Under the shade of Helan Mountain, the area through which the Yellow River flows northwest of Shuofang Road has a peculiar rich scene. This kind of abundance is rare in the northern lands. But in fact, it is not strange to say that the vast Yellow River does not flow from east to west in this area, but makes a big bend in the shape of a 'several' and passes through this land from south to north. As a result, a vast expanse of fertile and fertile land was formed on both sides of the river. Since ancient times, this area has been known all over the world because of this unique natural advantage - Saishang Jiangnan.

This is not an exaggeration at all. In this land, there are not only large areas of livestock with abundant water and grass, but also paddy fields that can produce high-quality rice. You must know that in the whole territory of the Tang Dynasty, except for the land south of the Huai River, there are only a handful of places in the north where rice can be grown, and there is only this land in the northwest. And because of its location in the northwest, the sun is abundant, and the temperature difference between day and night is large, although the yield of rice here is slightly lower, the rice quality is exceptional. The rice noodles that are boiled, the porridge that is boiled, or the rice cakes that are steamed are all full of grains and fragrant and delicious. Because of this, the rice produced in Shuofang Road is expensive, and it is difficult for non-wealthy relatives to reach it, and most of them are for the court nobles to enjoy, or for the rich in luxury restaurants.

Wuzhong County belongs to a small county town in the south of the Yangtze River, it is located in the southeast of Helan Mountain, only more than 300 miles away from Lingzhou, where the new emperor Li Mao of the Tang Dynasty ascended the throne, and is a starting point for the Yellow River to bend to the north. Hundreds of miles north of Wuzhong, where the Yellow River flows, is a rich land under the protection of Helan Mountain, and Wuzhong County is naturally a pearl in this fertile land. In the past, whether it was grazing cattle, sheep and horses, cultivating paddy fields, or those fishermen who set up boats on the Yellow River to fish, their lives were still quite good. When he is busy, he farms and grazes, and when he is free, he goes hunting in Helan Mountain, and lives a more comfortable and peaceful life.

However, all this was broken by An Lushan's rebels more than a year ago, although An Lushan's soldiers and horses did not penetrate deep into the remote places, and Wuzhong only captured the county seat. But the fear of the rebels led them to flee. Some people fled south and entered Jiannan Road, Longyou Road, and some people hid in Helan Mountain, where they endured freezing and starvation for more than half a year. It was not until August last year, when Wang Yuan led the Shence army to sweep through the surrounding cities of Chang'an, that the rebels were forced to retreat eastward, and the place was recovered. After that, a large number of people returned to their homeland and began to clean up their homeland land again, but because the agricultural time had passed after the reconquest, many crops could no longer be planted, so the remaining six months were also difficult.

But in any case, they have survived these few months, and when the spring flowers bloom, the hearts of the people are full of hope in the face of the fertile land and the Yellow River that still flows around them. However, just when they were looking forward to a big job and a good harvest this year, another disaster struck mercilessly. In March, the first group of Uighurs set foot on horseback, and after that, it became hell. The Uighurs wantonly plundered property, mercilessly killed the people, took away their wives, children and sisters, and did all kinds of evil. The people were looking forward to the rescue of the imperial court, and some people even walked hundreds of miles to Lingzhou for help, hoping that the ** stationed in Lingzhou could expel the Hui people. However, what they got was chilling news, someone told these people that Huaiyuan City, Wuzhong County, to which Huaiyuan County belonged, had been mortgaged by the imperial court to the Hui people. The Uighurs became the masters of these cities.

The people were angry and disappointed. Once again, they had to flee in large numbers to avoid being killed and taken captive. What they didn't understand was why the imperial court would abandon this land of abundance. The area to which Ningyuan County belongs is the most fertile land and the area closest to the Yellow River. Every year, tens of millions of cattle, sheep and horses are produced here, and millions of high-quality rice are produced here.

