Old Man Pi and the others said that they would set off in three days, but they only waited for two and a half days before they arrived. They seemed to have chosen the most difficult road in Yizhou. General Guo Tu waited by the river and asked Zhang Zhong to go out.
Zhang Zhong was still discussing with Fang Sima how to make the local people live a better life when he was informed to receive the imperial edict. The person who announced the imperial edict was Old Man Yao. He didn't put on any airs and didn't need to set up an incense table. He handed the imperial edict to Zhang Zhong and said,
"Yongcheng, this is the imperial edict. Take a look. Go out and meet General Guo. Then you can come back and continue your work. If you need to transfer Chang Pingcang, you can go to Yizhou Prefecture to get it. Remember to write it into a memorial and send it to the capital."
The meaning in his words was very clear. That was, Zhang Zhong, you should still be the provincial governor in Wing Prefecture. Don't you need to worry about the logistics. Don't you want to take care of the local people's lives? If you don't have anything, go to Yizhou to get it. You can decide how much to take. Just let me know.
Hearing Old Man Yao's words, Zhang Zhong opened the imperial edict in confusion. The more he read, the more shocked he was. Didn't they say that Yizhou was not easy to manage and that's why he was transferred here? Why was there a war in the blink of an eye? Logistics? Grain officer? Without any preparation, where would the grain come from?
Old Man Yao and the others saw Zhang Zhong's expression and were very satisfied. It meant that the two masters of the Zhang family didn't tell Zhang Zhong. Even Xiao Bao and Cuckoo didn't tell. They did a good job of keeping secrets. It was good that father and son could do this.
They didn't know that Zhang Xiaobao didn't tell his family because he didn't want them to worry. Besides, it was useless even if he told them. The responsibility fell on him and Wang Juan. There was no need to worry.
After being excited for a while, Zhang Zhong rolled up the imperial edict and calmed down. He nodded and said, "Zhang Zhong accepts the imperial edict. I'll go to see General Guo now."
After that, Zhang Zhong turned back to change his clothes. In fact, he just wanted to ask his son and daughter-in-law what was going on. War was not child's play. If something were to happen, they would not be able to bear the consequences.
Zhang Zhong's reaction made the three old men even more convinced that the two masters of the Zhang family were Zhang Zhong's backbone. Otherwise, how could he be so calm?
When Zhang Zhong found his son and daughter-in-law, the two of them had just finished writing a plan. Wang Juan had written about the grain deposit, and Zhang Xiaobao had written about the local governance.
"Xiao Bao, do you know about this imperial edict?" Zhang Zhong was very angry. As soon as he entered and saw the two people, he asked Zhang Xiaobao with a sullen face, "Xiao Bao, do you know about this imperial edict?"
"I know, but Grandpa Bi didn't allow me to say it. Besides, it's useless even if I did. Do you think I can just not come just because I want to? Father, you don't have to worry about this, it's all been arranged. I have a plan for economic development here, take a look. Me and Juan won't be able to be with our family for a while, we have to go to the front. Father, you just have to do as I say, don't worry about anything happening. "
The moment Zhang Xiaobao saw the imperial edict, he knew that it was time to leave. He and Wang Juan had to go. Otherwise, in the situation where there was no communication, the situation on the battlefield was unpredictable. It was easy for something to go wrong. He handed the plan to his father.
With a bang, Zhang Zhong angrily slapped the plan to the ground. He pointed at Zhang Xiaobao and said, "You, you, you didn't even discuss such an important matter with us. You, you want to anger me to death? Do you think it's enough to spend money on war? Is it as easy as governing? You let me … You, sigh! "
As Zhang Zhong spoke, he suddenly sighed. He realized that the result was the same whether his son and daughter-in-law told him or not. The emperor asked them to come here to do something. How could they not come? Even if the two families knew about it in advance, what could they do? In the end, the responsibility fell on his son and daughter-in-law.
