Cao Wenzhao took the water bag handed to him by his subordinates and poured a few sips down his throat.
When he looked to the west, his brows were furrowed; when he looked to the east, his face was filled with sadness.
It's been a disgusting journey.
After his nephew had a conflict with Yan'an General Yang Yanchang over the capture and killing of thieves, Yang Yanchang did nothing else but became more dedicated to his duties.
As a pioneer officer, Yang Yanchang led his troops to advance wildly in Shanxi like crazy.
He would fight the thieves when he saw them, and it was not a fake fight, but a real fight. As long as the thieves' strength was less than five times his, he would pounce on them like a mad dog and defeat the enemy as quickly as possible.
It's just very strange. Yang Yanchang can always keep the recruited thieves, but he doesn't have any prisoners.
At the beginning of Cao Wenzhao's sword point, where Yang Yanchang led his troops, Cao Bianjiao could not even hope to see a thief.
This situation is very bad. They have countless reasons to convince themselves to kill the thief, but there is no way to convince Yang Yanchang.
Whether it was telling him that the imperial court did not have the ability to solve the famine; or telling him that if the thieves were let go, they would still rebel in the future; or it was clear that the brain was a meritorious service, and he could be promoted in exchange for rewards.
Isn't that why soldiers hang their heads on their waists?
But it's no use.
Yang Yanchang didn't care, he didn't want to get promoted and get rich, and he didn't want these people to get promoted and get rich either.
So he single-handedly blocked everyone's upward channels.
Cao Wenzhao had no other choice. If Yang Yanchang continued to attack like this, his people would mutiny.
They could only let Cao Bianjiao divide his troops and attack from all sides before Yang Yanchang could.
The most disgusting thing is that Yang Yanchang also complained to Shanxi officials and the governor of Yansui, saying that these Guan Ning troops were taking my credit and I was the pioneer officer.
It was useless for Cao Wenzhao to report the problem to Hong Chengchou. Governor Hong was happy to see a shining star rising in Yan'an Mansion, not far from Yansui Town.
What's more, Hong Chengchou couldn't directly mobilize Yang Yanchang. Theoretically, both Hong Chengchou and Yang He were Yang Yanchang's superiors, but Yang Yanchang only needed to listen to and practice state affairs.
For a time, the hungry bandits, mountain bandits, and rebels in Shanxi were crying for their fathers and mothers, and the nursery rhymes they made up were about Yang Bodhisattva and Cao Yama.
When the rebels saw Yang Yanchang, they would either leave some delicious food for him, leave some looted money for his people, or join him directly.
The Guan Ning army who saw them would either run away early and fight to the end once the fighting started.
The strangest thing is that there are always people behind them who are slowing down their advance.
Cao Wenzhao believed that Shanxi's problem was not just famine.
Moreover, there is still a demon book cult, and it is very violent.
This very important issue has not been discovered by these idle officials and gentry in Shanxi. When asked, they all said they did not know.
The area of influence was very large. Almost from the time they entered Shanxi, wherever they went, the White Lotus cultists started to raise troops!
After spanking the front, you have to turn around and spank the White Lotus from behind.
Their chief grain transport general, Wang Ziyong, suffered a lot. Wang Ziyong's troops were all strong people. The civilian men recruited from Caohe, Tongzhou, worked hard and without complaint to transport heavy supplies for them.
The army rations were robbed again and again. Although the king himself guarded well, he still lost more or less army rations, and had to continue to be recruited by the local government.
Moreover, the grain transport team also lost many men. In order to replenish manpower, they could only recruit local people, which not only slowed down the march, but also made a bad start.
The demons from the White Lotus Sect infiltrated into the team.
The king was so uncomfortable that General Wang Ziyong talked incoherently and danced around.
This counterinsurgency war in the mainland was far more difficult than Cao Wenzhao imagined.
