Chapter 222 A desperate move

The guards at the city gate did not recognize Ling Zhen, and immediately surrounded him when they heard the shouting.

"What are you doing?"

"Hehe, you are so bold and a spy. I have been keeping an eye on you for a long time!"

"A spy? I'm not!"

"No? What's hidden in the car?"

Lei Zhen cooperated with the guards at the door and pinned Ling Zhen down in no time, while his family and followers were also surrounded at the same time.

It happened that Yan Qing was patrolling at the South Gate, and when he saw the unusual movement he hurried over.

He pushed through the crowd and found that it was Ling Zhen. He exclaimed, "Get out of here quickly. He's not a spy. Brother Ling, you're scared."

"Commander Yan called him Brother Ling? Could it be Hongtian?"

"It's Thunder Ling Zhen!"

"Ah I"

Lei Zhen stood there awkwardly, while Ling Zhen dusted himself off and saluted to Yan Qing in thanks.

"If it weren't for Brother Xiaoyi today, Ling and his family would have suffered."

"I'm so sorry."

"Brother Ling, please don't blame me. Commander Lei is very careful and cautious. What did you put in my car?"

"Haha." Seeing Yan Qing defending Lei Zhen, Ling Zhen smiled and didn't bear any grudge. He patted the frame of the carriage and explained, "I came here with my whole family. It's not good to come empty-handed, so I bought some gunpowder, thinking that Yang Jiedu might need it."

"Hey, I just smell gunpowder."

Lei Zhen explained awkwardly to Yan Qing, and then curiously asked Ling Zhen: "I remember that in the defense of the capital at the beginning of the year, the defenders used this thing to repel the Jin army many times. It is said that gunpowder materials were confiscated by the court. Where did you buy it from?"

"I often deal with gunpowder, and I have more ways to buy it than ordinary people. The shopkeeper who sold me the gunpowder this time was reported to have hidden gold and silver at home, and his property was confiscated by the government. He was unwilling to hand over the remaining gunpowder."

"Brother, you must have spent a lot of money, right?" Yan Qing asked.

"My family's gold and silver were also confiscated, so how could I have any extra money to buy materials? But I couldn't take the house in Tokyo with me, so I exchanged it for these two truckloads of materials at a discount."

"hiss"

Lei Zhen took a deep breath, thinking that the gift was too much. He then curiously asked, "In Tokyo, every inch of land is worth a lot of money. Even the smallest house is worth a lot. You only exchanged it for two carts of gunpowder? Isn't that too much of a loss?"

Ling Zhen said calmly: "Houses are in short supply right now, and it's not easy to get these. Brother Xiaoyi, this Commander Lei is..."

"Commander Lei was born in the Imperial Palace, and his vigilance is higher than that of ordinary people."

“No wonder I could smell gunpowder.”

"Let's go." Yan Qing pointed in the direction of the city and said with a smile: "Let's go into the city first. Yang Jiedu has been talking about my brother for a long time. Han Tao and Xuan Zan have sent people to ask about it. Finally, you are here."

"Brother Xiaoyi, you are too serious."

"Commander Lei, you can go back to the mansion first to report. Brother Ling and I will arrive later. There will be a welcoming banquet tonight. Maybe Governor Yang will cook for us personally. We will have a feast again."

"Uh, okay."

Lei Zhen bowed to the two men and said goodbye, then mounted his horse and rushed to the general's mansion.

Although he had great respect for Ling Zhen's actions, he did not believe that Yang Chang would cook for him. Lei Zhen and other generals had the same misunderstanding, believing that artillery was bulky and expensive, and it was unrealistic to use it for the entire army. It was not as practical as bows and arrows.

Ling Zhen, the Thunder God, was originally a gunner who served as the deputy envoy of the imperial armory. His job was to fire salutes to liven up the atmosphere during important festivals. He mostly fired signal cannons at Liangshan, and was not used as an offensive weapon by Song Jiang.

Yang Chang also wants Ling Zhen to fire the signal cannon? With the current productivity of Weisheng and Pingbei, it is impossible to support an artillery team.

