A group of people walked on the grass of the courtyard pasture. The ground is soft, and occasionally there will be water slowly overflowing from around the boots. It can be seen that the pasture here in Longxi is rich in water, fertilizer and grass. As a horse breeding ground in Beiliang Road, second only to Xianli Ranch, Longxi has no boundaries in winter and spring, and connects summer and autumn. Longxi, with its unique climate conditions, has been the source of horses for every prosperous dynasty since ancient times. There are 300,000 horses, and the post of horse herding supervisor in Longyou is set up. Liu Ze, the king of Zhongxing, who is known as the king of Zhongxing who is not inferior to the founding emperor, once collected 160,000 horses here during the two Northern Expeditions. In fact, the nobles of Beimang and Longguan were the survivors of the Great Qin Dynasty who migrated to the north during the war 800 years ago. Tracing their roots, they were all the people of the Great Qin between Longxi and Tongguan.
Among a group of people, Zhao Lvyuan, the head of the Tianjing Ranch, seemed particularly trembling. There was nothing he could do about it. The fifth and sixth people who temporarily served as a foil for him behind him had official positions, like Luo Hongcai, the captain of the horned eagle school. As for the only one without an official status, Shi Fu, the general of the Northern Liang Army who served as the general of Liangzhou for several years, was unfortunately dragged down by the label of the former Northern Liang Duhu's confidant, not waiting for the new Liang King Hereditary, Shi Fu himself resigned and removed his armor tactfully. For some reason, he was brought out again this time. Zhao Luyuan didn't know whether Shi Fu was going to be settled by the autumn queen or make a comeback. The reason why Zhao Luyuan was uneasy was that besides the fact that the young man next to him was Xu Fengnian, it was more because the Tianjing Ranch was in danger this time, but it could only draw less than 5,000 horses, and there were only more than 600 first-class horses. There is still a lot of difference in the amount required, but Zhao Luyuan knows that if the prince asked for horses half a year earlier, let alone 8,000 war horses regardless of rank, it would be 8,000 first-class Beiliang horses. He can also give out that the Northern Liang Duhu Mansion urgently dispatched 10,000 war horses from this place, and these 600 A-class horses are the last property he left behind with great difficulty. The "Imperial Envoy" blushed anxiously, scolded that person for fishing in a dry lake, and said that there is something so great about all of you guarding the mansion. Zhao Luyuan patted the table and threatened to compete with the prince's Qingliangshan Indus Courtyard. But now that the King of Liang Xu Fengnian is by his side, Zhao Luyuan really dare not speak ill of the Northern Liang Dufu in Huaiyang Pass to his face. Silly, let alone Beiliang, everyone in the world knows the relationship between Chu Duhu and Xinliang King, they are just a real family with different surnames.
Xu Fengnian and Zhao Luyuan walked side by side on the grass in the pasture, behind them was the stone talisman who was in his prime but was always taciturn, and Luo Hongcai, the captain of the horned eagle, and others, including Zhao Rongguang, the captain of Longxi, who was in charge of the safety of the west gate of Liangzhou. The Tianjing Ranch has a vast terrain and beautiful scenery. Longxi has a long winter without a summer, and has a unique climate of cold and frost in June, so it is much cooler than other places. Except for Xu Fengnian who was expressionless, Luo Hongcai and the others looked anxious, and even Shi Fu, who had been out of the army for nearly two years, frowned. Xu Fengnian looked at the fertile grassland in front of him, feeling a lot of emotion. Since the territory extended to Dafeng in the Western Regions, half of the army and horses in the world came out of Lianglong here. There are many royal relatives, princes and generals who privately raise horses here. The number of horses compares the power and power, and Li Gongde, the economical strategist of Beiliang Dao, proposed in the early years whether the ban on horses could be lifted, and sell horses below the second-class war horses to Tai'an City and Central Plains dignitaries. This will definitely be a huge income. In order to reduce the pressure on Beiliang's taxation, Xu Xiao directly rejected it. After the scholars went to Liang, there are many scholars who proposed the same strategy and made a big fuss about Liangma. On the premise of not reducing the reserve of A, B, and C horses, they can still donate taxes and increase soldiers' pay, make friends with the capital, and show goodwill to Liyang Zhao. Room, it can be said that there is no harm. Neither Song Dongming's Longmen nor Xu Weixiong's Wutong Academy dared to make a decision on this matter. After handing it over to Xu Fengnian for decision-making, they also thought about it, and finally shelved the matter.
Xu Fengnian stopped at the top of a gently sloping hillside, looked up and saw lush greenery.
Xu Fengnian suddenly turned his head and smiled at Zhao Lvyuan, who was nearly fifty years old, and said: "Master Zhao, this is actually the second time we have met. Back then, I was still young and accompanied Xu Xiao here to escape the summer heat. I remember Mr. Zhao at that time. He just retired from the Liangzhou frontier army and took office not long ago at the Tianjing Ranch. At that time, the racecourse was in disrepair. Mr. Zhao patted his chest and promised Xu Xiao that within ten years, Longxi would become the largest racecourse in Liyang. I don’t know if Mr. Zhao still remembers that he promised Xu Xiao that one day he would bring out the best horse in the world to celebrate the coronation ceremony of His Royal Highness, my son?”
