Seven days later, on the tenth day of February, Sun Tu finally led his army to Yanmen Pass, half earlier than expected.
But this is reasonable. After all, the slow march before was all caused by Gao Qiu. But after he was executed, there was no more delay. The soldiers of the Forbidden Army who were used to being pampered did not dare to complain about suffering or tiredness anymore. Being able to keep up with all his strength finally bought Sun Tu some time.
This is the second time that Sun Tu has arrived at Xiongguan on the northern border after traveling through the Song Dynasty. However, looking at the wall from a distance, it reaches straight into the sky and is more than ten feet high. It is also perfectly integrated with the surrounding terrain, blocking the powerful enemies from the north from spying on the Central Plains. When the huge city was closed, his heart was still agitated.
During the hundred years of the Song Dynasty, how many soldiers fought bloody battles here to block the powerful Liao army, and how many epic and tragic stories continued to take place inside and outside this city. Most of them, I am afraid, have long been destroyed. Submerged in the rolling torrent of history, those people could not even leave their names.
Today, when Sun Tu comes to Yanmen again, he is destined to be just a passer-by. He will only rest in this city for two days at most before embarking on the journey again, rushing to an unknown fate with the five thousand soldiers behind him, to fight with the Liao people. , and even the Jin people from further north met with swordsmen and decided the winner!
When Sun Tu suddenly reined in his horse and looked into the distance, the officers and soldiers of the Huben Army around him also stood on their horses to look into the distance, and many of them also expressed their admiration. The Forbidden Army soldiers who have been in the prosperous area of Tokyo are also very interested in the scenery of such frontier fortresses, especially when the general's majestic momentum of fighting and never giving up is blown by the whistling wind. It made them shaken and filled with emotions.
But at this time, Sun Tu saw something different. Although the gate wall was towering, the wall located to the south of Yanmen Pass could not block everything inside, and they were far away and high, so they Can barely see the situation inside the pass. This made him let out a slight sigh.
I saw that the interior of the pass city was actually lined with tents, and countless people were walking around and busy inside. Looking at Yanmen Pass, it looked more like a huge trading market than a grand pass blocking the enemy's southward march. But soon, he figured out the whole story. Obviously, after the main force of the Song Dynasty had gone north, this original gateway to the Central Plains took on more of the role of logistics transportation and receiving wounded soldiers, so even though the pass was at this time It's a bit lively, which is understandable.
"Let's go." After figuring out the key point, Sun Tu smiled, shook the reins, and took the lead in riding down the high slope, heading straight for the southern gate of Guancheng. Thousands of other people did not dare to neglect. They shouted loudly and followed closely behind them. The military flags were flying, the sound of hooves was like thunder, and they were galloping to close the door.
At this time, Yanmen was closed, and the soldiers guarding the gate had already seen this group of troops. But there was not much joy on the faces of the soldiers. On the contrary, someone spat lightly: "Thousands of people are here to hold us back. I don't know what the people in the court think. It is better to send us more when we send these people." The food for the soldiers is really good."
"Xiao Qu, be careful. If the generals below hear this, you will be punished." Although a seasoned soldier next to him had some disapproval on his face, he still warned.
"Brother Guan, am I right? In the past few months, more than a dozen supporting troops have come from the south. But the result is that the front line should be defeated or defeated. And now we are like this inside and outside Guan City.
In this situation, their coming will only cause us more trouble. "Xiao Qu had a look of contempt on his face, but his voice was much softer.
"Although it is true, after all, their status is higher than mine..." Brother Guan said, having clearly seen the contents of the flags of the approaching team, he even smiled bitterly and said: "It is the Forbidden Army who are here, these uncles. Even our guards have to be careful and fawning, let alone little people like me. Quickly ask the people below to open the gate and welcome them in." But Sun Tu and the others had already arrived in front of the gate.
It was majestic and towering, about five feet high, and the door was large enough for seven or eight cars and horses to open in parallel, so that Sun Tu and the others did not have to stop their horses. They only had to slow down their horses slightly to enter the pass smoothly. At the same time, there were already soldiers running quickly into the pass to report the news of the arrival of the Tokyo Imperial Army to the Guanzhong garrison as soon as possible.
Now there is only one garrison general guarding Yanmen Pass, named Tian Boyuan. Although he is only forty-five years old, he is already a solid border veteran. He has been guarding Yanmen Pass for more than 20 years. He has been stationed here since he joined the army at the age of eighteen. He can be said to be the person who is most familiar with Yanmen Pass. At the same time, he has been stationed here. He developed a arrogant character and did not pay much attention to armies other than the border army.
When he heard that thousands of forbidden troops had arrived, his reaction was not much different from that of the soldier Xiao Qu. He curled his lips and said, "What can only a few thousand people do? But come to think of it, the forbidden troops are very precious. , it is not easy to go to the north to work for a few thousand people. But they came in the wrong way this time, and the war at Baigou River is not optimistic. "
Although he said this, Tian Boyuan did not dare to neglect after all. He quickly came out of the command post and led his people south to meet the forbidden troops. At this time, Sun Tu and the others were walking straight along the open street under the guidance of several gatekeepers, while looking at the left and right sides in surprise. The continuous tents and people coming and going that I had seen from the outside were now in sight.
