Overlord's Road to Ancient Emperors

Chapter 368

The grassland is vast, and unlike the Central Plains where villages and towns are connected, nomads often migrate. In autumn, the people on the grassland are busy stockpiling hay and dried meat for the winter.

"Will Dayan come to sell grain this year? Last year, I exchanged one hundred cattle and sheep for three months of grain. The whole family survived the cold winter safely. Waiting for Dayan's caravan to deliver food."

"My family is the same. This year, my family has raised more than a dozen good horses. They are all descendants of the best thoroughbred wild horses. They will definitely sell for a good price." In the Xiongnu, horses are the most popular commodity, followed by cattle and sheep. , followed by other things on the grassland, but the court of the Huns stipulated that there were only a few horses sold to Dayan, and they would not be allowed to sell more than a certain amount.

However, merchants have business skills, and it is impossible for the royal court to supervise the transactions of various tribes all the time. There are still many war horses flowing into the Central Plains. The imperial court has set up several war horse breeding bases. The horse trainers who followed Ye Changqing to the northwest have also returned one after another. , and then assigned to various bases to raise horses.

At the end of October, Kou Xiao sent the first battle report to the capital, eight hundred miles away, and the soldiers who reported the letter sang all the way into the city.

In the capital, the news of the Northwest Army's dispatch of troops was not publicized. Only a few people knew about it. They were surprised to hear the news and asked, "War is going on in the Northwest? Is it the Huns sending troops? Or some other country?"

In the palace, Li Xu and the ministers breathed a sigh of relief when they received the battle report. Even the ministers who had objections to Kou Xiao's rash dispatch of troops were looking forward to the victory of the army. Naturally they were happy to hear the news.

King Shun was able to expand the country before he was enthroned, so the achievements in the next few decades will surely be remembered in history. As long as these ministers work hard to follow Mingjun, they will surely be able to leave their names in the annals of history in the future. What a great thing that is.

Li Xu was very happy. When the court praised the bravery of the Northwest Army and General Kou's leadership, no one would jump out and accuse Kou Xiao of his mistakes.

However, anyone who knows a little bit about military affairs knows that the Northwest Army’s ability to quickly occupy the target area is to make a surprise attack, and the speed is fast. Before the Huns get the news, they will occupy the place. What is waiting for them must be the counterattack of the Huns. Can they hold the land? That is the key, so not all courtiers are optimistic about Kou Xiao.

After the dynasty was over, Li Xu returned to the imperial study. Now all the women in the harem have been sent away. Those who are willing to go back to their natal homes, those who are willing to become monks, and the rest are placed by Li Xu in the royal courtyard in the suburbs. Therefore, the harem also became deserted.

Liu Shu came in with a famous book. Since there is no mistress in this palace, more than half of the palace maids and eunuchs can be cut. In addition, Liu Shu thinks that these servants in the palace have their own masters, rather than keeping them as someone else's eyeliner , it’s better to clean it once, and just recruit again in the future.

However, with the character of his prince, I am afraid that it is impossible to recruit new people into the palace in this life. If there is only one man in the harem as a queen, it is estimated that all the maids and eunuchs will be withdrawn, and a guard will be fine. up.

Thinking of it this way, Liu Shu's heart became cold and cold. He still wanted to be the chief executive of the palace, the kind with thousands of court ladies and eunuchs under his command.

"My lord, the list has been counted. All the masters can take away. For the rest, except for some who are old enough to leave the palace, there are more than 500 people left. The slave thought, enthroned The grand ceremony is a big event, and many people are needed, it is better to wait until the enthronement ceremony is over before dismissing them."

Li Xu took a look at the list, looked up at Liu Shu, and said, "Send all the maids away, and leave the eunuchs alone. The boys who will be sent to the palace basically have nowhere to go, and they will also leave the palace." It’s not easy to live in, so let’s stay, and we can set up a few new yamen in the palace in the future, let them learn some skills to work.”

Liu Shu was moved to wipe away tears, "My lord is really kind, that's why I will tell everyone about your decision."

