Yanmen closed, Ma Sanbao and Su Dingfang stood on the top of the high city, watching the group go west from a distance. Although Yuan Junzhang had already entered the court, whether the purge of the old ministry could go smoothly would largely determine the fate of the Turks in a few months. The incoming battlefield situation.
Su Dingfang intended to lead the troops himself, but Li Shan did not agree. In addition to Yiyang County Duke Liu Shirang, he only brought Xue Wanche and 300 cavalry.
"Don't worry, the King of Handan is prudent and will succeed."
The words coming from behind made Ma Sanbao and Su Dingfang look back. The person coming was Daizhou Sima Zhu Yichen.
Last year, Li Gaoqian was defeated outside the Great Wall, and the local troops in Daizhou were insufficient. Later, Li Daoxuan and Li Shenfu successively led troops to the north to help. Li Shan also temporarily transferred troops from the local government, and with the addition of Liu Shirang's command, the troops once exceeded 20,000.
But soon after, Li Daoxuan and Li Shenfu left Hedong one after another. Liu Shirang led his headquarters to garrison in Mayi, and the soldiers from the government were busy returning home for spring plowing, resulting in Li Shan's troops having no more than 3,000 troops.
Until the beginning of the year, when Su Dingfang, Zhang Gongjin, Xue Wanche, and Ma Sanbao went north to take up their posts, the DPRK dispatched more than 2,000 government soldiers from Guannai Road and Hedong Road to go north... Nowadays, the Daizhou Army does not include the uncalled government soldiers, and its standing strength is about six Thousands up and down.
The army was headed by Ma Sanbao, but the actual person in power was Su Dingfang. He mainly dispersed his troops in Yanmenguan, Guoxian and Daixian.
The general at Yanmen Pass is Su Dingfang, and the general at Guo County is Er Zhu Yichen. Su Dingfang leads most of the cavalry to garrison in Dai County. Today, everyone will meet at Yanmen Pass because they are sending Li Shan and his party out of the fortress.
Ma Sanbao came to Daizhou just as a pretense. Although he did his duty to guard Yanmen Pass, he would not care about anything else. But Su Dingfang was different... He looked sideways at Er Zhu Yichen, thinking that this Daizhou There are only a thousand infantry under Sima's command, and they are under the command of Dong Palace, so why come to Yanmen Pass?
It doesn't seem like Huairen summoned him... Why did he come here on his own initiative?
Er Zhu Yichen looked at the black spots as small as ants from a distance, feeling a little worried. Will Yuan Junzhang's old department be purged so honestly?
Yuan Junzhang himself is so well-behaved because Li Tang has become the general trend and no longer has any ambitions. Rather than getting involved in the Turkic infighting, he would rather enjoy wealth and wealth. However, the generals under his command may not think so.
These warriors relied on force in the border areas. Although Shuozhou was desolate, they were still superior to others. They regarded the power in their hands as their foundation. How could they give it up so easily.
Er Zhu Yichen was thinking in his mind, but even if it failed, Liu Shirang's two thousand soldiers, plus the thousand soldiers Qin Wutong had brought a few days ago, should be able to escape without any problem.
Starting from Yanmen Pass, the horse galloped for more than an hour. Li Shan slowed down his horse and took a break on the side of the road. Instead of burying your head in paperwork.
"When you go to Mayi, don't be arrogant." Li Shan said casually: "Liu Wuzhou was defeated, Yuan Junzhang got help from the Turks to rise again, and there are many people under his command who are interested in the Turks."
Xue Wanche nodded and glanced sideways at the dozens of military leaders behind him. They were all grassroots generals selected from Daizhou Army and Bingzhou Army, and were ready to be sent to Mayi to mix with sand.
The gray-haired Liu Shirang stood silently on the other side, thinking about what Li Shan told him last night... It was a bit of a joke, but it seemed that it might have some effect.
But whether he can successfully and completely hold Ma Yi in his hands mainly depends on Li Shan's treatment of Yuan Junzhang's old generals...whether he is urgent or slow, harsh or gentle.
After attacking the camp on a snowy night last year and forcing Yuan Junzhang to surrender, Liu Shirang led more than a thousand soldiers under his command to garrison in Mayi. Later, Li Shan also sent some one after another, and the number of troops was about 2,000.
