Chapter 260 Summer heat, are you guys going to compete?
Even the butcher Zheng had a physique that could not withstand three punches from Lu Zhishen. Geng Nanzhong was over sixty years old at this time, and he went to paradise after being hit by one punch.

bang bang
Lu Zhishen punched Geng Nanzhong twice, and his face was covered in blood and flesh, and his head tilted back and couldn't turn back to normal.

"Don't play dead. I just threw two punches. Hold on and take one more!"

"Master, stop shaking. This old thief is already dead."

Yan Qing looked under Geng Nanzhong's nose to make sure that the old man was not looking up on purpose.

After the reminder, Lu Zhishen was heard muttering: "You are so weak, yet you dare to come and seize the city. You are such a waste!"

"The old thief probably relies on the accompanying Jin soldiers and his own status as a minister, but Huguan is guarded by a master, so what are a mere hundred people?"

"That's not true. If it weren't for Xiao Yi's alertness and the fact that he happened to come and deliver wine today, I might not have noticed it. We might have had a tough battle. Don't forget the troops who came to support us. They almost arrived before the gate closed."

"hehe."

Seeing Lu Zhishen so humble, Yan Qing couldn't help but pat his strong arm and jokingly replied: "It doesn't matter if the master doesn't notice it. As long as you follow the old rules, the old thief will be deterred."

"Ah." Lu Zhishen frowned and waved his hands, "If a traitor like this is allowed to escape and cause trouble elsewhere, he should be killed long ago."

"Yes."

Yan Qing then turned his head to look outside the pass, where the Jin army was moving further and further away in the heavy rain. He sighed, "A few days ago, the Jin army passed through Cizhou and did not knock on Fengyue Pass. We thought they would not provoke us, but we did not expect them to make a big detour and appear in Zezhou."

"Yes, it came too suddenly, just like this rain."

Lu Zhishen left Geng Nanzhong on the ground and took the initiative to go outside the eaves to get drenched, just like taking an open-air shower.

Seeing this, Yan Qing smiled, clasped his fists and said, "If the Jin army fails to sneak into Huguan, they may break through from other places. There is more than one passage between Luzhou and Zezhou. I will return to Shangdang immediately and ask General Manager Lin to deploy troops as soon as possible."

"Huh? It's still raining heavily?"

"It doesn't matter."

"Ok."

Lu Zhishen was not shy, but when he was about to send Yan Qing away, he suddenly saw Geng Nanzhong's body and asked, "What should we do with this thing? Should we send it to Weisheng?"

"Although the old thief helped the Jin people seize the pass, he is an envoy of the imperial court after all. I don't know if the general will blame him. I will take him away and ask Lin Zongguan for his opinion."

After Yan Qing finished speaking, he bent down and picked up the corpse, but Lu Zhishen disagreed.

"What's the blame for this? You came too late, so what? Killing a traitorous old thief? In the past, the Jin envoy Salum was arrested and killed by the general. The old emperor didn't dare to say a word, even though he said it was me who did it."

"Haha, I think I'm fine, but if the Jin people appear in Zezhou, we must report to the general in time. Master, please make sure to guard Huguan."

"Xiao Yi, go by yourself. I didn't kill enough people just now, and I'm afraid they won't come!"

There was rain on Lu Zhishen's body, and he was slapping her with the slaps.

Yan Qing did not doubt Hua Heshang's strength. He then carried Geng Nanzhong's body onto the carriage and headed towards Shangdang, the government seat, in the rain.

Luzhou had just had a bumper harvest of wheat and potatoes, and the food crisis caused by the influx of refugees was resolved.

Lin Chong was planning to ask Yang Chang to recruit a group of soldiers for training in the autumn, but he did not expect the Jin army to come so soon, so he immediately began to adjust the defenses in the state.

There are only 20,000 defenders in Luzhou, half of whom are deployed in Licheng and Shexian areas to prevent the enemy from attacking from Fengyue Pass. Now that the Jin army has appeared in the direction of Zezhou, it is enough to see the other side's strategic intentions.

