Zhang Xiu left 5,000 troops and appointed Cheng Peng as the general to guard Xiaoguan. He also had a coffin made, wrapped it with camp flags, and solemnly headed towards Chang'an.
Inside Chang'an City.
Everyone was shocked to learn that the Ma-Korean coalition had made a comeback. Li Ru, who returned to Chang'an, felt that this was his dereliction of duty and blamed himself: "My lord, the failure of this battle is Ru's fault. Please punish me, lord."
Zhang Xiu waved his hand: "With an old fox like Cheng Yu, it's not surprising that Ma Teng and Han Sui can do this. Wen You doesn't have to blame himself. Now that the matter has come to an end, General Hu Ji fought to the death on the battlefield and won precious reaction time for our army. Such a great achievement, Take the praise seriously.”
Jia Xu analyzed the reason why the Maha-Korean coalition forces broke through Xiao Pass and then retreated: "Cheng Yu's purpose was to attack Xiao Pass before we noticed it, and then sneak attack Chang'an from a hundred miles away, so that Chang'an would be defeated in a single battle without defense. However, Unexpectedly, General Hu Ji fought to the death in Xiaoguan, and Cheng Peng had the opportunity to come and report the news. Now that we have received the news, if we enter Guanzhong, we will be courting death."
Zhang Xiu nodded in agreement.
Although the Malayan-Korean coalition forces entering Guanzhong will bring war to the people in Guanzhong, their situation will also become very dangerous. At that time, they will have no food and grass inside and no reinforcements outside, and they will inevitably be annihilated by Zhang Xiu. This is an unprofitable deal, and Ma Teng and Han Sui are naturally unwilling to do it.
So they fought a fruitless battle, and they also offended Zhang Xiu.
Pang Tong said: "It has become a fact that the Malayan and Korean coalition forces attacked Xiaoguan at night and killed our generals. My lord, we can take this opportunity to send troops to attack Guangwei County and lay the foundation for the next step to conquer Tianshui County."
Zhuge Liang nodded and said: "It is about to enter the midwinter season. Ma Teng and Han Sui are no longer here, so they will inevitably retreat back to Jincheng and Longxi. This is the best time for our army to seize Guangwei County."
Jia Xu smiled bitterly and shook his head.
Li Ru also sighed helplessly.
Who doesn't know that now is a great time to attack Guangwei County?
it is a pity.
No food!
Now that the food and grass in their hands cannot even sustain next year's summer harvest, how can they dare to send troops to attack Guangwei County and add hundreds of thousands of mouths in vain?
Zhang Xiu stood up and said: "There will be opportunities, and there is no rush. Besides, taking Guangwei County will not solve the food problem, and will increase the number of mouths. We will wait until tomorrow after the summer harvest for Guangwei County and Tianshui County. No." urgent."
Pang Tong and Zhuge Liang shook their heads helplessly.
Everyone nodded.
Zhang Xiu said: "General Hu Ji fought to the death in Xiaoguan and was brave and fearless. He is a model and role model for our army. We must use the highest etiquette to mourn the heroes of our army."
"Here!"
Everyone shouted in unison.
For Hu Ji's funeral, Zhang Xiu ordered that everyone postpone the matters at hand and prepare for the funeral. All military flags in the military camps were lowered to half-mast for three days to observe a moment of silence for Hu Ji.
Hu Ji's funeral was very grand. According to the standards of military merit of later generations, Zhang Xiu ordered craftsmen to cast a golden merit medal in gold. Hu Ji is from the Divine Cow Military Camp. The bottom of the medal is pentagonal, with a lifelike sacred bull protruding from it.
In Wuying Hall, Zhang Xiu erected a monument for Hu Ji. The tall monument made everyone look up.
The grand scale of the entire funeral attracted everyone in Guanzhong Plain and Nanyang County, letting everyone know that Zhang Xiu valued heroes and ordinary soldiers.
All the warriors who participated in the Battle of Xiaoguan entered the Wuying Hall and had their names engraved on the hero monuments.
Taking this opportunity, Zhang Xiu announced a very important matter: the payment of military pay.
You know, there was no military pay in the military service system at the beginning. During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, soldiers had no interest in going to war. There was a clear class system and it was difficult for soldiers to get ahead easily. By the time the Qin State established a military merit system, soldiers could gain rewards by bravely killing the enemy and establishing military merit.
