In the back hall of the state government, Emperor Liu, as the host, personally hosted a banquet for the officers and soldiers who had returned from the desert northwest after a difficult journey. The food and wine were not exquisite, but the victory was rich and large. There were chicken, duck, fish, pig, sheep and beef, which meant that the wine was better.
It's the royal brew of the palace. More importantly, this is a banquet hosted by His Majesty the Emperor himself, accompanied by the eldest prince, Duke Liu Xu of Qin and Duke Li Shaoyou of Shou.
Not to mention the few grassroots officers and soldiers who returned from humble backgrounds, not even the ministers and distinguished veterans of the court had the opportunity to experience such treatment.
Therefore, the few officers and soldiers who were invited were so happy and excited that they could not even speak coherently and even dared not speak.
There were only five officers and soldiers who returned, one of whom was a guide. The highest military rank was only a hundred generals. Yang Ye and Wang Yansheng only sent fifty soldiers and two guides, and it took more than a month to return to Shanyang.
Daohan realm.
Only these five people were left alive, and the rest all died on the road, or were intercepted and killed by the Mobei tribe, or were trapped in the swamp, or disappeared in the desert, or their bones were buried in the Yinshan Mountains...
The Mobei battle report they brought back and presented to Emperor Liu's court was also stained with blood, sweat and tears.
It is so difficult and dangerous for this small group of people to return home. You can imagine what the two Han armies in Hexi went through, what difficulties they encountered, and what dangers they faced after marching thousands of miles from the fortress to Yulin in Mobei.
, under such circumstances, we still have to fight bravely and fight for our lives with the Mobei Hu.
It is difficult to understand the reality of many things by just relying on imagination and the words in the memorials. Twenty thousand Han cavalry crossed the quicksand, crossed the extremity, and crisscrossed the desert north. It sounded so heroic and exciting that it was very exciting.
It's exciting, but behind it, there are thousands of difficulties and dangers. Countless soldiers shed their heads, shed their blood, lost their souls on the battlefield, and buried their bones in foreign lands.
Emperor Liu met these officers and soldiers and even entertained them in person. Although there was a certain amount of showmanship, he could not help but be moved by listening to their stories and their experiences of going to the fortress. After all, Emperor Liu had experienced many wars.
The emperor naturally understands the army and his soldiers.
Especially the three officers and soldiers of the Hexi Army who followed Wang Yansheng to the desert and experienced a series of hardships personally. Although they did not encounter horrific sandstorms, they had enough wind and sand, suffered enough exposure to the sun, and encountered food shortages.
The crisis of running out of water, and the danger of getting lost on the road. Each of them resulted in casualties, attrition, and the risk of the entire army being annihilated. Emperor Liu became nervous when he heard this.
But with this kind of experience, after surviving the crisis of life and death, and encountering the hellish ordeal, in the subsequent battles, in which he defeated the Hu people in a row, severely attacked the Liao army, and harvested the fruits of victory, large and small, it seemed less so.
Amazing.
After hearing about the Battle of Tuluhe River, Liu Xu finally couldn't help it. With emotion on his face, he said with emotion: "It's not easy for soldiers to go out of the fortress! After experiencing such hardship and danger, we still have to fight the Liao army in Mobei. What's the matter?
What kind of will and spirit is it to be able to fight and win!"
Emperor Liu also picked up the wine glass, held it in the air, looked at the five dark and rough officers and soldiers, and said solemnly: "I have read the report you brought back, regarding the experiences of the Hexi and Yulin armies.
, I also understand it, but after all, it is not as intuitive and touching as those of you who have experienced it personally. I want to pay tribute to you, you have worked hard, come and drink with me!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Baijiang's eyes were red and his words were choked with sobs. He took the lead and stood up, raising the glass with both hands.
"Everyone sit down!" Emperor Liu said as he saw several strong men standing up in unison.
The officers and soldiers of the monarch and his ministers raised their glasses to drink together and drank it all in one gulp. Yantuo, who was waiting, immediately came up to pour wine for Emperor Liu, but was stopped by Liu Xu. He personally picked up the jug and gave Emperor Liu a glass.
Emperor Liu stopped him, pointed at the five officers and soldiers, and said: "First pour wine for the returning warriors!"
"yes!"
Liu Xu responded, and on the other side, Li Shaoyou also took the initiative to pick up a pot of wine and did the same thing. He was a prince and a duke. Such a noble man would never dare to think about it, but now he was full of kindness and personally gave it to him. They poured wine, which made several officers and soldiers both moved and at a loss, with nowhere to put their hands. Of course, their embarrassment and even rude behavior are also worthy of forgiveness.
When the wine glass was filled, Emperor Liu raised his glass again and said: "This glass is for you to go through all the hardships and come back to report the news!"