The defense of the south was more difficult than Fengyue Pass, so Lin Chong decisively transferred troops from the north to the south, intending to increase his military strength in Changzi and Shangdang.

The Jin army always dispatches a large number of troops, and among the four states under Yang Chang's jurisdiction, the garrison in Liaozhou is stretched to the limit, Weisheng has not recruited soldiers for a long time, and the Pingbei Army also faces the threat from Zezhou, so the garrison in this state will eventually participate in the defense of Luzhou.

Considering the shortage of manpower at the start of the war, Lin Chong even informed Ling Zhen in Shangdang and asked the artillery corps to prepare for battle. While issuing the dispatch order, he also informed Wen Huanzhang of the relevant situation.

Luzhou is now busy with military affairs, so Lin Chong can only ask Wen Huanzhang to go to Weisheng. He guessed that Yang Chang might want to ask him for advice, so as not to bother two masters with one thing.

Wen Huanzhang hurried to the General Administration Office and saw Geng Nanzhong's bloody face. He frowned and sighed, "The man has been captured, why do you have to kill him? He is the emperor's confidant. He died in Luzhou like this. Aren't you afraid that it will ruin the great cause of the Grand Commandant?"

"can you?"

Lin Chong looked puzzled.

Wen Huanzhang nodded and said: "Since ancient times, those who want to achieve great things must first win the hearts of the people."

"Isn't this considered winning the hearts of the people? I think the people of Luzhou all regard the general as a god."

"No."

Seeing that Lin Chong did not understand politics, Wen Huanzhang interrupted and explained: "This is not the same as that. The Song Dynasty and the scholars share the world. The people's will I'm talking about is the scholars' will. Geng Nanzhong is in a high position and has great power in the court. The relationships between people are even more complicated. It's fine if you displease the emperor, but if you make enemies for no reason, it will be disadvantageous for your future pursuit of the world."

"So serious? I didn't think it through."

Lin Chong frowned and stroked his beard, took the initiative to admit his mistake, and reminded Wen Huanzhang: "Sir, when you see the general, tell him that you acted on my orders and then apologize to him later."

Seeing Lin Chong taking the blame, Wen Huanzhang shook his head and consoled him, "The empire is already in chaos, it may not be that serious, the governor does not need to be like this. By the way, Geng Nanzhong is the envoy who ceded the land, can you seize the relevant imperial edict?"

"some."

Lin Chong immediately took the imperial edict from the table and handed it over.

Wen Huanzhang looked at him solemnly. Lin Chong handed over another imperial edict and said, "There is another imperial edict written by the emperor. It is written to the soldiers and civilians in Hedong and Hebei. Please take it to the commander-in-chief."

"Yeah, okay, okay!"

Lin Chong heard Huanzhang slapping his thigh and couldn't help asking: "What are you doing?"

"This imperial edict and imperial decree is a great gift."

"What do you mean?"

"The cities listed in the imperial edict have been ceded by the emperor to the Jin Kingdom. If the general sends troops to recapture them, it would not count as a rebellion, but would it not be a righteous act?"

As soon as Wen Huanzhang finished speaking, Lin Chong swallowed his words and asked curiously, "Is this imperial edict a righteous decree? I remember that the emperor also issued such an imperial edict when he ceded the three towns last year. Why is it so this time?"

"This time the content is more comprehensive. The key is this edict to officials and civilians. In the past, the edict was only sent to officials and generals, but this time even the civilians were informed, which shows that he really gave up Hedong and Hebei. If Chief Steward Lin was an ordinary citizen, would he still consider himself a citizen of the Song Dynasty after reading this edict?" "This..."

Lin Chong read the imperial edict. Although the words were heartfelt, they could not cover up the fact of ceding land. It was like a letter of apology written by a self-destructive child to his parents.

Two days later, Weisheng conquered the Taiwei Mansion.

Yang Chang quickly read the imperial edict, then took out Qinzong's handwritten edict and read it out with interest in front of Wen Huanzhang, Tang Ke, Chai Jin and others.

