Guiyi Fei Tang

Chapter 117 The War Ends
"jingle……"

In August, the sound of wind chimes seems unusually abrupt amid the rustling sound of wind and sand.

In just two or three days, the temperature in Liangzhou dropped sharply. It became a little colder, and the biting cold wind made people's cheeks sting.

Fanhe City, which was the focus of contention between Han and Fan a few days ago, has now had its gaps repaired and all the damaged courtyards restored.

"Drive! Drive..."

Outside the city, a team of more than ten cavalrymen rode in from the east, passed through the east gate guarded by soldiers, and galloped towards the government office.

Although the roads along the streets are still a bit dirty, they are much cleaner than when it was under Moli's rule.

Even so, the cleanliness of this place cannot be compared with Shandan, which Liu Jilian has run for a long time. The streets are full of Han and Fan people in simple clothes.

The difference is that nowadays the Han people are prosperous and the Hu people are declining, so the Fan people who were once arrogant now seem a little timid. On the contrary, the Han people, even though they are dressed simply, still hold their heads high.

"Xu..."

Soon, the Tang riders reined in their horses in front of the Fanhe yamen. The leading team leader dismounted and hurried into the yamen.

After a dozen breaths, he walked into the courtyard and came to the main hall, where sat Zhang Huaishen, Liu Jilong and others who had just learned that Tangqi had returned.

The head waited in front of the main hall door, stopped to bow, took a breath, and then spoke:

"Reporting to the Governor, the foreign bandit Shang Moling is still leading his troops to station in Jialin today, and there is no sign of retreating!"

"I understand. You may leave now." Zhang Huaishen looked up at him, then glanced around the main hall.

More than ten people including Liu Jilong, Suo Xun, Jiu Juyan, Chen Jingchong, Zhang Chang, Shang Duoluo, Ma Cheng, etc. were sitting in the main hall, quietly waiting for him to speak.

Seeing this, he took a deep breath, and then slowly said: "It seems that Shang Moling will not easily evacuate Jialin before the main force of our army withdraws."

"Liu Zhechong, in your opinion, what should our army do now?"

Zhang Huaishen was testing Liu Jilong's thoughts, and this was the fourth consecutive day that he had tested Liu Jilong since he won the battle of Fanhe.

However, this time Liu Jilong still replied to him the same way as before: "Governor, I suggest that you lead the army to retreat, and leave a brave general to lead 2,000 armored soldiers to garrison Fanhe!"

Ever since taking over Fanhe, when Liu Jilian said he wanted to let Zhang Huaishen take the post of Jiedushi of Longyou, Zhang Huaishen wanted to know what Liu Jilian wanted to do.

Because of this, he repeatedly signaled Liu Jilian to lead his troops to garrison Fanhe, but Liu Jilian showed an attitude of being indifferent to the world and only wanted to return to Shandan.

Although Zhang Huaishen was happy to see this, when he actually saw Liu Jilong's non-competitive attitude, he felt a little disappointed with him.

However, since the army was not going to attack Jialin, staying in Fanhe for a long time would be tantamount to wasting money and food, so he could not delay any longer.

Taking a deep breath, he glanced at everyone and said:
"Tomorrow I will lead 500 elite cavalry to escort the civilians back to Zhangye. In addition, Suo Xun will lead 500 elite Shandan cavalry to escort Moli and others to Jiuquan."

"Guoyi Duwei Jiu Juyan led 1,500 Zhangye troops and 672 Shandan new soldiers to form the Fanhe Army, responsible for garrisoning Fanhe and guarding against Shangmoling!"

"As for Liu Jilong..." He looked at Liu Jilong and said slowly:

"You lead the remaining elite cavalry from Shandan and Shanzhou to escort the Fanhe herd back to Shandan. The details are up to you."

Zhang Huaishen didn't make his words very clear, because the relationship between the Shandan Army and the Shanzhou Army was not clear to begin with.

Zhang Huaishen naturally knew about the agreement between Shang Bibi and Liu Jilong.

In this battle, more than 200 elite cavalrymen from Shanzhou were killed or wounded. It is impossible that Liu Jilong did not express his opinion.

In addition, since Fanhe is the front line, it does not seem a good idea to continue grazing. It would be better to let Liu Jilian take full charge of the more than 50,000 herds outside Fanhe City.

"The last general takes command!"