The old man who had dealt with war horses all his life was immediately excited, and said in a trembling voice: "My lord still remembers, I still remember... How dare you forget your humble job, not to mention that Tianjing Ranch has worked hard to cultivate good horses, and has entrusted the border army generals and Youyou for so many years." Crossbowman, as long as you see that handsome wild horse king on the desert grassland, you must send it to the Tianjing Ranch after you catch it. In fact, four years ago, there was a god horse sent to the ranch. It was only when the prince and the crown ceremony, The old man mistakenly thought that the prince had forgotten about it, and he was afraid of being said to be a bastard official who only knew how to flatter horses. He hesitated for a few days, but he still didn't send him to Qingliangshan Prince's Mansion. In the end, we couldn't make it through, Deputy Zhou of the Cavalry Army Shuai begged in every possible way, so he had no choice but to send it out, so I knew it... Oh, I really regret it!"
Xu Fengnian smiled and said: "It doesn't matter, our Beiliang Iron Cavalry can have today's Tianjing Ranch and Xianli Ranch, all the big and small horse farms are indispensable. Up to now, how many times has this king been on the battlefield? A second-class horse for riding is barely worthy, and a first-class horse is a waste of money."
Probably knowing that Zhao Luyuan wanted to defend himself against injustice, Xu Fengnian waved his hand and said, "Go back first, I will talk to General Shi about something."
Everyone left, leaving behind the stone talisman recognized by Northern Liang as having a rough official career. This person and the governor of Youzhou, Hu Kui, who were known as Liangzhou Shuangbi in the past, were both young but outstanding military "old men". , it was originally said that the two cavalry generals who emerged first in the Spring and Autumn War, Wu Qi and Xu Pu, were still in the Spring and Autumn Period when Xu Xiao was still fighting in the Spring and Autumn Period. Hiding his identity in Dunhuang City of Beimang, he went to Xishu alone to assist Chen Zhibao. Chen Zhibao's departure from Liang to Shu, and Xu Fengnian's hereditary replacement of the king of Beiliang became a watershed between Shi Fu and Hu Kui in the officialdom. Disarm and return to the fields. However, the strange thing is that regarding the resignation of Shifu, both Qingliangshan and the Huaiyangguan Dufu, which was set up later, all treated it with a ignorant attitude. Fu has already retired from the army, and the military intelligence report will still be sent to the "Liangzhou General" Shi Fu who is recuperating at home once every half a decade.
Xu Feng asked in a youthful voice: "General Shi, this time 10,000 elite soldiers from the West Shu Road rushed to Guangling Road, Wei Fucheng and Dian Xiongshou were only the deputy generals, and an outsider Hu Yan Ruo Ruo was appointed as the chief general. At the border between the two places, Chen Zhibao asked a young man named Che Ye to guard the north gate of Xishu, what does General Shi think about these two things?"
Shi Fu frowned more and more, and kept silent.
Xu Fengnian waited quietly for the next sentence, as if he was determined to wait for the former Shu king's confidant to speak, so as to hand in the certificate of honor. But Shi Fu gritted his teeth and refused to speak, his expression became more and more gloomy. If the young vassal king asked Liuzhou, or Hulukou of Youzhou, Hutou City, Liangzhou, Shi Fu would know everything, but Chen Zhibao The stone talisman is kind to him, no matter whether Chen Zhibao is against Beiliang or not, but as long as Chen Zhibao doesn't clearly target Beiliang for a day, his Shifu will not turn against Chen Zhibao for a day. Even if Xu Fengnian was annoyed by this today, the stone talisman would still spare no expense. For the young Xu family beside him, Shi Fu actually admires him very much, but there are some things that touch the bottom line. People make an exception and "see with admiration" and regard it as a thorn in the side.
Xu Fengnian didn't wait for an answer, and asked again: "If this king says that General Shi can raise three hundred people from his family and all migrate to Xishu safely, will you go to Xishu?"
Shi Fu hesitated for a moment, and smiled wryly: "Different from Wei Fu Cheng Dian's brute, and also different from the solitary Che Ye from Beimang, my Shi Fu's family is a big family in Liangzhou, even if I am willing to go to Xi Shu, plus The Lord Shang did not stop him, but many old people in the family who are accustomed to the northern climate would not agree to leave their hometown. This has nothing to do with whether Shi Fu can become a high official in Xishu again. I have no choice but to step back and say, in fact, the Shi family is really going to move to Xishu with those ancestral tablets. Among other things, the three people in the family and my generation, and the four are in the Liangzhou frontier army. The younger generation of nephews who are serving should all stay in Beiliang. In this way, the Shi family has been torn apart before leaving Beiliang Road."
Xu Fengnian smiled and said: "General Shi is honest."
