At night, the Liangjia Fort was decorated with lights and lights. Liang Yundao specially held a family banquet for Guo Song. He also specially invited a group of young generals to accompany him, including Li Ji, Liang Wu, Liang Wu, Lin Tai, Lin Feng, Guo Song.
There were more than 20 people including Jiang, Cao Wannian and others. Of course Liang Ling'er was also sitting. She seemed a little shy and everyone looked at her wrongly.
The main reason is that her make-up is too bizarre. There are three sets of six combs stuck in Duiyun's hair, and the combs are shaped like gold knives, silver swords and jade spears, which is quite murderous.
This is still a small problem. She has peach blossom gold foil on her face. Other girls have two or three on their foreheads. She applied it in a circle from forehead to chin. The key is her eyebrows. The original eyebrows were shaped into Emei style.
Green eyebrows, the Emei style consists of two clusters of eyebrows standing on both sides of the eyebrows, short and thick, and dyed green.
Liang Wu slapped the table and said very dissatisfied: "Little sister, what kind of makeup are you wearing? It's a mess, why don't you take it off quickly!"
Liang Ling'er curled her lips with disdain and whispered: "You are just a country bumpkin and you still don't admit it. This is the most popular peach blossom makeup for eyebrows in Chang'an. You just came from Chang'an."
She ignored Liang Wu and asked Guo Song expectantly: "Brother Guo, what do you think?"
To be honest, Guo also thinks this kind of makeup is ugly. Isn't it good for the young lady to be fresh and refreshing? But Liang Ling'er is in the rebellious period of youth now, and she really can't hurt her self-esteem in public.
Guo Song laughed and said: "It is indeed Dai Mei, also known as Cui Mei. Du Fu has a poem that says Cui Mei lingers in tune, and the clouds on the temples are branched. It is this kind of green Cui Mei, as long as Ling'er likes it.
Let’s not worry about it so much?”
Guo Song wanted to be vague, but Liang Ling'er refused and asked: "Brother Guo, you haven't said whether it looks good or not?"
"We are all rough people and don't know how to appreciate this, but to be honest, the six combs on your head are very distinctive and the swords are ringing together. I like it very much!"
Liang Ling'er felt happy again. She touched the comb on her head and said with a smile: "I asked someone to build this in the Jubao Pavilion in the capital. Their owner is really an idiot. He only charged me a penny. Haha! There is still such a thing in the world.
It’s a cheap thing.”
‘Cough! Cough!’ Guo Song choked on his wine and secretly complained to Zhang Lei. Why is this necessary? He was scolded for doing favors in vain.
Both Liang Wu and Li Ji knew that Jubao Pavilion was the property of Guo Song and his senior brother. Just as Liang Wu raised his eyebrows and wanted to angrily scold his younger sister, Guo Song quickly waved his hand, "Don't mention it anymore, let's drink!"
Three days later, Guo Song led three thousand Shuofang troops northward. The Hetao Plain has been the most important grain-producing base in the northwest since ancient times. It is also the bridgehead for nomadic people to peek into the Central Plains dynasty, and it plays a vital role in the defense of Chang'an.
Ten years after the Anshi Rebellion ended in the Tang Dynasty, the Tang Dynasty re-strengthened its control over the Hetao Plain, restored Shuofang's military strength, regained control of the three surrendered cities, and strengthened its control over Fengzhou. All of this was due to the fact that Guo Song took over the three surrendered cities this time.
Background of soldiers and horses.
Shuofang Jiedufu is also well aware of the imperial court's intentions, and also knows where the current weak point of Lingzhou's defense is? That is Fengzhou.
The three surrendered cities, Fengzhou and Lingzhou, are a line of defense for the entire Shuofang army. If Fengzhou is captured by Xue Yantuo or other nomads, then this line will be cut off, so this time Guo Song will serve as the defense envoy of the three towns.
Concurrently serving as deputy envoy of Shuofang Jiedu became an opportunity to strengthen Fengzhou's defense.
Following the three thousand troops heading north, there were more than a hundred large leather rafts carrying grain, salt, pig iron, soldiers' armor and other military supplies. More than a dozen fiber-drawing teams shouted slogans and pulled the rafts forward.
.
Lingzhou's shipbuilding technology is still relatively backward and cannot build large ships, so they use rafts to transport supplies. This is also a water transportation tool commonly used by nomads. It is barely possible to sail on the calm Yellow River in the Hetao Plain.
It can be used, but compared to cargo ships, it's still far behind.
The army went all the way north, and five days later arrived at the Zhongtao Plain, which is the top horizontal line of the "Ji" shape of the Yellow River. Here the Yellow River split into two parts, the north and the south. After flowing for hundreds of miles, they merged into one and continued to flow eastward.
, this is Fengzhou in the Tang Dynasty.
Compared with the first time Guo Song came to the Zhongtao Plain more than two years ago, there has been almost no change here. It is desolate, fertile, and inaccessible. However, during the Eastern Han Dynasty, this place was fertile and wild, with large tracts of farmland everywhere, and villages everywhere.
In Hechengjiao, dozens of counties were established here during the Han Dynasty, and nearly one million Han farmers lived here.
