Battles in this era require long preparations, long marches, and long confrontations. But when the battle actually starts, from the moment the two armies meet to the moment the winner is determined, it is often only a matter of half a day to a day.
In half a day, blood can flow into a river.
It's just that the grassland is vast, and there are small battles between the two sides. Each has its own victory or defeat, and each has its own advancement and retreat. The grassland tribes and the five towns in the north rush to support each other. The offense and defense have changed several times. Pursuit and fighting coexist, and the right wolf king is defeated. There was the left wolf king, and the left and right wolf kings were destroyed one after another. The golden tent royal court raised its arms and shouted, and the young and old men on the grassland behind mounted their horses and asked for more people from the vassal country to form another army.
There were few demons among them, so the Taoist people rarely took action, but they always followed the army.
When the march lasted for tens of miles, the Taoist walked on the nearby hills. General Chen led his fine cavalry in a surprise attack and beheaded him, while Taoist priests also watched. In the decisive battle in the Starlight Valley, the two sides invested 300,000 elite soldiers, and killed 100,000 men from noon to dusk. The Taoist, the cat and the horse were still standing on the top of the mountain in the distance, recording the historical scene with their eyes.
Just seeing it with the naked eye and reading it from history books are actually two completely different feelings.
From midsummer to late autumn, as the last of the Northern Sai army fled into the grassland, the northern frontier army led by General Chen pursued them for 800 miles, and the war was completely won.
However, General Chen felt that this was not enough.
Regardless of whether he had enough or not, Song You had had enough of staying here, so he packed his bags and was about to leave.
General Chen heard the news from Military Advisor Zhang and took time out of his busy schedule to see him off in person.
Seeing that Song You had packed his luggage and put quilt bags on the horses' backs, he couldn't help but be stunned and asked:
"Sir, are you leaving now?"
"I've been in the army long enough to see the general's style, and I'm very lucky to have seen this great victory. Now that the general has won, naturally I shouldn't stay too long." Song You said to the general and couldn't help but raise his head. He glanced at the sky. It was a clear and sunny day in autumn. "Look, the weather is good today. It's a good time to start our journey."
"Sir, you took the greatest credit for this great victory. The entire Northern Army and Dayan were all benefited from your favor." General Chen said to him, "But you didn't even drink a meal of practicing wine?"
"I would never dare to say that."
Song Youru avoided snakes and scorpions and immediately said: "There is no merit. What I have done is just to return the disputes in the world to others. As for the victory or defeat, it is all decided by the soldiers."
After that, he said to General Chen:
"The army is busy, so I won't bother you much. The general also knows that I don't like too noisy environments, so I left here."
"That's fine."
General Chen didn't stay long, and he already knew that he couldn't stay.
People like Mr. Song, even if they are not immortals, are still wild cranes in the mountains. How can they stay in one place for a long time when they wander around the mortal world?
It's time to leave.
Just asking a few questions in a symbolic sense.
Then he turned around and waved behind him.
Immediately, a primary school student came over, holding a neatly folded, thick khaki blanket in his hands.
Although the color of the blanket is not gorgeous, it is smooth and shiny.
"Sir, do you still remember the bear demon that was killed outside the city on the day you first came here? Chen asked the best craftsmen in the army to tan it into a blanket. Knowing that it was inconvenient for him to carry it, he only took the flattest one with the abdomen and waist. The soft piece is about the size of a bed. The fur is impermeable to water, unstained, and very warm. I only hope that my husband can stay warm when he sleeps in the wild."
As he spoke, General Chen took the blanket from the colonel, handed it to Song You, and added:
"It just so happened that when you first came here, you killed the bear demon. Today, when you leave and take this blanket with you, it can be regarded as a beginning and an end."
General Chen said it very well and it is hard not to accept it.
Song You looked down at the fur on his hands and couldn't help but reach out and touch it. It was indeed soft and smooth.
But he still took his hand back.
Unfortunately, this bearskin blanket is too thick, so it is not impossible to carry it, but I have to throw away the previous woolen blanket and wool felt.
Besides, this is something from a monster.
Although demons are demons and have harmed countless people, they already have spiritual wisdom. For practitioners like Song You, especially those who are pure practitioners, it is best not to be contaminated.
So Song You said to General Chen: "Although the fur of this bed is good, it is too fluffy. It is inconvenient for us to carry it when we travel around the world. What's more, we have a wool felt and a wool blanket, although they are not as precious and magical as this bear skin." , but it is also the intention of an old friend. After using it for five years, I have already become accustomed to it, and I can’t throw it away. I can’t bear to part with it. I will leave this bearskin blanket for the general’s use. It can just barely set off a bit of the general’s peerless majesty. "
"This is sir..."
"Given to the General."
"All right."
General Chen was not one to waste time, so he could only sigh and regret in his heart. If he had known this, he would not have cut it. It would have been better to get a piece of intact giant bear fur with the head on.
But he is not a troubled person either.
He quickly put the bearskin blanket back into the hands of the primary school principal and asked Song You, "Where did you go next, sir?"
