The Most Romantic of the Three Kingdoms

After Huangfu Song entered Yingchuan County, he marched very fast, and two days later he arrived at Jinche Township.

Zhu Jun, Prefect Wen, and Wei Xiaowei led the people under the tent to welcome them out for ten li, and Sun Jian and Xun Zhen were among them.

Everyone stood on the road, looking ahead.

When it was noon, a group of soldiers and horses came rushing in.

There are pines and cypresses planted on both sides of the official road. Although many were cut down by Bo Cai and He Man before, there are still some leftovers. From a distance, among the uneven roadside trees, on the wide official road, there are tens of thousands of people. Paces and horses marched forward, flags of various colors fluttering in the team, spears and halberds were like forests, accompanied by the sound of marching drums, the armored soldiers walked, the knights straddled horses, and were connected by vehicles for transporting baggage. The dust was flying, and it was impossible to see the edge.

Among the more than 10,000 cavalry under Zhu Jun, the knights accounted for the small half. There were thousands of soldiers in the Yueqi battalion plus the Sanhe knights. Among the more than 30,000 people led by Huangfu Song, there were not many knights, and they were basically infantry.

At the forefront of the team was a troop of hundreds of people, dressed in red clothes, holding a strong crossbow, and carrying a quiver on their waist. Looking at this flag, we can see that this is the Shesheng Battalion, one of the five schools of the Northern Army. The Yueqi battalion is a cavalry battalion, and the Shesheng battalion is a crossbow battalion. "The Captain of Shesheng is waiting for the edict of Shesheng." Although there were only five battalions in the Fifth School of the Northern Army, the troops were complete, including footmen, cavalrymen, and crossbows. The Shesheng Battalion was the only crossbow battalion. of.

There was another battalion behind the Shesheng battalion, also seven or eight hundred people, wearing armor and holding halberds. The infantry battalion is also one of the five schools of the Northern Army.

Among the troops led by Zhu Jun and Huangfu Song, only the Fifth School of the Northern Army was a regular army, with the best armaments and the most sophisticated armor. Therefore, Huangfu Song placed the Shesheng Battalion and the Infantry Battalion at the forefront to demonstrate martial arts. Before these two battalions, that is, at the forefront of the entire marching team, there were more than a dozen people riding their horses slowly under the **** of a group of personal soldiers.

Among the dozen or so people, there was another one whose mount was half a horse head in front of the rest.

Behind the man, a knight held up a thing. This object is made of bamboo, the handle is eight feet long, and there are triple yak tails. The yak tail is dyed yellow, which is the "section". Needless to say, this person must be Huangfu Song, a general from the left, who was ordered to hold the festival. "Holding festivals" is a symbol of power. With the festivals in hand, you can kill middle and low-level officials and people without official positions without asking for orders.

Zhu Jun led the crowd to greet him.

As the two sides approached, Zhu Jun dismounted first and led the horse forward. Prefect Wen and others also dismounted. Prefect Wen ran alongside Zhu Jun, Wei Wei was half a step behind, and the rest followed.

Xun Zhen was in a low position and walked at the end of the line. It was precisely because he was at the end that he could not care about etiquette and could quietly look at Huangfu Song who was walking in front of him.

After Zhu Jun dismounted, Huangfu Song also dismounted, handed the reins to the accompanying knights, smiled and walked quickly with his sword.

He was about forty or fifty years old, and some of his long beards had turned white. Although he was not young, he had a strong body.

Xun Zhen said in his heart, "I have heard for a long time that the Huangfu family has been in charge of the family for a long time. I heard Brother Zhong say that Huangfu Song has few literary and military scholars, who like "Poems" and "Books", and practice bows and horses. Looking at his posture now, it is indeed true!"

Huangfu Song is sturdy and wears heavy armor, but he is not struggling at all. When he walks, he is similar to Han Dang, with slightly rounded legs. At first glance, he can see that he must be a person who has been riding and arching all the year round. Although he is as strong as an ox, he walks smoothly and has no generals. The attitude of the tiger and the wind is quite the calm and solemn of the Confucian scholar.

