Chapter 1026 Choice
Hedong County, Dongyuan County.
As a county town surrounded by water and mountains, Dongyuan at this time did not show the momentum to defend the dangerous position.
The wall city built with loess appears to be somewhat damaged and dilapidated due to the long-term lack of maintenance and the wars over the past few months.
Many places look like a barren wasteland of loess.
The manors and houses that were originally located near the outskirts of the city had long since disappeared.
With the arrival of winter, the dilapidated houses were as silent as a ghost house without even the sound of insects.
The occasional flashes of foxes, weasels and other animals add a bit of weirdness to the place.
Under the waning sun, which has no warmth at all, the shadow of the house is lengthened and looks eerie.
“Click”!
The dull sound of a broken piece of rotten wood sounded slightly.
A dozen figures appeared in the alleys between houses, walking quickly and cautiously, jumping.
After confirming that there was indeed no one in this abandoned residential house, these people found a high place and quietly lay down.
Then he began to look at the Eastern Wall City shrouded in the setting sun.
“Not to mention cutting down the trees around the city, even the houses on the edge of the city were not cleared. It can be seen that these rioters have not thought about how to defend the city at all.”
Someone murmured.
“Always be careful.”
The leader of the scouts who was observing carefully did not look back and said:
"In matters of life and death before the battle, the more careful you are, the more chance you have of surviving. Swords and arrows don't have eyes."
“Ahem, boss, I just said that casually.”
The speaker stretched his neck and glanced at the city wall, and then said:
"It's just that there are tens of thousands of rioters in this city? Even if the city gate is not closed, why are there not even people guarding the city gate? The city wall has collapsed badly, and you don't want to repair it?"
The scout leader looked at it intently for a while, then smiled:
“Isn’t this good? When the sun sets, let’s see if we can sneak into the city through the collapsed openings.”
If it were the Wei thieves, they would naturally not dare to be so bold.
But looking at the chaos in the city, there is not even the most basic defense outside the city, which shows how lax it is.
For well-trained elite scouts, as long as they act properly, it may not be impossible to climb over the wall.
Having made up their mind, they found a better-preserved house. After setting up a warning, they began to drink water and eat dry food, and then rested.
It gets dark early in winter. Soon after the sun sets, a layer of mist appears on the ground, and the sky and the earth suddenly become hazy.
This group of scouts spread out, stepped through the dry grass outside the city, and began to touch the city wall under the dusk.
The process of climbing over the wall was much smoother than expected.
Not only did the rioters not think about repairing the collapsed city wall, they even had no one to guard the gaps.
Maybe the wall collapsed so much that they couldn't repair it.
Climbing over the gap in the city wall and entering the city, you can see some lights in the distance.
This team of scouts bent down, using the parapet of the city wall as cover, and kept groping closer. The houses closest to the bottom of the city wall were covered with dust and seemed lifeless.
As we approached the houses with lights exposed, we heard shouts, singing, cursing, laughter and crying coming from under the cave-like roof.
The shadows refracted by the light looked like living things moving around in the cave-like dark alley.
Easily touched the core edge of the enemy, leaving the elite team sent to investigate the situation a little confused:
Where does a guy like his opponent have the confidence to dare to refuse the emperor's recruitment order?
“Look inside again and see if there are any other findings…”
The scout captain whispered the order, and more than ten people began to disperse.
After crossing the outer perimeter and arriving under the inner city, the scouts discovered something strange.
Different from the messy outer city, the inner city not only has its gates closed, but there are actually soldiers on duty on the walls.
Although it doesn’t look very professional, there are actually people standing under the firelight so late at night, and you can even see them talking and laughing among themselves.
Isn’t this an obvious target?
Although I don’t know if there are hidden sentries in invisible places, I can only rely on the arrangement of these open sentries and the various actions of the soldiers on duty under the firelight.
Coupled with the outer city and various things outside the city, the scout captain can easily determine:
Although the rioters, or bandits, in the inner city have initially formed an organization, they still cannot pose a threat to the Liangzhou army.
However, since there are guards in the inner city and the environment is unfamiliar, it is not easy to continue taking risks and sneak in. The risk is too great.
Quietly exit the city along the same route, and the team will gather at the original place. After everyone is gathered, they can summarize the situations they have detected and send them to the rear.
Liu Hun was not surprised at all after receiving the news.
He found Han Long:
“Master, it’s time to work.”
