The vast desert.
It was dark, but you could still see cows and sheep grazing everywhere. These cows and sheep ran out from nowhere. When they saw the knights, they were not afraid and continued to eat their meals.
Kou Liu looked warily into the distance and immediately blew the horn.
Not long after, a scout from the other side slowly approached and raised a flag.
Kou Liu gave orders to his left and right people, and then rode off alone.
"My troops are stationed here! Stay away!!"
Kou Liu looked at the many knights holding bows and crossbows in front of him. There was no fear on his face. He had a solemn expression and stared straight at the knights in front of him with an extraordinary aura.
Among the scouts, a general looked at the bandit in front of him seriously. He looked at it for a long time, and then he said with a smile: "This strong man, don't worry, I am the Marquis of Yitao County, and I am here to honor you."
Your Majesty has ordered us to escort General Liu to Wuchuan."
"Is there an edict?"
"Hahaha, warrior, do you think there can be an edict?"
Chi Lie Xiaozhong laughed, "How can there be any document to prove such a thing?"
Kou Liu said seriously: "Thank you for your kindness, sir, but our army does not need to be escorted."
"I am doing this under orders, how can I leave? Just go and inform your general."
Kou Liu didn't dare to say anything more, turned around and left the place.
When Kou Liu rode away, Chi Li Xiaozhong looked to the left and right, with a serious expression on his face, "I see that their scouts are alert and their knights are powerful. They don't seem to be tired soldiers, so don't rush to take action."
Everyone on the left and right nodded, and a knight rode back to the front of the army and spoke in a low voice to everyone.
There are more than a thousand people in this group. They don't seem to be too familiar with each other. They even dress a little differently. They look more like a makeshift army.
They are all lightly armored and full of energy, with sharp eyes.
Soon after, Kou Liu rode back again.
"My general invites you."
Chi Lie Xiaozhong smiled and nodded, "Okay, okay."
Kou Liu then led the county prince towards the high slope in the distance. After climbing over the high slope, he could see the temporary camp tent.
Liu Taozi and others used vehicles and supplies to build a simple camp. The camp was not complete. It only had several different levels of obstacles on all sides to prevent the horses from charging. When Chi Lie Xiaozhong saw this scene, his face
His smile became a little more hypocritical, and he said with a smile: "General Liu is said to be good at fighting. When I saw him today, his reputation was well-deserved. He came back victorious and yet he was so vigilant. This method of blocking horses and setting up camp is only seen by the King of Pingyuan.
Yes, General Liu is awesome, awesome."
Kou Liu said nothing.
There were several knights guarding the entrance and exit, holding crossbows and looking at them coldly.
They bypassed the few horses in front of them and went left and right several times before reaching the middle.
A tent was set up here, and there were many bonfires in the middle. Some knights were still resting here.
They saw Liu Taozi sitting in front of the bonfire at the top, still wearing armor and stained with blood. He just stared at the bonfire in front of him without saying a word.
Kou Liu got off his horse and looked at the county prince.
He immediately dismounted and followed Kou Liu as he walked up to Liu Taozi with a smile.
Liu Taozi was still sitting on the ground, raised her head and looked at the county prince, extremely rude.
Chi Li Xiaozhong saluted, "General Liu, on your Majesty's order, I am here to escort the general to Wuchuan."
Liu Taozi motioned for him to sit down.
After the other party took his seat, Liu Taozi suddenly asked: "The Xi people have been defeated and have no fighting power. How can they be called escorts?"
Chi Lie Xiaozhong looked around and whispered: "General, you and I are our own people, why should we do this?"
"oh?"
"The general has offended a lot of generals today. These people have troops under their command. If I escort them and have His Majesty's orders, these people will naturally not dare to mess around."
"Trespassing? Do they still dare to attack and kill the general of the dynasty?"
A trace of disdain flashed across Chi Lie Xiaozhong's face, and he quickly said: "I'm afraid these people are impulsive."
"The general doesn't know something."
"Most of these generals have private soldiers. The soldiers under their command are more willing to obey their general orders than the edicts of the temple."
Chi Li Xiaozhong cursed his ignorance in his heart.
What are we afraid of?
But His Majesty the Emperor, does he dare to kill the nobles of the country for the sake of a general?
It was we who pushed him to the throne. If it is not appropriate, someone else can push him to the throne.
