Chapter 316: Digging up graves and whipping corpses, seeking death

On the night of Mid-Autumn Festival, both the moon and the people are round.

Even in difficult times, we can still find hope in beautiful scenery.

Although the Jin people did not celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Han soldiers in the Jin army were attracted by the bright moon.

Away from home, I miss my family when I see the moon.

Zhe Keqiu took out the wine stored in the army and celebrated the festival with his soldiers as usual. After drinking, he lay down in the open space outside the tent and watched the white jade plate climb up to his head.

The bright moon in the sky does not ask for merits or demerits, it illuminates everyone who looks up.

At this time last year, he was imprisoned in Yunzhong, serving the Song Dynasty loyally.

At this moment, he was in the former Song Dynasty, working for Jin.

Since ancient times, it has been difficult to be both loyal and filial. Zhe Keqiu had to humble himself and submit for the sake of filial piety. Although he felt ashamed, he had no regrets.

In today's world, the old land in the north of the Song Dynasty was not lost by the Zhe family.

After all, I am not a saint. I can only protect my own family, but I cannot live and die with the country.

"Captain Yang, I misjudged you back then. I thought you were a petty person, but I didn't expect you to be such a person. I like your heroic spirit, but what you said this morning was too arrogant. You boasted that you could take over the Shiling Pass, which you have repeatedly reinforced, tomorrow? I don't believe it."

"If we had rescued Taiyuan back then and you were the commander-in-chief of all the troops, would the outcome have been different?"

"I don't want to be your enemy either, but unfortunately my family is in the hands of the Jin people. Everyone is fighting for the people they protect. The moon will understand me."

Zhe Keqiu was toasting at each camp tonight. He was drunk and kept muttering to himself, and was suddenly awakened by the shouting of his personal guards.

"General Zhe, disaster has struck, the gate has been breached!"

"What did you say?"

"The gate has been captured by Commander Yang, and Lieutenant General Yi wants us to rush to reinforce!"

"Yang Chang? Break through the gate?"

Seeing that his personal guards spoke with certainty, Zhe Keqiu turned over and sat up with his eyes wide open. The drunkenness he had just felt was instantly dispelled, and he was so shocked that he couldn't speak for a long time.

Yang Chang said that tomorrow, it turns out that it is not an exaggeration, but rather a conservative statement?

"General, give the order quickly."

"Okay, pass on my orders."

Zhe Keqiu was talking when he suddenly remembered that the gate had been lost and the Jin army had lost its geographical advantage. It would be dangerous to go to support them at this time, so he paused and asked, "Wait, where are the other troops?"

"Yelü Yudu escorted Xishi back to Xiurong. His 20,000 troops were stationed at the back. Yelü Tushan had relatively few troops and they should have been gathering by now."

"The 20,000 troops account for nearly half of the defending army. Yelu Yudu is not at Shiling Pass at the moment, so Lieutenant General Yi should not be able to command. The remaining total force is equal to that of Commander Yang. What is there to fight for if we lose the barrier of the pass?"

"General's meaning."

"Order, assemble!"

With Yelu Yudu as an example of keeping himself safe, how could Zhe Keqiu let his troops fight to the death? Moreover, fighting to the death did not guarantee the victory. He assembled the troops not to help, but to pretend to wait for an opportunity to evacuate.

Yelu Tushan had the same plan. He once suspected that Yelu Yudu had planned this in advance. He had previously protected him in Yangqu, and this time he might have known in advance that Yang Chang would break into the city, so he volunteered to escort Xi Shi back to Xiurong.

Who said he was a coward? The reckless man has suffered, this is called wisdom.

So when he received Yidu's request to send troops, Yelu Tushan kept staring at Yelu Yudu's camp, thinking to himself, I will go if you guys go to rescue me.

Yang Chang was able to seize the gate successfully because Yelu Yudu sent people to cooperate secretly, so how could his troops move? He did not evacuate the dangerous area immediately because he needed to avoid suspicion.

