When Haotian got out of the carriage, Luo Xiang and others were already lined up in front. Luo Xiang had straightened his hat and stood at the front honestly. In today's world, Luo Xiangchu and Xiangcheng are the people who can be respected.
There is not much left. The three pillars of Qingfeng have all died for the country. The highly respected old prince of the Qingfeng royal family and the uncle of Emperor Shenzong, King Ding Ning, have also passed away. Haotian thought for a while and counted, except for the Duke of Jingnan Ouyang Jingzhong in front of him.
, I’m afraid there is only Hao Quan, the old servant of Qingyun’s father from his hometown.
Xin Jiao and three others followed Haotian closely. When they were about to reach the front, Xue Qingcheng, who had taken off his bronze mask, also stood beside Xian Lianchen.
Haotian had never met Jingnan Gong Ouyang Jingzhong, nor had he seen his portrait. But looking at the old man in front of him, he intuitively knew that this man must be Jingnan Gong Ouyang Jingzhong.
The old man had gray hair. Because he only wore armor and no helmet, his white hair was constantly blowing in the gentle southwest wind. Coupled with the ravines and wrinkles on his forehead, it gave people a feeling of incomparable vicissitudes. Although
Judging from his age, he is already an old man, but his back is straight and the raised veins on his hands show that his hands are still strong. In the Mingguang armor, he clearly has the demeanor of a battle-hardened veteran. However,
What shot out from his eyes was not a sharp light, but an extremely soft and vicissitudes of life. Haotian even saw endless sadness in his eyes.
"Hetao Haotian pays homage to Duke Jingnan!" Haotian walked up to the old man and bowed respectfully.
Ouyang Jingzhong quickly held Haotian with both hands and smiled softly: "Your Majesty is now a prince, and both official and noble titles are above me. How can I accept such a great gift from you?"
Haotian said quickly: "Commander, you are so polite. This is what a junior should do."
"Junior?" Ouyang Jingzhong touched his beard and suddenly smiled: "That's true, haha. The three outstanding talents of the year were all outstanding men. They are worthy of being the sons of Hao Fei and Qin Shang, and he has lived up to them.
expectations.”
Luo Xiang also hurriedly walked over and saluted the old man: "Jiuyuan pays homage to the commander-in-chief."
Ouyang Jingzhong looked at Luo Xiang for a long time, then sighed and said: "After so many years, you have changed a lot. At least, you are not as passionate and impulsive as before. Fortunately, you are all still alive."
Xuanji Xuesha, Dugu and Haotian's four wives also came up to pay homage to Ouyang Jingzhong. After all, Ouyang Jingzhong is the only remaining military veteran in the empire, and his reputation as a character is second to none in the empire. Naturally, a few of them
Don't dare to neglect.
"The disciples of the Imperial Master are indeed a bit like the Imperial Master. Hey, Princess Qingcheng and Miss Xin Jiao, I didn't expect to see you here." Ouyang Jingzhong said in surprise, but when he saw Xue Sha and Dugu, he was surprised again.
Yixiao: "I didn't expect the two commanders to come. It's really an honor for me to be able to fight side by side with you two."
Dugu, an old gangster who was fearless and never knew what shame was, actually said with a face of shame: "Commander, in front of you, how can we two dare to call ourselves handsome? Just call us by our names."
Haotian was a little surprised: "Commander, do you know my mother?"
Ouyang Jingzhong chuckled: "We know each other, of course we know each other. Well, it must have been the fifteenth year of Cheng Lie's reign. At that time, I was just the deputy commander of the Southern Army. At that time, I passed through Qinchuan via Yizhou Road from southern Yunnan.
When I returned to Tiandu Shengjing, I happened to meet Qin Shang who had just debuted near Yangzhou. The girl was only sixteen years old at that time. Haha, she went to Tiandu Shengjing with me."
Luo Xiang raised his eyebrows. He knew that Ouyang Jingzhong and Qin Shang had a history. Qin Shang also respected Ouyang Jingzhong, but he had never heard Qin Shang mention this past incident. It seemed that Qin Shang deliberately concealed this incident.