"I hereby order the officials, soldiers and civilians: Recently, the alliance has been violated, causing the Great Jin to raise an army. When I first ascended the throne, I promised to cede the three prefectures to repay the previous favor. Occasionally, due to the misconduct of treacherous ministers, the three prefectures were not ceded, and they also spy on the meritorious officials of the Great Jin to raise an army again, causing the fathers, sons and brothers of the people in Hebei and Hedong to die in the wilderness.

I have been thinking about this day and night, and I realize that the fault lies with myself. If I want to stop the disaster of war and bring peace to the people, the best thing to do is to cede land in exchange for peace and promote the friendship between the two countries. Therefore, the people of the two counties and towns in Hebei and Hedong, north of the Yellow River, will belong to the Great Jin.

As the parent of the people, how could I bear to do this? I have no choice. Although the people live in Dajin, as long as they enjoy their lives, they are still my people. They should not be reluctant to leave. When the Yellow River flows to the northern prefectures, they should open their gates and return to Dajin.

The officials and soldiers of the prefectures and cities will follow the letter sent by the army and be allowed to return to the southern land. Please obey this order immediately and do not doubt yourself. Therefore, I have given you this order, and I think you should know it. How are you all doing in the summer? I have not mentioned much about my intention. (The order quoted from "Dajin Diaofa Lu")
After hearing the contents of the imperial edict, everyone in the hall was silent.

Tsk tsk, you refused to hand over the three towns, but became a traitor? You just said that the fault lies with me, and that's it?
The soldiers guarding the border shed their blood in vain, and the people should be made slaves of the Jin people?
Yang Chang raised the imperial edict and quoted its contents to Tang Ke.

"Xia Shu, how about you all compare? Remember that Prime Minister Tang also wanted to seek peace? How do you think your Majesty wrote this edict? It is solemn and dignified with warmth, and I am moved. Do you think I should obey the edict?"

"Taiwei, please stop joking. I have already been dismissed from my position as prime minister. How dare I teach you how to do things?"

"I'm not putting on airs. Anyone can give me advice. Besides, you all live here. Your Majesty wants to transfer the land and people to the Kingdom of Jin. It doesn't hurt to ask more."

"The Grand Commandant has won almost every battle against the Jin Dynasty and is deeply loved by the people. I suggest that you do not need to obey the imperial edict. If you can recover the lost territory in the future, you will be the pillar of the Song Dynasty and your name will go down in history."

Tang Ke had just been in Weisheng for two months and found that there was no intrigue like in the capital. Although the supplies were not as abundant as those in Tokyo, there was enough food and drink to keep from starving, so he asked Yang Chang to bring his family over.

Now his family of more than ten people have settled down in Weisheng, so why would he be willing to move back to Dongjing? Moreover, he knew that the Jin army was coming to Bianliang again, so he did not want to be disturbed again, and instead actively encouraged Yang Chang to resist the Jin army.

Yang Chang did not comment, but turned to look at Chai Jin and asked, "Mr. Chai, what do you think? This piece of land under your feet originally belonged to your Chai family."

"I?"

Chai Jin pointed at himself in a daze, and Tang Ke immediately heard something was wrong.

What does Yang Taiwei mean by this? I have always felt that he has great ambitions. Could it be that he wants to take advantage of the chaos and replace the Song Dynasty by using the name of the Chai family? The rebellion of King Kang is already chaotic enough. If he joins in now, what should I do?
Thinking of this, Tang Ke's heart began to beat fast.

Chai Jin was well taken care of when he arrived at Weisheng. He felt that Yang Chang treated him more sincerely than Song Jiang had done before. Unlike when he was just an idle job in Liangshan, he was given real power here.

And with the advice from Wu Song and Lin Chong, how could Chai Jin not know Yang Changzhi's ambition.

At this time, facing Yang Chang's question, Chai Jin thought for a long time before clasping his fists and responding: "Since ancient times, the world has been ruled by those with virtue, and the Chai family has long become a thing of the past. Since the Emperor of the Song Dynasty does not want Hedong and Hebei, and the Taiwei has the ability to defeat the Jin Kingdom, why not take the land and establish ourselves?"

"What the great official said is very true."

"well said."

"That's how it should be."

