Tiger Guards

Chapter 635 The Secret Edict Carried by Him
Zhao Ji led only three thousand cavalrymen ahead to Qi County, where they spent the night.

Five days ago, Han Shu led 8,000 Shuofang volunteers, which he had taken over from Jia Xu, through Qi County. The city of Qi County had been taken over by the soldiers left behind by Han Shu and was under strict military control, meaning that people were allowed to enter but not leave.

During a march, various situations can arise, resulting in injuries and personnel who are no longer fit to continue moving with the army.

There is no need to force these people within our controlled territory.

After Han Shu takes over the army, he should also make appropriate adjustments, separating a small number of people temporarily from the main body of the army to carry out additional military tasks, which will make it easier for Han Shu to control the army better.

Therefore, he imposed military control on Qi County and left a pre-built camp outside the city.

Zhao Jizhong's army marched more than 200 li every day, with one person and three or four horses. This was not a heavy marching task at all, and it saved them the arduous and meaningless labor of setting up and breaking up camps.

The soldiers and officers did not feel too tired during the march of more than 200 li a day, mainly because it was to facilitate the recovery of the horses' strength and make them more durable.

To avoid damaging the horses during a forced march, which would result in insufficient horse numbers and a continued decrease in overall marching efficiency.

Inside the military camp, Zhao Ji stared at the map; he could now almost draw it from memory.

Only when he is staring at the map does he feel secure in controlling the overall process.

It's not that I'm afraid of encountering any danger myself, but I'm more worried about the overall situation being destroyed. At that time, no matter how bravely we fight, it will only be a case of twice the effort for half the result.

But now it's different. The army's morale is high, and I don't need to work too hard to achieve twice the result with half the effort.

Staring at the map, Zhao Ji's gaze moved upwards. Northwest of Qi County was Anding County of Liangzhou. By detouring through Anding County, one could pass through Jieting, cross the Longshan Mountains, and then go south through Lueyang to directly penetrate the heart of Tianshui, appearing east of Ji County and west of Shanggui.

In order to deceive Han Sui, Zhao Ji did not trust the officials of the Three Auxiliary Regions, nor did he trust the powerful local magnates of Tianshui who lacked actual control.

Based on actual marching efficiency, Zhao Ji kept his eyes on Lueyang. If Han Shu had not encountered an ambush or blockade by the coalition of local powerful families during his march, then Han Shu should be spending the night in Lueyang now.

By tomorrow afternoon, Han Shu's vanguard will be able to appear in Wangyuan County, between Ji County and Shanggui County.

If there are no unexpected obstacles on my end, I will appear in Wangyuan County in three days under the name of Han Shu's rear army.

During these three days, Zhao Ji did not want to witness the scene of powerful figures in Tianshui plotting to raise an army and rebel.

Due to the ongoing turmoil in Liangzhou, Tianshui served as the imperial court's forward base for suppressing the rebellion. A massive amount of military funds were poured out, and the powerful families of Tianshui received even a small share, generally feeling "benefited by the country for generations." This made each family strong and gave them control over border military tactics.

If the powerful figures in Tianshui decide to take a big gamble, they can definitely mobilize more than 20,000 troops.

Eliminating these people would be a huge waste of time, and Zhao Ji didn't want to bother with these small fry.

Once Liangzhou is stabilized and the Eastern Allied Forces have lost momentum, a ruthless official will be appointed as the governor of Tianshui. With the assistance of the nearby garrison, the powerful families of Tianshui will be ruined, and their entire clans will migrate to populate the border areas and continue to contribute their strength.

Therefore, Zhao Ji was genuinely worried that the powerful figures in Tianshui might realize something, or, under the persuasion of others, raise troops in response to Han Sui, directly severing the connection between Ma Chao's armies and Guanzhong, and cooperating with Han Sui's army to divide and encircle Ma Chao, Zhang Xiu, and other armies.

If this situation arises, then more Han and Hu tribal leaders, and even ordinary people and refugees, will take up their ancestral rusty swords and rise up in rebellion to defend the king and punish them.

"Grand Tutor, the hot tea is here."

