"Leaving tomorrow?" Ma Tianxi was stunned when he heard this, "Isn't it too hasty? Although our troops have arrived, the baggage and equipment have not arrived yet. It will take three to five days to get everything ready."
"Especially since gunpowder and artillery can't pass through the capital, they have to take a detour from the south. I'm afraid they may not be able to get there in three to five days," Ma Tianxi said.
"Three to five days?" Xiao Chen smiled slightly, "I'm afraid Duan Fengnian has already captured Wolong Pass. If Wolong Pass is lost, we will attack again, but it will be half the result with half the effort. If we can't attack it for a long time and fall into a stalemate, then we will be in trouble. It’s really bad… There’s no need to wait for the baggage, we can pack lightly tomorrow and march hundreds of miles!”
"Commander, is this too hasty?" Zhang Heng asked, "We are all heavy cavalry. If we don't even carry armor, how can we fight against the enemy? And marching in such weather will consume a lot of horsepower. How can we go into battle when there is no ground?"
"The reason why we have to march in a hurry is to reach Wolong Pass in the shortest time, so that we can stay in the pass and avoid fighting in the wild. The horses also have time to rest." Xiao Chen said.
"What if we encounter a sneak attack by the enemy during the march?" Ma Tianxi said, "In the state of rapid march, the troops and horses are exhausted and it is difficult to fight."
"Or if we encounter wind and snow and the march is blocked, Wolong Pass will be broken by then, and we will have no armor and baggage. Then we will be in a dilemma." Zhang Heng said.
"Are you two going to court with me?" Xiao Chen felt more and more uncomfortable the more he listened, "I just ordered you to march quickly, and that's all you talk about."
"It's not that my subordinates are resisting military orders, they are just doing their duty to remind the commander." Zhang Heng said calmly.
"When we fought with Prince Fengyang, we told everything we knew, and the prince never blamed us." Ma Tianxi said.
"I'm not blaming you, what you said makes sense." Xiao Chen said, "It's just that the emperor has decreed that the army must leave early tomorrow morning."
"The emperor is talking about setting off, but it is not a rapid march." Zhang Heng said.
"If you don't accept the order of the foreign emperor, you have to decide whether to advance or retreat according to the combat situation." Ma Tianxi said.
"This matter can be discussed later. You should go and ask Prince Xuanping for instructions first and see what he says." Xiao Chen served tea to see the guests off.
"Prince Xuanping is young, but does he know how to lead an army?" Zhang Heng grinned with contempt.
"It's best to understand, otherwise the three armies will be exhausted and have no success!" Ma Tianxi said.
"My subordinates, please retire!" The two of them clasped their fists at Xiao Chen as a salute, turned around at the same time, and left without looking back.
"They don't seem to be convinced by you." Ouyang Yunxiu, who was hiding in the back room, heard the two people leaving, came out and smiled at Xiao Chen, "Even Prince Xuanping doesn't take him seriously."
"You are a little girl, don't talk about military affairs." Xiao Chen said.
"I, a little girl, can tell that something is wrong, but you, the generalissimo, can't you? Didn't you say that you want to show your power to these two people? Why don't you show your power?" Ouyang Yunxiu said with a smile.
"These two guys are no longer just arrogant, they are openly disobeying orders!" Xiao Chen raised his eyebrows slightly, "If you want to stay in the suburbs of Beijing and not leave, what are you doing?"
"What do you mean?" Ouyang Yunxiu didn't quite understand. "They don't want to go to war? That's right. Who wants to go out and fight all the way in such an icy and snowy environment?"
"That's not the case." Xiao Chen said with a smile, "It's just that it's not appropriate for 20,000 troops to be stationed on the outskirts of the city. The emperor is in the city. What if they mutiny and suddenly turn around and invade the capital?"
"Ah?" Ouyang Yunxiu was shocked, "Do they still dare to rebel?"
"It's not necessarily a rebellion, but you still have to be on guard." Xiao Chen smiled and said, "I have to go out for a while. Prince Fengyang suddenly became seriously ill and I have to go visit him for a while. You just stay at home obediently. It's such a day." Leng ran away elsewhere."
"But Ling'er and Qianye asked me to go shopping. I don't know how long it will take before we go out. We have to buy something. I came in a hurry and didn't even bring a change of clothes." Ouyang Yunxiu also likes shopping. How dare you? letter?
"Okay, then you go, wear more clothes, don't catch a cold." Xiao Chen quickly kissed her on the cheek, laughed, and ran away dancing. At first glance, he didn't look like he was commanding thousands of troops. The handsome man...
Pegasus rushed to the Fengyang Prince's Mansion to greet him, but the guard at the door blocked him and said that the prince was still unconscious and could not speak, so Mr. Xiao was asked to help himself.
Xiao Chen went straight to the Ministry of War to find Lu Jing without stopping. Lu Jing was startled when he saw him in a hurry. What happened so early in the morning?
"Are Zhang Heng and Ma Tianxi stationed too close together?" Xiao Chen didn't even sit down, but stood talking.
"Oh, they came late last night and couldn't get into the city. There aren't that many places in the camp outside, so they asked Zhang Heng to be stationed at the school ground and Ma Tianxi to be stationed in the vacant military camp next to the imperial mausoleum. Anyway, they only stayed for one night. Tomorrow You just left, right?" Lu Jing said.
"What if we can't set off as scheduled due to something?" Xiao Chen said.
"Huh?" Lu Jing suddenly became alert, "Mr. Xiao, what do you mean?"
"These two went to see me just now..." Xiao Chen told Lu Jing what happened just now.
"You are so bold. You want to openly disobey the king's order!" Lu Jing's face instantly turned red when he heard this.
"Have you gone to see King Fengyang? I just went there and was blocked." Xiao Chen said, "I heard that he was bedridden and couldn't even speak. Is that true?"
"I was in a coma when I went there yesterday. I was too busy today and came to the ministry so early in the morning that I haven't left yet..." Lu Jing's eyes widened, "What on earth do you want to say?"
"What I want to say is that since Langya County is in rebellion, it is inevitable that there will be spies sneaking in and out of our city and outside the city. We should strengthen the defense of the nine cities and increase troops at the east and west gates. Especially the west gate, which is open from morning to night. It doesn't work, I think we should open the side door first." Xiao Chen said.
"Add more troops..." Lu Jing frowned.
"Master Lu, you'd better draw up a transfer order first, let Wu Zhongze's troops move outside the city, and then transfer 10,000 forbidden troops to strengthen the defense of the city. Send it down first and let them gather and prepare. Let's go to see the emperor now!" Xiao Chen said.
"Okay!" Lu Jing pondered for a moment, then drafted an order from the Ministry of War, ordering the 10,000 forbidden troops to assemble immediately, and Wu Zhongze's garrison to assemble 20,000 people on standby. He did not say whether it was a drill or not.
He called Li Toyota and gave him a few instructions to deliver the order in person. Then he and Xiao Chen came into the palace. Li Wanjiang heard that they were coming and immediately received them.
"Oh..." After listening to Xiao Chen's report, Li Wanjiang just nodded slightly, with a calm expression on his face, and there was no sign of surprise, "According to what the two beloved ministers told me, let the garrison and the imperial army practice for a while. Okay." "Then I'll go find Wu Zicheng and Wu Zhongze now!"
Lu Jing's forehead was now slightly sweaty. On the way here, I sat in the sedan chair and thought about it. The more I thought about it, the more I became afraid.
