Chapter 289: The Situation

Although they set off three days later than Li Jing's army, Zhang Yunwen and the reconnaissance battalion did not have the slowness of the infantry or the drag of the baggage, and the 3,000 cavalry all the way were flying like horses, and caught up with Li Jing's army at dusk on the second day.

Zhang Yunwen asked the soldiers of the reconnaissance battalion to take the first step, and he took Li Yang and his own soldiers into the big tent.

It was dusk, the sky was getting dark, and piles of bonfires were lit in the barracks, illuminating the hall in all directions. Smoke rose from the cooking stove, and the smell of rice wafted through the barracks.

After half a circle in the camp, Zhang Yunwen roughly knew the layout of the camp. Because every time Li Jing camped, he liked to make a false reality, so that the enemy could not figure it out. This can be regarded as a characteristic of Li Jing!

I first went to the military secretary's office to register, and then came to Li Jing's camp tent. I saw four or five generals sitting here. Among them are Xue Wanjun and Xue Wanche brothers, Li Daozong, the king of Rencheng, Hou Junji, the secretary of the military department, and a Turkic man who is about twenty-seven or eighteen years old.

Zhang Yunwen first saluted everyone, and then said to Li Jing, who was sitting above the big tent: "The last general, Zhang Yunwen, led three thousand scouts to report!" ”

Li Jing signaled that Zhang Yunwen didn't need to be polite, and said with a smile: "Yunwen came really fast, the old man thought you would arrive tomorrow!" ”

"Uh, this soldier is fast, hurry up, it should be so!" Zhang Yunwen smiled and said a few words modestly, and then talked to Li Jing about the military rations and weapons he carried.

After listening to Zhang Yunwen's statement, Li Jing pondered for a moment and said: "Yunwen This time, the old artillery man didn't bring much, a total of 100 people, and he was thinking about this long supply line!" Now that I hear you talk about your armaments, why don't you even bring many grenades? ”

Zhang Yunwen said: "A standard grenade weighs one pound and three taels, if there are no horses, just a person to carry it, it is already good to be able to carry five." Even though there are horses, they can only bring ten. Bring too much, it will affect the movement of the cavalry! ”

After listening to Zhang Yunwen's explanation, Li Jing nodded: "Okay, if you have a plan, the old man won't ask much!" Today, you will camp and rest for the time being, and set off early tomorrow morning to reach Longyou as soon as possible! ”

Zhang Yunwen hugged his fists and said: "The chief manager, since he is a noble soldier, he is willing to set off overnight and hurry up in the starry night!" ”

Li Jing frowned: "If you work day and night, eating and sleeping in the open air, aren't you afraid that the soldiers will become tired teachers?" ”

Zhang Yunwen said with a smile: "The chief manager is too worried!" The last general is very confident in the corporal! Even if you catch up with the journey for three days and three nights in a row, you can still fight a tough battle! ”

Seeing Zhang Yunwen's insistence, Li Jing didn't say anything anymore, but instead greeted him for a while, and then waved his hand and asked the generals to come out of the account.

In addition to the camp tent, Hou Junji glanced at Zhang Yunwen coldly, turned around and walked to the side. Li Daozong and Xue Wanche walked up to greet each other and waved goodbye. And the general Qi He Li, but he glanced at Zhang Yunwen with some hesitation, and slowly prepared to leave.

"This general must be General Qibi!" Zhang Yunwen saw that he wanted to leave, but he stopped Qi He Li first.

He Li had to stop and look at Zhang Yunwen.

"Hehe, I have long heard that General Qibi is a generation of heroes, and I can see it today, it is really extraordinary!" Zhang Yunwen smiled and held the Qi Qi He Li.

"Where, where! Where can I catch up with General Zhang! General Zhang's name is like thunder! Qi Qi He Li hurriedly said modestly.

As soon as he heard this, Zhang Yunwen couldn't help but secretly say that he must have been in Chang'an for two years, and he had already learned a set of Central Plains people.

