When we arrived at Huai'an, three parts were water and seven parts were fields. Baima Lake was located on the south bank of Hongze Lake. Here, the Northern Expedition Army finally met the first Qing soldiers from Huai'an. I don't know how many small county officials enfeoffed by the Qing court were killed along the way, and this Baima Lake garrison will soon become one of them.

The Qing Dynasty had just entered the Central Plains and was busy enclosing land and enjoying it. They had no intention of building stations at all, so their news was very blocked. Until now, they didn't know where this army came out.

The Qing soldiers of Baima Lake hurriedly sent people to inform Wakeda in Huai'an. Hou Xuanyan gave the order. The Northern Expedition Army, who had been marching for a month, took down the small garrison by the lake without any blood. Except for the soldiers who went to report the news, the rest were beheaded by the Northern Expedition Army and pushed them into the lake to feed the fish.

It was getting late, and Hou Xuanyan carefully observed that the terrain of this place was suitable for camping, so he ordered a rest here for a night and he could reach the Huai'an frontline tomorrow.

The marching of several days made him sweat and felt very uncomfortable. Fortunately, although Baima Lake is small, it is all in the garrison. The personal soldiers brought a bathtub, and the hot water was steaming. Hou Xuanyan took half a scoop and poured it off his head to feel comfortable. Although the weather was hot, Hou Xuanyan still liked the feeling of taking a hot bath. After the whole body was burned, it looked like ripe shrimps. Soaked in the water, the fatigue of many days was wiped out. After so long battles, Hou Xuanyan clearly felt that his body gradually became stronger.

The evening breeze by the lake in summer blew in through the window, and the soldiers were laughing and making noises outside. When we arrived at Huai'an, everyone knew that the war was about to break out and that the soldiers could still relax so much was the true nature of a strong army. The Northern Expedition Army had nothing special, but it had the conditions that the army in the late Ming Dynasty should have but did not have.

They have sufficient military pay and never owed them; rewards and punishments are clear; they have sufficient supplies and abundant food and grass; they practice in their spare time, and they keep cold and heat. As long as a stable and sufficient income, the Han dynasty court has put his heart into raising soldiers, the Han family never fears anyone on the battlefield. If a nation does not have the blood of martial arts in its bones, how could it grow from a small land in the Two Rivers Basin to a great country that is bounded by the four seas in the east, the desert in the west, the Xishan in the south, and the grassland in the north. The fertile soil that once bordered us, except for the unsuitable farming, has become our territory.

Hou Xuanyan wiped his body casually, put on a loose robe, and walked out of the big tent. The night sky was full of stars in Baima Lake, and the sky was clear and clean at this time. At one glance, a full moon was arched out of the starry sea.

Hou Xuanyan suddenly became shocked. Now it was the full Mid-Autumn Festival on August 15th and the continuous battles had forgotten this day of reunion. Thinking about his family in Suzhou and Jinling, they should be missing themselves at this moment.

There were bonfires everywhere in the military camp. Some soldiers had already sang their own little songs in their hometown, and others laughed and supported them or scolded them. If they met fellow villagers, they would be very intimate and talked about some interesting stories in the countryside to each other.

Zhu Dadian, who was patrolling the military camp, saw Hou Xuanyan and stepped forward and smiled, "Duke isn't sleeping yet?"

"Mr. Zhu, you are healthy in the Mid-Autumn Festival."

Zhu Dadian said in surprise: "Is the Mid-Autumn Festival? The Duke of the State is healthy, hey, after fighting for so long, I even forgot the Mid-Autumn Festival." After saying that, he looked up at the full moon in the sky, and his eyes were filled with endless emotion. How many ups and downs are there in his sixties? How many memories can be hidden in his heart during the sixty Mid-Autumn Festival? How many times can people hide? How many times have people couldn't help but think about it after many years. Hou Xuanyan looked at Zhu Dadian looking up at the moon and sighed.

The soldiers around all stopped and looked at their two commanders. Hou Xuanyan was never a noble prince in their hearts. He often appeared in the military camps where big soldiers were crowded with blood, drinking and eating with these veterans who were fighting with their swords. He would also laugh with their countryside vulgar slang, and would also get drunk and swear. However, when he really looked straight, he had the unique prestige of the commander of the three armies.

Half of Hou Xuanyan's thoughts came from later generations, and the concept of equality for everyone was once deeply rooted in his mind, which is also the biggest reason why his unique leadership charm was formed. Sometimes an unintentional respect can be exchanged for loyalty to both sides. This is the charm of this era. Hou Xuanyan, who was a human being for two lives, complemented this era.

Hou Xuanyan pulled out a spear that someone had inserted from the bonfire and pointed at the sky and said, "When the Qing Dynasty went south to the Central Plains, Yangzhou was in Jinling for ten days, and once Jiangsu and Zhejiang were invaded by the enemy. Who would have thought that you and I would build an army to fight the Northern Expedition and celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival in Huai'an. I will write a poem for this situation."

The soldiers and generals around him surrounded him and cheered him, but he still didn't know that his palms were red. Hou Xuanyan had memories of two eras, and he was half a scholar himself. He had read verses and songs for twenty years. As the saying goes, he could read 300 Tang poems, and could recite them even if he could not write poems.

Hou Xuanyan was very interested. He held a spear of an ordinary soldier. He looked around with a pair of admiration and loving eyes. He suddenly felt a sense of heroism in his heart. He held the gun and said:

"When the wolf smoke rises, he will fight and turn the killing knife immediately.

The mountains and rivers are broken and the barbarian wind is smelly, and the land in China is sinking and the Hu horses are arrogant.

The world is rectified and the world is used to repair the heavens, and the heroes are planned to be promoted to the great powers of thousands of miles.

When will I break the Manchurian Road and rush the horses and flags across the gorge?"

After singing a poem, the barracks were already cheering. These good men who had fought for a month were celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival in their own way next to Baima Lake in Huai'an.

Hou Xuanyan laughed loudly, touching the old wound on his shoulder, with a slight pain, and shouted loudly: "Get the wine."

Zhang Yitong hurriedly took off the Dashen's wine bag. Because Hou Xuanyan was surrounded by people, he had to shout loudly: "DaSheng, take the drink."

With his hands gathered his strength, the wine bag drew a parabola from the sky, and Hou Xuanyan steadily caught it. He pulled the plug open, and a strong smell of wine came to his face. Hou Xuanyan sniffed it and cursed, "What kind of bad wine is this? Is it someone who drinks?" After that, he raised his head and took two sips, coughing.

The soldiers around him smiled and cheered. A small soldier who looked quite clever, who was sixteen or seventeen years old, didn't know how awe of the superiors, and he leaned forward and said with a saliva, "Master, the young man also wants to ask for a drink."

Hou Xuanyan laughed and scolded: "You have not grown all your hair yet, so you can learn from us good men to drink. If you want your mother's consent after you go home, you can come to have a bar with your brothers."

Everyone laughed louder, and the other soldiers and generals in the camp, although they didn't know what had happened, also became happy.
Chapter completed!