Chapter 202 An unexpected surprise
At the mouth of the Queshu Valley, the Fen River crosses Tianjin.

Since nightfall, dozens of boats have been traveling back and forth between the two banks.

Black Bear returned to the east bank first, and then he raised his hand to take off his heavy helmet and mask covered with a layer of white frost.

He did not stay and rushed towards the warm tent in his chariot.

The subsequent boat transfer was carried out by more than 200 riders who followed the reconnaissance to the west coast, and almost everyone of them made some gains.

After reaching the east bank of the tower, everyone was gasping for air and carrying their heads to find the military doctor on duty to record them.

Currently, only the more than 2,000 Eagle Knights organized by Black Bear have the conditions to record their merits. Other troops lack the conditions and are required to record merits within their own hundred-man teams.

During these few days, the reorganized Eagle Knights were divided into twelve teams, taking turns to follow Black Bear to the other side to cause damage.

When leaving, one person rode two horses, and when returning, one person rode three horses.

While the boats were being transferred, a few of the Hun cavalrymen who were pursuing them held torches to illuminate the way, while most of them drew their bows and shot arrows.

They ran in a circle and fired indiscriminately near the east coast dock.

The arrowheads used are also made of bone, or simply carbonized arrowheads that have been burnt and polished.

The rear-ended Lu Bu stood still, holding his halberd and reining in his horse, then rode in a small circle, not receiving any new orders and allowing the Huns to shoot at him.

The black bear, who was about to enter the tent, looked back and saw the group of torches on the dock on the opposite bank, and immediately gave orders.

Lu Bu, who had been patrolling in a small circle on the spot, immediately galloped on his horse into the circular cavalry and archery formation of the Huns, disrupting it immediately. All the Huns who passed within a ten-foot radius of Lu Bu were killed by Lu Bu.

For a level 7 Lu Bu, the use of the nine-kilogram Fang Tian Ji is just right.

But the Fang Tian Ji is still Lu Bu's seal, and so is the horse. Lu Bu is still in his strongest state when fighting on foot and holding a sword.

In front of the big tent, Black Bear looked at the torches gradually disappearing in the distance, and said to Li Feng who was coming to meet him, "The Xiongnu are becoming more and more fierce and stubborn. Today they dared to chase us to the Fen River."

Li Feng asked: "General Qu, do the Xiongnu intend to divide their forces?"

"Their camp is continuous and there is no sign of them moving out."

Black Bear turned and walked towards the big tent, and two guards holding spears immediately lifted the heavy curtain of the tent door.

It was very warm inside the big tent. Black Bear sat on the edge of the kang, which had been dried and used only a few days ago, and asked Wei Yue, who was wearing a mask and a golden helmet and armor, "What's the news from Jinyang?"

Wei Yue's left leg had been cured by Li Feng, who used a very rough method to clear the tendons.

After taking a few sips of the magic berry red soup and the bleeding from the wound stopped, Wei Yue was able to move freely, but occasionally he would feel sudden and irritating pain.

Wei Yue took out three original wooden tablets and handed them over: "Qian Zhao has already issued orders to the Wuhuan in Yanmen, Shanggu, and Daidi, and estimates that he can recruit more than 10,000 cavalry Wuhuan servants."

Black Bear flipped through the original document sent by the front-line scouts and found that he only observed that Jinyang sent envoys to the north, but did not intercept any relevant official documents.

However, Wei Yue had lived in the Xinkou area north of Jinyang for a long time and was familiar with the Xiongnu, Wuhuan, and a small number of Xianbei people active around him.

"I suspect Qian Zhao has been sidelined and placed under house arrest. I want to send an envoy to Yuan Shang. Who is suitable?"

Li Feng stepped forward and said, "General Qu, Mr. Gongyou is with the army and is also Liu Xuande's general. If he is an envoy, Yuan Shang will not dare to treat him lightly."

"Go and invite Mr. Gongyou, prepare the guards and carriages, and take the right golden eagle crown as a greeting."

"Write another letter to explain the incident in Taiyuan. Tell Yuan Shang that I am free. When Cao Cao attacks Liyang, I will definitely send troops to help. I will give Cao Cao a surprise then."

"surprise?"

"Yes, write about surprise and give him a little expectation. Use more modest words. I think what Ju Hu said before is feasible. I hope Ju Hu can come to Taiyuan to discuss the affairs of Taiyuan, Hedong and Hongnong counties in person."

After Black Bear gave his instructions, Li Feng immediately started to draft the official document and also sent someone to invite Sun Qian.

This is the significance of Sun Qian joining the army. He can always represent Liu Bei and act as a middleman between himself and Yuan Shang.

