Chapter 1448 Forming an Army

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"Hurry up, please make your hands and feet more agile. When memorizing the military regulations, everyone forgets the past and the past. You are as stupid as a pig. Now, no matter how slow you are, you are as slow as a tortoise. What's the use of you."

He might as well go back to graze and live an honest life with his mother-in-law..."

The officers kicked and hit him rudely, and yelled and cursed one after another.

This is Linqiang City in Xiping County, where two thousand soldiers of various ethnic groups are gathering.

They formed an army in the middle of last year and recruited mainly people from Tuyuhun, Qiang and other tribes.

…………

In recent years, there have been hundreds of thousands of highland tribes who have fled northward to various counties in Liangzhou. Excluding the old, weak, women and children, there are probably more than 100,000 adult men recorded in the Liangzhou household register.

Since last year, Datang has been preparing to implement a relocation strategy to return to the highlands. It wants to build the highlands into the second Mayi County and become the livestock breeding base of Datang.

First, waves of screening and purges were carried out on the nobles of Tuyuhun, Qiang and other tribes who defected to the Tang Dynasty.

There is no need for any royal family members anymore. All those with Tuyuhun and Qiang noble surnames will be found and killed or expelled, and those who are close to the Tang Dynasty will become tribal leaders.

Then they set up permanent officials among their tribes to promote various "people-benefiting" policies of the Tang Dynasty, and let them learn Chinese, Central Plains etiquette, adapt to various customs and habits of the Tang Dynasty, and recruit ordinary herdsmen to join the army.

To weaken the tribal leader's control over the tribe.

It’s just that the time is still short and the effect remains to be seen.

Originally, it would take two, three, five or six years for various measures to be implemented. To put it in layman's terms, it was just a matter of time before we matured.

But plans can never keep up with changes.

Last year, Nang Nie led the Tibetan people in the highlands to surrender to the Tang Dynasty. Before leaving, they destroyed the remaining tribes in the highlands. Tubo in the south was also in internal strife, and the highlands suddenly became empty.

The imperial court began to repeatedly urge Liangzhou officials to step up their actions and take advantage of the lack of interference to first incorporate the highlands into the territory of the Tang Dynasty.

Especially last winter, the Supi people asked Datang for help.

At the end of the year, the edict arrived in Liangzhou, instructing Fan Wenjin, the general manager of Liangzhou, and Zhang Lun, the general of Zuo Yiwei, to send troops to assist Su Pi this spring.

This will undoubtedly speed up the process of measures such as returning to highlands.

In early March of the sixth year of Yuanzhen in the Tang Dynasty, the ice and snow in Liangzhou had just begun to melt. General Zhang Lun of Zuo Yiwei sent military orders to all counties in Liangzhou, ordering the troops recruited from all walks of life to immediately converge at Chuihe County.

In order to ensure the combat effectiveness of the army, all the troops who received Zhang Lun's military orders were men who had undergone at least several months of training.

This large army is expected to number about 8,000 to 10,000 people. It is composed of a group of Tang army soldiers who have been grazing in the West Sea for two years as the main force, plus 2,000 people who fled from the Western Turks.

The leader of the army has been decided, and it is General Youwuwei, who is also the Sima of Liangzhou who joined the army, Ashina Danai... General Chen Li of the left imperial guard, Sima of Zuoyi Guards who joined the army of Wutong, and Ashina Tong, the Turkic rebel general.

Russian assistance.

They will be guided by Supi and Tubo guides. They will set out from Liangzhou, cross Jishi Mountain, and go south through the highlands to Supi. This journey will not be easy, especially for the two thousand Tang army soldiers. Can they withstand the highland climate?

The curse is still in limbo.

But there was nothing we could do. Without the support of these two thousand Tang army soldiers, and only those Tuyuhun and Qiang recruits who had undergone preliminary integration, the chance of victory was really slim.

…………

In fact, Zhang Lun wanted to lead the troops to Supi personally, but he just discussed it with Fan Wenjin, and Fan Wenjin persuaded him.

Pang Yu, Xu Shiji and others have been ordered to return to the court. This is obviously a general trend. The situation of generals leading troops outside all year round is about to change, and the court is consolidating military power.

Why are you Zhang Lun better than others? You haven't received the imperial edict yet. This is your Majesty's trust in you. If you are still not satisfied, then it is your fault.

What's more, Hexi is gradually settled, but it's far from the time when swords and guns are stored in the warehouse, and horses are released to Nanshan. Just wait and see. Even if the imperial court doesn't want to manage the Western Region for the time being, it still has to do business with it.

But once there is an accident, it will be a matter of time before we send troops to the west.

Few of the generals have ever been to Liangzhou, let alone lead the troops westward to fight? I will definitely use you Zhang Lun then. Don’t worry about having no battles to fight. Why are you anxious now?

That's certainly not what the original words said, but that's the truth.

Zhang Lun was convinced that this was true, so he did not send a letter to the court asking him to lead troops to Supi.

As expected, as Fan Wenjin expected, the people chosen by the Ministry of War to lead the troops were all rising stars in the army, and they would have nothing to do without a general like him.

Zhang Lun was still quite disappointed, but also secretly alert.

The Ministry of War was nothing in the eyes of the founding father, a general of the Wei government who led troops all the time like him. Yuchixin only arrived a few days earlier than Zhang Lun. When it came to his ability to lead troops and military achievements, Yuchixin was in their eyes.

These generals are not ranked among them at all.

But then again, this must be what His Majesty the Emperor meant.

