Han Dang is stronger

Chapter 187
After coming to this era, it was the first time for Xiang Kang to set foot in Yingchuan County, which is located in the heart of the Central Plains.

Knowing that Yingchuan is an area where the Qin army and various anti-Qin rebels repeatedly saw each other, it was severely poisoned by the flames of war. Before crossing the border of Yingchuan County, Xiang Kang and the young generals had already prepared to face the ruins. Mentally prepared, but after they really penetrated into the territory of Yingchuan in the snowstorm, Xiang Kang and the young generals realized that they had still underestimated the extent of the damage to Yingchuan caused by the war. It is as simple as the ruins of the wall and the ten rooms and nine empties, but the real bones are exposed in the wild, and there is no chicken crowing for thousands of miles.

On the snow-capped land of Yingchuan, there are only traces of the dilapidated road. The fertile soil of the Central Plains on both sides of the road is full of dry thorns and weeds. It is obvious that it has been abandoned for a long time. You can see human bones, not to mention human beings in the wilderness, not even a wild dog and hare, but a few crows undulating on the snow, and the piercing screams make people feel hairy.

If it weren't for the collapsed houses and the earthen walls that were burned black by the fire along the way, the young generals would have suspected that the army had gone the wrong way, and this place was definitely not the densely populated and prosperous Yingchuan County. Countless young commanders and soldiers exclaimed more than once, "How can it be so deserted? The places we have seen before are already miserable, why is it ten times worse here?!"

"I didn't expect that Yingchuan would be so badly damaged by the war. If the central and southern parts of Yingchuan are like this, then it will be difficult for us to raise food, grass and military supplies."

Xiang Kang was also worried. He was afraid that the whole territory of Yingchuan would look like this, which would affect his grand plan of the Southern Expedition to support the war. There is no guide to lead the way. At present, he doesn't even know where his own army is, and which Yingchuan city is the closest, so Xiang Kang is inevitably a little worried, for fear that the main force of the young commander's army will lose his way and get into A large area of ​​no man's land at the junction of Yingchuan and Chenjun on the map.

Fortunately, while walking forward with trepidation, the scouts who went ahead to explore the road finally sent news that they found a city guarded by the Qin army, and it was probably the Weishi County that the Young Marshal planned to capture. Xiang Kangwen He was overjoyed and hurriedly urged the army to speed up. However, when Xiang Kang finally saw the dilapidated small county town, the scouts of the young commander ran to Xiang Kang with a mournful face and pleaded guilty, saying: "Forgive me, General You, we I went the wrong way, the one ahead is not Weishi County, but Yuanling City."

"What? Yuanling City? No wonder it took me so long to find the city!"

Entering Weishi, but ran to Yuanling City, which is more than 40 miles west of Weishi, in a daze. Xiang Kang's nose was almost out of breath, and he roared: "Take down the person in charge of exploring the road immediately. Hit forty army sticks!"

The unlucky leader of the pathfinder was immediately taken down and beaten with a military stick, and most of the young generals beside him were dumbfounded. They all couldn't believe that the main force of our own army could make such a low-level mistake, and they could deviate the route of the army so outrageously. .On the contrary, Chen Ping was calmer, and suggested to Xiang Kang: "General You, since we have gone the wrong way, it is better to make the mistake and take down Yuanling City first. First, we can seize some food and grass to supplement the military. Locals who are familiar with the geography of Yingchuan roads act as guides so that we don’t make the same mistakes.”

"It has to be like this." Xiang Kang sighed, looked at the dilapidated Yuanling County from a distance and said to himself: "I hope there will be some food in the city, don't let us work hard to attack the city in vain. "

Fortunately, although Xiang Kang has never liked to attack from the front, the walls of Yuanling City are too dilapidated. Even if you can climb up the walls without using the ladder, there are very few defenders in the city. The total number was only 600, so after quickly preparing the siege weapons, the Young Commander's Army took Yuanling City directly with only one strong attack.However, after rushing into the city, the officers and soldiers of the Young Commander Army were extremely dumbfounded to see that Yuanling City, which is a county seat, was also full of ruins and ruins. The soldiers were all yellow and thin, with ragged clothes and tattered weapons, and they looked only a little better than beggars.

It is worth mentioning that the magistrate of Yuanling County has a lot of backbone. After being captured by the young generals, he not only refused to surrender, but kept shouting that the young generals should execute him immediately. In front of and behind him, there was still constant scolding, shouting: "Rebel! Rebel! If you are a hero, kill me with a sword! Don't torture me with those shameless methods! Otherwise, even if I become a ghost, I won't be able to forgive you! you!"

"It's quite backbone." Xiang Kang snorted coldly, and said: "Don't be stubborn, as long as you answer the general's questions obediently, not only will the general not torture you, on the contrary, he may let you live and let you go back to the hospital." Reunite with your family at home."

