Even if Lintai Mountain collapses, even if his expression remains unchanged, he is probably unintentional.
It can only be said that although Li Xueyan is brave, the olive branch was extended at the wrong time. At this moment, Qin Mubai's mind was filled with his father, the war and the Garqin Mausoleum. Even Wu Meiniang and Princess Gaoyang had temporarily taken a back seat. It was indeed difficult to find another place to accommodate Li Xueyan.
Li Xueyan left quietly, and Qin Mubai stayed up all night.
The general strategic route and specific tactical arrangements already had a rough outline in his mind. Now, the biggest variable is the troops and horses being restrained on the front lines of Gaochang, Puchanghai and Yuyang Pass. There, most of Lanzhou's main elite troops were gathered.
From a general strategic point of view, the focus is of course the contest between Dafeichuan and Golmud. But in fact, the main force of Lanzhou, which was contained and divided by that brigade, was the key to the battle situation.
Qin Mubai felt that the greatest sadness at this moment was that the success or failure of his father's men was uncertain. If I had known this, why would I have bothered to return to Chang'an and get married? As a result, I got into a lot of trouble in Chang'an, and Lanzhou also fell into a very passive trap.
This cannot be blamed on the emperor or Qin Shubao and Qin Mubai himself. No one would have thought that Gar Qinling's trap would go on like this. Even smart and sophisticated people like Li Shimin and Li Jing may not have seen through the traps and risks. Otherwise, when they were in Chang'an, these two old military gods would have been wary and prepared.
In this way, Gar Qin Ling is really a character! His depth of power, cruelty of mind, and good view of the overall situation are truly rare.
"He is indeed better than me!" Qin Mubai took a deep breath and exhaled in a dull voice, unwilling to admit this fact, but thought again, "But it is more interesting to defeat an opponent who is stronger than me. ,Is not it?"
At dawn, the governor's office beat drums and gathered the generals. Qin Mubai issued an order to conduct a military parade in Lanzhou to demonstrate martial arts. And from now on, it will enter a state of emergency combat readiness.
Lanzhou, a city with strong folk customs and a prevailing military spirit, did not become panicked because of "war preparations." Except for some businessmen who quickly evacuated and left the city, the other local soldiers and civilians were all eager to fight. Although most of them still don't know what the situation is and what battle they are going to fight, they are already fully mobilized and everyone is actively preparing for the war.
Lanzhou is a military town with a long history. People are used to war just like the people in the Central Plains are used to peace. Moreover, since the Qin family father and son came here two or three years ago, people's hearts have become completely united. As long as the governor's office issues a war order, the soldiers and civilians will definitely be excited and their morale will be high!
"Grand Governor, let's recruit troops! As long as you raise your arms, Lanzhou can get tens of thousands of strong knights in an instant!" More than half of the generals below Hou Junji came to persuade him, "Longyou Horse Racing Supervisor has good horses." Thousands of horses, the strong and powerful horsemen from Hexi are naturally excellent cavalry. If they are gathered together and trained a little, they can go into battle to kill the enemy!"
"There's no rush." Qin Mubai responded, calmer and more indifferent than they imagined, "Now that we don't have enough money and food, we don't have enough armor and weapons, and I can't feed my troops or arm them."
"Why don't the Governor ask the imperial court for something like this? I'll use it to fight the enemy, not cook it and eat it!" I don't know who said this sentence in a daze.
Qin Mubai glanced at the general and did not respond. The famous general felt speechless and retreated obediently, not daring to say another word.
Hou Junji smiled coldly and said in a deep voice: "We have sharpened our swords and guns here and washed our necks, preparing to charge into battle and fight for our lives. Some of the birds in the court may even be aiming at us with crossbows from behind. You are so naive if you want money, food, or armor?”
"Don't talk too much! Anyone who dares to confuse the public and disrupt the morale of our military with monstrous words will be punished by military law!" Qin Mubai shouted loudly, Hou Junji curled his lips with a sneer, and stopped talking.
"I have given my order to the general. From now on, the entire army will be arranging armor, loading food and fodder, and practicing every day, so as to be ready to go to war at any time! Except for some of the Yifu Yueqi, whom I personally honor, the rest of the troops and horses will be handed over to Hou Junji to command and deploy them. ! The military regulations of "Ten Cuts and Twenty-Four" are strictly implemented according to wartime standards! Governor Xiao Liang provides logistical support and comforts to people's livelihood. During the war, no military-civilian conflicts or disturbing incidents will occur, and the city's security will be even more vigilant! "
"No!" All the generals accepted the order.
"Report—"
At this moment, a servant came to report that the people of many prefectures and counties under the control of the Lanzhou Governor's Mansion had spontaneously selected more than ten representatives of industry, commerce, agriculture and animal husbandry to come to see the Governor and donate a large amount of money, food and clothing that the people had raised spontaneously. If you are willing to accept the valuable items, please ask the Governor to accept them.
