Tiger Guards

Chapter 645 Longnan Allied Army
As they approached the core area of ​​Tianshui, Zhao Ji's more than 3,000 elite chariots and cavalry slowed down and joined up with Han Shu's true rear guard of more than 2,000 chariots and cavalry.

Han Shu's rear guard was responsible for logistics and escort, and moved slowly. They would only follow after confirming that the left and right flanks of the road ahead were safe.

After Zhao Ji joined forces with them, it was still a large army composed of chariots and cavalry, and the yellow and blue flags symbolizing the rear army were still raised.

After Zhao Ji used the five-colored flag to organize the Tiger Infantry, he also redefined the way the five-colored flag was organized.

The most conflicting situation was between the front lines, where either the black flag or the red flag took precedence.

If the black flag is the vanguard, then the white flag is in the center, the yellow flag is the rearguard, and the blue and red flags are the left and right wings.

If the red flag goes first, then the black and white flags will be on the left and right wings, with the black flag often choosing the better offensive route and acting as the second striker.

Yellow flags symbolize a bountiful harvest and abundance, and are often used by the rear guard; blue flags also symbolize vitality and the source of life, and are also used by the rear guard.

At this moment, after Zhao Ji joined forces with Han Shu's rear guard, most of the troops carried the Azure Dragon Banner.

Han Shu's rear army advanced slowly, and by evening they had reached a mountain valley more than 20 li north of Wangyuan County.

Now that it's winter, there's no need to worry about flash floods caused by sudden heavy rain at night.

The entire army dispersed to various locations in the mountain valleys, choosing sheltered spots to set up their tents.

Inside the newly erected tent, Zhao Ji went straight to the fire pit to warm his hands. Wen Hui followed closely behind and, seeing that no one else was around, suggested, "Grand Tutor, the army has plenty of torches. Why not march with torches? Even if the supplies are slow, we can reach the county within two hours. This is the safest way."

“Wenman is right, I did it on purpose.”

Zhao Ji gestured for Wen Hui to sit down and warm himself by the fire. Wen Hui only dared to squat in front of the fire pit, and even picked up a coal tong to add charcoal to the fire pit, asking, "Grand Tutor, today the enemy and our armies are clear. Could it be that they want to lure Zhang Lu to attack our army's supplies?"

"not him."

Zhao Ji took out a roll of paper from his waist pouch and handed it to Wen Hui. Wen Hui took it and unfolded it, and saw a string of names written on it, from top to bottom: Yin Feng, Zhao Ang, Jiang Jiong, and Yang Fu.

"These are the heroes of Tianshui that Zhang Gong introduced to me. Yin Feng and Yang Fu joined the rebels, Jiang Jiong gathered his clan to fight the rebels, and Zhao Ang will appear soon as well."

Zhao Ji said slowly, "Give him some time, he will come."

Wen Hui nodded and asked, "So, Grand Tutor, you stayed overnight in advance to allow the soldiers and horses to rest and recover?"

"Yes, Manki, get some rest. Tonight at the fourth watch is Zhao Ang's only chance."

After speaking, Zhao Ji got up and walked towards his bed, which was inside the large tent and had a rather unique structure. The bed was covered by a square leather curtain, the entire curtain made of cut and re-stitched leather, and it was taut as a whole.

The small fire pit and hearth inside the main tent could barely heat up some water and porridge for the clerks to warm their hands while writing; it couldn't be expected that such a small amount of firepower could heat the entire tent.

Moreover, the main tent was designed to facilitate the entry and exit of subordinate officials, so it was not very effective at preventing wind damage.

Zhao Ji's square leather tent can block out the cold air that seeps in from the outside.

The bed inside the square leather tent... was actually just a cart plank laid on thick bundles of hay, with several layers of fur on top.

Zhao Ji slept in his armor, without even taking off his boots, and sat cross-legged on the bed, closing his eyes and falling into a light sleep.

Even so, he was still thinking about Zhao Ang.

Zhao Ang was a close relative of Zhao Rong and the leading figure of the Zhao clan of Tianshui in his generation.

While Jiang Jiong, Yin Feng, and Yang Fu were still serving as state and county officials, Zhao Ang had already become the magistrate of Qiangdao… His abilities had been confirmed by Zhang Chang and Zhao Yan, and of course, Zhao Ang's background was also very important. Recruiting Zhao Ang would effectively win over the powerful clans of Tianshui; moreover, Zhao Ang was also from the Zhao clan, and the effect of appointing more talented members of the Zhao family to official positions across the land would be similar to the Han court regularly selecting and appointing talented individuals from the imperial clan. Over time, this would naturally strengthen the Zhao clan's influence.

