Chapter 342
In the territory of Hexi, a large army was driving on the official road, holding a Liu character flag.
This army is extremely powerful. Generally, the Han army is mostly infantry, with a small number of cavalry as scouts to assist. And this army seems to have returned to the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period eight hundred years ago. All the vassal states sent troops with military vehicles as units, and the powerful country was called Wancheng.
There was only one troop in each of the two columns of the army, and three people were carried on the troop. The one in the middle concentrated on driving, while the two on the left and right were holding a spear for close combat, and the other was holding a bow and crossbow.
And behind the chariot, there is still a lot of food and grass piled up, so that there is no need to transfer it from the rear, and naturally there is no need to worry about the food and grass being cut off by the enemy.
Due to successive years of wars in Hexi County, the local people were either forced to become strong, or they left other states and counties, so the population was sparsely populated, and the army marched for a long time before they encountered a settlement.
Liu Ye ordered: "Zi Fu, go and invite the old man in the village to come over, I have something important to ask."
Guan Hai clasped his fists: "Here." After finishing speaking, Guan Hai rode his horse and rushed into the village. After a while, he led a gray-haired and timid old man who was half a century away and came over.
"General, why are you looking for a villain?" The old farmer bent down respectfully, while Liu Ye frowned.
When the old farmer saw Liu Ye frowning, his heart turned cold. How did he offend this young general?
"The people's livelihood in Bingzhou is in decline, and it's the court's fault." Liu Ye sighed, then got off his horse and walked up to hold the old farmer's hand.
"General, this, this is a villain!" The old farmer was shocked. In the past, the county officials would not bother to deal with them, but he did not expect that the general in front of him would be
"Old man, I am the chariot and cavalry general of the imperial court. This time I lead the Northern Expedition to fight against the Xiongnu for the people of Bingzhou." Liu Ye said sincerely.
Unexpectedly, the old farmer's complexion changed suddenly, and then he prostrated himself on the ground: "General! I have paid taxes and food three times this year, and one of the three sons in the family has starved to death. There is really no food left. Please forgive me, General." !"
It turned out that the old farmer heard that Liu Ye was here to conquer the Huns, and thought that Liu Ye was here to collect grain.
Food and grass are naturally the most important thing when the army is fighting, and they often have to collect food from the local area. In recent years, the Yellow Turban Rebellion and Dong Zhuo's disaster have made the residents around Luoyang miserable.
Liu Ye helped the old farmer up, turned around and said, "Zi Fu, take three stones of grain and grass."
The old farmer was a little confused, what does this general want?
"General, here is the food and grass."
Guan Hai lifted a heavy cloth bag with one arm, which contained three stones of grain and grass. After Liu Ye took the bag, he handed it to him: "Old man, we are the master of the king, and we don't exploit the common people as long as we provide food and grass."
The old farmer couldn't believe it, and didn't dare to reach out for the bag.
Liu Ye smiled, and stuffed the bag directly into his hand: "Old man, just take it."
Plop!
The old farmer fell to his knees, two lines of turbid tears washed out two gullies from his face.
"General! The villain has lived half his life, and this is the first time he has met such a good man as the General."
Liu Ye forced a smile and comforted him a few words.
"Old man, have the Huns come down to plunder these days?"
"No, I haven't seen the Huns for a long time." The old farmer replied after thinking for a while.
Liu Ye nodded, and after talking to the old farmer for a few words, he sent him off, but his complexion sank.
"Are you worried, General, that Marquis Wen has already led his army to fight the Huns?" Jia Xu, who was on the side, looked at his words and asked immediately.
Liu Ye nodded and said worriedly, "That's right. Just now the old man said that he rarely saw the Huns and rebels recently. It seems that the Li and Guo thieves and the Huns may have started to act."
Thinking of this, Liu Ye ordered Guan Hai to call Zhang Liao over.
"Why did the general summon Liao?"
As soon as Liu Ye told Zhang Liao about this, Zhang Liao pondered for a moment, then confirmed, "That's true. Marquis Wen has always been brave, and I'm afraid he has sent troops at this moment."
"General!"
With a loud shout, Liu Ye, Jia Xu, Zhang Liao and others looked over one after another, only to see the army scout shouting: "General, I just met an enemy scout, it seems to be the Bingzhou Army."
"Bring him here." Liu Ye looked at Zhang Liao: "Wen Yuan, I'll leave it to you."
Zhang Liao hummed, if it was his own scout, of course he knew the code words in the army.
After a while, only a commoner was brought along, but there was a kind of fierceness on his body, and he was not an ordinary grassroots man at a glance.
When he saw Zhang Liao, he was overjoyed immediately: "General Zhang!"
Zhang Liao was taken aback, and said to Liu Ye, "General, I know him."
Liu Ye hummed: "How did you come here, what's the matter?"
Zhang Liao added: "This is the chariot and cavalry general of the imperial court. This time leading the troops to the Northern Expedition, he is a friend rather than an enemy. You just need to answer."
"Yes, General Zhang."
Liu Ye looked at him, and said in a deep voice, "Why did Marquis Wen send you here, and where is Marquis Wen's army now?"
The scout replied: "It's not that Marquis Wen sent villains here, but General Gao Shun. When I left, Marquis Wen was fighting with the Huns and the Li-Guo allied forces."
"What are the numbers of the two armies?"
"Our army is 15,000, and the enemy's army is about 50,000 to 60,000."
Liu Ye frowned: "Go ahead."
After the scouts were dispatched, Zhang Liao immediately frowned and said, "The gap between the two armies is too great. Even if Marquis Wen is brave, I'm afraid."
Jia Xu looked at Liu Ye: "General?"
"March immediately and head towards Yanmen County at full speed!" Liu Ye waved his hand immediately.
Under Liu Ye's order, the entire army of 30,000 troops marched to the northeast with all their strength, and entered Yanmen County from Hexi on the second day.
As a vanguard, Ma Chao led scouts to search around and captured several Qiang people. After rigorous interrogation, he finally learned that Lu Bu's army was attacked by the Huns and Li Guo's allied forces, and fled to Kule Mountain in defeat.
"Retreating to Kule Mountain and setting up a front line for a while can prevent the Huns from invading, but the enemy does not need to attack at all. As long as they surround the mountain and cut off the water source of the Bingzhou Army, Marquis Wen may be defeated without a fight." Jia Xu shook his head.
Zhang Liao looked a little ugly, and then looked at Liu Ye.
Liu Ye signaled Zhang Liao to be safe and calm, and then said to Jia Xu: "Wenhe, call the generals to discuss matters!"
Jia Xu took the order and went away, Zhang Jai, Ma Chao, Pang De and other generals from the battalion gathered in the tent one after another.
Ma Chao couldn't wait to say: "General, do you want to start a war against the Huns?"
Liu Ye smiled, stretched out his hand to signal him to sit down, and waited for the generals to sit down before speaking.
"Everyone, the Bingzhou army is now besieged by the Huns on the Kule Mountain, and they are heading north for more than two hundred miles. If we step up our march, our army will be able to arrive in the future."
"Someone is willing to be a pioneer!" Ma Chao stepped forward, gearing up.
"Hey, why is Meng Qi anxious? The vanguard will leave it to me."