Huangchi, also known as Huangze, is located in the west of Neihuang County and north of Baigou Water.
During the Spring and Autumn Period, King Wu Fu Chai went north to meet with Jin Dinggong, Lu Aigong and others in Huangchi, which was known as the "Huangchi Meeting" in history.
There are different opinions on the cause of Huangchi. The most likely reason is that the ancient Yellow River changed its course, and then a huge lake was formed in the low-lying land of Huangchi. It was very large at first, then gradually became smaller, and finally dried up during the Zhengtong period of the Ming Dynasty.
Huangchi is a very important node because a large number of ships can be docked here.
Ships and water systems are lifelines for the Henan army, which is dominated by infantry.
The fifth day of May is a terrible day for the people of Neihuang County.
Because Dahu's northern expedition to Youzhou consumed a huge amount of food, grain and grass were requisitioned from all over Hebei, causing grain prices to rise.
After a large number of cavalry were mobilized, the grain and grass levy became more and more vigorous, causing grain reserves in various places to quickly deplete. Some people in Neihuang County with poor family income even began to collect mulberries, wild vegetables, and grass roots to survive, and they were miserable.
As the Jin army gathered in large numbers in Fangtou, anyone with a discerning eye could see that another war was about to break out. As a result, the manor and Wubao began to stockpile grain and be reluctant to sell it, causing the price of grain to reach a new peak.
The rise in food prices may not matter to farmers who grow and harvest their own crops, as they will not buy food. But for people who live in cities, are not directly engaged in agricultural production, and rely on buying food to survive, it is very important.
It's uncomfortable, and famine is inevitable.
"The ancients said that the fifth month is the 'evil month', and I am not deceived." On the bank of Huangchi, Huang Tongyi sighed while cutting mugwort.
Huang Tong's son Huang Tao straightened up and looked north.
The vast expanse of blue lake is empty and there is nothing. In normal times, no matter how difficult the day is, there will be people on the lake rowing boats on this day, which is very lively. Unfortunately, there is nothing now. It is indeed the "evil moon".
"Grandpa, I want to go to the lake to welcome Mr. Wu." Huang Tao put down his sickle, touched the blisters on his palms, and said.
"You don't want to welcome Wu Jun, you just want to play, right?" Huang Tong exposed his son's bad excuse and added: "Furthermore, the custom of racing originated from the Chu doctor Qu Yuan. He threw himself into Miluo and died, and the people mourned
So I raced across the river to save him."
"But what is written in Cao'e's temple is 'On the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, Wu Jun came up against the waves and was flooded.' It is obvious that Wu Zixu is the source of the folk custom, so what does it have to do with Qu Yuan?" Huang Tao argued.
"Believe it or not, I will beat you up?" Huang Tong said angrily: "My family is from Chu, and I have no sworn relationship with the Wu people. Have you forgotten what your father taught you?"
"It happened many years ago. Sun Wu was destroyed..." Huang Tao curled his lips. Seeing that his father was really about to slap him, he immediately begged for mercy: "Grandpa, don't hit me. Our family has been passed down for generations. If you beat me to death, just beat me."
It’s unprecedented.”
Huang Tongsheng stopped his palm-like slap, threw the mugwort to the ground, and said, "Pack it up and take it home."
After that, he came to the lake to wash the horses.
After a while, Huang Tao tied up the mugwort and placed it on the horse's back.
The father and son led the horses toward home, chatting on and off the road.
"Grandpa, did you say you met Shao Xun when you went to Feixiang to buy horses?" Huang Tao asked.
"Actually, I've never seen it before. The war was in chaos, so how could I dare to come forward? I drank too much and was bragging to others." Huang Tong blushed and said, "Ji Sang wasn't dead at that time. Gou Xi and Shao Xun were both
Lu Jin's troops attacked from a pincer. After the battle, I went to the battlefield to take a look and found nothing. Even the dead horses were eaten."
"Is Shao Xun very good at fighting?" Huang Tao asked again.
"How do I know?" Huang Tong shook his head: "Supposedly, it should be good. In the battle of Yema Gang, Shi Le and others gathered tens of thousands of people to defeat it. But it has been several years, and Dahu cannot be underestimated now. Who knows.
"
"Uncle Gao said yesterday that if Shao Xun called, he would surrender. Grandpa, you had a quarrel with him at that time. Why?" Huang Tao asked again.
"In our Wubao, there are people from Bingzhou, Jizhou, and Sizhou natives. The origins are complex. When you are not sure, there are certain things you should not say randomly."
