Chatting all the way, the same words are heard in different people's hearts, but they have different thoughts!
What Duoluo and Guan Lu were thinking about was how difficult it was for the army to fight and how miserable the people were under Long Live Lord's rule. At the same time, they also thought about how they could make contributions and how they should behave in front of Long Live Lord.
The escorting cavalry from the Mongolian grasslands had long been fascinated by the sight before them, and the fierce genes of their Mongolian ancestors were ready to stir up in their blood.
They have decided that when they arrive in Guazhou and see Marshal Zuo, they will also join the army. How can they become a cavalryman with just their own equestrian skills?
As for saying that the prince of my family disagrees? Then let Marshal Zuo go to court with Zasak Tuhan... Of course, with Zuo Zongtang's prestige in the court, it would cost hundreds of cavalry to write a letter to the Mongolian King of Han, so he still had to give face.
The British had other ideas. Gordon and other officers and soldiers all thought out of their own professions, how should I fight if I came to this desert.
Not to mention that the British would not go to the desert to fight. Many geographical features in North Africa and Central Asia are very similar to those in the Western Regions, and they are also areas that combine agriculture and animal husbandry.
But in the eyes of Samuel Baker, it all looks different!
"Chinese officials are very complex, and they often have both civil and military roles... Military generals also consider the governance of local officials, which is very strange..."
"In Europe, a war is a war, and elected local government officials are responsible for post-war matters..."
"This kind of administrative system without a clear division of labor is really backward... But is it really backward?"
Samuel kept reflecting and asking, "It is true that we are falling behind. There is no separation between military and government. In the end, nothing can be done well..."
"But it's wrong. Why do I feel uneasy? The Chinese people have this idea in their bones to manage the army and manage the people... So what are the talents cultivated by this model like?"
"Ouch... Will such a generalist increase the chance of this nation giving birth to an outstanding strategist? You have to know that a once-in-a-century strategic genius, which one is not a great generalist?"
"Oops... scratching my head, really scratching my head, this country is so weird..."
"What's that in the distance? The pagoda? What's further away is the beacon tower and the ruins of the Great Wall? Don't worry, draw it first..."
Samuel Baker leaned on the huge adventure bag and drew a quick sketch of the beautiful scenery in front of him with the pen in his hand. This is all first-hand information, and he will slowly sort it out later.
Liu Jintang glanced at the explorer intentionally or unintentionally, and found that his notebook was filled with landscape sketches and scrawled English words.
He doesn’t understand English either, and when he looks at the landscape paintings, he thinks he is an ordinary explorer. After all, Europeans like to spend money to seek misfortune all over the world when they are full. Don’t pay attention to such weirdos. .
Liu Jintang had missed a very important note. If he had known that there was a systematic and detailed plan to destroy Chinese civilization in front of this note, he would probably have had to hack him to death on the spot.
After walking more than ten miles, the cavalry team arrived at the official official road. When they arrived here, Gordon and the others' eyes immediately lit up. Such a spectacular scene was really rare to see.
The team walked around the weathered cliffs. On the opposite side was a slope with nine twists and turns, going down. Along the edge of the mountain was the post road. The number of villages, towns and walled cities on the plains further away was obviously increasing.
If you look along the post road, you will see a dark city at the end, Guazhou!
Only when we got here did we really feel the grandeur of the war. The endless post roads were filled with transport teams composed of horses and camels.
The jingling of camel bells is as spectacular as a symphony!
The tarpaulins on Jianmala's trucks were all military supplies sent from the Central Plains, most of which were provided by the Chinese!
Weapons and ammunition, food and medicine, felt tents, military uniforms and cotton boots... there was even a large cart of red pine wood. It was overturned on the side of the road due to improper handling. The huge wood in the cart rolled everywhere. The old-fashioned way of driving the cart. Is crying loudly.
Mixed in the transport team were a steady stream of soldiers, carrying weapons and equipment and simple packages on their backs, and marching silently to the west one by one. The flattest spot in the middle of the road was the cavalry's horse path, and the fast horses rushed over and rolled up. A piece of yellow sand.
"The sky is full of flames of war... This is the sky of flames of war..."
As far as the end of human sight, there are scenes of war. This world has been completely militarized!
"Let's go, everyone... This is Guazhou, the temporary base camp of the Western Army. We have to thank Xu Zhanbiao! These Sichuan guys are really good at fighting!"
The expedition team followed the nine curves and eighteen sets to meet on the post road. When the soldiers and civilians saw Liu Jintang's flag on the road, they all saluted and gave way, and the civilians fell to their knees in the dust.
At five o'clock in the afternoon, the group finally saw the east gate of Guazhou City. As a result, the sharp-eyed Liu Jintang saw the commander Zuo Zongtang waiting outside the city gate. In order to welcome the angel, Zuo Zongtang put on his court clothes and set up a temporary cowhide tent. , even the incense table is set up.
"Hurry up...the commander-in-chief is here to greet us personally..."
This is a great honor. At this moment, Zuo Zongtang is the number one person in the northwest, the proper king of the northwest. Xinjiang, Gansu, Shaanxi, including northern Sichuan and part of Inner Mongolia, he is the most powerful militarily in such a vast area.
In these places, all military forces have to obey Zuo Zongtang's dispatch. Even if you are a arrogant Manchu Eight Banners battalion leader, you are still obliged to cooperate with the commander-in-chief in fighting.
The Northwest King came to greet him in person, which was too embarrassing. Even if Zuo Zongtang received the order, there was no need for him to go out of the city. It was the same if he received the order in the Chinese army camp in the city!
Doro and Guan Lu lowered their heads to discuss, "Brother, Marshal Zuo has given you enough face, let's not hold it back..."
"What a fart! The military salary that Long Live Lord gave to the commander has been wasted on us. I'm so guilty!"
"It's okay to have a guilty conscience! You'll have to face it sooner or later..."
The expedition team finally arrived at the entrance of the East Gate tent. Zuo Zongtang stood on the side of the road and shouted, "Set off cannons to welcome the imperial edict!"
Bang bang bang... The red cannon cast at the top of Guazhou City during the Qianlong period was spitting out white smoke. All transportation teams and army soldiers outside the city gate stopped in their tracks, and those who were close had to kneel down to greet them.
There is nothing new in the decree. It is the same as what Liu Jintang said in the morning. It is to reward the three-eyed dazzling feathers and yellow mandarin jackets to comfort the soldiers and civilians who have worked hard in the war.
Zuo Zongtang also had officers and soldiers kowtow to express gratitude, and then removed the offering table.
But in the end, Guan Lu and Doluo walked up to the commander with embarrassed faces, "Commander... there is one more thing that I need to tell the commander, and ask him to atone for my sins..."
"Oh? It's okay, two imperial envoys..." Zuo Zongtang said with a smile.
Doro didn't want to say it, but Guan Lu kept poking him, and finally the Eight Banners guard took out a waterproof oil-paper bag from his tattered sheepskin coat.
"Commander! Long Live Master knows that you have a hard time fighting and raising money... so I specially saved 600,000 from my pocket money..."
"This is the ration money for Lord Long Live...these 600,000 are for the commander-in-chief to fight the war!"
