Great Han Empire

Chapter 103
Everyone took Xiao Yu to Lulongsai, paid homage to Tian Jing, Ji Ming, and all Lulongsai comrades who died, and told them that the war was won and the barbarians were driven out.

Li Hong always thought that Tian Zhong's friends were probably a group of old men at the gate of Xu Wucheng, but unexpectedly they were the richest man in Xu Wucheng, the Tian family, a wealthy local family.The Tian family has been scholars for generations, and the family has a pasture, a farm, and a workshop.The owner of this generation is called Tian Xing, who used to be the county magistrate of Xuwu.Tian Zhong had a close relationship with him.On the battlefield back then, Tian Xing was carried out by Tian Zhong from the pile of dead people.When Tian Zhong got old, he found a job as a gatekeeper in Xu Wucheng, and he walked around with his old comrades in his spare time, and this time he came back to see him.

Tian Xing hosted a banquet at home for Li Hong and Tian Zhong and his party. In words and deeds, he admired Tian Zhong for being old, still serving the country, and fighting on the battlefield.Tian Xing tried his best to keep them to live in his own home, so he could take care of them.It's difficult for everyone to be kind, but they immediately live in Tian's house.

Tian Xing has a grandson named Tian Chou, who is handsome, intelligent, and knowledgeable at a young age, and is known as a child prodigy in Xu Wucheng.He admired Li Hong very much and was obsessed with him endlessly, wanting to worship him as his teacher to learn martial arts.Li Hong liked him very much. During his stay in Xu Wucheng, he took him with him every day and taught him some martial arts in his spare time.As for apprenticeship, Li Hong certainly dare not agree.

Since Li Hong came back, Gu Yu seemed to be a different person, happy every day.Li Hong took her out of the city every day, and the little guy Arita Chou led the way, and they ran all over the nearby mountains and rivers.

Happy days are always fleeting.Due to the long journey to Shanggu Guangning, Li Hong and his subordinates stayed in Xu Wucheng for a few days, and immediately set foot on the way back.

Gu Yu saw each other off all the way, with tears streaming down his face, which made everyone feel very uncomfortable.Li Hong tried to dissuade her again and again, and asked Tian Chou to take good care of this sister.They got along very well these few days, and the well-behaved Tian Chou knew that Gu Yu was only two years older than him, so he changed his name to sister.

"When will you come back?" Gu Yu asked softly.

Li Hong shook his head, looked at her delicate face, and said with a smile, "I don't know."

Seeing Gu Yu's face darken, Li Hong couldn't bear it, and hurriedly continued: "We may return to Lulongsai in a few months. At the end of the year, I will come back to see you at the end of the year."

Li Hong was jolted a few times by Tian Zhong and woke up with a start.

"Are you thinking about Xiao Yu?" Tian Zhong smiled.

Li Hong smiled embarrassedly, without denying it.

"You told Xiao Yu that we will go back at the end of the year, are you sure?"

"I'm talking nonsense, and I don't have any confidence." Li Hong said with a wry smile.

Tian Zhong glared at him, pretending to be angry and said: "Then you are just lying to her?"

Li Hong laughed.

"I don't think we will be able to return to Lulongsai by the end of the year." Tian Zhong said solemnly, "When we passed by Jicheng, when we visited Lord Governor, he said that the situation was very serious. Now that the rebellion in Xiliang can't be put down, the Yellow Turbans in Jizhou Up again. Troubled autumn."

"Your Excellency Huangfu was framed by a treacherous villain, and he couldn't lead the army to go out. Of course, the rebellion everywhere will be difficult to put down." Zheng Xin sat up and took Tian Zhong's words and said: "If this continues, sooner or later, something big will happen. What do you say , Gongsun Zan led the troops to the Xiliang battlefield this time, will he be able to win the battle?"

"Of course." Li Hong said naturally: "The Youzhou iron cavalry brought by Lord Gongsun can rule the world, how can Xiliang's cavalry be the opponent? He will definitely return victorious."

Li Hong and his entourage passed by Jicheng and met with the newly appointed Lord Inspector.How did Yang Chunxin come here? He was very polite to Li Hong, a well-known frontier army officer.Only then did Li Hong know that he had been promoted.Lieutenant Li Feng.He was already elated when he heard the word Xiaowei, and he didn't care about whether he was "ok" or not.Although everyone felt that the imperial court treated heroes too harshly, but seeing Li Hong was very happy, it was hard to say anything, so as not to spoil his interest.In fact, in some states and counties, the title of Xingxiaowei is not as powerful as the Sima of other departments. It is a temporary official position and can be removed at any time.Fortunately, Li Hong was in the frontier army, otherwise, it would be self-evident how long he will serve this function.

Li Hong and his subordinates immediately got together with their old friend Xian Yufu.Xian Yufu specially invited them to have a meal at the biggest restaurant in Jicheng.It was the first time for Li Hong to eat this kind of delicacy, and he was full of praise.

