Chapter 8 　　

In July outside the Great Wall, the daytime is fine, but at night, the temperature will drop sharply, making most of the soldiers of the Gongsheng Army who grew up in the Central Plains quite uncomfortable.The commander of the third battalion, Guo Kexing, was exhausted from days of fighting, and Yuzhou suddenly relaxed when he was resting. After visiting the barracks at night, he accidentally caught a cold.Although the accompanying military doctor prescribed medicine, there is no specific medicine for the cold at this time, and it will not get better within three or two days.At this time, I was riding a bumpy horse, and I couldn't help running my nose and sneezing all the time. It can be said that I was in a state of embarrassment.

Chong Pu felt very sympathetic to his boss. He knew that for a warrior, he had to get sick, but once he got sick, it would not be so easy to think about it.But Guo Kexing is a very strong person, no matter what, it is impossible to miss the great opportunity to make contributions because of this minor illness.But Zhong Pu looked at him like this, but he doubted whether he could draw his hard bow.Fortunately, although they are still not quite used to the climate outside the Great Wall, thanks to some experienced generals in the army, there are not too many sick cases.People like Guo Kexing are mostly those who rely on their own good health and refuse to believe in evil.

Brother Zhong, do you think Liang Yongneng will come?Guo Kexing pinched his nose with a handkerchief and asked Zhong Pu. Zhong Pu had thought about this question many times, but he was still not sure.He said cautiously: Yanzhou not only has the advantages of Qingbaiyanchi, but also is the gateway to rejuvenate the spirit, the lips are dead and the teeth are cold, reasoning is a place that must be contested and must not be abandoned. I am also like this ah ah sneeze!Guo Kexing shook his head, scolded his mother in a low voice, and continued: However, if Liang Yongneng let us pass through Yanzhou, it is not impossible.In the face-to-face battle, I expected that those western thieves would not be opponents.Wouldn't it be more sinister for him to let us go, and then cut our retreat and cut off our food supply?

Zhong Pu knew that Guo Kexing had been admonishing Fu Huaixiao all the time, and asked him to wait until Zhe Kexing sent troops to follow up before continuing to attack Yanzhou, so as not to pull too far away from the main force.If you can keep an appropriate distance from the main force, the Gongsheng army will not have any worries after they capture Yanzhou.But Fu Huaixiao thinks this is groundless worry. He thinks that as long as they pass Yanzhou, the army will have 15 days of food, and they can go straight to Xingling. If the army borrows food, there is no need to worry about food and grass.But Chong Pu felt that both Fu Huaixiao and Guo Kexing were too optimistic. He was born in the Western Xia army, so he still had a certain understanding of the Xixia army: Although the combat effectiveness of the Xixia people has been declining since the beginning of the fraud, they have not recovered from the good fighting skills of Yuan Hao. , but it is more of a question of the commander in chief.With the talents of Liang Chou and Liang Yibu, even if he leads a group of big bugs, he may not be very good at fighting.But now Pingxia soldiers are commanded by Liang Yongneng. Although Liang Yongneng is definitely not as good as Yuan Hao, he is still a hundred times better than Liang Yibu and his ilk. However, Zhong Pu was still not so confident.Unless Liang Yongneng plays an empty plan here

Anyway, be careful.We marched swaggeringly, and let out the word many days earlier that we wanted to burn the Qingbai Pond, heading straight for Xingling.As long as this word can reach Liang Yongneng's ears, I think he can't ignore the simple way: we brothers should keep an eye on the left wing. Also, be careful driving for tens of thousands of years! It is about one hundred and forty miles from Youzhou to Yanzhou.In the military regulations of the Song Dynasty, whether it is the original "Wu Jing Zong Yao" or the newly compiled "Ma Jun Cao Dian", there are clear regulations on marching: all soldiers marching on the road, rest neatly for ten miles, and rest for thirty miles. Will dry food, sixty miles board and lodging.Even for an elite pure cavalry unit like the Gongsheng Army, if they want to maintain their combat effectiveness while marching, or hope that when they reach their destination, the soldiers who fall behind will not reach an unacceptable level. The speed of marching must be strictly in accordance with the "Da Song Horse Army Exercise Code".What's more, the Gongsheng Army is still carrying a heavy load, putting aside the rhetoric of the writers, the role of the cavalry is very limited, and the high-level soldiers of the Song Army are all pragmatic soldiers. It's infantry.The role of the cavalry is probably only three: to attack the enemy, to attack the enemy's flank in battle.Although the use of cavalry in actual combat can be more flexible; although cavalry units like the Gongsheng Army are often pretentious, the generals of the Gongsheng Army also understand the limitations of the cavalry.The reason why they dare to be pretentious is not only because they think their troops are an excellent cavalry unit; but also because they think that the soldiers of the Gongsheng Army are also excellent infantry soldiers!According to the requirements of the Code of Exercises, all the cavalry in the Song Dynasty must receive infantry training!Therefore, for the Gongsheng Army, they are cavalry when they are on horseback; they are mounted infantry when they are off their horses!It is impossible to bite open the city walls of You, Long, and Hong states with the teeth of war horses, because no matter how good war horses are, they are only herbivores.

Therefore, although Fu Huaixiao looked down on Liang Yongneng and his army from the bottom of his heart, he was not so rampant that he violated the taboo of soldiers.If you fight for profit for a hundred miles, you will be defeated by the general; if you fight for profit for fifty miles, the army will be halfway there.Although this famous saying is not accurate when used to describe the cavalry of the Song Dynasty, the truth is correct.Fu Huaixiao has accumulated experience in this field in many military exercises. When he travels more than 80 miles a day and a night, even the elite soldiers of the Gongsheng Army will fall behind at least one-third of them. , and the soldiers who keep up will be exhausted, and most importantly, you will not see any formation at all.Unless it is really unexpected and the enemy has no preparations at all, whether it is an ambush halfway or waiting for work at the end, what awaits this army is the fate of defeat.

He announced with great fanfare that the Gongsheng Army would attack Yanzhou, and the purpose was to lure Liang Yongneng to a decisive battle.For many generals, it was an irresistible temptation to defeat the long-famous Pingxia soldiers with an upright and upright army.In order to prepare for the decisive battle, Fu Huaixiao would never allow his army to go before Yanzhou, and it would have lost its combat effectiveness. But not too slow.This will affect future plans. Therefore, on the first day, Fu Huaixiao abided by the requirements of the "Wu Jing Zong Yao" and "Ma Jun Dian Dian", and asked the Gongsheng Army to maintain the formation and march in formation. There are four steps between each other, and the distance between every two days, the distance between the two capitals, and the distance between the two commanders are also strictly in accordance with the usual training.Every ten miles, Fu Huaixiao ordered the whole army to rest and organize their ranks.At the same time, he sent two groups of scouts to search for the enemy within ten miles, front, back, left and right, and within five miles, and strictly ordered the forward troops to keep a distance of one mile from the main force.