What the people don't understand is that it is precisely because of the wealth and abundance here that he has become a piece of fat in the eyes of Pei Luo, the backbone of the Great Khan. Guli Peiluo has long been interested in this fertile land, after borrowing troops for the first time to get Fengzhou and the surrendered city, the second time Li Mao asked for borrowing troops, Guli Peiluo did not hesitate to put forward the condition of Huaiyuan County as an exchange mortgage. First, Huaiyuan County is located in the southwest of Fengzhou and the surrendered city, and the region is connected, and obtaining these two places is equivalent to advancing the sphere of influence to the south for hundreds of miles. Second, the output of this fertile paddy field can be used to support the garrison in the south, because it must be stationed here, and the large areas of the three county towns to which Huaiyuan County belongs alone are enough to support tens of thousands of soldiers and horses.

Of course, the abundance of the land is not the whole reason why Guli Peiluo got here, another more important reason is the topography of the land. Once this land is obtained, the so-called Helan Mountain natural danger no longer exists, and the most headache of the Yellow River natural danger also exists, and the two problems that plagued the southward movement were solved in an instant. Once he intends to attack south in the future, he can unconsciously increase his troops from the valley passage of Helan Mountain to the two cities of Wuzhong in Huaiyuan, both of which are gentle and open crossings, which are excellent places to cross the river. Even better, this place is already its own, and you can cross the river boldly and recklessly without worrying about anyone's attack. This strategic consideration is what the world's Guli Peiluo cares about the most.

Of course, Lee Kwang-pil was very clear about the importance of the strategic location here, and he proposed to use Shengzhou in the east of Toyosu as a mortgage city in exchange for soldiers and horses, but Guli Peiluo refused. Li Guangbi is a shrewd person, although the Shengzhou he gave is also an important border land, and the territory area is even larger than the territory of Huaiyuan County, but the backbone Pei Luo will not fall for Li Guangbi. Although the territory of Shengzhou is large, a large area under its jurisdiction is a desert Gobi where birds do not, and there is not a single grass, so what is the use? Although it is an important town on the border of the Tang Dynasty, and if he gets Shengzhou, he can control all the borders in the northwest of the Tang Dynasty, but Guli Peiluo does not need to get the border entrance of the entire north at all, he already has the two entrances of Fengzhou Surrender City, and there is no need for another entrance. For Guli Peiluo, it is more affordable to solve the problem of raising soldiers and the problem of the Yellow River's natural insurance.

After some bargaining, in the end, Li Mao came out to make a slap and agreed to Guli Peiluo's conditions. Li Mao didn't understand the importance of strategic location at all, and he thought that the two places were similar, both were poor and remote places. At present, what he needs most is the soldiers and horses of the Hui people, so if the Hui people in these places want to give it to him, he will take it back if he can get it back in the future, and it is not a big deal if he really can't get it back. For this reason, he also blamed Li Guangbi, saying that he did not distinguish between priorities and urgency, and at this time he was bargaining with the Hui people. Li Guangbi is also helpless, but it is imperative, and it can only be so. The only hope is that in the future, these Hui people will keep their word and redeem them in the future. Otherwise, today's transaction will be the most annoying in the future.

……

The hot sun was shining in the sky, and the land that no one cultivated and tended was full of vines and weeds, which looked chaotic and decadent. The flowing Yellow River is like a yellow dragon slowly moving north, sparkling in the sun, quiet and peaceful.

On the scorching earth fifteen miles away from Wuzhong County, a black moving shadow appeared on the bulging horizon. Then, a second, a third, until countless black shadows sprung up like mushrooms after a rain, appearing on the distant horizon, stretching for miles wide, covering the entire land. Countless blades pointed to the sky, shining in the sunlight with a dazzling reflection, white flowers, like the ripples of water waves on the surface of the Yellow River. The earth also made a dull trembling sound, the sound of tens of thousands of horses' hooves stomping on the ground. Fortunately, the grass on the ground is luxuriant, otherwise it would be smoke and dust.

