Ji Tang

Chapter 1129 Yumen Pass and Racecourse
After everyone left, Xu Jingzong stood up.He looked towards the east and murmured: "Mr. Xi, I, Lao Xu, will bet all my life and fortune on you this time. I hope you won't disappoint me!"
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Ji Song, who was far away in Yumen, didn't know that he had become someone's life-saving straw. At this time, he was admiring the magnificent scene of the lonely smoke in the desert and the sunset over the long river!
"There is a saying in the Records of the Western Regions of the Tang Dynasty: The ground below is wide and the top is narrow, and the dry waves are very urgent, and it is too deep to cross. The Yumen Pass is built above, and the road must pass through it, which is the throat of the Western Territory."

"Master Xuanzang passed by here at that time, but he didn't know where the Yumen Pass was, so he asked the Hu people for guidance. He arrived at the river in the middle of the night and saw Yumen Pass in the distance, and then he came here. According to the book, he cut the wood to make a bridge and laid grass Fill it with sand and drive the horses through it. You can see how dangerous it is."

"This place is connected to Jiuquan in the east, Dunhuang in the west, Guazhou in the south, and Yizhou in the northwest. It is surrounded by mountains and rivers, and the situation is dangerous. There are still 11 ancient beacons on the top of the mountain, at the intersection, and at the mouth of the river. There are still [-] ancient beacons like alfalfa. Feng, Luan Shanzi Qifeng and others."

"This is truly a battleground for military strategists!"

Xue Li looked outside the Yumen Pass and exclaimed!

Ji Song also didn't expect that the emperor would give Xue Li to him. You must know that this kid plays an important role on the grassland.Who knew that he had been waiting here for a long time when he was on his way to Dunhuang.

I heard that His Majesty had already sent an order to him, asking him to wait here to join him.

At this point, what else could he say?
"Rengui, if we and the enemy are in different positions, can you find a way to break through this barrier within a month?"

Cao Qin, the guard of Yumen Pass on the side, almost fell over when he heard this. He looked at Ji Song resentfully and wanted to grab the other person's neck and ask: Is it really okay to discuss how to break the pass in front of me, the guard of Yumen Pass?

But just thinking about it in my heart, I would never dare to say it out loud.

Xue Li was a little dazed after hearing this. When he saw his husband's encouraging eyes, he pondered for a moment without even looking at Cao Qin beside him, and said for a moment: "It's difficult, it's difficult! This pass occupies an advantageous location, and it can be said that one man can't open it. As long as ten thousand people can't open it. There are five thousand troops stationed at this pass. If you want to break this pass, you can't even think about it without suffering more than ten times the casualties."

"The only things left to make a fuss about are food, water, and reinforcements!"

"Since ancient times, if you defend it for a long time, you will lose. There is no barrier that can never be breached. Food, grass and water sources are okay. Our Tang Dynasty has enough food and grass for ten thousand soldiers to eat and drink for a year. There is no need to worry about the water source. The water source under this place is also Extremely abundant.”

"so."

"So, the only way to break through this barrier is through reinforcements!"

Ji Song took over the words and said with emotion: "You are right, there is no unbreakable barrier in this world. In the final analysis, you still have to be strong. As long as there is no internal chaos in the Tang Dynasty, no one can break through the Yumen. But once the Great Tang Tang himself is in chaos, and this is the first place to be breached!"

Cao Qin turned back to look at Yumen and said with a smile: "General Cao, please don't be angry. I'm just saying this!"

Cao Qin was flattered and said: "The Duke of Xi is serious. General Xue's words are not unreasonable. I have been here for a long time. I am familiar with every plant and tree here."

"As General Xue said, excluding other factors, as long as the Tang Dynasty is not in chaos, even ten times the strength of the army will not be able to take a step beyond this point."

When he said this, Cao Qin looked proud. This was his confidence. He was confident that he could do that!

"General, you are so majestic! I have long heard that the general is strict in running the army. Along the way, the military appearance is in good order, and the morale of the soldiers is high. It is true that being famous is not as good as meeting him!" Ji Song praised with a smile.

Hearing Ji Song's compliments, Cao Qin suddenly felt a little confused, and bowed and said: "The Duke of the State of Xi was too complimentary. The general just did what he was supposed to do, and I don't deserve your praise!"

Hearing this, Ji Song nodded with satisfaction and said, "You're good at doing what you should do. If everyone was like the general, how could there be so many things in this world!"

Seeing that it was already getting late, he said, "Come on, let's go back. My father-in-law is leaving tomorrow. If you have any requests, just ask me. As long as it is common sense, I will never refuse!"

"This pass is the west gate of the Tang Dynasty, and there is absolutely no room for error. I am going to Anxi to compete with the cannibals. No one knows what changes will happen. Although it seems safe here, if something happens, it will definitely happen. Where you will bear the brunt of the attack, you must wake up and be prepared to fight immediately!"

"Mr. Xi, you."

