On February 16th, the sixth year of Hongdao, Lan Zhaoyun led 60,000 Miao soldiers to evacuate Shiyang County and return to his hometown of Wuling Prefecture.
Li Yanjing, the general of Zuozhu State of Zhou State, gathered his troops and set up four camps outside Anxiang County, leading 40,000 troops to guard the city.
The next day, after receiving the news, Shangguan Ming immediately left 10,000 people to guard Baling City, and then personally led an 80,000-strong army to first recover Shiyang County, then march to Anxiang and surround the city.
At that time, the Yueyang Mansion was filled with war clouds and dark clouds were rushing over the city.
…
On February 17, the sixth year of Hongdao, in Shuangfeng County, Hengyang Prefecture, on the official road to Shaoyang Prefecture, smoke and dust billowed, and flags were like clouds.
This place is close to Shaoyang Prefecture, Wuling Prefecture, and Changsha Prefecture. It is actually the junction of the four prefectures.
In the past, the Miao people often entered this place to plunder, and Hengyang Prefecture also stationed thousands of people here to guard the place.
There are many battles between the two sides here, and with the addition of some local bandits, it can be said to be a completely chaotic place.
So when he arrived here, Lu Yuan sent out his detective cavalry to a nearby place hundreds of miles away, searching day and night to prevent any thieves from raiding.
But obviously, his caution was in vain.
The local Miao people and bandits had long heard the news that hundreds of thousands of troops would be marching through this area, and they had already fled before Lu Yuan's army arrived.
Some militia officials stationed in the local area had already prepared rewards and supplies. When the army arrived, they mobilized the people to eat pots of pulp to welcome the king's army.
Therefore, along the way, except for Tanqi catching some Miao people and bandits who had no time to escape, the army did not experience any battles.
In this situation, although Lu Yuan felt at ease, he also felt a little uncomfortable.
There is quite a sense of disappointment that you came with all your strength, but punched the cotton.
Fortunately, we were still in the territory of Hengyang Prefecture at this time, still under the rule of the imperial court, and still far away from Wuling Prefecture or Shaoyang Prefecture, so it was normal that we didn't encounter the Miao people.
Therefore, he was not too disappointed.
However, Lu Yuan felt a little unhappy, but in the eyes of others, the troops sent out this time were majestic.
In the Chinese army's specially built luxury car, Lu Yuan closed the window and looked away from the outside.
When he turned around, he saw an old man with white hair in front of him. He smiled and said: "General, the Dongting will be shocked when the general sends out his troops this time. Those Five Poison Miao people will definitely be scared after hearing the news. Maybe they can be wiped out this time. Return peace to the county and be more meritorious than all the generals."
After hearing this, Lu Yuan couldn't help but shook his head and said humbly: "The Imperial Master is ridiculous. Although the general sent out a large number of troops this time, he is far from being a hero. He just bullied the Miao people. Against a truly elite army. , it’s still a lot worse.”
The white-haired old man in front of him is Yan Wangqiu, the grand master who came from the South China Sea and is now the national master of the dynasty.
Ever since the old master came, Lu Yuan would pull him to ride with him every day. When setting up camp at night, he also arranged the old master's tent within ten feet of his own tent, which could be said to be taken with him.
And by doing so, the effect is naturally obvious.
With such an old master and a powerful bodyguard, Lu Yuan felt more at ease every day when he slept.
Since returning from the Tianluo Dharma Conference, I have had several peaceful sleeps for the first time in a long time and relaxed my mind.
Don't tell me yet.
After letting go of the worries in his heart, there was a slight breakthrough in his own state of mind.
And these days, I have been studying the outer body of martial arts and have made some progress, which can be regarded as a great harvest.
With the above benefits, Lu Yuan's attitude towards Yan Wangqiu couldn't help but become more cordial and kind.
And his kindness was naturally noticed by the old master.
Being able to get acquainted with a rising star in the current dynasty is naturally a great thing for the Nanhai faction who has already leaned towards the imperial court and plans to leave the path of establishing a state.
In addition, when he arrived, Yan Wangqiu also learned from Shangguan Ming that General Pingxi, who dominated the southern border of Dongting, was also one of the ten great masters of the imperial court, and was currently facing a hurdle to break through.
In some respects, the two of them can be considered allies.
With all these relationships, Yan Wangqiu did not refuse Lu Yuan's approach these days and responded enthusiastically.
Sometimes, he would even take the initiative to give Lu Yuan some advice and teach him some innate breakthrough tips, thus forming a good relationship.
As a result, the relationship between the two quickly improved.
Although they can't be said to be close friends, at least they can be considered good friends on the surface.
"All the great soldiers in the world come from hundreds of battles. Even if the general has very few elite soldiers at this time, as long as he fights a few battles, experiences, and eliminates the weak and retains the strong in this battle for seedlings, he will naturally become an elite soldier. " Yan Wangqiu looked at the extremely young Lu Yuan in front of him, stroked his beard, and said with a hint of compliment.