"Okay, let's find Zhang Shuo and renovate the palace where the king will live in the future. If the king wants to marry Kou Xiao again, it will be arranged like the Shun Palace in Nanyue."

Liu Shu asked cautiously, "Are you going to live with General Kou?"

Li Xu bowed his head and said "um", not thinking there was any problem.

Liu Shu has gotten used to his difference, so he didn't say anything. I don't know if the ministers of the previous court would make trouble after knowing this decision. Since ancient times, the affairs of the harem have been linked to the previous court. The queen is still a mighty general, and the powerful relationship among them is not understood by a young eunuch.

"Go and call Jia Ping into the palace." Li Xu ordered.

Liu Shu hurriedly sent a young eunuch to pass on the message, and he approached Li Xu and asked, "My lord, can General Kou really come back before New Year's Eve?"

"The battlefield is changing rapidly, and this king doesn't know it, but even if he can't, he will come back by himself at that time, and Situ Yong will replace him. I think his sworn brothers are willing to give him another vacation to come back and get married."

Jia Ping came soon, followed by a black-faced young man, Li Xu stood up in surprise, "When did Xiaoye come back?"

Ye Changqing, who was already in his twenties, smiled wryly and said, "My lord, let's call him another name. Xiaoye or something really looks like a little eunuch."

"My lord didn't call you Xiao Ye Zi." Liu Shu took a step back when he heard that, fearing that he would become "Little Liu Zi", that would be too shameful.

"If you go back to the lord, the general just returned to the Gyeonggi Camp and heard that you Xuan Jiaping entered the palace before he reported, so he sneaked into the palace." reason.

Li Xu nodded, "You did a good job on this errand, and the horse trainers who came back are also good at learning. What are your plans for the future? How about going back to the northwest with the cavalry battalion to help Kou Xiao?"

Jia Ping probably guessed Li Xu's reason for asking him to enter the palace. The cavalry battalion always needs training, and now there is an excellent opportunity. It is expected that Li Xu will send them to the northwest.

Ye Changqing shook his head, "The cavalry battalion was built by General Kou and Jia Ping. It's not good for me to get in halfway, and I'm tired of staying in the northwest, so I don't really want to go."

Li Xu didn't make things difficult for him, Ye Changqing was not missing in the Northwest, and if he wanted to lead the army, he had to restore his original status and vigorously promote him. Li Xu's original plan was to rectify Ye Changqing's name after he ascended the throne. His merits are enough to become a general , is better than using a pseudonym all the time.

"It's up to you. You can rest for two months. Seeing how thin you are, you have suffered a lot in the northwest, right?"

Ye Changqing touched his face, and said with a smile: "It's not that hard, but it's hot in summer and cold in winter, and the wind and sand are a little bit stronger, so people will look thinner after being sunburned."

The corner of Li Xu's mouth twitched, and he thought to himself, I'll ask Ye Changqing privately later to see what his family Kou Xiao has been exposed to, so don't come back two months later and not recognize him, that would be embarrassing enough.

Of course, it's not that Li Xu dislikes Kou Xiao's blackness, men's black spots are nothing, presumably a man who has experienced wind, frost and war will be more powerful and powerful, and he must like it.

Jia Ping had nothing to say, the cavalry battalion had been prepared long ago, and there were enough soldiers and horses to go through a long-distance training.

Li Xu thought about it, and it seemed that he had nothing to explain. Fighting wars is not something he is good at, so he just said: "When you arrive in the northwest, you can follow Kou Xiao's command."

Jia Ping replied: "Don't worry, my subordinates will not compete with the princess for power. If you want to make him queen, his achievements in this battle are the best stepping stones. Presumably the courtiers dare not raise objections."

Li Xu is not surprised that he guessed this matter, anyway, the people around him are used to this couple's love than Jin Jian, so they can't envy them even if they want to.

Li Xu regarded the two as friends, and he didn't have too many taboos when talking, and said with a smile: "He is the one who is being married by the king, and if the king wants to ascend the throne, he must of course be crowned queen, but when you go to the northwest, tell him that if you dare to get hurt, This king is about to change his mind."