Qin Mubai thought for a while and said: "Take it all and treat it as belonging to the folks who borrowed it! But it must be registered in detail, and the governor's office will repay it after the war!"
The generals were both pleased and annoyed. The relationship between the army and the people in Lanzhou has always been excellent. The Tang Dynasty King has an excellent "mass base" here. It is not an exaggeration to say that the army and the people are in harmony with each other. This is what makes them happy. What is annoying is... In the past year, the imperial court has been like It was like sending a beggar away, giving Lanzhou only tens of thousands of grain and grass that was not enough to fill his teeth. In times of crisis, he had to ask for money and grain from the people. If not for the rapid development of Lanzhou's industry, commerce, agriculture and animal husbandry before, it would be very difficult to make progress now!
"We, the Tang Dynasty, are the richest people in the world, with abundant warehouses, singing and dancing, and the food stored in Taicang alone is enough to feed the hundreds of thousands of troops of the Tang Dynasty for thirty years! Why are we so stingy with our army in Lanzhou? I'm so angry What a shame!" Many people are complaining.
"Anyone who dares to talk too much will be served with a military stick!" Qin Mubai shouted angrily, "The battle is about to begin, do you still have the time to think about such trivial matters? You should think about how to kill more enemy chiefs! - It is really wrong for you to be so short-sighted and small-bellied as chicken intestines. My style of Kansai Iron Army!”
The generals suddenly looked ashamed and handed over the promise, not daring to say anything.
Hou Junji glanced at the generals present and said: "Young Marshal's lesson is right. Even if someone is pointing fingers at us behind our backs or even plotting against us, we don't need to pay attention to it! - Brothers, have you ever seen a lion or a tiger? Catching crickets in the haystack? Although that guy is very noisy and annoying! As long as we are responsible for leading the troops, we can just carry out the military orders and charge into the battle. I believe the young marshal will take care of the rest. We will definitely not let our brothers fight on an empty stomach. This time, even if we fight to the last drop of blood, we will show the strength and dignity of the Kansai Iron Army to the world!"
"Okay! General Hou said it well!" The generals were suddenly inspired and eager to fight. A few big bosses shouted loudly, "Yes! Show the backbone and majesty of our Kansai Iron Army! Let the world see it, and they will be slapped too." A slap in the face from those sinister birdmen!”
Qin Mubai shook his head helplessly and smiled. Hou Junji had led troops for many years. He was good at uniting the troops and boosting their morale. With just a few words, he made the blood of these fighting men boil, and he naturally integrated into the team. However, looking at the situation in front of them, the officers and soldiers of Lanzhou were somewhat aware of some of the conflicts between Lanzhou and the imperial court. Otherwise, these generals would not be so angry and would slap "some insidious birdmen".
Public anger is hard to offend, and Qin Mubai doesn't want to blindly act strong and let them know that it is not necessarily a bad thing at all. At least everyone is mentally aware of it.
After the military parade and practice, Qin Mubai returned to Qiongyu Villa. First, he slept soundly alone to catch up on his sleep. Then he called Wu Meiniang and asked him for money and food directly.
Wu Meiniang's expression and eyes were full of embarrassment that could not be concealed. But she finally smiled and nodded, "I'll try my best to find a way!"
"With these eight words from you, I feel relieved." Qin Mubai held her hand, patted it gently, and said with a smile, "I know you have been very busy recently, and you have been taking care of the newly developed business. Most of the money we managed to earn from Qiongyu Villa has been transferred to Iron Valley. Now, Iron Valley can slow down a little and mainly support my army!"
"I understand." Wu Meiniang nodded lightly and said, "I have just prepared sixty-four letters, ready to inform all the caravans I sent and the branches of commercial banks in various states and counties, and order them to send all the money they can save from now on. Every coin or piece of grain we can get will be shipped to Lanzhou. As long as we have enough food to keep us warm and clothing to cover our bodies, it will be fine if our business does not close down!"
"Thank you..." Qin Mubai took a long breath and said.
"Why bother saying thank you? Isn't it superfluous?" Wu Meiniang smiled, "I have never said thank you to you."
"Haha -" Princess Gaoyang on the side was unhappy and said with a groan, "You two are actually flirting with me in front of me, do you think I don't exist? - Mu Bai, what do you want? You’re doing something big, why don’t I have anything to do with it? You’re too biased and look down on others!”
"You don't have to fight for favor like this, right?" The two laughed together, and Qin Mubai said, "What I lack most now is money and food. How can you help me?"
"This is not easy, I will ask my father to get it for you!" Princess Gaoyang replied without thinking.
"Don't cause trouble!" Qin Mubai immediately interrupted her and said, "You can have it, but I can't have it?"
"..." Princess Gao Yang was startled, blinked a few times, nodded thoughtfully, "That's right. If you could have it, you would have wanted it long ago, why should it be my turn?... Mu Bai, what exactly is it? What's going on? Father, there is no reason to treat you like this! He has always been very trusting and supportive of you!"