It has been less than half a year now, and the atmosphere between the two sides has been very tense. Scolding and fighting often occur. One or two generals even complained that Yuan Junzhang, who had left for Chang'an not long ago... only cared about himself. The glory and wealth of the people, but they don't care about the life or death of these old tribes.
We set off at dawn and continued galloping all the way until dusk. Finally, we saw Mayi from a distance. Fan Shiyi, who stepped forward to inquire, reported back, "Mr. Lang, Shuozhou Sima led his troops five miles out of the city to meet him."
Li Shan nodded slightly, but his eyes fell on the dilapidated village beside the road, which seemed to be even more dilapidated than last year.
Xue Wanche glanced at it in confusion, then looked sideways at Wang Junhao, who explained a few words in a low voice.
"It's right here." Xue Wanche muttered in a low voice. The legendary story of attacking the camp on a snowy night last year, beheading the Turkic prince, and forcing Yuan Junzhang to surrender has been spread all over the world. From that time on, Li Shan's status, The power and weight suddenly increased.
Thinking of the scene when Li Shan had just been appointed as the acting county magistrate and was summoned to Mayi by him, Liu Shirang had a complicated expression. It was here that he learned that he had been summoned to the capital to investigate the crime and he willingly became the sword in Li Shan's hand and was given a long life. The horseman came back on a snowy night, and the situation was broken.
The horse moved forward, bypassing two small hills. Li Shan looked around and saw hundreds of cavalry gathered in front of him, with more than ten cavalry headed by them galloping towards them.
"Meet the King of Handan."
"Meet the King of Handan."
Li Shan chuckled a few times, but did not dismount. Instead, he waved his horse whip and shouted: "No need to be polite."
Standing at the front is a majestic military general, about forty years old, calm and polite, with fair skin and a slightly lackluster face. He should be Qin Wutong, the Sima of Shuozhou who has just arrived.
"Have the supplies been inventoried?"
Qin Wutong took a step forward, "We have already taken stock and stored it." Bayi Chinese Website
"Not issued yet?"
"yes."
Now is the time of drought, the winter wheat has not been harvested, and other grains have just been planted. However, Yuan Junzhang's several battles last year had already drained the people of Shuozhou and even Yunzhou, resulting in a shortage of grain in Mayi.
Liu Shirang went to Daizhou on the one hand to represent Shuozhou's military to welcome Li Shan, who had just been enthroned as the county king, and on the other hand to ask for help. The relevant supplies and grain had been transported out of the country the day before yesterday.
Li Shan glanced around, and many people's faces were quite angry. It must have been Qin Wutong who took over and did not let them get any benefits.
In this regard, Li Shan didn't think anything was wrong. What Qin Wutong did was understandable. Daizhou was able to control Mayi not because of the large number of soldiers and generals, but more about the general situation and the use of food and grass. Qin Wutong naturally wanted to control Mayi. Hold the food and grass in your hands and don't let others get their hands on it.
However, Li Shan came here to solve certain matters. Before entering the city, he ordered: "The food and grass will be distributed early tomorrow morning. Remember that there are many others?"
Liu Shirang nodded and said: "There are also cloth, salt and vinegar, etc."
"Isn't it more?" Li Shan pointed to a middle-aged general with beard not far away, "I remember last year you boasted that you would not get drunk after a thousand cups. This time you sent twenty jars of jade pots of spring. I want to try it tonight. Test your drinking capacity!"
That person was Yuan Junzhang's close confidant He Liu, who was born in Yuzhou. In his early years, his uncle worked as a minor official under Yuan Junzhang's father, Yuan Kan, and married Yuan Junzhang's sister. After hearing this, he stepped forward and said with a smile. : "Last year, in the spring of Yuhu, Your Highness gave all the Turks, but the lower officials were not blessed to enjoy it..."
Li Shan laughed loudly and said: "If we don't give full support to the Turks, how can we succeed in the war?"
In that night attack, the Tang army won a complete victory, largely because of the drinking party during the day. Li Shan sent all the Yuhuchun he sent to the Turkic camp. They were attacked in the middle of the night and many Turks' hands and feet were injured. He was so weak and dizzy that he couldn't even stand still. It was an injustice to die.
"Then thank you so much, Your Highness." He Pingchang said politely: "A banquet has been held in the Governor's Mansion, please invite Your Highness..."
During the Li and Tang dynasties, the positions of the chief officials of the state government were generally general manager and governor. In the former Sui Dynasty, they were usually governors. In the early years, Wang Rengong served as the governor of Mayi and built the governor's office, which has been passed down to this day.
