Chapter 125 Yes...
Without even thinking, Lu Bu replied, "Of course not!"
Qiao Yan's words, "Even without Red Hare, she can still enter Luoyang City," sounded to Lu Bu like a confidence that no one else could match.
When this belief is expressed out loud, it reaches its peak of vigor and enthusiasm.
Thinking that the people they had defeated before were the advance troops sent by the thief Dong who was now causing trouble in Luoyang, Lu Bu couldn't help but feel excited.
good!
Why would a contemporary hero like Qiao Hou need to rely on the Red Hare to make a name for herself? Even if she rides a slow horse, it will not affect her as the number one leader of the team and her ability to complete the important task of clearing the court of corrupt officials.
Only a hero like this could make Lu Fengxian impressed and willing to serve as her vanguard.
For the sake of the Red Hare, he really should behave more outstandingly, especially he should take the head of the thief Dong directly on the day he enters Luoyang!
Lu Bu felt his heart boiling with excitement at the thought of being able to ride such a BMW to battle and become famous.
Although he realized at the military meeting on the second day that it was not as simple as just issuing a command and then marching the army south.
The map of Sili was laid out in front of them, hanging like a curtain. Qiao Yan used the connection point of the half gun barrel as a teaching pole to point at the location of Luoyang.
"We have announced that we have 30,000 troops, but in fact, we have 3,000 cavalry and 8,000 infantry. Since the iron ore mining in Bingzhou is still good, the cavalry are all wearing armor, and there are 2,000 iron armored soldiers among the infantry, and the rest are wearing leather armor. There are also more than 10,000 people for logistics, food transportation and miscellaneous military tasks."1
"Part of Dong Zhuo's Liangzhou army is still controlled by General Huangfu, and the number of his direct subordinates is at most 4,000 to 5,000. But now all five schools of the Northern Army are under his command, and his number of soldiers is about 20,000. If we spare no effort to summon his old Liangzhou troops and order them to recruit soldiers in the capital, we can probably get 50,000. This is the gap in personnel between us now."
Dong Zhuo's previous attempt to make a small investment for a big gain failed, and there was no way he would allow Qiao Yan to continue to take advantage of him. He could only engage in a serious battle.
Luoyang is an important place in the capital, and the stockpile of armor is definitely not too small. Qiao Yan relies on the inventory in the border areas and the privilege of iron mining controlled by the governor, but it can only be said that he is not at a disadvantage in this regard, and cannot be said to have too many advantages.
The only advantage she had was that she had Bingzhou granary as backup, and the cooperative relationship that the Hedong family had reached with her at this time, so that she did not have too much pressure in transporting military rations.
Instead, it was Dong Zhuo——
He probably didn't expect that the reduction in production caused by various locust plagues, epidemics, droughts, etc. in the capital since the Yellow Turban Rebellion would not be easy for him to support the consumption if he wanted to mobilize 50,000 people under extreme conditions and put them in a state of war readiness at the same time.
Therefore, if it comes to a protracted war, Qiao Yan will have the advantage.
She continued, "In addition, the enemy has the advantage of geographical conditions. Niu Fu and Guo Si have retreated, and Dong the thief will definitely deploy troops outside Luoyang to block our offensive. The most stringent defense is to re-activate the eight gates that were locked during the Yellow Turban Rebellion to guard against us--"
"Given the current situation of our troops stationed in Jiguan, we can only defend three places."
She pointed her gun at the west side of Luoyang, "Guard Hangu Pass to prevent our army from coming down from Pinglu in the west of Mangshan Mountain, passing Mianchi and Xin'an, with the help of the Hedong family, from the west."
Of course, Qiao Yan never intended to go down this path.
The purpose of ordering the noble families in Hedong County to pretend to welcome the Bingzhou army was to give Dong Zhuo the wrong impression that she might launch a roundabout attack.
But this road is too long.
The west of Mangshan starts at the present-day location of Sanmenxia. If one wants to go straight to this place from Jiguan outside Chenguan Pass, the transportation of military food and rations will definitely not be able to keep up. Even if one reaches the foot of Hangu Pass, one will have been exhausted long ago!
Therefore, if Dong Zhuo wanted to guard against her quick attack, he should have guarded the other two passes.