Han Long nodded and sighed: "I hope they can wake up in time."
During this great purge in Hedong, the Wulin League put forward the slogan "The great chivalrous man serves the country and the people", and it gained quite a reputation.
I came into contact with many rangers. I searched around and found a few ways to talk to the leaders of the rebels. I sent them the recruitment order and tried my best to persuade them to surrender as soon as possible.
This time, it is the deadline set by the king.
Obviously, the king no longer wants to waste time on the troubled people in Dongyuan.
Liu Hun nodded, but judging from the news sent back by the scouts, he had given up hope.
“Then I will go back and organize the army first.”
The rioters in the inner city of Dongyuan were completely unaware that less than a hundred miles away, a large army was already making final preparations.
In other words, they never expected that a certain monarch who had been admiring the scenery on the bank of the river suddenly set his sights on one of the easternmost counties in Hedong County.
Liu Asi, the leader of the rebellion in Dongyuan City, got up under the service of his maid only after three o'clock in the day.
He was originally a low-level official in the Tuntian Kefu. When the news came that Bingzhou was attacked by Shu captives, all the Tuntian Kefu in various counties in Hedong were mobilized.
It's just that the Shu captives came so quickly that everyone was surprised.
Liu Asi was originally assigned to send a group of farmers to Anyi to serve as guards. Unexpectedly, before he was halfway through the journey, he received news that the Shu captives had broken through the Guanjuejin Valley and headed towards the hinterland of Hedong.
At that time, the news in Hedong changed three times every day, and people were panicked.
Before Liu Asi and his men could go further, the Shu captives had already arrived at the foot of Anyi City.
This time, even if the road to Anyi is completely cut off.
Liu Asi, as a minor official in the farming community, often interacts with the farming community and is well aware of the suffering of the farming community at the bottom.
Over the years, farmers have either fled into the mountains or settled in the towns to cause trouble. Various incidents have occurred one after another.
Had it not been for the suppression of the army, there would have been countless troubles in Hedong, a heavily farmed area, in recent years.
From Liu Asi's point of view, the Shu captives entering Hedong were like having a bucket of oil poured on dry firewood that was sparking everywhere.
If you just lead these people back like this, as long as the news spreads that the Shu captives have entered Hedong, you may have to be beheaded in the middle of the night before you can return to Dongyuan.
Moreover, even if he could return to Dongyuan safely, it was still unknown whether he would be accused of failing to rescue because he did not arrive at Anyi in time.
After coming to this conclusion, Liu Asi gritted his teeth and took the plunge. He called everyone together.
It is only said that Anyi has been occupied by Shu captives. If he and others fail to rescue him, they may be severely punished according to the law.
But if we continue to move forward, we will probably die in the same way when we reach Anyi with just these people.
Although the Tuntian Hakka Mansion can barely be regarded as semi-military management, it is not even the slightest bit worse than a real garrison.
The garrisons in Bingzhou and Hedong were unable to stop the Shu captives. How could people like myself be the opponents of the Shu captives?
Under Liu Asi's half-truths, half-falsities, and even threats and threats, thousands of farmers just said that they had no way to go.
They were always deeply oppressed in Japan. Under such circumstances, Liu Asi took the opportunity to raise his arms and raised his voice, and these farmers immediately rebelled.
They robbed the nearest small county town, and then found a mountain and swamp as a temporary hiding place.
The subsequent development of the situation in Hedong was as Liu Asi expected.
No, the chaos in Hedong was more violent than Liu Asi thought.
When the Shu captives entered the country, chaos broke out among the people. Some officials surrendered and others fled. Who would remember Liu Asi and the others?
Liu Asi took advantage of the chaos and led the campers back to Dongyuan, where he was familiar, and easily captured the county seat.
The semi-military management of the garrison is naturally inferior to the regular garrison, but it has many advantages over the unorganized people.
With a place to settle down, the surrounding rebels were either annexed by Liu Asi or voluntarily surrendered. At one time, more than 30,000 rebels gathered in Dongyuan City.
Liu Asi first anticipated the situation in Hedong. In addition, in the past few months, he took advantage of the situation and his power continued to expand. Suddenly he became a little arrogant:
Chen Sheng and Wu Guang can claim the title of king with only 900 men, so I can at least call myself the "General who controls Hedong", right?
