After the Hetao army captured Miyun City, hundreds of thousands of troops slowly turned around and pulled out Bansheng City in the southern part of the prairie one by one from east to west.
As for Uma, apart from taking over Fuyuan at the beginning, the Hetao army never attacked any city in Uma. It even did nothing to the ordinary people of Uma. However, in order to reduce the risk of Hetao,
Due to the logistical pressure, Luo Xiang, Haotian's staff, personally wrote a letter to the leader of Uma, Tupuchidan, hoping that he could cooperate with the military operations of the Hetao army. Specifically, it was better not to harass Uma people and soldiers.
The Hetao army, secondly, by the way, supply rations for the Hetao army of more than 300,000 people.
Of course, Luo Xiang's tone would not be such an understatement. Anyway, when he saw the letter from Hetao, Tupu Chidan almost tore up the letter, and Yan Shenshei and Hu Jinchu were so excited that they wanted to immediately dispatch their army to fight with Hetao.
But this was just the reaction of a few people who were excited at the time. After calming down, whether it was Guo Huai who was ready to accept it from the beginning or Tupuchidan and others who had already accepted it but wanted to earn some face, they were helpless.
Agreeing to Hetao's request. After all, Uma's total strength was only 180,000 troops. After being easily wiped out by Hetao in Fuyuan City, even Uma's famously tough Yan Shenhuo Jin and Chu didn't think they were
The opponent of hundreds of thousands of troops in Hetao.
Uma has long known what kind of neighbor the Hetao is. Not to mention Feng Jing, Wu Xiaolangjun and others who went out to the fortress several times, there is also Situ Lie who is stationed at Yumen Pass. As long as Uma makes the slightest move against the Hetao, he will
He led his army north out of Yumen Pass and wandered around. If in 620, Uma still dreamed of relying on Tieying Qiu Ming and other nomads to listen to the protests with their original masters, now they no longer have the courage.
Especially since Haotian personally leads an army of more than 300,000 people this time, even if he wants to destroy Uma, it is not impossible.
"Your Majesty, the Hetao has a notorious reputation. During the two-year southern expedition, no less than a million people were killed. Even the Hetao army that stayed behind has massacred tens of thousands of people outside the Great Wall in the past two years. We'd better restrain the people and try not to provoke them.
The military power of Hetao. Otherwise, with their nature, it might not be impossible to exterminate our clan in a fit of rage." Guo Huai warned.
"Extermination? I, Uma, have more than two million people. Even when the Qingfeng Empire was at its strongest, they would not dare to say that we would be exterminated." Yan Shenwei said disdainfully.
Guo Huai watched the smoke that had deliberately raised his neck sink, and said calmly: "General, don't forget that they are the Hetao army."
Yan Shengsheng still wanted to argue, but when he thought of Hetao's methods these days, he shuddered and quickly closed his mouth.
In fact, there are really no big moves in Hetao these days. All military operations are carried out according to the original plan. The cavalry of Feng Jinghe and Xineng opened the way in front, and all the nomadic herdsmen were killed without mercy. The stolen horses, cattle and sheep
These were all sent back to Yumen Pass by the infantry at the back. After they cleared the way forward, Haotian's central army slowly came forward. Wherever they passed, it could be said that there was a river of blood. Even the withered grassland was covered with blood.
It was burned down in an organized manner by the Hetao army. The temporary arson teams formed by the Huben Army were organized into brigades, often going hundreds of miles deep into the prairie, burning as many pastures as possible along the way, and drawing fuel from the bottom of the cauldron to end the nomadic war.
potential.
Nomads are different from farming peoples. Grassland is their lifeblood. In late autumn and early winter, before the heavy snow falls, the prairie is all yellow. At this time, the weeds are withered and easy to burn. This wildfire is put down,
The rivers will not stop unless they encounter mountains, and large areas of grassland will be burned, which can reduce the wintering ability of the nomadic people outside the Great Wall and weaken their strength without any blood.
Burning grass is undoubtedly the lifeblood of the nomads. Even during the Qingfeng Empire, literati believed that it would harm the peace of the world and resolutely stopped this kind of thing. But Hetao has no such concerns at all.
According to the military's theory, Tie Ying Qiu Ming killed at least six million Chinese people in Northwest 2nd Road and Hetao. Even if they paid for one life, Tie Ying Qiu Ming's more than two million herdsmen were still not enough. The Hetao cavalry or
Either way, Guo Huai could see the rising black smoke from the southern part of the prairie from time to time while standing at the top of Jingyuan City these days.
But what frightened Guo Huai and others the most was that the Hetao had no regard for those Bansheng cities that were pulled out along the way.
The blood of the nomads moistened the grassland, and the ferocious faces of the traitors who betrayed the Celestial Empire were also visible.
