Chapter 836 Cross the River!

Chapter 836 Cross the River!

Chapter 836 Cross the River!

During the Qin Dynasty and the early Western Han Dynasty, the mountain range stretching from southwest to northeast in the northern part of Yanmen County was called "Hengshan Mountain".

During the reign of Emperor Wen of Han Dynasty, the name was changed to "Changshan" (to avoid taboo).

During the Wei and Jin Dynasties, it was renamed Hengshan - the word "Heng" was too common, so if any emperor had this word in his name, he had to change his name (Song Zhenzong Zhao Heng).

Hengshan is a very vast mountain range with many ridges in between. The main pass of Yanmen Pass is located on Xixing Mountain.

When Liu Kun occupied Jinyang, he ceded five counties, namely Loufan in the north of Xing (near Shenqi County today), Mayi (now Shuozhou City), Yinguan (now southeast of Shuozhou), Fanzhi (between Ying County and Hunyuan today), and Gang (near Hunyuan today), to Tuoba Yilu.

Among these five counties, Loufan had been abolished, Yinguan was abolished at the end of the Han Dynasty, and the remaining three counties still exist.

As can be seen from the map, these five counties are actually all in the Datong Basin outside the Hengshan Mountains, and the Xinzhou Basin is within the Hengshan Mountains. The Hutuo River meanders from north to south, running through the entire narrow basin.

On May 28, Shao Xun ordered the establishment of Jingling Longxiang Prefecture in Pingyao County in the south of Taiyuan Prefecture.
The Shahe Longxiang Prefecture was established in Jiuyuan County, Xinxing County, north of Shiling.

Xinkou Longxiang Prefecture was established on the site of the old city of Xinkou built by Emperor Gaozu of the Northern Han Dynasty in Xinxing County.

The three people who had just made contributions were Jiang Tai and Zhang He, who were appointed as Sima of other departments, and Kou Ji was appointed as the chief historian of the Longxiang Prefecture in Shahe.

He also appointed Yang Huiquan, the governor of the Longxiang shogunate, as the governor of Yanmen, and ordered Liu Runzhong, the governor of Shangdang, to lead 5,000 elite cavalry to the north of Yanmen, and ordered the Taiyuan government troops to transfer 9,600 government troops and their followers to garrison in Yanmen in mid-June.

After that, with almost no pause, tens of thousands of troops surged out through more than ten valleys of Yanmen Pass and headed towards the outside of the Great Wall.

……

On the 29th, on the most important road in Yanmen Pass, weapons and armors shone brightly and flags blocked out the sun.

When the Xianbei people who were collecting firewood in the nearby mountains saw this, they hardly dared to breathe.

Yu Ju led 5,000 carefully selected Xianbei and Wuhuan warriors, and set off on horseback to serve as the vanguard.

After they left, soldiers with yellow scarves on their heads came in line after line, from morning to night, and it seemed that they could never be stopped.

Horse-drawn carriages, ox-drawn carts, mule-drawn carts and even all kinds of pack animals were traveling on the rugged and dangerous mountain roads, with people shouting and horses neighing, making the scene extremely lively.

In other passable valleys, people were driving cattle and sheep towards the outside of the Great Wall.

In the evening, Shao Xun climbed to the highest point of Xixing Mountain and had a panoramic view of Yanmen Pass from far and near.

There were crowds of people and flying flags in more than ten narrow passes.

The soldiers were as unstoppable as tigers and wolves, rushing towards Xingbei.

"Now that we have captured Yanmen Pass, there is no need to worry about our retreat. You can advance with confidence." Shao Xun stood with his hands behind his back, leaning against the wind.

"Your Majesty, please have some tea." Wang placed the tea bowl on the table, knelt on the carpet, and said softly.

Shao Xun turned around and gently stroked Wang's chin with his rough big hands.

Wang's face turned slightly red, her mind was in a mess. She wanted to shrink but didn't dare to, and she was also a little reluctant.

