The wind was strong and the sand and rocks were flying.
The yellow leaves of withered grass were swept into the air, like a kite with its string broken, flying up and down, and then disappeared suddenly.
I could hardly see anything anymore, I could only hear the sounds of whining and ghosts in the surrounding fields, and the flagpole made a crackling sound as the flagpole was being whipped, just like a shepherd swinging a long whip.
Countless fine sand and gravel were blown up by the wind, hitting the carriage like a rain of arrows. The horses neighed in pain and scratched their hooves uneasily. The coachman huddled under the wheels and held the reins tightly...
This strong wind lasted for two moments.
Just like a heavy rainstorm, it comes fiercely and retreats quickly. As if it was suddenly blocked by something, the wind suddenly died down.
But in the blink of an eye, there was drizzle again in the sky. Together with the loess that filled the air, it turned into mud when it fell on people.
The wind probably won't come again, but I don't know if the rain will get heavier again. Li Xiaoyan quickly jumped out from the back of the car and shouted loudly for each team to set up camp, set up tents, and count the number of people.
Li Chengzhi also got out of the carriage, took the umbrella from Li Xiaoxian, and stood on the shaft of the carriage and looked around.
Fortunately, just by listening to the sound, I could tell that although the residents were frightened, they were not in chaos. At least no one was hurt and no one was left behind. Otherwise, they would have started crying long ago.
Fortunately, Li Xiaoyan saw the opportunity early. If he had been half a moment later and had not entered the herding village before the strong wind came, even if the wind could not kill people, some horses would be frightened.
If you get lost in the wild in this kind of weather, you will have no choice but to die.
It really is so unpredictable!
Li Chengzhi sighed with emotion, jumped off the carriage again, and walked deeper into the pasture.
Li Xiaoxian just looked at him, and hundreds of knights silently surrounded him. None of them rode horses, but just led their horses to follow Li Chengzhi.
For this kind of dusty weather, the most effective thing is rain. In just a few moments, the raindrops gradually turn from turbid to clear, and the visibility becomes higher.
Li Chengzhi couldn't help but feel happy when he looked at the simple and low pens that stretched to the horizon, and the cows, sheep, horses, camels, etc. that were enclosed in them and were shaken by the rain from time to time.
This is the Hexi Racecourse, which is a hundred miles wide. Because Shandan was Hanyang County in the Han Dynasty, it is also called Hanyang Racecourse.
Since Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, horses have been raised here specifically for the royal family. With the change of dynasties, there have been times of prosperity and sorrow.
After Emperor Taiwu of the Yuan and Wei Dynasties regained Hexi, the racecourse was at its peak, with nearly one million horses raised and an annual supply of nearly 100,000 war horses.
Later, Yuan Hong moved the capital to Luoyang and ordered his servant Yu Wenfu to rebuild the racecourse beside the capital. About 90% of the horses from Hexi were moved to Henan, and the Hanyang racecourse gradually fell into decline.
The emaciated camels were bigger than horses, so they were no longer taken seriously by the court. However, Hanyang Racecourse still raised more than 100,000 horses, and could tame 10,000 war horses and more than 2,000 camels every year.
Therefore, as long as Li Chengzhi is willing, he can train four to five thousand cavalry or tens of thousands of mounted infantry every year.
But this is only secondary, because just the horses Li Song snatched from Du Lun's tribe were enough for him to train 30,000 to 50,000 cavalry.
Nowadays, there are only a thousand herders in Hexi Racecourse, and the total grazing land in the four seasons is less than one-tenth of Hanyang Racecourse, but more than one million cattle and sheep are pastured. If all the Hanyang grasslands are recovered, enough pastures will be relocated.
A household can herd nearly tens of millions of cattle and sheep,
Food is the most important thing for the people. The sky and the earth are not as big as a full belly. So what Li Chengzhi values the most at this stage is the Hanyang Prairie, which is five to six hundred miles wide and can feed hundreds of thousands of children.
