"Jiang Li, you really keep me guessing. I hope you and I won't have to fight each other in the future, otherwise I will toss and turn and have sleepless nights!"
On the northwest border of Mangzhou, under the scorching sun, a mighty foreign army trekked for nearly five days and finally saw the low tower of Anqing Kingdom in the Western Region.
Fu Di and the five Iron Thorn mercenary leaders bowed to Jiang Li and said goodbye reluctantly.
This time they were hired into the Mang, not only did they receive double the reward, but they also looted a lot of loot when they conquered the Mang tribe. The harvest was huge and the battle losses were negligible.
Rao, the mercenary leader who had been "in the business" for many years, was a little uneasy and planned to stay here for a while longer to help Jiang Li intimidate the various tribes of the Mang tribe.
Unexpectedly, Jiang Li settled all the employment remuneration with him as soon as Emperor Jing's decree of reward arrived.
Although he didn't say it explicitly, Fu Di also knew that it was time for him and the 100,000 mercenaries from the Western Regions under his command to leave.
After all, no one would allow a force of such scale and that they cannot fully control to be in their own home.
The same goes for Fu Di.
Major military and political affairs cannot be taken carelessly, and it is absolutely impossible to muddle along just because of every bit of friendship or face.
What's more, there was a clear and clear transaction between the Iron Thorn mercenaries and Jiang Li.
After purchasing a service, you can naturally make corresponding requests.
You can't be like a paid dancer who wants to talk about feelings with her benefactor even though they don't owe each other.
Mercenaries don't bother to do things that are both important and necessary.
But……
Fu Di followed a big red river into the distance and cursed endlessly.
But what did Jiang Li mean by building the Anmang Protectorate near the Chishui River Valley?
Emperor Jing wanted you to be safe, not to suppress the countries in the Western Regions!
The Anmang Protectorate is located in the original Liangzhou General Camp. Isn't it nice?
It is true that the land on both sides of the Chishui River Valley is fertile, and there are high mountains on both sides to block the evaporating water vapor. The forests are dense, making it a rare livable place in the northwest of the wilderness.
But it is close to the border after all, and there is almost no defense line between Mangzhou and the countries in the Western Regions. The armies and horse bandits from the Western Regions countries can rush into the northwest of the Manchu Plain to loot at any time.
It is definitely not a place of long-term peace and stability.
Unless Jiang Li can set up a defense line on the border of Mangzhou, or surrender the neighboring countries in the Western Region.
Based on Fu Di's understanding of Jiang Li these days, he felt that Jiang Li would never choose the former.
This person is not someone who is passively beaten.
Once it senses a threat, it will strike preemptively, destroy everything, and directly eliminate potential crises.
Fu Di had been thinking about it on the way there, until he saw Jiang Li's half-smiling eyes, and decided decisively that after returning to the Western Region this time, he must apply to the Mercenary Association to change the area where he performed the mission.
He would never stay in this area near Li Province anymore.
"Jiang Li, this is all the information about Kyushu's heavy weapons that I asked the Mercenary Association to find. Except for some thousand-year-old families, sects, or royal families of various countries who may have some more secret information, this is the most complete information. Got it!"
Before leaving the wilderness, Fu Di gave Jiang Li a roll of animal skins.
"Chief Fu Di's business is booming here. I hope we have a chance to cooperate again!"
Jiang Li took the animal skin roll with a smile and held it in his hand.
"Haha, I hope so too, but I would rather have no business in the future than see you in this area again!"
Fu Di laughed, and with the last few thousand mercenaries from the Western Regions, they crossed the symbolic boundary marker and entered the territory of the Western Regions.
"Send the order and dispatch two thousand-man teams to re-erect boundary markers every three miles on the northwest border of Mangzhou and engrave them with the characters of the Three Kingdoms. Anyone who enters the province without permission will be killed!"
Jiang Li glanced at the boundary marker that was only two feet high and had vague writing. He gently tugged on the reins and led thousands of armored soldiers behind him towards the Chihe Valley a hundred miles away.
Jiang Li was actually not surprised by Emperor Jing's award.
For Da Zhou, before the Northern Expedition was completed, he really needed a rock-solid Li Province.
And looking at all the armies in the Northern Expedition, he was the only one who could make the Mang clan fearful and not dare to act rashly.
After thousands of riders rode for half a day, a lush valley appeared in sight, in stark contrast to the surrounding desolate wilderness.
You can even see teams of laborers and troops escorting various supplies in the distance, continuously converging towards the Chihe Valley.
