"Master Chongyun will surely focus all his attention on the Huai River, and will have no time to care about the northwest. And I also have a feeling..."
She smiled slightly, like a spring breeze, infecting the cold and bleak land: "They know that you and I will never sit idly by and watch Ding Mocan's ambitions. To some extent, this can be regarded as a tacit understanding between me and them, right?"
In Suizhou City, Shi Hao was very busy but also very idle.
He was busy because he needed to appear everywhere, sometimes in front of the soldiers to further boost their morale, and sometimes in front of the people to make them feel at ease.
At the same time, they also have to comfort the injured soldiers, check the progress of various aspects, and give instructions on some things that are not really necessary but will demonstrate their presence.
He was free because everything was in order and operated according to established rules. Even without him, there would be no major deviations.
As a time traveler, Shi Hao attaches more importance to institutional construction than anyone else.
Therefore, under his advocacy, the Dongting Army has focused on the construction of various systems from the very beginning, and now these systems have achieved certain results.
At the beginning, neither Taoist Qimu nor Xuanfeng Huanzhi understood how much he attached great importance to this aspect.
But he was the Demon Commander after all, the backbone of the entire Dongting Army, so they still followed his instructions and carried out this most difficult change from the very beginning.
And when all these were gradually completed, they found that once this most difficult part was done, everything else gradually became simple.
If an army wants to enforce discipline, it must have laws to follow and abide by them from the very beginning.
Led by the Demon Marshal, they attach more importance to "law" than any other force in the world today.
The Dongting Army rested in Suizhou for a day and then began to advance towards Guangzhou.
At the same time, the barbarian army was also gathering troops from Dengzhou, Tangzhou, Xuzhou, Chenzhou, Haozhou, Songzhou, Bianzhou and Yingzhou.
Three days later, Gwangju City fell.
At the same time, 300,000 barbarian troops attacked Suizhou and Guangzhou, and a great battle quickly broke out around the upper reaches of the Huai River.
—
"The Demon Commander of Dongting Army sent people to invite our army to march north, approach Chuzhou, and meet up with Gaoyou City!" Li Xiuer was wearing dark golden Suzaku soft armor and a red gold crown on her head, looking heroic.
She stood on the steps and looked around at the generals.
Behind her stood two maids. They were Hong Du Lan and Cui Teng Niang, who were sent by the sect to protect her. They were masters of the previous generation of the three sects.
This time, she was able to resist the barbarian army and capture Guangling and Gusu, which greatly increased her reputation.
More and more warriors came to join the army, and the military strength was further expanded.
She said loudly: "The same invitation has also been sent to the Dragon and Phoenix Society. The Dragon and Phoenix Society has dispatched a large number of warships, aiming at Chaohu Lake and advancing to the north bank of the Changhe River. Once our army is dispatched, there will be three routes of troops, among which the Dongting Army will come from the east, and our army and the Dragon and Phoenix Society will all go north. I wonder what you think?"
—A famous general stepped forward and said, "General, the key point of this battle is that the Dongting Army can defend Suizhou and Guangzhou. The Barbarian Army has 300,000 people, and they are still gathering. The Dongting Army has only 50,000. They can take the two states upstream of the Huai River by a quick attack, but if they can't hold it, the Barbarian Army is so strong that they can go down the Huai River in a blink of an eye, and then our army will be in danger."
Li Xiuer said: "Even so, in the battle of Taihu Lake, the Dongting Army not only agreed to let the Leopard Army come to assist our army, but also urgently dispatched two generals, Li Ximing and Gui Xiaoren, to lead their elite troops to rush thousands of miles to help us, and only then did they successfully help our army defend Taihu Lake.
"Return a favor, and do what is due. Now the Dongting Army is attacking the Huai River. If our army does not send troops to divide the Barbarian Army, it will not take long for the troops in the belly to suppress them with all their strength. Then it will not be 300,000 Barbarian Army against 50,000 Dongting Army. Once the Dongting Army is destroyed, our army will have no chance to go north again."
The generals discussed in low voices.
Li Xiuer was not in a hurry. After they finished their discussion, she stepped down the stairs and said with her hands behind her back, "The battlefield has no eyes. The barbarian army is like a centipede. It will not die without being stiffened! Once our army goes out, there will be no room for retreat. If we fail to attack Chuzhou, we will lose many soldiers and generals. The Guangling City that we have conquered with great difficulty will also be lost. The lower reaches of the Changhe River will be under the control of the barbarian army again.
"It's natural that you have concerns!"
She walked through the generals and continued, "However, since ancient times, there has never been a reason for a country to survive by defending Jiangsu and Zhejiang. Jiangsu and Zhejiang have a lot of money and food, and they are not places that must be fought for by military strategists. It is okay to be in a state of peace in the short term. Over time, no party will let go of such a big piece of fat meat.
