Zhangjia Village in Kaifeng Prefecture has a gray and earthy atmosphere even in the warm and blooming season. The earthen walls and dirt roads in the village are covered with dust and blackened dirt everywhere. Children are carrying baskets to pick up donkey dung on the road.
Under the crooked locust tree at the entrance of the village, a young man was riding on a brown horse. His leather and linen martial uniform was neatly arranged. The leather shoulder armor and tightened belt made him look very smart. The sword on his waist made him obviously different from the villagers.
After a while, two men wearing the same clothes came quickly from the dirt road, clasped their fists and said: Greetings to General Yu Shi.
The young man said: Commander Zhang will pass by here, you and I will go to greet him and show our hospitality.
“Yes, sir,” the two replied.
Yu Liang then shook the reins, turned the horse's head, and the three of them walked along the dirt road.
Is there going to be another war? When Yu Liang heard the third son of the Zhang family ask, he looked back while sitting on his horse and clearly saw his excited and expectant expression. The soldiers were happy to hear about the war, and Yu Liang saw it with his own eyes.
Zhang's eldest son said: War is not just for fun, the third son just got married.
I must go to Sanlang this time, he said anxiously.
Yu Liang couldn't help but say: Your elder brother is right. Being a bridegroom is short, why do you want to go to war
He was not only asking Zhang Sanlang, he also wanted to understand why he had stayed in the army and didn't want to leave. But Sanlang scratched his head and hesitated to explain.
It is difficult for people who get involved in gambling to turn back, Yu Liang pondered.
The two Zhang brothers looked at each other, not quite understanding Yu Liang's nonsensical words.
Yu Liang looked down at them: The income on the gambling table can easily come and go for a month or a year. Once you get too excited, you will become impatient. Who can calm down and slowly accumulate wealth
When our guards go to war, the resettlement expenses before the expedition alone are enough for you to farm for several years. I don't think you can farm with peace of mind even after you take off your armor.
The two Zhang brothers said nothing.
Yu Liang added: "Warfare is indeed a wasteful and expensive thing. The armor we wear, the weapons we use, and the food we eat are not something that ordinary people can afford to waste."
Sanlang muttered: "It's boring in the village. I work hard all day long, but I can't get much harvest."
The three of them followed one after another onto the post road. When it was noon, they saw a group of horsemen running down the post road. The road was filled with dust. Who else could the sturdy man in front of them be but the commander Zhang Jiankui
Yu Liang jumped off his horse, saluted from a distance, and said loudly: "General Zhang, since you have come to my hometown, if you don't mind, would you please come to my humble home for a drink and rest?"
Hahahaha Zhang Jiankui laughed loudly and said, "Nice to meet you, nice to meet you. I will not be shy about it."
Zhang Jiankui rode over and slowed down by pulling the reins. The Zhang brothers hurried forward to lead the horses. They would have to help the commander to look after the horses in a while. Yu Liang asked them to come just to do this.
The group gathered together. Yu Liang said casually: General Zhang has made great contributions in Dongdao. When he returned to Beijing, even the government mentioned your name. You should be promoted soon.
Zhang Jiankui smiled and said: I'm afraid we have to wait a little longer. There are people sitting in the pit above. How can we get up
Yu Liang clasped his fists and said: As soon as there is a chance, the military commander will definitely think of Commander Zhang first.
Of course, Zhang Jiankui said, and then turned around and said, I won't forget my brothers when I go up.
Yu Liang took the opportunity to inquire: The Kaifeng Command of the Wei Army has ordered us to assemble in half a month. Where does the court want to start the war
Zhang Jiankui glanced at him and said bluntly: The main force is going to the west. You are not going with us this time. You may go to the northeast to build Liuhua Fort.
Yu Liang was slightly surprised that both sides started fighting.
Zhang Jiankui shook his head and said: "We'll do it in the west first, and prepare fortifications in the east. I heard that the Tangut Li Yiyin is stirring up trouble in the northwest, and the Liao Kingdom is also ready to make a move in the northeast. We can watch the people outside messing around. Once the Daxu cavalry goes there, we'll smash the damned thing to pieces."
Hahaha
Tokyo Founding Duke's Palace.
Li Chuyun was muttering as he pondered, "Han Tong is good at water battles and infantry battles; Yang Biao was originally from the small army infantry, so he is still a little bit weak in big scenes; Luo Yanhuan and Shi Yanchao are good at cavalry raids."
Zhong Li smiled and said: Mr. Li strongly recommended Shi Yanchao.
Li Chuyun turned his head and the two looked at each other, each with a look of sudden realization.
Everyone in the army knew that Shi Yanchao was unruly and unruly. Apart from the emperor, only Li Chuyun could barely control him because Li Chuyun had a higher status than Shi Yanchao. If the court wanted to use Shi Yanchao, Li Chuyun had to take charge of the overall situation, otherwise no matter who was in charge, Shi Yanchao would be helpless.
Li Chuyun and Zhong Li were both trying to get the chance to command the army, otherwise Han Tong's reputation would be higher than theirs. But Han Tong was not a good person, and he was not humble in his words and deeds.
Li Chuyun pondered for a moment and said: In addition to the Duke, General Bao Dong Zunhui
Zhong Li said: That boy is so young, how can he be in charge
Li Chuyun said calmly: I don't know why, but I have a feeling that the emperor is taking special care of this person and has high hopes for him.
