The sky was slightly bright, and torches were still lit outside the Governor's Mansion. There was a constant flow of people coming and going, but they all walked briskly without making any strange noise.
In the hall, huge candles were lit all around, illuminating the hall brightly. Li Shanduan sat at the head with a calm expression. On the left sat Liu Shirang, Qin Wutong, Xue Wanche and other generals. On the right sat Xi Duo, Niu Bin, He
Liu, Du Shiyuan and other generals.
Everyone's eyes fell on the two people in the center of the hall, He Xiaodong kneeling and Zhang Zhongjian standing with his head held high.
Among Yuan Junzhang's old men, Zhang Zhongjian had a good reputation, and was highly skilled in martial arts. He had been in the army for many years, was eager for justice, and was generous. However, he was never promoted, and after many years he was just a military leader.
Li Shan also learned something from the side in the past few days. On the one hand, it was because Zhang Zhongjian served in the army in Mayi in his early years and was at odds with Liu Wuzhou, who was the captain of Yingyang at the time. On the other hand, it was also because Zhang Zhongjian was from Jiangnan, and Liu Wuzhou and Yuan Jun
Generals such as Zhang and He Xiaodong were all from Mayi, so naturally they would not be reused.
But even so, Zhang Zhongjian has astonishing influence among the lower ranks of the army. This influence is transformed into control at critical moments. He Xiaodong spent so much effort but failed to incite many soldiers. Among them was Zhang Zhongjian.
hands and feet.
Later, Zhang Zhongjian personally led a hundred cavalry to capture He Xiaodong alive as a sacrifice.
"You must be talented." Li Shan pointed to Liu Shirang and others sitting beside him with a smile, "Xue Wanche is a famous general in Hebei. He is not inferior to Song Jingang back then, and he will be defeated today."
Song Jinjiang raised troops in Hebei and was forced by Dou Jiande and Luo Yi from the south to the north and had no place to stay, so he defected to Liu Wuzhou.
Xue Wanche did not feel humiliated by being used as a raft. He relied on his own bravery and admired Zhang Zhongjian's feat today.
Niu Bin, He Liu, Guo Ziheng and other generals were moved when they heard this. They all witnessed Song Jingang's sharp military front... Liu Wuzhou captured almost the entire Hedong Road back then, and in fact it was basically Song Jingang who conquered it.
Listening to Li Shan's compliments to Zhang Zhongjian one after another, Xi Duo couldn't help but wonder in his heart, was Zhang Zhongjian's move today spontaneous or arranged by the King of Handan?
Xi Duo noticed through clues that He Xiaodong might have made some unusual movements, but Li Shan had only been in Mayi for four or five days. The previous time he was in Mayi was mainly to communicate with Yuan Junzhang and the Turks, so it was unlikely that he would find any unusual movements in He Xiaodong.
But if Zhang Zhongjian is won over, it may be possible...maybe he secretly arranged Zhang Zhongjian's path?
Xi Duo, who was thinking a lot, looked at Li Shan with fear and fear...
"No killing."
Li Shan, who was sitting at the top, gave an answer that surprised everyone. He looked down at the book on the table and said with a smile: "The He family has a total of eleven boys. The whole family is sent to Yunzhou.
...Since he is willing to surrender to the barbarians, let’s allow him to do so.”
Some people below couldn't help but grin. If He Xiaodong could take away more than a thousand soldiers, he might really be able to get support from the Turks, but if he went north alone with his family and became a serf, he would be lucky.
This kind of fate is no better than having his head cut off.
"The soldiers incited by him totaled more than 900 people and were sent to Daizhou military camp."
Zhang Zhongjian, who was sitting at the bottom, his eyes flickering. The soldiers were only sent to the military camp, but He Xiaodong's personal guards... I was afraid that none of them would survive.
It is said that the King of Handan Huairen was very righteous, but his methods were cruel... Zhang Zhongjian shook his head slightly, and it was true that last year he forced Yuan Gong to surrender in a battle, but his methods were already cruel...
