Guiyi Fei Tang

Chapter 422 Conquering Six Prefectures in Succession (A Long Chapter of 10,000 Words)
"Buzzing..."

"kill!!"

The grass clippings blown by the north wind were still swirling on the ground, but thousands of elite Han cavalrymen, clad in heavy lamellar armor, had already drawn their bows and launched the final volley of fire before their charge.

The rolling iron hooves trampled the grass, and countless arrows shot towards the central army of the Hu cavalry, which had split into three groups. Li Peiluo also commanded 10,000 eagle hunters and tens of thousands of light cavalry to draw their bows and arrows and counterattack against the Han army.

"charge!"

"kill……"

Faced with the rain of arrows, countless Hu cavalrymen fell from their horses, which neighed in pain.

Contrary to Li Peiluo's expectations, the Han cavalry did not suffer a rout or the expected bloodshed. Instead, there was a series of sharp clanging sounds. Although the rain of arrows turned the elite Han cavalry into pincushions, very few fell from their horses.

During campaigns in the northern deserts, the Kyrgyz would typically charge with cavalry, while the Pugu, Tatars, and Uyghurs would defend in formation.

Now that the situation has reversed, even the seasoned Eagle Fallers surrounding Li Peiluo are extremely unaccustomed to it.

After a volley of fire, the Han army was within arm's reach of the Hu soldiers' formation, and the ferocious faces of the Kyrgyz were almost within reach.

"Change formation! Charge!"

Liu Jilong gave the Kyrgyz army no chance to catch their breath. With a wave of his command flag, thousands of elite cavalrymen switched from bows and arrows to lances, raising their arms and shouting battle cries.

The hooves of galloping horses pounded the earth, and the angry shouts of the soldiers mingled with the roars of their warhorses.

The iron cavalry began their charge, their formation shifting dramatically as they thrust themselves into the enemy ranks like cones. Li Peiluo also led his eagle-falling warriors in a charge against the Han army.

"kill!!"

"Bam—"

"Hiss!!"

"Um..."

Amidst shouts of men and neighing of horses, countless sounds suddenly rang out, including the muffled sound of a spear piercing the belly of a barbarian horse, mixed with the sound of bones cracking.

There were also accounts of Hu riders falling from their horses and the terrifying sound of their throats being trampled by iron hooves.

Li Peiluo deployed heavily armored Eagle Fallers in the lead, setting up a triple defensive formation in the center, with support from both flanks. If the Han army was trapped or slightly obstructed in any of the triple defensive formations, the Eagle Fallers on both flanks would surely be able to divide the Han army and then encircle and annihilate them.

If the Han army collapses, the 10,000 light cavalry behind the Eagle Faller can take advantage of the situation to pursue and kill them.

With 20,000 men fighting against a few thousand, Li Peiluo was confident he could defeat this elite cavalry, but he seemed to be overestimating himself.

Before his division strategy could be completed, the elite Han cavalry fighting ahead quickly broke away from the battlefield from the left and right flanks.

Just as Li Peiluo was about to order a pursuit, a general beside him suddenly pointed ahead and exclaimed, "Are, look! What's that?"

"Buzzing..."

Only after the Han cavalry left the battlefield did the scene behind them appear before the Kyrgyz people.

Thousands of heavily armored cavalrymen, clad in horse armor, had already launched their attack, and were only thirty to fifty paces away from them.

"Scatter! Scatter quickly!!"

Upon seeing so many heavily armored cavalry, Li Peiluo's pupils constricted, and he sternly ordered his troops to disperse.

But his orders came too late. When thousands of heavily armored cavalry charged in, even the Eagle Fallers, which the Kyrgyz were so proud of, were as fragile as paper.

"Bam—"

"Hiss..."

"Uh-huh!"

"boom!!"

As the armored cavalrymen charged into the ranks of the fallen eagles with their lances, they were immediately met with a series of heart-wrenching neighs and cries for help from countless fallen eagles who had fallen from their horses.

The Eagle Fallen Warriors' defensive line, which Li Peiluo relied on, was swept away in large numbers by the heavily armored Han cavalry.

Blood splattered across the battlefield, and wounded warhorses neighed as they abandoned their masters.

In the blink of an eye, thousands of heavily armored Han cavalrymen pierced through tens of thousands of eagle hunters and charged to Li Peiluo's central army.

"Are! Let's retreat first!"

"Can't withdraw!"

"Are, the Han army is already attacking! Retreat!"

Amidst the shouts, the central army's formation was destroyed, and the troops were crammed together in chaos. The so-called impregnable defensive line proved to be nothing more than a facade.

The Han cavalry, like scalding steel blades cutting through butter, cleaved through the Hu cavalry's formation, breaking through and separating them.

Then, a barrage of arrows, like a storm, poured out from both sides of the column, accompanied by waves of mournful screams and desperate howls from the Kyrgyz.

Li Peiluo glanced to the side and saw that the elite Han cavalry that had previously retreated from the left and right had been replaced with bows and arrows. Together with heavily armored cavalry, they were constantly firing arrows from both flanks, causing chaos in his 20,000-strong army.