After hundreds of years of torment by heroes, imperial power has completely lost its sanctity. After a certain emperor was killed in the street, after a certain emperor was beaten three times by a minister, and after a lot of crazy emperors appeared
After that, the emperor became not so rare.
The generals with heavy troops recognize you, and you are the emperor. If you don't have troops, you are just a dog-legged person!
The two talked for a while.
Liu Taozi suddenly sighed.
"well."
Chi Lie Xiaozhong was a little surprised, "Why is the general sighing?"
"I went on this expedition and made a lot of achievements. However, I still have soldiers who stayed behind in Wuchuan, but they failed to make any achievements."
"Hahaha, the general is stationed in Wuchuan, are you afraid that you won't have the chance to make meritorious deeds in the future?"
"There are quite a few opportunities to make meritorious deeds, but when I go back this time, I have to bring something back to the soldiers stationed in Wuchuan, right?"
"What does the general want to take back?"
"Maybe you can take the prince's head back with you."
At this moment, Chi Lie Xiaozhong only felt horrified. He realized something, his back felt cold, he jumped up and was about to speak.
"Will"
"Shua~~"
"Pfft!"
Liu Taozi's sword flashed an arc of light, and the next moment, Chi Lie Xiaozhong's head flew up.
"Do it!!"
The soldiers roared loudly, and the soldiers sitting by the campfire suddenly took action and rushed to the left and right. Yao Xiong rushed out of the camp and led the people to charge.
Kou Liu and others started shooting.
Unprepared, the knights who followed Chi Lie Xiaozhong into the tent suffered numerous casualties. They were trapped in the middle, surrounded by enemies on all sides. Some people returned to the original route, and happened to encounter those who were charging towards them.
Knights.
Liu Taozi held the head and shouted in Xianbei dialect: "Surrender without killing!!"
But these knights did not give up resistance at all, and some even wanted to charge at Liu Taozi. Liu Taozi lost his head and replaced it with a strong bow.
The shouts of death and wailing continued in the camp for a long time.
Yao Xiong panted and walked to Liu Taozi's side, his body covered with heads.
He grinned and said, "Brother, I ran a little further. It's dark, so I'm afraid I won't be able to catch up."
"Forget it then, continue to rest and let Kou Liu keep an eye on the surroundings. There may be more."
"only!!"
There are soldiers holding spears and stabbing each other on the ground one by one. No matter whether they are dead or alive, they must stab the throat to ensure death and unable to resist.
Then everything on your body has to be taken away.
Finally his head was cut off.
Potaro looked at the busy people in the distance and swallowed, "Brother, should this matter be kept secret?"
"A man sent by the Khan."
"Oh, if the Khan wants to send someone to escort him, he won't send it when he's in Erhechuan, but he'll send him halfway there?"
"Look at the clothes these people are wearing, do they look like His Majesty's Central Army?"
"It's obviously an unorganized army cobbled together by nobles from all walks of life. Even the filial piety in the army was not there. When I read out the merits of the soldiers yesterday, I had never heard of this person. I'm afraid this person is not real.
"
"Don't worry, I'll cut off the heads and take them back to share the work with the brothers in the garrison."
"only!!"
Since leaving Erhechuan yesterday, Liu Taozi slowed down, fell out of the big group, and drove towards Wuchuan calmly.
It is a pity that big figures like Liu Honghui or He Baren never showed up.
Kou Liu could always find some sneaky groups walking around, but they were just trash and not worth mentioning.
Even today, he is not considered a big shot.
Liu Taozi originally thought that he could eliminate several Chinese military competitors for Gao Changgong, but unexpectedly, they did not even have the courage to appear in front of Liu Taozi.
After dealing with this guy, Liu Taozi accelerated his marching speed and drove all the way towards Wuchuan.
"Lord!!"
Tian Zili led many generals from Wuchuan and other places and went twenty miles out of the city to greet him.
The moment the two parties met, Tian Zili took the lead in saluting, and everyone paid their respects one after another with excited expressions.
The soldiers under Liu Taozi finally got out of their vigilant state. Kou Liu rubbed his forehead tiredly, and finally they were no longer in such a state of "everything is a soldier".
Tian Zili personally stepped forward, took the reins, and led Liu Taozi's horse.