In fact, Yelu Yudu had been looking for a way out and creating an alibi since he first proposed Huixiu.

Xi Shi was looking for death and taunted Yang Chang, but was blinded in the right eye by Yang Chang with a flying stone. Yelu Yudu immediately jumped out to escort him, not giving anyone else a chance to show off.

As a result, of the four forces stationed at Shiling Pass, one was rebelled by Yang Changce, two were watching and not fighting, leaving only Xishi and Yiduna with more than 10,000 people to resist the enemy. The result is self-evident.

The battle lasted for two hours, and Shiling Pass was easily captured by Yang Chang, completely blocking the north gate of Taiyuan.

By the time the battlefield was cleaned up, the sky was already dawning.

Yang Changsui ordered his troops to rest on the spot, and then he personally went to the top of the pass to look out, to stand guard for the army below the pass, and to think about the next plan.

Xinzhou is a small place with few people and only two cities.

One is Xiurong (now Xin County) in the north of the pass, and the other is Dingxiang County east of Xiurong.

When Yang Chang was pursuing Tian Biao, Xinzhou was still under the control of the Song Dynasty. Zhou Tong, the only leader under his command who died in battle, was buried outside Xiurong City. This was considered a revisit to the old place.

Xiurong and Dingxiang are only fifty miles apart, which is a pincer attack according to military tactics. If Yelu Yudu continues to help, or flies into the city and opens the gate, it should not be difficult to capture another city, or even two cities. The key is how to defend after the war.

There is no terrain or barrier like Shiling Pass between Xinzhou and Daizhou, so He Quan directly surrendered to Nianhan, and he only had about 20,000 soldiers on the front line. If he deployed troops in both cities and one pass, once the Jin army in the west all moved south, he would lose sight of one thing while focusing on another.

At this moment, Yang Chang was still hesitating whether to continue. Under the premise of relatively weak conditions, going north to drive the Jin people back to the grassland would be a success but would come with great risks.

Just as Yang Chang was deep in thought, he sensed someone approaching, but he did not turn around to greet them because he guessed who the other person was. He only turned around unexpectedly after the person spoke.

"elder brother."

"Hmm? You didn't take a break? Do you have something to ask me?"

Taking into consideration the need to capture and manage Xinzhou, Yang Chang deliberately brought He Quan this time. Although he didn't want to use a spineless person, in the case of extreme shortage of manpower, an experienced hand could barely hold on for a while. However, he did not expect that the person who came was actually the Red-haired Ghost.

Liu Tang scratched his face, smiled and asked, "I didn't kill well last night, so I wanted to ask when we can fight Xiurong? Next time I want to go alone."

"Not satisfied yet?"

Yang Chang was startled when he heard this. He thought, you killed the second most enemies this time, only a few fewer than Lu Zhishen, are you so competitive? But he couldn't bear to dampen his enthusiasm, so he smiled and comforted him, "You should take a good rest first, and make plans after you find out the enemy situation. Attacking a city is no joke, and you will have the opportunity to make merit."

"Okay, that's settled."

Although Liu Tang did not say all his words, he believed that Yang Chang knew what he meant, and then he left reluctantly.

He Quan came only after getting rid of the Red-haired Ghost. It was not because he was not proactive, but because he was delayed due to other matters.

Hundreds of prisoners were captured last night. In order to understand the specific situation in Xinzhou, Yang Chang asked the former garrison commander He Quan to be in charge of the interrogation. As a result, he actually got some good news.

That is, during the period when the Jin people occupied Xinzhou, the local military and political personnel hardly changed, and they were still the officials during He Quan's tenure. This made it easier for them to break into the city later. It is very likely that they were frightened by Yang Chang's reputation and made another change.

