Chapter 37 Refusal to Give

If it were someone else, they would definitely advise Li Xuan to think twice.

But Ashina Fuwen wouldn't.

He had long disliked the Gao Lanzhou cavalry.

Li Xuan's decision caused the Gaolanzhou cavalry to panic.

Horses are the lifeblood of the cavalry. Without their war horses, they would be too ashamed to return to Lanzhou. This would be an insult to them.

"The Gaolan Prefecture Governor's Office is not under the jurisdiction of the Feng'an Army, but the general has detained our war horses. Where in history has there been such an example?"

Hun Xuan didn't dare to go back, he gritted his teeth and said to Li Xuan.

"You have lost your horses, but at most you will lose face. The court will still provide for you. But how will the herdsmen survive if they lose their livestock?"

Li Xuan retorted: "You are not worthy of riding on a horse."

Hun Xuan clenched his fists when he heard what Li Xuan said.

If the situation had not been stronger than the person, Hun Xuan would definitely have fought with Li Xuan like a warrior.

"I will report this to the governor. I'll see you in the court of the governor!"

Hun Xuan was helpless and could only leave in anger.

"I hope you will report it truthfully."

Looking at Hun Xuan's back, Li Xuan reminded him word by word.

A thousand soldiers from the Gaolan Prefecture Military Governor's Office crossed the river from Guandu, ten miles away.

Ashina Fuwen led the cavalry to supervise.

"General, your kindness and righteousness are even greater than that of the local officials! Please accept our humble greetings."

On the other side, the village head was leading the herdsmen to pay homage to Li Xuan.

"You are too kind to me, elder. Border troops are responsible for protecting border residents. The deaths of herdsmen have brought shame to us."

Li Xuan did not dare to accept the responsibility and quickly helped Lao Li Zheng up.

"To express our gratitude to the general for saving us from the tiger's mouth, we herdsmen would like to give 500 sheep to the Feng'an Army as a gift. Please accept it."

It's no harm for their family to provide a few sheep.

There were dozens of horses, all carrying the bodies of Tang soldiers. They saw it all.

"Thank you for the kindness of the elders and fellow villagers. The sheep are the hard work of the herdsmen. Each family has only a few dozen sheep. Soldiers are defending their country and are just doing what they should do. I won't take them. Please stop talking."

Li Xuan rejected the old headman on the spot and said.

He knew the nature of the border troops. Not only did they receive military pay, but every time they went to battle, they would ask the surrounding herdsmen to prepare "cattle and sheep" for their enjoyment.

It would be fine if the herders were willing, but many things will always go from good to bad.

The Gaolanzhou cavalry robbed openly. Wasn't it because they were used to it and thought they would not be punished?

Strict military discipline is one of Li Xuan’s goals in managing the army.

"This……"

Lao Li was puzzled. No matter what, he could not have expected Li Xuan to refuse so decisively.

He really couldn't understand this young general.

But Li Xuan's power made the village head dare not mention the matter again. He had already made up his mind.

"Elder, it is no longer convenient to graze west of the Yellow River. Move east of the Yellow River as soon as possible. Although the grass there is not as lush as in the west, it is enough to keep thousands of horses, cattle and sheep."

Li Xuan did not forget to remind the old man solemnly.

The house here has been burned down, so we just settled down in the new place.

This is not Lingwu, and there is no Helan Mountain as a barrier.

The Turkic Duolu tribe suffered heavy losses, and there is no guarantee that they will not send light cavalry to kill people to vent their anger.

"The people of Cao Min have discussed with other herdsmen and are about to cross the Yellow River and resettle on the other side."

Lao Lizheng said helplessly.

When they looked at each other across the river, they could not help but feel sad. Just when Li Xuan was comforting the herdsmen, Feng'an Army envoy Lu Yu came to the pasture on horseback.

Li Xuan thought Lu Yu was coming to greet him on his triumphant return, but as soon as they met, Lu Yu started to scold him: "How could you seize the horses of the Gaolanzhou cavalry and shoot and injure the Gaolanzhou knights? This is a taboo in the army. Do you think that as the son of the prime minister, you can do whatever you want?"

