The first month has passed, and Yumen Pass is still full of goose feather snow, and the ground is covered with snow.

The winters here are extraordinarily long and unusually cold.

In the 100-mile barracks, what the soldiers must do every morning and evening is to clear the snow. There is a small mountain in the northwest direction of Yumen Pass, with a radius of only more than 20 miles, and it is about to be cut into a bald mountain, and the trees on the mountain are all used to chop firewood for heating.

Rao so, the training of the army did not end for a day.

After a month of hard training, the quality of the army of more than 100,000 people has undoubtedly gone up a notch.

Twenty days ago, after a series of soft and hard measures, open and dark coercion, the Tibetan general Gar? Siyuduo, finally surrendered. The more than 28,000 Tibetan cavalry captured with him, including more than 6,000 Kunlun iron cavalry, also surrendered in despair.

Qin Mubai did not hesitate to incorporate these fierce Tubo cavalry into his own Qinxunyi Mansion, and Xue Rengui was the general in charge of commanding them. Originally, Qin Mubai brought 20,000 cavalry from Shanzhou, plus the 10,000 Western Expeditionary Army brought back by Xue Rengui, the number was only more than 30,000. As soon as he came to Yumen Pass, Qin Mubai used thunder to swallow 20,000 cavalry of Gaochang's troops. In half a month, these mercenaries, who were originally not loyal and affectionate to Gao Changguo, were completely assimilated by the Tang Army and became Qin Mubai's descendants.

Now that the Tibetan troops have joined, they are absolutely impeccable in terms of actual combat ability. Among them, the Kunlun Iron Cavalry, in terms of individual combat ability, is no worse than the elite of the Western Expeditionary Army under Xue Rengui. It's just that the identities of these people are more sensitive, and whether they can completely surrender their hearts is also a test for Qin Mubai.

In the future, we will definitely have to fight the Tibetan army in front of the battle. If one of them rebels or mutinies, it will be fatal - Qin Mubai thought about this problem for a long time, and finally found a solution!

The solution is actually very simple - go to the bone and cramp, and let the group of dragons have no leader!

First of all, Qin Mubai's surrender to General Gar? Sidor was quite polite, which made him a little flattered. After stabilizing him, persuade (rather than order and send) him to go to Chang'an to meet the emperor, who will confer a knighthood and an official title. Siduoyu was actually not stupid, he also knew that Qin Mubai wanted to get him away and then attack his army, but now he had no capital to bargain with Qin Mubai, so he had to get into the carriage to Chang'an with the Gao Chang general Li Wensheng and the brothers. Accompanied by a team of soldiers and two of Qin Mubai's henchmen, carrying Qin Mubai's recital of the emperor.

Qin Mubai expected that if nothing happened to these three people in Chang'an, they would neither be beheaded, nor would they have the opportunity to turn over and lead the army to fight. Previously, when the Tang Dynasty destroyed the northern Turkic state, their Khan Jieli and many large and small leaders and generals were all in Chang'an, and many people died in Chang'an, and their children and descendants were still rooted here and became a part of the people of the Tang Dynasty.

The Tang Dynasty's tolerant and kind treatment of generals and prisoners of war is more than 10,000 times stronger than the strict military law of Tubo - Siduo is the reason why he surrendered.

The strictness of the military law in Tibet is famous all over the world. After such a big defeat, even if he is more than a wealthy nobleman, he is also the general of the country, and even if his father is the prime minister and his brother is the marshal, he is good this time, he will be cut down and demoted, and there will be no more future, if his luck is worse, it is possible to be buried alive in a deep well with these captives!

In this way, it is better to be able to stay in Chang'an and enjoy some wealth and tranquility than to return to the plateau and be slaughtered. Out of such a mentality, it is not surprising that Siduo, who is an enemy of life and death, will surrender with the Tibetan cavalry.

After uprooting Siduo and this "soul figure", the remaining 20,000 people were easy to clean up. Qin Mubai ordered people to carefully investigate the "political background" of the generals of the Tubo army. All the high-ranking generals who were born in the wealthy nobles of Tubo were all transferred away and did not stay in this army. Anyway, Qin Mubai is the general manager of the march of the Guanxi Road, and there are dozens of military and military offices under the jurisdiction of the Lanzhou Metropolitan Governor's Mansion, and he has the right to transfer any military government and any position at the same level.

