The Di people are currently in the winter grazing season, with all their cattle, sheep, and horses kept in winter pastures. Basically, both humans and livestock are beginning to be cared for during the winter.
Unless there is an extremely urgent situation, the entire clan will not be mobilized.
Moreover, even their leader died at the Shattered Gold Guard.
Zhao Tinglei thought for a moment before saying, "According to the scouts, a fierce battle took place in the Sifang Mountain area a few days ago between the Yue Lun tribe and the Wuda tribe."
"Splash!"
Zhao Yan stood up abruptly, her eyes gleaming, and said, "It was that mistress who drove them over there again!"
At this point, he had already determined that the Di people who attacked the Broken Gold Guard had been deliberately driven there.
Forcibly driving a group of cavalry into an unfamiliar mountain valley is not like a sheepdog herding sheep; it would require countless battles to accomplish.
Zhao Yanjiao paced around in place a few times before asking, "How are the mistresses...?"
He did not mention Uyar.
Others only thought that Uyaer was dependent on him, and the Uda tribe also obeyed the arrangements of the Zhenbei Army.
In fact, Zhao Yanqiao knew that Uyaer was indeed infatuated with her.
If it were an ordinary woman, after giving birth, she would probably follow her husband wherever he went.
Even though she had followed him for twenty years, she was still the chieftain of the Uda tribe at heart.
His relationship with Uyar was like that of the Zhenbei Army and the Uda tribe; they each had their own stance, and their cooperation outweighed their affection.
In previous years, no matter what he said, Uyar was unwilling to give up the Uda tribe and its past honors.
He refused to surrender the Wuda tribe to the Wu Dynasty, but only reached some kind of tacit understanding with the Zhenbei Army.
Therefore, as soon as his mistress came of age, Uyaer resolutely returned to the grasslands.
Her concerns about the impact of the Shattered Gold Massacre on the Zhenbei Army were merely an excuse for her to separate from them, and now she hasn't revealed even a single piece of information.
Zhao Tinglei sensed his father's frustration and understood Madam Wuya's insistence.
He said softly, "Since my third brother was able to bring merits to the Broken Gold Guard and even rested at the guard post for one night before leaving, the tribe must be safe and sound."
Lady Uya is no ordinary woman; the Uda tribe will surely be firmly under her control.
Zhao Yanjiao, of course, understood Uya'er's capabilities. He sighed, "That woman is just too ambitious!"
Zhao Tinglei remained silent.
If Lady Wuya wasn't assertive, why would she have sought out the Zhenbei Army in a time of crisis?
How could her father have given birth to a third brother for her?
Men certainly appreciate a woman's gentleness and docility, but it is the kind of woman who, even when she is obedient and submissive by his side, still seems to soar high in spirits, that he finds hardest to let go of.
Zhao Yanjiao only sighed briefly; in his heart, the interests of the Wu Dynasty outweighed everything else.
Thinking of those military achievements, he was immediately invigorated and shouted, "Immediately write a report requesting commendation and submit it to the Ministry of War along with the battle report. In addition, all the arrows and medicines used by the Broken Gold Guard in this battle against the Di people must be replenished! No, they should be doubled."
Zhao Tinglei immediately sent military documents, dispatching the battle report to the Ministry of War as quickly as possible.
Meanwhile, Tang Ying, the commander of Xuanwei Army, was in a terrible predicament and even the New Year was a time of bad mood.
Pingliang Fort has been occupied by the Di people for almost a month. Zhao Yanqiao, the Marquis of Zhenbei, has repeatedly issued military orders to take back the garrison as soon as possible, or else the Xuanwei Army will be withdrawn and the Lei Battalion of the Zhenbei Army will be sent to attack.
Tang Ying knew that if the Zhenbei Army were to capture Pingliang Fort, it would be time for him to pack his bags and leave.
The Zhenbei Army has always been under Zhao Yanjiao's control, forming an ironclad unit that no one can take a piece of.
It was only through the "Small Gold Tragedy" five years ago that the First Prince was able to seize military power in several prefectures north of Hecheng.
