At the end of March in the third year of the Xingqing reign of the Song Dynasty, Sichuan, Lizhou and Lizhou camp were held.
During the Song Dynasty, 70,000 frontier troops gathered in Sichuan. The teaching field was densely packed, with cold light and iron clothes, forests of swords and guns, faint artillery, and a sea of flags. The formations are all neat and orderly. No matter from the front or the side, they are all straight lines. They are full of pockets and are daunting.
The tens of thousands of troops were silent. The students who were watching from the high platform on the edge of the teaching field were all solemn. Many of them stood up straight and puffed up their chests unconsciously.
"How can I say that I have no clothes? I wear the same robe as my son. Wang Yuxingshi repairs my spear... Wang Shishi is so elite, it is an eye-opener!"
Zheng Cai sighed with a serious face.
"You don't know whether it's a blessing or a curse to be good at wielding swords and weapons?"
Wang Ziqiang suppressed the throbbing in his heart and shook his head gently.
"Hearing that the Tatar army fought undeclared and destroyed Jiezhou, and that the king's army lost four to five thousand men in Langao Town, Emperor Longyan was furious..."
Cheng Yuanfeng said softly, Zheng Cai and Wang Ziqiang were both shocked. Wang Ziqiang turned pale and asked in a trembling voice:
"Brother Cheng, where did you get these military and national affairs?"
"I got up early to go to the toilet and heard what Xuan Xianggong, the Minister of War, and Cui Xianggong, the envoy of Sichuan Province, said. I don't know whether it is true or not. Maybe the emperor had no choice but to do it in order to stimulate the morale of the army."
Cheng Yuanfeng looked around and said vaguely.
In fact, he only listened intermittently, and he did not hear many of the conversations between Xuan and Cui.
"Our Song Dynasty has such elite men, which is just the right opportunity for the Tatars to see the national power of our Song Dynasty!"
Zheng Cai was furious and said something spontaneously, his voice rising unconsciously.
Going to war without declaring it is tantamount to aggression. Is it the behavior of a benevolent person?
"Brother Zheng, please be patient and don't be impatient. The weapons and weapons are unknown. It will be a blessing or a curse for the country. Let's wait and see."
Cheng Yuanfeng was uneasy, and Wang Ziqiang was depressed.
With so many brave warriors gathered in Wuyangyang, maybe this will be a thrilling national war!
"The Tatars invaded our territory, massacred our soldiers and civilians, and did not fight back. How could this be done by the Song Dynasty? Today, if the emperor wants to personally conquer the country, he will definitely give the Tatars a hard blow!"
The "Emperor's Disciple" on the side, Wang Wen, who has been practicing at the Jinling Martial Arts Hall for more than half a year, is full of enthusiasm and speaks impassionedly.
"That's what Brother Wang said! With so many powerful people in the country, why should we be afraid of invasion by foreign enemies?"
Cheng Yuanfeng smiled unconsciously and echoed Wang Wen.
The emperor is in charge, so elite, where does he fear come from?
In Lizhou Camp, in the Chinese army barracks, Zhao Hong looked at the memorial on the table, and several ministers beside him sat silently.
"Xuanqing, you have been in Sichuan for a while. How is the combat strength of the Sichuan frontier army? Can it fight a tough battle?"
Zhao Hong put down the memorial, his face was calm, and he couldn't tell whether he was happy or worried.
After overcoming the imperial court's constraints on sending troops, the troublemakers set off from Lin'an City, passed through Jinling City, and drove all the way to Chengdu at high speed, and then to the Lizhou Camp in Shukou. It was already the end of March.
Just like in history, as expected, the Mongolian army invaded the Song Dynasty, but it seemed different from the history. It seemed that the war expanded a lot, and it was also extremely tragic.
If he had come half a month earlier, he might have thought more carefully, and Jiezhou City might not have been massacred.
"Your Majesty, among the Sichuan frontier army, 70% are veterans and 30% are new recruits. With nearly a year of training, they are ready for use."
Arriving to Sichuan for the military parade in advance, Xuan Zhen, the dignified minister of the Ministry of War of the Song Dynasty, was naturally no longer a loser.
With the support of the emperor, his political opponents were exiled and denounced one after another. Xuanzhen was much more diligent and conscientious in his work than before.