Although he has been an old master who has been famous in the world for hundreds of years, in terms of personal force, he is far superior to General Pingxi in front of him.
But Yan Wangqiu was already very old and could not live for a few more years.
Secondly, Lu Yuan's strength is actually not weak anymore.
Whether it is a top-notch cultivation level or the prospect of an innate breakthrough, it is enough for any grandmaster to take seriously.
Thirdly, Lu Yuan was not a pure warrior, but a general and prince who led troops in battles and divided local regions.
At this moment, the other party can raise an army of 200,000 with just one order. Even though most of the 200,000 people are members of the militia, the ability to gather so many people shows the strength of the opponent.
Anyway, Yan Wangqiu thought to himself that even with the power of his Nanhai sect in Nanhai County, even if he had tens of thousands of disciples, if he really mobilized all his troops, he could only raise a team of about 100,000 people at most.
And this kind of team, in terms of strength, may not be as good as those soldiers and horses under Lu Yuan.
Therefore, Yan Wangqiu's previous statement that Lu Yuan's troops sent out this time shocked Dongting was really not a lie.
Being able to pull up 200,000 soldiers and horses is truly terrifying.
Anyway, the old master was somewhat frightened in his heart.
So at this time, Yan Wangqiu did not dare to look down upon General Pingxi, who was inferior to him in strength. He treated him as equals, and even sometimes he was willing to be inferior and did not dare to offend him.
There is no other reason.
He is old and cannot live more than two years. But Lu Yuan has an unlimited future, and he is not someone who, as an old man in his dying years, can afford to offend him.
"The war is cruel and the disasters are dangerous. All the soldiers under my command have sons and daughters, fathers and mothers.
If they die in battle, their parents will undoubtedly lose their sons, their wives will lose their husbands, and their children will lose their fathers.
This is the greatest tragedy in the world.
If I could experience less war and make the place peaceful, that would be even more desirable to me. "Lu Yuan said sincerely.
To cultivate Taiping Taoism, the first priority is population.
For him, the people under his rule are the population, which can bring luck and destiny. The army under his command is also a population and can play the same role.
Therefore, whether it is the people or the army. It would be great to die less.
"I never thought the general would have such a benevolent heart."
When Yan Wangqiu heard Lu Yuan's words, he couldn't help but feel a little respect on his face.
In today's troubled times, military leaders from all over the country are tyrannizing the people and expropriating troops in order to expand their troops, without any regard for the life and death of the people.
And along the way, especially after seeing the restoration and development of Luyang Mansion, his impression of Lu Yuan had already changed greatly.
Being able to rebuild a place that had just experienced a war into a peaceful and peaceful land, among other things, this political ability is better than many military leaders.
At this time, seeing Lu Yuan express some thoughts, he couldn't help but be even more touched.
As an innate master, Yan Wangqiu's external senses and spiritual touch can be said to be extremely keen. Naturally, he could tell that what Lu Yuan just said was an expression of his true feelings, not just a show.
Yan Wangqiu was just trying to arrange his funeral arrangements and plan a retreat for future generations, so he naturally valued a generous person like Lu Yuan more.
'This Lu Pingxi is so kind. If I can get along well with him, he will even arrange a feudal state granted to me by the court next to him. Then with such a kind-hearted king watching and helping each other, my foundation may be much more stable. '
With this thought in his mind, Yan Wangqiu looked at Lu Yuan and kindly reminded him: "The general cares about the lives of his soldiers, which is benevolence. But even benevolence can be divided into small benevolence and great benevolence."
Taking care of the lives of soldiers is a small act of benevolence.
The peace of the whole county and the stability of the world are great benevolence.
Nowadays, the Miao people are causing chaos, seducing enemy countries, and bringing chaos to the world. If they are not eradicated with the power of thunder, I fear that the world will never have peace.
Now is the time to use troops. The general must not be merciful to the Miao people because he cannot bear the lives of his soldiers. "
As an old timer and veteran of the world, Yan Wangqiu is used to seeing examples of situations where a moment of weakness leads to endless disasters.
Naturally, he didn't want to see Lu Yuan make the same mistake again.
But he was obviously overly worried.
"Thank you, old master, for the advice." Lu Yuan accepted Yan Wangqiu's kindness with an open mind, and then said: "I know the principle of kindness without commanding troops, so I won't have any worries. On the battlefield, where life and death are fought, life is determined by God. , this is common sense.
This general has been leading troops for many years and has already experienced this, but it was just a temporary feeling. "
Although he cherishes the population, it does not mean that he is a woman.
If it really needed to be filled with human lives, then Lu Yuan would not hesitate to retreat in order to win the war.
In order to quell the Seven Star Gate rebellion, he successively used the Xianden camp to attack the city. Now, naturally, in order to pacify the Miao people, the lives of those soldiers and militias can be used to seize the fruits of victory.
Lu Yuan could see this very clearly.
Long-term pain is worse than short-term pain, and long-term chaos is worse than short-term chaos.
If the Miao people of the Five Poison Sect are not calmed down and this source of trouble is eradicated, Dongting County will never be able to find peace, and the local people will never be able to produce with peace of mind.