All of a sudden, all the generals in the main hall stood up and saluted, and began to prepare for the withdrawal according to Zhang Huaishen's instructions.

Zhang Huaishen did not linger, but stood up and looked at Liu Jilong: "Walk with me..."

"Yes." Liu Jilong nodded, stood up and walked out with him.

It has to be said that although Fanhe is only the smallest county in Liangzhou, its scale is still far larger than the counties in the five states of Hexi, and only Zhangye and Dunhuang can surpass it.

The street where the yamen is located is three meters wide, and the two sides of the main road are mostly residences where the former foreigners, powerful people and generals lived.

Today they are being migrated in large groups, with their families, numbering more than six or seven thousand.

At this moment, they were moving under the supervision of Ganzhou soldiers, so the main road was very crowded.

Even so, when they saw Zhang Huaishen and Liu Jilong, the crowd consciously avoided them.

The two men had a smooth journey and, under the escort of more than ten soldiers including Huke Si Guang, they crossed the main road and climbed up the city wall on the east side.

Soon, the two stood in front of the East Gate Tower, looking towards the east.

"You won't be unhappy that Fan and I are handed over to Jiujuyan for garrison, right?"

The two men stood still, and Zhang Huaishen spoke slowly, but his eyes were fixed on the grassland outside the city.

Liu Jilong shook his head when he heard this: "Jiu Juyan is also my comrade-in-arms brother. I am happy for him that he can take charge of a city."

He said this sincerely because he never felt that Liangzhou was his stage.

He had set his sights on Longnan very early on, and Liangzhou and Longyou areas were just transitions before he achieved his goal.

Even though Shandan and Liangzhou have more mature handicraft systems, this place is still not suitable for them.

Zhang Huaishen recaptured Liangzhou twice, but even with such prestige, he couldn't intimidate these Hexi warlords, let alone himself?
Although there are few Han people in Longnan, it is precisely because of their small number that it is difficult for them to form any powerful and influential forces.

If he could take over Longnan, he could manage the local area well, wait for changes in the world in the future, and then act accordingly.

Jiu Juyan is capable, but not irreplaceable. He is also very loyal to the Zhang family and is destined not to follow him to Longnan.

What's more, his actions after going to Longnan were bound to put the Guiyi Army in a dilemma.

Rather than letting him follow me to Longnan and get lost, it would be better to let him stay in Hexi.

Not only him, but also Chen Jingchong is the same.

If the two of them could help Zhang Huaishen take control of the two cities in Liangzhou, Liu Jilong would only be happy, not angry.

Zhang Huaishen has been very kind to me. If he can support Jiu Juyan and Chen Jingchong to enhance Zhang Huaishen's prestige in the Guiyi Army, I will feel much more at ease.

At least if there are changes within the Guiyi Army in the future, these two people will be able to protect Zhang Huaishen and prevent him from being beheaded and his entire family from being killed.

Thinking of this, Liu Jilong even showed a hint of relief on his face.

Seeing his appearance from the corner of his eye, Zhang Huaishen couldn't help but continue:

"It will only take a year to recover the entire territory of Liangzhou."

"Although I don't quite agree with what you said a few days ago, recovering Helong and expelling Tubo is indeed what my uncle and I want to do."

"The trebuchets made by Shandan are extremely powerful. As long as there are enough of them, it shouldn't be a problem to recover the fourteen states of Helong."

"According to the time, the victory report I sent out should reach Dunhuang in three to five days."

"I don't know what my uncle will do after we arrive in Dunhuang, but I know one thing..."

Zhang Huaishen retracted his gaze and turned his head to look at Liu Jilong: "After this battle, you may be able to stand on equal footing with me."

"I dare not." Liu Jilong bowed hastily, but Zhang Huaishen shook his head and said, "No need to be modest."

"You captured nearly 4,000 armored soldiers in this battle, and killed or captured nearly 10,000 bandits. In the entire army, only your uncle can surpass you in military achievements."

"Although I have made some contributions, it is all thanks to you, not my own ability."

"If my uncle is willing to give up his power, I'm afraid you will be promoted to the position of Shangfu Zhechou Duwei and take the post of Liangzhou Governor."

"It's a pity that even if my uncle is willing, I'm afraid others won't be happy about it."

"I know." Liu Jilong nodded, his face calm.

The more he did this, the more curious and confused Zhang Huaishen became.