If the Zhenbei Army were to regain control of Pingliang Fort now, they would surely be disliked by the Crown Prince.
During this period, the Xuanwei Army was actually not idle either.
He launched several attacks, but all attempts failed, resulting in the loss of dozens of soldiers. Moreover, the fighting was becoming increasingly difficult for him.
Originally, Pingliang Fort was just a small garrison, and its role in the northern part of Yunzhou was insignificant to the stability of the Wu Dynasty's borders.
However, due to the continuous defeats of the Xuanwei Army, the strength of Pingliang Fort gradually became known in the north.
After roaming around and robbing people, bandits began to gather in this area.
Moreover, the number of people was increasing, and the villages and towns around Pingliang Fort had been occupied and spread by bandits.
It was clear they intended to turn Pingliang Fort into a den of thieves.
Several government offices also jointly impeached Tang Ying for his incompetence.
This greatly displeased Tang Ying, who believed that the garrison only guarded against the incursions of the Di barbarians, and that the responsibility for the bandits should be attributed to the local authorities' incompetence in suppressing them.
The reason we couldn't conquer it after so long was because it was full of bandits.
However, it is a fact that the fall of Pingliang Fort resulted in the looting of villages and towns.
Thus, General Zhao Yanjiao's memorial requesting merit was submitted to the Ministry of War.
Meanwhile, Tang Ying's letter was also urgently sent to the capital.
During the first month of the lunar calendar, the capital of the Wu Dynasty was bustling with commerce, and the streets were teeming with people. Despite the freezing cold, street vendors continued to hawk their wares.
Amidst the commotion, the rapid sound of horses' hooves echoed from the end of the long street.
The soldiers on horseback had red ribbons tied around their arms, and small red flags on their saddles fluttered in the wind—signs of an emergency.
The horses and their riders were steaming hot, covered in sweat and dirt, clearly having traveled a long way.
People on the road hurriedly moved aside, and after the horse passed, they gathered together to discuss the matter.
For more than ten years, the northwest has been peaceful. Apart from the sudden incident caused by the raid on Suijin Town by the Di tribe, the real war has long been forgotten by everyone.
In recent years, the southern trade routes of the Wu Dynasty have been prosperous, and pirates from the southeast have frequently appeared. The navy has sent such urgent reports several times in a year.
This time, they were really wrong; the urgent report came from the Northwest.
Both memorials were delivered to Xu Zheyuan, the Minister of War, at the same time.
Zhao Yanjiao's letter was a request for commendation, and also a request for the prompt allocation of weapons and funds to the Zhenbei Army.
Tang Ying's memorial stated that the Di barbarians had suddenly invaded the border a year earlier, and Pingliang Fort had been attacked.
Now, the villages and towns behind Pingliang Fort are like a young bride stripped naked, completely exposed to the Di tribe's curved swords.
In his memorial, Tang Ying not only apologized but also mentioned that the Zhenbei Army had been standing idly by during this period, which had prevented him from reclaiming Pingliang Fort for a long time.
He knew he couldn't cover it up anymore and had to find someone to take the blame.
The fact that the Zhenbei Army arrived late to provide relief is the best excuse.
Tang Ying concealed the fact that he had not gone to Hecheng to seek help after the incident, and instead sent the military report directly to the capital, bypassing General Zhao Yanjiao.
Their intention was nothing more than to drag the Zhenbei Army into the mess.
The Ministry of War presented the two battle reports to the Emperor, and the first grand court assembly of Emperor Yuanzong of the new year immediately descended into chaos.
Tang Ying's urgent report stated that several hundred Di cavalrymen had crossed the border and were burning, killing, and looting. His Xuanwei army, due to their lack of horsemanship and field combat skills, could only make a strategic retreat and wait for rescue.
The Zhenbei Army was slow to arrive, and the surrounding garrisons held their ground, even refusing to come out of their camps to offer assistance.
It was also mentioned that the local government's failure to suppress bandits led to the gathering of roving bandits, which allowed the enemy forces in Pingliang Fort to become stronger and stronger, resulting in a situation where the more they fought, the more bandits they encountered.
Anyway, the problem isn't with me.
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