The matter shouldn't be a big deal. After all, Ouyang Jingzhong was almost sixty at the time and already had a good reputation in the empire. Could it be because he had just made his debut?
Qiu Mu also listened to this sentence. She is different from Haotian. Haotian has thicker nerves and is the kind of person who is confused about small things and smart about big things. She herself is the person responsible for writing the secret history, so she naturally has a delicate mind. Thinking of Haotian
Tian was particularly fond of Bajiao, and suddenly he realized, could it be that Qin Shang's hometown is near Yangzhou on Yizhou Road?
"Commander, it's windy outside the city. Moreover, we are blocked here and it is inconvenient for the people to come in and out. Let's talk inside." Shi Gu Changfeng, Ouyang Jingzhong's marching commander, took advantage of this opportunity and said.
"That's fine." Ouyang Jingzhong nodded and said, leading the way and leading Haotian and his party into the city gate. As for the army of Xue Sha and others, they naturally stayed outside the city.
Along the way, Haotian was also carefully observing the situation in Hongzhou City. Although it had been besieged for nearly a month, the order in Hongzhou City did not seem to be damaged at all. Although the business was depressed a lot, but
The people coming and going were walking very fast, without any hint of war. It seemed that Ouyang Jingzhong had indeed managed Hongzhou in an orderly manner.
"Of the six states on Dahu Road now, only Hongzhou is decent." Ouyang Jingzhong said lightly, but Haotian still felt the deep sadness coming from the old man.
Entering Ouyang Jingzhong's mansion, after a circle of people sat down, Haotian asked strangely: "Commander, hasn't King Anle led his army to Hongzhou? Why didn't he see King Anle's people?
"
Cheng Guochi, deputy commander of the Southern Army Corps, said with a smile: "After a hasty meeting with the commander, the prince discussed the current situation on Dahu Road, and then led the army south to Wangzhou and other places to garrison the Xijiang defense line."
"Well, King Anle is quite magnanimous and selfless." Haotian said with a smile.
However, Liu Nanshang probably had no choice but to do this. After the Battle of Hongzhou, the total strength of the Southern Military Region may still be at most 100,000, but the common people are barely alive. Such a vast land is surrounded by the four southern Yunnan tribes with scorpion-minded people.
Just one hundred thousand soldiers simply cannot shoulder such a heavy task. Moreover, the Holy Sect of Ultimate Bliss has suffered such a heavy blow. It is expected that in a short time, there will be no power to interfere with Jiangnan Road. The power of the imperial court is just in time to fill this gap. However, the Holy Sect of Ultimate Bliss is now in the process of
Jiangbei is raging. With the courage of Emperor Zhongxing, he should be eager to hope that Liu Nanshang will lead the Suzaku Army back to save his life.
Haotian paused for a moment, considered his tone, and said to Ouyang Jingzhong: "Commander, what can our Hetao do for you or Dahu Road?"
Ouyang Jingzhong smiled bitterly: "My lord, I appreciate your kindness. However, what Dahu Road lacks now is not something that the Hetao can support."
Haotian was silent, of course he knew what Dahu Road was lacking now. The first was sufficient labor force. Dahu Road was an important food area of the empire and was originally a densely populated area. But after this ravage, I am afraid that outside the city of Hongzhou
, it is already difficult to see intact villages. The Haotian carriage traveled all the way from Yizhou to Hongzhou via Xingzhou. After entering the boundary of Dahu Road, I only saw the smoke from the kitchen in the northwest corner of Xingzhou, and the rest of the place was full of smoke.
Thousands of miles of uninhabited land, with bones scattered all over the wilderness. The area currently under the control of the imperial court is only Tiandu Shengjing and the fringe area south of Yuzhou Road, with a population of less than six million. Moreover, the people in Tiandu Shengjing are thousands of miles away.
It’s better to forget about going all the way to Dahu Road to farm. But for the restoration of Dahu Road, we must at least get the land ready first.
