Hou Xuanyan came out of Yang Zhan's mansion, and the Duke of Shu's family couldn't close their mouths with a smile, and sent the emperor back to the palace.

Seeing that the sun was just dusk, Hou Xuanyan tilted his head and thought of who was going to have dinner, when he suddenly saw a familiar figure in front of him.

When Zhang Huangyan of Chaozhu led a skinny horse and passed by at the gate of the Guogong Mansion, the ribs on the horse's body could be seen.

This is really a strange thing, although Hou Xuanyan is drunk, he also knows that there is no problem with his eyes.

He rubbed his eyes and asked, "Qin He, is that person Zhang Huangyan?" ”

"Your Majesty, it is the scholar Zhang Huangyan."

Although Hou Xuanyan felt a little strange, he didn't ask, watched Zhang Huangyan lead the horse away, looked at the west and said: "It's still early, go to Wu Yi's mansion to have a look, I have a goodbye to him, and I haven't drunk together." ”

Qin He hesitated, but still persuaded stubbornly: "Your Majesty, don't you go back to the palace?" ”

"Noise! Wu Yi and I are both kings and ministers, and we are like brothers, and he returned to Beijing from overseas barbarian lands to govern Manchuria for me for so long, how could I not go to visit. ”

Qin He had no choice but to lead the way in front, but fortunately, there were hidden guards on both sides of the road.

After walking a few steps, just turned an intersection, at the door of a leather store, Hou Xuanyan saw Zhang Huangyan leading a thin horse again.

Zhang Huangyan said in an ordinary blue shirt, wearing a square scarf with his hair tucked up, hanging his sleeves, the old horse slowly followed him without traction, and the dignified cabinet scholar looked more like a down-and-out middle-aged scribe at this time.

Hou Xuanyan's curiosity couldn't be suppressed, Zhang Huangyan in front walked slowly and leisurely, and Hou Xuanyan stepped forward quickly and patted his shoulder.

Zhang Huangyan looked back, pretending to be shocked, and couldn't reveal his identity, and said in a low voice: "Ah, why did Your Majesty leave the palace, I can't pay full salutes on the street of Weichen." ”

Hou Xuanyan pouted and said: "Don't come to this set, let me ask you, the amount I set for you is not a lot of money, right?" ”

The voices of the two men were very quiet, and the dignified emperor and the cabinet scholar were like two thieves discussing how to steal in the street.

"Your Majesty's mercy and generosity are unmatched by anyone in ancient times."

"Then why are you leading an old horse, and you are still thin like this, I don't know if you think I don't give you a fortune, the dignified old man goes to the street like this, isn't it to let people with a heart gossip about the court, what kind of system!"

Zhang Huangyan was overjoyed in his heart, and said secretly: Finally waited for you to ask.

He suddenly raised his voice, raised his head and raised his chest: "Hou Gongzi doesn't know, this horse is extremely strong, and he likes to ride very much. He patted his mane and said, 'Good horse, run well, I'll feed you good fodder three times a day.' And guess what? Hey, I just don't feed it, I don't give it a single grass to eat, and over time it becomes like this. Therefore, the horse fell to this step of the field, not because he was old and sick and could not run, but because he did not believe in his words. ”

When Zhang Huangyan said the words without believing it, he patted his chest and gave a tall thumb, with a proud face.

The surrounding onlookers pointed and covered their mouths and snickered.

Hou Xuanyan's face turned red and his snort was heavy, which was clearly insinuating that he had promised him that he had not done it.

It seems that this weak old horse, I don't know where he got it, deliberately came to disgust himself.

Hou Xuanyan returned to the palace angrily, without any interest, and finally sighed and smiled bitterly: "If you want to fight so much, let him go, and the province will make some moths to disgust people." ”

That night, when Zhang Huangyan was drinking a little wine at home, the holy decree arrived.

The little eunuch who proclaimed the decree was majestic and high-spirited, raised his head with his chest straight, and read in a haughty tone:

"Fengtian carried the emperor, and the edict said: I only rule the world with literature, and fight chaos with force. And the military commander will be the pillar of the imperial court and the dry city of the country. Today, there is a university scholar Zhang Huangyan who can be both civil and military, and he can repay his achievements without praising him.