Li Peiluo's lips trembled as he could only watch helplessly as his troops were slaughtered on one side.

These usually arrogant and domineering archers, who roam freely in the northern deserts, are seen as demon kings by the various tribes of the grasslands.

Now they are regarded as weak by the Han army and slaughtered at will.

"Bam—"

In the battle, Liu Jilong took the lead, charging at the forefront of the armored cavalry.

While on horseback, he wielded a lance and charged left and right. In less than half an incense stick's time, he successively felled more than ten eagle-hunting warriors and killed dozens of Hu army light cavalry.

With each swing and turn of his lance, a bloody mass of flesh and blood would fly, claiming a life.

Within the Hu army's ranks, men and horses were crammed together like ants, emitting painful howls and roars that filled the entire world.

Under the onslaught of the "steel torrent," the command structure of the Kyrgyz central army has been completely destroyed.

Even though they still have tens of thousands of people, what they are doing is nothing more than a last-ditch struggle!

"Are!!"

Things happened too fast; in less than half an incense stick's time, the Kyrgyz central army of 20,000 men was defeated.

After realizing what was happening, Li Gao and Li Zheng immediately abandoned the Han army in front of them and prepared to return to reinforce the central army.

However, whether they can send reinforcements depends on whether Zhang Chang and the others are willing.

On the battlefield, Zhang Chang, Zheng Chu, and others, who already held the upper hand, displayed a spirit of relentless pursuit, which at one point disrupted the command of the Kyrgyz army.

Meanwhile, among the thousand elite Han cavalrymen who appeared in the south, banners bearing the name "Husi" fluttered in the wind.

Seeing that ten thousand Hu cavalry were attempting to return to reinforce, Husi Guang immediately raised his lance, raised his arm, and shouted, "Kill!!"

"Uuuuuu——"

Shouts of battle rang out as Husi Guang led a thousand elite cavalrymen in a charge against the tens of thousands of barbarian cavalrymen.

In the midst of the battle, Wang Jian and Wang Zhi excitedly raised their lances and joined over nine hundred brothers in the charge, their blood boiling with fervor.

Compared to civil war, foreign wars are more likely to ignite their fighting spirit and morale.

A thousand elite Han cavalrymen, like an iron fortress, crushed towards the tens of thousands of Hu soldiers. Even though Li Zheng reacted quickly and turned the front and rear armies around and launched a charge against the Han army, they had already lost the initiative.

After the clash, the Han army's lances and sabers moved with ease amidst the chaotic Hu cavalry.

They calmly slaughtered the Hu cavalry in front of them, suppressing tens of thousands of Hu cavalry so much that they could not raise their heads.

In the blink of an eye, the Kyrgyz army had collapsed. Li Peiluo, who had retreated to the rear, couldn't help but shout sternly, "All units, regroup and wait for me..."

Before he could finish speaking, a large arrow pierced his face, killing him instantly and causing him to fall from his horse.

"Are!!"

The prime ministers and officials around him roared in disbelief. Looking around, they spotted a man among the Han army, surrounded by dozens of elite cavalry, still in the act of firing an arrow.

"kill him!!"

They roared for revenge for Li Peiluo, and Liu Jilong also put down his bow and arrow.

He didn't know who he had shot, but it must have been an important figure in the Kyrgyz army.
Amidst the chaos of battle, dressed in such colorful attire, who else but the commander-in-chief could be so composed?

"The Kyrgyz commander is dead; those who surrender will not be killed!!"

"Those who surrender will not be killed! Those who surrender will not be killed!!"

After Liu Jilong shouted, the elite Han cavalry around him began to shout as well.

However, the Kyrgyz people did not understand Tibetan or Mandarin, so they were unaware of what was happening, and the fighting between the two sides continued.

It wasn't until the prime minister of the central army sent someone to inform Li Gao and Li Zheng that they learned that their master, A're, had been shot and killed.

"Are!!"

As the two abandoned their main force and retreated to the central camp, they also saw Li Peiluo, whose nose had been broken by an arrow and who had died instantly.

His face was disfigured, and a thick arrow, four feet long, lay beside him.

"Gentlemen, we should withdraw our troops now!"

"That's right. If news of Are's death gets out, we won't even be able to break through!"

The prime ministers tried to persuade the two men, but they didn't need to. The two men had already decided to retreat.

Looking at their Ah Re's corpse now, they felt anger, but even more so, fear.

Li Peiluo led the Kyrgyz to defeat the Uyghurs, which made the Kyrgyz the overlords of the steppe.

Now that a hero like him has died on this battlefield, what about the two of them?
Fear made the two nod without hesitation: "Break through, break through to Qikou!"

"Yes!!" Upon hearing that the two had made the rational choice to break through the encirclement, the surrounding generals all gave orders.

Soon, the organized Kyrgyz began to attempt to break out to the north, but the Han army held them firmly in their grasp.

The two sides pursued each other from afternoon until dusk, until they reached Langshan Pass, where Liu Jilong finally ordered his troops to rest and clean up the battlefield.

"Sorry..."

As dusk fell, the setting sun coldly pierced through the blood-red clouds, sprinkling the earth like a blanket of dust.

