Outside Lin'an City, the tranquility on the shore of Xizi Lake was broken by the earth-shattering sound of killing. The huge forbidden army barracks were built on the mountains and rivers, and the continuous tents covered the earth like white clouds. On the school ground, 30,000 elites are sweating and practicing under the scorching sun.
The gun array was like a forest, accompanied by a neat and uniform roar, and the sharp tip of the spear pierced the air, emitting a terrifying scream. The sword and shield hands moved forward in formation, the shield collided with each other with a dull loud noise, and the blade light flickered, practicing offensive and defensive transitions.
Behind the archer's array, the arrows swept through the air like locusts, accurately nailing to the arrow target in the distance.
The cavalry team galloped like thunder, the horses' hooves trampled on the rolling yellow dust, and the knights on horseback controlled the war horses, making various difficult movements of chopping and sprinting.
The air was filled with the smell of sweat, dust, and an iron-blooded killing aura. The officers' commands came one after another, and the soldiers' responses were deafening.
After a month of training, the officers and soldiers of the Imperial Guard Infantry Division who had surrendered in battle had completely washed away their shame and reintegrated into the Forbidden Army system, regaining their sharpness and fighting spirit in their eyes.
The entire barracks, like a huge and sophisticated war machine, are running at high speed, making the most adequate preparations for the unknown future battle.
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At the same time, in Lin'an City, the Prince's Mansion.
The morning light shines through the delicate window lattices in the slightly empty but gradually rejuvenating hall.
As soon as Han Mu got up, a servant respectfully came to report: "Report to the national teacher, there is a herald of the forbidden army outside the gate of the palace who wants to see him, saying that he is ordered by the privy councilor Lord Xin to convey important matters."
"Let him in." Han Mu tidied up his Taoist robe.
A herald dressed in light armor and dusty servants quickly entered, knelt on one knee, and presented a document with both hands: "Report to the national teacher, the prime minister has an order, and invite the national teacher to go to the Privy Council immediately to observe the supreme military meeting held today. The meeting will discuss in detail the timing of the Northern Expedition to the Central Plains and study and judge the latest situation trends in the Jin Kingdom."
Han Mu took the document and glanced at it, which was Xin Qiji's handwriting and the seal of the Privy Council. "Got it, reply to Xin Shuxiang, the poor Taoist will arrive immediately."
The messenger took the order and left.
Han Mu understood in his heart. In today's Song Dynasty, although Prime Minister Han Tuozhou holds a high position and is in charge of government affairs and official selection, he has always followed the ancestral system and does not easily interfere with the military and political affairs in charge of the Privy Council.
Any major military decisions and troop deployment orders by Xin Qiji still need to be reported to Han Tuozhou for approval before they can be implemented. And this Privy Council, as the supreme military command body of the Song Dynasty, its troop mobilization tiger talisman is the only certificate for mobilizing the forbidden army in the world, and its authority is extremely heavy.
Xin Qiji has been in charge of the Privy Council for more than two years. In the past two years, although Han Mu has not directly intervened in specific military affairs, he also knows that under the painstaking rectification of this all-round privy councilor, the Song Forbidden Army has long been reborn, and its combat effectiveness is by no means the same as that of Wu Xia Ameng in the past.
Xin Qiji himself is not only a giant in the literary world, but also a handsome talent who can command troops and fight, and can be called the highest martial arts among civil servants and the most outstanding military generals. In addition, he has achieved small success in practicing the Quanzhen Mind Method, and his martial arts have reached the peak of first-class, and he can be called a generation of grandmasters.
On the other hand, the Jin Kingdom in the north had turbulent internal dynasties and fierce party strife, while the external situation faced continuous intrusion from Mongolian tribes, which can be described as internal and external troubles.
Previously, Wanyan Honglie led tens of thousands of troops to conquer the Shandong Loyal and Righteous Army, but with the help of Han Mu, he was defeated by the Loyal and Righteous Army led by Yang Tiexin, and lost his troops. Under this and that, the combat power of the Jin army has declined, while the morale of the Song army is booming.
"The Northern Expedition to the Central Plains destroyed the Jin Dynasty in one fell swoop...... The time is ripe." Han Mu was sure in his heart. He laid out all the way to promote the revival of the Song Dynasty, reorganize the army, and the ultimate goal was to unify the world.
