On February 16, Wuyin, the first year of Longsheng, Emperor Taizong issued an edict, sending King Xian of Qi and Jiang Zhe, Marquis of Chuxiang, to attack Qinzhou, and the war between Yong and Han began.
——"Yong Shi·The Chronicles of Taizong"
On February 27th of the first year of Longsheng, Qinzhou's southernmost defense line, Lingyuan Fort, was covered with war clouds. The Dayong border was blocked for a winter. Even the most shrewd and capable scouts were unable to spread the news, but everyone knew
Dayong will not give up like this, and war will begin.
A castle stands alone on a small hill. Below the hill is the Qinshui River flowing south. Every year in early spring, the melting ice and snow causes the Qinshui River to rise. Every place along the river must beware of flooding of the Qinshui River. However, it seems that the water level is not high this year, so there should be no flooding.
The river in this area is wide, the water flow is gentle, the land is fertile, and there are dozens of villages on both sides of the bank. The Lingyuan Fort on the hill is where the Northern Han Army is stationed. It is also the forefront of Qinzhou's front line. Fifty miles past here,
It is Jishi County. Along the Qinshui River, there are fortifications and fortresses everywhere, which are easy to defend but difficult to attack. Among them, Anze, Qinyuan and Qinzhou City are the most important passes.
A group of soldiers from the Northern Han Dynasty stood on the city wall, paying attention to the movements in the south. Since the end of the year, military orders have been issued from above, asking them to always be on guard against attacks by the Yong Army, so they did not dare to relax at all. One soldier was probably a little tired, and returned
He turned around to chat with his comrades, but when he turned around, he saw his comrades staring in front of him in stunned silence. He subconsciously turned around and saw a blue-black line suddenly appear on the horizon, but in an instant, the green and black lines suddenly appeared on the horizon.
The black became thicker and thicker. Although it was very far away, in the eyes of the soldier, he seemed to have seen Dayong's military flag. He shouted at the top of his lungs: "Sing the alarm." A soldier who was in a daze woke up and ran in two steps.
Go to the bell tower, ring the copper bell, and then the horn sounds in the castle, and many neatly dressed soldiers of the Northern Han Dynasty rush out from various barracks. A general wearing a general uniform ran to the fort tower and said angrily:
"Why didn't the scouts sent out return anything? Go and light the beacon fire." His personal guards hurried to the highest point of the castle and lit the beacon fire. The billowing smoke pointed straight to the sky.
Yong's army set foot on the Northern Han Dynasty for the first time, and a battle affecting the life and death of the Northern Han Dynasty was about to break out.
Xia Ning, the vanguard of the Northern Han Army and the prince's favorite general, saw the smoke billowing in the distance. He couldn't help laughing. He reined up his horse and raised his whip. He pointed forward and said: "What can they do even if they discover our army? This is a small Lingyuan Fort."
How can we still block the direction of our soldiers? The army obeyed the order and captured Lingyuan Fort in one fell swoop. Following the order of the King of Qi, the army cleared the country." After saying that, he ran ahead, and the Yong army in green and black armor shouted loudly.
Drink, as Xia Ning rushed forward, the small Lingyuan Fort rose up to resist, but it was nothing more than a mantis' arm acting as a chariot. In less than half an hour, Lingyuan Fort had been breached, and Yong's army surrounded them on all sides. No Northern Han army survived.
Lingyuan Fort was originally an outpost responsible for detecting the enemy's situation. Once the Yong army launched a large-scale attack, Lingyuan Fort could not be defended, so the sergeants sent here were determined to die. In the first battle, the Yong army had no intention of persuading them to surrender.
Below, the bones and flesh turned into mud.
Seeing that Lingyuan Fort had been breached, Xia Ning ordered the city gates and defensive equipment to be destroyed, and then the army went to the surrounding countryside to kill. This time, the King of Qi issued a strict order not to leave the enemy behind. Villages were burned down.
, although most of the young and strong men joined the army, the folk customs of the Northern Han Dynasty were fierce, and even strong women, children and the elderly could pick up swords and attack Yong's soldiers at any time. Therefore, under Xia Ning's order, Yong's cavalry almost fortified these villages.
