Chapter 5 Promise (Part 4) Hearing Li Xu's request, Lai Huer couldn't help but be stunned. The reason why he was willing to come to a young man's home for a banquet today, and repeatedly praised the host's bravery during the dinner, was because he liked him.
In the future, I want to develop a closer relationship with each other so that my family and descendants can help each other when needed in the future.
Judging from the current status and situation of the other party, this is really a kindness that comes in time of need. It is something that others can never ask for in their dreams. Unexpectedly, Li Xu not only does not know how to be grateful, but also takes the opportunity to make such an unreasonable request.
Although the Sui Dynasty did not prohibit civilians from owning short blades and armors, how could the ordinary things in the market be as sophisticated as those that were made under the supervision of the late emperor during his lifetime? In recent years, the national power has been declining, so the Ministry of War has been very tight on armor, weapons and staffs.
, the entry and exit of more than 100 weapons are documented and can be traced. If a general gives weapons to others privately, he will definitely be impeached by the officials. That is an important weapon of the country. How can it be given to generals privately?
Lai Huer had the intention to refuse this unreasonable request, but what he just said was too full. Just after patting his chest, the other party took out his hand and immediately shrank his head. It would be a bit embarrassing.
"Isn't this embarrassing to the old general Lai? If so, it's just a drunken remark made by the senior!" Li Xu saw that Lai's guardian was speechless for a long time, smiled, and raised a glass to apologize.
He was puzzled by his hesitation to protect his son. Xuzi clearly remembered that when the Xiongwu Camp went to Liaodong to meet Yu Wenshu, Yuwen Shiji easily obtained thousands of long branches and tens of thousands of horses to protect his son in the army.
Although the power in the army is not as strong as Yuwen Shu's, he himself is more powerful than Yuwen Shi and his face! How could he be so irresponsible?
"This matter is not difficult to explain, but it involves too many relationships and is too complicated!" Lai Huer put down his wine cup and solemnly replied that he was a sophisticated man. After thinking about it carefully, he understood why Xuzi, who had always been prudent, suddenly suddenly
It has become so unreasonable to clean up. "I will tell you all, if Li Lang still leads the Xiongwu Camp, let alone hundreds of sets of armors and weapons, even if he re-arms tens of thousands of soldiers, I can do this. But
After all, the Xiongwu Camp is a government soldier, but the county soldiers belong to the local area..."
"So, don't blame me for being so rude, General. General Li Lang and I were also worried about the current situation. We didn't expect that there was such a relationship!" Zhang Xutuo was full of expectations, but when he heard what Lai Hu'er said, he hurriedly
He took the responsibility on himself, and it was he who proposed the bad idea of asking for armor from Hu'er to Xuzi. Qi County did not have enough good craftsmen and materials, and it was indeed impossible to build equipment for 20,000 soldiers, and the court refused to give it space.
He couldn't mobilize and force him, that's why he made this move
"What did those idiots in the Ministry of War do? They were trying to help the country, but they forced you and me to prepare for it in private! Hi!" Feng Ciming, the deputy chief of the Navy, pretended to be angry and put the wine glass on the table.
,dong dong sound
The best choice at this moment is to change the topic and let everyone take advantage of the drunkenness to scold the civil servants of the Ministry of War. It is not a big mistake and it avoids embarrassment for both the host and the guest.
However, Li Xu could not appreciate the kindness of the old general. He stood up, drank a glass of wine, and said with a red face: "It's the junior who didn't think well and caused you trouble! You deserve to be punished, you deserve to be punished!" After that,
, he drank another large cup of wine by himself. At this moment, his heart was full of apologies. He originally wanted to do something for the place, but who knew that his power was so weak that he couldn't even get any benefits?
Seeing Li Xucheng apologizing sincerely, Lai Huer and others felt very bored. Everyone was having a great time drinking today, but they actually disturbed the situation for something that had nothing to do with personal interests! After pondering for a while, Lai General Lai tentatively said:
"This commander-in-chief captured a batch of Goguryeo armored staffs during this cross-sea expedition. Although they are a bit broken, Xiu Yixiu can still use them, but Chief Shi Cui Junsu keeps a close eye on them..."