"The other two places, guard Xiaopingjin and Mengjin, to prevent us from crossing the river and heading straight to Luoyang from this section of the Mangshan Pass."
This is the section that Lu Bu took when he went to Luoyang to deliver the manifesto. He had few men at that time, so it was relatively easy for him to cross the river. But when he thought about the river pass at that time and looked at the number of his own people, he felt that they were not at an advantage.
Even though there is an island in the river north of Xiaopingjin for transit, the river channels in these two places are relatively narrow, and they are indeed the most vulnerable locations to attack, but the Yellow River is a natural military barrier!
Even someone like him who fights by instinct is well aware of this.
He asked, "Your Excellency first mentioned the difference in military strength between us and the thief Dong, and now you are saying that we can only take this position that is easy to defend but difficult to attack. Isn't this just trying to boost others' morale and undermine your own prestige?"
"Fengxian is wrong to say that." Jia Xu had cooperated with him in Suiyuan City for a year, and had made a promise to Qiao Yan on that day on Wufeng Mountain. He had been more proactive in the autumn and winter and early spring, and had spoken a few more words to Lu Bu. Now he spoke up to answer his confusion.
"Earlier, you mentioned that we have more than 10,000 elite soldiers. Dong Zhuo's army is not only complicated, but also has at least three narrow passes that need to be defended in a dispersed manner. We also need to keep enough people to guard against counterattacks in the capital. So the number of people who can guard Xiaopingjin or Mengjin is at most equal to our number."
Lu Bu scratched his head, feeling that it was much clearer this way.
When the numbers of his opponents are equal, Qiao Hou has never lost a battle.
Then if there are sufficient weapons and armor, it is not a disadvantage.
"That's just one reason. Second, your Excellency ordered General Zilong to let Niu Fu go last night. Niu Fu is a man who will get back at the place where he fell. And he is Dong the thief's son-in-law. Since we are most likely to attack Pingjin and Mengjin, he must be one of them."
Jia Xu could see Dong Zhuo's Liang Province forces more clearly than anyone else.
If Niu Fu wanted to station at the Yellow River ferry in an attempt to control the place and defeat Qiao Yan, no matter whether Li Ru would raise any objections, Niu Fu would definitely be able to achieve his goal.
At most, Dong Zhuo would assign him a more reliable deputy general.
Lu Bu thought about the scene he saw last night with Qiao Yan. Niu Fu was saved by Guo Si by being dragged behind the horse. It really left a deep impression on him.
In this way, if the opponent really uses Niu Fu as the main general, this can be considered an advantage for our side.
Because that is definitely not a good commander.
"The third one..." Jia Xu stroked his beard and looked in the direction of Qiao Yan.
The third one should not be said by him.
Qiao Yan smiled and said, "Third, we don't need to cross the river yet. We just need to order Dong Zhuo to divide his troops to guard Xiaopingjin and Mengjin, facing us across the river. Dong Zhuo's opponents have never been just us, and they will never miss this opportunity to counterattack."
If she had just played all her cards and crossed the river to attack regardless of casualties, why did she choose to send troops nearly a month after Dong Zhuo took over Luoyang?
Therefore, the surging Yellow River before Mengjin is not her disadvantage, at least so far.
Dong Zhuo, who was in Luoyang, had just received the news that his son-in-law Niu Fu had suffered a defeat and had barely escaped with only 10% of his troops left. Before he had time to regret that his famous horse Red Hare had never returned and had no effect in deceiving Qiao Yan, he received two pieces of news.
One is that Qiao Yan’s rear army did not seem to be stationed in Jiguan, but was missing.
Combined with her relationship with the Hedong family, Dong Zhuo couldn't help but worry about the potential danger in his rear.
Another piece of news is -
Qiao Yan's main force was preparing to break camp and continue to advance steadily towards the south.
Although there were tens of thousands of people and the marching speed was not fast, it would only take one day for the entire army to reach the bank of the Yellow River, even including breaking camp and setting off.
Since he heard that Qiao Yan's troops had left Hedong, he mobilized the garrison to guard the Mengjin ferry.
But he had to admit that he had originally hoped that his good son-in-law could bring back good news, and had not yet formed a full-line defense here, but now he had to send more troops.
