After listening to Zhou Jun's remarks about Basimi, Wang Zhongsi did not express any agreement or objection. He just said to the lieutenants: "Go and check the business of the firm in previous years. Find out all those who add goods and receive goods carefully.
Cross-examination.”
"Also, those group of Fanzi entered the Tang Dynasty, and the cost of sharpening is traceable, so don't miss it."
The lieutenants took the order and came out.
Standing up from his seat, Wang Zhongsi raised his hands to Fan Jinian, the supervisor, and said: "A certain man led the army incompetently, and the supervisor was so tired that he suffered this disaster. With all the things going on here, Zhongsi has become a saint."
When Fan Jinnian saw that there were only Wang Zhongsi and Zhou Jun in the camp, he also raised his hands and said: "Our family has suffered, but it doesn't matter. It's just the retinue accompanying us. The casualties were heavy, and most of them were sons of Kyoto. I'm afraid... no."
Easy to explain."
Wang Zhongsi looked as usual and said, "The supervisor is relieved. I know how to make up for it."
Fan Jinian said with a smile: "This way, our family will feel at ease."
Wang Zhongsi turned his head to Zhou Jun again, stared at him for a long time, and said: "Zhou Lingshi is really brave and resourceful."
Hearing these words, Zhou Jun also understood that Wang Zhongsi might have guessed a long time ago that the enemy who assassinated the supervisory army today was none other than the Basimi tribe.
I heard Wang Zhongsi say again: "In three days, the army will set off. I should send a partial camp to protect the supervisory army."
After leaving the military meeting, Fan Jinian smiled at Zhou Jun and said, "This is a good thing."
Zhou Jun asked curiously: "Why is it a good thing?"
Fan Jinian: "Then Wang Zhongsi feels guilty. Naturally, more benefits will come out on the way north."
Hearing Fan Jinian's words, Zhou Jun also smiled bitterly.
After losing so many people and hearing that his allies had betrayed the Tang Dynasty, Fan Ji Nian was thinking about how to get more benefits.
Zhou Jun raised his hand to Fan Jinian and said, "Mr. Fan, the Bashmi tribe has ulterior motives this time. This expedition against the Turks may be dangerous."
Fan Jinian was stunned and asked quickly: "Zhou Lang just said in the camp that today's Tibetan soldiers were sent by Basimi. Is this true?"
Zhou Jun: "Of course it is true."
Fan Jinian shook his head and said: "Our family just thought that Zhou Lang said the clumsy words intentionally just to give Wang Zhongsi a step down."
Zhou Jun shook his head gently.
This Fan Jinnian has really stayed in the palace for a long time, and his thoughts are all focused on machinations.
Three days later, Wang Zhongsi led the troops from Shuoshui's rear camp and headed north.
After a long journey that lasted for nearly a month, the army passed through Yinzhou, Shengzhou, and Fengzhou, crossed the Nuozhen River, the boundary between the Turks and the Tang Tianbao first year, and arrived at the south of Saiyinsanda.
Qikou Camp.
Qikou Camp was the front line of Wang Zhongsi's army in the Northern Expedition, and it was also an important station for the 30,000 Tang troops from Shuofang.
From a bird's eye view from above Qikou Camp, you can see that within a few miles, there are all banners and tents.
If we take a careful inventory, the strength of the Turks in this Northern Expedition is as follows:
The central army consists of 4,000 men, with 2,800 internal combat troops, divided into 50 men per team, totaling 56 teams.
There is an army on the left and right of Yuhou, each with 2,800 men, and 1,900 soldiers in it, for a total of seventy-six teams.
There are two armies on the left and right sides, with 2,600 troops each, and 1,850 combat troops each.
According to Ma Bu's plan, the total number of troops is 14,000, and a total of 280 teams are engaged in the battle, leaving 6,000 people to guard the baggage.
Another ten thousand will serve as assistants.
Since entering the Tang Dynasty, Zhou Jun saw so many elite soldiers gathered together for the first time.
He just thought in his mind that although Shuofang's army was a partial division, it had been fighting in Mobei all year round. It could be said that it was among the best in the combat power of the Tang army.
When the An-Shi Rebellion was put down in the future, Shuofang's army showed great success and was called the mainstay of the Tang Dynasty.
However, after the rebellion was put down, Shuofang's army was under suspicion, and after their coach Guo Ziyi died of illness, the army finally fell apart.
When he was thinking about this, Zhou Jun suddenly heard a loud announcement in his ears: "Zhou Lingshi, it is almost noon, and it is time to have dinner."
Zhou Jun looked towards the tent and saw a young man of fifteen or sixteen years old, wearing a Shuofang army uniform, looking in with curiosity.
