In mid-August, heavy snow fell.
Zhuojun finally entered the severe winter season amid the howling north wind.
If it were previous years, the mountains would be covered with snow and there would be very few people around.
But this winter of the seventh year of the Great Cause will never stop on the road.
In early winter, the army gradually took shape, and the revealed figure was so huge and bloated. The continuous camps and sun-blocking flags almost completely covered the entire Zhuo County.
This is like a unique army since ancient times.
As a result, its appetite was also surprisingly large, and food, grass and weapons were constantly being gathered in Zhuo County for the use of the army.
This winter, the Sui government did not keep statistics on how many civilians froze to death on the way to Hebei.
There are only a few strokes in the history books, and they are passed over lightly.
Those many lives quietly disappeared into the snowy sky in the North, and surprisingly few people paid attention to them.
But Li Po, who was among the army, could clearly feel how cold this winter was.
Not to mention the civilians, even the soldiers were having a hard time.
Coal cakes are the most scarce item, but they have almost become the exclusive preserve of dignitaries and generals, so little people don’t have to worry too much.?
As a result, the mountain forests in Hebei were severely damaged. Large groups of soldiers were sent out to cut down trees, and the mountain tops became bald to the naked eye.
But firewood is still in short supply...
The price of a load of firewood has already gone towards Yiguan, Lianguan and Sanguanjuechen.
By the time September and October entered, frostbite had become the main reason for the non-combat attrition of the Zhuojun army.
These Sui soldiers who had to withdraw from the army one after another due to frostbite were actually very lucky. Apart from having to go through another difficult journey to return to their hometown, they no longer had to worry about anything else.
The remaining people have to go to Liaodong, a place that is even more bitter and cold, to experience what winter is like there.
And it was these people who returned to their hometowns who ignited the sparks of war in the late Sui Dynasty.
Everything about Zhuojun, as well as what he saw and heard along the way, caused rumors to spread from Zhuojun like a plague to further places.
However, Li Po could no longer think about that at this time, and he had no intention of being a bystander, because he was in the eye of the storm.
Not long after the heavy snow fell, the Mayi garrison received an order from the Ministry of War.
I have to say that the people in the Dou family are much more reliable than Li Bi in handling affairs.
They had already set off to return to Luoyang, but the transfer order from the Ministry of War still arrived as scheduled, and the soldiers from Mayi were transferred to the Zuohouwei Mansion for deployment. The highest military officer, the Minister of the Ministry of War, General Duan Wenzhen, the Zuohouwei Mansion.
Zuo Xiaowei's house didn't even dare to let go of anything. After seeing the transfer order, they immediately let him go.
It was Li Bi's cousin who came over quickly and "sent him off" to Mayi.
But that's all. Even if his father Li Yaowang comes, he can't change anything when the transfer order comes.
Duan Wenzhen, Minister of the Ministry of War and General Zuohouwei, is such a great figure. Except for a few people in the court, who dares to point fingers at him?
Li Bi didn't talk nonsense to her cousin at all. Her relatives had turned into enemies. The feeling was probably even more hateful than a foreign enemy.
If they met when Liaodong was at its most chaotic, maybe the two of them would end up fighting each other with swords and guns.
Li Po didn't care about the bad things happening in the Li family, he just breathed a sigh of relief.
I also decided in my heart that I must stay away from the people in Zuo Xiaowei Mansion from now on. If I really can't escape, I must hold on to the handle of the knife tightly and not give them any chance to take advantage of them.
As for what Zuo Houwei's mansion looked like, Li Po was unsure.
The group of people followed the people from the Ministry of War and walked through the camps and tents, heading northeast.
This journey lasted for a day and a half, and we barely managed to survive one night in a camp on the way. We didn't even have time to make any friends, so we were on the road again.
It wasn't until the afternoon of the next day, when the city walls of Zhuojun County were faintly visible in the distance, that the group stopped, entered another empty camp, and settled down.
The heavy snow had stopped at this time, but the temperature was also lower, and a group of people were freezing.
Although the people from the Ministry of War were wearing thick clothes, their faces were blue from the cold, their lips were white, and their noses were dripping with mucus.
Finally arriving at the place, this person breathed a sigh of relief.
However, he still forced a smile, hugged Li Bi, and said: "General Li, please stay here for the time being. There will be military orders coming later, and the troops will be signed everywhere. With the talents of the general, Mayi's army will be the best."
Jing, if you think about it, you will definitely have a place of use in Zuo Houwei Mansion."
"I have to go back to resume my duties. If nothing happens to the general, I will take my leave now."
The people coming from the Ministry of War left very quickly, and they didn't even have time to warm themselves up or eat something hot. It can be seen that the Ministry of War was already in a state of distress at this time.
Fortunately, Li Bi didn't give Li Po a chance to complain this time.
Along the way, I asked questions very clearly.
Nowadays, the duty of the Zuohouwei Mansion is to protect the emperor. Duan Wenzhen, the general of the Zuohouwei Mansion, has to stay with the emperor at all times and serve as counselor.
Therefore, even if Zuo Houwei Mansion wants to be further away, it will not work.
They were similar to Yingyang Mansion, which was also the former Hussar Mansion, and they became the emperor's guard regiment in the Liaodong campaign.
This time, it is much safer. There are no traces of people from Hebei or Shandong anymore. Most of the people around are big men from Guanxi. If you get closer to Zhuojun, you can still hear some Jiangnan accents. That is
The place where the elite soldiers from Lianghuai were stationed.
As for the famous Jiangnan Navy, they are also here this time. It is said that they are following the general to protect their children and are building warships in Donglai.
What's even more obvious is that once you arrive here, the treatment is immediately different.
The firewood in the camp was piled high, and there were even some coal cakes. Under the jurisdiction of Zuo Xiaowei Mansion, it was like heaven and earth.
You know, Zuo Xiaowei Mansion has stopped supplying firewood and other things. If Li Po hadn't been afraid of the cold, he had already prepared some firewood and stored it. Otherwise, maybe a group of people would have been able to squeeze in in the past few days.
Let's make a place to stay warm.
Of course, this is very unfair, but the people in the Mayi and Sui armies, who were still complaining about the injustice before, but now feel that they have taken a big advantage, all said that I like this kind of unfairness.
After settling down, Li Po and Li Bi got together again. This time, both of them had smiles of relief on their faces.
Obviously, Sanniang of the Li family, who used to be a bit enthusiastic, has also clearly realized that the Sui army's campaign in Liaodong is really not a good thing for herself, or even for the whole Sui army in Mayi.
...
This chapter has been completed!