Chapter 223 The sword is in my hand, why should I entrust it to others? (6k)

Qinzong mobilized troops intensively this time. Except for Liu Qian's army, the rest had to pass through Yang Chang's defense zone.

As the saying goes: Bandits pass by like combs, and soldiers pass by like rakes.

With such a large-scale military mobilization, and the emperor's urgent urging and the troops' hasty preparation, it is highly likely that food and military supplies were insufficient, and it is hard to say that it would not disturb the people along the way.

Even if Yang Chang had the strength to send out troops, he would not dare to take the risk of leaving the defense empty.

The next day after receiving the imperial edict, he and Zhao Fujin went to Linfen, the headquarters of the Pingbei Army, to instruct them on how to "receive the friendly forces".

Yang Chang requested five cities along the Fen River, namely Xiangling, Linfen, Hongdong, Zhaocheng, and Huoyi.

The five cities were on wartime alert, and friendly troops passing through were not given rewards or allowed to enter the city.

The reason was that the state was attacked by the Jin army at the beginning of the year, and the counties in the state were severely damaged at this time. They were unable to undertake the relevant reception work and could not provide civilian laborers for the various armies.

The last time Yao Gu led his troops across the border, the navy helped transport supplies.

This time, Yang Chang also turned off "this service". After all, there were many teams crossing the border and he couldn't help them all one by one.

Linfen City, provincial government office.

Yang Chang sat in the main seat facing south. Zhu Tong, Xiao Rang, Liu Tang, Xuan Zan, Ruan Xiaowu, Shi Qian and other people at home sat on his left and right in the hall and listened.

After the series of 'ruthless' decisions were announced, everyone in the hall showed different expressions.

Ruan Xiaowu, Shi Qian and other adjutants had firm looks in their eyes, but Xiao Rang and Zhu Tong, the chief civil and military officers, both frowned at the same time to express their worry.

Zhu Tong was closer to Yang Chang, so he stood up and clasped his fists and said, "Last time Yao Gu led his troops across the border, Brother Xiao sent people to deliver wine and meat. Although it was just a formality, it was at least respectful. This time, if we defend against the government troops like we would against thieves, will it arouse their dissatisfaction?"

"Just bear with it if you are dissatisfied. When you come to our territory, even a dragon has to coil around."

"If there is a conflict."

"Then treat them as thieves. I don't believe they dare to do anything rash!"

Yang Chang answered in a sonorous and powerful voice.

Zhu Tong swallowed his saliva and then asked: "Have you made up your mind? If we are so unkind, they will definitely report us and criticize us. At this time, the Jin army is in the north and has a strong force. If..."

"It doesn't matter. I'm sure they will lose. If Zhao Huan dares to ask me about my crime, I will dare to fight back!"

"Just go against him directly."

"I've been waiting for this sentence."

As Zhao Fujin was resting in the back hall, Zhu Tong did not dare to publicly announce the rebellion, but he did not expect Yang Chang to be so fierce. Liu Tang, Ruan Xiaoqi, Shi Qian and others also echoed him loudly.

With such a loud commotion, the people in the back hall would definitely notice it.

Zhao Fujin had been in Weisheng for a long time and had heard some rumors, but he just didn't believe that Yang Chang would rebel.

After all, the Jin army was in the north, and Yang Chang had already forged a deep hatred with the Jin people. Rebelling against the Song Dynasty would mean being attacked from all sides, and it was impossible for a normal person to rebel at this time.

Originally thinking that Yang Chang was just talking nonsense, the princess became uneasy when she heard him making such bold statements in public.

Of course, Zhao Fujin was born into the Zhao royal family, had seen big scenes and had a calm personality.

She was not like a little woman who asked questions immediately when something happened. Instead, she spoke quietly after leaving Linfen City.

"Yang Lang really wants to rebel against Song?"

"I remember mentioning this several times. Has the princess finally taken this issue seriously?"

"Father and brother didn't treat me badly, why is Yang Lang like this?"

"hehe."

