20demayo Chapter 1172 Returning to Lanzhou
Chapter 1172 Returning to Lanzhou
Over the next few days, Li Che took Zhuoma sightseeing and had a great time.
During the day, the two rode side by side on the open meadow, watching eagles circle overhead.
Sometimes, Zhuoma would find a clear stream, roll up her sleeves, and try to catch fish using the method Li Che had taught her.
Occasionally, around the campfire at night, Zhuoma would take out her jade flute and play a few melodious tunes for Li Che.
And so, the intimacy between the two gradually became natural.
With such a beautiful woman by his side, and a legitimate concubine at that, tender gestures were inevitable.
Droma was initially a little awkward and stiff, but she quickly responded with the frankness characteristic of Tibetan women.
With such a beautiful woman by his side, Li Che was no saint, and he did everything he was supposed to do except for the last step.
They traveled leisurely, enjoying the scenery, so their pace was naturally slow, but the accompanying generals and guards seemed oblivious to this.
His Majesty is young and has a distinguished military record, so it's perfectly normal for him to take his newly acquired concubine along for some entertainment.
Everyone knows that their emperor is not the kind of strict and diligent ruler.
If he weren't so busy with official duties that he couldn't possibly have it, he would still enjoy having fun, and his hobbies are quite extensive.
Back when he was in Fengguo, he often went hunting in his spare time, occasionally drank wine and women with Prince Yan, and also enjoyed collecting rare and exotic animals.
Moreover, he was particularly fond of getting people to play Go, but insisted on using his own "five-in-a-row" rule, leaving a group of strategists both amused and exasperated.
But when it comes to serious matters, he can instantly put aside all his leisure time and become frighteningly focused and efficient.
He simply never squandered public funds or indulged in pleasure at the expense of his principles, rather than being abjectly poor and inhumane.
This was not a flaw; on the contrary, it made him seem more humane in the eyes of his subjects.
Only one person was quite unaccustomed to it, and that was Gar Tongtsen Yulsung, who had recently submitted to the regime.
His former lord, the young king, was always engrossed in reading, even when he had nothing to do, which earned him praise from his ministers for his tireless dedication day and night.
I thought that Li Che, a ruler of such stature, was far superior to the Zanpu (king), and should therefore be even more diligent.
After observing for several days, Khru Dongzan gradually discerned some differences.
Li Che enjoys himself to the fullest when he's playing, but the moment a military report arrives, the smile on his face vanishes instantly, and his eyes become sharp and clear.
Often, they can get to the heart of the matter with just a few words, make the most efficient arrangements, and then return to a state of ease.
In contrast, while the king was indeed diligent, his efficiency was also remarkably low. He was often bogged down in tedious details, leaving his courtiers waiting for him.
As for playing?
The Zanpu (Tibetan ruler) had almost no concept of this, let alone someone as adept at it as Li Che.
A sense of enlightenment gradually rose in Lu Dongzan's heart.
It turns out that the difference between kings can be so great.
Even if a mediocre ruler works tirelessly day and night, he cannot match the effortless mastery of a genius monarch.
Even when we play, we don't play as well as others, nor do we have as many different ways of playing.
This emperor may seem unruly, but in reality, he possesses a profound understanding of the world and acts with ease.
This talent is almost innate.
The one he was loyal to might truly be a born emperor of all time.
Li Che was naturally unaware of the turmoil in Lu Dongzan's heart. He was quite enjoying this rare moment of leisure, as well as the increasingly lively companionship of the beauty beside him.
Zhuoma is indeed lovable.
Despite being a princess, she was not spoiled at all.
What's even more remarkable is her quick wit; she can often understand his intentions with just a glance or a gesture, and they can cooperate perfectly.
Li Che was so engrossed in his love affair that he didn't realize the outline of Lanzhou was already in sight.
At this moment, Lanzhou City had already received the news of the emperor's triumphant return east, and the whole city was in an uproar.
For the first time in over twenty years, the people of the Northwest frontier, who had been suppressed, felt a sense of triumph and exhilaration.
Ma Jing, the commander of the Northwest Army, led all the senior generals of the Northwest Army to go ten miles outside the city to welcome them.
When Li Che's troops appeared on the horizon, Ma Jing took a deep breath.
When Li Che walked up to him, the old general suddenly lifted the front of his battle robe and knelt heavily on the ground.
"Welcome back in triumph, Your Majesty!"
With his shout, dozens of Northwest Army generals behind him knelt down in unison.
When Li Che saw this scene from afar, the relaxed smile on his face immediately froze, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.
Kneeling was not customary in Daqing, and Li Che hated kneeling without cause, so the half-kneeling greeting between military generals was considered the highest form of etiquette.
Now that all the Northwest generals were kneeling, Li Che had no choice but to urge his horse forward immediately to check on them.
Before the horse had come to a complete stop, he dismounted and quickly walked to Ma Jing, who was kneeling at the front, and reached out to help the white-haired old general.
"Minister Ma! Generals! What is this? Get up!"
Ma Jing refused to get up.
He looked up, and tears streamed down his face, which was etched with the lines of wind, sand and time.
Many of the generals behind him had tears in their eyes, and some even couldn't help but sob softly.
More than twenty years!
Countless comrades and brothers were buried in this bitterly cold land, their blood staining the yellow sand, their remains never to return.
Countless homes were destroyed under the iron heel of the Tibetans, families were torn apart, and cries of grief shook the heavens.
The Northwest Army struggled under immense pressure and suffered heavy casualties, often without any hope in sight.
