Three days later, Haotian and his party, who were all ready, began to move south from Yanzhou under the escort of 30,000 honorary troops. When passing through Dingzhou, Haotian also specially reviewed the military and political situation in Dingzhou.
Although He Fu entered government from the military, as Luo Xiang said, his ability in government affairs is unquestionable. Under his governance, Dingzhou soon burst into vigorous vitality. Especially
At Wangjin Ferry in the west, although Hexi Road and Anxi Road are still under the control of the northwest ethnic minorities, they have not strictly prohibited trade flow. Therefore, although the current caravans have not reached the level before the war, they should not be underestimated.
After a conversation, Haotian was very happy to find that this middle-aged man actually put all his thoughts on government affairs and talked endlessly when he talked about the current situation in Dingzhou. Luo Xiang interrupted.
I called him several times, but it still took him two hours to finish everything.
Facing Li Xiao's 50,000 city defense troops, Haotian paid more attention to it. Not only did he watch the defensive drills of 40,000 infantry, but he also paid special attention to the rolling raid of 10,000 cavalry. And Li Xiao really paid attention to the training.
There is something unique about it. Under his training, the newly formed city defense army actually faintly revealed a murderous spirit that can only be possessed by battle-hardened soldiers. However, what Haotian values the most is his careful mind, calmness and
Guogan, this is in line with his old boss Fengjing. After learning that Haotian was about to go south, Li Xiao's reconnaissance cavalry began to extend towards Yinfeng Castle and Jianmen Xiongguan, and there was a steady stream of troops stationed on both sides.
It was delivered to Haotian's hands.
After bidding farewell to Dingzhou City, Haotian continued to go south. In less than half a day, the majestic and steep Yinfeng Castle appeared in front of him. Thinking of how everyone entered Tianji Valley here that day, Haotian couldn't help but smile.
Tianyi asked softly: "Lord, do you want to go and pay a visit to Senior Guitian?"
Haotian shook his head: "No need. Senior Guitian is an expert in this world. We ordinary people should not disturb him." Although there is a trail in Tianji Valley that leads directly to the south of Yinfeng Mountain, it is only suitable for small groups of troops.
It is difficult for these 30,000 troops to pass quickly. Moreover, there is no one who is familiar with the formation to accompany them this time, so the group cannot pass through the large formation at all.
Luo Xiang patted his horse and stepped forward, saying calmly: "Lord, the front is no longer our territory."
Haotian nodded. Three miles in front of Yinfeng Castle is the traditional territory of the Li family in Qinchuan. After Haotian took over the Hetao, he did not cross the border. Going forward means that he has left his territory.
You have to be careful on the road.
When the guard of Yinfeng Castle heard that Jingbei Hou Haotian had arrived, he quickly opened the main entrance of the castle, and a group of officials, led by the guard, came to greet him in person.
"General Qin Chuan and Li Xiaoran are here to pay their respects to Marquis Jingbei." A young man said in a loud voice. The powerful voice made Haotian slightly startled at that time.
Haotian quickly turned over and dismounted, supported Li Xiaoran with both hands and said: "General, please get up quickly. We are all colleagues in the empire, so there is no need for such a big gift." He had only heard of the name Li Xiaoran, the eldest son of the Li family in Qinchuan, but seeing
This man's heroic appearance makes you know that he is not just an ordinary person. And since he is the same generation as Li Xiaomo, he may be a direct descendant of the Li family.
Although Li Xiaoran is only twenty-two or three years old, his conversation and opinions are indeed very charming. Haotian couldn't help but sigh slightly in his heart. The reason why the three major families have been able to become more prosperous in these years, despite the decline of the empire and the foundation of hundreds of years
related, but more importantly, they have a large number of talents, and these outstanding rising stars are the best proof. However, Haotian still does not have a good impression of the three major families. If it were not for their ulterior motives, the imperial court's Northern Expedition Army would not have been completely wiped out.
.
"The Marquis of Jingbei is too humble. I think that the Marquis swept through the Hetao and killed more than 200,000 foreigners. Such a great achievement, the young general admired him. He was just limited to his duties. It would be a great regret in life that he could not join the fight against the foreigners with the Marquis.
." Li Xiaoran said with regret, and then turned his attention to Luo Xiang and Tianyi who were beside Haotian, as well as the tens of thousands of soldiers accompanying them.
"I, Luo Xiang, was originally a small official in Dingzhou, and now serves as my lord's attendant. These soldiers were all meritorious officials in the war to restore their homeland, but due to the ruthlessness of the sword, they all became disabled.
My lord is compassionate by nature, but Hetao is now very poor, so I hope to take them to Beijing to ask for a reward from the emperor so that these warriors will not have to make a living." Luo Xiang said solemnly, and then pointed to God's will and said: "This
You are my mistress."
