Outside the north wall of Beixia Pass, several red-clothed riders stopped a hundred steps away and were observing the movement on the pass.
There were streaks of green smoke rising in the sky behind them.
The entire Beixia Pass has a long and narrow shape, so the north wall of the city is very narrow. It doesn't look much wider than a city tower, but it controls the official road. There are rivers on both sides of the city, and outside the basin there are hills with only paths. If
If we can't defeat Guancheng, we won't be able to enter Tongcheng.
There are no flags on the wall, only some figures disappearing and appearing.
Those rogue cavalry soldiers were probably hesitating as well. The city in front of them blocked their investigation, and they had no idea what happened after the city was closed.
Outside the north wall of Guancheng, there are a series of shops and houses along the official road. Several rogue horse soldiers are stationed outside the market, neither approaching nor leaving. There is even a remaining wooden bridge on the wooden bridge river on the west side.
They can't cross the river either.
Pang Yu hid behind a wall and observed the situation outside through the arrow hole. From his perspective, he could see the soldiers of the garrison hidden behind the house and in the alley.
Rogue sentries began to appear in Xiaoguanpu yesterday, numbering about a hundred.
Pan Keda and Pang Yu were in a similar situation, neither of them had any decent war horses. Xu Ziqiang was still on the way here, and Zhang Guowei helped him get twenty horses from Nanjing. They did look better in shape than the riding horses that Pang Yu bought.
This cavalry might not be able to defeat the rogues, so Shi Kefa decided to stay in the city, but Pang Yu was determined to capture a few rogue sentry horses, because until now, they only knew that there were horses to guard them, and they had no idea about the other rogue leaders and how many troops they had.
, I have no idea how to branch out, or what the plan is, so capturing prisoners and obtaining intelligence is the first priority.
The best place to fight a cavalry ambush is in the streets.
Today, Pang Yu mobilized a hundred soldiers to leave the city before dawn, and lurked in the market outside the north wall, waiting for the rogues to come.
At three quarters to three o'clock, rogue sentry horses began to appear one after another, but they never approached the street, or even left the official road and detoured around the surrounding hills.
The distance between the two sides is about thirty steps, separated by a layer of houses.
Although the soldiers in the garrison camp have been waiting for a long time, they are still quiet. The daily standing still training is effective.
The rogue bandits kept testing the streets, sprinting on horseback from time to time, then suddenly stopping and turning back.
There was a tense atmosphere in the air. Shi Kefa was looking very seriously behind an arrow stack next to him, but Pang Yu felt that he was still a little nervous.
Shi Kefa turned to look at Pang Yu and said, "General Pang, why don't those bandits go into the market and plunder, instead of using the bridge to bypass the pass?"
"They are afraid that we will cut off the official road," Pang Yu pointed to the road on the left side. "The road over there is not good. If you want to bypass Guancheng, you have to go along the river road. If we occupy the wooden bridge, they will
I can't go back to Xiaoguanpu. I'm not familiar with the place here, so it's hard to escape."
Shi Kefa snorted, looked through the arrow hole for a moment, frowned and said, "Sure enough, they are all habitual gangsters who can be so cunning."
Pang Yu coughed dryly, not sure if this was a compliment or a sarcasm to himself.
After thinking about it, Pang Yu decided to reassure Shi Kefa, because Shi Kefa's duty was to guard Anqing, but for Pang Yu, it was not the case. He needed a victory to increase his credibility and train troops along the way. It would be better if he could be promoted.
"Sir, there is no need to worry. I have seen bandits fighting in Tongcheng. Their cavalry lacked armor, so I built a row of wooden houses in the school grounds to train the soldiers in street fighting. Once they enter the streets, the cavalry has nowhere to run.
, no match for my infantry."
Shi Kefa nodded silently, while Pan Ke looked at Pang Yu with disdain, but did not say anything sarcastic.
At this time, there was some movement outside. Pang Yu quickly looked around. Perhaps the confrontation had lasted for a long time. Several sentry riders lost their patience. After discussing with each other for a few words, the two riders jumped off their horses and started banging fire sticks on the spot. Pang Yu thought to himself:
Oops, quickly run back to the parapet and wave to the more than 20 cavalry waiting below.
Yang Xueshi gave a command, and the only cavalrymen in the garrison mounted their horses one after another. The queue suddenly became chaotic, and two horses even neighed twice.
When they returned to the main wall, several rogue cavalry had already lit up their rockets, drew their bows and fired them at nearby houses.
There were many thatched houses outside the city, and the bandits would shoot at the tops of the thatched houses, and soon several fires started.
"Grandma's, the infantry can't hide anymore."
After Pang Yu finished cursing, he apologized to Shi Kefa and quickly got off the city wall. Several soldiers opened the iron gate and the cavalry swarmed out.
