Chapter 321 Daibei
The 3,000-step Taishan Army's East Route Army advanced in a vertical formation, with roving cavalry on both sides responsible for intercepting and covering.
More than a mile away from the battlefield, Colonel Zhang Dan ordered all the troops to form a battle formation.
At this time, the chaos and fighting on the battlefield ahead were all presented to the eyes of the three thousand Taishan troops. The yellows were knocked down like wheat, and the red tide surged and drowned the howls. It was obvious that something was wrong with their friendly Qingzhou Yellow Turbans.
Many veterans in the army saw this scene and knew that the Qingzhou Yellow Turban army would collapse soon. Some of them were hesitant and didn't know why they wanted to take a trip into this muddy water.
At this time, there was another roaring tsunami from the Han army, and then several yellow scarf flags were seen falling, so the atmosphere in the Taishan army formation became even more depressing.
Military officials from all departments wanted to say a few words, but the most suitable candidate for this kind of morale-boosting matter was Colonel Zhang Dan.
Zhang Dan also knew the expectations of the people, so he rode to the front of the battle.
In the front are the faces of various children, and behind the scenes is the epic battle between the Han army and the Qingzhou Yellow Turbans. Zhang Dan was filled with passion, and he knew that he and the three thousand disciples in front of him were making an important choice.
If you advance, you will turn the tide; if you retreat, your reputation will be ruined. Should we move forward to save our brothers, or should we take a step back and survive? This was never an option for Zhang Dan.
So, Zhang Dan said loudly:
"I, Zhang Dan, can't help you all. Because I didn't bring you here to live, I came here to ask you to die."
As soon as these words came out, the troops were in an uproar. They knew that the Lord would encourage them before the battle, and they were ready, but they never expected that Zhang Dan would say such words.
Not only the soldiers, but also the former army Sima Guo Liang did not expect that as the former army Sima, he would naturally be in charge of the frontline war. Originally, he was expecting his general to say something, but who knew what he said?
Zhang Dan paused, just watching what he just said was fermenting, until everyone became more and more confused, and more and more people couldn't help but whisper, he continued:
"What's wrong, can't we die?"
Zhang Dan raised his voice, pointed at the bloody Yellow Turbans behind him, and roared:
"Why, they can die? We can't die? Those thousands of people who died for the great cause, they can die, but we can't die?"
Zhang Dan’s voice became louder and louder:
"I have known a truth since I was a child, that is, the life of us poor people is very short. How short can it be? It is so short that it ends in twenty years. Maybe because of a famine, we starved to death. Maybe because of a visit to relatives, we were killed. We became ghosts and died in a ravine just because of an ordinary illness.”
"So, look at me and tell me, why should we die?"
Zhang Dan glanced at the officials present and said again:
"It is precisely because I understood this truth very early that I knew at that time that a man should do great things in this world, so that he would not come to this world in vain. Later I read the Bible and understood that there is a saying As the saying goes, if you don’t live with five cauldrons of food, you will die with five cauldrons of food. I will always keep this in mind.”
Having said this, former Army Sima Guo Liang was no longer as anxious as before. He looked at the captain chatting in front of the battle with admiration, secretly thinking that he was as good as Qu Shuai.
All the officials were so excited by what Zhang Dan said.
But suddenly, Zhang Dan came to a big turning point, and he said loudly:
"But it wasn't until I started this career with Qu Shuai that I realized that I was young in the past. Where was my youth? Young Zai Naigong was actually willing to die for Wudingshi. What did I know from Qu Shuai? It is a real big thing, and what is the great cause that we good men should devote themselves to!”
"That is to let the people have fields to farm and houses to live in, so that the world can be clean and healthy, and the people in Guizhou can live and work in peace and contentment."
Zhang Dan pointed to the Qingzhou Yellow Turbans fighting in front and said to everyone:
"Are these people so stubborn because of the five-pod food? Tell me loudly, right?"
The Taishan Army roared:
"No!"
Zhang Dan pointed at everyone in front of him, that is, the disciples of Taishan Army, and shouted:
"Then those of us who don't take shelter from the wind and snow come here to rescue us for the five-legged food? Tell me loudly?"
This time, everyone in the Taishan Army used all their strength to shout loudly, with veins on their necks protruding:
"No, no, no!"
After three calls, the military spirit condensed.
So, Zhang Dan drew out his sword and shouted:
"What are our Taishan troops doing here?"
The troops roared:
"Raise swords and soldiers, exchange for peace, and restore the Qingming Dynasty to the world!"