As the knight tended to his wounded warhorses and removed the arrows, many of the horses wept in pain.

Fortunately, after being given medicine and fed, they gradually regained their spirits.

On the vast grassland, the scattered corpses have been dragged and gathered together.

Zhang Chang, Husiguang, and others sent men to several stone fortresses, retrieved enough grease, and then set the piles of corpses on fire.

The corpses lying in the pit began to burn, and the aroma of meat filled the air. As the high temperature caused the corpses to burn, many of them actually sat up.

Many new recruits were startled, while the veterans stepped forward and said, "You bunch of scoundrels, you never study properly."

"This person's body is full of water. The body only became distorted after the water evaporated. What's there to be afraid of!"

After the veterans explained, the new recruits breathed a sigh of relief. Meanwhile, in the stone fortress closest to the battlefield, Liu Jilong was sitting in the main seat, listening to everyone's report.

Zhang Chang stepped forward first, bowed and said, "King of Han, in this battle our army killed 12,467 Hu people and captured 27,754 Hu people."

"That barbarian general only led a dozen or so defeated soldiers to Yanran Mountain and Yinshan Pass. If it weren't for your order, they would never have returned!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Jilong shook his head and explained, "Killing them is easy, but if we kill too many, a new leader will definitely emerge in the Northern Desert."

"Although the Kyrgyz lost nearly 20% of their men in this battle, it was not a crippling defeat."

"If they don't want to follow the same path as the Uyghurs, they can only rest and recuperate in the northern desert and suppress the Tatars, Pugu and other tribes."

"Without their interference, the troops from Liangzhou can be transferred out."

"While they are recuperating, we must seize this opportunity to take over the entire Guannei region!"

Liu Jilong looked at Husiguang and said, "Husiguang, tomorrow you will lead three thousand elite cavalry and five thousand infantry to retreat to Baiting Shouzhuo City. After you have replenished your food supplies, you will immediately send troops to attack the two towns of Tiande Army and Zhenwu Army in Fengzhou."

"Zhang Chang and Zheng Chu, after you retreat to Liangzhou, recruit another 3,000 soldiers to defend Liangzhou. I will take the remaining 4,000 cavalry and infantry to Shuofang."

"Yes!!" The three bowed respectfully, and at that moment the food prepared by the cook arrived at the door.

Seeing this, Liu Jilong invited the three of them to sit down and eat. Zheng Chu then asked, "King of Han, what should be done with these more than 20,000 captured Hu people?"

“You may build official roads or expand mines as you see fit. As long as they have served for five years, they will be registered as civilians.”

Liu Jilong responded with a question, then looked at Husiguang and asked, "How many brothers died or were wounded in this battle?"

Hu Siguang composed himself, bowed, and said, "There are 1,754 dead, 332 disabled, and 750 seriously injured who need to recuperate. The remaining 3,000 brothers are all slightly injured."

"At present, our army can still mobilize 8,764 infantrymen and 7,400 elite cavalrymen from Liangzhou."

"Although Hu Bing has a large number of soldiers, apart from the eagle hunters in his army, the rest are not a threat."

As soon as Husi Guang finished speaking, Liu Jilong nodded and said, "These eagle hunters are nothing more than armored cavalry. The Kyrgyz have 300,000 archers, but they only have 20,000 eagle hunters."

"The Eagle Fallers were severely injured in this battle. It will take them seven or eight years to recover."

"Our brothers who died or were wounded will be compensated according to the standard, and the arrangements just made still stand."

"First, take control of several key locations in Guannei Road to prevent the Tatars from taking advantage of the chaos, and then have a decisive battle with Zheng Tian at Longshan."

"Yes!!" The group nodded, and then they all buried their heads in their food.

The following day, Liu Jilong led tens of thousands of elite cavalry and infantry back to Lingzhou, while Husiguang and the other two retreated to Baiting Shouzhuo City.

Zhang Chang and Zheng Chu led the wounded soldiers south back to Guzang, while Husi Guang replenished the food supplies and, with the help of more than 3,000 laborers and horse-drawn carts, led his army to Fengzhou.

While he was mobilizing his troops, Zheng Tian, ​​who had deployed troops in Jingyuan and Longzhou, also ordered the troops in various towns to lead 20,000 troops each under Wang Chongrong, Li Hongfu, and Yang Gongqing to attack Shimen Pass, Mupan Pass, and Liupan Pass from different directions.

Zheng Tian himself led 30,000 troops from Jingyuan and Fengxiang to attack Longshan Pass.

"put!"

"Boom bang bang-"

In the Longshan Mountains, when dozens of catapults were lined up and fired simultaneously, dozens of heavy stones weighing twenty or thirty kilograms each instantly traveled a mile and slammed into the stone walls of Longshan Pass, leaving several white marks.

Standing in the army camp, Zheng Tian gazed at Longshan Pass in the distance, with Wang Shi, dressed in plain clothes, beside him.

"Of the six passes of Longshan, only Zhisheng Pass and Anrong Pass are currently in the hands of the imperial court, while the other four are in the hands of the rebels."

“This Longshan Pass was built by Gao Qianli in the past. The pass is 300 paces long from north to south, 3 zhang high, and 4 zhang thick.”

