It was the first day of the first lunar month in the fourth year of Xianding.
On the bank of the Yellow River, the Song Army camp in Heyang.
It gets dark very quickly in the middle of winter, and the sun sets early in the Western Mountains. The afterglow shines on the heavy snow in the sky, creating a strange light.
"Crackling, crackling..."
A string of firecrackers went off in the camp, and then someone burst out laughing.
"Zhuyuan Zhang, I heard that you had sex with your mother-in-law a while ago? Are you willing to get out of bed and go back to camp on the first day of the new year?"
"Go away, grandma, and stop meddling in my business... By the way, here's it for you."
"Bacon? It smells so good. Haha, it's rare for you to be so generous. There is a show in the camp in the evening, and it's very lively."
"..."
Zhang Gui shook his head and was too lazy to pay attention to Wang Shuanggui, the commander of the enemy camp who was sharpening his knife beside the school field, and walked straight to his barracks.
Zhang Shun was changing his armor and stuffing his smelly feet into military boots.
"elder brother."
"Back." Zhang Shun responded casually and wiped his saber carefully.
Zhang Gui put down the object and said, "Your feet really stink."
"Hey, I didn't realize that my feet were so smelly now that I have these big thick-soled boots." Zhang Shun patted his waist knife and said, "A rough man doesn't deserve to wear such clothes and shoes."
Thinking back to the days when I walked barefoot in the mud, I still feel that today's life is so rich that people don't know what to do.
Zhang Gui said, "Didn't you think so before? It was already very smelly before."
"Don't belabor this. All the kids have been sent away?"
"We are already making arrangements. We will send it to Huazhou first. The city there is high. If the war doesn't go well, it will be convenient to go to Hanzhong."
"good."
The two brothers spoke in a casual tone, unlike Wang Shuanggui outside who talked about "the New Year's Day is lively and lively".
It has been more than two months since the enemy camp was transferred to the bank of the Yellow River. In addition to training, many people have also settled here.
Brothers Zhang Shun and Zhang Gui each married wives and bought houses.
After the battle at Jin Douguan, they have been promoted to commanders and deputy commanders...
This was supposed to be the first Chinese New Year in Guanzhong, but due to the war, I couldn't celebrate the New Year well, so I had to go home in batches to get together with my family.
"You said that the Mongolians on the other side of the river are preparing for war at this time, because the people on the grassland are not celebrating the New Year?" Zhang Gui asked again.
"No matter what you do, don't follow others and complain about having to fight during the holidays. Fortunately, we got the news in advance this time, otherwise..."
Zhang Shun thought for a while and repeated the harsh words he heard.
"Otherwise, while we were having New Year's Eve dinner at home, the Mongols came and killed our wives, children, and children."
"I know." Zhang Guidao: "Can I not understand this...Brother, where are you going?"
"Go to Xiayangdu to watch the night. Damn it, the Yellow River is frozen. The boat can't move. It's all on the ice. Our navy is useless."
"I'll go with you."
"Put on your armor and move quickly."
Soon, the two brothers led their soldiers to Xiayang Ferry.
This section of the road is not far, and we braved the cold wind to leave the camp. We can already see the frozen river to the east, which is the Yellow River.
When they first arrived, they felt that the rushing Yellow River was noisy and roared day and night, and was not as graceful as the Han River. Now in the middle of winter, the waves on the Yellow River have turned into ice, which makes people uneasy.
But it's still noisy.
"call!"
A strong wind blew and howled non-stop.
Snowflakes as big as goose feathers blew all over people's faces.
Zhang Gui raised his telescope and could not see the situation on the other side in the snow and wind.
"Brother, has anyone walked to the other side recently?"
"The six sons went to lead the people." Zhang Shun stared at the vast wind and snow, and after a while, he said: "They never came back."
"Did he get lost or was he killed by the Mongolian army?"
"have no idea."
After a while, Zhang Shun obviously felt that these three words were not solemn enough, so he added another sentence in a sullen voice.
"really do not know."
…
The man on duty at Xia Yang Ferry that day was He Tai, the general of the enemy camp.
Among Liu Zheng's old troops who surrendered to Li Xia, He Tai was the oldest one.
When he took a boat across the Yellow River from Shanxi to Xiayangdu, it was still midsummer and he was so hot that he was sweating profusely. But now it was the middle of winter and he was shivering with cold.
When brothers Zhang Shun and Zhang Gui arrived, He Tai was sitting by the stove reading letters from home. When he saw someone coming in, he immediately put away the letters from home.
"Commander He, we are here to defend. You can lead the brothers back to the camp."
He Tai nodded, but stood up and told his lieutenant to lead the soldiers back to the camp. He sat down again and said, "I will guard with you."
Zhang Shun touched a small pot of wine and handed it over, saying, "It's cold, Commander He, warm yourself up."
It is not advisable to drink alcohol in the army, but in such a cold winter and on New Year's Day, they would still be given a small pot to the generals every day. Zhang Shun would not drink, and would give it to others every time.
He Tai was not polite, took it and drank it.
It seems that he is staying here just to wait for Zhang Shun to honor him with this small pot of wine.
Zhang Gui sat down and asked, "Liu Zi and the others haven't come back yet?"
"I can't come back." He Tai said: "Let the Mongolians kill you. The Military Intelligence Department is right. The Mongolian troops have already gathered on the east coast."
