Zhu Yong's mobilization ability was extremely strong, and the conditions were attractive enough. In just ten days, he gathered nearly 7,000 warriors.
This is much more than Li Qing expected.
Li Qing requisitioned the same number of horses and a small number of camels to carry grain and grass.
However, I didn’t bring much supplies. Since I came to the grassland, I naturally had to follow the usual routine of the grassland - fight to support war!
The advantage of cavalry is its high combat mobility, and Li Qing must of course take advantage of this characteristic to the extreme.
After a few days of rest, Li Qing decided to set off. Before leaving, Li Qing told Zhu Yong to be prepared. If nothing unexpected happened, there would be tribes coming to seek refuge later.
In mid-July, Li Qing's army embarked on a journey.
The autumn wind blowing on his face was extremely refreshing, and Li Qing was also in a refreshing mood...
In mid-August, when he encountered a small and medium-sized tribe with seven to eight thousand people on the road, Li Qing waved his hand - hit!
This tribe was armed with only a thousand people, so it was naturally vulnerable. The battle lasted only more than half an hour before it came to an end.
It ends with the opponent surrendering!
Li Qing was not merciful and took most of the tribe's cattle, sheep, and property as his own. However, he did not force the people to a dead end, but instead showed them a way to make a living.
——Go to Hetao and seek refuge with the Ming Dynasty!
The things he left behind were enough for these people to go to Hetao. In addition, Li Qing also planned a safe route for them.
Whether large or small, prairie tribes take plundering as a matter of course. This is their way of survival.
When being robbed, they do not feel extreme hatred, and usually just hate themselves for being weak.
After the first battle, many of the opponent's young men wanted to join Li Qing's team.
Li Qing naturally accepted this, but he didn't accept many. He only picked a few hundred strong ones to avoid overestimating the host.
As for the spoils of war... Li Qing took none of it and rewarded everyone from top to bottom. Everyone got property and was given beef and mutton.
After several delicious meals, everyone began to skillfully slaughter cattle and sheep and roast them into dried meat for easy portability. There were douluo and douluo hanging on the camels and horses.
Food and property are the most direct things that can arouse people's enthusiasm; the warriors' fighting enthusiasm rises rapidly, and everyone is eager for war.
In late September, we met another small and medium-sized tribe, and the same drama happened again.
After the war, Li Qing still took away more than half of the wealth, and rewarded people based on their merits from top to bottom. He did not take any cents, and allowed those who were robbed to go to Hetao to join the Ming Dynasty, and planned a safe route for them.
At the same time, he also absorbed a small part of the youth.
After the two wars, the warriors who had gained benefits were more eager for war. They couldn't wait to carry out the next plunder.
The feeling of rapid accumulation of wealth is so wonderful that it is difficult to control yourself.
Seeing that the heat was almost there, Li Qing led the army to find medium and large tribes to prepare for the winter.
Early winter.
I finally found the target of the robbery, but... there was some miscalculation.
This is not a medium or large tribe, but a large tribe, with a total population of nearly 50,000 people and an armed force of nearly 10,000. The number of people who can fight alone is stronger than Li Qing's army.
There is nothing he can do about misjudgment. Li Qing is judging the tribal population in the area based on the terrain map, so there will be errors.
However, this time the error was a bit big, which gave him a headache.
But it won't work without fighting. It's already the winter months and the weather conditions are too harsh. We must capture an area and garrison it.
This battle was destined not to be easy, and Li Qing also joined the battlefield, taking the lead at the age of sixty, killing everyone, and shocking everyone.
The battle lasted for several days, with heavy casualties on both sides. In the end, Li Qing ended the battle by capturing the thief and the king.
But the opponent's total population was too large, and Li Qing had no way to be relatively merciful and could only suppress them forcefully.
After nearly half a month of strong attacks, Li Qing finally gained a foothold. In addition to rewarding his merits, Li Qing also provided compensation to the warriors who died in the battle——
After taking stock of the wealth of the fallen warriors and calculating the figures, they led a small team back to Hetao and asked Zhu Yong to distribute them to their families together with their pensions.
The pensions distributed to more than 2,000 people were as high as 350,000 taels. More than half of the 500,000 taels of silver left by Li Qing in the Hetao were immediately removed.
However, Li Qing didn't feel distressed at all!
This is necessary. Only in this way will the people under my command be willing to fight and dare to fight.
As for this tribe, Li Qing did not let them go to Hetao to defect to the Ming Dynasty. Instead, he occupied the magpie's nest and accepted them all.
The main reason is that there are too many people in Hetao to accommodate one mouthful, and the journey is far away. The materials needed to ensure their arrival in Hetao are huge. If they are given to them, there will not be much oil and water on their side.
After everything stabilized, time entered the twelfth lunar month.
Li Qing did not send any more troops. He had some indigestion after eating so much at one time, and he would be strangled to death if it expanded further.
~
Inside the tent, slices of meat were tumbling in the pot, but Li Qing had no appetite. He frowned, wondering why he was worried.
