At the beginning of October, the weather has cooled, and the trees in the north are also painted with a withered yellow color. The wind blows, and the fallen leaves swirl and dance in mid-air.

"Stomp, stomp!"

There was a rush of horses' hooves, and the ground shook slightly.

Those leaves that were barely hanging on the treetops, but still reluctant to fall, finally fell helplessly.

A group of 3,000 cavalrymen with yellow scarves galloped on the official road. The first member of the general, holding a four-meter long spear, a large black bow hanging from his horse, and two pots of arrows.

This general is Chen Xu, after he deliberately gave up the camp to the people of Jingxian County, he led his subordinates to rush to Bo Luojin.

"The armies stop!"

Chen Xu first roared, and asked the soldiers beside him to pat their horses and give orders to the back. After the whole army heard the order to stop, Chen Xu, who was at the front, grabbed the reins of the war horse under his crotch.

The war horse neighed, and the two-hoofed man in front stood up, finally stopping the momentum of running.

Thousands of people are riding horses on the road, and it is not easy to stop. Especially the current Yellow Turban Army, their riding skills are not very exquisite.

If the knight in front suddenly stops, and the knight behind is not careful, it is easy for people and horses to crash into the knight in front.

Therefore, the cavalry charge, not as we imagined, lined up in a neat formation, one by one, rushed forward in unison.

On the contrary, the cavalry charged, and they were very far apart from each other. Just as the cars of later generations had to keep a distance from each other to avoid being rear-ended, cavalry had to keep a relatively safe distance from each other.

The development of cavalry in China began in the Warring States Period, and during the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, the development of cavalry entered a climax due to the pursuit of the Xiongnu in the north.

However, the requirements of cavalry for horses, knights, and cavalry willpower are very important.

The same two knights, the Chinese cavalry during the period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, were far inferior to the Hun cavalry.

In the Han Dynasty, Huang Cuo once said in "Words and Soldiers" that the Xiongnu had three major strengths that the Han army could not match: first, up and down the mountain, in and out of the stream, China's Mafu and also; Second, the dangerous road is tired, and gallops and shoots, and China's riding is also with it; Third, the wind and rain are tired, and the thirst is not sleepy, and the Chinese people are also happy.

The first one, 'going up and down the mountain, and entering and exiting the stream', speaks of the strong adaptability of the Hun horses; the second one, 'Falling on dangerous roads, galloping and shooting', points out the Hun knights' strong ability to control horses; and the third one points out the strong willpower of the Hun knights.

The first two are easy to understand, but as for willpower, many people can't understand it.

In fact, although the cavalry had mounts, they were often more tired than the foot soldiers. Riding a horse for long distances and fighting battles is far from being as easy as imagined.

Riders ride horses for a long time, and it is easy to form looped legs, and the inner thighs are also easily worn out. Riding a horse is bumpy and undulating, and at the end of the day, many people can't withstand this kind of torture.

Only when the knights are skilled in riding, the men and horses are one, and they can eat and drink on horseback, will they become real elite cavalry.

In later generations, it was several foreign clans in the Song Dynasty who brought the cavalry to a climax.

The Liao Kingdom originated in the grassland, and the men among them have lived on horseback since childhood, so their riding skills are very exquisite.

Later, when the Jurchens rose up and established the Jin Kingdom, their Tiefutu and kidnapping horses were even more invincible.

And the Song Dynasty, which lacked horses, became the target of wanton bullying by the country.

By the time the Mongols had risen, they had become a symbol of terror in the eyes of their enemies. The Mongols pushed cavalry tactics to the peak of the era of cold weapons, and the advantages of cavalry such as long-distance running and outflanking were brought into full play.

The Mongols practiced a system of 100 households and 1,000 households, with all the people being soldiers and officers hereditary.

They 'prepare for battle when they get on their horses, and gather and shepherd when they dismount'. In order to ensure the combat effectiveness of the army, the Mongols often trained their troops through large-scale hunting, and for children, they were also specially trained from an early age to ride horses and shoot arrows.

It is precisely such a nation that has been oppressed and exploited by the Jin State at the beginning, and finally destroyed the Jin, Western Xia, and Southern Song Dynasty. Eventually, the Mongols defeated the European coalition forces westward, reaching Rotterdam in the Netherlands.

It can be said that Mongolians were born on horseback and died on horseback. Their knights are truly united with men and horses, and treat the war horse as their own body.

A fallen leaf came with the wind and happened to fall on Chen Xu's hair. He stretched out his hand to push the fallen leaves down, and secretly thought in his heart: "The current cavalry of the Yellow Turban Army is still too lacking in training. ”

"If their horsemanship was good enough, I wouldn't need to give the order and then stop the march. With just a swing of his spear and a stop, the knight behind him can quickly stop without crashing into the person in front of him. ”

"But there's still a long way to go."