And ever since he surrendered to Yang Chang, he has not achieved any great credit because he is not a confidant of Yang Chang and has been in an idle position for a long time. He also occasionally joins the army but does not fight as hard as Liu Tang. Now that he has come to the field where he is best at, he naturally has to make use of his former subordinate officials and make outstanding contributions to the capture of Xinzhou.

After He Quan made some excited statements, Yang Chang did not show any excitement.

He just nodded slightly in affirmation, and after a while he replied: "I am not interested in Xinzhou, I also want to take Daizhou, but I don't have enough troops now, so I am hesitating whether to continue. If I take Xinzhou, I have to leave troops to defend it, and I can't stay here for long. If I serve as a general to guard Xinzhou again, can you protect the country and the people?"

"Hiss" He Quan took a breath after hearing this and thought to himself, you are giving me such a heavy burden?

If you don't cherish the opportunity given, you may never have another chance in the future. However, there is no barrier north of Xinzhou. How can you protect your country and your people?
With Yang Chang's current military strength, it is unlikely that he will send reinforcements to Xinzhou, so how should I answer?
After thinking for a while, He Quan clasped his fists and replied, "What the commander is worried about is true. Right now, troops are being deployed in various places. If we take Xinzhou, we will be in a passive position. If we station troops at Shiling Pass, the Jin army will be the ones in a passive position."

"So, you suggest we stop here?"

"Uh"

Hearing Yang Chang's questioning tone, He Quan quickly thought about how to respond, and soon changed his words to explain: "I am not very knowledgeable, I just made a random guess just now, the decision still needs to be made by the general. If you can recapture Xinzhou, I am willing to assist you as your deputy, and I dare not be the commander."

"Go ahead, I'll think about it."

"Yes"

He Quan turned around as if he had been pardoned. He wanted to make a contribution but didn't want to share the responsibility. When he left, he kept patting his chest to calm his breath, feeling that his life had not been easy.

At this time, Yang Chang's official position and title were actually not as high as his former superior Tong Guan, but he was full of murderous aura and was intimidating without even getting angry. His aura was a thousand times stronger than Tong Guan's, so he put tremendous pressure on He Quan.

He Quan thought he had concealed it well, but his emotional fluctuations just now could not escape the perception of Yang Chang. His mentality of wanting to get by and make a living would not work in Yang's eyes.

Yang Chang shook his head and turned around to continue looking, and saw two black lines in the distance. He knew that it was a fork in the official road, leading to a small village nearby, but there was no signs of human habitation at this time.

Left or right? Quit while you're ahead, or keep going?
Whenever you encounter a dilemma, there must be a choice.

We make different choices every day in life, and important choices will affect the direction of our lives.

Yang Chang stood alone for a long time and made a decision when he turned around to leave. He was still not prepared to take any radical risks, as that would allow Zhao Gou to reap the benefits. Instead, the best way was to develop steadily in the current state and continue to consume the Jin people.

To make an inappropriate analogy, Big Mao has the ability to destroy Second Mao in one fell swoop, but that would come at a considerable price, so it is better to fight to support the war and wear down the opponent.

Connect the joints and feel refreshed.

Yang Chang then came to the foot of the pass and saw Lu Zhishen, Liu Tang and others chatting together. He nodded to everyone and prepared to inspect the camps.

At this moment, Shi Qian suddenly appeared from the side and said mysteriously, "General, please excuse me for a moment."

"Ok?"

When Yang Chang heard this, his eyes flashed and he had a bad feeling in his heart. He then pointed to the empty space ahead.

Shi Qian understood and followed suit. When there was no one around, he reported in a low voice: "A night owl just came back from reconnaissance and found out that Elder Zhizhen has passed away."

"Is the news accurate?"

Yang Chang's eyes widened with shock, and he thought to himself that it was no wonder that he had to carry Lu Zhishen on his back, but he was skeptical about the information.

Shi Qian nodded and added: "I have already asked someone to verify it, and I think there will be definite news later. In addition."

"besides?"

