Late Tang Dynasty Floating Life

Chapter 120
On November 26th in the third year of Zhonghe, there was heavy snowfall in Xiazhou.

Shao Shude cut off a piece of mutton with a knife, and ate it with mustache, and said after a long time: "The mutton sent by Tuoba Sigong is also fat, tender and delicious."

Li Yanling, Zhu Shuzong, Zhe Siyu, Wang Yu, Zhou Rong, Linghu Jing and others who accompanied the banquet in the hall will burst into laughter.

"My lord, Tuoba Sigong only sent people to deliver cattle and sheep, but did not come to see him. How can he be tolerated if he is so domineering?"

Shao Shude took a look, and it was Linghu Jing who spoke.Everyone present could guess what was on his mind, but Linghu Jing was the first to say it, whether it was for fun or to show loyalty, it was a good thing.Actively integrate into the circle of warriors that I built by myself, and did not try to dissociate from the outside, so I can still use it in the future.

The banquets in Xiazhou are very simple.Shao Shude is not a person who likes extravagance. Although all his wives and concubines were born with gold spoons in their mouths. They grew up with fine clothes and fine food, and even the meals at home are also developing in a refined direction, but that is at home.In formal banquet occasions, especially when he entertained the staff of the shogunate or the generals of the army, it was always relatively simple.

Hubing, biluo, soup cakes, mutton, and wine are the most commonly eaten by rough men in the army.Only during important festivals, such as New Year, Shangyuan, Cold Food, Zhongyuan, Chongyang, and La Ri, will there be festive foods such as wontons, fried rice, Dongling porridge, Yulan cakes, rice brocade, and day lily noodles.

He also has regulations on the cost of food in the state.For example, the shogunate provided lunch to all Liaozuo officials, and officials who went to the yamen’s cao department could enjoy it for free, but lunch only had steamed cakes, corn rice, a small amount of mutton, and seasonal vegetables.In the post stations in the four states of the Dingnan Army, for those who come and go on business, they can only eat high-end foods such as millet porridge, milk porridge, sweetened bean paste and sugar porridge, beef and mutton, and those below can only eat steamed cakes or Corn and rice, in order to strictly control the expenses - the courier who delivers the urgent mail is not limited to this.

"My lord, Tuoba Sigong is so domineering, when will we punish him?" Zhe Siyu asked with a blushing face after drinking a lot of wine.

Shao Shude glanced at him and said: "No hurry. Although Tuoba Sigong didn't arrive, he sent people to deliver twenty horses, one hundred cows, and five hundred sheep. What is this? The strength of the Tuoba clan It's not enough to openly rebel, if that's the case, let's not move him."

Zhe Siyu was a little disappointed when he heard this.As a member of the Zhe family, he had already vaguely heard the news that Chen Cheng, the commander's confidant and the judge of the Iron Forest Army, went to Linzhou once to discuss the matter of "hunting" the grassland.

Grandpa didn't seem to object.In the north of Xiasui and in the west of the Zhenwu Army, the three tribes of Huang Nie and Mingwei have always been submissive to Zhejia, but the settlements of Wuyi Four, Luoyi Fourteen, Luoshu, and Laer are arrogant and domineering. Gong supported him, and didn't take them seriously at all.If the commander-in-chief sends troops to conquer, he will be able to eliminate a great harm.

However, it is still not as good as directly attacking Tuoba headquarters!
Zhe Siyu wanted to persuade him again, but after thinking about it, he finally said nothing.

"Your Majesty, Suide County reported the day before yesterday that the Dangxiang Zhemashan family offered five hundred cattle and sheep. Yinzhou also reported that the Dangxiang Zheyu family offered three hundred cattle and sheep, and the Xili family offered fifty horses." Chen Cheng put down Jiuzun said: "These are obedient people, and they are intimidated by the king's military power. If something happens in the future, they can be directly ordered to send out the Tibetan soldiers to join the conscript."

The Zhemashan clan in Suizhou and the Zheyu clan in Yinzhou really have some connections with the Zhe family in Linzhou, and they also call themselves the Zhe family.Of course, those are all old calendars. In fact, these three families have their own lives, and they don't have much contact with each other.On the contrary, the Xili family lives in the northern part of Yinzhou and has always been submissive to the Zhe family in Linzhou, but this time they will show their favor to the king again. This is to find a new master to take refuge in.

Zhe Siyu was actually a little disappointed.Zhejia is indeed inferior to the Jiedushi of the Dingnan Army with more than [-] troops, even the Tu people in the mountains can understand this.

Shao Shude nodded upon hearing this.In fact, these three tribes are not the only ones showing favor to themselves.The Tuobayu Department of Yinzhou also donated hundreds of cattle and sheep. At the same time, they also complained about the harsh taxation and labor in Yinzhou, and frequently robbed cattle and horses.Shao Shude inquired carefully, and found that it happened to be the time when he borrowed a horse from Old General Pei.Khan, a considerable part of the cows and horses given to him by Old General Pei were "raised" from the party items in the country, that's it!I don't even know what to say.

Generally speaking, the party items in Sui and Yinzhou are quite submissive.Especially after he came back from the crusade against Huangchao, he was frightened by the power of the army, and many tribal leaders offered cattle and sheep one after another, and they never saw them looting the fields cultivated by the Han people again.

In fact, these are acquainted households and have always paid tribute, that is, cattle and sheep.When the imperial court conscripted Tubo or Uyghur, they sometimes sent troops to join the conquest, and they could still fight for it.Like the Zhemashan clan, there were many of them in the Western Army of the Northern Song Dynasty in later generations. They led five thousand party and fan soldiers in the way of cultivating teachers.

They can show favor to themselves, or express their neutrality, which will be of great benefit to the northern expedition to the grassland, at least the rear will be peaceful.

