Guiyi Fei Tang

Chapter 475 The Battle for Daibei
"Beep--"

In mid-August of the first year of Qianfu, while the north was suffering from a severe drought and Li Guochang and his son were deserted by their followers, places such as Jingxiang and Jiangnan were hit by torrential rains.

Water levels rose in many tributaries of the Han River, breaching dikes and creating floods that rushed downstream.

Hundreds of fast horses kept blowing wooden whistles, notifying villages on both sides of the Han River to evacuate inland.

But how can human strength contend with nature? Even with horses foaming at the mouth, the flood peak of the Han River still rushed downstream.

At dawn, Xiangyang City, located in the middle reaches of the Han River, was hit by a flood peak. Before the city walls could be reinforced with rammed earth and bricks, they were washed away by the flood.

Countless boats and broken trees were swept into the city by the muddy floodwaters. The walls of the neighborhoods were washed away, and all the people could only climb onto their own rooftops and onto the city walls.

As the flood peak passed, the roads of Xiangyang were crowded with refugees, officials, and soldiers, while countless bloated corpses floated in the floodwaters...

"On the day of Guimao in the eighth month, the Han River overflowed, the dike of Xiangcheng collapsed, houses were destroyed, and crops were drowned."

"In the year of Bingwu, locusts broke out in the six prefectures of Weibo and the two prefectures of Bian and Hua, causing many people to flee. The regional military governors closed their grain reserves to protect themselves."

"On the day of Gui Chou, Commander-in-Chief Po Hu led his army to break through Shiling Pass, and Cui Xuan surrendered Xin and Dai prefectures."

On the second day of the ninth month, several memorials were delivered to Liu Jilong's desk. Liu Jilong could only frown as he read through them one by one. Only when he saw the last memorial did his brows relax slightly.

He slowly raised his head and saw that in addition to Gao Jinda, Zhang Yanhui, Luo Yin, and Lu Guimeng, there were also Wang Shi, Zheng Tian, ​​and Li Shangyin, who had just arrived in Luoyang.

"The severe drought in the north has spread to Bianzhou and Huazhou due to the Weibo drought, and it is feared that the two prefectures will have no harvest this year."

"Han Junxiong, the military governor of Weibo, purchased grain from six prefectures to protect himself, leaving the people with no grain to buy and forcing them to flee south."

"More than 30,000 starving people have poured into Huazhou, and the influx continues. We can leave 560,000 shi of grain transported from various towns in Bianzhou and Huazhou to stabilize grain prices."

"The flood peak of the Han River has affected Xiangzhou and Yingzhou. However, Yingzhou is in Gao Qianli's hands. Our army only needs to settle the 60,000 disaster victims in Xiangzhou and then transfer grain to stabilize grain prices."

Gao Jinda reported the details of the locust plague and floods and the results of their handling. Liu Jilong then inquired, "Which towns dispatched the 560,000 shi of grain?"

In response to this question, Gao Jinda bowed and said, "Gao Pian will transport 200,000 shi, Zhu Quanzhong will transport 50,000 shi, Song Wei will transport 50,000 shi, Zeng Yuanyu of Xuzhou will transport 100,000 shi, Kang Chengxun of Huainan will transport 100,000 shi, Lu Kuang of Zhaoyi will transport 30,000 shi, and Lu Jianfang of Yichang will transport 30,000 shi..."

Five hundred and sixty thousand shi (a unit of dry measure) may seem like a lot, but compared to the money and grain that various towns used to transport to the imperial court, it is not even a drop in the ocean.

However, summer taxes are usually not much; the main tax to watch is the autumn tax.

"Of the 560,000 shi, over 400,000 shi should have been transported to Henan."

"With this batch of grain, we should be able to settle the starving people who fled south to Huazhou."

Zheng Tian rarely offered advice, but faced with the disasters in Henan and Hebei, he still took the initiative to speak to Liu Jilong, and continued:
"Currently, seven towns have started transporting money and grain, but there has been no news from the towns of Dongchang in Zhejiang East, Zhang Sitai in Tianping, Han Junxiong in Weibo, Hou Gu in Yiwu, Wang Jingchong in Chengde, and Zhang Yunshen in Lulong."

"It is understandable that Lulong transported money and grain twice, but it is different for Chengde, Weibo and Tianping."

"I believe that after the army marches north and captures Datong, we can advance east and occupy Yiwu, thus hindering the two towns of Chengde and Lulong."

