"I thought these guys were tough, and I was wondering how long I could fight them. If I lose like this, then I'll be completely useless on the battlefield."
Li Chengyi said with some concern that everyone present wanted to end the war quickly, except this guy who wanted to fight for a while longer. He seemed to be born for war, and the troops under his command seemed to know no fatigue. As long as he heard that there was an opportunity to go to the battlefield, this guy would definitely be the first to appear.
"Go back and train your army well. This time, you can only bring half of your men. For the remaining half, select a capable lieutenant general and hand him over to Lord Xiao. We must not allow any more trouble here. The rear must be stable. This is our most important priority now."
After experiencing what happened last time, Li Xiang also understood what was most important. If a coup happened in the rear, our army in the front would panic. This is something that absolutely cannot happen.
"Then why not keep his army?"
Li Chengyi said with some sadness that he had only more than 20,000 personal troops, and he used them very easily. If he left half of them, he would only have 10,000 people under his command. Facing the 500,000-strong Arab army, what could these 10,000 people do?
"He left half his army behind."
Chang Sun Ze was feeling complacent on the side, but when he heard that Li Chengyi was pulling him in, he immediately became dissatisfied. But before he could say anything, Li Xiang's order came down, requiring both of them to leave behind 10,000 troops from their respective armies.
"Your Highness, that's not necessary. Even if we need to leave troops behind to guard the rear, our current forces are more than enough. Moreover, most of our troops are field troops, which can only be exerted in the wild to become a powerful combat force. It is a waste to stay here to monitor these useless tribal leaders."
Chang Sun Ze said with some distress, everyone can see that this is a huge opportunity, if they can grasp it, the military achievement will definitely be huge, but now half of their army is left at home, no matter how many good opportunities there are on the battlefield, I am afraid some of them can't be grasped, the most taboo on the battlefield is to swallow an elephant by a snake.
Success would certainly be good, and it could become a rare example for the ages, but the problem is that the chance of success is too small. If you are not careful, you may be trampled to death by the elephant. After all, the elephant's tonnage is too large, so no one would be willing to try this unless it is absolutely necessary. Moreover, they have also fought in the Arab Empire, so an extra 10,000 people are extremely important.
"This matter is settled. I know what you two are thinking, but I don't care how your brains work. There is no second choice in this matter. You must obey my arrangements. Otherwise, you two should pack your bags and prepare to return to Chang'an."
After hearing Li Xiang's harsh words, the two people present shut up. In fact, they were not reluctant to part with these ten thousand men, but they understood one thing very well: His Highness was dividing their troops. Of course, the rear was also very important. When they lost these ten thousand men, many tasks would not be able to be carried out during the war.
To put it bluntly, it's still a matter of balancing strategy. This time, a large army will definitely be deployed. You two can't just continue to lead the troops while you all just stay and guard His Highness. As for the war with the Arab Empire, there are so many young generals in the army. We can't just leave all the responsibility to you. If we leave it all to you, what are they doing all the way west? Is it just for fun?
After the two men figured this out, they stopped making unnecessary efforts. They also realized that if they continued to do this, some things might not work out. They were very clear in their minds that under the current circumstances, His Highness's control was too strong and his balance strategy was too strong. To put it bluntly, there were too many talents in the Tang Dynasty. If the Tang Dynasty did not have so many talents, you might as well consider whether you need the two of us.
Xiao Shougui did not express any opinion. Xiao Shougui was now an official of the imperial court and had been separated from many military affairs. If he continued to express his opinions, it would be like he was overreaching. It would be fine when His Highness was not here, but His Highness was standing right in front of you, and you still wanted to reach out to the military. If he was transferred to the military, that would be the most miserable thing.
The Lanling Xiao family is a large aristocratic family after all, and they don't look down on the generals in the army. Although these generals are very important now, it is also because the Tang Dynasty is in the process of expansion. When the expansion of the Tang Dynasty stops one day, some things may be different. At that time, civil officials will still rule the world.
This is how Xiao Yu educated his children and grandchildren. They must remember this at all times. If they rush into the ranks of military generals now, it may not be so easy to switch back to civil service in the future. There are clear barriers in the court, and these old gangs are very clear about this.
One hundred and ninety miles north of the Arab capital.
Sambik and Laf have been away from the royal capital for a long time, and they have also brought out many people from the villages along the way. Sambik now manages more than 290 people, and Laf has become Sambik's deputy general.
When he first went to the village to recruit people, Sambik was still a bit reserved, but now he had a fierce look on his face. He had seen too many such things, and his heart was no longer filled with sympathy. Besides, Raf was right when he said, if you sympathize with these people, then who will sympathize with your family? If something happens to them, what will you do then?
The Arab Empire's strategy is very ruthless. You must complete the tasks assigned to you. If you fail to complete them, it means that you are not doing your best and you will most likely be dismissed from your position. Even your family will be affected. Therefore, when you receive these tasks, you must listen honestly, otherwise there will be no possibility of overcoming the difficulties.
Now the task of recruiting people has finally been completed, and the army has been assembled. Everyone is more nervous, because they will face the Tang Dynasty army next.
Thinking of all the speculations about the Tang army, many soldiers couldn't sleep at night...