With such a cautious march, it is indeed difficult for any accidents to occur. Although there was a slight discrepancy between theory and practice, and the time to arrive at the scheduled camping place was half an hour late, the first day was passed without incident. There is no report of any large-scale Xixia army being found.The several villages that should have existed along the way seemed to have heard the news, and when the Gongsheng army arrived, they had all run away.The horse explorers only found a small group of Xixia cavalry watching the army from a distance of ten miles away, which is of course normal.Without the appearance of these flies, it would be abnormal. As long as the defenders of Yanzhou City are not idiots, they should have a little reaction.

What made Fu Huaixiao feel a little embarrassed was that Gong Shengjun failed to arrive at the campsite on schedule.It wasn't such a big deal.Before there was no portable clock, it was not easy to control the speed of the march, and even experienced generals would inevitably make errors.But being late this time made Fu Huaixiao feel a little guilty. He felt that others would think that he marched so cautiously because he was afraid of Liang Yongneng.Although no one expressed such intentions, Fu Huaixiao always felt a little uncomfortable, especially when he saw the deputy capital commander Zhang Jizhou. Take Yanzhou, attack the Yanchi surrounding Yanzhou, force the Yanzhou defenders to fight, annihilate them in the field, and then the army will wait for the supply troops in Yanzhou.Although Fu Huaixiao once publicly ridiculed Liang Yongneng, his current behavior would undoubtedly be interpreted by Zhang Jizhou as cowardice.

But Fu Huaixiao still decided to act cautiously the next day. It took him a lot of time and perseverance to restrain his impulse. Only the living can save face. According to the military map drawn by the Staff Square Museum, the accuracy of this map has been fully proved, and it is worth an excellent guide. Thirty miles northeast of Yanzhou City, there is a small village called Yangliutun.It is the only way from Youzhou to Yanzhou City.Fu Huaixiao decided to camp in Yangliutun that day. The Gongsheng Army still rode their horses on the Loess Plateau according to the scriptures. It is estimated that after walking ten miles, Fu Huaixiao will still stop the whole army to rest for a while.At the same time, Fu Huaixiao also listened to reports from the inspectors more and more frequently. During the regular meeting in the early morning of that day, he sent two more groups to inspect the horses.The more he longs for victory, the more cautious Fu Huaixiao will become Xuan Yijun, eager to defeat Xuan Yijun, released a lot of bait, trying to lure Fu Huaixiao, so as to further relax his vigilance and make him arrogant and arrogant, but failed. into his trap.

Fu Huaixiao felt a little relieved by the reports of the scouts, they didn't notice anything unusual. But every time Tan Ma reported, the vague sneer on Zhang Jizhou's face became more and more obvious.Of course, his lieutenant general did not dare to challenge his authority in the army, but the meaning in his eyes was obvious: Look, I guessed it right, right? Moreover, it seems that more and more generals think that their generals are overly cautious. This made Fu Huaixiao feel quite uncomfortable. When it was almost noon, bad news suddenly came from the scouts ahead: a valley road in front was full of rocks and trees; many wooden nails were found along the road, as long as one mile.But what is strange is that no ambush was found nearby. Fu Huaixiao immediately stopped the army, and it was a headache for the army to take out the map and analyze it. The damaged road was the only way to go. If you want to detour, you have to walk more than 30 miles. Fu Huaixiao hesitated. Are you sure you haven't spotted the thief ambush?Zhang Jizhou drank and asked Tanma. Back to the adults, the children carefully checked the two miles beside the road, but they did not find any thieves.There was a well-disguised dissatisfaction in Tan Ma's answer. Those who could be sent out to do Tan Ma were all sergeants of at least the first rank of Rui Shi, and all of them were very capable.Zhang Jizhou's obvious distrust, even though he is a low-ranking person, he will feel a little unhappy. knew.Explore again! The horse bowed to Fu Huaixiao and Zhang Jizhou, then turned around and rode away. Zhang Jizhou turned around and said to Fu Huaixiao: According to my subordinates, this is just a tactic by the Yanzhou western thieves to delay the enemy.Otherwise, how could the road be destroyed without ambushes?Our army doesn't have to pay attention to it, just follow the vanguard to clear the way. If this is the case, what is the use of the western thieves delaying our army?Fu Huaixiao asked back. Qian donkeys are at their wit's end.It can only be delayed for a while. Fu Huaixiao remained silent, and turned to look at the marching soldiers around him. The soldiers also insisted on their own words, but no one suggested to take a detour.Obviously, the generals and academies in the Gongsheng Army generally hold a contemptuous attitude towards the Xixia army, and think that it is not worthwhile to detour for thirty miles for this little trick.Even Fu Huaixiao couldn't escape this kind of mentality, it's just that he