Coincidentally, they met Gongsun Zan again.Gongsun Zan was leading the army to the Xiliang battlefield at this time.

When Gongsun Zan came to Jicheng, first, he visited the newly appointed Lord Inspector, second, he asked for supplies, and third, he dropped by to say goodbye.If he has made great contributions on the Xiliang battlefield, he will definitely be promoted, and the possibility of returning to Youzhou is unlikely.

The friend was very happy to meet, and went to that restaurant to drink again in the evening.

Gongsun Zan and his subordinates all admired Li Hong.This time on the battlefield of Shanggu, if Li Hong won the first battle by luck, it would be hard work to defend Macheng and let Tuobafeng's [-] troops return without success.Later, they wiped out the [-] troops of Kuitou in Yangjiao Mountain and the [-] troops of Tituo in Hengling. Those were bloody battles without luck, and their merits were comparable to those of the previous generations.Not admirable.

Gongsun Zan bluntly said that he was very jealous of Li Hong.For more than a year, he fought south and north and made many military exploits. At the age of 19, he became the Sima of another department, and he was cut with a single knife. This is unique in the Han Dynasty.He patted his chest and said, if he had had so many opportunities for Li Hong to participate in the war and made such achievements, he might be a general by now.The implication is that Li Hong's military achievements are outstanding, but the imperial court's reward is too light.Now that foreign relatives and eunuchs are in power, and the imperial court is destroyed, there is no way to do it.

He never mentioned the matter of the school lieutenant. In his eyes, that official position was rubbish, not a reward at all, but an insult, an insult to the warriors of northern Xinjiang.He thought of himself because of this, and he was also underappreciated.No one in the court should be an official.

Li Hong and Gongsun Zan cherish each other, and they drink heavily like heroes who meet each other.Li Hong was overwhelmed with alcohol, and fell on the wine table on the spot, just like the last time he crossed the barracks in Shankou.Compared with Gongsun Zan in drinking, he is far behind.

This time it was Gongsun Zan who paid for it again.Xian Yufu is a pauper, and Li Hong is even more empty.His rank salary and rewards from above were all confiscated or rewarded to his subordinates except a little for Xiao Yu.So when it came time to pay the bill, apart from Gongsun Zan and his subordinates, no one was awake at the table.Gongsun Zan laughed out loud, and left after paying the bill.

"Brother Bogui is a hero. You can see how majestic he is when he walks. I would also like to follow behind him." Li Hong still had an expression of admiration when he thought of Gongsun Zan.

Tian Zhong laughed.He pointed to Li Hong and said, "Master Gongsun said before leaving that you must treat him to a meal of wine, otherwise the military law will be used."

Li Hong laughed awkwardly, "He said it? Anyway, I drank too much, so I don't know. Next time when he wins the battle in Xiliang, makes military exploits, is promoted and becomes a high-ranking official, we will go to Eat his. He has money."

Zheng Xin couldn't help shaking his head and said: "Everyone says you are rich now. You don't know how embarrassing we are at the wine table. We can't even pay for the wine, so we have to pretend to be drunk and get away with it."

Li Hongda laughed.

"I have money? I'll ask Tie Yue later, if he's pocketing his own money."

Back at the Guangning camp, with beards, fists, She Yingtong, Heng Ji and several military officers followed Li Hong's plan, and the soldiers who had no vacation were still training on foot and cavalry to fight.Although these cavalry are not as effective as the well-trained infantry, they are very proficient in the basic formation, especially the defensive formation against the impact of cavalry.Now, the dense defensive formation of 2000 people can completely block the impact of cavalry.

Li Hong was very surprised, and immediately asked them to demonstrate in formation without taking a break.

It turned out that after Li Hong and the others left the barracks, Beard and Fist gathered their subordinates to discuss how to destroy the cavalry.Their subordinates were all horse thieves in the past, with many small ways.Everyone discussed and discussed, and there was no good way. We still defended according to the old routine, but updated the weapons.Use giant long shields for shields, giant spears for spears, and supplemented by long swordsmen for chopping horse legs, and archers for shooting cavalry.

Li Hong was very excited, applauded repeatedly, and ordered a big reward.Tie Yue was not happy.He said that in order to prepare these weapons for them, Weiwei ran around, looking for materials and craftsmen, and the soldiers also worked hard.Also reward.Li Hong hurriedly added.Heng Ji and She Yingtong came to find him immediately.The cavalry take turns as infantry to participate in training, why only some cavalry are rewarded, and the other part is not.Li Hong thought so too, he was negligent.All rewards.

Yushi rushed back from Yuyang, brought back a batch of refined weapons, and equipped the Hu soldiers with a set of ordinary armor.Tian Zhong began to curse.If money is spent like this, it will be like running water. Before the end of the year, everyone will drink the northwest wind.The day when the troops will disperse in a hurry is at hand.

