The Three Kingdoms Voyage

Chapter 337
"We make a trade of plunder, plundering our enemies and our neighbors.

If there is no one to rob, we rob our own brothers..."

Wild singing was heard far away in the hot desert. A dozen Bedouin men wrapped in headscarves and robes rode on camels. The thick camel paws kicked up the sand, forming a cloud of smoke behind them. The man waved the steel knife in his hand, and glanced at the more than 100 Sassanid cavalry who were chasing after him from time to time, his eyes were full of contempt, and he didn't care about the danger that was getting closer.

The Sassanid light cavalry were in hot pursuit. They were one of the ten centurions sent by Ardashir to suppress the bandits. They were led by the Bedouins for a few days, and this time they finally caught a group of Bedouins. Because of the robbers, what made them even more happy was that this group of Bedouins were not many in number and they were not their opponents at all. They turned around and ran away when they saw them, which made the hungry and thirsty Sassanians even more excited Dry tongue.

Ardashir said that if the Bedouins were captured, the property that belonged to the Sasanian still belonged to the Sasanian, and the property that had no owner was the spoils of war, and whoever captured them belonged to them.Everyone knew that the Bedouins were experts in plundering, and they must have a lot of money, so it was a fat job to go out to suppress bandits, and the accompanying generals were all vying to come.

"Catch up and kill these Bedouins." The centurion waved his saber and hoarsely raised his morale.In fact, the morale is already very high, and there is no need for him to encourage it.Camels have good stamina, and their short-term bursts can barely be compared to war horses, but they can't last long. Now that they have run for several miles, the speed of the camel has obviously slowed down. They can already see the bulging package on the camel's back , my heart was full of greedy desires, I wished I could fly up with wings, and it would be best if I could get ahead of all my companions, so there was no need for a centurion to encourage me.

The Bedouins charged up a sand dune, stood still on the sand dune, turned their camels around, and instead of running away, they assumed a fighting posture.The Sassanid laughed. It seemed that the Bedouins knew there was no escape and were ready to fight to the death.However, although the Bedouins are courageous, there is a huge disparity in their numbers now, which is far from being compensated by courage. At best, they die with more dignity. It doesn't make much sense, it's nothing more than making them spend more time.

This is not necessarily a bad thing. In this expedition, the always invincible Sassanids fought aggrievedly. Prince Alpha was killed in the first battle, and Prince Shapur was killed in the last battle. For the brave and aggressive Sasanians , This is simply a great shame, facing the Yue people hiding in the high wall, even if they crushed their fists, it would be useless, but now, they very much hope to wash away their shame with the blood of these Bedouins.

"Go up!" The centurion let out a long cry and waved his saber in his hand. The knights under his command understood it and divided into three lanes in the high-speed gallop.As they galloped, they took off the round shields hanging from the saddles, and prepared to meet the Bedouin's fire.

Sure enough, the Bedouins began to shoot, each with a bow, and a dozen arrows flew towards the Sassanids. However, the Sassanids were scattered, and the number of Bedouins was too small, so the arrow array could not be seen at all. power.Having seen the rain of arrows from the Yue people, the Bedouin's arrows are now as insignificant as mosquitoes. As long as you protect the vital points, even if you are shot by them, it will be harmless.

The Bedouins each shot two or three arrows, and the Sassanids had already rushed in front of them. Shouting loudly, they put away their bows, raised their scimitars, and drove their camels towards the Sassanids facing them. , Taking advantage of the slope of the sand dunes, they quickly confronted the Sassanids.

The light of the knife reflected the sun, and the blood splashed and dripped into the yellow sand under his feet.

Smelling the fresh smell of blood, the Sassanids were inexplicably excited. They roared and swung their swords and slashed vigorously. , three were seriously injured, more than half were slightly injured, and only one of them died in battle, and several were slightly injured. The outcome was very clear.