was more contradictory in his heart. The whole army moved forward slowly for the time being, and sent someone to call Zhong Pu to have a look and make a decision.Fu Huaixiao finally said.He remembered that Zhong Pu was a cautious person. After Zhong Pu received the order, he didn't dare to hesitate, and immediately led a group of people to rush to the valley road that Tan Ma said. Sure enough, when he got there, he found that the valley road was full of rocks and felled trees.Yanzhou, located on the Loess Plateau, is surrounded by sandy grasslands in the north and Hengshan Mountains in the south. It is in the north-south intersection zone between the loess hilly and gully area and the Ordos sandy grassland, which also forms a special landform.According to Zhong Pu, to the west of Yanzhou is the Lingyan Terrace, with gentle ups and downs, and there are almost no dangers at all; to the north is a sandy grassland suitable for cavalry; , with broad mountain ridges and deep and steep valleys; while to the east is the Wuding River Basin area, which has both the barren desert of the wind-sand grassland and the earthy hills and Berlin of the valley forest, where the valleys connect.When Yanzhou was still under the control of the Central Plains Dynasty, it was an important town to aid Lingwu in the west, Yinxia in the east, close to Yanqing, and protect Chang'an.In the era of the war between the Tang Dynasty and Tubo, this was the most intense battlefield. Yanzhou City had been breached many times, and under the inferior force, it resisted the 150,000 Tubo army for 27 days and stood still. .At that time, when the nomadic cavalry invaded Yanzhou, they mostly passed through the west and north routes.And when the Gongsheng Army wanted to regain Yanzhou, they naturally chose to attack via the northeast, which was actually the only option, because the terrain in the south was not suitable for cavalry movement at all, and it was impossible for the Gongsheng Army to fly to Yanzhou. attack from the west. The marching route chosen by the Gongsheng Army is actually the junction of the windy sandy grassland and the loess hilly and gully area.Such an area is not a perfect combat area for cavalry.There are mountains and water here, so there are streams and valleys, and some places are quite sinister. However, the valley road seen by Zhong Pu is neither too dangerous nor a good place for ambush.The hills on both sides of the valley road are bare, except for some strange rocks, there are only a few sparse tree stumps on the loess everywhere. When you climb up and look at it, you can see it for miles around. Zhong Puzi guessed that Fu Huaixiao specially ordered him to observe the enemy's situation.Therefore, he couldn't help but be more careful, and ordered his subordinates to search carefully, and he dared not let go of every suspicious place.After tossing like this for a quarter of an hour, I still got nothing. Although Zhong Pu felt a little unusual in his heart, he didn't dare to delay, and hurried back to report the truth to Fu Huaixiao. Fu Huaixiao finally felt relieved after hearing Zhong Pu's report.Fearing that the delay would be too long, he ordered the whole army to have lunch, and at the same time specially transferred a battalion to assist the forward troops to clear the way. While eating dry food such as miscellaneous cakes, the soldiers fed cheese to their war horses, waiting for the road to clear.After more than half an hour, the valley road was finally cleared. But that was just the beginning. After walking less than five miles, another road ahead was blocked by Xixia people with the same method.The difference is that this time the terrain is more suitable for ambushes, and the horse explorer also found the looming banner of the Xixia army. The opinions of the soldiers quickly divided into two factions.One faction shared the same view as Zhang Jizhou, the deputy commander of the capital, and believed that this was just a trick of the Xixia people to deceive the army; , The truth is false, and the Song army is deliberately lured to attack. But for Fu Huaixiao, no matter what the possibility is, he has no possibility of backing down. All he wants is to fight Ping Xia Bing! So this time he did not order the whole army to stop advancing, but ordered to prepare for battle, and he and Zhang Jizhou personally led the troops to check the situation. That was indeed a dangerous path. Fu Huaixiao led the troops to ride their horses and stood at the crossing to look from a distance, and found that this was a road that could only allow two horses to pass side by side.Moreover, it is still necessary to follow the "Horse Army Exercise Code", and it is possible to reduce the distance between the left and right cavalry to two steps in dangerous places. At this time, the road was full of fallen rocks and felled trees, making it difficult to walk in a mess. The hills on both sides of the road are continuous, and there are many crises hidden in the dark cypress forest. Fu Huaixiao scolded his mother in his heart, frowned and asked the army officer in charge of intelligence: Where is the flag of the Western Thieves? When it was hidden again.Joining the army said affirmatively: At that time, several groups of scouts saw the flag. Although it was a little far away, these people were always meticulous and could not mistake it. Can