Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3266 Soldiers mutiny

Looking up, there are endless mountains.

If you have free time, the scenery of the Taihang Mountains in front of you is undoubtedly pleasing to the eye.

The mountains are winding like a giant dragon, with steep mountains and high peaks.

Walking in the Taihang Mountains is like walking on the fingernails of a giant's feet.

The mountain road is winding and the trees rustle in the wind.

However, Xiahou Dun and his party were surrounded by soldiers and were extremely frightened.

A month ago, Xiahou Dun thought he could hold on in Jinyang City.

It can last at least half a year.

Xiahou Dun was very confident at that time.

He also thought that he would become an important pillar of Cao Cao's great cause and a hero that attracted much attention.

A hero...

But now, he has become a clumsy fleeing bear.

At the beginning of the ambush, there were just scattered soldiers and rocks falling on some mountain roads.

But it soon expanded into various types of sneak attacks. In addition to falling rocks, sometimes it was one or two cold arrows, and sometimes it was a straw fireball rolling down from the top of the mountain.

Xiahou Dun and others were just passers-by. Except for one main passage, they didn't know anything about other medicinal paths, sheep intestines, etc.

The Baishi Qiang people are familiar with the land and roads here.

Of course, these small roads cannot pass large groups, so a small team of three or five people is very suitable.

Using a large force to hunt down Xiahou Dun would achieve twice the result with half the effort. On the one hand, Huang Cheng needs to guard Taiyuan and clean up the mess in Jinyang. On the other hand, Xiahou Dun must be on guard, and fighting in the narrow mountain road may not have any good effect.

But if he didn't chase, he was unwilling to let Xiahou Dun run away, so Huang Cheng finally asked some soldiers to join Bai Shiqiang's people to hunt down Xiahou Dun and other remnants of Cao's army.

Bai Shiqiang was quite high-profile at the beginning, thinking that they could kill Xiahou Dun on their own, so they roared and followed Xiahou Dun's mark, and were soon beaten to death by Xiahou Dun's counterattack.

Xiahou Dun was happy for a while.

But Bai Shiqiang soon learned his lesson and combined with Huang Cheng's team, which eventually turned into Cao Jun's nightmare.

The Baishi Qiang people have been active in this mountainous area for a long time. They have their footprints from Taiyuan to Beidi, and from Beidi to Mobei.

Huang Cheng was the first general to implement the Feiqian Mountain Soldier Training Code. When he was in Hanzhong, he trained a group of mountain soldiers who entered Sichuan, and Wei Yan later took over.

So now, Huang Cheng wants a guide and a mountain soldier, so why is he facing Xiahou Dun head-on?

And this has an additional benefit, that is, even if Cao Jun wants to kill such a team, it is not cost-effective.

Because the attacks were all launched from cliffs or mountain tops, and the locations chosen were often areas that were difficult to climb directly head-on, this made it impossible for Xiahou Dun to attack these teams immediately even if he discovered them. Counterattack. If there are fewer soldiers sent, Huang Cheng's squad will not be afraid at all. If they send more soldiers, and these squads under Huang Cheng run away, it is not necessarily easy to say whether Cao's squad can go back and catch up with the larger army...

As a result, more often than not, Cao Jun could only passively withstand these attacks. Only in a small number of areas that could be climbed head-on, Xiahou Dun would attack and drive away Huang Cheng's team.

…

…

Several Baishi Qiang people climbed on the trail and then climbed onto a rock.

After walking a few steps on the rocks, a small camp appeared in front of us.

A dozen of Huang Cheng's soldiers were resting in the camp.

"Where has Cao Jun gone?" 』

The Baishi Qiang people stretched out their hands and gestured, "They are climbing over the highest mountain over there..."

The mountain soldier's military academy stood up, followed the direction of Baishi Qiang's finger, looked at it, estimated the distance, and then ordered: "Everyone, get up!" ready to go! This time I have to take a shortcut, it’s not easy to take! Guys got everything done! 』

"Captain, do you carry this big yellow crossbow?" ” asked a mountain soldier.

Two large yellow crossbows.

