Chapter 2576: People’s support


    The cold wind howled again.


    Cao''s soldiers, who were sheltering from the wind on the cliff, ran back shrunken, then sat down by the bonfire, threw off their somewhat tattered shoes, stretched out their feet to bake in front of the bonfire, and suddenly felt a sour taste. The smell is pervasive and open.


    ?However, this only increased some of the original odor concentration. For the other Cao soldiers, this new concentration was not a big deal.


    With this weather, how could anyone come? 』


    That’s right, it’s so cold! It is said that the further you go, the colder inside the mountain will be! 』


    A figure stood taller and shouted in a low voice: "Just say a few words. Are you still not tired enough?" If you still have energy, go stand on the night guard! 』


    ?Seeing Shi Chang speak, the rest of Cao''s soldiers also shut their mouths. Even if some individual guys muttered something, they quickly disappeared in the wind.


    For most of Cao''s ordinary soldiers, they are not aware of the changes in the situation of the middle and upper classes. Most of the time they just follow orders and do whatever they are told. As for why, they don''t know, and they rarely go there. think.


    Le Jin launched the attack not because he wanted to attack in one move, but because Cao''s army was short of horses.


    Speaking of which, it is Fei Qian''s influence on Cao Cao.


    Because Taishi Ci once attacked Yecheng and Fei Qian attacked Yingchuan twice, the middle and upper classes of the Cao family paid more and more attention to cavalry tactics, even more than in history. You must know that historically, until Cao Cao went south to Jiangdong, the number of tiger and leopard cavalry was only three thousand. Even at its peak, it was only about five or six thousand. But now, Cao Jun only has cavalry in northern Youzhou. It has already exceeded this number.


    ?Coupled with Fei Qian''s emphasis on soldiers'' equipment, Cao Cao had to increase his logistical investment in soldiers, which also led to Cao Cao''s economic difficulties. At the same time, due to the large number of cavalry operations, the scarcity of horses on Cao Cao''s side became even more embarrassing.


    Youzhou, Jizhou Zhongmou, Hanoi, and Luoyang are the only routes through which Cao Cao can purchase war horses, and they are often subject to middlemen making the difference...


    ??If Cao Chun could achieve certain results on the northern desert battlefield, such as breaking through the Ding Ling Royal Court and capturing a large number of war horses, then Cao Cao''s side would not be so embarrassed.


    ?It was precisely because Cao Chun''s results were unsatisfactory that Cao Jun had to turn his attention to these "middlemen." Therefore, it became the consensus of Cao''s army to seize the supply route to cut off the middlemen and earn the price difference, or to use "requests" to get the middlemen to reduce prices and increase the number of war horses.


    ?Hence, whether it was the investigation in Zhongmou or the attack in Hanoi County, they seemed to have no connection, but in fact they all pointed to important military supplies, war horses.


    Therefore, there are two different attitudes towards the Sima family. On the one hand, they are slightly more tolerant. For example, as represented by Xun Yu, as long as the middleman is willing to cooperate, they can talk. On the other hand, It''s similar to Le Jin. If the **** middlemen are unwilling to cooperate, then all of them will die!


    The Cao family, Xiahou family and others, as well as these people who are closely connected with the Cao family''s political group and depend on each other for blessings and misfortunes, since they have chosen to side with Cao Cao, they have no more room for choice. After all, in the Central Plains of China, once Being charged in by the hussar cavalry, if there is no corresponding cavalry counterattack, there is really no good way!


    Just like the feudal dynasties after China, once the Hu cavalry broke through the border defense line, it was almost like a one-sided beating...


    ? Cao Cao obviously did not want this, and the generals of the Cao Group in Jizhou Youzhou and other places that were connected to the Hussar were equally unwilling to see such a situation. Therefore, when some news about Qinglong Temple came from Chang''an, the middle and high-level generals and officials of Cao''s political group took different measures.


    After all, Fei Qian is focusing on Qinglong Temple at the moment. If he doesn''t take advantage of Fei Qian''s eyes to look away and make some small moves, is it possible that he will wait until Fei Qian brings the cavalry to the tip of his nose before fixing these problems? ?


    The intermittent snowfall in winter is indeed not good weather for combat.


    ?Of course, if it is delayed for a while, in spring, after bursts of rain, it will also cause headaches for soldiers.


