The pipa girl in the palace gently plucked the strings on the side, and the pipa made a leisurely sound, the sound was not loud, and the tune was not completed, but it could already make people hear a unique charm.

Li Jing was dressed in a purple robe and strode into the hall with the inner attendant, and the collision of the jade ornaments on the nine-section gold belt given by the emperor and the pipa song complemented each other, "You came just in time, the teaching workshop Si Xin recruited a top pipa master from the people, this song of Chunjiang Flower Night Moon tune is very beautiful, just listen to it together, it is considered your ear blessing." ”

The pipa girl's performance did not stop, Li Jing went to the palace to bow to the emperor first, and Yi Feng asked the waiter to give him a seat. "This is not above the court, you and I are facing each other in private, so there is no need for such a big courtesy. You are my Great Sui God of War, the idol of the young soldiers. ”

Yi Feng said with a smile while looking at Li Jing, "Gong Wei, you seem to have lost a lot of weight, your face is a little pale, and you have a big beard." ”

"I've been very busy lately, and I can't care about repairing the edge for a while, so it's really rude to see Your Majesty, and I hope to forgive my sins." Li Jing is only thirty years old, but he has already made great contributions in the Northern Expedition, especially in the battle of Liaodong, so that he has just passed the age of thirty, and has become the third hereditary feudal prince of this dynasty, especially because of the emperor's praise of the god of war, and became the god of war of the Great Sui, and became the most admired person in the hearts of the younger generation of soldiers. Although he was also disobeyed by the order of resistance on the battlefield of Liaodong, he was finally transferred from the ruling position of the privy deputy envoy and entered the military department as an idle military secretary, but he was appointed by the emperor to serve as the vice president of the Pishan Royal Military Academy, and became a very special existence in the Great Sui Dynasty.

"How is the military school now. You're on the right track, right? Yi Feng asked with a smile.

"With the strong support of His Majesty, the college is running very well. It was a bit chaotic at first, but it was finally on the right track. After the opening of the hospital, the first batch of newly recruited students had a total of six steps, riding, cycling, engineering, artillery, and baggage. There are 1,200 students in 12 classes in the first phase, and according to the meaning of His Majesty, the students are two years, with three semesters per year, 100 days each semester, and students are enrolled in spring and autumn of the year. These are the basic training courses for non-commissioned officers, and the training courses for officers at all levels are basically one-year. At present, there are more than 3,000 students at all levels in the college, and all aspects are very good, but there are fewer teachers. If there is a chance, the minister also wants to invite His Majesty to the academy to give a lecture to the students. ”

"That's no problem, the Pishan Royal Military Academy is very important, our army in the Great Sui will be dominated by professional soldiers in the future, supplemented by government soldiers and compulsory soldiers, and the professional soldiers of the forbidden army are the leading. Most of the officers among these professional soldiers will be trained from the Pishan Royal Military Academy, which will be the cradle of the officers of the Great Sui. Letting you take the helm of this academy is not a demotion or a demotion. It's about trusting and relying on you, and I hope you can understand. ”

"I understand."

"You don't have to worry about the teacher's question, our military system of the Great Sui, and the senior generals are all in Beijing when they are not leading the army. They usually don't have anything to do, so I will go back and make a decree that these high-ranking generals should all go to the academy to take up part-time duties. Being a lecturer or a professor or something, I also teach our young non-commissioned officers and officers by word and deed. Teach some experience. ”

"Thank you for your care and support, it's so great."

"Don't be too happy. My support is conditional. Yi Feng said with a smile.

"I don't know what the conditions are?"

Yi Feng personally poured Li Jing a cup of tea,

"What do you think of the situation around the Great Sui now?"

"It's a great thing." Li Jing said with a smile, "Your Majesty is wise and wise, and you have a good way of dominating it." ”

"You don't have to shoot the fart, you can't shoot it well, let's talk about something practical, you also saw it in the court before, I want to strike while the iron is hot and go on another northern expedition, but there is opposition from the court."

Li Jing put away his smile, "The left and right servants are mainly considered from the financial and logistical aspects, what they said is also the truth, the two servants are also quite capable people, in other words, I am afraid that it will be difficult to support the imperial court in a short period of time, and fight five major battles, since they have raised difficulties, it is really difficult." ”

Yi Feng waved his hand, "Fighting is fighting money, the soldiers and horses have not moved, the grain and grass go first, I know this." The financial aspects of the imperial court can still hold up now, and it is not impossible to solve it, what I want to ask now is about your construction of the imperial court in the military aspect, and the imperial court will be able to achieve the goal of the northern expedition again at this time? ”

"Then what is the purpose of asking Your Majesty?"

"My purpose?" Yi Feng smiled, "You should be clear, I said a long time ago that I will sweep away Datou and Dulan, who have always been dissatisfied with the Great Sui, and then rebuild the order of the grassland, and truly incorporate the grassland into the rule and management of the Great Sui." ”

"If that's the case, it's not a difficult thing to do."

"Hahaha." Yi Feng laughed loudly, "I knew you would be like that." He stopped laughing after a while, "Actually, to tell you the truth, the financial aspects of the imperial court are not a problem, I have a way to solve it, and it is to let the imperial court get a large amount of money to support this use of troops." And for the Northern Expedition, in fact, I am also quite confident, what I lack now is a suitable commander of the Northern Expedition, a commander who can know my intentions and can reach a tacit understanding with me. ”、

Li Jing's breathing couldn't help but become short, the emperor summoned him alone and talked to him about this, wouldn't it be that the emperor intended to consider him as the commander-in-chief.