Jia Ping cupped his hands, "This subordinate will remember it, and will convey it to General Kou verbatim."

On the same day, [-] cavalry were dispatched, which caused a sensation in the whole city. Only then did the people believe that there was a real war in the northwest, and it was definitely a big war. Otherwise, it would be impossible to send out the guards of the capital to support it.

"I heard that General Kou is young and energetic, and he decided to use troops against the Xiongnu regardless of obstacles. Looking at the situation, I'm afraid it's not very good." Some people heard the gossip.

"If this is the case, then it is really too reckless. I heard that the Northwest Army has long since lost its backbone. It is like a mess of sand, and its life is too comfortable. It is not as brave as it was in the early years. General Kou dared to use troops after only one year. , really bold."

"It's just relying on the prince's favor. I heard that the prince sent countless weapons and equipment to the northwest, and built a very strong fortress. These must have been requested by General Kou."

"It seems that the prince really has deep feelings for General Kou. Even such a major event follows General Kou's wishes. This is an opportunity for General Kou to make great achievements."

There are also people who stand on Kou Xiao's side and have great confidence in him, "General Kou's martial arts are superb, higher than Commander Mu back then, and even better than the First Prince. He is invincible in South Vietnam The God of War must have great self-confidence to dare to send troops."

"But the Northwest is not South Vietnam, and the Huns are not pirates. They cannot be compared."

"Anyway, I think General Kou will win to the end, and that victory letter is the best proof."

"Then just wait and see. If we win, King Shun's enthronement ceremony will be more meaningful. If we lose, it will hurt King Shun's fame."

Indeed, nowadays, everyone regards the war in the northwest as a great gift for King Shun's ascension to the throne, but it is unknown whether this gift will turn into a disaster.

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Jia Ping led 10,000 cavalry straight to the grassland. Before joining the Northwest Army, he received a letter from Kou Xiao. The letter said that the cavalry battalion did not need to join the Northwest Army. Create chaos, so that the Xiongnu soldiers can't care about the head and the tail. Now the Xiongnu has assembled [-]+ soldiers and horses and is quickly approaching the Northwest Army. The rear must be empty. If possible, they can even occupy the Huns' royal court.

Kou Xiao never thought of occupying the entire grassland at once. The Huns were all soldiers. If the suppression was severe, they might encounter resistance from various tribes, and the gains would outweigh the losses.

In the area of ​​the Hetao Plain they occupied, only a few tribes graze here, and the real big tribes are still further north. If Dayan's force is enough to deter the Huns, they will definitely not fight Dayan for this small area. protracted war.

Jia Ping immediately ordered the whole army to march forward quickly. They were all cavalry, without a train team, and the only dry food they had was freshly supplied. No one had brought food for about ten days. If everything went well, it would be enough to gallop back and forth across the grassland.

When Kou Xiao got the news, his confidence doubled. He said to the major generals under his command: "Now there are [-] cavalry from the Gyeonggi Battalion interfering with the enemy's rear for us. The Xiongnu soldiers will get the news soon, and they will definitely separate out. When some troops return to the defense, we will set up a few hurdles behind them, so as not to let them go back too smoothly."

Tuoba Hong licked his back teeth, and recommended himself: "The last general likes to beat up dogs in the water. Please give me this task!"

Kou Xiao nodded, "General Tuoba didn't say that I would assign you a hurdle, but this general expects that they will allocate about [-] troops to defend. One hurdle is not enough, so we need to set up three. It needs a lot, about [-] people, choose a high ground to set up an ambush, and retreat immediately after a long attack. The second option is to dig a trap on the flat ground, and take advantage of their unpreparedness to attack their horses. If the horses are injured, their forward speed will inevitably slow down. The last hurdle was set up near the royal court, pretending to be a small tribe of the Huns, seeking refuge in the royal court on the grounds that the tribe was broken by the Yan soldiers, and when the Huns were about to return home, they would give them a fatal blow. , A quick decision, whether it is success or failure, on the premise of your own safety, you must withdraw as soon as possible. The first hurdle is handed over to General Tang, the second hurdle is handed over to Vice General Cao, and the third hurdle is handed over to Tuoba General, do you have any objections?"

