Chapter 1364: Establishing prestige and credibility

Chapter 1364: Establishing prestige and credibility

The reason why the Liliao tribes are able to survive and thrive in Lingnan is not because they are strong, but precisely because they are unable to join the mainstream disputes in the world. They can only rely on the remote geographical location of Lingnan and the complex and changeable conditions within the territory. The mountains, rivers and wild terrain are developing slowly.

A few years ago, Chen Baxian took Lingnan as the starting point of his career, and his dreamlike rise was a profound lesson for the powerful chiefs in Lingnan. Later, the ups and downs of regional hegemony in Lingnan also taught these powerful chiefs who were watching from one side. They feel ready to make a move, wishing they could join in this trend to show their heroic qualities.

There are many reasons why Hou Andu has gathered such a huge momentum after returning home. But the facts have proved that without sufficient training and selection progress of the entire ethnic group, the current Lingnan slang tribes are useless in front of the real elite armed forces.

Led by their respective ambitious leaders, these barbarian tribesmen left their familiar settlements and came to the plains of Guangzhou to try their luck. At the beginning, they did rely on the strength of their numbers and Hou Andu. personal prestige and maintain a high fighting spirit.

But when the real test came, these members of the Barbarian tribe were completely unable to match the size of the huge army in terms of both their armament level and combat awareness. The battle with the Tang army's elite cavalry was a disaster for them.

The terrain outside Guangzhou City is flat and open, and there is no rugged terrain to avoid cavalry charges. Even these barbarian tribesmen did not know how to cooperate to avoid fighting, so the battle quickly turned into a one-sided massacre.

"Don't kill me, don't kill me! My father is the chief of Luozhou, and he can redeem his life with money..."

Many barbarian soldiers on the battlefield scrambled to flee, but there were also some barbarian soldiers who hugged tightly together. In such situations, they often protected the leaders inside.

Although these barbarian soldiers have poor fighting skills, they are simple-minded and highly obedient. Even in such a dangerous and harsh situation, a considerable number of them still ignore life and death and choose to use their own bodies as leaders to resist the weapons.

As for the powerful chiefs, they are still a little confused about the situation. They still think that this time's battle is similar to the village fights between them in the past. If they lose, they only need to shout to show weakness and pay money to be saved. Therefore, after realizing the huge gap in strength between them, there were many chiefs on the battlefield wailing loudly and begging for mercy.

"My lord, can these people who have asked to surrender be temporarily brought into the battle and taken elsewhere, and dealt with after the war?"

Some soldiers saw that more and more powerful chiefs were asking to surrender on the battlefield, so they returned to ask Li Xian for instructions.

After hearing the words, Li Xian pondered for a moment, then waved his hand and said: "No need, these barbarians are scattered in the mountains and fields. It is not easy to gather them together. It is a rare opportunity to fight in the plains. Let's kill a group of them first. If you don't pay for the money, there is no need to seal it." Knife, keep killing!"

A few simple words, but the meaning expressed was to directly sentence the barbarians present to death. Li Xian knew that the king's army used many troops to be benevolent and did not kill wantonly, but this should be treated according to different situations.

This is the first time that the Tang army has entered the Lingnan region to fight. The combat style adopted by the Tang army and the image it can establish are very critical factors for the future governance of Lingnan.

Lingnan is far away from the core area of ​​​​the rule of the Tang Dynasty, so the cost of governance must be very high, especially when encountering situations that require the use of troops. If divisions and brigades are dispatched from Guanzhong or Heluo areas to Lingnan, not to mention how much pressure there will be on logistics. Just in terms of timing, it may not be possible to make it in time.

Therefore, if you want to reduce the cost of governance in Lingnan in the future, you must adopt Jisi rule combined with the power of local chiefs. In order to make these powerful chiefs respect the Tang Dynasty's criminal laws and regulations and obediently obey the management, they need to have enough power to deter them, and the performance of the Tang army in the first battle in Lingnan is crucial.

The barbarians fear power but not virtue, and blind restraint will only make them think that they are weak and can be bullied. However, if they are tough and make them feel that their life and death depend only on the Tang Dynasty, they will establish long-term awe.

Li Xian wanted to use a killing to achieve sufficient deterrence. Putting aside the negative impact of being too brutal, if these barbarians want to challenge the authority of the Tang Dynasty again in the future and rely on the armed forces of their subordinates, they will take advantage of the danger and cause chaos. Then think about whether they can afford the high price of today's war outside Guangzhou!

