Zhang Shao was overjoyed and asked, "Marshal, do you have any ideas?"
Zhao Xuan puffed up his chest and said loudly: "Just watch, the marshal always has a way!"
These officers had followed Guo Ning for several years and witnessed miracles being accomplished. Their admiration and awe for Guo Ning was completely from the bottom of their hearts, almost burned deep into their bones. Hearing Zhao Xuan's answer, Zhang Shao nodded repeatedly and didn't ask any more questions. He knew that everyone was responsible for different matters, and if there was anything he needed to cooperate with, Zhao Xuan would naturally bring it up. Otherwise, there was no need to worry.
A few miles away to the northwest, a Qingqi suddenly came running back on horseback. They happened to be running through a dry hilly land, and as the horses' hooves trampled over the bushes, they raised a cloud of dust.
Zhao Xuan walked a few steps higher up the stairs to the enemy tower.
Zhang Shao immediately said: "It doesn't matter, he is my man."
He waved his hand, and the officer on duty above the enemy tower waved a colorful flag.
There were several cavalry camps scattered throughout the wilderness. At this time, knights were getting on their horses from many directions, waiting to get closer to this group of light cavalry. Seeing the flags waving on the city tower, they turned their horses back to camp.
"Going northwest from here, two to three hundred miles in length and breadth, it is all land with fertile water and grass. There are at least six thousand Mongolian households facing us. The cavalry gallops and they will arrive in one day. So I set up extra warnings. Crossing the Yehu Ridge , over to Angjiluo, there are more Mongols and they are more difficult to deal with. The Jurchen fools lost all that territory back then, and now they can’t get it back even after spending ten times the effort."
"It's hard to defend even if we take it back. The black Tatar cavalry travels freely and horizontally, which cannot be controlled by these strongholds now. We have to restore the boundary trench defense regulations of Dajin's time and set up dense fortresses."
"Daikin's hair hanging regulations."
Zhang Shao spat and said: "In those few years, Dajin built a lot of fortresses, but the soldiers and civilians who lived in them were no better than beggars. The big shots at the top had to drink the soldiers' blood, and the military pay they received was just waste paper. Those who come to do business are all profiteers. Hundreds of people flee every year, and not one person in a hundred can fight!"
Speaking of this, both of them had personal experience. They lost control of their emotions and cursed for a while. It wasn't until the Sentinel Cavalry rushed into the city that the two of them leaned down and looked down.
"Commander, we found the Black Tartar sentries in the northwest. We intercepted them and had a fight, injuring three brothers. Because the Black Tartars started to gather, we retreated first."
Zhang Shao frowned: "I told you not to be so reckless! Have you brought the injured brother back? Is the injury serious?"
The cavalry shouted: "Commander, the Black Tartars we met this time are different from the ones we met a few days ago. They obviously come from several different Qianhu households, and at least they are Batu'er from Qianhu Nayan's tent! According to the outpost The scale is estimated to be at least four thousand households, and they have already crossed Xuandezhou, passed the Jiming Mountain Pass, and continued eastward!"
Zhao Xuan asked: "Is this kind of situation rare?"
The cavalryman looked at Zhang Shao. Seeing Zhang Shao nodding, he said: "It is common for Mongolians to change their pastures. However, four thousand-household Batu'er moved together and seemed to be pressing directly to Juyong Pass. In the past two months, we have never encountered Pass."
The so-called mountain states north of Juyongguan are all distributed in river valleys and plains surrounded by mountains. They are separated by vertical and horizontal ravines. Although the distance is close, the transportation is not convenient. At this time, the main force of Qiu Huiluo's troops had passed the Guichuan River just west of Jinshan Mountain and was heading towards the front line of Fanshan Mountain. If the Mongols suddenly gathered between Xuandezhou and Jinshan Mountain, with the advantage of light and fast horses, they would This is equivalent to blocking the communication between the three fortresses of Jinshan, Guichuan and Juyongguan, and the Dinghai navy units located in the states behind the mountains have become isolated armies scattered everywhere.
