Dingxiang County, the northernmost border county in the east of the Great Sui River.

Since the Western Han Dynasty, the original name Yunzhong County, after the Han Dynasty Emperor changed to Xiang County, leading Chengle, Tongguo,

Duwu, Wujin, Xiangyin, Wugao, Luo, Dingtao, Wucheng, Wuyao, Dingxiang, Fulu 12 counties. In the first two years of Emperor Hanping, there were 38,559 households and 163144 people in the county. Later, it was invaded by the Xiongnu and moved the population to Xihe County, and most of the twelve counties were also abolished. Since then, the Hu people in the northern steppes have become stronger and stronger, the Han people have become weaker and weaker, and the people of Dingxiang have also continued to move inward.

By the time of the Great Sui, although the county system of Dingxiang was still maintained, there was only one county in Dali remaining, with only 374 households. It is said to be a county, but it is better to say that it is a buffer zone of isolation between the Great Sui and the Turkic Khanate.

The first rays of the morning sun shone on the earth, and dozens of cavalry roared through the mountains and forests full of morning dew. They came from the south, with rolling green hills behind them. These cavalrymen from the south were all on two horses, with scimitars at their belts, and galloped on horseback.

Turning over another hillside, the terrain changed abruptly, and there was no more hillside woodland, and in front of them was an endless grassland. The rising sun shines through the endless sky, shining golden sunlight on every cavalryman. Dozens of cavalry did not stop for a moment, they went straight to the steppe. On the boundless grassland, there were tents like clouds at this time, densely covered with the grassland as far as the knight's eyes could see.

The knight galloped all the way into the boundless camp, and finally came to a halt before the great golden tent in the middle camp.

"Report to the Great Khan, our Tanma has gone a hundred miles south last night, and there is not a single soldier in the entire Dinglou County. ..., the first knight entered the account and reported loudly.

In the big tent, at this time there were gathered the leaders of various ethnic groups, such as Khan, Qi Jin, She, Teller, etc. All of them were dressed in battle armor and hung scimitars at their waists. As soon as they heard the news, everyone erupted in enthusiastic whimper. "Immortal Heaven estimates, the eagle on our grassland will finally fly in the sky of the Central Plains again."

Shibi Khan was dressed in gold armor, and there was a huge and hideous roaring golden wolf head on the breastplate, and when he heard the news of the horse, he strode to the top, and said excitedly: "Brothers on the steppe, sixteen years, it has been sixteen years, and the wolf rider of our Turkic Khanate is finally about to step into the land of the Central Plains." One step further, it is no longer the grassland, but the Central Plains! ”

The chiefs were equally excited, and the guards in the tent had already begun pouring wine for the chiefs. One by one, while reading the Immortal Heavenly Guarantee, they drank the wine in large gulps. More than half a month ago, Shibi Khan suddenly convened a top-secret meeting with the leaders who were arguing about attacking Tiele, Kumoxi, or Khitan.

There was only one content of the tribal assembly, which was to attack the Sui State in the Central Plains in the south. When Shibi's decision came out, countless people were shocked. Since the defeat of the Shibi Khan and the Dulan Khan in the civil war, the Turks were forced to submit to the Great Sui, and since then for a full sixteen years, the Turkic cavalry has never stepped out of the steppe. Sixteen years, this time is enough time for a brave Turkic cavalryman from a newborn small

Cub and grow into a strong warrior.

Although there were some hesitations and some arguments, the wolf nature in the bones of the Turks made them finally take the first step in the past sixteen years. With unprecedented determination, the entire steppe has quietly assembled a cavalry of 300,000 people in a short period of time. If it weren't for secrecy, give him another half a month, and he would be able to gather another 200,000 cavalry.

Shibi Khan pulled out the scimitar at his waist and said in a loud voice, "Turkic warriors, one step forward, is the rich Central Plains, where there are countless granaries, countless treasures, and countless slave women. Go ahead and capture Yang Guang alive! …，

On May 5, the 11th year of the Great Cause, the Dragon Boat Festival of the Central Plains. On this day, after the Shibi Khan allied with Chen Kefu, he was retained. Secretly gathered 300,000 cavalry, secretly went south day and night, and finally after more than half a month, stepped through the endless vast grassland, and arrived at Dingxiang County, the border with the Great Sui.

In order to maintain speed and suddenness, the army of Shibi Khan did not bring food and grass for a long time, and all the cavalry of the tribes brought only a month's supply of dried meat. And the war horses ate wherever they went, and each brought two horses. For most of the Turkic tribes, this trip south was only for plundering. …,

Looking at the excited crowd, Lingli said a predicament of the current army. According to statistics, there is not much food left in the army today. Although he had gathered the dry food brought by the various tribes after the army had converged, for the Turkic tribesmen, who were now suffering from famine, every cow, sheep and piece of dried meat in the tribe was very precious. Although the tribes of Shibi Khan brought their own dry food for a month, basically none of the tribes did it in the end. Every Turkic warrior who went out wanted to leave more food and take only a small amount of dry food with them. They all thought that when they arrived in the Central Plains, they would be able to plunder.