Zhou Jun put down the pen in his hand and saw the young man staring at the Four Treasures of the Study on the desk, so he asked with a smile: "A Ying, come in and talk."
The young soldier known as A Ying walked in cautiously, fearing that he would damage things in Zhou Jun's tent, so he waited in front of the desk.
Zhou Jun pointed to the paper and ink on the desk and asked Ah Ying, "Have you ever read words?"
Aying shook his head.
Zhou Jun asked again: "Do you want to learn?"
Ah Ying nodded quickly.
Zhou Jun found a Mongolian textbook from behind, handed it to A Ying, and said: "You should keep this book first. There are some simple words on it, and there are also illustrations. You can read it first, and come back if you don't understand it."
ask me."
Seeing A Ying put the book in her arms as if she had received a treasure, Zhou Jun laughed.
Ever since Basi conspired to assassinate the supervisory army, Wang Zhongsi sent a side camp to protect the supervisory army.
But for some unknown reason, Wang Zhongsi actually pointed out a few guards to Zhou Jun in that side camp.
Among them, the guard responsible for taking personal care of Zhou Jun was Sun Aying.
When Zhou Jun saw Sun Aying leaving the tent, he cleared the desk and left the tent.
Walking in the camp, soldiers and captains kept paying tribute to Zhou Jun along the way.
Regardless of the opponent's military rank, Zhou Jun always responded calmly.
When they arrived at Yingkou, a marching commander saw Zhou Jun and came over and said, "Historian of Zhou Ling."
When Zhou Jun saw this, he didn't ask any questions and just followed.
Since leaving Shuoshui, Wang Zhongsi always invited Zhou Jun to participate in military discussions along the way.
At first, the generals did not understand.
Why did Wang Duhu always let a junior official from the Ministry of Punishment listen to Shuofang's military discussion, no matter how big or small the matter was?
But Zhou Jun came more often, and Shuofang's generals gradually got used to it.
Even before the military meeting, someone had reserved a position for Zhou Jun in advance without Wang Zhongsi's instructions.
This time, Zhou Jun entered the military meeting tent as usual, but found that the atmosphere in the tent was a bit strange.
When the generals saw Zhou Jun coming in, they all paid attention.
Zhou Jun first touched his face, then lowered his head and looked at his clothes. There seemed to be nothing wrong with him.
Wang Zhongsi sat on the main seat, looked at Zhou Jun and said: "We have received a letter from the secret envoy from Huihe. Half a month ago, the Bashmi tribe secretly met with the Turkic envoy and stopped their troops on the pretext of lack of food and grass."
Zhou Jun secretly thought, as expected, Bashimi, a twenty-five-year-old boy, wanted to rebel again.
Wang Zhongsi: "The letter also states that the Basimi tribe trained dead soldiers in the army and assassinated those who were disobedient among the nine surnames."
This sentence in the secret letter to Huihe is equivalent to confirming that the person who assassinated the military envoy was a dead soldier sent by the Bashmi tribe.
Zhou Jun also suddenly realized at this time, no wonder when he first entered the camp, the generals looked at him in a strange way.
It turned out that when I asserted that the Bashmi tribe was the culprit behind the scenes, everyone did not believe it, but now the evidence is conclusive.
Wang Zhongsi looked at Zhou Jun and showed a rare smile: "Zhou Lingshi really knows things like a god."
Zhou Jun didn't dare to trust others, so he quickly humbled himself.
Wang Zhongsi looked at the generals in the camp again and said, "Basimi's rebellion has appeared. What do you think of this battle with the Turks?"
After the generals thought deeply, someone said: "As the army marches north, it will inevitably pass through Yanhongda Mountain and Dunyu Valley. If Bashimi rebels, seals off the mountains and valleys, and cuts off the food line, our army will be in danger."
Someone else said: "If you don't decide to break out of Ximi, don't attack easily."
Wang Zhongsi asked again: "How to deal with the Bashmi rebellion?"
A lieutenant general said: "We can use the strategy of driving away wolves and devouring tigers. We can send a secret envoy to secretly communicate with the nine surnames to defeat Ximi together."
Wang Zhongsi nodded: "The strategy is good, but who will be the secret envoy?"
Regarding the candidates for the envoys to the Nine-surnamed Tribes, the generals expressed their opinions one after another.
Wang Zhongsi listened and rejected them one by one.
At the end of the day, the generals saw that there was no one to help them, but they didn't know what to do.
Wang Zhongsi said: "There is a candidate for so-and-so."
After saying that, Wang Zhongsi touched his chin and turned his gaze to Zhou Jun who was standing in the tent.