Qin gave Zhang Huangyan to hang the seal of the dragon and tiger general for the Chinese army in the front of the imperial barracks, and led 100,000 soldiers and horses from the four mansions of Yingtian to go to Mobei to fight the rebellion. Since ancient times, the snake has no head, Jingbei has Xiangxi Marquis, Shu Guogong two roads of soldiers and horses, the generals are outside regardless of the name, Xia Wanchun should be the chief general of the three armies, the secretary leads the troops to help, it is advisable to listen to the order, not to be specialized.

Mobei is surrounded by enemies, and I hope that all the ministers will raise troops to fight against Kou, report triumphant songs as soon as possible, and do not lose hope.

Chin this..."

Zhang Huangyan received the order to thank him, his heart was excited, and he told his family to pack up and prepare to enter the palace tomorrow to bid farewell to the saint and set off with the army.

Early the next morning, Hou Xuanyan sent Yang Zhan and Zhang Huangyan out of the Jinling Imperial City, and they were about to go to a battlefield that Hou Xuanyan had never been to.

Since the Northern Expedition, Hou Xuan has personally done all kinds of battles, and finally it is time to command in the capital, which is a manifestation of the revival of the rotten official rule at the end of the Ming Dynasty.

At this time, on the front line of the Jingbei Army, rows of spears, the iconic weapons of the Cossacks, were tied to their heads.

This has become a scene after every war, and the Rakshasas hate it so much that they can't do it, they really can't beat it...

The suppression of firearms and the restraint of formations made the pikes a joke, but the Cossacks did not have the wisdom to change their tactics in a hurry.

Tubazov had put away his arrogance and arrogance, and began to climb the stone town in the steppe, trying to defend the Jingbei army, which was constantly increasing.

Xia Wanchun also had his own worries, he didn't dare to go deeper, he was waiting for the arrival of reinforcements, the imperial court had already sent a decree, there would be two armies to support.

Compared to the threat of the Cossack cavalry, Xia Wanchun was more worried about another thing, which was the coming winter.

According to the Mongol soldiers in the Jingbei army, Wulianghai is a man-eating hell in winter, and no livestock or people can get out of its blizzard alive, while winter in Mobei will come very early.

It is obviously impossible to fight the Rakshasas before winter, and these people rely on the vastness of the grassland, and it is very convenient for them to escape.

In this grassland where the Jingbei Army was stationed, looking further north, it was dark and miserable all day long.

Xia Wanchun glanced up, his eyes were full of melancholy, and he turned his head and said, "Gather all the generals and come to my big tent." ”

In the Jingbei Army, most of the middle and upper generals were Han Chinese, and after a few battles, they had already had some contempt for the notorious Cossack cavalry. This will inevitably happen, and no one will have much respect for their own defeated men.

Xia Wanchun glanced around, took in the expressions of these people, coughed lightly and said: "Everyone, the cold winter is coming, I intend to temporarily retreat south to train the newly recruited soldiers and horses. ”

The jaws of the generals in the tent were about to fall in shock, and they looked at each other, only to be sure that they had not heard Xiangxihou's words just now.

"Ahem." Xia Wanchun made a sound.

"Mobei is not as good as the Central Plains, it is meaningless to fight for every inch of land here, and people and animals cannot survive in many places in Wulianghai. When winter comes, we simply won't be equipped to fight here. Instead of a stalemate with the Rakshasas here, it is better to retreat to Wuliang Mansion. The newly recruited soldiers and horses of the Mongol tribes did not know how to use formations and firearms; And the Han people from Shaanxi and Gansu have still to be improved in their riding skills. When the weather warms up in the spring of next year, we will lead the trained elite soldiers to come, and we will be able to defeat the enemy chieftains in one fell swoop. ”

The generals exchanged heads, some of them agreed, and some of them shook their heads.

To the south of the Great Wall, there was no precedent for retreating so far because of the weather and the city. For a while, some of these people couldn't accept it.

With a bang, Xia Wanchun slammed his fist on the table, and after everyone quieted down, he said: "This matter is settled, there is no need to discuss it anymore, go back and prepare!" ”

Although Xia Wanchun is young, his qualifications are there, and since he has made a decision, no one dares to disobey the military order, and he has got up and withdrawn from the big tent.