Zhang Dan pointed his sword at the battlefield ahead, his voice was hoarse and he roared:
"Then why do our Taishan Army come here?"
At this time, everyone raised their weapons and shouted:
"There are fields to cultivate, houses to live in, and only health and well-being will be left to all the people!"
Suddenly, the roars of thousands of people shook the sky, and the sound of their arrival was transmitted to the stunned Han troops.
After that, Zhang Dan did not go back, but stood where he was and ordered the Chinese army to beat the war drums. Then he stood aside and inspected each row of officials passing in front of him, heading towards the battlefield ahead.
Three thousand Taishan troops gathered into a huge square formation and were not divided into smaller formations.
Walking in the front was a section of the former army Sima Guoliang, with a command of 500 people. They formed a horizontal formation of 100 people long and 5 people deep. The first two rows are armored infantrymen, the back row are crossbowmen, and the last two rows are swordsmen.
After that, two thousand troops from Sima Wei Zhou of the left army and Sima Xie Bi of the right army passed by.
They all lined up in two square formations with fifty people across and ten people across. There is a large gap between the two formations, which is the marching path left for the Chinese army. The configuration of these two formations is the same as Guo Liang's department, with 200 riflemen, 200 swordsmen, and 100 shooters.
Then there are the fifteen hundred people of the Chinese army. They are Zhang Dan's own guard of 500 armored soldiers, 500 cavalry, and the Chinese Army Sima Wangzhang's 500 crossbowmen.
Wang Zhang's army is a pure archer unit, and its soldiers are almost all descendants of Shanliao from the Nanshan District of central Shandong. Equipped with strong bows and crossbows, they are the trump card of the Eastern Expeditionary Army.
The last one to pass by was the rear army Sima Luo Gang and his five hundred armored swords.
Since joining the Taishan Army, this former Dahe water bandit has increasingly shown the qualities that can make him an outstanding prize leader.
He is brave enough to charge into the army, kind enough to care for his soldiers, and strict about himself. He is a general that Zhang Dan is very optimistic about. He does not strive for credit or push back, and is taciturn when receiving rewards. He is quite like the general of Yuntai's Big Tree. wind.
After Zhang Dan inspected the troops and saw that all the troops were full of morale, he also gained confidence in this battle.
Then without further delay, he led Shi Bi and other guards to catch up with the Chinese army, and took over the command of the army from Wang Zhang.
Shi Bi was the Fengqiu Cuo Ma Yong. He was captured by the Han army and fed horses. After the Han army was defeated, he fed horses to the Taishan army. So this man once sighed:
"How can a man raise a horse with a bow and three stones"
This was heard by Zhang Dan, who was patrolling the army, and he really gave this man a chance to join the Taishan Army. After that, this man dominated the army with his unparalleled strength and shooting skills, and even Pan Zhang, the fierce general in the army, was no match for him.
After Shi Bi became a general with great achievements, Zhang Dan promoted him to join the cross-collision team and the army academy. After he graduated, he was assigned to the Eastern Expedition Army and became the first general of Zhang Dan's guard army.
As soon as Zhang Danfu returned to the central army, the flying army sent out sentinel information, saying that the Youzhou Tuqi, one of the main forces of the Han army, was reorganizing the army and had already rushed towards them.
Zhang Dan did not dare to be careless and ordered all his troops to stop marching and form a large formation of five troops.
So amidst the roaring horns, war drums and the voices of military officials, the marching Taishan Army slowly stopped and began to remind each other of Pao Ze's position, and then adjusted to form a tighter formation to prepare for the impact of the cavalry behind them. .
Zhang Dan, who was supported by all the troops, was not as calm as he looked at this time.
This time the reinforcements were basically brought in by him, Zhang Dan, as his captain.
After parting ways with Ji Sun, Zhang Dan couldn't get over the hurdle in his heart when he looked at the Qingzhou Yellow Turban who was looking forward to death. He knew that he had no reason to gamble with the Qingzhou Yellow Turban, but he still couldn't do it.
So, he galloped to catch up with the Taishan Army that had returned eastward, and with the authority of the army's commander-in-chief, ordered all the troops to march westward to support the Qingzhou Yellow Turbans.
Originally, all the generals in the army, except Xie Bi who took the whole army as the priority and was determined to withdraw, the other generals were more obedient to Zhang Dan, the old commander.
Relying on his prestige, Zhang Dan pulled the team back.
But Zhang Dan knew that his honor was on the line in this battle. If he is determined to have his own way, if the battle is defeated, all the responsibility will fall on Zhang Dan.