This deep-seated hatred is etched into the very bones of every Northwest Army soldier!
Now, the emperor's personal expedition not only crushed the main force of the Tibetan army in one fell swoop, but also signed a treaty that would cripple the Tibetans.
What a great victory! What a vindication!
We avenged the blood feud of all our fallen brothers!
If their avengers are fellow soldiers, they will repay them with their lives.
But this person was the emperor! The Son of Heaven!
The monarch personally avenged you; how can I ever repay such a debt of gratitude?
How else could these rough border soldiers express themselves besides the most traditional kneeling ceremony?
Looking at these iron-willed men who were sobbing uncontrollably, Li Che gradually understood what they were thinking.
His outstretched hand paused in mid-air, his heart filled with a myriad of emotions.
He deliberately put on a stern face, his voice carrying a hint of severity: "Ma Jing! I order you to rise! Are you all trying to put me in an unjust position?"
"This great victory was achieved through the bravery of our soldiers and the combined efforts of the entire nation; it was not solely due to my own efforts."
"Get up! This is a military order!"
Upon hearing the words "military order," Ma Jing trembled, but managed to suppress his emotions and stand up with the help of his old subordinates.
The other generals also stood up, but their eyes were still red.
Li Che's expression softened slightly as his gaze swept over the weathered faces: "The troubles on the northwestern border have lasted for more than twenty years. The soldiers of Daqing have shed their blood, and the people have been displaced. This is a national tragedy!"
"It is the imperial court that has let down you soldiers guarding the border, and it has let down the people of the Northwest!"
"The fact that we can temporarily cease hostilities today is the result of your relentless and bloody battles over the years!"
"My trip was merely to do what I should have done and to make amends for what I should have made up for."
"You don't owe me anything; it's me who owes you!"
These words were so sincere that they almost broke the defenses of the Northwest Army generals who had just stabilized.
Ma Jing's tears, which he had just stopped, welled up again. He was about to kneel down again when Li Che quickly caught him.
The other generals were also extremely excited, their chests heaving violently.
"Your Majesty!" Ma Jing cried out hoarsely, "With Your Majesty's words, the entire Northwest Army will fight to the death!"
"Alright, let bygones be bygones." Li Che patted Ma Jing's arm and looked at the majestic city of Lanzhou in the distance. "Let's go into the city and let the soldiers catch their breath."
"According to the order!"
The atmosphere shifted from solemnity to harmony between the emperor and his ministers. Li Che, leading his horse, entered the city surrounded by the generals of the Northwest Army.
Zhuoma's car followed behind. Through the car window, she looked at the excited and cheering figures on both sides of the road. The sense of alienation she felt towards her new identity seemed to have faded a little.
The joys and sorrows of the people on this land seem to have begun to be connected with her.
. . . . . .
The first thing Li Che did after entering the city was not to hold a victory banquet, but to summon all the generals for a battle debriefing.
This was a rule he established when he led troops from Feng State.
His ability to transform from someone completely ignorant of military affairs into a commander capable of leading hundreds of thousands of troops in just a few years was certainly not something he achieved through mere wishful thinking.
There are no born commanders in this world. Even if someone has the talent of a military genius, it must be developed little by little.
Even a powerful figure like Huo Qubing only became fully capable through a series of victories.
Inside the hall, on the sand table, small flags representing the troop deployments of both sides were planted.
Li Che sat in the main seat, with core generals such as Wang Sanchun, Yue Yun, and Yu Daliang sitting on one side, and Ma Jing and a group of senior generals from the Northwest Army on the other side. Each of them had paper and pen in front of them.
The newly appointed Gar Tongtsen was also required to attend and sit at the end of the audience.
Xu Jiezi sat quietly to one side, closing his eyes to rest, as if he were in a trance.
"Alright, everyone's here." Li Che looked around and got straight to the point. "Same as always, after the battle is over, regardless of who won or lost, we have to look back."
"What was done well, what was lucky, what was an oversight, and what was a mistake."
"If you win, you should know how to win more gracefully and at a lower cost; if you lose, you should understand where you went wrong and correct it next time."
"Don't hold back. Today, there are only people fighting here, no emperor or ministers. If you speak correctly, you will be rewarded; if you speak incorrectly, you will be blameless."
His gaze first fell on Wang Sanchun: "You are in charge of the defense of Chuimacheng, so you go first."
Wang Sanchun was clearly used to this routine. He immediately got up, walked to the sand table, and pointed to the position of Chuimacheng: "This humble general will first talk about the problems of my unit."
"Firstly, the initial assessment of the tactics for attrition against the Tibetan slaves was insufficient. Although the combined firepower of artillery and mortars was effective, the ammunition consumption was much higher than expected, which led to a shortage of supplies later on."
"Secondly, when the Tibetan cavalry launched a flanking attack, some of the new recruits in our forward infantry formation wavered. Although the political commissar stabilized them, it shows that our usual psychological and tactical training for being attacked on the flank by cavalry is still lacking."
"Thirdly, during the final counterattack phase, after the order to pursue was issued, some battalions became separated, and the vanguard and the central army were too far apart. If the enemy's main force had not been stationary and our musketeers had been able to suppress them, we would have been at risk of being bitten back."
He spoke bluntly, even harshly, revealing all his own shortcomings.
The generals of the Northwest Army looked at each other in bewilderment. They had thought it would be the beginning of His Majesty's reward ceremony, but they did not expect that General Wang would start by criticizing them.