Among them were not only the supplies of the Liangzhou General Camp, which had been occupied by millions of Mang troops, but also equipment and materials transported from central Mangzhou and Dazhou.
Some of the laborers who arrived first had already started cutting down trees on the mountains on both sides of the valley. Officials from the Ministry of Industry responsible for surveying and mapping were following Jiang Li's instructions to survey the terrain and plan and design the construction drawings for the Anmang Protectorate City.
The reason why Jiang Li established the Anmang Protectorate here was because the Chihe Valley had suitable soil for planting and reclamation, which could provide supplies and fresh vegetables to the Zhou soldiers stationed in the mang plains.
More importantly, he planned to build a huge wilderness trade city based on the Anmang Protectorate here to increase its importance to the Beimang tribe, not just a military town.
Of course, there are also many arrangements to shock the Western Region and follow up.
"I've seen the envoy!"
"Greetings to the military commander!"
As Jiang Li got closer and closer to the Chihe Valley, he encountered more and more scout teams responsible for reconnaissance and patrolling.
Along the way, there is a simple checkpoint every ten miles.
As long as there is any disturbance on the northwest border of Mangzhou, you can immediately detect it.
Outside the Chihe Valley, many martial arts performance venues have been leveled. After several days of preparation, one hundred thousand soldiers are practicing martial arts in an orderly manner.
The horses neighed and the shouts shook the sky.
Seeing Jiang Li leading the cavalry back, the sergeants of the Great Zhou Dynasty stopped their drills and saluted from a distance.
They were all selected by Jiang Li from the Liangzhou General Camp and the left and right armies. Once they became sergeants in the Anmang Protectorate, it meant that they would not be able to return to Dazhou for at least several years, and would probably need to be stationed for a longer period of time.
But few people will feel disappointed and frustrated. Instead, they will feel proud and honored because they were selected.
If it weren't for Jiang Li, most of them would have been killed by the reckless army. Even if they survived, they would still be guilty of the crime and their families would be harmed.
But once they are selected by Jiang Li and become soldiers of the government, it means that they are all deserving troops in regaining the wilderness of the northwest.
It is the direct line army of Zhen Junhou.
Walking into the valley, the moist breath hits your face, the hot atmosphere dissipates, and even the air flowing in the valley is slightly cool.
The Chihe River, about a hundred meters wide, runs through the valley, with countless tents pitched along the river banks on both sides.
Jiang Li dismissed his cavalry and returned to the temporary government tent of the Anmang Protectorate. When he opened the entrance to the tent, he saw Shangguan Qingyan in plain clothes leading a dozen clerical officials to sort out classics, account books and other matters. .
Unlike commanding 10,000 troops and horses, controlling a province and commanding an army of 100,000 requires overall planning and the number of trivial matters increases hundreds of times.
"Jiang Li, all the armaments, soldiers, horses, and materials in the Protectorate have been initially calculated!"
Shangguan Qingyan was dressed in elegant plain clothes. She sat quietly behind the desk and wrote. She was elegant and elegant, with an aura of lightness. When she raised her head and saw Jiang Li, she walked out from behind the desk and handed an account book to Jiang Li. .
"I have been working hard these days. If I alone see these detailed accounts, I will have a headache for a long time!"
Jiang Li took the account book and looked through it carefully, his thoughts immediately became much clearer.
Including the 10,000 sergeants in his headquarters, the number of sergeants under his command now totals 110,000. In addition, there are thousands of handymen responsible for taking care of the sergeants' food, daily life, military horses and other matters.
There are 250,000 war horses, 10,000 camels, and 300,000 armors. In addition, there are weapons, arrows, grain, grass and other supplies, all in large quantities.
But the amount of money and supplies consumed every day is not a small number.
"Although there are 110,000 troops and horses, if you want to control the entire northwest wilderness, it is too much!"
Jiang Lihe went to the account book and had some plans and arrangements in mind.
It's just that he is now taking control of the wilderness for the first time, so he can't act too hastily and needs to act steadily step by step.
While canonizing him, Emperor Jing also gave him his top priority for the next period of time, which was to ensure the stability of Li Province. As long as the Mang army holding down Li Province did not provide support to Mang Khan before the end of the imperial Northern Expedition.
After leaving the main tent, Jiang Li walked into a nearby large tent. Eleven young generals including Zhao Tiehe, Ji Wuliang, Kou Yunxian, and Zhongli Dian were sitting together to discuss the training and deployment of the soldiers.
These young generals were originally Qianhu military attachés under his command. Jiang Li had contributed greatly to the pacification of Li Province, and they all received corresponding rewards. They were promoted from the fifth rank military general to the fourth rank, and any commander of the guard station could command five thousand troops and horses.
