Gao Chugong nodded, said no more, and left Kou Ji's tent.
Just when Kou Ji and Gao Chugong were setting up the battlefield.
The valley crossing between Wuding River and Hengshan ushered in a war.
As expected by Gao Chugong, the Liao army's partial army entered Yinzhou territory. Xu fired a shot and headed south along the Wuding River.
After receiving the news, the garrison in Yinzhou City immediately sent people to rush to deliver an urgent report to Kou Ji, informing Kou Ji of the movements of the Liao people's partial troops.
The purpose of the Liao troops moving down the Wuding River is self-evident.
Then.
The guard of Yinzhou City did not know that Gao Zhanggong had already seen through the thoughts of the Liao people's partial army and had already reminded Kou Ji to make arrangements at Wuding River.
Gudaokou.
Breeze blowing.
It ruffled the water of Wuding River and turned the trees on both sides green.
There are two groups of soldiers and horses stationed in the hidden places on both sides of the valley entrance.
On a high ground at the entrance of the valley, three people stood side by side.
One of them, wearing armor and holding a sword, asked humbly the young man in a green shirt standing next to him.
"Brother Lu Xian, brother Yu's scouts have discovered traces of the Liao people exploring their horses. I think the Liao people will definitely go down the Wuding River as Kou Jinglue said. How do you think this battle should be fought, brother Lu Xian?"
Another man wearing armor and holding a blade curled his lips in disdain when he heard this.
He wanted to curse loudly and curse the shameless Longzhou guard Liu Qi.
It's enough for you to be Lu Ming's father. He is a good brother in every mouth, and he is called a good brother in every mouth. You are not ashamed to call him so kind.
However, he despised Liu Qi in his heart, but he was not to be outdone, and said with a smile to Lu Ming: "Brother Lu Xian, the scouts under Brother Yu have also discovered the traces of the Liao people exploring horses, and the Liao people will definitely go south along the Wuding River.
Brother Lu Xian just tells you how to fight this battle, Brother Yu will listen to you."
When Liu Qi heard this, he curled his lips in disdain.
Good brother?
You are an old guy over fifty years old, you are qualified to be a grandfather, how can you also call me my dear brother?
Guo Yi, you are so shameless.
Guo Yi seemed to feel Liu Qi's contempt and turned to Liu Qi.
The two looked at each other.
He gave the other party a look of disgust and secretly cursed him for being shameless.
Lu Ming was not flattered by the two of them. He had no official title and was praised by others because he had Kou Ji and Kou Mansion as his back.
If there were no Kou Ji and Kou Mansion, if you look at it again, would Liu Qi and Guo Yi still praise him?
Lu Ming bowed his hands to the two of them and said with a smile: "The two generals are joking. Lu is just a servant of the Kou Mansion. He has no experience in military affairs and has never led a soldier. He dare not interfere in the military affairs here."
Before coming, my young master specially warned me.
When we got here, we listened to the two generals in everything.
The men I brought and the firearms I brought were all under the control of the two generals."
Liu Qi and Guo Yi both breathed a sigh of relief when they heard Lu Ming's words.
They were really afraid that Kou Ji sent Lu Ming here just to point fingers.
If this is the case, then the two of them can only accompany Lu Ming to make fools of themselves.
If the war is won, everyone will naturally be happy. After the war, they will write to the court and put all the credit on Kou Ji.
If the war is lost, they will write to the court after the war and take all the blame.
The reason why they think this way is not because they are mean, but because they are used to it.
They are used to being told what to do on the battlefield, and they are used to being blamed for helping others.
Take Guo Yi as an example. He used to be considered a military minister with a bright future. After joining the army for only five years, he quickly rose through the ranks and was promoted to the rank of Captain of the Forbidden Army.
Just because he did not follow the wishes of the supervisors sent by the imperial court on the battlefield, he was secretly targeted and sent to the Suide Army, where he sat on the bench for decades.
Liu Qi's experience was similar to Guo Yi's.
I also sat on the bench for more than ten years.
As the saying goes, one learns from one's mistakes.
It took them more than ten years, or even decades, to learn the lessons they learned, and they would naturally not be able to do it again.
Now according to Lu Ming's words, he has no intention of intervening in the war.
That means they can make the decision from beginning to end in this war.
This makes them feel more at ease.
They led tens of thousands of people and took the lead in ambushing and blocking a Liao partial force. With no one to direct them blindly, they were 90% sure that the entire Liao partial force would be left here.
Liu Qi and Guo Yi had already surveyed the battlefield and had a plan in mind.