It wasn't until the team marched to Yonghe Pass and passed through the entire Shanxi Province that Cao Wenzhao met the first understanding person, the guard general Fu Renxi.
This was the only official who could clearly tell him that the White Lotus Sect had become widespread in Shanxi.
Fu Renxi said that he did not dare to mention this matter to others, because the White Lotus Sect had such a huge influence and spread so widely that many officials pretended not to know about it.
Therefore, Fu Renxi firmly believes that the White Lotus believers gathering in Shanxi must want to do something big in the future.
After crossing the Yellow River, Yang Yanchang returned to his hometown, and Cao Wenzhao's disgusting journey had just begun.
Cao Wenzhao always thought that the thieves were all in Yan'an Prefecture, but Yan'an Prefecture was quiet and quiet, with deserted villages and empty houses all over the place living and working in peace and contentment, with no one around.
Even Yang Yanchang couldn't hit anyone.
There was a feeling that the storm was about to come and the whole building was filled with wind.
There are no common people, no bandits, and naturally no food and grass. The only good news is that the power of the White Lotus Sect seems to have not crossed the Yellow River yet.
Governor Hong was eager to see through them and sent him to Fugu County to besiege Wang Jiayin.
As soon as they arrived in Fugu, Yang He, the governor of the three sides, led 300 soldiers and moved to Ningzhou. Fifty miles away from him was the Yan'an giant bandit Liu Chengzong, who led nearly 10,000 troops.
It can scare people to death.
Hong Chengchou had no choice but to send this army and the guerrilla general Zuo Guangxian to Ningzhou.
The local supply capacity was very poor, so Zuo Guang first led 500 people to walk along the Great Wall, passing through Huan County and going south to Qingyang Prefecture to reach Ningzhou.
Cao Wen ordered his army to bring their own dry food, and then marched along the line between Yan'an Prefecture and Yanzhou, from Ziwuling to Heshui County and south to Ningzhou.
In fact, Liu Chengzong's early warning system composed of many people made no mistakes.
The only ones who made mistakes were probably Yang Yanchang and He Yong. He Yong followed He Renlong to Fugu Siege, so he was unable to deliver the news to Liu Chengzong.
Everyone else knew that Yang Yanchang was one of their own, so they didn't have to make another trip and let Yang Yanchang report the news.
Yang Yanchang also wanted to report the news. After crossing Ziwu Ridge and arriving in Heshui County, he planned to report the news, but Hong Chengchou's transfer order came again.
Wang Jiayin colluded with the Northerners to invade the territory and attack various forts along the way. Governor Hong wanted to transfer him back.
Before Yang Yanchang had time to send the message, the offensive operation was canceled, and naturally there was no need to send the message to Liu Chengzong.
They returned to Yan'an Prefecture via Ziwuling and returned to Yansui Town via the original route.
The soldiers in Guan Ning became war-weary.
Even if they didn't talk about traveling all the way from Beizhili to Yansui Town, just running from Yansui Town to Heshui County, and then from Heshui County back to Yansui Town, they had traveled two thousand miles.
A governor and a governor are walking their dogs here.
Cao Wenzhao had no skills at all, so he discussed with Yang Yanchang: Aren't you running around like a mad dog? Liu Chengzong in Ningzhou was defeated by your old subordinate. You go to deal with him, and I will go to support Yansui Town.
If Yang Yanchang doesn't do it, he has a strong control over his own strength. His opportunity to fight has not yet arrived, and Liu Chengzong will not lose to him.
When Liu Chengzong plans to transfer, his opportunity will arrive.
A group of troops arrived in Yansui Town with complaints and joined the war against the Mongols.
This means that Wang Ziyong went to various counties in Shanxi to get some food from the county government to prevent the soldiers from going hungry, otherwise the army would have collapsed long ago.
They were beaten and driven around for two months, with the thieves in front and the White Lotus cultists behind them. The superiors were at odds with each other and disliked each other, and even fled four thousand miles away.
