On the second day of September in the first year of Tianbao, Zhao Ziliang led the army all the way west to return to the Dadou Bagu Dadou Army station, passing through the Qilian region and Dichi County, at this time the Qilian area and Dichi County were still under the control of the Tubo people, Zhao Ziliang attacked it unprepared, and captured Qilian and Dichi County by the way.

Qilian is the north gate of Qinghai, and Dichi County is the south gate of the Hexi Corridor, these two areas are connected together is an extremely important strategic place, the capture of these two areas, it is equivalent to guarding the gate of Tubo north into the Hexi region, Wang Qi led the army to return to Hexi from the original road, destroyed the original mountain trail, want to enter the Hexi region from Qinghai, the only way, is to take Qilian, Dichi County, and the Dadou army occupies the checkpoint of the Dadou Valley, unless the Da Dou Army garrison of the Da Dou Tu Valley is captured, Otherwise, it will not be possible to invade the land west of the river.

After capturing Qilian and Dichi County, Zhao Ziliang set up a Wu here in Biandukou, with a garrison of 300 troops, to defend the only passage from Qilian to Dichi County.

On September 12 of the first year of Tianbao, Zhao Ziliang led the army to return to the Dadou Tugu Dadou Army station, and while organizing prisoners of war to collect food, he also trained soldiers and horses, and did not slack off at all.

After the grain was harvested, it immediately ploughed the fields, sowed fertilizer, sowed seeds, and planted winter wheat, so that next year's grain of the Dadou Army would depend entirely on this season's winter wheat, and after sowing the seeds, the prisoners and soldiers were organized to renovate the ridges, ditches, and other water conservancy and irrigation facilities.

By the end of September, all the winter wheat had been sown, the farmland and water conservancy facilities had all been renovated, and the Dadou Army had completed a round of reorganization and training, both infantry and cavalry.

On this day, Sima Lai reported to Zhao Ziliang: "General, the deputy envoy of Jiedu sent an official document, saying that the Dadou Army maintains the original strength of 7,200 people, including 2,400 cavalry and 4,800 infantry, if the number exceeds 7,200 people, the Jiedu embassy will not be able to allocate more salaries and ordnance, so that we have to find our own way to pay and ordnance the soldiers who exceed the establishment, and these soldiers and generals who exceed the establishment will not be recorded."

Zhao Ziliang asked, "How many people do we have now?" I want a specific number! ”

The marching Sima flipped through the roster and said, "A total of ten thousand two hundred and fifty-six people!" There are 3,000 supernumeraries! ”

Zhao Ziliang pondered for a moment and sighed: "Three thousand military salaries, with the little property of my Da Dou Army, I can't afford to support it at all, it seems that the only way is to disarm, okay, you go down first, think about it again!" ”

"No!"

After Xingjun Sima left, Zhao Ziliang thought about it alone for a long time, and sent someone to call Zheng San over before dinner, Zheng San just arrived and saw that the table was full of wine and food, Nie Sanniang was placing dishes and chopsticks with a big belly, and Zhao Ziliang was sitting on a Taishi chair reading a book.

Zheng San smiled: "Oh, it seems that I have a good mouth!" ”

Zhao Ziliang saw Zheng San coming, put down the book and stood up to greet him: "San'er, come, let's talk while eating!" ”

Nie Sanniang knew that the two of them had something to discuss, so she poured wine for the two of them and said, "You eat first, and then I'll go to the kitchen to get two dishes!" ”

Zheng San hurriedly shouted: "Sister-in-law eat together!" ”

Zhao Ziliang picked up the chopsticks and swung them: "Forget it, let her go!" Let's talk about talking, come, let's go one".

"Okay," Zheng San said, picked up the wine glass and touched it with Zhao Ziliang, and the two of them drank it all.

Pouring wine again, Zhao Ziliang beckoned Zheng San to eat, and the two talked while eating.

After touching another glass with Zheng San, Zhao Ziliang said after drinking: "Today, the Jiedu Embassy sent someone to send an official letter, saying that it can only supply the military salaries of 7,200 people, including 2,400 cavalry and 4,800 infantry!" And we now have 10,265 soldiers and horses, of which 3,000 are the main force of cavalry, 2,000 are reserves, and more than 5,200 infantry, that is to say, our strength is 3,000 more than the required by the Jiedu Envoy, so now we must reduce 3,000 people, but these more than 10,000 people have been trained for several months, more than half of them have been through several major battles, even if they are new soldiers, they have been trained for several months, it would be a pity if they were cut off like this! You are in charge of my money, and I have called you here today to ask you, if you were to select 3,000 young and strong men from the whole army, how long would I be able to support them with my current property? ”

Zheng San was stunned when he heard this, and muttered to himself: "I knew that such and such things would always happen and need money, it seems that I did the right thing!" ”

Zhao Ziliang saw Zheng San talking to himself alone, and couldn't help asking, "What?" ”

Zheng San came back to his senses and hurriedly said: "Brother Liang, fortunately, I had foresight, when the Tubo people besieged the city, didn't you order Ma Lan to catch the spies?" Many officials and wealthy families in the city participated, and at will, Ma Lan was ordered to raid their homes, and I intercepted sixty percent of the confiscated property, and after defeating the Tubo people, I also intercepted sixty percent of the seized, which were not recorded and put into the treasury, I thought that a general like you, Brother Yiliang, would definitely rise in a short time, if all these finances were recorded in the treasury, wouldn't it be cheaper for the successor later? So I intercepted sixty percent, plus Brother Liang, your own seizure share, even if it is 3,000 cavalry, you can support it for ten years, of course, these are just the property you get here, how much property you have in the capital, I don't know."

