I was originally a guest with no return due to the green lantern, but I fell in love with the world of mortals because of the drunkenness.
——Anonymous
…
Li Guangbi and his party arrived at the camp, and Bai Fu led the generals to line up at the gate of the camp to greet them.
A smile appeared on Li Guangbi's stern face.
Accompanied by Bai Fu, Li Guangbi and his party inspected a series of planning arrangements such as the camp's defense system, road traffic in the camp, accommodation environment, food rationing, sewage and epidemic prevention measures.
Li Guangbi was very satisfied and gave suggestions from time to time to help Bai Fu improve the camp defense. The soldiers obviously felt that the commander was in a happy mood and was in high spirits.
When we arrived at Yanwuping, a blazing bonfire was lit on the ground, and the soldiers of the three armies had already assembled. At this time, heavy snow was flying and falling from the sky.
The soldiers marched in iron clothes, with heads high and chests held high, eyes resolute, not afraid of the wind and snow, waiting for the general's review. Thousands of people and horses moved in unison, without a trace of noise, except for the sound of the war flags waving in the hunting wind.
Li Guangbi has led troops for many years. One look at the soldiers' eyes and the momentum of the battle formation, and one can tell that the Iron Army is ready!
Li Guangbi secretly praised that the frontier troops in Anbeiting were the most elite troops in the empire and also the most difficult to conquer.
The officers and soldiers of the three armies looked at the commander-in-chief Bai Fu with awe in their eyes. No one dared to disobey the commander-in-chief’s orders and prohibitions!
Li Guangbi had previously learned about Bai Fu's series of measures to manage the army and train troops from Bai Fu's letters. Only when he got to the field and actually saw this army did Li Guangbi feel relieved.
The cavalrymen of Anbeiting were the strongest in the Tang Dynasty, and the Modao Army was even more powerful in the Western Frontier, unrivaled in the world. When the two teams practiced, they were thunderous and majestic.
The formations such as Wuhou Bagua Formation, Long Snake Formation, and Nine Dragons Entering the Sea Formation practiced by Sichuan Clan disciples and Shaanzhou Xiangyong were profound, profound, and infinitely powerful. They opened the eyes of Li Guangbi and his entourage and made them feel that their trip was worthwhile.
After the drill, Bai Fu hosted a banquet in honor of Li Guangbi and his party.
The people used tea instead of wine and frequently toasted to General Guangbi, and the atmosphere was warm. Li Guangbi, as the deputy marshal of the world's soldiers and horses, represented the Tang army and encouraged the three armies.
After the banquet, Li Guangbi was still not satisfied, so he dismissed the outsiders and talked with Bai Fu all night long.
Li Guangbi said: "Now that the army at Anbeiting Camp has been trained, I can then give it a go and launch a full-scale counterattack.
In this battle, I am ready to hand over the task of annihilating the rebel right wing to An Beiting Camp."
Bai Fu asked: "Didn't you ask me to hide my strength in your letter a few months ago?"
Li Guangbi smiled unpredictably and said: "Ruling an army is like being a human being. You have to hide your strength only when your strength is almost the same. Now that the combat power of Anxi's camp in Beiting is enough to sweep away the rebels, they can't hide it anymore, so there is no need to hide it anymore."
The Anshi Rebellion, from now on, is no longer as simple as a war, but a turning point in the fate of the Tang Dynasty, and the prelude to the alternation of the old and new order in the world.
This war cannot be viewed as merely a quelling of chaos, but must be viewed as history. Post-war arrangements will be a historic reconstruction of world order, with far-reaching implications.
You and I are destined to fight for this, and our names will go down in history, and our reputation will last forever!
Therefore, you must pay special attention to your words and deeds, and do not violate ethics, lose morality, or destroy your conscience. As the saying goes, there is a god in the sky.
Every word, every deed, every move, and any decision must stand at the height of history and withstand the criticism of future generations.”
The white tiger's body was shaken, its spine straightened, and it listened carefully.
Li Guangbi said: "Shi Siming's cruelty has lost the support of the people. As long as we don't make big mistakes, it will only be a matter of time before we wipe out the rebels.
The crisis of the Tang Dynasty is not within the chessboard, but outside the chessboard."
Bai Fu said: "Commander, how do you say this?"
Li Guangbi said: "Junior brother, you are proficient in medical science and you should understand why ringworm and scabies become a serious problem.
If a soldier has an arrow sore on his body, and if it remains unhealed for a long time, it is often not the arrow sore itself that kills him, but other diseases of the body.
The Anshi Rebellion was like an abscessed arrow sore in the Tang Dynasty. It was delayed for a long time and triggered a series of domestic and foreign affairs problems:
When the Tang Dynasty was strong and prosperous, the government was stable, the economy was prosperous, and the military was strong. It had an advantage in comparison with the smaller neighboring states.
In contrast, the neighboring countries are at a disadvantage because their etiquette system is not yet complete, internal fighting continues, disasters occur frequently, and conflicts between them continue.
