In the sixth year of Guanghe, on October 20th, Dan, Yecheng.
On the Zhang River east of Yecheng, a new batch of military supplies were prepared and shipped to the people in the lower reaches of the Zhang River. Part of the supplies for Lu Zhi's Han army camp in Hebei came from here.
Because there is Fukouxing dozens of miles away from Yecheng, which connects Shangdang, Pingyang, Jinyang and other farming basins. A steady stream of military rations was sent to Yecheng from this winding mountain road, and then transferred to the columns of the Han army.
People's camp.
However, the efficiency and cost of land transportation were not as good as water transportation, so the Bingzhou military rations supplied by Yecheng only partially supplemented the Han army, and most of them still relied on Juqiaocang in the north of Handan.
On the head of the east city of Yecheng, under a canopy, Zhang Ze, the prefect of Wei County, looked at the thousands of sailboats racing on the Zhang River with a bleak expression, and said with emotion:
"The war has been going on for a long time, and I don't know how many people have been expropriated and bankrupted. I just hope that Lu Shuai can put down the moth thieves quickly and give the people a breath of air."
An old official next to Zhang Ze was named Feng Fang, who came from a wealthy family in Fanyang, Wei County. His ancestor was Feng Yang during the reign of Emperor Xuan of the former Han Dynasty. Not only did he have two thousand shi, but his eight sons also had two thousand shi, so he was also called Wan Shi.
Family. Up to now, the Feng family has lost its glory in the past, but it is still a wealthy family with a reputation among Zhao and Wei.
In particular, this man named Feng Fang was an important official who was Zhang Zeyi's confidant.
At this time, hearing his eunuch say such words, Feng Fang smiled and said:
"Master Fu, you are worrying too much. I thought that even if Lu Shuai could quickly defeat the thieves in Hebei, I don't think these Guizhou capitals can breathe."
Zhang Ze was attracted by this theory and asked curiously:
"Why?"
Feng Fang pointed to the north and said to Zhang Zedong:
"Master Fu, look at the world today. Youji, Qingxu, Yanyu, Guanlong, Jingyang, where are there no beacon fires? Even if the Hebei thieves were defeated, there are Taishan thieves, Qiang people, Xianbei people, etc.
Which one is not a serious problem. So I see, these Guizhou leaders can't rest. Besides, Mr. Fu, how do you think these Guizhou leaders will become thieves? It's not like they can't live anymore. As long as they can't make these people settle down,
Then more and more thieves will be suppressed. As long as one or two thieves are missed, another rebel army can be brought to cause trouble in the world. So, Mr. Fu, do you think the world is still settled?"
Zhang Ze was so weighed down by these words that he sighed and stopped talking. He just looked at the people on the Zhang River going about their business.
But Feng Fang continued to talk:
"Master Fu, you don't have to be sentimental. This Guizhou province is just like the grass in Liliyuan. It dries up every year. As long as a wildfire burns it, the next year it will be full of green again. The principle of controlling chaos is the same as this, no.
There can be no great order if there is great chaos. So, I want to say that the world is in chaos. Only with chaos can great order be achieved in the next two hundred years."
In fact, what Feng Fang said was a bit treasonous, but there was not much surprise in Zhang Ze's expression. It was obvious that this was not the first time that the two of them had discussed this topic.
Does that mean Zhang Ze is going to rebel? No, although Zhang Ze is not a pure minister like Zhong Fu who does not care about fortune or misfortune, he is also a person who loves the Han Dynasty. But being loyal to the Han Dynasty does not mean that he must be loyal to one person.
The capable Han ministers like them actually know in their hearts that the current Han Dynasty is like a giant tree that has been rotted into the sky. It looks big, but it is already terminally ill.
But they did not want to overthrow the Han Dynasty, but wanted to once again assist the Liu surname in Guangwu's story and revive the Han Dynasty in the great chaos of the world. Therefore, they talked about the principles of controlling the chaos very calmly.