The Han Dynasty respected the right, but in terms of official positions, it was "the army is on the left, and the officials are on the right". Officials respect the right, such as Xi Zhicai, Cao Shi of the Right Soldier, Xu Zhong, Cao Shi of the Left Soldier. Comparing the two, Xi Zhi Cai Zun and Xu Zhongbei, while the generals in the army are influenced by the yin and yang theory. Influence, "Left, Yang is also, Yang is the master of life, the general has the chance of winning the temple, the left general is the top, you will not be defeated, the right, Yin is, Yin is the master of killing, the right is the top in the ranks of the soldiers, showing that there is a will to die "The left is respected, and those who have the general title, the left is respected and the right is inferior. Huangfu Song was the commander of the middle left, and Zhu Jun was the commander of the middle right. Huangfu Songzun, Zhu Junbei. Therefore, Zhu Jun dismounted first, and if he was a proud person, he might have rode a horse to Zhu Jun, but Huangfu Song was a modest person, so after seeing Zhu Jun dismount, he also dismounted.

When the two sides met, Zhu Jun, Prefect Wen, and Wei Xiaowei saluted and said, "General's journey is hard!"

Huangfu Song returned the salute and said with a smile, "No matter how hard you work, you won't be able to fight the princes and thieves!" He said to Zhu Jun, "I haven't entered Yingchuan, but I have heard that the generals have connected with the Fulun clan, Yangcheng, and Fang Zhiyangzhai. Crossing the river down. So diligent, I really admire Song."

Zhu Jun said: "The Lord is worried about the humiliation of the ministers. The demons are in chaos, and China is raging. The Lord is worried, and the people are crippled. It is too late to kill them. Where can there be time to rest?"

Huangfu Song nodded and smiled and said, "The general is loyal and loyal, and he is the backbone of the Han family!" Then he smiled and said a few words to the prefect of Wen, Wei Xiaowei and others, and then asked one by one and followed behind. 's names. When talking about Sun Jian, Huangfu Song smiled and said, "I've heard the name of Sima long ago. In the past, Sima used to be the county Sima when he was not crowned, and he helped to pacify the rebellion between Xuchang and Xu Shao's father and son, and the hero became a boy!"

Huangfu's family has been in charge of the gate for many generations, with two thousand stone for generations. Huangfu Song's great-grandfather was a general of the Liao Dynasty, his grandfather was a commander of Fufeng, his father was a prefect of Yanmen, and his uncle Huangfugui was a famous general in the world, one of the "Liangzhou Sanming" in the past. He also served as a general of Liao, and Huangfu Song himself was the prefect of Beidi before being summoned by the imperial court to "quell the thieves and pacify the chaos". When Sima, the escort, spoke, Sun Jian was quite flattered, and hurriedly bowed down and saluted, and replied: "The long-term officials were responsible for the rebellion between Xuchang and Xu Shao's father and son. Jian just followed behind and waved the flag and shouted. The general praised him, and Jian was ashamed to be worthy of it. !"

"Too modest, too modest."

Sun Jian was not far in front of Xun Zhen, and there were three people between them. After asking these three people, they came to Xun Zhen. Prefect Wen introduced: "This is Cao Xunzhen, a soldier of my county."

"Xun Zhen?"

Xun Zhen bowed down and saluted: "Xun Zhen, the official, pays respects to the general."

"But Xun Zhen of the Xun family in Yingyin?"

"Yes."

"Zhenzhi?"

"Yes."

"Have you served as the postal supervisor in northern Yingchuan before?"

Xun Zhen felt strange and thought: "This is the first time I met Huangfu Song. How does he know my characters and know that I have been the postal supervisor in the north?"

Huangfu Song stretched out his hand to help him up and said with a smile, "I was summoned to the court from the north by the imperial court a month ago, and I heard your name in the court!"

Xun Zhen became more and more strange, and said to herself, "The last time Zhu Jun came, he told me that he had heard my name in court, and Huangfu Song said the same. It's weird, it's weird, I'm just a Baishi county official. How can the court know my name?" He became more and more puzzled, but it was the same as Zhu Jun said "I heard your name" last time.