Yang Chang shook his head and smiled indifferently, pointing to Linfen City behind him, and asked meaningfully: "At the beginning of the year, the people in the city risked their lives to fight the Jin soldiers in order to help me break the city. Thousands of them died one after another. Princess, do you know why?"

"Yang Lang is famous and powerful, can you protect them?"

“How can we protect people who are dead?”

"Yes, that is"

Seeing that Zhao Fujin was unable to answer, Yang Changcai calmly explained his doubts, saying: "They are doing this for hope, for their family and friends. They hope that I can protect their safety and give future generations a stable life."

"Aren't you doing great?"

"Yes, that's me here. What if I'm transferred somewhere else? Who will protect them?"

"This"

Zhao Fujin thought for a moment and said solemnly: "Yang Lang has made great contributions in resisting foreign enemies, and the threat of the Jin army is still there. My brother should not..."

"What if there is no threat from the Jin army? Can you guarantee that I will stay here forever? If I am bound by the imperial court, can the people here still live and work in peace? Don't forget that this place was occupied by Tian Hu because the government exploited it too much and the people could not survive."

Seeing Yang Chang's righteousness, Zhao Fujin nodded and said, "As expected of the Bright Heavenly Lord, Yang Lang is indeed not an ordinary person. But you don't have to rebel. The surrounding situation is so tense. If you rebel, you will be attacked from all sides. It is better to help the court repel the enemy first, and then persuade the emperor to be benevolent."

"hehe."

"What are you laughing at, Yang Lang? I heard that after my brother ascended the throne, he executed many corrupt officials, which shows that he knows that corrupt officials are harmful to the country."

"The sword is in my hand, why should I entrust it to someone else?"

Yang Changtian drew his sword from his waist and added, "Your brother killed treacherous officials and corrupt officials for political reasons and to raise compensation for the Jin army. Princess, just ask Lei Zhen and you will know. The roots of the Song Dynasty tree are rotten. Instead of wasting energy watering it, why not push it down and plant a new tree, a tree that will protect you, Huang'er, and all the people in the world."

“I know Yang Lang is very capable, but conquering the world is not an easy task. Think about how Emperor Taizu established the Song Dynasty…” Zhao Fujin came to this point and suddenly realized that his example was inappropriate, so he stopped talking halfway.

Isn’t it just Zhao Kuangyin bullying orphans and widows?

What's wrong with admitting something that everyone knows?

It was precisely because Zhao Kuangyin came to power in an illegitimate way that he planted the evil seeds of valuing civil officials over military officials and favoring gentry.

Thinking of these historical experiences, Yang Chang gave Zhao Fujin an example: "Do you remember Yao Gu and Zhong Shizhong? They have made countless contributions to the country. Now, just because they lost a battle, one was demoted to Guangzhou and the other was demoted to Qianzhou. They will probably spend the rest of their lives there. The Song Dynasty is not short of good generals, but as long as there is the Song Dynasty court above them, they will never be able to defeat the Jin people."

"Forever? Why?"

"Why? Because the series of systems designated by the Emperor Taizu you mentioned are destined to achieve no military success."

"Can't you?"

Zhao Fujin immediately retorted, reminding him sternly: "Not to mention the founding emperors, even during my father's reign, he also won many victories over the Western Xia and Liao."

"It's just a small battle, one city and one place. Now it's a war between Song and Jin. The Jin army has reached the capital."

"Even so, we can't blame it on the ancestral system. After all, the Song Dynasty has been established for more than a hundred years. If there were any problems, they would have been corrected long ago."

"Haha." Yang Chang was amused by Zhao Fujin and asked back with a smile: "You know I have few soldiers, why can I always win, while other generals have many soldiers but suffer repeated defeats?"

"Is Yang Lang good at fighting?"

"This is only one aspect. In the final analysis, it is still the issue of the ancestral system you mentioned. Because I do not obey the orders of the court, I have always been successful."

"Is that right?"