The Rhubarb Crossbow is heavy. To carry it, you have to divide it into three parts and then assemble it when you get to the field.

Once you bring the big yellow crossbow, you also need to bring the special crossbow arrows for the big yellow crossbow. This means you need a fourth person.

Two of them are equivalent to encroaching on the equipment carrying space of six people...

The mountain troops were also scratching their heads.

A few days ago, he brought the big yellow crossbow with him, intending to snipe Xiahou Dun, but he was not in the first batch of troops, so by the time he caught up with Xiahou Dun's remaining troops, Xiahou Dun was no longer so conspicuous...

There were no flags, no tall horses, mixed among the soldiers.

This led to the fact that even if he brought a big yellow crossbow, he might not be able to kill Xiahou Dun with a single blow when the soldiers were mixed.

Even adding grenades will not work.

The power of grenades is not as powerful as imagined.

Especially when used together, one plus one may be less than two...

The reason is simply because the fuze burns inconsistently. The ignition time could not be as neat as that of later generations. Coupled with the manual error of the fuses, the grenades were bundled together. It was possible that one of them exploded first and the others did not.

This is why the previous use of grenades to blow up boulders had only moderate results.

The mountain soldier captain suddenly remembered something.

"Know the trade-offs," this is what craftsmen in the military often say.

Wanting everything means getting nothing. Because the armor itself is like this. If you want to have strong defense and high defense, then it must be thick. If you want to have a long range, then it must be inconvenient and difficult to draw a bow. There is no such thing as the best of both worlds in military weapons.

Thinking of this, the mountain troop leader waved his hand, "No more!" Bring something lightweight to help you on your way...yes, bring kerosene and rope! Bring more, we will give some small gifts to the old thief Cao Jun when the time comes! 』

Although it is beautiful to kill Xiahou Dun in one fell swoop with the big yellow crossbow, you have to rush now and it is difficult to determine the target. If you miss the target, you will not have a good chance. It is better to use the big yellow crossbow, which is more convenient to carry and has a certain range of damage. of kerosene.

When the soldiers heard this, they laughed and laughed, as if they were rushing to attend a banquet.

…

…

"General, be careful!" 』

A grass fireball stained with kerosene jumped down and smashed more than ten steps in front of Xiahou Dun.

The flames exploded, igniting several of Cao's soldiers, causing the unlucky ones to scream briefly like burning torches and then fall down.

The soldiers of Cao's army who were burned to death were undoubtedly miserable. This misery comes from the fact that people often still feel pain when being burned to death. After the surface skin is burned, it does not mean that the nerves are gone. There are more nerves inside, including nerves in the respiratory tract, lungs, and other parts. When all these nerves are sending violent neuron signals to the brain, people who can go into shock on the spot can be said to be a blessing, otherwise...

Among the scattered fireballs, the fire oil sprayed out, and wherever it was contaminated, a fire broke out.

Xiahou Dun no longer rides a horse.

The reason is that the target of riding a horse is too big.

His bodyguards were already enveloped in flames and burned, screaming and struggling, but no one paid attention.

Including Xiahou Dun himself, they were all running away frantically, like a herd of cattle and sheep being chased by wild beasts. No cattle or sheep would care about their companions who were knocked down by wild beasts.

"Ah ah ah ah ah! 』

The ignited guard fell to the ground and rolled over, looking like a madman. He stretched out his arms, as if he wanted to ask for help from his colleagues.

But the next moment someone raised a spear and stabbed him to death.

"General!" Go quickly! 』

War is nothing to take for granted.

Xiahou Dun thought that he had made a lot of preparations for this war, but in fact his preparations were not sufficient.

The night was low and the stars were sparse. The mountain ridges on both sides seemed to be squeezing this remnant army into minced meat.

Xiahou Dun held a long spear and led the exhausted soldiers of Cao's army, silently moving forward on the mountain road in disgrace.

He was lucky, but the Cao soldiers around him were not as lucky as Xiahou Dun.

Some were injured, groaning, and struggling.

Very miserable.