"Our base is located in the southeast, the terrain is flat and difficult to defend, and there are many waterways that are convenient for the enemy to transport troops. Why was the barbarian army able to suppress so quickly? It was because of the Grand Canal.
"Xuzhou is the real battleground. If our army cannot march north to capture Xuzhou, it will take a long time. Whoever occupies Xuzhou will be our enemy. With the Grand Canal, we will be annexed sooner or later.
“That’s why the Dongting Army invited us to join forces at Gaoyou. In fact, they wanted us to attack Xuzhou together and see who can grab this must-fight place first.
"Let me put it this way. If we don't take Xuzhou, our army will be destroyed sooner or later. By then, I will have no choice but to die to preserve my innocence. After you die on the battlefield, your families and children will inevitably be slaughtered. At this point, it's like sailing against the current. If we don't move forward, we will retreat."
Xiao Siyu and Jing Shang were Li Xiuer's trusted men. They said in unison, "We will all obey the orders of the general manager."
Li Xiuer nodded slightly. However, another general said anxiously: "Li Chenglong is a man who cannot be trusted. If he gathers warships in Poyang Lake, but does not attack Chaohu Lake, and instead takes advantage of our army's attack on Chuzhou to attack Guangling and take Jiangsu and Zhejiang, what will happen?"
Li Xiuer thought: "What a stupid question."
But he still explained carefully: "Li Chenglong is not a fool. He claims to be the descendant of the prosperous dynasty and the one who destroyed the barbarians and restored the country. This is his righteousness. The barbarian court has not been overthrown yet, but he turned around and attacked our army first, violating the Huangshan agreement first, which will make the people of Wulin angry, and lose the righteousness, and be abandoned by the world.
"Unless he is really desperate, he will never be so stupid. Even if he is really desperate, he should go to Dongting Lake. As I said before, Jiangsu and Zhejiang are good, but they are not places that must be fought for by military strategists.
"If there are only Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Huguang and other provinces, but no Xuzhou or Jingzhou, we will be in a precarious situation in the short term, but in the long run, we will not be able to hold on. Therefore, it is the Dongting Army, not our army, that needs to worry about the Dragon and Phoenix Army's betrayal!"
The general suddenly realized what was going on and retreated.
Li Xiuer was speechless that she still needed to explain such a simple matter to him. She turned around and stepped up the stairs again, and turned around and asked, "Who has any questions?"
The generals bowed and said, "Please give the order to send the troops."
Li Xiuer said: "In that case, General You Hong!"
You Hong took a step forward: "I am here!"
Li Xiuer said: "You take the general's order and lead the navy to the seaport first to prevent the invasion of the Sea Shark Gang, so that our army has no worries."
You Hong said, "I obey your command!" and left with the order.
Li Xiuer said again: "General Xiao Siyu!"
Xiao Siyu stepped forward and said, "I am here!"
…
Li Xiuer already had a plan in mind. Her strategies and tactics had long been passed on in secret by Longniu, and she discussed them with the young master and the leader of the Xuanfeng Sect. Therefore, the orders were issued one by one without any confusion.
The situation north of the river developed very quickly, as if a few flames ignited the already dry firewood.
In a very short period of time, troops were stationed on all sides of the north bank of the Chang River.
The barbarian army's cities were frequently mobilized, at the same time, many strongholds and gangs in the Huai River area were also involved in the battlefield due to various circumstances.
One mountain stronghold was razed to the ground by the barbarian army, and another mountain stronghold gathered people from the surrounding towns. They cut wood to make weapons and raised poles as flags. The barbarian soldiers came and soon killed the villagers and the people, causing a river of blood. For a time, countless refugees were forced to flee.
At that time, the twelfth lunar month had just come to an end, but the place was already bustling with activity.
The attack and defense of Suizhou and Guangzhou was like putting firecrackers, liquor, kerosene, etc. into a big pot.
Then a fire was lit.
The flames that exploded burned in all directions, vast and mighty, sweeping across the world.
Chapter 411 Lu Tong, Long Qiu, and Xuan Jun
Twenty miles east of Haozhou City, there is a mountain called Dongbailing.
At this moment, there are hundreds of warriors lurking here.
There is still some snow on the tall pine trees.
Although it has not snowed for more than half a month, the snow has not completely dissipated and the weather is extremely cold.
On the leeward slope, a woman named Lu Tong was lying with her back to a boulder, wrapped in a worn cotton jacket.
Other warriors were also lurking around her. Although it was freezing cold, they did not dare to light a bonfire.
Although it was hidden in a leeward place, it was on a mountain after all. The chill penetrated into the bone marrow, and the breath exhaled was in the form of white mist.
Lu Tong has been running around these days. Initially, as a member of the Dark Thunder Society, she joined the anti-barbarian army in Changbai Mountain and ignited the first flame of resistance against the Barbarian Court.
When the Changbaishan rebel army was defeated, she followed the remnants and fled to Liaobei. Later, "Xia Tie Xiongying" Fu Shiyuan was killed and the Dark Thunder Society was disbanded.