"No hurry, no hurry." Li Shan got off his horse and walked forward. His eyes swept over everyone's faces one by one, talking casually and laughing freely.
"Are you Niu Bin?" Li Shan patted a young man about the same age as himself, "Years ago, they defeated the Turks. You beheaded 2 out of 30 people, and your battle registration ranking was second only to Rui Guogong and Yiyang County Duke."
Niu Bin was also mentioned specifically by Yuan Junzhang. He was born as a personal guard. He was not released to lead troops until his subordinates suffered heavy casualties last year. This man was not good at leading troops, but he was good at riding and shooting, and he became a leader in the army. .
Niu Bin bowed his head and saluted, "May I ask Mr. Rui Guo now..."
"Yuan Gong received a generous gift from His Majesty, granting him a house and land. However, although the house is in a good location, it has not been inhabited for many years and needs to be repaired." Li Shan said with a smile: "Now Yuan Gong and Xiaozheng live in a certain house. Zhuangzi takes a break."
Liu Shirang stood aside silently, watching Li Shan exchange greetings one by one. He couldn't help but look slightly moved at the back. He remembered that the last time Li Shan came to Mayi was to recruit Yuan Junzhang. It had been almost four months now, and he remembered it so clearly. The names are all spoken from the family treasures without any mistakes.
Li Shan tried his best to show his friendly side...but the effect was not very good. Except for Niu Bin and He Liu, two direct descendants of Yuan Junzhang, everyone else had a gloomy expression.
Just a few months ago, they all witnessed with their own eyes how the young man in front of them made friends with the Turkic prince Ashina Momo, and how he said the words "the cover is as old as before and the hair is as new as new" before leaving. They also witnessed with their own eyes This young man forced Yuan Junzhang to chop off Yu Sheshe's head outside the gate of the Turkic camp.
Therefore, looking at the gentle smile on Li Shan's face, almost everyone felt a chill in their hearts... The corpse that was deceived last time is worth two cents. We must learn from the past and beware of it.
Among the generals under Yuan Junzhang, Xi Duo and Guo Ziwei are the leaders. However, the latter was killed by Yuan Junzhang himself in the battle a year ago, so Xi Duo is now the leader of the army.
Xi Duo was an official under Liu Wuzhou in his early years. Later, he raised troops and served as an assistant to Zuoyuan Junzhang. He also led troops into battle, but he was more responsible for handling logistics, military official documents and internal affairs.
Xi Duo is over 50 years old this year, with a thin figure and a faint hint of silver in the bun on his head. He is stroking his beard and chatting with Li Shan, but in his heart he is wondering what kind of methods the other party will use this time... He has already received the message from Yuan Jun. Zhang's letter clearly shows Li Shan's intention.
Under the banquet, Niu Bin, He Liu, Wei Peng, Guo Ziheng, Du Shiyuan and other generals were present.
Li Shan pays the most attention to two of them. One is Guo Ziheng. Guo Ziwei, who was killed by Yuan Junzhang in the army, is his cousin, and Guo Ziwei is the one with the closest relationship with the Turks among the generals in the army.
The other was Du Shiyuan, who was once a general in Gao Manzheng's ministry. Last year, Yuan Junzhang attacked Mayi with force. Gao Manzheng had been defenseless for a long time and wanted to break out. Du Shiyuan attacked Gao Manzheng in a sneak attack and surrendered the enemy.
The entire army changed its flag and surrendered to the Tang Dynasty. Guo Ziheng may be suspicious of Dou because of the death of his cousin Guo Ziwei, and the one who fears the most is Du Shiyuan, who once rebelled.
In the list written by Yuan Junzhang, the two people at the top were Guo Ziheng and Du Shiyuan.
After chatting for a long time, seeing the sun setting and everyone rushing into the city, Li Shan announced the news of the distribution of grain and grass tomorrow at the city gate, and happily went to the banquet and drank with everyone.
As soon as he sat down, Li Shan couldn't help laughing and said, "Thank you, Mr. Xi, do you still remember?"
On the table were beef brisket stewed with radish, sliced braised beef tongue, and a bowl of oxtail soup.
Xi Duo chuckled and said, "It's a pity that spring has already begun, so it's difficult to store it for a long time. Otherwise, I would have asked the Yiyang County official to take it to Dai County a few days ago."
