They marched in a mighty procession with canopies, flags, and cavalry, with captured county officials leading the way with gongs.
The first forty knights, the middle forty, and the last forty were arranged in a long shape. Each of them held a long shield and a long spear, which could be used for both charging and throwing.
Luo Shixin put on a brand new suit of armor and a red cape, rode a white horse, and passed through the center. Along the streets, tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians on both sides bowed their heads and shouted, "Greetings, General Luo!"
The sound shook the whole city and the glory was unparalleled. This was what it meant to be a boastful general.
On a high building, Li Chunfeng watched this and couldn't help but smile. He said to Zhang Xuanning: "The lord treats him so well, making him a fifth-rank general, granting him a grand banquet, rewarding him with praises, giving him land and houses, and treating him with the greatest courtesy among all the ministers. Luo Shixin will surely be able to serve the lord loyally."
Zhang Xuanning smiled, shook his head and said, "Brother, please don't laugh at me. Luo Shixin is a top-notch martial artist. He has been in the army for a long time and is a great general. He is really what our army needs. It is only natural that he is treated with such courtesy."
According to the Sui system, the general manager held military and political power, and was therefore equivalent to the ministers of various ministries, and was a third-rank official. Zhang Xuanning also followed this organization. Although he did not become king at this time, the organization had already begun to take shape.
There have been some changes compared to the Sui Dynasty, and the main changes now are in the local official system and the military system.
In each county, there is a prefect, who is of the fifth rank, the county magistrate is of the fifth rank, the county lieutenant and the county chief clerk are of the sixth rank, and the various departments (household, law, personnel, rites, engineering, and agriculture) are of the seventh rank.
In a county, there is a county magistrate. The county magistrate is of the seventh rank, the county assistant is of the seventh rank, the county lieutenant and the county chief clerk are of the eighth rank, and the heads of each department (household, law, personnel, rites, engineering, and agriculture) are of the ninth rank.
Whether it is a county or a prefecture, the household official is responsible for counting the able-bodied men in the county and registering the households; the field official is responsible for reclaiming farmland, counting the acres of land, and distributing land to the families of officers and soldiers according to regulations; the warehouse official is responsible for collecting rent from the people and counting the county government warehouses. These three officials have the most important powers and responsibilities, and the three counties have been established.
The military system is that five teams form a garrison, the garrison leader is of the ninth rank, five garrisons form a battalion, the chief officer is the Peirong Colonel, who is of the eighth rank. Four battalions, with 1,200 people, form a guard. The chief officer is the Zhiguo Colonel, who is of the sixth rank. Four battalions form a prefecture, with 5,000 people. The chief general is the Dingde General, who is of the fourth rank. Three prefectures form an army, with 15,000 people. He is of the third rank and is the Xuanwei General.
Of course, there are some middle classes among them.
Now Luo Shixin's official position was directly granted to him as a fifth-rank guerrilla general, in charge of the 1,500-man Cavalry Guard, only below the other three generals who had followed him a long time ago. This high position was honorable enough. Luo Shixin had been in the army for a long time, so of course he knew it.
Li Chunfeng also smiled and said, "My lord, if you do this, heroes will flock to you to join us."
Both of them are smart people, so they just laughed it off.
In fact, Zhang Xuanning’s intention was to imitate Prince Dan of Yan’s policy towards Jing Ke.
Prince Dan of Yan came down to meet Jing Ke and treated him with courtesy. He honored Jing Ke as a senior minister and gave him a superior residence. Prince Dan even went to greet him every day, held banquets, presented him with rare treasures, and even gave him carriages, horses, and beautiful women. The wise man sneered at this kind of kindness and said, "Jing Ke must die!"
The reason is very simple. If you receive such a favor but refuse to die for it, people all over the world will despise you. No matter where you flee to, no master will accept you as a person who refuses to die for it.
Therefore, in history, when the prince asked Jing Ke to be an assassin, Jing Ke knew that he was going to die, so he could only sing: "The wind is whistling and the Yi River is cold, the warrior will never come back once he leaves!"
And had to die.
Now that Zhang Xuanning has been so kind to you and promoted Luo Shixin, Luo Shixin had no choice but to follow him. The reason for this was still this sentence: Zhang Xuanning has been so kind to you, yet you want to betray your master. Who will dare to accept such an unfaithful person in the future?
Of course, it is also for the purpose of paying a huge sum of money for bones - listen, heroes of the world, I, Zhang Xuanning, am extremely eager for talents. If you come to me for help, I will promote you greatly!