The unified and powerful Tang Dynasty could easily defeat an opponent trapped in internal strife and unable to extricate itself; if the Tang court wanted to, it could force the opponent to surrender and become a vassal state of the Tang Dynasty, paying tribute and allegiance.
On the contrary, a fragmented Tang Dynasty would find it difficult to get its neighbors to obey.
Once in a weak position, the Tang Dynasty had to give up asking the vassal states to become vassals, and instead dealt with the threatening foreign states in a humiliating manner. Otherwise, they would join forces to attack, capture cities and territories, burn, kill and loot.
Since the An Lushan rebellion, the strength of the Tang Dynasty cannot be underestimated, but it is no longer the only overlord in the world.
The Bohai Kingdom in the east of Liaodong, Silla and Fusang, the remaining Turks in the northern grasslands, the Uighurs in the northwest, the Tubo in the southwest, and Nanzhao have always been eyeing the Tang Dynasty, and the hostile competition has become increasingly fierce.
They no longer paid tribute to the Tang Dynasty, no longer obeyed the Tang Dynasty, and even openly became enemies of the Tang Dynasty.
They are the most serious problem of the Tang Dynasty.
The Anshi Rebellion could not be put down for a long time. In addition to the fact that the Jieduzhi Yangtou were self-respecting, it was also largely related to the fact that they fanned the flames behind the scenes and added fuel to the flames.
They not only provided the rebels with weapons, food, wages, and military supplies, but also sent many troops to directly join the battle as rebels. In this way, they trained their troops, trained their generals, and delayed the Tang army's counterinsurgency.
Tubo and other countries in the Western Regions took advantage of the situation to annex the territory of the Tang Dynasty, expand their sphere of influence, and weaken the Tang Dynasty's management of the Western Regions."
The situation was so severe, like walking on frost and ice. Bai Fu asked: "How should we play this big game of chess so that we can win a thousand miles away?"
Li Guangbi stared at the candlelight and whispered: "Conflicts are intertwined. If you want to get rid of the cocoon, you must first handle your own affairs!
To fight against the outside world, one must first make peace at home. Peace at home lies in the stability of the supreme power.
Nowadays, although the Supreme Emperor has abdicated, his influence cannot be underestimated. The influence of the elders, aristocratic families and the powerful families is still spread throughout the government and the public. His Majesty's position is not right, and the princes still have the power to compete.
Although King Cheng Li Chu was established as the crown prince, the harem interfered a lot with his majesty, and troubles may arise at any time.
King Jianning was killed and King Yong was wiped out, leaving the prince with a lingering heart and seeking support from the military.
His Majesty appointed his second son, King Zhao Li Xi, as the marshal of the world's military forces, which also made the prince worry that King Zhao Li Xi would have too much military power and become the next King of Qin's Tiance Mansion before the Xuanwu Gate Incident.
The various military governors are also observing the princes in order to maintain military power and gain support.
The king does not trust the generals, and the generals are wary of the court. This is the biggest crux of the Tang army at present.
In the eyes of Guo Linggong and me, you are probably the one who broke the situation.
Your Majesty has a close relationship with you, and coupled with Princess Qingluan's favor, your Majesty is very fond of you today. This kind of trust that the king has in the general who leads the army is especially rare and valuable in the era of great chaos.
This is also the real reason why Guo Linggong strongly recommended you to lead the army, and the camp in Anbeiting was approved by His Majesty to recruit troops in an unusual way.
This counterinsurgency battle is an excellent opportunity for you to make a name for yourself. As long as you show outstanding military strength and sweep across the Central Plains, you will surely become a shining star of the empire.
At that time, as long as you stand unswervingly on His Majesty's side and look around with your halberd in hand, you will be able to cut off the delusions of all forces.
After the supreme power is safely handed over to the crown prince, you will succeed and retire, retreating to the spring forest, so that you can ensure a safe life and maintain both loyalty and filial piety."
Bai Fu said awkwardly: "Commander, between me and Princess Qingluan..."
Li Guangbi pondered for a moment, took out a letter from his arms, handed it to Bai Fu, and said: "This is a secret letter written by Guo Linggong to me, asking me to persuade you to marry Princess Qingluan.
Only in this way can Your Majesty be reassured."
Bai Fu was stunned.
After reading the letter, Bai Fu was silent for a long time and then said: "Commander, if it were you, what would you choose?"
Li Guangbi smiled meaningfully and said: "Follow your heart!
If you love Qingluan, just marry her and don't care about what others think.
If you are reluctant to do so and you already have a beautiful woman in your heart, then marry the woman you love most!"
Bai Fuqi said: "Then you are not afraid that I will ruin the state affairs and be sorry for your and Guo Linggong's expectations?"
Li Guangbi laughed loudly, patted Bai Fu on the shoulder, and said: "This is just our expectation, not your plan?
You have to choose your own life so that your life will not be wasted.
Could it be that if you marry a princess, you won’t be able to be your true self? In other words, if you don’t marry a princess, you won’t be living in vain?!
After all, no one can predict whether their choice is right or wrong, and whether they will regret it in the future.
A true man stands upright, and as long as he has a clear conscience, he can let go of his restraints, act as he pleases, and give it a go!"