Only if there are enough troops stationed here can he ensure that, by relying on the advantage of attacking the Bingzhou army halfway through crossing the river, the enemy will not dare to easily try to cross the river to attack.
In this case, a main general must be sent to defend the northern side close to the Yellow River.
As soon as his eyes fell on Duan Wei, he saw Niu Fu standing up with the remaining injuries on his face and legs.
"General, let me go!" Niu Fu stuck out his neck with no intention of showing weakness. "I was defeated by that little Qiao Yan's men before, but it was only because I miscalculated her strength and she caught me off guard. If I had the natural barrier of the river as a support and enough manpower, I would never let her succeed again."
Hearing this, Dong Zhuo hesitated for a moment.
From a rational point of view, he felt that he should not agree to Niu Fu's request to fight.
But out of emotional thinking, he has the idea that if one person succeeds, the whole family will benefit.
It was also because of this that as soon as he gained a foothold in Luoyang, he ordered his men to rush to Liangzhou as fast as possible.
On the one hand, he tried to bring the Liangzhou tribe to the central government, and on the other hand, he asked people to bring his family to Luoyang. Now they are coming from Youfufeng.
Although he had not yet arrived in Luoyang, he had already drafted the decree of reward and conferred it to the central government. He was about to confer the title of Chiyang Jun on his mother, and even his granddaughter Dong Bai was given the title of Weiyang Jun.
Niu Fu is his son-in-law, so naturally he has to treat him well.
But Qiao Yan was different from the opponents they had encountered in Liangzhou in the past, and Niu Fu had already been defeated by her. If he allowed the other party to seize any opportunity to attack and delay the battle line all the way to the city of Luoyang, he would be completely passive.
He signaled Li Ru with his eyes that he didn't need to speak. After thinking it over, he asked Niu Fu, "Due to the Yellow Turban Rebellion, a new small Pingjin was established at Dahe Pass. I intend to send two people to guard it together. You didn't lose your courage because of Qiao Yan and still dared to take the initiative to fight. This is good, but I can't let you guard it alone."
"Now I have several generals under my command. You can choose one of them to form a pincer attack with you and guard two places separately."
Niu Fu's face lit up with joy, and he replied without hesitation: "Then please ask General Xu Zhonglang to go with me!"
Xu Zhonglang is referring to Xu Rong.
The several Generals of the Household under Dong Zhuo's command do not actually include Li Jue, Guo Si, Fan Chou, Zhang Ji and others.
These people were considered captains and served as deputies during marches.
The first people promoted to the position of Generals of the Central Army by Dong Zhuo were Niu Fu, Dong Yue, Duan Wei, Xu Rong and Hu Zhen.
Niu Fu said that he wanted to get back at the enemy, but he didn't intend to really go on like that. You still have to find a relatively reliable ally.
It would be best if this ally does not have too many ideas.
Under Hu Zhen's command there is a very brave Hua Xiong, who has been in a bad mood recently.
Duan Wei is the brother of the former Grand Marshal Duan Xing, and can be considered to be of advanced age and great virtue.
Dong Yue's ability is mediocre, and he has always had conflicts with him.
By this calculation, only Xu Rong is left.
After being pointed out by Niu Fu, Xu Rong was somewhat speechless. He didn't even know if it was because he lost to Qiao Yan last time when he assisted Dong Min. He had a hunch that there would be a high probability of something going wrong when he faced Qiao Hou again this time with an unreliable teammate.
But this arrangement obviously left him no room to refuse.
Dong Zhuo immediately ordered him to lead his troops to garrison Xiaopingjin, and ordered Niu Fu to lead his troops to garrison Mengjin.
Afterwards, Duan Wei was appointed as the main general to garrison Hangu Pass, Hu Zhen was appointed as the main general to garrison Chenggao, Dong Yue was appointed as the main general to garrison Taigu Pass, Li Jue and Guo Si were appointed to garrison Yique Pass, and Fan Chou and Zhang Ji were stationed at Huanyuan Pass. In this way, except for Guangcheng Pass, all other pass had garrisons stationed.
As for the three passes to the north of Guangcheng Pass, namely Yique, Taigu and Huanyuan, it is not necessary to arrange additional personnel.