Zhong Li whispered: "The emperor has two princes and one princess. The legitimate son is born to the Queen of the East Palace, and the illegitimate son is born to the Imperial Concubine, who is Lord Li's grandson. The princess
Li Chuyun's face changed and he said hurriedly: The princess is the daughter of Concubine Shu Yulian.
In name, it is true, Zhong Li said.
The two of them fell silent for a long time.
After a long while, Li Chuyun finally spoke: Dong Zunhui is not mature enough, and it is child's play to let him take charge of the northwest. The territory controlled by the Zhe family is the base camp of this war, and they need to provide food and local military intelligence; can Dong Zunhui, that kid, obey Zhe Dejian
Zhong Li was lost in thought and forgot to respond for a moment.
Li Chuyun added meaningfully: Without awe-inspiring prestige, it is impossible to preside over the overall situation.
Zhong Li finally nodded in agreement and said: Lord Li is indeed the best commander for this battle. The Northwest is vast, and we need both courage and strategy. It is not enough to just know how to fight.
Li Chuyun added: "Even though you are thousands of miles away from your country, you still have to be loyal. This gentleman is loyal to the present emperor, and the sun and the moon can bear witness to it."
Zhong Li looked at Li Chuyun with interest.
Li Chuyun noticed his gaze and patted his chest and said: "Now the country is in a period of prosperity, and the imperial dynasty has brought blessings to hundreds of millions of people. I will be loyal to the country even if I die. Otherwise, how can I face the ancestors of the Chinese nation?"
Military affairs are a matter of great importance to a country, and they affect its prosperity and decline. I shall shoulder the responsibility and not allow someone who is not competent to take on the overall situation.
Zhongli bowed and said: Mr. Li’s loyalty makes me deeply moved.
Li Chuyun raised his head, full of confidence, cursed and swore, and privately expressed his loyalty. Since there were no outsiders here, everyone could see that his loyalty was not to flatter the superiors.
A few days later, Li Chuyun went to the Nanjiao parade ground to observe the training of the guards and happened to meet Shi Yanchao.
The dukes were all military commanders, but they had no military power during peacetime and had nothing to do all day. Shi Yanchao also liked to stroll around the parade grounds and watch the soldiers train, and Li Chuyun ran into him when he came here.
Shi Yanchao saw Li Chuyun sitting on a tall horse and glanced at him with his eyes slanted. Anyone who saw him was very uncomfortable.
Li Chuyun stroked his thick black beard with a smile, as if he was used to it, and took the initiative to say: Mr. Shi is in a good mood.
Shi Yanchao sneered: Oh, it turns out to be Mr. Li.
Li Chuyun rode his horse closer and looked at the bustling scene on the parade ground from afar. He said casually: "Li still likes to watch the cavalry on the battlefield more. It's like a cloud of iron cavalry covering the mountains and plains. It's really exciting."
Sure enough, Shi Yanchao's expression changed immediately, and a deep red color appeared on his face.
Li Chuyun saw it and knew that this guy was just a pure warrior who loved to fight for no reason. Moreover, Shi Yanchao was very murderous. All his talk of revenge for his brothers and boosting the military prestige of the Xu army was bullshit. He just liked bloodthirsty killing.
Shi Yanchao's blood was aroused, and he immediately snorted: "The imperial court is going to sweep the northwest. The infantry is as slow as a turtle. It won't work if there is no cavalry in that place."
There is more than one cavalry general in the army, Li Chuyun said calmly.
Shi Yanchao turned around and asked: Who else
Li Chuyun said: There are many, such as Dong Zunhui.
Haha, Shi Yanchao suddenly laughed out of nowhere, laughing so hard that tears were about to come out, as if there was nothing funnier in the world than this.
Li Chuyun did not smile at all: Why did General Shi laugh
Shi Yanchao shook his head and laughed: "You little brat, you are just like my grandson in front of me."
Li Chuyun smiled and said: In the Han Dynasty, Dong Qubing was less than 20 years old when he was enfeoffed as a hero. Heroes are not old. General Shi didn't know that Dong Zunhui was not only known as General Leopard, but also compared to Huo Qubing.
Shi Yanchao laughed again: From now on, we might as well call him Dong Qubing
Li Chuyun turned to look at him, but he could only look up to see Shi Yanchao's face. This guy was too tall, which made people of higher status than Shi Yanchao very uncomfortable.
Seeing Shi Yanchao's arrogant look, Li Chuyun really didn't want to say anything more. But it was precisely such a person with blood on his hands who had offended countless people who shouted that a general of the imperial guards was his grandson. It seemed quite difficult to think that he could hold a high position and live to this day.
The two stopped talking, as there was nothing nice to say. They watched the square formations of soldiers in armor and armed with sharp weapons moving on the parade ground, repeatedly practicing military discipline and order.
The sound of muskets came from the wind, and white smoke mixed with the dust. Teams of cavalry waved their swords and spears, galloping in formation. With strict military discipline and excellent equipment, Xu's army won victory after victory. The whole court unanimously advocated strengthening Xu's army's advantages to gain greater benefits for the dynasty.
Shi Yanchao next to him no longer paid any attention to Li Chuyun. He just sat on his horse and watched with great interest.