On the vast snowy plains, there were no birds and few beasts.
In this snowy weather, there was a group of people trudging with difficulty.
The cold wind blew fine snowflakes in their faces, making it difficult to open their eyes. The weather was too cold. After walking for a while, their leather robes would be frozen stiff. When they knocked on it, it would make a "ding" sound, like a leather drum.
The horses were covered with a layer of white sweat. The hooves of the horses stepped on the thick snow and moved very slowly. In such weather, Yang Fan rode on the horse and, like the guards, strode forward against the wind and snow.
"Erlang, come in and warm yourself!"
Shen Mu poked his head out of the warm carriage. He was really afraid of the cold. There were four charcoal stoves in the carriage, making it warm inside.
Yang Fan shook his head and said loudly to him, "I was born in Nanyang and have never experienced such cold. This is good. It will toughen your bones and make your body stronger."
Shen Mu still wanted to speak, but as soon as he opened his mouth, he choked on a mouthful of snow. Shen Mu shivered and quickly retreated back into the carriage. He put down the thick curtains. Yang Fan smiled slightly and straightened his back even more.
His face, neck, and hands were smeared with a layer of marmot oil. This thing was really good for anti-freezing. He had not experienced much of the cold in the north, but he knew that this kind of cold was very effective in training the body and will. Especially for a martial artist like him, practicing breathing in such a raging snowstorm would undoubtedly improve his martial arts. He regarded this as another challenge for himself, just like when he struggled with the undulating waves in Nanyang.
In the distance, a small black dot appeared. That black dot moved very quickly. In the blink of an eye, it turned into a large snow plow. Shen Mu's troop also had snow plows, but they were pulled by horses. It was just that by using the snow and ice, they could more easily pull heavy objects forward. Because the entire troop moved slowly, they did not need a dog to pull the plow. As for the snowplow that was rushing over, there were more than ten of the most outstanding snow hounds. Once the snowplow was pulled, it was as fast as a flying arrow.
Yang Fan didn't pay too much attention to it. It wasn't the first time he had seen this kind of snow plow along the way. Apart from Shen Mu, there was no one else who could ride a snow plow in such a snowy weather and travel back and forth in the snowy region.
Sure enough, the snow plow drove all the way to Shen Mu's car without any obstructions. Soon, a secret letter was sent into the car. The carriage continued to move forward, and the sled followed the large group of people. The hound that pulled the sled took the opportunity to rest.
After half an hour, Shen Mu opened the curtain and shouted to Yang Fan, "Erlang, come in for a moment!"
Yang Fan thought that he was inviting him into the carriage to warm up again. Just as he was about to refuse, he suddenly saw Shen Mu's cold expression. His heart couldn't help but be moved. He turned over and got off the horse. He handed the reins to the kosher chickens beside him and jumped into the carriage.
Yang Fan opened the door and went into the carriage. The cold wind whistled in, causing the charcoal stove to burst into flames half a foot high. When the door was closed, the flames fell against the wind, causing Shen Mu's face to darken again.
When there was wind, the thick curtains were put down, so the carriage was very dark. Now there was a light on. The light was placed on the table, and the bottom was firmly fixed to the chopping board to prevent the carriage from bumping.
Shen Mu gently pushed a letter in front of Yang Fan and said in a deep voice, "Something happened!"
…
After reading the letter, Yang Fan gently put it back on the table. Shen Mu took it and threw it into the charcoal stove. The fire lit up, illuminating their faces.
Yang Fan asked, "Is the situation serious?"
Shen Mu said, "Qiu Shenji went to Longyou this time with the mission of understanding the geography, military, military, people's situation, etc. That day, he happened to read the information of a few important border cities, and these information were taken away by the two Turkic scouts who escaped."
Yang Fan frowned, "So what?"
Shen Mu did not answer. Instead, he turned around and gently pulled at the corner of the wall. With a crack, a wooden board fell and landed on the soft carpet like a guillotine. A map appeared on the wall. Yang Fan took a few glances and recognized that it was a map of the North, Longyou, and Hexi regions.
"Here, here, and here …"
Shen Mu pointed to five to six locations along the way and said, "These few locations are crucial to our defense against the Turkic Khaganate. Relying on the dangerous terrain, the Turkic Khaganate can only attack from these locations if they wish to attack Hexi and Longyou. If any of these locations were to fall into their hands, it would be equivalent to opening a door for them and our country would be forced into a passive position."
Yang Fan looked at the places that Shen Mu pointed at. Amidst the rolling deserts and high mountains, the few cities that can communicate with the Turks and Hexi and Longyou are scattered in the three military districts.
Shen Mu said, "In such weather, it is not easy to mobilize the troops. Moreover, before we can determine the direction of the enemy's attack, we will not be able to replenish the troops in these places. Once the Turks grasp the situation of these places, they can choose a place to attack and occupy, and their troops will be able to charge through these openings. "
Yang Fan slightly frowned and said, "If the garrison here needs to divide some troops to defend against the Turks, we will have to transfer troops from the court."
