Farmers of Shu Han

Chapter 1418 Ferry
General Zhendong entered the prefectural government and sat unceremoniously in the middle of the hall. He looked at Zhao Kai who was brought in and asked:
"Have you sent a messenger to Ji County?"

Zhao Kai was stunned. He didn't expect that the first question General Zhendong asked before he opened his mouth would be this.

But on second thought, it makes sense.

So he answered honestly:

"We sent out fast horses yesterday when we saw the signal smoke."

General Zhendong thought about the time to light the signal smoke at the pass, and then asked:

"How far is Yuyang from Jixian?"

"Hundred miles."

He quickly calculated in his mind that if Ji County received the news and immediately sent out reinforcements, the reinforcements would arrive as early as tomorrow noon.

If we march normally, we will arrive around dusk.

Thinking of this, General Zhendong asked again:

"How do the Jixian garrison compare to the Yuyang garrison?"

Of course Zhao Kai wanted to say he didn’t know.

Just listening to Guan Yihu who was sitting on top, although his tone was calm, there was an imposing aura that was compelling and irresistible.

At the moment, I can only continue to speak honestly:
"The war has been intense in the past few months, and most of the original garrison troops in Yuyang have been transferred to the northwest pass, so a lot of county soldiers have been temporarily recruited."

"Ji County is the capital of Youzhou. It may be stronger than Yuyang, but I think it is limited. After all, the border of Youzhou has been peaceful and without war in recent years, and the military has been somewhat relaxed..."

General Zhendong smiled faintly when he heard this.

Some slack?

That's not like "some" looks like that.

But it’s no wonder.

The pressure from the Han Dynasty in the west was too great, and coupled with the frequent actions of Sun Wu in the south, the Pseudo-Wei was forced to place its main military forces in the west, and secondarily in the southeast.

Since we are powerless to defend the northern border, we can only resort to appeasement.

More importantly, after Kebineng fell out with the Pseudo-Wei, he should have continued to wreak havoc on the border of Youzhou. Unexpectedly, he was tricked by Feng and taken to Jiuyuan, under the pretext of helping him recuperate.

It can be regarded as indirectly helping Youzhou maintain peace on the border.

Of course, Feng did not deceive Ke Bineng, he really helped Ke Bineng to recuperate.

But after recuperating, Feng came to collect the price that had been secretly marked before.

Now, General Zhendong has come to Youzhou this time to collect the price that he secretly marked for Youzhou in the early years.

"Is there any suitable place to set up an ambush between Yuyang and Ji County?"

Ah, this...

Zhao Kai was silent for a moment. It was obvious that he was still somewhat reluctant.

"Yes, there is a mountain between Ji County and Yuyang County called Fox Slave Mountain. There is a narrow pass on the mountain. The narrowest part is only six feet, which can accommodate two horses riding side by side. It is the best place to set up an ambush."

When Zhao Guang heard this, he was immediately delighted and looked at General Zhendong.

Unexpectedly, Zhendong narrowed his eyes slightly and asked:

"Your last name is Zhao? Where are you from?"

The question was a bit abrupt, which made Zhao Kai slightly startled. He seemed a little overwhelmed, but he still answered:

"I am from Zhuo County, Hebei."

The Zhao family of Hebei, although not as famous as the Cui family, the Fan family, the Li family, etc., can also be said to have a long history, which can be traced back to the royal family of Zhao during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period.

If Sima Yi wanted to gain a foothold in Hebei as quickly as possible after taking control of it, he had to compromise with the powerful families in Hebei.

It is only natural that the children of the great families in Hebei control key positions in local counties.

"Zhuo County," General Zhendong said in a serious tone, standing up at the same time, "That is the ancestral home of Emperor Zhaolie of the Han Dynasty. I didn't expect that you and Emperor Zhaolie of the Han Dynasty are from the same hometown."

"As far as I know, the Zhao family of Zhuo County has always had a tradition of trading horses from the outer reaches of the Great Wall to the interior of China. When Emperor Zhaolie started his army in the early years, they also funded him and sent him a lot of horses."

Zhao Kai's expression became extremely complicated when he heard this.

Seeing this, General Zhendong asked meaningfully, "Do you know the Five Tiger Generals of the Han Dynasty?"

"Who doesn't know Guan, Zhang, Zhao, Ma and Huang?"

General Zhendong pointed at Zhao Guang and said, "This is General Zhao's second son, Zhao Yiwen."

Zhao Kai turned his head and saw Zhao Guang looking at him strangely.

Zhao Kai was shocked:

"Could it be Zhao Sanqian who led 3,000 cavalrymen to defeat an army of 100,000?"

Zhao Guang couldn't help but straighten his chest when he heard this.

"Exactly."

"General Chenghu is the real one."

