Lu Xingjian felt a sense of pride: "Like father, like son."
Yan Ge'er was very happy to be praised and started talking non-stop, "Father, don't underestimate me. Things from Datong and Xuanfu are much more expensive than those in the capital."
"Only when the soldiers are well-fed and warmly clothed will they obey the court's orders and fight bravely against the enemy."
Lu Xingjian deliberately prompted, "Where will the money come from to feed them and clothe them warmly?"
Yan Ge'er opened his eyes wide: "Doesn't the imperial court pay taxes?"
"What if we can't collect taxes? Officials report famine today and bandits tomorrow, refusing to pay the taxes owed to the court. The court is out of money and can't even pay the officials' salaries. What should we do then?" Lu Xingjian said methodically.
Yan Ge scratched his head. "Shouldn't they listen to the Emperor?"
Lu Xingjian snorted coldly, "On the surface, they listen, but behind your back, I wonder what they're saying one thing and doing another."
"Then arrest them all!" Yan Ge'er was childlike and thought simply.
"Then who will be the officials to handle affairs, and who will take up arms to fight?" Lu Xingjian knew best what kind of people these officials were.
In name, the whole country belongs to the emperor.
But the emperor's energy was limited, so he always needed officials at all levels to help him manage things.
Therefore, the world was actually ruled by both the emperor and the bureaucratic system.
Lu Xingjian added, "If the emperor becomes disobedient, they might even resort to methods to eliminate him."
Yan Ge'er was stunned.
His numerous near-death experiences have made him far more mature than his peers.
Only then did he realize that his thinking had been too simplistic.
The so-called great general who sealed the wolf's lair required a large amount of money from the imperial court to support him.
If taxes aren't collected, there won't be enough money to support the border troops in their fights.
However, if local officials are cunning and treacherous, it's hard to say whether the taxes can be collected at all.
Ultimately, managing local officials effectively is of paramount importance.
He finally realized that he had been too simplistic in his thinking.
Su Wanwan patted the child's head and said to Lu Xingjian, "Don't always scare the child."
Yan Ge'er was much stronger than she had imagined. "I'm not afraid."
"Just knowing the logic behind it makes me realize how many things are so complicated and difficult."
Lu Xingjian offered him a few words of comfort: "It's not that difficult."
"Just find a few capable and obedient people, and let them scold and beat up the disobedient ones. That way, the officials will behave themselves."
Yan Ge'er nodded as if he understood, but a sense of unease lingered in his heart.
His father was clearly passing on his experience to him.
But he really wanted to experience being a general.
It was only February when an urgent military report arrived.
Seventy thousand Tatar cavalrymen divided their forces to raid the border!
The border troops, numbering nine thousand, were outnumbered and outmatched, and both of their commanders were killed in battle!
Lu Xingjian clenched his fist.
No matter what, we must defeat the Tatars!
...
In August, Lu Xingjian, having made all the necessary preparations, set off for Xuanfu once again.
This time, it wasn't an incognito trip, but a high-profile, publicly announced tour.
The court officials panicked.
Everyone was criticizing Lu Xingjian for acting recklessly and repeating the mistakes of Emperor Yingzong.
Lu Xingjian did things his own way and even made a huge fuss, being unusually high-profile in Xuanfu.
The news quickly spread to the grasslands.
Lu Xingjian did not return to the capital, but instead swaggered off to Yanghe City, located between Datong and Xuanfu.
Lu Xingjian was like a huge piece of fat meat, attracting Dayan Khan and the Tatar cavalry to flock to him.
In October, 50,000 Tatar cavalrymen marched directly into Datong territory.
Lu Xingjian personally ordered all levels of generals in Datong to lead their troops into battle.
The commander-in-chief of Xuanfu led the Xuanfu cavalry as backup.
Finally, the main force of the Tatars was discovered five miles north of Yingzhou City!
Yanghe City is two hundred li away from Yingzhou. Lu Xingjian personally led the army stationed in Yanghe to provide support.
The moment the Emperor of Liang's carriage appeared, the Tatars became envious and launched a fierce attack.
As darkness fell, the reinforcements and the Datong border troops led by Wang Xun, the general of Datong, joined forces to encircle and trap the main force of the Tatars.
That evening, both sides temporarily ceased hostilities to conserve their strength and prepare for the decisive battle the next day.
In an attempt to break out of the encirclement, the Tatars continued their westward offensive.
Lu Xingjian and his generals held their ground tightly.
Dayan Khan became enraged and dispatched a small assassination squad to head straight for Lu Xingjian's carriage.
The situation immediately took a sharp turn for the worse.
One by one, Lu Xingjian's personal guards fell down.
"Your Majesty, retreat quickly! Why haven't the reinforcements arrived yet?" Gu Ziyu stood protectively in front of Lu Xingjian, his eyes already bloodshot with rage.
Just then, a strong wind arose, thick fog rolled in, and the sky turned as black as night, with extremely low visibility.
The enemy did not know where they came from.
However, another cavalry force charged in from not far away, and the Tatars were attacked from both sides, suffering countless casualties. Seeing that the situation was not good, the remaining people began to flee.
"Xiao Bin arrived too late to save the day!"
Lu Xingjian and Gu Ziyu exchanged glances and both breathed a sigh of relief.
After Xiao Bin met up with Lu Xingjian and the others, he was not in a hurry to escort Lu Xingjian away from the battlefield. Instead, he was extremely excited: "Dayan Khan is in the valley to the west. If we can kill him, the Northern Yuan Khanate will definitely be in chaos!"
Lu Xingjian took a deep breath and quickly issued several orders: "Gather them and annihilate them!"
After the Tatars entered the Great Wall, the original gaps in the wall were already plugged by the soldiers guarding the city.
The Tatar troops could not retreat north; to the east came the Xuanfu border army rushing in. Going east would only mean certain death.
Heading south, one ventures deeper into the heart of Daliang, moving further and further away from the grasslands.
Dayan Khan's eyes turned red with anxiety.
Over the years, every time they invaded Daliang, they came and went freely, plundering countless plunderers.
I've never been so repeatedly thwarted as I am today!
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