"Turn around on the top of the sand dunes, don't let these robbers run away." The centurion was the first to rush over, and he reined in his horse to slow down while roaring loudly. Turning his head, he turned around halfway up the mountain, and accelerated to chase the fleeing Bedouin.The flying horseshoes raised waves of dust, like a galloping yellow dragon.

When the centurion reached the top of the dune, he finally stopped the horse, turned around the horse's head, and started to accelerate again. After running for dozens of steps, he suddenly felt that something was wrong. When he was at the top of the dune just now, he glanced casually, It seems to see some figures behind the dunes.

Did the Bedouins have ambushes?The centurion turned his head to look, and his scalp immediately exploded, and the originally passionate call for battle turned into a scream.

"Watch out behind—"

Most of the Sasanians were struggling to catch up with the Bedouins who were fleeing in a panic. All their attention was on the packages on the Bedouins' hunchbacks. They didn't hear the centurion's shouts at all. When a cavalryman heard this, they turned their heads and looked back, only to see nearly a hundred war horses emerging from behind the sand dunes like ghosts. The horse went straight to the centurion, a young warrior with black hair was almost lying on the horse's back, swift as the wind, he rushed to the centurion's back in a blink of an eye, the spear in his hand flicked coldly The spearhead seemed to have eyes and hit the centurion's sword that he swung with all his strength. With a crisp "choke", the centurion's sword flew out of his hand, flew more than ten steps, and plunged into the yellow sand.

Before the knife hit the ground, the spear in the young man's hand had already pierced the centurion's chest. With a flick of the spear, the screaming centurion was lifted high and thrown out. The horses passed by like a gust of wind. Rushed between the two stunned Sassanids, swaying the spears in their hands, the two Sassanids seemed to be pushed hard by someone, and they could no longer sit on their horses. They didn't care about attacking the young man. The samurai danced and tried to regain their balance, but before they could sit still, two knights roared past, and with a light wave of their sharp swords, they decapitated their heads, and the headless corpse fell from the horse. Rolling down the sand dunes, streams of blood sprayed out from the cavity and sprinkled all the way.

These more than 100 knights rushed down from the sand dunes and caught the Sassanids by surprise. They were all skilled in riding and martial arts, especially the spear-wielding warrior headed by him was extremely brave. Like a god of death, they took the lives of five Sasanian knights one after another.

Under the attack of the Bedouins and these warriors who rushed out suddenly, the Sassanians could not hold on any longer. In the end, only a dozen or so knights broke out of the encirclement and fled.

The battlefield quickly returned to calm, and a big Bedouin man who had been cut off his arm jumped off his hunchback, strode up to the young warrior horse, and saluted his chest: "Thank you, warrior, for your help, otherwise Today we are afraid that there will be more bad luck than good luck."

The warrior laughed, sat on the horse, bowed a little, and returned the salute: "We are allies, we should help each other, is your injury okay?"

"A little injury, nothing to worry about." The big Bedouin said disapprovingly: "Today I owe you Teutons a favor. If you have something to do in the future, just let me know. I, Abraham, will never hesitate, even Thousands of miles away to help."

"Hahaha, thank you very much." The warrior smiled, reached out and took a sheepskin wine bag from the horse's back, and threw it to Abraham: "This is Yue people's fine wine, pour a little on the wound, it will help Get better soon."

Abraham took it in his hand, bit off the stopper with his mouth, took a sip, and said with a smile, "It's a waste of such fine wine to wash the wound, why don't you let me drink a couple of sips, and the wound will heal naturally."

Everyone laughed.

The sallow-faced Ardasil lay reclined on the camp bed, looking at the blood-stained knight, his thick eyebrows were furrowed. After a while, he waved his hand, signaling the knight who escaped from death to go down to rest first, and wrapped himself tightly. He murmured, "Why did the Germans appear in Egypt? Could it be that the Romans are also here?"

