As the date of the expedition approached, the preparations of the various expedition troops gradually came to an end. Wufeng saw that things were indeed unexpected. Moreover, the Third and Fifth Divisions of the City Guard Corps were included in the battle sequence as they wished. Of course, this was also related to the fact that the commander of the Hawkel Division and the Deputy Minister of Military Affairs Pike were relatives, because the court believed that this battle was determined to win, and it was natural to win meritorious deeds in the war, and no possibility of failure was considered.

Wufeng was not optimistic about this battle. According to the information provided by Gu Ji, the troops that went on the expedition were composed of three legions and had no time to conduct comprehensive coordination and training. There would definitely be problems in mutual cooperation and unified government orders. The commander was a Tu Mingzhi, a town company with almost no experience in leading the expedition. According to Gu Ji, this person was impatient and was very happy with merits, but he had no military talent. The opponent Luo Beiren's general Tu Da was a wise and brave figure, and he was nearly ten people.

Over the years, he was very experienced and supported him very much. His orders were to be enforced. Compared with the two, although the imperial army had the advantage of military strength, Wufeng keenly felt that the imperial army would be in danger in this battle. Therefore, when the two divisions of the City Guard Corps, as the reserve team, needed a gang to stay and finally escorted the logistics supplies, Wufeng took the initiative to stay and on the pretext that he had eaten his stomach and was in poor health and needed a few days to rest, the other regiment captains were reluctant to ask for it.

Back in the wing, Wufeng told Xiao, Liang, Cui and Lu about his decision, and also informed him of the basis for his decision. The four of them agreed deeply. Wufeng also tried his best to avoid participating in the battle to preserve his strength. He asked everyone to delay time and distance themselves from the main force.

On August 26, 691, the Fifth Division of the Imperial City Guards stationed in the eastern suburbs of the imperial capital and the other four regiments stationed in the northern suburbs of the imperial capital, except for the Fourth Regiment led by Wufeng, were assembled and went to the northwest to receive the emperor's military parade in the imperial capital Triumph Square. They would meet with the three divisions of the Imperial Army Third and Second Regiment who set out in advance in Tianshui Prefecture in Heshuo County, and then head to the northwest front line together. Looking at the soldiers who set out in the army, Wufeng couldn't help but feel sad. The war was cruel and ruthless. On this trip, I don't know how many soldiers could return to their hometown, how many would turn into bones on the border, and how many parents would be heartbroken.

Three days later, Wufeng was also ordered to escort a large number of weapons, food, medicine and other logistics supplies on the road. The military headquarters had arranged a large brigade of baggage troops to carry these materials, but considering the current chaotic situation in the northwest region and the rampant forces of horse thieves and bandits, in case of precautions, another gang of regular army was sent to escort.

Due to the large number of logistics supplies escorting, Wufeng's troops' march speed seemed a bit slow, but this was exactly what Wufeng hoped. It could not only reduce the risk of going to the battlefield, but also take this opportunity to rest the team. After four days on the road, Wufeng and his team arrived at the first stop of the journey - Jinzhong Prefecture in Heshuo County. This is the throat area where the center of the empire and the south and the west intersect. It has a very important strategic position. Going westward is Hejian Prefecture, the capital of Heshuo County, which is Guan Yingying's hometown, which is the road leading to Guanxi County and Northwest County. To the south, you can directly reach Huanggang Prefecture in Wuhu County, and to the southwest, you can enter the territory of the Lin Family in Sanjiang County. In order to prevent threats from the southwest, the Fourth Army Corps and three divisions of the Imperial Western Military Region were stationed here.

Jinzhong Prefecture is rich in coal, and almost 90% of the industrial and civilian fuels in the imperial capital come from here. Wufeng has been traveling along the way and found that the gap between the rich and the poor is serious. During the short time of rest in Jinzhong, Wufeng saw many poor farmers not covered in food, while some coal mine owners are rich enough to compete with the country, and social security is also very poor, and bandits are rampant. After a night in Jinzhong, Wufeng and his party set out westward again and arrived at Hejian Prefecture, the capital of Heshuo County. Hejian Prefecture is the largest mansion in Heshuo County, with a population of up to three million. It is located here.

