Chapter 3 Strength of the Yellow River

It took Xing Tianjun two days to finally arrive at the bank of the Yellow River. Although it is impossible for so many of them to hide their whereabouts, it is certain that the officers and soldiers guarding Hancheng County will definitely receive the news that they entered Hancheng County, but the officers and soldiers who guarded Hancheng County did not take any action at all, but The four gates of Hancheng were closed and resolutely closed the door. As for the chaotic army that suddenly appeared in Hancheng County on this road, they did not dare to go out of the city to challenge at all. Instead, as long as the chaotic army did not attack the county, they only thought that they had not seen it and let it go.

This made Xing Tianjun's action much more convenient. Xiao Tianjian also rarely ordered Xing Tianjun to rest for a few days in Shanqi Township, north of Hancheng County.

This is not the reason why Xiao Tianjian felt sorry for the people and let them rest, but that they have now arrived at the bank of the Yellow River. The next step is to cross the river and enter Shanxi, but the Yellow River has become a heavenly chasm in front of them, so that they have to stop moving forward and rest by the Yellow River in Shanqi Township. A whole few days.

Although the weather is very cold at this time, and it is almost dripping into ice at night, the Yellow River has been in a flowing state, so except for some thin ice on the shore, the river is not frozen at all. Therefore, if you want to cross the river to the east bank of the Yellow River, you can only use boats. Ferry them across the river.

Looking at the surging Yellow River in front of him, Xiao Tianjian couldn't help feeling a little weak. People seemed so weak in front of nature. Along the way, they also encountered many rivers on the way, but in most cases, they can rely on the craftsmen in their own army to build on local materials. The pontoon bridge is used for Xing Tianjun to cross the river. To some extent, the military craftsmen have been used by Xiao Tianjian as an engineering barracks, and among these craftsmen, there are quite a large number of blacksmiths and carpenters. It can be said that they are familiar with this kind of thing, which makes Xiao Tianjian initially build a framework of an engineering barracks, and it is these craftsmen. The action with the army also greatly guarantees the availability of heavy vehicles with the army, so that the vehicles accompanied by the Xing Tianjun can be well maintained and repaired along the way, so that they can travel long distances while carrying a large number of materials.

But seeing that the purpose of his trip was on the other side, but in the face of the surging Yellow River, they had to stop. Facing the wide and rapid Yellow River, even the military craftsmen could not build an pontoon bridge here in a short time for the Xingtian army to cross the river.

After discussing with the generals, there is no better way to cross the river. At present, there are only two ways. One is to station in the area of Hancheng. After more than a month, the weather will be colder and the Yellow River will freeze. They will cross the river into Shanxi, and the other is to start searching for nearby upstream and downstream. After gathering a group of ships, the ships that can be ferryed across the Yellow River and entered Shanxi.

After thinking about it, Xiao Tianjian still chose the latter. More and more news shows that the court has begun to mobilise more soldiers and horses into Shaanxi to suppress all kinds of rebels. The news that their Xing Tianjun arrived in Hancheng will definitely be quickly transmitted to Chen Qiyu or Hong Chengchou's ears. He can't estimate what these court members will do. Choose, if he has been in the area of Hancheng for a long time, not to mention that it is not easy to solve the problem of long-term food supply, once it attracts the attention of the government and sends a large number of officers and soldiers to suppress it, his plan to cross the Yellow River and enter Jin this time may go bankrupt, so after thinking about it over and over, he still decided to cross the river as soon as possible. Jin left Shaanxi, a place of right and wrong, and according to his understanding of history in later generations, at most, before the end of the year, all kinds of righteous troops will be forced out of Shaanxi again and return to Henan under the encirclement of a large number of officers and soldiers. In this way, it is just right for him to gain a foothold in Shanxi and attract the attention of a large number of officers and soldiers, which is also his place for him. As the most important reason for choosing to enter the Jin Dynasty, once it is delayed here, it is likely that his original plan will be completely overturned.

After thinking about these things, Xiao Tianjian had to send people to closely monitor the movements of the officers and soldiers in Hancheng County. At the same time, he sent all his scouts, divided them into two groups, and searched upstream and downstream along the Yellow River, and counted all the boats that could be used for people to ride. Gather to gather by the river on the east side of the camp.

However, Xing Tianjun did not use force to force the ships by the Yellow River. After discovering the ships, the scouts under his command had to discuss with them, take out some money to pay these fishermen, and rent their boats. Each boat varies according to the size. During the requisition period, no matter what they do, they will be paid five dollars every day. Or two or two. If these fishermen also attract more boats for Xing Tianjun, then everyone will be given some rewards.

In this way, the fishermen who had just seen the Xingtian Army began to be very afraid of the Xingtian Army and fled one after another. However, after someone rowed the ship to the shore of Lingao Village where the Xingtian Army was stationed, they really got the money from the Xing Tianjun, so the news passed through the first batch of fishermen. It quickly spread over the surrounding Yellow River, which made some fishermen and boatmen who were originally suspicious begin to believe that this volunteer army was indeed different from other armies, and their words were true, so they began to row towards the area of Lingao Village.