Qingshi recognized this guy and didn't resist.
"My lord, you are finally back. After you left, we have been thinking about it day and night."
Tian Zili was very excited. Although he had many things to say to the general, this was not the place to talk.
The army set off towards Wuchuan. Yao Xiong was surrounded by everyone at this moment, showing off his achievements this time, and the news of Liu Taozi's promotion also spread.
Tian Zili glanced at him and said, "He doesn't learn from Lu Gong's strengths at all."
He looked at Liu Taozi again, with a happy expression on his face, "Brother now has an official position, a title, and more real power."
"The more than thirty garrison buildings and more than forty garrison buildings outside Shuoheng are all owned by my brother."
The town general is an official position that is established during or before war. Generally, the garrison chief is responsible for the border troops.
During wartime, a governor was often appointed, and all localities and garrisons fell under the command of this governor, and they went out together in battles.
This shows the real power of General Zhen.
The town general is a fourth-grade official position, nominally at the same level as the governor. The governor governs the prefectures and counties, while the town general oversees the border fortresses and garrison. Just as the state governors are divided into big and small, the town generals also have high and low levels.
There are generals who only lead a few garrisons, and they may not have more than 3,000 men under their command.
But Liu Taozi's town general and all the other towns outside Shuoheng could put together thirty to forty thousand elite cavalry, which was very terrifying.
During these days, Tian Zili also had a full understanding of various systems in Da Qi.
"Brother, I can finally rectify the frontier soldiers in an honest and fair manner, and I can truly command the frontier soldiers."
"I'm afraid it's not that easy."
"These border garrison towns will never be peaceful in the future."
Liu Taozi spoke slowly, interrupting Tian Zili's sweet dream.
Tian Zili didn't feel uneasy. He laughed and said, "Brother, when I had nothing in the past, I wasn't afraid of these monsters. Now that the situation has become overwhelming, why do we care about so many villains?"
When they returned to Wuchuan, Cui Gang led the rest of the people to greet them.
This triumphant victory greatly boosted the morale of the Wuchuan army. However, some people looked at the corpses that were brought and cried and howled.
This war resulted in many gains, but also many losses.
Several of Liu Taozi's senators were killed in the battle, and the remaining knights who died in the battle, including the Cangtou slaves, numbered more than 800.
Xi people also have bows and arrows and spears, which can also be used to kill people.
Looking at the crying family members of the military households, Liu Taozi was silent for a long time. He called Cui Gang and told him to give more rewards to these military households, and not to kick them out even if they lost their sons.
The army entered Wuchuan, and Liu Taozi ordered the army to disband and rest.
However, the military officers did not dare to rest. They were still counting their military exploits and preparing to fulfill the pre-war rewards promised by Liu Taozi.
In the official office, Liu Taozi sat in the upper position, with his minions on both sides.
Liu Taozi has put on a brand new official robe, with armor on the inside and official robe on the outside. He looks majestic and unstoppable. Among the people under his command, some are wearing armor and some are wearing official uniforms. They are no longer what they used to be.
Rough look.
In the bright official office, civil and military personnel are clearly distinguished and the momentum is high.
There were also soldiers standing outside the door, fully armed, patrolling back and forth.
The hall was filled with generals, so densely packed that some couldn't even sit down.
"Congratulations to General Zhen!!"
Tu Xiyue stood up first and expressed his congratulations to Liu Taozi.
"My subordinates are willing to follow General Zhen and make new achievements!!"
Later, he showed his loyalty.
The generals from various places who were born in garrison towns hurriedly stood up after him, saluted and bowed again.
"I am willing to follow General Zhen and make contributions!!"
However, Tian Zili and others were still sitting in the front seats with smiles on their faces. They no longer had to express their submission.
The results of Liu Taozi's reward had spread throughout the border towns, and generals from all over the country came to Wuchuan to formally pay their respects to the biggest leader.
At the time, Nahe Bacheng was also a town general. After arriving at the border fortress, he needed to win over his relatives here. He used money and bribes to buy them, but he could not get these people to obey.
But the current General Zhen has just returned to Wuchuan for two days, and generals from all over the country are already coming to pay their respects non-stop, and no one dares to hesitate.
Liu Taozi looked at the generals around him one by one.
