Chapter 4276 Exchange of Interests
Looking at the angry and menacing Liang Jianfang, Niu Jinda was also a little frightened. After all, what Zuo Wuwei did in this matter was indeed unreasonable...
He hurriedly dismounted and walked forward with a smile on his face, and even took the initiative to hold Liang Jianfang's horse rein: "Haha, my dear brother, why are you so angry? At this moment, you have to admire my commander's military strategy. A simple golden cicada can escape from its shell. Then one leads you in The urn led Yuchi Gong to underestimate the enemy and advance rashly. Then he turned back with his carbine and killed Yuchi Gong. Yuchi Gong was defeated and fled in embarrassment... Haha, this time we not only held the defense line, but also annihilated a large number of rebels. It is a great achievement... …”
However, Liang Jianfang was indifferent to his extremely embarrassing excuse. He still gritted his teeth and asked angrily: "Where is Cheng Yaojin?"
Niu Jinda didn't hesitate at all, turned around and pointed: "My commander-in-chief is supervising the battle in Fanchuan, my dear brother, if you have anything to do, you can go by yourself."
Cheng Yaojin handled this matter unethically, causing Liang Jianfang's subordinates to suffer heavy casualties. Even Liang Jianfang himself was almost killed in the rebel formation. Naturally, he was very angry at this time. It was better not to let him down. If you have any anger, Cheng Yaojin Sprinkle gold on yourself...
Liang Jianfang snorted angrily, ignored Niu Jinda who had a mocking smile on his face, and galloped away towards Fanchuan in the south.
The Zuowuwei officers and soldiers around them looked at each other in disbelief, and their eyes towards Niu Jinda were inevitably filled with contempt...
Niu Jinda is a tough guy. He bleeds and sweats on the battlefield and charges forward. In the officialdom, he is low-key, tolerant and taciturn. He has always given people an image of integrity and selflessness. Now that he is "directing trouble to the east", not only others look down on him, but he himself is also embarrassed.
He coughed dryly, widened his eyes and yelled at me: "What kind of looks are you looking at me? This matter was originally caused by the commander. He should be the one to calm it down. What does it have to do with me? Everyone hurry up and clean the battlefield and treat the wounded." , there is no distinction between friend and foe, they are all warriors of the Tang Dynasty. The captives are quickly escorted back to Chang'an and handed over to Duke Wei. Don't get in our hands, there will be no benefit at all, and it will be all trouble if it is not done well. "
When he said this, the captains became excited. Although the words he just said to Liang Jianfang were more to appease him, one of them was quite good. Although this battle was somewhat unscrupulous and a combination of circumstances, in the end it was all about This victory was an outright victory. The defense line guarded by Zuo Wuwei was not breached by the rebels, and he also defeated Wei Chigong so much that he lost troops and generals. It was a great achievement.
As for Liang Jianfang and his subordinates who used the Zuowuwei to block Yuchi Gong's charge... they are all Tang troops and loyal to His Majesty, so why should they be separated from each other?
At worst, when applying for pensions after the war, Zuo Wuwei will give up more of his benefits...
Immediately, he began to clean up the battlefield with great enthusiasm. He not only provided timely treatment to the injured soldiers under Liang Jianfang's command, but also expressed his sincere greetings and solicitude. These soldiers who were angry were not angry, grateful, and very uncomfortable.
Less than half an hour later, the battlefield had been cleared, and the weapons and horses were collected by dedicated personnel. These were the spoils of war. The prisoners were escorted to the camp outside Chunming Gate and handed over to Li Jing for disposal. Although they were prisoners, they were also soldiers of the Tang Dynasty and could not be treated as such. The labor of building camps, digging trenches, etc. cannot be abused, so staying in the army is not only useless, but if there are more casualties, it will be unclear. If the censor is impeached, it is simply asking for trouble.
Niu Jinda commanded the soldiers, and when he turned around, he saw Cheng Yaojin and Liang Jianfang returning from the south. The two rode side by side, holding hands and talking to each other while riding, and laughing heartily from time to time...
