The Shun'an Army returned to Yi County, near the Yishui River, and settled in Qiyang. It was originally a county under Zhuozhou. It was returned to the Khitan during the Shi and Jin Dynasties. In the early Han Dynasty, when Zhao Yanshou succeeded in his northern expedition to Youzhou, he was recaptured by He Fujin. Later, Liu Chengyou reorganized the northern border defense, and Guiyi County became the headquarters of Shun'an Army. The name of the city pass was very famous, namely Waqiao Pass.
The original intention of establishing Waqiao Pass was to resist the threat of the Khitans. Of course, the specific effect it had has yet to be discussed. After all, when Yelu Deguang went south, he could pass it calmly. Now, his reputation is not famous enough, and it is not a dangerous obstacle.
The reputation of Hebei's Three Passes slowly spread during the Northern Song Dynasty's defense of the Khitans. For the current Han Dynasty, due to its excellent location as a geographical thoroughfare, it was still inherited, reinforced, repaired and set up for defense.
The military envoy of Shun'an was Luo Yanxuan. As an early general who had taken refuge with Liu Chengyou, he had been stationed in the north since the founding of the People's Republic of China and had been stationed at Waqiao Pass for two years. Although he did not have much military merit, his status and qualifications in the army were gradually improving.
Because the country's strategic focus is in the south, the Han army garrisoned in the north can basically only train and garrison, and have no chance to make meritorious deeds. Over the years, many generals guarding the border have become more or less unbalanced.
Liu Chengyou also cared about the emotions of these generals and understood them, so he never paid less attention to Luo Yanxuan and other generals. Although he lacked actual military exploits, his rank continued to improve, his salary increased regularly, and during every year and festival, rewards and rewards from the emperor and the court were indispensable. From time to time, the generals of the DPRK were sent north to patrol the border to inspect the military situation and pay attention to the soldiers' morale. Last year, the palace commander Murong Yanzhao was ordered to patrol.
So far, among Liu Chengyou's several patrols, the ones with the greatest movement and the furthest distance were those that went north to patrol. This shows that he attaches great importance to the military in the north.
On the first day of April in the ninth year of Qianyou's reign, the sun was shining brightly, the sky was clear and the clouds were light. On the south bank of Yishui River, 1,500 mighty soldiers were arrayed here. The officers and soldiers were neatly dressed, majestic and majestic, and each put on the newly issued summer clothes.
The flags are different. These soldiers are not all garrison soldiers under the Shun'an Army, but capable men selected by the five armies in the north and the capital deployment headquarters. However, when they heard that the emperor was patrolling the north, a group of military generals discussed and, under the arrangement of An Shenqi, each selected elite soldiers from the army to come, not only to welcome the emperor, but also to prepare for review.
After all, it was a rare occasion for the emperor to come to the north, so he wanted to perform well. Of course, this matter was reported to the camp in advance and received the emperor's approval. Otherwise, the charge of mobilizing troops without authorization would be unbearable. It was still a sensitive period when the royal chariot arrived, even though An Shenqi was honored as the Prince of Chenliu County.
In front of the queue, dozens of Han generals from up and down the north stood waiting in strict order. Among them, in addition to the deployment of An Shenqi, there are five military envoys: Luo Yanxuan of the Shun'an Army, Ma Quanyi of the Yongqing Army, Dong Zunjie of the Baoding Army, Han Lingkun of the Xiong'an Army, and Guo Jin of the Xin'an Army. This is the northern defense of the Han Dynasty. The core generals are in charge.
The monsoon wind carried the moisture of the sea and rivers, blowing by, flags fluttering, and ropes fluttering. The soldiers had been waiting for a long time, but none of them showed any signs of impatience. They all remained standing solemnly, like sculptures.
No matter what was going on in his heart, at least he always maintained calmness and patience on his face. Even An Shenqi, who was in his sixties, stood quietly in front of him, so how could anyone else complain.
