After accepting the surrender of the Han army's Daibei Second Battalion, Zhang Chong led the army and continued on their way.
At this time, the sky seemed to have opened the floodgates and rain poured down. This inevitably caused huge disadvantages to the march of the Taishan Army.
It was difficult for the team to maintain its formation. Even if military discipline was imposed, the team was inevitably scattered. The same was true for the cavalry. They all chose to dismount and hold the reins and walk, but even so, the horses were still unable to move forward in the heavy rain.
Officials at all levels were already standing on the roadside, constantly motivating the soldiers to move forward bravely.
Before going into battle, the base camp gave orders to all armies. The chief officers who were lagging behind more than half should stop working and go directly to start from the vanguard.
When a large corps fights, military discipline must be strict. Relying on the fear of military law and sufficient raincoats, the army continues to advance despite difficulties.
This road was not stable, because the Zhenbei Army's retreat was not without cost, that is, many soldiers died.
There was even a 500-man Huns cavalry unit that reorganized and escaped. Later, because they got lost, they hid in a creek six miles east of Dingting. They also knew to avoid Dian Taishan's army.
But they were soon discovered by the roving Feilong Army of Li Hu and blocked the retreat. Later, his troops, together with Xu Huang's Feihu Army, launched an attack on the dead Xiongnu soldiers.
Near Dingxian, Li Hu and Xu Huang each commanded their troops to launch assault cavalry from the north and south fronts.
Due to the heavy rain, the sightlines of both parties were greatly obstructed.
Xu Huang led the Flying Tiger Army into a dense formation and attacked the Huns. At this time, he stood up straight and rode his horse, water rolled on his uniform, and raindrops as big as beans hit his pockets.
, but still cannot extinguish Xu Huang’s passion.
His previous action was during the night attack at Sanhe Pavilion, but he suffered a big loss at that time. He was hugged and charged by the elite white horse Yi Cong of the Han army, and suffered a lot of losses.
So this time, Xu Huang wanted to collect some interest from these Huns.
At this time, the Huns cavalry also rushed out of the tent and began to mount their horses to launch a countercharge against Xu Huang.
But the result was cruel. In addition to bringing death to themselves, the Huns' charge also ended up becoming Xu Huang's prisoner.
The remaining Huns dispersed in a hurry and were about to cross the stream towards the north. Only a Hun knight who looked like a noble chief was left complaining in the rain:
"Come back, warriors, will you also turn your back on me?"
But these Hun knights never stopped, completely abandoning the responsibility of a prairie warrior to protect the chief.
But no matter how unethical a general is, he still has a group of people who are willing to die for him, and this little Huns chieftain is no exception. Under his desperate cry, a group of cavalry actually rushed back to protect the little chieftain.
But after Xu Huang led the Flying Tiger Army to catch up, all this loyalty and bravery turned into Xu Huang's military exploits.
The remnants of the Huns who retreated to the north also encountered the Feilong Army waiting here.
Under the leadership of Li Hu, the Feilong Army entered the river and attacked with a wide front. The Huns cavalry could only keep rolling off their horses, and were either hacked to death or trampled into flesh by the horses, nourishing the river beach.
The retreat of the Huns' cavalry was so complete that many of them were killed by Taishan's army before they entered combat mode.
Li Hu chopped down a Hun chief who looked like he had some status. The guard next to him jumped off his horse and cut off the man's ears. The man's ears were hung with thick gold rings, showing his extraordinary status.
.
Li Hu took a glance and said to the guard:
"Cut this head off, and ask some Huns later to see if it's anyone."
The guard groaned, then cut off the head neatly and strung it in his horse pocket.
On the battlefield, the battle continued, but it was a unilateral massacre of the Huns' cavalry by the Taishan Army's sudden cavalry. Under the heavy rain and on the mud-filled battlefield, the Taishan Army chased north.
At this time, there was no need to form a formation. The Huns had completely lost their courage. All the Taishan army had to do was catch up with them on horseback and strike with a sword.
In this battle, both the Feilong and Feihu armies fought very comfortably, letting out all the unhappiness caused by this rainy day.
Although their original crimson military uniforms were unrecognizable at this time, and their faces were covered with black mud, they were filled with pride but could not hide it at all.
Except for more than a hundred prisoners who were left behind, these Xiongnu soldiers were completely wiped out by the Feilong and Feihu troops. Then they brought their heads full of horse heads to report their merits to Zhang Chong.
When the infantrymen marching along the road saw the cavalry winning another great victory, they all cheered and boasted.
From this point of view, the military strength of Taishan Army is still very usable.
In fact, Zhang Chong was very unlucky this time. Because of the heavy rain, all the time Zhang Chong had gained by making an emergency landing on the Han army was lost.
Although we are walking on a straight road, it is still full of potholes because it has not been repaired for a long time. When there is a heavy rain, there will be even more water. It is impossible to go fast on such a road.
