There were hundreds of Yuan Tan's personal guards. They avoided the cavalry and fled to the camp behind.
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!" Yuan Tan and others only tried to avoid the heroic cavalry behind them, but unexpectedly a group of Wuhuan soldiers came face to face, it was Wusang and others from the Seleng tribe.
"Young Master!" Everyone couldn't help but exclaim.
Yuan Tan, who was running at the front, was of course the most conspicuous target, and half of the arrows were directed at him.
Yuan Tan, who was shot, was twitching all over. He could only breathe in but not out. His life was hanging by a thread.
Zang Hong shouted angrily and used his spear to block the attack of Wu Sang and others. Other personal guards also protected Yuan Tan.
But the cavalry behind them had already caught up. Yuan Tan and others were surrounded.
"Everyone, stop it! That's General Zhao. We surrender to you." A voice came from beside Yuan Tan.
"Zhu Ling! You actually..." Xin Ping pointed at Zhu Ling who stood up angrily, with a look of astonishment on his face.
"Mr. Zhongzhi, if the eldest son is like this and still resists now, wouldn't it mean that so many people have lost their lives for nothing? What's more, we are Han Chinese!" Zhu Ling said in a deep voice.
Zang Hong looked at the enemy troops gathered around him. He jumped off his horse and walked to Yuan Tan and Xin Ping.
Seeing the dying Yuan Tan, Zang Hong also advised Xin Ping: "Sir, we came to defect to Tadun, and why the eldest son was defeated. You and I both know these. We still have more than a thousand brothers, so we gave them away in vain. It's a pity that their lives are saved. If they remain useful, they might be able to do something for the country and the people."
"Zang Hong, you still have a reputation as a righteous man, but you turned out to be a seller seeking glory. I must have misjudged you." Xin Ping said angrily.
"I, Zang Hong, am a traitor. I just don't want so many people to die in a foreign land. Everyone sees what the eldest son does. He is not a person who will achieve great things. Mr. Yuan has indeed chosen the right successor. He will be a good person to Hebei Province." In other words, the second young master is the best commander, and we were all wrong." Zang Hong said calmly.
"You...you..." Xin Ping was so angry that he couldn't speak.
At this moment, Di Yuan Tan, who fell into shock, coughed up a mouthful of blood and swallowed his breath completely. Although Emperor Taizong Xuanwu Yuan Xi did not kill his brother himself, his brother Yuan Tan died because of the danger, and he was finally killed. In the name of brotherly discord.
Zang Hong sighed and said, "Zang Hong has followed the eldest son so far to repay his kindness. Now that the eldest son is dead, Zang has no choice but to follow him, but sir, you are talented people and should be regarded as big men." Those who do something, please leave it to everyone from now on, and go to Zanghong."
After Zang Hong finished speaking, he took out his saber and wiped it off his neck with all his strength. When everyone woke up and tried to save him, Zang Hong had already fallen to the ground without making a sound. Zang Hong was indeed worthy of the name of a righteous man.
Later, Emperor Taizong Xuanwu Yuan Xi, in order to create the founding temperament, on the advice of Tian Feng, Chen Qun, Cui Yan and others, praised Zanghong for his loyalty to the Yuan family, and posthumously awarded Zanghong the title of General of the Northern Campaign to sympathize with his family.
With Ju Yi's surprise attack from behind and the defection of the Seleng tribe, Yuan Jun quickly took the initiative on the battlefield, and the battle was basically over after half an hour.
Most of Tadun's main force suffered casualties, and the rest of the tribe also suffered heavy casualties. Most of the Wuhuan soldiers fled. In addition to the Selen tribe, two other tribes saw that the situation was wrong and immediately surrendered to Yuan Jun. The remaining seven tribes fled north one after another.
Yuan Xi led his guards to the battlefield where corpses lay everywhere. Looking at Yuan Tan's corpse, he felt mixed. Although they couldn't get along since childhood, they became enemies of each other when they grew up. But they are brothers from the same father after all, right? What a pity.
"Guo asked the general to bury the eldest son safely." Guo Tu said behind him. He was not completely lying. After all, there was a relationship between monarch and minister. Dogs love their masters, let alone humans.
