Chapter 193: Can Mobei be conquered?

The strong wind began to blow again, blowing across the mountains and rivers from south to north, pushing the layers of dark clouds to slowly accumulate to the north.

Under the push of the strong wind, thick dark clouds piled up from the horizon to the top of the head, until the entire sky was covered with a dark world. And outside the skyline of this world, there seemed to be a faint sound of thunder.

An early spring rain seems to be about to pour down.

In the strong wind and dark clouds, the camp under Hengshan City was in a state of panic and destruction. Looking down from the sky, one could see that the entire camp had just experienced a fierce battle, with corpses piled together and being burned by people pouring oil.

Outside the pile of corpses, people were constantly carrying corpses towards the raging fire. As corpses were thrown in, the black smoke became thicker. The air was filled with the smell of burning and the faint aroma of meat.

A large flag with the word "Xiao" on it fluttered in the strong wind amidst the black smoke.

The camp that was originally the base of the Lulong Army had been hoisted with a large flag with the word "Xiao" on it after the war.

At this time, teams of cavalry were galloping in and out of the camp, and in the dilapidated camps. The lieutenants in each team of cavalry were responsible for recognizing flags, and their horses' wings were fluttering in the wind, giving people a very oppressive feeling.

The refugees who passed by looked numb, carrying the corpses and hiding on the roadside. Or perhaps, those corpses might have been their relatives when they were alive, but once the war started, those weapons did not distinguish who was whose relative, they just killed them all equally.

However, this was the result after Xiao Yan tried his best to minimize the casualties.

Before he led Ding Badu northward, the Yan army camp under Hengshan City had already been attacked by Yelu Abaoji, and the number of troops reduced was so great that it was almost impossible to count.

In addition, Yelu Abaoji not only abducted a group of people, but also spread the rumor that Xiao Yan had destroyed the Yan army in Youzhou before leaving. Under this rumor, those fort owners who already had ulterior motives or did not dare to face Xiao Yan directly became panic-stricken and wanted to leave.

Although Tian Daocheng continued to lead the Lulong Army to pursue and intercept at that time, the fort owners still tried their best to disperse.

After all, after Hebei was settled last year, Xiao Yan had already sent proclamations to various military states and personally appeased and won over a group of powerful people. It can be said that they signed a gentleman's agreement with each other. At that time, when these people met Xiao Yan in Youzhou, they just kept to themselves and promised everything. But when the news that Xiao Yan had left Hebei was confirmed, many of them could not hold back their ambitions and immediately joined the Yan army to fight for wealth and fame.

Not to mention, many fortress owners did not respond to Xiao Yan's military order last year. At that time, Xiao Yan gave them a chance, but they did not cherish it, and even took chances and disdainfully. Now of course they are afraid that Xiao Yan will settle accounts with them later.

However, only a few of these people really wanted to revive the so-called Great Yan. Nine out of ten people who joined Yan wanted to take advantage of the chaos to gain some wealth. For them, occupying weak fortresses and expanding their own strength was the most fundamental goal.

So when they heard that the Yan army was doomed, they naturally knew that staying in Danzhou would be a dead end.

Regardless of whether Xiao Yan would settle accounts with them later, they knew best what evil things they had done during the Yan army's time. So when Yelu Abaoji shouted, "Xiao Yan will go north soon. If you want to save the Yan army, you must follow the King of Yan out of danger," some of his men followed him.

After the rumor spread thoroughly, many fort owners, concerned about their own lives, were willing to abandon the looted wealth and flee back to their hometowns.

Under such circumstances, Tian Daocheng could only restrain most of the troops, but he could not plug all the loopholes. After all, these people wanted to leave, so they gave up everything and fled with only their trusted members. Without the burden of refugees and civilians, they actually had some fighting power.

Fortunately, Xiao Yan's speed in the north was fast enough, and he almost crushed all the fortress owners and their subordinates who refused to obey. This battle was much faster than the battle under Youzhou City, and it could be said that it was like an autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves. In one hour, the so-called remnants of the Yan army were completely subdued, and he calmly accepted the surrender of the Lulong Army, allowing Tian Daocheng and other generals to stay in office as scapegoats.