.
But the difficulties are not without them.
Although today's Hanyang grassland belongs to Wei territory, more than half of it has been occupied by Tuyuhun. If you want to take it back, you will definitely have to fight a few battles.
Moreover, it was necessary to wait until the imperial court and Gao Zhao were at war with each other, and chaos broke out in Guanzhong, and Wu Xia was concerned about Hexi and took the opportunity to occupy the two counties of Zhangye and Wuwei before he could start planning.
Otherwise, it is just a supply line that is nearly a thousand miles long, which is a huge burden...
Li Chengzhi took a leisurely look along several fences. After a winter, most of the livestock had lost some weight, but their coats were not too bright, not skinny.
Looking at the herdsmen again, although they are a little dirty, their faces are red, their bodies are strong, and they are neatly dressed. They do not look like they are short of food and clothing.
From these two points alone, we know that Yuwen Yuanqing, the Dianmu Captain, is still very competent.
Li Chengzhi couldn't help but think about it: Instead of relying on nepotism and sending a group of novices to manage the racecourse, why not send one or two confidants and find a way to subdue Yuwen Yuanqing and make him assist?
But his father was Yu Wenfu, one of the Nine Ministers and also the Central Guard. He was a standard second-generation official. I am afraid that no matter how big the pie is, no matter how many benefits are offered, he will not be able to make him return to his heart.
Therefore, it is difficult for Yuwen Yuanqing to do his best, and we must also prevent him from escaping and not allow him to go to Luoyang to report.
It’s a bit difficult, but it depends on human effort, and it’s not impossible...
With thoughts swirling in his mind, Li Chengzhi turned his head subconsciously when he heard the galloping horseshoes.
It was Li Cong, who seemed to have something to report, and was talking quietly to Li Xiaoxian.
Seeing Li Chengnan stop and the two of them walking quickly, Li Cong whispered in Li Chengzhi's ear: "Lang Jun, the fourth uncle is here!"
Li Song?
How did he know that he had arrived at the racecourse and yet arrive so promptly?
After a moment's thought, Li Chengzhi guessed the reason.
If the tiger dies, who would dare to detain the detective horse sent by Li Song if he didn't give the order?
Not to mention Li Xiaoyan, not even Li Liang.
In this way, Li Song naturally guessed that he must be in Li Xiaoyan's camp.
"When did you arrive?"
"Just two moments ago!"
Two moments ago, it should have been the time when the strong wind had subsided and the rain had just begun.
Where was Li Song when the strong wind blew?
He must have arrived early, and even earlier than Li Xiaoyan's front camp. However, he guessed that he would stay at the racecourse temporarily, so Li Song insisted on waiting outside the racecourse for a long time, and only came to see him after he entered the camp.<
/p>
Why bother?
Li Chengzhi sighed slightly and got on the horse: "Back!"
Just strolling around and watching flowers, Li Chengzhi walked more than a hundred feet, so he arrived in just a moment.
The car array has been set up and the tents have been pitched. When Li Chengzhi arrived, Li Song was wiping his face with a silk towel in the tent.
Looking at the armor that had been soaked by the rain and had some faint scratches, Li Chengzhi knew that he had guessed correctly.
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If he hadn't been in the wilderness, why would the wind and sand and stones have scratched his armor?
Hearing the movement behind him, Li Song turned around subconsciously, and when he saw it was Li Chengzhi, he actually shivered.
Then he bent his knees, and when he was halfway down, he suddenly woke up and stood up abruptly.
Li Chengzhi said on more than one occasion that Li Song’s surname was Li, not Kneeling.
He quickly wiped his face and called out in a dull voice: "Langjun!"
Li Chengzhi hummed, walked straight into the tent, picked a box and sat down.
He knew at first glance that he had something to say, so Li Xiaoxian stepped back with a wink, and then asked Li Cong to bring in the charcoal stove and change his clothes.