After all the cavalrymen went out, Pang Yu jumped on his horse and followed at the end with Guo Fengyou and several soldiers. There was the sound of horse hooves in front of him, and he didn't know whether he could catch up with the bandits.
The garrison camp's miscellaneous horses galloped on the street, and the formation became even more chaotic. On the street where four horses could ride abreast, only two horses could run at most. Even Pang Yu's own horse kept slowing down and twisted its head in disobedience.
His command.
After chasing two hundred steps out of the street, the cavalry in front stopped. Pang Yu finally came to the head of the team. Yang Xueshi rode on the horse with some annoyance. The bandits in front had turned into a few small dots.
This distance was set by Pang Yu. It is only two miles from here to Xiaoguanpu. There must be a large number of sentry cavalry there. Pang Yu's cavalry used to be hard to please.
"Please punish me, sir."
Yang Xueshi said a little discouraged.
"Don't take poetry seriously. These are the sentry horses of rogue bandits. They travel all over the country for many years, searching and plundering every day.
Someone must have used this method of ambush before, and they will not be easily fooled. Let's think of other methods."
After Pang Yu said this, he looked back and saw that there was not a single flag on the wall. It looked suspicious. If he were doing it himself, he would be cautious.
The infantrymen have put out several fires, and there are curls of green smoke floating in the street.
Shi Kefa came from behind on horseback, followed by Pan Keda and Xu Ziqiang, both of whom seemed to be gloating about others' misfortune.
Shi Kefa squinted and looked into the distance. Several bandits were almost out of sight. The mounts were indeed much better than theirs.
He shook his head and said, "General Pang has a commendable fighting spirit, but the bandits are so cunning, so it is better to secure the city and destroy the bandits in the future."
Pang Yu was actually not too afraid of these bandits. The victory in Tongcheng's night attack gave him a psychological advantage. The bandits in front of him should be small in number. He really wanted to test the effectiveness of the training.
At that moment, he advised Shi Kefa, "My subordinates are thinking that only by knowing yourself and the enemy can you be victorious in every battle. This group of bandits came from Shucheng. There is only one avenue. Now they have cut off Xiaoguanpu. They don't know anything about the situation to the north. They can capture two people."
The three sentry riders will ask for confessions, so that you can decide on the battle and defense."
Shi Kefa hesitated for a moment and said: "My duty lies with Master Zhang Du. Naturally, the most important thing is to protect Anqing."
The meaning behind these words was that he was not planning to fight in the field, but Pang Yu had an urge to kill people in his heart. Just as he was about to continue persuading, Pan Ke took a big step forward.
"My lord, you have learned this lesson: when using troops, consider defeat first and then victory.
The rogue bandits are coming from the direction of Yingzhou, and they have plundered the territory at the beginning of the year. The gains from plundering are limited, and they will not be able to fight for a long time. Our army is firmly guarding Beixia Pass, with sufficient food and grass and a strong city to support it, and it is in an invincible position.
, naturally the best policy is to stay safe.”
Pang Yu was eager for Pan Ke to speak up. He didn't have to show mercy to Pan Ke, and he could also insinuate Shi Kefa. Before Shi Kefa could say anything, he said, "General Pan's best policy is to stay safe. You are undefeated, but when Shucheng comes, the people along the way will take over."
It's up to them to fend for themselves.
We are officers and soldiers of the Ming Dynasty, guarding the people of the world. If the bandits bypass Guancheng, will General Pan only protect Beixia Pass and not Tongcheng?
No wonder General Pan rescued Su Song at the beginning of the year and returned to Anqing Fucheng so quickly. It turned out that he only planned to defend Fucheng."
"Don't talk nonsense."
Pan Ke's big beard was angry, and he took two steps closer to Pang Yu and shouted, "We are under Zhang Duye's command, and Anqing is the most important place. If we lose the battle and Anqing is in ruins, can you bear this huge responsibility?"
.”
"Master Pan is a veteran general. You should know that only if you can fight can you defend. Fighting and defense are originally one body. If you don't stand, you can't defend.
You just said that the most important place in Anqing, General Pan, dare to say that he has saved it?"
Pan Keda was stunned and said angrily, "Why can't I save it?"
Pang Yu pointed forward, "Xiaoguanpu is the territory under the jurisdiction of Tongcheng. It is currently occupied by rogue bandits. If you don't go out to fight, they will raid the people from all over the countryside. Have you saved the land or the people?"
"You..." Pan Keda's face suddenly turned red. Although Beixia Pass is the northern pass of Tongcheng, there is indeed a small pass in front of it. After passing there, Shucheng can be considered. At present, the rogues have indeed occupied a small area of Anqing.
.
Shi Kefa quickly stretched out his hand to stop the two of them.
Pang Yu confused the two matters of going to war and security celebrations. Now if he insists on not going to fight, he will slap himself in the face.
"General Pang's plan to lure the enemy failed, so we should attack Xiaoguanpu directly. But the rogues are all horse soldiers. The open plains here are so that the infantry can escape before they arrive."