At this time, Feng Fang boldly said to Zhang Zedong:
"Master Fu, this city of Ye has the aura of a dragon. I predict that in the great chaos in the world, dragons and snakes will rise up accordingly. When Guangwu first entered Hebei, the first place he arrived at was Ye City. This cannot be said to be the aura of the king of Ye City."
Zhang Ze didn't believe in these theories of dragon energy, but he did agree with Feng Fang's statement that Ye City was indeed a good place to build a foundation in troubled times.
First of all, from the outer city defense, on his left is the Taihang Mountains stretching for thousands of miles as a barrier, and not far away are several grain-producing areas in Fukou Xingtong and Bingzhou.
However, even with these advantages, Zhang Ze still felt that it was not good enough.
In his view, if Yecheng is to catch up with imperial capitals like Luoyang, it must dig a canal leading to a big river, so that rivers can connect all parts of the world. However, the current Yecheng is still too narrow and does not have the aura of a king.
.
Zhang Ze's work in Wei County was not in vain. He had been surveying the water veins and drawing up a plan to dig a canal. He planned to dig a ditch to connect Zhangshui, Huanshui and Qishui, and then go straight into the big river, so that he could
Form a water transportation network.
But digging such a canal is not something he, a fake governor, can do. The expenditure of manpower and material resources involved cannot be completed without the permission of the court.
But how could the Luoyang court allow Yecheng in Hebei to become a threat? Therefore, this waterway could only be completed by a separatist force rising from Hebei.
In fact, Zhang Ze thinks much more deeply about the future trend than Feng Fang, a native of Hebei Province.
In Feng Fang's eyes, the world was just Hebei, and the foundation he saw was Yecheng. But Zhang Ze, who came from Hanzhong and was transferred to the world, knew even more that there were at least five places in the world that could become the foundation of the separatist regime.
The first is Luoyang in the world. Anyone who controls the great river basins and the Central Plains must have Luoyang as the center. The second is Chang'an. All the forces that rise in the west have Chang'an as their foundation. It has four fortresses and can be attacked.
If you retreat, you can defend, control the inside and keep the outside at bay.
The third is Chengdu, not far from his hometown. The forces rising from the southwest will build their capital here. According to this, the Kingdom of Abundance will either go north to Chang'an or east to the Yangtze River. The fourth is Moling. The current Moling is not enough to attract attention, but if there is one in the south
If a powerful force can arise, it will most likely be based here, because here tigers and dragons roost, and the terrain is dangerous and solid. When advancing, one can map the Central Plains, and when retreating, one can draw rivers to rule. It can be said that kings and tyrants can do whatever it takes.
As for the fifth one, that is his city of Ye. Anyone who starts from Shandong will make this their capital. Hebei is rich and prosperous, Yanyan is a big horse, and it is backed by the plateau. They set their capital here. It is condescending and has a strategic location.
momentum.
It's just that although Yecheng is a good place, he Zhang Ze knows his own family affairs. How can he, a Hanzhong man, have the prestige to name the capital here? When the world is in chaos, I'm afraid he will have to welcome a Han clan member to use it as his capital. That's it.
I don’t know who is the master of Ye City.
While Zhang Ze was daydreaming, there was a sudden commotion outside the Zhang River in the south of the city.
At this time, Chengnan Lieutenant rushed over with several people. As soon as he came, he reported:
"Master Fu, suddenly countless boats came outside the Zhang River outside the city, and they are heading towards us."
Zhang Ze was shocked. He couldn't figure out where this came from. But without thinking too much, Zhang Ze led his guards and rushed to the south wall of the city, where he saw it clearly.
These are countless small boats. They are led by a huge boat and go down the river from the upper reaches of Zhang River. Look at the apricot-yellow scroll on the huge boat. On the left, it says "Preaching for Heaven" and on the right, "Punishment for the People".
crime.
Needless to say, this must be the Taishan thief, the biggest thief among thieves.
