When Yu Qian arrived in Hukou County, across the narrow estuary of Poyang Lake, there was Jiujiang on the other side... He set out from Jiujiang City. For several months, Yu Qian came from Jiujiang and arrived in Hukou County, almost circling Poyang Lake.
After I was selected as a scholar, I then prepared for the provincial examination and did not have the opportunity to travel around the country with my sword. But now I have traveled to many places and roads due to official duties.
They were not in the county seat, but at the Poyang Lake. A sergeant was leading a horse to drink water by the lake. Yu Qian was standing among the withered grass on the lake shore, looking up at the water. Wang Jian, who was accompanying him, was carrying a package, which contained half a package of paper.
It is a record of what Yu Qian has seen and heard these days. If these words are sorted out, I am afraid it can be printed into a book, and it is appropriate to call it so-and-so travel notes.
"Sir, that is Shizhong Mountain." The magistrate of Hukou reminded respectfully. Seeing Yu Qian looking back, he pointed to the scenery on the left.
"Oh?" Yu Qian looked at it with interest for a long time. The county magistrate asked again: "It's still early today. Since you have arrived in Hu County, why don't you go up and have a tour?"
Yu Qian recited a few lines briefly: "Is it okay to make assumptions about the existence of things without seeing them and hearing them? What Li Yuan saw and heard is almost the same as that of Yu, and it is unknown; the scholar-officials are not willing to park their boats on the cliffs at night.
It's down, so I can't know..."
The county magistrate hurriedly said: "Your Excellency can memorize the original text of Dongpo Layman. I am extremely impressed by my extensive knowledge and extensive knowledge."
Yu Qian did not comment. It is true that even if the "Shi Zhongshan Ji" is relatively famous, few learned scholars can memorize it. It is true that scholar-bureaucrats need to memorize many books for the imperial examination, but there is no need to memorize Su Dongpo's articles, not to mention that most of them will be forgotten after becoming an official.
Articles, even many of the articles that were tested that year may have been forgotten.
Just walking around Poyang Lake, Yu Qian had many opportunities to reminisce about the past. There is indeed a lot of precipitation in various places in China, and there are traces of humanities everywhere. He pondered for a moment and then said: "I won't go there this time. I will visit another time.
, more state of mind.”
Wang Jian said: "Life is short and full of troubles. Maybe I will never have the chance to come here again."
"Yeah." Yu Qian responded lightly, but without much melancholy.
The military general Wei Bin on the side obviously had no interest in such a hillside, not even Su Shi. When he heard this, he changed the subject and said: "Isn't there news that a large number of officers and soldiers have been stationed in Huizhou? The general is puzzled.
Why does the governor still keep most of the Yongding Camp and the Jiujiang Army (the surrendered army of the Han Dynasty) in Jiujiang City?"
"This is not the place to discuss military affairs." Wang Jian reminded.
Wei Bin had no choice but to shut up.
At this moment, he heard the sound of horse hooves on the road behind him. Yu Qian and others looked back and saw four horses running towards this side, vaguely like messengers from a distance. When they got closer, they saw two of them.
One was a messenger, but Yu Qian didn't care about the messenger. His attention was attracted by another woman for a while, because she was Luo Yaoniang.
Luo Yaoniang pursed her lips to both sides and looked at Yu Qian with a smile. Yu Qian said: "Miss Luo, why are you here?"
"It's been a boring day in Wuchang. I happened to know that your servant went to Wuchang to deliver a letter and was about to return to Jiangxi. I waited for him to leave the city and followed him. I heard from Mrs. Dong that you visited Poyang Lake in Jiangxi.
Don't call me for such good things, haha."
When Luo Yaoniang was talking, she took off the square scarf on her head, revealing her black hair tied into a bun. She was wearing a man's robe, but she didn't look like a man at all, not to mention her curvy figure and face.
She is very beautiful, her eyebrows are drawn long and thin, almost reaching the hairline, and there are some thin and velvety hairs above her smooth forehead, which glow with a slight orange sheen in the sun.