Fu Huaixiao not be too familiar with the terrain yet. Joining the army shook his head and said helplessly: "It's too far away, and there are not so many people in the army who are familiar with the terrain." Fu Huaixiao turned his head in displeasure, but found that there seemed to be disdain in the corner of Zhang Jizhou's mouth, he was even more displeased, and said to Zhang Jizhou with a straight face: What good strategy can the deputy have?At that time, it was also customary in the army to refer to the deputy capital commander as the envoy for short. Zhang Jizhou smiled nonchalantly and said: According to the officials, this is just another Western bandit's out-of-the-box plan, playing tricks on purpose. Where did you see it? The next official saw a bird flying into the forest, but was not startled, so he knew it. Fu Huaixiao knew that Zhang Jizhou was brave but lacked scheming. He was able to work with Zhang Jizhou in harmony because of him. It is impossible for a person who is capable of worshiping the deputy commander of the Gongsheng Army to be completely devoid of scheming, but Zhang Jizhou's scheming For Fu Huaixiao, he can see through it at a glance, so he is not easy to become a threat, and his bravery can become a very important help for Fu Huaixiao. Can't help but look at each other with admiration.He looked up at the cypress forest on the hill, and sure enough, not long after, he saw flying birds entering the forest, and another flying bird circling out of the forest contentedly. But he was still uneasy, hesitated for a while, and then ordered to recruit two daredevils to go to the place where the Xixia army flag was seen on the horse to find out. The dead soldiers returned safely soon, and there was no ambush in the forest.They brought back the flags planted by the Xixia people in the forest, and found that the location was very ingenious. When the wind blows, the flags can be seen faintly from the crossing. Once the wind stops, it will be covered by the trees.This season in Yanzhou is very windy, so there is no need to worry that the flag will not be discovered by the Song army. The Xixia people have used their tactics of suspicion to the extreme. A kind of anger of being teased and humiliated appeared in Fu Huaixiao's heart.His face was hot, and he seemed to feel that Zhang Jizhou was smiling at him, but he didn't want to look at Zhang Jizhou's expression.He just made a serious face on purpose and snorted heavily. Joining the army, who was in charge of intelligence, didn't seem to pay attention to the emotions of his superiors. His attention was attracted by the military flags. He carefully checked each flag, thoughtfully. My lord, these flags all belong to the Yanzhou Bandit Army. Well?Fu Huaixiao's eyes lit up, and he heard the meaning behind it. Please look, my lord, all the flagpoles are engraved with the characters of Xia Guo.Joining the army grabbed a flag and presented it to Fu Huaixiao, pointing to the flagpole to show him, sure enough there were some messy words engraved on the pole.The award of flags and drums is a major event in the army.Therefore, before all the banners and drums are awarded, there must be inscriptions engraved on them.These Xia Guo characters marked the official taboo of Jing Dexiu, the magistrate of Yanzhou, a thief. In other words, Liang Yongneng may not have come here, and all these tricks were done by the Yanzhou defenders.This can also logically explain why the Xixia people did not set up an ambush because they did not have enough troops.According to the information before the war, because the Song army's threat to Yanzhou was limited, there were only more than 8,000 defenders in the city. This force was obviously not enough to go too far out of the city to face the Gongsheng army. They want to slow down the pace of Gong Shengjun! Why? Thoughts flashed in Fu Huaixiao's mind, and finally, all the thoughts pointed to an end: Jing Dexiu wanted to delay time and wait for Liang Yongneng's rescue!In other words, Liang Yongneng has not yet arrived in Yanzhou. Fu Huaixiao never really believed that Liang Yongneng dared to abandon Yanzhou after he uttered such cruel words.No matter how hard the wall is to clear the country, there should be a bottom line. Can Liang Yongneng let the Gongsheng army destroy the salt pond and go straight to Lingxing?That's why he was so cautious, for fear of what Liang Yongneng would say. However, another possibility exists. Liang Yongneng for some reason, maybe because of the weather, maybe because of a problem with the transmission of information, maybe because of his hesitation. In short, he has not had time to rush to Yanzhou.Therefore, Jing Dexiu had to do everything possible to delay the march of the Gongsheng army, so that he could stick to Yanzhou with that poor force and wait for the arrival of reinforcements. After careful consideration for a long time, Fu Huaixiao not only did not waver in his judgment, but became more convinced. Immediately afterwards, another tempting idea also popped up. What if we break through Yanzhou before Liang Yongneng arrives, and then wait for work with ease, relying on Yanzhou City to deal with Liang Yongneng? Arriving at the foot of Yanzhou City a moment earlier may occupy the initiative in the subsequent battle. Transfer two battalions to help clear the way!Fu Huaixiao decisively issued the