After making these arrangements, Dong Zhuo finally felt an unprecedented sense of security, just like Liu Hong who sent people to eight passes when facing the Yellow Turban Rebellion.
This sense of security was probably because, after he made this arrangement, the Imperial Censor Rao Longzong came to visit him. Dong Zhuo saw that the other party had probably forgotten to remove his sword for a long time, and sneered, and had him dragged away and beaten to death.
Then he had the body of He Miao, who had been killed earlier, dug out from the grave, dismembered it and thrown it on the roadside. He also killed He Miao and Empress Dowager He's mother, Wuyang Jun. 2
There had been some gossip in Luoyang City caused by the manifesto he had received, but in the face of such brutal and bloody behavior, it had to be temporarily calmed down.
To prevent relatives of court officials from coming to Luoyang under the pretext of paying a court visit and spreading rumors while he had his men guarding the eight passes, Dong Zhuo happened to meet Zhou Hui, the son of Grand Minister of Agriculture Zhou Zhong, coming from Lujiang. Dong Zhuo immediately ordered him to be abducted and killed to enforce the rules. 3
There was a panic among the government and the people.
This was because Dong Zhuo was obviously no longer satisfied with attacking those who competed with him for military power, and he shifted the scope of his elimination of dissidents from military officers to civil officials.
This change was definitely not caused by the Bingzhou governor's march of troops southwards and stationing them on the other side of the Yellow River.
Rather than blaming Marquis Yu Qiao for sending troops, people in Luoyang City today actually hoped that she could repel Dong Zhuo and wipe out this ambitious man.
After Dong Zhuo was promoted to the position of prime minister, he began to show his self-centered style of doing things, which also revealed the fact that the nature of his use of scholars was not really respect for them, but was clearly just to cover up his rebellious thoughts.
Xun Shuang, a famous scholar from Yingchuan who was recruited by Dong Zhuo, was given the position of Sikong by Dong Zhuo after Huang Wan was promoted from Si Tu to Tai Wei and Yang Biao was transferred from Si Kong to Si Tu. 4
He looked at Xun You, who was temporarily living in his mansion after he was forcibly conscripted into Luoyang, and he couldn't help feeling sad.
"Dong Zhuo is a cruel and ruthless man, and I have been hiding in Hanbin for more than ten years, but I have to live in such a state that my integrity is ruined. How sad!"
He is already 62 years old this year. He knows that his life span is short and he is afraid that he will not be able to see to what extent the Han Dynasty will be destroyed by Dong Zhuo's actions.
Although he devoted his entire life to studying classics and ancient literature, he also had a desire to serve his country and save people in need. Moreover, he saw that the Xun family members in front of him were extremely talented and learned. If he continued to stay in Luoyang, he might be harmed by Dong Zhuo, and he felt extremely disappointed.
But Dong Zhuo didn't allow anyone to come in, so naturally he didn't allow anyone to leave.
His current position as Sikong is just an honorary one, so he has absolutely no chance to send Xun You away.
Xun You replied, "Don't worry, my ancestor. There will always be a way out when the car reaches the mountain. Dong Zhuo has done evil things and used the favor of scholars to raise his status, but he has also recruited extraordinary people and patriots into the capital. Outside the capital, Qiao Bingzhou defeated Dong Zhuo's generals in Hedong and confronted his troops in Mengjin. If there are people with extraordinary vision in the east of Chenggao, they must take advantage of this opportunity to launch an attack."
He continued in a gentle voice, "It is not easy for Dong Zhuo to control his generals, let alone the five schools of the Northern Army. At this moment, the more cruel and inhumane he is, the more it shows that he has lost sight of the big picture. If the troops of Yan, Yu, Ji and Xu states take this opportunity to form an alliance, quickly attack Xuanmen Pass, and rush into Luoyang, then the emperor can be saved and the court can be revived."
"Grandfather, you don't have to worry about your reputation today. Since you are in a high position, why don't you do your best to preserve the famous scholars and classics in the capital? How can you say that you will lose your reputation in your later years?"
