In terms of ability, Niu Jinda is not much worse than Cheng Yaojin. If they really fight on the battlefield, it is hard to say who will live and who will die. But Niu Jinda did not come over before and was not Li Shimin's most core person. So when he was appointed as the general, Niu Jinda was one step late.
Although he made some contributions later, he was not given any credit as a general. If Li Xiang was familiar with history, he would know that it was actually he who blocked Niu Jinda's way.
If Li Xiang had not refused the marriage, Lu Dongzan would have taken Princess Wencheng back with him when he left. During this period, Tubo and the Tang Dynasty fought a battle in Songzhou, and it was here that Niu Jinda made his mark in history. But now Tubo was unable to take care of itself, and the entire country was in chaos. Not to mention looking for trouble with the Tang Dynasty, they were always afraid that the Tang Dynasty's army would come to cause trouble for them, so Niu Jinda had no chance to make his mark.
This eastern expedition to Goguryeo was, on the one hand, to train a team for His Royal Highness the King of Wu, and on the other hand, Li Shimin saw Niu Jinda's predicament, so he specially arranged for him to go to Goguryeo together. If he fought well, he would be promoted after returning, and he would be considered the last batch of nobles.
"General, the Grand Marshal has ordered us to rest as planned."
The messenger came back from the rear very quickly, which was also due to a new policy of Li Xiang. It turned out that the messenger shuttled back and forth in front of the entire army. You know, there were 200,000 people gathered together. Even if the messenger ran to death, there was probably no way to deliver the order quickly.
So Li Xiang brought the flag signal system over, and set up a flag signal soldier at every distance. They could convey messages through the small flags in their hands, so if there were any orders, everyone could pass them on quickly, saving a lot of precious time.
For example, if the messenger had followed the original method, it would have taken at least two hours to run back. Obviously, after two hours, the army in front would have gone far beyond the original resting place.
This time he only needed to run back three miles and wave the small flag in his hand. After the flag signalman in the distance saw it, he would immediately pass it to the next one.
It is indeed tiring to study, but if you learn it, it can save a lot of time.
"Set up camp."
Niu Jinda gave the order and his soldiers rushed out immediately. As the vanguard, it was not their job to set up tents. Their task was to set up a cordon nearby to prevent the enemy from rushing over.
Although this place is only forty miles away from Chang'an City, Niu Jinda is extremely strict with his subordinates. No matter where they are, they must follow the requirements of wartime. These people have enjoyed peace in Chang'an City for many years. Niu Jinda asked them to do this so that they can recover their combat effectiveness faster.
"General, aren't you going to the big tent in the back?"
Several bodyguards were surprised to see Niu Jinda sitting down nearby to rest. They knew that someone of Niu Jinda's rank should go to the marshal's tent at the back.
"If you have something to do, just come find me. If I go over there, it'll only bother you. It's none of your business. Hurry up and get to work."
To be honest, Niu Jinda looked down on Li Xiang. Although Li Xiang won the victory on the Tuyuhun grassland, in his opinion it was purely luck. Now he was a little reluctant to see Li Xiang, and even had a little fear. The most important thing was that Li Xiang was branded as the King of Wu. It would not be good for him to change the commander-in-chief temporarily before the expedition. But he was really wronged in this matter. It was obviously arranged by Li Shimin, not by him.
But he was an extremely noble person and could not explain these things at this time. If he tried to explain them himself, it would probably make things worse.
If Li Xiang was a broad-minded person, then this incident would not leave any shadow in Li Xiang's heart. But if Li Xiang was a petty person, Niu Jinda might be the one who would be in trouble if he ran over to explain.
The soldiers around also saw this scene. They were all old men who followed Niu Jinda, and there were about three to four thousand of them in total. In order to win this time, Niu Jinda mobilized all the energy he could, but at this moment everyone was worried about their general.
Is this the beginning of a confrontation? If so, when will we be able to confront the enemy? It's still a long way to go to Goguryeo!
Just as Niu Jinda was thinking about what to do next, the sound of hurried horse hooves came from afar. These people were all dressed in bright yellow and were obviously the guards of the Eastern Palace.
"Greetings, General. The Grand Marshal has ordered us to proceed to the main tent."
Hearing this voice, Niu Jinda's face looked a little better. He did not take the initiative to go to Li Xiang. In fact, he was waiting for this moment. If Li Xiang did not send someone to invite him, then this time when he went to Goguryeo, Niu Jinda would probably have no place to use his skills. Li Xiang had many powerful generals under his command, and everyone knew this. He might not give Niu Jinda any chance.
But Li Xiang sent someone to invite him, which was equivalent to giving Niu Jinda enough face. If Niu Jinda continued to manipulate him, it would mean that he was ungrateful. Many of his soldiers also had smiles on their faces. Although they were loyal to Niu Jinda, they did not want Niu Jinda to confront His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.
"You go ahead, I'll be there shortly. I'll arrange the front army's defenses for the night, and please report to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince on my behalf."
In fact, some things can be solved with just a few words. Niu Jinda immediately became energetic. He was not sure about Li Xiang's situation just now, so he was inevitably a little negative. Now that Li Xiang has sent someone to invite him, he has to finish what a general of the front army should do, and not just ride on a tall horse and enjoy the scenery.
"I obey your command!"
The guard of the Eastern Palace was about to leave after he finished speaking, but suddenly remembered that there was another thing. Niu Jinda had also returned. Could there be something else?
"General, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince said that the journey to Goguryeo is long, so he has specially sent two imperial horses and a precious sword for you to drive."
After Hu Liu finished speaking, someone immediately brought over a horse and presented him with a precious sword. Niu Jinda was moved at this moment. He was a real man, so if Li Xiang wanted to bribe him, it would be easy as pie...