The Liangzhou General Camp suffered heavy casualties, and there were many vacancies among middle and low-level officers.
In order to better control the soldiers of the Protectorate, Jiang Li selected and promoted the middle and low-level officers who were short of 110,000 soldiers from the 10,000 sergeants under his command who originally belonged to Jimingzheng City.
As the governor of the Anmang Protectorate, Jiang Li had the power to select and appoint generals on his own.
As long as the roster is sent to the Governor's Mansion of the Fifth Army for record afterwards.
Zhao Tiehe commanded the 10,000 troops and horses of Yuanjimingzhan City, and ten men including Ji Wuliang, Kou Yunxian, and Zhongli Dian also commanded 10,000 troops and horses each.
In addition, Jiang Li selected a thousand heavy cavalry and a thousand heavy infantry from among the 110,000 people, and handed them over to Huyangu and Yingshan Xiong respectively for training.
Mo Yunliang and Tu Laotou Gongsun were appointed as general military officers, responsible for the specific training of the 110,000-strong army.
At the same time, various training resources are distributed to speed up the martial arts realm of Zhao Tiehe and other newly promoted generals.
The basic framework of the Anmang Protectorate has been initially established.
Jiang Li is based in the northwest of Mangzhou, and he already has some background as a true northwest king.
As long as he can manage this territory well in the future, he will no longer be a rootless duckweed, but a giant with its own foundation.
It can even build up a foundational force similar to the Yinwu Pavilion of Zhenwuhou Mansion.
"See the military commander!"
Zhao Tiehe, Ji Wuliang and other generals quickly stood up and saluted.
"It's your first time commanding an army of ten thousand people. Are you still used to it?"
Jiang Li stretched out his hand to signal everyone to stand up, and said with a gentle smile: "There are no outsiders here, we can just go as usual, no need to be restrained!"
"Hehe, when I think of you being named a prince by the Holy Lord, I still feel like I'm in a dream!"
Zhao Tiehe touched the back of his head and smiled.
It seemed like just yesterday that he and Jiang Li met for the first time in the dense forest outside Shengjing City.
But in just a few months, the concubine of the Hou Mansion who was originally being hunted suddenly transformed into one of the most powerful and status people in the Zhou Dynasty.
And he himself also jumped from a poor boy who went to Beijing to participate in martial arts examinations to become the adopted son of Emperor Mu Chuan of the Fifth Army Governor's Palace and a fourth-rank military general of the Anmang Governor's Palace.
"A few months ago, when I was defeated by the military commander in the martial arts examination, I did not expect the situation today!"
"When I was first defeated by the military commander, I was secretly upset. I felt that I had overestimated my capabilities and lost face in front of everyone. Now it seems that launching the challenge that day was the wisest choice in my life!"
"My father learned that I was promoted to commander, and he has mobilized family forces overnight to reorganize a private army for me. He will soon come to Li Province to help the Protectorate!"
Ji Wuliang, Kou Yunxian, Zhong Lidian and others were also filled with emotion.
They ranked among the top ten in this year's martial arts examination, and their future is boundless.
But even with the assistance and support of his family, he would never be able to become a fourth-grade commander leading an army in just a few months.
You must know that even Jiang Xuanluo, who is the eldest son of Marquis Wu, has been in the army for nearly ten years and is only in the third rank.
When the family they came from found out, they were even more ecstatic. It is possible that a heir with such great potential would be granted a title of nobility in the future.
After some thought, they all began to secretly mobilize various family resources and continuously send them to Li Province to increase investment and support for the future of Ji Wuliang and others.
Although he didn't say it clearly, he also showed Jiang Li with actions that from then on, their families were tied to Jiang Li.
This is why Jiang Li has the confidence to completely control Li Province in the near future.
Poor in literature and rich in martial arts, he was able to train Ji Wuliang and others to be among the top ten in martial arts. Even if the families behind them were not as good as the thousand-year-old families, sects, or the current dignitaries like Zhenwu Marquis, they still had a pivotal position.
With their secret support, Jiang Li's position in the court will become more stable.
As long as Jiang Li can truly control the entire Li Province before Jinghuang's Northern Expedition, even if one day Jinghuang wants to touch him, he will have to be extremely cautious.
"The Holy One issued an order yesterday, ordering me to set off as soon as possible to the central part of Mangzhou for a palace. During my absence, the military of Lizhou will be under your control. Be careful and don't make the same mistake as Jiang Xuanluo!"
Jiang Li chatted with Zhao Tiehe and others for a while, then stood up and left.
