Eighth year of Chongzhen

Chapter 54 Pathfinder
Lu Xiangsheng led the Liaodong cavalry out of Hezhou City and marched towards Chuzhou. The villages on both sides of the official road along the way were dead silent. Living creatures and people fled or were killed or carried away.

Lu Xiangsheng is used to this kind of situation, so he immediately sent someone to inform the supply camp behind, asking them to bury the corpses of the people who were killed. The weather is getting hotter, and if they don't bury them, it will cause a disease, which is the most terrible. Once it spreads, no matter how strong it is The army would also lose its combat effectiveness.

The horse team marched along the official road in three rows. When they left Hezhou City for about [-] miles, Lu Xiangsheng ordered to stop and rest, waiting for the arrival of the Tianxiong Army infantry and the baggage battalion. The cavalry came to Lubian Village In the open land in front of them, after arranging the surrounding security, the cavalry dismounted one after another, took off the saddle weapons on the horses, and went into the village to find a well to wash and feed the horses. Going to investigate the enemy's situation. After the last battle with Gao Yingxiang, hundreds of horses were captured. Except for the disabled, there are more than a hundred horses that can be used. More than [-] people, one man and two horses formed a cavalry squad, and then invited several masters from the Liaodong cavalry for training. After more than half a year, this squad has already achieved considerable combat effectiveness.

The village is small, with only a hundred households, but it is empty now. Lu Xiangsheng and Li Chongjin led several soldiers including Wu Dading, walked around the village and found more than ten corpses, all of them were older It is estimated that these people were killed because they refused to leave their homes to avoid thieves. The courtyards of every household were in a mess. Lu Xiangsheng ordered his soldiers to carry the corpses to the open space behind the village and bury them. A soldier came to report that the family in the village The house of the big family has been cleaned, and the two followed the soldiers to the house to rest and wait.

Lu Xiangtong trotted along the official road with more than ten riders. These ten riders were all veterans who had rich experience. They did their part to take the lead in choosing, and each was equipped with a small hand crossbow, three crossbow bolts with steel arrows, which could break iron armor at twenty steps, and leather armor and cotton armor at thirty steps. The double-breasted cotton armor full of copper nails has greatly improved the ability to defend against bows and arrows. He wears a red-tasseled iron helmet in the shape of a bamboo hat, a small leather shield on his left arm, and a slightly curved long knife suitable for chopping. The bow is tied to the left side of the cotton armor, the quiver is on the right, and there is also a hatchet in the compartment on the right side of the horse, which is used to throw and kill the enemy. This equipment can be described as excellent.

After running for more than [-] miles, Lu Xiangtong ordered to rest, and the people came to the woods under a hill not far from the road. After dismounting, they tied the horses to several trees, and took out water bags and water bags from the horse's compartment bag. Gut bags, the two are responsible for feeding the war horses, the two climb up the hill to watch out, and the others sit around and start drinking and eating.

Zhao Yong took off his helmet at night, took out the lining, took out a few handfuls of fried noodles from his intestinal pouch, put them in, poured water to make a small dough, then squeezed a piece into his mouth and ate it, laughing while eating Said: "It's so fucking delicious! Boss, what do you think we ate? The pickled vegetables are saltier than salt, and the pot helmet is harder than a stone. Not to mention half a tooth collapsed in one bite. Not really hungry, less than an hour after eating, my stomach started growling again, this food is still delicious, it's so fucking delicious!", the others also nodded in agreement.

Lu Xiangtong swallowed a big mouthful of fried noodles, picked up a water bag to drink, and scolded with a smile: "I've just eaten a few fucking full meals, and I forgot what it's like to be hungry?"

Another night did not accept Li Shitou and said: "What the boss said is, Lao Zhao, have you forgotten? In the seventh year of Chongzhen, we were chasing thieves in the mountains beyond Yingcheng, and we ran out of food for three days. The commander-in-chief took the lead in eating tree roots and turf. I didn’t come out of the mountain until I cut off the sweeper!”

Lu Xiangtong continued: "I heard from an officer of the military department who escorted the rations that the emperor personally thought of the rations for the march. The emperor was sympathetic to the difficulty of suppressing the thieves, so he made such delicious food for the entire army. Don't forget if we can eat enough. Thanks to the emperor's kindness!"

Zhao Yong said: "Let's not talk about military rations, it's because of the honor of the emperor, now our armor and weapons are very tight, I think one dozen five can do it now!"

Zhao Shuanzhu, who came out of the same village as Zhao Yong, said, "Boss, we can't go back empty-handed this time, we have to kill a few thieves and take the heads back, so that those Liaodong barbarians can see! These barbarians usually have their nostrils turned upside down. , look down on us at all!"

"That's right! Let's kill a few rebels this time and let these guys have a look!"