However, the Lulong Army had a history of "rebellion", which would naturally be criticized by the Bianliang court, so the Lulong Army was also the first target that Xiao Yan needed to split and reorganize, but this was a matter after the war, and he was not in a hurry. Besides, no one in the land of Hebei could urge him.

In a war, casualties are inevitable. The worst-hit are of course the refugees who were dragged in. Their only wish in this world is to survive, but they are treated as the most worthless things and are dragged around by all kinds of people. They die in a foreign land just for a bite of food.

Fortunately, the war in Hebei will finally stop...

"General Xiao, we have caught another group of Yan bandits in the west. They are a group of people who want to escape to the Jin Kingdom in Hedong. There are about 300 of them, all young and strong. Their leader was killed on the spot, and all his troops have been brought back."

Scouts were constantly coming and going, countless of them entered the big tent, and they started by talking about how many people they had captured, and their morale was very high.

"There is no need to report it later."

In the tent, Xiao Yan stood in front of the map with his hands behind his back and said calmly, "Just count the number of people and hand it over to Zhao the military supervisor. When there are 3,000 escapees, we will transport them south to Youzhou to open up wasteland."

The two bad guys guarding on both sides clasped their fists and walked out of the tent, apparently to inform the scouts below.

On one side, the imperial son-in-law, Zhao Yan, who had been looking like a wooden man, suddenly became tense and woke up from his drowsy state. He laughed dryly and said, "Marshal Xiao, I'll do it..."

"I will feel relieved if I leave this urgent matter to General Zhao." Xiao Yan said casually, "General Zhao is well-versed in history and is appointed by His Majesty. There is no one in the court who can be more loyal than General Zhao. General Zhao is the only one who can help the escaped people."

Zhao Yan opened his mouth, obviously wanting to refuse, but when he glanced again, he saw that the packed tent was just looking at him coldly, and his heart skipped a beat.

These military generals were generals of the Dingba Army such as Yu Zhong, and generals of the Lulong Army such as Tian Daocheng, who turned from a Yan thief into a Daliang general.

Then, there were some warriors that he was completely unfamiliar with, such as a general with a scar on his face, who was very gentle and his movements were unclear. There was also a tall and strong man that Zhao Yan was clearly not familiar with, but he was able to stand in front of the generals with his chest folded, and was in the same line as Yu Zhong.

There were also the Longxiang Army generals such as Wang Yanzhang who had just been rescued from Hengshan City today, who were also in the military discussion. Even Wang Yanzhang's status seemed higher than that of the military supervisor, and he stood directly on Xiao Yan's left hand side.

Dozens of warriors in the big tent looked at him with murderous eyes, which made Zhao Yan, who was used to seeing nobles, feel a little overwhelmed. He did not dare to think about the twists and turns in it. He immediately forced a smile and swallowed his words of refusal. He said: "Since Marshal Xiao has ordered me to do so, I will do my best and not be careless."

Xiao Yan smiled and nodded, saying, "Then I'll have to trouble Military Supervisor Zhao."

Zhao Yan smiled awkwardly, but then rolled his eyes and said, "May I ask Marshal Xiao, since the Yan army has been destroyed, shouldn't we return to Youzhou earlier? I am shouldering the emperor's order. After Marshal Xiao has reorganized the Hebei army, I will return to Bianliang earlier to report Marshal Xiao's unparalleled achievements to Your Majesty..."

"Not urgent."

Xiao Yan said: "Zhao Jianjun also saw that although the Yan army was destroyed, the Yan crown prince Liu Shouwen, his generals Yuan Xingqin, Li Mang and others have not been captured. How can we say that the Yan army was destroyed if these people have not been caught?
Moreover, Zhao Jianjun followed the army northward and saw the situation in Danzhou. Mobei still has evil intentions and colluded with Liu Rengong to take away the Yan thieves. Now we don't know where they are. If I don't restore the ancient Beikou Great Wall and march north to suppress Mobei's arrogance, how can I repay your majesty's grace?"

Zhao Yan was suddenly choked, as if he didn't know how to continue the topic after hearing these two sentences.

