Volume 1: A World of War and Chaos Chapter 29: Wings cannot escape
Zhu Yuanzhang really regarded this place as his base. From the end of Youshi to Yinshi, the special forces had killed almost two thousand people in total. This was still a place where someone led the way. There was no telling how many people were hidden. Could it be that they were all integrated?
Is it zero?
Liu Xin was called and ordered: "Tomorrow morning, you and Yu Rui will each take four groups of new team members, wear casual clothes, change shifts every two hours, and go to the vicinity of Beixuan Temple in Bei City. Remember, if you find anything,
Report it immediately, don’t alert others!”
Liu Xin accepted the promise and turned around to find Yu Rui to arrange manpower.
Luo Yu heard from the team leader who was in the Red Scarf Army that Zhu Yuanzhang and his subordinates often went to Beixuan Temple for an hour or two, and sometimes they would come back drunk.
There should be something discovered, so Liu Xin was asked to check it out.
Go to bed after making arrangements. You should be fine tonight. There are 500 people arranged around the government office, so you can sleep peacefully. With such security measures being taken into account, there is nothing to say.
Early on the next morning, Li Xiuning and Luo Yu had breakfast and discussed when to go south to Zhengzhou and escort them in Kaifeng. Today is May 18th. It is 220 miles from Jincheng to Zhengzhou and 300 miles to Kaifeng, and there are still more journeys on the way.
After passing Mengzhou and forcibly crossing the Yellow River, troops and horses must be left behind in Jincheng and Zezhou. It is impossible for all 50,000 troops and horses to go south. We need to think carefully about how to arrange this.
According to the marching speed of the Eastern Expedition Army, the Youwu Army will be able to reach Kaifeng at the latest on May 25th. There is still plenty of time. They still have to stay in Jincheng today to clean up the Red Turban rebels in Beixuanguan. Although they have recaptured
Jincheng does not have enough power, but it is still easy to cause chaos among the people.
The intelligence sent back from Kaifeng reminded Luo Yu of the fierce general Zhang Xutuo. He used to be a military leader in Li Xiuning's army. Later, on the recommendation of Yang Lin, he was appointed as the cavalry general of the Eastern Expedition Army. He accompanied the army on the Eastern Expedition. On the way, he met Youwu again.
With the same feelings as the army, he disembarked in Luoyang and went to attack Nanyang Wang Bo as a rebel. After breaking the city, he took the order and went north to Xuchang. He stayed in Xuchang ever since.
On May 15th, he received an imperial edict again, asking him to go north to Kaifeng and build a pontoon bridge on the Yellow River. He did not dare to neglect, so he left 5,000 troops to guard Xuchang, and led his army to go north at night. After arriving in Kaifeng, he worked with the local magistrate, officers and soldiers to find a way to fight.
bridge.
It is not that easy to build a pontoon bridge on the Yellow River. Now is the flood season. The river is thirty to forty feet wider than usual, and the flow is also large. The dams on both sides of Kaifeng have been filled in. The foundation must be rooted in such land.
It is strong but can easily loosen. It is extremely difficult to carry hundreds of thousands of people and endure the daily impact of river water.
There are many shipbuilding and bridge building workshops and craftsmen in Kaifeng city. After calling them together, when they heard that such a pontoon bridge was to be built on the Yellow River, they all shook their heads and did not dare to undertake it.
In desperation, Zhang Xutuo remembered the method Luo Yu used to cross the Ziwu River. He used a boat to pull the iron chain to the other side, built foundations on both sides, and then laid wooden planks on the iron chain. Wouldn't that be enough?
After talking about their ideas, these craftsmen had more ideas. They worked together and the iron smelting workshop worked day and night to forge the required iron chains. After seven days and seven nights of non-stop work, the iron chains we see now were made.
Arriving at the pontoon.
After finishing the meal, Luo Yu said to Li Xiuning: "How about you stay in Jincheng, I will lead the troops south. There is no news about Zhu Yuanzhang's troops and horses, and they seem to have evaporated. I am not worried about Jincheng."