On the alluvial plains in the middle of Fengshui River, the land is fertile, ditches are crisscrossed, water conservancy is developed, and crops such as grain, cotton, rapeseed, sesame, fruit, etc. The agriculture is quite developed, and the cotton textile industry and agricultural product processing industry are also very prosperous. The living standards of the people here are generally better than those of Jinzhong, and the social security is much better. Wufeng also discovered a special phenomenon, that is, the trend of practicing martial arts here is prevalent, and many young and middle-aged men on the streets wear swords and hang swords, and there are many places for practicing martial arts, which are very lively.

When he came here, Wufeng couldn't help but think of Yingying, Yumei and An Qier again. When he learned that Wufeng was about to go on a long journey, the three of them were reluctant and worried. Wufeng quickly comforted the three of them, saying that this battle was not very dangerous, and that he was only responsible for escorting logistics supplies and ensuring that he would come back immediately as soon as the battle was over. In the next few days, Wufeng seized the opportunity to have a chance to have a secret meeting with the three, especially Guan and Hua, who were even more lovely in every night. When he came here, he found out that the housekeeper was indeed a prominent clan here. The head of the tribe, Guan Yingying's father, Guan Yiming, was also the head of the Liuhe Sect, the largest martial arts sect in the area. Since Guan Yingying did not tell her relationship with them, Wufeng did not plan to visit the housekeeper.

Wufeng also learned that the people's life here is quite good and the governance of Fang Chengsong, the governor of Hejian Prefecture City. Fang Chengsong has been in Rencheng for seven years. He was born as a commoner. He was admitted to the Imperial University with his ability. After graduation, he went to Heshuo County to work as a minor official. After ten years of struggle, he was promoted to the position of the city guard. He was honest and practical as an official, and his reputation was very good. He was loved by the local people, but he was incompatible with his immediate superior, Tan Keren, the governor of Heshuo County. Tan Keren is a sect and greedy prince in the court. He was cunning and greedy by nature. He wanted to remove Fang Chengsong many times, but he was unable to find him.

With the excuse, he had to give up this idea temporarily. These news were provided to Wufeng by Gu Ji before Wufeng. Before leaving, Wufeng discussed with Molun, Su Minshun, and Gu Ji that if he could develop in this opportunity, Mo and Su would be able to meet with Wufeng, while Gu Ji continued to stay in the imperial capital to collect information for Wufeng. If things were not going well, they would make arrangements separately. Hejian Prefecture has a division stationed in the Fourth Legion of the Western Military Region of the Empire, which is much less garrison than Jinzhong Prefecture. After all, Jinzhong Prefecture is on the main throat of Sanjiang County to the imperial capital, and no one dares to take it lightly.

After leaving Hejian Prefecture and moving west, it is September. It is the harvest season. The road is golden on both sides. Occasionally, the breeze blows, and the rice waves rise and fall with the wind, making people feel the joy of a good harvest.

Seeing the scene of harvest in front of you, Wufeng couldn't help but sigh that food is the foundation of human survival. The reason why nomadic peoples went south to attack the border year after year is not so much that they invaded the enemy, it is more forced by life. The climate of the Tengger prairie prairie is changing, the soil in many areas is poor, and the agricultural and animal husbandry harvest cannot be guaranteed. If a leader cannot even solve the problem of food and clothing for his people, his rule will be almost over. Therefore, the attack of the nomadic people on the neighboring countries is subjectively the need of the upper aristocrats to plunder wealth in order to expand their power, and objectively the poor middle and lower peasants to meet their survival needs. Of course, due to the military strength or defense of neighboring countries

The lack of control ability is also a condition to stimulate these nomadic peoples to invade. Therefore, Wufeng believes that using military means cannot ultimately solve the problem. To fundamentally solve this problem, it is necessary to achieve good results through political, economic, military, diplomatic, and even cultural, religious and other comprehensive means. For this reason, Wufeng has also discussed this issue with Xiao Tang many times. Xiao Tang admires Wufeng's views and has also considered countermeasures for the invasion of nomadic peoples, but they are limited to finding solutions from military and diplomatic means. However, he did not expect that Wufeng considered this issue so thoroughly and thoroughly, and the corresponding methods were much more mature than his own ideas.