The second is funds. Countless people died in the disaster, and most of the property was lost. After the war, the first thing is to restore the lives of the people. But the court is already stretched thin, and the relationship between Dahu Road and the court is somewhat troublesome.
Emperor Zhongxing's virtues may not be used in this place even if he has money.
Finally, there is the military aspect. The Southern Military Region has basically been disabled. Although Ouyang Jingzhong still has 70,000 to 80,000 troops in his hands, it may still be difficult to shoulder the heavy responsibility of this thousand-mile defense line. The Suzaku Army cannot be stationed here for a long time. Emperor Zhongxing
He will inevitably be transferred back to Tiandu Shengjing to ensure the safety of his life. Jinhua Mitsukoshi suffered heavy losses. An army of 400,000 marched north, and less than 150,000 returned. However, the losses of the four tribes in southern Yunnan were limited. Since they have already fought with
Qingfeng was torn. Who knew if they would jump over the wall in a hurry? But the Loop was destined not to be able to station troops here.
After a moment of silence, Haotian opened his mouth and shouted: "Chen Han!"
"My subordinates are here." Marching Left Shi Chen Han stood up quickly.
Haotian's fingers tapped on the table rhythmically: "You and Meng Xiaoting go and do some statistics with Mr. Gu to see what Dahu Road needs most now. We still have some wealth in Hetao. Although we can't fully meet the needs of Dahu Road, we still have some wealth.
At least I can do my part for the people."
There are two marching commanders of Haotian, both of whom were the scholars of Hetao who gathered after the recapture of Hetao. They are Chen Han and Meng Xiaoting. The left historian records the words, and the right historian records the actions. Chen Han specializes in recording Haotian's words and deeds, while remaining silent
Meng Xiaoting records what Haotian has done. But both of them are a little pedantic and often talk about benevolence, justice and morality, so Haotian is a little unhappy with the two of them. But both of them are quite talented and learned.
They are also upright and selfless, so Haotian can't do anything to them.
The relationship between these two people and Xuanji is pretty good, and Xuanji has always been responsible for Haotian's behavior, so the two of them can be considered Xuanji's people.
Gu Changfeng was overjoyed and hurriedly took Chen Han out. The Hetao has been standing in the northwest for several years. Due to the strong internal affairs of the Qingming Dynasty and the encouragement of agriculture and business, the Hetao has developed extremely rapidly. Just two years ago, the products of the Hetao have passed through
The Yinfeng Mountain Range has expanded to the Dahu Road area. Haotian has always been a generous person, so he thought that with the help of the Loop, the reconstruction here would be somewhat easier.
Haotian also breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, there was no shortage of food on Dahu Road. With the strategic reserves in Hongzhou City, it could support Hongzhou for at least half a year. Otherwise, Haotian really didn't know what to do.
Ouyang Jingzhong saw that Haotian was still a little worried, and couldn't help but smile and said: "My lord, you don't have to worry too much about the safety of our Dahu Road. Jinhua Mitsukoshi has a total of 800,000 troops, but this time half of the troops marched north, although they plundered a lot of
Wealth returned, but at least half of their troops were lost. They will not go north in a short time. As for the four tribes in southern Yunnan, if their army's combat effectiveness was not in the special geographical environment of southern Yunnan, even if they had exhausted their 400,000 tribal private
Soldiers, with the 80,000 soldiers in my hand, I can defeat them and throw away their armor. Moreover, the Song family is now on the verge of reconciliation with the empire, and they will probably increase their suppression of the four tribes in southern Yunnan.
"
Haotian hesitated for a moment and then said: "Commander, actually this is not what I am worried about, but will your Majesty take the opportunity to transfer you back to the court?"
Ouyang Jingzhong was startled, with a wry smile on his face. He shook his head feebly, and his white hair swayed: "Your Majesty has been thinking about Dahu Road for more than a day or two. If it weren't for the more than 10 million yuan spent on Dahu Road,
People, I will not miss this position at all. If the empire is strong, then your majesty will definitely take the opportunity to add insult to injury, but now the imperial court is weak, and the Dahu Road side also needs someone who can really suppress the situation to ensure the stability of the imperial court.