Lei Zhen had been in Weisheng for a short time and didn't know that Yang Chang could throw shells by hand, so he didn't realize the importance of Ling Zhen.

When returning home to report, Yang Chang was soaking his feet to relieve his fatigue.

Hearing that Ling Zhen had arrived and brought two carts of gunpowder, Yang Chang went to the front yard barefoot to greet him without even having time to put on his shoes and socks.

Lei Zhen was surprised to see this, and hurriedly followed behind to remind him: "General, listen to me, Commander Yan is with Ling Zhen, and he may come after he has settled his family. There is no need to be so anxious. Your feet."

"Ah?" Yang Chang reacted and smiled, "I was too excited. With Ling Zhen's help, maybe we can take Taiyuan back."

"Is he really that important?"

"of course."

Seeing Lei Zhen's surprised expression, Yang Chang explained seriously: "The military strength between the enemy and us is very different. Artillery can achieve a surprise victory. Ling Zhen made up for the weakness of our army."

"Yeah."

"Since there is still a while, I will go to the kitchen now and make two dishes myself. You will be in for a treat again."

"Oh"

Lei Zhen smiled awkwardly, thinking that Yan Qing had guessed it right, and then turned around and prepared to leave.

Just as I turned around, Qiu Qiongying's voice suddenly came from behind.

"what?"

"Ling Zhen is here? That's great, I'm going to show off my skills!"

The third lady was so excited and said she wanted to show off her skills. Did she also like to set off firecrackers?

Lei Zhen was puzzled until he attended a welcoming banquet at night, when he learned the reason from Wu Song. It turned out that Yang Chang and Lu Zhishen both had the unique skill of throwing cannonballs with their bare hands, and Qiu Qiongying seemed to be practicing it as well.

Yang Chang didn't want difficult-to-make artillery, he just wanted Ling Zhen to supervise the production of artillery shells or explosives.

At the welcoming banquet that day, Yang Chang ordered the formation of an artillery corps and appointed Ling Zhen as the commander of the artillery corps, who was also the sixth commander under Yang Chang.

The degree of importance attached to this is beyond words.

However, due to limited resources, the artillery army could not go to the battlefield at this time. Yang Changming and Ling Zhen selected personnel to set up a workshop to manufacture artillery shells and explosives specifically for the army.

Just a few days after Ling Zhen arrived in Weisheng, he selected a thousand people as the first batch of artillery corps members. While using the gunpowder he brought to make artillery shells, he also conducted field investigations in Mianshang and other places.

Yang Chang asked him to build a complete industrial chain from raw materials to processing, so that he could have a continuous supply of ammunition, instead of buying raw materials only after they had run out of ammunition like Liangshan did.

While Ling Zhen was busy, Li Gang sent his confidant to Weisheng on his way to take up his post, informing him of Zhong Shizhong's recommendation to leave the capital, hoping that Yang Chang could contribute to the recovery of Taiyuan.

The reason why Li Gang used a consultative tone was that during the battle to defend the capital, he had experienced the tempers of the generals of the royalist army, and no one was willing to listen to orders from a civilian like him.

Among the three commanders appointed by Emperor Qinzong, except Li Gang, the other two were military generals with long experience in battles, and he could not command them even if he wanted to.

Yang Changben had no intention of going north to fight the Jin army head-on, but Ling Zhen's arrival gave him a lot of confidence, so he did not refuse Yao Gu as he had done before, but instead made a request to Li Gang.

As soon as Li Gang's confidant left, Li Yanxian, who was placed under Hu Cheng's command, rushed to the general's mansion to ask for a meeting.

At that time, Yang Chang, Wen Huanzhang, Lin Chong, Wu Song and others were in the front hall, looking at the maps of Taiyuan and various states, discussing how to send troops while taking into account defense.

Because Li Yanxian had been here several times with Hu Cheng, the guards at the door did not question him carefully. After all, if this person really had ill intentions, the people inside could easily suppress him.

"General Yang, Li Yanxian wants to see you."

"Is something wrong?"