However, it seems that, compared to the goal of the Zhao family replacing the Han dynasty, which was of great significance to the Zhao family, the Zhao family of Tianshui cared more about their own privileges and influence in Tianshui and Liangzhou.

Zhao Ji certainly had a stingy side, unwilling to offer conditions to the Zhao family of Tianshui... Even if he had offered conditions similar to those of Xu Huang and Zhao Yun, why would the Zhao family of Tianshui have turned against him?
Anyway, once the world is at peace, we can break the agreement and gradually dismantle the Zhao family and other powerful clans in Tianshui.

But Zhao Ji doesn't care about the differences now.

Even whether Zhao Ang, the magistrate of Qiangdao, would participate in this rebellion was uncertain.

The Qiang Road is located south of Lintao. Although it can reach Tianshui by crossing mountains and ridges to the east, there is no smooth main road, and even a caravan of a few dozen people has a hard time making the journey.

Therefore, theoretically speaking, within these five days, the news of the rebellion by the powerful clans in Tianshui would barely reach Zhao Ang within three days.

If Zhao Ang wanted to cross the mountains from Qiangdao back to Tianshui, he should still be in the Xixian area, the Zhao clan's stronghold in Tianshui. Most likely, he was mobilizing his fellow Zhao clan members and Di mercenaries from the neighboring Longxi Di region.

However, Zhao Ji had a vague feeling that Liu Zhang was able to mobilize Zhang Xiu and Zhang Lu from Hanzhong to send troops to Qishan Road to assist the rebels and cause trouble for him.

Therefore, it became highly probable that Liu Zhang's side would try to persuade and win over the Han and Hu powerful clan leaders in Wudu and Tianshui in advance.

If this inference holds true, then Zhao Ang did not flee back to Tianshui alone, but rather he coerced and incited the Qiang and Di tribes and Han powerful families under the jurisdiction of Qiangdao, and joined forces with the Han and Hu powerful families in Wudu County to march north together.

Since Zhao Ang marched north with such a large coalition army, he would naturally have contact and cooperation with Zhang Xiu of Qishan Road.

In that case, the enemy force in the Tianshui battlefield alone numbered between fifty and sixty thousand.

He only had three thousand elite cavalry and chariots in his central army, Han Shuwan's cavalry, and Wang Qi's seven battalions of five thousand men.

From this perspective, turning Zhang Lu against his will could change the overwhelming troop ratio of four to one to three to one or two to one.

While Zhao Ji was in a light sleep, Tianshui Shanggui arrived.

Zhao Ang has already led his troops north from Wudu Xiabian. The largest force under his command is naturally the mercenary army led by the Qiang and Di chieftains, which can also be called the righteous followers or servants.

By controlling key transportation routes in Tianshui in Longxi, eastern Longxi, and Wudu County in Longnan, it is possible to block the transmission of information.

Zhao Ang thought he was a surprise force. He not only persuaded and mobilized various Han and Hu armed forces in advance at the suggestion of his cousin Zhao Rong, but also gained the support of Liu Zhang, the newly appointed governor of Yizhou.

Not only did he receive the title of "Protector of the Qiang" bestowed upon him by Liu Zhang, but he also received Shu brocade and gold as funds for bribing the leaders of various Qiang and Di tribes.

At the same time, Liu Zhang dispatched a thousand-strong Ba people to Xiabian to join Zhao Ang's forces, giving Zhao Ang the confidence to build a strong army when he was constructing the Han-Hu allied forces.

Therefore, the last uncertain factor on the Tianshui battlefield finally appeared in Shanggui.

Zhao Ang joined forces with the powerful local gentry gathered in Shanggui. The addition of these fellow villagers greatly increased Zhao Ang's control over the auxiliary armies of the Qiang and Di tribes in Longnan, and he became much more cheerful.

However, his wife Wang Yi and their two children were still in Jicheng, and Zhao Ang was also very worried about the war in Jicheng.

Therefore, after sending an envoy to request Zhang Xiu to strengthen the blockade of the Chencang road, he convened a pre-battle meeting with more than thirty leaders of the Han, Qiang, Di, and Ba ethnic groups under his command: "The bandit general Han Shu is a trusted confidant of the Zhao bandits, with no military achievements, and is truly a mediocre person. I intend to lead the entire army across the Wei River, rush thirty li, attack their rear supply train, and cut off their retreat! What do you all think?"

Zhao Ang presented his memorial with great confidence... Zhang Lu was deliberately concealing important military information, and Zhao Ang was truly confident at this moment, believing that he had grasped the fatal weakness revealed by Han Shu.

(End of this chapter)