But didn't it mean that the Taishan bandits were blocked by people from Hanoi on the Bian River? How could they fly here?
Yes, how did the Taishan Army get here? From the end of September to October 20, what happened to the Taishan Army in these twenty days?
After Guan Yu, as the vanguard of the entire army, captured Guangwu City at the mouth of Dahe, his troops directly led the boat division up the river, and were soon intercepted by Xiaobu Hanoi's boat division in Dahe.
However, there was an expert in water warfare among Zhang Chong's army. He was Luo Gang, a water bandit who used to hang out on the river. He led thirty canoes down the river and smashed the Hanoi soldiers to pieces, thus opening the south channel in one fell swoop.
Then, the Taishan army did not disembark in Hanoi, but continued southward along the river. Finally, at Liyang in Wei County, the Taishan army divided its forces.
Among them, Guan Yu's tribe continued to set up large ships to take the people of Xingyang who originally accompanied the army south to Puyang, where they repaired and continued to expand their base in the Heji area.
Zhang Chong also appointed Guan Yu as the commander-in-chief of the Heji area, commanding the Puyang area and the Heji area, and entrusting him with control. Originally, Xi Shen, Heifu, and Wang Han in the Heji area were all under his control.
This also shows how much Zhang Chong trusts Guan Yu.
You must know that when foreign troops are stationed outside, they will usually be granted a scepter. However, the authority of the scepter and the scepter are different, and they can be roughly divided into two categories. One is the false festival, which is also the most conventional, that is, the false festival
The general can directly kill officials who disobey orders without reporting to Zhang Chong in wartime. But this is only in wartime. In peacetime, you still have to report before you can kill.
But what? The second type of authority is the Envoy Chijie, which was granted to Guan Yu by Zhang Chong. This authority is scary. It allows the authority to kill any official under two thousand stones within his jurisdiction without asking for instructions.
You must know that the power of punishment is supreme. And now Zhang Chong has granted Guan Yu the envoy Chijie. In other words, Zhang Chong is handing over all the base areas south of the river to Guan Yu, and it is up to him to decide. This can be called the ancient commander-in-chief's following.
Unprecedented treatment.
After rotating Guan Yu's troops, who had fought the longest, back to Heji, Zhang Chong's army landed at Liyang.
Liyang was originally a military station for the Han Dynasty to control the east, and the famous Liyang soldiers were stationed here. But unfortunately, Lu Zhi had already transferred the Liyang soldiers to the combat sequence due to the serious loss of troops in previous wars.
Therefore, when the Taishan Army came ashore at this time, there was no obstruction at all.
Finally, those who landed in Hebei included 4,000 Taishan Army's central guards, 4,000 sudden cavalry, 2,000 right captains, 2,000 rear captains, and 2,000 Ruying Yellow Turbans, totaling 14,000 people.
Two thousand of the Ru Ying Yellow Turbans were the remaining brave men who were eliminated again. It can be said that in the Battle of Xingyang, the Taishan Army actually annexed the Ru Ying Yellow Turbans. Only two thousand of the original nearly 10,000 Ru Ying Yellow Turbans were selected.
, it can be said to be the best of the best.
These two thousand Ru Ying Yellow Turbans were also officially put on armor, and were appointed as the Taishan Army's former military school captain, and the school captain Dong Fang.
That's right, Dong Fang was resurrected again.
After the army landed ashore, they headed straight for Yecheng, which was Zhang Chong's chosen stronghold in Hebei. This was not surprising. Zhang Ze could see the superiority of Yecheng. How could Zhang Chong not see it? And at this time, Zhang Chong could not see the superiority of Yecheng.
Yecheng is behind the Han army in Hebei, so an attack here will not encounter fierce resistance from the Han army.
On October 18, the Taishan Army rushed to the Zhangshui River, attacked a Jindu, and intercepted all the boats coming down the river. After all the boats that could be mobilized, the Taishan Army Infantry Division got on board and suddenly rode on the boats.