Li Shan stood up with the wine cup in hand, walked slowly to the hall, and said loudly: "Today, all the generals are here, so I would like to congratulate you with this wine."
"Everyone, drink this cup together. The two states will be connected by blood. They will never leave each other in the future."
Although this was a bit nonsense, Yanmen Pass was not as important to Li Tang as Mayi, but everyone raised their glasses and drank the wine together.
The general route has been decided, and the next step is to make specific arrangements.
Li Shan raised his finger and said, "Firstly, all the young people who were kidnapped one after another will be released, especially the young people from Yunzhou. Those who are willing to move to Daizhou will have their families brought back by the caravan."
"Secondly, General Daizhou is marching to camp, Gu intends to mainly garrison troops in Mayi, and at least 3,000 soldiers are needed."
Several people's expressions changed slightly. They all knew about the military camp, but they did not expect that three thousand soldiers would be removed at once. The total number of Mayi garrison including the captured young men was only about seven thousand.
"Third, if the generals are transferred and wish to stay in Mayi, or if they wish to move to Daizhou or Xinzhou, we can negotiate."
"If you stay in the army or march to the camp, you will be awarded the rank of Zuowuwei. If you do not want to join the army, you can be transferred to the position of subordinate officer of the Three Prefectures Governor's Mansion. You can decide with one word."
"I promised to leave last night, and I have made a decision today, which cannot be violated."
Just as Xi Duo said last night, Li Shan clearly laid out the various paths in front of everyone, you can choose.
Although you didn't say it out loud, everyone understood the implication. Since you didn't leave but chose this side, if something goes wrong in the future, don't blame me, Li Huairen, for being ruthless.
But not everyone chose by themselves. The first person Li Shan looked at was Du Shiyuan. As a former rebel general, his identity was obviously different from other generals.
"At the beginning of the year, the Ministry of Civil Affairs selected Fang Renyu as the general manager of Xinzhou." Li Shan walked up to Du Shiyuan and said, "Fang Renyu was born in the Fang family of Qinghe. He was the son of Fang Kuang, the former emperor of Changzhou in the Sui Dynasty. His nephew was Fang Xuanling, the confidant of the King of Qin."
"It has been many years since the Turks invaded the east of the river, and Xinzhou has suffered a lot of disasters. Several Zhechong mansions are in short supply of hussar generals. Is Shiyuan willing to take charge of them?"
Du Shiyuan was startled, then stood up and prostrated: "Thank you, Your Highness."
The hussar general's rank is not high and he is in charge of the government, but he is the junior general in the twelve-guard general system... Of course, as a hussar general, he does not have the right to deploy troops, and he is far away from Yanmen Pass. Li Shan also deliberately
Of.
But no matter what, this is a very good settlement plan.
Yuan Junzhang's old army had fought wars with Daizhou and Xinzhou for so many years, but fighting on the battlefield was a matter of life and death, and Du Shiyuan, a rebel general, was able to serve as the chief officer of Zhechong Mansion, which made many people relieved.
Wei Peng quietly glanced at Xi Duo, and he was really right... The King of Handan must first appoint Du Shiyuan to reassure everyone, and the next one should be Guo Ziheng.
"Zi Heng has five hundred elite cavalry and one thousand five foot soldiers, which can be called a powerful force." Li Shan walked up to Guo Ziheng and asked, "Want to stay in Mayi, or would you like to move to Daizhou?"
Guo Ziheng sighed, "But it depends on His Highness's arrangement."
Guo Ziheng knew in his heart that even if he rushed north to Wuyuan County, not to mention the thousand and five infantry, even the five hundred cavalry might not be able to take away many... Even if he didn't want to swallow his anger, the situation was stronger than the people, let alone the Tang army.
The methods used against Shuozhou and Yunzhou now are frightening. Even if he wants to fight, he is afraid that he will not be able to stay in Shuozhou and will eventually become a thug of the Turks.
