The struggle of the reborn prince

Cheng Xishou lived a very comfortable life in this foreign land emperor, not to mention eating well and drinking well, and more than ten large ocean-going merchant ships would enter the port for trading every day, which brought them a steady stream of gold coins.The only thing that makes him dissatisfied is that it is too hot here, even the sea water is warm, and the temperature will rise after entering June; moreover, dust storms often occur, and the strong northwest wind blows the sand and soil in the desert area. Blowing into the bay makes the sea water very turbid, and there is always a lingering dust haze floating in the sky.

"Marshal, life is going well!" The expedition commander's mansion was set up in the original city lord's mansion. The vines formed a pergola, and some unknown flowers and plants were planted. Cheng Xishou, wearing only a waistcoat, lay down on a blanket under the shade to rest, with wine and a few seasonal fruits in his hand. Ma Wei and others came in and bumped into him.

"Yo, everyone is here, sit down!" Cheng Xishou hurriedly sat up when he heard the voice and saw that several leaders of the army had arrived.

"This place is so hot, it hasn't even rained for more than ten days!" Leopard Wing Army Commander Wang Gang unbuttoned his military uniform, thought for a while and took off his boots, and complained.

"Who says no, people are so hot, horses can't stand it anymore, they're all wilted, and they don't like good fodder!" Li Quan, the commander of the Wolf Wing Army, saw that Wang Gang had taken off his clothes, and he also learned the same thing. Pulling off the boots with great effort, he sighed as he looked at his sweat-soaked feet.

"It's almost the same. Those horses have been on the boat for such a long time, and the cabin is so small that they can only be tied up all day, and their physical strength has dropped too much. I'm afraid they won't be able to go to battle for a while!" Wang Gang also said, after staying at sea for so long.The physical damage to the horses is not small, and most of their war horses come from the Northwest.Although I concentrated on serving on the way, I lost a lot.

"Hehe, I'm still on the battlefield. I can't walk anymore after getting off the boat. Everyone seems to be swinging. It's getting better these days!" Li Quan said with a wry smile.

"To be honest, how many cavalry troops can go to battle?" Although what the two said was meant to be joking, Ma Wei, the deputy commander, also realized the seriousness of the situation and asked seriously.

"Deputy Marshal, our two armies are no different from other Zhenfu Divisions. Both of our armies have infantry as the backbone. There are not many cavalry. After receiving the order, we will draw elites from the two armies and organize them into a brigade. There are four hussars in command, two There are six dragon cavalry commanded by a brigade, with a total strength of 5000. According to the standard configuration, one soldier, two cavalry and spare horses should be equipped with [-] horses. Considering that the ship can reduce the consumption and transportation capacity problems on the way, the reduction Up to [-] horses. Lost more than [-] horses on the way, barely enough.” Wang Gang also put away his jokes and reported truthfully.

"Furthermore, our sergeants will be difficult to fight against the scorching heat, the climate is not acclimatized, and there are many people who are infected. The combat effectiveness is greatly affected. We also want to ask the commander to consider whether to take a break, find a place rich in water and grass, and rest the team. To recover Combat strength!" Li Quan then said.

"Well, this matter is really tricky. After you land, you will find a grassland nearby!" The two chief officers are experienced soldiers, and they would not bother themselves if the situation was not serious.After hearing this, Cheng Xishou also looked at it squarely.

"Commander, after we landed, we found that there was a river entering the sea nearby. After we sent people to investigate, there were small oases in the area where the river passed. It is suitable for grazing, resting, and avoiding the scorching heat to restore the physical strength of the troops. Otherwise, it would be difficult to continue marching. "Li Quan said solemnly.

"How long do you think is advisable to rest?" Cheng Xishou nodded and asked again.

"We thought it would take two months to fatten up the horses, and it would be best to march when the weather turns cold!" Li Quan and Wang Gang said as they looked at each other.

"No, we don't have that much time, a month at most!" Cheng Xishou flatly rejected their request.

"Why?" Li Quan asked in unison.

"I have ordered people to visit the local natives, and I learned that there are often hurricanes and sandstorms here in autumn. At that time, our army will not be able to march by sea or land; moreover, the northeast monsoon will reach here in October, that is, It's time for us to return, and it's almost June now, so we don't have much time left, if we miss the monsoon, we have to wait for the next year!" Cheng Xishou said leisurely.

"Marshal, isn't one month too short?" Although he knew what the marshal said was right, Li Quan still wanted to buy some more time.

"I understand your feelings, but I don't need to repeat the reason why the military is on fire! No matter what method you use, I will see an invincible force standing here again in a month." Cheng Xishou said...

One month passed quickly. Although the expeditionary army tried their best to keep it a secret and blocked the news that Ji Shi State had been occupied by the Song army, how many merchant ships came in and out here in a day, so how could they keep it.However, Seljuk did not pay enough attention to this sudden arrival of the army, and only sent troops to the provinces of Jishi State to send troops to conquer, and did not dispatch a large army. The result was that the Song Army had a period of time to make money.