Crushed into ruins, the surviving civilians were driven by swords towards Duanshi and Anze. The Dayong Army did not rush forward with light cavalry, but advanced steadily step by step, leaving behind abandoned villages and
Uncultivated fields. The only thing that made the Northern Han people happy was that the commander of the Yong Army, King Qi, ordered not to kill civilians indiscriminately. Therefore, as long as they did not resist, they could not only save their lives, but also have the opportunity to bring some belongings with them. However,
There was no other direction they could go except north.
On the bank of Qinshui River, a group of ragged old women and children supported each other and walked northward with difficulty. There were only a few broken cars in the team with some rice and grain on them. A few children and old people who were really unable to walk were sitting on the cars.
Their expressions were full of panic. They were all weak and weak people. They were basically at the back of the refugees heading north, and the Yong Army's cavalry had passed countless times. They often encountered Yong's troops who were searching for them.
The general of the Yong Army who expelled them from their homeland made it very clear that if they could not reach Duanshi before March 10th, they would be executed as spies of the Northern Han Army. A biting spring breeze blew from the river.
, some old and weak people in thin clothes huddled together. The spring in Qinzhou was still very cold, and the future was uncertain. Thinking that they might be executed as spies by Yong's army, some old people in the team were already in tears.
Who would have thought that Yong's army would use such a method? Six years ago, Yong's army also invaded Qinzhou, but they did not harm the villages along the way. But now they have destroyed them all. Several old people talked about it privately and said that this is not the case.
No wonder, in the past, it was Li Zhi, the current Emperor of Dayong, who commanded the army, but this time it was Li Xian, the King of Qi. Who doesn't know that Li Zhi is magnanimous and the King of Qi is ruthless?
A child sitting in the car inadvertently glanced across the river. He suddenly pointed to the middle of the river in surprise and said: "Grandpa, there is a big boat there." The old man who was walking staggeringly beside the car looked up and was also stunned.
In the middle of the Qin River, I saw more than a hundred boats, large and small, going upstream. One of them was a huge and sturdy building boat. There was a big flag on the bow with a big Chinese character "jiang" on it. There were many soldiers on the boat.
More than 20 warships surrounded the building to protect the ship in the center, followed by cargo ships filled with Yong's army's baggage. The old man's exclamation made other people turn their heads and saw Yong's navy fleet and the boats on the ship.
The soldiers with bright armor were almost unable to walk anymore. Last time the Yong army attacked the Northern Han Dynasty, they did not use so many naval troops. This time, the Yong army must be sure to win, right?
At this time, there seemed to be some commotion on the bow of the ship. A few half-year-old children with good eyesight clearly saw three people slowly walking out of the cabin on the top floor. One of them stood out from the crowd and stood on the bow, stroking the railing.
, looking towards the shore. This man was wearing a plain robe and a blue cloak. He could not see his appearance from a distance. He could only see that the man had light gray hair. He should not be young anymore. Other than that, everyone could only see:
They saw a pair of clear and cold eyes. Although they were far apart, those eyes could almost see through their internal organs, which gave them an inexplicable chill in their hearts. And among the crowd, there was a middle-aged farmer with a simple appearance.
But the moment he saw the building boat, a cold light flashed in his eyes, but he immediately lowered his head, still looking depressed and worried, and touching his right leg from time to time, which was randomly wrapped with some strips of cloth.
, it must be an injured leg, no wonder he lags behind.
At this time, the gentle sound of horse hooves came from behind everyone. Although the sound was not loud, the vibration of the ground still made them aware of the crisis. Several farmers picked up hoes and sickles, trying to protect their families as much as possible. Those Yong Jun
They didn't know when they would kill someone. What fell into their sight was a small cavalry team of no more than twenty or thirty people. The leader was a female general wearing blue and black soft armor. Although she was wearing armor whose identity was indistinguishable, this woman
She is unparalleled in beauty, with long eyebrows on her temples. People will know at first sight that she is a heroine. She is wearing a black cloak, a long sword hanging on her waist, and a crossbow hanging on her back. And the entourage behind her are also wearing clothes.
