In August 889 AD, the central corps of the Tiance Army defeated more than 200,000 Jin army iron cavalry led by Li Keyong personally under the command of generals such as Xu Tianxiang and Yang Tiancheng.

After receiving Xu Tianxiang's report on the battle situation, Cen Tianshi and others in the Chang'an base camp rushed to Hezhong Mansion with the receiving personnel and the baggage troops of the logistics department to join Xu Tianxiang and others.

"Tiancheng, have your loss reports been counted?" After Xu Tianxiang took Cen Tianshi to the city, he met with Yang Tiancheng and others, and when he saw that he was making a summary of the battle situation, he immediately asked.

Yang Tiancheng nodded and said with a wry smile: "It's done, but I'm afraid that the lord will strangle us when he sees the report, although we have a big camp in this battle, the loss is too great." The cavalry lost nearly 10,000 people, the infantry brigade lost about 20,000 people, the heavy cavalry battalion suffered the greatest loss, half of the horses were scrapped, and in addition to more than 5,000 people killed in battle, more than 10,000 were seriously wounded and more than 10,000 were lightly wounded. More than 50,000 people were almost half scrapped. In the short term, it will be difficult for the heavy cavalry battalion to fight again. ”

Yang Tiancheng's words made the others present gasp, and nearly 50,000 people were lost in this battle, accounting for almost one-third of the number of participants in this battle. Although Cen Tianshi and others were civilian officials, they could also feel the fierceness of this battle and the strong combat power of the Jin army from this heavy number.

Several people sighed and looked at each other, Xu Tianxiang said: "Let the logistics department bring the seriously injured back to Chang'an for recuperation, and the lightly wounded stay in Hezhong Mansion, the two places must send enough doctors to save the lives of these brothers as much as possible, they are the witnesses of our Tiance Army's continuous victory." After a pause, he said: "Let the recruit department immediately replenish the recruits of the battle-damaged troops and adjust the combat strength, we must take advantage of this time to completely take the remaining Jiangzhou and other places in the river to consolidate the existing results." ”

Yang Tiancheng nodded and said: "Don't worry, I have already sent an order to Zhang Cheng, and the soldiers from the five recruit training bases in Chang'an and other places will be transferred over as soon as possible to supplement the main force." ”

Seeing that Yang Tiancheng had prepared in advance, Xu Tianxiang didn't want to mention these things again, the battlefield battle, casualties were inevitable, if it was because of fear of sacrifice, then the Tiance army would not be able to go today. So he changed the topic and said: "I heard that Tiancheng and the Department of Education are preparing to jointly establish a medical school, I don't know if there are any results?" The field hospital that the lord said doesn't know when it will be equipped. ”

Cen Tianshi didn't know what he meant, and said with a smile: "The first batch of students is about to leave the school, I heard that the results are not bad, and eighty percent will be sent to your logistics department at that time, and the rest will join the hospitals and medical centers under our Ministry of Civil Affairs, which is always okay." ”

Cen Tianshi's words made the others laugh, and they were all secretly laughing at the fact that it was actually quite fun for the chief of staff and the chief of civil affairs to fight. Finally waited for everyone to calm down, a few people found a table to sit down, Cen Tianshi said: "The area in the river is not large, after several wars, the people's livelihood has withered, the population is scarce, and many of them are still Shatuo people, so it is a bit difficult to govern." ”

Xu Tianxiang and the others have been in the river for more than two months, and they know more about the current situation in the river than Cen Tianshi, and sighed when they heard this: "This world has experienced this century-old chaos, and I don't know how many people have died. We're fast enough, but I still don't think we're doing enough for the people. ”

"Tianxiang, don't think too much, if it weren't for the rise of the lord out of thin air, Datang would probably have to experience a hundred years of chaos." Cen Tianshi smiled slightly: "The lord said that after Hedong and other places are taken, the population will be screened according to the land planting situation in various places, so that people can live according to the place." The Ministry of Civil Affairs has introduced policies to encourage childbirth. ”

"Then our military department will also make persistent efforts, Tianyi, the remaining Jiangzhou and other places will be handed over to you, form a new corps by drawing troops from other corps, under your unified command, capture Jiangzhou and other places within a time limit, and the rest of the troops will cooperate with the Ministry of Civil Affairs to receive officials stationed in various places, and be sure to stabilize the river in the shortest possible time. As a mobile corps, the cavalry corps was stationed in Hazhong Province to support the main prince and the northern front battlefield at any time. Xu Tianxiang smiled when he saw Cen Tian.