order. After passing through this road, the Gongsheng Army accelerated the marching speed, and the requirements for the marching queue were also relaxed.Time has been delayed a lot, and it is very likely that Yangliutun will not be reached before the sun goes down.To make matters worse, after walking less than ten miles, the Xixia people blocked a road again. This time, Fu Huaixiao did not hesitate, and after hearing the report from Tan Ma, he decisively sent two battalions of troops to help the forward open the way.Although just in case, he still specifically told the troops sent out to keep an appropriate distance. No surprises. Finally, Fu Huaixiao was completely relieved. But even if Jing Dexiu's trick is seen through, the lost time cannot be recovered.Because the Xixia people blocked the road, and Fu Huaixiao's hesitation, the Gongsheng army was delayed too much time on the march. When the blood-like red sunset was about to completely sink into the western horizon, the Gongsheng army was far away from their goal. Diyangliutun is still more than ten miles away.To make matters worse, they were in a position where there was no water source sufficient to supply the army.Therefore, whether it is out of consideration for the next battle or out of practical considerations, the Gongsheng Army has only one choice.They must rush to Yangliutun. The generals easily reached a consensus.No one wants to spend the night in a place without water, not to mention people, even horses can't stand it.And for most of the generals of the Gongsheng Army, they are not afraid of bloodshed in battle, but they don't like living in tents and enduring the cold night wind from the sandy grassland.In Yangliutun, there are at least some earth houses.And, anyway, it's better to live in a village than in the wild. Thus, the Gongsheng Army began its first night march on the Loess Plateau. Soon, the Gongsheng army knew how different the night march in actual combat was from the usual training and exercises.Without a well-prepared torch and without a clear road detected in advance, the terrain in the loess hilly and gully area is always unfamiliar. With the blurred moonlight, holding a simple torch, they marched on the winding and rugged road.If you still count on the formation at this time, it is simply an overseas legend.Because a horse accidentally stumbled and was injured, all the people had to dismount and lead the horse forward on foot.The bigger challenge is for the logistics team. If the mules and horses are not careful, they will pull the vehicle off the road, or get stuck in the potholes in the middle of the road. Accidents happen one after another, and all the people in the logistics team are exhausted. sweat profusely. Night not only made the march more difficult, it was also the object of the curse of the scouts.According to the "Horse Army Drill Code", they not only have to risk their lives, hold high torches, and show their existence to their companions and enemies, hoping to use their lives to buy time for the troops in case of emergency; at the same time, their sight It is also greatly limited and spotting enemies becomes much more difficult.The area to be searched is so vast and the manpower is always limited.Facing the enemy of the night, these capable soldiers in the army also lost confidence for the first time. Not only are they short-handed, but it is impossible for them to have enough time to stay in each place. At the same time, they also need to be carefully protected. But in the night, there are too many suspicious places: the night wind blows the swaying of the tall grass, and the messy soil and rocks can make people suspicious.But you can't test them one by one, and most of the time, they can only judge based on their own experience. However, the most embarrassing thing is that, on the whole, the Gongsheng Army lacks nothing, the most lacking is experience. But no matter what, every soldier of the Arch Holy Army believes that nothing can stop their progress. Even though they walked bumps and bumps, no one thought of stopping. After walking for nearly two hours, Yangliutun was finally in sight. The vanguard troops were almost two miles away from the main force, and they had already entered the village at this time, and they were on alert.The scouts didn't find any abnormalities either. This seemed to be just a routine, and no one believed that there would be enemies.Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and looked forward to a good night's rest.After working hard all day, almost everyone looks exhausted.It's just that due to military discipline, no one dares to whisper, let alone make loud noises, otherwise they would have cheered long ago. According to the military law of the Song Army, making noise and whispering while marching at night is an unforgivable crime. The soldiers consciously quickened their pace, hoping to hurry to Yangliutun. But at the moment when all the soldiers of the Gongsheng Army were most relaxed, disaster suddenly fell from the sky. Then I heard the sound of drums and horns all around, and the arrows shot from the crossbow, like an iron cloud covering the sky and the earth in the dark night, flew towards the ranks of the Gongsheng army, turning into arrows and raining down.In an instant, many soldiers died unexpectedly before they even had time to react.Fu Huaixiao's