The Teutons are a branch of the Germanic people. They are known for being particularly agitated during battles. They are called "Teutonic Wrath". They have always been active in the northern Mediterranean. Later, some of them became part of the Roman Legion as mercenaries. But they seldom come to the south of the Mediterranean Sea. If they go to the south of the Mediterranean Sea, they will cross the Mediterranean Sea or Asia Minor and Syria. People are still Romans, and they will not be easily allowed to enter the hinterland.Now that these people actually arrived in Egypt, Ardashir couldn't help being suspicious.

The Romans are still there, they have just resolved the crisis of civil strife, and they should not let the Teutons mess around, so these people came from Sasanian territory?Or were they simply sent by the Romans to delay his journey?Or, even the Romans were here?However, if they want to attack Sassan, they should go to Armenia, or even directly attack Tessiphon, what are they doing in Egypt?
Ardahill was puzzled, he knew nothing about Ctesiphon's situation, during this period of time, he had not received any news from Ctesiphon, and was very worried about Ctesiphon's situation, now he heard that the news Dunren suddenly appeared in Egypt, and he felt even more disturbed, and an ominous feeling made him feel uncomfortable.

At the Allied army camp, Cui Qian waved his hand and walked away. Zhuge saw him, got up quickly and followed him, took Cui Qian's arm and said, "General Zuo calm down."

"What are you angry about?" Cui Qian said angrily: "This is a scholar at all, he knows how to fight a war? The Great Bitter Lake is not staying here, and he insists on withdrawing to the city of Gudes (Jerusalem). He just doesn’t want our navy to participate in the battle.” Cui Qian lost his temper, turned his head to Zhuge and said straightly: “Ji Gong, I don’t care, anyway, my fleet is still in the Mediterranean, and this is not my battlefield, I just give it away Come, the king did not arrange for me to fight here. Besides, a place as big as the Mediterranean Sea, if nothing else, it would take a year to patrol once. I really don’t want to waste time here. But you, Ji Gong I feel a little wronged, could it be that the task given to you by the king is to transport them here?"

Zhuge saw that Cui Qian's words were provocative, and although he felt the same in his heart, he still said earnestly: "General Zuo, General Lu was appointed by the king, so let's not say that he is the king's brother-in-law, at least he is now He is the general representative of our country of Yue, and the Romans and Tianzhu people are here, if we are at odds, wouldn’t it be a joke?”

Cui Qian heard Zhuge Zhi mentioning Sun Shao, with a hesitant look on his face.He was very dissatisfied with Sun Shao's appointment of Lu Xun as a general this time, and he always thought that he was the most suitable candidate.He is the number one general under Sun Shao, and even the former general Su Chugai did not fight as many battles as him. This time he took the risk to sail to the Mediterranean Sea and killed Maximus in the first battle. At this time, he should be the best candidate for the general, and it is not in vain for him to follow Sun Shao for so many years without complaint or regret.However, Sun Shao actually appointed Lu Xun as a general and asked Cui Qian to follow Lu Xun's command, which made him very unhappy.

However, he has followed Sun Shao for so many years, watched Sun Shao step by step to today with his own eyes, and admired Sun Shao's scheming so much that he dared not take Lu Xun seriously. Think twice.

Seeing that he was relieved, Zhuge went on to say: "This time, the king used himself as a bait to attract the Sassanians to Axum for more than half a year, and created such a good opportunity to fight. Now the Sassanids are rushing back to their nests. Blocking here is a big deal, I don't think the king will make such a hasty decision, since he let Lu Xun be the general, there must be his reasons. Maybe..." He hesitated for a moment: "He will come in person and don't say anything Not sure, if you leave in a fit of anger, the king won't be able to see you, so what are you thinking? General Zuo, you are the most important force in the king's hands, you can't let the king down."

