As the date of the expedition approached, the preparations for the expedition troops were gradually coming to an end. Wu Feng saw that things were indeed as expected, and the third and fifth divisions of the City Guard Corps were included in the order of battle as expected. Of course, this was also It has something to do with the fact that the commander of the Hocker Division and the Deputy Minister of Military Affairs, Peake, were related, because everyone in the imperial court believed that this battle was determined to win, and it was natural to receive awards for meritorious service in the war, and no one considered the possibility of failure.
Wu Feng is not optimistic about this battle. According to the information provided to him by Gu Ji, the troops on this expedition are composed of three legions. There is no time for comprehensive coordination training. There will definitely be problems in mutual cooperation and unification of political orders. , and the commander was Tu Mingzhi of the Zhenguo Company who had little experience in leading an army before. According to Gu Ji, this person had an impatient personality and was very fond of success, but he had no military talent. His opponent, Tu Da, the general of the Luo Bei people who conquered the east, was A man of both wisdom and bravery, he has fought almost every year for more than ten years. He has rich experience and his subordinates are very supportive of him. His orders are strict and prohibitive. Compared with the two, although the Imperial Army has the advantage in strength, it has no sharp edge but is sharp. He felt that the Imperial Army would be in trouble in this battle, so when the two divisions of the City Guard Corps as reserves needed a regiment to stay for the final escort of logistics supplies, Wu Feng took the initiative to ask to stay, and made an excuse that he He had a bad stomach, was in poor health, and needed a few days of rest, and other captains couldn't help but ask for it.
Back in the alliance, Wu Feng told Xiao, Liang, Cui, and Lu his decision, as well as the basis for his decision. All four of them agreed. Wu Feng also tried his best to avoid participating in battles to preserve his strength. Ask everyone to try to delay as much time as possible and keep distance from the main force.
On August 26, 691 in the continental calendar, the fifth division of the Imperial City Guards stationed in the eastern suburbs of the imperial capital and the third division of the imperial city guard stationed in the northern suburbs of the imperial capital, except for the fourth regiment led by Wu Feng, assembled. After completion, they will receive the emperor's military review at the Triumph Square in the imperial capital and then head to the northwest. They will join the three divisions of the Imperial Army's Third Army and Second Army at Tianshui Mansion in Heshuo County, and then head to the northwest front together. Looking at the soldiers setting off, Wu Feng couldn't help but feel a little sad. War is cruel and merciless. After this, I don't know how many soldiers can return to their hometowns, how many will become bones at the border, and how many will be turned into bones at the border. How many parents will be heartbroken.
Three days later, Wufeng was also ordered to escort a large number of weapons, food, medicine and other logistical supplies on the road. Originally, the military headquarters had arranged a large group of heavy troops to escort these supplies. However, considering the current chaotic situation in the northwest region and the rampant power of horse thieves and bandits, Just in case, an additional regiment of regular army troops was sent to escort them.
Due to the large amount of logistics supplies being transported, the marching speed of Wu Feng's troops seemed a bit slow. However, this was exactly what Wu Feng hoped for. It could not only reduce the risk of going to the battlefield, but also take this opportunity to rest and reorganize the team. After four days of heading west, Wu Feng and the others arrived at the first stop on their journey - Jinzhong Mansion in Heshuo County. This is the choke point where the center of the empire meets the south and the west. It has a very important strategic position. Going west is Hejian Mansion, the capital of Heshuo County. That is Guan Yingying's hometown, which is the road leading to Guanxi County and Northwest County. To the south, it can go directly to Huanggang Mansion in Wuhu County, and to the southwest it enters the territory of the Lin family in Sanjiang County. In order to guard against threats from the southwest, The headquarters of the Fourth Army Corps of the Imperial Western Military District and three divisions are stationed here.
Jinzhong Prefecture is rich in coal, and almost 90% of the industrial and civilian fuel in the imperial capital comes from here. Along the way, Wu Feng discovered that the gap between rich and poor here was quite serious. During his short break in Jinzhong, Wu Feng saw that many poor farmers had no food to eat, while some coal mine owners were as rich as the rest of the country, and social security was also quite poor. Bandits are rampant. After resting for one night in Jinzhong, Wu Feng and his party set off west again, arriving at Hejian Prefecture, the capital of Heshuo County, three days later. Hejian Prefecture is the largest prefecture in Heshuo County, with a population of up to three million. It is located on the alluvial plain in the middle reaches of the Fengshui River. It has fertile land, crisscrossed ditches and developed water conservancy. It is rich in grain, cotton, rapeseed, sesame, fruits, etc. Crops and agriculture are quite developed, and the cotton textile industry and agricultural product processing industry are also very prosperous. The living standards of the people here are generally better than those in Jinzhong, and the social security is also much better. Wu Feng also discovered a special phenomenon, that is, the practice of martial arts is prevalent here. Many young and middle-aged men wear swords and swords on the streets, and there are many places for martial arts practice, which are very lively.
