Chapter 24: Meng Xian marches directly into Sichuan; Guo Jing assists the defense and takes up residence in Xiangyang
It was mentioned last time that after Xiangyang City was recovered, the imperial court issued a decree commending the generals, and Guo Jing was able to clear his grievances. After receiving Meng Xian's report, the imperial court also discovered the importance of Xiangyang City, but believed that Sichuan was strategically important, and ordered Meng Xian to properly arrange the defense plan for Xiangyang City before marching westward to Sichuan. According to the imperial decree, Meng Xian divided his troops to garrison Xiangyang City and nearby prefectures and counties, and then led Guo Polu straight into Sichuan, while all the heroes went their separate ways.
It is said that Meng Xian, together with Guo Polu and other generals, led the army through the mountains and ridges, marched at dawn and stayed overnight, and marched directly into Sichuan with great force. After being invaded and plundered by the Mongolian army, most of the Sichuan area was in dilapidated condition. Meng Xian's team had just entered Sichuan, and the imperial edict from the imperial court had arrived. The imperial court worshiped Meng Xian as the envoy of the Jinghu pacification system. He also knew Kuizhou and gave orders on Sichuan affairs. Meng Xian could act expediently according to the situation. Meng Xian was ordered to convene the generals for discussion.
General Peng Daya said:
"Sichuan is a land of abundance. The land is fertile, the people are prosperous and the people are prosperous. It is appropriate to set up farmland to prepare for non-urgent needs. In this way, you can attack when you advance and defend when you retreat, so that you can be in an invincible position."
Meng Xian smiled and said nothing. Seeing this, Guo Polu came out and said:
"Sichuan has rugged mountain roads and long peaks. It is a dangerous place. Li Bai, a poet of the Tang Dynasty, once said, 'The road to Shu is difficult, and it is difficult to reach the sky.' After the Mongolian army destroyed the Dali Kingdom, it was imminent to invade the Song Dynasty. The Mongols raised troops to invade the Song Dynasty, and Xiangyang and Sichuan is the only way for them to pass through. The general will march with the marshal to Sichuan and observe along the way. If we want to prevent the Mongolian soldiers from running amok in the Sichuan area, we must choose to take risks and set up strongholds to ensure that there is no danger."
Meng Xian nodded slightly but did not express his position. When everyone saw this, they expressed their opinions one after another.
Seeing that everyone had raised their opinions, Meng Xian said slowly:
"From everyone's discussion, I know that all the generals have a plan to defend Shu. I hope everyone will work together to manage Shu well."
Meng Xian brainstormed, adopted everyone's suggestions, and set up farms in Shu. The imperial court appointed Peng Daya as the deputy envoy to Sichuan, responsible for building the city. Peng Daya was ordered to build Chongqing City. Guo Polu and General Gan Yan accepted the suggestion of brothers Ran Pu from Bozhou and chose Diaoyu Mountain to establish a stronghold in Hezhou. For a time, the Sichuan garrison was quite large.
Meng Xian was very happy to see that there was no serious problem in Shu. However, he saw that some of the former Shu defenders were corrupt and had strong bureaucratic habits.
Let us also say that after Jia Sidao crossed the river to seek peace with Mongolia, he was afraid that someone would expose his scandal, so he tried his best to crack down on the generals who had made meritorious services in the war against Mongolia. In order to eliminate dissidents, Jia Sidao implemented the so-called "planning method" among all military generals. "That is to say, the dispatch officer's accountant will check the military expenditures in various places. Anyone who withdraws government money and materials for military supplies during the war will be punished for embezzlement and concealment. Many generals were convicted. Zhao Kui, Shi Yanzhi, Du Shu and other famous generals were dismissed from office and ordered to pay compensation. Another general, Xiang Shibi, was deprived of his rank and imprisoned. He was forced to die, and his family was detained to pay military supplies. The famous generals Gao Da and Cao Shixiong despised the unlearned Jia Sidao. Jia Sidao held a grudge and ordered his party members to make accusations and force Cao Shixiong to death, and Gao Dao was dismissed from his position. He was also jealous of Wang Jian who had made extraordinary achievements in Diaoyu City, so he deliberately transferred him to Hezhou and stripped him of his military power. Soon Wang Jian died of depression.