Huangfu Song patted his arm, he was lower than Xun Zhen, looked up and down, looked him up and down, smiled and said, "Yingwu, Yingwu!" He added, "I was fortunate enough to be with your family back then. My father, Mr. Ciming, has met a few times, but it’s a pity that they have been separated for more than ten years because of the party! Now, the emperor has issued an edict to lift the ban on the party. I have long admired Mr. Erlong's high name, and when the thieves in Yingchuan are pacified, I will make a special trip to visit your house!" His voice was soft, although he was dressed in armor, he was amiable, and his words made people feel like a spring breeze.

Apart from Zhu Jun, Prefect Wen, and Wei Xiaowei, Huangfu Song and Xunzhen talked the most, and the few in front cast envious glances at the school. This is the power of the nobility.

Xun Zhen said in his heart, "I heard my brother Zhong once said that after the party started, Huangfu Song's uncle Huangfugui was a famous general, but not a famous person, and he was not in the prison list. Ashamed, I wrote to the court and said to myself: 'I previously recommended Zhang Huan to replace me as General Duliao. I am attached to the party, and I should be in the party's ranks.' It is reasonable for Huangfu Song to be kind and polite to me."

...

After welcoming Huangfu Song, everyone returned to the township of Jinche.

Zhu Jun arranged for the generals to help Huangfu Song's followers to camp and settle down, and everyone went to Zhu Jun's tent first. As Zhu Jun said: "The Lord worries about the humiliation of ministers". Although Huangfu Song had traveled a long distance and hastily, he refused to rest for a while. He rejected the suggestions of Zhu Jun and Prefect Wen to ask him to rest first. As soon as he arrived at the station, he discussed military affairs with everyone.

Zhu Jun briefly introduced his actions after arriving in Yingchuan to Huangfu Song, and finally said: "The thief Qu Shuaibo led more than 20,000 people to leave Kunyang two days ago, and is now attacking Wuyang urgently. According to reports, Wuyang is in jeopardy, and it is almost impossible to hold it. I am anxious and unable to hold it. Fortunately, the general is here! Please show the general how to deploy."

Huangfu Song asked people to unfold the map, stood in front of the map with his hands behind his back, looked at it thoughtfully for a while, returned to the case, sat down, and said to everyone, "I came across two military newspapers on the way to Jinche Township. One was from Nanyang, and the other was from Runan. Nanyang thief Qu Commander Zhang Mancheng led tens of thousands of people to attack the city in Nanyang, and the terrain was like a broken bamboo. The battle situation between Runan and Nanyang is not optimistic."

Zhu Jun and others also received these two military newspapers. The so-called "seven sages" refer to the county meritorious Cao Fengguan of Runan County, the county chief bookkeeper Wang Duan, the thief Cao Yue Liu Weide, the county minister Yuan Mi and others. These seven people are all county officials of the Runan County Dynasty. When Zhao Qian, the prefect of Runan, fought against the Yellow Turbans from Runan, the army was defeated. In order to protect Zhao Qian, the prefect of Runan, these seven people "defended the sword with their bodies, all died in the battle, and they were spared by modesty." They were called the Seven Sages. Among them, Yuan Mi was a son of the Yuan clan in Runan and the nephew of Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu.

Zhu Jun said: "That's why I worry that Bocai and He Man will go to Runan or Nanyang after they have attacked Wuyang. If they join forces with the Runan and Nanyang thieves, the thieves in these two counties will surely rise up, and it will be difficult to control them easily. That's it."

"What does the general think our army should do now?"

"Before the general arrives, our troops are small, and it is difficult to cross the river by force. Today, the general led more than 30,000 cavalry, and you and I together have more than 40,000 cavalry. In my opinion, we can cross the river! After crossing the river! , hit Kunyang first, then Wuyang."

The method Zhu Jun said was the "best policy" that Xi Zhicai said two days ago. It can be seen that Zhu Jun was in a hurry to cross the river a few days ago to compete for merit. However, although he wanted to strive for merit, he did not risk defeat by force across the river, and in general, he was still a qualified general to lead troops.

