Behind the emperor's front army were nine teams of inner guard cavalry. Each team had a hundred men and carried giant banners. The horses of each team of soldiers were of the same color, and the colors of the horses of the nine teams were different. After the nine-color cavalry passed by, they walked on the road again.
Nine village elders who were over seventy years old and had children and grandchildren were selected from the four fields of Huaiyuan Town. They held green bamboo brooms and pretended to be sweeping the road while moving forward. From time to time, they leaned down and "pulled out the dirt".
"That non-existent weed.
After the road was cleared and the weeds were "plucked", His Majesty the Emperor's imperial chariot, which was one foot wide and nine feet long and more than thirty feet long, slowly came into view of the Huaiyuan Town food guards. All they could see was
It's just a royal chariot. In order to prevent assassins from attacking, the left and right armies of the Sixth Army of the Emperor guarded the chariot on both sides. The chariot took a step forward under the pull of the white horse, and the bodies of the soldiers of the left and right armies also moved forward.
Take a step forward.
All civil and military officials followed the royal chariot, so that the emperor could summon them at any time to discuss state affairs. In order to consider the hard work of the officials, His Majesty the Emperor specially allowed officials of third rank and above, and nobles above the country prince to bring their families with them. Those who accompanied the officials also
There were the Khan of the Western Turks, the King of Gaochang, Prince Tuyuhun, and envoys from various countries in the Western Regions and Southeast Asia. Their chariots and staffs were arranged in addition to the internal guards, and in front of the rear army of the emperor's six armies, they were served by specially recruited civilians to serve them in their daily lives.
The city entry ceremony was grand and grand, and even the Goguryeo "savages" across the Liao River could feel its majesty. Due to many rehearsals in advance, the entire ceremony was perfect. The only flaw was on the city gate.
Huaiyuan Town was built to store grain for the army. The supervisors of the city walls and gates had a narrow vision. During the construction, they only considered the security of the city and did not take into account the majesty of the emperor. Therefore, the width of the city gate could only be four horses parallel, which was not enough to accommodate the imperial chariot.
Passed. But this small problem was not difficult for Yu Wenkai, the minister of the Ministry of Industry, who was known for his cleverness. The old man gave the order, and thousands of warriors rushed forward, carrying their shoulders and hands, and in a moment they destroyed the outer city and Wengcheng.
The door and door frame were removed, and the door opening was expanded by more than seven feet.
"The power of God will destroy everything! The clown of Gaoyuan will perish." In order to prevent His Majesty the Emperor from being unhappy because of the delay in demolishing the city gate, the ministers who were good at praying and chanting bowed to congratulate each other at the same time. So, in front of everyone,
Amidst the cheers, the imperial chariot that stopped for a moment walked slowly and walked onto the narrow street of Huaiyuan Town. (Note 6)
Fortunately, the buildings in Huaiyuan Town had been cleaned up in advance, and no one's house dared to block the emperor's chariot. The emperor's drive went smoothly, and after a full two-hour demonstration, he moved into the pre-built palace. Hundreds of officials and
Wai Yishan called out, resigned, and was picked up by the palace eunuch, who arranged to conduct a post near the palace. Half an hour later, the eunuch of the inner palace announced an edict at the entrance of the palace, summoning all civil and military officials and foreign officials to come to the palace to meet and discuss the crossing of the Liao Dynasty.
matters.
"With such a big scene, no wonder they walk slowly!" Li Xu led his horse and slowly walked towards the newly opened military camp outside the city. The food guard's barracks in the city were taken over by the internal army, including the buildings inside.
and all the food, grass and baggage. But this does not mean that the more than 1,200 people under Li Yuan can be dismissed and go home. In this Eastern Expedition, in addition to the Sixth Army of the Emperor who promoted the majesty of the Sui Dynasty and the flag-bearers of each army, those who went to Liaodong to fight
Each of the soldiers also carried three buckets of rice with them. The food guards were responsible for organizing the people to sort the rice into warehouses as quickly as possible to prepare for the unexpected needs of the army.
There were a lot of people on the road, and they were all officers and soldiers returning to camp after welcoming the Holy Spirit. Some people's faces had the pinkish color that comes only after drunkenness. No need to ask, they must be standing in a better position and were lucky enough to witness it.
The expressions on some people's faces were filled with envy and fascination. They had obviously seen the imperial guards wearing silver helmets and colorful silks, and they regretted that they were unlucky when they joined the army and were assigned to the wrong team. Mixed in with the officers and soldiers
In the middle, there were large groups of ragged people pushing wheelbarrows and leading donkeys. They were recruited from various places to serve the people. There were more than two million people in total, twice the size of the army.
"Today we finally saw the emperor! It's not in vain that we stayed in this inhospitable place for more than half a year!" Zhou Wenyuan, the food guard captain who was walking beside Li Xu, said with emotion as he drifted away from the city. His official position
His rank is slightly higher than others, so he stands closer to the emperor's carriage. According to common sense, he has more chances to see Tianyan than others.
"Why, what does His Majesty look like?" Wang Yuantong, Warrior Xun and others could not resist the temptation. When they heard the other party boasting like this, they immediately surrounded him.
"This, this, after all, is very majestic. Just a glance at it will make people's hearts beat wildly!" Zhou Wenyuan hesitated for a long time before answering with a blushing face.
"Go, old Zhou, just blow it, and you won't be afraid of the wind blowing your tongue." Wang Yuantong punched Zhou Wenyuan with all his strength and cursed carelessly.