For the peace of the whole county and the long future, the temporary sacrifice is tolerable.
As for Lu Yuan, he was just using his own small personal efforts to achieve this long-term goal.
This means that when you achieve great benevolence and great righteousness, you also achieve your own small benevolence and small righteousness.
"Good."
Seeing that Lu Yuan listened to the advice, Yan Wangqiu couldn't help stroking his palms and smiling: "A general who knows how to advance and retreat, and understands righteousness, there is no need for this battle..."
While the old master was speaking, his expression suddenly changed, and a terrifying aura suddenly erupted from his body.
A wisp of blue water appeared around the two of them in an instant, protecting the entire car.
Lu Yuan also responded quickly.
The moment Yan Wangqiu's aura erupted, his long-standing steady temperament also made him immediately realize that someone should be attacking.
As a result, his increasingly perfect Chiyang aura surged out of his body in an instant, and then stuck tightly to his body, protecting his entire body.
And just when the two people were taking precautions, they heard a bang and a huge force fell from the roof of the car, instantly turning the entire cart into pieces.
Then there was only a buzzing sound between heaven and earth, and a huge concussive force was transmitted to all directions with the broken vehicle as the center.
Smoke and dust rolled, and the wind roared.
When the smoke dissipated, Lu Yuan saw a stream of colorful smoke coming from all directions, sweeping towards him and Yan Wangqiu.
There is also a wave of sea water on the side, which now forms a circle and is layered on top of each other. The colorful smoke is blocking the outside.
No matter how colorful smoke surges, it can't help the sea water at all.
At this moment, behind the colorful smoke, a graceful figure fell in front of the two of them.
"Lan Cai'er!"
Looking at the woman's figure, Lu Yuan knew her identity almost instantly.
At this moment, the innate master who could attack him, and with such an iconic method, could hardly think of anyone except the saint of the Five Poisons Sect.
"Lu Yuan!"
Lan Cai'er hid in the colorful smoke and looked at the red figure in front of her who was protected by layers of sea water. She couldn't help but gritted her teeth and said: "I didn't expect that the Yue people's court valued you so much that they even sent an innate master. Come and protect. Okay! Okay!"
A carefully planned assassination unexpectedly turned out to be such a twist, which immediately made Lan Cai'er feel hatred.
She stared forward, and the white-haired old man who was calmly manifesting his martial arts body and covering the sea with layers of water cursed: "Yan Wangqiu, you are also an old man in the world, and you have joined the imperial court and become a hawk.
Forget it, a great master is now reduced to acting as a guard for a junior. Are you ashamed? "
However, in the face of this shouting and scolding, Yan Wangqiu's expression did not change.
Since he had surrendered to the imperial court, he had already anticipated some of the scolding from the world.
But compared to the continuation of the sect's younger generations, a little scolding is nothing.
Just like the Miao girl from the Five Poisons Sect in front of her, she can only curse twice at this time, what else can she do?
"Witch, don't let your talk run wild. If you have the ability, first break through my true intention of Wan Tao, break through the outer body, and kill in."
Yan Wangqiu stared at Lan Cai'er coldly and said calmly: "If it can't be broken, then don't leave today."
While speaking, he looked around.
At this time, the soldiers guarding nearby also reacted to the shock of the assassination of their coach.
A large number of Lu Yuan's personal soldiers have surrounded him from all directions.
He and Lu Yuan are now surrounded by a large army of guards. If they delay until they are surrounded by soldiers nearby, even if Lan Cai'er is an innate master, there will be no chance of escaping today.
Lan Cai'er naturally saw this too.
She looked at the soldiers who were approaching quickly, with a trace of killing intent flashing in her eyes, and shouted: "Thieves of the imperial court, die!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he saw around him that the colorful smoke that was constantly hitting the outer surface of the sea water suddenly changed direction and quickly spread towards the surroundings under the strong wind of true energy.
Those pro-military guards who rushed towards the inner circle were blown away by the poisonous smoke and fell down like grass. They were poisoned to death without even the slightest resistance.
The gap between ordinary soldiers and innate masters is so huge.
In just one breath, hundreds of soldiers died.
The soldiers who were rushing around were shocked when they saw this scene.
Some people even stopped and did not dare to move forward.
Facing this goddess-like witch, those ordinary soldiers really didn't know how to deal with it.
Lu Yuan saw that his soldiers were at a loss as they advanced and retreated. At this time, he summoned up his inner strength and sent a message to the outside to give the order: "All the soldiers listened to the order, formed a formation to surround this place, and dispatched strong bows and crossbows to shoot this demon girl for me. "
This Five Poison Cult demon girl actually dared to assassinate him.
And he has Yan Wangqiu beside him. This old master is here, and he has tens of thousands of troops following him.
With such a God-given opportunity, Lu Yuan would naturally try to keep this girl, surround her and kill her, so as to relieve her serious worries.
At this moment, he made a decisive decision. No matter what the cost, if tens of thousands of people died today, he could not let the other party go.