As the barbarians fled in all directions, the fighting gradually moved away from the outside of Guangzhou. Xu Du, who had been besieged in the city for many days, and other soldiers who had entered the city to assist in the defense, as well as Ouyang He and his subordinates who were wearing ink, came out of the city to greet him. Li Xian also went to the gate of Guangzhou surrounded by soldiers.

"The guilty general Ouyang He returned to justice late and was trapped by thieves. Fortunately, General Li of Hexi Province came to rescue him regardless of the past suspicions and the superintendent. The guilty general and the entire city's soldiers and people were saved from death. We are grateful for our kindness and rebuilding." !”

Ouyang He was watching the battle on the top of the city before and was deeply surprised by the combat effectiveness displayed by the Tang army's elite cavalry. Therefore, when he came out of the city to greet them this time, his attitude was particularly respectful.

After Li Xian heard this, he smiled and said: "Ouyang City Lord is sincere in his return to righteousness. No matter how early or late he is, it is a meritorious service. What crime is there? Unfortunately, the journey is too long and he cannot arrive quickly. The old and young in the city have been intimidated by thieves for many days, especially with Ouyang. The governor of the state is a bit frugal, which is really a shame. What a pity! I have also heard of Ouyang Prefecture's famous name and prestige in southern China. Now that Lingnan has finally returned to his long-cherished wish, I hope that I can comfort his soul in heaven. Even though I am separated from the world by Yin and Yang, I should pay homage to him. Please invite City Lord Ouyang to lead you there!”

After Ouyang He heard the words, he quickly lowered his head in response, and then looked at the battle or massacre that was still going on outside the city, and said with some hesitation: "The slaves here were shocked to see the power of the heavenly soldiers, and their courage was exhausted. They were no longer able to continue. If we are going to fight, should we withdraw our troops immediately and allow our officials to spend all their treasures to entertain the reinforcements?”

"That's not necessary. The sons and gentlemen have traveled a long way and are thirsty for blood, so they feed them with these crazy and rebellious slaves. They will return when they are full!"

The smile on Li Xian's face was still kind, but what he said made Ouyang He feel cold sweat on his forehead. He did not dare to look at the tragic scene of mountains of corpses and seas of blood outside the city, and hurriedly led Li Xian to the city lord's palace. .

Arriving at the prefecture in the city, Li Xian first expressed his condolences to Ouyang Kai in the mourning hall, and then Ouyang He briefly introduced his wife, children, and family members to Li Xian.

"Is this your young master? You are really, really smart. When I paid my last respects to the Supreme Being before leaving for Luoyang, the Supreme Leader specially told Ouyang City Master Lin'er to take special care of him. Is this the young man in front of me? "

When Ouyang He's wife and children came in to greet him, Li Xian saw a dark-colored child who looked like a little monkey. Suddenly, his heart moved. He remembered that the Lord had specifically mentioned Ouyang He's son before, so he He asked casually, but he was very curious in his heart.

On the one hand, he was a little curious about how the Supreme Being knew so much about the situation in the Ouyang family in Lingnan, thousands of miles away. On the other hand, he was curious about how the unspectacular little monkey-like child in front of him was worthy of the Supreme Being. He even looked at it. A special warning. He originally wanted to ask if Ouyang He had any other sons, but he thought it was a bit rude and disrespectful to ask such a question, so he endured it for the time being.

Naturally, he had no idea how great an artistic achievement this ordinary-looking boy in front of him would achieve in the future. Even thousands of years later, his reputation would be widely spread. He was also the founder of calligraphy for His Majesty the current emperor. Of course, he had to give special advice. Don't let the chaos in Lingnan destroy Ouyang Xun.

"The Supreme Being knows how to breathe?"

After Ouyang He heard this, he was slightly surprised at first, and then cold sweat broke out on his back. He had the same idea as Li Xian. He was first curious about why the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty was so interested in his son, but soon he was frightened. He felt that there seemed to be a pair of big, all-seeing eyes in the void that were paying close attention to his family. , and knew his family affairs well. With this kind of feeling, no one would feel at ease.