It often happened that during the assembly on the second day, the cavalry soldiers wanted to mount their horses, but the horses would not be mounted. Even if they were mounted, the horses would lie down if they did not hold the reins while marching.
The horses couldn't hold up anymore. They just exchanged horses with the garrison in Shanxi, and they changed the army's horses twice.
A good horse is exchanged for a poor horse, two poor horses are exchanged for a poor horse. The military orders are like mountains, and there is nothing you can do if you don't want to change.
After finally repelling the Mongols at the Great Wall, Wang Jiayin ran away, and Yang He issued a transfer order to Hong Chengchou with strict wording. Guyuan was captured, Han Fan was defeated by thieves, and Cao Wenzhao must be transferred to Pingliangping. Rebel.
But for Guan Ningjun, they actually enjoyed it.
At least when fighting within the pass, you don't have to worry about the enemy's reinforcements coming before your own reinforcements, and you don't have to worry about your own reinforcements coming and standing aside to watch.
There is no need to worry about those who died outside the pass and there was no one to collect the bodies. The enemy fed their flesh and blood to the dogs and built new cities.
But Yang Yanchang's people couldn't stand it, and Wang Ziyong's people couldn't stand it even more.
The two of them discussed it and came up with a solution. They couldn't be walked around like a dog. They should let Guan Ning play by himself.
A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity appeared when they crossed Ziwu Ridge for the second time.
Wang Ziyong called out the farming king Gao Yingxiang from Lion Bay. The original plan was for Gao Yingxiang to cut off the retreat, communicate with Liu Chengzong from the front, and bury the Guanning army in Qingyang Mansion.
Unexpectedly, Yang He changed his mind.
It was said that Liu Chengzong saved the Han Palace and the emperor wanted to seal Liu Chengzong to Qinghai. Suddenly everyone went crazy.
Yang Yanchang was about to run to Ningzhou, but he immediately turned around and ran north. He even ignored Cao Wenzhao and took Wang Ziyong all the way through Heshui County, across the Ziwu Ridge, and ran back to Yanzhou.
Cao Wenzhao thought about how fast his grandson ran.
But there is nothing surprising. Ever since Yang Yanchang had a disagreement with him over the murder of a thief, this guy has been moving forward. As for Wang Ziyong, he probably doesn't want to leave.
He never expected that after the vanguard officer and his baggage crossed Ziwu Ridge, what was waiting for him on the mountain road was a bandit soldier whom he had not seen for a long time!
Gao Yingxiang blocked him in the west and prevented them from returning to Yan'an Mansion.
The terrain of Ziwu Ridge is similar to that of Huanglong Mountain. Since the Taihang Mountains, Guan Ning's army has been attacking crazily without using heavy equipment. Wang Zi used all the artillery and food supplies, and only carried small cannons of thirty or forty kilograms.
The ten large lion cannons in Gao Yingxiang's hands fired in turn, and the pressure on the narrow mountain road made it impossible for the Pearl Cannon to enter the range.
He was beaten and retreated without even being able to touch anyone.
In desperation, Cao Wenzhao had no choice but to withdraw from Ziwu Ridge, thinking that there was Heshui County behind him and he could temporarily replenish his supplies. If that didn't work, he would go to Huan County and return to Yansui Town via the Great Wall in the north.
Who would have thought that Jiang Yingchang, the magistrate of Heshui County who had invited him to dinner two days ago, saw that he had lost the battle and immediately closed the city gate to prevent them from approaching.
Cao Wenzhao was so angry that he wanted to attack the city. He stood outside the moat suspension bridge and scolded the duplicitous bastard for a quarter of an hour.
Gao Yingxiang didn't leave Ziwu Ridge. He just took advantage of the terrain and weapons to get them stuck on the mountain road. There was no way he could do anything about it.
Suddenly the good situation was gone.