"Have a try..." Li Shan picked up the kuaizi and picked up a piece of beef brisket, chewed a few mouthfuls and nodded, "This cook cooked it very well. It's just that there's a few missing ingredients, but it's still delicious."
Qin Wutong was a little surprised, but he was just a little surprised. After all, Li Tang followed the former Sui Dynasty and strictly prohibited the killing of cattle. He did not expect that Shuozhou was so wanton.
Liu Shirang's dull face flashed with joy. In fact, Shuozhou rarely killed cows. He had not eaten beef in Mayi for several months, but today he killed cows for a banquet... This explains something. , Xi Duo has good intentions towards Li Shan's arrival, at least not tit for tat.
Because on May 10th last year, after the farce, almost all the generals and commanders knew that Li Shan had the best beef. At that time, Yu Sheshe and the Association even brought some cattle from Yunzhou... specially for Li Shan. .
It's a pity that they were all fed to the dogs... After eating and drinking during the day, there were only two corpses at night.
Li Shan asked his guards to bring Yu Huchun up, and he just drank slowly while Xue Wanche drank with Niu Bin, He Liu and others, and ended up getting drunk.
Li Shan observed Guo Ziheng and Du Shiyuan carefully. The former was very drunk and the latter almost didn't drink.
When he arrived in Mayi and everyone knew his intention, Guo Ziheng's drunkenness seemed to indicate that he had no plan, while Du Shiyuan's caution seemed to be on the other side.
Li Shan did not make a direct judgment, but kept weighing it in his mind... No matter what, these two people could not stay. One was closely related to the Turks, and the other was a weakling who had rebelled before.
In three months, the Turks will inevitably invade in large numbers. Although Li Jing has already arrived, Li Shan does not want to bury such hidden dangers... As a time traveler, he always has the will to influence something. Sun Moon Lake is too small, and Daizhou was the place where he originally displayed his great ambitions. Even if he left, he did not want to see his previous efforts ruined.
But were these two people killed or expelled?
Killing them directly would only shake the morale of the army, and expelling them would seem to show no tolerance for people. Or should they be transferred to Daizhou or Xingzhou?
Until he rubbed his head and sat down in the house where he first entered Mayi last year, Li Shan was still thinking about this issue, but soon he temporarily put it behind him.
Because Wang Junhao reported outside the door, "Mr. Lang, Qin Wutong has arrived."
"Brother Shen!"
"Um!"
When Shen Changqing walks on the road, whenever he meets someone he knows, he will say hello or nod to each other.
But no matter who it is.
There was no unnecessary expression on everyone's face, as if they were indifferent to everything.
To this.
Shen Changqing has become accustomed to it.
Because this is the Demon Suppression Division, an organization that maintains the stability of the Qin Dynasty. Its main responsibility is to kill monsters and monsters. Of course, there are also some other side jobs.
It can be said.
Everyone in the Demon Suppression Division has a lot of blood on their hands.
When a person is used to seeing life and death, he will become indifferent to many things.
When he first came to this world, Shen Changqing was a little uncomfortable, but he got used to it over time.
The Demon-Suppressing Division is huge.
Those who can stay in the Demon Suppressing Division are all powerful masters, or those who have the potential to become masters.
Shen Changqing belongs to the latter.
Among them, the Demon Suppressor Division is divided into two professions, one is the Guardian Envoy and the other is the Demon Slayer.
Anyone who enters the Demon Suppression Department starts from the lowest level as a demon slayer.
Then he will be promoted step by step, and he is expected to eventually become a guardian envoy.
Shen Changqing's predecessor was a trainee demon slayer in the Demon Suppression Division, and he was also the lowest level among the demon slayers.
Possessing the memory of a previous life.
He is also very familiar with the environment of the Demon Suppression Division.
It didn't take long for Shen Changqing to stop in front of a loft.
Unlike other places in the Demon Suppressing Division that were full of chills, the attic here seemed to stand out from the crowd, showing a different kind of tranquility in the bloody Demon Suppressing Division.
At this time, the attic door was open, and occasionally people came in and out.
Shen Changqing only hesitated for a moment before stepping in.
Enter the attic.
The environment changes in vain.
The fragrance of ink mixed with the faint smell of blood hit his face, making him frown instinctively, but then relaxed it quickly.
There is almost no way to cleanse away the smell of blood on everyone in the Demon-Suppressing Division.
