Qingzhou's acceptance was much easier than expected. When the governors of the six counties came to meet Yuan Shang, they directly brought over all the tax records, titles, treasury, money and grain, etc. of their respective territories. They were full of sincerity. to prove one's determination.
Of course, these things are just superficial and cannot be dug deeply, otherwise there must be something fishy about them.
But Lin Mo didn't care about this. He had governed Xuzhou for two years and still couldn't clear all the counties. So he replaced the prefect with one of his own.
As for the six counties of Qingzhou, even if they use the name of the Yuan family, they can only be temporarily stable. If you want to completely follow the path of Xuzhou and replace it with your own people, it will take a long time, and it will be a blunt knife, so take your time. .
There's not much of a problem with the government order, and personnel can't be transferred. Let's seek stability first.
The military problem is bigger. After the integration of Yuan and Yuan's troops, the number was not as high as expected, only 120,000.
But this is an army that has been streamlined. For example, tens of thousands of people fled before they were taken in. After they were taken in, the old, weak, sick and disabled were laid off, and 120,000 people were not too few.
Including Lu Bu's own troops, the number exceeded 150,000.
What makes Lu Bu and Lin Mo more excited is that from now on, they will not be worried about the cavalry issue. The two Yuan's horses alone have tens of thousands of horses, not counting his own horses.
However, the quality of Yuan Jun's cavalry was not good, and the ones that could be used were probably around 3,000 men. These were all the cavalry regiments left behind by Wen Chou.
There was nothing that could be done about it. Yuan Shao's most elite war cavalry were all destroyed during the war in the Central Plains. Yuan Shang could buy war horses from the border, but he could not train powerful cavalry in a short period of time.
For this, we can only rely on Zhao Yun and Zhang Xiu.
All of this is good news, but the tricky thing is the officers.
There are 120,000 Yuan troops. If you just change the military commanders, you have to prepare 300 people and add Sima, captains, captains, and generals, etc., to get five to six hundred people.
Moreover, these people are not only required to be loyal to Lu Bu, but they also need to have two brushes themselves. Otherwise, how will you lead the troops and convince the people.
This number cannot be satisfied even if all the generals in Lu Bu's army are transferred. What's more, if they are all transferred, who will command his own people.
In desperation, Lin Mo could only find Gao Shun to disband the trapped camp. At present, only by placing them all as generals in Yuan's army can this army be quickly integrated to form a new combat force. .
When Gao Shun heard that his old problem of facial paralysis was cured on the spot, his expression was distorted and he waved his hands repeatedly, "Impossible, absolutely impossible. Brothers have been with me for so many years, and we just broke up. Why don't you disband the Bingzhou Cavalry? Otherwise, we can just recruit Wenyuan’s personal guards.”
Will the father-in-law and God of Liao take action if they know what you say?
Lin Mo smiled helplessly: "Can't you just pretend that I borrowed it from you? In half a year, the whole battalion will return to the team in half a year. There is really no other way now."
Gao Shun rolled his eyes, "You said it was only half a year."
To be honest, Lu Bu originally had eight capable generals under his command, but it was a pity that except for Zhang Liao and Zang Ba, the others were dead and rebellious, otherwise they could have helped.
We can only go too far now. Fortunately, we have the trapped camp. These battle-experienced warriors will lead the two Yuan soldiers and horses who have just been mixed together. They should be able to get started quickly.
Having said that, Lin Mo would not be willing to disband the trapped camp.
After finalizing these things, you can consider heading to Yecheng.
Jizhou was originally Yuan Shang's territory, so there was no problem of appeasing the people and taking over.
This trip is mainly to convey an idea to the soldiers and civilians of Jizhou. Your master has become a puppet. From now on, our son-in-law will be the one to make the decision. Let me show the bright spots.
This process will definitely be hindered, and Lin Mo is also mentally prepared. The only trouble is that he cannot use the knife.
Therefore, the red sleeve move is very critical.
Only by penetrating inside them can we have the opportunity to control the most real situation and defeat them one by one.
I have already written to Guo Zhao. She should be able to handle it. This little girl is actually quite capable, but she is a bit too young.
Before setting off for Yecheng, there is one last thing to do, which is to take down the Black Mountain bandit Zhang Yan.
Zhang Yan is a big trouble. It's okay to let him make some noise and cause damage with 40,000 gold. But it's unrealistic if you want to buy someone else with 40,000 gold. Otherwise, Yuan Shao would have taken advantage of him long ago. .
He has tens of thousands of troops on hand. Although these guys are bandits, they have been dealing with Yuan's army for so many years, and with their understanding of the terrain of the Taihang Mountains, they cannot be treated as ordinary bandits.
But it's not okay to let it go. With such a team, even if he doesn't come to your land to plunder, you can't prevent Cao Cao from taking action against him.
Therefore, the Black Mountain bandits in the Taihang Mountains must be dealt with, and it is best to use them for your own use.