So the two looked at each other and nodded slowly.
Although they couldn't stand each other's praise of Lu Ming, they both knew in their hearts that the other was suffering from the same problem.
They don't have any deep grudges to oppose each other on the battlefield.
After Liu Qi nodded at Guo Yi, he said with a smile to Lu Ming: "Brother Lu Xian is joking, everyone knows that there are extraordinary people in the Kou Mansion. There must be something extraordinary about Brother Lu Xian being able to gain the trust of Kou Jinglue.
Although Lu Xiandi has never been involved in war, with Lu Xiandi's extraordinary ability, we will definitely see many shortcomings when we lay out the battlefield.
When the time comes, I hope brother Lu Xian will not hide his secrets and will definitely correct Brother Yu.
After this battle, regardless of success or failure, Brother Yu will give you a generous gift."
"Why……"
Lu Ming suddenly sighed.
Liu Qi and Guo Yi's hearts skipped a beat.
Lu Ming stared at Liu Qi and Guo Yi and sighed: "When I left the capital, the young master retrieved the files of all the generals in the northwest from the Ministry of Personnel. I accompanied the young master to read them carefully on his way to the northwest.
Among them are the files of two people.
I know exactly why you two praise me.
In fact, you two don't have to be like this.
The young master is not the kind of person who likes to be flattered by others, nor is he the kind of person who likes to point fingers at things he doesn't understand.
As someone close to the young master, the same is true for me.
The young master is the kind of person who does practical things, and he also likes to do practical things.
So don't compare the young master with those who don't like to do practical things.
I have read your files and know that you are talented people, but you were sent to Longzhou and Suide City and were not allowed to be promoted just because you offended others.
You two have wasted a lot of time, now is the time for you to show your talents.
If this battle is won, no one will covet a share of the credit of the two of you.
If two people have made great achievements, the young master will personally recommend them to the court.
If this war fails, the two of you will have to suffer under the sword of the young master.
So you two don’t have to think about flattering me or giving me gifts.
You two just need to fight this battle wholeheartedly."
When Liu Qi and Guo Yi heard what Lu Ming said, their hearts beat. They didn't know if Lu Ming was telling the truth, or if their reaction just now offended Lu Ming and Lu Ming was setting a trap for them.
Liu Qi smiled dryly and said, "Brother Lu Xian was joking..."
When Lu Ming was working in Yizijiaozipu, he had lots of interactions with people in the officialdom, and he had a better understanding of their thoughts.
Lu Ming stared at Liu Qi and said sincerely: "Today's court is no longer what it used to be. It no longer needs people who flatter you. What today's court needs is people who dare to do things and can do things."
Hearing this, Guo Yi said from the side: "Brother Yu, you two naturally dare to do things and are capable of doing things. Brother Lu Xian just gives orders, and brother Yu, you two, promise to do everything properly."
Lu Ming lamented in his heart, knowing that no matter how much he said, the two of them would not believe him.
The two people were seriously injured, to the point where they were bitten by a snake once and feared by well ropes for ten years.
More than ten years, decades of wasted time have indeed frightened them to the core.
Lu Ming was lamenting in his heart, but a cold look slowly appeared on his face. He stared at Liu Qi and Guo Yida and said: "Because you are so knowledgeable, and each of you has a thousand guan, I will tell you the young master's thoughts."
When Liu Qi and Guo Yi heard this, they were shocked and almost nodded without hesitation.
Lu Ming's lament deepened in his heart, but he had to continue to pretend to be a villain, "The young master is going north this time with a heavy responsibility. If he cannot complete the important task, the young master will have no face to return to Beijing.
Therefore, driving the Liao people out of the northwest is what the young master cares about most.
The young master is not lustful, not greedy for money, he only loves reputation, and he also has a good reputation.
Therefore, you two must try your best to ambush the Liao soldiers in Wuding River this time.
Win this battle.
After winning this battle, the young master may make the two of them his confidants and get promoted for the sake of helping him gain face.
If we lose and the young master loses face, then we will have to let you two go to Caishikou."
When Liu Qi and Guo Yi heard this, they nodded heavily again.
Guo Yi even spoke the truth, "The soldiers and horses led by Brother Yu are several times larger than the Liao soldiers. They have set up an ambush in advance and defeated the Liao soldiers. That is inevitable. The key is that Lu Xiandi cannot interfere in the military affairs.
Interfering with the two foolish brothers’ command of the battle.”
Lu Ming said solemnly: "If you add another three hundred strings, I will not interfere in the military affairs and let you two do what you want. However, during the battle, I will take the people I brought and stand behind the two soldiers and horses.
