South of the Huai River, on the eastern border of Huai River in the Song Dynasty, was Chuzhou.
In the 11th year of Shaoxing in the Song Dynasty (AD 1141), the Southern Song Dynasty and the Jin Kingdom formally negotiated peace. The boundary line between the two sides extended to the Huaihe River in the east and the Dashanguan line in the west. To the south of the boundary line was the Southern Song Dynasty, and to the north of the boundary line was the Jin Kingdom. Chuzhou, located at the intersection of the Huaihe River and the Grand Canal, was undoubtedly an important town on the eastern frontier of the Southern Song Dynasty.
In the tenth year of Jiading (1217), Jin Xuanzong declared war on the Song Dynasty because the Song Dynasty did not accept coins, and the war between the Song Dynasty and the Jin Dynasty resumed. Emperor Ningzong of the Song Dynasty issued an edict to attack the Jin Dynasty, and actively recruited returning Zhengbei people to form the "Loyalty and Righteous Army".
In the eleventh year of Jiading (1218), the Song court officially appointed Li Quan, the leader of the rebel army who had surrendered, as the deputy general manager of Jingdong Road. People from the south and south of Shandong continued to communicate with each other, and their momentum grew stronger, playing a decisive role in the war between Song and Jin Dynasties.
In view of the rise of Mongolia and the increasingly obvious decline of the Jin Dynasty, the Song and Jin Dynasties promoted peacemaking, which aroused suspicion and fear among loyal people.
Li Quan surrendered to the Song Dynasty and made countless achievements in the fight against the Jin Dynasty. He also annexed various rebel forces and served as the propaganda envoy and the Baoning Army Jiedushi. However, the Song court called the northern anti-Jin rebels attached to the Song Dynasty the "Northern Army". Although they were given official titles, they only used them to resist the Jin and implemented a policy of differentiation and suppression. The two sides were at odds from the beginning, which made it inevitable for Li Quan to become a separatist warlord who supported his own troops and traveled between the Song and Jin Dynasties.
Since Li Quanxiong occupied the Huai River, Chuzhou in the east of Huaibei has been Li Quan's sphere of influence. Li Quanxiong lived in Qingzhou, Shandong, in the north of Huaihe, while his wife Yang Miaozhen was stationed in Chuzhou in the south of Huainan. The couple looked at each other from a distance across the Huai River, and they were like each other's horns.
In the Chuzhou city, there were both officials from the Song court and Yang Miaozhen, a warlord in the name of the Song court. The two sides fought openly and secretly, and they often broke up with each other, but they got along harmoniously again and again. The reason is nothing more than the situation.
In the third year of Xingqing's reign in the Song Dynasty, Li Quan was besieged by the Mongolian army in Qingzhou for a year. During this period, it was rumored that Li Quan was dead. Song Huaidong's envoy Liu Gu, who had replaced Xu Xiji, wanted to take the opportunity to eliminate Yang Miaozhen's troops stationed in Chuzhou. Instead, he was surrounded by soldiers in the state. Liu Gu left the city in the middle of the night and fled to Yangzhou alone. After driving away Liu Guan, Yang Miaozhen basically took control of Chuzhou.
Although Liu Gu, the envoy of the Huaidong system, was expelled, Yao Chong, the magistrate of Chuzhou, was still in charge of the state and governed Chuzhou together with Yang Miaozhen.
Nominally, Chuzhou was still under the rule of the Song Dynasty.
Li Quan was besieged in Qingzhou, and his life and death were unknown. Yang Miaozhen's troops in Chuzhou were also in doubt about their military morale. During this period, there were rumors that Li Quan was dead. The Song Dynasty court was dissatisfied with Li Quan in Chuzhou and wanted to cut off Li Quan's food and salary supply.
The reason why Li Quan was able to live happily in Chuzhou was entirely due to the food and salary supply from the Song court. Once the Song Dynasty ran out of food and grass and Li Quan was silent, then Li Quan in Chuzhou could only sit back and wait for death.
Under the rumors, people in the border towns of Chuzhou were in panic, and the undercurrent was surging, just like the silence before the storm, which was suffocating.