General Zhendong smiled slightly:
"When General Zhao followed Emperor Zhaolie, he was highly regarded by the Emperor and was made his chief cavalry officer. Many of his followers were from the Zhao family of Zhuo County."

Zhao Kai reacted vaguely and suddenly felt his heart pounding. He couldn't help swallowing.

"Mr. Zhao, in your opinion, can these soldiers under my command be considered elite troops?"

"They are not elite soldiers, but tigers and wolves."

"There are 7,000 cavalrymen following me into Youzhou this time. In your opinion, are there any people in Hebei who are capable of fighting me?"

Zhao Kai was silent for a while and replied:
"If we raise the troops in Hebei and the Grand Tutor leads them, will the general have the strength to fight?"

After saying this, Zhao Kai glanced at General Zhendong secretly, but General Zhendong was not angry, so he continued:
"But now Hebei's elite troops are all gathered east of Taihang Mountain, making it difficult for them to march east. With your ability, you can lead a group of tigers and wolves to march across Youzhou, and no one can stop you."

"That's right." General Zhendong said slowly, "So, Lord Zhao, can you tell me now where is the best place to ambush the reinforcements coming from Ji County?"

With Han Long, an old man from Youzhou, and the two brothers Ji Yang and Ji Hui, even if General Zhendong could not know Youzhou like the back of his hand, he at least had some understanding of the main counties and major transportation routes.

The official road between Ji County and Yuyang County, the Foxu Mountain Pass is indeed the most suitable place to set up an ambush.

Zhao Kai had not lied before, but it was too late to go to the Fox Slave Mountain Pass now.

Because Yuyang County is about fifty miles away from the Foxu Mountain Pass.

In other words, according to the time, the reinforcements from Ji County had already passed through the Fox Slave Mountain Pass.

Zhao Kai's body trembled, and finally his legs softened, and he crawled down:

"I dare not hide it from you, General. After passing Fox Slave Mountain, if you want to reach Yuyang, you still have to pass through Gushui (Baihe River) and Baoqiushui (Chaohe River)."

(Note: During the Three Kingdoms period, the Chao and Bai rivers had not yet formed a stable confluence. The modern confluence section was formed by multiple diversions during the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. The ancient Baoqiu River and Gushui River each flowed into the sea separately, and they were parallel river systems to the north of Tongzhou today.)

"There are three ferry crossings on these two rivers: Baoqiu Ferry, five miles from Yuyang, Gujin Ferry, seven miles away, and Miyun Ferry, twelve miles away."

"If we set up an ambush at these three places and attack them when they are halfway across the river, we will surely succeed."

"Good!" General Zhendong sat down again with satisfaction and asked, "Then according to Lord Zhao, where would the people from Ji County cross the river?"

Once there is one, there will be two. Zhao Kai smiled bitterly and sighed, and finally put down the last psychological burden and replied:

"Baoqiu Ferry, five miles south of Yuyang, is the narrowest place on the water. There is a floating bridge there, which is very convenient."

"Okay!" General Zhendong clapped his hands and said, "In that case, I will follow Lord Zhao's advice and ambush the people coming from Ji County. I wonder if Lord Zhao is willing to help me?"

Zhao Kai kowtowed:

"The general is kindhearted. I was lucky to escape with my life. I have the opportunity to abandon violence and join the Ming Dynasty. How dare I not do my best to help the general?"

Zhao Kai is certainly not a fool as he can sit in the position of prefect.

Hebei is finished.

When Guan Yihu led 7,000 Han cavalry into Youzhou, even the dullest person could see that Hebei was doomed.

Guan Yihu deliberately mentioned Emperor Zhaolie and Zhao Yun, one of the Five Tiger Generals. Zhao Kai had fully understood the meaning behind it.

Since the Han Dynasty still cherishes its old friendship, if you do not submit to the Han Dynasty now, do you still have to live and die with the pseudo-Wei?

The Zhao family of Zhuo County had already demonstrated their loyalty to the Han Dynasty when Emperor Zhaolie started his rebellion.

And of course I have to continue to prove my loyalty!

Of course, it would be even better if I could lead the Zhao family to glory.

Zhao Kai even took out the maps in the prefectural government and pointed out the location to General Zhendong.

"Okay, okay!" General Zhendong slammed the table and ordered, "Liu Hun!"

"The general is here!"

"I will give you 1,500 men and horses to go to Gujindu (Qili)."

"Here!"

"Bald hair stands tall."

"The general is here!"

"I will give you 1,500 men and horses to go to Miyundu (12 miles away)."

"Here!"

"When you two get there, you must send out scouts as soon as possible. If you find the enemy troops approaching, report back as quickly as possible."

General Zhendong looked at the two of them and ordered:

"If the enemy troops don't arrive, or if we see a signal or receive an order, we will immediately cross the river, go around to Baoqiu Ferry, and rob and kill the enemy troops!"