"Grandpa, do you also want to surrender?"
"It's such an ugly thing to say that we won't surrender. Shao Xun is here, let's stay behind closed doors and offer some money and food, that's all."
"You're not going to send protons, are you? I don't want to go."
"I won't send you there." Huang Tong sighed, feeling not in a good mood.
Yesterday, I was discussing with several other Wubao leaders. Some people mentioned the old story of Cao Cao's attack on Yuan Tan brothers in the late Han Dynasty, and they were worried that Shao Xun would attack the enemy.
The matter was discussed until the end, and nothing was discussed. On the contrary, it made people panic.
He was still thinking about it when he got up this morning, and the more he thought about it, the more irritated he became.
Damn it, Shi Le and Shao Xun, hurry up and decide the winner. Who do you want me to vote for if we are neither better nor worse?
Especially Shao Xun, don't cheat people, seriously.
Go around Neihuang, trick a bunch of people into joining you, and then walk away. How can you embarrass the pride of the people in Hebei?
In times of war, these things are the most troublesome.
The decision is not easy to make. Once it is made, the future of more than a thousand families in Wubao will be on the line.
The two quickly returned to Wubao.
Baoding stood guard outside the door, fully armed, as if facing a powerful enemy. When he saw the Huang family and his son, he immediately saluted and let them in.
The mother was waiting at the door of her house, and when she saw the father and son, she scolded them: "They all send foragers to cut mugwort, but you have to go there on your own."
"You are so sincere." Huang Tong laughed.
Huang Tao raised the wormwood in his hand and said, "Mommy, if you sting people with this grass, you can scare off Shao Xun's army of 100,000 men."
My mother laughed angrily and said, "I know how to talk."
"Shao Bing is here!" There were hurried footsteps outside the courtyard.
Huh? Huang Tong and Huang Tao looked at each other and immediately ran out, climbed onto the turret to watch, and saw more than ten cavalrymen coming from west to east outside Wubao, galloping along the Baigou.
When they got near Wubao, they dismounted.
Several people were pointing and one person was writing and drawing.
Huang Tongtong looked at the attire and found that they were not the Jie cavalry under Shi Le's tent, but serious Jin cavalry.
"It's bad, Shao Xun really wants to beat up the traitor." Huang Tong muttered.
"He just knows how to imitate Cao Mengde and doesn't have any ideas of his own?" Huang Tao stamped his feet and said, "Go directly to attack Yecheng."
It is very simple to attack Yecheng directly. Go north from Fangtou, follow the Dayi Road, capture Chaoge, Dangyin, Anyang, and then go north to Yecheng. But looking at the current situation, Shao Xun obviously intends to follow the Baidu Road.
The ditch water advances northeastward and enters Huangchi.
There is no doubt that porn is his primary target.
Alas, I am really afraid of what will happen. Now Shao Xun is really going to attack, what should I do?
"Leave it to fate." Huang Tong patted his son on the shoulder and sighed.
****
Compared with the few Jin army cavalry in the Huangchi area, large groups of cavalry numbering in the thousands have appeared on the post road west of Qishui leading to Chaoge County.
Each of them carried two or three horses and seven days of food and water. They moved quickly and galloped across the wilderness.
On the fifth day of May, they even lured a group of more than a hundred cavalrymen, surrounded them and annihilated them.
On the sixth night of the Lunar New Year, I stayed in a certain dock in the northeast of Gong County.
Almost at the same time, infantrymen gathered outside the north city of Fangtou, and their vehicles were ordered to attack. Their intention to go north was very obvious.
Taobao, the prefect of Wei County, received the news immediately and ordered the city gates to be closed tightly and to take stock of supplies.
Unfortunately, there really aren't many.
Wang Jun's Northern Expedition consumed a lot of money, and most of Yecheng's supplies were lost to the north. However, this year's crop seedlings are not good, which makes people very worried about whether there will be a famine in the second half of the year.
For this reason, a considerable number of soldiers and civilians in Yecheng have moved to Anping for food because they cannot feed themselves.
With no other choice, he could only fly to Youzhou and ask Hu to make a decision. At the same time, he sent Qu Liu to lead a cavalry army to go south to collect food and monitor the situation nearby.
On the tenth day of the fifth lunar month, a large group of cavalry poured into Chaoge County. After a brief supply of supplies, they roared southward and headed straight to the outside of Fangtou North City. They immediately climbed to a high place to observe the enemy's situation.