"Guo Tu, please take care of your elder brother's body. Make a coffin and send it back to Jizhou." Yuan Xi didn't want to look at it anymore, so he turned around and left.
"General. The soldiers found this on the eldest son." Zhao Yun stepped forward in time and handed a piece of cloth to Yuan Xi.
Yuan Xi took it and took a look. His face was instantly covered with frost, and he looked gloomy and ugly. Yuan Xi walked towards Liucheng. While handing the cloth to Jia Xu behind him.
After seeing it, Jia Xu also broke out in cold sweat. After walking for a while, he asked: "The army has taken control of Liucheng, and Tadun's tooth tent has been surrounded. What does the general want to do with the eldest son's old friend?" Party and family?”
"Wen He, what do you think I should do with it?" Yuan Xi asked without answering.
Jia Xu said nothing and replied cautiously: "This is the general's family matter. It's hard for outsiders to say anything."
"Wen He, look at these green grasses, no matter how you burn them away, as long as the roots are still there, new shoots will sprout again next spring." Yuan Xi said calmly. Yuan Xi finally followed Taizong Emperor Li Shimin's path of glory filled with blood.
Jia Xu was shocked, knowing that the cloth in his hand would greatly stimulate Yuan Xi, but it was not convenient for him to speak.
Yuan Xi looked at Jia Xu with a sneer, and said quietly, "In this military chaos, it is inevitable that someone will get lost or have an accident. You think so, Wen He."
Jia Xu lowered his head and said silently, "Then let the shadow guards who came with the army handle it."
Yuan Xi couldn't comment and didn't say anything. Then he rode on Jueying and led Xu Chu and other guards towards Liucheng. He didn't look at Jia Xu again and didn't need to look at him.
After some tidying up, the royal court in Tadun became Yuan Xi's residence. Yuan Xi immediately dispatched generals to pursue the fleeing Wuhuan tribe, appease the surrendered Seleng tribe, and rewarded those who had made meritorious service in the war. .
After the war, Ke Bili's troops also surrendered to the Yuan army. With Ke Bili and the soldiers and horses of the Selen tribe as guides, the Yuan army's cavalry quickly caught up with the remnants of Wuhuan who fled. Three of the tribes were almost wiped out, and four tribes were maimed. He also surrendered to Yuan Jun.
When the situation stabilized, Yuan Xi first summoned Zhu Ling, who had surrendered. With the persuasion of Zhu Ling and Guo Tu, Xinpi also expressed his willingness to surrender.
However, Xin Ping's attitude was very stubborn and he said that he must fulfill his duties faithfully, so Yuan Xi had no choice but to imprison him.
Although the war was basically over, what troubled Yuan Xi even more was the issue of how to arrange the three counties of Wuhuan.
After everyone's discussion, Tian Yu was left as the general stationed in Wuhuan, with Guan Jing and Xian Yuyin as his deputy, commanding the three counties of Liaodong, Liaoxi and Youbeiping.
Yuan Xi also summoned several Wuhuan lords who surrendered to discuss the issue of the ownership of each ministry.
"General Yuan, it's not that I have any dissatisfaction, but that your army killed too much, and those tribes were wiped out. In fact, those men are also very good warriors. You just need to persuade them to surrender completely to your land!" Wu Gu! Na sighed.
"Uguna, you are clearly dissatisfied with the general. Do you think the money allocated to women is not enough?" Ke Bili said coldly.
What Yuan Xi wanted was this effect, to provoke conflicts among Wuhuan tribes and keep them in check. Kebili resented Uguna's rebellion on the battlefield, and was unwilling to succumb to Uguna, so he could only rely more on Yuan Xi to resist Uguna. A divided grassland is good.
"Kebili, you are trying to sow discord between the general and my father. We only said that we could recruit them to serve the general. When will it be as bad as you said?" Usang retorted.
"Okay, there's no need for you to argue. The tribes I'm sending troops to conquer are those rebellious tribes, and I have great trust in you guys." Yuan Xi said soothingly.
He sent troops to plunder the exterminated tribes, and the two tribes, Kebili and Seleng, also became accomplices and participated in sharing the spoils, so they had no choice but to board Yuan Xi's pirate ship.
