After the words fell, the soldiers who had been whispering among each other in silence immediately fell silent. Everyone had fought against the Wagang Army in the past two years and had won less and lost more, so they were not sure about taking the initiative to go out of the city to stroke the enemy's beards. But if he takes office as a new officer,
If you show timidity in front of your general, you will inevitably be burned by the first fire. Moreover, the other side did kill more than 100,000 Wagang troops with 4,000 light armors a few days ago and did not dare to look back. Under the city of Kaifeng, thousands of troops and horses avoided the enemy.
Riding is not a legend. The number of soldiers under the command of any of the generals here is no less than that of Boling Light Armor. As the commander-in-chief, Li Xu has already set an example. If everyone still acts like a coward, it will really be difficult for them to face the consequences.
We don't have the courage to propose an attack, and we don't have the shame to insist on defending. So everyone might as well make a fortune in silence and wait for the champion general Li Xu, Hu Yalang general Wang Bian, and Xingyang Tongshou Pei Renji to make up their minds. Anyway, with the officials of these three heads,
He has the biggest hat and is the most trusted by the court. No matter whether the decisive battle in the future is victory or defeat, the responsibility will not be traced to everyone.
Hidden in their hearts, they naturally did not dare to look at Li Xu. All Sui army generals lowered their heads and pretended to stare at the map in contemplation. Unexpectedly, after a while, someone actually saw some clues.
It was not only a map around Xingyang, but also marked the positions and approximate scales occupied by the enemy and ourselves. Looking carefully, everyone could clearly see the details of each enemy army and our army. The generals had previously
He was not very sensitive to those small characters, so when he glanced at the marks of his troops and horses, he could not help but frown and gasp.
"What does General Li mean?" Yiyang County Lieutenant Zhou Ying asked his colleagues with surprised eyes. He saw the same expression of surprise and fear on the faces of several Pao Ze.
Li Xu has no intention of annexing everyone's tribe. Regarding this, everyone has been reassured before the discussion. But this man is not a weak and good man. In fact, he is much more refined than any official previously appointed by the court.
It was also much stronger. In less than three days, he had already understood the true number of soldiers and equipment under everyone's command. Although he did not hold anyone responsible for shortfalling or concealing their strength, everyone thought about the strength of the troops.
Fooling him about supplies obviously won't work.
"It's just a matter of discussing the military situation. Don't be too cautious. No matter whether it is reasonable or not, the speaker is not guilty!" While they were uneasy, the generals heard General Li's order again.
"In this case, the general will say a few words first. If there is any recklessness, please forgive me, general!" Zheng Bo, the governor of Xiangcheng County, is relatively senior. He cupped his hand and spoke first. His post is closest to Xingyang.
Therefore, the morale of the soldiers and horses under his command is relatively high among the county soldiers. Although the brothers have never taken advantage of the Wagang Army in more than half a year, at least the supplies can keep up, and the shortage of soldiers is not too large.
"My memory has never been very good. Even if Mr. Zheng said something wrong, I will guarantee that I will forget everything as soon as I leave the tent. No matter what, I will never remember a word again!" Li Xu raised his arm.
, made a gesture of invitation.
Hearing that the coach was so considerate, the generals immediately felt a lot more relaxed. They looked at each other and suggested, "Brother Zheng, just say it if you have anything to say. That's what happened in Sakon. Let's follow
The general has nothing to hide."
"In that case, you're welcome, General!" Zheng Bo bowed his hands and continued: "Actually, after General Zhang was killed in battle, everyone's life has been very difficult in the past six months. Not only are the brothers afraid of going out of the city to follow Wa,
The Gang army is fighting hard, but even we generals dare not even mention the word war!"
"Why is this?" Li Xu smiled and asked. He was not angry at all because of Zheng Bo's words.
"The more the thieves fight, the more they fight. The more the county soldiers fight, the less they get!" County Lieutenant Zhou Ying added loudly.
"Every time, tens of thousands of us fight with hundreds of thousands of Wagang troops. There is no structure. Those who should help refuse to help, and those who should seize the opportunity to attack the enemy's weakness also refuse to take action." Some people followed suit.
"Those who win may not be good at it. Those who lose every battle will be rewarded with promotions!" Huang Qiao, the captain of Zhaowu School, shouted dissatisfied.
Everyone was talking, one after another, accusing Dongdu of favoring Liu Changgong and others and being mean to other soldiers. Pei Renji and Wang Bian, the two senior officials, heard that their ears turned red and refused to be quiet. Li Xu understood
Everyone was in a mood, so they didn't say anything. They just listened quietly and let everyone pour out the bitter water in their stomachs.
When everyone had stopped shouting, Zheng Bo coughed lightly, and then added with a sneer: "The general also came from the army, and he knows the difficulties of people like us. Everyone has the idea of wrap their bodies in horse leather and swear to serve the court to the death, but at least death is not a good idea.
We must die in a clear place. We can obviously respond to each other and advance and retreat together, but in the end we become a lone army. There is no guilt for those who run away from the battle, and there is no merit for sacrificing one's life and forgetting the dead. How can one fight such a stupid battle?"
