In the back hall of the state government, Emperor Liu, as the host, personally entertained the officers and soldiers who had returned from the desert northwest after a difficult journey. The wine and food are not exquisite, but the victory is rich and large. There are chicken, duck, fish, pig, sheep and beef. In other words, the wine is better, all made from the royal palace. More importantly, this is a banquet hosted by His Majesty the Emperor himself, accompanied by the eldest prince, Duke of Qin Liu Xu and Duke of Shou Li Shaoyou.
Not to mention the few grassroots officers and soldiers who returned from humble backgrounds, not even the ministers and meritorious veterans of the DPRK had the opportunity to experience such treatment.
Therefore, the few officers and soldiers who were invited were overjoyed and excited. They could not even speak coherently and even dared not speak.
There were only five officers and soldiers who returned, one of whom was a guide, and the highest military rank was only a hundred generals. Yang Ye and Wang Yansheng only sent fifty soldiers and two guides, and it took them more than a month to return to Shanyang. Daohan realm.
Only these five people were left alive. The rest died on the road, were intercepted and killed by the Mobei tribe, were trapped in swamps, disappeared in the desert, or buried their bones in the Yinshan Mountains... The Mobei battle report they brought back and presented to Emperor Liu's court was also stained with blood, sweat and tears.
It was so difficult and dangerous for just this small group of people to return home. One can imagine what the Yulin and Hexi armies of the Han army who marched thousands of miles into Mobei experienced, what difficulties they encountered, and what dangers they faced. , under such circumstances, we still have to fight bravely and fight for our lives with the Mobei Hu.
For many things, it is difficult to get a glimpse of the reality by relying only on imagination and the words in the report. Twenty thousand Han cavalry, crossing the quicksand, crossing the extremity, and traversing the desert north, sounds so heroic and exciting, but behind it, there are thousands of difficulties and dangers, countless soldiers throwing their heads, spilling their blood, and losing their souls On the battlefield, the bones are buried in a foreign land.
Emperor Liu met these officers and soldiers and even entertained them in person. Although there was a certain amount of showmanship, he could not help but be moved by listening to their stories and their experiences outside the fortress. Emperor Liu, after all, was an emperor who had experienced many battles, and he naturally understood the army and the soldiers.
Especially the three officers and soldiers of the Hexi Army who followed Wang Yansheng to the desert and experienced a series of hardships first-hand. Although we didn’t encounter a terrible sandstorm, we had enough wind and sand, enough exposure to the sun, and encountered the crisis of food and water shortages, as well as the danger of getting lost. Each item resulted in casualties, attrition, and the risk of the entire army being annihilated. Emperor Liu became nervous upon hearing this.
But with this kind of experience, after surviving the crisis of life and death, and encountering the hellish ordeal, in the subsequent battles, there were consecutive defeats of the Hu people, severe defeats of the Liao army, and harvesting the fruits of victory, large and small, which seemed less Amazing.
After hearing about the Battle of Tuluhe River, Liu Xu finally couldn't help it. With emotion on his face, he sighed: "It's not easy for soldiers to go out of the fortress! After experiencing such hardship and danger, we still have to fight the Liao army in Mobei. To be able to fight and win, what kind of will and what kind of spirit is this!”
Emperor Liu also picked up the wine glass, held it in the air, looked at the five dark and rough officers and soldiers, and said solemnly: "I have read the report you brought back, regarding the experiences of the Hexi and Yulin armies. , and I have some understanding, but after all, it is not as intuitive and touching as those of you who have experienced it personally. I want to pay tribute to you, you have worked hard, come and drink with me!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Baijiang's eyes were red, his words were choked with sobs, he took the lead and stood up, raising the glass with both hands.
"Everyone sit down!" Emperor Liu said as he saw several strong men standing up in unison.
The monarch, his ministers, officers and soldiers raised their glasses and drank together, drinking it all in one gulp. Yantuo, who was waiting at the table, immediately came up to pour wine for Emperor Liu, but was stopped by Liu Xu. He personally picked up the jug and refilled Emperor Liu's glass.
Emperor Liu stopped him, pointed at the five officers and soldiers, and said: "First pour wine for the returning warriors!"
"yes!"
Liu Xu responded, and on the other side, Li Shaoyou also took the initiative to get up, pick up a bottle of wine, and do the same thing. He is both a prince and a duke. Such a noble person, who would never dare to think about it in ordinary times, is now full of kindness and personally pours wine for them. This makes several officers and soldiers feel moved but also at a loss, with nowhere to put their hands. Of course, their embarrassment and even rude behavior are also worthy of forgiveness.
When the wine glass was filled, Emperor Liu raised his glass again and said: "This glass is for you to go through all the hardships and come back to report the news!"
"This cup is dedicated to the soldiers who died fighting in the fortress. They are all heroes!"