Later, during the Three Kingdoms period, the recruitment system appeared. At that time, due to the empty national equipment and weak armed forces, in order to protect their own safety and property, some powerful people spontaneously invested in recruiting people to form their own army, and finally developed a professional army.
Only after the Three Kingdoms did the army have a huge expenditure on military pay; now that the end of the Han Dynasty has just begun, soldiers in the Han Dynasty still do not have military pay. The Han Dynasty's system is that if one person in the family serves, he can be exempted from the corvee tax for a whole year.
Zhang Xiu proposed military pay now after careful consideration. Of course, he had the confidence to propose military pay thanks to Li Jue; at that time, Li Jue had plundered almost half of Guanzhong's wealth.
It can be described as Li Jue fell down and Zhang Xiu was full. This is also the reason why he was able to squander the money.
The entire army stopped all business for three days and gave the highest standard of burial to the hero Hu Ji. They invited members of the Hu family in Yiyang and handed over heavy pensions to them, allowing the Hu family to select their own children. Official qualifications.
As Hu Ji's indirect murderer, Ma Chao felt that the past three days had been unbearable for him. He felt that everyone was looking at him strangely, and even some looks of hatred made him panic. At the same time, he was moved by Zhang Xiu's cherishment and respect for his subordinates, and he understood why Hu Ji worked hard for Zhang Xiu.
Zhang Xiu actually built the Wuying Hall for the fallen soldiers, and also paid generous pensions. So rich that it could almost keep the soldiers' families from having to worry about food and clothing for half their lives.
After proposing the policy of military pay, he predicted that the morale of the soldiers in Guanzhong would be constantly rising. Who could defeat such a majestic army?
The little general Xiaoguan allowed him to see the cohesion of Zhang Xiujun.
On the last day of Hu Ji's funeral, Zhang Xiu invited him to drink. When Ma Chao entered the banquet, he found that Zhang Xiu was the only one waiting for him.
"Xuanhou!" Ma Chao bowed.
"Ah... Brother Meng Qi, you don't have to be so restrained. Today, you and I will treat each other as brothers regardless of our superiority or inferiority." Zhang Xiu stood up, took Ma Chao's wrist and sat across from him, personally pouring wine for him.
Ma Chao fidgeted in fear.
Zhang Xiu opened his mouth, showing his neat white teeth, and said with a smile: "I see that my dear brother has been feeling uneasy recently. Is he feeling guilty about Weidu's death?"
Ma Chao felt that Zhang Xiu's smile made him very comfortable, and his fearful heart fell steadily in his chest: "I feel like everyone looks at me with a sense of hostility."
Zhang Xiu said: "War is a matter of life and death. As the son of the Ma family, you will naturally do your best to benefit the Ma family. This is understandable. Besides, everyone in Guanzhong and Nanyang knows that Wei Du died because of Zhong Cheng Yu's plan. It was not you. That’s a mistake.”
"I……"
Zhang Xiu stretched out his hand, pressed his palm down, and stopped Ma Chao from saying: "The war is fierce and dangerous. Since you are in the army and seek glory in battle, you must be prepared to die in battle. You cannot resent the enemy because it is strong. That is It's a coward's act. There is no need to mention this matter again, and you don't have to feel guilty. Both sides fight for their own masters, and there is no right or wrong."
Ma Chao's Adam's apple rolled and he was speechless.
"You and I made a bet for one year. During this year, I will use you without any suspicion... You don't have to refuse. I, Zhang Xiu, do not trust anyone who hires me, and I do not trust anyone who is suspicious. I am going to set up a Tiger Riding Battalion for you and recruit 10,000 people." The Guanzhong cavalry will be led by you."
"Xuanhou...me!"
Ma Chao felt that his eye sockets were too shallow to hold tears, and his nose was sore.
"I have had the camp flags made overnight. You can start preparing tomorrow. You will recruit the troops yourself and I will not interfere. You can ask Liu Ye for money and food. I have already said hello."
For people like Ma Chao, one can only win them over with great kindness and unlimited trust.
Ma Chao choked with sobs, took a sip of wine, and swore fiercely: "Xuanhou, if I live for one more year, I am willing to die."
Zhang Xiu achieved his goal, laughed loudly, and pulled him to start drinking.
The next day, Zhang Xiu prepared some gifts and took Huang Yueying to Caizhou.
At this time, Gongsun Zan was extremely miserable.