"Guo Huai, it's up to you to personally handle the matter of dealing with the Hetao army. Remember, we still have more than 10,000 soldiers in their hands." Tupuchidan pointed at Guo Huai and said with difficulty. Although Uma's food
We are more than self-sufficient, but we have to provide supplies to Tie Ying Qiu Ming every year over the years, so there is no extra food in stock. Now that Hetao is making such a fuss, it is not only necessary to supply military rations to Hetao, but it is also conceivable that after the withdrawal of troops from Hetao, Tie Ying
Yingqiu Ming will definitely reach out to Uma for food. But both sides are masters that Uma cannot afford to offend. At this time, Tupuchidan understands how important it is to firmly lean to one side.
Guo Huai walked out silently. He knew that this matter was very difficult, but if the matter was really that easy to handle, I'm afraid Tupuchidan would not hand him over to him. A man who knows his friends will die for Tupuchidan.
For those who have trusted me unreservedly for many years, I must devote myself to it until death.
When Guo Huai's figure disappeared from sight, Hu Jinchu suddenly said: "Your Majesty, the Prime Minister is very worried these days."
"When the army is pressing down on the country and the country's survival is in danger, the Prime Minister is thinking very hard. It is natural that this will happen." Tupuchidan nodded and said.
Yan Shenwen took a step forward and whispered: "The Prime Minister is a citizen of Qingfeng after all."
Tupuchidan's eyes flashed, and he watched the smoke sinking coldly. After a while, he said: "If it weren't for Guo Xiang's full assistance, I would not have been so stable in the past twenty years. I, Uma, have been so strong in the country over the years.
Continued growth is inseparable from Guo Xiang’s efforts.”
"There is a saying in Qingfeng that people who are not of my race must have different hearts. Your Majesty, you must be on guard against others. After all, Qingfeng is the hometown of Prime Minister Guo. It is difficult to say that Prime Minister Guo will not favor Qingfeng in negotiations with the other party."
Yan Shenwen continued.
Hu Jinchu also nodded in agreement and said: "Xiang Guo is too weak. We don't have the strength to fight against the Hetao now, but we can't be so weak either."
Tupuchidan's face was a little gloomy, but he didn't say anything in the end. He just waved his hands to ask Hu Jinchu and the others to step back. Looking at His Majesty's gloomy face, even his absolute confidants Yan Shenshe and the others couldn't help it.
I don't know what he is thinking.
When Guo Huai set off from Jingyuan City, Haotian's car was still in Bansheng City, a city called Gulou, eighty miles northwest of Fuyuan City. However, when Guo Huai arrived, Haotian had already headed to the west of Gulou.
Guo Huai rushed to Haohan City without stopping. It was not until noon the next day that Guo Huai finally saw the Qingfeng Jingbei Wang Haotian in Haohan City who was crossing the northern frontier.
This is a young man who is only in his twenties. Although he is not wearing armor, you can still feel the strong military aura coming from his words and deeds. For a mature man like Guo Huai,
In front of politicians, his behavior is a bit jerky, and it should be said that he is still a bit immature. But such a person has established a huge and powerful hegemony, so powerful that even Qiu Ming, the iron eagle who is so powerful on the prairie, dare not
Easy to provoke.
"Are you Guo Huai, the prime minister of Uma? I heard that you were originally a scholar from Beiyuan Road, but later moved outside the Great Wall and became Tupuchidan's confidant. You have been in charge of Uma power for more than ten years. It is not simple. Haha, if this is your experience
If you put it into words, it will definitely become a legendary story." Haotian said with a smile.
Guo Huai didn't expect that Haotian would be so direct and so familiar with him. After a moment of hesitation, he said: "Your Majesty, you are joking. Guo is just a down-and-out scholar. He has not been able to do anything for me in the past few years."
I feel ashamed to have made a small contribution, how can I bear such evaluation by the prince?"
Haotian waved his hand and said: "Uma has been able to stay where he is for more than ten years and help the empire guard the northern border. His contribution is not small. Although Uma has been a little dishonest in the past few years, fortunately it has not caused too much damage.
The harm is not unforgivable. Haha, during this period, Prime Minister Guo played a big role. The court and the people don't know it, but don't we neighbors know it?"
Guo Huai's eyes suddenly wet. Everyone in the world only saw Uma following Tie Ying into the Great Wall defense line a few years ago, and even helped Tie Ying build a ship to cross the Fenglin Ferry during the Battle of Hukou. But who saw Uma helping outside the wall?
The pain of Qingfeng guarding the border. Especially after the White Tiger Army withdrew from the Great Wall, Uma faced the pressure of Iron Eagle Qiu Meng alone, while Tupu Chidan tended to form an alliance with Iron Eagle Qiu Meng, and Yan Shenhu Jinchu even openly clamored to invade.
Great Wall, under such circumstances, Guo Huai supported the overall situation, stubbornly withstood all the pressure, and resolutely opposed breaking with Qingfeng. However, the war-seeking sentiment in Uma was too high, and Guo Huai himself was a Qingfeng citizen, so in the end he did not
Completely suppressing the voices of Hu Jinchu and others. However, there is no doubt about his contribution.