What really puzzled Sun Tu was that 80% of these people were ordinary people, and soldiers only accounted for a small part. Seeing their arrival at this time, many people were watching with curiosity and fear, asking about their origins. After learning that they were actually forbidden troops from Tokyo, they felt even more awe and envy, and even discussed The voices became deeper.
"General, why do you think there are so many people in Yanmen Pass? At a glance, there are enough people to number 20,000 or 30,000. Do they plan to have these people guard Yanmen Pass in the future?" Cao Yan asked curiously. asked.
"Of course this is impossible. It should be their own consideration. This is all the affairs of the guards and has nothing to do with us." Sun Tu walked slowly and said casually, "What we have to do is just rest here. In two days, I will ask them for some dry food and water and start heading north. After passing Yanmen Pass, although we are still in our territory of the Song Dynasty, it will be more desolate than in the south, and we may not be able to find any supplies for a few days."
"Here." Everyone from the front and back responded in a low voice. Now that Sun Tu is a god-like existence in their hearts, naturally no one dares to disobey orders.
While they were talking and walking, they saw a team of dozens of people rushing towards them in front of them. When the leader saw them from a distance, he smiled, clasped his fists and saluted: "I don't know that brothers from the Forbidden Army have come from afar. I, Tian Boyuan, don't be surprised if I miss you from afar."
Seeing this, Sun Tu quickly got off his horse and returned the salute with a smile and cupped fists: "Tian
General, your words are serious. I, Sun Tu, cannot bear such a great gift from you. "Behind him, the hundreds of soldiers on horseback had all dismounted, and the other foot soldiers also stopped at the same time. Their movements were uniform, but Tian Boyuan and everyone around him were stunned.
It is said that they have never seen such a team that moves in unison, and the top and bottom are integrated. This made them stop being a little contemptuous, and Tian Boyuan's eyes lit up: "What a military appearance!" Then he reacted: "Sun Tu... I dare to ask this general, what is your relationship with the Yuehou in Tokyo?"
"It's this Marquis." Sun Tu said with a smile, but the other party was startled again, and then he straightened up even more: "It turns out that the Marquis of Yue has arrived. It would be disrespectful for the general to take it seriously. I'll wait for Yanmen Pass. The defenders have admired your name for a long time, and we were unable to meet each other before, but this time it has fulfilled one of my wishes." After saying that, he bowed and saluted again, this time his attitude was much more respectful than before.
The other Guanzhong defenders also showed reverence unconsciously and paid tribute one after another. Sun Tu was caught off guard and hurriedly stepped forward to help him: "General Tian is too outspoken. There is no need to be like this..." Seeing this, the people around him also reacted. They were greatly surprised and asked about the origins of this Forbidden Army general, wondering what his extraordinary achievements were.
Of course, those who were even more surprised and proud were the soldiers of the Huben Army. In fact, as they were walking along the way, they also felt the contempt towards them from the garrison in the pass, but it was just not easy to get angry. But now, the other party is so arrogant and respectful after knowing the identity of Yue Hou. Is this the so-called reputation and domineering exposed
Even Sun Tu himself was a little surprised. He asked himself that although he was famous, he would not let a veteran border officer like Tian Boyuan lose his composure. Could it be that he was so polite because of his relationship with Tong Guan
Of course this is not the case. Although Tong Guan also has considerable influence in the north, his real focus is on the Western Army, and he cannot yet influence Yanmen defenders like Tian Boyuan. So the reason for such a scene actually lies with Sun Tu himself. It was not his many meritorious services in Shandong or Jiangnan, but his powerful performance in the Liao Kingdom many years ago.
Yanmen Pass is located on the border of Song and Liao, so they can quickly and clearly know everything that happens there. At that time, Sun Tu was protecting the boy's body in Youzhou, killing Liao soldiers, and seizing the border defense map... All kinds of feats had long been widely known by the soldiers here, and they were even exaggerated. They regarded him as a great hero.
Moreover, the Qingzhou soldiers who had come to the north with him before and were later forced to stay in Yanmen Pass spread the news here, as well as their consecutive victories in military competitions, which made the Yanmen Pass defenders even more dissatisfied. Sun Tu Dasheng admired and favored him. As for his later deeds and achievements in Jiangnan, they were not well known to them.
In this case, the relationship between the two parties has become extremely harmonious. Tian Boyuan did not dare to be negligent, and quickly arranged for Sun Tu's troops to be stationed in the pass. At the same time, he also held a special banquet for Sun Tu to welcome him. Although drinking is not allowed in Guanzhong now, the dishes are quite rich.
It was also at this banquet that Sun Tu finally revealed his intention, intending to stay here for only two days before leaving the customs and heading north. But after listening to his words, Tian Boyuan showed a troubled expression: "Forgive me, Mr. Marquis, this matter is probably extremely dangerous. In view of my humble duty, it is better to stay in the pass for now."
This made Sun Tu quickly frown: "Why is this, but is there anything wrong with it?"