Shao Xun suddenly exerted force with his hands, pinched Wang's jaw, and slowly lifted it up.

Wang's eyes were filled with tears due to the pain and she quickly stood up.

"How should I deal with you?" Shao Xun said, "I don't want to play anymore. Now I just think you are a trouble."

"Your Majesty..." Wang's mind went blank. Any beautiful thoughts and fantasies disappeared, and she was instantly filled with fear.

This is the top of Xixing Mountain, and there are cliffs and deep valleys not far away.

Wang's tears kept flowing out and she looked at the man in front of her with pleading eyes.

The hand slowly released its strength and turned back to gentle caressing.

Shao Xun gently patted Wang's face and said, "Don't cross the line in the future."

Wang nodded repeatedly, but she couldn't stop crying, as if a beautiful dream had been shattered.

"Don't be like this." Shao Xun gently wiped away the tears on Wang's face and whispered, "As long as you are honest and obedient and don't cause trouble, Shi Yijian will be the leader of the Xianbei. After all, I still like you very much."

Wang turned her head away and wiped her tears.

Shao Xun smiled lightly, waved his hand and asked his personal soldiers to pack up their equipment and continue moving forward.

******
As soon as you leave the north entrance of Yanmen Pass, you will see the ancient city of Yinguan.

On the first day of June, the iron cavalry galloped across the plains and drove away a group of Xianbei cavalry who were ordered to harass them.

Countless infantrymen were cutting wood in the mountains and setting up camp outside Yinguan City.

Shao Xun's flag was erected on the top of the city wall.

From this day on, the banner of Dai Gong Tuoba Shiyijian was raised.

On the second day of June, a Wuhuan leader led more than 4,000 people to surrender.

On the third day, another five thousand Wuhuan came to surrender.

On the fourth day, the Wuhuan people appeared again, this time with less than three thousand people.

By the fifth day of June, when Shao Xun and others had arrived with food, fodder, and equipment and decided to march north, there were already more than 18,000 Wuhuan who had come to surrender, and the rest were several thousand miscellaneous Hu people and more than a thousand Jin people.

Most of them are small tribes, but it can also be seen that the Wang family has a very strong appeal among the Wuhuan people.

Places like Xingbei were originally populated almost entirely by Wuhuan people, and Jin people and Xianbei people were very rare.

It was not until the Tuoba Yilu era, when "one hundred thousand households" of people were relocated here, that the Xianbei population increased rapidly - the "one hundred thousand households" was probably a fictitious number, and included a large number of Jin people who went north to escape the war. Only God knows the real number, as the Xianbei people did not keep statistics anyway.

The Wuhuan people were highly assimilated into the Han culture.

The massive influx of Xianbei people greatly changed the population structure here, resulting in a mixture of new and old power structures in the central region.

Also on the fifth day of June, a large group of enemy cavalry suddenly arrived on the north bank of the Sanggan River, with a total number of nearly ten thousand.

There seemed to be several thousand infantrymen mixed in with the cavalry. If nothing unexpected happened, they were all conscripted infantrymen from Wuhuan and Jin.

After hearing the news, Shao Xun immediately sent troops north - led by General Wang Que'er of the Western Army, including 6,000 men from the Silver Spear Left Camp, 3,600 soldiers from the Chenliu Prefecture, 3,000 cavalry from the Volunteers, and 10,000 Yellow Head Army, a total of more than 22,000 infantry and cavalry.

Twenty miles was not too short, and it was enough for the cavalry to go around and intercept. But the army, which had just won a great victory, was in high spirits and rushed northward without any fear.

Deputy General Feng Bachi sat on an ox cart full of hay, staggering forward.

The surrounding area was full of soldiers from Chenliu.

At that time, the morning dew had not yet dissipated, and the fragrance of green grass was everywhere.

Occasionally, you could smell a pungent smell, which was fresh animal feces, but Feng Bachi always joked with people: "This is the shit that Suotou scared out of his wits."

Amidst laughter and joy, rows of cavalrymen on horseback quickly passed by and gradually disappeared into the tall wormwood.