Zheng Tian had witnessed the strength of the Han army, which is why he dared to make this suggestion. If it were the Tang Dynasty of yesteryear, Zheng Tian would not have dared to make such a suggestion.

After all, stationing troops in Yiwu is like planting a thorn between Lulong and Chengde, which could easily lead to conflict.

Given the strength of the imperial court, it is probably unable to wage war against the two towns.

However, the Han army was different. All 280,000 of its troops were fully armored and had no fear of the three towns of Hebei.

"Yiwu will definitely be taken back. As for Wang Jingchong, some money and grain can be temporarily allocated to appease Chengde Yajiang."

Liu Jilong affirmed Zheng Tian's suggestion, and seeing this, Wang Shi took the initiative to say:
"After Gao Qianli annexed the two towns of Jiangxi and Fujian, he will probably have to take action against Song Wei in Jiangdong and Dong Chang in Zhejiang next."

"Song Wei and Dong Chang together have only about 70,000 to 80,000 troops, while Gao Qianli probably has no less than 150,000 troops."

“If Gao Qianli really pacifies Jiangdong and Jiangzhe, and then relies on Yingzhou and other prefectures north of the Yangtze River to advance eastward and take control of Huainan, then Gao Qianli will definitely be an obstacle for Your Highness.”

"Why not take advantage of Gao Qianli's lack of reaction time, and after pacifying Datong and Yiwu, immediately send troops to recover all eight prefectures north of the Yangtze River from Gao Qianli's control?"

Wang Shi's idea was to wipe out Gao Pian's influence in Jiangbei, but Liu Jilong did not think so.

He preferred to fight a decisive battle north of the Yangtze River, which would alleviate the supply pressure on the Han army. Moreover, if Gao Pian was severely defeated north of the Yangtze River, the Han army could sweep across the south of the Yangtze River even faster.

Anyway, Huainan has already been ruined by Huang Chao, Wang Xianzhi and others, so it can't get any worse, but Jiangnan is different.

Since Huang Chao did not roam south of the Yangtze River for too long, the war damage in the Jiangnan region was still within a controllable range, and the overall population situation south of the Yangtze River was much better than in history.

Perhaps it was precisely for this reason that Gao Pian fantasized about a division between the North and the South, a return to the situation of the Northern and Southern Dynasties.

"There's no need to worry about Gao Pian. Song Wei and Dong Chang dare to fight the world first, which shows that they are not weak."

"Even if Gao Pian really sends troops to occupy Jiangdong and Liangzhe, we can still send troops to recover Xuzhou and Sishui, and rely on the money and grain of Xuzhou and Sishui to recover Huainan in the south."

Liu Jilong spoke to Wang Shi, and everyone nodded in agreement.

After all, everyone could see Zeng Yuanyu and Kang Chengxun's attitudes. The two had no intention of establishing their own independent regimes; they only wanted to sell their subordinates for a good price.

"Although Zeng Yuanyu and Kang Chengxun intend to surrender to the imperial court, their subordinates are unlikely to be willing."

Wang Shi, with a hint of unease, replied to Liu Jilong's explanation: "I have served as a garrison commander in Xuzhou and Huainan, and I know their character."

“In all the towns of Guandong, joining the army is an honor, and many generals, colonels, and captains have hereditary titles.”

"The reason why soldiers in towns such as Zhongwu, Xuanwu, and Yicheng were able to obey His Highness's orders, lay down their weapons, and turn to farming is mainly because the veterans of these three towns were captured by His Highness and exiled to the Western Regions during the two battles in Longxi and Longdong."

"The soldiers recruited in the three towns were also very arrogant, but most of them were recruited from farmers. As long as they were given land equally, they would naturally be able to cultivate it obediently. But the other towns were different."

"Although troops from Shandong, Huaihe River Basin and Hebei Province also participated in several battles in Guanzhong, the number of veteran soldiers killed or wounded was not high."

"Most of these veterans are hereditary and have no idea how to farm. Even if His Highness distributes land to them, they won't be able to pick up a hoe to cultivate it. In the end, they will only bring disaster to the village."

"Your Highness's decree to redistribute land equally may please the common people and ordinary soldiers, but these arrogant guards will probably not accept it unless Your Highness can bestow wealth upon each of them..."