But he finally said, "In that case, Marshal Xiao will lead the expedition to the north. I will go back to Bianliang to report my achievements..."

Hearing this, Xiao Yan just frowned and said nothing more.

On his left side, Wang Yanzhang crossed his arms and sneered, saying in a loud voice: "The prince consort is the military supervisor. We are fighting here, how can the military supervisor return to the court first?"

Zhao Yan cursed inwardly.

He knew that Wang Yanzhang began to come to prominence by following Xiao Yan in the northern expedition to Hebei, and was given an official title and a higher rank because of that. Although he had been trapped in Hengshan City with Kang Huaiying for the past few months, he was obviously still Xiao Yan's number one general. This fellow's words clearly represented Xiao Yan's opinion.

This Marshal Xiao still refused to let him go...

He was filled with hatred in his heart, but he just smiled bitterly: "I didn't mean to do that. In fact, I saw the generals dying for Your Majesty in Hebei, and I couldn't help but want to return to the court as soon as possible to report your loyalty and bravery to Your Majesty..." At this time, Xiao Yan finally waved his hand and said, "I will accept the good intentions of General Zhao on behalf of the generals. However, it is not about being quick but being steady to make contributions. When I take back Gubeikou and completely put an end to the disaster in Yandi, General Zhao may as well go back. By then, we will be even more happy and can repay Your Majesty's grace."

After that, he continued without allowing any refusal, "General Zhao has a heavy responsibility. In the future, he will be responsible for guarding the escaped Yan thieves. It is inevitable that he will stay in Tanzhou for a long time, so he should go there early to get familiar with it. Also, General Zhao should go on behalf of His Majesty to express his condolences to Kang Taibao. He has been trapped in Hengshan City for several months. Now he is finally out of danger. It is time for him to meet General Zhao."

Hearing the words "you will have to stay in Danzhou for a long time", Zhao Yan felt a chill down his spine. He raised his head, but before he could say anything else, he saw a general striding towards him and extending his hand towards him.

Feeling helpless, he could only bow and walk out in despair.

The prince consort had figured out that Marshal Xiao not only refused to let him go, but also would not let him hear any of the military discussion.

My God, he was so fucking crazy at the time that he had to take on this crappy job of being a military supervisor!

……

After Zhao Yan left, the atmosphere in the tent began to liven up.

Tian Daocheng suddenly bowed down and said in a deep voice: "I am incompetent and neglected to take precautions, which allowed Liu Yi to abduct Liu Rengong and let him escape with nearly ten thousand troops. This disaster was caused by my wrong decision. Please dismiss me from my position as the commander-in-chief, and punish me!"

However, beside him, a military officer in his thirties also knelt down on both knees, and said with red eyes: "It has nothing to do with General Tian. It was me who failed to defend the camp, which allowed the barbarians to rush in. If General Xiao wants to punish me, just take off my head!"

Behind them, several senior generals of the Lulong Army looked at each other and then bowed down.

The two of them exchanged a few words, and the atmosphere in the big tent suddenly became cold again. Everyone else was also solemn, and it was obvious that they understood how disastrous this mistake was.

At one side, Wang Yanzhang pulled his beard at an inappropriate time and whispered, "I saw it clearly from the top of the city that night. The guy's men suddenly attacked and surrounded us from all sides. They also cooperated very well at night. It was obvious that they were prepared in advance..."

He seemed to be speaking for Tian Daocheng and the other man, but that was all he could say. After all, Liu Rengong was abducted openly in the camp, and he could not wash himself away from this blame.

All the generals were silent. They glanced at Tian Daocheng and others, and then looked at Xiao Yan who was looking at the map with his hands behind his back. Because the latter had his back to them, they could not see his expression clearly.

The tent was silent for a long time. After all, Tian Daocheng was young and had committed a serious crime, so he could not help but kowtow and cry, "I hope General Xiao will not be lenient to me. I am a commoner, but I was favored by General Xiao. I was so proud that I committed such a crime..."

"If you lose someone, just capture him. If you lose the battle, just win it. You are such a good man, are you just going to cry to me?"