"Don't do this!" Yuanling county magistrate was willing to believe it, and shouted: "Stop lying to me with these lies, who doesn't know that you rebels kill people without blinking an eye, rape and plunder, and do everything to us Daqin officials. If you can do it, the last magistrate of Yuanling County was boiled alive by you rebels in a cauldron! I will never be fooled by you! Kill me, kill me immediately!"

"What do you mean by that?" Xiang Kang heard something wrong, and hurriedly asked: "From your tone, Yuanling City has already been breached once?"

The magistrate of Yuanling County refused to answer, but continued to yell at him. Xiang Kang became angry and ordered: "Get the knife ready, and I will ask questions later. If this Qin thief doesn't answer a word, he will cut off one of his ears and cut off his two ears." If you don’t answer one sentence, you’ll cut off two ears, and if you don’t answer the third sentence, you’ll cut off your nose!”

The soldiers sang promises, and immediately pressed the Yuanling county magistrate tightly, drew a knife and put it on his ear, and then Xiang Kang asked: "I will ask you again, has Yuanling City been breached once?" ?”

With the knife resting on his ear, the county magistrate of Yuanling hesitated for a moment, but still said with a mournful face: "It's not just once, it's this time for you. This is the fourth time that Yuanling City has been breached. The first time was by Zhang Chu's bandit army. Twice it was the army of the Korean bandits."

"The army of the Korean bandits?" Xiang Kang was taken aback for another moment, then he immediately came to his senses and asked again, "Is the army of the Korean bandits you are talking about the army of Han Cheng who claims to be the King of Han?"

"Yes." Yuanling county magistrate nodded, and said: "More than two months ago, his bandit army broke through Yuanling city twice, killed two of my predecessors, and was killed by our county of Yingchuan twice. Soldiers run away."

"No wonder Yuanling City has become like this." Xiang Kang suddenly realized, and hurriedly asked: "Then where is Han Cheng's army now?"

"I don't know." Yuanling County Magistrate shook his head, and quickly added: "I really don't know. I only know that they went to the south after being beaten away. I don't know where they are now."

"In Yuanling City, how much food is there?"

Xiang Kang asked another question casually, but it was fine if Xiang Kang didn't ask. Before the question was finished, the county magistrate of Yuanling was already tearful, sobbing and said: "Believe it or not, anyway, in Yuanling City Now there is no food at all, and even I rely on wild vegetable porridge to fill my stomach every day, even if you kill me, I will not be able to give you any food."

Sobbing, the Yuanling county magistrate gradually began to cry, wailing with snot and tears, "The thieves came and robbed, and the soldiers came and robbed, and the soldiers came and robbed, and there is food in Yuanling city." The mountain has been robbed long ago, people starve to death in the city every day, and there is no woman in the city who has not been spoiled, and even half-grown children are all taken into the army. The punishment we Yuanling people suffer is that Ten days and ten nights can’t finish it!”

"Pull it down, pull it down." Xiang Kang waved his hand quickly, fearing that if he listened to it, his heart would soften, and instead he took out military rations to help the people in the city.But having said that, after temporarily detaining the magistrate of Yuanling County, Xiang Kang immediately issued an order to prohibit the young marshals and soldiers from looting the innocent people in Yuanling City. .

The matter is not over yet, the education he received was different after all. After confirming that the county treasury in Yuanling City did not even have a single grain, Xiang Kang, who wasted his energy attacking the city, still couldn't bear it, and refused to send hundreds of Yuanling guards. He suggested that the army be directly dismissed, and ordered those captured Yuanling defenders to have a full meal first, and planned to pick out the guides and then distribute dry rations for dismissal.

What made Xiang Kang dumbfounded again was that, not long after, Zheng Bu, who was in charge of guarding the prisoners of war, came to report and said, "General You, it's terrible. They rushed to join us. There was also the county magistrate of Yuanling, who was also crying and shouting, insisting on seeing you again, saying that he misunderstood you and wanted to apologize to you in person."

"This is a troubled world." Xiang Kang sighed, but still ordered: "Bring that county magistrate, I still have a lot to ask him."

After the Yuanling county magistrate named Yu Que was brought in front of Xiang Kang again, his attitude naturally turned 180 degrees. After his careful introduction, Xiang Kang had a general understanding of Yingchuan's current situation. After Han Cheng, who was named the king of Han by Xiang Liang, returned to Han with the army sent to him by Zhang Liang and Xiang Liang, he took advantage of the opportunity of the main force of the Qin army being defeated by the Chu army and the anti-Qin coalition forces, and went around in Yingchuan County. Although the siege has not created a big situation, it has captured the cities in Yingchuan many times, causing great damage to Yingchuan County.Coupled with the fact that the Qin army and Zhang Chu's army had repeatedly seen each other in this area, and the remnants of Zhang Chu had been running around in Yingchuan, which seriously damaged agricultural production, so Yingchuan County basically had no harvest in the second year of Qin II. Everyone is short of food, and there are starvation everywhere, and the population has dropped very sharply.