As Zhao Ji was deep in thought, he heard a sound and turned around to see Zhuge Liang carrying a plate of mare's milk tea to the vicinity.

Zhuge Liang joined the army as a retainer of Zhuge Jin, and his current role in the army is that of Zhuge Jin's attendant and bodyguard, but this is only a temporary position.

Zhuge Jin's original intention was to bring Zhuge Liang to see the battlefield, but he did not expect Zhao Ji to suddenly leave the Pingyang camp and launch a surprise attack on Liangzhou.

In this way, Zhuge Liang was dressed in light, two-piece armor, becoming the go-between for everyone to serve tea and snacks while they worked. When Zhuge Liang saw the map scroll in Zhao Ji's hand, he instinctively turned his head away to avoid suspicion.

Zhao Ji casually picked up a wooden bowl and asked, "Kongming, what will we see when our army passes Jieting and arrives in Tianshui in three days? Will the people of Tianshui line the streets to welcome us, or will they defend the city and try to join forces with Han Sui's rebel army?"

"Grand Tutor, I am ignorant of military affairs."

Zhuge Liang looked troubled. Seeing Zhao Ji staring intently at him, he could only lower his head and frown slightly in thought: "However, Tianshui is known as Hanyang. I have heard many families boast of their loyalty and righteousness. If some treacherous person spreads rumors, things may change."

"Similar to what I was worried about."

Zhao Ji commented and did not continue to make things difficult for Zhuge Liang. Zhuge Liang then began to hand out teacups to the people around him, and then picked up a copper kettle to pour milk tea into everyone's bowls.

To remove the fishy smell, pepper and other spice powders are added to the mare's milk tea.

Under Zhao Ji's advocacy, now that winter has arrived, ordinary officials and soldiers who can't drink proper tea will drink ginger tea, or even barley tea and roasted barley tea.

If conditions are tough, grinding some wheat and soybean powder, frying it until burnt, and then brewing it can also make a kind of tea.

Drinking tea is a common practice in military and office settings. What you brew is no longer important; the key is to drink enough hot water.

People often dry the tender new wheat seedlings in the sun. Since wheat seedlings are resistant to trampling, harvesting some wheat leaves and drying or roasting them will not affect the growth of the wheat.

Therefore, people would drink barley leaf tea, dandelion tea, or try to invent and research other kinds of tea.

If one day, at noon, a group of people and tenants in the fields were enjoying the cool air and cooking dried radish tea, pickled radish tea, or salted radish tea, Zhao Ji wouldn't find it strange.

The radish roots nowadays are only about the size of a finger; they're good for drying and making tea.

There is not much difference between brewing tea and brewing medicine.

Drinking different teas is like drinking different medicines. They may not cure diseases, but they can certainly prevent or treat some illnesses.

Therefore, after Zhao Ji started it, the folk custom of drinking tea became more and more popular, and medicinal teas followed suit and became popular and sold well.

At this moment, Zhao Ji was drinking mare's milk tea. He noticed that some people were breaking up burnt and softened wheat cakes and putting them into their teacups, which Zhao Ji had grown accustomed to.

Various unorthodox tea-drinking schools are also increasing day by day. It feels like sooner or later, people who boil bone broth will also regard it as a tea for strengthening bones and improving health.

After delivering the hot tea, Zhuge Liang took the tray and left. Without even taking off his shoes, he returned to his drafty tent, lay down on the thick bundle of dry grass, and fell into a deep sleep.

Even in his deep sleep, the energetic Zhuge Liang began to have bizarre and fantastical dreams.

Tianshui, the outskirts of Ji County.

Xin Pi followed the Zhao family of Didao and other officials and people from Didao to this place. Many of the migrants who had relatives nearby also went to stay with their relatives.

The Zhao family of Didao then came to find the Zhao family of Jicheng, and Xin Pi, as a nominal member of the Zhao family, also went to see them.

The Zhao clan is widespread throughout the former Qin territory. For example, there are Zhao clans in Zhang County, and their clan ranking is even higher than that of the Zhao clans in Didao and Jicheng.

Thus, the 'secret edict' that Xinpi carried close to his body finally found its use when he took it out to use the toilet.

(End of this chapter)