As early as a year ago, at the beginning of the alliance between Canghai and the Tang State, Zhuge Wanling had already talked with Gao Changgong several times, and many deployments gradually took shape, and now everything is developing in his established direction, as if it is a snowball slowly falling from the top of the mountain, rolling bigger and bigger, but it is also more and more clearly visible in their eyes.

Therefore, when Wang Xuanwei's urgent letter from Jinzhou was delivered to Zhuge Wanling's desk, the Jingwu army led by Gao Changgong had already been out of the city for many days.

And in the taverns on the street and the pavilions where the merchants on the docks rested, you can still hear everywhere about the grand scene of Jing Wu's army going out of the city that day.

On that day, the streets were full of people who came to watch, and the people of the city all had high-spirited hearts, although the yamen had temporarily asked other parties to allocate manpower, but in the face of the surging crowds, it was still a drop in the bucket, and the sergeants on both sides of the street wearing the regular uniforms of the errand soldiers could only hold the sticks in their hands tightly, and used the strength of feeding to suppress the crowd of people who stretched their necks and were happy, so as not to interfere with the passage of the army.

When the people of Jianye City learned that Tang Guo planned to start with the Mo family with Canghai this time, first set foot on the territory of the Mo family and then invade Jingwu, one by one the people were furious, and they scolded Tang Guo for not doing his best, and scolded Canghai for fear that the world would not be chaotic, while looking forward to General Gao Changgong leading the army to attack the two countries and give them a good look.

The small teahouse, which is not frequented by many people on weekdays, gathered from all over the world at the moment, and the shopkeeper's face was full of red light, and even hung a sign at the door, writing: Send the general on an expedition, hope that he will return triumphantly, and today the tea and pastries are not worth a penny.

Everyone praised the shopkeeper for his righteousness, but many people drank tea that didn't cost money, so they just let the boss heat up the wine.

After three rounds of drinking, the discussion became louder, and a white-haired old Confucian said impassionedly: "What kind of thing is the Tang Kingdom? The rebellious ministers and thieves of the previous dynasty were just the old man thirty years ago, he had to carry a big knife and kill all the way to the palace in Ding'an City!"

Of course, this impassioned and his old appearance can only become the laughing stock of everyone in the teahouse, and the air in the teahouse suddenly became happy, and some people teased: "Thirty years ago? This old man, at that time, you were afraid that you had to have forty or fifty, right? You said that you, now at this age, are not able to become literate, nor can you find a half-official position in the imperial court, what kind of big talk?"

"I'm ......" The white-haired old Confucian had a flushed face, looked around the room, and jumped like thunder, "I just look old, and I am only 61 years old this year! Thirty years ago, I was in the prime of life, so why couldn't I lift a gun? A gentleman has six arts, etiquette, music, archery, royalty, calligraphy, and mathematics, and Confucian scholars can still go into battle to kill the enemy and defend the country." When I was a teenager, I was able to shoot two subjects, but I was the best among my peers! Where were you little hairy heads at that time? I guess you were still wearing open crotch pants, right?"

There was another burst of laughter in the teahouse, and a young scholar replied with a smile: "That's, that's, Xiaosheng was still in his mother's womb thirty years ago, let you talk nonsense, I can't see it." ”

Seeing that no one believed it, Lao Ru was anxious, rolled up his sleeves and wanted to rush up to beat people, but he quickly stopped the guys on the side.

This old man is also a frequent visitor to the teahouse, and the guy who talks to him will not be too particular, so he said with a smile on his face: "Ouch master, what are you fighting with them, you old arms and legs, who can you beat when you rush up?"

The old man said angrily: "Shi can be killed, but not humiliated, I want to die here today, all of which should be given to the general to strengthen the soul of the army, let him know that my Jingwu people are all backbone and bloody!"

These words entered the hearts of everyone, and most of the guests stopped laughing, and the young man just now comforted: "Boss, you don't have to be angry, after all, we are all people who have no chance to go to the battlefield, who can be better than whom." I think that we can't read the books of sages and sages for so many years, and now, isn't the prime minister also asking officials from all over the country to recommend talents? If you are fortunate enough to be able to get an official and a half position, even if it is just a small official with a sesame seed, you can do your best for Jing Wu.

"Yes, that's right!"

"Of course!"

The crowd responded in unison.

The reason why the scholars talk about it in Jianye City is also with the intention of serving the country for the officials and hoping to serve the country, and they have heard that the weather in the DPRK is clear, and most of the officials have no frame under the leadership of Prime Minister Zhuge Cheng, and often wander in the market, observing the people's feelings and public opinions.

Although this kind of opportunity is extremely slim, but a hot-blooded gentleman, with a full stomach full of economy, who has never dreamed of rising step by step?

Even Prime Minister Zhuge Cheng, who was above 10,000 people under that person, was just a local official earlier, and later resigned and went into hiding, and was invited by a big gang to become the leader of a gang, this experience is legendary.

