Li Siyuan ran all the way to the south bank of Sangqian River.
At that time, the wind and sand were getting lighter, so I sent someone to check the troops, and I felt like crying without tears.
The Xiongjie Army was still there, and he took it with him personally, so there was no problem. However, the number of Youzhou sergeants who followed them all the way was much less, and they were probably separated in the wind and sand.
He immediately sent his men back to search.
This is not only the responsibility of the general, but also a hidden thought that cannot be told to others.
The current situation in Hedong is that every more soldier you capture, you will have more strength in the future. If you bring thousands more people back, won't the King of Jin still have enough to support them?
The army is strength, and this is something that every warrior will grasp instinctively.
This kind of thing does not need to be taught or reminded. Military leaders who have been ups and downs in troubled times for a long time will learn it by themselves. Even Shao Shude, who now controls most of the world in the north and founded a new dynasty, was in Hedong. , searching everywhere for the scattered soldiers in Heyang, Zhaoyi, and Hedong?
When he took office in Suizhou, he could afford to support four thousand sergeants based on the poor mountains and rivers of Suizhou? Didn't Zhuge Shuang hold his nose and support them in the end?
Li Siyuan has no objection to the conscience of heaven and earth. He is grateful to the King of Jin and his adoptive father for his cultivation, and is willing to fight for him. But fighting for the King of Jin is not inconsistent with gaining more military power. Even if he controls an army of 100,000 , still willing to obey the orders of King Jin - at least that's what I think for now.
Li Congke had already joined Li Siyuan. He said "bah bah" twice, spat out a few mouthfuls of spit mixed with sand, walked up to Li Siyuan and said, "Sir, those Khitans from the Wuhuai tribe cannot go back due to those sudden moves." Well, why not... "
Li Siyuan nodded inaudibly.
Li Congke was overjoyed and went to do it immediately.
Li Siyuan looked at his adopted son's back and smiled bitterly. He looked so much like him, a young and ambitious man.
Whenever there is a chance, I want to grow my strength, grow and grow, and never consider whether I can afford it. Maybe this is not a problem in the first place. If I don’t have money or food, I can just grab it! If I can’t grab it, I will go to a big party. Man, seeing that you have many people and can fight, they will also allocate money and food to support you.
The army is capital, lifeblood, and everything.
The Khitan people who followed them mainly went deep into Yun, Shuo's Sudden Force, and Wuhuai Division. There were many people, with more than 10,000 horses. After many battles, some were lost and some were withdrawn. After getting separated some more, there were still four or five thousand horsemen left, and they actually followed them south to Xindai, intending to take the road back to Khitan.
But, is it that easy to go?
No matter how neglectful the Khitan people are in battle formations, they will still be able to ride horses, shoot arrows, and dare to kill people. If they train well, learn military discipline, become familiar with martial arts, battle formations, and use the excellent equipment made by Taiyuan Jiafang, they will be fine. He was taken out to practice. After a few years of hard work, he became an experienced martial artist.
As for whether the Khitans are willing to stay, that depends on luck.
Anyway, eight Khitans from Youzhou Town go south to serve as soldiers every year. Among these people, there are those who are dissatisfied with the hard life of the tribe, some who have failed in political disputes and fled, and some who have committed crimes and are on the run. There are many of them. There are even some in Youzhou Town itself. The Khitan tribe has been a vassal for many years. The political struggle in the grassland is very cruel. They kill people and exterminate tribes at every turn. It is very common for some people to escape. Over time, it becomes a big tribe...
Li Congke quietly told him yesterday that as long as these Khitans could leave three thousand cavalry, they could form a large cavalry force.
This is your own army.
The various cavalry armies that the King of Jin entrusted to him were just a matter of words to take away. They were not Li Siyuan's capital, but were only temporarily lent to you. However, the Khitan people he gathered could be win over with both kindness and power. , the final digestion of the cost of annexation is completely different from the Tuqi, Yier and other armies.