"Master Cui and several civil servants who accompanied the army were invited by Prefect Pei to go mountain climbing to enjoy the autumn. Once they are scholars who are so interested in drinking and writing poems, they must not care about anything else!" Zhang Xutuo heard the guard's words and immediately tightened his grip.
keep up
As for what kind of atmosphere is involved in drinking and making poems, both the host and the guest tacitly understood that with Pei Caozhi's ability, if he wanted Cui Junsu and other saint's disciples to turn a blind eye to what would happen next in Qijun,
There are countless good ways to do it. At least, those who appreciate the autumn today will get a rich brush when they come down from the mountain, although everyone may not have written a word on the mountain!
"Well, when the army breaks camp the day after tomorrow, I will put down the captured baggage and leave it to Qijun to handle. I also have some damaged weapons and armor. If General Zhang Tongshou and Li Lang don't dislike it, they will take it all away.
I will leave it in the hands of you two for the time being and return it when the court needs it!" Lai Huer saw that everyone in Qi County had done everything right, nodded and made the final decision.
"Thank you so much, General Chengcheng!" Zhang Xutuo, Li Xu, and Luo Shixin raised their glasses again to express their gratitude to the generous guests.
The guests and hosts laughed at the same time and drank the wine in one gulp. Li Xu took the opportunity to order three "small gifts" to be given to celebrate the triumphant return of the three old friends who came to protect the children without even looking at them. He handed them over to the guards behind him to collect them
Taking advantage of the drunkenness, Lai Hu'er asked about Li Xu's situation after arriving in Qijun. Zhang Xutuo truthfully described the process of several fierce battles after Xu Zi's arrival.
The three distinguished guests here are all military generals. After hearing the general situation of the enemy and us at that time, you can guess what the scene was like. When I heard that Li Xu, Qin Shubao, Luo Shixin and Dugu Lin only brought a thousand cavalry.
When he dared to sneak attack one hundred thousand rebels, he couldn't help but admire the courage of the four people.
"That Captain Dugu, is he the brother of General Dugu Xin of the Zhu Kingdom?" Feng Ciming asked in surprise when he heard Zhang Xutuo mention a name he was familiar with.
"Exactly, when he volunteered to join the army, I almost drove him away because of his delicate face!" Zhang Xutuo replied with a smile, "I also almost drove Luo Shixin out of the camp. Fortunately, they
They are both stubborn and have lost their confidence even with my few words!"
That was a story a few years ago. At that time, the bandits had just emerged in the wild like dots of flames. The counties were ordered to reorganize the county soldiers. Zhang Xutuo also posted a notice to recruit heroes with the mentality of giving it a try.
One day, a handsome young man came, well-dressed and unruly in conversation. Zhang Xutuo was unwilling to accept it, so he challenged him with his art of war and martial arts. Unexpectedly, he turned out to be both civil and military. Not only did he answer all the questions clearly, but he also immediately fought with Qin Shubao.
Fully twenty Zhang Xutuo was overjoyed and held a banquet to celebrate. He thought his good luck was over, but the next day another fourteen-year-old kid came to join the army.
With the experience of the first day, the old general did not dare to treat him lightly. He just smiled and persuaded him to go home because of his young age.
What he said was interesting. He ordered people to bring two stone locks, one heavy and one light, for him to carry. He could carry any of them and walk half a circle around the school yard to join the army. However, Luo Shixin had one in each hand, and he took the 50-pound and 30-pound locks used for training soldiers.
The stone locks were raised at the same time, and the double hammers were swung around the school field.
"Sure enough, a hero comes from a young age! Even if I am twenty years younger, I still don't have such physical strength!" Lai Hu'er commented with a smile and then looked at Li Xu and asked: "Li Lang was not even ten when he entered the army.
Five years old?"
"The junior is more than ten months older than Captain Luo! He and Captain Dugu were both fifteen years old, but they are both much more capable than the junior!" Li Xu smiled and answered very humbly.
"Don't say that. When it comes to military skills and riding and shooting skills, the two of us together may not be able to defeat you!" Luo Shixin heard that Li Xu was so self-effacing and quickly denied that Xu Zi had done anything to him when he first arrived in Qi County.
