The reason why Wang Yuan dared to catch up with the rebels by land was not impulsive. Pen | fun | pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 The info Grand Canal runs from south to north, and is divided into two branches in the Huaishui area, one of which directly connects the Yellow River to the north to Youzhou. The other is the Yellow River northeast of Luoyang from Huaishui to the northwest through Bianshui. If the rebels had gone directly southeast via Bianshui, they would not have had to go east from the Yellow River to the entrance of another Grand Canal in Huaxian and then south. In that case, Wang Yuan would not be able to catch up with the rebels' march down the water.

However, the year that has just passed was a year of great drought, and although it was a disaster, there was a providence in this matter. The water dried up last summer, and Wang Yuan passed by it on his way back from Beihai County this summer, when the people and horses passed directly through the Bianshui River, which had been turned from a large river into a shallow ditch, and did not even need a ferry. And it was still raining at that time.

Although there was a heavy snowfall last winter, the Bianshui was definitely unnavigable at this time, especially when Wang Yuan specially asked the people of Luoyang who participated in the shipbuilding before setting off, and after learning about the shape of the big ships made by the rebels, he was even more firm in this idea. Even if the water rises, the kind of large ship that can carry two or three thousand soldiers and horses will not be able to pass.

Therefore, the only way for those large ships to go south directly is to go east along the Yellow River, from the territory of Huaxian County into the main channel of the canal in the north-south longitudinal direction, and from there to the south. And in this way, the route that Wang Yuan pursued at the moment was like going straight to the southeast along the diagonal line of a right triangle. The route of the rebels was along the two right-angled edges, and it was said that the distance was nearly 300 miles longer than that of Wang Yuan. Moreover, after the year, there will be heavy snow and extremely cold weather, and the ice floes on the Yellow River must be uneven, making navigation difficult. This is also an important reason why Wang Yuan believes that it can slow down the rebels.

Therefore, although the rebels marched for five more days, Wang Yuan still had to bet on whose speed would be faster. Even if they didn't get ahead of the rebels, they probably wouldn't be much later than them. As long as he saw the shadow of the rebels, Wang Yuan thought that he could follow their footsteps closely and be ready to act at any time.

Wang Yuan and his entourage set off from Luoyang, all the way non-stop, day and night. In order to catch up with the time, eat and drink on horseback. At night, when I can't see anything, when the first rays of dawn first appear, I am already speeding on the road again.

In the first two days, everyone suffered a lot because of the heavy snowfall, and the snow and mud on the road often caused horses to slip and break bones. On the road from Luoyang to Songzhou, there were as many as 160 or 70 wounded by the personal guards cavalry because of the stumbling of their horses. Without exception, these people were asked by Wang Yuan to return where they were, and Wang Yuan couldn't let them delay the pace of the cavalry.

Fortunately, after entering the territory of Songzhou, Wang Yuan was surprised to find that the heavy snow hundreds of miles away had become a dividing line in the Songzhou area. South of Songzhou, it had only stopped after a light snowfall a few days earlier, so the roads had long since been devoid of any snow under the wind and sun. As we advanced south for hundreds of miles, even the temperature increased a lot. Many of the guards were finally able to breathe a sigh of relief and catch their breath.

After three days and three nights, Wang Yuan and his entourage finally arrived in Xuzhou. Xuzhou is located on the west bank of the canal, belongs to Henan Road, and is an important town along the canal. Five hundred miles above Xuzhou is the Yellow River, and about 400 miles south is Chuzhou. Within nearly 1,000 miles, Xuzhou is a stopover and transit place for ships to and from business, so it has unique geographical advantages.

Wang Yuan almost calculated the distance to Xuzhou, thinking that he would be able to catch up with the pace of the rebels in Xuzhou, but after arriving fifteen miles west of Xuzhou City, Wang Yuan and his guards saw Xuzhou City with billowing smoke on the horizon in the distance. Everyone's hearts sank, and it seemed that they had taken a step too late. Wang Yuan immediately ordered people to go to reconnoiter first, and learned that there was no trace of rebels in the city, so he ordered to approach quickly.

