Chapter 597 Hanoi and Hebei

Chapter 597 Hanoi and Hebei

Chapter 597 Hanoi and Hebei

In the evening, the wind blows the wheat waves, and the autumn crops are lush.

In the flat fields, the auxiliary soldiers hastily abandoned the millet and wheat that had just been harvested and hid behind the baggage carts, chevaux de frise, and deer horns.

The sound of chaotic horse hooves rang out, and more than 3,000 cavalrymen fought repeatedly in the wilderness.

Blood spurted into the wheat field, dyeing the golden ears of wheat a layer of blood red.

The body fell heavily, rolling down a field of straw.

Some cavalry generals, in order to save trouble, led their troops directly through the fields and made a roundabout way to encircle the enemy.

The sound of arrows breaking through the air was endless, and the sounds of swords and spears clashing could be heard everywhere. The land of Hanoi was filled with fighting day after day.

The auxiliary soldiers stared at the scene of the cavalrymen and horses falling to the ground, and then relaxed after a moment.

The officers asked everyone to tie up and secure the harvested wheat in bundles, ready to transport it back to the camp.

He also sent out a dozen nimble men, holding torches, to rush into the fields.

Before long, a raging fire broke out and thick smoke rose from the wheat fields.

The fighting was almost over, and the cavalry on both sides separated, looking at the opposite side vigilantly while watching the fire gradually spread.

A cry of grief was heard from the Hun army.

Although this is not the land they farm, it is their supply.

In August, the harvest season was golden. Hanoi and Ji County were fertile lands, so there was no shortage of food and fodder. Even if some of it was taken away, it didn't matter. We could survive this year, but what about next year?
The people of Jin were extremely vicious. Not only did they rob their grain, they even set it on fire.

This isn't the first time they've done this.

Over the past ten days, the two sides have been staging scenes of harvesting and counter-harvesting in Wen, Heyang, Pinggao, Yewang and other places. The fighting is extremely fierce - no one knows how many lives have been lost for a little bit of food.

Fortunately, the Jin people did not have many cavalrymen, and they gradually suppressed their momentum.

From the beginning, more than 3,000 cavalry were sent to escort the infantry to collect food, but gradually it was reduced to 2,000 cavalry and then more than 1,000 cavalry, with the force getting smaller and smaller each time. After all, the food in Hanoi was still theirs.

After a while of confrontation, both sides could no longer bear the casualties that would result from continuing the fight, so they tacitly withdrew their troops.

The Huns disappeared on the distant horizon.

The Jin cavalry stayed behind, bandaging their wounds and herding their horses.

Nowadays, Hanoi is mostly farmland and pastures. The sparse population, stronghold-like forts and grass that is almost as tall as a person are the main features of the city. It is unknown how many years it will take for the area to be repopulated.

After nightfall, the army returned to the camp, but was not allowed to enter the fort. In desperation, the soldiers could only set up camp again, dig pits to trap horses, and place chevaux deer horns outside the camp for the night.

In the camp, Shao Xun was talking with Wang Que'er.

"Yewang will have to hold out for at least a month." Shao Xun said, "Can you hold out?"

Wang Que'er was silent for a moment and asked, "How to retreat?"

Shao Xun gave him an approving look.

It was not easy to ask such a question. Wang Que'er had made great progress in commanding operations and had even glimpsed a little of the secret.

"A general should think about defeat before he thinks about victory, so he can fight a hundred battles without danger." Shao Xun praised: "I am very pleased that you think this way."

Wang Que'er was a little embarrassed, and only heard him say: "The garrison in Yewang City is definitely no more than 10,000. In addition to the 5,000 elite soldiers of the Four Guards of the East Palace, there are only a few thousand soldiers from the Zhao army. This group of people is certainly a threat, but it is not impossible to defend against."

"However, Liu Ya's troops are nowhere to be found. According to scouts and interrogation of prisoners, he is likely to be in the area of ​​Chenguan and Qinshui, with a large number of cavalry. This is what worries us the most. If he pursues us when we retreat from Yewang City, something terrible may happen."

"Shi Hu has also come, but his army is unknown. Gao Yi, the commander of the capture army, reported that he is probably grazing in the Shanyang area, with more than 10,000 people, which is also a threat."

He did not mention Zhao Gu, because although the soldiers under his command had experienced wars for a long time and could not be considered a mob, their combat effectiveness was extremely limited and was on the same level as the military farming army and hereditary soldiers in Henan.

When the two sides are fighting and their military strength and morale are equal, it is simply a matter of whoever performs better will win. Moreover, since most of the troops are infantry, there is no threat involved.

In addition, Zhao Gu's troops have been split up and used.

Some of them stayed in Shangdang to monitor the Wuhuan, Jie, Xiongnu and other Hu tribes.