"Sue me, if I let you lead another northern expedition, what are you going to do?" Yi Feng stared at Li Jing.

Li Jing knew that this was the emperor's test for him, and if his answer was in line with the emperor's wishes, then he would have the opportunity to lead the army again, if not, then he would miss this opportunity. He thought seriously in his heart, what kind of commander does the emperor need, and what does he need to pay attention to? This has to start from the emperor's purpose, and the emperor also said just now that he wants to sweep away Dulan and Datou, who have been anti-Sui, and then rebuild the order of the grassland. Well, sweeping Dulan and Datou is only a means, not an end, and the real purpose is to establish a new grassland order. Li Jing felt that he had grasped the emperor's purpose, and after pondering for a while, he looked at the emperor and said, "The minister thinks that although His Majesty has a way to solve the financial problem, the Northern Expedition should still pay attention to this problem. Therefore, the minister felt that the second Northern Expedition did not necessarily need to be as aggressive as the last Northern Expedition and mobilize countless troops. If the minister commanded the Northern Expedition, then the minister thought that 100,000 people would be enough. ”

"100,000 people, will it be exaggerated, you must know that the grassland is vast and thousands of miles, and the northern expedition again is completely different from the last time. Last time, we went on the defensive counterattack, but this time we can fight far away, which is a completely different way of fighting, and we will face more difficulties. Yi Feng reminded Li Jing. Of course, he was not immediately disappointed, he believed that people like Li Jing would not make the mistake of underestimating the enemy.

"100,000 soldiers and horses are just our Great Sui army. Of course, we need other soldiers and horses, but we don't have to bear the burden. Li Jing said confidently, "The imperial court gathers 100,000 elite light cavalry, and then recruits those Turkic cavalry who return to the imperial court, in addition, you can send orders to the Tiele Khanate in Mobei, Xi, Xi, and Khitan Sanfan, in addition to the Gaochang states in the Western Regions, as well as the Dangxiang, vassal states, Sun Bo, Nuguo and other departments, let them send troops together and join the Northern Expedition." ”

Yi Feng listened carefully and nodded slightly, Li Jing's mention was similar to what he thought.

"The 100,000 soldiers of the imperial court attacked the Hetao directly, first attacked the Baidaochuan in the south of Yinshan, destroyed Dulan, and then moved the troops to the Western Regions to destroy Datou. With the cooperation of the soldiers and horses of all the domains, 100,000 people are enough. Li Jing is very confident.

Yi Feng smiled, "It seems that you know in your heart, I plan to let you lead the northern expedition again, and I will give you 200,000 people." ”

"Your Majesty, you don't need more soldiers."

"After you listen to me, I will give you 200,000 soldiers and horses, but these 200,000 people are all former Turkic cavalry, I promised them to let them return to the grassland after the war, these people can't stay for a long time after all, and staying here will be a disaster, so I plan to let you lead them back this time. Then I sent an edict to Tiele, Dangxiang and other feudal domains to send troops to destroy Dulan and Datou together, and after destroying them, the Hetao area will be under the direct jurisdiction of the imperial court, and the same is true for the land south of Yinshan in the north of Daibei, and for the Mobei and Western Regions, it will be temporarily divided into those leaders of various departments who have made contributions to the imperial court. ”

Li Jing was a little dumbfounded, the emperor gave him even more ruthlessly, he said that as long as 100,000, the emperor didn't want to give him a soldier, 200,000 Turkic troops, the number is a lot, but this time let them go back, they will definitely not pay any more grain and grass or anything. He led these troops back to the steppe, and there was no such thing as logistical support at all.

"Why, do you have faith?" Yi Feng asked with a smile. The 200,000 Turkic cavalry must be put back, and there was an agreement when they surrendered, and if they finally broke their promise, it would be impossible to establish any long-term rule in the steppe in the future. If Yi Feng didn't have that split plan, he could have come to a pit to kill them or directly place them in the Central Plains. But since they have a long-term plan, these people are still useful. Now let them act as the vanguard, and Li Jing will take them back to kill them, and destroy those anti-Sui Turks.

"The minister led the Turkic army back to the steppe, will the court provide grain and grass?" Li Jing still asked.

"Huh." Yi Feng smiled slightly, "The imperial court will prepare grain and grass for you to the grassland, but after you leave the border, you can't supply it, and you have to rely on yourself." By the way, after the destruction of Dulan, Bai Daochuan and the Monan region will have to be handed over to the imperial court, no problem, right? ”

Li Jing was silent for a moment, feeling that he was pitted by the emperor, what is this called another Northern Expedition, in the end, the imperial court did not send a single soldier at all, and made a joint Hu tribe of soldiers and horses to fight against the Turkic Datou and Dutou, the imperial court neither sent troops nor gave grain and grass, which was really stressful.

"No problem." At this time, no matter what, it can be done, but Li Jing feels that it should be no problem. These Turks are also fighting for themselves, and they should be very brave when they go back to fight for their own territory. (To be continued......)