December 185 A.D.

Lei Zi stood quietly outside the big tent. Seeing Li Hong come out, Lei Zi hurriedly knelt down and saluted.

"Adult ......"

"Is there a situation in Jizhou?" Li Hong helped him up and asked anxiously.

"Chu Feiyan led his troops to capture Liwu and Boling, cutting off our connection with Jizhou." Lei Zi whispered, "The Yellow Turban Army has been moving very frequently recently, as if there is some big move. ”

Li Hong was taken aback and immediately asked, "Is it advancing or retreating?" ”

Reiko shook his head.

Li Hong pondered slightly, and continued to ask, "Why didn't Shouyan come in person?" ”

"Zheng Junhou personally went to Zhongshan to reconnoiter the military situation, and he has not been in Beixincheng."

"Boyu, Pingshan and Xiaolazy are all right."

"Lord Jun Sima and the two military officers asked me to greet my lordship." Lei Zi said very movingly.

"Have all the captives in North New Town been taken?"

"Lord Hui, I've all been escorted today. In addition, according to the instructions of the adults, we have already contacted Lord Muguo of Jizhou. This is Mr. Guo's palindrome. ”

Li Hong took a roll of bamboo slips wrapped in cowhide in Lei Zi's hand, and opened it impatiently.

Guo Dian's request was very simple, immediately send troops to Zhongshan Kingdom. Fan Yangcheng can be temporarily surrounded with part of his troops, without affecting the overall situation. If we can completely eliminate the Yellow Turban Army before the arrival of spring, we can guarantee next year's spring sowing and the livelihood of the people in the second half of next year.

Guo Dian used a few words "urgent" in the last row to express his eagerness for this matter.

Lei Zi looked at Zhao Yun with great interest. This fair and elegant young man is not only handsome, but also looks sophisticated and calm, and gives a very good first impression.

He couldn't help but ask quietly, "Are you the new guard governor Cao?" ”

Zhao Yun smiled shyly, bowed politely and replied, "No." I'm the head of the guard of the Changshan County Government. ”

"Changshan County Mansion?" Lei Zi asked in surprise.

"After Changshan was captured by the Yellow Turban Army, Lord Cao Li, the thief under the county government, took us all the way north. It wasn't until a few days ago that Master Li took us to serve under the account of the Captain. ”

"Oh." Lei Zi suddenly realized. The newcomer has not yet been incorporated into the establishment of the Wind and Cloud Iron Horse.

"I used to be a guard for adults, and my name is Leizi. You ......"

"Under Zhao Yun." Zhao Yun hurriedly replied, "I heard the old man say that you, Yan Junhou, and Lei Junhou were all the guards. ”

Lei Zi patted him affectionately on the shoulder and whispered: "Adults' martial arts are amazing, when you have nothing to do, you should ask for more advice, learn more, and benefit a lot in the future." ”

Zhao Yun hurriedly saluted again and said gratefully, "Thank you Lei Junhou." ”

After reading Guo Dian's book, Li Hong thought for a moment and said, "Leizi, you stay for the time being, don't be in a hurry to return to Beixincheng." ”

"Zilong, immediately notify a few military commanders, and the military will wait for me in the partial tent."

All the soldiers of the Yellow Turban Army in Fanyang City, plus the horsemen and miscellaneous servants of the convoy, plus the more than 5,000 prisoners brought back from Beixincheng by Lei Zi, a total of more than 35,000 people, under the command of Zhang Baicai, were smoothly concentrated outside the city and set up a large camp of prisoners.

Li Hong has a very headache now.

Jizhou Mu Guodian was urging him to send troops, Xian Yufu and Zhang Chun were also urging him to send troops, and even several subordinates were urging him to send troops. But he had no troops to come out.

The troops lost more than 700 people in the battles of Fan Xingting and Beixincheng, and have not been replenished so far. Beixincheng and Fanyang now need troops to guard. More than 30,000 captives were to be guarded by troops. A large amount of grain had to be escorted to Guangyang and Yuyang by the soldiers. He needs people everywhere, and he can't get five thousand people out now.

He ordered the fast cavalry to rush to Zhuocheng and Jicheng every day to urge reinforcements, but so far there has been no reply. Assassin Yang Huang sent someone, but he came to reward the troops, and there was not a single soldier.

Heavy snowfall, he now looks forward to the next heavy snow sooner to solve his urgent needs.

Li Hong reorganized the Yan Zhao Department with the 3,000 infantry brought by Xian Yufu, which was led by Xian Yufu.