He stared at Liu Jilong for a long time before continuing, "Liu Jilong...what do you want to do?"

These words left Liu Jilong silent.

The atmosphere suddenly became quiet, and Hu Siguang in the distance would look over here from time to time.

Liu Jilong was silent for a long time, so long that Zhang Huaishen wanted to change the subject.

Just when he was about to reveal it, Liu Jilong spoke.

"I just want to live a better life, and lead my brothers to live a better life..."

"I want the people under my rule to have farmland, I want the children to have books to read, I want the brothers to live and work in peace and contentment..." "Other than that, I have no other ideas."

Faced with Liu Jilong's words, Zhang Huaishen's pupils constricted and he opened his mouth again and again, but he didn't know what to say.

There would be no problem with Liu Jilian's words if they were applied to later generations, or even in the Ming Dynasty when publishing and printing were well developed.

But the problem is that we are now in the Tang Dynasty, when the imperial examination system has not yet been fully perfected, and industries such as printing and publishing have not yet reached their peak.

In an era when industries such as printing and publishing had not yet reached their peak, knowledge was still monopolized by the powerful and wealthy, and it was a luxury for children from poor families to study.

Liu Jilian wanted to let children from poor families go to school, but to Zhang Huaishen, this was nothing short of a fantasy.

Even the Zhang family, a local tyrant with a history of more than 200 years, could only afford to support the education of about a hundred family members.

"Haha... maybe I'm just daydreaming."

Liu Jilong didn't say much, just chuckled twice and changed the subject.

The two walked around and came to the tower facing the city and looked at the street.

The originally bustling street was now sparsely populated, as most people had already escorted their furniture to the west gate.

At this time, except for some Ganzhou soldiers, there were only less than 10,000 Han people left in Fanhe.

"After moving these foreigners away, there were only about 9,000 people left in the city."

"Fortunately, this place is only about sixty miles away from Jialin. Recruiting four to five thousand civilians should be enough to meet the needs of the seven to eight thousand troops."

Zhang Huaishen sighed softly. Liu Jilong asked, "How many new soldiers should Ganzhou recruit?"

"There are enough armors. I want to recruit 4,000 men to make up for the casualties this time." Zhang Huaishen said softly:
"If my uncle agrees, by the beginning of next spring, Ganzhou and Fanhe should have forty-five regiments and nine thousand soldiers."

"The number of herds captured this time is not as large as the results of your previous Eastern Struggle. See how many war horses you can select and train them well as elite cavalry."

"If there is news from Dunhuang, I would like to train ten new regiments in Shandan and ten new regiments in Zhangye."

"After the spring, the two of us will lead 7,000 armored soldiers to invade Liang Province. We should be able to end the war before winter."

After he said that, he put his hands behind his back and walked towards the city. Seeing this, Liu Jilong nodded and followed him.

After the two walked for a distance, Zhang Huaishen signaled Liu Jilong not to follow him.

Liu Jilong had no intention of walking around the city because he was used to the suffering of the poor.

Just like now, when he was walking back to the yamen, although the people along the street were smiling and saluting at him, looking at their tattered clothes and dirty hair, Liu Jilong felt very uncomfortable.

Under that simple robe, there are countless scars of slavery.

"General, is the army going to withdraw?"

"General, are we going to retreat too?"

On the way back, some liberated Han people bravely came forward to ask Liu Jilong.

After all, he was followed by more than ten people including Hu Siguang, who were obviously generals.

Liu Jilong looked at them and what he saw was no longer a numb look.

Although they were dressed in rags, their eyes became bright. Even though they spoke Tibetan, they never forgot that they were Han people.

Facing their cautious yet bright eyes, Liu Jilong thought of them in history.

If it weren't for me, they would have suffered for another seven years before they were liberated.

Even after being liberated, they did not enjoy two years of peace as they fell into the hands of foreign races again due to the foolish tactics of the Tang court.

More than ten years later, Zhang Huaishen recovered Liang for the second time, but most of them died under the foreign rule during those years, and Liangzhou became completely alienated.

Even so, suffering did not spare them.

The Tang court's interference caused them to fall into the hands of foreign races again, and Zhang Huaishen was beheaded not long after.

These... are the sufferings they experienced in history, but in history books, their sufferings were only summarized in a short sentence.

Thinking of their experiences, Liu Jilong remembered himself as a former slave, and his nose felt sore.

"The army has withdrawn, but there are still defenders."