"This pass should have been advantageous to the court, being easy to defend and difficult to attack, but I never expected that you would miscalculate and let it be captured by the rebels. Now it has become an obstacle for our army."

Wang Shi sighed as he introduced Longshan Pass, while Zheng Tian stroked his beard and said, "Brother Xiao Nian, there's no need to blame yourself so much. The rebel army is strong, something that the officials in the court and the countryside never expected."

"The general stationed in Qinzhou was Gao Jinda, who was under Liu Jilong's command. In his early years, he had even gone to the capital to meet the emperor and report on the great victory of the Shazhou Uprising."

"Now that he has surrendered to the rebels and is guarding the four passes to the death, he is truly a traitor."

After speaking, Zheng Tian paused and continued, "According to what I've seen from various garrisons, the rebel army in Qin Prefecture should number no less than 30,000."

"Each of the four passes has 5,000 soldiers, and there should be more troops in the counties of Qin Prefecture and Longcheng County in the rear."

"In your opinion, Brother Xiaonian, how long would it take for our 30,000 troops to break through Longshan Pass?"

He asked Wang Shi, who pondered for a moment and explained, "Without reinforcements, it would take at least two months of siege to take this pass, and the casualties would be no less than 20,000."

"Twenty thousand?!"

The men behind the two gasped, and Zheng Tian frowned slightly.

Before he could speak, Wang Shi continued, "Based on my experience fighting Liu Jilong, I'm afraid the tens of thousands of Kyrgyz cavalry won't be able to hold him off for long."

"He should have attacked the Kyrgyz cavalry first, then turned his forces to attack the prefectures within the pass, and only then would he have come to the Longshan line to fight the court."

"If we are defeated in this battle, the Guanzhong region and the surrounding areas will be in grave danger..."

Wang Shi's words made Zheng Tian feel that the burden on his shoulders had become heavier, but that was not all.

Seeing Zheng Tian's furrowed brows, Wang Shi took the initiative to say, "What we should do right now is stay indoors and not take the initiative to attack Longyou."

"I have heard that many prefectures and towns have reduced their shipments to the capital region."

"If we lose this battle again, then I'm afraid all the prefectures and towns except for a few secondary capitals will stop sending supplies to the court, and the world will inevitably be in turmoil."

"Without the establishment of the transportation system for all prefectures and towns, the imperial court can control even fewer prefectures and counties."

"Taiwen, the 90,000 troops you command may very well be the last remaining strength of the imperial court..."

Wang Shi and Zheng Tian exchanged glances, and as their eyes met, Zheng Tian couldn't help but become more reserved.

“If I do not fight, the court will surely replace the commander-in-chief, and he may do even worse than I did.”

As Zheng Tian spoke, Wang Shi shook his head and said, "It's not that we won't fight, it's that we'll fight slowly, deliberately, and flexibly."

"It is enough to let the court see that you are determined to take the initiative to fight. If the rebels take the initiative to attack, it is best to retreat to the cities of various prefectures and counties and let the rebels take the initiative to attack the cities. This way, you can inflict the greatest damage on the rebels."

Compared to Qin Prefecture, Jingyuan and Long Prefecture have different terrains. The prefectures and counties are almost identical to passes, and the stockpiled grain and fodder are plentiful, enough to hold out for several months.

As long as these prefectures and counties cannot be captured, the rebels will be unable to enter Guanzhong. Therefore, Wang Shi's suggestion changed from flexible defense in the field to a scorched-earth defense.

These days, the villages of Jingyuan and Longzhou have been forcibly relocated. As long as the rebels cannot break through the prefectures and counties, they cannot obtain manpower to serve as laborers to transport grain, and can only draw manpower from Longyou.

This would not only lengthen the rebels' battle lines but also force them to attack the imperial defenses in the Longshan Mountains one by one. Over the past six months, Zheng Tian had reinforced the city walls of all the counties; the rammed earth and stone walls would definitely be able to withstand the magic of Longyou.

At the same time, Zheng Tian, ​​on Wang Shi's advice, continued to study the magical arts of Longyou, which were as fleeting as fireworks.

Although the effect is minimal, as long as a breakthrough is achieved, the imperial court will be able to master a siege technique for conquering cities and seizing territory.

Even if the various garrisons outwardly comply but inwardly defy, once Longyou is pacified, the imperial court will have sufficient means to deal with the regional military governors.

Thinking of this, Zheng Tian nodded and said, "I will fight according to Brother Xiao Nian's advice. The fact that the eastern Longshan line is so impregnable is inseparable from Brother Xiao Nian's advice."

"After this battle is over, I will personally submit a memorial to His Majesty, requesting that you be pardoned for your mistakes."

Upon hearing this, Wang Shi's eyes remained dim, but in order not to disappoint Zheng Tian, ​​he nodded.

In fact, when the rebels petitioned the court to appoint Liu Jilong as the Prince of Hanyin, he was genuinely pleased.

Whether Liu Jilong wanted to buy time to digest the land and population he had seized, or whether he was simply trying to provoke the court, he hoped the court would take the opportunity to back down.

