Twenty miles north of Yanmen County is the famous Yanmen Pass. The Wutai Mountains in the south are undulating mountains, and the Great Wall is towering in the north. Yanmen County is located between two huge mountains, with a river winding down.
, running through the whole county, this is the Hutuo River. It originates from Fanju County, two hundred miles away in the northeast. It is the most important irrigation water source in Yanmen County and the mother river of Yedai Prefecture. Instrument: No advertisements, full text,
Even
At this time, Yanmen Pass did not play the role of an important military pass. The enemy came from the south, and the Wutai Mountains could not stop Yang Liang's cavalry. Yang Liang successively invested 50,000 elite troops and launched a massive attack on Daizhou.
Daizhou is connected to Taiyuan Prefecture in the south and connected to Youzhou through Feihu Road. It has an extremely important strategic position. More importantly, Li Jing, the governor of Daizhou, was the most determined vanguard against Yang Liang. He was the first to issue a petition to merge the state.
, reprimanded Yang Liang for plotting rebellion, and most of them
All the states in Hedong maintained a wait-and-see attitude because of Li Jing's firm opposition, which made Li Jing a sharp sword hanging over Yang Liang's head. After he formally raised the flag to rebel, he first wanted to take down the representative.
Prefecture, beheaded Li Jing to intimidate the Hedong prefectures.
Yang Liang knew that Daizhou's troops were meager and its city was dilapidated and small. He sent General Liu Hao with 30,000 troops to attack Daizhou. Unexpectedly, only three days later, news came from Daizhou that Liu Hao was beheaded by Li Jing. The army
After the defeat, Yang Liang now knew how powerful Li Jing was. He did not dare to underestimate the enemy anymore, so he sent Qiao Zhongkui, one of his right-hand men, to attack Daizhou with 30,000 elite troops.
The brutal siege battle had been going on for five days. Rivers of blood flowed inside and outside the city wall, and corpses were strewn on the ground. The dilapidated city wall could not withstand the repeated stone attacks from dozens of trebuchets, and the city wall suddenly collapsed.
However, Yang Liang's army did not attack the city. The governor Li Jing led thousands of brave and skilled defenders to fight to the death with Yang Liang's army. His officials also performed their duties. Daizhou Sima Feng Xiaoci, Justice Lu Yu were brave and good at fighting.
They took the lead and led the soldiers to defeat the attacks of Yang Liang's army again and again where the city wall collapsed. At the same time, they organized civilians to repair the collapsed city wall.
In particular, the commander of the state soldiers, Hou Mo Chen Yi, was very good at defensive and defensive warfare. He was responsible for mobilizing the entire army to defend various parts of the city wall.
Li Jing, on the other hand, was in charge of the city, stabilizing the morale of the military and the people. It was the tacit cooperation of these four people that made the dilapidated Yanmen County city remain standing despite the fierce attack of 50,000 rebels.
But on the night of the fifth day, a huge crisis occurred. A group of soldiers guarding the granary mutinied and set fire to the Daizhou granary, destroying 20,000 shi of grain. This unexpected incident seriously shook the morale of the army.
In Yanmen County, the governor Li Jingzheng led a group of soldiers to mobilize from house to house, hoping that residents would take out the food stored in their homes and have it distributed by the army.
Li Jing was born in the famous Li family in Longxi. He was six feet three tall, broad-shouldered and round-waisted. He was especially known for his superb swordsmanship and was known as the Hua Dao General. In addition, he had a pair of silkworm eyebrows and red and phoenix eyes. He also got a 'Xiaoguan'
He liked this nickname very much, and specially changed his sword to the Qinglong Yanyue Sword. His biggest wish was to gain another name as a "Western Sword", and to keep pace with the Northern Sword Yu Juluo and the Southern Sword Zhang Xutuo.
At this time, several soldiers walked out of a medium-sized house with an area of three acres, carrying a bag of corn on their shoulders. It only weighed more than twenty kilograms.
Li Jing frowned, with a look of disappointment on his face, "Is there only that much?"
The leading centurion shook his head, "We searched everything and only found this bag of corn in the cellar."