Meng Xian saw that the court was unruly and thought of his old age, so he began to give up his ambitions. He went to the imperial court, begged to return to his hometown, and recommended Yu Hui, the Zhizhaoxin Army who had repeatedly defeated the Mongolian army, as an envoy. The imperial court approved the report and ordered Yu Hui to serve as an envoy for the pacification system in Sichuan and to be aware of Chongqing Prefecture.
Yu Hui went to Sichuan to take up his post and convened the generals for discussion. When he saw that all the generals were gathered together, they were all young men. Yu Hui couldn't help but ask:
"I heard that the young hero Guo Polu, the son of Guo Jing, the Northern Hero, is in charge of military affairs in Shu. Why can't he be seen?"
Gan Yan left the class and said:
"Mr. Guo is like his father. He doesn't seek fame and wealth, and he doesn't like to ask for credit or rewards. The commander convened everyone to discuss the military situation, and he volunteered to guard the fishing village."
When Yu Hui heard this, he sighed for a long time and said:
"I have long heard that Guo Shaoxia is highly skilled in martial arts and is quite knowledgeable in military training."
Gan Yan replied:
"What the coach said is absolutely true. Guo Shaoxia is not only highly skilled in martial arts and archery, he has also mastered the essence of Yang Zaixing's Yang family's marksmanship. He is well versed in the art of marching and formation. He is truly a hero."
Yu Hui was overjoyed when he heard this and said:
"With such talents in our army, why worry about the dangers of Shu? Come quickly and meet me."
Gan Yan's entourage hurried back to Diaoyu Village and invited Guo Polu to the commander's mansion to pay homage to Yu Hui.
Yu Hui saw that Guo Polu was indeed extraordinary. He had a majestic appearance, a majestic weapon, a face like the full moon, eyes like bright stars, and his head was like a god descending from the realm, Erlang God coming to earth, handsome, brave, and very powerful. When Yu Hui saw it, he was overjoyed and said:
"I have heard about the reputation of Master Guo for a long time, but I have not been able to see it in person. I am quite shocked. Today I can see Master Guo and appreciate his majesty. It is a real joy for my life. It is a great blessing for the Song Dynasty that you and your son are loyal to the country. Blessings to the people.”
Guo Poluxun thanked him:
"General Yu's words are serious. In order to save the lives of the people in the world, Xiao Ke and his father joined the army to guard the border and fight against the Mongolian army. Being under the general's command is truly a blessing."
Yu Hui saw that Guo Polu was well-spoken, humble and generous, and he liked him from the bottom of his heart, so he was eager to let people watch him. Guo Polu gave a few words of humility and sat sideways on his seat.
Yu Hui ordered people to serve food and wine, and he and Guo Polu drank and talked. road:
"Guo Shaoxia served as Meng's envoy and counselor for military affairs, and was highly praised by General Meng. I wonder what Shaoxia Guo can teach me?"
Guo Polu said humbly:
"General Meng is very humble and thinks highly of me, so he has the opportunity to show off his humiliation. Now that I see General Yu being polite and approachable, I am inexplicably impressed by you."
After saying that, he raised his glass and drank it in one gulp.
After a few glasses of wine, Guo Polu became more courageous and became talkative. He analyzed it to Yu Hui:
"If Sichuan can be defended, it must rely on the local people and make great use of the patriots in Sichuan. Since Zhuge Liang ruled Shu, there have been many talented people and countless heroes in Shu. However, they were not used by the court and died in the countryside. If a general can recruit talented people, We will definitely be able to recover the city that the Mongolian army looted."
Yu Hui was overjoyed when he heard this, and they parted happily that night.
The next day, Yu Hui ordered his people to set up a recruitment hall to solicit suggestions for the defense of Sichuan. The order said:
"Gathering everyone's thoughts and spreading loyalty and benefits, Zhuge Kongming chose Shu. ... Heroic people are eager to establish things, and now is the time!"