Unfortunately, the imperial court missed such an opportunity, and once an opportunity is lost, it is very difficult to obtain it again.

As Wang Shi lamented, the catapults on the government army's position started operating again, and then launched the projectiles towards the distant Longshan Pass.

The Han army at Longshan Pass did not retaliate; they simply rested quietly inside the pass, completely ignoring the Tang army's attack.

Several days passed, and on the seventh day of the fifth month, news first came from the north.

"Prime Minister Zheng!"

The sounds of armor plates clashing and urgent shouts rang out. Zheng Tian, ​​who was drinking tea with Wang Shi inside the tent, saw a general come before him and bow. He frowned and asked, "What is it?"

They hurriedly reported: "Urgent report from the north: On April 24th, the traitor Cao Mao led more than 10,000 troops to invade Yanzhou, and the two counties of Baichi and Wuyuan have fallen."

"On the 27th, Cao Mao attacked Youzhou, and the three counties of Guiren, Huaide and Yan'en fell."

"On the second day, the rebel general Liu Jilong led more than 10,000 troops to capture Changze County and joined forces with Cao Mao to attack Xiazhou."

"What did you say?!" Upon hearing Jiang Du's words, Zheng Tian was the first to stand up, and then immediately looked at Wang Shi.

Seeing this, Wang Shi, though dressed in plain clothes, remained calm and composed: "Liu Jilong probably wants to take over the seven flat prefectures of Guannei Road, and then head south to fight us."

"Which seven prefectures?" Although Zheng Tian was familiar with the terrain of Guannei Road, he was only a dabbler and still needed to ask Wang Shi.

Wang Shi had thoroughly studied the terrain of Guannei Road, Longyou Road, Jiannan Road, Shannanxi Road, and Jingji Road, hence his statement:
"Yanzhou, Youzhou, Xiazhou, Yinzhou, Linzhou, Fengzhou, and Shengzhou."

"These seven states are flat and the cities are mostly built of rammed earth, making them easy for the rebels who are skilled in magic to conquer."

"If we take these seven prefectures, Longyou will gain more than 200,000 people, and at least 70,000 men can be conscripted as laborers."

"In addition, taking these places as soon as possible will also make it easier for them to attack Datong in the northeast of Hebei."

As soon as Wang finished speaking, Zheng Tian couldn't help but ask anxiously, "What about the Kyrgyz cavalry? Aren't they worried about the Kyrgyz cavalry?"

Wang Shi remained silent upon hearing this, and after a long while, he said, "Liu Jilong's march from Lingzhou to attack Xiazhou probably means that he has just returned from Liangzhou."

"In that case, the Kyrgyz cavalry... have probably already been defeated."

"Defeated?" Zheng Tian couldn't believe it. The Kyrgyz were considered powerful rulers of the northern deserts. How could they have been defeated so quickly?

But the current situation left him no room for disbelief, so he could only press on, "Brother Xiaonian, what should we do now?"

Wang Shi silently rose, walked to the sand table, and frowned as he observed it. At the same time, he saw Wang Shi take down the banners of the seven prefectures within the pass and plant them as Han army banners.

Upon hearing the news, the generals who rushed back saw the scene and couldn't help but complain.

"The battle isn't over yet, why are the banners being changed already?"

"Although the rebel cavalry is formidable, with so many cities, it will take them at least two or three months to conquer them, right?"

"Four towns, with at least 15,000 to 16,000 people, surely they can't hold out for even three months?"

Most of Zheng Tian's troops were newly recruited soldiers from various garrisons who were later transferred to the front lines. They did not understand the quality of the Han army, which is why they asked this question.

In response, Wang Shi calmly replied, "Liu Jilong never advances alone. Besides, if the Kyrgyz are defeated, the troops from Liangzhou can be mobilized."

"Some speculate that he is probably advancing from both the north and south, attacking Tiande Town and Zhenwu Town on one side, and Shuofang Army and Xiasui Town in Yanzhou on the other."

"Although these seven states have more than 17,000 troops, most of them are new recruits, less than 60% are armored, and they are no match for the rebels."

"In half a month, the rebels could take over these seven states by fighting and sustaining their war effort."

"Fortunately, the Longdong ridges and hills (Loess Plateau) are full of gullies, so the cavalry dared not go deep into the area. Therefore, they should not go through Qingzhou and Suizhou to attack Guanzhong."

After analyzing the situation, Wang Shi immediately looked at Zheng Tian and said, "Right now, we should first inform the court of the rebels' intentions, and then inform His Majesty after confirming the news of the Kyrgyz defeat."

"As long as these two pieces of military intelligence are correct, then Taiwen, you can submit a memorial to His Majesty to strictly guard all towns and key roads in Guanzhong!"

"Good!" Zheng Tian dared not delay and immediately sent someone back to Chang'an to submit a report, while also verifying the military situation of the Kyrgyz.

Three days later, news indeed came from Fengzhou in the north that the rebel general Husi Guang had led his army to attack Fengzhou. The Tiande army fought desperately, but the rebels still managed to breach the surrender city, and Fengzhou fell. More than 30,000 people were captured and taken over by the rebels...