Li Chengzhi had been holding the umbrella, and his underwear was still dry, but he had only taken off his armor. But Li Song was already soaked from the inside out.
Li Chengzhi pointed to his clothes: "Change into it!"
With just this sentence, Li Song's eyes suddenly turned red. But he knew very well that Li Chengzhi's nature was that his heart was as hot as fire and he was unbearably excited, but he didn't dare to say a word of thanks. He just untied his armor quickly with his hands and feet, and used
I changed into clothes as quickly as possible.
"Since you've arrived a long time ago, why don't you come in and have to wait outside?"
Li Song lowered his head: "I don't dare!"
"What's the point of not daring?"
Li Chengzhi sighed leisurely, "Have you not done anything bolder than this?"
His tone was extremely soft and his expression was very peaceful, but when he heard it, it was like a thunderbolt from the blue.
The iron tower-like body shook violently, and for a moment, all the strength in his body seemed to be drained, and Li Song knelt down involuntarily.
Li Chengzhi never scolded him for his weak legs, simply because he knew that it was not Li Song who wanted to kneel, but that he could no longer stand.
"The servant...cannot absolve himself of the blame..."
Li Song choked and his tears flowed down like a flood breaking a bank.
He never thought that a greedy act would bring disaster as big as the sky to Li Chengzhi?
If he hadn't rushed forward and destroyed the Du Lun tribe, how would the world have known that there were such powerful soldiers hidden in the Western Sea?
It was this time that Li Song revealed the thunder weapon that was like divine punishment to the world, allowing Yuan Ying and Gao Zhao to directly connect the Xihai Relics Department with Li Chengzhi.
If not, how could Gao Zhao's troubles be diverted eastward, how could Yuan Ying's assassination in the street, and how could the Queen Mother and all the princes in the court, together with Gao Zhao, press forward step by step?
If it weren’t for Li Chengzhi’s good luck, and if Li Rui hadn’t risked his life to save him, how could he still be alive and kicking now?
If it weren't for Li Chengzhi's strategizing and exhausting efforts, which forced Gao Zhao to rebel and forced the court to abandon the plan to send heavy troops to patrol the western border, today's Li clan and nearly 100,000 households would have been exhausted and exiled in the country.
North of Jishan.
When he received the news that Li Chengzhi was assassinated and that the imperial court planned to send heavy troops to patrol the West Sea, he realized that his recklessness almost killed Li Chengzhi, and even almost destroyed the business that Li had worked hard for two years to build.
But now, Li Song knows better why Li Chengzhi did not let him take over the military power again.
Just look at Li Liang and the attitude of Li Shi and others towards him. In that one time, he had lost all his prestige. If he continues to rely on military power, it will only be counterproductive and cause internal strife in the army.
In the past year, Li Song has thought about committing suicide more than once. But every time he was about to do so, he would think of Li Zhang and Li Xian.
If Mr. Lang didn't believe him and was just hypocritically benevolent, he would not have allowed Li Xian to take charge of the camp, let alone Li Zhang to take charge of Li's most secret firearms camp.
The reason why he was spared his life was to atone for his sins and to warn others...
"My servant... I am here to ask only for my husband. Please allow me to resign from the position of commander of the bodyguard and just take care of civil affairs!"
"Haha... I thought that even if you don't seek life and death, you will definitely resign and return to work... It's not bad, you're not that stupid!"
Li Song kowtowed heavily: "I know that my sin is so serious that even if I die ten thousand times, I can't atone for it. I can only repay my kindness with my humble life... But Da Lang (Li Shiliang) strictly ordered that I,
We have to comply and can only take expedient measures..."
What he said was vague, but Li Chengzhi had already expected it.
It was simply because of Li Shi's conflict with Li Song that Li Shiliang was alarmed by Li Liang's growing wings, fearing that he would become Li Song's second best and be suspected of being the last to lose. So he supported Li Song again, intending to let the uncle and nephew compete with each other. It’s not wrong, because at that time Li Shiliang didn’t expect that Li Chengzhi would return to Xihai.