Li Jing couldn't help but sigh secretly. In fact, Yanmen County is not big, with less than a thousand households. It is not easy to find a total of 300 shi of grain in the past two days. These 300 shi of grain are needed to support an army of 3,000 people.
With tens of thousands of people, they can only hold on for five days at most, and after five days they will be cut off from food.
He turned back and asked Zhang Zhi, the soldier, "How many horses are there in the city now?"
"Reporting to the envoy, there are still more than 500 war horses and more than 700 livestock. e^Look"
If it doesn't work, he will kill horses and animals. It is estimated that he can last for a few days. Li Jing's only hope now is to pin it on reinforcements. He has sent people to Shuozhou General Manager Yang Yichen and Youzhou Acting General Manager Li Xiong for help. He only hopes that they can come in time.
Get there, otherwise Daizhou will be doomed.
"Your Majesty!"
A cavalryman came quickly from a distance, raised his hands on his horse and said: "General Hou Mochen ordered me to report to the envoy that the rebels have retreated and crossed the river."
"What!"
Li Jing was immediately stunned. The rebels had retreated twice, both of which were fake retreats. They would not retreat across the Hutuo River. If the rebels retreated across the river, that would be another matter.
He was shocked and delighted, and without caring about the food, he got on his horse and galloped towards the city wall.
On the city wall, Hou Mo and Chen Yi silently watched groups of rebels crossing the river and retreating eastward in the distance. His eyes were unusually calm, without any joy or excitement. He saw that the rebels retreated in an orderly manner, without any panic.
, which shows that they did not encounter too much pressure, it was just a change in tactics, and they will come back again.
The Hou Mochen family is a common surname in Xianbei. After Emperor Xiaowen restructured the system, the Hou Mochen family who went south changed their surname to Chen. However, the Hou Mochen family in the six towns in the north did not change their surname. They still retained the surnames left by their ancestors, as well as the surnames of their ancestors.
The legacy of bravery and tradition.
The ancestors of Hou Mo and Chen Yi were the sergeants of Liuzhen. After the mutiny of Liuzhen was suppressed, his ancestors were deported to Youzhou. From then on, his ancestral home became Youzhou.
Hou Mo and Chen Yi are only twenty-three or four years old this year, but he has been in the army for nearly eight years. He has been promoted to the third division of Yitong and commanded thousands of soldiers in Daizhou. He is rich in strategic planning, extremely good at defending the city, and has powerful dispatch.
Thousands of soldiers resisted the attack of tens of thousands of elite rebels.
The army of the Sui Dynasty implemented two systems: the government soldiers and the state soldiers coexisted. The government soldiers were mainly stationed in important states and counties and were commanded by general managers, while the state soldiers were local soldiers in each state and were generally under local jurisdiction. This is why the governor can lead troops to fight.
Because of this, the actual governorship in the early Sui Dynasty was the integration of military and political affairs. There was a set of civilian officials and a set of generals, both of which were concurrently held by the governor.
Hou Mo and Chen Yi were the officers in charge of the Daizhou soldiers, and their immediate boss was the governor Li Jing. He was considering the reasons for the rebels' withdrawal when the voice of the governor Li Jing suddenly sounded in his ears.
"Are reinforcements coming?"
Hou Mo and Chen Yi nodded, "It should be so. I don't know if it's Shuozhou reinforcements or Youzhou reinforcements."
"Please take a look!"
Several soldiers nearby shouted: "A group of cavalry is coming from the north."
Both Li Jing and Hou Mo and Chen Yi saw a team of more than a dozen cavalry galloping from the north. The rebels had withdrawn far away. In a moment, the cavalry crossed the pontoon bridge and galloped over.
The cavalry arrived, and the leading officer shouted loudly at the foot of the city: "My friend, Su Lie, has been ordered by General Yang Yuanqing to report to Governor Li."
Li Jing saw Su Lie once at the entrance of Feihuxing in Lingqiu County. He was overjoyed. Sure enough, Yang Yuanqing's reinforcements had arrived. They came just in time. He immediately ordered his surroundings: "Open the city and let them in."
The suspension bridge was lowered slowly. Su Lie led his men into Yanmen County. After a while, several soldiers brought Su Lie up. At this time, Su Lie had already joined the military and had made meritorious service by killing more than a hundred people in the battle of Feihu Xingkou.