Riding along the coast, he finally appeared in the eyes of Wei Commandery Governor Zhang Ze and others on the 20th.
The vanguard of this battle was Ding Sheng, the rear military commander of the Taishan Army.
At this moment, he stood on a small boat with high spirits and shouted to everyone:
"Brothers, let these Yecheng Beijun see how powerful our rear commanders are and kill them!"
On the Zhang River, the densely packed leaf boats all shouted:
"kill!"
The murderous spirit approached Zhang Ze on the southern city.
At this moment, Zhang Ze was sweating on his forehead. He was also a veteran. Previously, he fought against the entire Hebei Yellow Turbans with one city alone, causing the opponent to hit his head and bleed bloody at the foot of Ye City. Therefore, he should not panic.
But unfortunately, just the day before yesterday, Zhang Zegang obeyed the military order of Beizhonglang General Lu Zhi and sent 3,000 Yecheng soldiers to Handan. At this time, Yecheng only had 300 soldiers, all of whom were his guards. Even these soldiers
Even standing in front of the city wall is dissatisfied.
What's even more frightening is that these three hundred soldiers are still scattered throughout the city at this moment. The Taishan Army came down the waterway so fast that Zhang Ze had no time to gather his troops.
This was not over yet. Just as the boats were densely packed in front and the water was covered with water, another wave of smoke and dust rose on the left bank. Amidst the roar of wind and thunder, at least thousands of cavalry regiments were moving at high speed. It was obvious that they were planning to start from
Cross the bridge east of the city.
Danger! Danger! Danger!
But Zhang Ze is indeed a first-rate general of the Han family.
At this time, Zhang Ze reacted quickly. He immediately asked the soldiers to beat the guard drum on the city. Then he ordered people to go out of the east of the city and burn the Jin Bridge on Zhangshui River.
…
But here, when the high-spirited Ding Sheng led his troops down the river, he suddenly encountered a problem.
He stepped on the bow of the boat and was looking at the city. Suddenly, the three-leaf boat at the front suddenly stopped, and the soldiers on the boat were caught off guard and fell into the water.
The people nearby were frightened and wanted to fish it out, but unfortunately these soldiers were all wearing iron armor and were sinking rapidly. For a moment, everyone was at a loss.
But at this moment, a person suddenly jumped into the water like a fish and swam towards the sinking soldier. The guardsmen on the boat were shocked. It turned out that the person who had just jumped off was the rear captain Ding Sheng.
Ding Sheng grew up by the water and was good at water. Seeing Paoze fall into the water, he jumped in without thinking.
When Ding Sheng's soldiers saw their captain doing such a thing, more than a dozen of them were good at water, so they gritted their teeth and jumped in too.
It is very dangerous to save people from drowning because they will struggle. This is why Ding Sheng's soldiers began to hesitate. But now that the captains have jumped, what can we do? Do it!
Soon, Ding Sheng emerged from the water with an unconscious soldier under his arms. After spitting out water, Ding Sheng threw the man onto the boat. Just as he was about to continue diving, he was stopped by the guards at every turn.
.
They were really afraid that if something happened to the captain, then they soldiers would not only have a bad conscience, but they would also have a hard time escaping death.
This is the Taishan Army, which teaches both justice and law. And the law is too righteous.
Ding Sheng saw that many people had jumped off, so he stopped insisting. So he grabbed the side of the boat and tipped over into the boat. Someone immediately put him into dry clothes. It was already October, and if he didn't keep warm when he got into the water,
, can really freeze to death.
The general in charge of the front line is Zhang Huchen. This man is from Sheqiu, Jibei Kingdom, Yanzhou. His original name is Zhang Que. He felt that his name was not impressive, so he asked someone to change his name. The man didn't know what it meant, so he gave it to him.
I got a third person and said that you will be a tiger minister in the future.
How could the uneducated Zhang Huchen understand this? Anyway, it sounded much better to him than before.
