Your Majesty, the guards are ready. Dong Zunhui clasped his fists and saluted outside the door.
Guo Shao looked back at the map on the wall. He always knew what he wanted.
If he gets the territory of Youzhou, his future will be full of possibilities. Before that moment comes, all factors that hinder him from delaying time should be eliminated as much as possible.
Guo Shao came out in full military uniform, holding a bow. Dong Zunhui could not help but bend down when he saw him.
There was no need for the ceremonial guards that would hinder the march, as Guo Shao was a military general. The thousand elite cavalrymen who had quickly assembled followed him along the Lingzhou Cross Avenue and rushed straight out of the East City; the horseshoeed war horses made a lot of noise on the hard brick and stone ground, and the thunderous sound of horseshoes filled the entire Lingzhou in the middle of the night.
The cavalry led by Guo Shao and Lu Chengyong ran the fastest, and the large group of cavalrymen behind them gradually fell behind. The light was poor at night, and the team with too many people could not run freely.
On the way, they met a general of the Shuofang Army, who brought Guo Shao to the side of the road and stopped.
A few people took torches and shone a little on the roadside, and saw a horse lying on its side on the ground, gasping for breath and struggling for a few times. The general clasped his fists and said: This horse broke its leg when it fell into a pit, the wound is very fresh, and the horse is still alive.
A soldier took off the saddle and brought it to Guo Shao's horse to show him. It was not the saddle used by the Han army.
Guo Shao lightly kicked the black horse under him.
After running eastward for more than half an hour, the soldiers found another horse. The horse was foaming at the mouth and lying on the road, dying.
Guo Shao dismounted and personally inspected the horse. He found no injuries, and the horse's mouth was still emitting white steam in the cool night. He said: The Tanguts have no mounts. This horse fell down after carrying two people running fast. If they brought extra horses, why did they have to share one horse
After hearing this, the general hurriedly bowed and said: Your Majesty is wise.
Guo Shao was furious again. A woman who was already a concubine actually ran away with another man for love. This feeling made him feel very frustrated.
His face was livid, and he raised his head to observe the surrounding scene coldly. There were large grasslands in Lingzhou, and they could run away without roads.
The four sides were flat, with some slightly undulating hills. Under the star-speckled sky, the light was dim, and the land was boundless with countless directions. For a moment, all the generals were a little confused. The Shuofang Army's pursuers were already here with Guo Shao, and had lost the defector.
Lu Chengyong bowed and said: Your Majesty, let's divide our troops into three groups and search for the rebels from the north, south and east. They have no horses left and they can't run far.
Another general said: There are many herdsmen in this area. What if they steal the herdsmen's horses
When Zhao Kuangyin escaped during the Tokyo Rebellion, it was Lu Chengyong who was in charge of the pursuit, but he failed to catch him. Guo Shao felt that this guy had no talent for this job, so he did not trust his method.
Guo Shao shouted as the picture was brought.
Dong Er hurriedly took off the cloth bag on his back, opened it and handed it to Guo Shao.
Guo Shao first found a topographic map of Lingzhou, then took out a large map of the entire northwest border and spread it out on the grass. The soldiers hurriedly took torches and illuminated the surroundings.
Guo Shao glanced at the length of the straight line on the scale in the lower right corner, tapped his hand on the map, and estimated his current position. The troops left the city from the east gate and headed straight east.
On the map, the area around the Yellow River where Lingzhou is located is suitable for living; Lingzhou is on the east bank of the Yellow River, and was moved to Lingwu in the Ming Dynasty. To the east is a large desert with no human habitation, which is completely unsuitable for human habitation. There is no water source marked, so there is no road there. It is very dangerous for Mei Zang and his men to rashly enter this area without adequate preparation and horses. Not only will they get lost, but they will also lack water.
Guo Shao looked at the map for a while, then raised his head and pointed to the northeast: Their best and shortest route is from this side, there is a road with water leading to the old site of the Great Wall.
Everyone turned to look northeast.
Guo Shaoze turned his head to look at the dying horse lying on the side of the road, and said decisively: "Send out the cavalry, and send a detachment to the northwest. The rest of you follow me and continue westward."
Guo Shao guessed that Mei Zang and his men might not choose the best route at this time; they would continue to go west in a panic. Otherwise, they should not ride west and then turn north. The only reason for this detour was inadequate preparation.
The emperor's words were like an imperial decree, and the troops immediately deployed their forces without asking why.
Guo Shao led his guards to continue westward. Soon, a dark shadow of mountains blocked his view on the white sky. He immediately noticed the shadow, which was very low, but stretched continuously from north to south.
The generals around him followed Guo Shao's gaze and also observed the mountain from horseback.
Someone asked if Brother Mei Zang had hidden in the mountains.
Guo Shao didn't say anything. He wasn't sure, not even sure if Brother Ling and the others were going in this direction.
He looked up at the sky which was already turning white at the edge of the mountain shadows. It would be dawn soon. If he was the one escaping, and he had walked here at this hour without a horse, his first choice would be to find a place to hide; firstly, he would have time to think of a solution, and secondly, it would be less likely to be discovered if he acted after dark.
Divide the troops into three groups and start searching the mountain from the front, Guo Shao ordered.
Lu Chengyong clasped his fists and said: I understand.
When everyone got closer, they could see that the mountain was covered with low shrubs. At the turn of summer and autumn, the weeds in the forest were also lush. The sky became increasingly pale, and the ground could be vaguely seen without lighting. The grass in the northwest region withered early, and Guo Shao was afraid that a fire would ignite the forest and cause trouble, so he ordered the troops to put out the torches before going up the mountain. He wanted to capture the adulterous couple, not burn them to death and break with the Dangxiang tribe.
The slope was not steep, so everyone rode straight up the mountain.
The temperature in the forest was very low in the early morning. Guo Shao was wearing thin clothes and felt the biting cold. The forest was foggy and dark. There was no sound except the rustling of the dead grass and trees. Everyone was silent and walked slowly upwards.
Guo Shao also listened attentively to the noise around him.
This feeling is very subtle, as if you are not sure whether the prey exists, and you feel a little anxious; but at the same time, you are waiting for their appearance with expectation and hope.
Guo Shao did not think much about what would happen when he saw them. Anyway, he was determined to catch the couple, but he was also worried that he could not catch them. The place called Northwest Shuofang was indeed sparsely populated, and the territory was large and complex. Even if thousands of people were dispatched, they might not be able to catch the two people.
However, this sharp and anxious state of mind seemed to have restored his wild desires and freed him from the boredom of the palace.