Promoted to Centurion Leader by Yang Yuanqing.
He stepped forward, knelt down on one knee, and said with a military salute: "Commander Su Lie, Chief of the Hundreds, pays homage to Governor Li."
"General Su, please get up!"
Li Jing's attitude was very polite. Although Su Lie was only a centurion leader, he did not neglect him at all. Li Jing smiled slightly and said, "But General Yang has arrived with reinforcements?"
Su Lie bowed and said: "General Yang led five thousand cavalry to march day and night. They have arrived at Zaolin Town forty miles away. I specially ordered a lowly official to come and report the news. I asked Governor Li to boost morale. Don't let the city be breached at the last moment."
"Thank you for your rescue. Please go back and tell General Yang, General Su, that the rebels besieging Dai County are Yang Liang's elite troops, with a total of more than 40,000 people. The leader, Qiao Zhongkui, is even more resourceful and must not underestimate the enemy."
Li Jing was still a little worried. With only 5,000 cavalry, Yang Yuanqing's troops were still relatively small. In addition, he was too young. Can he defeat Qiao Zhongkui, who was both civil and military?
At this time, Hou Mo and Chen Yi suddenly said: "Why don't you go and command the Youzhou cavalry, and I will defend the city."
His words were obviously a bit contemptuous of Yang Yuanqing. Su Lie's face suddenly turned red and he said angrily: "How dare you be so rude, we will return to Youzhou immediately. It's okay if you don't save him!"
Li Jing quickly stopped Hou Mochen Yi with his eyes and said apologetically to Su Lie: "General Hou Mochen is not rude at all. It's just that you have too few troops, and the other side has more than 40,000 elite soldiers. I'm worried that you can resist them."
Can’t live.”
Su Lie sneered. "Li Shi also underestimated my general. A few months ago, he led 300 Sui cavalry and more than 1,000 Qimin Khan's guards to defeat more than 20,000 people of Xue Yantuo's tribe by the shores of Lake Harry.
, personally killed the Western Turkic Datou Khan and shocked the grassland, but you are just ignorant."
Li Jing and Hou Mo and Chen Yi looked at each other, their eyes moved. They had never heard of the battle Su Lie mentioned. Hou Mo and Chen Yi were moved. He wanted to meet this powerful young general in the grassland and see how he defeated Yang Liang.
Forty thousand elites.
He bowed to Li Jing and saluted: "I am willing to assist General Yang. Please allow me to do so!"
Li Jing nodded slowly, "You can lead five hundred people to assist, and all will obey General Yang's command."
.........
Qiao Zhongkui was originally the governor of Lanzhou. He had both civil and military skills and outstanding talent. He was not only able to govern the place, but also good at leading troops to fight. He was a staunch supporter of Yang Liang and won Yang Liang's high regard. He was named Shangzhuguo by Yang Liang and became the leader of the country.
One of his right-hand men.
This time, Yang Liang specifically assigned the important task of attacking Daizhou and stabilizing the situation in northern Taiyuan to Qiao Zhongkui. At the same time, he allocated 50,000 elite troops and assigned them to Qiao Zhongkui for command, making the battlefield of Daizhou the key for Yang Liang to seize the northern part of Bingzhou.
Qiao Zhongkui is about in his early forties today. He is of medium height and mediocre in appearance. There is nothing special about his appearance. However, he is very knowledgeable and proficient in military strategies. He has practiced martial arts, is proficient in bow and horse, and can use a bright weapon.
Silver Spear can charge and kill even in battle. Of course, he is not a fierce general.
Qiao Zhongkui has received information that 5,000 cavalrymen have fought out from Feihuxing and are heading towards Yanmen County. At the same time, he has received another information. Yang Yichen, the general manager of Shuozhou, is also heading towards Daizhou with 20,000 cavalry infantry. It will take at most two days.
, Yang Yichen's army will also enter Daizhou.
These two pieces of news made Qiao Zhongkui very nervous. He paced back and forth in the room with his hands behind his back, thinking hard about how to deal with it. He was thinking about retreating to Taiyuan Mansion first, or concentrating his forces to attack the two supporting armies one by one.