Li Hong didn't seem to hear it, he still went his own way, cheerful all day long, reveling in the training battlefield where ten thousand cavalry confronted each other.Everyone calls back and forth every day, and the border grassland is very lively.

One day Tian Zhong scolded him anxiously, so Li Hong had no choice but to pretend to be an idiot, saying that every day counts as a day, and if there is a war on a certain day, there will be money, and the war is supported by the war.Hu people are poor, and they can't live by fighting every year.According to your old man, how did Tan Shihuai unify Xianbei?How did the Huns fight the Han Dynasty for hundreds of years?
hit.Li Hongda shouted.Tian Zhong almost lost his temper.

At the end of September, news first came that half of Gongsun Zan's troops had fled near Jicheng.Li Hong and everyone were surprised when they heard about it.They hadn't heard much from Yu Fu about the Xiliang battlefield.Xiliang cavalry are brave and good at fighting, and they have Qianghu as support, so it is very difficult to fight.Even famous generals like Huangfusong couldn't win the battle, which shows how powerful they are.Now Gongsun Zan has only brought [-] cavalry to Chang'an, his strength has been greatly reduced, and his prospects are bleak.

Immediately there came news that the Yellow Turban Zhang Niujiao Department of Jizhou was gaining momentum and besieging the city and seizing the county.The old soldiers in Yushi immediately and keenly smelled that the war was about to break out again.The troops immediately launched very targeted training for the battle on the plains to prevent accidents.

On this day, Babaili Kuaiqi galloped into the camp.

The Yellow Turban Army attacked Youzhou.Li Hong and everyone looked at each other in blank dismay, thinking that Zhang Niujiao was really powerful.

"Three days later, the army will depart."

"My lord, rescuing soldiers is like putting out a fire, why did they start after three days?" Yushi asked strangely.

"The holiday ended after three days, and there were still hundreds of soldiers who hadn't returned. We waited for them to come back and left."

"Military orders are like a mountain. The moment your lord receives the order, the holiday is over, and the army should start immediately." Yushi said solemnly.

Li Hong shook his head with a smile, looked at Yushi helplessly, and said almost in a pleading tone: "Congyi (Yushi's character), we are all brothers, this time going south to fight the Yellow Turban, how many people can come back? Everyone has Dear ones, let them finish their vacation. Besides, how can I find them now? Three days. Three days is very short."

"My lord, what Congyi said is right, we should set off immediately. They can catch up with the large army after they come back, and it won't delay our journey." Tian Zhong immediately said.

Li Hong shook his head resolutely.

"There are now more than 7000 Hu soldiers in the army. Treating them with respect and fairness is more important than anything else. Why did Karasuma soldiers run away in Lord Gongsun's army?"

"Although there are only a few hundred Hu cavalry, we are here waiting for them to come back, so that all the Hu soldiers will feel that our Han Kingdom respects them, values ​​them, and is willing to live and die with them. Inspired, they are willing to swear to the death and charge for the Great Han. Only such an army can be united from top to bottom, and they can be invincible when they are pulled together on the battlefield. If everyone has different intentions and betrays morality, even on the battlefield, they will be defeated at the first touch."

"I want to wait for them. I want to stand under the gate and wait for them to come back."

Sure enough, Li Hong stood under the gate, eagerly waiting for the soldiers returning with their horses.

When the soldiers of the Hu nationality saw how much they were valued by the captain, many of them were very moved, and their hearts were boiling with enthusiasm.What's not worth fighting to die for such a person?
On the evening of the last day, more than 20 Karasuma soldiers from Baishan did not return to the team.The army implements a continuous sitting system. If one soldier in a team violates military discipline, the others will be implicated.Li Hong proposed amendments several times, but they all pushed back to the military officers.Now that so many people did not come back, the soldiers of the same team were anxious. They stood at the gate of the camp in groups of three and four, looking into the distance.

As night fell, these people still did not return to the team.

Li Hong was very anxious, and felt a little regretful in his heart.He was also worried that someone would not come back.

If I don't insist on waiting for them, maybe this matter will have less influence.So, what to do with the soldiers who are sitting together, they should be executed according to the law.

Li Hong was so anxious that he turned around under the gate.

As midnight approached, the assassin Tian Zhong finally couldn't help shouting:
"Someone is coming..."

Li Hong was startled, hurriedly stopped his guards, held Tian Zhong back and said with a smile: "The hour is not up, why worry about it, old man. Go back and rest, I'll watch over here."

Tian Zhong looked at him suspiciously, and said very distrustfully: "Your Excellency, you should go back and rest, I will watch here."

Suddenly, Li Hong heard the faint sound of horseshoes coming from the wind.He winked at Hu Ding beside him.Hu Ding understood, lay down on the ground and listened carefully.

"My lord, they are back. They seem to have come back together."

Li Hong's heart suddenly dropped.

He raised his arms high and shouted loudly: "They're back, they're back."

All of a sudden, the camp was brightly lit and cheered loudly.

(End of this chapter)