When the Taishan Army reached Sheqiu, this man surrendered to the army. Later, he followed the army north to Dongjun, and was promoted to the rank of Shijiang with meritorious service. Later, in Puyangjin, he was under the command of Jin, and once again accumulated meritorious service and became the deputy of the team.
Later, he was transferred to Ding Sheng's command, followed the army in Yingyang, was promoted to the third level, and was once again promoted to the commander of a fifty-man team. Later, the Taishan Army moved north to Xingyang. In the process, Ding Sheng's department was expanded into a school captain's department, and Zhang Huchen
As a result, he was promoted to the rank of garrison deputy, truly becoming a mid-level military officer of the Taishan Army.
Afterwards, in the Battle of Xingyang, Ding Sheng's troops did not participate in the battle, so they did not accumulate much merit. However, when they attacked Xingyang City, Zhang Huchen and his general Jin Quan ascended first and finally achieved the post of garrison general.
This is the struggle of a small person like Zhang Huchen, and it is also the epitome of most middle and low-level military officials in the Taishan Army.
The one who just fell into the water was from his camp, and Zhang Huchen immediately realized the problem here. It was obvious that the Han army had placed a horse and the like under the waterway in the south of the city. Fortunately, the Taishan army was driving a small boat, and except for a few Zhongzhong
The horses and others paddled across because of the shallow water.
Zhang Huchen shouted:
"Brothers, hold on tight. There are not many obstacles in this waterway. Let the soldiers sit in the middle of the boat and the other brothers row with me."
After saying that, he took the lead in rocking the oar and shouted the signal to get on board together.
At this point, I still have to say that Zhang Chong's establishment of the military academy was really a big move. Because he trained middle-level and grass-roots military officials like Zhang Hucheng, the Taishan Army's front line was able to make decisions on its own, speeding up the response speed of the troops.
Zhang Chong has a famous saying:
"Let the military officers who can hear the enemy's cries make decisions."
This completely different decision-making system is very different from the top-down decision-making of the Han army. In terms of flexible changes, the Taishan army has already defeated the Han army.
With Zhang Huchen stabilizing the morale of the frontline troops, the former army of the rear captain successfully rowed to the water gate of Yecheng.
Afterwards, dozens of grappling ropes were thrown on top of the city, and these warriors from the Yimenglu Mountains jumped onto the top of the city like apes.
At this time, at the head of the south city of Ye City, Zhang Ze's guards hurriedly arrived after hearing the sound of the guard drum. These guards of the prefect of Wei County were warriors selected by Zhang Ze from among the Banchen barbarians and Qiang people. They may have
They were equipped with hooks or javelins, and everyone wore helmets and armor to guard the city.
Zhang Huchen's men who climbed up to the top of the city were not wearing armor because it was easier to climb. Therefore, although there were many people, they were still blocked in a corner of the city and could not move.
Some of the soldiers watching the battle below were impatient, and regardless of anything else, they grabbed the ropes and began to climb. Unfortunately, some of the ropes failed to withstand the weight of the soldiers and collapsed directly. The soldier immediately fell into the Zhang River and was drowned by the water.
The undercurrent directly involved Watergate.
But more soldiers climbed to the top of the city with determination that was not afraid of death.
In this way, Ding Sheng, who was under the city, saw that his soldiers had successfully suppressed the Han army's counterattack with their extraordinary bravery. More and more officials and soldiers climbed up the city. Obviously, it was only a matter of time before the city was broken.
But at this moment, Ding Sheng suddenly saw that the Taishan Army's assault cavalry on the east side of the city had somehow entered the city. It was obvious that they were one step ahead of the captain's troops and took the lead in breaking through Ye City.
At that time, Ding Sheng's mind was confused, and then he jumped up.
He faced Tian Jun to the east and cursed:
"Hot bitch, a four-inch penis is robbing Nai Gong of his blood kung fu. Brothers, follow me and fight in! No one can snatch the kung fu of our rear school captain under the eyes of Ding Daqi!"