Water Margin people

Chapter 1396 Sun Li takes the initiative to guard the border

"Let Yelu Dashi be arrogant for a few days. After the army has rested, we will come to take his head!"

Gongsun Sheng looked at Sun Li and said, they came to pursue Li Qianshun lightly. Each unit only had four to five hundred soldiers and horses, and the soldiers had just been affected by the air plague and were still panting, so they were not in good condition to attack Xiliao.

"It's better for me to stay here and garrison, to avoid the sudden attack of Yelu Dashi."

Sun Li rolled his eyes and suddenly said.

"Stay here?"

Gongsun Sheng began to think about it in Zhou Nei.

"Military advisor, a few hundred miles further to the west is Puchanghai. There are many foreign races there, and they are likely to cross the border and invade. We have just captured Xixia, and now the main force has withdrawn. If we do not garrison, the enemy cavalry will be able to march straight in. There will probably be chaos in the northwest! "

Sun Li spoke quickly.

"That's a problem."

Hao Siwen also thought about it. What Sun Li said was very realistic. The northwest was sparsely populated, and the Hexi Corridor had been in the hands of Xixia for many years. It had long been depleted and was full of bandits.

If Xiliao wants to take advantage of the situation, then the northwest may have to wait for a long time, and Xixia, which has just been pacified, will also have problems.

"Military advisor, I will stay at Yumen Pass. Even if there are few people, I will not be afraid of Xiliao."

Seeing that Hao Siwen had the same view, Sun Li immediately struck while the iron was hot.

"Yumen Pass? It has been abandoned for a long time."

Gongsun Sheng was still a little worried. Since the end of the Tang Dynasty, Yumen Pass had been out of the hands of the Central Plains. The focus of Xixia's management was in Xingqing Mansion, so Yumen Pass had long been abandoned.

"Then I will go to Shazhou. Although the city there is not big, it can still hold its own!"

Sun Li continued, Shazhou (Dunhuang) is an important city for Xixia to control the Hexi Corridor, and the same applies to guarding it.

"Okay, let's keep all the equipment, food and grass, and gather a thousand soldiers for you. When we get back, we will have them raised as gifts immediately. All you need to do is take care of Shazhou."

Gongsun Sheng finally nodded in agreement.

"Yes!"

Sun Li was overjoyed and clasped his fists at Gongsun Sheng.

After seeing Gongsun Sheng off, Sun Li looked happy and led the people to Shazhou.

"General, why are you so happy? We are guarding the border. It is a hard life with yellow sand everywhere!"

The soldier looked at Sun Li doubtfully. He didn't understand what Sun Li was happy about. Guarding the border has been a hard job in the army since ancient times. It was especially difficult here at Yumen in the northwest. Although the soldiers were not literate, they also knew that the spring breeze would not pass through Yumen Pass.

"Yes, General, we have made so many achievements this time. Why don't you go back and accept the reward? Why did you volunteer to guard this place? This is a place where even the prisoners who have been assigned are unwilling to come."

The other soldiers also complained. They all wanted to return home in fine clothes, but Sun Li's initiative to ask for military service broke their illusions. Although they were all soldiers who were unwilling to do so, they knew how to obey military orders.

"Why are you so stupid? How much military merit have you gained? Each of you only has a few heads! Do you have the enemy general's head? Do you have the ability to conquer the city first? Do you have the ability to break the formation?"

Sun Li looked at the soldiers and said.

All the soldiers lowered their heads and dared not answer. Kill the enemy general? Climb the broken city first? How could their ordinary soldiers dare to think about this? How many enemy generals are there in total? Where is their turn? They would be satisfied if they could get three or four enemy heads after a battle.

"Will Your Majesty miss your reward?"

Sun Li asked again.

"Of course not, His Majesty is the most generous to us!"

The soldiers immediately replied. When Sun Lei was mentioned, the soldiers' faces were filled with admiration.

"That's it. Your Majesty will not miss your military merit reward, so why are you so anxious to go back? If you go back this time, it may not be your turn if you think about it again!"

Sun Li pointed to the west and said with a smile, the northwest is indeed desolate. Even if it is still late summer, the land here is full of yellow sand and there is not much greenery in sight.

"Your Majesty, will you conquer the West?" the soldiers said excitedly. As soldiers of the Qi State, the most fearless thing is war. Since the establishment of the Qi State, every time they go to war, they have made a lot of money.

The veterans have even built houses in their hometowns with the rewards they received for their military exploits. Their service as soldiers has allowed their families to live a prosperous life.

"Of course. Do you think His Majesty will tolerate Yelu Dashi?"

Sun Li looked at the soldiers and said, he needed the soldiers to be excited.

"Haha, then we can make a contribution again!"

The soldiers cheered. They were not afraid of war at all, and even hoped that the war would continue. Only when the war continues can soldiers have meaning in their existence, and can they exchange military merit for official positions and money.

"Of course, we are in Shazhou, only two hundred miles away from Xiliao. If there is a war, there will definitely be a chance for us to play."

Sun Li said with a smile, this is why he wants to guard the border. Qi State has completely pacified the border this time. How to arrange the nearly one million troops in the country will be a problem. If he goes back and wants to fight again, it may not be his turn. .

"Thanks to the general's long-term thinking, we almost missed the great wealth!"

The soldiers complimented Sun Li repeatedly for what he had done. At this moment, they also knew the reason why Sun Li asked to stay.

"Let's guard the border, the war will start soon."

Sun Li looked at the soldiers and said.

"The general is wise!"

The soldiers shouted in unison.

But all this changed when Sun Li saw Shazhou City. They had already thought that Shazhou City was very dilapidated, but when they saw it with their own eyes, it was only a foot high and was as damaged as loess that had been gnawed by dogs. The city wall, and the city gate hole was so empty that there was no city gate. Only then did Sun Li realize that guarding the border was not that simple.

"Enter the city and repair the city wall!"

Sun Li ordered to the soldiers, no matter how dilapidated the city is, it is still a city. If they want to defend the Liaoxi Corridor, they need a strong city.

The soldiers quickly cheered up and rode into the city.

Sun Li took an inventory of the residents in the city, but found that there were more than a thousand old, weak, sick, and disabled people. The young people had already fled when Xixia was defeated, and those left behind could not run away.

Sun Li took these people in and then controlled several wells in the city. As long as he controlled the water source, he could control the entire city.

"Are you Xixia people or Uighur people?"

Sun Li looked at the old and weak and asked.

"General, we...we don't know that our ancestors are from the Tang Dynasty, but these people lived together with Xixia and Huihe..."

A middle-aged man spoke. His eyes were a little gray, but his skin was yellowish and his hair was black.

"Since we have the blood of Tang people, we are not considered aliens! Do you know who we are?"

Sun Li looked at those people and asked.

"You are the general of Qi State, and Qi State has unified the Central Plains!"

The man replied.

"Now that you know it, you should know that from today on, this is the territory of Qi State!"

Sun Li looked at everyone and said.

"We are willing to submit to the Qi Kingdom!"

Everyone hurriedly saluted Sun Li. They were performing Han rituals this time, not the local alien rituals.

"very good!"

Sun Li nodded. He needed help from locals for many things, especially terrain matters.