The three of them took a step forward, clapping their chests to ensure the completion of the task, especially Tuoba Hong, who felt that his hurdle was the most important link, and deeply felt that he had been reused.

When he left, Jiang Qiuming leaned over and whispered, "Why did the general choose him? He has an impulsive personality. If he is greedy for merit, he may lead the Northwest Army to be wiped out."

Kou Xiao explained: "He was sent to meet Jia Ping. Calculating the time, Jia Ping must still be near the royal court at that time. It would be good if our people went to meet Jia Ping so that Jia Ping could withdraw smoothly. He has an impulsive personality. , but Jia Ping is very safe, don’t worry, Jia Ping knows how to do it.”

Mentioning Jia Ping, Jiang Qiuming had nothing to say. Among the generals he was familiar with, Jia Ping was indeed a rare and steady general. As a vanguard, he might not be strong enough, but as a backup, he was absolutely reliable and safe.

"The general is still thoughtful." Jiang Qiuming praised, and then said: "Calculating the time, we only have a month at most, is it too late?"

Kou Xiao licked his dry lips, took off the water bag and filled half a pot of water, "Don't worry, it will be in time, this is a once in a lifetime event, this general will not let the prince's enthronement ceremony leave any regrets."

With this motivation, what Kou Xiao is focusing on when leading troops this time is to quickly occupy the destination, quickly build fortifications, and when the Huns react and gather troops, they will even have reinforcements here. One battle, one must win!

In the camp of the Xiongnu soldiers, Nuhar personally led the team, and when he heard about the Northwest Army in front of him, he said angrily, "This Kou Xiao is really a character. He dared to take the initiative to send troops. Who gave him the courage?"

His staff member is a Han, and it is this person who has been giving him advice and advice to make him dominate the prairie. At this time, he said: "Of course it was King Shun of Dayan who gave him the courage. I heard that Kou Xiao and King Shun had an affair. With such a strong backer, Kou Xiao must have a flamboyant and domineering personality, and it is not surprising that he would take the initiative to send troops.

And I said earlier that Dayan suddenly sent us a large amount of grain last year. Although it was a normal transaction, there must be a conspiracy. Your Majesty should not have reached an agreement with them. They delayed the best fighters of our Huns. "

Some Hun generals also retorted disapprovingly: "Fart! What is the best fighter? Didn't Mr. Wang see what happened on the grassland last year? Because of the civil strife all the year round, all the tribes are short of food and clothing. Attacking Dayan may not necessarily win."

Mr. Wang sneered and said: "But at that time, the Northwest was still in disarray. The First Prince was deprived of his military power, and Kou Xiao who succeeded him had not yet been able to control the Northwest Army. No one would listen to him. We only need tens of thousands of troops to defeat them one by one. They are just you cowards!"

The generals of the Xiongnu didn't like this Yan people very much. How could a villain who betrayed his own country be respected by their king?

However, there is still some truth in what he said, it's just that everyone doesn't support him.

"Let's not talk about that, the past is in the past, let's think about how to deal with the Northwest Army led by Kou Xiao. In a year, can he already have full control over the Northwest Army?" Nuhar asked angrily.

Mr. Wang sighed, and shook the feather fan. This thing was passed down from Dayan, and there was a story about the Three Kingdoms. Mr. Wang always praised himself as Zhuge Liang, but it was a pity that he was not born at the right time and did not meet a good monarch.

"It was found out before that Kou Xiao has indeed taken control of the Northwest Army, and trained the Northwest Army in sections, the strength must have greatly increased."

"Then he thinks he wants to capture the grassland with these people? The ambition is too great."

Mr. Wang secretly sneered, this Nuhar is rude and arrogant, and his mind is full of nonsense, "King Shun will soon ascend the throne, I guess Kou Xiao will not be interested in capturing the entire grassland, even if he did, he would not find this time, In Dayan, the enthronement ceremony is a big event, civil servants and military generals are all going to participate, Kou Xiao, as Li Xu's confidant, must go back, so, the biggest possibility is that their goal is only the current plain, and then They can't hold on to a lot of territory!"