Wang Shi described the most difficult situation to deal with in the Guandong garrisons in his view, which was also a stubborn problem left over from the An Lushan Rebellion.

To eradicate this stubborn problem, one must either follow Zhao Kuangyin's example and grant them sufficient wealth and honor, or follow Zhu Wen's example and exterminate eight thousand families in one night.

Of course, besides these two methods, there is a third method, which is the method Liu Jilong used before: defeat all the soldiers head-on, kill the ringleader, scatter the troops, and exile the whole family to the frontier.

Compared to the former two, Liu Jilong naturally preferred his own method, since he believed that immigration to the border regions was the best way to assimilate the ethnic groups in the border areas and expand the territory.

Leaving aside Yunnan, Annam, and Liaodong, which have not yet been recovered, even in the Western Regions, despite Liu Jilong having relocated a significant number of people there, the Han Chinese population in the Western Regions remains around 150,000.

This number is barely enough to restore the situation to the height of the Han people's influence in the Western Regions, but it is still far from being a complete Sinicization of the Western Regions.

Currently, the living space of Han people in the Western Regions has almost encompassed the areas north and south of the eastern Tianshan Mountains and the two places of Kucha and Yanqi in southern Xinjiang.

However, the areas further west, including Shule (Kashgar), Yili (Ili), and Suyab, were still occupied by the Uyghurs and Karluks at this time.

Even if people wanted to migrate there, it would be extremely difficult, no less so than migrating Han Chinese from Hexi to Kucha.

However difficult it may be, as long as one is willing to put in the effort, it is still possible to spread the footprints of the Han people.

The generals and soldiers of Hebei, Shandong, and Huaihe were the main force behind Liu Jilong's later migration and consolidation of the border regions.

After calming his thoughts, Liu Jilong nodded to Wang Shi and said, "I was well aware of the stubborn problems of the generals and soldiers in Guandong."

“Previously, the garrison troops in Hezhong, Shanguo, and Heyang rebelled, and I did not show any mercy, suppressing and exiling them all.”

"If the generals and soldiers of all the garrisons are like this, then I will have no choice but to use the same methods as before..."

"Your Highness is wise." Wang Shi praised Liu Jilong without reservation.

Compared to Li Chen and Li Cui, who only liked to appease and compromise, Liu Jilong's attitude was the right way to deal with the arrogance of his generals and soldiers since the An Lushan Rebellion.

Seeing Wang Shi say this, Gao Jinda also stepped forward and spoke up:

"Your Highness, comforting the famine-stricken people in Henan will not require more than 400,000 shi of grain. Why not store some of the grain in the granaries and wait until the army's northern expedition is over before planning the eastward advance?"

"Previously, our army was unable to advance eastward due to two reasons: a shortage of food and supplies, and a lack of manpower."

"Now that the two states have been hit by disaster again, the people are unable to farm, and we can only provide work relief in the future."

"Since we're going to use work relief instead of labor relief, why not just send troops eastward to quell the rebellion of Taiping and Yichang?"

"Your Highness, I feel the same way," Luo Yin and Lu Guimeng both stood up to voice their support.

Liu Jilong nodded upon hearing this, and mentally calculated the time.

The reason he did not immediately send troops was not only because the Central Plains were in ruins and could not provide enough people and laborers, but also because he was worried that the number of officials would not be enough.

Nowadays, most officials are graduates of the fifteen universities in Longyou. In order to speed up the process, Liu Jilong even exempted them from the two steps of going to the countryside and joining the army.

Even so, the number of officials that Longyou could provide each year was basically between three and four thousand, while the number of clerks was between eight and ten thousand.

The number was naturally large, but Liu Jilong's eastward and southward campaigns were too fast.

Starting from the seventh year of the Xiantong era, only six years have passed, and Liu Jilong has gone from being relegated to a position controlling eight circuits.

The Tang Dynasty had 30,000 officials and 100,000 clerks, but many officials had complicated duties, so Liu Jilong subdivided them, which naturally increased the number of officials needed.

In addition, the Censorate uncovers many corrupt officials every year, and then punishes and exiles them, so the actual number of new officials each year is only about three thousand five or six hundred.

Currently, the court under Liu Jilong's rule has 20,000 officials and 60,000 clerks.

The number of officials is about right, but the number of clerks is still insufficient.

Thinking of this, Liu Jilong took a deep breath and said, "If we calculate the time, it's only a little over three months until the students of Longyou graduate. If we march east to pacify Tianping and Yichang, we still have enough time."

