The emperor would rather have a

Chapter 31 The teacher returns to the court
The Later Zhou army evacuated Jinyang one after another, and the team stretched for dozens of miles.

At the front was the emperor's carriage and the guards in front of the palace, and in the middle were the rest of the imperial guards and troops from various vassal states.

Responsible for the rear guard were thousands of infantry and cavalry led by Yao Yuanfu, the governor of Jianxiong Army.

Yao Yuanfu is an old veteran. He is now in his seventies, but he can still ride a horse and shoot arrows. He is in good health and does not look like a man in his seventies.

When the troops were withdrawing, he volunteered to cover the rear, but the emperor was not prepared to agree because of his advanced age.

Yao Yuanfu then said, "Zhao General Lian Po is over eighty years old, yet he's still able to don armor and mount a horse. I'm over ten years younger than him. Does Your Majesty doubt that I'm still fit to eat?"

His words left the emperor speechless, and in the end he had no choice but to let him be in charge of the rear guard.

As expected, not long after the Later Zhou army left Jinyang City, Liu Chong, the ruler of the Northern Han Dynasty, sent troops to chase after them.

It is said that it is easy to advance but difficult to retreat, which makes a lot of sense. Once you are pursued while retreating, you can suffer a large-scale defeat if you are not careful.

But Yao Yuanfu was worthy of being a veteran who had fought on the battlefield for decades. He led his infantry and cavalry to ambush ten miles south of Jinyang City.

They caught the Northern Han pursuers off guard and drove back thousands of their troops.

After hearing this, Li Yi couldn't help but sigh in his heart, "Old ginger is still wiser."

These veterans are no pushovers, having fought on the battlefield their entire lives. They have their own experience and understanding of warfare.

There is a saying that goes, it is better to have no books than to believe in them blindly.

Fighting a war is not something that can be accomplished by memorizing military books and battle formations. No matter how powerful the martial arts moves are, you must first master them, otherwise they will become a rigid and fancy routine.

Besides, aren’t those military books and formations also summarized based on the experience of our predecessors?

Li Yi felt that he still needed to learn and observe more.

Fortunately, he is still young, which is also his biggest advantage. Human life is only a hundred years, and time is always the most precious.

How many brilliant heroes in history were ultimately just a flash in the pan?
On the contrary, many people relied on their lifespan to outlive their opponents.

Youth is capital, so why don’t you agree?

If you have the guts, don’t die in front of me!
Perhaps it was the huge change in his mood, on the way back, Li Yi felt pleasantly surprised by the flowers and plants along the road.

When he came, he didn't pay attention to these things, let alone these inconspicuous flowers and plants.

Even if a beautiful woman threw herself into his arms, Li Yi might not be very interested.

At that time, all he thought about was making great achievements and longing for wealth.

And now?

Wealth and glory are just around the corner... no, they are already here.

In high spirits, Li Yi hummed softly: "My past filthiness is nothing to boast about, but today my unrestrained thoughts are boundless. The spring breeze is blowing, and my horse's hooves are galloping. I can see all the flowers in Chang'an in one day."

He felt that this poem by Meng Jiao was very consistent with his current mood.

It’s so damn well written!
"Brother Yi, your poem is really well written. I'm afraid your literary talent is not inferior to those Hanlin scholars."

Ma Renyu knew how to ruin the atmosphere. Although it was a compliment, the more Li Yi listened, the harsher it became.

He replied helplessly: "It wasn't me who wrote it, it was Meng Jiao who did it."

"Who is Meng Jiao?" Ma Renyu looked bewildered. "Have we ever met this person before?"

Li Yi flattered him and casually replied, "You may have seen it, but I definitely haven't."

Damn it!
He has been dead for more than a hundred years. If we met him, it would be a ghost... Yes, it would be a real ghost!
Mid June.

The army of the Later Zhou Dynasty arrived in Luzhou, and the return route was the same as the way they came. They had to pass through Zezhou and Huaizhou, and finally return to Tokyo Daliang City.

The route we took was still the same, but everyone's mood was completely different from when we came.

Firstly, I was glad that I could return alive, and secondly, I received the rewards I deserved.