Shen Mu agreed, "That's right! But it will take a long time to transfer troops from the Central Plains and most of them are foot soldiers. In this kind of weather, who knows how long it will take for them to arrive. By the time they arrive, these places will already be in ruins. We may be able to drive them back and retake these places, but this will cause many problems. "
Yang Fan said, "Firstly, it will naturally be the destruction of these areas and the expense of the expedition."
Shen Mu nodded and said, "Secondly, Wu Mei has just ascended to the throne. If she wants to send troops, she will definitely place great importance on the generals under the Wu Clan. The military power will probably fall into the hands of Wu Sansi or Wu Chengsi. For the time being, it is not important whose hands the military power falls into. As long as the generals are good at fighting and dare to fight, it will be fine as long as they can drive the Turks back. But in the long run, it will be detrimental to the fate of our court! "
Yang Fan nodded. He naturally understood the meaning behind Shen Mu's words. If Wu Chengsi or the generals under Wu Sansi's tutelage were in control of the military, they would also spare no effort to repel the Turks. However, this military power was in their hands. While the wolf outside had been chased away, the family had raised a tiger, causing endless troubles in the future.
Yang Fan thought for a while and said, "There must be a third reason?"
Shen Mu nodded lightly and worriedly said, "I am afraid that the Turks will not miss this golden opportunity. Once this opening is opened, when the Central Plains soldiers are transferred over, the Turks will be driven back and the situation here will be settled. This is not something that can be achieved in two to three months.
By that time, it will be spring and the flowers will be blooming. When the Turks receive the news, whether it is because they fell into Wuzhile's trap or because of the chaos in the West River of Longyou, they will not miss this golden opportunity. If they interfere, this war will not end within a year and the conflict between the King and Prime Minister of the Turks will inevitably be stirred up.
In this process, if either the Tubo King or Great Minister Trinling managed to seize control of the expeditionary army and win a major victory, they would have enough capital to suppress the other side, and thus they would be able to easily overwhelm the other side.
Alternatively, the Prime Minister Trinling will turn the King into a puppet; or the King will completely strip Trinling of his military power and use peaceful means to resolve the internal conflict. If they can unify the power of the King and Prime Minister without any losses, it will be even more difficult to deal with them in the future. "
Hearing this, Yang Fan could not help but feel a headache coming on. He could not help but ask, "Brother Shen, do you have any good ideas?"
Shen Mu was silent for a while and faintly said, "Do you think I am the current Emperor of Great Zhou? Even if I am the Emperor of Great Zhou, I will not be able to do anything unless I am given a troop that can fall from the sky. "
Yang Fan could not help but fall silent after hearing this.
Shen Mu sighed and said, "Lou Shide is indeed a veteran general who has been guarding the borders. He has already done his best to make up for it. First, inform the key passes to use ice and snow to strengthen the city's defenses. Second, inform the garrison generals of Hexi and Shuofang to transfer as much troops as possible to the front passes. Third, send someone back to Luojing and report this matter to the empress.
If the empress can make early preparations, she will be able to transfer troops faster if a war breaks out here. Other than this, he has no other method. These things cannot be left unprepared, and once they are prepared, they cannot be hidden from the eyes of those who are observant. Thus, it is impossible for him to play the 'Empty City Stratagem' to mislead us. "
Dispirited, Shen Mu leaned back against the couch and whispered, "When we return to Luoyang, we should first submit the secret military report on Longyou. As for supporting the Ten Western Turkic Khaganate, we can also talk to the empress about it. There is always a benefit and a drawback, so there is even more need to support them. However, don't mention sending troops to recapture the Four Garrisons of Anxi. If we delay this matter, who knows how many more years it will take, and the longer it takes, the more difficult it will be …"
As he rode on his horse, Yang Fan felt like there was a fire burning in his heart. This series of unforeseen events had filled him with an indescribable anger, but he did not know who he should vent this anger on. The wind and snow blew against his face, but he could no longer feel the cold. He only hoped that the wind and snow would get stronger so that the anger weighing down on his heart could be somewhat alleviated.
After Shen Mu finished writing the letter, the man in the leather robe received the letter and was about to board the dog sled to leave. Suddenly, Yang Fan thought of something and shouted, "Stop right there!"
The man turned his head in surprise. His head was also wrapped up, revealing only his eyes.
Yang Fan dismounted and said to the man, "Wait a moment, I still have something to say to your master!"
Yang Fan boarded the carriage and opened the door, allowing the frigid wind to pour into the carriage.
Yang Fan did not close the door. Standing in front of the four charcoal stoves that were still spitting flames, Yang Fan loudly said to Shen Mu, "The result of this contest of strength might not be something we can decide! But can we add a variable to it? "
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