Chapter 387

On the tenth day of the army's departure, the Imperial Envoys arrived in Yongzhou after many obstructions. Along the way, local officials were too enthusiastic to bear. They stopped the team. If they didn't stay for a meal and a glass of wine, it would be difficult at anyone's door. Not only that, across the bridge, the bridge is broken. Across the river, no boat. So that he arrived nearly a month later than the scheduled time. Unexpectedly, he didn't see Luo Yao.

The imperial envoy thought about it. He simply didn't stop in Yongzhou and chased the team North in one breath.

At this point, he just wants to issue the will.

Huangyang road and the southernmost Shandong road of the three northwest roads occupied by the rebels are separated by only one river. Although this river is a branch of Yishui, the river channel is very wide. The local people call it huangniu River, and the official name in the atlas of the great Sui Dynasty is Huishui. The origin of the name of the yellow cattle River is a fairy tale. It is said that in those years, a yellow cattle became the victim of the essence. A Sword Fairy fell into the mortal dust and fought with the Yellow Cattle essence by the river.

The Sword Fairy wounded the yellow cattle. The Yellow Cattle jumped into the river and refused to come out again. The Sword Fairy set a magic talisman to seal the cattle essence in the river.

Then there was a year of drought, and the water level fell a lot. Many people vowed that they had seen the yellow cow and had become a big stone.

Luo Yao's vanguard army did not walk slowly. The three armies led by Xiong Weilang and Wen Xiaodao traveled all night to open the way for the army. It took only a month to rush from Yongzhou to the South Bank of the huangniu river. The governor of Huangyang road greeted him personally and gave a banquet, but Wen Xiaodao declined. Although Huangyang road is far from Yongzhou, it does not belong to the four southwest roads. However, Yang yanye, governor of Huangyang Road, is also very familiar with the style of Zuo Qianwei. He knows that this is a group of soldiers with eyes higher than the top.

When Wen Xiaodao arrived at the South Bank of the huangniu River, he sent someone to choose the address and build the barracks. The camp of nearly 400000 troops will not be built in a moment and a half. Wen Xiaodao asked Yang yanye for help and recruited a group of craftsmen to help. Of course, don't expect left avant-garde people to pay.

Not only that, the first thing Wen Xiaodao did when he came here was to inform Yang yanye to prepare the food and grass for the 400000 troops for a month. His attitude was taken for granted.

With 400000 troops and war horses and livestock, the figure of spending one day on food and grass is amazing. But Yang yanye can only cooperate. After all, Zuo Qianwei came to counter the rebellion. If someone played a book that said he didn't provide food and grass for the army, the emperor probably wouldn't even listen to the explanation.

On the North Bank of the huangniu river is the rebel camp, which can be seen with thousands of miles' eyes. It seems that the rebels have long known the news of the left avant-garde going north. It is said that the north bank has continued to increase troops, with a force of more than 200000. The rebels controlled the granaries of the three roads in the northwest. The people could not live, so they had to join the rebels. In just one year, the rebel forces expanded like a snowball.

According to Yang yanye's analysis, the total strength of the rebels may now exceed 1.5 million.

But Wen Xiaodao scoffed at this.

It is not that people can be called soldiers if they are given a knife in their hand. What about 1.5 million people? In his opinion, most of them are local Jiwa dogs with grass marks waiting to sell.

Luo Yao's army arrived on the third day after Wen Xiaodao built the camp. It took more than two months to walk on the road. After catching up with the team, the imperial envoy who announced the decree immediately returned to Chang'an without staying for another day. After this job, he knew he would never have a chance to preach again in his life. If you're lucky, the Emperor just scolds you. If you're unlucky, losing your official position is a small matter. You may have to move your head.

Luo Yao was invited by Yang yanye to the governor's house on the day of his arrival. Luo Yaosheng praised Yang yanye's achievements in governing huangyangdao in recent years, as if two old friends met. The atmosphere at the banquet was particularly harmonious. After Yang yanye sent Luo Yao away, Luo Yao didn't feel secure. The next day, Luo Yao sent someone to urge food.

In this regard, Yang yanye can only swallow it.

In his anger, he withdrew all the county soldiers and people Yong who had been arranged on the South Bank of the huangniu river before Huangyang Road, in the name of giving up camp to the left avant-garde. These days, the rebels have not crossed the river to harass. If the county soldiers and people of Huangyang road had not fought back sharply and bravely, the rebels might rush into Huangyang road and wreak havoc.

In this regard, the soldiers of Huangyang road naturally have resentment.

Over the past two years, they have fought with the rebels almost every day. He even organized a raid to kill people across the huangniu river. How many people died and how many people were injured. The reward of the imperial court has not come down yet, which has made people unconvinced. The county soldiers are better. After all, they are the army within the local establishment, and the pay can be barely paid. Those Minyong joined the battle with a cavity of warm blood. Now they say to withdraw without giving an explanation or comfort.

Huangyang road is a transitional area between the northwest and southwest. It is not as rich as the land of fish and rice in the southwest. Next to the northwest, grain was allocated every year to help the people in the north of the huangniu river. Over the past two years, the governor's office has almost emptied its treasury in order to prepare for the construction of Minyong. Yang yanye handed over the memorial of asking for reduction of money and grain almost once a month. He didn't know why. He didn't come down with a will for a long time.

Later, he was really helpless. He took the lead in contacting some officials and squires of Huangyang Road, collected a large sum of money, and sent them to the capital and secretly to Peiyan's residence, the waiter of Huangmen. On the third day, his Majesty's reply to the reduction of money and grain on Huangyang road came down. Even a batch of weapons and armor were allocated from the Treasury of the Ministry of arms. When they arrived, they looked at the materials of the imperial court and had nothing to do but smile bitterly.