Xun Shuang was stunned for a long time after hearing this, and then he murmured, "Quickly attack Xuanmen Pass... That's right, although Xuanmen Pass is as dangerous as Hulao Pass, it is only guarded by a general. If someone has the courage of Marquis Qiao and goes to the capital to defend the king, Dong Zhuo is just a mere man, and he has no more heads than many people. Why should we be afraid of him!"
He stood up despite his ailing body and walked to the courtyard. He looked at the clear but not spring-like sky and asked, "In Gongda's opinion, who has the courage to send troops at this opportunity?"
Xun You's voice came from behind him: "On the day the late emperor passed away, he left an imperial edict ordering Lord Lu to assist in the administration. He has the ability to command troops and has an old relationship with Qiao Bingzhou. If he can recruit soldiers, he may be able to march to Luoyang."
"Cao Mengde, the lieutenant of the Central Army, was defeated in a confrontation with Dong Zhuo's army and fled to Qiao and Pei. His family is wealthy and he has many brothers. Among them, there are many chivalrous men who love martial arts, so there is an opportunity for him to raise an army."
"Although the two brothers Yuan Shu and Yuan Shao were the leaders of the trouble in Luoyang..." Seeing Xun Shuang turning his head to look at him, Xun You added two more words at the end, "The second one."
"However, one of these two is in Nanyang, and he has joined forces with the current Nanyang governor Zhang Ziyi. There is also Changsha governor Sun Wentai who can join forces to go north. The other one is recruiting soldiers in the name of the Yuan family in Jizhou, and he can also send troops here."
"If we talk about the brave heroes in the world, those currently serving east of Luoyang, such as the governor of Chenliu, Guangling, Dongjun, Beihai, and the current governor of Xuzhou, are all likely to send troops. If someone in the Central Plains raises a call, there may be more than ten 2,000-stone officials who can come together to the eight passes outside Luoyang—"
"If you think this way, do you think there is hope for the world?"
Xun Shuang suddenly felt that the sky was brighter and the air was clearer. He sighed and said, "Yes, how can Dong Zhuo control the people's hearts with his power? His violent and wanton behavior, with the support of Qiao Hou Nan, must have attracted the support of patriots. If more than ten forces are coming to Xuanmen Pass as you said, the great man will eventually rise again. Why should I care about my life?"
"Prepare the car, I'm going to Lantai!"
On the day Liu Hong died, the fire in Nangong Palace caused by Yuan Shu did not affect Lanting, and all the letters inside were preserved. However, this can only be regarded as a blessing in disguise.
If Dong Zhuo was defeated at Xuanmen Pass, this wolf man would start another fire at the end of his rope, which might not allow Lan Tai to survive.
Now that he has been forcibly promoted to the position of Sikong, he may not be able to turn the tide, but if he just wants to preserve the classics in the capital, there is still some hope.
When he was helped to the carriage by Xun You, he looked into the eyes of his cousin, which seemed gentle but actually had a strong temper.
He thought for a moment and asked again, "In your opinion, is it possible for Marquis Qiao to break through the pass from Mengjin?"
Xun You replied: "She is used to creating unexpected things. I can't see through her."
At this moment, Qiao Hou, who had unexpected achievements in Xun You's evaluation, was writing a letter in the camp on the north bank of the Yellow River opposite Mengjin.
Niu Fu, who was stationed in Mengjin, was pleased that he could see the vague outline of Qiao Yan's camp across the river. At the same time, he felt a little nervous because the other side did not attack.
He ordered his soldiers to disguise themselves as fishermen, cross the river from further downstream, and find an opportunity to sneak into the vicinity of the military camp. The news he received was that Lord Qiao was ordering all the soldiers to work together to build boats.
shipbuilding?
This is indeed an offensive posture, but it is absolutely not suitable for Mengjin!
If they wanted to cross the river by boat, there were countless ships in stock in the Mengjin Shipyard, including tower ships suitable for fighting in the Yellow River. How could the other side's hastily built ships possibly match his armaments?
What's more, attacking the enemy halfway is simply the most advantageous condition in combat.
It would be even more of a joke if instead of crossing the river by boat, we used boats to pull up a floating bridge!