Coming here, Wu Feng couldn't help but think of Yingying, Yumei, and An Qier. When they learned that Wu Feng was about to go on a long journey, the three of them were a little reluctant and worried. Wu Feng quickly comforted the three and said There was not much danger in this battle, and he was only responsible for escorting the logistics supplies and ensuring that he would come back as soon as the battle was over. In the remaining days, Wu Feng took the opportunity to have a tryst with the three of them, especially Guan and Hua, who had sex every night with endless love. When I got here, I inquired and found out that the housekeeper is indeed a prominent family here. The patriarch of the family, Guan Yingying’s father, Guan Yiming, is also the head of the largest martial arts sect in the area. Guan Yingying did not disclose the relationship between the two. He told his family that Wu Feng had no intention of visiting the housekeeper.
Wu Feng also learned that the good life of the people here has a lot to do with the governance of Fang Chengsong, the city guard of Hejian City. Fang Chengsong has been the city guard here for seven years. He was born into the common people, and he passed the exam based on his ability. After graduating from Imperial University, he went to Heshuo County to work as a low-level official. After ten years of struggle, he was promoted to the position of city guard. He was an honest and hard-working official, with an excellent official reputation, and was loved by the local people. However, he He was incompatible with his immediate boss, Heshuo County Governor Tan Keren. Tan Keren was one of the eldest princes in the imperial court. He was cunning and greedy by nature. He wanted to remove Fang Chengsong many times, but he couldn't find an excuse, so he had to give up the idea temporarily. This information was provided by Gu Ji to Wu Feng before Wu Feng set off. Before leaving, Wu Feng discussed with Mo Lun, Su Minshun, and Gu Ji. If he could develop in this opportunity, Mo and Su could join Wu Feng, while Gu Ji would continue to stay in the imperial capital. Collect intelligence for Wu Feng, and if things don't go well, make other arrangements. Hejian Mansion is stationed with a division of the Fourth Army of the Western Military Region of the Empire, which is much smaller than the number of troops stationed in Jinzhong Mansion. After all, Jinzhong Mansion is located on the choke point from Sanjiang County to the imperial capital, and no one dares to do so. Take it lightly.
Leaving Hejian Mansion and heading west, the time has entered September, which is the harvest season. Both sides of the road are golden, and the occasional breeze blows, and the rice waves rise and fall with the wind, making people feel the joy of harvest.
Seeing the prospect of a good harvest in front of him, Wu Feng couldn't help but sigh. Food is the basis of human survival. The reason why the nomadic people go south to invade the borders year after year is not so much their aggressive nature as the pressure of life. Tengri The climate of the prairie is changeable, the soil in many areas is barren, and agricultural and animal husbandry harvests cannot be guaranteed. If a leader cannot even solve the problem of food and clothing for his people, his rule will soon come to an end. Therefore, the nomadic people have The attacks by neighboring countries are subjectively motivated by the needs of the upper-class nobles to expand their power and plunder wealth, while objectively they are motivated by the needs of the poor farmers and herdsmen of the middle and lower classes to meet their own survival needs. Of course, the lack of military strength or defense capabilities of neighboring countries is also a condition that stimulates the invasion of these nomads. Therefore, Wu Feng believes that military means cannot ultimately solve the problem. In order to fundamentally solve this problem, good results must be achieved through comprehensive means including politics, economy, military, diplomacy, and even culture and religion. For this reason, Wu Feng also discussed this issue with Xiao Tang many times. Xiao Tang admired Wu Feng's views very much. He himself had also considered countermeasures against the invasion of nomads, but they were limited to military and diplomatic means. He was trying to think of a solution, but he didn't expect Wu Feng to think about this problem so deeply and thoroughly, and the corresponding method was much more mature than his own idea.