"call……"

Inside Xianning Palace, Li Cui finished reading the memorials and all the military documents in his hand, let out a long sigh, tried his best to suppress his temper, and looked at the seven ministers from the Southern and Northern Offices in the hall.

"Fengzhou, Yanzhou, Youzhou, and Xiazhou have all fallen."

"If what Zheng Xiang said in his memorial is true, the rebels will also attack Yinzhou, Linzhou and Shengzhou."

"Furthermore, the Kyrgyz are likely already defeated, and Prime Minister Zheng has already sent people to verify this matter."

"I would like to ask you all, are the cities of my Great Tang Dynasty made of paper? Why is it that wherever the rebels go, everything belongs to the rebels and not to the imperial court?!"

His voice gradually became uncontrollable, and Xu Shang and the others in the hall had no choice but to bow and beg him to calm down.

After he fell silent, Xu Shang spoke first: "Your Majesty, the rebels possess magical arts, and they are unable to stop any city built of rammed earth."

"Although the imperial court ordered the northwestern towns to build more city walls, many of the towns lacked sufficient funds and provisions, so it was impossible to build more walls for all the towns."

"The fall of four prefectures is the fault of the Ministry of War; Your Majesty, please punish us..."

Xu Shang bowed his back, but Li Cui said coldly, "Issue the imperial decree that Xu Shang, who is concurrently serving as the Vice Minister of the Chancellery, Minister of Works, and Chancellor, shall be appointed as the Acting Minister of Works, Governor of Jiangling, and Military Governor of Jingnan."

"Xiao Ye, the former Prefect of Jiangling, was transferred to the position of Military Governor of Huainan and Chief Secretary of the Yangzhou Grand General's Office."

"Kang Chengxun, who is appointed Right Shence General, Military Commissioner, concurrently Imperial Censor, Pillar of the State, Earl of Longyang County, with a fief of one thousand households, is hereby appointed Grand Master of the Golden Purple Light, Acting Minister of Justice, concurrently Right Shence General, Imperial Censor, Pillar of the State, Duke of Fufeng County, with a fief of one thousand five hundred households, and concurrently Commander-in-Chief of the Jiangnan Campaign."

As soon as Li Cui finished speaking, Xu Shang's face turned pale. He realized that he had been banished from Chang'an. While feeling sad, he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

The situation in Guanzhong is now precarious, so going to Huainan at this time is not necessarily a bad thing.

Thinking of this, Xu Shang bowed and said, "Your subject accepts the decree and thanks you..."

After he agreed, Li Cui stopped looking at him and asked, "Prime Minister Zheng said that the rebel army is still strong and can rely on the Longdong Liangmao (Loess Plateau) and the passes and cities to gradually wear down the rebel army and launch a counterattack when the time is right. What do you all think?"

Xu Shang's fate was still fresh in everyone's mind. Now that the four nobles of the Northern Division were hanging high and mighty, Yu Cong and Lu Yan could only grit their teeth and bow one after the other.

"Your Majesty, I believe that given the strength of the rebel army, we should defend it at all costs and launch a timely counterattack to avoid the disaster that occurred at Tongguan during the An Lushan Rebellion in the past."

Li Cui deeply agreed with Lu Yan's words.

In the past, during the An Lushan Rebellion, if the court had not first executed Gao Xianzhi and Feng Changqing, and then urged the stroke-stricken Geshu Han to lead the incapacitated government troops out of Tongguan to fight, the An Lushan rebels would not have been able to enter Guanzhong so easily.

The current situation is quite similar to that of that time, so Li Cui naturally chose to learn from the experience.

As soon as Lu Yan finished speaking, Yu Cong also spoke up: "Your Majesty, now that the troops in all the prefectures have been defeated, should the court temporarily suspend the shipment of the 280,000 strings of cash in military pay owed to them?"

"Of course!" Li Cui answered without hesitation, and this was the only good news he had heard today.

The military pay for the eight garrisons northwest of Beijing was basically supplied by the imperial court.

Liu Jilong led his troops to capture four prefectures, and tens of thousands of soldiers disappeared without a trace. Naturally, the court no longer needed to pay the military pay owed to these soldiers.

Thinking this way, Li Cui actually felt that although the loss of the four prefectures was humiliating, it was not unacceptable.

After all, the population of the four prefectures was only a little over 100,000, and the annual tax revenue was only 30,000 to 50,000 strings of cash, while the military expenditure was close to 300,000 strings of cash.

Losing four prefectures and passing the burden to Liu Jilong is a good thing, as it not only saves them from last year's back pay but also from this year's military pay.

Thinking of this, Li Cui took the initiative to say, "The towns must be on high alert. This 280,000 coins and silk will be used to reward the officers and soldiers of the remaining towns and the more than 90,000 troops in the western border. I hope they will do their best to block the rebel army's advance."

"Your subject obeys the decree..." Yu Cong bowed respectfully. He had brought up this matter on his own initiative, precisely because of this idea.

In addition, he also decided to postpone the payment of military salaries to the remaining three states.

If, as Zheng Tian said, Liu Jilong intends to seize the seven northern prefectures of Guannei Road, then the military supplies for the remaining three prefectures can be kept for unforeseen circumstances.