For him, as a cultivator, he had a long period of time, which was enough to patiently watch this dynasty grow stronger step by step on the track he laid.
With his thoughts settled, Han Mu simply packed up and went out leisurely, heading towards the imperial city. He didn't ride in a sedan chair, he just seemed to be walking idly, but his figure was erratic and extremely fast, and ordinary people only felt a purple shadow passing by, unable to see the specific appearance clearly.
Soon, the majestic palace gate of the imperial city was in front of him. The soldiers of the Forbidden Army guarding the palace gate saw the familiar purple Taoist robe from a distance, and immediately looked solemn, with incomparable awe and admiration in their eyes. The deeds of one person breaking into the camp of 30,000 rebels and beheading the rebel leaders Li Jingong and He Congliang have long spread throughout Lin'an, and Han Mu is almost like a god of war in the hearts of these soldiers. Not to mention the noble status of his national teacher, as well as the rumors that he was highly valued by the Prime Minister of Han and the Prime Minister of Xin.
"Open the palace gate quickly! Welcome to the national teacher!" The guard officer did not hesitate and immediately gave a loud order.
The heavy palace gate slowly opened, Han Mu nodded slightly to the guards, and his figure flashed, and he had entered the imperial city.
In the imperial city, there are many official offices. The Zhongshu Menxia (Political Affairs Hall) and the Privy Council are divided into east and west, known as the "East Mansion" and "West Mansion", which together constitute the highest power core of the Song Dynasty.
Han Mu went straight to the Privy Council to the west. Along the way, he met many officials, whether they were ordinary officials in low-grade green robes or high-ranking officials in high-grade red robes and purple robes. Han Mu just responded lightly, his footsteps did not stop.
When he came to the door of the Privy Council, the guards saluted in solemnity, and no one dared to stop him. Han Mu drove straight in and followed the voice to the central council hall.
Before entering, he heard a calm discussion from inside. Stepping into the lobby, the first thing that catches your eye is a giant military sand table that occupies almost half of the hall.
The mountains and rivers on the sand table are undulating, the rivers meander, and the cities are dotted. It is covered with dense small flags of different colors, representing the forces of Song, Jin, Mongolia, Xixia, Dali, Tubo and other forces, and their troop deployment and territorial boundaries are clear at a glance.
Xin Qiji was standing at the head of the sand table, listening intently to the statements of the generals beside him. He was still wearing a purple robe today, with a burly figure and imposing momentum. He immediately noticed Han Mu's arrival, immediately interrupted his words, turned around and clenched his fists, with a smile on his face: "Han Xiaoyou is here! Please!"
Next to Xin Qiji, there were three generals dressed in exquisite armor and fierce breath.
Han Mu's eyes swept and he recognized that these three people were the supreme commanders who commanded the Central Forbidden Army of the Song Dynasty - the commanders of the "Three Yamen": Dong Fuge, commander of the Palace Front Division, Wang Minghao, commander of the Cavalry Division of the Imperial Guards, and Xu Binwen, commander of the Infantry Division of the Imperial Guards.
When the three senior generals saw Han Mu, they also did not dare to neglect it, so they clenched their fists and bowed slightly: "The last general will see the national teacher!" The three of them had loud voices, with the simplicity and heartfelt respect of soldiers.
Han Mu's invincible heroic posture that day had already impressed these fierce generals in the army.
Han Mu bowed in return, and his eyes were immediately deeply attracted by the huge sand table.
He walked slowly to the sand table, overlooking this condensed vast expanse of rivers and mountains. Yellow River, Yangtze River, Qinling Mountains, Huai River...... The mountains and rivers of the homeland seem to be at your fingertips. The hinterland of the Jin Kingdom, the fortresses on the border, the area where the Mongolian cavalry operated, the territory of Western Xia, the mountains and rivers of Dali, and the plateau of Tibet...... The situation of all forces is intuitively presented on this sand table.
A supreme military meeting that will decide the fate of the world is about to begin in front of this sand table. And Han Mu, as a national teacher who is detached from the court but deeply involved in it, will also be one of the most important observers and influencers of this meeting.
Han Mu's eyes were sharp, as if he had penetrated the sand table, and saw the future Iron Horse Glacier and the battlefield of the Northern Expedition.