"In the Daizhou Governor's Mansion..." Li Shan said hehely: "You can't make the decision even if you are alone. The treasurer of the Xinzhou Governor's Mansion joins the army, Si Tian joins the army and there is a vacancy, or you can go to the army with a military position. Zi Heng can choose."
Guo Ziheng thought for a moment and said, "I would like to lead Si Tian to join the army."
It is safer to stay farther away from Yanmen Pass, so that you cannot take advantage and cannot be involved... Guo Ziheng thought in his heart that if the Turks break through Yanmen Pass this year, it will be easier for him to escape.
This answer was a bit beyond Li Shan's expectation. He thought that Guo Ziheng would not give up the military power in his hands and would rather farm than retain the military power.
But Guo Ziheng understood clearly that going to farm...the soldiers under his command were eager to live a good life in peace, so there was no point in retaining military power by himself. Anyway, he was not prepared to bother anymore.
After the two most difficult ones, Du Shiyuan and Guo Ziheng, were successfully resolved, together with the demobilized Qing Zhuang, what remained were Yuan Junzhang's direct descendants and the three thousand elite cavalry with the most combat effectiveness under his command.
Li Shan did not discuss this time, and said straightforwardly: "Niu Bin, He Liujun was awarded the title of Zuowu Wei Xunwei, and he was assigned to lead the cavalry. One of them will be stationed in Mayi, and the other will be stationed in Daizhou. Who will stay and who will move to Daizhou? It will be up to you two."
Let’s discuss it individually.”
Li Shan did not hide his intentions at all. In the final analysis, this trip to Mayi was to completely eliminate Yuan Junzhang's old strength, dismantle the old parts he left behind, and gradually integrate into the Tang army system.
If you refused to leave last night, you have no choice but to accept this fate... The generals all knew that this was an outcome they were unwilling but unable to resist.
As for the many military leaders brought by Li Shan from the Bingzhou Army and the Daizhou Army, they will definitely be stuffed into the various armies. There is no doubt about this.
Why not resist... Unlike others, the methods Li Shan used against Shuozhou and Yuan Junzhang frightened the generals, but at the same time he gave a choice, and you can refuse.
In the end, they chose to go to the banquet and accepted this arrangement, and all the generals were well prepared.
After everything was settled, Li Shan's eyes fell on the last two people, one was Xi Duo and the other was Zhang Zhongjian.
"Xi Gong has lived in Mayi for a long time, and he also asked Xiang to help the Duke of Yiyang County." Li Shan said softly: "I immediately wrote to the court, asking for the post of Shuozhou Biejiao... But your Majesty, can the Ministry of Personnel allow it..."
"I feel so warmly welcomed." Xi Duo stood up and saluted, "I was born in Mayi. Since the previous dynasty, my hometown has been destroyed by many wars and is in dilapidated state. It's embarrassing to say that only this year Mayi has a little grand occasion. I don't dare to expect to see you again.
For the position of driving, I hope that a small official from my hometown will be enough."
The generals were silent after these words. Most of Yuan Junzhang's old troops present here are from Mayi. Zhang Zhongjian, who was born in Yangzhou, has been in Mayi for more than ten years and has witnessed with his own eyes the rapid decline of this city in years of war.
"If you are not allowed to do so, it should not be difficult to record affairs and join the military." Li Shan said while calculating.
Liu Shirang's temperament... his attitude towards Li Shan has fundamentally changed, but he is still a bit arrogant towards others, which can easily cause friction between Tang Jun and Yuan Junzhang's old troops. This requires someone who can play the role
The role of buffering.
Xi Duo was a civil servant and had no military power, but he was very influential among the generals and was suitable for this position. He was the first to attend the banquet today, which showed that as long as the city was not on the verge of being destroyed, he should not have any objections.
If the Turks invaded in large numbers and Ma Yi held out for many days, like Gao Manzheng, he would not be able to expect reinforcements... Li Shan did not expect the defender to accept his death as a peace of mind. Maybe Liu Shirang could, but it was hard to say for others.
