The first thousand one hundred and seventy-four chapters
The next day is New Year's Eve, a day when every family eats New Year's Eve dinner and worships their ancestors. Chen Qing chose December to visit Datong. One of the important purposes is to have New Year's Eve dinner with the frontier soldiers. This is a sign of respect for the frontier army soldiers.
This emphasis is also to boost morale.
The army's New Year's Eve dinner consisted of lighting bonfires, roasting mutton and drinking wine. Thirty thousand soldiers gathered on a few hundred acres of open space outside the city, lit hundreds of bonfires, slaughtered more than 10,000 sheep, opened thousands of jars of wine, and drank a lot of wine.
Eat meat, drink to your heart's content, and laugh heartily.
Chen Qing sat with the generals. In addition to Zhe Yanzhi and Yan Jun, there were also local officials representing the prefect Yelu Qiyan, general judge Huang Zongyuan, county magistrate Ding Kuang, etc., who also participated in the bonfire night banquet.
Chen Qing's guess was not wrong at all. The generals came to toast one after another. Although each person only had a sip, they couldn't handle the large number of people. They drank more than 20 bowls of wine in just a short time. Before even eating a piece of roast lamb, they were drunk.
, without knowing his personnel, he was sent back to the military tent in a carriage by the soldiers.
At the fourth watch, Yao Mei returned to the military camp. After worshiping her ancestors, she hurried back to the military camp. She was really worried. His Highness had only been ill for a few days. He was prone to colds and colds when he was drunk, so he might fall ill again.
The soldiers were standing guard outside the tent, and Yao Mei asked: "Is Your Highness drunk?"
The soldier nodded slightly, and Yao Mei quickly entered the big tent. The big tent was full of alcohol. When she walked into the inner tent, she saw His Highness lying on a thick blanket, covered with a quilt, sleeping soundly, including his shoes.
None of them took off their clothes.
Yao Mei sighed, took off her shoes, covered the quilt, and touched His Highness's body. Her touch was cold, so she took off her dress, wearing only a thin underwear, got under the quilt and hugged Chen Qing.
Yao Mei said to herself: "Let me warm your body tonight! Don't get sick again."
.......
On the second day of the first lunar month, the weather was sunny, the sky was clear and cloudless.
Six thousand cavalry were divided into two teams, each equipped with two horses, carrying ten days of dry food and fodder, and sent troops to Daihai and Baishuibo respectively. In order to prevent this, Chen Qing organized another thousand carts full of food and fodder.
, also divided into two teams, as logistical support.
Six thousand troops were led by Yan Jun and Sun Liang, the commander. This time Chen Qing issued an order to kill all young and strong men except the elderly, women and children. Although it is a bit cruel, this is war. If we cannot live in harmony,
, then there is only elimination.
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Six thousand soldiers set off in two groups. In the distance was the vast world of white snow, and a long black line was seen moving on the snow, gradually disappearing.
Orihiko asked: "Your Highness, if the enemy's logistics supply tribe is eliminated this time, will it affect the spring operation?"
Chen Qing pondered for a moment and said: "According to the information I have received, the nomadic army may invade the Hetao area in the beginning of spring and establish a foundation in the Hetao area. I estimate that the original plan of these two logistics tribes was to migrate to the Hetao area after the beginning of spring. If all of them are moved to the Hetao area this time,
Elimination will definitely affect the opponent's plan, and the invasion plan in the spring will most likely be cancelled."
Zhe Yanzhi was a little disappointed, "What do you mean, Your Highness, they won't come in the spring?"
Chen Qing smiled slightly and said: "Large-scale invasions may no longer exist, but small-scale harassment will still occur. The governor must always be vigilant and must not be careless."
"The humble position understands."
Chen Qing looked at the soldiers of the refugee militia training in the open space and questioned Zheyan: "Originally I wanted to move the people to Taiyuan in February, but considering the spring plowing, I decided that they would set off south on the tenth day of the lunar month. Then the governor would send
Ten thousand soldiers helped them move south along the way."
"I humbly obey orders!"
Zheyanzhi sighed and added: "Tens of thousands of people have left their homes and moved south, and the formerly prosperous frontiers have begun to become deserted again. The best way is for us to take the initiative and eliminate the hidden dangers from the source. Does Your Highness have such a plan?
"
Chen Qing nodded, "With this idea, the time may be set next year. This year's task is to unify the south of the Yellow River. This is also an important reason why I came to Datong. I need to stabilize the border defense before I can fight in the Central Plains with all my strength."