Feng Bachi spat out the sand in his mouth twice.

At noon, another team of cavalry passed by quickly, as if they were about to join the battlefield.

The soldiers of Chenliu Prefecture looked at them with envy.

The infantry moves too slowly, and by the time they arrive, the battle may be over.

Several miles behind Feng Bachi and his men, the soldiers of the Yellow Head Army were driving countless carriages, horses, and draft animals, delivering loads of food and military supplies to the front.

Their scale was even larger, almost filling the entire field, looming in the grass. If you look down from the air, you can generally see: several long dragons causing large clouds of dust, starting from Yinguan, stretching all the way to the south bank of the (lěi) River (Huangshui River, Mayichuan or Sanggan River tributary) 20 miles away in the north.

Outside the long dragon, the newly surrendered Xianbei and Wuhuan light cavalry were deployed to guard the flanks of the army. Some were even ordered to take a detour and advance to the main stream area of ​​the Sanggan River further north to harass the enemy.

Everyone must join the battle and strive to defeat the enemy in one fell swoop!
******
A city was being built by the river. Wang Que'er climbed onto a platform and looked to the north.

Not far away, beside the river, countless auxiliary craftsmen were building rafts and boats, preparing to build a floating bridge.

There were Xianbei cavalry patrolling on the other side of the river, shooting a few arrows at this side from time to time.

The Silver Spear Army gathered a group of soldiers, and all of them put down their spears, took out their bows, and quickly marched to the river bank. They drew their bows and shot, and the Xianbei cavalry immediately fled in panic.

"Haha!" The laughter echoed on both sides of the water.

"Hurry up! Build it quickly!"

"Grandpa wants to cross the river and kill the bandits!"

"Go across the river and kill them!"

The soldiers of the Silver Spear Army kept making a fuss.

After hearing this, the auxiliary soldiers and craftsmen wiped their sweat and worked faster unconsciously.

When the Xianbei people on the other side of the river saw this, their faces turned pale, not knowing whether to advance or retreat.

"Suotou, that old maid!" Ji Shou, the owner of the building, put his hands on his waist and pointed out the situation like a general: "She is even dumber than the donkey in my house!"

"Master, what's the matter?" someone asked.

"Now that I have pots and pans, I won't want to leave." Ji Shou pointed to the empty fields on the other side of the river between the Sanggan River and the water, and said, "Look, there are farmland, mulberry and hemp, and houses and pens. Once you get used to living here, you won't want to live near water and grass."

"What the leader said is absolutely right." Someone said with emotion: "In my opinion, it would be better to use the old trick of seeking the head, abandon all the belongings, lure the enemy deep into the territory, surround us in the wilderness further north, and then send elite cavalry south to Yinguan to find a way to seize this grain storage place."

"They don't dare." Ji Shou said contemptuously: "If we retreat here, Wang Du will directly attack Huangguadui. Huangguadui has Xinping City, should we retreat? If we retreat from Xinping City, should we retreat from Pingcheng?"

"The old maid is dead!" Everyone laughed and their morale was high.

Some people were so excited that they put bowstrings around their necks and looked at the Xianbei people from afar, as if threatening to strangle them to death with the bowstrings.

"Splash!" The two wooden boats were put into the water one after another.

The craftsmen rushed over and used bamboo knots to firmly fit it together.

"Hurry, hurry, hurry! I want to cross the river today."

Maybe it was because the weather was too hot, Ji Shou was very anxious and took off his armor directly, exposing his breasts.

"Hurry! I want to cross the river!" The soldiers of Ji Shouchuang who served as the first wave of assault team were also eager to try and kept urging.

"It's almost done! It's almost done!" The craftsmen replied perfunctorily while cursing in their hearts: A bunch of old servants!

When the sun set, most of the floating bridge had been built.

The Xianbei cavalry charged again, but were quickly repelled by the Silver Spear Army's terrifying bow and arrow coverage attack.

