"As you know, most of my men are Mongols, and they like the cold rather than the heat. Second, since it is snowing here, the snow in the grassland is naturally greater, so in order to allow the livestock to cut the snow layer to graze, the left wing units must migrate to the pastures with a thinner snow layer in the south, so that our army can walk a lot less; third, our army has been on the horse for so long, whether it is the left wing or the Jurchens, they must be wary, they must think that our army is just a feint, and our army will take advantage of its unpreparedness to win a great victory.www.biquge.info Fourth, after the snow, it is not easy to migrate, but our army is a cavalry, and the left flank is old and weak with livestock, and it is more difficult for them to avoid the pursuit of our army in comparison! From this point of view, it would be more beneficial for our army if it snowed! ”

Lu Boqi nodded and said, "General Liu is proficient in the art of war, and this official is inferior. It's just that there is always a chance in this world, and the expedition out of the plug is extremely dangerous, and you still brave the snow to get out of the jam, which adds a few points, can you wait and choose a better time? ”

Liu Cheng saw Lu Boqi's sincere words, his beard trembled slightly, and with his ability to observe people, he could see that his concern for himself was not disguised, and his heart was also slightly moved. Although the two had a lot of support when they first met, and they used all kinds of tricks against them, how can people be ruthless? In the past few years, if there is no other party to cooperate with him to cover up, with the political ecology of the late Ming Dynasty, it is impossible for a mere military general to win this piece of the world in the northwest with his bare hands. Thinking of this, Liu Cheng decided to reveal his expedition plan to Lu Boqi, which also relieved him. So Liu Cheng patted Lu Boqi's arm and said with a smile: "Lu Gong, you don't have to worry too much, although I don't dare to say that I will win this expedition, there is no problem with the whole division retreating." ”

"Oh? Why? ”

This year, I have purchased a large number of horses and camels from Mobei and Moxi, all of which are raised in the Hetao area. In this crusade, a cavalryman has at least two horses, and a foot soldier also has a horse to haul heavy armor, and the camel team can provide 80 days of food and straw, plus the rations carried by the soldiers themselves and from the horses, a total of 120 days, go to 40 days, fight for 40 days, return for 40 days, if necessary, you can also kill camels and horses for food, even if you are not victorious, you don't have to worry about defeat! ”

"There are so many horses and camels?" When Lu Boqi heard this, he couldn't help but be taken aback, since the Tang Dynasty, due to the increasingly dense population and the decline of horse politics, there is no longer the capital to play such extravagant high-level tactics as mounted infantry and more than one person. Although Lu Boqi does not know much about military affairs, he has personally been in battle, and he knows very well that the biggest advantage of Liu Cheng's army is firearms, as long as the two sides set up a formation to attack, nine times out of ten Liu Cheng wins. As long as their generals were not fools, they would not have confronted Liu Cheng in an upright manner, but would have chosen the tactics that the nomads had tried and tested against the farming peoples - retreating their baggage and livestock to the rear, sending cavalry to attack the enemy's fragile baggage troops, and waiting until the enemy could resist the limits of supplies, and then attack. But since Liu Cheng had so many horses and camel caravans, the situation was different - horses and camels could not only improve the mobility of the army, but also provide some food (milk and meat), and besides, if the cavalry could not catch up with the enemy, could they not catch up with the cattle and the old and weak?

"Well, after taking Holinger City last year and capturing Yuetuo alive, I wrote to Gushi Khan, Batur Khan, and the chiefs of the northwestern tribes who traded with us, and I was willing to buy horses and camels at a high price!" Liu Cheng said with a smile, but he still has a hole card that has not been exposed, that is, in addition to horses, he also asked his allies for reinforcements, and at the same time recruited mercenaries in various merchant stations, in order to avoid exposure, these troops are all gathered in the Hetao area south of Daqing Mountain and north of the Yellow River, and only when they are about to go out to Guihua City to converge and marshall.

"Since you're so well prepared, I won't say more!" Lu Boqi was also infected by Liu Cheng's confidence, and a smile appeared on his face: "Then when do you plan to leave?" ”

"Two days!" Liu Cheng stretched out two fingers: "Two days later, I will order troops on the school field, and then go out to the East Expedition!" ”

Two days later.

Blackened soldiers stood in the open space outside the north gate, next to a forest of poplars that had lost their leaves, the sparse branches of the trees could not hide the gray sky, and although the snow had long since stopped, the weather was getting colder and colder. The ground was frozen hard. The sun was blocked behind the clouds and could only emit a faint light, and the soldiers who were blown by the whirring north wind were all blue in their faces, but these were all veterans, and many of them followed Liu Cheng when they were in Ningxia. Without the general order of Mr. Qian, everyone did not move in the cold wind.

Liu Cheng wore a mink hood and walked to the front of the line surrounded by guards. He wore a heavy sheepskin cloak over an iron-clad jacket. When he saw the motionless soldiers standing in the cold wind, wearing iron armor, or holding a twelve-foot spear, or holding a steel knife, or carrying an arquebus, like a group of fierce beasts about to prey, he couldn't help but smile at Lu Boqi on the side: "Lord Lu, there seems to be iron in the eyes of the athletes, and the sight makes people chill!" ”

Lu Boqi said with a smile: "The general has trained a good soldier, and he will definitely be able to sweep away the Eastern Captives and make a contribution to the feudal marquis!" ”

"Then borrow Lord Lu's auspicious words!" Liu Cheng said with a smile, and then he shouted in a deep voice: "Start ordering troops!" ”

Liu Cheng was surrounded by hundreds of guards, including Han Chinese and many Mongols, many of whom had followed him as early as Yansui Town. They were all dressed in iron armor, and in addition to their mounts, there were two slave horses, and the horses were also covered with horse coats that could withstand arrows, and their heads and torsos were also made of leather vests, which looked like monsters. Due to the obstruction of Yang Sichang's proposal to raise taxes, Liu Cheng's plan to train the new army was also stalled, and at present, in addition to the original four battalions of the infantry in his hands, only three battalions were organized and trained from the original town soldiers of Xuanda, but he did not plan to put these new troops into the Eastern Expedition, but let them serve as the guards, so that Liu Chengcheng could take the three battalions away - except for one who stayed in the base of the court. Of the three battalions, one is in the city of naturalization, and the remaining two are in the school grounds.