"Wait for us. After the spring of next year, we will take you back to recapture Liangzhou and our homeland!"

"Hey!" Hearing this, several people nodded heavily, with smiles on their faces even bigger than before.

Even though they didn't know who Liu Jilian was or his position in the army, they felt that the government troops would not deceive them, just as they believed that the Tang Dynasty would always be good.

"Soon after the land is divided, we will live well, expand and strengthen our Han people!"

"Hey! Okay!"

Liu Jilong gave a few instructions to the few people, and they nodded frequently, their smiles becoming brighter and brighter.

Until Liu Jilong left, they were still waving at him, and even when Liu Jilong walked far away, their happy laughter could be heard.

"Zhechong... Will we really send troops next year?"

Hu Siguang stepped forward to ask Liu Jilong, and Liu Jilong said firmly: "We will definitely do it, even if someone hinders us, we will recover Liangzhou!"

"That's good!" A smile appeared on Hu Siguang's face, and Liu Jilong looked at him and the Shandan elite cavalry behind him and said solemnly:

"We are all soldiers who eat the food grown by the people. The people of Liangzhou are still suffering, and our fellow countrymen are still suffering. If we don't send troops to rescue them, how can we have the face to eat the food grown by the people?"

"Yes!!" Huke Siguang and the others stood up straight and puffed out their chests.

Looking at them, Liu Jilong let out a sigh of relief, and his desire to recover Helong and take root in Longnan became stronger and stronger.

He knew very well why the late Tang and Five Dynasties were in chaos. Ultimately, it was due to the environment.

For the common people and warriors from Heshuo and Lianghuai, they have become accustomed to the rule that "the one with the strongest soldiers and horses will win."

As long as the soldiers are strong, the troops of a state can threaten the Tang court to grant the military governor a banner, and the troops of a town can make the emperor look at their face.

In such an environment, the Guiyi Army in Hexi was undoubtedly too clean and incompatible with this era, so they ended up dead.

If he wanted to take root in Longnan and expand his power, he had to adapt to the environment of the late Tang Dynasty, but this would easily make it easy for his soldiers to follow suit.

This is a balance that he must strike well. If he fails to do so, he will suffer the same fate as many military governors and emperors in the late Tang and Five Dynasties.

Although Zhang Chang, Hukui Guang, Ma Cheng and others are loyal to him, people can change.

Parents can divorce, fathers and sons can turn against each other, and brothers can draw swords against each other.

All promises are only valid at the moment they are made and may become invalid one second later.

After his thoughts came to an end, he said no more. Liu Jilong took Hu Siguang and the others back to the small courtyard where they were temporarily staying, and Zhang Huaishen also returned to the yamen after watching the whole picture.

At the same time, as the army was about to withdraw, the Ganzhou Tangqi on the front line also began to retreat.

This move was discovered by the Liangzhou Tangqi who were always watching Fanhe, and they began to advance while the Ganzhou Tangqi retreated.

This advance lasted for more than ten miles, until they were less than twenty miles away from Fanhe, when the Ganzhou Tangqi stopped.

In response, Liangzhou Tangqi passed the news to Jialin and Shang Moling.

"The Tangqi retreated. It looks like Liu Jilong and his men are withdrawing!"

Inside the main hall of the government office, Mang Longhua breathed a sigh of relief, but Shang Moling did not relax and still had a serious face.

"Having said that, we still need to keep paying attention and not slack off until winter."

After that, he looked at Mang Longhua and asked, "How much food and grass is left in Jialin City?"

Upon hearing this, Mang Longhua bowed and said, "It is enough to feed the soldiers and civilians in the city and the army for two years. If the herds are included, three years is not impossible!"

"Okay..." Shang Moling breathed a sigh of relief, and then continued to give instructions:

"They have dealt a heavy blow to our army this time, so they will definitely not miss this opportunity to seize Liangzhou."

"Although we are withdrawing troops now due to the onset of winter and lack of preparation, we will definitely send troops again after the spring plowing season next year."

"You have more than half a year to prepare. You need to build the city walls thicker and higher, store enough city defense equipment and supplies, and also prepare enough coal and firewood!"

Mang Longhua nodded quickly, while Shang Moling kept his edge to himself, with a hint of madness in his eyes:
"If they want Liangzhou, then we'll use corpses to pile up on the top of Jialin City, or forget it!"

(End of this chapter)