He had waterfowl meat to eat and a simple bed made of branches to sleep on. In fact, I don't know how much stronger he was than other Han soldiers.
On this day, a large number of sergeants could only sleep on the dirt floor in a crowded manner, and their morale declined.
There was a cowshed not far to the east of Taishi Ci, and a halberd-wielding man looked into the shed eagerly in the rain.
There, several mid-level officers were eating barbecue. They didn't know where they got the meat or the firewood.
This halberd bearer was called Xu Miao, who lived in Jixian County. He was recruited into the army and became a halberd bearer when he was just a general. Unfortunately, the first time he went to the battlefield, his battalion was attacked by the Taishan Army's sudden cavalry.
It collapsed.
Xu Miao could have fled home like other Paozes, but he was unwilling to do so and caught up with the Zhenbei Army again.
At this time, he was cold and hungry, and he was soaked while watching others eat meat, but he knew that it was definitely not his own share.
So he had no choice but to leave the cowshed and walk towards the neighboring cowshed to see if he could find some hay as a bed for the night.
But luck favored Xu Miao, and he unexpectedly discovered the secret cellar dug by the owner here, and found a sealed jar of the farm's home-made wine in it.
Xu Miao was overjoyed. Although he was only weak this year, he had already been an alcoholic. But how many of the men from Yan and Zhao were not addicted to alcohol?
Coupled with the fact that it is cold and damp now, this vat of wine is so tempting.
But Xu Miao held back the desire while holding the vat of wine, and didn't even make the move to open the bottle and taste it.
Generally speaking, the only reason you can suppress a desire is because you are pursuing a deeper desire.
This was the case for Xu Miao, who decided to use this vat of wine to seek a future.
He looked around carefully, and when he saw no one was around, he wrapped the wine jar in hay and returned to the cowshed.
But Xu Miao's return this time angered a military official inside. This man was as thick as a black bear, with protruding bull's eyes, and was ferocious.
He said fiercely to Xu Miao who had left and returned:
"Slave dog, you are disturbing Naigong's mood. You are going back and forth, back and forth, and it makes me feel uncomfortable eating the meat. Which battalion are you from? Don't you know the military law?"
Xu Miao hurriedly apologized and walked into the bullpen. As soon as he entered, he knelt down:
"Several generals, we were originally soldiers from Zuoying of Jixian County. After the battle at Dingting, the soldiers of the camp collapsed, and Miao had no one to rely on, so he could only wander with the army. Miao did not dare to disturb the generals' elegance, because he had won
A jar of turbid wine is specially presented to the generals to accompany the meat."
After speaking, Xu Miao put down the wine jar in his arms and kowtowed respectfully.
After hearing what Xu Miao said, one of them came over and opened the wine seal, poured a handful of water into his mouth, and after a moment he shouted:
"Good wine, this wine must be twenty years old."
This man was shirtless and had white flesh, but after drinking the wine, he became visibly red.
With the general's praise, the remaining few were still able to endure it, so they came to share the water bags with them. One bag for you, one bag for him, one bag for the black man, and one bag for the white-faced dog.
In the blink of an eye, the twenty-year-old wine in this vat was completely divided by these generals.
The entire cowshed smelled of incense and alcohol, which made even the kneeling Xu Miao salivate.
Soon, half full of wine, the black Han general seemed to have remembered and asked:
"Get up. Since you are from Zuoying, Jixian County, you can be considered as one of our fellow children from my hometown. This wine is good. If you have anything you want, tell me. Nai Gong and the others are in a good mood now, so maybe you can accept it.
"
Xu Miao said respectfully:
"A few generals have been wandering all the way. They haven't met their master yet. They want to follow the generals in front of them and hold their halberds behind them."
The big black man was not the leader, so he turned around and asked a calm general next to him:
"Lao Le, this man wants to vote for us, can we accept him?"
The man named Lao Le is Le Yin's son, Le Shang. Le Yin was recruited by He Miao to go to Xijing to become a long history, so his son Le Shang stayed in his hometown with his clan members. Later, Lu Shuai held a military ceremony, and the powerful children of Jixian County were enthusiastic
When he joined the army, he took his father's fellow disciples with him to join the army.
Among them, the brave-looking black man just now is Fei Yao, a great knight in Anping County. He was favored by Le Yin back then, so this time he joined the army with his son Le Shang, on the one hand, he made a career and on the other hand, he protected Le Yin.
Yet.
And another white-faced general was also a student of Le Yin, named Shi Lu.
