After a light snowfall, a few days later, there was another heavy snowfall in southern Shanxi. This time everyone became more honest.
Luo Shixin and Liu Jingsheng had no choice but to garrison Xiangling. It seemed that it would be impossible to enter the Shangdang to suppress the banditry this winter.
The bandits from the Shangdang direction also returned home one after another and stationed themselves in Lucheng. This winter, the rebels were very carefree. They lived in the houses of dignitaries in the past. The people in Lucheng allowed them to take whatever they wanted. There were also some people in the city.
Communicate secretly with them and flirt with them.
The reckless heroes from all over Shangdang braved the wind and snow in winter to defect to Emperor Dasheng. The chaotic scene of the late Sui Dynasty is very concretely expressed here.
Of course, the fact that such a storm could be caused at this time also shows that although the population of Shangdang has dropped sharply, its vitality is still there, allowing people to continue to do whatever they want.
And Li Po became more at ease while staying in Jiangjun. The weather turned cold almost immediately after the heavy snowfall. At this time, it was impossible for him to lead his people back to Jinyang. There were no more changes in the various departments of the army, and the military affairs were reduced.
Much less.
But Li Po couldn't take any time off. According to the gradually formed custom, in winter, almost before the arrival of the New Year, he not only had to make a decent summary of the year's gains and losses, but also prepared to reward those who had made meritorious deeds.
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Speaking of which, ever since Li Po started his army, there has been a tradition of delaying the awarding of rewards. This delay is not just a little bit, it will take at least two or three months.
By the time Li Po occupied Jinyang, everyone had become accustomed to this phenomenon, which had become a routine.
Wang Qing led his people to Jiangjun despite the snow. Together with Wen Yanbo, Pei Shiqing and others, they re-established the shogunate in Jiangjun, and together with the left and right guards, planned military merit promotion and rewards.
Li Po here almost reaches a level every year. This time the reward is the same as last year, which is different from the past.
Li Po informed everyone that he planned to open four new military mansions, with infantry and cavalry each accounting for half. The infantry is easy to say. In this year's battle, he only made a contribution to seizing the city in Jiexiu. Later, he also had some credit for luring the enemy deeper.
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In the end, the limelight was stolen by the cavalry.
Therefore, the reward is very simple. Chen Yuan and Yu Chixin are the obvious candidates to open the mansion.
The cavalry is a bit difficult to deal with here. In the battle against Li Shentong and the subsequent march south, there were too many meritorious people, so Li Po needed to make his own decision.
Li Po had been thinking about it for a long time and directly named Li Nian and Xue Wanche.
This was purely based on military merit, so Li Po had to consider other things.
Li Nian Huancheng was a member of Li Jing's family, Li Po's wife, and an old man who served in the Heng'an Army. Along the way, his military achievements were no less than others. It was actually too late for Li Nian to open a mansion at this time.
If there are too few, others will have nothing to say.
But Xue Wanche couldn't do it. He was a descendant of Youzhou. If it were from other places, it would be okay to talk about his family background. But this is the land of Jin. After Li Po raised his army, he tried his best to minimize the influence of the clan in the army.
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Therefore, Xue Wanche was not qualified enough, could not rely on his family background, and was not outstanding in terms of military merit. This time Li Po rewarded him not only for his loyalty but also for his talent.
The talents mentioned here are not only the ability to lead troops in combat, but also include the ability to get along with colleagues, the proficiency in handling military affairs in daily life, and some suggestions.
All these can constitute the concrete expression of a person's talents.
From this point of view, the members of the family almost have a certain inherent advantage. Li Po has many generals who dare to fight and kill, but in Li Po's opinion, the one among them can safely establish a tooth and open a mansion.
Not much really.
At this point, it becomes clearer that Li Po needs to consider the issues of distance, proximity and seniority at this time.
Luo Shixin, Liu Jingsheng and others were fine, but Li Po just felt that he had treated Wang Zhibian a little badly.
He was a lieutenant of Yanmen County back then. After joining Li Po, he worked hard and made many military achievements. However, even when he was changed to a lieutenant of Loufan County, he never complained.
Although the military power held by Wang Zhibian at this time was no longer comparable to that of the past, but having said that, the feeling of being unable to advance to an official position and being inferior to others would definitely not be easy for an aspiring man.
Taking this into consideration, Li Po called Wang Zhibian in front of him. After a conversation, Wang Zhibian left with satisfaction.
But Li Po sent Wang Zhibian away, rubbing his forehead and complaining repeatedly.
There are more and more things happening, and even though there are a few very smart heads helping him think, it makes him feel tired. Even the idea of being clever and having some fun for himself is getting weaker and weaker, um
, in a word, Li Po is a little dissatisfied with his current living situation.
But then again, for a man, there is no other pleasure that can compare to the feeling of being able to swim in power, bossing around, and responding to everything at once.
So in the final analysis, the so-called complaints are just hypocritical.
Along with the roaring north, news from the north also came.