"If you implement uniform rationing. How long can the army keep food in stock? Shibi Khan said with a frown.

"Seven days, seven days at most." Lingli Road.

Shibi Khan listened quietly, his face calm, but there was already some anxiety in his heart.

It was also a temporary decision for him to go south, and he didn't have much preparation. Rushing south, it's good to get to this point. But now we have just arrived at the border of Dingxiang, and we are still far from the goal.

"Great Khan, I don't think there's any need to worry, since we have arrived in Dingxiang, although Dingxiang has a small population. But as long as the Great Khan asked the leaders of the various tribes to go south with their men and horses to fight the grass valley, I believe this can be solved. ”

Fighting the grass valley is also plundering, Shibi Khan shook his head and said resolutely, "No, if we let the tribes go to the grass valley, first, our whereabouts will be exposed, and second, once the army is scattered and plundered." At that time, all the tribes will be blinded by the treasure, and it will be difficult to gather them when the time comes. Ladies and gentlemen, our main purpose this time is to capture Yang Guang alive, as long as Yang Guang is captured and he is unprepared, and annihilates the army of the Sui State, then the entire Hedong will belong to our Turkic Khanate, so why should we be in a hurry. ”

He marched so secretly and rapidly in order to defeat Yang Guang without Yang Guang's knowledge. Otherwise, if Yang Guang found out, then with the strong fortress of the Sui State and the 500,000 troops that the Sui State was mobilizing, Shibi Khan would not have the confidence to defeat Yang Guang. At that time, it will be a real disaster for the Turks. Facing those fortified fortresses, the blood of every Turkic warrior will be drained.

"But although we don't have much food, if we can't replenish it, we won't be able to get to Taiyuan by then, let alone capture Yang Guang alive." Lingli said with some dissatisfaction.

"Dingxiang County is still five days away from us, and although it is only a small county town with a few hundred households, the border has been quiet for many years. Many Central Plains caravans going back and forth in and out of the grassland will pass through there, so it is also a very lively and prosperous small county. If we had accelerated our march with all our troops, we would have reached Dali County in five days, where there was only a small Tucheng on all sides, plus a few hundred Sui border troops. As long as our army arrives, we will be able to take this county seat, and after taking all the grain and grass in the city, we will definitely have enough food for ten days. At that time, we will go east along the Great Wall, that is, Mayi County, we will enter the pass of the Great Wall of Buzhou Mountain, and then there will be two cities of Yunnei County and Hengan Town in Mayi. These two cities had a population of tens of thousands, and after conquering them, there was enough food and grass. ”

"But we are only in Dingxiang now, and we are still separated from Taiyuan by the three counties of Mayi, Yanmen, and Loufu, and I don't think it is possible for us to rush to Taiyuan without Yang Guang knowing anything. I still think that this time we should send troops to plunder everywhere, and then return to the steppe before the Sui army arrives.

In this way, we can solve the current plight of the tribes in the grassland, and as long as we return to the grassland, not to mention Yang Guang's 500,000 troops, even if we send 1 million troops, we will not be afraid of him. However, as we are now, when there is insufficient food and grass logistics and insufficient intelligence, I believe that a Sui rebel army in Liaodong has let 300,000 Turkic warriors venture deep into Taiyuan, Hedong, which I think is very inappropriate. ”

Shibi Khan shook his head, he didn't go south this time for grain and grass, otherwise he would have gone to fight Tiele or Kumoxi, or even Khitan as originally planned, but he would not come to fight the Sui State. But now that he is here, it is absolutely impossible for him to leave just to grab some food and grass. He now has a huge advantage, that is, Yang Guang doesn't know anything about him, and he is still slowly thinking that he is secretly mobilizing troops and horses, wanting to wait for him to attack from all sides.

It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and it's also a gamble if he wins the bet. Then he can capture Yang Guang alive and annihilate the army of the Sui State. In this way, the rise of the Sui state will no longer be able to rise above the Turks.

And as long as their army dispersed and plundered, it would be tantamount to openly telling Yang Guang that the steppe Turkic wolves were riding south, so prepare quickly. Then his advantage will no longer be there. And even if he plunders a vote and retreats to the grassland, when Yang Guang and the surrounding tribes come to attack from all sides, then the grassland will also be full of war, and there is no city in the grassland to protect those tribal people, as soon as the Central Plains army enters the grassland, even if he wins in the end, the grassland will be greatly damaged. This is not only a passive strategy, but also a bad strategy.

"Great Khan, in fact, your previous arrangements are already very good, and what Lingli Khan is worried about is that he feels that entering Taiyuan is too lonely. For this problem, my marshal has already made arrangements, as long as the great khan follows the policy, my marshal can let the marshal capture Yang Guang alive without going deep into Taiyuan. In the midst of the Golden Horde, a confident Turkic voice sounded.