After sitting by the fire to warm himself, Black Bear stood up and took off his armor.

Seeing that there was no problem with the draft written by Li Feng, he immediately took out two gold seals and stamped them on it. One was the seal of the General Zhenbei obtained from Wang Yi, and the other was a personal seal carved recently, with the inscription "Mr. Huang Chao".

The person who carved this private seal was a rescued slave, who was previously a seal carver in the imperial court of Chang'an.

These four words were written in simplified thin gold calligraphy by Black Bear, which should give Yuan Shang a little shock.

Sun Qian lived not far away. When he arrived, Black Bear was sitting cross-legged on a two-meter-square kang. His bear fur cape was shiny and he was reading the military books he had collected in the afternoon.

The second wave of 10,000 Black Mountain troops will probably arrive in Qi County tomorrow. In another two or three days, a support force from the Black Mountain troops in the north of Taihang Mountains will also arrive in Yuci in the east of Jinyang.

Zhang Yan had no idea how many people would come in the third wave of northern Montenegro troops; even Yang Feng, who reported the news, was not sure.

It was just a military intelligence transmission. Yang Feng, who stayed in Shangdang, received the news and reported it as a routine matter.

At its peak, the Black Mountain Army had a million men and women, spread across the valleys of the Taihang Mountains.

The cost of the imperial court's crackdown was too high, so during the reign of Emperor Ling, the Black Mountain Army was pacified and given the authority to select filial and honest officials and officials to report to the imperial court every year, making it a special autonomous county-state unit.

Every time the Montenegrin Army goes out, the scale is usually over 100,000.

Under the two great leaders, Zhang Yan and Yang Feng, the various generals and commanders also have personal relationships with each other, and can basically be regarded as echoing each other.

When one person leads an army, he will certainly bring his good friends along, and good friends will bring their good friends along, and as a result, everyone will naturally go out in full force.

This characteristic of the Black Mountain Army made Black Bear very distressed. He put down the military book and saw Sun Qian, and let Sun Qian drink tea first.

He went to the map and observed and deduced the possible impact of this northern Montenegrin army.

This northern Montenegrin army gathered through Jingxing Road and marched westward. If left unchecked, its size would only grow.

It cannot be said that it is a fixed tradition of the Montenegrin Army for men to come out to rob food in winter, but it can only be said that there is a tendency in this regard.

Now that the coalition forces of the big families in Taiyuan are gathering in Jinyang, doesn't this give the Black Mountain Army an opportunity to take advantage?
With so many people in the Black Mountain Army, how could they ignore the drastic changes taking place in Taiyuan?
Even without Zhang Yan, the nearby Black Mountain Army would gather and go out of the mountains to plunder. Therefore, the Black Mountain Army cluster that appeared in the north was intended to take advantage of the situation and rob, not to help him.

After making this analysis, Black Bear frowned, picked up a black piece and placed it in the right royal court between the southern part of Yuci and the northern part of Qi County.

The battlefield is now too complicated, so it is not surprising that the newly emerged northern Montenegrin army has joined forces with the Huns.

The Black Mountain Army itself was a forcibly blended group, consisting of former members of the Yellow Turban Army and the White Wave Army, as well as other volunteer forces who took advantage of the situation, including rebels, disorderly armies, and not a lack of powerful individuals.

The internal positions and tendencies are all kinds of strange, but it is easier to get things done under the banner of the Montenegrin Army.

Therefore, this northern Black Mountain army, which was not under the control of Zhang Yan and Yang Feng, came to Taiyuan for the purpose of robbery. It was possible that they were taken away by the Huns or bribed by the big families in Taiyuan.

There is also a smaller possibility that this northern Black Mountain Army was influenced by the big families in Taiyuan, and has a deep historical tradition of mutual benefit with the big families in Taiyuan.

Is there a possibility that there are also variables in the more than 10,000 Black Mountain troops that Zhang Yan subsequently mobilized?

Black Bear picked up several letters sent by the other party and read them, then found a thumb-sized wooden sign, picked up a pen and wrote "Bai Bo Guo Xian", and placed the sign in Qi County.

If nothing unexpected happens, the other party will be able to move into Qi County tomorrow to protect his back.

Looking at the map with lowered eyebrows, Black Bear couldn't help but smile. If it was true as he speculated, this was the complete status of the major surnames in Taiyuan.

The so-called 30,000 people in Jinyang were just a cover.

It seems that the first decisive battle is closer than I expected.

After thinking about it, Black Bear stretched out his hand and moved the three black pieces of the right royal court southward to the vicinity of the camp.