Cui Qian's heart moved, and he was taken aback. That's right, now that the siege of Axum City has been cleared, there is no need for Sun Shao to stay in Axum anymore. Maybe he is on the way here. Lu Xun is just a temporary commander. If Sun Shao Shao arrived, but Cui Qian returned to the Mediterranean Sea, wouldn't Sun Shao be annoyed?Thinking of this, Cui Qian smiled, and said gratefully: "Ji Gong, thank you for reminding me, I am a wild person, if it weren't for your words, I would almost have missed a big deal."

Zhuge Zhi said with a faint smile: "The general understands the king's heart better than I do. Even if I don't say it, the general will understand. I just don't want outsiders to read the joke, so I boldly persuade the general. It is inappropriate. Please also ask General Haihan."

Cui Qian laughed, pointed at Zhuge and said straightly: "Ji Gong, you haven't changed for more than ten years, and you still have that tepid temperament, which is very similar to your brother Cong. Come on, let's go drink!" "

"So, I'm going to disturb the general's fine wine again." Zhuge Zhi laughed, and the two walked side by side.

In the big tent, the Gordian father and son were a little embarrassed, but Xia Hourong cupped his hands calmly and said: "General Lu, the Sasanians are getting closer, our casualties are increasing every day, the Roman mercenaries Going into battle can alleviate our predicament, but if there are too many people, I'm afraid it will backfire and arouse Ardashir's suspicion. In my opinion, this is probably the only way to go. If the general decides to intercept Sassan in Gudes City People, then we should leave as soon as possible, and we can make some preparations when we get there. If we decide to attack here, then we should not be half-hearted and enter the position immediately to avoid delaying the battle."

Lu Xun nodded with a smile: "General Xiahou is right. We should have made preparations earlier. However, before retreating to Jerusalem, I have to fight Ardashir here first."

Xia Hourong was stunned for a moment, thought for a while, but nodded understandingly, and didn't ask any more questions.When Lu Xun saw it, he secretly praised Xia Hourong. Xia Hourong is worthy of the name of a prodigy, and his quick thinking is indeed very approachable. He just made a statement, and he understood the intention. No wonder Sun Shao has always praised him. , would rather hand over such a large area of ​​Arabia to him to manage, and don't want him to return to Wei State to become his opponent.

Xia Hourong and Lu Xun spoke Chinese, which Gordian and his son couldn't understand. Seeing that although they didn't talk much, they seemed to have deep meaning, so they couldn't help but glanced at each other, feeling suspicious.Lu Xun saw it and smiled faintly: "Two generals, let me first tell my father and son about my plan. If father and son have any ideas, you might as well bring them up in person and we can discuss them together. How about you?"

Gordian nodded after hearing what the interpreter had translated. They were also very puzzled by Lu Xun's statement that he would go to Gudes City to intercept Ardashir.Although Gudes City has a city to defend and the terrain is not bad, but if they really went there to intercept the Sasanians, why did they rush here again?Besides, the volley here is also good. Between the two great lakes, it is absolutely possible to fight against Ardashir and frustrate his spirit. Maybe it is possible to defeat Ardashir right here.You must know that their total strength has surpassed Ardashir, and they have been resting for more than half a month, but Ardashir has been marching for a long distance, and his morale is very low.

"General, please tell me." Although Gordian was full of doubts, he still bowed politely and said.

Lu Xun smiled gently: "The reason why I decided to intercept Ardashir in Gudes is because after passing Gudes, there is a vast desert. Before entering the desert, Ardashir must replenish his supplies and prepare well Prepare. Gudes is his ideal place, so it is expected that he would rob Gudes."

Gordian was stunned for a moment, and immediately realized something.Ardashir wanted to go to Gudes to replenish supplies, but when he arrived at Gudes, he found that there were heavy guards, so what should he do?Leave without attacking Goods?That thousands of miles of desert is no joke, he may not be able to get out if he can get in.The only way is to attack Gudes by force, and leave after taking down Gudes.In this case, Lu Xun didn't have to worry about the whereabouts of the opponent's cavalry. He didn't even have to go to his opponent for a decisive battle. Siege, this has been verified under the city of Axum.If you intercept Ardashir here, there is a big problem how to determine the marching route of Ardashir. Once they are careless and Ardashir finds the ambush, it is entirely possible for him to rely on the cavalry Don't change the location to pass at the same speed, the coalition forces are mainly infantry, they can't keep up with Ardashir's pace, they can only watch Aldashir run away.