    It is too hot in summer and there are many mosquitoes.


    The end of the year, that is, autumn, is more suitable for combat needs. Unfortunately, this combat model was completely broken as early as the Warring States Period. When a person jumps in line and gains benefits, the queue will inevitably slip into dispersion.


    For the soldiers in Lesheng on the Taihang Mountain Trail, they still had to fight even if the weather was bad.


    ??Now Cao Cao and Fei Qian are facing each other. If they can increase their strength by one point, it will reduce the pressure of the main force in the future decisive battle. Only by acquiring more horses as soon as possible can we train more cavalry!


    The Sima family is undoubtedly the largest middleman in Hanoi. If they cannot win over the Sima family, it will be tantamount to wishful thinking to control the war horse market in Hanoi. If there is a slight delay and Fei Qian recovers from the lecture at Qinglong Temple, then there may not be a second opportunity like this!


    Even those who don’t understand economics or civil affairs can generally feel the gap between Fei Qian and Cao Cao now. So what will happen in three or four years? If this gap continues to widen, Fei Qian will have no choice but to send troops. If he just gives a slight signal, the powerful nobles in Shandong who have been linked to Fei Qian''s economy will immediately shake their tails and overthrow Fei Qian. Hidden under the skirt?


    So, since you have sinned against Sima, you must do it to the end.


    It’s just that, there are many things in the world, and you can’t just do whatever you want...


    Whoosh! 』


    The moment the night wind subsided for a moment, the sound of breaking through the sky sounded!


    The Cao soldiers who were resting by the bonfire did not play the role of sentinels at all. In their daze, one of them was directly shot by a crossbow bolt, and the blood spurted out splashed into the bonfire, and a large amount of blood suddenly rose up. Black smoke!


    The soldier hit by the crossbow fell down, causing other Cao soldiers to scream in surprise!


    At this moment, the gap between veterans and recruits is clearly displayed...


    The recruits screamed, then either sat there blankly, or eagerly wanted to stand up, but they didn''t know that such behavior beside the campfire was a convenient target, and they were immediately hit by crossbow bolts and arrows coming one after another. Arrows were shot in all directions.


    The veteran commander, who was relatively far away from the bonfire, immediately kicked his feet on the ground, used his hands and feet together, grabbed the handle of the sword with one hand, rolled towards the dark side, and dodged the arrows fired at him. After a crossbow bolt, he pulled out his sword and looked in horror at the direction where the crossbow bolt came from.


    ??The commander of Cao''s army complained secretly, why did he bump into them again!


    ?After a moment of panic, the commander of Cao''s army recognized it. This was obviously the method of the elite scouts under the hussar! Crossbow arrows kill, arrows make up for the leaks! If the distance was close, there would be small axes and small iron halberds thrown at him!


    ??He had already experienced it once in Heluo back then. Those ghostly figures in the dark night left an indelible impression on Commander Cao''s army to this day!


    ?Seeing his men being killed one after another, and then there seemed to be black shadows shaking around him, and a faint cold light coming out, the commander of Cao''s army couldn''t help but lose the courage to fight, and shouted: "Surrender!" I surrender..."


    Throw down your weapon! I won’t kill you! Stand up! ” A voice in the darkness shouted, “Be honest and you will survive!” 』


    ??The commander of Cao Jun hesitated for a moment, then threw the sword in his hand, and it clattered on the ground. Now his men are dead and injured, and it is obviously impossible for him to defeat these hussar scouts who are vaguely surrounding them, so there is no way that the bachelors can still survive...


    A sword poked out from the darkness, and then brought out Zhang Tian''s figure.


    Zhang Tian walked up to Commander Cao Jun, his face still trembling with murderous intent, and he put on a cold smile, "Come on, tell me the truth, how many men and horses do you belong to, and where are they?" …』


    …(｀)Ψ…


    Sima''s village is near.


    After Zhang Ji got the conclusive news, he immediately led his men and horses to attack directly. On the one hand, he got the conclusive news because he had captured the victim alive, and on the other hand, he was worried that the capture of the victim would expose his whereabouts. The other party was on guard.


    ?Of course, it is also possible that the other party intentionally abandons the child and sets a trap...