, several of their local generals did have the idea of competing with them. They were all young people and well-known, so it was inevitable that they would be dissatisfied with each other. However, after experiencing several battles side by side, this competitive spirit gradually turned into each other.
Everyone has their own strengths, and it is impossible to be better than others in everything. Being able to see the strengths of others and learn from each other is a truly strong person.
"They are pretty much the same. It's just that I, an old man, don't have much ability, and I still stay in the position of Tongshou with a shy face!" Zhang Xutuo said with a smile that the young people under his command can respect and love each other, which makes him the leader.
Tongshou is very dignified in front of guests.
"Master Tongshou is too modest! The right way is to recommend the wise to the wise. Not only can Master Tongshou discover so many outstanding talents in this world, but he can also know how to make good use of people. How can he be a mediocre person?" Lai Hu'er smiled and said
Raise a cup to Zhang Xutuo
"Yes, Lord Tongshou has so many good generals under his command, so why worry about banditry and injustice!" Zhou Shaoji also persuaded with a smile.
"If there were only one Qi County, I wouldn't worry about your majesty's permission for Qi County soldiers to cross the border to attack bandits, but in all directions, there is not a single county without banditry!" When mentioning banditry, Zhang Xutuo shook his head slightly, with a slight expression on his face.
Somewhat helpless
Several guests were from Dongdu, and they had heard a little bit about the local banditry situation, but they did not expect that it was so intense that it made Zhang Xutuo, a famous general, worried.
The strength of thieves such as Lu Mingxing, Shuai Rentai, Zuo Xiaoyou, etc. is revealed one by one. Each of these giant bandits has more than 100,000 people under his command. Recently, there has been a faint tendency to collude with each other, making it difficult for the county soldiers to take care of both the head and tail, and attack among them.
Any one of them has to beware of someone taking the opportunity to attack their home base.
"What's even more powerful is the Wagang Army. Although they are small in number, their combat effectiveness is very strong!" Luo Shixin added loudly from the side.
"Don't the Wagang Army only have more than 10,000 soldiers?" Old General Feng Ciming asked in surprise. He had heard that this team, known as righteous thieves, was active in Dongjun, not far from Luoyang, and often sent troops to rob the eternal life.
The official ships transporting supplies eastward on the Ji Canal would always escape after grabbing a fortune. The imperial court sent troops to suppress them several times, but could not catch up with them every time.
"According to the general's humble opinion, although there are many bandits in various places, they are all a mob. As long as the court is willing to suppress them, they will be wiped out sooner or later. Only the Wagang Army has strict military discipline and orderly orders. In the future, it may be our generation.
Strong enemy!" Li Xu saw that everyone was talking lively, so he also put down his glass of wine and joined the discussion.
"General Li Lang admires the Wagang Army so much. Could it be that he has already fought against the bandit army?" Lai Hu'er didn't expect that there was a bandit army that even Li Xu admired. He asked with wide eyes.
"We had a fight at the foot of Mount Tai more than two months ago. At that time, we had a thousand cavalry, including 200 heavily armored Wagang troops, 4,000 infantry, and more than a hundred light cavalry." Li Xu nodded and answered him very solemnly.
I hope that my words can attract the attention of Hu'er and others, and report the situation to the court truthfully. With Xu Maogong's ability, if the court takes it lightly and sends a mediocre person who can't fight to deal with him, I'm afraid it will be in vain for the Wagang Army.
Send armor equipment
"What's the result?" Old General Feng Ciming asked with concern, "You once led a thousand cavalry to defeat a hundred thousand thieves, and faced a four thousand Wagang army. Would you lose?"
He couldn't believe this inference. If this was really the case, the imperial court really needed to send heavy troops to deal with it. Dongping was only more than 300 miles away from Luoyang. If the Wagang army had evil intentions, they could kill them at the gate of Dongdu City in a matter of seconds.
"The result is a tie." Li Xu shook his head and sighed, "Our army lost nearly 400 cavalry, killing the enemy, and the enemy is probably killed by the same number!"
