Chinese New Year

Chapter 646 Sheep and Liu
Yang Kai did not stay in Guanggu for long.

Since we can't reach an agreement, let's not talk about it. Although it's a bit regrettable, Yang won't be able to get this great achievement.

After leaving Guanggu, he rushed all the way back to Mount Tai, surrounded by dozens of followers. He immediately wrote down in detail what had happened in the recent period and sent it to Bianliang.

After doing all this, he finally had the energy to visit relatives and friends and have a good rest.

The Yang family of Taishan was a large clan, with its main branch in Nancheng County at the border of Lu State, and branches in Juping and Liangfu counties. As for its influence, it spread across several surrounding counties.

Perhaps because the situation was tense, it was already past the fifteenth day of the twelfth lunar month, but the farmhands were still conducting their final exercise.

The platform for commanding generals was set up.

The elders of the clan sat in the middle, while the young and strong young men were arranged under the twelve banners on the left and right.

Every time the drum sounded, young men would wear armor and hold weapons, ride out on horseback, and then command the farmhands to form various formations.

Over the past ten years, the Yang family of Taishan has always been dragged into the vortex of troubled times and forced to engage in various fights.

Wang Mi, Jin Zhun, Shi Le, Zhao Gu, Cao Yi...

Enemies one after another, the battle never ends.

At the beginning, they were in a panic even when facing Wang Mi's refugee army. They were defeated several times in a row and were vulnerable.

After learning from the painful experience, he spent a lot of money to recruit officers of the imperial guards who were rich in knowledge of battle formations, and invested a large amount of money and food to train his troops and farmhands to improve their combat effectiveness.

By the time the Battle of Gaoping broke out, the Yang family army had changed a lot. Even though they could not win a field battle, they could rely on cities, forts, manors, and even small fortresses such as beacons to hold their ground and wait for reinforcements. During this period, there were even brave Yang family members who took the initiative to attack and launched several small counterattacks, although the results were not very good.

By the time Shi Le's army raided Henan that year, the Yang family had become very stable. They had learned to use their familiarity with the geography to mobilize various forts and manors to limit the activities of Shi Le's cavalry, and then seize the weaker parts of their cavalry and pursue them relentlessly.

In recent years, he led troops from three to four counties and engaged in legion-level battles with Cao Qi, accumulating very valuable experience in large-scale combat.

Many things are explored and perfected step by step. What's more, the Yang family already had a foundation. It's not that they were completely ignorant of battles and fighting. It's just that after many years of peace, their skills were wasted.

But after learning a bitter lesson in the beginning, they slowly adjusted over a period of ten years. In addition, with the great power entrusted to them by Lord Liang and their great trust, and with many conveniences, the family reversed its decline and can now deal with this chaotic world with greater ease.

"Weilang, come here." Yang Chen, the right Sima of the General's Mansion, stood on the edge of the platform, waved his hand and said.

"Father." Yang Kai walked over and saluted.

"Why are you still staying at home? Are you reluctant to leave your wife and children?" Yang Chen asked with a frown.

Yang Kai smiled bitterly: "Grandpa, the New Year is only ten days away, do you still have to rush around?"

"My father is the governor of the six counties' military and civilian affairs, and I can't leave. You can't leave either?" Yang Chen waved his hand, not wanting to listen to his son's explanation. He only said, "Lord Liang will certainly accept the congratulations of the ministers tomorrow. You are a servant after all. Shouldn't you stay in Bianliang?"

"Grandpa, Mr. Liang is considerate of me and let me go back after the first month of the lunar year. Why do you..." Yang Kai complained.

"Come back quickly." Yang Chen said firmly, "In February, I will send someone to send your family to Bianliang as well. There must be many gatherings and banquets in Bianliang from the end of January to the middle of February. There is no harm in participating in them."

"Okay." Yang Kai agreed helplessly.

He knew his father was doing this for his own good.

Before the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, officials and scholars in Bianliang usually celebrated the New Year with their families.

After the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, there will be more opportunities to meet colleagues and friends, which is a good time to make friends.

If one wants to develop in officialdom, one must seize these opportunities. Yang Kai can understand this.