    ??But after Zhang Ji repeatedly asked and looked at the map, he thought that this possibility was very small. There are only a few mountain trails around Sima Village. After all, they need to be walked by horses and can pass cars. Therefore, the mountain trails are not as complicated as the herb picking trails. So as long as you know the specific location information, the follow-up matters will be simple. Simple.


    Even if you want to ambush, you still need to meet certain terrain requirements, otherwise it will become an encounter.


    Not long after the sky got brighter, Zhang Ji led his men and jumped on Le Sheng''s face.


    Although the Taihang Mountain Trail is already a very mature route, some places are still only wide enough for two or three horses to run parallel to each other, making it impossible to use horse fighting. Therefore, when Zhang Ji and Le Sheng fought, they also adopted dismounted fighting. .


    Zhang Ji is not as famous as Zhang Xiu in history.


    ?Hmm, maybe he is also famous, but the one who is famous is not Zhang Ji himself, but his wife - "When I first saw my brother and sister, I decided that you would be my brother!" 』


    ??However, in fact, Zhang Ji’s current wife is not the Zou who refused to welcome her in the novel, but the “dregs” he married in Xiliang before.


    Well, in the official history, there is no word "Zou", it is just said that she is Zhang Ji''s wife. The specific surname was added by Mr. Luo. I don''t know if it is to add details to make the Cao thief fuller, or something else. The reason is that after all, this "Zou" appeared once in the history books, and he must have died after the riot that night.


    From this point of view, the so-called "Zou family" should have been produced by Haoyou, a local in the Nanyang area near Wancheng at that time...


    ??If the Zou family is really so beautiful and famous, there was Dong Zhuo before Cao Cao. How can he wait for his classmate Lao Cao to appreciate him?


    So most of them are characters similar to "Diao Chan" presented by local magnates.


    ?At the same time, only the Zou family was offered to Zhang Ji by the local tycoons before, so they did not hesitate to be bribed to Cao Cao for the second time, just like Liu Bei went to Sichuan to marry a Wu family who was also a widow.


    Moreover, Zhang Ji probably died because of the Zou family, not because of his belly, but because of the Zou family. When Zhang Ji was short of food in the army, he did not choose to collect food locally and did not recruit the "Zou family" Haoyou did not attack the Runan area, but sent troops to plunder Liu Biao''s place. As a result, he was hit by a stray arrow and died.


    But now, Zhang Ji, who was not "troubled" by women, obviously drew his gun very ferociously.


    As a general who is accustomed to fighting on the front line, Zhang Ji also rushed to the front line this time. He used the circular cavalry shield tied with his left hand to cover his vitals, and then the big gun stabbed and smashed into the array of Cao''s soldiers like a rolling python, with majestic momentum.


    When he was ready to kill, Zhang Ji would not only use his long spear to kill enemies, but he would also pick up or pick up the fallen weapons on the ground and throw them at Cao Jun''s soldiers, immediately causing the Cao Jun soldiers'' formation to appear on the opposite side. Somewhat scattered.


    The same is true for the soldiers around Zhang Ji.


    This is the habit of Xiliang soldiers.


    In other words, it is also the style of the old Qin people.


    ?Zhang Ji saw that Cao Jun''s formation was scattered, so he shouted: "Follow me!" 』


    Behind him, more than a dozen soldiers followed with shields raised. After hearing the order, they immediately protected Zhang Ji tightly, rushed towards the gap exposed by Cao Jun''s soldiers, and crashed into Cao Jun''s formation, slashing at him.


    In an instant, screams suddenly echoed through the mountains, making the rest of Cao''s soldiers tremble with fear and turn pale.


    Being charged by Zhang Ji, Cao Jun''s soldiers were unable to hold on. The first ones dropped their shields and ran back. However, after running a few steps, they were blocked by Cao Jun soldiers behind them. They bumped into each other, causing chaos.


    Le Sheng was jumping behind anxiously. After all, if this smaller terrain is opened by Zhang Ji, it means that Le Sheng and others will be compressed, and they will not be able to use their hands and feet!


    Such a face-to-face fight requires a relatively small space. Logically speaking, it should be the best moment for a brave general to show off his skills. But the problem is that Le Jin has extraordinary strength, but Le Sheng only has extraordinary words and sparse hands. If he really wants to He didn''t dare to face Zhang Ji, but Le Sheng didn''t dare.