At that time, these 3,000 people were all temporarily cobbled together in tun units, and Fu Qiang, an old subordinate of Xian Yufu, temporarily served as a military waiter and brought them to the front line of Fanyang. For the convenience of command, Li Hong arranged for Li Han, Yan Liang, and Fu Qiang to serve as the three military commanders of the Yan Zhao Department.

According to Li Hong's meaning, although Yan Zhaoqu is an infantry, he must ride a horse and walk on horseback, otherwise the troops will not be mobile, and they will not be able to keep up with the rhythm of the cavalry, and they will not be able to exert their might. The troops have a very surplus of war horses, and it is a waste not to use them.

Li Han's more than 100 cavalry were all incorporated into the personal guard. The pro-guard team expanded to more than 200 people, and Li Hong assigned Zhao Yun as the commander.

There are no soldiers in Youzhou, this is a fact, Li Hong has to think of another way. Li Hong found Heng Sai, Lu Huanyang, Yingtong, and Tiger to ask for their opinions. If you open your mouth again to ask the two tribes for cavalry, the deer of the White Deer tribe will break the wind, and the ink of the Dancing Leaf tribe will not agree. Li Hong didn't want to weaken the strength of the two tribes because of his repeated conscriptions, so it would be a bit difficult for a strong man.

After the four of them discussed, they felt that the two tribes were together, and it was estimated that they would gather a thousand people. Heng Sai came up with the idea that he could ask for troops from the Black Feather King Nanlou in Baishan. Nanlou deceived Li Hong last time and owed Li Hong a favor. Although Li Hong requisitioned all the Karasuma prisoners last time, they were all Tito's subordinates and did not move his troops. This time, I can take the opportunity to ask him for transfer.

Li Hong was overjoyed, and immediately sent messengers to Shanggu County day and night.

But distant water can't save near thirst.

Jizhou Mu Guodian sent people to urge again, asking Li Hong to lead his troops to immediately repel the Yellow Turban Army occupying Liwu and Boling, and clear the worries of the Jizhou army.

Assassin Yang Huang also received a letter from Guo Dian. In the letter, Guo Dian threatened him that if Li Hong was not ordered to send troops again, he would write to the imperial court to impeach Yang Huang for delaying the military plane. Yang Huang was so angry that he scolded. If Li Hong couldn't fight, the Yellow Turban Army would still be in Zhuo County now, where would any soldiers help Jizhou? If you don't look at the facts in Youzhou, you will know that there is impeachment and impeachment.

Yang Huang was angry, and hurriedly wrote to Guangyang, Yuyang, and the three counties of Youbeiping, and immediately dispatched all his troops to Fanyang. If not, he took his own weapons and took the officials of the yamen and his family to enslave them. Whoever does not obey the order, impeach whom, sue him for disobedience, and appease and sympathize with the Yellow Turban Army.

Li Hong received an order from Yang Huang, the assassin, and knew that he couldn't drag it out, so he had to rush to Beixincheng with the cavalry of the Jade Division to meet Xianyu Yinbu. Xian Yufu and Yan Rou temporarily stayed in Fanyang, guarding the prisoners and waiting for reinforcements.

Li Hong took more than 6,000 people from the Guards, Scouts, Guards, Black Panthers, Jade Ministers, and Xianyu Silver Departments to cross the border of the two states of Youyi and go straight to Boling City.

Riding on the black panther's broad back, Li Hong looked around curiously.

"Uncle, this is the Central Plains, is this the Central Plains?"

Tian Zhong snorted disdainfully and said loudly: "Central Plains? I don't think it's better to have our northern Xinjiang? We have endless mountains, clear water, vast grasslands, forests everywhere, and often no one for hundreds of miles. But if you look here, it's all plains, and although it's endless, there are no mountains or trees, and it's far worse than our northern frontier. ”

Li Hong laughed: "Haven't you been to the Central Plains?" ”

"Of course I haven't been here. I have been a soldier at the border for more than 40 years, and I have never been out of Youzhou, this is the first time. Tian Zhong said lightly.

Then he remembered Li Hong's lost memory, and hurriedly asked with concern: "Do you have any impressions, what might you remember?" ”

Li Hong shook his head, "I'm very new to this place, and I can't think of anything." But compared with the northern Xinjiang, I think this place is more expansive, more majestic, and more imposing. ”

Tian Zhong looked around, deliberately frowned and asked, "Momentum?" What momentum? I think it's more desolate, more tragic. ”

Li Hong suddenly thought of the Yellow Turban Army, remembered the countless displaced people who starved to death on the side of the road, and his mood immediately deteriorated.