In the hundreds of years of the Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, all these were destroyed, and the little prosperity that had only existed since the Sui and Tang Dynasties was completely overturned by the Anshi Rebellion.
At present, there are only two counties left in Fengzhou. One is Jiuyuan County, located in the middle of Fengzhou, on the north bank of the South Yellow River, with a population of more than 10,000 people. The other Feng'an County, located in the east of Fengzhou, has a population of only more than 2,000 people.
The Xueyantuo people also wanted to attack Fengzhou three times, but because Fengzhou's strategic position was far less important than Lingzhou, Xueyantuo Khan changed his plan three times and did not attack Fengzhou. At the same time, Fengzhou narrowly escaped annihilation three times.
, otherwise Jiuyuan County, which is only guarded by hundreds of soldiers, will be nothing but meat on the chopping board in front of the powerful Xue Yantuo cavalry, ready to be slaughtered.
That morning, Guo Song led 3,000 troops to Jiuyuan County. The fierce "chirp" roared in the sky and flew towards the county seat.
There were still several miles away from the county seat, and Guo Song saw the Jiuyuan City Wall from a distance. The wall was not high, only two feet, but it was made of large bluestones. It was a hundred years old and still very strong. Guo Song pointed with his horse whip.
Standing at the city wall, he smiled and asked Li Jidao: "General Li, do you think this county can withstand the attack of the Xueyantuo people?"
Li Ji had no hesitation about Guo Song's question. He shook his head and said: "Frankly speaking, I don't think it can. It's too short. If the Xue Yantuo people attack more, they will capture the city wall within an hour."
Guo Song nodded and said: "So I am considering that the first thing I will do when I take office is to widen and heighten the city wall."
Li Ji was startled, "Do you think the Xue Yantuo people will attack Fengzhou?"
Guo Song laughed and said, "Does General Li really think that it was my fire two years ago that scared the people of Xue Yantuo? They did not dare to go south?"
"I am not so naive. It should be that the imperial court strengthened Shuofang's army, and at the same time the Sijie tribe annexed the Abusi tribe, which made the Xueyantuo people fearful and did not dare to go south easily."
"We dare not attack Lingzhou. What about Fengzhou? It has a population of more than 10,000! If such a big piece of fat is placed here, will Xue Yantuo turn a blind eye?"
Li Ji pondered for a moment and said: "The Xue Yantuo people have not gone south for two years. It is very likely that they will go south again next spring to plunder Fengzhou."
A hint of worry flashed in Guo Song's eyes, and he said slowly: "The autumn is coming, and the horses are getting richer. I'm worried that the Xue Yantuo people will come to kill you this autumn."
Li Ji also knew that Guo Song's worries were not groundless. Nomads usually launch southward invasions in spring and autumn. In fact, autumn is more likely.
Li Ji also became worried, and he quickly said: "Should we be prepared?"
Guo Song nodded, "No matter whether the Xue Yantuo people will come in autumn or not, we must prepare for the worst, take action immediately, and go all out to prepare for war."
"I understand. I will immediately arrange a team to patrol the edge of Fengzhou to inspect the enemy's outposts."
The army arrived in Jiuyuan County. The county magistrate Xie Changzhi, the county magistrate Wang Liao, the county captain Zhang Wenlong and a garrison captain went out of the city to welcome Guo Song. Dozens of elders also went out to greet Guo Song.
Guo Song slowly stopped his horse, and Xie Changzhi quickly stepped forward and bowed to salute, "County Magistrate Xie Changzhi pays homage to Ambassador Guo!"
Guo Song dismounted from his horse, cupped his fists and saluted back: "Thank you to the county magistrate. There is no need to be polite. I have been appointed as the military envoy of the three towns of Shuijian City and the deputy envoy of Shuofang Jiedu according to the imperial decree. Therefore, I plan to place the general's office in Jiuyuan County. Thank you to the county magistrate."
You should know about this!"
"Your Majesty already knows."
"That's good, everyone will return to the city immediately. I have something important to explain to everyone."
Everyone simply saw the ceremony and hurried back to the city with Guo Song. Jiuyuan County has a circumference of more than thirty miles and covers a large area. There is also a large military camp in the county that can accommodate 5,000 soldiers, but
Usually only 500 people are stationed.
Li Jixian took the soldiers to rest in the military camp. Colonel Jiang Ping also wanted to go with him, but was stopped by Guo Song.
"Captain Jiang, I have something important to arrange for you. Please go to the county office to discuss it first!"
"I humbly obey orders!"
Jiang Ping quickly asked his deputy to arrange for the soldiers who had come from afar to rest, while he himself followed Guo Song.
When everyone came to the county government office, Guo Song sat at the head of the lobby. He said to everyone: "I want to ask, are you worried that Xue Yantuo's army will kill Jiuyuan City?"
County magistrate Xie Changzhi said: "We are really worried. The Xueyantuo people have not harassed Lingzhou for two years. We are really worried that the Xueyantuo people will invade Fengzhou next spring."
Guo Song glanced at everyone and asked slowly: "Why aren't Magistrate Xie and everyone here worried that people from Xue Yantuo will come to kill you this year?"