Three Kingdoms

The heavy rain is coming, and it seems that the water arrears over the past few days will be replenished all at once.

Zhang Ji stood in the rain. The rain had already soaked his cloak, which clung tightly to his armor. More than a dozen personal guards stood beside him, all with solemn expressions and silent words.

Zhang Xiu was the same, letting the wind and rain pour on his face, motionless.

In the past two days, they had to keep an eye on the movements of the Huns to the west, and at the same time, they had to guard against the Xianbei people coming from the north and going south without hesitation. Seeing that the hateful Hu people were right in front of them, they could not immediately draw their swords and rush to kill them. Each of these bloody men felt like they were holding fire in their hearts.

Seeing Zhang Ji standing in the rain for a long time, Zhang Xiu couldn't help but said: "Uncle, since Lieutenant Ma is still missing, why don't we go to the awning to have a rest first?"

Zhang Ji didn't look back and said, "If you want to go, go ahead."

Zhang Xiu said quickly: "My uncle is out in the rain, but my nephew is taking shelter from the rain. If my uncle doesn't want to go, my nephew will accompany him."

Zhang Ji then looked back at Zhang Xiu, and then said slowly: "You are the only one smart enough to know how to take shelter from the rain? And then we sleep in the rain shed together? It is the most important thing for the march to let the soldiers take shelter from the rain, otherwise the food and grass will be Not to mention getting wet, but if the armored bow string gets wet, it will be inconvenient to use... But as a general, how can you be afraid of wind and rain? Besides, we are hiding from the rain in the shed, what will Captain Ma and the others think when they come? "

If you don't go through the ups and downs with you, how can anyone be willing to face swords and guns with you?

Although Zhang Ji is a rough man who has not read poetry for a few days, his principles of life are not much worse than those who only care about things all day long.

While he was talking, suddenly a passerby jumped out from the rain and fog in front of him. He stood half-upright and shouted in the rain: "Captain Ma is here!"

Behind this passerby, another one also pulled his neck and shouted loudly: "Colonel, Colonel Ma has led the army for fifteen miles and will be there immediately!"

"Okay!" Zhang Ji shouted loudly, "Make a damn good place to come out! Is the hot soup ready? Wait until Colonel Ma comes to bring it over!"

Not long after, in the rain, groups of Han cavalry who came all the way appeared, led by Ma Yue.

Seeing their comrades arriving, the soldiers who were originally in the canopy greeted them and invited the new Ma Yue team to take shelter from the rain. People are secondary. First, loosen the leather girdle that was soaked by the rain for the war horse, and then sweep away the yellow mud on the face, eyes and mouth caused by the horse's running...

Looking at the intensity of the rain, we might not be able to leave for a while. If we really set up camp, we would have to wash the horse clean quickly and wipe it with a dry cloth until it is dry and not leave any moisture.

The most precious thing about the cavalry is the war horse. Horses come first. Only by serving the horses well can you be a good and qualified cavalryman.

Ma Yue had already dismounted and met Zhang Ji. The two of them held each other's hands, laughed, and slapped each other's arms, ignoring the water splashing on their armors. Then they gave in to each other and came to the awning. The guard handed me the dry cloth, and I sat on the stool set up by the guard, wiping my eyebrows and beard indiscriminately.

"How's it going over there?" Zhang Ji asked as he motioned for the soldiers to get hot soup.

"I didn't catch him." Although it was an expected thing, Ma Yue was still a little depressed, curling his lips and said, "These thieves can hide very quickly..."

Speaking of this, Ma Yue was indeed a little unhappy. If Jia Xu had not given a clear explanation before setting off, saying that he would have to return within three days regardless of whether he could find it or not, Ma Yue really wanted to follow the trail and teach these thieves a lesson. .

"It's okay," Zhang Ji comforted, "Since these damn thieves are planning to come here, they will definitely not come here just once. When they come next time, they will be beaten to death if they are caught!"

"Um!"

Ma Yue responded with a dull sound, then gritted his teeth and wrung out the water-filled cloth, as if this piece of cloth was the group of Black Bandits.

Listening to the crackling sound of the rain hitting the oilcloth on the awning, Zhang Ji suddenly said: "Today is the third day... I wonder how Captain Xu is doing in Yinshan..."