The magistrate next to him quietly asked a military general he had become acquainted with not long ago. The military general whispered: "The adopted daughter of the chief minister of the cabinet, Yang Gong."
Yu Qian shook his head and smiled: "I went over the mountains and ridges in Poyang Lake, but I didn't go sightseeing... Miss Luo left like this, did you tell Mr. Yang?"
Luo Yaoniang said: "My father was not at home when I left, so I left a letter. It doesn't matter. My father knows that I am here to see you, so he can rest assured."
The magistrate of Hukou County in green robe interjected: "Next to me is the famous Shizhong Mountain, which is a scenic spot in Hukou County. Before I went to the official position, I sent people to the temple on the mountain to arrange vegetarian food. Since Mr. Yu has met an old friend here, why don't we meet today?
How about a trip up the mountain?”
This time Yu Qian did not refuse directly. He asked Luo Yaoniang: "Have you ever heard of Shi Zhongshan?" Luo Yaoniang shook her head and pursed her lips: "It seems... I heard it somewhere." Yu Qian said: "Su Dongpo
I wrote an article "The Story of Shizhong Mountain", which made this place even more famous."
Luo Yaoniang was not too polite and said with a smile: "Hey, then you want to use the vegetarian vegetables from the mountain to catch the wind and wash away the dust for me?"
Although the words were half-joking, the words had reached this point, and they were people he had known for many years. Yu Qian was about to agree. Unexpectedly, at this moment, the messenger wearing a big hat who arrived together said: "Please take a look first."
Read the news about Du Changlai."
Only then did Yu Qian realize that he had been a little negligent. He only talked to Luo Yaoniang and didn't even say a word to the messenger who was obviously here because of official business. When he talked to Luo Yaoniang, he acted very calmly and maintained a good posture.
A scholar-bureaucrat has the quality of being unfazed by honor or disgrace, but a little negligence cannot conceal his inner surprise and concern.
He followed the sound and saw that the messenger who was speaking was wearing a half-length round-neck robe, the socks on his trousers were tightly tied, and his feet were wearing soap boots. The messenger was wearing a big hat with the brim of the hat pushed down very low, and he stepped forward.
When he saw the governor, his head was slightly lowered and only half of his face was exposed.
The messenger stepped forward and pulled out a roll of lacquered paper from the bamboo tube and handed it over. Yu Qian stroked the sleeves of his robe, reached out to take it, and opened it calmly to look at it. Soon his eyelids twitched, women are careful, Luo Yaoniang
His subtle behavior was quickly discovered.
This thing is not an official document, it is military information sent by the Provincial Intelligence Branch stationed in Changcheng, the capital. Before the letter was sent, no less than 5,000 people from the official army had been dispatched from Huizhou Prefecture and marched towards the Jiangxi border. This shows that the official army
The assembly and war preparations in Huizhou have been completed, and the vanguard will take the initiative to attack.
Yu Qian read it in detail, turned around and handed the paper to General Wei Bin.
Luo Yaoniang said: "Let's not go to Shizhong Mountain. I'm a little tired after walking such a long way. I'll rest for two days."
"That's fine." Yu Qian immediately ordered, "Send someone to take a boat to Shuiying on the other side. Immediately transfer a boat to the mouth of the lake to pick us up. We will return to Jiujiang City today."
The magistrate of Hukou County realized that the governor might have something urgent and could not inquire about it or stay, so he quickly proposed that the county send a boat to see him off. However, Yu Qian insisted on taking a warship, so the magistrate had to give up.
...When we entered Jiujiang City, it was already dark. Inside the governor's camp, the lights were still on. There were scattered lanterns hanging on both sides of the long street outside, and the light was relatively dim. The bright lights of the governor's camp were even more prominent.
In the hall, Yu Qian and several people were discussing matters. In addition to Wang Jian and other staff, there were also military commanders including Wei Bin, Zhang Chengzong and others, all of whom were military commanders from the Yongding Battalion. Because this overnight meeting was somewhat private, there was no one in command of each battalion of the Jiujiang Army.