"Now, we will first transfer 1,500 officials and 5,000 clerks from Kansai to Hedong to prepare to take over the governance of Hedong, Datong, and Yiwu."

“After the war in the north has been settled, one thousand officials and three thousand clerks will be selected from the newly graduated students to go east to Tianping and Yichang.”

"In addition, once the autumn harvest is complete, all the autumn grain from Hezhong, Heyang, and Shanguo will be transported to Hua and Bian prefectures."

"If the three towns are short of food, then transport it from Guanzhong. Order Hu Siguang and Chen Jingchong to reorganize the troops and send them out on command."

"Yes!" Everyone in the hall bowed and kowtowed. Liu Jilong nodded in response, and the others left the Prince of Han's residence one after another to attend to their own business.

While things were in full swing in Luoyang, An Pohu, who was on a northern expedition, accepted Cui Xuan's surrender and took over the two prefectures of Xin and Dai. He then sent troops to escort Cui Xuan and his generals and officials south.

When the general was captured, his soldiers naturally refused to submit. Mutinous soldiers rose up in the counties of Xin and Dai prefectures, and An Pohu sent troops to continuously suppress them.

"Wow..."

A bucket of river water was poured onto the steps of the Yanmen County government office, washing away most of the bloodstains.

Such bloodstains can be seen on almost any street in the county.

In addition, the houses that had been burned down by the mutinous soldiers had just been extinguished. Many civilians had been conscripted as laborers and were now carrying the corpses of the mutinous soldiers from Hedong onto carts in the streets, removing their armor and battle robes, piling up their naked bodies, and driving them out of the city to be burned.

The armor was handed over, while the tattered battle coats were divided up among the laborers of Yanmen County.

Even the most tattered battle coat can sell for tens of coins, enough to buy food for two days.

The gaunt laborers happily drove the carriages out of the city, while the naked corpses on the carriages swayed with each movement, blood dripping down their sides...

"Cough cough!"

Inside the county government office, An Pohu sat coughing in the main seat, while Wang Chongrong sat on the left, bowing to An Pohu and saying:

"Governor, all the prefectures and counties in Hedong have been recovered, and the rebels have been suppressed. Currently, our army still has 30,000 troops stationed in Yanmen. It is time to send a fast horse to inform Governor Cao that we are advancing eastward."

"No rush," An Pohu calmly reassured him, then inquired, "Have the rebels in each county been suppressed? How many prisoners were captured? How many troops do we still have in the rear?"

When Wang Chongrong saw him asking, he immediately became interested and mocked, "These soldiers from Hedong are indeed arrogant, but unfortunately they are all weaklings."

"More than 5,000 people rebelled, and more than 700 were killed before surrendering. Our army suffered less than 200 casualties, and there were still 10,000 soldiers and more than 4,000 wounded in the rear."

"So, more than five thousand died in the battle?" An Pohu frowned, and seeing Wang Chongrong nod, he couldn't help but sigh:
"The soldiers of today are indeed somewhat inferior to the veterans of yesteryear..."

He didn't know what to say, so he could only shake his head.

On the contrary, Wang Chongrong, seeing his attitude, couldn't help but explain: "The passes in Hedong are difficult to attack, and most of our brothers have died in the siege. There's nothing we can do about it."

"With over 5,400 dead, they defeated the Hedong Town with its 50,000 troops. This is already an unparalleled achievement."

An Pohu shook his head: "That's true, but 15,000 of them were new recruits, and the remaining 35,000 and tens of thousands of soldiers surrendered. Compared to Your Highness, this achievement is still far inferior."

Wang Chongrong felt helpless upon hearing this. If An Pohu were to compare him to Liu Jilong, then his record would naturally be less impressive.

After all, since Liu Jilong went into battle, apart from the less-than-stellar results of the initial Shuofang campaign, the results of the other battles have been quite remarkable.

Wang Chongrong didn't know what to say, but fortunately, a junior officer suddenly appeared outside the yamen and strode towards it.

"Zhu Dalang, what's the rush?"

Upon seeing the visitors, Wang Chongrong hurriedly greeted them, while the tall, imposing general entered the yamen and bowed to the two men.

"Please, Zhu Mei, pay your respects to the Governor and the Prefect..."

"What happened?" An Pohu frowned as he saw Zhu Mei rushing over.