A little marshal turned his horse forward, interrupting Chen Xu's train of thought, and he said: "Qu Shuai, the three armies stop, but what are the instructions?" ”

Chen Xu looked back and replied: "Since the officers and soldiers have ambushed us in Jingxian, I am afraid that they will also act like this in Boluojin." ”

"Compared with the sand dunes in Jingxian County, Bo Luojin is even easier to defend and difficult to attack. If the officers and soldiers send a group of men and horses to garrison this place, it may not be easy for us to cross the river. ”

"For now, let the brothers rest here for a while, and then send scouts to investigate Bo Luojin's situation in detail, and then it's not too late to make calculations."

When Xiaoshuai heard this, he agreed, and then personally led a hundred Yellow Turban troops with superb horsemanship to Boluojin to investigate.

The people were ordered to dismount and rest.

Wu Ling brought some water for Chen Xu and said, "Qu Shuai, after a half-day journey, drink some water to moisten your throat." ”

Looking at Wu Ling, who was tired, Chen Xu took the bamboo tube and drank the water in it in one go.

He handed the empty bamboo tube to Wu Ling and asked, "Ah Ling, do you have any relatives at home?" ”

Hearing Qu Shuai's words, Wu Ling's face darkened, and he replied: "My family originally had a family of four, Yan Jun is still alive, and there is a sister who is two years older than me. The family has a few acres of land, and although they are poor, they can barely make ends meet. ”

"A few years ago, there was a famine and plague in the township, and Yan Jun was sick. My sister and I sold our fields and houses, but we still couldn't save Yan Jun. After burying Yan Jun, my sister and I became refugees. ”

"Later, when I moved to Guangzong, my sister married a local tenant, and I also lived in my sister's house, and I have been receiving relief from my brother."

"In the past two years, there have been either droughts or floods, and my brother's family has not been able to sustain itself. Seeing that there was no food at home, the great sage and good teacher led his troops to attack Guangzong. ”

"My sister and I were originally believers in the Taiping Sect, and considering that we couldn't survive, we gritted our teeth and joined the Yellow Turban Army. The elder brother was a little cowardly and did not dare to defect to the Yellow Turban. After I made meritorious deeds on the battlefield, all the rewards I received were given to my sister. ”

"When Wang Yanqu Shuai led the family of Guangzong's Yellow Turban Army to Taishan County, I persuaded my brother and sister to leave Guangzong with them."

"Not long after my sister gave birth to a boy, he's almost a year old now, right?"

Speaking of this, a smile appeared on Wu Ling's face.

'Yan Jun' is the general term for parents in the ancients, and 'sister' means sister.

Chen Xu was silent when he heard Wu Ling's words. Wu Ling's deeds are just one example of the many Yellow Turban Army, and he believes that there are many others who have the same experience as Wu Ling.

Patting Wu Ling on the shoulder, Chen Xu said, "Do you want your sister?" ”

Wu Ling nodded vigorously and said, "Of course I want to!" My sister has been very kind to me, and if she hadn't always left me food, I would have starved to death. When I make great achievements in the future and have a lot of money, I must let my sister and brother live a good life and let them have enough to eat every day. ”

He clenched his fists, his face full of hope.

When Chen Xu heard this, his eyes were a little sour. He turned his head away, holding back the tears.

'Eat enough every day', what a low requirement!

In later generations, almost no one bothered to fill their stomachs. But in this era, this most basic requirement of human survival has become the strong desire of the general public.

After calming down, Chen Xu looked at Wu Ling's eyes and said firmly: "Believe me, your sister and brother will definitely be able to live a good life in the future." ”

Hearing his own Qu Shuai's assurance, Wu Ling's face was full of excitement.

He has always believed in Chen Xu and believes that there is nothing in this world that Qu Shuai can't do. Since Qu Shuai said so, he believed that his sister and brother would definitely be able to live a good life.

"Qu Shuai, you rest here first, I'll go and get in touch with my horse."

The knights of the Yellow Turban Army, when they dismounted and rested, did not forget to gently stroke the neck of the horse, give their horses water to drink, and feed some forage.

For cavalry, the war horse is its own life. If the knight does not take care of his war horse and does not care to communicate with the war horse, it is impossible to truly achieve the unity of man and horse.

'Unity of man and horse' may sound like a very mysterious thing, but it is not.

The horse has spirituality, as long as you treat it with your heart, after a long time, it can feel your heart, which is the premise of 'the unity of man and horse'.

Chen Xu watched Wu Ling leave, and he also took the forage and clear water, and walked towards his war horse.