"Your Majesty..." Although Xu Shang had already been decided to be appointed as an official in a remote area, he still took the initiative to speak:
"Today, news of victory arrived from Jiangnan West Circuit. Raozhou and Fuzhou have fallen into the hands of the rebels, but Liu Shixiang led his army to recapture Jiangzhou (Jiujiang) and killed more than 20,000 rebels."

"Li Guochang reported his victory and led his army to recapture Huangzhou, killing more than 30,000 bandits and seizing thousands of carts and horses."

"Governor Kang reports a victory: the three armies have recaptured Luzhou, killed 20,000 rebels, and are now marching on Shuzhou."

As soon as Xu Shang finished speaking, Li Cui couldn't help but exclaim, "Great!"

"Although we lost two states, we were able to recapture three, so the merits and demerits can be considered balanced."

"Issue the imperial decree, ordering Kang Chengxun, Liu Zhan, Li Guochang, and others to quell the bandits immediately. I want to see the Jianghuai bandits completely wiped out before the summer begins!"

“Yes…” Xu Shang replied respectfully, and then Li Cui stood up and said:
"First, we must quell the bandits in the Jianghuai region, and then we will seize the opportunity to quell the rebel army. I want to personally watch Liu Jilong being brought to Xianning Palace!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he turned and left without waiting for anyone's reply. The officials could only bow and pay their respects to see him off.

However, Li Cui's idea was correct, but reality was not the same.

"Crackling..."

As the fire crackled and popped, it was already getting dark.

The clanging of armor plates echoed continuously throughout Rulin County in Yinzhou, while the people of the county hid in their homes, not daring to go out at all.

In the distance, a corner of the rammed earth city wall had been blown down, and the streets were filled with Han soldiers dressed in red coats and silver armor.

"King of Han!"

The rapid sound of hooves and shouts rang out, and Liu Jilong, who was heading towards the Rulin County Government Office in Yinzhou, reined in his horse and turned to look behind him.

But then Cao Mao rode up on his horse, his face full of joy.

He spurred his horse and rushed up behind Liu Jilong, then reined in his horse and said happily, "Your Majesty, news has come from the north that Husi Guang has captured Yunzhong and Dingxiang counties and seized Baidao Pass in Yinshan."

"He still has more than 5,000 brothers. If nothing unexpected happens, he can take the remaining three cities within ten days at the latest."

"Good!" Liu Jilong's eyes flashed with joy, and he said, "Immediately transfer three thousand infantrymen from Shuofang to Dingxiang, Yunzhong and other places to garrison."

"Furthermore, tomorrow you must muster five thousand infantrymen and personally march north to capture the five counties of Linzhou and Yinzhou."

"I stationed troops in Yinzhou to wait, and sent people to recruit strong and capable men from among the surrendered soldiers. The rest were all sent to Hexi in exchange for enough warhorses and riding horses."

"Your subordinate obeys!" Cao Mao readily agreed, and then immediately instructed the two captains following behind him to make arrangements, while he himself followed Liu Jilong to the state government office.

After entering the government office, the two sat in the main seat and the left seat, and instructed the cook to prepare a meal.

"Your Majesty, after this battle, Shuofang will run out of food supplies. I request Your Majesty to allocate more grain to support Shuofang."

"Hmm," Liu Jilong replied, adding:
"I will hand over the Guannei Circuit to the Shuofang Town, so you will have control of nine prefectures."

"Of the 30,000 troops you have, I need to take 20,000 with me. You can promote the remaining 10,000 troops and recruit another 30,000."

Forty thousand troops should be enough to guard Guannei Road for a short time, since there are no more troops left in towns like Hedong and Datong to harass Guannei Road.

In addition, the last forces of the towns in the northwest of Beijing have also gathered in the three prefectures of Jingyuan and Long. As long as he gathers enough troops, he can deal with these 90,000 government troops in one fell swoop.

In attacking the seven states, he lost more than 3,000 troops, and Husi Guang's side should have suffered similar losses.

At that time, they will be able to gather 30,000 troops to march south, and with the addition of the troops from Qin Prefecture, they will be able to gather approximately 50,000 troops to attack the government forces.

Thinking of this, Liu Jilong looked at Cao Mao, who then spoke up, "King of Han, how about we directly recruit 40,000 soldiers?"

"Why?" Liu Jilong asked him in return, but Cao Mao spoke up:
"The main population and farmland of Guannei Dao are in the Liangmao area of ​​Longdong in the south, so the rest of the nine provinces basically rely on the imperial court to transport money and grain."

"The people of the Nine Provinces number 250,000 to 260,000, and the land they can cultivate is only 1.4 million mu. If we can directly recruit 40,000 soldiers, their families can be supported by the soldiers' pay. The people will naturally support us."

"Moreover, when we attack Hedong in the future, we will have to launch attacks from both the north and the south. The Shuofang Army has a larger number of troops, which will also be beneficial for attacking Hedong in the future."

What Cao Mao said was not complicated. It was simply about binding all the people in Guannei Road onto the Han army's ship, making them dependent on the Han army in terms of both land and personal life.