If your troops are defeated by the Liao soldiers and become fearful and want to retreat, then I will inevitably kill them.
If the battle by the Wuding River is lost.
All soldiers must die here.
This way, my young master’s reputation will not be lost.”
Liu Qi and Guo Yi were 90% sure. After hearing Lu Ming's words, they naturally agreed without hesitation.
When Lu Ming saw the two of them still standing in front of him, he immediately shouted: "What are you still doing standing here? Why don't you go down to prepare money and arrange troops and horses?"
Liu Qi and Guo Yi nodded very seriously, apologized, and left the place.
The same words, said in different ways, have completely different effects.
After the two left, Lu Ming let out a long sigh, "If the young master were here, I'm afraid he would be so angry that he would pick up a knife and kill people. They are obviously two very talented generals, but they were forced into such a situation.
Song's officialdom is really disgusting.
In the past, the young master asked me to study hard and pursue an official career, but I declined.
Now it seems that I was right to decline.
In today's officialdom, I feel sick even if I stay there for even a quarter of an hour, let alone for a lifetime."
Not long after Liu Qi and Guo Yi left, they handed over some money collected from everywhere to Lu Ming.
The two of them are rare people who do not drink the blood of soldiers, so their family wealth is not rich.
The two of them had enough salary to support a large family, some tribesmen, and some horses, so they didn't have much spare money.
In addition, they were in a hurry to march to the Wuding River and did not bring much money with them, so the money they had was borrowed from the hands of the army generals.
The two handed the money to Lu Ming, who accepted it with a smile.
The two of them relaxed completely when they saw Lu Ming take the money.
Lu Ming made it clear that he would not interfere in military matters, so they did not need to ask Lu Ming for instructions.
Liu Qi and Guo Yi were busy arranging their troops, while Lu Ming was sitting in his own tent, writing a letter to Kou Ji.
Before writing the letter, Lu Ming stared at the 2,600 miscellaneous copper coins piled on the table and sighed, "You two have suffered a lot, and the young master will definitely teach you a lesson.
But it’s also cheaper for you.
If you deposit 2,600 yuan of miscellaneous money with me now, after the Liao people retreat, you will definitely be repaid ten times or even a hundred times."
After sighing, Lu Ming wrote down all the major and minor events that happened here in the letter, and sent someone to deliver it to Kou Ji.
Liu Qi and Guo Yi are ready for the second day.
Liao soldiers appeared.
The first to appear were the Liao soldiers' scouts.
Liu Qi and Guo Yi hid five miles away in order to avoid the Liao soldiers' scouts.
After the Liao soldiers made a thorough investigation and confirmed that there was no ambush, the two men led their troops back to the place where they ambush.
This seemingly simple back and forth is enough to show that the two of them are expert leaders.
You know, people who can't use their troops like arms and horses will never dare to do this.
If there is a slight oversight, the Liao soldiers will discover it, or they may take advantage of it.
Not long after they returned to the ambush site.
Liao general Tu Lugu led an army of 15,000 relics and rode their horses slowly along the river bank.
The reason why we didn't gallop the horses was because there were gravels on the river bank, which could easily hurt the horses' hooves.
As soon as Liao General Tu Lu Gu and his troops showed up, Liu Qi and Guo Yi looked at each other with a smile on their lips.
When General Tu Lugu of the Liao Kingdom led his troops into their pocket formation, Liu Qi ordered his men to light the cannons, and at the same time, together with Guo Yi, led his troops and horses to kill them.
"kill!"
The gunfire didn't sound.
The sound of killing has begun.
"Bang bang bang!"
When the cannon fired, the sound of killing was already loud.
With calculated calculations and no care, they had tens of thousands of soldiers and horses, ambushed the enemy's 15,000 soldiers and horses, and also had artillery to assist them. The Longzhou defenders and the Suide army fought very bravely.
Although their armaments are not as good as those of the Liao soldiers, their combat effectiveness is also not as good as those of the Liao soldiers.
But there are many of them.
The pocket formations set up by Liu Qi and Guo Yi gradually tightened as they rushed towards the battlefield.
By the time they rushed to the Liao soldiers and horses, the Longzhou defenders and the Suide army had already surrounded 15,000 relic troops.
Liao general Tu Lugu wanted to lead the relic army and charge with the help of horses, but he was blocked by the huge rocks that Liu Qi and Guo Yi had moved to the battlefield in advance, and the rolling logs that were pushed out after the war started.