Cao Qin was shocked and looked up at Ji Song in surprise.

"Okay, I just want to remind you, don't be nervous!"

call!
He breathed a long sigh of relief, he was really worried about something unexpected happening!
"Don't worry, Mr. Xi, the general will wake up at regular intervals. Don't dare to be careless!" he promised.

After finishing speaking, he hesitated and said: "If it is possible, I would like to ask Mr. Neng to tell His Majesty that there are only three thousand soldiers in Yumen Pass now, and some of them have not been home for several years. Is it necessary to add more manpower to the generals?"

"General Cao!"

Xue Li suddenly said solemnly: "You passed!"

Cao Qin panicked and said: "Don't blame me, Mr. Xi, the general is just a man."

Ji Song waved his hand to stop Xue Li and said with a smile: "No problem, General Cao is a man of temper. Besides, there are indeed a few people here. It was fine before, but now the Western Region is about to be in chaos, but not here. We have to pay attention to it.”

He pondered for a moment and said: "In this way, I will write a letter in my handwriting, and you will also write a memorial and give it to me, and send it to Chang'an together. As for whether His Majesty and the imperial court agree, I cannot guarantee it!"

Cao Qin was overjoyed when he heard this. In his opinion, as long as Ji Song agreed to submit a letter, the matter would basically be completed.Who doesn't know that this man was the head of Wuying Pavilion in Chang'an?The head of the military.

This matter is just a matter of convenience in the eyes of the world.What's more, His Majesty has not removed this person from his official position, which means that he has the right to make adjustments to Yumen.

"General, thank you very much, Mr. Xi!"

Ji Song smiled and helped him up, saying, "What's there to thank you for? They're all just serving the Tang Dynasty!"

Finally, I looked at the full moon outside the pass, smiled, and then turned around and walked down the city wall.
On the second day, with the sound of trumpets, Ji Song led more than [-] soldiers out of Yumen Pass.

There are more than [-] new recruits, but how can it be possible to go to the Western Regions with only new recruits?Among these more than [-] people, there are [-] soldiers of the Sixteenth Guards, all of whom are carefully selected elites.

Their role is to lead the recruits to adapt to military life as quickly as possible and let these recruits grow up as quickly as possible!
This time he came to Chang'an in secret. Except for a few people, no one knew that he was the coach this time.And during his expedition, for at least half a year, Yumen Pass will be completely sealed and no information will be sent to the Great Eater!
Although it can't be foolproof, it can at least delay a lot of time, which is enough for him.

This trip brought a lot of supplies, not only cotton-padded clothes for winter, but also gunpowder, weapons and armor.There were three hundred crossbow chariots, and three hundred carriages pulling crossbow arrows.

It can be said that this army is equipped with the strongest armor and the sharpest weapons in the Tang Dynasty.Coupled with the war horses that are about to be picked up at the Shandan Army Racecourse, they are simply armed to the teeth!
There are more than 4 troops. Except for the soldiers of the Sixteenth Guards who have war horses, there are less than 1 other recruits who have war horses, and these are their own.Therefore, he has to receive at least [-] horses at the military horse farm, so that he can have two horses for one person.

If other generals knew this, they would be furious.Others ask for war horses from grandpa and grandma, but Ji Song wants as many as he wants.It's so irritating!
Previously, there were less than [-] war horses at Danshan Military Horse Farm. It wasn’t that Datang didn’t want to raise more, but it was also that it simply couldn’t afford them!

We must know that the Damaying Grassland at Shandan Military Horse Farm raised a maximum of 200 million war horses during the Tuoba Tao period of the Northern Wei Dynasty.

That is to say, in the past few years, Datang had no shortage of food, so it continued to expand military horse farms.As a servant, Zhang Jingshun directly moved his official office to Shandan Army Racecourse in order to raise horses, and now he has food and accommodation at the racecourse.

Now it is said that there are nearly 20 war horses, which has tripled the number.

Once you leave Yumen Pass, you really step out of the traditional sphere of influence of the Central Plains Dynasty.Both the region and the customs are completely different from those in the mainland.

Thousands of miles of uninhabited areas do not just refer to the misery of the last years of the dynasty, but can also be said to be uninhabited wilderness areas.Yellow sand everywhere, Gobi desert, desolation, and loneliness are the true reflections of the Western Regions.

Only in an oasis can a hint of comforting green appear.

He did not need to pick up the horses from the Danshan Army Horse Farm in person. Cheng Yaojin, as the commander-in-chief of the rear army, had already taken the first step to receive the horses before leaving Chang'an. He should be waiting for the turn at the front.

The Danshan Military Horse Farm is in the north, and there are three days of roads leading out of Yumen Pass. It goes to Cheshi in the north, to the ancient Loulan Kingdom in the west, and to Shanshan in the south.The place agreed with Cheng Yaojin was the border of Cheshi Kingdom.