"General, what are you talking about about supplying food for the winter?" Uguna reminded, after all, people die for wealth, and birds die for food, right?
Yuan Xi smiled and said, "The severe winter is coming. It is very bitter and cold in the north of Liucheng. In previous years, you also went south to Youbeiping, right? Just follow the army and go south. I will settle you in Youbeiping."
Yuan Xi made up his mind to contain them in Youbeiping. It was best to turn herders into farmers and carry out differentiation and sinicization step by step.
"General, what are you talking about about recruiting warriors from our tribe?" Ke Bili asked. He had made up his mind to follow Yuan Xi, planning to get a Han military officer position like Duan Pizhen.
"We will make arrangements after spring next year. Now let's make arrangements for all the troops to go south for the winter." Yuan Xi said.
"General, I have a favor to ask you." Uguna stood up and said.
"Chanyu, just say it." Yuan Xi smiled lightly. Wugu Na, the Wuhuan Chanyu, is not worthy of his name. He is only a Chanyu in name, but he can only mobilize his own seleng department.
"I am very grateful to the general for his kindness, but I find that there is really nothing I can do to repay it. Well, I have a little girl who is a young lady with a good reputation. I am willing to serve the general with her. I don't know what the general wants." Wu Guna said.
The atmosphere suddenly became silent, and several Wuhuan adults were thinking about Wuguna's plan, knowing that he wanted to use this to increase his worth.
"General, my sister is the best girl, and many Wuhuan warriors admire her." Wusang also echoed from the side.
Yuan Xi remained silent. He knew that sometimes political marriages were inevitable, like with Zhen Mi and Mi Zhen. But marrying a foreign woman requires careful consideration, as it involves the balance of the Wuhuan tribes and future Wuhuan affairs.
Seeing Yuan Xi's hesitation, Guo Tu came to his side and whispered: "Wugu's daughter Wu Nayun was originally promised to Zuo Xian for marriage, but Zuo Xian was exterminated by us."
Yuan Xi looked at the ministers around him. Tian Chou, Guan Jing and others expressed their agreement without comment.
Jia Xu stood up and said: "This is a good thing. The general must not let down Shan Yu's good intentions. But the general has many concubines, and I see that there are also some among the generals. If there is a young and handsome man who is not yet married, he might as well betroth the young lady to him." "
"Okay, I think this is very good." Yuan Xi smiled.
Just when Yuan Xi was having a banquet for everyone, a group of Xianbei people led by Bu Dugen attacked Yuan Xi's prisoner camp, killed Yuan Tan's family, and kidnapped Yuan Tan's wife. Yuan Xi did not have time to react and wanted to pursue, but was persuaded by Jia Xu and others.
This is recorded in the Book of Jin, but why is it such a coincidence? Some things are destined to be lost in the long river of history.
After the war, Tian Chou led people to count the number of people. In that battle, Yuan's army lost 5,000 soldiers, killed more than 40,000 enemies, and captured 15,000 Wuhuan's elite string-control warriors. It can be said that the smallest sacrifice was used in exchange for a big victory.
It took several days to deal with the battlefield, which was littered with casualties. Collect the food, weapons, horses, tents and other rich trophies left by the Wuhuan army. The corpses of the enemy were gathered together and burned to ashes with firewood at a high point, while the wounded were all made prisoners.
Yuan Xi gathered the soldiers together and held a public sacrifice at dusk, killing horses and offering them in front of the tent to pay homage to the deceased. The cavalry, led by Wen Chou, circled the corpse twice, struck the arm with a knife and cried, and then took away the daily necessities and clothing of the deceased. Cremate them together, then collect the ashes and take them back to their hometown for burial.
Yuan Xi shed tears in person to pay homage and recited the eulogy written by Jia Xu. The sincere and touching eulogy made everyone shed tears. It does not mean that bad people have no humanity.
Tian Chou smiled, and suddenly said with a grimace; "General, what do you think we should do with so many Wuhuan prisoners after we captured them? Incorporate them, they will have different hearts if they are not of my race. We are afraid that they will rebel against each other in the future, so let them go." Go back, it’s even more impossible, wouldn’t that be causing trouble for yourself?”