Liang Jianfang, who was so angry just now, didn't look even remotely angry?
Niu Jinda sighed. The reason why his meritorious status can ensure that he can lead an army alone but has always been protected by Cheng Yaojin's wings. It is because he has self-awareness, fights straightforwardly and knows nothing about officialdom. He really deals with these people all day long. I don’t know when it was swallowed with all the skin and flesh.
Look at Liang Jianfang's face changing so quickly. He must have gotten some benefit from Cheng Yaojin. He gets angry when he should be angry, laughs when he should laugh, and can freely adjust between joy and anger. It's just this ability to change his face. , Niu Jinda sighed to himself...
Niu Jinda turned his head away from looking at these two smiling guys, cursing in his heart that they were not good things.
Cheng Yaojin and Liang Jianfang came to Niu Jinda and got off their horses together. Niu Jinda didn't want to see the hypocritical faces of the two men, so he had to step forward to greet them, and then reported the battlefield situation one by one.
Cheng Yaojin asked: "How is the situation over there with Yu Chigong?"
Niu Jinda said: "He has led his army to retreat to the camp on the west bank of Ba River, gathered the troops, reorganized the broken troops, and prepared for them. However, this time he lost at least 5,000 elite troops, and the remaining broken troops also lost their morale and spirit. It is no longer as aggressive and aggressive as before. If it is not replenished in a short period of time, it is unlikely to invade our defense line again.”
"That's good, that's good...Old thief Yuchi is also confused. Everyone is just for their own masters, so why bother to fight so hard? After all the men who have been following him for many years have been killed, who can still protect us?" Position of power..."
Cheng Yaojin said, when he saw Liang Jianfang's eyes twitching, he quickly changed the topic: "...Of course, each has his own master, and there is nothing wrong with that. I will write a battle report now, saying that General Liang took the initiative to cooperate with Zuo Wuwei and was willing to be used as bait. The matter of luring the enemy into the enemy's camp was laid out in detail, and at the same time, he strived for the highest level of pension for the sons of General Liang who died in the battle. "
Just as he was talking, a school captain came to report that thousands of right guard soldiers had been ordered by Liang Jianfang to come to support and had arrived not far away.
Cheng Yaojin immediately turned back and told Niu Jinda: "General Liang has suffered huge losses in this battle. We cannot just watch the friendly troops suffer losses and turn a blind eye. Just as the infantry under General Liang arrived, we will send people to hand over all the captures later. No private interception is allowed ”
Niu Jinda was speechless. As expected, the conditions were negotiated...
The gloomy look on Liang Jianfang's face finally faded, and he clasped his fists at Cheng Yaojin: "It is a duty for soldiers to sacrifice their country and fight against the enemy, and it is not for merit and fame. However, Lu Guogong can appreciate the hard work of soldiers and is willing to send them His merits and deeds have been well documented. He is truly fair and strict, and his mind is as big as the sea. I will admire him forever.”
There were a lot of nice things to say, but no words of gratitude for those captured.
It was all paid for by the lives of my soldiers, no one needs to thank you!
Cheng Yaojin didn't care about this. He laughed and patted Liang Jianfang on the shoulder with a very friendly attitude: "How can we talk about two families if we are one family? Our generation is getting old. We will not be able to hold a sword or ride a horse in the future. , let alone fight, the empire Our survival and the safety of the frontier can only depend on you young people. Work hard. With me and the old men at the center as your solid backing, you will be able to brave the battlefield with peace of mind and make achievements!”
*****
Li Jing sat outside the Chunming Gate and saw the faint morning light in the eastern sky. The mist in the distance had already risen between the mountains and ravines. The thin layer was like smoke and gauze. Soldiers and horses shuttled back and forth in the camp. He stayed up all night.
News of the war in Shaolingyuan and Gaopingyuan, southeast of Chang'an City, kept arriving. Li Jing was always on tenterhooks, and his anger at Cheng Yaojin for fleeing without a fight was growing.