From afar, the bushes on the other side of the river were filled with dense arrows.

More than a dozen bodies of men and horses fell in it, and flies were soon attracted.

"Cross the river! Cross the river!" The Silver Spear Army soldiers, who had finished lined up, hit the ground with their spears, full of fighting spirit.

"Splash!" The last row of rafts was lowered down.

The drummers and horn players had just finished dinner and, after a short stretch, went up to a high platform.

The sunset in the west was very beautiful. When the flag for sending troops was raised, the drummer raised the hammer with both hands and beat it with all his might.

After the "boom dong" drum sounds, the Silver Spear Army soldiers on the river bank immediately burst into warm cheers.

Hundreds of soldiers divided into two columns and rushed across the river.

Ji Shou led the way, leading a team of people to rush out for dozens of steps, and then formed a battle line on the spot.

Subsequent troops and horses arrived continuously, and more and more people crossed the river.

The Xianbei people finally made a move.

In the wilderness, two or three hundred silver cavalrymen rushed out from behind a forest.

Armored Cavalry!

“Fuck this old slave!” Ji Shou yelled without even wearing armor.

"Kill this old bitch!" The soldiers brought out their extra-long halberds, raised the halberd blades diagonally forward, and inserted the sharp tip of the halberd deeply into the soil.

"Kill this old maid!" Someone else brought in deer antlers and placed them on both sides.

A large number of silver spear warriors gathered on the other side of the river, some of them were ready to cross the river to provide support, while others drew out their bows.

"Xilulu!" The auxiliary soldiers quickly pulled seven or eight horse-drawn carriages, placed them horizontally along the river, and began to string the crossbows and load arrows.

The armored cavalry rushed over with great force.

The Silver Spear Army had already nailed down four rows of long halberds. Looking at the hedgehog-like infantry formation, the Xianbei cavalry waved their horse halberds, trying to push the halberds that were diagonally stuck in the mud as hard as they could, and then charged forward in despair.

"Crash!" The sounds of spears breaking came one after another.

A few people were unlucky enough to be stabbed off their horses, but the armored horses continued to charge forward, creating chaos.

Dozens of cavalrymen rushed over later and almost completely smashed the infantry formation set up by the Silver Spear Army. They then charged forward without slowing down, plowing deep trenches among the infantry. Wherever they passed, bones and tendons were broken. They were extremely brutal.

However, most of the armored cavalry did not see the water and disappeared among the crowd of infantry.

The crossbows on the other side of the river were firing non-stop. Occasionally, a crossbow arrow would pierce an armored cavalryman. If one was lucky, it could even kill two people.

The infantry archers continued to fire, but it was not particularly effective. After the first wave of the charge, the remaining twenty or so enemy cavalrymen were riddled with arrows and fled back in panic.

The Silver Spear Army reorganized immediately and subsequent reinforcements continued to cross the river.

When the enemy was about to launch a second wave of attack, several horse-drawn carriages crossed the pontoon bridge and blocked the front of the formation.

The enemy cavalry hesitated for a long time and ultimately did not launch a charge - after failing the first time, they knew it was time to give up.

"Cross the river!" Loud shouts rang out again on the south bank of the river. Team after team, group after group of soldiers crossed the pontoon bridge and reached the north bank.

The enemy cavalry looked at us from a distance for a while, then turned and left.

The second floating bridge was built overnight.

That night, hundreds of vans crossed the first floating bridge and reached the other side.

On the morning of the seventh day of June, Wang Que'er gave the order to organize a formation of vehicles and march towards the cucumber pile, destroying Suotou's lair.

At this time, Yin Xi, a cavalry official of the General's Mansion, who had been waiting for orders for a long time in Langu County and Zhalu City in the west, finally received the order to attack.

At noon that day, he led more than 8,000 people, 20,000 horses, and ten days' worth of food, out of Caochengchuan, passed the old city of Loufan, and headed northeast. He then passed Mayi without entering, and went straight between Xinping and Pingcheng.

(End of this chapter)