Thinking of that person's majesty and the bright smile that would appear on his face from time to time, Zhang Lun didn't dare to complain or say stupid things like you treated me unfairly, even if he drank too much.

Ashina Danai and Ashina Tong'er, who led the army this time, went out to the Western Turks. Ashina Danai was a descendant of the Chuluo Khan, and Ashina Tong'er was a descendant of the Shekui Khan.

Zhang Lun took a look and said, well, there are a lot of Turks in the Tang Dynasty now, and all of them have led troops. How do you say this...

It's just that with Wu Tong and Chen Li, they are all ordinary people. They have some involvement with the concubines in the harem of the Tang Dynasty, and most of them can be regarded as relatives.

Zhang Lun and Wu Tong are members of the later clan.

…………

Ma Rong came out of the barracks in full gear. Under the officer's orders, he quickly checked his group of people before leading them quickly towards the school grounds.

They have been training here since they formed an army on the outskirts of Linqiang City.

Even Ma Rong himself feels that he is completely different from when he was first recruited into the army last year. They recite the military regulations of the Tang Army almost every day and are familiar with the various organizational ranks of the Tang Army.

This made them quickly understand that the military is a place with strict hierarchy. Every word spoken by a superior officer must be obeyed as a military order. Those who disobey orders will not have a good end.

Ma Rong is different from most people in the army. He is from Jincheng and of Qiang descent.

The reason why he joined the army... It's simple to say. When the Tubo invaded that year, Ma Rong followed his troops to Hui Ningchuan to escape. Fortunately, the Tang army arrived in time, otherwise his family would probably not have many people left.

Even so, his father also died on the way to Hui Ningchuan. The most important thing was that the family's two pack horses were lost. They were the lifeblood of the whole family, and their lives were suddenly lost.

Moreover, his children are still young and he has a wife and children to support.

Ma Rong and his brothers had to work around to make ends meet. The Qiang people had a low status in Liangzhou and could not find good jobs.

Last year, the counties in Liangzhou began to recruit people from all ethnic groups in Liangzhou to join the army. Ma Rong gritted his teeth, left his wife and children in the care of his brothers, and joined the army himself.

It seems to be forced by life, but it is actually an instinctive effort to break away from the class to which one belongs.

In Liangzhou, many people rely on swords and guns to make a living, and Ma Rong is not the only one.

It's just that he has been in Jincheng for many years, and he can speak Chinese well. He was soon promoted to corps commander. If he wanted to achieve some military merits, he could also aspire to the positions of regiment commander and battalion commander.

…………

More than two thousand people gathered at the school grounds. According to the rules, Sima Canjun from the army started the flag-raising ceremony with two soldiers.

As the sun, moon and stars flag representing the majesty of the Tang Dynasty was slowly raised on the flagpole, the recruits began to sing military songs.

This is said to be a new habit brought by several Zhechong mansions located in Liangzhou.

"How can I say that I have no clothes, but I share the same robe with you..."

This is the war song of the Qin people. Ma Rong heard that it had been sung in the east for a long time. When he heard it for the first time, he couldn't understand what it said.

But now, every time he recited the chant, Ma Rong's blood surged. He tightly held the handle of the knife in his hand, and unconsciously there was a murderous aura in his chest.

He didn't know what the Qin people represented in the east. He only knew that the Guanxi people were very powerful. When the Qiang people talked about the Guanxi people from the east, they were afraid of them.

However, the war songs of the Qin people are really well written. We are one, share the same clothes, eat the same food, live and die together, so we are brothers. The feelings of the same robes are like brothers, connected by blood, and share the same hatred of the enemy.

And the flag of the sun, moon and stars fluttering in the wind is a testimony.

…………

These two thousand people have been in the army for nearly a year. They have been practicing all day long and suppressing bandits twice, and they have begun to form a combat effectiveness.

The military song has been completed and the troops are organized again.

The familiar figure of Lieutenant Luo walked onto the high platform.

Captain Luo's name is Luo Qi. He has high eyebrows and deep eyes, black hair, and a black beard. His hair is very heavy and curly. He is tall and burly, but his skin is frighteningly white, with a heavy blush on his cheeks.

Everyone said that he was from the Western Regions, but he did not refute it. He only said that his ancestors had fought with Ma Chao and were members of the famous Liangzhou Army.

He himself has been in the army for more than 20 years. Whether it is his brother, father or grandfather, as well as eight generations, they have all served in the Liangzhou army, forming a whole family of soldiers.

This is what Captain Luo is most proud of...

If Li Po were here, he would know that this was probably the Romans from the west who came over. They are different from the West Asians.

Just like the new army of more than 2,000 people, it is a hodgepodge in terms of race. It is estimated that many of them don't even know where they come from.

…………

Lieutenant Luo, who was wearing a helmet and armor, came on stage and struck his chest hard. The recruits responded immediately and made a loud banging sound on their chests.

He said loudly: "The military order has arrived. Let's pack up and meet at Chuihe County. It's not far from here, but the road we have to walk after that will be long.

Do you still remember those Tibetan brats who came to Liangzhou a few years ago to cause trouble? This time we are going to chop off all their heads, kill their men, and capture their wives and daughters in our tent to enjoy.

I have not encountered such a good thing for many years. If anyone is afraid of death, he will stay and look after the house. The Liangzhou warriors I am leading are not afraid of death, but they are afraid that there will be no enemy heads for me to chop off.

Tell me, are you afraid of death?"

Please remember the first domain name of this book: ._


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