When the troops were finished, it was already noon, and the soldiers formed a column and began to set out northward, with carriages and camels behind each battalion, and in them were the baggage and grain of each team, as well as the men and convicts who were requisitioned as miscellaneous servants in the army. In order to mark their identities, they all wrapped their heads in black cloth, and Liu Cheng and Lu Boqi looked like a swarm of ants from a distance from the city tower.

"Your Excellency!" Hao Shaoqi led Liu Cheng's green-maned horse over. Liu Cheng nodded, turned to Lu Boqi and said, "Gong Lu, don't leave it at that!" ”

Lu Boqi saw that Liu Cheng's skin was dark, like iron, and there were many wrinkles at the corners of his eyes and forehead, obviously he had been fighting from east to west over the years, and he had also suffered a lot of hard work, and his heart couldn't help but warm: "General Liu, I don't know when I will see you again this time, and let me give you another ride!" ”

Liu Cheng was stunned when he heard this, he didn't expect Lu Boqi to suddenly come out with this sentence, and immediately smiled: "Okay, okay, then bother Lu Gong!" ”

The two men got on their horses and headed north, the majestic mountains stretching east and west, with no end in sight, no sun in the sky, and gray and colorless all around. At the mountain pass, a stone pagoda stands among the thorns, and the locals generally send it here to say goodbye, so it is also called the sad pagoda, also known as the two separate pagodas. Liu Cheng grabbed the reins and said to Lu Boqi on the side: "Send it here!" ”

"The general is kind to himself!" Lu Boqi stretched out his hand to hold Liu Cheng's arm, and said in a deep voice: "If the situation is unfavorable, retreat, don't be reluctant!" ”

Liu Cheng was also a little moved by Lu Boqi's concern, and he forced a smile: "Why does Lu Gong have to be like this, it's like I'm going to be defeated." Gegen, let's play a tune! Wait for us! ”

A personal guard answered, took out a mustache from his arms, whined and blew, Lu Boqi listened carefully to this tune, in addition to the sound of the plug, but also quite a northwest rhyme, the sound is thick and simple, clear and desolate, the first hearing makes people slightly sentimental, but listen carefully can hear the sound of steel and stone, as if there is an iron horse stepping on the ground, arrows flying horizontally, white blades intersecting, making people bloody, there is the meaning of rising.

At the end of the song, a gust of north wind blew from outside the mountain pass, and everyone wrapped their clothes and hats tightly. Liu Cheng saw that Lu Boqi did not speak, so he held the other party's palm to show his parting. Lu Boqi felt that Liu Cheng's palm was hard and powerful, and the fingers of the tiger's mouth were covered with calluses, which were the traces left by long-term archery and knife swinging.

"Gong Lu, I'm out of the plug this time, and the matter of Xuanda will be handed over to you!" Speaking of this, Liu Cheng suddenly lowered his voice: "Today, even if I flatten the Dongyu this time, things in Daming may not be able to get better." Although the Son of Heaven is bent on seeking treatment, he cannot find a way. Don't get involved in the affairs of the court, protect yourself! ”

Lu Boqi was taken aback, although he and Liu Cheng had known each other for a long time, it was the first time he had heard such straightforward words, he thought about it and said in a low voice: "Thank you, I understand!" ”

"So be it!" Liu Cheng laughed loudly: "Gong Lu, I don't know how to write and ink, I heard that Confucian scholars will make poems when they leave, so you can make one too!" ”

Lu Boqi was originally a general poet, and now he is in a disordered mood, where can he still make poetry, so he had to casually sing a song of Li Bai's "Plugged Song": "In May, the mountains are snowy, and there are no flowers but cold." The flute smells the willows, and the spring has not been seen. Xiao Zhan followed the golden drum and slept with the jade saddle. I am willing to put the sword down my waist and cut Loulan directly. ”

After listening to the poem, Liu Cheng shook hands with Lu Boqi and said goodbye. He turned his horse's head and struck it away. Lu Boqi watched the group of people and horses go towards the mountain pass, and soon disappeared at the end of the horizon, and suddenly felt that something was missing in his heart, and before he knew it, tears had come out of his eyes. End of Volume II

Capuillary Notes: This concludes the second volume of this book. Was Liu Cheng's crusade a success? Can Chongzhen and Yang Sichang prosper the Ming Dynasty? What happened to Huang Taiji and Li Zicheng? Can Zheng Zhilong take advantage of the relationship of Jiangnan Fushe and find a good teacher for his son Zheng Damu? Was the Tang King beaten into Fengyang and reduced to a prisoner as he did in history? Who could win the maritime supremacy of Southeast Asia between the Spaniards and the Dutch East India Company? Can the Gelugpa alliance of Batur Khan and Gushi Khan and the 4th Pan\Chan and 5th **** defeat the "Four Evil Khans"? Will the Russians be able to continue eastward and expand their territory to the shores of the Pacific Ocean? What was the outcome of the dispute over the Black Mountain and the White Mountain of the Yarkand Khanate? For the results, check out the next volume, "You Sing and I'll Appear"! (To be continued.) )