By the time the sun moved up, everyone had been waiting for nearly two hours. Several knights with small flags on their backs came galloping towards them, jumped down vigorously, bowed and said, "Commander Qi, your chariot has arrived five miles away." outside!"
After saying this, everyone was in high spirits. An Shenqi, a man with a gray beard and a long beard, immediately waved his hand and ordered: "Everyone brace up, prepare to greet him, and show the most majestic appearance of our Northern Army in front of your majesty. , whoever made a mistake, I don’t need to say more, right?"
"yes!"
After waiting for about two-quarters of an hour, as the ceremonial guard emerged, the imperial driver slowly came from the north. On the south bank of Yishui, drums and horns suddenly sounded. The mighty officers and soldiers of the Northern Army warmly welcomed the imperial driver and worshiped him with military salute.
Feeling the majestic momentum of the Northern Army, the Imperial Guards escorting them also subconsciously raised their chests and faced them with concentration and solemnity, as if they wanted to compete with them. After all, who is not an elite man?
When Luan Jia arrived in front of the army, Liu Chengyou slowly walked out of the chariot and stood on the shaft, his eyes falling on the soldiers who were greeting him. This is the second time he has traveled to receive greetings since his northern tour.
"In the north, I have deployed my minister An Shenqi, along with all the soldiers from the north, to welcome His Majesty for his inspection!" An Shenqi took the lead and bowed respectfully.
After scanning around, the feeling of thousands of troops crouching down was really intoxicating. Liu Chengyou waved his hand and said: "All soldiers are exempt from courtesy!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
"Your Majesty, please inspect the three armies!" An Shenqi was in front, excited.
"allow!"
An Shenqi immediately made a gesture, and the military formation behind them immediately raised their swords and guns in uniform movements, shouting "Long Live the Mountain". Although there were not many people, and they were on the bank of the open Yishui River, the sudden explosion was still shocking enough, comparable to ten thousand troops.
"Your Majesty, please cross the river and enter the customs!" An Shenqi asked.
He turned back to Luan Jia and winked at Zhang Dejun. Zhang Dejun said loudly: "Your Majesty has an edict, please come and speak to Commander An Du!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" An Shenqi obeyed the order respectfully, but his face remained calm. At his age and status, it is not like ordinary people who would be easily moved. Of course, facing the emperor's kindness and respect, he still behaved in a proper manner, with a polite and respectful attitude.
"General, please lead the horse and support the shaft for Your Majesty!" After An Shenqi boarded the chariot, Luo Yanyu stood up and said respectfully.
"allow!"
After receiving the permission, Luo Yanxuan immediately beamed with joy and hurriedly stepped forward to wait on the driver. That expression and movement didn't look like a general who had been in town for many years, but more like a flattering loser.
Seeing his performance, the remaining military envoys all despised him more or less. Of course, what's more, it's regret and envy. I never wanted this guy to take the lead.
Luo Yanxuan is a person who has always been alert, with accurate vision and quick to spot opportunities. From the beginning, when the world was uncertain, the Central Plains was not yet in control, and the Khitan was in great power, Luo Yanxuan intercepted the army and horses and defected to Liu Chengyou, which shows how extraordinary he was.
Under the instigation of Luo Yanxuan and the charioteer, the driver slowly started and walked towards the floating bridge on Yishui River. Outside the car, there was still a close escort, and the shouts of "Long live" continued unabated.
While the stars were holding the moon, Liu Chengyou withdrew his gaze, looked at An Shenqi, and said with a gentle smile: "An Qing has selected all the most elite soldiers in the north to come here!"
"There are more sergeants, equally elite, who want to greet His Majesty, but they have not been selected!" An Shenqi responded.
"It's a pity that I can't receive him alone, which is contrary to the wishes of all the soldiers!" Liu Chengyou sighed.
"When the soldiers who greet him return to their base, they will convey His Majesty's kindness and care to others!" An Shenqi's political awareness was obviously very high.
