During the time that Guo Kang was thinking, the others were not idle, listening to the introduction of Yang Lao Baihu while watching the situation in the village.

There are about 200 households in this village, and according to Yang Laobaihu, they will send 100 people this time. This ratio is actually quite high.

Guo Ponu asked him if this would delay the business in the village. Yang Lao Baihu listened, smiled and shook his head.

"The important things in the world, one is to fight, the other is to farm. Both of these are serious things. Depending on the place, the emphasis may be a little different. On our side, it's mainly war. ”

"You look at the crowd, in fact, we have counted." He introduced: "The men in the village also sent out dozens of people the year before last to crusade against Alemanni. Last year, everyone was resting. This year, I changed to another group of people and followed the general's family Erlang to go on the expedition; If there is anything to do next year, it will be the group of people who went before the year before. In this way, each person is equal to playing for one year and resting for two years, but they are relatively idle. ”

"This time, it is estimated that it will take a long time." Guo Ponu said.

"It's okay, we're all prepared." Yang Lao Baihu replied with confidence: "It's no ...... to fight for a few more years."

"It shouldn't take that long." Guo Zhaowen thought for a while and said: "The last time we went out to fight Alemani, we mainly went around and around for a long time, and in the end we all went north to fight the Poles. If the goal was clear, it wouldn't have taken that long. ”

"Now the road is good." Guo Ru also said: "The first time I joined the army, it was during the 'Anda War', and I followed Xianhan to fight the Magyars. At that time, I remember that I also set off from Henan, walked for about a week, and came to Belgrade. ”

"Although there was a mountainous section of the road, we walked fairly fast. Because at that time, many people from various bandit villages in the surrounding mountains were besieging the city. The merchants and citizens of the city were frightened, and they were looking forward to us every day. He smiled: "However, there are also many mountain people who are acquaintances of the Queen Mother." So our march was also relatively smooth, and we arrived at the battlefield without too many twists and turns. ”

"It only took one day to drive out the enemy over there. But the follow-up clean-up of remnants of the bandits was fought well...... I remember it for more than a year. He recalled: "But we did not delay too long, and after ten days of cleaning and resting in the same place, there was information that the Magyars had also gathered an army, hoping to join the bandits here. ”

"The Great Khan told us to immediately give up what we were doing and move on. Three days later, we entered the Hungarian hinterland and ran head-on into the Magyars. After the victory, it took nearly a week to pursue the enemy, destroy the small forces they had left behind, and finally the cities of Buda and Pest could be seen. However, the Great Khan said that we were not well prepared, and that it was not yet the time, so we withdrew to the east. ”

"You see, everyone's main force really fights, it's actually very fast. On the contrary, it is all kinds of miscellaneous things, which is really troublesome. He said helplessly: "It's good that you didn't let me go to the mountain den with the bandits, otherwise you would have suffocated me......"

"You can't do it without burrowing into the mountains. I later joined the army, and my first few battles were not also drilling. Guo Zhaowen disagreed: "If you don't clean up the bandits in the mountain nest, these people will go down the mountain to make trouble." There is a large area around it, which is equivalent to fighting in vain. ”

"We're already good over there, and the Queen Mother has found a lot of people to help. But to be honest, I've been stationed there for more than three years, and I haven't fully figured out the relationship between them. He shook his head: "The grievances and hatreds between these people are more complicated than on the plains. Every time I look at the edict and ask us to appease them, I have a big head......"

"How did that happen?" Guo Ponu asked curiously.

"I was drinking." Guo Zhaowen said: "A few villages in the mountains quarreled, so we invited all the leaders down the mountain. Don't talk about anything on the first day, drink first. Several members of the warband took turns to drink the gang down. ”

"They were also poor, and they couldn't afford to drink good wine on weekdays, so we took good wine from the valley along the river on the south side of the river, or on the Cretan side, and prepared it every day. When these people saw it, they couldn't control their mouths at all. It's much more convenient to wake up a little the next day and get down to business. ”

"Many of the mountain people are bandits themselves. A nobleman with a title is a bandit leader - this is not what I said, but the Queen Mother herself. She also told us that when she was a child, she followed her father and brother to rob the Venetian merchants. Guo Zhaowen said with a smile: "If you are familiar with these people, there will be a lot less soil for banditry." As for those stubborn bandits, it won't be a big climate. With the help of these people, sooner or later it can be exterminated. ”

"It should be better now." The father-in-law also answered, "I don't need you to drink it." I think they all go to Dadu regularly, and then the people from the Ministry of Rites accompany them to drink. ”

"I don't have to go out and buy them now." Guo Zhaowen said: "The Queen Mother found a lot of people to teach her to grow grapes. I've heard that some of the mountains are quite suitable, but they were too chaotic and no one ran them. Where the conditions are not suitable, fruits such as apples and raspberries are grown. Even in the mountain nest, there is no need to rely on sheep herding, and the overall situation is much better. ”

"It's safe over there, and it's much easier for us to go forward. Now that you send troops, you don't have to set off from your hometown anymore. The warehouse can be pushed forward. ”

"yes. My father always said that although I was allowed to go to war earlier, I was in a much better situation when I first entered the battlefield than he was then. And the kid now is more relaxed than we were back then. Guo Ru said: "The ancestors paved the way for future generations, and this is how our generation has come." ”

"Originally, I thought you would go to the west first." He said to Guo Kang: "Now when you go to war from Henan, you don't need to bring armor and food. With only his own sword and bow and arrow, he could travel lightly all the way, and in more than ten days, he could cross the Carpathian Mountains and assemble there. We are still far here, if we start from Shanxi, the village of the old Li family, we will reach the front line in three or five days. ”

"Sometimes when I read the history books of the Han and Tang Dynasties, I have a sense of unreality. It seems that we can also go to Novgorod for a 'long journey', but there are also various rivers along the way, and it is not difficult to transport. In comparison, the war we are waging seems to be too easy. ”

"Yes, I've heard people tell me that they often walk for half a year before they can get to the border station; It will take another month to reach the battlefield. On our side, half a month is far away. Guo Zhaowen also agreed.