"The food shortage is so serious?" Xiang Kang frowned, and asked again: "Is there not a city with sufficient food in Yingchuan County?"

"Report to the right general, yes." Yu Que replied honestly: "In order to conquer the bandit army, our Gao Junzun transferred all the food that could be mobilized from various places to Yangdi, the governor of Yingchuan County, to stockpile. In addition, Yangdi has always been guarded by heavy soldiers. The thieves didn’t dare to go there to die, so they collected some food last year, whether it’s the county treasury or the people have some food.”

"How many tyrants are there in Yangzhai?" Xiang Kang asked.

"This villain doesn't know." Yu Que replied: "The villain only knows that Gao Junzun previously recruited tens of thousands of soldiers to form county soldiers in order to suppress the bandits. Some of them were used to guard Yangdi, and the other part was led by Xu Juncheng from Yingchuan. I went around to attack the rebel army, but I don't know how many soldiers and horses they have in their hands."

"It seems that we have to fight another stupid battle." Xiang Kang muttered in his heart, and then asked Yu Que: "In Yuanling City, is there anyone familiar with the main road of Yingchuan?"

It was also a coincidence that Yu Que, who used to be a staff member under Yingchuan County Chancellor, used to travel to various cities in Yingchuan for many years in order to perform official duties, and was very familiar with the roads and roads in Yingchuan. ?Yu Que, who escaped from the dead, didn't hesitate, and immediately knelt down and expressed his willingness to be Xiang Kang's accomplice and lackey. The guide of the main force, guiding the young commander's army to march south.

That night, Xiang Kang held a military meeting in the big tent of the Chinese army, introduced the situation in Yingchuan he knew to the young commander Wenwu, and announced his decision to march into Yangdi, seize the food and military supplies there to supplement the military, and then go back to Yangzhai. Go south to Nanyang.As a result, because the Young Marshal's army was running out of food and grass, the young Marshal's army also unanimously supported Xiang Kang's decision, and then discussed going west to Xinzheng, and then directly marching troops from Xinzheng to Yangdi.

There was not much military rations, so of course Xiang Kang didn't dare to waste time. After deciding on the idea of ​​marching into Yangdi, early the next morning, Xiang Kang took the main force of the Young Marshal's army and strode westward, marching towards Xinzheng against the snowstorm all over the sky. The hundreds of Yuanling defenders who cried and begged to join the Young Marshal Army were also accepted softly by Xiang Kang.However, Xiang Kang's kindness is also very limited. When he arrived at Xinzheng City in the evening, he just saw the dilapidated city of Xinzheng Town and Yuanling. Xiang Kang immediately shook his head and said: "Don't fight, don't take down Xinzheng again When there is half a grain of food, there is another group of burdens."

After saying that, Xiang Kang ordered the soldiers of the Young Marshal to immediately build a pontoon bridge on the Weishui River, and took the main force of the Young Marshal to cross Weishui in the early morning of the next day. Weishui, before continuing to march towards Yangzhai, the scouts ran to Xiang Kang and reported that they had found a cavalry squad bearing the banner of the Han Army on the road from Xinzheng to Changshe.Xiang Kang was surprised when he heard this, and said, "It's such a coincidence, could it be that Han Cheng's army is nearby?"

Just as Xiang Kang guessed, after a while, after the cavalry squad of the Korean army got in touch with the main force of the young marshal, Xiang Kang just asked about the current situation of the main force of the Korean army, and the leader of the Korean army immediately responded The report said: "General You, our Majesty and our main force are at Fujiting, less than [-] miles to the south, and the younger one was ordered to go north to explore the road. He wanted to inquire about the situation of the Tyrant Qin army in Xinzheng for the Majesty. Is there any chance of going north to attack Xinzheng?"

"That's great, please..."

Xiang Kang was very happy when he heard that, and just about to invite the main force of the Han army to come over and join forces with his own army to attack Yangzhai, but Uncle Zhou who was next to him spoke first and asked, "Are there any activities of the Tyrant Qin army around you?"

"Xu Wei, the Prime Minister of Yingchuan County of Baoqin, is at Changsha with more than 6000 troops of Baoqin." Han Jun's cavalry chief replied truthfully: "Originally Changsha was in our hands, but a few days ago Qin's army chased after Changsha, and we were forced to abandon Changsha and move to Fuji Pavilion, northwest of Changshe."