Pang Yu waved back, and Guo Fengyou handed over a long tube. Pang Yu took it and pulled it open, making it more than one meter long. Both Pan Keda and Xu Ziqiang could not hide the surprise on their faces.
Passing the telescope to Shi Kefa, Pang Yu pointed forward and said, "I feel that the bandits also want to find out our true identity and will definitely come again.
This time we set up an ambush in the market. They will psychologically think that the official road is safe, and their subordinates will set up an ambush there next time."
Shi Kefa raised his telescope and looked in the direction Pang Yu pointed. There was an inverted image inside. Not far from the official road about a mile away, there were several ruins of houses and a bamboo forest.
…In the early morning of the second day, at two quarters of the Yin hour.
The mist is shrouded near Beixiaguan, and the mountain breeze blows slowly, bringing a bit of coolness.
There was a buzzing sound inside the Beixia Pass gate. Fifty soldiers joined together in the street. Under the lanterns, the densely packed spear tips emitted a faint yellow light.
The lanterns were extinguished one after another, and the street was dark. There was a creaking sound from the doorway. The door opened, the officer gave orders in a low voice, and the soldiers quietly set off along the avenue.
Wu Tachai stared at the blurry backs of his teammates in front of him with his eyes wide open, while paying attention to his steps.
On that day, he saved his life on the general stage. Dong Mingyuan's half of the stick was almost slapped, but in fact he only received fifteen military sticks.
Ten days later, he regained his ability to move, and his military pay was deducted for another three months. Even though the gambling incident was revealed, the Chinese army returned him to the combat barracks, and he was still in the original squad.
He arrived in Tongcheng with the second group of troops. He was still walking with a limp at that time. After recuperating in Tongcheng for several days, his injuries have basically recovered.
Unexpectedly, the 100th General Bureau was selected for this ambush, and his team was selected.
There was almost no light at this time. In order to conceal their actions, lanterns and torches were not allowed. The fifty people stumbled and stumbled. Someone fell down from time to time. Wu Tachai also fell twice. When setting off, Pang Pang said that anyone who spoke out would be beheaded.
After what happened in the past, Ng Tak Choi was never willing to face it again, so even if he fell to his knee for the second time, he grimaced in pain and did not dare to make a sound.
After walking stealthily for a mile, I finally arrived at the ambush location.
In the darkness, we groped our way into several abandoned houses. The basin in Beixiaguan is very rich in water and is surrounded by paddy fields. There are seven or eight families here. The harvests from the fields should be good on weekdays, and they are considered well-off among the nearby farmers.
The people inside have fled into the pass. Yesterday, the bandits burned down several houses and even the surrounding bamboo forest.
Ng Tak Choi didn't know which house he was in. All he saw was darkness, and the surrounding paddy fields were full of insects and frogs.
According to the military order at the time of departure, no one was allowed to speak or sleep until Yao Dongshan, who was leading the team, gave an order.
Ever since Mr. Jiao was beheaded, no one dared to despise the military order. Everyone was huddled in the ruins. They could only hear breathing in the darkness. It felt like there were a lot of people.
After waiting for an unknown amount of time, there began to be some light in the sky. Wu Tachai looked up and saw that half of the roof where he was was collapsed, and there were traces of blackening everywhere, but the four walls were basically intact.
After scanning the room again, I found that there were at least fifteen or sixteen people in the room, which seemed very crowded. There were five more people than planned. I don't know which team had brought them to the wrong place.
But now that there is light, I dare not change the position.
The crooked-faced man was next to him, his eyes half-closed as he was concentrating. Opposite him was the dull man, who kept looking at the others.
The person sitting at the door is Dong Mingyuan, who has the highest position in the room. Pang Pang has assigned them a rank of Vice President, which is half a level higher than the flag captain. According to Pang Pang's regulations, when the town governor is enforcing military discipline,
Even Yao Dongshan, the chief executive, can't control him.
Dong Mingyuan made a gesture to indicate that everyone could eat.
Everyone carefully opened the coconut scoops and ate some dry food with water.
Wu Dacai looked next to Dong Mingyuan. There was a soldier there, a soldier assigned to the governor. Dong Mingyuan happened to glance at Wu Dacai, and Wu Dacai quickly buried his head and stared at the ground.
After eating dry food, the sky gradually became brighter and the official road was still quiet.
Wu Tac-choi's back was leaning against the earthen wall. He had seen the bandits on the city wall yesterday. They seemed to be very skilled on horseback. He was probably no match for them, but the captains all said in unison that they were not difficult to kill, which gave him some confidence.
No one spoke in the room, and Wu Da Tsai could only think wildly, from his lost second son to the small courtyard he might buy in Anqing.
I don't know how long he waited, but Wu Tat-choi moved his back to avoid being hurt by the wall. Just after adjusting, the sound of horse hooves suddenly came from outside.