"Over in Jibei..." Yang Chen was about to introduce the situation when the audience became noisy.

The father and son looked together and saw several members of the Yang family showing off their skills in infantry and cavalry combat.

Yang Kai was sharp-eyed and discovered that one of them was his younger brother Yang Quan.

Yang Quan studied literature and martial arts since he was young, but in terms of family development, he was prepared to take the path of a civil servant, and he had been preparing for this for many years, including but not limited to attending banquets, debating with others, and finding people to flatter and comment on him.

A few years ago, he entered the State of Lu twice in times of crisis, took over local counties, sorted out government affairs, and appeased the people. After the task was completed, he resigned - this was also a means of accumulating fame, because his target was obviously the officials in Liang Gong's government.

However, as the situation changed, Yang Quan began to change his ways and take the military route.

At this moment, he was riding on a horse, holding a scary-looking lance, waving, stabbing, and poking non-stop, corresponding to different tactical movements.

Swinging, usually when charging into an infantry formation, using the huge weight of the lance to sweep down the enemy soldiers.

Stabbing is usually used when cavalry is charging.

The "Bo Tiao" technique is when cavalrymen with lances pass by the periphery of the infantry formation, they push away the spear shafts and pick up and throw people off.

Not everyone can wield heavy cavalry weapons. Those who lack strength can only use light lances and spears.

The horse lance in Yang Quan's hand was much thicker and longer than the ones used by ordinary people, but he was so strong that he didn't feel any sluggishness when wielding it. If you can handle this kind of super-heavy weapon during training, you can switch to a smaller one in real combat and you can do a lot more.

"I'm afraid Lord Liang will not try to appease Cao Yi again?" Yang Kai suddenly asked.

"No." Yang Chen said softly, "Since the moment I came to Mount Tai, I won't do that. You went to Guanggu just to paralyze Cao Yi."

Yang Kai smiled bitterly.

A descendant of an aristocratic family like him can only be a chess piece on the chessboard of the world.

It doesn’t matter really.

This mission will be a good thing in the future, and Lord Liang will compensate for it. From now on, among the descendants of the Yang family, he will take the path of civil servants, his brother Yang Quan will take the path of military commanders, and the others are not yet twenty years old, so there is no way to choose a path.

Of course, if the world becomes chaotic, he can also become a military general, after all, his martial arts skills have not been lost.

If the world gradually becomes peaceful, there will be no need for that. It would be nice to be a civil servant for the rest of your life.

My father started out as an aide to the emperor, and rose to the position of governor and minister of state, before being dismissed and staying at home. He looked like a civil servant, but when King Lun of Zhao forcibly recruited him, he stole a warhorse without a saddle or stirrup, rode it bareback, fired bows with both hands, shot back King Lun's pursuing troops, and fled back to Mount Tai.

If he hadn't shown this skill, everyone would have thought that his father, who had been a civil servant for most of his life, was completely powerless.

The descendants of Taishan Yang family are not so fragile.

"Go back." Yang Chen urged again, "Liu Ling has recruited many people in Jibei, and they all come with weapons. By March or April next year, there will be more soldiers. By then, Cao Yi will be besieged on three sides, and he won't be able to hold out for long. After defeating Cao Yi, Lord Liang will definitely take away his troops and power. How to maintain the family business at that time, you have to think carefully. Do you understand?"

"I understand." Yang Kai immediately understood the key.

After seizing Qingzhou, Duke Liang would certainly restrict the Yang family of Taishan to prevent the emergence of armed forces that were not under his supervision in the heartland.

Because to be honest, if Lord Liang suffered a disastrous defeat on the front line, a big clan like their Yang family could directly change the local flag. It could even affect more than just Taishan County, and could include several counties.

No one can ignore their threats.

******
The north wind was howling and heavy snow was falling.

Liu Ling returned from hunting with more than 3,000 soldiers.

It was getting dark and the gates of Jibei City were closed. Liu Ling went forward personally and shouted for a long time.

The guards on the city wall peered around for a long time, and after confirming that the foreign soldier belonged to Liu Ling, they let him in.

More than 3,000 people rushed into the military camp carrying pheasants, foxes and rabbits, and soon began to set up pots to boil water and prepare the prey.