Li Xiuning said: "If you want to go south, I will lead the troops. As a general, how can I let you lead the troops? However, I do have a suitable candidate to stay behind."
Luo Yu said: "I know who you are talking about, but I don't know if he is willing. Originally Luo Shixin was good and could stay in Zezhou, but he is a little confused now. It may be that the poison has not been completely removed. So, wait a moment
I went to talk to them and they agreed. We will lead the troops south together. I don’t want to be separated from you."
Li Xiuning smiled and said: "Okay, actually I don't want to be separated from you, so let me tell my cousin, you go find your family, I believe in your ability to recognize people!"
On May 19th, at noon yesterday, drought and lightning fell from the sky, right in the middle of Beixuan Temple, affecting 300 nearby houses. The officers and soldiers came to put out the fire, but they clashed with armed thieves who rushed out of the fire. More than 200 people were killed on the spot.
, more than 1,600 people were arrested, and then there was no news about these unscrupulous people.
Qin Qiong finally agreed to Li Xiuning's request and led 15,000 troops to stay in Jincheng. The pressure on him was not small at all. He not only had to clean up the red scarf, but also had to be prepared for Zhu Yuanzhang's sneak attacks at any time. 15,000 cavalry was a bit short.
But this is the most soldiers and horses that Youwu Army can give him.
After Luo Shixin saw Luo Yu, he kept asking him why he knew so much about him. How is Sanniang doing now? Luo Yu said: "You want to know? Then you have to promise to do something for me, and I will give it to you.
Five thousand soldiers and horses, help me defend Zezhou, and I will tell you everything when I come back."
Luo Shixin seemed to be very serious and said: "Okay, unless I die, no one can cross Zezhou."
After hearing this, Luo Yu patted him on the shoulder and said, "It's a promise. I will tell you everything I know when I come back."
On May 23rd, the 30,000-strong Youwu Army led by Li Xiuning arrived at Yuanyang County on the north bank of the Yellow River after four days of rapid march. As soon as they set up the Chinese army's tent, Yang Guang's imperial edict arrived, originally asking them to go to Kaifeng.
Escort. Across the river is Zhengzhou. I didn’t see a single soldier of Zhu Yuanzhang and Dou Jiande along the way. Their soldiers and horses seemed to disappear in the air.
Luo Yu always felt that something was wrong, like the calm before the storm, but this was the southern Hebei plain, and he could see whether there were ambushes at a glance, and he didn't know where they would ambush.
There are still eighty miles before entering the closed city, and we can arrive at noon the day after tomorrow at the latest. Today we camped in the suburbs of Yuanyang. The weather is getting hotter and hotter, so there is no need to set up so many tents. For convenience, most people camp in
On the grass that has been sprayed with insect repellent.
It was already the beginning of the Youshi period when we arrived at Li Xiuning's handsome tent. He saw her wearing silver armor, her long hair tied up in a ponytail, looking at a map by candlelight, and drinking sour plum soup. Luo Yu smiled and said:
"It's too hot. Let me get you some ice."
Li Xiuning looked at him in surprise and said, "Where are you going to get ice when you are so hot? Is it possible that you can order some water to melt it?"
Luo Yu said: "Wait a minute, is there any grape stuffing? I'll treat you to some iced sour plum soup later, grape stuffing!"
Li Xiuning said: "I don't have grape wine here. It's too expensive and I can't drink it. Besides, the army strictly prohibits drinking during the expedition. Don't you know? There is quite a lot of sour plum soup."
Luo Yu smiled and said, "Forget it, I'll make ice for you first!" After saying that, he called Liu Xin and asked him to help him prepare ice-making tools.
In fact, it is very simple to use two iron basins, one large and one small, half filled with clean water, then float the water in the small basin mixed with mint water on the large basin, then prepare enough saltpeter, pound it into small pieces, and add it one after another.