A group of people had a brief exchange in the state capital for a period of time. The killing outside the city was coming to an end. The cavalry teams of the Tang Army had returned one after another. There were almost no slangs in the field of vision. There were corpses everywhere outside the city of Guangzhou, and there was a thick atmosphere. The smell of blood made people dizzy.

"The hot flashes in Lingnan are the most prone to epidemics. City Lord Ouyang needs to send the people out of the city to clean up as soon as possible to prevent the city people from being harmed by the epidemic."

After Li Xian climbed to the top of the city, he looked outside the city for a while, and then said to Ouyang He very thoughtfully. It was midsummer and May, and the Lingnan area was already very hot. If the corpses outside the city were allowed to rot and ferment, it would inevitably lead to a series of epidemics, which of course he was not happy to see.

After hearing this, Ouyang He nodded palely. He was also known for his bravery when he was in Lingnan in the past year, but now after seeing the tragic scenes outside the city, he lacked the courage to even look at Li Xian. Today, he finally understands what it means to regard human life as trivial. Li Xian's attitude of disregarding human life makes Ouyang He feel quite creepy even standing next to him.

Li Xian didn't care that in the eyes of others, he seemed to have transformed into a Shura demon who could stop children from crying at night. The war in Lingnan was not completely over yet, and he did not intend to stay in Guangzhou for a long time. Next, he asked Ouyang He and his subordinates Learn more about the situation here in Lingnan to formulate the next battle plan.

Not to mention what the situation was like here in Guangzhou, a few months later, Hou Andu once again embarked on the road of defeat. Because he was chased by the Tang army, he did not dare to return to Hengzhou, so he fled all the way to the southwest, and kept going. After escaping to the Feng family's lair near Yangjiang in Gaozhou, they felt a little safer.

After the people of the Feng clan saw Hou Andu, they hurriedly and respectfully welcomed him into the village, and couldn't help asking: "I heard that General Hou was gathering heavy troops to attack the Ouyang clan in Guangzhou, why did he come here suddenly?"

After hearing this, Hou Andu sighed, and without any attempt to conceal anything, he said directly: "Everything was going well in the attack on Guangzhou, but it was inappropriate for the Ouyang family to be so cowardly and unrighteous that they actually surrendered the city to the Northern captives, and the Tang army attacked from behind. Attack me unprepared, Because of the small setback, we need to gather more troops to attack and fight back!" "The Tang army has invaded Lingnan? The enemy is really rampant. Fortunately, General Hou is still in the territory to gather public support and preside over the big event. He will definitely be able to successfully repel the Tang army and protect us. Lingnan native land!”

Under the constraints of Mrs. Xian, the Feng clan did not lead their troops to participate in the siege of Guangzhou, so they did not know much about the situation there. After hearing Hou Andu's answer, they were surprised for a while, and then complimented Hou Andu again. Fan.

After hearing this, Hou Andu just forced a smile. Although he was a little optimistic in his heart, he still said: "Remember the crowd's recommendation, I should do my best!"

The Feng family owned more than one garden on both sides of Yangjiang River. Mrs. Xian, who was based elsewhere, was also shocked when she learned that Hou Andu had come to her sphere of influence. To be on the safe side, she did not go directly to meet Hou Andu. She just ordered the clansmen to entertain him with food and wine, and tried to avoid talking about the marriage between the two families. At the same time, she sent her spies to Guangzhou to find out the news.

However, Mrs. Xian did not bother to inquire about news from Guangzhou, and soon a large amount of relevant information came.

Gaozhou is adjacent to Guangzhou, and some defeated soldiers who were lucky enough to escape outside Guangzhou also arrived in Gaozhou one after another. When people asked about the situation in Guangzhou, these people trembled with horror on their faces: "Dead, They were all dead... The Tang army was as powerful as the heavenly army, completely invincible, and all tens of thousands of troops were killed..."

When the relevant news spread in Gaozhou, all the members of the Feng Xian clan became frightened and nervous. The bravery and cruelty of the Tang army completely exceeded their imagination, and they were secretly glad that they obeyed Mrs. Xian. Due to the restrictions, they did not go to Guangzhou to join in the fun, otherwise I was afraid that they would also die outside Guangzhou.

Not only the Feng clan members, but also Hou And were shocked when they learned that the Tang army was so brutal outside Guangzhou.