This is also the reason why he did not accept the recruitment order:
I have already claimed the title of Zhenhedong. If you want me to surrender, you have to promise me the position of county governor no matter what. Who are you trying to fool with that little bit of land?
Compared to the Zhiguan side, the Han army was really stingy.
After having breakfast or lunch, Liu Asi received a report from the people below:
"General, the Han army has sent someone to send a call for security order."
Liu Asi picked his teeth and asked casually:
“What are the conditions?”
“It’s still the same as last time.”
“Bah!” Liu Asi spat out the food residue in his mouth and expressed his disdain at the same time.
The so-called Leader Liu is the owner of the Shanxia Manor in the south of Dongyuan.
Since they have the same surname and their ancestors have been living in Dongyuan for three generations, the two of them are barely related to each other.
This leader Liu has a big family and a great business. He has had many guests in the past, and even knights came in and out. He is a prominent figure in this area.
After the chaos in Hedong, a local snake like Liu Zhaizhu did not occupy the city and cause chaos like Liu Asi, but he pulled some people and horses, built a stronghold and defended it against the mountain. That was Ji Cao.
“Does he also plan to join the Han army?”
Liu Asi was a little impatient, "That's fine, let's meet."
Calling him Chief Liu is just to give him face.
In fact, he had not thought of detaining Chief Liu and annexing Heer Mountain Stronghold.
But there are many rangers in Heer Village. If something happens to Leader Liu here, he is afraid that he will have to face the assassination of the rangers.
In Liu Asi’s view, he is now at the moment when he is laying the foundation for a great cause.
For a village with only two to three hundred people, not only will your reputation be ruined, but you will also be noticed by the rangers. It's not worth it.
It’s just that Leader Liu came in person this time and was destined to return disappointed.
Different from the loneliness that Leader Liu felt when he left, Liu Asi who stood at the top of the inner city felt very satisfied.
Although the chaotic people in the outer city are noisy, in his eyes, they are his personal tribe and his wealth.
Liu Asi watched Leader Liu and several of his men disappear outside the city. He looked into the distance inadvertently, and suddenly his body froze!
The limit of sight seems to be different from the past.
"what is that?"
Liu Asi murmured to himself.
The inner city is not too high, and coupled with the obstruction of the outer city walls and various obstacles outside the city, his sight is seriously blocked.
With the change in vision, there seemed to be a faint sound of thunder.
The Huqi still retained the habits of their tribe, roaring in the wilderness and making all kinds of weird sounds.
Some people rolled and crawled on the ground and ran up the inner city wall:
“General, general, it’s not good, there’s an enemy situation outside the city, the enemy situation…”
The speech was incoherent, as if he had been frightened.
Liu Asi stood there, looking at the crowds of people surging in the distance outside the city, like black monsters, rushing towards Dongyuan City, and his face turned pale.
It's not that he didn't think that one day, the Han army or the Wei army might appear under Dongyuan City.
But in the past few months, he had defeated nearly ten groups of rebels, which gave him the illusion of being powerful.
More importantly, isn't the Han army stalemate with the Wei army by the river?
The Wei army at Zhiguan has never dared to come out. Even if it dared to come out, the first goal would only be to attack the Han army from a flank.
So where did the army coming towards Dongyuan come from?
Liu Hun raised his telescope and looked at Dongyuan City. As the scouts said, many parts of the city wall could be crossed by a leaping horse, and they could not block it at all.
“Send the order and find a way to drive out all the people in the outer city, gather them together, and then surround the inner city!”
“No!”
…
“Wow!”
The door of the shed was pushed open, and some cold air leaked in, but the person quickly closed the door again.
“Mom, I’m back.”
A fourteen-year-old boy with a duck voice unique to his age.
"You're back? Are you hungry? There's some food left by the fire pit. Wash your hands first."
A woman answered as she poured some hot water into the basin.
The young man responded, walked over and washed his hands, then sat down by the firepit and started to devour the food.
Compared with the meals he had eaten before, the food at this time could only be regarded as crude.
But the mother and son seem to have become accustomed to this kind of life.
"Are you hungry? Why did you come back so late?"
The woman looked at her son with some pity and some guilt.
“There’s something going on in the army…”
The young man answered vaguely while eating his dinner.
After eating, he poured himself another bowl of hot water, took two sips, and then said:
“Mom, the army is now recruiting some local people to help manage the place. I, I want to give it a try.”