After Li Congke left, Li Siyuan ate some water and regained some strength, and then went down to various units to comfort the tired sergeants.
When he saw the soldiers from Youzhou looking downcast, Li Siyuan even joked with them in the Youzhou Mandarin he had learned.
The sergeants were really tired, and their morale was really low, but they were all old men and desperadoes who had been among the dead for many years, so they were not really that low.
After being so aroused by Li Siyuan, my mood improved a lot.
"With such a big wind and sand, Xia Thief probably won't be able to catch up. But this battle was a good one..."
"Li Shuai, I have been holding back some words for a long time. This year has been God's blessing for three years, right? Even last year, I was not so depressed. But after Wei Bo was destroyed, alas!"
"I used to think that Youzhou is the Youzhou of us Youzhou people. The soldiers of the King of Jin came to kill us. We lost, so admit it. Those who don't want to admit defeat will die. It's not an option to continue like this, and I don't have much ideas. Well, the good old days may really never come back, so why not..."
"You guys all say depressing things. Don't blame Li Shuai. They have only been in the army for a short period of time, only five or six years, and they are beaten. Go back and have a few hot meals and a good sleep. After playing with a few girls, he becomes a good man who dares to fight and fight hard."
"Actually, what I said is all the truth. We warriors don't play with lies. We can say whatever we think. At worst, if Shangguan doesn't like me, he will kill me with one knife. But I still have to say what needs to be said. It's not too late yet that I can't stand it anymore. When the time comes, don’t worry, Li Shuai, we will just fight.”
"Everyone, don't be discouraged. Li Shuai is a good man. He led us all the way here. Didn't some of Datong's defeated troops follow? I heard that Shi Shanyou's entire army was wiped out, and Yunzhou is probably not saved. He can survive. Just enjoy your life secretly."
"Wait a while before going back to fight with the Xia people, you idiot!"
The warriors were noisy and noisy while eating rough dry food and drinking cold water.
Li Siyuan laughed loudly after hearing this.
Veterans are good. Even if they fail and collapse for a while, they can still return to the battlefield after recovery and reorganization. Of course, if you fail too many times and run away too many times, that's a different story, but it's definitely better than repeated attempts. It is better to be a recruit who has been defeated repeatedly.
As for the unruly words that came out of their mouths - Is this your first day as a warrior? They have always behaved this way.
"Good man..." After leaving Wu Fu who was sitting on the ground to rest, Li Siyuan smiled bitterly.
Among the generals in Hedong, he is indeed not the most hard-hearted, and he is indeed willing to be kind to the lower-level warriors. With this evaluation, it is not a bad thing.
After enough rest, the army continued southward.
Although the wind and sand gave them natural cover, they could not expect the Xia people not to pursue them. If they were really such beasts and chased them all the way with the sand choking their throats, then no place would be safe...
The only way to go south is to go south! It’s not far from Hengshan Mountain. After entering the mountainous area, walk along the mountain road at the northern foot. There are many small forts where you can rest and even provide supplies.
There are many military fortresses like this near Jincheng. Let’s escape there first.
****
Li Keyong has been sitting in Daizhou, training new soldiers.
According to his temperament, he couldn't sit still, but Gai Yu kept trying to persuade him, saying that Shao Shude and Zhu Quanzhong always led their elite troops to sit in the rear when marching and fighting, commanding the various units to fight bravely. Now the elite soldiers and generals are scattered everywhere, acting on their behalf.
The state has only a few thousand old soldiers and lacks strength, so it is better not to go north.
Li Keyong reluctantly obeyed.
However, starting from the day before yesterday, as large groups of cavalry entered Daizhou through various forts, Li Keyong suddenly couldn't sit still.
Countless defeated armies came from Daibei. What exactly happened is unclear.
Yesterday, even the sergeants from Shenduizha and Shenwu Town were defeated and came back. After Li Keyong interrogated for a while, he found out that they didn't even see the enemy, so they ran back directly and became extremely angry!
This is not the first time for me to go into battle. I have fought many battles. If my fighting spirit is lost like this, what can I say?
