weaving

Chapter 129
Huolu is located to the east of Jingxing Pass, only [-] miles away from Zhendingfu City.

Because it guards the Hebei end of Jingxing Road, it has been an important place for military strategists since ancient times.

Since the Tang Dynasty, it has been a well-known "Han Wharf". In ancient times, there was a saying that "one capital, two guards and three connected states are not as good as Huolu Han Wharf", and it is known as a place where "days make money".

It is precisely because of this that Huolu has a lot of land. Although the city is not big, it is also strong, all because it guards the exit of Jingxing throat and is the place where Jingxing soldiers prepare their way.

It all depends on the fortification of the city, the unity of the people, and the unity of the will, so that we can stick to Huolu for five days.

Outside the city, the Qing army became furious and rushed to attack for days without stopping. It is no surprise that ladders collided with cars. They forced the captives to dig the roots of the walls, set fire to the city, and piled up dirt to climb the city.

The Liu family stood guard day and night with all the soldiers and civilians, fighting desperately and waiting for help. They only hoped that Wei Zhice could beg for reinforcements and return, drive back the Tartars, and relieve the people in danger.

…………

Zhang Cheng led his cavalry team across the Hutuo River and headed south. From time to time along the way, there were Qing army sentry cavalry watching from a distance. At first, it was only a small group of five or six cavalry, but gradually it gathered into a large group of dozens of cavalry.

When the army had traveled more than ten miles, Zhang Cheng sent an order to use Chen Zheng's outpost as the vanguard, and the two outposts on the left and right immediately rode down the official road and galloped towards the frozen wilderness on both sides.

With Zhang Cheng and the guards as the central army, they rode in a cross-shaped cavalry formation, and they were relatively scattered, and they still rode their horses and trotted towards Huolu County.

Behind Zhang Cheng's cavalry were Lu Xiangsheng, Zhang Yan, and Jiang Mingwu's central army. They were marching with infantry, and their speed was slowed down.

However, Zhang Cheng did not dare to stray too far from the brigade, and he was also afraid of being suddenly surrounded by the Qing army's captive cavalry. He kept a distance of one mile from the Chinese army and led the way for the Chinese army.

At noon, Zhang Cheng led the team to a village named Huozhai nine miles north of Huolu City. Since they had been marching along the official road, the speed of the march was quite fast.

This village fortress is relatively complete. Except for some houses that were demolished and the inner logs taken away, very few places were burned, and the walls of the village are relatively intact. The important thing is that the village fortress is quite large and close to the official road, so it is very suitable for residence. camp.

Less than one mile to the north of Huozhai, there is another unknown small river, which flows eastward into the Taiping River, a tributary of the Hutuo River. It is convenient to get water when camping here.

Zhang Cheng was still riding his horse on the official road, waiting for Lu Xiangsheng's Chinese army brigade, while Chen Zheng's outpost and Hu Dake's rear outpost were standing by with Zhang Chenghui.

Zhang Guangda and Wu Zhizhong led two sentry cavalry on the left and right, entered Huo Village to inspect, to see if there were any hidden Qing army sentry cavalry.

Less than five miles further north from Huozhai, the Qing army camp is located. The place where they set up camp is in the east of Huolu City, west of the Taiping River, a very large camp.

More than [-] Qing troops, that is, more than [-] war horses, mules and horses, and more than [-] captives, and a large amount of grain and military resources, it seems that the Qing army camp occupies an extremely large area.

…………

At the end of noon, Lu Xiangsheng led more than [-] soldiers of Xuanda Army to Huo Village.

For a while, thousands of people were busy inside and outside Huo Zhai Village Fort. Lu Xiangsheng's Chinese army was stationed in Huo Zhai Village.

Xuanzhen Yang Guozhu camped in the north of Huozhai, near the unknown small river, Shanxi Zhenhu Dawei camped in the west of Huozhai, Zhang Cheng, Zhang Yan and Jiang Mingwu's tribe all camped in the south of Huozhai.

The army was setting up the wall and setting up the military tents. Lu Xiangsheng summoned all the generals to ride on the official road together.