"Most of them go to Normandy in less than half a year." The father-in-law thought for a while and said, "The last time Shi Laosan went to Normandy to negotiate with the English, he was gone for less than three months. He also visited several princes along the way and greeted them. It's all coming to an end......"

"Almost. I have sent someone to survey the route before, and we will set off from Pest, even if we bring heavy equipment, half a month will be enough to get to Vienna. Guo Ru said: "Looking at it this way, the distance here is really close." In comparison, Poland is much farther away. I guess it's because of the small number of towns and cities around Kiev and Lviv. Actually, the distance from Lviv to Krakow is not much longer, but the traffic over there is not very convenient......"

"Wow, Fifth Uncle, you have even checked this." Guo Ponu said in surprise.

"I'm running around every day, isn't that what I do?" Guo Ru seems to be very complacent about his work: "Moreover, I am in charge of these things because I have seen a lot and have experience. On the Polish side, I personally led the team out of the Seychelles to investigate, otherwise I would have cut off a few heads. ”

"Moreover, it's not a brag, the fifth uncle has fought more battles than your father." He said happily: "When I went to the battlefield, my eldest brother was still learning to be a civilian official. At that time, everyone hoped that he would be the same as Yuan Tinggong and my father, and he would be an auxiliary officer. ”

"I'm not idle. I'm preparing for diplomacy. The father-in-law was a little embarrassed for a while, and hurriedly defended.

"No. It took more than a year for you to start diplomacy. At that time, I was in Dadu. Guo Ru immediately unceremoniously revealed: "I came back from the front line to deliver a letter, went to your house to drink, and saw a girl crying and running out, and you chased after ......."

"That's not my fault either. Princess Maria suddenly encountered such a big change, and her home was occupied by the nobles. I was a reserve diplomat at the time, and I was right to comfort people. The father-in-law argued.

"You diplomat, just diplomacy with other princesses......" Guo Ru complained.

"Old Five, you can't say that." The father-in-law hurriedly looked back and found that the team had been stretched for a long time, and then turned back and said, "I really didn't do a good job, that's also a talent problem, you can't blame me for not having a heart." Later, I took the plunge to the East......"

"The diplomacy of the East is settled by Cao Da and Shi Laosan." Guo Ru pouted: "Uncle Huang's soldiers were moved here by them." After that, the Ottomans hurriedly withdrew their troops and rushed back to deal with the east. Your time at the Ottomans was not short, it was just a diplomatic achievement...... It seems that I have recognized a new sister. ”

The father-in-law was embarrassed, and he couldn't answer for a while, so he could only keep waving his hand, and said again and again: "Don't say it, don't say it......"

Everyone laughed, and the scene was filled with a happy atmosphere for a while. The ladies who followed far behind the line also curiously sped up and followed.

"Uh, this, I'll have to add." Seeing this, Guo Kang hurriedly continued the previous topic of marching: "Not only on land, but also on our side, sea transportation is actually convenient." ”

"Let's start from Dadu, and if the wind is favorable, we will be in Rhodes in five days, and in Cyprus in a week. Continue south, to the port of Gaza, about ten days. Then turn southwest, and in a few days, you'll be in Alexandria. If there is a headwind on the return trip, it will take half the time. Most of the road is our territory and our collaborators' territory, looking far away, in fact, the boat ride is quite fast. ”

"Why don't you go straight to Alexandria, isn't that faster? And, didn't you say that there was someone over there who answered? Guo Ru asked.

"It's really fast to go straight away. I asked the envoy and said that Alexandria to Dadu, plus the transit time from Cyprus, is probably less than 20 days, and from Dadu to Alexandria, because it is a smooth sail, so it is faster. A businessman tried it and said that if you run fast, you can get there in nine days. Guo Kang explained: "However, the supply at sea is very troublesome, we haven't planned it yet, and if we transport troops, we will definitely have to stop a few more times than passenger and cargo ships." Moreover, we have allies, and on the Syrian side, we also have to join up with others. I guess we'll have to leave it for a month. ”

"That's not bad, either." Guo Zhaowen said to Yang Lao Baihu again: "Uncle Yang, you see, this is said to be an expedition, that is, a month's journey, and it is estimated that most of it is still in our own territory. Let's go back and tell the villagers in a few villages to let everyone understand that the actual situation this time is not as exaggerated as it seems, so that the family will not be worried. Those who asked the village to be mothers and daughters-in-law also settled down. ”

"I really don't know anything about the sea." Guo Ru said thoughtfully: "I didn't expect this expedition, it doesn't seem too far......

"The Mediterranean is convenient." Guo Kang told him: "I happen to know an Italian businessman who often runs routes, and they are very familiar with these situations. It is because I know the situation of transportation that I dare to take such a risk. ”

"Yes, you have a lot of friends. But can those merchants be trusted? Guo Ru asked casually: "Wouldn't it be a sister or sister?" ”

"Oh no, it's a big brother." Guo Kang hurriedly explained.

"That's right......," the crowd said.

(End of chapter)