Chapter 297: Digging the Grave

Yanling County is fifty or sixty miles northeast of Xudu.

Yanling County Magistrate Wen Hui responded quickly and mobilized more than 700 servants from various households in the city.

Although they could not rob and kill Zhang Xiu's fleeing troops, they were able to block the road and delay the efficiency of their breakout.

But before the surrounding garrison troops could come to his rescue, the black bear arrived quickly.

Wen Hui reined in his horse and stood in the middle of the road. On both sides of the road and behind were piles of fireworks that he had organized the county officials to ignite.

The weather was dry and windless, and the air was filled with smoke and dust.

It was difficult to tell the real from the fake for a moment, and more than 300 of Zhang Xiu's troops were frightened. They also escorted many vehicles and were reluctant to give up these treasures.

If you take the country road, you will have to abandon the vehicle.

Just as they were hesitating, the Dayun chariot with the banner of "Han Da Sima" came quickly along the road.

Lu Bu was leading the way. The general sent by Zhang Xiu was about to go up to talk to him, but when he saw that Lu Bu had no intention of slowing down, he quickly reined in his horse and hid aside.

Just as the formation of Zhang Xiu's cavalry changed, Wen Hui also became suspicious. The ghost of a relative who had escaped from Taiyuan beside him shouted, "It's Taishi Wengong!"

The relatives were so horrified that they screamed!

He raised his right arm holding the whip and whipped Wen Hui's mount, shouting in panic, "Go! Go!"

Wen Hui's mount suddenly took a step forward. Wen Hui quickly steadied himself in the seat and was about to rein in the horse to ask.

At this time, the cavalry of Zhang Xiu's army split to the left and right to make way. Seeing the iconic white robe, golden armor and Fang Tian Ji, Wen Hui dared not rein in his horse. He raised his leg and kicked the horse's belly hard, pulled the reins, turned sideways, and ran towards the fields by the roadside.

As he turned his horse, his relatives rode past him without stopping or lingering.

While a dozen county officials and powerful people were puzzled, a few who reacted quickly mounted their horses and prepared to evacuate.

In just seven or eight breaths, Lu Bu rushed over two hundred steps, and his Fang Tian Ji was spinning on the right like a wheel.

Several knights were unable to dodge and were immediately chopped to pieces by the Fang Tian Ji.

Without any hesitation, Lu Bu charged into the enemy's line of more than a hundred infantrymen.

The weather was hot, and these infantrymen, servants of the powerful, and Zhang Xiu's troops were not wearing decent armor.

So after Lu Bu broke into the infantry group, he swung his Fang Tian Ji very smoothly, and nothing could obstruct or delay him.

When the Fang Tian Ji flies past, broken arms and limbs will inevitably be scattered all over the ground.

"go ahead!"

Zhang Xiu's troops immediately followed suit and, without waiting for the general's orders, they instinctively followed and charged.

Soon, Black Bear's chariot arrived at the battle area.

There is no need to clean up the battlefield. The hardwood wheels crush some small obstacles and pass smoothly.

Because of the canal and terrain, the roads between Chenliu and Yingchuan, Chen State and Liang State were similar to the canals, mostly running southeast, which saved a lot of bridge construction projects.

They worked day and night, and just when Cao Cao was meeting Man Chong and Li Tong, Black Bear also arrived at the western suburbs of Chenliu.

Zhang Xiu was stationed here. He was a ruthless man and had rich experience in dealing with military conflicts and mutinies.

So when Black Bear arrived here, Zhang Xiu had already annexed all of the more than 3,000 soldiers assigned to him through more than a thousand veteran soldiers.

Military officers who refused to obey and soldiers who dared to resist were all executed by Zhang Xiu.

Perhaps because he had more experience in exchanges with Qin Hu, when Black Bear arrived, he saw two rows of executed soldiers hanging on the outer fence of the camp.

Zhang Xiu came to greet him personally. At this moment, how could Zhang Xiu have any expression of depression, regret or gloom? His whole face was full of vigor and joy.

Inside the military camp, there were soldiers who had died from torture hanging on wooden poles in the parade ground.