His eyes first fell on the bank of Qishui.
Qishui flows meanderingly from north to south.
On the west bank, trenches were dug and earth walls were built. Zhi Quliu cursed in his heart. He had nothing to do but dug trenches and built walls, so that his cavalry could not charge forward.
There is a gap between the east bank of Qishui and the northern city of Fangtou. It seems that the cavalry can go straight in and out, but the room for maneuver is too small. If they encounter the Jin army's cavalry that rushes and fights,
Quite troublesome.
Furthermore, with such a short distance, their infantry may join the battle, artificially setting up horse barriers, or pulling in baggage vehicles, further reducing the cavalry's room for maneuver.
Fighting the enemy's infantry and cavalry in a small space is not something a wise man would do.
Look outside Fangtou North City, what a guy!
More than ten thousand infantrymen are leaving the city and forming an array in the wilderness.
His eyes passed over the three square formations in a Z-shaped pattern one by one.
The front row has bright armor, fluttering flags, and numerous spears.
The morale of the rear row was high. There was not much noise after standing for a long time. The formation was quite neat. Although it was not a first-rate infantry force, it could not be defeated in a few or two blows.
"Dong dong dong..." The passionate drum beat sounded from the top of the city.
More than ten thousand infantrymen advanced in unison, stopping at fifty paces.
"Kill!" Tens of thousands of people roared in unison, the sound shaking the wilderness.
"Xilulu!" Someone's horse was frightened and neighed on the spot.
Zhi Quliu was shocked and glared at him.
The drum beats again.
"Kill!" The tens of thousands of troops advanced fifty steps again, aligned themselves, and stood in awe in the wilderness with their weapons in hand.
This time even Zhi Quliu felt the murderous aura filling the wilderness.
The south gate of Fangtou North City was opened, and more than a thousand cavalry filed out of the city, bypassed the city god from the east, and came to the wilderness to the north.
They ran quickly in small steps without speeding up, but the strong sense of oppression lingered no matter what.
"Kill! Kill! Kill!" The infantry formation from the front advanced again.
The cavalry began to accelerate.
Not far away, on the Baigou water, there was a forest of rafts and oars. Countless troop carriers stood on the deck, hitting their shields with the backs of their swords. The sound of waves coming from far and near came one after another: "Kill!"
The drummer at the top of the city took off his shirt and played the drum shirtless.
The sound of drums is rumbling, encouraging people to move forward.
The crowd of more than 10,000 riders became excited.
The front row of the infantry leveled their spears, and the crossbowmen pulled the mule cart forward to unload the crossbows.
The infantry archers were divided on both sides, making a general battle posture.
The cavalry began to outflank the enemy.
"Evacuate!" Zhiquliu spat, descended from the high place, and withdrew with three thousand cavalry.
"Dang Dang!" the sound of a clang sounded.
Except for the cavalry who were still pursuing, the infantry had stopped advancing.
The drummer threw the mallet at his feet and laughed.
"Victory!" The infantry formation shouted in unison as they watched the enemy's cavalry leave.
"Wan Sheng!" A sound like a roaring mountain and a tsunami sounded simultaneously inside and outside the city.
Above the river, the boatmen who were transferring supplies listened thoughtfully.
In Hepu, the servants who were unloading the goods saw their strength revived.
The troops from Guanxi, Nanyang, Heiji, Tuntian, and the troop carriers who had traveled a long distance were even more excited and shouted, and some of the fear that originally existed in their hearts disappeared.
Everyone moves forward as a group, don't be afraid, fight with him, kill him, the enemy will be afraid and will retreat.
Li Zhong, who joined the army, came to the female wall.
The powerful roar can be heard everywhere.
Along the Qishui River, beside the river, inside the city, and in the wilderness, steam rises, seeming to sweep across the land of Hebei.
"What did the people in Yecheng say?" he asked.
"Shile's main force has not returned yet."
"Today the pigs and sheep will be slaughtered, and the whole army will be in large numbers. Tomorrow the soldiers will send out court songs."
"As commanded."
Li Zhong turned around and left, silently descending to the top of the city.
Wherever he passed, all the military officers saluted.
He was a general who joined the army in the shogunate and was personally appointed by Mr. Yuan Cong and Duke Chen. He had commanded the army in Puyang for several years and was familiar with every plant and tree on both sides of the river. He had rich experience.
This time, it is a crucial battle to test his gold content.
If you cross it, you will be able to become a general who will leave your name in history.
If you can't cross it, everything will stop.
Chapter completed!