Zhao Xuan looked at Zhang Shao and said, "Old Zhang, you are familiar with this place and arrange security."
Zhang Shao was not polite and pointed at a general: "You go first to select reliable subordinates. We will hurry up for eight hundred miles and notify Fanshan, Longmen and Juyongguan separately."
"Yes." Everyone responded.
At this time, the generals and commanders from all departments heard that the sentries were returning urgently and rushed to the tower one after another. Zhang Shao gave orders one by one, issuing dozens of orders in an instant. More than a dozen orders were all directly aimed at city defense. The military academy who received the orders immediately went to deal with them. The atmosphere in the military camps in the city instantly became solemn.
After all, he had been stationed in Jinshan City for more than two months. With his veteran's vision, he was able to build the city like an iron barrel in a short period of time. But he was very cautious and did not issue any orders other than city defense.
This is because before the generals of the Ding Navy went north, they were all told by Guo Ning face to face not to seek to kill the enemy in a big battle, but to make every step of the way.
The Ding Navy has expanded to its current level, and its power is certainly terrifying, but there are too many things that need to be adjusted. If the entire Dinghai navy is regarded as a giant, now is the time when the giant is fighting with people one after another and is in urgent need of calming down his breathing and even eating to replenish himself. If the meal is not eaten and the breath is not sustained, the giant will suddenly fall down and even be in danger of his life.
If a large-scale field war breaks out with Mongolia at this time, emergency changes must be made in logistics, finance, army dispatch, and even the arrangements for the entire military and political system of the Marshal's Mansion. And every change is also a drain on current potential and a possible loss of future growth.
Therefore, despite the sudden movements of the Mongolian tribes in the north, Zhang Shao's arrangements were all focused on city defense and did not involve anything else.
A lieutenant general asked eagerly: "How about we send more troops, go west once, and ask for directions? If there is a chance, kill him!"
In the past two years, the Dinghai navy has fought more often with the Mongols, and the fear that originally haunted the soldiers' hearts has mostly dissipated. Courageous officers like this deputy general have even begun to consciously seek opportunities to fight the Mongols in the field. Especially the defenders here in Jinshan were particularly eager to express themselves as soon as their new boss arrived.
But Zhang Shao shook his head repeatedly: "The number of cavalry here in Jinshan is slightly insufficient. At least half of the 600 cavalry we have on hand must be left to cooperate with the stabilization of the city's attack and defense. With 300 cavalry, we can encounter any intact Mongolian Thousands of households may suffer heavy losses, and if infantry is added, it may not be enough to relieve the emergency."
The deputy general looked at Zhao Xuan and asked for advice later. Zhao Xuan waved his hand and said:
"The city defense of Jinshan City is very effective. Even if the Mongols want to do anything, we will stick to the city defense, dispatch elite infantry and cavalry outside, and rely on the city to sweep back and forth. A few thousand households of the Mongols can't do anything to us... What do they really want? If you plot, you will fall into the hostage of our three important military towns. That is courting death! Don’t worry, you will follow Commander Zhang’s orders!”
The deputy general had no choice but to agree and hurried down to the city.
Zhang Shao suddenly turned around and stared at Zhao Xuan: "No! No!"
Zhao Xuan smiled and asked, "What's wrong?"
Zhang Shao's thick eyebrows were furrowed, but he couldn't give a specific reason. After a while, he still said nothing and walked around Zhao Xuan twice.
Zhao Xuan only smiled and leaned against the city wall.
"You just took office and you saw the Mongolian movement...how could you be so calm?" Zhang Shao asked fiercely.
He looked around him and saw that the soldiers were busy with the things at hand. He lowered his voice and asked again: "You knew in advance that the Mongols were going to take action, right? What are the Mongols going to do? What are you going to do?"
