On the bank of the Yi Zhi River not far from the camp, a small Han army team was fetching water and washing their horses. They probably felt comfortable being served, and from time to time they made some neighing sounds, floating in the open field.
Accompanied by two personal guards, Wei King Liu Min walked slowly towards the river on the green grassland. At this time, no one dared to imagine that Liu Min was the noble King of Wei. His hair was disheveled and messy in the cold wind of early spring. He was wearing a sheepskin that could barely keep him warm. It looked like he was There is nothing wrong with a young shepherd from the frontier.
After personally participating in the Mobei Expedition, he withstood the test of iron and blood, and the childishness of his youth was obviously wiped away. Liu Min has become a real warrior, and the sword on his waist has also drunk the blood of the enemy. .
Due to practicing martial arts since childhood and honing his riding and shooting skills all year round, Liu Min is not a pampered aristocratic boy. But now, under the sand and wind of the desert, his whole body looks much rougher, and his skin color is darker than before.
Moreover, his face looked obviously malnourished. During the months of defeat and withdrawal to the west, the remnants of the expeditionary force were always in a difficult situation. Even if they got rid of the crisis of pursuing troops, they still had to face material shortages and the harsh winter natural environment of Jinshan. One winter, hundreds of soldiers slept at the foot of Jinshan Mountain amid severe cold and hunger.
In this process, Liu Min was as mature and responsible as he had been in the battle before. There is no need for any special treatment, there is no need for a separate dome or tent, the same clothes, the same bed, the same bed, the same joys and sorrows with the soldiers, but without any pretense, highlighting a pure heart.
In fact, despite being in such an embarrassing situation, under extremely difficult circumstances, the expedition soldiers did not collapse. There is still a belief in their hearts that supports them to fight against the harsh environment and persist until now.
This is not only because of Yang Ye and Wang Yansheng's ability to control and win the hearts of the soldiers, but also because of the performance of the two princes Liu Fang and Liu Min in the army. The two highnesses have such noble status, but they regard them as brothers and sisters, sharing difficulties together.
"Your Highness!"
"Your Highness!"
Seeing Liu Min, the soldiers who were busy stopped what they were doing and greeted him one after another. Their movements and demeanor all showed their respect for the young prince.
"No need to be polite! Just keep busy!" Liu Min sounded a little angry, but his attitude was amiable.
The surrounding environment is now familiar. Spring has returned to the earth, full of vitality. The surroundings were very quiet, and the sounds of birds chirping, horses neighing and running water were very clear.
Liu Min's mood couldn't help but feel a little better. However, looking at the soldiers in front of him, all of them were sallow and thin, in a miserable state, and their skin had become rougher under the wear and tear of wind and frost.
These soldiers are all warriors who have survived hundreds of battles, but now they still have to do the work of these horsemen. The leader of the hundred generals was less than thirty years old, but his rough face was slightly swollen and there were several frostbite marks left by wind and frost. Walking up to General Bai, Liu Min took a brush from his hand, said, "Please rest for a while," and then started to use it himself.
Perhaps he was familiar with His Highness the Prince's temperament, so he didn't pretend to refuse, nor did he really go to rest. Instead, he ordered his subordinates to speed up the cleaning of the horses.
Liu Min was serving a big yellow-brown horse, but at this time it was almost too thin to look good. Liu Min is a horse lover. He stroked the horse's head with his hand and sighed: "This is a Hexi horse!"
"Your Highness, that's right, it comes from Jiedan Pastoral Supervisor!" Baijiang replied.
"What a fine military horse, but now it's as skinny as a stick!" Liu Min said. This past winter, people were short of food, not to mention horses.
"It's the time to lose weight, and there's not enough food at the same time!" Bai Jiang couldn't help but sigh, and as he spoke, a touch of sadness flashed in his eyes: "I just don't know how long these horses can last..."
When Liu Min heard this, he was silent for a moment. He knew what the hundred generals were referring to. In the past, in order to alleviate the shortage of food, the soldiers of the expeditionary army had to endure the pain with tears and kill horses to satisfy their hunger. This decision was not difficult to make, but it was extremely difficult to do it. War horses are not only riding tools, but also companions who get along day and night. With comrades. When they retreated to Jinshan, the whole army still had more than 3,000 horses, but now, it is difficult to satisfy even one man and one horse.
"Killing horses to satisfy hunger is a last resort. Now that the climate has warmed up, there are more places to find food. Generals Yang and Wang are thinking about solutions! But one thing is, we won't stay here for too long, either. We will no longer kill horses easily, and we will definitely be able to return to the Han Dynasty!" Liu Min's voice was not high-pitched, and even sounded like he was mumbling to himself, but his firm will was conveyed well.
"Even the last general believes it!" the hundred generals responded.
