Liu Yan smiled and was about to speak when Zhu Yun answered: "Wang Mang is unpopular. How easy is it to form a 100,000-strong rebel army?"
The so-called rebel army refers to the army of righteousness. What is righteousness? No military pay, no armor, no weapons, preferably no military rations. To put it bluntly, it means letting people prepare their own armor and weapons to help the court fight in vain.
Zhu Yun said: "The reckless thief is also self-aware and knows that no one will be willing to sacrifice his life for him in vain. There is a rule in the rebel army that the rebel soldiers do not have to hand over any trophies captured on the battlefield."
Liu Xiu's heart moved, and his eyes flashed obviously. Liu Yan said: "The barbarian army burned, killed and looted in Yizhou, and must have robbed a lot of property. This time Wang Mang formed a rebel army, which is a big deal for us." Rare opportunity."
This is the opportunity he has been waiting for.
Liu Yan wanted to regain the Han Dynasty, but what should he do to regain the Han Dynasty?
Just by opening his mouth, his whole life is just empty talk. He needs money, a lot of money. Only with money can he recruit soldiers and horses, form a Han army, and have a chance to overthrow the traitors and restore the Han Dynasty. .
Money will not fall from the sky, and there is no ancestral legacy to inherit. He can only rely on his own hands to work hard. This time Wang Mang formed a rebel army and entered Yizhou to resist the Southern Barbarians. In his view, this was a rare opportunity to make money.
Liu Yan realized this, and Liu Xiu also realized this. He only pondered for a moment before blurting out: "Brother, I want to go with you!"
When Liu Boji next to him heard this, he immediately became nervous and involuntarily grasped the third brother's sleeves with both small hands.
Liu Yan looked at Liu Xiu and nodded secretly. Although the third brother was not showy by nature, he was not as cowardly as the second brother.
He said in a deep voice: "Axiu, just stay at home. In our Liu family, it is enough for the eldest brother to join the rebel army. There is no need for two brothers to join the battle together!"
"Brother, I..."
"Okay, there is no need to argue about this matter anymore. Before my father passed away, you and my little sister were the most worried about you. After I leave, your task is to take care of everything in the family."
Liu Yan has the air of an eldest brother and knows everything at home.
Liu Xiu understood his elder brother's temper and knew that it would be useless no matter how much he said now. He lowered his head and did not continue talking.
Seeing this, Liu Yan thought that he had acquiesced to his decision, picked up his wine glass, and greeted everyone present: "Come on, let's all have a drink together. I wish everyone of us can come back to Yizhou with a full load." "
Those present outside the Liu family, including Zhang Ping and Zhu Yun, are all going to Yizhou to fight the Southern Barbarians with Liu Yan. On weekdays, they all follow Liu Yan's lead.
Everyone raised their glasses and said in unison: "Honor Bosheng!"
Liu Zhong was so drunk that in the middle of the meal, he said goodbye to Liu Yan and others and staggered home. When the meal was about to end, Liu Xiu took Liu Boji and also said goodbye to Liu Yan.
Liu Yan escorted the two of them out of the hall, then grabbed Liu Xiu, walked a few steps aside, and whispered: "Axiu, I am going to Yizhou this time. The dangers are unknown, and life or death is uncertain..."
"Brother!" Liu Xiu frowned and interrupted Liu Yan's ominous words.
Liu Yan nodded, grinned, smiled at him, and said, "While I'm away, you have to take good care of my little sister. If you have time, remember to come home often to see your sister-in-law and nephew."
Seeing Liu Xiu lowering his head, Liu Yan shook his fist and said with emotion: "The reckless thief has usurped the Han Dynasty. As descendants of the Liu family, we should be at odds with the reckless thief. When the time is right, we will rise up and restore the country of Han Dynasty." !”
Liu Xiu held Liu Yan's hand and said urgently: "Brother, you've drunk too much!" While speaking, he also looked around the yard and reminded in a low voice: "Be careful that the walls have ears!"
Liu Yan smiled. Axiu has always been low-key. The neighbors thought that Axiu was just like the second brother, timid and afraid of getting into trouble. In fact, it was not the case. The third brother's low-key was just out of caution. He said: "Axiu is cautious. In this regard, the eldest brother is not as good as you."
After a pause, Liu Yan took a deep breath, patted Liu Xiu on the shoulder, and said, "Okay, take my little sister back quickly. If you go back too late, my uncle will definitely blame you two."
Liu Xiu asked: "When does the eldest brother plan to leave?"
Liu Yan laughed and said, "At least we have to wait until Lian Dan and Shi Xiong lead their troops into Yizhou." Liu Yan knew how much he weighed, so he and his group of friends entered Yizhou before the officers and soldiers. Fighting against the main force of the Nanman Army was simply a matter of death. He had already planned to let Lian Dan and his troops enter Yizhou to fight first. After the officers and soldiers were almost done with the Nanman Army, he would then go to Yizhou to pick up the slack and wait for an opportunity to occupy it. Somewhat cheap.
Liu Xiu said "oh" and knew what was going on. Then she said goodbye to her eldest brother and took her little sister Liu Boji back to her uncle's house.
On the way, Liu Boji took Liu Xiu's hand and asked: "Third brother, is the eldest brother really going to Yizhou to fight against the barbarian army?"
Liu Xiu nodded.
Liu Boji asked again: "Is there any danger?"
Liu Xiu said: "There will definitely be danger in fighting, but the eldest brother is very smart and has to wait for Lian Dan's troops to enter Yizhou first. In this case, when the eldest brother goes to Yizhou, he will not encounter a large number of barbarians, but only It’s the defeat of a small army.”