However, his words made everyone ask, "Where is the lord now?" ”

"The latest news came from Xuan Yingwei, and the lord and his own guard battalion have gone north from Taiyuan Mansion. When we fought in the river, the lord was in Taiyuan Mansion, but tens of thousands of people actually mobilized the Jin army in the entire Hedong region, making a mess of them. He also fought with Li Cunjin in the Taihang Mountain area, and almost collapsed Li Cunjin. Now it is estimated that it has reached the Daishu area. Yang Tiancheng said with a smile: "Let's not worry about the lord, he probably wants to solve An Xiuxiu and others as soon as possible, and re-erect a new core for the Shatuo people, so that we can manage the people of Shatuo after the war." ”

Cen Tianshi nodded and smiled: "The lord thinks far-reaching, I can't wait." Tianxiang, Hezhong Mansion is the largest city in Hezhong, and it is also the center of Hezhong's development in the future. ”

After the battle in the river here, when he continued to attack Jiangzhou while receiving it, Li Xuanqing's men and horses also defeated Li Cunjin outside the city of Taiyuan Mansion and began to set off towards Daizhou.

"Lord, our north to Daizhou is bound to pass through Xinzhou, this Xinzhou is not good." Hu Xiaosi frowned while letting the war horse follow the large army forward, and studied the map for a long time: "Xinzhou is a fulcrum connecting Taiyuan and the northern towns, the terrain is dangerous, easy to defend and difficult to attack, we have 20,000 or 30,000 people just like this, there is really no way." Xuan Yingwei failed to open up the situation in Xinzhou in the early stage, so it was too difficult for us to break through. ”

Li Xuanqing frowned when he heard this, and said in a deep voice: "Then bypass Xinzhou, let's not go to Daizhou, go directly to Shengzhou from here, and inform Chen Fan to prepare to send troops to the north to occupy the East Surrender City, so that we can have an advance base to go out of Youbei, and we will take the initiative strategically." ”

"What does the lord mean to clean up the Zhenwu army?" Hu Xiaosi pointed to the geographical location of the Eastern Surrender City and nodded: "Yes, so that we can enter a solid base that can be attacked, retreated and defended on the northern front." ”

"Tell Feixue to speed up, let's change direction and go to the East Surrender City." Li Xuanqing shook his whip and sped up.

Here, when Li Xuanqing changed direction and headed towards the Hetao, Chen Fan of the Northern Front also received a report on the battle situation of the Battle in the River, and immediately summoned the generals to prepare to study the strategy of the Northern Front.

"Dashuai, Tiancheng and they fought well, this is almost the main force that defeated Li Keyong in a battle, are we a little moved?" Tuoba Siji looked at the battle report that came over, and said eagerly: "Our army on the northern front is not inferior to the southern front in any way, and it cannot be compared. ”

His words made Liu Baoliang and the others around laugh, to be honest, so many people have been concentrated on the northern front for two months without any movement, and they have long been in a hurry, how can they sit still when they see the results of the southern front at this time?

Chen Fan didn't answer, but walked to the map and pointed to the front set area to the east of him and said with a smile: "Who said we didn't move?" If you take the city of Dongshou, you can directly connect with Daizhou, with the idea of resting in peace, we can directly go to the front line into the hinterland of Youzhou almost without a fraction, haven't you thought about such a record? ”

Hou Yong, who returned from the western front, nodded and said: "What the marshal said is right, our northern front now has two complete cavalry corps, a mixed corps, an infantry corps, plus the grassland cavalry battalion and artillery battalion and other troops, it can be said that it is both offensive and defensive. It can be said that our troops on the northern front are still insufficient, at least not enough infantry. ”

As soon as Hou Yong's words were finished, the others immediately laughed, and Liu Baoliang said with a smile: "Hou Yong, this has greatly increased my knowledge after a trip to the Western Front, and what I am talking about is the head, I think that if the northern front is handed over to you to lead the cavalry to intercept the Khitans." ”

"There is an urgent military situation from the Xuanying Guard." While a few people were talking and laughing, there was a report from the guards outside the door, and then a person hurriedly walked in and handed Chen Fan a love report: "The military order from the lord from Bingzhou." ”

"Where is the lord now?" Chen Fan suddenly stood up and said, "What is the situation now?" ”

"Report to the general, the lord has gone north from Bingzhou, and ordered the northern front group army to send troops within five days, and join the lord in the eastern surrender city, and completely take the Qiantao area." After saying this, the herald of the Xuanying Guard bowed and retreated.