Feeling the same resolute tone, Liu Min couldn't help but turn his head, looked at him, and asked slightly curiously: "Are you so sure?"
"Forgive me for speaking frankly, our two highnesses are your majesty's beloved sons, and the two generals are your majesty's beloved generals. The court will never give up on us!" The hundred generals responded: "And the two highnesses and the generals are both heroes of the world. If God allows his talents, he will be blessed by God, and brothers also believe that if they stick to the flag tightly, they will be able to get out of the predicament and return to the Han Dynasty!"
The words of General Bai came from the heart, and Liu Min felt a deep trust in them. They almost represented the will of all the soldiers of the expeditionary force. This trust not only moved Liu Min, but also made him feel sad. heavy.
"I will definitely do it!" Liu Min said solemnly.
Behind him is the crystal clear river, opposite are the gleaming snow-capped mountains, and the mountains are full of green forests. This is a wonderful picture of the spring scenery of Jinshan, but Liu Min has no intention of admiring it. Before returning to the camp, there is even a look on his young face. A little gloom emerged.
During these days, he was not in a good mood, and he still could not feel relieved, not only because of the worrying situation, but also because too many soldiers died trying to cover him during the retreat. This feeling of being like a burden made Liu Min feel very uncomfortable.
"His Royal Highness has brought someone back!"
Accompanied by a rare burst of cheers, the gate of the camp was quickly opened to welcome the returning more than 300 Han cavalry. The leader was none other than Zhao Gong Liu Fang. Of course, what caused a sensation was those who returned to camp with him. In addition to the Han cavalry, there were also a large number of cattle and sheep. The Han soldiers led by Liu Fang returned home with high spirits like goshawks after finding food.
After the beginning of spring, in order to solve the food shortage crisis, the soldiers no longer hid in the camp and suffered as they did in winter. Under Yang Ye's arrangement, people were dispersed to forage in the surrounding areas, collect in the forest, hunt in the mountains and fields, and even fish in the river.
A few days ago, Liu Fang asked for orders to lead three hundred cavalry to patrol the surrounding areas. Now, he returned with a full load. When he learned that Liu Fang had returned, Yang Ye immediately welcomed him out in person.
"See you, Commander-in-Chief!" After returning, Liu Fang saluted Yang Ye.
"Please get up quickly!" Yang Ye hurriedly helped Liu Fang up and looked at him carefully. He was relieved to see that although he was a little haggard, he was in good health.
"Where has your Highness gone? If you don't return to camp, I will send people to find him!" Yang Ye said.
No matter what the situation, the safety of the two princes is the first priority. In Yang Ye's heart, even if the entire army is annihilated, as long as the two highnesses can return to the Han Dynasty safely, it is worth it. Yang Ye's loyalty to Emperor Liu also caused him to fully care for the Liu Fang brothers.
If Liu Min has grown up, then Liu Fang has completely matured after such an experience, and his words and deeds have the demeanor of a general. The experience of failure is painful, and the difficult environment is even more torturous. However, Liu Fang has also shown his excellent psychological quality and his character that becomes more courageous with every setback. In the past few months of hard work, his spirit has never been lost. Fighting spirit.
"Don't worry, Commander! I'm fine!" Liu Fang laughed and pointed at the batch of seizures behind him: "Not only is nothing fine, I've also gained a lot!"
Under Yang Ye's questioning gaze, Liu Fang explained: "I led my people all the way west, trekking about three hundred miles away, and found a tribe, and borrowed these livestock grains and some salt from them! "
Obviously, the word "borrow" in Liu Fang's mouth needs to be enclosed in quotation marks.
"Is there a tribe at the southern foot of Jinshan Mountain?" After hearing this, Yang Ye frowned slightly and soon felt relieved. After stationing on the spot, he only explored the surrounding area without going deep.
"Has there been any future trouble?" Yang Ye asked.
In this season, for any tribe, livestock and food are the most precious resources. The kind that can save lives will not be easily lent, let alone outsiders like the Han army.
After hearing the question, Liu Fang's smile faded, and there was a flash of sharpness in his eyes, as well as a little regret, and he said calmly: "It was handled very cleanly, and there will be no future troubles!"
"This place is not a place to stay for a long time!" Yang Ye sighed and patted Liu Fang on the shoulder: "It's good to come back. It's been a hard journey, so let's rest first!"
"Yes!" Liu Fang responded.
In the camp, the soldiers began to collect and seize the goods happily. With such a batch of supplies, they could last for a while longer, and they might even have a rare meal. And Yang Ye's next order to let all the soldiers have a full meal also proved one point, so the whole camp was in a sensation.
"How's General Wang doing?" Liu Fang couldn't help but ask as he was heading to the Chinese army's main tent, "I brought back some koumiss!"
"It's been much better these past two days!" Yang Ye sighed.