Although he repeatedly made enemies of the Tang army, he had to admit that the Tang army was second to none in terms of military discipline and style that he had seen. At the same time, they were also quite gentle towards the soldiers and civilians they conquered. However, what Tang Jun did outside Guangzhou this time subverted his previous imagination, and he quickly realized that his situation might not be good.

While everyone was just marveling at the brutality of the Tang army, but before any further change of mind, Hou Andu quickly offered to meet Mrs. Xian. Mrs. Xian was also frightened at this time, so she chose to meet Hou at her manor Andu.

"Preface: All the rumors about the Tang army are just hearsay and may not be believed enough. Now their army finally entered Lingnan and caused great disaster. The evidence is conclusive. Madam, you must know why I resisted the invasion of the Tang army so stubbornly, right? We still have the willpower, and we can still fight hard now, but If we fail to fight, the land will be trampled upon and all our descendants will be slaves. This must not be what Madam wants to see, right?"

After seeing Mrs. Xian, Hou Andu spoke in a deep voice.

After hearing this, Mrs. Xian also had a sad look on her face, and sighed and said: "There are many famous ministers and generals in the dynasty, but it is difficult for them to resist the invasion of the Tang army. I am just a foolish woman from Man Cave in Lingnan. What qualifications do I have to discuss the general trend of the world?"

"Madam, you are so self-effacing. I have admired your virtuous name for a long time. Although she is a woman, she has the vision and vision of a far-off husband. If there is anyone in Lingnan who can talk about big things with you, she is the only one."

Hou Andu said to Mrs. It’s difficult. Especially after the battle in Guangzhou, there is probably no one in this town who dares to be an enemy. I don’t ask my wife to help me fight the enemy, but please extradite me to Yazhou and allow me to recruit troops there. Brigade, continue to fight against the Tang army. It will be difficult for the Tang army to stay in Lingnan for a long time, and I will have to rely on my wife and other Lingnan chiefs to support me. My wife is very smart and should be able to understand the subtlety of this plan."

After Mrs. Xian heard this, her eyes flickered, but after pondering for a while, she still did not give Hou Andu a clear answer. She just said: "General Hou is tenacious and unyielding. It is really impressive." I admire you. My concubine has a plan, and it’s not just about honor and disgrace. My husband deceived me and left me with a lot of personnel work that I didn’t dare to slack off. Please allow me to think about it and give it to you after weighing it carefully. to reply!”

Hou Andu saw that Mrs. Xian was still hesitating, so he urged her again. If he wanted to cross the sea and escape to Yazhou to continue fighting against the Tang army, he must obtain the support of Mrs. Xian. Because this woman also had great influence in Yazhou, even the state government of Yazhou was reported to the imperial court for its establishment, and many officials in the territory followed her orders.

However, Mrs. Xian still refused and said that she would think about it again and did not agree directly. After Hou Andu left helplessly, she asked her tribesmen in confusion: "The atrocities committed by the Tang army in Guangzhou were so atrocious. Hou Da What the general said is quite reasonable. Besides, it was the Tang army who failed to intercept him when he fled to Yazhou. It is hard to blame others. Why shouldn't Madam?"

"General Hou's power is exhausted, but he can survive and dare to try anything. But my family's fortune is still there, so there is no reason to abandon it and become a thief! It is easy to lead General Hou to Yazhou now, but what happens next? Hou Da The generals may have the ambitions of eagles and wolves, but the Tang army has the courage of lions and tigers. One of them flees as a thief, while the other annexes across the territory. There is no need to compare who is stronger and who is weaker. "

After Mrs. Xian said this, she sighed and said: "General Hou taught me how to respect myself when raising bandits. He is too humble. With his will, strength and talent, even if he becomes a thief, it is not something that my family can easily handle. Now. The power is poor and he is low and begging for mercy, but when the situation changes, he is a great hero who once served as a domineering British master. How can he succumb to the master of the barbarian cave of my family? He is afraid that he will inevitably become a slave of thieves, let alone the Tang army? If the butcher's knife is not wiped and a grudge is made because of the selfish manipulation of the general, then the lives of the entire clan of men and women will be put to the test!"

Mrs. Xian naturally did not want to continue to be entangled with Hou Andu, but the brutal behavior of the Tang army made her worried. It is not a secret that Hou Andu defected here before. If Tang Jun blamed this, then it seems that only resistance can have a chance of survival.