So when Li Hu and Xu Huang came back, they saw that various ministries were looking for places to take shelter from the rain and rest. This was Zhang Chong's latest military order.
From our perspective, the retreating Han army was in a mess, with no blocking arrangements and no logistics arrangements. If it hadn't been for the heavy rain, Zhang Chong might have been able to catch up with them, and then cut off and annihilated the Han army's rear.
department.
So after walking for half a day, the cavalry released had been placed fifteen miles away, but there was still no sign of the Han army.
Even though man can conquer nature, Zhang Chong said to Xun You in frustration:
"Everything in the world depends on manpower as well as God's help. It seems that God is not on my side this time."
Seeing that Zhang Chong was a little depressed, Xun You hurriedly advised:
"Although everything in the world depends on God's help, in the end it still depends on man. Although the king's pursuit in the rain did not catch the enemy's tail, it must have exceeded the enemy's expectations. They thought that we would not march in the rain, so they must have mistakenly expected our army to arrive on the battlefield.
time."
Zhang Chong nodded, agreeing with Xun You's intention, so he asked all the troops to find a place to rest and camp, and wait until tomorrow to set off again.
So when Li Hu and Xu Huang came back, various ministries had already started looking for shelter from the rain and setting up tents.
After a fierce charge, the horses snorted in the heat in the rain. If they were not dried in time, they would soon fall ill.
Therefore, the Flying Dragon Army and the Flying Tiger Army immediately found an abandoned dock wall, where they first took care of the most delicate war horses, and then started to light the fire and dress up.
At the same time, there was also a battalion of the Central Guard Army at this dock wall. After learning that the Feilong Army and the Feihu Army had won another battle, and they were fighting against the Huns, they all came over curiously.
Many of them have never seen the Huns, and this is a good time to see a living person.
Of course, the more important thing is that the guarding battalion general is named Chang Xi. When he saw the horsemen entering the dock wall, their heads were hanging on the necks of the horses, so he made an idea.
It's not that he dares to take credit from Li Hu and Xu Huang, neither of these two can be offended by Chang Xi.
Chang Xi wanted to come to exchange. He happened to have a lot of dry firewood here and had just made ginger tea. These things were needed by the raiders.
Use these to exchange for a dozen heads, don't be greedy.
After Li Hu learned that Chang Xi had arrived, he just thought about it and agreed. After all, there were so many heads, so it didn't matter if they were sent out separately. Those supplies were in short supply.
So, with the help of the Changxi Department, the Feilong Army and the Feihu Army quickly put on firewood, put on clean military uniforms, and wrapped themselves in warm blankets.
Chang Xi even brought Li Hu and Xu Huang drinks, which was perfect for warming up.
At this time, both Li and Hu understood to some extent why an arrogant person like Chang Xi could keep a firm foothold in the Central Guard Army. At first, they thought it was due to the power of the ban, but now it seems that this gentleman is more or less capable of causing trouble.
With the supplies provided by the Central Guard Army, the assault cavalry could finally rest comfortably.
But after Li Hu and Xu Huang explained their military affairs, they were ready to leave in the rain. They were going to a manor one mile away, where the Chinese army was stationed. They were there to report on the results of the battle.
.
So, after the two of them drank the ginger tea, took a sip of wine in their mouths, put on their coir raincoats, and rode off to the central army.
The manor where Zhang Chong is located is the property of a powerful man in Shangquyang. Because he was afraid of the Taishan Army, he abandoned the property and fled long ago.
This manor is the most gorgeous place in the neighborhood, so it is natural for it to be Zhang Chong's camp.
From the size and layout of this manor, it can be seen that the original owner was also a simple person. When he wanted to start his own business, it was difficult and difficult. But looking at the interior, it is gorgeous and noisy. It seems that the descendants of the future generations have also forgotten the traditions of their ancestors.
It's rustic.
When Li Hu and Xu Huang entered the manor, there were people coming and going everywhere. Either the officers of the Chinese army were cleaning up the manor, or General Hengchang with the latest military order was preparing to go out to convey the military order.
In the most crowded place, the two met Zhang Chong.
At this time, Zhang Chong was sitting on a pile of hay, eating horse meat jerky and listening to the reports from his staff. Some reported on military reserves, some reported on the location of so-and-so tribal camps that had just been obtained, and some military reports came from Yecheng.
, everything sent from Handan has to wait for Zhang Chong to process.
In the face of these complicated military and government affairs, Zhang Chong was very handy. His extraordinary physical strength and super memory allowed him to have his own views on everything, and the military orders he arranged were also interlocking.
It is precisely because of the existence of strong men like Zhang Chong that even now, the Chinese Army maintains strong control over various ministries. For example, where the ministries are stationed now is all in Zhang Chong's mind.
Therefore, smart and capable people will feel very comfortable working around Zhang Chong, because they can always get effective feedback from the king.