"Please rest assured, Your Highness, nothing will happen to Datong Mansion!"
.........
Yan Jun led three thousand cavalrymen on two horses and marched hard in the snowy field. As Liu Dajiang judged, although the march was difficult, it was still possible to walk. The depth of the snow was only up to the horse's leg joints, not very deep.
Of course, they can't gallop on horseback. The marching speed is very slow. Daihai is located 150 miles away. Normal marching only takes one day, but now they have to walk for at least three days. The main reason is that it is very cold at night, and the soldiers need to wrap up thickly.
blankets and slept huddled together with the horses.
Daihai is called Ang'a Xiashui in the Liao Kingdom. It is a pasture with rich water and grass. A few years ago, several small Mongol tribes lived and grazed here. However, since the nomadic cavalry invaded the south last year, these small tribes have moved away one after another. The nomadic army
Not only the property of the Han people was plundered, but the cattle and sheep of other small tribes were also forcibly requisitioned by the army.
This tribe next to Daihai belongs to the Tata tribe. It has about 220 households and raises 300,000 sheep. They are indeed the logistics tribe of the Tata tribe's army. Last autumn, the Tata tribe and the Kelie tribe's coalition attacked Ying.
Prefecture and Datong Prefecture, and the logistics tribe provided more than 80,000 sheep.
At this time, it’s ice and snow, and the lake is frozen. The herdsmen live in dome tents, and the sheep also live in hundreds of large tents. Every day, the herdsmen have to feed the sheep hay and water, milk the sheep, and make cheese, even though it is winter.
, but still very busy.
That morning, a low sound of horns suddenly sounded in the distance, and the herdsmen walked out of their tents one after another. They thought that their army was marching south, but unexpectedly, the army in the distance turned out to be coming from the south.
At this time, a herdsman cavalry rushed over and shouted, "Run! It's the Western Army. The Western Army from Datong Prefecture is coming to kill!"
The herdsmen suddenly went into chaos. The man put his children and wife on the horse, grabbed a piece of cheese, and even ignored the tent. He rode the horse and fled westward. Of course, they would not go far, as escaping far would be a dead end. Instead, they fled to the other side of the lake.
At this time, thousands of Western troops swept towards the lake. Dozens of young herdsmen ran to stop them, but were shot dead on the spot. None of them survived.
The Song army entered the tent residential area, and many herdsmen were still collecting their belongings. At this time, it was too late to escape. The man shouted and rushed forward with a knife. He was immediately knocked over by the Western army's knife and fell in a pool of blood.
Many women were also very tough, holding spears and fighting against the Western Army. Although King Yong ordered not to kill women and children, in this case, the Western Army still executed them mercilessly.
More than two hundred families were dealt with in less than a quarter of an hour, nearly a hundred young and strong men were killed, and more than three hundred old people, women and children were captured, but many families still escaped.
The Song army seized more than 1,000 war horses and 370,000 sheep, and also took away the large sheep tent. They also unexpectedly seized a lot of gold, but it was not cast gold, but natural gold, that is, dog heads.
These herdsmen picked it up from nowhere, totaling more than three hundred kilograms.
"General, do you want all the tents to be burned down?" a general asked.
Yan Jun hesitated and said: "Burn the fodder tent and leave the living tent alone!"
Yan Jun is still relatively tolerant. He knows that those herdsmen who escape if they don't leave something behind will inevitably die.
A large tent filled with fodder was set alight, and thick smoke could be seen dozens of miles away.
Yan Jun saw that the originally clear sky had become a little gloomy, and he was really worried. He immediately ordered: "Get ready to return!"
The Western Army did not stay overnight by the lake. Adhering to the principle of quick victory, they returned to Datong City with the prisoners, sheep and war horses on the same day.
It was relatively quick to come back, mainly because the three thousand cavalry and six thousand horses had already set foot on a snow path, so there was no need to walk in the snow, and even the sheep could follow.
It only took two days. On the evening of the second day, the army saw Datong City.
At the same time, Sun Liang also wiped out the logistics tribes near Baishui, confiscating nearly 500,000 sheep, 2,000 war horses, capturing more than 400 old people, women and children, and executing hundreds of young and strong men.
Sun Liang's army was also returning to Datong City in a mighty manner.
The heavy snowfall of the first lunar month swept over on the 16th day of the first lunar month. The strong wind carried the snow masses, covering the sky and the earth. For two consecutive days, the sky and the earth were completely blank.