In fact, many remote places had received orders from the Privy Council long before the edict was issued.
Also on the fifth day of February, Liaodong Daofu soldiers gathered in Shenzhou.
It's called a "big gathering", but that's just what it means. Two thousand people were dispatched.
After all, the local situation is not that stable, and the government soldiers are the local anchors. Putting them together from all the prefectures, there are almost 2,000 people.
"Chen Dalang, you've made a fortune. This fur coat, tsk tsk. I tell you, you don't need to wear it properly when going to war. If it gets torn or dirty, will you feel bad?"
"I'm happy, what? Even if it's broken, go hunting in your spare time and skin a few naughty foxes. It's very simple."
"There are so many foxes in Xianzhou? Xianzhou is mostly wilderness, so it seems you have to go to the mountains to find good ones."
"Your deerskin armor is nice, where did it come from?"
"Ask someone to go to Guijingling Prison in Andong Prefecture to find Li Zizi who made it. Li Zizi used to be a famous leatherworker in Bozhou Dingding, and his craftsmanship is very good."
"Why is he here?"
"I committed a crime and was exiled."
It was still early, and the soldiers were chatting in the open space.
They were all acquaintances, and had been scattered to various states and counties for resettlement. Except for centralized training, they hardly saw each other on weekdays. When they got together in Shenzhou, they were still very cordial to each other.
It's cold today, but no one is too afraid.
Everyone was wearing thick fur coats, their faces were smeared with pig ointment, and they were wearing leather gloves.
Not far away, there were many tribesmen wearing sheepskin coats, each leading two horses.
A horse is used for people to ride on, and it can also be used to charge and kill when necessary, but they are infantry and there is no need for that.
A horse carries miscellaneous things, mainly armor, weapons and the like.
It can be seen that the economic conditions of the soldiers are very good.
Weapons and equipment were made by ourselves, horses were raised by ourselves, and we even prepared the food we needed from home to the assembly area. We were accompanied by troops and servants to help us, which was very luxurious.
This is the original appearance of Fubing!
In the later period of Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty, what kind of ghosts were the government soldiers who cultivated more than ten acres of land and were so poor that they even harmed themselves and had to run away from service?
During the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, who were the soldiers who were on the verge of bankruptcy and sent to Yunnan to fight in shackles by Yang Guozhong?
The soldiers were chatting outside, and the officers were warming themselves by the fire inside.
"Will there be Nanman coming again this year?" someone asked.
"Yes, I heard there are at least five thousand households."
"There are a lot of Nanman coming. In fact, I don't like them very much. They are quite stupid. When winter comes, they are like frozen snakes. You can find out by asking around. There are often some who can't survive."
"It's not as good as people from Jiangxi, Huainan, and Hunan who can bear the cold."
"How was the harvest at home last year?"
"I harvested more than 270 bushels of wheat. The land is so fat. It's really good."
"Yes, my family has been farming for three years. The first year was a wasteland and the harvest was not good. The second year we could only make do. The third year we only produced more than 200 dendrobium."
"When the saint placed us in Liaodong, many people still complained, but now they have nothing to say. Except for the cold weather in winter, there is really nothing to say about food."
"It's not just food. Hunting is also a huge source of income. There are so many wastelands outside that no one cares about. Even if you send your children to herd sheep, you can still raise dozens or hundreds of them."
The officers' discussion mainly focused on family management.
The soldiers of the government do not pay taxes or perform corvee service, but only perform military service. The harvest of more than 200 dendrobiums of grain a year is divided 50-50 by those who are conscientious and the tribes have more than 100 dendrobiums.
The soldiers of the Forbidden Army were given three liters of flour a day when they went on an expedition, which was only nine bushels of grain a month, and less than eleven bushels of grain a year. How could the whole family of the soldiers of the Imperial Guard eat all the food?
Even if the second generation is separated and only half of the land is left, a normal army of soldiers can still be maintained.
At the beginning of the founding of the Tang Dynasty, one hundred and forty acres of land were granted to the soldiers. This was passed down to Emperor Gaozong and was destroyed during the reign of Empress Wu. It was at least the third or fourth generation of soldiers.
If we restrict the division of the Fu Bing's fields and preserve their property as much as possible, it can last longer. But parents love their children, and if the Fu Bing masters give birth to a bunch of boys and must divide the family property, the government will not be able to control it.
If it's so thin, there's nothing you can do about it.
All in all, it is difficult for military households like Fubing, who are usually scattered in places and train alone, to rebel. It is indeed a good low-cost solution for border areas. The only trouble is that it is limited by the contradiction between people and land. Sooner or later,
corrupt.
But Daxia is still the first generation of soldiers, and they were professional warriors before, and their combat effectiveness is very strong. Without them, Liaodong would not be so stable.
"Dongdongdong..." The drum sounded three times.
The officers immediately stood up and headed outside.
The two thousand soldiers also stopped laughing and stood in silence with their weapons in hand.