Li Xiaoran quickly saluted and said: "It turns out to be Mrs. Jingbei Hou. I will be blind, so please don't mind, Madam."
Tianyi smiled slightly: "General, there is no need to be polite. The general is heroic and heroic. Having a general guarding Yinfeng Castle is really a blessing for the people of our country."
"General, I would like to thank Madam for the compliment." Li Xiaoran was not a sloppy person. After bowing his hands, he led the group into Yinfeng Castle. He did not make too much trouble for the 30,000 honorary troops who accompanied him.
The soldiers under him are on full alert. After all, the current garrison of Yinfeng Castle is only 50,000 people. If Haotian has other ambitions, although he may not be able to capture Yinfeng Castle, it will definitely cause some trouble.
Haotian obviously noticed this, but his face remained calm, and he still chatted affectionately with Li Xiaoran, but his heart was mostly focused on the defense of Yinfeng Castle. Although Yinfeng Castle has a steep terrain,
It is the throat of Qinchuan Road going north, but it was not famous in the empire before. In terms of majesty, it is not as majestic as Jiayuguan Pass on Anxi Road and Juyong Pass in Youyun Sixteen Prefectures; in terms of precipitousness, it is not as good as Yizhou Road.
Jianmen Pass; in terms of transportation, it is not as good as Shanhaiguan on Donghai Road. However, since the fall of Hebei Third Road, it was felt that the aliens outside the Great Wall would invade the six states of Hetao, and the status of Yinfeng Castle suddenly became important. Qinchuan Li Family
They also tried their best to build this place into an important fortress to resist the southward invasion of foreigners. The garrison also increased from the initial 20,000 to 50,000.
Although Haotian later regained the Loop, the Li family was obviously not very relieved about this neighbor who did not know the details, and the 50,000 garrison has not been reduced. Along the way, Haotian discovered that nearly half of the fortifications inside the castle were
It was recently repaired. However, due to the steepness of the Yinfeng Mountains, even if there are only 50,000 troops stationed here, even with several times the number of troops, it is still not easy to capture it in a short time.
Haotian declined Li Xiaoran's courtesy proposal to stay overnight. He had an imperial mandate, so it was naturally inconvenient for him to stay here for a long time. Besides, this was still the territory of the Li family. If he stayed here for a long time, it would inevitably cause some unnecessary rumors. Besides, this was the territory of the Li family.
Li Xiaoran didn’t really want to stay. After all, although the 30,000 soldiers under Haotian were all disabled, Li Xiaoran was not a newbie. Naturally, it was not difficult to see that these people were brave soldiers who were not afraid of death.
. He naturally hoped that Haotian would leave as soon as possible.
Haotian did not choose to go all the way south, but turned east after passing Yinfeng Castle, passed through Qinchuan Road, Hanzhou Kangzhou, went south on Yuzhou Road, and entered Tiandu Shengjing via Qiuzhou. Although he rushed all the way
Okay, but due to the large army accompanying them, it still took nearly five days to arrive at Tiandu Shengjing.
Stopping outside the city, Haotian had already sent someone to report. Looking at the city wall that was more than ten feet high, Haotian couldn't help but feel an inexplicable majesty in his heart, while Luo Xiang looked at Haotian's sudden burst of pride.
, just a slight smile.
Haotian pointed his horse whip and whispered: "Mr. Luo, what do you think of such a powerful city, how can we conquer it?"
"The defenses of Tiandu Shengjing have always been extremely complete. Even if there are only 100,000 defenders in the city, as long as the generals command it properly, even if the enemy is ten times more powerful, they will never be able to capture it in a short period of time. However, attacking the city is only for the sake of attack.
For the sake of the emperor, there is no invincible fortress in the world. The strongest fortress is often broken from within." Luo Xiang said lightly: "Just like the Qingfeng Empire that swept the world, think about the era of Taizu Taizong, the army
There is no one who can defeat him in the world. He is pointed by the horse whip and reached by the iron hooves. It is said that the breeze will always blow in the mainland of China. But now, villains are taking power, aristocratic families are fighting for power, and the great dynasty has lost its troops and humiliated the land under the iron hooves of the alien alliance. If
If it weren’t for the mutual restraint of the three major aristocratic families and An Yongchang’s ulterior motives, how could Qingfeng’s national power have fallen to such an extent?”
"What Mr. Luo said is absolutely true." Haotian was obviously thinking of the empire's elite Qinglong Xuanwu ### Legion. The soldiers of the three legions were all well-trained elites. If it weren't for the incompetence of the border generals and the imperial court's deduction of military pay, the North would
The defense line would not have collapsed so quickly. If it were not for the evil intentions of the three great families, the Northern Expedition Army would not have been dispersed by the aliens. But even after being defeated, the Northern Expedition Army did not insult their title of elite. Haotian is
Relying on these remaining defeated generals, we were able to capture Dingzhou step by step and even sweep across Hetao.