Food security. Therefore, the most His Majesty can do is send someone to supervise the situation, but he will never send me back."
Haotian is not an idiot either. He quickly understood the reason and immediately smiled: "Then I can rest assured. I think that as long as you are here, Commander-in-Chief, Dahu Road will never fall."
Ouyang Jingzhong said with a face full of shame: "Your Majesty, please don't say that. If the princes Gu Quanyi had not resolutely led the army to attack this time, even Hongzhou would have fallen long ago. The general is incompetent and tired.
The three armies are dead. This commander is just using his name in vain."
Luo Xiang interjected: "The commander-in-chief said this politely. Facing 800,000 enemy troops attacking from three sides, the commander-in-chief only used the 300,000 troops in his hands to not only cause the same amount of damage to the opponent, but also
Holding on to Hongzhou for nearly a month and saving millions of people from disaster is already commendable."
Xuanji also said: "Commander, you can't bear all the things on yourself. These are not your fault in the first place. Justice for thousands of years will have its own comment by future generations. At least, these more than a hundred people in Hongzhou City
It’s enough for all the people to understand in their hearts.”
Ouyang Jingzhong laughed: "You have misunderstood. Ever since I followed the late emperor out of Shanhaiguan, I have not cared about my personal honor or disgrace. However, when I think of millions of people suffering such a disaster, I feel uncomfortable.
.”
Taking a long breath, Ouyang Jingzhong changed the subject: "Your Majesty, what do you mean, are you planning to return to Jiangbei immediately?"
Haotian did not hide anything from the old man, but said honestly: "I have this plan. The army of the Holy Sect of Paradise has broken through to the north of the Yangtze River, and its whereabouts are uncertain now. I originally wanted to pursue them in tandem, but..."
Ouyang Jingzhong smiled, he naturally knew what Haotian wanted to say. The places where the Holy Sect of Paradise currently operates are the territories of the three major families. Haotian's Hetao has already dominated the northwest. If he is now leading 200,000 people with murderous intent
Entering the opponent's territory. Who knows whether the opponent will think that Hetao is taking advantage of the road to attack Guo, or is trying to occupy a magpie's nest?
Haotian continued: "The main force of the Holy Sect of Paradise has left the country. The Wan Chengdong Ye Hengsheng tribe who stayed behind has been disabled by us. Pinglang has been restrained in Raozhou. The rear area is empty. Therefore, I am preparing to cross the river in Linzhou.
, the army swept across the base of the Holy Sect of Paradise."
"Well, this is a good idea. But if you cross the river in Linzhou, you will definitely choose Chizhou Ferry. The conditions for crossing the river there are good, but there are not enough ships, so you may have to build a temporary ship. Moreover,
The navy of Dongbo is near Shouzhou, so the danger is not small."
"Don't worry, Commander. Princess Qing from the Weiyuan Palace on the Huai River has led her navy to the vicinity of Wuzhou. As for the Dongwa Navy, the imperial court's Anning Marquis Aibin and the navy of the Li family of Qinchuan are both in Pingzhou. I want to come.
It can deter the opponent." Haotian said with a smile.
Ouyang Jingzhong said with a smile: "It turns out that the prince has already got a perfect plan, so I don't need to worry anymore. Well, there is no rush. You can just rest here for a day before leaving. It's rare to come to the big lake, why not play here
What? Although my Dahu Road has experienced war, these cultural and historical sites in the city are still worth visiting."
Luo Xiang smiled in his heart. After all, Ouyang Jingzhong is a scholar-turned-confucian commander, and he is still a scholar at heart. Therefore, after training, he also likes to visit these historic sites and scenic spots with a strong humanistic atmosphere. But Haotian is a soldier at heart, not to mention bloodshed.
He and Dugu are mysteries, and I'm afraid they won't be very interested in these. But Jingnan Gong has already spoken, and Haotian won't refuse even if he thinks about it.
Sure enough, Haotian nodded and said: "Then I will be handsome."
You might as well stay one night. That night, news of Zhu Zhao's army finally reached Haotian's ears.