The Fen River had not yet frozen, and the only way for the main force of the Xiongnu to quickly reach the east bank was to go around to the north and join forces with the big families in Taiyuan.

Even if they did not join forces, as long as the people of Taiyuan released the water, the Huns could easily go around the upper reaches of the Fen River and cross the river to the east bank.

The remaining food and grass on the right side were worth a large-scale transfer by the Huns.

As for going south around Queshu Valley, the three-pass and two-city defense line that he had set up was not so easy to break through.

These three passes and two cities can prevent the Huns from going around from the south and behind them, and can also buffer and resist the attacks of the Hedong people.

Can buy time for yourself in battle.

Thinking, Black Bear raised his hand and pointed at the left royal court, sliding northeast along the route he had taken to break through the right royal court, and finally landed at the right royal court: "Two hundred miles, there's still time to destroy it."

More than a dozen people in the big tent held their breath, fearing that they would affect Black Bear's thinking.

Black Bear lifted the cloth and covered the map with it, then pressed the four corners with a few confiscated silver seals, and then turned to Sun Qian and said, "Mr. Gongyou, now that things have come to this, I can only ask you to go to Yecheng to clear up the misunderstanding between Yuan Shang and me."

Sun Qian said in a gentle tone, "This is what should happen. It was really because the general was young and reckless that he caused trouble."

"It's too late to say this. Not to mention me, even if Lord Xuande came, I think he would do the same as me."

The black bear reached out and grabbed a piece of yellow rice ball, took a bite, chewed and swallowed it, "Everyone is born and raised by their parents. I have 30,000 people who have escaped death here, and I don't mind dying again. Even if I die, I will spray blood on the faces of those beasts in human clothing."

Sun Qian just sighed after hearing this. As a person from a big family in Beihai, he really couldn't understand the business philosophy of the big families in Taiyuan.

Especially the massive number of boys and girls rescued by Black Bear when he defeated the three divisions of the Royal Court. When this data was released, many people were embarrassed.

For the sake of the 200,000 boys and girls, he believed that Liu Bei would support Black Bear.

With just a sigh, Sun Qian stood up and bowed: "I will do my best to clear up the misunderstanding for the general."

"Sir, you don't have to put yourself down. I don't expect Yuan Shang to send troops to help me. I just want him to understand that I attacked the Xiongnu because they were evil, not because I had any plans against him. Cao Cao is strong now, and even if he and I are not allies, we will not harm each other."

Sun Qian was now confused: "General, do you want to borrow reinforcements?"

"I am interested, but what kind of reinforcements can Yuan Shang give me?"

"Even the Wuhuan people in Yanmen and Shanggu were difficult for Yuan Shang to mobilize."

Black Bear saluted Sun Qian and said, "Sir, if you can borrow reinforcements, then give it a try. If you can't, that's fine. After this battle, you will understand my difficulties."

Sun Qian was puzzled, but he bowed again: "Then I will not ask any more questions. This trip to Yecheng is only to clear up misunderstandings and ask for reinforcements, nothing else."

"exactly."

Black Bear took off his bear fur cape and put it on Sun Qian's shoulders: "Thank you for your hard work, sir."

After handing the letter to Sun Qian, he sent Sun Qian out of the tent.

Back in the tent, Wei Yue dismissed some people, leaving only him and Li Feng, and asked: "General, do you suspect that the two new reinforcements of the Black Mountain Army have been bribed?"

"If that's the case, then this is good news."

Black Bear couldn't help but smile and looked back at Wei Yue: "Why do you think so?"

"I know them better than the general."

Wei Yue couldn't help but smile, and said with a smile through the mask: "If the armies are really combined, there are more than ten tribes of Xihe Xiongnu, more than 30,000 soldiers from the big families and counties of Taiyuan, more than 10,000 people from Guo Xian, and another Black Mountain army of between 10,000 and 20,000. Even better is the more than 10,000 Wuhuan people."

"If the people of Hedong also come, and we win this battle, the general will be feared by the world."

As they were talking, the three of them came to the table. Black Bear picked up Wen Pin's battle report and shook it. "Unfortunately, the Hedong people withdrew their hands. But the brothers Yang Guang and Yang Liang made a bet and led the Hongnong soldiers north. I don't know what they want to do."

Throwing away the battle report, Black Bear said, "In the early stages of the war, I will dispatch Zhao Yun and Zhang Yan to the north to participate in the battle. I will leave more than 4,000 auxiliary troops and prisoners. There is only one mission, use boats to build a floating bridge at Fenshui Ferry!"

Wei Yue said worriedly, "I'm worried that Zhang Yan might change."

"I believe him, there is light in his eyes."

(End of this chapter)