"Has Commander He sent someone to look for it?"
"What else are you looking for?" He Tai frowned and said, "The Mongolian army must be large in number. The Sixth Son is capable. Even he hasn't come back. If we send more people there, we will be in vain."
"Aren't you familiar with the other side..."
Before Zhang Gui could say anything more, Zhang Shun had already stood up and kicked him, saying, "Let's go, come with me and go on a tour."
During the change of defense, the sky was almost completely dark, and the boats at the ferry were frozen on the river, unable to move.
The brothers walked onto the ice of the Yellow River and no longer felt afraid.
Although the cotton armor on his body was warm and light, the cold air still penetrated into his neck. Zhang Gui looked back and saw that he had already distanced himself from the soldiers behind him, so he said: "Brother, why not
Let me ask him whether these surrendered troops are familiar with the situation on the other side of the river..."
"Can you not mention 'surrendering the army'?"
"That's right. I'm not looking down on him. What I'm saying is that he used to live across the river."
Zhang Shundao: "Because they have been on the other side of the river and said that there are many Mongolian troops on the other side of the river who cannot easily go there, we should listen to them. According to what you said, Liuzi also surrendered the army and is familiar with the other side. The result is not nothing.
Come back, isn’t that enough?”
"I don't believe him." Zhang Guidao: "Brother, did you see it just now? When we went in, He Tai was reading the letter. Who knows if he was tricked..."
"do not talk."
Zhang Shun suddenly shouted and said in a low voice, already a little annoyed: "They fought hard for their lives in the battle at Jinduguan. They were all brothers who fought side by side. What's the point of whispering behind our backs?"
"I didn't mean anything, I just wanted to remind you to be careful about him."
As Zhang Gui spoke later, his voice became softer.
Because there is an unwritten rule in the army, no one is allowed to say that the enemy camp is a reformer.
In fact, most of Zhang Gui's subordinates were in enemy-defeating camps, and he always upheld this rule. This time, some of his comrades died, so He Tai felt that He Tai couldn't just let it go and explain clearly how the people died.
Zhang Shun saw Zhang Gui lowering his head, patted him on the shoulder, and said: "This is the army. Hundreds or thousands of people gather together to form an army. One person cannot accomplish anything. You have to trust the big guys... let's go."
, go to the garrison and have a look."
The nights were getting colder and colder, so the Song troops stationed on the garrison could no longer stay in the fields and were scattered in various places such as garrison towers, watchtowers, ferries, and ship cabins.
…
Not all soldiers think that such a garrison is meaningful. Every night, there will inevitably be complaints.
That night when Zhang Shun walked up to a garrison, he heard soldiers chatting above.
"Let me tell you, Commander Zhang is too nervous. With this weather and this time of year, how can the Mongolian army attack?"
"Commander Zhang? Zhang is just a weakling. He suddenly became the commander, so of course he has to perform hard. He doesn't care whether the Mongolian army can come..."
The cold wind outside the arrow stack howled, covering up the footsteps coming from below. The few soldiers chatting on the garrison tower did not hear anyone coming up, and they did not hesitate to speak. They never believed that the Mongolian army would come, and they talked about Zhang
Shun stature.
"With Zhang's stature, you might as well let me be the leader."
"Zhou Zhang..."
The soldier who was talking saw the light of the torch and turned his head. He was shocked when he saw Zhang Shun coming up holding the torch.
"Commander?! I, I, I didn't mean to call..."
"Commander."
"Commander..."
One by one, the soldiers stood up quickly and called out one after another.
Zhang Shun grinned, laughed, and said: "Don't be afraid, it's okay. My nickname is 'Jiao Zhang'. I'm used to it, so I feel comfortable hearing people call me that."
When the soldiers saw that he was really not angry, they all breathed a sigh of relief.
But after saying this, Zhang Shun's face changed, and he said: "But if you said that the Mongols won't come, you are too lax."
"Relaxation" is a new word he learned, and it is these new words that make him look more and more like a general.
"I'm from Junzhou. You are about the same as me. Dengzhou and Xinyang people are all from the Nanyang area. Nanyang is nice and the winter is much easier. We think the weather on the Yellow River is unbearable and the Mongols won't come, but
The Mongols came from the grasslands further north..."
Some soldiers secretly glanced at each other and felt that Zhang Shun was too verbose.
When a general is too talkative, he sometimes loses his dignity.
At this time, they didn't quite believe what Zhang Shun said.
But Zhang Gui had already reached the arrow stack, raised his sight tube and looked eastward, and suddenly exclaimed.
"look!"
Everyone was startled and rushed to the arrow stack, where they saw a little light of fire appearing in the east in the windy and snowy night.
"Mongolia is coming!"
"Enemy attack!"
"Ming Dy! Ming Dy!"
"..."
"ignition!"
The cold wind howled, and the snowflakes rolled into the fire and melted into the fire in a moment.
Groups of bonfires were lit in the night. They were dry firewood that the Song army had piled up. They seemed to be used to burn the ice of the Yellow River. In fact, they were not. It was to let the Mongols on the opposite side know that they had been prepared.
"Quick! Blow the trumpet and assemble..."
Zhang Shun shouted, forgetting his coldness. While summoning his soldiers, he stared wide-eyed at the dark night ahead, but he had not seen the Mongolian army at all.
But gradually, the torch lights on the opposite side became more and more bright, and finally they spread out endlessly...