At this time, Le Shang saw that Fei Yao wanted to recruit this clever halberd-bearer, and he also admired this soldier who spoke politely and politely, as if he had read the scriptures.
Confucian scholars like Le Shang joined the army, and they had a favorable impression of officials who were good at writing.
So Le Shang nodded and said to Xu Miao, who was still kneeling:
"It seems that you are a well-educated person when talking, but that Mingzhu's words are not worthy of being taken seriously. There is only one master in our army, and that is Lu Shuai. I don't blame you for your nonsense, but I won't do it again next time.
If you talk like that, I will definitely not spare you. But I see that you are alert, so I will grant you a future. You can take my talisman and go to the military tent at the back to join the army. From now on, you will be a member of our Anping camp."
Xu Miao was overjoyed and took the talisman respectfully, then retreated into the rain, waiting for Le Shang and others to look away before leaving.
Seeing Xu Miao leaving, Shi Lu, who was drunk and drunk, said:
"This kid looks a lot like Azhao. Hey, I just don't know whether Azhao is dead or alive."
The A-Zhao mentioned by Shi Lu was none other than their fellow disciple Lian-Zhao.
Le Shang was a little unhappy after hearing this. He said coldly:
"I said before that Liu Bei was so arrogant that he thought he had gained a great reputation after becoming a royal family. Before, he led our Youzhou children south to immediately get rich and powerful. Now he is rich and powerful, but the children who went south with him that day were all
Where is it? Poor Azhao."
Le Shang's words made everyone fall silent. It turns out that after Liu Bei became General Zhenwu in Dongdu, he sent people back to his hometown in Youzhou to recruit his disciples to go to Kyoto.
Originally, the disciples were quite enthusiastic, but when they heard that Liu Bei gained all his fame by killing officials in the main hall, this pair of loyal Youzhou scholars could never accept it.
Therefore, Liu Bei's reputation is considered bad in his hometown.
This is also the real reason why people like Le Shang, although they have a good relationship with Liu Bei, still did not choose to go south to join Liu Bei.
In fact, people like Le Shang are also very confused. They have their own network and intelligence, so they have their own judgments about the world's situation.
Not to mention that most of Hebei has fallen, let's just say that the Central Plains is now divided among itself. The remnants of the Yuan family are indeed dead and alive. Even though most of the clan members were killed in Kyoto, the few who escaped still regained their momentum.
Among them, Yuan Shao occupied Ruying, Yuan Shu occupied Nanyang, Cao Cao occupied Jinan, and Zhang Miao occupied Chenliu. They were all major counties, and they also fought with Qi Lianzhi against the Eastern Capital. The Guandong court, which had a chance to reorganize the country, was really torn apart.
In this situation, people like Le Shang can only follow the trend, as he said at this time:
"It doesn't matter what he does. If you have wine today, you will get drunk today. Come on, drink!"
…
The sky is getting dark and the rain is getting lighter.
Xu Miao was still wearing his original military uniform and sleeping deeply on a haystack. At this time, he was already a halberd bearer in the Anping camp.
From an ordinary halberd holder to the current halberd holder guarding the big tent, Xu Miao was promoted. The cost was just a jar of wine.
This is the art of gift giving, it must be given at the right time.
Xu Miao was young, and it was his first time to march on foot for a whole day, so he was still very weak when he woke up.
At this time, because Le Shang was still sleeping, Xu Miao had no other tasks, so he walked to a bonfire to keep warm.
As the main battalion of the Zhenbei Army, Anping Camp was at the forefront in terms of logistical supplies. So when the baggage battalion sent a batch of reserved firewood, the halberd men of Anping Camp used it without hesitation.
Roasting under the warm firelight, Xu Miao's body felt a lot better. What's even more rare is that there was a little broth stewed on the fire rack. Although he didn't know what kind of meat it was, the aroma was still fragrant.
Beside the fire, an old soldier saw Xu Miao coming and took the initiative to serve him a bowl of soup.
Xu Miao took it flattered and took a cautious sip.
The mellow aroma of the broth directly exploded his taste buds. Xu Miao almost cried. He was secretly sure that he had made the right bet this time.
If I hadn't joined the Anping camp and become the most important halberd-bearing man, how could I have had this bowl of broth?
Xu Miao was a newcomer, and the old halberd men sitting around the fire just glanced at him and paid no attention to him. They were discussing today's situation and the upcoming war.
These halberd-bearing men are reserve military officers, so they are obviously more concerned about the war than ordinary sergeants.