Liu Jilong pondered for a moment. Although he felt that doing so would cost too much in military expenses, he also sensed that as their power continued to expand, their troops were becoming increasingly insufficient.

Thinking of this, Liu Jilong took the initiative to speak up: "Shuofang has 45,000 troops, Hexi has 15,000 troops, Longyou has 30,000 troops, Shannan West Road has 30,000 troops, and Xichuan and Dongchuan have 30,000 troops."

"Since we need to recruit soldiers, we should gather them as soon as possible. It's not too late to start recruiting soldiers before we start teaching literacy."

"As long as we win the battle of Jingyuan, our army can enter Guanzhong at any time, and the resources of Jingyuan and Longzhou will be enough to relieve some of the pressure."

Excessive expansion of the army will inevitably lead to a decline in the quality of the troops, but Liu Jilong has no other choice.

The best course of action now is to recruit soldiers first and then promote literacy; otherwise, many opportunities will be seized by the forces that rise to power later.

As Liu Jilong finished speaking, the food was served.

The two discussed it carefully. Although Liu Jilong was still slightly uneasy about Cao Mao's abilities, fortunately there were no strong enemies around Guannei Road, which was enough for Cao Mao to gain experience.

After the meal, Cao Mao retired to rest.

The following morning, he mustered 5,000 soldiers and recruited nearly 10,000 laborers from Yinzhou before leading his army directly to attack Linzhou, which was 200 miles to the northeast.

Meanwhile, Liu Jilong, along with Yang Xin, began repairing the city wall of Rulin County, waiting for the northern troops to march south and join them.

During this period, except when the Han army had to forcibly conscript some laborers, they were far more reasonable than the Xia-Sui army that had previously been stationed there.

Gradually, the people of Rulin County lowered their guard, hoping only that their men would return alive.

Upon learning that the Han army had captured Rulin County, many refugees who had been hiding in the nearby hills and ridges to survive also gathered outside Rulin County.

"Junye, can we go in?"

The north wind blew their robes. Liu Jilong and Yang Xin, who were standing on the city wall, looked down and saw hundreds of "wild men" who were naked from the waist up and covered their lower bodies with leaves and dry grass.

The two walked down the city wall and arrived at the city gate.

"If fellow villagers want to go in, they only need to register and be included in the household register, and they can also be allocated land."

As Liu Jilong walked out of the passageway, looking at the group of people with sunken cheeks and protruding ribs, he couldn't help but speak up.

"King of Han!"

When the soldiers at the city gate saw that the person who came was Liu Jilong, they immediately bowed and saluted, while the skinny savages knelt down upon hearing this.

"No need to kneel, stand up and speak."

Liu Jilong helped the leader up, and looking at his wrist, which was less than two fingers wide than his own, he was filled with mixed feelings.

"Are you people who fled into Liangmao?"

He asked the group of people, and they all nodded, but the leader shook his head and said, "We couldn't pay the taxes, so the soldiers demolished our houses and drove us out of the city."

"We all shared the same plight, so we would forage for wild grass and tree bark to eat in the hills and ridges, or beg for some food from our former relatives and neighbors when they went out of town to farm..."

Upon hearing this, Liu Jilong felt a pang of sadness and patted his hand to comfort him, saying, "The court's evil deeds have caused suffering to you common people."

“Now that we have come, you need not be afraid.”

After Liu Jilong finished speaking, he turned to Yang Xin and said, "Young Master Yang, make sure these people are settled properly. First, prepare some millet porridge for them to eat their fill. In a couple of days, distribute the land and build houses for them."

"Yes!" Yang Xin looked at the group of people who resembled savages and couldn't help but recall the days when he was enslaved by the Tibetans. His nose turned slightly red.

"Thank you, King Han!"

"Thank you for your great favor, Your Majesty!"

The people didn't know how to express their gratitude, so they could only kneel on the ground and kowtow repeatedly to express their thanks.

Looking at their emaciated appearance, Liu Jilong couldn't bear to watch any longer and turned to Yang Xin, saying:

“Send more people to the hills to pacify the people. I do not believe that there are only these people in the hills.”

"You and I were once enslaved by the Tibetans, so we should know what it feels like to go hungry."

"The same applies to Tibet and the imperial court."

"The land originally belonged to the people, and what we need to do now is simply to return the land that originally belonged to them to them, so that they can have enough to eat and wear."

These simple words caused the people at the city gate to burst into tears.

To them, the imperial court and Tibet were no different; they were simply both robbing grain and destroying houses.

If the officials had even a fraction of the compassion that the King of Han before them possessed, how could they have been forced into the mountains and become savages?

The leader couldn't help but kneel down again, looking up at Liu Jilong with hope in his eyes.

"King of Han, will the government troops fight back?"

His words attracted everyone's attention, and the people all looked at Liu Jilong.

They did not want the government troops to fight back, simply because, to them, the government troops were even more terrifying than the barbarians.

In response to his question, Liu Jilong helped him up again and patted him on the shoulder reassuringly.

"As long as I am alive, you can continue farming in peace. No one can disturb your peaceful lives..."

(End of this chapter)