Wearing soft armor and carrying a crossbow, the weapons are all kinds of, almost none of them the same.
When the cavalry approached the refugee team that was forced to go north, it naturally dispersed and faintly surrounded the refugee team. A cavalryman loudly said: "Why are you still hanging around here? Don't you know that the military order is strict and you only need to
If you can't enter the Ji family after tomorrow, it will be your death." The voice was clear and moving, but it was also a woman.
An old man stumbled forward and said: "Master, we here are all old and weak women and children who cannot move quickly. Therefore, we missed our trip. Please have mercy on us, Master."
The woman turned to look at the leading female general. The female general's gaze passed over everyone one by one, her eyes were icy and piercing. Everyone who was stared at by her felt that the shadow of death was shrouded. The woman's gaze fell on the injured man.
The middle-aged farmer showed a trace of sarcasm on his lips, raised his whip and pointed: "You, come out."
The middle-aged man hesitated for a moment, then limped forward. The woman's eyes kept looking at him. It wasn't until he reached the horse that the woman asked coldly: "Are you a subordinate of Xiao Tong?"
A secret agent, right?"
The farmer looked confused, as if he didn't know what the woman was going to say. He just defended in panic: "The villain is not a spy, but a farmer who does his duty. He was left behind by the villagers because his leg was injured."
The woman smiled coldly and said, "I, Su Qingnai, am a good spy. How could you hide it from me?" After saying that, the long whip in her hand pierced the farmer's throat like a poisonous snake. The farmer's eyes flashed and he said:
He didn't have time to react, he just screamed and closed his eyes, and the whip whipped back as soon as he touched it. The farmer was already covered in cold sweat, and he fell to the ground in fear. The woman looked down at him coldly for a long time, then turned around and said: "
Ask the Lord Supervisor for instructions to board the ship."
The woman who spoke first took out an iron whistle and blew it into the middle of the river for a moment. The whistle sounded loudly. After a while, a speedboat sailed towards the shore. The woman led the horse and walked towards the shore. The other knights
They all rode away, but as they walked along the coast, the woman who spoke first fell behind. The middle-aged farmer breathed a sigh of relief and was about to get up when he felt a cold and sharp foreign object piercing his chest.
Throat, when he struggled to look up, he saw the woman behind looking at him coldly. Intense anger and confusion flashed in the farmer's eyes.
After getting off her horse and walking to the shore, Su Qing's eyes were as calm as water, as if she didn't know what was happening behind her, even though the refugees let out suppressed exclamations. It wasn't until the young woman rushed to her side on horseback that she said calmly: "Ruyue, I would rather kill
It's wrong, don't let it go, you did a good job." The woman saluted on the horse and said, "Thank you for the compliment, Miss." Then she took the reins of the horse thrown by Su Qing.
Su Qing jumped onto the warship and said to the tiger-backed guard wearing pure black armor: "Thank you very much for your help. How are you, Lord Supervisor?" The tiger-backed guard smiled and said: "My lord is used to taking boats, there is nothing wrong with it.
I'm not feeling well, General Su must have brought military reports, your Excellency is waiting for you."
I stood on the building boat and looked at the refugees on the shore indifferently. Although the spring breeze was biting, it could not penetrate the cloak I was wearing. Although there was only a mere five hundred steps away, they had two different fates. I was
They are high-ranking officials of the enemy country who are dressed in splendid clothes and hold great power. They are refugees whose lives are as cheap as grass. They were born in troubled times, and they have traveled from the beautiful south of the Yangtze River to the frosty north of the Great Wall for many years. This situation has long been commonplace, even in Dayong.
With the prosperity of the country, it is difficult to avoid this situation, let alone the Northern Han Dynasty, which has been fighting for years. Just look at the fact that most of these refugees are old, weak, sick and disabled, you can know what the situation of the Northern Han Dynasty is like.
Sighing softly, I turned my gaze to the front. The plan I had made with my own hands could not be overturned. If these people could not escape to the Ji family, they would only die. Since I pushed them to the brink of death, why should I use cheap sympathy?
