Towards noon, dozens of warships slowly moved forward, heading north against the wind.

In the cabin, the tea on the desk is fragrant, and the fragrance is pleasant.

Li Li sat on the top as usual, and Zhou Yu and Lu Su sat cross-legged on both sides.

The three of them didn't speak, Gu Zi sipped tea, thoughtful.

Inside the curtain, Xiao Qiao and Da Qiao sat on the couch, whispering and sewing brocade robes.

"I wonder how my brother will deal with the affairs of the barbarian Koubian?"

After drinking a cup of tea, Lu Su put on a new pot of tea, put it on the stove and simmered slowly, and then asked softly.

Li Li smiled and said casually: "The thing in front of us right now is to rush back to Xiliang as much as possible, and other things are beyond the reach of the whip for the time being, so let it go." ”

"Having said that, my brother still needs to make arrangements. Otherwise, the generals on the border will not get the general order, and they will not dare to make their own decisions, and it will inevitably be lost! Lu Su pondered and said.

Zhou Yu nodded when he heard this, and said in a low voice: "What Zijing said is extremely true. The lord is strict in governing the army, and the generals under his command perform their duties, which will inevitably contain them. Without the order of the lord general, it is difficult for the generals in the army to form a joint force, and naturally it is impossible to organize the army to quickly and effectively resist the barbarian invasion.

What's more, this time the barbarians marched together, including more than 50,000 people entrenched in the area of Taiyuan and Shangdang in Bingzhou, and there were more than 50,000 people in the Baibo Thieves and Yufuluo's department, and the old king of the Xiongnu in the south of Hetao sent 40,000 iron cavalry to help, plus more than 50,000 cavalry of the remaining Qiang tribes in Xianbei and Beidi County in the west, totaling about 15 armies. With so many soldiers and horses invading the south, their strength is no less than that of the powerful princes along the way, which cannot be underestimated. In addition, most of the allied forces were nomadic tribal cavalry, skilled in archers and horses, and their combat power should not be underestimated.

In addition, what makes the last general puzzled is. Why did the white wave thieves get involved? What do they have to rely on to dare to join the barbarians and raise troops to invade our borders? ”

Zhou Yu's words coincided with Lu Su, and the two were quite puzzled by this, eager to figure out the reason. After all, the two of them had just joined the Xiliang Army, and they didn't know much about the border shapes of the states and counties in Xiliang, so they could only rely on what they knew to express their opinions.

It is worth mentioning that Zhou Yu's title for Li Li is very distinctive. When he was not talking about official business, he called Li Li his elder brother, and when it came to official business, he regarded himself as the last general. He is very skillful in proportion, does not exceed the etiquette system at all, and abides by the way of the lord and minister.

Compared with him, Lu Su does not need to avoid taboos. Because he is Li Li's sworn brother, according to the courtesy of the lord and the brotherly relationship. He can call Li Li the lord or the elder brother. Both on business and in private. You can call it that, and there is no need to be taboo.

Speaking in detail, the relationship between Zhou Yu and Lu Su and Li Li is almost indistinguishable. Lu Su and Li Li are brothers with different surnames, not brothers are better than brothers; Although Zhou Yu and Li Li are righteous brothers, they are brothers-in-law. Therefore. It's really hard to tell the difference between the three of them. In addition, the three of them have experienced a lot of things together along the way, and the brotherhood has become increasingly solid, and it has become unbreakable. So. At this time, the three of them sat together to discuss matters, and there was really no need to shy away from it, they could ask whatever they wanted, and they didn't have to hide what they wanted to say.

And this is precisely the biggest harvest of Li Li's southward journey. As he himself said, it is a great fortune to have a confidant in life, and if you can get a few confidants and friends who are close to your heart, it is a priceless treasure to enjoy for a lifetime.

Prior to this, Li Li had few brothers in the Xiliang Army who were so frank with each other, or that he had a group of brothers and subordinates who were loyal to him, but did not have a confidant and close friend who could really speak freely. Whether it is his younger brother Li Xian or the military advisor Jia Xu, they often follow his wishes and rarely put forward contradictory opinions. As for Shang Shuling Li Xuan, Li Ru in the service, Fan Yong, the commander of the Wuwei Battalion, and a number of cronies and generals, they all looked forward to Li Lima and obeyed their orders, and it was difficult to speak out undisguisedly.

However, during this wandering trip that lasted nearly half a year, Li Li unexpectedly got three subordinates and brothers who dared to speak out. Lu Su doesn't need to say much, he himself is an honest and honest person, and he is Li Li's sworn brother, so naturally there is no need to shy away from it. The remaining two are Guo Jia, the division of the Right Army, and Zhou Yu, the general of the Left Zhonglang who is in charge of the Jinfan Battalion at the moment.

Guo Jia is uninhibited, his heart for fame and fortune is not heavy, he acts recklessly, is smart, and has no problem speaking out. And Zhou Yu is a rare young and old man in the world, calm and capable in encountering things, grasping the proportions of people and things, both civil and military, and he is definitely a general who strategizes and fights on the battlefield in this era, who else can he be!