But it is difficult for someone who cheats and cheats to stay next to a powerful person like Zhang Chong, because it is too scary. Your excuses will always be exposed by Zhang Chong with detailed data and previous reports.
The staff of the Chinese army was operating efficiently, and a military seal was constantly being sent out. This small manor controlled and dispatched nearly 40,000 troops with a radius of ten miles.
Li Hu and Xu Huang had not dared to say a word since they arrived. They were already fooled by this efficient rhythm. The two of them usually led only 500 cavalry troops, so they already felt that scheduling and management was a difficult task.
But here, the king uses his fingers like an arm, and all situations are like the palm of his hand.
Xu Huang, in particular, had ambitions to be a commander, and he had been learning from the experience of fighting with large corps. He was also lucky. Since joining the Taishan Army, he had been successful in almost every battle. This made Xu Huang more interested in war.
My consciousness and vision have been greatly exercised.
But now that he saw the king's appearance, Xu Huang realized that he still had a lot to learn.
At this time, a soldier came flying from the verandah. Seeing that the king was busy, he hurried to the side of the marching commander Shi Hekui.
He opened the yellow satin he was carrying on his back, revealing a sandalwood box inside, with a red-painted feather and a talisman's fire stamp on it.
He Kui looked at the fire stamp and knew it was Zhang Dan's stamp, and quickly took the wooden box.
The soldier came all the way in the rain, soaked to the skin and filled with mist. When he saw that the mission was completed, he prepared to respectfully retreat.
At this time, a sentence came out from the center of the crowd:
"Xiao Xu, go to the verandah to drink ginger tea."
This is Zhang Chong's voice.
This man named Xiao Xu was Xu Sheng who had been recommended to Yecheng Armed Forces Academy by the Langya base area. At this time, he was serving as Zhang Dan's Chinese army accountant and was responsible for reporting military information.
Xu Sheng was so excited when he heard this voice. He didn't expect that the king would take time to care about him when he was so busy, and he didn't expect that the king would actually know his name.
He suppressed his excitement, gave a military salute, and then retreated to the verandah to drink ginger tea.
Xiao Xu drank this ginger tea, her whole body felt warm and she felt that she had endless energy.
After Xu Sheng retreated over there, He Kui had already opened the fire seal, read the contents of the letter, and then delivered it to Zhang Chong.
Zhang Chong looked here and said to He Kui:
"Shulong, what do you think of this matter?"
He Kui did not hesitate:
"The military report sent by Adan said that there were a large number of soldiers from Hejian and Bohai soldiers heading north. This must have been an order from Lu Zhi to have these soldiers go north to join him."
Zhang Chong nodded, agreeing with this point of view.
He shouted from Guo Zu outside:
"Map."
Then Guo Zu brought the map from behind the haystack to the horse bed and carried it with him.
Zhang Chong asked He Kui and Xun You:
"From Zhang Dan's report, Lu Zhi definitely didn't want to run back to Youzhou. He probably wanted to gather troops to fight with me. So this is a good thing for us. We are not afraid that he will fight, but we are afraid that he will run away.
.This Lu Zhi can also run, he has already run away twice. We must not let him run away again this time."
Then he asked He Kui and Xun You:
"But now I'm not sure where he wants to fight me. Do you have any ideas?"
He Kui didn't speak, but Xun You spoke first.
As a top military talent among the Chinese military staff, Xun You does have opinions on this issue.
He pointed to a location on the map, which was the Zhongren Pavilion.
Zhang Chong did not express his position and continued to listen to Xun You:
"Your Majesty, judging from the current situation, Lu Zhi wants to have a decisive battle with us. And if we want to have a decisive battle, the most suitable place north of Zhongshan is Zhongren Pavilion. Zhongren Pavilion was originally the capital of the Zhongshan people.
The reason why it is called Zhongshan seems to be because of the geographical situation of Zhongrenting. It is surrounded by mountains, which is easy to defend and difficult to attack, but there is no lack of vast space for large corps to fight decisively. Therefore, you think that if Lu Zhi wants to fight, it must be Zhongrenting.
.”
Zhang Chong asked back:
"Will Lu Zhi definitely fight us in Zhongshan? Is it possible that he will return to Youzhou?"
At this time, He Kui shook his head and said:
"No, because if Lu Zhi wants to leave Jizhou, the Han soldiers in Hejian and Bohai will not fight to help him."
Zhang Chong nodded, supporting this judgment.
After thinking for a while, Zhang Chong ordered:
"Order: 'Zhang Dan, your troops must closely pursue the Han army's partial division, and be sure to intercept their troops and prevent them from joining Lu Zhi's main force."
After saying that, Zhang Chong ordered the two sideways generals to bring this order to Zhang Dan together with the newly arrived Xu Sheng.
After handling this matter, Zhang Chong began to deal with other military affairs, which was busy and compact.