Jia Xu blurted out; "There is an open space over there——"
Yuan Xi and Tian Chou lost their voices together; "Kill in a trap——"
"This - I have also thought about it, but the world is still uncertain, and a mass killing at this moment will definitely make the people of Wuhuan rise up to resist and fight to the end. It is not good," Yuan Xi said hesitantly.
Jia Xu smiled and said, "General, don't worry about it. Xu's jokes are a test of his ears. The general has a kind heart and is truly a benevolent master."
Yuan Xi thought for a moment and said, "Actually, these Wuhuan soldiers can be recruited."
Tian Chou was shocked, broke out in cold sweat, and objected loudly: "I would rather agree with Mr. Jia Xu's opinion and kill these people than let the general recruit these capricious wolves."
"Mr. Tian, why is this?" Yuan Xi asked with a bitter smile.
Tian Chou spoke sternly and said sternly: "These Wuhuan soldiers have very poor military discipline on weekdays, and they are unjust when they see profits. They like to burn, kill and loot. Their military discipline is extremely bad. No, this is not a problem of military discipline, but the fighting tradition of the Wuhuan people." , they fight just to grab supplies and fight to support the war. You said, if such a team is brought back to Jizhou, wouldn't the Central Plains be in chaos? "
When Yuan Xi saw that Tian Chou was really anxious, he hurriedly tried to dissuade him: "Sir, please calm down. Sir, please listen to me. If what I say is unreasonable, then just follow Mr. Jia Xu's words and kill them all." Heart."
Jia Xu thought to herself, after pretending to be an innocent girl for a long time, she ended up becoming a bitch, so why bother. Tian Chou blushed and said reluctantly, "Okay, sir, please tell me your thoughts."
Yuan Xi patiently explained; "That's it, gentlemen, I think that these Wuhuan soldiers' cavalry and shooting skills and individual combat effectiveness are far better than those of the Central Plains soldiers. Having such a team can greatly strengthen our army." Strength. I have also considered what Mr. Tian just said about the reasons why people who are not from our race must have different minds, and the Wuhuan soldiers’ military discipline is corrupted, and I think it can be solved-"
"How to solve it? These people are bloodthirsty and can't change it at all." Tian Chou was not convinced.
Yuan Xi smiled and said, "They are humans and not wolves, so how could they be born to love killing? It's just the grassland law of survival of the fittest, the law of the jungle, that has created their cruelty. As for robbing supplies and corrupting military discipline, there is a problem of eating. The Wuhuan people did not have salaries and rations to pay to their soldiers. If they wanted money, they had to rob it themselves. This created their bad habit of burning, killing and looting. As long as we strictly enforce military discipline and pay salaries on time, we can keep them fed. Dress warmly. After a while, you won’t be able to drive them away, isn’t that what Duan Pixi’s troops are like.”
It seems that the Duoyan Three Guards of the Ming Dynasty used Mongols to fight Mongols. The only reason why the soldiers dealt with their compatriots was that the Chinese took care of the food and the Mongols did not. Therefore, I have the confidence to collect and transform these more than 10,000 Wuhuan cavalry into a three-good force with strong combat effectiveness, strict military discipline, and loyalty.
Although Tian Chou is stubborn, he is very reasonable. As long as you are right, he will immediately admit his mistakes and will not hide his mistakes. Tian Chou's expression softened slightly, and he muttered: "What the general said is not unreasonable, but these people must find a general with strict military discipline to lead them, and they must be organized into different detachments to divide and conquer. Only in this way can we use."
Yuan Xi doesn't know that these people are time bombs. If they are used properly, they will be lucky.
So he nodded and said: "Incorporate them into Taishi Ci's Wuhuan cavalry, and let him personally command them."
Taishi Ci's military discipline has always been very strict and he is famous among the Hebei army. Tian Chou nodded slowly. It seems that he is not very relieved.
The sky was full of stars, and the sky over the prairie was very high and bright. Jia Xu took a breath and suddenly pointed at the camp behind him and said with a smile, "General, look."
In the camp, the soldiers who had finished all the aftermath matters were celebrating their victory. With bonfires everywhere behind them, soldiers wielded swords and guns, sang and danced with their arms high, and the aroma of barbecue filled the entire camp, filling the atmosphere with victory.