"This cup is dedicated to all the soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the country in the Northern Expedition. Their spirits will live on forever!"
"This cup is dedicated to all the officers and soldiers who are still fighting against the Liao people on various fronts. I wish them victory and return with honor!"
Five cups in a row, each cup was overflowing and each cup was drunk. Emperor Liu had not tried this way of drinking for a long time, and the slight burning feeling in his throat was insignificant. Obviously, he was really a little emotional.
Liu Xu and Li Shaoyou, who were drinking with them, felt something in their hearts, while the five officers and soldiers had red faces and excited expressions.
"Your name is Zhou Tai, right?" Emperor Liu looked at the hundred generals.
"Your Majesty, that's right!"
"This is a good name!" Emperor Liu said with encouragement in his tone: "There was a fierce general in Soochow in the Three Kingdoms named Zhou Tai. I hope you can become a general of the Han Dynasty in the future and carry forward this name!"
"Yes!" Faced with Emperor Liu's encouragement, Zhou Tai immediately stood up and responded: "This is the ambition of the general!"
"In this way, I will directly promote you to the camp general, and several other people will also be promoted to two levels each. They will be rewarded with hundreds of dollars and transferred to the Forbidden Army!" Emperor Liu looked at them.
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" After hearing this, several people stood up quickly, knelt down and thanked him. Although he came back after all the hardships to report the news and complete the task, he didn't have too many demands, but it was a surprise to be promoted and rewarded.
"Tell me again about what happened after the Battle of Tulla River!" Emperor Liu called a few people to sit down and said to Zhou Tai.
"yes!"
After probably a few glasses of wine, he was no longer so nervous. He subconsciously took a sip from the wine bottle, and Zhou Tai continued to tell Emperor Liu.
The Battle of Turula River was a small decisive battle between the Han and Liao armies in the northwest of the desert. Liu Fang and Yang Yanzhao led thousands of cavalry to circle around for hundreds of miles. Taking advantage of the fierce confrontation between the two armies, they raided the back of the Liao army and completely defeated them. Disrupt its position and thereby establish victory.
Perhaps because of someone's advice, Zhou Tai also specially described Liu Fang in the battle formation, taking the lead, commanding decisively, beheading generals and raising flags. Perhaps it was Zhou Tai's lively expression, or perhaps it was his expectation, but Liu Fang's graceful appearance on the battlefield with his white horse and silver armor came to mind.
In the Battle of Tulu River, the Han army won a great victory and killed and captured more than 7,000 Liao soldiers. The rest either surrendered or dispersed. The leader of the Liao army, King Ping Yelulong, was able to escape the pursuit under the desperate protection of thousands of Pishi troops. , retreated completely, and in the end only accommodated less than 6,000 riders, and withdrew to the east, not daring to stay.
This battle also completely destroyed the rule of the Liao Kingdom in the northwest of the desert, and the situation was completely disrupted. The tribes such as Zubu, Dadan, and Damili either fled or simply surrendered to the Han army, and in several local grasslands All the cities and towns fell into the hands of the Han army.
The two armies of Yang Ye and Wang Yansheng also solved the biggest crisis, harvested a large amount of combat supplies, replenished logistical supplies, and gained a rare opportunity to rest and recuperate. Under such circumstances, I had free time to write a battle report and military situation, and sent people thousands of miles back to Han Dynasty to report the war situation.
And they went out of the fortress not to seize those towns and land. In the joint report between Yang Ye and Wang Yansheng, it was also mentioned that after resting, they would march eastward and spread the war to the entire Mobei, and spread the flames of war across Liaoning. The country's seemingly safe and secure rear has been turned upside down...
After listening to the report and seeing several officers and soldiers sitting awkwardly in the banquet, Emperor Liu came back to his senses and chuckled: "Just listening to your report, the food has become cold! Come, this table of food and wine is specially prepared for you. , pick up the cup, pick up the chopsticks, start moving, don’t be restrained!”
"What's your name?" Emperor Liu looked at the youngest soldier.
Facing the kind-faced Emperor Liu, the soldier was very nervous and responded hesitantly: "My, my name is Aries!"
"Where are you from?"
"People from Pizhou!"
"How old are you?" Emperor Liu asked.
"Nineteen!" Soldier Aries replied.
Upon hearing this, Emperor Liu praised him and said, "It's amazing! At such a young age, he has already gone to remote areas, participated in great battles, and was given important responsibilities."
For young people, Emperor Liu was always generous with his praise and encouragement, and said softly: "Eat more vegetables, drink more wine, and be sure to have fun!"
Facing Emperor Liu's kind concern, the young soldier couldn't hold himself any longer and burst into tears, which made Emperor Liu a little puzzled. Asked him, he said he was so moved...
