Han Shizu

Chapter 1372 Growth and maturity

On the banks of the Yizhi River not far from the camp, a small team of the Han army was fetching water and washing their war horses. They seemed to be comfortable being served, neighing from time to time, wandering in the open field.

Accompanied by two personal guards, Wei Wang Liu Min walked slowly towards the river on the green weeds.At this time Liu Min, no one dared to imagine that this is His Royal Highness Wei Wang, with disheveled hair, disheveled in the cold wind of early spring, wearing a sheepskin that can barely keep warm, it seems that he is There is nothing wrong with a shepherd boy from the frontier.

Participating in the Mobei Expedition in person, withstood the tempering of iron and blood, the childishness of a boy was obviously wiped away, Liu Min has become a real warrior, and the saber on his waist is also the result of drinking the blood of the enemy .

Since he practiced martial arts since he was a child and honed his riding and archery skills all the year round, Liu Min was not a pampered noble boy, but now, under the wind and sand of the desert, he looked rougher and his skin color was darker than before.

Moreover, his complexion looked obviously malnourished.During the months when the army was defeated and retreated westward, the rest of the expeditionary force was always in a difficult situation. Even if they got rid of the crisis of chasing troops, they still had to face the shortage of supplies and the harsh winter natural environment of Jinshan.In one winter, hundreds of soldiers died at the foot of Jinshan in severe cold and hunger.

During this process, Liu Min was as mature and responsible as he had been in the battle before.There is no need for any special treatment, no separate huts and tents, the same clothes, the same sleep, and the joys and sorrows of the soldiers, but it is not pretentious, highlighting a pure heart.

In fact, in such an embarrassing situation today, under the extremely difficult environment, the expedition soldiers did not collapse, and there is still a belief in their hearts that supports them to fight against the harsh environment and persist until now.

This is not only because of Yang Ye and Wang Yansheng's ability to control and win the hearts of the soldiers, but also because of the performance of the two princes Liu Fang and Liu Min in the army.The two highnesses are so noble, but they regard them as brothers and sisters in the same robe, and they are going through difficulties together.

"Your Highness!"

"Your Highness!"

Seeing Liu Min, the busy soldiers all stopped their movements and saluted one after another. Their actions and demeanors all showed their respect for the young prince.

"There's no need to be too polite! Keep busy!" Liu Min's voice was a little stern, but his attitude was amiable.

The surrounding environment can be regarded as familiar, and the spring returns to the earth, full of vitality.The surroundings are very quiet, and the sound of birds chirping, horses neighing and running water is very clear.

Liu Min's mood also improved a bit, but looking at the soldiers in front of him, they were all sallow, emaciated, and embarrassed, and their skin became rougher under the tempering of wind and frost.

These soldiers are all warriors who have survived many battles, but now they still have to do the work of these grooms.The leading general is less than 30 years old, but his rough face is slightly swollen, and there are several frostbite marks left by wind and frost.Walking in front of the hundred generals, Liu Min took a brush from him, said "take a rest first", and started to do it himself.

Probably also familiar with His Royal Highness's temperament, the hundred generals did not pretend to refuse, nor did they really go to rest, but yelled at his subordinates to speed up the cleaning of the horses.

What Liu Min served was a big yellow-brown horse, but at this moment, it was almost out of shape.Liu Min is a horse lover. He stroked the horse's head with his hand and sighed softly, "This is a Hexi horse!"

"Your Highness, it's exactly, from Zendan Mujian!" Bai Jiang replied.

"What a good army horse, but now it's as skinny as a stick!" Liu Min said.In the past winter, people lacked food, let alone horses.

"It's the time to lose weight, and there's not enough food!" Bai Jiang couldn't help sighing, and as he spoke, a look of sadness flashed in his eyes: "I just don't know how long these horses can last."

Hearing this, Liu Min was silent for a while, he knew what Bai Jiang was referring to.In the past, in order to alleviate the shortage of food, the soldiers of the expeditionary army had to bear the pain with tears and kill horses to satisfy their hunger. This kind of decision was not difficult to make, but it was difficult to do it. War horses are not only riding tools, but also companions who get along day and night. with comrades.When they withdrew to Jinshan, there were still more than [-] horses in the whole army, but now, even one man and one horse are not enough.

"Killing horses to satisfy hunger is a last resort. Now that the climate has warmed up, there are more places to find food. Generals Yang and Wang are thinking about solutions! But one thing, we won't stay here for too long, and We won't kill horses easily, and we will definitely be able to return to the big man!" Liu Min's voice was not high-pitched, and he even had a feeling of muttering to himself, but the firm will was well conveyed.

"The last general also believes it!" The hundred generals responded.