Chen Fan quickly glanced at the intelligence report in his hand: "The lord has turned the interior of the country upside down, and now the whole army has gone to the East Surrender City, let's prepare immediately." General Tuoba, your legion will go east as the vanguard of our group army three days later, and then Hou Yong will lead the army to guard the two flanks of the army, and the rest of the horses will follow the commander. The northern route is not as good as the southern route, and now it is September, and we only have more than a month to two months at most, and when the heavy snow comes, there will be no time to conquer the city. It's important to stabilize the area before the heavy snow arrives and prepare for the coming year. Obviously, Chen Fan had realized Li Xuanqing's strategic intentions and began to arrange them calmly.

Several generals who were named bowed down to receive orders and went out to prepare, while auxiliary units such as the logistics department that followed the operation of the army began preparations early in the morning and began preparations immediately after receiving the military orders. The party prepared for the march almost without any disguise.

The army of the northern front was dispatched, and the Zhenwu army along the way had no way to stop it, and the remaining generals of the Zhenwu army in the surrendered city after Zhou Dewei and other generals were transferred out could not cope with the edge of the army of more than 100,000 at all, and the artillery battalion attacked the city all the way, opened the way with a strong explosive package, and successfully took the northern towns such as the surrendered city of the middle and the surrendered city, and arrived at the surrendered city in the east.

As soon as the army arrived, Li Feixue, who was hiding outside the Dongshou City and preparing to go alone, waited for Tuoba Siji and Hou Yong with a depressed face: "Your speed is too fast, right?" I'm still thinking about smearing and entering the city tonight? Okay now, all the credit is yours, is it easy for our guard battalion to travel thousands of miles and cross through the territory used by Li Ke? ”

The resentment in Li Feixue's words made Hou Yong and Tuoba Siji laugh, and the latter said, "What about the lord? ”

"And Xiao Si muttered in the back as if he was studying the city defense of the East Surrender City, Xiao Si was going to blow up the city wall, and was scolded by the lord, saying that this city wall has any historical and cultural relics value, and it should be kept. What do you think this earthen wall is worth? Li Feixue pouted and said: "I have already asked someone to inform me, but the lord seems to have said that this generation has a lot of mineral resources, and he is going to send someone to notify the director of the Department of Industry and Commerce Murong to open a mine and build a factory." Before he finished speaking, the soldiers behind him suddenly saluted in unison, but it was Li Xuanqing who came.

"You're here? It's fast. If you don't come again, Xiao Si and Feixue will really send someone to blow up the city wall with explosives bags. Li Xuanqing smiled slightly: "Is General Tuoba's infantry battalion here?" ”

"The Lord has arrived, and he is ready to be dispatched by the Lord at any time." Tuobas bowed.

"Okay, let's not act today, I'll talk about it tomorrow, Feixue, it's rumored that the army will join forces and set up camp, and we'll have a banquet later to reward everyone." Li Xuanqing said with a smile.

After these orders, the meeting of the two armies was completed. The northern route strategy can be regarded as officially launched. Li Keyong was unable to send reinforcements to the Qiantao area at this time, and although the main force of the Zhenwu Army was concentrated in the Dongshou Surrender City, everyone did not pay attention to the vassal troops of the Jin Army.

At this time, Yang Tiancheng and others on the southern line have also swept all the places in the river, Jiangzhou and other places were successfully taken by Li Tianyi, and the Ministry of Civil Affairs gradually returned to normal under the joint efforts of Cen Tianshi and the Tuoba Sizhi who arrived later. Helping people live.

On September 15, 889, Xu Tianxiang and Cen Tianshi jointly wrote an official document and sent it to Li Xuanqing, the eastern surrender city, the content was very simple, but it made Li Xuanqing let go of his scruples about the southern route - the bottom of the river.

However, everything always happens inadvertently, and at this time, the Xuanying Guard Central Plains Branch sent an emergency information in triplicate to the base camp. This information also gave a surprise to the Tiance Army and Li Keyong and other princes who were fighting for hegemony in the north.

Zhu Quanzhong was dispatched, and when Li Keyong and Li Xuanqing were about to enter the second half, he quietly appeared outside the battlefield, and as soon as he shot, he caught Li Keyong and Li Xuanqing off guard.

After staying in Chang'an overnight, this information arrived in Dongshou City, Li Xuanqing looked at this information and smiled slightly, but compared to the reaction of Xu Tianxiang and others, Li Xuanqing was much more insipid, and he knew a lot better than others about the old opponents recorded in history. After pondering for a long time, he began to discuss follow-up matters with Hu Xiaosi. That night, the heralds outside the city began to gallop out at a rapid pace, heading in the direction of Hezhongfu.