Shu Chen

Chapter 361 Chicken Head
Hexi Corridor, Juyan is a country.

This place, which was renamed Xihai County in Wei State, actually only has a county system.

Originally, in the period of Emperor Xiaowu of the former Han Dynasty, there was still a section of the Great Wall.

But after the Luntai Edict, the national policy of the former Han Dynasty stepped into recuperation, and Juyan City gradually fell into disrepair; and after Guangwu, the treasury was emptied because of the Qiang rebellion in the northwest that lasted for more than a hundred years, and the Great Wall was blown by wind and rain. went.

At least, today's broken walls and ruins have been unable to stop the nomadic tribes from coming south.

This is the reason why the Southern Huns and the Tuoba tribe of the Xianbei drove smoothly and besieged Juyansai.

However, from a military fortress to a Juyan city, the fortifications are very complete, and with sufficient food, fodder and armaments, it can be claimed that it is not afraid of any nomadic tribes to invade or besiege.

But if you go out of the city, it's another matter.

But in today's Juyan City, there are really two hundred soldiers who are isolated.

Things have to start from the beginning.

In addition, after the Dunhuang Zhang family changed banners and returned to the Han Dynasty, Zhang Hua, the prefect of the West Sea under the Wei Dynasty, entered the court as a public minister. The ball is defended by the school lieutenant.

At that time, there were about [-] county soldiers in Juyan, and half of them were disarmed by the imperial court, and more than a thousand soldiers brought by Li Qiu took over the responsibility of defense—in order to break the original organizational system and prevent the original army Sima from bullying the soldiers. , making Li Qiu unable to control military power.

Naturally, the transition of powers should not be hasty.

The original army Sima still controls more than a thousand soldiers, and has been in office for many years, and his speaking power is almost the same as that of Li Qiu.

Fortunately, when Zhang Hua resigned from office, he also privately instructed the Sima of the army not to commit crimes with arrogance; and Li Qiu also respected him after he took office, so they lived in peace with each other.

But with the arrival of another thousand soldiers led by Fu Qian, the original balance was broken.

Fu Qian and Li Qiu are the best friends!
No matter how rough and illiterate the army Sima was, he knew that he was already at a disadvantage when making military decisions.

Or rather, he was still a little worried.

Fu Qian came in the name of increasing troops to resist the right part of the Southern Huns and the Tuoba part of Xianbei, but what happened after the Hulu retreated?
Will the thousand soldiers he brought leave?
When Li Qiu arrived earlier, he lost half of his soldiers!
The army Sima didn't dare to take chances, and also felt that Wei Yan sent Fu Qian here in the name of helping the war, but it was a preparation for his removal from power in the future.

Although Zhang Hua had previously claimed that the man was benevolent and righteous, even if he was transferred to another place, he would be promoted in the form of promotion.

But the little man has the thinking of the little man: he doesn't want to leave the country of Juyan.

In the county for more than ten years, he was promoted step by step from Dubo to Army Sima. Not only did he settle here long ago, but he also purchased many acres of pastures. The tribe respects him a lot!

Here he is like a fish in water, even the only Shangguan sheriff talks and laughs happily with him.

But after leaving here, he is just a thousand-stone official who can be seen everywhere!

I would rather be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix.

Army Sima feels that his situation is already at stake, and he must do something to reverse the unfavorable situation.

And in this small city hanging alone in the north, the only help he can think of is the Southern Huns and Xianbei who are about to invade.

It's not to betray the Han and join the Hu.

Instead, he wanted to use the heads of the Southern Huns and Xianbei tribes to allow him to accumulate meritorious service, so that the Han court felt that it would be better for Juyan to belong to the state!

In other words, as long as he has the merits of repelling the Hulu, he can continue to stay in office.

For example, when the imperial court planned to transfer him away, he also used this to plead to stay on.If the imperial court does not allow it, then he will hang his seal, remove his armor and return home as Li Shu.At that time, if the imperial court does not want to bear the injustice of treating meritorious officers and men poorly, it will send someone to the door again to grant him an official position.

To retreat is to advance.
Who doesn't know the usual methods used in official career?

As for whether meritorious service is so easy to obtain, Jun Sima is not worried: He Hulu, can he be against the sharp evil of our Han soldiers?
Furthermore, Ma Dai led the Xiliang iron cavalry to ambush Juyanze before, and summoned them when he returned, saying: "The two tribes of the Southern Huns and Xianbei were driven by Ni Wei, and they must attack the fortress. However, They will not be willing to do their best to oppose the Wei Dynasty, as long as you guard the city well and keep the walls clear, you will be safe and sound."

Jun Sima was concerned at that time.

Since the Hulu didn't want to do his best for Wei, he might as well be bold, lead the troops out to guard against the enemy, and take all the merits of repelling the Hulu's invasion to himself.