"Really?" The generals asked one after another. They didn't want to fight at all. They were too tired from fighting in the past few years, and they finally calmed down. It's useless to enjoy the wealth and beauty without life.

If the Northwest Army really does not intend to continue to attack, they may not be able to give in, right?

Everyone looked at Nuhar with hopeful eyes. Although the latter had thoughts in his heart, he was very angry, "Even if it is just a small plain, it is our Huns' territory. Kou Xiao dares to occupy our territory, so we must do it well." Prepare to be trampled into flesh by iron cavalry!"

After one night, the envoys of the Northwest Army came to the barracks where the Huns were stationed, and brought an agreement written by Kou Xiao himself, which said: As long as the Huns withdraw their troops and assign the areas occupied by the Northwest Army to Dayan, they will also Stop walking and never step into the grassland. In addition, Dayan and the Huns can continue to maintain friendly bilateral trade relations. Dayan has prepared hundreds of vehicles of grain. As long as the Huns retreat, the grain will be sold immediately Send it to the grassland for the common people to spend the cold winter safely.

It is already snowing season, and in another ten days and a half months, maybe the grassland will be covered with heavy snow. In such a climate, neither the Northwest Army nor the Xiongnu soldiers would want to send troops. Unless they can go to Dayan to plunder food, the 10,000+ army will starve, and they won't even be able to dig grass roots.

Mr. Wang said anxiously: "My lord, I can't agree to them. This is their conspiracy. Once they occupy the territory of the Huns, they will definitely fuel their arrogance. When they are strong and strong, they will definitely continue to attack us!"

A general breathed a sigh of relief and said unwillingly: "Why wait for them to be strong and strong? We only need to give us a year to recuperate. By this time next year, we will definitely be able to regain the lost territory! At that time, we must let them know The Xiongnu iron cavalry are amazing!"

Other generals echoed, "Yes, lord, it's this time of year, they have already started to build the wall, as long as they don't come out, it will be very difficult for us to get in, we don't have enough food, we can't grab Dayan's food, we You can only grab the cattle and sheep of your own people, when the time comes, your newly unified royal court will definitely be torn apart again."

These words penetrated Nuhar's heart. He finally got to this point and he was absolutely unwilling to give up the throne he had obtained. Moreover, the internal stability of the Xiongnu is not stable enough, and there are still old tribes fighting against each other in various tribes. Attack Dayan, the rear will be unstable.

This idea was soon confirmed. In the afternoon, some scouts rushed to report and found a cavalry rapidly approaching the royal court. The number was about [-]. It looked like Dayan's soldiers and horses in uniform.

"What? There is movement in the Northwest Army, why didn't our people notice it?"

The general in charge of supervising the Northwest Army immediately reported: "Your Majesty, I dare to guarantee with the head of the item that the Northwest Army has never moved tens of thousands of troops. Could this cavalry come from other places?"

The scout soldier caught his breath and continued, "Judging from the flag, it doesn't seem to be the Northwest Army." As we all know, the Northwest Army hangs a big banner with the word "Kou".

"Whose soldier?" Nuhar asked with staring eyes.

"It seems...it seems to be from Great Yanjing City."

"Impossible! They have never sent troops to the Xiongnu."

Mr. Wang thought for a while and said: "It's not impossible. I heard that the Gyeonggi Battalion has trained a cavalry force, which happens to be 2 people. If they come, it's normal. The cavalry is fast and most suitable for operations on the grassland. The rear is empty, they are going to take out our old bottom!"

Nuhar walked around anxiously, and quickly made a decision: "There are only 2 people, and the king wants them to go and never return! Divide half of the people back to defend, and be sure to wipe out this cavalry on the grassland!"

"As ordered!"

Kou Xiao soon learned of the mobilization of the Xiongnu soldiers. With a wave of his hand, three soldiers and horses came out of the camp at night, ready to deal a fatal blow to the Xiongnu soldiers who returned to defend.