At the beginning of the lanterns, in the Zhizhou Yamen of Chuzhou City, Yao Chong, the Zhizhou Zhizhou, was sitting in the main hall, his face turned pale. Although he forced himself to be calm, his trembling hands still revealed the panic in his heart at the moment.
A bloody human head was placed on the table in front of him, which made him feel so frightened that he almost lost control.
"Mr. Yao, this is the head of the traitorous general Liu Qingfu. Please inform the court and pay them as soon as possible so that the soldiers can feel at ease."
The tall, thick, black man speaking in the hall is Li Quan's second brother Li Fu.
Li Fu and Liu Qingfu were stationed in Chuzhou. Both of them were arrogant and violent, and they were at odds with each other. As time went by, their mutual suspicions grew and their conflicts deepened. Li Fu killed Liu Qingfu and took his head to see Yao Chong, the magistrate of Chuzhou, in order to urge him to pay his salary as soon as possible.
Earlier, the Song Dynasty used Xu Guo to appoint envoys to Huaidong to appease the system, which was unfair. Li Quan decided to get rid of Xu Guo. Liu Qingfu killed Xu Guo's family members, killed Xu Guo's aide Zhang Mengxian, set fire to the government office, and confiscated all his savings to the rebels.
Li Fu killed Liu Qingfu, seemingly to plead guilty to Yao Chong and distribute food and salary, but in fact it also meant to avenge private revenge.
When a disaster approaches, they all fly away, and the morale of the army is unstable. These rebel generals with different ideas also have evil intentions and find a way out for themselves.
"General Li, the imperial court has not interrupted the supply of money and food, so don't worry."
Yao Chong's lips trembled and he spoke in a trembling voice.
Coming to this troubled frontier to serve as an official and dealing with these proud soldiers and generals all day long, he, a dignified scholar-bureaucrat, had terrible luck.
"Xiangong Yao, Liu Qingfu was good at killing important officials of the imperial court and raising troops to cause chaos. His subordinates have put him to death. Now that Liu Quanfu is dead, we are loyal to work for the imperial court and guard the border. Please also ask the imperial minister to report to the imperial court and commend the soldiers under his command, lest the soldiers There are complaints again!”
Li Fu's face was filled with anger, and he had a fierce look on his face. He was smiling but not smiling, which made Yao Chong even more flustered.
"Definitely! I will write to the imperial court right now to allocate food and salary for the general!"
Yao Chong nodded repeatedly and forced a smile.
If he doesn't agree, I'm afraid his 100-pound old bones will be left in the desolate land of Chuzhou.
"Thank you very much, Mr. Yao!"
Li Fu laughed, cupped his fists and saluted.
As expected, this romantic old husband was already in a state of confusion after being slightly frightened.
It seems that the Zhongyi Army's money and food can be distributed in full.
"General, Liu Qingfu's troops have gathered in Beicheng and seem to want to attack our military camp!"
A fierce soldier with a red scarf on his head came in and reported the military situation to Li Fu without even looking at Yao Chong, a high official of the Song Dynasty.
"These bastards, let's see if I can't kill them!"
Li Fuchong raised his fist towards Yao Chong, full of pride.
"Xiangong Yao, wait until I kill these traitors and then go back and ask for credit from Xianggong Yao!"
After Li Fu finished speaking, he waved his hand and led the soldiers to stride away.
"Finally gone!"
Yao Chong was relieved and leaned on the chair. When he saw the head on the table, he immediately screamed in horror.
"Someone! Take this thing away quickly! Hurry!"
The servants came up and took the head out in a panic.
After a while, his mood stabilized, and Yao Chong called out the door again.
"Yao Da, go and see how the situation is outside the city. Report as soon as possible! Go and come back quickly!"
Yao Da went out and ran back after a while, panting heavily to report.
"Mr. Sir, a fierce battle is going on outside the city. It looks like it won't end in a while!"
Seeing Yao Chong's eyes glancing over, the attendant quickly stepped forward to report with caution.
"What's wrong with this? Do I want to die in Chuzhou City?"