It was almost impossible to retreat to Taiyuan Prefecture. If he retreated without fighting, Yang Liang would not spare him. He could only choose a backup strategy and concentrate his forces to attack the two supporting armies one by one.
If we choose a later strategy, it must be to defeat Yang Yuanqing's army before Yang Yichen's army reaches Daizhou, and then turn around to Xixingguan to wait for work and defeat Yang Yichen's army. This is the most ideal situation.
But the question is, is Yang Yuanqing willing to fight with him obediently? They are cavalry, and they come and go like the wind. If Yang Yuanqing knew that Yang Yichen's army was coming, he would definitely let himself fight Yang Yichen first, and then he would come out from behind at the critical moment.
To expose himself to enemies from both sides, if he were Yang Yuanqing, he would also choose this strategy.
Qiao Zhongkui paced back and forth in the room with his hands behind his back. He was thinking about how to lure Yang Yuanqing to fight him. He sat down and closed his eyes. What is Yang Yuanqing's weakness? He is young. This should be his biggest weakness.
Most young generals have a common characteristic, that is, newborn calves are not afraid of tigers, and they are greedy for success and seek war.
Qiao Zhongkui thought of a bold plan in his mind. If he didn't spend some money, Yang Yuanqing would not be fooled.
.........
Yang Yuanqing's five thousand cavalry were stationed in Zaolin Town, about forty miles away from Yanmen County. As the name suggests, Zaolin Town got its name from the many jujube forests. At the east end of the town, there is indeed an endless wild jujube forest, covering an area of
Nearly a thousand acres, including several hills, are covered with mountains and plains, and there are groups of big trees, with the tallest tree reaching more than five feet.
The Hutuo River flows close to Zaolin Town, bringing abundant irrigation water to the few dozen hectares of fertile land in Zaolin Town. The entire Zaolin Town is not big, with less than 200 households. The most famous family here is
There are two things. One is wild goose dates, which have thin skin and thick flesh, and a long and sweet taste. They were once sent to the capital as tribute. Every day when there was a good harvest of red dates, they could be sold at a good price.
The third most famous thing is the wooden staff. Jujube wood is hard and delicate, and is not easily deformed. It is an excellent material for making various staffs, especially the white wax poles and flagpoles used in the military.
Therefore, although Zaolin Town is small, every household has food and side businesses, and is generally wealthy. However, the outbreak of the war has had a huge impact on Zaolin Town, even catastrophic. When the army arrives, the first thing to do is to plunder food. If
If the military discipline is good, it may only lead to a loss of wealth; if the military discipline is bad, it will lead to a loss of family life.
At this time, most of the more than 200 households in Zaolin Town had fled into the county. The town was deserted, and every household was closed. As soon as the five thousand cavalry arrived, the town suddenly became lively again, and every household was busy.
It was full of troops, and they galloped day and night to support them. They were all exhausted and fell asleep. The horses were also resting.
After a short period of excitement, the town became quiet again, and most of the soldiers fell asleep. There were only hundreds of scouts distributed within 20 miles around the town, and a group of fifty sentries also came and went in the town.
patrol.
At this time, a group of 500 cavalrymen rushed from the southwest, led by Su Lie, who was on his way to deliver a message to the county seat, and Daizhou general Hou Mo Chenyi. They were stopped by patrols as soon as they arrived at the entrance of the town.
"Please dismount and speak!" a centurion shouted sharply.
Everyone dismounted one after another. Su Lie stepped forward and cupped his hands and said, "This is General Hou Mochen, the commander of the Yanmen Army, who came especially to see General Yang."
"The army cannot enter the town, and no more than five people can enter the town." The centurion said bluntly.
Su Lie immediately said to Hou Mo Chen Yi: "General, please arrange the troops first! Then follow me into the town."
Hou Mo Chen Yi had no choice but to order his men to rest and wait outside the town. He followed Su Lie into the town and was a little far away from the patrol. Hou Mo Chen Yi looked back at the patrol officer and finally couldn't help but said: "A little
Is this little centurion so majestic?"
Su Lie glanced at him coldly, "Within the scope of his authority, he, a centurion, can kill you without guilt."
........
[Lao Gao personally feels that Li Jing should be the original form of Wei Wentong, the swordsman general in the romance of the Sui and Tang Dynasties]