Seeing Zhao Fujin's disbelief, Yang Chang pinched his chin and thought carefully, then organized his words and patiently explained:

"Take Generals Yao and Zhong as examples. Once a general of the Song Dynasty was defeated, the censors would immediately impeach him and force him into a desperate situation. As the saying goes, 'the censors are innocent, but the generals are not pardoned.' Didn't Song Jiang succeed in Liangshan by recruiting a large number of surrendered generals? They had no choice but to become bandits;

Of course, even if the general won a battle, he was worried that the generals would take away the military power through promotions, and would be excluded in various ways if he entered the court. I heard that the surrendered general Guo Yaoshi was like this, and was finally forced by your father to surrender to the Jin Dynasty."

"Isn't this worry unnecessary? You are the prince consort after all. Even if my brother can't trust others, he can't distrust you."

"It is not uncommon for princesses and their husbands to cause chaos in politics in history, but this is still secondary."

Yang Chang suddenly changed the subject, frowned and said seriously: "The biggest problem of the Song Dynasty army is the chaotic management from top to bottom. Li Gang is the envoy of Hedong and Hebei, but which army can he command? Now your brother has bypassed him and directly intervened to order me to send troops. This is completely a joke."

"My brother has just taken office and has no experience"

"Princess, you don't need to make excuses for him. I have already made it clear just now. The source of the problem is Taizu's system. In order to prevent military generals from relying on their own troops, a system of constraints was deliberately set up. It was very useful in peacetime, but now we are facing a national war. I heard that the Emperor of Jin doesn't care about the front line at all, while the two marshals can mobilize all resources. Comparing the two, the difference is obvious."

"I admit that you are right, but." Zhao Fujin nodded in affirmation, but suddenly looked up at Yang Chang and asked a fatal question: "Just now you said that Taizu's system is not good, but if Yang Lang becomes emperor in the future, how will he deal with the military generals who have their own troops?"

"Well," Yang Chang hadn't thought about it, and immediately grinned and said, "There will always be a way when the car reaches the mountain. We'll talk about it when that day comes."

"Since Yang Lang is so ambitious, it would be best for him to think these things through earlier, so as to accumulate virtue for future generations."

"I want to rebel against the Zhao family? Won't the princess blame me?"

"The Jin army is overwhelming, if Yang Lang can push this sky away and take over, what's the harm?"

Although Zhao Fujin spoke in a heroic manner, he knew in his heart that the Yang family had not had a child for many years and now only had Yang Huang as his son. Even if he replaced the Zhao family as the ruler of the world, the throne would be passed to his son, who would be half of the Zhao family's bloodline.

It's not too bad to transfer from one hand to the other, and it's better than being taken away by the Jin people.

Zhao Fujin gave birth to his only child. Yang Chang would always feel guilty if he could not convince her about the rebellion.

Having an argument with her now makes me feel relieved.

Fortunately, this girl has big breasts, brains, and is sensible.

When Yang Chang was debating just now, he mentioned the "superiority" of the Jin army's system. The front-line commander had great autonomy, but this autonomy came from the tribal leadership system. It was just an advantage in dealing with the Song Dynasty's suppression of military power, and it was also in the pain of reform at this time.

Wuqimai was frantically learning Han people's etiquette in order to replace the tribal system with the centralized imperial system. Their family was now unprecedentedly united and they united to check and balance the power of Nianhan.

Fortunately, the younger generation was very competitive. In the battle between the eastern and western Jin armies against the Song Dynasty, the eastern army led by Han Libu won the first round.

Nianhan, who had hit a wall at the hands of Yang Chang, secretly left Taiyuan and went to Yan area shortly after the eastern Jin army withdrew to Yanjing.

The two marshals discussed for a month and finally reached an agreement that each got what they wanted.

At the end of August and the beginning of September, Hanlibu sent Wang Li as an envoy to Yanjing to question Qinzong and demand the three towns on the grounds that he had instigated Yelu Yudu to rebel.

The garrisons of the three towns have already disobeyed the order and will not voluntarily surrender the city at this moment.

Knowing that diplomatic means would not work, they still sent envoys to cover up the military and reduce the determination of the Song Dynasty's rulers and ministers to actively deploy defenses.

Soon after Wang Li's mission, Han Libu gathered troops in Yanjing and prepared to march south for the second time. Of course, the Guangxin and Ansu armies blocking his way were still his old rival and old friend Ma Kuo, and Song Jiang and Lu Junyi could also provide support.