central army suffered the most severe blow because his commander-in-chief flag was too eye-catching even in the dark. Although the soldiers desperately used their bodies to block the deadly attack for their general, Fu Huaixiao's left shoulder Still got shot.He cut off the shaft of the arrow with a single knife, endured the pain and gave orders continuously, trying to form the troops into formation. However, under the continuous rain of arrows from the Xixia people, the Gongsheng army was already in chaos.Only a few generals have the ability to organize their own troops. At the cost of their lives, relying on shields, horses and transport vehicles, they form small defensive circles with difficulty.Relying on these backbone forces, the Gongsheng Army miraculously survived such a sudden blow. No one knew how many Xixia troops there were, but from the hillside and the forest, Xixia rushed out like a tide, and rushed towards the Gongsheng army under the cover of bows and arrows.The Gongsheng army, which had always had the advantage of long-range firepower, was completely suppressed by the enemy this time, allowing the Xixia people to rush to their positions unstoppable. bomb!bomb!Zhang Jizhou, the deputy commander of the capital, roared ferociously. While chopping down two scared soldiers running around with a knife, he directed the soldiers to form a formation.Under his command, dozens of soldiers threw dozens of Thunderbolt bombs at the attacking Xixia people, boom!Boom!Several loud bangs knocked over dozens of Xixia soldiers, but the Xixia people only hesitated for a moment, and rushed up again. Straight girl thief!Zhang Jizhou spat hard and shouted loudly: "Follow me if you are not afraid of death!"Holding a saber, he rushed out to meet the Xixia people. Hundreds of soldiers followed closely behind him, shouting and rushing forward, fighting together with the Xixia people. But there were too many Xixia people, as if they were everywhere in all directions. The death squad led by Zhang Jizhou was soon surrounded by Xixia people. In the midst of the chaos, Zhong Pu was one of the few generals who still maintained a clear mind. In the first round of surprise attacks by the Xixia people, Guo Kexing was killed by an arrow.Zhong Pu had no time to be sad, so he took over Guo Kexing's responsibility and led the soldiers around him to use the horses as a barrier to hide behind the horses and draw their bows to fight back.As the panicked soldiers continued to join under his scolding, he quickly formed a formation of hundreds of people.The power of hundreds of people shooting in formation is far greater than that of the same soldiers shooting arrows aimlessly. They fired in volley again and again, causing great damage to the Xixia people.His small formation quickly attracted the attention of the Xixia people, and became the target of the Xixia people repeatedly attacking and shooting. Zhong Pu commanded his subordinates with all his strength, while fighting, while shrinking the distance from other troops. They have to get closer. At this time, there was no organization at all, and the soldiers were not completely confused, all thanks to a series of measures implemented after the reform of the military system. Soldiers and officers all looked for their commanders and subordinates based on their clothing and breast ornaments. People from different battalions commanded were temporarily matched together to form a temporary formation, tenaciously resisting the enemy's attack.After they uphold the same pride and form a defensive formation with the traditional Song army, they are difficult for any army to defeat. Once the soldiers went into battle, the initial panic was quickly replaced by tension and excitement, and the voice of the commander was like the voice of heaven to them.When the military officers at the same level as Zhong Pu stabilized their positions, the panic of the Gongsheng Army began to gradually subside. Only at this time can the generals of the Gongsheng Army calm down and consider their current situation. The battle location chosen by the Xixia people was a long and narrow area not suitable for cavalry combat, so the Xixia people used bows and crossbows as cover to weaken the defense of the Song army; while using infantry to attack again and again, trying to cross the defense line of the Gongsheng army .At this time, each of them was sure that the Xixia cavalry must be waiting somewhere, and when they started to retreat, these cavalry would chase after them, completely destroying the reputation of the Gongsheng Army. But it is also impossible for them to stay here for a long time. The strengths of the Gongsheng Army cannot be used here, and the strength of the Gongsheng Army has been greatly weakened by the Xixia people's raid.Thousands of soldiers were killed and wounded, and countless generals were martyred.In the absence of reinforcements, sticking here is tantamount to pretending to be dead, and no one has any hope for the forward troops. The only way out is to fight and retreat, to break out of the encirclement. Fu Huaixiao no longer has any distracting thoughts.Zhang Jizhou had already died in battle, and he only owed one death.But at this time, he couldn't die yet.According to the military law of the Song Army, abandoning the commander and fleeing is a capital offense, so he must go back alive to