Li Po laughed as soon as he heard this. What was originally a joke suggestion has now become a reality, and the Turkic tent has moved north.
The Turkic envoys went south to Jinyang, but did not see Li Po and had no intention of coming to Jiangjun. They only left a personal letter from the Turkic Khan Ashina Yang Huan and hurried back north.
Li Po guessed that this was probably because he didn't want him to know about the situation in Turks.
In fact, even if the visitor didn't say anything, Li Po could still imagine the predicament the Turks were facing now.
The first one is that when a female khan ascends the throne, there will naturally be a rebellion.
Secondly, the enemies of the Turkic Khanate will also take this opportunity to attack it.
Third, those affiliated tribes such as the Khitans, Xi tribes, and Mohe tribes should not let the Turks eat their flesh.
Internal and external troubles, all these are almost a replica of the demise of the Sui Dynasty.
At this time, Li Po also had to praise that in the past ten or twenty years, the entire north and south, or even this era, was undoubtedly the stage that belonged to the Yang family.
Two huge empires, one in the south and the other in the north, declined one after another under the influence of people from the Yang family. How can I put it, this kind of thing is unique, it has never happened before, and it may never happen again in the future.
Li Po opened the letter and looked at it carefully.
The more he read, the more surprised he became. After a long time, he slowly pressed the letter on the table and frowned.
The beginning was very ordinary. Ashina Yang Huan praised Li Po's move south to defeat the rebels, and for the first time, he expressed his gratitude to Li Po for helping her ascend to the position of Turkic Khan.
This probably shows that her position as Khan is relatively stable. As for the Turkic civil strife that Li Po suspected, even if there is one, it is estimated that it will not be mentioned in the letter, and Li Po will not be asked to help send troops to quell the war.
chaos.
The next step is to ask Li Po to send an envoy north as soon as possible to ask for Princess Jialan's hand in marriage.
Seeing this, the corners of Li Po's lips curled up slightly. This could make the growing princess of Sui Dynasty change her mind. Coupled with the fact that the Turkic tents moved northward, it has completely confirmed Li Po's conjecture. The Turks have no time to take care of themselves and are in dire straits.
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And now that the Turkic Yazhang has moved north, it doesn't matter whether he marries Princess Jialan or not.
At this time, Li Po was obviously in a relatively comfortable mood. Yang Guang, who showed off his power back then, died, and Shibi Khan, who led the Turkic cavalry to swarm south, also died.
What was left behind by these two guys was a mess. Yang Guang didn't talk about him. If there really are eighteen levels of hell, this man must be at the bottom one, and tens of millions of innocent souls are probably lingering around him.
Woolen cloth.
It was the right time for Khan to die. Regardless of whether he returned to their kingdom of gods or not, if the powerful Turks were to decline or even perish, then it was self-evident to Li Po that he was very willing to see it.
To see this big guy like Turk suddenly fall to the ground.
It would be so satisfying if he could kick in a few more steps to speed up the process.
But the next part of the letter is not so pleasant. Princess Yicheng wants to send Empress Xiao of the Sui Dynasty back south. There is no need to ask where she will go. The first place to stay is undoubtedly Jinyang.
The letter didn't go into much detail. It just said that the Xiao family was not accustomed to the local environment and was homesick, so he asked Li Po to prepare the palace in Jinyang to welcome him...
This is obviously a non-negotiable "suggestion".
And Li Po was a little dizzy when he saw this. The marriage and the return to the queen, damn it, aren't we going to become the son-in-law of the old Yang family all of a sudden?
The meaning behind this was repeated by Li Po, and it was obvious that this was also a helpless move by Her Royal Highness Princess Yi Cheng.
If the Turkic Khanate could really intimidate its neighbors at this time, these roundabout methods would not need to be used at this time.
Li Po had a toothache, imagining the sight of a great Sui empress above his head. He had never met an emperor or a khan before, and he got goosebumps.
Gee, Her Royal Highness Princess Yicheng is really not easy to deal with. Her political skills are quite proficient.
In addition to having a headache, Li Po's eyes flashed with ferocity. He wondered if he should send someone to intercept and kill Queen Xiao on the road, and cut off all cause and effect in the most brutal way.
Of course, this is only the most helpless choice, and the consequences may be very bad. Judging from the behavior of Princess Yicheng, she may go crazy once Mrs. Xiao dies.
If Li Po hadn't gone south, he really wouldn't be afraid of her, but now, he might not be able to bear the consequences of being attacked from both sides.
After much thought, Li Po called Wen Yanbo and Pei Shiqing to discuss.
Both of them were very respectable people. After hearing this, they looked slightly shocked and then fell silent.
Needless to say, Wen Yanbo knew everything before and after, and Pei Shiqing felt relieved at this moment.
If it had not been connected with the Turks, how could the Bingdai army be able to go south with all its strength?
After a long time, it was Pei Shiqing who spoke first. He showed a little joy and said, "Congratulations, manager, your great work will be accomplished."