On August 22, Bai Congxin and Hu Guang joined forces together, plus the 3,000 people left behind by Talos, for a total of 54,000 infantry and cavalry.
Among them, there are 11,000 horse infantry troops from the Han Dynasty and 43,000 elite cavalry troops from the grasslands.
For Hezhong, this is already a force capable of destroying the country.
For the Central Plains court, Gao Xianzhi's expedition to Talas in the past did not have such a strong military force. This is the strongest force that the Central Plains dynasty has projected in the river for more than a thousand years.
Even if Anxi is included, except for the peak period of the four towns of Anxi in the Tang Dynasty in the past, there will be no military strength comparable to this dispatch.
And strictly speaking, following Bai Congxin this time, there were also the guardians of 30,000 households in Moxi and 70,000 to 80,000 herdsmen.
At least 60,000 cavalry can be recruited here, but the equipment and combat effectiveness cannot be guaranteed, but it is enough to start off, do some dirty work, and follow the wind.
But the corresponding result is huge logistical pressure. Luo Dingzhong is actually right. From Suiye to Talas, the total population is only about 200,000. It simply cannot support so many troops, let alone maintain it for three to five years.
It won't be easy for a year or two.
Fortunately, Luo Dingzhong came up with a way, which was to capture Shiguocheng and seize the food that Amir, the governor of Shiguocheng, had hoarded in preparation for the rebellion. It was said that there were about a million shi. As long as you got half of it, you didn't have to worry about logistics.
Outside Talas City, Bai Congxin led people to pay homage to the Tang soldiers who died in the Battle of Talas in the past, and ordered the craftsmen who accompanied the army to build a small temple for future sacrifices.
Although this happened two hundred years ago, it was at the time when Zhang Zhou was asking Xia Jun and the Yi people that anything in the river that could be related to the Tang Dynasty must be treated with dignity.
As for Talas City, there were originally more than 40,000 people, most of whom were either Guo Guangyi's best friends or Li Guoshou's tribe.
Naturally, there was nothing to say. As soon as Bai Congxin arrived outside the city, he immediately ordered everyone in the city to be tied up.
"Let Luo Dingzhong select 3,000 people from the 14,000 people and dig a hole!"
The 14,000 people Bai Congxin mentioned were naturally the ones who survived three draws and one kill by the Hu River.
These people are indeed good at work. If they remain so obedient, Bai Congxin will even prepare to let them take over his family in the future.
As soon as the tens of thousands of people in Talas were dragged out of the city with their hands tied, and saw that a hole was being dug, they immediately burst into tears.
However, Bai Congxin's expression did not change, and he immediately ordered that except for women and babies who were upright and in their prime of life and worthy of childbearing, all the others were pushed into the pit and buried alive.
Yao Yuanfu smacked his lips. He thought that these well-behaved guys in Hexi who had been tamed by Zhang Shengren would not do this. But he was really mistaken. They became ruthless, and they were quite ruthless.
Since Bai Congxin entered the river, he first killed 40,000 men with the nine surnames of Ogus. He then killed 35,000 men three times by the Hu River as a Jingguan. When he arrived outside Talas City, he
Kill thirty thousand people.
Damn! In less than a month, this guy has killed at least 105,000 people all the way here. Compared with him, he killed more than 10,000 people in Suiye Pit, which is nothing to mention.
"Mr. Yao!" Yao Yuanfu was still sighing, but he heard Bai Congxin calling him.
Although Yao Yuanfu is more than twenty years older than Bai Congxin, he doesn't dare to show off now. Who knows if this guy will become addicted to killing and trick him.
"What are the orders from the Protector?" Yao Yuanfu's posture was very low.
Bai Congxin looked at him and said with a smile: "A certain person captured more than 100,000 women and children with the surname of Ogusi at the foot of Wu Zongga Chi Mountain. There are also tens of thousands of healthy women in Talas City. Yaogong doesn't want to do anything for them."
, looking for a future?"
Yao Yuanfu was silent for a moment. He knew what Bai Congxin meant. With his great achievements in the river, Yao Yuanfu would naturally be able to return to the Central Plains in three to five years to provide for senior officials, wine and beauties. However, his subordinates
These old soldiers can't do it.
They were originally unable to stand the constraints of the Zhou Dynasty's military laws, or more or less, their brothers and uncles were killed in the unification war. Now you let them serve as soldiers in the court, and they are uncomfortable.
Moreover, they are not too young. Even if they are willing to serve as soldiers in the imperial court, most of them have to start as pawns. They cannot adapt to it, and the imperial court does not necessarily want it.
Then the best choice is to settle down in the river and become a master while also doing the work of raising children.
"As long as they are willing to stay, each of them will be given three cows, three camels, ten horses, one hundred sheep, two thousand acres of pasture, five hundred acres of cultivated land, and five healthy women.
They can get as many of the remaining serfs as they can capture, and if the land is not enough, someone can add more!"