"Here!"

General Zhendong looked at Zhao Guang and ordered:

"Zhao Guang, you lead two thousand troops to set up an ambush at Baoqiu Ferry in advance. I will lead the remaining troops as the rear army and set off later."

Zhao Guang was cheered up and quickly stood up to respond.

General Zhendong looked at Zhao Kai:

"Lord Zhao, before the army sets out, the soldiers need to rest here tonight. Only after they have eaten and drunk enough will they have the strength to kill the enemy. I will have to trouble you with the matter of food and grass for the army."

Zhao Kai said quickly:

"I dare not, I dare not. General, please rest assured. There is a batch of food and grass in Yuyang City that will be transported to Ji County recently. It is most appropriate to use it to reward the soldiers now."

"That would be the best," General Zhendong continued, "and the officials and civilians in the city also need Lord Zhao's help to appease them."

"Ever since Emperor Zhaolie started his rebellion, he has always treated the people with benevolence and justice. Now the Emperor of the Han Dynasty has inherited Zhaolie's will and is known throughout the world for his benevolence and justice. As long as the people do not voluntarily join the enemy, they will all be treated as his subjects."

"I sealed off the city today for no other reason than to prevent someone from sending a letter to the thieves. Envoy Zhao, comfort the people in the city and tell them that the seal will be lifted the day after tomorrow so that the people don't need to panic."

Zhao Kai agreed immediately upon hearing this, and at the same time heaved a sigh of relief:

"Yes, yes, I understand. I will do as you say."

It really is easier to work with a big man!
If it were really the pseudo-Wei Dynasty, there would probably be a massacre in the city.
-
At noon the next day, the sun was shining brightly.

The water of Baoqiu reflects the sunlight, and the rippling waves are glowing with a faint light.

There was a watchtower at the ferry crossing during the Later Han Dynasty, but due to the slackening of Youzhou’s military preparedness in recent years, it had long been abandoned.

Fortunately, it did not collapse, and after some repairs, it can be used barely.

The lookout tower was converted into a fisherman's net drying rack, with firewood piled on top as camouflage.

Dozens of crossbow snipers were hiding among the firewood piles, with their crossbows pointed at a certain positioning line on the mountain - this was the best shooting angle calculated by Pei Xiu.

"General, the bandits should have arrived by now, right? But there is no sign of them yet. Could it be that Zhao Kai was wrong? They are not crossing the river from here?"

At the lookout on the observation deck, Zhao Guang looked at the sky, then looked at the still quiet opposite bank, and asked a question, unable to contain himself.

General Zhendong put down the telescope and said calmly, "Why rush? Arriving in the afternoon is just our estimate."

"The slower they come, the better it will be for us to take over Youzhou."

Because the situation at Yuyang Pass was extremely urgent, the reinforcements from Ji County could not arrive in time. It was not that they did not want to rescue, but that the troops were unable to arrive.

The more soldiers cannot arrive, the more it shows that the combat capability is worrying.

The sun was setting, and the scouts were returning at a gallop:

"General, the enemy troops are less than three miles away from here."

"Okay, pass the order down and have everyone get ready. Also, send out fast horses to notify Liu Hun and Tufa Tianli!"

"Here!"

Half an hour later, the noisy and extremely thirsty reinforcements from Ji County finally arrived at the ferry.

Seeing the river, everyone cheered and rushed over.

When the vanguard light cavalry rushed into the ferry, broken leaves from the forced march were still stuck in the gaps between the armor leaves.

Some soldiers collapsed on the river bank to catch their breath, while another soldier kicked down a soldier who was trying to get water and fell into a mud pit himself.

More than ten war horses were crowded on the five-meter-wide dock, biting and kicking each other. One horse was even pushed into the rapids. The quiver tied to the horse's back scattered, and two thousand iron arrows floated on the water and swirled.

"Put it away, hurry up and put it away!"

"Line up! Line up!"

The Wei army generals on horseback raised their whips and whipped the soldiers again and again.

Seeing the chaos of the Wei army through the telescope, General Zhendong raised a sneer of contempt:

"The order was given halfway across the river, and the central army was cut off first."

General Zhendong inserted three whistling arrows into Zhao Guang's quiver and said, "Pay attention to the lookout tower. Only when you see the signal flag can you rush up."

Zhao Guang licked his lips, clasped his fists silently, and then quietly went down the observation deck.

"Keep an eye on those on horseback, they are your targets."

This is for those crossbow snipers.

Under the relentless beating of the Wei army generals, the Wei army finally had a little formation.

The vanguard of the Wei army began to wade across the river.

The Wei army general riding on horseback saw a fisherman on the opposite side collecting his nets. He seemed to be frightened by the arrival of the army and wanted to collect his nets and leave in a panic.

Everything is normal.