She followed the remaining group of people and traveled around, still persisting in resisting the Barbarian Court.
They continued to fight against the barbarian army in Liaodong, and the people around them were replaced one after another, with heavy casualties.
He then hid from place to place and returned to the Qinling Mountains area, but soon continued to flee as the Six Gates pursued him.
The people around me died or dispersed, and there were not many familiar faces left.
But these people who gathered together again still felt like a family.
Because they all have a passion for the country and are willing to go through fire and water to overthrow the barbarian court and save the country.
How can they call home if the Barbarian Court is not destroyed? Even if they only have their last breath left, they will never put down their swords to chop at the Barbarian Army.
Failure is their most numb memory.
—Uprisings one after another, battles one after another, blood filled my eyes, and everywhere I looked was red.
Even in the most desperate situations, they never gave up.
Although Lu Tong is young, her skin has become rough due to the constant fighting these days. There is a shallow wound on her cheek. Although the wound is not deep, it has left a scar.
The knife almost cut her throat.
If there were some Taoist magic elixir, such an injury would not leave a scar. However, among the remnants of the rebel army who were busy running around and fleeing, they had to use even the most ordinary wound medicine sparingly, so where could they get some magic elixir
Therefore, this scar remained on her cheek.
However, this was not the only wound on her body.
In the constant running, fighting and fleeing, she always remembered that one person.
Although she didn't spend too much time with that person.
That man's nickname was "The Mad Blade Hero"... but now he is called the Mad Blade Demon Hero.
In fact, even the nickname "Crazy Blade Hero" was given to him by her at that time... Of course, now except for herself, basically no one knows it.
That was the first battle in which he became famous in the martial arts world. He killed the "Dark Iron Bow" with a single step and cut off the "Flying Scorpion Knife" with a single sword strike.
At that moment, she witnessed his majestic back and was moved by it.
And even earlier, when they were in Shu, they actually had many contacts.
Afterwards, the people in the Dark Thunder Society were all discussing him. It was she who pretended to be casual and gave him the nickname "The Crazy Blade Hero".
He does look ferocious, but he actually does chivalrous things.
In the martial arts world, not everyone can be called a "hero".
Lu Tong was deeply afraid that those people would give him some messy names. Once the various strange names in the world were called out, it would be difficult to change them.
So she was a little cunning and came up with such a straightforward but useful name first... She also wanted to get a more elegant name, but a name that was too elegant was usually ineffective for those people in the underworld.
It was precisely because the name "Mad Blade Hero" came from the Dark Thunder Society that it was able to spread quickly throughout the martial arts world and gain recognition.
But later, the "Mad Blade Hero" turned into the Mad Blade Demon Hero.
He was actually a member of the Demon Sect, and a "young master" at that? Such news shocked Lu Tong greatly at the time.
Her knowledge of the Demon Sect was quite limited, but deep down, she still firmly believed that he was definitely a chivalrous man.
Later, the Mad Blade Demon Knight became the Demon Commander of the Dongting Army.
And she has been hearing all kinds of rumors about him in the world, and it is hard to tell whether they are true or false.
But because he had a recognized reputation as a hero from the very beginning and participated in the battle of Overlord's Underground Palace, he laid the foundation for victory in the crucial battle to kill the retired emperor of Man Ting.
Therefore, these rumors are generally on the positive side... This is completely different from the treatment of other people in the Demon Sect.
In just a few months, she felt that the man had become so powerful that she could no longer reach him.
The only thing that made her secretly excited was that she had known him before he became famous in the martial arts world.
I was the one who gave him this name... Whenever she heard news about him in the martial arts world, she would think about it silently in her heart.
Although she and he are basically from two different worlds.
He has become a famous figure in the martial arts world and the Demon Commander of the Dongting Army, while she is still just a low-level warrior at the bottom of the world, who may live or die tomorrow.
She had originally practiced external skills, and after so many battles, her skin had become dry and her waist had become thicker.
Sometimes, looking at myself facing the cold water, my face is weather-beaten, and it seems that I am no longer the young woman who first entered the world of martial arts and wanted to become a female knight a year ago.
The cotton-padded jacket she was wearing was so worn out that it had turned yellow. The cold wind blew around the hillside, scratching the thin scar on her face and causing it to hurt, as if reminding her of something.
Now, even if she had time to dress up, she would not be considered pretty at all.
But she doesn't care about these things! Because she knows that what she is doing is what she wants to do and what is right.
On the other side of the path, someone sneaked up and waved to them.
Everyone moved, hunched over like cheetahs, sneaking through the forest and mountains, approaching the barbarian army at the foot of the mountain.
They were quiet, but their blood was still boiling. The cold wind froze their bodies, but the hot blood in their bodies quickly warmed them up again.
The knife that was intended to chop at the barbarian soldiers and generals was still held so steadily in his hand.