Wang Yanzhang came from outside the camp and looked at the whole place.
In fact, he had received a new appointment as the Youyi envoy of the Tielin Army. However, the transfer order also said that he would first lead the Liaodong soldiers and horses to the west, and then take up the post after the battle.
I have a lot of emotions about this matter.
When Bianzhou City fell, he followed Zhu Quanzhong and fled to Weibo. Compared with the generals in Henan, he surrendered later and his attitude was even worse.
The delay so far is not without reason.
Thinking about it, I am already fifty-two years old. Although I feel that my strength has not diminished and my strength is unparalleled, but think about it carefully, is that really the case?
It can only be said that fate has its way with people!
"Roll roll call! Those who fail to arrive after three calls will be reported to the government and sent troops to arrest them." Wang Yanzhang calmed down and ordered.
The military officials called the roll according to the roll call. As a result, everyone was present and no one was absent.
"Let's go! The destination is Lingzhou." Wang Yanzhang didn't waste any time. He waved his hand and set out on the road.
The sun broke through the leaden gray clouds and illuminated the earth.
On the gray wilderness in the western suburbs of Shenzhou, two thousand soldiers, equipped with their own armor, horses and equipment, lined up in a long queue, obeying the sage's orders, and surged westwards.
******
Outside Zimeng County, Sun Dezhao, the commander of Baosheng County Prince's Palace, was seeing off Lu Chongju, the chief secretary.
Also accompanying Lu Chongju were the Jurchen chiefs from the Five Prefectures of Baolu.
It was not easy for these Jurchens to come.
The news didn't spread until the end of November. In December, they gathered and headed south. They first took a dog sledge to Longquan Mansion, then rode west to meet in Baosheng Prefecture.
In fact, there are still some Shiwei tribe leaders. But they did not come together. It can even be said that most of the Shiwei tribe did not come. After all, only seven or eight tribes received the canonization of the country, but there were two Shiwei tribes living in the north.
As many as ten.
"Do you want me to send some sergeants to accompany you?" Prince Baosheng has not yet taken over the vassal status, so Wang Fu can only do it on his behalf. Considering that there are so many ferocious-looking Tibetan leaders, Sun Dezhao is worried that Lu Chongju will be harmed by them, so
asked.
"There are only a thousand sergeants in the state, how many can we send? It doesn't matter." Lu Chongju said with a bitter smile.
"Be careful along the way." Sun Dezhao didn't know what to say when Lu Chongju insisted.
"Farewell!" Lu Chongju bowed his hands and set out on the road with more than a dozen tribal leaders in the state.
The leaders of Jurchen and Shiwei hurriedly followed, happily.
Each of them brought dozens or even hundreds of followers. Lu Chongju knew that the Tibetan people were greedy for small profits and came to collect rewards.
But - it seems they don't think so.
"The Wanyan clan has made a fortune, and the Wuyan clan and the Tudan clan have also produced several rising stars."
"This time we have to make an agreement with the saint to let our children follow the Western Expedition and serve in the army."
"I still remember when the saint danced by the Meituo Lake. It has been several years now."
"The saint also ate raw deer tongue, haha. At that time, I thought he couldn't eat it."
Lu Chongju listened with a smile.
The Tibetan people are vulgar and uncultured. They dare to say anything and do anything. They are simple and straightforward. If they like you, they will be good at everything. If you don't like them, they may turn against you.
"Yes, I was staring at the saint's expression, but I didn't see anything."
"The saint is a man. If he dies, I will wear sackcloth and mourn him."
"That's called Zhensu. It means wearing sackcloth and wearing filial piety."
"Yes, my entire family is pure."
"It would be great if the saint fell in love with my daughter. Give me a grandson and I will give him the tribe. I have several sons in my family who get angry when they look at them. They drink alcohol all day long and even steal my concubines."
"Don't your concubine often use it to entertain guests?"
"Enter guests, not sons."
"Your concubine also gave birth to two sons, right? I don't think they are your son."
"It doesn't matter whose father he is, he will be raised as his son and he will have a few more warriors."
It was windy and snowy along the way, but everyone was in high spirits and kept talking and laughing. When staying at the inn at night, they even called friends, drank and ate meat, and made endless noises.
Lu Chongju put down his posture and mingled with them, and gained a lot of information.
This time people from as far away as Jinghaizhou came. The saint’s appeal in the Blackwater area is indeed quite strong.
At the Meituo Lake meeting in the past, the Jurchen tribes were severely beaten first, and then made an oath to the saint, and they have been very honest to this day - last time there was a small group of Shatuo people who rebelled, and the Jurchen tribes were ordered to send troops to quell the rebellion.
It can be said to be very respectful.
"How are the five Blackwater states doing now?" Lu Chongju asked.
"The saint gave us rye and oat seeds."
"There are also officials who come over to teach us how to plant."
"Rye is a good thing and can feed a lot of people."