Who, then, can say that there will be no new pillars of the nation among them in the future?

"It's coming! It's coming!"

At this time, there was an excited shout from outside the teahouse, and everyone's face changed when they heard it, whether they were sitting on the first floor or the second floor, they all leaned towards the window, wanting to occupy a good position to watch.

It's really coming.

Looking at the railing, a cavalry army dressed in blue and black armor was slowly marching and stretching.

Jing Wu's Qingzhou ghost ride.

Even though they could see the blue-faced fanged demon tattooed on their armor, the people still let out a loud cheer.

"General!"

"The Great General is here!"

"Qingzhou ghost ride! It's Qingzhou ghost ride!"

At the head of the queue was Gao Changgong, who took the lead, holding a silver-white stainless steel spear in his hand, and sat on a fiery red war horse, with four hooves strong like an ancient beast, and every breath it took seemed to be able to bring up the air flow around it, and even looked like a solid body in the sun.

It was excited, for his master had once again sat on him, and the silver glow was the same as the murderous spear of the past.

Its eyes were full of anticipation, and the horse's head was raised high, and its teeth were bared. For so long, it has long wanted to gallop again and crush mountains and rivers with its incomparably hard hooves. For it, the place full of blood and gunpowder is its place, it has never liked the stable where it lives in the General's Mansion, although the stable is luxurious and comfortable, and it provides it with a constant supply of fine materials, but deep down, it longs for the blood-colored sky in the distance.

Gao Changgong seemed to feel its mood, with a slight smile on the corner of his mouth, stretched out a hand and gently stroked its mane twice, while nodding to the people on both sides of the street.

The young people's blood was boiling, and the old people silently wiped the tears from the corners of their eyes amid cheers.

"It's really the god of war!" a gentleman in the teahouse sighed: "It is said that this war horse is a demon beast that the general tamed alone in the northern grasslands, fierce and abnormal, one foot is enough to crush the tiger and leopard's heavenly spirit cover, when it runs, the sound of hooves is like thunder, and the speed is as fast as lightning......"

"Have you seen the gun in the general's hand? It is said that the gun is made of stainless steel, which is rare in the world, and it is so heavy that even ten men who resist big bags can't lift it. ”

"How much does that gun weigh?"

"Where do I know, if I do, I don't have to be the god of war?"

Zhu Ran, the original commander of the forbidden army, was walking at a distance of half a horse from Gao Changgong at this time, and said in a low voice: "The spies from the north have sent news that Canghai has dispatched at least 100,000 cavalry this time, divided into three roads, one of which passes through the swamp and traces of the horse's hooves...... Deeper than all the cavalry. ”

"Is it a tiger and leopard ride?" Gao Changgong's face was still smiling, but what he said was: "I didn't have the opportunity to meet this world-famous iron horse before, but now that I have the opportunity, I suddenly can't laugh a little." ”

"Yes. Zhu Ran said in a low voice: "With the impact of the Qingzhou ghost cavalry, I'm afraid that even their outermost military formation can't break through, and even crossbow arrows can't hit their heavy iron armor." Legend has it on the grassland that when 10,000 tigers and leopards charged, 50,000 foot soldiers could not resist it, and could only be trampled into meat like ants. ”

"So it sounds like we, one of the three major cavalry armies in the world, just have a vain name?" Gao Changgong shook his head helplessly, "We can't even break through the formation, how can we compare it?"

"You can't compare it that way. Zhu Ran shook his head and said: "The power of the tiger and leopard cavalry is indeed amazing, but the heavy iron armor also makes them march slowly, and the supply of grain and grass is several times more, if it is a head-on confrontation, the Qingzhou ghost cavalry may not have an advantage, but our Qingzhou ghost cavalry is also a light horse, just bypass their marching route in advance, knock out their backup, and cut off their grain and grass ......"

He paused, and continued: "The tigers and leopards are all carefully selected war horses from the Northern Barbarians, but it is difficult to carry the heavy armor on their bodies for a long time, and if the war horses are not fed with fine forage, they will soon be unable to support them. And...... Such heavy armor may not be pleasant to wear on people's bodies, which is why the tiger and leopard riders have never gone on expeditions, and have only been crisscrossing the grasslands without restraint......"

Gao Changgong muttered: "But don't forget, there are various varieties of war horses in Canghai, and under their command, there are not only heavy armored cavalry such as tiger and leopard cavalry, but also several light cavalry, although it may not be necessary to have our Qingzhou ghost cavalry in Jingwu or the black cavalry of the Mo family, but it may be enough to escort the tiger and leopard cavalry." ”

He sighed and said, "Zhu Ran...... This battle is really not easy to fight. ”

Zhu Ran nodded, his expression as indifferent as ever: "The last general understands." The last general is willing to die for the general. ”

"Don't die. Gao Changgong smiled: "I still think that I can come back alive and see these villagers and elders again, and they should be as happy as they are today......