If you really don't agree, then you can only use troops.
"I go."
Lin Mo had just put forward the idea, but before Lu Bu could comment, Wei Yue happily asked for his help.
Lu Bu glanced at him and said with a smile: "It's appropriate for you to go. When dozens of cavalry swept through tens of thousands of Black Mountain bandits, you almost killed Zhang Yan. He will have enough deterrence."
Lin Mo thought for a while, and it was indeed appropriate for Wei Yue to go. Zuo Rong couldn't handle this kind of thing at all. It seemed that the old father-in-law's death was too low, and he would accidentally scare Zhang Yan into surrendering to Cao, which would be troublesome.
"Then bring the Bingzhou Wolf Cavalry." Although they were accustomed to calling Lu Bu's old team the Bingzhou Cavalry, Lin Mo had always called them the Bingzhou Wolf Cavalry.
They also seemed to enjoy this title, which sounded more domineering.
"Anyway, there is unlikely to be an expedition at the moment. You take them with you. If the negotiation doesn't work out, you can decide for yourself whether to fight or retreat."
Lu Bu thought for a while and then added: "If he is willing to surrender and rule the land to a prefect, that would be the greatest sincerity. If he is not greedy enough, then ask him if he still remembers how Fang Tian painted the halberd to kill people."
Wei Yue laughed enthusiastically, "Don't worry, Marquis Wen, he will definitely live up to his trust!"
Two days later, Wei Yue took the Bingzhou Wolf Cavalry towards the Zhongshan Kingdom, while Lu Bu and Lin Mo protected Yuan Shang and drove towards Yecheng.
After Zhao Yun and Gao Shun led the central army, they found that the army was too large and could not march quickly. It was estimated that it would take at least twenty days for them to reach Yecheng.
"On the other side of Youzhou, I think your 40,000 gold was wasted. Gongsun Kang has the ability to protect himself. Let him lead troops across the border. He doesn't like the money."
On the way, Lu Bu said leisurely.
It was Xu You who asked Zuo Rong to go to the North to bribe, and one of the 80,000 gold was given to Zhang Yan, and the other to Gongsun Kang.
The old father-in-law was right. The money given to Gongsun Kang was indeed wasted, but there was nothing he could do about it.
At first, Lin Mo's thought was that Yuan Shang would flee to Youzhou after a defeat like in history. Then once Youzhou was captured, the only way for their brothers to survive would be Gongsun Kang.
But Lu Bu was not as intimidating as Cao Cao in history, and he might not be able to scare Gongsun Kang into beheading their brother, so he made final preparations.
Later, Lin Mo discovered that Yuan Tan was no longer a figure he could control, so he had no choice but to replace him with a puppet. This meant that the 40,000 gold given to Gongsun Kang was probably wasted.
"It's okay. I still have a backup plan to deal with Youzhou."
"I just love hearing you say that."
When Lu Bu heard this, he laughed without asking for advice first.
There is nothing I can do. My son-in-law has indeed never failed in this regard, and he is proud of it.
"but."
"But what?" Lu Bu's eyes darkened.
Lin Mo looked north to Youzhou and frowned: "The people I sent to Zhongshan Kingdom came back and said that Zuo Rong had left the Zhen family. What happened? How could he leave without saying goodbye."
"That's not like that guy's style."
Lu Bu also felt puzzled, "We were in such a difficult situation before, and he was still doing nothing in front of you. Now that he is about to take over the Northern Kingdom, he still wants to succeed and retreat?"
Lin Mo said that he didn't know either. This was indeed not like Zuo Rong's style of dealing with things.
However, Yuan Xi still has to deal with it. Maybe he does not have any ambitions, but since he has chosen to take Yuan Shangling's way to the north, he must not let a second Yuan family appear here.
If one day he suddenly gets up and says that he is the orthodox member of the Yuan family, it will be a lot of trouble.
On the Anfeng side, Lu Jun's behavior has been very suspicious recently. They have been constantly transferring supplies to Yanhui Ridge. At the beginning, it was just food and grass, and there were not many escorting troops. Xiahou Dun wanted to go out and make a sneak attack, but Guo Jia was Denied.
In the situation at hand, it is best to stay calm. The opposite side is obviously using food and grass to attract us for a sneak attack, but in fact there is an ambush around us.
After all, there are many mountains and forests in Huainan, and there are many places where thousands of people can be ambushed without leaving any trace.
As time went by, Guo Jia felt that things might not be that simple anymore, because the transportation teams in Anfeng City came out almost every two or three days, and they were no longer limited to food and grass. Even armor and ordnance were sent to Yan Returning to the ridge for transportation, it seems that there are millions of troops stationed there.
"Zhang Liao, if you can't deceive us once, why don't you try another method? Even if you come to challenge us, it will be more effective than this method!" I went, what were I thinking about?
