On the bank of the Yi Zhi River not far from the camp, a small Han army team was fetching water and washing their horses. They probably felt comfortable being served and made some neighing sounds from time to time, floating in the open field.
Accompanied by two personal guards, Wei King Liu Min walked slowly towards the river on the green grassland. At this time, no one dared to imagine that Liu Min was the noble King of Wei with disheveled hair.
, disheveled in the cold wind of early spring, with a sheepskin covering his body that could barely keep him warm. It looked like he was a shepherd boy from the frontier.
After personally participating in the Mobei Expedition, he withstood the test of iron and blood, and the childishness of his youth was obviously wiped away. Liu Min has become a real warrior, and the sword on his waist has also drunk the blood of the enemy.
.
Due to practicing martial arts since childhood and honing his riding and shooting skills all year round, Liu Min is not a pampered aristocratic boy. But now, under the sand and wind of the desert, his whole body looks much rougher, and his skin color is darker than before.
Moreover, his face looked obviously malnourished. In the past few months after the defeat and retreat to the west, the remnants of the expeditionary force were always in a difficult situation. Even if they got rid of the crisis of chasing troops, they still had to face the shortage of supplies and the harsh environment of Jinshan.
The winter natural environment. One winter, hundreds of soldiers slept at the foot of Jinshan Mountain amid severe cold and hunger.
In this process, Liu Min was as mature and responsible as he had been in the battle. He did not need any special treatment, did not need a separate dome or tent, slept in the same clothes, slept in the same bed, and shared the joys and sorrows with the soldiers.
, but not pretentious, highlighting an innocent heart.
In fact, even though they were in such an embarrassing situation and under extremely difficult circumstances, the expedition soldiers did not collapse. There was still a belief in their hearts that supported them in their struggle against the harsh environment and persisted to this day.
This is not only because of Yang Ye and Wang Yansheng's ability to control and win the hearts of the soldiers, but also because of the performance of the two princes Liu Fang and Liu Min in the army. Although the two royal highnesses have such noble status, they regard them as brothers and sisters, and they work together together.
difficult.
"Your Highness!"
"Your Highness!"
Seeing Liu Min, the soldiers who were busy stopped what they were doing and greeted each other with salutes. Their movements and demeanor all showed their respect for the young prince.
"No need to be polite! You can continue your work!" Liu Min sounded a little angry, but his attitude was amiable.
The surrounding environment is considered familiar. Spring has returned to the earth and it is full of vitality. The surroundings are very quiet, and the sounds of birds chirping, horses neighing and running water are very clear.
Liu Min's mood could not help but feel a little better. However, looking at the soldiers in front of him, all of them were sallow, thin, and in a miserable state, and their skin had become rougher under the wear and tear of wind and frost.
These soldiers are all warriors who have survived hundreds of battles, but now they still have to do the work of these horsemen. The leader of the hundred generals is less than thirty years old, but his rough face is slightly swollen, and there are several frostbites left by wind and frost.
When he walked up to General Bai, Liu Min took a brush from his hand and said, "Please rest for a while" and started to do it himself.
Probably also familiar with His Highness the Prince's temperament, the general did not excuse himself, nor did he really go to rest. Instead, he ordered his subordinates to speed up the cleaning of the horses.
Liu Min was serving a big yellow and brown horse, but at this time it was almost too thin to look good. Liu Min is a horse lover. He reached out and stroked the horse's head and sighed softly: "This is a Hexi horse!"
"Your Highness, it's exactly that, it comes from Jiedan Pastoral Supervisor!" Baijiang replied.
"What a good military horse, but now it is as skinny as a stick!" Liu Min said. In the past winter, people were short of food, and what was worse than the horses.
"It's the time to lose weight, and there's also a lack of food!" Bai Jiang couldn't help but sigh, and as he spoke, a touch of sadness flashed in his eyes: "I just don't know how long these horses can last..."
Liu Min was silent after hearing this. He knew what the hundred generals were referring to. Previously, in order to alleviate the shortage of food, the soldiers of the expeditionary army had to endure the pain with tears and kill horses to satisfy their hunger. This decision was not difficult to make, but it was difficult to make.
, but they were prepared for the difficulties. War horses were not only riding tools, but also partners and comrades who lived together day and night. When they retreated to Jinshan, there were still more than 3,000 horses in the entire army, but now, it is difficult to satisfy even one person and one rider.
"Killing horses to satisfy hunger is a last resort. Now that the climate has warmed up, there are more places to find food. Generals Yang and Wang are thinking about solutions! But one thing is, we won't stay here for too long, either.
We will no longer kill horses easily, and we will definitely be able to return to the Han Dynasty!" Liu Min's voice was not high-pitched, and even sounded like he was mumbling to himself, but his firm will was conveyed well.
"Even the last general believes it!" the hundred generals responded.