Before leaving, he gave some of the True Essence Pills he collected during the battle to everyone to speed up their martial arts realm.
After walking out of the camp, Shangguan Qingyan, Mo Yunliang, Yingshan Xiong, Hu Yangu and others, as well as Black Dog and Deer Demon, were all waiting for him outside the camp.
In addition, there are thousands of heavy cavalry built from the bones of yesterons, and thousands of elite heavy infantry led by barbarian warriors.
They were wearing fine armor, and their war horses were all top-grade from the Anmang Protectorate's Mansion. One person and two riders.
At this moment, he was standing on horseback, high-spirited and high-spirited.
Jiang Li jumped on the white horse chasing the wind, tightened the reins, and with a soft cry, more than two thousand horses immediately started to move, like a whirlwind, galloping towards the central part of Mangzhou.
With the hot wind blowing in his face, Jiang Li galloped across the vast wilderness, looking into the distance. Everything he could see was within the palm of his hand.
In the altar in his mind, the copper-green Mangzhou tripod trembled slightly, echoing the black Liangzhou tripod. There was a faint strange aura emanating from it, lingering silently around Jiang Li.
Jiang Li seemed unaware, only feeling that an unparalleled confidence and belief emerged in his heart.
Unknowingly, the realm of martial arts has improved slightly.
"Wow? Is there any heavenly reason that riding a horse can improve your martial arts level? I'm so envious of a dog!"
The big black dog noticed the fluctuations emanating from Jiang Li's martial pulse as it increased, and his dog eyes went straight.
Dogs are better than people, I am so envious of dogs!
"Woof? What is that!"
The big black dog followed the white horse Chasing the Wind, its four legs flying quickly on the grass, its long hair fluttering in the wind. It curled its lips in envy, and suddenly a green light flashed from the corner of its eye.
The big black dog turned around suddenly and saw a green shadow, which flashed away at an extremely fast speed and disappeared into the knee-high grass.
"It's a bird!"
The deer demon Lao Lu also noticed.
As monsters, they have a keener perception of their own kind than humans.
"Flying so fast, let me go and have a look!"
The monster's body spun in mid-air, and the big black dog turned and flew towards the direction where the green shadow disappeared, and plunged into the grass.
"Wait for me, you can't run as fast as me!"
There was also a deer demon, chasing the big black dog.
"If you don't disintegrate into a human being, you will always be a monster, free and unrestrained in the world!"
When Old Man Tu saw this, he couldn't help but sigh in his heart. He seemed to have remembered something, shook his head, grabbed the wine bag and drank heavily.
"Monsters are naturally free and unrestrained. They are indeed much happier than humans!"
Jiang Li nodded. He looked at Old Man Tu and didn't ask any more questions.
This old man seems to have circumstances and troubles that are difficult to tell to outsiders. He was once the chief soldier of the Rear Army Governor's Mansion with a promising future. However, due to some secret matters, he hid in the Zhenwu Marquis Mansion and became an unknown foster son. Horse slave.
Although Huangfu Muchuan, the Chief Governor of the Fifth Army Governor's Mansion, briefly mentioned Gongsun Tu's past, he only briefly mentioned Gongsun Tu's feelings and experiences.
"咴"
While Jiang Li was pondering, all the horses in the cavalry neighed at the same time, as if they felt something, and their running speed suddenly dropped.
Even Jiang Li's horse Zhui Feng showed a bit of restlessness.
Jiang Li's eyes narrowed, and he looked forward following a strange aura, and saw a slender figure riding a green bull not far ahead, coming from a distance.
But she is a young girl in her late teens, dressed in green gauze, with willowy eyebrows and phoenix eyes, a slim figure, and a slender waist that is less than a handhold.
At this time, he was sitting sideways on the back of a green ox, with his black hair reaching to his waist, tied up with a hairpin, with tassels hanging on it, and his skirt fluttering, with a breath like orchid.
"Ghost Fairy!"
Shangguan Qingyan whispered, she was a master of Taoism and martial arts at the Divine Manifestation Realm, and she had a clearer perception of the power of the soul.
"Are you Jiang Li?"
On the back of the green bull, the girl in green clothes tilted her head slightly and looked up and down at Jiang Li curiously, "It doesn't look like anything special, just ordinary!"
She cleared her throat and introduced herself: "My name is Yuntao, and I am from the Wanhu Mountain Monster Clan. You should know me. I came to help you on my sister's order. If you need to fight in the future, just tell me and I will cover you." Holding you!"