Be present.
Yu Qian said to Wei Bin: "In the morning, General Wei asked why so many troops were stationed in Jiujiang. The reason is: this time the imperial army is advancing from Zhili in the south, and there is only one strategic target, which is Jiujiang City."
Wei Bin clasped his fists and said: "I don't mean to offend you general, but I don't know why we have to be trapped in one place to protect Jiujiang? I remember two months ago, my lord, I said that if you want to protect Jiujiang, you must defend Poyang Lake. Now the army has marched from Huizhou.
, the scouting report said five thousand, usually there will be follow-up troops to follow; if the local officials and commanders of the guards in the prefectures and counties east of Poyang Lake can surrender to us, why can't they surrender to the officers and soldiers? The civil and military forces in these places will not stick to it at all.
The city and the army will be overwhelming. And our heavy troops have been stationary in Jiujiang for several months. Even if reinforcements are sent out now, how can we come in time? I can't explain this to the prince. "
"As the governor of Jiangxi, I have the power to dispatch the troops and horses of this province in a controlled manner. The main force in Jiujiang City is stationary. Of course, the responsibility should be borne by me. I will write a report and submit it tonight."
Yu Qian looked around, and everyone was silent for a while. He then said: "How big is Jiangxi? Thirteen prefectures and seventy-seven counties. General Wei just said it right. It is impossible for the local city defense troops to defend us with their lives against the official army.
Then how can we defend the more than 10,000 people in the Yongding Camp, including the Jiujiang Army (the troops sent by the King of Han), which include more than 30,000 people on land and water? Even on the eastern front of Poyang Lake, there are more than ten key places that need to be defended. It is obvious to divide the troops to defend the city.
I decided to make a decision. There was news that the government troops were stationed in Huizhou just two months ago. My plan was to choose favorable terrain to the west of Poyang Lake and concentrate my forces to fight against the government troops..."
Several generals nodded after hearing this. This strategy was no longer a secret among the upper echelons of the army.
Yu Qian said: "But when I walked to Jingdezhen two months ago, I felt that this strategy was not appropriate, so I held off my troops for a long time. Jingdezhen's weapons were not repaired, and there were very few soldiers and horses. I am afraid that there has not been a big battle in a hundred years; think carefully about the past and present.
Up and down, when has there ever been a recorded battle in that area? It makes sense for the predecessors not to choose this place to deploy troops. In the past two months, I have traveled to many prefectures and counties around Poyang Lake, and have carefully inspected the terrain of mountains and rivers near and far. I believe that heavy troops are concentrated in Poyang.
It is very inappropriate to fight in the southeast of Hunan.
Why? The imperial court wanted to use troops to pacify Huguang. It moved from east to west from the south of the Yangtze River. The target of this campaign must be Jiujiang City. By capturing Jiujiang City, it will completely control Poyang Lake and the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. Then the government and army can move up the river and press forward.
Wuchang is like walking on flat ground; the main force of the Jiangbei Battalion and a large amount of grain and grass supplies can also cross the river from near Jiujiang to ensure that there are sufficient reinforcements for the advancing troops. In this crucial place, if the government and army attack Jiangxi, why not focus on Jiujiang?
Since the goal of the army is to take Jiujiang, why don't they march directly from South Zhili to Hukou along the river, but instead transfer troops to Huizhou? This is the road to seek the distance at the expense of the near. We can't be fooled when we hear the army approaching the border. I once thought that the army would not march directly to Hukou.
However, when they came from Huizhou, even if they captured the towns on the east bank of Poyang Lake, they still had to cross Poyang Lake, unless they detoured from the south, but the road was too far to lose.
I have to be careful. The army gathering troops in Huizhou is a feint attack, but it is actually to take Hukou to cross the lake. The imperial court has strong troops. Even if the battle starts in the south, it still has enough power to divide its troops directly from the lower reaches of the Yangtze River to attack Hukou, and then take Jiujiang City.