The Sixteen Kingdoms of the Eastern Jin Dynasty: The Competition in the Central Plains

As soon as he finished speaking, hundreds of Xianbei cavalry lined up near the city gate, waiting for Duan Wenyang to choose. Duan Wenyang came down from the tower and surrounded the hundreds of brothers who had followed him for many years. Whenever Duan Wenyang walked up to him, the soldiers would inevitably shout:"Hello, General Duan!"

Duan Wenyang kept nodding and smiling. Suddenly, Duan Wenyang could no longer smile. Why? Because among the few cavalry and soldiers, there are many disabled cavalry and soldiers. Some were hanging by one arm, and some were holding a stick. Some have obvious scars on their heads and faces. This can only be seen from the outside. If the soldiers took off their thick cotton-padded clothes, they might have more stab wounds and arrow wounds. Duan Wenyang walked up to each soldier who looked disabled, patted their shoulders, and forced a smile and nodded. After seeing several disabled soldiers, Duan Wenyang could no longer suppress his sadness, and tears suddenly flowed down. Although there were no heart-rending cries, silence was better than sound at this moment. Duan Wenyang looked at a few more disabled soldiers and secretly wiped away his tears while the soldiers were not paying attention. On the city tower, Duan Pixi and others could see clearly.

Duan Wenyang came to the front of the queue and said loudly:"Brothers, please forgive me for my current mood. Brothers have followed me for more than a few years, and some have followed me for more than ten years or even longer. We share joys and sorrows, life and death. From the Northeast Went to Jinzhou in the west, then went south from Youzhou to Yanci, and stayed in Fuping. Many brothers died in the battle, giving up their precious lives. Now standing in front of me, many brothers are covered with wounds. Some are seriously disabled. , can no longer go to the battlefield. But they still hold on and come to our death squad without hesitation and become one of them. However, what I want to say is that now is different from the past. Now all the gates of Fuping City have Surrounded by the armies of Shi Hu and Kong Chang. We are trapped in the city and will starve to death. If we rush out, there may be a chance of survival!"

Hundreds of soldiers raised their right hands and shouted together:"Come out! Rush out! Get out!"

Duan Wenyang calmed down and said earnestly:"Three generations of Xianbei people in Duanbu, including me and my elder brothers and younger brothers, including my father and my grandfather, have always regarded the Central Plains Dynasty as the orthodoxy.. Over the years, despite our brothers’ efforts and the sacrifice of many relatives and brothers, many places in the Central Plains and the north were still occupied by the Xiongnu and Jie people. The northern prairie, as well as places such as western Liaoning and eastern Liaoning, including Xianbei Murong Xie and others also often fight against each other for land, population, livestock and territory. None of the brothers who follow me is a coward, and none of them is greedy for life and afraid of death!"

Duan Wenyang wiped his tears again and continued:" With all due respect, brothers who have various disabilities, please don’t follow me into the battle this time! Fuping City also needs you! Listen to my orders below. Anyone with disabilities or injuries must retreat for ten seconds. Step out of the line and stand! Those who have no physical problems and can fight ten with one, stay!"

Many disabled and injured soldiers in the queue were hesitant, but looking at Duan Wenyang's majestic eyes, they had to take ten steps back and leave the queue. Standing at the back of the queue. Duan Wenyang took a look and saw that there were dozens of disabled people who were unwilling to withdraw from the queue. Duan Wenyang had no choice but to say:"Brothers, if the enemy invades the city soon, you will need to fight with the enemy! The people in Fuping City are our food, clothing and parents!" After listening to

Duan Wenyang's words, the last dozens of injured and disabled people The soldiers also retreated. The remaining soldiers automatically stood in nine rows and nine columns. Duan Wenyang circled around these people again, and then said loudly:"Brothers, those in front of me now are the last warriors of our Xianbei Duan tribe! Eighty-one in total! If we can rush out, maybe the ones in the city Brothers and people will be saved. But if we fail, we will fight hard and fight hard!"

Duan Pixi and others have already come down from the tower, and the soldiers have brought a cart of wine from the government office. Holding five wine jars. The disabled soldiers opened the wine jars, and Duan Pixi, Shao Ji and others personally scooped wine from the jars. The soldiers took the pottery bowls containing the wine and gave bowls to the warriors who were about to leave the city to fight. Everyone drank a bowl of wine, and Duan Pixi scooped a bowl of wine himself and came to Duan Wenyang. Shao Ji also scooped up a bowl of wine and followed. Duan Pixi handed the wine to Duan Wenyang, and Shao Ji handed the wine to Duan Pixi.

Duan Pizhen said:"Wenyang, third brother, our brothers have been fighting and killing on various battlefields in the north for so many years. Although we have sacrificed a lot for the loyalty in our hearts, including our relatives, family members and Children. We are worthy of our ancestors and worthy of your majesty. Whether we succeed or not today depends on this. For the sake of Fuping City, if you don’t succeed, you will succeed!"

"Second brother, your brother will always be our number one warrior in Xianbei, and will never be a coward!"After Duan Wenyang finished speaking, he and Duan Pixi drank it all in one gulp. The two soldiers brought two more bowls of wine and gave one to each of Duan Wenyang and Shao Ji. Shao Ji said:"General Duan, it is the arrival of your brothers that This allowed Fuping City to be defended to this day. Come, let me toast uncle!"

"Mr. Shao, you don't have to be polite. It was your father Mr. Shao's courage and ambition that made us think in one place and work hard in one place, which saved Fuping City from Shihu's murderous hands!"Duan Wenyang said. After the two of them finished speaking, they touched the pottery bowl and drank it all in one gulp. The soldiers collected the pottery bowls and put them on the carriage. Duan Pixi looked at Duan Wenyang, and the two brothers hugged each other tightly. Duan Wenyang hugged Shao Ji and others one by one and said goodbye. Two soldiers brought over a weapon, a horse pole made of eucalyptus wood, and another soldier brought over a tall horse. Duan Wenyang easily picked up the horse with his right hand. He said with emotion:"When I was fifteen years old, my father asked skilled craftsmen from the Central Plains to make this horse specially for me. This horse has become a part of my life. Today, I will use this beloved horse to charge into battle again and kill the enemy!"

Two soldiers brought Duan Wenyang's armor, four carriages brought the armor and armor worn by eighty-one warriors, and four carriages brought the vests to protect the horses. Duan Wenyang put on his armor, and eighty-one The soldiers were also dressed. The disabled soldiers were putting on vests on their horses. Not long after the carriage returned, four carriages came again pulling weapons. When they got closer, they saw that they were also Duan Wenyang's horses. The horses are the same as those of Duan Wenyang. However, these horses are obviously smaller and lighter than Duan Wenyang's. Each of the eighty-one warriors received a horse. These soldiers stood in high spirits, holding the horses in their right hands. The pole stood on the ground. Duan Wenyang was the first to mount his horse, and other soldiers also climbed on their horses. Duan Wenyang shouted:"Brothers Xianbei, I am leading eighty-one Xianbei warriors today. The number of ninety-nine may be our disaster. Ninety-nine returns to oneness may be our destination. Our charge is our final glory! Brothers, let’s go!"