Under the watchful eye of the sentry cavalry of the Qing army, Lu Xiangsheng led the generals and their personal guards, and a group of more than [-] cavalry rode their horses straight to the Qing army camp.

After running for more than one mile on the official road, they rode their horses and jumped down the official road. After running for more than two miles in the wilderness, they stopped on a hill.

Lu Xiang got off his horse, walked to the hill, took out a binoculars, held it in front of his eyes, and looked at the Qing army camp less than two miles to the south.

Zhang Cheng got off his horse and said to Chen Zhong beside him, "Scatter the brothers and look around. If there is a large group of Tartars coming, call the police in time."

Chen Zhong agreed, took the reins of Zhang Cheng's horse, turned around and handed it to a soldier, who whistled softly again, and led more than ten riders to gallop down the hill.

The rest of the generals did the same. They scattered their own soldiers and family members around the hills for vigilance, gathered around Lu Xiangsheng, and watched the Qing army camp in the south together.

Zhang Cheng also took out the binoculars, held it up in front of his eyes, and looked through the mirror, but it was much clearer than what the naked eye could see. Half of the situation in the camp could be seen carefully, and the binoculars were all silvery white, but again Those farther away appear blurred, which shows that this telescope is indeed not as good as the telescopes of later generations.

He looked at it for a while, then put down the binoculars, but saw his uncle Zhang Yan was beside him, looking up, so he handed the binoculars to Zhang Yan with both hands.

At this time, Lu Xiangsheng also put down the binoculars. He waved his hand and summoned Wei Zhice who had been by Zhang Cheng's side all the time, and asked him in detail about the various situations of the Qing army's continuous attack on the city.

They chatted for a while, and Chen An, Lu Xiangsheng's relative, stepped forward quickly, and said softly in front of Lu Xiangsheng: "Minister, there is a group of captive cavalry, about five hundred cavalry, rushing here."

Lu Xiangsheng's face remained calm, he just kept shouting: "Get on the horse."

All the generals turned around one after another and took the reins of the horses from their own soldiers. The sound of a blade of armor hitting was heard, and all the generals got on their horses, followed Lu Xiang on his horse, and rushed to the west side of the hill.

Looking down, a thick puff of smoke and dust rises from the official road in the northwest direction. It is estimated that the team of captives should be [-] steps away at this time, and the horses are silver-white in front of the billowing smoke and dust.

Lu Xiangsheng was on the horse, raised the binoculars again, looked at it for a while, and then said in a deep voice: "The slave is riding the white flag, riding alone, it doesn't seem like he came to surround us."

Zhang Cheng then said: "Minister, in the slave camp there is a banner with a golden dragon flag, I'm afraid it's either Dorgon or Abatai here."

Lu Xiangsheng put away the binoculars, and said in a deep voice: "Go and meet him for a while, and I will naturally know."

After speaking, he rode his horse down the hill and galloped to the official road in the east. All the generals hurriedly led their own soldiers and guards to follow closely and ran to the official road together.

…………

Daming, Chongzhen 11th year, November 28th, Weishi.

On the official road about five miles north of Lucheng in Jizhonghuo, more than [-] horsemen stared at each other.

On the north side of the official road, Lu Xiangsheng led Xuanda's generals and more than [-] guards and guards. He rode his horse and stared at the south. He saw more than [-] Qing soldiers in silver and white armor riding horses and looking at this place [-] paces away.

There was a rider in the middle of the Qing army, dressed in gilt armor, and the guards on the left and right looked extremely sturdy and vigorous. It was clear at a glance that the leader of the Qing army was by no means an ordinary Qing general.

Lu Xiangsheng still had no expression on his face, just staring at the opposite Qingqi, although they were nearly three hundred less than them, but in terms of momentum, he did not lose at all.

Zhang Cheng rode his horse beside Lu Xiangsheng, and couldn't help blurting out: "Could it be that the slave chief Dorgon came here in person?"

　I am sorry.

　　I've had a stomach upset for the last few days.

　　I sent the wrong chapter in a daze, although the content has been changed.

　　Still sorry, sorry!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)