When Wang Yuan and his entourage rushed into the city through the open west gate, some of the people who were burying the dead bodies between the ruins and the broken walls and cleaning up the mess were so frightened that they thought that the murderous soldiers and horses had returned. Zhao Qing hurriedly rode his horse and shouted while chasing along the street: "Fellow villagers, don't be afraid, we are soldiers and horses of the imperial court, not rebels." Don't panic. ”

Wang Yuan rode his horse and stood in the square of the west city and looked at the city in front of him, his heart was gloomy. Although the city of Xuzhou is not large, it also has a population of more than 100,000. Because of the distribution of merchants from the north and south, this place is also a prosperous and prosperous place with many merchants. However, at this moment, the city of Xuzhou in front of him is full of devastation and rubble. The buildings along the streets are smoking, the city is full of ruins, dead bodies are strewn in the ruins, and the streets are covered with blood, and there is a scene of war ravaged everywhere.

Zhao Qing's shouting had an effect, and the people who fled in horror stopped, and some of the bold began to turn around and slowly approach. Under Zhao Qing's further explanation, the people finally figured out that the soldiers and horses in front of them were not rebel soldiers and horses, but cavalry of the imperial court.

Hundreds of civilians quickly gathered around the cavalry, and everyone wept in pain and cried loudly.

Wang Yuan turned over and dismounted, slowly walked to the people who were crying bitterly, and said in a deep voice: "The villagers are suffering, I am a step too late." ”

The people's cries became louder, and a white-haired old man stepped forward and asked, "Dare to ask where this military master came from?" ”

Wang Yuan bowed his hand and saluted: "Uncle, we are from Luoyang." Knowing that the rebels were heading south by boat, I immediately led the cavalry to come in the starry night, but I didn't expect to be a step too late. ”

The old man said happily: "The military masters are from Luoyang? So Luoyang has been recovered? ”

Wang Yuan nodded and said, "Yes, not only Luoyang, but Chang'an has long been recovered." The rebels had no way to escape, so they took the risk and sailed south. ”

The old man said repeatedly: "Good, good. These people haven't been jumping around for a few days. But what can the military master do with such a small number of soldiers and horses, even if he catches up with the rebels? The rebels had hundreds of ships, large and small, loaded with countless soldiers and horses. Our Xuzhou City was breached by them in an hour, did the imperial court only send a few thousand of you to fight them? ”

Wang Yuan hurriedly said: "We are the vanguard, and soon the imperial army will come in a big way, and the rebels will not be able to do evil at that time." ”

The old man was disappointed: "I should still be the Divine Ce Army led by Wang Xiangguo." Except for the Shence Army, I'm afraid no one can exterminate this group of. Hey, it seems that along the canal, the rebels don't know how much evil they are going to do. ”

Wang Yuan was speechless, and was about to ask when the rebels arrived in Xuzhou, why Xuzhou was attacked, and when the rebels left, when he suddenly heard a noise on the street, and some people ran quickly to this side, and some people shouted loudly as they ran.

"Get out of the way, Si Bing Liu is here."

The people got out of the way, and saw a tall general in armor, covered in dust and blood, with twenty or thirty soldiers in tattered armor and hanging arms. The tall general rushed to Wang Yuan and the others, and arched his hand: "Under Liu Dachuan." Dare to ask which way the imperial court arrived? ”

Zhao Qing said in a deep voice: "We are the cavalry of the Shence Army, this is the marshal of my family's king, and the Tang Dynasty is now Xiangguo." ”

That Liu joined the army for a moment, looked at Wang Yuan in surprise, and his face was suspicious.

"This is the current Wang Xiangguo? Wang Xiangguo, who led the Shence Army? ”

"It's like a fake." Wang Yuan smiled.