During the several years of war between the Song and Jin Dynasties, Sichuan was mostly affected, and the frontier troops were not lacking in actual combat capabilities.
Zhao Hong nodded slightly, feeling relieved a little.
He would not be at ease if they were all rookies competing against the Mongolian cavalry that dominated the world.
"Have all the cavalrymen of the Wei army been assembled?"
"Your Majesty, together with the cavalry mobilized from the southeast, the entire Beiwei army has eight thousand soldiers, waiting for your Majesty's dispatch!"
This time, it was Cui Yu who spoke.
The Sichuan Beiwei Army has 5,000 cavalry, plus Zhao Hong's 3,000 elite retinues, for a total of 8,000, which can be regarded as a thousand troops.
However, these five thousand cavalry carrying the Wei Army are the foundation of the entire Sichuan frontier army. Once they are damaged, the Sichuan cavalry will be catastrophic.
"Your Majesty, the Tatar army is invading. Although it is only a few thousand people, there may be reinforcements. How to deal with it is up to Your Majesty to decide!"
"Your Majesty, the loss of Jiezhou, the loss of troops and generals in Langao Town, and the panic among the people, the army on Lizhou West Road cannot escape the blame. How will your Majesty deal with it?"
Fan Zhong and Cui Yuzhi went forward and reported to Zhao Hong.
"Didn't Xihezhou win the battle? You can't generalize."
Zhao Hong waved his hand, noncommittal.
"Call the generals to come in and discuss it together."
The frontier fortress was raging with war, so these generals knew the details, were alert, and knew what to do next.
If his prediction was correct, Genghis Khan was recuperating in Liupan Mountain, and he was not sure whether the Mongolian army would reinforce him and expand a local war. But no matter how there is no way, it is imperative and necessary for the army to go north.
In the large tent, Zhao Hong was in charge, and the generals and ministers on both sides were separated. The expedition is about to begin, and the atmosphere in the barracks is a bit depressing.
At the end of March, the weather hasn't warmed up yet, but people's hearts are starting to get restless.
"Your Majesty, the Tatar army defeated Jiezhou, tens of thousands of people were killed, and two thousand officers and soldiers died in the battle..."
"Your Majesty, the Tatar army attacked Jiangli County. Cheng Xin, the deputy commander of Lizhou West Road in Xianren Pass, and Ma Zhong, the commander of Qifangguan, went to intercept the Tatar army. They fought with the Tatar army in Langao Town of Jiangli County. The encounter resulted in more than 4,000 casualties. Cao Youwen went to reinforce and repel the Tatar army..."
"Your Majesty, the Tatar army attacked Xihe Prefecture. The commander of Xihe Prefecture, Lu Wende, led his army to fight with the Mongolian army. The Mongolian army suffered casualties of more than 1,400 riders, and our army suffered nearly a thousand casualties..."
After reading the memorials one by one, Cui Yu paid careful attention to Zhao Hong's face, only to find that his expression remained unchanged and calm.
Undeclared war, as expected, exactly the same as in history!
"Your Majesty, Cheng Xin, the deputy commander of Lizhou West Road, escaped from the battle and was killed by Cao Youwen, the commander of Lizhou West Road, in front of the battle formation to enforce military law. Your Majesty, how should we deal with this matter?"
Cui Yu frowned and reported carefully.
The deputy commander of the capital was the deputy commander of the border army. Cao Youwen killed Cheng Xin at will, which was a little too far-fetched and a little too bold.
"One general is incompetent and the three armies are exhausted, let alone fleeing before the battle? Good kill! Kill at the right time!"
Zhao Hong snorted coldly and made an argument.
Cao Youwen was indeed bold, and dared to kill the deputy commander without asking for permission. Although he was a bit arrogant, he knew that Cao Youwen had a public heart.
Speaking of which, it was all due to the teachings at Jinling Martial Arts Hall. In the martial arts hall, military discipline is strictly enforced during daily drills and studies, and it is unforgettable that anyone who escapes from battle will be killed without mercy. Cao Youwen's move was closely related to the education he received at Jinling Martial Arts Hall. Zhao Hong believed that even if Cheng Xin was his superior, Cao Youwen would dare to kill Cheng Xin in front of the battle.
