The eighth day of the first lunar month.
Yanmen Pass.
Yanmen Pass in the early Tang Dynasty was not as grand as it was in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. It occupied a small area and could only accommodate three thousand defenders.
Li Shan didn't want to look at the miserable situation under the city wall anymore, so he turned around and walked towards higher ground.
"Is this where the smoke was lit?" Li Shan, who stood facing the wind, looked curiously at the highest platform, "It seems to be a beacon tower."
"Yanmen Pass is backed by Dai County. When the Turks attack, they light beacon fire and send messages to the rear." Su Dingfang agreed casually. Now that Xue Zhong is in charge, he is not needed.
Li Shan stared at the beacon tower in silence for a long time, his eyes flickering uncertainly. After a while, he whispered softly: "The saint restored the Daizhou General Manager's Office and ordered the younger brother to take charge of it... With the help of people from all over, Brother Dingfang You should all know."
"Yes, Uncle Ling will tell you everything before leaving." Su Dingfang also had a headache thinking about this.
"When Li Tang established the dynasty, various places were governed by Xingtai. Now there are only two places in the world that have Xingtai but no one in charge." Li Shan squinted and looked into the distance. "The first is Hebei, where the aristocratic families are too prosperous; the second is Hedong Road is often invaded by Turks."
Other Xingtai are either Shangshu Ling or left and right servants. In short, they all have a person in charge, but there are none in Hebei and Hedong. Obviously this is not an accident.
"The General Administrative Office of Daizhou governs Daizhou, Shuozhou, Yuzhou and Xinzhou. It is the gateway to Hedong. In terms of weight, it is unparalleled in the world."
Su Dingfang nodded in agreement. It was indeed true. From a military point of view, as well as in terms of the scope of jurisdiction over the state, it was one of the best. Before, there was a Bingzhou Governor's Office, but now Yuan Junzhang has raised Mayi to invest in Bingzhou. The heftiness of the main pipe has dropped slightly.
Li Shan turned around and took a deep look at Su Dingfang and said, "If you want to gain a foothold, you must control the army."
"Understood, Uncle Ling has already mentioned it." Su Dingfang showed a rare smile, "After guarding Yanmen and forcing Yuan Junzhang to surrender, Huairen has gained prestige in Hedong."
"Planning and making decisions is a certain strength, but leading the army into battle, crossing the battlefield, and commanding troops to organize the army are not my strengths." Li Shan sighed: "This responsibility belongs to Brother Dingfang."
Su Dingfang huffed. It wasn't that he had any objections, but he thought Li Shan was angry with Ling Jingtong. The old man and the young man had similar voices, and even their words were similar.
Among the people recruited from Chang'an, Ma Sanbao and Li Kai had relatively high trust, while only Su Dingfang had Li Shan's complete trust.
Li Shan had already thought about this, not to mention the East Palace side, but also the Tiance Mansion... It was quite embarrassing. Duan Zhixuan and Zhang Gongjin were both famous generals in the early Tang Dynasty and die-hard loyalists of Li Shimin. However, he secretly joined Li Shimin's army, presumably. They would not know the inside story. Before leaving, Li Shimin could only give a few hints.
Even if Li Kai, his best friend, trusts Li Shan before that layer of window paper is pierced, he will not tell him everything. There is always a layer of estrangement.
Supporting Su Dingfang and taking over the military power in Daizhou was what Li Shan was determined to do... Without taking over the military power, in a place like Daizhou, he would have no right to speak.
Isn't it because Liu Shirang, Li Gaoqian, and Li Shenfu made such a fuss because they all have military power in their hands?
When he first went to Dai County and moved around among various forces, wasn't it because he didn't have military power?
Su Dingfang asked a question that he had considered for a long time, "Daizhou Sima Zhu Yichen..."
"Sima is nominally in charge of the army, but under the military system of this dynasty, all Zhechong mansions are under the jurisdiction of the Twelve Guards, and Ma Sanbao is led by General Zuowuwei." Li Shan sneered: "What's more, a certain place is not in charge of the general manager, but he is It is the sage who personally promised to take power for a long time!"
