This time, the Liang court sent the Minister of War Xia Shijun as the imperial envoy, mainly because Xia Shijun was a veteran on the battlefield, and Xia Shijun was just in his early fifties and had always been in very good health.
In this way, Xia Shijun could ride his horse quickly all the way to the Jade City of Xizhou as soon as possible and persuade Sun Hao to send the Zhenxi Army to the south to fight against the army of Northern Jin.
So after Xia Shijun entered Xizhou, he almost galloped all the way. On May 3, 392 of the Daliang calendar, he arrived at the Emerald City with two hundred family soldiers, five hundred imperial cavalry, and one thousand tiger cavalry sent by the Zhenxi Army vanguard to protect the imperial envoy.
Although Xia Shijun was in a hurry to travel, he also discovered the differences between Xizhou and other states in Liang State.
Throughout Xizhou, whether it was the county town, the market town, or the village, there was a thriving scene. It was unlike the declining people's livelihood in the northern states, nor was it like the lifeless state of the seven states in the Central Plains. This made Xia Shijun feel worried.
As one side gains strength while the other loses, the imperial court, which is plagued by internal and external troubles, will become weaker and weaker, while the Zhenxi Army, which controls Xizhou and has conquered the surrounding countries in the Western Regions, will become stronger and stronger.
What shocked Xia Shijun even more was that the 1,000 heavily armored cavalrymen sent by the Zhenxi Army vanguard to protect him were probably no weaker than the most elite Yulin cavalry among the imperial guards.
You should know that the Yulin Cavalry was only composed of one brigade with less than 3,000 people, but the Zhenxi Army had tens of thousands of heavily armored cavalry.
If one day in the future the Zhenxi Army rebels, the consequences will be much more serious than this invasion by the Northern Jin State.
Unfortunately, Xia Shijun knew very well that even if he reported what he saw to the court, it would be helpless against the Zhenxi Army given the court's current predicament.
It is even possible that what he saw was already known to the imperial court.
The national affairs are really difficult!
Facing the imperial envoy sent by the court this time, Sun Hao had to give due respect, so Sun Hao brought a group of generals of the Zhenxi Army and went to the gate of the Emerald City early to welcome the Minister of War Xia Shijun.
Xia Shijun was very enthusiastic when he met Sun Hao, because Sun Hao's father, Sun Zhe, was Xia Shijun's subordinate. So after meeting, Xia Shijun directly called Sun Hao his nephew and asked Sun Hao to call him uncle.
"Uncle, you have worked hard on this journey. I have ordered people to prepare a welcoming banquet at the government office of the Protectorate." Sun Hao said to Xia Shijun with a smile.
"Nephew, there's no rush to eat.
I am here on behalf of the imperial court to recruit the Zhenxi Army to enter the pass and go to the southern battlefield.
Now that the situation on the southern battlefield is tense, the imperial court has already sent the Xiaowu Town of the Imperial Guard to provide support to the southern battlefield.
In addition, the left and right guards of the Ganyang Army, the vanguard and southern guards of the Huaide Army, the 40,000 Pizhou wing troops, the left guard of the Shaochang Army and the 20,000 Huaizhou wing troops should have set off for the southern battlefield.
However, if the Northern Jin army is to be completely defeated, the imperial court and Prince Yong'an have to transfer the Zhenxi Army there."
After a pause, Xia Shijun continued, "Don't worry, my dear nephew, the imperial court will not let your hard work be in vain this time.
The imperial court has decided that as long as the Zhenxi Army can assist Prince Yong'an in defeating the army of Northern Jin, the nephew will be enfeoffed as Marquis of Zhenxi and the entire Xizhou will be designated as the hereditary fiefdom of Marquis of Zhenxi.
I wonder if my nephew is willing to share the country's worries?"
"Uncle, I'm not going to hide the truth from you.
My nephew had already known that the imperial court was going to transfer the Zhenxi Army to the south. Before my uncle arrived in the Emerald City, the 400,000-strong Zhenxi Army had already assembled.
As long as my uncle brings the imperial decree, the 400,000-man Zhenxi Army will be ready to march at any time."
After discussions between Sun Hao and eight counselors, they decided to dispatch the North and South Guards and the East and West Guards of the Zhenxi Army, as well as 20,000 Tiger Cavalry, 20,000 White Robe Cavalry, 20,000 Modao Soldiers and 20,000 White Robe Soldiers of the Royal Guards, and to draw 160,000 Xizhou Wing Army to form a 400,000-strong army to march south.
After the organizational adjustment, the largest organization of the Xizhou Xiang Army was the Xiang Army Brigade, with each Xiang Army Brigade having 5,000 people under its command.
Among them, there is one Lang Jiang, one deputy Lang Jiang, four colonels, four deputy colonels, twenty team leaders, twenty deputy team leaders, one hundred kitchen leaders, and one hundred deputy kitchen leaders, all of whom are centurions under the "annual contract system".
The 700,000 Xizhou troops were organized into 140 brigades.
In order to firmly control these 140 wing army brigades, Sun Hao transferred a total of 35,000 centurions from the "annual contract system" to serve in the Xizhou wing army.
With the hundred generals of the "annual contract system" as the backbone, the combat effectiveness of the Xizhou wing army is not low.
The 160,000 Xizhou wing troops mobilized this time, in addition to being responsible for transporting food and fodder, can also serve as combat troops when they arrive in the south.
Just as the Zhenxi Army was busy preparing for another expedition, Yong'an Prince Chen Su, who was far away in Fengyuan City, the capital of Leizhou, was looking at his trusted aide Xiao Jing who was lying on the bed with a sad face.
Xiao Jing, who was already in poor health, fell ill shortly after arriving in the south.
Prince Yong'an Chen Su immediately sent Xiao Jing to Fengyuan City, the capital of Leizhou, and let Xiao Jing recuperate in Fengyuan City.
Leizhou, one of the three southeastern states, had seven counties under its jurisdiction, three of which bordered the Northern Jin State.
Perhaps it was precisely because Xiao Jing was no longer there to give advice to Prince Yong'an Chen Su that Prince Yong'an Chen Su fell into the trap set by the Northern Jin army, causing the Xingwu Town and Yingwu Town of the Imperial Guards, as well as the Left Guard, Right Guard, Vanguard, Rear Guard and South Guard of the Tiansu Army, to all suffer heavy losses.
What was even worse for Prince Yong'an Chen Su was that several famous local doctors in Fengyuan City all believed that Xiao Jing was terminally ill and beyond help.
King Yong'an Chen Su fought for many years in the south and the north, and he was never defeated. It can be said that Xiao Jing's advice was of great significance.
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