Smiling and greeting the future general, at the end of the day, Zhang Yunwen said with a smile: "It is very pleasant to talk to General Qibi in the next, but unfortunately time waits for no one, and you have to take the first step in the next!" ”

He Li also said with a little regret: "He General Zhang, it is indeed very happy!" Alas, it's a pity! ”

"General Qibi doesn't have to be sorry, you and I are serving under the general's account, and there is a chance to talk in detail!" Zhang Yunwen patted He Li's shoulder and left the barracks with a smile.

Catch up with the scouts who have traveled more than twenty miles, and continue all the way to the northwest.

The march lasted until dusk on the second day, when they set up camp on a hillside.

Taking advantage of the afterglow of the setting sun, Zhang Yunwen spread out the map on the grass, and his fingers started from Chang'an and slid all the way to the west.

"We're in this range now!" Li Yang glanced at the map and stretched out his hand to draw on the west side of Chang'an.

Zhang Yunwen looked at this range, roughly estimated it, and asked rhetorically: "That is, near Longzhou?" ”

Li Yang nodded, and drew vertically on the west side of Longzhou: "This is Panchuan Mountain, and after turning over the mountain, you will enter the boundary of Longyou!" Saying that, he looked at the map with a stunned gaze, "According to my estimate, I can reach the foot of Panchuan Mountain at noon tomorrow, and it will take about a day to cross Panchuan Mountain!" ”

Zhang Yunwen put away the map and shouted at the soldiers who were camping around: "Did you hear it, brothers? Tomorrow we are going to climb the mountain, eat and drink well, rest well, and recharge your energy today! Tomorrow, I will turn over the mountains in one go! ”

"Okay—" A response rang out in the four corners.

On the second day, the reconnaissance battalion continued westward, crossed the Panchuan Mountain, and reached Qinzhou. Then cross Qinzhou and Weizhou, and finally reach Minzhou. This is the territory of Li Daoyan, the head of the Chishui Road March.

When he arrived in Minzhou, Zhang Yunwen wanted to visit Li Daoyan and ask him about the situation in the Longyou Prefectures, however, a news came that forced him to change his plan.

The Qiang people of Taozhou rebelled, and a Qiang army of more than 3,000 people attacked the city of Taozhou at night, killed the Taozhou assassin Kong Changxiu, and routed the defenders. Although nearly 500 people were later killed by the Tang army, it is an indisputable fact that the city of Taozhou was broken and the assassin was killed. From this point of view, Taozhou is already a mess.

Zhang Yunwen immediately found a group of middle-level officers such as Li Yang and Zhao Yi, held a half-day meeting in the big tent, and finally made a resolution.

The entire reconnaissance battalion was separated, Zhang Yunwen led 500 people to Taozhou, Li Yang led 500 scouts to Shanzhou, Zhao Yi led 500 people to Kuozhou, Wu Peng led 500 people to Hezhou, Liu Cheng led 500 people to aid Diezhou, and the remaining 500 people stayed in Minzhou to deal with the unexpected.

After the discussion, Zhang Yunwen set off first. This is the closest to Taozhou, and the situation in Taozhou is also the most chaotic.

Before leaving, Zhang Yunwen said to those scouts again: "Remember, kill one by one, don't be soft, quickly stabilize the situation, and extinguish all signs of turmoil!" ”

led 500 cavalry to gallop in the starry night and rushed to Taozhou. Along the way, the murderous spirit made those passers-by retreat.

When passing by Wulu Mountain, the chief of the Ba who was Wulu Qiang saw these five hundred cavalry, galloping all the way, and suddenly his heart couldn't help but pinch up, looking at the murderous appearance of these Tang troops, I don't know how many Qiang people will die under their swords? I also remembered that although my tribe did not participate in the rebellion of Wan Qiyan, after all, I was also a Qiang person, if those Tang troops were connected......

