Shen Yue'er and Brother Ping were thinking about Cheng Shunxi's arrival, and Zhen Guogong was thinking about how to occupy a greater proportion of Yanwang's Mansion.

At this time, Su Zhi led the army to go deep into the grassland, and it was extremely dangerous to march on the snowy grassland.

Even herders do not migrate easily at this time, and in the event of a snowstorm, all their cattle and sheep may be lost overnight.

Although General Yang was persuaded by Su Tong, he still couldn't help but complain a little about marching under such circumstances.

"Lord Wang, this wind and snow are too big, hurry up and set up camp."

Su Zhi looked ahead on his horse, and the biting cold wind on the white prairie could not linger.

He was also hesitating, and after entering the depths of the steppe, he had walked blindly for five days, but he did not see a single Tatar, as if the whole steppe was dead, and there was no life at all.

Zhao Guangzhi was behind Su Tong, and drove forward and said, "Lord Wang, if you can't find it after two more days, you will withdraw from the grassland." ”

Su Tong nodded: "This king will take 5,000 people to explore the way, and General Yang will camp in place." ”

"How can this be done, or the last general will lead people to explore the way, and the prince will camp here to repair."

General Yang decisively stopped Su Zhi, but he couldn't stop it, Su Zhi waved his hand and said: "Although you have been guarding the border pass, I have been guarding this grassland since I was thirteen years old, or it is better for me to explore the way." ”

Yang Mo, the overseer, stepped forward and persuaded: "Set up camp first, and the prince will also rest and recuperate, and then it is not too late to explore the way." ”

Everyone had this intention, and Su Tong looked at the tired soldiers, so he also ordered to camp in place and repair.

That night, leaving the grain and grass for the retreat, he ate a hard meal.

Early the next morning, Su Zhi set off again with his five thousand cavalry, accompanied by Zhao Guangzhi.

The snow is still falling today, and the wind has swept up the snow and sand for a few feet, and no one is visible.

Zhao Guangzhi shouted in the wind and snow and asked, "Lord Wang, which direction are you going?" ”

Su Tong looked around, pointed in one direction and said, "Just go over there, and return after two days without results." ”

I walked in the snow and wind for a whole day, stopping only to eat some dry food on the way.

At dusk, Zhao Guangzhi persuaded: "Lord Wang, all you bring are temporary tents, if there is a snowstorm at night, I'm afraid that people and horses won't be able to withstand it, so it's better to withdraw." ”

Su Tong had never hesitated so much, and this time he really couldn't make up his mind.

It is said that he has entered this grassland I don't know how many times, is the experience of the year not working now?

When he decided to retreat, he was unwilling, so he said, "Go another thirty miles"

This time, Zhao Guangzhi didn't persuade him, thinking that the prince was unwilling, and he retreated after thirty miles.

Just turned over and got on the horse, Su Zhi suddenly raised his hand: "Stop"

Zhao Guangzhi followed his gaze towards the wind and sand, and heard the sound of horses' hooves from far and near, and suddenly felt happy in his heart, and at the same time became vigilant.

Su Tong glanced at him and stretched out a finger, meaning that there was only one person in the wind and sand.

The five thousand men and horses stood still, and after a short time they saw a man rushing out of the wind and sand.

When he approached, he seemed to spot the man too, and laughed loudly, and then muttered in Tatar.

Su Tong understood a little, so he said: "He is his colleague when we are, this person came out drunk, and the camp should not be far away." ”

When he saw that the army on the other side was not his companion, the Tatar man on the horse was stupid, and he was a little drunk, so he looked at it in a daze and didn't react to it.

Green, with two guards, stepped forward and shot the man off the horse, tied him up and threw him in front of Su Zhi's horse.

This man can speak Chinese, but he is too drunk to remember at this time, and when he asks him anything, he is either grunting or in a daze.

In the end, Su Tong asked clearly in his simple Tatar language, their camp was five miles away, and the camp had been drinking all day long in the wind and snow.

The drunken Tatar was thrown on a horse and brought all the way to the camp.

There was drinking, singing, laughing and scolding, and when he was about to get closer, Zhao Guangzhi hurriedly stepped forward to catch up with Su Tong, and said: "Lord Wang, such a big camp, there are at least 20,000 soldiers and horses, do you still want to surround it?" ”

"Go straight to the camp, the drunkard said that their eldest prince is stationed here, just capture him."

Only a few old ministers around the eldest prince in the camp were not drunk, and one of them happened to come out to see the army outside the camp, and Su Zhi took the lead in front of the battle.

Seeing the person coming clearly, he didn't care about urinating, so he turned around and ran into the tent, shouting as he ran: "The Seven Yama Kings are coming, retreat quickly, the eldest prince." ”

In the hurry, the Tatar military camp suddenly became a mess, and the eldest prince ran away while he couldn't even wear his shoes. Only his wife and children were taken away and a few old ministers who were not yet drunk, and the rest of them were mostly arrested after a mess.

An hour later, after cleaning the battlefield, the loot was being counted. Su Tong ordered that all the food should be rewarded, but no alcohol should be allowed.

The Tatars had the greatest penchant for killing captives, so they were extremely fearful after resupplying them.

However, Su Tong did not kill them, but organized a part of the people into his army and brought them out of the grassland. The rest was put back into the grassland, and they were left to find their own way.

Some people who want to go home will look for their own home, and if they don't want to go back, they will go to find it with the original master, but the dry food will not be prepared by him, and if they have the ability, they will survive in the icy grassland, but they are more likely to die of hunger and freezing.

As a result, the eldest prince had a total of 50,000 troops, a few who ran out, and more than 40,000 people remained. After this mobilization, there were 20,000 people who wanted to follow Su Zhi out of the grassland, and most of the rest no longer followed the old master.

In fact, they are all willing to be mercenaries like Duoyan Sanwei, pay their salaries on time, and have food and clothing.

In the grasslands, as soon as autumn comes, they have to go to the border to rob in preparation for winter, so they call this winter.

The looted things cannot be returned to the individual, they must be handed over, and a small part of them will be distributed from above.

But being a mercenary is different, the money given on time is not used at all, and you can take it home to your wife and children, and you don't have to fight the winter.

Hundreds of carts of booty were taken away, and more than 20,000 people were taken away, and the place was unrepaired, and the prince's tent was dismantled and returned.

Su Tong set up the camp on the grassland, and General Yang took people out for a few days, and brought back dozens of carts of booty.

By the beginning of March, their camp had tripled, with countless cattle and sheep, and a few large tents of fine wine.

However, in the past few months, the people in the court who have been telling Su Tong have hardly stopped, and every day has become the most important topic.

Let him lead his troops to guard the border passes, but he disregarded the lives of tens of thousands of people and went deep into the grassland in the cold winter, and now more than two months have passed, and the entire army has no news at all, either defecting or being annihilated.

In this way, the most difficult situation at this time was not Su Zhi, but Shen Yue'er who stayed in King Yan's mansion.