And the reality is that there is indeed a favorable location for him to succeed.

Due to the fact that Juyan City was in disrepair for a long time and was no longer used to defend against the enemy, the Juyan Kingdom built an outpost beacon (siege) about [-] miles in front of the fortress, which was used as a warning of the enemy's situation when the nomadic tribes in Mobei invaded. .

The outpost beacon is built on the mountainside, which can accommodate two hundred soldiers to guard.

The terrain is not like low hills in other places where war horses can gallop straight up, and the condescending terrain makes defense very easy.What's even more rare is that because of its proximity to the east tributary of Ruoshui, even though it is built on the mountainside, the water sources of the several wells in the beacon will not dry up in all seasons.

Army Sima felt that if he selected two hundred elites from his own command to garrison, with the innate disadvantage of the Hulu who are weaker than the offensive and the mentality of not wanting too many casualties, they would definitely not be attacked!
As long as it is not breached, the Hulu will strike back in the future, and the first contribution to defending against the enemy will be in his pocket!
He can do whatever he wants or wants.

Therefore, when everyone was discussing the military plan to defend the defense, he proposed to personally guard the outpost beacon.

As expected, his proposal was opposed by Huangfulong, Li Qiu and Fu Qian with one voice.

Because the outpost beacon tower is about to be abandoned.

The reason is also obvious: the strategic significance of the outpost beacons is no longer there.

One, the Southern Xiongnu and the Tuoba Xianbei have already settled in Yanze, so why should they be on guard against the enemy?
The other is that the imperial court is temporarily unable to expand the cavalry. In the next few years, the defense will be the main focus, and there will be no war scheduling to drive directly to Huanglong.In this way, instead of spending extra resources to maintain the outpost beacon, it is better to use Juyan City as a guarded place.

But the army Sima has a good reason.

He has lived here for a long time and knows the habits of nomadic tribes well.

As usual, soldiers are used in autumn and winter when war horses are fat, but in spring and summer, cattle, sheep and horses urgently need to replenish the fat lost in winter and reproduce, so they will stay away from war.For example, when attacking the Xiongnu in the former Han Dynasty, troops were often sent in spring and summer, taking advantage of the reproduction of cattle, sheep and horses to delay the migration speed of nomadic tribes.

He thought that the invasion of the Southern Huns and Xianbei would last at most three or four months.

Once it's summer, they will stop fighting and go back.

Li Qiu and Fu Qian persuaded him that there is no need to take risks, but he insisted on the grounds that he has a responsibility to guard the soil.

When the two sides were deadlocked, Huangfulong, who did not hold military power but had the highest official position, used the tactic of dragging words, claiming that they could record their suggestions in a book and send them to Huishui, Jiuquan County, for Ma Dai to make a decision.

Obviously, his procrastination tactic won't work.

The army Sima is not a scumbag, he knows the time wasted passing the letters back and forth, and the Hulu are all approaching the city!
How can there be a chance to let him go out to guard the outpost?
Immediately, he got up angrily and spoke with emotion.

Said:
"Although I served in the Wei Dynasty before, I also know the great Han Ke's ambition to restore the Central Plains! Now that the barbarians are invading, we dare not even guard an outpost. People, so I don’t know that all the families of my soldiers are here, and their livelihood depends on animal husbandry rather than farming. If our army abandons the outpost beacon towers, it will definitely make them think that the imperial court is afraid of war, and they will also think that our army cannot protect their families. The small livelihood is comprehensive! So, what is the use of the imperial court supporting me and others in the army?"

Having said this, he tore off the small bronze seal of the Army Sima tied at his waist, and knocked heavily on the case table.

"Although I am not talented, I have been in the county for many years, and I have integrated with the Li and Shu here! Now that the two of you have advised me to put the overall situation first, and the command of the general at the top of the mountain, I don't want it to be difficult for the two of you, so I gave up this position. I am white, and I will lead my family’s children and like-minded people to fight against the barbarians, so as not to make the soldiers sad and miserable, and the fields and pastures will be poisoned by the barbarians!"

Speaking of this, neither Li Qiu nor Fu Qian had any rebuttals.

Because what the army Sima said is true.

And if he is allowed to abandon his post angrily and go home, and call the shadow followers with his white body to guard the outpost beacon, I am afraid that those soldiers recruited from this county will look down on the Han court!

Even if you don't mutiny, you will take off your armor and leave without authorization!
Alas, after all, he is a veteran who has been in the county for more than ten years.

Regardless of the local county soldiers or Li Shu, they would choose to trust him, rather than Huang Fulong, Li Qiu, Fu Qian and others who have not been working here for a long time.

Therefore, this dispute also ushered in a final conclusion.

The army's Sima got what he wanted, but Li Qiu and the others were in conflict with each other, whichever was the lesser.

(End of this chapter)