Calculating the distance, if they go north, they will reach Huanxian County after two days of hunger, and Huanxian County may not necessarily provide them with luggage.
It would be more feasible to go south and find Yang He to find a way to get some food.
But one day after setting off, Yang He sent news that Ningzhou was so poor that they had no food and grass for them, so they were asked to go north.
Now heading north, they would need to starve for three more days.
Originally, there was Han Chaozai's team on the Ningzhou Plain, allowing them to plunder food and grass. However, Han Chaozai's men were penetrated by Zuo Guangxian and hid in Zhenyuan County.
The most embarrassing thing is that in Ningzhou, it is not even possible to rob the people.
The people were poorer than them, and they all lived in holes in the ground. Without heavy firepower or siege equipment, their ability to attack fortresses was not much better than that of Li Laoye.
There is only one place with sufficient food and grass around - Pingliang Mansion.
Cao Wenzhao did not want to rob Pingliang Mansion.
He felt that Pingliang Mansion had been robbed by thieves earlier. In Ningzhou in the southeast, there was Yang He and the army practicing state affairs. He came from the east, and in the west there was Liu Chengzong who had surrendered.
So this group of thieves who robbed the palace must not have left this place.
He went over and wiped out this bandit army. With sufficient supplies of food and grass, couldn't he continue to return to Yansui Town and listen to his orders?
Unexpectedly, the band of thieves disappeared.
It cannot be said that they have disappeared. In fact, the two generations of Golden Chanzi are all near Ningzhou.
Some time ago, Yang He gathered the refugees. A group of refugees led by a blacksmith settled in the fields and mountains beside the Malian River. The blacksmith no longer drank.
These people had enough money and food to cultivate the land. Yang He welcomed such people very much. The place is now called Ningzhou Hanchanli.
And in the mountains not far from Hanchanli, Zhu Danyu, the second-generation golden cicada who was beaten by Lian Guoshi, was recharging his energy and looking to the west with hatred from time to time.
He is planning to rob Han Fan Lumi.
It's just that the real mastermind disappeared into the vast mountains with money and food.
But Cao Wenzhao's troops did not gain anything. They still found a group of thieves who took advantage of the chaos and obtained enough food to last for a few days.
But before they could leave with their troops, someone attacked their Tangqi.
Judging from the way they arranged the Tangqi, it should be a formal frontier army. They set up a Tangqi every other mile in the five-mile wide valley.
Layers of flags were raised to the west. The Tang soldiers of Guan Ning's army pressed forward, and they fought with them. When the army pressed up, the first Tang soldier fired his trumpet and retreated to the position of the next Tang soldier, overlapping. Retreat to the west.
Cao Wenzhao deliberately sent troops to report the news, but the person who reported the news was shot dead.
They have never seen anything like this: Do I look so much like a bandit, or is it that the Western Army is such a jerk and doesn't communicate with others at all?
Very strange.
It's not that Cao Wenzhao never thought about Liu Chengzong, but just thinking about it made him feel funny. Is this possible?
He had seen Gao Yingxiang's soldiers. It was not surprising that the bandits had border troops. They understood military formations, knew how to use weapons, and were organized. It was normal.
However, the Tang soldiers are a very professional force and require great coordination. With the messy flags and flags, it will be difficult for a few Tang soldiers to accomplish anything without fully integrating one Tang soldier.
If you use a semaphore and others can't understand it, it means you don't have a semaphore.
Not to mention reporting news like this, which stretches for ten miles, twenty miles or even further in the valley. This is not something that a few Tang soldiers can do. It requires the cooperation of more than twenty-four Tang soldiers.
This shows that there is at least one battalion of the Northwest Frontier Army in the west.
"When I find this general, I'm going to hang him on a tree and whip him!" Cao Wenzhao threw the water bag to the ground fiercely: "When we enter Shaanxi, what the hell are these bastards doing? The county and county towns don't care about food. , the officers and soldiers are still covering my battlefield!"