Within a few days, Qin Mubai transferred more than 60 Tubo nobles to the military offices of various prefectures and counties in Lanzhou to serve as captains, brigade commanders and other military attachés. In this kind of place, these people are lonely and have no power in their hands, and even if they have different ambitions, they can't make trouble.

As a result, the remaining soldiers of the Tibetan army were basically all poor slaves and herdsmen, who were just puppets and war machines who were tended to be enslaved and enslaved. Such a person has no ambition and obeys his fate, and his greatest wish before was nothing more than to live a little longer, to win battles and get some rewards, so that life can be a little better.

Qin Mubai felt that it was already easy to co-opt such a person. A principle, just be kind. The Tang Dynasty is the rule of Wang Daoren and filial piety, and it is a hundred times stronger than the tyranny of Tubo, and it can capture the hearts of the people even more. Therefore, Qin Mubai is also sure that given time, these people will not regret breaking away from Tibet and becoming a "Tang people".

Not the other way around. It was even more difficult for the Tubo people to recruit the Tang army. Because Tubo does not have the convincing heritage and charm of the Tang Dynasty! ——In Chang'an City, more than 100,000 foreigners from other countries are striving to obtain permanent residence qualifications and are proud to be a Tang Dynasty, which is the best proof of this.

If it is said that the previous incorporation of Gaochang troops was to eat alive, then the recruitment of Tubo troops was a lot of painstaking and slow swallowing. However, the rewards are also quite substantial. The troops of Tubo are far stronger than the combat effectiveness of the Gaochang soldiers and horses, and the military quality is higher, and they are even stronger than the Hui Iron Cavalry!

Qin Mubai's pro-Xun troops expanded from 30,000 to 80,000 within a month! Moreover, it is all elite cavalry!

Under the jurisdiction of the Guanxi Provincial Front Military Region, there were originally two main Wang divisions of the imperial court, and the generals were Qin Shubao and Xue Wanche. In this way, the two great generals have been killed, and the establishment of the two guards and horses has actually existed in name only. Since these 80,000 people are not the "guard rate" of the official establishment of the imperial court, but only Qin Mubai's pro-Xunyi Mansion, its establishment is relatively small. Xue Rengui served as the "Yifu Zhonglang General" to directly lead them. In terms of official position, this Zhonglang will only be from the fourth grade; But in fact, this small Yi Mansion has more people than one of the main guards of the imperial court!

Qin Mubai is called "Young Marshal", but the position he holds as the "Grand Commander of the Guanxi Road March" is temporary. When the battle is over, it will be canceled. The original position of the Metropolitan Governor of Lanzhou was also temporarily taken over by Li Daozong - so Qin Mubai actually had no real position, and only the post of loose official remained!

Many people are talking about it, and it's time for the imperial court to give Qin Mubai the title of "Great General". The twelve guards and horses of the Tang Dynasty, one guard and one three-grade general, that is the real symbol of the head of the military. With Qin Mubai's merits and fame today, which general can compare?

The implication is that it is time for Qin Mubai to "enter the prime minister" and get involved in the political center of the imperial court!

Qin Mubai chatted with Xue Rengui and Su Dingfang after eating, and talked about it. Xue Rengui said that even my official certificate has been written on "General Weiwei from the third grade", and Mu Bai is not a general, which is really beyond words. Su Dingfang also agreed, saying that the Kansai Army had won successive battles, and the imperial court was rewarded for meritorious deeds, and it was time for Mu Bai to be awarded the rank of general and knight.

Qin Mubai's heart was like a mirror, and he smiled and said to them, "Look at it, the imperial court will definitely not award me a general, how much reward I will give." ”

Xue Rengui and Su Dingfang naturally didn't believe it, this was too unbelievable. Qin Mubai only said, "We'll see."

The aftermath remained, and the next day the court's reward decree came. In fact, this holy decree had been issued from Chang'an two months ago, but because the road was long and the road was closed by heavy snow, the poor envoy walked for a full fifty or sixty days before reaching Yumen Pass.

As Qin Mubai expected, the imperial court only granted Qin Mubai the second-class title of "Marquis of Lantian", and there were only two hundred poor households. It is more than the "spiritual civilization consolation prize" given after going to Chang'an, and it will not be less than this number. There are a lot of rewards, 300 taels of gold, 5,000 yuan, 12 royal treasures of the South China Sea, and 200 high-grade Sichuan brocades.