Shi Fu smiled and said, "It's useless to hide and hide. I know that there are Fushuifang spies who have been stationed in Shi's house for many years. In the past, I made a special trip to Shi's house to "meet honestly" with me. So in the past two years, I have not been able to sleep peacefully on any day. It is funny to say that in the early years in the frontier army, even if I went deep into the hinterland of Beimang many times, relying on The war horse rests anywhere, and sleeps better than when it is on its own bed today."
Xu Fengnian was noncommittal about Chu Lushan's planting eyeliner in Shi's house, changed the subject, and asked with a smile: "There are currently 800 white horses in Tianjing Ranch, 3,400 horses from Luo Hongcai and two captains, plus the Longxi garrison of the ranch itself, and The two thousand riders left by Zhao Rongguang in the same place are still less than eight thousand when combined, and the king can only wait for three days at most. Thousands of fine cavalry arrived, the number of them exceeded ten thousand, General Shi felt that these ten thousand cavalry hastily rushed into Liuzhou battlefield, would they be able to send charcoal in a timely manner, or would they not be able to quench their thirst in the near future?"
The stone talisman asked back: "If the stone talisman is outspoken, will the prince really listen?"
Xu Fengnian said indifferently: "Let's listen to it first. After all, your Shi Fu is not a famous general like Yan Wenluan and Chen Yunchui, nor is it a member of the Xu family with outstanding military exploits like Chu Lushan and Yuan Zuozong. You are not qualified to let me say anything. Listen to what."
Shi Fu sighed, and said slowly: "In my opinion, the prince's ten thousand rides are not a drop in the bucket, but it may be beneficial to the situation in Liuzhou, but it is absolutely no different from the overall situation in Beiliang. If I were the prince, then I would be more thorough and let the two lieutenants of Lingzhou, Wang Zhi and Huang Xiaokuai, take the lead, and use the Yanxia Colonel Jiao Wuyi and other school lieutenants as the main force. To solve the urgent need, these cavalry troops from Lingzhou should also go north into Liuzhou decisively. After defeating the Liugui army on the western front of Beimang, they should quickly fill the gap outside Liangzhou Pass and south of Huaiyang Pass …”
Shi Fu suddenly sensed the murderous intent of the young vassal, and said calmly: "I didn't know the situation at first, but since I came to the Tianjing Ranch and heard about the number of war horses in this ranch, I can see the number of war horses in this ranch, and I can guess the number of the prince and the guardian by the amount of Shi Fu." The government's plan, the prince doesn't need to think too much about it."
Xu Fengnian nodded, squatted down, pulled out a licorice and chewed it.
Shi Fu continued: "At the end of the day, in the battle of Liangmang, outside the Liangzhou Pass, Liuzhou, and Youzhou, each of the three battlefields will have its own winners and losers, but the place that really determines the survival of our Northern Liang is actually only outside the Liangzhou Pass. If the place is lost, Beiliang also loses the general situation in Beiliang that the general and the prince have accumulated with great difficulty. The prince's army is in danger, and the 10,000 snow dragon cavalry and two heavy cavalry led by Yuan go to Youzhou Hulukou, there is nothing wrong with wanting to eat Yang Yuanzan's army on the eastern front in one go. On the contrary, it is very surprising to win. There have been many such ridiculous battles in which the generals won the big battles but caused the king to subjugate the country. Before the battle of Xileibi was finally decided, everyone in the outside world was optimistic about Xichu, who had won a series of small victories, but the generals fought hard. The siege of the west wall was completed due to the rapid consumption, and even took a few soldiers and horses on the important but not critical battlefield, and actively lured most of the elites of Western Chu to eat them, just to create the outer defense of the west wall. Little gaps, Yuan Commander's glorious Battle of Gongzhufen is a clear proof."
Xu Fengnian stood up abruptly, "General Shi, I will leave these ten thousand riders to you. In three days at the latest, you will take them to Liuzhou to help Qingcang City and the Dragon Elephant Army."
Shi Fu was stunned on the spot, not only puzzled why he was able to take on the important task, but also wondering why Xu Fengnian was not leading the army himself.
Xu Fengnian spat out the chewed grass roots, and said in a deep voice: "The news I got this morning is that Hutou City has fallen, and the Northern Mang army has captured the three towns of Liuya Fuling in Huaiyang."
Shi Fu's expression changed drastically, and he said in shock, "How could Tiger Head City fall so quickly?!"
Xu Fengnian turned and looked to the north, "Dong Zhuo, a lunatic, sent someone to dig a tunnel to die every few days. There were 16 tunnels, and as a result, 5,000 people died, but no one thought that this guy didn't dig ten tunnels at all. Six secret passages, but a total of thirty-eight insane! Twelve of them were only dug outside the city and then stopped, and then with the cooperation of ground siege regardless of cost... "
Having said that, Xu Fengnian stopped talking.
Shi Fu murmured: "This lunatic, this son of a bitch..."
Xu Fengnian turned his head and said to Shi Fu: "I'm going to Huaiyang Pass soon, Shi Fu, you will resume your status as a general of Liangzhou from now on. Not only the 10,000 cavalry, but all Lingzhou cavalry who entered Liangzhou after that, It's all under your command."
The stone talisman exhaled heavily, clasped his fists and said, "The last general takes orders!"