Five days later, Wu Feng led his troops to Tianshui Prefecture, the westernmost prefecture in Heshuo County. Tianshui Prefecture borders Longdong Prefecture in Guanxi County to the west, Heishan Prefecture to the north, and Qindu Prefecture in Sanjiang County to the south. Strategically The location is also very important. The Fourth Army Corps of the Western Military Region has a division stationed there. Tianshui Prefecture is much smaller than the capital city of Hejian Prefecture, but the land is quite vast, with a population of only a million people, and the economy is mainly based on agriculture. However, there are widespread mountains and forests in which a large number of lacquer trees grow. Lacquer is quite famous throughout the Eastern Continent, and many local people make a living by cutting lacquer. The mountains and forests are also rich in birds such as parrots, mynas, thrushes, cuckoos, etc. Many people rely on catching these birds and domesticating them to sell them in the imperial capital Zhongzhou, Hejian, Jinling, Yueyang, Jiangchuan, etc. Not only are they expensive, but they are also Demand exceeds supply.
Wu Feng also took a look at the bird market here during his free time in Tianshui. He felt that it was indeed of great ornamental value. He heard that some important people in the imperial capital were very fond of these things, and he could also take advantage of them. When leaving Tianshui, the head of the local security force told Wu Feng that leaving Tianshui was the Longdong Mansion in Guanxi County. The security situation there was worrying, with horse thieves coming and going without a trace, and gangs taking over the mountains as kings. , bandits who block the road appear from time to time, and Wu Feng and the others are asked to be careful, but he also said that there is probably no one who is not short-sighted in the regular army like Wu Feng and his group who are looking for death. After hearing this, Liang Chongxin, Cui Wenxiu and others felt that if they could really encounter such a good thing, it would be a dream. It was just used to test the training situation of the troops. If they could not catch up with the main meal, it would be good to have some snacks.
After entering Longdong County, the living standards of the people have dropped significantly. Pedestrians on the road are coming and going in a hurry. It can be seen that the local social security is not good. Fortunately, no one dares to attack Wu Feng and his party. The whole journey is calm and calm. Feng also heard that the folk customs in this area are strong, the people care about the community, and the families in the countryside are powerful. Longdong Mansion is already the dividing line for Wu Feng and his party. If you go further northwest, you will enter Bonan Mansion in the northwest county. The social security there is even more chaotic and has almost become anarchy. At present, the empire has not solved the problem of the Luobi people. Before the problem, we were unable to govern here. The empire's management here was only a symbolic existence, let alone ordinary people. Those who had the slightest means tried their best to leave, and the rich hired a large number of private bodyguards and mercenaries to ensure their own safety. safety.
Entering Longdong Fucheng, you can clearly feel the atmosphere of war shining here. A large number of troops from the empire passed here and headed to the northwest. Anyone with a discerning eye knows that the empire is prepared to take it seriously this time. People in teahouses and hotels are talking about the upcoming war everywhere. . Since the neighboring Bonan Prefecture has been repeatedly looted by the Luobi people in recent years, the people of Longdong County, which is adjacent to it, are also in danger. They are deeply afraid that the Luobi people will cross Bonan and invade Longdong, and the Luobi people's brutality , the ferocity has also been widely spread, especially the large number of refugees from Bonan Prefecture who fled to Longdong, which has made the Luobi people terrible. However, the empire has adopted a procrastination policy in recent years and has not made a strong response. As a result, the local people complained. This time the empire was finally willing to send troops to fight. The local people were relieved and hoped that the imperial team could defeat the enemy in one fell swoop and solve this problem once and for all. However, things are unpredictable, and the outcome of the war is... It is not transferred by the wishes of kind people.
The night before Wu Feng left Longdong Fucheng, he presided over an enlarged military meeting. The participants were officers above the deputy squadron leader of each brigade. The officers of the heavy troops of that brigade also naturally joined in. At the meeting, As a staff member, Xiao Tang introduced the current situation in the northwest region on behalf of Wu Feng. Wu Feng made a concluding speech. He did not tell everyone present his true purpose, but had reservations and only asked everyone to be more vigilant. Strengthen precautions. Enemies may appear at any time and at any time. War is cruel. Commands must be obeyed and orders and prohibitions must be obeyed. Anyone who disobeys orders from superiors or escapes from battle will be dealt with according to military law. At the same time, I encourage everyone here to stand up and meet the challenge to win the final victory of the war. The next day, Wu Feng led the entire army to leave Longdong and head to the northwest.