stand trial.His only hope is to preserve the power of the Gong Shengjun.He didn't want to be a sinner of the Song Dynasty, or a sinner of the Gongsheng Army.He silently estimated that they still have three or four thousand war horses. As long as they leave this area, they will not be wiped out by the Xixia people. The commander of the fifth battalion rushed to him with red eyes and hissed: "It's urgent!"My lord quickly leads the troops to break through the siege, and the last general will be regarded as the end of the army.After finishing speaking, without waiting for Fu Huaixiao's consent, he raised his arms and shouted: "Brothers without horses follow me!" Fu Huaixiao gritted his teeth, spat out a mouthful of bloody phlegm, and roared sharply: "After the horseless ones die, those with horses will follow me to break through!" The soldiers of the Gongsheng Army tacitly took cover alternately and changed their formations. The soldiers who lost their horses or were shot and killed were consciously included in the new rear army.The soldiers who were originally in the fifth battalion's command and envoy formation, as well as their horses, did not leave. The Xixia people's attack became more and more fierce.Their eyes were red with blood, and they all chose to stay without hesitation. Before preparing to break through, Fu Huaixiao organized a counterattack.During the short gap between the two attacks of the Xixia people, three hundred dead soldiers suddenly charged at the Xixia people, beating the Xixia people beyond defense.But the generals of the Xixia Army responded very quickly, and soon some soldiers were submerged in the crowd of Xixia soldiers. Seizing the short time when the Xixia Army's attention was attracted, the remaining main force of the Gongsheng Army began to retreat. After calming down, Fu Huaixiao discovered that the Xixia people were not encircled on all sides, but left an opening in the northeast direction. He still remembered that it was the entrance of a fork in the road when he came. A wide area suitable for cavalry to gallop. There must be Liang Yongneng's cavalry waiting behind him. However, the Gongsheng Army also needs that wide area at this time. Zhong Pu led more than 600 cavalry to form the front army to take the lead for the breakout troops.His task is to break through that opening at all costs, and fight a way out for the army. If there are heavy soldiers ambushing on that road, then he and the six hundred soldiers are the victims of testing the enemy's reality.Before getting on his horse, Zhong Pu glanced back at the robes in charge of the guard, like isolated rocks in the rough sea, these mortal warriors stood there proudly, resisting round after round of fierce attacks from the Xixia people .Because of the terrain, the formation of the Gongsheng Army looked very weak no matter how you looked at it, people fell down constantly, and people died almost every moment.The rest of the soldiers who were about to break out were still attacking the enemy with crossbows and thunderbolt bombs. In the dark night, there were constant bangs, screams of men and horses, and flames of explosions. Zhong Pu wiped the liquid on his face, whether it was blood or sweat, spat hard on the ground, jumped on his horse, raised his knife and shouted: Long live my emperor! Long live my emperor! Long live my emperor! Shouts rang out, resounding through the night sky. 這是拱聖軍的驕傲。還活著的拱聖軍將士都被這喊聲激發了內心的驕傲，他們是大宋皇帝陛下的上三軍！ 六百餘騎以一種過分單薄的隊形，憑著一往無前的勇氣，向符懷孝所選中的那個路口衝去。即便是在黑夜中，只有依稀的火把與星光，人們也能感覺到那種馬踏大地的震動與絕決。 西夏人立刻發現了這支想要突圍的部隊，但他們似乎有點無可奈何。 在那個方向，种樸與他的部下們不斷有人落馬，有人是中了冷箭，更多的人卻是在黑夜中因為地形不熟而失蹄落馬，他們幾乎沒有受到多少攻擊否則他們很可能全軍覆沒。 拱聖軍上下都燃起了一線希望，一批批部隊追隨著种樸部向缺口衝去。 西夏人的進攻更加瘋狂起來。 斷後的拱聖軍戰士不斷的戰死，甚至還有人因為過度疲勞脫力而死，卻沒有人畏縮。的確，對於拱聖軍來說，即便只是為了家族的榮耀，他們也有戰死而不退的理由。不過此時這些似乎都無關緊要，什麼都不重要，他們只知道袍澤們都在戰鬥！ 每個人都高喊著吾皇萬歲！然後從容赴死。但他們捍衛的，卻絕不僅僅只是皇帝與拱聖軍的驕傲！ 野利贊與賀崇榜各領著兩千騎兵，馬銜枚，人噤聲，安靜地潛伏在一個小山坡後，這裡正居於拱聖軍突圍的路口外的原野上，居高臨下，借著星光可以大致看清坡下數里的情形，而同樣的夜晚，在坡下卻很難發現坡上的情況如果有人能看見的話，便會發現︰四千騎兵，在黑夜當中以戰鬥隊形佈開，遠遠望去，便宛如兩片陰森森的樹林。 在梁永能的算計中，像拱聖軍這樣帶著輜重的大隊騎兵欲往鹽州，則必定要經過楊柳屯；而通往楊柳屯的大道只有一條，這條道上，二十里內，又只有這一個岔道口。他既在必經之道上伏下重兵，便相信拱聖軍遭到埋伏後，一定會被擊潰。所以梁永能讓野利贊與賀崇榜率領一支騎兵在此等候，目的便是為了全殲拱聖軍，擴大戰果潰敗的宋軍只要還要找得著方向，這裡就肯定是逃竄的路線。而賀崇榜與野利贊的任務也應當很輕鬆，就是收拾一些潰兵；但立功的機會卻不小只要拱聖軍主將不死，野利贊與賀崇榜就有機會生擒之，立下大功。 所以二人對於自己所領的將令，都感到十分滿意。 野利贊一早便與賀崇榜商議，無論如何要生擒幾名宋軍高級武官才稱得上功勞。而最佳目標，當然是拱聖軍都指揮使符懷孝。 隱隱聽到主戰場的喊殺聲、爆炸聲，可以想見那邊的戰況極其激烈。二人都忍不住傅暗在心中祈禱，希望符懷孝不要這麼倒楣，無論如何，也要活著逃出來成為自己的俘虜才好。 戰鬥開始不久的時候，便不斷有零星的騎兵或者無主的戰馬驚慌失措的闖入二人視線所及的範圍，不過這些既非野利贊與賀崇榜的目標，也不能給他們造成多大的麻煩。 二人依舊耐心的等待著。 然而，預想中的大潰散卻並沒有出現。隨著時間的推移，甚至連零星的潰兵都漸漸絕跡。有一刻鐘，野利贊與賀崇榜幾乎以為拱聖軍已經投降了。但隱隱的殺伐之聲，卻分明告訴他們另一種現實。 兩個人的心都沉了下去，失望的情緒籠罩內心。難道自己最終只能一無所獲？野利贊與賀崇榜在心中暗暗哀嘆自己的時運不濟。 便在二人耐心將要喪盡的時候，一陣疾如暴風驟雨的蹄聲清晰地傳入耳中。二人頓時精神一振，連忙仔細眺望，只見星光之下，從路口衝出一隊騎兵來。 野利贊心中一陣激動，抑制住想要衝殺出去的激動，死死地盯著這一隊宋軍。一面還擔心的望了賀崇榜那邊一眼，雖然二人領命之時梁永能便已吩咐一切以帶了二十多年兵的野利贊為主，除非遇到意外，賀崇榜的部隊必須在野利贊出擊後才能出動。但是，潛伏了這麼久之後，因為將領壓抑不住而擅自行動的事情也並非沒有先例。不過賀崇榜部似乎並無異動，野利贊放下心來，繼續觀察這支突圍的宋軍他已經認定這是突圍而不是潰敗，雖然是在黑夜中，難以看清楚宋軍具體的人數與構成，但是這支宋軍的行動一致，與潰敗的情形實在相差太大。 野利讚不由得在心裡讚了一句拱聖軍。敗而不亂，才是真正的精銳。 僅僅憑著直覺，野利贊便知道這支是突圍宋軍的前鋒果然，這個念頭還在腦海中打轉，馬上便源源不斷地有宋軍隨之衝了出來。 符懷孝還沒死！野利贊難掩心中的狂喜。宋軍如此有組織的突圍，在主將已戰死的情況下，是不可思議的。 野利贊暗暗計算著宋軍突圍的人數與路線，判斷著發起進攻的最佳時機。 但是，突然，宋軍停了下來。 難道他們發現什麼了？野利贊心裡一驚，來不及佩服宋將，便果斷的做出了手勢︰上馬！ 种樸率部策馬狂奔在黑夜籠罩的黃土高原上，秋夜涼風習習，吹在臉上，讓人感覺到一種突出束縛的快意。當他回到原野地帶的那一刻，他便有種龍歸大海虎入山林的暢快感。在這裡，在這片寬廣的天地中，拱聖軍不畏懼任何敵人。 但种樸也絲毫不敢放鬆警惕。戰鬥並未結束，危險依然存在，這裡也可能潛伏著敵人。 忽然，他聽到身後呯地一聲，一個戰士竟從疾馳的戰馬上摔了下去。 Call!种樸猛地勒停戰馬，摘弓在手，警惕地注意四周。他身後的戰士見狀也紛紛停下來馬，四下張望。