To cover up the guilt in my heart, let's let the compassion in my heart be ruthlessly covered up. As long as Dayong rules the world, I don't have to watch such human tragedies happen again.
Xiao Shunzi, who was standing behind me, suddenly took a step forward and whispered: "Young master, you'd better go back to the cabin."
I looked back at Xiao Shunzi, and I could tell from his eyes that he didn't want me to feel sad because of those refugees. Although there are people in this world that I respect and love, only Xiao Shunzi is my best friend.
, I smiled softly and whispered: "Don't worry, I have always been selfish and afraid of death. It's not like you don't know how you could be tempted by these unrelated people."
Xiao Shunzi didn't say anything, and he didn't step back when he stood behind me. My heart became warmer and warmer. What I just said were not all comforting words. I am just an ordinary mortal, unable to care about the world, except myself and those around me.
Relatives, close friends, colleagues and subordinates, I don’t care about any more people.
Hu Yanshou raised his voice and said, "Sir, General Su Qingsu, the frontline commander, wants to see you."
I nodded and said: "General Su, please come on board." Su Qing is a general I admire very much. Although she is a woman, she is calmer and smarter than most men, and her mind is even more ruthless. This time King Qi and I agreed
Let her serve as the frontline scout general, responsible for detecting the military situation and intercepting the scouts and spies of the Northern Han Army. She must have passed through Qinshui this time and saw my building ship, so come and pay homage to me, the supervisor of the army. This is also a military station.
It is an unwritten practice in the war, and according to my estimation, our army and the Northern Han Army have not yet started a head-on battle, so there should not be any emergency military situation.
Not long after, Su Qing came on the boat. As I expected, there was nothing urgent. However, from Su Qing's tone, I could hear her doubts. In order to clear the country for the army, she had been still there for more than ten days.
, if we march with all our strength, it only takes two days to reach Jishi. However, in order to clear the fortresses and villages along the way, the army is still lingering in this area. It is no wonder that she is puzzled by the so-called military speed. However, she has a calm temperament and does not
There was no explicit questioning, just dissatisfaction with the marching speed.
I had no intention of explaining to her, so I asked: "General Su, have our military spies sent among the refugees entered the Ji family?"
Su Qing shook his head and said: "The Ji family guard was very cautious and kept all the refugees out of the city, and arranged them according to the village arrangement. He also set up a Baojia system. Although our spies have been lurking for many years, they have not been eliminated.
, but it is difficult to move, and the news cannot be transmitted. I am afraid that it will be useless to attack the Ji family. Moreover, information will eventually be obtained. The Ji family has received orders and is moving the refugees and civilians in the Ji family area into Qinzhou.
In the hinterland, only some young and strong men were left to help defend the city."
I chuckled and said, "Duan Wudi is the first defensive leader in the Northern Han Dynasty. It must be his idea. They must have decided to use a strong wall to clear the field and fight step by step. This is not bad. Our first step is to clear the field and let the two
There are no civilians between the army and the battlefield. They have helped us, but they have to do it. If not, without our army attacking, the Ji family will be defeated by the refugees."
Su Qing hesitated for a moment and finally asked: "My lord, there is something unknown in the end. These civilians are harmless to the overall situation. Why do you insist on clearing the four fields first? Is it because you want to threaten the people as the vanguard? I am a great and majestic country.
Why use this method? As a result, there may be many obstacles to Dayong's rule in Qinzhou."
A flash of light flashed in my eyes. I didn't expect that Su Qing had such insight. He was not just a spy. He said with admiration: "General Su can see this and has far-sightedness. He has no choice but to drive the people north. The key is temporarily
I can’t tell you yet, but I ordered His Highness the King of Qi to strictly enforce the military order and try not to kill innocent people indiscriminately. In this way, most of the civilians can always escape safely, and Qinzhou has always been the front line between the Northern Han Dynasty and Dayong. Here
The people of Zhejiang also hate Dayong, so even if they resent our army even more, they don’t care. Just like the people of Zezhou, they hate the Northern Han Dynasty very much!"