"This guy was probably nervous because he was patronizing me, and he didn't see anything. If it were me, I would have lifted my breasts high and been caught by Banzai's heavy eyes. I would have been promoted to level five, maybe level six!" Qi Po said
Ning also came over and teased with disdain.
His Majesty the Emperor is the proud son of heaven. He was born at the right time and has benefited all the people. It is a great blessing to be able to see him. Even important ministers in high positions, except for civil servants of fifth rank or above, cannot see the emperor every day.
As for the generals who lead troops in battles, such as Mai Tiezhang and Xin Shixiong, they look majestic outside. It takes only three days to attend a court meeting once they return to the capital. According to the number of meetings with the emperor each month, the officialdom
The emperor also automatically classified hundreds of officials into three-sense officials, six-sense officials and nine-sense officials. As for ordinary martial arts officers, like Li Xu, Wang Yuantong and others, they would never have a chance in this life if it were not for the emperor's personal conquest.
Witnessing the beauty of the sky at such a close distance (Note 7)
"Nervous, who wouldn't be nervous anymore? When Banzai's eyes glanced over me from a distance, I felt like I was seen by him, and my heart immediately warmed up. I felt that no matter how hard I have spent these six months, it was all worth it!" Zhou Wen
Ignoring everyone's ridicule, he just showed off.
"Bah, at your height, if you put yourself in a hole in the crowd, I can still see you in the crowd of heads. If it were Xuzi, it would be about the same. At least he is big and looks like a soldier!" Qi Po
Ning's mouth was like a crossbow, striking people without mercy. When Li Xu was mentioned, everyone immediately remembered the incident where he presented horses to the camp last year. At that time, Tang Gong selected thirty horses and said they were dedicated to the emperor.
Your Majesty, now that the emperor's chariot has arrived at Huaiyuan Town, the opportunity to present the horse will be within the next day or two. If by any chance Long Yan is happy...
"Zhongjian, if Long live summons you, you should answer it correctly. It is said that when the emperor is angry, he will chop off people's heads. When he is happy, it is not impossible to make you a county or rural prince!" Warrior Xun said.
The horse reins leaned closer to Li Xu and teased him with a smile. His family was also a merchant and had never had an official, so he was full of longing for officialdom.
"It's hard to say, Xuzi is young and good-looking. It is said that the emperor brought a princess with him this time. Once he is attracted..." Zhou Wenyuan was fed up with everyone's "bullying" and finally found a person who was better than him.
Fortunately, the bullied soft persimmon was pinched as much as possible.
Li Xu raised his head and gave everyone a harmless smile. He had never dreamed of being summoned, appreciated by the emperor, and rising to greatness in one fell swoop. With the kind of person Tang Gong Li Yuan was, he would definitely mention him and Liu when he presented the horse.
Hongji's name. And the old general Mai Tiezhang, who had an unclear relationship with him, might also serve the country in front of the emperor. Thinking of the possibility of being summoned by the emperor, Li Xu seemed to have a fire burning in his heart. But
After meeting Yu Chaan today, the fire in his heart calmed down.
The tall royal chariot, the mysterious yellow curtain, and the red banner all left a very deep impression in his mind. But for some reason, Li Xu always associated these with the wizards who danced in his hometown. Remember.
When I was a child, there was a severe drought in the entire Shanggu area one spring. Under the guidance of wizards, the elders held a grand ceremony to offer sacrifices to heaven by the river. More than 30 sheep and five horses were used in the ceremony, and the crowd was empty. But later, God still
There was not a drop of rain. If it hadn't been a good year last year and each family still had some food in store, and the county governor at the time had handled the situation properly, countless people in the county would have starved to death.
"Zhong Jian, Qi Canjun, Wang Canjun, Captain Zhou, everyone, please move slowly!" Just as Li Xu was thinking wildly, Liu Hongji hurried over from behind on a fast horse. He glanced at everyone.
, he reported a shocking and almost crazy news, "Long live tomorrow I will personally review the Zuowuwei, Zuoyiwei and Zuotunwei who were the first to arrive at the front line. We have done a good job in protecting the granary. Tomorrow we will accompany the three guards on Zuowu."
Wei University campus, accept your Majesty’s review!”
"Ah!" Everyone exclaimed at the same time, and in an instant, everyone could fit a whole egg into their mouths.
Facing the rising sun, His Majesty the Emperor of the Sui Dynasty rode his war horse into the military camp. Behind him were Duan Wenzhen, the Minister of the Ministry of War, Yu Wenkai, the Minister of the Ministry of Industry, Wei Wensheng, the Minister of the Ministry of Punishments, Duguxue, the minister, Liu Shilong, the minister of justice, and Yuwenshi, the prince-in-law.
And, King Guandeok* and other close ministers of Humerus were all dressed in military uniforms, and they looked heroic.
Civil and military officials and imperial guards lined up and walked past the phalanx formed by the soldiers. Amid cheers like landslides and tsunamis, they embraced His Majesty the Emperor and walked up to the general stage. Some eunuchs brought in the bed, and His Majesty the Emperor
He refused to sit down. Wearing a military uniform, he pushed away the guards, "Teng, Teng, Teng" and took a few steps forward, his eyes scanning the whole place like lightning.
"See Your Majesty!" More than 30,000 soldiers shouted in unison, clasping their fists, standing in awe, and standing straight forward in military salute. (Note 8)
"Soldiers, you have worked hard!" His Majesty the Emperor stood solemnly with his fists clasped, and actually responded with the same military salute.
"Through fire and water, I will do whatever it takes!" Everyone shouted in unison, and waves of resonance echoed through the wilderness. Amidst the roaring waves, countless people burst into tears. (To be continued)
