Chapter 548
Words:1815Update:22/06/17 19:54:02
Hearing the news, Xiao Ruxun and Li Rusong both felt strange. They couldn't believe it.
Why did the Northern Barbarians, who were like tigers coming down from the mountains, suddenly wither?
Why did the Shanxi Ming Army, who was like a sick cat, suddenly become so fierce?
Xiao Ruxun, who believed that there must be a reason, firmly believed that this matter was not as simple as it seemed. Therefore, he began to ask for some details.
"How did you win the first battle?"
This question made Wei Zhen happy. Daming had been suppressed by the Northern Barbarians for so long. The first battle was won by him. It was he who won the battle. It was he who defeated the insufferably arrogant Northern Barbarians. Then, he launched this irresistible counterattack and broke the myth of the Northern Barbarians being invincible.
"To be honest, the first victory was actually won by I. At that time, I led ten thousand soldiers to guard Yangqu City. He was ordered by Governor-General Wang to carry out the strategy of strengthening the walls and clearing the fields. He tried his best to weaken the Northern Barbarians so that he could use the main forces of Shanxi and Yulin Towns outside Taiyuan City to annihilate the Northern Barbarians who were invading from the south.
I guarded the city during the day and fought fiercely with the Northern Barbarians. He didn't let the Northern Barbarians succeed. However, since the strategy of strengthening the walls and clearing the fields was successful, Yangqu City was empty. There was no need to continue defending. Therefore, I decided to give up Yangqu City and return to Taiyuan City to prepare for the final battle.
But before that, I didn't want to let the Northern Barbarians live so easily. He wanted to launch a night attack before retreating to make the Northern Barbarians suffer. I led a night attack. Unexpectedly, I successfully attacked and defeated the Northern Barbarians. He killed more than two hundred of the Northern Barbarians and retreated.
Seeing that the opportunity was ripe, I pursued them all the way to the Stone Ridge Pass. I fought with the Northern Invaders for a day until reinforcements arrived. With the support of the reinforcements, we recaptured the Stone Ridge Pass in one fell swoop. The Northern Invaders continued to flee to the north. Since then, the Northern Invaders kept fleeing and I pursued them all the way here. I beheaded a thousand and thirty-one people and killed more than four thousand of them. "
This kind of achievement was really dazzling. Even Li Rusong looked at Wei Zhen in shock, as if he was looking at something unbelievable. Wei Zhen enjoyed this kind of look very much.
Xiao Ruxun frowned and thought carefully. He felt that something was not right.
"The Northern Barbarians went south like a ferocious tiger. They charged forward fiercely and suddenly lost. Didn't you have any doubts?"
Wei Zhen answered, "We did have doubts. After the night attack, I searched the camp of the Northern Barbarians and found a large number of empty food bags. He realized that the Northern Barbarians were actually short of food. They were fighting with us on empty stomachs. We kept defending and didn't realize that the Northern Barbarians were weak. Once we took the initiative to attack, the Northern Barbarians couldn't hold on and were defeated until now!"
"Short of food?"
Xiao Ruxun looked at Li Rusong with doubt. Li Rusong also looked at Xiao Ruxun with doubt.
"The Northern Barbarians are really short of food?"
"Of course. A large number of empty food bags can be proof. Governor Wang even ordered people to cut open the stomachs of the Northern Barbarians. He found that there was only a small amount of residue in the stomachs of the Northern Barbarians. He concluded that the Northern Barbarians have been short of food for a long time. So, he ordered the entire army to press forward. Now, Governor Wang has already moved his army to Xinzhou and is in charge of the overall situation."
Wei Zhen explained proudly.
"Xinzhou? What about Taiyuan? "
Xiao Ruxun asked hurriedly.
"Taiyuan? Twenty thousand soldiers were left to defend Taiyuan. After all, it is the administrative center of Shanxi. It is not convenient to maintain a wartime curfew. Since the Northern Barbarians have been defeated, we need to prepare for post-war relief. Governor Wang has moved to Xinzhou and is bringing the refugees who escaped to Taiyuan back to Xinzhou to settle down. "
The ominous feeling in Xiao Ruxun's heart was getting more and more serious.
"How are the troops in Shanxi being distributed?"
"I don't know the details. One of the troops has gone to Yanmen Pass and another to Pingxing Pass. The rest are basically settling down the refugees near Xinzhou. Is there anything wrong with that, Admiral?"
Wei Zhen looked at Xiao Ruxun with some dissatisfaction. He felt that this famous general didn't seem to be very satisfied with the victory.
Could it be that the war ended because you did not win?
Li Rusong was also puzzled. He moved closer to Xiao Ruxun and whispered, "Admiral, I feel that something is not right. Why did the Northern Barbarians suddenly collapse? Moreover, they were defeated by ten thousand soldiers. It is understandable if they were the main force, but how could a small division suddenly fight so well? Moreover, the Northern Barbarians are short of food? This … "
Li Rusong did not continue, but his meaning was clear.
The Northern Barbarians who had received food aid from the Jin merchants would also be short of food? What were the Jin merchants trying to do? They recruited the Northern Barbarians and allowed them to be defeated. Could it be that they wanted to create a large number of refugees so that they could raise the price of food and land?
That was too sinister. Were they so short of money? Were they not afraid of losing their family line by earning so much money?
Xiao Ruxun thought about it carefully. Suddenly, he had a flash of inspiration and noticed that something was wrong.
"General Wei, you said that you chased the Northern Barbarians from Yangqu all the way here and killed more than four thousand of them, right?"
Wei Zhen nodded, "Yes."
"So the Northern Barbarians that were surrounded and killed by Commander Li are the ones that you have been chasing?"
"Yes."
"The number of Northern Barbarians killed by Commander Li is only about five thousand. Including those that you killed along the way, that is about ten thousand. Didn't the Northern Barbarians have a total of forty thousand soldiers heading south to Taiyuan? Why only ten thousand? Where is the remaining thirty thousand? "
Wei Zhen was puzzled by Xiao Ruxun's question.
"Why do you say that, Commander? After the Northern Barbarians broke through Pingxing Pass, they divided their army and headed south to Taiyuan. It seemed like an attack, but it was actually a diversion. Their main force had already gone to Zijing Pass and are attacking it! How could the Commander not know about the urgency of the war? Commander, how is Zijing Pass? You … where did you come from? "
Xiao Ruxun was dumbfounded. Li Rusong was also dumbfounded.
The two looked at each other and realized one thing.
Oh no!
Xiao Ruxun gripped the saber in his hand tightly.
"This Supervisor is from Redbud Pass! There are only five thousand Northern Barbarians attacking Zijing Pass! The Datong garrison captives that they coerced said that after the forty thousand Northern Barbarians attacked Zijing Pass for four days, they quietly withdrew their main force of thirty-five thousand in the night! When we were marching to Ling Qiu, we heard from the local refugees that this group of Northern Barbarians quietly withdrew when they reached Ling Qiu! "
Wei Zhen was also dumbfounded.
Li Rusong rushed forward and grabbed Wei Zhen's collar.
"What is going on?! Why are there only ten thousand Northern Barbarians here? Where are the remaining thirty-five thousand Northern Barbarians? Where are they? "
Wei Zhen couldn't say a word. Xiao Ruxun hurried forward to stop Li Rusong.
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