If it had been earlier, such as when Xiahou Dun had not yet been defeated, someone would definitely have taken care of the wounded soldiers.

And now...

It's like a company. When the company is developing upwards, the benefits and logistics can keep up. If there are any difficulties between each other, there will be people to help. Even if you are busy and tired, there will still be laughter. But once the company starts to go downhill, even if you see other employees falling down, being fired or laid off, you won't have any pity or sympathy, because everyone knows that they may be the next one.

The occurrence of involution is vividly displayed on Xiahou Dun's escape route.

Who cares about wounded soldiers now?

He deserves to be left behind.

The heavy footsteps of the troops were like wailing on the mountain road.

They had just escaped an ambush.

At first, Xiahou Dun wanted to attack the top of the mountain and eliminate the ambush teams, but after reaching the end, all that was left was to run for his life, an endless run for his life. No one wanted to waste any more energy on attacking the mountain, nor did he want to fight with those people. Team competition...

Because the food and grass for Xiahou Dun and others have been cut off.

The dry food they carried was burned by the fire.

Now the soldiers' stomachs are empty and they can only eat wild vegetables and tree bark to satisfy their hunger.

There are not many wild vegetables in the mountain roads, and those on the top of the mountain or on the cliff are difficult to pick.

The bark is equally difficult.

The flavor of the bark, which varies depending on the type and part of the tree, is not usually pleasant.

Most barks have a rather bitter taste.

Probably the best of these is elm bark.

This was the bark that was most popular and often eaten by Cao Jun soldiers during the Yellow Turban Rebellion. Because there is still a certain amount of starch in the elm bark, the starch can be separated from the woody parts by chopping, drying, and rolling, and the starch in it can be eaten. It's just that this starch is not as delicious as Zhuanghe's starch, but is full of indescribable smoothness and peculiar smell.

Additionally, birch bark has a slightly sweet taste.

As for the bark of other trees, it is basically bitter.

This bitter taste, which is the human taste organ, reminds us that it is harmful or poisonous...

Even so, it would take more time to grind, and Cao Jun was quite short of time.

"General, if you continue like this... I'm afraid I won't be able to hold on anymore..." The remaining guards whispered beside Xiahou Dun, "Just eating these... I'm afraid it will be difficult to..."

The guard frowned.

Xiahou Dun's face was also pale.

Everyone knows that an army without food is like duckweed without roots and may fall at any time.

"We must persevere... we must unite..."

Xiahou Dun said.

This is almost nonsense, because without the blessing of faith, all verbal persistence and unity will be easily defeated by some meat, eggs and milk.

But Xiahou Dun quickly said something that was not so nonsense.

"Remember the supplies we transported back to Jinyang before? Xiahou Dun said, "If we go forward, we will have supplies!" 』

The guard suddenly became energetic, "General, you mean..."

Xiahou Dun nodded.

"Very good! The general is wise! ” The guard suddenly became energetic and spread the news at the same time.

Cao Jun's soldiers lowered their voices and cheered, as if they had seen a new sun and new hope.

…

…

Maybe it had rained and snowed enough before, so the weather was good these days.

It's so clear that even the clouds are missing.

The sun stretched out lazily, showing eighteen shining teeth and mocking Xiahoudun and his party.

The marching team was like a river on the verge of drying up, slowly crawling on the endless loess.

The steps of Cao Jun's soldiers were frivolous, and every time they raised their legs, they seemed to have exhausted all their strength.

Hunger made their eyes look empty and blank, leaving only the desire for survival.

"Yingzhai!" 』

Someone shouted from the front.

The ranks of Cao's army seemed to be suddenly infused with vitality, and everyone rolled forward and started running forward in unison.

"food! There is something to eat..."

Almost all of Cao's soldiers began to salivate in their mouths, and then they rushed forward with green eyes.

But Xiahou Dun's expression changed a little, and he felt that something was wrong.

Although Xiahou Dun also lost his original food and grass due to being ambushed and his rhythm was disrupted, logically speaking, since there is a camp here, there should be sentries early...

And now...