Yu Hui also adopted Guo Polu's suggestion and built the Diaoyu Village and other places into a mountain city to store grain for defense. In addition, more than ten mountain cities were built in the dangerous mountains along the Jialing River, Tuojiang River, and Qujiang River. The administrative offices of various states were moved into mountain cities. Fortresses were built on the mountains and troops were stationed to gather food. After Yu Hui's reorganization, the Sichuan garrison gained momentum.
Yu Hui sent someone to draw a picture of "Managing Western Shu" and reported it to the court, claiming:
"Within ten years, I will lead the Western Shu Mongolian army to invade and occupy the states to return the favor to the imperial court."
When the imperial court heard the memorial, it was overjoyed and appointed Yu Hui as Minister of the Ministry of War, and he remained stationed in Sichuan.
Guo Polu assisted Meng Xian and Yu Hui in their business operations in Shu, and the news that he had won many awards spread to Xiangyang. Guo Jing, Huang Rong and others were very pleased to hear this. During this period of time, Guo Jing cleared up his past suspicions and assisted Lu Wenhuan in guarding Xiangyang. He also helped the Xiangyang garrison recruit surrender troops, expand the army, practice fighting, stabbing, and marching formation techniques. Also well organized.
It turned out that since the imperial court re-appointed Lu Wenhuan to guard Xiangyang City, Lu Wenhuan learned from the previous failure that a large part of Xiangyang City's defense relied on Guo Jing. Lu Wenhuan no longer dared to offend Guo Jing. He taught Guo Jing privately and never dared to neglect him again. Therefore, Lu Wenhuan, the governor of Xiangyang, obeyed Guo Jing's words and was extremely respectful. Regarding the strategy of defending the city, no matter how big or small, he was consulted.
Guo Jing, who was so arrogant but ignorant of the city, felt grateful when he saw Lu Wenhuan treating him with respect. Regardless of his past grudges, he worked very hard in his work and defended the city with all his heart. Regardless of whether he understood it or not, he agreed to it in a big way. He got up at 9:00 every day and was still busy at 10:00 at night.
Huang Rong saw that Guo Jing was still full of blood and courage even though he was much older. She felt angry and funny and said:
"Brother Jing, you are from the Jianghu. To the imperial court, you have no official position. You are just Lu Wenhuan's civilian guest. Although the soldiers of Xiangyang City obey your orders, they are only intimidated by your reputation. If you are always so arrogant, you will take the lead. , that would seem too out of touch with current affairs.”
Guo Jing was shocked and said:
"Actually, why don't I know about this relationship? It's just that General Lu often asks me. If I can't tell everything I know, I'm afraid I will betray the great trust of Marshal Meng."
Huang Rong smiled and said:
"Brother Jing, you are so cute and stupid. When people ask you, you think they don't understand. After all, they are the feudal officials appointed by the imperial court. How can they go to Liangshan without twos and threes? When they ask you, they just respect you. , sometimes if you say something with good intentions, they may not buy your account."
Hearing this, Guo Jing pondered for a while and admitted honestly:
"Rong'er, you are really the best among women. It's true. Two days ago, General Lu asked me how to make Xiangyang City impregnable. I suggested him to strengthen the city wall. He agreed with my point of view at that time, but until now, there has been no movement at all. Woolen cloth."
Huang Rong laughed angrily and said:
"That's right, they don't have the heart to refute you. Mencius said: 'The weather is not as good as the right place, and the right place is not as good as the people.' The wall is so high that it can only block those who cannot come. No matter how strong the city wall is, if the soldiers guarding the city are not united, they will It’s easy to break through.”
Guo Jing nodded and praised:
"That's right. The last time Xiangyang fell, it was because of the disagreement between the northern and southern armies of Xiangyang City."
After saying that, he asked strangely:
"Rong'er, when did Marshal Meng say this to you? Why didn't I hear him say it?"
When Huang Rong heard this, she laughed and said:
"Marshal Meng, you only have Marshal Meng Xian in your heart. This Mencius was from the Warring States Period."