That Liu joined the army and didn't believe it, Zhao Qing took off his waist card and handed it to him and said: "Look clearly, my name is Zhao Qing, and I am the commander of the personal guard army under the commander of my family." ”

Liu Dachuan saw the words on the waist card clearly, suddenly fell to his knees, and said loudly: "The villain is really blind, and it is really Wang Xiangguo who is here." Brothers, folks, this one is my Tang Dynasty Wang Xiangguo. ”

The surrounding soldiers and civilians were greatly surprised when they heard this, and they all knelt on the ground and kowtowed. The name of Wang Yuan has long been spread all over the country. This Wang Dashuai was famous all over the world when he was in Pingnan and conquered Tibet. Later, when the world was in turmoil, Wang Yuan turned the tide and Ma Weipo welcomed the Lord into Shu has long been known to the world. Later, he led the army to defeat the rebels and attack the Shu army, and led thousands of cavalry to attack Pingyuan City, and rescued tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians in Pingyuan City from the hands of 80,000 or 90,000 rebels. Although the soldiers and civilians of the southern state capital had never seen Wang Yuan, they had already heard of his name. At this moment, such a legendary figure is in front of you, how can you not teach them to bow and worship.

"Wang Xiangguo, save us. Let the Shence army go south quickly and wipe out those thieves. The people shouted.

Wang Yuan hurriedly shouted: "Everyone, please get up, please get up." Wang Mou is not talented, and he came to exterminate the rebels. Hurry up and clean up the city, and I'll ask about the situation before making a decision. ”

At that moment, Wang Yuan ordered Zhao Qing, Tan and others to lead the personal guards and cavalry to help clean up the streets, set up a simple camp in the square in front of the Yamen in Xuzhou, and help the people build temporary shelters at night. At this time, the night was still bitterly cold, and if the people could not be resettled, they would probably have to add a lot of corpses overnight.

The soldiers and civilians took advantage of the short time before the sun set, and Wang Yuan asked Liu Dachuan in detail about what happened when the rebels passed through Xuzhou. It turned out that the rebel fleet had arrived on the canal east of Xuzhou in the early morning. Wei Jin, the Taishou of Xuzhou, learned the news and ordered the city gate to be closed for precautions. However, the soldiers and horses in the city were really limited, and only 1,300 Xuzhou regimental training soldiers led by Liu Dachuan were the main force, so Wei Taishou gathered the jailers in the city and the small officials and many large families to protect the courtyard, and gathered about 3,000 soldiers to defend the city. Their only hope was that the rebels would move south along the canal and not attack Xuzhou. However, I am afraid of what comes. About 20,000 rebels disembarked at the Xuzhou Canal Wharf, and the rest of the rebels stayed on the boat and waited. The 20,000 rebels came to the city of Xuzhou and demanded that the Tang soldiers and civilians defending the city surrender the city, and they wanted to replenish food, grass and drinking water here.

Wei Taishou of course refused to surrender, so the rebels began to attack the city, and in less than an hour, Xuzhou's weak city defenses and few poor defenders were broken, and the rebels swarmed into the city. Wei Jin was killed in battle, and almost all of the more than 3,000 miscellaneous troops defending the city were also killed. Liu Dachuan led more than 100 people to kill the enemy desperately, rushed out of the northern city with a bloody road, and did not return to the city with the remaining 20 brothers until the rebels left.

Probably dissatisfied with the resistance of the Xuzhou army and civilians, the rebels began to burn and loot after breaking through the city. The food and supplies were looted, loaded onto large ships, and every house was set on fire, leaving no place for the people who had fled the city. If it weren't for Wei Taishou letting the people escape from the city early when the city was broken, I don't know how many people would have died. Rao is like this, after the city of Xuzhou was broken, the number of dead and wounded soldiers and civilians also reached six or seven thousand, which can be described as a catastrophe.

After listening to Liu Dachuan's narration, Wang Yuan felt very heavy. It is certain that the rebels will attack Xuzhou, and Xuzhou is the only transit place on the upper and lower thousands of miles of canals. After a ten-day voyage, it was clear that the rebels needed to replenish their supplies here, so Xuzhou was sure to be attacked. It was very frustrating that I couldn't get to Xuzhou before they arrived, and I couldn't stop this from happening. His 3,000 soldiers and horses may not be able to hold Xuzhou City, but if he can rush to Xuzhou earlier, he can evacuate the people and clear the wilderness so that the people can escape this catastrophe, and the rebels will not be able to get supplies of food, grain and grass.

"How many ships do they have, how many troops do they have, and when did they leave?" Wang Yuan frowned and asked.