Zhu Mei was originally a colonel in the Binning army. He later surrendered after fighting against the Han army. He performed outstandingly among the surrendered soldiers, so he was exempted from the punishment of being exiled to the Western Regions and was recruited into the army.

In the subsequent major battles, Zhu Mei followed An Pohu and made continuous contributions, and it took three years before he was promoted to the rank of deputy general.

"Governor, there is internal strife in the north of Dai. The chieftains of Tuyuhun and Shatuo, Helian Duo, Bai Yicheng, Mihaiwan, Li Youjin and others have surrendered Shuozhou."

"The traitors Li Guochang and Li Keyong led more than 10,000 troops to defend Yunzhou and Weizhou."

The news brought by Zhu Mei was too shocking. The Datong army, which had been advancing unstoppably, was suddenly torn apart. This was something no one could have imagined.

"Is it a feigned surrender?" Wang Chongrong asked hastily, but Zhu Mei quickly replied:

"This humble general has already dispatched fast horses out of the pass to search for Shuozhou."

Upon hearing this, Wang Chongrong looked at An Pohu, who pondered for a moment before turning to Zhu Mei: "What conditions do these surrendering people have?"

"Yes!" Zhu Mei nodded and reported, "Helian Duo hopes to take over as the Datong Defense Commissioner, while the other three are requesting that the court allow them to graze in Shengzhou, Fengzhou, Daizhou, and Xinzhou." From the early Tang Dynasty to the present, the court has been very fond of settling surrendered tribes in border prefectures and counties, and Daibei is now filled with multiple ethnic groups.

Li Guochang and his son were able to muster so many troops mainly by relying on the Tatars and the various tribes of Daibei.

Now that the various tribes of Daibei do not support them, their strength has naturally been weakened considerably, which has delighted Anpohu.

"Their conditions need to be reported to Your Highness for a decision, but you can tell them that even if it doesn't work out, they will still be rich and powerful."

An Pohu instructed Zhu Mei, then looked at Wang Chongrong: "Daizhou has sufficient laborers, and our army still has 30,000 elite troops."

"Send a fast horse to inform Governor Cao that he is leading his army eastward to Yunzhou. Our army will meet up in Yunzhou on the tenth day of the ninth month."

"Yes!" Wang Chongrong nodded in agreement. An Pohu then issued military orders, and Zhu Mei also sent a fast horse to Mayi outside Yanmen Pass to deliver the news that the army would take over Shuozhou the next day.

When Helian Duo and the others learned the news, they did not show any dissatisfaction, but instead obediently waited for the Han army to leave the pass the next day.

From Yanmen Pass to Mayi, it's only thirty li, which the Han army could cover in a morning.

An Pohu left 10,000 troops to garrison Yanmen Pass, Loufan Pass, and Daizhou, while he personally led 5,000 cavalry and infantry and 15,000 infantrymen northward.

To prevent a feigned surrender, he did not mobilize too many laborers, but only conscripted five thousand laborers to drive carts for the soldiers, carrying armor and a month's worth of provisions.

When they were less than five miles from Mayi, An Pohu ordered his three armies to put on their armor and gradually approach Mayi.

"This is the Han army?"

"All of them are fully armored, what a magnificent sight!"

"With such a powerful army, how can Li Guochang and his son possibly win?"

"It seems that surrendering is indeed the best course of action for us."

Outside Mayi City, Helian Duo and others led more than 8,000 Hu soldiers in formation, but to show their sincerity, these Hu soldiers were not wearing armor.

Many of these Hu soldiers, having been in contact with soldiers from Hedong and other prefectures for many years, were originally quite arrogant.

However, once they sensed the strength of the Han army, they immediately became obedient.

Under their watchful eyes, 20,000 Han soldiers marched in like a long dragon, and began to form ranks after arriving outside Mayi City.

Zhu Mei rode his horse and, under the watchful eyes of both armies, came before Helian Duo and the others. He bowed from his horse and said, "My commander and lord are in the formation. Please come over."

Helian Duo, Bai Yicheng, Mi Haiwan, Li Youjin, and the others exchanged glances. Finally, Helian Duo gritted his teeth and said, "Fine!"

The four of them followed Zhu Mei into the Han army formation without any guards.

After all, given the strength displayed by the Han army, even if they were all wearing armor, they probably wouldn't be a match for the Han army.