Since the Shang and Zhou dynasties, there has been the idea of using boats as bridges. However, this method of building floating bridges is only applicable to rivers of the size of the Wei River, and no one has ever been able to build this on a large river. 5
Niu Fu looked at the Bingzhou military camp on the other side and sneered, "It's the end of April now. It wouldn't be a problem if she spent seven months building the boat. In November, the river will freeze over according to the weather in recent years! Then she can cross the river."
After he said this, he was quite satisfied to hear the soldiers around him burst into laughter in a particularly supportive manner.
But when he touched his face, he couldn't help grinning again.
That day, Guo Si took him back on horseback. On the way back to the city, he was so angry when crossing the river that he broke the oar with one hand, and accidentally hit it on the face, knocking out half of his tooth.
This further deepened his desire to get back at Qiao Yan.
It just so happens that it is not easy for the opponent to cross the river to attack, and it is also not easy for him to cross the river to attack the opposite side, which makes him extremely uncomfortable.
What's more troublesome is that as long as the enemy is stationed on the other side of the Yellow River for one day, he must lead the troops given by the prime minister to station here to prevent the enemy from finding an opportunity to cross the river and attack Luoyang.
Compared to his impatient state, Qiao Yan was much more stable.
Just as Xun You had guessed, after she had tied down Dong Zhuo's two armies here, she sent a letter to Lu Zhi and Cao Cao.
The letter asked the two to form a coalition to attack Dong Zhuo.
She mentioned in her letter:
The massacre that Dong Zhuo carried out in the capital city of Luoyang was just to cover up his guilty conscience. He was corrupted by power so quickly that he even did this thing that gave people a chance to criticize him after Qiao Yan wrote the manifesto.
At present, the scholars are shocked and their true nature is known. Even the few people who granted official positions to Dong Zhuo in the past should now take the people's livelihood and supporting the holy dynasty as their own responsibility first, rather than considering themselves as Dong Zhuo's old officials.
Dong Zhuo's troops were stationed there and were not well prepared, so it was a good time to raise an army.
In order to eradicate all evil, once they led their troops out of Xuanmen Pass, she would quickly cross the river, enter from Beimang, and go straight to the north of Luoyang City to cut off Dong Zhuo's escape route.
As for how she was going to cross the river, they were asked not to worry.
[In the years before the Han Dynasty, there were special methods of crossing the river where the big river passed through Bingzhou. People always say that people in the north are not good at water battles, but it is not the case in Bingzhou. Please wait and see. 】
Qiao Yan put down his pen and asked someone to send the two letters out.
Then, she walked to the busy shipbuilding business in the north of the camp, and casually asked them to put the built boats on the open space on the shore so that Niu Fu on the opposite side could also watch the fun, and then turned to the place covered by curtains in the camp.
On the ground here, several open boxes can be seen. What is filled in them is not military rations for the army, but sheepskins that have been peeled off while they are still hot.
The sheep they obtained from the attack on the Xianbei alone were not enough to form the number obtained here.
But before Qiao Yan attacked the Xianbei last year, Guo Jia had already used a trick to deceive and intimidate the King of Zuo Guli. In addition, this year's hunting results were still good, so even if the King of Zuo Guli of the Southern Xiongnu still had some rebellious thoughts, they were scared away long ago.
Needless to say, after the rebellion in Youzhou was quelled, Yufuluo, the son of the Southern Xiongnu Chanyu Qiangqu, also returned to Xihe County in Bingzhou, posing an additional deterrent to the left wing nobles of the Southern Xiongnu.
King Zuoguli had already converted to the Xiongnu. Under such fear, he could not even escape far away, so he simply discussed with the other left nobles and chose to donate his property to save his life.
This is why Qiao Yan has more than 4,000 almost complete sheepskins here.
It has to be ram skin. 6
She reached out and picked up a sheepskin that had been previously baked and dehaired.
In order to facilitate transportation, these sheepskins, which should have been in a blown-up state, are now still in a shriveled state.
Except for the soldiers who were building ships outside, the rest were already here.
They were busy inflating the sheepskin, sealing it with hemp rope, applying clean water and oil, and then hanging it up to dry.
The sheepskin that is blown into air forms a sheepskin bag, which is also the air bag tied under the sheepskin raft.
Qiao Yan looked at the dozens of sheepskin bags that had been blown up as a test and smiled.
This is what she uses to cross the river!
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