"The Tudan family said that if the oat harvest is good for a few more years, everyone will pool their money to build a city."
"With the city, life will be much easier. When the time comes, we will move to the city and stop digging holes, haha."
Lu Chongju nodded secretly.
It should be the intention of the imperial court to let the Jurchens learn to grow rye.
Farming can feed more people and improve their living conditions, but it will also slowly lose their courage. After all, after living a good life and no longer eating hair and drinking blood, people's ability to endure hardships and stand hard work will decrease.
How should I put it, there are good and bad aspects, but overall it is a good thing for them.
In this world, no one is a fool, even savages are not stupid, they are even more sensitive and suspicious. If you guard against them and suppress them, you will never be able to make them truly surrender, and sooner or later they will break up.
Let the savages become more civilized, build cities and farm the fields, and maybe in the future it will be possible to promote Jisi Prefecture to Zhengzhou.
After a night's rest, we will continue our journey the next day.
When Lu Chongju packed up and walked out of the room, the Jurchens were already checking the equipment.
There was the sound of a knife being sheathed in the courtyard of the inn.
"Haha, there are so many loyal and brave people, how can we be invincible?" Lu Chongju laughed and called everyone on their way.
******
In the mountains and grasslands, the sound of the messenger's hooves never stops.
The woman heated up the iron pot early in the morning. The rice porridge in the pot was thick and sticky, and the aroma was fragrant.
The man made one final inspection of the sheepfold, then returned to his tent for breakfast.
Life on the grasslands is hard, with few places for farming. You have to go to Changxia Palace to exchange for things like corn, and generally speaking, you can't bear to eat them.
But today is special. The man in the family is going to war soon, so he needs to have a good meal at this time.
As if feeling the atmosphere of farewell, even the sheepdog was very well-behaved and kept acting coquettishly with its owner.
The fourteen-year-old eldest son brought a birch bow tip, strung it, and carefully adjusted it for his father.
The ten-year-old second son, with a runny nose, inserted the sharpened knife into the scabbard and placed it on the side of his father's saddle.
The daughter was holding a newborn lamb. There was something wrong with the lamb's legs and it couldn't straighten up. Normally, she would have been very anxious, but today her father was leaving and her mind was no longer on the lamb.
"Don't think too much." After finishing one bowl of rice porridge, the man started to fill up the second bowl and said: "I heard from Baihu that we are not going to fight. The Great Khan wants to make an alliance with the tribal leaders. It should be a good thing. Maybe it will be a good thing."
There is a reward."
"What rewards can you, a young general, get?" The woman said worriedly: "What will happen after the alliance is over? Will there be a war?"
The man was thoughtful and said nothing.
"I heard from the old man that when a grassland alliance is formed, eight times out of ten there will be no good results. After the alliance, there will be a fight," the woman said.
"So what?" The man raised his eyebrows and said: "I am a guard of the pro-army and a family soldier of the Great Khan. If the Great Khan wants to fight, he can only obey. Without the care of the Great Khan, there will be no grassland behind the mountain.
Chaos, who can our Changxia Palace withstand? Besides, there were rewards for going to war in the past, but this iron pot was earned from fighting."
The woman was speechless and just kept sighing.
"Grandpa!" After the eldest son finished adjusting his riding bow, he unstrung the bow and walked over, saying, "I heard from Master Zhang that in the future, when the new king succeeds to the throne, he may give rewards to the guards and soldiers, a lot of money and silk.
, I will also be a bodyguard and a soldier in the future."
"A reward?" the man asked doubtfully.
"Yes." The eldest son said, "Master Zhang said that every emperor in the former Tang Dynasty who succeeded to the throne would give a reward to the Shence Army."
"We are not the Shence Army."
"We are closer to the Great Khan than the Shence Army."
"What else did Master Zhang say?"
"Master Zhang also said that before the new monarch takes the throne, he will probably send his bodyguards and troops south to help him stabilize the situation, and he can also receive rewards. The merit of supporting him is the most valuable."
"Master Zhang knows a lot." The man smiled and said, "Actually, what he said is right. Our bodyguards and soldiers are the Great Khan's domestic slaves and private soldiers. Some of them who went to the Central Plains early have already obtained official positions."
Having said this, the man sighed slightly. He was in his thirties, and he was still hanging out in the grasslands, managing ten families. He probably would never have the chance to go to the Central Plains in his life.
But a son is still possible.
"While I'm away, you have to practice your skills hard and don't let up, you know?" the man suddenly said.
"I know." The young man said matter-of-factly: "I will go to Luoyang to serve as a bodyguard for the Great Khan in the future, and then be sent out to serve as an official."
"Haha!" the man laughed.
This is indeed a good way out for members of the imperial guards. However, not everyone can be a palace guard, and the competition is fierce.
If - when the war started, he risked his life and died on the battlefield, there would be a good chance that his son would become a palace guard when he grew up.
Wealth and honor must be exchanged for life, but it is also fair.