But Zhang Dan's burden is not this, but the 3,500 disciples under his command.
They came here to fight the Han army because they believed in him, Zhang Dan. With thousands of lives on their shoulders, who could not be uneasy?
But no matter how worried Zhang Dan was, he could only wait for the outcome of the war. At this moment, the person who could decide the battle on the front line was former army Sima Guo Liang.
Guo Liang was in the middle of the fifth column. Because his formation was too long, he could not effectively control the entire 500 troops. On both wings of each column is a famous team player.
Whether they can withstand the attack of Youzhou Tuqi depends entirely on the ten generals on both wings.
In Guo Liang's field of vision, the Youzhou Assault Cavalry on the opposite side was pressing towards them with a giant front arrow formation. Guo Liang thought of the last Yu Jin who faced off against Youzhou Tuqi, and his forehead was also dripping with sweat. In the previous battle of Xingyang, Yu Jin and the elite armored soldiers of the Central Guards Zuojun suffered heavy losses under the attack of Youzhou's sudden cavalry. Guo Liang was unsure for a while.
But now that the matter is over, Guo Liang has no choice but to fight. They are not afraid of death!
But at this moment, Guo Liang suddenly discovered that the front arrow formation on the opposite side seemed to be in chaos. A cavalry troop apparently broke away from the formation and did not continue to advance with the majority of the troops. Instead, it galloped over alone.
What's going on?
……
"What's going on?"
In the sudden cavalry of Youzhou, under the banner of Jingjingjie, the commander-in-chief Cui Jun said angrily.
At this time, Cui Jun was wearing a straight skirt embroidered with a short-tailed bird, an armor with a basin collar connected up and down, and a blouse outside the armor, with a short-tailed bird embroidered on the back. Then his helmet was tied with a spade-shaped knot, and around his waist was a gold-plated ring-headed sword. He held a round fan embroidered with a short-tailed bird pattern in his hand, and rode a handsome bay-red horse. The horse was also covered with a coat, still embroidered with a short-tailed bird. .
The reason why Cui Jun has a short-tailed bird pattern on his upper and lower parts is not because he likes it, but because this pattern is the totem of their Cui family.
Their Cui family is the queen of Emperor Yan, who was the hero who assisted Qi Hou Jiang Wang. Their ethnic origin is the queen of Dongyi, and the Dongyi Shangniao, this short-tailed bird is the clan totem of their Cui family.
Just looking at Cui Jun's attire, he lives up to the saying that he is a child of a famous family.
But at this moment, Cui Jun showed no trace of the grace of a nobleman. Instead, he pointed at the Youzhou Cavalry who had just rushed out of the formation and cursed.
He cursed:
"What does Lu Jun do for food? Does he want to die? How dare he act without orders. Damn it, if this battle is lost because of him, even if he is a member of Lu Shuai's tribe, I will skin him."< br>
Just now, Lu Jun's troops, who were originally deployed on the left wing, charged towards the Taishan Army on the opposite side without notifying the Chinese army.
This move not only destroyed the attack formation that was finally set up, but also made various departments hesitate, not knowing why.
Gritting his teeth, Cui Jun said bitterly:
"Lu Jun, you really deserve to die."
So what's going on?
In fact, Lu Jun was also coerced. He could no longer control his troops. These Youzhou disciples all had their own ideas and did not listen to Lu Jun at all.
The middle and lower-level military officials from Dai County were full of disdain for Lu Jun, thinking that this man was a coward.
In several battles, the other units of Youzhou Tuqi were at the forefront, chasing death and chasing north, which was so majestic.
But what about Lu Jun?
After several patrols, he would rather let the rebels go than lead his brothers to charge forward.
In this battle, the birdman actually let go of an army of thieves once again, allowing them to calmly retreat to the rear and form formation again.
And they, the Daibei warriors, can only watch these moth thieves running past their noses again, shame!
It's not that these Daibei warriors didn't ask for a fight, but every time they were rejected by Lu Junyong for a few reasons.
At this time, all the soldiers were full of resentment towards the general who blocked them from gaining military exploits and glory.
When they passed Lu Jun's banner, they didn't even know how to dismount, and even hit themselves on the leg with their own ring-headed knives, showing their disdain for him.
Therefore, Daijun Tuqi's dissatisfaction and dissatisfaction with Lu Jun had already existed.
This kind of sentiment may not be found in other places, but in Daibei Tuqi, war achievements are regarded as a matter of life and death.
Why?