At this time, there was a sudden commotion in front of me. I looked subconsciously and saw a warship flying the flag of the Northern Han Dynasty suddenly appeared at the bend of the river more than ten miles away. I couldn't help but be shocked. There had never been a navy in the Northern Han Dynasty.
The establishment of a navy army cost countless dollars. For the Northern Han Dynasty, war horses were easy to obtain and cavalry were easy to train, but the navy army was difficult to train. Therefore, in addition to requisitioning civilian ships to transport baggage during wartime, the Northern Han army basically
There was no example of using naval forces in combat. She couldn't help but glance at Su Qing. She had been in the Northern Han Dynasty for many years, but why hadn't she discovered the existence of naval forces?
Su Qing's face was also livid. She was responsible for the intelligence network in the Northern Han Dynasty, but she did not notice the existence of this naval force in the Northern Han army. This was not only a major dereliction of duty, but also a great shame. She looked across the river with a cold look.
At that time, the warships in front of Yong's army had already set up their formations to meet the enemy. Although Yong's navy was not as good at fighting as the Nanchu navy, it should be better than the Northern Han navy, which I had never heard of.
Quite powerful.
The navy of the Northern Han Dynasty was flowing down the river, but it was clearly visible within a moment. When I saw those warships, I couldn't help but sigh in my heart. They were obviously fighting ships commonly used by the navy of the Southern Chu Dynasty. It would take a long time to build a warship.
After a year and a half, if you look closely, you can see that those warships are still brand new. They must have been preparing the navy before the Zezhou War last year. Judging from the appearance of the warships, it seems that Nanchu provided craftsmen. Now they are transported by sea to Guanshan.
Isolation is no longer a problem. No wonder the Northern Han Dynasty can also prepare a navy army. However, considering the manpower and material resources consumed, it is not easy for the Northern Han Dynasty army to have such courage. Now, although our army has one tower ship and hundreds of warships,
The remaining ships, however, were inferior in speed, attack and defense compared to the fighting ships of the Northern Han Navy. What's more, our army was still downstream. This situation was not anticipated in advance, and the Zezhou Navy's combat effectiveness was not strong.
, it seems that our army is going to suffer.
The waterway of the Qinhe River is not wide. I watched the stern with deer antlers on the bow and tung oil on the hull divided into three rows and collided with the Yong Army warships. I couldn't help but sigh, thinking of the naval battles I had seen in Nanchu in the past.
I was hesitant to intervene in the command of the general of the Dayong Navy. At this time, Zhuang Ru, the commander in charge of the Zezhou Navy, had already stood beside me. He did not bother to ask me for instructions and waved the flag to pass the military order. I only watched it for a moment.
Don't worry, it seems that this man has rich experience in commanding the navy, and he can fight even in Southern Chu, let alone the fledgling Northern Han navy. I saw that he ordered the Yong army's warships to disperse.
Avoiding the frontal attack of the Northern Han navy, they attacked both wings with all their strength. Bows and arrows immediately rained down on the Qinshui River. They fought on the water with bows and arrows first. They even dropped many small ships from the warships. Taking advantage of the small speed of the ships, they looked like the Northern Han Dynasty.
The navy's defense line. Suddenly, the sound of killing above the Qinshui River shook the sky, and the gunfire blocked the sun.
I watched the two armies fighting. Although the ships were of different quality and the generals' tactics were also different, there was still something to behold. It seemed that they all worked hard on the naval forces. I don't know why I thought of Southern Chu, Dayong and Northern Han. The development of the navy shows that they all have ambitions to go south. However, except for Prince De who once established a cavalry force against all opinions, Southern Chu still mainly relies on the navy and infantry. As far as I know, after the death of Prince De, Xiangyang The cavalry has been reduced a lot by the Nanchu court, and its elite level is not as good as before. Just looking at the investment in military strength by various countries, we know that Nanchu is lagging behind.