And the expeditionary army was not idle, they sent spies to step up their reconnaissance, collected food and war horses wantonly, and shipped the property obtained in Jishi State and the Song caravan withdrew from the Persian Gulf in advance to avoid being attacked after they set off. revenge.The soldiers also seized the time to rest and carry out adaptive training. Cheng Xishou was also responsive to them, as long as money could buy it, he was unambiguous. Anyway, the most important thing now is money.

According to the military regulations of the Song Army, all captured during the war must be turned in, but [-]% of them can be used as rewards.It is recorded that Shi Guo is simply a golden hole, and that [-]% is not a small sum. Cheng Xishou and others cashed in before the end of the war in order to boost morale.At the same time, officers and soldiers were organized to go to the island to visit and shop in batches, and let them see the prosperity and prosperity there. When everyone was amazed, there were often people around them who would disdainfully tell them that the place they were going to was a hundred times richer and more prosperous than this place. , It depends on whether you have the courage to go shopping!

In order to be able to complete this expedition, anyway, several leaders racked their brains, no matter whether it was meat or vegetable, cultural or military, or vulgar and elegant, as long as they could quickly restore their combat effectiveness, they used all methods to improve morale.In the end, without the encouragement of the officers, the soldiers could not wait to set off.The expeditionary force, especially the army that will serve as the main offensive force, has not yet reached its peak combat effectiveness, but it is not too far behind.

On the first day of July, the expeditionary army set off and left the country of Ji Shi. Behind them were reluctant businessmen from all over the world. In the past month, everyone has lost the heavy taxes in the past, and naturally they have doubled their income.It's a pity that the 'Morna' people could not wait until the end of this trading period to withdraw first, but everyone agreed that when the southeast monsoon blows, they must go to Song Dynasty to see the legendary rich country... …

According to the battle plan formulated by Zhao Tun, the purpose of this expedition was to deter the Seljuk Empire, open up maritime trade routes, and open up new markets.The most effective way to achieve this combat goal is to capture its capital Baghdad, let them see the strength of the Song Dynasty, and tell them that although the two countries are thousands of miles apart, the Song Dynasty can also destroy the country.And to approach the city, you must first capture the important town on the northwest coast of the Persian Gulf-Bossaro City.

It is recorded that Shi State is more than [-] miles away from Bossaro City. According to the plan, the attack should be carried out along the coast by land and water.After discussing with the generals, Cheng Xishou thought that the weather was getting hotter and the physical strength of the land march was huge, and they had already exposed their offensive intentions due to the long rest, and there would be enemy troops blocking them along the way.If the whole army still sailed northward by boat, they could hide their whereabouts, or appear under the city of Bossaro with sudden movements, catching the enemy by surprise.So they feinted their guns and turned around the sea, taking advantage of the darkness to turn into the open sea and drive to the next target!

The city of Bossaro was built on the west bank of the old canal of the Euphrates River after the Arabs defeated the Persian army hundreds of years ago, fearing that the Persian army would counterattack from the sea.After it was completed, a large number of Arab troops guarded here, aiming to control the traffic arteries between Hindustan and Oman at that time.The city is located on the Grand Canal, with convenient water transportation. You can go down the canal to Baghdad, the capital, or enter the Persian Gulf through the canal in the southeast. It is the only hub connecting the Persian Gulf and the inland water system.

Bossaro City developed rapidly after its rise, and the urban area continued to expand and extend to the edge of the desert, and reached its peak in the eighth and ninth centuries, becoming the center of commerce, handicrafts, religion, culture and financial activities.After the tenth century, it began to fall into decline, but the 300-year old city still has a certain scale. The city is about five miles wide, and the buildings are all made of kiln-fired bricks.Because it is located on a traffic artery, the camel caravans that cross the desert and the merchant ships from the sea all gather here. The three residential areas in the city form three major markets, with shops and warehouses everywhere. The prosperity and scale are overwhelming. than Baghdad.

Commerce has promoted the development of financial services. Merchants who carry valuables or currency will deposit their valuables in foreign currency changers or silver shops in exchange for a check, which can be used for all transactions in the city. deal with.And they can also use checks to cash money at silver shops, which has similar functions to the current popular bank notes in the Song Dynasty except that the scope of circulation is limited.

Then a hundred years ago, the city of Bossaro experienced a 15-year black slave uprising and an Arab civil strife. The city was looted and massacred twice, which seriously damaged its vitality and business. The prosperity of the city, the status of the trading center was handed over to other cities.But the lean camel is bigger than the horse, and it is the only hub connecting the Persian Gulf and the inland water system.Controlling the main roads going south to the sea and going north to the capital, it maintains a certain commercial scale, and is still an important town stuck in the inland of the Seljuk Empire... (to be continued...)