As a result, his son picked up the plan. Zhang Zhong frowned and asked, "My son, you just stay in Yingzhou and command. Can't you not go? Swords and spears have no eyes. "
Zhang Xiaobao shook his head and said, "Father, how can I command if I don't go? This time, only 15,000 soldiers will be dispatched. They are divided into 15 reinforced battalions. Five battalions will be dispatched from Jiannan Circuit, and the other ten battalions will be dispatched from Shannan West Circuit. There are too few people. It must be a sudden attack. If they win, everything will be fine. If they lose, if there is even a little bit of logistical problem, they will have to bear the responsibility.
Not to mention that the emperor wants his subjects to die, even as a member of the Tang Empire, we have to fight. The people of Wangjiang are still waiting for us. This is a matter of the people's hearts and dignity. If you don't fight back after being bullied, they will bully you next time.
Besides, Cuckoo and I are only in charge of logistics. We won't go to the front to fight, nor will we leave the border. The furthest we can go is to the border to find a safe place to hide. Who will target two children? "
When Zhang Xiaobao said this, he was very grateful for this era. Not to mention the martial arts, even the literati respected martial arts. Living in this era was much more comfortable. There was no such thing as being bullied and not daring to fight back. If you kill one of my people, I will slaughter your village. Otherwise, how could Korea and Japan be my subjects?
Zhang Zhong was also excited by his son's words. He usually practiced swordsmanship and archery. When he thought that his son and daughter-in-law would not rush to the front, he was relieved.
"My son, since this is the case, then go. Remember, be very careful. Bring the members of the Zero Team. I will also train the other members of the Seedling Protection Team. If there is a shortage of people, you can make up for it. Remember to bring more people from the Inner Yard. I will wait for you to avenge the people of Wangjiang."
Zhang Zhong suppressed the reluctance in his heart and patted his son's shoulder.
At this moment, Zhang Xiaobao suddenly felt an inexplicable sense of excitement. It was just like when he had lost someone he could rely on to find his own path. He was not afraid, but filled with confidence and anticipation for the future.
*****
Zhang Zhong changed his clothes and brought his son and daughter-in-law to meet Guo Tu by the river. The team was not small. There were 56 members of the Seedling Protection Team, 30 people from the Inner Yard, 200 guards borrowed from Li Xun, and other idlers. It took them more than two hours to meet General Guo Tu.
Zhang Zhong was nominally the person in charge of this matter. Naturally, he was the one to talk to Guo Tu. Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan accompanied him.
Guo Tu looked to be in his forties. His beard was not short, from his cheeks to his ears. He did not look like a scholarly general in Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan's imagination. He spoke straightforwardly and did not show any respect to Zhang Zhong. It sounded like he was constantly questioning Zhang Zhong, asking if he had prepared the provisions.
Zhang Zhong did not get angry with the other party. He answered briefly, and the meeting was over. Guo Tu arrogantly led the team and left hurriedly.
The team began to return, but Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan stayed behind with a group of people. They looked at the departing team, called out to them, and followed behind.
*****
"I don't understand. Why did they send people from the Shannan West Circuit instead of those from the Jiannan West Circuit? They might not be familiar with the climate here."
Zhang Xiaobao muttered as he rode on the mule.
"They have too much money to burn, so they can train the soldiers. It's naturally easier for the border troops here, but it's also impossible for the soldiers in other places not to train. I reckon that Li Longji is planning to go big this time. Speaking of which, we are also responsible for this. Who asked us to govern this place so well, especially when we gave away so many technologies for the people's livelihood?
If it weren't for those technologies, Li Longji would still be worrying about the lives of the people. Now, he can relax. Any person in power will have thoughts of expansion when they know that the economy can develop. "
Wang Juan was also riding on a mule. She was biting on an unripe apple in her hand. It was bitter and astringent, but she still enjoyed eating it. She also answered Zhang Xiaobao's questions while she was at it.
Zhang Xiaobao nodded. "That's about right. Who cares what he thinks, we'll just live our lives. Luckily, I made preparations in advance. There are indeed many horses. Is the terrain suitable for riding horses? I don't know what they're thinking, but the distance from here to Jinchuan City in Jinshui is about 150 to 160 kilometers, right?