Each of these people talked about their experiences. For example, someone saw some people from Wuhuan camp plundering a mountain settlement, killing more than a dozen people, and finally snatched some tubers.
For example, some people said that a military official disappeared before and was found hanging from a tree branch with his entire back ripped out. It was extremely terrifying.
Xu Miao drank soup while listening to the chatters. Although there was a lot of information, he always reacted to one thing:
"The situation of the Han army is very bad."
This made Xu Miao, who had just gotten better, feel uneasy:
"Are the good days gone after just a few days?"
No one can answer Xu Miao's question. Only the final decisive battle can decide everything.
…
Early the next morning, the heavy rain finally ended, and the Han army began to move out of camp under the urging of the messengers and cavalrymen from Junzi Camp.
Soon, in the afternoon, they arrived at Zhongrenting.
This is the battlefield designed by Lu Zhi to bury the Taishan Army.
At this time, Lu Zhi took his son Lu Yu, as well as his generals Yu Yan, Gongsun Zan and other generals to a nearby slope so that they could look around the Zhongren Pavilion.
This place is located on the top of a ridge, with the widest view. Standing here, they can overlook the entire wilderness and lush fields of Zhongrenting.
The forests in the mountains are lush and green under the wash of yesterday's rain. The fortification military formations mixed in the fields are like red ribbons, winding around the mountains and fields, bringing vitality to this land.
Looking around, the steaming water vapor is still gathering, giving this place a mysterious haze.
Such beautiful scenery would even frighten an iron-blooded warrior like Gongsun Zan. He only felt that if he could invite one or two beauties to go on an outing, it would be a great day.
It's a pity that there are only rough warriors like him here.
Lu Zhi did not have the tenderness of his own students. He was carefully observing the fortifications of the Zhongrenting Pavilion. This preset battlefield was wider than he imagined, and it was completely enough to fight a war of 100,000 people.
But such an open battlefield also caused trouble for Lu Zhi's defense. The Taishan Army could attack the military formation here from both sides.
Originally he was worried that Wei Duan would not notice this loophole, but after seeing the deep trenches and camp walls dug on both sides, Lu Zhi finally felt relieved.
It seems that Wei Duan did a good job.
Lu Zhi looked at it for a while, and after having nothing more to add, he returned to the camp with his generals and staff.
Gelu Zhi, the camp where the shogunate is located, is located on the shady side of the foothills, just on a flat land.
By this time, the campground was already filled with smoke, and the aroma of meat filled the entire back slope.
Lu Zhi had stored a large amount of grain and sheep here, and all the sheep that he had originally traded with the Daibei Hu people were driven here to supply the army here.
The Zhenbei Army was also recovering its morale with ample meat and clear weather.
Lu Zhi inspected the camp and saw that the officials were generally in good spirits, so he felt relieved and entered the middle tent.
Here, he, his staff and generals were roasting mutton and chatting about military strategies while eating.
To the south of the Zhongren Pavilion, the Wuhuan Tuqi, who were heavily armed, had already established a loose outpost line to convey the military information of the Taishan Army at any time.
On the sunny side of the slope of Zhongren Pavilion, there are a total of twenty battalions with a total of 20,000 soldiers. These were the original main force of the Han army in Hebei and the foundation of the old Northern Army.
The four captains, Infantry Colonel Wei Duan, Yue Cavalry Colonel Zhou Zhong, Changshui Colonel Wei Jie, and Tun Cavalry Colonel Ma Teng, each led five battalions and were stationed in Yangpo. Among them, Infantry Colonel Wei Duan was the former general of the army.
All armies.
On the shady side of the slope of the Zhongren Pavilion, Lu Zhi deployed all the local soldiers and horses of the Zhenbei Army here. They included 4,000 cavalry, 16,000 infantry, and 2,000 crossbowmen.
In this way, the total strength of the Zhenbei Army gathered in Zhongren Pavilion reached 42,000 combat soldiers, as well as a varying number of servants and strong men, all serving as supply troops.
But even in this situation, Lu Zhi's staff are still full of uneasiness, because they have not been able to get news about the Hejian Army Corps.
Will they go north? Is it safe to go north? Can they make it in time?
Each of these problems increases the variables of this battle.
There is also a more obscure worry, that is, the staff found that Lu Zhi was in particularly good spirits today, but given the fatigue of yesterday, this renewed spirit was even more worrying.