This soldier and horse was the 10,000 cavalry of the cavalry front battalion led by Liu Jun himself. After resting in Gyeongju for a few days, Liu Jun was ordered by Wang Yuan to lead the cavalry to the north first, and the 10,000 cavalry was the part of the sudden advance, and their target was the county town of Wuzhong, which was located on the bank of the Yellow River fifteen miles away. Originally, Liu Jun did not need to participate in the operation of the front battalion, but he felt that the first battle in the north must be won cleanly and neatly, and he could not drag mud and water. Only by recapturing the county seat of Wuzhong in one fell swoop can we seize the crossing of the Yellow River northwest of Wuzhong City and create favorable conditions for the army in the rear to cross the river.

The army descended a raised slope, and the slowly flowing Yellow River could already be seen on the left, and Liu Jun, who was riding on horseback in front of the team, held the reins.

"There is always prosperity."

"The end will be." The commander of the cavalry front battalion often had Wangze's horse to catch up from the side and surrender his promise.

"Are the scouts back? How far is the county seat of Wuzhong from here? Liu Jun asked.

"Report to General Liu, there are still fifteen miles. Beyond the wooded hills, you should be able to see it clearly. Chang Youwang said in a deep voice.

Liu Jun's hands set up a pergola to shield himself from the dazzling sunlight and looked ahead. The lush ground in front of us was covered with grass and trees, like a green carpet spreading to the horizon. Under the shade of the trees, nothing can be seen, neither inhabited nor a village or city.

"The brothers are hot enough, the wind is in this place, and the sun is hot. General Liu, do you want to stop and rest. Centaurs also drink some water and eat something. Anyway, they have already arrived in Wuzhong County, and after resting and recovering, the brothers will prepare to attack the city. Chang Youwang pleaded in a deep voice.

Liu Jun looked at the people around him, everyone was exposed to the sun like dried shrimp about to be steamed, and their faces and necks were red. In this weather, wearing heavy armor and a shirt underneath, you can imagine how painful it is. Liu Jun himself knew that his boots were slippery, and he was afraid that they were all sweaty, sticky and uncomfortable.

"Okay, rest in place, drink water and eat. Chang Youwang, you follow me to the mountain beam ahead to have a look. It's also good to draw up an offensive strategy. Liu Jun ordered.

"General Liu should rest for a while, and he is not in a hurry at this time. Aren't you choking hot enough? We've been in a hurry for four days, so why be in such a hurry. It's just a small county town. After a while, General Liu, you will supervise the battle, and see that I often take 5,000 men to take this city in an hour. "There is always a prosperous road.

Liu Jun smiled: "Chang Youwang, you are full of confidence." How did the marshal instruct him before leaving? This time, we are facing the Hui soldiers, and we should not take it lightly. Today, on the eighth day of the sixth lunar month, the marshal asked us to capture Wuzhong before the ninth day of the new month and open up the river crossing channel to the west bank. ”

Chang Youwang said: "Don't worry, the commander leads the army, and General Liu personally commands it, how can there be chaos." Tell me that our big man is too cautious. My Divine Command Army is invincible in the world, who will I be afraid of now? ”

Liu Jun said with a smile: "The arrogant soldiers will be defeated, this is a wise saying." Don't talk about it, listen to you, let's drink some water and rest for a while, but the terrain is to be seen, this is what I must do. Otherwise, rushing to kill with black eyes in the past is not a random war? ”

Chang Youwang said with a smile: "What I said is that General Liu is becoming more and more handsome, and his actions and thoughts are like a copy of the handsome." ”

Liu Jun smiled and said, "How can I have a father-in-law? I'm already happy to learn a little bit of fur. ”

After the men and horses drank some water, they took a breath, Liu Jun turned over and got on his horse, and led Chang Youwang and a dozen other generals to gallop north along the embankment of the Yellow River while staring at the scorching sun. Soon after, a lush hill beam covered with grass and trees descended from the embankment. Everyone dismounted on the mountain beam, and in order to reduce the target, several people went into the woods, and the cat waist stood at the edge of the forest to watch under the mountain beam. The terrain is excellent, the visibility is also very good, and the scenery from seven or eight miles below can be seen.

But I saw that the land seven or eight miles north of the mountain beam was a flat land, which looked like it was originally all fields, but now it is barren and overgrown with weeds, but it looks like a grassland. A city stood at the end of the plain. Looking at the city, Liu Jun's brows furrowed. The generals around him also quickly frowned.