Yao Chong's face turned pale, and he felt frightened again.
"Yao Da, what do you think we should do?"
"My lord, as a villain, take advantage of these arrogant soldiers and generals to fight among themselves. My lord, please leave quickly. Otherwise, your life may be in danger!"
Yao Da whispered, with no color on his face.
The bloody battle outside the city had frightened him out of his wits.
"Yao Da, you are right. Clean up quickly and let's leave immediately. Remember, don't disturb those two women with small feet, otherwise no one will be able to escape. Go quickly!"
Yao Chong whispered, his eyes stern.
"Yes! Mr. Xian!"
Yao Da was shocked. In order to escape for his life, the master did not even take the two beautiful concubines with him.
"The matter has come to an end, it's important to save your life. Let's talk about the thunder, rain and dew later."
Yao Chong looked at the dark night sky and spoke hastily.
Li Quan, these tigers and wolves, are unruly and will lose their heads one day if they stay in Chuzhou City. It's better to run south overnight, it's important to save this old life.
Damn all the important matters of the country, nation, and court!
In the wilderness outside Chuzhou North City, torches were blazing, hundreds of people were in chaos, and the sound of fighting was loud.
The loyalist troops Li Fu and Liu Qingfu were engaging in a fierce battle with their swords.
"Kill this thief Li Fu and avenge Brother Liu!"
"Kill these idiots to death! How dare you go against me!"
Both sides are desperadoes with swords licking blood. Now that it is rumored that Li Quan is dead and the whole group is leaderless, they have no scruples. Evil grows out of courage. They fight at the slightest disagreement. They show no mercy. Everyone is addicted. The blood-crazed demon instantly caused blood and flesh to fly everywhere, people fell on their backs, and screams continued.
"Everyone stop it! Everyone stop it!"
Several horses rushed into the fighting field. The knights on the horses were fierce and brave, shouting loudly. The leader was a tall and beautiful woman with long legs.
This person is none other than Yang Miaozhen, the wife of Li Quan of the Shandong Zhongyi Army, who is in the important town of Chuzhou and is respectfully called "Entang" by his subordinates.
"Stop! If you continue to kill each other, you will be punished by military law!"
Yang Miaozhen rode on horseback, shouting loudly and whipping his whip wildly. The fighting sergeants stopped one after another with disgraced faces.
"Xing De, Zhang Lin, what are you going to do? Why are you attacking Li Fu's military camp? Are you crazy?"
Yang Miaozhen reined in his horse, his face turned livid, and he asked angrily.
Since the Zhongyi Army took root on both sides of the Huai River, it has been dealing with the forces of the Song, Jin and Mongolia, walking on thin ice, fighting cautiously and in a difficult situation. It's better now that our own people are starting to fight among themselves.
"Entang, Li Fu killed Liu Qingfu for no reason. Why did he do it? The court didn't dare to kill the general of our Zhongyi Army, but let Li Fu kill him! Is there any justice in this?"
The dark and sturdy Xing De also roared angrily.
Judging from the blood stains on the long knife in his hand, it was obvious that he had killed a lot of people.
"That's right, why did you kill Liu Qingfu for no reason? Entang, you have to give us an explanation!"
The tall and mighty Zhang Lin roared loudly with blood dripping from his sword head.
Despite the fierce public sentiment, the generals were still convinced of Yang Miaozhen and stopped fighting.
"What?"
Yang Miaozhen's face was filled with astonishment, and she could hardly believe her ears.
Her husband Li Quan's brother Li Fu had an internal conflict with his husband's general Liu Qingfu and killed Liu Qingfu.
Does he know what he is doing?
"Second brother, why did you kill Liu Qingfu? Aren't you killing each other?"
Yang Miaozhen looked at the nonchalant Li Fu, her husband's second brother, and her heart dropped.
Greedy and ruthless, he is a pig teammate. This time, there was another incident of killing a general. Isn't this the case of those who hate the relatives and feel the pain?
Li Quan's life and death in Shandong were uncertain, and internal strife broke out in Huaidong. Under the precarious situation, the loyal army will be finished sooner or later.