Chief Ba didn't think about it, but only ordered the young men in the tribe to be ready to fight at any time, and at the same time strengthened the tribe's defenses.

As soon as he arrived at the city of Taozhou, Zhang Yunwen saw a bloody scene. I saw that above the head of Taozhou City, there were two rows of blood-stained human heads, gently swaying against the northwest wind.

As soon as the five hundred knights arrived, the soldiers defending the city were immediately facing a great enemy, all with bows and arrows, and clenched their swords and guns. After Zhang Yunwen took two steps forward to identify himself, the soldier who was the leader still asked suspiciously: "Are you really Zhang Yunwen, the general of the Left Guard?" Is there any trust? ”

Zhang Yunwen didn't answer, took off the bronze medal from his waist, threw it hard, and threw it on the city.

The leading soldier picked up the bronze medal and looked at it, and immediately said happily: "It's really General Zhang!" Come on, open the city gate and let General Zhang enter the city! Also, go and inform Lord Changshi, and I'll say that reinforcements are coming!"

Zhang Yunwen was introduced into the city of Taozhou by the soldiers, and along the way, he found that the soldiers in the city were not enough, but there were only three or four hundred people. All the way to the Thorn Mansion, I saw a middle-aged man standing at the door waiting for him.

"Xiaguan Tao Governor Shi Wen Daozhi has seen General Zhang!" The middle-aged man waited for Zhang Yunwen to walk in front of him, and hurriedly bowed down.

Zhang Yunwen helped Wen Daozhi up, but he didn't say anything, and said directly: "Don't be polite, Master Wen, let's talk about business first!" Let's go inside and talk! ”

The two entered the Assassin's Mansion and sat down, Zhang Yunwen said straight to the point: "Lord Wen, this general is ordered by Li Jing and Li to arrive in Longyou Prefectures in advance to clear the turmoil in the prefectures. Lord Changshi, and tell the general about the situation in Taozhou? ”

Wen Daozhi was silent for a moment, and then he said: "Then it was Taoshui Qiang and several small Qiang tribes that also raided my Taozhou City, with a total of more than 3,000 people. It was the second half of the night, and many of the soldiers had already slept, and they quietly climbed up the city wall, killed the defenders, and opened the city gates. Then those Qiang people swarmed in, and with their large numbers, they defeated our Tang defenders. That night, one hundred and sixty-nine people were killed in the battle, and Master Kong was also murdered. When he arrived at dawn, Xia Guan organized a counterattack and killed more than 500 Qiang soldiers, which stabilized the situation. Now, the Taoshui Qiang people are migrating in the direction of Tuyuhun, and the Migongqiang in the south have also joined the ranks of the rebellion, and the only one who has not moved is the Wuluqiang in the east! Xiaguan sent 800 soldiers to chase and kill Taoshuiqiang and Migongqiang along the way, and now a day has passed, and I don't know what the situation is? ”

After hearing this, Zhang Yunwen pondered for a moment, slapped the table and said: "Lord Wen, you immediately find two guides who are familiar with the local terrain for this general, and this general will lead three hundred cavalry to chase and kill that Taoshui and Mi Gong Erqiang!" ”

Wen Daozhi's face suddenly showed joy: "The general can rest assured, the matter of the guide will be arranged immediately!" Saying that, he walked to the door and summoned two soldiers, "These two people are from Taozhou, they have been in the army for more than ten years, and they have been guarding Taozhou, and they know everything about the grass and trees here, and the general can take them there!" ”

Zhang Yunwen suddenly clenched his fists: "Since this is the case, then there is Lao Changshi and the two brothers!" ”

The two sergeants didn't even dare to say no. But Wen Daozhi raised the tea bowl next to him: "The lower official is here to replace the wine with tea, and I wish General Zhang a victory!" ”

"Good!" Zhang Yunwen took the tea, drank it in one gulp, and then strode out of the door.