Cao's bold nickname is not in vain.
Zhao Hong's cold words made the generals below feel solemn.
When the Song army fought, it was common practice for generals to flee when they were defeated, and the court would not pursue them too closely. At most, they would be demoted and demoted, and it was rare to impose capital punishment. The emperor is so strict in managing the army, and it will be difficult to live in peace in the future.
"Your Majesty, how should we deal with the loss of the state?"
Cui Yu returned to the next topic.
Although the frontier army had secured its walls and cleared the country, the Mongolian army still broke through Jiezhou. Nearly ten thousand people were massacred, two thousand soldiers were killed, and the land was lost and the people were killed. This was a serious crime.
Cao Youwen killed Cheng Xin, and the emperor did not punish him at all, and his love for protecting the calf was obvious. It is estimated that the loss of Jiezhou will still have no consequences.
"I am also responsible for the loss of Jiezhou. Whether it is merit or demerit, let's let it go for now. Wait until we reach the border fortress and repel the Tatar army."
Sure enough, Zhao Hong brushed it off with an understatement.
Zhao Hong secretly blamed himself and regretted. Why didn't he expect that the Mongolian army would sneak attack on the border, so that such a tragedy would happen.
Who doesn't make mistakes? At this time, it is better to stabilize the military morale first.
As for Cao Youwen, the commander-in-chief of Lizhou West Road, he still trusted him.
"Your Majesty, the Tatar army suffered losses in Xihe Prefecture and Langao Town, losing nearly two thousand cavalry. With the Tatars' will to retaliate, it is very likely that they will send troops to attack Xihe Prefecture or Mianzhou."
With a dark face, Fan Zhong agreed with the emperor's prediction that the Tatar army would not give up.
"Your Majesty, what Commander Fan said is absolutely true. How can the Tatars endure such a big loss? If my prediction is true, the Tatars have already marched on Lizhou West Road!"
Fan Zhong and Cui Yu spoke one after another, and Zhao Hong nodded slightly.
The Mongolian army has always burned, killed and looted. This time, thousands of people were killed and injured by the Song army. The Mongolian army will definitely not tolerate it.
In particular, although the Mongolian army lost nearly two thousand cavalry, the Song army suffered five or six thousand casualties. This made the Mongolian army more confident, thinking that the Song army was nothing more than this and would definitely come for revenge.
It is already the end of March, and I don’t know what the condition of Yu Jie and others is, what is the situation in Xixia, and what is Genghis Khan’s condition in Liupan Mountain? Will it get worse?
Coming to this era, it seems a pity not to be able to meet Genghis Khan, especially not to be able to personally defeat this "genius" God of War.
Better not to see you!
Otherwise, this may not be a good thing for the Song Dynasty.
"Cui Qing, are the armies ready?"
Zhao Hong turned his eyes to the Shu generals in the tent.
"Your Majesty, don't worry, everything is ready."
Cui Yu turned his eyes to the generals, his expression stern.
"You all report to His Majesty, are you ready?"
"Your Majesty, Li Ronghua, the commander of the former army, is here to see your Majesty. The 10,000 soldiers of the former army are ready and waiting for your Majesty's dispatch!"
"Your Majesty, Qiu Peichu, commander of the Zuo Army, is here to see Your Majesty. The 10,000 Zuo Army troops are ready and waiting for your Majesty's dispatch!"
"Your Majesty, the Commander of the Right Army, Lu Peng, is here to see Your Majesty. The 10,000 men of the Right Army are ready and waiting for your Majesty's dispatch!"
"Your Majesty, the commander of the rear army, Chen Jin, is here to see your majesty. The ten thousand people in the rear army are ready and waiting for your majesty's dispatch!"
"Your Majesty, Su Haoxin, commander of the Beiwei Army, is here to see your Majesty. The five thousand men of the Beiwei Army are ready and waiting for your Majesty's dispatch!"
"Your Majesty, the Commander-in-Chief of the Chinese Army, Zheng Xincheng, is here to see Your Majesty. The 20,000-strong Chinese Army has been prepared and is waiting for your Majesty's dispatch!"
The emperor personally inquired, and the generals came out to report, and everyone was solemn.