Sensing the same firm tone, Liu Min couldn't help but turn his head, looked at him, and asked with curiosity: "Are you so sure?"
"Forgive me for speaking frankly, our two highnesses are your majesty's beloved sons, and the two generals are your majesty's beloved generals. The imperial court will never give up on us!" The hundred generals responded: "And the two highnesses and the generals are both heroes of the world.
If God allows his talents, he will be protected by God. Brothers also believe that if they stick closely to the banner, they will be able to get out of the predicament and return to the Han Dynasty!"
General Bai's words came from the bottom of his heart, and Liu Min felt a deep sense of trust from them. They almost represented the will of all the soldiers of the expeditionary force. This trust not only moved Liu Min, but also made him feel sad.
heavy.
"I will definitely do it!" Liu Min said solemnly.
Behind him is the crystal-clear river, opposite are the gleaming snow-capped mountains, and the mountains are full of green forests. This is a wonderful picture of the spring scenery of Jinshan, but Liu Min has no intention of admiring it. Before returning to the camp, there is even a smile on his young face.
A little gloom emerged.
During these days, he was not in a good mood, and he still could not feel relieved, not only because of the worrying situation, but also because, during the previous retreat, too many soldiers died trying to cover him. This kind of feeling was like a burden.
The feeling made Liu Min feel very uncomfortable.
"His Royal Highness has brought someone back!"
Accompanied by a rare burst of cheers, the gate of the camp was quickly opened to welcome the more than 300 Han cavalry who returned. The leader was none other than Zhao Gong Liu Fang. Of course, the ones who caused the sensation were those who returned to camp with him. Apart from the Han cavalry,
, and a large number of cattle, sheep and livestock. The Han soldiers led by Liu Fang returned home with high spirits like goshawks after finding food.
After the beginning of spring, in order to solve the food shortage crisis, the soldiers no longer hid in the camp and suffered as they did in winter. Under Yang Ye's arrangement, they dispersed the people to forage in the surrounding areas and collect in the forest.
Go hunting in the mountains and even go fishing in the river.
A few days ago, Liu Fang asked for orders to lead 300 cavalry to patrol the surrounding area. Now, he returned with a full load. When he learned that Liu Fang had returned, Yang Ye immediately welcomed him out in person.
"See you, Commander-in-Chief!" After returning, Liu Fang saluted Yang Ye.
"Please get up quickly!" Yang Ye hurriedly helped Liu Fang up and looked at him carefully. He was relieved when he saw that although he was a little haggard, he was in good health.
"Where has your Highness gone? If you don't return to camp, I will send people to find him!" Yang Ye said.
No matter what the situation, the safety of the two princes is the first priority. In Yang Ye's heart, even if the entire army is annihilated, as long as the two highnesses can return to the Han Dynasty safely, it is worth it. Yang Ye's loyalty to Emperor Liu also
This made him give all his care to the Liu Fang brothers.
If Liu Min has grown up, then Liu Fang has completely matured after such an experience, and his words and deeds have the demeanor of a general. The experience of failure is painful, and the difficult environment is even more torturous, but Liu Fang also showed
His excellent psychological quality and his character that becomes more courageous every time he encounters setbacks have never diminished his fighting spirit in the past few months of hard work.
"Don't worry, Commander! I'm fine!" Liu Fang laughed and pointed at the batch of seizures behind him: "Not only is nothing fine, I've also gained a lot!"
Under Yang Ye's questioning gaze, Liu Fang explained: "I took my people all the way west and traveled about three hundred miles away. I found a tribe and borrowed these livestock grains and some salt from them!
"
Obviously, the word "borrow" in Liu Fang's mouth needs to be enclosed in quotation marks.
"There are also tribes at the southern foot of Jinshan Mountain?" After hearing this, Yang Ye frowned slightly and soon felt relieved. After stationed on the spot, he only explored the surrounding area without going deep.
"Has there been any future trouble?" Yang Ye asked.
In this season, for any tribe, livestock and food are the most precious resources. The kind that can save lives will not be easily lent, let alone outsiders like the Han army.
Upon hearing this, Liu Fang's smile faded, his eyes flashed with sharpness and a little bit of regret, and he said calmly: "It was handled very cleanly, there will be no future troubles!"
"This place is not a place to stay for a long time!" Yang Ye sighed and patted Liu Fang on the shoulder: "It's good to come back. It's been a hard journey, so let's take a rest first!"
"Yes!" Liu Fang responded.
In the camp, the soldiers began to collect the seized materials happily. With such a batch of supplies, they could last for a while longer, and they might even have a rare meal. And Yang Ye then gave the entire army a feast.
Dun's order also proved a point, so the whole camp was in a sensation.
"What's wrong with General Wang?" Liu Fang couldn't help but ask as he was leaving for the Chinese army's main tent: "I brought back some koumiss!"
"It's been much better in the past two days!" Yang Ye sighed.