Just when I was feeling melancholy, Zhuang Ru came over and said: "Sir, we are going to lure the enemy's main force into a siege, and we need to use the building ship as a bait. Please take shelter in the cabin temporarily, or go to other warships first." How about resting?" I glanced at him lightly, Zhuang Ru, twenty-seven years old, with a dark face, plain appearance, medium height, strong body, and calm temperament. He is one of the few naval elites in Dayong. His only weakness is He has a very upright temperament and looks down on officials who are greedy for life and fear of death. I can even see the hidden contempt for me in his eyes. He is still relatively young, so maybe to him, I am just a weak scholar. He is good at intrigues, has good luck, and is favored by the royal family. After all, many of my affairs are hidden in the clouds and cannot be known by a general of his status.
Deliberately ignoring the contempt hidden in his words, I said calmly: "If you want to lure the enemy ships to fight, and pray for longevity, let the tiger guards shout loudly, just say that the Zezhou camp is supervising the army, and the Marquis of Chuxiang Jiangzhe is here .”
Hu Yanshou hesitated for a moment, but was shocked by my calm but firm tone. After passing the order, he took the lead and shouted loudly: "Zezhou Camp Supervisor, Chuxiang Hou Jiangzhe is here. If the enemy general has the courage, how dare he Come to fight?"
On the main ship of the Northern Han Navy, a tall general's eyes flashed with fiery light, and he raised his arms and said: "My sons, capture Jiang Zhe alive and destroy the Zezhou water camp." Following his order, the Northern Han Navy launched an offensive. It became more and more fierce. Both armies fought desperately. Warships were seen going back and forth. From time to time, some warships capsized and sank. After a while, the three stern ships of the Northern Han Army rushed to the side of the building ship, and some enemy troops were already climbing on the building ship. Climbing over, I said loudly: "Hu Yanshou, you all listen to General Zhuang's orders."
A glimmer of gratitude flashed in Zhuang Ru's eyes, and he issued military orders one after another, commanding the water troops on the building ships to fight with the tiger guards. Although these tiger guards were not good at water combat, they were all warriors with high martial arts skills, and they could already People can move freely on the building boats, at least on the relatively calm Qin River. Therefore, except for a few warriors, the Northern Han army cannot attack the building boats. Zhuang Rude said in a hurry: "My lord, it is too dangerous here. You should go to the cabin first." Rest." This time his tone was very sincere.
I smiled slightly and said loudly: "Although Jiang is weak, he is protected by my Dayong warriors, so why should he be afraid of a strong attack by the Northern Han Dynasty? Jiang is here today to see you defeat the enemy." Those navy and tiger soldiers Both the guards and the guards were shocked and shouted loudly: "Your Excellency, trust us, we will fight to the death." In a moment, they showed great power and forced back and killed the Northern Han navy who attacked the ship. A handsome and upright young general commanding from the stern shouted: "Look at the arrows." The bowstring sounded, and three eagle-feathered arrows shot towards my face very quickly. From my eyesight, the arrows were as fast as meteors. , some sailors and tiger guards on the straight line between the two of us shouted angrily and tried to block the feather arrows, but they were all too late. Only one tiger guard slashed down with his sword and cut off one of the feather arrows. But the front half of the arrow shot towards me almost without slowing down, while the guard was so shocked that he almost lost his hand with his horizontal sword. The distance between the two sides was only more than 20 feet, so it's no wonder they couldn't stop it.
Just when the two half-feathered arrows were about to hit, a hand as white as snow suddenly appeared in front of me. With a flick of the middle finger, and three crisp sounds, the two half-feathered arrows were knocked back. I should have known that Xiao Shun
He was able to keep me safe, and his expression did not change at all. My eyes fell on the young general of the Northern Han Army who shot me. I laughed loudly and said: "If anyone takes this man's head and offers it as a sacrifice, I will reward him with fifty taels of gold."
, If we capture this man alive, we will reward him with a hundred taels of gold."
Everyone was even more energetic. The hidden worries of unexpectedly encountering a powerful naval force had long since disappeared. Since the coach wanted them to capture the enemy general alive, it seemed that their side had gained the upper hand. Several loud-voiced tiger guards had already shouted loudly.
He shouted: "The enemy general will be captured before he can surrender, and I will take a hundred taels of gold." The young general's face was ashen, and he ordered his soldiers to attack the building and ship with all their strength. The two armies fought endlessly, and the sound of killing shook the clouds.