Yang Chang had already seen the visitor from the corner of his eye. Wu Song and Lin Chong were both highly skilled in martial arts, so as soon as Li Yanxian stepped over the threshold, he was looked at by the three giants inside at the same time. "General, I heard that Li Gang sent someone to attack Taiyuan. You have to make your own decision on sending troops."

"Brother asked you to come?"

"No." Li Yanxian waved his hand and said, "It was me who acted on my own initiative."

Lin Chong frowned after hearing this. He was known for his strict military discipline, and for those who went beyond the level of the chain of command to report matters, he would usually warn them first and then punish them.

Just as he was about to remind Yang Chang, the other party suddenly smiled and said, "It seems that you and Li Gang have started a feud, but your guess was so accurate. Don't stand far away, come to the front and talk."

"Yes!"

Seeing Li Yanxian striding forward, Wu Song's eyes flashed with surprise, and he thought that this man was quite courageous.

"You have served under General Zhong. Do you know the details of the Jin army in Taiyuan? How many soldiers do they have?"

"Well, I just happen to be a scout. There are about 60,000 to 70,000 Jin army main forces in Taiyuan, and 30,000 to 40,000 surrendered soldiers of the Yisheng Army. The total force exceeds 100,000."

"That's a lot."

"You're just bluffing, right?"

Lin Chong twisted his beard and looked at Li Yanxian. After saying this, he reminded Yang Changdao: "According to the intelligence, Marshal Nianhan is not in Taiyuan at this time. Lou Shi is only a vanguard general. Can he command an army of 100,000? You know, it is not easy to lead thousands of people. Too many people can easily cause chaos. If he really has such ability, it would be too difficult for us to send troops."

"The intelligence I got is indeed true. The defeats of Generals Zhong and Yao last time prove that Lou Shi is really powerful. I also agree with Commander Lin's concerns. The gap between Wei Sheng's troops and the Jin army is too big."

"Lou Room."

Yang Chang thought of the shooting that happened, and the image of Lou Shi appeared in his mind again. He changed the subject and comforted everyone.

"The Jin army has the advantage of cavalry. We have no place to buy horses now. We can take this opportunity to ask Li Gang for help and ask for some weapons, armor and food. Anyway, we should get the things first."

"General, you want things without working for them? Aren't you afraid of being punished by the court?"

"The court is punishing you?"

Wu Song hummed in contempt, but was quickly interrupted by Yang Chang, who smiled and continued, "A general is not subject to orders from his sovereign when he is away from home. I didn't say that I won't contribute after getting the things. Doesn't the court have several armies? Whoever has more soldiers should fight the main force."

"Well, it turns out the general had a plan in mind."

Li Yanxian clasped his fists and lowered his head, thinking that his worries were unnecessary.

If Zhong Shizhong said to knock him out, then he should be knocked out. How could General Yang listen to Li Gang?

It is a pity that the imperial court acted recklessly, sent a civil official to such an important position, and demoted Minister Xiao Zhong to Qianzhou. General Yang is the only one who can recapture Taiyuan.

After Li Yanxian left, Lin Chong suggested that Yang Chang punish him for the crime of transcending his rank.

After all, if the troublemakers are not suppressed, others will follow suit, which will affect the future management of the army.

Yang Chang was a troublemaker himself, and perhaps because they sympathized with each other, he did not agree to punish Li Yanxian. He only asked Wu Song to remind the gate guards to pass the message strictly.

After this incident, while Yang Chang was waiting for war horses, weapons and other supplies, he was actively preparing to send troops to Taiyuan. He visited the artillery corps every two days, which was an important reliance for victory.

However, after a few days, it was as if this incident had never happened, and Li Gang did not even respond.

What does he mean? The 'bride price' is too high, so he just 'blacklisted' her?

Yang Chang didn't like to speculate, so he sent Yan Qing to Huaizhou to inquire.

Huaizhou is bordered by Zezhou to the north and the Yellow River to the south. It has a very important strategic position and is only three days away from Weisheng.