In the Tang Dynasty, the power of assistant officials in many cases depended on whether the Zhengyin official delegated power, especially those in Daizhou and Bingzhou who had great power and were responsible for military and political affairs.
Moreover, the position of Sima runs parallel to the Twelve Guards system, and obviously the latter has an absolute advantage. Therefore, whether Er Zhu Yichen is qualified to command the army mainly depends on what Li Shan thinks about it.
Su Dingfang was a little worried, "I heard Uncle Ling mention that this person is a direct descendant of the East Palace."
Li Shan slightly lowered his eyes, "Brother Fang, don't worry about this matter."
Er Zhu Yichen, this name...well, should be said to be this surname, Li Shan thought in his heart, is it a coincidence or intentional to be appointed Sima of Daizhou?
But at least one thing is certain, Er Zhu Yichen should have good intentions and at least not be an enemy...otherwise, his mother and seventh uncle should have written letters long ago.
Regarding his mother's life experience, Li Shan can almost determine it, but there are still some details that he has not yet figured out.
After a pause, Li Shan added: "Of course, Ma Sanbao doesn't need to worry."
Princess Pingyang stuffed Ma Sanbao over mainly to serve as a wall to block the wind so as not to hinder Li Shan. What's more, he and Su Dingfang fought side by side during the Western Expedition and had a close personal relationship.
Li Shan stared at Su Dingfang, "So, this battle is an opportunity."
There were Er Zhu Yichen who followed Li Yuan in Jinyang, Xue Wanche, a famous general from Hebei, and Duan Zhixuan and Zhang Gongjin, the generals of Tiance Mansion. Although Su Dingfang had great achievements in the Western Expedition and was appointed as a general of Zhonglang, whether he could control the military power was not something Li Shan could say. It can be done.
After all, the prestige in the military must be built up!
If Su Dingfang can defeat the Turks in this battle and make new achievements, with Li Shan's support and the concessions of Ma Sanbao and Er Zhu Yichen, Su Dingfang can naturally control the military power.
In the fierce wind, Su Dingfang bowed and said, "I will live up to Huairen's trust."
Li Shan picked up Su Dingfang, but before he spoke, he saw a few people walking towards him from the corner of his eye, and said with a smile: "Brother Demou is here."
Li Kai's expression seemed a little anxious. He quickened his pace and walked closer, grabbing Li Shan's arm, "Huairen, don't go into battle rashly!"
Li Shan smiled and said nothing.
"Huairen, the Turks massacred the people of Yunzhou..."
"The General Administrative Office of Daizhou governs Shuozhou, Daizhou, Yuzhou, Xinzhou, and Yunzhou." Li Shan interrupted: "The people of Yunzhou are also sons of the Han family."
Li Kai's chest felt tight at these words. It was indeed true. In name, the General Governor of Daizhou had been in charge of Yunzhou since the Sui Dynasty. It was just because Yunzhou had been subordinate to the Turkic forces over the years and had not even belonged to the Tang Dynasty, so this resulted in The Daizhou Governor's Office actually only has jurisdiction over four states... It was still three states the year before last, and Shuozhou couldn't even control it at that time.
After a pause, Li Kai persuaded: "Huairen, have you forgotten the story of the next blog?"
"The snowy and muddy ground makes it difficult for heavy cavalry to rush into the formation... As long as you stick to the checkpoint, the Turks will retreat and continue to pursue..."
Li Shan did not interrupt, just listened with a smile, held Li Kai's hands with his backhand, and waited until the other party finished speaking, then said softly: "Xue Zhong is under the command of King Rencheng after all, and you all know that he is about to take office... ...The only person I can trust is Brother Demou."
"Brother Demou is the only one who will not cut off my retreat, nor will he expect me to bury my bones outside the Great Wall..."
"So, please ask Brother Demou to take charge of Yanmen Pass."
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