Because of this, until now, Li Li still believes that the treasures of the twelve warships are not expensive, and the poisonous dragons that are all treasures are not enough, but the contribution of Zhou Yu and Lu Su is the biggest gain of his trip, and he will benefit for a lifetime. Of course, there is also the glamorous and lovely Xiao Qiao, this woman is both talented and beautiful, knowledgeable, fluent, and good at female red embroidery; If she is an unknown amorous side, she is really the perfect woman that all men dream of. With this daughter, what more can a husband ask for!

Therefore, when Li Li learned that Yu Fuluo dared to contact various departments to invade Liangzhou, he was quite surprised at first, and he hated to return to Xiliang immediately, mobilize a large army to exterminate the barbarian army, and wipe out the Southern Xiongnu tribes in one fell swoop. However, after he calmed down, he was not in a hurry, and it was still a beautiful thing for the old gods to be drinking tea and talking with Zhou Yu and Lu Su. Once he returns to Xiliang, he may not have such a chance to enjoy leisurely and leisurely again, and he will run around the battlefield and military tents for the next few decades, until he sweeps the world or is exterminated by other princes.

The invasion of the 150,000 barbarian coalition army seemed to be very powerful, and it was like a broken bamboo from the beginning, successively capturing many passes on the border of Northland County, and driving straight into the hinterland of Northland County. However, in Li Li's eyes, the barbarian army was not enough to fear, and it was not enough to pose a substantial threat to the Xiliang army.

As the name suggests, a coalition of armies that are not originally part of the same order are put together to form a large number of troops. It seems to be extremely powerful, but in fact, it is in vain. For the Xiliang Army, which has an army of 400,000 and occupies the land of Sanzhou, how can it be enough to have a coalition army of more than 100,000?

"Goo-goo!"

Just as Li Li was thinking about it, the fragrant tea on the stove was boiled again, the teapot gurgling, and bursts of fresh fragrance wafted in the cabin, making people feel more comfortable smelling it.

Wait for Lu Su to pour a cup of tea. Li Li smiled and said: "The White Wave Thieves and the barbarian army invaded the border of Liangzhou, not out of nowhere, but for a reason. In the past two years, I have a 5,000-strong infantry army under my command that has been focusing on exterminating the white wave thieves entrenched in the area of Hedong and Bingzhou. This infantry army is trapped.

Our Xiliang Army currently has a total of four battalions of infantry troops. The first is the military battalion, with 60,000 troops; The second was the Wuwei Battalion, which initially numbered 25,000 men. At the moment, there are more than 30,000. The third is to fall into the camp, with only 5,000 troops, but it is a heavily armored infantry army, which is enough to be ten, and its combat power is quite strong. The fourth is the county government soldiers. It is mainly used as a reserve corps and generally does not participate in war. The duty is to garrison the city. Maintain law and order. At first, there were only more than 40,000 county soldiers, and then I pacified Xiliang and added tens of thousands of county soldiers, plus the new recruits recruited in the past two years, the number of troops was no less than 100,000.

In addition to the county soldiers, the remaining nearly 300,000 troops were all main battle camps, of which another 100,000 infantry troops were removed. The remaining 200,000 were all war horses. It's just that in the past two years, military spending has been reduced and expenditures have been reduced, and the cavalry equipment has not been fully replenished, and the cavalry equipment in most war camps is still just a war horse with a light spear, halberd, and bow; Only a few cavalry battalions were issued with new equipment. Both combat effectiveness and defense have been strengthened.

But even so, it is not a problem to deal with the barbarian coalition. Therefore, Gong Jin and Zijing don't need to worry too much, Beidi County is garrisoned by 30,000 tiger battalion iron cavalry, and its main general is Dian Wei, who has followed me for many years, and the three deputy generals are also elites in a hundred battles, and they are experienced in fighting and killing enemies on the battlefield, and they are fully capable of blocking the attack of the barbarian army. ”

After taking a sip of hot tea, Li Li said with a smile: "The Taishou of Beidi County is my younger brother Li Xian, the county Chengfa is strategic, and he still joined the army in the Tiger Camp, and he is a rising star in our army." Therefore, I am not worried that the barbarian coalition army will be able to capture the Northland County, the only concern is how many soldiers and horses the Tiger Ben battalion has lost. Hehehe! ”

After Zhou Yu and Lu Su heard this, their hearts were settled, and the slightly eager look on their faces eased.