The five men rode into the Han army formation at a leisurely pace, but when they observed the Han soldiers up close, Helian Duo and the others couldn't help but lose their composure.

The equipment and elite status of the Han army far exceeded their expectations, so it's no wonder that Cui Xuan, who commanded 50,000 troops, was defeated and killed in less than two months.

"Governor, Your Excellency!"

When Zhu Mei stopped his horse and bowed, Helian Duo and the others came to their senses and hurriedly bowed to An Pohu and Wang Chongrong.

An Pohu nodded, and Wang Chongrong acted as An Pohu's mouthpiece, saying, "I, the Grand Commandant, have already reviewed your conditions and submitted a memorial to the court."

"The matter of stationing troops is simple, but taking over the position of the Datong Defense Commissioner will probably not be easy."

"As you can see, our army is strong, and we still have more than 40,000 troops in Hedong that have not been dispatched north."

"In addition, there are still 30,000 troops available for deployment within the pass. Among them, Governor Cao of the Guannei Circuit has personally led over 10,000 troops to Shengzhou, and they will soon join forces with our army to attack Yun and Wei prefectures."

"But rest assured, His Highness the Prince of Han is benevolent. Even if he cannot take over the position of the Datong Defense Commissioner, His Highness will still promote you and all of you to official positions."

Helian Duo's emotions fluctuated with Wang Chongrong's words, but eventually settled down.

He was willing to accept any arrangement as long as it wasn't a wasted effort, especially after witnessing the strength of the Han army, which further solidified his belief in this idea.

"How many troops do Li Guochang and his son Li Keyong still have?"

When Wang Chongrong asked the four men, Helian Duo quickly replied, "The cavalry number at most seven thousand, the infantry at most ten thousand, and the armored men at most fifteen thousand."

Helian Duo's words gave Wang Chongrong a general understanding of the strength of Li Guochang and his son.

He looked at Anpohu, who nodded and said, "You have all made great contributions. Today I am hosting a banquet to entertain you all. I will also find a way to ensure your wealth and honor. There is no need to worry."

"The army is entering the city!" Upon seeing this, Zhu Mei immediately gave the order to the three armies, and the Han army, under the command of whistles and flags, calmly and orderly entered Mayi City.

After entering the city, they did not harass the people, but took over the city's defenses and then quietly guarded the city walls and arrow towers.

The arrival of the Han army allowed the people of Mayi to directly experience the difference between different armies.

Under the supervision of the Han army, the Hu soldiers, who had previously acted recklessly, became much more obedient, and the security in Mayi City improved visibly.

For this reason, many people even voluntarily donated food to the Han army.

In response to their goodwill, the Han soldiers paid for the grain.

Helian Duo and others saw these situations and felt relieved, but they couldn't help but worry that the Han army's military law was too strict. So they quickly ordered their subordinates to be disciplined to avoid running into the Han army's blade.

That night, An Pohu hosted a banquet for Helian Duo and others at the Mayi County government office, while Wang Chongrong also sent a fast horse to inform Cao Mao to advance eastward.

While they were singing and dancing, Li Keyong, who had just rushed to Yunzhong County in Yunzhou, stormed into the government office.

"Those scoundrels, they should never have been used! Those treacherous bastards!"

Before Li Keyong even entered the yamen, his cursing could already be heard inside.

Li Guochang, Gai Yu, Kang Junli, Xue Zhiqin, and others inside the yamen looked into the courtyard and saw Li Keyong leading Zhou Dewei into the courtyard with a violent expression on his face.

“Cui Xuan has been defeated and surrendered, and Helian Duo and his traitors have also handed over Shuozhou. I’m afraid that in three to five days, Anpohu will advance eastward.”

Li Guochang looked worriedly at Li Keyong as he entered the main hall. Li Keyong did not sit down, but raised his voice and said, "Let them come!"

"An Pohu is not well-known, and among the Han army, apart from Liu Jilong, I fear no one!"

"Even if Liu Jilong personally leads his troops here, I am capable of dealing with him!"

Li Keyong's words made Gai Yu sigh inwardly.

If they really do what Li Keyong said, the final result will probably be either being driven to the southern desert or being completely annihilated here.

In order to prevent the situation from getting worse, Gai Yu stepped forward and bowed, saying, "General, our army has only 16,000 troops left, of which more than 4,000 are unarmored."

"In addition, although the money and grain that our army has looted can sustain the two prefectures for two years, Liu Jilong's troops are strong and well-equipped."