The current situation is very clear, and there is nothing worth reconsidering. After listening to Zhu Jun's words, Huangfu Song immediately decided: "Just follow the general's words."

He paused for a while, then added: "However, when our troops first arrived, they had to travel 150 miles in two days, and the soldiers were exhausted. 'Those who seek profit in a hundred miles will be the generals.' Well, let my soldiers rest for a whole day and night, and until tomorrow afternoon, you and I will cross the river and attack Kunyang. How?"

Huangfu Song is worthy of being a gatekeeper for many generations. As a leader, you should think about defeat before you can win. If you just make quick progress, you will not be far from defeat. Therefore, although the military situation was urgent, Huangfu Song decided to rest for a day and a night. Everyone has no objection. At the moment, Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun discussed the location of crossing the river tomorrow afternoon and the order in which each battalion would send troops.

Including Sun Jian and Xun Zhen, the generals took orders one by one.

Just when the military meeting was about to break up, a horse scout came from outside the tent. Everyone in the tent heard the sound of the galloping horse. Before the people arrived at the tent, everyone stopped talking, or looked up or turned their faces, and looked out of the tent in unison. There is a strict order in the army that horses are not allowed to gallop in the camp, except for those who have urgent military situation. The explorer galloped into the camp, and didn't restrain his mount until he was almost in front of the tent and rolled off his horse.

When everyone saw it, their hearts sank, knowing that there must be an emergency military situation.

Xun Zhen was the closest to the tent, and could see clearly. Seeing the sweat and dust all over his face, he looked anxious, and said in his heart, "No! This scout is in such a hurry, isn't it?"

The cavalry rushed into the tent, knelt down on the ground, and shouted, "Report! The thieves have captured Wuyang."

Zhu Jun and Huangfu Song suddenly got up.

Zhu Jun asked anxiously, "When did you capture it?"

"This morning!"

"Where is the thief Qu Shuaibo now?"

"Now in Wuyang City."

"Not going south?"

"no."

"What's wrong with the Kunyang bandit soldiers?"

"No changes for now. Except..."

"Except what?"

"Except for the constant exchange of messengers between the two places."

"Go down!"

"Yes."

After Tan Qi left, Zhu Jun turned to Huangfu Song and said, "General, there are constant messengers from Wuyang and Kunyang. Although there is no change between Bo Cai and He Man, it can be expected that they are already discussing the matter of going south. It's time! It's urgent!"

Compared with Zhu Jun's anxiety, Huangfu Song was much calmer. He sat down slowly, lowered his head and thought for a while. When he raised his head again, he noticed that many people in the tent looked shocked. He stroked his beard and said with a smile: "We have more than 40,000 footsteps to ride. We are only a few dozen miles away from Kunyang, and we are only a few dozen miles away from Wuyang. We can reach it in the morning and evening. Although the thief Qu Shuaibo has gone to Wuyang, it is not a concern!"

"What does the general mean?"

"The established plan remains unchanged. We will still cross the river tomorrow afternoon~www.wuxiamtl.com~ What if the thieves from Kunyang flee to the south of the city tonight?"

"I would like to trouble General Zhu to send some of your troops to the shore of the Shushui River and pretend to cross the river. With this restraint, the Kunyang bandits will not dare to leave the city. After our troops rest for a day and night, tomorrow afternoon, you and I will send troops to cross the river and attack Kunyang. Positive."

"What if the thief Qu Shuaibo escaped first?"

"Will not."

"Why is the general so sure?"

"If Bo Cai wants to escape, why would he continue with the Kunyang messenger? Take a step back and say, even if he abandons Kunyang and escapes on his own, I just heard the general's words that he only brought ten or two thousand men and horses, so it's nothing to worry about. , it's just a thief from Runan or Nanyang. It would be better if he escaped, it would reduce the pressure on our army to cross the river and attack Kunyang. win."

Xun Zhen said in her heart, "Huangfu Song is very stable!"

When marching to fight a war, one should be steadfast, and only by being steadfast can one side be invincible.