At this time, Xiao Yan smiled casually, turned around, first glanced at Tian Daocheng and others, then looked at the generals, and shook his head: "This kind of trivial matter is a disaster of the world. When there is an irresistible disaster in the future, do you think you will immediately draw your swords and commit suicide?"

Tian Daocheng looked stunned and seemed to want to say something but stopped himself.

Xiao Yan just smiled, as if he really didn't regard this as a threat. Instead, he said, "Also, that guy's name is Liu Yi, but he is actually Yelu Abaoji, the King of Mobei. The fact that he caused such a scene is actually a legacy of the trouble I left behind. If I had completely gotten rid of him in Liaodong at that time, perhaps today's incident wouldn't have happened.

However, if I had tried my best to hunt him down, I would not have been able to stop Shuliduo's Mobei Army, and I would not have been able to return in time to defeat Li Cunxu. If I had not succeeded, how could there be any Yan Army, and how could you all be gathered with me? "

He leisurely played with a small flag, smiled, and said, "If you want to hold someone accountable, perhaps it's my responsibility."

The atmosphere in the tent became relaxed, but then became tense again.

Yelu Abaoji...

Many people in the account started their careers in the Battle of Yuyang, and many of them were generals in the Yichang Army at that time. They were very familiar with the King of Mobei who was invited south by Liu Shouwen.

But I didn't expect that this guy was chased to Bohai last year, and only a few hundred people were left out of 20,000 elite troops, but he could actually make a comeback.

"Get up, what are you kneeling for?"

Xiao Yan glanced at Tian Daocheng and the others, then stopped smiling and said calmly, "I know the whole process. Under such circumstances, it was not easy for you to save the defeated army from being taken away by Yelu Abaoji. The collapse of the Yan army could not be saved by any decision. It can only be said that Abaoji was very good at choosing the right time. However, as the commander of an army, you are also to blame. You will be demoted to the commander of a battalion (in charge of 500 people). Those below the rank of Infantry Colonel who strictly guard the main camp will be demoted by three ranks."

After saying that, he looked at the two generals who seemed unfamiliar to Zhao Yan just now, namely the warrior with scars on his face and the big man standing in the same row with Yu Zhong.

"Li Mang is appointed as the commander of the infantry of the Lulong Army, and Yuan Xingqin is appointed as the commander of the Lulong Army."

The two who were supposed to be fleeing with Liu Shouwen, the Crown Prince of Yan, clasped their fists together and said in unison, "I obey your command."

As for Tian Daocheng and others, they knew that Xiao Yan was letting him go easily, and although they were demoted by three ranks, they were still mid-level officers, and it would not be difficult for them to be promoted back after making meritorious contributions. Moreover, Tian Daocheng felt that Xiao Yan wanted him to go down to the lower ranks to hone his skills.

Thinking of this, they all bowed and said, "Thank you, General Xiao."

Xiao Yan's expression remained unchanged as he said, "The turmoil in Yan was caused by me, so I should bear all the consequences. Since you risked your lives to follow me, I should also keep my word.

Even if the sky falls, I will hold it up. You just need to obey orders bravely. It's just one defeat, how can it be considered a defeat? Under my command, I am never afraid of defeat. If I lose, I will fight again. If I lose again, I will fight again! Until I win, a great victory!
You just need to believe that as long as you don't spare my life, why should I be stingy with my wealth and honor?"

At this moment, everyone's faces suddenly turned red.

With these words, there was no young man who was only nineteen years old, no rouge reviewer who was famous in the Central Plains, and no so-called jester or treacherous minister.

The only one is Xiao Shuai, who makes people willing to risk their lives for him!
The only one is General Xiao who is willing to die for him!
Xiao Yan swept his eyes around all the generals, suddenly smiled coldly, and then heavily inserted the small flag in his hand into the map behind him.

"Since Yelu Abaoji has invited me to a fight, why not follow his request and march north to the northern desert?

Everyone, can this battle help us to conquer Mobei? "

Everyone looked up and saw that the flag was planted at the three words at the northernmost point of the map:

Xilou Town.

The place where the Mobei Royal Court is located.

Everyone's eyes turned red, and all the generals gnashed their teeth and roared.

"For General Xiao, we will defeat Mobei!"

(End of this chapter)