Let's see how they're going to get there in ten days. From the map, there's a small mountain there. It's the most difficult snow mountain to climb back then. Do you think they can just go around it? "
"It'll be fine when they get to Jinchuan. There's a big river there and a flat plain. It's suitable for cavalry to attack. If it were me, I would let the light infantry go first. The cavalry at the back would be responsible for transporting the armor. The infantry's mission is to kill every village they see. Even if they don't kill, they have to lock them up.
Once the cavalry went around the mountain and caught up with the infantry in front, the cavalry would split up. One group would go north and then east across the Ruo River to harass the reinforcements that might appear in the northwest. The other group would go down, ignoring the surrounding villages, and force their way into Danba City to feign an attack.
A group of infantry would also follow behind the Danba cavalry to create momentum. Each person would raise a stove and change the group flag to the formation flag, driving the people to Jinchuan City. The rest of the infantry would split into a battalion to form a formation in the north and south. The main force would move slightly north to the shore of the Ruo River. They would set up camp, secretly cut firewood, and sail day and night, diagonally facing Jinchuan City.
The cavalry at the front would go around the city to block the reinforcements coming from the west. They would lead the people into the city, encircle but not attack, wasting the provisions of Jinchuan. They would wait for the enemy to move troops from all sides to encircle and suppress them. In the northwest, the light cavalry would go south and point their swords at Jinchuan. When they cross the river at Jinchuan, they would retreat. The cavalry in the west would take a detour and cross the river together with them.
Feigning an attack on Danba, the infantry would cross the river and flee to the west. They would try to lure Danba to send troops to form an encirclement with the soldiers of Jinchuan City and the enemy.
At that time, the battalion that drove the people away would quickly regroup and retreat to the border. The cavalry and the camping troops would go down the Ruo River and attack Danba. After that, they would retreat from Chengdu and place the troops on the west side of Danba. They would either succeed in converging with the troops attacking Danba, or … "
Wang Juan couldn't go to the front line to command. She could only talk about strategy on paper. As she talked, she didn't say anything in the end. That meant that the other troops had given up.
Zhang Xiaobao didn't know about this kind of military matters. When he heard Wang Juan's words, he sighed and said, "It's really based on Jun Mo's words. A general's success is built on the bones of thousands of people. I don't know about war, but according to what you said, it's better to equip the cavalry that feigned an attack on Danba with two or three horses.
When the infantrymen converged, the horses would be distributed to the infantrymen. After that, the infantrymen would finish luring the enemy and attack Danba. A small number of them would row boats to the south and wait for a while. Those who have horses would use the speed to go around the river and cross the river to the south. Maybe a few more of them would come back. "
"Let's not talk about this anymore. It's not like I'm the one leading the troops. The situation on the battlefield is constantly changing. No one can grasp it so well, especially when we don't know the information of the enemy's generals. If Danba sees an opportunity and doesn't make a move, then all of our arrangements would be ruined.
Or maybe the general of Jinchuan is a simple-minded person. When he sees the enemy coming to attack, he clearly doesn't know how many troops the enemy has and leads the troops to cross the river and attack the main camp of the infantrymen. This will also disrupt the plan. "
After Wang Juan finished explaining her battle plan, she felt comfortable in her heart. She swayed on the mule and followed the troops forward slowly. Even if she wanted to go fast, she couldn't.
*****
The next day, at noon, the sky became gloomy. The local people who were familiar with the weather knew that it was going to rain. If it didn't rain, it would probably stop at night. It would let the humid and hot weather cool down for a few days.
Riding on the horse, Guo Tu raised his head and looked at the sky. His face also became gloomy. If it really rained, not to mention reaching Jinchuan in ten days, they wouldn't even be able to reach Pengzhou. They would still have to travel through Jiannan Province with difficulty. Every day they delayed would make it easier for Tubo to discover them.
"Great General, why don't we let the lightly armed infantrymen go first and watch over the local villages. After that, we can burn the fields and let Tubo fall into chaos for a while."
Liu Jun was also worried. He rode to the side and suggested.