After drinking a cup of tea again, Zhou Yu asked softly: "The letter said that this barbarian Koubian was initiated by Yu Fuluo, the right virtuous king of the Southern Xiongnu, I don't know what entanglement this person has with our army?" ”

"Well, that's exactly what I'm anxious to know." Li Li bowed his head slightly and said, "Speaking of this Yu Fuluo, it's quite interesting. Yu Fuluo was originally the eldest son of Shan Yu Qiangqu of the Southern Xiongnu, and after Qiangqu was killed, he should take over from Shan Yu and lead the Southern Xiongnu tribe. Unexpectedly, before Qiangqu was murdered by his subordinates, Yu Fuluo led his troops outside and stationed troops in the area of Shangdang in Bingzhou. In this way, after the death of Lao Danyu, Yu Fu Luo failed to take over the throne, but was usurped by the Marquis of Subu Gudu, which forced Yu Fu Luo to return to the territory of the Southern Xiongnu. Subsequently, the Marquis of Subu Gudu was killed again, and Yu Fuluo's younger brother Hu Chuquan wanted to succeed Shan Yu, but was unanimously opposed by the tribal leaders. And Hu Chuquan didn't want his brother Yu Fuluo to return to the tribe, so he took advantage of the situation to push the tribal power into the hands of the old king of the Southern Xiongnu, forcing Yu Fuluo to have a home and not be able to return, so he could only mix with the white wave thieves and become a profit-only rogue. ”

Speaking of this, Li Li muttered with a slightly gloomy expression: "It is for this reason that I think that Yu Fuluo must have a plan for contacting various departments to attack Liangzhou this time, and it is likely that he wants to return to the Southern Xiongnu tribe and use the Koubian military exploits to justifiably ascend to the position of Shan Yu." In addition, he is arrogant and arrogant, and he has no one in his eyes, and when he sees that my Xiliang Army has not made a big move for two years, he wants to take advantage of my Li Li. If that's the case, this person is really a fool who doesn't know whether to live or die! ”

After Zhou Yu heard this, he couldn't help but show a contemptuous smile: "This Yu Fuluo actually plans to use my Xiliang Army as a stepping stone, and wants to establish military merits in the hands of my Xiliang Army, and then take charge of the Southern Xiongnu tribe." I have to say that this person is not small and ambitious. It's just that I don't know if he really has this strength or if he is whimsical, and he actually hit the idea on the head of our Xiliang Army, which is really ridiculous! ”

Listening to the words of Zhou Yu and Li Li, Lu Su suddenly stared at him, and said urgently: "No, I feel that this matter is a little strange!" Since Yu Fuluo wanted to establish meritorious deeds and increase the weight of his succession to Shan Yu, why didn't he choose to attack Sanfu to threaten Chang'an, but instead went around to Beidi County, which was hundreds of miles away, to march into the army?

In other words, did he want to use the Beidi County to directly attack the Southern Xiongnu tribe and seize Shan Yu's position by force? If this is the case, how can the old king of the Southern Xiongnu and his younger brother Hu Chuquan not take precautions? Since Yu Fuluo could not regain control of the Southern Xiongnu tribe in a short time, why did he lead his troops to invade Beidi County? ”

"Huh?" Li Lijian frowned slightly, nodded and said: "What Zijing said is not unreasonable, I also had this doubt when I first heard the emergency report. It's a pity that we have limited information at the moment, and any judgment is a groundless subjective assumption, and it is inevitable that there will be deviations. Only after we return to Xiliang can we truly understand the beginning and end of the matter, and it is not too late to discuss it then. ”

Before the words fell, Li Li instructed Lu Su: "Zijing then drafted a general order for me. First, he ordered the Huben battalion not to take the initiative to attack for the time being, so as not to encounter an enemy ambush or division and encirclement, so as to surrender the northern county to the Huns. Second, he ordered Li Xuan to raise grain and grass, repair ordnance, and raise 100,000 troops for two months' food and salary. Third, 20,000 infantry troops from the county government were requisitioned to stand by at any time, 10,000 heavy soldiers were mobilized to stand by, and Jin Yiwei was ordered to reorganize the armament and go with me when I returned to Chang'an. Well, so be it, and wait until we get back to get the rest of the arrangements. ”

"No!" Lu Su gladly accepted the order and immediately got up and prepared to leave.

At this time, Li Li suddenly raised his hand to signal him to wait, turned his head to Zhou Yu and asked, "Gong Jin, how long will it take us to reach Danjiangkou?" ”

"It'll be there in five days." Zhou Yu replied thoughtlessly.

Li Li bowed slightly, and calculated: "After I land on the shore, the accompanying property and wounded soldiers can be handed over to Xu Rong, and he will then send troops to Chang'an to hand over to Yuan Zhong." And we led the Jinfan Battalion to detour to Nanyang, from Wuguan to Chang'an, riding a fast horse, and arriving within three days. ”

After calculating the time, Li Li immediately said to Lu Su: "The letter stated that I will return to Chang'an in twelve days, and the Shuai's Mansion will be located in Chang'an General Wei's Mansion!" ”

"I can arrive in Chang'an in ten days, why is the lord like this?" Zhou Yu asked suspiciously.

Li Li chuckled when he heard this, shook his head and said, "Gongjin doesn't need to ask more, I have my own intentions, and I can't say it right now." Hehehe! ”

―――――――――――――― (To be continued)(To be continued......