The Song Dynasty's military deployment had been discovered by the Jin army in advance.

If Ma Kuo defended the city, the Jin army would still not gain any advantage and would most likely have to take a detour. However, Han Li still chose to fight head-on, as that was his agreement with Nianhan.

As far as the Hebei area is concerned, the strategic importance of Zhending Prefecture is greater than that of Zhongshan and Hejian, which are to be ceded.

Only if the Jin army captured Zhending could the two routes of the east and the west be effectively connected, so as to avoid fighting separately like last time and failing to form a military synergy.

Han Libu led his army to face Ma Kuo directly, while Nianhan gathered new troops in Weizhou and entered Zhending from Feihu Trail in the north, replacing the Eastern Army to attack Zhending.

In this way, the defense line formed by Ma Kuo, Song Jiang and Lu Junyi evolved into the Maginot Line of the Song Dynasty.

If Han Li did not bypass and continued to move south, he could advance using Zhending as his base and no longer have to worry about his supply lines being harassed. If Ma Kuo and others moved their troops to pursue, they would have to give up their defensive advantage and fight the Jin army in the field.

Nianhan dispatched troops to Hebei to attack the enemy. When Hanli did nothing in return, they joined forces to attack Yang Chang, helping to open up a western route for the Jin army to move south.

The specific deployment was that the Eastern Army would stop at Cizhou, abandon the original route and attack the capital Bianliang directly, enter Luzhou from Fukouxing, and attack Weisheng from Luzhou to the north.

Weisheng is surrounded by mountains on three sides, and is connected to Luzhou only in the south, so there is no dangerous terrain to utilize.

Nianhan's use of troops was just right. Not only was his general Lou Shi able to shoulder heavy responsibilities and win battles in Taiyuan alone, but Emperor Qinzong also assisted him.

When Han Li did not send troops to Yanjing, Liu Qian had already led his troops into Jing and Pingding, and rescued Taiyuan along the old route of Zhong Shizhong.

Due to Zhong Shizhong's previous failure, 90% of the garrison troops in Zhending Prefecture were exhausted, leaving Liu Qian, who came to take over, stretched to the limit. Apart from his own 20,000 troops, there were less than 10,000 troops left in Zhending.

Even so, when Liu Qian sent troops to Taiyuan, he took away most of the troops from Zhending, but this time he summed up the experience and lessons and prepared enough relevant supplies.

As a result, the defending general Li Miao was left with only 3,000 soldiers, and he had no more troops to guard Feihu Trail.

Later, Nianhan personally led a small army out of Weizhou and quietly arrived at the city of Zhending. He then used superior forces to break the city in three days. The deputy general Liu Yi committed suicide for his country, and Li Miao was captured and beheaded for refusing to surrender.

Liu Qian withdrew his troops from Zhending, but the total force was less than 30,000. Moreover, because his army marched the fastest, it was isolated and defeated by Lou Shi's heavy troops.

Later, on the way of retreat, Liu Qian learned that his own crystal had exploded (Zhending was lost), and heard that Nianhan and Hanli were not in Hebei, so he did not dare to return by the same route.

Liu Qian led the remnants of his troops over mountains and across rivers to Liaozhou, intending to recruit new soldiers from Liaozhou, and then take the Weisheng and Luzhou routes to counterattack Zhending. However, he encountered the "late-coming" Wang Yuan's troops.

Qinzong made a desperate move this time. Except for Wang Yuan who sent troops from Zhaozhou (now Zhao County, Hebei) to Liaozhou via Cizhou, Luzhou and Weisheng, all other troops passed through Pingbei.

Yang Chang had dealt with Wang Yuan before, and Lei Zhen had also served under him, so he was not worried about this army disturbing the people and focused his attention on the west.

Jie Qian was the fastest to arrive from the western route. Almost at the same time when Liu Qian was passing through Pingdingjun (zhou), he was also passing through Pingbeijun (zhou).

Zhu Tong and Xiao Rang were the state officials appointed by Yang Chang. Yang Chang was worried that these two people would not be able to deal with Li Qian, so he ordered 500 cavalrymen to go to Pingding to welcome them, and only Lu Zhishen went with them.