Weiwei shook Guo Tu's head. "No, if the infantrymen go first, the cavalry will be even slower if they help to transport the goods. Perhaps by the time we reach Jinchuan, Tubo will have already arranged their troops and are waiting for us to attack. At that time, the advantage of the cavalry will be used.
Moreover, although we said that we are going to launch a sneak attack, we don't really plan to launch a sneak attack. With fifteen thousand people, even if we can't take down Jinchuan, we will be able to make Tubo not dare to make any big moves. When the time comes, we will seize the land and harvest the food. Let's see how Tubo will deal with it. Will the soldiers of our dynasty not be able to wield their sabers?
What this general is worried about is whether the provisions can keep up. If the army is everywhere and the provisions are not delivered within five days, this general will definitely not spare Zhang Zhong. Send out an order to the entire army to increase their speed. Take advantage of the time before it rains and make it out of the rainy area. "
"As you command." Liu Jun also knew that if the infantrymen were to advance, it would be easy for Tubo to discover them in advance. If they really listened to him and something happened, he wouldn't be able to bear the responsibility. Thus, he could only follow orders.
*****
"Xiao Bao, it is going to rain. This is really a bad start. I hope that our arrangements will be effective. I am puzzled. How did you know that it would rain?"
Wang Juan, who had also noticed the change in the weather, didn't sit on her mule anymore. She ran over to Zhang Xiaobao's mule and sat in front of Zhang Xiaobao. This way, when it rained, they wouldn't have to worry about the front and back getting wet. With a large umbrella, the two of them could lean on each other for warmth.
Zhang Xiaobao hugged Wang Juan and took a few deep breaths. After he felt a little more comfortable, he said, "How would I know that it would rain today? I only know that it often rains in Sichuan. There are many mountains here, and when the hot air flows over, it will encounter the cold air flow of the mountains at high altitudes. In addition to the effect of the mountains, it is very easy for it to form rain.
It is also good that it is raining. It will let Guo Tu see what logistics is. This time, we have paid a lot of money, and I don't think Li Longji will be able to return it to us. Maybe he will just give us some policies. I am thinking about what policies we should ask for when the time comes. Policies are better than giving money directly. "
"I think so too. The imperial court won't be able to take out so much money to return it. What kind of policies do we need? Something that reduces taxes? That's not good. We should pay the taxes. If we don't, the country will be short of money. It would be best if it is related to the tea and horse trade. I remember that there was a person who was three years older than me in the courtyard where my family used to live. He made a lot of money by getting a customs clearance from his father.
When he got a customs clearance, other people would partner with him to do business. They would split the profits 50-50. At that time, other people also advised me to ask my family for money to repair the roads. But I don't like to make money. Why don't we also have a road repair policy? "
Wang Juan was the person who understood the benefits of a policy the most. With a policy, there would be a lot of money.
How could Zhang Xiaobao agree to such a policy? He said, "No, definitely not. Even if you give it to me for free, I don't want it. We might even have to fork out the money to repair the roads. Who are we going to earn from then? There are no tolls to be collected. It would be best if we could get a decree that allows free trade at the borders. Both on land and in the sea are fine. "
*****
The rain finally fell from the sky. Guo Tu's team couldn't get out of the rain area. Not to mention that people and horses were walking on bad roads, even if a sports car was driving on the highway, they wouldn't be able to avoid the rain. The range of the rain was too large.
Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan's team put on their raincoats and umbrellas. Even the mules were covered with a layer of oil cloth. They continued to move forward in the wind and rain. Their speed was even faster than the army in front of them.
Of course, the fighting ability of the team led by the two people was much better than the army in front of them. Although there were less than 300 people, it was not a problem for them to deal with the army in front of them.
"Quick, quick, faster. Find a place to take shelter from the rain." Guo Tu's beard was completely soaked by the rain, and his armor was also soaked. He wiped his face with his hand and shouted.
There was no need for him to say more. The 15,000 people also tried their best to hurry on, hoping to find a comfortable place to rest. At least they had to set up their tents. In such a narrow place, they couldn't even set up a tent. There was a mountain next to them, and the water kept rushing down.
After an hour, the path soaked by the rain became even more difficult to walk on.