"I don't care what your surname is. I don't care what letters your relatives in Jinyang write to you. If you follow me wholeheartedly, I will treat you as close to you. I will reward you for your merits and make progress for your merits. I will never be stingy."
"It's still the same three military orders as before."
"It is forbidden to wander, it is forbidden to bully the people, and it is forbidden to be lazy."
"At present, the puppet Zhou Dynasty colludes with the Turks and is ready to move to rectify the border troops. I will divide my troops and attack to make the enemy uneasy."
"This is a good time for the generals to make meritorious deeds and gain fame."
“Don’t make the mistake of yourself.”
Everyone immediately bowed again, "Wei!!"
"If you act against the will and collude with outsiders to harm the interests of our Dabian Town, even if your surname is Gao, I will chop it into pieces and drink it, do you understand?"
"only!!!"
Liu Taozi waved his hand, and everyone sat back in their seats again.
"The Khan attaches great importance to the soldiers at the frontier. He specially ordered me to arrange the civilian men and select elites from them as auxiliary soldiers. They will assist the frontier soldiers in the future, open roads and bridges, and do good logistics so that the frontier soldiers can go on expeditions without worries."
"Long live the Khan!!"
Yao Xiong took the lead in shouting, and the others also shouted.
Liu Taozi added: "Young and strong civilian men from all over the country must be recruited and sent to Wuchuan for training. Later, Tian Changshi will discuss this matter with you."
"only!!"
Liu Taozi looked at Cui Gang who was aside, "This time the border soldiers are following the generals on the expedition. If there are any who have made meritorious deeds but have not been rewarded, they should be investigated immediately. If there are those who have made meritorious deeds but have not been rewarded, send someone to ask for them. My soldiers at the frontier fortress cannot
Be wronged."
As soon as these words came out, the generals sitting in front of Liu Taozi suddenly became much more energetic.
Over the years, the frontier soldiers have been fucking like stepmothers, perhaps because they are not a pure 'Xianbei' army. The ratio of Han people to Qihu is too high, which is different from Jinyang's 'Chinese concept'.
Distinguishing ourselves and the enemy based on geography has become less and less important.
Of course, there are more unexplained factors here, such as Wuchuan.
It is known that every Wuchuan soldier has a relative living in the west.
Zhou and Qi were originally a dynasty, and even two groups in the same uprising. The Bianzhen Uprising created the cornerstone of these two divided powers. After the war, Bianzhen was banned in name, but it was still regarded as a garrison town.
The way continues to exist.
People who used to test their hunger here are now in Jinyang and various places in the Puppet Zhou Dynasty.
And they were more worried about the reappearance of the same group, so they imposed restrictions on food, armaments, promotions, etc., weakened the jurisdiction of the garrison town, did not establish chief generals, and worked hard to disperse them.
In fact, they could not work so hard. If they could feed the border soldiers, even if they didn't hold on, they would be able to feel at ease. But even if they had such a small amount of food, they would take it out from their teeth without any hesitation.
Use other methods to limit, endless greed.
And when it was time to go on an expedition, the generals would select the best from these people and drag them out to fight. After the battle was over, the military merits were obtained, and the border soldiers went back.
The frontier soldiers suffered heavy casualties, so they sent civilians from the Central Plains to replenish them, and hollowed out their own frontier fortress Great Wall bit by bit.
This time, Liu Taozi only brought Wuchuan troops, while the rest of the armies from various places followed the airborne generals to fight. Now that they were sent back after the battle, where had they seen any fucking military exploits?
Liu Datou immediately stood up and said excitedly: "General, this time our troops followed General Murong Sanzang on the expedition. We killed many people, but we never got any rewards!"
Liu Taozi looked at Cui Gang.
"Write it down."
"Send someone to ask Murong Sanzang for it."
"I remember that his ancestral home is not far from us in Daijun. You send someone to tell him that if he owes me the border soldiers, I will take people to demolish his ancestral home and use the skulls of his ancestors as banners."
Cui Gang pursed his lips and was silent for a moment before replying: "Wei"
Liu Datou was overjoyed, "Thank you so much, General!!"
At this moment, someone stood up again and said, "General, our troops killed a powerful commander this time. They were shot by my knights."
"Well, you don't have to tell me. I'll tell Cui Shuzuo later."
"After today, I have the final say in everything. You don't have to be afraid of others."
Chapter completed!