Zhao Yun urged the horse to catch up, pointed to the front and said, "My lord, forty miles ahead is Boling City." ”

"Is it the hometown of Zhang Niujiao, the commander of the Yellow Turban Army?" Li Hong asked.

"His home is in a village far south of the city, far from Boling City." Zhao Yun replied: "South of Boling City is Huanshui. If you want to go to Nanboling, you must cross the Huanshui. ”

Tian Zhong liked him very much, and his eyes were smiling when he saw him.

"Zilong, why didn't you wear the armor you gave you yesterday? Also, what about the white fur? It's cold, dress warmly, don't freeze. ”

Zhao Yun smiled embarrassedly, "Thank you, uncle." ”

"Why don't you wear it?" Tian Zhong asked with a smile.

"Uncle, none of you have any, one of my guards is too ugly to wear, and I want to ......" He looked at Li Hong next to him and didn't continue.

"It's okay, tell me about it." Tian Zhong looked at Zhao Yun, how he liked it, and his mouth cracked with laughter.

"When I finish the Zhending City in Changshan, I will bring it back to my mother." Zhao Yun said softly.

Tian Zhong slapped the war horse hard and shouted, "Okay, good boy." is so far away from home, and I still think about my parents, and I know that I am filial to my elders, good children, good children. ”

He shouted vigorously. Zhao Yun's white face turned red in an instant.

Li Hong turned his head to look at Tian Zhong and laughed: "Uncle Changjing, there are a few guards who follow me, it seems that you are the best for Zilong." I'm worried that a few others will know that I've broken your old bones. ”

Tian Chong glanced back at Zhao Yun and said with a smile: "No way, this kid knows books and etiquette, and he is very likable, just like Xu Wucheng's Xiao Tian Chou, it is comfortable to look at." Then he glared at Li Hong and said, "How many of them dare to trouble me?" You go and ask, they dare to come to me? It's too late to hide from me! ”

Li Hong smiled and shook his head, knowing that he was using his identity as an assassin to scare people. Now no one wants to offend him. Tian Zhong is the assassin of Fengyun Iron Cavalry, whoever makes a mistake must be dealt with by him, who wants to offend him?

"Last time, the tiger head wanted that set of armor, why didn't you give it? Now that you have given Zilong, Tiger Head may not be happy to know it. ”

Tian Zhong immediately shouted: "People, the armor was originally left to you by me, and it is not for you to give it to you." Now that you gave Zilong, what does it matter to me? ”

Li Hong really couldn't say Tian Chong, and laughed dumbly.

"Good, good. Uncle, there is really you. By the way, there are many people in the army now, and there are many officers, so you should pay attention to military discipline. Those who violate military discipline must be severely punished. ”

"Don't worry. The scouts are ghostly and ghostly, and they help me keep an eye everywhere, and few people can escape. ”

"Don't always keep an eye on the soldiers and make mistakes, but pay attention to the officers, there are those who withhold military salaries, there are those who whip soldiers, there are those who bully others, there are those who rob secretly, and there are those who violate laws and disciplines. Li Hong said solemnly.

"I've been a soldier for decades, and I've suffered a lot from it, so how can I not pay attention to these things? Speaking of which, I want to thank you, you are old, and you still work for an official, and you are still an assassin, thank you. If I die, you must give this treacherous position to a loyal and reliable person, otherwise you will lose military discipline and it will be difficult to win the battle. ”

Li Hong nodded cautiously.

Zheng Xin hit the horse and rushed to meet him.

Because in the battle of Jiuli Pavilion, Chu Feiyan's troops suddenly appeared, almost causing the entire Fengyun Iron Cavalry to be wiped out, which stimulated him very deeply. Although Li Hong did not punish him, and the other comrades-in-arms did not stand up and accuse him, he felt that he had made too much mistake, and he was in a bad mood all the time, so he always avoided Li Hong. Now as long as it is news that he thinks is abnormal, he will take the trouble to personally review it.

Li Hong hadn't seen him for a long time. Zheng Xin is much thinner than some time ago, and he is also darker. Li Hong said bitterly: "You are a scout, not a scout. If you run around like this, what if there is an urgent military situation that needs to be dealt with? ”

Zheng Xin hurriedly said: "I know, I will pay attention." Recently, the scouts have been in Beixincheng, there are many things, few people, and they can't be busy. ”

"What's the news from Boling City?" Li Hong asked.

"The Yellow Turbans suddenly abandoned the city and fled. Now the four gates of Boling City are wide open, except for the people in the city, not a single soldier of the Yellow Turban Army can be seen. Zheng Xin said with a smile, "Probably when they heard that the Fengyun Iron Horse was coming, the Yellow Turban Army was frightened and fled in a hurry." ”

"Where's the direction of Ligo?" Li Hong immediately asked.

