Standing on the bank of the Yellow River, blowing in the numb river breeze, I sighed with relief and officially announced that the sergeant operation called "West Wind Tight" has since come to an end.

After removing the wounded sent away in the early stage and the dead who were burned and buried on the spot, the intact rate of the remaining battalions and regiments is only a little more than 60%.

The results were quite fruitful.

Especially the last time, from the Hebei Xingtai of the Northern Dynasty, we knocked out about 316,000 variegated silver coins and more than 40,000 pieces of silk, which was because of the results of our bargaining.

I didn't want silk, but although this thing is valuable, it is also dead. But the other party thought that he really couldn't take out so many precious metals, so Wo Ye just pinched his nose and took it.

The reason why it is a large number of fractions is because of the large amount of mantissa paid in the last batch, and our army, which has already made a decision, simply does not want it, so it spreads its legs and runs away, opening up a distance of dozens of miles overnight.

As it turned out, this decision to stop in time was really a bit of luck and luck, because the rescue team that stayed behind to reconnoiter soon reported to us that someone had secretly dug the embankment of Zhangshui upstream.

Therefore, it only took one night for the water that flowed out of the river to flood most of the camps we had left outside the city, and together with the thousands of "Xingzhou Army" left inside, it turned into a waist-deep water town of Zeguo.

Moreover, these banks burst out of the Zhanghe River, which seemed to be in no hurry, but the speed of their spread was so fast that even the few baggage wagons and horses of our army that temporarily fell behind the rear due to breakdowns and other reasons had to be abandoned.

This kind of cheapness from the other party's seemingly brainless delaying tactics is really not so easy to take. If I really got stuck inside, the cold and dampness alone would be enough to take away most of my army's combat effectiveness. Not to mention the water-soaked baggage, there is a large amount of gunpowder and firearms in it, which is much more deadly than the traditional army.

Obviously, even if the chief officer in Hebei Xingtai is a little pig-headed, there are not no capable people and good strategists at the bottom, and in such a short period of time, they have actually formulated a plan against the tactics and characteristics of our unit.

However, now in the direction of Jizhou, there is only mud and stagnant water all over the ground, and it continues to play a kind of role for us. If the pursuers from Sindu and other directions want to keep up, they will have to find a way to overcome the problem of such a large flooded area.

Although it was a dry season at the turn of autumn and winter, this slow burst of the embankment was enough to create a large enough area of mire on the plains. If the infantry team could still try to trek through, but the Ma army would have to find a way to make a detour.

As for the Hebei Xingtai, Zhang Dadudu and his friends, who I positioned as the opponent of the pig, whether they are happy or regretful, afraid or annoyed, are not in our consideration.

Later, when we passed through Cangzhou, we handed over some of the heavier and larger silk goods to the "criminal state army" that were raised, as funds and salaries for follow-up activities, after all, even if it is a one-time consumable, it has its use value;

In addition, I also supported them to do one thing, that is, to use the captured and intercepted boats to pile up and sink in the main channel of the Tongji Canal, and silt up several sections of the northern line of the canal.

In this way, even if the Northern Dynasties wanted to continue to use Caoyun, it would take a lot of effort to clean up the sediment in the river.

Later, in order to deceive and ambush the pursuing troops in those places, some large carts were thrown on the spot along the way to lose weight.

In fact, after entering Beizhou, someone followed us, and of course, through guò ambush and capture, we soon learned that the other party was not a regular official army, but a local powerful and privately trained Tutuan soldier.

The land of Hebei has always been a representative of the powerful and powerful, and there are many kinds of soil groups and towns. We ran all the way to the battle, except for the few key points that gathered to block the way, there was no extra effort to pay attention to them, and the other party was powerless to do anything, but the two sides were at peace.

It's just that after we pulled away from the withdrawal of the brigade, these guys apparently found an opportunity to pick up a bargain, and gathered in tandem like a pack of jackals, and have been tailing us for several days.

The straight road was ambushed by me with the trophies of the baggage team, and the horses were beaten hard before they stopped. However, we did not achieve our goal of annihilating each other.

The other party is a native snake in the hometown, and the combat effectiveness of the desperate struggle is not very good, but when the shape is not good, the ability to run and do birds and beasts is not left behind, and after scattering in the countryside, it is difficult to find them out.

Unless I put my heart into combing and screening, or a more extreme massacre, it will be difficult to eradicate the existence of these little tails, and therefore, in the end, it will become a distant "escort" tailgating.

Nevertheless, these harvests, together with various other loot, were finally transported to the ferries on the banks of the Yellow River, and were already piled up in the open air like a hill.

And the local armed forces in Hebei, which are camped far away from our camp, have also gathered a lot of people and horses, all kinds of variegated flags and robes, like a lively vegetable market.

However, at this point, I couldn't be in a hurry, so I decided to stay behind with my pro-direct group to guard the ferry, and then arrange the order of retreat.

When the ashes of the wounded and the dead have been delivered, the more tired and damaged battalions are the first to cross the river using their limited capacity.

Then there were a large number of mules, horses, and baggage teams collected from Hebei, followed by four auxiliary brigades, and again the stragglers of the Sixteenth Regiment and the more important prisoners; And those battalions that were more complete and in better condition were arranged in a later sequence, and finally it was the turn of the hunting battalion and the pacesetter regiment and the teaching team, while I and the Qinzhi regiment were arranged to be the last to get on the boat.