Xie Qian was very active in this battle. He brought 30,000 soldiers from Shaanxi, the largest number of troops assembled in the west.

When Yang Chang arrived in Hongdong County, Xie Qian had already led the vanguard troops to Yangliang South Gate, leaving only a few thousand people transporting supplies.

After questioning the rear army, we learned that Jie Qian took advantage of the good weather in early autumn and urged the army to march day and night. He had no time to contact local officials, let alone do anything to disturb the people.

Such a rapid march was beyond Yang Chang's expectations.

He was impressed by Jie Qian's good military management, so he asked Lu Zhishen to go to Linfen to wait, and he rode alone to Yangliang South Gate to meet him.

The Zhaoye Jade Lion was shot by an arrow and caught in the rain, and carried two people all night. When it arrived in Weisheng, its injuries worsened, and now it stayed in Weisheng City to recuperate.

Perhaps because it was an ordinary horse, Yang Chang failed to catch up with him when he rushed to the South Gate of Yangliang, and still did not see him when he reached the North Gate.

Jie Qian is the King of Jiji?
"What did you say? Jie Qian has already taken Jiexiu and is heading towards Xiaoyi?"

"Yes."

Xuan Zan, the commander of the North Gate, nodded and replied, "The scouts just reported back."

"Tu Hesu only had 10,000 men to stop Yao Gu's army of 100,000, and now Jie Qian only has 30,000 men, and he is already being driven away?
"I don't know either. The information is just like this. Jiexiu has been recaptured."

"Weird"

Yang Chang pinched his chin and murmured, wondering whether the Jin army had become weaker, or was Jie Qian a hidden leader of the Western Army?
In fact, he was overthinking it. When Jie Qian attacked Jiexiu, Lou Shi was fighting on two fronts: siege and encirclement of Liu Qian, and temporarily withdrew troops from Fenzhou.

Although Jie Qian had good luck, Tuhesu was not a reckless man. He was also proficient in the tactics he learned from hunting, that is, if the prey were in groups and difficult to deal with, he would find ways to disperse the prey.

Abandon Jiexiu, then abandon Xiaoyi, and then abandon Xihe.

Every time Xie Qian recaptured a city, he had to divide his troops to defend it. By the time he attacked Pingyao for the fourth time, he had only 20,000 soldiers left.

Tuhesu used space to exchange for time. He not only dispersed Jie Qian's army by abandoning the city, but also waited for the reinforcements of Loushi. However, Jie Qian's reinforcements arrived too slowly and were eventually defeated by the Jin army.

Jie Qian led the remaining troops to flee to Linfen, where they met Yang Chang who was welcoming the newly arrived Zhe Yanzhi.

He was too embarrassed to stay long after his defeat, so he simply shared his experience of defeat and left with his troops in shame.

Zhe Yanzhi learned his lesson and no longer advanced quickly with light troops like Jie Qian did. After occupying Jiexiu, he kept his troops in place and waited for Zhang Hao, Zhe Keqiu, Fan Qiong and others to arrive before continuing to advance together.

At this time, Lou Shi had defeated Liu Qian, and Wang Yuan, the main general of another route on the eastern front, was also stopped by him in Liaozhou.

Wang Yuan’s rescue of Taiyuan might not be successful, but the Jin army had already captured Zhending Prefecture, and if they were not stopped, they would approach Bianliang again. The two of them unanimously decided to return to Hebei.

Without the Song army's diversion on the eastern front, the Song army on the western front, despite its large number, was unable to defeat Lou Shi.

In late September, with the complete defeat of the Song army on the western front, Qinzong's "desperate gamble" drama came to an end.

Just as Yang Chang predicted, the story of Calabash Brothers saving his grandfather unfolded.

Fortunately, he was in charge of Pingbei, so these troops did not dare to harass the people, and the towns along the way were not affected.

Yang Chang had been away from Weisheng for nearly a month, so he had no plans to stay in Pingbei for long.

Before leaving, he summoned the main generals of Pingbei to Linfen to arrange defense, and Xiao Rang also hosted a farewell banquet.