"This cup is dedicated to the soldiers who died fighting in the fortress. They are all heroes!"
"This cup is dedicated to all the soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the country in the Northern Expedition. Their spirits will live on forever and they will be immortal!"
"This cup is dedicated to all the officers and soldiers who are still fighting against the Liao people on various fronts. I wish them victory and return with honor!"
Five cups in a row, each cup was overflowing and each cup was drunk. Emperor Liu had not tried this way of drinking for a long time, and the slight burning feeling in his throat was insignificant. Obviously, he was really emotional.
Liu Xu and Li Shaoyou, who were drinking with them, all felt something about it, while the five officers and soldiers had red faces and excited expressions.
"Your name is Zhou Tai, right?" Emperor Liu looked at the hundred generals.
"Your Majesty, that's right!"
"This is a good name!" Emperor Liu said with encouragement in his tone: "There was a fierce general in Soochow in the Three Kingdoms named Zhou Tai. I hope you can become a general of the Han Dynasty in the future and carry forward this name!"
"Yes!" Faced with Emperor Liu's encouragement, Zhou Tai immediately stood up and responded: "This is the ambition of the general!"
"In this way, I will directly promote you to the camp general, and several other people will also be promoted to two levels each. They will be rewarded with hundreds of dollars and transferred to the Forbidden Army!" Emperor Liu looked at them.
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Hearing this, several people stood up quickly and knelt down to thank them. Although they came back after all the hardships to report the news and complete the task, they didn't ask for too much, but being promoted and rewarded was a surprise.
"Tell me again about what happened after the Battle of Tulala River!" Emperor Liu called a few people to sit down at the table and said to Zhou Tai.
"yes!"
After probably a few glasses of wine, he was no longer so nervous. He subconsciously took a sip from the wine bottle, and Zhou Tai continued to tell Emperor Liu.
The Battle of Turula River was a small decisive battle between Han and Liao in the northwest of the desert. Liu Fang and Yang Yanzhao led thousands of cavalry to circle around for hundreds of miles. Taking advantage of the intense confrontation between the two armies, they raided the back of the Liao army and completely defeated them. Disrupt its position and thereby establish victory.
Perhaps because of someone's instructions, Zhou Tai also specially described Liu Fang in the battle formation, taking the lead, commanding decisively, beheading generals and raising flags. Perhaps it was Zhou Tai's vivid expression, or perhaps it was his expectation, Liu Fang's white horse The silver armor and the graceful appearance on the battlefield just come to mind.
In the Battle of Tulu River, the Han army won a great victory and killed and captured more than 7,000 Liao soldiers. The rest either surrendered or collapsed. The leader of the Liao army, King Ping Yelulong, was able to escape the pursuit under the desperate protection of thousands of Pishi troops.
, retreated completely, and in the end only accommodated less than 6,000 riders, and retreated to the east, not daring to stay.
This battle also completely destroyed the rule of the Liao Kingdom in the northwest of the desert, and the situation was completely disrupted. The tribes such as Zubu, Dadan and Damili either fled or simply surrendered to the Han army, while several local grasslands
All the cities and towns fell into the hands of the Han army.
Yang Ye and Wang Yansheng's two armies also solved the biggest crisis, harvested a large amount of combat supplies, supplemented logistical supplies, and got a rare opportunity to rest and recuperate. Under such circumstances, they had time to write battle reports and military information,
He sent people thousands of miles back to Han territory to report the war situation.
And they went out of the fortress not to seize those towns and land. In the joint report between Yang Ye and Wang Yansheng, it was also mentioned that after resting and recuperating, they would march eastward and spread the war to the entire Mobei.
The country's seemingly safe and secure rear has been turned upside down...
After listening to the report, Emperor Liu came to his senses when he saw several officers and soldiers sitting awkwardly in the banquet. He chuckled and said: "Just listening to your report, the food has become cold! Come, this table of food and wine is specially prepared for you.
, pick up the cup, pick up the chopsticks, start moving, don’t be restrained!”
"What's your name?" Emperor Liu looked at the youngest soldier.
Facing the kind-hearted Emperor Liu, the soldier was very nervous and responded hesitantly: "My, my name is Aries!"
"Where are you from?"
"People from Pizhou!"
"How old are you?" Emperor Liu asked.
"Nineteen!" Soldier Aries replied.
Upon hearing this, Emperor Liu praised him and said, "It's amazing! At such a young age, he has already gone to remote areas, participated in great battles, and was given important responsibilities."
For young people, Emperor Liu was always generous with his praise and encouragement, and said softly: "Eat more vegetables, drink more wine, and be sure to have fun!"
Faced with Emperor Liu's kind concern, the young soldier couldn't hold back and burst into tears suddenly, which made Emperor Liu a little puzzled. When I asked him, he said he was so moved...