"Chang Youwang, do you dare to say that you can break through this city in an hour with 5,000 cavalry?" Liu Jun said in a deep voice.

Chang Youwang frowned and said: "I don't dare to say it, how can Wuzhong County be so majestic?" Isn't it just a dilapidated city? It looks like it's been newly reinforced. How did the Hu people also learn to build city defenses and rely on city defenses? ”

Liu Jun sneered: "So, this time the Su people are not ordinary Hu people, they know how to judge the situation and know how to be flexible." The marshal said that the previous Hu people were good at field warfare and not good at defending the city, so they always took my city, but they couldn't hold it. In the long run, we will only plunder the property and take the people away, but they will not dare to occupy our border cities. But the Hui people are different, their ambition is not to wealth and people, but to land and city. Before leaving, the father-in-law estimated that the city on the south bank of the ferry, which was as important as Wu Zhong, would be regarded as a treasure by the Hui people, and the city would be heavily guarded and fortified. ”

Chang Youwang nodded and said: "The big marshal is indeed like a god, looking at the city defense, it is indeed newly reinforced." These Hu people must have forced the people to strengthen the city for them. In this way, the initial information on the 2,000 defenders in the city may not be accurate. ”

Liu Jun frowned and nodded: "It must be inaccurate, the Hui people have increased their troops here." It seems that this city should be strictly guarded, as a fortress on the south bank of the Yellow River. ”

"General Liu, this is troublesome, our 10,000 people are only cavalry, and we have no siege equipment, how can we attack the city? Is it a hard rush? That's a big deal. Look at the fact that there are so many arrow towers on the city wall, I am afraid that many brothers will be killed and injured if they rush hard. A general whispered beside him.

"Old horse, what are you panicking about? This is already peeing your pants? Chang Youwang shouted.

"I didn't pee my pants. I'm worried about too many casualties. Our cavalry was not meant to besiege the city. It would be nice if it was a small and dilapidated city, as I said before, but now this city is not what the intelligence says. Adjutant General Ma said in a deep voice.

"It's a bit of a hassle. The siege equipment is in the army behind, and it will take at least three or four days to arrive. If there is a divine cannon, are you afraid of such a city defense? General Liu, otherwise let's wait for the army. There are no siege equipment, I'm afraid it's a little tricky. Chang Youwang also pinched the yellow beard on his chin and frowned.

Liu Jun slowly shook his head and said, "No." The order issued by the marshal was to completely control the county seat of Wuzhong on the 9th, and control the ferry to welcome the army to cross the river. Waiting for siege equipment? Isn't it to tell everyone that our 10,000 former cavalry has nothing to do with this small city? Do you want to raise your head in the future? ”

Chang Youwang shook his head and said, "That's not possible." I can always bear it, but it is not possible for General Liu to be looked down upon. If this is called Song Jiangong and Liu Dehai, they will be said as a joke for a lifetime. The brothers of the infantry and artillery battalions have long looked at our cavalry, so they have to teach them to laugh off their big teeth. Don't think about it, just attack hard. We have 10,000 soldiers and horses, and we can definitely attack hard. It's a big deal, just kill and hurt some brothers. I'd rather kill and wound some soldiers and horses than admit it. ”

Liu Jun shook his head and said: "Take the lives of your brothers to gamble, you are always prosperous and growing." With this kind of thought, how dare you let you be in command of the cavalry front battalion? Don't you hear what the big marshal often says? Now everyone in my Divine Army is a baby, an elite. Why didn't the commander expand the army? With the prestige of our divine army, as long as the commander speaks, two or three hundred thousand soldiers and horses can be raised casually. But fighting for people's lives is not my style of the army. ”

"This ...... So what do you say? Isn't it a dilemma that we can't storm the city, and we don't have siege equipment, and we have to reduce casualties and capture this city? "There are often stalls.

Liu Jun squinted his eyes and shouted in a deep voice: "You can outwit." Everything is brutal, so what do you still have to do with your brains? I'll tell you the truth, I've got a plan. If you succeed, you can take the city in one fell swoop. ”

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