Chapter 3642 The road is difficult
Fang Jun's team Cen Changqian and others said: "The reason why I came here is not to rescue you. General Xin Mao and Wang Fangyi have just left Xuanwu Gate two days ago. I am not a god. How could I know that you are under attack at this moment and are in danger?" ? I just rushed to Luoyang in the name of His Royal Highness, so it happened to be the meeting. ”
Cen Changqian's heart moved and she asked: "But are you going to convince the British Duke?"
Although he escaped deep into the Zhongnan Mountains, he was often chased by the rebels. Fights broke out from time to time and many were captured, so he knew the situation in Chang'an very well. When I heard that Fang Jun was about to rush to Luoyang, after thinking about it for a while, he understood his purpose.
Fang Jun took a sip of hot water and nodded: "That's right, but the journey is too difficult and dangerous. Most of the students are injured and have difficulty moving, so it is difficult to follow me. Therefore, after dawn, it will be between you and Xin Mao General and Wang Fangyi led the students back to Xuanwu Gate in a detour. They had to be invisible along the way. It doesn’t matter if they go slower. The most important thing is to ensure safety.”
Cen Changqian wanted to go to Luoyang with Fang Jun. This trip to convince the British Duke Li Ji was very likely to have a profound impact on the current situation. Being able to participate in it was not only her own merit, but also increased her knowledge and abilities.
However, looking at the classmates behind them who were tortured by hunger and cold, and were bruised and bruised by the rebels, they could only sigh, give up this good opportunity, and respectfully said: "Don't worry, Mr. Yue, students must be careful." , take the classmates back.”
Wang Fangyi interjected: "Commander, the rebels must have known by now that the students have been rescued and it is imperative to return to Xuanwu Gate. Therefore, they have decided to set up checkpoints at various key passes to pursue and intercept them. If we still return to Xuanwu Gate, the risk is extremely high. It is better to change the route, take a detour across the Weishui River, and then go all the way north to Jingyang, go to Li Yifu, and then wait for an opportunity to return to Xuanwu Gate."
Fang Jun thought for a while and said: "That's very good."
From this point back to Xuanwu Gate, the route has been known to the rebels, and it is extremely difficult to avoid being pursued and intercepted by the rebels. But if they go to Jingyang, it may exceed the rebels' expectations. As long as they arrive in Jingyang, Li Yifu's cunning will definitely be able to protect these students who have suffered a lot of disasters.
But in this case, we have to give Li Yifu a share of credit... It's a pity that the current situation is like this. Anyone who is of some use must be put to good use. Unite all the forces that can be united. You can't exclude and suppress Li Yifu just because of your own fears. .
After all, he himself knew that this guy would be a traitor in the future, but others did not have the ability to "foresee the unknown". Just seeing him unscrupulously suppressing the "honest and conscientious" Li Yifu, he felt unsatisfied, which led to the chaos in the East Palace camp. Some people make trouble with this...
After everything was agreed upon, they each rested, and all the scouts were released to closely inspect the situation within more than ten miles around, in case the rebels fled and then gathered a large army to encircle and suppress them.
As a result, all the worries did not happen, and nothing happened all night until dawn.
The army was camped in the mountains, close to Shenheyuan, and naturally they did not dare to live in case the smoke would be noticed by the enemy, so the whole army simply ate dry food and then divided into two groups. Fang Jun continued on the road with 300 soldiers, while Cen Changqian, Wang Fangyi, General Xin Mao and others led more than 400 academy students on their way home, detouring to Hu County and crossing the Weishui River before heading to Jingyang.
……
In the early morning, the foothills of Zhongnan Mountain were covered with ice and snow. Even though there was no wind, it was still bitingly cold. As the people and horses marched, they exhaled white air from their mouths and noses. Together with the rising mist in the mountains, it felt like they were walking through a fairyland. This place is far away from Shenheyuan. To the south is the majestic and winding Zhongnan Mountain, and to the north is a dense network of rivers such as Ba River, Chan River, and Lushui. Most of them have been frozen, making the terrain here complex and ravineous. The mountains are densely covered, making it difficult for a large army to move, so even if the whereabouts are revealed, there is no risk of being pursued by a large rebel army.
After running for dozens of miles in one breath, we followed the terrain to the south of Lantian and turned eastward. Suddenly we felt that the light suddenly dimmed, and we entered the Bashui River Valley. There were towering mountains and dense forests on both sides, and the road turned into sheep beside the riverbed. Although most of the trails are paved with bluestones, the turning points are often narrow and slippery with ice and snow. The horses will fall if they are not careful, so they have to dismount and lead the horses forward.
By sunset, the light in the river valley was getting darker, and the army found a spacious place to camp next to the river bed. The soldiers gathered their horses together and fed them with fodder, while the rest set up tents and made fires to make food. The sound of gurgling water could be heard when the ice on the river was cut open.