The curtain was raised and He Zhong walked in.
Li Qing came to his senses and asked, "How?"
"It's basically stable."
Phew~
Li Qing breathed a sigh of relief and pointed to the low stool opposite, "Sit down and explain in detail."
"Hey," He Zhong sat down opposite Li Qing, breathed a sigh of relief, and said, "All children and young girls are under our control. Married women are not allowed to do anything. Only unmarried women over the age of sixteen are assigned. Fortunately, this tribe is large enough to fully meet...needs."
After listening to He Zhong's report, Li Qing was speechless.
Seeing this, He Zhong advised: "Master Marquis, we are already very merciful. Really, if the people who conquered this tribe were replaced by another tribe, they would definitely massacre them until they completely surrendered;
As for women, almost all of them... The fact that Mr. Hou can do this is the limit of the limits, and it can't be better. "
He Zhong said it sincerely. He lived on the grassland when he was a boy and knew the darkness inside it.
On the grassland, that's what the victors did to the vanquished.
Under Li Qing's control, except for the casualties during the battle, the tribe had almost no reduction in members, and even the young men were not massacred.
The infants and girls were only controlled, not killed or tortured; in fact, these children were controlled precisely to avoid killing.
With hostages in hand, the other side can avoid the possibility of another war to a great extent. Even the women who are assigned are only with one person, not... whoever wants to do that, that's what they want.
Food, property, and women are the three most important things to control people's hearts. I only satisfied two of them before because the results were not rich enough, but this time it was different;
These warriors risked their lives to fight such a difficult battle, and the results were so rich that they were worth many times the results of the previous two battles combined;
If they are not allowed to touch women, these people will cause trouble, and may even mutiny.
This is the limit for Li Qing. No matter how merciful he is, the team will collapse.
The fierce fighting power of these people is based on rich interests. Once the foundation is destroyed, the power building will collapse in an instant.
"How many people do we have now?" Li Qing asked.
"There are more than 4,500 people who followed from the Hetao. Including those who were recruited twice before, the total is a little more than 5,000." He Zhongdu believed, "Don't look at the fact that we are only 5,000 people. Eight thousand or even ten thousand armed men can fight and even win!"
Those who dare to follow Mobei to develop are those who are confident in their own strength. They are already outstanding, coupled with the baptism of battle and the blessing of generous benefits;óΠъ.oяＧ
He Zhong was horrified by the fighting power displayed.
Although the number of personnel has been reduced by more than 2,000, the overall strength has become higher, and it has become a war machine.
However, this war machine also has a big drawback, that is, it requires sufficient profits to drive it, which tests the coach's control ability.
Fortunately, the actual person in charge is Li Qing. Otherwise, He Zhong would die of fear or worry.
This double-edged sword, once it cannot hurt others, will hurt yourself.
"Five thousand people are still too few. Even if they have strong combat power, they can't disrupt the situation. They still have to develop!" Li Qing muttered, "Tell the young people in the tribe that in the next year, we will plunder other tribes;
As long as they are willing to follow, not only can their children be released, but they can also share in the fruits of the war. "
The contradiction has only been temporarily suppressed, not resolved. The contradiction must be transferred. If this force is used properly, it can be transformed into combat power.
He Zhong hesitated and said: "Master Hou, if this is the case, the required results will inevitably be greater. This..."
"Are you afraid of screwing up?"
"Uh... yes." He Zhong said sarcastically, "This is really too dangerous. It's just taking something out of the fire."
Li Qing smiled: "Everyone must be driven by profit. The greater the driving force, the greater the energy that will burst out. Otherwise, how can we disrupt the situation?"
He Zhong sighed: "But the benefits are always limited. Once it reaches the point where it can no longer be satisfied..."
"Don't worry, we should withdraw before that step comes." Li Qing said calmly, "This bomb will explode eventually, but it won't hit us."
He Zhong swallowed his saliva and said, "What if...what if that day comes, and they turn their guns around and deal with the Loop?"
"No, don't forget that the main force comes from the Hetao area, and the wives and daughters are all there. This backbone force will never turn around." Li Qing took a sip of wine, "And there is a high chance that they will They will never go back. As they develop and grow, more of their interests are concentrated here. Now they have a woman, and they will have children in the future...
Therefore, this double-edged sword cannot hurt Ming Dynasty! "
Hezhong was suddenly horrified. He, who originally thought Li Qing was a bit womanly, felt horrified at this moment.
Marquis Yongqing's plan... is really terrible.
From this day on, He Zhong changed from respecting Li Qing to fearing Li Qing.
…
~
The capital, the imperial palace.
Zhu Jian looked deeply at the vast snow and whispered to himself: "Unknowingly, ten years have passed. After the New Year, it will be ten years of Chenghua."
His eyes were bright: "People say it takes ten years to sharpen a sword. It's time for my Emperor's Sword, which has been hidden for ten years, to be unsheathed."