He glanced back and saw Sun Qing, who had been recalled earlier, and said to Zhu Ran: "This kid's mood is not very high, this is not like an expectation of making a contribution." ”

Zhu Ran replied in a low voice: "It is said that since the death of Old Lady Sun, Sun Qing and Lord Sun Ji'an have had a disagreement, and Sun Qing still knelt in the ancestral hall last night, insisting on keeping filial piety for Old Lady Sun for three years, and refused to go out with the army. ”

"I've heard of some. Gao Changgong said: "What about later?"

Zhu Ran frowned and said, "It is said that Lord Sun relented this time and knelt down in the ancestral hall together, and the father and son talked for most of the night before persuading Sun Qing to come out. ”

"After all, he is a child who grew up under Sun Zhong's knees, and Sun Ji'an, a father, deserves ......" Gao Changgong shook his head, and didn't know how to evaluate it for a while, maybe Zhuge Wanling could comment sharply if he was there, but this was someone's housework, and he didn't bother to care.

After thinking for a while, Gao Changgong said: "In this case, you look at him, the young man is not sensible, and it is difficult to guarantee that there will be no trouble because of the resentment in his heart." ”

"Yes. ”

After Gao Changgong and Zhu Ran passed through the crowd, the selected Taixue Hall disciples also slowly followed.

Compared with Gao Changgong's leisurely self-satisfaction and Zhu Ran's cautiousness, they obviously jumped a little more, facing those people who were constantly cheering, they almost used all their strength to wave, if the team couldn't stop, they really wanted to get off the horse and enjoy the feeling of "being a hero".

At this moment, the crowd of people said in surprise: "Qingzhou ghost riding is ...... Why is there a dead fat man?"

Hearing this, Xiao Qian, who was sitting on the horse and looked very proud, almost turned his back on his breath, and his right hand, which was constantly shaking in the air to say hello, became embarrassed, and he could only stagnate in the air.

The building next to him pointed his finger at him and laughed, laughing until he almost fell off his horse: "Hahaha...... Dead Fat ...... Ha ha...... Ouch stomach ache...... I'm going to die......"

"Who said that there can't be fat people in the army. Xiao Qian said with a resentful face, "I'm a staff officer, and I don't have to fight in battle, what's wrong with being fat?

"Haha. The building laughed breathlessly, and said intermittently, "Zhao Qian, strictly speaking, you do eat other people's food." Think about it, when you go out with the army, don't you eat all the military rations? Where did the military rations come from? Haven't they been saved and handed over by the common people?"

Xiao Qian, the "dead fat man" of the famous Zhao Qian, was speechless for a while, raised his hand and made a gesture to hit the building, but the building suddenly quieted down, his eyes looked far away in the sky, and said: "Speaking of which, we haven't seen Abu and Ake for more than a year......, right?" Where will they be now?"

Speaking of this, Zhao Qian couldn't help but stop the movements of his hands, thought about it, and finally sighed: "Then where do I know, teach Xi, sir...... All of them have very tight mouths. only said that they went out to do things for the prime minister, but what exactly they did and where they went to do things, didn't they ask for more than a year. ”

"That is, Ah Ke and Ah Bu can afford this responsibility, and the prime minister still values them more, as for us...... It's a lot worse. The building said: "But now we all have the opportunity to make contributions, maybe when Abu and them come back, we will all be captains and generals!"

Zhao Qian glanced at him and said, "Just think about it, don't lose your life in front of the battle before the merit is completed." This time, the movement of Tang and Canghai is not small, and it is definitely a tough battle. ”

The building pursed his lips and said, "No ambition." Don't forget, our general swept through the Tang Kingdom with 8,000 Qingzhou ghost horses, and almost reached the foot of Ding'an City, and now we have strong soldiers and horses, and there are 50,000 ghost horsemen on this expedition to Qingzhou, plus the border army is assisted by the side, what are you afraid of them?"

"You. No brains is no brains. Xiao Qian snorted and said: "Back then, the general was able to take eight thousand Qingzhou ghost horses across the territory of the Tang Kingdom, mainly because the border army led by Huang Jiao Xi spread out the battle line at various points, and the Tang Kingdom was estimated to have also encountered court disputes, and the grain, grass, and deployment did not keep up, which dragged down the Tang Army, otherwise with the military strength of the Tang State, how could it be possible to let the eight thousand cavalry drive straight in......?

"It's a failure. Lou said with a smile: "I said, you people who use their brains are too worried, even if Tang Jun and Canghai join forces, but we Jingwu have not been vegetarians all these years, right?"

Speaking of this, he stretched out his hand, patted the person riding side by side with him, squeezed his eyes at him, and said, "Zhang Mingqi, do you think what I said makes sense?"