"There were a lot of boats, dozens of big boats, and countless medium and small boats, which stretched for five or six miles when they came from the river. The ship was densely packed with soldiers and horses, and a rough estimate was probably as many as 70,000 or 80,000 people. They got on the boat and left in the afternoon, and more than a dozen large boats on the wharf of Xuzhou were also robbed by them, and they loaded the looted food and materials and continued south. Please forgive the villain for not being able to report elsewhere, because there are no officials in the city, and the villain can only stay in the city to organize the people to tide over the difficulties. Besides, they sailed south, and the villain couldn't keep up with them. Liu Dachuan said.

Wang Yuan said: "You did the right thing, from now on, you will temporarily take the responsibility of Xuzhou Taishou." You are here to pacify the people and organize them to rebuild their homes. Remember, don't let the people get into trouble. Hold out for a few days, and I'll find a way to get you some food and supplies from elsewhere to tide you over, but the key is to rely on yourself. ”

Liu Dachuan kowtowed excitedly and said: "Xiangguo rest assured, his humble position will definitely live up to his mission." ”

Wang Yuan nodded and said, "Where is the nearest city to the south of the canal?" ”

Liu Dachuan said: "There are many small towns along the river in the south of Xuzhou, but Dachengchi is Qingjiang County and Shanyang County on the bank of Huaishui in the south. Qingjiang is more than 380 miles away, Shanyang County is the seat of Chuzhou, and Qingjiang County is only dozens of miles away. At the speed of the rebels' boats, it is estimated that they will reach these two counties in less than four or five days. Xiangguo must quickly inform the soldiers and civilians of Qingjiang and Shanyang counties to prepare early, otherwise I am afraid that it will be as miserable as Xuzhou. ”

Wang Yuan's face was gloomy, and he nodded: "I understand." ”

That night, Wang Yuan summoned Zhao Qing and Tan Ping and the middle-ranking generals of the Guards to gather around the bonfire, and Wang Yuan informed them of his plans.

"Brothers. We were unable to reach Xuzhou before the rebels, and in the current situation, with the wide canals and swift waterways of Xuzhou, we may not be able to catch up with them anymore, and we will have to be left far behind them. In this way, our actions are meaningless. Because we can't stop any movement of the seventy or eighty thousand rebels, we can't stop them. ”

"Dashuai, we will pursue south early tomorrow morning, and there may be a chance to catch up." Tan Ping said in a low voice.

Wang Yuan shook his head slowly and said: "I can't catch up, in the past five days, we have galloped day and night, and the people and horses can't stand it anymore." If you run like this again, people can stand it, but the war horse will definitely not be able to survive. The more you chase, the farther you will be left behind. ”

"So what are we going to do? Could it be that you can't turn around and go back to join the army? Tan Ping frowned and asked.

Wang Yuan said: "Of course it won't work, I will never be willing to return without success." I just thought about it carefully, for the sake of today's plan, I can only let the brothers and the war horse rest in Xuzhou for half a day, help the people of Xuzhou to do something, and at the same time let the war horse rest and recover its strength. I had to go alone. ”

"What? How does this work? ”

"Absolutely not? How can you let Dashuai be in danger alone? ”

"Don't be handsome."

The generals of the guards shouted one after another.

Wang Yuan waved his hand and said, "Listen to me." My mount was one of the best horses in a million, and although it had been running for five days, it was really just a little bit of effort for him. Didn't you see it holding its back all the way? That's because your horse is too slow for it to run as much as it wants. You see, the rest of the horses are depressed at the moment, but they are still in good spirits. ”

Everyone turned their heads to look at a group of horses tied not far away, but they saw Wang Yuan's snow-stepping black horse standing in the darkness with a radiant look, looking around with sparkling eyes, without the slightest tiredness. But the war horses next to it were all lying on the ground listless, as if they had lost their strength.

"My mount can travel hundreds of miles a day, and with you you can only slow down the journey, and cannot catch up with the rebel fleet. But if I ride alone, I can come back and reach Qingjiang County on the bank of the canal in the south ahead of schedule. At least a day or two before the rebels arrived. That way, I can inform the local officials and people in advance to get ready. That's what we're here for. Wang Yuan continued.

"Having said that, how can the safety of the handsome go alone? If the handsome man has three longs and two shorts, I can't wait for anything. Zhao Qing said hurriedly.

