After another half month of arduous march, Qin Mubai led most of the 100,000 troops to finally reach Huangshui County under Shanzhou. This walk feels like a spiritual practice, and it is also very conducive to the tempering and integration of this new army.
In fact, among these 100,000 people, the proportion of real Han people is less than a quarter, and most of them are Tiele, Turks, Uighurs and even Tubo barbarians. But with the Western Army as the core team, the others were gradually assimilated. Most of the Hu people in the army have gradually accepted and become accustomed to the orders and living habits of the Tang army along the way, and have also learned some simple Chinese for daily communication. As Li Shimin said, the Tang Dynasty has always been tolerant and implemented the policy of "Han and Yi family members", and there were many barbarians in the Tang army in the past. In addition, now that Qin Mubai is taking responsibility, the officers and soldiers of the Kansai Army are very friendly to these new Hu soldiers. Even the Tubo people who once fought to the death, the officers and soldiers of the Kansai Army also showed their generosity. Be open-minded and treat everyone equally and kindly.
This allowed the newly joined Hu soldiers to put away their worries. The atmosphere in the army is naturally becoming more and more harmonious.
The army was reorganized at the Huangshui River. Qin Mubai first sent a fast horse to Shanzhou to report the news, so that the generals left behind in Shanzhou could prepare in advance. The next day, the Shanzhou governor and the city defenders left by Li Daozong came to Huangshui to greet Qin Mubai. Along with them were Tantai Dandan and the court's envoys.
Qin Mubai first led the generals to welcome the envoy and listen to the imperial edict.
As Qin Mubai and Su Dingfang had expected, following the rebellion in the western frontier of the Garqin Mausoleum and the Hou Junji incident, Emperor Li Shimin of the Tang Dynasty was really angered, and the imperial court made a strong reaction - to fight back and vow to Destroy Tubo!
The imperial court dispatched Li Daliang, the general of the right guard, the general of the left guard, Li Junxian, the general of the Baiqi Ling and the inspection school of the Youlong Wuwei, and Qin Tong, the deputy commander of the Baiqi army and the general of the Zuolong Wuwei of the inspection school. The 150,000-strong guard marched to Lanzhou and obeyed Qin Mubai's command. Together with the troops from the Guanxi Army, they took the initiative to attack and destroy Tubo!
In addition, the imperial court also ordered Yuchi Jingde, the commander-in-chief of the Jiannan Road March, to march troops from Sichuan and Sichuan to cooperate with Qin Mubai to assist in the battle.
In addition to Hou Junji's 50,000 troops and Su Dingfang's troops guarding Lanzhou, Qin Mubai now has 60,000 relatives and 40,000 Uighur friendly troops, plus more than 50,000 new Lanzhou troops transferred by Li Daozong to Dafeichuan. , a total of 150,000. By the time Li Daliang and others' troops arrive, they will number exactly 300,000!
This number is so familiar - when the Garqin Tomb walked down the plateau to the Kengguan River, there was an army of 300,000!
Now, the offensive and defensive exchanges have even changed the troops.
The imperial edict also specifically issued a very important personnel appointment—the governor of Youzhou, King Wu Li Ke, was transferred to Lanzhou to serve as the commander of the march of Guanxi Road!
This official position is somewhat similar to the Party Secretary or the Director of the Political Department in our modern military. Although Chang Shi does not directly hold military power and does not lead troops to fight, he directly represents the imperial court and can exercise major personnel appointment and dismissal power and strategic veto power; he can question, correct, report and impeach all actions of the generals in charge of the army - in fact, , supervise the army!
As soon as the imperial edict was issued, the three armies were excited!
The imperial court finally sent more troops to Lanzhou! Not long ago, Lanzhou fought against the hostile forces of Tubo and other countries in the Western Regions on its own with the power of a county, and it was hard enough. The front is too long, the troops are weak, the logistics are poor, and there is not enough food and fodder. The hard days are finally over!
The 400,000 troops, accounting for nearly two-thirds of the total strength of the Tang Dynasty, joined the Lanzhou and Helong fronts. This could really be called a national war. Such a war was fought once a few years ago - the Tang Dynasty destroyed the Turkic Khanate in the north, but the scale at that time was not as large as this one.
The Tang Dynasty of China finally showed its sword!
After receiving the imperial edict, Qin Mubai asked the soldiers to convey the news to each other to boost the morale of the army. Then Qin Mubai invited the envoy privately and asked him what he wanted to say.
The envoy was a traveling scribe of Hongwen Hall, surnamed Zhou. He was once a colleague of his second brother Qin Bin and often visited each other, so Qin Mubai was somewhat familiar with him. Qin Mubai asked him, why did the court suddenly transfer King Wu to Lanzhou? It is not easy to travel thousands of miles across the mountains, and Youzhou is also an important border military area. As the lord of Youzhou, King Wu transferred to Lanzhou to supervise the army. Such personnel appointments are really rare!
Secretary Zhou then told Qin Mubai the truth about what happened at the court meeting that day, but without any subjective comments or comments.
After Qin Mubai heard this, his heart jumped. Even if you were not present at the time, just imagining the tense and strange atmosphere in the court that day is enough to make you break out in a cold sweat.
To put it bluntly, it was Li Tai and Zhang Sun Wuji who launched a joint attack on Emperor Li Shimin at an important juncture, hoping to take advantage of this war to take the initiative. At that time, Changsun Wuji really made a wonderful move that could be called a "stroke of magic" in seconds - he recommended Wei Wang Li Tai to come to Lanzhou to supervise the army.
