In my dream of returning to the Tang Dynasty, I snatched Wu Zetian from my lap.

"Laugh it off, brothers, hurry up and get to Youzhou as soon as possible. The first ones there can rest for a few more days."

"We must prove ourselves and earn some military merit for the King of Han!"

Gong Yun stood on the carriage and shouted to the back.

"yes!!"

All the officers and soldiers shouted in unison, showing great unity.

Without those five hundred horses, reaching Youzhou would have been a long way off, and the entire group would have been punished. They all knew who had saved them.

Li Yuanchang was deeply moved. Although bad people and enemies were everywhere, with careful observation, there were still good people around him.

Gongyun didn't know the reason why he was demoted to the army, only that he was demoted, so she was very enthusiastic and wanted to help him get some credit.

Even if it's just logistical work like escorting grain supplies, if you do it well, your superiors will notice.

in the afternoon.

With everyone putting in their best effort, they finally arrived in Youzhou.

Outside Youzhou City, crowds of people gathered, and troops were encamped everywhere. The military flags of various Tang Dynasty tribes fluttered across the vast, barren plains.

These were not only troops from Chang'an, but also border troops mobilized from more than twenty prefectures including Ling, Sheng, and You, as well as logistics personnel from various routes.

It is as vast as a boundless ocean.

It is said that the higher-ups plan to send troops on three fronts, so only a portion of the army is currently stationed in Youzhou.

Upon closer inspection, one will find that such a massive army is completely orderly, with extremely tight division of labor and cooperation.

Li Yuanchang was not unfamiliar with leading troops; he even felt that his modern knowledge was in no way inferior to that of these famous generals of ancient times.

But when you actually see figures like Li Ji leading large armies, you can't help but be amazed; experience truly matters.

"The Lantian County warehouse staff, escorting supplies, are hereby ordered to report!!"

Outside the military camp, Gong Yun shouted loudly.

In the midst of a sea of ​​people, this act of reporting in wasn't anything special, but it immediately drew surprised glances from some people.

A middle-aged man holding a booklet in his left hand and a calligraphy brush in his right led a group of people forward.

"Are you from Cangcao Village, Lantian County?"

"Yes, sir."

The scene was one of stunned silence. Looking at the dusty, panting, yet heavy baggage that had been borne for several years, everyone seemed to be incredulous.

Several clerks couldn't help but turn around and look at a middle-aged man sitting upright.

The middle-aged man looked surprised, and then slowly stepped forward.

"Why do you have so many Turkic horses in your army?"

He immediately saw the problem: such tall Turkic horses were usually used as cavalry, and the quality varied depending on the combat unit.

Gong Yun explained, "Sir, it's a gift."

"A gift? Who gave it to you?" The middle-aged man squinted.

His displeasure was written all over his face; it seemed he was very unhappy that Lantian County had arrived ahead of schedule.

Li Yuanchang wasn't stupid, nor would he let his comrades take the fall for him. He stepped out from the crowd and spoke from behind the middle-aged man.

"Sir, it was a gift from Vice Commander Xue Wanche to Lantian County. Is there a problem?"

Upon hearing the name Xue Wanche, the middle-aged man's expression changed.

He then turned around, his expression changing once again.

He immediately broke into a smile: "Your Highness, the Prince of Han!"

As soon as those four words were uttered, all eyes in the room turned to look at them.

"Look, it's the King of Han!"

"Is it that King Han?"

"Nonsense, could the Tang Dynasty possibly have two Princes of Han?"

"I heard he killed the Tibetan minister and was punished by being sent to serve in the army, doing the same hard work as us, escorting goods!"

"..."

"So you're the logistics supervisor for the various military garrisons in the capital prefecture?"

"Your Highness, it is indeed I, Wang Mai."

"Wang Mai, from the Wang family of Taiyuan?" Li Yuanchang asked again. He was just a lowly escort captain, but he exuded a strong sense of pressure standing here, as if he were the main character.

Wang Mai forced a smile: "Your Highness, I dare not accept such praise. It's just that we have some ancestral ties."

Li Yuanchang asked again, "You seemed a little unhappy just now?"

The innate imperial aura emanating from them subtly spread, coupled with the unfriendly gazes of the two young masters, Cheng Chuliang and Yuchi Baoqi.

The atmosphere suddenly became awkward.

Gongyun sensed that Li Yuanchang was dissatisfied with the baggage issue and hesitated to speak. He wanted to persuade Li Yuanchang, but the timing was not right.

Wang Mai immediately shook his head in denial: "Your Highness, what do you mean by that?"

"Perhaps I've been too busy lately, so I look a little tired. As you know, the situation at the front is tense, and the higher-ups are keeping a close eye on things, so..."

"I see. You're not that old, so it must have been quite an achievement for you to get to this position. You'd better work hard." Li Yuanchang said meaningfully, patting him on the shoulder as a veiled warning.

Wang Mai forced a smile and repeatedly said, "What the King of Han said is absolutely right."

"Now that we've arrived, men, quickly set aside a clean campsite for our comrades from Lantian County to rest and await further instructions from above."

"yes!!"

Li Yuanchang showed no gratitude; instead, a hint of disdain flashed in his eyes. He resorted to underhanded tactics behind people's backs, yet acted all high and mighty in front of them—a typical example of a despicable person.

He couldn't be bothered to pay any attention to him; this man was nothing more than a dog, and that's how it's always been in officialdom.

"Brother Gong, let's go."

"The brothers are all tired, let's take a good rest."

"Alright!" Gong Yun glanced at Wang Jianjun's face, which showed a hint of embarrassment.

In their eyes, Wang Jianjun was already a living Yama.

Soon, several thousand soldiers from Cangcao Township in Lantian County set up camp and settled down.

It is worth mentioning that there are almost no front-line troops here.

In ancient times, front-line troops and logistics were almost completely separated. Front-line troops carrying logistics were a burden, while logistics being too far forward made them easy targets for the enemy.

Basically, if there is a need at the front line, a separate grain convoy will be dispatched to escort it.

Larger units are responsible for their own units, and smaller units are responsible for their own units.

This has led to many political struggles in history manifesting in military campaigns, with situations where generals risked their lives on the front lines while supplies from the rear were slow to arrive.

However, this was well controlled during the Zhenguan era. Whether it was frontline combat or logistical transportation, the ultimate decision-maker was always the same person, the Grand Commander of the Army, who was Li Ji in this case.

Even Li Shimin wouldn't interfere much, let alone the ministers in the court.

Li Yuanchang was fortunate to have arrived in the Zhenguan era. If he had traveled to another dynasty, offending so many people would have made it very difficult for him to move forward.

The arrival of the officers and soldiers was like a long-awaited rain after a drought.

Shouts rose loudly, and smoke billowed from the chimneys.

Gong Yun was a good officer. He ordered all the remaining meat to be distributed, and after arriving in Youzhou, the local grain and fodder supplies were also replenished.

"Your Highness, here, it's hot."

"Eat and get some rest. You must be tired from the journey. I just found out that some support staff and laborers won't arrive until tomorrow, so we all need at least twelve hours of rest."

Gong Yun sat down next to Li Yuanchang and handed him a large piece of donkey meat.