These two kinds of political tactics, when used by a ruler, are nothing but a natural outcome. If one adds to this the deliberately promoted ballad and story "Luo Shixin and Qin Qiong were promoted because they met a wise ruler" (this has now been made up and the outer members of the Embroidered Uniform Guard have been commissioned to spread it around), then it will be difficult for these two people to turn back.
If they rebel again, they will be killed. Not only will they not have a bad reputation, but everyone in the world will praise them. The two of them will also be branded as thieves for all eternity, and will never be able to turn over a new leaf after death. Even if they defect to another camp, the lords and colleagues of that camp will be suspicious of them. Even if they are used for a while, they will not have a good ending in the future.
Besides, showing kindness to the soldiers does have some effect, and rewarding them with wine and food is enough.
Of course, if there are too many favors, it will become commonplace, so this kind of power politics is only carried out among a limited number of people.
After laughing, Li Chunfeng continued to report: "My Lord, on November 18, Cao Shiqi personally led the rebel army to attack Yuzhang County, an important town in Jiangxi. He took advantage of the enemy's unpreparedness and captured Yuzhang in one fell swoop, and Liu Ziyi quickly rushed to Yuzhang. Upon hearing the news, Cao Shiqi personally led his troops to fight outside the city on November 20. He was shot and killed in the battle. The rebel army suddenly lost its marshal, the morale of the army was shaken, and it began to retreat. Lin Shihong made a prompt decision and stepped forward to become the lord. The war was in a stalemate, and it has been stalemate for three days now."
"Are you sure it's true?"
"Yes, several investigations have already explained it."
"Very good, our army has also been reorganized. I will give you 1,000 men, 4,000 wounded soldiers, and 3,000 conscripted soldiers to defend Dongyang County. I will lead my 24,000 men and 6,000 conscripted soldiers to attack Poyang County. At this time, Poyang County was first breached by the bandit army, and then the bandit army reached Yuzhang County. Moreover, after Cao Shiqi died, Lin Shihong succeeded to the throne, but after all, his foundation is not stable. Hehe, what a rare opportunity!"
Although Zhang Xuanning did not remember many specific histories of Lin Shihong, there was no doubt that he was taking advantage of the situation. It was not because Zhang Xuanning was so wise and Cao Shiqi was so stupid. The reason was very simple. At that time, all the nearby counties were empty. Yuzhang County was an important town and very critical. Even Zhang Xuanning had to take it even if he was in this position.
It's just that Cao Shiqi was unlucky and died in battle, and no matter how wise and brave Lin Shihong was, he needed some time to consolidate his position as the new lord, so Zhang Xuanning could give it a try.
"Does Li Mi have any more information?"
"Li Mi organized the Pushan Public Camp and selected the best soldiers. He got 7,000 elite soldiers. Although the number is small, it is the first-class army in the Wagang Army. With Li Mi's family background and reputation, many people in the Wagang Army have attached themselves to him. It has become a force to be reckoned with. It is said that they are in training and will be ready for battle next spring."
"Well, keep exploring!"
Li Mi was actually very beneficial to Li Yuan. His official Liu Xie once said: "Your Excellency has had a long history with the Chang'an clan. Although you did not join the uprising, you blocked the Eastern Capital and cut off the return route of the Sui Dynasty, allowing the Tang Dynasty to occupy the capital without a fight. This is also your achievement."
In other words, it was because Li Mi cut off the traffic between the north and the south that the Li family seized the opportunity and easily took Chang'an and Guanzhong. This meant that they took more than a dozen counties at once, and all of them were key counties with dense populations.
In comparison, Zhang Xuanning took advantage of Cao Shi's begging for death and Lin Shihong's initial accession to power to defeat him in one fell swoop and seize the two counties of Poyang and Yuzhang. This was just child's play, not even one-tenth of his victory.
Zhang Xuanning panicked whenever he thought of this. He vaguely remembered that after Lin Shihong proclaimed himself emperor in Yuzhang, he led his troops to attack Jiujiang, Linchuan, Nankang, Yichun and other counties. The heroes in these places all rose up to kill the officials of the Sui Dynasty and submitted to Lin Shihong, and soon unified the entire province of Jiangxi. Then, he sent troops to attack the counties of Nanhai. Wherever the army went, the officials of the Sui Dynasty fled.
