Chapter 1249 Another one fainted
It was on the third day after Zhang Bao defeated Sima Division that Feng Duhu led the Wuqian Army to Gaoping Pass.
“Meet the Central Protector!”
“No need to be polite, please get up.”
Feng Duhu didn't dare to accept Zhang Bao's brother's gift in a big way, so he quickly helped Zhang Bao up himself.
"General Zhang, you fought well this time. You paralyzed the enemy's will and attacked him unprepared. Two thousand cavalry troops defeated tens of thousands of thieves. It's awesome!"
Speaking, he also raised his thumb.
Zhang Bao’s mouth almost reached behind his ears.
But when I think about the guy in front of me, he is his immediate boss and at the same time his brother-in-law.
He quickly suppressed his smile and looked serious:
"How dare the last general take the credit alone? To paralyze the enemy's will and attack him unprepared, this is the strategy that Jiang Taishou and the last general discussed together, and coupled with the life of the generals, we can achieve such a great victory."
“Ahem, the commander-in-chief of the Central Military Commission is very good at planning and making decisions hundreds of miles away. I admire him even more.”
Even his own brother-in-law, even in the early years before he became a brother-in-law, was a little uncomfortable with him, but at this time Zhang Bao was really convinced.
Upon hearing this, Feng Duhu smiled heartily again:
“General Zhang was able to remain neither arrogant nor impetuous despite his great victory. It’s rare, rare!”
Ah!
General Zhang’s mouth twitched.
In those days, if Mr. Feng in front of me dared to talk to me so casually, would I not compete with him in martial arts?
Just think of that time and look at now.
Brother Zhang was inexplicably relieved.
Alas, the brother -in -law was not Feng Langjun that year, and he grew up to the Chinese and foreign military's military inside and outside the military.
“In this great victory, all officers and soldiers who have made meritorious deeds will be recorded and will be rewarded after the war.”
“Thank you to the Protector of China!”
Unlike Zhang Bao’s complicated mood, all the generals who came to greet him were overjoyed and thanked him.
"Why are you thanking me? You have made great contributions to the Han Dynasty, so I should thank you on behalf of the imperial court."
After rewarding the soldiers, Feng Duhu had no intention of staying at Gaoping Pass.
But after taking a short rest, we will continue to lead the Wuqian Army southward to Gaodu City.
Zhang Bao, on the other hand, couldn't help but feel worried when he saw that many of the soldiers without front troops looked tired.
But it’s hard for him to say anything in front of everyone.
Looking for an opportunity later, I found Feng Duhu privately and persuaded him:
“Zhongduhu, without any soldiers from the front army, came all the way from Zhiguan Road, covering nearly 400 miles in five days. It can be said that we traveled twice the distance.”
"The Wei thieves were defeated. I saw them retreating from Gaodu City. Although they seemed a little panicked, they were still within control."
“When Zhongdu escorts the tired troops to Gaodu, we should be careful. In the end, I think it’s better to let the soldiers rest for one more day?”
Hearing this, Feng Duhu saw a trace of worry on Zhang Bao's face and couldn't help but smile:
“Brother, there are no outsiders here, so there’s no need to be so unfamiliar.”
said this, and then explained:
"I know that the soldiers are tired, but as the saying goes, it takes a thousand days to raise an army, but it takes a while to use it."
“The Eighth Army of Guanzhong conducts field training every three months throughout the year, just to deal with today’s situation.”
Thousands of years ago, with the improvement of roads, the accumulation of experience, and the progress of society, infantrymen marched on two legs, and their daily speed increased.
But overall, the improvement is relatively slow.
After all, the upper limit of human physical strength is right there.
After the reform of Ji Han's army, the quality of the army's officers and soldiers has been improved, coupled with regular targeted training.
The infantry marches normally in a day. If it is slower, it will be more than fifty miles, if it is faster, it will be sixty miles (Hanli).
If it were replaced by other ordinary armies, the minimum would be forty miles, and the maximum would not exceed fifty miles.
Because if it exceeds the limit, groups of soldiers will start to fall behind, they will be unable to maintain their formation, scouts will not be able to detect the situation ahead in time, and a series of other problems.
