, and said loudly: "The Huns are also two shoulders carrying one head, not much stronger than you. Fight well, there are so many defensive weapons, the pass is very stable."

"You have thwarted the Xiongnu's attempt to move south. When you return, you can proudly tell your wife and neighbors that it was you who saved everyone."

"All those who died in battle and were injured will receive compensation. If the Marquis's Mansion refuses to pay, I will go and argue with my nephew. I have obtained so much money and food for you in the past two years of training. You should know the amount."

"Even when you are sleeping, you must keep one eye open to prevent anyone from stealing the city."

Liu Shan is in his forties, but he has an extremely loud voice. When he stands there and roars, people far and near can hear him.

After hearing this, everyone agreed.

Liu Shan raised his head and looked into the distance again.

In the open wilderness, groups of knights appeared from time to time.

The messengers no longer dared to go out, and the scouts were forced to return. Now we have no idea of ​​the situation in Luoyang, nor how many Xiongnu troops have come.

Liu Shan thought of his nephew who went south and wondered why he hadn't come back yet.
No matter how good Nanyang is, it is not as important as our own foundation.

Can the counties of Luonan, Chenjun and Yingchuan be compared with Nanyang?

He did not know his nephew's overall plan, nor could he understand it. His knowledge and experience could only support him to do the task at hand, that is, to defend the Dagu and Huanyuan passes.

In his opinion, these places are safe in the short term, but if the Xiongnu attack fiercely regardless of casualties, it is hard to say.

I heard that the Huns had a new emperor named Liu Cong, but I didn't know what he would do.

******
Pei Chun arrived at Hulao Pass with a bitter face.

The city wall was not big, but after cramming three thousand soldiers and a large amount of food and fodder into it, it was already packed, with almost no place to stay.

In addition to the county soldiers, he borrowed another two thousand soldiers, half of whom were from the Zheng family in Kaifeng, and the other half were recruited from local tyrants in the county.

He knew nothing about soldiers, let alone how to fight a war. He couldn't tell the quality of these soldiers, but he felt worried subconsciously.

Shao Xun's letter has been sent urgently.

To be honest, he was a little angry.

Who is Shao Xun to dare to say such things to him?

But after his anger subsided, he still came to Hulao Pass obediently. There was no way, the murderer's words were not just talk, he might really kill someone.

The He family of Yangxia, a prominent family in the imperial court, was simply uprooted by him.

With this previous experience as a lesson, Pei Chun felt there was no need to challenge Shao Xun's authority.

"Oh." Pei Chun took a sip of wine and looked sad.

"Why are you sighing, my lord?" Zheng Zun, the former Shangshu Lang who sent the family soldiers to Hulao Pass, stood up, filled Pei Chun's glass with wine, and asked with a smile.

Zheng Zun was the son of Zheng Xi, the Minister of Agriculture.

His grandfather Zheng Mao was once a Guanglu doctor of Cao Wei. When he was appointed as Sikong in Jin Dynasty, he refused the position.

My second uncle Zheng Yu was in the court, serving as Shangshu You Pushe.

My third uncle Zheng Qiu passed away two years ago. He was the right chief secretary of Chengdu King Ying, and successively served as the Shizhong, Zhonghujun, Shangshu You Pushe, and Minister of Personnel.

This family has many officials and is relatively prosperous.

But in the second year of the Yongjia period (308), the Zheng family of Kaifeng began to migrate south. Some of them even went as far as Fujian, which is outrageous.

There are also many who stay in the North.

For example, Zheng Xi and his son Zheng Zun settled in Luoyang, but due to frequent wars in the past two years, they returned to their hometown in Xingyang to live.

There was heated debate within the family about sending troops to defend Hulao Pass.

Many people think that they should not help either side and focus on preserving their family to avoid being liquidated by Liu Han in the future.

But more people were afraid of being liquidated by Shao Xun.

When Liu Yuan was alive, he was relatively tolerant of scholars and did not treat them harshly or even kill them. But Shao Xun really did exterminate the gentry, as the example of the He family of Yangxia shows, and he really would kill people to settle accounts.

In the end, they finally sent a thousand soldiers to defend Hulao Pass for Pei Chun.

"What's the point of sighing?" Pei Chun waved his hand.

There are some things he doesn't want to tell others because it's too embarrassing and too shameful.

"But are you worried that we can't defend Hulao Pass?" Zheng Zun asked.

"Whether we can hold on or not, I have to stay here." Pei Chun sighed.

Zheng Zun looked at his expression and thought to himself that the Lord of the Mansion didn't seem to be highly regarded by Lord Chen.

"Mr. Chen used his troops to block Hulao Pass, but I don't know what his intention is?" Zheng Zun asked tentatively, "Does he want to block the Xiongnu around Luoyang and watch the imperial guards fight the bandits?"

Pei Chun paused and put down the wine bowl.

Zheng Zun continued to observe Pei Chun and said, "With Yique, Taigu, Huanyuan and Hulao Pass in hand, it will be very difficult for the Xiongnu to leave Luoyang. I heard that the Marquis of Chen has put a lot of effort in Chenjun and Yingchuan. It seems that he does not want the Xiongnu to break into Yuzhou. As for whether to save Luoyang, it may depend on his mood. The Lord of the Palace has close contacts with the Marquis of Chen, but I don't know..."

Pei Chun put down the wine bowl heavily.

When Zheng Zun saw this, he apologized repeatedly.

He probably understood that Pei Chun's performance revealed a lot.

Lord Chen has great ambitions.

Using such a huge cage, putting the emperor, the imperial court, the imperial guards and the Huns inside, sitting on the mountain and watching the fight between the two tigers, and then cleaning up the mess at the critical moment, it was really cruel.

If this is true, then the family will have to consider it seriously, because Xingyang is very close to Yuzhou.

Pei Chun had sobered up. After looking at Zheng Zun, he said, "Don't let your imagination run wild. Some things can only be dealt with one step at a time."

Zheng Zun nodded and said no more.

"My lord, Shi Le is here." Someone hurried in and reported.

Pei Chun swallowed subconsciously.

Zheng Zun's expression also became serious.

Did the Huns’ second invasion of Luoyang from the south start from Hulao Pass?
(End of this chapter)