"Yes, yes, what should I do if something happens to the handsome man on the way alone? How do we account for it? The generals also said.

Wang Yuan laughed and said, "What can happen to me?" Do you think I'm a weak scholar who is helpless? How many risky things have I done over the years, and which one hasn't it been a complete escape? If something had happened, I would have had an accident a long time ago, and I would have waited until today? Besides, I was only going to meet with local officials in advance, not to fight the rebels alone. You will also come later, what can happen? I think it's the only way to go. Otherwise, we will have to go home in vain. ”

The generals were silent, and Wang Yuan smiled: "Don't be sad, aren't you cursing me for something like this?" I've made up my mind, and that's it. I'll set off early tomorrow morning. You can rest until the afternoon and then set off, there is no need to rush on the road, you can arrive in Yangzhou within ten days. I estimate that there will be a fierce battle in Yangzhou. ”

The generals were helpless, knowing that once the commander decided on something, there was basically no change, and persuasion was in vain. And at the moment it seems that there is only one way to get the news to the cities ahead of the rebels and prepare them. Although everyone was worried, they could only obey the order.

In the early morning of the next day, Wang Yuan bid farewell to the guards and galloped away from Xuzhou City in their worried eyes. The black horse under the crotch got the opportunity to indulge in galloping, and the road was like lightning, and it was extremely fast. Wang Yuan sat on the horse, only to feel the cold wind blowing on his face, and the scenery around him quickly retreated, as if he was sitting on a speeding train.

BMW is a BMW not only because it is fast, but also because of its endurance. In ancient times, it was known as a thousand horses, perhaps an exaggeration. But even if you can't travel thousands of miles a day, you can still have 500 miles in half. Such a long road is not only fast enough, but also requires long-lasting endurance. Although Wang Yuan's black horse may not be able to travel 500 miles a day, if he runs vigorously, it is still possible to travel 300 miles a day. But the horse eats it, and the people can't bear it, Wang Yuan not only suffers from the cold of the strong wind on the horse's back, but also suffers from a gut-breaking bump, which is the most fatal. Therefore, Wang Yuan had to control the speed and time of action, so that the horses would not be too tired, and he would not be bumped over the river and the sea.

At the end of the day, I traveled nearly 200 miles. And in the evening, Wang Yuan saw a black and oppressive group of boats in the river ahead, like a forest mast and flashing lights. Wang Yuan knew that he had caught up with the rebel fleet in one day. Even so, Wang Yuan was surprised by the speed of the rebel fleet. They have already left Xuzhou for 200 miles.

Of course, this is understandable, after all, they set off half a day earlier than themselves, and even at night, they can sail, but their speed is limited. At this rate, they will arrive in Qingjiang County in another day and night.

But since he had caught up with the fleet, Wang Yuan was relieved that he would definitely be able to arrive at Qingjiang at least one day in advance, so he had a day to prepare for the arrival of the rebels. So Wang Yuan didn't rush overnight, but found a sheltered place to rest for the night. Early the next morning, Wang Yuan set out again, and caught up with the rebel fleet again at the end of the hour.

Wang Yuan deliberately rode his horse and galloped across the bank of the canal, and the hundreds of large and small boats on the river that stretched for several miles, as well as the dense soldiers and horses on the boats, as I had known before, were the main forces of the rebels. In the middle of the river, the dozens of temporary new dragon head giant ships fluttered colorful flags, and the momentum was majestic. This must also be what Li Guiren, the rebel general in Luoyang, said, Yan Zhuang spent three months driving away more than 100,000 people to step up the construction of troop transport ships.

Wang Yuan didn't dare to get too close, nor did he dare to go alongside them, because the rebels on the ship also saw themselves running on the shore, Wang Yuan was worried that Yan Zhuang and An Qingxu would recognize him, although he was wearing ordinary armor, Wang Yuan didn't want them to know that he was chasing them to the south. It is better to leave them defenseless, thinking that their plan has succeeded, thinking that they are still leading the Divine Strategy Army and are attracted by the soldiers and horses of Linghu Chao and do not know their intentions, so that they may be able to carry out a surprise blow to them in front. Therefore, Wang Yuan quickly descended the embankment and ran south along the dry grass path below the embankment to overtake the rebel fleet.