If you are attacked and ambushed by someone, your entire army will most likely be annihilated.
Feng Du led the Wuqian Army to march more than 300 and nearly 400 miles in five days. It was a rapid march, and many soldiers had already fallen behind.
That's why Zhang Bao was a little worried and reminded Feng Duhu to pay attention to this issue.
“The new three armies among the eight armies, the Tuchen Army and the Wuwei Army have all made meritorious service, but the former army has not made any achievements, so the soldiers are inevitably a little anxious.”
"If I keep suppressing them, I'm afraid even I will be complained in the hearts of the soldiers."
This is just a superficial reason.
Another reason is that this battle was originally intended to give the new army a chance to fight.
"Sima Division was defeated by my brother, and the bandit army is in a state of fear. If they hear that I am personally leading the army, they will not dare to act rashly."
The soldiers who can follow along this way can basically be regarded as the elite without front troops.
Coupled with the march within the territory of the Han Dynasty, especially at Gaoping Pass, sufficient supplements can be obtained.
Sima Division suffered two defeats in a row, and the morale of the army was unstable. If he could hold Tianjing Pass, it would be considered very powerful.
Although Du Yu initially proposed to defeat Sima Division and take advantage of the situation to seize Tianjing Pass, Feng Duhu did not adopt it.
But by some mistake, Master Sima actually offered him this opportunity, and Feng Duhu would not miss it.
That’s why he decided to lead the army and continue to Gaodu City.
Zhang Bao felt a little moved and guilty when he heard Feng Duhu call him "Brother".
What is touching is that even though his brother-in-law is in a high position, he still seems to have remained true to his original intention.
What I feel guilty about is that my sister in the palace has indeed been a bit too mean and ungrateful in what she has done in the past two years.
Just as an elder brother, he cannot dissuade his sister.
Although the behavior of my queen sister seemed a little uncharacteristically dim.
But as long as you stand in the position of the royal family, especially after bringing the prince, you can understand her psychology:
When the prime minister is here, the emperor has fame but no power, so that’s it.
The Prime Minister is gone, but the Emperor still has fame but no power, so wouldn’t the Prime Minister...
Ahem…
The most important thing is, if this is the case in the past, does it mean that it will be the same in the future?
Tianjia, where is the place to talk about family ties?
But it was impossible for Zhang Bao to persuade his brother-in-law.
Because my brother-in-law directly represents the Xinghan Society, and behind him, he represents countless upstarts.
If I really dare to persuade my brother-in-law to take a step back, the Xinghan Conference might explode:
How much benefit did your Zhang family receive in Nanxiang?
If nothing else, don’t you know that all the big men are now using your Zhang family’s hemp rope sacks?
You want to smash the pot when you are full?
Believe it or not, I smashed it up first, put it in a sack, tied it with a hemp rope, and sank it into the river?
From the perspective of the new rich, it might mean that the royal family is ready to cut their flesh and drink their blood - you dare to cut off even Ghost King Feng, what else can you not dare to do?
It is harder to touch interests than to touch souls!
Zhang Bao has never heard of this sentence, but this does not prevent him from understanding the truth.
So he was caught between the two, which was really embarrassing and uncomfortable.
At this time, I saw that my brother-in-law treated me the same as before, so I naturally felt a little mixed.
"How about I lead the Southern Army and go with Mingwen? Firstly, I can protect Mingwen, and secondly, I can scare the thieves."
Unexpectedly, Feng Duhu shook his head:
"Brother, there is no need to go to such trouble. The Southern Army is a cavalry army. How can we attack the city? If you are really worried, just give me a thousand cavalry, just in case."
After all, there is not enough space for the cavalry in this area.
“In my opinion, brother should lead the main force of the Southern Army back to Hedong as soon as possible and continue to guard against the bandit army in Zhiguan.”
This time around the battle between Han and Wei, the situation is almost clear.
But the closer it is to the last moment, the more careful you must be.
Feng Duhu did not have a strategic reserve force in his hands, so he had no confidence.
“Go back to Hedong?”
"Yes." Feng Duhu nodded, "Although I deceived Jiang Ji this time, the other party is also an experienced Wei thief. I'm afraid he will be able to react very quickly."