“Even if we defeat Anpohu, Liu Jilong can still continuously send troops and generals to besiege our army. Moreover, Zhang Yunshen of Lulong has expressed his intentions to Liu Jilong several times, clearly wanting Liu Jilong’s promise.”

"If Liu Jilong uses this to get Zhang Yun to send troops to attack us, how long can we hold out?"

"It would be better to take this opportunity to nominally submit to Liu Jilong, and then when Liu Jilong launches his eastern offensive against the He and Huai regions, we can gather our strength and march south."

Gai Yu was one of the few people with a slightly better overall perspective, but precisely because of this, the others did not agree with his suggestions, while Zhou Dewei was too young and not qualified to speak up in such a situation.

"Submit? I'd rather die than surrender!"

Li Keyong reacted the most strongly, while Xue Zhiqin frowned and said, "An Pohu has come with a great victory, and I'm afraid he will not accept the surrender."

“That’s right.” Kang Junli also objected: “Since Liu Jilong rose to power, apart from granting the status of Tibetan subjects, he has never granted any Central Plains vassal states any status.”

"The matter of being a subject is nothing but wishful thinking."

"Even if we are no match for them, retreating to the southern desert is better than bowing down in submission!"

Helpless, Gai Yu could only turn his attention to Li Guochang, but before Li Guochang could even speak, his expression alone was enough to ruin Gai Yu's plan.

"Liu Jilong is nothing but a traitorous rebellious minister. How can I, a member of the Tang imperial family, submit to him?"

"Let's not mention this matter again. I want to see how many troops they can personally lead and whether they can annihilate my father and me!"

"Father, you are wise!" Li Keyong bowed decisively, while Li Guochang waved his hand and said:
"I'm exhausted. Everyone, step back and get some rest. Let's wait for the big battle in a few days!"

"Yes!" Everyone responded and then left the yamen. Only Gai Yu was worried and stayed at the yamen to work through the night.

He first ordered all counties to fortify their cities, then transported as many supplies as possible to Yunzhong, and continued to order the relocation of more than 100,000 people to the passes and fortresses of Niupi, Qingsai, and Tiancheng behind Yunzhong.

Li Guochang and Li Keyong were both focused on preparing for war at the moment, and they did not inquire too much about these matters, assuming that Gaiyu was preparing to settle these people here for land reclamation.

Three days passed quickly. When the fast horse galloped into the Qiantao Plain, Dingxiang City, the former seat of the Anbei Protectorate, stood out prominently in the Qiantao Plain between the Daqing Mountains and the Yellow River.

Dingxiang, which was originally sparsely populated, was relocated to the border by disaster-stricken people from Guannei Road. Not only were many abandoned water conservancy projects repaired, but even the city walls were rebuilt into sturdy rammed earth and brick walls.

There are tens of thousands of acres of farmland outside Dingxiang City, and beyond that lies an endless grassland.

The crops in the fields have turned golden, and the people are busy with the autumn harvest.

These people were not wealthy, but compared to the people of Hedong and Daibei, they were quite well-off.

The fast horse glanced at the people and then rushed into Dingxiang City, bringing the messenger to the government office shortly afterward.

Inside the yamen at this moment, the once-young Cao Mao now has a beard. His appearance is not outstanding, but he is dignified and his eyes are very sharp.

Although the Kyrgyz were driven south by the Han army and split up in the northern desert, many tribes in the southern desert still risked going south.

These tribes that invaded from the south numbered anywhere from several thousand to just over a hundred.

Over the years, Cao Mao has gradually learned a lot through these counterinsurgency campaigns. Although he dares not say that he can rival those famous generals, he has his own methods.

"There are still five days until the tenth, so there's plenty of time."

As Cao Mao spoke, he wrote furiously, and soon finished writing the new military dispatch and handed it out.

Kuaima took the military document, bowed, and quickly left the yamen.

Not long after the fast horse departed, two captains led several junior officers into the yamen. They were between twenty and thirty years old, which was considered young in the army.

Most of these young generals were sons of military families from Longyou who were transferred to Guannei Road and began to familiarize themselves with warfare through pacification wars against Tatars and other tribes.

Geng Huan, son of Geng Ming, Chen Bingwen, son of Chen Jingchong, and other descendants such as Dou Bin, Dou Jingchong, and Hu Siguang all trained in Guannei Road.