Everyone had been waiting for this introduction for a long time, so as soon as Chai Jin finished speaking, Wen Huanzhang, Wu Song, Lu Junyi and others all agreed. Tang Ke did not expect it to be so direct, but seeing the excitement in the hall, he had to join in.

Yang Chang smiled and waved his hand, saying, "Now that we are surrounded by enemies, it is not the time to speak boldly. However, since the Song Dynasty does not want Hedong and Hebei, and I cannot bear to see the people suffer, I will stand up to protect them. I will start by defeating the Jin army in Zezhou. I will immediately order each state to recruit soldiers and expand the army. Military supplies and food will inevitably increase significantly. I have to rely on your concerted efforts."

"We will try our best!"

"I am willing to go through fire and water for the general!"

After the excitement, everyone left and prepared for their own end.

Yang Chang had coveted Zezhou for a long time and was accustomed to snatching food from the Jin people, but he was unaware of the size of the Jin army and did not dare to rush over rashly.

After everyone left, Wen Huanzhang asked in confusion: "The commander has been patient for a long time, but he expressed his opinion so suddenly just now. Is it because of Geng Nanzhong?"

"Why do you ask that, sir? Shouldn't the time be ripe?"

"That's right."

Wen Huanzhang nodded and said, "The Song Dynasty is now in a state of overwhelmed, and we have also survived the food crisis. It is indeed time to make great plans."

"That's what I mean. I plan to take Zezhou and Jiangzhou first, and then Jiezhou, and then..."

"Wait." Before Yang Chang finished speaking, Wen Huanzhang interrupted him and reminded him earnestly: "Taiwei, think twice. I suggest you don't make enemies on many sides. It's best to start with the lost territories of the Three Jins, and then destroy the Jin and Song dynasties depending on the situation. You can secretly control Jiangzhou. If you blatantly take Jiezhou, wouldn't it be obvious that you are an enemy of the Song Dynasty?"

"Hmm? Sir, do you know that Jiezhou is rich in saltpeter? That is the main raw material for gunpowder, and Shangdang has the secondary raw material sulfur. Once Jiezhou is under control, there will be no shortage of artillery."

"The commander's artillery is unique, as are Master Lu and the third lady. However, you are the only three in the army who know how to use it. No matter how powerful you are, you can only lead three troops. We are sandwiched between Jin and Song. Once the territory behind us continues to expand, the difficulty of defense will increase sharply. If we are attacked by both Song and Jin, what should we do?"

"That's true"

Wen Huanzhang thought long-term, and Yang Chang thought it made sense.

No matter how powerful a cannon is, someone has to know how to use it. Except for Yang Chang and his two companions who threw it by hand, normal soldiers had to use a gun mount, which was too heavy to be used by the entire army. Before the emergence of light thermal weapons, wars were still mainly fought with cold weapons.

Apart from picking up corpses, Yang Chang's most extensive knowledge base is in games. He has no way to force the Industrial Revolution, and apart from using magic to attack from a dimensionality reduction perspective, the only thing left is to enrich the people and strengthen the military.

By the way, if Master Lu kills Geng Nanzhong, will that help me attract hatred?

Thinking of this, Yang Chang hurriedly asked: "Sir, Geng Nanzhong is the emperor's confidant. If Master Lu beats him to death with two punches, will it provoke hostility from the Song Dynasty?"

"That's not the case." Wen Huanzhang shook his head slightly and said, "It's true that Geng Nanzhong is the emperor's confidant, but have you forgotten that you are the emperor's consort? If you can share the pressure of the Jin army, even if there are some extraordinary actions, it is within the emperor's tolerance range, but..."

"how?"

"Geng Nanzhong has a long career in government, and he has many friends in the officialdom and among scholars. I am afraid that this move will arouse the hostility of these people, which will create obstacles for my future conquest of the world. You should know that you must win the hearts of the people before you can conquer the world."

Wen Huanzhang used the same words he had said about Lin Chong to remind Yang Chang again.

Unexpectedly, Yang Chang didn't care at all and said something that shocked him.

"The world must change. Song shared the world with the scholars and officials, but I share the world with the people."

(End of this chapter)