"It's not me bragging, we're fighting the barbarians now, we don't necessarily lose!"

Ye Buchao shouted one after another.

Lu Xiang stared at him, and shouted softly: "Shut up! Zhao Yong, Shuan Zhu, you two go back to eat for the brothers on the mountain. Let's move on in another quarter of an hour!"

At this time, Sun Cai, who was on guard, hurried down from the mountain, came to the crowd and said, "Boss, there are several riders on the official road a few miles ahead! They are coming this way!"

Lu Xiangtong immediately ordered to prepare for the battle. Everyone put away their water bags and food, and ran to their horses. Zhao Er also came down from the mountain. It’s a thief’s scouting horse! After a while, everyone will use bows and arrows first, shoot people with good accuracy, and shoot horses with poor accuracy! Then rush to fight!”

There are more than [-] horsemen on the official road, and the leader is Ma Liu, an old thief who was born as a horse bandit. Gao Yingxiang knew Ma Liu's gang of horse bandits when he was a horse dealer, and often bought horses from the frontier soldiers. The weapons sold to the horse bandits, and the horse bandits also handed over the looted items to Gao Yingxiang to sell the stolen goods. Gao Yingxiang was generous and generous, and often bought stolen goods at a higher price than others, so he had a good reputation among the horse bandits. In the first year of Chongzhen Gao Yingxiang rebelled, and many horse bandits joined the gang one after another.

Ma Liu, who used to be just an ordinary horse bandit, is now the leader of more than a hundred cavalry under his command. Since there is no need for cavalry to attack the city, and because there is nothing to do in the camp, Ma Liu personally leads more than twenty cavalry. Come out and spy.

The thieves and cavalry on the official road were marching in twos and threes. At this time, it was about seven or eight miles away from the camp. In addition, they had just passed this road a few days ago. Ma Liu and the others were very relaxed. Nasty talk, joking, strange laughter sounded from time to time in the team.

Ma Liu looked at a mountain bag not far ahead, turned sideways to Hu San beside him, and said, "Turn around that mountain, let's go back after a rest, go back to the camp to play money in my tent, I have to bring enough money, whoever repudiates will be the grandson." !"

Hu San smiled and said: "The Sixth Master is also worried about our money, every time we play with money, we lose it all, if the Sixth Master is short of money, just say, we just give it to you!"

Ma Liu smiled proudly: "Speaking of playing money, you grandsons can't do it. I, Ma Liu, don't even want to win. You grandsons have to play with me, even if I don't want it, I can't do it, hahaha!"

More than twenty thieves on horseback gradually approached the mountain while talking and laughing, and they were getting closer and closer to the woods where the officers and soldiers were hiding. The thief rider was either directly hit by an arrow and fell off his horse, or his mount was hit by several long arrows, and immediately turned his back on his back, and several people lost their fighting power in an instant. People were either dead or injured, and the ghosts of the thieves behind were all scared. They turned their horses and were about to run back. At this time, Lu Xiang and his horse rushed out of the woods first, and the rest of the officers and soldiers also rushed out on their horses. The thieves want to turn around and flee under the surprise attack, which requires a process, while the officers and soldiers belong to the frontal charge, and the horse speed has been raised after rushing out dozens of steps. The horsepower of the army was close to the maximum, Lu Xiangtong urged his mount to overtake a bandit rider, grasped the long knife and slashed across the neck of the bandit, the bandit turned over and fell off the horse, and a hatchet flew behind him. He slammed into the back of a culprit a few steps in front of him. The culprit leaned forward, then swayed, and fell off the horse. As soon as he mentioned it, the remaining few thieves were too late to fight back, and they were all cut off from their horses without exception.

Lu Xiangtong slowed down the speed of the horse, and the war horse ran forward dozens of steps by virtue of inertia. He took the reins, and the war horse made a half circle and turned back. The situation of the thief's camp!"

The officers and soldiers urged their horses to trot, and every time they came to a thief who had fallen from a horse, one of them would get off his horse and check. Those who were seriously injured and still alive would make up the knife, then cut off all the heads of the thief, took back the hatchet he had used, and gathered them together. Ownerless steed.

Lu Xiangtong urged his horse back to the woods, dismounted and tied the horse to a tree, then sat down on a rock, took off his iron helmet, took out a water bag and drank a few swigs, Zhao Yong trotted over, took his water bag and did the same After taking a deep breath, he put down the water bag and let out a big breath: "Boss! The bandits' camp is less than ten miles away, and they are not on guard! Chuzhou City hasn't been captured yet! The bandits know this!"

Lu Xiangtong's heart moved, and he ordered: "After cleaning the battlefield and burying the corpses, and then calling the brothers over, a certain suddenly had an idea and wanted to discuss it with everyone!"

(End of this chapter)