"Return to Yanzhou first, then go to Yuezhou, Zhaozhou, Hanzhou, Guangzhou, and return to Changjing via Hezhou."
"After this battle, Your Majesty is afraid that he will summon me to the court." When General Chen said this, he was not very happy, his face was very calm, and he just handed over to him, "Maybe I can see you again in Changjing, sir."
"How long will this battle last?"
"I have sent someone back to Beijing as soon as possible to deliver my personal letter. It's up to you whether your majesty will agree to it or not."
"I see."
Song You nodded and looked at him with squinted eyes.
Then he bowed his hand to him, turned around and left with a smile.
I don't know how many thoughts flashed through my mind at the same time.
What General Chen just said, whether His Majesty should agree or not, is to continue leading the troops north.
We have already entered the north of Saibei, hundreds of miles away from the border of Dayan, but General Chen still wants to continue to advance his troops. Before the winter on the grassland arrives, he will pursue an in-depth pursuit and defeat the foundation of Saibei in one fell swoop. Or wait until the spring of next year and then send troops northward, just like the northern part of the Great Wall to invade south, to go deep into the enemy's territory.
The one in the palace would be confused about this.
Song You already knew when he was in Changjing that Emperor Dayan had long planned the Northern Expedition, and now was the best time.
But he had already been suspicious of Chen Ziyi. After this battle, Chen Ziyi's power had risen to a higher level. If he marched to the north of the Great Wall again, he would be able to achieve great feats through the ages when he returned victorious. After years of war, the Zhenbei Army is full of elites. Their number alone has exceeded the central military strength, and their combat power is not at the same level. Most of them are in the hands of Chen Ziyi. The border troops in the Western Region were elite, but their numbers were not as large as Zhenbei's. Faced with such a powerful and powerful man who was also good at fighting, how could the DPRK not be wary of him.
That was a struggle far away in Changjing.
And how could Chen Ziyi in front of him not know this?
When Song You came back from Beiqin Mountain, he met Chen Ziyi who was accompanying the two princes on their way back from hunting. He tentatively asked Song You if he knew how to predict fortunes, saying that he wanted to ask Song You for advice.
Why do you want to ask Song You for advice?
I had only met Song You at the palace night banquet some time ago, so I wanted to know whether the emperor invited Song You and specially invited him. Is it because Song You was good at this and the emperor wanted to use this method to see if he could Do you have the destiny to rebel? If Song You knew about divination at that time, he would probably have to test what Song You said in front of the emperor.
After spending this time together, Song You also got to know the general somewhat.
Chen Ziyi probably has no intention of rebellion.
As for his character...
There are roughly several types of famous generals——
Some fight for fame and wealth, but most will be satisfied when fame and wealth are harvested. Some fight for the peace of their home and country, and most of them will be satisfied after maintaining peace. Others do it because they like to fight.
However, there is a contradiction in human nature. Few people are pure people, while most people are complex and subject to change.
Chen Ziyi probably has the latter two.
The proportion is unknown.
Naturally, the purpose of continuing to go north this time is to win a longer peace for Dayan, but people like Chen Ziyi who were born to fight are probably obsessed with this feeling.
Chen Ziyi knew that the current emperor was as martial as himself and would definitely be willing to go north. He also knew that the emperor was suspicious of him and did not want him to continue to be powerful.
He also knew that after he left Beijing last year, at the end of the year, a delegation from a small country in the Western Regions that was almost destroyed came to Beijing and used evil methods to assassinate the emperor. They actually managed to hide it from the imperial advisor and almost succeeded. Later, the emperor's health deteriorated, I don't know whether he was frightened or contracted sequelae. He heard that the number of visits to court had become less and less. The princess in the court gained power, and there was a period of turmoil. But I don't know whether the emperor did it deliberately and set up a trap to confuse and harm whom, or whether it was really the case. If this is indeed the case, I wonder if the emperor still has the ambition and energy to make such a decision, or whether the power in the court is still in the hands of the emperor.
I don’t know if the emperor will agree, and I don’t know if the emperor will summon him to the court in a few days, kill him or replace him, or set up some other plan.
But if this goes on like this, even if everything goes well, will people like Chen Ziyi have a good death throughout the ages?
Both sides are entangled and entangled.
"..."
Thinking of this, Song You's expression also changed slightly.
"what's on your mind?"
The voice of a calico cat came from beside me.
"Interesting thing."
Song You lowered his head and replied softly.
"What's interesting?"
"Can't say."
"where are we going?"
"Go to Liaoxin Pass."
"oh……"
The world ahead is vast, and the grassland has turned from green to golden before we know it. However, the blue sky and white clouds remain the same, and the temperature during the day is just right. It is a good time to start a new journey.
The calico cat took small steps, walking beside him and occasionally turned to look at him strangely. The bay-red horse's pace seemed to have not changed in several years. The Taoist couldn't help but stretch his body and temporarily put away his thoughts about these things. Thoughts, just keep moving forward.
History has its own course.
He will always give his own answer.
I just don’t know how the world will comment on it thousands of years later, and how future generations will try to figure out the important nodes in history that are currently taking place.
(End of chapter)