After turning around the mountain col, Xiahou Dun felt a chill in his heart when he saw the camp gate wide open.

Like falling into an ice cave.

The previously excited soldiers of Cao's army gradually realized something was wrong and slowed down.

The soldiers of Cao's army who rushed into the camp first let out a heart-rending cry: "No!" Nothing! What... nothing..."

The queue suddenly became chaotic with a roar.

It was like a spark thrown into a pile of dry straw and spread quickly.

"No food!" No food! 』

"General!" How much longer do we have to go? We haven't had anything to eat all day! 』

"We would rather die on the battlefield than starve to death in the mountains!" 』

This kind of anger, dissatisfaction, and resentment spread among the team like a plague.

Many people shouted crazily, and then some collapsed on the ground and cried loudly.

Xiahou Dun felt the surge of emotions. He knew that if the soldiers' emotions could not be calmed down as soon as possible, the mutiny would only happen in an instant.

Xiahou Dun immediately shouted loudly: "Quiet!" quiet! 』

The soldier's voice became slightly quieter.

"Soldiers!" Xiahou Dun shouted, "I understand your pain!" But now we must persist and unite! Our patience and sacrifice are for our families and for those families who are still waiting for us to go back..."

Before Xiahou Dun could finish his words, Cao's soldiers stopped fighting.

Before they suffered all this, Cao Jun's soldiers could still listen patiently to Xiahou Dun's Shandong clichés, but now, no matter how passionate Xiahou Dun's words were, they could not touch their numb hearts or soothe their hungry bellies.

The setting sun in the sky was like blood, reflecting the growing resentment in the team.

Of course, Xiahou Dun hoped to take a temporary rest to ease the mood of the soldiers.

But hunger made everyone's minds go crazy, and everyone lost their patience.

"We want food!" 』

Among the soldiers, someone suddenly howled, which was the last straw that broke the camel's back.

"food! We want food! 』

The shouts echoed among the crowd, and more and more Cao Jun soldiers raised their arms, as well as the swords and guns they held.

What flashed in the eyes of Cao Jun's soldiers was not obedience and timidity, nor fear or exhaustion, but anger.

Anger that burns like fire.

"We want to go home!" We want to get home alive! 』

"We want food!" food! 』

"go home! 』

"food! 』

They began to make loud noises, and some even started to snatch the few dry rations that were left.

When Xiahou Dun saw this, his expression suddenly changed.

He was very aware of the consequences of the mutiny. When Cao Cao and he went to Danyang to recruit troops...

The soldiers of Cao's army followed the Xiahou family of Cao's family, not for the rejuvenation of the Han Dynasty, nor for loyalty and filial piety, but just to have a bite to eat.

This is the biggest difference between the soldiers in Shandong and Guanzhong today...

Ordinary soldiers in Shandong have no room for advancement.

Therefore, no ideal, no future, no great career is as real as a bowl of rice for people who have lost their room for advancement.

When there was food to eat, Cao Jun's soldiers would listen to Xiahou Dun's orders, but now there is no food to eat!

Xiahou Dun's face darkened, and he understood that if he could not take immediate action, the entire army would fall into complete chaos.

The soldiers roared together. They no longer obeyed the orders of Xiahou Dun and the military schools around Xiahou, and began to try to find a way out on their own.

"Send my order to the general!" Everyone return to the team immediately! Don't act rashly! Anyone who disobeys the order will be charged with rebellion and will not be shot! 』

Following Xiahou Dun's order, Xiahou Dun's private soldiers immediately took action. They had stronger bodies and more sophisticated weapons than ordinary Cao Jun soldiers, and they quickly separated the mutinous Cao Jun soldiers.

A melee inevitably occurred.

Although Xiahou Dun did not want to cause more casualties in the current situation, bloody suppression was still the only thing he could do.

The threat of death eventually overcame hunger and anger.

The chaotic situation was finally under control.

The sun rises again.

But the dead will never wake up again...

The mutiny of the soldiers once again reduced Xiahou Dun's current military strength. The soldiers he now commands have shrunk again, to less than 300 people. And he did not expect that his bad luck was far from over.