He traveled hundreds of miles and went to the battlefield with his head on his shoulders.

For what?
Isn't it the desire to achieve success and gain wealth and glory?

It's a pity that many never returned... Their wives, children, and elders waited impatiently in Tokyo, but they could never see their fathers, sons, or husbands return. Don't laugh at me sleeping drunk on the battlefield; how many men have ever returned from battle?
How much sorrow there is in the rise and fall...

When they arrived in Luzhou, the emperor ordered the army to rest for a day and set out the next day.

Taking advantage of this gap, the emperor successively rewarded the meritorious soldiers in various vassal states, and at the same time punished a group of people who fought poorly.

But overall, more people were commended. The soldiers traveled long distances and fought hard, so they deserved the rewards.

The reward that the emperor promised to Li Yi under the city of Jinyang was also fulfilled at this time.

"Li Yi, the commander-in-chief of the Inner Palace, has been transferred to the position of Governor of Qianzhou, and his duties remain the same."

Qianzhou?

Li Yi couldn't remember where this was for a moment, and thought about asking someone later.

Wait until those who deserve rewards have been rewarded and those who deserve punishments have been punished.

The emperor then ordered the troops of each vassal state to return to their garrisons. Most of the troops soon dispersed, leaving only tens of thousands of imperial guards in Luzhou.

"Brother Yi, I just asked a civil servant for you. Qianzhou is under the jurisdiction of Jingzhao Prefecture, which governs Fengtian County. The governor is an official from the fourth rank down."

Li Yi didn't expect Ma Renyu to be so smart. He was just about to ask, but he had already found out for him in advance.

From the fourth rank down...that should be a lower state.

But it doesn't matter. It's just a remote title, and the purpose is to improve the rank and get more salary.

Ma Renyu added, "I've also asked for your information. The provincial governor's monthly salary is one hundred strings of cash, fifty stone of rice and wheat, five stone of salt, five horses' fodder, and twenty portions of food and clothing..."

Good boy...you asked quite detailed questions.

Li Yi sighed, "The imperial court really treats these county officials well. The salaries of the provincial governors are much higher than those of us military commanders."

Ma Renyu echoed, "It's really fucking unfair. We fought to the death, but the reward we got is less than a month's worth of food for them."

"My monthly salary and supplies as an Inner Palace Guard are less than a hundred strings of cash..."

It’s no wonder that Ma Renyu is resentful. He didn’t get any additional titles, and the income from his military job alone is no match for Li Yi.

Li Yi could only console him, "When we return to Kaifeng, His Majesty will reward us with something, and you will certainly benefit from it."

After hearing this, Ma Renyu felt better.

"By the way, Brother Yi, what are you going to do with that Miss Chen? Are you really going to bring her back to Tokyo?"

"Oh, how could I have forgotten about this!"

Li Yi suddenly slapped his head. No wonder after arriving in Luzhou, he always felt like he had forgotten something.

But I can't remember what it is.

It turns out that I had forgotten about Chen Xiaoniang, such a living person!

At that time, she was hurriedly handed over to the general in charge of transporting grain and grass, without even having time to say a few more words.

I don’t know whether she and the group of elderly, weak, women and children were safely sent to Luzhou.

Li Yi immediately took Ma Renyu to inquire about it and learned that there was indeed a group of elderly, weak, women and children from Shizhou who followed the returning grain transport team to Luzhou.

The two of them went looking for it without stopping.

The general who was escorting the grain and fodder was quite concerned and did not abandon Chen Xiaoniang and the others. Instead, he handed them over to the officials in charge of logistics.

When the logistics officer heard that it was the Inner Palace Guard Commander-in-Chief who gave the order, he arranged Chen Xiaoniang and others to the wounded camp to help with some chores within his ability.

This also solved their food and accommodation problems.

When she saw Li Yi again, Chen Xiaoniang was obviously very happy. She knelt down and called him "Master" in a low voice. No one knew who taught her that.

She had lived in a remote village since she was a child, had never traveled far, and had little experience. It was impossible for her to learn these things by herself.

Li Yi directly pulled her up and told her that she could call him "Alang" or "Langjun" in the future, but not to call him master, as it sounded awkward.

(End of this chapter)