In the water in the big basin, the saltpeter absorbs heat when it meets the water, and the water in the small basin slowly freezes.
After a cup of tea, half a basin of crystal clear ice appeared in front of Li Xiuning. Luo Yu used a knife to knock off a small piece, put it in his mouth and sucked it. The ice mint felt so good.
Li Xiuning had been staring intently since Luo Yu put the saltpeter in. When the water in the small basin started to mist, she was so shocked that she could not speak. She did not come back to her senses until it all froze.
When I was in Chang'an, a small amount of ice was provided to the princes and ministers in the summer, and everyone who received it was grateful. During the period of Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty, it was strictly forbidden to dig up makeup kilns privately. Violators would be fined a thousand gold. Only the court could store ice in the kilns in winter.
Ice, this rule was not abolished until Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty came to power. Every layer of ice stored in this cellar must be sprinkled with fine salt to preserve it. After a few months, half of it will often disappear. Unexpectedly, Luo Yu made ice so easily.
She couldn't help but be shocked.
Seeing that Li Xiuning was in a daze, Luo Yu broke off another piece and put it into the sour plum boil, waiting for the ice cubes to melt. Then he knocked off another ice cube the size of a meatball, scooped it up with a spoon, and sprinkled a handful of brown sugar and ice cubes on it.
The surface is slowly melting in the hot air, and the brown sugar is sprinkled and just adheres to the ice cubes, turning into a brown sugar ball.
He handed the spoon to Li Xiuning, who was in a daze, and said, "Eat it, you can have as much as you want."
Li Xiuning came back to her senses, glanced at Luo Yu in surprise, stretched out her hand to take the spoon, glanced at the cute shape, and slowly took it into her mouth. A caramel aroma of brown sugar spread throughout her mouth, and then mixed with the coolness of mint.
When the feeling hits me, I swallow it mixed with syrup, and most of the heat is gone. It feels so comfortable.
After eating three in a row, he stopped and said, "Where did you learn this? It's amazing! It's delicious."
Luo Yu smiled and said: "Is this delicious? It's not convenient to make anything else today. I will make something more delicious for you when I have time in the future."
Li Xiuning was very happy. She glanced at the half-filled basin of ice cubes and wanted to ask the military leaders to try it. But she was afraid that it would not be enough, so she quickly looked at Luo Yu inquiringly.
Luo Yu said: "I won't give this to them. If it's not enough, I'll tell you next time. Don't eat too much. The iced sour plum soup is ready. Drink it quickly."
Yang Lin looked at most of the infantry passing by, carefully checked the bridge foundation, and found that there was no sign of looseness. He felt relieved and hurriedly urged to speed up. It would be dark in three hours. After the infantry had passed, the cavalry could
They dispersed and quickly led their horses forward.
After the infantrymen passed by, they lined up according to their respective places. When the number reached 1,000, they were immediately taken away by the commander and trotted away in the direction of Zhengzhou in a rectangular military formation.
When Li Xiuning and Luo Yu arrived at the Kaifeng floating bridge with 30,000 troops, it was already noon on May 25th. At this time, most of the cavalry had passed, but Yang Guang's chariot was parked aside, as if watching
He will not set off until all the troops have passed safely.
In fact, we have already arrived in Kaifeng. Except for Dou Jiande who may have led his troops south, there are no other soldiers and horses nearby. However, this does not include Zhu Yuanzhang's soldiers and horses who have disappeared. He must be hiding somewhere, waiting for the right opportunity.
A head-on blow dealt a fatal blow to the Youwu Army and the Eastern Expedition Army.
I was originally worried that they would attack halfway across the river, but after looking at the terrain, I lost all caution. There is a flat plain to the north. If there is an ambush, they can be seen even ten miles away. Suddenly I thought of the tunnel, and it seemed unlikely. Here
It's beside the Yellow River, and the sandy soil has serious water seepage, making it unsuitable for digging tunnels...