Once the entire defense line is broken through from Cheng Yaojin, Yuchi Gong's army can directly break through Hongguyuan and Fengqiyuan, which are weak and almost undefended, to the north, and reach the Chang'an City. Whether the city can be breached is not yet said, but it may cause The situation in Guanzhong is turbulent, which is something he, the commander-in-chief, cannot bear.
Once the garrison in Guanzhong mobilized to respond to King Jin, the situation immediately deteriorated, and whether His Majesty's throne could be secure was a question...
"This old man!"
Li Jing muttered a curse and stood at the door for a long time. He went back to the table and took a sip of tea. He urged the soldiers outside the door: "Send scouts to investigate all the way south. Any information must be reported as soon as possible, especially... I must keep track of the battlefield situation at all times!”
"Here!"
The soldiers outside the tent did not dare to neglect when they heard this. They quickly got on their horses and galloped southward.
Soon, the soldiers returned...
"Commander-in-Chief, scouts and captains of Lu Guogong and Liang Jianfang arrived at the same time."
"Let them in!"
Li Jing suddenly stood up, his heart skipping a beat.
Although he has long boasted that he has practiced so well that he will not change his expression even if Mount Tai collapses in front of him, this battle is crucial to the development of the entire war situation. If Yuchi Gong breaks into Chang'an City, it is extremely difficult to predict how the situation will develop. I can't help but feel worried...
……
After half a stick of incense, Li Jing put down the battle report in his hand, raised his gray eyebrows, and stared at the two people in front of him like a hawk.
Under the lightning-like gaze, the captain who was sent by Cheng Yaojin and Liang Jianfang to present the battle report was like a thorn in the back, and a layer of sweat could not help but break out on his forehead.
It's not like "the king's aura is like substance" or something like that, it's just because these two people are guilty and know that everything written in the battle report is all nonsense. It's just that Cheng Yaojin needs this victory to wash away the guilt of "fleeing without fighting", while Liang Jianfang needs the compensation provided by Cheng Yaojin. Therefore, both parties have the same interests and cannot hide it, but they dare to bully...
Li Jing withdrew his gaze and read the battle report carefully again. He stood up and went to the map hanging on the wall. He compared the terrain and reviewed the battle history described in the battle report. With his extraordinary military attainments, it didn't take long for him to figure out the secret behind this battle report.
As a commander-in-chief, he resented Cheng Yaojin for escaping from the battlefield and playing tricks. However, as a commander-in-chief, as long as the front line was maintained and the enemy was defeated, Cheng Yaojin not only had no fault, but had merit. As for his dereliction of duty and disloyalty to the country, , that is something that His Majesty needs to consider.
He also understood why Liang Jianfang was "Li Daitao Jian" who resisted the rebel charge. After suffering heavy losses, he and Cheng Yaojin submitted this battle report together with Yan Huan. Anyway, his soldiers were already dead and injured, so he continued to pester him. Cheng Yaojin's right and wrong will not help the situation, it is better to exchange this for Cheng Yaojin's support to enrich the combat power of his subordinates.
And this compensation must far exceed Liang Jianfang’s losses...
Looking at it this way, there seems to be no loser in this battle. Cheng Yaojin not only has no fault but has merit. Liang Jianfang was bitter at first and then sweet. He, the coach, ensured that the battle line was not lost and he did not neglect his duty. The imperial court stabilized the Bashui defense line and was defeated at the same time. The rebels' attempt... All in all, the only loser was Yuchi Gong. He abandoned his armor and fell short of success. Not only did he suffer serious losses and his foundation was seriously shaken, he also faced the wrath and accountability of the King of Jin.
"The commander will submit the battle report to His Majesty for reading later. You go back and tell Cheng Yaojin and Liang Jianfang that the battle line must be stabilized. If anything goes wrong again, we will settle the old and new accounts together!"
"Here!"
The two captains didn't dare to stay any longer, so they responded and hurriedly turned around and left, returning to their respective stations to report back to the commander.
Li Jing put the battle report into an envelope and ordered it to be sent to the palace immediately to be presented to His Majesty. (End of chapter)