The fact that there are still people fishing here means that nothing has happened in Yuyang.

When half of the troops had crossed the river, a command flag suddenly appeared on an abandoned lookout tower on the east bank pier that seemed to be used by fishermen to dry their nets.

Immediately afterwards, the shrill sound of arrows tore through the sky.

Dozens of bows and crossbows shot poisoned iron arrows at the same time. Several Wei generals were directly hit and died without even seeing where the enemy was.

"kill!"

The sound of horse hooves was like thunder, and the red cavalry suddenly rushed out from the reed marshes on both sides.

Zhao Guang took the lead and rushed straight towards the Wei army's banner that had just crossed the river.

The Wei army general standing under the big banner was caught off guard and drew his sword hastily. Before he could draw half of it, he was cut in half by the saber along with the banner.

The cavalry that followed closely behind rushed into the defenseless crowd, specifically targeting the armored soldiers and officers for slaughter.

Some soldiers were dragged more than ten feet by their horses, their intestines entangled in the horseshoes, leaving horrific bloody trails.

A sergeant in the Wei army had just touched the horn when his throat was pierced by a wolf-tooth arrow. The blood foam that spurted out drew a three-foot red rainbow in the air.

The sudden change caught everyone in the Wei army off guard.

After Zhao Guang broke through the enemy's formation, someone started to scream:

"Enemy attack!"

As the frightened mount rolled in a wave of blood, the cow tendon string of the Yuanrong crossbow made a devilish squeaking sound.

"Back off! Back off!"

The sudden death of the main general, the sudden disappearance of the great banner, and the killing of several generals made it impossible for the Wei army that had already crossed the river to organize an effective resistance.

Whether they wanted to or not, everyone was pushed back.

The cowhide ropes of the floating bridge groaned before breaking under the heavy pressure. Some officers were even grabbed by the clothes and pulled over by dozens of hands behind them as soon as they stepped onto the wooden planks.

The headguard rolled down the riverbank and was trampled into a concave pancake in an instant, and its reflection reflected a purgatory on earth - three thousand defeated soldiers were tearing this life-saving bridge into a Shura field with blood and foam flying everywhere.

Five or six soldiers took advantage of the situation and used the fallen officer as a cushion to climb up. The last thing he saw was the soldier who was pushed off the bridge grabbing the wooden strips of the pontoon bridge, his fingernails plowing ten bloody grooves in the strips, his finger bones still clinging to half a piece of nail plate when he fell into the river.

When the last leather rope broke, the entire floating bridge twisted like a giant python, and more than 300 people were thrown into the air.

Then, like a piece of jade falling into the water, it fell into the water, stirring up a bloody vortex in the middle of the river.

The intestines hanging on the broken bridge are rising and falling with the waves.

The thirty or so people who managed to escape did not dare to stop and continued to flee backwards like crazy.

The Wei army that did not cross the river, after seeing the tragic scene on the opposite side, and with some people leading the way in fleeing, also turned around and fled.

But before they could escape far, they encountered Liu Hun and Tufa Tianli who were surrounding them from upstream and downstream.

The Baoqiu River and the Gu River originally flowed in parallel, but all possible land routes were blocked by the two men.

If the fleeing Wei army wanted to escape back to Ji County, they had to continue to force their way west across the Gushui River.

But without adequate preparation and a suitable ferry, it would be impossible to cross the Gushui River unarmed.

Liu Hun and Tufa Tianli, one in the north and one in the south, drove these defeated soldiers back and forth like herding sheep, and finally forced them back to the west bank of Baoqiu Ferry.

When the sun was about to set behind the mountain, General Zhendong rode his horse across the temporarily repaired pontoon bridge. The iron hoof of his horse just happened to step on the flag discarded by the fleeing soldiers. The word "Wei" on it was deeply trampled into the mud.

The following are free:
PS: Regarding the location of the Han army's ambush in the previous chapter, some book friends pointed out that the number of two Wei army scouts was unreasonable. Well, this was actually a trap set by the Han army, taking advantage of the hot weather and thirsty conditions to lure the Wei army to stop at that location to drink water as much as possible.

It can also be seen from the following description that there is a shallow beach and a col upstream, which is suitable for an ambush.

I originally wanted to write it more clearly, but the author is too lazy and doesn’t want to move his fingers too much. Well, I’ll pay attention next time.

PS: The child’s fever started to subside, but I was restless all night. I didn’t sleep a wink all day and all night. I was only able to take a nap in the afternoon until Tiger Girl came back the next day.

My mother-in-law was hospitalized a few days ago. It was just diagnosed that she had a malignant brain tumor. Tiger Girl has been accompanying her in the hospital these two days.

I had originally planned to finish writing it quickly during the Chinese New Year, but I didn’t expect it to be hit hard right after the Chinese New Year (bitter smile).

(End of this chapter)