Five days later, Wufeng led his troops to Tianshui Prefecture, the westernmost prefecture of Heshuo County. Tianshui Prefecture borders Longdong Prefecture of Guanxi County in the west, Heishan Prefecture in the north, and Qindu Prefecture in Sanjiang County in the south, and Qindu Prefecture in the west, and the strategic location is also very important. The Fourth Army Corps of the Western Military Region has a division stationed. Tianshui Prefecture is much smaller than the prefecture of Hejian Prefecture, but the land is quite vast, with a population of only one million, and the economy is mainly agriculture. However, there are forests here, with a large number of lacquer trees growing in it. The lacquer produced here is quite famous throughout the Eastern Continent, and many local people make a living by cutting lacquer. In the mountains and forests, birds such as parrots, starlings, thrushes, and cuckoos are abundant. Many ordinary people rely on capturing these birds and then domesticating them to sell them in the imperial capital Zhongzhou, Hejian, Jinling, Yueyang, and Jiangchuan. Not only is it expensive, but it is also in short supply.

Wufeng also went to the Bird Market here in his spare time while resting in Tianshui. He felt that it was indeed very valuable to view. He heard that some important figures in the imperial capital were very fond of these things and could also make use of them. When he left Tianshui, the head of the local security force told Wufeng that leaving Tianshui was Longdong Prefecture in Guanxi County. The public security situation there was worrying. Horse thieves who came and went without a trace, bandits who occupied the mountain as king, and robbers who blocked the road were always there, so Wufeng and the others were careful. But he also said that there was probably no unlucky army like Wufeng and his team, and no one was looking for death. Liang Chongxin, Cui Wenxiu and others felt that if they could really encounter such a good thing, it would be a blessing. They just happened to use it to check the training situation of the troops. It was not enough to catch up with the main meal, and it was good to have some snacks.

After entering Longdong County, the living standards of the people declined significantly. Pedestrians on the road came and went in a hurry. It was obvious that the local social security was not good. Fortunately, no one dared to attack Wufeng and his party, and the whole way was calm. Wufeng also heard that the people in this area were strong, the people were guarding the Qun, and the family power in the countryside was strong. Longdong Prefecture was already the dividing line of Wufeng and his party. Walking further northwest, you entered Bonan Prefecture in the northwest County. The social security there was even more chaotic and almost anarchy. The current empire was unable to govern here before solving the Luobei problem. The management of the empire was only a symbolic existence. No ordinary people would say anything. People with a little help tried every means to leave. Rich people hired a large number of private bodyguards to ensure their safety.

Entering the Longdong Prefecture City, you can clearly feel the atmosphere of war shining here. A large number of troops from the Empire passed by here and headed to the northwest. Anyone with discerning eyes knew that the Empire was preparing to take it seriously this time. People in the teahouse hotels were talking about the upcoming war everywhere. Since the neighboring Bonan Prefecture has been repeatedly looted by Luo Beiren in recent years, the people of Longdong County, which is adjacent to it, are also in danger of being in danger. They are very afraid that Luo Beiren will cross Bonan and invade Longdong. Luo Beiren's cruelty and ruthlessness will be spread.

The terrible situation, especially the large number of refugees from Bonan Prefecture fled to Longdong, which made the terrible Luo Bei people more and more popular. The empire adopted a policy of delay in recent years and has not made a tough response, which has caused the local people to complain. This time the empire was finally willing to send troops to fight. The local people all felt relieved and wished that the imperial army could defeat the enemy in one fell swoop and solve this problem once and for all. However, things are unpredictable, and the outcome of the war is not varied by the wishes of kind people.
Chapter completed!