"It's hard to say, I don't blame your father." Qin Mubai said, "Let's not discuss it now. From today on, I will be extremely busy and may not have much time to come here. Ling'er, Mei Niang, you try to go out as little as possible Stay in the villa more and take care of yourself.”
"Hmm..." The two women responded together.
Princess Gao Yang curled her lips, her face somewhat displeased, and hummed: "I have been in Lanzhou for so long, and the days you have spent with me can be counted on one hand. Mu Bai, when did you stop being so busy? "
"After cleaning up Gar Qinling, I won't be so busy." Qin Mubai said with a smile.
"Humph, who believes you..." Princess Gao Yang's mouth curled up and she groaned, "You are always busy with your big things! When you finish cleaning up, there will always be endless things to do. The monsters and monsters keep wandering in front of your eyes. How long are you going to 'fix' them? Don't forget that in addition to being a minister and a general, you are also a son, a husband and a father!"
"Father?" Qin Mubai and Wu Meiniang asked in confusion.
Princess Gao Yang was suddenly startled and said hurriedly: "Could it be...won't we have children in the future?"
"Ling'er, are you pregnant?" Qin Mubai asked, subconsciously looking at her belly.
Princess Gao Yang hurriedly covered her stomach and her face turned red: "No, no!"
"When you left Chang'an last time, you told me that you might be pregnant. Now, are you having the same illusion again?" Qin Mubai couldn't help laughing.
"Illusion!... It's just an illusion!" Princess Gaoyang was so embarrassed that she shouted with her face flushed, "Don't ask! - Mei Niang, don't laugh! You have done more bad things than me! You are not even pregnant, I How could it be!"
"..." Qin Mubai was both speechless and funny, and said, "Don't argue, don't argue. I've been too busy recently, and my luck is not very good - just wait, you will give me eight babies out of ten! I The old Qin family is counting on you two to grow the clan!"
The two women were ashamed and annoyed, and they glared neatly as if they had agreed upon it, and cursed: "If you are a pig, neither are we!"
"Haha!" Qin Mubai laughed, kissed both of her cheeks, and said, "I'm very sorry, madam, I have to go back to the Governor's Mansion soon. If I have free time in the evening, I'll come with you again!"
"Go, go, stop talking nonsense here!" Wu Meiniang shook her head and smiled.
"If you fail to make the appointment, I will send someone to tie you up alive and carry you to Qiongyu Villa!" Princess Gaoyang said with itching teeth, "I don't care if you have millions of generals and thousands of soldiers in the Governor's Palace. I, Princess Don’t take them seriously!”
"Well, you are awesome! You are more awesome than the ancient famous general who took the head of a general among millions of armies!" Qin Mubai walked away with a smile and said, "Stop staying with me, two precious ladies!"
"This guy..." After Qin Mubai left, Wu Meiniang and Princess Gaoyang smiled warmly and helplessly at each other, and couldn't help but shake their heads.
"Princess, please be tighter in the future. You almost let it slip just now." Wu Meiniang said softly, "Mubai is such a delicate person. If he hadn't been thinking about it just now, he would have noticed something fishy!"
"Oh... I was negligent. I must pay attention to it in the future!" Princess Nono of Gaoyang nodded.
"Hey, this is really difficult for us! After all, they are Mu Bai's flesh and blood, and they are also our relatives!" Wu Meiniang shook her head and sighed.
Princess Gao Yang gnashed her teeth and said, "It's all because Mu Bai is so disgusting! He only likes to play with women outside, and he's full of romantic debts!"
Wu Meiniang shook her head and smiled, then fell silent.
A few days later, thousands of miles away, Yumen Pass.
Looking at the Xiongguan not far away, with the flags in strict order and a group of Tang Army cavalry coming to greet them from afar, Su Dingfang let out a long sigh. Looking at the soldiers behind them with disheveled faces and sunken eyes, they seemed to be extremely tired. They galloped day and night for several days, and each person was equipped with three horses to take turns. Now all the horses have lost weight while running around, and the soldiers have also lost their shape.
"General Su, we finally arrived ahead of schedule! It seems that there hasn't been any trouble at Yumen Pass yet!" The deputy general behind him gasped with relief, as if he was out of breath.
"Fortunately! Otherwise, we would not be able to go back and explain to the young marshal and the Lanzhou soldiers and civilians!" Su Dingfang took a strong breath and shouted in a voice like thunder, "Pass my general's order to quickly enter Yumen Pass and take over the city defense! The man cannot take off his armor and the horse cannot take off his saddle. , ready to fight at any time!”
"promise!"
"Quickly pass the commander's order to General Xue of Puchanghai! From now on, the second pass of Yuyang and Puchanghai are at each other's horns for rescue. Every inch of land must be fought for and the enemy will be killed! Our army is stationed at the second pass and cannot allow a moment to be lost! Otherwise, they will all be buried. There’s no need to go back!”
"promise-"
The sound shook the sky, and the clouds were running around!