One part of them stayed in Wude, Heyang, Yewang and other places, while Zhao Gu himself was in Wude.

Without Zhao Gu by their side, the subjective initiative of the generals would be very poor, and they might not want to fight with the Jin army and consume their own strength.

After all the calculations, the main threat is the soldiers in Liu Ya's hands.

The Qinshui area is rich in water and grass, very suitable for herding horses and sheep. And now it is autumn, the time of year when the cavalry is most powerful, and Liu Ya has been gathering strength, so he must have a plan.

"How are you going to deal with it?" Shao Xun asked.

Wang Que'er did not remain silent this time, and said directly: "Master Shao, please transfer Yi Congjun to the army, otherwise I can't take everyone away."

After saying that, he lowered his head in shame.

Wang Que'er has some cavalry at his disposal, and the main force is the capture army which has been expanded to 1,500 cavalry.

In addition, the wealthy families in Henan gathered a thousand cavalrymen and came here.

There were several hundred soldiers in the palace.

The Kingdom of Nanyang recruited several hundred cavalrymen from the Kingdom Army (mixed Hu from Guanxi).

Li Ju sent his nephew Guo Song with several hundred cavalrymen.

Adding up to about 4,000, they are enough for daily protection, but definitely not for large-scale cavalry battles.

Once the main army retreats, Liu Ya will certainly push all the movable cavalry forward, taking advantage of the opportunity when you are exhausted and eager to return home, chasing you closely and harassing you repeatedly, perhaps causing a major collapse.

"The Yicong Army is in Gaoyang." Shao Xun said.

Wang Que'er was a little disappointed, but didn't say much.

Shao Xun looked at him and knew that he was already planning how to cover the retreat himself.

In fact, this is useless. The Xiongnu cavalry can just bypass them and chase other troops.

The Silver Spear Army is very powerful, and the Wild King is not far from the northern city of Heyang, so he will most likely be able to come back.

Some miscellaneous soldiers with strong combat capabilities may also be able to come back.

But what about the others? Should we leave all the weak auxiliary soldiers, laborers, craftsmen, and even baggage carriages to the Xiongnu?
To put it bluntly, the problem is that the combat capabilities of each unit are uneven and vary greatly.

Tens of thousands of miscellaneous soldiers might panic when harassed by 3,000 Xiongnu cavalry, and then they would flee for their lives, and the whole army would collapse. If they were all troops like the Silver Spear Army, the Xiongnu could only stare blankly and could not stop them from going back and forth.

But this is impossible because siege requires a large number of cannon fodder and miscellaneous soldiers.

"Don't worry, Master Shao will find a way for you." Shao Xun patted him on the shoulder and said, "I'll have Wang Hu and Duan Liang personally bring the cavalry from the central army in Luoyang here. It would be a waste to keep them in Xin'an, as they are of no use. I'll try to transfer a few thousand cavalry from Hebei. How do you plan to use these troops?"

Wang Que'er thought for a moment and said, "I will hide in the southern city of Heyang first."

"Haha!" Shao Xun couldn't help laughing: "Who said you are honest?"

"Liu Ya wants to treat my master to a tired old soldier, so I can give him a surprise." Wang Que'er said.

"Okay." Shao Xun said happily.

Wang Que'er's emotions didn't change much when she said this, which is very good.

This was the expression and tone he used when he learned that there would be no cavalry reinforcements.

The same thing happened when we learned that there was a large number of cavalry reinforcements.

He was neither sad nor happy, and his temperament was very calm. No wonder his hands were so steady during the first battle of Biyong.

Some people's personalities can be seen in their teens. They may change as they grow up, but not necessarily drastically.

"When are you going to change your name?" Shao Xun asked.

"No." Wang Que'er mustered up the courage to look at Shao Xun and said, "Hou Feihu said his name is very domineering and he doesn't want to change it. My name was given by my late father, so I won't change it either."

"Okay, whatever you want." Shao Xun did not force it, and said: "The main purpose of this northern attack on Yewang is to contain Liu Ya and Shi Hu. Now Zhao Gu, Liu Ya and Shi Hu are all contained in Henei and Jijun, which is already very successful. Next, you must keep it stable. The Xiongnu are not fools. Since they are willing to be contained, they must have a backup plan and may want to encircle and annihilate your army. If the 40,000 troops are destroyed, I will not be able to attack Henei again, and even the three cities of Heyang will be in danger. You - take care of yourself."

Wang Que'er nodded.

If Jin Zheng were here, he would surely pat his chest, make a lot of bold statements, and then fight to the death - Shao Xun even suspected that he would strip off his clothes and armor, charge forward naked to boost morale.

But Wang Que'er has a somewhat dull personality, and their styles are different.