However, it was obvious that Li Shimin saw through their intentions at a glance and was more sophisticated. Although the two people who made the attack were his close confidant wife and uncle, and the other his most gifted son, at this moment, with Li Shimin's character, could he let others decide on the major issues of the country? -So, Li Shimin came to help, and then King Wu, who had been out of people's sight for a long time, made an incredible comeback!
Li Ke, who kept a low profile and went out to avoid disaster, listened to Qin Mubai's good advice in his early years and kept a low profile for so many years. Finally - "If you don't fly for three years, your flying will soar into the sky; if you don't sing for three years, your singing will be astonishing."
This corresponds to the idiom in "Han Feizi": a blockbuster!
The soldiers outside the camp were running around telling each other and clapping their hands to celebrate. Qin Mubai was holding the imperial edict, but his heart felt like he had knocked over a five-flavor bottle.
Qin Mubai had been looking forward to this moment for who knows how many years, and how many times he had dreamed of the imperial court sending countless money, wages, soldiers and horses. But when I wake up, it's always empty. Qin Mubai has been suffering very hard these days, so much so that he can no longer hold on. But from the beginning to the end, Qin Mubai gritted his teeth and held on. He did not ask the court for any soldiers. At most, he used the news of victory to beg for some food and grass like a beggar.
Is it easy to rely on the soldiers and civilians of Lanzhou to voluntarily fight against the powerful Tubo, Beiting, and the Western Regions on such a long front line as Guanlong in Hexi Province
If it weren't for Xue Rengui's divine soldiers unexpectedly coming to help, it's still unclear who will be the master of the deer at the second pass of Yuyang. How could Qin Mubai return with an army of 100,000
After the great victory in Yuyang, it was originally part of Qin Mubai's plan. At that time, he could use the excuse of inviting the Turks to the south for help. This was an excellent opportunity to take advantage of the situation and send troops back to Gaochang and start to explore the Western Regions! But before the army had been reorganized and before it had time to take a breath, something happened again on Hou Junji's side. I had to rush back again.
Everything is like a dream.
Now, the Tang Dynasty finally no longer sat back and watched Qin Mubai fight alone. This lion, which had been sleeping for many years, seemed to be awakened by the pain after the Western Xinjiang Rebellion. Li Shimin secretly said boldly, "The Garqin Mausoleum is digging its own grave." . As a result, three armies of 150,000 troops rushed to the aid of Lanzhou, and an army of 50,000 men from Jiannan Road came west from Sichuan and Sichuan - it was like showing its sharp claws and fangs!
"Mubai, great! Our Guanxi Army finally got through! The Tang Dynasty finally sent Wang Shi to help in the battle!" It has been said once that His Majesty the Emperor has always wanted to use troops in the Western Regions and completely solve the Tubo problem. However, although he has the idea, it is extremely difficult to do so. Now, our wise and powerful Emperor has finally led the Tang Dynasty. If you take this step, the commander-in-chief will be happy if you know it!"
"Yes!" Qin Mubai smiled faintly and said, "Countless lives and blood have finally brought us to this point today. In fact, although my father has always shown himself as a martial artist, he is as wise as he is as foolish as his heart. Mirror, he fully understands His Majesty the Emperor's difficulties and difficulties. He used his death to fulfill the mission and loyalty of a soldier, and at the same time, he also helped His Majesty the Emperor eliminate the constraints in the court; he also pushed me forward. To where we are today.”
"Looking back now, Xue finally realizes that this is indeed the case..." Xue Rengui sighed, nodded sadly and said, "The commander-in-chief who killed countless people in his life with a tiger-headed golden gun has a Buddha heart. Heart, if I don't go to hell, who will? ... Mu Bai, Xue will never be able to surpass the commander in this life! From now on, I don't want to hear anyone falsely praise me as the Great Tang War God. There is only one God of War in Tang Dynasty, and that is Duke Yi Guo Qin Shubao!"
Qin Shubao smiled slightly, patted Xue Rengui on the shoulder and said: "Rengui, it's difficult to live up to your reputation. Don't care about these things. Let others say what they say. We just need to do what we should do honestly. That’s it.”
"Well, I understand." Xue Rengui nodded and said, "Mu Bai, actually I have always had a question to ask the commander-in-chief and you since very early on, but I have never dared to ask it."
"go ahead!"
"Why is the war in Lanzhou so tense? Neither you nor the commander asked the imperial court for help?" Xue Rengui said, "When Gaochang rebelled, the commander did not wait for the imperial edict to issue command, and led a lone brigade to fight out; later the Tubo army The troops are approaching, why haven’t you asked the imperial court for reinforcements?”
"This is related to national policy and also involves major and sensitive issues in the court. I don't ask for reinforcements. First, I don't want to embarrass the emperor and put him in a passive and disadvantageous situation, because he is Lanzhou's biggest, last, and only backer. "Secondly, I don't want to interfere with the government and national policies as a border official."
Qin Mubai smiled slightly and said, "Lanzhou has been a wrestling field from the beginning. Here, on the surface, there is a military competition between the Tang Dynasty and the barbarians from neighboring countries; in fact, it is The two ideologies, the two political forces, and the two advocates of national policies within the Tang Dynasty are engaged in a desperate struggle. We can all see the swords and guns on the battlefield, but the political struggle is murderous. Bloody, and more dangerous!"