"Liwu is now garrisoned by Chu Feiyan's subordinate Fan Li."

"How many are there?"

"If you add the Yellow Turban Army who fled to Liwu, Fan Li probably has more than 10,000 people."

Li Hong thought for a moment, then turned to the horn soldier and said, "Order the troops to rest and pause their advance." ”

Xian Yuyin and jade rushed to the location of the Chinese army. Li Hong was sitting on the ground looking at a map.

"Boyu, Yicong, Boling's enemies have now fled to Liwu. There is no Yellow Turban Army in Boling City, what are we going to do? Go directly to Liwu, what do you think? Li Hong asked.

Xian Yuyin and Jade glanced at each other, did not answer, and looked down at the map.

"We don't have the strength to siege the city." Xian Yuyin said, "We don't have much to add, and we need Jizhou to replenish it." Isn't it too hasty to rush to Liwu now? ”

"If we don't attack the city, what are we going to do? Liwu is a hundred miles from Boling, and the supplies sent by Jizhou must take more roads to reach Liwu. If they delay on the road for a few days, we will be very passive in Liwu. Jade said loudly.

"Lord Guo means to completely eliminate the Yellow Turban Army this winter, so I estimate that the battle against the Yellow Turban Army will start soon. We can now quickly catch up with them and bite them to the death, which can ensure that the Yellow Turban Army of Zhongshan State will be formed a deterrent, forcing them to be unable to increase their troops in Changshan and Zhao State. If we make the illusion of an army of 10,000, it is more likely that we will force them to abandon Liwu and return to Nulu City. ”

Li Hong pointed to Nulu City on the map and said, "You see, Nulu City is south of Huanshui, and Liwu and Anxi, who are more than 100 miles away from it, are both north of Lianshui. These three cities are on both sides of the Huanshui River, and if we keep pressing on them, we can put a lot of pressure on them. ”

Xian Yuyin stared at the map for a while, gestured with his hand and said, "If Liwu's enemies want to retreat, they can only retreat to Anxi. If we set up an ambush between An Xi and Liwu, we might be able to destroy them. The city of Nulu was far away from these two cities, and it was impossible to send troops to support them. ”

Jade immediately retorted: "The Yellow Turban Army is afraid of our cavalry ambush, and they will definitely not give us a chance." I think it's more likely that they escaped from Liwu across the river. ”

Zheng Xin pointed to Liwu and said: "The only way to cross the river from Liwu is by boat, which will take quite a long time. If we rush to Liwu, the enemy will have to retreat to Anxi. Although we have the opportunity to ambush them, we do not have enough troops and not enough food and grass to seize this opportunity. ”

Xian Yuyin nodded, "What Shouyan said is good. We need a certain number of troops to feint Liwu, and we need enough men to ambush them. Looks like we're going to have to go to Liwu to scare them. ”

"Shouyan, the grain and grass in Jizhou, is it the first arrival of Hejian Country or the first arrival of Anping Kingdom?" Li Hong asked.

"I can't say." Zheng Xin smiled bitterly: "There are people from the Yellow Turban Army everywhere here, and it is very inconvenient to contact. To be honest, I suspect that the chances of them arriving on time are very slim. ”

"If we can't be sure that Jizhou's supplies will arrive tomorrow, we can't go to Liwu." Tian Zhong said solemnly: "If the troops encounter an accident and the soldiers suffer losses because of the supply matter, then it is my responsibility. ”

Li Hong smiled: "What if I take this responsibility? ”

Tian Zhong looked at him with wide eyes, looking very annoyed.

"If you must go to Liwu, you must also find a few locals to lead the way, so as not to go in the wrong direction and be ambushed by the Yellow Turban Army. We are not familiar with the terrain here, but the Yellow Turbans are familiar with it, they are all natives of this place, and they can find their way with their eyes closed. ”

Li Hong clapped his hands and said loudly: "What the old man said makes sense. Shouyan, when will the scouts in the direction of Liwu come back? ”

"It's going to take more than an hour."

"Then go to a few local people and ask them if they would like to show us the way?"

"As long as you give some food, no one will not want to." Zheng Xin said with a smile as he flew on the horse.

Suddenly, a rapid and terrible alarm horn sounded from the direction of the rear army.

The sound of the trumpet alarmed all the soldiers, and everyone got on their horses and lined up in battle as fast as they could.

Li Hong looked at Tian Zhong and felt that he was simply divine.