Of course, the current Shanshan Kingdom has long existed in name only, and the current leader is already enjoying life in Chang'an.As a vassal state of the Tang Dynasty, King Shanshan has handed over full power to govern the country to the Tang Dynasty for the sake of the happy life of his people.

As for whether it is done willingly?

hehe!Does it matter?
Three days later, even Ji Song was shocked when he saw the endless war horses in front of him.The neighing of the war horses, the howling west wind, and the spectacular scene under the blue sky and white clouds took everyone's breath away!

Tread~
There was a sound of horse hoofbeats, and a group of people and horses were seen galloping from the front!

"Appreciate~"

Cheng Yaojin, who had white hair and beard, seemed high-spirited at this time. The long period of comfort had not erased the iron blood from his body.Perhaps when I came back from the dream at midnight, I had already dreamed of the scene of galloping horses on the battlefield countless times, and now it finally came true.

"Ziyi, I'm here to pick you up!"

Ji Song was carried out of the carriage, looked at Cheng Yaojin who was walking quickly, clasped his fists and smiled: "You have worked hard all the way!"

Cheng Yaojin waved his hand and said indifferently: "What's hard work? I'm tired of staying in Chang'an for a long time. They are all acting like flies and dogs, and it's upsetting to see them!"

After speaking, he looked at the tens of thousands of troops and laughed loudly: "It is better to be in the army. If anyone is disobedient, I will beat him. No one will dare to talk nonsense."

"Come on, I'll show you our war horses. Damn it, the Tang Dynasty is so damn rich now. You haven't seen it. The horses in the racecourse are endless at first glance. I heard they cost almost 30 yuan." It can provide Datang with at least [-] qualified war horses every year."

"What kind of battle did we fight back then? You were a little better. At least when you entered the army, most of the Tang Dynasty had been stable. But it was not much better. You also know that the cavalry at that time was only how many people?"

As he spoke, Cheng Yaojin became depressed.His eyes were slightly red and he said: "If we had the current equipment and war horses at that time, those old brothers wouldn't have sacrificed their lives. It's a pity."

Hearing this, Ji Song comforted: "You can't say that. Without the efforts of our ancestors, how could we be where we are now? It's because they won the battle under difficult conditions that we have the stability we have now."

"Without a stable environment, how could we have the current military horse farm?"

Cheng Yaojin looked up at the sky and murmured: "You are right, I believe they will not regret it!"

Ji Song saw his appearance and said nothing. Soon, several people arrived at the gathering place of the war horses.

"Your Majesty Zhang Jingshun pays homage to the Commander-in-Chief!"

Ji Song is the commander-in-chief of the Western Expedition Army, so it’s okay to be called a commander-in-chief!
"There is no need to be polite. Your Majesty is here to breed countless war horses for the Tang Dynasty. It can be said that your hard work is a great achievement. Before your Majesty left, you told me to thank you for him."

After Ji Song finished speaking, Zhang Jingshun could no longer help himself. How many days and nights had he spent in this racecourse in order to train war horses?The time spent in the comfortable Chang'an was less than one-tenth of the time spent at the racecourse.

Others said that he was a horse herdsman, and the civil servants in the court looked down upon him.Who allowed me to be of low origin? If not for His Majesty’s grace, how could I be where I am now?
In the past, there was a shortage of food everywhere in the Tang Dynasty. Even the chaff eaten by animals was a good thing that could save lives. It was impossible to breed war horses in large numbers.Every year, the imperial court used frugal materials to breed war horses.

But things are different now. Datang has no shortage of food.Granaries in Guandong were built one after another, and Chang'an was overflowing with food.If it weren't for the imperial government's food price protection decree, it would have fallen so much that it would have been worth it.

What do the horses at the racecourse eat now?
Three pounds of concentrate per day, plus one egg, how can this be raising horses?He is clearly supporting his ancestors!
However, the effect was unexpectedly good. Not only were the war horses stronger, but the new breeds that were bred had also made major breakthroughs.He believed that he would be able to breed a unique war horse before long.

"Come here, give the things I brought from Chang'an to Mrs. Zhang!"

Just as Mrs. Zhang was thinking about it, Ji Song sent someone to bring three carriages.

He patted the carriage and said with a smile: "This is His Majesty's reward to you and the many officials and grooms at the racecourse. Maybe a mere amount of money cannot make up for the previous debt, but this is also the heart of the court and His Majesty. You must not refuse it!" "

Without waiting for Zhang Jingshun to say anything, Ji Song said directly: "Even if you don't think about yourself, you should think about your subordinates and family members. They have been following you here for more than ten years. Maybe you don't care, but But the imperial court cannot care less. The imperial court cannot do this to heroes, and it should not do this."

"Since you have paid, you must be rewarded, although this reward is a bit late."

"Not late, not late, not at all late!"

Zhang Jingshun's eyes were red, he bowed deeply to the east, and choked with sobs: "Your Majesty, on behalf of everyone in the racecourse, thank you for your grace!"

(End of this chapter)