Death is the only option in all the hardships.
"Sanlang's bravery and decisiveness today are very admirable." Li Shan finally looked at Zhang Zhongjian and said, "When you are promoted to a soldier and join the army, you are allowed to choose soldiers in the army, with a limit of five hundred."
"We will form an army within five days and follow you back to Daizhou."
He Liu and Niu Bin's eyes flickered. They all knew that Zhang Zhongjian had extraordinary influence among the middle and lower-class soldiers and had a wide network of contacts. When He Xiaodong was captured alive today, hundreds of soldiers gave in. This is clear evidence of this.
Yuan Junzhang's three thousand most elite cavalry were in their hands, and they really didn't want to be dealt with by Zhang Zhongjian again.
"Thank you, Your Highness." Zhang Zhongjian came out to salute.
Judging from today's events, Zhang Zhongjian's will, means, and bravery were not exceeded by Su Dingfang's, but he just didn't know what his military ability was. Li Shan regretted a little, leaving such a character to Li Jing... Let's take a look at it first.
Li Shan was very sure that in the future, he would definitely have another fight with the Turks... to destroy the Eastern Turks and leave a mark on history, how could he not engrave his own name as a time traveler?
But actually leading the army was not Director Li Shan's forte. Su Dingfang was now able to take charge of his own duties, while Wang Junhao was fine as the leader of the personal guards, but marching and fighting was not his strong point, so Zhang Zhongjian could be put to good use.
Qin Wutong, Liu Shirang, and Xue Wanche, who were sitting aside and had never had a chance to speak, just watched Li Shan place the generals in place one by one.
After all, Xue Wanche was serving in the Daizhou Governor's Office, and he was only thinking about the changes in his trip to Mayi, Zhang Zhongjian who was brave enough to fight, and Li Shan who really lived up to his reputation.
Qin Wutong and Liu Shirang were both stationed in Mayi, but they were thinking in their minds that Du Shiyuan and Guo Ziheng were both stationed in Xinzhou, so they could only take away a few personal guards, not more than a hundred people in total, plus Niu Bin, He Liuzhong
One person led a thousand cavalry to move to Daizhou, and the demobilized Qingzhuang and Xu Zhang Zhongjian formed an army. Among the defenders of Mayi, the Tang army already had an absolute advantage.
In other words, if the next thing goes well, Tang Jun will be able to firmly control Mayi in a short time.
Controlling Mayi means too many things. It means that the Tang army has planted a nail outside the wall that makes the Turks very uncomfortable. The Turks army will no longer be able to plunder Daizhou unscrupulously like in previous years. The Tang army will also
Can successfully push the front line beyond Yanmen Pass.
In general, within half a year, Li Shan first forced Yuan Junzhang to surrender, and then triggered civil strife in the Turks. He planned in every possible way and finally successfully captured Mayi, but his purpose was not just that.
Two days later, Guo Ziheng and Du Shiyuan handed over their military power. The soldiers were either demobilized or moved to Daizhou and Zhang Gongjin took over, preparing to march and camp in Wutai County.
Three days later, Niu Bin led a thousand cavalry into Yanmen Pass. Su Dingfang, the actual commander of the Daizhou Army, personally came out to meet him and placed him on the south side of Guo County.
Niu Bin, who was appointed deputy general manager of the cavalry by Li Shan, took the initiative and consciously surrendered half of his military power. Su Dingfang mixed the thousand cavalry with his own cavalry and reorganized the army.
Five days later, Li Shan finally left Mayi in the presence of Liu Shirang, Qin Wutong, Xi Duo, and He Liu. He was confident that if the Turks invaded again this year, as long as Liu Shirang had Gao Manzheng's determination, Mayi would definitely be defeated.
Not lost.
Driving this nail firmly outside the Great Wall was the most proactive thing Li Shan had done since he traveled through time... Perhaps this could change the military situation between the Tang Dynasty and the Turks in the future. He guessed that in this life, there should be no more