It's a pity that there is no big clan, but small tribes with thousands or tens of thousands of people.

But then again, if there are tens of thousands of people in Suizhou and Yinzhou, it doesn't seem to be a good thing.Since the strength is strong, naturally it will not be so obedient.You have to pay attention to this in the future, and you must not let them annex each other. It is best to have mutual hatred, attack and kill each other, and consume each other.

"Everyone, this commander has decided that after the beginning of spring, an army will go north to the grassland to receive tribute. The tribes in the grassland, living in Xia and You prefectures, have not paid tribute or performed military service for many years. The previous commanders don't care, but This commander will take care of it. The debts accumulated over the years will be collected together this time, and this commander will see which clan and tribe dare not pay." Shao Shude threw the meat cutting knife on the case and said loudly: "The [-] troops in the state cost a lot of money. It is so huge that the Han people plow the land all day long and pay taxes, how can the foreign people be exempted?"

"The commander-in-chief is wise." All the generals said one after another.

******
"Your Majesty, the dispatch of troops this time must be based on the three words of fast, accurate and ruthless." After the banquet, Chen Cheng stayed and discussed the details with Shao Shude.

What was said at the banquet just now can be regarded as a mobilization order.When the generals know about it, they will naturally make targeted preparations in advance.But details, such as when to send troops, how many troops to send, marching routes, etc., have to be carefully discussed.

"Judge Chen's words are very true. I don't plan to bring more soldiers. The Iron Forest Army has more than [-] troops."

"Your Majesty, it's best to bring one of the two generals Zhou and Linghu with you. Thousands of people will go north. The battle will be safe, and the state will be safe." Chen Cheng suggested.

Shao Shude made a calculation after hearing the words.If you lead the Tielin army and Linghu Jing to the north, the army will have ten thousand people, and if you cooperate with the Linzhou Zhe family's thousands of people, there will be almost no opponents on the grassland.They are not professional warriors, they are all herdsmen.Later generations Li Jiqian fled to Dijinze, and the professional warriors of the Northern Song Dynasty taught him a good lesson, and all his new wives were lost.

Chen Cheng's words also made sense.After all, Zhou Rong and Linghu Jing are not his direct descendants. It is really not safe to keep 5000 people in Xiazhou, so it is better to take half of them away.But what he wanted to bring was Zhou Rong, and Linghu Jing wanted to integrate into his own circle, so why not let him stay in Xiazhou.Coupled with the state soldiers in Wang Yu's hands, Xiazhou's lair should be worry-free.

If he acted quickly, he would settle the matter on the grassland in a few months, and then lead the team with a big victory, Tuoba Sigong would not dare to make any changes.Later, we will explore the meaning of the Hengshan party and see if we can win over. In short, the principle is to do everything possible to cut off the Tuoba clan's wings, isolate them, and finally win by force.

In the history of Tuoba Sigong, it seemed that even the Chao army could not defeat him, three battles and three defeats, losing troops and losing generals.And it doesn't look like releasing water. After all, a lot of people have been lost, and there is no such way to release water.Although their strength should not be underestimated, they should not be overestimated. Even with the bonus of local combat, their combat strength is equivalent to that of the Chao army that still has combat effectiveness in the first year of Zhonghe.

After cutting off the wings, his available soldiers and sources of goods will be reduced.If I send out a large army to attack again, with about 2 people, the odds of winning are still very high - the Xiazhou army marching westward is the main battlefield, and the strategic army marching southward is the secondary battlefield.

The land of the four states of the Dingnan Army only needs one core.Shao Shude also could not tolerate independent forces in the town that could challenge his authority.He didn't feel bad about Tuoba Sigong, he even thought he was a good man.But this is a naked power struggle, how can you allow others to snore and sleep on the side of the couch!

After the general decision was made, the entire military machine of Xia Sui began to run slowly.Their military industry base is relatively weak. In the past, many ordnance depended on the supply of the imperial court.During Shao Shude's three years in Guanzhong, he recruited a large number of craftsmen, and these craftsmen also accepted apprentices one after another, but the production capacity was still not enough.

No choice but to prepare in advance.

Suizhou has now established an iron smelting industry that is not inferior to Xiazhou in scale. Through the reserve iron materials purchased from Hedong and Guanzhong, it has been making equipment since the end of November, mainly swords, spears and armor.Xiazhou's side is mainly making bowstrings, feather arrows, leather armor and other things. In short, the two places are fully engaged in stockpiling war materials.

Logistics materials such as food, horse feed, draft animals, and vehicles are also in a state of secret preparation.Like ordnance, Shao Shude's requirement is enough to fight two large-scale wars to deal with emergencies.

And with the start of the war machine, the small amount of money and food in the Xia, Sui, and Yin prefectures began to be spent like water. If they went north to the grassland next year, if they couldn't get enough spoils of war, it would be a real loss.

No, there will be no bleeding!If you can't get enough loot, then you don't want to be a teacher, just take a gamble, and go to Youzhou to raid.Anyway, if you can't get cattle and sheep, you can't give rewards to the sergeants, and you can't explain it yourself, so it's better to go straight to the end.

Of course, the above are only extreme cases.In fact, according to the information given by the Zhe family in Linzhou, the troops in the grassland are weak and scattered, and it is not difficult to eat this pile of spoils.

The only obstacle is the pastoral area of ​​Ordos, Xiasui only occupies half, and the other half is under the control of Zhenwu Army.And this is also the main reason why I went to Linzhou Zhejia. They need them to provide guides and internal support, so that the tribes that obey them can provide supplies and even send troops.In addition, Zhezong's official identity can also be explained in the past. Zhenwu Army's five towns along the river know the soldiers and horses.

(End of this chapter)