The woman who was mending clothes by the firelight with her head lowered did not expect her son to say this. She suddenly raised her head:
"no!"
"Why?"
“Your surname is Pei. How many people in Hedong have never heard of your name? If you do this, aren’t you surrendering to..."
When the woman said this, she glanced at the door subconsciously, and then lowered her voice:
“Surve yourself into a thief?”
Pei Xiu smiled bitterly:
“Mom, what’s the difference between us being like this now and surrendering to the thieves? Well, I mean, what’s the difference between us being like this now and surrendering to the Han army?”
“It’s different.” The woman clenched the clothes in her hands vigorously and emphasized her tone, as if she was persuading the child and comforting herself:
"We are forced now. Even if we return to the Pei family in the future, others will not blame us. But if we take the initiative to join the thieves, the Pei family will no longer be able to accept us."
Pei Xiu, however, disagreed with her mother’s words:
"What are you going to do? The Pei family is... hum!"
Seeing her son's dissatisfaction, the woman advised:
"Although I am from a humble background, you will inherit the title in the future. How can you despise yourself?"
It turns out that Pei Xiu's aunt died early, and Pei Xiu was known as a "backward leader". Therefore, although he was born as a commoner, if nothing unexpected happened, he would most likely succeed his father Pei Qian's title.
So what the mother and son said to the outside world was actually half truth and half false.
The reason why their manor in the countryside fell into the hands of the rebels was actually because Pei Xiu's grandfather passed away and they were rushing to attend the funeral. Unexpectedly, they encountered a military riot on the way.
It’s just that what Pei Xiu saw and heard in the army in the past few months made him think differently:
“Mom, I’m afraid it’s hard to say whether I can inherit your title in the future!”
The woman is a little confused.
Pei Xiu stood up, walked to the door, quietly looked outside to make sure there was no one, then came back and whispered:
"Today I heard the news that Feng Junhou led the army back to Anyi."
“It’s that Feng Gui...Feng Thief, no, I mean, that Feng Junhou?”
Pei Xiu nodded: "Not only is Feng Junhou back, but he also brought back a piece of news."
He paused:
“Da Sima was defeated and is now leading the army to withdraw from Guanzhong.”
"What?!"
Pei Xiu looked at her mother and said seriously:
“Mom, you also know that Feng Junhou has been guarding the riverside, confronting Da Sima.”
“Now that he has led the army back to Anyi, he not only issued a recruitment order to stabilize Hedong, but also selected local people to help manage the place. What does it mean?”
There was a sudden silence between mother and son.
After a long time, Pei Xiu quietly asked and answered himself:
“It shows that the news that Da Sima withdrew from Guanzhong is very likely to be true, and the Han Dynasty is already preparing to govern Hedong..."
From the time Pei Xiu could remember, the Wei Dynasty had lost both Longyou and Liangzhou.
Now we have lost Bingzhou, Hedong, and Guanzhong...
No matter how the Wei State claims that it is the righteous one in the world, it is an indisputable fact that it has been at a disadvantage in the competition with the Han State in recent years.
It is difficult to say how much appeal Wei's title has left.
“Mom, our Pei family, in this turmoil, doesn’t know how much energy we have left. Instead of counting on the adults, we might as well find a way to save ourselves.”
After hearing what Pei Xiu said, the woman raised her head:
"You have to think carefully. You are different from the rest of the Pei family. You are a late leader with a good reputation. Once you make a decision, it will affect many people in the Pei family."
Pei Xiu nodded:
“It is precisely because I am the underachieving leader of the Pei family that I want to give it a try.”
The woman was silent again.
"Well, since you have made up your mind, I will not stop you. You are right, the Pei family should think of a way out."
ˆPS:
In the previous chapter, a book friend pointed out that the population of Hedong was wrong. I took a look and found that there was indeed a problem.
Because when I was writing, my mind was full of three rivers, and I thought of Hedong as all three rivers.
Based on the peak population statistics of the Western Han and Eastern Han Dynasties, coupled with the proportion of population loss at the end of the Han Dynasty, and the real population estimate after the Jin unified the world, I personally think that the real population of the Three Rivers Land (i.e. Hedong, Hanoi, and Henan), including the hidden population, should be There are more than one million.
Henan has the most, followed by Hanoi and Hedong, but the difference between the three is not too big.
So the total population of Hedong has been changed to 300,000. Thanks to the book friend for correcting me.
(End of this chapter)