Emperor Ling of Han was the last powerful emperor of the Han Dynasty, a figure who could have altered the course of history, yet he became the root cause of the empire's collapse.
Fate ha...
Soon, under the arrangement of Gongsun Du and Gongsun Zan, the two thousand soldiers followed behind the scouting team and began the work of opening up the mountain and paving the road.
Then they divided into groups of 100, with each group responsible for cleaning and repairing a section.
Some soldiers were responsible for clearing away fallen leaves and pebbles, while others were responsible for cutting down trees blocking the road. The two thousand soldiers carried out their respective tasks in an orderly manner, undeterred by hardship.
As the sun sets, a road about thirty miles long, wide enough for six people to walk side by side, appears in this mountain forest.
Although the road was very simple and dilapidated, even worse than a mountain road, it was still enough for them to barely march at night.
Huang Zhong then ordered that the remaining warhorses be grouped into sets of four, tied together, and led by a soldier.
Finally, they wrapped the hooves of the four thousand warhorses that Huangfu Song had assigned without horseshoes with scraps of cloth to prevent excessive wear and tear.
"Set off!!"
That night, at Huang Zhong's command, two thousand Imperial Guards soldiers led eight thousand warhorses, slowly advancing by the bright moonlight filtering through the forest.
Thus, Gongsun Du and Gongsun Zan led two thousand soldiers from the Yueqi and Tunqi camps to clear the way during the day, while Huang Zhong and Ma Teng led two thousand Yulin soldiers and their warhorses to travel at night.
After two days of arduous marching, Huang Zhong and his men finally crossed the mountains and forests and stepped onto the path marked on the map.
"We're out!!"
"Aww~ We did it!!"
"......"
The moment they stepped onto the path, all the soldiers, including Huang Zhong and his three companions, couldn't help but cheer.
"Hansheng! We've created a miracle, a miracle unlike anything we've ever seen before!!"
Gongsun Du looked excitedly at the cheering soldiers. Four thousand soldiers had cleared the way at night and traversed a hundred miles of mountains and forests in less than three days. Only they knew the hardships they had endured.
"Yes! Back then, the Marquis of Champion marched a thousand miles to strike directly at the Xiongnu royal court, which was also an unprecedented miracle."
Although we dare not compare ourselves to the Champion Marquis today, we are certainly not comparable to anyone else.
Huang Zhong gazed northward with a profound look in his eyes, and a surge of heroic spirit welled up within him. Gongsun Zan, Ma Teng, and Gongsun Du felt the same way.
In their view, there are practically no other people in the country who can achieve what they have done.
Although their marching speed and intensity paled in comparison to the powerful army of later generations that marched 140 li in one night and even managed to fight a battle in between, they were indeed lackluster.
However, even in this era, it is absolutely unique. This is a military record worthy of being recorded in history, so they have something to be proud of.
The Han army, creators of miracles, has always been so!
After their initial excitement, Huang Zhong and his companions frowned as they looked at the casualty figures tallied after traversing the mountains and forests.
During the battle, due to some accidents, more than 100 people were seriously injured, more than 200 people were slightly injured, more than 200 people suffered from serious illnesses due to weather and soil conditions, and more than 1,000 warhorses lost their ability to run.
The fact that they lost more than 10% of their fighting strength just by crossing a mountain forest is a significant loss.
"The wounded and sick soldiers can no longer continue the march! What should we do?"
Ma Teng also looked at Huang Zhong with a pained expression and concern.
Huang Zhong frowned, a hint of reluctance flashing in his eyes, and said in a deep voice, "But... taking them along will not only slow down our march, but they also won't be able to withstand the bumpy ride!"
"Huang Hansheng, what do you mean? Are you planning to leave them here?"
Gongsun Zan glared at Huang Zhong with wide eyes and a flushed face.
“They are the most loyal and brave soldiers of our Great Han, and His Majesty’s most devoted defenders. If we just leave them here like this, not only will His Majesty not forgive us, but even if I had a conscience, I would never allow myself to do this!”
"Bo Gui is right, we absolutely cannot just leave them here!"
"That's right. His Majesty has always loved his soldiers like his own children, and he has said that he must never abandon a single brother! Hansheng, you need to think this through!"
Gongsun Du, who was standing to the side, also chimed in, and for a moment all three of them stared intently at Huang Zhong.
"Sigh! Now that things have come to this, we have no choice but to find a place to settle them!"
Facing the sharp gazes of the three men, Huang Zhong sighed helplessly.
"Where will they be housed?"
Ma Teng and the other two looked at Huang Zhong once again.
Huang Zhong then took out the map and pointed to a small tribe in the north.
"According to the map, if you travel twenty li north along this road, there is a medium-sized tribe of the Southern Wuhuan people in the northeast, with about a thousand people! That's enough to accommodate those sick and wounded brothers!"
"This method is excellent!"
Ma Teng, Gongsun Zan, and Gongsun Du nodded, agreeing with Huang Zhong's plan.
Then Gongsun Zan said, "I will lead the Yueqi Battalion brothers to take that tribe! You and your brothers will follow behind!"
After saying this, Gongsun Zan turned around and prepared to summon the soldiers of the Yueqi Camp to set off.
"Wait a minute!!"
Upon seeing this, Huang Zhong hurriedly called out.
"how??"
Gongsun Zan turned his head and frowned at Huang Zhong, clearly displeased that Huang Zhong had suddenly blocked him.
"Bo Gui, for safety's sake, let Shou Cheng take some of the Imperial Guards with you!"
As he spoke, Huang Zhong looked at Ma Teng beside him.
"Can!"
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