Among the series of border counties in Youzhou that are close to the grassland, from west to east, they are Dai County, Shanggu County, Yuyang County, Youbeiping County, and Liaoxi County.
Among all the border counties, Dai County is quite special, that is, it is the home of many exiles, criminal officials, and sons-in-law, and there are many grasslands and wild animals in its territory, so it is very martial.
An important manifestation of being good at martial arts here is the pursuit of first-level martial arts, because the middle and lower class warriors in this county are generally marginalized people on the edge of the Han Dynasty. Only military merit can change the fate of their families, and they may even have the opportunity to move to inland areas to stay away from the border. disaster.
Therefore, the Daichi warriors are like a group of prairie wolves. They cannot stand sheep like Lu Jun, let alone be driven away by them.
In this charge, the Daichi warriors decided to be themselves and rely on their own swords to get the military glory they deserved.
Led by four hundred generals, Liu Mu, Song Zhen, Guo Ying, and Jia Xiong, Daijun's sudden cavalry took the lead in launching the charge.
These people basically have little training in military affairs, serve as soldiers when they are weak, and perform meritorious deeds when they are strong. Who is not a first-class hero, otherwise he would not dare to act without orders. Because as long as you win, these are all trivial matters.
So, under the leadership of four Daibei warriors, four hundred Daijun cavalry began to urge their horses and accelerate their sprint.
Liu Mu's 100-man cavalry formed the first charge front, followed by Song Zhen's 100-man cavalry to form the second charge formation. After that came Guo Ying and Jia Xiong.
They began to accelerate about two miles away from the enemy. According to the charging speed, they would be able to rush to the rebel array in about a quarter of a quarter, and then they would rush to defeat and chase them north.
This set of rules is imprinted in the bones of these Daibei warriors, whether they are fighting the Xianbei people or going south to quell the rebellion.
But unfortunately, they have never come into contact with the Taishan Army before. When the Youzhou Cavalry went south to Xingyang before, they were retained in the army by Lu Zhi due to military discipline issues in the north, so they never fought against the Taishan Army.
If they had fought before, they might have understood what kind of elite Taishan Army they faced?
If they had fought before, they might understand why those robes were so afraid of this army.
But unfortunately, they didn't...
So...
In order to avoid the enemy's arrows that they might encounter, Daijun's cavalry rode wildly from the beginning.
They greeted each other with the slang of their hometown, unwilling to fall behind others.
At this time, Liu Mu, who was charging at the front, suddenly heard a harsh sound of gold and iron coming from the opposite side, and then noticed that the sky was dark.
Liu Mu was still thinking, does it get dark so quickly in the south? Isn't it still half an hour before dark?
Then there were howls and screams one after another, and those sharp arrows were raining down on them.
It penetrated the skin and shot down the war horses. In just one breath, half of the people in Liu Mu's column fell to the ground.
Liu Mu also had two arrows stuck in his shoulders.
He reluctantly pulled out an arrow and saw that the arrow head was made of iron and could not be so sharp.
When they were fighting Xianbei in the past, all the arrows fired from the opposite side were bone arrows. How could it be so painful?
The blood and pain aroused Liu Mu's animal nature. His eyes were blood red, and he roared while holding his horse in his hands. However, an arrow from nowhere penetrated directly into his brain from his left temple.
Then, Liu Mu, the fierce warrior who rode for the North, fell off his horse like a piece of wood, and his brains flowed all over the floor.
When Liu Mu fell, next to him was Song Zhen in the second formation.
At this time, Song Zhen didn't even notice that the fallen man next to him was Liu Mu. All his attention was on holding up the platoon, controlling the horse and continuing to charge in a straight line.
There were just a few rounds of arrow rain, and at least thousands of arrows were shot from the opposite side.
There were war horses and dismounted cavalry everywhere, and the uninjured war horses were also frightened and fled in all directions. Song Zhen could only control his mount with full concentration and continue to move forward.
Because too many people fell in the first row, many people in Song Zhen's second formation could only go around or slow down, but in this way, the rows were separated.
So Song Zhen, who was at the front, rushed forward with a few knights. He didn't know that his subordinates were still a long way away from them.
Seeing the thief army getting bigger and bigger, Song Zhen's anger hit him, causing him to make an unexpected move.
I saw him stabbing his mount, and then the war horse under his crotch took him to leap forward. After drawing a graceful curve in the air, he crashed heavily into a large formation full of iron men.
He, Song Zhen, fell into the battle without losing the face of the Daibei warriors.
(End of chapter)