As soon as Bai Congxin finished speaking, not only Yao Yuanfu, but also a group of old soldiers surrounding him were stunned.
This gesture is definitely very generous. With these properties, I will not have to worry about food and clothing for the rest of my life.
"If anyone can gather five hundred people, I will return it to the official!" Bai Congxin immediately added.
"Give it back to the official? Does that mean that a certain person is now running to occupy a small tribe and declare them to be the serfs of a certain person, and you will recognize them as the guardian?" The subject of the conversation has changed from Yao Yuanfu to an old man with bright eyes.
Tooth Soldier.
Bai Congxin nodded quickly, "As long as you can make them all listen to you, you will be their official, or even their king."
"Such things require the permission of a saint, right? Can the Protector make the decision?" Another tooth soldier looked at Bai Congxin expectantly.
"Of course." Bai Congxin nodded. These old soldiers were too out of touch with the court and didn't know what Bai Congxin wanted to do, so he said it directly.
"The saint has agreed to grant the land of four hundred miles from Baishui City to Shiguo City to a certain family. He will use the surname Bai as the name of the country and call it Bai Country."
The Lao Ya soldiers were collectively shocked. A flexible Lao Ya soldier immediately raised his hand and bowed in a solemn salute.
"I think the Great Protector is going to be promoted to the king of the foreign vassal country. I have two brothers in the Central Plains. Can I let them come too?"
"That's natural. As long as I'm the son of the Tang Dynasty, I can come." Bai Congxin said with a smile. Naturally, he wanted it.
However, Lao Yabing had a somewhat uncomfortable look on his face, so he hesitated before telling the truth.
"In front of the Great Protector, I dare not tell lies. These two brothers were former tooth soldiers of the German army in Songzhou. They followed that idiot Song Yanyun to defect to the Khitan people. Although they were not wanted by the court, they robbed, stole, killed and sold goods.
But those who have done this are not good citizens."
"Hahaha!" Bai Congxin laughed, "So what if you kill people? Who can kill more people than Bai Congxin?"
What I want is a killer like your brother. If you don’t have a killer, how can you subdue the barbarians in the river?"
Lao Yabing suddenly remembered, yes! This guy killed 100,000 people a month. No one has done more evil than him!
Yao Yuanfu also suddenly realized why Bai Congxin told him this. It turned out that he wanted Yao Yuanfu to help find the old soldiers who were hiding in the mountains, forests and swamps and were afraid to come out because of their past crimes and send them to the river.
!
That's right! Only these killers can suppress a place like the middle of the river.
"I won't let Yao Gong work in vain. Every time a killer comes, I will pay Yao Gong five guan of money."
....
On August 28, Bai Congxin left Li Jixun to guard Talos, and he and Hu Guang led 45,000 troops to Baishui City.
Before they arrived, Talib, the chief of the Creek tribe, who knew of the tragic defeat at Hu Shuicheng, led the remaining 10,000 cavalry and fled back to their home base in Leizhuhai.
As soon as they captured Baishui City, Lieutenant Zhang showed up with Guo Ting'er. As for the black-robed general, he didn't even dare to show up.
Although Guo Tiance had Zhang Zhang's tacit consent, it was also tacit consent and an unspoken rule. Therefore, he did not dare to come over. If Bai Congxin was unhappy, he could just be chopped off with a knife.
To be honest, if Hu Guang was the leader, the Heipao generals might still dare to come, but Bai Congxin, the reputation of this god of death, not only scared the surrounding grassland tribes from speaking loudly, but also the Heipao family, who was also a Tanger Han.
The general of the Pao family also felt frightened.
Guo Ting'er was wearing a torn sheepskin jacket, with a silver-white gauze covering her mouth and nose. She was holding a man and a woman in each hand.
There were originally two boys and one girl, but when they were defeated, one boy ran away. Now he is probably either killed or eaten by wild animals.
Although Bai Congxin was not merciless in killing people, he knew that Guo Ting'er was not something he could handle. He thought for a moment and turned to Guo Guangcheng, who had just arrived.
"For this matter, I would like to trouble Governor Guo to dispatch a hundred elite cavalry to accompany Captain Zhang to escort the girl and the Guo thief to Luoyang, the capital of the gods, to wait for the saint's fate."
Afterwards, Bai Congxin avoided Guo Tinger like the plague.
However, Guo Guangcheng took a few more steps to catch up with Bai Congxin. He was not here to plead for Guo Ting'er, because there was no need. The fate of this woman depended entirely on the emperor and was not decided by Bai Congxin.
"Dadu protector, Broken Leaf is thousands of miles away from the capital of the gods. Our tens of thousands of troops are marching westward. It seems a bit weak to only capture Guo Guangyi and go back. It is better to capture more important chiefs and go to Ziwei, the capital of the gods.
There was a dance in the palace to celebrate."
Bai Congxin thought about it and thought it made sense, and laughed.
"Then, as Governor Guo said, send out all the troops and capture as many of the thieves' heads as possible to offer to the saint."