They have been training for three years, and Cao Mao plans to lead them to participate in the war to recapture Datong. This will pave the way for them and also repay the kindness they received from Chen Jingchong and others in the past.

"Gather the troops and set off at dawn tomorrow. The army will only need to carry enough provisions for half a month. There is no need to recruit laborers. Once we reach Yunzhou, the Hedong Road will naturally supply our army."

"Your subordinate obeys!!"

Upon receiving Cao Mao's military order, everyone excitedly bowed and hurriedly left the yamen.

The following day at dawn, Cao Mao led 5,000 elite cavalry and 5,000 infantrymen to Yunzhou at a leisurely pace.

The journey of over 400 li (approximately 200 kilometers) took five days, and marching 80 li (approximately 40 kilometers) per day was sufficient for them; it was not difficult.

Three days passed without Cao Mao encountering any obstacles. It wasn't until the afternoon of the fourth day that he discovered the Datong Army's cavalry in the northern part of the abandoned Wuzhou City.

When the Datong army's cavalry spotted them, they promptly fled towards Yunzhong. However, Cao Mao did not order a pursuit but instead calculated the distance between them.

"Our army is still more than 40 li away from Yunzhong. There is no need to rush today. Our army is mainly responsible for interception in this battle. It is not too late to advance eastward after Governor An's main force arrives."

As soon as Cao Mao finished speaking, he immediately ordered: "Set up camp, send out cavalry thirty li away, and forty li away from Yunzhong. Be prepared to react quickly and guard against a sneak attack."

Having followed Liu Jilong in many raids, Cao Mao was naturally more wary of being ambushed himself.

While he was setting up camp, Anpohu had already led his army north and set up camp more than 50 miles south of Yunzhong.

An Pohu's cavalry also made contact and engaged in battle with the Datong army's cavalry. Soon, Li Guochang and his son in Yunzhong City learned that the Han army was preparing to cut off their escape route by attacking from the north and south.

"If the north and south are cut off, we will have no choice but to take the risk of retreating to Huai'an, where the Lulong Army is stationed, to escape from southern Mongolia."

Upon hearing the news, Li Guochang couldn't help but feel anxious, and everyone in the hall was also filled with worry.

In response, Li Keyong couldn't help but ask, "What if we attack from both sides?"

"Their army numbers no more than 20,000 to 30,000, at most 40,000."

"Since they intend to attack from two directions, each of them can only field a maximum of 20,000 troops, while our army, although only having a little over 10,000, is composed of highly skilled horsemen."

At this point, Li Keyong bowed to Li Guochang and said, "Father, I am willing to lead seven thousand cavalrymen and attack from both sides!"

"Defeat one army, then defeat the other, and the crisis will naturally be resolved!"

Li Keyong's words were not wrong, but the Han army was far more numerous, and Li Guochang was still somewhat afraid of the Han army, so he couldn't help but add, "They have too many troops, and you only have seven thousand cavalry, I'm afraid you are no match for them..."

Faced with Li Guochang's dissuasion, Li Keyong lost his temper and raised his voice, saying, "This army is not led by Liu Jilong. How can I not be their opponent?"

"I will lead my troops out now and make sure they suffer a terrible fate, so that Liu Jilong will know how powerful I am!"

Before Li Guochang could stop him, Li Keyong turned and walked out of the hall, calling to Zhou Dewei, "Yang Wu, muster the cavalry and wait at the north gate!"

"Yes!" Zhou Dewei replied without hesitation, and walked out of the yamen first to hurriedly dispatch troops.

After the two men left, Li Guochang got up and paced back and forth, then said:
"If things are beyond our control, we will have no choice but to retreat from Huai'an to the southern desert."

Seeing that Li Guochang had finally relented, Gai Yu breathed a sigh of relief and praised him, saying, "General, your insight is brilliant. I will make the arrangements right away."

“Okay, go ahead…” Li Guochang nodded and instructed Gai Yu to prepare an escape route.

Half an hour later, Li Keyong's seven thousand cavalrymen, whom he had painstakingly cobbled together, lined up in formation north of the city.

Seven thousand cavalrymen were arrayed, with fifteen hundred Crow Army soldiers and generals such as Zhou Dewei and Kang Junli at the head of the ranks.

Facing the massive cavalry, Li Keyong, spear in hand, shouted, "Let's march!!"

(End of this chapter)