    ?Zhang Ji adjusted his breath behind the shield, then regained his strength, then roared again and charged forward!


    Seeing Zhang Ji''s crazy and brave appearance, Le Sheng felt timid in his heart. His hands and feet shook while holding the sword, and he did not dare to move forward. However, when he saw that the front line was gradually being compressed and deformed by Zhang Ji, he was also panicked and couldn''t help shouting. Said: "Archer!" Where are the archers? Shoot the arrow, shoot the arrow! 』


    By the time he shouted the last "arrow", Le Sheng''s voice felt as if someone had pinched it, and it was so sharp that it broke the sound.


    There were indeed some archers brought by Le Sheng. After hearing Le Sheng’s order, he saw the soldiers on his side fighting against each other, and he couldn’t help but hesitate a little, "Then...then there are still our people..."


    『I said to shoot arrows! Le Sheng''s eyes almost popped out of his head, "Fire the arrow!" Shoot the arrow! 』


    The arrows roared.


    ?Most of Cao''s soldiers wore double-dang armor, and only a small number of high-ranking soldiers wore sleeved armor.


    Liangdang armor, to put it simply, is an armor that only protects the chest and back. It is not much different from the style of bulletproof vests of later generations. However, the regular soldiers under Fei Qian''s command have completely abandoned Liangdang very early on. The armor basically uses sleeve armor, with a neck guard added, and a cavalry shield attached to the left forearm.


    ?In the process of continuous practice and evolution, the tower shields of the heavy infantry under Fei Qian''s command are getting larger and heavier. At the same time, the round shields of the cavalry and mountain soldiers are not only tough but also light. Basically all of them are made of steel, and some soldiers even deliberately sharpen the edges of part of the round shield...


    When Le Sheng ignored Zhang Ji and attacked Zhang Ji with arrows, those soldiers of Cao''s army who were wearing liangdang armor, exposed their arms, buttocks and thighs were in bad luck. As long as they were not within the protection range of the liangdang armor, they would basically One **** is accurate, one **** is a **** hole...


    ?These soldiers of Cao''s army did not expect to be shot by their own arrows, and many of them were shot to the ground, wailing, or died on the spot.


    On the other hand, Zhang Ji and others looked like they had been shot a lot, but in fact the damage was not as great as Le Sheng imagined, especially when covered with arrows and shot, which inherently contained a certain degree of randomness. , there may be people with strong luck on the battlefield, who can survive even under the attack of thousands of arrows.


    Coupled with the intermittent snowfall in winter, if it is not effectively protected, the bowstring will be relatively weak. You must know that Cao Jun does not have as much "luxury" as Fei Qian''s men, even the oilcloth and felt blankets are shared by the same team. , rather than one per person.


    ?Therefore, Zhang Ji and others covered their faces with round shields. When the arrows rained down, they roared and charged forward. Since the general has such courage, he naturally also leads the ordinary soldiers. In addition, the soldiers under these hussars have sufficient daily training. Those who are older and in poor health have also retired. Almost all of them in the army are The elite, inspired by Zhang Ji''s bravery, almost beat up Cao''s soldiers.


    Logically speaking, Le Jin''s training of his soldiers is not bad, and they will not be ruined so quickly. But the problem is that compared with Zhang Ji, Le Sheng is inferior in both personal bravery and battle experience. Some, on the other hand, the equipment and protection of Cao''s soldiers are also a bit different...


    ??It''s a little worse here, a little worse there, but the energy that was finally gathered up was stabbed in the back by Le Sheng''s faint move!


    ??One side is a general who can lead his men to charge into battle, and the other side is a leader who can only stand behind and wave his sword and stab his own back. It is already clear what to do.


    ?At this moment, these Cao Jun soldiers shouted, turned around and ran away. Those who had no time to run away simply dropped their weapons and held their heads to the side to avoid, leaving Zhang Ji and his soldiers to roll past like a torrent of steel!


    If these soldiers of the Cao family were really descendants of the Cao family, then the current situation would not have occurred naturally. It is a pity that these soldiers of the Cao family were just wanderers recruited by Le Jin in Hanoi County, and they themselves had no influence on the Cao family''s political group. There is no so-called sense of belonging, let alone being able to work hard for Le Sheng after being stabbed in the back...


    (End of this chapter)