In this battle that determines the ownership of the Northland, if something happens to Lu Zhi as the coach, who can shoulder the responsibility of commander in chief of this army?
Therefore, Zhongfu, Lu Zhi’s long history, couldn’t help but talk about this matter:
"General Zhenbei, this battle is of great importance. We haven't appointed a deputy commander yet. I don't know what Commander Lu is thinking."
When others say this, I don’t know how much courage it takes to summon up, but as Lu Zhi’s old partner and a high official in the DPRK, Zhong Fu naturally speaks freely.
After Lu Zhi heard this, he calmly said:
"Wei Duan is good. He is rigorous in running the army. He can be my deputy."
Zhong Fu nodded, still thinking that Lu Zhi was loyal to the Han Dynasty and did not say anything stupid about asking his son to do anything.
After Zhong Fu determined the most important thing, he said no more, but Shi Minchun, the former governor of Zhongshan who had just arrived, asked another question:
“May I ask what Lu Shuai’s plans are for this battle?”
Min Chun was from a wealthy family in Jizhou, and he knew a little about military matters. He felt that a commander-in-chief should be full of tricks when sitting in the tent, so he asked this question.
But Lu Zhi was a little impatient and asked Min Chun:
"Do you know when the Taishan Army will arrive at Zhongrenting?"
Min Chun shook his head, not knowing.
Lu Zhi asked again:
"Who do you think will attack and who will defend in this battle?"
Min Chun thought for a while and said:
"The enemy attacks and we defend."
Lu Zhi sneered:
"Since you know that I am the one guarding the place, then I don't know what military strategy the little thief Zhang Chong has. What military strategy can I tell you?"
Min Chun was speechless, his face flushed, and he stopped talking.
Lu Zhi glanced at Min Chun, and finally said to all the generals present:
"There is no military strategy in this battle. There is only one thing: no matter what happens, we must be loyal to the Han Dynasty."
The entire army raised him from his seat and shouted:
"Be loyal to the Han Dynasty."
After that, Lu Zhi ordered all the generals to return to camp.
Among the crowd, Ma Teng, the new garrison captain, had just come out of the tent, frowned and rode back to his position on Yangmianpo.
His troops camped on the northeast side of Yangmian Slope, and because they arrived earlier, they built a strong fortress there.
After Ma Teng rode his horse into the wall, his expression was very serious and a little uneasy.
Pang De, one of his five battalion generals, noticed something was wrong and asked quietly:
"Lord, what's going on? I just came back from the army and I'm worried."
Pound was Ma Teng's man, and Ma Teng didn't hide it. He whispered:
"I was in the camp just now, and I saw Lu Shuai's cheeks were red, as if he was ill."
Pound was shocked:
"Sick? Isn't this..."
Ma Teng said worriedly:
"Yes, maybe Zhong Changshi saw this meaning, so he asked in public who would be the deputy commander. Isn't this asking, if Commander Lu dies, who will command the Zhenbei Army?"
Pang De was speechless:
"So, who did you choose?"
Ma Teng sighed:
"Wei Duan."
Pound was surprised now and asked:
"We all know Captain Wei's abilities, so what else do you have to worry about, my lord?"
Ma Teng covered his forehead and sighed again:
"You don't know that when Lu Shuai proposed Wei Duan, I could clearly see from below that the voices of Gongsun Zan and other Youzhou border generals were gloomy. This was obviously dissatisfaction."
"But now the war is coming, the coach is not hesitant, and there is a gap between inside and outside. I really don't know how to fight this war. At that time, Min Chun even asked Lu Shuai about his plan for this war and was scolded. This is even more disappointing.
I feel unsure."
At this time, Pound was also a brave cavalryman. He really had no opinion on these complicated matters. He could only ask:
"Then lord, what should we do?"
Ma Teng had no choice but to pace back and forth in the tent in a hurry. He regretted not taking Pound and the others back to the west during the battle in Jize. Instead, he went further and further north, getting further and further away from his hometown.
.
He had heard that Gao Lan, who had previously traveled from Hebei to Dongdu, had earned two thousand dan, which was enviable.
But now he has no choice but to take it one step at a time.
At this time, drums were beating loudly outside, and sentries from the outside kept galloping back. This meant they were facing an enemy.
Then Ma Teng ran out of the tent. Because his field of vision was high enough, he could clearly see a dense yellow cloud approaching from the south.
The yellow clothes, yellow armor, and yellow flags that covered the sky and the sun all told him that the Taishan Army had arrived.
And it was one day faster than their expected fastest time.