Black Bear took a few sidelong glances and immediately felt that no matter how cruel Cao Cao and Cao Pi were to Zhang Xiu, it would not be too much.

We are all the same kind of people. If we attack someone, we must kill him. Otherwise, we will be the only one who will suffer.

On the reviewing stand in the parade ground, Black Bear climbed up and looked around. Zhang Xiu pointed at the many parked vehicles and said, "The armor and equipment have been loaded. The weather is very hot when we go north, and it is not convenient for the soldiers to move around wearing armor. If they are given armor, they will rebel and it will be difficult to suppress them quickly."

"Ah."

Black Bear observed the area where grain was being loaded. The grain trucks used there were box trucks with uniform specifications and standards.

The amount of grain that a grain truck can transport is fixed.

Zhang Xiu doesn't have much stored food here, and the strong army under Cao Cao will not participate in military settlements.

For example, in Zhang Xiu's case, the only people participating in the military settlement were the more than 3,000 soldiers assigned to him under the duty system. Zhang Xiu's troops were semi-unemployed, so they just farmed the land and made profits for themselves.

Therefore, the grain being transported here is the summer wheat from Chenliu this year.

It is not convenient to grind wheat for consumption when marching or fighting; but no matter how inconvenient it is, you can still fill your stomach by pounding the bran on the surface of the wheat grains, no matter how rough it tastes.

After observing for a while, Black Bear asked, "How many difficulties will there be on this journey northward?"

"There are two routes. The first one is Han Hao's army stationed between Junyi and Fengqiu, controlling the Yingou River. After crossing Han Hao's army, in the Suanzao area to the north is Zhang He's army of more than a thousand people."

Zhang Xiu had already done some reconnaissance and explained carefully: "If we cannot pass through Han Hao's territory quickly, Han Hao can mobilize the surrounding garrisons and gather 10,000 people in three days. However, this year is a very hot summer, and the troops Han Hao gathered are also light and unarmored."

Being a light soldier without armor meant that the probability of Han Hao intercepting them in a field battle was not high.

Black Bear nodded slowly after hearing this: "We will move camp at 4am tomorrow. I will come find you then."

After saying that, the black bear walked down the wooden platform, grabbed the saddle of the dried horse, and climbed up.

Zhang Xiu only smiled bitterly after watching Black Bear and the "Tai Shi Wen Gong" leave.

After the battle of Wancheng, even Black Bear was afraid to trust him easily and was unwilling to stay in his military camp overnight.

But even so, Zhang Xiu believed that he could reach Baimajin safely.

When he arrived at Baimazin, he could cross the river smoothly whether he robbed the transport ships on the south bank or waited for the transport ships from Liyang on the north bank.

If they are lucky, and the transport fleet withdrawing to Hongnong quickly unloads the grain and sets out again, this fleet will be able to transport them back to Hongnong quickly.

As long as Black Bear escorts Zhang Xiu back to Guanzhong safely this time, the chances of successfully inciting other generals to rebel in the future will be very high.

Cao Cao’s current military system is actually very similar to the Jiangdong military system. It is in a state of accumulating experience and ready to change at any time.

However, Cao Cao had a powerful enemy nearby, and only after he conquered Hebei did he have the time and prestige to reorganize the military system; and the conditions for Sun Quan in Jiangdong to reorganize the military system were too difficult, unless his military prestige could be as great as Sun Ce's.

Black Bear ignored Zhang Xiu's thoughts and he didn't have any thoughts about Zhang Xiu.

It was Zhang Xiu who took the initiative to approach him, and was persuaded to surrender by the neutral Yang Jun, so he came to meet Zhang Xiu.

In such scorching hot weather, the armies in the Central Plains are like servants of powerful men, and are unable to wear armor and fight.

Therefore, the probability of Zhang Xiu encountering an encirclement and suppression when he broke out was very low.

In such hot weather, with large-scale military mobilization, many people suffer from heat stroke.

There was no need to worry too much about Zhang Xiu, so Black Bear set out to find Dian Wei's grave at night.

(End of this chapter)