Changing the location, the initiative was transferred from Ardashir's side to his own side, forcing Ardashir to give up his strengths to attack the city, which is wonderful.

Gordian nodded again and again, with an admiring smile on his face. This elegant-looking Han is indeed a master of war.

"Then...why are you fighting Ardashir here again?" Little Gordian was still a little puzzled.

"The purpose of fighting here is to reassure Ardashir and make him think that we are here and not in Gudes." Lu Xun patiently explained: "Ardashir is a very shrewd person, if we let him go all the way Back to Ctesiphon safely, can he believe it? He will proceed cautiously along the way, and it is possible to replenish the water source here. You are familiar with the situation in the desert, and you know that water is more important than food in the desert. From Gus It takes more than 2000 miles from Germany to Ctesiphon, and at their speed, it takes about half a month. Food can be saved, and if it is not enough, you can kill horses and camels, but what about water? Just drink The blood of cattle will not sustain Ctesiphon."

Little Gordian's eyes lit up, and he took the conversation away and said: "So, we intercept him here. Whether we succeed or not, he will rest assured, and then go directly to Gudes, and when he arrives in Gudes, If he wants to refill the water, he has to capture the city of Gudes, otherwise, he will either walk into the desert with an empty water bag, or walk another three or four hundred miles to come back here to refill the water."

Lu Xun nodded quickly, and praised with a smile: "The general is really experienced, and he guessed the intention immediately."

Little Gordian smiled somewhat complacently, but after taking a look at Lao Tzu's gloomy face, he finally realized that the strategy he came up with, he only now understands, how clever it is , To be so complacent, it's a shame.He blushed, sat aside awkwardly, and lowered his head.

"A great plan, General, but since we are going to fight here, how can we rush to Gudes City to prepare in time?" Gordian said calmly, "They have four legs, but we have two legs."

"That's why we can't all be here. Some of us should stay here to intercept, while the rest rush to Gudes to prepare to defend the city." Lu Xun said sincerely: "Those who intercept here must be good at defending in field battles, and those who rush Those who go to Gudes must be good at defending the city, if they choose the wrong person, all previous efforts may be wasted. The old general has rich experience in fighting and fighting the Sassanids, so he must understand the reason."

Gordian was stunned, and only then did he realize that Lu Xun's original idea was to let the Romans intercept the Sassanians here, while the Han people went to Gudes to defend the city.The reason is also simple, because Ardashir may have guessed the appearance of the Romans by sending mercenaries to help the Bedouins to rob, but the Han people have not been dispatched from the beginning to the end. It is impossible for Ardashir to guess that there are An army of [-] to [-] Han Chinese is waiting for him in Gudes. He probably thinks that there are only Bedouins and Romans here.If it was replaced by the Han people here to intercept, then the strength of the coalition forces would be fully exposed in front of Ardashir.

Gordian was very upset, and Lu Xun had counted him in.You went to Gudes City safely, but let us fight desperately with the Sassanid cavalry in the wild?You want to use the sassanian's knife to weaken our strength, but you can't do it so obviously.

Lu Xun saw the change in Gordian's expression, and he glanced at Xia Hourong inadvertently.Xia Hourong stood up, took a cup of tea and walked in front of Gordian, cupped his hands and said: "The ten thousand Bedouins in Sheba are willing to obey the command of the general. The general is resourceful, and the Roman infantry phalanx is famous all over the world. It is my honor, Xia Hourong, to fight side by side with the general."

(End of this chapter)