There was a "buzz" sound, and the Chinese army's big account was boiling again. At this time, the generals were also willing to risk it. No matter whether Li Xu lied to them to tell the truth, the general account would be settled later. Anyway, you will die wherever you die. So you
In one word, I explained all the improper actions of the imperial court.
After Yang Guang went to Jiangdu, he seldom asked about the political affairs of Henan Province. 'In fact, he didn't bother to ask about any political affairs!' Some people secretly thought. The Yue King Yang Tong who stayed in Dongdu had no political experience, so the political orders sent to various places in Henan were actually
They all came from the hands of Guanglu doctor Duan Da, Taifu Qing Yuan Wendu and others. These guys did not understand military affairs and were nepotistic, which made it very difficult for the generals who participated in the suppression of bandits. Liu Changgong first refused to obey Zhang Xutuo
The orders of the old general were ignored by Dongdu. Later, they were repeatedly defeated by the Wagang Army. Dongdu still trusted him, asking for money and food. But other soldiers and horses
, except for Wang Bian's troops who can occasionally get some supplies, everyone has to raise money and food from their hometowns and recruit their own warriors. If they lose the battle, they will be thrown into the box and no one will care about their life or death.
Now Liu Changgong was defeated again. He lost the strategic Baihua Valley and tens of thousands of his brothers, and ran back to Luoyang naked. The court still did not dismiss him. There was news from the west that the King of Yue, Yang Tong, had personally met with him.
He comforted him and acquitted him. He also went out to recruit strong men for him in Luoyang and reorganized the remaining army. They were both serving the country, so what a big difference? Why should he get all the benefits and everyone should fight in vain?
Death? With such unclear rewards and punishments, how can those who died in battle not feel chilled?
"His Royal Highness the King of Yue is also imitating the ancient people's practice of using three tactics to defeat the general! This is not a random joke!" Pei Renji couldn't stand it anymore and interrupted everyone's complaints. Although he was related to Pei Ji, the most powerful official in the dynasty, he was just a side branch.
Therefore, he has not received much care from the family for several years. Time has passed. Li Xu, his colleague at the same level at that time, has now become a general, and he has only been promoted half a level, from Wu Ben Lang General to Hu Ya Lang General, which is far away from Li Xu.
The third-grade official certificate was awarded to the general, the ambassador of the six counties, and the ambassador of the inspection and arrest of Henan were more than one and a half stars. Last year, I finally got a real vacancy of Xingyang Tongshou, and I only got it through the strong recommendation of my old friends in Dongdu.
So when your benefactor is criticized, you have to stand up and say some "just" words for him.
"Master Pei's words are serious. We dare not accuse His Highness the King of Yue even if we are too brave! I just said that some people can be promoted without fighting. As long as they have enough meat at home!" Zheng Bo glanced at Pei Renji and said,
Coldly and authentically.
Before taking office, Pei Renji once sent a large sum of meat to Duan Da's mansion. This was originally a private matter. But because he was at odds with Xiao Huaijing, the imperial censor, he was exposed in public during a quarrel. Around Xingyang
Several other Sui generals who suppressed the bandits were deeply dissatisfied with Pei Renji taking over Zhang Xutuo's position. Today, he spoke against everyone's wishes, so they unceremoniously exposed his "scar".
"Don't stop spitting!" Pei Renji jumped up and shouted angrily.
"I was just talking about who is rich, and I didn't say that Mr. Pei had bought an official position. Why should Mr. Pei humiliate himself?" Zheng Bo sneered and counterattacked.
Seeing that the two were about to quarrel, "Yeah!" Li Xu coughed quietly as if there was phlegm stuck in his throat.
Pei and Zheng did not dare to offend their immediate superiors, so they immediately shut their mouths, their four eyes facing each other like bulls in heat, and they wanted to chop each other with swords immediately.
"We are facing a powerful enemy. It's better not to say anything that hurts our peace. Otherwise, if the Wagang Army hears this, they will make fun of everyone!" Li Xu looked at Pei Renji, then at Zheng Bo, and smiled.
Explain. "It is normal to say that you have to deal with everything after being promoted. Everyone has done this. Didn't I give His Majesty and Mr. Yuwen some benefits in front of everyone a few days ago? In order to reduce the burden on the rear,
What does it matter to us generals if our reputations are aggrieved?"
This sentence not only blamed Zheng Bo for attacking his colleagues, but also took care of Pei Renji's face. The officialdom of the Sui Dynasty was dirty. If the crime of accepting bribes was investigated according to the laws set by the late emperor, I am afraid that nine out of a hundred officials would be held accountable.
Nineteen will lose their heads. People may not hate greed and sycophancy when they first take office, but they have to succumb to reality after being in office for a long time. So Li Xu used the excuse to excuse Pei Renji to make the rear less burdensome, which is not an open mouth.
This was all taught step by step by the old general Zhang Xutuo. He learned it from setbacks one after another and never dared to forget it again. (To be continued)
