The 20,000 newly attached surrender troops were behind the more than 3,000 Tang army cavalry. They were far away from the battlefield and belonged to the reserve force. They were drawn out to build momentum.
Uncle Shu Zhen and many generals followed Li Xia under the banner between Jiang Bing and Tang Qi.
The afterglow of the setting sun shone on Li Xia's armor with a golden light. Uncle Shu Zhen couldn't help but wonder whether Li Xia was injured or not, and whether his back could still be so straight.
This person is also very tough.
It seems easier to succeed if you follow such a person.
Along the way from the Yili River to Helan Mountain, Shu Zhenbo was already fed up with Zongwang Tuohu complaining, getting angry, and hesitating at every turn, leaving them like them to bear the commander's bad mood.
Ahead, Tachaer's banner has gradually left the battlefield.
To the east, nearly a thousand cavalry joined the army. Farther away, a large group of Yuan army cavalry lingered near the battlefield for a while, and finally retreated.
A Xinma rushed to Li Xia and reported: "The Yuan army sent five thousand Qixue cavalry to surround us. We were well prepared and escaped back with Mang Ge La."
"very good."
Li Xia gave a few more instructions, rode his horse and rushed in front of the surrendering soldiers, pointed to the three captains and said: "Take your men and horses to clean up the battlefield."
"Here!"
Li Xia did not direct through Shu Zhenbo.
There weren't many things that could be collected on the battlefield, just some corpses, wounded soldiers, and horses, mostly to let them feel the victory.
After making arrangements, Li Xia said to Shu Zhenbo: "Take your Qixue and follow me."
There is still more than three miles to go from the location of Dahu to Mount Hatu. Although you can see it with a lookout, it still takes some time to actually ride your horse there.
By the time Shu Zhenbo and Li Xia arrived at the foot of the mountain, even the Yuan army that had attacked the mountain had withdrawn.
Looking at the traces left on the battlefield, this small battle of just over a thousand people attacking more than 300 people was actually much more tragic than the big battle over there where 20,000 people attacked 10,000 people.
On the open battlefield over there, most of the dead and injured soldiers were those who made mistakes or were hit by arrows and fell off their horses. The wounds on their bodies were one or two arrow wounds or injuries on the lower body, scattered in various places on the battlefield.
The defense line of Hattu Mountain, which is only a few hundred steps long, is full of corpses every step of the way. Half of the head was smashed by stones, the whole body was blackened by fire, and people fell into the ditch and were stabbed into hedgehogs... more
Most of them were scarred soldiers of the Tang Dynasty who clung to the Yuan army in close combat until they died. Even the corpses could not be separated.
Even Uncle Shu Zhen, who had been fighting all his life, was moved by this.
"Don't you say that all Han people are weak and easy to bully?" He couldn't help turning his head and muttered to the timid Xue soldiers.
Li Xia in front had already reined in his horse and turned around to ask.
"When did you first have this impression?"
Uncle Shu Zhen didn't expect Li Xia's ears to be so good, so he didn't know how to answer.
Fortunately, someone from the front shouted at the top of his lungs: "Your Majesty has come to pick us up in person!"
"His Majesty?"
"Is it really His Majesty..."
Li Xia got off his horse and rushed towards the top of the mountain. Not long after, he saw soldiers with broken helmets and broken armor in front of them, and they were scarred but still supporting each other.
Li Zengbo was among them. He had lost his helmet. His white hair was scattered all over his head. His face was covered with blood. There was even a piece of meat stuck to his beard. Without the majesty of the old marshal, he was like an ordinary soldier fighting with the wounded.
Putting your hands on your shoulders.
Li Xia stopped and looked a little dumbfounded at this scene.
These are his soldiers, even if there are only one hundred or two hundred men, they are the cornerstone of the great cause he wants to achieve.
"Your Majesty... I am guilty." Li Zengbo said the first thing he said when he saw Li Xia, "I lost Xingqing Mansion..."
Before he finished speaking, Li Xia stepped forward to support him.
~~
"Marshal, did you bring us here just to carry things?"
On the way back, Shu Zhenbo's Qixue general asked him this.
Their horses carried the bodies of the Tang army's dead, supplies from the camp, armor, weapons, horse meat and other items left on the battlefield.
"Who is that old man? Emperor Tang brought so many people to pick them up." The general muttered again.
Shu Zhenbo looked at Li Xia and Li Zengbo who were walking side by side in front of him, but he couldn't understand the Chinese they spoke.
Finally, they returned to the army, and then slowly returned to the camp.
The soldiers who stayed behind had already lit a bonfire and immediately started roasting horse meat. This was a preferential treatment for the victorious side. Of course, Tachaer, who had retreated hastily, could not give extra meals to the army.
Shu Zhenbo followed Li Xia to the big tent to discuss matters.
This time there were more than 20 people more than last time, and all of them were injured. They were the generals of the Tang army who had been rescued from Hatu Mountain.
However, the Tang army on Mount Hatu only numbered over 200 people including the wounded. Uncle Shu Zhen couldn't help but wonder, is this Tang army even qualified to enter the big tent to discuss affairs?
You must know that among the newly surrendered 20,000 troops, there are only 20 captains of thousands and him, the captain of 10,000, with such qualifications.
When everyone arrived, Li Xia said something in Chinese. Immediately, an interpreter looked at Shu Zhenbo and the twenty or so people and said, "There is bad news. Xiliji Khan has been killed by Kublai Khan."
Uncle Shu Zhen was stunned.
When he surrendered to Li Xia, he made it very clear that he was surrendering to Xiliji Khan. Although this was an excuse, it was also a name. Even the Mongols cannot do things without a name.