Guo Jia smiled and murmured: "It seems that Lin Mo is not only a capable person under Lu Bu, but there is also someone who is giving guidance to Zhang Liao."
"What do you mean, sir?" Xiahou Dun didn't know why.
"He must have seen my plan to flood Anfeng. On the surface, he was using the transportation of grain, grass and ordnance to attract us to sneak attacks. It would be good if he could stage an ambush. Even if he couldn't, he really needed to These things were transported to Yanhuiling.
If I guessed correctly, once the rainy season arrives, the city's defenders will move to Yanhui Ridge. "
Guo Jia pursed his lips and sighed: "It's really amazing. He almost put Lu Jun in an invincible position. This person's talent is definitely not inferior to Lin Yunwen.
Now I finally understand why the troops on Yanhui Ridge were not dispatched on the night of the surprise attack on Anfeng. It was the last resort for Lu Jun to save his life. "
Hearing this, Xiahou Dun's pupils suddenly gathered, "Isn't the flood plan, sir, useless?"
Guo Jia tapped his fingers lightly on the table and did not answer Xiahou Dun. He was obviously thinking about something.
After a moment, his fingers stopped, and his palms pressed directly on the table. A flash of sharpness flashed in his eyes, "Then... let's see who is faster then."
Xiahou Dun blinked, a little confused. He hadn't recovered from the calculation just now. He had already calculated to another level.
After only a short period of excitement, Guo Jia began to rub his temples, feeling tired from overuse of his brain.
Or maybe, it's because I'm tired.
The battle in Anfeng was far more difficult than I imagined. Chen Deng's false surrender killed more than 10,000 men in the army, but even so, there were secrets available, if he could defeat the enemy invisible.
Who would have expected that an expert would appear out of thin air next to Zhang Liao, who could even see through his own thoughts about being flooded. Today, Guo Jia finally understood what it means that there is heaven and there are people outside the world.
It seems that in the end, the only thing is to work out the details of using troops to see who will suffer.
By the time Lu Bu and his party arrived at Yangping, which was already the last stop on the way back to Yecheng, Lin Mo's doubts were finally solved.
"I'm the Governor of Langya, Zuo Rong. I'd like to pay my respects to Marquis Wen!" Zuo Rong appeared at the door of the inn and bowed to Lu Bu's red rabbit horse. Lu Bu instinctively turned his head and looked into the distance.
Zuo Rong ran up to Lin Mo again, "Brother Xian, one day is like three autumns after not seeing you. Brother Yu, I have been waiting for you here for five days. I know that you must pass by Yangping Station when you go to Yecheng. Yes, hey, finally Emperor Tian has paid off his hard work, and when I see my dear brother again, I feel that all the fatigue in my body has been wiped away, I feel so at ease and comfortable."
After Lin Mo dismounted, he looked Zhe Rong up and down, looked at him with a flattering smile, and said displeasedly: "Didn't I ask you to wait at Zhen's house?"
"My dear brother, I am not familiar with this place. I have been there for a long time. In the North Country, far away from my hometown. Except seeing my dear brother makes me feel at ease, I really feel like an abandoned person."
"Stop playing tricks with me. Do you think I don't know what you are thinking?" Lin Mo rolled his eyes at him.
This guy disobeyed orders and ran back, wasn't it just to follow his old father-in-law and himself into Yecheng.
As the political center of the Northern Kingdom, the core officials all work in Yecheng, and those officials must come out to greet the team returning under the banner of triumphant squadron. This is the most precious opportunity to show their faces.
Zuo Rong chose this time to follow him into the city. Firstly, he wanted to tell the northern scholars that I, Zuo Rong, have an unusual relationship with Marquis Wen and Marquis Lanling. You'd better take it easy.
After all, I had promised to let him serve as state pastor or governor if he had the opportunity. Without some deterrent, he really couldn't do it.
Therefore, he chose this time to disobey orders and run back to increase his presence.
"Brother Xian, what are you doing? Brother Fool will always look like you are naked in front of you. How dare you play tricks on me? I really miss you." Zhe Rong looked aggrieved.
Throw it away, Lin Mo pushed Zuo Rong away in disgust and walked towards the inn.
You are not suitable to play with me, go find Guo Tu, you two are brothers.
Even though he's here, he can't really drive him away. He will wait until he enters Yecheng tomorrow, gets acquainted with him, and then goes to Youzhou. Anyway, he doesn't feel tired.
In fact, the tasks of Lin Mo Sect are not necessarily his and theirs, but people are like this. After doing too much dirty work, they don’t want to change people. After all, finding one more person means that one more person knows those unbearable dirty things. dirty.
But now that there is Guo Tu, it is estimated that Zuo Rong will be much more relaxed in the future.
Lin Mo said, you two will be the sleeping dragon and phoenix chicks in our army from now on.
(Friendly recommended book: Diary of the Sui and Tang Dynasties. If you like the history of the Sui and Tang Dynasties, you can read it)
(End of chapter)