Ma Yue stopped, and then said: "Although Colonel Xu is leading infantry, which I don't know very well, he looks like a brave man, but it's raining..."

"Yeah, this rain..."

Although the rain is fair and will have a certain impact on both the offensive and defensive sides, the impact on the unfinished Yinshan Fortress should be greater.

Although it is true that the Hu people lost most of their long-range force due to heavy rains, if the unfinished earthen walls of the Yinshan camp that were soaked by rain collapsed, it would be quite a troublesome problem.

Ma Yue and Zhang Ji couldn't help but look up at the sky, looking at the heavy rain in front of them, which seemed to cover the entire world. What should they do?

Should we return support now, or should we still act according to the plan of Chief Jia Xu?

…………………………

In the mountains of Wuyuan County, which was originally the territory of the Han Dynasty, among the winding and rugged mountains, a group of people and horses were meandering along the mountain roads.

It has already entered summer in the south of Yinshan Mountain, but here, it still looks like it is still winter, with a wind and frost-like appearance. Even the stones rolling down the mountain are stained with frost.

This area is not a suitable route for marching. The reason is simple, because there is a long section of the road without water.

Nature is so eccentric. On the inside of Yinshan Mountain, the large swamp that has not yet completely formed Wuliangsuhai is full of water, while on the other side across a mountain ridge, it is so dry that it seems like even a ball of soil will pop out. Mars.

But now is an exception. It seems that nature has been generous and sprinkled rain on this almost dry land.

The mountain wind roared and collided on the broken rock cliffs like knives. Although the rain temporarily relieved the danger of water shortage, it also brought difficulties in traveling.

Once the yellow mud was poured with water, and then stepped on by people and horses, it turned into a huge muddy pond. It was easy to step on, but difficult to pull up. On such a difficult road, this group of people showed no intention of stopping in fear of the difficulty, and just walked silently to the southwest.

This team of people meandered along the mountain road, dragging out a long one. Judging from the number of cavalry on horseback, there were only three to four thousand people, but the mules and horses following the army seemed to number three to four thousand, as if they were riding two horses.

The large group of mules and horses were all carrying weapons, armor, dried meat, milk, wine, tents, felts and other items on both sides of their backs. The pack animals had their heads lowered under the weight, and they were spitting out long white hair in the rain and fog. He was angry and moved forward step by step.

The Xianbei slaves, who were wrapped in several layers of rags and rolled like mud monkeys, were mingled among the teams of mules and horses. They followed on foot, and there seemed to be more than a thousand people. These Xianbei slaves Running back and forth, trying their best to drive the already exhausted mules and horses, shouts and shouts could be heard from time to time, echoing on the mountain road mixed with the sound of wind, rain and horse hooves.

After being bored in the Yanmen area of ​​Wuyuan for a long time, these soldiers of the Xianbei Royal Court could only race horses and wrestle on the grassland every day. For these people who are naturally inclined to invade, it is really boring.

Now suddenly a Han Chinese Zhonglang general appeared here in Bingbei, plus Yu Fuluo, the defeated general of the Southern Xiongnu who was originally his subordinate, and then actually defeated the Xianbei in that part of the Yin Mountain, at the middle pass of the Yin Mountain The fortress was built, and it looked like it was going to include Yinshan Mountain. How could these Xianbei people accept this?

The crossing in the middle of Yinshan Mountain is not only short in distance, but also convenient for supplies. It only takes one day to run from the meadow in the north to the land with abundant water and grass in the south. However, if you take the Dry Bones Mountain Road in the east, it will take you three or four days. It’s pretty good if you can finish the journey. Let’s not talk about the difficulty of traveling on the road. Just to carry drinking water for the people and horses back and forth, how much less loot will the large army have to carry?

Therefore, maintaining a smooth passage from Yinshan Mountain to the south is a very important matter for the Xianbei people and other nomads in Mobei. Whoever controls this road will decide It means who has the initiative...

It was natural to attack the Yinshan Mountains. When the Xianbei King Bu Dugen made the decision to go south to attack the Han people, these Xianbei leaders and commanders were all very happy. They have never felt afraid of war, they just feel that they can plunder again.