"The old cow is a bull demon that Princess Yuntao sat down on. It is also very ordinary. If you encounter a fight in the future, just treat me as an old cow plowing the fields. Don't count on me!"
The green bull also introduced himself, and as he got closer, he realized that this green bull was not an ordinary buffalo that became a demon.
Although its body shape is no different from an ordinary buffalo, there is a layer of faint scales around its hooves, which is very extraordinary.
"It turns out that Senior Yuntao, the Fox Demon King told me about you before he left!"
Jiang Li felt happy and welcomed him with his hands.
Yun Xi once introduced him to the girl in green clothes around him. She was a first-level lightning tribulation ghost immortal who was reincarnated from a corpse, and her strength was enough to rival an intermediate martial saint.
Although he has gathered some masters under his command, there are none at the level of Martial Saint or Ghost Immortal.
"Wang, Jiang Li, guess what I caught?"
From the grass behind him, a big black dog and a deer demon sprang out.
The black dog's mouth was bulging, as if it was holding something, and its words were unclear.
"Yuntao?"
"Master Niu!"
The two monsters jumped out of the grass and caught up with Jiang Li, and naturally saw Yuntao and Qingniu.
The two demons were slightly startled. They were a little surprised by Yun Tao's appearance, but their behavior was normal.
However, when they saw the green bull, the demonic bodies of one dog and one deer trembled slightly, and they actually looked a little awe-stricken and timid.
Jiang Li couldn't help but secretly pay attention.
With a mischievous personality like the big black dog, even if he met a ghost or fairy, he would dare to curse a few words, but after meeting the green cow, he felt a bit like a mouse meeting a cat.
But the green cow just looked at the two demons casually, then turned its head and gnawed the grass on the ground. It kept chewing, looking like an old cow working in a paddy field.
"Dahei, what's hidden in your mouth!"
Jiang Li asked curiously.
The big black dog's mouth was closed tightly, but a round thing moved back and forth near his lips, trying to open the dog's mouth.
"Woof!"
The big black dog barked, and a green shadow flew out in a swish. However, the black dog that jumped up later pinned it to the ground with its paw, and it turned out to be a green bird with a red forehead.
"The situation has changed. Everyone gave up assassinating Jiang Li and went all out to find Jiang Xuanluo, creating the illusion of death in battle and bringing him back to the south!"
The kingfisher was held down by the black dog's paws, and it kept talking in a panic and incoherently.
Although it is a bird, the sound it makes seems to be that of an old man who is more than seventy years old.
"The Whispering Magpie, this is a bird and beast raised by the Helou family. It can completely copy the words and tones of human beings!" the green bull demon said.
"He Lou Family? Are they finally going to take action?"
Jiang Li smiled coldly.
He killed the eldest lady He Lou with seven nail-headed arrows. As a thousand-year-old family, the He Lou family naturally would not turn a blind eye.
It was only a matter of time before we took action against him.
but……
They tried to rescue Jiang Xuanluo and faked his death in battle, but they committed the crime of deceiving the emperor.
"Little Heizi, release your claws. If you press it for a while longer, this Whispering Magpie will die. If he dies without any evidence, why should he get a copy of the Shenhe Lou Family?" said the green bull monster.
"Master Niu said so!"
The big black dog nodded hastily and immediately released its paws.
Strange to say, after the Whispering Magpie lost its confinement, it did not fly away directly. Instead, it flapped its wings and flew directly onto the horns of the green bull demon. It stood firmly and everyone looked at it in amazement.
Yuntao and Qingniu joined the team, and everyone continued to move forward. After running in the wilderness for several days, they finally left Li Province and entered the central area of Mangzhou.
The pastures here are green and tender, and the rivers and lakes are densely packed. Compared with the wilderness in Li Province, it is obviously much lusher and more fertile.
A solitary peak stands tall in the distance, like a stone sword falling from the sky and thrust into the land of Mangzhou.
There are also camps composed of countless large tents that come into view.
Farther away, the outline of a huge city was taking shape.
Everyone saw this and sped up. When the sword-shaped solitary peak became more and more clear in their sight, there was also a mysterious team galloping forward in another direction of the wilderness.
In the team, two big flags were flying, facing the strong wind blowing in the wilderness, and walking against the wind.
One of the flags is painted with a picture of a big tiger soaring into the clouds and roaring, while the other flag has three eye-catching characters: Zhen Wuhou!
Under the flag, a middle-aged man wearing a purple gold crown and armor of thousands of miles of rivers and mountains rode on horseback.
Sitting down on the big horse, the whole body is as black as ink, and the mane is thick and long, flying in the wind, like a lion.
(End of chapter)