After inspecting the battlefield in Henei, Shao Xun was still worried, so he left the 2,000 soldiers (a total of 4,000 people) he brought with him in the north city of Heyang, ready to respond at any time. Then he took more than 900 personal soldiers and arrived at Fangtou by boat, then went north all the way and arrived in Yecheng on August 23.

At this time, news came that Jin Zheng had defeated Hu Yanmo three times and conquered Bolu together with the farmhands of Cui family of Boling.

Hu Yanmo fled overnight, but was pursued and killed by Yicong Du Man Yu.

The nobles of Gaoyang rebelled and killed the Xiongnu officials who stayed in various places, which was exactly the same as what happened in Hejian.

After a brutal siege, Li Chong in the west captured Shiyi and more than ten surrounding villages, killed more than 10,000 of Shi Le's troops, and marched straight to Zhending.

Julu Prefect Zhang Chai was defeated by Shi Le's general Kui An at Jiumen and had to retreat in embarrassment, but it was no longer a serious matter.

The two-pronged pincer attack continued after repeated battles, vowing to completely destroy Shi Le.

Shao Xun immediately summoned Lu Zhi, Cai Cheng and others for questioning.

"Is Zhang Wu still resisting?" he asked, "Have you tried to pacify Linghu Ni?"

"Governor Jin has tried to persuade them to surrender, and I have also sent people to inquire, but both envoys were sent back." Lu Zhi said helplessly.

This is determined to be a running dog of the Xiongnu, just like Zhao Gu and Wang Mi. Only Cao Yi is sensible, but his appetite is too big.

"What does Linghu Ni want?" Shao Xun asked curiously.

However, the fact that the messenger was not killed but driven away proves that there is still hope and he is not a diehard.

"He has a grudge against Liu Yueshi." Lu Zhi sighed.

"There is one more thing." Lu Zhi reacted quickly and said, "Shi Xi and Gao Jiang were ambushed by Xianbei cavalry in Zhangwu. Shi Xi was defeated and lost most of his troops. He retreated to Shuzhou (County) with hundreds of people. Gao Jiang lost more than a thousand soldiers and fled eastward in a panic. Fortunately, he was helped by the local converted nobles and captured Zhangwu (County). "

"The Duan Xianbei actually moved south?" Shao Xun immediately pulled out the map and examined it carefully.

If the Duan tribe of the Xianbei came with enough troops, and was decisive and quick, it would be entirely possible for them to intercept Jin Zheng's food supply route that had left the canal before he could react.

This is a big trouble!

"Who is the leader of the Duan tribe of Xianbei? Where is he now?" Shao Xun raised his head and asked.

"The vanguard is Duan Mobo, who may have 4,000 to 5,000 cavalry. I don't know if there are follow-up troops." Lu Zhi said: "Duan Mobo's troops are scattered in Wen'an and Dongpingshu."

"Huh? Not going west or south?" Shao Xun was a little surprised.

From the perspective of military common sense, since they had launched a surprise attack and severely damaged the Bohai soldiers led by Shi Xi and Gao Jiang, they should have advanced swiftly next and found a way to cut off Jin Zheng's logistical supply lines. Why were they still staying in Zhangwu?
"They are looting..." Lu Zhi replied.

Shao Xun looked at him and couldn't help laughing.

You thought he was coming to attack you from behind and disrupt your formation, but in fact he was coming to plunder. He just hit your soldiers and took revenge.

Shao Xun put down the map and paced around the room.

After a long moment, he turned and looked at the two of them, and said, "I have to go to the north."

"No!" Before Lu Zhi could say anything, Cai Cheng became anxious and hurriedly advised: "It would be too dangerous if you only lead your troops north. Hebei has just been settled, and there will inevitably be some crazy people. Once they have a different mind, your troops are less than a thousand people, and it may be dangerous."

Lu Zhi looked unhappy, but he rarely refuted. He still knew the importance of the matter.

Always be prepared for anything that might happen.

Since last year, the counties and states in Hebei have indeed surrendered upon hearing the news, and the situation is very good, but what if someone sees that you have few soldiers and has bad intentions? This is not Henan, and most people are not closely connected with you.

After being persuaded by them, Shao Xun felt that it made sense and gave up the idea.

"Send a message to Anyang, asking Hou Feihu to bring the Black Sword Army over." he ordered.

Lu Zhi and Cai Cheng felt relieved.

Nothing can happen to Mr. Chen. If he dies, who knows what will become of Henan and Hebei.

Sima Rui of Jiangdong certainly doesn't have the ability to take over such a large territory.

The emperor is even worse.

At that time, the military leaders would occupy different areas and attack each other. It is unknown how many warlords would evolve from the Silver Spear Army and the Black Jade Army founded by Mr. Chen.

"Mingsir, I have something to tell you." Lu Zhi suddenly said, "It's about Youzhou."

(End of this chapter)