Suddenly, she remembered that when she was still young, she was injured by Qiu Qianren's iron palm. Guo Jing carried her on his back and asked Master Yideng to heal the injury under Yinggu's guidance. She met Master Yideng's great disciple Zhu Ziliu. At that time, Zhu Ziliu used Confucian etiquette to satirize men and women who are not close to each other. He once made a satirical poem about Mencius: "How can a beggar have two wives? How can the neighbor get many chickens? There was an emperor of Zhou at that time, so everyone talked about Wei Qi." The poem made Zhu Ziliu speechless. When Huang Rong thought about this, her heart was filled with sweetness. She didn't want to explain more, and Guo Jing didn't understand anyway. Seeing Guo Jing blushing and embarrassed, she whispered:
"Brother Jing, if General Lu asks you again tomorrow, just respond like this, 'I don't understand this either. Marshal Lu is wise and powerful. This little thing won't trouble you. You can also discuss it with the generals.'"
Guo Jing naturally kept it in mind.
Early the next morning, Lu Wenhuan indeed invited Guo Jing to the commander's mansion to discuss matters. When Guo Jing arrived at the commander's residence, all the generals had already gathered at the commander's residence. When Lu Wenhuan saw Guo Jing arriving, he hurriedly invited him to take a seat. Guo Jing waved his hand and declined to sit down, but stood at the bottom seat on the right.
Lu Wenhuan didn't take it seriously and asked respectfully:
"Master Guo, the swords, guns, swords and halberds in Xiangyang City's treasury are prone to rusting. I don't know if there is any good way to avoid it."
Guo Jing bowed and said:
"It is difficult for Guo to know about this issue at the moment. It is better to ask Marshal Lu to discuss it with the generals."
Everyone saw that Guo Jing suddenly became more humble and respectful. After hearing this, Lu Wenhuan said to everyone:
"Yes, let's see if there are any good ways to avoid this?"
The generals below the rank were talking a lot and expressing their opinions. Most of them put forward many good opinions. Guo Jing thought to himself that it turned out that his father-in-law and Master Yideng withdrew from the discussion that day because they saw that their younger generations were also capable of doing well. Now it seems that I should also withdraw, stop interfering in everything, and only secretly help defend Xiangyang City.
In fact, when Lu Wenhuan asked about Guo Jing, Wu Jingfeng, the elder of the Beggar Clan, popped up in Guo Jing's mind. This elder was a good weapon refiner. If he was allowed to do this, he would be able to solve this problem quickly. It was just that he remembered Huang Rong's words and kept them in his heart.
After this experience, Guo Jing never directly participated in Zanhua's military again, but secretly dispatched troops to help defend the city. He arranged for Chen Chen, Wang Yang and other elders of the Beggar Clan to help guard the city near Xiangyang.
Guo Jing ordered Guo Xiang to go to Qingfeng Village and recruit Zhang Shun brothers back to Xiangyang City. Unexpectedly, the three Zhang brothers were accustomed to living in the village and refused to move to Xiangyang. They refused to move to Xiangyang, saying:
"I would like to train soldiers here. Once Xiangyang City is in trouble, we will immediately rush to Xiangyang's aid. We will serve as foreign aid in case of urgent need."
Guo Jing did not dare to force it and allowed the three Zhang brothers to live freely and live the lives of mountain kings.
The news that Guo Jing did not die as a martyr and returned to Xiangyang City soon spread in the martial arts world. After hearing the news, heroes from all walks of life gathered back one after another. Zhu Ziliu came back after seeing off Zhou Botong and his wife. Master Yideng's second apprentice Wu Santong also came to Xiangyang City.
Guo Xiang saw heroes from all walks of life gathered in Xiangyang City, but her grandfather Huang Yaoshi and Master Yideng were not seen. She was very anxious and told her mother that she wanted to find the two elders, but Huang Rong gave her one reason or another. Rejected.
It's exactly this: operating in Xishu scares the enemy, and sitting in Xiangyang frightens the enemy. I don’t know what major events will happen next in Xiangyang City. If you want to know what happens next, let’s look at the breakdown in the next chapter.