There was also a small episode, when crossing the pontoon bridge, a dozen or so captives suddenly became in a commotion, and then broke free from the restraints of the escort, jumped into the river, and were washed away without a trace, and there was a taste of death rather than crossing the river.

When the hunting battalion had all gone onto the pontoon bridge, the enemy troops, who had had had enough of suffering and had been following us from a distance, finally made a move.

It's just that in the end, they were successfully tricked by me.

a large number of straw men draped in battle robes and tied to flags; livestock dragging branches and running in place; and those painted black and iron in wood, which looked like well-ordered cannons from a distance; The sound of the extended fuse and the sound of firecrackers in the iron bucket pretending to be struck somewhat deterred and dragged them into suspicious steps.

By the time they had finally coordinated easily, sent a small number of cavalrymen to break into the camp at the ferry, and found that there was no defense, I had already taken the last group of big boats to cross the river with the wrapped flags.

Their vanguard only had time to rush to the river in a hurry, and with a few sparse rains of arrows, they were complaining and eagerly sending us off and retaining us.

However, the intended purpose of the retreat has been largely accomplished, and although there are still quite a few large and bulky supplies left in the camp, it is the most important thing for me that the personnel can be fully and completely evacuated across the river.

Compared with the gains and losses of those dead things that seem to be quite valuable, these soldiers who have survived the high-intensity transfer experience are my most valuable wealth and capital, and they are not on the same balance at all.

It's just that this is cheap, and it's not so easy to pick up, even if it's something I don't want unplanned, I still did my best to leave them some "surprises", such as buried gunpowder and oil. Land mines or something.

Therefore, when I sat on the last riverboats to cross the river and slowly crossed the center of the river, I could still hear and see the sound of burning and explosions, rising flames and plumes of smoke in the makeshift camp at the ferry, representing their final end.

It seems that because I decided to break off in person, when my boat docked to the south shore, I gained a little emotion and loyalty from the subordinates who gathered on the shore to wait, mixed with cheers in unison.

In fact, one of the biggest gains from this trip to Hebei is that the internal prestige value of the original army, between respect, trust and worship, has risen a lot.

Although I have not yet been able to give an order to send them to death unconditionally; But at least I can let them take the initiative to defend my legitimate demands and reasonable positions, and make sacrifices and trade-offs.

Moreover, this value is based on the number of battles and the scale of the new and old enlistments. The more veteran the more the propensity value, the higher the value, if you are crowned with Borneo nationality, the identity attribute bonus of the son of the domain, the countryman, the general, the trilogy, and the disciple, the tendency value is higher, and it is more inclined to the level of die-hard loyalty and pro-port.

The so-called additional bonuses of personal charisma and commandership are nothing more than relying on continuous achievements and victories.

However, the atmosphere in the troops left behind on the south bank was a little wrong, and after careful interrogation, I learned that after we crossed the river, the commander of the Xuzhou side sent someone to pass the order, wanting to take the battalion of men and horses left on the south bank to wait before the army.

However, Shen Huoyi, the battalion officer who was left behind, did not receive the order because the main general was not there, and he resolutely blocked back, and there were some confrontations and right and wrong, which was not enough for outsiders.

For example, after the open recruitment failed, he took the opportunity of delivering the baggage to let people privately coerce and lure the officers under the battalion in the name of the commander to lead the team back to Xuzhou by themselves, so as to get a better future and opportunities.

Moreover, there are really some second-class goods who are tempted, or believe the words and persuasion of the comers, and privately try to jump around and encourage the soldiers below to leave the team with weapons and go to Xuzhou with them.

Fortunately, the arrangement of the soldiers' committee played a role again, and he was discovered in time and reported to Shen Huoyi, who did not dare to be good at it, and took the opportunity of the transfer to send people across the river to deliver the letter.

Then the adjutant general Xin Jiaxuan, who was one step ahead to prepare for the retreat, happened to organize ships on the other side, and when he heard the news, he crossed the river by boat overnight, convened the army to conduct a night exercise, and dealt with these bad signs categorically.

And those who entered the camp privately were also identified one by one and hanged on the wall in the name of spies of the Northern Dynasty to set an example.

In this emergency, Xin Jiaxuan, who has always been quite low-key and diligent, certainly showed impressive decisiveness and skill.

However, this also means that because of this decision, he has completely dissociated himself from the Shuai Si side, and in the future career prospects, there are inevitably some obstacles and bumps, and he has to be more tied to my position.

It's just that when I asked why he made such a decision at that time, Xin Jiaxuan's answer was that he was just abiding by and maintaining the established system in the army, and even the commander could not overstep and destroy it lightly, let alone those villains who were in the name of the commander and did things in private.

Then, I could only laugh and say nothing, which can be regarded as a kind of arrogance in disguise, sometimes insisting too much on a certain moral outlook and bottom limit, and it can be regarded as a kind of reassuring handover of the advantages behind it.

Thinking of this, I suddenly became a little worried, and I had already gone to the third battalion in Xuzhou and Lu Wuguan, who led the team, hoping that he would not be angered or hurt by Chiyu.

It wasn't until I met Liu Yanqing, who came to meet the troops, that I understood more reasons.