After learning what Li Xuan had done, Lu Yu rushed over immediately.

What he cared more about was that Li Xuan acted without his consent.

Do you take him as your commander seriously?
"General, the Gaolanzhou cavalry robbed the herdsmen, which is outrageous. If you were at the scene, you would have done the same. It's just that the situation was urgent and I was unable to report to you in time."

Although Li Xuan was scolded, he still explained to Lu Yu calmly.

"After all, the Gaolanzhou Cavalry is here to help our Feng'an Army."

Lu Yu knew about this.

Isn't it normal for the herdsmen on the border to reward the soldiers who go out to fight?
Without the soldiers who fought bravely, how could they graze?
He was angry that Ashina Fuwen told him that the Gaolanzhou cavalry were demanding cattle and sheep.

As the commander-in-chief, could he agree to it openly?

Under normal circumstances, as long as Li Xuan and Ashina Fuwen gave a slight hint or put pressure on them, the herdsmen would offer some of their cattle and sheep as rewards to the troops.

Even if Chen Huiguang were here, it would be the same!
"General, you are wrong. The Gaolanzhou Cavalry is not helping our Feng'an Army. It is their duty as Tang soldiers. They are the ones who made the mistake. Please report to Marshal Wang and punish the Gaolanzhou Cavalry."

Li Xuan pretended to be ignorant even though he knew the truth, and looked very serious.

A benchmark is set in my heart and will never change in two lifetimes.

"Li Xuan, you are just my general. It is not up to you to decide what to do."

When Lu Yu saw Li Xuan teaching him how to do something, he shouted at him harshly.

"One of the duties of a general is to persuade the commander to do the right thing. The general was once a scholar, so he should know more about morality than me. In ancient times, Gugong Tanfu once said that the monarch was established to protect the people, so the people came to him. The saints of today are like the wise monarchs of ancient times. We, the soldiers of the Heavenly Dynasty, should protect the saints' reputations, not tarnish their wisdom."

Li Xuan bowed and explained to Lu Yu slowly and steadily.

Li Longji cared very much about the people's evaluation of him.

Although Li Longji is sometimes cruel and ruthless and sometimes absurd, he has been very good to the people from the Kaiyuan period to today.

That’s why the Guangyuntan event was welcomed by the people.

"you……"

Li Xuan was the emperor as soon as he opened his mouth. The key point was that Li Xuan could really hand the memorial to the emperor.

How could he object?

Not wanting to say anything more to Li Xuan, Lu Yu could only leave in anger.

He finally saw how powerful Li Xuan was.

Not only did he lead 500 cavalrymen, but he also defeated the invading 1,000 Turkic cavalrymen at a very small cost.

He also has a decisive and eloquent side.

Whether in terms of military strength or wisdom, it was far more powerful than he knew.

He and Li Xuan arrived at the office almost one after the other. After this battle, Li Xuan's prestige in the Feng'an army might surpass his.

Just as Li Xuan was leaving the ranch and preparing to return to the military city, Ashina Fuwen reported to Li Xuan: "General, the herdsmen will slaughter 500 sheep to comfort our Feng'an Army."

"Village head, how could you do this?" Li Xuan immediately went to see the village head.

He wanted to scold him, but when he saw this honest old man, he swallowed his words and spoke more tactfully.

"General, we were born and raised by the Yellow River, and we saw that most officers and soldiers were like the Yellow River. In the 13th year of Kaiyuan, I witnessed with my own eyes that the water of the Yellow River was clear, and I will never forget it. You are just like you were then, clear! Broad! And virtuous! The folks have no way to repay you, so we have to resort to this desperate measure. Now the sheep have been slaughtered, and we can't eat them all, so we can only give them to the Feng'an Army."

Lao Li was holding Li Xuan's hand and speaking emotionally.

"Even so, I cannot accept such rhetoric."

Sheep were very expensive in that era, and one sheep could be exchanged for 500 kilograms of rice.

The price of rice has increased compared to the Kaiyuan period, but it is still ten cents per pound.

Li Longji rewarded Li Shizhi with a lot of gold, which Li Xuan carried with him. He decided to exchange the gold for money and buy these sheep.

That's almost enough!
(End of this chapter)