Now that Li Chengzhi is in charge of Xihai, even if ten more Li Songs and Li Liang are tied together, they will not be able to equal one-tenth of the prestige he has given Li's family, so naturally there is no such worry.
"It's rare that there is a time when enlightenment occurs? Just think of it as setting a benchmark, always alerting others, and taking charge of civil affairs from now on... Get up!"
Li Chengzhi waved his hand in low spirits and asked, "How is the West Sea now?"
"All the households have moved inland. Dalang led more than 50,000 herdsmen, two battalions of soldiers, and 10,000 new soldiers to guard Xihai. Huangfu and Li Shi were in charge of suppressing the barbarians, and their servants were in charge. They each led two battalions of new troops, and the people
Twenty thousand households..."
"How is people's livelihood?"
"Because I have been traveling back and forth in the past six months, I have been working hard, and there are many injuries, so the public resentment has grown. Households have repeatedly defected, but they have all been recovered..."
Taking a look at Li Chengzhi's face, there seemed to be no sign of anger, and Li Song continued, "There are both Hu and Han, nearly ten thousand in total. Da Lang only killed the first villain, but there were also nearly a thousand who were awarded the first..."
Hearing this, Li Chengzhi frowned slightly.
Just because he had expected it.
A year ago, there were only 15,000 households in Xihai, but there were only 5,000 soldiers. Even with strong pressure, it was more than enough to guard these 15,000 households.
Moreover, the Li family has a long history. Although they are not herders, most of their retainers are literate and understand the truth. They respect Li Chengzhi as if he were a god, obey his advice, and do not act harshly or exploitatively.
In addition, they have sufficient food and grass and a safe place to live. They are many times more fortunate than being sent to Dunhuang to serve as military slaves. Therefore, it is rare for ordinary people to escape.
But by the autumn of last year, the criminal army transported to the West Sea had a total of 50,000 to 60,000 households charged with crimes. Adding in the women, children, old and weak kidnapped from the Du Lun tribe, the number of civilian households and Dingkou had increased five times. p>
Managing 100,000 people and managing 500,000 people are two completely different concepts. With just a few hundred retainers and 5,000 soldiers, even if one is divided into three envoys, it is not enough.
The only expedient solution is to govern the people by the people, which naturally gives opportunities to those with ulterior motives.
Just then, Li Chengzhi received an urgent order to move his family out of the West Sea. But they had just moved halfway, and they wanted to move back again?
As this comes and goes, people will naturally feel resentment and lamentation.
But by the autumn of last year, the criminal army transported to the West Sea had a total of 50,000 to 60,000 households charged with crimes. Adding in the women, children, old and weak kidnapped from the Du Lun tribe, the number of civilian households and Dingkou had increased five times. p>
Managing 100,000 people and managing 500,000 people are two completely different concepts. With just a few hundred retainers and 5,000 soldiers, even if one is divided into three envoys, it is not enough.
The only expedient solution is to govern the people by the people, which naturally gives opportunities to those with ulterior motives.
Just then, Li Chengzhi received an urgent order to move his family out of the West Sea. But they had just moved halfway, and they wanted to move back again?
But by the autumn of last year, the criminal army transported to the West Sea had a total of 50,000 to 60,000 households charged with crimes. Adding in the women, children, old and weak kidnapped from the Du Lun tribe, the number of civilian households and Dingkou had increased five times. p>
Managing 100,000 people and managing 500,000 people are two completely different concepts. With just a few hundred retainers and 5,000 soldiers, even if one is divided into three envoys, it is not enough.
The only expedient solution is to govern the people by the people, which naturally gives opportunities to those with ulterior motives.
Just then, Li Chengzhi received an urgent order to move his family out of the West Sea. But they had just moved halfway, and they wanted to move back again?