How much property was confiscated last time, Zhao Ziliang didn't ask at all, and he didn't pay attention to it when Zheng San reported to him afterwards, so he didn't know how much, and now I heard Zheng San say that he could support three thousand elite cavalry for ten years, and he couldn't help but gasp, and said that those spies who do border trade smuggling business are really rich!

Zhao Ziliang was about to ask Zheng San to take out some of the money to appease the three thousand men and horses that had been laid off, but he heard Zheng San ask: "Is Brother Liang going to raise these three thousand men and horses as his own private soldiers?" Brother Liang, you have to think clearly, if it is only a few hundred people, it is not a big problem, even if it is checked above, you can hide it casually, but three thousand people, the number is too large, once it is stabbed to the emperor, I am afraid that the matter will be extraordinary! How many people are staring at you now, don't say anything else, just talk about Li Linfu, this is the emperor's cronies and favored ministers, once he catches your handle, the consequences are unimaginable! Besides, Brother Liang, are you sure that the 3,000 people who have been laid off will willingly serve you as private soldiers? The only advantage of being your private soldier is that you will not owe military salaries and will not lack the supply of food and grass, but I believe that the vast majority of people have the desire to be promoted in addition to these most common requirements, and there is no possibility of promotion as your private soldier, and how many people in the world do not like fame and high-ranking officials? ”

Listening to Zheng San's words, Zhao Ziliang was stunned for a moment, and then couldn't help but smile bitterly: "I'm just sorry for those soldiers who have just been trained into the army, I feel a pity to lay them off, and I want to keep them. Forget it, since it may be a huge hidden danger to keep them, let's get rid of them! Most of these soldiers were Hexi people, and if they were needed in the future, they could be recruited at any time. Let's not talk about this, come on, eat vegetables, eat vegetables! ”

The next day, Zhao Ziliang convened a military meeting and announced that he had to abolish 3,000 people because of military pay and supply problems. After the meeting, the generals and colonels could only go back and dismiss some veterans who were older and had been in the army for a long time according to his request.

After the news of the disarmament reached the army, many of the soldiers who had been dismissed were reluctant to leave, believing that following a general like Zhao Ziliang could save their lives, win battles, and gain military achievements.

On the third day of disarmament, the list of those to be laid off was out, and there were posters on the walls outside each barracks, and some people began to silently gather their salutes, and many people gathered together without knowing what they were discussing.

Zhao Ziliang was handling official business in the camp, and the chief of the guard, Brehan, walked in and reported: "General, many of the soldiers who have been dismissed are reluctant to leave, they say that even if they go to be Tuntian soldiers, as long as they are not dismissed, they are willing to follow the general!" ”

"Hey-" Zhao Ziliang sighed, it's not that he can't afford to support these people, the monthly salary of a border soldier is the same money, and the salary of the cavalry is the same, but the cost of the cavalry is larger, and the cost of a cavalry can raise three infantry, but if these 3,000 people are left as private soldiers, it will inevitably leave a mouthful, like Li Linfu, who regards him as a thorn in the side, the minister of the DPRK and the Central Committee is afraid that he will not be able to catch his handle, if he accepts the 3,000 people who have been dismissed as private soldiers, Li Linfu and these people will definitely bite to the death, Then he said bad things about him in front of the emperor, even if the emperor believed him again, but when it came to the sensitive issue of raising a private army, the emperor was only afraid that he would be suspicious of him, and once he was suspected by the emperor, he was afraid that he would not be far from death!

Zhao Ziliang stroked his forehead and said to Brehan: "How many people are there in a certain court?" ”

Brehan said: "Last time I defended Panhe City and went to rescue Liangzhou City, a total of twenty-two died, and now there are only eighteen left!" ”

"There were so many old brothers at the beginning, but now there are only eighteen left? Sure enough, it's a success! Zhao Ziliang was a little distracted as he spoke.

Brehan said: "General, it is inevitable that there will be no dead in battle, if the remaining eighteen people are all first-class good players, the subordinates dare to pat their chests and say, even if Ge Shuhan and Wang are rare generals, it is no problem to deal with one or two of them, but to win a group composed of the three of them, I am afraid that it will not be so easy, so among these eighteen people, as long as a group of three can trap a general!" ”

Zhao Ziliang slapped the case and said loudly: "Okay, just call them Whirlwind Eighteen Riders!" When a certain person is free, teach them a set of formations, which can form a small formation of three people, or six small formations to form a large formation! In addition, you go and tell the soldiers who have been dismissed, just say that there is a shortage of people in a certain subordinate team, and 200 people will be recruited, and those who are willing to be such and such a subordinate can save their lives to participate, but only 200 people! ”

"No!" Brehan said yes and turned to leave. (To be continued.) )