但是四顧之後，他們卻沒有發現任何敵情。 出何事了？种樸皺眉問道。 有人落馬了，像是累的。一個部下回道。 oh?种樸這時候才意識到自己的雙臂與腰間也隱隱作疼，整整一天的行軍，再加上剛剛經歷過激戰，整個人其實已經疲憊不堪了。他再去看他的部下們，都有掩飾不住的疲憊。拱聖軍做為一支精銳騎兵，雖然人人配有裝有棘輪機構的弩機，但是為了減小馬匹的負重，除了前鋒營外，平時並不攜帶，而只在戰前發放。他們主要的遠程作戰兵器是弓。在剛剛的戰鬥中，他們每一個戰士至少射出三十支以上的箭，在沒有經過休整的情況以如此強度作戰，對於體力的確是一個極大的挑戰。 但無論如何，現在不是休息的時候。 都給我打起精神來！种樸厲聲吼道︰休讓西賊看了笑話！隨時準備再打他娘的一仗！ yes! 報仇雪恥之前，老子還不想進忠烈祠。現在絕不可以掉以輕心！ yes! 种樸滿意地點點頭，勒馬回轉。在轉身的那一剎那，他見到符懷孝的將旗也衝了出來。也在那一剎那，他聽到了漫山遍野的號角之聲！大地都似乎在顫抖，便見黑壓壓的西夏騎兵，如同鬼幢一般，從各個方向衝了出來，喊聲震天。 种樸握弓的手背，青筋猙獰。 正東面的西賊要薄弱一點！一個念頭突然跳上心間，种樸不知道這是直覺還是可靠的判斷，但他也沒有時間來請示符懷孝，時機稍縱易逝，他必須賭上一把。 Long live my emperor!种樸大聲吼道，朝著他看起來薄弱的正東方衝了過去。他身後的拱聖軍戰士緊隨其後，一齊高喊著吾皇萬歲！便如同巨大的黑色利箭，向著正東方穿去。 种樸很快便知道自己的直覺是正確的。 西夏軍在發動進攻時，賀崇榜部與野利贊部之間的配合出現了問題，賀崇榜的右翼離野利贊的左翼離得太遠了，使得正東方的西夏軍兵力略顯薄弱。這個結合部又恰好成為拱聖軍衝擊的目標，竟被懷著一腔悲憤之氣的拱聖軍撕得七零八落。宋軍也不敢戀戰，一旦擊潰面前之敵，但馬不停蹄地向前方狂飆。 野利贊與賀崇榜連忙調動另外兩翼包抄過來。 然而為時已晚，這些劫後餘生的拱聖軍有近三千騎竟然都已經如有神助般的衝了出去。野利贊此時顧不得埋怨賀崇榜，連忙引兵急追。 一場伏擊戰，竟然變成了追擊戰。 終於，東方的天空微微泛出了魚鱗白。 符懷孝與种樸率領拱聖軍餘部在黃土高原上已經跑了一個晚上，此時已是人疲馬乏。而最糟糕的是，他們且戰且退，無法從容辨別方向、選擇路徑，在晚上的黃土高原上竟然迷路了。身後的西夏人卻始終窮追不捨，不依不撓。而且似乎還越來越多！在最近的一次斷後作戰中，种樸還赫然發現了梁字帥旗！ 二人不知道，梁永能已經認定了拱聖軍是一支孤軍，而拱聖軍那可怕的戰鬥力讓他心有餘悸在夜晚的伏擊戰中，他損失了近二十名將領，數千戰士。而那些斷後的拱聖軍武官在最後竟然全部自刎，沒有一個武官肯投降，除了隸屬輜重部隊的廂軍與民夫外，他僅僅俘虜了幾百名拱聖軍士兵。在圍攻楊柳屯的拱聖軍前軍的戰鬥中，梁永能的損失也非常慘重。僅僅一個晚上，他便一共失去了上萬名部屬。這樣的一支部隊，在有機會全殲的時候，梁永能絕不會放過。他計算了日程與時間，夏州城的宋軍主力要得到消息再出兵來此，最快也要十天。留給這些宋軍最好的禮物，莫過於符懷孝的首級！ 所以，梁永能一面派人向興慶府報捷，一面將主力留在鹽州城休整，自己則不待天明，親自點了一萬精騎，匯合野利贊與賀崇榜部，對拱聖軍餘部窮追不捨。他之所以要親自領兵，與炫耀武勇之類的虛榮無關，而是因為梁永能對拱聖軍的戰鬥力印象過於深刻，而他的麾下卻缺少真正可以獨擋一面將領。否則野利贊與賀崇榜何至於放跑符懷孝？ 符懷孝此時也已經明白梁永能是必欲得己而甘心。但宋軍的軍法繼承自五代，雖經修訂，但是軍法依然明文規定︰棄主將而逃者斬！即便不是故意棄主將而逃，軍法也規定︰大軍失主將者，將校以下皆免官黜為民，忠士以下流萬里！這等嚴酷的法令，使得符懷孝沒有別的選擇。 為了節省體力，他將麾下的戰士們分成四隊，四隊輪流斷後，充分利用河流與谷道，交替掩護。 但西夏人是分三路而進，擋得一路滯後，馬上便有另外二路追了上來。使得拱聖軍幾乎也沒有喘息之機。 局勢越來越讓人絕望。 如此堅持到了中午，在成功的用一系列花招暫時甩遠西夏人後，符懷孝與种樸終於發現了無定河。 全軍飲馬稍事歇息！符懷孝揣度著西夏人與自己的距離，下達了命令。士兵們發出一陣歡呼，爭先恐後的牽著戰馬奔去無定河。有些人開始狼吞虎嚥地就著河水吃起乾糧來；有些戰士則耐心地餵著戰馬。所有人的體力都消耗得太大了。 符懷孝望著這一幕，微微搖了搖頭，將种樸叫至身邊，低聲道︰种郎，我要汝率兵先去求救兵！ 种樸吃了一驚，抬眼望著符懷孝，大人，我軍已至無定河，只要循河而行，西賊追不上我們！ 我們還能跑多久！符懷孝厲聲反問道。 种樸向左右看了一眼，嘆了口氣，不再說話。 汝率兩百騎，每人帶兩匹馬，晝夜兼程去夏州找折將軍，如果他接到我的信便出兵，此時也快到宥州了。我看到前處有座小山，乃可守之地，我便據守此山，等待援軍。符懷孝沒有說自己能守多久。 無論是种樸還是符懷孝，心裡都清楚地知道，他絕對守不到援兵到來的那一天。但是兩個人也更加清楚地知道，拱聖軍也無法再跑下去了。符懷孝做出這樣的安排，無非是想保存种樸，使一個才華出眾的後起之秀不至於從此無望於軍旅甚至白白葬送於此；也是想保存一點拱聖軍的種子他無法堂而皇之的將軍旗交付种樸帶走，但只要拱聖軍還有人在，即便軍旗不存，也可以寄望於皇帝的恩典，畢竟還有重建之希望。 末將寧願與西賊死戰。請大人另委他人請援。种樸斷然拒絕。他聽明白了符懷孝的意思，但是种家的人絕不會臨陣脫逃。 此乃軍令！符懷孝冷冷地說道。 grown ups! 汝即刻出發，不得延誤軍機！符懷孝聲色俱厲地喝斥著。 yes!末將領令！种樸咬咬牙，轉身大步向自己的戰馬走去。 無定河邊傳來集合整隊的喧嘩聲。 符懷孝走到一邊去探視受傷的戰士，到种樸率部遠去，也沒有移目看他們一眼。一直到馬蹄聲遠，他才頒佈命令︰全軍上山，固守待援！ 在拱聖軍上山後沒多久，無定河邊的這座小山，便被西夏人圍了個裡三層外三層。 dusk. 距宥州城約五十里左右的一個山澗內，种樸與他的部下們發了瘋似的抽打著戰馬，催促著戰馬疾馳。drive!drive!的催促聲不絕於耳。他還抱著萬一的希望，想要盡量將援兵請到。如果不能在天黑前趕到宥州，一旦宥州城落關，未必便能叫開城門。那麼會便耽誤一個晚上的時間。更何況，种樸也擔心著宥州城現在究竟還在不在宋軍的掌握當中。不過現在看來，在夜晚來臨前趕到宥州，已是不可能完成的任務。 清脆的馬蹄聲在山澗內此起彼落，如同暴雨落在巨石之上一般。 stop!忽然，澗內傳來大聲的喝斥。 Call!种樸連忙勒馬，伸手摘起弓來，起身四顧。他身後的部下也紛紛勒馬，張弓搭箭。 便見山澗兩側崖石上，整整齊齊兩排弩手正將弩機瞄準著种樸一行。 一個三十來歲的武官伸出半個身子來，正在厲聲喝道︰你們是什麼人！ 种樸見著那個武官的服飾，只覺得心頭一陣狂喜。 宋軍！ 是宋軍！ 我們是拱聖軍。种樸壓抑住心中的喜悅，大聲問道︰你們是哪軍的？ 拱聖軍？那人疑惑地望了种樸一眼，又伏下身去。 弩手們依然將弩機對準著种樸一行人。 Who are you?种樸再次問道︰我有緊急軍情，休得誤我大事。 上面沒有回應。种樸只看見一面紅旗搖了幾下。須臾，便見自澗外有十來名騎士策馬而入，种樸看那為首之人，卻是一名陪戎副尉。但是這些人身上，都看不出來是隸屬於某軍的。 那十來名騎士在離种樸一行約五十步外勒馬，那名陪戎副尉只是隨意看了种樸一行一眼，便抬頭喊道︰魏老三，出甚事了？ 上面的武官再次探出身來，笑道︰徐義，下面的人道是拱聖軍的。 徐義聞言，又仔細看了一眼种樸，見种樸一行都狼狽不堪，臉上、戰袍上到處是斑班血跡，而胸前的標誌卻赫然是個翊麾校尉，他略顯驚訝，但卻只是例行公事般的行了一禮，道︰下官奉令把守此道，大人既是拱聖軍的，還請隨下官一行。 隨你一行？种樸冷笑道︰你又是什麼人？ 回大人，下官是環州義勇陪戎副尉徐義。徐義淡淡地說道。 環州義勇！不止是种樸，連他所有的部下，一時間都驚住了。環州義勇隸屬於西討行營都總管司，怎麼會跑到宥州來了！ 宥州城外三十里的某處，折克行剛剛接到拱聖軍遇伏，極可能全軍盡墨的消息。折克行的幕僚、將軍們，此時正懊惱不已。 早在符懷孝平定宥、龍、洪三州之前，折克行便藉口擔心拱聖軍孤軍深入而吃虧的名義率軍秘密離開夏州。但是稍微聰明一點的將領都心知肚明，這次進軍與其說是擔心拱聖軍吃虧，毋寧說是在利用拱聖軍否則後繼部隊的跟進根本沒有必如此隱密，一路之上，折克行不僅僅下令晝伏夜行，而且還派出許多小股的斥候，強迫路上遇到的一切人眾隨軍而行，違者格殺勿論。更明顯的是，折克行甚至將拱聖軍也瞞在鼓裡，當拱聖軍平定三州後，折克行便率領部隊停留離宥州不到六十里的地方。 但所有人都識趣的沒有對此發表任何意見，因為折克行親自統率的部隊，不僅僅包括飛騎軍與河東蕃騎，還有云翼軍雲翼軍參與這次行動本身，就代表了小隱君的態度。而當他們在拱聖軍離開宥州後秘密接管宥州時，赫然發覺大名鼎鼎的環州義勇在何畏之的率領下，已經從保安軍秘密抵達洪州。能夠調動環州義勇這樣特殊編制的軍隊的，整個陝西現在只有一個人！藉口是冠冕堂皇的，連主帥石越也在關心拱聖軍的安危。然而知情者都知道，在折克行的謀劃中，拱聖軍與鹽州一起，已經被當成平夏戰局的大誘餌。 而在符懷孝回到宥州休整的那一天，振武軍第三軍與飛武軍第三軍等夏州城的宋軍步軍主力與輜重部隊，也開始大搖大擺的公開向西進發。在表面上，他們每天走不到三十里，而步軍主力與輜重是同時前進的，但暗地裡，振武軍第三軍與飛武軍第三軍，以急行軍的速度，晝夜兼程，一日一夜走一百二十里，只用了三天的時間便與折克行率領的騎軍合兵一處。至此，折克行手中已掌握超過六萬的精兵悍卒。 這六萬軍宋軍，以營為單位分散駐紮在宥州城外三十里的隱密地區，等待梁永能上鉤。而只派環州義勇以教閱廂軍的名義守衛宥州附近，控制城門關卡與各處通道，便四處巡查，防止梁永能的細作走漏消息。 與此同時，在鹽州以南，西討行營都總管司更是出動了三個軍的兵力，隨時準備從歸德川進兵，強攻蝦蟆寨、橐駝口，進逼鹽州，策應折克行。 西討行營都總管司的意圖已經非常明確，便是要一戰而抵定平夏局勢。 但是事情總有意外，沒有人想到拱聖軍會被梁永能一口吞掉。萬一梁永能打完就跑，讓魚兒吃了餌卻沒釣到魚，平白折了拱聖軍，不僅僅對士氣是嚴重的打擊，而且會鼓舞西夏士氣，使許多部族立場更加搖崗，平夏戰局有可能陷入更加讓人尷尬的僵持當中。 而且勝利者固然不會被指責，但是，以拱聖軍的特殊地位，故意使之陷入危局而導致全軍盡墨，已經會得罪一大批人，更何況這種犧牲還變得毫無價值，這豈非是招人忌恨之時還授人口實？ 此時許多將領懊惱與擔心的，並不是戰局。而是在盤算著將來可能在汴京發生的事情。無論是石越還是种詁、折克行，肯定都沒有料到拱聖軍會全軍覆沒。探馬的情報，的確是出乎所有人的意料。沒有人敢隨便開口說話，越是階級高的將領，越是擔心自己的話將來便成為取禍之由。 折克行虎距於帥椅上，不動聲色地望著滿帳噤若寒蟬的將校。 他的確沒有料到拱聖軍會敗得如此快，如此慘。雖然這個情報還有待證實，但是以他多年的經驗，他知道結果也不會好到哪裡去。但折克行此時卻根本沒有把將來可能招到的報復放到心上。事情既然做了，便不怕承擔後果。如果能夠全殲梁永能的平夏軍，便是讓他將上三軍一起葬送在這裡，他折克行也不會皺一下眉頭。 打仗的時候，唯一要考慮的，便是如何取得勝利！ 折克行的心如鐵石一樣堅硬。 利用拱聖軍與鹽州誘梁永能出戰，然而一舉殲滅平夏兵的策略，其實是折克行一個人的主意。石越與种詁，在得到各種情報分析之後，肯定已經知道是怎麼一回事了，但最開始他們分別派出雲翼軍與環州義勇之時，卻根本不知道折克行的打算。折克行向种詁報告他發現了平夏兵主力，請他派出雲翼軍以集合騎軍的力量，與之決戰；而向石越則報告說他發現梁永能主力在鹽州出沒，因為鹽州的南面對著環慶，所以請求支援，並且希望石越能夠派環州義勇至保安軍，給他借用一個月。 折克行並沒有說謊，也沒有違反任何一條軍法。 但他也成功的借著雲翼軍與環州義勇，打消了諸將心中的疑慮。讓諸將以為石越與种詁是他的不過，石越與种詁到現在並沒有任何表示，這種態度，實際上已是默認了折克行的策略。只不過二人心中肯定有所不滿。 但折克行不在乎。 當他坐在虎皮帥椅上運籌帷幄之時，他在乎的，便只有勝利！ 為了勝利，他可以讓千百萬的人去死，何況區區一個拱聖軍！只要梁永能來咬鉤，便值得冒險。 為了勝利，他也可以不惜得罪上司與朋友，更何況汴京城那裡看不見摸不著的高官，這不是在打仗時要考慮的問題。 用一個拱聖軍來換整個平夏地區，這筆交易是劃得來的！ 這一點，折克行絕不後悔。他現在要考慮的，是如何網住梁永能這條咬了鉤的大魚！ 就算符懷孝完了，梁永能亦沒有這般快跑掉。諸將之中首先開口的是吳安國。他一點也不忌諱自己的身分，在眾多身分比自己高的將領們還沒開口的時候，便脫口而出，且直呼符懷孝之名，引得滿帳側目。但他卻毫不在意，繼續說道︰楊柳屯與鐵柱泉、叱利砦等處，皆並為鹽州最險要之地。符懷孝不通地理，以驕兵遇伏，本在意料之中。但梁氏既敗拱聖軍，正是志得