An officer named Duan Ya came to the city. It was said that he was a captain from Youzhou. He brought hundreds of cavalry with him and filled the city to the brim - there was even no room for them to live. More than a thousand horses were left inside the low wall outside the city and were taken care of by servants.

The more than 3,000 soldiers recruited by Liu Ling were terrified when they saw them.

Tall horses, a steel torrent, wearing face curtains and holding long spears, they rushed into the infantry team like a torrent of wind and rain and drove them into the river like sheep.

The wailing sounds were incessant and had almost become a nightmare deep in the memories of these Taoist priests.

"Bah!" Liu Ling looked at the armored Xianbei cavalry stationed in the next-door military camp and cursed with a smile: "They are beggars. Youzhou can't support them anymore, so they come to Jibei to beg for food."

The soldiers forced a smile.

Compared to eight or nine years ago, this group of Xianbei people have changed.

Their equipment was better, and they were better at fighting. War was the best way to train people, and everyone was making progress, but they still had a deep fear of the Xianbei cavalry.

"General, the doctor of the Marquis's Mansion arrived this afternoon and said that Cao Yi might come to plunder after the New Year, so we need to be prepared." The junior officer who stayed behind in the military camp came to report.

"It's a small matter. Aren't there still those Xianbei people?" Liu Ling sneered and said, "If Cao Yi comes, we can trick him into going to Jibei and charge him with our cavalry. We'll see how many of his men can return."

The lieutenant was one of Shao Xun's personal soldiers and knew how to fight. He nodded and said, "There will be another troop of Xianbei light cavalry coming in the first month of the year. There are about 2,000 cavalrymen and they have already arrived in Anping."

"There are so many cavalrymen?" Liu Ling said in surprise, "Why not just go and plunder Cao Wei?"

"Lord Liang has not yet appointed a commander-in-chief, so General, please do not act rashly," the lieutenant advised.

Liu Ling looked at him with disdain but said nothing in the end.

"Then let's celebrate the New Year first." He sighed and said, "After the New Year, I will go back to my hometown in Qingzhou and chop off Cao Yi's head! What the hell, when I was a Heavenly Master, who was Cao Yi? I had never heard of him."

In terms of qualifications, Liu Ling is really scary.

When Liu Borgen started the rebellion in the past, Wang Mi defected to him. Later, when Liu Ling joined the group, he became a general under Wang Mi. Cao Yi had not yet emerged.

When the rebels were at their peak, Wang Jun sent 5,000 Xianbei cavalrymen southward to drive them away in all directions. At that time, Liu Ling was with Wang Mi, and Cao Yi even lost contact with him for a while.

What the hell!
If we compare his "qualifications" before the uprising, Lao Liu is even more amazing. After all, he was the one who lamented why the world was not in chaos during peaceful times, and he was preparing for the troubled times early on, an old rebel.

"Has anyone come to surrender in the past few days?" Liu Ling asked again.

"Yes." The lieutenant replied, "About 200 to 300 people. According to them, if it weren't for the New Year, there would be more people coming to surrender."

Liu Ling smiled proudly, there are many people who know my reputation!

"After we win a few battles, they will flock to us to surrender." Liu Ling felt somewhat excited.

He heard from someone yesterday that Cao Mengde conquered the Yellow Turbans in Qingzhou and countless of them surrendered. In the end, he organized them into an army and considered them elite.

There was also a man named Zang Ba, who took advantage of the situation and became more and more powerful, making people very enviable.

If Liu Ling could recruit Cao Qi's troops for Duke Liang, how could he not be promoted step by step?

That big fool Cao Wei claimed to have "more than 100,000 soldiers", but there were definitely no more than 20,000 of them who could fight, and most of them were Gou Xi's surrendered soldiers, just right for him to take them.

Come on, fight! He can’t wait to show the world how powerful he is!
Your mother is a maid, how can Lord Liang sit still? Is it necessary to celebrate this New Year?

Liu Ling subconsciously looked to the west, and his gaze seemed to be able to penetrate the heavy fog and reach Bianliang.

(I will try to update three times today. If you have tickets, please vote directly. Thanks.)
(End of this chapter)