"Well, do you still remember Zhou Tong?"

"How can I not remember? I avenged him myself."

Yang Chang answered with a frown on his face, his intuition telling him that this was not good news.

As expected, Shi Qian whispered, "Zhou Tong's tomb was dug up by the Jin people this morning, and they whipped his corpse to vent their anger."

"what?"

Yang Chang was furious and yelled, "These beasts are courting death!"

"General."

Shi Qian wanted to remind him to keep his voice down, but it was too late.

When Liu Tang and others heard the noise, they all rushed over to ask the reason. Yang Chang then told them about Zhou Tong's affairs. Everyone was furious when they heard it and demanded to send troops to Xiurong.

Yes, Yang Chang suddenly changed his mind. It is never too late for a gentleman to take revenge, but the Jin people were too unscrupulous and he was unwilling to wait any longer.

At night, Shi Qian reported all the new intelligence he had obtained to Yang Chang, including the matter of Elder Zhizhen.

After hearing this, Yang Chang frowned and muttered, "The elder passed away on the day when the Jin army surrounded the mountain? Isn't this a bit too coincidental?"

"Who says it's not true? I heard that the Jin army had just arrived at the foot of the mountain, and Elder Zhizhen had just passed away. They didn't even have time to pay their respects to his body, so they left Mount Wutai in dismay and never harassed us again."

Shi Qian reported the situation truthfully and added in a low voice: "You said there is a possibility that Elder Zhizhen did not want to work for the Jin people and deliberately passed away to avoid them? And he also saved Wenshu Temple in the process."

"It's hard to say. Only by asking the monks of Wenshu Monastery can we know what happened. But you must keep this matter secret. After you conquer Xiurong and Dingxiang, tell Master Lu."

"I understand. When should we start? Should we attack Xiurong first? Should we send an insider?"

"No need!"

Yang Chang stretched out his hand to interrupt Shi Qian, and said with a serious face: "We will call up the generals in a moment, and march north early tomorrow morning. We will attack Xiurong and Dingxiang together. I have insiders on both sides."

"Is there really an insider?"

"Really!"

"Is there really an insider?"

"Really!"

At this moment, in Xiurong City, in Xishi Residence.

Xi Shi, who was bandaged like he had one eye, was privately discussing the issue of internal accomplices with his deputy general Yidu.

"Shiling Pass is mainly guarded by our people. If we take away the responsibility for the loss of the pass and point out that someone is Yang Chang's accomplice, we can say this to Marshal Wushi, but Marshal Xieye has already arrived in Daizhou, which makes us seem irresponsible."

"Last night, the moonlight was very bright. I personally confirmed it at the pass. The gate was taken first, and then Commander Yang's main force appeared. This shows that there were few people trying to seize the gate at that time. The gate of Shiling Pass has just been reinforced. As long as it is not opened from the inside, it is almost impossible to be breached head-on. This means that there must be an insider, and it must be those three outsiders!"

"Lieutenant General Yi, the Han Chinese have a saying: if you catch a thief, take the stolen goods; if you catch an adulterer, take both of them. If you don't have solid evidence, don't talk nonsense outside, lest you give people a reason to criticize you."

"What more evidence do you need?"

Yidu stood up excitedly and angrily cursed: "I fought fiercely at Shiling Pass last night, and the three armies were unmoved. Every one of them has a problem!"

"Hey, calm down."

Xi Shi's head ached after hearing this. He waved his hand to signal the other party to sit down and reminded him in a low voice: "Even if they all have problems, they can't point them out at the same time. If the three groups attack at the same time, won't this Xiurong City and your and my heads be handed over to Yang Chang?"

"That"

"Let's first identify a suspect. I'll write a military letter and send it to Daizhou overnight, and then let the two marshals make their own decision. However, Yelu Yudu can be ruled out because he was in Xiurong at the time."

"Then you can ask for it!"

(End of this chapter)