In this year, the fishermen on the Yellow River also have a hard time. They sail on the water all year round and are also ripped off by various cruel officials and bullies by local bullies. Therefore, compared with the ordinary people who farm, their lives are not much better. It is unimaginable for them to earn a few money or a liang of silver a day. So, when they heard that this chaotic army really paid for their boats, many fishermen on both sides of the strait rowed their boats to hear the wind.

On the fifth day when Xiao Tianjian led his troops to the Yellow River in Hancheng County, more than 100 fishing boats had gathered on the edge of the Yellow River outside Lingao Village, which could basically meet their needs for crossing the river.

For the officials of Hancheng County, Xing Tianjun's action can't do anything except worry. Although Hancheng County itself is under the jurisdiction of Tongguan Road, Tongzhou, Xi'an Prefecture, because Hancheng is adjacent to the Yellow River in the east and the east of Shaanxi, it is not a must-have place for soldiers. Since the beginning of the seventh year of Chongzhen, there have been a large number of changes. After the people's army entered Shaanxi again, the officers and soldiers in Shaanxi were transferred to fight for the transformation of the people's army with Chen Qiyu, which made the troops around Hancheng County more empty, so that when they learned that a chaotic army of thousands of people suddenly appeared in Hancheng County, the first thing they thought about was not how to destroy them, but collectively decided together. Adopt the ostrich policy, close the city gate and close the door. As for what the thieves want to do, let them make a fuss outside the city. As long as Hancheng County is not lost, they will be regarded as meritorious.

After learning the news that the thief army had gathered ships by the Yellow River, the officials in the city breathed a long sigh of relief. Since the thief army searched the ships, there is only one possibility, that is, the thief army did not intend to stay in Hancheng County, but to cross the river to the other side, so for them, it is The good news is that it is best for the thief to cross the river. It is under the jurisdiction of Shanxi Chief Secretary, so it is not their officials in Shaanxi who should have a headache.

Therefore, after learning the news that Xing Tianjun searched for ships along the river, the government of Hancheng County continued their ostrich policy and ignored this matter. Even the small officials who often collect fish taxes along the river shrank into the city and let the fishermen gather towards the area of Lingao Village. .

On the third day of November of the seventh year of Chongzhen, the Xing Tianjun finally began to board the ship by the river. Each boat took four or five people, or about a dozen people. The first batch of Xing Tianjun soldiers who crossed the river began to board the boat one after another. Under the swing of those fishermen and boatmen, they slowly sailed towards the east bank of the Yellow River.

The first batch to cross the river were the soldiers of Luo Li and Yan Chongxi, as well as more than a dozen scouts led by Li Lingfeng and their horses. After two hours of ferry, they landed safely on the east bank of the Yellow River, and then immediately dispersed. They began to build camps on the east bank of the river. Li Lingfeng led the scouts under his command and immediately went out. Start to explore the enemy situation around Hejin County.

After unloading them, the ships transporting them immediately turned around and returned to the west bank of the Yellow River, again loading personnel and ferrying to the east bank of the Yellow River.

Xiao Tianjian led the two sentry soldiers, Zhao Er Donkey and Li Shuanzhu, who were in charge of the palace. They stood on the bank and looked nervously at the river. Although it was winter and entered the season of dry water on the Yellow River, the Yellow River still surged through the river, and the turbid waves beat on the shore from time to time, foaming.

These fishing boats are very small, and their ability to withstand wind and waves is very weak. If they are not careful, they will be knocked over by the Yellow River. Although the first batch of soldiers who crossed the river have crossed the Yellow River without danger, there will be a large number of people who will gradually cross the river. He still dares not be careless.

However, Xiao Tianjian didn't expect that when the second round of personnel began to cross the river, several boats were hit by the river in the middle of the river. A small amount of floating ice began to float on the river. Only a burst of exclamation sounded in the river, and more than a dozen people on the boat fell into the cold and rapid In the river, most of the Qin people are not good at water. In addition, the river is extremely cold, and the Yellow River is also surging. Once people fall into the water at this time, it can be said that there is almost no possibility of several. In a short time, these dozen people will be swallowed up into the turbid and surging river water, and they can no longer see any more people.

"Go on the order and let the ship distance between the boats. Be careful!" Xiao Tianjian frowned and ordered.

Just one ship after another went down to the river and slowly crossed the Yellow River. It was not until dark that all the people in the Xingtian Army crossed the Yellow River.

But because the ships are limited and most of them are small boats, many of the big cars brought here by Xing Tianjun on the way could not be transported across the Yellow River, so that they could only be discarded on the west bank of the Yellow River and left to those local fishermen. Those Franco cannons were their treasures. In the end, they were dismantled and installed. The ship was transported to the east bank of the Yellow River.

When Xiao Tianjian stepped on the east bank of the Yellow River, Xiao Tianjian turned his head and looked at the endless water of the Yellow River behind him. He took a deep breath and said to himself, "Shanxi! I'm coming, Xiao!"