Perhaps it was because of the successive defeats of the Song army that Lu Zhishen was in a depressed mood. He slammed the table and shouted after only a few drinks: "What a bunch of shitty generals, they are all going to be killed in droves, and they had the nerve to drink my toast before, bah."

"The master is drunk."

"I'm not drunk."

Lu Zhishen pushed Liu Tang aside, looked at Yang Chang, shook his head and continued to mutter: "Brother Yang, the golden dog is so arrogant, when will we take action? I have all my strength but nowhere to use it, it's uncomfortable!"

"The Jin army has been fighting continuously, and the soldiers are exhausted. If I send troops to Fenzhou at this time, I may be able to catch them by surprise."

There was a crisp sound.

Lu Zhishen was so excited that he smashed the table with his palm, but he sobered up after that. He scratched the back of his head in embarrassment, looked at Yang Chang and said with a smile: "Since this is a good opportunity, let's send troops immediately."

"Pingbei doesn't have many soldiers and horses, and the cavalry is even less. It's too late to transfer troops from Weisheng. I'm afraid this opportunity is..."

"Saburo."

Before Yang could finish his speech, he was interrupted by Zhu Tong.

"There are indeed not many elite soldiers in Pingbei. You only left over 10,000 infantry and cavalry at the beginning of the year, but later you recruited 20,000 new soldiers. Coach Lin has sent people to train them. Why not let them replace the garrisons in various places?"

"Brother, do you want me to lead the 10,000-plus infantry and cavalry to fight the Jin army first?"

"correct."

Zhu Tong stroked his beard and replied: "The Jin army in Taiyuan has hundreds of thousands of soldiers. It is not easy to win a big victory with the current strength of the Pingbei Army. However, the Jin army is tired and may be a little arrogant. Perhaps we can win one or two small victories. Don't forget the advantage of the navy. It is easy to retreat if we cannot win."

"Makes sense."

Yang Chang nodded in affirmation and asked solemnly: "As the saying goes, speed is of the essence in war. How long will it take for the troops stationed in various places in Pingbei to complete the assembly?"

"Three days."

Zhu Tong showed three fingers and replied solemnly, "It will take three days to reach the South Pass. There is ready-made food and fodder there, and the baggage can be transported by water."

"In that case, let's go for a walk."

"Brother, I would like to accompany you."

"I'll go as well."

"And I"

As soon as they heard that there was going to be a war, the lobby of the provincial government was in an uproar, and everyone clamored to follow the army.

Yang Chang extended his hand to stop everyone, looked around and said seriously: "We can't all go at once, so Brother Zhu, Master Lu and the three Ruan brothers will follow the army, and the rest of you will stay in Pingbei."

"Yes!"

"Oh"

Judging from the voices of the responses, it seemed that some were happy while others were sad, with Liu Tang looking the most disappointed.

Taking into account that Han Tao and Cao Zheng were in the rear, both of whom were cautious and careful, Yang Chang decided to add Liu Tang to the team.

Zhu Tong did what he said. He issued an order to mobilize troops that day. The garrisons in various counties set out overnight and gathered at Nanguan in three days.

On September 25, the army arrived at Guanbei for rest and recuperation, and Xuan Zan received new intelligence.

Fifty miles to the north, in Jiexiu County, five thousand newly arrived Jin troops were resting.

Yang Chang instantly became interested, thinking that it was rare for his buddies to have a good fight, so he ate the appetizer first.

The Jin army had more cavalry and better cavalry, and their scouts were clearly superior to those of the Song army, but Yang Chang had night vision.

This fellow deliberately set out at dusk, and galloped fifty miles with ten thousand infantry and cavalry. He appeared outside the city of Jiexiu the next morning, shocking all the Jin troops on the city.

Yang Changze found a particularly familiar face in the astonished crowd, that face was the Jin army general Wanyan Loushi.

This situation is comparable to when Li Yunlong was chasing Chu Yunfei and happened to catch Chang Naichao, the commander of the Temporary 7th Division.

Hehehe, I’m rich!
(End of this chapter)