Just when Guo Tu didn't know where to vent his anger, a flat area finally appeared in front of them. A tent had already been set up there. There was a fire in the tent, and when the wind blew, they could smell the aroma of food.
Guo Tu picked up his binoculars and looked around. He said to Xiao Ling, who was next to him, "Let's go and see what's going on."
Xiao Ling nodded and hurriedly ran forward. Before he reached the place, someone came out to meet him. He stood in the middle of the road and also looked in their direction with a pair of binoculars.
"Ah? Clairvoyance? What's up ahead? How come there's also a clairvoyance? Who leaked it? " Guo Tu looked at the person in front of him through the curtain of rain. This time, he didn't feel uncomfortable, but angry. Could just anyone have a clairvoyance? There were marks in the army, and whoever had one would be recorded in a book.
If everyone had one, how could other countries not have one? This thing was a precious treasure.
Perhaps the person standing in the middle of the road also considered the issue of identity. He took out a flag, put away the binoculars, and pulled the flag open with both hands so that the people in the group could see it.
At this time, the people in front of the group had already stopped and looked at this person warily.
Guo Tu tried hard to look at that person's flag. He raised his eyebrows and asked, "Who knows what that flag is? It's drawn in a way that's neither human nor ghost. Looking at it vaguely, it looks like … a rice sprout? "
When the army officer heard this, he remembered something. He moved closer and said, "General, are you sure it's a rice sprout? Isn't it a very interesting rice sprout with big eyes and thin arms? "
"Yes!" Guo Tu nodded in response.
The army officer was relieved and said, "General, that's the flag of the Zhang family. It's the special flag of the family of Governor Zhang Zhong, who is in charge of logistics. It's Between the Clouds and the Water."
"Oh! I see. But what's his family doing here? "As soon as Guo Tu heard" Between the Clouds and the Water ", he knew who it was. He was even more puzzled.
At this time, Xiao Ling was near the people in front of the group. After talking for a while, he ran back happily.
"General, General, good news, very good news. This is the resting place that the logistics camp of Yizhou prepared for us. They set up a shelter from the rain and cooked meat porridge. They told us to rest there. He said that there's also medicine. I'm afraid we'll get sick."
Xiao Ling excitedly reported to Guo Tu.
Guo Tu was immediately stunned. The army officer next to him called out twice before he recovered. He said in disbelief, "What? The logistics camp? How did they go to the front and set up a shelter? Let's go and have a look. "
Guo Tu wasn't the only one who was surprised. The other generals and soldiers were also surprised by what they saw. It was the first time they heard that the people in charge of escorting provisions were in charge of this kind of thing.
When the group in front of the army entered the shelter, Guo Tu found the person in charge here.
"General Guo, this way, please. There's tea and snacks here. General Guo, you've worked hard," the person in charge here said respectfully to Guo Tu.
Guo Tu felt that he was scolding people. If he had worked hard, what were the people here? Since when did the logistics team become so crazy? Yes, it was usually said that before the troops and horses moved, the provisions would move first. But it was just a saying. He had never seen it before. Today, he had learned something new.
The people in charge of logistics ran to the front of the army and set up a shelter and porridge. If all the people in charge of logistics had this kind of ability, who would be the main force?
Thinking of this, Guo Tu had to ask. If he didn't ask, he would feel that there was one more thing in his heart. At this time, he regretted his attitude towards Zhang Zhong in Yizhou. He thought that Zhang Zhong, a civil official, couldn't do anything. Now he understood. Looking at the shelter, it was clear that it could be used to attack and retreat. It was actually set up in a marching formation.
This was in the territory of the Tang Empire. He didn't even send out scouts. If the other party could set up such a formation, it meant that they were used to it. It wasn't deliberate at all. Could it be that the Zhang family had been in the army for generations?
"How did you get here?" Guo Tu asked.
"Replying to the general, we came here in advance. The main family said that there would be a lot of rain in early autumn. In order not to delay the army's journey, we set up the shelter in advance. When it rains, we set it up. When it rains, we set it up. When it rains, we set it up. When it rains, we set it up.
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