The holy decree did not mention the actual official who gave Qin Mubai the title of general, and there was not even a general from the third rank like Xue Rengui. In addition, the honorable officer who marked the merit was actually just a mediocre "General Yunlu". Although Qin Mubai took over the position of "Anxi Dadu Protector" from his deceased father Qin Shubao, but now that he is out of Yumen Pass, not an inch of land actually belongs to Datang, and the "Anxi Dadu Protector" is still in the hands of others!

All the soldiers were upset about Qin Mubai, but Qin Mubai was not angry at all, and accepted the reward with peace of mind.

"Distribute this money and silk silk to all the brothers in the army - even if each person can only get a few copper plates and a few inches of silk silk, that is also my Qin someone's heart!" As soon as Qin Mubaihaikou opened, he spent money like dirt!

All the soldiers were delighted. Although everyone received a small amount of things, what made them happy was that the Lord would not take merit or be greedy for money, and would be able to live and die with all the soldiers and share wealth and prosperity. In fact, ordinary sergeants have no ambitions, and many of them are soldiers to support their families and make ends meet. When you go to the battlefield and pin your head to your waist and play with others, isn't it a real benefit? Seeing the officers hiding behind without risk, and getting promoted and making a fortune after the battle, it is easy for the soldiers to feel unbalanced.

Otherwise, how could there be a general like Xue Rengui who takes the lead in the military and can convince the public? In the same way, those who can equally divide the merits and rewards of their own achievements among their soldiers are the ones who can win the hearts and minds of the people.

Comparing hearts to hearts, not everyone will willingly squander the money in their pockets and give it to others for nothing. Qin Mubai's generous loss of borrowing flowers to offer Buddha won him a large number of people's hearts. The cohesion of this new army, which has just been reorganized, has been unprecedentedly strengthened.

Xue Rengui and Su Dingfang were puzzled, and asked why he was so at ease that the reward given by the imperial court was so small and seriously inconsistent with Qin Mubai's merits?

"Could it be that you have truly cultivated to the realm of 'treating fame, fortune, and money as things outside your body'?" The two had to ask.

Qin Mubai smiled and said, "If I had reached that realm, I would have been here for a long time, and I would definitely have become a monk and cultivate immortals." Is it really fun to lead troops to war? This is hard work, and it is hard to stay in the barracks without fighting, how can there be comfort in Chang'an? Qin never flaunts elegance, wine and wealth, but I like everything. ”

Su Dingfang pondered for a while and said, "Looking at your situation, it seems that you have a tacit understanding with His Majesty the Emperor?" Now that he has not rewarded you, does that mean that it is not yet time to reward you for meritorious deeds? In other words, this battle will continue for a long time; Ahead, there is a bigger battle? ”

"That's it." Qin Mubai smiled and said, "We can always give Your Majesty and the imperial court a little room for 'rewards', right?" Now I've won two battles and made some contributions, but if I get the end of the reward, what if I win another battle in the future? - Don't talk about this, let's use the soldiers with peace of mind! If you think too much about this, you will easily suffer from gains and losses, and be burdened by false fame! ”

"That makes sense!" The two agreed.

"The imperial court asked me to take over my father's position as the 'protector of the capital of Anxi', which means that the imperial court has not given up on the Western Regions." Qin Mubai said, "Not to mention anything else, there are still big problems in Tubo that have not been solved." Solved the Tibetan and Western Regions. Do the math, how much more work is left behind this? ”

"Having said that, I'm really a little worried about the interior of Lanzhou now." Su Dingfang said, "The heavy snow has not stopped, and this year's Hexi Longyou is colder than in previous years, with a lot of rain and snow." Heavy snow closed the road, and the transportation of grain and grass was difficult, and even the news was blocked. It has been more than a month since Mu Bai led the army to aid Yumen Pass, and there is still no battle situation in Dafeichuan. After the defeat of the Garqinling, he will definitely not give up, I wonder what kind of actions he will make? I don't know what the situation is over there for Hou Junji? ”

"Calculating the time, the reward envoy of the imperial court set off from Shanzhou more than 30 days ago, and only arrived at Yumen Pass yesterday, which is indeed a difficult journey." Qin Mubai pondered for a while and said, "If there is news from Dafeichuan, it should be there recently." Now in the middle of winter, it is not conducive to our army's battle, and the number of troops is scarce, and the food and grass are scarce, so I sent Hou Junji to guard Dafeichuan, and let him defend the attack on behalf of the army to contain the Garqin Mausoleum. If Hou Junji is cautious enough, with his ability, there shouldn't be much of a problem. ”

Su Dingfang was silent for a moment and said, "But Hou Junji has never been too cautious. ”