In exchange for 400 cavalry, they only got back 400 infantry from the other side. This result was actually a huge defeat. Moreover, among this group of cavalry were four famous generals: Li Xu, Luo Shixin, Qin Shubao and Dugu Lin. What was Dugu Lin's ability?
How to protect the children and others are not clear, but Luo Shixin and Qin Shubao are both the ones who His Majesty personally ordered people to draw and pass on to the ministers.
Thinking of this, several guests asked in unison: "Who is leading the army on the other side? Does General Li Lang know?"
"There are several good players, one is named Cheng Zhijie, and his martial arts is not inferior to that of Qin Duwei, and the other is Shan Xiongxin, who is tied with me!" Before Li Xu could speak, Luo Shixin answered first, "But neither of them is the most powerful among them."
Scheduling, the guy who controls the overall situation is called Xu Maogong. He has good command, rigorous use of troops, and is vicious. He dares to use any tricks to achieve his goals!"
Is Xu Maogong such a person? Li Xu raised his head and saw Luo Shixin's indignant face. He understood that Luo Shixin was avenging an injustice for himself. He smiled and took a big sip of wine.
Mentioning the intensifying banditry in the local area, Zhang Xutuo took the opportunity to ask Qijun to send the congratulatory team to His Majesty and return to the east together with the navy. Compared with what Li Xu had just asked for, this small task is already a small effort to protect his children.
The reason is that after giving the other person a huge favor, he instead bothered with trivial matters, smiled, and accepted it all
So the hospitable hosts raised their glasses again, and thanked the honorable guests for their righteousness. The guests also raised their glasses in return, thanking the hosts for their enthusiasm for the Sui Dynasty, for the emperor, for conquering the Liao Dynasty, for quelling the bandits as soon as possible, and for restoring peace to the world. As long as you want to drink
, everyone can find enough reasons until everyone’s eyes are blurred and their steps are unsteady.
That night, Li Xu didn't know how much he drank. He found that it became difficult to get drunk again, and his usually ineffective speech became very clear after he was drunk. No matter what the other party said, he could speak smoothly.
Add a few words and get a lot of laughs. "Actually, this is not bad!" He secretly warned himself that life is like this. When you carefully hide your edge, it will not show its fangs to you easily.
When others give you a smile, try to smile back to them. Even if there were many unclear grievances and grievances between each other at the moment, it is always safer to look forward than to look back at this moment or that moment.
During the chat, he discovered that his life had indeed been too comfortable in the past six months, and he didn't even know that there were so many interesting things happening outside.
In March of this year, when he was leading his troops to Beihai, Tang Bi, the commander of the Fufeng bandits, made Li Hongzhi the emperor with a crowd of one hundred thousand, claiming to be the King of Tang. In early April, Yulin Governor Cheng Ji Dong Chun defeated the Pengcheng bandits and beheaded nearly ten thousand people.
General Tutong defeated the Yan'an thief Liu Jialun and defeated tens of thousands of Hu soldiers and horses attracted by Liu Jialun.
The Great Sui Dynasty continued its glory, although this glory seemed to have faded. In addition to the victory news that these generals talked about, Xuzi also heard about the marriage between the Li family and the Chai family. The wedding was held last winter.
When he came to Licheng to take office, "the Chai family and the Li family were both famous families in the Sui Dynasty. On the day of the wedding, there were more than two thousand guests in attendance, and the whole of Chang'an was a sensation." Zhou Shaoji personally attended the wedding of his good friend Chai Shao.
, mentioning the grand wedding that day, I felt envious
Li Xu, who was toasting everyone, staggered a step and said with a drunken look, "Congratulations on the great luck of the Sui Dynasty!" He raised his head and gave everyone a happy smile.
"Congratulations on the great fortune of the Sui Dynasty!" Everyone raised their drinks and quickly forgot what they were talking about.
After drinking and seeing the guests off, Lai Huer walked back to Xu Zi, patted Xu Zi on the shoulder, and said with a smile: "Boy, you always impress people!"
"Really? Thank you for the compliment, senior!" Li Xu smiled back, his face full of frankness.
Two days later, the navy and Qijun's gift-giving team returned westward at the same time. Xuzi led five thousand county soldiers to take over the camp abandoned by the army, where the navy was sealed.