When fetching water, they even caught a few large grass carps weighing six or seven kilograms. The Huotou Army disemboweled them and cleaned them up. They finished a full pot and ate it with hot rice, which Fang Jun and several of the soldiers' leaders ate. Had a hearty meal.
A night of silence.
In the early morning of the next day, when it was dark, the Huotou Army lit a fire to make food. After breakfast, the entire army inspected their equipment. When the sky became slightly brighter, they set off.
All the way through the Bashui River Valley and across the Qinling Mountains, the road was extremely difficult. When passing Lantian Pass, Fang Jun was filled with emotion. Looking at the snow-capped mountains and mist steaming between the mountains, the road ahead was vast and rugged, and he muttered a few words: "Where is Yunheng's home in the Qinling Mountains?" , the eternal famous saying "The snow embraces the blue gate and the horse cannot move forward", I feel the anger and confusion of Han Yu when he was relegated to this place on the road to Lingnan...
In this way, they walked in the river valley for five days. When the scouts reported that they had arrived in Shangluo, Fang Jun let out a long sigh.
This ancient merchant road is extremely difficult to walk, but there are often scattered merchants passing through it. This road is known as the "Throat of Qin and Chu", and is an important transportation route in the Guanzhong area connecting the southeastern lands and parts of the Central Plains. Therefore, during the Chang'an War, there were few merchants. On normal days, there would be an endless stream of caravans passing through throughout the day.
Fang Jun not only lamented that "the ancient road for business" is so difficult, then how difficult is the Shu Road, which is known as "difficult to climb to the sky", with its dangerous ravines and difficult trek?
If you pass Shangluo and go straight to the southeast, you can go straight to Nanyang and Jingxiang. If you turn northeast from Shangluo, you can pass through Luonan and other counties and go straight to Luoyang.
Fang Jun took exactly this path.
Although this section of the road still runs through valleys and ravines, it is much flatter than the previous section. There are also significantly more merchants on the road. There are an endless stream of post stations, taverns, and hotels along the way. It is no longer as hard as before, so the speed naturally increases. .
Seven days later, they finally walked out of the vast mountainous area and arrived at Yongning County, south of Mount Wei and on the bank of Luoshui River. This place was already under the rule of Luoyang.
Fang Jun did not stop in Yongning County but continued on his way. In the evening, he stayed at Sanxiangkou at the beginning of the intersection of Luoshui and Lianshui. After finding a flat area near the river to set up camp, Fang Jun personally took dozens of soldiers to the market in Sanxiangkou to buy food. After returning to the camp, he had dinner and rested.
Fang Jun fell asleep in the tent. He was suddenly startled by the sound of footsteps. When he opened his eyes, he heard a scout reporting outside the tent: "A large group of soldiers and horses have arrived at Sanxiangkou. There are more than a thousand people in total, and their movements are unknown. , please let the commander decide.”
Fang Jun got up quickly, grabbed the horizontal knife beside him and got out of the tent. He stared at the scout and said, "Explore again and report again!"
"Here!"
The scout turned around and ran away, disappearing into the darkness.
The whole camp was in alarm, and the soldiers got up one after another without any orders. The guard eagle came to ask: "Are you packing your bags?"
Fang Jun thought for a while and said: "This place is approaching Luoyang. I don't know what the British Lord's attitude is yet. We can't be careless and let the brothers pack their luggage and respond at any time."
"Here!"
The guard eagle conveyed the order, and without saying a word, the soldiers quickly put away their tents, packed their belongings, and then all held their horses and waited in the darkness.
After a while, another scout returned, came to Fang Jun, and reported: "Commander Qi, we have found out that this group of soldiers and horses are all soldiers of Zuowu Guards. Lu Guogong personally led the group, and the escort was Changsun. Anye! ”
"Changsun Anye?" Fang Jun touched his chin, confused.
Changsun Anye wanted to rebel. Although he was saved from death, he was exiled to Lingnan. He was recalled by Changsun Wuji just a few years ago. The prince was very dissatisfied. However, a mutiny broke out in Guanlong not long after. Changsun Anye can be regarded as a person that Changsun Wuji values very much. Otherwise, he would not have been forcibly recalled to Chang'an regardless of the court decree before the rebellion. But this is very strange. Changsun Anye is not assisting Changsun Wuji in Chang'an City. How can he Come to Luoyang?
After just a brief thought, I figured out the cause and effect. I think Changsun Wuji, like Dong Gong, was very wary of Li Ji. Seeing how he led his troops outside to sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight, he thought there was an opportunity to win over Li Ji, so he sent Li Ji. The eldest grandson Anye came. (End of chapter)