For a moment, everyone in the tent looked at him.
Except for Uluru Hunai who was sitting next to Li Xia, you were holding a glass of milk wine and drinking it slowly.
Shu Zhenbo had no choice but to bite the bullet and said: "Kublai Khan is a traitor to Mongolia. He killed the real Khan on the grassland and is the enemy of the Mongols."
"You guys said this a few years ago. It's a pity that Brother Ali failed to defeat this traitor." Li Xia said: "What do you think Mongolia should do now?"
Uncle Shu Zhen thought for a moment, glanced at Uluru Khunai, and tentatively said in a low voice: "Perhaps we should... hold another Khulil Tai Conference to elect a new Great Khan."
"Then who do you think is suitable to be the Great Khan?"
Uncle Shu Zhen was silent.
He must not only consider whether the proposed candidate is suitable, but also satisfy Li Xia.
"busy……"
Just then he opened his mouth to say Mang Ge La's name, and it was obvious that Li Xia's brows furrowed. Shu Zhenbo quickly shut up, thinking about whether it would be better to mention the sea, or whether to mention it in the hands of Uluru Hunai.
Several descendants of the Chagatai Khanate.
The big tent became quiet, and it seemed that everyone was waiting for Uncle Shu Zhen's answer.
Gradually, sweat broke out on his forehead.
His eyes fell on Uluru Khunai's face again, and he realized that Uluru Khunai was looking at Li Xia.
Shu Zhenbo's heart moved.
At this moment, a captain suddenly knelt down to Li Xia...
"Sweat!"
In the flash of lightning, Uncle Shu Zhen also knelt down quickly and shouted in unison with the captain: "Please, His Majesty the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty, be the Great Khan!"
Li Xia smiled slightly and did not answer. Instead, he glanced at the twenty captains, as if he understood their thoughts in an instant.
Some people prostrated, some hesitated, some looked surprised, and some even showed anger.
But in the end, Li Xia did not give a clear answer, but just said: "Let's wait until Kublai Khan is defeated."
Uncle Shu Zhen couldn't figure out what he was thinking and became more and more frightened.
"We won a battle today, and I should reward the generals." Li Xia added: "In addition to gold and silver, meritorious service. If anyone wants to be discharged and return to the fields, he can receive a pasture, cattle and sheep in Gansu and Ningxia..."
The interpreter simultaneously translated these words to the twenty thousand captains.
Their expressions soon changed again.
Uncle Shu Zhen finally guessed what Li Xia wanted to do... He couldn't wait to organize the 20,000 surrendered troops before returning to the Tang Dynasty.
He was a little annoyed for a moment because he didn't expect to lose part of his power so soon. After all, he was currently fighting Kublai Khan.
~~
After the military meeting, everyone dispersed, leaving only Li Zengbo in the tent.
He had to remind Li Xia a few words.
"Your Majesty, we are currently fighting against the captive chief. We are reorganizing and surrendering our troops at this time. If this backfires and stirs up turmoil, I'm afraid Kublai Khan will seize the opportunity."
"It is precisely because we are facing Kublai Khan that we must integrate our troops as soon as possible. Otherwise, Li Qing looks at those people. How many of them dare to fight Kublai Khan?"
Li Zengbo nodded, brought his old eyes closer to the desk, looked at the maps on Li Xia's side, and said: "In three months, I can pull these surrendered troops into a fighting force."
"Five days."
"The veteran knows a few roads that may bypass the Yuan army. If we can cross the Qingtong Gorge, we can then confront Kublai Khan."
"It's difficult. Kublai Khan will not give us such an opportunity. Within five days, I'm afraid we will have to surrender the 20,000 troops to fight." Li Xia said, lowering his voice, "The forage, medicine, and arrows in the army are all gone."
Running out."
"Old minister, I understand." Li Zengbo thought, and first asked: "Does Uluru support His Majesty to become the Great Khan?"
"Her husband, who has been dead for many years, is from a golden family, but she is not from a golden family."
"In this case, I am relieved." Li Zengbo said: "Just now, I saw that among the twenty thousand households, seven of them seemed to be reluctant to let Your Majesty become the Great Khan on the grassland."
"Those with weak abilities must also be replaced. Their ten thousand and ten thousand households are all hereditary. In my opinion, Uncle Shu Zhen is not worthy of commanding ten thousand armies."
Li Xia already knew many things in his mind. He paced and pondered: "I have made a rough calculation. Among the 20,000 troops, at least 200 of the 100 or 1,000 households and their deputies need to be replaced. As for the
The ten captains should replace at least 800 people. Some of them can be selected from the surrendered army, and the other part needs to be filled by our soldiers..."
Li Zengbo beat his knees and sighed deeply.
"The problem doesn't end there." Li Xia added: "Tomorrow we will break camp and march eastward, and we need to complete this reorganization during the march. When we encounter the Yuan army, if the 20,000-strong army cannot defeat the enemy with a combat power that is unexpected,
With one attack from them, the defeat is right in front of you..."
~~
The next day, the Tang army began to break out of camp and march eastward.
It seems that the information Wuhu Lu Nai told Kublai Khan is true, and Li Xia intends to go east and rely on Helan Mountain to fight this battle again.
Kublai Khan's counterattack came earlier than Li Xia expected.
After marching for three days, the Yuan army was blocked 20 miles to the east and 30 miles to the south of the Tang army, and launched a comprehensive offensive against the Tang army.
Kublai Khan seemed to know very well that he could not give Li Xia any more time to prepare.