While Mrs. If Feng captured Hou Andu in this prison car and sent him to the Tang army's camp, he could avoid the entire clan being destroyed. Otherwise, the Tang army would directly attack Yangjiang and wipe out the Feng Xian clan!

"The Tang army really bullied people so much and was so domineering and arrogant. Even if my general Hou was captured and sent to his camp, I'm afraid he wouldn't be spared. Instead, he would be given the name of injustice!"

After the people of the Feng clan learned about this, they all said angrily that they naturally did not dare to become enemies of the Tang army, but now the Tang army's arrogant attitude also made them dare not believe it. It should be noted that not long ago, Hou Andu was highly respected by the Lingnan tycoons. Now, if his family captures Hou Andu and sends him to the Tang army camp, some powerful chiefs will see him as a treacherous scum. If the Tang army attacks them again, , instead of being sympathetic, others will applaud.

However, Mrs. Xian ignored the comments of the clan members and directly ordered the capture and control of Hou Andu and his son. However, she did not directly send people to send Hou Andu and his son to the Tang Army camp. Instead, she prepared to board the prison car and go to the Tang Army. Camp.

Before leaving, she called her son and everyone in the clan, and said with a serious expression: "The Tang army is so powerful that it is difficult to defeat it, and it is not wise to resist rashly. Although our clan is small, we also have the desire to live a life and uphold righteousness. Now I will go first Go to the Tang camp to beg for mercy. If I live, I will sacrifice the lives of the Hou family and my son. If I am not tolerated by the Tang army, I will be seeking death. You can think about your future plans. "

When the Feng Xian clan members heard what Mrs. Xian said, they couldn't help but burst into tears for a while. However, under Mrs. Xian's stern scolding, they could only say goodbye with tears and watch Mrs. Xian sitting in the prison car heading to the Tang Army camp. Seeking a glimmer of hope for the clan members.

At this time, the main force of the Tang army was already stationed in the upper reaches of Yangjiang River. Li Xian also learned that the Feng Xian clan enjoyed a high reputation among the Lingnan slang groups. It happened that Hou Andu was fleeing into the Feng Xian clan's sphere of influence. So he used this method to attack Feng Xian with coercion.

However, when Mrs. Xian herself came to the Tang Army camp in a prison car to ask for an audience, Li Xian was also a little surprised.

Naturally, he had also heard people talk about this lady's reputation and past deeds. Now that he knew this, he immediately felt that this woman was unusual, so he came to the camp gate in person, pointed at Madam Xian on the prison car and said angrily: " This car was built to detain heavy prisoners. Who is the woman in the car and what is the matter with the criminal? "

"A foolish woman is guilty, and her crime lies in coveting a good reputation. A general is sent to heaven, and he is a heavenly general. The power of a battle shakes Lingnan, and no one dares to resist. But now, although the general's prestige is established, but his integrity is not yet established, the foolish woman is bold. I will test it with my own body. If I am tolerated, I will give it to you immediately. If I don't see my face, I will die. Unfortunately, this body will not be beneficial to the general's reputation."

Mrs. Xian knelt on the car and said to Li Xian calmly.

Although Li Xian's original intention was to give a blow to the Feng and Xian clans, he was quite impressed when he saw how courageous this lady was.

Of course, he did not want to kill everyone in Lingnan and shed blood into rivers. As Mrs. Xian said, after establishing power, one needs to establish trust and support, which is a good way to govern the country. The arrival of Mrs. Xian in front of him gave him a very good opportunity.

He stepped forward, ordered someone to open the fence of the prison car, and personally reached out to help Mrs. No harm!”

He personally invited Mrs. Xian into the camp to treat her politely, and then sent Jia soldiers to escort Mrs. middle.

As for Hou Andu and his son, they were naturally handed over to the Tang army through the hands of the Feng clan. Starting from the time when the division brigade crossed the river to issue a proclamation, and after more than half a year of fighting, from Wuzhong to Lingnan, Hou Andu, the stubborn traitor from the east of the Yangtze River, was finally trapped. Although this person was just a reason for the conquest of Lingnan, at this point, his final arrest also has extraordinary significance.

So Li Xian continued to distribute his troops to conquer other unsubordinated areas in Lingnan, and at the same time escorted Hou Andu back to the court to report his victory.

Sorry, sorry, the update is a bit late, two chapters in one. . .