"Hedong is empty now. If Jiang Ji finds an opportunity, it will be troublesome."
Zhang Bao heard this and thought about it.
After all, the east of the river is mostly flat land, which is where the cavalry can play its role.
It is indeed more appropriate for the Southern Army to return to Hedong.
“Then I’ll bother you, brother, and let you run back and forth.”
Zhang Bao didn’t care, and the smile on his face showed how happy he was:
"You and I are all here for the big man, why bother? Besides," Zhang Bao couldn't help but patted Feng Duhu on the shoulder, and his expression became serious:
"Mingwen, I'm glad I can help you! I don't understand much about the affairs of the DPRK, and I don't want to get involved."
"But for military affairs, since you are the person appointed by the Prime Minister and the Central Protector, I will definitely support you."
At this point, Zhang Bao paused and did not say any more.
But Feng Duhu understood what he meant.
“Brother, thank you very much!”
Zhang Bao shook his head and whispered:
"I said, there is no need to say thank you, because after this battle, it can only show one thing: the Prime Minister did not misjudge the person all those years ago."
“You, work hard and don’t let down the Prime Minister’s expectations.”
Some words do not need to be clarified.
Feng Duhu nodded heavily: "I will."
A smile appeared on Zhang Bao's face again, he waved his hand, said no more, turned around and walked out.
Da Hanzhong said that he wanted to follow a thousand cavalry, and naturally he was going to choose the most elite generals in the Southern Army.
Soon, the news that Feng Duhu led his army south from Gaoping Pass and arrived at Gaodu City spread to Tianjing Pass, and the Wei army was really shocked.
In fact, Feng Duhu did not overestimate the Wei army.
Sima Division was defeated in front of Gaoping Pass for the second time and lost the good luck of the last time.
Not only was my left eye unprotected, but the Wei army also suffered heavy losses.
Coupled with the fact that Gaodu City was undefendable, Niu Jin immediately retreated to Tianjing Pass in an emergency after catching up with the defeated army that was chased back all the way.
At this time, the defenders of Tianjingguan were in a state of panic. Unexpectedly, there was a leak in the house and it rained continuously all night.
Soon, bad news came from the north of the pass. Feng Thief had led the army to Gaodu City and was approaching Tianjing Pass.
“Zhongyun Army, what’s wrong, Feng Thief, Feng Thief is coming with his army!”
In Tianjing Pass, the door of the house where the commander lived was suddenly pushed open, and Niu Jin rushed in:
“Central Supervisory Army, please...”
Before he finished speaking, Niu Jin couldn’t help but change his words and exclaimed:
“Zhongyunjun, what’s wrong with you?”
But I saw Master Sima lying on the couch with a towel in his mouth, his face twisted, and he looked very painful.
Although it is already autumn, the weather is not hot, and sometimes it can be said to be cool.
But Master Sima's hair was already soaked through, and the whole room could smell the smell of sweat.
One can imagine what kind of pain Master Sima was suffering at this time.
"Hold on, close the door, hurry up, don't let the soldiers know!"
Seeing Niu Jin come in, Master Sima immediately tried his best to give some intermittent instructions.
"oh oh!"
Hearing this, Niu Jin reacted. He quickly turned around and closed the door, then quickly walked to the couch with a worried look on his face:
“Zhongyunjun, how do you feel?”
Master Sima let go of the towel in his mouth, but saw that there were several holes in the towel.
The white linen wrapped around his left eye was stained with blood.
It has been several days and the bleeding in my left eye still cannot be effectively stopped.
One can imagine what kind of pain he has been suffering these past few days.
"I'm fine. You just said, what happened?"
Sima Master endured the severe pain and asked tremblingly.
Niu Jin saw Master Sima's appearance and deliberately didn't want him to worry.
But when faced with such a major matter, he was not qualified to make a decision, let alone dare to hide it from Master Sima.
So Niu Jin could only bite the bullet and replied:
“Central Supervisory Army, we arranged at the outpost of Gaodu City and sent someone to report back, saying that Thief Feng has led the army and entered Gaodu City.”
“And from the looks of it, it’s very likely that we will enter Tianjingguan. What should we do?”
"Who! Who do you think is leading the army?"