"So that's how it is." Uncle Zhou nodded, and then overstepped Zu's order and said, "Please go down and rest temporarily, wait for us to discuss for a while, and then please take the letter back and present it to the King of Han."

The chief of the Han army agreed, and immediately resigned, so Uncle Zhou turned to Xiang Kang and asked, "You general, I would like to ask you a question, you just wanted to invite the main force of the Han army to go north immediately to join us, and you also wanted to invite them to join us. Attack Yangdi?"

Xiang Kang nodded and admitted, and Uncle Zhou also said: "The general thinks that this must not be the case. Although joining forces with the main force of the King of Han can strengthen our military might, and we can also take advantage of their familiarity with the roads and geography of Han, but behind them However, it is holding a main force of the Tyrant Qin army. If we join forces with them and are discovered by the Tyrant Qin army, the Tyrant Qin army in Changsha will definitely return to aid Yangdi in the first place, making it even more difficult for us to take down the strong city of Yangdi. , it would be better not to rush to join forces with them for the time being, and use their strength to continue to contain Changshe's Tyrant Qin army, so that we can take Yangdi relatively easily."

"General You, the students think that General Zhou's words are reasonable." Chen Ping also said: "Invite the King of Han to join us in attacking Yangdi. After they succeed, they will definitely share the city's food, grass and military supplies with us. At that time, they will fight against Qin. Dayi, we have to give, we will suffer if we give too much, and they will be unhappy if we give too little. Instead of embarrassing in the future, it is better to ask them to temporarily contain the Tyrant Qin army in Changsha for us. Thank them with some food and military supplies, and they have nothing to say."

Xiang Kang has always listened to persuasion. Seeing that Uncle Zhou and Chen Ping were reasonable, and with the main force of the 3 handsome army in hand, there was no need to be surprised by the gang of mobs in Han Cheng's hands, so he immediately nodded and immediately let Chen Ping Ping edited a book for himself, asked Han Jun's cavalry squad to take it to Fujiting and handed it to Han Cheng, told Han Cheng that he was going to attack Yangdi, and asked Han Cheng to temporarily restrain the Changsha Qin Army for him, and then start again after the incident was completed. Thank you Han Cheng.

After finishing all this, Xiang Kang did not delay any longer, and immediately led the young commander-in-chief army to march towards Yangzhai, and marched very fast while carrying heavy grain trucks and a large amount of military supplies. Into more than thirty miles away.But when Xiang Kang and the young general Wenwu were both surprised and annoyed, in the evening, the main force of the young general stopped to set up camp to rest, and the scouts ran to Xiang Kang to report that it was a Korean army flying the Korean flag. The team chased up from all the way.

"Didn't they be asked to help us contain the Tyrant Qin army in Changsha? Why are they chasing them again?" Xiang Kang said angrily.

"Ninety-nine percent are determined to take advantage of it." Chen Ping snorted coldly and said, "I don't have the guts to stop the Tyrant Qin army from returning to aid Yangdi for us, and I want to use our strength to take down Yangdi and grab money and food, so I just I found an excuse to catch up."

"Trash! Now that we're fighting Yang Zhai, there might be another change!"

No matter how dissatisfied he was, out of anti-Qin righteousness, Xiang Kang still summoned the envoy of the Han army who came to contact him later. Fortunately, the envoy of the Han army still knew etiquette, and he saluted respectfully when they met. He said more respectfully: "The envoy under the command of General Han Xin, the Korean general, has seen General You of Chu State, and my General Han was ordered..."

"Han Xin?!"

Before the envoy of the Han Army finished speaking, Xiang Kang pricked up his ears and blurted out, "Where is General Han Xin?"

"Reporting to the right general, he is in our army." The Han army envoy pointed to the Han army team not far away, and said with an apologetic smile: "Forgive the right general, the army is rushing all the way, our general Han must first settle down the army, and then Only then can I come to see you."

"Quick!" Xiang Kang ordered without thinking, "Get ready for the banquet. General Han Xin will come soon, and I will go out of the camp to meet him in person."

The Young Marshal Jun Wenwu was stunned, and none of them understood why Xiang Kang changed so quickly—he was still full of anger just now, but why did he lose all anger when he heard Han Xin's name, and he had to go out of the camp to greet him and lead a group of mobs to take advantage of it? Han Xin?Xiang Kang's most trusted young commander, Uncle Zhou, was also taken aback, and then suddenly remembered that Xiang Kang had reminded him in front of him that if one day he encountered an enemy named Han Xin on the battlefield, he must not underestimate the enemy. main idea.

"This guy is so powerful, can we make our talented General You pay so much attention to him?" Uncle Zhou murmured in his heart, "Alright, take this opportunity, I must take a closer look at what kind of person this Han Xin is. .”

(End of this chapter)