According to the current situation, it is indeed possible, but this must wait until the beginning of next year, when Li Mi seizes Luokou Granary, gathers a million soldiers, and officially cuts off the north and the south. At this time, the Sui Dynasty does not have any mobile forces in either the south or the north. Therefore, whoever can rise quickly at this time can immediately sweep over a dozen or even twenty counties.
It can be said that Li Mi's actions officially led to the collapse of the Sui Dynasty.
"Humph, your Li family was able to use the world created by Li Mi to accomplish things in the north. Can't I use the same opportunity to start an uprising in the south? Once I defeat Lin Shihong, I will personally declare myself king and announce that I have obtained Yang Gong's treasure. I also have 50,000 elite soldiers. The nearby counties will surely come to me one after another. It is possible that I will own more than a dozen counties at once. The key is that I must defeat Lin Shihong this year!"
At that moment, 30,000 people, together with 2,000 elite cavalry, rushed out in full force and headed straight for Poyang County. The county towns along the way had already been destroyed by the rebels, and the rebels had no established official system, so they all surrendered without a fight until they reached Poyang County City. The rebels who remained in Poyang County City, seeing that the situation was not good, immediately abandoned the city and fled - in fact, it was impossible for them to defend themselves, as they were a bandit army that killed officials and seized cities. They had no order at all, and they were few in number, so this was the only choice they had.
When he arrived at Poyang County City, Yuan Bin's hometown, he immediately summoned his old subordinates. Many officials who had not been killed also came to join Zhang Xuanning. Zhang Xuanning did not hesitate and directly appointed him as the Poyang County Magistrate to stabilize the situation. Of course, he also left behind a thousand soldiers to take command.
The army rested for only one day and then headed straight for Yuzhang County. When they really arrived, Cao Shi begged for death and Lin Shihong became the new lord. However, the news of the loss of Poyang County came immediately. Suddenly, the rebel army was in chaos. Not only did Lin Shihong not defeat Liu Ziyi as in history, but it was Liu Ziyi who defeated Lin Shihong and captured the city of Yuzhang County.
Lin Shihong had lost the city of Yuzhang County and his food supplies, and was in a semi-collapsed situation. Three days later, he was caught up by Zhang Xuanning's army.
At the first light of dawn, all the leaves have fallen from the flat forests and mountains.
Zhang Xuanning's 30,000 troops were densely packed, occupying several miles of land, and surrounded Lin Shihong's troops. Lin Shihong's troops' flags were in disarray, obviously because of their sudden attack, they were at a loss, panicked and frightened.
Zhang Xuanning's 30,000 troops were deployed on the plain in an orderly formation. When they saw the enemy panicking and setting up their troops on the hilltop, everyone suddenly became eager to fight and was eager to give it a try. After all, everyone understood that the enemy was no match for them.
Seeing this, Luo Shixin laughed loudly and said, "My lord, although the enemy army has 20,000 soldiers, they have already been defeated without a fight. Please allow me to lead my troops to attack, and we can defeat them and capture and kill their leader."
Zhang Xuanning looked at him and nodded in approval, obviously understanding the truth. However, he still smiled and said, "I will send an envoy to persuade him to surrender. If he obeys, we can avoid war. It will only take two quarters of a second!"
After saying this, he sent an official, holding a flag and riding a horse straight ahead.
Zhang Xuanning certainly knew that his army was well rested and their morale was high. If they delayed, their momentum would only be weakened. Therefore, the time given was not long. A little reorganization would make them more powerful. This was also the principle of military strategy.
I saw a rider approaching, but before long, a head appeared hanging on a flagpole, which must be the head of the envoy.
Zhang Xuanning was immediately furious, and suddenly remembered that in his past history, this person was a typical example of someone who would rather die than surrender. Even in the original history, five years after the founding of the Tang Dynasty, it had occupied most of the world. Du Fuwei had already surrendered, and the peasant armies in the southern regions were either defeated or surrendered, with only a few left. However, he did not surrender and was determined to fight to the death.
This kind of character should be admired, but when it is applied to oneself, it is absolutely intolerable.
Zhang Xuanning immediately wanted to kill him. The reason was very real. This guy was determined not to surrender and had a strong character. No matter how hard the attack was, he would continue to fight as long as he was not dead. He was a typical person who would not give up. If he turned into a bandit and fought a guerrilla war with him, Zhang Xuanning, in the south, then it would be over.
Suddenly, five thousand men wearing paper armor, looking very powerful and holding spears, rushed forward, while on the sides, there were five thousand men each to support them. The central army of eight thousand, together with two thousand cavalry, followed closely behind and advanced slowly.