Hearing the name "Feng Thief" seemed to make Master Sima forget about the pain in his left eye.
But seeing his expression suddenly change drastically, he was so shocked that he immediately sat up with his hands on his hands:
"Are you sure? Are you sure Feng Thief personally led the army?"
"The scouts came to report that it was indeed a banner with the name Feng. Among the generals of the Western Thieves, there is no one else who can lead such a large army and has the surname Feng."
“An army? How many armies?”
Niu Jin swallowed a sip of saliva, "According to current reports, the front army alone has nearly 10,000 people. The rear army has not yet arrived. It is said that there are 50,000 people."
“Fifty thousand?”
Master Sima didn’t know whether it was pain or fright, but his voice changed: “Fifty thousand?”
If it were in the past, Sima Division might not have any idea about the 50,000 Han troops.
Even when occupying a dangerous place like Tianjing Pass, he was confident that he would not be afraid even if it came to 100,000, let alone 50,000.
But after suffering two defeats in a row at Gaoping Pass, he finally understood why he was said to be as fearful of Shu as a tiger when he was guarding Guanzhong.
Why would you rather be called a woman by Zhuge Liang than take the initiative to fight?
Without him, the people of Shu are as fierce as tigers, and we have to be afraid of them!
Not to mention that this time it was Thief Feng.
What is the concept of Feng Thief?
At that time, he was a man who could defeat a hundred thousand Guanzhong army with 20,000 partial troops.
Now, I have not only 100,000 people, but less than 20,000 people on hand, that is, more than 10,000 people.
And that’s even including the many remnant soldiers who have gathered in the past few days and returned from defeat.
“Feng Thief, why did Feng Thief appear here? How did he come here??”
“Didn’t Duke Jiang say that Thief Feng is leading the army and preparing to attack Zhiguan?”
“How did he get here? Did he fly here?”
In the past few days, the problem with his left eye has been tormenting Master Sima to the point of being in pain and having trouble sleeping and eating.
But he did not dare to publicize it, lest it would further panic the already unstable military morale.
So I can only bear it silently by myself.
I couldn't eat or sleep well for so many days. I was in unbearable pain day and night, but I could still force myself to stay awake.
This kind of ambition is already extremely rare.
But it is simply impossible to maintain the calmness of the past under severe pain.
It is understandable that you are a little impatient.
Hearing what the Central Supervisory Army said, Niu Jin couldn’t help but remind him:
“Zhongjian Army, when we retreated to Tianjing Pass, didn’t Jiang Gong send someone to tell us that Feng Thief had retreated from Zhi Pass Road, could it be...”
After Niu Jin reminded him, Master Sima finally reacted:
“You are saying that Feng thief retreated from Zhiguan Road and came to us?”
"This is the only explanation." Niu Jin also frowned a little, "But this Feng thief came too fast..."
Sima Shi gritted his teeth and panted: "Feng Thief is good at leading his troops on long-distance attacks. It has been known for a long time!"
From then on, when he came out of the mountains and fought for the first time, he became famous for attacking Longguan.
“This thief is marching slowly on Zhiguan Road. It turns out that he is just a cover-up. I’m afraid his intentions are against us!”
Recalling Feng Thief's reputation for foresight, Master Sima deeply suspected that the Han army at Gaoping Pass had been unable to retreat before, allowing him to take it lightly.
When he is unprepared, he will suddenly attack with a sudden attack. Wouldn't Feng Thief have already planned it?
How else to explain Feng Thief's hesitation on Zhiguan Road and his arrival at Gaodu City as if he were flying?
Thinking of this, Master Sima couldn't help but feel a burst of anger in his heart.
At the same time, an unbearable pain in his left eye suddenly hit his brain, causing him to scream in pain:
“Thief Feng, you deserve to die!”
Niu Jin was so frightened that he exclaimed:
“Zhongyunjun, your eyes...”
It turns out that the white linen cloth that Master Sima wrapped around his left eye was stained with blood red at a speed visible to the naked eye, and the blood stains were spreading rapidly.
The wound collapsed again!
Sima Shi's body could no longer support him and he suddenly fell down on the couch, unconscious.
(End of this chapter)