"Third brother, do you think Lian Dan can defeat the barbarian army?"
Liu Xiu smiled and said firmly: "Lian Dan is good at fighting, and the Southern Barbarian Army is definitely no match for him."
But he didn't say the last sentence. Lian Dan was cruel, committed all kinds of evil, and was so cold-blooded that it was appalling. Wang Mang sent Lian Dan to fight in Yizhou, and it was probably not only the barbarians who suffered, but also the people of Yizhou.
Everyone thought Liu Xiu was an honest country boy, but few people knew that every time Liu Xiu went to the market to buy food, he would always ask people about what was happening across the country, where were the honest officials, where were the corrupt officials, and which generals were there? He is good at fighting, and he can tell you which general is a loser, etc.
Over time, even though Liu Xiu only stayed in a small place like Chongling, he knew a lot about the affairs of the world.
Lian Dan is Wang Mang's powerful general, and Wang Mang's sixth son, Wang Kuang, can be called the two sharp blades in Wang Mang's hands.
The sixth prince, Wang Kuang, was cruel enough by nature, but compared with Lian Dan, he was nothing compared to Lian Dan. Later, during the war to suppress the local rebels, Lian Dan's cruelty was undoubtedly revealed. This is a story later.
When I returned to my uncle Liu Liang's house, I just walked to the gate when I saw Liu Liang walking out of the door.
Liu Liang was already fifty years old and had gray hair and beard. The old man looked unhappy and asked, "Why did you come back?"
Liu Xiu and Liu Boji bowed to their uncle in a polite manner. Liu Xiu said: "Uncle, we had a conversation with my eldest brother after dinner and came back late."
When Liu Yan was mentioned, Liu Liang became furious and said in a deep voice: "Don't imitate your elder brother, who idles around all day long and makes friends with all kinds of gangsters. You should go to your elder brother's house less often in the future." The day your eldest brother's bad friends break the law, you will all be implicated."
Even though Liu Liang had a bad temper, was stubborn, and seemed to be an old antique, the old man was already old and well-versed in the world. What he said today would really turn out to be a prophecy in the future.
Hearing her uncle criticize her eldest brother in this way, Liu Boji was unhappy, but she didn't dare to show it in front of her elders. The little girl deliberately yawned and said, "Uncle, I'm sleepy."
Liu Liang had no daughter and regarded Liu Boji as his own daughter. When he saw that the little girl looked tired, he stopped nagging and urged: "Go back to the room and go to bed!"
Liu Xiu asked his younger sister to go back first. After Liu Boji left, Liu Xiu said: "The Southern Barbarians invaded Yizhou and harmed the people. The imperial court sent Lian Dan to lead an army of 100,000 to destroy the Southern Barbarians. In addition, he also organized a rebel army of 100,000 people. The eldest brother planned
Go join the rebel army."
Liu Liang immediately frowned and asked, "Is this what your elder brother told you?"
Liu Xiu nodded and said: "Uncle, I also want to follow my eldest brother..."
Before he finished speaking, Liu Liang's expression changed and he reprimanded: "Your elder brother wants to make nonsense, and you will follow him to make nonsense? You can live a peaceful life, so what kind of rebel army are you going to join? Do you and your elder brother know how to fight?"
"
The old man became more and more angry as he talked. He stamped his feet vigorously and said angrily: "I will go find him tomorrow!"
Liu Xiu sighed secretly and said no more. He knew that with the temperament of his uncle and eldest brother, neither his uncle nor his eldest brother would agree to join the rebel army.
As the days passed and Long Yuan did not come back, the war in Yizhou became more and more intense.
General Lian Dan commanded an army of 100,000, entered Yizhou, and started a confrontation with the barbarians.
The reckless army of the New Dynasty was actually the Han army, and its weapons and equipment were no different from the Han army.
If you ask about the combat effectiveness of the Han army, at that time, it was definitely the best in the world.
Even at the end of the Western Han Dynasty, the combat effectiveness of the Han army was still fierce. During the Yuan Dynasty, Chen Tang led the Han army to defeat the Xiongnu army many times.
The combat effectiveness displayed by one Han soldier on the battlefield was almost equivalent to the combat effectiveness of five Xiongnu soldiers.
The reason why the Han army is so powerful in combat is very simple. It is well-equipped. The armor of the Han army is blade armor. Iron is made into sheets and strung together to make armor.
The armor also has a lining, the innermost layer is a layer of cloth, the middle is padded with cotton, and the outside is covered with a thick layer of leather.
The soldiers wore such armor on their bodies, which was flexible, would not cut themselves, and also had the effect of double-layer armor protection.
With the manufacturing level and production capacity of the barbarians at that time, it was very difficult to break through the armor of the Han army. Therefore, on the battlefield against the barbarians, the Han army could usually defeat one against five.
The Xiongnu army, known for its sturdiness, was so far behind the Han army. The Southern Barbarian army, whose combat power was not as good as the Xiongnu army, had even less chance of victory against the Han army.
However, the generals of the Southern Barbarians did not give in vain. Knowing that the Han army was no match for a direct confrontation, they broke into pieces and divided the army into many parts, running around in Yizhou.
In this way, not only would Lian Dan's troops be exhausted from running around, but the key is that they could often cut off their logistical supply lines.
After Lian Dan led an army of 100,000 troops into Yizhou, the early battles were not very smooth.
As a result, Lian Dan's troops need more assistance from the rebels, and the need to recruit rebels becomes more and more urgent.