"A great warrior must have great wisdom. We all take note of Guo Xiang's efforts over the years. Haha, I don't regard Uma as an enemy, but Uma's actions over the years are indeed very unfriendly. The soldiers and
The people are all holding back a lot of anger, but fortunately no big mistake has been made." Haotian seemed to see through Guo Huai's thoughts and said with a smile.
Guo Huai blinked: "Then I don't know what the prince is going to do to me, Uma?"
Haotian stood up, walked back and forth in the living room a few times, and then said: "Uma is a small country with weak soldiers and few generals. Among the many tributary countries of the empire, its overall strength is probably the worst."
To put it bluntly, you Ummah have no generals, no elite soldiers, and no wealth. You prefer to aim high and have ambitions higher than the sky. I am not boasting. I only need to mobilize any main army under my command to destroy your Ummah country.
.However, the Ummah has been guarding the northern border for hundreds of years, and there is no merit but hard work. So, it is best for you Ummah to remain neutral now and not get involved in the battle between our Hetao and the aliens outside the Great Wall. I will definitely not treat you badly in the future."
Guo Huai was relieved in his heart. What he feared most was that Haotian would ask him to lead his army to follow Hetao to conquer Tie Ying Qiu Ming. In that case, Uma would really be in a dilemma. Let’s not talk about whether Uma has the strength.
, they couldn't bear Tie Ying Qiu Ming's revenge. Although Haotian's words were a bit unpleasant, Guo Huai knew that what the other party said was true. Yan Shenshei and Hu Jinchu were brave, but there were some who were brave but not brave.
Conspiracy. Besides, does Hetao still lack brave generals? Wasn’t it true that Waller, the first warrior of Qiuming, who easily defeated the two men who protected Jin and Chu, was killed by Hetao?
Guo Huai cupped his hands and said: "Your Majesty has a broad mind, which is really unparalleled. Guo will try his best to prepare for the food and grass matter. However, Your Majesty also knows our situation, so after we prepare the food and grass, we will inform His Majesty where you put the food and grass."
Wherever you go, just go and run it."
Haotian thought for a moment and said, "Okay, these are just situations, and I won't embarrass you."
"There is another matter. The defenders in Fuyuan City were very offensive to the prince that day, and were eventually captured by him. I hope that you, prince, will consider our Uma's sincerity and let them go." Guo Huai continued.
.
"Oh, this matter." Haotian paused. In fact, the attack on Fuyuan City that day was just Wu Xiaolang's temporary display. At that time, Haotian had not thought about taking Fuyuan. His original intention was to let Wu Xiaolang
You were training your troops, and you were watching to the west to prevent Tie Ying's possible cavalry attack. Who would have thought that Wu Xiaolang Jun could use his cavalry to march southward and capture 17,000 of the enemy.
"Jiao, where are the more than 10,000 soldiers captured by Uma now?" Haotian asked the woman behind him.
Guo Huai had long noticed this woman in white. She could stay with Haotian during the march, so she was certainly his trusted confidant. However, Guo Huai did not expect that a woman could actually know about the military aircraft in Hetao. It seemed that Haotian was interested in her.
It's not just ordinary love.
Xin Jiao said without any hesitation: "They are paving the road from Yumen Pass to Fuyuan City under the supervision of General Danqiu. Now less than one-third of the road has been paved."
Haotian nodded. It is not easy to lay roads outside the Great Wall now. However, from Yumen Pass to Fuyuan City, it is mainly grassland, and it follows the old official road that has been broken before, so the workload is not large.
, I think it should be a lot smoother. But until the road is repaired, these prisoners of war may not be released.
Guo Huai's mind turned quickly. Hetao rebuilt the official road from Yumen Pass to Fuyuan City, which was obviously to strengthen the control of Uma. For Uma, this matter should have more advantages than disadvantages. Besides,
Before the official road was repaired, he was unwilling to let them go to the Loop, so he quickly opened his mouth and said: "Your Majesty, since they are prisoners of war, they should have the consciousness of prisoners of war. Besides, rebuilding the official road is a good thing for both of us.
It’s a good thing, please feel free to use it, Your Majesty.”
Haotian breathed a sigh of relief. He was worried about how to speak, but he didn't expect Guo Huai to be so understanding. He immediately laughed and said something like "When the road is completed, they will be sent back", and he found a reason to send them back.
Guo Huai sent him away. Guo Huai also knew that Haotian had a different identity now, so it was a great honor for Uma to receive him in person, so he didn't say anything at that moment and left honestly.
"Guo Huai, it's rare to see you once. Are you leaving so soon?" Just as Guo Huai turned to leave, a slightly warm voice came from behind. When he looked back, he saw a tall and thin old man of half a century.