He ordered on the spot that the heads of the officers who led the retreat would be hung at the military gate. He then contained the defeated troops, vigorously rectified them, and was so angry that he directly revoked the designations of each department and incorporated them into the fifth battalion of the new army.
Today is September 30th. As the defeated Datong Army appeared in Yanmen Pass, Li Keyong's heart was completely numb.
With his tacit approval, Gai Yu gathered up all the broken troops and reorganized them. Whether they were Datong soldiers, Hedong soldiers, Youzhou soldiers or Khitans, they were all in disarray.
Establishment, reorganization.
"How many people are there?" Li Keyong asked, standing at the top of the city, looking at the soldiers lined up outside the city.
"More than 6,000 people have been organized into the new army of the fifth battalion. The army of the fifth battalion has now defeated 60,000 people." After Gai Yu finished speaking, he paused and then said: "Your Majesty, now there are constant reports of defeats in various ministries.
Although the army has not yet been fully formed, it is very important. I think..."
"I know." Li Keyong waved his hand and said: "From today on, I will personally serve as the Commander-in-Chief of the Fifth Battalion Army. In addition, my son Si Zhao was recalled from Yingzhou to serve as the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Fifth Battalion Army.
The front, middle and rear battalions were put under his command. Zhou Dewei also returned and was appointed as the capital of Yuhou, and the left and right battalions were put under his command."
"Yes." Gai Yu responded in a low voice.
After fighting for so many years, the strength of the Hedong Army was severely damaged and suffered heavy losses. The fifth battalion of the New Army is now the largest field force and is related to the foundation of Hedong. Li Sizhao and Zhou Dewei are the two most trusted generals by the king at the moment.
It is reasonable for them to divide the 60,000 people.
"Your Majesty, the loss of Yunzhou is a foregone conclusion. From now on, the Northland will be unrest, so we must make plans early." Gai Yu added.
"Plans..." Li Keyong sighed and said, "What plans can you have? Just stick to the Hedong portal, and for the rest, just wish for your own good."
Gai Yu hesitated to speak. He believed that if the person sitting in the Dragon Court in Luoyang at this time was not Shao Shude but Zhu Quanzhong, the King of Jin would not be so depressed. Is it possible that he would not have much fighting spirit? Shao Shude's nonsense
Deceived?
After thinking about it, he could only warn himself silently and give him some advice after a while. King Pu was deceived so badly by his two sworn brothers. Such a big blow would not be relieved for a while. Maybe it would be normal.
After a while, King Jin regained his fighting spirit.
Next year, Shao Shude will definitely attack Hebei, and Hedong must send troops to rescue, otherwise they will all wait to die.
"They are all wolf-hearted people." Li Keyong saw Gai Yu's face and knew what he was thinking. He suddenly became very angry. He only heard him say: "The Khitans who fled into Daizhou and Yuzhou, don't let them
I have gone back and incorporated them all into the fifth battalion army. I have also called back my son Cunxiao and appointed him as the envoy of the fifth battalion army to command this part of the cavalry."
Gai Yu's heart skipped a beat.
Perhaps in the eyes of the King of Jin, giving Li Cunxiao the title of Commander-in-Chief of the Fifth Battalion was a promotion, but what would Li Cunxiao think?
"Your Majesty, Li Dutou is the training envoy of Xinyi Guidu Regiment, maybe..." Gai Yu reminded.
Li Keyong was stunned for a moment and said: "Li Cunxiao can also serve as the Deputy Observer of the Xin Dynasty and the Governor of Xinzhou."
There is still some hesitation in building the apartment. Is Li Cunxiao willing to give up the capital he has invested in business for many years and come to Xinzhou to take office? Moreover, now that Li Siyuan is the observer of the Xin Dynasty, is Li Cunxiao willing to submit to him?
"That's it!" Li Keyong said angrily: "He is a prisoner, and everything is given by me. How dare he say anything?"
Gai Yu responded in a low voice, not daring to refute.