This is not the case, and that is not the case. Has Zhu Yuanzhang given up? How did he hide more than 10,000 soldiers and horses silently? Luo Yu even suspected that he was a little suspicious.
Li Xiuning was always uneasy with the general's sense of crisis, just like before the volcano erupted. She found Luo Yu and said anxiously: "Luo Yu, why do I feel so scared? It seems to come from the water of the Yellow River rolling down...
"
Before she could finish speaking, the Yellow River water quickly flowed backwards, and the water level also dropped rapidly. Then the whole ground shook. Its own flow plus the reversed Yellow River water poured down from the upper reaches with great force. Damn it, this
How could we encounter the diversion of the Yellow River caused by the bursting of its embankments?
This can be fatal. The 30,000 Youwu Army and the Ten Thousand Eastern Expeditionary Army are all cavalry. Although they are easy to maneuver, it is very difficult to cross this pontoon bridge. You cannot rush too many at the same time, otherwise the pontoon bridge will not be able to withstand the break. This
The only way to survive is also cut off. The north bank is a plain with many villages and towns, and naturally there are many people. If you are swept away by the burst flood, you don't have to think about the consequences.
Just like the Huayuankou embankment burst during Luo Yu's time and space during the Anti-Japanese War, thousands of square kilometers of the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River in Jizhong County, southern Hebei Province were reduced to swamps. Hundreds of thousands of people were drowned and tens of millions were displaced. It seems that it will also happen here.
Experienced it once.
If this is a natural embankment breach, then that's it. You can only blame yourself for your bad luck. If it were man-made, how cruel would it be to dig the embankment? Even though this section of the Yellow River embankment is so high above the ground, everything inside is
It was built with huge stones and covered with loess. It was not easy to dig it open manually. The chairman used nearly 5,000 kilograms of explosives but couldn't blow it up.
Now is not the time to think about this. The Eastern Expeditionary Army has already become a mess in front of the rumbling river water. Some people abandoned their horses and ran to the pontoon bridge. Some people whipped their horses forward. The knights on the pontoon bridge whipped their horses fiercely.
I wanted to rush across the south bank as soon as possible. At this moment, the pontoon shook and the iron chain made a "squeaking" sound, as if it was about to break at any time.
Fortunately for the man, he could hold on to the iron chain on the side to stabilize his body, and then slowly move forward, but the war horses were miserable. They could not stand on this kind of bridge, and the horses in front of them fell to the bridge.
After the meeting, the consequences can be imagined.
The dozens of war horses behind were blocked at the end of the bridge, unable to move forward or retreat. Together with the sergeant who had just rushed onto the bridge, the iron chains in the middle of the pontoon finally could not withstand the tension and broke one by one, falling to the bridge that had already dropped a lot.
In the water of the Yellow River.
And watching the water pouring down, the people and horses scattered in all directions, including of course some of the Youwu Army people. The reaction in this situation is not trained. People and animals will instinctively seek advantages and avoid disadvantages. Most of them
It is impossible for people to keep a clear mind and face it.
Of course Luo Yu knew that running in this situation could not escape the flood. This was a dead end. He saw the Eastern Expeditionary Army in chaos and crowded onto the pontoon bridge, causing the iron chain to break. He also saw the Youwu Army also starting to chaos.
Running around like headless flies, mixed with the neighing of war horses and the desperate cries of soldiers, the entire north bank of the Yellow River is like a huge water tomb, covering it up...
Under this situation, tens of thousands of soldiers and horses ran in three directions: west, north, and east. What they encountered was the raging torrent of the dike bursting. To the south, the Yellow River was no longer as fast as before. No matter what, it was just feeding the fish.
The fate of the turtle is really hard to escape...
(After listening to the suggestions of several friends, reduce the number of words in each section and condense the essence. Novels are for reading, not for feeling the author's mood. Everyone shows different things in the same situation.
Same, so today I am going to change my past, and I am determined to condense it, with fewer words and more plot, so readers can get used to it, thank you...)