At this moment, the north gate suddenly opened, and a group of officials in bright clothes filed out. The one at the front was the imperial advisor Pang Ye. Standing next to him were two gray-haired old men.
.
Seeing this, Haotian quickly turned over and dismounted his horse and said, "General Haotian of Dingzhou will pay homage to the Imperial Master."
Pang Ye laughed, raised Haotian up with both hands and said loudly: "I said that day, with the talent of the Marquis, he will definitely be something out of the pool. It is true. In less than a month, the Marquis swept across the Hetao and regained the Liuhe River.
Zhou. Such a good minister is truly a blessing to the country and a blessing to the country."
Haotian hurriedly declined and said: "The Imperial Master has praised me. The reason why I am here today is all due to the hard work of the generals and the hard work of the generals."
Pang Ye smiled again: "Master Hou, you don't have to be humble, you still commanded me well." After saying that, he raised Tianyi with both hands.
"Public daughter Qin Tianyi pays homage to the Imperial Master." Now the situation is different, so Tianyi bowed gracefully and said.
Pang Ye said quickly: "Miss Tianyi, please get up quickly. Haha, after a while, I'm afraid I will call you Mrs. Houye."
Tianyi's face turned red, and the two old men beside Pang Ye also smiled slightly. Tianyi agreed, and was even more shy, so he blushed and retreated behind Haotian.
As soon as God's will retreated, Luo Xiang who was following her suddenly appeared in the eyes of Pang Ye and others. Seeing Luo Xiang's familiar eyes, Pang Ye was suddenly startled, and the two old people standing beside him
Their expressions were also stiff, and several people's eyes were open, but they all understood the meaning in each other's eyes.
After all, Pang Ye was a man who had been tested for a long time. He was just stunned for a moment before he came to his senses. Then he pulled Haotian forward and said to the two old men beside him: "You two, this is how we conquer Dingzhou with a thousand cavalry."
Then General Haotianhao, who swept through the Hetao, should be called Lord Hao now. Lord Hao, let me introduce it to you. This is Lord Tie Zhentie, the Minister of the Ministry of War, and Lord Sima Danggui, the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel."
Haotian was suddenly shocked. Although he had known that these two old men must have extraordinary status, he never expected that these two people were actually the three pillars of Qingfeng who, together with Pang Ye, supported the entire broken imperial court.
Among the many generals of the Qingfeng Empire, the Minister of War, Tiezhen, is definitely one of the best. Although he has not appeared on the battlefield for at least twenty years, his reputation still shocks the entire Qingfeng. He joined the army on behalf of his father at the age of fourteen.
From the time he was transferred back to Tiandu Shengjing from the Northeast Great Wall defense line twenty years ago, he spent more than seventy years on the battlefield. He experienced four dynasties and had three ups and downs. During the decline, he was sent to
Bloody Plateau, where he spent twelve years of hard years. In his glory days, he served as the Grand Marshal of the World's Military and the Minister of the Ministry of War. However, this was a year ago. At that time, the imperial court was newly defeated and his subordinates were in charge.
The regular army only has 500,000 to 600,000 people. His footprints go from Yangzhou Road in the east to Jiayuguan in the west, and extend from the Xijiang Defense Line in the south to the Great Wall Defense Line in the north. The Qingfeng Empire has been the most outstanding in these decades.
Generals such as Ouyang Jingzhong, the current commander of the Southern Army, Han Fu, the commander of the Suzaku Army, Liu Nance, the commander of the Imperial Guard Army, and Hua Mo Zhao Mu, who died in the Northern Expedition, all served under him.
What Haotian didn't expect was that such a thin old man could actually support Qingfeng's million-strong army.
Although Sima Danggui cannot compare with Tie Zhen in terms of qualifications, he has also experienced three dynasties. Together with Lin Taiyue of Hetao, Guan Fushi of Donghai and Lu Qingliu of Jiangnan, he is also known as the Four Great Confucians of Qingfeng. He served as the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel for thirty years.
, in addition to the children of the three major aristocratic families, at least 60% of the officials in the imperial court were his disciples. If Tie Zhen was a man of his word in the army, then his prestige in the imperial court was unmatched. Even
National Preceptor Pang Ye was extremely polite when facing this seventy-year-old man. However, this old man always kept a low profile. Although he was highly respected, his reputation could not be compared with Pang Ye's.
"Haotian pays homage to the two adults." Haotian bowed respectfully. He respects these two old men from the bottom of his heart, and his sincerity can be felt even by Tianyi and others around him, and Tie Tie
Zhen Zhen and Sima Angelica just smiled slightly. With their status, they naturally would not salute Haotian, so they smiled and praised a few words. However, when Sima Angelica looked at Luo Xiang, he nodded strangely, and Luo
Xiang now no longer has his inherent gloominess, and actually has a sincere expression on his face.