The rumbling sound of the army's drums added to the military's might.
As soon as they got closer, there was a deafening cry of killing and arrows flying everywhere, and it was time for a close combat.
But no matter how talented Lin Shihong was, he was actually powerless under such circumstances. He had only been in power for a few days and had not even integrated the rebels. In addition, due to the failure of the battle, his prestige was not established from the beginning. As a result, as soon as the battle started, the rebels fled in all directions, with people shouting and horses neighing, in such chaos as if the end of the world had come.
Zhang Xuanning watched, and although his expression did not change, he was actually very happy in his heart. What he liked most was to attack when others were in a period of transition, especially against an insurgent army that had not been tested by years of war and had not been trained and reorganized - fighting against such an army would guarantee victory and no defeat.
If given two years, with Lin Shihong's ability, he might be able to train a strong army, but at this time, it is just a mob!
After fighting for half an hour, the battlefield became one-sided, with only one regiment of soldiers still able to maintain their formation.
"My lord!" Luo Shixin stepped forward and said, he had been in the army for a long time, of course he knew that now was the best time for cavalry to attack, once a breakthrough was made, the enemy army would collapse completely.
"Well, it's time, Shi Xin, go and take Lin Shihong's head. Don't let him get away, otherwise we will be in big trouble."
"Yes, lord, I understand." Luo Shixin responded. In fact, there was no need to remind him. He joined the army at the age of fourteen and of course knew the trouble with the rebel army - as long as the leader was not killed, they would come back again.
He immediately jumped on his horse, gave an order, and four thousand horses galloped forward at the same time, roaring to the sky. Luo Shixin led his thousand men and charged straight at the enemy.
The cavalry was so fast that they reached the opposite side in a blink of an eye. Although the enemy knew that they had cavalry, they were completely helpless at this time. They killed the enemy and threw their men and horses to the ground, and immediately broke the resisting bandit army into pieces.
Seeing that the cavalry's morale was as high as a rainbow, they broke into the enemy's formation like a long snake, as fast as a sharp arrow and as lightning. Lin Shihong also personally led a cavalry to rush down to intercept them. This was his last resistance.
Suddenly, the two cavalry units met and fought in close combat. Luo Shixin was in the front and invincible. Every time he swung his sword, he immediately killed the opponent, and no one who stood in his way was spared. His strength as a first-rate brave general was fully exerted.
The overall situation has been decided, and there are first-rate brave generals willing to sacrifice their lives. Although Lin Shihong himself can be considered a first-rate master, the other conditions are simply incomparable. Although he hopes to turn the tide, since ancient times, there has never been a place more realistic and cruel than the battlefield. If the defeat is inevitable, even if Sun Wu is resurrected or Kong Ming is reborn, they will be powerless to save the situation.
The second battle took not long. After all, Lin Shihong's cavalry could not compare with the experienced cavalry, and they fell one after another. At this time, the enemy army had been defeated, and the mountains and plains were full of fleeing enemy troops.
Seeing this, Luo Shixin burst into laughter: "Lin Shihong, you present your head!"
Almost at the same time, Zhang Xuanning's 800 cavalrymen also rushed down, circled around, each equipped with a crossbow, and surrounded Lin Shihong, not giving him any chance to escape.
Lin Shihong's personal soldiers were getting fewer and fewer, and Luo Shixin's cavalry was entangled with him tightly. Even a first-class master would find it difficult to escape in such a situation. At this moment, Luo Shixin raised his long sword and started fighting with Lin Shihong head-on.
Luo Shixin was a soldier, not a warrior, so of course he didn't mind a group fight. His men were divided into several groups, cooperating with Luo Shixin in the attack from the front, back, left and right. In just a few minutes, Lin Shihong was stabbed dozens of times. Although he roared in anger, he could not change the situation at all. After a while, he blocked Luo Shixin's sword again, and felt that his true energy was exhausted. At this moment, several long swords and spears stabbed into him and pierced him through.
Luo Shixin rushed forward and swung his long sword. Suddenly a head flew into the air. He spurred his horse again, stretched out his hand, and grabbed the head's hair. At this time, the head still had its eyes open and a ferocious expression. It had not died immediately.
But Luo Shixin didn't care at all. He had killed countless people, so this was nothing. He rode back immediately, dismounted excitedly, and presented the bloody head: "My lord, I have killed this beast."