Yang yanye angrily withdrew all the county soldiers and people. In fact, he didn't want these men who had worked for the country for two years to rest. On the north bank, the rebels can seize the granary and rob the government treasury without restraint, but Yang yanye can't. If he wants to keep Huangyang Road, he has to raise troops. The imperial court doesn't have a will. He tightens his belt and has to hand in all the money and grain every year. Sometimes he even thought of opening Xinkou warehouse. Unfortunately, he still didn't have the courage in the end.

He knows that the people are angry, but what can he do?

In desperation, he had to borrow food from the local rich gentry again.

This governor, who seeks no merit but no fault, has obviously grown old over the past two years. People say that sitting in the position of governor is already an extreme minister. How many people envy the robes of second-class officials. But only they know the depression, and there is no place to vent.

……

……

Standing on the South Bank of the huangniu River, Luo Yao looked across with a thousand li's eyes. The rebels on the other side are laying wooden stakes along the river to prevent ships on the south bank from passing by. At the high slope, Jianlou wooden stronghold has been built. A large number of soldiers patrolling the stockade can be seen passing by.

Those people driven by the rebels stood in the river and fought hard to drive down wooden stakes one by one. They tied a rope around their waist to prevent being washed away by the river. But even so, it is the summer flood season. This year's rain is more abundant than in previous years. The river widens and the river rises. People are swept away every day and can't be seen again.

Standing in the water for a long time, many people's legs began to rot and maggots.

Many small boats patrol back and forth in the river. The rebel soldiers on board are eyeing the people with whips. If anyone moves a little slower, he will immediately whip it down without mercy.

"It is said that the people on the north bank have been tortured and killed thousands of people in the past month."

Wen Xiaodao stood on Luo Yao's side and whispered, "the rebels have been forcing the people to work since a few months ago. They regard human life as grass mustard."

"Who is the rebel general?"

"It's said that he was Yin Baoshan, one of Li Yuanshan's generals. He was named the champion Hou by Li Yuanshan, and the general is very beautiful. Most of the soldiers under this man are young and strong people captured, and the specific number is unknown. It's not clear how many soldiers there are, but the total number of troops should not be less than 200000."

"Well"

Luo Yao said, "can't you find many ships nearby?"

"Yes"

Wen Xiaodao leaned over and said, "a few months ago, the rebels kept going south. The target was the fishing boats on the south bank. There were no soldiers stationed on Huangyang road. Relying on the resistance of the county soldiers and the people, although they were brave, they still damaged most of the ships. Yang yanye later ordered to tow all the remaining fishing boats ashore, but the number was limited, so it was impossible to support the army to cross the river."

"There's no need to cross the river in a hurry."

Luo Yao looked at the enslaved people on the other side, and his face was still plain as usual.

"The north bank embankment is higher than the south bank. The rebels have arranged it for several months. Even a mob can't be underestimated. Recently, more people have been sent to survey the terrain along both banks of the river."

"Here"

Wen Xiaodao answered.

"Forty miles to the West are the camps of the county soldiers and Minyong on Huangyang road. Now the people have withdrawn, and the camp is empty... The general, do you want to send someone to garrison? My subordinates think that the stronghold is well built, and the rebels may not dare to cross the river rashly, so there is no need to send heavy troops."

"Let Liu Kuo take a military horse to station..."

Luo yaodun said again, "let Fang Xie's Shanzi camp pass."

Wen Xiaodao was stunned and didn't understand Luo Yao's meaning.

Luo yaophen didn't mention it after charging, but looked at the north bank and said, "although the war is not in a hurry, you can't know nothing about the enemy. Select elite scouts and cross the river to inquire about the rebel's troop arrangement. You should inquire about everything about the rebel. You'd better bring back a few tongues. You can arrange someone to do it."

"Why not?"

Wen Xiaodao suddenly understood the meaning of Luo Yao's previous words: "why don't you send General Xiao Fang to do this? The soldiers who went down to Shanzi camp are well-trained, and there are also a team of people in the bodyguard's office under Lord Xiao Fang, which is most suitable to inquire about intelligence."

"OK"

Luo Yao answered faintly and didn't go on.

Wen Xiaodao sighed in his heart and couldn't help thinking, is that Fang Xie really the son of the general? Otherwise, how could the general be so partial?

First, let him lead the army into the camp before huangyangdao County soldiers, because the camp has been operated by huangyangdao army and people for two years. It is very solid, the terrain is good, and the river embankment is very steep. Even if the rebels cross the river, they can't attack directly. There are all ready-made things, and the soldiers of Shanzi camp in the province build them themselves. Liu Kuo is a mature man who acts steadily. There will be no contradiction if Fang Xie and him garrison at the same time. The senior general immediately mentioned the matter of crossing the river to explore the news. It is not difficult to do. Most of the rebels are ordinary people. It is very simple to catch a few people and select elite soldiers. However, this is the credit, the first credit of left avant-garde going north!

General, this is to give credit to Fang Xie.

He glanced at Luo Yao secretly, and the waves in his heart were hard to calm.

At this time, Fang Xie is taking shanziying to find a place to rest. All the way north, Fang Xie was always worried about finding Shiyuan. But when he got here, Shi Yuan still didn't come. He really didn't know what the old monk's purpose was.

"General!"

A herald came quickly on horseback, pointed to the West and said, "the general ordered Shanzi camp to enter the camp 40 miles away from the West! In addition, general Wen asked the general to send someone across the river to explore the enemy situation."

Fang Xie raised her eyebrows slightly, hugged her fist and said, "get orders!"