Yan Qing accepted the order and worked day and night, returning to Weisheng to report in mid-August.

"What did you say? He's building a car?"

"Yes, build chariots, each with 25 people, bows, crossbows, swords, spears, shields, etc."

"Using chariots to fight cavalry is a rather retro tactic. Mr. Wen, what do you think?"

"Alas," Wen Huanzhang sighed and commented, "Chariots may be effective against cavalry, but he has not put them into practice. He thinks too simply."

Yang Chang nodded in agreement: "This chariot is bound to be heavy and it is inconvenient to transport it to the Taiyuan battlefield. If we don't spend time training, it may not be very effective. We suffer from lack of experience."

"Li Xuanfu wants to build more than a thousand of them. I don't know how much manpower and material resources it will take."

"Every unit of the Song army is short of horses now. Li Gang is desperate and is trying every possible means."

"General." Wen Huanzhang called Yang Chang and said sternly, "Since you know that you are desperate, we should warn you and stop you."

Yang Chang frowned and shook his head, muttering: "It is not convenient for me to speak, and perhaps it is too late. Mr. Wen was once an imperial censor. Can you write a letter to persuade him?"

"OK then."

When Wen Huanzhang was the censor, he heard about Li Gang's stubborn personality. With the idea of ​​knowing one's destiny and doing one's best, he wrote a letter in his personal name to persuade and remonstrate with him.

However, his advice was too late. Li Gang's "closed-door development" in Huaizhou had long been known to his political enemies in the court, and they soon exaggerated the matter and reached Qinzong's ears.

Qinzong needed to open up the situation as quickly as possible, rather than slowly building vehicles and training, so he angrily issued an edict to disband Li Gang's army, instantly leaving him a commander without troops.

The emperor made an impulsive decision, which not only wasted the court's money and supplies, but also put Li Gang's active attempts in vain.

This army consisted of only more than 10,000 people. They were refugees temporarily recruited from around Tokyo after Li Gang took office as the envoy. They had no combat effectiveness.

Qinzong never thought that he could rely on Li Gang. He relied on his two deputies and generals who had their own troops. So while disbanding Li Gang's army, Emperor Zhao Huan directly bypassed the Xuanfu Division and personally commanded troops from all over the country to launch an attack.

In late August, Yang Chang also received the imperial edict.

Qinzong requested that Weisheng garrison troops march north out of Taigu Water Gorge at the end of the month to support the two armies in the east and west.

The strategy for this battle is still the same familiar formula, except that the offensive force has been increased, giving a feeling of going all in.

On the eastern route, Liu Ge left Zhending, passed Pingding, and attacked Shouyang, while Wang Yuan passed Liaozhou and attacked Yuci. On the western route, Jie Qian, Zhe Yanzhi, Zhang Hao, Zhe Keqiu and others left the northwest, passed Pingbei, and attacked Fenzhou.

Weisheng's geographical location belongs to the central route, and Li Gang should have sent troops together with Yang Chang, but Li Gang now has no soldiers and only the title of envoy.

The total strength of the several routes selected by Qinzong exceeded 200,000. Both the number of soldiers and combat effectiveness were slightly better than those of Yao Gu and Zhong Shizhong. However, the troops were stationed in scattered areas, making it impossible to effectively assemble and unify the command.

Wu Song saw Yang Chang receive the imperial edict and send the messenger away with a smile, so he stepped forward and asked in a low voice: "Is Sanlang really going to send troops?"

"There are not enough shells. Why should I send troops?"

“But you accepted the order.”

"So what?"

Yang Chang threw the imperial edict out, then stepped on it and smiled contemptuously: "I have received the edict, but I can disobey it."

"Are you going to rebel?"

"If the imperial court punishes them, they will rebel. However, they probably won't punish them, because those armies will surely be defeated!"

"Why? Aren't they all famous generals? And they seem to have more troops."

Wu Song looked at him with a puzzled expression. Yang Chang met his gaze, shook his head slightly, and said something that did not belong to this era.

"The Calabash Brothers are just saving their grandfather"

(End of this chapter)