Feeling his firm tone, Liu Min couldn't help turning his head, looked at him, and asked curiously, "Are you so sure?"

"Forgive me to speak bluntly, the two Highnesses are His Majesty's beloved sons, and the two generals are His Majesty's favorite generals. The imperial court will never give up on us!" The hundred generals responded: "And the two Highnesses and the generals are heroes of the world. The sky favors his talents, and he will be blessed by the heavens, and the brothers also believe that if you hold the flag tightly, you will be able to escape from the predicament and return to the great man!"

Bai Jiang's words came from the bottom of his heart, and Liu Min felt a deep sense of trust from them, which almost represented the will of all the soldiers of the expeditionary army. This trust not only moved Liu Min, but also made him deeply moved. heavy.

"I will!" Liu Min said solemnly.

Behind is the crystal clear river, on the opposite side is the shining snow-capped mountains, and the mountains and forests are full of greenery. This is a wonderful picture of Jinshan in spring, but Liu Min has no intention of admiring it. Before returning to the camp, between the young faces, even A little gloom emerged.

These days, his mood is not considered good, and he has not been relieved, not only because of the worrying situation, but also because too many soldiers died trying to cover him during the retreat of the army.This burdensome feeling made Liu Min feel very uncomfortable.

"Your Highness has brought someone back!"

Accompanied by a burst of rare cheers, the gate of the camp was quickly opened to welcome the returning [-]-odd Han cavalry, led by Mr. Zhao and Liu Fang.Of course, what caused the sensation was the one who returned with him. Apart from the Han cavalry, there were also a lot of cattle, sheep and livestock.The soldiers of the Han army led by Liu Fang, like goshawks looking for food, returned high-spirited.

After the beginning of spring, in order to solve the crisis of food shortage, the soldiers no longer hid in the camp as they did in winter, suffering.Under Yang Ye's arrangement, people were dispersed to forage in the surrounding area, gather in the forest, hunt in the mountains, and even fish in the river.

In the past few days, Liu Fang asked for orders to lead [-] cavalry to patrol the surrounding area, and now he has returned with a full load.When he learned of Liu Fang's return, Yang Ye immediately greeted him personally.

"See Dushuai!" After returning to his command, Liu Fang saluted Yang Ye.

"Please get up quickly!" Yang Ye quickly helped Liu Fang up, looked at him carefully, and was relieved to see that although he was a little haggard, he was in good condition.

"Where did your Highness go? If you don't return the camp, you will have to send people to look for it!" Yang Ye said.

No matter what the circumstances, the safety of the two princes is the most important thing. In Yang Ye's heart, even if the whole army is wiped out, as long as the two princes can return to the big man safely, it will be worth it.Yang Ye's loyalty to Emperor Liu also made him give Liu Fang and his brothers full care.

If Liu Min is growing up, then Liu Fang has experienced such an experience, but he has completely matured, and his words and deeds have the demeanor of a general.The experience of failure is painful, and the difficult environment is even more tormenting, but Liu Fang also showed his excellent psychological quality, and his character became more and more courageous as he got frustrated. In the past few months of hard work, he has never erased his character. fighting spirit.

"Don't worry, everyone! I'm fine!" Liu Fang laughed, pointing to the group of confiscated people behind him: "Not only are they safe, but they've also gained a lot!"

Under Yang Ye's questioning eyes, Liu Fang explained: "I took people all the way westward, trekking about [-] miles away, and found a tribe, and borrowed these livestock grains and some salt from them! "

Obviously, the borrowed words in Liu Fang's mouth must be put in quotation marks.

"There are also tribes at the southern foot of Jinshan Mountain?" Hearing this, Yang Ye frowned slightly, and was soon relieved. After stationing on the spot, he only probed the surrounding area, but did not go deep.

"Has there ever been any trouble?" Yang Ye asked.

In this season, for any tribe, livestock and food are the most precious resources. The kind that can save lives will not be easily lent out, let alone outsiders like the Han army.

Wen Wen asked, Liu Fang's smile subsided, a sharp look flashed in his eyes, and there was also a little melancholy, and he said solemnly: "It was handled very cleanly, and there will be no future troubles!"

"This place is still not a place to stay for long!" Yang Ye sighed and patted Liu Fang on the shoulder: "It's good to come back, it's been a hard journey, let's rest first!"

"Yes!" Liu Fang complied.

In the camp, the soldiers began to collect and seize happily. With such a batch of supplies, they can last for a while, and they may even have a rare full meal.And Yang Ye's next order to let the whole army have a full meal also proved a point, so the whole camp was a sensation.

"How is Old General Wang?" Liu Fang couldn't help asking as he left for the main tent of the Chinese army, "I brought back some kumiss!"

"It's been much better these two days!" Yang Ye sighed.

(End of this chapter)