It’s not that there were no objections, but it was mainly based on the season. Therefore, when the Xianbei King Budugen said that this time the battle would be mainly short-term raids and would not be prolonged, these objections naturally disappeared. .

The Xianbei people were still very proud at this time. The reputation of Tanshihuai on the prairie had not completely dissipated, and the bravery of Xianbei warriors was still spread among the herdsmen on the prairie. Therefore, these people basically did not consider the possibility of being killed. What will happen if they lose? Regarding the number of words in their heads, there is no word "in case".

Xianbei people are brave, but that doesn't mean that Xianbei people are completely brainless.

Although the Yinshan Camp has not been fully completed, the military fortress-level fortress built on the mountain is not as easy to capture as the so-called Wubao by the Han people.

Military fortresses are built based on the cruelest current situation, and from a certain perspective, a small military fortress is even more difficult to conquer than a big city.

Military fortresses are often built in dangerous areas, which are inherently easy to defend and difficult to attack. For the convenience of life, big cities often cannot choose areas with extremely dangerous terrain. Although big cities have large populations and a lot of soldiers, relatively speaking There are more areas that need to be defended, and if the troops are slightly weaker, flaws in the city's defense will be exposed.

Generally speaking, big cities have some affiliated villages and markets around them. When these village markets are attacked, one will become a source of supplies for the enemy, and the other will also collect more wood for the enemy. Or something else to create siege equipment, and no matter how bad it is, you can also forcibly rob the surrounding population...

There is also an invisible factor, that is, when defending a large city, although there will be more reserves, the consumption is equally astonishing. Once a problem occurs in the city, the consequences will be quite serious. On the contrary, it is a military fortress. As long as there are two to three thousand defenders of an extremely strong fortress, it is often not possible for two to three thousand people to attack it in a short time.

Historically, for such a small town with the nature of a military fortress, the defenders sometimes relied on defense not for a month or two, nor for a year or two. Even after defending for more than ten years, the enemy was not able to finally attack it.

Although the camp in Yinshan Mountain has not been completely repaired, it does not mean that it can be easily crushed from the front. Moreover, attacking such a fortress can only cost lives to fill it up, and it may not be possible to take it down once it is filled up. Not a good deal.

Therefore, the big and small heads of Xianbei, headed by King Bu Dugen of Xianbei, formed a unified opinion. If the fortress of Yinshan Mountain can be destroyed, then destroy it. If it cannot be destroyed, then there is no need to force it. However, the large population of Han people in the south of Yinshan Mountain is still related to The resources are just to let Xianbei's soldiers relax their muscles and bones!

Of course, if the Han people are incompetent and unable to resist, then depending on the situation, they can go directly to Pingyang and loot them!

The colorful world of the farming people has always been the favorite of the nomadic people.

Xianbei King Bu Dugen selected 3,000 strong Xianbei cavalry, supplemented by more than a thousand slaves to take care of and serve the army, plus auxiliary replacement mules, horses and war horses, etc. The cavalry is just that at this time, some people must be left in the tribe to take care of the livestock. On the other hand, the road from the east of Yinshan Mountain is not easy to walk. If there are more people and horses, they will not be able to supply supplies along the way.

But even so, this road is still difficult to walk. Although the rain now relieves some of the difficulties of lack of water sources, the muddy road adds to the trouble of traveling...

Strong winds blew across the mountains, seeming to push dark clouds from the sky continuously.

As the dark clouds rolled in, there was suddenly a faint sound of thunder, and then a thunderbolt flashed through it.

In the lightning, dozens of sturdy Xianbei cavalry figures flickered. The leader was a strong man with big arms and a round waist, almost half as wide as other people. The horse under his crotch was breathing heavily, and he was desperately trying to move forward in the mud.

Even in the wind and rain, this strong man was still wearing only a thin leather robe. On the exposed half of his shirt, there were blood-colored centipede-like scars all over, and traces of muscles were clearly visible under the bronze skin, as if there were no muscles in his body. A little bit of fat is all muscle...

The strong man raised his head and opened a big mouth like a basin of blood. After a while, he swallowed all the rainwater falling from the sky. I don't know if he thought of something, but the strong man suddenly laughed out loud. , stretched out his tongue and licked it, like a hungry ghost seeing delicious food, full of greed.

There is also the smell of blood that even the rain cannot wash away...